review by: Roberto Martinelli

You might read somewhere that the band called Raunchy makes records whose main statement is to “fuck off,” but don’t believe it. Rather, it’s precisely the opposite knack the band has of disguising aggressive music as an easy listening and fun experience that gives Raunchy its appeal. Nowhere is this more the case than with the drums, which rumble and crash and still sound smooth within Confusion Bay’s slick and appealing production.

Musically. think the short-hair metal version of Fear Factory playing a party and loving every minute of it. Raunchy’s main device is the harsh verse slamming into the clean, pretty chorus. Nowhere on Confusion Bay is this more well done than on “Nine - Five,” which features the record’s finest vocal melody.

Raunchy’s Nuclear Blast Records debut, Velvet Noise, kind of showed up. It seemed dubious, but it was irrepressibly likeable. Confusion Bay succeeds in all the same ways. This time, though, we were prepared. Raunchy has once again made a really fun record that is the musical equivalent of chiffon cake: fluffy, tasty, not really filling, but fun to consume. (7/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

The French Canadian black metal group Frozen Shadows had begun to make its mark as Quebé c’s answer to the keyboard-wielding Norwegian black metal notables. But Hantises sees Frozen Shadows change gears completely: they ditch the keys and go for a far more stripped down sound.

At times the old Frozen Shadows tries to creep back in, like on a couple songs that feature keyboard intros that seem more like an obligation than anything. With those chores out of the way, the speed maniacs can unplug their Korgs, dump the atmosphere and play at light speed until they’re blue in the face.

The linchpin in this plan is no doubt the band’s new drummer, Melkor, whose inhuman stamina and precision will make even seasoned drummers impressed. Hantises sounds like the result of some child-like elation, like the members of Frozen Shadows had always wanted to make a record of incredibly fast and technical songs, but didn’t have the drum talent to do so. So when they did find their man, they were off like gangbusters.

In terms of comparisons, think of the latest album by Poland’s Thunderbolt (The Burning Deed of Deceit): fast, technical and monotonous, but with a more cryptic sound and no keys. The delivery and intensity is so constant that it’s easy to lose sight of how demanding the musicianship is.

Hantises’ sound and composition makes this album one of those that is hard to approach at first, but as you become accustomed to it, you gain an understanding of the record’s sonic dimensions and values, revealing the riffs’ characteristics. Enthusiasts of this group’s previous albums will be doing a double take (as will those who buy the special 2CD set, featuring a remaster of Frozen Shadows’ demo, Empires de glace), but repeated listens to the new direction that the band is going in will be worthwhile. (7/10)

Poland. And metal. Metal from Poland.

There. That should be enough to get your attention and make you expect Crionics to be of the high caliber of the merciless musical onslaught we’ve come to expect from this former Soviet satellite nation. And we wouldn’t be wrong.

Crionics takes its stylistic lessons from Emperor’s In the Nightside Eclipse, cleans up the sound, adds a couple of old school death metal sections here and there, and plays the whole lot like country mates Thunderbolt on Sunday. Quite a few great melodies, cool passages, and stuff to let envelop you so you can sink your teeth into it. (7.3/10)

It’s cool that they’ve finally gotten the Hubble Telescope working. Dunno if you remember, but for a while there it was looking like NASA was taking the piss. But now Hubble is up and running, and no one is happier about it than Mithras, a UK death metal band whose cover is one of the telescope’s most stunning pictures.

Morbid Angel wishes Hubble could have gotten its shit together in time for the Formulas Fatal to the Flesh album. NASA blew it, and Morbid Angel had to resort to the not-universally acclaimed cover that ended up being used. Maybe that’s what Mithras intended to do with Worlds Beyond the Veil: re-make Formulas Fatal..., but with a cover that matches the music, and really play up the sidereal guitar tones and atmospherics. And if you’ve heard Morbid Angel records "F-G," you know what I’m talking about.

Seriously, now, Worlds Beyond the Veil is toeing the line between worship and plagiarism a little *too* closely. But you can’t complain about the execution. Fast, blurry, brutal, but airy and spacey at the same time. And what ends up being Mithras’ highlights aren’t the metal parts at all, but rather the few extended guitar pieces of the death metal equivalent to the Northern Lights.

Formulas Fatal to the Flesh Part 2? No doubt, but Worlds Beyond the Veil has enough atmosphere and panache to still make it a very enjoyable listen. (7/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

Asperity’s modest claim to fame is that its drummer and one of its guitarists are in Carnal Forge, who at one point came close to the death/thrash greatness of country mates Defleshed, didn’t quite make it, and have been getting less and less interesting ever since.

Anyway, Asperity is nothing like Carnal Forge. The style here is power metal infused heavily with pop vocal melodies and song structures. Sure, you’ll find the Euro power metal rolling double bass at times, but Asperity’s aim is to try to get their songs stuck in your head through rote repetition. This would be a welcome thing if the songs were of high quality, but songs (like “The Pray,” in which the singer talks to God, and “The Man with 1000 Faces”) with clumsy and thoughtless lyrical arrangements make for a pretty average outing. (5/10)

The Swedish band Insomnium takes a page from the book of Dark Tranquillity, but has enough of its own originality to make Since the Day It All Came Down worthwhile. Think Dark Tranquillity’s Damage Done but with a doom/death angle and more woodsy undistorted parts. This is a quality record with a very nice production and enjoyable melodic death metal tunes. (7/10)

I’m not sure what AFM records stands for, but I’m getting the feeling it’s a German acronym for "easy listening metal." Nothing’s out of place on Axxis’ Time Machine: no false notes, a perfect vocal performance – everything in harmony with everything else.

Too bad harmony and textbook execution don’t make up for lack of heart. Time Machine is slick, but there isn’t a single song on the record that moves you. Axxis’ sound is the European version of melodic metal strongly rooted in rock ‘n roll, and should be a lot of fun for you if you happen to have a big ol’ stage in your four-acre backyard and a bunch of beer to share with your burnt out metalhead horde of friends. Then again, it still may not be enough if you don’t have other acts playing at the same time to stagger off to when Axxis’ thing gets old. (5/10)

Crystalium's black metal style, from the frantic guitar chaos to the machine gun blast beats and penchant for militaristic rolls, is a whirlwind of activity. Think Abigor and its psychotic, mumbling guitar and washes of keyboards as the closest and most practical comparison.

Crystalium's work is solid and entertaining. They do well in taking a bunch of black metal elements that have been done before (mostly swirling, meandering moods that are paced by chords played by the keyboard), and they put it all together in a fairly original way. However, the tracks lack individual hooks and tend to all be the same thing more or less. So while this is a quality album not without its share of interest, the amount of time it will stay in your CD player may not be particularly long. (6.8/10)

Take a low bow as the trumpets sound, for it would appear that there are some new kings in the power metal court. Whether you call it melodic, symphonic, or just plain power metal, Heavenly have thrown themselves into the music with more ferocity than I have ever seen.

Vocalist Ben Sotto may sound slightly girlish on occasion, but putting that aside, we have here an album that is purest fucking perfection. Dust to Dust is a concept album that tells the story of a vampire's victim who spends centuries fighting his bloodthirst, and unlike the "Algarlord Chronicles" of fellow Italians Rhapsody, this tale is very focused in its telling. The musical arrangements may not be as complex, but it kicks in like a bombing raid.

Intro track "Ashes to Ashes..." is enough to make the hair tingle on the back of your neck, and at this point I feel I should mention that the volume on the stereo should be cranked up VERY high. The glorious speed metal blast of"'Evil" just sets the senses ablaze and the spirits soaring, and I'd have to say that I can't find fault with a single track. There is a scattered Queen influence here and there, and the riffing is unbelievably classic. A perfectly balanced album in every respect.

The production is crisp and cutting, and the heavy chug of the songs is driven along by a truly awesome drum sound. It's a work of astounding, hot-blooded metal passion, and I can't imagine hearing its equal within this genre any time soon. But why take my word for it? Go, buy it! Now! I'm not joking, you know... (10/10)

This mini-CD is just that, four reasonably sized songs that I'd compare to a quick meal from the drive by McD's; it's very tasty but not very filling and you keep getting a strange sense of not getting your full money's worth. Apparently the band is made up of some big names, but apparently not big enough to create a full set of songs. The sludgy, thrashy death metal played on these four songs is enjoyable enough but my advice to you is skip this one and go straight for their full length, that unfortunately won't be out until April (on Century Media Records).

If you really cannot wait to hear this band, pick this up, but I will be there going "I told you so" when you come back asking for seconds. (6/10)

Just finished watching a sweet romantic comedy, so what better time to settle down to some vicious, hyperspeed grindcore...

Hailing from Sweden, Gadget have precious little interest in subtlety, opting instead for an impressively merciless and skillful death metal assault. I suppose the nearest comparison to be made would be with Lock Up, Extreme Noise Terror, or (in the more guttural moments) Mortician. Wherever the inspiration came from, it's all very well executed indeed. Interesting also to note that only a handful of this album's 21 tracks require more than 90 seconds to make their point. We are nine tracks through by the time "Failure" displays a more sedate side to the band.

The sound has been handled incredibly by In Flames/Dimension Zero producer Fredrik Reinedahl and Gadget themselves. If I had to choose a favourite song from Remote, it would have to be "Incomplete," an ironic title if ever there was one, as this is one of the longer tracks on offer.

If you like your grindcore, you'll love Gadget. It's the strongest representation of the genre I've heard in a long time. (8/10)

I'm a little embarrassed to say that until now, my familiarity with Metalium's music stretched no further than their slightly amusing cover of Abba's "Thank You for the Music." However, I must say that upon hearing As One: Chapter Four, it's clear that this band aren't pulling any punches. It's loud, heavy, thundering power metal that was definitely enough to put a smile on my face. Parts of the music, and without doubt the proud-to-be-metal attitude have evidently been inherited from Manowar, but that's not to say that there's nothing fresh on the menu. I mean for starters, the raven-haired metal goddess on the cover is bound to win them a few fans on her own.

"Illuminated (Opus One)" is suitably anthemic for an album such as this, but as soon as the deep narrative voice of the metal god cut in, all I could think of was James Earl Jones saying "Simba..." and I just lost the plot completely.

One good thing about this album is the flow of the songs. Not a single moment of awkwardness, and most if not all of the material would work fantastically in a live situation. This is especially so of "Power Strikes the Earth" and "Screaming in the Darkness." The rhythm section of Lars Ratz and Michael Ehre have done a superb job on the production (and in the first ten seconds of "Warrior," it becomes pretty obvious that a drummer had been behind the mixing desk at some point).

I wouldn't call this essential listening, but still a quality album, and one worth checking out. (7.2/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

Thank god you liked this, Jez. For my power metal money, there is no room for Metalium. Heard it before, embarrassingly cheesy concept German power metal with a storyline that makes "He-Man" look like Shakespeare. Example: all of Metalium’s previous records have been about the travails of the Metalian. The genius twist to this installment? The female counterpart to the Metalian, named, as the result of what must have been an exhausting, soul searching brainstorming session, Metaliana. Brilliant, guys. (4.5/10)

Not withstanding the odd sense of decay that can crop up within many metal genres, it can be relied upon as a general rule that power metal bands will improve with each passing year. Nocturnal Rites is a prime example. New World Messiah has an even more epic quality than 2002's Shadowland, and indeed with each album, the music has been stepped up a notch since their 1995 debut.

Sound-wise, the double bass drum attacks are now far more prominent, and the production of the guitar tracks is more intricate. Case in point, "Awakening" is among their most colourful and outstanding tracks.

"End of Days" has a slightly more Iron Maiden type flavour than usual, but overall Nocturnal Rites seem to have found a sound of their own.

"The Flame Will Never Die" does drag a little, but I would have loved to hear Europe play something like that in their prime. Greatly to Nocturnal Rites’ credit, "One Nation" is a song that just perfectly represents the whole genre, and it is the strongest track on the album. Also, it cannot be denied that "Nightmare" is one hell of a closing song.

Great tunes, and very few weak points to speak of. Job well done. (8.6/10)

Torrential Reign is a perfect example all style and no substance. The music is superbly produced, bringing out the ruthless determination and conviction of the members of Unholy Ghost. The tracks are totally brutal, wholly evil, and utterly boring. And not boring in a good way.

Unholy Ghost is drone music played by guys who don’t know how to play drone. Space these riffs out to a moan, with thicker walls of guitar noise, keep the rumbling drum attack and throw in waves of interminable atmospherics. Then, we’d be talking. As is, Torrential Reign death metal drudgery of the technically impressive yet musically uninspiring kind. (5/10)

Conspiracy A.D. is a relatively young Italian death group, but its second album is surprisingly mature-sounding considering the band started in 1999. Humanity=Destruction is a good demonstration of Conspiracy A.D.’s style; the album maintains a distinct mood all the way through but doesn’t lapse into repetitiveness.

Possibly the most interesting aspect is how the band manages to make a laid-back, sludgy sound even when the tempo picks up. Gale’s riffs aren’t too complex, but they achieve the desired effect and sound good when slowed to a crawl. Andrea Allodoli’s drumming is precise and intricate; Although he doesn’t push the tempo often, it’s easy to tell he’s in control of his instrument despite not showing off. Francesco Sterri’s bass lines complement the guitars well, though they often can’t be distinguished among the rest of the distorted mire.

Not to say Paso’s production isn’t good – it’s crisp and rich-sounding, but it also lends itself well to the sometimes simplistic grooves by muddling them up a bit. Davide Sacco’s vocals also meld well with the other instruments while adding a sense of urgency. His lyrics are violent and gruesome (and "Enslavement" is surprisingly anti-Christian for something coming out of Italy – who ever said metal doesn’t attract and foster free thinkers?), but nothing earth-shattering by any means. They’re good enough to avoid detracting from the sound, anyway.

If you’re into the good ol’ death-core sound, Conspiracy A.D. would be a fine pick – the band does it distinctly and well, though it’s not anything drastically different from what you’ve heard before. (7/10)

Cruelty Beyond Submission is partially a look forward and partially a look back. Three tracks ("Life Long Hate," "Ode to Brinn," and "No Apologies") are from Pyrexia's upcoming release, and the rest span the band's 10+year history.

It's a great introduction to the group, which highlights grindcore rhythms in a sort of death-thrash way. As you can probably imagine, it's an intense and moody mixture with a gritty sound. But no matter how fast the drums are going, they don't miss; the guitar riffs are consistently hard and change frequently; the bass hits hard and accentuates all the right beats; and the aggressive growls are a perfect fit. You may as well listen to Suffocation or the like, but Pyrexia deserves a recommendation as a "good" band. (6/10)

Fragments of Unbecoming does the melodic death thing pretty well. The members maintain a nice, moderate pace, occasionally breaking into faster sections that don't sound strained or out of control. The guitars weave in simple harmonies, the drums and vocals aren't bad, and the production is excellent.

Skywards... is full of decent songs, but they do start to sound alike after a while. Fragments' formula wears thin after a few songs, and there isn't enough technicality to keep it interesting. The band stays together and the instruments complement each other well, but there's nothing too impressive on the album (except some of Ingo Maier's drumming, but the fast, intricate sections are few and far between, and he doesn't do enough to spice up the monotony of the simplistic rhythms he plays throughout the album). (6/10)

Okay, I'm sick of hearing about bands ushering in a "new wave of American metal," especially when there's no step forward involved. But since God Forbid doesn't have any say in their publicity materials, I won't hold it against them. And since Gone Forever is an impressive album to the last, I wouldn't mind if some other bands took some lessons away from it.

God Forbid has almost perfected its thrash/hardcore mix with this one: Byron Davis' punishing vocals bring a hardcore intensity to the already heavy riffs, and nothing is too complex to headbang or mosh to. In the vein of The Haunted, God Forbid's aggressive, in-your-face style will appeal especially to the angry hardcore-heads out there, but fans of groove-oriented death and thrash will get a kick out of Gone Forever, as well.

It's hardcore watered down with a generous sprinkling of thrash – just enough to erode the rougher edges. There are some good melodic elements such as the harmonized singing on "Better Days" or the occasional short guitar solos, but God Forbid's solid force is the band's real strength. If you weren't pissed off before you started listening, you'll have gotten mad and then gotten it all out by the end of Gone Forever. (7.5/10)

"Suffer Our Pleasures" is a more than appropriate name for this album if you're not a power-metal fan, `cause Tarot is rockin' out on the power metal and all that it entails: great instrumentation and well-constructed songs, good atmosphere and some excellent riffs. Overproduce it all and throw in some emotional, high-pitched singing about something dark and epic and you've just about got it.

Zachary Hietala has some incredible roller-coasters of guitar solos, and Marco Hietala isn't bad when he throws in some acoustic portions here and there. Marco also does the vocals, which are pretty rich-sounding and on-pitch, but he's not the strongest singer out there. Janne Tolsa sparingly adds some good ambient electronic effects and keyboards, which aren't overpowering but help Tarot's transitions from section to section and song to song. Pecu Cinnari's drumming rarely captures the listener's attention, but at least he's not screwing anything up.

Suffer Our Pleasures is smooth, polished and well put together from beginning to end, but Zachary's guitar work is the real highlight. If you're a power metal fan, this album is worth checking out, but don't expect any surprises. If you find other power metal hopelessly cheesy, Suffer Our Pleasures isn't going to change your mind. (6/10)

These guys should be prosecuted for overuse of the word "flesh." "Soul" makes a number of appearances, but "flesh" is everywhere, and it's usually being mutilated.

Trite lyrics have come to be expected in death metal, and Made of Flesh is no exception. Ambiguously violent lyrics take center stage; there's lots of talk of dying and demons and bleeding and rotting and hatred and bodies and hell and more blood, and let's not forget flesh and souls. But what the hell?

Otherwise, Fleshcrawl isn't half bad. It's slightly more than half good. The band doesn't push any limits – its simplistic riffs often become predictable, Bastian Herzog's drumming lacks elaborateness and Sven Gross' vocals are no more than deep growls laid somewhat clumsily atop the instrumental lines. Made of Flesh is altogether unremarkable – one to throw on the pile of death bands that didn't make it out of the early 90s.

Fleshcrawl has the potential for something better, though, seeing as this album doesn't have anything blatantly wrong with it. There are even some pretty good sections here and there, but Made of Flesh doesn't include much experimentation or deviation from Fleshcrawl's basic formula. C'mon, guys! You've gotta keep up with the Swedes! (5/10)

review by: Matt Smith

The cheesy album cover hints at what is to be expected from Torture Killer: old-school death metal lacking in originality but overflowing in gruesome-ness. After listening to For Maggots to Devour, I wonder why I didn't listen to any of Cannibal Corpse albums instead. Torture Killer's graphic lyrics about death and dismemberment are amusing, but the 'Corpse is infinitely better with its imagery, situations and vocal delivery.

Instrumentally, Torture Killer fails to impress. The band comes up with some decent riffs, but nothing sounds as heavy as it should be. Attempts at blasting the stereo yielded nothing. For Maggots to Devour is a mediocre album that simply regurgitates the best-known tricks of the genre without modifying them or showing any innovation. (4.5/10)

I can't give enough praise to Decapitated. They've been one of my favorites ever since I first heard their debut, Winds of Creation. I didn't like Nihility, the follow up, as much at first, but it grew on me with more and more listens. The Negation is a great third step for these Polish prodigies. The album is full of energy and the devices that have made Decapitated such a success: Fast-picked, grinding sections, the heaviest grooves, breakneck blast beats and percussive growls – there isn't a dull second on this album.

Ever-changing and progressing, riff after riff, groove after groove will pummel you until you feel the immense satisfaction that only great death metal can bring. Accurate and flawlessly produced, The Negation's artfully crafted tracks will bring a smile to your face, guaranteed. There is no filler here. And no matter what your preferences, from hardcore to power metal, when one of Decapitated's precise palm-muted riffs kicks in, I dare you to remain unimpressed. Sceptic's Jacek Hiro makes his presence known with his role as guest guitarist – and Decapitated sounded great without him.

Decapitated isn't one of those death metal bands stuck in the past, either. They're not taking old Suffocation songs and adding a few new tricks. Rather, Decapitated is at the forefront of the re-definition of death. Along with other innovators of today (Lamb of God, Cryptopsy, Meshuggah and others), Decapitated is helping to take the form to the next level and inspiring others to make better music. I would recommend Decapitated's earlier work to anyone, and The Negation has only upped the group's intensity. This album is absolutely flawless. (10/10)

An intense, throaty hardcore scream opens the album and carries it through – a scream so agonized and vicious that I wonder if he spits up blood at the end of a live show.

In contrast to the quality of Within Y’s vocals are its lyrics. Eerie, poetic and heartfelt, they actually make the liner notes an interesting read. As far as the instruments, the drums, like the vocals, are straight out of hardcore convention. They’re straightforward, driving and accurate, but they’re not often meant to grab the listener’s attention ("Face Down" being one of a few clear exceptions). The guitars are a mix of melodic thrash and hardcore, showcasing some short, harmonized solos and providing the album’s backbone with excellent riffs.

Never stale or dull, Extended Mental Dimensions is made of edginess, emotion and energy. I’ll bet Within Y’s live show is an even better example of what the group can do. If you like The Haunted, God Forbid and the like, Extended Mental Dimensions will not disappoint. (8.5/10)

Either Kataklysm is a band in search of an identity, or continuous change is an inseparable part of the group's vision. Serenity in Fire is a step away from the melodic sound of their previous release and a step toward Pantera. The album has an aggressive and somewhat cheesy sound to it, exemplified by the drastic emphasis on the drums and a weak, curdling back-up vocals. Rather than carrying things along unnoticed in the background, the drums often drown out everything else with long, unchanging rolls. The guitars, on the other hand, are excellent, as should be expected in light of Kataklysm's earlier releases.

There's a little crunch and a little melody, but plain, catchy riffs reign throughout. It's a shame when they're lost to the drums' more uninteresting sections, though there are some good beats pounded out here and there. The main vocals aren't bad, but nor are they remarkable. The solid death guitar lines are the biggest highlight on Serenity in Fire, but they are often dragged down by the rest. (5.5/10)

This is a great album. Corpsegrinder is in fine form; vocally and lyrically, and The Wretched Spawn is a great example of the ‘Corpse's disturbed vision. Some of the best cover art Cannibal Corpse has used along with songs like "Frantic Disembowelment," "Nothing Left to Mutilate" and "Rotted Body Landslide" hint at the album's gruesome contents.

The guitars, bass and drums are nothing far from what the group has done before – they blend together in distorted harmony and hit uniformly to achieve the maximum punishing effect with their dark, sludgy grooves. The distortion isn't enough to bury guitarists Owen and O'Brien's fast-moving fingers, and Mazurkiewicz's drums hit clearly and unerringly.

Somehow the ‘Corpse manages to keep new its releases fresh and novel while still mysteriously sounding like it always has. And the group is tighter than ever. If you're a death-head (and especially if you liked Gore Obsessed), catch a heavy dose of butchery with The Wretched Spawn (as some of our lucky March, 2004 contest winners have). (7.5/10)

This record is a grower. Even though the promo claimed this to be the a "skull crushing full-length album," the term "skull-tapping" may be more accurate. From afar this band possesses all the characteristics of a modern day black metal band: the clean yet harsh sounding guitar work, hissy brass work on the drums, and of course the grating vocal style that is reminiscent of older day bands, but as always the modern day style comes into play.

After the obligatory intro, entitled "Three Nails and the Hammer Of Satan," Calvarium blasts away with "Horns of Hate," showing that they are not averse to using some old school Satanism; pretty much a given these days and almost becoming a form of self-parody.

However, the music is damn enjoyable so why not neglect all the superfluous stuff and concentrate on the essence of this album: the excellent song writing and clever use of melodic guitar to enhance the music to a level that goes beyond cliches like "misanthropy" and "death."

Instantly recognizable in tracks like "Jumalviha" and "Death Worship," the soaring high strung guitar rhythms that take the songs into overdrive and make this album into a very interesting listen. Three songs were specially created for this debut, the rest of the tracks were re-mixed from older demo/promo tapes, but you won't notice it though as the album is coherent and solid all the way through. It will probably take awhile to really appreciate what Calvarium are doing but once you get through the initial layers of hate, heresy and shady, grim and necro guitar work, you will find an album that is filled with great black metal songs. (7.2/10)

It’s great to hear Elisa Martin’s voice again. Martin was the original singer for Spanish dynamo Dark Moor, who were set in the groove of being an unstoppable power metal force when the band split in two as Martin, drummer Jorge Saez and guitarist Albert Maroto went on to form Dreamaker.

And it’s great to hear Saez and Maroto’s distinctive work again. Dreamaker’s debut album reveals a couple interesting tidbits: 1) the completely triggered drum kit was a Dark Moor thing, 2) the original Dark Moor lineup’s songs were mostly thanks to remaining guitarist Enrik Garcia and bassist Annan Kaddouri, something rather painfully obvious when listening to Human Device.

We had feared this would happen. An eminently fun band splits up, forming two bands that dilute the talent pool for all. And Dreamaker get the short end of the stick. While Dark Moor doesn’t sound the same without its original singer and drummer, Dreamaker just kind of sounds like Dark Moor, but much blander. Sure, there are some good moments to be found: flashes of former glory and the reminiscence of flurries and melodic signatures that previously abounded. But you can’t help but feel longing.

You have to wonder what exactly the big musical rift was that caused the split. It’s not like Human Device is such a drastic change from Dark Moor’s style. Dreamaker is noticeably less Baroque-influenced. Or maybe it’s the couple parts that slam into slow and heavy grooves that would have been an issue with Dark Moor’s style?

Whatever, both these bands need to kiss and make up, like, now. Seeing how the bands are both on Arise Records, maybe label boss Javi could trick the two groups into a room and lock them in until they put things back the way they should be. Cut this shit out, guys. (6/10)

You can’t really categorise Persuader. They will inevitably be pigeonholed as power metal by many, but like Iced Earth, there are many thrash elements in the music. And lest I forget, Jens Carlson sounds far too Devin Townsend-like to be considered simply a power metal vocalist. But what the hell, whatever the combination, it has worked very well.

Evolution Purgatory is an interesting album with a very enthusiastic pace to it. The vocal tracks are particularly strong, with a nice abrasive tone. The chorus of "Sanity Soiled" is going to have crowds roaring along at the tops of their voices, guaranteed.

Persuader do know how to write catchy material whilst maintaining the weight behind it. "Turn to Dust" has many echos of 80's thrash, together with a heavy dose of Blind Guardian. The guitar sound suits the songs impeccably, and indeed the production as a whole leaves little to be desired. The album is full of fantastic ideas, such as the amusing devil's laugh and subtle use of keyboards in "To the End," and the Strapping Young Lad-style reverb on the lead vocals.

The chugging riffs and ground-shaking bass of "Wipe Out" make for a great closing track, by which time there will be little doubt of the promise held within this band. Persuader is a name to look out for, no question about it. (8.2/10)

On Far From the Madding Crowd, the (mostly) Danish Wuthering Heights succeeds to do for progressive metal what Kansas did for progressive rock in their early albums (culminating with Leftoverture): They poured fresh blood, taking from their own geographical and cultural roots, into a dying genre.

Much like Kansas, Wuthering Heights’ material is built upon genuine melodies, storming and vivid, but without falling to the trap of being a technical showcase.

This concept album’s lyrics are less of a story and more of documented longings and feelings of a man exploring new and old grounds, much in the way that music that supports them does. The lyrics do not go all the way in trying to be a Tolkein legend in the way Rhapsody excessively does, but instead, it is more realistic and heartfelt.

Armed with a new singer, Nils Patrik Johansson (Space Odyssey), the vocal work is capturing – moving from soaring heights to roaring gutsy vocals (or as Roberto puts it, a "rich, husky voice"). The music is endearing, incorporating folk parts (with some instruments uncommon in metal, such as a bagpipe) almost seamlessly into the carefully yet passionately performed pieces, which move between high adrenaline metallic rocking to symphonic.

The production is excellent, capturing every detail of the instruments, be it the great guitar leads, the charming keyboards, the fit suitable rhythm section that drives everything, or any other instrument that is present.

The band never loses its power, its vitality or the listener’s attention during the entire album, which runs for over 65 minutes – and that is alone a reason to admire this work.

Compared to Wuthering Heights’ previous albums, Far From the Madding Crowd, is folkier and more melodic, which makes it more of an original statement. Those unfamiliar with the band should definitely start here, and those that tried their previous efforts and liked them even to a small extent, owe themselves to try this one out as well. (9.5/10)

Being a HUGE fan of Fredrik Soderlund’s solo project Octinomos, it is only out of total respect that I still not only say that Carinou’s Bound is a bad album, but that it’s a bad album almost entirely because of Soderlund himself.

The cover to Bound and the album’s one word song titles makes it seem like something the Projekt label would put out; perhaps some anti-statement to Lycia. And indeed, the music on the disk would largely fit in with that particular label’s ethereal, gothy mission. Bound’s music is not half bad, and it often weaves a good spell of negative mistiness.

The main culprit is Soderlund’s singing. Octinomos fans have heard his clean voice on Fuckhole Armageddon. It worked ok for that album, sounding rather appropriate within the framework of a Scandinavian metal record. Also, in retrospect, the vocals were kind of buried beneath effects and all the mayhem that Octinomos makes.

But Soderlund "unplugged" and in the forefront sounds like a singing string puppet of a court jester, complete with bells at the end of a multi-colored hat. He’s whiny, nasal and twerp-y. Things are ok as long as he keeps it subdued, but when he starts to go for it, it falls apart. It’s a real shame as you can hear some very nice melodic decisions that are signatures of this man’s style. But he just doesn’t have the voice for it. Also, adding gross out lyrics about how Soderlund wants to "cum inside you one more time" (on "Purge") is something that no one should be made to hear.

I blame the other two members of Carinou (one of whom, Sofie Svenson, is supposed to appear on this album as a singer, but somehow I missed her) for letting Soderlund near a mike and making this project turn out sour. Soderlund has some of the finest black metal vox ever, and the couple times those appear, it’s genius. But then again, maybe Soderlund’s slimy, melodic voice IS the right choice for Carinou, a band that is promoted before all else as being "negative." Nah, it’s just pretty yucky. (4/10)

I’ve been doing a little informal polling of "Scandinavians," asking them what countries they consider as being part of Scandinavia. I got turned on to this idea when I visited Norway in 2000. There, I met a very nice Norwegian who adamantly told me that Scandinavia was Norway, Sweden and Denmark ONLY. Now, Norway is said to be the most conservative of the northern European nations, and so I’ve heard more liberal accounts (from Danes and Swedes) saying that Finland is also part of Scandinavia. One thing seems to be fairly consistent, and that’s that Iceland is NOT.

Well, if Scandinavia won’t claim all the great stuff coming out of Iceland, like the five-piece group Changer, then the world metalcore scene certainly will.

Changer’s knack is writing crushing songs that have hooks and originality, and that’s a lot more than you can say for the majority of metalcore coming out through Stateside labels: they’ve got the sound and the fury, but what makes one song stand out from the next?

Changer’s instruments are thunderous and listening to their debut CD, Scenes, makes head banging an inevitability. The only thing to be reproached are the vocals: they’re not mixed quite right. They kind of sound too low or thin, and a few times the healthy experimentation that the vocalist goes off on doesn’t quite work. But it’s thinking like that, to make something original at the expense of not quite nailing it right away, that gets Maelstrom’s respect. Good work, guys. (7.6/10)

The latest trend in black metal evil seems to be... people’s houses. Krohm did it on their latest record, and Angantyr decide to do Krohm one better by using a scratchy/fuzzy picture of what could be a church or maybe even a city hall.

Speaking of fuzzy, Angantyr does the black metal version of blissful, audial haze well. The M.O. here is not to sound as evil and blasphemic as possible. In fact, the most striking tracks are the most minimal, atmospheric ones. The gem of the album is "Intethedens larm," a 10 minute, spacey instrumental foray that never fails to grab the listener and lull him into its floaty etherealness. "Sidste kapiteli en endelos fortaelling" ends the record as a necro, melodic black metal instrumental.

The remainder of Kampen Fortsatter is good going – solid and with that sense of melody typical to the raw black metal bands – but you’ll really be buying this CD for the two specifically mentioned tracks. Nice disk. (7/10)

This is a frustrating listening experience. The basis for some good ideas is there, but it seems that Sternenstaub are miles away from their true potential (especially given the collective accolades of the band members -- ex-Abigor, Golden Dawn, etc.). The result being that Destination: Infinity is a very disappointing album with few mentionable qualities. Comparable in its other-worldly themes to Covenant's Nexus Polaris, this mediocre black metal release also holds about as much interest. The ability is there, but unfortunately the quality is missing in action. (4.5/10)

Spiritus Mortis reminds us that in Finland (where this band is from), the winter days get only a couple hours of daylight and likely account for the utter obsession these guys have with darkness and death. Heavy on religious, gothic, warlord overtones that include "Satan rising from hell" and "wake up, it’s time to die," I feel like I am in full armor trying to trudge though a prehistoric peat bog.

Spiritus Mortis, "the spirit of death," has been together for about 15 years with almost the same line-up. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Motorhead, Slayer and Celtic Frost are on their roster of favorite bands. Teemu, Jussi, and Vesa come from the same small town in Finland called Alavus, 350km north of Helsinki, where I am sure they get plenty of dark and cold to influence their music. The band is a cross between doom metal and epic metal – a place where pre-histories’ wandering hordes meet up with the fuzzy psychosis that comes from being in the dark all the time.

Many of the songs are slow and thunderous, shaking the ground like a group of agitated rhinos. The guitar sound is lusciously "dirty," the vocals heathen, and the drummer heavy and possessed. The song line-up is complete with "Baron Samedi," who drinks the blood of his slain competitors (who says things have changed?)

Spiritus Mortis is a focused, consistent offering of the bands celebrated style. The CD art is compelling and begs repeated scrutiny of its religious, death of the warrior, fallen kings, ghostly kind of imagery. I still can’t figure out the back cover art and I’ve been looking at it for days. (7/10)

After all, the metal market still follows the rules of supply and demand. Why are there umpteen At the Gates clones? Because people will pay for them.

Carnal Grief is Swedish, and death metal, but isn’t an At the Gates Clone. However, there still is work to do to solidify their sound and the immediacy of their songwriting. However, their album Out of Crippled Seeds has got some good to it, like the song "Selfclaimed King." The lead guitar is particularly spirited as well. As they stand now, Carnal Grief somehow seems to remind me of the work of the Swedish group Non Serviam from some years ago: rough, intense, likeable, but still kind of muddy and mucky. It’s on track, but there’s tightening yet to be done. Still, a good outing. (6.2/10)

I’ve gotta say that I really don’t like the name of this band. Although unforgettable, the imagery is rife with backyard yowling and flying fur. Where is my BB gun? When you listen to the flavor of the music there is a notable disconnect with the name. At least one would hope so.

This San Francisco band really has a grungy, bouncy, "feel good" sound in that "boy next door" kind of Dave Matthews way. There is nothing pondering about it. It’s refreshing in its simple subject matter and straight forward song structure. The music exuberantly and innocently romanticizes the details of everyday life and love. Although quite loosely and lazily hung, the catchy melodies succeed in tying it together. The drummer is a bit of a loose cannon (as they all are) – at times flailing away on a ride cymbal just a bit too long – pulling back right after it’s too late and he’s been busted.

Feral Moan’s unselfconscious look at themselves and at the simple life is really its greatest strength. It’s actually kind of liberating because it’s so wrong at times. Can you feel me? (4/10)

Longtime readers of this site know that Maelstrom flies the flags of Eikenskaden (and sister band, Mystic Forest) as high as any. And the reasons you should buy any and all of these bands’ records are as follows:

1) Eikenskaden doesn’t sound like any other band.

2) Not only is #1 true, but Eikenskaden’s take on black metal is colossal: scathing melody rooted in classical music, fucked up and fuzzed out and sped up, sounding brittle and fragile yet simultaneously massive, and delivered with a result that’s visceral and primal and moving to the core.

3) I, Roberto Martinelli, personally helped out on this record.

To prove that this is not an ego trip, know that Eikenskaden’s first record, The Black Lament’s Symphony, is probably still the band’s best. But The Last Danse and this one are more of the same, and if a band finds a sound, why re-invent the wheel? So click that fancy red link at the end of this review and get yourself a copy. It’d be a shame if Eikenskaden were Maelstrom’s best kept secret. (9/10)

Shaldows Land play a most disturbing strain of death metal. That's the first thing you’ll notice. But you might be unsure whether to love the records or allow it to completely freak you out. The music is, for the most part, an ultra-heavy blast of bloodthirsty death, with a kind of Gehenna/Behemoth-style black metal influence. A great deal of this is played in short, vicious blasts, interspersed with some truly unsettling and maniacal vocal sections.

The merits of this are brought down by the inclusion of "Decimal," a purely techno-style track, and the less said of that the better.

Getting to the guts of it all, the musicianship is skillful, tight and incredibly focused. One exciting thing about Ante Christum (Natum) is the sheer unpredictability of the songs. There are times when this gives the album a slightly insane quality, in fact one way of looking at it is a padded cell job from start to finish. Well, not quite. A suitably furious cover of Mayhem's "Pagan Fears" rounds off the proceedings, allowing the listener regain their composure, but this makes the material no less twisted.

Shadows Land have a fairly unique musical outlook and hell alone knows what kind of devilry they will wreak upon us in the future...(7.5/10)

This little promo teaser from a band that claims to sound like Chemical Brothers, Rammstein and Depeche Mode is far from what is usually played in my stereo. But feeling adventurous and deeming myself a real rebel, MXD, a band that has shared the stage with Front 242 and Junkie XL, got more than a few well enjoyed spins in my sound system.

The band got everything right with these five tracks: the production is clean and clear, the beats are heavy and thumping, the vocals are gloomy and nicotine stained and just about every instrument used, electrical or not, sounds right at home. Although the songs are rather straight forward, always revolving around a bopping beat, they remain interesting all the way through thanks to the heavy sing-along nature. It doesn't take long before the urge to turn the volume up and sing along grows, definitely a plus if you are giving a party or just feel the need to be silly. It's not all fun and games though, most of the songs have a dark edge that gives them a nice boost in the right direction.

If these five songs are representative of the rest of the album then it's a safe call to plunk down some cash for Musicogenic if you are in any way enticed by the names dropped above. (7.2/10)

The promo read, "This album is not for the faint of heart." A bit perplexing considering that 10 minutes into the album, all there was a feeling of lush, lush, and then again, lush. Give it time, give it time; the music will slowly glide higher into the atmosphere, passing clouds shaped like the Mona Lisa, with every string being picked faster and faster while the lovely voice of Christina Carter grows more and more hoarse. It's pure beauty and you can't help but want to give her and the rest of the band a big hug.

Imagine yourself all wrapped up in soft and fuzzy blankets as you go off on a 75-minute airship ride through a land so unbridled and vibrant that it goes above and beyond anything you have ever heard. But you have to give it an honest chance. Very folk in nature, very experimental in execution; accentuated by the organic instruments used, such as the steel guitars, the band becomes a flowing entity that you just have to follow through its musical adventures for better or for worse. Eerie to say the least, but in a very pleasant and rewarding manner – every minute spent listening to this collection of daydreams and nightmares is a minute spent in heavenly bliss.

This is a prime example of a modern day band that is not afraid to let silence speak for itself in the vast oceans of music that we all know and listen to these days. A perfectly executed album filled with blissful acoustic and electric tranquillity, organic swellings and lush crooning that just swallows you up whole and leaves you hanging suspended above the ground in disbelief... wishing it would never end. (at least a 10/10)

The boys from the Bay have returned, and it's hard to imagine this new album disappointing anyone who appreciated the thrash scene of old. And this is glorious stuff, believe you me. Each track has been fine tuned to that old thrashy perfection, whilst treated to the crisp production of the new millennium.

Songs such as "War Is My Shepherd" and "Shroud of Heine" will have the hair flying once again, while "Impaler" marvelously recalls the days of Bonded By Blood. For the album's best track, it's a battle between the violent poetry of "Scar Spangled Banner" and the hammering title track. Back delivering his demonic growling scream is vocalist Steve Souza, who really adds the fuel to the fire.

It's encouraging to see yet another group of thrash veterans step behind the wheel yet again. The last few years have seen similar efforts from Testament, Sodom, Overkill and Destruction, to name but a few, and it's all been a pleasure to watch.

Tempo of the Damned is heavily recommend, not just the legions in skintight denim and bullet belts, but to anyone who seeks the real article in heavy metal. (8.7/10)

Gamma Ray’s success is a testament to the immense mark Helloween and guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen made in the mid- to late 80s. It’s been said that Hansen "invented power metal," which seems only somewhat exaggerated. From Walls of Jericho to the Keeper of the Seven Keys series, Helloween’s Hansen albums are still largely regarded as the measuring stick for all the other albums in the genre.

So considering Hansen’s godfather status, why is it that it seems like Gamma Ray is a follower? Rather than being a group that pushes the boundaries of the genre with new ideas and original compositions, Gamma Ray’s songs are all things that have been done before and by other people, including Hansen himself. Shouldn’t you expect more from someone with Hansen’s accolades?

But he’s Kai Hansen, the guy from Helloween. But that was 15 years ago and counting. Does it matter that none of Gamma Ray’s work can ever come close match up to songs like "Ride the Sky" or "I Want Out"? Not to the fans. And although Hansen’s voice is far from the power metal elite’s, the best thing to happen to Gamma Ray was to lose original frontman Ralf Scheepers in favor of Hansen, whose unique sound makes heavy metal sweethearts wax nostalgic.

Skeletons in the Closet is a two CD set to Hansen’s legend. It’s a beautifully packaged record, with a thick booklet, attractive artwork and cardboard stock. All live records should boast the amount of material within them: each disk contains nine songs, for a total of 103 minutes of music. The sound is good in a "you’re there" kind of way. It doesn’t seem like the music was taken directly off a soundboard, so you won’t be confusing this live CD as a studio record. But things are clear and up to snuff with the standards set by official live releases.

Gamma Ray’s success is simple, yet at the same time inexplicable. Fans will love this album. (7/10)

This album was supposedly recorded way back in 1990, "unearthed" by the Razorback Records crew and re-mixed to be unleashed upon the unsuspecting public. One of the things I like about Razorback is that they make the job much easier for the reviewer. Whenever they release a new record, one only needs to take a cursory glance through the label’s catalogue to come up with plenty of references. For instance, after playing a few tracks off this CD I was reminded of the Impetigo tribute CD, Ghoul, Frightmare, and Gruesome Stuff Relish to name a few.

One of the other things I like about Razorback is that (with a few exceptions) they have been releasing pretty good quality music (hell, Ghoul's Maniaxe was one of my favourite releases of last year). And this CD is no exception.

Sleaze Merchants is really the aural equivalent of sinking your teeth into some juicy morsels of tenderized meat. Single kick blasting meets up with catchy riffs to create music you can headbang wildly to without taxing your brains much. And when I say catchy riffs, I mean REALLY catchy riffs. Take a listen to "Flesheaters From Outerspace" or "The Gruesome Gorehounds" if you need proof. And not to forget the well placed solos to be found in some of the songs, and the "soft" production that gives a feel of listening to music which has had moss gathering over it, without taking away from the heaviness of the material.

Included at the end is also a demo taken from 1998, the sound of which is slightly lacking in heaviness but not lacking in the ability of the songs to hold your interest. These songs show the more old school thrash side of the band, with a sharp bass sound providing back up for mid paced chuggy riffs. A nice album, perfect to pop into your stereo whenever the craving for down tuned gore starts going beyond control. (7.7/10)

A couple of years ago, the name Fleshless was being oft-mentioned in the underground circles as one of the more brutal death metal bands to emerge from the Czech Republic. But as my luck would have it, I never did get a chance to check them out, and I filed the name away under the "brutal-band-with-lot-of-blastbeats" section of my brain. They went on to release a few more albums and I still maintained the status quo with my lack of exposure to their music, with the result that the tag under which they were filed in my grey corridors never really changed.

Now, after listening to this album, their fourth, I was surprised not to hear all out machine like brutality but rather some well controlled death metal with a definite melodic undertone to the music. I was reminded of Vehemence's God Was Created more than just once not only because of this album’s gruesome artwork but how the actual music contained within is much more melodic than the art would lead you to expect. Considering the musical style, the ultra guttural vocals, which sound totally out of place at first, start to fit in to the point that after a few listens, you start trying to make the same sounds while listening to the songs. The slick, honey dripping leads that come out of nowhere are also a big, unexpected plus.

The most noteworthy feature about Sensual Death Immitation (sic) is that each song has stand out parts, whether they be melodic solos played with plenty of feel like on "Torture Me," thrashy, headbanging moments such as in the title song, or some moshpit-destroying frenzied riffing on "Disconnected" and "Surrounded by Hell."

"Survival Extortion" has a part around the 20 second mark that seems to be lifted right from the aforementioned Vehemence album, but as a whole this album manages to keep things much more lively and interesting. Towards the end of the same song you’ll find the wickedest breakdown in the entire album. This is almost immediately followed by the closer, an upbeat almost pop-ish rock song, punctuated by blast beats and melodic solos. This is definitely a versatile and enjoyable death metal album. Now let me go look for Fleshless’ previous three releases.. (8.2/10)

This album by the band led by ex-Savatage and Seven Witches’ Jack Frost (and having nothing to do with the band headed by Anaal Nathrakh’s Irrumator – Roberto) offers a good blend of straight-forward hard-rocking metal. Frost features some semi-famous musicians, and in some cicles this might earn them the "super-group" title.

Kicking off things in a rather spectacular fashion are Splatterhouse, a band from the USA. Splatterhouse’s music is a pleasant surprise indeed. To keep things simple, think Ghoul with an extra guttural voice thrown in. If this doesn't make you thrash all around the place like a monkey with its tail on fire, you're probably a stiff in the neighborhood morgue. This blast ridden thrash-gore fest had me floored so completely I just had to haul my battered body over to the stereo to repeat these four gems over and over and over again until I had memorized the riffs to all of them.

Gruesome Stuff Relish, on the other hand, just aren't having a good day on this one. For one, their sound lacks the punch that Splatterhouse had. And when you are playing simple grind like this, a hard-kick-in-the-balls kind of sound is rather imperative. Nothing has changed with their music though, it's still the same groove grind you've come to expect from these zombie munching Spaniards, but put side by side with Splatterhouse, a certain lack of energy in the songs is clearly apparent.

Mind you, it's kind of too bad that GSR is on this album with Splatterhouse, since had these five songs been released as a MCD, they might have made a much better impression as the material is quite decent in its own right. But as far as this split is concerned, the latter half just serves as a breather to prepare for the Splatterhouse onslaught all over again. (Splatterhouse – 8.4/10 Gruesome Stuff Relish – 6.5/10)

The rumors about the upcoming release of Mabool, Orphaned Land’s much anticipated third album, existed for quite some time (we’re talking years, here – Roberto), aided by the occasional band-renewed vow to release it soon. In fact, they existed for so long I learnt not to expect it; It has been almost eight years since their previous album, El Norra Alila, and even the bands "reunion" concerts on 2002 didn’t seem to lead towards an album as quickly as hoped; so it did come as a striking surprise when I heard it was finally being released. Shaking the doubts time marked on me, I was starting to grow out of my indifference into a state of high expectations.

At first Mabool was a bit of a letdown, and not a little bit baffling. The original "oriental-metal" was not as dominant as expected – more classic flavors of death metal have taken over: The guitar leads and keyboard playing, though impressive at times, are typical and common in their orientation; most of the vocals are of less ethnic nature than on previous releases.

Perhaps Orphaned Land felt dealing with the Mabool story, based loosely on the Biblical story of the Great Flood, may come off as original enough to listeners and that there’s no point of scaring off a whole new audience, made possible with this debut release on the known Century Media label.

Moreover, I am quite sure they had their worldwide audience in mind when they rewrote the storyline with a more modern approach. This is in itself a mainstream wink.

The entire album sounds less fragmented than El Norra Alila, but it was that incoherence that made their previous album uniquely unexpected. It all seems to come from a more calculated place rather than being passionate. Perhaps the band over-polished this recording during all this time between releases.

With all that being said, Mabool is still an excellent release, and eventually, it caught me. It’s a concept album, and as such, its relative consistency is an advantage; like many other concept albums, its purpose is less emotional and more of an epic nature.

In fact, it can be claimed that Mabool shows another side of Orphaned Land, allowing it to reside as a complementary listening to the band’s previous efforts. The music is varied yet of one piece, and takes the listener smoothly all the way from harsh death metal scenes, through Gregorian-style singing and melodic passages to soft classical themes. The performance is tight and masterful, and there are some memorable moments and enough of original attitude for newcomers.

Yet I do think that the nature of this album goes a bit too much into mainstream authorities with its conventional metal movements and compromising storyline.

Mabool is a piece for the brain, rather than the heart; and while it contains Orphaned Land’s trademarks such as oriental instruments and occasional Hebrew singing, their use is to support the western metal conventions, rather than to lead them. It is for you to choose which flavor you prefer.

One more thing: I hear that the first pressing of this album comes with a bonus CD featuring live highlights from their acoustic 2002 gig. If that recording manages to faithfully capture that marvelous evening, then it makes this package all the more worthy, as it will present the more passionate side of Orphaned Land alongside their new album by giving you a taste of their past efforts and a more complete picture of what the band is all about. (9/10 for newcomers, 8.25/10 for those already familiar with their previous works. The bonus cd edition will probably raise the ranking)

Mixing power metal with a hard rock approach, Dyecrest, a new band from Finland, offer a refreshing voice, backed with some fine song writing that directly touches real-life issues.

Dyecrest’s eagerness is evident straight from the very first moment, and each following moment adds more to the admiration: The vocals range from straight-forward to high singing, always remaining true to the heavy, moody spirit of the songs, without losing the grip on the meaning of the lyrics.

In fact, the whole work is built around memorable songs, and like the singing, all of the instruments are there to support the songs, and not to take them over. Appropriately, the movements within the songs, though possibly borrowed from the progressive metal scene, are short and to-the-point, while adding a mature spark of originality to the recording.

The production is tight and the sound is broad and fully capable of expressing the impressive lineup featuring three guitar players; yet there are moments that feel naked – the result is a bit bizarre but even more beautiful. It colors the songs with an honest touch and doesn’t let pomposity get in the way, as it could have easily been the case with the band’s own choir-styled vocals that are very dominant in supporting the lead vocals.

It a shame, though, that this magic is not consistent: The first songs are especially capturing and moving, yet the rest of the album has its ups and downs.

Still, Dyecrest’s debut album is a promising one, and certainly one you should try for its breath of fresh air, especially if you’re into direct song-oriented metal. I’ll be keeping an eye out for their follow-up. (8.5/10)

Kwurrrrrrrrrrrnnnnggg….

Oh well… another first track that begins with squealing feedback and little else, another new album to review, I guess. It’s a Sisyphean task; never-ending, rocking and rolling all the way to Hades, the never-ending cycle of men and women in nameless studios, plugging their guitar leads into the warm recesses of Marshall Stacks, only to plug the final products into our brains a few months later.

But what does he sound like when he’s at home? Toss aside the CV above; the music that Troy makes for himself is best described as, well, "garage rock." Yes, yes, I know – in the last two years I’ve seen that once-specific descriptor dragged through the mud, applied carte blanche to anyone and everyone who happens to bring a rough n’ ready approach to rock. But stick with me: when I say "garage," I’m talking about the pre-hipster definition; groups from the 60s who played short n’ sweet fuzzed-up pop-rock out of desire, out of necessity, rather than a slavish need to get into Rolling Stone. Luckily for Troy, Laura fits into the former category. Unluckily for Troy, it’s not quite the album it might have been.

Laura was apparently recorded in the studio in a single day after the last gig of a Witches tour. It was just Troy, producer Jim Diamond, and the odd-label mate here and there. And, while it has the welcome intimacy of an album of first-take tracks, all simple warmth and immediacy, it can also feel under-developed. For example, track five, "Setting Off Firewerx at Dawn," is just horrible; someone did an Alex Chilton and spilled Jim Bean on the mixing desk, or something. If it were the first track then this CD would be on a fast track to the McG shiny coaster collection; luckily, its not.

Instead, track 1 is "Dracula Has Risen from the Pond." In one word, fabbaroonie. A welcomingly warm and cozy fuzz of guitars and reverb-soaked vocals set to a glam rock beat, it’s everything that the last John Spencer Blues Explosion album should have been. And, while this trend continues for the next few tracks ("Whatever Possessed U" in particular is fantastic), this early high watermark isn’t sustained throughout the album. I’m not sure if I’m really disappointed, though; this album made me hungry for the rest of Troy’s oeuvre (The Witches especially), so I think the bass-playing dilettante should be quite happy with the results. A scattershot album of occasional greatness shot through with the spirit of ’69. The year, dude, not the position. (6.5/10)

Reviewing thousands of records means that you begin to develop templates. The solid necro black metal album, the melodic power metal record with alarm clock vocals, the average rock or punk disk, the dire death metal mud. And as much as you try to avoid using the templates, sometimes that’s the best way to describe an album.

Nehemah’s third record, Requiem Tenebrae, is a really good one, falling in the template of somber black metal that, although not anything new musically, carries the right mood and execution. The proof is that Nehemah manage to come out of a couple run-ins with some pretty unfortunate-sounding keyboards on this record pretty much unscathed.

If you’re a returning Nehemah fan, Requiem Tenebrae is overall slower and less necro than the previous record, Shadows of the Past. However, the compositions are overall more likeable and solid. Much of the music takes its time in its despondency, which makes the couple parts of break-loose blasting more noticeable. And true to this French band’s previous outputs, Nehemah mixes in some pretty decent clean singing of the "haunting" variety around the end of the album. Otherwise, you’ll be enjoying thick guitars, songs that sound like they're frozen in time, walls of sonic crypticness, and Nehemah’s obsession for crows.

With that said, no one should buy either of these two albums without first getting Nehemah’s first album, Light of a Dead Star, an album that we’d forgive the band for never being able to top.

Black metal fans won’t be disappointed with Requiem Tenebrae, although those on a strict budget may want to pass. (7.9/10)

What a great record.

Even though the album sounds largely the same as the previous two (which is a good thing), there are little differences that are rather subtle and essential to the progress the band is making. The production sounds much more refined this time around, making for a much smoother ride over those big, brooding guitar humps (practically a trademark of the band) and giving the album a more cohesive feel. It also sounds a lot thicker and warmer (which may be a downfall for some but a gift to others), which in turn gives the album a big boost in the delivery factor; while still being grand and glooming, the instruments sound much more refined this time around, creating more of a harmony all together.

The songs are pretty much what you would be expecting from Khold by now: slow and sludgy guitars followed by quick blasts of raw energy in the old age tradition of black metal, all forcefully finished off with a nice fix of rock 'n roll. You've heard it all before on Masterpiss of Pain and Phantom, but damn it if you don't want to hear it all over again, as with the more refined production it sounds better than ever.

Favourites on this disc are "Opera Seria" and "Hevnerske," the latter being a great display of what Khold is all about, creating a brooding atmosphere that is haunted by fearsome and ancient ghosts.

The promo came with a video clip of "Dod," which is pretty much a letdown so don't feel bad if it's not on the copy you buy in the store. If it is, watch it once for laughs and then ignore it. Morke Gravers Kammer (which translates to "the chamber of dark graves") is a natural progression of a band that is one of the highlights of today's metal scene, so in short: go buy this now! (8.7/10)

The fun thing about going through an artists discography is the possibility that you might come up with a real gem, and sometimes even more than one. The works of Chet W. Scott and his label, Glass Throat Recordings, have proven to be an ambient playground. While his solo works are extremely good, he truly shines when he collaborates with other musicians (check out Your Cell:Yourself and Triage), his unique way of sculpting mother nature into sonic pieces goes beyond enticing and borderlines the genius. If you then take that sonic piece and bring in another musician, say Vadim Gusis of Israeli noise artist Chaos as Shelter, then a totally different element (albeit of the same nature) is introduced and brings the music to a whole different level.

Gusis is a man whose work I have not always enjoyed, but always been interested in; his general philosophy and point of views as presented in interviews (including one in Maelstrom) are food for thought. I failed to enjoy his solo works, apart from finding it pleasant background music, but the prospect of his material giving the Scott treatment made it all the more interesting for me.

The album has an absolutely great flow and I advise everyone to listen to this from start to finish. It almost feels as if both musicians started off their musical journey beneath sea level, slowly rising up with each song and finally resting their minds and heads someplace high and tranquil. The first track starts off very slowly with underwater sounds and almost wailing sirens in the background, all washed over with a very pleasant and relaxing humming. Slowly the sounds go higher and higher above the waters and turn slightly mechanical on the second track but still with the same relaxing atmosphere, so it is everything but frightening. The entire album flows on and on but I suggest you discover the rest on your own.

The instruments used are very organic and natural, showing off both members’ abilities to sculpt their sounds into everything they please, making the album very warm and calm in its delivery. It is lush beyond words and makes for such a rich and warm experience that I have to urge everyone that is remotely into organic ambience to go out and find this record. (8.2/10)

Breathe in. Breathe out. Again. Ahhh. Yes. Oh, yes.

Mnemic blasts out of the gate with a debut of such authority, confidence and vision one can only wonder with a tinge of awe where they'll be a few albums down the road. Forget whatever it was you considered or thought of as nu metal. This is it. Samples, keyboards, synths? Yep, got 'em. Rapping, excessive bounce? Nowhere to be found. Songwriting? In abundance. Heavy? Listening to Mechanical Spin Phenomena is akin to a ten round pummeling at the fists of a boxer three categories above your weight class. You wind up bruised and tattered yet can't help but admire the artistry with which you were so unforgivably taken apart.

Alright, now before you go wetting yourselves thinking you're in for an aural experience of second coming proportions (pick your own deity) let's set one thing straight. There's nothing here you haven't heard before.

Rather, Mnemic have created a deft amalgam of familiar sounds and styles, infusing it with unexpected moments of weirdness and inventiveness. On top of this, there are so many undeniably catchy parts – those "hit the replay button because if I don't hear that bridge/ chorus/ break again I'm going to die unfulfilled" moments. But catchiness is never employed at the expense of heaviness, or with an eye towards the charts. Call it guiltless accessibility.

Mechanical Spin Phenomena is a bass heavy, heavily mechanized piece of business. Imagine the bastard love child of Fear Factory and Meshuggah conceived on a gleaming stainless steel dissecting table. Every note and beat is in its place, no wasted motion, no fat. Each song throws so much in the mix, that it is, at times, a delicate balancing act, yet each piece remains firmly in place; the structured chaos buoyed by a glossy melodic sheen. Vocalist Michael Bogballe is the first line of defense against derailment. A great yeller, he's possessed of a throaty mid-range howl that's the perfect overlay for the churning wall of sound underneath.

Riches abound, but a few highlights should be addressed. "Tattoos" moves from groove to groove before exhaling in an oddly ethereal chorus. Midway through "The Naked and the Dead" you abruptly find yourself listening to the song through the guise of a scratched and dusty piece of vinyl. Obvious single (and accompanying video) is "Ghost," evoking no less than a vision of a corrosive rather than campy Rob Zombie dabbling with a chorus lifted from Alice In Chains.

After unyielding relentlessness, Mnemic shift down with album closer proper, "Zero Gravity." (a remix of "Bloodstained" follows.) Imbued with static and noise, its sound is full to bursting. You'll find yourself immersed in a slow, droney ambling that allows you seven minutes  to recover while reflecting on the most agreeable ass kicking you've had in ages. (8.75/10)

Give these guys credit for a collective set of elephantine balls. A black metal band going under the moniker Elite is begging for a reaming at the hands of the "true" metal community. Hailing from Norway AND dubbing yourself Elite is a throwdown of monumental proportions. Fortunately, Elite equate themselves quite well.

You can practically hear the snow crunch under foot and the clash of broadswords on Kampen. Shut your eyes and feel icy Nordic winds peel away your layers of corpse paint through blasts of unyielding guitar blitz and ride heavy cymbal work. The vocals are high up in the mix throughout the album, battle cries urging you on towards victory or Valhalla.

Sound-wise, Kampen harkens back to the founding fathers: early Emperor, Burzum, a dash of Mayhem – muted production aesthetics without delving too deep into the "recorded in a forest on a cassette deck" feel. Like most of their brethren, Elite can't compose a song shorter than six minutes if their blackened souls depended on it. No matter, they know enough to switch gears from time to time or utilize an acoustic interlude to keep things interesting. Good work, boys. Now let's see another bunch of upstarts christen their band "True" and watch the spikes fly. (6.75/10)

Next time you're planning on going on a bender throw this little bit of pleasantry on the deck. This will prime you for the night of debauchery ahead: The Jack Daniels will go down like lemonade. Every progressive line of coke sweeter than the last. Each lap dance a meal in itself. Kicking in the windshield of a cop car is going to feel just that much more satisfying as the crunch of safety glass embedded in the treads of your Docs scrapes the pavement when you haul your bedraggled ass home at 4AM.

With fifteen tracks in under fifteen minutes, Some Girls leave no time for indecision or polite introduction. These reprobates issue forth a raucous blend of metal, punk, metalcore and grind that's by turns scary and sleazy, energetic and druggy, fun and utterly repugnant – sometimes all in one compact forty-five second blast. A cover of The Stooges’ "No Fun" makes perfect sense. The bedrock of the band's sound culls the late 60's/early 70's unbridled energy of The Stooges and the controlled fury of The MC5, strips it down to exposed bone and ups the adrenalin factor ten fold.

Speaking of adrenalin, the singer's got it in excess, wooping and wailing with abandon like an epileptic in dire need of a tongue depressor between his teeth.

All My Friends Are Going Death is the musical equivalent of the cut on the roof of your mouth that you can't help but tongue. It hurts and it's just going to get aggravated, but you can't avoid the inextricable gravitational pull which keeps drawing you back for more. (7/10)

Ever hear the one about the Hungarian rock band with a sense of humour? Me neither, but Stereochrist are here to set the record straight, by damn.

– Hungarian? Check. The boys hail from that hotbed of a scene known as Budapest

– Rawk? Ten heaping helpings right here for the taking.

– Humour? Dead River Blues gives us the gloriously titled "Christ Was An Angry Man." And lest we forget: the band is named Stereochrist...! 

This is no joke band though, Stereochrist present a selection of muscular, stoner-ish songs that conjure up a more rigid Spirit Caravan mixed with a less doomy Trouble. Most of the tracks here are groovy, mid-temp romps that'll elicit some manner of foot tapping, head shaking and steering wheel pounding should you have the foresight to toss this on while barreling down the highway of your choice.

Since we're now in the mind of highways, cruise on over to track eight, "All Along the River," a virtual rewrite of "Highway Star." This is where Stereochrist tip their hand, as the entire album evokes repeated references to Machine Head-era Deep Purple minus Ian Gillan's inimitable yelping. Certainly not a bad thing but does showcase the band's one weakness, singer Felfoldi Peter. The guy's got a decent set of tonsils, coming across as a less dynamic version of Spice of Spiritual Beggars/Mushroom River Band fame, there's just nothing distancing him from the rest of the herd; he's the ideal poster boy for stoner rock vocals 101.

To be fair, this is Stereochrist's inaugural album. The songwriting chops are already here. A pinch of inspiration in the vocal department will be enough to easily lift them out of the second tier. (6.75/10)

Alright, we've got six really pissed off looking Finns armed with samplers, sequencers, a half used box of bullets and bad intent. Let's hit the fucking road.

This is music to bring about end times, to foster the creation of a vast and dusty wasteland where's the nothing left to do but pick at the bones protruding up from the rubble of civilization and impatiently await for the sky to burn. Armageddon has arrived and the only winner is the universe as it takes back the crumbs of what's left of the planet.

Total Devastation? Total concept. From the cover art of high tension wires against a bloodied sky, to song titles like "Struggling From Chokehold," "Fleshing" and "Ignoring the Pain," which invoke lyrical imagery of death, misery, suffering and powerlessness, this is an arduous and suffocating journey though a bleak landscape with no vanishing point. All set against a relentless industrial death metal backdrop that finds new ways to violate your sense of well being with each song.

The punishment is constant. Most times, unforgiving double kick drums beat a steady tattoo. The odd acoustic break emerges only to get crushed under a frozen wave of massive riffing. Doomy, plodding rhythms prop up delicate keyboard lines and then the bottom drops out, submerging them in the weighty murk. A screechy, distorted slide guitar makes an appearance, if only for the purpose of discomfort. A violin inexplicably makes it through the gantlet, offering a glimmer of light only to be pitilessly gagged, bound and used for nefarious purposes later. Vocals that sound as if they're courtesy of ole Nick himself guide the action, rasping from the back of a throat shredded with barbed wire and buffed with sandpaper.

All of these gifts are here, waiting to be found. Sift through the remains, find what you can and hold them close. Take a seat in the shadow of your ruined city and watch the dying sun fade. The end of all things has never sounded so exquisite. (8.75/10)

Let's see here. Yet another black metal album. Tiny label, requisite monochromatic cover art, a logo more legible than most, questionable band photo and Satan name checked in the thank you list. Your standard fare. All preconceived notions pointed towards the usual kult standard: shitty production, little to no mix to speak of and song structure that relies on recurrence. Nothing wrong with that, some of the better black metal albums a have employed these tactics to great effect. Hell, Darkthrone have made a career out of this strategy. That being said, sometimes you need a little something more, a little polish.

Myrk delivers the goods.

Two notable points right off: First, the production is solid, clear and crisp without sacrificing the de rigueur grimness. Second, the drummer, he can play. No stumbling to keep time or falling off the stool when even considering the notion of a fill; this makes a huge difference when elevating a band out of the underground cellar. Icons of the Dark is a fine example of a band striving to remain true, while aiming for more than just a small corner of the black metal audience.

The nine tracks vary from mid-tempo grinding to lightening fast. "Myrk" and "Within The Burning Darkness" both fall into the latter category, whizzing by, noodley guitar bits squawking in and out of the breaks. "In Silence" delves into the former category, evoking early Satyricon while also displaying Myrk's curious affinity for death metal vocals. Both "In Silence" and "Blindfolded by Misery" have choruses or breaks where there's a sudden shift from nasal, growly vocals to guttural death belch; it's abrupt and effective. This approach is taken even further on "When We Raised the Sign," which spits out a complete death breakdown mid-song, a bruising, stomping piece of unpleasantness that subtly shifts into Immortal-like grandeur.

Icons of the Dark concludes with "The Spell." Lifting elements from the album's other tracks while adding a melodic underpinning anchoring the veering tempo changes, it's the standout among a strong group. (7/10)

Mord’s press release states "the band consists exclusively of members of Zorn." Well, allrighty. A multi part question then: if it looks like Zorn, smells like Zorn and, most importantly, SOUNDS like Zorn, why isn't it Zorn?

Some linguistic nit picking now: "Mord" translates as "murder," "Morde" translates as "murders." So the band, Mord, is the embodiment of murder and each of the disc's six tracks is a murder itself? Can murder as a concept cross over and commit the actual act? We seem to be stretching some metaphysical boundaries with that one. Hell, I'm always up for a good philosophical debate. Any of the members consisting exclusively of Mord or Zorn (oops, redundant) shoot me an email and we'll discuss.

Like the output of the band consisting exclusively of members of Mord (that would be Zorn) Mordes (the act, not the concept) is a thick, dirgey, fuzz-ridden foray into early 90's Norwegian black metal worship. Each song follows a fairly straight forward pattern – riffs repeated endlessly, time changes or breaks fairly sparse, lots of sustain on any of the slower parts. Gargled vocals emit from beneath a perennial guitar buzz. It's formulaic stuff but as in Zorn, Mord pulls it off better than most, churning out their lengthy – most of the tracks clock in at the seven to ten minute range – slabs of destruction with a certain aplomb.

Worth getting worked up over? No, but you could do far worse than this particular brand of chaos if you need another addition to your collection.

Final rumination: can Mord, "the band consisting exclusively of members of Zorn," occupy the same physical space as Zorn without both parties clashing in molecular havoc and imploding? (6/10)

And awake I was. If anything, this band rocks because it is composed of two guys and two girls, which is a breath of fresh air. No more all guy or girl rockers (though we do love our Runaways and Pat Benatar.) The second reason this band is so cool is because the whole album sounds like an unreleased Ozzy album circa 1983. Remember Bark at the Moon and Diary of a Madman? The Second Great Awakening sounds like it would fit right in between those two.

Rev. James A. Rota II's voice actually sounds like a young Ozzy, though not as baritone and the music is reminiscent of Randy Rhodes' great licks and harmonies. This is a great album beginning to end, no letdown and no songs to skip through. Highly recommend. (8/10)

Sometimes there are bands that are forgotten by the general populace for no apparent reason, and unfortunately Victory is one of those bands. Their Don't Get Mad - Get Even and Hungry Hearts albums in the late 80s were amazing and quite above a lot of the hard rock output at that time. Personally, I think they are not even in the same league as the overrated Scorpions, a band that (due to their German roots) Victory is always compared to. Yet somehow the revival phase of hard rock has people pining for Winger (why?) and Nelson (ok they were cute, but...) but no one yelling for Victory. Well, we're all missing out and thankfully the band has taken matters into their own hands.

Instinct is quite similar in sound to Victory's great heyday with singer Charlie Huhn, who is back for this reunion. So many reunion albums are sooooo disappointing: one can smell the money and greed that drove the band back together, but this is no problem here. Straight hard rock, no pretense, no faking. With the original lineup back, Victory scores big again. (8.75/10)

Yet another crappy band with a crappy album who thinks that playing as fast as possible with no regards to a conscious lyrical stream means that:

a) they're punk

b) they're cool

c) they sneer at the establishment that defines music.

Someone tell Lazy American Workers that automatism never worked. Ask Andre Breton. Then I would advise them to purchase any Anthrax album to see how it's really done and then to promise to NEVER pick up an instrument again. For our readers who want good punk, look up Dead Heroes in our search engine. (Too lame to rate/10)

I am enough of a turbo-geek to oscillate between loving smart rock bands and thinking, "cool, these guys are geekier than I am." The Slats prove that clever, slightly geeky rock can be enjoyable for its simple declarative style, while making one’s inner language nerd smirk to hear the terms "masticating mandibles" in a song.

What is appealing here is the artistry of the songs, not the quirky, zany exhilaration of the old-school masters of the art, They Might Be Giants. If you listen carefully, you hear musical jokes as well as word games, as in "The New Moonshine," which resembles nothing so much as an instrumental rehash of Jane’s Addiction’s "Summertime Rolls."

The album is not without its weaknesses: its math rock-ness can be repetitive after a while, and some tracks could have used a bit more reworking in the studio. But, if you enjoy the sense of humor these Minnesotans have – track titles such as "I Believe Timothy McVeigh" and "The Fabric of My Brass Knuxxx" – this is certainly worthy of your disc player. (7/10)

This album is compiled from five separate EPs, each the musical interpretation of a particular "pillar of soul." Those pillars are Melvin Van Peebles, Tania Hearst, Albert Ayler, Marc Bolan, and Yoko Ono. The sleeve insert describes in excruciatingly small type why each of these pillars was chosen as a subject of inspiration. And while knowing how the concepts behind the songs were formed is helpful, the music really speaks for itself. Alternately frenetic and dreamy, with vocals that range from punkish grrrl-speak to painfully disharmonic tones – track three, "Butcher’s Tale," actually hurts to listen to, though I am also sure that is the whole point.

It is this willingness to fly in the face of the Western ideas of harmony and structure that makes the work of this group intriguing. John Wilkes Booze presents a forceful, sometimes brutal, sometimes disconcertingly cool piece of work. Like any difficult music (and yes, despite the powerful retro mood, this is difficult music), Five Pillars of Soul will have its admirers and detractors. If you can’t abide anything that even vaguely resembles a product of the sixties, then avoid this album. If you want to hear some people putting a new spin on the counterculture of the past, while sounding at times like a cross between Blonde Redhead, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Deerhoof, on a heavy diet of peace, love and hatred of "the fascist insects who prey on the lives of the beautiful people" (from "Meanwhile, At the Hideout"), you’re in for a treat. (7/10)

I’ll hand it to Blake Sennett, leader of The Elected: you’ve got to have balls to put a picture of a pig on the front of your first album. And not just any old pig, either: a female of the species, a sow, which left me mouthing the old expression that "you can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse." It popped into my head before I’d even listened to the CD, and resolutely refused to leave whenever I was listening to this disc, the first by this Rilo Kiley-offshoot project. It looks so good on paper, too: after the success of Blake’s songwriting partner Jenny Lewis’ work in The Postal Service, who would have bet against the success of Sennett’s lil’ bit of moonlighting?

But betting is, as I was told when small, a mug’s game. Instead of the organic mix of indie pop and electronica that The Postal Service were able to deliver, The Elected serve up a pretty unremarkable mixture of cut n’ paste country-pop, clumsy mixes of 21st-century machinery with mid-20th century songwriting. There’s precious little cross-genre fertilization here: instead, the depressing feel that the listener comes away with is that this album once existed as a perfectly adequate indie CD before the wicked glitch of the west was let loose on it.

Tracks begin and end with bizarre, out-of-place laptop-based embellishments; everywhere you find stop-start editing that makes Me First sound depressingly like its, well, a skipping CD. Even when the band remain in the realms of traditional guitar music, their songs have a tendency to veer rather close to planet histrionic. While emotional pain can be communicated in any one of a thousand ways, the trick is try to avoid being, well, whiney (Morrisey can get away with it, but, well, he’s Morrisey). Not a keeper, then - and, while I hate to say it, I feel I must: "Don’t give up the day job, Blake." (5/10)

Talk about an album that grows and grows on you until you can no longer imagine your life without it! The Lights rock in a way that is uniquely their own – and while it is true that many musical influences are easily identifiable upon a careful listening, I am pleased to say that you just really don’t care whether not "Your Boyfriend Has a Pretty Machine" sounds like Wire. Any song with a chorus that consists mostly of "no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no" needs to be turned up loud and sung along with.

"Victims of the Pleasures of the Sense of Hearing" tells the story of my life, and yours, and anyone else who set foot in a smoky, drinky club and stood for hours, until the last encore, until you leave, and realize that the sound you hear now is inside your ears, and that it won’t go away for days and days, and when you’re very tired, it still comes back to haunt you. The hook from this song will do the very same thing. It is simple, but inescapable, the sort of hook that follows you all day long, until you put on the disc and get it out of your head. But you’re only halfway through the disc at that point.

Why not skip forward, to "Feets Don’t Fail Me Now," an almost dancy, mildly spastic exhortation to "get right out on these streets" that will leave you bouncing in your seat, or wildly shaking your head, shouting "bada-ba-da-da-da-da-da" until your boss comes over and wonders what in the hell your problem is.

The slower tracks are less tight than more up-tempo numbers, but have their own merits as rollicking (is it possible for a slow song to rollick?) pieces of gloom. The only track that is too incongruous for my taste is the final track, "Train," which is steadily interrupted by the sound of a… buzzer? horrible electric painy sound? right through the end, which makes for a difficult decision with respect to volume: turn it up, and hear the good stuff, or become a victim of the pleasures of the sense of hearing and blow out your eardrums? Dilemma aside, expect great things in the future from the Lights. (9/10)

All of the Top Ten lists in the world aren't going to save the Darkness from their inevitable fate as silly retro turds. Everyone else with a copy of this promo/Frisbee must be on the pipe. Heavy metal this bad cannot suddenly be cool just because a new generation has grown up in the shadow of their sibling's fascination with butt-rock.

Permission to Land is a treacherous ten tracks of wailing, squealing, melodramatic vocals, those one-note intros and guitar riffs from the eighties, done-to-death arrangements, and shout-along choruses so the audience can better relate to the band, and feel at one with them. Turbonegro does the Big Guitar/Wack-job-on-vocals thing brilliantly, but their sense of irony is in perfect working order, unlike these cash-in clowns who probably laugh before the joke is even finished. (-6/10)

review by: Laurent Martini

The Darkness makes music that would have gone platinum in the 80s, glams it up with the best of the 70s and gives it an ironic twist only found in the 90s (see "Love on the Rocks with No Ice," a nice jab at Poison's "Love on the Rocks," and the video to "I Believe in a Thing Called Love.")

Singer's Justin Hawkins' voice is unforgettable and makes their breakthrough song "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" so damn catchy. But don't think that The Darkness's gimmick is simple irony. This is a great hard rock album and band with loud guitars, a standout singer and lots to tell you about sex, drugs and rock `n' roll.

The only problem I see is overexposure. Moby ruined a great album by licensing out so many songs; I keep hearing "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" everywhere, so let's hope the band keeps a lid on their songs and continues to rock with a wink and smile. (9/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

Yes, Jason, I think you *are* the only guy that doesn’t like the Darkness. Must be lonely. (8/10)

I actually called Pheroze Records after finding that the URL for the mini CD reviewed here by a band named Earthbound Smoke Ghost, was not working. I got a languid, throaty, exotic voiced message: "Congratulations, you have reached Pheroze." Indeed – with a voice like his, I feel like I’ve arrived someplace important. Well, it turns out the name of the band has changed to Namanista, the "all encompassing" spirit and is now on www.namanista.com.

This New York City band is a subtle and delicious urban mix. I can hear the metal but also a cross-style agility – not afraid of a quiet section, a minor key or a vocal passage that slides around Persian style. They definitely tend toward the dark and moody, still they can uplift and create hopeful awe with a theatrical style and lyric. There is something dreamy about them – smoky, even, like you got dropped down the rabbit hole and end up at a mad hatter’s tea party with a big joint in your hand. The colors are throbbing and you get the opportunity to view the world through different eyes.

The drummer really seals the deal on the sound. Dalton is very confident with pulling beats out on a limb. He effortlessly adds sequences that roll without the western tradition of landing "on the ONE." There is always this kind of lyrical, melodic reference to a grander, more organic reality. It’s comforting to see that there is more to their take on life than love and rockets.

"The tired gaze of fallen gods – the crowning of what we’ve done – the drowning of the wayward son."

You are not sure exactly what the picture is but it’s enough to chew on even for the most esoteric mind. Namanista has a confident, sexy, metal intellectualism that could keep me up at night. I’m waiting to spin this one again on the way home. (8.5/10)

Wow. Metal from Thailand, of all places. Them’s are the perks of running this zine: having our fetish for the most cult and obscure albums appeased by having them sent right to us and without having to even ask for them! It’s like Christmas every day here at Maelstrom HQ.

But the problem of albums from far away places with infant scenes is that said albums sound like they were recorded in said places. And although we were ready to slam Legend of Romancer (in an encouraging way), damn it if Deathguy hasn’t proven to be a grower. Maybe it’s because we’ve loved our vacations in Thailand. Maybe it’s because there’s a swan on the album cover. Maybe it’s because of lyrics that can only be produced by degenerate speakers of English as a second language. Lyrics such as:

"Turpitude faces my rutty tenderness."

and...

"Insane delight is my endearment. I’m bizarre romancer."

and...

"Emotion of lust fill her fingers to get the rub off!"

It’s NOT because the band is called Deathguy, though.

Legend of Romancer and its tacky production seems god-awful at first, but like rice cakes, as you start consuming them, you increasingly appreciate the flavor. The buzzy guitar crunch, the retarded keyboards, the bursts of drum blasting... it all starts to endear itself to you. For comparison’s sake, think Teen Cthulhu (a grindcore band duking it out with Cradle of Filth), but less deliberately dirty sounding and more death metal. Or more black metal. Definitely more something.

Sure, Legend of Romancer is made up of basically the same song repeated 10 times, but Thai metal is starting to become more and more appealing. Check back with us in a month to see how much more this new interest will have grown like an out-of-control fungus. For now, we’re going to go lie down. (6/10)

It's hard to compare Hammergun to other stoner rock bands to really evaluate where they stand. Texas, however, although six songs long, is quite good and left me wanting to hear more.

You’ve got a heavy and thick rhythm throughout that almost hammers one into submission, a slow hypnotizing guitar, and Adam Sherlock's grunts, yells, and vocal strength that comes across sinister but eerily cool make the songs pretty unforgettable. It’s a great stoner rock find. Go out and discover for yourself, you won't be disappointed. (7.7/10)

It’s an obvious hook, but having German in a black metal album’s title is guaranteed to give it more entry-level cred. It’s a subconsious, knee-jerk reaction, like acid reflux disease. But it turns out that Mantles is a band not from Germany or Austria, but from a lone Brit marooned in the U.S.

No matter, our attention has been captured. Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit, Mantle’s first recording effort, shows more than some early promise, it’s got some damn fine material. This is especially the case with the intro running into the first song, "The Night is a Black Ice Storm," whose sidereal chord progressions and utterly ambient vocals make you feel like you’re floating. Seems like the whole "lost in space" theme is appealing to Mantles, what based on song titles like "Spacestation Candelabrum."

Mantles’ debut is a solid work of uniquely atmospheric black metal. And best of all, you can get it for a song. Contact Krag at the email address above. He’s already got a second demo. Tune in next month about that one, and in the meantime, check out our interview with Mantles in this issue. (7.3/10)

Wow.

We at Maelstrom like to think we know a whole lot about black metal out there in the world today. (I mean, one of us DOES own a record store that stocks really obscure metal). But we can still discover entire sources that we never knew of before. And if Sigrblot’s Blodsband (Blood Religion Manifest) is any indication, the band’s parent label, Nordiska Forlaget, with a catalog of more than 300 CDs, 100 books, and lots of knickknacks, is a mother lode of El Dorado-ic proportions. Problem is, it’s all in Swedish.

Sigrblot enthralls the black metal connoisseur while simultaneously exciting his or her curiosity. Like:

Or, how many people are there in the band? We have no idea.

Or, what is the story with the seemingly bonus track, a hard punk song entitled "Commie Scum"?

Or, do we really want to find out about Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, a Romanian figure from the 1930s, whom Sigrblot idolizes? Consider the following passage, taken from Sigrblot’s extremely well-written press release: "As Europeans we find it natural to take interest in the future course of our people and cultural heritage by debating the issue and expressing our opinion on the matter. (...) The task of judging our memorandum is entirely up to the listener. (...) We are part of a race that is being led down the path of self-destruction. Oppose it – or accept and embrace it as so many others have done. It is not our purpose to preach or pass sentence, in death your afterlife is how you are remembered among the living."

Or, what all is going on in the Nordisk Forlaget website? It’s beautifully and cohesively done, and clearly very proud of its Aryan roots.

Blodsband’s booklet is neatly lettered and oozing with cult appeal. It has that feeling like each one was done by hand. Sigrblot obviously means business as far as its philosophical standpoint and sense of cultural pride are concerned, too, something that comes across powerfully in Sigrblot’s music, a fast and blurry take on black metal. The matching of the famous Swedish musicianship standards with a trebly nature, bodiless vocals, and deadly, organic delivery signals the real deal. Pair the sounds up with whatever you can get out of the highly intellectual/propaganda-like booklet, and you’ve got a lot for your imagination to go with.

So many questions. We should probably leave them unanswered and just enjoy the undeniably stark and powerful Sigrblot for its music. (8.8/10)

Editor's note: to read Maelstrom's stance on covering music by neo-fascist/ NS artists, click here.

Morifade has pulled off a great piece of work on this, their fourth album, showing that this young Swedish band can play and write interesting songs. Although they are influenced by such bands as Helloween and Stratovarius, they have a unique sound that can lead them to the top of the power/prog metal pantheon.

Domination may seem long at 14 songs and 70 minutes, but you won’t be bored. The songs catch your attention from the start. One of the biggest pluses for this record is the outstanding sound quality that allows you to hear every single instrument and note.

As for the music, it has all the requisite parts of classic power metal. Of particular note are the fast and melodic guitars patterns, greatly inspired by progressive music. Every song contains different rhythm patterns; a lot of songs start slowly, but build up to a rather fast tempo. Other standouts are the catchy vocal lines (done by a talented and unique-sounding singer).

Another nice surprise is the cover songs, which are "Dance with the Devil" and " Judas." The latter is played note for note, but the quality of sound is way better than Helloween’s original. You can finally hear what Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath were playing, and what Kai Hansen was singing. By the way, Morifade’s singer, Stefan Petersson, sings much better then Kai Hansen does on his version of the song.

For lyrics buffs, Domination’s words are based on the novels "1984" and "Brave New World." You can see the themes from these novels pretty clearly in the lyrics, which only adds appeal to this album. (8/10)

Driven by the twin guitar attack of Michael Denner and Hank Shermann from Mercyful Fate and fronted by Martin Steene of Iron Fire, Force of Evil deliver an album of material which sounds just like you'd suspect considering the parties involved: riffing ala Fate minus the ubiquitous caterwaul of King Billy, er, Diamond. For many of you this will be a good thing.

So you've got your old school workouts ("Hell on Earth," "Mindbreaker," "Demonized"), commercial and vaguely poppy numbers ("Eye of the Storm, "Misery Man," "Under the Blade"), the rest falling right down the middle of the two. Just who this will appeal to is anyone's guess. Extreme metal fans certainly won't be sold; it's more naughty than evil. The absence of King D. isn't going to persuade any Fate enthusiasts and nobody knows who the hell Iron Fire is. Album standout, "The Calling," sounds like an Iron Fire outtake, an unlikely alchemistic blending of modern European power metal and Sunset Strip "metal."

Matter of fact, one would better served to pick up either one, nay, both of Iron Fire's albums instead. If you're going to feel guilty about enjoying something so absurd, might as well go all the way. (5/10)

Pride and Glory is one of a few albums that cannot be replaced. This trio, led dominantly by Zakk Wylde, managed to record an album that blends many musical directions and influences into one genuine and truly inspired brew that no one, to my knowledge, has dared to try and imitate since, not even the mighty Wylde himself.

With foundations in classic hard rock material (Black Sabbath) and southern rock (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Wylde also draws his influence from country music (as the front cover might suggest, in an appropriate way), as well as from intimate performers such as Neil Young and Elton John, expressing it mostly in the orchestration and arrangement of his songs, only to tint and taint it with a touch of the then-popular grunge.

To some, this stir of music and moreover, Wylde’s drunkard approach, may cause some of the songs to come off as half a joke; but those that are careful to pay a closer attention will understand that Wylde actually tries to protect himself from over-exposing to those that do not deserve or understand it.

"The bottom of the barrel is where I’ve been and I’ll always be, it’s where I find reality," he sobs and pours his heart out on "Troubled Wine." This verse echoes a theme on all of the songs – a line that explain well the origin of the trueness and aching found on this album.

This is a man revealing his feelings in the most heartfelt, sincere way, be love, hatred, hope, despair, lust or a loss – it’s all here, under the cover of the layered music that features a heavy dosage of touching melodies, some gentle and some hard driven dirty guitar-work, swamping earth-shaking rhythm, as well as a heavy-hearted piano and a powerful string-orchestra.

Some of the busier and hardest moments on the album encompass all of these, and Wylde does a masterful job on the instrumentation, gluing everything together into one piece. And so, repeated listens will reveal Pride and Glory is even more adventurous than its raw power might suggest at first.

On Pride and Glory, Zakk Wylde proves himself not only as a varied musician, far beyond the label of an "Ozzy axeman," but also as a unique songwriter and performer, who belongs in the big league. This masterpiece was later followed by another more restrained yet equally emotional record – Book of Shadows, before Wylde returned to shredding with originality on Black Label Society.

(By the way, look out for the Geffen release. The reissue of this album on Spitfire Records does include a worthy bonus-CD; but the main disk is faulty and is missing the song "Found a Friend," even though it is listed on the track-list and its lyrics appear on the booklet. And believe me, "Found a Friend" is one song you don’t want to miss!)