review by: Roberto Martinelli

Gallows Gallery sees Japanese Sigh’s musical output continues to grow, mutate and bewilder. This band is one of those that defies any genre-defining stereotypes, transcending the black metal tag that will always be theirs for the duration of their careers. This latest album takes the eclecticism of their last album, Imaginary Sonicscape, even farther into progressive and psychedelic territory.

1970's prog-party keyboards mix with psyche-out passages, heavy, fast runs of metal, and loads and loads of rich instrumentation. This partially courtesy of a seemingly endless procession of guests, including such seemingly improbable names as Gus G and Niklas Sundin (Firewind and Dark Tranquillity, both doing guitar solos), Metatron (of the Meads of Asphodel, narration), Gunface (The Red Chord, guitar), Bruce Lamont (Yakuza, saxophone) and then a list of more probable names, like Killjoy. The result is a highly engaging musical experience, filled with originality and unfettered by the constraints of any genre.

However, there are two, huge, glaring problems with this album. One is the vocals. Now, Sigh’s vocals have always been terrible, but this was easier to overlook the more they used a raw black metal sound. It started to be hard to swallow on Imaginary Sonicscape, and here, where vocalist Mirai is going more for clean/melodic singing, it really blows. You’d have hoped that for all the great guest contributions that Sigh was able to come up with, they could have tracked down someone with better than a strained, untrained voice.

It’s also a tragedy of the highest musical order that Sigh couldn’t have gotten a fantastic guest engineer or mixer, because the production on Gallows Gallery is not good at all. It’s kind of like you got hit over the head with a lead pipe, woke up face down in a puddle of mud and dreck and rain, and there is Sigh behind you belting out some tunes. It’s a yucky experience, kind of like what guitarist Ivar Peersen of Enslaved called his band’s "live" sound that they had during the height of their recent psychedelic phase, but more crappy. For that matter, use Enslaved’s whacko meanderings as a good measuring stick as to if you should buy Gallows Gallery. It’s kind of like the Norwegians’ most puzzling work, but more extremely so in every aspect both unusual and mediocre.

However, despite these undeniable shortcomings, we listened, interested, to Gallows Gallery all the way through. That says something, indeed. (6.2/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

This insane mixture of old black and death overlaps Judas Iscariot with early Incantation. Hellish gutturals and natural, prominent blastbeats rake this evil coal over Christ’s suppurating wounds. Despite today’s predictability of that exploit (at least in black / death circles), Vociferan is atypical in its bastard melding of lows and highs. According to the press sheet, Vociferan do not "[search] for originality but only [reintroduce] the true use and codes of this lost original spirit that made of this style a perfect supremacy."

Fair enough.

Vociferan is a French, one-man entity. This is his first widely disseminated release. The first impression you get from this hearkens back to Venom’s debut abortion, Welcome to Hell – underproduced, but its nastiness provides a worthy diversion.

"Nuclearfrost Strike, Part II" is a stand-out track, and could have the most universal appeal to the uninitiated, mutating Von-like consistent evil blastmort with growly malevolence. What also sets this one apart is that Vociferan knows how to fuck with his arrangements; he is not afraid to show his technical range, and knows when to move from one section to another without mucking about.

"Esse Dyabboli et Infecta et Inficienia Animas" is a slower, dirge number that combines mocking melodic vokills with Brodequin-like gutturals. It alternates tempo between trudge and blast, and could arguably be emblematic of what this project has set out to do: strangely familiar elements of metal (Obituary, Incantation, Impaled Nazarene) mix with wholly unsettling black / death elements, culminating in an ugly listening experience. This is not the brightest star in the frigid black metal sky, but give it time to burn.

The weakest point on the CD is the closing, title track – an overlong, vapid, and exceptionally gay industrial waste that is best skipped over. Indeed, it ruins the CD almost as much as "One in their Pride" ruined Celtic Frost’s Into the Pandemonium. Unnecessary and frustrating, it almost compels me to burn a new copy of the CD, minus this offending track. Loses a tenth of a point for a bad last impression. (6.9/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

The bill: avant-garde death/grind. What does that mean, exactly? Oh, I see, it’s 25 minutes of blasting, high-speed, distorted music with a sensitive side, manifesting itself in calm-between-storms clean passages. Then, near the end of the record, there’s a long electronica track. Now we know what we’re paying for.

The bits and pieces that Biolich make their music up out of works great, making you wish there were a little more avant-gardeness in a lot of other grind bands out there. The clean, brooding breaks are gorgeous and pace the music wonderfully, and that electronica track, although stylistically different, fits in very well with the overall mood of the album, which, like the album packaging, is arty and unconventional while still upholding the insidious nature of the overall genre.

The Space Between Home and Today’s downside is clear, though. The production leaves a bit to be desired. It’s not muffled or muddy, but there’s a definite lack of punch or edge that would really put this album over the top and into the territory of the Pig Destroyers and Circle of Dead Childrens of this world. Still, none too shabby a disk to check out, especially if you have heard and loved that Hatewave CD that tUMULt put out some years ago. Search for the review in our pages. (7.7/10)

review by: Pal the Postman

Along with bands like Dark Fortress, Nocte Obducta and Sun of the Sleepless, Secrets Of The Moon are a part of the leading bands in the current German black metal scene. These followers of Thelema, which is the manifesto of "The Great Beast" Aleister Crowley, are frequently described as surreal, black, occult metal.

Secrets of the Moon formed in 1995 and boasted several releases like their previous album, Carved in Stigmata Wounds, which was generally well received. The Exhibitions aims to be an even darker, colder work, maybe even more draining and energetic than Carved in Stigmata Wounds, thus powerfully tearing down some of their formerly so intense characteristics – for the time being at least.

The new songs are more riff-orientated and slower, exposing heaviness and darkness. On this release we find two new songs, "Bleakstar" and "Exhibitions in the Grey Zone." The EP contains a sort of concept dealing with people who never have discovered their own beauty and only through the darkness find their way to the light. It also features a cover of Darkthrone's classic "Under a Funeral Moon." With this cover song, Secrets of the Moon present an intense counterpoint to their own compositions, filling the track with their own fire and showing they understand what Darkthrone were and are about. You be the judge whether they succeeded in this, but there's no denial here that Secrets of the Moon possess the skills for such an effort. However, their own 2 compositions are more convincing, which can't be a bad thing, can it?

The band's timing is as tight as a dwarven arse, and SG sings with menace and indeed along the lines of Ted Skjellum (a.k.a. Nocturno Culto) from Darkthrone. And as names are being dropped it may be informative that this tastefully designed fold-out digipack is dedicated to Louis Cyphre, a sort of anagram meaning either Lucifer, or Robert De Niro playing the Lord of the East in the grim voodoo film "Angelheart." See if you can spot occasional stylistic parallels with Wrest's Leviathan (think about this when you hear the intro to the aforementioned "Bleakstar"), and Leviathan is also known as the Lord of the West.

To those not yet familiar with Secrets of the Moon this Exhibitions EP is a good starting point. Highly recommended. (8/10)

review by: Bastiaan de Vries

Sephiroth is definitely one of the most, if not the most interesting thing on the CMI roster. A number of us here at Maelstrom are big fans of the debut album and have been longing for a new album ever since. Nothing beats an evening sitting with Cathedron in the stereo making the speakers vibrate; launching its nimble ambience and thunderous battle music straight through to the inside of your brains. That is… nothing except Draconian Poetry.

There is something inherently primal about the work of Ulf Söderberg. While listening to his work it takes no effort at all to imagine rich and vibrant worlds inhabited by majestic and awesome creatures. While the work he puts out under his own name is interesting enough, it’s under the Sephiroth moniker that his music truly shines. Digging up forgotten cultures, mystic rituals and mythic figures; it all comes together under a soundtrack like banner with which Söderberg proudly treks across planes like Egypt, Iceland and the Antarctic.

Sephiroth can be like Mother Nature gone wild; at times the album stampedes with finesse. The music is powerful and intense but never outright brutal or unnecessarily violent. And when the record falls into a slumber it obtains such an ethereal quality that it’s hard not to get spellbound by it.

Draconian Poetry is Cathedron times two; all the characteristic elements are there but enriched and expanded on. It still sounds like a movie soundtrack; it still reaches from one sonic extreme to the other; it still instils a strange sense of primal rage but somehow it all feels so much grander.

It has been six years since Cathedron, and that is at least five years too long. It took way too long and it’s over way too fast; Draconian Poetry only lasts for 48 minutes, which is a real shame (if it weren’t for the repeat button) because this is some of the most intense and powerful material put on record all year.

But even with its "short" playtime, this is an album worth your money two times over. This is an obvious listen for every CMI fan; but an essential listen for everyone. (9.5/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

Is Aborted one of the best death metal bands in the scene today? You better believe it.

This Belgian group really turned the corner with their last album, Goremageddon, which is overflowing with hooks and style. The Archaic Abbatoir continues in this fashion, further molding what has now become the Aborted signature sound. But is it better than Goremageddon? No.

Hey, it’d hard to top that one. If we have to look for reasons why even Aborted can’t measure up to themselves, we might point out that Dirk Verbeuren (normally of Scarve) is not playing drums on this record. Indeed, Verbeuren’s performance is more unbridled, infusing Aborted’s music with just that much more rabid, hungry energy. But hey, the current, permanent Aborted drummer is no slouch, now.

It’s really the untamed rabidness that’s a bit less in full force with this album. You might look at the production, too. As great as it is... just a little bit less.

Damn, for a highly recommended record, we sure are dwelling on the negative... Here’s the deal. You go out and get Goremageddon. If you like death metal, you’ll love it. Then get The Archaic Abbatoir. Like its predecessor, tons of awesome hooks and a signature style that connoisseurs of the genre will highly appreciate. (8.2/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

This German band hearkens back to early-90’s Norwegian black metal, yet the production and songwriting are intriguing enough to help the music stand on its own. The songs shift between blastbeats, midpaced bludgeon, even doom scrape. Ewiges Reich (Eternal Empire) pen all the lyrics in their native Deutsch, which should please certain BM purists who treasure underground characteristics (read: obscurity) above accessibility.

The intricacies of "Von Illusionen und Gotzenkult" provide a worthy counterpoint to the more drone-y, almost Velvet Underground sounding "Humanist – Masochist," while "Untergang" is a much more traditional BM track.

Krieg, Hass, Tod (War, Hate, Death) is not the most technically engaging release of 2005, but strikes a successful balance between raw power and listenability. It is a worthy diversion for fans of the old school, and definitely worth checking out. (6.99/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

Norway’s Khold are an interesting anomaly of black metal. Krek contains predominantly mid-paced metal with a solid guitar sound. Paradoxically, for the tightness of the CD’s production, it does not seem to be a black metal record! Mind you, Venom was never technically a "black metal" band, but their balls-out crusade against Christ took Sabbath and Zeppelin’s surface-level dark leanings so much deeper into the collective psyche of impressionable metal youth (particularly in Scandinavia). Thus, there ought to be no cookie-cutter mold as to what constitutes the black metal genre (hence its longetivity). But Khold share more characteristics with Danzig or The Cult than their Norsk BM countrymen: upfront and easily distinctive instrumentation, pentatonic (rather than chromatic) riffing, and pop-savvy brevity (songs rarely go above the four minute mark).

However, Khold write all of their songs in Norwegian, frontman Gard’s corpsepaint is unique and disquieting, and the band obviously propagate their wares on the dark side of the hill. Perhaps, then, the band could be in a better position than Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir to popularize black metal among the uninitiated (or reticent).

Take "Innestengt I Eikekiste": the song is a true headbanger with an actual, infectious groove along the lines of AC/DC (!). Others, like "Oskorei," sound like latter-day Slayer, who along with their insane thrash could also trudge heaviness along like an elderly, cantankerous Brontosaurus.

Songs like "Byrde" and "Lysets Flukt" tantalize the listener with blastbeat sections, but Khold customarily default to mid-paced heavy riffing.

Krek is black and nasty, but at the ned of the night, it lacks the evocative power of black metal’s standard, yet distinctive blasthate. On the other hand, all music is an open canvas, thus allowing Khold’s method to perpetuate the NWOS(candinavian)HM appeal to the masses.

Paradoxically, many purists prefer their favorite music to be inaccessible and ugly as possible. Krek is ugly, but certain factions of the black metal scene may not be pleased with it. Previewing of tracks is recommended. (6.33/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

There’s an "m" word that’s becoming dirtier and more unpleasant by the month out there in the world of heavy music. We’re not going to use it as not to offend any sensitive ears or eyes. Rather, we’d like to call Between the Buried and Me a little term that we’re fond of, kitchen sink metal. As in "everything and the..."

Between the Buried and Me’s last record, The Silent Circus, made a huge impression. It was some manner of revelation that a band could do SO many styles and do them all so well. And although Alaska is at least as good, and possibly better, the impact is perhaps lessened on our more wizened and less impressionable sensibilities.

The gamut? Uber technical death metal crashing into gorgeous, layered classical melodies, genius arrangements and melodic progressions, punctuated here and there with very capable melodic vocals, interspersed amongst occasional mellow, drifty parts. And the last track is something like bossa nova. And the clincher? It all works.

Yes, yes. I hear the lot of you saying you hate bands that are brutal one minute and then break out the "emo" parts the next. Fine, and I don’t disagree. But it’s for the bands that stumble at this that comments like that are deserving. Between the Buried and Me transcend that, making it in truth an all-encompassing experience whose parts gel rather than clash.

We were super skeptical too, mostly because of how abysmally dire the Between the Buried and Me solo electronic side project that came out earlier this year was (we’ve managed to forget the name, with the CD’s very existence but a faded memory). But no, the mother band is still firing on all cylinders, making you wish all "metalcore" bands could be like this one. Oh, shit, we went and said the "m" word. (8.8/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

Such a literal interpretation of early Burzum is seldom heard as in Russia’s most visible black metal export, Blackdeath. The band, who used to run underground tape label Hungry AK-47, have been in existence for at least a decade (formerly as Draugwath), and ISO666 have at least three other full-lengths available. The band consists of Para Bellum and Abysslooker, the latter of who writes all the music and lyrics (mostly in German). This release is a deep pit of brooding atmosphere, Count Grishnackh-croakwails, and often mid-paced blastmort. Hopefully this split will help disseminate their material to Western ears.

The only real drawback is that the drums (programmed or otherwise) are WAY too smothered in the mix. The argument could be made that this was an intentional element to creating extreme subterranean darkness, which does indeed cocoon the listener after a while, but at further consideration it just detracts overall quality.

The first number, "Wenn der Vierte Mond Fällt" contains the most obvious tribute to Burzum’s initial output, particularly in the vokills and riffing. The song shifts gears often amidst vaporizing distortion and Varg-shrieks. If not terribly original, it most certainly is inspired.

Blackdeath’s other Scandanavian influences seep through more explicitly in "Der Absolute Böse" and "Blut and Asche" – slightly more technical runs on the guitar take the emphasis off of the vokills a bit, but the burial ceremony is not terribly compromised.

"The Raised" puts in a suitable closer for Blackdeath’s share of this split – repetitive chokes and bludgeoning chords whirlpool even farther down into the black waters, and any lack of earth-shattering dynamics is made up for by what lies in wait further along in the CD.

Leviathan’s contributions to not only black metal, but to music itself, are beyond estimation. Apologies for the teabagging, but Wrest just fucking rules. Since troubling the already unhappy world beyond the Bay Area via the Moribund Cult, this year has seen no less than four splits, his contribution to the BM "supergroup" Twilight, the official Southern Lord / Total Holocaust Records release of his other project Lurker of Chalice, the evocative black ambient LP Silhouette in Splinters via Profound Lore, and reissues of his old self-released demos via Moribund and Blood Fire Death. By the time you read this, a new split with Sapthuran is slated for release by Battle Kommand Records. And he gives no indication of slowing his cruelty juggernaut.

Leviathan’s half of the split, Portrait in Scars, incorporates more narrative samples, beginning with a Pinhead-like assurance of impending torture in "Corpse Glide (Beneath Great Dragon)." This may be one of his sickest songs TO DATE, a melee of dissonant thrash attack and hellspawned incantations, caked with its own ecosystem of utter distortion and iniquitous necromancy.

The second track, "Mine Portrait in Scars," contains some of his most eerie bludgeon since The Speed of Darkness, his split with Iuvenes on No Colours Records. Particularly, this song shares similarities with "Pondering the Wealth of the Stars" from the above-mentioned release, mostly in its formidable evocation of an utterly alien and hostile landscape. Close your eyes and listen for your own worst case scenario of abandonment, betrayal, desolation, and hopelessness.

"Derision" closes the CD with a mid-paced deathmarch that develops into a harsh, blasting fury amidst pteradactylic wails, zombified groans, and intermittent squeals similar to the obscure but admirable New Hampshire-based noisemonger Hanged Man’s Orgasm. This layered pandemonium could arguably be one of Leviathan’s finest tracks. The final minute of the song alone is the ultimate soundtrack to a haunting. Beware, hearken, heed. (Blackdeath: 6/10, Leviathan: 666/10)

review by: Pal the Postman

This Australian trio’s depressive, lo-fi black metal has strong influences from old school stuff like Darkthrone and Burzum. Embrace After Death is divided into three sections that includes their debut EP from 2003.

Pestilential Shadows’ presentation is of great quality and features all clichés typical for the genre: gothic lettering, eerie statuesque band members in the nocturnal forest, carrying a knife or wearing black studded leather with those "get away from my property!" looks (don’t forget the Dore artwork! - ed). The singer has a well developed scream, and sounds like the wicked witch in the tale of Hänsel and Gretel. Can't say which of the three members actually sings, for they describe musical duties with things such as "Lord of Decay and Bubonic Pain" and "Apparition of Suicide."

In fact, Pestilential Shadows wish this offering "shall enduce suicide on even the most stable of hearts." That should possibly apply to those who have the heart to stomach this 74+ mintue long disc. The metaphorical suicide would be hitting the "stop" button and going back to listening to Xasthur's "Subliminal Genocide." Embrace After Death is by no means bad (save for a terribly hissy production), but once you're peering in the dark long enough you start seeing things that perhaps shouldn't be visible. The album would have been stronger had it been shorter; like 30 or 40 minutes. In that case the alternation of tempos and fast drumming vs. synth tracks would have been a nice introduction to this Australian display of bleakness. But now, as playing time progresses, Pestilential Shadows stand too long on the platform for the train destined for a place called "making an impression."

For those interested I'd give the advise to check out the individual tape versions of the album + the Putrify EP, because this CD version is a dose too strong. But if you like strong doses, hell, man, it's just your suicide! (6/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

Chilean It-Man Ammit is HEREBY PROCLAIMED to be the new Bob Dylan of black thrash – a polarizing figure; abhorred by some, deified by others. This listener is a new convert to the latter faction (paradoxically, she cannot stand Bob Dylan). (whew! – ed)

See, early on in the 1980’s, Venom and Bathory marked the nether-region of just how far people were willing to go with their metal. Many preferred to stop at Thin Lizzy, Budgie, or U.F.O. Others explored only so far as Motorhead. The nether-regions were not to be trifled with, however, much less listened to, unless you were willing to go all the way. A few years along, Hellhammer and Sodom conquered that nether-region.

Now, with extremity languishing as a very subjective term, from Opeth to Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition and back, the preponderance of bands, styles, and subgenres makes it very difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Hammer of Darkness, Ammit’s second full-length, may surprise those familiar with his previous output. Admittedly, the Mass Suicide / Steel Inferno CD lost this listener after only a few spins – it felt too larval; it needed more time in the oven. But Ammit’s new release treads the gargantuan step that catapulted Venom from Welcome to Hell to Black Metal, from relatively meh to TOTAL FUCKING CLASSIC.

This latest CD is a new black dawn for South American metal, a platter of pure, steaming, diarrhea-soaked nastiness – in terms of extremity, yet coupled with accessibility (the production is crystal clear), Ammit is unmatched so far in this year of 2005.

To start with, Ammit introduces this less-than-forty minute demon with "Pure Infernal Fire," a minimalist, pounding, Melvins-y, layered chant that is pure fucking ten-ton-testicle ATMOSPHERE.

That said, please allow the following revelation, a epiphany that converted this reviewer to Ammit’s Crusade against Christ: the second song, "Power Means Death Power," is possibly the most brazen, fierce, epileptic, fist-in-the-air punk-thrash anthem ever recorded. The barely off-cue, self-conscious, furiously barking vokills, the total snare drum rape, and hilarious Nigel Tufnel-ized guitar solo are the clincher. To summarize: even if Hammer of Darkness contained ONLY this particular track, it would still get a 10.

The next one, "Acid," is no less lethal – a pure delight it is to hear its thrash pace and hearken back to the fresh blast of PURE BLACK AIR issued forth from Bathory’s essential 1986 abortion, Under the Sign of the Black Mark. Ammit’s latest is THAT good.

"Dogs of Hell" is almost Van Halen-esque in its simple, pleasing, mid-paced warmongering. "Sinner" is evocative of the political turbulence from which Ammit hails: a cacophonous, thrashing pandemonium, almost vortex-like with intensity, brings extreme metal’s disenchantment with ultra-conservative authority to a new apex (the brutal dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet still ripples through the Chilean psyche). And "Terrormass" in the "Mayhem with Mercy" of Hammer of Darkness: a brief but harsh keyboard interlude that presages the ensuing blizzard.

"Wraith" is another topper. The chorus chant "Wraith—FULL OF WRATH!" is part Melvins, part Crebain, so killer and sloppy it’s like watching a frisky piranha fight.

"Black Plagues" is the signature Kreator "Pleasure to Kill" hail of the CD – it bludgeons a guttural whirl of treble, rapid-fire distortion, and complete siphoning away of common decency.

"Genocide" is even faster than some of the other tracks, until it descends into a Sabbath-y interlude that provides further evidence of Ammit’s vastly improved sense of range. "Las Garras Del Mal" bears a crazy resemblance to Venom’s finer vintage, right down to the pinch harmonics and linear (but furious) drumming. Finally, Hammer of Darkness closes the CD with a return to the repetitive minimalism of the first track, but by the time it reaches the pulsing crescendo of "DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"; it finally falls apart beneath its own weight.

Ammit is not a visionary. But Hammer of Darkness draws the most distinct line between the Ride the Lightning camp and the Black Album camp; it deserves commendation (and condemnation). Such is the struggle for metal – its past, present, and future. (10/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

Absu might never record another album again. It’s looking pretty iffy for the black / thrash metal gods from Texas. Who’s in the band, now, exactly? We think it’s just Proscriptor, but he busted his hand up pretty good, to the point where the doctor told him he’d never play drums again (see our interview next month). Come to think of it, that whole interview was kind of weird. Like, Equitant was there, but he’s not technically in the band anymore, but he and Proscriptor are doing a bunch of very non-Absu side projects together, and we just can’t keep up.

Well, if it is the end, Tara is definitely the album to go out on. And whether it is the end or not, now we’ve got a fine-looking double this ‘n’ that record called Mythological Occult Metal.

The verdict? Undeniably cool. However, the scope of people who should buy it is of course rather limited. If you’ve never heard Absu and want to get into them, get Tara. Period. Then dabble out from there. Mythical Occult Metal is for the freaks who are as big of wonks as Proscriptor himself.

Two CDs with a fair amount of cool stuff. This is primarily in the form of a bunch of 7"s that you’ll never have any hope of finding, like the cool And Shineth unto the Cold Cometh and the pre-Proscriptor The Temples of Offal, which isn’t much better than OK. Then there’s another 7" called Hallstattian Swords, that’s all creepy-weepy ambient music that you can’t believe they actually dedicated an entire 7" to. You’ve also got some alternate versions of three classic Absu songs, but really, in the end, the best these tracks can do is re-affirm that Absu is rad and that you should listen to the original, complete albums.

Disk #2 is a bit less in quality, although a couple of the cover songs (Mayhem, Destruction) are pretty great. However, if you have the tribute CDs these come from (like the Iron Maiden tribute with Absu’s version of "Transylvania"), this isn’t anything new.

The live tracks on hand might seem like deja vu if you have the digipak version of VITRIOL, but in fact these are alternate recordings of those songs. The live tracks quality isn’t bad, although you get the feeling that being on tour with Absu can get pretty lonely, as it sounds like a grand total of two people clap at the end of their songs.

Finally, there are a couple of unreleased songs, which sound like jams with no vocals. Not bad, but really, this is for the wonks out there. For although Mythological Occult Metal makes you feel resplendent with pride for appreciating this band, what with all the album’s photo documentation, excellent layout and fair amount of gems, this album is an odds and ends album that feels like just that. Recommended? Yes, but not solely because of the musical content, and with a rather narrow scope. (7/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

This is somewhat of a departure for the blackhate / filthgrind fare of The Moribund Cult, but an assuredly good call. Fear of Eternity comprises Andrea Tilenni (Sinoath) alone, and hails from Italy. It makes sense that the same country that gave us genius horror ghoul Dario Argento would also present this very interesting, completely synth black metal project. For anyone familiar with Argento's often self-composed soundtracks to his (and occasionally George Romero’s) films, there should be an instant flash of recognition in the Fear of Eternity’s material – he relies on black metal melancholia, rather than primal ferocity.

Toward the Castle is not so much ambient as it is symphonic. One excellent characteristic – given the circumstances of nightfall, closed drapes, and disactivated distractions (whatever they might be), this release enshrouds the listener in mystery punctuated by POSSIBLE (but not necessarily immediate) malevolence and gore (much like Argento’s films). Atmosphere trumps brutality.

The second and third tracks ("Flying Over Mountains" and "Fear of Eternity,"respectively), uncannily hearken to the brighter moments of King Diamond’s dark melodrama, along with delightful similarities to Giorigio Moroder’s score to "Scarface," or even Alain Goraguer’s early 70’s, semi-Voivod-ic soundtrack to cult cartoon "Fantastic Planet."

The fourth, title track, "Toward the Castle," returns to Goblin-esque arpeggiated modes – perhaps the most evocative track of the album, features subterranean scraping and explosives, as Tilenni alternates between Gollum-rasp and softer, ghostly whispering. Mind you, Fear of Eternity incorporates mounds of fuzzed-out guitar, but only as accompaniment to his synth-phasis.

There is admittedly not a single blastbeat to be found on Toward the Castle – BM purists may not, perhaps, flock to this as readily as they would Impiety, Gorgoroth, Sargeist, or elsewise.

However, mere attempts at classification may not serve this project its due. While first impressions of Fear of Eternity may be off-putting to some BM hordes, this release is a worthy exception for true fans of King Diamond, Lurker of Chalice, Burzum’s CANONICAL Filosofem, and / or early Summoning.

So go out on a (gnarled) limb, and stay the blood-spray for the sake of your own fortified despair. Fear of Eternity is THAT engaging. (8/10)

review by: Avi Shaked

Overdog might not be as coherent as Keef Hartley Band’s previous album The Time Is Near… (reviewed in Maelstrom #38), but it is still a worthy selection.

This time around (in 1971), the band chose to expose its bluesy roots more firmly, while simultaneously corresponding with the popular jazz-rock of the era. With all these characteristics, the band on Overdog hints more towards Colosseum rather than Blood Sweat & Tears, though in a more festive mood. In fact, Colosseum’s Jon Hiseman, who once replaced Hartley as a drummer on John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, guests on one track.

The guitars, keyboards and drums do most of the job here, supplying electrifying, funky grooves that border on the Latin side, as well as fancy improvisations, leaving the horns mostly as decorations and boosters. The material fails to hold as consistently as it did on the band’s previous release, and quite frankly it does not exceed other jazz-rock bands of the time in its originality. However, there are still fine musicianship and plenty of spirited, flourishing fusion moments to be found here.

Those of you who are already acquainted with the entire seventies Colosseum catalogue would enjoy the similarities on Overdog and benefit from the variations. Others may want to put this one on hold, at least until they experience the Colosseum essentials (Valentyne Suite, Daughter of Time and Live) or get the previous Keef Hartley Band release. (7.77/10)

review by: Avi Shaked

Having witnessed the Karate Band Toy Orchestra twice prior to the album release and once more quite recently after its release, I can’t say I was thrilled when I received Children 4 Muzik for review.

The band, which is fronted by the wacky Igor Krutogolov and features, amongst others, the entire staff of Krutogolov’s other band, Kruzensthern & Parohod, remains loyal in reflecting its leader’s freakishness, though the emphasis is different: a pseudo serious ride that incorporates parody on extreme metal music, performed only with the aid of toy instruments. These are often manipulated and amplified – the guitars are mean and raw, the clarinets squeak - but they still maintain the effect of cheap instruments, limited in their range and tonality while carrying a childish quality; and I have yet to mention the twittering rubber toys! Hilarious aggression would be a concise description to sum the whole thing up.

On stage, the music often remains secondary to the gimmick, which manages to hold for some time before it begins to exhaust itself. On the recording, however, the nuances can be more easily observed and the pieces are constructed with greater care.

Lasting for approximately half an hour, the music does not lose its grip, keeping the grotesque firmly in place, not only during the heavy sections on which Krutogolov grunts and gurgles meaninglessly to a primitive rhythm putting death metal, with its growls, double bass and power chords to a respectable laugh; but also on supposedly gentler passages, such as the tango inspired "Broken Tango."

Yep, it’s like a kindergarten band gone psycho, and it is the boldness and original concept that rank the band higher in my book. The album’s title is a fair warning in its inversion, as I doubt sane parents would want to lecture tracks such as the porn flavored "Jesus Christ Superpharm" to their children.

I have no knowledge as for the future plans of the Karate Band (I do know that Kruzenshtern & Parohod is embarking on a European tour shortly), but there is no doubt that this effort would be hard to follow: a second release would have to see the band reinventing itself by avoiding the now-familiar shticks or by exploring them in different structures; epic compositions a-la Opeth or some covers of famous death metal songs should be a challenge worth exploring. (8/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

Leviathan, with whom Maelstrom readers are undoubtedly familiar, is the Moribund Cult's finest Satanic asset. Justifyingly purported to be the future of black metal itself, this release (along with tUMULt's 2-CD release Verrater and Blood Fire Death's cassette issue of Demos 2000) compiles material from Wrest's many demo tapes from 2000-2002. This is NOT new material, nor is it an actual re-issue of the 2001 Howl Mockery at the Cross demo (the tracklisting differs. Yes, a TON. See below. – ed.). As with any Leviathan release, quality is assured.

What sets this metal apart from most is in the unconventional riffing, the haunting vokills, the unrelenting technique and ability.

For example, during the song "Lycanthropous Rex," Wrest alternates between such ferocity and serenity, it has an almost stream of consciousness quality.

"Liar of Nazareth" raises pick-scratching, dissonance, and Christ-target practice to an even higher art. A mostly mid-paced affair, the song tours the circles of Hades, reprises after a terrifying denouement, then fades.

Other highlights on this hour-long release include the infernal dirge-core "S.W.O.L.," the pummeling staccato of "The Axis and Maw of Inferno, Mine," and the skulking, delay-drenched Death in June cover, "Nothing Changes."

Wrest is Legion. His is the standard by which metal is heretofore assessed through these ears. (10/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

I partially disagree, and the part that’s in disagreement is vehement. See, the original, true, unreleased Howl Mockery at the Cross (which we reviewed years ago) is far superior to the Moribund (henceforth, the "official") release. Why? The original is an actual, coherent album of songs, while the official album is just like all the other official Leviathan demo releases: a sewn-together mish-mash; in this case, scattered bits and pieces from 7+ full-length demos. The fact that this official release has the same name as an already existing demo (that was in circulation at one point, no less), makes the situation all the more glaring.

Case in point: The official Howl Mockery at the Cross contains only two tracks ("Lycanthropus Rex" and "(The) Axis and Maw of Inferno, Mine") from the original album, which stands as demo #12 in the unreleased discography. The other tracks, "Summoning Lupine" (originally "Summon Lupine" from the ORIGINAL release of The Tenth Sub-Level of Suicide, demo #14), "Where Annihilation Dwells" (from #13, White Devil, Black Metal), "Liar of Nazareth" (also from #13 ), "Just Under Tainted Grace" (#10), "S.W.O.L." (originally "The Will of Leviathan, from #13), "Never for Peace" (from #11, Intolerance), "Those Slimy Things" (originally "Those Slimy Things are Real, from #10), and the Death in June cover "Nothing Changes," which appears to be a new track. Oh, also, the cover art is the negative version of #6, Shadow of No Light.

This gripe isn’t to out kvlt anyone, but rather to point out what should be obvious to any discerning ear, regardless of familiarity with Leviathan’s unreleased back catalog: the various tracks sound disjointed as they are from different periods in Leviathan’s evolution of production values. Essentially, the official Howl Mockery at the Cross sounds like a mix tape. In contrast, had Moribund released the original demo (or *any* original Leviathan demo) in its entirety, the result would be so much more satisfying.

But therein lies the point. The overwhelming majority of the public, even those who are Leviathan fans, have no access to these demos beyond what sporadic releases have come since Leviathan’s exploding onto the scene with Verrater, which, although it is also a best-of of sorts, is more like an introductory anthology, so its importance is far greater.

The issue here isn’t to argue the quality or worth of Leviathan’s work, either past or present, for the impact and importance this project’s music is undeniable. Rather, it is to question the wisdom or even sense of releasing demos in such a haphazard and careless manner. Can’t get the demos? Get the official Howl Mockery at the Cross, I guess. But try to find the original on a black metal hub. It’ll be far more rewarding. (6/10)

review by: Pal the Postman

Black Crucifixion were from Finland and used to play their homeland with seminal acts like Amorphis, Impaled Nazarene and Beherit. Their testimony does not consist of a lengthy discography (only an ep from 1993 called Promethean Gift, the Faustian Dream album, that was recorded and shelved in the mid nineties, and this). The re-release of The Fallen One of Flames suggests a certain cultish status. In 1999, this album was already re-released on a 10" EP, so we must be looking at a re-re-release with this Soulseller Records issue.

The CD consists of three songs that are sandwiched between an intro and outro by Beherit's Holocausto Vengeance, who also produced and engineered these tracks. In fact, it's supposed to be not far removed from Beherit's Drawing Down the Moon album. It's the earliest showcase of Black Crucifixion and it is obvious that being technically competent was not a high priority back then. Not much of northern Europe’s black metal of around 1990 was a particular proof of technical skill.

As history has the right to proclaim poor musicianship groundbreaking and influential we can see that old skool black metal constantly emerges as a source of inspiration, quotation, or point of reference for contemporary black metal scenes in Europe and the US. It could be a reason for re-releasing this – to re-familiarize purist metalheads with a past full of imperfections. They might have gotten spoilt by constantly being treated to works of genius fallling down upon the surface like brimstone on Sodom.

There is a certain air of mystique possibly induced by the fact that Black Crucifixion lived in the Arctic Circle, which is known for its strange daylight phenomena. There are some flaws, such as moments when damage of the mastertape is showing through, even though this special North American edition is supposed to be remastered. I wonder what the deal with that is.

The first song, "Flowing Downwards," is the best of the bunch, but unfortunately it's just that one that is affected by the tape damage. The whispery vocals of Mr. Fornicator are pretty sinister and I for one wouldn't fancy to be the object of the subject his name refers to. Not as atmospherical are the tracks "Master Spirit and "Godess of Doom," which sound a bit like Mayhem. They have clumsy guitar intros and sound as messy as fish fermented in black soil. However, some may appreciate things that have been underground for a while, so if you like something fairly obscure and devoid of black metal trendiness, The Fallen One of Flames will be worth a spin. The lengthy retrospective liner notes explain a great deal and give this release a plausible excuse. Still, it's not bad, but it's not great, either. (5.5/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

Live and learn. Never again will we say we know what we’re talking about as far as the Sensory label is concerned until at least five to six listens and/or one month. Call it the prog metal warranty plan. Don’t like it within those parameters? Throw it back. But only then.

Yeah, so we blew it with Circus Maximus, calling it as "merely" recommended, when in fact it’s one of the best albums this year. So we’re not falling into the same trap with the new Zero Hour.

At first, A Fragile Mind seems kind of "meh." Not really any parts above mid-paced, no epic songs, not a lot to stir the mind or soul.

Five listens later: very cool riffs, engaging arrangements, a deep atmosphere, and music that doesn’t suck during the vocal parts. Sounds like prog. But Zero Hour is a shade apart as they won’t fall into the trappings of silliness or wussiness or outright gaiety that some listeners might be allergic to. One reason is the general absence of keyboards (except for an atmospheric segue track or two). The other is a general absence of all the heavy-handed, hifalutin prog mumbo jumbo, most commonly brought forth in dramatic breaks to profess such things via spoken parts.

For Zero Hour fans tuning in, we believe the band has changed styles quite a bit from their Metamorphosis album that we reviewed a hew years back. Less Dream Theater, way more original and heavy, and none of those overbearing messages about saving the planet and the death of the inner child. Come to think of it, the more you listen to A Fragile Mind, the more you can picture Zero Hour touring with Nevermore – there are some similarities in their approaches to being dark and heavy, but Zero Hour is far less over the top, hammy and theatrical.

Downsides? A couple. Like on the album’s second song, where the clear highlight and epiphany of the song only appears once, around the third mark. A little more intensity in a couple spots might have been nice, and perhaps a longer playing time, for an album a few minutes over 40 is a bit short for prog.

But the biggest reward? The one that keeps paying dividends the more you listen. Sensory seems to be the go to label as far as music that is truly progressive AND metal is concerned. (8.2/10 and rising)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

In this day and age in the US, finding a killer singer for a metal band, much less a progressive metal band, seems like an impossible task. So how come Stride gets to find one, way out in Texas, that hotbed of black metal, no less?

It doesn’t stop with the vocals, either. Stride is up and down a fantastic band with a lot of originality. And to make the picture complete, Imagine’s production is up to par with the band’s abilities.

Stride might be a little falsely prog, though. Rather, think prog mixed with AOR. Nothing wrong with that, mind. But if you’re familiar with and accustomed to the whole progressive canon, you’ll find Stride’s arrangements to be a lot more on the vanilla side. But that’s probably something that contributes to the deeply melodic qualities of this band’s package. Take "How Far" as the best example. This song can easily rank up there with sweeping metal ballads as Balance of Power’s "Shelter Me."

Not that there isn’t musical wizardry going on. There are bursts of noodling to sate the hungry. Something to perhaps begrudge these Texans is the amount of instrumental tracks on Imagine – at least two – which is far too many considering how good the singer is and that the album is 50 odd minutes in length.

The odd thing about Imagine is that it works backwards in terms of what we’ve come to expect from the Sensory label. Where other albums from this New Jersey company take a while to get into, and then reveal their qualities more and more, Imagine catches you the most on the fist listen, and then stays there or becomes a bit less urgent after that. Again, consider the relatively simplistic arrangements. However, it depends on what you want. For those more interested in something immediately gratifying and engaging, yet still progressive and melodic, you might not be able to do much better this year, except for maybe Pagan’s Mind. (8.5/10)

review by: Joshua

In the ongoing US/Canada debate, you’ve gotta give the advantage to the Canucks on a number of positions: better healthcare, cheaper pharmaceuticals, a lower death rate by handguns, stronger beer, and a cheeky province – Quebec – that makes serious noises every few years about breaking away and forming its own nation. That and the mere fact that some of the best post-hardcore is coming from the great, white north. This year has already seen stellar releases by Cursed and Mi Amore. Cobra Noir complete a trifecta with the implacable and unstoppable wrecking ball that is Abode of the Dead.

You’d that think the quintet was a deathly serious bunch based on the austere (and stunning) artwork of the CD’s booklet, their penchant for dressing up as masked terrorists and grave song titles like "Herald of Disaster" and "High on the Scaffold." Yet there lurks a subtle, almost playful side that band may be loathe to admit even exists. First clue is band members with names such as Mamba de Hamer and Alex Von Viper and the music, while bludgeoning and punitive, is often carried by song structures that will trap you in their happily tangled – and just plain happy – constructions.

Cobra Noir marks their territory immediately with the guitar tone – burly, vicious, and dappled with distortion – and it drives each song like a sadistic coachman whipping the hide off his steed. And while they operate from a hardcore base, Cobra Noir often comes at the material from a punkier angle that infuses the tracks with more groove and bounce than might otherwise be found. Add in a fine appreciation of melody and you’re presented with a few songs that have – gasp! – actual hooks; albeit buried under rows and rows of sharp, pointy teeth.

So when not ripping off faces with a flat out hardcore assault, they grab you with a song like "Eucharist" that opens with a mournful minor key intro that just keeps building on itself and refuses to stop, coming off as an extended coda. Or they kick you to the curb with locomotive rhythms that ride over infectious melodies on "The Treatment," lurching like Motorhead after pulling an allnighter on a cross country road trip fueled by caffeine and donuts.

And they save the best for last in the form of "This is the Death of Man." A chugging mid-tempo plod that has all the grace of a tank procession, it dissipates to an extended post rock workout before finding its way to the path from which it strayed, gradually working itself back up to speed before fading off into a dust choked sunset. Those last diminishing chords reverberate as echoes, loud against the sudden stillness of dusk. (8/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last decades, you know Cathedral. Yes, it's the same Cathedral formed by Lee Dorrian who released some of the most influential doom metal albums ever made. And yes, Lee Dorrian is the same dude from Napalm Death. Anyhow, let's just say that Garden of Unearthly Delights is not as good as it could have been, but it's much better than what I'd have expected.

Endtyme and The VIIIth Coming were, undoubtedly, disappointing and plain boring. It's safe to say that Garden of Unearthly Delights is quite the step forward for them, incorporating even more fast songs, and, surprisingly, avant garde elements. While the album is pretty much average for half of its running time, the rockier songs are still where they excel at. But even then, that's not the real highlight of the album. The obvious highlight is the twenty seven minute song, "The Garden," which is seemingly composed only of little bits and pieces, ranging from doom, to rock, to atmospherical acoustic stuff, to things you'd hear from a KK Null album. Definitely not what you’d expect from Cathedral, but honestly, it's amazing.

If you skip some tracks, this can be a 9/10 album, but pointless or mediocre songs just get in the way. Either way, it's a big, big step forward for Cathedral. (7/10)

review by: Rick Luna

"I’m Your Master" is a mean ass track that demands your utmost attention and has no fear of telling you who your master is. There’s also a quick bass solo in there for keeper’s sake. "Vengeance Is My Law" continues this heavy onslaught with another one two punch right in the teeth. "Holy Gates" is a little on the soft side with soothing keyboards and nice cutesy moments with the chorus. "Diamond Crown" seems a little rehashed from the previous tracks, but differentiates slightly between the other riffs.

"Edge of a Knife" slows things down a bit, but ruins the whole expectation for something vengeful. "Initiation" is pretty much a deception, leaving you slightly downtrodden towards the displeased. At least the slightly technical jumping was well worth those few seconds.

"Isolation" quickly recovers from the album’s previous flaws with a little extra speed and plenty of forte. "Naked King" brings the heavy stuff, whereas "Wrongly Right" tends to fuel the fire – both are text book examples of classic metal. "Eastern Dance" is based off the luxuries of, you guessed right, Maelstrom readers, Middle Eastern scales and the like and ends off with the instrumental: Whispering. It’s quite the appetizer but nowhere near the main course. (7/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

The possibilities of a comeback album being good are like one in some millions. Now, the possibilities of a comeback album being better than the previous albums are roughly 1 in the number of cells in the Earth. But here it is: Unraveled is better than everything Confessor has made in the past. Call it extremist, but Unraveled is miles away from 1991's Condemned, Confessor’s only other full-length album.

The Sour Times EP presented maybe the more commercial aspect of what is contained on Unraveled, and while Sour Times was good, it didn't make people expect that much. Thankfully, this new full-length is much, much better.

The inhuman signatures, which sometimes contrasted with the drums, now are perfectly matched. The riffs are ten thousand times catchier. Now you can actually follow the singer, and he hasn’t changed his unique style. The drummer is still as outstanding as ever, if not more. The list of improvements is long, but easily noticeable.

Compositionally, Confessor is going more for the doom stuff. But most of all, Unraveled is more mature and accessible while only improving the quality of the overall product.

If there's one mystery here, is how he guys actually managed to top themselves after 14 years. Whatever the secret, they pulled it off. (9.8/10)

review by: Rick Luna

Power metal contenders Cryonic Temple have surprisingly created quite a musical buzz in Europe. Discovered by Dismember drummer Fred Estby, this band was on the path for various successes. Their debut album was a best selling album under their old label, Underground Symphony, but nothing chart topping. Their second album, Blood, Guts, and Glory had received several accolades from the metal press (ha! Not from Maelstrom - ed). Life is great, isn’t it?

Their third album, In Thy Power, has its moments, with some pleasant, scaling melodies. The songs are energized by carpal tunnel syndrome-like soloing and with a distinct style of high pitched vocals that are sometimes good and other times not.

"When Hell Freezes Over" is a bad choice for an opener, but the chorus sets the overall synopsis of the album and quite the introduction with the mighty "the king has returned." The title track has some neat ideas and even if the lyrics and their storytelling power seems to run dry. You can spot the heavy Helloween influence easily. "Travellers in Time" tells the tale and executes its musical challenge well, but the vocals could use a little work. "Beast Slayer" has a cheesy side to it, but the music doesn’t mind such crazy imagination as it rocks out. "Wolf Cry" is a long tune that takes its time to begin but hardly fails to let your guard down. "Mr. Gold" is also another solid tune, "come for gold!"

"A Soldier’s Tale" begins with a sweet as hell arpeggio and keeps up the killer metal vibe in an unlikely lyrical tone. "Shark Attack" looks back at the 80’s metal scene with a heavy load capacity waiting to be dropped. "Rapid Fire" is the grand tune of the album, bringing an uplifting feeling that kicks the bucket. "Eternal Flames of Metal" (ugh!) is where the ultimate metal magic missile is launched and all traditional and embarrassing stereotypical hell is unleashed.

As good as parts are, overall In Thy Power is a bit lacking in that creative energy to give it the heart and soul it really needs. Maybe a bit more speed would make things a little more exciting. Still, a good disk. (6.5/10)

review by: Joshua

Anyone approaching this record through the gauzy haze of a pair of rose tinted glasses deserves to have their ass handed to them. Literally. I mean, c’mon! The band is named after the granddaddy of American serial killers, who had side interests in cannibalism, necrophilia and the usage of human skin as textile material. You were expecting tea and crumpets?

That being said, Ed Gein, the band, represents themselves well in their quest for sonic obliteration. Theirs is a hyperactively chaotic mix of grind, crusty punk and a smidgen of death metal filtered through a hardcore funnel. If anything, they come across as a U.S. counterpart of U.K miscreants Mistress, utilizing all the ugliness and violent means at their disposal to create a platter that’s as contradictorily compelling as it is repugnant.

The album proper clocks in at a little over half and hour, most of the songs threatening to go completely off the rails at any moment, crashing and burning into an unrecognizable heap. If that was all the band had to offer, Judas Goats And Diesel Eaters would get old by about track three. However, they infuse each song with odd bits of groove, incongruently catchy sections, samples (George W. is well represented) and a general weirdness that adds to the pandemonium, while keeping it from slipping the reins. Most of the tracks inhabit the two minute range, but when they double that time frame their palette expands with sludgy tempos, buzzy guitar intrusions and a sideways glance into plodding doom territory that serves as a resting place for the high-octane stampede that’s gearing up for another charge.

An uncredited bonus track of Nirvana’s "Breed" rounds off the album followed by a thirteen minute field recording that in another context would probably have a calming effect. Here it only adds to the sense of malevolence and dread. Filled with chirping crickets, the occasional car passing by and plane overhead, dogs that suddenly bark in a frenzy and the faint murmur of voices that are closer than you think, it’s an extended walk where you’re not as safe as you try to convince yourself, and what happens in the isolated houses that you pass by is better left to a mind with less imagination than your own. (7/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

There's a rule that says that every metalhead should know Acid Bath. Not necessarily like them, but know them. If there was one band that noone could attempt to copy, at least now, it was that one.

Don't worry, Stainless is not a complete When the Kite String Pops clone. More traditional vocals, more doom influences and some more Pantera-like bits make Stainless a lot like Eyehategod too, minus the craziness, plus with some of Parabellum's own style. Downtuned guitars, bass prominence, groove, you know the drill. Just like in Acid Bath, the best parts are easily the more melodic and clean ones.

Even if just for nostalgic value, and for what it wants to be, it's brilliant. Of course, not having a really original style is limiting for the artistic quality of the band, but it doesn’t get in the way of Parabellum being enjoyable.

If your Eyehategod and Acid Bath albums were scratched because of overplaying them, or if you just want an alternative, then check out Parabellum. (7.9/10)

review by: Joshua

Ok, it’s a given. Plenty of bands sound the same, follow a well trodden path and are often so interchangeable that if you didn’t have the CD in front of you you’d be hard pressed to discern one from another based on the music alone. The plethora of bands tilling the fertile ground of melodic thrash/death metal via the At the Gates prototype is the most obvious and recent example. But for everything that most of those bands lack in originality, they make up for with energy, dexterity and sheer ass kicking ferocity. Try hard enough and you’ll succeed in bashing heads at the very least.

With that in mind, being subjected to a band like Index Case is just plain insulting. A lack of invention is excusable. A limited repertoire understandable. Even blatant aping is acceptable if you put some effort into it but when you shit out an album that’s this predictable, by the numbers and, above all, LAZY, well, Christ, might as well salvage an iota of pride, load up both the barrels of the twelve-gauge, pull both triggers at once and hope that the dispersal takes out all four members of your band in one fell swoop. Better that than foisting another embarrassment such as this on a blissfully unaware reviewer, er, public.

The morbidly curious and just plain masochistic can expect to find twelve cuts of castrated nu-metal strains laying a creaky foundation underneath the near boy-band crooning of Joe Ansley. Really, he makes Chester Bennington of Linkin Park sound tough by comparison. Every song follows the same MO – big intro that hints at promise followed by a rapid descent into flaccidity. After the first couple of tracks you can predict exactly how each song will play out. That prescience doesn’t make you feel better, either.

There’s nothing wrong with this dynamic, per se. Lord knows there’s plenty of emo-core bands that tread the fine line between cloying and tolerable but they have the brains to incorporate a melodic sensibility that retains some interest in a song. In the absence of that ability, Index Case’s solution is to go for long, drawn-out notes that impersonate a melody line in lieu of an actual progression.

To be fair, there are a few anomalies floating about here and there: a bit of discord, a few instances of metalcore throatiness, and the final track, which relies on a rolling drumline that refuses to stick to a locked time signature. Does this mean there’s hope? Only if the album tanks. If they manage to sell a boatload of this crap to the mall kids who look to Hot Topic as their musical compass, then expect to see plenty more in the future. (1.1/10)

review by: Joshua

There are a few different bands fighting for supremacy on Traveling After Midnight. None of them win outright and the listener is the partial recipient of the spoils. So what have we got? Rearrange the order or mix and match the following in anyway you see fit because a number of variations will work: imagine a techno-industrial metal band fighting their way through a throng of club kids folded in a 4:00 AM ecstasy induced stupor, kicking and punching their way towards the DJ booth to prevent him/her from throwing another chill-out 12" on the turntable. Sometimes they make it, sometimes they don’t.

Sounds like a mess, but it works best when all those elements are simultaneously in play. Conversely, when they adhere more strictly to their respective neighborhoods, the results are tepid at best. Several tracks operate strictly within a trip-hop vein and are the worse for wear: aimless, dull and marred by some weak, monotone male vox that will have you scrambling for some Portishead or Sneaker Pimps to ease the pain. Only "Crystal" skirts the boredom by offering up some glitchy, fractured electronica that feels like the aftermath of an amphetamine binge – fuzzy around the edges and punctured with sharp, haphazard bursts of scree and crackle.

Where Dream System thrives is when the genres collide. The jungle beats meets metal riffery that drives "Pure Morning Light in Memories of the Days" is reminiscent of the last Manes album while "One of Many Others" takes a sparse electronica keyboard line, spreads it out under a huge, rumbling bass tone ala Godlflesh and stomps all over it with a single, sampled guitar riff that sits pugnaciously on top of muted samples buried underneath the whole mix. And almost as an afterthought they get all catchy on us with "Metropolis," cloaking themselves with Skinny Puppy like menace that abruptly shifts to a lengthy bout of ambience that’s deceptively unsettling.

There’s enough to admire on Traveling After Midnight to keep tedium at bay. What Dream System needs is to obliterate the last vestiges of genre specification that they’re holding onto, throw everything at the wall at once and frolic in the carnage that ensues. As evidenced on a few of the tracks found here, when no one camp wins the sonic battle outright, the band triumphs. (5/10)

review by: Avi Shaked

I am not amongst those who followed Opeth since its early days. In fact, for quite some time I have considered the band too laborious to handle. It was only during the last few months that I have been illuminated while re-exploring some of the Swedish group’s previous releases, and now it seems the band’s laborious epics work in its favor.

It might be that my previous disassociation from the band has helped me to embrace this new adventure all the more objectively. Others may complain that some of Opeth’s mystery was lost on the new album, which is expressed through the band’s most dynamic pieces ever, sharper rhythm bashes and additional, fancier keyboards; but for those who can avoid fixation, the aforementioned features on Ghost Reveries are exactly what it should be praised for. Michael Akerfeldt’s descriptive, sensual songwriting, however, is not subjected to any argument, as it is left intact (if not enhanced).

One minute into the first track, which opens with Akerfeldt’s monstrous growls on high octane, you find yourself a bit relieved as some post grunge rhythms, reminiscent of Tool, appear. But make no mistake, whenever these emerge they are kept in a true Opeth sense, featuring ambient backdrops and interchanging with hard hitting strikes and syncopations.

With such unrelenting rhythms and dynamic shifts it is easy to miss the superb melodic work that lies between the strikingly rapid beats, but in fact, Ghost Reveries also adorns itself with some of Opeth’s most brilliant and moving melodic leads to date, borrowing from both heavy metal and progressive rock, and delivering swift riffs side by side with heavenly passages, commemorating the Steven Wilson guiding hand that wrapped some of the band’s previous releases.

The keyboard contribution by newest recruit Per Wiberg is also worth mentioning as it pours further delicacies into the grandiose body of work. Whether it is jazzy vibes, progressive ornaments or soundscapes originated in the tape loops of electronic works from the seventies, it works like a spellbinding charm.

Not much is left but to conclude: Ghost Reveries is Opeth’s best album to date, and for those of you who did not relate to the band on its previous releases, this release is a release worth trying again for. (9.75/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

Avi speaks the truth. And if you want to hear it again from someone who’s followed Opeth since the near beginning: Ghost Reveries is their best album ever. Now, that’s an objective statement, as the first couple albums will always be this writer’s favorites... (9.7/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

Pulverized Emotions is a young band from Italy that’s put out only two releases but is already showing a lot of talent. Most probably you've never heard anything like this EP, really.

Imagine the tech parts of Death with the Allan Holdsworth-influenced metallized jazz / fusion stuff of Meshuggah and Coprofago. Now add doom and emotional guitar work. And now death growls more similar to the Gothenburg groups. To any first-timer, that would of course seem like a mess, but, magically, it all sounds great in Memory of a Melody. No, great is not enough; it's brilliant.

The second half of the album, their first demo, is more centered on jazz and especially difficult time signatures. It shows a lot more structure but no doomy segments, being closer to Death riffs. While it might sound like more run of the mill stuff, it isn't.

The only real flaw on Memory of a Melody is the production, especially on the fourth track, "Hatesphere." While it's not terrible, one has to pay a lot of attention to hear the solos over the distorted rhythms. Still, it's a demo, so crystal clear production is not to be expected.

Both demos are outstanding pieces of modern technical death metal, but I'm quite sure that future releases will be even better. (8.9/10)

review by: Matt Smith

This Finnish death quartet's four-song demo doesn't hold many surprises, but the group pounds out some solid grooves with acute aggression. Deep, resonant guitars meld with monotone growls and unrelenting drums to form nothing new. Even 17 minutes starts to seem like too much when one bland verse kicks in after another. Some of the grooves are satisfactory, but Death Du Jour seems disinclined to stray from a very basic framework that is anything but captivating. The songs are well-played and the production is good, but that's about all that can be said for this run-of-the-mill work. (5/10)

review by: Matt Smith

The Bronx Casket Company brings to the table moderate, bouncy, gothic rock anthems that seem very dated. The drumming is rock-y, slow and completely uninteresting. The guitar chords are somewhat dark, though they too are so cautious as to be dull. Dramatic, creepy (and cheap-sounding) synthesizers come in waves, adding an air of cheesiness to the already feeble instrumentation.

The vocals are decent, and Michael Valmont's clean singing is the main focus of the album. He has good range and expression, though the nature of his style and the blandness of the lyrics add to the feeling that Hellectric is a formulaic work that didn't require a whole lot of hard work or creativity on anyone's part. The songs do sound different and feature dissimilar melodies, but the basic rhythm, structure and mood remain the same throughout, leading to an altogether unsatisfactory product that is almost a chore to listen to all the way through. This type of reliance on catchiness and cookie-cutter songwriting just can't be overlooked when the lyrics lack any real content, as well. (4/10)

review by: Matt Smith

Destruction is a thrash trio that has had plenty of time to master its craft. Twenty years after its formation, the group isn't sounding too aged or stuck in the past. Though Inventor of Evil is driven by an old-school thrash mentality, with yelled vocals tinged with singing. The masterful guitar lines take the album forward, always morphing into new riffs that are at once simple and interesting. The rhythms and melodic themes have their roots in classic thrash, but Destruction's performance is fresh and energetic. The drums are also versatile and aggressive, bringing a variety of beats while keeping a rock-steady pulse.

Blistering guitar solos and a mixture of grooves with the solid thrash base make for a successful and satisfying release from Destruction. One of the most intriguing tracks, however, is most notable for its "star power." "Alliance of Hellhoundz" brings guest vocalists from Dimmu Borgir, Soilwork, Hypocrisy, Candlemass and more to pay tribute to Destruction's legacy, and the interplay and contrast among the voices makes for an interesting listen.

Inventor of Evil is a backward-looking album executed in a modern style that should appeal to thrash fans everywhere. Destruction stands on its past accomplishments while continuing to innovate, and you'll have trouble finding a fuller-sounding trio anywhere else you look. (7/10)

review by: Matt Smith

This album is the full-length debut of the five 19-year-olds from Denver known as Texas Is on Fire. Their brand of hardcore is loose but piercing, with deep distortion in the guitars and raspy yells that carry the group's angsty message. Perhaps the best feature of Shine. Set. Repeat. are the groovy breakdowns that occur frequently but always fit well. The group pounds away at energetic verses, then drops to half-tempo and brings in a heavy riff from the guitars that I'm sure makes live crowds explode.

Texas Is on Fire sounds more mature than the years of its members, with good music sensibilities and a knack for keeping things different and interesting. But the juvenile is also audible, often with the sloppy, simplistic guitar parts and uninspired drum lines that permeate the album. But the band makes a great addition to the mix of hardcore already out there, if only because Texas Is on Fire brings more extreme techniques to the table, appealing more to metal sensibilities than to the fist-pumping punk. This is a good album to look out for if you're in the mood for easy-to-understand metalcore with a good, solid beat. (6.5/10)

review by: Avi Shaked

For those of you who would decide to check Totalisti due to its progressive metal spirit, an initial disappointment awaits.

It is not because the band’s material is banal, but rather because it borrows so much from nu metal contemporaries rather than from progressive metal bands. But give the album a chance and you will soon find out a band that actually elevated the style to new heights (or perhaps judging by its deep sound, to new lows).

While the screaming vocals and articulation can easily be credited to the influences of the thrashier nu metal bands such as System of a Down, the rhythms are influenced by the likes of Pantera, offering a grinding low edge in support for some of the strongest melodies and sophisticated songs that the nu metal genre has ever known.

To put it shortly, with equivalence to the way the band implements its progressive elements, this release (produced by Scott Rockenfield of Queensryche) is one catchy mold of elaborate songwriting and flared performance. (8.5/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

Moribund have nurtured Sargeist over the last couple of years, and understandably so. The band is in the unique position of picking up the black metal torch (and firespitting it) for a new generation of followers. The unholy trinity of Shatraug (Horna), Torog, and Horns (both of Behexen) have picked up Darkthrone’s most canonical output (Transylvanian Hunger, A Blaze in the Northern Sky, and Under a Funeral Moon), and ably execute their own brood of Scandanavian blackhate.

This year’s reissue of the early demo Tyranny Returns sounded more varied, interesting, and creepier than Sargeist’s "official" full-length debut, Satanic Black Devotion. On Disciple of the Heinous Path, Sargeist have eclipsed both of those releases with a more refined approach, and arguably prove themselves as musicians (!) – the songs are longer, the gears shift more often, and the infectious minor-melodic runs emphasize what the band set out to do without compromising their hateful croak and raw production.

For example, the second (and longest) track, "Remains of the Unholy Past," alternates between helicopter blast-attack, Maiden-esque gallop riffing, and epic warmarch. A little bit of range, applied with moderation and conviction, beckons the uninitiated listeners more assuredly. This does not necessarily mean keyboard or poodle-foo-foo intros / interludes. Just listen to this particular song for demonstration of the above stated principle.

"Cursed Blaze of Rituals" applies a slower dirge, and is emblematic of this band’s improved sense of creating mood. See, the easily distinctive output from Celtic Frost / Hellhammer (who of course had progenitors in Venom) still has a piercing and lasting effect on black metal, not just in chromatic riffing and structural sensibilities but also due to the fact that Thomas Gabriel Warrior took guitar distortion to a level not achieved since Hendrix, and tone became a tool of nefarious incantation. Coupled with that terrifying album art, there was NO PEER at the time of Celtic Frost’s height. To see that band’s lessons replicated in Sargeist’s latest release is reassuring in the face of so much rank-and-file mediocrity. With so many black sheep in the herd, how can one be distinctive? Although surpassing Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir isn’t so much of a challenge these days, there should be more to BM than just dressing the part and flinging caca at organized religion. Technique is so important in metal, and although physical presentation dignifies the assertion of superiority, one must not be forsaken for the other. Sargeist have conquered this dilemma.

The title track to Disciple of the Heinous Path is further evidence that Sargeist’s epics are the strongest cuts, oddly enough. This song in particular has one of the coolest dirge riffs, descending mournfully down the chromatic scale before it mutates into a ferociously convincing, Christ-hating blastmort.

True to form, live performances by Sargeist are EXTREMELY unlikely (at least in the U.S.), so then this black seed must be sown in dreaded bedrooms, suffocating in their unlight, isolation, and mustiness. Sargeist may also soundtrack certain nocturnal teenaged delinquencies committed in public, though this reviewer won’t condone that sort of thing – suffice it to say that one of the best things about black metal refined to this level is that it retains the ferocity and rebellion intrinsic to 80’s thrash, bastardizing and deforming it into simultaneously hateful and sublime sensibilities: anti-Christian, black as the Mordor orc’s bunghole, corpsepainted beyond human recognition, and perhaps with some notoriety attached.

Know what to expect from Sargeist’s latest. Hardly predictable, the band knows how to deliver traditional early 90’s kvlt hate while retaining enough present-day underground sensibility to please any hardliners amongst you.

Sheep to the slaughter, line on the left, one cross each. (9/10)

review by: Matt Smith

Although not the most original thing to be heard recently, Heaven Termination is a pretty strong death album and meets or exceeds all basic standards: nice, deep production, good growling, sturdy guitar lines and solid drumming. Infinited Hate is only two years old, but its brand of death metal hearkens back to the brutal classics of the early 90's (that’s because it’s the re-incarnation of Sinister – ed). The group relies on speed, tight playing and pure viciousness for its substance, without all the synths and time-signature changes that have come to seep into the scene.

The major fault with Heaven Termination may also be its main selling point: The lack of change in style, instrumentation, tempo, etc. that makes the CD so pure and appealing does start to get a little tedious as one ripping, belligerent track leads into another without an introduction or breakdown to make the listener thirst for more. This probably won't be a problem with most death fans, as the album does display some great guitar solos and heavy grooves and is generally well-done, but the style may not strike the right chord among those who are used to a bunch of bells and whistles. So, if you're at all nostalgic for the days of yore, when style and substance converged to make sick and aggressive metal, check out this Dutch quartet. Although this album may not be very memorable in the long run, it will surely make a good addition to your pile o' death. (7/10)

review by: Matt Smith

Dimension 303 is Catheter's second full-length release since the band was formed in 1997, but the group has paved the way with vinyl – split 7"s, to be precise – and this grindcore trio sounds its age. The tracks are fast, loose and short, with blended vocals from every member peppering each song with screams and growls. Pure intensity is the core of Catheter's style, though the band does slow for a sludgy section or solo regularly (as the track "Waste Time" shows, with a nice, long intro and some tuneful soloing). When it does, it provides a nice break in the concentration of blast-beats and full-bore guitars and screams that envelop the majority of the album.

Given the speed and force of Catheter's style, many of the songs on the album have trouble differentiating themselves from the others, and unless you're a true grind connoisseur you may have a similar dilemma. But with 18 tracks in just over a half-hour, at no point does Dimension 303 have a chance to get boring or tedious. It's a heavy, energetic release that won't disappoint even the biggest metal snob. (8/10)

review by: Matt Smith

At a half-hour, Night on Earth is one of the shorter melodic metal albums out there, but somehow Dawn of Relic fails to fit anything noteworthy into the time allotted. The tempos begin and remain painfully moderate, the drums plodding along and the guitars winding around the rhythms with various unremarkable riffs and melodies. The vocals are nondescript, just raspy speech immersed in the mix. The guitars are clearly supposed to be the highlight, but their lines are hardly intrepid or experimental.

Although mistake-free and containing a couple of redeeming solos, this album is more predictable and commonplace than should be tolerated by any discerning listener – the same unadventurous themes accented by the same middle-of-the-road synth lines. Night on Earth is hardly unlistenable, but I wouldn't be rushing out to get it. Its forgettable framework and execution will be lost in the mush of Swedish-style doom / death that is already festering in your brain. (5/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

Zeroland is an immediate neckbreak experience. From the opening onslaught, you can just feel it in your bones... that this band is from Poland.

Antigama call themselves "avantgrind," and that's about the best description you'll hear of them. There's either a light-speed tempo or none at all, and it's always a bludgeoning wave of razor guitar riffs that seem to spill into one really long, ominous song. (Hell, the album's only twenty four minutes long.)

The intriguing aspect of Zeroland is the sheer creativity packed inside it. This is some really evil shit, and it's mainly because of the moments of malevolent noise. Droning feedback, psychotic vocal squeals... It's enough to give you visions Charles Manson feels at home with.

The only problem is that Antigama are liars. No full-length is 24 minutes long, almost a third of which is ambient noise. We're metalheads, not cave-men. That is not cool. (8/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

At All Cost are a double-take waiting to happen. Emo or anarchist hardcore? Don't bother trying to figure it out, just soak up how much of an anomaly At All Cost are. Darkest Hour fans, pay attention.

At All Cost are one of those bands who come about after you consider a genre to be dead as hell. Darkest Hour and Dead to Fall did it with the melodic branch of metalcore. Now, you get to add a new band to it. The ethic of splicing together guitar harmonies and hardcore structures with obligatory breakdowns is essentially At All Cost in a nutshell.

Still though, something about this band just works. Maybe it's their ability to utilize some cool effects (Vocoders are just a personal favorite). Or, perhaps it's just that At All Cost are savvy songwriters with quite a few interesting moments in their catalogue, like the funk break on "Human Now."

Dare I mention a Jerry Cantrell-esque solo in "Polish the Nightmare"? Whatever it is about them, At All Cost have put out an album that's interesting to say the least. It's Time to Decide is something that you've just got to hear to fully grasp. It's almost like Between the Buried and Me's Alaska lite. (8/10; extra points for weirdness)

review by: Rick Luna

You would expect for metalcore bands like this to be more of the same old situation (been there, done that) and that sadly is the major fault within this genre. Straight from Texas, At All Cost takes that safe bet but allures in charm with the inclusion of some pop-like, slow tune experimenting.

It’s Time to Decide has most of the core essentials: the occasional breakdown, enriched melodic overtones (think something along the lines of Underoath), high range screeching, and tops it all off with emo-like backup singing. Something that has piqued my interest was the astral, robotic vocals used in "Death to Distraction" and throughout most of the album in quantitative doses. The vocals in "The Formula" are like something from The Mars Volta, believe it or not. This styling will either make or break listeners and first impressions are the most important.

The change in style in some parts works; it gives it the band plenty of originality and cred to boast about. "Fabricated" is dangerously near boy band bubble gum pop-single status and quite enjoyable and catchy albeit too good to be true. "It Turns Black" is a slow, kick back, bluesy / country bar tune that makes you feel like sitting down and having a couple of brews while talking to a complete stranger and telling him all your personal problems. The rest of the album is average and moderate.

Much credit is given to the boys in At All Cost for being slightly more odd and peculiar than your average metalcore band. (6/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

Imagine a cyber-stampede of a million Kirbies marching to the beat of a Napalm Death album, and you've got the latest release from nintendo-core purveyors Horse the Band. Yeah, it's interesting to say the least.

When you read the concept of Horse the Band, with their knack for employing MIDI keyboards, you'd expect such a comical approach to be nothing more than a novelty group, right? Well, Horse the Band are ready to throw that theory off the fucking cliff, because The Mechanical Hand is a tour de force of technical grinds and thrashing guitars that would make any metalcore fanatic shit himself.

Behind the wall of melodic and melodramatic MIDI workings lies an insane assortment of musical arrangements. The breakdowns here are fucking insane, and it's not too scarce when Horse the Band throw in an ass-shaking groove, or an incredibly intense and technical section. Hell, they even fall back on the almost obligatory sections of Meshuggah-esque polyrhythms here and there.

The best thing about The Mechanical Hand" though, is that everything is in such a balance that it's going to be a gem of quite a few album collections. This shit is energetic, contagious, original, technical and memorable. Production is the typical hardcore variety, but the times when the MIDI melody actually sounds plausible instead of just a novel musical addition will surprise you. It's almost psychadelic, man.

The Mechanical Hand is amazing. So get it. Now. (10/10)

review by: Rick Luna

There's absolutely no doubt that Horse the Band are immensely original for their MIDI prowess, but they aren't all that interesting. The overall novelty seems to die out like a bad cartridge game.

There is "such a balance," as Ryan has stated in his review, but if you're ready for the ride, then you should strap on for it. Otherwise, you're not going to last very long. I mean, I'm in no way dogging on Ryan's take on The Mechanical Hand; there's definitely some shining moments throughout the record. Being the tech freak, there wasn't anything that was testing the theories of music, but perhaps that was just an elitist view on things even if it was sparsely brought up. If anything, Horse the Band sounds like a screamo group with some grind elements, but only buttered lightly.

The opening track, "Birdo," for example, showcases what the band is capable of producing at such a behemoth scale. If the MIDI samples make you chuckle a bit then the band would have done their job at keeping you entertained. "The House of Boo" is also another stand out track, with a little creepy haunted house break that heavily reminds me of something out of Super Mario World. In fact, most of these songs on the album, once you get to dissect them, are little influences from here and there. This is nostalgia taken to the extreme.

Those into the whole Nintendo-core deal should really spend some time researching other similar bands out there; take Minibosses, for example. Those dudes do wonderful renditions of old NES classics, if you're into the whole know-your-roots thing. Otherwise, it's as decent as a Legend of Zelda game (sorry, all you Link fans). The Mechanical Hand isn't anywhere near a masterpiece. (7/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

There's a trend here with Combat Records signees. Though, totaling three in number, all of them have such weird aspects about them. Look What I Did are still adhering to that aesthetic, as well. They're another of those bands you don't really want to like, but strangely find yourself listening to over and over again.

Look What I Did come across as being something similar to grindcore lite. There's a hell of a lot of spastic shit going on here, but enough melody thrown into the fray to give them an accessible approach to music... though sometimes it impedes the listening experience a bit. Look What I Did have a very good idea working for them, but at sometimes the music just feels a bit too light.

However, there's still enough heaviness on Minuteman for the Moment album to please a lot of people. It's elusive to both hard and metalcore, and has several redeeming factors. The entire album sounds like it was recorded on a speed binge; especially when it comes to the bass. The bass on this album is pretty heavy, which is good to hear. It's a waste when bassists don't step up outside of rhythm. Vocal harmonies on the album are excellent, even if they tend to carry an emo inclination here and there.

All in all, Minuteman for the Moment is an oddly addicting release, definitely worth a listen or two if you don't have a problem with sacrificing a bit of "metal cred." (7/10)

review by: Rick Luna

Somehow, intangibly, Minuteman For The Minute is completely different from the rest. It also isn’t afraid to apply a great amount of imagination and ideas that are too out of this world, resulting in a freak show of sound.

Minuteman for the Minute is by far the most original material I’ve heard in a long time, and that’s no doubt. Look What I Did goes as far as taking influences from Primus and any Mike Patton project you can think of. Even the vocal styling from Voivod’s Snake is known and loved for is used in some songs. There’s also the crazy and technical factor that "Sikth" has. This is just a small taste. In fact, each song is radically different from the other and features lots of insanely artistic and funny themes. Even the lyrics are in a league of their own.

Look What I Did is clearly the best band from the current Combat lineup. However, one fault with a record like this would be the hard job of keeping their listeners hooked. It’s a tad superfluous with absolutely no goal set in mind. Make no mistake that it’s a good record to listen to, but I wouldn’t go as far as a third spin. (6.5/10)

review by: Roberto Martinelli

The Old Dead Tree doesn’t sound like Opeth, but that’s a good place to start... neither do they totally borrow from Katatonia’s more melodic, clean era, but that might be a little closer to home. Rather, The Old Dead Tree reminds you of these bands, and infuses quite a large amount of the feeling grunge bands like Pearl Jam had at their peak.

This is largely the doing of The Old Dead Tree’s singer, who you can tell grew up on Michael Akerfeldt and Eddie Vetter. He’s no ape of either, but his tremendous ability to do both harsh and melodic clean vocals (like the former) and phrase lyrics that remind you of the latter gives the songs tremendous memorability and is perhaps The Perpetual Motion’s biggest draw.

The album’s 46 odd minutes is spread over 12 tracks, but even considering how this band’s style lies solidly in the heavy and melancholic, there is never a feeling that any of the music is half-baked. Rather, many segues are so smooth and effortless that the record comes together as a highly cohesive whole.

All this band needs to do is stay together, and a few years down the line we might be talking about a genre leader. Look out. (8/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

Dimmu Borgir beta? Not anymore. Galder decided to stray away from the safety of the shadow of Dimmu Borgir and go for a more original sound with Old Man's Child's latest release, Vermin.

While not as heavy as their previous release, In Defiance of Existence, Vermin takes a larger step towards a black metal leaning. This time around, it's much more melodic, less gutural and more symphonic than its predecessor, sounding at times like it's got a bit of a Strapping Young Lad overhaul in production. However, one thing that's striking about this record is the extremely ominous overtone it has, thanks mainly to Galder’s atmospheric brilliance.

Vermin is definitely a step away from Galder's Dimmu cloning, but Old Man's Child lack the personality Dimmu had, which is one of the reasons why they cloned them originally. Vermin rocks by all means, but as much as you'll headbang to it, at times it lacks the sheer majesty of songs like those off of In Defiance of Existence and earlier recordings. (In Defiance of Existence kills this one. Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion is kind of better, too – ed)

However, Vermin is an extremely well-done melodic / symphonic black metal release, and should please fans of everything from In Flames to Naglfar. Definitely get ahold of it. (8/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

Wow. Black metal on the whole is a bit odd from afar, but few genres boast so many awesome avant-garde acts, much like Ram-Zet. While Ram-Zet are reinventing no particular wheel with their fusion of death, black and gothic, they are taking a commanding hold on it by the horns.

Intra from the get go is an amazing listen. If Cradle of Filth consider themselves "extreme gothic metal," then Ram-Zet are here to completely batter them at their own genre. The riffs take a minimalistic approach, but achieve a broad palette of sound when they begin to extend their music into different facets. You'll start out with a riff that sounds like Meshuggah's Chaosphere, that gradually mutate into Arch Enemy and Soilwork style progressions later on as the pentatonics take flight. And your dual-prong vocals of the maniacal and beautiful variety are given by a team of male and female; think Orphanage, except you'll actually remember it after hearing it. The violin used in this record are also worth a listen, you'll rarely hear something this original come along; violins being used outside of the typical classical orchestration.

The production on Intra sounds very close to the typical Bergstrand production with the newer releases from In Flames and Soilwork. While, the sound was good for a more electronic approach, Ram-Zet make it work on Intra, and the sound is massive. Guitars have a very potent bite, and the violins are hushed for a more ethereal feeling.

Intra is an awesome release from a band that a lot of people should be watching, so do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. (9/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

Nu-metal is dead as hell... save for Static-X and Sevendust, pretty much. Sevendust started their career with some decent material, and that's pretty much been the word to describe the band for awhile now. Decent. So, we have Next, their latest release. How is it? Well. Decent.

One thing that can be said about Sevendust, though, is that while they're nowhere near the utopian version of nu-metal Mudvayne or Sikth are, they're excellent and bending the lines with heaviness, and how well they can write a song. If the band was being based on pure songwriting ability, they'd definitely be scoring major accolades, because they have the ability to transition between moments of heaviness to introspective, moody moments, as is apparent in the opener, "Hero."

The central problem with Sevemdust, though, is that they're not really breaking out of a shell. They're heavy, yeah. Good songwriters, yeah. In the end, though, there's so many better choices than Sevendust that they really become irrelevant in the wake of their counterparts. Next isn't really that different.

The cliched lyrical content doesn't help either. "Pieces"? "Ugly"? Didn't they already have a song named one or the other? Hmph. (5.5/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

Sinocence doesn't look like anything special at first glance. The rather tacky cover art, even the font used for the name gives off some imagery discrediting to the band. Talk about a sleeper band, though.

There's a lot about Sinocence that really makes a person want to dislike them. Their vocalist sounds like Chad Kroeger, the drums sound a bit underpowered, and the often mid-paced feel to the music makes their music apt to cause dry-mouth occasionally. Musically, however, Sinocence will raise an eyebrow or two.

They draw influence from a hell of a lot of music, and their riffing is chameleon in nature. This is no afterschool project when it comes to structuring; these riffs come from all walks of music. You've got hardcore inclinations in songs like the opener "Requiem," then you'll have the same band turn completely ni-polar on the following track "Psycho," which draws from thrash.

The main detriment to Sinocence, though, is the fact that this release just sounds like was all done sitting down. There's a hell of a lot going on with Black Still Life Pose, but none of it really gets you out of your seat and ready to throw down. It's almost like it's background music for a car commercial on the radio. Sinocence would be one great band if they'd just turn the aggression up. (6/10)

review by: Ryan Loostrom

Considering how much boring material has come from hardcore and metalcore, those familiar with the greats like Premonitions of War, Glass Casket, From a Second Story Window and such know how easy it is to become polar when it comes to anything ending in "-core." It's bands like Taken that make going through the motions worth it, though.

Between Two Unseens is a reissue of the original EP, alongside a DVD of live footage, outtakes and anecdotes from Curl Up and Die and Alexisonfire. However, this review going to be geared more towards the album than the DVD, because you will not be amazed over the DVD by the time you review the entire package yourself.

This EP is amazing, plain and simple. While, it's stylistically hardcore, the band brings in a myriad of outside influences to give themselves a recognizable sound amongst their Orange County counterparts. Most hardcore's sense of melody never rises above the random marriage of a few power chords that made a kinda cool melody. Taken are completely opposed to that – the music here is so outside of the scope of normal hardcore that it's almost on par with Between the Buried and Me; especially when you include the progressive aspect of the album. Songs are longer than the typical Hatebreed variety for a reason, as there's a heavy emotional flow when it comes to Taken. Yes, you could almost call the music emo, but if emo sounded this good, more people would be trading pants with their sisters.

Effect usage and atmospheric manipulation seem to be Taken's largest asset when it comes to their music, because they can command mood shifts with ease. More bands should take hints from this.

The DVD is a cool feature, though the shooting seems a bit amateurish at times. Can't really hold it against them, though. Their last show is definitely an energetic one, the slamdancers prove it, and it'd definitely please enthusiasts about the Orange County scene in general.

To summarize, Between Two Unseens is nothing short of a fantastic release from a sadly defunct band. Definitely get your hands on this, it'll change your mind about how you perceive this kind of music. (10/10 for the music; 7/10 for the DVD; 8.5/10 total package)

review by: Joshua

Unearth’s last album, 2004’s The Oncoming Storm, vaulted them towards the upper echelon of a U.S. underground scene that’s becoming increasingly less subterranean. Whether it’s to capitalize on this status or pay homage (probably a little of both), the folks at Eulogy have seen fit to throw Our Days Of Eulogy (pun and self-reference in one convenient pill) into the arena. Its release is a blessing for those held at bay by eBay jackals and an essential artifact for those whose only exposure to the band consists of their Metal Blade Records debut.

The album opens with five live tracks, not essential by any means, but demonstrates that the band is as proficient and spot on in a live setting as they are in the studio. Each song is by turn punishing, discordant, melodic and deliriously fast, squashing the assembled throng under its substantial bulk. And in the midst of this assault frontman Trevor Phipps indulges in a little piss-take during a lull, exhorting the crowd, "let’s see those horns, New York!" At least one hopes it’s a joke. The gig was recorded in Long Island and irony hasn’t been seen in those parts since Jackson Pollock totaled his car and got himself killed in 1956. But I digress.

The remaining eight songs compile the EPs Endless and Above the Fall of Man; the latter, their first recording from 1998, being long out of print. Those familiar with the comparative slickness of The Oncoming Storm may be a bit put off by these tracks. The production is rougher and the performances not as disciplined but they offer a satisfying glimpse at a band still honing their sound. All the trademarks are accounted for: speedy riffs comprising single note progressions, massive breakdowns, injurious double bass drums, divebombing leads, screechy harmonics, and Phipps’ asbestos howl.

Unearth’s sound is so precise now, but in this early stage they were still finding their footing. So in a song such as the phenomenal "Endless" you’ll find traces of black metal (the production is particularly frosty) and a straight up, no frills, death metal break. Meanwhile, "Lefty" proffers dual rhythms constantly at odds with one another that can only co-exist when they merge via an 80’s flavored thrash section, while "Call To Judgement" takes time out from its caged beast fury for an honest to goodness stoner breakdown.

So, a great day for Unearth completists and newcomers alike. Our Days of Eulogy is a worthy document filling in the gaps that led to their textbook fusion of melodic Swedish death metal gussied up in a metalcore frock. (6.5/10)

review by: Joshua

Sometimes less is more, and then there are times when everything at one’s disposal is thrown into the stewpot, including that damn kitchen sink. The Norwegian duo Emancer opt for the latter approach. And what a menagerie it is. Using (early) Emperor and Satyricon as the base of their sound, they pepper it with – are you ready for this? – industrial flourishes, carnival breaks, the Mission Impossible theme as a riff, 60’s lounge, astral keyboards, robotic voices, Viking chants, prog rock, synth-pop, folk strains, cool jazz, hooks galore, symphonic interludes, spoken word and power metal (and don’t forget a melody line from an obscure ninja movie – ed). Guess what? It’s still one of the heaviest and unrelenting black metal albums released this year.

With so much going on you’d expect it all collapse into schizophrenic and annoying heap, the combined mass of its pretensions too great to remain in one piece. Yet the transitions are seamless, unfathomably so, each a surprise only in that they work so well. Their closest relatives in this realm are Solefald. Unlike that duo who, to their credit, have no problem alienating the black metal audience, Emancer always finds their way home, no matter how far or how often they dart after whatever shiny object has caught their fancy; they never lose sight of the fact that they are, first and foremost, a blackened, grim and icy crew.

Detailing all of the highlights would do a disservice to first hand exploration of The Menace Within, but a few tasters are requisite. Imagine a hi-fi version of Darkthrone ripping through the side of a circus tent and interrupting a clown act and you’ll have a vague understanding of what "Claustrophobium" has in store.

Feel the skin of your scalp pull down toward your ears by the groove-laden drum programming that ushers in "Pallid Eyes," only to have your skull implode under a subsequent industrial battery that’s as castigatory as it is catchy; a martini break in a 1965-era bachelor pad eases the sting a tad. If the idea of a trek through frozen mountains to pay homage to Odin with a member of Tears For Fears in tow strikes you as not absurd in the least, then "Enticing Defeat" is for you, my friend.

Subtract all the diversions and the The Menace Within would still be a solid black metal album – think something along the lines of a grimmer Limbonic Art. All the forays into foreign territory only enhance the polished yet raw heaviness at which the band is so adept. (8.5/10)

review by: Rick Luna

The eagle has landed with Primal Fear’s sixth opus, Seven Seals. Behold, for these German pursuits of metal have gotten a little sentimental on us. The bird of prey, the symbol on the album art work, represents courage, bravery, and strength as well as the successes of this band. However, that’s not really the point of this review so let’s just keep the real focus on the music.

"Demons and Angels" marks the grand entrance with no-strings-attached metal, done the Primal Fear way: epic. "Rollercoaster" is literally a metal thrill ride without restraint. "Seven Seals" sounds a little questionable with a pop like introduction – in fact, the tune sounds like something off of an action movie soundtrack. "Evil Spell" begins with a majestic feel and crescendos towards brilliance with speed and metal precision with plenty of double bass. "The Immortal Ones" is as thick as an anvil with plenty of harmonics and a mighty chorus. "Diablous" drops the pace just a tad to show the marvelous side of Primal Fear in solid song writing. "All For One" at first starts off slow but returns toward the high octane side of the band.

There are a lot of tympani samples used throughout the album, nothing wrong with that, but fun to point out. Anyways, "Carniwar" is another good tune with great build up and a lot of heavy release with a killer solo. "Question of Honor" takes its time to start, but, however, the melodies and the blazing speed make up for the lost time. "In Memory" is the ballad of the album, but come on, it’s still a good track!

Seven Seals doesn’t disappoint those wanting a great Primal Fear record. It’s all in there and then some. (7.5/10)

review by: Rick Luna

Crank up those speakers to 11, it’s time for Rob Rock to demonstrate his trade with the vocally dominant (obviously) and raging guitar riff fest that is Holy Hell.

Holy Hell begins its destructive offering like blind fire with "Slayer of Souls," a sonic attack with galloping double bass and a grand display of heavy power riffs, yet thrashing in all the right places. Rob Rock’s vocal style in Holy Hell is original; his dynamics go well with the music and are audibly tuned just right. "First Winds of the End Time" continues the onslaught with more pounding metal. The rhythm on "Calling Angels" reminds me of Helloween’s "Eagle Fly Free," just slightly different.

The title track starts picking up the pace in tempo with slightly technical ditties, but retains most of its original aspects in mind. Solos are played with aplomb that really makes you appreciate the record more. "Lion of Judah" is a vigorous song, but "I’m a Warrior" is a slight let down from the previous tracks, but its catchy chorus makes up for the loss.

"I’ll Be Waiting For You" is the ballad of the album. Quite honestly, it sounds like it could work, kind of like a real relationship. But in the end, it just makes the album sound a little sour rather than diverse. Otherwise, if you’re such a love bird, then you’d definitely enjoy this with your girlfriend, or boyfriend, whatever your preference may be in mind. The good side is that Rob Rock definitely stands out on this tune for his dramatic vocal presence, that’s it.

"When Darkness Reigns" recovers with an interception from the opposing forces of love and gets us back on the metal train back toward greatness. Guitars here are groovy, and the drums are more restrained but soon upgrade toward melodic status right before the solo takes flight. "The Revelation" is also another weak track that still rocks out, but perhaps it’s a sign that things may be running out of steam. With some truth bearing in mind, "Move On" is by far the worst track of the album. A second ballady tune which once again shows off Rob Rock’s vocal dynamic, but it doesn’t really end off on a high note.

My initial reaction left me out in the dark like a backstabbing girlfriend. If only there was more to offer on the aggressive side of things. Love bites but this still rocks quite a bit! (6.5/10)

review by: Avi Shaked

By 1977, progressive rock was widely regarded as dead and gone, and as if that was not enough of an obstacle, Nektar also found itself continuing without one of its key members, guitarist and lead vocalist Roye Albrighton. Neither of these, however, seems to have affected Nektar. In fact, the change of personnel helped in refreshing the band’s sound.

The energetic opening track, "Away from Asgard," can be regarded as a gutsy version of Renaissance. The music blazes and wails with a magnificent guitar and keyboard attack, proving Albrighton’s replacement capable of relating to the band’s progressive, hard rocking style with a personal fragrance that is juicy and a bit untamed.

The album continues with its Baroque styled title track, featuring harpsichord and a string quartet; and with the reinforcement from a synthesizer player and a dedicated orchestration that are found here, no further proof is needed in order to qualify this release as progressive as a Nektar release has ever gotten.

But the proofs are here aplenty, and the jagged performance on "Train from Nowhere," mixing Gentle Giant influences (while passing over its sterility in favor of rawness) with echoes of Nektar’s debut release, is also a notable one.

Other highlights include "Love to Share," on which the band declares its affection for The Beatles with sophistication, and "Spread Your Wings," closing the original album with a boogie that is reminiscent of early Aerosmith.

Magic is a Child seems to continue the direction the band took on its 1974’s Down to Earth, trading the lengthy, spacey pieces, which once served as its signature, with firmer and pointier songs, emphasizing its adventurous rhythms and tight, conquering songwriting.

The Eclectic Discs reissue offers the album on CD for the first time, and adds fine alternate versions and one convincing live track. Highly recommended! (8.8/10)

review by: Bastiaan de Vries

These Irish lads get minus one point for having the band name that they do. And so with that in mind; let’s get the bonus points out of the way first:

Having amazing artwork... +1

Having a band member named O’ Connor... +1

Making a record that my mom (who is a big soul freak) loves... +1

Wow, that’s three mighty bonus points; plus the minus, that leaves two mighty bonus points. Well done!

This band is refined, calculated, and immaculately smooth about the way they play it. They play the kind of music that your artsy friends will appreciate. They play the kind of music that your mom and dad will appreciate. They play the kind of music that YOU will appreciate; if you can appreciate good things, that is. Because I Am Brazil is very much a good thing.

The record runs for 43 minutes and a bit, but you hardly notice that it does. It will stop before you know it, before you want it to, before you can say, "oh, my god, this is so grand that I want the entire world to listen to this, no wait, only I can listen to it, it’s mine, mine, mine!"

I Am Brazil is smooth: a jazzy soul; a technical prowess that catapults itself into your brain; a perfectly skilled craftsman crafting perfectly crafted works of musical art. Phew. In fact, besides all those fancy things, this band is just all out awesome.

It can take repeated listens before you fully understand all the little amazing basslines, drumfills and guitar rhythms; that’s OK because this album needs repeated listens. The payoff in most of the songs is near the END, when it is almost over, and so you will find yourself wanting to get paid more and more, after it is over.

And best of all: it’s instrumental. We love instrumental bands. We love vocalists but we also love them when they are not around. Instrumental rock with a technical edge; we promised ourselves not to call them anything like that but, in the interest of your wallet’s safety, we did. Ignore it completely and just buy, buy, buy this record.

So, the score then, after all that redundancy from our part:

A perfect 10, minus one, plus three, equals… twelve. Twelve, it is. (12/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

If you wanted, you could divide this band in two: the musical idea (aesthetics, experimentation and such), and the actual execution (technicality, composition). Sanity in Death, in theory, is an amazing mix of death metal and hardcore, while not getting to the redundant parts of metalcore. However, in its practical part, it's not that amazing.

The vocal changes from growl to scream, the riffs and the technical aspect are really good, but there's a lack in the compositional aspect in general, with directionless songs that either stagnate or change too much. While that might sound really negative, the truth is, Sanity in Death is above average for most of the time, and you won't get bored. It's just that it's easy to see they had a good idea, but couldn't totally capitalize on it.

The best example of the quality that the album could have had is "Filter the Gray," with its intro similar to Metallica's "The Thing That Should Not Be." In some random parts, it's possible to hear some Demilich-like riffs (if you know the band, you know that's a definite plus).

So, Sanity in Death is another band that promises a lot, but delivers much less. Still, Sanity in Death feels like the tip of the iceberg, so something really good might be coming. We'll see. (6/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

Sheavy is quite a prolific Canadian band. With four full-lengths released, they are one of the most well-known stoner-ish doom bands.

It's no secret that Sheavy loves Black Sabbath, so much that they copy them to the point of being just like them. No, really, there aren't many differences between Republic? and say, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. And if you thought Ozzy Osbourne's voice was unique, well, he either got a clone or you were wrong, because Steve Hennessy sounds exactly like him in his later Black Sabbath years.

As it's logical, the music is astonishingly catchy, both guitar-wise and vocal-wise, with lots and lots of headbang-inducing parts. Mostly it's mid-tempo with some slower parts, so you'll never fall asleep.

So, yes, it's enjoyable to the max, but it's not original. No matter how you look at it, even considering that you probably headbanged for hours to it, millions of bands have done the exact same thing. Well, most of them attempted to copy Paranoid instead of the mid-period, but still.

Anyhow, Sheavy is easily the best Black Sabbath clone there is right now, but it won't make you go crazy. It will, however, provide hours of enjoyment. (7.5/10)

review by: Avi Shaked

Looking at the artwork that adorns the self release of Solstice Coil’s debut full length release, it is no surprise to find that the same impressive attention to detail made its way to the recording itself, revealing layers of sounds and pieces that flow smoothly away from the banal; satisfying the group’s vision through elaborate mazes and without foreign interventions.

Solstice Coil’s music has just enough of the epic feel to appeal to fans of neo /classic progressive rock fans, drenched with the drive and punch of alternative rock bands. Its melodramatics are derived from Radiohead and Muse, and is exhibited mainly through the intentionally exaggerated vocal performance that reflects the contemplative lyricism loyally.

On some tracks, such as "Photosensitivity" and "Accidents," the band approaches Van Der Graaf Generator – not only in its squeezed, keyboard-accented passages and occasional saxophone cuts, but also in its catastrophic proportions and intensity.

Unfortunately, the album suffers from weakness in some of its vocal lines, which are just not pointy enough or exclusively melodic for them to sink in. These work fine on the aforementioned "Photosensitivity" or on "Selling Smoke," but on others (such as "Even Poets Die" or "Brilliance") the listener is likely to find himself more as a bystander rather than sharing the burdened journey. (8.1/10)

review by: Bastiaan de Vries

Perfectly bland; SOS can be whatever you want it to be, but try as you might, it won’t be any better than perfectly bland. This album holds seventeen tracks: not all of them are perfectly bland; some of them are almost entertaining ("Everything Must Go," "Slut") but accompanied by so much blandness it becomes a trial to listen and enjoy.

The art of being anal:

Maybe they didn’t notice, maybe we shouldn’t notice (nor care) but we did (and we do) and maybe they did too: "Star Killers" and "The Wedding Guy" both ride on almost the same rhythm. In fact, it is so almost that it’s worth mentioning. Intentional or not; it doesn’t sound cool, it sounds cheated. At least have the decency to put both songs on either ends of the album and not two songs apart.

Cheated and bland, that’s not a very good start. And not a good end. There is nothing good in between, either, so we’d rather forget about this disc all together. We can try, try as we might, to say something good, or even some more bad things about A Guide to Better Living but the motivation is just not there. A run of the mill review for a run of the mill album.

The Wedding Guy says: ‘Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?’ We say: we think not; not unless you’re getting us very, very drunk.

Bonus point: for having a Triumph bike on the cover. (3+1/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

Germany, land of Oktoberfest, thrash and, above all, grind. Bands like Gut, Mucupurulent, or even the tongue-in-cheek Excrementory Grindfuckers are perfect examples of the loads of talent present there. Wojczech (I promise not to joke about the name being unpronounceable) has only one aspect in common: the talent.

We're talking about hardcore/grindcore of the highest order here, with some references to sludge and Scandinavian crust as well. Thankfully, the style is quite original, showing some resemblance to Nasum and His Hero is Gone sometimes, but not at all close to being a ripoff.

In this almost 25-minute album, the playing's tight, with the drumming being especially remarkable. The duel of vocalists (mostly screaming ones), while not original, is an awesome addition to the already great Sedimente. The traditional punk catchiness comes out a lot, but, and that's a plus, not the three-chord structure that's 30 years past its expiration date. However, Sedimente's strongest point is the abundance of atonal, apocalyptic-sounding riffs, with lots of harmonics.

If you're into modern hardcore or grind, you'll want to hear this. (8.9/10)

review by: Avi Shaked

This re-release of a 1969's Originals is a fantastic find as it unveils the original sessions that led to the sole album by Andromeda in an unabridged form and in all its might and glory, exposing an outfit that would doubtfully ever receive the respect and recognition it so righteously deserves.

Take the heavy psychedelic power-trio of Cream, mix it with the doom of Black Sabbath, add some of the virginal Uriah Heep firmness, and a prototype of speed metal and you get the brave statement that is Andromeda.

Listening to the edgy rhythm and the vibrating lead guitar serving the heartfelt expression on the opening "Lonely Streets" should do just enough to convince classic hard rock fans of this release’s indispensability. The song, by the way, would resurface as bandleader John Du Cann soldiered on with Atomic Rooster on its classic album Death Walks Behind You (1970).

But then again, every song on this solidified album is a gem: "And Now the Sun Shines" features ethereal guitar work; "Return to Sanity" opens with a Sabbathical doom passage followed by a gentle crescendo movement that supports a truthful yearning for both acknowledgment and independence; Some of the material, such as "Day of the Change," gallops with some fast, melodic leads that might have only reappeared a few years later when Judas Priest would evolve their blues licks into heavy metal, while others range between haziness and bold jams (the closing "When to Stop" finds the band exploring jazzier territories by quoting "Concierto de Aranjuez").

Andromeda was fresh and original at the time, and its vitality stands the test of time remarkably well, serving its immortal quests with crisp, vintage sound (engineered by the famed Eddie Offord whose repertoire includes Yes, ELP and many more). Heavy rock fans, this a must have! (9.5/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

Out of the ashes of Colombian brutal-as-hell band Purulent is Amputated Genitals, and, as everyone would have expected, it lives up to its name.

South American brutal death is synonymous with broken English, over the top lyrics, and extremely morbid imagery. All that's exactly what you'll find in Human Meat Gluttony. Plus killer riffs, sick vocals and a very solid rhythm base, of course. Titles like "Geriatric Blood Storm" and "Indigested with Human Heads" summarize these points nicely.

Everything you know, and possibly love about brutal death metal is here: a Devourment influence, blast-beats, pinch harmonics... yet it sounds different somehow compared to the majority the bands in the genre. It sounds more polished (while not getting to tech territory) and mature with the inclusion of some not-so-standard rhythms and time signatures. The drumming's especially impressive, as is the production.

If you've heard Purulent, then you could say you've heard a not-so-developed Amputated Genitals. Even if it's maybe too dependent on the death metal cliches, Human Meat Gluttony is a solid album, and one of the best brutal death albums released this year. (8.8/10)

review by: Megan Leo

This collection of United States black metal, according to the booklet insert written by Nathan T. Birk, "is an ideological compiliation. One of intent, of propaganda, of dire PURPOSE." The mission here is to show that black metal, ladies and gentlemen, is not just about Norway and burning churches anymore. Sure, the roots lie in the icy Norsk lands, but the point of this comp is to show that the U.S. has achieved its share of grimness and heresy by making some pretty damned profane and unholy black metal that rips without ripping off the Scandinavians.

The most noteworthy and undeniable aspect of this collection of 17 bands (some of which contributed exclusive tracks and mixes, including Harvist, Xasthur and Leviathan) is the range of sounds and mixes incorporated into the sub-genre known as black metal. From the acoustic guitar laced blackened sound of Azrael's "Illumination" to the black death of Harvist's "Foundations," to the synth sampled collection of demonic noises of Draugar's "Running From Us," which bears little to no melody (or musicality, really), in contrast with Krieg's more standard fare of guitar / drum blasting onslaught in " Every Wound Burned." All are equally menacing.

The tracks are arranged so each songs compliments the next all the more, in their wide range of style. Sure, they're all "blackened," but Summon's "Beating of Christ" is a far cry from the droning style of chain saw hum that is Xasthur ("Maane's Natt"). This makes the comp that much more interesting, as the listener is drawn in by the sounds one hears at any given moment, but also in anticipation for what carnage the next track may hold.

Some noteworthy attributes of the various contributions on this collection include Typhus' "Satanic Goat Fuck Lust." Now, from the song title, you might expect an abrasive wall of chaotic sound, perhaps in the vein of Black Witchery. Nope. While it is raw in production style, it has a very long intro, and some gothic style melodic vocal lines, that eventually speeds up and culminates in a classical guitar outro. The next track on the comp is Leviathan's "Hissing and Sullen,", which is one of the stand out tracks. The atmospheric, moody guitar and synth intro is gradually joined by a fade in of drum sound, rising into the mix like a ton of steel and vitriol.

Upon repeated listens, this disc only becomes more compelling. The artists and their respective contributions are distinct in their own right, and this disc is one that boasts creativity and a plethora of originality. Some tracks are much more distinctive than others, but as a whole, this is a compilation vastly superior to other, weaker efforts. Never mind the fact all the artists hail from the West, there is plenty here to distinguish these Western shores from the Nordic counterparts. (8.5/10)

review by: Rick Luna

"Eternal Reign will kick your ass" is more or less the quick and effective way to put it. If you’re in dire need of a metal fix, these German metallers have the right formula for your prescription.

"Light the Light" introduces you to the path through the "Gate to Infinity" with a thrashy feel, but comes to its senses as an all out rocking track. "Into My Own Hands" misleads you with an acoustic intro but all of a sudden switches to attack mode, calling for a superior metal cut. "The Final Call" is nothing but vocal filler that sets up the scenery to "Edge of the World," which has strong similarity to Dio’s "Holy Diver" and Survivor’s "Eye of the Tiger."

The title track is dark and twisted, and shows no mercy towards your pathetic little ears. "Losing Ground" may have the corniest keyboards, but that doesn’t stop this trotting beast from fulfilling its metallic duty. "Set the Sails" rides the waves with another solid tune and includes a nice trade-off solo. "Night Stalker" creeps up on you like a stranger and strangles you for the rest of the ride filled with plenty of ups but little downs. "Ten Seconds In" is the closer of this album and ends off on a high note with plenty of catchy choruses and still no sign of losing any power.

Overall, Forbidden Path screams out all sorts of good things. Sink your teeth into this great metal album. (8/10)

review by: Avi Shaked

"Endless time, an endless sign
The alphabet will cease to rhyme
Empty rooms where fate assumes
A narrative can be consumed"
- Alpha (Githead)

Uniting figures from Wire, Minimal Compact as well as Scanner, Githead is a post-rock / new-wave outfit, building up its direct momentum on clinical rhythms and careful subtleties. Unfortunately, these are not enough for the momentum to break its potential barrier.

"They are articulate
They are here"
- They Are (Githead)

With both female and male singing in what is basically a recited manner, Githead fails to make the necessary impact to support the articulate yet cynical lyrics. Somewhere along the way, the punch is lost in a maze of the monotonic beats and nearly nonexistent melodies.

"Balance risk against potential"
- Option Paralysis (Githead)

Being so calculated certainly has its repercussion on the passion, leaving "Profile" paralyzed in this department (those of you who prefer their music more emotive should check out the recent release by One Of Us, reviewed on issue #36). It does have its nuances and its quaintness, though. (5/10)

review by: Rick Luna

The expectations might have been too high, but Godiva’s Call Me Under 666 doesn’t have much of a lasting impact. The truth hurts, but what’s there to listen that you haven’t heard before in a heavy metal album? "Hell Raiser" is ineffective and doesn’t seem to impress in the slightest – just a straight ahead type of metal tune with little purpose besides. The album’s title track is another stinker as well, with dulled out guitar riffs and the lyrics are so sad, it’s hilarious. It is traditional metal, after all. "My Fate" is where the tables turn for a slight second, but retains that moldy crap they call metal.

But wait, there’s more. In fact, "When Lightning Strikes" is perhaps the best track on the album for being quite the catchy tune, even the video on the disc makes Godiva look cool for five minutes. "Only Heaven Knows" is a tough, just-what-the-doctor-ordered type of track to fulfill your everyday metal cravings. "The Flight of the Dragon" is a, you guessed it, medieval inspired song about dragons. Oh, yippee. "Maneater" reminds me of a modern day glam rock tune. Ahh, if only those days of tight spandex and big hair still existed. "Proud to be a Beast" is a fairly enjoyable, double bass pounding tune with chugging riffs. "Soulkiller" is another heavy hitting, pulse pounding, full on metal track, but nothing exciting. "Free My Soul" is the fastest tunes in the album and boy, does it shred. Hey, at least this is one of the very few songs that shred!

Two guitarists for a band of this type is a tad too much. The vocals can sure use improvement. Most of the time it sounds a whining parrot on the shoulder of an aching bastard pirate. Hey, how’s my metal driving? Call Me Under 666, ha! (5/10)

review by: Ignacio Coluccio

There's something about semi-computarized metal that's just not right. If you take a look at the completely digital grind bands (SMES and Microphallus, for example), there's something about them that you just can't not love (he’s Latin, so we’re allowing this double negative – ed). On the other hand, the completely organic bands have the advantage of feeling human, or being closer or more "true to metal roots." In the middle, there are bands like Mucus Membrane, which just bore.

Shades Below could be described as a more technical and twisted version of Slaughter of the Soul At The Gates, similar structuring and drums make it obvious. The musicianship, technically, is outstanding, and if you're into meaningless guitar-masturbating, you'll love this.

However, for everything else, there's not much to hold your attention. The songs too similar to each other, the production’s clear, but too dry, and the below average riffs just make the album sink deeper and deeper into the millions of melodic death metal albums. The drum programming makes the album sound excessively mechanic, lacking fills all around.

But what's the biggest error in here is its cold feeling. Where death metal bands sometimes trick you into thinking that they'd actually mutilate a whole village, Mucus Membrane is like "Oh yeah, I'd kill you, but ewwww I'd stain my newly bought shirt!".

This album screams "average" all around, and it's not the prettiest album in town. Leave the computers to grind bands. (4/10)

review by: Nikita

This infectiously energetic and relentlessly talented four piece metal / hard rock band from Hannover, Germany has the added charm of having a sense of humor. They are fearlessly alive and well matched. Nicky Gronewold is a magnetic, vivacious vocalist who is down to earth, irresistibly cute, full of crazy fun, rich with perception and able to bring levity to the full spectrum of emotion. It is a unique and confident talent in a rock singer to be able to emote with the loose perfection of a live performance in the studio. She effortlessly communicates her unique, fiery persona.

She and Christos Mamalitsidis, the Greek guitar master, met in 2003 through an ad in a music magazine. They started by composing a handful of songs and created quite a stir on the local scene. In 2004 Anke Sobek, the sexy bleach blonde bassist, and strikingly handsome Michael Wolpers, hooked in with them to create a groove that will melt your knees and bleed your heart. Producer Hermann Frank found a gem in this band and buffed it to a full luster. Puppet on a String is a perfect studio recording and still magically retains all the excitement of a spellbinding live show. Added bonus – you can understand the lyrics!

This band is a force to be reckoned with. Their power comes from their "in your face" honest charm and undeniably good sense and personality. Love this front row seat. You are in for a massive treat! (8.5/10)

review by: Larissa Glasser

Corrosion of Conformity have had an interesting trajectory, from hardcore punk to crossover metal to southern metal. The development of their sound took years – many live shows, many releases, and a few line-up changes.

Whereas some bands have been around forever but you always know what to expect from them (Motorhead, AC/DC), and others were a flash in the pan yet still haver tremendous influence today (Hellhammer, Terrorizer), Raleigh, North Carolina-based C.O.C. launched from the D.C. punk ethos emblazoned by The Teen Idles and Bad Brains to the crossover bliss marked by D.R.I. Animosity, the band's second release, is the shining example of that period, a fierce example of what can be accomplished with distortion, bravery, unconventionality, and the opportunity of working with a certain fledgling label head: Brian Slagel of Metal Blade Records.

Like D.R.I.'s first three records, Animosity is a sharp reminder of how hardcore punk influenced thrash metal, in musical technique if not in image (which itself crossed over occasionally). Dave Grohl, who often saw C.O.C. during the incarnation responsible for Animosity, often cites this period as their most ferocious and groundbreaking.

"Loss for Words," The album's opener, is a case in point: riffs straddle between catchy, memorable hardcore mosh modes, Slayer rapid-fire picking, and finally a balls-out Sabbath possession which must have come as an utter shock to listeners familiar with their mostly hardcore debut LP, Eye for an Eye.

Another sizable difference from the first record: bassist Mike Dean's vocals, usurped from previous singer Eric Eyke's more gruff approach, are so violent and raspy they are an absolute selling point for this material. Alternating between nasal sneer and piercing wail, Dean's performance is enough to make one wish he'd stayed on the microphone (Dean left C.O.C. briefly during the 80's, but has long since returned to the band, on bass.)

"Mad World" is a much more straightforward punk slab, at just under two minutes. This song shines the first of many spotlights on Woody Weatherman (the band's lone guitarist at the time). His solos conjure Mantas, Iommi, and Hanneman influences simultaneously, bookmarked by piercing feedback, reckless pentatonic abandon, and complete SCORN of melody. Beautiful.

"Consumed" is further evidence of C.O.C.'s unique approach. Presaging math-rock with its stop-start introduction (and with hilarious feedback in between the phrases), this song is one of the most undanceable, not-fit-for-mass-consumption cuts on the album.

"Holier" is nearly lycanthropic: Mike Dean's strange vocal-chant-doubling makes Glen Benton's Deicide gutturals sound like Blossom Dearie (of "Schoolhouse Rock" fame). One of the more punk/HC songs on the album, Dean crams a multisyllabic attack similar to (but not quite as accomplished as) Tom Araya's high-velocity, tobacco-auctioneer performances on Slayer's Hell Awaits and Reign in Blood.

"Positive Outlook" is the only song re-recorded from Eye for an Eye. Improved production (at least in the sense that you can distinguish the instruments) showcases Dean's considerable talent as a rapid-fire bass player.

"Prayer" is the favorite cut for this listener. Perhaps the nastiest sounding song on the record, C.O.C.'s relentless but intelligent lyrical attack upon organized religion, coupled with some of the meanest vocals ever recorded, set this number apart. Count infinity for speed, seemingly boundless distortion, and essentially badass confidence. Someone needs to try and top this formidable song. Pray for Power.

Well, come to think of it, "Intervention" runs neck-and-neck with "Prayer" for nastiness. The eleven second introduction of Mike Dean clearing his gravelly throat into what sounds like a walkie-talkie is a bit unsettling, but the song's purposeful atonality could be the ULTIMATE reflection on The Reagan Doctrine of the 1980's, particularly towards Latin America. While not as spastic as "Prayer," this song has a narrative quality to it that just cuts a fucking path through the weeds.

"Kiss of Death" is C.O.C.'s radio hit, in the same sense that "Radio Hit" is the . . . er . . . radio hit off of Anal Cunt's Morbid Florist – its rock 'n' roll chord progression is an infectious foot-tapper in a perverse sort of way.

"Hungry Child," the shortest and weirdest song, is the black sheep of the Animosiity tracklisting, if such a thing were possible. Consider these enigmatic lyrics:

Looking for answers? laughed the Hungry Child
Pushing your answers leave none desired
The Hungry Child worships ...

Perhaps the song needs to be personalized in a certain way. Is this about The United States' conditional humanitarian policy towards the third world? Is it about arrogant dominion? On the more domestic front, is this about the current plague of faith-based human services? C.O.C. may be instructing us to decide for ourselves.

review by: Matt Smith

Strapping Young Lad was the first band to take the stage, and despite being the opener, were very well-received. And do they ever know how to work a crowd. Some mellow lounge music played over the PA as Devin Townsend prepared the audience for an evening of feel-good music, beginning with their classic "Rainbows and Butterflies" before moving on to heavier fare. Tonwsend, besides dispensing a barrage of clever insults and jokes in between songs, gave an emotionally charged performance, his hair swinging and mouth gaping wide as he pounded out guitar lines. The balls-out brutality led into heavy grooves that got the pit going and the crowd on its feet. Townsend's beard jutted into the air as he screamed and sang, and Strapping Young Lad's performance, though early and short, was the highlight of the evening.

Darkane is markedly younger that Strapping Young Lad in both looks and technique. They didn't have the amusing banter, just jumped right into their fast-paced hardcore. The vocalist ran and jumped around all over the stage in his tight, buttoned shirt. The crowd wasn't as attentive during Darkane's set, but the bars were pretty busy. They performed well but the material was pretty unremarkable. Part of this had to do with the sound: the guitars were too low and muddled. Strapping Young Lad also had a bit of this problem – the guitars could be heard percussively, but the notes were hard to make out.

Fear Factory's guitars sounded fine, however, as they began drilling out their sturdy beats and high vocals. Raymond Herrera was right on the entire time, and was the most interesting part of Fear Factory's show. Of course the crowd was all on its feet for the main event, and Fear Factory performed its songs well. However, at a live show you crave a little more than you can hear on the CD... An increased tempo, some inspired solos – something you can't hear at home. They could have also built a rapport with the audience for a better effect and more satisfying show, but overall it was well-played, and the audience ate it up.