AARDIA - FAIRY TALES FROM BEYOND (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Aardia

Tracks: 1- The Summoner, 2- Call to Arms, 3- The Wandering, 3- Fairy Tales from Beyond

Cover Art by Nicklas Lundqvist

What a good surprise is this band!!! I expected sort of a power metal band but this band does atmospheric music full of melodies and full of keybaords parts. I have to say that this album is one of the most beautiful ones that I have listened for a long time. This keyboards melodies are beautiful and at the same time they have amysterious element and some darkness. This feelings are enhanced by the medieval sounds of fight that can be listened in the background. There is good orchestration here showing the multiple ideas that Aardia has. There is a female voice in "The Wandering" that adds even more beauty to the tracks. This voice combined with the keyboards orchestration adn with some programmed percussion gives an ancient feeling to the music while at the same time gives you the idea of modern day music with an epic feeling. A must.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: http://listen.to/aardia

AGONIZER - CAIN (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: A.Kippo

Tracks: 1- Whatever, 2- Mask, 3- Cain

Cover Art by Agonizer

 Recorded at Astia Studio

This is a really aggressive pure heavy metal band. I have to say that this band has really surprised me with their pure metal with guitars that sound much more heavier than the ones that we are accustomed to listen on this style, plus they have a more aggressive singer that sounds more powerful than many of the most well known and at the same time has a dark element in his voice that adds a different shade to Agonizer´s music. Mike O.D.´s keyboards are essential because when they combine their orchestration with jOnez and Jazzo´s guitars they give that trademark sound to Agonizer´s music. The rhythm section is really solid with double bass in many parts (like in short patterns that sound even better than doing this all time...cool!) and great bass arrangements as we can listen in "Mask". The album has a really good mix that gives the sound that the bands need to deliver their compositions in a really powerful way.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.agonizer.cjb.net

AHRCANA - INTO THE PROPHECY (Northwind Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Ahrcana

Tracks: 1- ) The Prophecy, 2) The travel, 3) Gates to realm, 4) Immortal
5) We'll reborn, 6) In the village, 7) Long life to dark elf, 8) Tears in the wind
9) Stormmaster

Cover Art by Ahrcana

 Recorded at New Sin Studio

Pure heavy metal with some power metal influences is what Ahrcana delivers on this albums. Bands like Iron maiden, Helloween or Angra have influenced Ahrcana and they mix this influences to create their own heavy music. There are some elements of pure german metal like for example the choruses that sound really german. Here we have a solid band with a really good rhythm section that deliver a lot of patterns that are designed to make the compositions really heavy. The guitarists are really good in creating riffs and there are some neoclassical solos that fit the music really well. I would mix the guitars a little bit louder and maybe they can tune the guitars a little bit low in order to sound heavier. There are some acoustic parts that embellish the compositions too. The singer is really versatile and has a wide vocal range that is essential in this kind of music. Pure metal with good melodies and ideas.

Favorite tracks: "Gates to Realm", "We´ll Reborn" and "Stormmaster"

Contact: www.ahrcana.com

AHRET DEV - HELLISH (Dywizja KOT Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Ahret Dev

Tracks: 1- Izis Ode, 2- The Damned, 3- Lords of Illusion, 4- Inhumation, 5- Eardh Kha Aamon Reeh, 6- Archnemezis, 7- Seventh Gate, 8- Nebirius, 9- Homicide, 10- Hydra, 11- Master´s Temptation, 12- Great th Cursed With your Wrath, 13- The Chasm, 14- Shall they Burn, 15- Hydra (bonus), 16- master´s Temptation (bonus), 17- the Chasm, 18- Shall they Burn, 19- War

Cover Art by Mariusz Jurczak

 Recorded at Selani Studios

Ahret Dev is a classical name in the polish death metal scene and here we have a new edition of two of their classics in one album. The recordings on this CD were done in 1995 and 1997. Plus, we have also some demo tracks from 1994 that gives you an idea of how powerful sounded this band in their early stages (despite the raw sound that became better in the newest recordings). Here we have a band that delivers intense death metal compositions with heavy emphasis in the mid paced rhythms and in the most aggressive parts s this band in a stage situation. On this album you will find plenty of heavy guitars that will crush you with their fast and heavy riffing. You will also find a drummer, Dominik, that plays fast blast beats in tracks like "Homicide" but also leaves a lot of space for the rest of the bands in tracks like "Izis Ode" configuring with the bass player a killer rhythm section. The voices are guttural in many places and in others are clearer giving a different feeling to the band´s music. This is pure death metal and is a classic recording from a classic band !

Favorite tracks: "The Damned", "Seventh Gate" and "The Chasm"

Contact: http://dywizjakot.prm.pl

ALAN TOMLINSON / STEVE BERESFORD / ROGER TURNER - TRAP STREET (Emanem Disc , 2003)

Produced By: Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- E1, 2- N1, 3- E2, 4- N2, 5- E3, 6- EC3, 7- E4, 8- W4, 9- N5, 10- E5, 11-W7

Cover Art by Martin Davidson

 Recorded at Gateway Studios

Here we have a recording of the well known musicians Roger Turner and Steve Beresford on percussion / drums and electronics respectively, whose work we have reviewed in other issues. Plus here we have also Alan Tomlinson who plays trombones and this is his first full length since his 1980 solo album. This spontaneous recording from 2002. From chaotic percussion patterns to spontaneous and original trombone sounds and phrases (there is even some spekaing through the trombone in tracks like "N1" here we have eleven original and experimental compositions where the three musicians show sometimes together, sometimes alone their talent and their quest for new sounds. It is really good to listen Beresford creating a basement for the tracks with the electronics and then listening Turner´s twisted rhythms followed by Tomlinson´s demented sounds. This is pure experimentation where the sound of the trombone is essential to achieve the sound range that the musicians have imagined.

Favorite tracks: "W4", "EC3" and "N1"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

AMOK VEDAR - SEELENFRIEDE (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Amok Vedar

Tracks: 1- A.V.E.D.U., 2- Psychopathic, 3- Sumpf, 4- Seelenfriede

Cover Art by Ray and Amok Vedar

 Recorded at Soundforge Studios, Berlin

Amok Vedar is pure black metal holocaust with many climatic parts. Their music is fast but they don´t abuse the blast beats and that is essential here to add a lot of feeling to the music here. Here we have fast guitars that interact really well with the fast drumming with many double bass parts. Plus we have a really good keyboard player called trakon whose arrangements when combined with the heavier parts are the heart and soul of Amok Vedar´s music. Here we have a combination of vocals thata re typical of black metal combined with more deathly growls. I really liked the tempo changes in tracks like "A.V.E.D.U." that introduces a more rhythmic riff after a fast one letting more space for the instruments to shine. There are plenty of arrangements here and this leaves you with many differnet sounds in your ears. And it also leaves you wanting more music from this amazing black metal guys. A killer release.

Favorite tracks: All the CD. Here is the future of black metal.

Contact: www.amokvedar.de

AMOK VEDAR - LIVE IN POTSDAM (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Amok Vedar

Tracks: 1- Psychopathic, 2- Schwarze Flut, 3- Sine Nomine, 4- Glaubensfluch, 5- Suizid, 6- Glückseligkeit, 7- Sumpf, 8- A.V.E.D.U.

 Recorded live in Potsdam 16/11/2002

This is a live recording of Amok Vedar´s music that opens really climatically with an amazing track called "Psychopatic". Starting with a mid tempo with a dark melody the tune has a guttural voice that is the main one used on this song that is combined with a screaming one. The track turns then into a mayhemic fast part with a blast beat and then turns into another fast aprts but with more space for the guitar riffs. And this is the trademark of Amok Vedar´s music: the combination of brutality, speed, dark atmospheres and really good musical arrangements (the keyboards are essential). The keyboards contrast heavily with the raw guitars and the blast beats and add another dimension to Amok Vedar´s music that makes them so unique. The recording has a really raw sound but at the same time the instruments are clearly mixed giving an even more powerful sound to the band´s compositions. Pure unholy black metal with good musicinship !!

Favorite tracks: All

Contact: www.amokvedar.de

AMON AMARTH - VERSUS THE WORLD (Metal Blade Recs. , 2003)

Produced By:

Tracks: 1- Death in Fire, 2- For the Stabwounds in our backs, 3- Where Silent Gods Stand guard, 4- Vs. The world, 5- Across the Rainbow Bridge, 6- Down the Slopes of Death, 7- Thousand Years of Oppression, 8- Bloodshed, 9- ...and Soon the world will Cease to be

Cover Art by

 Recorded at

Starting with a powerful riff and double bass drumming comes the new album by these swedish band. Here you will find all the elements that have made this band famous: heavy guitar riffs with really technical drumming and intense rhythmical work. Also here we have the extreme vocals that are a charachteristic of the band and the guitar melodies and interludes that add a different feeling to this guys music. Here you have from the fastest moments in tracks like "For the Stabwounds..:" to more climatic parts like in the middle of "Versus the World" with heavy double bass and a climatic riff. As always Amon Amarth delivers extreme riffing without letting you breath, track after track. I have to remark that they get a better sound on each album and this one is no exception with huge guitars and clear drumming. Pure violence from this classic band !!

Favorite tracks: "Vs. The world", "Thousand Years..." and "Bloodshed"

Contact: www.metalblade.com

ANTEVIRUS - ANTEVIRUS (Independent , 2001)

Produced By: Antevirus

Tracks: 1- Shamble, 2- Lowest, 3- Last Dance

Cover Art by Julien beluche

"Shamble" starts with an eerie intro with some guitar feedback, then enters the bass and then comes the heavy guitar riff. This is a band whose guitars sound really heavy and play rhythmic riffs design for headbanging. Plus, here we have a vocalist whose voice is guttural but perfectly clear, sort of the exact balance between the most guttural death metal and the shouts of a more modern metal vocalist. The guitars also deliver some open chords that add a different atmosphere to the music of the band making it sound more climatic (they sound really distorted and add all their heaviness to the music). Every single note, every drumbeat, every bass passage is designed here to devastate the listener with the utter heaviness that this guys from Mereville, France are capable. This is a release designed to be played live in front of a moshing audience. This is extreme heaviness in its purest form.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.antevirus.best.cd

ANTIQUE - BOOK ONE (Trostlos Recs. , 2002)

Produced By: Antique

Tracks: 1- Take this Sullen Timber, 2- A Meadow To Die In, 3- Essaying Paradise, 4- No Tears for the Devil Inside, 5- Elysium Cascades, 6- Frost Upon Broken Dreams, 7- What Temptation, 8- One Last Thought

Cover Art by

 Recorded at

A slow intro with keys and a spoken voice with an extremely dark atmosphere begins this album. After a while comes a more guttural voice combined with some more keys creating the atmosphere necessary for the heavy instruments (a processed guitar and percussion) to enter. Antique´s music is heavily orchestrated with keyboards thata re the main instrument here and that provide the basis for the vocals. Here everything is about creating dark feelings: the keys, the vocals, the doomy percussion, the processed instruments. Everything is colored black here and they are essential to comunicate the concept that Antique wants to transmit to the listener. The different types of vocals help a lot to get the right feeling of the tracks. Pure darkness unleashed.

Favorite tracks: "Frost upon...", "No Tears..." and "What Temptation"

Contact: http://disemia.com/trostlos

ASMODEUS - PHALANX INFERNA (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Asmodeus

Tracks: 1- Intermezzo, 2- Phalanx inferna, 3- Summon the Horde, 4- Evoking the Beasts in Twilight, 5- The Ascend of My Demise, 6- Forlorn in Distress, 7- Eviscerated Carcass, 8- Odland, 9- Endarken My Spirit, 10- The Coming of the Storm, 11- Acceding the Throne of Devastation

Asmodeus is pure black metal full of hate and blasphemy. This guys have created ultra fast riffs combined with some death metal in some parts and they have added a twist with more rhythmic riffs in other places. There are blast beats here and many fast rhythms and also some more rhytmic parts that are the essence of Asmodeus´s music (ther4e is ultra fast double bass drumming in many places). The singer is really extreme in the black metal way but in some places there is a more guttural voice harmonizing the screams. There are some obscure melodies thrown here and there like a signature of Asmodeus music and this melodies are created by the guitars in a really dark fashion. But everything here is pure unholy black metal and the band has managed to create a really good recording of this style with good sound and full power !

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: asmodeus@gmx.at

AURORA BOREALIS - TIME, UNVEILED (Diehard Music , 2003)

Produced By: Ron Vento

Tracks: 1- Triumph Again, 2- Sky Burial, 3- Searching, 4- Transversing the Tides, 5- Berserker, 6- The Last Day, 7- Reign, 8- Sixteenth Chamber, 9- Slave to the Grave

Cover Art by

 Recorded at

After their previous "Northern Lights" here we have the new album of Ron Vento´s band. And if the previous album was brutal and a really devastating album this is even more powerful. Here we have Ron´s riffs all over the place delivering fast rhythms over crushing drumming. Auyrora Borealis is one of those bands that I would love to see in a live show because they are mind blowing. Here everything is really extreme: the manic guitar solos, the fast drumming, the screams, everything is designed to blast your brain like a thousand ton hammer. Here they start with "Triumph Again" and they don´t stop til the end of "Slave to the Grave" (this track is from their Demo 94 along with "Sixteenth Chamber). The sound is really good except on the two demo tracks where it sounds more primitive. This album is a step forward in the career of this amazingly brutal band.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.diehardmusic.com or www.auroraborealis.org

AURORA K - 11^th HOUR (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Johnny A.

Tracks: 1- 11^th Hour, 2- The Hopeless, 3- 11^th Hour Video

Cover Art by Petri Teräväinen and Timo Luostarinen

 Recorded at Studio 303

This is a single of this Finnish band whose music can be described as heavy rock with many metal elements. Here we have the melodic guitars of Johnny A., full of heavy riffs and at the same time of clean guitar arrangements and interesting guitar solos (check the title song). We also have here the really personal voice of Katriina, a singer with heavy use of middle range vocals and a powerful voice that adds a lot of strength to Aurora K´s music. One thing that is really amazing here is the production that makes each of the instruments really clear in the mix making each of them perfectly audible. I have to remark the good work of the guitars here and the good work of keyboardist Suvi Salo, specially in the most climatic parts of "The Hopeless". This is a band that creates SONGS with capital letters developing their ideas from beginning to end with a lot of taste. Plus here we have the "11^th hour" video done in a really good way (I don´t know how many money they spent but it seems to be really high budget video!) Thumbs up for this rocking band !.

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: www.angelfire.com/rock2/aurorak

BACKDRAFT - HERE TO SAVE YOU ALL (Lunasound Recs. , 2001)

Produced By: Backdraft

Tracks: 1- Convoy, 2- Wicked Man, 3- Angels High, 4- See you burn, 5- Devil´s Hand, 6- El Rancho, 7- Goddamn Man, 8- Original Sin, 9- Penetration, 10- Hillbilly Blues

Cover Art by Backdraft

This is what I call a rocking release!. This band comes directly from Sweden and plays pure heavy rock with some seventies influences and with really good melodies and song development. This guys have created ten memorable songs here. I mean, each of this songs stick easily in your mind because of their guitar riffs and because of their choruses and vocals. And one of the highest points here is the good combiantion between guitars and good vocals. There are some acoustic parts in tracks like "Angels High" with a southern rock flavour but more powerful. There is also a bluesy side to the music and that gives a different side of Backdraft´s music. If you wnat rock...you´ve got it !!!

Favorite tracks: "Convoy", "El Rancho" and "Original Sin"

Contact: www.backdraft.web.com or www.lunasoundrecording.com

BAKBAKWALANOOKSIWAE / ANTIKRIST SPLIT (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Bakbakwalanooksiwae and Antikrist

ANTIKRIST: 6- Sacrifice to my Lord Satan, 7- Satanic Goats Attack, 8- Baptized in Goats Blood, 9- War Goats March, 10-Destroying Christianity

Cover Art by bakbakwalanooksiwae

Antikrist is a more black metal band, specially on the songs titles and some of the scremaing. They have also delivered compositions full of sounds and noises and that also develope weird soundscapes. There are some riffs (I don´t know if that are guitars or not) that sound more in the black metal vein (different from the sounds used by the other band in the split. But here is experimentation with sounds too. This split is recomendable for people looking for something new, even if it is not easy listening music for those whose ears are not used to the most extreme music on Earth.

Favorite tracks: All Bakbakwalanooksiwae and "Sacrifice..." and "War Goats March"

Contact: www.geocities.com/bakbakwalanooksiwae

BANISHED REALITY - REALITIVITÄT (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Banished Reality

Tracks: 1- Panzer, 2- Fixed Point, 3- My Darkest Planet, 4- Corpus Supra Anima, 5- Alter Ego Kain, 6- Poems of Ending, 7- Nacht der Leidenschaft, 8- Eternal Silence, 9- Neues Licht

Cover Art by Banished Reality

 Recorded at Pivo Studios

The first track "Panzer" opens up with a full guttural shout that gives a sign of the storm that is going to devastate our minds with Banished Reality´s music. Here we have a band that plays a music that can be describe as a fusion of pure death metal with modern sounding metal delivering nine crushing compositions on this demo CD. Here we have fat sounding guitars that create devastating riffs and also some eerie sounding melodies that give a lot of identity to Banished Reality´s music (plus there is a certain classic thrash metal influence in some riffs that gives an interesting twist to the music here). Fast drumming is essential for this guys music but here we have many doubble bass passages that are the core of the music as well as some rhythms never letting speed opaque the quality of the rhythms. The vocals are extreme and have a lot of variations making each song relly memorable. This is a pure devastating band !

Favorite tracks: "Panzer", "Fixed Point" and "Poems of Ending"

Contact: www.banishedreality.com

BERSERK - RITES OF SUPREMACY (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Berserk

Tracks: 1- Rites of Supremacy, 2- Astapa´s Ashes, 3- Berserker´s Blood, 4- De Este a Oeste, 5- Gaze at the Sky, 6- Blood of the Gods, 7- Journey to Eternity

Mastered at Uni-X Sound Studios

 Recorded at Artica Studios

The track called "Rites of Supremacy" opens this album at full speed with heavy use of fast frumming and really raw guitars. This is pure black metal with some thrash influences here and there. But the main thing here is the dark atmosphere created by the heavy guitars and the blast beats and also the dark melodies that are thrown in some places and in some riffs. The vocals are really in the black metal vein (with some deathly shades) and interact really well with the guitars and with the drums, specially in parts where the rhythms leave more space. There are good clean vocals that add a darker feeling if that is possible. The mix is good keeping the instruments raw but making them fully audible. This is pure celtiberian pagan black metal and will surely bring darkness to your soul while you listen to it.

Favorite tracks: "Rites of Supremacy", "Astapa´s Ashes" and "Blood of the Gods"

Contact: www.berserkhorde.com

BLUTENGEL - ANGEL DUST (Out of Line Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Chris Pohl

Tracks: 1- Angel Dust I, 2- Stranded, 3- Vampire Romance Part 1, 4- The End of love, 5- Iron Heart, 6- Our Time, 7- Wonderland, 8- Angel Dust II, 9- Black Wedding, 10- I Will Follow, 11- Silent Death, 12- Angel of the Night, 13- Keine Ewigkeit, 14- Night of Sin, 15- Vampire Romance II, 16- Angel Dust III

 Recorded at Fearsection Studios

The first part of the title track opens this album with dark keyboards and creating an obscure almost vampiresque atmosphere that sets the path for the other compositions of this band whose main brain is Chris Pohl. The music here is really gothic and full of keyboards and electronics. Here we have a recording that shows the dark side of the human soul. Chris keyboards are essential here constructing the dark atmospheres that are the main element here and he also delivers the male vocals on this recording that when combined with the female voices of Constance or Eva create gives an idea of what this is all about. There is beauty here but it is a really dark beauty and Blutengel´s music lets your imagination fly into a world without day and full of vampires and lost souls. Pure darkness.

Favorite tracks: "Silent Death", "Our Time", "Wonderland"

Contact: www.outofline.de

BOOGIEMAN - TRIPLE SIX BLUES (I Used to Fuck People Like You in Prison Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Boogieman

Tracks: 1- Red Sleeve)C´Mon), 2- Satisfaction, 3- 14 Pictures, 4- In Hell, 5- Drown, 6- December, 7- Yellow Sea, 8- Hey hey Hey, 9- My eyes, 10- Infinity

Cover Art by

 Recorded at

This is a band that can create hits in a really heavy context. Their music is really heavy and at the same time is influenced by rock and blues. I find some elements of seventies rock and Black Sabbath and this combination of influences is what gives Boogieman their own identity. The combination of heavy riffs with a drumming that uses a lot the ride cymbal and the crash is essential for giving power to this band. There is also an excellent singer who is extremely heavy and at the same time can create melodies and hooks that keeps the music spinning in your mind for a long time. This album has a really clean sound in the drums and bass and a really distorted guitar that sound really bluesy in the solos and extremely heavy in the rhythms. This is music that is essential for those looking for good compositions full of power.

Favorite tracks: "In Hell", "Yellow Sea" and "My Eyes"

Contact: www.peoplelikeyourecords.de

BORN LOCO - REVOLUTION IN REVERSE (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Daan van der Elsken

Tracks: 1- Paradox, 2- Stand-Off

Cover Art by Born Loco

 Recorded at Stilteloos Studios

The guys in Born Loco play crushing modern metal with influence of some new metal bands but turning each element into heavier stuff. Here we start with "Paradox" with a heavy bass line and then turning into devastating guitar riffs that are the essence of Born Loco´s music. The vocals are in the modern metal way following the riffs and the rhythms clearly and adding sort of a rhythmic feeling to the music. The drumming here is intense and we have here a really aggressive rhythm section that delivers a good basis for the songs. The only thing is that the two tracks leave you wanting more Born Loco. A devastating abnd that can kick ass to some bands that are famous nowadays.

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: www.bornloco.nl

BURIED GOD - DARK REVELATION (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Buried God

Tracks: 1- Back to Wreck Your Neck (The Final Decision), 2- The beast Rules Me, 3- Conquer Moriha, 4- A Piece of Flesh, 5- Buried God, 6- Eyes of the Gorgon, 7- Hunger, 8- Ruins of the Pantheon, 9- My Dark revelation, 10- Rape of Harmony (Elegy for a Bitch)

Cover Art by Patrick Engel

 Recorded at Rape of Harmonies Studios

This guys have no mercy for the listeners !! They start violently with "Bact to Wreck your neck" with full aggression and that is the way to better describe their music: pure aggressiona and power through ten tracks that are delivered really tightly. Each riff is conceived here to blow your brain and they succeed in doing it. The guitar riffs ound really thrash and death metal but they are played with a really huge sound and when combined with the fast drumming (this guy is really good in playing fast patterns with the drumkit but at the same time letting a lot of place for the other instruments to develope their ideas) they are like an atm bomb. The vocals are really aggressive and fit perfectly the rest of the music. There are some guitar melodies too that add a different side to the band´s music. This is pure power unleashed !

Favorite tracks: "A piece of flesh", "Ruins of the Pantheon" and "The Beast Rules Me"

Contact: www.buriedgod.cjb.net

CELESTIAL SORROW -DESPAIR WITHIN ME (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Juha Matinheikki

Tracks: 1- Wavering Existence, 2- Concealed Torment, 3- Significant Decision, 4- Farewell After All

What a good band is Celestial Sorrow!!.This finnish guys have succeeded in blending the most aggressive music in the emtal realm with amazing epic and melodic passages that gives a lot of dynamics and contrasts to their music. This guys are real good musicians and here we have four compositions that are extremely well developed with aggressive riffs, guitar solos, twin guitars arrangements. There are some parts with clean guitars and some synths and piano arrangements that show a different side of Celestial Sorrow´s music. This guys deliver riff after riff, melody after melody, arrangement after arrangement, all this combined with vocals that wouldn´t be out of place in the most extreme bands, all done with amazing quality and showing to the world that you can be aggressive and at the same time original and a great musician. I have to remark also the good sound that this recording has making each of the parts here shine. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.celestialsorrow.tk

CEREBRAL TURBULENCY - GERM OF ERROR (Khaaranus Prods. , 2003)

Produced By: Cerebral Turbulence

Tracks: 1- Jump from the fire, 2- Only One, 3- On the Edge of Tolerance, 4-It in itself, 5- Ensystemed, 6- Germ of Error, 7- The Strach na Vruble, 8- Sportorico, 9- Obscure Meaning of Infinity, 10- Maybe there, 11- Mushroom Hell, 12- Impartial, 13- The Others

Here we have again the grind bestiality of Cerebral Turbulency. This time with a much better sound the band continues to deliver their ultra bestiality full fo blast beats and ultra fast riffs played at the speed of light. Here we have the ultraguttural vocals that the style must have and we have thirteen tracks thata re really well developed adding some death metal elements in the riffing and in the drumming that are essential to open new horizons for Cerebral Turbulency. The sound is good and effective being much more clear than on the previous album and that makes things even heavier.Here we have good work of guitars doing fast and twisted riffs that sound powerful and will grind your head with their heaviness. Pure grind with some death metal touches !!!

Favorite tracks: "On the edge of tolerance", "Ensystemed" and "Mushroom Hell"

Contact: http://cerebral.webpark.cz or lolokar@mybox.cz

CHINCHILLA - MADTROPOLIS (Metal Blade Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Ingmar Schenzel and Udo Gerstenmeyer

Tracks: 1- the Arise of a Madtropolis, 2- Our Destiny, 3- A Dance With the Devil, 4- When the Sand Darkens the Sun, 5- Entire World, 6- Satellite, 7- Heavy metal, 8- Headless Fools, 9- Turn Around the Magic Table, 10- Money Rules Everything, 11- Battle of the World, 12- Madtropolis, 13- The Fall of Madtropolis

Cover Art by Rene Imhof

 Recorded at House of Music Studios

Despite their strange name this band is pure heavy metal in its most classic way with some power metal elements. This time the album sounds less Iron Maidenesque than the previous one and I find this interesting because the band is getting more original adding more keyboards and with Thomas Laasch singing in a rawer way and givins more power to the band. Here the combination of Artur´s keyboards with Udo´s guitars is more essential and has become more tight. The rhythm section is as solid as always and gives Chinchilla the basement for their songs with a lot of double bass and heavy beats. The choruses are memorable in the german way which is really grandiloquent and epic. Pure metal for the masses!!!

Favorite tracks: "Our destiny", "Entire World" and "Battle of the world"

Contact: www.metalblade.com

COPH NIA - SHAPE SHIFTER (Cold Meat Industry, 2003)

Mastered By: Peter Andersson

Tracks: 1- the Hall of Truth, 2-To Fix the Shadow, 3- Lord of the Air, 4- Prime Mover, 5- Gnostic Anthem, 6- Hymn to pan, 7- The Mirror, 8- Stigmata Martyr, 9- Call of the Jackal

Cover Art by Mike Bohatch

As always Cold Meat Industry releases are innovative, very ethereal and obscure. And Coph nia are masters of this kind of music as they show here. Opening with a climatic intro in "The Hall of Truth" with voices before a keyboard orchestrated passage opens the aforementioned trrack, the band explores new paths on each composition. But the main thing here is the combination of a gothic atmosphere with the extreme darkness of the compositions (which sometimes sound like played in the middle of an abandoned cathedral at midnight. There are a couple of covers like Leather Nun´s "Primal Mover" or Bauhaus "Stigmata Martyr" done in the Coph Nia way but eveerything here is full of dark arrangements and Aldenmon Satorial´s sorrowful voice. This is a must for experimental dark music with heavy orchestration and harmonizations.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.coldmeat.se

CORONATION - READY TO FEAST (Doomforce Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Jochen Pelser

Tracks: 1- Smile for a Hatchet, 2- Create More Hells, 3- An Act of Possession, 4- Into Nothingness, 5- Gore Explosion

Cover Art by Daniel Von Dahlen

 Recorded at Hate Studio

Coronation has succesfully combined death metal with a modern sound that makes their music really attractive. This guys are really brutal but at the same time know how to deliver more rhythmic riffs that give a different feeling and power to their music. I have to point out the really good work of Ricci on drums doing fast patterns, breaks and really concise double bass (this guy is like a metronome with his feet) plus he is innovative in his drumming. The guitars create devastating riffs that when combined with Tom´s brutal vocals give the bestial feeling to the tracks. The guitar riffs are complex in many places and I love that because they go one step forward from other bands of the style. This is an ideal album to listen for those who like brutal bands with good technique and innovative ideas.

Favorite tracks: The five

Contact: www.coronation666.de or www.doomforce.de

COSMO´S MOON - COSMO´S MOON (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Cosmo´s Moon

Tracks: 1- All´s Fair in Love and War, 2- Pushe, 3- 1000 Lies, 4- Just One Night

Cover Art by Cosmo´s Moon

 Recorded at A.R.T.I. Studios

Cosmo´s Moon is a band that plays heavy rock with heavy guitars played by Mark Valentino. Here the main thing are songs. Yes, each of the four compositions here are songs done with good taste and are well developed making them really catchy and memorable. The singer is really clean managing to create good melodies with his middle ranged voice. There are some good vocal harmonies in the choruses and melodic guitar solos. The sound of this recording is a little bit raw and I think that with a more polished sound the band can sound even better. The rhythm section here leaves a lot of space for the guitars and the vocals to develope their ideas. Here we have pure rock and roll with loud guitars in its purest form

Favorite tracks: "Pushe" and "1000 Lies"

Contact: http://cosmos_moon_band.tripod.com

CRADLE TO GRAVE - LIFESPAN SESSIONS 2003 (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Cradle to Grave

Tracks: 1- Nuclear Flowers, 2- Shut My Eyes, 3- Southern Oak, 4- Just Cause, 5- Crown of Snakes

Cover Art by Cradle to Grave

 Recorded at Turtle Recording Studio

The Lifespan Sessions opens in a really epic way with the melodies in the beginning of "Nuclear Flowers" before getting into a more rhythmic type of riffing that is designed more for jumping and moshing. This band plays modern metal with influences of bands like for example Pantera but mixed with different influences and with a rawer sound, specially on the guitars. Here we have a singer that is powerful and whose voice is not extremely guttural preferring to use a more screaming type of vocals to emphasize the band´s music. Everything here is brutal and powerful and every riff, every drumbeat will blow your head off with their sheer agression. The mix of the album is raw and I think that with a better mix specially on the drums the band can sound even heavier. Pure aggression.

Favorite tracks: "Shut My Eyes" and "Crown of Snakes"

Contact: www.cradletograve.ca

CUNTGRINDER - REIGN IS CONTINUED (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Berlin and Cuntgrinder

Tracks: 1- Intro (Shut Up you Shitcunt), 2- A True Erotical Adventure, 3- Fuckloud Crust, 4- Vegan penetration, 5- I Erase your Family, 6- Golden Shower, 7- Die When You Die, 8- Anton, the son of the priest, 9- Bloody Cunt Fuck, 10- Cuntshredder, 11- Lex, the dragqueen, 12- Forever Free, 13- My Voodoo Ouanga, 14- Cannibal Song, 15- Choosen one, 16- United Forces, 17- Fuck the Whores, 18- Dildo Megawatt (Slaytanic Version), 19- Frau Braun (Fallen in Love)

Some months ago we reviewed Cunt Grinder´s previous album a devastating grind album mixed with some death metal influences. This one goes on a similar path but the songs are better composed and the sound is much better, specially on the guitars that now sound really devastating. This grindfreaks deliver here nineteen short tracks in almost forty minutes that are a showcase of their style: a fusion of blast beats and ultra fast guitar riffs with more rhythmic phrases and patterns that add diversity to their music. The vocals are used like another instrument and is extremely guttural combined in many parts with a more screaming type of voice that is a trademark of grind style. I have to remark that this guys have a more devastating guitar sound than most of the bands of the style. Plus they have a sactological sense of humour that is a plus here (including the parody of the "Reign in Blood" cover art). Grind to blow your head!!!

Favorite tracks: "Cannibal Song", "I Erase your Family" and "Fuck the Whores"

Contact: www.cuntgrinder.com

CURIOUS - FALLING (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Curious

Tracks: 1- Thought of Angels, 2- Eclipse, 3- Rovers, 4- Falling

Cover Art by Marie

 Recorded at the Lucia Pred Den

Sweet keyboards open this album before the drums enter along with the bass. Here we have a band whose music is really climatic with heavy use of clean guitars and keyboards. Here everything goes along the paths of dark music with incredible melodic arrangements that are the essence of Curious music. There is a heavy influence of gothic rock but the main thing here is the beauty of the compositions. Here we have five musicians that create musical passages with a lot of feeling and whose main goal is to surprise you with their melodies and their atmospheres. Olli´s vocals fit the music perfectly adding a feeling of sadness and despair to the band´s music. If I have to describe r}the band´s music I have to say some thing like "a beauty in black" or something like that because of the mix of amazingly beautiful passages and this feeling of coldness and sorrow that the music has. This is what I call a really climatic release that takes also some pop influences and mixes it into their own music. Don´t expect screams and heavy riffs here, here you have melodies, arrangements, feelings and everything with a great mix that enhances the results. A must.

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.curious-band.de

D.S.K. - DISRUPTION OF SOUL AND KIND (Independent , 2000)

Produced By: D.S.K. and Benoit Moritz

Tracks: 1- Te Asesinan, 2- In Cold Blood, 3- Drug Me, 4- Forever lost

Cover Art by Cedric Cadeau

 Recorded at Turtle Studio

Pure extreme death metal is the music that D.S.K. does . Here we have a band that combines cleverly speed and aggression in order to create a really brutal recording with a bestial death metal feeling but with many thrash metal elements like the riffs and some of the vocals on the track "In Cold Blood". The riffs are technical in many places and more simple in others but all of them are effective. There are some good guitar solos in the thrash metal vein that contrast heavily with the more brutal parts. The vocals are guttural and aggressive and they give the main death metal feeling to D.S.K.´s music. The sound is raw but clear and that makes things even more aggressive. If you like brutal music with many rhythmic riffs and ideas then you have to check D.S.K.

Favorite tracks: "In Cold Blood" and "Forever Lost"

Contact: www.dsk.fr.fm

D.S.K. - PROMO CD 2002 (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: D.S.K.

Tracks: 1- Introduction to not, 2- My Fist, 3- En la Ciudad, 4- With My Organs

Cover Art by D.S.K.

This are the newest tracks by the guys in D.S.K. and we have to say that this tracks are a step forward when compared to their previous album. Here we have pure brutality in their music combined with the thrtash feeling that is their trademark. As in their previous recording here we have a combiantion of the fastest rhythms with killer fast drumming with the more rhythmic parts that give even more heaviness to their music. The sound is much better here than in the "Disruption of Soul and Kind" album, specially on the guitars that here sound more in the fron adding mroe power to the music. The drummer is a machine in the fastets parts and he is one of the columns that support D.S.K.´s music. Brutality guaranteed.

Favorite tracks: the three

Contact: www.dsk.fr.fm

DANIELE BRUSASCHETTO - BLUVIOLA (Independent , 2001)

Produced By: Daniele Brusaschetto

Tracks: 1- La Teoria del Flusso, 2- I Love You All, 3- Trascino, 4- Goffo, 5- Dimmi, 6- L´Uomo nero, 7- La Terra Dell´Arcobaleno, 8- Saliva in Raduno, 9- Blu/Viola

Cover Art by Luca Ruvilli

Daniele Brusaschetto is really an original musician. On this album he plays guitars and does a lot of the sampling and percussion creating a post industrial experimental music with heavy guitars that add disonances to the atmospheres that are created here. Total experimentation s the main thing here. The combination of calm passages with the more distorted ones is essential int racks like "La Teoria del Flusso". Brusaschetto also sings the lyrics here adding a lot of hooks that will get the listener really paying attention to the experimentation while he sings. The combination of percussion, electronics and guitars is the essence here and is a trademark of Daniele Brusaschetto´s music. Here we have a pure experimental album done in a modern context with use of heavy guitars and interesting rock elements.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.danielebrusaschetto.it

DANIELE BRUSASCHETTO - BELLIES / PANCE (Independent , 1997)

Produced By: Daniele Brusaschetto

Tracks: 1- Puerile, 2- Sint, 3- Oggi, 4- Suture, 5-Agnello, 6- Struttura, 7- Ancora Scatole, 8- Braccia Meccaniche, 9- L´Orso Poeta

Cover Art by Daniele Brusaschetto

 Recorded at Aqualuce Studios

This is an album of pure experimentation again in the way that Daniele does it: that is with heavy and distorted guitars combined with programming, sampling and electronics. This album is like the darker side of "Bluviola". This has more violent tracks like "Puerile" and other compositions that are more hypnotical and have a darker feeling in them like for example "Sint". The sound of the recording is not as good as in "Bluviola" but it is raw and effective for what Brusaschetto wants to transmit to the listener. Here again the experimentation is the main thema and Daniele is really comfortable creating this amazing compositions that can take you through many moods within the same track. A really original release.

Favorite tracks: "Puerile", "Struttura" and "Braccia Mechaniche"

Contact: www.danielebrusaschetto.it

DANIELE BRUSASCHETTO - MAMMA FOTTIMI (Independent , 1999)

Produced By: Daniele Brusaschetto

Tracks: 1- Mamma Fotimi, 2- Schiavo, 3- Odore D´Infanzia, 4- Movements, 5- Aviogetto, 6- Forse, 7- Martire, 8- Chi Ha la Faccia Scucita, 9- Autorita, 10- Return at Home, 11- Noioso, 12- 12

Yet here we have another album of this italian musician. This one starts calmly with clean guitars and voices that start developing an ethereal melody that is the core of the title track. Here the experimentation is again dark in many places but in others like "Schiavo" sounds almost epic (with that rhythm that sounds like a big hammer banging your head). There is kind of a different approach to sound in tracks like this one because there is use of noises and sounds in a different context and Brusaschetto speaks a lot of the lyrics here. It is good to see that Daniele makes each recording different from the other one always exploring new territories in the musical underground. There is aggression in some aprts too and that makes this a powerful recording. Pure experimentation with good results. Thumbs up for Daniele Brusaschetto!

Favorite tracks: "Schiavo", "Martire" and "Return at home"

Contact: www.danielebrusaschetto.it

DARK ASSAULT - INSANITY IN SANITY (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Dark Assault

Tracks: 1- Dark Assault, 2- Revenge, 3- Fire in the Sky, 4- Legions of Chaos, 5- Bastards from Hell, 6- The Mad mortician, 7- Soul Tormentor, 8- Metalheads

Cover Art by Volker Mahlenbrey and Stefan Müller

 Recorded in Balingen

Dark Assault is a band coming directly from Germany whose music is pure extreme thrash with strong eighties influence but combined with faster and more furious death metal in many of the guitar riffs and specially on the most extreme vocals. There are many thrash riffs here and they have a raw sound and at the same time a crushing quality in them that makes Dark Assault´s music really devastating. Plus we have here some guitar melodies like at 1:15 of "Fire in the sky" that gives a small break before all hell breaks loose again. The vocals here are really extreme giving a deathly feeling to the music and making each track sound even heavier. I have to remark the work of the drummer who is killer with interesting double bass and thrashing drumming that is one of the essential elements in Dark Assault´s music. This is extreme thrash/death that will leave you picking up the pieces of your brain.

Favorite tracks: "Revenge", "The Mad Mortician" and "Soul Tormentor"

Contact: www.darkassault.de

DAWN OF DEFIANCE - SUMMONING DEATH (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Diego Sendra

Tracks: 1- Summoning Death, 2- Haunted Dreams

Cover Art by Tamara Depueto

"Summoning Death" opens with some clean guitars and programmed drums that create a dark environment to develope Diego Sendra´s compositions. Here the dark element is in the guitars but we have elements from death metal, thrash and some black metal combined in order to create this two compositions. The guitars here are fast and have a thrash metal style in some of the more rhythmic riffing but teh vocals are more extreme. I would like the vocals to use a little less reverb and be a little bit higher on the mix but I think that this can be changed in future recordings. The essence of Dawn of Defiance´s music is the combiantion of extreme and climatic moments like on "Haunted Dreams" and that is the signature of this one man band´s sound. A good recording coming directly from Uruguay with total power.

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: www.dawnofdefiance.com

DEATH DU JOUR - GAMASHINOCH (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Death Du Jour

Tracks: 1- All Flowers Rot (Transact Exitus), 2- Artificial Excessive Excessivities, 3- Icing World Hunger, 4- Gamashinoch

Cover Art by Helgorth

 Recorded at Haven Studios

Death Du Jour is pure brutality played by technically proficient musicians who deliver riff after riff smashing your skull with their sheer aggression. Here we have an ultra brutal vocalist that spits the lyrics with extreme power being guttural but clear at the same time. The guitars here are devastating creating a wall of sound against which the drums deliver their rhythmic storm with blast beats and fast patterns. One thing that I have to remark is the really good mix that this album has making Death Du Jour sound even more brutal. Here we have four tracks that are bursts of pure energy and are like a fist against your mouth delivered with great technical skills that allows the band to change patterns and rhythms really fluently. Pure aggression.

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.deathdujour.net

DEATH MECHANISM - DEMO (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Death Mechanism

Tracks: 1- To Die from their Birth, 2- Horror Lab - Secret lab, 3- Hidden Ambition, 4- War Mechanism

 Recorded at Remaster Studio

From the ashes of italian thrash metal band O.D.O. comes this new outfit called Death Mechanism. Here we have some of the features that the previous band had but they have evolved into a more brutal form of thrash metal emphasizing those riffs that are devastating and making things more extreme than on the old recordings. Death Mechanism is in the vein of bands like Kreator or Destruction or even some Dark Angel in some of the riffing. Here we have very fast fdrumming that adds brutality to the music and I really liked some complex passages in tracks like "Horror Lab" (2:00) where the drummer uses really well the ride cymbal creating a rhythmic passage that gives a different sound to that track. The sound is raw and at the same time powerful and I would recommend this guys to mix a little bit louder the guitars in order to make them sound really huge. Here we have pure thrash coming from Verona, Italy with modern sound and ideas.

Favorite tracks: "To die..." and "Hidden Ambition"

Contact: pine.p@libero.it

DEMONIZER - THRASHING FORCE...ATTACK !!! (independent , 2003)

Produced By: Demonizer

Tracks: 1- My Scars Will Remain, 2- Streets of Terror, 3- Forever Banned in Chaos, 4- Execution of a Christian, 5- Demonized, 6- Human Disease, 7- Forget the past, 8- Lysva´s Breast, 9- Thrashing Force...Attack!, 10- Only Skin Over Flesh

The guys in Demonizer have mixed thrash metal with some elements of death metal in order to develope their own sound. The guitars sound really thrash but faster, with elaborated riffs and arrangements and multiple changes. The drumming is fast and furious with a lot of double bass patterns . This guys are influenced by german thrash with bands like Kreator and Destruction that come to my mind while listening to this violent album. The vocals are really raw in the vein of Mille Petrozza and they fit really well the music. Despite being really wild the band sounds really precise, specially in some difficult tempo changes in tracks like "Streets of Terror". This is pure thrash done with good musicianship. Check it !

Favorite tracks: "Streets of Terror", "Human Disease" and "Forget the Past"

Contact: www.demonizer.be

DESPOTIC - LET THE MADNESS BEGIN! (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Alexei Leao and Marküs Feminela

Tracks: 1- Just Pain Will last, 2- Masterpiece of Life

Cover Art by Natal

 Recorded at AML Studios

This two tracks make you want more Despotic. Starting with pure metal riffing and a good guitar solo with great note placement here we have this band whose music can be described as thrash metal with some classical heavy metal. I mean, their riffs go beyond heavy metal and make use of more breaks or changes that are closer to thrash. The singer reminds me of eighties thrash metal singers who had a wide range in his voice and he reaches high pitches but uses mainly his middle range to fit better the music. There are a lot of changes and breaks on the two tracks and this is the trademark of Despotic´s music. The sound is good and the guitars sound really heavy and tight (and also sounding really clear in the guitar solos). I would like this guys to record more songs soon so I can listen more of their material that is really promisory.

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: www.despotic.kit.net

EBOLA JOY - SITRA ACHRA (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Ebola Joy

Tracks: 1- Dying World, 2- You have No Choice, 3- Your Life in Death, 4- Touch of Death.5- Empty, 6- Weary, 7- Stay, 8- Return (on the boundary of light and shadow)

 Recorded at Ebola Joy Home Studio

I have never listened the music of this czech band before and I have to say that this guys deserve to be one of the most famous bands in metal style. Why? Because of the amazing quality of their music. The way in which they have merged aggressive music with climatic parts is really original and extremely powerful at the same time. The combiantion of aggressive heavier than hell guitars with omniprescent keyboards. And thsi keyboards are essential in Ebola Joy´s music they give a lot of atmosphere to each of the composition and they add harmonies and orchestration. Plus the vocalist is reallyv ersatile sounding really sad and heartful thorigh all the recording. I have to remark the good mix that this album has making the band´s feelings and ideas be fully heard through the eight amazing compositions here. A must !!!

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.ebolajoy.cz

ENDITOL - DEMO 03 (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Enditol

Tracks: There are eight progressive metal tracks here

Cover Art by Enditol

Enditol is really heavy and at the same time they deliver complex music with good musicianship. Their music is really progressive in the sense that they have the technical skills that allows the band to deliver many tempo changes, odd time signature rhythms (check track number two) and in the sense that they deliver great orchestration done with keyboards that contrast with the huge heavy guitar sound (Endito has a crushing rhythm guitar sound). The constant changes and the multiple arrangements that this guys are capable of doing while keeping their music really powerful is really amazing. There are even some parts with use of blast beats but this is only one trick in a million that the band can do. I was really swept away by this crushing band, as a guitarist I really admire the guitar solos here done with really good taste and excellent note placement. This is what I call good musicianship and good song development. You have to buy this demo or die!

Favorite tracks: All the tracks

Contact: http://members.shaw.ca/enditol

EVAN PARKER & PAUL LYTTON AT THE UNITY THEATRE (Psi Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Derek Bailey

Tracks: 1- In the Midst of Laughter and Glee, 2- On Reflection, 3- Mild Steel Rivets for P.H., 4- The Dirlston Dirler, 5- Through Consensus, 6- To unity

 Recorded at Unity theatre, London 7/1/1975

The master Evan Parker has released another recording through Psi Recs. and this time he is interacting with paul Lytton who plays percussion, electronics and vocals. One thing that surprised me from the beginning is that here both musicians play with a lot of sounds and they also experiment with silences and different dynamics. Parker delivers his extreme sax lines while Lytton waits for the right moment to enter with his percussive sounds. One thing that this guys use a lot are the diferent intensities in the playing, so sometimes when the sax is in the front the percussion is doing some soft lines behind and then comes up to the fron and the sax goes back to deliver some less intense lines. The experimentation on this album is really extreme and Parker delivers manic lines through all the recording getting original sounds from his instrument. This is experimentation in its most extreme form.

Favorite tracks: "In the midst...", "Mild Steel..." and "To unity"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

EXIT TO ETERNITY - LIVE DEMO 2002 (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Exit to Eternity

Tracks: 1- Mindless Pawns, 2- Kristalnacht, 3- From the Depths, 4- No More

Cover Art by Exit to Eternity

Exit to Et4ernity starts crushing your brain with their fast "Mindless Pawns" track. The band goes in the path of classic thrash metal bands like Slayer with a more modern sound. The guys here have a good complement of fast and more rhythmic riffs combined with complex parts (some drum parts are extremely difficult....just check the middle section of "Mindless Pawns"). One of the best things here is the multiple changes in riffs and tempo that this guys deliver on every track, going to extremely fast to a more rhythmic pace, then to a slower part and then back at full speed again. The srummer is really a killing machine and he knows how to change patterns and do a lot of double bass and complex passages with teh ride cymbal without missing a beat. The sound of the recording is raw and that is due to the live nature of the demo (I think this guys on stage must be really a killer band and I would love to see them some day). Here you have extreme thrash done with a lot of musicianship.

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.exittoeternity.com

FOREST OF IMPALED - FORWARD THE SPEARS (Red Stream Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Forest of Impaled

Tracks: 1- Forward the Spears, 2- The Fall of the Trinity, 3- Thy Mighty Servant, 4- I Am The Temple to Eternal Death, 5- Hand of Vengeance, 6- Sons of Cain, 7- The Call of Death´s Dark Horn, 8- Orgy of Unearthly Delights, 9- Into the Mouth of Oblivion, 10- Death I Have Become Thee

Cover Art by Deather and David Najbrt

 Recorded at Studio One

Some orchestrated sounds open this album with some sounds coming directly from some type of movie before the devastating sound of Forest of Impaled enters the scene. Their music is a combination of three devastating styles taking to the extreme: death metal, black metal and thrash. This styles are put together in Forest of Impaled and the three combined are pure brutality from beginning to end. One thing that is remarkable is that the band is extremely tight through all the recording and they have achieved a crushing sound here. Plus, they know how to make each song memorable. For example they through a bass part and spoken vocals in the title track adding a catchy rhythmic riff before getting at full speed. Pure double bass druming with great tachnical skills is present in all the compositions here. If I have to define the music of the band I would say that they deliver a very bestial music but with originality and musicianship. A recording designed to blow your head !

Favorite tracks: "Forward the Spears", "Hand of Vengeance" and "Orgy of unearthly delights"

Contact: www.redstream.org

FRANCK BALESTRACCI - EXISTENCES INVISIBLES (Carbon 7 Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Carbon 7

Tracks: 1- Screenplay of a movie, 2- Adrift in a city, 3- Le Veilleur Sous la Lune, 4- Our Inner theater, 5- Chaos Anterieur, 6- Obscure Part, 7- Les Desespoirs de Christa, 8- Baird Ts Memory, 9- Prelude Polaire, 10- Telle est La Raison, 11- Electric Day, 12- La Danse des Sons, 13- Plan Sequence, 14- Parcours de Memoire

 Recorded at Franck´s home studio

Frnack Balestracci delivers on thsi album fourteen compositions that can be described as fusion of several styles with heavy empasis on keyboards and great development on each of the works presented here. Balestracci plays all the instruments here and experiments heavily in all the tracks developing many different rhythms and melodies. This guy is really innovative in his idea creating amazing bass lines that really up in the front of the mix (I liked that) and that contrast with the keybaords and sounds that Balestracci delivers here. The programmed drums sound really natural and there are amazing melodies going on in all the compositions. There are many tempo changes and heavy experimentation with atmospheres througha ll the recording (check tracks like "Le Veilleur sous la Lune" to see how Franck puts many different things together creating a great track) I have to remark the really good mix that this album has making each of the instruments that Franck has recorded dound really pure and shining. Pure fusion and great musicianship !

Favorite tracks: "Adrift in a City", "Chaos Anterieur" and "LA danse des Sons"

Contact: www.carbon-7.com

FRODE GJERSTAD & DEREK BAILEY - NEARLY A D (Emanem Disc , 2003)

Produced By: Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Bell, 2- Stairs, 3- Studio, 4- A Cup of tea, 5- Nearly A D, 6- Leaving it There

  Cover Aet by Camill Sørvik

I always enjoy listening to Derek Bailey. He is the ultimate guitarist in what is concerned to improvisational and spontaneous music. Here he is creating interesting duets with saxophonist Frode Gjerstad where originality and spontaneity are the main feeling. It is surprising to listen the range that Gjerstad achieves with his instruments, going from very low sounds to really high pitched ones within the same phrases. Plus he can combine this extreme lines with more melodic and warm ones and then change into wild dissonances. Meanwhile Bailey creates rhythms and chords over which the lines are played and he improvises in a really extreme way getting sounds that can be achieved after exploring the heart and soul of the guitar. You will find on this album many original ideas and they are played with great quality going for the most extreme side of spontaneous music.

Favorite tracks: "Bell", "Stairs" and "Nearly A D"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

FUCK...I´M DEAD VS. ENGORGED - SPLIT CD (No Escape Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: No Escape Recs.

ENGORGED: 9- Alien Contamination, 10- Vomiting Butchers Redux, 11- Death metal Attack 2000, 12- the Final Giallo, 13- Surgery Drugs and Rock´n´roll

Cover Art by Sascha Pahlke

Then comes Engorged with their combination of death metal with some grind parts but with more charachteristics of death metal in their music. This guys are fast but have more changes in their music than the previous band and some of the riffs are quite difficult to be played as precisely as the band does. Here we have a drummer who is a beast playing this fast rhythms and technical passages (with use of ride cymbal and very intelligent use of snare drum). The band is brutal as a hammer smashing your brain but they have a good equilibrium between brutality and technical skills. A must for lovers of pure brutality.

Favorite tracks: "Anal Abattoir" and all the Engorged tracks.

Contact: www.noescaperecords.com

GALACTIC INDUSTRY - PERFECT LIFE? (Popron music , 2002)

Produced By: Galactic Industry and Mros

Tracks: 1- In the Infinite, 2- There´s No Way, 3- Regardless, 4- All we are Pieces, 5- Perfect Life, 6- Fall Down, 7- Point of Break, 8- You, 9- Would-be Stars, 10- Slight, 11- Worse than THC, 12- Chemical reaction

Cover Art by Andy Fierla

 Recorded at Citron Studio

What a powerful beginning! Starting with "In the Infinite" the guys in Galactic Industry deliver riffs combined with many electronic elements and keyboards that soon become their trademark. Their music is definitely metal but in a different way to all the styles that we know... they have the heavy guitar riffs but when combined with the keys and electronics and with the climatic vocals done by George 13 they are twisted into a completely different form. One good thing here is that each of the songs here are really memorable sticking eaily in your mind. The rhythm section plays tight patterns that give a lot of rhithmic sense to Galactic Industry´s music. The twelve tracks here are designed to crush you and at the same time to experiment new sounds and atmospheres. This is a really original album.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.galactic.cz

GENERAL SURGERY / THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS - SPLIT CD (Razorback Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Razorback Recs

THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINERS: 8- Bloatation (repugnant refloatation), 9- Cruentous Mess, 10- Forensic Photography, 11- A Brief Discourse on wound ballistics, 12- Cooperative Cadaveric Custody, 13- Prosector´s Bane: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

 Recorded at Bacup Studios (General Surgery) and Tillinghast Workshop (TCME)

This is a really extreme split CD that will appeal to lovers of extreme death and grindcore.

Favorite tracks: "Cauterization...", "Decomposer", "Cruentous Mess", "Cooperative..."

Contact: www.razorbackrecords.com

GHOUL - MANIAXE (Razorback Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Brad Kobylczak

Tracks: 1- Pleassant Screams / Forbidden Crypts, 2- Maggot Hatchery, 3- Sewer Chewer, 4- Ghoul Hunter, 5- Numbskull, 6- Boneless, 7- Maniaxe, 8- Mechanized Death, 9- The End?, 10- What a Wonderful World

Cover Art by Jake Carns

 Recorded at Studio 880

This album opens with a climatic intro called "Pleasant Screams" that fast enough leads us to "Forbidden Crypts". Ghouls music has a lot of death metal in the vocals and a lot of thrash and pure metal in some of the guitar riffs. I find some Carcass influence here and there but this influences are only a small part og Ghoul´s extremely violent music. Here we have ultra fast riffs, some of them more complex and some of them more simple and effective, and we also have a lot of fast drumming that is devastating. Dissector and Digestor have made a really tight job here constructing the skeleton of each song with their ultra distorted guitars. There are some grind moments but the main parts of the tracks here are pure death metal, emphasized by the guttural and screaming vocals. Here you have brutality with good guitars and memorable riffs.

Favorite tracks: "Forbidden Crypts", "Ghoul Hunter" and "Maniaxe"

Contact: www.razorbackrecords.com

GOD DETHRONED - INTO THE LUNGS OF HELL (Recs. , 200)

Produced By: Henrik Larsson

Tracks: CD 1:1- Into the lungs of Hell, 2- The Warcult, 3- enemy of the State, 4- Soul Sweeper, 5- Slaughtering the Faithful, 6- Subliminal, 7- The Tombstone, 8- Gods of Terror

 Recorded at Berno Studios

Here we have the new God Dethroned album and this comes with a bonus CD with live tracks and unreleased material, covers and rerecordings. Plus, the new songs are as devastating as always but this time mixed with a more compact sound that gives an extra strength to the compositions. It is remarkable the work of Arien on drums that delivers brutal parts but with a lot of technical skills and originality in some passages and patterns. The guitars have that special God Dethroned sound, sort of a mix between death metal and thrash metal with a really modern sound that is their trademark. The compositions are well developed and one thing that always surprise in God Dethroned´s music is the way in which they manage to make their songs really memorable despite being extremely aggressive. This album is a must have.

Favorite tracks: "Into the Lungs of Hell", "Soul Sweeper", "Subliminal"

Contact: www.metalblade.com

GODSTOMPER - HELL´S GRIM TYRANT (Enterruption Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Godstomper

Tracks: 1- Giving Up on Humanity (intro), 2- Symptoms Don´t Appear, 3- Mountain View Cops Suck, 4- Semen in the Eye of Seth Putnam, 5- Straight Edge Massacre, 6- Wasted Life, 7- Eat Me, I´m a Carrot, 8- Real Suffering, 9- Keeping it Real, 10- Punishment Due, 11- International Audio Corporate Take Down, 12- Killing for Exxon, 13- Burn this !, 14- Damage is Good, 15- Assuck is dead, 16- Emo Purgatory is an Empty paper Cup, 17- I´m not Straight Edge, 18- Dead Pets, 19- Misery index (instrum), 20- Devastation Now!, 21- Hell´s Grim Tyrant (outro)

Cover Art by Exxx Ressler

 Recorded at Cesspool Concrete Bunker

This is one of those bands that sound extremely heavy and yet they are really slow paced in many places and they play rhythmically in others and thendo a grind part. Here we have some feedback noises too and a really raw guitar sound. There is some hardcore influence in tracks like "Semen...". This are twenty one tracks that are difficult to label but that let you banging your head against the wall with their sheer power and aggression. The combination of ultrafast parts with more rhythmic ones is the essence of Godstomper´s music and the vocalist sounds really distorted fitting really well the music. The drumming is simple and effective, sometimes chaotic in the fastest parts and keeping really well the pace in the most rhythmic parts. With no doubt an original and aggressive album.

Favorite tracks: "Symptoms...", "Wasted life" and "Damage is Good

Contact: www.enterruption.com

GRAVITAR - FREEDOM´S JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR NEVER GETTING PAID (Enterruption Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Gravitar

Tracks: 1- Freedom´s just another word for never getting paid, 2- Freedom´s just another word for never getting paid, 3- Freedom´s just another word for never getting paid, 4- Freedom´s just another word for never getting paid, 5- Freedom´s just another word for never getting paid

Cover Art by Anthiony Skirvin

 Recorded in Dearborn

What a good band is this one!! Full of experimenting, the album opens with a King Crimson like opening with interesting drumming and clean but processed guitars. This first title track is over fifteen minutes long and you will never get bored listening this trio that has two guitars, horns, drumming and a lot of experimenting. Here we have a band that creates passages making the instruments interact and delivering really atmospheric and progressive parts. There are weird dissonances where the band delivers interesting lines that clashes one against the other always creating new melodies and always surprising. The guitars are processed and use a lot of effects in order to create new sounds. I have to recommend this album to all lovers of experimental music done in a rocking context and also to everyone looking for new or fresh ideas.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.enterruption.com

HAEMOTH / AD NOCTEM - MORTUALES DELECTI SPLIT CD (Hohenstaufen Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Hohenstaufen Recs.

AD NOCTEM: 9- Seance, 10- Support the Satanic Elite, 11- Those to be Exterminated, 12- Rex Tremendae Majestetis, 13- Pure Desecration, A New Hope Perverted, 14- Sentenced Under a Shroud of Darkness (A Requiem For the Burning Souls), 15- Chaos Finally Achieved

This are two bands that will be surely be worshiped by lovers of the most extreme black metal.

Favorite tracks: "Hoath´s Arrival", "Funeral Possession", "Support the Satanic Elite" and "Rex Tremendae..."

Contact: hohenstaufenrecs@hotmail.com

HARMONY DIES - IMPACT (Morbid Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Harmony Dies

Tracks: 1- Narcotic, 2- Blessing, 3- Toxicated, 4- Illfated, 5- Impact, 6- Farewell, 7- Inside, 8- Suffering, 9- InstruMetal, 10- Silence, 11- Subliminal

Mastered by Andreas Hilbert

 Recorded at Soundforge Recordings

Harmony Dies was the firtst band to ever sent their music for being reviewed kin Music Extreme and they are one of the most brutal bands out there. This is the follow up to their "I´ll Be Your Master" album and I have to say that this guys have become better and better. This time they have a more devastating guitar sound and their riffs are more crushing giving a great emphasis to the heavioer rhythms instead to speed. The band is fast enough but they have much more than this to offer. They play complex riffing with huge guitars, they have double bass drumming and they have the really deathly guttural vocals that are their trademark. The sound is really good on this album making the instruments even more brutal than in their previous releases and sounding like if they were going to smash your brain into pieces. If you are a lover of pure brutality done with good musicianship and a huge sound then Harmony Dies is the band for you.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

HOWARD RILEY / JOHN TILBURY / KEITH TIPPETT - ANOTHER PART OF THE STORY (Emanem Disc , 2003)

Produced By: Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Jump UP, 2- Equanimity, 3- Equal Plan, 4- Sonorities One, 5- Sonorities Two, 6- Being Prepared, 7- Threeway, 8- Pow

Cover Art by JohN Ochaltree

 Recorded at Gateway Studios

Here we have not only one or two pianos but we have three pianos played by this great muisicians. On this recording from August 2002 we have three pianists exploring their instruments finding new sounds on them not only by playing them in the traditional way but also using other elements to achieve different sounds like for example attaching elements such as clips or erasers to the piano strings or using drumsticks and chains. Here we have a combination of the most frantic experimental lines with parts full of melodies. It is interesting to see how one piano player does the foundation of the composition while the others develope their ideas and then they change their roles developing countless ideas full of imagination and originality. Sometimes we have here combination of piano lines with percusive sounds that give even more spontaneity to the music. Riley, Tilbury and Tippett have managed to create here over one hour of pure improvisation with endless imagination and innovative ideas.

Favorite tracks: "Being repared", "Equal play" and "Jump Up"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

IMPERIAL CRYSTALINE ENTOMBMENT - IMPERIAL CRYSTALINE ENTOMBMENT (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Imperial Crystalline Entombment

Tracks: 1- Astral Frost Invocation, 2- Apocalyptic Blizzard Regime, 3- Behold thy Frozen Arctic Kingdom

 Recorded at Akureyri Studios, Iceland

Three tracks are enough to show the power that this guys have. Their music is a mix between death metal and black emtal and taken to the extreme. Speed is one of the main elements here as is also the crushing riffs that this gelid guys have constructed through all their compositions. The album is full of double bass drumming and also there are many blast beats that devastates the listener´s brain. There are some breaks that remind me of "Blizzard Beasts" era Immortal but the similarity ends there because this guys have a completely different approach to extreme metal. There are some climatic parts but they are really heavy like the beginning of "Apocalyptic..:" with more mid tempo riffing but with crushing drumming. The vocals are really extreme in the black metal vein and the thematic of the lyrics is about coldness, darkness and death. A great MCD that leaves you wanting more from this band.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.imperialice.com

INDESINENCE - ECSTATIC LETHARGY (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: John Wright

Tracks: 1- Sempiternal Vortex, 2- Catalepsy, 3- Aura

Cover Art by Indesinence

This is what I call a good mix between doom and some death with a slight seventies touch in the sound. Here we have Indesinence, a band that delivers heavier than hell riffs in a mid paced tempo with many slow passages with strong emphasis on the drumming that is the one that puts the accent on the riffs and the compositions. Here we have a really guttural voice coming from beyond the graves that gives the exact feeling to the three tracks here making them really oppresing. Sometimes the guitars play some crushing riffs and sometimes they deliver open chords that give even more anguish to the songs. There is also another style of voice sort of the type of screaming vocals that contrast with the most guttural one but keeps things really extreme. The sound of the recording is good and is the type of sound that a doom band should have. Listen to this and kill yourself because of the sadness that Indesinence´s music has !!! Doom!!

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: indesinence@hotmail.com

INTENSE SOAKED CLOTH - OOZY ANTROPOMORPH (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Intense Soaked Cloth

Tracks: 1- Koerperensafter, 2- Oozy trails of a rather premature warped afterbirth, 3- Amoebic Attack Pattern, 4- Barehand Lobotomie, 5- Nuclear Manifestation, 6- Blutplasmasack, 7- Twelve Tasty Chunks, 8- Mastect-o-matic, 9- Drifting Limbs in far out space, 10-You are about to be reversified, 11- Goryfieing the Masses, 12- Gross Genital Genocide Gallery, 13- Tentacleized Office, 14- Zombified Slave Bitch, 15- Plasmarized Ex Human Piece of Crisp, 16- There are worse things than Lobotomie

Cover Art by Intense Soaked Cloth

Intense Soaked Cloth si brutal as hell and at the same time is really experimental with weird noises. Here we have fast drums, really extreme vocals (sometimes extremely guttural, sometimes background screams but always used as another instrument instead as a voice). The most extreme grind pales when compared with the music contained on this album. Here we have from the fastest riffs and drumming to experimentationa dn creativity withe electronics and industrial sounds. It is extremely difficult to label Intense Soaked Cloth´s music but one thing is for sure: they are in the most extreme side of the musical specter. The tracks are pure innovation in sound and there are many noises that after being used a couple of times, slowly develope into rhythms or some kind of arrangements. You have to listen to this album with an open mind and being ready to be surprised on each of the tracks.

Favorite tracks: "Blutplasmasack", "Zombified..." and "Nuclear Manifestation"

Contact: www.soakedcloth.de

INTRICATE UNIT - DETACHED (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Ben Kopec

Tracks: 1- Evangelist, 2- Not a Thing, 3- Media Fiend, 4- Dismantle, 5- Forbidden Heights

Cover Art by Mr. Ben Kopec

This guy called Ben Kopec who is the brain behind Intricate Unit sounds extremely wild, sometimes deppressive, sometimes aggressive, sometimes industrial, sometimes heavier than fuck !!. And Intricate Unit has created a music that is difficult to describe and that at the same time will be enjoyed by your ears while you feel the power. There is heavy use of keyboards and electronics that are combined with the heavy guitars creating a unique feeling. The programmed drumming gives a machine like feeling to the music adding a feeling of coldness that contrast heavily with the heat of teh guitars (this combination is a trademark of Intricate Unit) Ben Kopec is a guy that can create a lot of atmosphere in the compositions with his voice adding a lot of different elments and creating new shades on each track. Really modern and really aggressive and original. Like a thousand times heavier Nine Inch Nails combined with industrial bands.

Favorite tracks: "Evangelist", "Not a thing" and "Forbidden Heights"

Contact: www.intricateunit.com

JOHN BUTCHER & JOHN EDWARDS - OPTIC (Emanem Disc , 2003)

Produced By: Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Cocktail Bar, 2- Panel 5, 3- Grottes 1, 4- Plate XI, 5- Interior II

Cover Art by Martin Davidson

 Recorded in Brussels and Barcelona

John Butcher on saxophone and John Edwards on double bass deliver here five extreme compositions of spontaneous and improvisational music. Here we have the two musicians interacting with their instruments creating lines that soon construct the skeleton of the composition and then add shades, atmospheres and elements that consitute the flesh of the music here. Butcher surprises with some extreme fast lines in compositions like the twenty seven minutes long "Cocktail Bar". There are many climatic moments here too with a lot of inspiration coming from this two great musicians. The acoustic here is really good and we have an intimate feeling on this recording done in january 2001 and july 2002. This is pure spontaneity done with a lot of taste and coherence.

Favorite tracks: The five

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

LEGACY OF SOUND - PURITY AND DIRT (Aural Ecstasy Recs. , 2002)

Produced By: Mick Cardy

Tracks: 1- Boogie With the Bear, 2- Moonlight Surreal, 3- Puss E. Cat, 4- Subsonic Dimension (2001 version), 5- Fishnet (electro version)

Aditional mastering by Andrew Rowe

This is really amazing!! Pure electronics creating spectacular soundscapes through five compositions that have a lot of programmed drumbeats and many arrangements that deliver passages that surprise with their originality and good taste. If you don´t like electronics you will probably not like this album but if you listen to it with an open mind you will find new musical elements every time this CD spins in your CD player. There are some rhythms tat are close to dance but the main thing here is the experimentation with electronics creating new phrases, new melodies, new sounds. This album is also surprisingly dynamic and Legacy of Sound avoids repetitions and common idea. This is absolutely electronic with amazing ideas.

Favorite tracks: "Boogie with the Bear", "Moonlight Surreal" and "Fishnet"

Contact: www.legacyofsound.hl.com.au

LEPUS - THE MYTHS OF MAN (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Lepus

Tracks: 1- The One Thing, 2- Dream machine, 3- In My Wake, 4- Circles, 5- the Beast, 6- Burning a Sinner

 Recorded live in the studio

Lepus is a powerful band whose style is aggressive and a t the same time difficult to describe. Here sings Phil from Blastmat but the music io different from the one of that band. This is kind of more rocking and has some elements of stoner rock and also some seventies influences of bands like Black Sabbath. Phil´s voice is melodic, yet aggressive and gives a lot of identity to Lepus music and the sound of the recording fits the music perfectly. Here we have heavy guitars that play crushing rhythms and solos fukll of wah wah. The sound is raw but fits the music perfectly giving that kind of more raunchy sound to Lepus music. This is a different sound to the one in Blastmat and I think this would appeal to any fan of heavy rock and seventies influenced music.  

Favorite tracks: "The one Thing", "In My Wake" and "The Beast"

Contact: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/lepus

LIFEND - SHATTERING REALITY (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Lifend

Tracks: 1- Spiral Dance, 2- With All Fears, 3- Breathing My Anguish

Cover Art by Lifend

 Recorded at The End of Life Studio

After their previous "Entwined Emotions" here are back the guys from Lifend. Their music is grandiloquent and extremely dark with many sadness and sorrow dripping from the keyboards passages and the anguished vocals done by Sara. The black metal element is here even more evident in some vocals and some fast rhythms and the drums are clearly mixed combined with programming here doing many double bass patterns and fast beats in many places. The three tracks here have this combination of fast guitar riffs with keyboards parts and guitar melodies and solos that are the essence of Lifend´s music. Here we have too the combination of Sara´s vocals with the male ones and heavier ones done by Alberto and Roberto. The keyboards are done in areally clever way doing much more than chord progressions and adding arrangements in many places. There is an acoustic guitar part in the beginning of "With All Fears" that adds a different feeling to that song. This is pure sorrow mixed with aggression and this MCD leaves us wanting more Lifend to listen more good compositions in this dark metal vein.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.lifend.org

LIQUID HORIZON - ZEN GARDEN (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Liquid Horizon

Tracks: 1- Liquid Sky, 2- Glory, 3- Standing in the Shadows, 4- Won´t Go, 5- Zen Garden

Cover Art by Marc Schroth

 Recorded at Liquid Horizon Studio

Pure progressive metal is what Liquid Horizon plays and they do it in a really great way showing much more power than most of the bands of the style. The five tracks contained on this album show us a band that is extremely tight and that has a lot of musicianship that is needed to play the multiple arrangements that each of the compositions here have. Melodies here are combined with heavy riffs and interesting vocal harmonies that give a lot of identity to the band. Plus, we have a singer here that is much more powerful than most of the vocalists in other bands and who sings the exact notes but does not abuse high pitches prefering to concentrate in a more powerful way of singing. The guitars interact really well with the keyboards and each of the songs is extremely well constructed. A great band.

Favorite tracks: The five

Contact: www.liquidhorizon.de

LONDON IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA - FREEDOM OF THE CITY 2002 (Emanem Disc , 2003)

Produced By: Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Too Busy, 2- Ruthless, 3- Concerto for Paul Rutherford, 4- Mamosa, 5- Phone In, 6- Giallo, 7- Fanfare for L I O

Cover Art by Martin Davidson

 Recorded at the Conway Hall, London

Here is a recording of the performance of this great improvisers ensemble in the Freedom of the City Festival in 2002. Here you have the chance of listening great improvisers like Charlotte Hug, Simon Fell, Paul Rutherford, Veryan Weston and many more interacting without boundaries in order to develope their limitless musical ideas. Here you can see how some individualities develope ideas while others create a basis for the composition as it happens with te vibraphone and percussion in "Too Busy". You can also listen this "Too Busy" tracks that is kind of a tribute that Simon H. Fell composed for the late John Stevens, one of the masters of improvisation. Here we have an unique chance to listen this amazing musicians alltogether constructin spontaneous compositions that always surprise with their countless ideas. Ultra original and a recording of a unique moment of magic in time.

Favorite tracks: "Too Busy", "Concerto for Paul Rutherford" and "Giallo"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

M.O.D. - THE REBEL YOU LOVE TO HATE (Nuclear Blast Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: M.O.D.

Tracks: 1- Wigga, 2- the Rebel You Love to Hate, 3- Makin´Friends is Fun, 4- De Men of Stein, 5- Rage Against the Mac Machine, 6- Get Ready, 7- Ass-Ghanistan, 8- He´s Dead Jim, 9- Get Ready (almost live kinda), 10- Rebel (808), 11- Rage (radio edit), 12- Wigga (radio edit), 13- Rebel (radio edit)

Cover Art by M.O.D.

Here is the return of Billy Milano´s band after a short hiatus. As always they have their strong sense of humour, starting with the cover with a Michael Schenker Group like logo. This time they have mixed the style of albums like "Gross Misconduct" with more modern sounds in order to deliver their new compositions. Billy Milano´s vocals are similar as in previous albums with a more rhythmic quality on this album. The songs have that catchy choruses that are typical of the band and that makes you sing the songs along with the recording (thos shouted choruses are really in an eighties thrash vein and are one of the trademarks of M.O.D.´s music). The sound of the recording is compact and modern sounding closer to the last S.O.D. album than to the older M.O.D. ones. Here we have a classical band evolving and reinventing themselves.

Favorite tracks: "Makin Friends is Fun", "Get Ready" and "He´s Dead Jim"

Contact: www.nuclearblast.de or www.centurymedia.com.br

MACHINE CALLED MAN - DEMO (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Machine Called Man

Tracks: 1- Cup of Sorrow, 2- The Witch and the whisperer, 3- A World Without heroes, 4- Pity me, 5- Only Now, 6- Pale Horse, 7- To live a Lie, 8- Of Things to Come

Cover Art by Machine Called Man

What a surprise is this band !! Can you combine effectively original melodies with the more powerful metal. Yes !! Machine Called Man is the proof of this. They have used a heavy guitar sound to create devastating riffs and they use keyboards, acoustic guitars and melodic guitar solos to create their own style. I would call this progressive power thrash metal because it has alements of this styles but goes beyond this. The guitars sound huge and the singer is amazing going from middle range to high pitches but never abusing them. Plus here we have great musicianship in the multiple breaks, in the melodies, in the solos. This guys deserve a recording contract now !!One of the albums of 2003.

Favorite tracks: All the CD !! One of the demos of 2003 !!

Contact: www.machinecalledman.com

MANEGARM - DØDSFÄRD (Displeased Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Manegarm

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- I Evig Tid, 3- Ravenous, 4- Agirs Vrede, 5- Dodsfärd, 6- Fimbultroller, 7- Daudr, 8- Vrede, 9- Pagan War, 10- Ursjalens Visdom, 11- Gillesvisan

Cover Art by Kris Verwimp

 Recorded at Underground Studios

A climatic intro leads us directly into the epic world of Manegarm. This guys play a type of viking or pagan metal full of crushing riffs and intense rhythms. Plus this guys have really good vocals with a combiantion of the most extreme growling with some screaming and also with singing that gives a lot of epic quality to the music. There is heavy use of clean guitars in tracks like the title one and that adds a lot of darkness to the music while being the calm before the storm. There is good musicianship on all this recording with original riffs that give even more epic tones to the music and we can say that the guys in manegarm are getting better on each recording. Here we have a combination of the msot brutal music with encahnting melodies and everything is done in order to create a masterpiece of epic metal. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.displeasedrecords.com

MARK VALENTINO - AMERICAN SPIRIT (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Mark Valentino

Tracks: 1- From Ashes to Angels, 2- Aztec Sunrise, 3- the Stranger, 4- Song for a Summer Afternoon, 5- Even Heroes Bleed, 6- For a Moment, 7- I Said What?, 8- Simpatico, 9- Homecoming, 10- Coulda been the one

Cover Art by Mark Valentino

 Recorded at Big Show Studios

Mark Valentino is a great guitarist and composer that here deliver ten compositions full of melodies, energy and feeling. Here we have a guy that has a lot of technique in his playing and at the same time his playing is full of feelings making his guitar almost sing. His trademark is the heavy bending notes that he delivers through all the compositions. And he creates really soulful melodies that give tracks like "Aztec Sunrise" a lot of diversity and feeling. Here we have Mark mixing rocking guitars with clean ones (as in tracks like "The Stranger") and playing also the bass and programming the drums managing to create ten compositions that are really well developed and will never bore you because they have a lot of variations. Here we have a guitar player that deserves to be listened a lot.

Favorite tracks: "the Stranger", "Even heroes Bleed" and "Simpatico"

Contact: http://mark_valentino.tripod.com/mv

MELETS - SATAN´S BREED (THE MARK) (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Melets

Tracks: 1- Erase your head (intro); 2- Reflects of the Stone Mirror, 3- Sathanas Æutherpium, 4- My War, 5- Perfect Feast, 6- Web of Infinity, 7- The Last Sentence

Cover Art by Silentium

 Recorded at NOBrain Studios

This is pure raw unholy black metal full of the ultra fast riffs that are charachteristic in the most extreme side of the genre. The music here is really extreme with some devastating blast beats in many parts and this guys have succeeded in creating the blackest music posible with their chainsaw like guitars (with some thrash riffs in a couple of segments) and the unholy vocals that spit the vocals through all this recording. The tracks on this album were composed from 1995 to 2002 and you can see how much the band has evolved (even if the whole album was recorded in 2002). The band sounds tight and this adds more power to the music of the guys from Melets. This is pure blasphemic black metal (you can see the lyrics that are blackest than the blackest winter night) done with precission and a lot of power.

Favorite tracks: "Reflects...", "My War" and "Web of Infinity"

Contact: www.melets.com

MIRRORTHRONE - OF WIND AND WEEPING (Red Stream Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Vladimir

Tracks: 1- Racines Dénudées, 2- Florilége Lunatique Occultement Revelateur et Neantisation Caduque Engendreé, 3- The Four Names of the Living Threatening Stone, 4- Aborted, 5- Beyond the Mirrorthrone, 6- The Notion of Perfect, 7- Moi Mort..., 8- Of Wind and Weeping

Cover Art by weepingweb.com

 Recorded in Vladimir´s bedroom

A dark epic intro full of keyboards and a powerful drumming opens this album full of darkness and good musicianship. Vladimir is the only member and composer in Mirrorthrone as he is also in Unholy Matrimony, one of his numerous bands. The songs here were recorded between 2001 and 2003 and they are full of a darkened feeling that is shown here in the obscure vocals really well harmonized sounding extremely dark and also in the omniprescent keyboards that are the essence of Mirrorthrone´s music. The guitars sound really clear while playing the fast riffsthat Mirrorthrone´s music has and they contrast heavily with the keys giving a feeling of light and darkness that is amazing. Here we have a great composer whose music always surprises with its beauty, with ists sorrowful feeling and with its power. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CD. A must

Contact: www.redstream.org

MORCROF - ALESH (Demonion prods., 2001)

Produced By: Morcrof and Demonion Prods.

Tracks: 1- The judgement of demigod Pt.II, 2- The last shadows of Lost Darkest Paradise, 3- The Judgement of Demigod Pt. IV, 4-Descent of Prophetic Vision, 5- Overture, 6- The judgement of demigod Pt. III, 7- The eternal agony from Vacuum Spirit, 8-The last shadows of Lost Darkest Paradise, 9- From origin to dued Cold, 10- The judgement of Demigod Pt. II, 11- Crionics

Cover Art by Ludwick and Paullus

 Recorded in Pro Studio and live

Starting with the slow "The judgement of demigod Pt. II", a track with an extrmely dark atmosphere. And that is one of the main features of Morcrof´s music: the dark melodies, the obscure arrangements, all of this combined with more brutal elements such as a guttural voice and some rhythmic riffs that are closer to death metal . I have to put my thumbs up for the good work of the keyboards here that are essential to develope the atmospheres that the band wants to transmit to the listener. The compositions are well developed and the guys in Morcrof are original in the riffs (which add some melodies in many places) and rhythms. Plus here we have some live tracks, a cover of Varathron´s "Descent of Prophetic Vision" and Slayer´s "Crionics". A really good album of this brazilian band.

Favorite tracks: "The last shadow...", "The eternal..." and "The judgement of demigod pt. IV"

Contact: morcrof@ig.com.br

MORCROF - EQUILIBRIUM OF FOHAT (Erinnys Prods. , 2002)

Produced By: Erynnis Prods.

Tracks: 1- Proliferous Equilibrium of Fohat, 2- The fourth knight of revelation, 3- Buried Alive Existence, 4- Nihilism (Prophetic Conjecture)

Cover Art by Ludwick and Paullus

 Recorded in Pro Studio, Sao Paulo

This is an advance track promo with four tracks of a forthcoming album of this brazilian band. Their darker tahn hell style is evident here from the beginning with "Proliferous..:" full of dark melodies combined with the heaviest riffs on earth. The darkness is also evidenbt in the cover that they have chosen to do here, Rotting Christ´s "The fourth knight of revelation". The guitars develope their ideas contrasting with the slower riffs and then speed comes and then come again the heaviest parts. Plus, I have to say that the bass player is really good here doing a lot of arrangements along with the keyboards and the guitars adding harmony to brutality and even some orchestration. The first track is the one that has better sound and the one that gives name to this demo. Here we have darkness full of power and crushing riffs that surprise with the orchestration and multiple ideas.

Favorite tracks: the four

Contact: morcrof@ig.com.br

MORCROF - REHEARSAL 2002 "ARQUÉS" (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Morcrof

Tracks: 1- Eternal Agony from Vacuum Spirits, 2- Ad Infinitum, 3- Proliferous Equilibrium of Fohat, 4- Contract and Dilatation of Cosmic Splenium, 5- Pain and Sacrifice of Nativity by Pleasure, 6- Nahahs - The Black Sun at South, 7- Condemned to grave of begin era

Cover Art by Morcrof

 Recorded in Z7 Studio, Sao Paulo

Rhythmic but brutal riffs open this album. Here we have the newest offering of this black death guys coming directly from Brazil. Their music has the power and complex riffing that many death metal bands have but with a dark aura and vocals that are closer to black metal. The newer tracks sound more tight and complex than the ones in previous recordings and you can see here the evolution of this band that introduces melodies in their compositions making each of them really memorable. Powerful drums patterns with heavy use of hihat acymbals and with interesting use of the snare drum (almost tribal in some aprts) is one of the trademarks of this band. I have to remark here the work of the bass player who is fully audible here doing a lot of arrangements with precission and technique. Here we have also more climatic moments with clean guitars and great arrangements. Lovers of dark metal will surely like Morcrof´s new compositions.

Favorite tracks: "Ad Infinitum", "Contract..." and "Condemned..."

Contact: morcrof@ig.com.br

MYSTERY BLUE - METAL SLAVES (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Mystery Blue and Road Show Prods.

Tracks: 1- Human E.T., 2- Slave to Blood, 3- S.T.A.G.E., 4- Dark Visions, 5- Metal Dream, 6- Angel, 7- Roller Coaster Ride, 8- Desolation, 9- Land of No Return, 10- Silent Whisper, 11- Cry Out

Cover Art by Karim Chergui

 Recorded at Jam Music Studio

Starting with a really heavy intro called "Human E.T." (with weird sounds) Mystery Blue goes at full speed metal in "Slave to Blood". Is it my imagination or this band has become much heavier?. I think so and tracks like this one are a proof of what I am saying Natalie´s voice is really powerful adn I really liked the way in which the choruses are shouted (in the old Warlock way) by the rest of the band. There are killer guitar solos and the band plays faster than on their previous album. Here we have pure metal with heavy guitars and interesting keyboards in tracks like "S.T.A.G.E.". Vince´s drums are even more powerful and he plays faster rhythms here with some thrashy influence in some parts. I think this is the best Mystery Blue up to now and the band seems to be comfortable playing this faster tracks and I think this is their path !!! A great effort of this band from France. Pure metal !!!

Favorite tracks: "Slave to Blood", "Silent Whisper" and "Desolation"

Contact: www.mysteryblue.com

NAPALMED / RECALCITRANT / ALL SCARS ORCHESTRA - 3 WAY SPLIT (ZZZ. Prods , 2002)

Produced By: Maarten Kleywegt

Tracks: 1- NAPALMED - "Napall", 2- ALL SCARS ORCHESTRA "Session 1 Pt. 1", 3- RECALCITRANT: "Super Brain Charger", 4- ALL SCARS ORCHESTRA "Session 1 Pt. 2", 5- NAPALMED "Scars", 6- RECALCITRANT "Pygmee Alfa Alley", 7- ALL SCARS ORCHESTRA "Session 1Pt.3", 8- NAPALMED "Orchestrant"

Cover Art by Paolo Dellapiana

This is a pure experimental split CD between three bands that experiment endlessly with sounds, noises and different effects. Starting with Napalmed whom we have reviewed before, this band is pure spontaneity and experimentation with industrial or machine like sounds. Radek, the main brain in Napalmed manages to create dark passages full of a futuristic feeling with all the sounds that he generates here. Then comes the All Scars Orchestra that features Daniele Brusaschetto in its lineup and the experimentation here is really extrme (it contrast heavily with Daniele´s solo albums where he experiments a lot but using more conventional instruments and creating atmospheres with guitars and electronics). This is pure spontaneity and the compositions are extremely original going from really chaotic to really coherent within the same track. Recalcitrant follows a similar path but they sound completely different creating a darker atmosphere with more oppressive sounds. This is a split CD for those that are not afraid of listening to ultra experimental music.

Favorite tracks: "Napall", "Session 1 Pt. 2" and "Scars"

Contact: paolo@inrete.it

NUSE - HUNG WELL (Cornhead Recs. , 2002)

Produced By: Eric Rachel and Nuse

Tracks: 1- Ig, 2- Only on TV, 3- Death of Flesh, 4- Smoke, 5- Story of Jed, 6- Sustain me, 7- Blue Fish, 8- Junkie, 9- Alive I´m Not, 10- Wrong, 11- Uncontrolled Power, 12- Story of Bob

Cover Art by Mike Lamastro

 Recorded at Trax East Studios

Nuse plays ultra heavy music but a difficult style within metal. They have ultra heavy guitar riffs, fast rhythms and aggressive vocals but they also have a lot of passages that go beyond the realms of heavier than hell music like the beginning of "Sustain me" with clean guitars and bass passages. One good thing about Nuse´s music is their rhythmic quality: each of the songs on this album is designed combining moshing rhythms with more manic grooves. The sound of the recording is extremely clear and I really liked the way the bass is mixed sounding clear among the wall of sound that the guitars create. The vocalist is really versatile adding different atmospheres to the band´s music sounding aggressive when it is needed and subtle when the song requires that. A really good album full of different feelings.

Favorite tracks: "Ig", "Story of Jed" and "Wrong"

Contact: www.nuse.tv

ODIUM IMMORTALIS - ODYSSEE INS VERDERBEN (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Odium Immortalis

Tracks: 1- Stille Der Ensamkeit, 2- Tag der grausigen Rache, 3- Von Tausend Nächten, 4- Ewige Träume, 5- Geisel der Menschheit, 6- Ein Sturm wird Kommen, 7- Fesseln der Erde

An extrmely dark yet melodic intro with atmospheric sounds effects opens this album on "Stille Der Ensamkeit" before getting in the pure blast beating black metal of "Tag der Grausigen Rache". Here we have this duet of dark souls that deliver ultra fast (almost speed of light) riffs over a drum machine that plays a lot of blast beats destroying your brain. Odium Immortalis is pure holocaust but this guys have succesfully combined this mayhem with more climatic passages that are the essence of their music adding a more melancholic or epic sound to their music. The sound is good but I would have mixed a little bit louder the guiutars and the drums. Odium Immortalis is a good showcase of a black metal extreme band that can deliver many ideas in an album. This is what I call original black metal fulkl of aggression.

Favorite tracks: "Von Tausend Nächten", "Ewige Träume" and "Ein Sturm wird Kommen"

Contact: odiumimmortalis@gmx.de

OSIRION - EVIL MADE HISTORY (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Osirion

Tracks: 1- Demetrios Poliorcete, depraved king of Macedon, 2- Qualis Artifex Peres, 3- Jack, ripper of whores, 4- Timur Lang, megalomaniac Lord of Asia, 5- The secrets of the black arts, 6- Misanthropia

Osirion is pure raw black metal with interesting guitar riffs that sometimes are played at the speed of sound and sometimes mroe rhythmically. The guitars are raw and succeed in transmiting the dark yet aggressive feeling that the band wants to deliver to the listener. There are some climatic moments where the band delivers dark atmospheres (I think this works better in the slower parts) and this adds a lot of identity to the band´s music. But the main thing here is the obscurity of the souls that are creating this music and that is reflected on each of the six compositions contained on this recording. Lovers of black metal should be delighted while listening to Osirion´s music. Darkness rules !

Favorite tracks: "Demetrios...", "Qualis..." and "The secrets..."

Contact: www.osirion.fr.st

PAGAN´S MIND - CELESTIAL ENTRANCE (Thumbs Up Booking / Limb Music Prods., 2003)

Produced By: Fredrik Nordström

Tracks: 1- Approaching, 2- Through Osiris Eyes, 3- Entrance: Stargate, 4- ...Of Epic Questions, 5- Dimensions of Fire, 6- Dreamscape Lucidity, 7- The Seven Sacred Promises/ Back to the Magic of Childhood, 8- Part1 Conception, 9- Part 2 - Exploring Life, 10- In Brilliant White Light, 11- Aegean Shores, 12- The Prophecy of Pleiades

Mixed by Fredrik Nordström

This is with no doubt one of the recordings of the year. This is pure metal combined with more modern influences and delivered with virtuosism and heaviness. With a singer that reminds me of Fates Warning´s Ray Alder but with a more powerful voice that includes a more distorted voice in some places where the music becomes heavier. There is double bass drumming done with extrme precission and there are keyboards and guitar solos in a really progressive way combined with heavier than hell riffs. And tyhis riffing is the heart of Pagan´s Mind´s music giving a lot of strength to each part.The sound of the recording is crystal clear making the result even better. This is pure progressive heavy metal the way it must be: full of ideas, melodies and ultra heaviness: You must buy this one.

Favorite tracks: One of the albums of the year

Contact: www.pagansmind.com

PALE FOREST - ANONYMOUS CAESAR (Listenable Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Jon Anders Narum

Tracks: 1- Anonymous Caesar, 2- Welcome to the Machine, 3- Exit Mould, 4- These Old Rags, 5- Stigmata

Cover Art by Anders Wollan

 Recorded at East Lake Studios

This is a MCD that has over twenty four minutes of Pale Forest´s music and includes a Pink Floyd cover. The Album opens with the title track, a mix between climatic music with some heavy riffs, clean arpeggios, electronics and some pop melodies in the beautiful female voice. But everything here has this ethereal feeling with some sad melodies that gives you an odd sensation while listening to it. The songs are well developed creating the beautiful feeling that Pale Forest always delivers through their compositions that combine this beauty with more dark elements, with a heavier feeling in many parts and with amazing melodic arrangements. Now this leaves us wanting a new full length album of this creative band

Favorite tracks: "Anonymous Caesar", "Exit Mould"

Contact: www.paleforest.com or www.listenable.net

PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT - DEEDS OF DERANGEMENT (Morbid Recs. , 2003)

Mastered By: Peter Neuber

Tracks: 1- Inside to Expose, 2- Swollen, 3- Deformed Slut, 4- Postal Devirginized, 5- Deeds of Derangement, 6- She´s not coming home tonight, 7- Repulsive to kill, 8- G-B Massacre, 9- Cum Covered Stabwounds, 10- Screaming in Agony, 11- Skinned and Sodomized

 Mastered at Mega Wimp Studios

I think that this album along with the Sanatorium one is with no doubt one of the most brutal releases of this issue and also of the year. This band has one of the most guttural voices ever heard, sounding like coming from a grave or a coffin. Here we have the fastest riffs and the most bestial blast beats along with crushing arrangements and breaks. This is what Cannibal Corpse has been lacking in some of their latest releases, it is the most extreme aggression combined with good musicianship and a good sound that makes things even more effective. I have to remark the tightness of the rhythm section that contributes to the brutality of this album without missing a beat. There are some parts that are really grinding like in the beginning of "Swollen", a track designed for melting brains. This is with no doubt one of the most bestial releases of 2003!

Favorite tracks: "Inside to Expose", "Deformed Slut" and "Cum Covered Stabwounds"

Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

PUTREFIED - THE PUTRID REMAINS (Sevared Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Putrefied

Tracks: 1- Skull Tortured, 2- Defle, 3- Carbolic Injection, 4- Scorched Face of God, 5-The Roten Sound of Mutilation, 6- Odour of Putrid Remains, 7- Burial Waste, 8- Stench from the Crypt

 Recorded at Axis Studio

The first thing that amazes here is the heavier than fuck sound that the guitars have. Then comes the ultra guttural from the grave voice of Marcel. He is extremely guttural and his voice is one of the most extreme ever heard fitting the brutal death gore music of the band perfectly. Putrefied´s music is full of hyper fast drumming and killer double bass (this guy Toep is a machine with his drumkit playing extremely fast without missing a beat). One thing to remark is the constant change in tempos and riffs that this guys do through the eight tracks contained on this album that keeps your attention fixed in what is coming next. The album is well mixed, specially on the guitars and drums and that makes Putrefied even a more deavastating band. Here you will find brutality at its most extreme level of aggression.

Favorite tracks: "Carbolic Injection", "Scorched Face of God" and "Odour of Putrid Remains"

Contact: http://sevared.com

SANATORIUM - GORESOAKED REINCARNATION (Sevared Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Sanatorium

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- In Capture of Necrophile Visions, 3- Goresoaked Reincarnation, 4- Consumption of Remnants of Miscarriage, 5- Deeds of Pedophile, 6- Orgasm of 7 years old girl reached by pneumatic drill, 7- Purification of soul through disfiguration of body, 8- Outro, 9- Bastard Saints

Cover Art by Leigh Odom

 Recorded at Moonset Studios

Some issues back we reviewed Sanatorium´s "Internal Womb Cannibalism" album, one of the most brutal albums of 2002. Here we have their ultra brutal music again full of hyper fast discharges with the most extreme blast beats but also with some rhythmic riffs and patterns that makes the tracks even heavier. The vocals are one of the most guttural ever heard and they are used like other instrument in order to emphasize the heaviness of the compositions. Here the guitars are the main element and they are more clearly mixed this time making the music more brutal and devastating. I have to remark the clear sound that this recording has and this guys deserved this type of sound. I have also to remark the work of the drummer who is like a double bass machine playing incredibly fast patterns and using a lot the ride cymbal in the more rhythmic parts and also does incredible blast beats and changes. Here you have the most extreme brutality guaranteed.

Favorite tracks: "In Capture...", "Consumption..." and "Purification..."

Contact: http://sevared.com

SET THE TONE - SET THE TONE (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Set the Tone

Tracks: 1- My muse, 2- Piotrr, 3- Soilent Blue, 4- Colored Plague, 5- Open Minded, 6- Rockin´Outro

Cover Art by Set the Tone

 Recorded at The Noise Factory

"My Muse" opens in a really powerful way this album and demonstrates what this band can do. Imagine the most guttural death metal voice combined with guitars that play rhythmic riffs (more powerful than the fastest riffs that most bands in death metal do). The drumming is devastating creating heavy rhythms that when combined with the guitars create this crushing sound that is Set the Tone´s trademark. There is an interaction between the heaviest parts and the more climatic ones (to listen an example check "My Muse" with those changes in speed that contribute to create the atmosphere that the band wants to deliver). The good thing here is that despite having this extremely aggressive vocalist they manage to create memorable songs that will stick in your mind for a long time (he uses his voice rhythmically in tracks like "Piotrr" and the guitars are even rocking in some parts). This is a must for lovers of aggressive music !!

Favorite tracks: "My Muse", "Soilent Blue" and "Colored Plague"

Contact: www.setthetone.be.tf

SHOW OF EXAGGERATION - SHOW OF EXAGGERATION (The Rectrix Recs. , 2003)

Mastered at Storms of the underworld Studios

Tracks: 1- Death Arch, 2- Passing Gods, 3- Light Comfort, 4- A Picture of Belle, 5- Show of Exaggeration: Part 1 The master, 6- Show of Exaggeration part 2 subjects with cameras, 7- Show of Exaggeration part 3 showdown

Produced by Markus Reuter

Show of Exaggeration is a really experimental outfit. Here we have heavy use of electronics and they are used in order to create incredible soundscapes that are sometimes really beautiful, sometimes oppressive, sometimes soft, sometimes powerful but always original and creative. There is use of keyboards but also of noises and sounds that when are put together create rhythms and passages that are really original and that break boundaries with their limitless ideas. This album is constant experimentation in almost one hour of sound forging and continuous exploration of musical ideas.

Favorite tracks: "Passing Gods", "Show of Exaggeration" and "Light Comfort"

Contact: www.therectrix.com

SKEPTICISM - FARMAKON (Red Stream Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Skepticism

Tracks: 1- The Raven and the Backward Funeral, 2- Shred of Light, Pinch of Endless, 3- Farmakon Process, 4-, 5- Nowhere, 6- Nothing

Cover Art by Tuomas Laitinen

After "The Process of Farmakon" here we have this band back again with a heavy dose of their extremely slow and climatic music. The combination of keyboards that create a darker than hell atmosphere with the guitars that add heaviness are the core of Skepticism´s music. Plus, the really guttural and extremely dark voice that is used in all of Skepticism´s music is another essential point in creating the obscure feeling that this guys want to transmit to the listener. I really loved some parts full of keyboards with extremely slow and almost tribal percussion (like in the end of "The Raven..:" with some distorted guitar chords thrown with a huge sound that give an ancient feeling to the music. There is some use of clean guitars but everything here is extremely dark. This is the ideal album to comit suicide along with its music !!

Favorite tracks: "The Raven...", "Shred of Light..." and "Nowhere"

Contact: www.redstream.org

SOUNDS FROM THE GROUND VOL. 1 (Aid for Bands Promotions , 2002)

Produced By: Wednesday

Tracks: 1- CONTROL THEORY "Synapse Datastream", 2- SUTURE SEVEN "True", 3- THE MYSTIC UNDERGROUND "The Wanderers", 4- PROMONIUM JESTERS "Wangbuster 420", 5- SINS OF LUST "Eyes", 6- VICTIMS OF PROGRESS "American Made Killer", 7- SCHIZOID " Grim Prospects, 8- EXIST "What they want to see (To Get attention), 9- BIG BLOCK 454 "Canned Food in Combat", 10- RICTUS GRIN "Albatross", 11- ORGANIZED HOSTILITY "Ill", 12- IVORY KNIGHT "Last Dance", 13- THE FLATLINERS "Retaliation", 14- AARON SALOMAN "Alone in your Song" , 15- 11:11 "Nothing all Day", 16- PROMONIUM JESTERS "Hydro Cell", 17- VICTIMS OF PROGRESS "Three in the Envelope"

This is the first of a serie of compillations done by AFB Promotions with interesting underground acts of many different styles. Starting with Control Theory, an electronic band with many atmospheres, the compilation has bands in the electronic style like this one, more rocking ones like Sins of Lust or Victims of Progress. There are heavier bands like Rictus Grin or Ivory Knight. The overall result is a good compilation with many diverse bands and styles with bands that deserve the promotion that AFB gives to them and why not a contract with a label that gives the opportunity of showing their music to the world.

Favorite bands: Rictus Grin, Sins of Lust and Exist

Contact: www.aidforbands.com

SOUNDS FROM THE GROUND VOL. 2 (Aid for Bands Promotions , 2002)

Produced By: Wednesday

Tracks: 1- SUTURE SEVEN "Trash", 2- PROTEUS "Perfect Whore", 3- PROMONIUM JESTERS "Nightmare", 4- DEFRAGMENTATION "Core", 5- YRRWE ZSUZYRRWE " 10101010", 6- ZYMOTIC "Massive Conspiracy", 7- SCHIZOID "Running Scared", 8- EYEBOLT "Tormented", 9- SUBVERSION "Infamous", 10- GLARE "Faces in the crowd, 11- GLIEM "Morning Tide", 12- LITTLE MOJO "Stumbled", 13- MARK S. GREER "Blue Visions", 14- YAYA DIALLO " Wassoulou", 15- BABY DOLL JOHNSON "Now I´m Burnt", 16 - VICTIMS OF PROGRESS "Halogen", 17- MT MINDS "Spin the Bottle"

Here is the second volume of this compilation of underground bands done by AFB Promotions. Here we have this bands that have an electronic element in their music like Suture Seven but that also use distorted guitars and create a special combination taht succeeds in blasting the listener. There are more techno like bands like Proteus full of electronics and almost dancing drumbeats but with heavy experimentation. Promonium Jesters are more in the industrial vein with more aggressive vocals and some heavy distortion on their music. There is a lot of sound exploring in many bands like for example Defragmentation. There is heaviness in many of the tracks like for example the Zymotic one with ultra fast programmed drums that sound really grinding in many parts. And there is also some punk influenced band like Subversion. A good showcase of talents in the underground !

Favorite tracks: Proteus, Schizoid and Gliem

Contact: www.aidforbands.com

SOUNDS FROM THE GROUND VOL. 3 (Aid for Bands Promotions , 2002)

Produced By: Wednesday

Tracks: 1- SCHIZOID "Amputate", 2- PROMONIUM JESTERS "Hard", 3- NOCORE" Oppressed", 4- PROTEUS "I Will find you (303), 5- SUTURE SEVEN "Subside", 6- SEVEN 13 "Out of Control", 7- IVORY KNIGHT "Into the Black", 8- INFINITY MINUS ONE "At the Doorway of Existence", 9- AMANDA ADAMS "Everything Your Way", 10- LIFER "Memo", 11- SOLARCADE "Midnight Mile", 12- AARON SALOMAN "Muse´s Whip", 13- LITTLE MOJO "Freedom", 14- MARK S. GREER "Maybe So", 15- YAYA DIALLO "Nangape", 16- R.SEAN FAUST "Midnight Express"

This is the third volume of this compilation series and here we have some bands that were in the previous volumes like for example Schizoid, or the more electronics Promonium Jesters or Proteus. There is also the metal of Ivory Knight and the progressive power of Infinity Minus One (whose album we reviewed some issues back). Here I have to remark that bands like Seven 13 have created powerful yet delicate tracks like "Out of Control" (with heavy guitars and keyboards). There are really atmospheric moments like the Amanda Adams track with orchestration (a track that is a potential hit). Here we have sixteen track full of different bands and styles of music. The good thing about this compilation is that allows to listen many different styles within seventy minutes of recording

Favorite tracks: Infinity Minus One, Seven 13 and Amanda Adams

Contact: www.aidforbands.com

SOUNDS FROM THE GROUND VOL. 4 (Aid for Bands Promotions , 2002)

Produced By: Wednesday

Tracks: 1- THEOREM "Clean Break", 2- GARAGNTUA SOUL " Calling My America", 3- SHALLOW GROUND "Blue Skies of Pain", 4- SLUDGE! "Shinsplint", 5- SEISMIC ANAMOLY "After Burner"; 6- IRON BITCHFACE "Haunted Black Metal is Grim", 7- ANTI-KATI "Sleaze", 8- SCHIZOID "Your energies are wasted upon us", 9- DJ ROTTING CORPSE "Organ.Grinder", 10- ALL OUT ASSAULT "Violent", 11- MEME "Pathological", 12- EVERY KID ON SPEED "; 13- DRY HEEVES "Meat Cove" , 14- MNQNN "Where did you go?", 15- INTRICATE UNIT "Evangelist", 16- BLIND BEFORE DAWN "Moist Futurist", 17 - RAZOR SHARP RIBBONS INC "Goth Kids", 18- SEVENTH HARMONIC "Page of Wands", 19- MIND DISRUPTION "The future Holds Nothing", 20- SLUDGE ! "Fistwind"

This fourth volume of the serie opens powerfully with Theorem a heavy band withn powerful guitars. The comes Gargantua Soul with another powerful tracks with crushing guitars and a combination of powerful metal with modern day influences. This is the heaviest volume of the serie featuring the strange music of Shallow Ground and the devastating sound of Sludge!. Plus we have the variated blakc metal of Iron Bitchface.As always there is a lot of variation in style between the different bands, from more deathly ones to more experimental , from heavier to softer, from more noisy to purely tight bands with great musicianship. Here you have twenty track of pure underground that you should check to know the bands that will crush your brain in the future.

Favorite tracks: Shallow Ground, Seismic Anamoly and All Out Assault

Contact: www.aidforbands.com

SPAWN OF SATAN / BLOODSICK - SPLIT CD (Hells Headbangers Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Hells Headbangers Recs.

Bloodsick: 6- Boundless, 7- Endofall, 8- Fear no God, 9- Gehenna, 10- The Blood of the Goat

 Recorded at Dreamscape Studios

A good split to show two bands that leave you wanting more of their music.

Favorite tracks: "Vigils for the Damned", "What Evil Dwells" and "Endofall"

Contact: www.hellsheadbangers.com

SPIT LIKE THIS - THE POP SHOT ! (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Zion

Tracks: 1- Asshole (Parts 1 & 2), 2- Beatenm Road, 3- Hooked on You, 4- I Need a Fix

Cover Art by Zion

Here we have a really original band whose two members are Zion who does the music, vocals and productions and Vikki who does the bass and vocals The music here has elements of pure rock, metal, punk and other styles, It is interesting to see how Spit Like This has achieved their own sound combining extreme styles with many melodies and a programmed drum taht is all over the heavier aprts playing fast drums patterns. The guitars sound heavy and are combined with programming and some electronics sound that are a trademark of the band´s sound. The four tracks here have memorable choruses and parts that will make their lyrics and melodies be kept spinning in your mind long after the record has finished. This leaves you wanting more of the band.

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.spitlikethis.com

SPIT LIKE THIS - ANARCHY FOR TWO (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Spit Like This

Tracks: 1- Trust your Instincts, 2- (I Feel So) Vindicated, 3- To the Bitter End, 4- Not Dead Yet

Cover Art by Z

This music is weird and at the same time powerful. Here we have a music that has elements of pure rock, metal, punk and other styles, mixing the influences that the musicians have in order to achieve the Spit Like This identity. The compositions are simple but effective and are well developed, and there is a keyboard in tracks like "Trust your instincts" that add a completely different feeling to the music. "(I Feel So) Vindicated" is much heavier and I think this is the side that enjoyed most from this band. The programmed drums add a machine like feeling that I think suits really well the rest of the music giving a sense of precision while the guitars sound like a wall of sound. Z is a versatile vocalist who knows how to create the vocal lines in order to make the music feel much better. I have to point out that the recording has a raw yet effective sound that makes things even more devastating..

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.spitlikethis.com

STARCH - FUCK LIKE A PRIEST (Bitch Slap Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Starch

Tracks: 1- Worthless, 2- Empty Pain, 3- Vengeance, 4- Hellspawn, 5- Keep me Dry, 6- All that You Never Were, 7- Separate Ways, 8- Quitter, 9- Time of Death

Cover Art by Kimo Sanborn

 Recorded at Bitch Slap Studios

Some elements of thrash metal combined with a really modern and huge sound in the guitars and some other styles are present in Starch´s music. There is also a good influence of modern metal in the most aggressive parts. Some parts sound like if you could combine Anthrax and Machine Head sounding really powerful and tight having also a bit of hardcore here and there that adds another good element to the band´s music. The band delivers here nine tracks of pure powerful music done with good technique and most of the songs here sound really aggressive and are designed for the mosh pit (I think it would be great to see this guys live). If you want powerful riffs, an aggressive and versatile singer and energetic rhythms then you have to check Starch.

Favorite tracks: "Worthless", "Hellspawn" and "Separate Ways"

Contact: www.starchmusic.net

SUBJECT TO THOUGHTS - THE THOUGHT PROCESS (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Subject to Thoughts

Tracks: 1- The sense of Discontent, 2- Falling Into, 3- I, 4- Forgive My Sins, 5- Hollow Winter, 6- Serene = Sorrow, 7- Remembrance, 8- The Last Day, 9- Transcend, 10- Unwilling

Cover Art by Subject to Thoughts

 Recorded at Studio Watercastle

Somebody give this guy a recording contract! Yes, he deserves it....Mark Mendieta is the man behind this one man project and is the composer of this amazing music. The music here is extremely climatic and done with exquisite musicianship: here we have plenty of keyboards creating an orchestration over which Mendieta delivers guitar arpeggios and does the drumming in order to develope each of this magnificent musical pieces. The music goes in the path of bands like Katatonia but mixed with the progressive side of Dream Theater and also it has heavier parts that have a dark atmosphere on them such as in bands like Paradise Lost. All the compositions here have a sad feeling full of sorrow and sometimes despair and the music reflects this clearly with many changes and arrangements. This is a completely recomendable album.

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: DRYWOLF@aol.com

SUNRIDE - THROUGH THE RED (I Used to Fuck People Like You in Prison Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Sunride

Tracks: 1- Hey Boy (You don´t make a man), 2- Spiral Sense, 3- Like You / Hate Me, 4- False Independence, 5- Reality Generator, 6- Speeding Nowhere, 7- Vinegar Fly, 8- Days Inside the Capsule, 9- Under Control, 10- Through the Red

Cover Art by

 Recorded at Studio Watercastle

Sunride is a band that succesfully mixes rock with some metal and at the same time their music has a lot of groove and a slight seventies Black Sabbath influence. Here we have a band that goes in the same path than bands like Corrosion of Conformity (Deliverance era) but they have their own sound and identity. Here we have a band whose main elements are the groovy guitar riffs and the combination of this distorted guitar rhythms with interesting vocals (full of middle range melodies). The band is full of energy and their compositions are direct yet memorable. This album has a good sound, specially on the guitars that sound raw and compact at the same time being the motor that moves the music of this finnish band. Good powerful rock with a lot of metal elements!

Favorite tracks: "False Independence" and "Under Control

Contact: www.peoplelikeyourecords.de

SUTURE SEVEN - SUTURE SEVEN (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Suture Seven

Tracks: 1- Void, 2- Subside, 3- Kill Me, 4- Eva´s Lullaby, 5- Say You´re Mine, 6- Whores, 7- Casket Romantic (f/John Boden), 8- Slow Death, 9- Secrets, 10- Trash, 11- Kill me (demo), 12- She (demo)

Cover Art by Suture Seven

An eerie opening in the beginning of "Void" with an atmospheric feeling and some piano leads us into the manic world of Suture Seven. Here we have a combiantion of aggressive music with electronics all done with a dark and oppresive feeling whose main element are the deppressive vocals. Here we have really climatic moments created by keyboards and programming combined with more aggressive parts (a good example of this combiantion of styles is the track called "Subside") that sound more noisy. There is some industrial feeling in tracks like "Kill me" that are even more twisted than the other ones. The whispering vocals are essential here to create a darker atmosphere that fits perfectly the music and the aesthetical side of Suture Seven. Here we have a perfect mix also of experimentation and darkness.

Favorite tracks: "Subside", "Whore" and "Slow Death"

Contact: www.sutureseven.com

THE GATHERING - FOR JOHN STEVENS (Emanem Disc , 2003)

Produced By: Martin Davidson

Tracks: 1- Feast, 2- Click Piece, 3- Sustained Piece, 4- Mouse in the Desert, 5- Released, 6- Beauty and the Beast

Cover Art by Annalisa Colombara

 Recorded at Gateway Studios

The Gathering is a group of full improvisers musicians that has been doing amazing improvisations since 1991. Here we have this ensemble of twenty five musicians paying tribute to composer John Stevens and using three pieces of this musician into their own improvisations. Here we have a group of vocalists improvising with their voices while many instrumentalists use their voices and instruments to create amazing spontaneous passages through almost eighty minutes of recording. The three pieces done by John Stevens are modified to allow experimentation with voices and instruments creating a new version of that tracks. It is amazing to see so many improvisers interacting to create this six wonderful pieces. This is what I call really mind opening music !!!

Favorite tracks: "Feast", "Released" and "Mouse in the Desert"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

THE OBSOLETE VIEW: HOLLOWING - AERE AETERNUS - METANEMFROST SPLIT (The Rectrix Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: The Rectrix

Metanemfrost: 8- Chthonian, 9- Black Flames of Phlegethon, 10- Empire Ablaze, 11- Ancient Blood of Scriptures, 12- The Black Vortex

This is a pure ambient atmospheric split and should appeal to all lovers of this style

Favorite tracks: "Yadu´A", "Useless..." and "Empire Ablaze"

Contact: www.therectrix.com

TOURNIQUET - WHERE MOTH AND RUST DESTROY (Metal Blade Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Bill Metoyer

Tracks: 1- Where Moth and Rust Destroy, 2- Restoring the Locust Years, 3- Drawn and Quartered, 4- A Ghost at the Wheel, 5- Architeuthis, 6- Melting the Golden Calf, 7- Convoluted Absolutes, 8- Healing Waters of the Tigris, 9- In Death We Rise

 Recorded in Wisconsin

This is the newest offering of this band that features Ted Kirkpatrick on drums and rhythm guitar and Steve Andino on bass. Their sound on this album is similar to their previous albums, that is a mix of thrash metal with more modern influence and with some heavy metal touches in the guitars. Plus here we have guitar solos by Marty Friedman and Bruce Franklin. Friedman delivers melodic guitar solos that have a lot of feeling against the rhythm section created by Kirkpatrick and Andino. Plus here we have Luke Easter that is a really versatile vocalist with a lot of feeling who makes each lyric really heartfull and ads power on the vocals. The rhythm section is really solid and as always show that Tourniquet can be a devastating outfiut, specially in a live situation. The production and mix done by Bill Metoyer adds a clear sound to the instruments that is essential for the heaviness of Tourniquet´s music. A really powerful release!!

Favorite tracks: "Restoring...", "Melting the golden calf" and "Healing Waters..."

Contact: www.metalblade.com

TRISTESSE DE LA LUNE - QUEEN OF THE DAMNED (Out of Line Recs./SPV , 2003)

Produced By: Rush

Tracks: 1- Queen of the Damned (single version), 2- Queen of the Damned (laplegua mix), 3- Mein Engel, 4- Queen of the Damned (Nightmare Version)

Tristesse de la Lune makes melodic music with a gothic and dark feeling but with heavy use of electronics and orchestration. Here the main thing are the vocals done by the two female members of the band whose voices are dark, ethereal and at the same time very sensual. The electronic elements add a completely different feeling and I really liked this contrast that I think is the essence of the band´s music. This album has a really crystal clear sound and leaves you wanting more Tristesse de la Lune because here we have one track ("Queen of the Damned") in three different versions and another track called "Mein Engel" which is a faster one. The dark element here is essential because this women have this contrast between light and darkness which is their trademark.

Favorite tracks: "Queen of the damned", and "Mein Engel"

Contact: www.outofline.de

TRIVIUM - TRIVIUM (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Trivium

Tracks: 1- To Burn the Eye, 2- Requiem, 3- Fugue, 4- My Hatred, 5- The Storm, 6- Sworn, 7- Demon

Cover Art by Kreem Design

 Recorded at Audiohammer Studios

A devastating band from the first riff, the guys in trivium know how to combine different styles and elements in order to conceive their own sound. Here we have a band whose music can be described as heavy thrash death metal because it has elements of this three styles and they sound extremely powerful. The guitar riffs sound like a mix of pure heavy metal (with a really huge sound ) and thrash and the vocals are sometimes thrash and sometimes death, plus they are harmonized in some choruses creating a really dark atmosphere that is essential in Trivium´s music. And this combination makes each of the compositions here really memorable making you listen to the whole album and later repeat the choruses or some of the riffs or parts. There are multiple tempo and riffs changes here that are another essential element of the band´s music. I totally recommend this album as a good combination of styles with a lot of originality and power.

Favorite tracks: "To Burn the Eye", "My Hatred" and "Sworn"

Contact: www.trivium.org

TUNGSTEN - THE ABUSE (Tungten music Recs. , 2003)

Produced By: Tungsten

Tracks: 1- Quit, 2- Riding the Curve, 3- Do You Remember Me, 4- How Far Would You GO?, 5- It´s the only thing she knows, 6- Who are you?, 7- Now it´s my turn, 8- Just Another Junkie, 9- So Far Away, 10- Nectar, 11- Erase My Pain, 12- The Faith, 13- The Faith, 14- Underneath It All, 15- Who´s Drinking with the Devil Tonight?

Cover Art by Mark Talamo

 Recorded at HT Studio Chalmette, Louisiana

Tungsten is pure combination of heavy rock with many metal elements. Here we have a band that plays catchy yet heavy riffs through fifteeen tracks that stick into your mind. One good thing about Tungsten is that they combine some rhythmic patterns in a hard rock style with guitar riffs that sound heavier, louder and truly metal. The singer here is really versatile sounding powerful and in many places he sounds more climatic adding a lot of different shades and feelings to the band´s music. The guitars sound really heavy and they play really rhythmic riffs that are designed for tapping your feet and move your head along them. This is a really good album of a style that is not so popular but that deserves a good place with good bands like Tungsten.

Favorite tracks: "Riding the Curve", "Just Another Junkie" and "Underneath it all"

Contact: www.tungstenmusic.com

ULTIMATIUM - FOLLOW THE STAR (Independent , 200)

Produced By: Ultimatium

Tracks: 1- Follow the Star, 2- In Winter Nights, 3- Through Winterland, 4- AngelWing

Cover Art by Liu Jing

 Recorded at Suomussalmi Nuokkari

This trio from Finland are pure metal and here they have created four tracks full of powerful guitars and good melodies done vy the vocals and the keyboards. Ultimatium´s music is full of keyboards that combined with the heavy guitars are the heart and soul of the band´s music. Here we have programmed drums that sound really natural and that is essential to keep the feeling that the band wants to deliver to the listener. One thing to remark is the excellent sound that this guys have managed to achieve. They have found a good vocalist in JT Partanen who fits perfectly the music of the band and makes memorable vocal lines here sounding melodic and powerful at the same time. This album leaves you wanting more music from Ultiamtium because of their good musicianship and catchy songs.

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: http://ultimatium.cjb.net

UNSAFE - FAKE REALITY (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Unsafe

Tracks: 1- Grief, 2- Wicked Mind, 3- Self-Destruction, 4- Nothing Makes Sense, 5- Enemy inside, 6- Pathetic Lies, 7- Insignificant

Cover Art by Stephanie Nolf

 Recorded at Oui Dire Studio

Really fat sounding guitars open this album weith "Grief" a thrashing track full of different riffs and a voice that reminds me a lot of mid eighties thrash metal. This guys deliver rhythm after rhythm in a really effective way and they combine this heavy parts with more climatic ones with more melodic riffs, guitar solos and harmonized vocals as it is clearly demonstrated in "Wicked Mind", a song full of changes that show two sides of the band´s music: one more extreme and the other more refinated with many elements that give a different dimension to the compositions. This guys have added also a modern sound to the guitars that makes them sound really aggressive while playing their arrangements and makes them really effective with this huge sound. This is what I would call the evolution of thrash metal and the guys in Unsafe have made the style evolve in a really good way !!

Favorite tracks: "Wicked Mind", "Enemy inside" and "Pathetic Lies"

Contact: nolf_steph@yahoo.fr

WASTOID - SAY YOUR PRAYERS (Independent , 2003)

Produced By: Wastoid

Tracks: 1- Long Live Rock and Roll, 2- Let it Roll, 3- Countdown to Rock, 4- Magic Journey, 5- Mountain of Fire, 6- Evil, 7- Leif Erickson Overture, 8- Rock Hott (and burn out)

Cover Art by Sophy

This is a pure mix of heavy rock and metal with seventies and eighties feeling. This guys have unleashed eight tunes of classical heavy rock done in a really memorable way. There are influences of bands like Judas Priest here and other icons of heavy metal. Wastoid has a raw sound also that is typical of eighties band and that is surprising because there aren´t anymore bands sounding like this. The singer sounds well with a really rocking voice that is perfect for the music of the band. There are guitar solos that sound really rocking and the rhythm section is simple but effective. One thing that I would like of this guys is to mix in a more modern way the music here in order to use the power of modern metal in their own rock and roll music (maybe more crushing guitars and louder drumming). This band is pure rock and roll and they say it in many of their tunes. This is some fresh air with classical influences.

Favorite tracks: "Let it Roll", "Evil" and "Mountain of Fire"

Contact: www.wastoid.net