4LYN - NEON (Rodeostar Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Florian Sommer & Darren Grahn

Tracks: 1- Me Vs Me, 2- 2^nd Round, 3- Deadnekk, 4- Pearls and Beauty, 5- Not like You, 6- Lil Indians, 7- Real cutties, 8- Angry Horns, 9- U know nothing (bonus), 10- None of Y All, 11- Brompton-City Anthem, 12- Husky, 13- Neon, 14- Shelltoes and Fatlaces;

Cover Art by Rouven Steinke

 Recorded at Puk Studios

 4lyn´s music is powerful, heavy as fuck and at the same time weird because of some strange feeling that you can listen from the beginning of "Me Vs. Me" like the processed guitar sounds. The sound of the band is extremely modern but they prefer to follow their own path than the one of bands like Machine Head, Korn or others. In fact their trademark are the extremely heavy riffs and the catchy choruses that you can find on each of the tracks here. The recording has really huge sound and that makes 4Lyn much heavier than a ll the new metal bands out there. I would recommend this to all fans of new metal bands.

Favorite tracks: "None of Y All", " 2^nd Round" and "Not Like You"

Contact: www.4lyn.de

ABHORRENCE - EVOKING THE ABOMINATION (Evil Vengeance Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Abhorrence

Tracks: 1- Abattoir, 2- Evoking the Abomination, 3- Sacrificial Offerings; 4- Hellish Annihilation, 5- Storming Warfare, 6- Abhorrer Existence, 7- Reborn To vengeance; 8- Triumph in Blasphemy

Cover Art Concept by Abhorrence

Abhorrence is an extremely brutal band that plays at full speed and with extreme bestiality through the eight tracks that we have on this album. Here we have a band that does everything to create good brutal as fuck songs and they have achieved this with this eight bestial tracks from hell. Here we have a band that makes riffs in the vein of bands like Suffocation with a guttural and bestial vocalist that adds a lot of power to the band while remarking the guitar riffs with his voice.  Here we have extremely fast guitar with a huge sound that delivers brutality on each composition and a drumming that plays from complex rhythms to blast beats all with the same power. I think that this is an album that is ideal for lovers of brutal death metal taken to its more bestial extreme.

Favorite tracks: "Sacrificial Offerings", "Storming Warfare" and "Reborn To Vengeance"

Contact: evil666vengeance@aol.com

ABSURD - ASGARDSREI (Resistance Records, 2002)

Produced By: Absurd

Tracks: 1- Leben ist Krieg, Krieg ist leben, 2- Asgardsrei, 3- Für Germanien, 4- Tod vor Sonnenaufgang, 5- Crux Gammata, 6- Als die Alten Jung Noch Waren, 7- Germanien über Alles, 8- Sonnenritter

Cover Art by Nick Oxner

 Recorded at Adlerskerbe Studio

Absurd plays a climatic raw as fuck pagan black metal with nationalist lyrics that are sung in german and interesting guitar melodies in some places. In fact this band delivers interesting riffs played with a primitive sound that gives an underground feeling to this recording. Here ther is a use of programmed drums thatare a little bit buried in the mix. The riffs are twisted in many palces, specially on "Für Germanien", an eerie track. I would like the band to mix louder the guitars and find a fatter sound in them to add more power to the compositions, plus the guitar melodies that are in many places here can be combined with a rhythm guitar in order to add more cohesion to the music. A good effort. 

Favorite tracks: "Crux Gamata", "Als die Alten..." and "Germanien Über Alles"

Contact: www.resistance.com

ALEPH - PROMO 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Aleph

Tracks: 1- Hallowed Hatred, 2- Sins of the Fathers, 3- Crossroads

Cover Art by Aleph

Aleph is a band with complex songs that can be described as heavy metal with some speed metal / thrash metal feeling in many of them. Here we have twisted riffs with complex guitar lines and good drumming with a lot of variations. One of the main things here is the use of keyboards that contrast heavily with the guitar riffs playing chord progressions and melodies while the guitars do the heaviest riffs. The vocals are in the style of pure heavy metal with some thrash metal feeling on them. There are interesting breaks and changes of riff and rhythm. The band sounds really tight and they have achieved a lot of cohesion between the members that allows them to play perfectly the compositions. For lovers of pure metal with new ideas.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.alephmetal.com

ANTARCTICA - ERASING MANKIND (Sweet Nausea Promotions, 2002)

Produced By: Antarctica

Cover Art by Antarctica

 Recorded at Mansion Studios

This release has two great features: first of all the music is brutal and powerful, and second the musicians here are really good and that means that they have a lot of creativity in their riffs making the songs really interesting and giving each second new twists to each of the compositions. Here we have a band that is not afraid of trying new riffs and drumming on each of the phrases, a band that finds new licks and riffs on each moment. All this ideas flow naturally from the band and is remarked by the good sound that this recording has. The vocals here can be brutal (in death metal or black metal styles, spoken and calm within the same composition as can be listened through all this recording. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: http://home.no/antarctica o www.sweetnausea.com

ARTDISORDER - SOUNDING COLOURS (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Artdisorder

Tracks: 1- Contrasting Shapes, 2- Fallen, 3- Abstract, 4- Virgo, 5- Fallen (UK Single Version)

Cover Art by www.lethal-dose.com

 Recorded at Psychotic Reaction Studios

Here is a band that I am sure that with a good promotion could be one of the biggest name in the scene. Here we have a band with huge heavy guitar but with a pop feeling in the vocals that add a lot of hooks in each of the tracks on this album. Yes, each song here is memorable as hell while having heavy riffs and many changes. It really amazes me how well the songs are developed here and how you can sing them following the band . There is also heavy use of clean guitars in many parts and interesting drumming that add some progressive touches to the music here. I would recommend this to anyone that wants something new (and something that can go up in the charts really soon!)

Favorite tracks: The five

Contact: www.artdisorder.net

ARTDISORDER - FALLEN (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Artdisorder and Andy Whitmore

Tracks: 1- Fallen

Cover Art by www.lethal-dose.com

 Recorded by

Here is a single extracted from the "Sounding Colours". This is with no doubt one of the most aggressive tracks on that recording,and it has amazing melodies on the choruses with some processed vocals while having huge guitars doing rhythmic riffs and powerful drumming. Again I recommend this band to those lovers of heavy music with amny melodies and interesting compositional skills on their music.

Contact: www.artdisorder.net

ASBEEL - HOMO HOMINI LUPUS (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Asbeel

Tracks: 1- Walczyc Nie Chce, 2- Condemantion, 3- Rotten Dreams, 4- Venom and Envy

 Recorded at Checz Studio

Ultra heavu and weird kind of metal. This band comes directly from Poland and delivers here four tracks that are really heavy as hell and at the same time have elements that are not typical of the styles that we are used to listen. Here we have crushing guitars, an amazing contrast between Joanna´s vocals and other vocals that are more guttural (there are also amazing vocal harmonies done by Joanna herself). It is amazing how well Joanna interacts with the heavy guitars with her extremely powerful voice. The guitars here sound fat and heavy doing complex riffs,scales and phrases while the drums play heavy rhythms. I have to point out the good quality of the guitar players that deliver riff after riff and interesting solos through all the recording. If you like original metal with interesting musicianship then you should check Asbeel´s music. 

Favorite tracks: the four

Contact: www.asbeel.metal.pl

ASHEN LIGHT - CTAPbI BbIAHHbI (More Hate Productions, 2001)

Produced By: Ashen Light

Tracks: There are twelve tracks with song titles in russian

Cover Art by Ashen Light

This is a compilation of two recordings done in 2000 and 2001 by Ashen Light. Here we have twelve tracks whose main sound is really atmospheric with a lot of keyboards and good and spacey drumming. Here the dark melodies are enchanting and reflects the darkness and serenity of the woods and other arcane places that inspire Ashen Light´s music. The compositions are well developed and they transport the listener to their dark world also using forest sounds and nature sounds that closing your eyes can take your imagination far away. There are also some heavier parts like on the seventh track were the guitars enter leaving a lot of space to the drumming, and the keyboards. For lovers of the dark, here is Ashen Light !!!

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.morehate.newmail.ru

ASHES TO ASHES - CARDINAL VII (DVS Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Michael Stenberg and Björn Luna

Tracks: 1- New World Obscure, 2- Embraced in Black, 3- Among Mortals, 4- Truth on Scaffold, 5- Iben, 6- Dualism, 7- Sic transit Gloria mundi, 8- Ravenous Unleashed, 9- Behind Closed Eyes, 10- Cardinal VII, 11- Iben pt. II

Cover Art by B.Torbo

 Recorded at Earattack

We reviewed the previous album from this darker than hell band from Norway some issues ago. Here we have their new album and I have to say that if that album was really good, this is even better. The band sounds heavier this time but without forgetting the melodies and keyboards passages that are essential to their sound. Here we have multiple heavy guitar riffs supporting the melodies and being the basis for Kenneth Brastad´s amazing vocals. Kenneth´s voice gives a lot of power and atmosphere to the songs as also do the choruses that give darker than hell melodies to them. The arrangements of the compositions here are amazing (this time the choruses sound more ethereal, deeper and more powerful). There are heavy keyboards passages and the band uses also cello in some parts. A must for every metal lover

Favorite tracks: One of the albums of the month

Contact: www.atoa.net or www.dvsrecords.com

AUDIO JUSTICE - BORED GAMES (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Audiojustice

Tracks: 1- Peanut Blues, 2- Happy Ending, 3- Time, 4- Snakes and Ladders

Cover Art by Progmaster Q

 Recorded at Mighty Koolworld Studios

I expected sort of an industrial band but I was wrong. This band plays sort of rock but with a lot of pop attitude and many hooks in the vocal melodies and the choruses (that are essential here and are made for the audience to remember them). Here we have four songs that I wouldn´t be surprise to see them in the charts and with videos on MTV or some video station (this could be very productive for this guys in order to promote their music). I would like the band to mix a little bit louder the guitars, specially when the distorted ones enter adding power to then songs). There is heavy use of clean guitars here and that makes the song a little bit lighter than one could expect, but there is also heavy diostorted guitars that add energy here.

Favorite tracks: "Happy Ending" and "Time"

Contact: www.audiojustice.net

BELOW THE SOUND - MORE LIKE A GUNSHOT THAN A CAR WRECK (Berserker Recs. / Crucial Blast, 2002)

Produced By: Below The Sound

Tracks: 1- Extravaganza, 2- Fever Pitch, 3- Penetration, 4- Pretty Stupidity, 5- Subtractive, 6- Like a Pig, 7- Hot Blooded Animal

Cover Art by Below The Sound

This guys play some sort of heavy rock with an industrial feeling (I am saying this because of the guitar sound and because of the riffs that are played in a way that seems of the style. There are no samplers and telectronics here). Here we have seven energetic tracks with enough hooks to make the listener tap the feel and sing some of the choruses. The sound of the recording is really weird, specially the guitars and the bass that sound different from what you are accustomed. There is a lot of variation from song to song and none of them is similar to the other. Here we have a good option for lovers of powerful rock with raw sound and attitude.

Favorite tracks: "Extravaganza", "Penetration" and "Like a Pig"

Contact: www.berserkerrecords.com or www.crucialblast.com

BEYOND THE EMBRACE - AGAINST THE ELEMENTS (Metal Blade, 2002)

Produced By: Beyond the Embrace with Aaron Clay

Tracks: 1- Bastard Screams, 2- Mourning in Magenta, 3- Compass, 4- Rapture, 5- Drowning Sun, 6- Against the Elements, 7- Release, 8- The Bending Sea, 9- Embers Astray, 10- The Riddle of Steel

Cover Art by www.killustrations.com

 Recorded at E.S.S. Productions

This album starts powerfully with "Bastard Screams", a pure metal song with hooks in the choruses and heavy and elaborated guitar riffs and solos. Here we have a band that mixes succesfully elements of pure death metal, heavy metal, thrash metal and black metal making infinite arrangements within each of the compositions. Each track here is a box of surprises with riffs in the style of bands like In Flames, Dark Tranquility or Carcass with complexity in the riffs and with differnt types of vocals that give a lot of variation to the songs. Plus, we have to add that thhis recording has a great sound that enhances all the elements and feelings that this guys want to transmit. Check this band !!

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.metalblade.com

BIZARRE EMBALMING - NECROSADISTIC SURGERY (Bizarre Leprous Prods., 2002)

Produced By: Vlakin and Bizarre Embalming

Tracks: 1- Intro: Necrosadistic, 2- Preparation of Resected Womb Tumour, 3-Bizarre Diagnosis, 4- Forced Excrements Taking, 5-Inhalation Control of Putrefaction, 6-Thorax Opening Using the Pincers, 7- Intro: Symphony of Cutter, 8- Low Speed Cutter Abscess Removal, 9- Kaviar Master, 10- Biodegraded Embryo Devourment, 11- Undigested Purulent Inflamation Vomiting, 12- I View To an Antomical..., 13- Genital Resection and Vulva Devourment, 14- Perverted Examinations Institute, 15- Insomnia (cover Blood), 16- Prolapsus Rectl

 Recorded at Hostivar Studio

Bizarre Embalmingp´s music goes way beyongd grindcore . Here we have a band that is not afraid of experimenting with more rhythmic riffs and drum patterns and not only do blast beats through all the tracks contained on this album. Here we have differnt types of guitar riffs and different types of vocals, some of them closer to what one expects of grindcore bands and some of them even heavier and more devastating. The vocals are of the extreme type but the guttural one can be fully understood and contrasts heavily with the screaming vocals. Once again I have to remark the excellent sound of this recording, specially on the guitars that make things even more extreme.

Favorite tracks: "Genital resection", "Inhalation..." and "Perverted..."

Contact: www.bizarreleprous.cz

BLACK TRINITY - BLACK TRINITY (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Black Trinity

Tracks: 1- The Black Knights Legions, 2- Oath of Blood and Iniquity, 3- Martyr Complex

Cover Art by Black Trinity

Ultra raw as hell black metal with some death touches. Here we have a band whose sound is related to classical black metal with interesting fast riffs and vocals that are somewhere viking metal bands and Venom. There is a lot of variations on the vocals here and tht is really good because it fits perfectly the music of the band. Black Trinity´s music has an ultra raw sound with blast beats and ultra fast riffs and the drumming here is really extreme. Everything here is designed to create the blackest of moods and the tracks despite the speed are memorable and I imagine the band in a live situation as really devastating. Black as hell ! 

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: blcktrnty666@aol.com

BLUEBERRYHILL - CLANDESTINE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Blueberryhill

Tracks: 1- Odin´s Thunder, 2- Demise, 3- Stay as one, 4- The Free Are Alive, 5- Resurrection Calls

Cover Art by Blueberryhill

This is one of those albums that after listening to it one time you can remember each of the songs because of the catchy riffs and the choruses. Here we have pure heavy metal with a bigger guitar sound (combined with the bottom end of the bass this band has achieved a heavier guitar sound). The guys in Blueberryhill are experts in creating epic melodies with grandiloquence and they achieve this through the guitars (great melodies, solos and acoustic interludes), through the vocals and through the amazing keyboards. One thing that I have to remark is the really good vocal work with multiple harmonies and many hooks that put a mark in the listener brain that will be singing this five songs long after the album is over. Pure epic metal !!

Favorite tracks: "Odin´s Thunder", "Stay as One" and "Resurrection Calls"

Contact: www.bb-hill.com

BON VOYAGE - THE RIGHT AMOUNT (Tooth and Nail Recs., 2002)

Mastered By: Andy Prickett

Tracks: 1- The Right Amount, 2- Never Coming Back, 3- The Third Marie, 4- Dressed in White, 5- Segue, 6- All the Traps, 7- The Telephone, 8- On Your Side, 9- Be What I Need, 10- Advice

Cover Art by Kris Mc Caddon

 Recorded at SCS

This band reminded me a little bit of bands like The Cardigans or something like that. They have this pop attitude with simple and easy melodies that gets really soon in the listener´s mind.Julie Martin´s vocals are soft and at the same time charming and ethereal. The band uses electronic or programmed drums that give a cold feeling to some of the songs when combined with some keyboards. But the main thing here are the melodies and you have plenty of them here. There are some clean guitars that add arpeggios and clean chords to each of the songs (including some dissonances in tracks like "Dressed in White") This is for lovers of pop music with imagination.

Favorite tracks: "Never Coming back", "All the Traps" and "On Your Side"

Contact: www.toothandnail.com

CHILLBURN - ENEMIES OF SILENCE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Chillburn

Tracks: 1- Supermodel, 2- Mr. Emptyhead, 3- Hit the Killswitch, 4- Sane for a Day

This guys have achieved a great thing...from the beginning I can not stop singing the chorus of the first track of this album called "Supermodel". This track is a potential hit for this guys. Chillburn´s music has many elements of pop music and many of heavy rock. The main thing here are the vocal melodies that are combined with anelectronic background and some keybaords that add a darker atmosphere to the tracks. The guitars in "Mr Emptyhead" sound powerful and at the same time really processed to achieve a distinctive sound. When combined with the electronics and the ethereal vocals one can listen to the Chillburn sound. I really liked this album and I wouldn´t be surprised if some day I found this guys on top of the rock charts. 

Favorite tracks: "Supermodel" and "Hit the killswitch"

Contact: www.chillburn.com

COBALT - COBALT (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Cobalt

Tracks: 1- Angel Fangs, 2- Hammerfight, 3- Lunar Warfare, 4- World on its knees

 Recorded by Cobalt

Here we have Cobalt´s brutal as fuck MCD. Here we have four tracks of pure death / black / grind metal dementia. Here we have the blast beats, the chainsaw like guitars and the screaming vocals. Everything here has also some sort of thrash influence in some of the rhythms.  There are many ultra fast parts (even if the second track is slower and more rhythmic) with extremely distorted vocals, almost grindcore. It seems that this guys are using some sort of drum device to create the blast beats and rhythms because they sound quite mechanical, specially the cymbals and that adds a special feeling to Cobalt´s music. I would like the band to mix clearer the guitars and the snare drum thata re a little bit buried in the mix. Here we have an ultra brutal band with good ideas and extreme violence.

Favorite tracks: "Angel Fangs" and "Hammerficght"

Contact: www.cobalt-attack.com

COHERENT LIQUID FORM - NEW EXISTENCE (Archives Music, 2002)

Produced By: Lisa Dahlvang

Tracks: 1- Divergent Reality, 2- Chained, 3- Devouring Hybrid, 4- Creation, 5- Paralyzed, 6- Ignorance of Insanity, 7- One Sided, 8- New Existence, 9- Fate Whispers, 10- Solitude, 11- Sewer Whore, 12- Tyrants of the Light, 13- Extinction of the Leach

 Recorded at Logic Studios

Here we have this powerful death metal band with many dark melodies and interesting tempo changes. The good thing about this band are the many different riffs and feelings that they put together in their composition sounding extremely coherent. There are interesting syncopated drumming parts here that are followed closely by the guitarists and the bassist making Coherent Liquid Form´s sound really tight. The vocals are of the screaming type used in bands like Carcass or the most extreme Kreator (I mean, this are not vocals of the guttural kind). The guitar is the flesh, heart and soul of the music that we have on this CD, creating melancholic melodies and aggressive riffs without difficulty and adding new shades and feelings on each of the tracks.

Favorite tracks: "Chained", "Solitude" and "Tyrants of the Light"

Contact: www.imperialarchives.com/clf

CROWHEAD - FROZEN (My Kingdom Music, 2002)

Produced By: Fredrik Darum and Ted Skogmann

Tracks: 1- My Angel, 2- Mad Man, 3- Eternity (drums of death), 4- Intro, 5- Fire Eye (kill You), 6- Love Letter, 7- Frozen (2002), 8- My Angel (signal krem remix), 9- The Soul is in the Dark Side pt. 1, 10- The Soul is in the dark Side pt. 2, 11- Outro

Cover Art by Simona Vinati

 Recorded at Das Bunker Studios

"My Angel" opens with full energy this album with riffs that remember Paradise Lost and vocals that are closer to Anathema and Katatonia (really deppressive). Here we have a band that uses a lot of keyboards combined with the heavy guitars. While being  dark and heavy the music here has enough hooks in its melodies to attract the listener and trap him with the keyboards and vocal lines never letting him go until the album is over. Again I have to remark the strong contrast between heavy distorted guitars and the melodic keyboards that are the main feature here along with the melancholic voices. This album has an extremely good mix, specially on the keyboards that are essential here. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.mykingdommusic.net

DEINONYCHUS - MOURNUMENT (My Kingdom Music, 2002)

Produced By: Marco Kehren and Markus Stock

Tracks: 1- Pluto´s Ovoid Orbit, 2- Odourless Alliance, 3- Salus Deceived, 4- Odourless Alliance, 5- Tantalised in this Labyrinth, 6- The Crimson Tides - Oceans of Soliloquy, 7- Selek from Menes, 8- A Misleading Scenario, 9- The Obscure Process of Metamorphus, 10- Arrival in Mesopotamia, 11- Ancient Dreams, 12- Ascension-the 40^th Day After Easter

Cover Art by Marco Kehren

This is Deinonychus fifth album and the band continues in the melancholic and extremely dark path that they have marked in their history. Here we have their most climatic release full of slow guitars and amazingly obscure keyboards that develope black atmospheres full of darkness and sorrow. For those who have not listened the band before here you will find Marco Kehren´s agonic vocals and sublime compositions full of arrangements and sadness. The sound of the recording is really good and I have to remark that this guys have made a great version of Candelemass "Ancient Dreams" that will be really great for fans of the swedish band.

Favorite tracks: "Arrival in Mesopotamia", "The Crimson Tides" and "Odourless Alliance"

Contact: www.mykingdommusic.net

DEVOURED - NECROBSCENITY (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Devoured

Tracks: 1- Orgasm in Blood, 2- Take Her From Behind, 3- She, the Vampire, 4- Barbarian Sodomy, 5- Maniac

Cover Art by Devoured

 Recorded at The Noise Factory Records

Ultra brutal death metal with devastating sound and guttural vocals. Hyper fast riffs with some open chords in many parts as in "She, the Vampire" that give a lot of hooks to the tracks. Double bass drumming with extreme precission. This are some of the features that Devoured´s music has. Combined with a really good mix and sound gives us one of the most brutal releases of the years. The main thing here are the brutal as hell guitars with fat sound that throw here and there some pinch harmonics adorning the riffs and adding a lot of musicality to this bestial band. If you like bands that are extremely brutal but at the same time have originality and a good sound then you will surely like Devoured

Favorite tracks: The five.

Contact: www.devoured.be.tf

DFA - WORK IN PROGRESS LIVE (Moonjune Records, 2002)

Produced By: D.F.A.

Tracks: 1- Escher, 2- Caleidoscopio, 3- Trip on Metró, 4- La Via, 5- Pantera, 6- Ragno

Cover Art by Leonardo Pavkovic

 Recorded Live at Lehigh University´s Zoellner Arts Center

This is a live recording from this great italian progressive band taken from their presentations in June 2000 in the USA. Here we have a band that is full of complex ideas, arrangements and incredible melodies. The guys in DFA shows on this record that the incredible musicianship that tghey achieve in studio is also achieved live. Starting with "Escher" you will hear the guitar and keyboards playing melodies before the complex drumming enters. It is incredible the way this four musicians interact without missing a beat and always creating new melodies and taking the songs to new boundaries. The shortest track here is more than six minutes long and I really liked the longest tracks here because each minute brings you new ideas from this great italian band. Lovers of original ideas in music will surely love DFA.

Favorite tracks: The six

Contact: www.moonjune.com

DISGUISE - IMPETUS MALI / MORS FIDEI (Independent, 200)

Produced By: Disguise

Tracks: 1- The End of Mankind Is Arrived, 2- The Unchangeable Truth, 3- Impetus Mali / Mors Fidei, 4- the Calice of Death, 5- Puppets in the hands of fear, 6- A Dreary Night of November

Cover Art by Disguise

How to mix in a really good way extreme brutality with interesting compositions? Well, maybe listening to Disguise´s music will give you an answer. This band plays what I would call black/death metal with a lot of keyboards ideas that add originality to each of the compositions. Here you have extreme vocals (a mix of guttural vocals and of the type used in balck metal bands) mixed with fast riffs with twisted guitar ideas (as you may listen in "The Unchangeable Truth (2:35)) and many keyboard melodies and passages that give the darkest feeling to each of the songs while at the same time contrasting with the guitars and adding interesting arrangements to the compositions. I would define Disguise´s music as the perfect balance between what is extreme and brutal and what is subtle and original.

Favorite tracks: "The Unchangeable Truth", "The Calice of Death" and "Puppets..."

Contact: disguise666@hotmail.com:

DISPARAGED - DEATHTRAP (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Disparaged

Tracks: 1- Bloodstained Hands, 2- Souvenir, 3- Serpent´s Tongue, 4- Confide in me, 5- Salvation

Cover Art by Oli Studer

 Recorded at Assburn Studios

This release is really brutal!! It has many elements of death metal and black metal and a really modern sound (including programmed drums) that give a machine-like feeling to each of the songs. The songs are fast with furious riffs that are designed to crush tyhe listener´s brain and ultra fast parts (including blast beats in some parts, check "Confide in Me"). The sound of the guitars is devastating and when combined with the extreme vocals they make the brutal Disparaged sound with extreme violence. I have to remark the good sound that this recording has (including the programmed drums that are difficult to mix to make it sound really well). Here we have five songs that deliver brutality and energy with interesting musicianship. ==

Favorite tracks: "Souvenir", "Serpent´s Tongue" and "Salvation

Contact: www.disparaged.ch

DYSMORFIC - BORN TO BE FUCKED EP (Uxicon Recs. 2002)

Produced By: Dysmorfic

Tracks: SIDE 1: 1- Assmouth, 2- Fake, 3- Short Story, 4- Blind Trust, SIDE 2: 5- I can´t Stand, 6- Ciecita Mentale, 7- Violence is the way, 8- Fuck you, idiot, 9- Blitzkrieg Bop

Cover Art by Dysmorfic

Here we have a 7" EP by this ultra raw grind band !! Here we have the ultra speed in the riffs, the bklast beats, the guttural vocals. Everything has here total brutality and some death metal elements that give a special flavour to Dysmorfic´s music. Plus, here we have guitars that sound fat and with a really raw sound. I would like the band to mix a little bit louder the drums (not the cymbals) to make things even wilder and more bestial. Here we have nine pure grind compositions with good sound and also here we have a cover of the Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop" than in the Dysmorfic way. Really devastating!!! 

Favorite tracks: "Fake", "Blind Trust" and "Violence is the Way"

Contact: brenda.b@skynet.be

EBLIS - ...AND OUR TIME ANNOUNCES BLACK (Faithless Prods, 1998)

Produced By: Eblis

Tracks: 1- Fall of the Usher, 2-...And our Time Announces Black, 3- Ceremony (Dance Macabre), 4-Travel Through Eternity, 5- Rite of Pass Away, 6- Last Dream in Darkness

Cover Art by Krzysztof Lutostanski

 Recorded at Cyber Studio

This is quite an older release but I really considered that fitted Music Extreme´s spectre and decided to include this review. Eblis is a black metal band full of keyboards and atmospheric parts that combine perfectly with the most aggressive and raw parts. There are many blast beats parts but they are combined with dark keyboards progressions and many changes in speed that are combined with cleaner vocals (harmonized with the most extreme ones). This guys use heavily bells sound to give some darker twist to their music (check "Ceremony (Dance Macabre)"). The best thing here are the melodies that are achieved through the keyboards and the guitars and that give originality to Eblis music. Black metallers will surely like Eblis.

Favorite tracks: "Ceremony...", "Travel through Eternity" and "Rite of Pass Away"

Contact:

ENGRAM - WINDOW OF SOUL (Kick Promotion Agency, 2002)

Produced By: Engram

Tracks: 1- Without Soul, 2- Eaten from Inside, 3- Window of Death, 4- Revenge

Cover Art by Paolo Girardi

 Recorded at MR Studio

Engram´s music is really complex and original. With many elements of death metal and countless arrangements done by the guitars, the drums and the bass we have here a very technical band that delivers brutality with originality in thefour tracks that are contained on this CD. I have to remark the amazing technical skills that this guys must have to do all the changes in tempo and moods that the compositions here have. The sound of the recording is good, speacially on the guitars and that gives a lot of power to the songs and combined with the cleaner guitar parts give a lot of identity to this band. Now we want a full length release from this band.

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.kickagency.com

ENTHRONED - CARNAGE IN WORLDS BEYOND (Napalm Recs. / Hellion Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Harris Johns

Tracks: 1- Boundless Demonication, 2- Infernal Flesh Massacre, 3- Spawn From the Abyss, 4- Bloodline, 5- Jehova Desecration, 6- Diabolic Force, 7- Land of Demonic Fears, 8- Radiance of Mordacity, 9- Graced by Evil Blood, 10- Carnage in Worlds Beyond, 11- The Septentrional Shrine (bonus), 12- The Horny and the Horned (bonus), 13- Genocide 2002 (bonus)

Cover Art by N. Daemon and Nornagest

 Recorded in Spiderhouse Studios

The black metal beasts are back!! This time with the production of Harris Johns that has given their extremely raw sound an additional touch to make it sound even more powerful. As you may know this band plays the rawest type of black metal with extremely fast riffs, blast beats and extreme vocals. This time they show us that the band can evolve without loosing quality and brutality. Here they have included the usual fast riffs and they have combined them with some old school metal riffs (as in the first track "Boundless Demonication") that add new feelings to Enthroned´s music. I have to remark that this album contains the best compositions that the band has done up to know including many technical changes and melodies that add a lot to the extreme sound of the band. The album has a killer mix that makes things even more powerful.

Favorite tracks: "Boundless Demonication", "Bloodline" and "Graced by Evil Blood"

Contact: www.hellionrecords.com

ETERNAL SILENCE - THE DAWNING OF CHAOS (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Eternal Silence

Tracks: 1- Global Castration, 2- Left To Die, 3- Fading Inside, 4- Consumed By Darkness

Here is this MCD from this band that creates a unique style: they mix extremely heavy guitars with clean parts that make the tracks really atmospheric and charming while at the same time brutal as hell. There are multiple guitar melodies here combined with the crushing guitars and the drums don´t play what the listener expects prefering to create their own style instead of copying styles. There is heavy use of double bass drumming in tracks like "Left to Die". There are death metal vocals that add brutality to the music while the guitars play violent riffs in the vein of the most brutal death metal bands. People who like brutality but want at the same time many ideas will like Eternal Silence.

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.eternaldeath.com

EVER SINCE - FIGHT THE ELEMENTS (Sweet Nausea Promotions, 2002)

Produced By: Ever Since

Tracks: 1- Burning Inside, 2- Heart of Ice, 3- Brainstorm, 4- Back to life, 5- Who´ll Save Us, 6- A Letter for the Lady who Haunts My Nights

Cover Art by Jeremy In-Albon

 Recorded at Studio XH-Virtual

This album opens powerfully with loud drumming and some electronics in "Burning Inside". How well combined are the multiple arrangements that the band do with the brutality that they deliver in many of the tracks. How well composed are the keyboards arrangements and the clean guitar parts. How incredibly well have been the vocals done in order to fit the music. And what a good sound this album has, specially on the killer drums (with a lot of double bass drumming). This record delivers darkness and sad feelings combined with power and energy on each of the compositions. The riffs and multiple parts are complex and the band has the technical skills needed in order to play them correctly. This is an album that you have to buy or die.

Favorite tracks: All the CD. One of the albums of the year

Contact: www.eversince.net or www.sweetnausea.com

FATAL EMBRACE - LEGIONS OF ARMAGEDDON (Bruchstein Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Harris Johns

Tracks: 1- Wasmasters Revenge (intro), 2- 666 (Masacre in Paradise), 3- Legions of Armageddon, 4- Mentally Perversion, 5- Returned To hell, 6- Trapped in a Violent Brain, 7- Spellbound By the Devil, 8- Depraved To Black, 9- Wargods of Thrash

Cover Art by Mark Warma

 Recorded at Spiderhouse Studio

Pure brutal death/thrash metal is the style that Fatal Embrace delivers here! The music here is violent and brutal and it has certain elements of thrash and old school death metal which I liked a lot such as certain drum patterns (check the beginning of the track "Legions of Armageddon"). The guitar riffs have a lot of rhythm and give a lot of interesting and catchy feelings to the songs making them extremely memorable. The vocals are of two types, there is one that is closer to the one that Venom´s Cronos uses in his band and the other one is more brutal and guttural and is used in many of the heaviest parts. There are fast guitar solos in the vein of the fastest thrash metal bands like Kreator or Destruction. This CD has been recorded with the production of the famous Harris Johns and that gives a lot of thrash feeling and quality to this recording. Thrash is back (this time with a big dose of death metal in many parts)! 

Favorite tracks: "666", "Returned to hell" and "Depraved to Black"

Contact: www.bruchstein-records.de

FEAR DORG - FEAR DORG (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Fear Dorg

Tracks: 1- Contro il Tempo, 2- Fear Dorg, 3- La Valle della Coscienza, 4- Bagliori Nel Buio, 5- Sotto il Riflesso dell´Albero (il Guardiano)

Cover Art by Angelo Andreini

 Recorded at C.F.M. Studio

This italian band knows how to do elaborated songs with classical heavy riffs and interesting melodies. Here the melodies construct interesting structures where the melodies rely in order to create the epic songs that we have on this album. And the melodies are the main thing here adding a lot of power to each of the songs and making them memorable. Fear Dorg has a killer drummer that uses heavily the double bass drums in the fastest parts adding a lot of heaviness to the songs. The sound of the recording is raw but at the same time has enough quality to make the songs clear and energetic. The lyrics are in italian and that gives a strange feeling to the compositions (not to people who are accustomed to italian or spanish, but it will surely surprise english speakers). A good effort from this italian band.

Favorite tracks: "Fear Dorg", "La Valle Della Coscienza" and "Bagliori Nel Buio"

Contact: fdorg@libero.it

FEAR TRADERS - DRESSED IN BLACK (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Francesco Rigagnelli with Francesco Antolini and Marco Milloni

Tracks: 1- A Prelude to Sadness/Dressed in Black, 2- Judgement Day, 3- Soul Outstanding, 4- Glasswall

Cover Art by Peter Dennis

 Recorded at BPA Studio

This is pure heavy metal with some thrash influences and a lot of energy in the riffs. Here we have four songs of pure metal with some progressive arrangements done by the guitars and the bass. The vocals are strangely mixed here (they seem to be low in the mix and to have some strange reverb on them) and the vocal range is not the usual for the style that this guys do (great, because I like original vocalists). There is interesting drumming work (I would like them to mix a little bit louder the snare drum and some of the cymbals....the bass drums are perfectly mixed). The guitar sound is really raw and that adds a lot of energy because the general felling here is that of a live recording. I like that this guys use riffs that are not the usual in heavy metal nowadays preferring to use simpler riffs and a lot of clean guitars and bass parts. Here we have pure heavy metal ! 

Favorite tracks: "Judgement Day", "Soul Outstanding"

Contact: feartraders@lycos.it

FECULENCE - PROMO 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Feculence

Tracks: 1- Chocha Caliente, 2- Slamhog, 3- Sexual Deviant, 4- Shitfaced , 5- Sardu´s Temple of Flesh, 6- Mountains of Filth, 7-Sodomized On Sight

Here we have pure grind with some death metal elements from this porn freak guys !!!  This are seven sexual grind nightmares that feature ultradistorted guitars and bass with extreme drumming (very twisted drumming, almost spastic) and here we have incredibly guttural vocals and screaming ones that are used like other instrument. This guys have no mercy for the listener and each tracks is brutal as hell. I would like the band to mix a little bit better the drums that are a little bit buried in the mix and to mix louder the guitars to make things even more powerful. Here everything is speed and brutality in a really good combination. This is for grindcore lovers !!!

Favorite tracks: "Slamhog", "Mountains of Filth" and "Sodomized on Sight"

Contact: Humancesspool@aol.com

FINAL CONCLUSION - ELEMENT 87 (Casket Productions, 2002)

Mastered By: Martin Barbour

Tracks: 1- Butterflies, 2- Diesel, 3- Lesson Learned

Cover Art by Final Conclusion

 Recorded at Philia Studios

Here we have a MCD from this heavy band that creates interesting riffs while adding an industrial feeling to their music through some samples. Here we have incredible drumming (with a machine like drumming sound....palms to the rhythm section that is extremely tight). There is one thing that I want to remark and that are the vocals....yes, this vocals give the band a lot of identity as you can listen on each of the choruses of the three songs contained on this album. The songs are brutal and they have many death metal influences that combined with the influence of bands like Sepultura or Fear Factory create Final Conclusion´s sound. I recommend this album to those who want something new and music that is really well mixed adding power to the compositions. 

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.finalconclusion.fsnet.co.uk

FIRE MAKERS - WISHMASTER (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Fire Makers

Tracks: 1- Wishmaster, 2- Aragorn, 3- Gods and Dogs

Cover Art by M. Candido

 Recorded at Step Music Records

Pure heavy fucking metal!!!! Killer guitars, fast drumming, epic melodies, this and many more things you will find in Fire Makers music. This guys present us three good tracks here with heavy guitars and interesting song structure. The influences here go from Iron Maiden to Helloween to Manowar . There are interesting rhythm changes as the ones in "Wishmaster" that makes the compositions even more interesting. The guys in Fire Maker also use clean guitars as they show in the track called "Aragorn" with a climatic beginning before getting into the heavier side. The recording has a really good sound (I would mix a little bit louder the lead guitars) that makes the sound more powerful. Now I would like them to record more songs to listen more from this good italian band. Pure metal.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: firemakers@hotmail.com

FLOODLAND - DECAY (W.A.B. Records, 2002)

Produced By: Floodland

Tracks: 1- Enthymeme, 2- Dorian, 3- Morning Won´t Come Tonight, 4- Rainchild, 5- Dark Town, 6- Pile of Delusion, 7- Coincidence, 8- Decay, 9- Rejected, 10- First Flower After the Flood

Here is Floodland´s new album. After their previous two great albums that we reviewed some issues ago, here they come with their new effort. This time they have added more electronic elements in tracks like "Enthymeme" and they sound even better, with vocals that are extremely gothic and great choruses that leave you singing the ten songs that we have on this album. Each of the tracks here is extremely climatic and the keyboards and guitars are essential to create this atmosperes. Plus the guitars add power to the songs bringing each composition to a climax. The sound of the recording is excellent as it was on the previous album. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.floodland.org or www.wabrecords.org

FOSCOR - PROMO 2001 (Independent, 2001)

Produced By: Foscor

Tracks: 1- Old Wind´s Revenge, 2- Entrance To the Shadows Village, 3- Inferus (Dungeons and Caves)

Pure hatred is what the guys in Foscor transmit to the listener. Foscor is a band featuring members of the spanish band Lux Divina. The music here is pure raw black metal with many dark melodies and some clean and obscure vocals. The extreme voclas fit perfectly the mood of the songs and are full of anguish and hate. Everything here is designed to show the listener the black aura that surrounds Foscor´s music. The sound of the recording is good and the drums don´t get lost in the mix as it happens in many black metal bands when they try to sound unpolished. Here we have also some acoustic passages in "Entrance To the Shadows Village" that is like the calm before the storm and adds avariation and dynamics to Foscor´s music. Pure black metal!! 

Favorite tracks: the three

Contact: noctiflorous@hotmail.com

FUCK THE FACTS - BASTARDIZING CANADA (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Fuck the Facts

Tracks: 1- N.S.S.T.S., 2- The Burning Side, 3- Terror Bomb, 4- Smokin´a Fatty (live)

Cover Art by Fuck the Facts

 Recorded at Total Bastard Studio

Fuck the Facts is an extreme death/grind band coming directly from Canada. This guys have chiosen a different way to create their music. They play death riffs and slower riffs and they use a screaming vocal (and a processed one that is quite different from the one that you are accustomed to listen in grind bands)  that gives the grindcore feeling to the music here. Here you will listen lots of blast beats and extreme tempo changes. But there is also place for clean guitars as in "The Burning Side" that gives a breath to the music. The compositions here are long enough to develope many ideas within each of them. This band is a good choice for those who like new ideas in grind and death metal.

Favorite tracks: "The Burning Side" and "Terror Bomb"

Contact: www.fuckthefacts.com

FUNERAL INCEPTION - ANTHEMS OF DISENCHANTMENT (Warpath Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Funeral Inception

Tracks: 1- ...Of Banished and depraved Existence, 2- Man destined to Fail, 3- Bathing your Soul with Gore Tears, 4- Violence Speaks louder than Words, 5- Unrecognizable Mutilations, 6- Sons of the Unclean, 7- Holy Halls of Paranoia, 8- I am My Own Enemy, 9- Planting the Seeds of Life, 10- Slices of Flesh are Being Devoured

Cover Art by Jaromir Bezruc

 Recorded at Palu Studio

Brutality at its most extreme level is what the guys in Funeral Inception deliver on this recording. With super fast drumming (with interesting drums arrangements) and crushing guitar sound. Speed is fundamental here but it is not the only element that this band uses to achieve extreme brutality. Here we have also twisted guitar riffds with complex drum patterns, breaks and tempo changes and amazing double bass patterns. The voclas are mainly guttural, almost grindcore and reminded me a little bit of the type of vocals used in bands like Suffocation. The sound of the recording is really good, specially on the drums and that adds even more bestiality to this release.

Favorite tracks: "Sons of the Unclean", "Man destined to Fail" and "I am My Own Enemy"

Contact: www.warpathrecords.com

GRAVE - BACK FROM THE GRAVE (Century Media, 2002)

Produced By: Tomas Skoksberg

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Rise, 3- Behold the Flames, 4- Dead is Better, 5- Receiver, 6- No Regrets, 7- Resurrection, 8- Below, 9- Bloodfed, 10- Thorn to pieces

Cover Art by Jacek Wisniewski

 Recorded at Sunlight Studios

Grave is back!! Brutal as always the swedish band delivers here their new extreme studio album since their previous "Hating Life" from 1996. Here we have all the elements that ahve made the band famous. Powerful extreme vocals, huge guitar riffs with many mid paced parts, classic whammy bar solos along with amazing double bass drumming. Everything here is designed to give each composition more brutality than the other. Plus here we have the master Tomas Skoksberg behind the mix and that gives extra power to the guitars and the drums that sound heavier than in any other Grave album. This is the new album with great songs from this brutal swedish band. A classic.

Favorite tracks: "Behold the Flames", "No Regrets" and "Resurrection"

Contact: www.centurymedia.com.br

GROSSMEMBER - LEAVE US ALONE (Bizarre Leprous Prods., 2002)

Produced By: Grossmember

Tracks: 1- Rotting on the Cross of lies, 2- Sadness in your eyes, 3- Leave Us Alone, 4- War Time, 5- Living on the Knees, 6- Boneyard, 7- Mind Collapse System, 8- Life Like a Nightmare, 9- False Unity, 10- Blind Fear, 11- Find Your Own Way, 12- Money Its your Fucking Religion, 13- An Impulse to Create, 14- A Better Tomorrow, 15- Consequence, 16- State of Depression, 17- Working Class Hero, 18- Revenge of Jeff Colby, 19- War System, 20- Al Bitch Gestapo, 21- Useless Human Object, 22- Lack of Activty, 23- Witches, 24- The Choice...

 Recorded at Hertz Studio

Pure grind is what we have here with certain death metal touches in the slower parts. Grossmember´s tracks are short and ultra fast with hyper fast riffs and a fat guitar sound that make things more extreme. Here we have a band that mixes blast beats with more hardcore or thrash beasts adding a lot of interest to their music and taking grind to new places. The tracks here are short and well developed with good drums patterns athat show that despite being extremely fast this band has the technical skills required to create good extreme music. Extra points for this album is the really good sound that it has and that allows to listen clearly each of the instruments here. 

Favorite tracks: "War Time", "False Unity" and "Useless Human Object"

Contact: www.bizarreleprous.cz

GULU LOCUS - CHOCOL-HATE (Nocturnal Music, 2002)

Produced By: Rich D, Nocturnal Music and Gulu Locus

Tracks: 1- Chocol-Hate, 2- I Belong To Extinction, 3- T.N.T., 4- Control?, 5- L.a.s.t. (Mary Quant), 6- Lesson 1: Disturbing, 7- Hurricane, 8- Lesson 2: You are Dead, 9- happy Noise Days

Cover Art by Claudio Baroncelli

 Recorded at Associazione Audiodinamica

Pure brutality is what Gulu locus delivers on this albums. Here we have a band that plays death metal but with more rhythmic riffs and a really modern sound. The compositions here are powerful and each of them are designed to be played in front of a crowd of moshing people. The vocals here are extremely brutal giving the death metal feeling to the tracks. The compositions here have a lot of different riffs and variations that change the mood of the song while surprising the listener. There is plenty of fast parts with excellent drumming (this guy is like a machine behind the drum kit). Here we have an extremely powerful band. Check Gulu Locus.

Favorite tracks: "Chocol-hate", "Control?" and Hurricane"

Contact: www.nocturnalmusic.net or www.kickagency.com

HEAVEN´S CRY - PRIMAL POWER ADDICTION (DVS Records , 2002)

Produced By: Heaven´s Cry

Tracks: 1- 2k Awe Tick, 2- Masterdom´s Profit, 3- A New Paradigm, 4- Divisions, 5- A Higher Moral Ground, 6- Komma, 7- Remembrance, 8- One of Twenty Four, 9- Waves, 10- The inner Scream remains, 11- Beds Are Burning

Heaven´s Cry is awhat I would define as an extremely progressive metal band. Here we have a band that uses many different tempos, riffs changes everywhere, odd time signatures and many different sounds, specially on the guitars and the keyboards.  Here we have a singer in the vein of masters like Geoff Tate and others of the style, really versatile and that can sing over all the multiple changes and has a vocal range of various octaves that allows him to do this correctly. But the main thing here are the endless guitar riffs and keyboards phrases that interact really well here and fit perfectly all the spaces that the complex rhythm section leaves them to explore. A must for lovers of bands like Dream Theater, Queensryche, Fates Warning.

Favorite tracks: "A new paradigm", "Komma" and "The inner scream remains"

Contact: www.dvsrecords.com

HELLBLAZER - PROMO SUMMER 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Hellblazer

Tracks: 1- Four, 2- Foul is Fair and Fair is Foul, 3- Witsore, 4- Born To Beg, 5- The Cleveland Torso Killer

Cover Art by Hellblazer

Hellblazer is a band that mixes succesfully death metal, with other extreme styles. For example in "Fouls is Fair..." the band starts with a riff that is hardcore almost punk and they use a lot of wah wah in some places adding a different sound to their brutal metal. The riffs are not common for a death metal band  The vocals are extremely guttural and add a lot of brutality to the music being really coordinated with the original riffs that the guitarists play. The sound of this recording is raw and tat makes things more brutal, because despite being raw the sound doesn´t lack quality to make Hellblazer one of the most bestial bands in the scene.

Favorite tracks: "Fouls is Fair...", "Norn to Beg" and "The Clveland Torso Killer"

Contact: hblzr@web.de

HYADES - NO BULLSHIT...JUST METAL (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Hyades

Tracks: 1- Burning, 2- Sharpen the Iron, 3- Night Time Remorses, 4- Rush of Deathbringers

 Recorded at Flying Studio

Here we have pure metal with some thrash topuches that makes Hyades music even more powerful. This is heavy metal for lovers of bands like Running Wild, Blind Guardian, that is those bands that add to their classical metal some epic choruses and some thrash metal guitar riffs. There are many "german" touches like the harsh vocals and the choruses with the fast double bass drumming in tracks like "Rush of Deathbringers". There are good guitar melodies and solos that add a different flavour to the songs. Here we have four tracks that show what european pure heavy metal is about and we hope to listen more from this metal band soon.

Favorite tracks: "Sharpen the Iron" and "Night Time Remorses"

Contact: www.hyades.6go.net

HYPNOTIC FACE - WRITTEN BY LIFE (Independent, 2000)

Produced By: Hypnotic Face

Tracks: 1- Train, 2- Destiny Song, 3- E-Power, 4- Written By Life, 5- Hang Over, 6- Life on the Wheels, 7- 0603/478077

 Recorded at Shaark Studio

A powerful metal band coming directly from the Czech Republic !  This is a band with interesting thrash influences (eighties thrash bands like Exodus, Anthrax and others) but with modern influences that give Hypnotic Face´s music a lot of identity. There are amazingly beautiful acoustic guitar passages in the end of "E-Power". The guitars are crushing and are really well combined with the bass work and the drums making a really tight band. Here there are some tempo changes of a type that I have not heard in many time (since late eighties I think). The songs have memorable lyrics and I think that this band can be one in the new wave of thrash metal bands coming from Europe that I think will inject new power and ideas in the metal world.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.mujweb.cz/kultura/hypnoticface

ILL FARES THE LAND - NONENTITY (Uxicon Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Ill Fares the Land

Tracks: 1- The defeated Prophecy, 2- Insufferable Insolence, 3- Worlds Beyond the grave, 4- Signs Proclaiming Apocalypse, 5- Ages oif Chaos, 6- Devouring the Soul

Cover Art by Michael Michaelson

 Recorded at Dé Studio

One of the most brutal releases o 2002, even if there are many melodies here and there played by the great guitars. Here we have a band with power, speed and extreme heaviness on each riff.  If you put that together, add some classical death metal influences and an extremely huge guitar sound with a good mix then you will have a little idea of how does this recording sound. Here every note, every drum beat, every bass line, every scream is done in order to make things brutal. And they have succeded on this creating six compositions with extreme brutality and extreme heaviness. Lovers of that style will also like the way in whhich the album is mixed with clear and loud guitars

Favorite tracks: "Worlds Beyond the Grave", "Ages of Chaos" and "Devouring the Soul"

Contact: http://get.to/illfares

IMMORTAL HAMMER - UZNAMENI PERUNOVHO KRUHU (Eclipse Prods, 2002)

Produced By: Immortal Hammer

Tracks: 1- U znameni Perunovho Kruhu (intro), 2- Inkvizitor, 3- Im Dunkelem Wald, 4- Zem nasich Predkov, 5- U Mene kultu, 6- Temna Legenda Pohanskych Mecov, 7- Tiarnaglofi, 8- Tisicrocny Duch Voiny, 9- Zahaleny Lesnou Rmou, 10- Ulcia kru (outro)

Cover Art by Mysticus

 Recorded at Rapes Studio

Immortal Hammer has two sides in their music: first of all the more climatic one with mid paced riffs and guitar melodies, then the bestial and raw side where they use blast beats at full speed and extreme vocals showing why they are one of europe´s most bestial black metal bands. One thing that amazed me is that there are some riffs that sound different than the ones used usually in black metal...this are riffs where the guitar lets a chord sounding over a slower drum pattern and that gives some hook to the song to get the listeners memory after the song is over (this guys have found this type of riffs that they used between blast beats combined with some distortred melodies in order to make the compositions memorable). The sound of the recording is extremely raw and the programmed drums at full speed gives a weird twist to Immortal Hammer´s sound. Here you have unholy black metal guaranteed.

Favorite tracks: "Zen Nasich Predkov", "U Mene Kultu" and "Tiarnaglofi"

Contact: www.eclipse-prod.sf.cz

IMMORTAL TEARS - LASOMBRA, THE HEART OF DARKNESS (Sheer Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Sheer Records and Immortal Tears

Tracks: 1- As the Sunset Comes..., 2- Spectral Hands (Black Hand), 3- The Becoming, 4- If These Walls Could Talk, 5- In Vitam Aeternam, 6- Written By Blood, 7- A Candle In the Dark, 8- Window To the Garden, 9- Memories, 10- Hidden from the Light (bonus)

 Recorded at Inferno Studio

A brief intro takes us into the darkest world of Immortal Tears. Here raw guitars playing original riffs contrast with the extremely symphonic and epic keyboards that are essential to the compositions . There are multiple changes in riffs within each song structure and the compositions are well developed from begining to end. Grief´s vocals give the black metal feeling to the music by screaming the vocals at the top of his lungs. Palms go to Lucy for creating amazing melodies and passages with her keyboards on all the tracks. There are some fast parts but the band prefers to concentrate in creating great compositions independently of how fast they go. I would define the music here as symphonic epic black metal with rhythmic and original riffs. A must

Favorite tracks: All the album is great

Contact: Yannit@atlas.cz

INFINITY MINUS ONE - TALES FROM THE MOBIUS STRIP (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Kevin Hammer

Tracks: 1- At the Doorway of Existence, 2- Face To Face, 3- Independence Day, 4- Architectural Martyr

Cover Art by Infinity Minus One

Listening to Infinity Minus One´s music you will find the best elements of proggressive metal. Here you will find the best musicianship combined with long compositions full of arrangements, changes in rhythms and sound, ethereal lyrics and amazing vocal lines. I have to remark that Kelly Conlon, the bass player that played in Death´s classic "Symbolic" is now playing in this band and I think his style will fit the music of the band perfectly with the complex bass lines needed. The main thing on this recording is the complexity of some parts (really amazing drumming), along with the guitar melodies and rhythms that the band plays perfectly with no flaws. Dennis Lanza is a really versatile vocalist with a wide vocal range that takes the lyrics to the place that the band desires. The keyboards are essential here and they add a lot of feeling and interesting passages to Infinity Minus One´s music.If you like music that is played perfectly without missing a note and with long and complex compositions then this is the band that you need. 

Favorite tracks: the four (specially "At the Doorway of Existence")

Contact: www.infinityminusone.com

INIMICAL - IN THE THORNED FIELDS OF THE DEAD (Dark Vision Productions, 2002)

Produced By: Dark Vision Prods.

Tracks: 1- From the Black Dust of the Underworld, 2- In the thorned Fields of the Dead, 3- Dawn of the Death Shaman, 4- The Inimical Son, 5- The Other Gods.

Pure ultra raw black metal is what we have here. The guys in Inimical have no mercy for the listener going at full speed most of the time with hyper raw guitars that play fast riff after fast riff without breathing. There is plenty of double bass drumming for lovers of the style and also some blast beats. The vocals are of the most extreme kind you can find in black metal. The sound of the recording is raw but lets us listen the fast riffs played with incredible precission (I would like the band to mix louder the snare drum and some of the cymbals) nad this sort of mix makes the muisic even more bestial. Lovers of black metal of the most extreme kind will surely be delighted by Inimical´s music.

Favorite tracks: "In the thorned...", "The inimical Son" and "Dawn of the death shaman"

Contact: darkvisionprod@planetwave.net

LECHEROUS NOCTURNE - PROMO 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Lecherous Nocturne

Tracks: 1- Consider the Following, 2- Autoerotic Asphyxiation, 3- Singe Este Viata

Cover Art by Lecherous Nocturne

 Recorded at Ledbelly Sound Studios

Here we have three songs from this bestial band. The band plays extremely fast death metal with amazing breaks that give place to new riffs and rhythms making each part feel like a different song within the same composition. The three tracks here are brutal and fast with some blast beats and complex drum patterns (listen "Consider...." to see the many rhythm and tempo changes that this band does within the same song structure. The vocals here are from different types: from guttural to screaming with many intermediate types, The sound here is average and I would like this guys to make louder the guitar in order to achieve an even more brutal sound. Palms here go to the rhythm section for the multiple changes without missing a beat. Now I want more songs from lecherous Nocturne!!!

Favorite tracks: "Autoerotic Asphyxiation" and "Consider the Following"

Contact: www.lecherousnocturne.com

LUST OF DECAY - INFESTING THE EXHUMED (Comatose Music, 2002)

Produced By: Lust of Decay

Tracks: 1- Festering anal Vomit, 2- Head in a Crock Pot, 3- Engorging the Vaginal Cavity, 4- Erased From Existence, 5- Draped in White, 6- Bloodart, 7- Absence of light, 8- Stricken With Disease, 9- Mutilation Tool, 10- Infesting the Exhumed

Cover Art by Steve Green

 Recorded at the Sound Farm

Here we have an extremely bestial band with many elements of death metal and grindcore. Every note played here is designed to be extremely brutal and crush the listener against the walls.  Here we have extremely guttural vocals that sound as the heaviest instrument and we have an amazing drumming that besides playing super fast blast beats creates interesting and complicated patterns as can be seen on "Festering Anal Vomit". The sound of the recording is amazingly clear, specially on guitars and drums and that adds extra power to the riffs and the drumming. Hyper bestiality designed to blast you!

Favorite tracks: "Head in a Crock Pot", "Draped in White" and "Bloodart"

Contact: www.lustofdecay.com or www.comatosemusic.com

LUX DIVINA - OCASSUS CAEREMONIA (Noctiflorous Prods., 2002)

Produced By: Lux Divina

Tracks: 1- Ocassus Caeremonia, 2- Master Spirits, 3- The Battle of Eternal Storm, 4- Anima Hyems, 5- Forest Hymn..., 6- ...My Pagan Kingdom

Cover Art by Norax

 Recorded at Panorama Studios

An epic introduction with an extreme dark and ancient feeling leads us into the dark realms of Lux Divina´s music. The music here is black metal with interesting guitar melodies. The guitar riffs are very well developed and they contrast heavily with the keyboards that are in the background. The guitars sound raw and with a lot of bottom end and that is good for giving power to the music (unlike some black metal bands out there that use a very thin guitar sound sounding weak). Fiambre´s keyboards are essential to Lux Divina´s music adding a lot of the dark feeling (along with the killer Norax vocals) to the tracks. The compositions are well developed and everything here is black, dark, sad and despairing. This is a recording for every black soul out there.

Favorite tracks: All the CD.

Contact: http://theforce.to/luxdivina

LYMPHATIC PHLEGM / JAN AG - SPLIT 7" (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Lymphatic Phlegm / Jan Ag

Tracks: 1 to 7 (SIDE A) by Lymphatic Phlegm, Tracks 8- 13 (SIDE B) by Jan Ag

Cover Art by Lymphatic Phlegm / Jan Ag

Here we have a split EP of this two grindcore bands that have joined on this recording to crush your ears and brain. Here we have two bands that play hyper fast riffs with some death metal influences. Here we have hyper guttural vocals, blast beats and chainsaw like guitars that go at full speed. Lymphatic Phlegm´s music has more death metal touches that give a lot of identity to the band and has a more crushing sound on the guitars. While Jan Ag tracks are shorter and have less riffs and changes. Lymphatic Phlegm´s side has seven interesting compositions that has all the elements that this twisted style demands. Pure grindcore for grind freaks !

Favorite tracks: All the split

Contact: rasilka@ig.com.br

MAJESTY OF SILENCE - DARKNESS HAS NO END (Independent, 1999)

Produced By: Majesty of Silence

Tracks: 1- Persistence, 2- No Reason to Die, 3- Deadlock, 4- Defender of the Tomb, 5- End of the Sorrow, 6- Dying Century, 7- Badlands, 8- Osculum Infame, 9- Existence, 10- North Star, 11- Sator Arepo, 12- Silence

A solemn introduction with keyboards takes us directly into Majesty of Silence´s world. The band´s music can be described as black metal with many keyboards that play chord progressions adding an extreme dark feeling to each of the compositions. There are clean vocals that contrast with the most extreme ones adding melancholic tones to the songs here. One thing that shocked me was the big contrast between the raw guitar sound (extremely distorted) with the keyboards and the clean melodies. That gives a lot of agression to the songs. But the main thing here are the keyboards that are the ones that add a lot of feeling to majesty of Silence´s music. There are really long compositions here )some over nine minutes) and in this ones the band shows all their compositional skills adding hundreds of arrangements within each of them. This album is from 1999 and the guys have evolved a lot in their new album.

Favorite tracks: "Badlands", "Osculum Infame" and "North Star"

Contact: www.majestyofsilence.ch

MAJESTY OF SILENCE - BUT THERE´S A LIGHT (Castle Records, 2003)

Produced By: Majesty of Silence

Tracks: 1- Gate, 2- Moonlight masquerade, 3- Experience of Fear, 4- Mein Gomory, 5- At a Loss, 6- Silence, 7- Frost, 8-Mi Gehatentanz, 9- Call of Frozen Days, 10- Born in the Storm´s arms, 11- Lecture murmur, 12- Hollow Night, 13- Regenkönig, 14- Nightfall, 15- Silence

Cover Art by Majesty of Silence

Majesty of Silence evolved a lot since their first albums, specially in the sound of the recording that this time is more powerful and clean giving much more power to the band´s music. The compositions here are complex and dark as all Majesty of Silence music is. The keyboards and the guitars are much louder this time throwing energy through all the compositions. Also here the drums are much better mixed. Everything here is designed to transmit the listener a sensation of anguish and despair, a feeling of darkness. I find really interesting how the band developes the compositions through the time that the songs last: they have beginning, climax and end with many arrangements on each composition. This time this guys have added more guitar melodic lines that give a loit of identity to their music. This is a really great recording. A must. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.majestyofsilence.ch

MALEDETH - MALEDETH (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Maledeth

Tracks: 1- Ominity (Steam Comes), 2- Why, 3- Piranha, 4- On a Dream, 5- Take My Soul, 6- Near Dark, 7- Mad Evil, 8- Voyage to Eternity, 9- As I Cry, 10- Army of Death, 11- HL 116

Cover Art by Maledeth

 Recorded at Sonora Recording Studio

Maledeth starts this CD with a midpaced beginning in "Ominity..." before getting into full thrash/speed metal within the same song. Here we have the elements that thrash metal lovers like: fast guitars, drum patterns that are typical of the style, complex riffs, tempo changes, anguished vocals. One thing that I liked a lot of eighties thrash metal was the complexity of some riffs, breaks and changes (this got lost in the nineties as te bands focused in more rhythmical stuff) and Maledeth does this in a really good way. The guitar riffs are the main thing here giving the twist to the compositions that they need. The vocals remind me sometimes to Flotsam and Jetsam "Doomsday for the Deceiver" era but with less abuse of the high pitches. As I have been saying: thrash is back!!

Favorite tracks: "Why", "On a Dream" and "Mad Evil"

Contact: maledeth@libero.it

MALEVOLENT CREATION - THE WILL TO KILL (Arctic Music Group, 2002)

Produced By: