2 TON PREDATOR - DEMON DEALER (DieHard Music, 2003)

Produced By: Tue Madsen and 2 Ton Predator

Tracks: 1- Slowly Slaughtered, 2- Pipeyard Killings, 3- Bone Brigade, 4- Demon Dealer, 5- A Funeral Romance, 6- Transparent Venom Addiction, 7- Hell is Where You´re Headed, 8- Henchmen, 9- Hammered, 10- Ready To Die, 11- Killing Flames

Cover Art by Mogge

 Recorded at Antfarm Studios

Last year we reviewed 2 Ton Predator previous recording, a really heavy as hell release. Here we have their new release and here we have a more extreme approach. Here we start at full speed with "Slowly Slaughtered" a really bestial track where Mogge screams at the top of his lungs while Matte deliver bestial and technical rhythms with his drumkit and Mazza delivers ultra heavy riffs while T. Anger follows him with his downtuned bass. Here we have a band whose main goal is pure aggression in the most bestial way but instead of following a brutal death metal path they have followed a more modern approach with modern sounding guitars and drums and taking it to the extreme. I have to remark that the mix by Tue Madsen has given even more power to this band making the isntruments sound louder and clearer. A must for lovers of really powerful music.

Favorite tracks: "Slowly Slaughtered", "A Funeral Romance" and "Henchmen"

Contact: www.diehardmusic.com

ACT OF GODS - DIES IRAE DEMO ( Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Act of Gods

Tracks: 1- Act of the insane, 2- Soaked in Pus, 3- Perverted Cross, 4- Outro

Cover Art by Act of Gods

 Recorded at LB LAB Studio

Extremely fast and bestial death metal. This guys have no mercy!! They start at full speed to demolish your brain with their ultra fast riffs and their incredible blast beats and they will not stop until they have melted you !! This guys also have incredible technique in some of the breaks that make on each of the songs (I really liked the double bass patterns in Guillaume´s drumming). The vocals are guttural and we find on this four tracks also voices more of the screaming type that are combined with the other type. Here everything is brutal, everything is bestial and the good sound that this recording has makes things even more effective. The guitars are low tuned and that is essential for Act of Gods brutal sound. Here is a band that destroys you and leaves you wanting more of their music !!! 

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: vortexal@hotmail.com

ALL IS SUFFERING - THE PAST: VINDICTIVE SADISMS OF PETTY BUREAUCRATS (Crucial Blast Recs., 2003)

Produced By: All Is Suffering

Tracks: 1- Through Deep Snow Darkness Atalks the Hunters, 2- Crippled, Reviled and Pissed-on by dogs, 3- Massive Violence Upon Seismic Devastation, 4- Pathological Narcisism, 5- Summary Executioner, 6- Mauthausen, 7- Denazification of your weak mind, 8- Dragon of the Black Pool, 9- 600.000 dead, 10- Subjugation of Rich Cunts, 11- Siege Warfare, 12- Swords of Prosperity, 13- Municipal Filth, 14- Spectre of War

Cover Art by All Is Suffering

 Recorded at Mike Bossier´s Oblivion Studios

This band has made a mix of the most extreme styles while creating their own music. Here we have a band whose style is a mix between hardcore, death metal with many grind parts. And this guys spice up their music with incredibly rhythmic riffs as the ones played in songs like "Spectre of War". Everything here is made to devastate the listener with pure brutality, from the ultraheavy riffs to the hyper fast drumming that uses a lot of double bass (an also some blast beats in the grinding parts). The vocals are really extreme and guttural and that adds even more heaviness to the compositions. One thing to remark is the really good sound that this guys have, specially in the guitars and the drums that are essential for this extreme kind of music . An album to blast you !!! 

Favorite tracks: "Crippled", "Summary Executioner" and "Siege Warfare"

Contact: aismob@hotmail.com or www.crucialblast.com

ANCESTRAL LEGACY - OF MAGIC ILLUSIONS (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Ancestral

Tracks: 1- All things must end, 2- Self-enslavement, 3- Of Magic Illusions, 4- When Sense Dies, 5- Separate Worlds, 6- Crash of Silence, 7- Forsaken, 8- The Silent

Cover Art by Eddie Risdal

 Recorded at Eddie Risdal

The guys in Ancestral Legacy play pure obscure music where the raw guitars and the mechanical sounding drums contrast heavily with the excellent female voice. The black metal voices are really extreme and contrast in a really good way with the female ones. There are many guitar arrangements and also a lot of interesting bass passages. It is remarkable that the drums despite being fast and wild leave a lot of space to the other instruments to develope their arrangements and to make changes and fills. There is a good influence of thrash metal and old school black metal in the more rhythmic riffs and it is really good to see epic melodies contrast with the raw sounding riffs. The sound of the recording is raw, specially on the guitars that sound really distorted. Here we have obscure metal with many ideas and well developed compositions ! 

Favorite tracks: "Self-enslavement", "Of Magic Illusions", "Forsaken"

Contact: www.ancestrallegacy.com

APOCALYPTICA - REFLECTIONS (Island Mercury Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Apocalyptica

Tracks: 1- Prologue (Apprehension), 2- No Education, 3- Faraway, 4- Somewhere Around Nothing, 5- Drive, 6- Cohkka, 7- Conclusion, 8- Resurrection, 9- Heat, 10- Cortege, 11- Pandemonium, 12- Toreador II; 13- Epilogue (relief)

Cover Art by Mirjam Haberkorn

 Recorded at Finnvox and Petrax Studios

Here we have the new album by this finnish guys. After their debut playing Metallica covers they developed their own compositions and I have to say that I like more this later albums than the first one. Here we have a band that plays climatic compositions in their own style using cellos, violins and also distorted ones to make them sound like a heavy guitar. Here we have programmed drums and also the help of Dave Lombardo on drums in some tracks. Each of the compositions here have the Apocalyptica sound which is really unique because of the melancholic melodies that they play over the heavier parts and the climatic parts that this guys create with their string instruments. This is an album for all music lovers. 

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: www.apocalyptica.com

AURA - THE WAIT (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Aura

Tracks: 1- Miserere Me, 2- The Awakening, 3- Another Word, 4- Aiegey, 5- The Secret, 6- The Wait

Cover Art by Aura

A dark intro with cello sound, a chorus that sings "Miserere Me" and some thunders open this album making a really climatic intro. Then enters the band in a really powerful way with rhythmic riffs. Aura´s music is a good combination of heavy riffs and interesting epic melodies in pure metal vein. Besides the intro we have five tracks of pure melodic metal with many interesting arrangements where the musical ideas are extremely well developed, specially the guitar parts (with killer melodic solos done with great taste). I have to remark the work of Giovanni Trotta both on drums and vocals because he has achieved a great sound and he has a great versatility as singer reaching notes and creating essential melodies that are the core of Aura´s music.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: aurainfo@virgilio.it

BATTLE RAM - BATTLE RAM (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Battle Ram

Tracks: 1- Burning Lives, 2- The Vow, 3- Dark Command, 4- Battering Ram, 5- Join the Legion (Cirith ungol)

 Recorded at BOB Studio

Battle Ram is pure metal. In fact I think that they are pure classical heavy metal with some power metal elements and many eighties thrash ideas. Their music is epic and fast and they deliver really good compositions here plus a good cover of Cirith Ungol´s "Join the Legion" in a really faithful version. Here we have pure metal riffs with heavy drums and a singer that has done a good job here (this music has some subtle places where if you can reach some notes with your voice you will fail miserably and this guy has achieved good melodic lines and some high pitches without failing). The sound of the recording is good and this helps the results a lot by making each instrument be heard correctly, specially the gutiars that make a lot of solos and riffs.  Pure metal with eighties influences and interesting technical guitars.

Favorite tracks: "Burning lives" and "Battering Ram"

Contact: www.battleram.it

BIG BABY SATAN - BIG BABY SATAN (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Big Baby Satan

Tracks: 1- Lead Us, 2- Commercial, 3- Confidence (4-15-01), 4- Real Men (for Katie), 5- Consumption, 6- Like the Sun, 7- Unmoved, 8- TiBo, 9- Holy Dio

 Recorded at Headphone Prods.

Big Baby Stanp´s music can be defined as modern metal. In fact, their music is a mix of pure metal with some modern influences, specially in the sound and in some of the rhythms. One thing to remark is that this guys have a really weird sound. The guitars are raw and the drumming is extremely rhythmic. This guys have a lot of sense of humour in their music and that is shown specially in the last track that is kind of a parody of Dio´s "Holy Diver". The compositions here are simple but effective preferring to create direct riffs with power than twisted ones. But despite this, Big Baby Satan´s music is weird, specially in the tempo changes that many compositions have. A good original band.

Favorite tracks: "Commercial", "Real Men", "Unmoved"

Contact: www.bigbabysatan.com

BIRKENAU - BIRKENAU (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Angelo Righi

Tracks: 1- Perfect Men, 2- Martyrdome, 3- Pain Valley

Cover Art by Birkenau

 Recorded at Temple of Noise Studios

Here we have three excellent tracks of death thrash metal with a really powerful sound. This guys have developed their own style combining a programmed drum machine with an extremely pounding and loud bass guitar and really fat guitars, developing riffs whose main charachteristic is the heaviness. The riffs are sometimes faster sometimes slower but the main thing here is the heaviness that they achieved. The drumming is fast with a lot of double bass and the bass player is extremely heavy pounding a lot of riffs and arrangements in the bass guitars. It is funny that some aprts of Martyrdome" are a tribute to Slayer´s "Hell Awaits" before developing into a full Birkenau track. One thing that I have to remark is the really good sound that this guys have achieved being an extremely heavy sound that makes things even heavier is that is possible. Heaviness guaranteed.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: marcorighi@virgilio.it

BK49 - JOIN THE DEAD (Great White North Recs. / Grind It Recs., 2003)

Produced By: BK49

Tracks: 1- I'll Dig Your Grave, 2- Fleshripping Horror, 3- Death Is The Crown Of Creation, 4- Assembly Of Souls, 5- House On Massgrave Hill, 6- Join The Dead, 7- Funeral March, 8- Morbid Funeral, 9- Buried But Not Deep Enough

 Recorded at Wolkensound Studios

Pure death/thrash metal !! This is an extremely brutal releases with all the elements of death metal, that is fast riffs, guttural and powerful vocals, manic guitar solos, but also with a big dose of thrash metal. Here we have a band that has succesfully mixed fast guitar riffs with many rhythmic parts taht are essential to the heaviness of their sound. There are many ultra fast parts with some drumming blast beats and speed of light like guitar riffs and they are combined with this rhythmic riffs that give diversity to the music. Plus, this guys have combined old school death metal sound with more modern metal creating a really powerful sound with reminiscence of classic bands delivering nine brinmelting tunes. The sound here is really good, specially on the guitars that sound heavier than fuck !!!  

Favorite tracks: "Fleshripping Horror", "Assembly of Souls" and "Join the Dead"

Contact: www.gwnrecords.com or www.grinditrecords.net

BLOOD ISLAND RAIDERS - 16-17 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Tim Davies and Blood Island Raiders

Tracks: 1- Arguments for the Abolition of God, 2- Circa 3 3- Demon, 4- Closure

Cover Art by Blood Island Raiders

 Recorded At Bonafide Studios

Pure heavier than fuck rock with metal elements with a lot of rocking guitar riffs is what the guys in Blood Island Riders deliver on this album. Here we have heavy guitars that create smashing riffs while a melodic, yet somewhat processed voice delivers some melodies that give a lot of hooks for the ear, specially in the choruses. There are some mini interludes in tracks like "Arguments for the Abolition of God" taht add a different perspective to this guy´s music. The sound is raw and has a lot of the live energy that a band of this style needs to transmit their energy to the listener. I find some Black Sabbath influence but it is mixed along many others in order to create the Blood Island Raiders sound. I liked a lot the riffs, heavy and imaginative and they are the heart and soul of the music here. Pure energy unleashed ! 

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.bloodislandraiders.com

BLOOD ISLAND RAIDERS - FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY 2 TRACK SAMPLER (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Blood Island Raiders

Tracks: 1- Fear, 2- Master Plan

Cover Art by Blood Island Raiders

This is a recording of two new tracks from the Blood Island Recordings taht will be on their forthcoming EP "For the Sake of Clarity". This two tracks are pure energy with the rocking feeling that this band has through all their recordings. Here we have two tracks with a heavy sound and their heavy feeling combined with the energetic voice that is acharacteristic of this band. This two tracks have a better sound than in their previous "16-17" and they have a lot of power. The guitars sound heavier and deliver more rocking riffs on this one and I hope this guys record even more songs for this EP to continue with their powerful compositions which I liked a lot.

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: www.bloodislandraiders.com

BLOOD ISLAND RAIDERS - LIVE AT THE MARQUEE 29/11/02 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Blood Island Raiders

Tracks: 1- Arguments for the Abolition of God, 2- Demon, 3- Circa 3, 4- Master Plan, 5- Galactus - Warrior Snail

 Recorded live at The Marquee 29/11/02

Here is another recording of this band live and here you have all the same comments that I did on their "Live at The Peel" CD. Pure energy unleashed, sounding heavier and much rawer than in the studio version. The recording in "the Peel" has a better sound than this one. Remember that this live albums are not in the official discography of the band but are simply in order to show how good they sound in a live situation. The good thing here is that there are some tracks in common in all three live CDs but there are some different tracks that allows to see other compositions (older and newer) played live. 

Favorite tracks: "Demon", "Arguments..." and "Master Plan"

Contact: www.bloodislandraiders.com

BLOOD ISLAND RAIDERS - LIVE AT UNDERWORLD 31-01-03 (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Blood Island Raiders

Tracks: 1- Arguments for the Abolition of God, 2- Untitled Love Song, 3- Demon, 4- Armageddon, 5- Circa 3 6- Master Plan

Cover Art by Blood Island Raiders

 Recorded live at underworld 31/01/03

This is yet another live "unofficial" recording from the Blood Island Riders. Here we have more live versions opf their classic tunes. And the funny thing here is to see how this guys change the rhythms and the pace of the compositions from one show to the other. This is a show from January 2003 and has a better sound than the one at The Marquee. Here we have also the vocals heavier than in the studio recording and the rawer and heavier sound (not as evident as in the Peel concert). Another showcase of this guys powerful show ! 

Favorite tracks: "Arguments...", "Demon", "Armageddon"

Contact: www.bloodislandraiders.com

BLOOD ISLAND RAIDERS - LIVE AT THE PEEL 15-03-03 (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Blood Island Raiders

Tracks: 1- Arguments for the Abolition of God, 2- Untitled Love Song, 3-Nausea, 4- Demon, 5- Armageddon, 6- Closure, 7- Master Plan

Cover Art by Blood Island Raiders

 Recorded live at The Peel 15/03/03

This is a live recording done not officialy by the band in march of this year. Here you can see how the Blood Isalnd Riders compositions sound when played live. Here you have their raw and heavy sound with some seventies influence in all its magnitude and the songs are played a little bit faster than in their studio version adding more heaviness to the tracks. The voice in this case is not processed and is much heavier than in the studio recording (check for example the "Arguments for the Abolition og God" to see the differences. This is a good testimony of how this guys sound in a live show.  

Favorite tracks: "Arguments...", "Armageddon" and "Demon"

Contact: www.bloodislandraiders.com

BLOODTHRONE - SHIELD OF HATE PROMO 2003 (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Bloodthrone

Tracks: 1- Pagan Holocaust, 2- Betrayed By Blood

Cover Art by Bloodthrone

This guys have evolved a lot since their "Storm of Apocalypse" album. Their music is pure black metal as always but this time they have taken influences from other extreme styles and put them together with the rawest and more brutal black metal. This is not so evident in track 1 where we have the fastest riffs and the most violent drumming blast beats, but in the second track we found this extreme black metal mixed with some death metal style riffing and even some thrash, but retaining the speed that Bloodthrone´s music must have. The band sounds tighter than in their previous release and the sound is much better making things even more powerful. Here we have two tracks that are an advance of their next full length recording and leaves you wanting more of the black metal that this guys deliver. We want more Bloodthrone !! 

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: www.geocities.com/bloodthrone666

BLOODY PSYCHO - ALL THAT NOIZZ !!! (independent, 2002)

Produced By: Bloody Psycho

Tracks: 1- Wtulony W Mistrza, 2- Murgrabia Robus, 3- Wsród Plaz, 4- DR Ögsbczsn, 5- Wiadro Pasztetowej

Cover Art by Bloody Psycho

Don´t be fooled by the cover of this album !. this guys are not a hard rock band...in fact I was greatly surprised when the first track starts with a death metal riff and gets at full speed. This guys are pure old school death metal with some thrash metal influences and their music is really brutal. The drumming is fast and intense and the guitars create really downtuned riffs with some influences of bands like Sepultura or even Slayer. The third track starts more rhythmical before getting into a mayhemic pure death metal part. Here we have a band that delivers brutality in all the five tracks contained on this album. This is pure death metal done in the old school way...that is crushing rhythm section and devastating guitars.  

Favorite tracks: "Wtulony W Mistrza","Murgrabia Robus" and "Wsród Plaz"

Contact: www.bloodypsycho.prv.pl

BUCKETS OF BLOOD - VOLUME 1 (Bloodbucket Prods, 2003)

Produced By: Bloodbucket Prods

Tracks: 1- Horde of Worms: "Under Blood Red Sky", 2- Castrum: "The Gates of Universal Mystery", 3- Visions of the Night: "Postalled", 4- Adumus: "Besieging Abominations", 5- Impure: "Insidious Malicious Breed", 6- Amors Et Bello: "Il Destare del Diavolo", 7- Tessaract: "On the Depths of Purgatory", 8- Vrykolakas "Zabaniah Nemesis of Jahim", 9- Vigilia Mortum "Shadow...", 10- Eclipse Eternal: "The King", 11- Omnium Gatherum: "Idiosyncrasies of Others", 12- Toxic Holocaust "Demise", 13- Defaced "Victim of the Past", 14- Time of Death "Forever Trapped in a Broken Mirror", 15- Infeccion Cronica "Repulsiva Concepcion", 16- Feral Horde "Sanity´s Mask", 17- Sadistic Kill "Vaginal Grinder", 18 - Brutal Noise "Desmembrando", 19- Scablord "Dr. Parknson´s Microsurgery", 20- Horde of Worms "Firestorm"

Here we have a compilation that has no mercy for the listener and that devastates ears and brains with the most brutal music!!.  Here we have great brutal bands such as Horde of Worms or Visions of the Night whose music we have reviewed in the past. Here we have bands such as Adumus that create a good combination of black metal with death metal and they also add keayboards to their music and then we have also death and grind bands such as Sadistic Kill or Defaced. On this compilation everything is pure brutality and this guys will melt your brain into liquid metal when you listen to this twenty tracks of bestiality. This is a compilation taht I woulkd recommend to those who are not afraid of listening the most extreme side of music.

Favorite tracks: "Under Blood Red Sky", "Postalled" and "Shadow..."

Contact: www.bloodbucketproductions.com

BURNIN´ DOLL - SURGICAL DEMO 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Burnin´ Doll

Tracks: 1- Intolerance, 2- Surgical universe, 3- Burnin Doll, 4- Friendly Eyes

Cover Art by Simone Perin, Raffaello Indri, Marco Sandron

 Recorded at White Skull Studios

This MCD opens at full speed with "Intolerance", a blast of pure speed thrash metal with a really modern sound and a lot of changes and variations. This guys have no mercy with their fast riffs, their blasting drumming and their vocals thata re a mix of thrash metal voice and high pitched vocals in the style of bands like early Hexenhaus. But they have mixed other types of vocals (middle ranged) and screams in the modern metal vein. The riffs are amazingly powerful. This band has achieved memorable songs with extreme power and really good melodies combined into Burnin´Doll´s own sound. I have to remark the good mix that this album has making the guitars sound even more powerful along with the good double bass drumming and making the solos shine. You have to check this band.

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: Raffaellox@libero.it

CAEDES - 1 MAL POUR 1 BIEN (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Caedes

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Renais, 3- La Seule Solution, 4- Made in Violence, 5-Soldorak, 6- Le Fleau, 7- Belles et Brutes, 8- Down with Chickens, 9- 7 Attempt

Cover Art by Tdu_MST

 Recorded at Christian Carvin, Studio

This albums open very climatically with some noises and sounds before getting into atmospheric riffs. Then comes the heavier part of the track called "Renais",a track that is a mix of modern metal with some combination of deathly vocals with another voice that is more in the modern metal style. The guitars play heavy riffs while the rhythm sections develope rhythms that are for the moshpit, sometimes heavier sometimes more rapping style. I have to remark that the lyrics here are sometimes in french language and sometimes in english and that adds a different feeling to Caedes music. Another thing to point out is the good mix that this album has, specially on the guitars. Original modern metal

Favorite tracks: "Renais", "Made in Violence" and "Le Fleau"

Contact: www.caedes.fr.fm

CALMSITE - STEELPIT ( Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Jani Loikas

Tracks: 1- Asskin, 2- Mudwhip, 3- Concrete Prayer

Cover Art by Calmsite

Some issues back we reviewed the previous Calmsite album and this one is even more powerful !!! This guys polay melodic death metal with an extremely huge guitar sound (one of the most powerful I have listened) and with multiple arrangements thata re the essence of this finnish guys music. Here we have pure aggression done in a majestic way. The really good thing about Calmsite is that they make really memorable tunes. Yes, this songs with their guitars keep spinning in your brain long after the album has finished. This is a three song MCD that leaves you wanting more of this violence done in such a great way. The mix of different types of vocals in tracks like "Asskin" is a trademark as also are the heavy metal influenced riffs. This is pure bestial metal done by great musicians. !!

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: http://listen.to/calmsite

CAMAROS - ROMANTIQUE (Black Ballon Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Sven Olsen

Tracks: 1- Babe, you got me down, 2- Please mama, please, 3- In a Hole, 4- Cheesecake, 5- Hell-o-hell, 6- Romantique, 7- Poon tang, 8- the loopy loop, 9- Jugs, 10- Drunkness, 11- Crank

Judging by the cover I expected a less powerful band than this one. Thanks God I was wrong! This band is reallly powerful ! Here we have a band that makes some sort of rawer than hell heavy rock, or raw stoner rock with some punk influences. This album sounds really wild and raw letting their imagination flow in many places with their heavier than hell riffs and their manic vocals and guitar parts. The songs here have many hooks and they are memorable long after listening to them. All the compositions have a lot of rhythm and they seem to be designed to be played live (I can imagine a concert with people jumping, moshing and even dancing in many places). The vocals are raw and I specially liked the combination of the amle vocals and the female ones that give a lot of identity to the band. The sound of the recording is raw, specially on the guitars, and has this magic of the power trio (guitar, drums and bass) that makes things raw and wild and where you can feel the bass pumping along with the drums. This band is pure energy and power and each of the songs here is really well constructed delivering eleven good compositions.

Favorite tracks: "In a Hole", "Romantique", "Drunkness"

Contact: www.blackballoonrecords.com

CASTRUM - MYSTERIOUS YET UNWEARIED (Bloodbucket Prods., 2003)

Produced By: Gena Donecki and Cornelius

Tracks: 1- The gate of the universal mystery, 2- The undiscovered Dimension, 3- Sinister Omens, 4- Suffocating Thugs, 5- Unrestrained Power, 6- Desert of Darkness, 7- the Art of Homicide, 8- Invisible Force of Fear, 9- The Essence of the Past Still Haunts Us, 10- Dark paths to the Ancient thrones

Cover Art by Ysserge

 Recorded at Radio 107 FM Studios

Castrum comes directly from Ukraine and as most of the Bloodbucket Prods. Catalogue they deliver one of the most bestial death metal on Earth. But they combine this brutality with a lot of technical riffs and classical sounds that add a different dimension to the band´s music. Each of the compositions here have multiple parts, tempo changes and rhythmic variations. Plus, this guys know how to put some twisted melodies within their riffs to give the exact dosis of melody that their music needs to be even more extreme. I have to remark taht the mix is raw but at the same time makes the band sound extremely tight. I liked a lot the solos and the guitar arrangements that are the esence of Castrum´s music. This is one of the best combinations of brutality and great arrangements in death metal.

Favorite tracks: "The gate of universal...", "Unrestrained Power" and "Invisible Force of Fear"

Contact: www.bloodbucketproductions.com

CATACOMBS - CATACOMBS (Cthulhu Productions, 2003)

Produced By: Catacombs

Tracks: 1- Consigned to Flames of Woe, 2- Echoes Through the Catacombs

Cover Art by Catacombs

Pure almighty DOOOMMMM !!! Yes, here we have a band that delivers two extense track of the most dense and atmospheric doom that exists all over the planet. Here we have a band that goes at a slow pace constructing really climatic compositions through more than a hlaf hour. The guttural voices fit the darker than hell atmosphere perfectly and add a deathly feeling to the music. The guitars here are really distorted and develope riffs that are the essence of the music of the band. Plus here we have a drummer that delivers interesting arrangements in a really slow context creating interesting passages. There are deppressive melodies in the beginning of "Echoes..." that add sadness and loneliness to the tunes. This is a must for any doom metal lover !!

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: http://cthulhuprod.mercurous.net

CHEESY - BEG ( Little Shark Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Justin Billinger

Tracks: 1- Got Freaks, 2- Backseatboy, 3- Talk, 4- B52, 5- Get Away, 6- Countryside, 7- Seven, 8- Cynical Dimension, 9- Words, 10- Get it On, 11- Your Style, 12- Freebee, 13- Surprise Me

Cover Art by Sander Foederer

 Recorded at Galaxy Studios

Cheesy is a heavy rock band taht has created here thirteen tunes of pure powerful rock with some metal shades, specially in the guitar sound and in some heavy guitar riffs. There are some new metal influences here, particullarly the one of Korn in some of the bass lines and in the vocals. This guys are pure energy and deliver heavy riffs and many ideas through this record ing. I have to remark the versatility in Coen´s vocals taht go from a melodic voice to full heavy screaming within the same song and without hesitation. The songs have a funny sense of humour in the lyrics and in many passages and they have multiple changes within the same song structure. The sound of this recording is really good. Here we have a good option that will appeal to fans of modern metal.

Favorite tracks: "Talk", "Cynical Dimension" and "Get it On"

Contact: www.cheesy.nl or www.littleshark.com

CHRISTOF KURZMANN - THE AIR BETWEEN (Charhizma Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Christof Kurzmann

Tracks: 1- The Air Between

Cover Art by Philipp Arnold

This is an extremely experimental recording that starts with a sound that repeats itself over and over again with slight variations. Then different sounds start to appear on the recording giving shape to this spontaneous composition. It is incredible the way in which this album is recorded because it plays a lot with the different speakers of your musical equipment (an ideal album to listen with a surround system). Here we have Christof Kurzmann who experiments on one track that is over 46 minutes long with every sound and every noise posibility making a really coherent experimentation. This is an album designed to open minds because you start listening the sounds and then you start getting the idea that Kurzmann wanted to transmit and you find the different shapes taht his music acquires. A really experimental release for lovers of experimentation.  

Favorite tracks: "The Air Between"

Contact: www.charhizma.com

CORIOR - THE NEW METAL CHATEL CREW (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Corior

Tracks: 1- Out of Order, 2- Sunstroke, 3- Dead Bodies, 4- Well Come, 5- Saturate, 6- Blizzard, 7- Sentence of Life

The beginning of this album is slow as hell, almost doom but the music of the band does not follow that path, creating instead fast riffs with death thrash metal feeling. The guitars here spill utter heaviness over the listener having no mercy through all the tracks. The drumming gives sort of a classic thrash feeling to the music and sounds extremely raw, and here you can see that this guy is killer behind the drumkit, specially in some passages in "Out of Order" where he shows interesting arrangements in many passages. The vocals are deathly but this guys prefer to be brutal instead of guttural The mix is a little bit muddy and raw and I sugest the band to mix the drums a little bit clearer to fit better the guitars. Pure raw brutal metal.

Favorite tracks: "Out of Order", "Dead Bodies"

Contact: www.corior.fr.st

DAFELDECKER / KURZMANN/DRUMM/eRikm/DIEB13/NOETINGER (Charhizma Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Christof Kurzmann and Werner Dafeldecker

Tracks: 1- Berlin 1,2- Graz 2, 3- Wien 1, 4- Berlin 2, 5- Berlin 3

Cover Art by M. Fineder

 Recorded live at Berlin, Graz and Wien

Here we have a collaboration between five extremely experimental musicians. Here we have in five tracks elements so different as synthesizers, guitars and turntables. The goal that this guys have achieved here is to experiment with the sounds that they can extract from this instrument, creating a collage of noises, sounds and phrases that go beyond any classification. What we have here is pure experimentation of the most extreme kind. Dafeldecker is amazing with his electronics and his bass while Kurzmann does some interesting clarinet sounds. The tracks are recorded live and that gives even more spontaneity to the musi c. This is pure experimentationa nd you have to got a really open mind while hearing this to appreciate it. This is boundarie breaking music.

Favorite tracks: "Berlin 1" and "Wien 1"

Contact: www.charhizma.com

DAHMER - THE STUDIO SESSIONS DISCOGRAPHY (Great White North Recs./ Grind It Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Dahmer

Tracks: 1- Pseudo-underground ,02. Emportez notre race, 3- Richard Ramirez 4- Une bonne 50 tablette, 5- Société industrielle, 6- Ta religion... Tes problèmes, 7- Foncez, 8- Consommateurs leaders, 9- Unabomber, 10- James Oliver Huberty, 11-Donald Harvey, 12- Peter Kurten, 13- Carl Panzram, 14- Marcel Petiot , 15- Tant de bonnes raisons, 16- Premières nations, 17-Herbert Mullin , 18- William George Bonin, 19- Randy Stephen Kraft , 20-Thomas Hamilton , 21- Harvey Murray Glatman, 22- Friedrich Haarmann, 23- Henry Lee Lucas , 24- Edmund Emil Kemper III, 25- Dean Corll, 26- Dahmer, 27- Herman Webster Mudgett, 28- Jonestown, 29- V-gang, 30- Strong or weak person, 31. Albert Hamilton Fish , 32. Strong or weak person, 33. Bastards , 34. Les dieux de l'underground, 35. Gary Michael Heidnick, 36. David Berkowitz, 37- Friedrich Haarmann , 38- Just another dis-clone song, 39. Tueurs en séries, 40. Dennis Andrews Nilsen, 41. Harvey Murray Glatman, 42. Simoneau, 43. Pedro Alfonso Lopez , 44. Jonestown, 45. Edward Gein, 46. V-gang ,47. Herman Webster Mudgett , 48. John Wayne Gacy ,49. In cool branché sensass et flyé, 50. Positif, 51. Jeanne Moulinet Weber, 52. Henry Lee Lucas, 53. Edmund Emil Kemper III, 54. The hillside stranglers, 55. Douglas Daniel Clark, 56. Adolfo De Jesus De Constanzo, 57. Mark Essex/John George Haigh , 58. Albert Hamilton Fish, 59. Jeanne Moulinet Weber, 60. Simoneau ,61. In cool branché sensass et flyé, 62. David Berkowitz

Dahmer is pure grindcore: their music is faster than the speed of light with combination of the typical vocals of grind style, that is a mix of guttural voices and of the most screaming type. Here we have short tracks that are really a burst of sound with uttermost power and we also have longer tracks that are my favorite where the Dahmer guys develope their best ideas in their ultra extreme context. The guitars are chainsaw like going at ultra speed most of the time and are combined with the blast beating drumming. There are some parts like the beginning of "Une bonne 50 tablette" where the Dahmer guys deliver heavier riffs with a more mid paced feeling that add a lot of heaviness to the bands music. The sound of the recording is raw but extremely clear (specially on guitar and drums) and that is fundamental to fully appreciate Dahmer´s power without making the music of the band sound buried in the mix. Pure grind in its most pure form !!!!

Favorite tracks: All the CD is pure madness unleahsed

Contact: www.gwnrecords.com or www.grinditrecords.net

DANZIG - I LUCIFERI ( Spitfire Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Glenn Danzig

Tracks: 1- Unendlich, 2- Black mass, 3- Wicked Pussycat, 4- God of light, 5- Liberskull, 6- Dead inside, 7- Kiss the Skull, 8- I Luciferi, 9- Naked Witch, 10- Angel Blake, 11- The Coldest Sun, 12- Halo Goddess Bone, 13- Without Light, I Am

This is Glenn Danzig´s latest opus and it opens with a dark intro that soon turns into "Black Mass" a heavy and rhythmic tune that is typical Danzig. This album has the feeling of the previous one and also the same as the first Danzig recordings (that is not the semi industrial feeling of "Blackacidevil"), concentrating in the dark feeling as in, for example, "Danzig 4". Here Glenn´s voice makes the melodies that he has accustomed us to. You will not find that much variations here but this is what we expect from Danzig´s music, pure rockin heaviness, pure darkness and Glenn´s typical voice telling his tales about perversions. The recording has a good sound, specially on the guitars that are the essence of the band giving heaviness to the compositions. 

Favorite tracks: "Wicked Pussycat", "Kiss the Skull" and "The Coldest Sun"

Contact: www.spitfirerecords.com

DEFORGE - FREEDOM RELEASE (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Christian Ice

Tracks: 1- Vicious Circle, 2- Catch Hold, 3- Germinate, 4- Immortality, 5- Mindless State, 6- The Sense of Change

 Recorded at Temple of Noise Studios

Deforge is a name that now we can consider a synonim of technical detha metal. This is what I call progressive death metal in the sense that is constalnty evolving, changing and breaking boundaries with the multiple arrangements that this band delivers through all this album. This is a band that has influences of thrash and death metal and they have mixed them into their own complex sound. And this complexity is really attractive. You will be surprised with this album always wondering what ideas are coming nest, what solos, what drums patterns, what tempo changes. This guys are really extremely crafted musicians and their music is really amazing. I have become a fan of this band while listening to this amazing album. A must for any music lover.

Favorite tracks: All the album. One of the albums of the month

Contact: www.deforgeband.com

DEFTONES - DEFTONES (Maverick Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Terry Date and Deftones

Tracks: 1- Hexagram, 2- Needles and Pinds, 3- Minerva, 4- Good Morning Beautiful, 5- Deathblow, 6- When Girls Telephone Boys, 7- Battle Axe, 8- Lucky You, 9- Bloody Cape, 10- Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event, 11- Moana

 Recorded at The Spot

The new Deftones album is very similar to "White Pony". Why am I saying this? Because this guys found a characteristic sound and they have settled in that side of the heavy music spectre and it seems that they are not moving further. Here we have the climatic elements that are essential in Deftones sound. Here we have the heavy riffs and the cold vocals by Chino Moreno. The sound is good and very similar to the one in "White Pony". This is a release strictly for lovers of the band because you will not find anything new here.

Favorite tracks: "Deathblow", "Battle Axe" and "Bloody Cape"

Contact: www.deftones.com

DEIVOS - HOSTILE BLOOD ( Independent., 2003)

Produced By: Deivos

Tracks: 1- Chasm Climber, 2- Hostile Blood, 3- Encircled by Nothingness, 4- Scarcity of Suffering, 5- Throw off the Fetters

Cover Art by Tirex

 Recorded at Marton Studio

An extremely aggressive death metal band coming directly from Lublin, Poland. This guys deliver original riffs played with precission and speed and they mix death metal with a lot of technical parts that add a really good taste to their music. There are a lot of aggressive parts with blast beats and many breaks and tempo changes on each composition. There is a lot of precission here and this guys seem to be really well rehearsed because they sound extremely tight. Each of the compositions here seem to be a combination of multiple ideas and arrangements that this guys have developed in a really good way. The brutal guttural voices give the death metal feeling here contrasting heavily with the more technical guitar riffs and drumming. The recording has really good sound and that allows to appreciate the good music that this guys deliver with brutality. Brutality with really good musicianship. 

Favorite tracks: The five.

Contact: www.deivos.republika.pl

DESPISE / IMPERIAL FOETICIDE - SPLIT CD (Grodhaisn Prods., 2003)

Produced By: Grodhaisn Prods.

Imperial Foeticide: 6- Thundering Before the tempest of demise, 7- Feature, 8- The Story Continues, 9- Two different ways, 10- The seat of the waves of lowness, 11- ....my guide is still inside

This is pure brutality guaranteed!

Favorite tracks: "Room 101", "Separated Entity" and "Confrontation"

Contact: www.grodhaisn.cjb.net

DEVILISH ERA / ZAGHURIM SPLIT - PROLEGOMENA TO THE THEORY OF DEATH ( Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Devilish Era and Zaghurim

Tracks: Devilish Era: 1- The Purifying Cult of the Ancestors, 2- Much to My Dismay, 3- Apocalyptic Eschatology, 4- Impedimenta, 5- Der Abshaum, 6- Delude to Believers. Zaghurim, 7- The Fantasy to Be Dead, 8- Rapture Means Torture, 9- Entangled in Leather Whips, 10- Bondage is the Law, 11- Climax in Alcohol Baths

Cover Art by Lord Naggaroth and Thrall

This split CD is pure experimentation with extreme sounds, electronics and will appeal to lovers of original music with a dark feeling and originality

Favorite tracks: "The purifying...", "Apocalyptic Eschatology", "Bondage is the Law"

Contact: lordnag@hotmail.com

DIGITUS IN RECTO - SWITCH!!! (Crystal Production, 2002)

Produced By: Digitus in Recto

Tracks: 1- Switch!!, 2- How does it feel, 3- Casper, Little Bear and Angel Cookies, 4- Pure Pop, 5- Janeéna, 6- Basket full of Puppies, Kitten and Other Trash, 7- Killer, 8- The Little Commandment, 9- Early Morning, 10- Salvation, 11- "12", 13- Trip to Nowhere

 Recorded at Exponent Studio

I could not believe what I was listening the first few seconds: some keyboards and some electronics sounds...and then comes the hevy guitars and then comes some rapping voices. This guys surely are original!! There are keyboards all over the compositions here. Then the voices turn into more melodic style adding a different feeling to the song. I really liked the contrasts that this guys have developed on this album and the combination of different vocal styles and electronics / keyboards and heavy guitars. There are also many styles going on here: from metal to hardcore and also to some punk rock. Here we have a band that combines a powerful sound with a more mechanical one and also with some accessible riffs thta make the compositions really memorable. But the essence here is the experimentation with new song structures and with moods and contrasts. This is an album for open minded people !  

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: www.crystalprod.cz

DISCREATE - DISCREATE (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Discreate

Tracks: 1- Drift in Evil, 2- System Soul, 3- Given Into Sin, 4- SSIIXX

Cover Art by Discreate

One of the first things that gort my attention here is the really good drumming that Discreate has. With a clear sound and interesting passages, changes and rhythms. We have here a band that combines effectively eighties thrash metal with more modern metal delivering five powerful tracks on this CD. One remarkable thing here is the really good vocal work that interacts really well with the creative guitar riffs. Here we have a band that has combined technical stuff with crushing rhythms in order to generate a music that is extremely powerful and at the same time original and with a good sound. The mix here is really good yet raw and gives more power to the band making each of the arrangements fully audible. A good combination of aggression and good musicianship. 

Favorite tracks: The five

Contact: www.discreate.com

DISFIGURED CORPSE - UNITED HELLLAND (Crystal Prod Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Mros and Disfigured Corpse

Tracks: 1- Holy Propagandaa, 2- I, me , mine (selfish signs), 3- Toy Games, 4- Not Understanding, 5- Chill Out, 6-Mind Obsession, 7- Four Seasons, 8- Blood, 9- Deliver/Destroy, 10- Lights Out, 11-Ave Maria, 12- Upper Society, 13- Six Six Six, 14- Life, 15- Instant Purity, 16- Parasites, 17- Obrij Me Majko, 18- Repeater, 19- Four suicides enough, honey (comrades are already dead!), 20- Viva la Nu Metal (666)

 Recorded at Shaark Studios

This is with no doubt one of the most brutal releases of the month !! The guys of Disfigured Corpse are pure brutal death metal from the first second to the last one of this recording. Here we have a band that combineds the heaviest guitar riffs with the fastest ones within the same song. Here we have a drummer that loves blast beats and also loves some thrash style drumming that allows the band to develope even heavier riffs. The musicians here use downtuned guitars and that adds heaviness to their riffing. Plus we have a really extreme voice that is guttural but clear and is used as another instrument to make things even more brutal. This recording has a remarkable good sound that is essential to brutalize even more their sound.

Favorite tracks: "I, me mine...", "Lights Out" and "Instant Purity"

Contact: www.crystalprod.cz

DISTILLED - DISTILLED (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Distilled

Tracks: 1- Rise, 2- Everyday, 3- Deception, 4- Dimm

Cover Art by Distilled

The music is powerful and is sort of a mix between heavy bands like Pantera (mostly because of the most aggressive voice and the ultra heavy sound of the guitars) and some alternative band (in the slower parts). There is also some influence of modern metal, specially on the guitar sound and some harmonizations of the voice. And this mix gives two things to Distilled´s music: power and originality. Power because with their riffs and rhythms this band is extremely aggressive yet subtle and originality because by taking this influences and developing new ideas they have found an original sound that distinguish them from the rest of the bands. The sound of this recording is really good, specially on the guitars that sound devastating. A good, powerful release 

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.distilled.net

DIVINA ENEMA - AT THE CONCLAVE (Great White North Recs./ Grind It Recs., 2001)

Produced By: Vladimir Burakoff

Tracks: 1- Gargoyles Ye Rose Aloft, 2- Down Along The Roots, 3- The Holy Holt, 4- Nightmare, 5- Holy Forever, 6- The Darkest Hour

Cover Art by Divina Enema

 Recorded at i Daemon Inside Labs

This is a weird band whose music I liked a lot. I would call their music progressive death/black/heavy metal because of the multiple riffs and multiple changes and parts that each of the compositions have. Plus, there is also a big influence of heavier bands in the  faster parts that sound really black metal in many places. There are some parts that sound black metal and also parts that are more in the vein of bands like King Diamond (mostly because of the vocals) to give you just an example of the feeling that they get on this album. All the tracks are really well develope and they combine heaviness, complex changes and technical riffs with a dark atmosphere, intense melodies and multiple arrangements. This guys have a lot of technique and that allows them to create this interesting and magnificent compositions. I would recomend this band to every metal lover !!

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.gwnrecords.com or www.grinditrecords.net

DIVINA ENEMA - UNDER PHOENIX PHENOMENON (Great White North Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Divina Enema

Tracks: 1- Midnight Horror Factory, 2- A Handful Of Hay, 3-...Of Day And Funeral To Come, 4- P.C. Larvae, 5- Iron Megaira, 6- Demon Mastery Top Level, 7- The Face Of Oranus, 8- No Corpse - No Funeral, 9- God Bless You, Bastards!, 10- Total Core Melting, 11- Impyre Concord, 12- Fee Nicks Fen' Omen On

Cover Art by Divina Enema

If "At the Conclave" was an amazing album this one is even better. Here we have all the elements that are Divina Enema´s trademark such as the ultra technical riffs, the innumerable tempo changes and rhythm breaks, the different kinds of vocals and the extreme technicality of the musicians. Plus here the band has developed even better the compositions that have multiple riffs and sounds (check as an example the masterpiece called "A handful of Hay" to see what this guys are capable of doing with their instrument. Plus we have here the combination of different styles that are the essence of Divina Enema´s music and that gives a lot of originality to their music. This album has a better sound than "At the Conclave", specially on the guitars taht here sound heavier and more compact. This is an album that I would recommend to everyone that loves originality and good musicianship. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.gwnrecords.com or www.grinditrecords.net

DOL AMMAD - ELECTRONICA-ART-METAL (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Argy and Lightbridge

Tracks: 1- Eclipse (Corona of the Sun), 2- the Veil (Seven Face Danger), 3- Vortex 3003, 4- Boxed Daylight (Part I), 5- Boxed Daylight (Part II), 6- The Hill of Hope

Cover Art by Thanasis Lightbridge

 Recorded at Rain Lab Studios

This is a great experimental band. THe main thing here is the heavy experimentation with keyboards and electronics. Plus here we have also heavy guitars and fast programmed drums that add a heavy, yet machine like sound to the music here. This is an album of experimentation and contrasts and there are a lot of different feelings going on here. And another essential feature here is the Europa choir that is omniprescent through all this recording full of beautiful male and female vocals and adding a classical, yet dark atmosphere to the band´s music. I have to remark the originality of this recording and the multiple ideas that this guys have on all the compositions. A must.

Favorite tracks: ""

Contact: www.dolammad.com

DREADFUL - RIFFS + NEW TRACKS (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Dreadful

Tracks: 1- And God Created Humanity..., 2- Requiem, 3- Spirit Slaughter, 4- Bird of Prey, 5- Insomniac Leeches, 6- Stilldark, 7- Hell vs Heaven. New songs: 8- Death Ceremonial, 9- Man prophecy, 10- An Eye for an Eye

A climatic guitar intro opens this album with "And God Created Humanity..." a seven minutes long track full of dark guitars and mulktiple rhythm changes. And this is the essence of Dreadful´s music: heavier than hell guitars with multiple rhythms and riffs, a lot of guitar arrangements (among them some done with clean guitars) and a singer that sounds really thrash metal (that is a guy that has a powerful voice and uses middle range vocals with some screams). The album has a raw sound and I think that mixing the bass and the rhythm guitar a little bit louder can add a lot of power to the music. The drumming is intense and follows closely the guitars making the band sound really tight and rehearsed. tHis album has an eighties thrash feeling with a modern sound that I really liked.  

Favorite tracks: "And God created...", "Spirit Slaughter" and "Man Prophecy"

Contact: dreadful.riffs@voila.fr

ECLIPTIC SUNSET - ...FROM THESE DRIED LANDS (Furias Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Eduardo Mallada

Tracks: 1- Sanre Voukods Lak Act I, 2- Sanre Voukods Lak Act II, 3- Gales of Tragedy, 4- My Place oin the Dark, 5- Tears Far Away, 6- Deprimenthia, 7- In Nomine Nosferatus, 8- Demons, 9- I Belong to My Loneliness

 Recorded at El Cerro Studios

Coming directly from Salta, in the northwestern part of Argentina, here comes this climatic and full of dark feelings black metal. Ecliptic Sunset is the vehicle for the musical ideas of Alejandro Miguel Medina, who has composed all the music and lyrics of this dark jewel. Here we have many session musicians showing that Alejandro is not afraid of experimenting with many different sounds, with keyboards, violins, contrabass or female vocals. Here everything is really obscure and the keyboards are essential to achieve this dark atmospheres. Plus, Alejandro´s vocals are really black metal giving that blasphemic feeling to this recording. Here we have also interesting guitar melodies that combined with the other instruments give an amazing feeling to the compositions. A black masterpiece.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.orionmusicfurias.com.ar

EL CACO - VIVA (Black Ballon Recs., 2001)

Produced By: El Caco

Tracks: 1- I´ll Play, 2- Suffer, 3- Oh You, 4- Oh Yeah !, 5- Shine (there´s miles ahead), 6- She-man, 7- Cosmic, 8- high on a Low, 9- Mescaline, 10- Monster, 11- Blue Zone, 12- I Spill the Water

Cover Art courtesy of the international museum of childrens Arts, Oslo.

 Recorded at Athletic Sound Studios

This is El Caco´s previous album and it is definitely different of the new one. This is kind of more rockin instead of the heavier side that they showed on the new one. Here we have rocking guitars, a pounding bass and open drumming tat leaves a lot of space for the other instruments to develop their ideas. Good vocals that are melodic and at the same time powerful fitting perfectly the rest of the music. Good sound and mix make the guitars really loud and compact giving that powerful rocking sound that this band has. This is a really powerful release and by listening their newer album I noticed a lot of evolution in the correct direction of this norwegian guys. Pure powerful music !!!

Favorite tracks: "Suffer", "Cosmic" and "Monster"

Contact: www.blackballoonrecords.com

EL CACO - SOLID REST (Black Ballon Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Daniel Bergstrand and El Caco

Tracks: 1- Marionette, 2- The Small Hours, 3- H.A.H., 4- A Nice Day, 5- Blind No more, 6- Mrs. Coma, 7- Get Up (on the sidewalk), 8- Space Station, 9- Please Be Sad, 10- No regrets, 11- Suffocate

Cover Art by Motorfinger

 Recorded at Dug Out Productions

This is the powerful new release by norwegian band El Caco...here we have a band that has guitars that have nothing to envy to the one in bands like Pantera, Machine Head or the top names in the style of the most aggressive modern metal and they combine this aggression with more rocking type of riffs. Here we have a band that combines in a really good way agressive riffs and rhythms and climatic parts with excellent vocals that amke each of the songs here really memorable. Plus I have to remark the powerful sound that this band has achieved on this recording. You have only got to check the opening "Marionette" to feel the energy that this band delivers through all the album. The songs are very rhythmical and that is essential in shows to make people headbang and mosh to this compositions. A release that deserves to be listened by a wide audience. 

Favorite tracks: "Please be Sad", "A Nice Day" and "Suffocate"

Contact: www.blackballoonrecords.com

ELFFOR - SON OF THE SHADES ( Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Eöl

Tracks: 1- Jaboren Basoa, 2- Son of the Shades, 3- Of Wolves and Blood, 4- Infernal Woods, 5- Ravensong, 6- The Nocturnal Moon, 7- Long Winter Days, 8- Unholy Gleam

Cover Art by Igor Muguerza

 Recorded at Tata Studios

An extremely dark composition called "Jaboren Basoa" with a lot of keyboards and an eerie obscure feeling but with a lot of beauty opens this recording. And this is a good example of what Elffor´s music is like. Darkness, extreme darkness and extreme desolation are the main feelings here. But also you will rejoice on the beauty of the sad melodies delivered here. Here Eöl´s keyboards are the main instrument, accompanied by whispering or trollish vocals and some percussion. Here we have a composer that has achieved a way to communicate his feelings in a great way through his music that is full of expression and is done in a really magnificent way. The tracks are slow paced and that adds even more sadness to the compositions. The recording is really good as is the mix and that shows how beautiful this music is. A must for lovers of music done with heart, mind and soul. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.elffor.xrs.net

ENDLESS TIME - ANCIENT TALES (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Endless Time

Tracks: 1- the beginning, 2- Screaming of my soul, 3- King of the waves, 4- Unwanted treason

Cover Art by Endless Time

Endless Time´s music can be defined as metal with epic elements. And they achieve this epic characteristics in their music through melodies and vocal harmonies that they deliver on all the compositions here. The guitar riffs are simple and effective preferring to construct a lot of arrangements over a simple riff where to develope the good melodies instead of playing complex arrangements. Here we have guitar melodies that are also part of the essence of the band´s music. I have to reamrk the good work of the keyboards and the guitars here giving atmosphere and power to the tracks. Laura Terragni´s vocals fit really well the music and add a lot of feeling to it while her voice is harmonized by male and female ones adding a different atmosphere. The sound is a little bit raw, specially on the guitars and I think that this guys will get better sound with more time in the studio. A good metal album and we want more songs!!  

Favorite tracks: "Screaming of My Soul", "King of the Waves"

Contact: www.endless-time.it

ENJOY SARMA - NO FAKE SMILES (Rock Express Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Enjoy Sarma

Tracks: 1- No fake Smiles, 2- Mirror, 3- Innocence Take, 4- Black Dog, 5- Power Thrashing Mad, 6- Nineteen, 7- Better Days, 8- Empty Shells, 9- Chained Soul, 10- Beer Attesting Day

Cover Art by Milan Zivkovic

Enjoy Sarma is pure thrash with some modern metal influences in the sound and a death metal spirit in some of the vocals. But the main thing here is the most aggressive style in thrash metal. The guitars sound extremely heavy creating a wall of sound against which the vocals are delivered. And the vocals give a lot of thrash feeling to the music too being raw and powerful and at the same time delivering some death metal screaming and also some heavy metal feeling to the songs. The band sounds tight and well rehearsed and deliver the compositions with a lot of confidence. The sound of the recording is good specially on the guitars giving a lot of power to each of the compositions. This band comes from Yugoslavia and it is a good exponent of the metal from that country.  

Favorite tracks: "Mirror", "Power Thrashing Mad" and "Empty Shells"

Contact: www.rockexpress.org

ENTHRAL - SUBTERRANEAN MOVEMENT (Displeased Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Enthral

Tracks: 1- Earth Left Behind, 2- Death Immaculate, 3- Inject Hate, 4- Subterranean Movement, 5- Our Justice Be Done, 6- To the Bone, 7- Slaves of One Tongue, 8- Charge of the I

 Recorded at MLP Studios

Some years ago I listened the first Enthral album "Prophecies of the Dying" and I still got it in my collection as one of my favorite albums. Now here comes this third album and the band has evolved a lot. From the climatic black metal of the first release they have taken all their influences such as death metal and classical metal and put them together into their own music.Here we have fast riffs combined with climatic moments (fundamental in Enthral´s music) with a lot of aggression and a lot of musicianship here. Kjetil´s drumming is thunderous and combined with Gunnhild and Ronny´s guitars are the essence of the band. There are really dark melodies such as the ones in the beginning of "Inject Hate" taht give a darker than hell aura to Enthral´s music. The recording has a good sound that allows all the multiple riffs and drum patterns to be listened perfectly. A must for all lovers of the uttermost dark music !

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: www.displeasedrecords.com

ERESIA - MOTO IMPERPETUO (Independent, 2001)

Produced By: Eresia

Tracks: 1- Eresia, 2- Es, 3- Ultima Notte, 4- Nato per Uccidere, 5- Moto Imperpetuo, 6- Acrono, 7- Sei solo, 8- Altrove, 9- Metamorfosi

 Recorded at No Brain Studio

Eresia is pure brutality!!!. I wouldn´t have guessed because of the cover art but this guys are really brutal. Their music is really fast and powerful and the voices are guttural as the most brutal style needs in order to be really bestial and extreme. Here we have a band whose music is made of powerful guitar riffs, fast drumming (sometimes more death metal, sometimes more thrash metal), manic guitar solos full of speed and energy. The lyrics are in italian language and that gives a strange feeling to the music (is not really common in bands of the style). The sound of the recording is raw and energetic giving the music the power that it deserves. 

Favorite tracks: "Ultima Notte", "Moto Imperpetuo" and "Sei solo"

Contact: www.eresia.cjb.net

ETERNAL TRAGEDY - DEMO 2001 (Independent, 2001)

Produced By: Stefania Ponzilacqua

Tracks: 1- Dreamworld, 2- Murder of Souls

Cover Art by Stefania Ponzilacqua

Pure metal is what this band does. Here we have the music coming directly from the mind of Stefania Ponzilacqua. And this is a music full of variations. I have to remark that this music is very difficult to label because you have elements of classic metal, elements of thrash metal bands, some death metal and a lot of technical parts (there is heavy use of ultra heavy guitars combined with clean ones, this is full of guitar melodies and solos too). This is really original music within a metal context. Here we have different vocals, from the more high pitched ones that are sung by Stefy (really powerful, sometimes really thrashing !!!) to the more mid pitched ones in "Murder of Souls". Both compositions are quite long (one over six minutes and the other one is ten minutes long) in order to deliver the multiple ideas that Stefy has created not only instrumentally but also vocally. I have to say that she almost has ready the second Eternal Tragedy that according to her words is even more extreme than this one. Eternal Tragedy rules ! 

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: metalentity@yahoo.com or www.geocities.com/metalentity/Eternal_Tragedy.html

EVANESCENCE - FALLEN (Wind Up Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Dave Fortman

Tracks: 1- Going under, 2- Bring Me To life, 3- Everybody´s Fool, 4- My Immortal, 5- Haunted, 6- Tourniquet, 7- Imaginary, 8- Taking Over Me, 9- Hello, 10- My last Breath, 11- Whisper

Cover Art by Frank Veronsky

 Recorded at Track Record Inc.

Many of you may have seen the video of the first single of the band in MTV. But Evanescence is much more than that.  And I have to say that a lot of this is due to Amy Lee´s amazing vocals and also to Ben´s guitars (the two only fix members of Evanescence). All the songs here have a lot of feeling and Amy´s voice have a lot of shades and feeling that makes you find new textures in the songs each time that you listen to them. I have to remark that this album is not about heaviness but instead it is about feeling and atmospheres that are the essence of this band. Ben´s guitars sound heavy and develope the rhythms of the songs with fluent riffs and arrangements. The sound of the recording is really good and that makes everything really clear and magnificent. A climatic album with commercial potential.

Favorite tracks: "Going under", "My Immortal" and "Imaginary"

Contact: www.evanescence.com

EXILED ON EARTH - DUALITY CONFLICTS (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Exiled on Earth

Tracks: 1- Where Darkness is Always Pregnant, 2- The Illusory Ground of Betrayal, 3- Duality Conflicts, 4- Turmoil

Cover Art by Antonio Mascelli

Pure metal! Here we have an italian band that developes through this album four tunes thata re pure metal with some thrash influences and an extremely heavy sound in the guitars. The songs are fast and have a classic metal feeling but combined with this modern sound it developes into the Exiled on Earth sound. The singer reminds me of some eighties thrash metal band because he is raw and effective. Plus here the main thing are the guitar, and I liked a lot the guitar solos which have really good note placement and are like a mini song within each of the composition. Here we have multiple rhythm and tempo changes and the compositions are complex and effective. There are some death metal like riffs like the one in 3:14 of "The illusory ground of betrayal" and that adds another dimension to this band´s music. Here we have pure and powerful metal !!!! 

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: Riskbreaker74@hotmail.com

FËAN TURI - ACUTE SILENCE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Fëan Turi

Tracks: 1- Acute Silence, 2- The Innermost Secret, 3- Dance of the Nature Blood, 4- Reason threshold, 5- Sword of Conscience, 6- Fëanturi, 7- Deapth of Empathy

Cover Art by Fred

 Recorded at Pierre´s home

An almos tribal intro opens this labum before getting into an acoustic guitar piece with percussion that leads into heavier guitars full of dark melodies. And that is the way in whicjh we can describe Fëan Turi´s music. A mix of black metal and death emtal with mid paced rhythms and riffs and full of dark melodies and arrangements that make this band really unque. And all this is due to the imagination of Pierre, who plays all the instruments here except for the piano on "Fëanturi". This guys has a lot of imagination and knows how to translate his ideas into music. He shows a lot of amazing arrangements here and his combination of heavy and acoustic guitar is essential in the sound of this band. The riffs are complex and played very tight and the sound is really good specially on the guitars. One of the recordings of the month !!!!

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: feanturi@wanadoo.fr

FUCK THE FACTS - BACKSTABBER ETIQUETTE (Great White North Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Fuck the Facts

Tracks: 1- Second Hand Skin, 2- Ballet Addict, 3- A Few Words For The End , 4- N.S.S.T.S. , 5- Si-z'H, 6- Lying Through Your Teeth, 7- Living A Lie, 8- Greed Whore, 9- Smokin' A Fatty, 10- The Burning Side, 11- 23-17-41

Cover Art by Fuck the Facts

We have reviewed the brutal music of Canada´s Fuck the Facts before and we always remarked the brutality that they were capacble of creating in their recordings. This one is no exception. Here we have a band that combines utter brutality with a lot of heaviness delivering a style that can be described as brutal death grind because it has the more compact sound of the most brutal death metal but with some elements of grind such as some screaming and some ultra fast parts. Here we have the fast guyitar riffs that are the main element, specially when combined with the drums that deliver fast blast beats in many parts of the compositions (there is an interesting element here taht are short blast beats in the middle of other fast parts that add a special feeling to the music here, check "Second Hand Skin"). Also we have riffs that are not typical of the styles such as the ones in "Ballet Addict". Here we have a band that is brutality guaranteed with a lot of identity!!! 

Favorite tracks: "Second Hand Skin", "A Few Words..." and "Lying Through..:"

Contact: www.gwnrecords.com or www.grinditrecords.net

GEASA - FATE´S LOST SON / STARSIDE (Acheron Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Jean Claude Bayet

Tracks: 1- Seas, 2- Heavenfall, 3- Divine Reality, 4- Eire, 5- Crawl (into the Sun), 6- Burning the Gates of Rome, 7- Empyrean, 8- Draiochta, 9- Warrior, 10- Starside, 11- Rite of Passage

Cover Art by Dough Houghton

 Recorded at Cosmic Recording Studios and Sonic Studios

This album opens climatically with clean guitars, peaceful drumming and climatic feelings before getting into furious music that is a mix of black metal with other styles and with really good musicianship. The guitars are powerful but what gives the black metal feeling are the screaming vocals that here are combined with a cleaner voice that is essential for Geasa´s music. There are many arrangements and climatic passages with clean guitars and riffs that give place to the melodies to develope themselves into new ideas. I really liked the feeling of the singer that adds melancholy to this dark music. Here we have five new tracks and six tracks taken from their demo called "Starside" which sound a little bit more primitive. The sound is clear and makes the different parts shine (specially in the newer tracks that have more arrangements and variations and have a much more powerful sound). Here we have a band that has developed their own extreme metal with a lot of ideas. 

Favorite tracks: "Seas", "Heavenfall" and "Crawl (into the sun)"

Contact: acheronrecords@yahoo.com

GOTHICA - THE CLIFF OF SUICIDE (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Gothica

Tracks: 1- Nel Buio, 2- The Cliff of Suicide, 3- Deep Lakes of the Soul, 4- Cosmic Harmony, 5- Under the Dock leaves, 6- The Monk, 7- Harmattan, 8- The Land Beyond, 9- La Vida es Sueño, 10- Where the lilies Fade, 11- the Cliff of suicide (Electro Version)(video)

Cover Art by John White Alexander

 Recorded at Gothica and Gemelli Studios

A really solemn intro with orchestration opens this album....it´s the track called "Nel Buio"...and is here where we can listen for the first time the wonderful voice of Alessandra Santovito full of feeling and with a really great technique. Then comes the first single called "The cliff of suicide", a song that takes us to ancient times with a lot of melody and a dark feeling. Here we have plenty of keyboards played by Roberto del Vecchio and Alessandra that are the essence of Gothica´s music delivering passages with incredible melodies over dark chord progressions. There is some influence of bands like Ataraxia in the faster tracks but they are melted into Gothica´s own style. This is an ideal album to listen in a room lit with candles and where you can relax and let your mind flow. I would recommend this album to all lovers of music done with good compositional skills. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: http://GothicaHomepage.cjb.net

GREENFLY - HIDDEN PLEASURES OF A NONEXISTENT REALITY (Morbid Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Greenfly

Tracks: 1- Life Downfall (intro), 2- Ten Thousand Degrees, 3- First World Domination, 4- Living Beyond Suffering, 5- Crossbreaker, 6- Face of the injustice, 7- Born Dead, 8- Fallen Empire, 9- Hidden Pleasures of a nonexistent reality (outro)

This album opens up with a killer instrumental with heavy and mid paced riffs before entering into the pure death metal with ultra fast riffs in "Ten thousand degrees". This guys have achieved a really great combination of fast as fuck riffs with heavier rhythmic riffs that are the essence of the band. Plus they have an incredible sound that makes each instrument really clear adding heaviness to the music (much better than a raw recording). What I liked a lot here is this variations in the riffs that make each of the compositions here really well developed and deathly as hell ! There are some darker tracks like for example "Living Beyond Suffering" that starts slowly with a dark melody before getting into heavier parts (there is an interesting and climatic melody when the drums enter). This tracks is for me the Greenfly anthem, being almost ten minutes long and showing all the different moods of the band. Thumbs up for this killer death metal band from Spain !!!! A must.

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

HALLEY - LAST MINUTES OF LIFE ( Independent, 2001)

Produced By: Gabriele Fratini

Tracks: 1- Days of Remembrances, 2- Ultimate Fight, 3- Last Minutesof Quiet, 4- Paranoid 2000, 5- End of Remembrances

Cover Art by Halley

This album opens up with acoustic guitars accompanied with some bass lines that caombine really well...then comes the drums with an opening passage and finally comes the heavier guitars turning into a thrashing tune called "Ultimate Fight". Halley´s music is pure thrash with some elements of death metal in the vocals and in the fastest parts and some influences of classical metal bands. There is a lot of place in the compositions here for arrangements and melodies that add a different feeling to the music, specially the guitar solos that are technically profficient and have really good note placement making the listener perceive that besides the power here there is also a lot of musical knowledge. The drumming is killer and technical with a lot of double bass and the vocals are sort of a mix between the most powerful thrash and the cleaner death metal. The sound of teh recording is good and makes the music shine.

Favorite tracks: "Ultimate Fight", "Last Minutes of Quiet" and "Parnaoid 2000"

Contact: halleyluja@yahoo.it

HARD TIME - I ROCK THEREFORE I LIVE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Hard Time

Tracks: 1- Down at the Bottom, 2- Everybody Wants to Be Alone, 3- Kiss my Ass and go to hell (live), 4- War Inside My Head, 5- Take a Look at Me Now, 6- Everybody says I´m crazy, 7- Ain´t No Money, 8- Hit and Run, 9- Dead or Alive

Pure rock and roll with some elements of metal in the fastest parts is what this band delivers on this album. Yes, they came directly from Croatia and play pure hard rock in the vein of bands like Kiss but with a more modern sound and much heavioer in tracks like "Kiss my ass and go to hell" (a faster and heavier track with really good live sound). Hard Time has a really good guitarist who delivers rocking riff after rocking riff and also really good solos that show a more virtuoso like side of the band. The vocals are pure rock´n´roll and are really powerful and fit the music perfectly, also in the heaviest parts. I have to remark the excellent sound that  this recording has (much better than in many of the eighties bands that have a guitar sound less compact than this guys). This is pure rock and roll and lovers of the style will surely like Hard Time.

Favorite tracks: "Down at the Bottom", "War Inside My Head" and "Hit and Run"

Contact: www.hardtime-band.com

HATE ETERNAL - KING OF ALL KINGS (Earache Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Erik Rutan

Tracks: 1- Our Reckoning, 2- King of All Kings, 3- The Obscure Terror, 4- Servants of the Gods, 5- Beyond Redemption, 6- Born By Fire, 7- Chants in Declaration, 8- Rising Legions of Black, 9 - In Spirit (the power of mana), 10- Powers that be

 Recorded at Mana Recording Studios

Here we have Hate Eternal´s latest offering. As most of you should know this is Erik Rutan´s band besides Morbid Angel and with no doubt this is his most brutal band. Here we have the most extreme brutality that a band can achieve. Here we have the ultra fast guitars with the manic solos that are essential to the sound of the band. Plus here we have Derek Roddy´s whose work we reviewed previously in Aurora Borealis and Council of the Fallen doing awesome blast beats and incredible drums patterns through all the recording (besides the bestial blast beats. This time Erik delivers vocals and guitars creating one of the most brutal releases of metal history. As always he produced the recording achieving the big sound that he wants. A must for lovers of brutal death !!

Favorite tracks: "The obscure terror", "Beyond Redemption" and "Rising Legions of Black"

Contact: www.earache.com

HEADSPLOSION - HEADSPLOSION (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Headsplosion

Tracks:

Cover Art by Headsplosion

Headsplosion is pure metal. Here we have a band that plays pure classic metal with many epic melodies and a lot of guitar arrangements. Ther is some Iron Maiden influence in parts like the one at 4:10 of the second track. And this guys combine this classic metal influences with some more power metal or thrash influences in some of the rawest parts. Each of the songs here have multiple arrangements fundamentally done by the guitars but on Headsplosion´s music the bass guitar also plays a fundamental part (very tight rhythm section with some interesting double bass drumming in some places). The album has a raw sound and I would mix a little bit louder the guitars and a little bit lower the voice. Pure metal for the masses !

Favorite tracks: tracks 2 and 4

Contact: www.headsplosion.com

HELL-BORN - THE CALL OF MEGIDDO (Conquer Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Slawek and Wojtek Wislawscy

Tracks: 1- Hell-Born, 2- Legion is our name, 3- We Bring the Reaper, 4- Scepter of the Tomblord, 5- The call ofMegiddo, 6- With the gleam of the eyes of undead, 7- Down below he dwells, 8- Evil Dawning

Cover Art by Michal Grabowy

 Recorded at Hertz Studio

Definitely an album to crush your brain and melt it into plasma !! An album that starts violently with the track "Hell-Born" and will not stop until it has delivered the last aggressive rhythm, the last blast beat, the last ultra speed of light guitar riff. Here we have the new offer by Hell-Born and it is really aggressive as it was their previous album. This time the sound is better and that makes things more aggressive and effective making the guitars sound even more devastating and the drums crush with the fast rhythms. There are a lot of thrash elements here that is the characteristic of Hell-BOrn´s sound and that gives a lot of variations to their music. This is an album that you will have to listen several times to let your mind feel the power of this band each time that you listen to it in disbelief. Pure brutality and power.

Favorite tracks: "Legion is our name", "With the gleam..." and "Down below..."

Contact: www.conquerec.com

HELLOWEEN - RABBIT DON´T COME EASY (Nuclear Blast Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Charlie Bauerfeind

Tracks: 1- Just a little sign, 2- Open Your life, 3- the tune, 4- Never be a Star, 5- Liar, 6- Sun 4 the world, 7- Don´t stop being crazy, 8- Do You Feel good, 9- Hell was Made in heaven, 10- Back against the wall, 11- Listen to the Flies, 12- Nothing to Say, 13- Sheer Heart Attack

 Recorded at Mi Sueño Studio

This is the new Helloween album and it is an album that can be described as a cross between their previous "The Dark Ride" album and other albums such as "Master of the rings" or "The Time of the Oath". That is, some of the tracks have the typical Helloween feeling and sound that was present in those two albums and some, like "Liar" have a darker sound such as the one that was predominant in the tracks from "The Dark Ride". The sound is similar to the one in "The Dark..." despite the new additions on guitar and drums replacing Roland Grapow and Uli Kusch. That is a guitar sound that is more modern and a fat than in their classic albums such as "Keeper I and II" with fast power metal drumming in many of the songs. Helloween fans will surely like this one. 

Favorite tracks: "Liar", "Just a Little Sign" and "Back Against the Wall"

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

HEMATOVORE - HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 1996-2001 ( Recs., 200)

Produced By: Hematovore

Tracks: 1- Cobain´s Brains, 2- A Girl´s favorite color, 3- Autopsy Turvy, 4- Cochliomyia Hominivorax, 5- Pyrethrin, 6- Witherspoon, 7- 2 fragments (3GV), 8- Whattchuswattinat

Here we have eight tracks taken from different releases of this band. This releases span the years 1996 ("ways of the 8 footed" demo) to 2001 (the date of their newest demo). It is good to listen to an album like this because you can listen the evolution that the band has suffered in five or six years having done a big progression. Here we have heavy guitar riffs combined with climatic parts (check as an example "A Girl´s favorite color" whwere you can find heavy riffs and clean guitars passages). The music is pure metal with influences of classic thrash and many other styles. I have to remark that even if this is an instrumental album, it has the exact dose of rhythm changes, tempo changes and riffs development that makes it really interesting and gets your attention through all the recording. Here heaviness is combined with really good musicianship and compositional skills in order to create this excellent music. The sound of the band has evolved a lot and you can see this progress in the 2001 demo. I hope this guys release a new recording soon because this leaves you wanting more Hematovore. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact:

HEOL TELWEN - MOR BRAZ ( Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Heol Telwen

Tracks: 1- Mor Braz, 2- Dahud, 3- Enez Glaz, 4- Heol Telwen

Cover Art by Kraban

 Recorded at Hybrid Studios

This is pure raw and climatic celtic black metal with many fast parts and a dark atmosphere surrounding each of the compositions. The guys in Heol Telwen delivers fast riffs and have mixed this fast and aggressive parts with acoustic guitars and ancient melodies done with flutes and whistles in order to achieve the great music that they have done here. What I liked most are the fast parts with whistles melodies and epic voices. This band has made a good fusion of the most aggressive metal with elements of celtic and irish music. Here we have a good balance of distorted riffs and enchanting melodies played with a really good sound that makes things even better. This guys are original and they deserve a label now to release their music !! A must.

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: www.heoltelwen.fr.st

HEULEND HORN - THE SAGA OF THE DRAUGR (Furias Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Eduardo Mallada

Tracks: 1- Part I: The Raise of the Unresting One, 2- Part II: The Dead Wanderer, 3- Part III: The master of the Winds, 4- Part IV: The Raid of the Drakkar Wolf, 5- Part V: Duel and Epilogue

 Mastered by F. Curwenius and E. Mallada

Heulend Horn is pure viking metal coming directly from Argentina !!. Here we have another project coming from the dark mind of Friedrich Curwenius, the composer of Mitternacht´s music and now the composer of this viking metal jewel. This time Curwenius makes heavy use of programmed drums and synthezied instruments in order to create this epic recording. Here he is helped by Vargulf on grim vocals and Lord Edwar on clean vocals. Curwenius has composed here five long tracks where he developes many creative ideas that are dark and obscure as the style must be. The combination of clean and grim vocals is an essential part of Heulend Horn´s music and they are all over the five tracks here. But the main thing here is Curwenius instrumentation, that is really well developed and that delivers many interesting ideas all the time. The recording has good sound and that is essential for this type of music. A must 

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: www.orionmusicfurias.com.ar or http://listen.to/heulendhorn

HONDO MACLEAN - PLANS FOR A BETTER DAY (Hero Pr Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Joe Gibb

Tracks: 1- Animated Antics, 2- You´re addicted to Disco Baby, 3- Asia Argento, 4- Mortal Kombat

Cover Art by Alwyn Davies

 Recorded at Mighty Atom Studios

Take bands like Pantera, Fear Factory and Sepultura...put them together with other bands that have a more groove heavy sound like Crowbar or Pro-Pain and mix them, add some death metal and some calm moments and you have a sound that is closer to the one of Hondo Maclean. Here we have an ultra heavy band with devastating guitar riffs and a remarkable good sound that blast ears from the first second to the last. One remarkable thing too is the combination of Richard and Ben´s voices that give a big contrast of ultra despaired screaming vocals with more melodic ones adding variations to the vocal lines. Plus we have some parts with clean guitars that are like a calm before the storm and sound more alternative-like. But the main thing here are the crushing devastating riffs full of power. I will label this style of metal as brain melting metal !!

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.heropr.com

HORFIXION - INSTIGATORS OF CHAOS( Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Horfixion

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Instigator of Chaos, 3- Another Man, 4- Minefield, 5- Misfortune, 6- Emotional Storm, 7- Evolutive Revolution, 8- Le Retour de la Grande Faucheuse, 9- V.A.B., 10- Magma

Horfixion is pure thrash combined with old school death metal and this guys sure are blasting !!!. Starting with a short intro with sounds and noises they start delivering the most powerful riffs over ultra fast drums with a lot of double bass work. Here everything is designed to sound heavier than hell: the mid paced riffs are devastating (check the middle part odf the track "Instigator of Chaos"), the vocals are powerful and clear (preferring to be of the screaming/shouting type instead of using a more guttural one) and the bass pumps along with the drums in order to create the solid rhythm section that this band has. There is some influence of eighties thrash bands and I liked the way in which they are combined with Horfixion´s sound to create the songs. The sound is good, specially on the guitars and that adds heaviness to the music of this band. A powerful release. 

Favorite tracks: "Instigator of Chaos", "Misfortune" and "Emotional Storm"

Contact: www.horfixion.com

IGNIS FATUUS - TRAVELLER (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Jarno Juntunen and Ilkka Harjula

Tracks: 1- Traveller, 2- Fiends, 3- Through the Night

Cover Art by Jussi Kauppila

 Recorded in Oulu

This is ultra progressive detah thrash metal and since listening to this album Ignis Fatuus has become one of my absolute favorite bands !!!!. Here we have extremely complex and technical riffs that wouldn´t be out of place in the most complex progressive metal bands but played with a fatter heavier sound. And this superb riffs are combined with differnt kinds of deathly vocals, some of them more guttural, some of them more screaming. But here one of the main elements are the excelent keyboards, full of arrangements, full of melodies and complex parts. And this keyboards are all over the threee excellent compositions that this MCD has. The combination of heavy guitars and keyboards that in many places turn to clean guitar and keys duets are essential for Ignis Fatuus. Plus here we have a really amazing rhythm section where the drummer developes complex rhythms while the bass player creates incredible arrangements. This is a must have for any lover of music done with extremely great musicianship!!

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

Contact: www.ignisfatuus.cjb.net

ILLNATH - CAST INTO FIELDS OF EVIL PLEASURE (Worldchaos Production, 2003)

Produced By: Jan Borsing and Illnath

Tracks: 1- Setite, 2- behind the mirrors, 3- Cast into fields of evil pleaseure, 4- Temporary Borders, 5- The creators biggest pride, 6- Gloomy gathering, 7- Bring don the witching hour, 8- By the hands of violent winter, 9- Frozen Constellations

 Recorded at Borsing Studio

Here we have a really effective and superb black metal band with many interesting arrangements (I would call this symphonic black metal because of the heavy use of keyboards and the multip´le dynamics that each of the compositions here have). There is combination of the typical black metal voice with a more deathly and growling voice making a different feeling on each part that this amazing guys want to remark. But the essence here is the combination of the keyboards parts with the dark melodies that the guitars do in many places and the heavy fast riffs that they create. Here we have this orchestrations that takes us to a darker land where the obscure harmonies played by Illnath are the soundtrack. This album is one of the best releases of 2003.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.world-chaos.com

IN OCCULTA - FANSSETE ET DEMESURE (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: In Occulta

Tracks: 1- Fansette et Demesure, 2- Ruines Mysterienses, 3- Voyance Psychique, 4- Errance Eternelle, 5- Signifiat Diabolum, 6- La Liberté Par la Douleur, 7- Ame Guerriere

Cover Art by In Occulta

 Recorded by Serge Wintgens

Here we have a band whose music is pure darker than hell black metal. Here we have fast guitar riffs with a really raw sound and a lot of fast drumming including some blast beats. There is also here some thrash influences in the slower passages that add another dimension to In Occulta´s music. Plus they have slower moments with cleaner guitars, open distorted chords and bass arrnagements that are really interesting. This guys have a lot of changes within the same song: for example they go from fast to slow and then they create a melodic arrangement and go back to fast again as it happens in the title track. One of the essential things here are the climatic passages where the band developes many interesting ideas. The vocals are raw and are of the typical black metal style adding the black emtal feeling to In Occulta´s music. Lovers of the dark will rejoice with this one.

Favorite tracks: "Ruines Mysterienses", "Signifiat Diabolum" and "Errance Eternelle"

Contact: www.inocculta.be.tf

INCENDIUM - AFTER SILENCE (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Incendium

Tracks: 1- Drowned in You, 2- Crush, 3- Life Sarcasm, 4- Wither

Cover Art by Incendium

 Recorded at Black Room Studios

Incendium is one of those bands whose music you can describe as being extremely heavy yet climatic. And that is how this guys sound: they have extremely heavy guitars but what really gives a lot of identity to the band (and a lot of originality) is the combination of this guitars with the vocal melodies that are really dark and sometimes harmonized with interesting choruses in order to create an even darker feeling. Another main ingredient here are the keybaords that are played against the heavy guitars and develope interesting chord progressions that add a lot of feeling to the music. The compositions here are really well developed and here we have an amazing alternation of heavy riffs with clean guitars andd then back to heavy and then into melancholic melodies. The singer is extremely original (sort of a mix of Denis Belanger from Voivod and Ian Astbury but much heavier... really original) and his voice is sometimes combined with screams such as in the climax of "Drowned in You" and sometimes with other melodic voices. An amazing release!!!

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: incendium@mail.com

IVORY KNIGHT - UP FROM THE ASHES (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: John Devadasan Perinbam

Tracks: 1- Initiation, 2- Into the Black, 3- Yesman, 4- Perfect 10, 5- Roads to Glory, 6- Picture of Innocence, 7- Last Dance, 8- Shattered Glass, 9- True Signs of Life

 Recorded at The Basement Studio

Ivory Knight is pure metal, pure classic metal in its purest form but with guitars that sound more fat than in classic bands of the style. This guys have guitars that sound heavier and which I think have been low tuned. And they have managed to create a sound that is darker but retains the melodies of the style. Here we have a really good singer whose voice fits the music really well and whose use of middle range tonalities give a lot of identity to Ivory Knight´s music. The musicianship here is really good and there are multiple riff changes and multiple drums patterns. I have to say that I liked a lot the melodies here and I think that this guys is a good mixture of pure metal with melody and powerful riffs (also check the good guitar solos and arrangements through all this recording). 

Favorite tracks: "Into the Black", "Roads to Glory" and "Last Dance"

Contact: www.ivoryknight.com

KISMET - ROOMS OF LIE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Kismet

Tracks: 1- 2 months through "The Hell", 2- Restless, 3- Another Change, 4- Wicked

Cover Art by Alberto Crivellaru

 Recorded by Paso

Kismet is pure energetic metal with a lot of feeling and atmospheres in their music. Here we have a band that has fat heavy guitars and combines them with extremely dark atmospheres and intense melodies that make each of the compositions here really memorable. Here we have a vocalist with a lot of use of the middle ranges that is essential to create the moods of the songs (there are also many vocal harmonies here in the choruses and in tracks like "Another Change" through all the song). The riffs are mid paced and rhythmic emphasizing the heaviness rather than the speed and making the compositions really dense and powerful. The sound of the recording is good and makes the instruments shine and be listened clearly in the mix. A powerful and original band. 

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.kismetweb.com

KOLDBORN - FIRST ENSLAVEMENT (DieHard Music, 2002)

Produced By: Jacob Bredahl and Koldborn

Tracks: 1- Of Sins Sublime, 2- Wicked Arise Divine, 3- Blessed By Beyond, 4- In breathless Sighs, 5- All Bowing Heads Roll, 6- Vague Cries (of Unborn lives), 7- Demonride, 8- Sunbroken, 9- Altar of your Fate, 10- The Embrace of Thanatos

Cover Art by Lasse Hoile

 Recorded at Øveren in Køng

One of the most brutal releases of 2003 !!! Yes, this band from Denmark is one of the most intense experiences that one can experience. The music of the band is extremely brutal as the one in bands like Katafalk, to give you just an example. Here we have guttural and screaming vocals taht give a deathly feeling to Koldborn´s music. Here we have fast guitars that are played with a really fat sound (there is some downtuning here in order to make them sound bigger) and we have interesting guitar solos that contrast heavily with the fastest parts and add a melodic side to the band´s music. Plus here we have a really precise rhythm section that is devastating with some double bass and with a bass player that pumps each riff making everything more brainmelting. One of the most bestial releases of 2003. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.diehardmusic.com

KSK - DIMINISHING SPIRITUS ( Independent, 2003)

Produced By: KSK

Tracks: 1- Ground: Zero: Destination, 2- Diminishing Spiritus, 3- Code: B.H.B.I., 4- Rite of Chutulhu (Re-Write Mix)

Cover Art by KSK

 Recorded at Zyklon Death Studios

The tarck called "Ground Zero: destination" opens with some electronics sound and noises making you believe that they are almost an industrial band. But that is wrong because KSK´s music is extremely difficult to define. I have to say that after this noises enter heavy guitars that are essential for KSK´s music. Here we have heavy and fast guitars, sequenced drums that give an industrial and electronic feeling to the music, then we have Zirkelloch (the main brain behind KSK) doing vocals in some tracks and Azaroth doing all the screaming in the recording. The music here is aggressive and original and leaves you wanting more KSK. The constant experimentation with electronics and with sampling adds a different dimension to the violent music of the band and I think that this is what Zirkelloch wanted to achieve: a music that is powerful, aggressive and at the same time leaves you with a cold, machine like feeling and also wanting you more!! 

Favorite tracks: "Diminishing...", "Code: B.H.B.I."

Contact: www.zirkelloch.com

KULT OV AZAZEL - OCULUS INFERNUM (Arctic Music Group, 2003)

Produced By: Kult ov Azazel

Tracks: 1- Rex Infernus in Excelsis, 2- Revelations Reflected from a Dead Jehovah´s Eyes, 3- The Oracle of Annihilation: Eradicating Sanctimonious Existence, 4- Anguish Brought to Heaven, 5- Invoking the Infernal majesty, 6- Oculus Infernum, 7- Mark of the Devil, 8- Perpetual Demise of the Bastard Son

 Recorded at Rhythm Track Studios

In 2001 we reviewed the previous recording of this black metal band full of hatred and blasphemy. And now we have this new offering and I am surprised that they have evolved a lot. Don´t get me wrong: they are extreme black metal but tehy have achieved a much more powerful sound, specially in the guitars that nosw sound much more heavier and fat than in the previous recording and in the drums that are bestial delivering blast beats and sounding really mechanical giving a great feeling to Kult ov Azazel´s music. Here we have eight tracks that have no mercy for the ears and that are really designed to be listened while headbanging. Plus they have developed really good ideas that amke each of the songs here extremely memorable. As I was surprised by the brutality of their previous album, now I am surprised with this new album because they have multiplied the bestiality. Great black metal!!!! 

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: www.kultovazazel.com

LANDGUARD - METAMORPHOSIS (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Languard and Salvatore Salierno

Tracks: 1- Out of Control, 2- A New Begin, 3- An Oniric Comedy, 4- Rising Shadows

Cover Art by Landguard

 Recorded at I.D Recordings

Some issues back we reviewed Landguard´s previous recording and now here we have this new album of pure progressive metal. Here the guys of this italian band has surpassed this previous compositions, specially in the sound that here is much clearer and heavier than in their previous "A Perpetual Game" release. Here we have the amazing keybaords shining through all the recording and constrasting with the ehavy guitars while creating both of thema amazing passages full of solos and virtuosism. All the tracks here are really well constructed and are really effective being average five minutes long and creating in this time many ideas that are the essence of Landguard´s music. I liked a lot Marco Mangiapia´s vocals that sometimes are heavier and sometimes more melodic but that uses a lot of middle ranges instead of abusing high pitches. A band that is destined to progressive metal olimpus !!  

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.landguardweb.com

LIPID - HAGRIDDEN (Copro Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Jacob hansen

Tracks: 1- F.P.M., 2- Cathartic Rage, 3- Hagridden, 4- Hostile Takeover, 5- Prevail Through Loss, 6- Like Father Like Son, 7- Horrorscope, 8- God We Have Slain, 9- Spontaneous Human Combustion, 10- Distrust

Cover Art by Michael Kenney

 Recorded at Aabenraa Studios

One of the msot powerful releases of 2003! Here we have a band whose sound can be described as a combiantion of the best elements of death metal, thrash and modern metal. Yes, here we have a combination of complex and fast riffs and also more rhythmic and heavier ones.Adn this combination is the signature of Lipid´s music. Plue, here we have also some complex arrangements that are more thrash metal and that give a lot of variations to this guys music. Plus, we have the huge modern sound of modern metal bands. And when you combine this elements and add a really clear and good mix, specially on guitars and drums then you have as a result this explosive band. Here we have a band that is powerful as a neutronic bomb and that delivers here ten bestial compositions that are designed to make brutal death metal bands really small in comparison. A must  

Favorite tracks: All. One of the msot powerful releases in 2003.

Contact: www.coprorecords.co.uk

LORD BLASPHEMER - VISIONS OF HATRED (Independent., 2000)

Produced By: Lord Blasphemer

Tracks: 1- The Lord of Blasphemy, 2- Visions of Hatred, 3- Contact Dermatitis, 4- True Evil, 5- Professors of Gore, 6- Hatred Burning, 7- Montag, 8- Visions of Hatred (1991), 9- Contact Dermatitis (1998), 10- Jungle Hell (1998), 11- Spiral Caverns of the Occult, 12- Lord Blasphemer

Cover Art by Bryan Katzel and Erik Pertl

This is a good way to know about Lord Blasphemer´s music, and this is also a really great release for lovers of the band. This is a compilation of new and old compositions. We have here songs spanning ten years of Lord Blasphemer´s history, from the raw chaotic version of "Lord Blasphemer" of 1989 (with a really short burst of sound in the early death grind vein) to the better constructed tracks from 1998 which are my absolute favorites here. This is an historic release and here you can see the evolution taht this band has suffered developing their own brutal sound which is bestial as hell. Here everything is raw and brutal and you have different sounds qualities depending on how old are the tracks. This is a jewel for lovers of Lord Blasphemer and lovers of brutal death !!

Favorite tracks: "Mutations...", "Spiral Caverns..." and "The Lord of Blasphemy"

Contact: www.lord-blasphemer.com or www.metalwarprod.com

LORD BLASPHEMER - TALES OF MISANTHROPY, BLOODLUST AND MASS HOMICIDE (Metal War Prods., 2002)

Produced By: Lord Blasphemer

Tracks: 1- Bestial Bacchanal, 2- Bloodbaths of the Mental Inquisition: Karmageddon, 3- Mutations with Bloodlust in their eyes, 4- Cursed by the Spirit of Thorn, 5- Spiral Caverns of the Occult, 6- Waving through a mulch of the dead, 7- The Lord of Blasphemy

 Recorded at Rainwalker

Lord Blasphemer is a really powerful band whose music is pure brutal death metal. Here we have guitar riffs at the speed of light. Their music has influences from old school death metal and has a dark feeling on it. The riffs are crushing and they are powerful adding a groove to the music that is emphasizedby the drumming that is brutal and sometimes fast but that leaves space for the other instruments to show their ideas. There is a really important work of the bass guitar here that sometimes followd the guitars and sometimes is tightly playing along with the drums but is fully audible despite the guitars distortion. There are amny fast parts with almost blast beats but the songs go beyond this. Here we have a band with raw sound but whose sound can be described as brutality with a lot of groove and memorable riffs.

Favorite tracks: "Mutations...", "Spiral Caverns..." and "The Lord of Blasphemy"

Contact: www.lord-blasphemer.com or www.metalwarprod.com

LOWDOWN - UNKNOWN (Black Balloon Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Lowdown

Tracks: 1- Unknown, 2- Intenz, 3- Sixxxth, 4- 25 Bullets, 5- Big Target, 6- Insane Lane, 7- Breakdown, 8- Finding Truth, 9- State of Mind, 10- Take a Minute, 11- Struggling

Cover Art by Lowdown

A noisy intro leads us directly into the extremely brutal, aggreswsive, powerful world of Lowdown. Here we have a band that can compete with Soulfly in brutality and with Slipknot in creating those maniac riffs and rhythms. I have to point out the excellent sound that this recording has: this is a best level mix that enhances the guitars and makes each instrument shine. Here we have a killer drummer that makes a lot of double bass passages and gives a lot of power to the band. Then we have the powerful guitars that are the essence of the music here with the heavier than fuck riffs (having a really huge sound). And then we have the vocals, sometimes screaming, sometimes singing, sometimes guttural sometimes more modern but always originals and with a lot of feeling. This is an absolute essential album.

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact: www.blackballoonrecords.com

M-26 - SENTIMENTOS SOMBRIOS... (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Rodrigo and M-26

Tracks: 1- Entre As Ruinas do Caos, 2- Vejo a Dor, 3- Lágrimas de Desidéria

Cover Art by M-26

 Recorded at Luvi and Doctor Audios Tudios

This MCD opens climatically with "Entre As Ruinas do Caos" a track that is extremely atmospheric, being slow in the beginning and turning faster after a minute or so. Here we have the combination of Jean Gularte that are growling and Ronaldo´s that are more melodic, and this brazilian guys have also Carla Domingues who sings with an ethereal voice that is essential for M-26´s sound. The guitars sound heavy and there are multiple riffs and rhythm changes. The musicm is complex and is a mixture of death metal with some doomy parts and some black and dark elements (such as the clean guitars and the climatic parts that are eszsential in teh brazilian band´s music). There are really good guitar solos taht add a lot of melody to the music. I really liked the music here and I would mix the instruments a little bit louder to make things even more effective. The three songs here are really well developed and levaes you wanting mroe M-26! 

Favorite tracks: the three

Contact: www.m26.hpg.com.br

MALEDICTA - DARK EMERSION (Independent., 2003)

Produced By: Maledicta

Tracks: 1- Traditional Neverending Friend, 2- Epoca Maledicta, 3- Destruction, 4- Insensibility (of the human nature)

Cover Art by Maledicta

When I watched the cover I expected a black metal band but I was wrong. Here we have a band with infinite ideas and whose description goes beyond all styles. They have elements of death metal in some of the voices, they have some tharsh too in some rhythms. They have modern metal too in some guitar riffs and some drums patterns and they have experimental sounds all over the album. They combine interesting extremely aggressive part with some calm keyboards interlude that change the feeling of the composition but fit perfectly the mood. On the first track there is also a strange chorus that gives an eerie feeling to the song, specially combined with whispering vocals, clean guitars and interesting drumming. The main thing here is how well this guys develope ideas on each track always surprising and showing on each minute something new. If you want originality and a lot of variations then you must check Maledicta. 

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.maledicta-team.com

MALIGNANCE - REGINA UMBRAE MORTIS (Black Tears of Death Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Daniele Pascali - BTOD

Tracks: 1- The Lament´s Configuration, 2- Statement of Supremacy, 3- Deadhead Lodge, 4-Regina Umbrae Mortis, 5- Horror vacui, 6- Fornicate With Pestilence, 7- Inverted Pantheon, 8- Nameless Paradox

Cover Art by Arioch

 Recorded at Loud Music Studio

Malignance is what I call a pure black metal band: here we have raw guitars played at full speed, blast beats, screaming vocals full of anguish combined with more epic and melodic ones and an extrenmely dark atmosphere through all the compositions. There are also many atmospheric parts that transmit the desolation and hatred of god that this band wants to show. The riffs are extremely fast and interact really well with the hyper speed of the drums (this guy is a blast beat machine). There is also an interesting old school influence that shows some Celtic Frost influences, specially on "Statement of Supremacy" that is the most old school sounding track. Everything on this album is black metal and the melodies help to make things more obscure while they clash with the guitar riffs. Lovers of pure black metal with atmospheric shades will surely love Malignance.

Favorite tracks: "Statement of Supremacy", "Regina Umbrae Mortis", "Fornicate With Pestilence

www.btod.com

MERLIN - DEATHKOTEQUE (Great White North Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Merlin

Tracks: 1- Triumph of death, 2- Holder of the war, 3- Don't try, 4- I'm glad, 5- I gotta fall, 6- That's my time, 7- Black revenge, 8- Die, 9- Waiting for death, 10- Leave me alone

Cover Art by Merlin

I have never listened Merlin before and I was missing one of the most brutal bands on Earth. This guys deliver crushing brutality through ten tracks here full of blast beats (with a devastating drummer) and combined with many technical parts. This is like a more brutal version of early Atheist or Nocturnus, full of rhythm changes, full of guitar arrangements and full of tempo changes and breaks. Here we have really good musicians That have many ideas in their minds and combined them into their compositions. There are manic guitar solos (some of them with a neoclassical feeling) and multiple guitar riffs that leaves you wanting more because of their quantity and quality. Merlin is a band that must be listened carefully because you will always find new elements in their music. A must.  

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.gwnrecords.com or www.grinditrecords.net

MERLIN - THEY MUST DIE (Great White North Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Merlin

Tracks: 1- Unburied, 2- I want blood, 3- They'll never see their pay, 4- They must die, 5- Entering the gates of paradise, 6- Don't waste my time, 7- Let the blood spill, 8- The sixth victim, 9- R.I.P.

Cover Art by Merlin

This newer Merlin album is even better than the one that we reviewed previously. Here the guys reached a compositional maturity developing even better the songs. Here the bass guitar has a more predominant role than on the previous album and interacts really well with the guitars and the drums in order to create the desired atmospheres in their thrash/death/progressive metal style. This guys have a lot of technical skills and that is essential to create this compositions and play them correctly. Each of the songs here have multiple breaks, arrangements and tempo changes. The vocals are really extreme, sometimes more screaming and sometimes more guttural adding a lot of the death metal feelingto the music. The drummer is a nightmare with his double bass, his ultra fast hihat passages and his almost machine like blast beats. Here we have another showcase of Merlin´s music that will be really loved by those who like death metal with a lot of ideas and played with a lot of technique.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.gwnrecords.com or www.grinditrecords.net

MESS AGE - SELF CONVICTED (Conquer Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Mess Age

Tracks: 1- Among the Empty Walls, 2- Fulfilled with Nothing, 3- Infected By Deflections, 4- The Existence Door, 5- C.O.L.D., 6- Post Scriptum, 7- Devoured with Famished Eyes, 8- The Scarlet Rings, 9- Kill the Falsehood, 10- Waiting for Miracle

Cover Art by Piotr Jezierski and Ula Cybulska

 Recorded at Red Studio

This is Aggressive metal with a lot of death metal sounds but a extraordinary song contruction using open guitar chords when a part wants to be epic and ultra fast riffs when the song is asking for it.There is some thrash influences in some riffs and some classic metal elements that add a different flavour to the music and gives a lot of variations. I have to remark the good musician ship of this guys whose guitar riffs are original and at the same time powerful. The drummer here is a double bass beast and the combination of this drumming with the heavier than hell riffs and the bestial vocals are the heart and soul of Mess Age´s music. The songs are well developed being aggressive and at the same time having enough hooks to be remembered after the album has finished. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.conquerec.com

MNEMIC - MECHANICAL SPIN PHENOMENA (Nuclear Blast Recs./Century Media Brasil, 2003)

Produced By: Tue Madsen

Tracks: 1- Liquid, 2- Blood Stained, 3- Ghost, 4- DB´XX´D, 5- Tattoos, 6- The Naked and the Dead, 7- Closed Eyes, 8- Mechanical Spin Phenomenon, 9- Zero Gravity

Cover Art by Mnemic

The first seconds of recording are of some electronic sounds and then enters this wild and powerful band. Their sound has reminiscence of bands like Fear Factory (because of the machine like sound in the drumming) but go a couple of steps beyond with more rhythmic riffs combining elements of modern metal with some death metal voices and some more accessible melodies. What gives a lot of identity to this band´s music are the vocals: here we have death metal type screaming, screaming vocals that sound much more clear, some processed vocals of the industrial type and unique screaming choruses that are the essence of Mnemic´s music. The guitars sound huge and deliver riff after riff giving the extreme power that this band has. There is plenty of electronics here and they are used to add a more mechanical feeling to the band´s music. This is what I call a really powerful release !!

Favorite tracks: "Blood Stained", "The Naked...", "Mechanical Spin Phenomena"

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

MORTIIS - THE SMELL OF RAIN (Earache Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Mortiis

Tracks: 1- Star Trek/Parasite God, 2- Flux /Mental Maelstrom, 3- Spirit in a Vacuum, 4- Monolith, 5-You Put a Hex on Me, 6- Everyone Leaves, 7- Marshland, 8- Antimental, 9- Smell the Witch

 Recorded at Silver Dragon and The Green Spider Studios

Mortiis has evolved in a different direction comparing to his first albums. On this album he delivers dark electronic compositions full of his keyboards and dark passages. This time we have elements that are more typical in bands like Tangerine Dream than in Mortiis music but they are done in a heavier way with some industrial sounds too and dark vocals. The constant thing here is that the tracks have a dark atmosphere but this time the music is more accessible and the compositions are developed more in a song format that will enter more easily the ears of those that are not too familiarized with Mortiis music. To remark here are the voices of Sarah Jezebel Deva and the people who harmonized them. There are plenty of great musicians working on this album and the result is really amazing.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.earache.com

MYKORRHIZA - SHATTERED DREAMS (Konqueror Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Mykorrhiza and Tor Adolfsson

Tracks: 1- Manipulate, 2- Dreadful destiny, 3- Last Resort, 4- Shattered Dreams, 5- Sadist, 6- My Dream, 7- Surgery, 8- Me and Myself, 9- With Pleasure they Ride

Cover Art by David Brink

 Recorded at 52^nd Music

From beginning to end the guys in Mikorrhiza deliver utter brutality with their blasting death metal. Here we have a band that will destroy you with their multiple heavier than hell riffs, with their double bass drumming and with their powerful vocals. But this guys also have unique elements that make their music really original: the guitar arrangements, the subtle melodies in many places the multiplicity of vocals. This band is like the beauty and the beast at the same time delivering ultra fast riffs with bestial screams and at the same time doing interesting changes and arrangements that give another dimension to their music. One thing to remark is the really good mix that this album has making each arrangement and each phrase shine within each of the compositions. A must have. 

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

Contact: henrik.brynolfsson@chello.se

NACHTMAHR / MANORBLATZ - SPLIT 2002 ( Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Nachtmahr and Manorblatz

Tracks: Manorblatz: 1- Reduced to Ash, 2- Crazy Horse, 3- Flying for Phoenie, 4- Raven´s Call. Nachtmahr: 5- Gewässer Des Todes (intro), 6- Das Grass im Moor, 7- Sopor Solis, 8- Regain Consciousness, 9- Black Moon

Here we have two completely different bands in a split CD that is really extreme and extremely obscure at the same time. First we have Manorblatz, a band whose music can be described as sort of a mix of black metal and viking metal (because of some of the rhythms) with death metal vocals. Here the sound of Manorblatz is extremely raw, specially in the guitar solos and in the drums. This guys deliver four tracks of this eclectic style, where the guitars and the bass are the main instruments. Then comes Nachtmahr whose part of the split starts with a climatic intro done by Azazel keyboards and some guitar arpeggios. Then comes their extremely brutal black metal full of raw guitars and fast thrashlike rhythms combined with some blast beats and the essence of Nachtmahr´s music that are Azazel´s keyboards. And the use of the keyboards and some rhythms set this band appart from the rest of the bands of the styles, creating interesting harmonies and passages that contrast heavily with the most extreme parts. This band is really extreme but is really tight and knows how to create unique elements such as the keyboards passages that sound really melodic and mysterious. A must for lovers of the dark.

Favorite tracks: All the split

Contact: www.nachtmahr.net

NACHTMAHR / GEWEIH - MOORLEICHEN SPLIT EP 2002 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Nachtmahr /Geweih

Nachtmahr: 1- Das Grab in moor, 2- Das Verloren Paradies, 3- Wolfssturm

Cover Art by Nachtmahr/Geweih

Then comes Nachtmahr with three great compositions that feature intensively the keyboards played by Azazel. This part starts with a keyboard intro before getting into the rawest part: here we have the ultra fast riffs that are Nachtmahr´s trademark combined with Azazel´s keyboards that add the dark atmosphere, some melodies and excellent chortd progressions. The sound is very raw and in some places the keys are covered by the guitars (maybe they can mix a little bit higher the keyboards in the fastest parts). There are excellent breaks where the clean guitars enter along with the keys adding a darker atmosphere to the composition. As always Nachtmahr is a guarantee of pure black metal done with good musicianship and a lot of ideas.

Favorite tracks: All the split

Contact: www.nachtmahr.net

NATTSTRYPE - THE ART OF MISANTHROPY (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Nattstrype

Tracks: 1- Loading Degeneration machine, 2- Nothingness Fullfilled, 3- Mörkrets Triumf, 4- The Unholy Poem of a Soul at the End, 5- Förruttnelsens Kammare

Cover Art by Vrede/Art Noir Prods.

 Recorded at Studio Ljudparken

This is the rawest type of black metal possible. This is an album where everything is unholy blackness: darker than hell riffs, ultra fast drumming with a lot of blast beats and some thrash influences in some places. Screaming blasphemic voices that spit the lyrics with full hatred. This is a band that combine riffs thata re not typical in black metal (like the ones in the beginning of "Nothingness..." which are more dense and heavy than the one note runs) with the fastest arrangements that are charachteristic of the style. Here everything transpires blackness: from the blast beats to the open drumming in many parts with interesting ideas, from the slower more dense riffs to the one note holochaust. Here we have a band that ahs no mercy for the listener and melts his brain with their powerful riffs and unholy arrangements. Here we have a good band that will appeal to all fans of pure black metal. 

Favorite tracks: "Nothingness Fullfilled", "Mörkrets TriumF" and "The Unholy Poem..."

Contact: www.nattstrype.tk

NOCTURNAL FEAR - STERILIZE AND EXTERMINATE (Unholy Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Nocturnal Fear

Tracks: 1- Holocaust the Heretic, 2- Temple of teh Crucified, 3- Sterilize and Exterminate, 4- Unholy Throne of Blasphemy, 5- Hellbangers, 6- Pagan Rites, 7- Burning in the Void, 8- Can´t Undo the Damage Done, 9- Outbreak of Evil, 10- Warmachine

Cover Art by Chris Evans

 Recorded at Tempermill Studios

This is pure war metal !!.  Nocturnal Fear is an extremely brutal band with a lot of death metal in their music and an old school feeling that gives them an original sound. Here we have a band that is pure brutality delivered with a lot of energy. The guitars sound really fat and the bass interacts in a really tight way with them creating a wall of sound. The riffs are fast and furious and follow the rhythm and speed that the killer drumming sets. Here we have a drummer that is a double bass master creating a lot of patterns through the ten compositions that we have on this album. The voices are screaming ones in a guttural but clear way (in which you can follow the lyrics). The band sounds really tight and seem well rehearsed. I would like them to do more solos because I liked the guitar solos a lot, played with wah wah and adding another dimension to Nocturnal Fear´s music. Pure brutality.

Favorite tracks: "Holocaust the Heretic", "Sterilize and Exterminate" and "Pagan Rites "

Contact: www.unholyrecords.com

ORAKLE - L´INEFABLE EMOI...DE CE QUI EXISTE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Orakle

Tracks: 1- Le theatre de la nature Acte 1: "Le Combat", 2- Le Theatre de la Nature Acte II: "Le Repos", 3- La Beauté déraisonnée

Cover Art by Orakle

I would call this music majestic black metal. Why? Because here we have many elements of the black metal style but we also have incredible orchestrations done with the keyboards that make each of the three tracks on this CD to sound really epic and at the same time dark. Here we have also blast beats adn screams and also ultra fast parts. And in the same tracks we have melodic vocals that change completely the feeling of the composition and also interesting guitar arrangements that are completely different from the ones that black metal bands use. The combination of keyboards, heavy guitars with raw sound and the different types of vocals (there is also a deathly type of voice that does some growls)are the essence of Orakle´s music. Lovers of the dark will surely rejoice with this release ! 

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: http://orakle.free.fr

ORCUSTUS - DEMO 2002 ( Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Orcustus and J. Peersen-

Tracks: 1- Death Becomes You, 2- World Dirtnap, 3- Lucifuge Damnation

Cover Art by Orcustus

 Recorded at Strangehagen Dungeons

Orcustus is a band of raw black metal coming directly from the land of unholy black metal, that is Norway. And this guys are really good in doing their extreme style. They have raw guitars and riffs that go from the most extreme ultra speed ones to more rhythmic ones that I think are the heaviest ones and that makes each of the songs here memorable. This guys have been influenced not only by black emtal but also by styles like death metal and thrash metal and they have put all this influences in a mix where they developed their style that is unholt and blasphemic with great black metal voices and with intense drumming. I have to remark also that despite the raw sound the mix is really good and that makes things even more obscure and extreme. A must for lovers of the style.

Favorite tracks: The three.

Contact: orcustus@satan.zzn.com

OTARGOS - CONQUEROR, CONQUEROR... DESTROYER(Independent, 200)

Produced By: Otargos

Tracks: 1- Hordes, 2- Demon´s March, 3- Unresurrection, 4- Unholy Father

Cover Art by Alex-XXX

 Recorded at Laurent Colomina

Pure unholy black metal!!!!! This guys start in a powerful way with "Hordes" a track with black metal guitars and a fast thrash rhythm. Here we have a band whose music is blasphemic and full of fast guitars, powerful drumming, sometimes blast beats and screaming vocals in the darkest way that is possible. Here we have tracks like "Demon´s March that is ultra fast and violent with fast guitar runs and blast beats and where Otargos deliver all their power. The recording sound is raw but that sound retains all the powert that the four musicians here deliver. There is a heavy thrash metal influence here that adds an old school feeling to otargos music and I enjoyed that because that sets this band apart from others of the style. Here we have a four track CD that is blackness guaranteed. 

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.otargos.com

PRION - TIME OF PLAGUES (Furias Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Eduardo Mallada

Tracks: 1- Senseless Miseries, 2- To the Abyss of Hell, 2- Envy and Hate, 4- The Plagues, 5- The Plagues, 6- Executed, 7- Beyond the Period, 8- Armenia, 9- The Opposite, 10- Instrumental

Cover Art by Gustavo Muzzio

 Recorded by Gregorio Kochian

This is what I call an album designed to smash your brain into pieces. Everything here is pure violence and brutality. Each of the songs here is well constructed and there are interesting guitar riffs all over this album. Plus we have a really good mix, specially on the guitars and drums (I suggest a little bit less reverb in the voice). The drumming si fast and furious and the music here has similarities with bands like Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel or Nile. There is some thrash influences in some of the riffs and that adds a different aspect to Prion´s musical personality. I have to remark that everything here is played in a really brutal way and the band succeeds in creating ten bestial tracks where the listener will find himself banging his head with the drumming. Thumbs up!

Favorite tracks: "Executed", "The plagues" and "Beyond the period"

Contact: www.orionmusicfurias.com.ar or www.priondeath.com.ar

PSI - PSI (Evolving Ear Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Psi

Tracks: 1- The_who had begun his career, 2- as a useful_ , 3- of the_ court, 4- Later Became, 5- the _ of, 6- _ , 7- and the_ of, 8- _

 Recorded at Black Hellcopter

Take some great musicians that love spontaneous music and improvisation and put them together in kind of a supergroup of experimental music. Then you will have an idea of how Psi sounds. Here we have great musicians as Chris Forsyth on guitar, Jaime Fennely on electronics and Fritz Welch on drums and percussion. And they deliver plenty of experimentation through the eight tracks that are on this CD. The first one is over 15 minutes long (1/3 of the whole recording) and is a showcase of this guys skills in taking sounds and mutate them into different ideas that they want to transmit to the listener. This is pure experimentation and this trio knows how to take it to the extreme. Many ideas are developed within each of the compositions and this guys are constantly playing with sounds and managing to create well developed compositions. Sometimes closer to noise, sometimes closer to primal sound, sometimes closer to melody but always purely experimental. This is an album for lovers of spontaneity. 

Favorite tracks: "The_who...", "as a useful_" and "the_of"

Contact: www.evolvingear.com

SAMMATH - VERWOESTING DEVASTATION (Folter Recs., 2003)

Produced By: J. Kruitwagen

Tracks: 1- Satan Infinity, 2- Devastation, 3- The Timeless Splendour of Chaos, 4- Enter the Sadistic Nightmare, 5- Fertile Life End, 6- Where is Your God, 7- Die Again, 8- Verwoesting, 9- Tormentor, 10- Enter the Sadistic Nightmare (video)

 Recorded by J. Kruitwagen

Watching the cover I expected a black metal band ....wrong!!! Sammath´s music is pure death metal in its most brutal form and with some grind parts. Here we have a band that goes at full speed most of the time and that has the characteristic of having a programmed drum that makes blast beats in a lot of the compositions here. Sammath has two typoes of vocals the guttural growling one that is the most brutal and a screaming one that acts like another instrument adding more bestiality. The guitars sound extremely distorted and somehow processed sounding like using a distortion pedal and a fuzz at the same time (incredibly distorted). Everything here is extreme and this guys don´t miss the opportunity to crush your bones with their utter bestiality (even the Kreator cover is taken to the extreme !!!).

Favorite tracks: "The timeless...", "Fertile Life End" and "Verwoesting"

Contact: www.sammath.nl

SINISTER - SAVAGE OR GRACE (Nuclear Blast Recs., 2003)

Produced By:

Tracks: 1- Rise of the Predator, 2- Savage or Grace, 3- Barbaric Order, 4- The Age of Murder, 5- Conception of Sin, 6- Chapel Desecration, 7- Dominion, 8- Collapse Rewind, 9- Apocalypse in Time

 Recorded at

"Rise of the predator", a movie like intro starts this powerful album with a dark feeling. Then comes the mayhem: here we have the new display of utter brutality of this guys. And on this album we have Rachel, ex Occult taking the vocal duties and doing a realy extreme job !! We have on this album all the elements that have made Sinister one of the most brutal dutch death metal bands. I think that this is a band that from the beginning of their career had a good guitar sound but album after album they have make it bigger and heavier. And this album is no exception....the guitars sound like a fucking wall of sound and I think that if you put the speakers loud enough they will be like a kick in the stomach. The songs are really well developed here and the band is extremely tight and rehearsed. This is a good step forward from a band that always amazes with its brutality !!!

Favorite tracks: "Barbaric Order", Conception of Sin", "Dominion"

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

SKULL BABY - GIVE BIRTH (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Skull Baby

Tracks: 1- Introducing..., 2- Absent Student, 3- Least Favorite Body, 4- Of the Flesh, 5- How deranged, 6- On a Rocking Horse, 7- Least Favorite Body (live)

Cover Art by Toby Bubonic

 Recorded at Modern Music Studios

This album opens with "Introducing..." a climatic intro with keyboards and a heavy guitar that enters here and there, then comes some melodies and then we go to full madness with "Absent Student" . Here I have to remark one thing: I think that the drums are a little bit buried in the mix and should be a little louder to fit better the guitars. On this album we have a band whose music has elements of death metal, some black metal and some thrash and they have mixed this style and added a climatic keyboards that is essential to Skull Baby´s music. Here we have an aggressive band with raw and wild guitars combined with a keyboards that does dark chord progressions and a screaming voice that add the most brutal side to Skull Baby´s music. This is a good album with many ideas.

Favorite tracks: "Absent Student", "Of the Flesh" and "How Deranged"

Contact: www.skullbaby333.com

SOULFORGE - DUALITY (Great White North Recs., 200)

Produced By: Soulforge

Tracks: 1- Loophole, 2- Bloodline, 3- Telepathic Bug, 4- Heading Nowhere, 5- Be My Guest, 6- The Dreamstorm, 7- Awakening, 8- Behind The Gate, 9- Vinland, 10- Omniscient, 11- Ethereal

Cover Art by Soulforge

 Recorded at Yves Home Studio

"Loophole" starts with a dark intro before getting into melodic death metal with excellent guitars and a lot of imaginative ideas. Here we have a band that follows the path of bands like In Flames or Dark Tranquility but with their own identity. With extreme vocals and guitars that deliver heavy riffs combined with melodies here we have a band that creates memorable tunes through all this recording. Palms go to the memorable melodies that are constructed here by the guitars and the combination of subtle elements with powerful passages. Drumming is predcise with emphasis on the double bass passages and stressing the heavier parts. This album has a really good sound that the guitars shine making each of the compositions a death metal jewel. A must.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.gwnrecords.com or www.grinditrecords.net

SOULTORN - MASKS (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Soultorn

Tracks: 1- Masks, 2- A Piece of Me Dies, 3- Away, 4- Legacy, 5- With the Flaming Shades of Fall

Cover Art by Niklas Sundin

 Recorded at Grizzly Studios

When I read that this labum had a cover of Dark Tranquility´s "With the Flaming Shades of Fall", I expected that Soultorn would play death metal in the "Gothenburg Style". But this is not what happened. The guys in Soultorn play death metal but with more heavy metal influences than the bands of the aforementioned style. As they show from the first track they can combine a lot of epic melodies with vocal melodies and with screaming type vocals in the death metal vein. Here we have a band that has succesfully combined elements of diverse styles in order to develope their own sound. The tracks are memorable, specially because of the combination of screaming and clean vocals that leave melodies floating in your brain. The guitars are really powerful and the riffs are direct and effective. This is a really good release!

Favorite tracks: "Masks", "A Piece of Me Dies" and "Legacy"

Contact: www.soultorn.tk

STIRPS - PANSELM´S END (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Stirps

Tracks: 1- Granada Starflight, 2- Trip 23, 3- A Vicious Circle of Rage, 4- Long Ago, 5- Racing

Cover Art by Stirps

Stirps is a strange band: this guys have mixed some punk riffs and vocal lines with some aggressive metal sounding guitars creating five interesting songs here. Here we have some hardcore influences as there is a certain Motorhead feeling too but the main thing here is that the guys in Stirp have managed to create five interesting compositions here that are memorable enough to leave you singing them after the recording is finished. The guitars sound heavy and give the main feeling to the music: that is pure energy unleashed with a big sense of melody. The drumming here is simple but effective adding power and speed to the music. Lovers of this style will surely like Stirps.  

Favorite tracks: "Granada Starflight" and "Long Ago"

Contact: www.stirps.de

SUFFERING DOWN - MISANTHROPIC AND NIHILIST DHARMA (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Eöl

Tracks: 1- Uffern (the iced hell), 2- Daybreak, 3- The Kingdom of Forgotten Dreams, 4- Autumn Mist, 5- I´m the One inside the Oak, 6- Coldness of a threat, 7- For My pleasant Abandonment, 8- The Thinker, 9- Misanthropic and Nihilist Dharma, 10- An Onyric Experience, 11- Beyond My Own Convictions, 12- The Evil Seeds, 13- Submissive to Heaven, 14- The Virtue of Deceit, 15- Quondam Mundinum?

Cover Art by Suffering Down

Majestic keyboards open this recording on "Uffern", combining chord progressions with orchestrated sound with more of a piano like sound that plays a sad melody and soon fades into silence leaving the place for the heavy track called "Daybreak", a track that, like all Suffering Down´s music I would call epic symphonic black metal. Here we have a keyboardist that is a master of doing orchestrations and arrangements in the compositions adding a lot of melody and feelings that contrast heavily with the heavy, violent guitars. And the combination of keybopards with heavier than hell guitars and a fast drumming that gives the black metal feeling is the essence of Suffering Down´s music. Plus we have different types of vocals, some more screaming,some more guttural that fit the mood of the compositions. I recommend this album to all lovers of black metal and similar styles !!!

Favorite tracks: All the album

Contact:

TALES OF BLOOD - RANGE OF GORE (Eld Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Tales of Blood

Tracks: 1- Tales of Blood, 2- Burst of Violence, 3- Corpse Blazing Mass, 4- Addicted to Flesh, 5- Skilled Stabber, 6- Food Surgery

 Recorded at Safran Studio

Brutal fucking death metal !!! Here we have a band whose every note, every riff, every drum beat is played in order to create ultra bestial music !! And they achieve this through some interesting mid paced riffs like the ones in the opening "Tales of Blood" whose riffs are heavy as hell and combine death metal with some more thrash metal rhythms. The vocals here are really guttural and give an extreme deathly feeling to the music. The drummer is really good, specially in the tempo changes keeping the rhythms without missing a beat. The overall music has a feeling of old school death metal that makes it really attractive and reminds me of early Entombed or even old Morbid Angel. The mix is good but I would mix a little bit louder the guitars to give an extra heavy touch. Pure brutal death ! 

Favorite tracks: "Tales of Blood", "Burst of Violence" and "Skilled Stabber"

Contact: www.talesofblood.fr.st

THE CONTROLLED BLEEDING - CAN YOU SMELL THE RAIN BETWEEN (Tone Casualties, 2002)

Produced By: P.Lemos

Tracks: 1- Red Hands Waiting, 2- Poisoner Pt 3, 3- Birdcan, 4- Schist, 5- ...please sit down, 6-Felch Space Scan, 7- Can you smell the rain between, 8- Poisoner Pt.4, 9- Trawler, 10- Here comes the Warm Jets, 11- Onaip, 12- Cathode A, 13-Yak, an outro

What a deppressive and dark band !!!. I found this release amazing in the way this guys have achieved the atmospheres that are predominant on this recording. Everything here is done in order to create the darkest atmospheres in the world. Here we have guitars, percussion and keyboards sounds combining textures through the thirteen compositions delivering obscure phrases and playing with sounds and noises while developing many interesting ideas. There is some influence of Robert Fripp´s experimental soundscapes here but they are combined with the band´s own sound delivering an original sound. Plus, we have a rocking cover of Brian Eno´s "Here Come the Warm Jets" done in The Controlled Bleeding´s way and an extreme i terpretation of The Doors "Yak, an outro". This is what I call a really experimental recording with many innovative ideas.

Favorite tracks: "Poisoner Pt.3", "Felch Space Scan" and "Trawler"

Contact: www.tonecasualties.com

THE R.A.C.E. - THE REVOLT AGAINST CULURAL EXTINCTION0 (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: the R.A.C.E

Tracks: 1- Retreat Now, 2- Electronics in Distress, 3- Mistress America, 4- Monarch, 5- No Vertigo, 6- Conquerman, 7- 9.0., 8- Berserker, 9-Futuristic Negative Admantic, 10- Lifosuction

 Recorded at R.A.C.E. Studios

This is an amazing band and it is a really weird one. The album kicks off with a catchy riff and vocals in "Retreat Now" before getting into a much more weird part with samplers and electronics combined with a rhythm developed for jumping and moshing. The vocals are essential here because of their ethereal quality giving a lot of feeling to the songs. Each of the compositions here have many changes and a lot of dynamics. The main thing here is the combination of heavy guitars, electronics/ keyboards and vocal melodies that gives the R.A.C.E a unique sound. The songs are powerful and heavy and have enough hooks in the melodies and vocals to make each of the songs here memorable. I have to remark the good mix taht this album has that makes each instrument shine and makes things even heavier. This is an extremely original release with superb arrangements !! 

Favorite tracks: "Retreat Now", "Monarch" and "Conquerman"

Contact: www.theraceband.com

TIDAL WAVE - DIX (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Tidal Wave

Tracks: 1- Connexion, 2- LA Nouvelle Expression, 3- Vadrouille Sauvage, 4- Flying, 5- Maria, 6- Sorcellerie, 7- Faut Vivre, 8- Dies, 9- N´Oublie Pas, 10- Pour Elle, 11- La Mort en Tete, 12- On Vivait au Present

Recorded at Studio Melodisques

Tidal Wave comes directly from France and their music has a lot of variations. While some songs are pure heavy metal, others are rock and other sound more pop (this guys have a really eclectic sound). And some songs are a good combination of all this style. There is a good combination of clean guitars and distorted guitars on this labum and there is also an intersting bass work that adds a lot of arrangements in many parts. The lyrics in french language give a different feeling to the band´s music. The vocalist is powerful and I would like most of the compositions to be like "La Nouvelle Expression" that is one of the most powerful tunes of the album. I would mix the guitars a little bit louder to add even more power to the music but the mix is really good and clean.  A good album of heavy rock with some emtal influences.

Favorite tracks: "Connexion", La Nouvelle Expression" and "Faut Vivre"

Contact: www.tidalwave.best.cd

TIDAL WAVE - COM ON VIT (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: Tidal Wave

Tracks: 1- Com On Vit

Cover Art by Tidal Wave

This is a single with one track where Tidal Wave show all their characteristic elements: powerful guitar riffs, good vocals that deliver the well constructed melodies, a crushing rhythm section. Here we have all the progressive elements that this band combines with heavier stuff, such as the multiple changes within this eight minutes long song, the multiple guitar melodies and the changes i9n song structures. This is a good showcase of all Tidal Wave´s main elements. 

Contact: www.tidalwave.best.cd

TOTAL DEVASTATION - ROADMAP TO PAIN (Firebox Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Total Devastation and Tuomo Valtonen

Tracks: 1- I Am God, 2- Struggling from Chokehold, 3- Disguise, 4- Fragments, 5- Production Peak, 6- Left Hand of the Devil, 7- Fleshing, 8- Let it Bleed, 9- Prepare to Die, 10- Ignoring Pain

Cover Art by Teemu Kumpulainen

 Recorded at Sundi Coop Studios

in the beginning of 2002 we reviewed this band previous album and we remarked how brutal they sound with their heavy riffs and brutal vocals. THis album is yet more brutal and at the same time more climatic with the heavy use of keyboards that are a fundamental part of Total Devastation´s sound. It is amazing to see the contrast between the ultra heavy guitars and the brutal vocals with the beautiful chord progressions done by the keys. The mix of this album is really good, specially on the keyboards that are perfectly mixed with the guitars making things sound really tight and compact yet wild and brutal. This is an album that I have to recommend to those who like brutality combined with interesting ideas done with really good musicianship.

Favorite tracks: "Disguise", "Fleshing" and "Ignoring Pain"

Contact: www.firebox.fi and www.totaldevastation.org

TOTALNI KLOSARI - KAKVA KORIST OD NASLOVA (Rock Express Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Mare

Tracks: 1- Geto (ulaz), 2- Klasika, 3- Cula zaba, 4- Desetinu na brzinu, 5- Teska noc, 6- Working Class, 7- C.O.P., 8- Nimfoman, 9- Saka puna pilula, 10- Novi Talas, 11- Sta Cu Sad, 12- Veseljak, 13- Radnicki Znaj, 14- Moj Grad, 15- Geto (izlaz)

Here we have a band coming directly from Yugoslavia whose music can be described as pure hardcore of the rawest type. After a short intro called "Geto" this guys start delivering their blast of hardcore music with a lot fo power and they sound really tight. Their music is simple and memorable, and the guitar riffs are solid, simple and effective as the style demands. The music here is influenced by classic bands like Agnostic Front or Sick of It All and also by classic punk. The sound is raw and that adds a lot of power to the music of the band. The lyrics in yugoslavian language give an interesting feeling to the compositions here. Pure hardcore in the old school way.

Favorite tracks: "Cula Zaba", "Teska noc" and "Veseljak"

Contact: www.rockexpress.org

UNFRAGMENT - IN MEANDERINGS OF AIN - SOPH (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Unfragment

Tracks: 1- Atziluth, 2- Mother of Malicious, 3- Etherial Vision, 4- Unfragment, 5- Distress of Lucifer, 6- The Way With Illusions, 7- Sacred Night, 8- Yetzirah, 9- Briah-Part I, 10- Briah - Part II, 11- The Spirit and Flesh Eater

Unfragment are pure brutality!!! This band deliver each riff, each drum beat and every bass note with extreme brutality while the ultra guttural vocals spit the lyrics full of hate. There are some really technical passages where you can see that the band is extremely well rehearsed (specially in some passages and breaks done at full speed that are difficult to play correctly) and that they sound very tight. There are some frantic guitar solos that add some eastern like sounding melodies to the music here. I find some influence of bands like Nile that arewell developed into Unfragment´s own style. Palms go to the drummer that is killer with the double bass and also to the guitarists that create riffs that are not typical of the style in many places adding identity to Unfragment´s music. 

Favorite tracks: "Etherial Vision", The Way With Illusions" and "The Spirit and Flesh Eater"

Contact: www.unfragment.st.fr

USURPER - NECRONEMESIS (Earache Recs., 2001)

Produced By: Kol Marshall

Tracks: 1- The Incubus Breed, 2- Slaughterstorm, 3- In Remembrance, 4- Necronemesis, 5- 1666 A.D., 6- Warriors of Iron and Rust, 7- Deathwish, 8- Full Metal Maelstrom, 9- Funeral Waters, 10- Into the Oblong Box, 11- Tales of the Macabre

 Recorded at Nomad Recording Studios

Usurper is a classic black/death/thrash metal that has made its own path with their classica lbum "Skeletal Season", a bestial album full of hyper fast riffs. Here we have this "Necronemesis", an album that is also full of ultra fast guitars, faster than the spped of light drumming and a lot of aggression. Plus we have some elements that are the trademark of this band such as the thrash like riffing and rhythms and some acoustic parts like the track "In Remembrance" with some melodic guitar that contrast heavily with the rest of the music. There are also slower parts that give a darker side to this recording making things more obscure, dense and asphyxiating. One of the best things is the way the vocals are managed here being aggressive and brutal but clear (and we have King Diamond as guest in the title track!!!).  

Favorite tracks: "Slaughterstorm", "Deathwish" and "Funeral Waters"

Contact: www.earache.com

USURPER - VISIONS FROM THE GODS (Earache Recs., 2001)

Produced By: Usurper

Tracks: 1- Soulstalker 96, 2- Deep in the forest, 3- Visions from the Gods, 4- Dusk, 5- Soulstalker (original); 6- Anno Satanas (demo version), 7- Charon, 8- Bonfire, 9- Wolflord (Night Prowler Version), 10- Warriors of Iron and Rust (live)

A collection of rare and unreleased tracks from this classic band. Here we have on one album all the original "Visions from the Gods" 1994 Demo, a couple of tracks that appeared in some compilations, a King Diamond Cover, some tracks that were left out of their classic "Skeletal Season" and a live track. Lovers of the band will surely like this stuff. Here we have from the primitive sound of their first demo with a more old school death metal feeling to tracks (a dn some Celtic Frost influences too). Then we have the newer tracks that are more powerful and that have this modern day death metal sound with some black metal sides and some darker choruses such as the ones in "Bonefire" that are the essence of Usurper´s music. The sound of the recording depends on the date of the original recording and it surprised me that the 1994 recording has better sound that some of the newest tracks. A must for lovers of the band.

Favorite tracks: "Bonefire", "Dusk" and "Wolflord"

Contact: www.earache.com

VEHEMENCE - GOD WAS CREATED (Metal Blade Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Vehemence

Tracks: 1- Made for her Jesus, 2- She Never Noticed Me, 3- Fantasy from pain, 4- Christ, I fucking hate you!, 5- Lusting For Affection, 6- The last fantasy of Christ, 7- I didn´t kill her, 8- God was created, 9- I Must Not Live, 10- The Lord´s work

 Recorded at The Saltmine Studios

A climatic intro with acoustic guitars and climatic tones leads us into "Made for her Jesus" a track of pure death metal with technical guitars and many arrangements that are the essence of Vehemence´s music. The compositions here are brutal and at the same time have a lot of changes and guitar arrangements that make each of the songs memorable. There are many rhythmic and melodic parts that give another dimension to the music adding different flavours and showing what this guys are capable of doing with their instruments. The multiplicity of riffs is essential here and I liked a lot the way in which the rhythms evolve through all the recording. The drummer is bestial knowing how to play a lot of fast patterns and double bass leaving space also for the other instruments. Brutal death done with a lot of quality.

Favorite tracks: "Made for her Jesus", "Lusting for affection" and "God was created"

Contact: www.metalblade.com

VISIONS OF EXCESS - SENSITIVE DISRUPTION ( Tone Casualties Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Nirto Karsten Fischer

Tracks: 1- Belief Systems, 2- Transvaluation, 3- Clockwork Universe, 4- The Hibernating Man, 5- You´re like me, 6- Focus of Light, 7- The Expanding Wave, 8- Startle response, 9- Ritual Gaining, 10- Object to be Destroyed, 11- Not 1968, 12- The Search goes on, 13- Open End

Cover Art by B. Mazzilli

 Recorded at Forced Media Studio

This is an album of pure experimentation with electronics, samplers and other devices creating interesting atmospheres with the ideas that are carefully developed here. Here we have plenty of whispering or spoken voices that fit the atmosphere that is created perfectly and deliver the lyrics while Paul Browse and Nirto Karsten Fischer deliver the music that they have created in tehir minds. This album is ideal to listen with your loights off because you will find new elements on each time that you listen to it. This is not an easy listening album because of the heavy experimentation and the multiplicity of sounds but if you give it a try you will surely like the way this guys manage all this sounds and deliver thirteen interesting compositions.

Favorite tracks: "Transvaluation", "Focus of Light" and "Ritual Gaining"

Contact: www.tonecasualties.com

WACO JESUS - FILTH (Morbid Records, 2003)

Produced By: Waco Jesus

Tracks: 1- Filth, 2- Blast you in the face with my semen, blast you in the face with my fist, 3- Punch you in the cunt, 4- Blinded, 5- The consequence of your ignorance, 6- Sexual Assault, 7- Orgasm is the enemy, 8- Animosity, 9- I hope he beats you, 10- Fag Basher

Cover Art by Peter Neuber

 Recorded at Megawimp Studios

Pure fucking grind death!! That is the music that Waco Jesus makes and the one that delivers through all this recording. Here you will not find mercy for your ears. Here everything is speed, brutality and power. The beginning with "Filth" is ideal to smah your brain into pieces with the heavy and fast guitar riffs, the blast beating drums and the combination of guttural vocals with screaming ones. Here we have ultra fast double bass drumming that sounds really precise and when combined with the heavily downtuned guitars we have the extreme sound of Waco Jesus. Here they deliver ten ultrafast and extreme tracks that feature the interesting combination of a really guttural vocalist with another that is more of the screaming type (as grind style demands). I have to remark the really good sound that this recording has making the guitars fully audible and making the band sound extremely compact. Pure brutality!!!

Favorite tracks: "Filth", "Sexual Assault" and "Orgasm is teh Enemy"

Contact: www.morbidrecords.de

WE - DINOSAURIC FUTUROBIC (Black Balloon Recs., 2002)

Produced By: We

Tracks: 1- Galactic Racetrack, 2- Carefreee, 3- Dinosauric Futurobic, 4- Organic Room, 5- Cosmic Bound, 6- Toothgottago, 7- Jinxed, 8- Antidote, 9- (Still got the) hats off, 10- From the Spaceways, 11- 1971

Mixed by Johan Forsmann

Here we have a really rocking band with many climatic elements. Here we have a band that deserves to be very well known because their music is hard and at the same time has that elements that leave ths music spinning in your head after the album has ended. Here we have heavy guitar riffs with rocking drums and a vocalist that delivers dark melodies over the heavy stuff. And the vocals are giving a lot of identity to We´s music being harmonized in many choruses and sounding really original with a lot of identity. The tracks are rhythmic and they are designed to be played live. Most of the songs here are designed to be hits. The sound of the recording is really good being powerful and at the same time subtle. Pure hard rock with many catchy elements.

Favorite tracks: "Cosmic Bound", "Dinosauric Futurobic" and "Antidote"

Contact: www.blackballoonrecords.com

WORLD OF LIES - MATERIAL GOD (Buried in Hell Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Moe Acevedo and Tony Avila

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Material God, 3- Lost Faith, 4- Consumed by Hate, 5- Parasitic Humanity, 6- Death Before the Flesh, 7- Disguised, 8- Dismemberment

 Recorded at Digitsound Studios

A climatic introduction with a lot of guitars leads us into the powerful world of World of Lies. This guys play death metal with twisted guitar riffs and a lot of brutality. There are some elments of black metal too in some of the fast parts and in some of the vocal parts. Here we have a raw band with a lot of power and a lot of speed on each of the compositions. The guitars are extremely heavy and in tracks like "Lost Faith" they deliver catchy riffs that are what make each song memorable. The recording has a raw sound and that adds a lot to the brutality of the band. Plus, here we hava a band that makes a lot of changes within each of the compositions surprising you many times through this recording. Here we have a band that is extremely brutal and spills this brutality with a lot of quality and tightness. 

Favorite tracks: "Lost Faith", "Consumed by Hate" and "Death before the Flesh"

Contact: www.worldoflies.com

ZERO CIPHER - 45 MINUTES OF FAIRY TALES ENDINGS / 45 RPM (Casket Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Zero Cipher

Disc Two: 1- Last September, 2- Think You Know, 3- Filth

 Recorded at Deep Studios

A very difficult to describe album. Here we have a band that experiments with many different styles never falling into one classification or the other. Sometimes rocking, sometimes industrial, sometimes more experimental, sometimes deathly, always aggressive and original. Innovation is the second name of this band combining. there are keyboards and sampling that are essential to Zero Cipher´s music. This recording is extremely innovative and this is surely a music that will not become boring: here we have multiple sounds, multiple variations, countless changes . Here we have a band that is not afraid to experiment and they have done it all into a song context developing ideas all the time. A must

Favorite tracks: All the CDs

Contact: www.coprorecords.co.uk

ZEROTONIN - REINVENTION (Independent, 200)

Produced By: Zerotonin

Tracks: 1- Vice, 2- The Build Up, 3- 3, 4- Arguments for and against self-control

Zerotonin is a direct band whose music is heavy, yet really rhythmic, and with enough hooks in the melodies to keep your attention focused on each of the compositions. The music is modern metal really heavy and really dense. A lot of the powerful sound that this band has is due to the ultra heavy guitars and the screaming vocals in the choruses and other parts (really heavy vocals when they want to use them). I found really inmteresting the way this guys create arrangements through effective riffs and interesting bass lines. The vocalist is very versatile adding more variations to the music. This are four tracks with a good mix and good overall sound that leave you wanting more Zerotonin.

Favorite tracks: "Vice" and "Arguments for and against self-control"

Contact: www.zerotonin.co.uk

ZORGLUB - THINGS ARE PICKIN´ UP (Independent, 2003)

Produced By: John W. Jones

Tracks: 1- Just do it, 2- IN a Box, 3- Sandmen, 4-The Man Without, 5- Into the Circle, 6- A Big Tape on Your Face, 7- What´s the matter with me?, 8- Human Tool, 9- Nothing (no more)

Cover Art by Zorglub

 Recorded at P´n´F Studios

Zorglub´s music is really climatical and at the same time really machine-like. This guys have combined heavier than hell riffs with programmed drums and samplers to achieve their own sound, sometimes heavier, sometimes more techno/industrial type, but always powerful. One thing that I liked a lot is the combination of different types of voices, from more melodic ones (that give a lot of atmosphere to the compositions) to more extreme and processed ones (fundamental in the most industrial like parts and in the heavier passages). There is also a lot of keyboards used to create dynamics and add chord progressions that contrast heavily with the distorted guitars. One thing to remark is the variations that this guys have generated in this album, being each of the songs completely different from the others. A good and original release

Favorite tracks: "Sandmen", "Into the Circle" and "Human Tool"

Contact: www.zorglub-music.fr.fm