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99 HOOKER´s - GENERICA |
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| Label: Pax Recordings |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
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Line Up: Ross Bonadonna - music Michael Evans - drums Donald Miller - guitars Jim Pletcher - DJ 99 Hooker - sax, vocals,etc Shazade Ismaily - bass Ray Sage - drums Mark Marinoff - reeds, jew harp |
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Music by 99 Hooker Lyrics by 99 Hooker |
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Tracks: 1- Frida Kahlo Klezmer 2- Voodoo U Luv 3- Cross Hairs 4- Hystory of Dumb Fuck 5- Tom Waits for No One 6- Route 666 7- Block Buster 8- The Word Became Flesh 9- Guys are Useless 10- Dream Sequences |
This is clever experimental music combined with melodies that make the listening of this album not as difficult as in many spontaneous music or experimental recordings. The tracks here are original and I specially liked the way in which the winds are used emphasizing certain parts. And the main structure that this compositions have are of pure jazz, used in an uconventional manner Some parts of the recording reminded me of old Frank Zappa (and some to Primus, mainly due to the vocals) but everything here has a lot of originality and the compsoitions are cleverly constructed in order to surprise but at the same time not to confuse the lsitener. Pure experimentation. |
| Cover Artwork by: 99 Hooker | |
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Produced by 99 Hooker |
Contact: www.paxrecordings.com |
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A PERFECT MURDER - UNBROKEN |
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| Label: Victory Recs. |
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| Year: 2004 | |
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Line Up: |
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Music by Chausse and Bouchard Arrangements by A Perfect Murder |
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Tracks: 1- Jaded 2- Possessed 3- Time Bomb 4- Speak Without Faith 5- Slave to the Clock 6- Unbroken 7- No Truce 8- Eye for an Eye 9- Savior 10- Bouc Emmissaire 11- Die With Regret 12-No Pulse in my Veins 13-Another Day, another Plague |
A Perfect Murder starts fast and heavy smashing the listener´s brain with . Starting at full speed with "Jaded" before getting into a slower yet heavier pace, the band soon shows how capable of unleashing pure aggression they are. the vocals screamed at the top of the lungs are an essential feature here as the guitars that deliver riff after riff with machine like precission. there are some interesting and catchy melodies in "Possessed" that stick in your mind while tearing you down with the sheer power of the riffs. The drums reminded me a little bit to Fear Factory´s Raymond Herrera, and that is a high standard because they have a killer sound and are played really proficiently. The album is really well mixed and that is essential to achieve the level of intesity that the band wants. Pure aggression. |
| Cover Artwork by: Olfactiv | |
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Recorded at Studio Nico Produced by Eric Rachel and A Perfect Murder |
Contact: www.victoryrecords.com |
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A18 - DEAR FURIOUS |
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| Label: Victory Records |
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| Year: 2004 | |
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Line Up: Tom Stretton - bass, drums Mike Hartsfield - guitars Issac Golub - vocals |
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Music by A18 Lyrics by A18 |
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Tracks: 1- The Massive 2- Fire in the Hole 3- Stab you through Everything 4- Gravelines 5- The Soundtrack to a Glamorous Goodbye 6- Jailhouse rob 7- Misery Street 8- Dear Furious 9- Beating a Dead Horse 10- Marco Polo 11- Heartbreak Affiliated 12-We All Fall Down |
Sirens and alarms open this recording before A18 enter with their heavy riffs and their combination of modern metal with hardcore. The music here has rhythmic guitar riffs that are the essence of A18´s sound. This riffs are played with a really big guitar sound that gives a lot of power to the music. There are fast parts here but the emphasis is given to the heaviness of the rhythms, which are emphasized by the use of crash cymbals by the drummer, who is really solid here. the vocals are sort of a mix between the one used in bands like Biohazard and the classic hardcore voice, that is, not a clean one but not extremely guttural, more of the shouting type. One remarkable thing here is the good sound that the band has achieved by mixing correctly the album. Pure energy. |
| Cover Artwork by: Facey | |
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Recorded at For The Record Studio Produced by Paul Miner and A18 |
Contact: www.victoryrecords.com |
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ACHERON - DECADE INFERNUS 1988- 1998 |
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| Label: Black Lotus Recs. |
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| Year: 2004 | ||
| Style: Satanic death metal | ||
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Line Up: Vincent Crowley - bass, vocals Stacey Connoly - guitars Kyle Severn - drums |
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Music by Acheron Lyrics by Acheron |
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Tracks: CD1: 1- Thou Art Lord 2- God is Dead 3- Slaughterization for Satan 4- Blessed by Damnation 5- Immortal sigh 6- Let us Depart 7- Satanic Erotica 8- One with Darkness 9- Fuck the ways of Christ 10- Lifeforce 11- The Enochian Key 12-Six Six Six 13-Enter Thy Coven 14- Final Harvest 15-Ave Satanas 16- Prayer of Hell |
CD 2: 1- Out of Body 2-Alla Xul 3-To thee we confess 4-Shehamforash 5-Purification Day 6- Hekal Tiamat 7-Seven Deadly Sins 8-Cursed nazarene 9-Necromanteion Communion 10-Baptism for Devilyn Alexandra 11-Legions of Hatred 12- Unholy Praises 13-Summoning the Master 14-Voices Within 15-Undead Celebration 16- The Entity |
This is a 2 CD set featuring 36 tracks of pure Acheron music. Here you will find tracks from their first ten years of career, from the sheer brutality of the starter "Thou Art Lord" from 1991s "Rites of the Black mass" to the "Those who Have Risen" album. that is the rawest side of Acheron. Here you willf ind plenty of their satanic death metal that have made them already a classical band from hell. You can see here the evolution taht the band has suffered since their first recording that had a more typical death metal sound to the tracks from teh "Anti God - Anti Christ" album or the "Those Who Have Risen" albums with bette sound and with teh Acheron sound completely developed. This is a 2 CD set that appeal to any lover of the band and also to those ho don´t know the band because here they will find representative tracks from this classic bestial band. A must. |
| Cover Artwork by: Timo Wuerz | ||
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Produced by Acheron |
Contact: www.black-lotus-recs.com | |
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ACHERON - REBIRTH: METAMORPHOSING INTO GODHOOD |
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| Label: Black Lotus Recs. |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
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Line Up: Vincent Crowley - vocals, bass Michael Estes - Lead and rhythm guitar Kyle Severn - drums and words |
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Music by Acheron Lyrics by Vincent Crowley |
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Tracks: 1- Chaos Invocation (intro) 2- Church of one 3- Xomaly 4- Bow before Me 5- The kindred 6- A Long time ago 7- Golgotha´s Truth 8- Betrayed (A Broken pact) 9- The 9th Gate 10- |
Acheron is a classic band that releases crushing album after crushing album and delivers here his latest offering previous to the 2CD compilation that shows many moments of their history. As always, Acheron shows the devastating riffs that are their trademark combining fast and more rhythmic ones in order to give identity to each track. Showing that Vincent Crowley´s extreme vocals (another of Acheron´s signatures) have become even more powerful with time (and they are better mixed than say in their clasic "Rites of the Black Mass"), the band delivers here nine tracks of pure satanic death metal with a lot of tightness and well rehearsed song structures. I find that the drums are better mixed on this album than in the previous releases of the band making things even more devastating. And here there are also the clever technical guitar solos that add a different flavor to the tunes while retaining all the aggression tat the band has. A powerful release from a classic extreme band |
| Cover Artwork by: Timo Wuerz | |
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Recorded at Mars recording Compound Produced by Acheron |
Contact: www.black-lotus-recs.com |
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AFTER DARK - AFTER DARK |
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| Label: Independent |
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| Year: 2003 | |
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Line Up: Wolfi - keyboards Ronny - bass Micha - drums Chris - guitar, back. voc. Heinz - vocals Alex - guitar, vocals Markus - solo guitar |
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Music by Gerlich/Zürl Lyrics by Gerlich/Zürl |
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Tracks: 1- Don´t Look Back 2- Du Bist So Kalt 3- After Dark 4- Die Nacht 5- Sentimental Suicide 6- Run Away 7- Liebestaz 8- Never Know Why 9- There´s no Time 10- Human Ignorance |
Starting with a climatic riff in "Don´t Look Back", the people on this german band soon gets in their style that we can call "dark metal". That is, a band with heavy guitar riffs, climatic vocals, sometimes more gothic, sometimes more extreme, sometimes more pure heavy metal, and always with a dark feeling in their music. The music here has plenty of dark melodies (some of the eastern type in tracks like "Run Away") and that, combined with the heaviness of the riffs are After Dark´s signature The keyboards here play a prominent role adding many textures and arrangements to the music and also some interesting interludes within some ofm the compositions. The drums have a very particular sound, specially the snare drum that has a very short sound. After Dark is a bad that have cleverly combined darkness with power and with melodies that soon stick in your mind. |
| Cover Artwork by: After Dark | |
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Recorded from August-November 02 Produced by Michael Mainx |
Contact: www.afterdarkband.de |
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AFTER FOREVER - INVISIBLE CIRCLES |
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| Label: Transmission Records |
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| Year: 2004 | |
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Line Up: Floor Jansen - Soprano Bas Maas - guitars, vocals Luuk Van Gerven - bass Sander Gommans - guitars, vocals Lando Van gils - keyboards Andre Borgman - drums, ac. guitars |
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Music by After Forever Lyrics by Floor Jansen |
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Tracks: 1- Childhood in minor 2- Beautiful Emptiness 3- etween Love and Fire 4- Sins of Idealism 5- Eccentric 6- Digital Deceit 7- Through Square Eyes 8- Blind Pain 9- Two Sides 10- Victim of Choices 11- Reflections 12- Life´s Vortex |
A band that I always liked is After Forever. For me this band is the optimal point of melodic arrangements and heaviness in this style of music. What amazes always is the combination of Floor´s voice, always enchanting and really pure technically with Sander growls that give the doom/death metal feeling to the music. Also amazing are the keyboards arrangements combined with the heaviest of riffs that give an idea of a perfect combiantion between power and death metal. There is a good combiantion between epic feelings and dark atmospheres which are the essence of After Forever´s music. Everything is done in memorable compositions full of killer musicianship. Those who know the band from the "Prison of Desire" times will surely see the evolution that they had, constructing better compositions and arrangements. The perfect combination of melody and aggression. |
| Cover Artwork by: Carsten Drescher | |
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Recorded at Excess and The Gate Studios Produced by Hans Pieters and After Forever |
Contact: www.transmissionrecords.nl or www.afterforever.com |
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AGE OF SILENCE - ACCELERATION |
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| Label: The End Records |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Norway | |
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Line Up: Kobergaard - guitars Hellhammer - drums Lazare - vocals Eikind - bass Winer - keyboards Extant - guitars |
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Music by Winer (1-7), Extant (8-10) and Kobbergaard (9) Lyrics by Lazare (1-8,10) and Kobbergaard (9) |
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Tracks: 1- Auditorium of modern movments 2- Acceleration 3- the Concept of Haste 4- A Song for D.Incorporated 5- The green office and the dark desk drawer 6- The flow at 09:30 am 7- Of Concrete and Glass 8- 90º angles 9- I no longer know if I am Mad 10- Synthetic, fabricated, calculated |
THis is with no doubt progressive extreme metal. Maybe we can calll it progressive dark metal. Here we have amazing musicianship coming from the minds and souls of Hellhammer (Mayhem and countless other projects) and Winter (Winds). The music here is complex, full of keyboards that orchestrate and arrange everything. The vocals are clean and really ethereal, not of the typicial metal form, sounding aggressive but not distorted and using phrases tahta re completely different to the ones used by most of the bands (it reminded me somewhat to the processed vocals in Cynic´s "Focus" album). There is plenty of virtuosism and interesting song structures here and this guys are experimenting within the realm of metal music. A must for any metal lover. |
| Cover Artwork by: Travis Smith | |
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Recorded at Toproom, Westhill, Animal Bag Studios Produced by Age of Silence |
Contact: www.theendrecords.com |
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AINA - DAYS OF RISING DOOM / THE METAL OPERA |
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| Label:Transmission Recs. |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: netherlands | |
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Music by Aina Lyrics by Aina |
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Tracks: 1- Aina Overture 2- Revelations 3- Silver Maiden 4- Flight of Torek 5- Naschtok Is Born 6- The Beast Within 7- The Siege of Aina 8- Talon´s Last Hope 9- Rape of Oria 10- Son of Sorvahr 11- Serendipity 12-Lalae Amèr 13- Rebellion 14-Oriana´s Wrath 15-Restoration |
This "Days of Rising Doom" is a metal opera with all the elements that you can imagine that this type of music must have. Done witha power metal feeling in the guitars and the keyboards, Ain manages to create a good work full of arrangements and melodies that make this release extremely memorable. There are infinite arrangements done with keyboards, with guitars and with voices that give that sensation of operistic music to the compositions. The voices are clean and do not abuse the high pitches as many others do on this type of music. There are plenty of symphonic arrangements in the choruses and in the orchestration. The album has a realy good sound and that is good because this kind of releases can be ruined with a bad sound quality. The classical music of the future. |
| Cover Artwork by: Aina | |
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Produced by Aina |
Contact: www.transmission.nl or www.theendrecords.com |
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AKOMPILATION VOL.1 |
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| Label: Akom Records |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: italy | |
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Tracks: 1- UN-Kind "veil" 2- NOWHERE (no) "Sait Whore" 3- MAINLINE "One by one" 4- SIR PSYCHO "Take a Stand" 5- REDEFINE! "Buone Mani" 6- EIKASIA "Hello" 7- FE...DUP "LAst dy of my life" 8- MEDIA SOLUTION "pejote" 9- TIMOTHY "Louder than over" 10- MUCULORDS "Brutulords/cepli" 11-ENTITY "Unfulfilled Promises" 12-LAST RITES "Mind´s Prison" 13-NOWHERE (MI) "Alone" 14-JUGLANS REGIA "Freddo" 15- SIN DRIVEN TIDE "Back to Daylight" 16- GERMINALE "Disordine" 17- CRUNCH MOB "Son of Sam" 18- GRIV "Vuoto Momento" 19- ACTION MEN "If you´re Happy" 20- PANIC ROOTS "Panic"
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This is a compilation from the new label Akom Prods. that here brings us twenty different bands from the underground. We have reviewed some of them in the past, for example Nowhere and Juglans Regia. Here we have from modern metal as the one that Un-Kind does to the mix of modern metal and hardcore that Nowhere (no) delivers here or the pure metal by Sir Psycho or the death/grind of Muculords. there are differences in sound depending on the band, and i prefer the more aggressive bands that have a huge sound, like Entity whose music is fast and aggressive with deathly vocals, or the more climatic ones, such as Eikasia that delivers climatic metal with female vocals. this is a compilation that has band for lovers of all styles and I think that despite some differeneces in quality and sound you will not be dissapointed by listening to this killer compilation album. We hope that Akom Prods. soon starts proiducing more albums of killer extreme bands. |
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| Cover Artwork by:Akom Prods. | |
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Produced by Akom Prods |
Contact: www.akomprod.com |
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ALASKA FIRE - FALLING FIRE |
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| Label: Independent |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Germany | |
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Line Up: Alex Fire - vocals, guitar Sany Di Noia - guitars Benjamin Lohm - bass, vocals Sven Hahnlein - keyboards, vocals Gareth Lathan - drums |
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Music by Alex Fire and Alaska Fire Lyrics by Alex Fire/Chris Marsh |
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Tracks: 1- Out of the dark 2- Release me 3- Oblivion 4- Absolution 5- Seal of the Soul 6- Forces Unite 7- Hard to breathe 8- When Heavens Shine 9- Lead Me the Way 10- Falling Fire 11- Criminal Outlaw 12-Right Out of Here |
Alaska Fire is pure metal with killer riffs with a climatic element that is created by the omniprescent keyboards. thereare some power metal influences in tracks like "Release Me" but they are cleverly mixed with more original riffs such as the one that is combined with the keyboards at 00:36 of this track. There are good guitar melodies and solos in the music here. And that is a high point of this album. There is a combination of pure metal and progressive feeling in the vocals, sometimes harmonized and sometimes more aggressive. The rhythm section is really solid and the good thing is that they leave space for the guitars and keyboards to develope their ideas. The sound of the recording is a really good one, specially on the guitars, that sound really strong (you can see this in its climax when the guitar is left alone doing some of the most crushing riffs). This is pure metal with powerful elements and clever arrangements. |
| Cover Artwork by: Alex Fire | |
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Recorded at Fire Riser Studios Produced by Alex Fire |
Contact: www.alaskafire.de |
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ALBATROS - ALBATROS |
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| Label: Independent |
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| Year: 2004 | |
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Music by Albatros Lyrics by Albatros |
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Tracks: 1- Blues for Drugged Love 2- Great Deciver 3- Just for You
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Pure rock is what Albatros plays with some bluesy influences and with a huge seventies and sixties influences. The first track is a showcase fo the style that the band makes, being really raunchy and puire blues with guitars that sound like coming from good old tube amps.Second track si more climatic with a bass line that does some interesting arrangements. The vocals are of the type that this music needs, with that bluesy feeling and with sort of an alcoholic feeling that fits the music perfeclty (as singers like Bon Scott or Brian Johnson fits AC/DC´s music). Pure rock n roll wit bluesy influences. |
| Cover Artwork by: Albatros | |
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Produced by Albatros |
Contact: www.albatros.nu |
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ALGOL / SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY - WHISPERS FROM AN EMPTY ROOM SPLIT |
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| Label: Paragon Recs. |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: USA | |
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Line Up: Shroud of Despondency: Rory Heikkila - all isntruments
Algol: Dalkiel - vocals, guitars, keys Samath - bass Razaell - guitars Xos - drums Cthulu - keyoards |
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Music by Algol / Shroud of Despondency Lyrics by Algol / Shroud of Despondency |
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Tracks: ALGOL: 1. Why Have
You Forgotten Me?
SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY 6. The Many
Words Never Penned |
An enigmatik intro opens up ths part of the recording that corresponds to Algol. I have heard comparisons with Arcturus but I have to say that despite similarities Algol is much rawer taking elements of the most extreme black metal and combining it with atmospheric passages. the good thing about Algol is the feeling of darkness that they perspire on each track that makes their music really unique. And another trademark is the combiantion of fast parts with good climatic parts (my favorites bewcause they give a lot of identity to the music here (and they have good musicianship in order to do all this passages in a really correct way). Then comes Shroud of Despondency with longer compositions where many ideas are developed clverly. Starting with a dissonant clean guitar in "The Many words..." the band soon gets into an interesting combination of the extreme music triunvirat: black metal, doom metal and death metal. The tempos here are really doomy in some parts and that leaves space for developing climatic ideas. The sound is a little bit muddy and I think that the guitars should be mixed a little bit louder and the drums with a little bit more of reverb in order to sound more powerful. The music has many arrangements that turn Shroud of Despondency into a trully original band. A split CD for lovers of darkness unleashed.
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| Cover Artwork by: Paragon recs. | |
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Produced by Paragon recs. |
Contact: www.paragonrecords.net |
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AMBROSSIA - PRESSORCE THROUGH SPATE |
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| Label: Independent |
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| Year: 2003 | |
| Country: Switzerland: | |
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Line Up: Hugo Schelbert - drums Ralph Gwerder - guitar Peter Stöckli - vocals Daniel Inderbitzin - bass Markus Betchart - guitar |
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Music by Ambrossia Lyrics by Ambrossia |
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Tracks: 1- Spate 2- OK! Death Metal 3- Blood on Knife 4- Bloody Bloodering In Bleeding Blood 5- Seven Pieces 6- Suppository Peg for Knock-Knees |
Ambrossia plays technical death metal with brutal parts. There are really good rhythmic parts on tracks like "OK! Death metal!" with clever bass guitar work, using phrases and breaks that are typical of the style but played really tight. There is use of clean guitars in the beginning of "Blood on Knife" but most of the time the band delivers agression with multiple tempo changes and song structures that need good musicianship in order to be palyed really correctly. And the vocals are really deathly, of the guttural type giving more death metal feeling to the tracks. In a certain way this guys have taken elements of nineties death metal and taken them to a more modern sound creating the Ambrossia sound. This is brutality but done with really good musicanship. |
| Cover Artwork by: Hoss | |
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Recorded at Demonenbrut Studios Produced by Reto Ehrler and Ambrosia |
Contact: www.ambrossia.ch |
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ANAAL NATHRAKH - THE CODEX NECRO |
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| Label: Mordgrimm Recs. |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.K. | |
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Line Up: Irrumator - all instruments V.I.T.R.I.O.L. - vocals |
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Music by Anaal Nathrakh Lyrics by Anaal Nathrakh |
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Tracks: 1- the supreme necrotic audnance 2- When humanity is cancer 3- Submission is for the weak 4- Pandemonic Hyperblast 5- Paradigm Shift - Annihilation 6- The Technogoat 7- Incipid Flock 8- Human, all too fucking human 9- The Codex Necro
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One of the most bestial releases of the year, the band displays full agression with fast chainsaw-like guitar riffs and extreme screaming vocals. Ultra fast rhythms are the essence here and this guys are always surprising with their sheer bestiality. The keyboards add some orchestration to the music distinguishing it from many other bands of the most brutal side of metal. It is good to listen how this guy manages to deliver some harmonies over the mayhemic aggression of the rest of the band. With no doubt this is one of the most brutal releases of 2004 !!!!!! |
| Cover Artwork by: Mick Kenney | |
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Produced by Anaal Nathrakh |
Contact: www.anaal-nathrakh.tk |
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ANKH - EXPECT UNEXPECTED |
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| Label: Metal Mind Recods |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Poland | |
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Line Up: Michal Pastuszka - guitars, keys, prog. Piotr Krzeminski - guitars, vocals Krzysztof Szmidt - bass, keys, voc. Adam Rain - drums Michal Jelonek - violin, voice
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Music by Ankh Lyrics by Ankh |
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Tracks: 1- Expect #1 2- the trick 3- Love Supreme 4- Moonlight Drive 5- Expect #2 6- Loop Slow vocal Mix 7- On the Way 8- Never 9- I want you 10- Expect #3 11- You and Me 12- Hiding Place 13- Escape 14- Blue 15- Loop Fast Violin Mix 16- Unexpected |
The music that Ankh does can not be defined as common metal. It has certain elements of the style but goes beyon the normal structures. It surely is introspecive and climatic with many expereimental features. Some of the music reminded me of "Discipline"-era King crimson, specially track "Love Supreme". There is plenty of virtuosism in many places and there are incredible rhythms in many places that seem really hard to play and also to follow. There are plenty of electronic sounds too which are an essential feature in Ankh´s music. The key concept here is experimentation with no boundaries within a heavy context. This is boundaries breaking music that is much needed always and it has a lot of energy in the compositions due to the use of some heavier rhythms. A killer release. |
| Cover Artwork by: Piotr Kruckzek | |
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Recorded at B-Ton Studio Produced by Michal Pastuszka and Krysztof Doctor Szmidt |
Contact: www.metalopolis.pl or www.ankh.art.pl |
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APOKATASTASIA - WAITING FOUR |
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| Label: Independent |
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| Year: 2002 | |
| Country: Switzerland | |
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Line Up: Daver the Braver - Violoncello, E-Cello, Growls, Choirs, whispers Dario Ronos - drums, glasses, sick noises Kürsti Saihttam - bass, psychedelic stuff Milan Salridas - Guitars, steps, breaths, sounds of madness |
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Music by Apokatastasia Lyrics by Apokatastasia |
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Tracks: 1- Apokatastasia 2- Psycho Wood 3- Different Landscapes 4- Empty Flower |
Apokatastasia is a really original band. You just have to know that there is plenty of violoncello in the music and you have to listen the predominant role that this instrument has in the music here to know they are extremely original. Their music has elements of pure heavy metal, of black metal and even some death metal. And this guys are extremely tehnical and they are superb musicians. You will be surprised with the combination of guitar riffs and cello melodies that are the essence of the band. Each composition is carefully developed with multiple rhythms, parts and arrangements. All the compositions havce in them a dark feeling that is constructed by the different instruments, adding also feelings of sadness and sorrow in some parts. There is use of acoustic guitars combined with deathly screams here and Apokatastasia surprises on each minute of this recording. This four tracks left me wanting more from this amazing band and I hope they record new material really soon so this urge can be satisfied. One of the recordings of the year. |
| Cover Artwork by: JBauer, Milan & Kursti | |
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Recorded at Tectorial Studio Produced by Apokatastasia and This Schweizer |
Contact: www.apokatastasia.ch |
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ARACHNOVORE - DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY |
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| Label: Independent |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: France | |
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Line Up: Bertrand Cunin - all instruments |
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Music by Bertrand Cunin Lyrics by Bertrand Cunin |
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Tracks: 1- Intro 2- Accident 3- Coming from Hell 4- Fear 5- Grave Stone 6- Hell Visions 7- Incoming Evil Forces 8- Nature 9- Past Scripture 10- Blasphemator 11- Outro |
A short acoustic guitar intro leads us directly into the mayhemic "Accident", an original death metal track with complex rhythms and riffs that are not the typical used in the most brutal of metal styles. Some of the tracks on this album where contained on the MCD "Grave Stone" that we reviewed some time ago, and I have to say that the new material shows a good evolution of this one man band (Bertrand Cunin is the only man behind this death metal monster). The vocals are really guttural and they constrast heavily with the riffs that are not of the ultra speed type,a dding heaviness in a different way than the one that is expected. the sound of the recording is raw and I think that a better mix can give even more brutality to the music. The programmed drums give an eerie feeling to the music and I think Bertrand wanted this to be heard because he added really fast rhythms played by the drums such as in "Coming From Hell". Pure brutality with original elements. |
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Produced by Bertrand Cunin |
Contact: www.arachnovore.fr.st |
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ARCANA - THE NEW LIGHT |
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| Label: Cyclic Law Records |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Sweden | |
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Line Up: Peter Bjärgö Ann Mari Thim Stefan Erikson Ida Bengtsson |
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Music by Peter Bjärgö Lyrics by Peter Bjärgö |
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Tracks: 1- The Opening 2- Reminiscence 3- Source of Light 4- Fade Away 5- Wound 6- Lament 7- Prophecy of the Inevitable 8- Eclipse of the Soul 9- Like Statues in the Garden of Dreaming 10- Through the Grey Horizon 11- Wings of Gabriel |
This is an album of rarities of this amazing band led by the imagination of Peter Bjärgö, the man behind all this compositions. There are plenty of unreleased demos here from Arcana´s ten years of existence and here you can feel the evolution that the music has suffered through time. There is plenty of orchestration here created mainly by keyboards and one of the points that Arcana´s music emphasizes is the solemtnity of the compositions that are cleverly constructed allowing different textures to appear through them. Bjärgö is amazing in constructing structures for the compositions that through repetition and change keeps the listener´s attention on them and awakens the imagination. Yes, each of this compositions seem to have been created in order to be the score of a movie. You can almost imagine different landscapes and situations. This is pure musicianship and creativity by the hand of the amazing Peter Bjärgö and Arcana. |
| Cover Artwork by: Ia Bjärgö | |
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Mastered at Erebus Odora Produced by Peter Bjärgö |
Contact: www.cycliclaw.com |
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ART NOIR - FLÜGEL |
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| Label: |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Germany | |
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Music by Art Noir |
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Tracks: 1- Schlag Zwölt 2- Atem 3- Unter Deinen Flügeln 4- Hilflos 5- Dukle Sterne |
This is a release that explored the darkest atmospheres possibles that can be achieved with the use of unconventional musical forms. On this release you will not hear conventional instruments, maybe some keyboards, but theya re not used in the way that they are expected. Here everything is done in order to create soundscapes full of darkness and ethereal qualities. Sometimes you feel like if you are watching a movie where everything is suspense and darkness and thi is the soundtrack of that kind of movies. The keyboards here create chord progressions and atmospheres that surprise with their eerie quality and that transport you to a desolate world of obscurity. The five compositions here explore this galaxies of dark ounds and you will not escape to the enchanting nature of Art Noir´s music. The soundtrack to your darket fears. |
| Cover Artwork by: Art Noir | |
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Mastered by Dierk Budde Produced by Jan Hendrik Weber |
Contact: www.artnoir.net |
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ASRAI - TOUCH IN THE DARK |
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| Label: Transmission Recs. |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Netherlands | |
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Line Up: Margriet Mol - vocals Rik Janssen - guitars Manon Van der Hidde - synths/ violin Martin Rooy - bass, back. vocals Karin Mol - drums
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Music by Asrai Lyrics by Asrai |
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Tracks: 1- In front of me 2- Pale light 3- Whisper 4- Restless 5- Touch in the Dark 6- Tower 7- Dream 8- Child 9- Garden 10- Shadows |
This is an album full of powerful female voices and full of climatic elements that put them in the altar of those bands that can transmit plenty of dark feelings within their music. Asraim reminds in some parts to the most powerful tracks of The Gathering (like in "Whisper", for example), eventhough there are many differences in style between this two bands. The main difference is that Asrai is a much darker band with darker ideas and arrangements. I have to remark the role of Manon´s keyboards that add a feeling of sadness to the music and when combined with Margriet´s vocals the music arrives to the climax. Another trademark of Asrai´s sound are the heavy riffs and rhythms that contrast heavily with the more ethereal parts. This album is a must have for any metal lover. |
| Cover Artwork by: Carsten Drescher | |
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Recorded at The Excess Studio and Beautiful Lake Studios Produced by Roman Schonsee |
Contact: www.asrai.net or www.transmission.nl |
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ATREYU - THE CURSE |
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| Label: Vicory Records |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: | |
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Line Up: Dan Jacobs - guitar Alex Varkatzas - vocals Brandon Saller - vocals, drums Travis Miguel - guitar Marc McKnight - bass |
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Music by Dan Jacobs, Travis Miguel and Brandon Saller Lyrics by Alex Varkatzas |
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Tracks: 1- Blood Children (An Introduction) 2- Bleeding Mascara 3- Right Side of the Bed 4- This Flesh a Tomb 5- You eclipsed by Me 6- The Crimon 7- The Remembrance Ballad 8- An Interlude 9- Corseting 10- Demonology and Hartache 11- My Sanity on a funeral pyre 12- Nevada´s Grace 13-Five Vicodin chased with a hot of clarity |
The sound of a heartbeat that soon turns into a lcimatic opening gives place to the aggressive sound of Atreyu´s music. If I had to define the music of this guys I would have to say that they are sort of a mix between aggressive pure heavy metal, some death metal and modern metal styles. the combination of guttural vocals with the clean ones (that bring to mind some of the most powerful moments of Rob Flynn) is one of the main features here. There are influences of new metal too, but they are cleverly mixed with other styles. It is remarkable the use of melodies here and that is one of Atreyu´s trademark: the combiantion between extreme aggression and melodies which turn each composition into really unique. A powerful release. |
| Cover Artwork by: Justin Borucki, Jason Link and Alex Varkatzas | |
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Recorded at Plumper Mountain Studio Produced by GGGarth |
Contact: www.victoryrecords.com |
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BAG LADY - 8: KLAATU BARADA NIKTO |
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| Label: Independent |
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| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Netherlands< | |