99 HOOKER´s - GENERICA

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

Music by 99 Hooker

Lyrics by 99 Hooker

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.

Produced by 99 Hooker

A PERFECT MURDER - UNBROKEN

Line Up:

Music by Chausse and Bouchard

Arrangements by A Perfect Murder

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.

Recorded at Studio Nico

Produced by Eric Rachel and A Perfect Murder

A18 - DEAR FURIOUS

Line Up:

Tom Stretton - bass, drums

Mike Hartsfield - guitars

Issac Golub - vocals

Music by A18

Lyrics by A18

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.

Recorded at For The Record Studio

Produced by Paul Miner and A18

ACHERON - DECADE INFERNUS 1988- 1998

Line Up:

Vincent Crowley - bass, vocals

Stacey Connoly - guitars

Kyle Severn - drums

Music by Acheron

Lyrics by Acheron

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.

Produced by Acheron

ACHERON - REBIRTH: METAMORPHOSING INTO GODHOOD

Line Up:

Vincent Crowley - vocals, bass

Michael Estes - Lead and rhythm guitar

Kyle Severn - drums and words

Music by Acheron

Lyrics by Vincent Crowley

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-

Recorded at Mars recording Compound

Produced by Acheron

AFTER DARK - AFTER DARK

Line Up:

Wolfi - keyboards

Ronny - bass

Micha - drums

Chris - guitar, back. voc.

Heinz - vocals

Alex -  guitar, vocals

Markus - solo guitar

Music by Gerlich/Zürl

Lyrics by Gerlich/Zürl

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.

Recorded from August-November 02

Produced by Michael Mainx

AFTER FOREVER - INVISIBLE CIRCLES

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

Music by After Forever

Lyrics by Floor Jansen

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

Recorded at Excess and The Gate Studios

Produced by Hans Pieters and After Forever

AGE OF SILENCE - ACCELERATION

Line Up:

Kobergaard - guitars

Hellhammer - drums

Lazare - vocals

Eikind - bass

Winer - keyboards

Extant - guitars

Music by Winer (1-7), Extant (8-10) and Kobbergaard (9)

Lyrics by Lazare (1-8,10) and Kobbergaard (9)

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

Recorded at Toproom, Westhill, Animal Bag Studios

Produced by Age of Silence

AINA - DAYS OF RISING DOOM / THE METAL OPERA

Line Up:

Music by Aina

Lyrics by Aina

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

Produced by Aina

AKOMPILATION VOL.1

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"

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.

Produced by Akom Prods

ALASKA FIRE - FALLING FIRE

Line Up:

Alex Fire - vocals, guitar

Sany Di Noia - guitars

Benjamin Lohm - bass, vocals

Sven Hahnlein - keyboards, vocals

Gareth Lathan - drums

Music by Alex Fire and Alaska Fire

Lyrics by Alex Fire/Chris Marsh

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.

Recorded at Fire Riser Studios

Produced by Alex Fire

ALBATROS - ALBATROS

Line Up:

Music by Albatros

Lyrics by Albatros

Tracks:

1- Blues for Drugged Love

2- Great Deciver

3- Just for You

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.

Produced by Albatros

ALGOL / SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY - WHISPERS FROM AN EMPTY ROOM SPLIT

Line Up:

Shroud of Despondency:

Rory Heikkila - all isntruments

Algol:

Dalkiel - vocals, guitars, keys

Samath - bass

Razaell - guitars

Xos - drums

Cthulu - keyoards

Music by Algol / Shroud of Despondency

Lyrics by Algol / Shroud of Despondency

Tracks:

ALGOL:

1. Why Have You Forgotten Me?  
2. Numbing Dreams With Sad Purple Edges  
3. The Audible Drug  
4. Milk It  
5. To Sin Is Immortality 

SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY

6. The Many Words Never Penned  
7. Untouchable Comfort In The Knowledge Of Discord  
8. The Tongue Of Outspoken Lies  
9. Game

Produced by Paragon recs.

AMBROSSIA - PRESSORCE THROUGH SPATE

Line Up:

Hugo Schelbert - drums

Ralph Gwerder - guitar

Peter Stöckli - vocals

Daniel Inderbitzin - bass

Markus Betchart - guitar

Music by Ambrossia

Lyrics by Ambrossia

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.

Recorded at Demonenbrut Studios

Produced by Reto Ehrler and Ambrosia

ANAAL NATHRAKH - THE CODEX NECRO

Line Up:

Irrumator - all instruments

V.I.T.R.I.O.L. - vocals

Music by Anaal Nathrakh

Lyrics by Anaal Nathrakh

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

Produced by Anaal Nathrakh

ANKH - EXPECT UNEXPECTED

Line Up:

Michal Pastuszka - guitars, keys, prog.

Piotr Krzeminski - guitars, vocals

Krzysztof Szmidt - bass, keys, voc.

Adam Rain - drums

Michal Jelonek - violin, voice

Music by Ankh

Lyrics by Ankh

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.

Recorded at B-Ton Studio

Produced by Michal Pastuszka and Krysztof Doctor Szmidt

APOKATASTASIA - WAITING FOUR

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

Music by Apokatastasia

Lyrics by Apokatastasia

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.

Recorded at Tectorial Studio

Produced by Apokatastasia and This Schweizer

ARACHNOVORE - DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY

Line Up:

Bertrand Cunin - all instruments

Music by Bertrand Cunin

Lyrics by Bertrand Cunin

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.

Produced by Bertrand Cunin

ARCANA - THE NEW LIGHT

Line Up: Peter Bjärgö

              Ann Mari Thim

             Stefan Erikson

             Ida Bengtsson

Music by Peter Bjärgö

Lyrics by Peter Bjärgö

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.

Mastered at Erebus Odora

Produced by Peter Bjärgö

ART NOIR - FLÜGEL

Line Up:

Music by Art Noir

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.

Mastered by Dierk Budde

Produced by Jan Hendrik Weber

ASRAI - TOUCH IN THE DARK

Line Up:

Margriet Mol - vocals

Rik Janssen - guitars

Manon Van der Hidde - synths/ violin

Martin Rooy - bass, back. vocals

Karin Mol - drums

Music by Asrai

Lyrics by Asrai

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

Recorded at The Excess Studio and Beautiful Lake Studios

Produced by Roman Schonsee

ATREYU - THE CURSE

Line Up:

Dan Jacobs - guitar

Alex Varkatzas - vocals

Brandon Saller - vocals, drums

Travis Miguel - guitar

Marc McKnight - bass

Music by Dan Jacobs, Travis Miguel and Brandon Saller

Lyrics by Alex Varkatzas

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.

Recorded at Plumper Mountain Studio

Produced by GGGarth

BAG LADY - 8: KLAATU BARADA NIKTO

Line Up:

• Tiemen Seinstra - vocals, programming, keys, samples, bass

• Poul Sven de Haan - bass, programming, keys

• Victor John - guitars

• Cage - guitars

• Moreez - programming, keys, samples

• Rogier Hemmes - programming, keys, samples

• Jelle Seinstra - programming

• Steven Dietvorst - saxophone

Music by Bag Lady

Lyrics by Bag Lady

Tracks:

1- Fuck Off Back home in Stereo

2- Succeeding is not enough; others must fail

3- Desire, the rose

4- eryKahBadu

5- My garage is big enough for the both of us

6- All my friends are assholes

7- The last stab in the back hurts the most

8- Why don´t you love me anymore?

9- Theme Song

10- Suckaap

11- Da

12- 71% death is not the answer

13- Consume and Swallow everything

14- Three minute song

Extremely experimental, yet heavy music is what you find on each Bag Lady release. And this one is not the exception. Their music has heavy guitars and at the same time they experiment with every sound that they blast on each composition. The keyboards here are not used in the way you are accustomed to (that is to orchestrate or embellish), instead they are used to create manic passages of dissonance and odd sounding harmonies. The vocals are of several types, but mainly of the screaming one, such as in "Succeeding..:", a track with fast drumming and an atmospheric part in the middle, or they are of the more melodic yet climatic one as the one used in "Fuck off...". No track is even similar to the other and each of them is carefully developed to be extremely dissonant and experimetnal but yet retaining all control over the music. There are electronic elements in tracks like "Desire..." and they add other element that you have to follow to see how well each arrangement is developed. Bag lady is experimentation taken to its limits.

Recorded at Fröhlich & Plaisie Studio

Produced by Poul Sven de Haan and Tiemen Seinstra

BATTALION OF FLIES - BLUE LIPS, COLD KISS

Line Up:

Craig Costello - vocals, guitars

Nord Idessane - bass, b. vocals

Nick Tolley - drum

Music by Costello, Idessane, Tolley

Lyrics by Costello, Idessane, Tolley

Tracks:

1- Lsd

2- Drift Away

3- Weight of the World

4- Open Wide

5- Air

6- Ghost

7- Unclean

8- Box

9- Slipping Down

10- Tumshie

Recorded at Split Level Studio

Produced by Neil McNaught and Battalion of Flies

BBQ OF BRUTALITY - LINCOLN LOVE LOG / A.F.M. / DIONONESISTE 3 way split

Music by Lincoln Love Log / A.F.M./Diononesiste

Lyrics by Lincoln Love Log / A.F.M./Diononesiste

Tracks:

LINCOLN LOVE LOG:

1- Too penetrate

2- BBQ Lust

3- Dark Basement

4- In my Sewer

A.F.M.

5- New violence

6- Backbone

7- One Minute War

DIONONESISTE

8- Madre Surrogato

9- Vocineiri

10- inane

11- Poena Damani

Lincoln Love Log opens this split CD with their ultra distorted guitars getting into a mid paced track. Lincoln Love Log´s music is really extreme and at the same time has an experimental quality on it. here their music explores the heavier side of the band. The vocals are extremely distorted and are used like another instrument to add heaviness to the music. The rhythm go from mid paced in "Too Penetrate" to faster and wilder in "Dark Basement".

Then comes A.F.M. with a  more straightforward type of death metal with extremely distorted guitars and more typical riffs and rhythms. their music is really brutal and they show through three tracks that using some midpacved riffs they can be as brutal as any faster band.

Diononesiste returns to the more experimental side of this split. Here the main brain is Daniele Brusaschetto whose music we have reviewed before. And in Diononesiste he explores the heaviest side of his musical personality. there are mny parts played really fast here but the guitars do not play the usual type of riffs, preferring to create dark atmospheres while the drums blast beat. There are some female vocals in "Madre Surrogato"? Yes, and after that Diononesiste turns again to brutality. Experimentation with madness  !!

This is a split that guarantees at the same time brutality and experimentation

Produced by Torture Music Recs.

BELLADONE - ALIÉNATION

Line Up:

Grek - guitars

Jimmy - bass

Klass - drums, b. vocals

Seeb - vocals

Dany - guitar, b. vocals

Music by Belladone

Lyrics by Belladone

Tracks:

1- Aliénation

2- Ici Ou Ailleurs

3- Ironie du Sort

4- So Sexy (l´intimité)

5- Le Plaisir des plaies

6- Un gout amer

7- La raison

8- Le désir

Belladone has combined elements of pure metal with more modern elements that are evident in the vocals, sometimes more of the shouting type, sometimes more of the type that follows certain rhythms in order to emphasize them. And this guys know how sometimes adding a melody within the aggressive context helps the tunes to be memorable while retaining the power tht the more brutal parts have given to the composition. The guitar riffs here have a really direct sound constructing interesting walls of sound against which the lyrics are spitted. I have to remark the good sound that this recording has, specially on the drums and the guitars making things even more powerful. A really energetic release.

Recorded at Studio Synchronia

Produced by Belladone

BESTIA - HALLUTSINATSIOON

Line Up:

Tarmo - vocals

Andres - guitars

Reivo - bass

Arts - synth, ac. guitar

Rainer - percussion

Music by Andres (1-5,7,8,10), Reiner/Reivo (11), Aurelius/Andres (9), Beleth (6)

Lyrics by Bestia

Tracks:

1- Hallucination

2- Phantom in the rising fire

3- The werewolf

4- The Whisper

5- Once we´ll return unbound

6- Shadows at Toonela

7- Third grave from the left

8- A Day to realize

9- Finding the Runes

10- An Alternate Way of Dying

11- Asynchronous Laughter

The last release that I listened from  this band from Estonia was their 2002 demo, and I have to say that they have evolved a lot since then, specially soundwise. Their music combines cleverly elements of black metal, death metal and also some thrash metal in some of the rhythms. There are interesting rhythm and riff changes on each of the tracks here. And the keyboards add a different dimension to Bestia´s music.Some parts reminded me to a faster Arch Enemy, specially when the guitars leave more space for the vocals to spit their aggression, but Bestia has its own identity. On this recording they have achieved a good mix that makes their efforts more concrete and their music more in your face and powerful. For my taste Bestia is the band destined to show to the world how metal in Estonia is done: with fury and power.

Recorded at Guano Studios

Produced by Olavi Eikla and Bestia

BLAKE- STARBRINGER

Music by Blake

Lyrics by Blake

Tracks:

1- To the Stars (intro)

2- Starbringer

3- Call Her Name

4- Evil Remains Evil

5- Walk In

6- Circles of light

7- Other Side (Intermission)

8- Beggars Farm

9- Crawl

10- Son of Fire

11- Black Spirit

12- Junkie is Coming

13- Dark Side of the Planet (outro)

After a short intro called "To the Stars" slowly enter some drums before the whole band starts attacking the first song. The compositions are pure rock with heavy guitars that deliver clever riffs with a definite seventies feeling in them and sort of a dark feeling. The rhythms are really open and the rhythmic section leaves plenty of space to the guitars for developing the riffs and arrangements. The vocals reminded me to Glenn Danzig but with a seventies or stoner feeling that distinguishes him and fits better the music of the band. The sound of the recording is raw and clear as this pure rocking band needs making the guitars sound low and powerful and at the same time keeping the raw feeling that this kind of music must have. Pure darkness within a rock context..

Produced by: Blake

BLUE COLLAR - IS AN APPARITION

Line Up:

Nate Wooley - trumpet, flughorn, voice

Steve Swell - trombone, voice

Tatsuya Nakatani - percussion

Music by Blue Collar

Tracks:

1-

2-

3-

4-

5-

6-

7-

8-

Eight tracks of pure experimentation is what you will find on this album. Here we have three musicians thata re experts in generating passages of pure spontaneity with their instruments (trumpet, trombones, percusion). Here everything is spontaneity and we have a myriad of instrumental lines that go from chaothic to really tight playing. The three musicians here play a lot not only with notes but also with silences generating different atmospheres that go from madness to really dark ones. there is heavy experimentation with sounds and noises and that is a trademark of Blue Collar´s music. Each moment you will find a new surprise within the realm of this guys music. Voices are used as another instrument generating more passages of spontaneity and clever musicianship. This is experimental music in its best level.

Mastered by Tatsuya Nakatani

Produced by Nate Wooley

CALMSITE - THE ERECTOR

Line Up: Juha Lehtonen - guitar

              Petri Seitsonen - vocals

              Ville Virtanen - guitar

              Esa Mäkinen - Bass

              Jukka Pentinnen - drums

Music by Calmsite

Lyrics by Calmsite

Tracks:

1- Recharger

2- Melting the Frost

3- Asskin

4- Striped Stiff

5- Payment in Full

6- Mudwhip

7- Skinning Service

8- Dienasty

9- Concrete Prayer

10- Ashtrayman

A band always progressing is the way I can describe Calmsite. On each release they show new tracks that sound better and better. This is their longest release up to now. Their music is death metal with pure metal riffs preferring to emphasize powerful rhythms instead of simply speeding up. They are not afraid of adding guitar melodies that are their trademark (just listen "Recharger" to see how this guys create interesting lines and solos). The deathly vocals give the death metal feeling to the music but Calmsite goes beyond this style. The songs have the potential of being a metal hit, since they are really memorabl (again, for example, check the riffs in "Reecharger" or the melodies in "Asskin" and you will see how soon they stick in your mind). The sound of the recording is really good, specially on the guitars that sound aggressive and powerful as it musty be in the style and they are cleverly mixed when one guitar is doing a melody and the other one is playing rhythms. A must have.

Recorded at Cursed Studios

Produced by Jani Loikas

CASSIOPEIA - SHEILA

Line Up:

Music by Cassiopeia

Lyrics by Cassiopeia

Tracks:

1- Sheila (part one)

2- Sheila (part two)

3- Mara

This ten minutes long recording shows us a world full of beauty guitar arpeggios and sad melodies that surfaces on each of the compositions presented here. The three tracks are extremely climatic. One of the main things here are the guitar melodies, such as the ones in "Sheila (part one)" that give that sence of loneliness and at the same time adds that gothic atmosphere to Cassiopeia´s music. The voals are of the clean type and they are also essential to the main feeling of the music. "Sheila (part two)" is quite different combining distorted guitars with the more melodic ones adding more power to the music. The ideas here are really original and it i surprising to feel the sadness that the whole music transmits to the listener. A really atmospheric release.

Produced by Cassiopeia

CASSIOPEIA - RESTING DEEP UNDER WATER

Line Up:

Music by Cassiopeia

Lyrics by Cassiopeia

Tracks:

1- Resting Deep under Water

2- Whenever the rain is falling down

3- Forever and Ever (1998 A.D.)

Clean arpeggios open up this newest Cassiopeia release and here are again their trademarks: the clean guitars, the melodies, the sad vocal melodies and the keyboards that create the background over which the music is developed. The compositions here have a similar style to the ones in "Sheila" and I wonder if all this compositions have been originally meant to be together because they seem to follow a similar concept. The sound of the recording is really deepn and clear and the music is fully appreciated. The track "Whenever the rain si falling down" speeds up a little bit but always keeping the tempos over which Cassiopeia are more comfortable. And here again we have those haunting melodies that soon transport you to a darker world. This is a really good climatic release.

Produced by Cassiopeia

CELESTIAL DAWN - CELESTIAL DAWN

Line Up:

Music by Celestial Dawn

Lyrics by Celestial Dawn

Tracks:

1- Queen of teh Damned

2- Celestial Dawn

3- Full Throttle

4- Behind the Mask

5- Echoes

6- Hereafter

Celestial Dawn is one of those bands that keep pure heavy metal alive with their compositions. Full of riffs reminiscent of Judas Priest and classical bands of the style, the guys have managed to create six tunes that show a progress when compared to their previous recording and show power and intelligence in teh arrangements. I woul not be surprise to see Celestial Down playing with a crowd of people making them the horn sound and shouting the choruses of their songs because one of the elements that are essential here are the choruses which are really memorable. The recording has a raw sound that I think can be improved by spending more time in the studio but the overall result of this recording is really good. I can say while listening to this recording: heavy metal is alive and kicking !!!

Produced by Celestial Dawn

CELL DIVISION - TSUNAMI / HYPNOTIZED

Music by Cell Division

Lyrics by Cell Division

Tracks:

1- The limetrip

2- Anodyne

3- Hypnotized

4- Alien Fantasy

5- Ra

6- Emperor

7- Fingerprints

8- Farewell

9- Peculiar

10- Backstage

Hypnotized:

11- Hypnotized (radio edit)

12-Hypnotized (zeraphine remix)

13-Hypnotized (Kartagon remix)

14- Fingerprints (Covah remix)

THis album has a good combination of distorted and powerful guitar riffs with an ethereal feeling that comes mainly from the female vocals that create melodies in adifferent way from which you are expecting. There are multiple melodic arrangements here, done mainly by the aforementioned voice and by synths and keyboards, while the guitars play fast riffs with a heavy soundleaving space for the rest of the band to add their arrangements. But the main thing here for my taste are the vocals adding a different feeling on each track. There are some interesting remixes here which show how different the same track can sound adding approaches to Cell Division´s music. A good ethereal release.

Produced by Cell Division

CHAINSAW - SMELL THE SAW

Line Up:

Yanni - guitars

Aike - vocals

Magnus - bass

Don - drums

Music by Chainsaw

Lyrics by Chainsaw

Tracks:

1- Master of Fate

2- Nightmare World

3- The Butcher of Bagdad

4- Route 666

5- the Blood of Civilization

6- Roadrage

7- Lay Down and Die

8- Burned Alive

9- She Just Wants to get Laid

10- Dead and Buried

11- Never Surrender

It is always good to listen to old good thrash metal. The guys in Chainsaw have definitely taken many elements of eighties thrash metal and develope them into their own sound. Their music has influences of bands like Destruction, Sodom, Exodus and I even find some Venom i their style too. But don´t get me wrong, Chainsaw is not a copy of this bands but an original outfit on their own right. Their music is fast and rhythmic and has that shouted choruses that are essential in the style. The guitars sound raw and deliver riff after riff changing many times the speed and tempo of the track. The drumming is solid, creating the necessary rhythms for the songs to be developed. Plus, the voices are really thrash with that european flavor that makes european thrash so special. A must for lovers of this never forgotten style.

Recorded at Voodoo Sound Studios

Produced byChainsaw

CHAOSTAR - THE SCARLET QUEEN

Line Up:

Music by Chaostar

Lyrics by Chaostar

Tracks:

1- Birth of a Vampire Lullaby

2- The Scarlet Queen

3- Crimson order

4- Embrace

5- I am...the Assassin of gods

6- The Soul of the Depths

7- Vampire renegades

8- the pleasure Dome

9- The Arab Merchant

10- Rex Mundi

11- Vampire´s Illusions

12- When Death Dies

An incredibly orchestrated release full of incredible harmonies (vocal and instrumental ones) and a myriad of arrangements and harmonizations. Some years ago I read in some magazine a quote saying "the classical music of the future" when referring to some band....and I have to say that this quote fits perfectly Chaostar´s music. Yes, this is the classical music of the future!! The female vocals are cleverly harmonized creating sort of an operistic feeling to the music (incredible vocals). It is amazing to listen the multiple arrangements that the music here has. If you close your eyes you can imagine yourself sitting in an enormous theater watching this musical piece tht has nothing to envy to the classical compositors of operas of this style. this is with no doubt one of the recordings of the year and one of the most perfect albums I ever listened.

Produced by Chaostar

CROPMENT - SPIRAL OF VIOLENCE

Line Up:

Claudio Furrer  drums

Stephan Fehr - guitars

Adrian Vogel - guitars

René Barthoulot - vocals

Patrik Wawrzyniak - bass

Music by Cropment

Lyrics by Vogel (2,7,8)  , Furrer (3,5) , Barthoulot (4,6,9,10)

Tracks:

1- Stream of Justice (intro)

2- Bloody Innocence

3- Day by Day

4- Ethic Genetic

5- Cold as Blood

6- Atheistic Thoughts

7- Spiral o Violence

8- Hypnotic Mass Suggestion

9- The Age of Terrorism

10- Nuclear Holocaust

11- Fear of Death (live)

A climatic acoustic guitar intro in "Stream of justice" starts calmly what turns fastly into the brutal death riffing machine that is Cropment´s trademark. One signature of the Cropment sound is the multiple rhythm and tempo changes that each of their compositions have going from fast to slow and doing multiple breaks. This guys surely have a lot of technical skills in order to play them correctly. The sound of this recording is much more effective than in their previous album, specially on guitars and drums. And the guitars are the essence here delivering multiple riffs with a huge and brutal sound destined to crush the masses. The vocals sound guttural but clear adding even more brutality to the music and spitting with fury the lyrics. A band tat is always progressing and becoming more powerful.

Recorded at Crackords Studio

Produced bySerge Spign and Cropment

CRYSTAL BLAZE - DREAMS

Line Up:

Lauri Koskenniemi - guitars

Max Obstbaum - vocals

Lari Sorvo - keyboards

Gustaf Standertskjöld - drums

Mikael Grönroos - guitars

Music by Crystal Blaze

Lyrics by Crystal Blaze

Tracks:

1- Dreams Beyond

2- It´s not the End

3- Mirror

This is what I call pure metal done in the good way. Crystal Blaze has achieved a good recording of pure heavy metal with the epic feeling that the style must have and without using the cliches that some bands of the genres have, such as the runs with guitars and keyboards. Here we have plenty of melodies and plenty of virtuosism in the guitar and in the keyboards delivering melodies, arrangements and solos on each track. Plus we have a singer who uses a lot the middle ranges without abusing the high pitches. The songs have memorable choruses (of the type that you sing with your fists in the air in a live show) and that is essential for this type of music, because it needs this element to get their epic or majestic sound. Some parts reminded me to Stratovarius but there are not that much similitudes with their country fellows. This is pure metal that leave you wanting more after the three tracks on this album have ended.

Recorded at MusaMuusa

Produced by Crystal Blaze

CYNICON - CYBERNETIC

Line Up:

Music by Cynicon

Lyrics by Cynicon

Tracks:

1- Cybernetic

2- Astral luminance

3- Neutronomicon

4- Intergalactic

5- Presence

6- momentary

7- Enlightenement

This album opens up powerfully with track the title track, a compositiojn that mixes cleverly death metal with thrash metal and with a really modern sound on the guitars that have a killer sound. Let´s say that maybe thrash metal has evolved a lot and taken elements from more extreme styles and has taken the form of Cynicon, a band that keeps the flame of the style burning. The vocals fit perfectly the music spitting the lyrics while the rest of the band crushes the listener with multiple rhythms and guitar riffs. There is some swedish death metal influence but they are mixed cleverly with other influences that make the music here original and powerful creating Cynicon´s own sound. The songs are well developed and each of them is like a perfect circle were everything fits perfectly. Thrash metal done in the new way by a great band !

Recorded at

Produced by Cynicon

DARTH - BUTTFUCKED BY DESTINY

Line Up: M. Klinkmann - guitar

              Ralle - drums

              A. Zietek - vocals

              D. Alberti - bass

Music by Darth

Lyrics by Darth

Tracks:

1- Wall of Ignorance

2- Empire of the Lie

3- I Should be dead

4- Forbidden Happiness

5- Age of Depression

6- Self-Exorcism

7- Buttfucked by Destiny

8- Amok

9- Koma

Brutality from begginning to end is what the guys from Darth deliver on this labum. Starting with the cover art this album exhudes brutality from every note, from every riff. The music is death/thrash metal because this guys have some influence of both styles and they have blended them together achieving a really bestial result through the nine compositions. Brutal guttural vocals are a trademark here, screaming the vocals at the top of the lungs and giving that deathly feeling that the music here has. The rhythm section prefers to use fast rhythms but not blast beating, doing some thrash tempos and letting place for the guitars to develope the fast riffs that are fundamental here. The sound of the recording is raw but effective....really right in your face. A release that features brutality on every second.

Recorded at K-Sound Studios

Produced by M. Klinkmann

DENY THE URGE - SUBSEQUENT CONFRONTATION

Line Up:

Jens Fricke - vocals

Henrik Osterloh - guitars, vocals

Sven Nothdurft - bass

Olaf Dannenberg - guitars

Kai Ludwig - drums

Music by Henrik Osterloh

Lyrics by Henrik Osterloh except (2,7) by Jens Fricke

Tracks:

1- Prelude

2- the Awakening

3- Dying World

4- Redemption

5- Ground Zero

6- Monster Inside

7- Lambs to the Slaughter

8- Sanctuary Denied

9- For all These...

This is pure brutality and speed with interesting rhythmic work that adds more heaviness (if that is possible) to the band´s music. There is good technical work, specially in some melodies that show a different dimension of Deny The Urge´s music and at the same time make the tunes memorable. There are many double bass drumming parts done with a lot of technique and precission that are essential to transmit the brutal feeling that the music here has. The album has a direct yet clean and well mixed sound and I think as I say in many reviews that achieving this good sound the band gains more in brutality and power because each rhythm, each riff that is played is like a kick in you fucking brain. Deny the Urge smashes the listener without mercy on each beat, on each composition. A band that developes their sound to kill !!!

Recorded at Puresonic Studio

Produced by Deny the Urge

DONTHEMADNESS - PUSH

Line Up:

Don the madness Cooper - guitar/bass/keys

Rich Tresner - bass/vocals/keys

Ben Litz - guitar

Music by Donthemadness

Lyrics by Donthemadness

Tracks:

1- Push

2- Behind your Back

3- That´s the Way

4- The memory Lives On

5- My Decision

6- The minds Eye

7- Lightning Strikes

8- Number Eight

Recorded at Dime Zero

Produced by Donthemadness

EGO LIKENESS - WATER TO THE DEAD

Line Up:

Donna Lynch - vocals, piano

Steven Archer - guitars, programing, keyboards, vocals

Justin Sabe - keyboards, noises

Adam Goode - bass

Tim McCracken - keyboards, piano

David O´Donell - drums

Music and lyrics by Archer/Lynch/Ego likeness, except 5 by Archer/Lynch/Ohtagaki/Didiot

Tracks:

1- Water to the Dead

2- 16 Miles

3- Above the Soil (Isabel´s Version)

4- Isabel

5- Mandala

6- The Brech

7- Hurricane

8- Axis

9- Travelling Sun

10- Wolves

11- Wayfaring Stranger

This is a release that really surprises because it looks like you are going to listen to a pure gothic album but instead you will find much more interesting rhythms and amazing vocal melodies played over faster and catchy rhythms. The main thing here, though, are the electronics that create phrases, rhythms and arrangements through all the recording, contrasting with the distorted guitars that add energy adn power to the mix. There are los more introspective and slower compositions such as "Above the Soil" which makes a change in the feeling of the album. Another essential feature are Donna Lynch´s music, sounding sometimes aggressive, sometimes more ethereal but always fitting the music really well. A good release showing good musicianship and many ideas flowing in the tracks.

Recorded at  Angelfall Studios

Produced by Ego Likeness

ELVIRA MADIGAN - BLACK ARTS (RE-RELEASE)

Music by Marcus H. Madigan

Lyrics by Marcus H. Madigan

Tracks:

1- Drakens Tårar

2- Djävulen på Engsöslott

3- Köttets Makt Och Kvinnans Svek

4- Gwenhwyfar

5- Multna Sidor ur Min Dagbok

6- Mab

7- Sorgekvädet

8- Svartnatt

9- Ulv

10- Svartkonst och Tusenskrönor

11- Aterbesök (repris)

12- Venus

This is the rerelease of Elvira Madigan´s first album, the one previous to the "Salem" one. The elements that were in "Salem weere also here but in a not so evident way. Here you have melodies but you have more extreme moments in a more black metal vein than in the newer recording. And this combination of melodies and brutal moments are the trademark fo Elvira Madigan´s music. The voices here are really black metal in the screaming type and there ius plenty of dark atmospheres here. If you don´t know Elvira Madigan I would recommend to start with the "Salem" recording and then ceck this out because it is a little bit darker. Meanwhile, we are awaiting the new album from this amazing Marcus Madigan !!!

Recorded at Madigan Studios

Produced by MArcus H. Madigan

ENCRIMSON´D - AGRARIAN MENACE

Line Up:

Shaun Koelsh - guitars

Jared Mason - drums

Chris Danecek - bass, vocals

Music by Encrimson´d

Lyrics by Dancek, except Amber Shades by Mason

Tracks:

1- Red Boar Inn Revolt

2- The Piper´s Tale

3- Old Man

4- My Feast

5- Amber Shades

6- As Echoes Down Fall

Encrimson´d plays a music that is within the realm of death metal but with innovative ideas in the rhythms and in the riffs which are fast and sometimes not as you may expect in other bands of the style. In fact, there are many parts and riffs that would not be out of place in a pure black metal band. The tracks are long and that allows the band to develope really well their ideas, including the special rhythms that the band plays in many parts. And there are also some climatic parts like the one at 4:39 of "Red Boar Inn Revolt" where the band shows another side of their music adding atmospheres and slowing down a little bit. The vocals are really extreme but are not of the typical guttural type preferring to use other voices closer to black metal and others more anguished ones. The sound is a little bit muddy for my taste (specially the drums that are a little bit buried in the mix) and I think that with a better mix this band can sound even heavier. This is extreme metal with many good ideas flowing.

Recorded by Justin Schwartzbauer

Produced by Encrimson´d

ENSLAVIOR - RED WHITE BLACK ´N ´ BLUE

Line Up:

Frank Raab - vocals, guitars

DrumminDave Oswald - drums, vocals

Steve Barnoski - guitars, vocals

DomiNek Bacigalupi - bas, vocals

Music by Enslavior

Lyrics by Enslavior

Tracks:

1- Out 4 Blood

2- Inner Struggle

3- Null Void

4- Salty Dog

5- Red White Black´n´Blue

6- Seed of Hate

7- Kurvers

8- Kalo taro

9- Entombed

10- Empty Soul

11- P.O.W. (Piece of Work)

Enslavior´s music is quite difficult to label in only one category of metal music. This is due to their mixing different influences in order to achieve their own identity. Here we have plenty of parts played really fast that would not be out of place in an extreme death metal band, plus there are some riffs that are more rhythmic and are essential to add even more heaviness to Enslavior´s music. And this rhythms are played with a really modern sound in the guitars that are really well mixed. The vocals are in a really good mid point between clean and extreme and that allows the band to sound extremely heavy and at the same to have impact and also some melody in many parts. There are some short solos that show that this guys can be brutal yet tasteful in their playing. the sound is really good and the instruments are clearly mixed. This is power unleashed with good musicianship.

Recorded at Grizzly Studios

Produced by Enslavior, Grizzly Studios and Darknight prods.

ESTONIAN METAL COMPILATION 2004 - THE BEAST RELEASED

Tracks:

1- HERALD "My judgement cometh"

2- MUST MISSA "Patuoinas"

3- ECHOSILENCE "Utopian reality"

4- SYMBOLIC STATE "Close to the rays"

5- MANATARK "The Serpent`s tongue"

6- CONNECT&CUT "Lies Around Me"

7- LOITS "Tuleristsed"

8- IGNORABIMUS "Tibet"

9- KANTOR VOY "Past teh Doorstep

10- METSATOLL "Hundi Loomine"

11- BESTIA "Hallutsinatsioon"

12-EAST TRADING WANG "Marketized"

13- HORRICANE "Coup de grace"

14- THARAPHITA "Metsudes, soodes ja rabades"

15- RECYCLE BIN "Fucking Hardcore Software Developer"

16- MEINARDUS "Cristendom´s Perdition"

17- WHISPERING FOREST "Gothic Scripts and Keltic Runes"

18- LOOM "U-Turn"

Eighteen tracks from eighteen of the most extreme bands that this country has. And there are plenty of different styles here from all the metal specter. From the pure thrash metal full of eighties ifluences that Herald delivers here, to the brutal music of Bestia. From the primitive thrash of Must Missa to the amazing progressive metal of Echosilence. All metal styles are represented here and the good thing about this compilation is that it gives you an idea of how each of the bands sound so you can choose your favorite to continue researching about them.

This is a good sample of the Estonian metal scene, a scene taht is becoming bigger every day and whose bands have a lot of quality and good musicianship.

Mastered by Sve Varkel

at Guano Studios

FARAZ  ANWAR - ABSTRACT POINT OF VIEW

Line Up:

Faraz Anwar - all intruments

Fahad Kahn - drums on "Last Summer"

Meekal Hasan - bass on "Last Summer"

Music by Faraz Anwar

Lyrics by Faraz Anwar

Tracks:

1- through the Passage of Time

2- Maze

3- Prophet

4- Don´t ever let your spirit Die

5- Last Summer

6- Why?

With melodies played with really good taste and full of feelings Faraz Anwar shows his technical skills in the vein of early Tony Macalpine and with influences so different as Greg Howe and Steve Morse. There are plenty of classic metal influences as there are also of jazz and fusion styles. Faraz phrasing is amazing, challenging imagination with articulated lines and long solos that blows the listener away with the virtuosism. Faraz´s own influences are here in many eastern sounding compositions such as "Prophet", really heavy, yet melodic. Faraz has achieved what no many can...to blend technical phrases with soulful compositions delivering killer tracks through all this album. A virtuoo to keep an eye on.

Produced by Faraz Anwar

FINNTROLL - VISOR OM SLATET

Line Up:

Tundra

Trollhorn

Katla

Wilska

B. Dominator

Skrymer

Somnium

Music by Tundra (1,4,11), Trollhorn (2,5,6,10), Wilska (9), Skrymer (7) and Fintroll (8)

Lyrics by Katla and Wilska

Tracks:

1- Suobengen Sija

2- Asfågelns död

3- Försvinn da som fyser

4- Veripuu

5- Under Varje Rot Och Sten

6- När allt blir is

7- Den Sista Runans Dans

8- Rov

9- Madon Laula

10- Svart Djup

11- Avgrunden öppnas

Now that they have a new album on the streets I am reviewing this previous album by the finnish dark masters Finntroll. With tracks that are not common for the band such as "Asfågelns död" the band surprises as always creating the dark atmosphere that is their essence and at the same time hitting with their aggression. As always, there is good musicianship here with use of acoustic guitars and orchestrationsand with that special type of voice that Finntroll has. there is plenty of nordic folk here in tracks like "Försvinn..." and that is an essential element of Fintroll´s music: the combination of atmospheres, folk roots, keyboards orchestration and uncommon song structures giving the feeling that you are listening to ancient beings playing this music. There is plenty of imagination here and perhaps this is the best way to describe Finntroll´s music: imagination with plenty of atmospheres and dark feelings.

Recorded at Hästholmen

Produced by henri Sorvali

FOREFATHER - ENGLA TOCYME

Line Up:

Athelstan

Wulfstan

Music by Forefather

Lyrics by Wulfstan

Tracks:

1- Engla Tocyme

2- Into the Forever

3- Iron hand

4- Fifeldor

5- the Swan´s Road

6- Forever In Chains

7- The Fate of Kings

Here is the latest albums from this original band that always shows new elements in their music combining climatic elements with heavy guitars. The title track si the one that opens this album and it has a vocal melody that is truly memorable in the beginning making the track really memorable. The guitars plays riffs that have some dark metal influence but tat are a trademark of Forefather´s music. And the vocals are extremely original knowing how to be heavy and at the same time how to be climatically enough to transmit the feelings that this duo wants the listener to receive. On this album it seems to me that the tracks re more accesible than in previous ones, sounding like hits many of them (this guys surely know how to make things extreme and memorable at the same time). A release that combines cleverly good ideas and heaviness.

Recorded at the Croft

Produced by Forefather

FUNERUS - FESTERING EARTH

Line Up:

Brad Heiple - guitars/vocals

Jill Mcentee - bass

John Mcentee - guitars

Kyle Severn - drums

Music by Funerus

Lyrics by B.Helple (tracks 1,3,4,5,6,9) and Jill Mcentee (tracks 2,7,8)

Tracks:

1- In the trees

2- Dur

3- Stagnant Seas

4- Suffering Life

5- Nebulous Existence

6- Polluted Excess

7- Shade

8- Web of Deceit

9- Festering Earth

Recorded at X Studio

Produced by Funerus and John Mcentee

FUNGOID STREAM - CELAENUS FRAGMENTS

Country: Argentina

Line Up:

Joseph C. - all instruments

Simon O. - all vocals

Music by Joseph C.

Lyrics by H. P. Lovecraft

Tracks:

1- The Book

2- The Key

3- The Howler

4- Celaenus Fragments

5- The Window

Fungoid Stream is pure doom metal. Their music has that slow quality that is essential in this style and they use keyboards and clean guitars in order to create parts full of sorrow and darkness. Here we have five compositions that are over eight minutes long and each of them developes into a pure doom metal work with slower than hell riffs and graveyard like melodies.  The band has two types of sounds: one that is used in the cleaner parts that is really bright and other one that is used in the heavier parts that is really distorted and sometimes muddy, reminding me to the early works of bands like Evoken. There are also some passages where the keyboards are left alone and this are the most painful parts with the saddest of feelings. The lyrics are based on H.P.Lovecraft´s texts adding some of the madness and darkness that all the work of this writer has. Pure motherfucking doom !!!!!

Produced by Eduardo Mallada

GARWALL - BLACK BEAST

Line Up:

Music by Garwall

Lyrics by Garwall

Tracks:

1- Pride

2- Mass of Worms

3- The Seventh Seal of Consequences

4- Abyssus Abyssum invocat

5- Garwall

6- Veni Vidi Vici

7- Les Ecorchés

8- Black Beast

Garwall´s music is difficult to describe. It is sure a really extreme kind of metal and it has elements of black metal and death metal and also some heavy metal ideas in some of the riffs, but at the same time they go beyond this styles adding constantly multiple arrangements with the guitars, changing from riff to riff and adding melodies. This guys surely have to be really technically proficient in order to play this music as tight as on this album. Starting with "Pride" the band shows how they can add more and more changes on each composition and at the same time remaining brutal as hell. The vocals are really extreme and is one of the trademarks of this band. Can we cal this progressive black/death metal? It might be described like that because this guys use a lot of technical skills to play each of the tracks and at the same time they are pure brutality unleashed. Do you want originality and bestiality at the same time? Then check Garwall !

Produced by Garwall

GFK - IF LIBERTY ISN´T GIVEN IT SHOULD BE TAKEN

Line Up:

Jessy Baron - vocals

Sonny Létourneau - bass

Rémi Verreault - guitar

Michael Beaudoin - guitar

André Verreault - drums

Music by GFK

Lyrics by GFK

Tracks:

1- The End of Our Contribution to Modern Slavery

2- Rethinking Basic Antiracism

3- Globaliverne

4- Time and Space Compression

5- Years of Feminism Destroyed

6- Matthew Sheppard, Carlos Giuliani...

7- Prison of Life

8- Power is invisible until you provoke it

9- Todo para todos

10- Religious Icons are creations of men

11- Direct actions is more than wearing a Che guevara Shirt

A good combination of death metal with modern metal with rhythms that are brutal but at the same time changing from fast to mid paced is what we have on this album. Plus, here we have many keyboards creating arrangements that are extremely original, doing chord progressions below some of the heaviest riffs and creating memorable moments. Thius type of arrangements are GFK´s trademark and they give a lot of identity to the music of this band The vocals are really extreme of the screaming type. GFK has combined succesfully brutal moments with more climatic ones that are the essence here. The guitars sound is really huge and that is an essential feature here. I have to remark the good sound that this recording has making this an experience in mayhemic brutal music. Here we have a release plenty of aggression but at the same time with interesting atmospheres.

Recorded at Labs Studios

Produced by GFK

GLORY IN DECAY - ONE BODY, TEN PIECES

Line Up:

John Corpse

Keith Christhunter

Music by Corpse/Christhunter

Lyrics by Corpse/Christhunter

Tracks:

1- Planetary Slaughter

2- Sawing Through Arteries

3- Realm of Mutated Cannibals

4- Kingdom of Chaos

5- One body, ten pieces

6- Bloated Corpse

7- The Papal Kidnapping

Death fucking metal!!!! Done in the rawest form possible and with the most guttural vocals on Earth. "Planetary Slaughter" opens this album with full spped and programmed double bass drumming at the speed of sound and showing one of Glory In Decay´s trademark: the combination of heavier than hell riffs with programmed drums (some bass drum patterns or some ride cymbal are played at inhuman speed) and rhythms that being fast ort slow are always thought for killing the listener with their sheer brutality. The vocals here are used like another instrument following some ehythms or doing lines that emphasize the brutality of the music played by this killer duo. the sound of the recording is raw, and I would have mixed a little bit louder the rhythm guitar in order to make things even more bestial. This is music designed to surprise with intense brutality.

Recorded at WROX Basement Studios

Produced by J.Corpse

GRENDEL - SOMETHING TO REMIND

Line Up:

Mikko Virtanen - vocals

Mika Kivi - guitar, b. vocals

Jussi Kraft - guitar

Kari Martikainen - bass

Jarkko Piipari - drums

Juha Terrilä - keyboard

Music by Grendel

Lyrics by Mikko Virtanen

Tracks:

1- The Times of Agony

2- Something to Remind

Grendel is pure metal with a good combination with elements of different styles. There are plenty of keyboards here that add a dark yet epic feeling to the music...and I think this combination of epic and dark soud is a trademark of Grendel´s music. The vocals are of the middle range type delivering killer melodies and fitting perfectly the style that the rest of the band plays. But there are also more extreme vocals that are used to emphasize certain phrases or parts which need of a heavier approach. Two tracks are enough to see the power that this finnish guys are capable of doing, but they leave you wanting more from this guys,and I hope soon listening more from this powerful guys from the north.

Recorded at Sonic Pump Studios

Produced by Grendel

GUTTURAL SECRETE - ARTISTIC CREATIONS WITH CRANIAL STUMPS

Country: U.S.A.

Music by Guttural Secrete

Lyrics by Guttural Secrete

Tracks:

1- Slit into Succulence

2- Ejaculating Obesity

3- Incestuous Refiguration

4- Visected in Vaginal Bile

There are a couple of labels that release the most bestial brutal death metal releases on earth and Unmatched Brutality is one of them. Guttural Secrete is one of the most bestial bands in the label delivering here four tracks of sheer agression with no mercy for the listener. There is speed here but this is not the main feature even if it helps to the overall brutality of the recording. The main thing here are the crushing rhythms that are everywhere in the compositions and whose essence is the huge sound that the guitars have and the interaction with the rhythm section that is essential to achieve the brutality that this band has. A thing to point out is the good sound that the recording has tat helps a lot to achieve a bestial sound, so much needed to deliver this utter aggressive music. Also, here we have Malignancy´s Danny Nelson doing guest screams in a couple of tracks. This is pure bestiality delivered to humanity.

Recorded at Upfront Studios

Produced by Guttural Secrete

HAUATAGUSED KARJED VOL.1

Tracks:

1- Hord "Sabbath ov Diabolik Prokreation"

2- Meinardus "Nightfear

3- Bestia "Libahunt"

4- Irdhing "Reeturlus"

5- Testicle Vomit "Drink of Gods"

6- Realm of Carnivora "Triumph the Armageddon"

7- Project I.M.P. "Industrial Symphony"

8- Morigan "Angels are Burning Like Candles"

9- Kamaloka "Belated Fear"

10- Irdhing "Söjamaras"

11-Bestia "Hallutsinatsioon"

12- Crom "Zov Nastupajushei Tmy"

13- Damien "Ride the Dragon (Bring the Sword)"

14- Pluribus Impar "Igavesed Lapsed"

15- Project I.M.P. "Melting"

16-Testicle Vomit " Hungarian Awn"

17- Mater Tenebra "Fearlord"

18- Realm of Carnivora "Tösta Möökja Tervita Sarvikut"

This month we have yet another Estonian metal compilation and this one focuses more on the msot extreme side of metal with emphasis on death and black metal. this album is a good sample of good quality band from the most extreme underground. Here we have thirteen band whose music can blow the listener away with sheer intensity (despite some differences in sound that make some bands more powerful than others). From the mid tempos of Meinardus to the speed of the almighty Bestia here you have every type of extreme metal. A good sample to start to know the metal scene of this amazing country that every day brings new bands to the extreme metal scene.

Produced by Hexenreich recs

HORRID FLESH - SUICIDE ORDER

Line Up:

Julien - bass, vocals

Riko - guitars

FK.v - drums

Music by Horrid Flesh

Lyrics by Horrid Flesh

Tracks:

1- Undefeated

2- Skinless Factor

3- In Lament´s Term

4- Sword of Sin

5- Antithesis of Conception

6- Dogma Division

7- -/-/-/

Starting with an energetic intro called "Undefeated", the guys from Horrid Flesh soon show what they like to do: pure death metal with brutality but without forgetting the good arrangements, specially on the guitars. Here we have many tempo changes, from fast to more midpaced (for my taste this are the heaviest riffs in all the recording). And here we have also really guttural vocals, sounding as almost another instrument creating mayhem in the music. I have to remark the good role of the rhythm section that does not leave any space without filling and blast you with tyheir fast rhytms. The sound is extremely raw and I think that maybe with a better mix this guys can sound even more devastating than on this "Suicide Order" (that would be a death metal armageddon). This is a brutal release designed to blast your ears.

Produced by Horrid Flesh

JAW - JAW

Line Up:

Kevin Kornelsen - drums

Jason Dokken - guitar, vocals

Pablo Reidel - bass, vocals

Emmanuel Olarewaju - manipulations

Music by Jaw

Lyrics by Emmanuel Olarewaju

Tracks:

1- Kin

2- Confettirains

3- Sympathy

4- Forty Four

5- The Calm

One word came into my mind while listening to this guys: anger. Yes, pure anger unleashed is the feeling that this recording transmit. The main reason for this are the really extreme voclas that are used by Jason Dokken in most of the recording (cleverly combined with clean vocals that change a little bit the mood but keeping it powerful) in some parts bordering death metal as in the middle of "Confettirains". You wnated heavy guitars?  You have plenty of them here, really well mixed in order to make them heavier and louder. The rhythms go from frantic to calm and back to demented again giving each track a feeling of devastation-peace-destruction that is the essence of Jaw´s music. The album is really well mixed but this five tracks (four and a spoken interlude) leave you ready and willing for their next recording. Pure energy.

Recorded at Studio 11

Produced by Rob Shallcross

KARMAKANIC - WHEEL OF LIFE

Line Up:

Jonas Reingold - bass, add. keyboards

Göran Edman - Vocals

Zoltan Csörz - drums

Krister Jonzon - electric and ac. guitars

Music by Jonas Reingold

Lyrics by

Tracks:

1- Masterplan Pt. 1

2- Alex in paradise

3- At the Speed of Light

4- Do U tango?

5- Where the earth meets the sky

6- Hindby

7- Wheel of Life

8- Masterplan Pt.2

What a good album is this one !!! Having Göran Edman and Jonas Reingold I expected classic metal but I was completely wrong. The music here starts with the almost-instrumental "Masterplan Pt. 1" a fourteen minutes long combination of experimental progressive music with the heaviest King Crimson. Full of keyboards and arrangements done by guitars bass and drums, each of the tracks constantly surprises. Göran Edman´s vocals are sometimes irrecognizible because they soudn really different from what we are accustomed to

The album is produced by Jonas Reingold and that surely adds a good sound to the music here as we know from previous release by this killer bass player

Recorded at Reingold recording Studio

Produced by Jonas Reingold

KILL YOUR MANAGEMENT VOL.5

CD Compiled by Dan Peach for Psychophonic Recs.

Tracks:

1- Razorwire "Dipole"

2- No Signal Input "Suppression"

3- Pro Jekt "I Know You hate Me"

4- Rateofdepress "Why I Can´t Sleep"

5- Gafftape "Insideout"

6- MeyerCurve "Truth in Hollow Words"

7- Tears of Aske "Desperation"

8- Roachville "Visions of Hate"

9- Headhunglow "Soundtrack to a Riot"

10- Headpress "The Words of Others"

11- Limbic Riot "Crushing A Fake"

12-Beneath Utopia "No Escape"

13-Nothus "Altercate the Opposite"

14-Magas-Eye "Hetredoxy" (live)

15- Pirrus "Nineyearplan"

16- Project Valkyrie "Soul Searcher"

17-Rawdeal "Away from Me"

18- The Dofgems "Jump the Mile

19- Ginger Wig "Menstrual Girl"

A compilation with nineteen powerful bands, some of them more extreme, some of them more melodic. Starting with Razorwire, a band that we are reviewing this month and whose mix of modern metal with some hardcore delivers pure energy, the compilation has bands mostly of the modern metal style with huge guitar sound, such as Rateofdepress, a band that is extremely powerful. There are bands like Pro Jekt whose music is like techno metal because it has plenty of electronics (with even dancing beats) but some distorted guitars too. And there are others more of the commercial type, such as Gafftape whose track can be even a hit in metal. This is a good compilation from bands that I have mostly not known before. A killer compilation

Compiled by Dan Peach

KOLDBRANN - NEKROTISK INKVISITION

Line Up:

Mannevond - vocals, guitars

Kvass - guitars, bass

Fordeselve - drums and goatbell

Jonas aus Slavia - guitar, bass

Music by Koldbrann

Lyrics by Koldbrann

Tracks:

1- Fortapelse i Svovel og Helvetesild

2- Kaosmanifest

3- Koldbrann

4- Liturgi i Dissonans

5- Fra Allfars Veg

6- Korpus Sepsis

7- Den Endelige

8- Phlegetons Bredder

9- Inkvisitor Renegat

Koldbrann is pure blasphemic unholy black metal done in the rawest form that is possible. Really distorted guitars with blast beating drums is the main characteristic here. There are also many tempo changes that add the darkest feeling here making things even more obscure. There is some thrash influence in the slower parts where the band developes raw riffs but with a different feeling than the msot black emtal ones. Voices are in an intermediate point between death and black emtal sounding dark and aggressive. the sound is a little bit muddy and I think that a clearer sound can make things even better for this band. Pure blackness unleashed over the world.

Recorded at Den nekrotiske Kammer and Nekrotrygd Studios

Produced by NGZM and Koldbrann

LILITU - THE DELORES LESION

Line Up:

Corey Long - drums

Derek Bonner - vocals/guitar

Jason piona - guitars

Shane Bell - bass

Music by Lilitu, except 4 by J.Piona and 7 by Derek Bonner

Lyrics by H.D.Bonner

Tracks:

1- Only the End of the World Again

2- Even the Vultures Have Moved On (A tragic Love Story)

3- The Delores Lesion

4- Ether

5- Follow Through

6- Desolation Breeds

7- Dark Haired Girl

8- Fragments of My Reflection

Recorded at Ledbelly Sound Studio

Produced by J.Piona and Lilitu

LOST DETOUR - CAUSE AND EFFECT

Line Up:

Music by Lost Detour

Lyrics by Lost Detour

Tracks:

1- My Assignment

2- Travesty

3- Faceless One

I would call the music that this band plays something like progressive extreme metal. I mean, their music has clean vocals as well as some death metal vocals but the rest of the music is closer to heavy metal with multiple arrangements and melodies gflowing through all teh album.  Each track here is long enough to let all the ideas of the band flow. "Faceless One" uses acoustic guitars that contrast heavily with the huge guitars. the album is full fo feeling, specially the aforementioned "Faceless One" that has a sad melody played in some parts which is truly memorable and is for me THE SONG with capital letters. A must have.

Produced by Lost detour

LUPERCALIA - FLORILEGIUM

Line Up:

Claudia Florio - soprano, choirs

Riccardo Principe - guitar, synth, dulcimer

Music by Luperalia

Lyrics by Lupercalia

Tracks:

1- Tribe

2- Ouroboros

3- Aegypto ad Siciliam

4- Personent Hodie

5- Sub Specie Aeternitatis

6- Praga

7- Rebis

8- Kundalini

9- Curtis

10- Axe

11- Formis Melara Sanctus Filix

12- The wind that shakes te barley

13- Pilgrim´s Chant

Produced by Giuseppe Cassano

MAGISTER DIXIT - INFERNAL MARTYRISM

Line Up:

W. Solstice - vocals, keys, guitars

Fog - guitars, keyboards

Ekinox- bass, guitar, vocals, keys

Ghor - guitars, vocals

Infurya - drums

Music by Magister Dixit

Lyrics by Magister Dixit

Tracks:

1- Souldrilled to infernal martyrism

2- the stone has spoken...

3- Rebellion of the unholy mindfucked

4- The hunchback

5- Hyldeon´s destiny (the curse of Azagath pt 5)

6- The Mitgon Race (the curse of Azagath pt 6)

7- Civilizations of the new days

8- Join the circle of eternal thoughts

Recorded at Radicart Studio

Produced by Magister Dixit

MANIFEST - THE ART OF WAR

Line Up:

Ole Marius Iarmerud - guitars

Alessandro Elide - drums

Stian Ieknes - vocals

Cato Iversen - bass

Music by Manifest

Lyrics by Manifest

Tracks:

1- The Art of War

2- Dead End Spiral

Manifest has a strong quality: each rhythm that they play sounds extremely heavy. The guitars have that big sound taht makes them be like a wall of sound. There is plenty of thrash metal influences here but they are combined with death metal and modern metal (in the sound) creating this explosive combiantion that is Manifest´s music.  The vocals are really extreme, not as guttural as in brutl death metal but extremely bestial. There are killer solos in tracks like "The Art of War" (I think the band should do even more solos because they know how to do them correctly) The recording has a mix that is between raw and polished giving the sensation of a band that spends a lot of time in the studio and achieve a sound close to how they sound in a live situation. We want more from them soon.

Recorded at Godt Selskap

Produced by Manifest

MANNHAI - THE EXPLODER

Music by Mannhai

Lyrics by Mannhai

Tracks:

1- Mr. Out of Sight

2- Lonesome

3- Broken Chains

4- Rock to the Top

5- TNT Mountain

6- Two Roads

7- Behind the Trees

8- Error ´67

9- Heads Against the Stones

10- Black Water Swan

This is heavy rock with clear seventies influences. The music here is full of melodies and it sure sticks in your mind after the first listening. There are climatic parts where the clean guitars are used in order to add a more intimistic feeling o the music. I would like the band to distort a little bit more the guitars and add some more bottom end in the sound to gain more power in the riffs. The sound of the recording is raw, in the stoner rock fashion, despite that the band is not playing that style, being closer to hard rock. Pure rock´n´roll with some heavy elements that have to be developed even more.

Produced by Mannhai

MASSMURDER - SLAUGHTERED FOR SNUFF

Line Up:

Ramon - drums

Paul - bass, vokills

Jan - guitars

Music by Masmurder

Lyrics by Jan

Tracks:

1- Corpse Copulation

2- Slaughtered for Snuff

3- Homicidal Whore

4- Fleshfeast

5- Meatcleaver Massacre

6- Cadaver Disinterment

7- Soaked in Semen

8- Perverse Molestation

Recorded at Excess Studio

Produced by Massmurder

MISANTHROPE - MISANTHRO-THERAPIE: 15 ANEES D´ANLYSE

Country:

France

Line Up:

Music by Misanthrope

Lyrics by Misanthrope

Tracks:

1- Ttan Fall

2- Inspiration

3- Le Bestiaire Souterrain

4- Emmurement

5- Estampe Geopolitique

6- Amour Anthropophage

7- L´Antichrist

8- Trimes, Tyrannie

9- Contemplation

10- Chair Organique

11- Bassiste de Coeur

12-Conte Fantasmagorique

13-Exsilium Existentia

This is one half of a two disc set containing rarities, covers, etc. that comes also with a DVD conatining many surprises from this classical extreme metal band from France. For those who doesn´t know the band their music is melodic death emtal done in a really original way that sets Misanthrope appart from any other band of the style. this first CD is a studio album with catchy riffs that are the essence of Misanthrope´s music and clever arrangements that are another trademark. The tracks are complex and each of them is really memorable due to the guitar riffs thata re played here. The guitars soudr eally huge and that adds aggression and power to this almighty band. Misanthrope is already a classica and you knw what to expect from them: killer compositions played with really good musicianship and witha  lot of agressiona dn power.

Produced by Misanthrope

MISERIA - SILENCE WITHIN

Line Up:

Jani Kantoniemi - vocals

Virpi Loukkola - vocals/guitars

Päivi Korpi-Käkelä - keys

Anssi Kaunismäki - drums

Music and Lyrics by:

Päivi and Virpi (1,2,3,5)

Joni and Virpi (4)

Tracks:

1- Silence Within

2- Whispering Cry

3- Myself to Seal

4- Soulbound

5- Into despair

Recorded at Fantom Studio

Produced by Miseria

MITTERNACHT - THE RAISE OF THE SECRET CITIES

Line Up:

Friedrich Curwenius - all instruments, vocals

Music by Friedrich Curwenius

Lyrics by Friedrich Curwenius

Tracks:

1- The Sighting of the city

2- Fall and Raise

3- The Apparition

4- Synthetic Fallen Angel

5- The Tide of Rotten Souls

6- Lux Fare the Light Carrier

7- The raise of the Secret cities

After "The Desolation of Blendestein"  here comes the new Mitternacht album. This album has some progress when compared to the other one and that is mainly because it seems that this time more time has spent in achieving a good sound and that is evident in the sound of the keyboards. Curwenius has achieved here passages of interesting atmospheres, sometimes more epic, sometimes darker but always effective and interesting. Curwenius speaks the vocals giving birth to an interesting history through the lyrics. Some parts reminded me to Of the Wanderer and the Moon due to their dark nature and atmosphere but the album is really original. As always the drums are programmed and played really fast in many parts, adding a heavier feeling to the music. As I said before this release sounds better than the previosu one and mantains the good compositional levels. If you like atmospheric metal you will surely love this one.

Produced by Eduardo Mallada

MONDGESÄNGE - CARLOS PERON/ ART NOIR/ PERLENTAUCHER / WOSCHOFIUS

Tracks:

1- Mondgesang (Woschofius)

2- Tetliys (Art Noir)

3- Im tempel des Schwarzen Mondes (Carlos Peron)

4- Mondfinsternis (Perlentaucher)

Four tracks of pure experimentation with atmospheres and other climatic elements is what we have here. Each track is created by killer artists whose compositions are imposible to predict . Woschofius starts the first of this four long composition with many layers of keyboards that create dark textures that intertwine heavily one with another. Then comes Art Noir with an ambient type of composition but adding some percussion in the background and some keyboard melodies tat make the track a really original compositions and at the same time memorable even if it is almost 20 minutes long.
Carlos Peron deliver sort of a more new age type of music with emphasis on atmospheric passages and electronic sounds that create melodies and arrangements. THis is by far the most accesible track of the recording. Finally, Perlentaucher delivers the darkest o tracks with keyboards making an obscure background with some sounds creating an even darker atmosphere.

This is an album full of dark atmospheres with really open minded artists and amazing compositions.

Produced by Nachtwaertz

MORS IN TABULA - PROMO CD 2004

Line Up:

Music by Mors in Tabula

Lyrics by Mors in Tabula

Tracks:

1- Blood Path

2- M/K Ultra

3- Eye of the Abyss

4- Noctifer

Recorded at

Produced by Mors in Tabula

MOUNT WASHINGTON - MOUNT WASHINGTON

Line Up:

Martin Blume - percussion

Jeremy Drake - acoustic guitar

Tucker Dulin - trombone

Wolfgang Fuchs - Sax, clarinets

Chris Heenan - alto sax, bass clarinet

Anne Le Baron - Harp

Torsten Müller - contrabass

Philipp Wachsmann - violin/electronics

Music by Mount Washington

Lyrics by Mount Washington

Tracks:

1-

2-

3-

4-

5-

6-

7-

I always like this sort of recordings full of spontaneous music and experimentation. This is a place where you will find countless musical ideas and compositional structures that are not of the type that one is accustomed to listen to. And in albums with many of this great spontaneous musicians the ideas get multiplied exponentially. Here we have any kind of sound that is possible to extract from the instruments of this musicians and tere is also clever interaction between them. From pure almost noise phrases to more melodic ideas, to atmospheric parts, this guys explore many moods in order to achieve great experimentation. You have to be pretty open minded to enjoy this release but I think that giving this guys a chance they will surely impact you with their great musicality and their imagination with no limits.

Recorded by Wayne Peet

Produced by Chris Heenan and Jeremy Drake

NATIONAL CEMETERY ORCHESTRA - PRINCE OF ROSH

Line Up:

Karl Nix  - all instruments

Music by Karl Nix

Lyrics by Karl Nix

Tracks:

1- Destroyer of Nations

2- In the Valley of Hamon-Gog

3- Dark clouds Above

4- The Black hand

5- Prince of rosh

6- A Farewell to Friends

The National Cemetery Orchestra always surprises with the music that is delivered on each recording, mutating, changing and delivering heaviness in different ways. I found this "Prince of Rosh" the heaviest of the recordings of this project up to now. Starting with "Destroyer of Nations" one of the heaviest tunes combining heavy guitar riffs with dissonant melodies. There are multiple changes ina tmosphere here and some parts are played with clean guitars adding deep feelings to the music. There are also melodies like the ones in 2:40 of "Destroyer of Nations" that add a mysterious twist to the music here. And this twists are essential in the music here because each of the tracks are long enough to allow Karl nix to develope many ideas within each of them. The programmed drums do not affect the final result making the recording sound heavy (the guitars have a really raw yet effective sound) and not too machine like. The National Cemetery Orchestra is originality guaranteed.

Produced by Karl Nix

NEGATIVE CREEPS - MUTUAL ANNIHILATION

Line Up:

M.K. - vocals

J.B. - guitar

P.F. - guitar

G.K. - bass

T.S. - drums

Music by Negative Creeps

Lyrics by Negative Creeps

Tracks:

1- Inflammatory Scourge

2- Post Homicidal Depression

3- Human Crossbreed

4- Mutual Annihilation

5- We Come for your ass

6- Lateral Losses

7- Methods of Dissonance

8- Lapitation of the Murine Race

9- Creeping Human Parasite

10- Eyeball Drilling

Violence is the second name of this band coming directly to destroy you with their Slayeresque tracks. The music here are pure burst of aggression full of rhythms that are designed to demonstrate utter heaviness and with extreme vocals that are in the middle of lets say Sepultura and brutal death. The guitars also deliver manic solos the way Jeff Hanneman or Kerry King would do, that is with violence and chaos. One remarkable thing is the sound that this guys have achieved, specially on guitars and drums (great double bass sound) which makes things even heavier. Negative Creps is a band whose music sounds really like in a live situation but with the advantages that a good studio gives you. Pure aggression

Recorded at Zero Studio

Mastered at Zero Studio

NEITHER -  NEITHER

Line Up:

Steve - bass

Amanda - keyboards

Shawn - vocals

James - guitars

Russ - drums

Music by Neither

Lyrics by Neither

Tracks:

1- Autumn Death Cycle

2- Farewell to the Flesh

3- Halo of Insects

Recorded at Corpus Callosum Studios

Produced by Neither

NORTHER - DEATH UNLIMITED

Line Up:

Petri Lindroos - vocals, lead guitar

Jukka Koskinen - bass

Tonni Hallii -drums

Kristian Ranta - lead guitars

Tuomas Planman - keyboards

Music by Ranta- Lindroos (1,3)

               Ranta-Lindroos - Planman (2,4,6,7,8,10,12)

              Koskinen - Planman (5)

              Lindroos - Planman (11)

              Planman - Ranta (9)

Lyrics by Ranta (2,7,8,12)

               Lindroos (3, 11)

               Koskinen (4,5)

               Planman (6,10)

Tracks:

1- Nightfall

2- Deep inside

3- Death unlimited

4- Chasm

5- Vain

6- A Fallen Star

7- The Cure

8- Day of Redemption

9- Beneath

10- Hollow

11- Nothing

12- Going Nowhere

After reviewing their previous "Mirror of Madness" I was really anxious to listen what was coming next after that masterpiece. And here comes this "Death Unlimited". And they have taken their music one step beyond sounding more aggressive and with even better arrangemenets. Just listen to the majesty of  "Deep Inside" and see how this band can easily blow away other bands like Children of Bodom. the combination of heavy guitars with the orchestrating keyboards are Norther´sa trademark, then the solos....what can I say!! They are full of virtuosism and show what this guys can do. The compositions are really cleverly constructed and Petri Lindroos vocals are spitted against a demolishing rhythm section and overwhelming riffs. And they are carefully developed going up to a climax that will make you have metal orgasms while listening to it. One of the recordings of the year !!

Recorded at Astia Studio

Produced by Anssi Kippo

OF INFINITY - THE ESSENCE OF INFINITY

Line Up:

Alessandra Zinicola - vocals, piano, synths

Nazareth Sando - guitars, electronic drums

Kurtis Kyllo - bass

Music by Of Infinity

Lyrics by Of Infinity

Tracks:

1- the Voice Without

2- Shadow of a Lie

3- It´s Only forever

Recorded at The Annex

Produced by Of Infinity

ON A DEAD MACHINE - ON A DEAD MACHINE

Line Up: Brian Link - vocals

              Ed Harris - drums

              Adam Lucchesi - guitar

              Hans Amelang - bass

Music by On A Dead Machine

Lyrics by On A Dead Machine

Tracks:

1- Cancer

2- A Million Helicopter and one dollar

3- You First

Three tracks are enough to confirm what we realized about this great band while reviewing their previous recording: this band surely knows how to combine really aggressive moments with melodic parts that are really catchy. Here you have really screaming extreme vocals combined with clean melodic ones that are the essence of OADM´s music.On each of the three compositions here you can listen several eruptions of aggression with crushing guitars and the mentioned powerful guitars, followed by calmer parts where OADM deliver´s heartful lines full of feelings. This is really modern metal with many interesting ideas and it shows how well can be combined ideas with different levels of intensity and aggression in order to achieve good compositions and good results.

Recorded at Young Avenue Sound

Produced by On A Dead Machine

OVERLOAD - ...OF DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES

Line Up:     Zolti  - guitars, vocals

                  Mato - bass

                  Patrick - keyboards

                  Hägar - drums

Music by Daraban

Lyrics by Daraban

Tracks:

1- Personal Nightmare

2- Dream

3- Broken Glass

4- Ocean of Tears

5- Time for a Change

6- Out of Time

7- The Gunslinger

8- The Prisoner

9- Death / Strangers Mind

10- Walking through the Desert

11- Waiting for the End

12- ...Of Dreams and Nightmares (Bad Trip)

Overload is a band whose music can be defined as pure metal but with elements from other styles (such as black metal or even progressive) and heavy keyboards orchestration. The tracks here are long enough to let many ideas to be developed by the band. And the main thing here are the ideas, the melodies, the rhythm changes, the orchestrations, the guitar solos, the virtuosism in many parts, the multiplicity of feelings. There is a female voice in some parts that is good in doing a contrast wit the male one adding a different feeling to the music. At the same time the male voice uses a middle range giving to the music a dark feeling that is omniprescent through all this recording. The sound of this recording is raw and I think that the guitars are a little bit low mixed for my taste, and maybe mixing them higher can add more power to the band: A good recording with original ideas and good musicianship.

Recorded at Murgs and Krampf Society

Produced by Overload

OVERLOAD - MORBID CONSTRUCTION

Line Up:

Hägar - drums

Gabriella Vari - keyboards, vocals

Zoltan Daraban - guitars, vocals

Mato Iveij - bass

Music by Overload

Lyrics by Overload

Tracks:

1- 3bhc550001r0266 (error)

2- 2 worlds

3- Back in Time

4- The Prison in my head

5- Blood

6- Wither and Die

7- Steps

8- Father

9- The Eye of the Storm

10- Vita Nimis brevis Est. Ut Sit Res Severa

11- Shadow in teh Darkness

12- Dead

This album starts strangely with aan electronic track with almost dancing quality. Soon enters the band with their particular pure heavy metal style. Here the arrangments are more evident than in their previous album with more place for the female vocals (this time done by the powerful Gabriella Vari) combined with Zoltan´s. There are many climatic moments such as the one in the middle of "2 worlds" where the rpogressive attitude of the band appears adding multiple arrangements to the music and also some solos. the keyboards have become fundamental now and they are heavily used on each track combined with the aggression of the rest of the band Again the drums have a strange sound in them, specifically on the snare drum but this time the mix make them more audible. This is a good metal band with multiple ideas that they have developed carefully on this release. A great combination of pwoer and melody.

Recorded at MKS Studios

Produced by Friedrich and niffeler

PAIN CONFESSOR - TURMOIL

Line Up:

Mikko L. - drums

Tuomas - guitar

Make - vocals

Wesleyer - guitars

Mikko K. - bass

Pasi - keyboards

Music by Pain Confessor

Lyrics by Pain Confessor

Tracks:

1- Fiery Thorns

2- Hollow Souls

3- Whenever Dark Draws near

4- Erased of Empathy

5- Poor Man´s Crown

6- Underworld

7- Waste of good Suffering

8- Soul Eraser

9- Instinct to resist

10- Lake of Regret

11- Just Names Remain

Directly from the lands of Finalnd comes the fast aggression of Pain Confessor. Their music is a coimbination of aggression and good technique, combining fast moments of pure death metal (mainly due to the extreme vocals) with more thrash metal ones (in some of the rhythms and some of the shouted choruses). But the main element here is the combination of the bestiality and the melodies that make each track unique. Plus here we have good keyboards that construct interesting chord progressions adding sort of a more atmospheric and orchestrated feeling to the music. There are some clean vocals too that change the mood of the song and combined with the keyboards add some epic quality to the music. I have to point out the good mix that the album has on each instrument making the result really powerful. This is a full recomendable album for any metal lover. One of teh recordings of the month

Recorded at Studio Sound Supreme

Produced by Janne Saksa and Pain Confessor

PANICZONE - DEAD REBORN

Line Up:    Torsten - guitars

                 Sulle - drums

                 Jannis - vocals

                 Mike - bass and screams

Music by Paniczone

Lyrics by Paniczone

Tracks:

1- Cemetary Girlfriend

2- I´m Black Styled

3- Lost Rites

4- Dead Reborn

5- Sin Collector

6- Blood Shed

7- Black Flag

8- From the Grave

Pure brutality with a killer old school death metal influence in some of the rhythms is what Panic Zone does. this guys have combined the spirit of the different eras of death metal into their own sound. The main thing here are the guitar riffs that develope really precise rhythms whose main feature is the utter heaviness that they have. Sometimes faster, sometimes more of the most aggressive riffs on earth. the vocals are guttural and they follow some rhythmic pattern in order to add even more aggression to the music. A solid rhythm section completes this powerful band delivering the drummer interesting rhythms in tracks like "Blood Shed" with killer use of the ride cymbal and interesting snare drum patterns. The sound is raw but effeective here. Brutal metal from a killer tight band !

Recorded at Sound Factory Studios

Produced by Paniczone

PATRIK CARLSSON - PHRASEOLOGY

Line Up:

Patrik Carlsson - guitars

Music by Patrik Carlsson

Tracks:

1- Jimi´s Tribute

2- The Survivor

3- Still Believe

4- Twilight Zone

5- Aeryn Sun

6- Apsilon Indi

7- High Pitch

8- Mosquito

9-Guardian Angel

10- Supernova

11- Exptoc Bossa

12- Supernova

13- Andrea It´s X-Mas

14- Lisa´s passion for heavy metal

15- Cartoon Hippie

I expected an instrumental album full of neoclassical chops but I was wrong. Patrik Carlsson delivers here incredible guitar lines but his influences range from heavy metal to funk and jazz fusion being a real technical virtuoso but at the same time a musician full of good taste in his playing. We had a first taste of his playing in the Jimi Hendrix tribute  and Shawn Lane Remembered albums but now he is in his own element delivering lines that would not be out of place in a Joe Satriani album or a Scott Henderson one (even if Patrik is heavier than thiose guys in his sound). Pure virtuosism is unleashed here in the compositions and the melodies and each track leaves you with your mouth open in disbelief while listening what this amazing guy does. There is some Steve Vai influence in some parts such as on the end of "Jimi´s Tribute" but they are cleverly disguised. This is pure virtuoso guitars with tasteful fast guitar lines and good compositions..

Recorded at Patrik´s Studio

Produced by Patrik Carlsson

PIGSKIN - EPIDEMIC

Line Up:   Dani - vocals

                Reto -drums

                Sigi - bass

                Jeff - guitars

Music by Pigskin

Lyrics by Pigskin

Tracks:

1- Run Down

2- Daisy Cutter

3- Facing Me

4- Epidemic

5- Why don`t you look for truth

6- Fuck your industry

7- When the devil runs

8- Coppo

9- Mountain Hill 82

10- Looking Into the Eyes

11- Since 1996

The killer riff that opens "Run Down" will surely show the path that Pigskin takes from beginning to end: that is killer extreme metal with modern influences and a huge sound in the guitars. Vocals that are screamed at the top of the lungs are a main feature here (with Dani arising from behind the huge wall of sound that the guitars create and showing how you can shout creating more brutality) as are the rhythms played by the killer drummer who has a really clear, almost machine like sound that gives even more power to this destroyer band. the guitars play riff after riff with the huge sound that we described before and they are the essence of Pigskin´s music showing that heavier than hell does not mean only speed. One of the most brutal releases of the month.

Recorded at Little Creek Studio

Produced by Pigskin

PLATITUDE - NINE

Line Up:

Erik Blomkvist - vocals

Daniel Hall - guitars

Gustav Köllerström - guitars

Patrik Janson - bass

Andreas Lindahl - keyboards

Wachen - add. synth and back. vocals

Marcus Höher - drums

Music by Platitude

Lyrics by Platitude

Tracks:

1- Dark mind

2- Trust

3- Oblivion

4- Haleyon Days

5- Catch 22

6- Avalon Farewell

7- Skies of Xenon

8- Falling

9- Aeronautica

10- Endless

11- Starlight

The first track surprised me. Not knowing Platitude´s music and knowing that there are two keyboardists here I expected more of a symphonic rock album. But "Dark Mind" starts with a pure heavy metal riff and soon the band gets into a faster rhythm that is pure heavy metal unleashed. The keyboards add orchestration, melodies and arrangements but they do not make the music of the band softer in any way and theya re full of virtuosism. Erik vocals fit really well Platitude´s music and I specially liked that he doe not abuse high pitches using them only when it is necesary. Other thing that I liked is that the band does not use power metal rhythms and riffs preferring to use more original ones. I recommend this album to all people who likes heavy metal done with guts and good ideas.

Recorded at Jailhouse Studios

Produced by tommy hansen adn Platitude

RAZORWIRE - LEAGUE OF THE GODLESS

Line Up:

Chris Minney - vocals

Dan Peach - rhythm guitar

Charlie Cooper - drums, b. vocals

Dan Carden - lead guitar

Andy Pancheri - bass

Music by Razorwire

Lyrics by Razorwire

Tracks:

1- Jettison

2- League of the Godless

3- Template

4- Spin the Wheel

5- Make it Rain

6- Lose My Head

7- Only Son

8- Trip or Fly

9- Just Another

10- Guttermouth

11- Still Waters Rising

Recorded at Framework Studios

Produced by Paul Siddens

RAZORWIRE - PROMO 2004

Line Up:

Chris Minney - vocals

Dan Peach - rhythm guitar

Charlie Cooper - drums, b. vocals

Dan Carden - lead guitar

Andy Pancheri - bass

Music by Razorwire

Lyrics by Razorwire

Tracks:

1- Dipole

2- Lock Down

This are two new tracks from this band whose previosu album we have just reviewed. "Dipole" starts  in an interesting combiantion of hardcore with some modern metal influences in the voices and a good blending of melodies and powerful song structures with a lot of aggression. "Lock Down" is a combination of brutality with meldoy with rocking guitar solos. If this is the preview of their new album I would really like to listen the complete album to see the rest of the devastating compositions of this band.

Produced by Razorwire

RESURRECTURIS - THE CUCKOO CLOCKS OF HELL

Line Up:

Ivan Di marco - vocals

Janos Murri - guitar

Carlo Strappa - guitar

Gianluca Mandolesi - bass

Omar Moretti - drums

Music by Carlo Strappa/Janos Murri

Lyrics by Carlo Strappa

Tracks:

1- the Last Sun

2- The Hate

3- Living Reification

4- Inversion-Perversion

5- Sleeping Reason

6- In Art´s Death

7- Helmet Logic

8- I Corpi Privi Di Vita

One of the first things that got your attention on this album is the good guitar sounds that the guys in Resurecturis have achieved. And then you are overwhelmed by the killer death metal riffs that they deliver. Their music surely is death metal but they have succesfully mixed the style with more modern types of metal music where the rhythms play a key role in acieving heaviness. Resurrecturis goes for the throat from the first track "The Last Sun" smashing you through all the album. And they do not use only speed, concentrating rather in the more rhythmic riffs that are the heaviest ones. The vocals are pure death metal and their main goal is adding brutality to this powerful music. As I said before the sound of the recording is really good, specially on the guitars and that is essential to achieve the brutality that the band desires. A braincrushing release !

Recorded at Potemkin Studios

Produced by Resurrecturis

RUMSFIELD - TERRIBLE TIMES

Line Up:

Dean Scott - vocals, guitar, synth

Eric Turner - bass

Luke Scott - percussion

Music by Rumsfield

Lyrics by Rumsfield

Tracks:

1- Black and Blue

2- Blister

3- Die Again

4- Escape

5- Grrl

6- Layers

7- New Design of Beauty

8- Mass Heart Attack

9- Soapseum

10- Stray

11- Too Late

A good two guitar work opens this album in "Black and Blue". then comes the rest of the band with a music that can be defined as pure metal with some elements of new metal and also of modern aggressive metal bands such as Machine Head. the combiantion of aggressive vocals with more melodic ones is what sets the feeling of the part that this guys are playing. The good thing here is the huge sound that the guitars have playing heavier than fuck riffs and the solid rhythm section that plays delivers killer rhythms over and over again creating eleven smashing tunes. I have to remark the versatility of the singer which is one of those persons that can sing absolutely anything, sounding from really subtle to heavier than hell spitting his lungs in the heavier parts. I think Rumsfield is a band that we have to keep an eye on the future because they have the potential to be one of the top metal bands soon.

Recorded at Chalet Recording Studio

Produced by Dean Scott

SAMMOHAN - DEMO 2004

Line Up:

John E. Horse - vocals, bass

Charles Decapo - guitars

Benjam Niininen - drums

Music by Sammohan

Lyrics by Sammohan

Tracks:

1- Force of Gods (Shaktipat)

2- Invocation of Ganesha

3- Death Zen Magick

Recorded at Castle village Studios

Produced by Sammohan