
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Jester - vocals Demented - guitars Spud - guitars, vocals Rat - bass Ozi - drums |
|
|
Music by Aeturnus Dominion Lyrics by Aeturnus Dominion |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Holocaust 2-God Has Failed 3-Aeturnus Dominion 4-They Wait 5-Unsanitized 6-Global Cremation Suicide 7-Meathook 8-Unholy 9-Cyanide |
What an amazing band !!! THis guys are really difficult to label because they have in equal parts heavy metal influences and death metal ones combining them into the same compositions. that is why "Holocaust" opens up with a heavy/thrash riff and killer vocals and soon turn into a faster part with death metal growling !! And this combination is the trademark of the band. Tracks like "Aeturnus Dominion" open with clean guitars and show a different side of the musical personality of this amazing band soon changing into a heavier part, with more deathly growling. The rhythms are sometimes more syncopated and soemtimes faster, depending on the feeling that the composition must have There are guitar solos here that are tastefully played giving more melody to the music with a lot of feeling. The sound is huge specially on the guitars that are the essence here making this record a crushing experience. |
| Cover Artwork by: Tryym com | |
|
Recorded at Demented Den Studios Produced by Aeturnus Dominion |
Contact: www.aeturnusdominion.com |
| Label: Holy Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: France | |
|
Line Up: Carla Alain Gherad Amelie Karin |
|
|
Music by Am´Ganesha´n Lyrics by Am´Ganesha´n |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Altar 2- Samsara 3-KalA Aari Vati 4-Nharba 5-Zephyria 6-Song of Devotion 7-Stigmata 8-Atma 9-Deva 10-Adhemonia 11-Bliss 12-Caeligena Invocated Spirit 13-Om 14-Shanak 15-Lamentations |
Beauty is the exact word to describe this band´s music. Their sound is extremely atmospheric and melancholic with eastern sounding influences. The female vocals are essential here to achieve the overall feeling of the music here. Take bands like Rajna or Dead Can Dance and add more vocals and arrangements and you will have just a small idea of how this band sounds. The instrumentation is really good also letting a lot of space for the atmospheres and developing good arrangements on each song. The keyboards are essential because they interact with the vocals. constructing the climatic moments and reaching many climaxes on the album. There is some tribal percussion that adds that primitive feeling that this music must have. This is an album for open minded people who love good musicianship and original ideas. |
|
Produced by Am´Ganesha´n |
Contact: www.holyrecords.com |
| Label: Sum Records |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Scott Ian - guitars, b. vocals John Bush - vocals Charlie Benante - drums Frank Bello - bass, b. vocals Rob Caggiano - guitars |
|
|
Music by Anthrax Lyrics by Anthrax |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Deathrider 2-Metal thrashing Mad 3-Caught in a Mosh 4-A.I.R. 5-Among the Living 6-Keep it In the family 7-Indians 8-Madhouse 9-Panic 10-I am the Law 11- Belly of the Beast 12-N.F.L. 13-Be All End All 14-Gung-Ho |
Here we have the Anthrax classics of the Belladonna/Turbin era recorded almost live in two days in a studio by this different lineup that includes John Bush on vocals and Rob Caggiano on guitars. The result is sometimes good and sometimes not so good. the good thing is to listen the classics with an almost live sound with harder guitars. But let´s face it, the magic of "Fistful of Metal" is not here in the same way than it was back in those days. In fact it happened to me that I expected to listen all the original arrangements and the band changed some thingsm, specially Bush. But if they had done all exactly there would have not been any reason to record this tracks again. The good thing is that you have fourteen of the best tarcks in Anthrax pre-Bush career and you can see that this songs sound still really well (some of them 20 years after they were originally recorded). |
| Cover Artwork by: Shephard Fairey and Chris Peasley | |
|
Recorded at Avatar Studios Produced by Anthrax |
Contact: www.anthrax.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Canada | |
|
Line Up: Jesse White - vocals Scott Unger - bass, vocals Jeff Dormer - guitars Andrew Bak - drums |
|
|
Music by Antiquus Lyrics by White |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Empire Rising 2-Changeling 3-Tanlin Bridge 4-Battle of Eylau Ramayana - An Epic in Six Parts: 5-Part I - Ayodha 6-Part II - A Beautiful Stac 7-Part III - The Hunt 8-Part IV - Hanuman 9-Part V - Sri lanka 10-PArt VI - He who Makes the Universe Scream !! |
THis is pure heavy metal but with a sound and guitar riffs thata are not typical of the styles.In fact some of the rhythms reminded me to thrash metal and others more to death metal. But the band is definitely heavy metal. The vocals are really clean and with a good management of melodies. And it alos has a lot of strength without sacrificing power for melody. Some parts reminded me to Yngwie Malmsteen but with a completely different sound and intensity. And we have the climax here in the six part composition called "Ramayana", a masterpiece in complexity and arrangements. The sound is raw but effective letting you listen all the ideas that are flowing on this release. Pure progressive heavy/thrash metal !!! |
| Cover Artwork by: Jesse White | |
|
Recorded at the Northland Produced by Andrew Bak |
Contact: www.antiquus.net |
| Label: TAF Prods. / Necrotorture Agency |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Azmeroth - guitars Midgard - guitars Rasez - drums Orias - vocals Sakar - bass |
|
|
Music by Aposthate Lyrics by Aposthate |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Voices from Beyond 2- Synodus Cadaveric 3-Christfall 4-Shades of Noir 5-Seed of Lunacy 6-Chaos Revenge 7-Freezing Womb of Pain 8-The Unknown Cross |
Full Armageddon unleash through seven tracks and an intro. This guys start without mercy with "Synodus Cadaveric" a track at full speed where the bestiality of the band is delivered to the listener that will be blown by the brutality of this italian quintet. Do you want fast rhythms? Here you have a drummer that is like a speed machine with his drum kit playing blast beats and ultra fast rhythms along with more mid paced patterns. Do you like guttural voices? Here you have really growling ones that seem to be coming from the sulphuric entrails of a volcano. Do you like heavy guitars? Here you have guitars playing riff after riff giving shape to Aposthate´s music and surprising with breaks and multiple changes. The sound of this redcording is good and that also adds more brutality to the work that this guy have delivered here. One of the most brutal bands of the year. |
| Cover Artwork by: Azmeroth | |
|
Recorded at Golgotha Studios Produced by Aposthate |
Contact: www.thyanthemfades.com/aposthate or www.necroagency.com or www.thyanthemfades.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: | |
|
Line Up: Soulreaper - bass, vocals Violator - guitars, b. vocals Demon - guitars Bloodfreak - drums |
|
|
Music by Arkhon Lyrics by Arkhon |
|
|
Tracks: 1- The Tenth Archon 2-Tear on the Heart 3-Sanctes Sanctorum 4-Bloodwing Rebellion 5-Tainted Dogma 6-At the Rotting Gates of Heaven |
Opening with clean guitars the band soon shows their pure aggression in "THe Tenth Archon" where they show all their musicl personality. And this guys have a really distinctive sound where melodies, solos and technical aprts interact heavily with the more brutal side of the music giving a unique sound to Arkhon´s music. Aggression is the main thing here but this guys have not forgotten that good technical skills and ideas give even more power to the music. The vocals have an extreme thrash/death feeling in some parts nd are really guttural in others always fitting the music and adding the more extreme feeling to the music. The rhythm section is really solid and the good thing is that they change a lot the patterns without abusing speed or blast beats. In fact one good thing here is the fusion of death metal with rhythms and riffs that are closer to eighties thrash. the sound of the recording is raw yet powerful making the band be fully audible and letting you listen all their power. A lot of bands should learn from Arkhon how to deliver aggression with killer ideas. |
| Cover Artwork by: Matt Robertson | |
|
Recorded at Helsophice Studios Produced by Arkhon |
Contact: www.arkhon.tk |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: France | |
|
Line Up: Gaëlle D. -Violon Agathe M. - Vocals, Piano |
|
|
Music by Agathe M. Lyrics by Agathe M. |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Al´ombre des grandes foréts 2- Le murmure des feuilles 3-Tristesse 4-Lassitude 5-L ´aube Morne |
Majestic keyboards open up "Al`ombre des grandes foréts" setting the atmosphere that is Artesia`s trademark. This is really climatic music full of ethereal female vocals that comes from the heart and soul of Agathe M. and keyboards.Another essential feature here is the violon played by Gaëlle D., a superb musician that delivers here incredible sad and melancholic lines that can make you weep with all the feeling that you will find in them. Plus, we have a dark feeling here, reflecting the mood that you can start feeling juist by watching the cover art. The keyboards / piano also are essential for Artesia and they another way to achieve melancholy with arpeggios and melodies. THis is one of the most extremely beautiful albums of the year !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Artesia | |
|
Produced by Artesia |
Contact: www.artesia.fr.st |
| Label: Sriracha Records |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: France | |
|
|
|
|
Music and lyrics by Babylon Pression |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Personne 2-La Fange 3-Negative Genération 4-Champion Love 5-Emeute 6-Schizo 7-Confession 8-J´Aubile 9-R.M.I. 10-Contre - Courant |
This is modern metal at its best. That is, a band that delivers incredibly heavy riffs with syncopated drumming. the vocals are of the screaming type sounding like the singer is screaming at the top of his lungs most of the time, spitting with anger all the lyrics when the song is pure aggression and singing in a calmer way in the more climatic moments. And the lyrics are in french language, fitting really well the music and at the same time giving a weird sound to the music. The sound of the recording is really clear making the guitars sound like a wall of bricks against your brain. I ahve to remark that the band is extremely tight making the compositions and rhythms really compact and heavy. Pure heaviness in a modern metal context ! |
| Cover Artwork by: | |
|
Recorded at Praxis Studio Produced by Babylon Pression |
Contact: www.babylon-pression.com or www.coriace.com or www.sriracha-sauce.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Switzerland | |
|
Line Up: Eli - drums Piter - guitars Reeks - bas G.ni - guitar Phil - vocals |
|
|
Music by Beansidhe Lyrics by Beansidhe |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Sdrum 2-World´s everlasting cry 3-Disillusion 4-Beansidhe 5-Chainsaw mon amour |
If I had to give a label to Beansidhe´s music I would say that their music is death thrash metal. I put first death metal because they are brutal, fast and the vocals are really of the death metal type. then I put thrash metal because there are elements in the guitar riffs that brings to our minds that killer style (just check "Disillusion" to see what I am talking about). The riffs are complex and I like that because instead of just using simple speed this guys have a lot of technical skills and good musicianship in order to construct great compositions. As I said before the vocals are really of the growling death metal type adding a more extreme feeling to the music. the sound is raw and direct fitting well the style and making the band sound like in a live situation. this is pure brutality with killer musicianship. . |
| Cover Artwork by: Sacha | |
|
Recorded at Box Studios Produced by Beansidhe |
Contact: www.beansidhe.ch |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: | |
|
Line Up: |
|
|
Music and lyrics by Black Horizonz |
|
|
Tracks: Eccentric Wrath (demo 2005) 1- Eccentricon 2-Since the Eyes of Chaos 3-Humillated 4-Cataleptic Hours of Darkness 5-Continuation of Supernatural Probabilities
Within My Suns Last Shafts (Demo 2004) 6-Within My Suns Last Shafts 7-Visible Lies 8-Ensnared by the Black River 9-Storms of Ashes 10-Dethroned Emperor
Lost in the Shadows GRim (demo 2001) 11- Beyond the throne of light 12-The Cursed Warrior 13-Storms of Ashes 14-Into the Realm of Subconscious Dreams / A Path to Eternity |
Here we have a collection of Black Horizon´s demos dating from 2001. Here you can see the evolution of this band in this four years, going from really raw death metal with full speed and brutality into a more professional and original band that combines cleverly death and black metal elements . On the 2005 demo it is more evident the use of darker atmospheres that is the element that this band has amstered perfectly, even using slow tempos. The combination of agonic vocals with aggressive guitars is a trademark here. The tracks have amny memorable parts achieved through the riffs and through using some keyboards here an there. The sound is very different in the three demos being the 2005 demo the one with the most powerful sound. There is a cover of Celtic Frost´s "Dethroned Emperor" is like the ice to the cake making lovers of thi classic band approach Black Horizons killer music. A collection item !!! |
| Cover Artwork by: Black Horizonz | |
|
Produced by Black Horizonz |
Contact: www.blackhorizonz.com |
| Label: Tarantula Promotions |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: U.K. | |
|
Line Up: Jaen - drums Jeff - vocals, guitar Michael - vocals, guitars James - vocals, bass |
|
|
Music by Bloodwork Lyrics by Bloodwork |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Hammerbrain 2-Bloodshed 3-Dark is the Day 4-Yet I Walk 5-Perfect Eternity |
A crushing combination of the most brutal death metal with some thrash metal elements. And there are also some riffs that come from the black metal reign !! So, you have an idea of what we have here. Pure brutality with intense riffs and fast tempos. But what I really like is that the band sounds extremely tight and they can play fluently really complex parts without missing a beat. The vocals are sometimes more guttural, sometimes more of the blakc metal type but always really extreme. But the main thing here is the brutality unleashed by the guitars and the srumming that are the essence of Bloodwork´s music. Pure brutality unleashed in five brutal tracks. |
| Cover Artwork by: Bloodwork | |
|
Recorded at Dblock Produced by Bloodwork |
Contact: www.tarantulapromotions.com |
| Label: Lifefluid Distro |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Australia | |
|
Line Up: Corwyn Kenny - vocals Jason Peppiatt - guitars, bass, vocals PAtrick Moane - drums |
|
|
Music by Born Headless Lyrics by Born Headless |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Butchered Hope 2-Headless Henchmen 3-Vision of the Blast Within 4-Dungeons of Abraxus 5-Empowered Existence 6-Rise of the Overlord 7-Roman 8-No More Shall Remain 9-Scales of Scythia 10-Skull Crusher 11- Stained Wars of Coloured Earth |
Really raw ultra brutal death metal is what Born Headless delivers here. And headless you will be after listening the bestial attack of this band !! There is a combination here of old school death metal with brutal death metal in order to achieve Born Headless own sound. Everything here is aggression and bestiality: the loud and fat guitars that deliver riff after riff reaching moments in which you can not surpass the heaviness that this guys deliver. The vocals are really guttural most of the time and here we have also screaming vocals that contrast with the more deathly one. There are multiple tempo and rhythm changes and that is one essential feature of this band´s music. the sound is raw but really loud and if you listen this at top volume you will listen the instruments pounding through your chest. This is death metal in its heaviest form....reaching heavines in all the ways !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Reece Hicky | |
|
Recorded at Dead Pawn Studios Produced by Born Headless |
Contact: d_vlyons@intas.net.au or www.bornheadless.cjb.net |
| Label: Remedy Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Mike Huhmann - vocals Philipp Hanfland - guitars Ulrich Busch - guitars Dirk Bulmahn - bass Carsten Schmerer - drums |
|
|
Music by Burden of grief Lyrics by Burden of grief |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Desaster and Decay 2-Dead Soul Decline 3-The Nightmare within 4-Engaged with Destiny 5-Fields of Salvation 6-Slowly Pass Out 7-Yearning for Salvation 8-The Silent Killing 9-Don´t Fear the Creeper
|
Amazing drumming opens up this album before the whole band enters with full thrashing force. Burden of Grief have taken elements of eighties thrash metal, added some death metal and also some climatic elements to create their music full of killer musicianship. Original guitar riffs are the main thing here creating the main song structure. The vocals are of the type of german bands like Destruction. there are killer clean guitars interludes and multiple arrangements where the band shows amazing technical skills that set them apart from all other bands in the style. there are fast parts in tracks like "Dead Soul Decline" but speed is just othere element to achieve the full intensity that this band has. The sound of the recording is killer making everything really coherent.Tommy Hansen who produced Helloween and Illdisposed is producing here and the hand of this master is evident in the sound. |
| Cover Artwork by: Kurt Wördsdörfer | |
|
Produced by Tommy Hansen |
Contact: www.remedyrecords.de |
| Label: Napalm Records |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Collapse 7 Lyrics by Collapse 7 |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro 2-Infernal Apocalypse 3-In Deep Silence 4-Empty as We Are 5-A Prophet´s Speech 6-Blessed with Pain 7-Into Obscurity 8-Legions of Blackness 9-Tombs of Depravity 10-A Suicidal Sickness 11- Within the Light 12- Faith in Flames |
A release that I could call modern death metal because it has all the elements of the pure death metal style but combined with a modern sound that makes the guitars more effective than in most of the bands of the style. That is, combine a death metal band with the guitar soun of bands like Machine Head, Fear Factory, etc. Brutal vocals are a trademark here giving a more extreme feeling to each composition. And the guitars play fast riffs but of the type that always leaves space for an arrangement or a melody that makes the tune fully memorable (just check "In Deep Silence" to see this). And that combiantion of memorable arrangements and brutality is the essence of Collapse 7´s music. The sound is amazing making each track a crushing experience. This album is a must have for any metal lover. |
| Cover Artwork by: Collapse 7 | |
|
Produced by Martin Schirenc |
Contact: www.collapse7.com or www.napalmrecords.com |
| Label: Armageddon Music |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Oliver Lux - vocals, guitars Oliver Kämper - guitars Karsten Heyn - bass Tim Obernyer - drums |
|
|
Music by Contradiction Lyrics by Contradiction |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Break the Oath 2-The Voice of Hatred 3-Arguments 4-Falling Down 5-Hate Patrol 6-Crimes 7-Nation of Fear 8-Horizon 9-Privacy 10-Engines of Greed 11- Future |
Starting in a really devastating way with "Break the Oath" the band soon shows their trademark, a combination of pure thrash riffing with a huge modern sound in the guitars. The music is extremely aggressive here. Extremely powerful vocals are unleashed here over the devastating guitar riffs. The drumming here is amazing, like taking eighties thrash metal to the 21st century adding good technical skills to a modern sound and superb passages are developed here. The band sounds extremely tight and that is one of the secrets of the effective Contradiction sound. Their tightness here is equal to more heaviness. The sound is really good, showing a lot of time spent in the studio and the mix searching for the most devastating sound possible. An album designed to be played loud and to blow your speakers into pieces. |
|
Produced by Contradiction |
Contact: www.armageddon-music.com or www.contradiction.de |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Gallo - guitars, vocals Lilker - bass Blackwell - vocals Waske - drums |
|
|
Music by Crucifist Lyrics by Crucifist |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Putrid Motherload 2-Skull-Smashing Face-Ripping DEath 3-Curse of the Plasma Hound 4-Demon-haunted World 5-Witchgrip |
Really primitive death metal with a strong late eighties early nineties influence. The sound is really raw, reminding me to early death metal recordings done with a low budget. Here we have metal legend Danny Lilker in a completely different format than in Nuclear Assault. The vocals are extreme of the deathly type. Lovers of old school death metal will like this one (remembers me a little bit of old Benediction in some parts or early Carnage and early Dismember in others). As I said before, this is a rehearsal demo and the sound is really raw but gives you an idea of how the band sounds in a live situation. Pure old school death metal !! |
|
Produced by Crucifist |
Contact: www.crucifist.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Vadim Davidson - all isntruments, vocals |
|
|
Music and lyrics by Vadim Davidson |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Sincerely Vomit 2-Attack 3-Enter Zero 4-Descentrest 5-Missing Link |
Some time ago we reviewed the previous album from this one man project. Now comes to our hands this new album that features a lot of progression in the music and specially in the sound. The music continues to be pure electronics with some industrial feeling in some parts with heavy experimentations. Here you have plenty of keyboards and programming creating interesting soundscapes through each composition. And you have Vadim Davidson`s voice doing some lines in a really enigmatic way with. The songs are explorations with moods, sounds and atmospheres that sometimes sound like coming from outter space. The sound here is really good and if you listen this recording with your headphones you will be transported to the electronic world of Cybernetic Erosion feeling through each arrangement that has been created here. |
| Cover Artwork by: Vadim Davidson | |
|
Produced by Vadim Davidson |
Contact: funeraldecadence@yahoo.com |
| Label: Black Metal Attack Recs./ Moonfog |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Norway | |
|
Line Up: Fenriz - drums Nocturno Culto - guitars, bass, vocals |
|
|
Music by nocturno Culto (1,3,4,6) and Fenriz (2,5,7) Lyrics by Fenriz |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Rust 2-Det Svartner Nå 3-Fucked Up and Ready to Die 4-Ytterst I Livet 5-Divided we Stand 6-Striving for a Piece of Lucifer 7-In Honour of Thy Name |
Here we have the latest blast by Fenriz and Nocturno Culto with all the elements that each of their releases has. that is aggressive fast guitars, drumming that sometimes is close to blast beats and sometimes have a more thrashy feeling. All in a context of pure raw black metal. ONe thing that I have to remark is that despite having the raw sound that has become a trademark of the band they have this time polished a little bit their sound making the instruments more audible than in some of their previous releases. Fenriz drumming is solid and still his drums have that early norwegian black metal sound in them. A good release by a legend of the most unholy black metal on Earth. |
| Cover Artwork by: Eric Massicotte | |
|
Recorded at Pan Lydstudio Produced by Dakthrone |
Contact: www.evilhorderec.com or www.moonfog.no or www.darkthrone.no |
| Label: Lifeforce Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Johanes Prem - vocals Tobias Graf - drums thomas Huschka - bass Sebastian Reichl - guitars Gert Rymen - guitars |
|
|
Music by Deadlock Lyrics by Deadlock |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Demonicus (Tonus Diabolus) 2-10000 Generations in Blood 3-The Year of the Crow 4-Everlasting Pain 5-Earth.Revolt 6-More tragedies to Come 7-Awakened by Sirens 8-Kingdom of the Dead 9-May Angels Come 10-Harmonic |
A full orchestral intro opens this album throwing you into the devastating world of Deadlock. A world full fo aggression and fast riffs but at the same time of memorable compositions that soon will blast the listener with it sheer intensity. The main thing here are the guitar riffs that are complex and really effective in creating the basis of all the compositions. Then comes the extreme vocal that give a deathly and sometimes black metal feeling to the music. And we have here also female vocals that are full of melancholy and deliver incrediuble melodic lines. And the guitars also add some interesting melodic arrangements and solos, such as in "The year of the Crow", a masterpiece in brutality and musicianship. The keyboards add atmospheres also contrasting with the heaviness of the music. And everything is put together with an incredible mix and sound that makes things even better. A must have foir any metal fan that loves virtuosism and aggression. |
| Cover Artwork by: Peter Hoffmann | |
|
Recorded at Gaia Studio Produced by D. Richter and S. Reichl |
Contact: www.lifeforcerecords.com |
|
DEAF SYMPHONY - BLACK GARDEN |
|
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Matt Cerbin - guitars, keyboards, vocals Larry Cox - drums |
|
|
Music by Matt Cerbin Lyrics by Matt Cerbin |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Scary love Song 2-Vision 3-Black Garden 4-Dark Angel 5-Greensleeves 6-Phantom 7-Evening Mist 8-Passage 9- Dream |
A great combination of powerful riffing and good melodies that make each of the nine compositions extremely memorable yet aggressive. If you add a dark sound or feeling you will have an idea of how Black Garden sounds. There are incredible arrangements here like the classic/ spanish guitar in the beginning of "Black garden" that soon turns iunto a heavy guitar riff that keeps the idea and the mood of the song. there is a lot of heaviness her but the main thing here is the good developing of the songs. There are incredible keyboards in many parts that orchestrate the compositions showing that this guys have incredible technical skills. The compositions are very different one from each other showing that this guys are extremely original and that they are full of clever ideas. The sound of the recording is good and direct adding even more power to the music. A trully original heavy release !!! |
| Cover Artwork by: The Design Studio | |
|
Recorded at Searchlight Cemetery Produced by Black Garden |
Contact: www.deafsymphony.com |
| Label: Necrotorture Agency |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: A.Pozza - guitars, vocals Rambo - drums Daniele - bass |
|
|
Music by A. Pozza Lyrics by A. Pozza |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Unknown Pathology 2- Necrotechnology 3-War Mechanism 4-Fusion-Man-Weapon |
Some issues back we reviewed Death Mechanism´s previous release. This one is a huge stage forward. Just from the start we have a possible hit called "Unknown Pathology", a track that combines pure aggression, speed, heaviness and a central melody that sticks in your mind. This guys have taken thrash metal to the extreme adding death metla influences and really extreme vocals that are a trademark here. The band is extremely solid and that gives extra power to the compositions, that sound compact and direct. There are changes in riffs and tempo and this guys manage this changes perfectly. The sound is really loud an dthat is essential for this style of music to have this direct impact on the listener. Now we await a full length from this killer italian band !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Malgametal | |
|
Recorded at Remaster Studio Produced by Death Mechanism |
Contact: www.deathmechanism.too.it or www.necroagency.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Russia | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Deathfrost Lyrics by Aleister Crowley |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Fourfold Blasphemy 2-Warrior Lord of the Forties 3-The Fall of Because 4-Fear Not 5-No Other God Than Me 6-Do What Thou Wilt |
We have reviewed some Deathfrost albums before and this new one continues with the original path that they have developed over theyears. Their music is really extreme as always with that sort of combination of death metal with industrial elements that makes their sound really unique. Here we have really extreme vocals that are processed and sound like another isntrument in tracks like "Fear Not". The guitars sound really raw and create riffs that are the heart and soul of the music here, leaving space for the vocals. The rhythms are sometimes slow and that gives a darker feeling to Deathfrost`s music. A band that has found its own sound and continues in the right way. |
| Cover Artwork by: Deathfrost | |
|
Produced by Deathfrost |
Contact: http://nav.to/deathfrost |
| Label: Morbid Winter Records |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: | |
|
Line Up: Pestilence - all instruments and vocals |
|
|
Music by Descantation Lyrics by Descantation |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Firmament 2-While the Frozen Air Awaits Morning 3- The Death of Fenris |
Pure black metal holocaust is what we have on this album. This guys have taken the spirit and sound of norwegian black metal and they have created this compositions full of hatred and blasphemy. I really liked the aggression that this compositions have with the trollish anguished screams that are one of the trademarks of the Descantation sound. The drumming is fast and mixes some blast beats and hyper fast rhythms with some old school thrash in the darkest parts. But the main thing here is the speed and aggression that this band unleashes with the chainsaw guitars that rip through your flesh with their intensity. the sound is really raw, sounding almost like a home recording and giving that underground black metal spirit and sound to the music. |
| Cover Artwork by: Pestilence | |
|
Produced by Descantation |
Contact: descantation@hotmail.com |
| Label: Grodhaisn Prods |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: The Netherlands / France | |
|
Line Up: Desensitised Steven - vocals Rick - drums Susan - guitars Jeroen - bass
Peach-Her Gohrgore - vocals Denix - guitars, b. voclas David - drums Jerome - bass |
|
|
Tracks: Desensitised 1- Stonerain 2-Smugness 3-Meltdown Mutation 4-Black Gold 5-Bought Beauty
Peach Her 6-PVP (on the rocks) 7-Pop-Corpse 8-My fork is a poltergeist part 1 9-Roasted Gambas 10-Too young to die 11-Some Bothering Story 2 12- Brain ice Cream 13-My Fork is a Poltergeist Prt 2 14-Vomit on You 15- Too young to die |
Desensitised is with no doubt one of Holland´s heaviest bands. their music goes in the middle between the heaviest thrash metal and the most rhythmic death metal. And this guys achieve the uttermost heaviness through speed and through creating incredible riffs that smashes your brain with their intensity. Extreme vocals are essential here giving an even more deathly feeling to the music. there are also blast beats that turn the music into a kick in your stomach because of the power that is Unleashed. The five tracks leave you wanting more from this destructive band. Then comes Peach Her, a killer death metal band with speed and with influences from both old school death metal and more modern metal in the most rhythmic parts. The songs here are direct and effective showing aggression in every second. The sound here is raw and direct making the guitars sound right in your face. This split is essnetial for those who want to listen good death metal with ideas but with also some old school influence that makes their music even more attractive |
| Contact: www.grodhaisn.cjb.net or www.desensitised.nl or www.peach-her.com | |
| Label: Grodhaisn Prods |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Czech Republic | |
|
Line Up: Erik - vocals Gassi - guitars Flagin - guitars, bass Ommurtag - drums |
|
|
Music by Destroying Divinity Lyrics by Destroying Divinity |
|
|
Tracks: 1- The Last Relic of Mankind 2-God´s Requiem 3-Death is Nothing 4-Dawn of Eternity 5-Murderers Don´t Stop with Crosses 6-Starting Point is Massacre 7-More Dead than Alive 8- Mosaic of Madness |
A couple of years ago we reviewed the previous album by this band, called "Created". Now comes to our hands this burst of aggression called "Hell Unleashed". And this is a title taht reflects what is inside this album....pure brutality in a brutal death metal format. I have no doubt that Destroying Divinity must be one of the most brutal bands on Earth. Fast rhythms are essential here and they are played with such good technique that they sound even more brutal when played in this tight way. The vocals are guttural and sometimes of the screaming type, but always really extreme fitting the brutality of the music. I have to remark the guitar work that play incredible double guitar riffs in an extremely tight way, even in the technical hardest parts. The sound of teh recording is direct and loud making this album destroy your windows glasses when played at a loud volume. The ultimate experience in extremely brutal music !!! |
| Cover Artwork by: Destroying Divinity | |
|
Recorded at Studio Sopa Produced by Destroying Divinity and Stanislav Valasek |
Contact: www.destroyingdivinity.com or www.grodhaisn.cjb.net |
| Label: Hell´s Headbangers recs. |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Australia | |
|
Line Up: Glenn - guitars, vocals Jarro - drums, vocals Regan - bass |
|
|
Music by Destruktor Lyrics by Destruktor |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro 2-Fight like the Devil 3-Nuclear Storm 4-Strive to Conquer 5-Justice Unleashed |
I expected a pure black metal band with not that much ideas but I was completely wrong. Just from the beginning is evident that this guys know how to deliver good aggressive music but with good musicianship. Yes, they are extremely bestial doing blast beats and hyper fast parts but they combine this with good ideas, coming mostly from the guitars that deliver brutal riffs always adding something taht you don´t expect. One thing that surprises also is the really loud sound tat this recording has, emphasizing even more the aggression tat this guys unleash on this MCD. The drumming is really intense with blast beats and also with interesting breaks and patterns that show that this guy is a beast behind the drumkit. The vocals are realy extreme fitting the music and they sound clear in the mix hitting the lsitener with their full blasphemic power. As I said before the sound is loud, direct and raw making this band sound like in a live show with intensity and full power. Thrash black metal the way it must be done !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Jai Raphael | |
|
Recorded at Cuttin Edge´s Studio Produced by Destruktor |
Contact: www.hellsheadbangers.com or www.destruktor.cjb.net |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Doktor - vocals, guitars Cimmero - guitars Michele - bass Massi - drums |
|
|
Music by Devaster Lyrics by Devaster |
|
|
Tracks: 1- March 2-Feverish Commando 3-Persecution 4-Infernal Evocation 5-Necrothrash (come back...) |
Eighties thrash is alive and kicking ass in the 21st century !!! And it surely has evolved thank to bands like Devaster. Here we have the rhythms that are essential in this type of music and also the aggression that this type of bands must have. the muisc here is centered in the guitar work where killer riffs are unleashed in the vein of early Metallica or Megadeth or even Overkill. Doktor´s vocals are another of the trademarks here, really raw and giving that thrash metal spirit to the music. The band sound well rehearsed and at the same time they have this sound that is sort of a live show sound, full of energy. The drums have a really original sound in the snare drum and the overall sound of this recording is raw yet effective. Thrash metal is back and Devaster is one of the bands that are taking this killer style back to the emtal realm. |
| Cover Artwork by: Devaster | |
|
Recorded at Eruption Studio Produced by Doktor |
Contact: www.devaster.net |
| Label: Paragon Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
|
Line Up: G. Dominus - guitar J. Fogarazzo - guitars J. Mroz - bass M - vocals R. Bohlman - drums |
|
|
Music by Dimentianon Lyrics by Dimentianon |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Terribilis est Locus Iste 2-Blood Shed from a Black Rose 3-To be Crowned King and Stabbed to Death 4-Azrael |
As alwyas Dimentianon surprises with their pure aggression and brutality. This is evident while listening the guitar riffs here and the amazing drumming. One essential feature in Dimentianon´s music is the drumming that always sounds like an earthqueake while delivering the fast patterns that are characteristic of the band. The guitar riffs are fast and furious making each composition really intense and aggressive. The vocals are deathly and extreme being anotyher of the trademarks of the band and adding even more violence to Dimentianon´s music. The sound is similar to the one in "Seven Suicides" with slight improvement in the drums and the guitars and reflecting all the aggression unleashed by this crushing band. |
| Cover Artwork by: Dimentianon | |
|
Produced by Dimentianon |
Contact: www.paragonrecords.net |
| Label: Alveran Recs |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Belgium | |
|
Line Up: Greg - guitar Luigi - guitars Rudy - drums Etienne - bass Chris - vocals Angelo - vocals |
|
|
Music by Do or Die Lyrics by Do or Die |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Enemies 2-Sentence 3-TRadition 4-Dead End 5-Persecution 6-1930 Prohibition 7- The Pact 8- Vendetta 9-Too Late 10-Bound By Blood 11- Red Dusk 12-Scars 13-Betrayal |
Pure aggression in its highest degree. Here we have a band that combines modern metal with hardcore and also with some death emtal in order to achieve an extremely brutal result. One thing that I liked is that they throw in many places some melodies, as in th chorus of "Enemies" making the songs memorable at the same time than utterly aggressive. The guitars sound huge and they play really rhythmic riffs that are the essence of the brutality here transmiting pure energy to the listener. The album has a really good sound, specially the guitars and the extreme, vocals that sound like screaming in your face !!!! Pure aggression unleashed over mankind !!!
|
|
Produced by Do Or Die |
Contact: www.alveranrecords.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2002 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Simona - vocals Andrea - guitars Alberto - bass, keyboards, piano Enzo - drum, percussion |
|
|
Music by Dollmen Lyrics by Dollmen |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Alice 2 2-Q-Menda 3-Delusione 4-Monhanni 5-Morte at 4/4 6-Daffodils 7-Christorundum |
An extremely original release that surprises because of the multiple different arrangements and feelings that it has. With strong seventies influences but a really modern sound the band manages to create here seven memorable compositions. One of the trademark is the voice of Simona, full of melody and power and used in an unconventional manner, sometimes doubling the guitars and sometimes adding different lines. There is a big use of keyboards and guitars that contrast heavily on each tune but at the same time they create the essential Dollmen atmosphere. And the guitars are essential here playing from riffs to arpeggios contributing with arrangements to push Simona´s voice to the limit. A killer album with killer songs. |
| Cover Artwork by: Dollmen | |
|
Produced by Dollmen |
Contact: asopalla@tiscalinet.it or molude@tiscalinet.it |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: | |
|
Line Up: Neil P. - guitar, vocals Wolf - bass Floortom - drums |
|
|
Music by Downtown Brown Lyrics by Neil Petterson, exc 4,12 and 13 |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Welcome to the Acropolis 2- Smooth Talker 3- Holy matrimony 4- Sit in teh Pit 5-Orange B 6-Love Kitchen 7-Dream Woman 8-Mangina 9-Free Charlie 10-In front of my face 11-Feel the Beat 12-Leadaz of ROKK 13-Live Today (TWT) |
THis is a really original band that combines powerful heavy metal with virtuosism. Starting on 1 with a guitar sound that reminded me to Steve Vai the band turns few seconds later into a power metal / thrash metal tune with a fast and aggressive riff. There is really good musicianship here and that is evident in the multiple changes and solos thata re all over this recording. The singer is really versatile changing his voice and mood on each passage, stretching to fit perfectly the mood of a specific riff or rhythm. The guitars are really heavy and there are some galloping riffs here and there but comined with different rhythms and patterns. The rhythm section is extremely tight and the good thing is that they know how to develope an idea and how to change from one pattern to the other in a really coherent way. The sound of the recording is really good. A Trully rocking experience with multiple aggressive parts. |
| Cover Artwork by: JMFK | |
|
Recorded at Tempermill Studios Produced by Downtown Brown and Tony Hamera |
Contact: www.dtbmusic.com |
| Label: Alveran Recs. |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Kevin Otto - vocals Thorsten Kleine-Hegermann - guitar Frank Knöfler - drums Olli Sarkander - bass Dennis Begger - guitar |
|
|
Music by End of Days Lyrics by End of Days |
|
|
Tracks: 1- From Hell (Intro) 2-Dedicated to the Extreme 3-March of the Hollow 4-Nothing But Disgust 5-Savage Redemption 6- Unbreakable 7-Inside I Burn 8-Worthless 9-Sleepless Sorrow 10-Turned to Death |
This band makes bands like Fear Factory pale in brutality and aggression when compared to them. This band starts smashing your brain from the first second with huge guitar riffs that sounds like if you were standing in front of huge amplifiers. Then you have the drumming. this guy is amazing with the double bass and the good thing is that he has a great sound that allows him to play all this patterns and sound really in the front of the mix making the result even more devastating. the vocals are really extreme fitting really well the music (not too guttural but of the type that emphasises the aggression of the music). ´Tue Madsen´s production gives the final touch to the band´s sound adding even more power if that is possible. This album is really powerful and aggressive and each note is a testimony of this ! |
|
Mastered by Tue Madsen Produced by Jacob Bredhal |
Contact: www.alveranrecords.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Belgium | |
|
Line Up: Peter Bogaert - vocals Philippe Tack - guitars Tom Van Cauwenberghe - guitars David Hugelier - bass David Bourdon - drums |
|
|
Music by Essatic Lyrics by Essatic |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Dumped for Life 2- Vermin 3-Undead Symphony 4-Gift from Below 5-Hate |
This is a pure aggresive band with a huge guitar sound. The music in "Dumped for Life" reminds me to early Kreator but with a much more modern sound and with plenty of death metal elements. Then the band gets into a more death metal style but always keeping some thrash metal riffing that turns the music really original and makes the tunes memorable. Besides, this guys have good technical skills and that doesn`t mean that they are sacrificing aggression. In fact this makes them sound tighter and harder. The vocals are really extreme and are of the kind used in the most extreme thrash bands or in bands like Carcass. The album has a raw but clear sound that lets you feel all the power unleashed by Essatic- A devastating crushing release...and we want more ! |
| Cover Artwork by: Tom Van Cauwenberghe | |
|
Recorded at Cafe t´Brugske Produced by Essatic |
Contact: www.essatic.be |
| Label: Ethnometal Recs. |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
|
Tracks: 1- FATAL - Anakhendavia 2-N0119 - Styl Jdid 3- BURGUL TORKHAIN - He Ptalas Ben Amothep 4-LITHAM - El Djamra 5-HORRESCO REFERENS - Deceptes 6-ABSORBED - Oppressed Mind 7-TEAL - Hebek Habibi 8-MORPHEUS- Bizim Hiler 9-KHZENAT - Dream or Reality 10-BONTY - Banana 11-MELMOTH - A Rise from the hell 12-ANTHARES - Archangel 13-KENITRA - Red Balek
|
|
|
Here we have a really unconventional compilation. We have reviewed before bands like Horresco referens, Litham and Kenitra and they all were really original bands. MOst of the bands here come from the most extreme side of metal and they combine this utter bestiality and aggression with eastern sounding elements. THis is a trully oriignal compilation full of killer and aggressive bands. Here we have Fatal´s death metal to N0119 almost indescriptible metal, Burgul Torkhain´s climatic eastern death metal full of melodies and atmospheres and killer musicianship. And we also have pure heavy metal bands like Anthares or power death metal bands like Absorbed and Melmoth´s blcak metal. All of them have in common good musicianship and ethnical sounding elements in their music. A must have for those who are always looking new sounds in metal |
|
| Cover Artwork by: Hamza Labrinssi | |
|
Produced by Jalal Mrhani and Eric Spider |
Contact: www.ethnometal.com |
| Label: Sriracha Records |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: France | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Eths Lyrics by Eths |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Méléna 2- Crucifère 3- D´etruis-moi 4-Septum Lucidum 5-Le fruit des anges 6-∞ 7-Rutsah 8-Je Vous Hais 9-L´Instant Sourd 10-Simiesque 11-Ailleurs c´est ici 12-Elle s´endort |
The first thing that amazed me here is the combination of extreme vocals and clean vocals here. Here we have a female voice that is sometimes really melodic such as in "Crucifère" and then turns abruptly into a more extreme one and also into a more guttural voice adding even more brutality to the music. This aspect, along with the heavier than hell guitars are one of the trademarks of the band that allows them to play compositions that are pure heaviness but that at the same time have certain atmospheric moments. This band has many elements of modern metal in the rhythms and the guitar riffs and they use this influences to achieve utter aggression through all the compositions here (beware, because the last track has a big silence gap in the end and then comes some acoustic bonuses). The sound of the recording is really good, specially on the huge guitars making this an extremely heavy album with destructive compositions ! |
| Cover Artwork by: Eths | |
|
Produced by Eths |
Contact: www.sriracha-sauce.com or www.eths.net or www.coriace.com |
| Label: Necrotorture Agency |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Fausto - guitar Gian - vocals Ale - drums Mayler - guitars, vocals Teo - bass |
|
|
Music by Mayler (1,2), Teo (3), Mayler/Fausto (4) Lyrics by Gian (1), Ale (2), Teo (3) and Myler (4) |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Christian Agony, 2- Desecrated Catacomb, 3- Devour My Soul, 4- ...And Darkness on his face, 5- Christian Agony (video) |
Brutal as hell but yet technical this band succeeds in four tracks to blast your brain with their aggressive brutal death and at the same time to surprise with good arrangements, harmonizations and interesting rhythms and pattern changes . There are interesting two guitar harmonies in some fast riffs such as the ones in the beginning of "Christian Agony". The voicals here are of the most guttural kind that you can find anywhere (in fact they advice in the booklet that there is no vocal armonizers used here). The sound is raw but the guitars sound really huge creating devastating passages that will surprise with its aggression. The band sounds really tight and that is essential here, ijhn a kind of music that is designed to crush you. A devastating release. |
|
Recorded at Blue Train´s Studio Produced by Exsecrator |
Contact: www.exsecrator.tk or www.necroagency.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Michael Eisenhauer - bass, vocals Rob Rigney - guitars Garrett Scanlan - drums |
|
|
Music by Evil incarnate Lyrics by Michael Eisenhauer |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Waiting for his Return 2-Into Hands of Sinners 3-Temple of Blasphemy 4-Forced Inside Your Church 5-Did not Die for Me 6-Terror in the Holy Land (9-11) 7-Piece by Piece 8-Tormentor |
I expected black metal here but this death metal mchine crushed my brain from the beginning to the end !! This trio is pure brutality making four or five pieces band pale in comparison. The vocals are extremely guttural but what is the trademark is the extremely huge sound that the guitars have, sounding like a ten ton hammer delivering constantly the heaviest of riffs. The drumming is really intense and I like a lot the use of ride cymbal in tracks like "Temple of Blasphemy". There is a certain thrash metal influence here that is used here but with augmented violence and aggression and at the same time adding a lot of variation to the music. I really liked the Slayer "Piece by Piece" and Destruction "Tormentor" covers, played in the more deathly style that Evil Incarnate manages so well. A crushing satanic death emtal release !! |
|
Produced by Evil Incarnate |
Contact: www.hellsheadbangers.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: |
|
|
Music by Tiziano, Alessandro (1), Alessandro (2) and Tiziano (3) Lyrics by Tiziano (1,3) |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Back Stabbed 2-Forgotten Lore 3-Taboo Grinder
|
Some issues back we reviewed the previous Exiled on Earth album and this new release is even more powerful. Unleashing the thrash metal with shades of pure heavy metal that the band has mastered here we have an album with three aggressive, complex and memorable compositions. This guys are really amazing musiicans playing aprts full of complexity without missing a beat and showing how to be original and at the same time extremely powerful. The rhythm section is amazing creating this patterns that use double bass and good bass lines. And the guitars change from riff to riff with solvency and with clever ideas. Mulitple breaks and changes are the essence here. A must have. |
| Cover Artwork by: Lavinia Martini | |
|
Recorded at Daco Studios an Temple of Noise Studios Produced by Exiled on Earth |
Contact: www.exiledonearth.it |
| Label: I.F.A. Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Czech Republic | |
|
Line Up: Jiri Benes - guitars, vocals Tomás "Corbow" Kotrba - bass, vocals Martin Volny - drums, samples, vocals |
|
|
Music by F.O.B. Lyrics by JIri /Volny, exc. 6 and 8 by Corbow |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Neverending Projection 2-The Mask 3-Whiteness 4-Reality 5-In Progress 6-Time Runs So Slowly 7-The judge 8-the Horse Blow Job 9-Emotional Sadomasochistic 10-Indian Fall |
A couple of years ago we reviewed the previous album by this czech band. And they have progressed a lot since then. Not only in compositions but also in sound. This guys are really technical and they can play multiple structures, breaks and tempo changes within each of their songs in a really tight way. The guitars sound really huge now showing why this guys are a moving force in the death metal scene of their country. If you listen this album at a loud volume as I do you can almost feel the drums pounding through your chest with all their intensity. The vocals give the deathly feeling to the music being realy growling and adding even more brutality. This is an extremely brutal release done in the best way: with good musicianship and killer technical skills. |
| Cover Artwork by: Klaris and Bendis | |
|
Recorded at Kocis Sound Produced by I.F.A. Records and F.O.B. |
Contact: www.fob.cz or www.ifarecords.cz |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: |
|
|
Music and lyrics by Fear of Dolls, exc. 7 by Jagger/Richards/Faithfull |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Can you hear the sickness? 2- Screaming Inside Her 3-She Was Laughing 4-The Nightime Tea Party 5-Drop Out 6-The Lauging Fetus 7-Sister Morphine 8-The Prettiest Song 9-Can You get Inside Her through her Open Sores? 10- |
This is a really weird band, starting from the band`s name and the album`s title. And their music is extremely original and you can not label it that easily. Sarting in "Can you hear the sickness?" with some low keyboards and operistic vocals the band soon gets into a climatic track like "SCreaming Inside Her" where the guitars and keyboards create the atmosphere and a female voice with an ethereal feeling starts doing some melodies that are essential to achieve the right feeling. And that feeling is really introspective and is achieved here through the exploration with the voices and instruments that continues through all the ten tracks. If you want original music you should check this album. |
| Cover Artwork by: Greg Forschler | |
|
Produced by Fear of Dolls |
Contact: www.fearofdolls.com |
| Label: Remedy Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Jürgen Aumann - vocals Werner Müller - guitar Jörg Breitenbach - guitars Heiko Krumpholz - drums |
|
|
Music and lyrics by Jorg Breitenbach and Heiko Krumpholz |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro 2-Strong Pain 3-Eyes of Horror 4-Greed for Revenge 5-Empty Eyes 6-Exposed to Hatred 7-Let Me Be Your Tank 8-Bemoaned Animosity 9-Sociopathically Insane 10-Coma Divine |
Starting with an aggressive intro the band soon gets into the full thrash metal mode at full speed in "Strong Pain". Having a combination of old school and modern sound the band transmits pure devastation to the listener with their storming guitar riffs. the band also adds some death emtal influences in the most extreme parts, sounding really brutal. The interaction between the guitars is one of the main elements here. But the main thing here is pure aggression, created through the bestial vocals and also with the crushing drumming full of amazing patterns delivered with ride and also wiith double bass.The album has all the impact that the production by Andy Classen can give, that is, a super sound full of aggression. And there is a special edition of this release with a bonus CD containing the first album of this band and their 1995 first demo all remastered. |
| Cover Artwork by: Jowita Kaminska | |
|
Recorded at Stage One Studio Produced by Andy Classen |
Contact: www.death-thrash-chaos.de or www.remedyrecords.de |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Hungary | |
|
Line Up: Roland Hüse - guitars Ferenc Mocsnik - drums, bass Istvan Kalinka - vocals Zoltan Toth - keyboards |
|
|
Music by Frost Lyrics by Frost |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Lost Connection 2-Unholy Land 3-Nature´s Revenge 4-Storm Above the Carpathians 5-Awaken 6-The Curse 7-Heathen Lament 8-My Black Metal 9-The Flying Back... 10-In Front of Armies 11-Dark Symphony 12-The Glassmountain 13-The Calling 14-Elizabeth Bathory |
Pure black metal but with emphasis in strong musicianship instead of speed as many bands of the style do. This guys create interesting riffs and arrangements through all the album with good climatic moments. Don´t get me wrong, this guys have a lot of speed in their compositions but that is just one of the elements used in order to achieve the ultimate aggression. Agonic vocals are essential here to add more darkness to the music and they transmit a lot of the aggression too. I find some thrash metal influences in some parts and when combined with the keyboards the ultimate mFrost sound is achieved. There is really good musicianship here and that is evident while listening how tight the band is, doing complex parts without missing a beat. The sound is raw and really good in the keyboards that are essential here to achieve the sound that this band wants to deliver. Pure unholy music with killer arrangements !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Krisztian Föbenyessy and Ferenc Mocsnik | |
|
Recorded at Studio 440 Produced by Frost |
Contact: www.paragonrecords.net or www.frost.try.hu |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Deezer - vocals Fred - guitars Brice - drums Jess - bass Vince - keyboards |
|
|
Music by Generation of Dawn Lyrics by Deezer |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Next time 2- Nothing 4 Nothing 3-Dawn Generation 4-Born Dead |
Some enigmatic keyboard opens the first five seconds of this album before this crushing band enters with full force (beware if you are using headphones....this guys are really loud !!). The music here can be defined as heavy metal with elements of modern metal and crushing rhythms. THis band combines interesting climatic openings with crushing guitar riffs, including also some electronics in order to achieve the exact feeling that they want to transmit to the listener. The tunes are really memorable, and a lot has to do the killer powerful vocals that deliver memorable phrases that will stick into your mind and also with the killer contrast between the keyboards and the heavy guitars. The sound is really loud and clear and that adds extra points to the music making this album a must have for any metal fan. |
| Cover Artwork by: Generation of Dawn | |
|
Produced by Generation of Dawn |
Contact: www.god-net.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Chris Weerts - guitars, programming, vocals Michael Kern - bass, programming, vocals RJ Thomson - guitar, vocals |
|
|
Music by Ghost in the Machine
|
|
|
Tracks: 1- The Water´s Edge 2-Redemption 3-Second Coming 4-Rodeo 5-Lady Love 6-Revolution 7-Backlash 8-Rokstar (Sold my soul mix) 9-Garden of Stone 10-Supergod (Long Hair mix) 11- Redemption (Long hair mix) 12-Rodeo (Club Mix) 13- Second Coming (Trail mix) 14-Rokstar (Rags to Riches mix) 15-Rodeo (Hard Mix) 16-Supergod (Dancing Evil Clowns mix) 17-Garden of Stone (Orchestral Mix)
|
Some keyboards and electronics open this recording and then comes the vocals doing a melodic line before the rhythm section enters in a climatic mood. Ghost in the Machine is a combination of power and melody showing how well can this two elements be combined. the music is modern metal with many interesting and original ideas. The programmed drums and the use of keyboards give a mechanical feeling to the music that suits perfectly the mood of the songs, taking them close to an industrial mood. The vocals sound powerful and modern fitting really well the feeling of the music and adding more heaviness to the heaviest parts. The guitars are loud and extremely heavy here being the soul of the music.Here we have also multiple remixes of different tracks showing how you can transform a song with a remix adding elements and taking others (just check the different remixes of "Rodeo"). Pure experimentation with eleectronics and a lot of imagination. |
| Cover Artwork by: Ghost in the Machine | |
|
Recorded at 808 Multi Media Studios Produced by Ghost in the Machine |
Contact: www.gitm.net |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 1999 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Chris Weerts - programming, vocals, guitar Michael Kern - programming, vocals, bass |
|
|
Music by Ghost in the Machine
|
|
|
Tracks: 1- The Haunting Begins 2-Everyone is dead 3-Lies 4-Electric 5-Do you believe? 6-The Shepherd 7-Supergod 8-Death´s Second Self 9-Embrace 10-What Dreams are Made Of 11-Big Gimmick 12-Image N 13-Suspicion |
THis album is definitely more electronic than "The REPO Sessiopns" with not that much emphasis on the heaviness of the music but more on the industrial feeling of the compositions. But don`t get me wrong....the guitars are really heavy too but used in a different way. There is a lot of experimentation here and I really like the way in which this guys generate a really dense atmosphere with the use of electronics and heavy guitars. The vocals sound processed and fitting the music perfectly. The electronics are the essential feature here, giving the unique sound that Ghost in the Machine has. There is experimentation here because this guys are constantly exploring new paths for their music adding different elements on each composition. Open minded people will surely like this release ! |
| Cover Artwork by: Ghost in the Machine | |
|
Produced by Ghost in the Machine |
Contact: www.gitm.net |
| Label: Snakebite Prods. |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: France | |
|
Line Up: Naja-Atra - drums, vocals Incertaesedis - guitars, bass, b.vocals |
|
|
Music by Gomory Lyrics by Gomory |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro 2-Destruction and Misery 3-Disorder of Ideas 4-Underworld Gate 5-Power is Illusion 6-Predatory 7-Hardened Steel Hair 8-My Dark Army 9-Damned 10-Humanity is Animal 11-Universe is an Arena 12-Final Frontier |
Starting with a really huge riff Gomory soon shows what they are capable of doing: pure Armageddon in the form of an extremely brutal death metal band. Tracks like "Destruction and Misery" are of the type designed to blast the listener without mercy. Blast beats are all over the place here and the guitars sound really huge playing fast riffs that go from brutal to bestial. the vocals are really guttural fitting the bestiality of the music really well. There is some old school death metla sound here and tehre but te band prefers the most brutal side of the style. This is an album designed to crush you with sheer intensitya nd power. Lovers of brutality should not miss this !! |
|
Recorded at Winterized Studio Produced by Gomory |
Contact: http://snakebiteprod.free.fr |
| Label: Life Fluid Prods |
|
| Year: 2000 | |
| Country: Slovakia | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Goreopsy Lyrics by Goreopsy |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro 2-Intentional Disfiguration 3-Metus Atrox 4-Encapsulated Fresh meat of anal butcher 5-Diarrhoeatic Bloody Orgasm 6-Undimished Glutton Demands |
A guttural growling sound opens this album before "Intentional Disfiguration" blasts through the speakers. THis is ultra brutal death grind with gore elements that devastates the listener with putrid guitar riffs and necrotic drumming. You will be amazed with the vocals that are like coming from putrid intestines and that sound like another isntrument adding more brutality to the music. the drummign is extremely fast sounding almost like programmed drums in the fastest parts (there is plenty of double bass parts here too). But the main thing here is the atmosphere of pure brutality and cadaveric noise that this grinding band delivers here. Lovers of gore metal will surely love Goreopsy, one of the main bands of this killer style !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Goreopsy | |
|
Recorded at Rapes Studio Produced by Goreopsy |
Contact: d_vlyons@intas.net.au |
| Label: Life Fluid Prods |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Slovakia | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Goreopsy Lyrics by Goreopsy |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Co-Ed Killer 2-Maude Kemper 3-Mary Ann Peceo 4-Anita Luchess 5-Aiko Koo 6-Cindy Schall 7-Rosalinda Thorp 8-Alice Lin 9-Undiminished Gluton Demands 10-Enjoy the Killing 11- Clarnell Kemper 12-... |
Goreopsy changed a little bit their thematic telling us the story of serial killer Edmund Kemper through twelve tracks. Their music is extremely fast and furious with heavy influences of brutal death metal bands and also from pure grindcore. And the vocals are of the most guttural form possible, sounding like coming from beyond an open grave with a putrid corpse inside. The programmed drums here go to the limit playing hyper fast patterns in many places and then changing to more mid paced rhythms and then going back to speed (just check "Maude Kemper" to see this). The guitars sound really heavy and they construct the wall of sound that is the essnce of Goreopsy´s music. Pure brutality unleashed with the inspiration of one of the msot brutal serial killers. |
|
Produced by Goreopsy |
Contact: d_vlyons@intas.net.au |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: | |
|
Line Up: Scott - drums, guitars, b. vocals Mark - bass, guitar Ricky - vocals |
|
|
Music by Grand Facade Lyrics by Grand Facade |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Facing the Black 2-Wallpaper Sky 3-Consequences 4-Minivisions 5-Clarity unveiled 6-Between this Dream 7-The Becoming of Me 8-Oblivion |
A band that can combine death metal with climatic moments creating compositions that are really well developed. You will find here moments of pure brutality, interacting heavily with more climatic moments, including ones with acoustic guitars. One of the main things here are the vocals, sometimes really guttural and sometimes clean and melodic, such as in "Wallpaper Sky". The guitars play heavy riffs with a really fat sound when the compositions need them and they also play beautiful acoustic arpeggios in the cleanest parts. THere are also guitar solos full of feelings that embellish even more the tracks. The album has a raw sound that gives an underground feeling to the music. A good combiantion of aggression and killer moods. |
| Cover Artwork by: Scott Peters | |
|
Recorded at Blue Heaven Studios Produced by Scott Peters and Grand Facade |
Contact: www.grandfacade.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Belgium | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Grandchaos
|
|
|
Tracks: 1- Ionize Me (1386pm) 2-Dream Factory 3-From the Outside 4-Horror 5-Ionize Me (1006pm) |
Pure electronics unleashed over your brain in a really effective way. This is pure experimentation with electronic sounds and with some industrial elements that is full of originality. Here we have from dancing beats to more aggressive rhythms but always leaving plenty of space for the heavy experimentation. Voices are used like another instrument always being processed and sounding like coming from outer space. The keyboards and programmed drums play a fundamental role here giving that machine like feeling to the music but always keeping a powerful feeling that is essential in Grandchaos music. An extremely original release. |
| Cover Artwork by: Jirko | |
|
Produced by Grandchaos |
Contact: tcheleskov.ivanovitch@skynet.be |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Elias Casula - vocals, guitars Giovanni Podda - vocals, bass Andrea Sanna - guitars, b. vocals Nicola Guiso - drums |
|
|
Music by Grey Summer Lyrics by Grey Summer |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Freak (you Know) 2- Wake Up girls 3-Hikikomori (d.p.d.v.d.l.) 4- Gray Summer 5-Balentia 6-Hate You 7-My doll is Called Abyss 8-Roots of Grey 9-Do shit in U (fuck the prejudice) 10-No as compresu 11- Anti-Hero |
Judging by the cover art I expected a gothic band here but this band surprised me with rocking riffs and a pure hard rock / heavy rock attitude where the music is full of cool guitar riffs and direct rhythms that impact with full power in the listener. The compositions are powerful and memorable, mainly through the direct riffs and the memorable vocals. You will find yourself singing the choruses of each of this tracks because theya re of the type designed to be sang with your fist in the air . The sound is raw but is the exact sound that a band of this style must have letting the main riffs be fully audible and also transmiting the energy to the lsitener. Pure rock the way it must be done.. |
| Cover Artwork by: Grey Summer | |
|
Recorded at Grey Summer Studios and Suono Immagine Studios Produced by Grey Summer |
Contact: www.greysummer.tk |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Valerio - guitars, vocals Andrea - guitar Jonah - drums Willer -bass |
|
|
Music by Lyrics by |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Introsection of the Engine 2-Dimension Evil 3-Katharsis in vain 4-Slay the Demiurge 5-From the Cosmic Chaos 6-Nihil Addiction 7-Blood Calls Blood 8-N.D.E. 9- Out of the Body
|
"Introspection of the Engine" opens up with a long climatic beginning before "Dimension Evil" shows the bestial side of Grimness´s music. They call their style black thrash metal but I would add technical to the name of the style because this guys have really good musicianhip that allows them to play the breaks and changes that the compositions here have. And the vocals are not too black emtal, having also some death metal feeling too. It is remarkable the good sound of the instruments on this recording, specially the guitars that sound really big here and the drums that are direct and technical playing interesting patterns, specially with the bass drums and ride cymbal (besides pleaying some blast beats). there are also some guitar solos with good taste and good note placement that adorn this brutal yet magnificent recording. Darkness combined with killer musicinship and sound. |
| Cover Artwork by: Paolo Soellner | |
|
recorded at the Outer Sound Studios Produced by Grimness |
Contact: www.grimness.net |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: France | |
|
Line Up: Joel Barbosa - drums Henri Grosjean - bass Gaël Nourry - guitars, vocals |
|
|
Music by Gaël Nourry Lyrics by Gaël Nourry |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Wingless Birds 2-Bellicose Mind 3-Contamination 4-Betray the Child 5-Black Priest |
This really surprised me because I expected some death metal band and then comes this solid heavy metal band with full power !! There are eighties influences here but with a modern sound the band has achieved its own sound. they have added to the mix some thrash metal elements in some of the riffing and rhythms that gives even more strength to their music making other metal bands pale in comparison. This guys take you band to the metal era of bands like Accept or the thrash metal times of bands like Overkill. The songs have good choruses that make them extremely memorable and they are full of power. The sound is a little bit raw and I think that this guys deserve a studio with a huge sound because they rule and have the power of pure metal !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Paul May | |
|
Recorded at Arts Sans Frontiere Prod. Produced by Hardened Bastars |
Contact: www.hardenedbastards.com |
| Label: Lifeforce Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Isaias Martinez - guitars Tony Zimmermann - guitars Brian Joyce - drums Joe Martinez - bass Matt Mc Chesney - vocals |
|
|
Music by Hell Within Lyrics by Hell Within |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Godspeed to Your Death bed 2-Bleeding Me Black 3-Redemption...Is a Cold Body 4-Merchants of the Blood Trade 5-A World to murder 6-Self-inflicted Suicide 7-Asylum of the Human predator 8- Soul revulsion 9-Swallow the Stitches 10-Open Eyes to open Wounds |
What an aggressive band !!! And the good thing about Hell Within is taht besides having a realy extreme metal feeling they have memorable tunes where ultra heavy riffs and fast rhythms are combined with a mix of clean and extreme vocals in order to create the Hell Within crushing sound. With influences that go from Slayer to Candiria but also with some bands like Carcass and even Children of Bodom this band has managed to deliver here ten tracks that are like a kick in your brain. THe riffs have that hardcore / modern metal rhythmic feeling that makes them sound so powerful and aggressive. And the bnd is extremely tight and well rehearsed allowing this to play the changes in tempo and riffs perfectly. One remarkable sound is the killer sound, that would be the envy of many of the best known bands. Pure aggression in ten devastating tracks. |
| Cover Artwork by: Mario Garza | |
|
Recorded at Prism Sound Studios Mixed at Planet Z |
Contact: www.lifeforcerecords.com |
| Label: Necrotorture Agency |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Edo - vocals Stefano - guitars Deimos - guitars Lorenzo - drums Giancarlo - bass |
|
|
Music by Hellwrath Lyrics by Edoardo Faggi |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Hellwrath 2-Peaceless 3- Anger Words |
"Hellwrath" opens with one minute of dark sounds before getting into the more aggressive side of the band. The first thing taht got my attention here are the vocals, a combiantion of a spoken voice taht is louder and a more guttural one that is in the background, before the roles turn and the more brutal voice comes to the front. The three tracks here let us know that theband is really powerful and at the same time are really skilled in order to play all the parts that they deliver on each track. This guys are achieving brutality with killer rhythmic riffs and multiple tempo changes that show that the band is extremely well rehearsed. Double bass drumming is combined with complex patterns here in order to give a lot of originality to the brutality of the band. The guitars deliver riff after riff with no mercy showing that there is really good interaction between the guitars. The vocals are really extreme giving an even more death metal feeling to the music and the sound allows the listener to be immersed in the powerful world that thi band creates. We want more of this killer band soon. We want more Hellwrath !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Lorenzo Meriggi | |
|
Recorded at Audiodinamica Studio Produced by Hellwrath |
Contact: www.hellwrath.com or www.necroagency.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Alexander - guitars, vocals Fabio -drums MArio - bass |
|
|
Music by Helvergr Lyrics by Helvergr |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Wendigo 2-Raindrop 3-Touched by the Black |
The three tracks contained on this MCD gives us a sample of the sheer intensity that Helvergr can unleash over the listener. Here we have a band whose second name is brutality...and they achieve this bestiality combining brutal death metal with some thrash metal elements. Speed is essential here but also teh tightness and skills of the band that ound really well rehearsed giving even more impact to their music. The double bass drumming is amazing here and the use of cymbals is essential to achieve the degree of brutality that the band unleashes here. The vocals are really extreme, of the agonic type giving an even more deathly feeling to the music. The album has powerful sound that adds extra dosis of heaviness to the music. Pure violence unleashed through three tracks.
|
| Cover Artwork by: Alex and Scimmio | |
|
Recorded at Nadir Studios Produced by Tommy Talamanca |
Contact: helvergr@rock.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2003 | |
| Country: Australia | |
|
Line Up: Andrew Cantwell - drums, vocals, samples Phillip Brien - guitars, bass, samples |
|
|
Music by Cantwell (1,3,5) and Brien (2,4) Lyrics by Highroad Nº 28 |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Anxiety Disorder NOS 2- Just Below the Surface 3- Disociative Paroxysm 4- Time Desolation 5- Intransigent |
Rhythmic guitar riffs open the fist track here setting the pace for the rest of the album. The music here combines the heaviness of heavy metal with the rhythms of heavy rock and also adding some seventies feeling and also some stoner music. The vocals are really deppressive and they fit in an interesting way the rest of the music. The guitars play heavy and rhythmic riffs biut always leaving space for the voice to develope its ideas. The rhythms are heavy in both the fast and the slow parts adding the essential spirit of the music here. The sound is raw and heavy giving power to the music. THis is pure power with a lot of memorable guitar riffs. |
| Cover Artwork by: Andrew Cantwell | |
|
Recorded by David Russell Produced by Highroad Nº 28 |
Contact: www.geocities.com/highroadno28 |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2003 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Idiot Stare Lyrics by Idiot Stare |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Idiot Stare 2-Christ Analogue 3-Prophei 4-Penal Colony 5-Doll Factory 6-SMP 7-Compufonic 8-Jugend Staat 9-Inertia 10-A Different Kind of Cop 11-Rewire 12-Acidfanatic 13-Universal magnetic 14- Idiot Stare |
Opening with electronic sounds and almost dancing beats this bands surprises with their sort of depressive electro music. This guys are really original because they have some accessible melodies and sounds and at the same time they use a lot of industrial sounds that give an oppressive feeling to their music. And this feeling, combined with some deppressive melodies are the essence of this amazing band. The good thing here is that the music is extremely memorable because of the vocals and some melodies that are carefully developed through all thios album. But the main thing here is the experimentation with electronics done with a certain dark feeling that is all over the compositions. THis guys are really original and surprise on each yune with new melodies and elements. A really original release. |
| Cover Artwork by: Nilbog | |
|
Produced by Idiot Stare |
Contact: www.idiotstare.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Gianluca Martucci - vocals, keyboards, guitars, mandolin, percussion, flutes and sounds Anna Caruso - vocals |
|
|
Music by Gianluca Martucci Lyrics by Gianluca Martucci |
|
|
Tracks: 1- I 2-II 3-III 4-IV 5-V 6-VI 7-VII |
Keyboards along with some breathing or wind sound opens this climatic release. Then a spoken voice in italian language adds an even more atmospheric feeling to the music. The use of sounds effects and keyboards is the essence here constructing passages of pure beauty yet of darkness. THere is use of some percussion in some places that adds to the overall feeling of the music. There is a lot of experimentation here and that is evident in this original compositions. The sound is really dense and in some palces it makes some oppressive feeling to appear in the listener, such as in the beginning in "IV" where the musical ideas almost take your breath away. This is a heartful release coming directly by the hand of agreat musician called Gianluca Martucci whose mind has no boundaries and who surprised with many different releases this month. |
| Cover Artwork by: Gianluca Martucci | |
|
Produced by Giuanluca Martucci |
Contact: principium79@yahoo.it |
| Label: Necrotorture Agency |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
|
|
|
Music and Lyrics by Infernal Angels, exc. 4 by Immortal |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Dominus Silentii 2-Vigilia Secunda 3-Shinning Evil light 4-At the Heart of Winter |
"Dominus Silentii" opens with keyboards before the band enters combining darkness and aggression in their black metal music. This guys are of the type of bands that deliver the blackest of metals, that is the one where each note, each scream, each drumbeat is delivered in order to find the blackest of moods. there are fast rhythms here but they are not the main element, because the band emphasizes aggression but also dark atmospheres in their music. That is evident in aprts like the middle of the title track where some clean vocals are delivered contrasting with the more bestial parts. The guitars are raw and they play fast riffs in the heaviest parts and they throw open chords in the more climatic ones. The cover of Immortal´s "At the Heart of Winter" adds even more extra points to this blackest than hell band. A darker than hell release !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Mushy | |
|
Recorded at Lagonegro Produced by Infernal Angel |
Contact: www.infernalangels.org or www.necroagency.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Belgium | |
|
Line Up: Peter - voclas, guitars Stijn - guitars Jurgen - drums Tom - bass |
|
|
Music by Infernal Legion Lyrics by Infernal Legion |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro 2-A Feast for the Insane 3-World Surgery 4-Awarded the Highest 5-And Death remains 6-Bloodred Harvest 7-Inferior Lifecode |
Infernal Legion is pure brutality and each note, each scream, each growl, each drum beat here is pure aggression and pure bestiality. Here this guys present us one intro and six tracks that are like a kick in your stomach because of all the violence unleashed. The vocals are of the screaming type and used very violently in order to achieve the maximum aggression. Here we have an incredible combination of death metal and thrash metal with a really modern sound that makes the riffs and rhythms even more effective. And this combination of styles is really devastating making this album an experience of utter violence because is like using the most brutal elements of both styles in order to achieve the most aggressive and powerfult result possible. Violence will crush your brain on this release !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Infernal Legion | |
|
Recorded at Asse Studios Produced by Infernal Legion |
Contact: morbidscream@hotmail.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Mark Souldæmon - bass/vocals Ombre - drums Fox - guitars Ermes - guitars, b.vocals |
|
|
Music by Kautery Lyrics by Kautery |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Living Crusher 2-Bone Shredder 3-Fuck Saddam 4-Calling your Inner Self 5-Pseudo-God 6-Paul Kersey (in memory of...) 7-Born to Drink |
A music quite difficult to describe. The music here has elements of pure metal, of thrash metal and also some hardcore in the vocals. Add to this a lot of extreme death metal in the fastest parts and you will just have an idea of how Kautery sounds. THe guitar riffs are fast and furious and the rhythm section is constantly doing incredibly fast rhythms in a really raw way.The vocals are really extreme, sometimes more of teh screaming type and sometimes more growling adding even more brutality to the music. There are some more rocking or heavy metal solos with heavy use of wah wah in tracks like "Bone Shredder". The sound is extremely raw and mixing everything louder would give the band even more impact. A devastasting band that specializes in writing extremely powerful compositions. |
| Cover Artwork by: Mark Souldæmon and Ombre | |
|
Produced by Kautery and Arthur Mc Pul |
Contact: www.kautery.too.it |
| Label: Ethnometal Recs |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Switzerland | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Kenitra Lyrics by Kenitra |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro 2-Ya Chabab 3-Dounia 4-Kif-Kif 5-Morgana 6-Malou Malou 7-Red Balek 8-Bent Nasse 9-Dmah Ya Dmah |
I have reviewed the extremely original music of this bnd before and now, with this new album, they surprise again. Their music is a combination of heavy guitar riffs and rhythms with eastern sounding melodies and arrangements. There is clever use of rhythms in order to achieve the exact feeling that this music must have. And here we have a vocalist that has astered perfectly this eastern feeling creting incredible vocal lines. I have to remark the incredible musicianship that this guys have. The rhythm section really surprised me, specially the bass player that is constantly creating new phrases and arrangements in order to deliver this incredible songs. Incredible originality within an aggressive context. |
| Cover Artwork by: Kenitra | |
|
Produced by Par Jalal Markani |
Contact: www.kenitra.ch |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Aleph Zero - vocals (m)Alice - keyboards Thinky Winky - bass deXter - guitars T.j. - electric drums |
|
|
Music by Korova Milkbar Lyrics by Korova Milkbar |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Nichtung 2-Infected 3-No-1 |
An extremely original band whose music combines heavy riffs with some electronic elements. The songs here have memorable riffs and rhythms and they also have good vocal work where melodies are combined with pure power and with a special industrial feeling in some parts. There is experimentation with electronics thata are used in order to create the right atmosphere for each of the compositions. The programmed drums are essential here to achieve the right feeling and interact with the electronic sounds. Pure experimentation with heaviness and electronics. The release leaves you wanting to lsiten more from this band. |
| Cover Artwork by: Korova Milkbar | |
|
Produced by Korova Milkbar |
Contact: infokorova@libero.it |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: France | |
|
Line Up: Séverine Ollivier - vocals Arnaud Ollivier - guitars Anthony Giordano - guitars Raphael Guais - bass Jordan Delville - Drums Christophe Giordano - keyboards |
|
|
Music by Anthony Giordano Lyrics by Séverine Ollivier |
|
|
Tracks: 1- From Ashes... 2-Eternal Breath 3-Fruits of Hell (Trilogy PArt II) 4-No return 5-Prophetess |
After a climatic opening the band kicks off showing their combination of melancholy and power. Here we have a band that has mastered the art of combining perfectly heavy guitars with orchestrating keyboards. one of the essential features here is the voice of Séverine Ollivier, full of feelings and with a really good technique that allows her to develope incredible melodies on each composition. Another trademark are the keyboards that embellish each composition with intrincated arrangements. The rhythm section is solid and plays rhythms that leave a lot of space for the arrangements and for the melodic lines. The album has a clear sound, specially on vocals and keyboards that makes this an extremely beautiful yet powerful release !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Krestenta | |
|
Produced by Krestenta |
Contact: www.krestenta.fr.st |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Dimitri Triantafyllou - vocls, programming Giuseppe Agosti - bass, percussion, prog. Ømäl - bass, programming Emiliano Milanesi - guitar, percussion, programming Antonio Scalvenzi - drums |
|
|
Music by La Mamoynia, exc. 9 by Fad Gadger Lyrics by Dimitris Triantafyllou |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Decadence 2-There is only Vanity 3-To Lyknisma 4-Walk in the Silence 5-Now the Rain will Fall 6-Ta Macheria Mou 7-I Anixi Emoraghi 8-Ola Gri 9-Ricky´s Hand 10-I Anixi Emoraghi II |
A band that surprises on each track with experimentation and original elements. It is really difficult to describe La Mamoynia`s music. THere is a voice full of anger or anguish (depending on the composition mood) and a lot of programming and electronics that are essential to give the exact feeling to this music. and at the same time we have heavy guitar riffs that crush with their sheer intensity. The main thing here is the combination of powerful riffs (that have an industrial feeling in some parts) with keyboards and electronics. And this guys have developed carefully this trademark sound into the ten compositions that we find here surprising at times and always delivering pure power and aggression. |
| Cover Artwork by: Gorse Art Music | |
|
Produced by Die Kraft |
Contact: www.lamamoynia.com |
| Label: Kick Promotion Agency |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Samuel Holkins - vocals Kosmo - guitars, programming Alex Brengola - keyboards Davide Masella - drums |
|
|
Music and lyrics by Holkins/Brengola/Kosmo |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Fuoco 2-Last Mistake 3-Mayday 4-White and Black 5-A God ! 6-Child Vs Man 7-Terra 8-Welcome to Mars 9-Take Me Back 10-Time to... 11- The Silent Room |
Keyboards open this album with magnificence before the rest of the band enters with their intense riffs and killer rhythms. THis is pure heavy metal but taken to one step beyond adding some programming and electronic elements that give a different feeling to the music (there is even a programmed drums that contrast with the real one). There is heavy contrast also in the interaction between the heavy guitars and the keyboards. And here we have a really versatile vocalist that delivers incredible melodic lines all along the tracks. This melodies are fundamental to make each composition truly memorable and keeping this melodies in the listener´s brain is the job of this guy. Eleven compositions of pure metal with virtuosism and killer ideas. |
| Cover Artwork by: Gianpaolo Battaglia | |
|
Recorded at Invisible Studio Produced by LAst Mistake |
Contact: www.lastmistake.com or www.kickagency.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Generoso Immediato - guitars, synth guitars, drums, bass Gianluca Martucci - vocals, mandolin, percussion, bass, programming |
|
|
Music by Generoso Immediato
|
|
|
Tracks: 1- Begin / End Part I 2-Useless Thoughts 3-Interlude I 4-Shadows Shadows Part I 5-Corale for Orchestra 6-Shadows, Shadows Part II 7-Amorphous Forms 8-3 Seconds of Silence 9-Lento e Maestoso 10-The Passage I 11-Interlude II 12-Class A Human 13-Interlude III 14-Life´s Longing Moments 15-Lento e Maestoso 16-The Man Who Winds up the Clock 17-Interlude IV 18-Begin/End Part II |
A really original release, full of violent riffs in some tracks and with acoustic guitars and keyboards in others (such as in the interlude "Interlude I"), showing multiple contrasts and delivering multiple ideas on each composition. The guitar riffs are original and some of them are pretty complex showing that the mind behind Lesion has no boundaries. The vocals here are sometimes clean and sometimes more extreme, depending on the mood of the song. Most of them sound closer to black metal. The programmed drums give a weird feeling to the music and they do some blast beats and double bass in some parts, including some grind in "Begin / End Part I". THis is a really extreme release but the good thing is that is full of innovative ideas that sets Lesion aparts from other bands that play a style as extreme as this one. Original extreme sound. |
| Cover Artwork by: Gianlucca Martucci | |
|
Produced by Lesion |
Contact: principium79@yahoo.it |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Lorenzo guitars Luca - voice Piotre - voice Leo - guitars Valerio - bass Dario - drums |
|
|
Music by Maxcarnage Lyrics by Maxcarnage |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro 2-I Saw 3-Terza 4-Italy Corporation 5-Labirinth 6-Le radici della natura umana 7-Fight your battle, choose your war 8-APHC (Anti presidential hard core) |
Pure aggression at its most extreme level is what you will find in Maxcarnage release. Combining elements of death metal with other styles such as hardcore, thrash metal and even modern metal the band unleashes several bursts of pure intensity on this labum. Here we have ultra fast guitar riffs and rhythms designed to crush the listener and they reach thi goal from the beginning to the end. The vocals are of different types: more deathly ones and a screamjing one that give a different feeling to the music. The good thing about this vocals work is that they fit really well each part of the compositions emphasizing the overall feelings. The band is solid and well rehearsed and that gives extra points of brutality to their music. Pure brutality unleashed directly from Italy !!. |
| Cover Artwork by: Maxcarnage | |
|
Recorded at home studios Produced by Maxcarnage |
Contact: www.maximumcarnage.da.ru |
| Label: Satanic Supremacy Distro |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Manth - vocals and effects Hurne - bass Zin - guitars Huntor - drums |
|
|
Music by Mephisto Lyrics by Mephisto |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Intro/Into the Crypts of Necromancer 2-Crucifixion 3-Eternal Lust 4-Blasphemous Liturgy 5-Delirium and Bloody Orgies 6-Megiddo 7-F.O.D. |
A combination of pure aggressive black metal with some death metal elements, but always emphasizing the brutality of the compositions. The band has some old school influences in their music but they have taken them to a more modern sound. Extreme vocals are essential here giving an even darker feeling to the music of this "Tyrant´s return". One thing that I liked a lot is the use of the toms in the drums in many compositions that give a different feeling to some parts, sort of more tribal, fitting really well the music and adding originality. This sort of drumming is not that common in this style of music because this guy does fast rhythms but then adds a lot of toms work. The sound is raw but effective, specially on guitars. There is a cover by legend´s Slaughter her called "F.O.D." that adds even more points to this release. Pure aggression and darkness. |
| Cover Artwork by: Manth | |
|
Produced by Mephisto |
Contact: principium79@yahoo.it |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Boris Ascher - all instruments, vocals |
|
|
Music by Boris Ascher Lyrics by Boris Ascher |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Dawn in Black 2-From the Depth 3-Oath of Faith 4-Into the Black Hole 5-Feast of the Beast 6-Meet your Master 7-Final Solution 8-Blazin Reamls 9-The Dark Path 10-Embracing the Flame 11- Rest in Peace |
Starting climatically with the beginning of "Dawn in Black" Metamorphosis delivers their crushing music that is difficult to define because it has elements of black metal, also of death metal and pure heavy metal combined with orchestrating keyboards. And this mix of influences make this recording really unique. Boris Ascher is the brain behind this music and he surely is a good musician, because here is evident the skills that this guy has. The combination of the aggression delivered by the guitars and the vocals contrasts with the kilelr orchestration and also with the melodies delivered in many of the compositions. There are good guitar solos and arrangements thata re another trademark of Metamorphosis music. the songs have a lot of space for delivering new ideas because most of them are over 5 minutes long and Boris developes countless ideas there. A must have for any dark metal lover. |
| Cover Artwork by: Dogstar Design | |
|
Recorded at The Dungeon Produced by Boris Ascher |
Contact: www.the-devils-ground.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Jim Ford - keyboards, guitars Eric Amble - guitars Jon Hilke - drums Kase Villand - vocals, bass |
|
|
Music by Mine Lyrics by Mine |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Sharp 2-Logical Regresion 3-Empty Space 4-Out of time 5-Blakc and White 6-Steppin Razor 7-Rather Burn 8-Unfair 9- the Descent into Madness 10-Black Gemini 11- Close My Eyes |
Keyboards and pianos open this album with a majestic feeling before the whole band enters. I am not afraid of calling Mine`s music something like progressive metal, because here we have the full power of pure heavy metal, combined with the virtuosism of progressive music. This is evident specially on the guitar and keyboards solos where the musicians shine with full technical skills. the vocals are clean and powerful with interesting use of middle range and high pitches. The rhythm section is amazing: the drums change rhythm and patterns evolving from one part of the compostion to the other, while the bass does interesting arrangements, rhythms and even melodic lines. The sound of the recording is excellent making the listening more enjoyable. Pure virtuosism in a powerful format. |
| Cover Artwork by: Eric Amble | |
|
Recorded at Contraband Studios Produced by Kase Villand |
Contact: www.minemusic.net |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Jan Wiltschut - vocals Tim Sadowski - guitars Goran Stipeie - guitars Tobias Gallin - bass Jorg Weber - drums |
|
|
Music by Mort Lyrics by Mort |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Zeit Zu Kämpfen 2-Tag der Toten 3-Schande |
Three tracks of pure aggressive metal core is what you will find on this release. Pure aggression unleashed is the main thing hbere and that is achieved through powerful guitar riffs and screaming extreme vocals. the rhythms are direct and effective to transmi pure intensity and they leave space for the guitars to deliver their ideas. The vocals are a trademark here being of the most hardcore type, spitting his lungs with full power and aggression. And the lyrics in german language give a completely different feeling to the music making it sound even more extreme. the sound of the recording is compact and direct fitting well the music and letting all the isntruments to unleash their sheer power. Pure aggression unleashed. |
| C | |
|
Recorded at Soundfabrik Hagen Produced by Mort |
Contact: www.mort-core.de |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Poland | |
|
Line Up: Warnas - guitar Wojtas - vocals Tarki - drums Diszek - bass |
|
|
Music by Moulded Flesh Lyrics by Wojtas |
|
|
Tracks: 1- The root of Intolerance 2-Advert Terror 3-Only Death is stronger than fucking hate 4-Lung Exust Pipe 5- Hangover Crap 6-Confesional Rip-Off 7-Objection 8-Never save and sound 9- Urodtiny Sa Karola |
The band surprises with their brutality and with the different riffs that they play. "The Root of Intolerance" opens this album with an unconventional riff for a death metal band. The band combines their bestial death metal with some riffs that are closer to thrah metal because of their complexity, showing that the band is really well rehearsed. The ultra brutal vocals that are of the growling type give the more deathly feeling to the music along with he fastest parts. There is plenty of double bass drumming here and the good thing is that this guy knows how to play good patterns with a lot of originality and leaving space for the guitars to do their work. The sound of teh recording is direct and loud and I suggest everybody to listen this at a loud volume to feel the bestiality of the band. Killer death emtal with good original ideas. |
| Cover Artwork by: Moulded Flesh | |
|
Recorded at Selani Studios Produced by Moulded Flesh |
Contact: www.moulded-flesh.prv.pl |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: France | |
|
Line Up: Christelle Lacombre - vocals, bass Yann - guitar Nick - guitar Thibaut - drums |
|
|
Music by My Edelweiss Lyrics by Christelle Lacombre |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Beta Connection 2- Time 3- The Old Dead Tree 4- Images |
If I had to describe My Edelweiss music with just a few words I would say powerful, melancholic and climatic. Here we have heavy guitars that interact with cleaner ones. And above all we have Christelle´s vocals, full of feeling, delivering amazing melodies on each song. Christelle is really talented as the whole band is (she plays also in a really solid way the bass). This is evident in the well developing of the songs and in many of the arrangements thata re created here. One thing that amazed me here is the good sound that the guitars have, really clean in the more melancholic parts and distorted when the song needs it. The music is really powerful and memorable at the same time due to the good construction of the songs. I hope this band gets recognition soon because they surely deserve it because they are young and talented ! |
| Cover Artwork by: My Edelweiss | |
|
Produced by My Edelweiss |
Contact: www.myedelweiss.fr.st |
| Label: Nothingness Recs |
|
| Year: 2003 | |
| Country: Denmark | |
|
Line Up: Bjorn Jeppesen - all instruments |
|
|
Music by Bjorn Jeppesen
|
|
|
Tracks: 1- Mod Lindisfarne 2- Sejlende Gennem Dybe Dale 3- I krig 4-Slaget Som Varede Evigt 5-Sværdet 6-Stormende Mod Fjenden 7-Tårnets Krigere 8-Nattefrost 9-Mit Hedenske Blod 10-Vintersolhverv |
Nattefrost. The name brings to your mind images of cold woods full of snow and darkness. the cover art here gives you also a similar idea. And the music brings you to unimaginable places through ten compositions full of excellent musicianship and imagination. Bjorn Jeppesen has created here almost a soundtrack for a movie (just check "I Krig", a masterpiece) with his keyboards and his imagination. Each composition here is completely different from the other but at the same time the album has a lot of coherence developing multiple ideas that are somewhat related and exploring new textures on each track. This is an ideal album to listen with your eyes shut and imagine the world that Nattefrost is delivering us here. A great album that I have to listen over and over again to discover new elements each time. |
| Cover Artwork by: Bjorn Jeppesen | |
|
Produced by Bjorn Jeppesen |
Contact: www.nattefrost.dk |
| Label: Nothingness Recs |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Denmark | |
|
Line Up: Bjorn Jeppesen - all instruments |
|
|
Music by Bjorn Jeppesen
|
|
|
Tracks: 1- Urskovens Ansigt 2- Hvor Guderne Vogter 3- Gravhøjens Gand 4- I en Svunden Tid 5- Norrøn 6- Vejen til Asgård |
This is the latest release by this one man band called Nattefrost. this EP explores a differnent side of Bjorn Jeppesen´s musical personality. Starting with "Urskovens Ansigt", a track that constructs a darker than hell atmosphere, the EP changes inmediately with "Hvor Guderne Vogter" where there is more evident use of electronics where Bjorn explores this different feature including a differnt rhythm before creating intrguing melodies with his keyboards. The good thing is that each composition takes you to a completely differnt world showing that Bjorn´s imagination has no boundaries. The dark atmosphere is here, the imagination too and also the main trademarks of the Nattefrost sound but the music mutates constantly into new forms. Open minded people will surely love this EP. |
| Cover Artwork by: Bjorn Jeppesen | |
|
Produced by Bjorn Jeppesen |
Contact: www.nattefrost.dk |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Francesco V. - bass Marco B. - drums Davide Q - keyboards Filippo G. - guitar Max F. - vocals Davide Z. - guitars |
|
|
Music by Necroart Lyrics by Necroart |
|
|
Tracks: 1- The Crimson - Minority 2- Pandemonic Opium Night 3- Necronova 4- L´Inverno dell´anima |
Here we have four tracks thata re the prelude to the new album of this killer italian band. Having reviewed their previous release I find a lot of progression from that album to this newer songs. Specially I find a better sound in the guitars that sound more aggressive when that is needed and mor climatic in teh atmospheric parts. There are clean guitars too and they interact heavily with keyboard and accordion. the keyboards are another essential instrument here constructing melodies and arrangements on all the compositions. Here we have also a lot of aggression and that is shown in the heavier than hell guitars and in the extreme vocals. This is a band that deserves a place in the podium of dark metal because their music is extremely heavy and at the same time really dark and atmospheric,full of good musicianship. Now we are awaiting desperately their new album when it will be ready !!! |
| Cover Artwork by: Necroart | |
|
Produced by Necroart |
Contact: www.necroart.net |
| Label: Snakebite Prods |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: France | |
|
Line Up: David - drums Loran - guitars, vocals Manu - bass, vocals |
|
|
Music by Necrocult Lyrics by Necrocult |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Black as Raven´s Eyes 2-Necrosy 3-The Age of Earthbleeding 4-Portal of Oblivion 5-Subliminal Distant Light |
What first surprised me is the extremely raw sound that this recording has. Then came the music and I have to say that this guys are really aggressive and brutal, delivering a type of death metal that has old school influences but that emphasizes fast rhythms and pure aggression. The guitars deliver here riff after riff with a direct sound and sometimes they change into more complex riffing which I liked even bette than the faster ones. The rhythm section has the best sound here, specially teh bass that sounds brutal yet clean enough. the vocals are really extreme and we have a combination of the msot guttural ones with others more of the scremaing type. Pure brutality coming directly from hell !!! |
| Cover Artwork by: Necrocult | |
|
Produced by Necrocult |
Contact: http://snakebiteprod.free.fr |
| Label: Remedy Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Freddy - guitar, vocals Axel - drums Mac - bass, b.vocals Jogi - guitars, b.vocals |
|
|
Music by Necronomicon Lyrics by Necronomicon |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Stormbringer 2-Fiction 3-Hard Pain 4-From Hell 5-Alight 6-Paralizer 7-Bone Daddy 8-Hills of Dead 9-Fireball 10-Terrorist Attack 11-Insanity 12-Possessed Again 13-Hard Pain (live) 14-Insanity (live) 15- Terrorist Attack (video) |
Necronomicon is full anger and aggression. Their music has a good combination of pure heavy metal with more extreme forms like old school thrash metal creating a unique sound. An part of this unique sound are the vocals and esentially the choruses. just check "Stormbringer" to see this choruses shouted by the whole band. The music is fast bringing me to mind eighties thrash but with a definitive modern sound. There are good guitar solos here that are like a composition within the song on each track. The vocals are of the screaming type fitting perfectly the music of the band. The sound is raw but direct emphasizing the thrash feeling of the music. The production is by Achim Köhler who produced Sinner and Primal Fear and that adds extra points to this guys music. A killer release.. |
| Cover Artwork by: | |
|
Produced by Achim Köhler |
Contact: www.remedyrecords.de or www.necronomicon-online.de |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: France | |
|
Line Up: Gil - vocals Vainvain - guitars Bouzou -guitars Taq - drums Charal- bass |
|
|
Music by Necropsy Lyrics by Necropsy |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Au pre 2-Mythomanie 3-Pathetic Mystic 4-Vachelor 5-Le Carosse |
What do you expect from a band called Necropsy? YEs !! Grind gore or gore death metal !!! This band is extremely bestial but their music goes really well beyond this styles, using elements of the most brutal death metal and also of grindcore but adding also many guitar riffs that are completely different from this styles. That is, guitar riffs that combine a lot of speed but at the same time have some thrashing influence in them, not being the typical brutal guitar riffs. The vocals are really putrid adn guttural, being the more grinding element, along with some of the blast beats that the drums deliver here (there are killer double bass passages too). This combination of influences is really original and Necropsy surprises with their bestial music with killer riffs. the sound is raw but more powerful than in most of the bands of the grind/death style that have a lower sound buried in the mix. Pure bestiality. |
| Cover Artwork by: Necropsy | |
|
Produced by Necropsy |
Contact: www.necropsy.fr.vu |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.K. | |
|
Line Up: Matt Von Ziegenstein-Pilorz - guitars, vocals Goatess Christine Hell - guitars Goatmaster Petr Burov - bass, vocals Goatloard Duncan Jones - drums |
|
|
Music by Hell (1) and Hell/Burov/Pilorz (2-5) Lyrics by Pilorz |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Morbid Intentions 2- Anger Overload 3- Primal 4- Denial 5- Godlike |
A bestial fusion of death and black metal created to devastate the listener with sheer brutality. That isn the way we can describe this band. Everything here is pure bestiality. And one thing that I liked is that the band puts here and there some melodies that add a different feeling to their music making each tune memorable. There is really intense drumming with fast rhythms and aggression and we have here really intense vocals that give sometimes a deathly feeling to the music and sometimes a darker one closer to black metal, but always keeping the aggression and brutality to the limit. The sound is really direct and in your face making this album like a kick in your teeth !!! |
| Cover Artwork by: W.Smerdulak | |
|
Recorded at Scream Studios Produced by Necrosadistic Goat Torture |
Contact: www.necrosadisticgoattorture.com |
| Label: Subversiv Records |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Switzerland | |
|
Line Up: Beni Weber - synths Marcel Roesch - guitars Reto Wittwer - bass, vocals Marc Steiner - vocals David Luginbühl - guitars Thies Steiner - drums |
|
|
Music by Nekropolis Lyrics by Nekropolis |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Nocturnus Aeternus 2-The Perveted Ideology 3-Aeon of Technology 4-One Day in Hell 5-Misanthropy 6-Organ removement 7-Mental Abuse 8-Bloody bastards 9-Worship of Devotion 10-The Heretic 11-Damnation 12-Memories 13-Shadows of Profanity |
THis is what I call a technical death metal band !! WIth a lot of bruitality and intense riffs Nekropolis has managed to deliver here thirteen tracks of pure violence full of amazing musicianship and ideas. One thing tat got my attention is teh combiantion of pure brutality with killer keyboards that orchestrate all this brutality adding constantly arrangements. There is heavy double bass drumming through all the recording and intense rhythms that emphasize heaviness on each composition. The vocals are really extreme and give a brutal feeling to the music. One remarkable thing is the perfect sound that the band has achieved here that gives even more brutality to their music if that is possible. Death metal at its most intense level.
|
|
Produced by Nekropolis |
Contact: www.nekropolis.ch |
| Label: Life Fluid Prods |
|
| Year: 2001 | |
| Country: Australia | |
|
Line Up: Brad - vocals Rocco - guitars Johno - drums Justin - bass |
|
|
Music by Omnium Gatherum Lyrics by Brad |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Irate Oration 2- Irate Oration Too 3-Deeply Felt Intensity 4-Conspiracy theory 5-A Frown on the Face of Mars 6-The Wrath of Parasites 7-Pedestrian 8-Insignificunt 9-Idiosyncrasies of others 10-A 11-Imperative Revamp 12-Rectifying Human rejection 13-Omnium Gatherum |
A really bestial band whose main goal is to crush the listener with their brutal death metal with grindcore elements. The combination of crushing guitar riffs with really extreme vocals is the main feature here. Here we have guttural and screaming vocals that contrast heavily (the screaming voice is closer to black metal, of the trollish type). There are plenty of blast beating drums here and double basss drumming that is essential for the type of aggression that this band unleashes. The guitars are downtuned and play a wall of guitar riffs that are the essence here. The sound is raw yet compact taking the violence of the band to good shores with a loud sound that make each part, even the faster that are pure grindcore, fully audible creating an impact in your brain and body. One of the most bestial releases of the month |
|
Recorded at Anson prods Produced by Omnium Gatherum |
Contact: d_vlyons@intas.net.au |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Pino Tozzi - voclas Pat Matrone - guitars, bass, programming Paolo Rama - keyboards |
|
|
Music by Ora Nombro Lyrics by Ora Nombro |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Discovery 2-Dark Skies 3-The THin Line |
An amazing release full of technical skills and virtuosism, full of melosies and powerful parts. Ora Nombro is a band whose main goal is to construct compostions where multiple feelings are developed with killer musicianship. Pino Tozzi`s vocals are an essential part here constructing incredible melodies against the rest of the instrumentation. And there is a killer vocal work here with harmonies and melodies. If you like bands like Dream Theater or Symphony X you should like this release. There are programmed drums here used in a really clever way that is really similar to real drums. the melodies developed here are excellent and make each of the three compositions extremely memorable. The tracks are extense letting the band explore multiple ideas on each of them. Pure virtuosism |
| Cover Artwork by: Ora Nombro | |
|
Recorded at Matrox Studios Produced by Ora Nombro |
Contact: www.oranombro.it |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Austria | |
|
Line Up: Manfred Marath - guitars, vocals Markus Marathy - bass, b. vocals Robert Szabo - guitars Tom Zonyga - drums |
|
|
Music by Parental Advisory Lyrics by Parental Advisory |
|
|
Tracks: 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- |
Bursting the most extreme brutality from the first tarck, the guys from parental Advisory have managed to create one of the most intenses recordings of 2005. Here we have nine tracks of pure brutal death metal that include even some grindcore elements. The good thing is that this music is played with really good musicianship that is evident in the multiple rhythm and tempo changes that are all over this recording. Do you want guttural vocals? Here you have of the most brutal type that you can have, really of the gurgling type, sounding like another brutal instrument. The rhythm section is solid and you have to admire the killer intense drumming that is delivered here. This is pure brutality designed for turning the listener to ashes ! |
|
Recorded at Produced by Parental Advisory |
Contact: www.headfuckcrew.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Marco Finsterwald - vocals, guitar Thierry Pache - guitar Matthias Galli - bass Erich Imobersteg - drums |
|
|
Music by Predominant Lunatics Lyrics by Thierry Pache |
|
|
Tracks: 1- An open Book 2- Delayed 3- Snowgirl 4- Sister Moon 5- Last Summer I Think 6- Glory of Nothing 7- rorrim |
A climatic release where melancholic passages are achieved through sad guitar phrases and through interesting vocal work. Clean guitars are essential here creating rhythms and arpeggios that develope this ethereal atmospheres that the music here needs. Take the cover art and transport it into your mind combining it with the music delivered here and you will found yourself submerged in the ethereal world of Predominant Lunatics, full of dark melodies and moods. The contrast between the deep male voice and the female ones is another trademark here and this people know how to develope melodies that stick the music into your mind while surprising with their introspective nature. And melodies are the essence here making each passage really unique and beautiful. A great combination of melancholy, darkness and ethereal music. |
| Cover Artwork by: Predominant Lunatics | |
|
Recorded at Studio 2 Produced by Predominant Lunatics |
Contact: www.predominantlunatics.com |
| Label: Fallen Angel Recs. |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Poland | |
|
Line Up: Jan Skowron - guitars Lukasz Dziamarski - guitars, voclas Wojciecj Pierog - bass August - drums |
|
|
Music by Preludium Lyrics by Preludium |
|
|
Tracks: 1- The massacre ov the innocents 2-Eternal Wrth 3-The Venomous Queen 4-Conflagration 5-Ground Devoured by Dusk 6-Waiting for the Unknown 7-Spirited Land ov thorns 8-The Books ov Signs |
Ultra brutal death metal full of fast riffs and devastating drumming. Here we have the most guttural voice possible delivering bestial vocals through all the album. Here we have also August who is Deception´s drummer. It is amazing to see this drummer delivering in a solid way the hyper fast rhythms that Preludium´s music has. The guitars are extremely fast playing faster than the speed of light riffs and alos demented solos that fit really well the rest of the music. The sound is direct and effective here and if you turn your volume up you can demolish the walls of your house with this recording. Pure brutality directly from Poland to your stereo !! |
| Cover Artwork by: Lukasz Golba | |
|
Recorded at Screw Factory Studios Produced by Preludium |
Contact: www.preludium.metal.pl or www.redrum666.risp.pl |
| Label: Necrotorture Agency |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
|
|
|
|
Music by Slaanesh Lyrics by Algeroth and Slaanesh |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Primordial Time of the Black Earth 2-Demon of the Mystic forest 3-Wind of Silence in Frost 4-the Last Lord of Frozen Mountain 5-Imperial legion of Thor 6-The Legend of the Immortal Progeny 7-In the Abyss of the Wood 8-Dawn of the Nightdominion 9- Lord of the Wooded Creatures
|
A long dark intro full of keyboards and orchestrated atmospheres sends us directly into the unholy world of Presences, a band whose music is extremely dark and that combines raw guitars that play fast riffs with incredible keyboards. And this keyboards are essential to achieve the extremely dark sound that this band has. Tracks like "Imperial Legion of Thor" are masterpieces of darkness being the blackest of all the tunes here. The sound is raw, specially on the drums giving that old school feeling to the music. One remarkable thing is that the band uses a lot of tempo changes relying not only on speed but also on good musicianship. Pure black souls and hearts revealed in nine tracks of pure darkness |
| Cover Artwork by: Algeroth | |
|
Produced by Presences |
Contact: www.necroagency.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Mariangel Demurtas - vocals Gianni Corazza - guitars Daniel unida - bass Giuseppe Derudas - drums Marcello Schirru - Keyboards |
|
|
Music by Marcello Schirru Lyrics by Mariangela Demurtas |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Get On 2- Hysterical 3- Leaving your Doubt |
I have to say that what first struck me here were the incredible vocals done by Mariangela. She is really powerful and she is a hell of a heavy metal singer. Here we have a band whose guitars are extremely heavy and that delivers crushinbg compositions where aggression and power are combined with killer melodies that add even more energy to the music. The riffs are somewhere between heavy metal and the heaviest of rock styles.The rhythmic section does a good job here doing really heavy rhythms but always leaving space for the guitars and the vocals. And then comes Mariangela with a voicee that even in the softer parts sounds extremely powerful. The songs are really memorable and I think this band can be one of the top names in the european scene of this style soon. |
| Cover Artwork by: Marianna Manica | |
|
Recorded at Recording Studio Sassari Produced by Roger Hoffman |
Contact: www.reelfiction.it |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: | |
|
Line Up: Val Brewer - guitars, voclas Chritopher Moleskin - bass Jack Daniel - drums, percussion |
|
|
Music by Rest in Pain Lyrics by Rest in Pain |
|
|
Tracks: 1- The Extract 2-With Inner Light of Supreme Truth 3-the Last Dawn 4-Invented Heaven 5-The Letter (video) |
One of my aboslute favorite releases in this first months of 2005. A band that can combine the ultimate technical skills with intensity, brutality and aggression. The main thing here are the guitar riffs that are unconventional and complex showing the good musicianship that this guys have. The drumming is really intense and shows a lot of skills in double bass passages, and multiple patterns. The vocals are really extreme roaring through the four tracks and giving the more deathly feeling to the music. The sound is really good letting you listen perfectly eachidea developed. Four tracks leave you wanting more of this amazing band. |
| Cover Artwork by: Rest in Pain | |
|
Produced by Rest in Pain |
Contact: www.restinpain.com |
| Label: Remedy Records |
|
| Year: 2005 | |
| Country: Netherlands | |
|
Line Up: |
|
|
Music by Reviver Lyrics by Reviver |
|
|
Tracks: 1- The Call 2-Osiris eyes 3-Watch Out ! 4-Gates of Time 5-Garden of Ede 6-Another Day 7-Cycles 8-Revive and Survive 9-Strong 10-Bringer of Evil 11-Fight your Fight 12-Beyond the infinite |
Pure motherfucking heavy metal at its most powerful level. The music here is pure heavy metal but with certain thrash touches that turns Reviver into a band that is more powerful than most of the bands of the style. The songs are fast and furious with plenty of good musicianship showing that this band has rehearsed a lot for achieving this killer degree of quality in their music. The guitars are surprisingly heavy and they are the heart and soul of the music here developing the main riff with a heavier than hell sound and adding heaviness and rhythm to the music. The sound of this recording is extremely loud and aggressive with killer sound on guitars and drums that make this a true heavy metal release. Heavy metal is alive thanks to bands like Reviver that deliver heaviness with interesting ideas! |
|
Recorded at Steelworks Studio Mastered by Piet Sielck |
Contact: www.reviver.nl or www.remedyrecords.de |
|
SAGENHAFT - THE LEGEND OF THE FORGOTTEN REIGN / THE BOOK / LAPIDEUS LIBER |
|
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Italy | |
|
Line Up: Gianluca - keyboards Sergio - voice Antonella - voice in 7 |
|
|
Music by Gianluca Martucci Lyrics by Gianluca Martucci |
|
|
Tracks: The legend of the forgotten reign 1- The Legend 2-Walking to the forgotten reign 3-Vision of Monokero´s Castle 4-Towerwatch´s voice 5-Over Monokero´s wall 6-The end of dream....and still wait The Book 7-The Book Lapideus Liber 8-Scire 9-Potere 10- Audere 11- Tacere 12- Notre Mer |
Here we have three Sagenhaft releases on one CD. And we can see the evolution of the band and the way the music was transformed through the years. The music here is pure keyboards and climatic arrangements with spoken voices. Track "Over Monokero´s wall" has a medieval feeling on it, even if the keyboards have a much more modern sound, but the use of some counterpoint and specific melodies gives that feeling to my ears. Then we have the track called "The Book" where we have female vocals that add a completely different feeling to the music, interacting with Sergio`s voice. Then we have "Lapideus Liber" which starts more darkly and shows a more introspective side of Gianluca`s musical personality, maybe closer to the sound of Urna but with more solemn and orchestrating keyboards. A good trio of releases full of innovative ideas. |
|
Recorded at Pestilentiae Templum Produced by Gianluca MArtucci |
Contact: principium79@yahoo.it |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Stefan Pohl - vocals, keyboards Marcus Rehm - drums Andreas Fechter - guitars, keyboards Roland Zehrer - bass |
|
|
Music by Sengaya Lyrics by Sengaya |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Eos 2-Way of Ecstasy 3-Wake Up 4-Metamorphosis 5-Behind the Myths 6-Vengeance 7-World of Illusion |
This album opens in a really epic way with the keyboards in the introductory "Eos". then comes the pure metal that this band unleashes but the good thing is that the epic feeling is still there, through the combination of heavy guitars and keyboards that is one essential feature of this band. The vocals here are really melodic and they contrast with the heavy guitars creating good melodies that soon stick into your mind. The keyboards are constantly embellishing the music here. And there are some operistic choruses in tracks like "Way of Ecstasy" that give even more majestuosity to the music. there are also some calmer parts like in some parts of "Wake Up" where clean guitars are used. There is a lot of virtuosism here and good musicianship. The sound is really good making the results even better and letting the isntruments and voice shine while developing their ideas.. |
| Cover Artwork by: Salvador Dali | |
|
Recorded at D.A.H.O.A.M. Studios Produced by Sengaya |
Contact: www.sengaya-music.de |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Stefan Pohl - vocals, keyboards Marcus Rehm - drums Andreas Fechter - guitars, keyboards Roland Zehrer - bass |
|
|
Music by Fechter / Pohl/Zehrer / Rehm Lyrics by Pohl |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Nightfly 2-The Cry of a Stone 3-Follow 4- Nightly video |
This MCD shows a different side of Sengaya`s musical personality with heavy use of clean guitars that create a different atmosphere. THis is evident in "Nightfly" where the heavy guitar riffs are more mid paced and calm making things memorable or in "The Cry of a Stone" where the heavy guitars leave space for clean guitars. There is killer musicianship here and amazing melodies. And the melodies are the central point here making thi four songs really enjoyable and at the same time surprising with interesting ideas and feelings. The sound here is crystal clear enhancing all the compositions. Killer songs and extreme virtuoso musicianship. |
| Cover Artwork by: Karin Haselsteiner | |
|
Produced by Sengaya |
Contact: www.sengaya-music.de |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: Germany | |
|
Line Up: Matthias Nauen - vocals Peter Busse - bass Andre Löpers - guitars Benjamin Hennes - drums |
|
|
Music by Settle the Score Lyrics by Settle the Score |
|
|
Tracks: 1- Time to... 2-Taste my glory 3-Integrity 4-Sad But True 5-To My Friends 6-Scars 7-Down and Out 8-Tears 9-Revenge 10-Whose Side 11-Roll the Dice 12-Thinking of You 13-Down for the Count |
A short intro leads us directly into Pure violence unleashed with some hardcore influences and a huge sound. Screaming vocals that seem to be spitting their lungs out of the body because of the way they deliver the violent lyrics. Names like Hatebreed or Agnostic Front come to my mind. this is pure aggression on each note and thaht is evident from beginning to end of this recording. the sound is direct and extremeluy loud. The guitars have a big sound that is raw yet extremely effective. I recommend this album at full volume to demolish walls and other stuff. If this is the "Five Knuckle Philosophy" you have to let this smashing release erase your face with utter violence.
|
|
Produced by Cuny |
Contact: www.alveranrecords.com |
| Label: Independent |
|
| Year: 2004 | |
| Country: U.S.A. | |
|
Line Up: Blaine Hmmond - vocals Jeff Helm - guitars James Rinker - bass |
|
|
Music by Shadow Demon Lyrics by Shadow demon |
|
|
Tracks: 1- ...And the Meek 2-My Eyes Fixed 3-Of the Shadows |
A climatic opening in "...And the Meek" turns soon into the most powerful heavy metal that is the style that Shadow Demon manages perfectly. The good thing that I perceived first is the huge guitar sound that this guys have that it seems coming from a downtuned guitar, which is not a common feature in bands of the style. But this guys go beyond this style and they have also added osme thrash influences |