ABUSED MAJESTY - Serpenthrone
Poland's Abused Majesty's first album is impressive in its combination of complex concept coupled with straightforward execution. For a band to make their debut a concept album about a little-known Polish myth is brave - they're certainly not trying to be overly accessible. However, the music itself is structurally simple: blast beats, chugging rhythms, harsh death/black vocals, occasional keyboard lines and guitar riffs. Comparisons to early Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, and Cradle of Filth will inevitably be drawn, and the melodic elements and epic concept justify them. However, this is more polished than early Emperor, less bombastic than Dimmu, and the laughably contrived nature of Cradle is thankfully absent. Abused Majesty is nothing new, but there's something to be said for taking the best elements or your predecessors and combining them into a cohesive whole. The album flows naturally, each track a chapter in the Serpenthrone tome. There are no throwaways here. If you like your metal straightforward but not brainless, give Serpenthrone a try. -Christine

ADIPOCERE RECORDINGS

ATROCITY - Contaminated
No, this is not the technical German death metal band that you may remember from the late eighties or early nineties. This is the more obscure US act that began in the mid eighties with the release of their "Toxic Death" demo. They also released two other demos, a seven-inch and two full-length albums. None of which I have heard. I do have a copy of the "Toxic Death" demo though and as one might expect, it is far thrashier than the death grind found on "Contaminated". Apparently "Contaminated" is an ep consisting of alternate versions of previously released songs that were recorded in 1990 during the "Infected" sessions. As previously stated, this material falls solidly in the realm of early nineties death-grind ala Repulsion, Terrorizer or Napalm Death. There are alternating patters of fast blasting and slower catchier parts with intermittent soloing. None of the material is excessively fast or overly brutal so it would either be fairly easy for most people to get into or it would simply not be enough to draw them in all depending on what they are looking for. This ep was released mainly due to the fact that the original Atrocity line-up is back together and writing new material and "Contaminated" should help to get their name back out there and give people a chance to see what they are all about for a relatively low price being that it is just an ep. - Lance

OPEN GRAVE

AUTODIDACT - Devotional Hymns for the Women of Anu
It's rare that I absolutely love and absolutely despise tracks on the same album. Devotional Hymns... has its moments of brilliance, but the third track ("Slow Morning Eyes On Fire") nearly made me give up on the CD entirely. It's nearly 13 minutes of filler with incredibly trite spoken word layered in – and the worst part is, it's not even amusing enough to quote! I'm pretty sure the words 'death' and 'dead' appear about a dozen times, but I'm sure as hell not going back and counting. I can't get through the damn thing. The next track, "A Sonata for Lillian Reardon" is also a throwaway track, incorporating vocals and background noise to form a muddled whole that's neither impressive nor expressive. Moving on, though, "Cry Me a River, Elizabeth Nietzsche" is a post-rock fuzzed-out bass-heavy doom track that changes directions and builds on itself without climaxing or coming to a definite conclusion. Instead of being off-putting, however, the ambiguous ending is in itself effective and more appropriate to form than an unsatisfying pat ending so often found at the end of a track. Another highlight is "SS fuck puppets of the She-Wolf Ilsa" (I'm still trying to decide whether these track titles annoy me or impress me), a plodding collage of feedback notable for its persistent yet gravid march toward its linear end. Most of the tracks on Devotional Hymns... are linear in that instead of following the literary formula of exposition-rising action-climax-falling action-denouement, the songs follow a straight path without reaching a conclusion. To be more concrete, it's like being thrown suddenly into a room where a concert has already begun but not all instruments have made their musical entrance. There's no real preparation or greeting. One must take in what's already extant and experience the layers as they appear. Instead of truly ending, the songs just trail off, as if the musicians merely abandoned their instruments. It's a refreshing take on compositional structure, usually so rooted in conventionality. Perhaps it's autodidacticism in action. However, with that fresh 'unschooled' take come unfortunate mistakes. First, they need to eliminate all vocals unless done wordlessly for effect. Nobody needs the lyrical meanderings of the desperately (but lyrically impaired) earnest guy experiencing existential crisis. Second, find a real artist to do the artwork. Seriously. Lastly... did I mention 'take out the bad lyrics'? That's the biggest issue here. Go forth and fix these errors, Autodidact. Then I may have something I can conclusively and concisely describe as good instead of wasting words explaining what's not. -Christine

PUBLIC EYESORE

BLOOD OF THE BLACK OWL - S/T
Love it. Love it so much I'm wearing the T-shirt. I only wish that my reviewers copy came with the three-song demo. But then, Blood of the Black Owl's debut is a full 70-minute crushfest, so I can't really complain. As if Chet Scott's output as Ruhr Hunter weren't impressive enough, the debut disc of Blood of the Black Owl places him in the top tier of one-man projects. In two genres full of boys with effects pedals and tortured vocals, Scott reminds metal and noise fans not to settle for the typical masturbatory fare we've been so inundated with. Slow buzzing riffs combine with rumbling atmosphere to create a transcendent piece that can be neither described as black or doom. Elements of both are present, complementing each other. The crushing despair of doom and the bleakness of black metal birth an audial black hole. Void metal, perhaps? But then, nomenclature is beside the point here. What matters is that every track can stand alone as an abyssic opus, yet the cohesion of the seven tracks is unmistakable. Bindrune Recordings is by no means a prolific label, but each release is so singularly stellar that one can be sure that if Marty signed 'em, it's essential listening. - Christine

BINDRUNE RECORDINGS

CERBERUS - Klagelieder - Grabesgesang
This album has a bizarre power over me - it makes me headbang. Seriously. I don't headbang. Ever. But listening to Klagelieder - Grabesgesang I find myself headbanging without even thinking about it. It makes me nervous. I think Cerberus is turning me into a headbanging, horns-throwing metal zombie. That said, this album really isn't all that fantastic, which makes the inadvertent headbanging that much more perplexing. It's catchy - one of the catchiest albums I've heard in months, in fact. Every track has a riff that gets stuck in your head for hours. Trust me. So because this album begs for it, I'm gonna write the rest of the review in the style of a typical mainstream metal magazine reviewer: Horns up!!! German grimsters Cerberus are back with another fist-pumping slab of blackness!! Robed fuckers be warned – these anthems will beat themselves into your skull and not let up until the last track is done! With two axe-wielders (the mighty Dawn and Nebiros), the sound is heavy as fuck! This shit's so typical I can't figure out who to compare it to so I'll compare it to Darkthrone and Gorgoroth! So grab a beer from dad's fridge, throw this in the doombox and rock the fuck out!! Hail Satan n such! -Christine

SCHWARZDORN

CRUX - Rev Smrti/Scream of Death
Formed in 1988 by members of Root and Denet, Crux is very much a product of its time. A thrashing, black metal attack can be found on this re-release by I Hate Records, featuring demo material remastered from the original tapes, a band history in the liner notes composed by the band themselves, along with expanded photos from the original releases. Having never heard this band before, the overall look of this release is very unsuspecting, featuring just a poor band photo for the cover, but the music as it turns out is very well produced and indicative of the late 80's, early 90's evil side of thrash metal. Less technical than the German's (who undoubtedly reigned supreme during this era), this Czech trio concentrated on sensible song structures that weren't without their fair share of surprises and solos, but the riffs themselves just instantly make a lot of sense and are flowing with a dark aura often found in the Euro scene of yore. I imagine a lot of this evil enchantment flowed over into Root's (yet another band that I've never taken the time to fully explore) music since Crux was more or less disbanded so that 2 of its members could concentrate on Root, but this re-release re-opens the gate on what appears to be a rich glimpse into Crux's sadly overlooked history. The mid-ranged vocal snarl offers the blackened charm for very dense riffs and masterfully plotted tempo shifts to be leaning more towards post thrash worship. You know... that early era of death metal where thrash was quietly dying and death metal releases focused more on well written music/riffs, rather than relying on unbridled blast beats. Crux were very skilled musicians, making sure that each track possessed a character and direction all its own, reveling in the aforementioned mystical elements, probably inspired by fellow countrymen Master's Hammer. Nice acoustic guitar accompaniment further adds to the atmosphere of this material. I went into this release totally unaware and uncaring of this classic band, and by the mid-way point, I have been completely won over by the songsmithing ability and furious lust on display for a style of sinister music that encompasses several different metal sub-genres and just never seems to grow old with the passage of time. Fans of Root, Torr and Masters Hammer take note! -Marty

I HATE

DEVIANT, THE - Ravenous Deathworship
Blastbeats, riffing, harsh vocals – is this what the 'extreme metal' scene has become? Bang your head for Satan? At this point, it's moving past 'derivative' straight into self-parody. In fact, Ravenous Deathworship is so blandly typical, it could easily pass as satire. Song titles like "Merciless", "Genocide", and "Purity of Hate" are so obvious, it's hard to believe that The Deviant expects to be taken seriously. So I'll assume that they don't. As a comment on all that is wrong with 'nowadays' black metal, Ravenous Deathworship achieves its purpose. The overblown, triggered drums rarely vary rhythmically, illustrating the adolescent nature of most black metal drumming. The pristine, big-budget production only amplifies the utter lack of creativity on display, as evidenced by so many recent releases. The burped-up vocals spouting clichés represent the ridiculous lyrics on display in the genre as a whole. To top it off, these guys are from Norway – perfect! Ostensibly the origin of the 'scene' (what? I said 'ostensibly'), Norway has been churning out black metal diarrhea for years now. The genius of this disc is that its very lack of any redeeming features redeems it – as a cautionary piece, reminding us that we don't have to keep listening to this tripe. It reminds every musician that there IS a lowest common denominator. -Christine

CANDLELIGHT

DIAGNOSE: LEBEBSGEFAHR - Transformalin
I never understood why Silencer's Death-Pierce Me got such great reviews, but for those who somehow did find that release groundbreaking, this is the same guy. This time, Nattram tries his hand at power electronics. At least, that's what it sounds like an attempt at. A crude, misinformed, pathetic attempt at that. Actually, those are kind words. Transformalin is so mind-bendingly awful, that I'm honestly not sure whether to laugh or punch Nattram in the face. Or both. At the same time. The track "Transformalin"'s lyrics provide some good ideas as well: "Steal my voice, it can not be heard... Drill a hole in my skull/Fill me up (and) I'm sterile/with a stench of purity and ethyl". Did he just rhyme skull, sterile, and ethyl? Speaking of words, the vocals themselves are cringeworthy at best. Half-sung, half-said, all melodrama. On "Upon the High Horse of Destruction", the vocal cue seems to be 'use scary Halloween voice', which is especially noticeable on lyrics like 'throw my bones to the pigs', which in practice sounds like 'throooooow.... my booooooooooones..... to the piiiiiiiigs'. According to the liner notes, the album was 'recorded during 2004-2005 as a therapy and rehabilitation process', which to me sounds like a :Stalaggh:-esque gimmick, but its truth doesn't concern me. What concerns me is the absolute lack of redeeming factors. From the forced 'atmosphere' of "Flaggan Paa Halv Staang I Droemmens Vaestergaard" to the contrived 'military' feel of "Situazion: Lebensgefahr", Transformalin fails over and over. I had relatively high hopes for this album, because although I didn't think Silencer was anything original, I thought a noisier direction would suit the emotionality of the project. The album is marketed as a mix of industrial drone and dark ambient. Don't be fooled. This is a painful mix of Ordo Tyrannis and As All Die. If you like those acts, this is something to seek out. Anyone want my copy? -Christine

AUTOPSY KITCHEN

ENSOPH - Project X-Katon
I bet these guys are/will be huge in Europe. This disc reminds me of every nameless 'dark' band I was exposed to living in Germany. They were all totally forgettable, incorporating all the same elements. You have your electro/EBM bits, your keyboards, your crunching guitars, and male/female vocals. It's all the same. That said, there's an audience for this stuff, as evidenced by the glut of similar acts and their relative popularity. That audience just doesn't include me. I guess this stuff is what would come out if Das Ich, Wumpscut, and Dimmu Borgir were mixed together and heavily watered down. If the German goth rock scene is your thing, this probably will be too. Interestingly, these guys are from Italy, but everything down to their awkward accents reeks of Germanophilia. While Europe has some excellent exports, I can't wait for this whole gothrockelectrometal to die out and be replaced by something fresh. -Christine

CRUZ DEL SUR

EXITIUM - Outsourcing Morality
Hardcore toilet vocals? Check. Triggered drums? Check. Guitar chugging? Check. Self-righteous lyrics? Check. Mosh breaks? Check. Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is a grind album. A totally average, forgettable grind album. From the outside it looks all right - good logo, good cover art, typical (if tired) grind track titles ("Life Among the Lifeless", "Prorated Peace of Mind", and "Belligerent Rage") - but if you're expecting quality grind ala Phobia (as their ad sheet purports them to 'sound like'), you'll certainly be disappointed. Every track on here sounds essentially the same. I'm so bored I can't even talk about this album anymore. Total snoozefest. Avoid. -Christine

DEEPSEND

FEAST ETERNAL - Prisons of Flesh (Re-issue)
"Prisons of Flesh" was first unleashed upon the masses in 2000, by the band themselves, limited to 1000 copies. Having signed to Open Grave Records last year, the band celebrated this union by re-birthing their debut with slightly different artwork, a fresh re-master job, and 2 new tracks to whet their old fans appetites in anticipation of full-length #2 "With Fire", due out later this year. Having not spun this disc in quite a while, I am pleasantly surprised at how well the material has held up over the years. Expect "Warmaster" era Bolt Thrower meets older In Flames, spun with Feast Eternal's own unique gift for sensible song structures and riff writing that is as memorable as it is bloated with an old school death metal affinity. The 2 new songs closing this CD out ("Serpents Proclaim" and "Rage of Angels") take the core foundation of Feast Eternal's writing style and inject even more harmonies and even some well done solos to further elevate this material into a higher classification of death metal that stands out in 2007 amongst a genre full of lifeless turbo death and goregrind fiends. Tasteful songwriting, monstrously brutal vocals, and an all around well-executed slab of death is available again for consumption! -Marty

OPEN GRAVE

GRAVEN - The Shadows Eternal Call
Traditional black metal to the core, but with a full production AND well written, verse/chorus/verse/chorus dominant material to back up the grimness... The simplistic structures are really the saving grace of this album, because if the songs weren't there to stick in your head, "The Shadows Eternal Call" would have simply been faceless underground black metal album #666 on the month. Every instrument can be heard clearly and with a gritty power to really sell this material. Having a real drummer is a nice touch, for it keeps Graven out of the juvenile status and proves that they are a project that wants to be recognized on a wider platform when it comes to this genre. Beneath the harsh screams, every cliché known to black metal is discernable.... Ravens, never-ending darkness, hate, misanthrope, the moon, etc, and I'd have to say the cheesiness of Graven's lyrical concepts are the worst, most predictable element found on this CD. Sure, "The Shadows Eternal Call" is standard black metal, done better in the past by Darkthrone and the like, but I like this CD enough to hang onto it and possibly even explore this bands back catalog further to hear if the quality in the songwriting has been there since the beginning. So if you're in the mood for a dose of cult stuff, really, Graven never strays far from the rules and does so with style and a deep sound to back it all up. That's more than I can say for so many other bands in this genre. - Marty

UNDERCOVER RECORDS

HELL-BORN - Cursed Infernal Steel
Hailing from Hell via Poland and rising from the remnants of the bands Behemoth and Damnation comes Hell-Born with "Cursed Infernal Steel" the much anticipated follow up to the outstanding "Legacy of the Nephilim". Hell-Born is a band that "gets it" as far as metal is concerned. Every note, every growl and every beat spurts and sprays metalized blood across the divine stage. This feat is natural for them though because that is exactly what they have pumping through their veins and they are unafraid to rip them open in order to create such hellish hymns. Rarely are such memorable sing along type songs constructed this slickly, and this crushingly heavy. It took some time for me to adjust to the number of times the chorus is repeated in each song at first, but at the end of the day the overwhelming strength of the material outweighs this minor flaw and so I was able to move past it. This domestic version has vastly different cover art than the European version as well as what appear to be two CD-ROM bonus tracks, so if you were planning on getting the import you may wish to reconsider. If you are into heavy, classy riffs with pounding drums that perfectly complement those riffs performed in a very memorable way than I strongly urge you to give "Cursed Infernal Steel" a serious spin. – Lance

IBEX MOON

INCANTATION - Primordial Domination
The only thing that I was able to take away from the experience of spinning this promotional CD was the following.

Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.

Just in case I was unable to retain that piece of information, it was repeated for me. Eight more times. Like this.

Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.
Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.
Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.
Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.
Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.
Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.
Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.
Do you want more fucking metal? New Incantation "primordial domination" available September 2006 on Ibex Moon Records.

Nice. - Lance

IBEX MOON

JOTUNSPOR - Gleipnirs Smeder
Featuring ex members of Gorgoroth, King ov Hell and drummer Kvitrafn, Jotunspor is a lesson in murky dungeon black metal that certainly borrows some atmospherics and overall unsettling push from this 2-pieces former band (especially since King ov Hell ended up being a main songwriter for said band). Jotunspor's connection to Norway's cult black metal past is evident, but the spirit of this project is deeply entrenched in the stripped down side of the genre, mixed with interesting militaristic BM marches as found on "Ginnungagalder" and other compositions that fall between the metal tracks and find a lot more in common with haunting dark ambient/noise industrial. The overall mix is sufficiently bleak, allowing the simplistic songs to burrow into the desired dark places. A fury of harsh screams and triggered/programmed to the hilt drum textures pile on that abandoned, bleeding and soon to be lifeless sense of desperation. The music is at times successfully hypnotic and even a bit creepy once the distortion gives way to mystical dark ambient passages, but the BM songs tend to fall into a rather 1 dimensional attack that can become boring. As "Gleipnirs Smeder" forged on, I noticed myself appreciating the overall idea of this CD a lot more than the actual content. The production is so non existent and purposely lo-fi, I think it becomes easy to miss out on the finer details and background layers that King ov Hell was undoubtedly attempting to make a bigger part of this album. For next time, more of a full sound and more attention to the actual riff ideas could only help Jotunspor's cause, for I feel their sound is stable/intact... there just needs to be more interest structurally for this band to make an impact in my daily musical rotation. - Marty

CANDLELIGHT

KEEP OF KALESSIN - Armada
"Armada" a stunningly technical performance, spoiled by a lackluster vocalist. To me, the MCD "Reclaim" is Keep of Kalessin's crowning achievement thus far. The songs were memorable. Atilla Cishar, the ever wicked frontman, elevated this firestorm to new heights of ear blazing uniqueness. Frost did what he does best... pushed the envelope of speed and technicality with his calculated precision drumming. K.O.K., post super group, is still an amazing force in the modern black metal world. In fact, remaining original member, Obsidian C (Satyricon touring member), is a virtuoso player to the highest caliber and the riffs he's created on the tracks "Crown of the Kings" and amazing palm muted speed of "Vengeance Rising" stand alone as some of the most memorable, passionate and just plain killing stuff he's yet composed. New drummer Vyl seems to be the perfect replacement for Frost, for he plays with a lot of character and can seemingly match Frost's speed with ease. New vocalist Thebon however when he's not trying to sound like Ihsahn, he resorts to what can only be considered as borderline hardcore shouting. Sometimes his performance takes on a slightly tuneful pitch quality underneath the shouting style, but it just seems like he lacks the power needed to match the intensity raging beneath his performance. Thebon is by far the weakest link in K.O.K.'s deadly armada. But the music... damn! Blazing with hellfire and wicked turns, Obsidian's riff work is a stellar union of melody and searing quickness that soars with moments of melodious soloing, twin leads and lofty layering that piles on dimension and artistic flair, enveloped in a blackened thrash shell. In terms of working with actually meaningful musical content and blinding speed, no other band can really touch Keep Of Kalessin. Truly a band that has it all, other than a singer with the necessary hellpipes to accommodate the ferocity needed to continuously ignite this inferno. If Atilla had sang on "Armada", this could have been one of my favorite albums of all time. As it stands... if you're a fan of modern black metal, this album will undoubtedly blow you away. I'm just a picky old guy that likes his vocalist a lot more cancerous in the throat region. - Marty

CANDLELIGHT

MELECHESH - Emissaries
With the exacting, machine like precision of new drummer Xul in tow, Melechesh emerge from what seems like a lengthy slumber, with yet another very vibrant strike of Mesopotamian black metal to add to the unfurled scroll that is their impressive catalog. "Emissaries" continues to manifest Middle Eastern time signatures and a very eclectic flow in the percussion/music, just like we've experienced on every one of their albums previously. Sumerian themes both lyrically and musically create a unique and cultural vibe for the body of this album to build and destroy with brilliant dynamics. One moment, the Egyptian sounding melodies and the back beat driven percussion inspire visions of a smoke filled palace where a dozen veiled dancers are fervently spinning and gyrating to the beat, only for pummeling blast beats and a turbo death inspired swarm of riff intricacy, hurls this music at the listener in a blinding assault of a sand storm raging across desolate plains the next. A snarled and torn screaming style leads the charge into battle for the majority of this album, but chanted background pitch vocals do step in on occasion for the chorus' to further demonstrate Melechesh's heart and musical influence lies in their Israeli home/culture. "Emissaries" is a very well produced and composed album that will appeal to fans of Absu and the like, due to this bands magical intensity and undeniable creative influence since Proscriptor was once a member of this band. If it's not broken, don't fix it I say, and Melechesh are simply one of those really good/tight bands that definitely have their own sound and are quite comfortable working within the seemingly open minded confines of said sound. - Marty

OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS

NECROPHOBIC - Hrimthursum
I have always liked everything Necrophobic have done, and if they continue on their path of continually releasing solid Swedish death metal albums full of bludgeoning might and soaring guitar harmonies, I'm sure my opinions of this ever-impressive band will remain forever favorable. "Hrimthursum" continues where "Bloodhymns" left off and even though Tobias Sidegard's vocals seem a bit less potent/deep this time around (not to mention a few moments of pitch singing), and Necrophobic are embracing more theatrical ideas to create a conceptual mental picture (as found on the tribal drumming and cinematic scope of "The Slaughter of Baby Jesus"), the songwriting remains true to this bands 1989 origin. Excellent tempo textures and hook bloated riffs/harmonies are once again the vibrant core of this bands obvious love for old styled death metal and such careful song/vocal arrangements gives "Hrimthursum" a lot of depth and skillful pacing. To continue on with the cinematic vision of this album, female opera background singers, occasional weeping and other tid-bits of artistic flair are positioned throughout this album, co-existing with the undeniably Swedish in composition and delivery, guitar harmonies and musical twists that have become synonymous with the country of Sweden. The talent and bond with excellent death metal is still very much a part of this country and the people that chose to pick up instruments and lash out at the heavens with such skilled and powerful death. Necrophobic have returned with 60 minutes of well-written and entertaining metal sure to instill the feelings of spiritual warfare in the hearts of those that have stood with the band since the beginning, all the while summoning new believers with the destructive and colorful craft found on "Hrimthursum" . - Marty

CANDLELIGHT RECORDS

NECROFOG - Wherever our Deaths May Carry Us
The instrumentation found on "Wherever our Deaths May Carry Us" is really Necrofog's saving grace, for sole proprietor Itay Keren really shouldn't be singing. His vocals are painfully thin/weak sounding and it doesn't help that he follows the guitar riffs exactly. I've really been bothered by this a lot lately when bands do this... highlight every syllable with the exact chord or beat... you can sit here and fake lip-synch along to the entire album and look like you know the words, because you know that a lyric will fall on every beat. This alone truly kills the depth and skill found in not only Necrofog's music, but other bands as well that fall victim to their own lack of creative word placement. Having started out this review with the gloves (of metal) on, looking past the feeble vocals, Itay really has a good ear for writing theatrical songs that go in interesting directions. The equally thin production tries to sap away a lot of the power from this material, but the classical guitar, piano and synth accompaniment of the track, "Feral, Ferocious, and Unfettered" alone really points to a deeper understanding of composition and layering, not typically dealt with by your standard bedroom BM warrior. A sawing guitar tone and challenging riff ideas keep Necrofog's music undeniably black metal in style and even though the synth work does begin to get a touch too flamboyant for my tastes, I would be interested in hearing this ambitious full-length demo re-recorded with the proper gear and most importantly, a different singer. Some obvious promise is on display here, but it is a demo after all and Itay Keren has a lot of work to do in ironing out all the bugs before taking his musical ideas to the next level. - Marty

Web: http://www.myspace.com/necrofog666
Email: e_tie10@yahoo.com

ONE MASTER - Forsaking a Dead World
One Master have moved away from clinging to the more weighty strands of death metal in their fuzzed out sound, to fully embrace the bitter cold of straight up black metal. Musically, "Forsaking a Dead World" strikes me as a very relaxing trip due to the simple lines in the music and One Master's knack for writing dissonantly melodic guitar lines centering around the 6/8 time signature. It becomes very easy for the listener to fall deep into the hypnotic buzz of the guitars and the progressions. "Chill of the Grave" and "I, Magus" are both very well written songs that stand out as this bands best work to date due to the emotion and atmosphere on display. In fact I prefer One Master to keep the tempo loping along, for faster tracks like "The Test" and "Unholy Grimness" just feel a bit clunky and forced, although "Master of the Past and Present" digs in with some very twisted riffs that demonstrate this bands obvious love for deeply underground black metal. Other than the thin/sloppy production and equally sloppy playing at times, the only other real setback for this band is the vocals. Sufficiently harsh screams are on display, but Valder does lack the depth and diversity in his pipes needed to really break up this monotonous performance. Plus he's playing guitar as well, so the vocal lines tend to become a bit predictable, but he gets the job done, being a suitable enough screamer to keep the band moving forward until someone with a more interesting set of hell pipes can step into the position. "Forsaking a Dead World" features some really promising music from a band that is paying their dues as they fight to find themselves. This CD is definitely worth a closer inspection should you feel like seeing what's up-n-coming in the US black metal scene. - Marty

Web: http://www.one-master.net
Email: One.master@hotmail.com

ONSLAUGHT - Killing Peace
What do you know? Onsalught are back on the market, and they don't completely suck! For me, "The Force" is the be all, end all Onslaught moment, for they nailed thrash, traditional metal, not to mention a definitely creeped out satanic metal vibrancy all at once, which to this day, stands alone in their brief catalog, not to mention the metal genre in general during the time it was released. Upon breaking up after the failed experiment that was Steve Grimmett (Grim Reaper), I really don't think anyone cared that Onslaught called it a day. Leaving on such a sour note makes a reformation and actually good return album that much more surprising. "Killing Peace" really doesn't sound like Onslaught of old, which is surprising since this is the bands original line-up, rather just a solid thrash band sporting a modern production (provided by Sabbat's Andy Sneap). The thankful absence of blast beats does give the actual material a dated presence, but hey... I'm an old guy that just happens to like the era of metal this band arose from, so I'm completely in tune with what they are doing in 2007, by way of 1986 of course. I believe that a band should stand on the merit of the music they write and NOT the intense speed techniques of their drummer (1349 anyone?), so yes... sans blasting is quickly becoming the music of choice for me. Tight palm muted crunching gives way to some nice dueling harmonies and hook laden turns in the music to give each track a memorable identity. The chorus' are also catchy, if not completely hokey, which we've come to expect from the lost years of thrash lore. Vocally, the singer is sufficiently diverse, being able to croon when the compositions call for a lighter touch, but for most of this album, he maintains a harshly shouted delivery that does remain melodious, almost on the verge of pitch singing... with an attitude of course. The discernable nature of his delivery allows some cheese to surface in the lyrical concepts, "dust to fuckin' dust" and "Spitting blood in the face of god" inspired a chuckle or 2 to cross my lips. That and the fact that he tends to follow the musical progressions too closely with his vocal patterns, are the only 2 real nit-picky complaints I had with Onslaught's non spectacular, but quite enjoyable return to making music again. If you like your metal old school, "Killing Peace" will not disappoint. - Marty

CANDLELIGHT

RICHARD RAMIREZ - Uncertain Pleasures
Apparently this is an old release, but it warrants a review anyway. This is refreshing – a full album of no-bullshit no-beats dirty noise. Other than the album art looking like a Christmas card, Uncertain Pleasures is a convincing opus of aural terror. A staple in the American noise scene, Richard Ramirez has been prolifically creating his brand of japnoise-influenced Texas terror since the 80's. The best noise mixes control and chaos, and Ramirez is a master of the art. Both repetition and entropy are in full force within Uncertain Pleasures, ensuring that the 61-minute album doesn't overstay its welcome.... much. The 26-minute track "Syndrome" could have easily warranted a separate release. But then, maybe my attention span is just lacking. Overall, this is a worthwhile listen. Good luck finding it, though. -Christine

DEADLINE

RUINS OF BEVERAST, THE - Rain Upon the Impure
To be honest, I was initially taken aback by the blatant lo-fi nature of this album, especially after coming off the nicely produced and conceptually artistic nature of "Unlock the Shrine". Once the shock had subsided, the wicked nature of "Rain Upon the Impure" unveiled itself upon a dark and gruesome landscape of uncompromising blackness. The drum sound strikes me as very thin, almost synthetic sounding, but I think it was done that way to allow the very troubled and murky guitar tone to dig in with it's suffocating presence. I'm a huge fan of Nagelfar (members of that godly German entity went on to pour their blood into this project) but this album has really defined Beverast as a much more open minded and fundamentally evil expression of its member's sinister creativity. The guitars are so down-tuned and gloomy on here, the sound further pollutes the riff work into an ugly creation that thrives in the shadows and plagues ones dreams. The Ruins of Beverast have elevated themselves onto a lofty plane of horror, similar to that of Blut Aus Nord, yet sound nothing like that band. The guitar riffs moan and churn as if tilling all the things you dread up from the surface of your psyche to so seamlessly flow between inspired tremolo harmonies and emotive/haunted mid-paced progressions that become even more empowered and possessed by this bands expert use of keyboards. The synth lines are ever so subtle and the sounds selected suit the dark nature of this music perfectly. The skillful inclusion of this instrument doesn't detract your fears away from the guitar lines, rather the synth tones fortify the malevolence within the music to enrich the overall experience. From out of this seemingly impenetrable darkness, the vocalist screams an agonizing tale of dismay through reverb soaked effects... always varying his approach to mirror the nightmare being so beautifully sculpted by the music this band has unleashed. From full on blasting insanity, to quiet moments of music that makes you feel like your being watched, or something is creeping up behind you, the dynamics of "Rain Upon the Impure" are astounding and offer a 3 dimensional sound canvas for The Ruins of Beverast to combine years of their own musical development, with what feels like so many elements from other styles of dark music to arrive at pure artistic creativity. This is quite a feat taking into consideration just how bleak the production is on this album. "Rain Upon the Impure" is one of those albums that you are not going to get after 2 or 3 listens, for the magic of this release is based upon a challenging outpouring of layered sound, meant to fill the listener with woe and maybe even a hint of madness as you stumble into one of the darkest of mental dreamscapes through music, that I have personally experienced in a very long time. Amazing. It is mandatory to listen to this album on headphones. - Marty

VAN

SECRETS OF THE MOON - Antithesis
The amazing amount of progression Germany's Secrets of the Moon has surmounted is to be celebrated, for this band is really pushing the boundaries of black metal. As they become more creatively aware, I cannot help but notice just how much S.O.T.M. have modeled their modern sound after Satyricon's last 2 albums... "Now, Diabolical" in particular, for the tight guitar sound, focusing on higher strung riff ideas and even the dry vocal rasp/vocal phrasing heavily points to Satyr worship. Whether this was intentional or not, it's there. BUT, if you were to stand both bands up next to each other, I'd have to side with Secrets of the Moon, for the overall fullness in their sound and obvious deep connection to the darker side of black metal is more evident. Their songs tend to feel more unfathomable and surprising, where Satyricon still has that ability, and I do like their latest album, the stuff Satyr is writing nowadays has more of a hooky/pop structured affinity. Standing proud on its own merit, "Antithesis" is an amazingly produced album. You can hear the bass guitar. The drums are booming and alive. The guitars are scathingly interesting and tight, but weave a colorful web of layers that are as dense as the whole of this music. Repeated listens open up even more avenues of spellbinding wonder as each song forges down a path that seems foreign to me; because I rarely hear the same musical phrase repeated other than a stray chorus here or there. The thing is.... The outcome is so well considered and just plain right sounding, I don't care about the linear patterns and focus on remaining fully planted in the maelstrom, eager as to wherever the progressions take me. Vocally, the performance is just as diverse and thought provoking. The screams are completely discernable. The vocal placement is atypical and nearly perfect. Nothing spewing from the mouth of SG (also on guitars) seems out of place or dull and he bends his performance to greet the theatrical twists in the musical progressions. From your expected BM rasp, to spoken segments, shouting, whispers, even the occasional buried pitch chant.... The schizophrenic vocal performance contributes to the multidimensional layers lurking on this album. "Antithesis" has really taken me by surprise and I find myself not being able to separate this disc from my player for at least 3 days after the initial listen. It's that good. The modernization of black metal... I'm typically filed under the classification of elitist old schooler when it comes to this genre, but honestly, I can get behind a technological revolution so to speak, if all the bands involved sunk even half as much though, passion and expansive creativity into their sound without losing sight of the old days like Secrets of the Moon have. - Marty

THE AJNA OFFENSIVE/LUPUS LOUNGE

SERPENT CULT - Trident Nor Fore
Where fellow label mates Totem align themselves with the stoner side of doom, Belgium's Serpent Cult are also female led in the vocal department, but strike out with more of a crushingly heavy death/doom attack. Trident Nor Fire sounds fantastic with an infinite amount of bottom end to fill in all the holes and the music keeps moving along with riff ideas that can be dissonant/tense and building in tempo, only to erode off into a throaty exhale of grooved out doom segments full of hooky movement. Michelle's vocals are clean pitch singing and offset the distortion effectively. She actually reminds me a lot of Jex from Totem, though modeling her voice more after Messiah from old Candlemass rather than Jex's Ozzy affinity. The music is engaging and full of life, and by focusing on a more encompassing sound that pulls influences from the death and doom genres has made this MCD a very open minded and mighty listening experience. Close this out with the bands rendition of Uriah Heep's "Rainbow Demon" and you have a very powerful and eclectic mix of musical exploration. -Marty

I HATE

SKYFORGER - Kauja Pie Saules (Re-issue)
Not only is this hands down, the best release in Skyforger's catalog, "Kauja Pie Saules" ranks right up there in my top 10 favorite black/pagan metal releases (along with their stellar "Semigall's Warchant" demo). It's that good. Strong songwriting. Harshly delivered and completely unique vocals. Lot's of folk/traditional instrumentation both on its own, and worked into the dissonant black metal storm of Skyforger's music. This CD truly has it all and is now made available again thanks to Paragon Records who have released it for the US market. Soaring harmonies are enveloped by a sharp black metal dissonance that seemingly empowers the attack of this material, continuing on in it's capturing of your appreciation with overly catchy riffs, further made interesting by the inclusion of flutes, acoustic instruments and a flute. Truly advanced for it's time, "Kauja Pie Saules" has been the monolith in Skyforger's past... a monument so imposing, it's hard to emerge from its shadow. As the band continued onward, opting to slightly simplify their songs and even adapt more of an Oi punk/metal aesthetic both in a more shouted vocal delivery and in the more upbeat nature of their compositions, that urgent spirit of old and bold creativity of this debut album has yet to be revisited by the band. I'm hoping they make this realization for their upcoming full-length and find that sense of creative urgency again. "Kaja Pie Saules" is worth every penny invested and precious moment of your time spent on enjoying this opus. Heathen/pagan metal at its best! -Marty

PARAGON RECORDS

STARSHINE - Demo 2005
Instrumental black metal... full of diseased guitar lines and agonizing atmosphere dwells on this ambitious and definitely unique/bizarre, 4 song CDr demo from the 2 piece Starshine. Thankfully this project possesses an actual drummer, giving the whole of this material a very organic aura for acidic guitar lines to eat away the listeners sanity and notions about what black metal is "supposed" to be. It has taken me several very tranced out listens to be ok with the fact that there aren't any vocals on this release, which was initially a big hurdle for me to get over before fully embracing this body of work. U Amtey's playing style is completely non conventional and his riffs quickly demonstrate that fact as he weaves these vicious guitar rituals that sound as if they arose from the mind of the clinically deranged. Infinitely dissonant and dense guitar lines build an immense amount of tension and just as you think that "this cannot get any thicker or more fucked up", Amtey somehow introduces gentle harmonies that eventually claw their way out of the writhing pile of coherent, but unnerving distortion, to offer a new avenue of haunting musical deconstruction for us to attempt to wrap our mind around. At first listen, the overall delivery struck me as a Xasthur level of black metal, for the fuzzed out suicidal feelings are certainly at the core of this musical nightmare, but Starshine really prove themselves as being far more tormented and unique in the way they layer this music. Such a completely huge and ugly fucking sound is on display here, yet the bands unique use of melody and layered torment sets them far and away in an elite class of thinking mans black metal, that your average bedroom warrior simply cannot even fathom, let alone hang with creatively. Yes... I will remain steadfast with the opinion that vocals could only make this already menacing project even more so, I still get what they are trying, and have completely accomplished. Even thought this material isn't something that I'm going to spin daily due to the overwhelming claustrophobic density on display, every time I put on this demo, I'm amazed and disturbed at what I'm hearing and I applaud Starshine for their brave innovation in a genre filled with faceless sheep. - Marty

Web: http://myspace/777starshine
Email: uamtey@gmail.com

TYRANT OF MANCHESTER, THE - Rough Musick - Bad Blood
"Rough Musick - Bad Blood" turns out to be a very interesting experiment, for The Tyrant of Manchester's bold cross pollination of harsh scraping noisescapes and pure, digitally augmented black metal celebrates the free spirit of creating music without ANY restrictions. For this simple fact, I bow to the man behind this project for crushing the lines between noise and BM, but this doesn't mean that this ambitious full-length is entirely listenable from start to finish. In fact, I've found myself enjoying this much more when I listened to the disc in shifts. One or 2 tracks at a time maximum. Any more exposure becomes tiring. Riffs are present beneath the heaving mash of electronics and drum work processed/soaked in distortion, but they tend to wander much like my attention span as I try to force myself deeper into this rather alien sounding body of work. The layers run deep, mainly due to the lo-fi, densely layered sound manipulation only, for the music itself seems rather singular. The drum machine and 1 guitar line stands out, then what appears to be a programmed bass/keyboard line, all draped with the noxious plume of burning electronics and sizzling wires. The songs just tend to drag on, with little direction, other than straight forward/completely linear. There's little noticeable repetition, or hooks, which contributes to the fact that "Black Blood - Rough Musick" is a challenge to listen to in almost every aspect. Add multiple vocal layers, from random chatter, to pitch singing, to full on black metal screams and you are left with what can be simply described as an impressive art piece. I can be in the mood for high-brow experimentation such as this, and once again, I'm impressed, but I really feel too estranged by the sonic fray of this material to feel so compelled to sit down for a full-length worth of musical abuse. - Marty

Web: http://www.myspace.com/thetyrantofmanchester

TOTEM - S/T MCD
A unique experience can be found on this meaty, 70's bloated slab of doom. Sabbath-isms are hurled at the listener, though Totem's overall sound is far more down tuned and more psychedelically tormented by a Hammond organ and the wah pedal soaked solos that blur the lines between reality and a waking hallucinogenic dream. Where the music is downtrodden, often times sluggish, the vocal delivery of Jex Thoth's soothing feminine croon offers a distinct beauty to lie down with Totem's fiendish beast. She offers some very angelic harmonies to co-exist with the organic, totally 70's inspired analog tone and in a strange way, her style of phrasing and overall delivery does point to a fond appreciation of Ozzy's vocal contributions to Black Sabbath. The music churns within smooth/laid back compositions that center on powerful chord riffs, never shying away from moving hooks when needed. Fans of old styled, acid enhanced doom found back in the hippy-infested heyday of the genre should really take to Totem's unashamed emulation of that particular era. I'm sure in a live setting, this band is loud as hell and even more jammed out with elongated solos leading the charge along to a shaking tambourine and the pulsating push of this very authentic wave of sound. -Marty

I HATE

UNDERDARK - I Am Above All
Blood and conviction continues to flow out of the heart of the Ukrainian black metal scene and Underdark, a 2 man project featuring Amorth Incubus Magnum (ex-Drudkh, Astrofaes and Thunderkraft), is the latest musical entity from this Eastern land to reaffirm that this country is brimming with the most exciting BM sounds currently being created. Mystery, aggression and variety emits from the core of "I am Above All" with its very sharp, almost "Wolf's Lair Abyss" reminiscent guitar tone sawing through the entrancing moods that keep this album moving along with interest and creative depth. Riff work soars between standard tremolo harmonies, before eroding off into unexpected turns, whether it is a disjointed crunch part, or bizarre chords that decay into melodious note fills. Underdark keep their verse riffs more stripped down and distinct, allowing Amorth's dry, yet scathing vocals to find their own unique vocal lines, rather than simply following the exact changes in the riffs. The music breaks and the instrumental "Depth of Idea" is where the band embellish their guitar parts with more awkward changes and atypical movement, but Amorth's drum work remains the constant rock beneath these compositions as he takes liberty to ensure that the tempo is always varied and interesting. Towards the end of "I Am All", Underdark even inject a hint of folklore with what sounds like traditional folk harmonies, "blackmetalized" so to speak, before capitalizing on this minor influence by covering Kari Rueslatten's song, "Hor min Sang" to end this album on a very interesting note. "I Am Above All" is pure and uncompromising black metal, ripe with the underground aesthetic, but Underdark work to distance themselves from the pack by nurturing their own musical identity, rather than rip off Darkthrone. By achieving this, they have created a solid album worth of material that keeps me interested throughout all 8 tracks. Definitely looking forward to this projects future endeavors. = Marty

WRAITH PRODUCTIONS

VADER - Impressions In Blood
There is a track present on "Impressions in Blood" titled Helleluyah!!! (god is dead). I personally believe this to be true and I'm fairly certain that the cause of death was the merciless fucking beating inflicted upon him by Daray. Who is this Daray of whom I speak? Well, he is Vader's current drummer. Thankfully Vader still know when to rein in the speed and inject some slow(er) material in order to abate monotony. Even so, the lasting impression left by this album is definitely that of its speed. Other Impressions left by this album would be those of talent, experience and experimentation. That final impression may confuse some of you who think that Vader has become a bit formulaic of late. While I may agree with that statement to some extant, it seems to me that they are always able to expand ever so slightly upon that formula in one way or another with each new release and "Impressions in Blood" is certainly no exception to this rule. Here you will find elaborate intros, outros and bizarre (at least for metal) drum patterns scattered throughout the nearly thirty-eight minute duration of this disc. For longtime fans, Peter's wholly unique vocals and whammy-esque soloing are still omnipresent, so fear not as the formula hasn't changed that much. - Lance

CANDLELIGHT

VARDAN - Hidden in a Tomb
Quite possibly one of the more lifeless and uninteresting 1 man black metal bands I have heard in a long time... which says a lot. Imagine singular/dimensionless riff ideas pushed by a simplistic and quick drum beat (the more I spin this, the more the drums sound synthetic), plus a clean bass sound to achieve that Transylvanian Hunger essence. Swing and a miss! The essence wasn't captured at all... just horribly resuscitated for another pathetic retardation of a sound that once was a bold statement and blast of cold arctic grimness. The music on Hidden in a Tomb lacks the interesting songwriting, riff writing and vocal prowess needed to salvage the songs, which incidentally, end up all sounding completely interchangeable. Heavily reverb soaked, mid ranged screams that sound very frail, like cartoon talking, hide behind a bass drum thump that ends up dominating the mix. This is by far the most identifiably weak and ineffective element on this album. Tremolo dominant riff ideas rise and fall in a heap of wandering and unchallenging structures that do little to hold my interest for 2 minutes, let alone an entire album. This is the 1st of 4 albums soon to be unearthed by Vardan and Folter Records and if the newer material also lacks the body, imagination and content found on display here, I think it's probably best to keep the whole of Vardan's "sinister" filler, "Hidden in a Tomb". -Marty

FOLTER RECORDS

VORKUTA - Into the Chasms of Lunacy
Cold and churning traditional black metal, twisted by atypical harmonies and bleak breakdowns that inject a bizarre feel into this material. "Into the Chasms of Lunacy" is a well-produced creature, which is rare for underground black metal, but it seems like the true filth of this material is locked within the perverse riff ideas and scorched black vocals of Blizzard. As the album plays, you get the nagging feeling that you should have heard this before, but as the music turns off into left field, or locks in on a creeping synth instrumental, or passionate clean guitar lines, a breath of fresh air is exhaled from the body of this CD. Bands like Hungary's Vorkuta are demonstrating to the scene that traditional black metal doesn't have to fall into a lifeless, trend worshiping formula, rather it's ok to follow your influences as long as you look into your own creative arsenal and arrive at something you can truly call your own. "Into the Chasms of Lunacy" succeeds in this manner and is a smartly paced and adventurous when it needs to be album that should appeal to those of you who enjoy your same-old, spiced up with a bit of imagination. -Marty

PARAGON RECORDS