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THE
ABYSS - Summon the Beast (Nuclear Blast/PHD)
Summon The Beast is
The Abyss' second album and is very easy to categorize: no frills,
straight-forward black metal. The side-project of Peter Tagtgren
(of Hypocrisy fame, see interview with him in this issue), the eight
songs on this are played at hyper speed nearly all the time, the
drums stopping only long enough to spill forth a fast melodic riff
or two. My problem, which is a big one, is that nearly every song
starts out with the same blast beating and during most of the song
it's that same exact speed. This means that after the album's done
it's impossible to tell which song was which. "Evil" songs like
"Satan's Majestic Empire", "Damned", "Cursed", "Feasting the Remains
of Heaven" and "The Arrival" all sound the same, each having drums
and guitars set on kill with nothing much else. No keyboards are
present (which Pete told me was intentional) which in my opinion
is too bad because it may have saved this particular record by filling
out their somewhat-repetitive sound. The vocals (done by Mikael
Hedlund) are the bright spot on this recording, as they could compete
with any black metal band. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes,
if you're a black metal fan then you can find better records than
Summon the Beast.
Adam Wasylyk
BROKEN HOPE - Loathing (Metal Blade/Attic)
Broken Hope have never entertained me with their
musical style, and again they fail to do so with their latest release
"Loathing". Eleven songs on this affair, the usual gore-inspired
lyrics are accompanied with heavy (and rarely catchy) guitaring
while the drums do cover a good variety of speeds. My biggest problem
with "Loathing" is that there's nothing to differentiate the songs
as they all sounded the same. Sure, one song that's heavy/fast with
low vocals may sound cool to you but to follow it up with 10 additional
tracks that sound very much alike...well, you would soon be seeing
me reach for the last Amorphis LP.
Adam Wasylyk
EDGE OF SANITY - Infernal (Black Mark/St. Clair)
Lead singer and mastermind Dan Swano said that he
would be taking a hiatus until 1999 after this record and it looks
like the rest of the band is following suit, so what better way
to keep fans tided over for the next two years than with Infernal
(well, a North American tour would be nice). The sixth full length
release from these Swedish metal masters is one of their best works
to date and incorporates the different musical styles that they
have used throughout their recording careers. For example "Helter
Skelter" sounds like early EoS with an emphasis on speed and almost
black metal-like vocals, this time tackled by guitarist Andreas
(Dread) Axelson and not a bad job at that. Then there's the more
moody, clean vocal approach from their later releases like Purgatory
Afterglow within the song "Losing Myself." There isn't one death
metal growl in the entire song yet with the band writing tighter
than their last few releases it comes off as an unmistakable EoS
classic. The reason for this apparently is that Peter Tagtgren of
Hypocrisy and The Abyss fame did the production leaving Swano and
crew to concentrate 100 per cent on the music, and it shows with
one of the more honest and best recordings of this new year.
Alex Ristic
ENTOMBED
To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth
(Music For Nations/PHD)
To Ride.... is that B-Movie that you just want to
love and at the same time will give you a deadly beating. Entombed
have been through a lot since their last beast, Wolverine Blues,
through thick and thin, for good times and bad times... and it has
definitely been all worth the wait, for once. To Ride... lashes
out a bestial anger of fury and a boozed up malice that will soothe
the soul and prepare one for the ultimate shitkicking. No, this
is not deja vu of Left Hand Path or the mighty Clandestine, but
Entombed have provingly molded into one ferocious beast. Each track
is crafted in a basic carnal feast with groovy, catchy, and most
importantly very heavy riffs, created in a rough stylized manner;
guitarists Hellid and Cederlud play in a flawless retro-groove-grind-style
melded nicely with a very heavy pounding bass sound provided by
newcomer Jorgen Sandstrom (ex-Grave), atop of the fierce brilliance
of drummer Nicke Andersson, all amongst L.G. Petrov's carnal cries.
Death metal, death rock, death n' roll...whatever. This is ENTOMBED!
A band that would give Pantera, Megadeth, and Metallica the severe
beating that they deserve. There is none higher.
Chris Bruni
JAWW - Southbound (Traibol Recordings)
Helping fuel the intensity and harshness that Toronto's
music scene is lacking (besides bands like Tchort or Solus) comes
Jaww, an intense four-piece who's music style - similar to Cannibal
Corpse meets Obituary (a bit more thrash metal based and noticeably
more coherent) and throw in comparisons to Entombed - seems to take
on quite a powerful momentum on their debut album, Southbound. This
10-track release heaves at us powerful and brutally charged numbers
like "Trampled Under Foot", "Free from Disease", and the cool-grooved
grind of title track, "Southbound". I am quite impressed with the
depth and work Jaww members put into the song writing and song structures.
Plus having producer Rob Sanzo on board in the studio helped strengthen
the sound, too.
Adrian Bromley
Contact: Jaww, c/o Doug McLarty, 1756 Queen St. West, Box 30;
Toronto,Ontario, M6R-1A6, Canada
E-mail: jaww@gadzook.lglobal.com
PROSCRIPTOR - The Venus Bellona (Cold Meat Industry)
Proscriptor is the first band I've heard off the
Cold Meat label and I must say I was very impressed to say the least!
The side project of Proscriptor McGovern (drummer of Absu), this
band's sound combines occult folklore with Scottish, medieval and
ambient influences. From what I've read in interviews, the concept
of Proscriptor is based on how he became an Emperor from living
a past life in Scotland during the 13th Century. Keyboards are vital
to Proscriptor's sound, but don't lump them in with those in black
metal bands as the music on The Venus Bellona is totally unique.
Acoustic guitars also make their presence known on several tracks,
with lesser-used instruments like bagpipes, flutes and triangles.
Tracks like "I Am the One," "Our Blood and Veins from the McGovern
Regiment," "Lady Day Eve," "My Legacy: A Crystknife" and "Defeat"
are just five of the many, many great tracks on this. I hope that
another album is in the future for Proscriptor, because a band like
this shouldn't be kept under wraps.
Adam Wasylyk
V/A- A Tribute To Judas Priest: Legends Of Metal
(Century Media/St. Clair)
Tribute records always seem to get a bad reputation
because apparently they destroy and maim classic songs. While I've
never been a big Judas Priest fan, I know the classics and having
heard the Legends of Metal compilation/tribute record I can honestly
say that mostly all the covers sound rather good. I mean let's face
it, no one can copy the wails of Judas Priest screamer Halford or
the guitar work of Glenn Tipton - it can't be done - but at least
each band attempts to bring their own style to each song. Ten versions
(two of "The Ripper"??) of Priest songs make up this album, the
most noteworthy being Strapping Young Lad's "Exciter," Testament's
cover of "Rapid Fire" and Overkill's crushing "Tyrant." If you like
Judas Priest you'll either like mostly all of this or hate it. Your
pick.
Adrian Bromley
V/A - Sonic Obliteration Vol. 2 (Utopian Vision Music)
The second installment of Canadian talent shows that
the Great White North has more to offer than just Hockey, beer and
Pamela Anderson. Acts like Solus, Inner Thought and Mundane show
just how good they are outside of a live setting and should make
people ponder as to why they haven't been snapped up by major labels
yet. With twelve tracks in all the Canuck talent doesn't stop there.
Jaww's "Wasted Faith" is capable of breaking jaws with its heaviness
and even Toronto's all-girl band Jane Doe show that metal shouldn't
just be restricted to men. Outside of a couple of tracks which need
a little more time in the studio, this compilation has something
to offer to fans of almost every metal genre and since it's supposed
to be priced cheaper than most CDs it's going to be a bargain to
pick up.
Alex Ristic
V/A - Spectrum Fest (Relapse/St. Clair)
One of the better metal/extreme metal music labels
in North America has once again released a awesome compilation of
many of the acts that they deal with. Spectrum Fest is a follow-up
to the successful Spectrum Ale compilation (released a few months
back) and like that release, this one has some great tracks as well.
Notable numbers: Xysma with "New Gel In Town", Pica with "The Green
Square", Mortician's "Three On A Meathook" and the beautiful Amorphis
number "Weeper Of The Shore." Do you like noise, ambient, death
metal or grind core music? If so, then get this.
Adrian Bromley
VADER - De Profundis (Conquest Music)
Dropped from Earache Records some time ago, Poland's
Vader have re-surfaced to release a MCD on Repulse Records (Sothis)
and now have released their second LP which demonstrates not only
their will to survive but how to play some cool high-speed death
metal. De Profundis also marks a vocal change of sorts, which leave
them sounding less guttural than on The Ultimate Incantation. Audio
evidence includes the tracks "Silent Empire", "Sothis" and "Vision
and the Voice" which show that Vader have lost nothing when it comes
to speed or brutality. Vader fans should like De Profundis as I
feel this completely destroys their first LP. And when a band can
do a cover of Depeche Mode's "I Feel You" and make it sound great,
you know you have a force to be reckoned with.
Adam Wasylyk
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