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ACID
KING / THE MYSTICK KREWE OF CLEARLIGHT
split CD (Man's Ruin)
Split albums are notoriously difficult to pull off due to the inherent
challenge of pairing bands that are complementary, yet offer enough
stylistic distinction to differentiate between the contributing
artists. The association of Acid King and The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight
proves to be one of those remarkable successes. The four songs donated
by Acid King are monstrously heavy sludgefests that are akin to
swallowing a litre of wet cement and then playing a worn vinyl copy
of Black Sabbath's Vol. 4 at 78 RPM while sunbathing in the Sahara
Desert at high noon. The band's grasp of songwriting is cohesive
and fluid, with the elongated guitar lines saturated in a hypnotic
heaviness that never manages to lose focus during the hazy jam passages.
Adding to the distinction are Lori's excellent vocals, which recalls
Warhorse's original singer. The Krewe (not to be confused with The
Crue) is likely the more familiar of the two contributing acts,
and puts forth a pair of tunes that are rather unusual, in that
Wino from The Obsessed and Spirit Caravan lends his voice to both
tracks, thus breaking with the band's typically instrumental approach.
Despite the addition of vocals, which are expectedly excellent and
add yet another dimension to the music, The Krewe retains the same
qualities as evidenced on past material: massive Sabbath-influenced
riffs and solos, great organ work, and a bang-on rhythm team which
confidently moves from one trippy rhythm to the next. The last song,
"Veiled," starts with a controlled riff, but quickly shifts into
an inventive noisy jam that gradually leads back into the tight
song formation which opened the track. Definitely one of the best
split albums in my collection.
-Tate Bengtson 8.5-
Contact: Man's Ruin Records, 2626 3rd St., San Francisco, CA 94107
USA
URL: www.mansruin.com
AMORPHIS
Am Universum (Relapse)
Amorphis is famous for a lot of things, one being that they were
one of the very first underground bands from Finland to make an
impact in the early '90s. It's been about 10 years, boys and girls,
and there are those out there who have followed the band since the
'Privilege of Evil' EP days. In 10 years the band have evolved from
straight-ahead death metal, to a mixture of gothic/progressive/death
with 'Tales from the Thousand Lakes.' And of course, people got
upset with their last release, 'Tuna' ('Tuonela,' whatever), because
of a lack of the more extreme elements that the band started with.
Well, 'Am Universum' is along the line of 'Tuonela,' but more experimental,
and more emotional. This CD succeeds where 'Tuonela' failed in the
sense that it comes across as real. 'Tuonela' freaked people out,
causing a backlash among the band's elite fans who thought they
were selling out. Yet 'Am Universum' doesn't come across that way.
It's so weird in some places you know the band is doing their own
thing for the sake of joy, not money. While still a letdown in the
sense that the band doesn't display their roots, 'Am Universum'
captures a feel that wasn't on 'Tuonela' and evokes more moody responses
from the listener. No, it's not the Amorphis of old, but it looks
like we're going to have to get used to it, and at least this time
their new, more melodic sound at least comes off with more conviction.
- Alex Ristic 7-
BEALIAH/UNEVIL HOPES
Split EP (Turbulence Records)
Even though this is a split EP, this review will be short. First,
I'll start off with the comments made by my roommate when listening
to the Unevil Hope portion of this album, "What the fuck is that
shit?" And literally, the noise sputtering out of our speakers defies
classification - also, what the Hell are "unevil" hopes anyway?
As for Bealiah, their ambient dark-wave music is much more palatable
for consumption, but only have three songs, which isn't enough to
make up for the atrocities of their EP partner.
-Alex Ristic - Bealiah half -7- Unevil Hopes half -0-
Contact Turbulence Records: PO Box 1469, JKB 11014. Jakarta, INDONESIA
E-mail: thtudg@centrin.net.id
BOILER ROOM
Can't Breathe (Tommy Boy)
This album just rings of nu-metal sounds and style, but I'm not
going to write off Boiler Room. I'm a fan of some of the nu-metal
sounds and I don't have a problem with it as long as it is done
right and done with conviction. The music has to move me. Who cares
what genre it is? If it moves me, I'm impressed. So you're asking
yourself, "How does Boiler Room stack up?" I'll tell ya people,
Boiler Room definitely have the shit going on and no doubt OzzFest
veterans and the new breed of high school nu-metal scavengers will
be all over this. The selling point of Boiler Room is the vocal
delivery of singer Chris Lind, backed tightly and quite adequately
by his hombres. At times it sounds clichŽ -- it all does at times
--, but when they hit a stride they can prove quite impressive.
Mainstream for sure, but with some footing that is helping them
keep it real in metal's realm of existence. Choice cut: opener "Do
It Again" or the cool-vibe of "Insomnia".
-Adrian Bromley- 7-
BROTHER'S KEEPER
Fantasy Killer (Trustkill)
Before this release, Brother's Keeper was close to unlistenable
(as far as hardcore goes). Their older material certainly had some
effort behind it, but the aggression and intensity -- emotions so
crucial to hardcore -- were missing. 'Fantasy Killer' has worked
many of these kinks out, with much catchier, well thought-out music,
but there's still a missing link...the vocals. Reminiscent of old
Shutdown and either of the Don Foose projects, Spudmonsters and
Run Devil Run, Mike Ski seems unable to turn on the aggression the
way his fellow band members have. Not a complete write-off, Brother's
Keeper should be capable of better work if they hook up with a worthy
producer, as Shutdown did when recruiting Roger Miret.
-Paul Silbiger- -6-
Contact: www.trustkill.com
BURN GUITARS
Demo (Independent)
This is just too weird to explain, but I'll try my best. Three bass
and one set of drums make up the quartet calling themselves Burn
Guitars. I know, what gives, right? Seems as though these guys are
on a mission to play solid, non-guitar oriented music that is not
only heavy, but a little bit eccentric. I must admit, it is kind
of cool to hear how the band has managed to create music with no
guitars, but bass lines have never really been leaders when it comes
to songs, rather guides. The track titled "(#3)" is pretty neat,
but not enough to inspire me to go ape-shit about what else they
have managed to concoct here on this demo. Only for the adventurous
ones.
- Adrian Bromley- -5-
Contact: 53 Greenwich Ave. Apt. #4 New York, NY 10014 USA
URL: www.burnguitars.com
CIANIDE
Divide and Conquer (Merciless Records)
With a poisonous name like Cianide you would hope they play a venomous
styled metal, and those hopes become fulfilled after listening to
'Divide and Conquer.' The music is a mixture of grindcore and death
metal, showing inspirations taken from the likes of Napalm Death.
With the exception of one song, all the songs are brutal and short,
moving in tempo from slow grind to pummel-fast, giving the listener
different contexts to try and absorb what the band is all about.
The one negative is that, after a while, the music starts to become
samey sounding and doesn't really differentiate between the rest
of the grind-death CDs you probably have in your collection. The
talent is there, and if they can find something in their sound to
make them stand out a little more, then Cianide may have a better
future.
-Alex Ristic- -6.5 -
DAWNBRINGER
Catharsis Instinct (Icarus Records)
Dawnbringer's previous release was an inspired mixture of black
metal and melodic guitar lines that recalled Maiden-esque heavy
metal. On 'Catharsis Instinct' much of that black metal style has
evolved into something more unique, with an attendant array of positive
and negative factors resulting from this stylistic modification.
The vocal approach is the most questionable change, with parched,
whispered growls adding very little to the music in terms of intensity
or expression. The brilliant guitar work is the centrepiece of the
album, with intricate, melody-laden riffs and expressive solos exploring
a central position along Dawnbringer's intersecting axes of melody-heaviness
and technicality-immediacy. The result is an approach that, while
perhaps more amenable to power metal fans than extreme metal fans,
is undeniably on the border between the two genres. To a large extent,
the performance of the instruments mitigates the drab vocal display,
although this weakness limits the impact that Dawnbringer can and
should have.
-Tate Bengtson -6.5-
DESTROYER 666
Phoenix Rising (Season of Mist/Renegade)
It has been a while since this Australian black/death metal outfit
put out anything for us to digest, but after a few spins of their
mighty new release 'Phoenix Rising,' the wait has been worth it.
Layered thick with a real raw power and drive, the polished (though
not over done) sound of the band jumps right out at you with intensity
and finesse. Not much has changed for the band, other than some
band members here and there, and it is quite apparent that the band
is even more focused this time out. Strengthening up their new disc
with strong numbers like "The Last Revelation," "The Eternal Glory
of War" and the solid title track, Destroyer666 are once again ready
to go to war for metal. It is now up to you to decide which side
youÕll be on as the war commences. In the name of metal, Hail Destroyer666!
-Adrian Bromley -9-
DIECAST
Day Of Reckoning (Now or Never Records)
Having been intrigued by the band's sound since hearing their last
offering 'Undo The Wicked,' I was interested to see how the band
would grow with their future recordings. How would the band channel
their aggression this time out? Would they do some groundbreaking
work or stay close to the pack and keep churning out a metal/hardcore
vibe? To sum it all up in one word, Diecast has 'expanded.' The
sound is heavier, the music has more momentum, the vocals are more
intense and the band has managed to 'expand' into new territory
and add some melody to their kinetic jabs of aggression. The end
result is thrusting dose of metalcore that'll have many heads turning
in 2001. I guarantee that after one listen of the track "Singled
Out," fans of Diecast will be in Heaven. A thoroughly, crushing
release.
-Adrian Bromley -9-
EPOCH OF UNLIGHT
Caught in the Unlight (The End Records)
If you are not familiar with this band - GET familiar with them
because I believe they embody all that is American (intense/melodic)
black metal. Currently an abysmally strong and tight three-piece
outfit, Epoch of Unlight (Tino LoSicco - drums; Jason Smith - guitar
and vocals; Joseph Totty - bass) have captured all that is melodious
and exacting in the essential core of the black metal milieu. This
invaluable 10 song release of near priceless proportions is next
to essential in any metal-lovers collection. Allow me to explain
why - have you ever heard a Proscriptor (Absu) lyrical detonation
wrapped up in a diamond-clear Gates of Ishtar (a la A Blood Red
Path) veneer? Me either, not really, until now. 'At my signal -
unleash Hell', begins the sample at the beginning of the maliciously
executed track six, "Ululant Cries." I'm willing to say; you've
heard nothing this labyrinthine in a VERY, VERY long time. Epoch
of Unlight, needless to say, is HARD to sufficiently paint vividly
on a canvass comprised of merely words. If you havenÕt heard Epoch
of Unlight before, seek this uncompromising effort out if you have
any determination at all to envision sublime perfection. This may
be as close as you'll get.
-Aaron McKay -10-
GRADE
The Embarrassing Beginning (Victory)
Why do bands release older material like this when they must know
that what they're doing now is infinitely better? As my favourite
Canadian band, with incredible previous releases of 98's 'Separate
The Magnets' and 99's 'Under The Radar', it's disappointing to discover
that their earlier, out-of-print material struggled with the structures
and textures that today make them one of the best in the world.
Even acoustic versions of a couple of the tracks from their '99
release fail to impress, instead sending me scuttling back to 'Under
The Radar', a CD that hasn't left my play list anyway.
-Paul Silbiger -6-
GROINCHURN
Whoami (Morbid Records/SPV)
Sporting their now infamous South Africore grind sound on full tilt,
Groinchurn have stepped up a notch with this latest release. The
key ingredient to the bands dominating success this time out: production.
I'm not talking crystal clean or a real polished vibe, just a real
deep-rooted production sound that brings the anarchy of this noise
outfit to the forefront. Each drum blast, vocal cries and menacing
guitar riff jumps out at you with just a sheer brutal intensity.
An act that has garnered critical praise since their inception in
1994, it is about time these gents get noticed. One of the best
that 2000 offered us.
- Adrian Bromley- -9.5-
GUY SMILEY
Alkaline (Devil Doll)
With the good-natured energy of punk and the low-toned production
techniques of hardcore, Guy Smiley are somehow able to ride the
line between both genres. The highlight of all these ultra-catchy
tunes are Derek Kun's sparkling, slightly reverbed vocals. Inviting
the listener to sing along with every song, Guy Smiley won't let
you put this disc down till you know all the parts. Special mention
also needs to be made of the fast-fingers bass playing, which only
follows the power chords when absolutely necessary, usually soldiering
out on its own and adding an extra dimension to these well-written
tunes.
- Paul Silbiger -8-
Contact:
www.devildollrecords.com
IMPALED NAZARENE
Decade of Decadence (Osmose)
33 tracks and over an hour of rare, deleted and demo material from
Impaled Nazarene should be good news and good value for money to
all except the most long-lasting and devoted of IN fans, who might
already have such rarities as the 'Shemhamforash' or 'Taog Eht Fo
Htao Eht' demos or the 'Goat Perversion' or 'Sadogoat' 7-inches.
26 tracks of raw, ripping, all-out "nuclear metal" from the early
days ('91-'92) are followed by the vinyl bonus tracks from 'Rapture'
and other tracks from '96-'97 studio sessions. Worth having for
the early stuff if the unscrupulous sounds of IN amuse or invigorate
rather than offend your sensibilities.
-Paul Schwarz- -8-
KALMAH
Swamplord (Spikefarm)
I have read numerous reviews comparing Kalmah with Children of Bodom,
which is a wholly appropriate analogy, although Kalmah's approach
manages to retain more of its black metal influence by preserving
the raw black metal vocal style and allowing fiercer rhythms to
dominate the songs. Musically, Swamplord develops a compelling balance
between technicality, melody, and brutality, which is perhaps best
realized on the manic opener, "Evil In You," where intricate guitar
work is accentuated by a dramatic keyboard presence and a malicious
vocal performance. Kalmah is at its best when engaged in high speed
blitzkrieg assaults, for it is the band's ability to merge speed,
technical complexity, and brutality that makes it a unique offering;
those songs which offer a more restrained pace or allow the keyboards
to assume an integral role tend to detract from the band's momentum
and veer into territory which has already been covered by many metal
bands. Nonetheless, a solid release with some impressive moments.
-Tate Bengtson- -7-
LABYRINTH
Sons of Thunder (Metal Blade)
Metal Blade just seems to be the label that has such an influx of
power metal bands -- and yes -- that is a scary thing. While half
of the acts on that label are just too generic or cheesy for real
metal fans to digest, there are a few that stand out (i.e Fates
Warning, Jacobs Dream and Memory Garden) and worthy of looking into.
Italian power metal act Labyrinth play some tight, well-executed
numbers that just make your head spin. While the band has been around
since 1991, I've never really given them a real solid listen. Hell,
I'm even surprised I offered up to give this sucker a spin. But
let the truth be told. While I'm feeling a little flush from the
power metal atmosphere here, I am proud to say that Labyrinth bring
strong ideas and a solid direction to power metal music in 2001.
I have to respect them for that at least.
-Adrian Bromley- -6-
PRAYER FOR A FALLEN ANGEL
s/t (Good Fellow Records)
While the album is made up of an all-star group of hardcore vets
(from Brother's Keeper to Chokehold and Disciple, as well as a bunch
of other hardcore somebody's), the record is pretty much non-eventful.
While I did like the abrasive charge of opener "Documentary," the
rest of the record just seems to meander and not really break away
from generic sounds and styles they cast throughout. I'm digging
the cool layout, but as for the band, it seems like a good idea
that seemed to have run off course.
-Adrian Bromley- -6-
PRIMAL FEAR
Nuclear Fire (Nuclear Blast)
If I hadn't really paid attention to this record and just threw
it on, I swear I would have thought for sure Rob Halford had returned
to Judas Priest. For those who haven't heard this record yet, 'Yes'
it does sound soooooo much like older Judas Priest. Almost every
song takes something from the Priest catalog and just revamps it
a bit with a modern flare. Just listen as vocalist Ralf Scheepers
pays some serious homage to Halford and the way K.K. Downing and
Glen Tipton's guitar ideas storm out of Primal Fear guitarist Mat
Sinner's playing. I admit some of the songs are rather solid, most
notably "Angel In Black" and "Now or Never," but in the end Primal
Fear is starting to sound like a good Judas Priest cover band as
we head into 2001. That is pretty sad for, especially for a band
with solid musicianship and great production. Change is indeed necessary.
-Adrian Bromley- -3-
RAM-ZET
Pure Therapy (Spikefarm)
I am generally wary of bands that attempt to incorporate everything
but the kitchen sink into their sound, as it tends to engender a
disruptive lack of focus. While Ram-Zet may fall into that pitfall
on occasion, what it does manage to accomplish is quite remarkable.
If atmospheric avant-thrash is not already a genre, then Ram-Zet
just invented it. 'Pure Therapy' is a hypercompressed exploration
of what might be the future of thrash - compact, controlled riffs
subjected to the stress of Meshugganistic rhythmic flux, and an
appreciation for dynamics that is extremely disconcerting, as the
songs are simultaneously multilinear sound collages that somehow
still sound like there is considerable space within the sonic spectrum
for the establishment of detailed nuances and intricate atmospherics.
The lead vocalist possesses a harsh, grating pitch that defies comparison
as he deploys a series of dense, barbed snarls that are juxtaposed
by the frequent appearance of a detached, ethereal female vocalist
and the omnipresent keyboards, which dance trippy atmospheric spirals
in the background and contribute to the polyphonic onslaught. The
other key ingredient in the mix is the violin, which is particularly
prominent on "For the Sake of Mankind," a song that oscillates between
airy melodies and eccentric, dense brutality in a manner that overturns
all traditional musical expectations. While Ram-Zet's biography
describes the band as "black psychotic power metal," the mere accumulation
of different genre tags simply fails to do descriptive justice to
'Pure Therapy.'
- Tate Bengtson -9-
THANATOS
Angelic Encounters (Hammerheart)
You know what they say, kids? You can't keep a good band down. One
of the original (maybe the original?) thrash/death metal acts from
Holland has returned to the scene. Thanatos returns after a eight-year
hiatus to once again get the mosh pits riled and just destroy everything
in the path. The new album 'Angelic Encounters' is a blistering
dose of thrash/death metal, uncompromising and uncaring of the world
around it. Thanatos was always seen as purveyors of the thrash/death
metal scene when they were around back in the late 80s/early 90s
and no doubt this title will once again be stapled to their sound
and style. Few bands get a second chance and Thanatos should thanks
their stars that they can still deliver.
-Adrian Bromley- -8-
THE TURNING OF THE GEARS
Sensory Obliteration (Independent)
Sounding quite a bit like Dead World minus the quality production
and technology, The Turning of the Gears is an acceptable but not
particularly satiating independent project that combines the sick
snarls and lethargic rhythms of doom metal with the cold, mechanized
stiffness that tends to inhere in certain guitar-driven industrial
projects. With a good production and solid songwriting, such an
approach can produce feelings of utter isolation and dehumanization
in the listening audience. With a mediocre production and similarly
average songwriting, it merely results in monotony. The Turning
of the Gears manages to circumvent the tedium to a limited degree
by spicing up its music with some decent fast-paced passages, which
also seem to reveal a pacing that is more comfortable for the drummer,
who laces the higher-velocity moments with interesting fills and
chaotic blasts, as heard on the lengthy second track, "Age of Descent."
The vocals offer an adequate range of snarls, gurgles, and growls
which, while often buried in the mix (though the production could
be described as a mass grave of one instrument being buried on top
of the other), at the very least increase the brutality factor.
An experimental verve is present at times, with several of the passages
evolving into more abstract sonic canvasses where atypical and often
very dissonant ideas are explored, although the success ratio for
the band's more enterprising moments, much like the release as a
whole, is very limited.
-Tate Bengtson- -3.5-
Contact: 6226 Darwell Ave., Commerce, CA 90040 USA
UNDERULE
Misfortune Comes By Means Of The Mouth (Blackfish/PHD)
Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of Underule is the undeniable
intensity that they prove capable of summoning at a moment's notice.
Disappointing given the band's unfortunate decision to mix its hard-hitting
metalcore with bland groove riffs and generic songwriting tactics.
By the middle of the album, most of the songs blur together and
it becomes apparent that the band has failed to push beyond its
basic formula, unless you consider the odd whiff of pseudo-rapcore
vocals a step in the right direction. Not to dismiss Underule out
of hand, as the band has a solid grasp on what it takes to be a
brutal metalcore band, and has absolutely no trouble conjuring massive
aggression at the drop of a hat, particularly the vocalist. What
holds this project back is its emphasis on repetitious guitar riffs
and songwriting that doesn't present the band's good ideas in the
best possible light. After a few songs, the unengaging bluster of
misdirected intensity suggests a need for additional sophistication.
- Tate Bengtson- -4-
Contact: Blackfish Records, P.O. Box 15, Ledbury, HR8 1YG, United
Kingdom
V/A
Sonic Obliteration Volume III (Utopian Vision)
Finding a song on an underground compilation by a band I've never
even heard of that I feel the need to spin day after day is a rare
occurrence, yet this compilation provided me with just that. I have
learned not to expect too high a level of quality from underground
compilations, and ones like this where I'd previously heard of only
two -- and heard only one -- of the bands featured usually does
not bode well for my listening enjoyment. Of the 12 tracks on 'Sonic
Obliteration III,' I found three to be of great interest. I'll tackle
them in reverse order of excellence. Interzone's synthesis of thrashing
fury and groove-laden bounce may not be spectacularly creative,
but it does exude the potential to reach considerably higher heights.
Solus are already a personal, and UNRESTRAINED! favourite and their
featured track, "Milestone," is a tasty slice of their excellent
second full length -- one of my favourite albums of 1999 -- 'Universal
Bloodshed.' However, it is Odyssey who are the crowned kings of
this compilation. Though "I Carry a Secret" is the only track of
theirs I have heard, it really has made quite an impression on me.
Its quality may be less surprising when one discovers that none
other than Dan Swano seems to be head honcho in the band -- handling
vocals, drums and keyboards -- yet the hardened power metal style,
comparable in style and even quality to Nevermore, remains unexpected,
and unexpectedly well-executed. Other notable tracks on here are
Thimble's "Reason Why?" -- a simple but well-constructed hyper-hardcore
and metal synthesis -- and Thorazine's "Flat Line," a somewhat unusual
take on death metal. The remainder of the compilation is hit-and-miss
and dependent on personal taste. The above are what I found most
notable: check out Odyssey and Solus without delay.
-Paul Schwarz- -8-
VOICE OF A GENERATION
Obligations To The Old (Burning Heart/Epitaph)
With a serious tip of the hat to Rancid and the whole street punk
revival, these boys from Sweden follow in the footsteps first lain
by The Business and Sham 69 a couple decades back. However, with
today's better production values, the overall sound quality is heavier
and more abrasive. A good record for those in the scene interested
in any of the aforementioned bands.
- Paul Silbiger - -7-
Contact: www.burningheart.com
or www.epitaph.com
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