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Past
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DESTRUCTION
Antichrist (Nuclear Blast)
Similar to last year’s ‘All Hell Breaks Loose,’ Destruction
have picked up where they last left off, delivering 10 tracks of
new-school thrash metal. Destruction are seen as one of the most
influential thrash metal bands in the extreme music scene because
they were ahead of their time. Their defiant, anti-music stance
was shocking to the hordes of extreme music fiends of those days.
The question we have to ask is, should this once-slumbering dinosaur
of the scene still be in circulation releasing music more attuned
to the sound of today, and not continuing on their once-proud path?
Well, depending on what your viewpoint on music is, this is a valid
question. For example, I could never listen to any of the new Metallica
records at this point, as it’s apparent they are simply milking
the cash cow while stripping themselves of the elements that made
them a good metal band. Now, ‘Antichrist’ remains a vicious
predecessor to their previous release and tracks like "Nailed
to the Cross" and "Godfather of Slander" will prove
that Destruction is still the powerhouse they once were. The album
is tight, has a great flow and vocalist Schmier and guitarist Mike
sound as pissed off as ever. What one would call a great follow-up,
another would call a rehash of the ages. This might not be a great
record for the diehard Destruction fan, but for others, this could
be a great record.
<S. Wasylyk> -6.5-
DIVINE SOULS
Embodiment (Scarlet/PHD)
Those of you picking up ‘Embodiment’ will be faced with
a maelstrom of melody; a veritable riff attack of traditional metal,
paced by a thrashy, death assault. However, if you were already
thinking In Flames/Children Of Bodom clone band, you'd also be correct.
Musically, Divine Souls don't differ much from their Swedish compatriots
(yes, they are another Scandinavian band), but they do have some
saving graces - most notably depressing lyrics, harkening more to
doom metal than traditional death or power metal topics. Also, you
should keep in mind that ‘Embodiment’ is the band's first
ever real-label release, so being rookies they can be forgiven for
some things. Here's hoping they grow up a bit more with their next
release, which they are already in the midst of writing.
<A. Ristic> -6.5-
DRAGONLORD
Rapture (Spitfire)
I can’t help but think of the TSR fantasy series written by
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman entitled "Dragonlance"
when I think of Eric Peterson’s new undertaking. Yup, you read
that right, Eric Peterson of Testament. And another thing, Dragonlord
is an atmospheric black metal project AND Peterson carries the vocal
duties, too. Interesting, huh? I sure was impressed. Much like the
M. Night Shyamalan movie with Bruce Willis, The Sixth Sense, I thoroughly
enjoy being taken by surprise and Dragonlord did exactly that! As
I look into the makeup of the band, I begin to question my astonishment
as the musicians assembled here are nothing short of phenomenal.
Of course, Peterson plays guitar as well as brandishing the blackened
death metal vocals. The much accomplished Steve Digorgio (Death/Testament),
the touring guitarist for Testament, Steve Smyth, on drums, Jon
Allen (Sadus) and wonderfully elaborate keyboard workings from Lyle
Livingston (Psypheria) complete the line-up. In addition to highly
superior packaging, Rapture’s track six, "Wolfhunt,"
pushes the limits to sounding like something off of Gorgoroth’s
‘Destroyer…’ "Tradition and Fire" exude
a pure blend of black AND death metal as all the pieces come together
like a 3-D puzzle of Merlin’s castle from Arthurian legend.
"Born of Darkness" and the title track are classic expositions
on all the underlying talent of these veterans of music, but newcomers
to the genre. Everything works here; the forcefulness of the material,
the comprehensible, but raucous vocals, and the aptitude of the
musicians. The world Weis and Hickman created with the ‘Dragonlance"
series is abundant and on-going. I can only hope we can expect a
similar showing from Dragonlord. The pool of inspiration this group
could draw from seems limitless and I anxiously await the next chapter
in the Dragonlan... er, ah DRAGONLORD saga. Careful not to disturb
the dragon’s slumber.
<Aaron McKay> -9.5-
EVENSONG
Mysterium (Displeased)
Hungarian act Evensong have a lot of momentum going for them—just
listen to the crisp flow of their doom metal-inspired numbers on
‘Mysterium.’ But as it moves from song to song, it is
quite obvious that they are just one of the many bands in this genre
that manage to stay within the same region of ideas and never really
expand things. I think it is safe to say that Evensong are comfortable
with their sound, a mix of My Dying Bride and Theatre of Tragedy,
and it will take a lot more pressure or creativity to get out of
the corner they have painted themselves into. This isn’t bad,
just predictable at times. Who wants that these days?
<A. Bromley> -4-
EXMORTEM
Berzerker Legions (Hammerheart)
With an exuberant flow of strength and dominating force, Exmortem’s
latest offering, ‘Berzerker Legions,’ is all that and
more. Punishing, vicious, and downright lethal, ‘Berzerker
Legions’ ups the ante for the brutality that bands in the future
will have to follow. Helping out the solid stride of this punishing
Danish death metal assault is the crisp, razor-sharp production.
Had the production been assembled in a much rawer manner, it might
have crippled the sonic blows Exmortem delivers. The production
really adds a sense of grandiosity to the opening title track, "Deeds
of Hatred," and "The Conqueror." An extreme death
metal offering that must be heard.
<A. Bromley> -8-
EYEHATEGOD
10 Years Of Abuse (And Still Broke) (Century Media)
With four demo tracks from 1990, four live radio tracks from 1994
and seven "live in concert" tracks from 2000, ‘10
Years...’ has about as much conceptual continuity as a bootleg
some 8-year-old kid threw together in his basement. EYEHATEGOD are
an incredible band. This collection simply doesn’t do them
justice.
<P. Silbiger> -4-
[fate of] ICARUS
Cut Your Throat Before They Do (Willowtip)
If the singer of [fate of] Icarus (David Ambrose) is not being brutally
murdered during the course of this recording, I’d like to know
where the hell those insanely ear-piercing screams are coming from.
Beneath a monstrous wall of aggression and death metal trimmings
comes the potent screams, working off the vicious death metal groove
that consists of drum bashing, heavy guitar riffs, and deep growls.
I’ve heard that this band broke up after recording this debut
disc, with some of the band forming Creation Is Crucifixion and
others looking elsewhere to vent their anger. Sad really, as [fate
of] Icarus did show potential, at least in the way they delivered
the death metal attack. I think it is safe to say that ‘Cut
Your Throat Before They Do’ is unique in many different ways.
<A. Bromley> -6-
GB ARTS
The Lake (Pavement)
Wow! Save for this year's installment of Iced Earth, many fans were
asking the question, 'what happened to the actual power in power
metal?' Seriously, all of a sudden a genre becomes popular and bands
start adding copious amounts of melody and wanking, almost forgetting
that "power" metal got its name for a reason. Well, we're
pleased to announce that ‘The Lake’ has power, in spades,
and still boasts elements of progressive arrangements and melodic
hooks that you would expect from this style of music. Of obvious
importance for power metal is the vocals, and GB Arts has a real
winner in Markus Brand, whose voice can soar like an eagle, or sound
menacing, whenever called upon. Sounding as if they've graduated
from the Dream Theatre school of song writing, GB Arts are also
proficient in seaming the vast soundscapes of their songs together.
Yet, they add that all important crunch, and aggressive guitar work,
which is mandatory for this scene. A knock-you-on-your-ass experience
(in the sense that you'll be so surprised you received this effort
you'll hardly believe it).
<A. Ristic> -8.5-
HALO
Guattari (From the West Flows Grey Ash and Pestilence) (Relapse)
Australian duo R. Allen and S. Klein like to get down and dirty
with the sounds they bring out with Halo. I am not talking about
down-tuning guitars, I mean really taking apart the sonic scheme
of things and dissecting them, finding the real underbelly of where
the musical notes and ideas come from. Listening to Halo is like
listening to Neurosis and Godflesh through an old crusty radio.
You can’t really pick up the sounds, and the music still sounds
a little gargled and warped. But where the music of Halo lacks in
substance at times, it makes up in intensity. Powerful moments jut
out throughout this disc, propelling the music of the band into
a sonic realm of bizarre sounds and unusual outcomes. Musically
some might think of this as just tinkering with sound effects and
what have you, but deep down inside, those that come in contact
with Halo can see that this is a very spiritual thing for these
two gentlemen. Not for everyone, but those who can look beyond this
as mere noise will be justly rewarded.
<A.
Bromley> -7-
HANGNAIL
Clouds in the Head (The Music Cartel)
While most doom/stoner rock borrows to one degree or another from
the 70s, when ‘Clouds in the Head’ blasts from my stereo,
it is hard to resist the urge to hit the local thrift store in search
of a pair of embroidered bell bottoms. Hangnail penchant for elephantine
fuzzy rock riffs and higher-pitched vocals have drawn comparisons
to Orange Goblin and Mammoth Volume, although Hangnail offers some
atypical elements that Distinguishes it from the masses. The vocalist
belts out the lyrics with the force of a young Chris Cornell on
"Third Time Around" and "That There Soul," the
latter featuring an upbeat, stomping pace that propels the driving
guitar riffs forward like a muscle car with the gas pedal pinned
to the floor. The acoustic-led "Gone" stands as a notable
track, with the soulful verses exploding into a bitter chorus reminiscent
of Seattle grunge act My Sister's Machine, while "The Watcher"
is a massive testament to the band's ability to guide a song through
several distinct segments without losing cohesion, alternating between
dark acoustics and a robust chorus while the excellent rhythm team
draws out the undulating low-end rumble into a psychedelic undercurrent
of cabinet-rattling sludge. While the band's songwriting is consistently
solid, ‘Clouds in the Head’ lacks that precious handful
of stand-out tunes capable of elevating this album into the doom/stoner
rock pantheon of godly releases, but Hangnail is well on its way
to greatness if this album is any indication.
<Tate Bengtson> -7-
HARAKIRI
Virtuous Symptoms (Cyberdinea243 Audio Productions)
As if dozens of men are coming down on you with hammers and mallets
at the same time, the punishing and brutal death metal assault of
Indiana’s Harakiri is not for everyone. This six-song, 17-minute
offering comes at you full speed, and before you know it, it is
done. And while that may sound appealing, it really isn’t.
The music of Harakiri is gauged on how fast and brutal they can
play, and by keeping with that setup, the music becomes a blur.
Fans of such bands as Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, and Skinless
will no doubt be drawn into the savage attack of Harakiri but may
come out with the same conclusion I did after a few spins: brutal,
but forgettable for the most part.
<A. Bromley> -5-
JACOBS DREAM
Theater of War (Metal Blade)
Columbus, Ohio-based progressive metal act Jacobs Dream mesmerized
me with their powerful self-titled debut for Metal Blade last year.
With creative metal stylings, singer David Taylor belting out numbers
(much like screamer Bruce Dickinson at times), and an honest flair
for a classic metal sound, Jacobs Dream hit a nerve. Excited to
hear their follow-up I threw on ‘Theater of War.’ Much
to my excitement the band has ventured further with their sound
and style, managing to incorporate a lot of ideas, spoken passages,
and some cool synthesizer work into such numbers as "Wisdom"
and the title track. Like any good band, Jacobs Dream has played
it safe for the most part on this sophomore disc, while still treading
some new ground. That only means—and I can only hope—that
disc number three will be utter brilliance.
<A. Bromley> -7-
JUDAS PRIEST
Demolition (Atlantic)
(Sung to the not-so-classic Judas Priest song "Turbo Lover")
You won’t like it/But you’ll probably buy it/Without warning,
something’s sucking, listen/Then within your senses/‘Demolition’
leaves you defenseless/How you freak out, when you run for cover/You
can’t retreat, it sucks like no other/It’s no Hell Bent
For Leather, no Halford wearing pleather/Wrapped in synthesizers,
driving you to fury/Changing gears, musical vision gone blurry/Better
run for cover/‘Demolition’ sucks like no other/Better
run for cover/‘Demolition’ sucks like no other/Now they
sound like posers, looks like they’ve lost the drive/Their
talent went rushing by, now no longer alive/They made crap, it seems
as though they were high/Where’s the bloody melody? I think
I’m going to cry/Better run for cover/‘Demolition’
sucks like no other/Better run for cover/‘Demolition’
sucks like no other/Times long gone, for power metal they have peaked/New
offerings are lacking, now they lie with the meek/For Judas Priest,
‘Demolition’ may be their ‘Load’/And forcing
fans to hear this shit is going to make them explode/Better run
for cover/‘Demolition’ sucks like no other (x 4).
<A. Ristic> -2.5-
JUST CAUSE
Finger It Out… (HevyDevy/BSR Records)
Just Cause, an extremely heavy act which features members of Strapping
Young Lad, Punchdrunk, Zimmer’s Hole and Grip Inc. (to name
a few), play their music fast, hard, and with little care in the
world. Brutal and edgy from the get-go, Just Cause bites, kicks
and pummels its way through 25 minutes of chaos. While there is
no real set pattern or direction with Just Cause, the music seems
to gravitate towards infectious, grinding death metal, save for
some searing thrash metal riffs here and there. With Gene Hoglan
on board playing drums—his powerful bashing pushing Just Cause
into the stratosphere—this band will have many interested in
what they are doing.
<A. Bromley> -6-
KATAKLYSM
Epic (The Poetry of War) (Nuclear Blast)
While many had considered putting all of their CDs away in crates
after the panned ‘Victims of this Fallen World’ (1998)
surfaced, the band triumphantly returned to form with 2000’s
‘The Prophecy (Stigmata of the Immaculate).’ They once
again stormed the metal scene with fists pumped and an aggressive
array of songs. Now in 2001 the band surfaces once again with their
latest offering ‘Epic (The Poetry of War),’ a savage and
brutally in-yer-face death metal offering. Singer Maurizio Iacono
has never sounded so angry and determined to crush our skulls in
the band’s 10-year existence. Looking back at Kataklysm’s
catalog of classics (i.e. ‘Sorcery’ and ‘Temple of
Knowledge’), ’Epic’ serves as a new beginning for
the band. The intensity of their music has been magnified. While
the "hyperblast" element may still be there to a degree,
Kataklysm has found an intensity to build upon, most notably on
tracks "Shivers of a New World" and "Damnation Is
Here." Their strength will surely grow if they play their cards
right. And seeing that this is their 10th anniversary as a band,
I’m pretty sure the next record will kick the living snot out
of us. Until then, ‘Epic…’ will proudly serve as
one of the strongest releases of 2001.
<A. Bromley> -8.5-
LEECHMILK / SOFA KING KILLER Split CD (Tee Pee)
Holy sludge, Batman! Anyone out there trying to find something new
to purchase in the sludge/doom genre other than shelling out some
coin to get the new EYEHATEGOD disc (which is really just sloppy
live recordings and demos), may I suggest you find this split offering
from Georgia’s Leechmilk and Ohio’s Sofa King Killer.
Both bands offer an intense groove and distorted vocals, with SKK
topping Leechmilk in the intensity department. Think of supergroup
Down, though with heavier vocals. My favourite rack of the split
CD has to be SKK’s "So Was Red" which ends with a
snippet from one of my all-time favourite films, American Movie,
where the two stars Mike and Mark are arguing over theft of a Black
Sabbath song idea/riff. How ironic, eh? The only down side to this
record is that after a while all of the songs seem to meld into
one another, a same-y quality that might steer some away. For fans
who thrive on sludge/doom rock, there is no question that this is
your fix this month.
<A. Bromley> -7.7-
LIFE IN A BURN CLINIC
Individual Rites (Prosthetic/Metal Blade)
Managing to mesh together a slew of punk rock know-how and noisecore
aggression with metal music, new signees to Prosthetic Records (the
Metal Blade offshoot label that delivered us Lamb of God) Life in
a Burn Clinic do little to impress this reviewer. Sure, the music
is pretty diverse, offering a grand scale of ideas and sound snippets,
but in the end ‘Individual Rites’ is more show than anything
else. Taking an obvious nod from crossover legends D.R.I. or Corrosion
of Conformity, LiaBC want to impress us with their multi-faceted
approach on ‘Individual Rites,’ but in the end they end
up tripping over their ideas and falling flat on their faces. Medic!
<A. Bromley> -3-
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