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GEASA
Fate's Lost Son (Acheron Records)
Exceedingly delayed, but better late than never as the cliché
goes, Geasa's
follow-up to the debut album 'Angel's Cry' on Seasons of Mist is
a
collection of both new material and old. The label and band decided
to
append the 'Starside' demo, virtually impossible to find elsewhere,
to the
end of what was originally planned to be a mini-CD, and although
this adds a
few dollars (or Euros or what-have-you) to the total cost, I think
the
investment is worthwhile. The 'Fate's Lost Son' EP, an extraordinary
recording in itself, is much, much cleaner and more professionally
recorded
than anything these musicians have produced in the past, and the
new
material makes slapping a convenient tag onto this release an even
more
difficult task than usual. Much like fellow countrymen Primordial,
who have
evolved from a traditional black metal aesthetic onto something
more broad
and indefinable, the black metal roots are evident, but the individualism
of
the material carries the work far away from conventional trappings.
Mid-paced, emotional and aggressive, depressive at times but always
full of
a certain exultant pomp, 'Fate's Lost Son' is both energetic and
draining at
once, and is quite nice, to say the least. On the other hand, the
'Starside'
demo, which is presented here remastered, is a searing and fast-paced
work
typical of mid-'90s black metal, with another vocalist, no clean
vocals, and
definitely showing influences from the bands that were strong at
the time,
like Mayhem, Emperor, and so on. Even then one could perceive the
dormant
creativity and the seed of what is to come. Already a full-length
has been
recorded, and with luck after this release more people will start
taking
notice of this highly unique and talented band.
<Yury Arkadin> -8-
MARTY FRIEDMAN
Music For Speeding (Favored Nations)
Marty Friedman. What can I say about this man that has already not
been
said? The man is a guitar rock institution. Yeah, he strayed from
the heavy
stuff for a while, but 'Music For Speeding' lets us know what this
man does
best-fretboard gymnastics! You can hear everything from Gary Hoey
and Steve
Vai to Joe Satriani and Brian May in his work, and more. Due to
the metallic
blood flowing through the man's system, the "songs" on
the album exhibit a
heaviness not usually found on a "shredder" disc, with
the exception of
certain Tony MacAlpine excerpts. Put simply, 'Music For Speeding'
is a
passionate conglomerate of blues, surf, metal, and rock.a policeman's
nightmare. I can only imagine what mayhem would be caused if someone
was
driving while listening to this CD. The Fast and the Furious my
ass.how the
hell can anyone be inspired to drive fast while listening to rap,
except if
they were rushing to the radio station to assassinate the PD? While
some
dissention was caused by the material Marty released following his
departure
from Megadeth (R.I.P.), 'Music For Speeding' pulls us right back
into the
man's web of energetic and inspired riffery.
<M. Morton> -8-
GRAVE DIGGER
Rheingold (Nuclear Blast)
It's great to see Grave Digger back in the concept album game. While
I still
thought the previous effort 'The Grave Digger' was still an excellent
album,
it lacked the flow and continuity I have come to adore from past
albums,
like 'Tunes of War' and 'Excalibur.' This time around, the boys
adapt a
Wagnerian epic, that while easily leaving itself open for flamboyant
symphonic 12-minute tracks of self-indulgence, Grave Digger pulls
in the
reins and merely assimilates Wagner's influence into their own style.
Story-wise, for those not familiar, 'Rheingold' is a 300-year-old
saga
revolving around an all-powerful gold ring, dwarves, giants, and
of course,
a pantheon of gods. Needless to say, the tale was probably Tolkein's
number
one influence, and I'm very surprised he wasn't accused of plagiarism.
But
anyway, back to the CD. Leading off with a sweeping, symphonic prelude,
haunting the listener with the foreboding "Twilight of the
Gods" theme,
Grave Digger drives the album track by track with the subtle grace
of Wagner
's classical arrangements, while retaining their penchant for fist-banging
anthems. Emotions run rampant as the songs depict the intense conflict
among
the characters in the story, from love and betrayal to victory and
revenge.
The album closes with the one epic track on the disc, and it barely
eclipses
seven minutes-the fateful "Twilight of the Gods," which
portrays the fall of
Valhalla. Basically, to spoil the story, nobody really wins. Hats
off to the
band for, like many a German band, never betraying the fan base
they've
already amassed. Not quite power metal, not quite thrash, Grave
Digger's
unique blend of both, with a flair for the exotic, puts them in
a league all
their own. 'Rheingold' is the perfect launching point for anyone
interested
in Grave Digger but not sure where to begin, as it is the perfect
marriage
of the band's past and present. Now I'm left waiting for the next
one!!!
<M. Morton> -9.5-
HOW IT ENDS
So Shall It Be (Thorp)
How It Ends plays metal-influenced hardcore with low-toned vocals
and
mid-tempo beats. "Empty Nothing Forever," the album's
first track, is a
powerful introduction to the band, as they belt out a massive wall
of
bass-heavy sound. Meanwhile, the lyrics evoke emotions such as hate,
loneliness and depression. As the rest of the album unfolds, the
sound and
subject matter continues in much the same vein over the 11 tracks
and 37
minutes, which unfortunately gets a little repetitive by the time
everything
is over. Similar in many ways to 100 Demons and death-and-roll-era
Entombed,
How It Ends have a good sound that unfortunately flatlines on 'So
Shall It
Be' about halfway through, as the songs blend together in one loud,
evil-sounding homogeneity.
<P. Silbiger> -5.5-
ILLNATH
Cast Into the Fields of Evil Pleasure (Worldchaos Production)
Symphonic black metal is the order of the day for this particular
album.
Taking a skillful approach to the music and a sound that would suggest
they'
ve been doing this for a long time (my research proves otherwise),
Illnath
makes a great impression. I tend to notice the major influences
here being
Cradle of Filth as far as the atmosphere and certain elements goes,
and
Children of Bodom for the technicality of it all. The album is highlighted
by female vocals scattered throughout the scratchy black metal vocals,
and
some great guitar and drum plodding, with the usual fare of keyboards
for
the overall atmospheric effect. This band seems to be coming along
a little
late in the game for this particular style as it seems now that
some black
metal is going back to the roots, but experimentation has made this
style
flourish, so I welcome this album and the fine melody and harsh
tones it
produces.
<L. Savage> -7.5-
LAMONT
Thunder Boogie (Traktor 7)
Sludgy,
ugly, dirty-all perfect words to describe Lamont's sound. Being
the
first release for new Boston label Traktor 7, this is solid as hell.
Most
people would call it stoner rock outright, but it contains more
than that.
Take a punk-rock backdrop, add some rockabilly and southern rock,
and a tiny
bit of metal for good measure, and then throw in an old-school sensibility
that reminds me of The Datsuns, and you've got Lamont's sound in
a nutshell.
The production on this album is great-real big and forceful. I think
the
only real downfall of the group is singer Pete Knipfing, who does
fit with
the sound, but has a voice that sounds strained at times. Maybe
it's just
me, but I find his voice a little hard to take at certain points
in the
album, but I guess that's the point. This type of music isn't meant
for
clean vocals, in my opinion. Rough and rugged is more of what the
style has
to offer. But all in all, it's a great, fast, hard and dirty trek
through
all 31 minutes of this beast.
<L. Savage> -8-
LANA LANE
Covers Collection (Think Tank Media)
Ah, the sovereignty of Lana Lane. Truly no female voice can
match her grace
and vigor in either progressive or metal circles. The woman is the
epitome
of rock, and I thank her endlessly for her contributions to the
art form.
Every album she releases, she opens another window to a sonic utopia
only
she commands. Equal merit should be credited to her husband, godly
musical
everyman Erik Norlander, who arranges, produces, and performs countless
instruments on Lana's releases. After bouts of deeply entrancing
and
thought-provoking albums like 'Garden of the Moon,' 'Queen of the
Ocean,' or
last year's 'Project Shangri-La,' Lana Lane usually likes to cut
loose with
an EP or a compilation. This time, she unleashes 'Covers Collection,'
which
really needs no introduction, as it is exactly what you'd think:
a mosaic of
songs by artists who, over the years, have influenced Lana's impeccable
sound and style. From the obvious to the obscure, this disc is not
only
interesting in its historic value to the woman, but also the fact
that these
songs are manipulated to become Lana Lane songs-meaning if you've
never
heard them before, you'd swear she wrote them. In brief, there are
cover
versions of tracks by Kansas, Led Zeppelin, Enuff Z'Nuff, Queen,
TNT, The
Scorpions, Uriah Heep, Rainbow, and others, all of which are injected
with
the singular grace Lana exudes. Musicians on the disc include journeyman
bassist Tony Franklin (known for his work in Blue Murder, and with
Gary Hoey
and Derek Sherinian), drummer Gregg Bissonette (another journeyman,
but most
famous for David Lee Roth-yeah, the drummer with the sunglasses),
Nick D'
Virgilio (of Spock's Beard) Arjen Lucassen and Ed Warby (both of
Ayreon),
Lana Lane stalwarts Neil Citron and Mark McCrite, and others. The
truly
outstanding tracks on this disc in my opinion are the version of
The
Scorpions ballad "Still Loving You" (where, in Lana's
arrangement, the
signature guitar melodies are replaced by a viola) and the Rainbow
track
"Stargazer" (which, since it was a leftover from the 'Secrets
of Astrology'
sessions, is as potent as any other song on that disc-with credit
going to
Arjen and Ed for extra "oomph"). Obviously a disc for
the fans, I'd also
recommend 'Covers Collection' to even those curious about the world
of Lana
Lane, for as I previously mentioned, she's a whole new world.
<M. Morton> -8.5-
LENG TCH'E
Manmadepredator (Willowtip)
Okay, this album is mental, but in a good way. First off, what's
with the
band name? I have no idea what it even means. And secondly, this
band has a
funny sense of humour. Take the back spine of the album, which says
"Life
ain't easy playing grind from da block." Well, if that's not
making fun of
Jennifer Lopez, I don't know what is! But fuck, that made me laugh
my ass
off. This band plays sick grind just the way it was meant to be
played. This
is perhaps what Mortician would sound like if they got real drums,
a capable
vocalist, and decent production. I guess it'd be hard to compare
to other
groups as this doesn't serve as anything really different among
the other
grind bands, but with song titles like "You Fat Prick,"
"The Happy Retard,"
and "All Hippies Are Dropouts," it'd seem that this band
is taking a page
out of Anal Cunt's song title book. So in closing, good grind with
a sense
of humour makes this writer a happy camper.
<L. Savage> -6-
THE LOCUST
Plague Soundscapes (Anti-)
Hailing from Southern California, The Locust issues an insane
sound
reminiscent of Fantomas and Dillinger Escape Plan. 'Plague Soundscapes'
features 23 songs in less than 23 minutes, and some of the songs
whip by so
quickly, it takes longer to read the song title than listen to the
tune.
When playing music that's this fast, it's difficult to keep things
interesting and distinctive, but The Locust do a pretty good job-their
songs
are riddled with fascinating electronic effects that help to make
each track
stand out. With entertaining song titles like "Psst! Is That
a Halfie in
Your Pants?" and "Anything Jesus Does I Can Do Better,"
The Locust are a fun
band that deserve a quick listen.
<P. Silbiger> -7-
MAJORITY
RULE
Emergency Numbers (Magic Bullet)
never thought I'd say this about a hardcore/noisecore band,
but I think
Majority Rule went way overboard with the music here. The songs
are too
long, drawn out most of the time (except for the hypnotic seven-plus-minute
"It's Too Late") and just come across as dry when it comes
to substance. Had
the band made an attempt to increase the intensity a bit and pulled
back a
bit on the lengthy atmospheric numbers I think this album would
have settled
in nicely with me. With shades of Coalesce and Darkest Hour surging
from
their sound, Majority Rule will no doubt draw some attention, but
whether
'Emergency Numbers' can keep fans interested is something yet to
be
determined. Good ideas, bad execution.
<A. Bromley> -4-
MESS AGE
Self-Convicted (Conquer)
There is talent on the new Mess Age record, but there are also seems
to be a
lot of wasted ideas too. Granted, the Polish act can keep up with
any death
metal act from their homeland; it is the approach and overall feel
of the
record that leaves the listener wondering whether they will go back
and spin
it over and over. The setup and delivery is focused, yet a bit uninspired,
if that makes sense. Basically the band, while not as brutal as
Vader or
Yattering, still have the chops to serve up some intense riffing
and
death/thrash metal know-how, but get lost along the way by incorporating
a
slight melodic edge to things, which steers them away from the massive
intensity they could have delivered. A few choice cuts, like "Devoured
With
Famished Eyes" and "Fulfilled With Nothing," but
all in all an album that
really needed an intense vibe throughout to keep everything tight
and
together.
<A. Bromley> -5-
MINDFIELD
Be-low (Lifeforce)
If
I had to choose one word to describe Germany's Mindfield I'd choose
"expressive." Very few albums that I have reviewed this
issue have been able
to produce such powerful harmonies, both rocking and memorable.
And the
variety on this record? It is all over the place. While there are
hints of
melodic In Flames/Sentenced/Amorphis scattered throughout, these
Germans
have better things planned than to copy those bands' styles/sounds
entirely.
Heavy, sweeping passages and really moving rock passages (great
vocals in
tow) line this album like a fine piece of fabric, most notably on
"Dead End
Love" and "The Sobering." The strange thing about
all of this is that
Lifeforce is a predominantly hardcore/noisecore label and the thought
of a
band like Mindfield onboard is something new for them. Good for
them to take
a chance on a band like Mindfield. Someone was doing their homework.
<A.Bromley> -7.5-
MISERICORDIA
Erase the Skies (Downfall Records)
A
fairly young band from Sweden, Misericordia engage in aggressive,
harsh
death metal that goes in a complete 180-degree turn from most of
the usual
Swedish death metal bands of today-or perhaps, excuse me, the ones
that you
will likely hear the most of in the press. The drums pound away
at frantic
speeds, the vocals bark iniquities with reckless abandon, and the
guitars
saw noisy riff after noisy riff relentlessly, like an uncontrollable
machine
with the only imperative function to excoriate each and every layer
of flesh
from your already emaciated body. It is fairly obvious where the
influences
lie for this band, but I will keep you guessing and simply say Glen
Benton
and his friends, along with some of the more primitive early Norwegian
giants, must have had a strong effect on the minds of these four
maniacs. A
clear lack of originality makes this release a far candidate for
inclusion
on my one-way voyage to a remote, deserted isle, but the level of
aggression
on this recording is notable, and with perhaps a bit more time and
incentive
they can develop their own unique and personal identity in the Swedish
death
metal underground.
<Y. Arkadin> -7-
MYSTERIUM
Soulwards (Prophecy Productions)
Mysterium
is, in a word, bizarre. The band is not bizarre in the sense of
incongruent tempo shifts, manic instrumentation or Mike Patton-style
vocal
schizophrenia. No, I'd refer to them as bizarre as an experiment
in
genre-blending, for they take equal measures of morose, gothic ecstasy,
symphonious arrangements, and Swedish-style death metal, thus birthing
a
sonic menace the band can truly call its own. And I'm captivated
by how well
the permutation works. Mysterium is haunting and aggressive, serene
and
wicked. This is a band that I can see picking up the fans Theatre
of Tragedy
and Moonspell misled a few years back when they both moved beyond
the realm
of taste. Architecturally sound and extraordinarily heavy, 'Soulwards'
is an
album on the cusp of a new generation, perfecting a style previous
bands
have only hinted at and becoming lost in their own experimentation.
Mysterium really looks inward to project a rebellion of sound; placating
to
none, yet tempting to all.
<M. Morton> -8-
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