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ARCTURUS
- La Masquerade Infernale
(Misanthropy/Music for Nations/PHD)
Do I want to get this review over with quickly or build up a description?
After hearing immense acclaim about this album, I was finally rendered
awestruck myself when I finally received this and began to absorb
it. This album contains very few elements of metal. The opener "Master
of Disguise", the last song "Of Nails and Sinners", the solo of
"Ad Astra" and the fast part at the beginning of "Alone" are perhaps
the closest Arcturus remains to their older material. They have
really expanded and blossomed into a brilliant musical opus, taking
an exponentially greater leap than that between Constellation and
Aspera Hiems Symfonia (though Constellation remains my favorite
of the three). The vocals are simply tremendous - they have enlisted
a few different contributors on various tracks, creating a brilliant
range and combination of styles. There are no black metal vocals
to be found. One thing I don't care for much is Garm's tendency
to sound like James Hetfield (as on the new Borknagar) at times,
or rather, how James Hetfield might sound if he could sing. Metallica
really should look into this and leave him to more guitar duty at
last. Not surprisingly, the members have listed their real names
(Jan now *plays* the hellhammers). This is one of the most complete
works of art I've ever seen. The only thing that keeps this from
appearing in a theatre is a lack of live actors, this is truly an
"Infernal Masquerade". It is very dark, the synths are all over
the place, guitars are mixed in perfectly and the drums, well, being
a drummer I can't get enough of them. This is going to be the topic
of heavy, heavy discussion and will remain so for a long time, for
Arcturus have carved their name far deeper into the annals of music
with this release. I am sure anyone with half a brain could have
sensed the enormous potential after listening to their other material,
and here is the result. Everything on this album has just become
"more so", it is more advanced, more developed, uses more instruments
(guest cornet, flute, violins, viola, cello and double bass) and
involves more structure in the songwriting. The synchronization
of all of this is pieced wonderfully, it is simply remarkable, and
my words just cannot do it justice, I only aim to urge you to buy
this album immediately and listen for your fucking self.
LL
BURZUM - Balder's Dod (Misanthropy/PHD)
Another black metal record from the guy you love
to hate, Varg Vikernes, and a band that have had many brilliant
moments in the past, Burzum. With Burzum's last record Filosefem
receiving mixed reviews, Balder's Dod proves that Varg's imprisonment
certainly hasn't hurt his inspirational flair. Not one word is spoken
on the record, but rather the music is left to speak for itself.
Balder's Dod is full of intriguing and captivating moments, a record
certainly closer to an ambient record than a black metal record.
Fully composed by keyboards, various horns and pianos from his prison
cell. When it comes down to it I prefer Burzum's older material,
but Balder's Dod stands on it's own, with it's own merit. It's just
a shame that such phenomenal and beautiful music was created by
a coward and racist fuck.
Adam Wasylyk
CROWBAR - Past And Present (Pavement)
The aggression! The momentum! The anger! It's all
here kids so run for cover as we must make room for one of the heaviest
bands on the circuit - Crowbar. The strength of the material just
oozes from each song, this serving as a compilation of the band's
four previous releases and two live tracks from the road. Get pummelled
by "All I Had (I Gave)", "Waiting In Silence" and "I Have Failed."
Even the live tracks ("Fixation" and "Four Walls") rip and tear
as well and show the might of their live show. Crowbar fans take
note and all you other metallers out there who want something to
kick yer ass - this comes at ya heavy and is recommended.
Adrian Bromley
DEICIDE - Serpents Of The Light (Roadrunner/Attic)
Glen Benton is pissed. Very pissed. And Deicide are
back to true form; the form in which they cursed us with their legendary
debut and Legion, but fell flat on Once Upon The Cross. Probably
one of, if not the, tightest death metal act, Deicide's approach
is back in its three-dimensional form, resulting in their angriest
and meanest affair against Jesus Christ. Its still Deicide, they
haven't changed, and don't expect them to. All for the better. It's
Deicide for Satan's sake! A better drumming mix, where a plethora
of blastbeats are sure to pummel, improved guitar work from the
Hoffman brothers, and Benton's voice is now more audible but ever
deadlier. And a very impressive studio execution from Scott Burns.
Surprised indeed. Satan is only mentioned once as Benton's lyrics
have grown, this time showing us how to avoid ignorance, to follow
your own path, to do what's best. It has always been Benton's philosophy.
But this album hopefully will shed more light and resurrect the
Florida scene once again. The album again is only thirty minutes,
Deicide were always to the goddamn point in their music, but it
is the most intense thirty minutes of true to the heart death metal
you will hear this year.
Chris Bruni
DE INFERNALI - Symphonia De Infernali (Nuclear Blast/PHD)
With this being the side project of Dissection's
Jon Nodtveidt, I was expecting something much better than what came
out of my speakers. It could be said that there are two halves to
this release; half of it being instrumental/keyboard tracks while
the other half being industrial techno. On Symphonia De Infernali
a pattern arises, musically it shifts from keyboard track to techno
track to keyboard track and so on. Also this meant with every track
it went from good to bad to good and so on. The keyboard pieces
(like "Into the Labyrinths of Desolation", "Orcus Cursus, and "Rivival/...")
are well composed and thought out, but what was Jon thinking with
techno dribble like "Ave Satan," "Sign of the Dark" and "Atomic
Age" which sound so contrived it isn't funny? I'm not even going
to talk about the last track, entitled "X". This is so bad, maybe
this explains why Jon Nodtveidt's name is nowhere to be found in
the CD sleeve??
Adam Wasylyk
DISSECTION - The Past Is Alive (The Early Mischief)
(Necropolis/St. Clair)
Obviously the reason Dissection got signed was because
of the strength of these songs culled from their demo's and early
EP's. The only question that needs be asked is why weren't they
snapped up by a bigger label? Songs from "The Grief Prophecy" and
early rehearsal tapes definitely show that the band was on the path
7 years ago to where they have ended up today. Try finding a band
that plays the same kind of black/death metal these guys play, without
having to have "progressed" beyond the point of recognition and
still keep it fresh. No, they're not the best at what they do but,
to use a hockey analogy, they plug away until they get it right
and sooner or later the hard work pays off. Because of the way the
music industry is made today, no extreme metal band will ever have
sales like a Metallica or 80's-era Iron Maiden for at least 10 years.
But this could be the band that everyone says ten years from now
is what influenced them. Outside of the musical quality, another
surprising aspect is the production. For remastering from demo quality
the music sounds pretty clear; flat at times but audible none the
less. If you want to hear the past of the future of metal this is
good for any metallic history buff collector.
Alex Ristic
NIDEN DIV. 187 - Impergium (Necropolis/St. Clair)
Blasting, holocaustic, FAST ass black metal. One
of the fastest releases to emerge from Sweden yet! Niden Div. 187
hates you and everyone else. "In the Twilight of War" and "Hate"
are noteworthy on this CD, as well as a re-recorded version of "A
View in the Mirror Black" (from their previous EP Towards Judgement).
The brutal nature of this full length is very well contrived and
superior to that of the EP. The vocals are agonizing and intense,
the guitars are raspy and piercing. Anyone who is no stranger to
pure anger and hatred on a large scale would be a poser not to own
this, it's perfect fuel to the fire. The end is near.
LL
RAISON D'ETRE - In Sadness, Silence and Solitude
(Cold Meat Industry)
I never really know how to review releases from Cold
Meat Industry. Almost all the music I have ever heard from this
label has been brilliant (i.e. Arcana or Puissance) and/or very
similar sounding ambient styled music. The label's latest release
Raison D'Etre is a wonderful trip into the wonderfully surreal and
haunting world of dark ambient music. Six songs structured around
a truly eerie backdrop of odd-like dreamscapes painted black and
overflowing with emotional discharge. This release plays home to
a lot of emotional release (in the music and lyrics), as do many
other CMI releases, and I think that seems to be the winning factor
for most CMI releases. Raison D'Etre is a wonderful kaleidoscope
of emotion, darkness and understanding. This is one release you
should scope out to find 'cause the experience will effect you in
many ways.
Adrian Bromley
SOELFALD - The Linear Scaffold (Avantegarde/PHD)
It seems that black metal these days keeps branching
off in many different directions, touching on different tangents,
with total disregard for a trendy formula. But there is always a
connection. The genius that In The Woods displayed with Omnio is
a prime example and Soelfald have created a flabbergast of a debut
that will have eyebrows raising and jaws dropping. Cornelius and
Lazare create music that's pure class. With touches of Emperor,
different Bathory eras, the duo's darkly endeavored creation weaves
the line of menacing bombastic silhouettes that flow nicely beside
the melancholy passages of splendor atop of their richly archaic
lyrics. This is far from the typical clone band. The keyboard passages,
majestic as they are, reminisce that of Cradle of Filth and Hecate
Enthroned rather that Emperor and Dimmu Borgir and the dual vocal
caress of the poisonous shrieking and the lamented voice of passion
resembling shades of In The Woods, all combine as one force that
amalgamates the deadly with the beatific making The Linear Scaffold
the rookie of the year.
Chris Bruni
V/A - Earplugged 2 (Earache/St. Clair)
Not much to say other than this is a great compilation
assembled by Earache. The title says this CD is where 'New School
meets The Old School' and so it does. This 15-track CD contains
material from older Earache acts like At The Gates, Entombed, Napalm
Death and Pitchshifter and newer label acts like The Haunted (ex-At
The Gates and Seance members), Iron Monkey and Misery Loves Co.
While material of the 'Old School' bands is newer material (i.e.
Napalm Death contributes "Breed To Breathe" off of last LP Inside
The Torn Apart or Pitchshifter with "Underachiever" off of 1996's
Infotainment?) it is the 'New School' songs that peak ones interest.
Witness the intensity and Slayer-like feel of The Haunted's track
"Undead," the absurdly weird contribution by Ultraviolence and the
interesting song supplied by Pulkas entitled "Hippy Fascist". Some
good stuff here. For those of you who like or have liked Earache
(before they got rid of most of their metal acts) and also want
to sample some of their newly signed acts, then scoop this up. And
to boot, the CD is selling for the price of a CD single. Wow! That's
a deal.
Adrian Bromley
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