Band: ELYSION
Country: Greece
Title: Silent Scream
Label: Massacre Records
Year: 2009
Style: Alternative Gothic Metal
Review:
Elysion is a Greek quartet formed in 2006, a band that with its very first demo climbed rapidly all specialized tops and attracted the attention of Massacre Records who soon signed them and the result is this debut album, "Silent Scream". An ascension the vast majority of bands only dream of, that means we're dealing with one of the most promising young bands out there.
"Silent Scream" is a 11 tracks (43 minutes) effort mixed and mastered by a master, Ted Jensen, who previously worked with acts like Madonna, Evanescence, Iron Maiden or Korn, so a top-notch production for sure. Music wise we're treated with a complex combination of styles from Gothic Metal, Gothic Rock, to Alternative or even Pop, and by adding synths it gives the whole a fresh sound. The band recently parted ways with their previous vocalist and Christianna came in. I don't know how they sounded before this, but Christianna is definitely an ace for this band, she is really pushing her vocals to the extreme and here I mean the way how the main recorded vocals are backed by multiple layers of other vocal tonalities creating sympho-kind of choirs. The guitars and rhythm section are pretty standard/traditional for this kind of music, nothing too spectacular except maybe the addition of melodic acoustic guitar parts, but the highlights are for sure Christianna's voice and the key/synth lines. A great band with a great debut album.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: EPIDEMIC SCORN
Country: Germany
Title: Psycho Gourmet
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2009
Style: Death Metal
Review:
Epidemic Scorn was founded in 2004 and since then they have released 2 full-length albums by themselves and now this 6 tracks demo with the purpose, I think, to find a suitable label. At least looking at their line-up this is an impressive band, we're dealing with 6 guys: drummer, bassist, 2 vocalists and 3 guitarists. No, this is not a symphonic gothic band, Epidemic Scorn is pure Death Metal, unfortunately not as experimental and daring as its line-up would suggest, but correctly interpreted and quite catchy. This is nothing a 4 guys band would not be able to do, that's why I don't know why they needed to be 6 in this band. Oh well, it's their business. Psycho Gourmet is a 6 tracks demo lasting for almost 25 minutes, quite entertaining, aggressive enough and old-school oriented, with rhythms that swing between mid-tempo and fast. Their music compositions and line-up are mature enough to start thinking of experimenting some more, they have the abilities to do it right, you'll see that by giving this demo a listen; it's strong and curdled enough to make it as a good demo, but after a while you feel like something's missing.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: FOREST STREAM
Country: Russia
Title: The Crown of Winter
Label: Candlelight Records
Year: 2009
Style: Black Gothic Doom Metal
Review:
Forest Stream's "The Crown Of Winter" is a album where i guessed what they would sound like without ever hearing them and i was right 100%. Typical generic euro doom or so they call it, i prefer to think of it as prog - metal with doom elements. But is it bad, not at all, most of it is actually pretty good but its a very predictable album in so many ways. The band is actually from Russia and it is true that these Russian metal bands do have a knack for writing highly complex, emotive compositions but i am starting to think the "doom tag" that all these type of bands are getting is very mis-leading indeed. There is not much Sabbath worship here or Saint Vitus type musical leanings. This is more in the vein of Katatonia, Opeth with a little Swallow The Sun thrown into the mix. None of those bands strike me as being doom metal but maybe they hear things a little different in that part of the world. The Crown of Winter is still metallic and ethereally ambient at times but the generic use of time changes, odd time signatures, and melancholic themes has become a very over used by bands these days. The album begins with a ambient build up as an introduction before moving into the 11 minute album titled track. They mix the tinkering of piano keys with waves of distortion pretty well and there is the usual shifts between aggression and moments of pure tranquility.
"Mired" is a good track with double bass drum work and strong melody lines and musically there is some very slight black / death metal moments. The black metal sections are only a small portion of the album but they are effective in their usage. Other standout tracks are "Blessed You To Die" and "The Seventh Symphony Of Satan" which blends black metal with keyboard - laden doom metal. Forest Stream excels at their respected instruments, especially in the keyboard department, but they lack any strong vocals at all. While the deathly growls are effective, the clean singing ranges from just OK to utterly powerless. Once again the problem i have is Forest Stream has a sound to them that is reminiscent of so many bands in the genre and while the instrument work is of a very high standard, the vocals are a bit of a nuisance to listen to. The songs i have mentioned in this review are great but the rest of the album contains too much padding. There is also too many over-extended endings to songs which just points to lack of ideas, considering their last album "Tears of Mortal Solitude" was released way back in 2003, i was expecting a lot more. However "The Crown Of Winter" is a improvement for Forest Stream and shows potential for greater things. I just hope they don't spend another 6 or 7 years doing it, for now though i am sure some euro doom heads will get into this album..
Reviewed by Ed
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Band: GENOCIDE WINTER
Country: USA
Title: Monastica Holocaust
Label: The Black 666 Records
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
When checking this band's line-up and seeing you're dealing with a project of a member of Epoch Of Unlight (Hellspawn from Genocide Winter is B.J. Cook from Epoch Of Unlight) you thinking you'll get some great music, and that is partially true if it wasn't for the vocals. I don't know how one can have such a tight, killer voice on one band (E.o.U.) and such a weak, childish one on another (G.W.)... Anyway, Genocide Winter was founded in 2007 and this is their debut album, an 8 tracks (41 minutes) effort into raw Black Metal with a bit of a Depressive feeling on some parts (although not the overall atmosphere). There are some good riffs, leads and drums parts, and the composition is interesting, it gets you follow the whole album just to see what's next. regarding the sound, imagine a good rehearsal sound, I don't think this is studio recorded. Back to the vocals, Hellspawn seems like he's trying too much, he doesn't sound natural at all, and at some point it makes you think he's going to choke... maybe would it be better for him to just use his normal voice insead of trying to be someone he's not.
If you're into Underground Black Metal with lots of variations and think you can pass over a bad vocal and appreciate guitar and drums skills in a band, you might try this. I don't like it.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: GHORNUMN
Country: Russia
Title: Misantropical Dreams
Label: Rigorism Prod.
Year: 2009
Style: Atmospheric Black Metal
Review:
It's a long time since I've last listened to an Atmospheric Black Metal horde, and here's my chance again. Ghornumn is a one-man-band from Russia established in 2003, and here I have their debut album self-released in 2006 and re-released by Rigorism Prod. in 2009 as a limited 100 copies edition. Misanthropical Dreams is a 7 tracks, (42 minutes) effort into fast Black Metal with important Atmospheric keyboard lines all over. The mix between the two elements could have been a bit more consistent as from time to time it gives you the feeling the guy doesn't know which one to pick, the fast, raw Black Metal path or the Atmospheric, Melodic Black Metal one. this is an interesting album offering not few catchy parts, and I guess this could be embraced by any type of Black Metal follower. the sound is good enough to allow you to follow all instruments and the melodic lines without problems. I like the atmosphere created and strange enough, the drum-programmings don't bother me at all, they are not too synthetic.
Ghornumn released its second album last year, but you can give this one a try too, if you're lucky to still find it anywhere.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: HIGH ON FIRE
Country: USA
Title: Snakes For The Divine
Label: E1 Music
Year: 2010
Style: Stoner Doom Metal
Review:
Snakes for the Divine is the sound of High On Fire at their most aggressive best and the glossy production actually pushes the sonic envelope even further. The production was done by courtesy of producer Greg Fidelman, the man responsible for the most recent Metallica and Slayer albums and while this was a worry for some people, it has proven to be a wise move. The sound on this disc is a savage barrage of monumental riffing and Matt Pike is at his roaring, bellowing best on vocals. The album-opening title track is a beast, it kicks off with a riff that sounds like a AC/DC riff on speed before the breakneck thrashy riffing and pummeling drums slammed you up against the wall. Its a relentless approach that never quits throughout the whole song, the vocals are savage and Pike sounds like his axe work has been taking up a level in terms of technical prowess. "Frost Hammer" which has been uploaded on various sites already is a metal pounding, neck snapper. Taking the usual influence from Celtic Frost, a influence the band has always had but High On Fire take it to a new plateau of sonic abrasiveness. "Bastard Samurai" has a un-assuming intro before a almighty sludge / doom riff is unleashed, featuring some dirty low-end sounds coming from the bass, this is some pure heavy. The vocals actually has Matt Pike inserting some raw melody into his guttural bellowing style and there is even some melodic lead breaks blending well with his un-relenting shredding. "Ghost Neck" takes it back to the more typical sludge meets thrash approach which High On Fire are renown for, this is surely the most aggressive album the band has done so far but its not just Pike, the whole band is playing with a energy and passion way beyond anything they have previously recorded. The riffing is also more complex this time around, there is noodling parts blending in perfectly with the pounding riffage and its all super tight. "The Path" is played in pure classic rock style and is short but blends nicely into "Fire, Flood And Plague" which is a mid-tempo bruising track. A stomping drum beat and double kicks keep up the momentum and there is more sizzling Pike guitar solo work but once again, its the riffs and this song has a killer one. "How Dark We Pray" is a 8 minute monolithic track, a slowly building intro section and melodic guitar work takes the listener to a place you don't hear usually on a High On Fire album. There is a certain moodiness to the song and the jaunty harmonics that are spread throughout this song and the entire CD may surprise some people. The track switches gears between wailing melodies and thrashy sections that build up to a epic thrashy crescendo. "Holy Flames Of The Fire Spitter" takes the album back to where it started, no holds barred sludge, thrashy goodness. The conclusion i reached with this album is this is their most accomplished piece of work thus far, there will be the usual people that will find the production too polished but really that is a kind of a pathetic viewpoint. This is the album that will for good or bad take the band to the next level of acceptance in the metal community which is fickle at the best of times. It is certainly not a sell out in any form, it is the sound of a band stretching themselves and pushing themselves to a new level of musicianship. This album will be huge in a month or two and is sure to be on top of everyone's play-lists. Their most varied release to date, the most well played and produced. The line-up of Matt Pike-guitars, vocals/, Des Kensel-drums and Jeff Matz on bass must be happy with this album, it continues to blow me away daily.
Reviewed by Ed
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Band: ILLIDIANCE
Country: Russia
Title: Synthetic Breed
Label: Hellcome To Dollywood Rec.
Year: 2009
Style: Cyber Metal
Review:
Formed in 2004 as a Symphonic Black Metal band Illidiance slowly turned to a Cyber Metal path, a more accessible path, but still I wouldn't say commercial. This is still metal, and a pretty aggressive one despite the fact their whole music is dressed in sheer melody. Their Cyber Metal label means an Electro based Blackened Metal, very professional, crafted to perfection, and very catchy work: blackened, wicked vocals supported by clean vox from time to time, electro synths all over, sharp and quite fat guitar riffs and a complex rhythm section that makes a lot for this band. The songs are powerful, have their own identity and proove why they are such an important player in the Russian metal scene and that they have all the elements to make it on a bigger scale also.
Right after releasing this 5 tracks EP Illidiance released their second full-length, so I don't really know if this EP is for sale also or just for promotional use but it has the look and production of a "real" release. Anyway, if you're into Electro Metal give this band a try, you won't be disappointed.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: KHANATE
Country: USA
Title: Clean Hands Go Foul
Label: Hydra Head
Year: 2009
Style: Drone Doom Metal
Review:
I know this album is now over a year old but i recently bought the digipak version of the album which comes with a bonus DVD named "Capture & Release". This has pushed me to do this review as a tribute to one of the greatest, most underrated bands that should have never split up. I am still mourning the loss of this band, the world of droning doom will never be the same. Khanate was a more or less a extreme doom metal supergroup that brought together James Plotkin and Alan Dubin, two members of the defunct band OLD, as well as Tim Wyskida (of Blind Idiot God and Manbyrd) and Stephen O'Malley (of Burning Witch and Sunn O))) fame). Formed in 2000 they released 3 ear-shattering albums that sounded like a concrete mixer churning out some of the most destructive doom dirges ever recorded. On September 24 2006, Khanate was split up, with Plotkin stating that the "lack of commitment from certain members" led to the split but he promised one more recording from the band that finally surfaced in January 2009 called "Clean Hands Go Foul". There was talk of a reunion but it never happen which left a lot of hardcore fans bitterly disappointed. Khanate were always one of the most extreme bands in doom with disjointed distorted riffing and psychotic sounding vocals backed up with one the most filthy bass sounds ever created. This the final release from the band sees the band in a more ambient mood but no less damaging to your senses. There is still the droning riffs and weird timings that Khanate are famous for but there is also a even more experimental approach especially in the final track "Every God Damn Thing". This 33 minute epic is a deal breaker in terms of listening pleasure is concerned. Extremely hard to sit through this one especially considering when the first 10 minutes the song really goes nowhere. It is based around noises rather than a actual band playing and the vocals are whispered at times to the point where you can hardly hear them at all. At other times there is screams but they sound miles away from the rest of the band, again making them seem distant from the actual piece of music. This is a track that can turned people off from a band like Khanate so its a good thing that its the last track on the album. Its also fitting that its the final track because it literally sounds like a band dying, running out of ideas and in turn that is maybe what exactly happened. "Wings from Spine" is beautiful in a disturbing way, it is the most "normal" sounding song Khanate ever recorded and is also very short which is very unusual for this band. It still has a lot of the Khanate trademarks, deep bass drones and Dubin letting loose with his signature screeching vocals. There is dissonant minor chords and the use of controlled feedback. "In That Corner" continues on in a similar vein and if the hairs don't stand up on the back of your neck while listening to this, then you must be dead. The other track on here is "Clean My Heart" and this is typical Khanate, extremely doom-laden, this track is right up there with older classics like "Skin Coat" and "Pieces of Quiet". That leads in the final epic track and that is where the album falls apart. I have always been a huge fan of Alan Dubin’s vocals and he is in great form on "Clean Hands Go Foul". He clearly has one of the most disturbing voices in doom and drone, he can be chilling, frightening, intense and morbid all at the same time. Steven O’Malley is a master of getting different sound textures out of his instrument and avoiding nearly all the usual doom cliches. Rather than focusing on crushing riffs, he blends atonality, feedback, and drone to create a wall of scary atmosphere. The bass and drums are also unique, while the bass is droning, the drums are based around cacophonous sounds avoiding the need for beats etc. They add certain dynamics to the sound and work as a perfect backbone to Dubin's and O'Malley's crazed experimental doom dirges. As i write this, i am struck by the fact that i can't see any band replacing Khanate. They were a one of the kind even though there is many bands around now copying their style with various degrees of success. "Clean Hands Go Foul" was a good way for Khanate to go out despite the final track which i have to admit is pretty boring. Its a great piece of unsettling doom history that will be remember in all its sick, demented glory. The bonus DVD contains the brilliantly disturbing video for "Dead" and 4 live tracks and is essential viewing.
Reviewed by Ed
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Band: KIRKKOPALOVAROITUS
Country: Finland
Title: Pure Unholy Free Existence
Label: Ziekte-NL
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Kirkkopalovaroitus is a name that at first look seems impossible to even pronounce, but it's not that complicated after all. This is the project of a former Fall Of The Leafe member, actually FOTL's original vocalist, J. Lindström, now Dr. Shitz. He formed Kirkkopaloitus right after leaving FOTL, in 1998 and since then released 2 demos and this debut album, "Pure Unholy Free Existance", an 8 tracks effort lasting for about 40 minutes. Their Black Metal is fast, raw and extremely aggressive but spiced with keyboard parts all over, and that's a good addition at least from my point of view. Also the guitar s and vocals are varied enough to make this a good material, not boring at all. My only concern is with the quite synthetic drum programmings that sometimes get on my nerves. But if you make abstraction of them, the rest is perfect for any underground Black Metal followers out there, it's a cold, hateful, aggressive but still catchy material. Although you might think that by having keyboards this is some sort of happy Black Metal that's wrong, we're dealing with an ugly piece of metal the way it was supposed to be when it was first started.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: KONGH
Country: Sweden
Title: Shadows Of The Shapeless
Label: Trust No One
Year: 2009
Style: Sludge Doom Metal
Review:
Shadows Of The Shapeless is the second album from Kongh after a demo released two years after they started in 2004, their debut Counting Heartbeats from 2007 and a split-LP with Ocean Chief one year later where they unleashed a twenty-four minute crusher. This shows the band has some giant steps forward as this album is far superior to anything they have previously recorded. The band blends different styles from doom, sludge, post metal, psychedelia, hard rock to ambient to create something that is truly their own sound. The influences are varied but you can hear traces of Electric Wizard, Toadliquor, Neurosis, Melvins, Burning Witch, Katatonia, High On Fire, Motorhead, Minsk and of course Black Sabbath. Not wasting any time in destroying your eardrums, the opening track "Unholy Water" is a 11 minute downtuned doom burner that builds from start to finish with aggressive parts mixing in well with almost unexpected melody lines courtesy of the vocals. With this band its all about atmosphere and "Unholy Water" takes you to a cold and barren landscape. There is a chilling guitar solo at about the halfway point into the song before you are bombarded by more heavy riffing in the vein of High On Fire. "Unholy Water" is one of those classic moments in sludge and doom that leaves you already so satisfied musically that listening to the rest of the album almost seems unnecessary. Next track up is the Sabbath inspired riffing of "Essence Asunder", here guitarist David Johansson sets up a clean but brutally heavy groove that is complimented by some bluesy breaks. This track has it all within its 15 or so minutes from some thick bass sounds, screaming vocal parts to some bizarre off-key guitar noise sections that could be coming from Rwake or Neurosis. After this track, a little rest is needed and you kind of get with the next track "Tank Pa Doden". Its short and melodic and is a perfect interlude to this intense album. Next up is "Voice of the Below" which reins in all the styles already heard on the album and condenses them into one sonic piece of music. The track that sounds like a bastard child created by mixing Yob and High On Fire together is pure power. Taking the very best essence of doom and throwing a hint of the finest black metal, the track is full of sweet Sabbath styled melody lines also making this one hell of a colorful piece of music. This rates as the best track along with "Unholy Water". The album ends with a 16 minute monster "Shadows of the Shapeless" which features more melodic guitar work mixed in with blackened doom and the result is nothing short of magical. There is times when you think of the apocalyptic sludge of Burning Witch and other times where bands like Agalloch come to mind, so varied is their approach and they deserve some huge praise in making this all work so well. Vocals range from black metal rasping to howling but you haven't anything till you get the ending of the song which is a crescendo to kill for. The song is a staggering piece of work and is solid proof that doom can indeed be innovative. The uncompromising approach boosted by the powerful production makes this another essential release for 2010 even though it was released last year but near enough. "Shadows Of The Shapeless" has enough experimentation but also enough straight up doom sections to please a wide variety of listeners so there is no reason why this cant appeal to a lot of people out there. I had mixed feelings about Kongh but now all that has changed, this is a tantalizing, exciting album and the excellent artwork just enhances the whole experience of listening to this masterpiece. Who knows how the band will follow this because this is pure gold, if you like extreme sludge and doom with plenty of un-expected twists and turns, buy this.
Reviewed by Ed
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Band: LAS CRUCES
Country: USA
Title: Dusk
Label: Brainticket Records
Year: 2010
Style: Doom Metal
Review:
The new album by Las Cruces has a long and complicated story behind it, for starters it has been a incredible long wait for this album, its been 12 years since they released their last album, the classic "Ringmaster". On top of that, this recording for this album was finished over 2 years ago, the singer on the album also left the band around the same time. "Dusk" also includes 3 tracks from a EP recorded 9 years ago so what you get here is a real mixed bag of a album. Las Cruces has always been one of the most under-appreciated bands in the scene however so its great that the album is finally here. So how does this album compare with the excellent "Ringmaster" album of 12 years ago. The first thing that becomes clear is the overall sound is very different, gone is the clear big production of "Ringmaster".. This album has a muddy guitar sound but it is still real heavy but the guitar sounds buried in the mix at times. This is a disappointment at first but that feeling doesn't last long as this is still a cool, strong album of mostly mid-tempo doom tunes. First track up is "Wizard" and its a great track that switches back and forth between lumbering doom parts and mid tempo headbanging sections. The musicianship has made a noticeable improvement even though they were great muso's before but now the riffing seems to be more precise than ever before. The rhythm section of the band is what stands out in the mix while the guitar work sits more in the background of the bands sound. The bass is particularly thunderous on the album along with the drums. Next track up is "Revelations" which is another mid-tempo old school doom rocker, once again the buried guitar work is a bit of a let-down but all is forgiven when you hear the shredding solos that fly out of the speakers. Mixed way louder and up-front than anything else, they slice off your head with some real energetic muster. Its all about groove and this album is not lacking in that department at all, every track has doom laden groove stamped all over it and "Revelations" is one of the highlights. "Cocaine Wizard Woman" has a southern blues feel played with a doom metal vibe, a lot of bands try their hand at this style and most miss the mark but Las Cruces nail it in this song, the lyrics are also a real enjoyable listen. "Burning Bright" has a 70's boogie rock vibe to it even though its played with a total metal attitude. "Wings of Gold" continues the mid-tempo chugging along, for some reason one cant help but think of Death Row era Pentagram when listening to this track. "Banished" was originally recorded for the "Lowest End EP" from 2001 and its one of the most doom ridden tracks on the album. Its a lot more bottom heavy than the other tracks on the album and is a definitive doom track on "Dusk". The track is Las Cruces at their best and most powerful. Title track "Dusk" makes a appearance next and is pretty good but the buried guitar hurts the overall vibe of the song but it is still pretty solid. "Farewell" is another track from the 2001 EP and is a welcome addition to the album but the next track "The Level" is the odd track on the album given its death metal vocal gargle. While its a alright track by itself, it doesn't sit well with the rest of the material on the album. "Roll of the Die" features some killer bass lines before exploding into a monster riff but not in a doom metal kind of way. The riff sounds like something from the grunge era only dirtier than anything to come out of that era. "Killing Fields" is a masterpiece of sinister metal, it has a simple but a very effective punishing riff. The final track "Grin" is also another track from the 2001 EP and has a catchy as hell chorus and more solid metal mastery. "Dusk" is a welcome return from Las Cruces despite the odd production and strange mix, when the songs are this good you can get past the production problems with no problems. The production of "Dusk" may not be as clean as that of "Ringmaster" but it does nothing to take away from the quality and power of the songs contained within. This is another album that will be high up on peoples list for best albums for 2010 so you will want to check it out as soon as possible.
Reviewed by Ed
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Band: LONGING FOR DAWN
Country: Canada
Title: Between Elation and Despair
Label: Grau Records
Year: 2009
Style: Funeral Doom Death Metal
Review:
This is the third album from Canada's Longing for Dawn and it is a heavy dose of funeral doom with ambient ingredients that is not like much else out there in the doom scene. What makes this different is the use of electronics that are used in a very effective manner by guitarist Frederic Arbour. The guy has two dark ambient projects of his own and on here he demonstrates how industrialized electronics can blend with crushing funeral doom to form a incredibly cold atmosphere which only enhances the bleakness of a musical genre that is largely one-dimensional. Interesting to note that this album has appeared on many top 10 doom lists of 2009 and yet somehow this band never gets discussed much on webzines and forums. I got this album late last year so it missed out on my being in my top list but if i had have got it earlier it would have certainly made a appearance because this is a pretty good album indeed. The album is made of 4 really long tracks that are rich in dark ambiance and icy melodies. The vocals of Stefan Laroche are a very deep and bellowing roar that we have all heard before in funeral doom but he somehow manages to sound fresh and unique. He mixes his roar with spoken word sections that adds to the ambiance and this gives the band a original edge. Opener "Our Symbolic Burial" opens with a lengthy ambient buildup before launching into plodding heaviness but with clean vocals before moving into total death/doom mode. The song has a surreal quality to it with a good use of space between the musical sections that highlights the albums gloomy yet melodic approach to funeral doom. Its a solid piece of work but the album actually gets even more impressive when the second track "A Sunrise at Your Feet" kicks off. This might be considered the most depressing track on the album, based around Arbour’s minimal guitar melodies and Francois Fortin's hypnotic drumming style. Even though the track weighs in at over 11 minutes, time flies by keeping the track involving and interesting by the use of electronic elements. The next track "Reflective" is right up there too with a suffocating bleak sound, some albums like this can be too heavy in mood to take in all in one sitting but the music on "Between Elation And Despair" actually draws the listener in and puts you in a trance-like state. The weakest track is the last one, The Piscean Dawn" and its a 16 minute source of aural punishment that is too long for its own good. Not a bad track by any means, its just i found it a real hard track to get through as by the 10 minute mark the mournful melodies get a bit exhausting to the ear. If there is a weakness to the band it would be the bass and drumming that while its competent, for the most part they don't add much to the actual songs. The strong point to the album though is the above average songwriting, the shifts between tranquility and short doses of aggression keep it interesting and captivating for the most part. This is one of those doom "sleepers" of 2009 that is worth hunting down if you can find a copy, i have heard it is a hard one to find. Longing For Dawn do bring something a little new to the table of doom and for that reason they must be applauded.
Reviewed by Ed
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Band: LYKAUGES
Country: Greece
Title: Under the Veil of Depression
Label: Misanthropic Art Prod.
Year: 2010
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Lykauges is a one-man-band from Greece founded in 2008, with 2 demos and a Split with fellow countrymen Athos, under their belt until now. This one is Lykauges' debut album, an 8 tracks (53 minutes) effort that walks on old paths first taken by bands like Varathron or Rotting Christ, so we're dealing with slow to mid-tempo Black Metal with simple, melodic keyboards. The guitars (twing guitars here) are simple as well, but if you're familiar with Old-School Greek Black Metal you know this already. This is a style that seems childish and amateurish at first, but in time it grows on you, and you begin to understand and really enjoy it. Despite its simple "look" this one is more varied and has more to offer than a lot of other underground bands struggling to be the fastest possible.
To sum it up "Under the Veil of Depression" is made of: good black metal raspy vocals (although their sound could have been better), melodic but somehow vicious guitars supported from time to time by semi-acoustic parts, strong bass lines and an overall atmosphere that swings between majestic and depressive. A good release recommended to Greek Black Metal fans.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: MOREDHEL
Country: Germany
Title: Burn Your Local Church
Label: Misanthropic Art Prod.
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Moredhel is a German act that has been around since 2002 releasing 4 demos until now. "Burn Your Local Church" is a 20 tracks release, 14 of them being recorded live and the other 6 being actually their 2008 demo, "Hades Revenit", so actually we're dealing with 2 releases in one, that's why the whole lasts for about 75 minutes.
The live tracks are a daring challenge because there's not too often we come across an underground live full-length... They did a good job when it comes to sound, so there are not so many faults on it. Their music is fast and aggressive Black Metal without any melodic touches or influences from other genres. There are 10 of their tracks and 4 covers, 2 from Nargaroth, 1 from venom and 1 from Sodom so I guess the few people that are heard screaming in the audience had a pretty good time out there. My only issue with this live recording is that the tracks sound a bit similar and there's not so much that stands out in their music.
Their 2008 demo is recorded at their rehearsal room I think because it has a very raw and unpolished sound.
An interesting release, but only for die-hard Black Metal collectors, I would prefer to hear a studio recording to get to understand this band's potential. This one left me a mediocre impression.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: NEFTARAKA
Country: Malaysia
Title: Raw ist Law
Label: The Black 666 Prod.
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Neftaraka comes from Malaysia, a band formed in 1997 by Xxxul, who's also a member of the more known (at least for me) Langsuyr and Vociferation Eternity. They have only released demos and splits until now and this is their first and only EP, released in all formats possible by lots of labels from all over the world, so slowly but surely this is becoming a Kult name in the Black Metal underground scene. Musicwise Neftaraka is raw, old-school Black Metal, plenty of dark and cold atmospheres, without compromises. The sound is raw and primitive, but that doesn't stop you from getting into the crushing mystical atmospheres this band creates and to follow the instruments. They certainly know how to make their Black Metal aggressive and threatening, but I would recommend this release only to those into raw stuff, the new wave of Black Metallers won't understand a thing from it. I have enjoyed this EP a lot, it reminded me of the tapes I used to listen/review a decade ago.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: NOX INTERITUS
Country: Italy
Title: Fallen Silence
Label: Self-released
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
Damn it, this a great band. I am happy that I discovered it over this review. It is a fast and blasting back metal reminding me of Immortal or Marduk, but just little bit.
The first incredible thing is the quality. The studio made here a great job. It is the Music City Studio also from Italy. They really know how to mix and master good black metal sound.
The music it self is the second thing: fast as I already wrote. Typical black metal music, but still with a unique touch and great temp changes and riffs. The atmosphere just thrills you into their tunes. 6 songs coming with that demo. Good demo amount.
At the end it is to fast over, but they are working on a new album, so all who want more, will get more. I look forward to this new output too.
Reviewed by Robert
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Band: PEST WOLF
Country: Germany
Title: ...of Wolves and the Shining Moon
Label: Victory By Fire Rec.
Year: 2009
Style: Black Metal
Review:
This project's only strong point is Isegrimh's desire and tenacity to promote it, to get it out in the Underground, but he definitely needs a lot more work on compositions and vocals. His guitar skills are not bad and he prooves that here and there but overall this demo gives the feeling it's done in a hurry and certain parts are composed in such a minimalist manner just to fill more space on the disc. Too bad because as I said earlier there are some promising guitar riffs too that can can induce you that proud Black Metal feeling. On the other part Pest Wolf is labelled as Ambient Black Metal, but except for some wolves howling on the first track, we're getting only Black Metal here, raw, primitive and cold. In my opinion if Isegrimh takes out or improves the minimalist, amateurish parts and keeps his focus on the mid-tempo ones, plus improves on vocals (he sounds hesitating inhere), he'll get a nice project here.
This release is strictly limited to 33 very cheap ($2) copies, so if you want one for your collection you better hurry up.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: PHASED
Country: Switzerland
Title: A Sort of Spasmic Phlegm Induced by Leaden Fumes of Pleasure
Label: Elektrohasch
Year: 2009
Style: Space Doom
Review:
"A Sort Of Spasmic Phlegm Induced by Leaden Fumes of Pleasure" gets my vote for one of the best album titles of all time and this album is pretty damn good as well. The band is called Phased who in its ranks has members from Switzerland, Finland and Sweden making this band a truly multinational group. The album is released on the German psyche, doom label Elektrohasch who has some of the most amazing and varied bands you will ever come across and Phased are no exception. Their sound is a organic mixture of Sabbath, Hawkwind, Nebula to more doom laden stuff like Sleep, there is also a hint of The Melvins and Monster Magnet thrown in for good measure. The band is a very psychedelic one with sounds ranging from fuzzy stoner rock grooves to trippy, psychedelic sound experimentation's. Spasmic Phlegm starts off with what I assume is a Apollo-era mission control radio sample before a classic stoner, groove laden riff kicks in. This sets the tone for the rest of the album but they are at their best when they merge some way out jamming with a precise psyche rock vibe like in "Rim Shot to Infinity" which is about as mind-bending as you can get. With droning riffs that slowly build up pace as the song progresses, with something that sounds like Bongo's but i could be wrong on that and rippling underwater synth noises which i think are provided by Scott Heller of the "Oresund Space Collective" who turns up on a few other tracks on the album. "Nachspiel Revisited I & II" has a "Spine Of God Monster Magnet vibe to it and is more on the ambient side of things. "The Osteopath" throws some humor into the mix, the track is about transforming into some sort of therapeutic doctor or something. "Maelstrom" has pure classic psyche rock written all over it, i wish Nebula were still capable of coming up with songs like this. "I Come Toulouse" adds some extra atmospherics to the album but the album is not short of those at all. The album actually gets more ethereal as it progresses and in some ways heavier too. "Tip of the Sky" is more straight ahead fuzz rock but one thing is for sure, Guitarist/vocalist Chris Sigdell, bassist Chris Walt and drummer Marko Lehtinen follow in the footsteps of other classic power trio bands but to their credit, they know how to write sometimes real catchy songs and they also know how to rock. While the songs seem to be based around unstructured jams, there is also a continuity to the songwriting and performance. One thing has to be said at this point, i have given up trying to find a 100% original band within the stoner/doom genre, lets face it, its all been done before and it will be done again another million times but what is great about Phased and this record is the way its played with undeniable passion and style. Its a easy CD to listen to but at the same time, heavy and extremely trippy. This is music played by psychedelic, stoner, doom fans made for psychedelic, stoner, doom fans and they are proud to admit it, that honesty and integrity comes across on the album. If you have never heard Phased, its about time you did.
Reviewed by Ed
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Band: PROMETHEAN HORDE
Country: USA
Title: Bring Forth The Fires
Label: Death N Decay Records
Year: 2009
Style: Symphonic Black Metal
Review:
The third surprise for today. Promethean Horde as name sounds like a wanna be pagan band, but it is not. It is a quite nice black metal band form USA. It has some folk influences in the melody in some songs, but they are rare, though I don't like them, because it sounds lil bit like humpaa. But their rareness is acceptable. They create a nice atmosphere and the music is able to let you feel it.
On the 5 songs you can find fast and slower riffs, the nice screaming voice of the singer, which sounds quite professional, nice double bass and temp changes, even some choirs appearing. The keyboard tunes are giving the music the symphonic touch. Nice are either some moments of silence, acoustic parts and the use of instruments like a violin and clean vocals.
Though the band wasn't that active, just one demo and this EP form the year 2005, I hope that will change, now they are signed to Death N Decay Records. I am eager to see how they will develop.
Reviewed by Robert
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Band: PURGATORY
Country: Germany
Title: Cultus Luciferi
Label: Animate Records
Year: 2008
Style: Death Metal
Review:
The German band Purgatory was founded back in 1993, and since then they have released a demo, 2 EPs, 2 Splits and 4 albums. "Cultus Luciferi" is their fifth and latest album to date, although it was released back in 2008. The 9 tracks lasting for about 35 minutes constitute a rough incursion into what Death metal used to be 15-20 years ago, honest, aggressive and full of enthusiasm. Just immagine a combination of old Morgoth, Obituary, Morbid Angel and Vader, and you're on your way to understand what Purgatory is doing here: brutal but comprehensive growls supported from time to time by Asphyx/Morgoth like death metal screams (hell those got me nostalgic, hehe), catchy and complex guitar riffing, fast and groovy rhythm section. An album to be listened out loud, a demostration of power absolutely recommended to old-school Death Metallers. There's also a Morgoth very good cover of "Pits of utumno" that made my day. I can't wait for a new album of this veteran Death Metal act, they should have something new out soon as there have been 2 years since this one was released.
Reviewed by Adrian
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Band: RAVENTALE
Country: Ukraine
Title: Mortal Aspirations
Label: Solitude Prod. / Bad Mood Man
Year: 2009
Style: Black Doom Metal
Review:
Raventale is yet another one-man-band signed to Solitude Prod./Bad Mood Man and this is its third full-length, second on this label, a 9 tracks (52 minutes) effort serving us some catchy, strange Doom Black Metal, well I would say it's Doom Metal with a good amount of Black and some few Death Metal influences. Most of the time we're dealing with slow tempo Doom Metal rhythms, but when the rhythms become mid-paced the melancholic Black Metal feeling kicks in, especially because of the prevalent keyboard/synth work. The mid-paced melancholic Black Metal parts are really good and there are some fast parts as well, too bad Astaroth placed only a few on this album. Also I would have liked a bit more of those great melodic guitar leads that give this album a classier presentation.
"Mortal Aspirations" is a good effort, but I would recommend it only to those that think they can handle almost an hour of Doom Metal with Black Metal influences, the others will find it a bit too much, it's a long disc, you have to be into such music not to loose interest as time goes by. Production-wise it's flawless, simply excellent!
Reviewed by Adrian
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