  _______ __                     __      __                      ___ 
 |   _   |  |--.----.-----.-----|__.----|  .-----.-----. .-----.'  _|
 |.  1___|     |   _|  _  |     |  |  __|  |  -__|__ --| |  _  |   _|
 |.  |___|__|__|__| |_____|__|__|__|____|__|_____|_____| |_____|__|  
 |:  1   |                                                          
 |::.. . |                                                          
 `-------'                                                          
                   _______ __                      
                  |   _   |  |--.---.-.-----.-----.
                  |.  1___|     |  _  |  _  |__ --|
                  |.  |___|__|__|___._|_____|_____|
                  |:  1   |                        
                  |::.. . |                        
                  `-------'                        


     CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, Monday, June 3, 2003, Issue #62
                   http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com


Co-Editor / Founder: Gino Filicetti
Co-Editor / Contributor: Pedro Azevedo
Contributor: Adrian Bromley
Contributor: Brian Meloon
Contributor: Paul Schwarz
Contributor: Aaron McKay
Contributor: David Rocher
Contributor: Matthias Noll
Contributor: Alvin Wee
Contributor: Chris Flaaten
Contributor: Quentin Kalis
Contributor: Xander Hoose
Contributor: Adam Lineker
Neophyte: Adrian Magers
Neophyte: James Montague
Neophyte: Jackie Smit
Spiritual Guidance: Alain M. Gaudrault

The   individual   writers   can   be   reached    by    e-mail    at 
firstname.lastname@ChroniclesOfChaos.com.                            
     (e.g. Gino.Filicetti@ChroniclesOfChaos.com).

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Issue #62 Contents, 6/3/2003
----------------------------
* Albums
-- 16 Piece Bucket - _Born to Be..._
-- 3rd - _3rd_
-- Amorphis - _Far From the Sun_
-- Anaal Nathrakh - _When Fire Rains Down From the Sky, 
                     Mankind Will Reap as it Has Sown_
-- Aurora - _Dead Electric Nightmares_
-- Bathory - _Nordland I_
-- Biohazard - _Kill or Be Killed_
-- Bloodshot - _Demons, Addictions & Confidence_
-- Cattle Decapitation - _To Serve Man_
-- Compos Mentis - _Fragments of a Withered Dream_
-- Cryptopsy - _None So Live_
-- Cult of Daath - _The Grand Torturers of Hell_
-- Darzamat - _Oniriad_
-- Dawn of Azazel - _Bloodforged Abdication_
-- Deranged - _Plainfield Cemetery_
-- Destroyer 666 - _Terror Abraxas_
-- Devin Townsend Band - _Accelerated Evolution_
-- Dying Fetus - _Stop at Nothing_
-- Dysrhythmia - _Pretest_
-- Ethereal - _The Dreams of Yearning_
-- Fragile Hollow - _Effete Mind_
-- Genocide Superstars - _III_
-- Godless North - _Summon the Age of Supremacy_
-- Grave - _Back From the Grave_
-- Griffar - _Of Witches and Celts_
-- Hanzel und Gretyl - _Uber Alles_
-- Illnath - _Cast Into Fields of Evil Pleasure_
-- Kaamos - _Kaamos_
-- Mindwild - _Mindwild Spirit_
-- Mr Barleycorn - _The Stendahl Syndrome_
-- Mykorrhiza - _Shattered Dreams_
-- Myrkskog - _Superior Massacre_
-- Naglfar - _Sheol_
-- Nartvind - _Until Their Ruin_
-- Nasum - _Helvete_
-- Opeth - _Deliverance_
-- Scepter - _Fucking Metal Motherfuckers_
-- Septic Flesh - _Sumerian Daemons_
-- Sepultura - _Roorback_
-- Show of Exaggeration - _Show of Exaggeration_
-- Soilwork - _Figure Number Five_
-- Somnus - _Through Creation's End_
-- Soulless - _Agony's Lament_
-- Tenhi - _Vare_
-- The Gathering - _Souvenirs_
-- The Mist and the Morning Dew - _The Mist and the Morning Dew_
-- The Monolith Deathcult - _The Apotheosis_
-- The True Frost - _Open the Portals to Darkness_
-- Tuska / Incriminated - _Ten Hail Marys_
-- Vargsang - _Call of the Nightwolves_
-- Various - _The Obsolete View_
-- Various - _Victory Through Total Domination: Compilation No. III_
-- Vital Remains - _Dechristianize_
-- Wastoid - _Say Your Prayers_
* Demos
-- Cryonic - _Digital Encryption_
-- Decadence - _Theatre of Eclipse_
-- Feral Horde - _Demo 2002_
-- K-Again - _Ultraviolence_
-- Soultorn - _Masks_
-- The Amenta - _Mictlan_
* Gigs
-- A Kingdom United
-- Goth Club Destroyed by Death Metal Gods
-- Damnation and a Monday Night
-- Generation Armageddon Tour

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

                       _, _,  __, _,_ _, _  _,
                      / \ |   |_) | | |\/| (_ 
                      |~| | , |_) | | |  | , )
                      ~ ~ ~~~ ~   `~' ~  ~  ~ 


Scoring:  10 out of 10 -- A masterpiece indeed
           9 out of 10 -- Highly recommended
           7 out of 10 -- Has some redeeming qualities
           5 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
           3 out of 10 -- Nothing here worth looking into
           0 out of 10 -- An atrocious album, avoid at all costs!


16 Piece Bucket - _Born to Be..._  (Devil Saint Productions , 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis  (7 out of 10)

A fusion of heavy metal and old school punk reputedly forms the basis
of 16 Piece Bucket's sound. (When I say "punk" I mean  punk's  second
wave in the early eighties and certainly not contemporary punk, which
is little more then inoffensive, watered down power pop for  15  year
old wannabe rebels.) This is a somewhat optimistic view, as they tend
very heavily towards the punk component  of  the  equation,  sounding
little more than a slightly heavier and more  aggressive  version  of
Minor Threat or Black Flag. There are a few nods towards their  metal
heritage -- most notably through  the  inclusion  of  several  guitar
leads -- which are  as  popular  in  punk  as  in  black  metal.  The
production is acceptable though the drums do tend to sound hollow  on
occasion and the innate simplicity of punk does  occasionally  grate.
But their songs do possess an inimitable energy and  catchiness  that
mitigates their dubious metal heritage -- but are still likely to  be
of only limited interest to CoC readers. For those who enjoyed  DRI's
seminal debut, this may be of some interest, and if you have  to  buy
a  punk  orientated  CD,  buy  this  one  which  at  least  has  some
attitude, unlike the watered down punk beloved  by  the  prepubescent
skateboarding vermin.

Contact: strgworld@aol.com


3rd - _3rd_  (Independent, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose  (9.5 out of 10)

The fact that it doesn't take fancy record deals to come up  with  an
album that sounds tighter than fuck and manages to creep  up  to  the
first place in my playlist is thoroughly proven by 3rd. This  Italian
band has more or less managed to impress the hell out of the hardcore
scene with this self-financed  and  self-titled  follow-up  to  their
debut MCD. In four songs (and a bonus track) they  mix  together  the
best elements of Machine  Head  and  Sepultura  with  noisecore,  yet
way surpassing both mentioned bands  in  quality  and  inventiveness.
"Unable", "Nothing Safe", "Mess" and "Something  More  Than  Nothing"
are all variations on alternating aggressive hammer-tight riffs  with
more melodic clean parts and different vocal styles. It's good to see
a band that's not trying  to  walk  the  easy  path  and  become  the
umpteenth 'new metal' band for a change.  3rd  has  more  personality
than most of the bands I've  listened  to  lately,  and  a  technical
surgical precision to express themselves in such a way  that  they're
bound to become the next big thing.

Contact: http://www.3rdweb.it


Amorphis - _Far From the Sun_  (Virgin, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (5 out of 10)

You may have already noticed that Amorphis' ratings in CoC have been 
steadily decreasing with every album: _Elegy_ got a 9, _Tuonela_  an 
8, and more recently _Am Universum_ was awarded 7  out  of  10.  The 
first two Amorphis records, _The Karelian Isthmus_ and  _Tales  From 
the Thousand Lakes_, are also a 9 out of 10 in  my  books,  both  of 
them highly influential albums at the time  of  their  release.  The 
same can be said about the  band's  third  record  _Elegy_,  another 
musical milestone. All three  were  excellent  desspite  the  marked 
differences between each other. Unfortunately, the  second  half  of 
Amorphis' career seems to consist exclusively of mildly pleasant but 
ultimately inconsequential albums that  fail  to  leave  much  of  a 
mark. While _Tuonela_ still retained  some  of  the  more  endearing 
characteristics of its predecessor and remains a very  decent  album 
in the band's discography,  _Am  Universum_  received  only  minimum 
required spinning in my CD player  for  a  review.  The  Finns'  new 
effort and Virgin Records debut, _Far From the Sun_, is  practically 
guaranteed to follow the same path towards oblivion upon  completion 
of this review. Not a trace of metal is left in _FFtS_'s folk  rock, 
and unfortunately hardly a  trace  of  real  emotion  can  be  found 
either. Despite  all  the  good  musicianship  that  stops  me  from 
lowering the rating any further, _Far >From the Sun_ simply  doesn't 
have any soul;  it's  bland  and  contrived  where  this  band  used 
to be  brimming  with  creativity  and  feeling.  There  are  a  few 
redeeming bits, such as the  second  half  of  "God  of  Deception", 
but they are very  sporadic.  Even  Pasi  Koskinen's  clean  singing 
seems to have deteriorated rather than improved  over  time,  as  it 
remains  relatively  flat  and  lacklustre  throughout  compared  to 
the  band's  much  livelier  past  efforts.  They  got  rid  of  _Am 
Universum_'s saxophone, but  on  the  other  hand  the  upbeat  folk 
melodies occasionally veer dangerously towards  the  silly  side  of 
things this time around -- not that it never  happened  before,  but 
this time it comes across as very annoying. The  album  as  a  whole 
isn't mind-numbingly bad, in spite of some of its tracks, but it  is 
depressing to see this once great band 'evolving' step by step  into 
musical irrelevance. After three classics in a row,  I  still  found 
_Tuonela_ perfectly acceptable even by Amorphis' high standards; _Am 
Universum_ then left me rather doubtful of the  band's  future;  and 
alas, _Far From the Sun_ has just dissipated those doubts.           

Contact: http://www.amorphis.net


Anaal Nathrakh - _When Fire Rains Down From the Sky, 
                  Mankind Will Reap as it Has Sown_  
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8.5 out of 10)  (Mordgrimm, 2003)

Anaal Nathrakh say that "humanity is cancer";  well,  I'd  certainly 
like to know what kind of corrosive, toxic fluid runs in these guys' 
veins. _When Fire Rains Down  From  the  Sky..._  is  the  follow-up 
EP to  the  blistering  _The  Codex  Necro_,  but  even  though  the 
intensity of their spiteful attack remains the same, the approach is 
somewhat different in places. Whether all of the  changes  found  on 
_WFRDFtS..._ will continue to be a part of the Anaal Nathrakh  sound 
in the future remains to be seen, though  I'd  wager  most  of  them 
will.  The  fact  is  that  this  EP  is  more  than  simply  a  few 
leftovers from  the  previous  album's  recording  sessions.  Atilla 
Csihar (ex-Mayhem) contributes some vocals to this recording, though 
given the intensity of the vox on previous Anaal Nathrakh records  I 
didn't see much point in this. The  point  was  made  clear  on  the 
final, title track, where Atilla uses his peculiar _De Mysteriis Dom 
Sathanas_ intonation. While  I  wouldn't  count  on  Anaal  Nathrakh 
insisting on this type of vocal approach in the future, most of  the 
remaining novelties may  well  stick  around.  It's  nothing  hugely 
different apart from the Limbonic  Art-ish  chanting  on  the  title 
track, mind you: just  some  guitar  soloing  and  electronic  noise 
touches, as Anaal Nathrakh continue to  move  away  from  the  necro 
sound of old and  into  an  equally  raw  and  merciless,  but  more 
calculated, sonic attack. There's still all the  grim  insanity  one 
has come to expect from the band's hyperblast black metal, but  some 
riffs are worked differently, some extra touches added, the  overall 
sound tweaked, and the result is a beast that  continues  to  evolve 
with every release. Tracks such as "Never Fucking Again"  make  this 
nearly half hour long EP a more than adequate gap-filler  until  the 
next full-length.                                                    

Contact: http://www.anaal-nathrakh.tk


Aurora - _Dead Electric Nightmares_  (Intromental, 2002)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (9 out of 10)

Ever since this Danish band came from nowhere to blow me  away  with 
their superb _Devotion_, I've  been  eagerly  awaiting  a  follow-up 
album. Unfortunately, Aurora had to face a series of  problems  with 
their label, and only managed to resurface in  late  2002.  To  make 
things worse, it wasn't until recently  that  I  finally  got  _Dead 
Electric Nightmares_, but at least their 2001 promo CD helped bridge 
that gap. So much so, in fact, that this  new  full-length  includes 
all four songs demoed on that promo CD  --  and  what's  more,  they 
remain my favourite tracks on the  album  ("Metaphysical  Electric", 
"Martyr of Life", "Two Dice and a Silent Disguise"  and  "Chains  of 
God"), along with "New God Rising" and the doomy "Watching, Falling, 
Breathing". That really is the  one  thing  that  left  me  slightly 
concerned on _Dead Electric Nightmares_: the new songs, albeit  very 
good, generally failed to top the older material on  the  album.  In 
spite of this, I have no reason to doubt Aurora's future  work  will 
be at least as brilliant as their past achievements, which is saying 
a lot. Virtually every song (with the possible exception of  "Jack") 
deserves its place in _DEN_, and  the  album  remains  a  consistent 
affair throughout.                                                   

Having said all this, I still haven't even started to describe  what 
Aurora sound like; and truth be told, they are a difficult  band  to 
pigeonhole. Their eclectic  style  is  mainly  composed  of  Swedish 
melodic death metal with a powerful,  modern,  discretely  technical 
sound. This is made all the more unique by the  varying  moods  they 
employ (all  the  way  between  aggressive  and  introspective)  and 
vocals that can range from sung to  growled  to  shrieking.  Without 
necessarily sounding weird or trying to come across as  avant-garde, 
Aurora have a very refreshing and to some degree even unique  style. 
Their riffs, melodies and drum patterns are indeed their own, rather 
than a more or less conscious rehash of someone else's --  which  is 
an easy trap to fall into when you adhere very strictly to  a  given 
genre. Opeth, and Dark Tranquillity's _The Gallery_  are  still  the 
closest references I can  come  up  with,  but  they're  nonetheless 
rather distant ones most of the time. Not many people seem  to  know 
about Aurora, and these guys  deserve  exactly  the  opposite  given 
their compositional and technical talent; so do  yourself  a  favour 
and make sure you look into this band.                               

Contact: http://www.aurora.ms


Bathory - _Nordland I_  (Black Mark, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis  (6 out of 10)

Most CoC readers won't have any difficulty in naming at least one of 
Bathory's first six releases. But I imagine considerably fewer  will 
be able to name later Bathory albums -- mainly because  they  simply 
do not compare in terms of both quality and  innovation  to  seminal 
albums like _Bathory_ or _Hammerheart_. Sadly, this new album is not 
an improvement over  more  recent  Bathory  material.  _Nordland  I_ 
represents a return to his pioneering epic  /  Viking  metal  sound. 
This is a more reflective  album,  more  so  than  his  much-vaunted 
Viking trilogy, perhaps representing an older, more mature Quorthon. 
But it is also a considerably more placid and, let's face  it,  more 
boring album. If  _Blood  Fire  Death_  was  the  soundtrack  to  an 
impending war, then if they existed, this would  be  the  soundtrack 
for a retired, middle-aged Viking warrior. Evaluated without  regard 
to previous Bathory  releases  this  is  acceptable,  if  incredibly 
average Viking metal. But in comparison to previous Bathory  albums, 
this  is  an  extremely  poor  release,  failing  to  move  me  like 
_Hammerheart_ or _Blood Fire Death_. Elements and sound effects that 
were utilised to great effectiveness  in  earlier  albums  now  seem 
trite and clichéd; no doubt the advent of Viking  metal  fuelled  by 
Bathory's past releases have contributed to this sense of  déjà  vu. 
This is intended as the first part of a  staggered  double  CD  set; 
perhaps the second half will be better. With newer bands such as the 
underrated Moonsorrow and even Graveland releasing some  good,  even 
excellent albums, there  is  no  need  for  sub-average  truly  epic 
Viking metal albums to flood the market, no  matter  what  the  past 
credentials of the artist may be.                                    


Biohazard - _Kill or Be Killed_  (SPV, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (5.5 out of 10)

I'll admit that my expectations  were  perhaps  unfairly  high  after
being  thoroughly  blown  away  by  the  'Hazard  on  their   Eastpak
resistance tour last year. Even taking this into account  however,  I
find it  hard  to  ignore  the  stench  of  underachievement  wafting
from their latest effort.  The  music  may  be  heavier  than  2001's
_Uncivilization_, but the passion and conviction  of  _State  of  the
World Address_  is  nowhere  to  be  found.  Instead  Biohazard  have
concocted a dull, by-the-numbers record that  never  seems  to  quite
find direction. From the tedious doldrums of  "Never  Forgive,  Never
Forget" to the cliched mess that is "Hallowed Ground",  _Kill  or  Be
Killed_ is a massive let-down. Indeed were these the days  of  _Urban
Discipline_, I doubt that many of the tracks on offer here would have
even made it on to B-sides.  Still,  in  the  midst  of  overwhelming
disappointment a few rays of light shine through -- were the rest  of
the album of the quality showcased by "Open Your Eyes" or  "Penalty",
that 5.5 you see above this review could easily have been a seven  or
an eight. When compared to Hatebreed  or  Snapcase's  latest  records
though, _Kill or Be Killed_ is quite laughable.


Bloodshot - _Demons, Addictions & Confidence_  (Independent, 2002)
by: Adrian Magers  (4 out of 10)

Bloodshot play  a  sort  of  "violent  groove"  type  of  metal  that
definitely has its moments and shows  tons  of  potential,  but  mars
too many important  elements.  The  vocals  are  awful,  not  due  to
poor execution but an annoying voice  effect  that,  either  utilized
intentionally or as a result of  sub-par  mixing  and  recording,  is
featured for the duration of _Demons,  Addictions  &  Confidence_.  I
hear elements of Nothingface, second album  Machine  Head,  Overdose,
and late Fear Factory, but unfortunately, Bloodshot doesn't even come
close to living up to any of these bands (that is, if  we  disqualify
new MH releases). They lack the diversity, the drive, and don't  have
a very natural flow to their sound. These flaws work  against  making
them  major  contenders  in  this  sub-genre.  It's  really  hard  to
pinpoint exactly what this Las Vegas quintet  is  missing,  but  it's
easily heard. Another gripe I had  with  Bloodshot  is  their  shoddy
presentation, complete with laughable artwork, uninspired lyrics, and
dime-a-dozen themes.  However,  with  experience  and  determination,
Bloodshot could be pioneers in an area that is without  major  forces
in the metal scene.

Contact: http://www.bloodshotfans.com


Cattle Decapitation - _To Serve Man_  (Metal Blade, 2002)
by: Jackie Smit  (6.5 out of 10)

When you dub your band Cattle Decapitation, there tends to be  little
debate on your style of music. And so it is with Metal Blade's latest
gore metal signing -- the  ugly  stepson  of  Broken  Hope,  Skinless
et al,  clinging  with  religious  fervour  to  a  tried  and  tested
formula and never veering off  its  well-trodden  path  even  in  the
slightest. There's the song titles (which, I am  sure,  were  just  a
matter of time before they were going to  be  used  by  another  gore
band): "I  Eat  Your  Skin",  "Everyone  Deserves  to  Die"  and  the
brilliantly cheesy "Testicular Manslaughter" -- each track as  devoid
of surprise as it is of originality. There's  the  harmonic-drenched,
technical Carcass-style riffing, and of course there's the thoroughly
unintelligible, but highly entertaining  death  vocals,  which  would
undoubtedly do Chris Barnes proud. Yet  somehow  Cattle  Decapitation
manage to (almost) pull it off. Sure, they were  never  going  to  be
"the next big thing", but it's hard to resist the many hooks  or  the
bizarrely catchy beats that are scattered  over  the  course  of  the
record. The sterling mix and production certainly don't do  any  harm
either. When all is said and done, Cattle Decapitation  unfortunately
aren't much more than a slightly above-average death metal  act,  but
at least they play the part with enough  style  to  warrant  the  odd
listen.


Compos Mentis - _Fragments of a Withered Dream_  (Lost Disciple, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)

Picking up from where they had left  with  their  surprisingly  good 
independently released  debut  EP  _Quadrology  of  Sorrow_,  Compos 
Mentis are unlikely to disappoint anyone  who  liked  that  EP  with 
_Fragments of a Withered Dream_. Now signed  to  Lost  Disciple  and 
deservedly releasing a full-length album, these Danes have looked to 
develop their sound, build upon the foundations they had  laid  down 
with their EP, and come out  with  something  that  would  begin  to 
establish their name in the scene. Whether this  particular  release 
will achieve that remains to be seen, but it certainly does  have  a 
good deal of merit and promise for the future. Part Swedish  melodic 
death, part blackened symphonic metal,  Compos  Mentis  continue  to 
balance the amount of melody  in  their  sound  with  the  anguished 
vocals to good effect. The guitar  and  keyboard  interplay  remains 
effective, busy enough  if  not  overly  complex,  with  atmospheric 
breaks and enough variation in pace and type of riffs to keep things 
interesting throughout.  Compos  Mentis  manage  to  have  a  rather 
accessible sound without coming across as trendy or just ear  candy. 
Much like Omnium Gatherum  (another  promising  young  band),  their 
music has a good balance of melody and metallic edge, with a healthy 
dose of energy and talent on top to  ensure  a  good  final  result. 
_Fragments of a Withered Dream_  is  unlikely  to  be  the  crowning 
achievement of Compos Mentis' career, as they will surely be awarded 
plenty of opportunities to continue growing musically in the future; 
nevertheless, it is both a promising and worthwhile album in its own 
right.                                                               

Contact: http://www.composmentis.dk


Cryptopsy - _None So Live_  (Century Media, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (9.5 out of 10)

Back in the mid-'90s, Cryptopsy were one of  those  very  few  bands 
that managed to maintain the role of innovators in the  death  metal 
scene --  through  their  1994  debut  _Blasphemy  Made  Flesh_  and 
especially the 1996 follow-up _None  So  Vile_.  The  sheer  lunacy, 
brutality and extreme technicality, almost impossibly  coupled  with 
passages that were actually very catchy, made Cryptopsy really stand 
out from the death metal crowd. With  Mike  DiSalvo  replacing  Lord 
Worm on vocals and some more style changes, _Whisper Supremacy_  and 
_And Then You'll Beg_ alienated some old fans, but  remain  powerful 
testaments to the band's skill. _None So Live_ (and what a  suitable 
title this is) deservedly focuses mostly  on  the  band's  _None  So 
Vile_ era, while still covering their career quite well  considering 
it only contains ten actual songs.  Recorded  in  Montreal  in  June 
2002, this live performance already  features  new  vocalist  Martin 
Lacroix. Fans awaiting his studio debut may  be  pleased  to  notice 
that Lacroix is neither exactly like Lord Worm nor Mike DiSalvo, but 
rather somewhere in between. Also worthy of notice is the fact  that 
this live disc was mixed by  Pierre  Remillard,  producer  of  every 
Cryptopsy album except their debut.                                  

The live set kicks off with the brilliant intro from _None So Vile_, 
followed by the same album's excellent opener "Crown of Horns".  The 
album tour continues as the band visits the other three  records  in 
succession with "White Worms" (_Wisper Supremacy_), "We Bleed" (_And 
Then You'll Beg_) and "Open Face Surgery" (_Blasphemy Made  Flesh_). 
Then it's back to _Whisper Supremacy_ for "Cold Hate,  Warm  Blood", 
followed by my  personal  favourite,  "Phobophile",  from  _None  So 
Vile_. Then comes "Shroud" from _And Then You'll Beg_ and "Graves of 
the Fathers" from  _None  So  Vile_,  which  includes  a  near  four 
minute drum  solo  midway  through.  The  disc  then  finishes  with 
"Defenestration" from _Blasphemy Made Flesh_ and  "Slit  Your  Guts" 
from _None So Vile_. In other words, you get four tracks from  _None 
So Vile_ and a couple from each of the other three records. There is 
very little I can think of to improve this set list other than add a 
couple more songs -- which might end up doing more  harm  than  good 
anyway, especially if they had to be taken from a different show.    

As for the recording itself, the sound quality is good, but  not  so 
good that it sounds like a studio album; and the playing  is  tight, 
but not always so tight that it sounds like some sort of cleaning up 
took place.  I  cannot  guess  exactly  what  happened  between  the 
original recording and the finished product, but to  me  it  doesn't 
come across as artificially good. The performers, on the other hand, 
are of the highest calibre -- above all, unsurprisingly, Cryptopsy's 
unbelievable drummer Flo Mounier, quite possibly the best drummer in 
the metal world. His drum solo helps cement  that  claim,  but  just 
hearing his performance throughout the  show  goes  a  long  way  to 
proving it. (Never having been to a Cryptopsy  show  myself,  I  can 
only imagine his arms flying all  over  the  kit.)  The  other  band 
members are in top shape as well, with new vocalist Lacroix  putting 
in a very convincing performance. The guitar work is excellent, even 
if occasionally slightly messy. Nothing frequent or  jarring  enough 
to even begin to spoil a Cryptopsy fan's enjoyment  of  this  superb 
performance though. Indeed, with  such  a  quality  set  list,  very 
adequate sound quality and  an  excellent  display  by  this  highly 
talented band, this is just about as good as a live  album  can  get 
-- so much so  that  the  only  record  I  can  see  challenging  it 
successfully is My Dying Bride's superb  _Voice  of  the  Wretched_. 
_None So Live_ is a  deservedly  outstanding  live  document  of  an 
equally outstanding band.                                            

Contact: http://www.cryptopsy.net


Cult of Daath - _The Grand Torturers of Hell_
by: Matthias Noll  (7 out of 10)  (War Hammer Records, 2002)

Hell yeah! Some of the most impressive  pseudonyms  and  job  titles 
of  recent  months.  The  leather-mask  wearing   Wargoat   Obscurum 
multi-tasking between  "Battering  Rams,  Black  Winter  Orator  and 
Bestial Throat" and  the  equally  busy  Nocturno  Culto  look-alike 
Culg-gath Immortum delivering "Apocalyptic Hellsaw,  Bass  Holocaust 
and Diabolical Chants"! They proclaim to play "Cruel Barbaric  Black 
Metal" and yes, I have to agree, worse descriptions have been  made. 
Stylistically and sound-wise (generally raw  4-track  demo  quality) 
this whole EP is a bit inconsistent, because the  seven  songs  come 
from two separate sessions or demos put onto one CD. The more recent 
recordings, tracks one to five (including a  Beherit  cover),  sound 
like a cross between Destroyer 666 and Clandestine Blaze to my ears. 
Cult of Daath are unable to come close  to  the  quality  of  either 
band, but the more I listen to _TGToH_  the  more  this  description 
makes sense -- subjective as it may be. The  last  two  songs  sound 
less black and more in the war metal vein of  acts  like  Blasphemy. 
Although _TGToH_ is nowhere near sensational, and  my  name-dropping 
only had the purpose of describing the general stylistic leanings of 
this US two-piece rather than say they are as good as the bands I've 
compared them to, this is still a very enjoyable EP.                 

Contact: http://www.geocities.com/warhammerkult/


Darzamat - _Oniriad_  (Avantgarde Music, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (5 out of 10)

If ever Andrew Lloyd Webber  were  to  orchestrate  a  gothic  metal 
opera, then Poland's Darzamat  could  surely  be  a  likely  result. 
Indeed, it's easy to imagine the  maestro  nodding  in  approval  to 
tracks like "Into  the  Abyss  of  Forgotten  Woods",  "The  Longest 
Journey" or the folksy "Elegy". Unfortunately, it's somewhat  harder 
to see most metalheads walking mother earth in 2003 do the same. And 
it's certainly not due  to  lack  of  talent,  as  Darzamat  display 
a sheen of  admirable  musical  ability  throughout  the  course  of 
_Oniriad_ that's very hard to fault. The problem is that their brand 
of OTT pseudo-goth music seems permanently intent to run  along  the 
very thinnest dividing line between the grandiosely entertaining and 
overly bombastic.  Which  is  precisely  what  ultimately  leads  to 
Darzamat's downfall. Despite being more than  capable  of  producing 
fairly enjoyable tunes like "Where the Dreams Died" or "Beauty", the 
number of misfires on this album by far outnumber the  hits,  simply 
because the band constantly attempt to incorporate a  showiness  and 
eclecticism that never seems able to do them any favours.            


Dawn of Azazel - _Bloodforged Abdication_
by: James Montague  (7.5 out of 10)  (Hellflame Productions, 2003)

This 7" EP marks my first venture  across  the  pond  into  the  New 
Zealand metal scene, and if Dawn of Azazel is any indicator, we face 
a stern challenge from our eastern neighbours. The band  comes  from 
the same stock as many of their  Aussie  brethren,  firing  out  one 
impressive death-thrash hymn of their own, and a cover  of  "Plateau 
of Invincibility" by the godfathers of the style,  Order  of  Chaos. 
The music is essentially a result of '80s thrash riffs breeding  and 
evolving with modern death metal to become heavier,  more  downtuned 
and oppressive. The vocals tend towards the  strangled,  choked  and 
screamed end of the spectrum, betraying a touch of  black  metal  in 
the mix. The recording is pretty clear and heavy, while the  graphic 
artwork, despite a printing fuckup that saw the lyrics placed on the 
inside of the slipcase, is striking. Most of all, this band  thrives 
courtesy of a strong sense of dynamics, with  riffs  that  beat  you 
down, down, down, before  breaking  into  some  faster,  traditional 
riffs that get the blood pumping and the head  banging.  These  Kiwi 
chaps show ample  talent  with  this  brief  taster,  and  are  well 
recommended to fans of death-thrash icons  like  Destroyer  666  and 
Axis of Advance.                                                     

Contact: http://www.dawnofazazel.orcon.net.nz


Deranged - _Plainfield Cemetery_  (Listenable Records, 2002)
by: James Montague  (4 out of 10)

This was one of the big disappointments of 2002. Deranged have  been 
on the scene for a decade now and had impressed me with  the  tracks 
I'd heard from past efforts like  _Rated  X_  and  _III_.  The  band 
has always played in the  "gore  metal"  style,  which  I  generally 
couldn't care less about, but they had a unique  and  twisted  sound 
that demanded attention and caused a  reasonable  amount  of  mental 
disturbance. Unfortunately, they must have  been  too  busy  reading 
medical  dictionaries  and  watching  snuff  films  to  worry  about 
self-promotion, and hence they spent many good years  enduring  poor 
production and distribution.                                         

Well, now they have a top-notch sound and a widely available  CD  to 
promote, but the opportunity has been  wasted  with  some  decidedly 
mediocre music.  Apparently  content  to  do  it  neanderthal-style, 
Deranged has tuned down  the  guitars  and  flipped  the  switch  on 
their drummer's back  to  "Jackhammer".  The  vocalist,  who  sounds 
uncannily like Cannibal Corpse's George Fischer without  the  range, 
and the band,  who  sound  uncannily  like  Cannibal  Corpse,  pound 
montonously through ten indistinguishable tracks and inevitably lose 
my attention after about five minutes.                               

I can certainly appreciate what the band is striving to  achieve  -- 
to wear down the listener with the relentless pummeling of a  serial 
rapist and murderer. In truth, they do convey aurally the experience 
of a murder victim. But  wouldn't  it  be  more  fun  to  experience 
aurally the hormonal rush of being the killer himself? Hmm, yeah. At 
the end of the day though, there's a lot of wasted talent  here.  On 
the rare occasion when the drummer finds his personality reserve and 
the group slows down to take a breath, some  interesting  riffs  are 
there for the taking. The final minute of "Deathgasm", for  example, 
is a dizzying climax that suits the title of the piece.              

Such moments of quality are deeply buried though, beneath a  ton  of 
tedium. If you get a rush from hanging out  at  construction  sites, 
then you may enjoy the mind-numbing  thumpfest.  Personally  though, 
when in the mood for brutality I'd take  the  mindfuck  of  Axis  of 
Advance over the physical drain of _Plainfield Cemetery_ any day.    

Contact: http://mitglied.lycos.de/deranged/


Destroyer 666 - _Terror Abraxas_  (Iron Pegasus, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll  (8.5 out of 10)

Judging by _Terror Abraxas_, Destroyer 666 have not yet peaked  with 
2002's excellent _Cold Steel... for an Iron Age_.  A  band  that  is 
able to release such a killer EP in between albums surely must  have 
another couple of  aces  up  their  sleeves.  Stylistically  _Terror 
Abraxas_ continues in the vein of _CSfaIA_ and offers 22 minutes  of 
the same brand of raw, sometimes  thrashing  and  raging,  sometimes 
anthemic leather, chains and spikes METAL. Razor, old Judas  Priest, 
old  Slayer,  the  Brazilian  old-school  and  many  others  provide 
the anvil on which Destroyer  666  forge  their  steel.  Clearly  in 
possession of a style of their own, KK  Warslut  and  Shrapnel  have 
further refined their attack while  also  honing  their  songwriting 
skills -- all without compromising one  inch  or  showing  signs  of 
stagnation. I can't really name another band that  manages  to  fill 
the gap between the harsher side of things and the positive  aspects 
of traditional metal as successfully as Destroyer  666  does.  "Fist 
Banging Mania" by SOD was meant to be a joke about typical metalhead 
behaviour; yet there's nothing funny about a fist banging mania when 
listening to a track like "Terror" -- in fact, there's absolutely no 
other behaviour imaginable.                                          


Devin Townsend Band - _Accelerated Evolution_
by: Xander Hoose  (8.5 out of 10)  (Spitfire Records, 2003)

On almost the same date as his Strapping Young Lad  album,  Canadian 
musician Devin Townsend released a follow-up to his personal project 
-- already the fifth in line  (after  _Ocean  Machine_,  _Infinity_, 
_The Physicist_ and _Terria_). Now operating under the moniker Devin 
Townsend Band, Devin has attracted four band  members  to  create  a 
new musical chapter  in  his  life:  _Accelerated  Evolution_.  Most 
surprising is the absence of Gene Hoglan from the line-up; drums are 
handled by Ryan van Poederooven instead, bass and keyboards  by  the 
Young brothers and guitars by Brian Waddell -- all newly  recruited. 
The result is a fresh  sounding  album  that  is  more  melodic  and 
heavy metal / rock-influenced  than  _S.Y.L._  or  _The  Physicist_, 
yet more song-oriented than _Terria_.  Some  of  the  songs  on  the 
album, like "Storm", "Suicide" and "Sunday", have a  lot  in  common 
with his earlier _Infinity_  work,  but  the  songs  do  sound  less 
frantic and  more  mature.  In  some  ways,  Devin  performs  a  lot 
better with _Deaccelerated  Evolution_  than  his  latest  Strapping 
Young Lad  album:  there  is  more  variation,  and  the  songs  are 
more memorable  and  layered  than  their  one-dimensional  _S.Y.L._ 
counterparts. _Accelerated Evolution_  will  appeal  to  a  somewhat 
different (if not older) part of  the  metal  scene  than  Strapping 
Young Lad, but it would be stupid not to give this album a try  just 
on that basis. For those who thought _Terria_ was going too much  in 
the wrong direction, _Accelerated Evolution_ will probably come as a 
relief.                                                              

Contact: http://www.hevydevy.com


Dying Fetus - _Stop at Nothing_  (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (7.5 out of 10)

While Dying Fetus have never built their admirable reputation on the 
basis of constant innovation, it may raise  an  eyebrow  or  two  to 
learn that their latest album bears more stylistic relation to their 
debut than it does either of their  two  previous  records.  Whether 
or not  this  was  a  conscious  decision  by  John  Gallagher  (the 
sole remaining member  of  the  line-up  circa  1998's  _Killing  on 
Adrenaline_) remains to be seen, but unfortunately it results in the 
end product sounding strangely dated  and  very  much  like  a  band 
taking quite a few steps backward. A further shortcoming of _Stop at 
Nothing_ is the work of new vocalist  Vince  Matthews,  who  despite 
having the  obvious  ability  to  mince  it  up  with  the  best  of 
them is neither as  convincing,  aggressive  or  as  unique  as  the 
departed Jason Netherton. Similarly,  Netherton's  politically-aware 
and thought-provoking lyrics, which have developed into a  veritable 
Dying Fetus trademark over the years, are sorely missing  from  this 
package. Despite these  drawbacks  however,  _Stop  at  Nothing_  is 
nonetheless pretty enjoyable. Technically faultless and helped in no 
small part by a top-notch production job, it seamlessly  blends  its 
death metal brutality with a hardcore groove that proves  to  be  as 
crushingly effective as anything the Fetus have added their name to. 
Indeed, were it not for the fact that it is  so  outclassed  by  its 
predecessors, _Stop at Nothing_  would  probably  have  scored  much 
higher. Unfortunately though, Dying Fetus have proven  in  the  past 
that they are capable of much more and this time  around  they  have 
failed to reach the bar, which by the looks of it may well have been 
raised to unattainable heights.                                      


Dysrhythmia - _Pretest_  (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (7 out of 10)

The pointless  guitar  masturbation  of  virtuosos  like  Steve  Vai 
and Marty Friedman has  until  now  made  me  shudder  at  the  very 
mention of the phrase "instrumental  album".  Despite  always  being 
technically sound, the majority of these records have failed  across 
the board to compensate  for  their  flashy  antics  with  even  the 
slightest redeeming flicker of entertainment. I therefore approached 
Dysrhythmia's Relapse debut with a predictable amount  of  prejudice 
and indeed kept a copy of  the  new  Immolation  close  at  hand  to 
replace it on the sound system  at  a  moment's  notice.  A  strange 
thing happened, however: unlike  the  futile  fretboard  noodling  I 
had been  expecting,  nay  dreading,  an  infectious,  exciting  and 
hypnotizing lick wafted from the speakers after  I  had  pushed  the 
play button. While  the  track  did  retain  some  of  the  tiresome 
technical tomfoolery that plagues all instrumental albums,  it  also 
bore with  it  a  strand  of  undeniable  charm  --  a  melody  that 
was at once refreshing  and  mesmerizing.  I  placed  the  jet-black 
Immolation disc inside its jewel  case  and  waited  for  more.  "My 
Relationship" followed -- a speedy, metallic  jazz  number  I  would 
almost expect to hear on a racing  videogame.  On  the  third  track 
though, Dysrhythmia came into their own and suddenly the  album  had 
my full attention. You see, despite  its  lack  of  vocals  and  its 
sometimes overdone freeform approach,  _Pretest_  actually  contains 
many a moment of sheer breathtaking musical  brilliance.  While  I'd 
happily pass  on  tracks  like  "Heat  Sink",  the  ingenuity  of  a 
song like "Annihilation 2"  is  breathtaking.  Taking  the  listener 
from  a  subtle,  atmospheric  soundscape  to  a  full-on  Dillinger 
Escape Plan-esque frenzy, Dysrhythmia's keen sense of  dynamics  and 
composition is the glue that binds every worthwhile second  on  this 
effort together, and inevitably makes it a  surprisingly  satisfying 
experience for those who see it through to the end. Dysrhythmia will 
probably never ascend above much more than a largely eccentric niche 
fanbase, but I doubt that  they're  all  too  concerned  with  this. 
_Pretest_ is about passion and belief in one's work. And if they can 
manage to convince a cynical fool like me, then who knows what  they 
could do for you.                                                    


Ethereal - _The Dreams of Yearning_  (Recital, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)

_The Dreams of Yearning_ is the sort of album that  starts  quietly, 
slowly weaves its web, and ensnares you in a way that  after  a  few 
listens you will be left wondering how exactly  you  came  to  enjoy 
this disc so much. You see, Ethereal's main  strength  lies  not  in 
crushing brutality or breakneck speed (neither of which they  have), 
nor in mind-blowing symphonies or jaw-dropping technicality (both of 
which they hint at without making  it  obvious).  Instead,  Ethereal 
seem focused on creating quality music above  anything  else;  music 
that demands attention and rewards the listener with each successive 
listen. _The Dreams of Yearning_ comes  across,  at  least  so  some 
degree,  as  a  bit  of  a  concept  album:  songs  flow  into  each 
other seamlessly, offering different moods and  patterns,  and  this 
hour-long album ultimately seems to last less  than  that.  Ethereal 
play a form of melodic, atmospheric, mostly melancholic  metal  that 
remains quite difficult to compare to any specific band. Comparisons 
can nonetheless be made in certain areas to a  few  bands.  Vocalist 
Hugo Soares tends to remind me mostly of  Nevermore's  Warrel  Dane; 
there are a few more similarities to be found between the two bands, 
but they are far from dominant in Ethereal's sound. These Portuguese 
newcomers can just as easily remind me  of  In  the  Woods...,  with 
their occasional quietly symphonic synth  touches  (e.g.  "A  Lonely 
Dancer") and especially the emotional duelling vocals on  "The  Moon 
Blesses Our Sins". You may even be able to  distinguish  some  vague 
traces of Queensryche's _Operation: Mindcrime_ if you pay attention. 
Regardless of that, Ethereal constantly come up with  fine  melodies 
and arrangements of their very own, and have been  able  to  make  a 
very good album out of them. For my taste a couple of passages would 
have benefited from a slightly higher aggression level, and it might 
have been possible to trim a  few  minutes  off  the  album  without 
sacrificing the overall result. Ultimately, however, these are minor 
complaints. Ethereal have succeeded in crafting an album that exudes 
dedication, talent  and  personality,  which  leads  me  to  vividly 
recommend it.                                                        

Contact: http://etherealwebrealm.tripod.com


Fragile Hollow - _Effete Mind_  (Avantgarde Music, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (4 out of 10)

"Imagine a wonderful mixture between  Him  and  Katatonia/Anathema", 
reads the Fragile Hollow bio. If "wonderful" is defined as virtually 
every single irritating, cliched and annoying element to be found in 
the aforementioned bands  (all  of  whom  I  actually  enjoy),  then 
I'd say that the description  is  rather  accurate.  Fragile  Hollow 
certainly do remind one of bands like Sentenced and Anathema, albeit 
with a serious throwback to the  big-hair  glam-metal  days  of  the 
'80s, but  at  the  same  time  they  don't  seem  able  to  conjure 
up a single  strand  of  originality  for  the  entire  duration  of 
_Effete Mind_. Instead they give  us  songs  like  "Disgusting",  "I 
Don't Believe in Love"  and  "Confusion";  each  sounding  as  tired 
and overplayed as the next.  Combined  with  an,  at  times,  almost 
amateurish performance, the record's  only  saving  grace  is  "Come 
Undone" -- a song of such higher comparative quality that it  sounds 
positively out of place on this collection.                          


Genocide Superstars - _III_  (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (7.5 out of 10)

Regardless of anyone's  opinion  on  the  matter,  it  is  seriously 
doubtful that when Iggy Pop, The  Sex  Pistols,  Dead  Kennedys  and 
Black Flag recorded the tunes that  would  form  and  reinforce  the 
foundations of punk, they ever thought that popular opinion and  the 
mainstream media would affiliate tepid, manufactured bile like  Good 
Charlotte and Sum 41 with the genre they pioneered. Sadly  the  year 
2003 sees this as being very much the case, and while it is probably 
somewhat foolish to expect this sorry state of affairs to change  in 
the foreseeable future, it is good to know that in some quarters the 
mohawk-sporting, spit-drenched monster that is true  punk  is  alive 
and well. This of course brings me  to  Genocide  Superstars,  whose 
latest opus comes as somewhat of a surprise particularly as  Relapse 
Records are not especially well-known for releasing material of such 
a comparatively subdued  nature.  Which  is  not  to  say  that  the 
Superstars are by any means "soft". Indeed,  _III_  is  one  of  the 
nastiest, most relentless and pissed off punk  records  to  hit  the 
shelves in some time. With a sound smacking of Exploited, Rancid and 
Discharge, Genocide Superstars plough through the fourteen tracks on 
their third effort with remarkable prowess and  confidence.  Perhaps 
at their most effective when they hit the  accelerator  pedal,  "The 
Hateball Is Rolling", "Moron" and the  Nasum-esque  "Danger  Danger" 
are the highlights of  the  album.  Unfortunately  though,  Genocide 
Superstars do at  times  wear  their  influences  on  their  sleeves 
somewhat too noticeably, but this is a minor flaw and soon  made  up 
for by the band's willingness to experiment and add variety on songs 
like "War Child". _III_ certainly doesn't add anything  new  to  the 
punk genre, but then again how many recent releases have? The bottom 
line is that it's a commendable effort and one which ought to appeal 
to fans of anything from Rancid to Nasum to The Hellacopters.        


Godless North - _Summon the Age of Supremacy_
by: Matthias Noll  (6 out of 10)  (Breath of Night Records, 2002)

Like the majority of today's black metal hordes, Godless North  from 
Canada do not really explore the genre beyond the  limits  that  the 
second wave reached almost ten years ago. At least  the  arsenal  of 
stage names and type of weaponry still  seems  to  know  no  limits, 
and so  we  are  introduced  to  Othalaz  von  Armageddos  providing 
"Ancient Archetypal Summonings and guitars" and Oblak Ilking manning 
the "Berserkerish Warhammers". Excellent, even  though  the  "...and 
guitars" bit already seems to show a certain lack of imagination and 
determination. Once summoned, 90% of the Age of Supremacy turns  out 
to be another  one  of  the  forgotten  brethren  of  _Transylvanian 
Hunger_. There's a little bit of  early  Gorgoroth  shining  through 
during "The Winter of Cleansing" and  a  few  painfully  uneventful, 
slower paced Burzum-ish parts  here  and  there.  Sound-wise  things 
are trebly and raw,  but  a  bit  too  distant  and  powerless.  The 
main problem I have with _Summon  the  Age  of  Supremacy_  is  that 
Godless North do not seem to be aware of  when  to  pull  the  plug. 
The _Transylvanian Hunger_ school depends  on  very  repetitive  and 
minimalist ingredients, which when done right transport the listener 
to  cold  and  ugly  otherworldly  places.  Godless  North  got  the 
repetitive and minimalistic part of the formula right, but they fail 
because their songs end up in the six to seven minute range. Usually 
about four minutes into the song,  the  well-achieved  trance  turns 
into much too comfortable sleep. When reaching the five and  a  half 
minute mark,  the  desire  to  shout  "shut  up  and  stop  playing, 
that's enough already" sometimes becomes as "berserkerish" as  Oblak 
Ilking's merciless treatment of the snare. There's just  not  enough 
substance behind these Canadians' material to pull such  long  songs 
off successfully. I believe it was Michael Blenkarn  from  Esoterica 
magazine who called Godless North anaemic, an adjective  which  hits 
the nail on the head so perfectly that I want  to  use  it  here  as 
well. A thirty-five minute version of this  fifty-two  minute  album 
could have been well worth 7 out of 10 for me.                       


Grave - _Back From the Grave_  (Century Media, 2002)
by: Matthias Noll  (7 out of 10)

_Back From the Grave_, the title of Grave's reunion album, is a  bit 
misleading because the Swedes do not re-appear with the pure Swedish 
'90s death metal of their debut _Into the  Grave_.  Maybe  _Soulful_ 
would have been a better  indicator  how  the  reborn  Grave  sound, 
because this new album is a continuation of 1994's _Soulless_.  This 
means that _BFtG_  is  grooving  and  pulverizing  slow-to-mid-tempo 
death metal which has  a  lot  more  to  do  with  Bolt  Thrower  or 
_Heartwork_-era Carcass than early Entombed. The death metal tag  is 
even a bit shaky because Ola Lindgren's vocals are rather  distorted 
shouts than textbook death metal grunts. Although Grave  haven  been 
successful with their attempt to write some totally heavy and mighty 
riffs, this album could definitely need some more variation and more 
stand-out tracks. Three or four songs into the album the  impact  of 
_BFtG_ wears off every time I listen to it. The  material  and  pace 
is just too  similar.  The  slightly  more  up-tempo  "Resurrection" 
manages to re-establish a certain momentum and could easily  be  the 
best track  on  _BFtG_  if  not  for  some  blatant  borrowing  from 
Carcass' "Buried Dreams", the incredibly heavy  opening  track  from 
_Heartwork_. The Skogsberg-production of  _BFtG_  sounds  up-to-date 
and is the heaviest work I've heard coming out  of  Sunlight  Studio 
for quite some time, and I'm sure everybody who loves _Soulless_  is 
going to be happy with this new Grave album. But although Grave  are 
a million times better and  heavier  than  bands  like  the  equally 
groovy but utterly crappy Six Feet Under, their career went down the 
drain despite or maybe because of albums like _Soulless_, and I  can 
see Grave fizzle out and disappear once  again  soon.  What  finally 
makes this album a worthy purchase is the fact that it  comes  as  a 
double CD edition with Grave's three important  1988/1989  demos  in 
all their splendour. The rest is unfortunately just a 7 in my book.  


Griffar - _Of Witches and Celts_  (ISO666, 2002)
by: Matthias Noll  (7 out of 10)

Griffar is yet another entry in  the  ever-growing  list  of  French 
black metal bands. For a change this is a black metal  record  which 
does not contain the slightest trace of Darkthrone,  Mayhem,  Burzum 
or any other influential  black  metal  outfit  you  can  think  of. 
Musically Griffar are heavily influenced by early  Iron  Maiden  and 
other traditional metal, spiced up with breakneck speed,  raspy  but 
unspectacular black metal vocals, a  production  that  none  of  the 
Black Legions bands would have considered too commercial, and  three 
out of four songs clocking  in  at  around  13  minutes  each.  Even 
assuming that the production job was meant to be this way,  this  is 
still a pretty odd combination that gets delivered without any keys, 
female vocals or guitar solos. To my ears, especially the  Murray  / 
Smith signature in many of Griffar's riffs and melodies is even more 
prominent than on a record like, for example, Naglfar's _Vittra_  or 
certain very Maiden-esque parts on Cradle of Filth's _Dusk  and  Her 
Embrace_. I have no real clue as to how such material in combination 
with a garage-like production might appeal to someone who digs  this 
type of music,  which  is  usually  delivered  with  the  much  more 
polished approach  and  superior  musicianship  of  various,  mainly 
Swedish outfits that add a good deal of death metal to the  formula. 
Also, I have no idea how many closet-Maiden fans can be found  among 
those who consider anything better than 4-track recordings to  be  a 
complete sellout and enjoy dwelling in misanthropic agony  muttering 
"grim", "true" and "frostbitten" as many times a  day  as  possible. 
What speaks for _Of Witches and Celts_ is that the four  songs  flow 
surprisingly well throughout their incredible length and  never  get 
boring or cease to make sense. In addition, most of the melodies and 
ideas Griffar use are of at least decent quality. Furthermore,  some 
work has also gone into a two-pronged concept with lyrics that  tell 
a continuous story, rather than having been  tailored  to  suit  and 
accompany the songs. So, despite somehow sitting in between  chairs, 
_OWaC_ as a whole is a really enjoyable album which might appeal  to 
those who like their  traditional  metal  delivered  the  black  and 
underproduced way -- but allow me to doubt that Griffar  will  sound 
the same next time around.                                           


Hanzel und Gretyl - _Uber Alles_  (Metropolis Records, 2003)
by: Aaron McKay  (8 out of 10)

This is some of this band's most  powerfully  complicated  and  heavy
work to date. While the _Ausgeflipt_ album was  an  extremely  killer
effort, I am a -big- supporter of this German outfit's duo  trade-off
vocal approach on _Uber Alles_, where they volley on and off  like  a
pair  of  simultaneous  bowling  pin  jugglers  at  an  illusionist's
show.  What's  more  is  I  am  committed  to  this  newest  effort's
blend of diversity,  both  musically  and  vocally.  Singing  largely
in their native tongue,  Hanzel  und  Gretyl  enhance  their  overtly
techno-infused-metal mystique on _Uber Alles_ well more than tenfold.
Hard-hitting licks and disrupted lyrics go a long way to making _Uber
Alles_ nearly as significant as _Transmissions From Uranus_, but with
an edge that the latter effort couldn't hope to attain  on  Earth  or
-anywhere- else,  for  that  matter.  More  choppy  and  industrially
metal, _Uber Alles_ kicks down the  door  between  the  potential  of
their creation and the explicitly inhuman  nature  of  the  beast  on
this newest manifestation. While still not  without  samples  and  an
industrial feel, this album  has  its  fair  share  of  mood-inducing
moments too, like on the last cut from the CD, "Aufweidersehen"  (and
-damn-, some of those  German  words  are  HUGE!).  Admittedly,  this
release is not for the closed-minded, but Hanzel und Gretyl -do-  put
out some widely acknowledged material -- known for  its  techno  slam
aspects, as well as its unique metal prowess -- on the market  today.
What's more is that this album seems to be  driven  to  the  edge  of
nearly an addictive attraction; like  something  out  of  a  Mad  Max
movie, I'd say. Give these two a spin, chances are you'll  like  more
than just the raw power of these Germanic industrial revolutionaries.

Contact: http://www.metropolis-records.com


Illnath - _Cast Into Fields of Evil Pleasure_
by: Pedro Azevedo  (5 out of 10)  (Worldchaos Production, 2003)

Danes Illnath return after their _Angelic Voices Calling_ EP,  which 
impressed me to some degree with the quality it managed to offer  in 
spite of being an independent release. Worldchaos  from  Japan  have 
picked them up, and this is the band's first commercial full-length. 
Allow me to emphasize that the word "commercial" can be used in more 
than one sense here: much like their EP,  this  is  very  sweetened, 
commercial blackened metal. According to the  label,  "their  killer 
sounds style are like Cradle of Filth and more melodic and beautiful 
world"; furthermore, "their sounds is catchy riff with glowing voice 
and melodic guitar & keyboard battle". Confused yet? Well, at  least 
the music isn't as goofy as the album title, _Cast  Into  Fields  of 
Evil Pleasure_, might suggest. Much like they proved  with  the  EP, 
Illnath are well capable of crafting very decent  melodic  blackened 
metal. There seems to be even more keyboards than before,  and  even 
though they are well employed, they keep bringing  to  my  mind  the 
elf-like girl on  the  front  cover  --  which  should  give  you  a 
reasonable idea of how sinister they sound.  This  isn't  any  worse 
than their EP, but Illnath clearly overlooked any reviews that, like 
mine, strongly suggested they  needed  to  find  a  less  derivative 
sound; instead, they have managed to sound even more like Cradle  of 
Filth on this full-length -- think CoF in a lighter mood  with  more 
keyboard sugar on top. This causes the drop  in  my  rating,  and  I 
don't know how low it will go next time if things don't  improve  in 
this area. For  instance,  the  start  of  fourth  track  "Temporary 
Borders" goes too far into the CoF world,  as  Illnath  struggle  to 
avoid sounding like a CoF cover band.  This  probably  goes  without 
saying, but anyone who is easily vexed by "sweet black metal" should 
stay the hell away from this release -- seriously.  Those  who  feel 
just the opposite way and still haven't got enough Cradle  of  Filth 
in their lives will  find  in  Illnath  a  highly  competent  albeit 
sweeter clone. Illnath  would  be  well  advised  to  explore  their 
potential in more interesting ways than this in the future.          

Contact: http://www.world-chaos.com


Kaamos - _Kaamos_  (Candlelight, 2002)
by: Matthias Noll  (8 out of 10)

Many  months  before  the  universally  acclaimed   Bloodbath   album
_Resurrection Through Carnage_ suddenly brought  early  '90s  Swedish
death  metal  back  to  public  attention,  Kaamos   released   their
self-titled debut, and it certainly does not deserve to go unnoticed.
Whereas _RTC_ brought back  an  even  more  caustic  version  of  the
Skogsberg sound, the production of the Kaamos debut rather  resembles
the somewhat  underproduced  approach  of  the  first  two  Unleashed
albums. Musically, Kaamos' material is also roughly comparable to the
fastest tracks of early Unleashed,  although  they  sound  much  more
aggressive and tend to rush through their songs as if chased  by  the
hounds of hell. Serving  their  death  metal  relatively  simple  but
totally relentless, these four Swedes have the gift many others lack:
they have an ability to write real songs and not just  brutal  riffs.
The catchiness is what makes this album extremely enjoyable and songs
like "The Storm of Coming" provide the perfect  soundtrack  for  some
late night beer-drinking, thrashing and headbanging sessions. There's
something incredibly intense,  sincere  and  youthful  about  Kaamos'
music, a rare spiritual vibe which wasn't lost during  the  recording
process, and  they  manage  to  sound  authentic,  old-fashioned  and
up-to-date all  at  the  same  time.  Support  this  band  and  their
no-frills death metal, I'm  sure  they  deserve  it  more  than  many
others!

Contact: http://www.kaamos.nu


Mindwild - _Mindwild Spirit_  (Independent, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis  (6.5 out of 10)

The first five songs on this album are a fusion of thrash  metal  and
hardcore, much like a thrashier S.O.D.. The vocals tend to be sung in
a hardcore style, occasionally becoming a  bit  too  monotonous.  The
fusion of styles is a successful one, though it  does  seem  somewhat
listless. The energy jumps up several rungs on the  sixth  and  final
track, which  features  a  considerably  poorer  and  more  primitive
production and was in all likelihood  lifted  off  an  earlier  demo.
Although it does break up the flow  of  the  album  somewhat,  it  is
easily the best song on  this  CD.  The  rawness  of  the  production
suggests that Mindwild started life as an in-your-face hardcore band,
before evolving into their current incarnation as  a  hardcore/thrash
crossover band. Several other songs, which  sound  as  if  they  were
recorded at the same time, are incorporated as hidden  tracks.  While
I'm not overly  impressed  with  the  majority  of  the  contents  of
_Mindwild Spirit_, they have demonstrated that Mindwild do  have  the
potential to go further.


Mr Barleycorn - _The Stendahl Syndrome_  (Alter Ego, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (8.5 out of 10)

It's hard to believe that the arid  climate  of  South  Africa  could
produce so cold and dark a gothic beast as Mr Barleycorn -- least  of
all because up until now the country  has  hardly  produced  anything
worthy of more than five minutes'  listening  time.  Even  harder  to
comprehend, is the fact that _The Stendahl Syndrome_ is their  second
full-length -- the follow up to 1998's _Blood & Romance_ -- and  that
up until now this highly talented  five-piece  have  somehow  slipped
underneath the radar of the goth metal fraternity. Mixing equal parts
of Depeche Mode, Type O Negative, Sisters of Mercy and Radiohead into
their  rather  bleak  alchemy,  _The  Stendahl  Syndrome_  sees  them
successfully manage to stamp down their own identity on  every  track
on the album, whilst at the same time cleverly avoiding most  of,  if
not all, of the clichés that the genre is so loathed for. Of  special
mention in this case is the  performance  of  vocalist  Luigi,  whose
exceptional voice  sounds  at  once  intense,  desperate,  angry  and
vulnerable and contributes virtually an  entire  added  dimension  of
emotion to the record. Granted every song on the disc  doesn't  match
the quality of _Run With Scissors_, _All You Ever Wanted_ or _Plastic
Bag Sky_, and the production, while adequate, could  have  used  some
work in the guitar department, but overall _The Stendahl Syndrome_ is
miles ahead of anything that Silke Bischoff, Christian Death or  even
Moonspell have managed in years. Overall this album holds its own  as
an impressive testament to the group's tremendous potential,  and  to
say that Mr Barleycorn are currently somewhat underrated is a triumph
of understatement. The  chances  are  very  good  though,  that  with
records like these this may very soon change.

Contact: http://www.mrbarleycorn.com


Mykorrhiza - _Shattered Dreams_  (Konqueror Records, 2002)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (7 out of 10)

Having been left unimpressed  by  Mykorrhiza's  self-titled  EP,  my 
expectations for this full-length were, of course,  low.  Much  like 
high expectations can be a recipe for  disaster,  the  opposite  can 
pave the way for pleasant surprises -- which turned out  to  be  the 
case here. _Shattered Dreams_ is  unlikely  to  set  anyone's  world 
alight, but it's a damn sight better than the EP and quite enjoyable 
in its own right. The production is far superior, and right from the 
start Mykorrhiza's aggressive yet melodic death  metal  promises  to 
entertain. For the first few  tracks,  they  fulfill  that  promise. 
There's a bit of black, a bit of thrash  and  a  bit  of  old-school 
Swedish death in the mix too (no  wonder  considering  they're  from 
Sweden). The pace is a lot more varied, while the riffs  and  guitar 
leads are vastly superior and more memorable.  Of  course  all  this 
praise must be taken in the context of their mediocre  EP,  compared 
to which this record is  a  massive  improvement.  Occasional  clean 
vocals still show up once in a while:  on  "Sadist",  "Surgery"  and 
"With Pleasure They Ride" (where they get on my  nerves)  and  on  a 
couple of spoken parts. The second half of the album (which includes 
the aforementioned tracks) fails to maintain the same quality level, 
but it's not a dramatic lunge,  and  _Shattered  Dreams_  remains  a 
competent album that contains several enjoyable tracks.              

Contact: konqueror_records@hotmail.com


Myrkskog - _Superior Massacre_  (Candlelight Records, 2002)
by: Jackie Smit  (9 out of 10)

In  a  move  that  is  becoming  seemingly  more  and  more  popular 
among certain black metal bands, _Superior Massacre_  sees  Norway's 
Myrkskog shed  a  hefty  amount  of  the  electronic  and  blackened 
elements which comprised a part  of  their  previous  _Deathmachine_ 
offering. While some might view  this  as  a  regression  of  sorts, 
Myrkskog make their more basic death metal-influenced approach  work 
beautifully in their favour, with the result  being  a  record  that 
sounds akin to a guns-blazing,  mid-battle  steel  battalion.  Those 
looking for diversity and rapid tempo changes should seek  elsewhere 
as Myrkskog unleash blast after  relentless  blast  of  spite-filled 
hatred -- the musical equivalent of Armageddon and, at least  in  my 
opinion, a notch above the efforts of  the  highly  acclaimed  Anaal 
Nathrakh. Particularly impressive is  Myrkskog's  ability  to  avoid 
sounding repetitive despite the constant lightning speed rhythm that 
defines literally  every  track  on  this  record.  "Domain  of  the 
Superior",  "Indisposable  Deaths"  and  "Bleeding  Wrist"  are  the 
album's definite standouts, but ultimately there's precious few weak 
moments to be found on the disc. Clocking in at  just  over  a  half 
hour, _Superior Massacre_ is one of the most  beautifully  merciless 
efforts to carpet-bomb my eardrums in quite some time.               


Naglfar - _Sheol_  (Century Media, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (9 out of 10)

Naglfar have harvested influences from Dark Funeral and  Dissection, 
filtered them through they own style,  and  come  out  with  a  damn 
enjoyable album that still manages  to  be  just  about  distinctive 
enough to scrape through the minimum required  originality  barrier. 
_Sheol_ is an extremely energetic, dynamic --  and  have  I  already 
mentioned enjoyable? -- album that sets quite a few standards in its 
genre (e.g. "Of Gorgons Spawned Through Witchcraft",  to  name  just 
one track). It contains some amazing  high-speed  serpentine  guitar 
work a la Dark  Funeral,  soaring  leads,  catchy  riffs  and  vocal 
patterns, a punishing rhythm section, and a relentlessness that just 
won't let go -- a lot like its predecessor _Diabolical_,  only  much 
increased. _Sheol_'s success also lies in the fact that when it does 
remind you of some other band, it almost always reminds you of  that 
band at its best. The resulting concoction, after  being  given  the 
Naglfar treatment, is delivered in  such  excellent  form  that  one 
would really have to make an  effort  for  something  like  lack  of 
originality to disturb his appreciation of this devil of  an  album. 
_Sheol_ spent quite a few  years  in  the  making  (its  full-length 
predecessor came out in 1998, with only an EP in between),  and  the 
maturity of the songs on offer is apparent throughout. This is by no 
means some quick rehash of the band's previous album -- contrary to, 
say, Soilwork's latest --, and the track list is free  of  any  weak 
links. Anyone who seeks well written, explosively delivered,  highly 
energetic melodic black metal should derive massive  enjoyment  from 
_Sheol_ -- as long as originality isn't a major concern.             

Contact: http://www.naglfar.tk


Nartvind - _Until Their Ruin_  (Painkiller, 2003)
by: Alvin Wee  (8 out of 10)

Comfortably lodged in the putrefying bowels  of  early  '90s  Norway,
this Belgian  combo  belches  forth  a  surprisingly  fetid  gust  of
pestilence, as if to teach the new horde of Burzum worshipping clones
a lesson in raw, filthy black metal. This album recalls  the  halcyon
days of bands like Demonic and Countess,  a  feeling  only  the  most
elite of cults today  have  approximated  (read:  Mutiilation,  early
Judas Iscariot). Vaguely reminiscent of the dark  rehearsal  ambience
conjured up by the long-forgotten Raven (Norway), Nartvind manage  to
stave off  sloppiness  with  their  decisive  melody  and  tightness,
yet remaining curiously unpolished  at  the  same  time.  Simplistic,
hate-filled dirges owing much to the early  underground  Norse  scene
draw up suffocating atmospheres of primal evil, nevertheless brimming
with semi-epic melodies, as the soot-choked vocals rasp  out  ancient
maledictions of woe. Too many albums of late have been  described  as
"old-school Darkthrone worship"; reviewers  and  bands  alike  should
listen to this  shockingly  ancient  sounding  piece  before  passing
judgement. Old warriors  missing  their  stacks  of  demo  tapes  and
bootleg copies will no doubt greet this newfound act with open  arms,
as should anyone else who finds beauty in Ulver's _Nattens Madrigal_.

Contact: http://www.painkiller-records.com


Nasum - _Helvete_  (Relapse Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (9 out of 10)

Consider just about every hype-affirming  tagline  in  existence  and
chances are that it has already been used to describe Sweden's  Nasum
at some stage prior to you reading this review. Indeed with a massive
underground following, as well as accolades  heaped  upon  them  from
sources  as  seemingly  outlandish  as  Amen's  Casey  Chaos,  it  is
somewhat surprising that their third full-length album is released to
relatively little pre-emptive exposure. However, as the first riff of
opening track "Violation" literarily scythes through the air,  it  is
pretty much a given that their record label are confident  enough  in
the  band's  obvious  ability  to  sell  themselves  based  on  sheer
blunt-force ferocity and talent. This, of  course,  they  succeed  in
doing with tremendous aplomb. Although sounding slightly slicker  and
just a tad catchier  than  either  _Inhale/Exhale_  or  _Human  2.0_,
_Helvete_ is by no means the sound of a band losing steam.  In  fact,
it would be fairly safe to say that their Molotov cocktail  of  punk,
grind and death metal has never sounded angrier or more crushing. The
lads even manage to throw in a few surprises along the course of  the
twenty-two musical beatdowns that comprise  the  disc's  entirety  --
witness the ingenious melodic break that drives "Living Next Door  to
Malice" or the raised-fist anthem that forms  the  foundation  of  "I
Hate People" for  proof.  What  ultimately  makes  _Helvete_  such  a
roaring triumph is that Nasum have managed to avoid the dreaded third
album syndrome, which by all accounts would have been very  easy  for
them to fall into, seeing as how their last  two  albums  are  widely
regarded as classics. There may be a lot of  talented  bands  in  the
grind scene right now, but this record confirms without a doubt  that
they are merely the _Pleasure to Kill_ to Nasum's _Reign in Blood_.


Opeth  - _Deliverance_  (Music for Nations, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis  (10 out of 10)

The best sign that Opeth is a unique entity is the fact  that  anyone
who appreciates their  music  will  cite  a  different  CD  as  their
favourite. Fans of say,  Emperor  or  My  Dying  Bride  usually  near
unanimously claim that _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_ or _Turn Loose
the Swans_ as their finest moment - sometimes with a  dissenting  few
claiming that another album, such _In the Nightside Eclipse_ as their
best work. A few special bands such as  Darkthrone  might  even  have
three albums competing for the title of their best work. But there is
no consensus on what constitutes Opeth's finest work and for me, that
is the most telling indication of the unique nature and  consistently
high quality of Opeth's music. All  the  familiar  Opethian  elements
such as  the  complex  progressive  rock  melodies  and  the  sublime
interplay between mellow and heavy sections are present. As they have
done with their later releases, some sections  are  repeated,  though
this hardly detracts from their uniqueness and the songs have yet  to
follow conventional song  writing  structures.  The  album  is  split
halfway through by an amazing  instrumental,  showcasing  an  awesome
progressive melody; it seems a shame to waste this on what is  really
little more than an intermezzo. The delivery of  the  vocals  at  the
beginning of the final tracks sound as if they would be better suited
to some lame Cradle of Filth black metal band, rather than a band  of
Opeth's calibre. But I'm grasping at straws here;  this  is  actually
such a minor quibble it is barely worth mentioning. _Deliverance_  is
an undisputedly excellent album and an improvement  upon  _Blackwater
Park_, which can hardly be considered a shabby album. If  this  album
is not deserving of 10 out of 10 then no album is.

[Pedro Azevedo: "_Deliverance_ shows  a  more  death  metal  oriented 
 Opeth  than  its  more  atmospheric   predecessor,   the   excellent 
 _Blackwater Park_. Overall slightly less accomplished as  an  album, 
 _Deliverance_ nonetheless presents the listener  with  another  fine 
 collection of songs, and includes  several  superb  moments  as  one 
 would expect from this  band.  As  part  of  Opeth's  daring  double 
 release plan -- one metal, one acoustic --, _Deliverance_ provides a 
 good metallic half, though overall it is not Opeth's best  album  to 
 date."]                                                              


Scepter - _Fucking Metal Motherfuckers_  (Merciless Records, 2003)
by: Aaron McKay  (3 out of 10)

Using "fuck" as nearly every word in an album title doesn't make  you
any more or less "metal". Furthermore, these three guys seem obsessed
with defining that term, too -- what's "metal" and what isn't and "no
one is more 'metal' than Scepter", or so the propaganda goes.  Overly
stripped-down and basic, this band,  despite  a  couple  of  previous
efforts under their leather vests, seems wildly  unpolished.  In  all
fairness, that very well  may  be  this  outfit's  bailiwick  --  who
knows... Getting into Scepter's shtick a bit deeper (as  far  as  the
depth of the puddle will allow), even their  lyrics  find  themselves
challenged at a primitive level. Grunting out  this  and  that  about
statutory rape, abortion, and how "metal" they are (like an  arrogant
rapper might do -- only Scepter does it with long hair and an ability
to play  their  instruments),  this  Chicago  three-piece  breaks  no
new ground here nor do  they  begin  to  challenge  the  listener  in
any way on any of  the  twelve  cuts  that  comprise  _Fucking  Metal
Motherfuckers_. About as involved as  a  restaurant  dinner  receipt,
the last layer of  this  band  available  for  examination  is  their
instrumentation. Sounding like Black Sabbath on steroids occasionally
(that's obviously a good thing), Scepter is entirely too predictable:
guitar riffs fall exactly where you would  expect  them  to  and  the
"boom-boom, beat-bash; boom-boom, beat-bash" of the drums seem to  be
more to keep time than add anything to the music. Finally, this  band
has clear and understandable vocals  --  another  mark  in  the  plus
column. However, with the baseless subject  matter  barfed  forth  on
_FMM_, this is, at best, a mixed bag. I suppose this  type  of  music
has its place, but kinda like Pearl Jam -- just not in my collection.

Contact: http://www.merciless-records.de


Septic Flesh - _Sumerian Daemons_  (Hammerheart, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (9.5 out of 10)

One can only speculate as to the reasons why Septic  Flesh  chose  to
tarnish an otherwise sparkling discography  with  a  left-turn  bowel
movement of an album like _Revolution DNA_. At  the  same  time,  one
would also wonder whether it was the realization of said album's many
flaws that fuelled the creative fires that would  eventually  conjure
up the frankly stunning _Sumerian Daemons_.  You  see,  Septic  Flesh
have made good with an album that is as  surprisingly  fresh-sounding
as it is a work of sheer musical genius. While the slow doom-dirge of
_Mystical Places of Dawn_ has been rendered exclusively to the  past,
_Sumerian  Daemons_  sees  the  welcome  reinstatement  of  the  deep
guttural vocals which once formed part of the  band's  trademark.  At
the same time, there is also a marked increase  in  speed,  brutality
and the kind of dense, layered synths  which  would  be  at  home  on
anything Devin Townsend has put his name to. The  classical  /  Greek
influence which used to form the basis for most, if not all of Septic
Flesh's melodies is still very prevalent, only this time  round  it's
been awarded a more sinister dark tone. Indeed the  opening  riff  to
"Red Code Cult" would almost easily suit an Immortal song.  Likewise,
the bleak, futuristic atmosphere conjured up by "When  All  Is  None"
makes the melodies sound even more immense and majestic. Truly  there
is very little that one could reasonably fault on this  record,  save
for the odd occasion where a blast beat is almost lazily tacked on to
a song. _Sumerian Daemons_ is without a doubt Septic  Flesh's  finest
offering  to  date  and  one  which  blows  craters  of  mythological
proportions into a big majority of recent death metal releases.


Sepultura - _Roorback_  (SPV, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (8.5 out of 10)

With nu-metal on  the  fast  decline,  it  should  probably  come  as
no surprise  that  the  mainstream  metal  media  --  once  the  main
protagonists in the deluge of scorn heaped upon a post-Max  Sepultura
-- have  suddenly  transformed  into  a  bootlicking  collective  all
touting the return of Brazil's finest. The  irony  in  this  is  that
_Roorback_ does not differ all that  much  from  either  of  its  two
predecessors, albeit for a marginal increase in heaviness.  Truth  be
told, just about any track on the band's  latest  effort  would  rest
quite comfortably among anything found on _Nation_. This  observation
aside, _Roorback_ is undoubtedly a fine record, and one which  easily
takes a lengthy piss on anything Soulfly  has  ever  had  their  logo
slapped on. "Come Back  Alive"  opens  the  album  with  a  decidedly
hardcore slant, while the thick, chugging grooves of "Godless"  prove
beyond a shadow of a doubt that Igor  Cavalera  remains  one  of  the
finest and most inventive drummers in modern-day metal. "Apes of God"
is Derrick Green's finest moment vocally, while  "Urge"  sounds  like
the precursor to a full-scale riot. "Bottomed Out" on the other hand,
clearly hurts the disc's intense momentum and at times almost  sounds
like a bluesed-out joke, before leading into the  vicious  "Activist"
-- a track you know will lead to no small amount of venue destruction
when the Seps hit the road this year. After three albums with the new
line-up, it's clear that Sepultura will never again be the  band  who
recorded _Arise_ or _Beneath the Remains_, but even so, _Roorback_ is
a largely  entertaining  effort,  and  definitely  one  of  the  best
straight metal releases of 2003 so far.


Show of Exaggeration - _Show of Exaggeration_  (The Rectrix, 2003)
by: Alvin Wee  (8.5 out of 10)

One would expect no less than  the  best  in  dark  electronics  from
Philipp  Münch  (of  Ars  Moriendi,  Templegarden's  and   Synapscape
fame), teaming up here with fellow German  Bernhard  Wöstheinrich  of
Centrozoon, a name I'm not familiar with. The colossal opener  "Death
Arch" rumbles and spews volcanic chunks as  statically  charged  hums
and crackles signal the passing of a monstrous automaton. Skies clear
as deliciously fried electronics mark the  transition  into  "Passing
Gods",  a  similarly  ominous  soundscape  of  tattered  battle-flags
fluttering dismally in a blackened breeze as an alien twanging framed
by majestic drones dissolves pathetically into insectile clicking and
a supersonic whine. The following tracks showcase the project's  more
rhythmic side, with futuristic  phaser-shots  and  robotic  screeches
juxtaposed delectably beside  crisp  analog-sounding  crackling.  The
title track(s) form an impressive closing trilogy, with "The  Master"
recalling the post-apocalyptic, sci-fi aspect  of  the  previous  two
tracks with high-pitched hums  and  feedback  enveloped  by  sweeping
waves of static  and  distorted  lo-fi  electronics.  "Subjects  With
Cameras" ups the ante with  ear-piercing  whines  doing  battle  with
a  rising  tide  of  textured,  tonal  static.  A  bass-heavy,  muted
Merzbow-esque fluttering takes over towards the  end  of  the  track,
de-fusing the tension for the uneasily psychedelic  textures  of  the
finale to develop. Great stuff, and hopefully not the last  we'll  be
seeing from this incredible duo.

Contact: http://www.therectrix.com


Soilwork - _Figure Number Five_  (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (5.5 out of 10)

Soilwork must have been a bit intoxicated by the reactions to  their 
previous album _Natural Born Chaos_, and seem  to  have  decided  to 
release a rushed _Reload_-of-sorts one year  later:  _Figure  Number 
Five_. Ironically, I actually like this new album marginally  better 
than _Natural Born Chaos_, an album that greatly disappointed me  -- 
although it is true that this one didn't have the same  expectations 
to live up to. _Figure Number Five_ doesn't add any significant  new 
attributes to the mix, except perhaps a  bit  more  electronics;  it 
simply comes across as  slightly  more  inspired  overall  than  its 
predecessor, or at least it doesn't have as many  seriously  grating 
moments (although there's always the terrible solo  vocals  on  "The 
Mindwalker"). Still, I could swear a couple  of  these  tracks  (and 
especially  some  of  the  omnipresent  choruses)  are  near  direct 
adaptations of material from past albums, most notably _Natural Born 
Chaos_ -- and they still sound a lot like In Flames at times,  which 
is hardly a compliment these days. Both bands seem to have become  a 
caricature of themselves, losing the vast majority of  their  appeal 
in the process. _Figure Number Five_  is  a  decent  album,  and  of 
course a technically competent one, but also extremely formulaic and 
still quite uninspired compared to what Soilwork have the  potential 
to do.                                                               

Contact: http://www.soilworkers.com


Somnus - _Through Creation's End_  (Root Of All Evil, 2002)
by: Adrian Magers  (8.5 out of 10)

This second (and sadly, final) album from Somnus  was  released  last
year, several months before the band's subsequent break-up; a  slight
improvement over 2000's  _Awakening  the  Crown_,  and  probably  the
pinnacle of European-style melodic black metal in the United  States.
For those unfamiliar with the sound of Somnus, they utilize  a  heavy
blend of gothic/fantasy keyboards, thrash interludes, ethereal leads,
pained vocals, and occasional  spoken  word  parts.  The  differences
between this  album  and  Somnus'  first  aren't  shocking,  but  are
definitely noticeable. The album  sounds  even  darker,  a  bit  more
aggressive in all facets, a more professional approach, and a ton  of
variation on their sound. Probably the most  remarkable  thing  about
Somnus is that in a genre where many bands (sometimes  unfairly)  are
dubbed "Cradle imitators" they manage to define their own sound,  but
definitely have the appeal to attract any admirer of symphonic  black
metal, and maybe even some open-minded death or thrash fanatics.  The
CD also includes a live rendition  of  "Unfulfilled  Prophecy"  (from
their debut album) and the video for "Warlock's Feast".

Contact: http://www.somnusmusic.com


Soulless - _Agony's Lament_  (Worldchaos Production, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (6 out of 10)

Thrash  metal  to  the  bone,  Soulless  inject  a  lot  of  Swedish 
influences into their sound to produce an album that is American but 
doesn't sound American. Soulless are the kind of band  that  doesn't 
waste time with  preludes,  interludes  or  any  such  things;  five 
seconds into the album, they've already said a lot about  what's  to 
come. All tracks hover around three to four minutes  in  length  and 
share the same style: fast and furious, the rabid vocal  performance 
matched by the busy Swedish riffing and drumming. All very  metallic 
and energetic, but lacking individuality and real stand-out  tracks. 
Indeed, Soulless are a very competent band in their genre, but still 
no match for the powerful death/thrash of bands like The Forsaken or 
Corporation 187. As such, _Agony's Lament_ remains an honest  effort 
and certainly an enjoyable album in spite of the  bland  production, 
but one that offers little that's different from or  better  than  a 
large number of other releases out there.                            

Contact: http://www.world-chaos.com


Tenhi - _Vare_  (Prophecy Productions, 2002)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)

Tenhi's debut full-length _Kauan_, _Vare_'s predecessor,  is  filled 
with truly exquisite dark  beauty  and  melancholy;  an  album  with 
introspective, atmospheric qualities that I have found difficult  to 
match, and one I would award a 9 out of 10. Though mostly  based  on 
dark folk, these Finns crafted a sound all  their  own  on  _Kauan_, 
with acoustics and sombre vocals as well as sullen  piano  passages. 
This new album, _Vare_, therefore comes in the wake of the extremely 
high  expectations  created  by  their  masterful  debut  (with  the 
_Airut:Ciwi_ EP having served as  an  appropriate  interlude).  Even 
though the music on _Vare_ can still be  generally  referred  to  as 
dark folk, it  is  more  folk  and  less  dark  than  _Kauan_.  More 
specifically, there are three tracks on the album that I  find  very 
annoying with  their  upbeat  folk  style:  "Jaljen",  "Kevain"  and 
"Katve". Fortunately the album is lengthy enough for the absence  of 
these tracks to go nearly unnoticed, otherwise they could  seriously 
disrupt the atmosphere created by the other songs.  _Vare_  is  full 
of rich yet often  subtle  arrangements  --  even  moreso  than  its 
predecessor -- and apart from the  aforementioned  trio,  the  songs 
flow very nicely. The album reaches its peak midway through with the 
heartbreaking "Suortuva", a remarkable track that  is  almost  worth 
the money on its own. Overall, much as it is very pleasant, soothing 
and atmospheric, _Vare_ is not quite as remarkably inspired  as  its 
predecessor. If you already have _Kauan_, then  _Vare_  should  also 
prove a worthy addition  to  your  collection;  otherwise,  I  would 
recommend seeking _Kauan_ first.                                     

Contact: http://www.tenhi.com


The Gathering - _Souvenirs_  (Psychonaut, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)

First and foremost, _Souvenirs_ proves that The Gathering anno  2003 
is increasingly Anneke van Giersbergen's band. I don't mean this  in 
a negative way, as if the band's talented  vocalist  was  forcefully 
dominating the other band members  --  I've  no  idea  what  happens 
in their rehearsal room.  What  I  mean  is  that  the  music  seems 
increasingly written around her vocals, concerned with  suiting  her 
voice and giving it a leading role. While  I  do  miss  the  heavier 
_Mandylion_ days, this is not necessarily  a  bad  decision  by  the 
band. I'll have to use the old cliche "this is not  a  metal  album" 
here, as this is in fact a much more atmospheric, electronic  affair 
than its entertaining predecessor _if_then_else_. _Souvenirs_  tends 
to have a pleasantly sombre mood, and  opens  particularly  well  in 
that respect with "These Good People".  "Golden  Grounds",  "Jelena" 
and the first half of "Monsters" provide some more good examples  of 
the same kind of atmosphere. A few other  tracks  are  more  upbeat, 
however, and in the (excessively) sweet "You  Learn  About  It"  The 
Gathering have a potential  chartbreaker  --  or  at  least  a  very 
radio-friendly song that could see a lot of  mainstream  airplay  if 
certain  people  happen  to  notice  it.  There  is  also  an  Ulver 
connection in _Souvenirs_,  brought  about  by  Anneke's  duet  with 
Trickster G (a.k.a. Garm) near the end  of  the  album  on  "A  Life 
All Mine" --  an  interesting  prospect  for  many  music  fans  out 
there, surely, and a worthy result. The  unobtrusive  beats,  subtle 
electronic elements and pleasant melodies are kept at a high quality 
level throughout by this experienced band, although  the  result  is 
not always overly interesting. Nevertheless, _Souvenirs_  remains  a 
very playable album with a few really good tracks and  several  nice 
if mostly indifferent ones.                                          

Contact: http://www.gathering.nl


The Mist and the Morning Dew - _The Mist and the Morning Dew_
by: Pedro Azevedo  (7.5 out of 10)  (Independent, 2003)

This self-released debut EP by The Mist and the Morning  Dew  boasts 
some interesting connections in the  Finnish  doom  metal  scene  by 
featuring ex-Unholy  vocalist  Veera  Muhli  and  Shape  of  Despair 
guitarist Jarno Salomaa, as well as Finntroll bassist Sami Uusitalo. 
In addition to the similarities with Shape of Despair in the  guitar 
department and Unholy in the vocals, this  female-sung  doom  affair 
also brings a more metallic version of The 3rd and the Mortal to  my 
mind quite a bit. Ultimately  TMatMD  are  heavier  than  T3atM  but 
nowhere near as heavy as Shape of Despair, of whom they inherit only 
some of the guitar style -- bearing in mind that Shape of  Despair's 
other guitarist, Rapture's Tommi Ullgren, is  not  part  of  TMatMD. 
Overall, the band is still able to claim an identity of their own in 
spite of the similarities with  the  aforementioned  bands.  On  the 
downside, the  somewhat  withdrawn  vocal  style  may  require  some 
getting used to, while the production could  use  some  improvement. 
Some violin is also used, but fails to make much of  an  impression. 
On the other hand, the melancholic guitar leads and  forlorn  female 
vocals  get  along  very  well,  and  the  music  is  very  pleasant 
throughout. Anyone into Shape of  Despair,  Rapture  and  female-led 
doom bands should check out this band.                               

Contact: http://www.themist.xrs.net


The Monolith Deathcult - _The Apotheosis_  
by: Quentin Kalis  (7 out of 10)  (Cold Blood Industries, 2003)

The Monolith Deathcult are a Dutch band  specialising  in  performing
violent and brutally intense death metal.  Although  they  have  been
compared with Nile, the music only bears a superficial similarity  to
them, whose song writing skills and musicianship are several  notches
above those of The Monolith Deathcult.  (Actually,  Nile  is  several
notches above virtually the entire death metal milieu.)  This  in  no
ways implies that they are sloppy or  untalented;  on  the  contrary,
they are a tight and fairly technical outfit, often throwing in a few
Slayer-esque solos. They are similar to Nile with  regards  to  other
aspects: they too possess an astounding  three  vocalists,  and  they
also draw upon blood-drenched historical events such  as  Attila  the
Hun  and  the  Roman  Gladiators  for  lyrical  inspiration.  On  the
downside, they are content for the most part to  simply  blast  their
way through the songs. This is hardly likely to be a problem for  the
average death metal fanatic, but a more discerning listener might  be
put off by the relentlessness of their music.

Contact: http://www.coldbloodindustries.com


The True Frost - _Open the Portals to Darkness_
by: Matthias Noll  (3 out of 10)  (Millenium Metal Music, 2002)

Dear Mum,

I'm doing fine, but please send more money -- I  went  to  the  metal
market in Frankfurt and spent everything I  had  on  CDs.  I  know  I
shouldn't do this, but I got in a shopping frenzy.  Unfortunately,  I
bought a CD by a band called The True Frost. I know you told me  many
times, a name like The True Frost is almost as good as a  sticker  on
the case saying "avoid like the black plague" --  because  how  could
anyone with even the smallest amount of trueness ever call  his  band
"the true <whatever>"? But somehow I couldn't control myself.

Quite often they sound like a talentless former punk or oi  band  who
got a Hellhammer and a Darkthrone record and thought it would be much
cooler to play underground  black  metal.  And  when  I'm  completely
honest I believe I have found more atmosphere  and  grimness  in  the
trunk of my car than behind the portals to darkness.

I promise I'll be more careful in the future. Maybe I can sell it  to
an idiot like myself on eBay, but please Mum, send the money soon  so
that I can buy something decent like the new Satanic Warmaster.

Necro-Hailz from your son, Matthias.


Tuska / Incriminated - _Ten Hail Marys_  (Bestial Burst, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll  (1 out of 10)

This split CD is another crap release I've spent 11 Euro on during my
latest shopping frenzy. "Necro black core vs. old skool  death  doom"
and comparisons made somewhere on the web between Beherit  and  Tuska
were all I needed to place an order. Tuska is neither  necro,  black,
nor core. It's utterly shitty garage-grind/hardcore which someone  is
being clever enough to sell via a completely  made-up  connection  to
black metal. On to Incriminated. I considered them to be one  of  the
better Hellhammer / Celtic Frost worshippers around, and I found  the
split CD with Bloodhammer on Northern Heritage to be truly enjoyable.
What goes on here is puzzling, to say the least. It appears to me  as
if they have a new singer who's ruining most songs with the use of  a
totally ridiculous and irritating clean wail that is  probably  meant
to sound psychotic and insane. He manages to come across a  bit  like
Tom Warrior on some better left forgotten  passages  from  _Into  the
Pandemonium_,  but  so  much  worse  and  annoying  it's  unbearable.
Musically the five Incriminated tracks are  also  forgettable,  third
rate doom/death  with  a  strong  Celtic  Frost  vibe  and  a  garage
production. Limited to 666 copies. Part-time  alchemists  take  note:
this is how you turn shit into money. Having listened to this debacle
one more time, I even had to generously give  The  True  Frost  three
instead of two points.


Vargsang - _Call of the Nightwolves_  (Undercover Records, 2003)
by: Matthias Noll  (8 out of 10)

For those familiar with German underground  black  metallers  Graven,
the description of _Call of the  Nightwolves_  doesn't  require  much
more elaboration than saying that it sounds exactly like Graven  with
a rawer sound and slightly better songs. Looking at the line-up  this
is hardly surprising, because Vargsang (the band) is the one man show
of Graven's former main songwriter Vargsang. Musically this is  pure,
keyboardless, mostly Norwegian-sounding black metal, delivered with a
very  Teutonic  sense  of  order  and  structure  when  it  comes  to
breaks and tempo changes. Unsurprisingly one finds that  monotony  is
consciously used to achieve hypnotic effects, but Vargsang  prescribe
small doses of that, slowing down or speeding up at the  right  point
in time. They fortunately avoid  making  the  same  mistake  as,  for
example,  Godless  North,  who  allow  their  _Transylvanian  Hunger_
worship to turn into boredom quite frequently. There is little if any
originality at all to be found on _Call  of  the  Nightwolves_;  what
makes me recommend this album and even give it an 8 out of 10 is  the
high quality level which is kept throughout the 37 minutes,  as  well
as the fact that -- even though I hear a little Euronymous here and a
bit of Darkthrone there -- this doesn't sound like a rip-off. Perhaps
I am in a somewhat conservative mindset right now that  leads  me  to
prefer a fine execution of a tried and tested formula rather than the
abysmal travesties that an unstoppable  desire  to  be  original  and
groundbreaking can produce. But in  times  when  former  black  metal
icons like Satyricon recycle bridge sections Voivod might  have  used
on a bad day in 87/88 and repeat  them  over  and  over  again  until
another seven minute borefest is complete and gets a  song  title,  I
enjoy bands like Vargsang more than ever!

Contact: http://www.undercover-records.de


Various - _The Obsolete View_  (The Rectrix, 2003)
by: Alvin Wee  (7 out of 10)

Another in the line of solid  releases  from  this  quality-conscious
label, this disc collects the works of three stylistically  different
experimental-ambient  artists,  and  manages  to   sound   strikingly
coherent given their considerably different approaches.

Hollowing kick things off with waves  of  highly  processed  metallic
scrapings / clangings and a barely intelligible looped voice  sample,
creating a vacuous, warehouse ambience not unlike the  darkest  Nurse
With Wound material. Things take a more sombre turn with the  subdued
dronings and organic beating of  the  "Yadu'a",  only  to  veer  into
relatively upbeat territory on the short, almost martial third track.
Not quite as stimulating as the  original  Organum  /  NWW  /  glitch
tradition they appear to  be  building  upon,  Hollowing  nonetheless
excel in the darker, electronic aspects of their music.

Aere Aeturnus opt for a less eclectic approach with  their  drawn-out
cinematic textures; distant cosmic piping frames a backdrop of  muted
tribal beats and softly processed guitar drones on the  aptly  titled
"of  suicide,  pain  and  old  age",  creeping  dreadfully  into  the
rocky subterranean rumblings and uncanny  metallic  creaking  of  the
compilation's title track. Infinitely depressing stuff on all four of
Aere Aeturnus' offerings, with their pervasive sense of  otherworldly
eeriness not helping things much.  Great  material  nonetheless,  and
a worthy  precursor  to  Metanemfrost  who  manage  to  maintain  the
atmosphere of desolation with the inexorable scraping and plodding of
"Chthonian".

Distinctly scabrous and unhealthy, Metanemfrost's five tracks form  a
horrid soundtrack  to  H.  P.  Lovecraft's  monstrous  nightmares  of
antediluvian Gods and shambling beasts. Not quite matching  Inade  or
Lustmord in scope or immensity, the restrained rumblings  of  "Empire
Ablaze" still evoke a sense of  cosmic  foreboding  which  eventually
coalesce into the arcane ritualism  of  "Ancient  Blood  Scriptures",
before finishing the disc off with the monotonous thrumming  of  "The
Black Vortex". All in all a highly engaging and  varied  listen  with
solid performances throughout, just falling short of being  essential
listening due to the lack of any immense, genre-defining achievements
on the disc.

Contact: http://www.therectrix.com


Various - _Victory Through Total Domination: Compilation No. III_
by: Quentin Kalis  (7.5 out of 10)  (No Colours Records, 2002)

_VTTD_ is a  collection  from  grim  black  metal  label  No  Colours
Records. As can be gathered from the above rating, the compilation as
a whole is above average, though  the  quality  of  individual  songs
varies widely. It is not necessary -- and beyond the  scope  of  this
review -- to comment on every song in detail, but  it  is  worthwhile
to mention several of  the  highlights  and  lowlights.  The  album's
undisputed strong points are Satanic Warmaster's  as  yet  unreleased
(why?) "Distant Blazing  Eve"  showcasing  an  incredibly  depressive
and  melancholic  atmosphere  unheard  in  black  metal  since  Dimmu
Borgir's _For All Tid_ and Gaahlskagg's explosive "P.T.R.", which  is
essentially a punk song cloaked in black metal trappings. (Be warned:
some of these songs are quite old -- "P.T.R." is taken  from  _Erotic
Funeral_, which was released several  years  ago.)  The  weak  points
include Wigrid's track -- apart  from  being  too  long,  the  hoarse
vocals sound like those of a  certain  Varg  Vikernes  --  and  Judas
Iscariot's contribution, while not particularly bad, is not nearly as
good as some of his previous material. For  those  for  who  consider
necessary ingredients in an album  inferior  and  trebly  production,
inhuman screams and grating guitars, yet are not familiar with the No
Colours roster, then this compilation comes highly  recommended.  For
those who are not familiar with contemporary raw  black  metal,  this
compilation will also serve as a useful introduction.


Vital Remains - _Dechristianize_  (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (9 out of 10)

Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to grow a tad weary of the whole
Satanic thing in extreme music. I mean, let's be  honest  --  there's
only so many  ways  in  which  you  can  chant  the  praises  of  the
hooved one before the theme grows stale.  This  gripe  aside  though,
Vital Remains are  one  of  the  better  bands  to  needlessly  shove
their  religious  views  down  the  listener's  throat.  Either  way,
_Dechristianize_ is a very important album for the band, thanks in no
small part to the attention awarded them by the presence of Deicide's
Glenn Benton. Certainly, the probability of their (arguably  somewhat
overdue) promotion to the  upper  tier  of  death  metal  rests  very
squarely on its ability to deliver the goods. And to this extent,  it
does so beautifully. Many may mistakenly  regard  this  record  as  a
stop-gap while  we  await  Deicide's  next  (and  equally  important)
offering.  The  truth  is  though  that  in  virtually  every  aspect
_Dechristianize_ is a far cry from any  of  the  sub-par  meanderings
which Deicide have soiled their latter-day career with. With a  level
of brutality and technicality that could easily go toe to toe with  a
band like Hate Eternal, Vital Remains plough through some of the most
vicious, and uncharacteristically lengthy, extremity they  have  ever
come up with. To the credit of the group's core  members,  they  also
never allow  Benton's  appearance  to  overshadow  their  commendable
abilities. Where many death metal bands would fail dismally to record
a track exceeding five minutes  without  sounding  monotonous,  Vital
Remains equate them of their task with admirable aplomb -- indeed  it
takes only one listen to the title track or "Infidel" to realise that
Deicide wish they could be this good.


Wastoid - _Say Your Prayers_  (Independent, 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis  (7.5 out of 10)

Wastoid are one of those bands that are least likely  to  have  terms
such as "original",  or  "groundbreaking"  headed  in  their  general
direction anytime in the near future. Normally this would be  a  huge
negative as I  value  originality  and  innovation  quite  highly  in
the music I choose to  listen  to,  but  in  some  exceptional  cases
originality can and does take a backseat  to  music  that  is  simply
unpretentiously good. Wastoid are one such band: they were not formed
with the intention of forging a new path for metal, nor do  they  lay
claim to such lofty aspirations; their sole function is to  play  the
unashamedly retro classic metal that they are no doubt huge fans  of.
It is uncertain whether today's metal fan(atic) will wish to hear old
school metal performed by anyone other then  the  masters.  But  this
will not concern Wastoid, as  they  will  in  all  likelihood  go  on
playing the music they love whether they sell 100 or 100 000 CDs.

Contact: http://www.wastoid.net

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

                        __, __, _, _  _,  _,
                        | \ |_  |\/| / \ (_ 
                        |_/ |   |  | \ / , )
                        ~   ~~~ ~  ~  ~   ~ 


Scoring: 5 out of 5 -- A flawless demo
         4 out of 5 -- Great piece of work
         3 out of 5 -- Good effort
         2 out of 5 -- A major overhaul is in order
         1 out of 5 -- A career change is advisable


Cryonic - _Digital Encryption_
by: David Rocher  (4 out of 5)

Considering this is Cryonic's first  self-released  recording,  I  am
truly impressed by  the  professional  quality  of  the  material  on
_Digital Encryption_.  Reveling  in  cold,  industrial-tinged  metal,
Sweden's  Cryonic  create  a  cybernetic  canvas  of  low-case  riffs
borne on simple  and  hypnotic  electronic  drum  patterns,  crafting
three  tracks  of  chilling,  dehumanised  soundscapes.   The   cold,
inhuman feeling irradiated by _Digital Encryption_  is  completed  by
Cryonic's use of distorted melodic vocals,  somewhat  reminiscent  of
Sisters of  Mercy's  early  days,  and  the  effective  insertion  of
keyboards throughout their material.  Comprising  three  full-fledged
electro-metal  tracks  delineated  by  disquietingly  placid,   truly
effective synthetic interludes, _Digital Encryption_ is  a  cohesive,
powerful and compelling  effort  that  clearly  denotes  the  immense
musical potential lurking within Cryonic's ranks.  Followers  of  the
electronic/industrial metal genre would  be  well  advised  to  reach
for these Swedes' first effort,  which  delivers  the  quality  of  a
professional release.  And  although  I  am  in  truth  no  dedicated
follower of this musical style, I definitely look forward to  hearing
more from Cryonic.

Contact: cryonicworld@hotmail.com


Decadence - _Theatre of Eclipse_
by: David Rocher  (3 out of 5)

A rather self-satisfied Italian quintet dedicated to "Obscure Metal",
Decadence  have  released  a  suitably  impressive  and  professional
nine-track, 30-minute demo.  What  Decadence  refer  to  as  "Obscure
Metal"  in  fact  embodies   a   form   of   symphonic,   tentatively
"neo-classical" blackened metal, which often reminds me of  Forlorn's
_Opus III: Ad Celestis Res_.  Technically  proficient  and  musically
well inspired, but plagued  by  a  weird,  wildly  unbalanced  sound,
_Theatre of Eclipse_ is finely crafted, and  reveals  that  Decadence
indeed possess potential. However,  despite  the  honourable  amounts
of  musical  skill  and  theoretical  research  displayed   by   this
self-released  MCD,  _Theatre  of  Eclipse_  fails  to  display   the
consistent musical brilliance that Decadence strive  to  attain;  and
although _Theatre of  Eclipse_  does  display  some  truly  grandiose
keyboard arrangements, Decadence tend  to  rely  too  much  on  these
to  enhance  their  otherwise  effective,  yet  rather   conventional
"progressive" black metal. In fine, although Decadence will  need  to
hone the musical consistency and focus  of  their  material  to  rise
above their peers, _Theatre of Eclipse_ remains a commendable  effort
for symphonic black metal fans to check out.

Contact: http://www.obscuremetal.com


Feral Horde - _Demo 2002_
by: Alvin Wee  (3 out of 5)

While three points might seem a tad generous given the mediocrity  of
the three tracks on offer, these  Canadians  must  be  credited  with
pulling off a fair number of stunts while never  quite  crystallizing
their vision. Opener  "Holy  Vermin"  initially  comes  across  as  a
mish-mash of incoherent riff- and tempo-switches, only to break  into
more structured segments which hint at the band's  hidden  knack  for
crafting uniquely explosive passages. A somewhat mixed bag of  ideas,
some of which fortunately jump out as  being  highly  promising.  The
second track takes down the speed a notch, cleaning the sound up  for
a much more focussed excursion in mid-'90s melodic  Swedish  riffery.
While arguably more conventional  than  the  first  track,  "Tool  of
Damnation" nevertheless stands the band in much better stead in terms
of maturity and cohesiveness, remaining well-structured and developed
throughout. The final live track showcases the band as a particularly
convincing live act, blazing ahead with bold  conviction  and  fierce
melody, if one were to overlook the lapses into unmoderated chaos  in
the middle of the track (an unfortunate quirk of the band, it seems).
Still, I wouldn't write off these boys entirely; a few  solid  months
of writing and  rehearsal  should  see  Feral  Horde  developing  the
flashes of brilliance here into a full blown assault.

Contact: feralhorde@hotmail.com


K-Again - _Ultraviolence_
by: Jackie Smit  (2.5 out of 5)

For  a  band  who  confidently  title  their  demo   _Ultraviolence_,
K-Again's brand of nu-metal is surprisingly  tame,  and  very  rarely
does it exceed the level of violence that would deem it fit  for  the
adjective "ultra". Thankfully though, it is not a product of the same
swill that produced Papa Roach and Linkin Park -- in fact, K-Again at
times showcases a commendable amount of potential. Blending  elements
of Slipknot, Chimaira and Mudvayne into their music,  they  struggle,
but almost manage to sound  unique  on  "My  Own  Freedom"  and  "U".
Unfortunately though, these moments are all too  rare  and  generally
K-Again just comes across as... well, just another nu-metal  band  --
which even in the eyes of the  mainstream  right  now  isn't  a  good
thing. The production on this effort is  acceptable  and  far  beyond
what you'd expect from a band of their profile, but the group need to
concentrate on improving their song writing to the point  where  they
can lay claim to their own  identity.  Similarly,  vocalist  Pigo  is
clearly not pushing his voice as much as he  can,  which  doesn't  do
the music any favours. With  Logan  Madder  (Machine  Head,  Soulfly,
Medication) set to produce their  next  effort,  I'm  sure  that  big
things may yet await K-Again though.

Contact: http://www.2kkrecords.com


Soultorn - _Masks_
by: David Rocher  (2 out of 5)

I had great expectations for Soultorn's  newest  MCD,  which  _Masks_
sadly fails to live up to.  Boasting  Niklas  Sundin  artwork  and  a
finale in the guise of a  cover  of  Dark  Tranquillity's  "With  the
Flaming Shades of  Fall",  _Masks_  scarcely  seeks  to  conceal  its
dominant musical influence, but suffers from some  significant  flaws
that finally overcome its professional aspirations. Indeed, whereas a
track such as "Legacy" proudly displays  excellent,  melodic  riffing
and cool arrangements, most  of  Soultorn's  material  simply  sounds
too derivative to prove effective;  in  addition,  _Masks_  at  times
showcases unpleasant atonal qualities, particularly  with  regard  to
the sometimes toneless-sounding guitars and the clear  vocals,  which
sound like a  strange,  unconvincing  blend  of  gothic  laments  and
punkoid tone-deafness -- considering how  effective  Ryan  Montigny's
screamed vocals are, I wonder why Soultorn resort to  these  at  all.
There is potential and will  lurking  within  Soultorn,  as  _Mask_'s
clean production and professional  approach  testify  to,  but  these
young Americans definitely need to fine-tune --  both  literally  and
properly -- their sound and strip their songwriting of some whimsical
components if they  seek  to  break  through  the  ranks  of  today's
saturated melodic death metal scene.

Contact: http://www.soultorn.tk


The Amenta - _Mictlan_
by: David Rocher  (5 out of 5)

Stating that Australia's The Amenta are professional musical  killers
would be euphemistic. From the  glorious  packaging  right  down  the
most sombre, unnoticeable details of  the  blasting,  syncopated  and
experimental death metal it delivers, _Mictlan_ oozes  with  flawless
power, sadistic refinement and rapturous brutality. Fusing  blasting,
aggressive death metal with synthetic atmospheres usually endemic  to
the black metal genre, The Amenta sound like a strange,  yet  utterly
lethal hybrid of Myrkskog, Cryptopsy and Nile.  Loaded  to  the  brim
with unrelenting, punishing blast beats,  razor-sharp  time  changes,
insane start/stop onslaughts and an atmosphere of suffering and decay
bordering on the tangible, _Mictlan_ is graced with  a  colossal  and
abrasive production, that testifies to these Australians'  dedication
to musical perfection. Truth be told, _Mictlan_'s only failure is its
brevity; at 11 minutes (including a dispensable two-minute industrial
outro), this murderous surge of energy seems to ebb just too fast for
its own good, and is guaranteed to leave death metal addicts  craving
for more. The Amenta are beyond all doubt an immense musical force to
be reckoned with, and are currently looking for a  label  to  release
their forthcoming full-length debut, _Ennea_ -- I can therefore  only
hope that they  will  not  be  unjustly  ignored  by  labels  as  the
excellent Aphotic have been.

Contact: http://www.theamenta.com

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                             _, _  _,  _,
                            / _ | / _ (_ 
                            \ / | \ / , )
                             ~  ~  ~   ~ 

                   A   K I N G D O M   U N I T E D 
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Immolation, Malevolent Creation, Aborted and Noctiferia 
                 at Electrowerkz, London, May 13, 2003
                           by: Jackie Smit


Many a reviewer has in the past called London's Mean Fiddler venue  a
"cold soulless dump",  while  several  others  have  leveled  similar
accusations at the equally dingy Camden Underworld. I seriously doubt
however that any of these scribes have ever had  the  displeasure  of
visiting Electrowerkz --  hardly  the  venue  of  choice,  one  would
assume, for  bands  of  the  stature  of  Immolation  and  Malevolent
Creation. With its post-war Baghdad decorum and acrid stench, it's no
wonder that the turnout is so surprisingly sparse.

Fortunately the evening gets off to a promising start with Slovenia's
Noctiferia. Not being familiar with any of their work  myself,  I  am
very impressed with their blend of melodic and  brutal  death  metal.
Sure, they have the genetic fingerprints of Aeturnus and Nile stamped
all over their songs, but they clearly have the talent and the  tunes
to become a big name in the not-too-distant future.

Belgium's answer to Carcass, Aborted, take to  the  stage  next,  and
while their recorded efforts have yet to impress me, they succeed  in
delivering a very classy performance as  they  tear  through  several
numbers off their latest _Goremageddon_ disc. Although they  do  veer
dangerously toward outright monotony in the latter half of  their  30
minute set, at the very least they leave me  wanting  to  give  their
records another listen.

Despite an enjoyable start to the evening, the show  is  clearly  all
about the two headliners, and  as  Malevolent  Creation  check  their
instruments (bizarrely there's not a roadie in sight for  the  entire
evening) and the punters swarm to the claustrophobically small stage,
it's very clear that all hell is about to break loose.  Starting  off
with "They Die" from the _Eternal_ album, new front man  Kyle  Symons
immediately takes centre stage with one of the  most  aggressive  and
manic performances I have ever seen come from  a  death  metal  band.
Truly, if there was a  vocalist  lottery  of  some  kind,  Malevolent
Creation have hit the jackpot with Symons, who not only  infuses  old
favourites like "Multiple Stabwounds", "Premature Burial" and "Living
in Fear" with  a  fresh  shot  of  adrenaline,  but  also  takes  the
aggression of new material such as "The Will to Kill" and "Rebirth of
Terror" to virtually unparalleled heights.  After  being  around  for
nearly  fifteen  years,  and  spending  quite  a  bit  of  that  time
languishing in mediocrity, it looks as though Malevolent's  time  has
finally come -- and not a moment too soon.

Most bands would be seriously daunted at the prospect  of  having  to
follow Malevolent  Creation's  blistering  set,  but  Immolation  are
clearly up  to  the  task  as  they  fire  off  the  twin  salvos  of
"Of Martyrs and  Men"  and  "Sinful  Nature".  Their  performance  is
note-perfect  --  albeit  slightly  faster  than  on  record  --  and
frantically  energetic.  For  the  remaining  forty-five  minutes  of
tonight's show, they seem incapable of  putting  even  the  slightest
wrongdoing. Treating fans to old material like  "Under  the  Supreme"
and "Those Left Behind", it is the material off their  latest  album,
_Unholy Cult_, that prove to be the most devastating weapons in their
arsenal. The audience certainly seem to agree, and when the  record's
title track and "A Kingdom Divided" are aired, the pit extends across
the floor until there isn't a single safe spot left inside the venue.

Immolation have been somewhat unfairly relegated to the  second  tier
of death metal for  the  better  part  of  their  decade-odd  career,
despite having quietly and consistently released  some  of  the  best
efforts to grace death metal in aeons. When they  close  with  "Bring
Them Down", there's almost a feeling of sadness among  the  crowd  at
the prospect of seeing them go, but one fact has been  hammered  into
the collective conscience of each  one  present  tonight:  like  most
musical geniuses  throughout  the  ages,  Immolation  are  criminally
underrated -- and light-years ahead of virtually all the competition.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

               GOTH CLUB DESTROYED BY DEATH METAL GODS 
               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       Immolation, Malevolent Creation, Aborted and Noctiferia 
                 at Electrowerkz, London, May 13, 2003
                          by: James Montague


A relocation from the excellent Underworld  Club  in  Camden  to  the
repulsive gothic club Elektrowerkz in  the  Angel,  Islington,  would
have been enough to put me off attending most gigs. But  this  was  a
chance to see  one  of  my  first  extreme  metal  bands  (Malevolent
Creation) and a late-but-great discovery (Immolation),  live  in  the
flesh. This is a dual opportunity that will  probably  never  present
itself to me in Australia, so attendance was mandatory.

The venue was every bit as bad as I'd expected: a dingy, rat-infested
passage with a filthy enclave where one could deposit a coat for  the
ludicrous fee of £1.50 (more than the VIP lounges  of  the  classiest
clubs in London). Upstairs, the cramped stage opened out onto a large
room -- unfortunately, a pile of crap had been plonked smack bang  in
the middle of the room, upon which the sound  engineers  had  set  up
base. That meant a huge area had a partial or zero view of the stage.
Fan-fucking-tastic. Naturally I was determined to see the  bands  and
cramped myself into the front section of  the  club  for  the  night.
Thankfully, once things got rolling the  sound  was  good  enough  to
cancel out my initial revulsion. London seems to  be  quite  good  at
getting the live sound  right  --  something  we  could  do  with  in
Australia. Not a technical glitch all night!

In the publications I'd read, the  gig  had  been  advertised  as  an 
Immolation + Malevolent double bill, so I had no idea who  was  going 
to take the stage first. After being  blown  away  by  a  magnificent 
doom-layered exotic death metal opener, I was keen to know who  these 
chaps were. They  were  Noctiferia  (http://www.noctiferia.com)  from 
Slovenia, a name  I  won't  be  forgetting  in  a  hurry.  With  some 
extensively and tastefully employed lead  guitar  work  and  majestic 
sound sampling, the band reminded  me  strongly  of  Nile  or  Morbid 
Angel (leads clearly inspired by Trey  Azagthoth),  but  without  the 
blast-beat prevalence of either band. This is my kind of death metal, 
and I will be looking out for  their  _Per  Astra_  album  on  future 
shopping trips -- highly recommended to you folks too. The band  fell 
for the usual openers'  trap  of  concentrating  too  hard  on  their 
instruments, but their undeniable quality drew roars of approval from 
an unsuspecting audience.                                             

Belgium's Aborted came on next and  gave  a  fiery  performance.  The
vocalist moaned about the mixing between songs, but I had no  problem
hearing anything. Gore-grind death metal isn't my thing,  but  it  is
great fun in a live setting when done well. And these guys were  very
good, blasting and banging away, the vocalist switching from guttural
belch to asphyxiated screech as easily as a baby shits  its  nappies.
Aborted seems to have some pretty nifty songwriting tricks, and threw
in some catchy thrash riffs amongst the gory carnage. Much  enjoyment
was had by all.

I ventured up to the stage to witness the band that  kicked  my  arse
with _Retribution_ many moons ago. After chatting amicably  with  the
bemused security fellow by the stage, I then proceeded to confirm his
most dreaded stereotype by hurling my head up,  down  and  around  in
manic fashion. There's not much else one can do when a band comes  on
stage to the sound of machine gun fire and  belts  out  "Alliance  or
War". A frenzied set included many newer  tracks  with  which  I  was
unfamiliar, but they did  play  "Eve  of  the  Apocalypse"  from  the
_Retribution_ album, to the approval of a  rapturous  audience.  Some
observers were put off by the vocalist's appearance --  red  t-shirt,
short hair and gold chain -- hardcore all the way, but he did  attack
the songs with the required fury  and  made  himself  the  centre  of
attention. The drummer (is it still Derek Roddy?) pumped out some  of
the fastest blast beats this side of Flo Mounier. For me,  Malevolent
was the star of the show, and three days of whiplash  were  testament
to the fact.

I was exhausted by the time Immolation came home,  and  since  I  was
still only familiar with _Close to  a  World  Below_  (having  bought
_Unholy Cult_ earlier in the evening and held it  in  my  pocket  all
night, cursing myself for not familiarising myself with it earlier) I
decided to sit back for this one. If I were  a  long-time  Immolation
fan, they'd have  been  the  show-stopper  for  me,  no  doubt.  Bald
guitarist Robert Vigna led the fray,  enthusiastically  sweeping  and
plucking away at his  axe  in  true  showman  fashion,  grinning  and
clearly loving the metal life. Bassist/vocalist Ross roared away with
diabolical passion, while Alex laid waste to the  drumkit  in  style.
The memorable main riff of "Father, You're Not a Father"  brought  me
back into the headbanging hotspot, and the hysteria amongst the small
crowd built as the set went on. At  the  end  of  the  performance  a
wasted crowd couldn't be arsed shouting the band's name, so  we  just
shouted "More". We got more  --  a  round  of  greetings  from  Vigna
preceded a couple of closing tracks,  naturally  ending  with  "Bring
Them Down". A quality performance all around by  a  band  whose  gigs
should be made compulsory for all metal enthusiasts.

Riding the tube home, I noticed my trousers  covered  with  dirt  and
axel grease, confirming the decrepitude of the  shitty  Elektrowerkz.
Those stains eventually washed away, but the memories of  this  night
will not fade so easily. Possibly my best gig of all time,  right  up
there with Nazxul's first few shows and the Morbid  Angel  /  Damaged
tour of 1995.

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       D A M N A T I O N   A N D   A   M O N D A Y   N I G H T 
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Cradle of Filth and Akercocke at the London Astoria, April 16, 2003
                           by: Jackie Smit


With Cradle of Filth touring hot on the heels of their highly  touted
and self proclaimed coup de grace,  I  must  admit  to  being  a  tad
shocked upon my arrival at the Astoria  some  two  hours  before  the
doors are set to open: there was already a queue well  out-stretching
what even Slayer could manage here  little  less  than  a  year  ago.
Indeed, if you were to ask virtually anyone among the black-clad mass
waiting to enter the venue who the better  of  the  two  are,  they'd
probably not  hesitate  to  shriek  "Cradle"  at  the  top  of  their
pubescent lungs. Kids these days.

Unfortunately,  the  evening  kicks   off   with   the   monumentally
disappointing news that Immolation -- who were  previously  scheduled
to provide support -- will not  be  performing,  as  they  apparently
"have the evening off". Even more disappointingly  this  gives  South
Yorkshire's ambassadors of Beelzebub, Akercocke, even  more  time  to
peddle their brand of unimaginative black/death metal. Now, I have to
be honest here -- I have never liked these guys. In my  opinion  they
are pretentious and unoriginal in the extreme and it is  only  rarely
during the course of their half an hour plus set that they manage  to
even slightly challenge my perception. In all fairness  though,  this
could also be due to the sound gremlins which  do  hamper  their  set
quite badly, as well as showing no favours to  the  headliners  later
on. After running through a set list  that  comprises  material  from
both their forthcoming and previous records, the  true  highlight  of
Akercocke's performance remains their  vocalist's  cringingly  cheesy
(yet funny in a Tankard-sort of way)  pre-song  rant:  "We  hear  you
London and when we hear you <pointing down> HE hears you!". I'm  sure
that this isn't exactly what they're aiming for, but the last time  I
laughed so hard was when Seinfeld was still a regular on  terrestrial
television.

By their own admission, it is amazing to think just how far Cradle of
Filth have come. From being the little-known Suffolk contribution  to
pseudo Satanic black metal and clearing out many a small-town make-up
supply store of its black eyeliner and  white  face  powder,  to  the
Sony-powered fashion accessory they are now -- hell, even one of  the
simpletons from Good Charlotte was sporting a CoF shirt in a magazine
not so long ago. Their shock ascension is hit home especially hard by
the very impressive stage rig that  glares  at  the  audience  (think
Rammstein on a -much- smaller scale)  and  the  dual  flanking  video
screens that show scenes from the  much  maligned  movie  "Cradle  of
Fear", while roadies  frantically  ready  the  band's  equipment.  Of
course when the black-clad sextet slither their way on to the  stage,
the audience's response is unsurprisingly  rapturous,  but  from  the
outset something feels wrong.  It  may  be  that  the  video  screens
are now displaying  the  album  covers  from  whence  each  currently
performed song is pulled, coming across in many ways as  black  metal
infomercial. Or it may be Dani's incessant macho posturing --  not  a
convincing sight when you're five foot nothing and thin  as  a  rake.
The real problem though is the sloppiness of the band's  performance.
While material from their latest _Damnation and  a  Day_  is  tightly
played and sounds acceptable, albeit coming off an  album  which  was
underwhelming to say the least, anything predating this comes  across
as being performed by a mediocre cover  band  at  best.  Even  during
straightforward songs like "From the  Cradle  to  Enslave"  the  band
members -- especially the drummer -- drop out of  sync  and  on  more
than one occasion during "The Forest Whispers My Name" can  a  rather
heavy hint of bewilderment be  detected  on  the  faces  of  the  two
guitarists.

Closing off with "Queen of Winter, Throned", Cradle  of  Filth  leave
the Astoria with an air of disappointment. This is hardly the  return
to the battlefield everyone was hoping for, and in as  many  ways  as
Dani Filth's antics reminded me of Axl Rose during the course of  the
evening, I can't help but thinking that perhaps I have just witnessed
the birth of black metal's answer to Guns 'n' Roses. And I'd hate  to
sound negative, but I can't see them easily proving me wrong.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

         G E N E R A T I O N   A R M A G E D D O N   T O U R 
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        Ancient Rites, Thyrfing, Blood Red Throne and Skyfire 
                    in London, UK, April 30, 2003
                          by: James Montague


One might expect Europe's most  populous  city  to  be  a  haven  for
extreme metal concerts, but alas London, as with Britain in  general,
has all but forsaken metal for the past decade or  more.  Admittedly,
Immortal and Hypocrisy drew a decent audience  at  a  sizeable  venue
last year, but on the flip side, Enslaved had to cancel their gig  on
April 23rd because of poor ticket pre-sales  (reportedly,  only  nine
tickets were sold). So the scene is definitely an endangered  species
over here.

Thankfully, the Underworld Club in Camden persists in hosting extreme
metal bands  despite  the  lack  of  commercial  benefit  they  reap.
Considering that only about 50 or 60 people bothered to show up,  the
set-up was quite impressive, with excellent sound, a good bar  and  -
not surprisingly given the "crowd" -- plenty of freedom to move about
and test different vantage points.

The gig was due to start at 5pm, but ended up being delayed  for  two
hours due to uncertainty about who would show up (an all too familiar
story). Primordial, the main band I'd come to see, had  to  pull  out
because their drummer had been barred from entering the UK. At  least
the other four band members showed up, and vocalist A. A.  Nemtheanga
took the stage to apologise and explain the situation. Unfortunately,
he ignored the crowd's exhortation for the band  to  play  without  a
drummer (or with a hired hand). The other no-show was the Greek  band
Septic Flesh, for whom no explanation was offered. So  I  sat  around
for a while drinking beer and observing the  eclectic  crowd:  on  my
right side, an Asian girl in gothic garb reading  a  "Digital  Signal
Processing" textbook (just like me, five  years  ago!);  on  my  left
side,  an  Englishman  and  a  Danishman  discussing  life  in  their
respective countries. You have to love these extreme metal crowds  --
and your mother would love them too if only she dared  see  what  the
scene's really like. We really aren't such a scary lot.

7pm eventually rocked around, and first on the bill were  Skyfire,  a
band I'd never heard of before. Judging  by  their  accents  I'd  say
they're Danish or Swedish; judging by their music I'd say  they're  a
power metal band with a touch of black/death metal brutality,  making
them quite an apt opener for an Ancient  Rites  /  Thyrfing  gig.  As
well-written and as catchy as their material was, their lack of stage
presence was inescapable. A pile of rotting haggis would've had  more
personality. Guys, seriously, you may not be happy  about  being  the
opening act in a gig played before virtually nobody, but the test  of
a great live  band  is  whether  you  can  fire  up  a  disinterested
audience. On this count, you did not succeed at all!

Norway's Blood Red Throne, who took the slot mysteriously vacated  by
the Dissection rip-off band Soulreaper, showed  how  an  opening  act
should behave. I was actually dreading watching  this  band,  as  I'd
thought they were Norway's answer to Cradle of Filth (evidently I had
them confused with Blood Stained Dusk).  Instead  I  observed  brutal
death metal, played fast and tight, and with healthy  doses  of  long
blonde hair being swirled around in circles by the  three  stringsmen
and the big fat vocalist. Yes, that's more like it -- metal! The band
were only  given  about  twenty  minutes  to  play  despite  all  the
cancellations, and the crowd were  sorry  to  see  them  ago,  unlike
Skyfire.

The next band to come out had black war  paint  on  their  faces  and
launched into a ferocious attack with growled vocals. I thought  this
must have been Septic Flesh (whose status was still uncertain at this
time), so it was quite a surprise when after  the  opening  song  the
vocalist screamed "We are Thyrfing from Sweden!". Thyrfing is a  band
I  am  quite  familiar  with,  having  _Valdr  Galga_  (1998)  in  my
collection. On CD, the band is something of a guilty pleasure --  led
by the keyboards a la  Dimmu  Borgir,  but  set  in  a  Viking  metal
context, a la Amon Amarth. Their music is upbeat and catchy and often
very cheesy, but enjoyable. On stage they seem to focus more on sonic
violence, and the keyboards tended to fade into the background  while
the vocalist seemed more brutal. For the first time in the evening  I
actually recognised a few songs: "Firever", "Storms  of  Asgard"  and
possibly "The Deceitful", from their 1998 release. They put on a good
performance, though towards the end I was counting the seconds  until
Ancient Rites would take their place.

The Belgian headliners strolled out to the opening refrain  of  their
_Dim Carcosa_ album, Gunther Theys looking every bit the  40-year-old
frontman with his impressive girth and  purposeful  glare.  The  band
continued the track listing from their latest album by  thumping  out
"Les Litanies de Satan"  and  "Victory  or  Valhalla"  in  impressive
fashion, the drummer blasting out  the  black/death  fury  while  the
guitarists indulged in their power metal-tinged solo flairs. Over the
course of a long set, the band played the first six songs  from  _Dim
Carcosa_, several tracks from the early albums  _Blasphemia  Eternal_
and _Diabolical Serenades_  (most  welcome  because  they  were  sans
blastbeats, which had tended to drown out the band at times) and some
from their exalted _Fatherland_ album. It was almost inevitable  that
the set would end with the songs "Ode to Ancient Europa" and  "Mother
Europe" played back-to-back. The crowd was really getting into it  by
this stage, with the dozen or so diehards who had  banged  all  night
being gradually joined by  the  recalcitrant  arm-crossers.  Old  Man
Gunther had a good rapport with audience, seeming  unfazed  by  their
small numbers and praising their metal spirit. Satan bless that man!

The pitiful crowd was rewarded for their commitment  with  a  lengthy
encore that Ancient Rites would have been forgiven for not performing
out of disappointment in the London scene. But like the  crowd,  they
are committed to metal regardless of its pauper status, and came  out
to thrash out loads of epic _Fatherland_  tracks.  This  allowed  the
crowd to overcome the disappointment of missing Primordial and Septic
Flesh, and sent me home with some faith in London metal's ability  to
ride out the current dearth of interest.

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DESCRIPTION
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Chronicles  of  Chaos  is  a  FREE  monthly  magazine  electronically
distributed worldwide via the Internet. Seemingly endless interviews,
album reviews and concert reviews encompass the pages  of  Chronicles
of Chaos. Chronicles of Chaos stringently emphasizes all varieties of
chaotic music ranging from black and death metal to  electronic/noise
to dark, doom and ambient forms. Chronicles  of  Chaos  is  dedicated
to the underground and as such we feature demo reviews from all indie
bands who send us material, as  well  as  interviews  with  a  select
number of independent acts.


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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #62

All contents copyright  (c)  1995-2003  by  individual  creators  of 
included work. All rights reserved.
All  opinions  expressed  herein  are  those  of   the   individuals 
expressing them, and do not necessarily reflect the views of  anyone 
else.                                                                

