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



  CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, Wednesday, October 1, 2003, Issue #66
                   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
Contributor: Adrian Magers
Contributor: James Montague
Contributor: 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 #66 Contents, 10/1/2003
-----------------------------
* Chats
-- Cryptopsy: Breaking the Barriers of Supremacy
-- Tidfall: Juicy Black Metal, Anyone?
-- Anthrax: We Refuse to Be Denied
-- Golden Dawn: Beyond the Masquerade
* Albums
-- Ancient Rites - _And the Hordes Stood As One_
-- Bathory - _Nordland II_
-- Black Label Society - _Boozed, Broozed & Broken Boned_
-- Cream Abdul Babar / Teen Cthulu - 
       _Cream Abdul Babar Vs. Teen Cthulu_
-- Dimmu Borgir - _Death Cult Armageddon_
-- Edge of Sanity - _Crimson II_
-- Ellipsis - _Comastory_
-- Fleshgrind - _Murder Without End_
-- Krisiun - _Works of Carnage_
-- Lacrimosa - _Echoes_
-- Latrodectus - _Altered Flesh_
-- Le'rue Delashay - _Law of 8ve_
-- Mnemic - _Mechanical Spin Phenomena_
-- Moonspell - _The Antidote_
-- Murderous Vision / Kuru  - _Blood Brain Barrier_
-- Omnium Gatherum - _Spirits and August Light_
-- Re:Aktor - _Zero Order_
-- Scrog - _Discography_
-- The Black Dahlia Murder - _Unhallowed_
-- The Spawn of Satan / Bloodsick - _Split CD_
-- Tiamat - _Prey_
-- Tidfall - _Nucleus _
-- Ulver - _Lyckantropen Themes_
-- Zyklon - _Aeon_
* Demos
-- Antipathy - _Removal of the Mind_
-- Benighted - _Helfarjor_
-- Cerebrus / Seethe - _Split EP_
-- Corpsepyre - _The Living We Mourn_
-- Descent Into Madness - _In the Darkest Hours_
-- Exhuman - _Partition of Disorder_
-- Forsaken - _Iconoclast_
-- NDCIT - _Preparing for the Quiet Wars_
-- Shattered Remains - _Black Lotus_
-- Sifr - _Blessings of Madness_
-- Souls Entwined - _Untitled Demo_
-- Under Eden - _Songs From the Savage Circle_
* Gigs
-- Vader Slays as Slayer Fades

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

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

                  BREAKING THE BARRIERS OF SUPREMACY 
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
               CoC chats with Alex Auburn of Cryptopsy
                           by: Jackie Smit


For the relatively short time that I have been a music scribe, I  have
had the privilege of meeting a great many  musicians;  and  while  the
majority have thus far been friendly, accommodating and generally just
cool, there have been the odd exceptions where one's perception of  an
individual whose personality has more or  less  been  created  by  the
media that introduced you to the artist in the first place, is  dashed
by  ill-advised  egoism  or  arrogant  nonchalance.  Cryptopsy's  Alex
Auburn, on the other hand, confounds one's expectations in a decidedly
more positive way. While no member of  Canada's  premier  death  metal
band has ever come across  as  haughty  or  gruff  in  the  slightest,
Auburn's genuine  friendliness  and  humility  is  almost  unsettling,
considering the musical pedestal upon which so many  have  placed  his
band.

With new vocalist Martin LaCroix joining the Canadians after the their
spectacular _And Then You'll Beg_ and the subsequent departure of Mike
DiSalvo, Cryptopsy certainly have a lot to prove; and as they gear  up
to put the finishing  touches  to  their  forthcoming  opus  (due  for
release in early 2004), I felt that it was high time that  the  band's
founder and primary songwriter shed some light on recent goings-on  in
Camp Cryptopsy.

CoC: First of all, Alex -- how did Martin LaCroix's joining  the  band
come about?

Alex Auburn: Well, it all happened  really  quickly  in  that  I  was 
             actually in California when I found out  that  Mike  had 
             left, and about three weeks after  that  we  started  to 
             contact some people and started the process  of  holding 
             auditions. We got the guys to do three  different  songs 
             off three different albums -- and that's basically  what 
             we expected of everyone. Martin didn't actually come  in 
             to audition  for  us  specifically.  He  tried  out  for 
             another band and wasn't what they were looking  for  and 
             they then told us that we should give him a try, as they 
             thought that he had more of a Cryptopsy-type  of  voice. 
             He was also a big fan of the band before that, which was 
             really one of the most important things  to  us  --  and 
             basically a week and a half after  that,  we  tried  him 
             out, it felt really good and he got the spot.            

CoC: How many auditions did you guys do?

AA: Well, we probably did about twelve actual auditions, but  we  had 
    applications from all over -- we even had  a  guy  from  Lebanon! 
    <laughs> But just so many e-mails, and tapes -- and in the end it 
    turned out for the best because Martin comes from the  same  city 
    [Montreal] as we do and just suits the band really well.          

CoC: It's very rare that  a  band  would  introduce  a  new  vocalist 
     through a live album -- were you guys a bit hesitant to do  this 
     at all, or was it a conscious decision?                          

AA: At first we didn't think about  it  too  much,  because  when  we 
    reflected on it initially the album was done  because  it's  been 
    ten years since we started Cryptopsy and we basically  wanted  to 
    capture that era on a live record. It was only  when  we  thought 
    about it later on that we realized how unusual it was -- in fact, 
    I don't think that anyone has actually done that before.  But  as 
    far as _None So Live_ is concerned, it's a  greatest  hits  in  a 
    way, and it's material that we feel will please  the  fans  until 
    the next album comes out, and that's the  aspect  from  which  we 
    approached doing the album. Also, we actually  based  the  entire 
    record on one show in Montreal, which meant that we couldn't make 
    any mistakes and that we needed to be  super-tight  all  the  way 
    through.                                                          

CoC: A lot of people were very  skeptical  about  Cryptopsy's  future 
     after Mike left, and now with Martin  in  the  band,  a  lot  of 
     people have compared him to Lord Worm. Your opinion?             

AA: Yeah, it has happened, and the reaction for Martin has been  very 
    good. In fact, when we did our first tour with him in Europe, the 
    reaction was probably more positive for Martin than  it  was  for 
    Mike the first time round, so I don't know -- I like Mike's voice 
    and I think he's fucking fantastic, but  some  people  seemed  to 
    have a problem with him. I mean, maybe his vocal patterns on _And 
    Then You'll Beg_ are less aggressive than on _Whisper Supremacy_, 
    but other than that the guy was faultless. We  certainly  thought 
    that people would love Mike, but in the  end  the  opinions  were 
    really split, whereas the reaction to Martin has been much better 
    so far.                                                           

CoC: Do you think that Martin  was  nervous  at  all  about  suddenly 
     fronting a band of Cryptopsy's stature?                               

AA: He didn't show it! <laughs> The thing was that we already  had  a 
    lot of tours and festivals booked when Mike left, and we couldn't 
    postpone anything and tell people that we would practice for  two 
    weeks and then do the shows or whatever. So we had a really short 
    rehearsal time before we went on the road,  but  Martin  got  his 
    shit together and stayed calm and it came out good.               

CoC: So what will Martin's contribution be to the new record?

AA: He will do all  the  lyrics,  but  as  far  as  musically  --  we 
    basically take care of that. After everything's been written,  we 
    will sit down and mix ideas and change and adjust a song as we go 
    along. It's pretty open, but he will be mostly involved  in  just 
    doing the lyrics.                                                 

CoC: And when can we expect the next record?

AA: If everything goes well, we will enter the studio in October.  We 
    want to be in the studio in October and November, and be done  in 
    those two months, so that we can avoid the hardest snow  when  it 
    hits in Canada, and the  album  will  hopefully  be  released  by 
    February or March in 2004.                                        

CoC: So what can we expect from the record on a musical level?

AA: It'll definitely sound  closer  to  _And  Then  You'll  Beg_,  as 
    opposed to _None So Vile_ or _Blasphemy Made Flesh_. But  at  the 
    same time, we've added some awesome  grooves,  and  we're  taking 
    longer with them this time round, so that the  listener  can  get 
    into them before we change to the next part. The  album  is  also 
    going to be a lot more extreme -- lots more  technicality;  we've 
    got a lot of new patterns and riffs and basically  just  a  whole 
    fucked-up lot of ideas. The songs sound very different from  each 
    other and we're even planning on using samples  on  a  couple  of 
    tracks. There will definitely be a lot of color, that's for sure. 

CoC: Does Lord Worm still have anything to do with the band?

AA: He helps polish some of the English  that  gets  written  in  the 
    band, and he still contributes to the band in that way.  I  mean, 
    we're definitely still good friends with him and we invite him to 
    parties and to shows -- he's just a crazy fool  and  he's  really 
    fun to be around. Actually, I don't know if a lot of people  know 
    this, but he's an English teacher over here. He  still  has  long 
    hair though. <laughs>                                             

CoC: Do his students know that he used to front a death metal band?

AA: Yeah, a couple of them probably do.

CoC: So, do you guys still see Mike at all?

AA: No, we don't, unfortunately. I mean, I don't think  he  was  ever 
    angry with us at all, but he needed a really big break. I know he 
    was affected by a  lot  by  people  on  our  website's  guestbook 
    writing negative things about him, and also he has a  family  who 
    are very much a priority for him. Also, he wanted to  work  on  a 
    lot of other things outside  of  the  family  that  affected  the 
    schedule, and we can not bend for one guy. We  have  to  continue 
    and if one person can not make it, then that  is  definitely  not 
    our problem.                                                      

CoC: The so-called "math-core" genre has started to  gain  tremendous 
     popularity, and considering that Cryptopsy are in many ways  the 
     unsung pioneers in that style, where do you see the band fitting 
     into the mix in the future?                                      

AA: Opening new barriers. Climbing different musical  mountains,  but 
    with a Cryptopsy touch. We're open to  a  lot  of  stuff  --  not 
    everything -- we're trying  out  a  lot  of  new  ideas  and  Flo 
    [Mounier, drummer]  is  still  working  on  a  lot  of  new  drum 
    patterns. With the new record we are definitely  incorporating  a 
    lot of mathematics in the way that  we  sequence  a  lot  of  the 
    tempos and beats, and as far as the new album again -- it's a lot 
    different to what we have done in the  past,  but  I  think  that 
    people are really going to like it.                               

CoC: So, do you see this album  possibly  appealing  to  people  that 
     wouldn't have been attracted to Cryptopsy, or indeed, any  death 
     metal act previously?                                            

AA: It's difficult for me to  say,  because  I'm  in  the  band,  but 
    looking at things from the outside -- like I said,  we've  worked 
    really hard on this record,  and  we've  revised  our  ideas  and 
    thrown away a lot of what we felt was not absolutely perfect. So, 
    all I can say really is that it's sounding pretty cool so far.    

CoC: Getting back to Flo -- he was recently asked to take part  in  a 
     performance art piece at the Guggenheim museum in New York.  How 
     did that come about?                                             

AA: I think that the producer knows the band and he had  an  idea  to 
    basically  create  this  'fountain'  of  sound,  using  different 
    drummers, singers, and so on. What they basically want to  do  is 
    to place tourists in the middle of a room and what  they'll  hear 
    is every  musician  playing  at  the  same  time  from  different 
    positions -- sort of like a human octagon -- and I think that the 
    purpose is to determine how much the average brain will  be  able 
    to take in out of its surroundings and how  many  sounds,  so  to 
    speak, it will accept. And basically, Flo was one of the two guys 
    that was chosen to play drums, which is really amazing since this 
    artist is very well known from what  I've  heard.  He  went  down 
    there for a week and got an awesome  response,  and  really,  all 
    these experiences outside of playing in a metal band  are  great, 
    you know. I mean, if we were asked to write a song for  a  movie, 
    we would love it.                                                 

CoC: Right now I take it that you all still need day jobs to make ends
     meet? What do you get up to when you're not on the road?

AA: I build stages for big shows and bands.

CoC: Do you see Cryptopsy as something that you'd ever be able  to  or
     want to make a living from?

AA: That would be really difficult, because basically the bigger  the 
    band, the bigger the spending, and you would need to make  a  lot 
    of money before you could sit on your ass and say "I'm set  now". 
    I mean, the country we live in is really affordable in as far  as 
    things like rent or whatever is concerned, but to make money as a 
    musician is really hard. Like I said, the  bigger  you  get,  the 
    more you need to spend -- studios, the website. I mean, I'd  love 
    for it to happen  to  Cryptopsy,  but  I'm  not  counting  on  it 
    happening anytime soon.                                           

CoC: Thanks for your time, Alex -- any last words?

AA: We'd really like to get over to Europe  soon,  and  we're  really 
    looking forward to seeing England and Ireland again after the new 
    album is out. Other than that... ummm... drink beer!              

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

        J U I C Y    B L A C K    M E T A L ,    A N Y O N E ? 
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                CoC chats with Drako Arcane of Tidfall
                           by: Jackie Smit


Originally brought into existence more than a decade ago, the road  to
recognition for Norway's Tidfall has been steep and, more  often  than
not, winding. After departing from the Nocturnal Arts roster in  2001,
the band could very well have ended up in black metal  obscurity,  but
for the watchful eyes of Nuclear Blast, who saw potential and  snapped
up the band, ultimately giving  us  the  end  product  that  is  their
latest record, _Nucleus_.  A  swirling,  futuristic  maelstrom  of  an
album, _Nucleus_ is as intense and invigorating as  it  is  bleak  and
aggressive. But, as it turns out, for all their dabbling in  the  dark
side, Tidfall are also refreshingly self-deprecating, as I  discovered
when I hooked up with guitarist Drako Arcane recently  for  an  e-mail
interview.

CoC: If I were forced to describe your current sound, I'd say that it 
     covers the  middle  ground  between  Dimmu  Borgir  and  earlier 
     Kovenant material -- would you agree?                            

Drako Arcane: No,   that   would   sound   like    KovenBorgir?    Or 
              KovenBurger... juicy  metal.  Yeah,  that's  us!  Juicy 
              metal with spicy lyrics. Voila! A culinary evening with 
              Tidfall.                                                

CoC: You started in 1992, but it took until 2000  for  you  to  start 
     getting recognised and signed to a record label. What would  you 
     say,  if  anything,  was  holding  you  back  or  were  specific 
     obstacles in your path?                                          

DA: There wasn't anything really holding us back,  so  to  speak.  We 
    just recorded some demos and had fun playing some local gigs.  We 
    were pure underground in the beginning, and we liked it that way. 
    After we recorded the demo _Black Psychotic Darkness_, we decided 
    to seriously try to get ourselves a deal, and here we are today.  

CoC: What was the reason behind ending your relationship with  Samoth 
     and Nocturnal Arts and moving to Nuclear Blast?  Was  the  split 
     amicable?                                                        

DA: The relationship ended because at the time that we were recording 
    the _Instinct Gate_ album, Samoth was working  really  hard  with 
    Zyklon and their first release [_World Ov Worms_]. Things started 
    to take more time than we could afford, and at the same  time  we 
    had some communication with Nuclear Blast and  they  showed  some 
    interest in our music. So we spoke to Samoth and agreed  that  an 
    album like _Instinct Gate_ had the potential to reach  out  to  a 
    very wide audience, and in order to do so, it needed to be backed 
    by a very strong distribution network. And that was  the  end  of 
    that story.                                                       

CoC: The new record seems to be  very  conceptualised  and  obviously 
     very futuristic -- how would you describe  your  vision  of  the 
     future, and do you feel that _Nucleus_ does it justice?          

DA: There are a million black metal bands out there, and  almost  all 
    of them play the same type of "evil" black metal. It really bores 
    me. I can't remember when I last found a black metal  album  that 
    really gave something. Wait  --  Emperor  did!  Getting  back  to 
    Tidfall -- we will never stagnate when  it  comes  to  style  and 
    music. We don't like to be stigmatised. We just play the kind  of 
    music that works for  ourselves.  The  future  brings  only  more 
    destruction and death, and we are the soundtrack to it. So to  us 
    -- yes, _Nucleus_ justifies the future, and there is  more  where 
    that came from!                                                   

CoC: In what ways do you think our current global state of affairs is 
     sending us toward your envisioned future, and do you think  that 
     there's any way for us to change that?                           

DA: There is a lot of shit happening around the world today,  and  we 
    try our best to  reflect  on  things  around  us  in  the  lyrics 
    and music. As I see  it,  religion  will  be  the  fall  of  man. 
    Almost everything bad that happens concerns some kind  of  stupid 
    religion. People's minds will in the end lose track of  time  and 
    place, and I don't think it can be  changed.  The  fanatics  will 
    always be there, with their terror.                               

CoC: With your use of electronics and the increasing number of  black 
     metal bands utilising electro and/or industrial  influences,  do 
     you see this as an evolutionary step in black metal's sound as a 
     whole?                                                           

DA: No, it's too early for that. Some  elements  within  black  metal 
    have obviously changed, but hopefully the brutality will be there 
    along with the use of new elements in the music.                  

CoC: What motivated or influenced Tidfall to implement these elements 
     in their music?                                                       

DA: It came to us naturally, and  after  we  had  made  some  line-up 
    changes it was easier to try out newer things on the  rehearsals. 
    We tried out some elements on the _Instinct Gate_ album, which we 
    felt worked perfectly, so basically, here we are now.             

CoC: Why do you think that these musical styles  blend  so  well  with
     black metal?

DA: I don't think it blends well if you don't use it right, you  need 
    to have the right sound at the studio to really make it good. You 
    can give the riffs more feeling with the  electronica,  which  we 
    think is important.                                               

CoC: What were your musical influences when you  started  Tidfall  and
     what are you currently listening to at the moment?

DA: The influences must have been from the really early days  when  I 
    discovered Slayer, Death and so on. And then  the  Swedish  death 
    metal band Morbid with Death on vocals, and then Mayhem,  Burzum. 
    At the  moment  I  am  listening  to  Turbonegro's  _Scandinavian 
    Leather_. Wow, they are genuine!                                  

CoC: What are your plans for the future of Tidfall?

DA: Now the plans are to play live, go touring. And of course drinking
    Ringnes [Norwegian beer] and making some more futuristic music.

CoC: Any last words?

DA: Check out our latest website -- www.tidfall.net  --  and  join  us
    there on a digital metalparty!

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

           W E    R E F U S E    T O    B E    D E N I E D 
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                 CoC chats with John Bush of Anthrax
                           by: Jackie Smit


It's approximately four hours until the doors to  the  London  Astoria
open to welcome punters in for the evening's festivities, and  already
the queue of Anthrax fans, eagerly anticipating  their  heroes'  third
appearance of the year in the capital, is  stretching  well  into  the
adjacent main road -- much to the amusement of the slightly  befuddled
passers-by. Later this evening, the 3000-strong will lay waste to  the
famous venue's dank interior with the type of  ferocity  you'd  expect
from naught but the most rabid fan. Rewind two years and matters  were
distinctly different however.

Dropped from Elektra Records due to poor sales, insulted in the  press
by previous band members and considered past their sell-by-date by all
but a less-than-vocal  minority,  Anthrax  were  a  prime  example  of
a once-great  band  being  chewed  up  and  spit  out  by  a  ruthless
all-consuming corporate music culture. Indeed, suggesting that Anthrax
were on the verge of calling it  quits  would  likely  not  have  been
contested, particularly after  the  veritable  media  witch-hunt  that
erupted after the band were labelled insensitive  antagonists  in  the
aftermath of the attack on the World Trade  Center.  Standing  at  the
crossroads of their two decade plus  career,  the  Anthrax  collective
could very well have decided that  enough  was  enough;  but  lest  we
forget, we're not dealing with your average two-bit metal  band  here.
In a display of almost warrior-like indomitability, John  Bush,  Scott
Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank  Bello  and  Rob  Caggiano  regrouped  and
unleashed _We Have Come For You All_ -- arguably their  most  vibrant,
aggressive and confident album since 1994's  _Sound  of  White  Noise_
opus.

Now, signed to Nuclear Blast and seemingly  hungrier  than  ever,  the
'Thrax look set to ascend to the top of the mountain once more. When I
am introduced to John Bush backstage at the Astoria,  he  is  in  good
spirits, albeit still a tad  hung  over  from  a  night-best-forgotten
in Manchester  two  days  earlier.  The  newly-shorn  frontman  is  an
invigorating person to talk to:  ultra-confident,  very  friendly  and
surprisingly inquisitive. We  spend  the  first  quarter  of  an  hour
shooting the breeze on topics ranging from South Africa's metal  scene
to  Relapse  Record's  superstars-in-making  Mastodon  before  finally
getting down to the business at hand.

CoC: _We've Come For You All_ has generally been hailed as a comeback 
     record for Anthrax. Considering that this implies  that  Anthrax 
     were regarded as being 'on the way down', how do you respond  to 
     that point of view?                                              

John Bush: Well, in all honesty we were on our way down. I don't know 
           about musically -- I mean, I'm the last guy who  wants  to 
           say that, because I joined three records ago.  <laughs>  I 
           do believe that we made some really good  records  in  the 
           last couple of years, but there  were  a  lot  of  factors 
           outside of the band's control that lowered  the  awareness 
           of those albums, and because of that there was a  decline, 
           which caused us to not be in the public eye as much as  we 
           used to be and probably should have been. In terms of this 
           album maybe having much more of an  'awareness',  I  think 
           that's a perfectly valid  point,  and  I  certainly  don't 
           think that the last two records weren't any good;  I  just 
           think that the new album  is  a  very  ferocious  sounding 
           record and it does sound like it's grabbing people by  the 
           neck and making a statement.                               

CoC: Well, one of the big factors in bringing Anthrax back  into  the 
     public eye, albeit in a negative way, was the furore surrounding 
     your name around the time  of  9/11.  Did  this  influence  your 
     approach to the new album in any way?                            

JB: No, at the most it probably influenced one song,  "Refuse  to  Be 
    Denied"; but other than that we were actually in  the  middle  of 
    writing already when the whole September 11  thing  happened.  We 
    were actually about to start a tour with  Judas  Priest  when  it 
    happened; we were in Nebraska and we were supposed to  play,  and 
    then we woke up to that and the tour was cancelled. So,  about  a 
    month after that, we got together and  decided  to  get  back  to 
    writing. The comment I've always made is that we're not going  to 
    write the soundtrack to 9/11 -- that will never be the basis  for 
    an Anthrax record. Sure, it affected us personally; we're  a  New 
    York-based band, but again, we're not going  to  have  ten  songs 
    about 9/11, because I have other things I want to talk about. And 
    I know that Scott and the other guys feel the same way.           

CoC: You had to have been surprised to see  your  band  being  dragged
     into the media frenzy though.

JB: Oh yeah -- things happened so quickly, from the first person  who 
    died to when all of a sudden the media decided that they  weren't 
    going to concentrate on it anymore and started going after  every 
    scapegoat they could think of. Then of course, here's  this  band 
    called Anthrax and we started  getting  calls  from  Wall  Street 
    Journal, Fortune Magazine -- we were happy  to  talk  to  anybody 
    associated with music, but we caught on pretty  early  that  they 
    weren't about to say anything nice about  us,  so  we  created  a 
    press release [the infamous "Basketful  of  Puppies"  name-change 
    saga] as a joke. And  then  CNN  took  the  whole  thing  out  of 
    proportion and ran it as a  serious  story,  which  made  us  go: 
    "Whoa, this is your fucking  journalism?"  The  whole  thing  was 
    meant as a joke -- we wrote on the website that it was a joke! It 
    made me have a lot less respect for CNN,  that's  for  sure.  But 
    eventually it went away. There were people that told us  that  it 
    was a sensitive issue, but  we  basically  said  "Look,  assholes 
    -- we've been around  for  twenty  years!"  And  at  the  end  of 
    everything, I think it probably made us feel  quite  a  bit  more 
    resilient.                                                        

CoC: So, when you left Elektra, did you feel that you were caught at a
     crossroads, so to speak?

JB: Absolutely. I mean, there were times when we were  all  wondering 
    whether it was over. I certainly never doubted  the  ability  for 
    the guys to get together and make good music, but  there  was  so 
    much legal business with the record  company  that  it  ended  up 
    being like five albatrosses around our neck. And there  would  be 
    times where we would play together and  come  up  with  something 
    great, only to get a phone call from some lawyer or someone  from 
    the label. But we hung in there, which I think is a testament  to 
    our endurance, and we're here now because it's our choice.        

CoC: Now that you're signed to Nuclear Blast, do  you  feel  that  the
     whole business process has been simplified?

JB: Well, here in Europe they have done an amazing job exposing us to 
    potential as well as old Anthrax fans -- telling  them  that  the 
    record is out. I mean we sold about 500 000 copies of  _Sound  of 
    White Noise_ and at the end of the day about 150  000  of  _Stomp 
    442_ and _Volume 8_, purely because Elektra never even  did  much 
    to let the existing fans know that there was a new Anthrax  album 
    out. I've always said that I'd rather someone come up to  me  and 
    say that my record sucks than tell me that they  didn't  know  we 
    had a new record out. That just means  that  the  record  company 
    aren't doing their job, because there's only so much that we  can 
    do ourselves. But like I said, so far Nuclear Blast have  done  a 
    hell of a job. Now we have to concentrate on Sanctuary in America 
    -- they haven't really been as active as we would have hoped.     

CoC: So how did the Nuclear Blast deal come about?

JB: Well, it had a lot to do with Charlie and  Scott  having  a  good 
    thing going on with them with SOD, plus they wanted Anthrax,  and 
    I mean they're actually so big now  that  they're  like  a  major 
    label anyway. Also they know  what  they're  selling,  they  love 
    metal and they've really done an excellent job.                   

CoC: There were rumours that you guys were going to  do  a  "reunion" 
     tour with you and Joey [Belladona, ex-Anthrax vocalist]  sharing 
     the mic duties. Has there been any talk  of  this  taking  place 
     recently?                                                        

JB: No, I haven't thought about  it.  We  were  going  to  do  it  in 
    conjunction with our greatest hits compilation  [_Return  of  the 
    Killer A's_] and I thought that it was a cool idea. But he had  a 
    lot of demands -- primarily financial -- where he wanted  certain 
    amounts of money and wanted to play at certain size venues and we 
    were like "Dude, let's do some math here -- this is what you want 
    and this is what we're getting". But he  wouldn't  budge,  so  we 
    called the promoters and they said that we needn't worry --  that 
    basically we'd draw people because we're Anthrax --  so  we  just 
    did a tour anyway. And it was a blown opportunity for him.        

CoC: It's been a big year for metal thus far with a  lot  of  veteran 
     acts like Sepultura and Metallica releasing new albums. What  do 
     you think of all the older bands making a return to the fold?    

JB: Well, it challenges  newer  groups  to  come  up  with  something 
    better, which is really good for the scene. And it's great to see 
    that guys like Slayer and Sepultura are still doing  it  and  are 
    still doing it well. I mean, a lot of bands bring out one amazing 
    album and the rest is shit. As far  as  Metallica  --  I've  only 
    heard the new album from top to bottom once and I do believe that 
    the production of the record hinders my enjoyment of the  record. 
    <laughs> I suppose that they were going for that kind  of  sound, 
    but for me as a consumer, I don't like it because I  don't  think 
    that it embellishes the songs or does the songs  justice  in  any 
    way. I saw them live recently in Germany  though  and  they  were 
    amazing, so...                                                    

CoC: Anthrax have been around more than two decades now -- do you  see
     yourself still doing this maybe ten or fifteen years from now?

JB: No, I don't think I will. I can only speak on behalf  of  myself, 
    but quite honestly I am not even really thinking past tonight.  I 
    might wake up tomorrow morning and feel completely different, and 
    that's the way I live my life. I'm generally pretty scared of the 
    future. But I don't know -- I think that it really comes down  to 
    whether we can collectively still like each other in twenty years 
    from now, and still make quality music and still feel like  we're 
    doing something  great.  That's  definitely  the  most  important 
    thing. There's bands that have been around a  long  time  that  I 
    wish would just quit -- it's  like  they've  picked  a  name  and 
    they're milking  it  for  all  it's  worth  and  taking  all  the 
    integrity out of it. Especially bands that  are  fucking  loaded. 
    <laughs> On the other hand, if they  really  love  doing  it  and 
    that's the driving force, then that's cool. If it's money and the 
    quality of what they're putting out is crap, then fuck  them.  Or 
    if it's not quality and they're just trying  to  make  a  living, 
    then that's okay. <laughs>                                        

CoC: So when Anthrax decides to call it quits one day, who  would  you
     say will pick up the torch out of the current crop of bands?

JB: Well, it's difficult to say, especially because it's so different 
    in Europe to America, where everyone is just so trendy. In Europe 
    and Britain they seem to be much more accepting and embracing  of 
    older bands, whereas in America if  you've  been  out  for  three 
    years, you're old, and I think that attitude stinks. We're  lucky 
    that way in Europe, because here they still  embrace  bands  like 
    Anthrax, where in the States it's a lot harder for  us.  I  mean, 
    there they're calling bands like Korn old now -- fuck, that makes 
    me prehistoric! But metal will always  be  changing  --  nowadays 
    everyone says that nu metal is dead, but four  years  ago,  every 
    magazine were up those band's asses. As far as new bands that are 
    really good -- I really love Queens of the  Stone  Age,  I  think 
    that The Datsuns are really great. And System of  a  Down  are  a 
    fucking amazing band, who will be  around  for  a  long  time,  I 
    think.                                                            

CoC: When Anthrax was on Elektra, was there ever any pressure put  on 
     the band to change your image and your make your music more 
     "trendy"? 

JB: No one ever really specifically came to  us  and  said  anything, 
    because we're fully aware of what's going on around us. We're not 
    living in some time chamber and thinking it's 1985.  So,  no  one 
    suggested  doing  anything  differently.  And  for  us  the  most 
    important will always be to make records that sound like Anthrax, 
    but that still progresses and sounds fresh. We don't want to make 
    another _Among the Living_, but at the same time  _We  Have  Come 
    For You All_ sounds to me like _Among the Living_ if it  were  to 
    have come out in 2003.                                            

CoC: Well, thanks for your time, John!

JB: Thank you and thanks to all the fans -- we hope we'll see  you  on
    the road.

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

             B E Y O N D    T H E    M A S Q U E R A D E 
             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
           CoC chats with Stefan Traunmuller of Golden Dawn
                          by: Quentin Kalis

If there was justice in the world, Golden  Dawn  would  have  achieved
the same level  of  fame  and  notoriety  within  the  underground  as
countrymates Abigor and Summoning. Some of the blame must be  laid  on
the Metallica-esque gap between their two full-lengths -- their  debut
album _The Art of Dreaming_ came out  in  1996,  but  their  sophomore
effort  _Masquerade_  was  released  only  in  early  2003.  Musically
speaking, the gap between the two albums is astounding. _TAoD_  was  a
black metal CD, yet went beyond the limiting  confines  of  the  genre
both musically and lyrically,  without  losing  the  essence  of  what
constitutes black metal. The follow-up _Masquerade_ was  a  completely
different and more complex affair that combined the best  elements  of
prog, black, gothic and heavy metal. I was sufficiently impressed with
both albums that I just had to know more about the  band  responsible.
The result is the introductory interview, conducted  via  e-mail  with
Stefan Traunmuller; hopefully more metalheads  will  become  aware  of
this enigmatic band.

CoC: For those who are unfamiliar with Golden Dawn, could you explain,
     briefly, in your own words, the formation of Golden Dawn?

Stefan Traunmuller: I  began  to  make  music  in  1992  and  started 
                    Golden Dawn  as  a  one-man  project.  The  first 
                    demos suffered from the  bad  sound  and  a  lack 
                    of technical abilities but  already  showed  some 
                    experimental keyboards and progressive edges. The 
                    first serious publishing was the third demo  _Way 
                    of the  Sorcerer_  and  the  two  tracks  on  the 
                    compilation _A.B.M.S. - Norici Obscura Pars_. The 
                    collaboration with Dark Matter Records  continued 
                    with the first album _The Art  of  Dreaming_  and 
                    ended during the production of the  second  album 
                    _Sublimity_ when  they  went  bankrupt.  Then  in 
                    2001 I started to work together  with  Karim  and 
                    Sebastian  on  the  new  album  _Masquerade_  for 
                    Ars Metalli. But they ripped  me  off  again  and 
                    therefore I  am  very  glad  to  be  with  Napalm 
                    Records now.                                      

CoC: The Golden Dawn website lists only two albums  for  Golden  Dawn,
     released some years apart. What happened?

ST: As stated before, the second album  should  have  been  a  record 
    called _Sublimity_. It was recorded between 1997  and  1999,  but 
    Dark Matter Records had less and less  time  and  more  and  more 
    financial problems. We worked very hard on this  album  and  just 
    before the final  mastering  could  have  been  done,  the  label 
    stopped its existence. I was very disappointed and did  not  want 
    to record and release everything  all  over  again;  therefore  I 
    spent some years at home composing and recording just for myself. 

CoC: Was any material released during this period?

ST: Yes, there are the two albums _Sublimity_ and _A Solemn Day_,  but
    they were just demo recordings for myself.

CoC: Were you -- or any other current members -- involved in any  side
     projects?

ST: Yes,  Karim,  Moritz  and  me  play  in  Sternenstaub  as   well. 
    Sternenstaub is symphonic black metal, more straightforward  than 
    Golden Dawn. We have already recorded our  debut  album  and  are 
    looking for a label at the moment.                                

CoC: _Masquerade_  is  vastly  different  in  style  to  _The  Art  of
     Dreaming_. What prompted such a drastic change in style?

ST: Time, experience  and  personal  development.  If  you  knew  the 
    in-between albums and songs, you would not  find  the  change  so 
    drastic. But _Masquerade_ also  reflects  the  influence  of  two 
    other musicians for the first time, another  thing  that  changed 
    the direction a bit. But I think  that  there  is  some  kind  of 
    characteristic style in my music;  on  the  first  album  it  was 
    presented in a very intuitive way and now in a more sophisticated 
    way.                                                              

CoC: I can hear a wide range  of  influences  in  _Masquerade_. Which
     bands have influenced Golden Dawn?

ST: In the early nineties I listened to many of the well-known  black 
    metal bands, but I also admired classical and  electronic  music. 
    With the passing of time I  turned  away  from  black  metal  and 
    nowadays I listen  to  a  lot  of  prog  rock.  Of  course  I  am 
    influenced by all the music I hear, as well as by  all  things  I 
    experience in my life; I think that this is natural. But  I  will 
    never try to copy anything or focus on a certain style.           

CoC: I must say that I like the design of the Golden Dawn website! It 
     seems to tie in  with  the  _Masquerade_  cover;  is  there  any 
     meaning to it or does it simply suit the music and atmosphere?   

ST: The latter... I  had  an  idea  of  a  very  complex  cover  with 
    philosophical background, but nobody was able to make this  real; 
    therefore, we decided to take a  kind  of  gothic  styled  cover. 
    There are also some modern elements in it, just like in the music 
    of the album.                                                     

CoC: What are the future plans for Golden Dawn?

ST: To compose the next album, which should  become  a  concept  album
    with strong classical and progressive influences.

CoC: We've come to the end. The floor is yours! Is there anything  you
     would like to say to our readers?

ST: Thanks for all your support, keep up your individualism and be  at
    one with yourselves.

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

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

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!


Ancient Rites - _And the Hordes Stood As One_
by: Quentin Kalis  (8 out of 10)  (Hammerheart Records, 2003)

Presumably this live  album  is  intended  as  filler  between  studio
albums; while premature, it is not  an  unwelcome  addition  to  their
discography, given the calibre of their  back-catalogue.  Despite  the
fact that there are sixteen tracks lasting over 78 minutes, there will
be  the  inevitable  complaints  that  a  particular  favourite  isn't
included -- I personally would have loved a live version of "Rise  and
Fall (Anno Satana)". Still, there could  have  been  less  of  a  bias
towards their last studio effort, _Dim Carcosa_ (which is  represented
by no less than eight tracks) with the remainder more or  less  evenly
split between the preceding three albums.  Even  _Fatherland_,  widely
and justifiably regarded as their finest moment, is represented  by  a
mere three songs. I certainly don't expect every  single  album  in  a
band's catalogue to be represented on a live album in equal  portions,
and a bias towards the latest is to be expected, but nor do  I  expect
such an overwhelming bias towards a single album -- I want to  hear  a
live Ancient Rites album, not a live version of _Dim Carcosa_.

Set list aside, this is an impressive live  album,  and  while  it  is
impossible to accurately recreate the mood and atmosphere  of  a  live
gig, this is as close as it can possibly get. As expected,  the  sound
is rawer and more organic than on the studio albums  and  the  earlier
material has an enhanced melodic edge. Calls  of  "Me-tawl!"  and  the
like do not seem at all cheesy, but are apt and  enhance  rather  than
detract from the atmosphere. There is a clear sense that the band  are
enjoying themselves, enhancing the quality. For those  who  absolutely
loved _DC_, add an extra point to the rating above.


Bathory - _Nordland II_  (Black Mark Records, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis  (5 out of 10)

_Nordland II_ is the follow-up to _Nordland I_ and  forms  the  second
part of a staggered double CD release.  An  ambitious  project,  which
can only  be  pulled  off  by  those  with  the  requisite  skill  and
sufficient vision. Sadly, neither quality is  exhibited.  Bathory  was
once a pioneer of extreme metal; albums such as  _The  Return..._  and
_Hammerheart_ are massively influential classics. But now, after  some
two decades in the business, the extremity and innovative spirit  that
was the driving force behind the aforementioned classics has  deserted
Quorthon. Although _Nordland II_ is  hardly  the  worst  Viking  metal
album ever released, it must surely rank as one of the most  soulless;
Bathory is seemingly now content to simply go through the  motions  in
creating music. The songs feature many of the trademarks and  features
of this subgenre -- indeed many were pioneered by Quorthon --  yet  on
_Nordland II_ they sound tired and cliché-ridden. This is not such  an
average that it inspires the desire to hear it again nor is it so  bad
that the listener is driven to  switch  the  CD  player;  the  average
listener  will  lose  interest  and  it  will  simply  fade  into  the
background. A further indicator of  how  the  mighty  have  fallen  is
provided by the intro, "Fanfare", which paradoxically  sounds  like  a
rip-off of a Graveland intro -- even though Bathory could probably sue
Graveland for practically plagiarising _Hammerheart_  on  their  later
albums! This album cannot be awarded more then a five  --  a  mediocre
rating for a truly mediocre album. Bathory is  fast  becoming  another
Black Sabbath: after releasing a slew of  seminal,  original  releases
which are destined to remain classics, both descended into repetitious
mediocrity and self-parody, marching on long after  when  they  should
have given up.


Black Label Society - _Boozed, Broozed & Broken Boned_
by: Jackie Smit  (9 out of 10)  (Eagle Vision Entertainment, 2003)

It seems as though just about every band and their brother  is  trying
to cash in on the latest corporate trend of music DVDs these  days  --
slapping a shoddily recorded concert onto a disc and touting it as the
next step in the evolution of musical home entertainment seems  to  be
one of the easiest ways in the world to make a quick  buck.  Truth  be
told, I was almost expecting the same  out  of  the  new  Black  Label
Society DVD, particularly given the recent penchant for higher profile
bands to put together half-hearted attempts at  home  video;  but  for
once it seems that someone has actually paid attention to the cries of
the consumer and released a package that does its heritage proud.

Aside from the main event, so to speak, on this DVD, the list of bonus
features reads like a Black Label Society fan's veritable  wet  dream.
For your hard-earned dosh, you get extensive interview  footage,  home
video footage from Zakk Wylde's private  collection  that  includes  a
hilarious clip of himself  and  his  two  year-old  daughter  Rae  Rae
performing a duet of  sorts.  Then  there's  additional  life  footage
captured in 2003 in Tokyo, Zakk playing the American  National  Anthem
at an LA Kings hockey game, as well  as  music  videos  and  a  guitar
lesson.

The gig recorded at Harpo's in Detroit forms the meat of this  release
though, and what I found instantly appealing is the more live feel  of
the recording style, eschewing the annoying trend of slick  production
and film-school editing that in my opinion ruins both  the  atmosphere
and purpose of such a DVD as this. And boy, can Zakk &  Co  put  on  a
show -- "Bleed for Me", "Graveyard Disciples" and  "Genocide  Junkies"
are blistering, proving that the live environment is perhaps the  best
way to savour the heartfelt delights that Wylde  has  to  offer.  With
a  rallying  cry  of  "Limp  Bizkit  sucks  cock",  the  aptly  titled
"Superterrorizer" is perhaps the highlight on an outstanding offering,
and truly, even if your interest  in  the  man  isn't  uber-fanatical,
_Boozed, Broozed & Broken Boned_ is well worth a look.

Contact: http://www.blacklabelsociety.net


Cream Abdul Babar / Teen Cthulu - _Cream Abdul Babar Vs. Teen Cthulu_  
by: Adrian Magers  (7 out of 10)  (Hyper Realist, 2003)

Cream Abdul Babar put to use a somewhat strange style of music (as one
would guess by the name). Imagine Dog Fashion Disco minus some of  the
Patton influences with a more metalcore base, a more serious  attitude
and an occasional slight industrial tinge, and you're only starting to
pinpoint what it is exactly that this band does. The music  is  fairly
entertaining, but occasionally the vocal parts sound somewhat monotone
(partly due to use of distortion on a somewhat hardcore style  voice).
The second track is an interesting change of pace, but the synth  loop
that repeats the entire song becomes boring long before the end of the
track. Since the band only have one full-blown song on their  half  of
the album, it's hard to get a good impression of the all  the  nuances
of their sound, but I found them to be a  good  band,  though  nothing
overtly impressive.

Teen Cthulu was quite a different band, playing a raw yet catchy  form
of black metal that looks  both  to  modern  symphonic  forms  of  the
sub-genre as well as the ice-cold bombasts of the Norwegian legends of
the first wave. The production is fuzzy, but it somewhat lends  itself
to the music, as is often the case with this form of  music,  creating
an interesting atmosphere. Some of the vocals  completely  clash  with
the music, but it doesn't detract from  the  well-used  keyboards  and
excellent songwriting craftmanship. My  sole  complaint  is  that  the
songs are too short and seem to  cut  off  before  reaching  the  epic
height that most good black metal does. Overall though, Teen  Cthulu's
involvement with this split has definitely piqued my interest  in  the
band.

Contact: http://www.hyperrealist.com


Dimmu Borgir - _Death Cult Armageddon_  (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (8.5 out of 10)

Whether your opinion of Norway's premier second generation black metal
band is that of unbridled adoration or you happen to be one  of  those
individuals who have posted snide remarks about  them  being  a  black
metal boy band on various message  boards  across  the  Internet,  one
should at the very least give them credit for gaining success on their
own  terms.  While  some  saw  1997's  breakthrough  effort  _Enthrone
Darkness Triumphant_ as an attempt to  copy  Cradle  of  Filth,  Dimmu
Borgir were the first  of  the  two  to  begin  experimenting  with  a
full-blown orchestra --  used  to  great  effect  on  2001's  stunning
_Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia_ -- and  where  the  aforementioned
Brits'  music  has  been  progressively  watered  down  to  the  point
where Marilyn Manson  arguably  sounds  more  menacing,  Dimmu  Borgir
have steadily been polishing their songwriting  skills  and  technical
proficiency to the point where one would not have  expected  any  less
than what they have offered us with their latest effort.

Disappointingly _Death  Cult  Armageddon_  does  not  offer  the  same
progression and depth as its predecessor, rather a  slicker  and  more
tightly assembled version thereof. Sure, the  orchestral  element  has
been taken to a new level, but the  daring  and  challenging  approach
that made even their detractors sit up and take notice  is  relatively
absent. Which is not to  say  that  _Death  Cult  Armageddon_  is  not
a satisfying album  in  its  own  right.  Opening  track  "Allegiance"
is  absolutely  stunning,  with  more  than  a  slight  nod  to  rawer
early-nineties  black  metal  acts,  which  no  doubt  rank  high   on
the Borgir list  of  influences.  The  full  majestic  impact  of  the
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is  prevalent  in  all  its  epic  glory
on "Progenies of the  Great  Apocalypse",  while  the  record's  dark,
apocalyptic atmosphere is vividly brought to life by  the  intelligent
use of samples and enhanced by the mechanistic, uber-tight drumming of
Nick Barker, most clearly defined by the album's  ultimate  highlight,
"Unorthodox Manifesto".  The  record  even  sees  the  band  returning
to  their  native  language  on  "Vredesbyrd"  and  the   breathtaking
"Allehelgens Dod I Helveds Rike".

Yet, for all their songwriting  finesse  and  ample  technical  skill,
_Death Cult Armageddon_ does not have the  same  immediate  impact  as
_Puritanical  Euphoric  Misanthropia_,  nor  does  it  have  the  same
chilling atmosphere as _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_. And  ultimately
one can not help but draw the conclusion that more  will  be  expected
from the Norwegians next time round.

Contact: http://www.dimmu-borgir.com


Edge of Sanity - _Crimson II_  (Black Mark, 2003)
by: Chris Flaaten  (9 out of 10)

The Evil Queen is back from her Crimson Sleep. This  of  course  means
that the Swedish King has finally risen from his slumber. Reviving the
defunct Edge of Sanity single-handedly, Dan Swanö makes  a  triumphant
return to the world of extreme metal... by making a follow-up  to  one
of my all time favorites, no less. As rumours about  this  album  have
run rampant, I'll lay the most important one to rest before we go  on.
Swanö has not forgotten how to growl! He is  still  by  far  the  best
death metal vocalist on the planet -- and his clean vocals are  better
than ever. There are also some guest vocalists  though,  who  --  just
like on _Crimson_ -- handle the more high-pitched brutal vocals.

Because Swanö is working  almost  solo  on  this  release,  it  has  a
more epic  and  less  brutal  edge  than  its  predecessor.  This  is,
according to the man himself, closer to how he originally  wanted  the
first _Crimson_, before caving in to  his  bandmates'  requests.  With
less generic death metal and  more  melodic  solos,  guitar  harmonies
and synth, _Crimson II_ thus  lands  somewhere  between  the  original
_Crimson_ and Swanö's solo album, _Moontower_. The  production  is  as
grandiose as the music, but perhaps a bit too heavy on the echo/reverb
fuzziness.

Lyrically, I am a bit disappointed though. The story  takes  place  an
unknown number of years after _Crimson_ "ended", but the scope is much
more narrow this time. While you could envision  the  struggle  of  an
entire world on the first album, this time the story  revolves  around
only a handful of characters. Still, there are multiples  of  mothers,
queens and children in this story, so you have to pay close  attention
to sort out  what's  really  going  on  --  and  to  whom  things  are
happening. But I am willing to forgive this, as Dan's vocal  execution
can fill even the most  lifeless  of  stories  with  an  abundance  of
vitality.

Musically,  this  is  a  joyride  all  the  forty-three  minutes  from
beginning to the end. Only a few times can you hear  musical  nods  to
the original; just enough to establish a link, but  well  beneath  the
threshold of repetition. Brimming with fantastic transitions and  epic
passages,  some  comparisons  can  actually  be  drawn  to  Diabolical
Masquerade's _Death's Design_ as well  as,  of  course,  the  original
_Crimson_ -- in terms of quality, the follow-up  races  head  to  head
with both.

Contact: http://w1.191.telia.com/~u19115213/ds/news.htm


Ellipsis - _Comastory_  (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (4 out of 10)

I had to stifle many a yawn during Ellipsis' seemingly  never  ending 
sixty five minute album before I could review it  --  not  because  I 
needed caffeine, but simply because  _Comastory_  is  so  damn  dull. 
Ellipsis aren't actually bad as a band; there's  some  nifty  musical 
touches, and they clearly have plenty of  ideas.  The  clean  singing 
that is utilized throughout (except for  the  very  sporadic  grunts) 
sometimes borders on cringeworthy, but generally remains  acceptable; 
it is in the songwriting and guitar riff department that Ellipsis are 
found wanting. The hollow, uneventful sound  is  not  helped  by  the 
relatively lacklustre drumming either. The  material  on  _Comastory_ 
comes across as so  bland  that  it  lulls  the  listener  into  some 
unintended form  of  (ahem)  coma  where  you  are  neither  repelled 
nor attracted by  the  music.  Having  recently  heard  a  much  more 
accomplished album in this  kind  of  somewhat  progressive,  melodic 
metal  in  the  form  of  Ethereal's  _Dreams  of  Yearning_,  I  can 
only recommend that Ellipsis focus  on  upping  the  intensity  level 
considerably before they come back with a  new  offering;  they  have 
some qualities, but right now they are  being  wasted  for  the  most 
part.                                                                 

Contact: http://www.adipocere.fr


Fleshgrind - _Murder Without End_  (Olympic / Century Media, 2003)
by: Aaron McKay  (10 out of 10)

I haven't been this excited about a CD since the  epic  1999  immortal
classic  by  Viking  Crown,  _Unorthodox  Steps  of  Ritual_  (or  the
follow-up, _Innocence From Hell_,  for  that  matter).  Chicagolands's
Fleshgrind has obviously found their proper stride  with  this,  their
newest  effort,  _Murder  Without  End_.  Everything  clicks  on  this
ten track "wildman" like  a  precision-tuned  Swiss  watch.  _MWE_  is
-certainly- a violent standout in its own  right,  but  as  the  metal
scene exists today, this release is like throwing bleach into a septic
tank; these are  the  albums  we  music  critics  salivate  and  drool
at the mere  thought  of  having  a  crack  at  reviewing.  Fleshgrind
is no amateur  to  the  metal  scene;  2003  marking  their  ten  year
anniversary, Fleshgrind has blazoned a  path  few  dare  to  (or  can)
follow. Thick-ass chops and powerful guitar enriched riffs litter this
album front-to-back like all the cigarette butts on any given New York
freeway. Songs like "Enslaved to My Wrath", "In Sickness  Intertwined"
and, of course, "Holy Pedophile" renew  and  refresh  one's  faith  in
the perpetuation of metal.  You've  heard  Immolation's  _Close  to  a
World Below_ and Forest of  Impaled's  _Demonvoid_  --  now  hear  the
world's best combination of both with an unmistakable  and  undeniable
Fleshgrind appeal. Be sure of this point beyond anything else, kiddies
-- brutality runs unchecked here, so you've been warned.

Contact: http://www.fleshgrind.com


Krisiun - _Works of Carnage_  (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (9 out of 10)

Dammit, just when it seemed as though the Great Death Metal  Blitz  of
2003 could seemingly grow no more intense,  the  Brazilian  answer  to
sonic Armageddon  return  with  their  fifth  and  undoubtedly  finest
offering. Of course, Krisiun, perhaps  moreso  than  most,  needed  to
deliver the goods this time round. After the  excellent  _Black  Force
Domain_ and _Apocalyptic  Revelation_  records,  their  Century  Media
debut _Conquerors of Armageddon_ already started  sporting  cracks  in
their critically acclaimed veneer.  By  the  time  they  released  the
soulless, Eric Rutan-produced dirge that was  _Ageless  Venomous_,  it
appeared that the brothers Kolesne had lost  their  touch.  Thankfully
however, it seems that such was never the case.

To call _Works of Carnage_ a raging beast of an album  would  belittle
its impact. Produced by Pierre Remillard (Cryptopsy,  Gorguts,  Anvil,
etc.), the record instantly sounds simultaneously  brutal  and  fresh.
Like a wounded mythological behemoth determined to protect  its  turf,
opening tracks "Thorns  of  Heaven"  and  "Murderer"  seethe  with  an
intensity that few manage to surpass, and introduce  melodic  textures
and a level of rhythmic dynamics that one would never have expected to
hear on a Krisiun record. Which is not  to  say  that  the  band  have
departed from their trademark hyperspeed assault, however -- there are
indeed precious few moments of comparative sloth to be  found  on  the
album. This  time  round  though,  Max  Kolesne  has  diversified  and
expanded his drumming approach, which immeasurably improves  upon  the
traditional Krisiun blueprint. By the same token, Alex Camargo's voice
is superbly blistering as he rages through highlights  like  "Sentinel
of the Fallen Earth" and "Ethereal World".

While the album's closing cover of Venom's "In League With  Satan"  is
perhaps somewhat ill-advised in that it sounds rather  like  a  parody
that unwittingly derides the  album's  claustrophobic  ferocity  to  a
certain extent, _Works of Carnage_ is undoubtedly a  worthy  contender
in a year that has already witnessed  some  outstanding  releases,  as
well as a fantastic return to form for the Brazilian  kings  of  death
metal. Long may they reign.


Lacrimosa - _Echoes_  (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis  (8.5 out of 10)

For those who may be tempted to dismiss  Lacrimosa  as  a  "mere  goth
band" and therefore of no interest, pause and  consider  why  a  "mere
goth band" has attracted the attention of a traditionally metal label.
Numerous reasons can be given, but one simple listen  will  be  enough
to dismiss practically all  conceivable  reasons  as  inconsequential:
Lacrimosa is a damn  good  band.  Period.  Goth  is  not  an  entirely
accurate description, especially given the traditional  stereotype  of
woe-is-me  odes  delivered  in  an  Eldritch-esque  baritone,  to  the
accompaniment of cheesy synths and an overly repetitive drum  machine.
While Lacrimosa does contain typically gothic male vocals, there is  a
certain indescribable quality to his  voice  elevating  it  above  and
beyond the goth generic. _Echoes_ bravely  (if  not  stupidly!)  opens
with a thirteen minute classically inspired number that has  a  darkly
ethereal beauty all of its own. This is not  the  simplistic  keyboard
tinkling of early Mortiis -- like ambience, but a genuine  attempt  at
recreating classical music.  A  similar  track  acts  as  the  album's
closer. Book ended in-between are six more traditionally minded songs,
yet still maintaining the same darkly  beautiful  atmosphere.  In  the
hands of a lesser band this could degenerate into something simplistic
and cheesy (see Inkubus  Sukkubus),  but  the  Lacrimosa  duo  clearly
possess the requisite skill to pull it  off  --  clearly  Therion  and
Dimmu Borgir are not the only bands deserving of  a  backing  symphony
orchestra!


Latrodectus - _Altered Flesh_  (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (4 out of 10)

_Altered Flesh_ is proof (if ever proof was needed)  that  a  strong, 
well-suited production job does not a good  album  make.  Latrodectus 
got Anorexia Nervosa's keyboard player to recreate some of the  sound 
their countrymates had for their bombastic _New  Obscurantis  Order_, 
but apart from  the  decent  sound  _Altered  Flesh_  lacks  most  of 
everything else. The vocals in particular are an atrocious  variation 
on Immortal's Abbath; the guitars play generic blackened metal riffs, 
while the keyboards add the obligatory  pinch  of  pseudo-goth.  Much 
like their labelmates Destinity, Latrodectus go through every  motion 
of mediocre, cliché imagery and deeply unoriginal musical style; they 
are not entirely bad though, and you never know  whether  they  might 
come back with something more interesting next time.                  

Contact: http://www.adipocere.fr


Le'rue Delashay - _Law of 8ve_  (Root of All Evil, 2003)
by: Adrian Magers  (8 out of 10)

Personally, I find dark ambient music to be quite  enjoyable  if  done
right. Oftentimes it can drone on and  become  boring,  self-indulgent
and pretentious. Le'rue Delashay,  a  one-man  project  on  its  third
release, avoids this pitfall by keeping the tone to that of an intense
psychological thriller, and the movement of each piece not unlike that
of classical music. The instrumentation is  aggressive,  and  abundant
changes and adjustments are made to the texture of the music so as  to
keep even someone used to the  continuous  onslaught  of  heavy  metal
interested. The songs are generally kept somewhat  short  and  to  the
point, not wasting time to create a  dark,  disturbing  atmosphere  --
although for a metalhead this is generally what I would consider 'mood
music': something you would only listen to at dusk or beyond,  feeling
somewhat melancholy. I strongly recommend this  to  fans  of  'gothic'
music in the truest sense. In other words, Le'rue Delashay doesn't use
dance beats or droning synth loops, rather he uses harsh piano  tones,
abrasive string sounds and other effects to create something  that  is
somehow beautiful and crazed at the same time.

Contact: http://www.theatrikil.com


Mnemic - _Mechanical Spin Phenomena_  (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (7 out of 10)

The surprise split of electro-metal pioneers Fear Factory was  greeted
with shock and a fair amount of dismay by many a metalhead, and  while
they have subsequently reformed (sans Dino Cazares), it will still  be
quite some time before we're likely to see a new Fear  Factory  record
hit the shelves. In the  meantime,  Denmark's  Mnemic  may  well  hold
over any fan desperate to  satiate  their  craving  for  some  heavily
industrial-tinged metal, but while the Fear  Factory  comparisons  are
more than justified,  Mnemic  also  recall  strains  of  Meshuggah  on
"Tattoos" and the relentless hammering of Strapping Young Lad on  "The
Naked & the Dead".  Critically  they  also  inject  their  music  with
enough character to ensure its ascent above  a  mere  Xerox  of  their
influences, and with the aid of a fantastic sound courtesy of  Antfarm
Studios and producer Tue Madsen (The  Haunted,  Konkhra),  _Mechanical
Spin Phenomena_  turns  out  to  be  surprisingly  good.  All  is  not
perfect however, and Mnemic's nu metal inclinations  sour  proceedings
dramatically on tracks like "Closed Eyes" and "Ghost". So  while  they
fail to, as they so boldly state in their bio, "kick every fuckin' ass
around", Mnemic have at least delivered a debut that is worth checking
out if the any of the previously mentioned bands hold any interest for
you at all.


Moonspell - _The Antidote_  (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (9 out of 10)

It's hard to believe that seven albums into their illustrious  career,
there are still those that bemoan the Portuguese's departure from  the
gothic black metal  of  _Under  the  Moonspell_  and  _Wolfheart_  and
subsequent ascent into the more accessible sounds showcased on  1998's
_Sin/Pecado_ and 2001's _Darkness & Hope_. The fact that in retrospect
said departure was already ushered in  on  the  unanimously  acclaimed
_Irreligious_ effort -- their second full-length -- is  perhaps  proof
enough that much of the criticism Moonspell have had to endure borders
on the ignorant. Certainly from a personal standpoint,  I  have  found
the progression on every successive release to be quite refreshing and
with the exception  of  the  dogged  experimentation  of  1999's  _The
Butterfly Effect_ I have yet to hear a Moonspell record that  did  not
appeal to me on some level.

Those expecting a return to the old  with  Moonspell's  latest  effort
might as well therefore skip to the next review, because there clearly
is no chance of this  happening  anytime  soon.  What  is  irrefutable
though is that once again, Fernando Ribeiro and Co have  succeeded  in
creating an exciting and perhaps  their  most  challenging  record  to
date.

Starting off with the surprisingly heavy "In and Above Men", Moonspell
are in top form from the start, and the  welcome  return  of  Waldemar
Sorytcha to the producer's chair clearly pays immediate dividends,  as
a lone Mediterranean-like drum pattern leads into a the  superb  "From
Lowering Skies". Musically, while still deeply rooted in dark,  gothic
aesthetics, the first half of  _The  Antidote_  is  perhaps  the  most
brutal work to be found on any Moonspell record, and  indeed  for  the
first three songs Ribeiro all but  completely  forsakes  his  baritone
croon in favour of his trademark guttural roar. The title track ushers
in the second, and clearly more subdued half  of  the  record  with  a
simple acoustic sequence that, again,  is  unlike  anything  Moonspell
have offered before, while the subtlety of "Lunar Still" showcases the
band at arguably their most haunting  and  effective.  And  where  the
first single of the record,  "Everything  Invaded",  may  be  somewhat
unconvincing, _The Antidote_ chooses to save best for  last  with  the
up-tempo swirl of "Crystal Gazing" and  the  moody  "As  We  Eternally
Sleep on It".

While I can unfortunately not comment on the input of renowned  author
José Luis Peixoto into  the  grand  concept  that  supposedly  threads
through the record due to the lack of a lyric  sheet  accompanying  my
promo, from a musical standpoint  _The  Antidote_  is  superb  --  and
though it is certain to draw its own share of  detractors,  it  stamps
down with some authority that Moonspell are well ahead  of  anyone  in
their genre.

Contact: http://www.moonspell.com


Murderous Vision / Kuru  - _Blood Brain Barrier_
by: Alvin Wee  (8 out of 10)  (Somnambulant Corpse, 2003)

The innocuous exterior of this classy, DVD-sized  package  belies  the
restrained fury lurking within this split  release.  Murderous  Vision
rumbles in with snippets of  distorted  dialogue  and  vague  metallic
scrapings in the  background,  gradually  layering  on  an  unnerving,
tribal-mechanical beating as portentous  waves  move  in  and  out  of
consciousness. Things heat up with the second track  breaking  into  a
vicious vocal attack and modulated feedback, accompanied by a  subtle,
yet threatening backdrop of hard-edged analogue drones and a pulsating
rumble. It's clear within the first few tracks  how  adept  MV  is  at
creating an atmosphere of unease and tension,  with  even  the  highly
descriptive track titles (e.g. "Stumble  Upon  the  Scene",  "Crushed,
Then Removed")  fitting  the  disturbing  music  uncannily.  Excellent
stuff, with apparent references to both the atmospheric  German  scene
as well as brilliant moments of American-style aggression, that  takes
a while to fully work its eldritch magic on the listener.

Kuru (brainchild of the Somnambulant Corpse label-boss) blazes in with
a barrage of high-end squiggles and wails (not quite as  deafening  as
Sutcliffe Jugend), a nice follow-up  to  MV's  brutal  closing  piece.
Ferocious, yet surprisingly atmospheric, as a near-overwhelming rumble
is broken up by short blasts of delicious  feedback.  More  restrained
and ambient than MV, Kuru's material prefers to  sneak  in  under  the
skin with varied passages of bristling, low-end guitar-distortion  and
eerie drones, occasionally breaking into more intense bursts of noise.
Lovers of  the  traditional  German  style  should  find  no  problems
with this second half,  which  plays  excellent  counterpoint  to  the
harsher opening minutes of the disc. Highly recommended  (despite  the
intentionally abrupt ending) to even the most jaded p.e.  freaks;  and
with the effort this label puts into  selecting  and  packaging  their
releases, I'm hoping to hear more from them in future.

Contact: http://www.somnambulantcorpse.com


Omnium Gatherum - _Spirits and August Light_  (Rage of Achilles, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)

When you have released a damn good debut EP and are about  to  record 
your first full-length, what should you do?  Concentrate  on  writing 
enough new material for the album, or write just over half an hour of 
new music and re-record a couple of nifty tracks from the EP? I  find 
it penalizing for both the fans who had purchased the original EP and 
the sales of said debut disc (which might have otherwise been boosted 
by people enjoying the full-length and going back to buy  the  EP  as 
well). Either way, Omnium Gatherum  (or  their  label)  have  decided 
to capitalize on a  couple  of  very  good  tracks  from  the  highly 
commendable _Steal the Light_ EP -- though I wonder why they left out 
"Candles for Giordano Bruno" while they were at it.  The  new  Omnium 
Gatherum material is somewhat  punchier,  though  it  remains  firmly 
rooted in melodic death  metal.  The  Finns  employ  some  relatively 
subtle synth higlights and remain catchy as ever, though not by using 
repetitive clean vocal choruses a la Soilwork. The fact that the  new 
material all but ends after track six (which is followed by  the  two 
re-recordings and one last track that seems to have been mixed  at  a 
slightly lower volume) subtracts from the album's value for the money 
if you already have the EP. However, it  remains  very  difficult  to 
deny the appeal of OG's highly energetic, memorable and  invigorating 
metal. A proper full-length where they can consistently reproduce the 
best of the form they've shown so far should be  awaited  with  bated 
breath.                                                               

Contact: http://omniumgatherum.cjb.net


Re:Aktor - _Zero Order_  (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (5 out of 10)

A curious move on the part  of  Nuclear  Blast  this  is,  signing  an
increasing  amount  of  "futuristic"  metal  bands.  First  there  was
Raunchy, followed by fellow Danish electronic terrorists  Mnemic,  and
now from Portugal, there's Re:Aktor. More curious even is  the  amount
of label backing that has been afforded this band, with a high profile
producer (New York based George Marino, best known  for  his  work  on
Nickelback and Metallica records) being roped in to oversee the  final
mixing for what essentially is not much more than <gasp> just  another
nu metal  band.  That's  right  folks  --  where  Mnemic  could  still
reasonably be described as futuristic, Re:Aktor dabble in  all  things
nu, right down to the Dez Faferra-style vocals employed on such tracks
as "My Own Fear" and "Damage Zone". To be fair, it's not all  bad  and
particularly towards the end of the record, Re:Aktor seem to  hook  up
their influences to more interesting, not to mention heavier effect --
particularly on "Impact" or  "Datascape  Assembler".  Even  so,  these
songs fail to offer us anything  that  Fear  Factory  didn't  do  with
greater skill  on  _Demanufacture_  almost  a  decade  ago.  The  most
commendable aspect of this album is its production: crystal clear  and
razor-sharp,  it  nearly  manages  to  save  the  album  from  generic
obscurity. Nearly.


Scrog - _Discography_  (New Granada, 2003)
by: Adrian Magers  (6 out of 10)

When a band's bio claims that their music is "one part brutal punch to
the face, two parts Joy Division,  and  three  parts  Melvins",  one's
interest is genuinely piqued. Thus is the recipe of Scrog, a disbanded
Floridian act that predated emocore's eventual trendiness and has  now
been subject to a  compiling  of  all  their  material  onto  one  CD,
courtesy of Granada Records.  Since  many  of  the  tracks  were  only
originally released on 7", this  should  come  as  a  nice  78  minute
surprise to fans, and a much easier to collect version of  the  band's
entire catalogue. As stated before, this is somewhat akin to  emocore,
but still maintains a rough edge to it (unlike most of the sub-genre's
current bands) that lives up to both the metal and hardcore influences
they've drawn into their formula. Occasionally some of the vocals  can
become whiny, but for the most part this act displays more  guts  than
any emo, screamo, whatever act that's around these days.

Contact: http://www.newgranada.com


The Black Dahlia Murder - _Unhallowed_  (Metal Blade, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (7 out of 10)

If you have already read my latest Omnium Gatherum  review,  then  you
can pretty much apply the first few  sentences  to  The  Black  Dahlia
Murder: they  too  have  decided  to  capitalize  on  their  debut  EP
by re-recording a  couple  of  tracks  for  their  first  full-length.
Furthermore, these tracks shine through as some of the  best  material
on  the  full-length,  which  doesn't  bode  particularly   well   for
_Unhallowed_. _A Cold-Blooded Epitaph_ was a brief outburst of Swedish
metal (made in the US), and as an EP  it  worked  well;  _Unhallowed_,
however, seems somewhat repetitive and the material often  borders  on
generic. The music is kept on a high intensity level  throughout,  but
when you go  for  a  style  that's  been  perfected  years  ago  (more
specifically in At the Gates'  _Slaughter  of  the  Soul_),  then  you
better excel at it or have something new  to  add.  The  Black  Dahlia
Murder are very proficient, though  not  excellent,  and  add  only  a
few personal touches to the  style.  Ultimately,  _Unhallowed_  is  an
enjoyable album, but it pales in comparison to contemporaries such  as
Corporation 187's excellent _Perfection in Pain_. Still a young  band,
The Black Dahlia Murder show plenty of potential  and  will  no  doubt
come back with a renewed attack before too long.


The Spawn of Satan / Bloodsick - _Split CD_ 
by: Adrian Magers  (8 out of 10)  (Hell's Headbangers, 2002)

Here we have ten  tracks  of  unbridled  blasphemy,  divided  in  half
between the two bands featured. The  first  portion  is  performed  by
Spawn of Satan, a veteran band that employs a style somewhere  between
late thrash and early death with an  emphasis  on  very  groove-based,
oddly catchy slabs of guitar. With guttural barks performed by one Jim
Satanic (guitarist of Nunslaughter, where he's known  as  Jim  Sadist)
and lyrics on all manner of death, evil, Satan and other  fun  topics,
the general experience is a headbang-inducing plummet into the  depths
of Hades, with abundant tempo changes and  brain-melting  soloing  for
all. Track six marks Bloodshot's section of the CD, where  they  churn
out riffs a bit heavier, with a more modern  emphasis  featuring  some
blastbeats and less mid-tempo thrash breakdowns. Although  both  bands
have their own characteristics, it'd be hard to imagine  a  metal  fan
who liked one and not the other.

Overall I was fairly impressed with both bands, and they  complemented
each other well on this CD. Both acts dig into the past for a familiar
style that they assign their own respective individual characteristics
to, and both are in some way related  to  Cleveland's  up  and  coming
death gods Soulless. So if you're into the northern Ohio  death  metal
scene, or if you just like something that's heavy, evil and  great  to
headbang to with total recklass abandon, lend a  listen  to  Spawn  of
Satan and Bloodsick.

Contact: http://www.hellsheadbangers.com


Tiamat - _Prey_  (Century Media, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (8 out of 10)

It's been a long and often winding road for Johan Edlund since  Tiamat
released _Sumerian Cry_ and _The Astral  Sleep_  over  a  decade  ago.
Celebrated and renowned for his eagerness to experiment -- and ability
to pull it off  virtually  every  time  --  Edlund  created  what  was
arguably his coup de grace with 1994's _Wildhoney_, and  while  1997's
_A Deeper Kind of Slumber_ came  close  to  realising  its  ancestor's
potential, neither  the  following  _Skeleton  Skeletron_  nor  _Judas
Christ_ efforts were even close to  making  good  on  the  promise  of
earlier material.  _Prey_  is  an  immediately  different  proposition
however: more melancholic and pensive than _Judas Christ_, it opens up
superbly with "Cain" and "Wings of Heaven" --  two  songs  which  bear
a passing resemblance  to  recent  Green  Carnation  or  even  Type  O
Negative numbers. Unfortunately it is soon after this that  things  go
slightly pear-shaped, as "Love in Chains"  and  "Divided"  are  almost
uncharacteristically unambitious and predictable. The hypnotic strains
of "Light in Extension" very quickly put things back  on  track  again
however, and from there on out, Edlund peels out what  could  only  be
described as some of his most awe-inspiring work to date,  culminating
in the swirling jazz-groove of "The Pentagram". Perhaps more  so  than
ever, _Prey_ is a many  layered  affair,  and  one  that  increasingly
rewards the listener with each repeated airing. It's  most  definitely
not of the same calibre as the flawless elegance of  _Wildhoney_,  but
it nonetheless remains a mesmerising album that  will  most  certainly
draw one to it again and again.

Contact: http://www.churchoftiamat.com


Tidfall - _Nucleus _  (Nuclear Blast, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (8 out of 10)

Black metal circa 2003 is a many splintered and far removed genre from
the headline-grabbing assault on mainstream society it so proudly  was
a decade ago. Many of the scene's defining acts  have  progressed  and
evolved to the point where they could hardly  be  called  black  metal
anymore, while several newcomers have  begun  exploring  with  greater
vigour the intricacies of electronics and  the  frostbitten  bleakness
of industrial as a  means  of  bolstering  the  raw  impact  of  their
music. It  is  in  the  perennial  middle  ground  between  these  two
polarised approaches that you'll find Tidfall -- a  band  who  combine
industrial/electro influences, not out of place on an  Aborym  record,
with the sleek production and intricate songwriting of acts like Dimmu
Borgir and Satyricon.

Despite getting off to a fairly uninspired start  with  "Future  Doom"
and "Nucleus", their first record for the  Nuclear  Blast  label  soon
peels out the good stuff thick and fast -- running through a veritable
gamut of their strengths from razor-sharp guitar work to tight, almost
machine-like  drumming  and  vocals  that  easily  stand  shoulder  to
shoulder with the likes of Shagrath and Satyr Wongraven. While this is
less likely to appeal to those who prefer their black metal of a  more
necro persuasion, _Nucleus_ is still a very enjoyable piece  of  work.
The highlights are many: the catchy mid-section hook of "Neo-Torment",
the trance-like psychosis of "Mercury Mesh" and the  killer  lead-riff
in "Zounds"; it's almost over too soon, particularly  considering  the
poor quality of its opening songs.  Ultimately  though,  Tidfall  have
assembled a satisfying and very entertaining (if not  wholly  perfect)
record that most certainly bodes well for their future.


Ulver - _Lyckantropen Themes_  (Jester Records, 2002)
by: Alvin Wee  (9 out of 10)

While Ulver have shown hints of their latest direction on their recent
EPs, _Lyckantropen Themes_ showcases the project's fullblown cinematic
sound. Relying less on individually structured tracks and experimental
sonic exploration, this actual soundtrack capitalizes on  the  movie's
dynamic to create a flowing thirty minute tapestry of subdued  melodic
ambience. Making use of distinct, repeated motifs and more traditional
sounding -- though still electronic -- instrumentation like piano  and
strings, Ulver come across as unquestionably more conventional than on
their previous work, while retaining an edgy keenness that keeps  them
from being compared with  commercial  counterparts  like  Vangelis  or
Tangerine Dream.

Ardent  fans  may  notice  the  project's  penchant  for   keeping   a
distinctly analog warmth and fuzziness about their recent material,  a
characteristic that's retained throughout this disc, and  which  lends
the soundtrack an air of nostalgia and thoughtfulness that  brings  to
mind old, familiar vinyl records  and  treasured  relationships  past.
Which, judging from the artwork alone, seems to reflect  the  mood  of
the film itself, although an actual copy of the  latter  seems  rather
elusive at this point. A triumph  for  Garm  and  Co.  no  doubt,  and
certainly up there with Lustmord's  remarkable  "Zoetrope"  soundtrack
this year.

[Quentin Kalis: "Ulver take yet another left  turn  on  _Lyckantropen 
 Themes_,  this  time  exploring  ambient  soundscapes   to   a   far 
 greater extent than on  their  _Perdition  City_  sessions.  Despite 
 protestations to the contrary, Ulver's conversion to electronica did 
 not result in them losing the darkness of their earlier  albums;  it 
 is still present, albeit in a far more subtle manner than on  albums 
 such as _Nattens Madrigal_. The  songs  segue  seamlessly  into  one 
 another, providing a sense  of  continuity  and  should  ideally  be 
 listened to from beginning to  end  without  interruption.  Amazing, 
 enchanting stuff."]                                                  

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


Zyklon - _Aeon_  (Candlelight Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit  (9 out of 10)

Whether or not you thought that Zyklon's debut effort _World Ov Worms_
was overrated becomes a fairly moot point in light of how much  impact
this relatively young band has had on the  extreme  music  scene  thus
far. While thanks should go in  no  small  part  to  certain  founding
members' Emperial roots, it's hard to think of another  band  on  only
their second full length who, specifically in this genre, has received
quite so much attention from both  mainstream  and  underground  media
sources alike. Thankfully though, Zamoth, Trym,  Destructhor  and  the
newly recruited Secthdamon seem to comprehend clearly enough that hype
will only get you so far, and as such  have  come  up  with  a  wholly
satisfying, if not surprisingly straightforward death metal album.

The first noticeable change on _Aeon_ with regards to its  predecessor
is the extent to  which  the  band  have  shed  much  of  their  black
metal-type melodies and electronics, in favour of  a  more  technical,
organic  and  ultimately  brutal  approach.  New  vocalist  Secthdamon
immediately makes his presence felt, and while  some  may  prefer  the
more unique style of previous growler Daemon, the man some might  know
as the drummer for Myrkskog does a fantastic job. With a  far  greater
range in his arsenal than  his  predecessor,  it  is  particularly  on
slower numbers like "Core Solution" and "Two Thousand Years" that  his
voice is at its most venomously effective. Likewise, the  instrumental
aspect of this record is sheer class, and while Zamoth may not  be  in
the league of Trey Azagthoth when it comes  to  soul-shredding  solos,
his dense, blistering riffage on songs like "Subtle Manipulation"  and
"Specimen Eruption" is a thing of pure, chaotic beauty.

Although occasionally lacking depth, overall _Aeon_ is  undoubtedly  a
great record and one of the few death metal albums released in  recent
times to sound immediately recognisable and distinct. While the almost
trendy buzz surrounding this band may turn off the more  sceptical,  I
can only urge you to brush aside any preconceptions you may  hold  for
this band, who have created yet another death metal highlight of 2003.

Contact: http://www.zyklontribe.com


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


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


Antipathy - _Removal of the Mind_
by: Adrian Magers  (4 out of 5)

The first thing I  noticed  about  this  CD  was  the  cover  artwork.
Generally bands at a demo  stage  either  don't  include  artwork,  or
utilize an illustration that may or may not do justice  to  the  music
contained within. Although good CD artwork  isn't  a  necessity,  it's
nice to see that the band went out of their way to make this four-song
trip through raging catharsis a well-rounded  product.  Regarding  the
music, the guitars, bass  and  drums  culminate  into  something  that
sounds like a chunk of  Napalm  Death  laced  with  small  amounts  of
Cannibal Corpse, Morbid  Angel,  Pantera  and  first-album  Killswitch
Engage. All this is topped by mostly mid-ranged  grunts  and  guttural
screams. Overall their approach to groove-based death metal is a  very
professional one, and is likely to impress fans of  Internal  Bleeding
and Scar Culture. At the moment Antipathy is on the verge to  becoming
a signed national band, something which they undoubtedly  deserve  for
the effort and emotion poured into this four-song EP.

Contact: http://www.antipathyny.com


Benighted - _Helfarjor_
by: Jackie Smit  (5 out of 5)

Many fans and veteran acts alike have recently been lamenting the fact
that the art of early nineties Scandinavian  black  metal  appears  to
have been lost  forever.  While  I  would  tend  to  agree  with  that
statement, Sweden's Benighted are clearly intent on breathing new life
into its flagging corpse -- and judging by their efforts here are more
than  capable  of  tackling  their  chosen  task  with  hefty  aplomb.
_Heljarfor_ is the duo of vocalist  /  guitarist  /  bassist  Aho  and
drummer Salle's first recorded effort, and is instantly impressive  on
the opening title track. With a  lead-riff  very  similar  to  vintage
Enslaved and more recent efforts by the likes of Hate Forest, this  is
as bleak, cold and merciless as any fan would wish their  black  metal
to sound. The raw but clear production suits tracks like  "Dying  Age"
perfectly, while Benighted's focus on all four the tracks  they  offer
us never once even slightly hints at faltering.  Performed  at  mostly
breakneck  speeds,  the  closing  acoustic  instrumental  "The  Tide",
replete with the sound of waves  crashing  in  the  background,  is  a
beautiful and chilling close to a perfect collection  of  misanthropic
hymns. Clearly  true  black  metal  may  potentially  have  their  new
champions in the form of this highly talented collective.

Contact: http://www.nervgas.com/benighted/


Cerebrus / Seethe - _Split EP_
by: Jackie Smit  (Cerebrus: 4 out of 5 / Seethe: 2.5 out of 5)

While it has always been a very popular modus operandi for young bands
on a tight budget eager to get themselves heard outside the  rehearsal
room, split EPs carry with them the distinct problem that  either  act
is in danger of outshining the other.  Although  Seethe  are  not  the
world's worst  band,  when  compared  to  fellow  Milton  Keynes-based
quartet Cerberus, they are deftly blown out of the  water.  Playing  a
fairly tepid brand of melodic death metal, Seethe occasional manage to
ascend past the mediocre, particularly on "Darkness Falls"; but  while
it is most certainly noteworthy that such a youthful band (all members
are aged 16-18) could put together something as technically proficient
as this to begin with, Seethe lack the personality and character to be
anything other than a run-of-the-mill metal  band.  Cerberus,  on  the
other hand, share Seethe's teenage exuberance, but play  like  a  band
twice their age. An unhinged, angry affair, the three songs which they
contribute can best be compared to acts like Crowbar,  Eyehategod  and
Mastodon. Chris Milliken's voice spits pure  venom  and  the  duelling
guitars of Simon Lubbock and Adam Hefferon outshines a fair amount  of
what passes for signed artists these days. With the right producer and
right level of backing, these youngsters could very  easily  become  a
pretty hefty force to be reckoned  with,  and  I  shall  certainly  be
looking forward to whatever they have to offer next.

Contact: Cerebrus: http://www.cerebus.2ya.com
         Seethe: http://www.seethe.tk


Corpsepyre - _The Living We Mourn_
by: Adrian Magers  (1.5 out of 5)

It's nearly impossible for me to criticize or praise  Corpsepyre.  The
music is  recorded  in  such  a  sloppy,  under-produced  manner  that
transitions and tempo changes are totally lost. The vocals seem to  be
constantly peaking, and end up  sounding  like  a  malfunctioning  fan
pointed too  close  at  the  microphone.  Obviously,  it's  unfair  to
discredit a band based solely on their production (or  lack  thereof),
but when the music crashes through with no regard  for  its  listener,
it's hard to scrape out any semblance of the songwriting and technical
talent I'm sure is there. One possible reason is the lack of resources
in the band's native Pakistan. Putting this into consideration one can
somewhat overlook the shrill, gutless guitar and notice a  handful  of
really cool riffs. With human drums providing a more fluid  structure,
and a recording quality that does not  leave  the  listener  in  pain,
Corpsepyre could really stand out. But on _The Living We Mourn_,  it's
hard to tell.

Contact: http://www.corpsepyre.cjb.net


Descent Into Madness - _In the Darkest Hours_
by: Adrian Magers  (4 out of 5)

Descent Into Madness bear a deceiving  moniker.  While  someone  might
expect a form of violent, hateful metal from such an act, the truth is
that DIM are a very melodic act -- but they still manage to hold on to
an aggressive  sound,  combining  elements  of  Sentenced,  Tristania,
and Maiden's more  progressive  efforts.  The  songs  are  catchy  and
chorus-based, but avoid falling into boring  patterns  or  strum-fests
devoid of any real riffs. There's a definite bite to the songs,  which
courses through the duration of the demo. The vocals are predominantly
clean, with occasional female backup  chiming  in.  Guitars  are  well
played and offer a good variety, and also provide top-notch  interplay
with the vocal lines. The rhythm section  performs  in  a  very  basic
fashion, but none of this negatively affects  the  music.  A  crisper,
cleaner production would be beneficial to the band, but  what  they've
accomplished here does the music justice. A few faults  exist  though,
mainly being in that band seem to have trouble ending a song as easily
as it starts. Most of the tracks seem to  sag  a  little  bit  towards
their respective conclusions. Other than  a  few  minor  improvements,
this band is well on its way to possibly becoming a  power  player  in
their field.

Contact: http://www.descentintomadness.com


Exhuman - _Partition of Disorder_
by: Jackie Smit  (3.5 out of 5)

Considering that these Italians recorded this six-song demo  in  their
rehearsal room, the eventual product is quite  impressive.  While  far
from perfect, its sound is of a markedly higher quality than  a  great
many of the studio-spawned demos that pass through  my  mailbox  every
month. That Exhuman are clearly  very  gifted  musicians  makes  their
dedication and effort within their clearly limited framework  all  the
more commendable. Of particular note on this  demo  are  the  dynamic,
progressive death metal strains of "Chaos Fragments" and the curiously
named "Tasted by Welfare",  with  its  distinctly  Morbid  Angel-esque
opening riff. Although there is still quite a lot of  work  for  these
guys to do -- The Holy's vocals are particularly uninspiring  for  the
greater part of this demo -- one would expect some modicum of  success
to befall Exhuman sooner rather than later.

Contact: http://www.exhuman.net


Forsaken - _Iconoclast_
by: Jackie Smit  (4.5 out of 5)

That a record label has thus far failed to scoop  these  guys  up,  is
testament not only to the  commendable  willingness  of  more  obscure
companies to take a chance on acts  from  such  far-flung  regions  as
Malta, but also to the ignorance that often pervades the  metal  genre
when it comes to signing new acts. Certainly Forsaken are one  of  the
most promising new bands to tease my ears since Polish black metallers
Strommoussheld. Unique in every sense of  the  word,  the  quality  of
their take on doom metal far exceeds the efforts of the legions of  My
Dying Bride clones currently in existence. Consisting  of  four  songs
which all eclipse the seven  minute  mark,  _Iconoclast_  is  at  once
progressive and dynamic, combining effortless tempo changes  and  riff
sequences with the excellent vocals of  Leo  Stivala  and  the  sparse
keyboards of Mario Ellul into a brand of doom that, while often rather
fast, is by no means ever less emotional than anything their peers and
influences have ever offered. It would be almost unfair to point out a
particular highlight on this offering, but the haunting synth hook  of
"Wither the Hour" just about clinches it as the perfect closing moment
to a very impressive effort. While there are times  when  Forsaken  do
reveal the flaws of a band still in development, these  instances  are
few and far between. Ultimately, while _Iconoclast_ does only  consist
of a mere four songs, they effortlessly provide ample evidence to make
a great many sit up and pay attention.

Contact: http://www.forsaken_malta.tripod.com


NDCIT - _Preparing for the Quiet Wars_
by: Adrian Magers  (2.5 out of 5)

NDCIT (None Dare Call It Treason)  are  teeming  with  potential,  but
I have  a  lot  of  minor  qualms  with  this  demo.  First  off,  the
production detracts some of the fury that was probably intended to  be
communicated through the music. However, being a demo, awful tone  and
badly recorded drumming can be forgiven. The element that suffers most
is that of lead vocals: the shout/yell being pushed from Adel  Souto's
throat doesn't mesh well with the rest of the band's sound. The  lower
vocals seem to fit more, but once again, the production values of  the
higher-end voice may have been the cause  to  an  overall  bad  sound.
There are many pluses to this mini-CD, though: the  more  groove-based
riffs are generally very well-executed, and personally I'd like to see
the band do something more akin to downthesun, for instance (sans  the
electronics and with a more traditional hardcore base), but  in  their
own style. More of an emphasis  on  the  moshy  riffs  could  lead  to
an improvement  in  the  overall  flow  of  the  songs.  Some  of  the
thrash-tempoed bits come off as jarring  and  sloppy  --  once  again,
production may be to blame. Aside from a poor impression of the vocals
and a few iffy spots in song structure, NDCIT has a lot to  offer  and
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this band hopefully come into
its own more in the near future.

Contact: http://www.feastofhateandfear.com/NDCIT.html


Shattered Remains - _Black Lotus_
by: Adrian Magers  (3 out of 5)

A solo project from a Cleveland, Ohio axegrinder by the name  of  Gary
Scott, Shattered Remains is a somewhat of an unpolished gem. There's a
good deal of great work on this four song  demo  (which  is  comprised
of material written over  a  decade  ago).  Setting  aside  production
issues, one is treated to lethal dose of mid-tempo  thrash  fury.  The
vocals are seething  and  fit  the  music,  but  could  definitely  be
improved. Guitar tone  is  another  large  complaint,  but  the  riffs
themselves shine through just the same. Although this  isn't  anything
groundbreaking, and one could protest that there's a certain  lack  of
any sense of pioneering on their part, considering the time period and
other factors this is quite an admirable  piece  of  work.  There  are
plenty of surprises and shifts in the songs  that  keep  the  listener
entertained throughout the disc's  short  duration.  With  a  slightly
crisper production and work on general areas of the  band,  the  music
featured could definitely be something that most  metal  labels  would
give a considerate listen to. Because this demo is  quite  dated,  I'm
definitely interested in hearing what Shattered Remains  mainman  Gary
Scott has come up with since.

Contact: visiongtr@cox.net


Sifr - _Blessings of Madness_
by: Adrian Magers  (1.5 out of 5)

Sifr is Saquib Malik's baby; a spitting, screaming, head-spinning one.
A possible beacon of light in a nearly non-existent scene (that of the
country of Pakistan), Sifr could  possibly  be  leaders  of  a  Middle
Eastern metal movement and show the world that music's most aggressive
form has found its way into the hearts and minds of people where  most
of us would least expect. There are some piercing guitar riffs  to  be
heard, but many  of  the  other  elements  of  the  band  are  muddled
sounding. There's a  total  lack  of  bass,  vocals  that  sound  like
different degrees of tape hiss, and what sounds like a badly  recorded
drum  machine.  Looking  past  crippling  production  issues,  there's
definitely technical skill and songwriting prowess. If the  band  were
to refine their sound, add a  fuller  tone  and  do  their  own  music
justice, they could definitely be a force to contend with.

Contact: http://www.sifr.cjb.net


Souls Entwined - _Untitled Demo_
by: Jackie Smit  (1.5 out of 5)

Described as emotional metal by main man and sole member Roy Jacob, it
turns out that Souls Entwined offer nary an  emotion  other  than  the
urge to snap the CD in two. With a production that is sub-par even  by
demo standards, the most instantly annoying thing  about  this  record
are Jacob's vocals, which at best can be described as  an  ill-advised
amalgamation of sighing and  groaning,  and  even  when  a  song  like
"Demon Within" looks set to become comparatively interesting,  Jacob's
laborious moans soon crush any potential it may have  held.  Performed
at a speed that would make even vintage  My  Dying  Bride  sound  like
speed metal, the most (and indeed, only) commendable  aspect  of  this
effort is that Jacob recorded it by himself. Other than that,  there's
very little about Souls Entwined that warrants any form of praise.

Contact: souls_win@yahoo.com


Under Eden - _Songs From the Savage Circle_
by: Adrian Magers  (4.5 out of 5)

_Songs From the Savage Circle_ is one of the best demos I've heard  in
a while. It's definitely something I'll be  listening  to  long  after
this  review  is  published  and  read  by  the  Chronicles  of  Chaos
readers. The music shifts from majestic leads and soaring  transitions
to downtrodden crunch  and  ultra-thick  jagged  grooves.  The  vocals
generally keep with these transitions  (though  the  band  have  since
chosen  a  full-time  vocalist  to  reinterpret  lead  guitarist  Ryan
McAtee's voice on this CD), led by  impressive  six-string  work,  and
complemented by the cascading drums that hold each song together.  The
overall tone makes one think of Darkest Hour slammed into  classic  In
Flames, and this formula roughly describes what Under Eden is up to on
this album. With such diversity  and  masterful  songwriting,  it's  a
surprise that these are the band's first four songs. If this  is  only
the beginning, then those who keep up with this band are  most  likely
going to be in for some very pleasant surprises.

Contact: http://www.under-eden.net


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


      V A D E R    S L A Y S    A S    S L A Y E R    F A D E S 
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         Wacken Open Air 2003
                   by: Paul Schwarz / Matthias Noll


The Spirit of Wacken

I can think of no other event better suited to describe the incredibly
positive and unique atmosphere at the Wacken Open Air than what we saw
when we finally reached  the  little  village  of  the  same  name  in
northern Germany: as always the local inhabitants had set up chairs in
their  little  gardens  facing  the  streets  to  watch  the  incoming
metalheads. Standing in the car  queue  which  had  built  up  at  the
camping ground entrance, we watched a strange pair  chatting:  an  old
lady in front of her house was having a visibly friendly  conversation
with a guy who was only wearing shorts; a bullet belt  held  not  only
his trousers in place, but also a real axe; and on  his  bare  back  a
giant inverted cross was painted in  a  blood-red  colour.  Before  my
first Wacken experience in 2001 I would have never imagined that  such
a massive event could possibly take place without the slightest amount
of trouble or negativity. [MN]

The Festival

As in previous years, the "gigs" took place on four  stages.  Two  big
ones side by side, where the main bands were  playing  alternately  on
the Black and True Metal stage, always  with  just  a  fifteen  minute
break  in-between.  In  addition  there  was  also  a  smaller  stage,
approximately 200 meters away, called the Party stage,  and  a  fourth
stage in a tent close to the entrance. The tent stayed open all night;
it was the place for the metal disco as well as the (as  far  as  I've
been told, totally hilarious) Metal Karaoke.

The overall setup of the festival area  was  slightly  different  this
year because most of the  booths  selling  food  and  drink  had  been
relocated to the borders of the festival area. In the vicinity of  the
entrance but outside the festival area, a beer garden  from  a  German
brewery had been set up. Several additional booths selling food,  CDs,
merchandise and other metal-related  stuff  were  located  outside  as
well. The metal market resided in another giant  tent,  for  which  an
additional  entrance  fee  was  charged.  The  metal  market  featured
strip-tease shows this year, and most  of  the  times  I  was  in  the
vicinity I saw a long queue of people waiting to get in.  Due  to  the
incredibly hot weather I couldn't be bothered to check  out  what  was
going on inside.

The shower facilities were more numerous than on  previous  occasions,
and as far as I can  judge  there  were  also  more  portable  toilets
available. Most of the shortcomings that had been massively criticised
after last year's edition were improved this year. Another new feature
was a huge video  screen  set  between  the  two  main  stages,  which
displayed live footage from the bands playing at the time as  well  as
up-to-date information about changes concerning the running order.

Here are some prices as an example: grilled sausages, ?3; 0.4l beer ?3
and non-alcoholic drinks ?2.50 each, plus ?1 deposit for  the  cup;  a
piece of pizza, ?3; french fries, ?2.50; etc. [MN]

Thursday

Circle II Circle

This year we had started early enough to arrive at the parking area at
approximately six in the afternoon. After setting up the tents, taking
a ten minute walk to the festival area and exchanging our tickets  for
wristbands, we immediately entered and wandered around  to  check  out
the area. No one could be bothered to see Circle II Circle,  featuring
ex-Savatage singer Zakk Stevens.  From  afar  they  didn't  sound  too
different from recent Savatage material; they also played "The Edge of
Thorns" and,  surprisingly,  a  cover  of  Metallica's  "Welcome  Home
(Sanitarium)". [MN]

Annihilator

The second band of the  festival  was  Annihilator.  Once  again  Jeff
Waters has brought in a new singer, who  turned  out  to  be  a  young
fellow that wouldn't have looked  out  of  place  in  an  outfit  like
Linkin' Park. He had  a  decent  voice  and  was  able  to  deliver  a
convincing  performance  on  tracks  spanning  the  whole  Annihilator
career. However, as with most Annihilator singers so far, I  felt  his
voice lacked identity. Annihilator have a very dedicated following  in
Europe and went down very well, playing songs  like  "Phantasmagoria",
"WTYD", "Set the World on Fire", "King of the Kill" and so on. [MN]

Victory

Victory were next and delivered a set that should  have  pleased  most
connoisseurs of German melodic metal; but there was hardly  any  crowd
reaction to be seen. For me their  performance  was  quite  tolerable,
thanks to the absence of power metal stereotypes and  their  focus  on
playing their music  instead  of  playing  games  with  the  crowd  or
engaging in boring stage banter. [MN]

Saxon

Now it was time for a surprise, because out of nowhere Saxon  appeared
on stage. The band only played three songs, but this year I found them
to be incredibly enjoyable, while their headlining gig two  years  ago
had sent me running for  cover.  The  band  played  "Motorcycle  Man",
"Princess of the Night" and "Denim and Leather". Surprisingly,  Biff's
voice sounded as good as it did back in  the  '80s,  and  overall  the
brevity of the gig and the focus on real classics  made  it  a  really
worthwhile event which found me and  my  friends  singing  "Denim  and
Leather, keeps us all together" as if time had stood  still  in  1981.
[MN]

Running Wild

Thursday's headliners Running Wild had attracted a very special  breed
of fans: numerous individuals and whole groups of people  had  dressed
up as pirates. Most noteworthy of all was a guy with a paper parrot on
his shoulder, while one of his mates was appropriately  wearing  water
wings. Running Wild opened with "Genghis Khan",  and  although  I  own
their first two records, this and fourth track "Riding the Storm" were
enough to drive me  away.  My  friends  Daniel  and  the  aptly  named
Hell-Hans, as well as CoC metal brother Paul Schwarz (whom we had  met
in the meantime) felt the same way, and therefore we spent the rest of
the Running Wild gig in the beer garden until  they  ended  their  set
with the hilarious "Chains and Leather (and Rivets)". By  all  rights,
Running Wild's ilk of power metal should've died many years ago, but I
assume the fact that they sound so  terribly  German  to  my  ears  is
precisely the key to their appeal. [MN]

The real disappointment for me regarding  Running  Wild's  performance
was that they regretted to dress up as pirates, as per their _...Jolly
Roger_ album. Casually sporting unbuttoned Napoleonic  military  garb,
Running Wild were not helped by  the  predictable  weakness  of  their
o-so-German power metal fare; but to be honest, if they'd been dressed
up as pirates -- with perhaps some rigging and  a  walkable  plank  as
scenery -- I probably would have enjoyed it regardless... at least for
a while. [PS]

Friday

Dew-Scented

We got up early to see Dew-Scented, who were the first  band  to  play
and briefly soundchecked with a  cover  of  Slayer's  "War  Ensemble".
Having added a second guitarist to the line-up, the band was tight and
performed professionally on the big stage.  Most  of  the  songs  were
taken from  their  excellent  _Inwards_,  but  they  also  played  two
promising new tracks, which seemed to be a bit more varied than  their
previous material. Unfortunately the guitar sound  was  not  sharp  or
loud enough for their  riff-driven  style,  and  so  the  dynamics  of
excellent material like "Bitter  Conflict"  and  "Unconditional"  were
sadly amiss -- one could have the impression that they played the same
song over and over again. Although I'm totally  sure  that  this  band
crushes with a better sound and in a smaller environment, it was  just
an okay performance by the German thrashers. [MN]

Dew-Scented certainly do crush with a better sound and  in  a  smaller
environment: in Glasgow with Vader  last  year  they  slayed,  despite
trying circumstances. [PS]

Extreme Noise Terror

Extreme Noise Terror were up next and I really  hadn't  expected  much
from them, which is  always  the  perfect  condition  for  a  pleasant
surprise. Although the band  seemed  burdened  by  a  night  of  heavy
drinking or the abuse of  certain  substances,  their  mad  twin-vocal
assault in combination with some simple  but  devastating  crust/grind
and a good deal of chunky mid-tempo  riffs  proved  to  be  the  right
medicine to get the adrenaline flowing. While initially only a  rather
meagre audience -- a lot smaller than Dew-Scented's -- had gathered in
front of the stage, whoever was in the line-up for this gig did manage
to attract quite some people by the  end  of  their  45  minutes.  Not
really an  essential  set,  but  ENT  were  powerful  enough  to  give
everybody in  attendance  the  impression  that  things  were  finally
starting to get serious. [MN]

The Crown

When it comes to vocalists re-joining their original bands, it  wasn't
Halford and Priest getting back together that made my day in the  last
year or so: it was Johan Lindstrand being back in The Crown. There may
be death metal vocalists who can  sound  deeper,  but  in  my  opinion
there's no one out there  who  can  match  the  incredibly  dirty  yet
inhumanly powerful roar Lindstrand is capable  of  without  using  any
artificial help. With their Wolverine look-alike frontman,  there  was
no way to stop the Swedes from dealing out the first serious  blow  of
the festival. Starting with  _Crowned  in  Terror  _'s  vicious  title
track, it was immediately clear that the band was there to  deliver  a
totally shredding performance. I had the  impression  that  there  was
some  less-than-perfectly-timed  drumming  early  on  in  the  set  by
the otherwise totally amazing  Janne  Saarenpää,  and  Lindstrand  had
occasional problems remembering lyrics from  _CiT_  songs;  but  apart
from these minor gripes, The Crown ruled. The highlights  of  the  gig
were the monstrous "Total Satan", "Blitzkrieg Witchcraft"  and  "Under
the Whip", while the slower "World Below" seemed to drag on a bit  too
long while remaining somewhat unspectacular. The  huge  and  extremely
active audience loved every minute of it. The  Swedes  also  took  the
chance to perform a new scorcher called "Face of  Destruction  /  Deep
Hit of Death" from their upcoming album, and the band still came  back
to play "Executioner - Slayer of the Light" as an encore. The  Crown's
set was certainly one of the highlights of the festival. [MN]

I haven't much to add, except to endorse Matthias'  sentiments  almost
unanimously, and simply say that The Crown have -- primarily by virtue
of my witnessing this one  performance  --  become  one  of  the  most
favoured and most treasured Swedish death  metal  bands  in  my  music
collection. I think many of us at  CoC  are  awaiting  the  return  of
Lindstrand on record ('probably in October,' we were told  at  Wacken)
with bated breath. [PS]

Diamond Head

I avoided Diamond Head, who were not the real thing but a  combination
of Tygers of Pan Tang and Diamond Head, and only  heard  bits  of  the
unavoidable "Am I Evil" from afar. [MN]

Dismember

Did we mention how hot it was at Wacken? I know it's  not  necessarily
strictly relevant to our general review of the music, but in the  case
of Dismember's performance it was a  striking  factor.  The  heat  was
incredible; it was just around  midday  when  the  Swedish  five-piece
took up residence on the Black  Stage.  As  Matti  Karki  remarked  in
conversation afterwards, it was a very good thing  that  the  sun  was
behind the  band.  But  that  put  it  shining  slap-bang  into  -our-
eyes --  which  made  it  all  the  more  pleasing  to  see  the  size
of crowd  Dismember  had  attracted.  Clearly  the  lengthy  wait  for
_Where  the  Iron  Crosses  Grow_  has  not  put  off  their  sizeable
hardcore following, of which myself  and  Matthias  were  certainly  a
part. Though opening with "Of Fire",  Dismember  focused  squarely  on
their early years,  digging  up  almost  all  their  'cult  classics':
"Override the Overture", "Dismembered", "In Death's Sleep", "Skin  Her
Alive" ("...for the  ladies");  they  were  all  there.  All  in  all,
Dismember delivered a punishing set. It was a good  mixture;  somewhat
surprisingly neglecting _Hate  Campaign_,  but  playing  nicely  to  a
festival crowd. However the sound was what  really  mattered:  in  the
live environment, as on record, 'the sound' can make or break  an  old
style Swedish death metal prospect like Dismember... with  devastating
ease. That Skogsbergs-associated, Repulsion-spawned  guitar  sound  --
bassy, overdriven, but with an edge like  a  chainsaw  going  at  full
whack -- is hard to  recreate  effectively  in  the  live  environment
without drowning the discernibility of the resulting mix.  Thankfully,
Dismember have one particularly talented individual --  who  was  also
working with a few  other  bands  at  this  year's  Wacken,  including
Thyrfing -- doing their sound. Getting as near perfect a sonic balance
as you could ever wish for -- at any  Dismember  show,  let  alone  an
open-air one -- he supplies Dismember with all the  'ammunition'  they
need to truly devastate. Whether it be the rumbling, hammer-blow crush
of "Casket Garden", the high-velocity death-maul of "Soon to Be  Dead"
or the punishing "Misanthropic", Dismember hit you square in the  gut,
creating a warm, energising feeling which provokes handbanging,  roars
of approval and overall satisfaction. But unfortunately, it's not  the
perfect performance; while the band as a whole --  including  a  newly
recruited rhythm guitarist whose name escapes me and  session  bassist
Johan Bergebäck (borrowed from Necrophobic, for whom he  plays  rhythm
guitar) -- perform very well, David Blomqvist let the side down,  just
a little. At the time I was torn over whether a lack  of  practice  or
the effect of the midday heat on his guitar strings was to blame;  but
what was undeniable was that the trademark melodies (worked into riffs
and distinctive in his leads), which are his most  major  contribution
to Dismember's music, were not well represented. The  melody  line  of
"Of Fire" sounded flat; the intro section  of  "Dismembered"  retained
little of its recorded charm; and in the opening section of  "Override
the Overture", Blomqvist wasn't even keeping up!  When  I  put  it  to
Matti later that perhaps David needed a little more practice, he said,
noncommittally, "Well, you know: some days he gets it,  some  days  he
doesn't." If there was a specific reason, then, it's not clear what it
was. No matter: Dismember still slayed. A new track from the  upcoming
_Where the Iron Crosses Grow_ (out  in  December  if  everything  goes
right, or February if  everything  goes  wrong,  according  to  Matti)
sounded pretty cool: though clearly not representative of a revolution
to come, it  suggested  that  Dismember's  sixth  album  should  be  a
more-than-worthy follow-up to _Hate Campaign_. When it came  time  for
classic set closer "Dreaming in Red" (the only  track  from  _Indecent
and Obscene_ aired)  Dismember  succeeded  in  delivering  the  goods;
Blomqvist may have sold the leaderwork a little  short  --  the  dark,
hallowed feel of the recorded version was not perfectly reproduced  --
but that didn't stop "Dreaming in Red" coming across as a  classic:  a
death metal anthem. Dismember proved that the  old  school  can  still
kick ass, live -and- in the open air. Right on. [PS]

Primal Fear

There isn't much I can say about Primal Fear, even  though  I  watched
most of their set. Like almost every other falsetto vocalist I had  to
endure during the two days, Ralf Scheepers either wasn't wearing tight
enough underwear or  requires  studio  technology  when  it  comes  to
hitting certain notes. His Halford-style posing looked embarrassing as
always, and I don't remember much about their  music  other  than  the
so-so Judas Priest cover "Metal Gods". [MN]

Though I (thankfully) didn't actually witness Primal Fear's set, I was
told about one thing they did that  was  uncharacteristic  for  German
bands (especially of  the  power  metal  persuasion)  at  this  year's
Wacken: they persisted, throughout their set, in speaking to the crowd
in English. This is no crime, of course -- but when  you're  a  German
band who sell most of their albums in Germany; and you're at a  German
festival where well over fifty percent of the metalheads  are  German;
and many of them (I  would  judge  from  extrapolations  based  on  my
own experiences) are not great  speakers  of  English;  why,  in  that
situation, would you choose to talk to the crowd in -English-? Perhaps
it was because old Ralph knew no one was really listening to  what  he
said in-between songs. More  likely,  it  was  intended  to  give  the
band more  "international  credibility".  However  you  slice  it,  it
demonstrated poor communication skills. [PS]

Testament

While the audience was totally into Testament  and  it  was  certainly
good to see the giant Chuck Billy back on stage, the Testament set did
nothing for me. Starting with a seemingly endless series of  mid-tempo
tracks from  which  the  worst  were  from  their  'let's  sound  like
Metallica and get rich' period, I started to wonder why Testament were
ever labeled thrash metal.  Steve  Di  Giorgio's  stage  moves  had  a
certain Janick Gers quality and were totally terrible to look at,  and
Chuck Billy's vocals only sounded powerful to my ears when he did  one
of his lower roars. Fortunately the band did play  some  thrash  metal
later on; "The Haunting", "Alone in the Dark", etc. sounded cool,  but
-- maybe due to the fact that The Crown as well as Dismember had  been
able to prescribe a much heavier dose of metal earlier on --  the  gig
left me unimpressed until the end. [MN]

Though I can very much understand Matthias' experience of  Testament's
set, I was, curiously enough, among those members of the audience  who
were totally into Testament's set -- well, not all  of  it,  but  more
than I would have expected. When I saw Testament  in  London  back  in
April, the ilk of "True Believer" provided dreary  listening.  But  --
though I'd still prefer Testament to play -more- from _The Legacy_ and
_The New Order_ than hear the  tracks  in  question  --  at  Wacken  I
enjoyed them, albeit a fraction as much as I enjoyed  "The  Haunting",
"Burnt Offerings" or the band's magic "Disciples of the Watch" closer.
Some of the later Testament material plays well to a  festival  --  as
I discovered, it's  infectiously  sing-a-longable.  What  really  made
Testament's set such a joy for me was the fervour of  the  fans:  they
sang an astounding proportion of the lyrics,  in  astounding  numbers.
The "magic moment" came at the end of "Alone in the  Dark",  when  the
crowd carried on sounding the main melody line like a football  chant.
Testament were "forced" to go straight into the next song:  the  crowd
(myself included) had no intention of stopping. It's certainly fair to
say that Testament could have been better, but that's not to say  they
weren't a fist pumping, head-banging joy to behold. As  long  as  they
keep pumping out a fair whack of _The Legacy_ and _The New  Order_  at
each gig, I can't see my overall reactions turning negative. [PS]

Gamma Ray

Out of curiosity and masochism I went  for  another  dose  of  German 
power metal. Watching Gamma Ray from  afar,  I  was  shocked  by  the 
absolutely terrible  vocal  performance  from  Kai  Hansen.  The  guy 
could hardly hit  a  note  properly,  and  seems  to  have  lost  his 
higher range completely. His  out-of-tune  squeaking  on  the  encore 
(the Helloween track "Victims  of  Fate")  could  have  soured  milk. 
Technically speaking, Gamma Ray were really good; but I'm totally  at 
a loss as to why Hansen thinks he is capable of  handling  the  vocal 
duties on his own. [MN]                                               

Assassin

Germany's Assassin got this year's traditional  thrash  metal  reunion
slot. The German five-piece recorded two albums  during  the  '80s  --
1987's _The Upcoming Terror_ and 1988's _Interstellar Experience_  --,
both of which pretty much failed to make a considerable splash in  the
scene back then. In 2003, nostalgia and permanent  name-dropping  from
message board nerds trying to  outdo  each  other  when  it  comes  to
praising only the most obscure outfits seems to have given the band  a
status it never had during its  rather  short-lived  career.  However,
Assassin, strengthened by the addition of ex-Violent  Force  /  Living
Death / Sodom drummer Atomic Steif, did at least partially  manage  to
send most of those who decided they'd rather  see  a  third-tier  band
from fifteen years  ago  than  "N'Flaimz"  through  the  time  tunnel.
Starting with "Abstract War" and timing  problems  that  would've  put
even Capricornus and Witchhunter to shame, the band  at  least  had  a
decent sound -- which was dominated by chainsaw-like guitars,  ripping
and tearing along in the old-fashioned German speed metal way.  During
later tracks like "Baka",  "Junk  Food",  "Assassin"  or  the  closing
"Bullets", they managed to tighten  their  act  --  and  despite  some
verbal diarrhoea and awkward stage acting by vocalist Robert  Gonella,
Assassin managed to do justice  to  the  recorded  versions  of  their
material. The gig would have been an  okay,  and  at  least  a  fairly
satisfying, one-time trip down memory lane if it hadn't been  for  the
two horrible new songs aired, which were atrocious enough to  make  me
fear a new Assassin album more than the black plague. [MN]

In Flames

>From my perspective, seeing In Flames live these  days  is  always  a
hollow  experience,  when  all  is  said  and  done:  it  is  -always-
disappointing because -- just like Entombed in the  late  '90s  --  In
Flames have basically opted to confine their  second  release  to  the
history books. _Subterranean_ tempered the  unbridled  eclecticism  of
_Lunar Strain_ into some  of  the  most  majestic  pieces  of  Swedish
melodic death metal created in the '90s. I mean, just -imagine- if  In
Flames opened up with "Stand Ablaze". Now imagine if  Henke  (vocalist
on _Subterranean_) was guesting on vocals... Now try to understand why
I find Anders Friden and crew 'coming out to party'  disappointing  --
even though, as an experience in 'extreme stadium  metal',  In  Flames
hit the nail just about square on the head.  That's  right:  they  are
great -- in their own way. The crowd is  a  huge  seething  mass.  The
setlist a popular-favourite-after-popular-favourite run-down. "Pinball
Map", "Only for  the  Weak",  "Episode  666",  even  "Moonshield"  are
received like classics of the metal canon. It's a  nice  thing  to  be
part of; but "Jotun" never comes out to play, and the closest thing we
get to hearing something from _Subterranean_ is  when  the  obligatory
"old song" -- "Behind Space" from 1994's _Lunar  Strain_,  re-recorded
on 1999's _Colony_ -- is  dusted  off,  as-per-formulaic  usual.  It's
frustrating rather than pleasing to hear  "Behind  Space"  done  as  a
straight, brutalising death metal song -- a  novelty,  essentially  --
stripped of its acoustic outro though more  recent  In  Flames  albums
supply material for the same set which is as mellow and more  so.  The
mercy is that  exceptionally  little  from  _Reroute  to  Remain_  was
played. The pleasure was being part of something so  thoroughly  huge,
powerful, and yet -extreme-. In Flames may neglect their finest  work,
but they at least open many people up to discovering it, and the great
music which surrounds it in ever-increasing circles of obscurity. [PS]

Twisted Sister

These days Twisted Sister could be considered as much of an oddity  as
Assassin, but at least they can look back at an original concept and a
tremendously successful career -- with an arsenal of songs that no-one
who is into any kind of rock is unfamiliar  with.  The  band  went  on
stage to the sound of the traditional intro tape "It's a Long  Way  to
the Top If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll" by AC/DC  --  which  already  made
people in the back sing and dance along. With the  exception  of  bass
player Mark "The Animal" Mendoza, who had gained quite some weight and
probably didn't fit into his costume anymore, the band looked  exactly
like they did in the '80s, including make-up and  sunglasses.  Equally
unsurprising was their opening track, the always excellent  "What  You
Don't Know", which sounded much  heavier  than  I  remembered  Twisted
Sister to be. That's what happens if totally  dumb  material  like  "I
Wanna Rock" or "We're Not Gonna Take  It"  starts  to  overshadow  the
-metal- Twisted Sister most definitely played on  their  debut.  Other
tracks such as "Like a Knife in the Back", "The Kids Are Back",  "Live
to Ride", "Under the Blade",  "Shoot  'Em  Down"  and  especially  the
punishing "Destroyer" easily managed to come  across  as  surprisingly
up-to-date and totally entertaining. Dee Snider hasn't lost any of his
capabilities to be an outstanding rock frontman who is able to deliver
the most ridiculous stage banter and ass-kissing in a  fashion  that's
entertaining and not embarrassing at all. After  the  obligatory  drum
solo, the band went on  to  play  the  hits  of  their  later  career,
including the aforementioned "I Wanna Rock" and "We're Not Gonna  Take
It"; and even if these anthems of stupidity give me a sick feeling  in
the region of my stomach, it was most amusing to  see  people  wearing
Gorgoroth and other grim  black  metal  shirts  sing  along  to  them.
Overall Twisted Sister turned out to  be  a  worthy  headliner,  which
despite their faded metal credibility managed to  unite  fans  of  the
most different of styles. There's no way Cradle of Filth  --  who  had
decided to play Ozzfest instead -- would  have  been  able  to  be  as
entertaining and worthwhile as Friday's headliner. [MN]

Saturday

Graveworm

Rumour was spreading that Sinister had split up during  the  drive  to
Wacken and Holy Moses had replaced them  on  very  short  notice.  The
extremely inhuman but totally ludicrous  roar  that  Sabrina  Claassen
delivered during the sound check immediately convinced me  to  go  see
Graveworm instead. The band attracted quite a following  in  front  of
the Party  stage,  but  their  music  is  a  completely  unimaginative
assembly of Dimmu Borgir's most keyboard-laden moments and a brand  of
death metal that never gets as ferocious and heavy as real death metal
should sound.  The  professional  delivery  did  not  really  help  to
overcome the serious issues I  have  with  Graveworm's  music,  and  I
didn't get much more excitement than I would have if we had decided to
rest on the camping ground for another hour. [MN]

Thyrfing

Swedish Viking metallers Thyrfing certainly had  a  good  sound:  same
sound guy as Dismember, Matti Karki tells me. So  what  was  there  to
enjoy -was- Thyrfing, untarnished by any sound problems -- even  wind.
But when it came  down  to  it:  for  me,  that  just  wasn't  enough.
Festival-friendly much of  Thyrfing's  broadly  'epic'-style  material
certainly is, but engrossing it ain't -- at least to my ears. Good but
not great, and very dependent on taste: I certainly felt out-voted  by
the audience, who formed what was, for the early afternoon, a sizeable
crowd around the True Metal stage, and clearly enjoyed  themselves  --
some even sported plastic Viking helmets. [PS]

Twisted Tower Dire

Though it was disappointing that when Twisted Tower Dire emerged  onto
the Party Stage, the American five-piece ('Priest  /  'Maiden  set-up)
wore none of the spikes and  other  'metal  gear'  that  characterises
their promotion, it would be more sensible to blame  airport  carriage
restrictions than the band themselves;  and  in  any  case,  it's  the
-music- that matters: TTD are all about -that-. Showing up just  about
every other 'power metal' band in attendance  --  particularly  Primal
Fear, Metallium and Running Wild -- TTD let loose with such style that
-not- head- and fist-banging would have taken a physical effort. Their
singer was ecstatic. "I'm so glad to see all of you here",  he  beams.
"'Cause it was either here or Disneyland." He explains.  "I  asked  my
kids, 'Do you wanna go to Disneyland or do you wanna go to Wacken with
your daddy?' And they said, 'We wanna go to Wacken with  you,  daddy!'
And I'm so glad all of you are here, 'cause  if  there'd  been,  like,
twenty people, Mickey Mouse would be looking pretty good right now!" A
cover of "The Trooper" closed things off in fittingly anthemic  style.
The crowd (very much including myself) sing and shout along  not  only
to probably half the lyrics, but also about  an  equal  share  of  the
classic melody lines the song contains. There was no "true metal" band
worth comparing with TTD at Wacken this year: they  slaughtered  their
genre-specific competition. [PS]

Malevolent Creation

Not really getting Twisted Tower Dire's point during  the  first  five
minutes of their set, I went over to the  Black  Stage  to  check  out
Malevolent Creation instead. Although I was in the mood for some death
metal, their performance left me more or less  unimpressed.  The  band
lacked the charisma and vibe of an outfit that  enters  the  stage  to
viciously lash out and lay everything to ruin in the manner that songs
like "Kill Zone" suggest. New  frontman  Kyle  Symons  tried  hard  to
balance the extremely static stage-acting from the other band members,
but despite his efforts what was going on up  there  wasn't  all  that
exciting. "The Slaughter of Innocence" and the closing  "The  Will  to
Kill" were my personal highlights of the set. Malevolent Creation were
not bad, but their performance made it extremely obvious  for  me  why
they have never achieved and never will obtain the status and on-stage
qualities of bands like Cannibal Corpse, who have been in the business
for a comparable period of time. [And are also from  Buffalo!  --  PS]
[MN]

Carpathian Forest

I had serious doubts over whether Carpathian Forest would even work at
Wacken. With  the  genre  somewhat  stereotyped  as  tight-lipped  and
overserious,  how  would  a  'real'  BM  band  --  i.e.  sans  synths,
traditionally metal or distinctly proggy melody patterns  -and-  clean
vocal sections (male -or- female) -- be able to successfully win  over
a festival crowd; and in the midday sun,  no  less?  Well,  the  first
thing to do in a situation like this is to break the ice --  and  just
after CF take the stage (in fact, -immediately- after Matthias  and  I
have sniggered quietly about their bassist's girth) the band's  singer
does just that... perfectly: "Hello Wacken! We are  fat  fuckers  from
Norway!" Combined with the band's almost  defiantly  bold  corpsepaint
and hell-bent-for-leather sound and delivery,  it  made  CF  a  viable
festival act. Of course the increasingly Motorhead-and-Venom inspired,
black 'n' rolling steps the band have made in recent years gave them a
setlist that would work; but the full  'spiked  penguin'  presentation
and punchingly primitive sonic treatment has a habit of dying  on  its
arse when it leaves the cozy confines of a club -- if not a  recording
studio: I would never have expected it to work on  one  of  the  -big-
stages at Wacken. CF got things grooving, got  us  laughing,  and  did
Norway proud as the country's only(!) representatives at  this  year's
Wacken. Satan rules supreme, as the legendary Geordies once said! [PS]

Kataklysm

Despite clearly playing  their  guts  out  --  and  making  a  crowded
mosh/bang "pit", extending impressively far out from the Party  Stage,
rather happy -- Kataklysm didn't really seem to have an edge, at least
as  far  as  I  could  discern.  Definitely  not  bad,  but  a  little
underwhelming. [PS]

Stratovarius

While trying to pay as little attention as possible to Stratovarius --
they were far from the worst power metal act  of  the  festival  (that
dubious honour I bestow upon Metallium) but  that  still  didn't  make
them a -positive- addition to the line-up  --  by  standing  near  the
Party stage after Kataklysm, I was given some unlooked-for aid. As the
Finnish six-piece were waiting for their T2-theme  intro  to  complete
its cycle, a metalhead  revealed  that  he  had  a  light,  inflatable
football... by kicking it high into the air. As it came down, bounced,
and then  flew  off  again  as  another  foot  connected  with  it,  a
kick-about  was  initiated.  As  more  and  more  metalheads  with  no
discernible personal relationship to each other joined in, one decided
it would be fun to grasp the ball in his hands,  and  run.  If  you've
ever seen video footage of the annual "Running of the Bulls" in  Santa
Fe -- and you can image similarly adrenalised men and  women,  adorned
in various "metal" garbs, darting between clusters of people in  their
efforts to catch a single individual --  then  you  can  picture  what
ensued: thirty-odd minutes of free-form rugby. It was  like,  in  this
small patch of Schlewsig Holstein, we had traveled back in time a  few
hundred years. Any notion of rules went out the window. It was  great.
And yet, in the spirit of all things  Wacken,  things  don't  go  bad.
They certainly  get  violent:  every  time  a  "player"  is  downed  a
scrimmage ensues, as almost every pursuer leaps on  the  ball-carrier,
or scrambles to the  ground  to  try  to  pull  the  ball  from  their
firmly locked arms. After the entertainment  is  over,  one  unharried
participant stands nearby with an open tear on the bridge of his nose.
I missed what he said, as he was speaking in German; but by  the  look
on his face alone you could tell that he hadn't regretted his decision
to  join  in  the  fun.  Unfortunately,  after  all  that  excitement,
Stratovarius' overwrought  melodicism  was  even  less  appealing.  We
waited it out begrudgingly, lining up a good position  from  which  to
see Nile on the Black stage. [PS]

Nile

It had been hours since  anything  seriously  killer  had  transpired;
Kataklysm were adequate and Carpathian  Forest  were  good,  but  only
Twisted Tower Dire had really got me rockin'. Now, the first bona fide
highlight of the day had arrived:  they  bettered  all  who  had  gone
before. A near-crystal clear, loud and crunchy sound brought  out  the
fluid, note- and beat-perfect playing beautifully.  The  set...  well,
it  slaughtered,  quite  frankly.  A  perfect  mix  of  speed-drenched
death  metal  dervishes  ("Chapter  for  Transforming  Into  a  Snake"
as an opener;  both  Toller-Wade  typhoons  from  _In  Their  Darkened
Shrines_, "Execration Text" and "Wind of Horus", aired;  "Khefti  Asar
Butchiu" -and- "The Blessed Dead") and  pyramid-weight  stompers  like
"Sarcophagus", "The Black Flame" and "Stones of  Sorrow",  Nile's  set
was satisfying for a fanatic while being appropriately weighted for  a
festival appearance. Rarely is a band so enthralling, and  I've  never
seen Nile be better  in  four  years  of  having  seen  them  perform.
The material  is  partly  responsible:  _...Shrines_  is  Nile's  most
accomplished -album- thus far by a clear margin, and features many  of
their best songs. But it's the  group  involved  --  their  abilities,
their charisma, their -presence- -- which makes seeing Nile today such
a -total- pleasure. Mid-way through their set, Karl Sanders takes  the
opportunity to make an announcement, in a short break  between  songs.
"I've got something to say", he begins, preparing the floor. "Ich  bin
ein Wackener!" If Nile hadn't already achieved iconic status back when
Chief Spires was still around, there is no doubt that they  have  now.
The "new" line-up  --  already  into  its  third  year  as  Sanders  /
Toller-Wade / Laureano / Vesano -- not only slays, but  already  reads
like a "classic" roll call; the  way,  say,  Azagthoth  /  Sandoval  /
Vincent / Rutan did. It's very simple, people: Nile are the new Morbid
Angel. They are reaping the harvest of the black seeds they  sowed  in
the late '90s. The kings are dead: long live the pharaohs. [PS]

Slayer

Well, it had to happen one  day.  Having  undisputedly  built  up  the
reputation of being the best live band in metal for almost two decades
and still not suffered any backlash (at least not when it comes to the
turn-out at their shows) -- and  that  despite  a  whole  sequence  of
superfluous records -- Slayer needed only 70  minutes  to  efficiently
[or effectively, I wonder... -- PS] ruin their god-like status. Coming
after approximately 55 bands who had all managed  to  keep  the  tight
schedule, Araya and company entered the stage  almost  twenty  minutes
late, didn't care to say a word to the audience (who after  more  than
two full days at the festival had already become  upset)  and  started
with a disappointing volley of four new tracks. As someone who is  not
familiar with _God Hates Us All_ I have to say I expected nothing, but
I was nevertheless surprised by the weakness and  tedious  grooves  of
the material from this record. Even worse, just 100  meters  from  the
stage, the sound -- which I had expected to totally crush -- stayed at
a volume level which allowed  conversations  about  the  disappointing
nature of what was going on to continue without even needing to  raise
one's voice. Countless people started  to  yell  "louder,  louder"  in
between songs; not in the humorous way which has become a  fashion  at
Motorhead shows, but in all seriousness. After four or five tracks the
sound got slightly  louder  and  "Antichrist"  appeased  some  in  the
audience, but still everybody was hoping that at some point during the
gig things would reach a level worthy of a Slayer show. Not  even  the
following "Mandatory Suicide" had  much  of  an  impact.  Things  were
seriously worsened by a band performance which gave the impression  of
three people who have absolutely no interest left  in  what  they  are
doing, other  than  to  fulfill  contractual  obligations.  Tom  Araya
especially came across like someone who was either  completely  stoned
or close to falling asleep. Dave Lombardo, on the other  hand,  seemed
to  be  highly  motivated  and  his  performance  was  flawless,  even
introducing a couple of new twists and turns  to  the  classics  being
played. "Hell Awaits" was aired and sounded decent --  but  still  not
loud enough -- before the band played the first half of  the  immortal
_Reign in Blood_ -with no breaks-. The overall mood  of  the  audience
was lightening up a bit and many were visibly impressed  by  the  fact
that Slayer were doing stuff like "Necrophobic" and "Piece  by  Piece"
-- which they hardly, if ever, have played.  The  complete  _Reign  in
Blood_ treatment  was  divided  by  "Dead  Skin  Mask"  before  Slayer
continued to present the -whole- of the second side of the album,  and
thus finished their set with one of metal's finest  moments,  "Raining
Blood". During the whole gig the band never managed  to  unleash  more
than an absolute minimum of energy; the volume remained at  5  out  of
11; Hannemann's guitar tone was weird and powerless; and the  audience
ran more and more out of steam despite a setlist which by the strength
of the songs alone should have stunned and  annihilated  everybody  in
attendance. Straight after "Raining Blood" the band flipped  a  couple
of plectrums and drumsticks into the crowd, left the stage... and  the
gig was over. No encore, nothing. It only strengthened a large part of
the audience's impression of having  seen  a  show  by  some  arrogant
has-been band who couldn't care less about  its  performance  and  its
audience. A disaster of unthinkable proportions for a band like Slayer
in front of what must have been a crowd as dedicated to them and metal
as one can only imagine. [MN]

Vader

There's hardly any time of the year when Vader seem to not be touring.
They have to be one of the hardest working bands in  the  whole  metal
genre; but from my point of view this has turned into a  disadvantage.
There seems to be hardly anyone, at least in Europe, who  hasn't  seen
Vader two or three times already. When I did my  initial  planning  of
whom to see in Wacken, I wasn't really sure that I'd be interested  in
checking out the Poles at 1am -- after Slayer and more then  two  full
days of exposure to metal. At  one  point  during  the  second  day  I
finally made up my mind and decided that Vader  would  surely  have  a
hard time attracting a good and big enough audience during their  most
unfortunate slot, and that I owed such a dedicated band to be at their
gig come hell or high water. Although I did make statements  like  "If
Vader and Slayer played the same evening I'd  go  and  see  Vader"  in
previous CoC contributions, I knew  that  Slayer  would  play  all  of
_Reign in Blood_ -- and frankly I didn't believe that Vader  would  be
able to leave much of an impression afterwards. Peter seemed to  share
my view when he approached the crowd with the words "Well, it's always
hard to play after a band like Slayer, but we'll try." Of course  they
tried, but I don't think anyone would have expected that  Vader  would
totally and completely annihilate Slayer that night. Blessed  with  an
ultra-loud, crisp, crunchy  --  in  short  THE  perfect  sound,  Vader
delivered a set which may well have been the  best  of  their  career.
Starting with the ultimately  powerful  "Epitaph"  and  the  shredding
"Cold Demons", Vader struck with such  unearthly  power  and  metallic
beauty that all I could do in between some frantic headbanging was  to
groan and scream in pleasure while covering my eyes  with  both  hands
and shaking my head in disbelief. People who had obviously started  to
walk away after or during the Slayer disaster came back to the  stage,
some of them running, and soon  a  considerable  crowd  had  gathered.
A certain  MonTankA  describes  the  situation  appropriately  in  the
guestbook of Vader's official site: '"Okay, everybody else  is  saying
this... I just went away from the Slayer show to go  and  kill  myself
after their performance when I heard something  blow  me  away!!  Well
that was Vader Fuckin' Vader!"' The god-like "Xeper"  and  the  Stalin
organ type barrage of "Carnal" followed with  unbelievable  power  and
precision. Drummer Doc left the impression  that  he  could  wipe  the
floor with Lombardo  --  be  it  speed,  fills  or  breaks.  The  band
delivered their usual aggressive stage acting and new bass player Novy
(ex-Behemoth) seemed to be more than well  integrated  and  headbanged
like a maniac. The  show  continued  with  songs  like  the  fantastic
"Silent Empire", "Black to the Blind",  "The  Nomad",  "Wings"  and  a
handful of others, until the band left the stage  for  a  few  seconds
before returning once more to  ultimately  finish  the  audience  with
"Sothis". These days Vader are everything Slayer once  were!  I  can't
say anything more positive about a band. [MN]

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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #66

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else.                                                                


