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       CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-Zine, December 13, 1995, Issue #5

Co-Editor: Gino Filicetti <ginof@io.org> <_DeaTH_ on #metal>
Co-Editor: Adrian Bromley <bw823@torfree.net>
Assistant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault <alain@mks.com>
Web Page Manager: Brian Meloon <bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder

--> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and a bio to:
 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                         CHRONICLES OF CHAOS
                           57 Lexfield Ave
                            Downsview Ont.
                           M3M-1M6, Canada
             Fax: (416) 693-5240   Voice: (416) 693-9517
                         e-mail: ginof@io.org
 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

DESCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos is a monthly magazine electronically  distributed
worldwide via the Internet. Chronicles of Chaos focuses on all  forms
of brutal music; from thrash to death to black metal, we have it all.
Each issue will feature interviews with your favorite  bands, written
from the  perspective of a true  fan.  Each  issue  will also include
record reviews and previews, concert  reviews and tour dates, as well
as various  happenings  in  the metal  scene  worldwide.  We here  at
Chronicles  of  Chaos  also believe  in reader  participation,  so we
encourage  you to submit any  material you may have to Gino Filicetti
<ginof@io.org>.

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any  time  by  sending  a
message with "SUBSCRIBE coc-ezine <your-name-here>" in  the  BODY  of
your message to  the  list  handler  at  listproc@lists.colorado.edu.
Please note that this command must NOT be sent to  the  list  address
<coc-ezine@lists.colorado.edu>, but to the mail server which  handles
this mailing list.

WORLD WIDE WEB SITE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We are currently  in  the  process  of  constructing  a  website  for
Chronicles of Chaos. You can  check  it  out  by  pointing  your  web
browser  to  http://www.io.org/~ginof/coc.html.  If  you   have   any
comments    or    suggestions,    please    e-mail    Brian    Meloon
<bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>.

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

Issue #5 Contents, 12/13/95
---------------------------
* Editorial
* Feature Stories
-- Dissecting and Devouring the Details with Dissection
-- Six Feet Above the Rest
-- Guns, Bombs, and La Policia
-- Vast and Vivid Visions with Voivod
-- Dutch Doom Domination
-- A Day In the Life of Agony
* Chaotic Chat Sessions
-- Painful Pleas from the Pros
* Record Revelations
-- Sentenced - _Love and Death_
-- Moonspell - _Wolfheart_
-- Napalm Death - _Greed Killing_
-- Hansel Und Gretyl - _Ausgeflippt_
-- Nailbomb - _Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide_
-- Orphanage - _Oblivion_
-- My Own Victim - _Burning Inside_
-- Testify - _Ballroom Killer/The Blitzkrieg Remixes_
-- Hostility - _Brick_
-- Paradise Lost - _Draconian Times_
-- GWAR - _Ragnarok_
-- Trouble - _Plastic Green Head_
-- Merauder - _Master Killer_
-- Sielwolf - _Metastasen_
* New Noise
-- Lords of the Stone - _In An Eyelid's Fall_
-- Deeds of Flesh - _Gradually Melted_
* Chaotic Concerts
-- Caught in a Mosh with 'thrax
* What We Have Cranked
* The Final Word

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

                          E D I T O R I A L 
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         by:  Gino Filicetti

Well, here we are, after long, long last: Chronicles of Chaos #5! Let
me start off this editorial with an apology for the lateness of  this
issue. I know if there is one thing in this world that royally pisses
me off, it is being late. I mean, I can't  stand  it  when  something
that I'm just dying for at a certain time arrives late.  Now  I  know
that many of you out there understand our  situation,  and  I'm  glad
that you are so sympathetic, but the fact of the matter is, we should
be able to get you this mag on time, on the first of every month. The
problem this time around was that I was really involved with  various
other priorities (ie scholarship applications  etc.),  but  the  good
thing is that they are over and done with now, so I am convinced that
it IS possible to release this mag on time all the time, it's just  a
matter of will.

Anyway, enough of the unpleasant talk, now  to  the  good  news.  Our
subscriber mailing list is currently at 481 at the time  of  release.
That's just 19 shy of our goal of 100 new subscribers per issue,  but
hey! That ain't bad! It still amazes me how our subscriber  list  can
grow everyday, it just blows the mind how many people know about  CoC
now. We are getting the support of  just  about  EVERY  record  label
we've approached, and everybody who's heard  of  the  'zine,  whether
into the music or not, thinks it is utterly cool. All I  can  say  is
that I'm more than overjoyed with the way things have been going  for
us. Sure I don't get as much sleep as I used to (it's now 1:30am on a
school night), and maybe I don't get as much free time to myself, but
hey, who am I when compared with 481 rabid metal monsters frothing at
the mouth for more, more and more brutal musick? :)

One thing I'd like to mention before I go is an idea  brought  to  my
attention by Bruce Moyle <bmoyle@tamarcom.com.au>. Bruce thinks  that
the only thing lacking from Chronicles of Chaos is a "Letters To  The
Editor" column. And you know what? He's right. But the thing is this:
I can not write this column for you people to enjoy, YOU  must  write
this column so that everyone can see, hear and  experience  what  you
have to say. All you need is a minute and a thought, just send us any
old email ranting and raving about how shitty CoC is, or  how  stupid
our writers are, or any other such informative insights. One thing  I
ask of you however is this, please include in the first line of  your
body something to the effect of: 'Attention Letters to the Editor' or
even, 'Attn: Letters....' This is just something to make it easier on
me when I have to sort through tons of email, so I'd appreciate it if
you could do me that favour.  Remember,  your  letter  can  be  about
ANYTHING YOU WANT. I don't  give  a  shit,  the  more  creative,  the
better. All Letters will be printed with any and all spelling  and/or
grammatical errors intact so as to perserve the raw,  down  to  earth
feeling  most  letters   convey.   Please   mail   all   letters   to
<ginof@io.org>. If we get enough letters, the column will  appear  in
CoC #6, if we get too many, only the best will survive.

That's it from me, take care and stay brutal everyone, and don't  let
poseur's and wannabe's get the best of you. Later!
             
Here's a message I got from Alain that I thought might interest a few
of you...

>I got word from a guy called Kirk Dolbear that he runs a music distro 
>company called Cyclonic Distribution out of London, Ontario. Anyway, 
>he's looking for black metal bands to put on a compilation album he's 
>putting together. His address is:
>
>Cyclonic Distribution
>P.O. Box 28083
>London, Ontario
>N6H 5E1
>kirk.dolbear@onlinesys.com
>
>Oh yeah, if you're interested in checking out the titles he has for 
>sale, just mail him and he'll forward the list to you. He sells 
>mostly black metal CDs for $21 Canadian, shipping *included*.

And here is a message from <nahitfol@warka.univ-paris8.fr>

>CHAOTIK webzine, the first french hard music web fanzine is out! It's 
>written in english and in french.
>
>                     C H A O T I K  W E B Z I N E
>                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>                  punk, hardcore, metal, industrial
>          http://www.cs.univ-paris8.fr/~nahitfol/CH/ch.html
>                e-mail: nahitfol@warka.univ-paris8.fr
>               Bands, labels, zines send your stuff to:
>         Panos AGOROS, 8-10 rue F.Arago, 93500 Pantin, FRANCE

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

         DISSECTING AND DEVOURING THE DETAILS WITH DISSECTION
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Progression within their music  has  always  been  an  important
factor for Sweden's Dissection  -  an  attribute  they  have  clearly
focused on since the release of their first demo _The Grief Prophecy_
in 1990.
     Five years and one debut  album  later,  we  find  a  much  more
strengthened quartet, fully armed with stories  of  death  and  power
with an attitude that shapes itself in the form  of  their  sophomore
opus, _Storm Of The Light's Bane_.
     "Over the years I think we  have  developed  the  sound  of  the
band,"  begins  singer/guitarist  Jon  Nodveidt  from  his  home   in
Gothenburg,  "but  we  feel  that  we  went  further  on   with   the
sound/direction on this release with both the songwriting and  music.
It is still the same band,  but  with  each  record  we  want  to  go
somewhere with our music where we haven't been and not try to do  the
same thing. We don't want to repeat ourselves too much, and  that  is
why we will always try to progress with each album or new material."
     Along with  fellow  gothic/epic  black  metallers  Johan  Norman
(guitar), bassist Peter Palmdahl (who along with Nodveidt started the
band in 1989), and drummer Ole Ohman, the band has been able to carry
themselves further with _SotLB_ than they did with their debut,  _The
Somberlain_, in 1993. Much darker and tighter, _SotLB_ (which  sounds
great  due  in  part  to  awesome  producer  Dan   Swano,   Edge   of
Sanity/production mastermind) is no doubt a big  stepping  stone  for
the band in finding their sound and specific style.
     Says Nodveidt, "We never limit ourselves even if we feel we play
dark, death metal. We don't write our music to  fit  into  a  certain
pattern." Adding, he explains,  "We  will  not  change  musically  or
lyrically in any drastic way. We will do what we have to as  long  as
it makes us feel that we have improved."
     On the topic of the album in question,  _Storm  Of  The  Light's
Bane_, I asked  about  a  possible  concept  theme  for  this  album.
"Everything we do is connected through death in one way  or  another.
This is not an album where all the songs  follow  a  story.  On  this
record, all the songs and music are different  but  still  have  that
death theme within them to tie them in some form or another."
     As mentioned, there is  a  dark,  evil  feeling  enveloping  the
album's tracks, but still the album finds time to show off a tranquil
state at certain points. "We want to release different emotions  with
our music, to express them with our sound and music. We want it to be
heavy and angry but also putting melancholic styles  input  into  our
music."
     Also seeping into this death-ish metallic  offering  is  obvious
old school metal influences, something Nodveidt and the rest  of  his
band are not ashamed to be influenced by or include in some way  into
their music. "Old school metal (Iron  Maiden,  Judas  Priest,  Venom)
have meant a lot to us personally as they are found  in  our  musical
roots. We think of ourselves as death metal, but we like  to  try  to
spread ourselves around musically where we can have our own sound."
     He adds, "Of course we have hundreds of influences but we  don't
use them to copy them. They are used to become  more  creative.  That
would be stupid to just copy them now wouldn't it?"
     As for the metal music scene there and abroad, how  is  it?  How
important are those music scenes for him and his band to follow? "The
scene is pretty healthy but the older bands mean more to me than  the
younger, newer ones that are surfacing here or in North America.  The
ones that got me into this music are what are close to my heart."
     Old school metal with a Dissection-ess twist? The truth  of  the
matter is _Storm Of The Light's Bane_ is an added ingredient  to  the
world of metal as it pays homage to old school metal, but at the same
time allows us to witness a style and sound uniquely Dissection's own.

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

            S I X   F E E T   A B O V E   T H E   R E S T 
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          by: Gino Filicetti

"This is not a fucking funeral, I'm still alive and well and  kicking
around, and I will be for a long time to come."
     -- Chris Barnes (vocalist)

     Hailing from what was once the mecca  of  American  Death  Metal
comes Chris  Barnes  and  Allen  West,  most  likely  two  names  you
recognize if you've been into this genre  for  any  period  of  time.
Straight out of Cannibal  Corpse  and  Obituary  respectively,  these
dudes know where they want to go. Speaking on the phone  with  Barnes
from somewhere in the ethereal plane of our long  distance  networks,
Barnes had more than his share of opinions to share with us.
     Formed in 1993, Six Feet Under started as a glimmer in  the  eye
of guitarist Allen West who approached Barnes  with  a  raw  tape  he
demoed at home. "He sent the tape  along  to  me  when  we  [Cannibal
Corpse] were recording _The Bleeding_  and  I  just  thought  it  was
killer and all, so we got together and laid  down  some  drum  tracks
with a machine and put in some bass lines and whatnot, and  after  we
found our current bass player (Terry Butler,  ex-Death,  ex-Massacre)
and drummer (newcomer Greg Gall), and that  was  it.  It  was  really
Allen's idea from the beginning."
     Seeing as most artists  seem  to  incorporate  a  good  deal  of
stylistic  techniques  from  their  "9  to  5  band.  in  their   own
side-projects, how does Barnes  think  Six  Feet  Under  compares  to
Obituary or Cannibal Corpse? "Well I  think  it's  just  a  different
style of music, you know. It's different people making the sounds and
we just tried to do our own thing the way we wanted, and put  out  an
album. And the lyrics I wrote are also different in  a  way."  Having
read the lyrics over it was  evident  that  Barnes  has  altered  his
lyrical approach slightly. "The lyrics are coming to me a lot quicker
because I don't have to approach things or  be  seen  a  certain  way
anymore. There is no need to write lyrics that are over  the  top  or
try to be very blatant or crazy. The lyrics just form into what  they
are with no real need to explain why I am writing a certain way."
     The short life-span of most side projects is a well known  fact.
Take for  example  Nailbomb  (see  article  in  this  issue).  Having
released their debut in 1993, they have already called it quits.  Six
Feet Under, on the other hand, is not in this biz as a hobby, attests
Barnes. "From the beginning, we didn't go  in  there  with  the  side
project mentality you know. I mean we wanted to record shit, and tour
and everything like a real band. I mean, we wanted a future  for  Six
Feet Under." Working with a completely different band must also  have
been strange for you. "Fuck no man, it was fucking refreshing. I mean
we are all good friends and stuff and we all have the same  ideas  on
what the music should sound like. We all just got along really  well.
It was great to finally work with people and not have the personality
clash. I liked it a lot."
     This brought us to the latest piece of  gossip  on  the  street,
Barnes'  supposed  canning  from  Cannibal  Corpse  by   his   fellow
bandmates, a band whom he helped create and  popularize  through  his
hard work over the past several years. "The only thing I know is that
I'm not in Cannibal Corpse anymore. That's right, I was on tour  with
Six Feet Under and I got a call from their agents and stuff to inform
me that they were  letting  me  go  and  stuff."  And  his  reaction?
Continues Barnes, "It surprised me you know, I didn't see  it  coming
at all. I still don't know why they had to go and do  that.  I  mean,
maybe they thought I wasn't going to be committed anymore to them and
stuff, but Hell, shit happens."
     Another big issue with Barnes is the press, an entity that he is
not very pleased with to say the least. After being shit on by many a
magazine, especially in the U.S., what does Barnes have to say  about
it all? "Fuck man, I mean there is just this list of  people  I  have
that I just want to fucking kill if I run into them. I mean these are
people that have nothing better to do than  to  rip  apart  someone's
livelihood and personally insult them with their fucking opinions,  I
mean, sure you can have your own opinions and stuff,  but  you  don't
have to go around  completely  killing  shit  that  you  don't  like.
Fucking journalism sucks man, no offence to you (none taken!) but  it
does, some of these mags man I don't know, just  can't  fucking  tell
them apart from tabloids." He continues, "Our album is selling  great
all over, so I don't know where these people get off  telling  us  we
suck, you know? It's up to like 50,000 worldwide which is  absolutely
great for a death metal band just  starting  out."  But  does  Barnes
think that this can be attributed to the two "stars" that make up one
half of Six Feet Under's lineup? "Well, you got a good  point  there,
and I mean, I guess that comes into play a lot, but still  you  know,
music is music, and I think that whatever someone likes  or  dislikes
is ok if it's for the right reasons, you know what I'm saying?"
     After about 20 minutes of a great interview, other than the fact
that Chris Barnes - while having a great vocal presence  on  stage  -
talks like a mouse, my favorite question of all time came out.  'What
do you think of the scene today?' "Well fuck man, I don't  know  what
everyone is raggin' on, 'cause I think the scene is great  right  now
you know. We've been able to sell all kinds of fucking albums, and go
and tour wherever the fuck we wanted. I thought it  was  great."  And
what is Barnes' take on the 'Black  Metal  Scene'  in  Europe  today?
"Well, I'm not really into it, so I don't  have  an  opinion.  But  I
guess it can't be all that bad, I mean, as long as they  are  playing
music for the right fucking reasons, it's great. You know, people who
play out of a passion for the music, not just to get  huge  and  make
money. Which, by the way, they are in the wrong field for anyways."
     With that, it was time to close off our nice little chat,  so  I
thought I'd let Chris include a message for all of you, the fans  and
the critics, that make and break his career. "I want to say this,  to
everyone out there who's listening, this is not  a  fucking  funeral.
I'm still alive and well and kicking around, and I will be for a long
time to come."

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

         G U N S ,  B O M B S ,  A N D   L A   P O L I C I A 
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                      An Interview with Nailbomb
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Finished. Kaput. Call it a day. The End.  Of  course  there  are
many other ways to describe the rather abrupt, but well  thought  out
decision of the two founding members of  Nailbomb  (Max  Cavalera  of
Sepultura and Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel) to stop the legacy of the
band after only one album - 1993's superb _Point Blank_.
     The band's latest LP, _Proud To Commit Commercial  Suicide_,  is
the final chapter of the band, and a live  recording  of  the  band's
only live performance, at  this  year's  Dynamo  Festival.  "When  we
played the Dynamo Festival, we never said we were going to do a  live
album when we did that show," explains Newport about the decision  to
just see how  the  album  would  sound  on  the  festival's  24-track
recording system. "We said we'll see how the show goes  and  how  the
tape sounds and if it sounds like the spirit  of  the  show  then  we
would release it -  which  it  does  sound  like.  It  sounds  pretty
intense. We wanted people to feel as if they were there  as  much  as
possible."
     He adds about the response to the live album, "I don't  care  if
people like or hate the album as long as there  is  some  form  of  a
reaction from it."
     Calling it quits on such a  high  note,  flogged  with  critical
acclaim and fan excitement, was the band happy to end it the way they
did? "That was the idea," he says explaining, "we had already decided
to break up and not do another album. We wanted to  leave  things  as
they were. People wanted to see Nailbomb live and we played the  gig,
but it takes a lot of work to pull it off and I don't think it  would
be right for Nailbomb to do  a  full  tour.  The  live  album  seemed
fitting to end on."
     Playing live had its problems, as Newport explains bringing  the
live sound on CD format was not an easy task to undertake. "It  is  a
pretty stressful deal. The main thing was not  for  us  to  get  into
overdubs too much on the live album production. It  was  pretty  hard
for me not to want to redo the guitar parts because  they  sounded  a
certain way, because of the live  recording  that  is  the  way  they
sounded - not the best - but they sounded okay and so I  left  them."
About the non-polished edge of the live album he  says,  "I'd  rather
have mistakes than overdub the guitars and make it sound perfect."
     Also included on the  live  album  are  two  new  tracks:  'Zero
Tolerance' and 'While You  Sleep  I  Destroy  Your  World'.  Why  the
additional two new tracks if the band was trying to bring  everything
to an end? Newport responds,  "We  wanted  to  make  it  a  bit  more
interesting seeing that CDs are $16  each  and  I  can't  see  anyone
buying a $16 CD with the same songs that were on _Point Blank_,  even
though a lot of the songs sound different; and also, including  those
two songs was like an extra bonus, to make it a more interesting buy."
     When the initial stages of Nailbomb was  put  together  by  both
Newport and Cavalera (back in early 1993), he explains that the  band
was only assembled with a  certain  amount  of  seriousness.  But  as
Newport  explains,  many  fans  of  the  metal  genre  saw  hope  and
excitement within the release of _Point Blank_.
     "The responses that we had gotten from the whole Nailbomb  thing
was usually very positive, something hard to believe seeing that  the
project was only semi-serious. It wasn't really serious in the  sense
of being a band, but the songs and what we said was serious. Most  of
all we wanted to have fun and play our  guitars  a  certain  way  and
bounce off each other with ideas and all and record them."
     He  goes  on  to  talk  about  the  recording  of  their  debut:
"Originally we didn't even have the intention of making _Point Blank_
a CD. It was supposed to just be 4-track recordings, but we got  such
a good response so we decided to record a CD."
     Seeing the reaction that the  first  album  garnered  the  band,
would they ever get back into Nailbomb mode if the fans wanted it?  A
strong-willed Newport responds, "No. Too many bands carry on too long
and destroy all the great things about them. Look at  Black  Sabbath.
They were at one point the greatest band of all and now  they  are  a
laughing stock and I think that is so sad."
     About Alex's work with his old band (Fudge Tunnel has broken  up
as of early this year) he points out, "With Fudge  Tunnel,  the  last
album we did we thought was our best album.  What  we  had  tried  to
achieve in seven years we had done with it. And after  we  made  that
album we felt we had achieved what we wanted  to  do  so  we  stopped
right there. With us it was like with every album, we  wanted  to  go
one better and with the last album we were left saying, 'Where can we
go from here?'"
     Getting back to the answer he responds, "There is no doubt in my
mind that me and Max will work  together  again,  it  just  won't  be
called Nailbomb. I think it is better to end on a  good  note  rather
than have Nailbomb continue and become something it was  never  meant
to be. I'd rather leave it as special as it is right now."

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

 V A S T   A N D   V I V I D   V I S I O N S   W I T H   V O I V O D
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          by: Adrian Bromley
     
     "We wanted to be heavier and  go  back  to  our  roots,"  starts
Voivod founding member/drummer Michel "Away" Langevin over the  phone
from Montreal about the band's latest LP, _Negatron_. "We  went  very
experimental with the last few albums (1991's _Angel Rat_ and  1993's
_The Outer Limits_) and we felt that we went as far as we could  with
that direction. We felt that there was no other form of musical style
we could go to."
     So along with other founding  member,  guitarist  Denis  "Piggy"
D'Amour, Langevin tried to salvage the pieces of the Voivod  wreckage
that had almost come to  an  end  after  nearly  13  years.  Founding
frontman Denis "Snake" Belanger left the band, and the future  looked
grim for Montreal's metallic export.
     He explains the problems that came with the struggle of  keeping
the band around. "The last few albums were difficult. That  is  where
we got into a lot of difficulties with Snake. He didn't want to  yell
any more and we felt we needed to do that.  We  missed  the  kind  of
music we played from the old albums  but  we  also  wanted  to  write
heavier stuff."
     In comes singer/bassist Eric Forrest; "When we got Eric, he  was
heavier than we had expected to go with the band and we liked  that."
For those unfamiliar with  Forrest,  he  has  been  the  frontman  of
several local  Toronto  hard  rock  acts.  Molding  him  into  Voivod
material was easier than had been expected according to Langevin. "It
was different having him in the band at first but Eric was the  first
guy that we tried out for singer and he was the perfect match. He was
exactly what we wanted - a raunchy version of early  "Snake"  with  a
90's feel to it. It was obvious when we tried out Eric he was  up  to
fill Snake's position. We jammed for 20 minutes and knew he  was  in.
It was just that easy."
     "I don't think we have ever sounded so powerful," says  Langevin
about the addition of Forrest to the band and the new material. "This
power-trio is the best way to approach the music."
     More powerful than previous releases, though  somewhat  back  to
the basics of such Voivod classic albums as _War And Pain_ (1984)  or
1988's _Dimension Hatross_,  _Negatron_  is  a  collection  of  power
chords, screams,  anger,  and  dexterity.  Precision  performance  is
everywhere on _Negatron_. But is Voivod still Voivod heading  into  a
90's alternative nation or have they needed to become something  more
commercially appealing? Langevin begins,  "We  have  been  told  many
times that stuff that we write goes over the  heads  of  the  average
listener, that our topics are too complex  for  metal  fans.  But  we
always wanted to write abstract lyrics and surreal  stuff  that  went
with the music and that is the way we choose to be. Obviously  Voivod
is about music and that is the way we like to express  ourselves  and
we will stay this way," finishes Langevin.
     When questioned about  the  band's  decision  to  work  with  an
independent label, TO-based  Hypnotic  Records,  Langevin  said,  "We
chose the indie approach this time so we  can  put  out  album  after
album and tour after tour. And the only way to do that is  be  on  an
independent label. If you are on a major label, you have  to  sell  a
million copies to make them happy and in order to do that you have to
compromise. That is why we have chosen  to  go  this  direction."  He
adds, "The label was the only one who understood our plan  of  attack
(he quickly mentions Hypnotic president Tom Treumuth as  the  key  to
the band's signing to Hypnotic). Plus I really liked  the  studio.  I
was really impressed. It [the studio] was the perfect format  for  us
to do the album: the size, feel, and spacing of the studio. The  cool
thing was also that the Hypnotic office and studio were on  the  same
floor."
     Future plans for Voivod include  a  month-long  tour  throughout
Europe headlining with Germany's Power Of  Expression.  Langevin  and
the rest of the power/metal trio are looking forward to Europe -  big
time! "The album has been out in Europe for about a month and a  half
and the response has been great. For the first time  in  four  and  a
half years, I don't have to defend myself or the album. We were asked
many times if we were going to go back to the roots of our music over
the last four or five years. Finally we have done that and people are
happy," ends Langevin with some pleasure.

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              D U T C H   D O O M   D O M I N A T I O N 
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                     An Interview with Orphanage
                          by: Gino Filicetti

     Hailing  from  The  Netherlands  comes   doom   metal's   newest
contender: Orphanage. Formed in 1993  by  guitarist/vocalist/frontman
Lex Vogelaar, Orphanage has managed to pique many people's  interests
both in Europe and abroad, and has shown the world that doom metal is
certainly not doomed.
     Speaking with  Lex  on  the  telephone,  the  first  thing  that
obviously came up was the concept behind  their  latest/debut  album,
_Oblivion_. "The last album was recorded in January and we  are  very
pleased with it because of the difficulty in reproducing our sound on
CD, the reason being that we use the heavy metal musical approach and
on the other hand we use very subtle things with the vocals and  it's
very hard to pick them out unintentionally. So there  was  a  lot  of
experimentation to find the right balance and the right sound. But it
turned out well I think."
     The  rest  of  the  band  is  rounded  out  by  old  friend  and
keyboardist Guus Eikens, bass player Eric  Hoogendoorn,  grunter  and
screamer George Oosthoek, and newest members Erwin Polderman  (drums)
and Rosan van der Aa (femme vox). How  did  this  eclectic  bunch  of
musicians manage to hook up? "It started as a project.  Me  and  Guus
have known each other for a long time. So we recorded one demo and we
got very majestic reviews. Then we tried to  get  a  whole  bunch  of
people together in order to stay as permanent members. And it's  only
been since April of this year that our lineup's been stable. Our  old
guitarist/female vocalist (Martine van Loon) that did  the  CD  left,
and we now have a new female singer.
     While distributed  by  Nuclear  Blast  in  Germany,  Orphanage's
mother label is DSFA records run by Anthony van den Berg (formerly of
Displeased Records) out of Holland. While being DSFA's  first  signed
band, Orphanage knew that van den Berg was the best choice for  them.
How do they feel being signed to such a small label? "Well firstly  I
really like it, because music is my hobby and I'm not trying to  make
a living being a musician. The contracts we were offered  from  other
companies we would never sign because they were very  good  contracts
for the labels, but not good for us, and we decided that we wanted to
make music first, and always keep it that way and  whatever  happens,
happens. We just want to play live and we just want to make good  CDs
which we can be happy with, and we don't want any bullshit about  not
selling enough units and just having no rights at all.  Plus  I  knew
Anthony van den Berg personally and he's a very  enthusiastic  person
and he really goes for it on his terms. So that's what I really  like
because it motivates the whole band and it's  something  that  really
works."
     While the music is definitely first, the band itself isn't  huge
and does not sell a million records with each release.  For  Lex  and
Orphanage, this is merely a very serious hobby. Lex is  currently  in
school at 27 years of age, and was formerly  a  studio  engineer  and
computer  programmer.  This  project  is  something  that  completely
devours all of Lex's free time, but he has no  complaints.  Orphanage
isn't  out  to  conquer  the  world,  preferring  instead   to   make
meaningful, honest music rather than raking in  the  cash.  "Well  it
would be nice, but it's not like we do everything in order to get  as
much money out of it as possible or to make a living on the music.  I
have tried it personally in the past, but I think  that  chances  are
very, very, very slim and I just made a decision that I wanted  music
to be a hobby for me, and that's what I'm doing right now." He  adds,
"You see, in Holland the chances of making it are very, very slim.  I
think in a bigger country  like  Germany  or  America,  I  think  the
opportunities are greater."
     And the scene in Holland? Is it thriving or fading out like  too
many hard music scenes today? "Well the scene  here  is  very  small.
It's a nice scene, the gigs here do very well. We usually get between
a hundred, and a hundred and seventy people per show." Does the  band
plan on expanding their horizons  and  touring  Europe  in  the  near
future? "We are trying very hard to get one. All kinds of people  are
looking for us  and  promising  us  they'll  see  what  they  can  do
<laughs>. We hope to be able to do a tour next year  in  February  or
March. That's because the entire band will be free then. So we can do
it if one comes around."
     At present, the future of  death  metal  and  extreme  music  in
general is in question. No one is certain what path will be followed,
however Lex believes, "there will always be a place for extreme types
of music. The death and aggression side of this  music  is  emotional
for me personally and it just comes in the form of doom  metal.  It's
very easy to get emotions across  this  sort  of  music.  There  will
always be new people that are into things like that. So  yeah,  death
metal may be dying but it will just flow into something else  in  the
future. Even though at this moment death metal may seem to be  dying,
there are still new bands that are very popular and are influenced by
death metal."
     What is the band up to now? "We are writing  the  new  material.
It's been like 6 months since we actually recorded the first one,  so
we are happy to put all that behind us. Our  aim  is  to  record  the
second album and all be absolutely satisfied with it and we  hope  it
will knock everybody over <laughs>."

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         A   D A Y   I N   T H E   L I F E   O F   A G O N Y
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Brooklyn's Life of Agony are the real thing.  With  their  lives
and their surroundings fuelling the engine that brings out the groove
and lyrical content of their songs, Life Of Agony need not  look  any
further than what they are part of to create music.
     Since the release of their gripping  debut  album,  _River  Runs
Red_, the band -  comprised  of  singer  Keith  Caputo,  drummer  Sal
Abruscato, guitarist Joey Z. and bassist Alan Robert - has been on  a
crusade to be seen and heard, and in the process have become the best
damn band they can be. Through thick and thin,  pain  and  suffering,
and extensive touring, the band finds themselves in 1995 with  a  lot
to say and show, and it comes  with  the  offering  of  their  latest
stunning effort _Ugly_.
     "This album was a natural progression, the next  step  for  us",
begins Robert. "We were really focused on  having  a  heavy,  groovy,
melodic record." Drummer Abruscato adds,  "We  wanted  to  have  real
songs that would have real classic qualities to them which would give
them longevity and stick in every  average  human  being's  mind.  We
didn't want to cater to a specific audience anymore. The first record
was really heavy and that was an amazing debut album for us,  but  we
didn't want to repeat where most bands' second album is weaker and we
didn't want that. We didn't want that to happen to us at all."
     So  true  does  Abruscato  speak,  as  _Ugly_  is  a  much  more
solidified, yet experimental album than their last. Songs like  'Lost
At 22', 'Unstable' or even 'Let's Pretend' take the band  to  another
groovier level of heaviness, but the most  unexpected  track  on  the
album is the cover of the 1983 Simple Mind's classic pop song  'Don't
You (Forget About Me)'.
     Explaining the reasoning behind such  an  odd  cover,  Abruscato
says, "A lot of bands in our vein are doing Sabbath and Zeppelin  and
Kiss covers. That would seem like the logical type of song  to  cover
for a band like us. We didn't want to do a cover song  where  we  got
lumped in. Why do something so predictable when we can come out  with
a cover song that no one would ever expect? You know? Straight out of
left field. Now we have people coming up to us  and  saying,  'Simple
Minds, I would have never expected it.' Exactly!!,"  says  Abrsucato,
"that is the point we are trying to make, that the band is  not  your
average hardcore/metal band with no musical  intelligence.  There  is
musical intelligence, and the music is still growing and learning."
     And his thoughts on the album in general? "We are  going  to  do
whatever it takes to get this record in  everyone's  faces,"  says  a
determined Abruscato. "This album reminds me a lot  of  Soundgarden's
_Superunknown_. _Badmotorfinger_ was really heavy and all of a sudden
_Superunknown_ comes out and you have songs that are so  dramatically
different. Different mixes, different vibes happening and it appealed
to so many people.
     "You always want to give something to the public where they  can
see that the band can make music and something that they  can  relate
to. You'll hear on this record a lot  of  grooves  and  power  driven
material. Stuff that anyone can bop to." Robert describes the  record
as:  "Something  people  wouldn't  expect,  and  something  that  the
industry needs to bring back originality to what is going on now."
     "Hopefully with this record, it will allow us to be able to  get
on a good tour to go into the New Year  and  do  some  damage,"  says
Abrusacto. He continues, "I think people want  to  hear  real  music,
organic music. Music that comes from the soul and has a groove.  Soul
is important. A lot of bands forget about the soul, they forget about
the feeling that simplicity is better than overdoing it to be  a  ham
or showoff."
     Cutting in Robert adds, "That is why a lot of bands have  a  hit
single and then they are gone tomorrow. That is something  that  this
band doesn't want to do or that will ever happen to because we have a
real fanbase and we continue to develop it with the live show and the
integrity."
     About  this  fanbase,  Abruscato  details  the   core   of   its
foundation. "Our following is so loyal that  we  haven't  put  out  a
record for two years and we can go back to anywhere in New York,  any
day of the week and play. People are seeing that we can  still  draw.
Fans, they still fuckin' show up. And that is what  we  want,  almost
like a cult following for us.
     Pleased at the magnitude  and  loyalty  of  the  band's  fanbase
Abruscato says, "They'll do anything to come and see us when we play.
They'll fuckin' kill each other to see us."

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        / ___/ /  ___ ____  / /_(_)___  / ___/ /  ___ _/ /_
       / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ _ \/ __/ / __/ / /__/ _ \/ _ `/ __/
       \___/_//_/\_,_/\___/\__/_/\__/  \___/_//_/\_,_/\__/
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                  / __/__ ___ ___ (_)__  ___  ___
                 _\ \/ -_|_-<(_-</ / _ \/ _ \(_-<
                /___/\__/___/___/_/\___/_//_/___/


This is the column where CoC sits down to have a  face  to  face,  no
holds barred conversation with  your  favorite  bands,  and  get  the
inside scoop into what's happening in their lives.


        P A I N F U L   P L E A S   F R O M   T H E   P R O S 
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         A Chat with Pro-Pain
                          by: Adrian Bromley

Pay attention everyone, it's time for a little one on one tough  talk
with New York hardcore/metal outfit Pro-Pain. Pro-Pain has done  well
in the metal/hardcore market with the popularity of their self-titled
debut (1992) and  their  most  recent  offering,  _The  Truth  Hurts_
(1994). The questions are general but the attitude and sincerity  are
sharp and genuine. And one thing is  for  sure,  singer/bassist  Gary
Meskil (GM) knows where he wants his band poised in  the  future:  in
our faces.

(Pro-Pain is rounded out  by  guitarists  Nick  St.  Denis  and  Mike
Hollman, and drummer Dan Richardson)

CoC: With the newer material that  you  are  working  on  (the  third
     effort is due out in March of '96), do you  know  what  you  are
     trying to accomplish with the forthcoming release?

GM: "The mixture of both previous albums. I think  the  second  album
    threw a lot of people in a loop with the heavy vocals  making  it
    sound different from the first record. I mean it was something we
    wanted to do (the vocal adjustments and overall  heaviness).  The
    album came out the way we wanted it to sound."

CoC: Do you see Pro-Pain's music changing because  of  the  need  for
     music to change in order to be successful?

GM: "We don't even listen to any other bands out there  -  seriously!
    We make a record, tour, play and go back into the studio to  make
    another record. We try not to  get  too  involved  with  all  the
    bullshit or what is happening now. We have never been  that  way.
    We are going to do what makes us feel good when making  the  next
    record because obviously we are not capable of selling a  million
    records because of who we are. We are with Energy  Records  which
    is a cool independent  label  and  that  is  what  they  are:  an
    independent label. So we realize where we are  and  there  is  no
    reason for us to start trying things to get from one point to the
    other. We just make a record and go out and tour."

CoC: How hard has it  been  for  a  heavy  band  like  yourselves  to
     actually go out and tour? Has the band seen changes?

GM: "For sure there has been change, especially with  fans  branching
    off to heavy bands like us  or  Nine  Inch  Nails  or  any  other
    college favorite music act that has a following. It is definitely
    much harder now for bands like us that  are  starting  out  right
    now. I can definitely say the heavy music scene is  slowly  going
    downhill with bands like Nine Inch Nails being able  to  headline
    arenas and leaving bands like us in the clubs  and  just  hangin'
    on. For us now we are going to stay the way we have wanted to  be
    when we first started. We'll stay heavy as long as we can, but to
    be honest with you I can see Pro-Pain only lasting four  or  five
    records. We realize what is going on in the music industry and  I
    can honestly say that I think five albums would  be  tops  for  a
    band like us."

CoC: What has been the hardest thing that the band has had to endure?

GM: "It hasn't really been a struggle but if there  was  anything,  I
    would say touring has been tough. We toured our  asses  off  with
    the first record and it was a battle to get the Pro-Pain name out
    there. But without the backing of a major label, we realized that
    you have to do it all on your own. It is great  that  your  label
    (ie. Energy) will get your record out in the stores but you  have
    to play every town so people will go to the record stores and buy
    that CD. You gotta keep going and trying to sell those records. A
    band like Pro-Pain will sell somewhere between 60,000 to  100,000
    depending on the record (if they are lucky) but that is what came
    out of extensive work on the band to promote themselves. You have
    to take it all into your own hands which is what we have realized
    since the beginning."

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                |      <|  -__|  __|  _  |   _|  _  |
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  |   __ \.-----.--.--.-----.|  |.---.-.|  |_|__|.-----.-----.-----.
  |      <|  -__|  |  |  -__||  ||  _  ||   _|  ||  _  |     |__ --|
  |___|__||_____|\___/|_____||__||___._||____|__||_____|__|__|_____|

This is where we rant, rave, and rip apart albums. Check  this  column
every month for the scoop on the latest in heavy hand-outs.

Scoring:  10 out of 10 -- If there was ever a perfect CD, this is it!
           8 out of 10 -- A great piece of metallic mayhem
           6 out of 10 -- Not too bad of an album
           4 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
           2 out of 10 -- If you like this, you are fucked!
           0 out of 10 -- My shit can put out better music than this!


Sentenced - _Love and Death_  (Century Media, Dec 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)

Hailed by some as the greatest band on Earth and  by  others  as  the
cheesiest bunch of  Maiden  rehash  artists  is  Finland's  very  own
Sentenced. _Love and Death_ is an EP containing two new tracks  along
with two tracks previously only available on the Japanese  import  of
_Amok_ and finally a cover of 'White Wedding' by Billy Idol (!).  The
music on this release is a continuation of the  trend  set  on  their
last LP, _Amok_. Known to metamorphosise  with  each  new  album,  if
Sentenced continues in the current vein of this  release,  they  will
not break any new ground, as they'll simply stay  on  the  level  set
with _Amok_. Still combining all the elements of  80's  heavy  metal,
Sentenced have not achieved  anything  significantly  new  with  this
release. The cover of Billy Idol however proved a bit  nostalgic  for
me, as I remember bopping to that tune back when it came out (hey!  I
was only a kid alright?!). Century Media plans to only  release  5000
of these beauties when they get released, so make sure you  snag  one
up as soon as it comes into view. Not too terrible an  album  I  must
admit, I was never one to bash _Amok_ completely anyway, and there is
absolutely no doubt that whatever kind of music Sentenced decides  to
play, they will always excel at it.


Moonspell - _Wolfheart_  (Century Media, Nov 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (8 out of 10)

While probably not your first choice when guessing where these  black
metal, operatic geniuses hail from, Portugal is their real  homeland,
honest! Formed in the late eighties under the name  Morbid  God,  the
basis for what was to become Moonspell  was  laid.  While  of  course
sounding raw and immature, these  boys,  who  have  'borrowed'  their
names from various folklore and myth, had  hit  upon  something  they
would not come to realize was their destiny  until  this  album  came
about. 'Wolfshade' starts off this album with an  intro  of  acoustic
melodies  which  crashes  into  a  cacophony  of  heavy  guitars  and
surprisingly lively keyboards.  The  vocal  approach  thoughout  this
entire effort is ultimately varied, encompassing everything from deep
gothic whisper type vocals, to high-pitched  black  metal  acoustical
agony. Traditional heavy metal arrangements are present on this album
on songs such as, 'Love Crimes'. And the ever enjoyable female  vocal
presence is embraced here as  well.  One  song  that  stands  out  is
'Trebraruna', completely sung in Moonspell's mother tongue. It begins
in a gothic vein, and gradually evolves with crushing  guitar  riffs,
and finally ends in a blood curling scream. Definitely  an  album  to
hear and a band to watch out for because a band that can make a  name
for themselves coming from a country completely devoid of  any  scene
is definately not just a flash in the pan.


Napalm Death - _Greed Killing_  (Earache Records, Nov 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (8 out of 10)

What a shock! Sit any ancient Napalm  Death  fan  in  front  of  your
ghetto blaster and play the first track of this new EP (a  teaser  in
lieu of Napalm Death's forthcoming album due January 30th), and watch
his/her eyes pop right out of their head! When I  first  put  on  the
advance tape for this EP, I thought  that  they  sent  me  the  wrong
cassette! This album starts  off  with  a  totally  un-Napalm  Death,
almost progressive guitar riff, which then degenerates into  the  now
regular, (after  1994's  _Fear,  Emptiness,  Despair_)  Napalm  Death
sound. The one thing however which signifies  beyond  all  else  that
Napalm is back  and  in  full  force,  is  Mark  'Barney'  Greenway's
superbly killer vox. The first two tracks of this  7  track  offering
are lifted from Napalm Death's forthcoming  longplayer,  _Diatribes_.
Glad to say that the first track, 'Greed Killing', doesn't  hold  the
prog riff for much of the song. The album then  progresses  into  'My
Own Worst Enemy', a more mechanical but still somewhat  'light'  song
that compares closely to 'Primed Time' from  their  last  album.  The
next four tracks are rejects from the _Diatribes_ recording  session.
An interesting cut is 'Self  Betrayal'  which  features  spoken  word
distorted vocals and experimental slow paced  background  music.  The
next three songs, 'Finer Truths, White Lies',  'Antibody',  and  'All
Links Severed' are all quick-tempo,  blast-beat  laden  (!)  grinders
which make good medicine for any Napalm fan's heart. But perhaps  the
most disappointing moment on this album is the closing track, 'Plague
Rages (live)'. I almost cried upon hearing this sorry  excuse  for  a
live track. Although it's good that they did not try and overdub  any
of the sound, it was just plain shit, especially  since  I  saw  them
live in Toronto and personally thought it was  a  great  performance.
Anyways, I'd buy this album if you are a fan  of  the  new  direction
Napalm Death have taken with  _Fear,  Emptiness,  Despair_.  If  not,
there is nothing of interest for you here.


Hanzel Und Gretyl - _Ausgeflipt_  (Energy Records, Fall 1995)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

If I could speak German, or at least understand the language, I would
have had no trouble getting into this album even more.  Oh  well,  at
least the music still kicks ass in its own fucked up way. Hanzel  Und
Gretyl are a brilliant duo  (four-piece  on  the  road)  made  up  of
programmer Lupie and singer Vas Kallas,  and  their  debut  album  is
extremely intense; full of riffs, mayhem,  and  screams.  Soundbites,
samples,  and   several   musical   directions   are   crammed   into
_Ausgeflipt_, and though some might see such  a  variety  of  musical
styles to be a problem,  I  think  it  only  makes  this  album  more
enjoyable to listen to. Tracks that stuck out were 'Galaxia Malakia',
'38 Lashes', and '0 Gemini 31'. This album may be far from what  this
band will do in the future, or it may be proof of what  is  to  come,
but for anyone laughing off the notion that these two individuals are
like the next  aggro-industrial/dance  version  of  Roxette  -  think
again. These guys eat Roxette for  breakfast.  No  comparison  'cause
this band will no doubt leave you floored.


Nailbomb - _Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide_
by: Gino Filicetti  (6 out of 10)  (Roadrunner/Attic, Nov 1995)

When I first heard that Nailbomb was doing a live record, I  thought,
hmm... should be interesting, as it turns  out,  the  CD  was  pretty
good, but nothing I would exactly kill for. The record  was  recorded
at the 1995 Dynamo Open Air Festival in Holland last June,  an  event
heralded by many as one of the best Dynamo's ever. Nailbomb played  a
warm up set two nights before their actual gig at  a  small  club  in
Eindhoven. Supposedly Nailbomb only  actually  rehearsed  FOUR  TIMES
before flying to Europe. Their line up consisted of Max Cavalera, and
Alex Newport of course, with Igor  Cavalera  (newly  wed!)  on  drums
sharing duties with ex-Dead Kennedy's crazy skinsman DH  Peligro  and
Tribe After Tribe's Barry Schneider throwing in percussions as  well.
This album contains eleven live tracks all taken from Nailbomb's 1994
killer release: _Point Blank_. The music on this record,  while  very
solid and powerful, is full of certain small errors, but, as the band
agrees, "We were not really concerned  about  mistakes  or  technical
situations - more about the feeling of the whole thing." Tracks  that
stand  out  are  'Vai  Toma   No   Cu,'   'Religious   Cancer,'   and
'Exploitation.' I've never liked live albums and this record has also
failed to convince me of their validity, but still, a great  way  for
Nailbomb, who are calling it quits, to go out with a bang.


Orphanage - _Oblivion_  (DSFA Records/N.Blast, Summer 1995)
by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10)

Symphonic and tranquil at times, Orphanage's  debut  is  a  brilliant
piece of music. _Oblivion_ is well-recorded and the  music  seems  to
take on a very honest, creative approach; in  the  same  vein  as  My
Dying Bride or Paradise Lost, Orphanage's debut is an  assortment  of
several song styles incorporating  choir-like  vocals,  heavy  riffs,
growls and peaceful musical interludes. Despite a  somewhat  standard
pace, the secret to this band's success on this outing  is  the  fact
that the music seems to leave you with a pleasant feeling,  one  that
makes the listener step  aside  from  his/her  daily  duties  and  be
transported into the world that  Orphanage  trys  to  reveal  through
their music. As heard on tracks  like  'Journey  Into  The  Unknown,'
'Weltschmerz' or even the amazing 'Veils of Blood' or thump  of  'Sea
Of Dreams' (especially when  accompanied  with  the  harmonic  female
vocals of Rosan van der Aa) there seems to be a curiosity brewing  as
to where the band will be going  next.  Addictive  and  definitely  a
sure-fire inspiration for bands of this  gothic/epic  metal  to  rise
above the standard chug-chug of metal, Orphanage get  my  vote  as  a
band to watch out for. 


My Own Victim - _Burning Inside_  (Century Media, Nov 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)

Straight out of Louisville, Kentucky comes My Own Victim  with  their
debut release which proves a point which I think many people tend  to
ignore, that metal and hardcore can and do mix.  From  the  onset  of
this album it is evident that the band  draws  from  many  influences
both metal and hardcore. The riffing is reminiscent of Sabbath  style
groove, and the vocals are the pure, unadulterated, agonized  screams
of hardcore origins. Every song on this album has  that  irresistable
'toe  tappin'  groove  to  it  that  makes  listening  an   enjoyable
experience. However, mid-way through this release, as a result of the
shortness of the  songs,  I  realized  that  there  really  wasn't  a
memorable track on here. I think the band should have beefed up  some
of their good tracks and cut out some of the mediocre ones;  with  14
(plus one hidden) tracks in  total,  I  don't  think  it  is  humanly
possible to make  one  song  that  will  stick  in  people's  brains.
However, this album still rocks and I can't get over  the  smoothness
in which My Own Victim have successfully fused hardcore  with  metal.
The one track that deserves mention is their (supposedly) last track,
'To Become One'. With devilishly conceived thrash riffs  and  peaking
climax, it is one of the only tracks that really stuck  in  my  mind.
And to end things off, the album includes  a  hidden  15th  track,  a
short but sweet frenzy of maniacal mayhem.


Testify - _Ballroom Killer/The Blitzkrieg Remixes_
by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10) (Van Richter, Summer 1994)

Not really being a big fan of remixes, I went into  Testify's  latest
release, _Ballroom Killer/The Blitzkrieg  Remixes_,  with  a  bit  of
skepticism and uncertainty. Needless to say,  I  wasn't  really  that
excited. This being the band's followup to their well-received debut,
_Testify 01_, I was kind of disapointed and saddened by  the  minimal
amount of work and sincerity put into this  offering.  I  mean  sure,
some of the tracks sound a bit more 'out there' (allowing a different
angle to a few of the debut's numbers) and a bit more polished  (hell
even moshable) with its heavy industrial, no-nonsense  attitude,  but
they are still the same songs. Nothing really grabbing me here,  even
with two cover versions of Sweet's 'Ballroom Blitz'. I felt as though
this band, which does cater quite a bit of its  musical  satisfaction
vented  through  hardened  industrial  riffs,  put  themselves  in  a
situation that didn't really harm them much (despite  the  fact  that
they should stick to their own material - or cover KMFDM.)  And  what
this album did was leave them where they left off with their adequate
debut. This band needs a heavy, industrial followup to  go  anywhere.
If not, they will be left in the rubble of  fellow  industrial  metal
bands that succumbed to Trent Reznor's might. No need  to  be  a  NIN
wannabe band right guys?


Hostility - _Brick_  (Century Media, Nov 1995)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

Pantera 101 if you ask me - but that is a good thing to see. With the
definite growl and bite of Pantera  and  the  heart  and  soul  of  a
strong-willed hardcore/metal outfit, Kansas' Hostility  blow  through
the ten tracks found on their debut, and not once sound monotonous or
bland. This band can really stick it to you hard  with  numbers  like
'Spine', the stupendous 'Above', and the crash and burn  attitude  of
closers 'Self Belief' and 'One Wrong Word'. Singer Dean Brook  shifts
from a Phil Anselmo vocal style to a Burton C.  Bell  (Fear  Factory)
approach, and back  and  forth  which  allows  his  vocal  sound  and
structure to show off  his  variety.  One  of  the  best  numbers  is
'Goodbye', a stirring  number  dedicated  to  Dean  and  his  brother
Duane's (drums) late father. This band would probably be amazing live
just because of the precision sound the band conveys. I am waiting to
check them out as soon  as  they  make  their  way  here,  up  North.
Reckless and on the verge of anarchy, Hostility's debut is worthy  of
a good LOUD listen. 


Paradise Lost - _Draconian Times_ (Relativity, Jan 95 in N. America)
by: Adrian Bromley  (6 out of 10)

"It was the best of times. It was the worst  of  times..."  and  then
there is _Draconian Times_. So begins the famous words that start off
_A Tale Of Two Cities_ and how fitting are those  words  for  a  fair
comparison of Paradise Lost's latest LP. I really wanted to like this
album, especially with the chills  and  thrills  that  1993's  _Icon_
brought to me. Somewhat of a letdown if you ask  me,  with  the  band
carrying  on  more  of  a  Sisters  Of  Mercy-meets-Metallica  sound,
allowing the  band  to  come  across  cleaner  and  with  a  definite
direction for the music, but  in  the  end  allowing  little  if  any
variety in the twelve tracks found here. This band, hands  down,  has
written some amazing 'epic' numbers that cast out doom and gloom  but
still shine with beauty and dwell in  mystery,  but  with  _Draconian
Times_, we are left  wondering  where  we  are  at  most  times.  The
listener never really grasps the emotions  bestowed  by  tracks  like
'Hallowed Land' or 'Shades Of God'. Despite  the  flaws  of  the  LP,
opener 'Enchantment', 'Forever Failure', and 'Yearn For  Change'  are
definitely ones to take note of because  unlike  some  of  the  other
numbers, these are the songs that show maturity and growth. Sure this
change for the band seems to have left me in a rut for now but in due
time I guess I and the rest of Paradise Lost's  fans  will  hopefully
make out the blurred vision of _Draconian Times_ and it  will  become
clearer. Masterpiece or disapointment? You be the judge but  tell  me
this: is this where _Icon_ should have been continued from?


GWAR - _Ragnarok_  (Attic/Roadrunner, Nov 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (4 out of 10)

Although I've never been that much of a GWAR fan, I know that I found
this album a complete disappointment and I feel  sorry  for  all  you
die-hards out there who will buy this trash, and try your hardest  to
like it. The album begins and ends in disappointment. The first song,
'Meat Sandwich', has the basic spoken word vocals  with  sub-mediocre
punk rythms. The CD insert, however, is what makes this album  garner
3 extra points than it deserves. It is layed out in  the  form  of  a
tabloid, and the lyrics to the  songs  are  interspersed  within  the
humorous "articles" such as: "Mutant Penguins  Attack  Brazil,"  "The
Prophecies of Nostrildumas," and "Satanic Skinheads Take  Credit  for
Growing Wave of Cattle Mutilations." It  is  obvious  that  GWAR  are
sub-standard from a musical point of view, however it  will  be  more
than interesting to see them live when they come on tour  in  support
of this album. As is always the case, they put on one of the sickest,
most barbaric shows around. Sure  it's  all  fake,  but  one  has  to
appreciate the showmanship that goes into this band.  See  the  show,
but beware the album.


Trouble - _Plastic Green Head_  (Century Media, Oct 1995)
by: Adrian Bromley  (4 out of 10)

Not too big on this Sabbath/70's kind of feel with  extensive  guitar
solos and riffs that shed more sludge and trudge than the Great Lakes
- but in some way or another, Trouble (with this, their sixth  album)
seems to lift my perception of their music just  a  bit  beyond  that
description; a bit. Listening to _Plastic Green Head_, I hear  a  lot
of Sabbath and Deep Purple influenced music with which they have been
known to carry on. The most peculiar thing I picked up was the vocals
of Eric Wagner sounding a bit like Rob Halford and  his  Fight  voice
(eerie but true - listen to 'The Eye') as the  album  went  on.  Sure
there are some good songs here  like  'Hear  The  Earth',  the  title
track, 'Requiem', and even a Beatles cover of 'Tomorrow Never Knows',
but with those choices aside, I felt bored and it  felt  like  I  was
forced to listen to the rest of the music within the  album  after  I
heard those tracks. Good to see that there are  bands  playing  music
that seems to preserve the essence of what metal was all  about  when
it started. See this band live (I saw them with White  Zombie  a  few
years back) because they are much heavier live and the music may even
make an impact on you. Not my choice for an  album  to  slap  on  and
headbang to, but it'll suffice for all  those  craving  real,  rooted
heavy metal.


Merauder - _Master Killer_  (Century Media, Nov 1995)
by: Adrian Bromley  (3 out of 10)

Brooklyn's Merauder are a standard hardcore meets metal  outfit  that
really do dwell in that 'standard' feel and sound. New York has given
us some major heavyweights in hardcore,  ie:  Life  Of  Agony  (still
thinking that one over?), Biohazard, and  Sick  of  It  All,  not  to
mention the intensity of outfits such  as  Orange  9mm,  Helmet,  and
Quicksand. It seems that Merauder seems  to  be  following  in  those
bands' footsteps. It is  generic,  sometimes  monotonous  music  that
really leaves the listener bored and in  no  way  interested  as  the
album meets mid-point. Hopefully, as times change  in  the  industry,
Merauder will be able to go about their own musical direction  rather
than latching on and becoming a cling-on to the hardcore  sound  that
has already become a thing of the past. Hopefully  there  will  be  a
future for Merauder as they mean  well.  Best  tracks:  'Downfall  Of
Christ' and 'Mirror Shows Black'.


Sielwolf - _Metastasen_  (Van Richter Records, 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (3 out of 10)

If there is one thing that I don't like in this world of ours, it  is
noise; pure, unstructured, white noise. About  all  I  can  say  with
regards to this album is that it is below mediocre and  unfortunately
meets the above criteria. From the intro of the first track, till the
end of the album, I  did  not  find  one  aspect  of  this  recording
inspired in any way. The vocals throughout this album  are  distorted
to the point of absurdity, and that is when  you  can  actually  hear
them above the rest of the  unintelligible  interference.  One  song,
'White Trash', starts out with a sample (there may  be  more,  but  I
couldn't make them out if there  were),  and  then  proceeds  into  a
guitar riff (gasp! guitars! just when you thought they  were  taboo!)
that I thought was kind of cool. That is, until I realized it  was  a
stolen Fear Factory riff! All I can say is that  this  band  needs  a
major overhaul if they want to get anywhere. I may not be the biggest
industrial fan, but my gut tells me that this  stuff  would  go  over
even worse with a fan of the genre.

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            / /\  /  __/\ V  V /  / /\  / (_) | \__ \  __/
            \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/   \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___|

Your best source of information on the newest of the  new,   and  the
lowest of the underground, New Noise is  the place to  read about all
the coolest  shit you never  thought existed! And if you have a band,
don't  forget to  send us your  demo  with a  bio if you  want  to be
reviewed; our address is included in the zine's header.


Lords of the Stone - _In An Eyelid's Fall_  (4 track demo)
by: Gino Filicetti

This demo comes to us from Dutch doom  metal  maniacs  Lords  of  the
Stone. After corresponding  on  IRC  with  bassist  Arjan,  I  became
interested in what this band had to offer.  They  were  described  as
being 'atmospheric doom metal with crushing riffs,  pounding  rhythms
and highly  original  male  vocals.'  Although  this  description  is
surprisingly accurate coming from a bio, the one part I disagree with
is the part about the male vocals. From the onset  of  this  demo,  I
heard an absolutely identical voice to  Lee  Dorrian's  of  Cathedral
fame, especially Cathedral's latest album. Don't get me wrong though,
it works for this music, but sometimes it does seem out of place.  In
the   Dutch   underground,   Lords   of   the   Stone   are   already
well-established seeing as this is their  third  recorded  demo.  The
music on this album is exceptional and definitely  something  that  I
could really get into. My favorite element of this demo  however  are
the  suberb  female  vocals,  definitely  a  plus.  An  abundance  of
atmosphere is also present but contained within  are  certain  select
parts where I can hear rock arrangements with the various  "wah  wah"
solos and whatnot. All in all,  something  I'd  definitely  recommend
checking out.

Contact: Arjan van de Logt, Wilhelminalaan 44, 8262 DG Kampen
         Voice: 05202-18442, Email: lords@worldaccess.nl
         Web Page: http://www.worldaccess.nl/~lords


Deeds of Flesh - _Gradually Melted_  (4 track demo)
by: Gino Filicetti

This three piece, formed in 1994, hails from  Los  Osos,  California,
home to ... well ...  I  don't  really  know!  No  really,  my  first
impressions of this demo were nothing spectacular. It sounded grossly
generic to me with it's plethora of blast  beats  and  deep  guttural
groans. However, it was soon evident that Deeds of Flesh weren't just
another out-dated "death rock" band. Certain elements such as  groove
and the occasional tempo change are present,  but  they  have  to  be
scouted out from the rest of the music with an acute ear.  Production
of this tape is of the highest caliber. It actually sounds as loud as
other professional tapes at the same volume level.  The  vocals  here
have the  Carcass  quality  to  them,  one  with  the  deep  guttural
gurgling, and the other with the high-pitched acoustically  agonizing
screams. I found myself wondering if the guitarist had the low  voice
and the bassist had the high one.  I  seriously  wouldn't  doubt  it,
definitely something that would put a smile on my  face.  If  I  were
you, I would give these guys a chance. I'm sure from the sound of the
tape that their live material is excellent, too bad California is  so
far away (and especially tempting to  migrate  to  at  this  time  of
year!!)

Contact: Erik Lindmark, P.O. Box 6544, Los Osos CA, 93412, USA
         Voice: (805) 528-4322

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           \/___/   \/_/\/_/\/__/\/_/\/___/  \/__/ \/_/\/____/
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    \ \ \/\_\    ___     ___     ___     __   _ __\ \ ,_\   ____
     \ \ \/_/_  / __`\ /' _ `\  /'___\ /'__`\/\`'__\ \ \/  /',__\
      \ \ \L\ \/\ \L\ \/\ \/\ \/\ \__//\  __/\ \ \/ \ \ \_/\__, `\
       \ \____/\ \____/\ \_\ \_\ \____\ \____\\ \_\  \ \__\/\____/
        \/___/  \/___/  \/_/\/_/\/____/\/____/ \/_/   \/__/\/___/



       C A U G H T   I N   A   M O S H   W I T H   ' T H R A X 
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             Anthrax at RPM in Toronto, December 3, 1995
                   with Life of Agony and Deftones
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Having been three years since the restructured  Anthrax  crossed
the Canadian border, many were at the show to see  if  Anthrax  still
had what it takes to carry the  metal  badge  on  their  sleeves.  If
loudness,  shredding  guitars  and  a  happening  mosh  pit  is   any
indication, Anthrax hasn't lost any edge.
     On tour in support of their latest album,  _Stomp  442_  (second
album with John Bush at the helm),  Anthrax  pulled  no  punches  and
steamrolled through an impressive 90-minute  set  that  included  new
numbers like the killer 'Fueled' and 'Riding  Shotgun',  as  well  as
classic 'thrax numbers such as 'I Am The Law', 'Got  The  Time',  and
'Caught In A Mosh.' The band also included a substantial  ammount  of
material from 1992's emotionally driven powerhouse effort, _Sound  Of
White Noise_ with 'Hy Pro Glo', 'Only', and 'Room For One More'.
     After more than ten years of touring and recording, the  loyalty
of their fans is still there, and as long as the band  keeps  pumping
out music in the same vein as their  last  two  efforts,  stuffing  a
1,000-seat venue like RPM shouldn't be too hard. They may once  again
be able to sell out small amphitheatres.
     Second on the bill was Brooklyn's Life Of  Agony  who  delivered
probably one of the most energetic  sets  of  the  evening  and  were
impressive in showcasing  material  from  their  new  album,  _Ugly_.
Instigated by their debut album's  anthem-like  number  'Through  And
Through' as opening number, the frenzied pit didn't let up until  the
quartet left the stage. The band shredded heavy with  'Lost  At  22',
'River Runs Red', and the rugged crunch of 'Seasons'. Like Gino  said
to me (he was at the show too - of course!)  during  their  set,  "It
ain't too hard to pick out the new material from the old."  So  what?
Live is where a band sells themselves and after this  performance,  I
was definitely sold.
     Opening was Sacramento, California's Deftones - a strong quartet
of musicians who rely on emotions  to  carry  their  music.  No  real
message, just a feeling from the music - a vibe if you will. I had  a
chance to talk to the band (a possible CoC chat is in the works)  and
they really live and breathe their music. Cool shit. This band,  very
similar to Korn, is a must-see  band  live.  Standouts  included  the
unforgettable '7 Words', 'One Weak', and 'Roots'.

     For both Gino and I, this was one of the  best  triple-bills  we
have seen in a while. No flash,  just  straight  out  hard  music.  A
little bit of everything for everyone, and you know  what?  I  didn't
see anyone leave the venue complaining. Metal is still around  thanks
to Scott Ian and the boys.

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            W H A T   W E   H A V E   C R A N K E D ! ! !
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gino's Top 5

1. Marilyn Manson - _Portrait of An American Family_
2. Hansel Und Gretyl - _Ausgeflippt_
3. Napalm Death - _Greed Killing_
4. At The Gates - _Slaughter of the Soul_
5. Monster Magnet - _Superjudge_

Adrian's Top 5

1. Nailbomb - _Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide_
2. Alice In Chains - _Alice In Chains_
3. Slayer - _Reign In Blood_
4. Hostility - _Brick_
5. Voivod - _Negatron_

Brian's Top 5

1. Dissection - _Storm of the Light's Bane_
2. Necrosis - _Acta Sanctorum_
3. Cradle of Filth - _The Principle of Evil Made Flesh_
4. The Great Kat - _Digital Beethoven on Cyberspeed_
5. Twilight Kingdom - _The Guardian_

Alain's Top 5

1. Immortal - Pure Holocaust
2. Gorgoroth - _Pentagram_
3. Alice Cooper - _The Last Temptation_
4. Manowar - _Battle Hymns_
5. Ozzy Osbourne - _Ozzmosis_

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                     T H E   F I N A L   W O R D
                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now ends our latest issue (pun intended).  Once  again,  I  would
like to apologize for  been  more  than  a  week  late,  but  it  was
unavoidable again, a classic case of extreme workload on yours truly.
But next issue is looking great as well as looking to be out on time,
so lets keep our finger's crossed and send in those letters  for  our
new column next month. By-the-way, sorry about the exclusion  of  our
"Independent Interrogations" this month, there was absolutely no time
to line up an indie interview, but next month I promise  to  try  and
get not one, but TWO indie interviews for  all  you  cravers  of  the
'real' underground. Until next time people, have fun, stay  safe  and
say NO to drugs..........................  yeah,  easy!  :)
     -- Gino Filicetti

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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #5
