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                    Special Anniversary MEGA-issue
        CHRONICLES OF CHAOS E-zine, August 12, 1996, Issue #13

Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti <ginof@io.org> <_DeaTH_ on #metal>
Coordinator: Adrian Bromley <energizr@interlog.com>
Assistant Editor: Alain M. Gaudrault <alain@mks.com>
Web Page Manager: Brian Meloon <bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Contributor: Steve Hoeltzel <hoeltzel@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>
Contributor: Adam Wasylyk <macabre@interlog.com>
Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder

--> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and 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 "coc subscribe <your_name_here>" in the SUBJECT of  your
message to <ginof@io.org>. Please note that this command must NOT  be
sent to the list address <coc-ezine@lists.colorado.edu>.

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>.

AUTOMATIC FILESERVER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All back issues and various other CoC related files are available for
automatic retrieval through our e-mail fileserver. All you have to do
is send a message to us at <ginof@io.org>. The  'Subject:'  field  of
your message must read: "send file X" where 'X' is the  name  of  the
requested file. Back issues are named 'coc-n', where 'n' is the issue
number. For  a  description  of  all  files  available  through  this
fileserver, request 'list'. Remember to use lowercase letters for all
file names. If you experience any problems or are having  difficulty,
feel free to e-mail us the usual way at <ginof@io.org>.

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

Issue #13 Contents, 8/12/96
---------------------------
* Editorial
* Loud Letters
* Ferocious Features
-- Monster Voodoo Machine: Mutiny On The Machine
-- Fu Manchu: Fu Fighting With Fu Manchu
-- Iced Earth: Spawn-ing New Territory
* Chaotic Chat Sessions
-- Grave: Digging Graves And Hating It
-- Ancient: Aphazel's Almighty Ancient
-- The Almighty: The Classic Comeback
* Independent Interrogations
-- Spastic Ink: Indelibly Inked
-- Solus: Toronto's Takeover
* Record Revelations
-- Ninefinger - _Torque/Bad Wheel_ 7"
-- Aceldama - _Blood_
-- Amestigon/Angizia (Split CD)
-- Ancient Rites - _Blasphemia Eternal_
-- Arcana - _Dark Age of Reason_
-- Various - _Black Mark Attack_
-- Blood Duster - _Yeest_
-- Brutal Truth - _Machine Parts +4_ 7"
-- The Chasm - _From the Lost Years_
-- Burnt Colonels - _Malice Afterthought_
-- Darkthrone - _Total Death_
-- Death Con 1 - _Refuse to Lose_
-- Desultory - _Swallow The Snake_
-- Diabolical Masquerade - _Ravendusk in My Heart_
-- Dimmu Borgir - _Stormblast_
-- Dismal Euphony - _Dismal Euphony_
-- Dark Funeral - _Secrets of the Black Arts_
-- Gorgoroth - _Antichrist_
-- Old Grandad - _Vol. 666_
-- g/z/r - _Cycle of Sixty/x13_
-- Iced Earth - _Dark Saga_
-- Intrinsic - _Closure_
-- Kataklysm - _Temple Of Knowledge (Kataklysm Part III)_
-- King Diamond - _The Graveyard_
-- Kvist - _For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike_
-- Madball - _Demonstrating My Style_
-- Mercyful Fate - _Into The Unknown_
-- Monster Voodoo Machine - _Pirate Satellite_
-- Mortification - _Envision EvAngelene_
-- Psychotica - _Psychotica_
-- Rotting Christ - _Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers_
-- Satyricon - _Nemesis Divina: The Conquering_
-- Soulquake System - _Angry By Nature, Ugly By Choice_
-- The Mist - _Gottverlassen_
-- Turmoil - _From Bleeding Hands_
-- Vader - _Sothis_
-- Vertex - _Vertex_
-- Visceral Evisceration - _Incessant Desire for Palatable Flesh_
-- Various - _...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth_
-- Y & T - _Musically Incorrect_
* Reviews Revisited
* New Noise
-- Absonant Cadence - _Emergence_
-- Body Bag - _Hate Crimes_
-- Chamber Seven - _Chamber Seven_
-- Disarray - _Widespread Human Disaster_ 
-- Embrace - _Coven The Eternal_
-- Endaymynion - _Thy Art_
-- Filthboy - _Not Again..._ 
-- Jesus Skin - _Jesus Skin_
-- Noctophilia - _Noctophilia_
-- Nun Slaughter - _Face of Evil_
-- Pychus - _Brainmower_ 
-- Iron Rainbow - _Never Settle for Less than Metal_ 
-- Solus - _Slave Of Mind_
-- Strangers - _End of the Rainbow_
-- Sulkus - _Promo '96_ 
-- Sunride - _Sunride_ 
-- Torquemada - _Promo 1996_
-- Towpath - _Towpath_ 
* Chaotic Concerts
-- Milwaukee's Metal Monster: The Tenth Annual Milwaukee Metalfest
-- The London Let-Down: The London Death Fest
-- Slayer Slaughters The Sacred Shoe: Slayer with Unsane
-- Clutching Onto The Last Orange: Clutch with Orange 9mm/Fu Manchu
* Writer's Wrath (sneak preview)
* Tours of Torture
* What We Have Cranked
-- Special TOP TEN Year-in-Review Edition
* The Final Word

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

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


     Today is a very special day indeed. It was on this day,  exactly
one year ago  that  Chronicles  of  Chaos  #1  was  unleashed  on  an
unsuspecting 80 readers. Looking back at our first issue,  I  feel  a
strange sense of nostalgia. It seems weird to me that CoC #1 only had
two stories, eight reviews and  two  demo  reviews.  Now  let's  fast
forward one year and see what we have  in  this  MONSTER  anniversary
issue, CoC #13: three stories, three chats, two indie stories,  forty
reviews, eighteen demo reviews, three concert reviews and  two  brand
new columns. Also as  an  added  bonus,  we've  decided  to  use  the
original logo font for the Chronicles of Chaos title, through  twelve
issues we've managed to use a different font each time,  therefore  I
thought it was fitting to revert back to where we started.  All  this
information is set to be unleashed upon  750+  email  subscribers.  I
think the figures speak for themselves,  I  on  the  other  hand,  am
speechless.
     All of us here at CoC have worked very very  hard  to  get  this
issue out to everyone as jam packed as we  could.  It  was  hard  but
we've managed to do it despite the  absense  of  one  very  important
member  of  our  staff.  Alain  took  a  well  deserved  vacation  in
Scotland  this  month  and  unfortunately  has  not  been   able   to
contribute much to this issue. His absense was greatly felt  and  his
proofreading skills were dearly missed as well.
     One section of this issue which is somewhat lacking compared  to
previous issues is our Loud Letters section. We only got  one  letter
this month and I was quite disappointed. Hopefully  this  issue  will
generate more than a few letters for next issue.
     As you all know, September  is  fast  approaching  and  with  it
comes  a  new  year  of  school.  For  me,  it's  my  first  year  of
Engineering at U of T. I know from my brother's  previous  experience
that this  program  leaves  little  time  for  much  extra-curricular
activities. Therefore, I will be playing a somewhat  lesser  role  in
the issues to come. To pick up the  slack  in  writing,  we  want  to
recruit a few  more  writers  to  join  the  CoC  Clan.  We  want  an
individual who has an aptitude for writing as well as a few  contacts
in the music biz or a good standing with indie bands.  If  you  think
you are qualified, contact me at <ginof@io.org> and  we'll  talk  and
see how you can best help Chronicles of Chaos.
     New this issue are  two  more  columns:  Reviews  Revisited  and
Writer's Wrath. The first, Reviews Revisited,  is  a  special  annual
feature in which our writers are given a  chance  to  set  right  any
wrong done in reviews over the past year. Check it out  after  Record
Revelations and see what the rest  of  us  think  of  some  of  these
reviews. Also new is Writer's Wrath. The idea for Writer's Wrath  was
first proposed by Adam Wasylyk who suggested that  CoC  start  a  new
column where us writers can rant and rave  about  certain  happenings
in the music scene today. The Writer's Wrath moniker  was  generously
supplied by my new alliteration protege, Steve  Hoeltzel.  The  first
Writer's  Wrath  column  however,  could  be  finished  in  time  for
inclusion in this issue, look for the debut Writer's Wrath in CoC #14.
     Also new this issue is our What We Have  Cranked  section  which
we have expanded to a Top Ten Year In Review for  each  writer.  Look
here for what we think were the ten best albums  previously  reviewed
in CoC.
     Just this past weekend, we had somewhat of a CoC reunion.  Steve
Hoeltzel decided to head up to Toronto to spend a  little  time  here
at CoC central. Adrian, Adam and I graciously  showed  our  colleague
around town, brought him to the coolest head shops and record  stores
to spend all his life savings, showed him the night-life  in  Toronto
with special emphasis on the gothic/industrial/freak  clubs  we  have
to offer. On Saturday night, fate was on our side and  local  Toronto
black metal kings, Burning Moon played at the Generator doning  their
corpse paint, swords and daggers along with their  capes  and  bullet
belts. A great time was had by all, especially  Steve  who  I'm  sure
will never forget eating the best Italian food this world has to
offer, care of my mom!
     Alright people, that about wraps things up for  this  year.  I'm
glad you are all still with us and growing stronger  by  the  minute.
Let's get those Loud Letters rolling and we'll see you  all  soon  as
we keep cranking out these Chronicles of Chaos issues.

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

To commemorate the first anniversary of Chronicles of Chaos,  we  are
teaming up with Attic/Roadrunner Records to present one lucky  winner
a heart stopping SEPULTURA giveaway. The  prize  pack  will  include:
CD's, autographed posters, pictures, stickers and  much,  much  more.
All you have to do is answer the three questions below via e-mail  to
<ginof@io.org> by September 6, 1996. ONE  winner  will  be  drawn  at
random from all CORRECT entries. So put your thinking cap on  kiddies
and lets get this show on the road! 
        
                          Q U E S T I O N S 
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Which song did ex-Dead Kennedy's frontman Jello Biafra co-write on
   1993's _Chaos A.D._?

2. Producer of _Roots_, Ross Robinson, has also done work  with  many
   other bands, most notably one band  in  particular;  a  five-piece
   outfit from Bakersfield, CA whose self-titled debut album has sold
   well and built up a very strong fanbase. Which band is it? 

   HINT: The bands spells their name incorrectly and has a thing  for
         clowns and bagpipes.

3. Name Max Cavalera's now defunct, but successful side-project  with
   Alex Newport (ex-Fudge Tunnel)?

NOTE: There will also be two runner ups who  will  get  various  CDs,
      stickers and posters from several labels and some cool unsigned
      acts just for entering the contest. Good luck!

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

                 M""MMMMMMMM                         dP
                 M  MMMMMMMM                         88
                 M  MMMMMMMM .d8888b. dP    dP .d888b88
                 M  MMMMMMMM 88'  `88 88    88 88'  `88
                 M  MMMMMMMM 88.  .88 88.  .88 88.  .88
                 M         M `88888P' `88888P' `88888P8
                 MMMMMMMMMMM

     M""MMMMMMMM            dP     dP
     M  MMMMMMMM            88     88
     M  MMMMMMMM .d8888b. d8888P d8888P .d8888b. 88d888b. .d8888b.
     M  MMMMMMMM 88ooood8   88     88   88ooood8 88'  `88 Y8ooooo.
     M  MMMMMMMM 88.  ...   88     88   88.  ... 88             88
     M         M `88888P'   dP     dP   `88888P' dP       `88888P'
     MMMMMMMMMMM

This is the column where we print those lovely  letters  our  readers
decide so graciously to write us. Whether they be positive, negative,
ignorant or just plain spelled  wrong,  you  can  rest  assured  that
they'll be here in their original form. If you'd like to see your own
letter here, e-mail it to <ginof@io.org> and  enter  'Attention  Loud
Letters' in the subject field. Hopefully all letters received will be
featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos.


Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996
From: Chuck Marshall <cmarshal@umich.edu>
Subject: Re: Chronicles of Chaos #9 (1/3)

Hello Gino and everyone at Chronicles,

Excellent magazine. I was look forward to checking it out. Especially
the reviews, which give a real nice overview  of  the  music  without
alot of "this sucks", "this jams" kinda shit.

Anyway, I'm seeking some help...

Based on reviews I read (in Chronicles of Chaos), I'm  searching  for
releases by In  Flames,  Dark  Tranquility,  and  Obliveon's  NEMISIS
album. No luck locally, or with Wild Rags (they did  have  Obliveon's
NEMISIS album awhile back, but not anymore)  Can  you  give  me  some
address for either  the  record  labels  or  good  (ie.  trustworthy)
mail-order shops that might have these discs?

Thanks very much in advance and thanks again for the great zine.

*****************************************************************
Chuck Marshall                                 cmarshal@umich.edu
University of Michigan                         Ph. (313) 647-5262
MCIT Business Information Systems              FAX (313) 647-5272
Building 2/Floor 3, Suite 300, Box 2785, 
4251 Plymouth Road,  Ann Arbor, MI 48105

 - I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it. -
*****************************************************************

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
    ___________                        .__
    \_   _____/__________  ____   ____ |__| ____  __ __  ______
     |    __)/ __ \_  __ \/  _ \_/ ___\|  |/  _ \|  |  \/  ___/
     |     \\  ___/|  | \(  <_> )  \___|  (  <_> )  |  /\___ \
     \___  / \___  >__|   \____/ \___  >__|\____/|____//____  >
         \/      \/                  \/                     \/
      ___________            __
      \_   _____/___ _____ _/  |_ __ _________   ____   ______
       |    __)/ __ \\__  \\   __\  |  \_  __ \_/ __ \ /  ___/
       |     \\  ___/ / __ \|  | |  |  /|  | \/\  ___/ \___ \
       \___  / \___  >____  /__| |____/ |__|    \___  >____  >
           \/      \/     \/                        \/     \/

The meat of the matter lies here. Read on for the juiciest morsels on
bands ranging from the reknowned to the obscure. No fat, no  gristle,
just blood-soaked slabs served hot and ready. Dig in, readers.


              M U T I N Y   O N   T H E   M A C H I N E 
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          An Interview with Toronto's Monster Voodoo Machine
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Mutiny. The word brings up images of a rebellion or some form of
revolt. Seems fitting for Toronto sextet Monster Voodoo  Machine  who
in the last year, since the completion of their year and a half  long
tour in support of _Suffersystem_, have bailed from their major label
RCA/BMG, had to deal with internal band conflicts which lead  to  the
departure of some members and the everyday hassles  of  dealing  with
the opening up the creative floodgates for new material. 
     Despite all the setbacks and obstacles, almost 20 months to  the
date of the release of their debut album, emerges the  next  step  in
the evolution of Monster Voodoo Machine's  musical  prowess:  _Pirate
Satellite_. The five-song EP  on  independent  label  45  Revolutions
Productions (only 1,000 copies of _PS_ will be pressed) is by  far  a
ways away from the award winning grind hardcore-metallic  stomp  dose
of  music  that  embodied  their  1995   Juno   Award   winning   LP,
_Suffersystem_, let  alone  the  swelling  techno/industrial/hardcore
tinged offerings of past EP's: _Burn_ (1992) and _State  Voodoo/State
Control_ (1994)
     Led  by  singer/songwriter/founder  Adam  Sewell  (the  band  is
comprised of guitarists Jason Cuddy and Darren  Quinn,  drummer  Dean
Bentley and newcomers  keyboardist  Nick  Sagias  and  bassist  Chris
Harris - both good friends of  the  band  and  ex-Soulstorm  members)
Monster Voodoo Machine has once again shapeshifted itself,  lessening
the need for guitars and the harsh  grittiness  to  their  sound  and
adding more feeling to the material and lyrics by incorporating ample
amounts of samples and vocal stylings to balance out the diversity of
the record. While different in some aspects, the album  itself  still
has the feel and markings of MVM. No doubt about it.
     On the new album _PS_, Sewell begins, "Even though we will  only
have 1,000 copies of the record out, those that will hear it or  have
it will be able to see what the new stuff is about. That is all  that
it is about. I have no intention of keeping up the  indie  label  and
putting records out on it." About the EP's material serving any  real
purpose or showing off the growth of the  band,  Sewell  answers,  "I
don't know about that. I think this material is the material that  in
the spring of 1996 Monster Voodoo Machine recorded and  put  out.  We
have about an album's worth of material right now and plan to  record
that in September sometime. Everything is ready to go for us."
     "This wasn't  a  conscious  effort  to  make  an  impression  on
anybody," remarks Sewell on the direction of the new  material,  "The
only thing that I was conscious of was to make the production of  the
record more along the lines of what I wanted to hear. I think  people
will finally understand that we had nothing  to  do  with  industrial
music or be in a industrial band. To be able to take what  is  in  my
head and clearly portray it  musically  and  I  think  I  am  finally
capable of doing that. I think people will  understand  that  we  are
more Big Audio Dynamite than Skinny Puppy."
     "This is the first time I have ever made a record  and  made  it
because it was fun," he says, "Because it was the right thing  to  do
and it was enjoyable doing it. MVM have never  made  a  record  under
those  conditions  before."  Sewell  is  obviously  happy  with   the
production of the EP and his work with Biron Wong (from Toronto band,
My Brilliant Beast). Sewell states, "Over the last year since we took
off time, I had to educate myself. With Biron he really  educated  me
and taught me how to get the things in my head on tape.  He  spent  a
lot of time with me and was  patient  too.  I  spent  time  educating
myself and also with the fact that the band wanted to push themselves
to approach their instruments. It was a collective desire for a  step
forward and that has really helped everybody. Music is more enjoyable
for me now because I am working with people that I want to work  with
and I think  if  you  look  at  what  the  songs  have  lyrically  or
mood-wise, I wanted to create a record that  was  a  good  time.  For
example, the song 'Ghetto Blaster'  isn't  quite  exactly  a  serious
song. I think that is an indication of what is going on with the band
and it's music."
     While the band had done their time with a major label and now on
their own, it doesn't go to say MVM isn't scouting around for another
major to call home - or worse - that the band is up a creek without a
paddle. The band has been approached by several record  labels  since
their departure from RCA/BMG. "That was a fortunate thing  that  once
we walked out of the RCA deal we walked into a situation where  other
labels were interested in what was going on  or  how  they  could  be
involved, which was cool for us."
     Another thing that the band has seen grow and  feed  off  of  is
their experience within the music industry. Calling their  own  shots
is a big deal for them. On touring: "I definitely think we are not as
naive anymore about having to play anywhere and anytime. I definitely
want to play with other types of bands other than the types we played
with in the past. A few of us in the band have families and I am sure
we don't want to stay on the road as long this time around.  Maybe  a
few weeks here and there and then some time off. For the  first  four
years of the band it was just continuous work to make  things  happen
and everything we did, all the energy, went into making things happen
and not the music. Now there is a relaxed atmosphere within the  band
and now it is the music first and then we work on the other things we
have to deal with. Everything  seems  to  be  going  good  right  now
because of that. I'm not dying to get out on  the  road.  I  have  no
points to prove to anybody except musically and  that  is  why  I  am
choosing this way of doing things this time around."

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

         F U   F I G H T I N G   W I T H   F U   M A N C H U 
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Orange County, California quartet Fu Manchu are on a mission  to
write the heaviest slabs of rock ever and  mold  them  together  with
enough distorted sludge, fuzz and feedback that it would be difficult
to decipher their music from that of a freight train moving along its
tracks. Their debut  album  for  Mammoth/Attic,  _In  Search  Of..._,
sounds like the 5:10 from Orange Country just came in. 
     "The way I like to listen to our music is by driving  around  in
the car," explains lead singer/guitarist  Scott  Hill  about  how  he
selects their material for release. "I'll listen to our 4-tracks  and
if it sounds good I'll say, 'We'll work on that, it sounds heavy.'  I
don't care how anyone  listens  to  our  music  -  stoned,  drunk  or
straight. There isn't one way  to  listen  to  it.  I'd  like  people
listening to the record to get something different  out  of  it  with
each listen."
     The band - also including guitarist Eddie Glass,  drummer  Ruben
Romano and bassist Brad Davis - manage on _In Search Of..._ to  carry
on with the stylistic noise brought to our attention  via  their  two
previous releases on BongLoad Records, _Daredevil_ (1994) and _No One
Rides For Free_ (1995). Their latest  effort,  recorded  in  just  11
days, is a travelling time-trip through Sabbath-like riffs not unlike
the route followed recently by Kyuss and Monster Magnet, but  with  a
distinct Fu Manchu attitude and tone. Gritty and  loose,  _In  Search
Of..._ veers off into sonic proportions at times, but stays  true  to
its original ideal of 'heavy.' States Hill, "We never come up with  a
plan to write a song. The songs for this record are from riffs we had
lying around and songs we were working on over an eight month period.
The twelve songs are the ones that we all liked that had been  tested
from early 8-track and 4-track demos. When we went into the studio we
wanted to make a record to match how we are live, you  know,  to  get
that raw sound."
     As opposed to their earlier releases, Fu Manchu opted for a more
varied approach to making this effort. Acknowledges Hill, "We set  up
the album with songs with a faster sound and then mixed it to go into
a slower, more back and forth groove sound. It was on purpose because
we didn't want  the  record  to  follow  one  pattern  and  bore  the
listener. This way the music keeps the listener going."
     As for the name of the record, "It's based on that show from the
70's, In Search Of...," notes Hill, "There's a lot  of  the  material
and lyrics dealing with U.F.O.'s, Big Foot stuff, and where  we  come
from." And just what are they 'in search of'? "I couldn't  tell  ya,"
laughs Hill.
     In their quest for fame, Fu Manchu is pursuing  success  through
the more traditional means of touring and playing live, as opposed to
making videos or a writing a potential hit single. Says Hill, "I  see
us following in the same pattern as bands like Kyuss who do what they
do without looking for a hit single and look at this industry as just
being part of what they do. I don't listen to a lot of  newer  stuff.
If they had a hit single then so be it, but they didn't go out of the
way to write one or release one." He may want to reconsider,  though,
as Palm Desert sludge rock quartet Kyuss are now defunct.
     Since their formation in 1994, Fu Manchu has, in a short  period
of time, made quite a  cult-followed  name  for  themselves,  and  by
hooking up with Mammoth Records,  have  now  come  a  bit  closer  to
imminent mass success. "Moving to a  bigger  label  has  been  a  lot
better for us," reveals Hill. "Things have  been  good  for  us.  The
label is treating us real well, getting us on tours, doing promotion,
getting our record in stores. The move has been beneficial for us."

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

            S P A W N - I N G   N E W   T E R R I T O R Y 
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                     An Interview with Iced Earth
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer loves his new album. He  likes
the music, the lyrics and most importantly the artwork of the  album.
The cover artwork (and inner artwork) of the  band's  latest  effort,
_Dark Saga_, as well as the whole album's concept theme, is based  on
the immensely popular Spawn comic series drawn  by  acclaimed  artist
Todd McFarlane, a comic series Shaffer has followed faithfully  since
it's beginning a few years back.
     Schaffer accounts the steps taken to be able to successfully use
both the rights to the artwork and the story for the album.  "It  all
started with us approaching the  Spawn  people/McFarlane  camp  about
doing some soundtrack music for the HBO animation series or the  live
action movie which is coming up (both out in 1997). So one thing  led
to another and we became really good friends with some of the  people
working with Todd McFarlane. So I asked Todd to do an album cover for
us and he looked at us as if he was saying, 'Are you crazy? I am busy
with all this stuff to do anything.' We asked  to  use  some  of  his
existing art but he wasn't to  keen  about  that,  but  what  he  was
willing to do was let us use some artwork for Spawn  #50  which  just
recently came out. So that is good for us seeing that they  came  out
about the same time. It is really good timing how everything happened
at the same time almost. I have been a big fan of the series  and  it
has been an inspiration for me to write and make music too."
     "I  see  this  album  as  a  dark  love  story,"  says  Schaffer
describing _DS_, "It is what Spawn is. It is  very  much  a  tragedy:
life and death, heaven and hell, opposites and just a dark fantasy."
     Schaffer is also pleased that with McFarlane  helping  them  out
with artwork, he will also be  able  to  help  make  Spawn  a  bigger
phenomenon then it already is - if that is possible. "When we knew we
were going to get some artwork I was going to help spread the word of
Spawn to the places that we are popular around the world and  he  can
help us over here in the States. It is a really cool crossover  thing
for us and I am really excited about it."
     Since the self-titled debut album of this Tampa, Florida quintet
- rounded out by singer  Matthew  Barlow,  guitarist  Randy  Shawver,
drummer Brent Smedley and bassist Keith Menser -  surfaced  in  1991,
Iced Earth had been considered one of the bands  to  watch  out  for,
with their melodic and versatile approach of delivering their take on
speed metal. The band continued on with their  style  and  sound  and
produced two more well-received records, _Night Of The Stormrider_ in
1992 and 1995's _Burnt Offerings_ that helped keep the band going and
keep their fanbase growing. Musically the band was not to happy  with
what they were doing. Sure they were given the opportunity to  create
and record music but there was something missing and  after  spending
some time planning, Schaffer had the perfect idea.
     "This album is done more  with  a  positive  feeling  about  the
writing because I felt good for a change while writing,  something  I
haven't felt in a while. Between _NotS_ and _BO_ I was really  pissed
off at the music industry and the way things were. And when  you  are
young you have these preconceived notions of the way things should be
and they don't go that way. The negative writing that took  place  in
_BO_ was good and a  lot  of  people  liked  it  but  it  wasn't  the
direction musically that I wanted to take the band. This  music  made
me feel better about being a musician because it is more positive but
still dark. I was very keen on vocals and melody and I see  it  as  a
more mature piece of work. You change with every record but  you  can
still tell that this is us and what we do."
     The writing for this album was derived  from  the  series,  with
Schaffer taking ideas and characters from the series and molding them
into songs. "I took characters from the comic series and used them in
my songs. Some songs are written about them but there was also a good
size amount of my own ideas that went into the record too. There  are
a lot of different ideas with my imagination. Both were able to  come
together and create this album." NOTE: Al Simmons, the  man  who  the
series is based on, even had his hand in helping  write  one  of  the
album's songs, "Depths Of Hell."
     Not only is the new album being distributed  in  record  stores,
but _DS_ will also be sold in comic book stores too. On top of  that,
the band has already done and will continue to  make  appearances  at
several comic conventions throughout the year to push the  album  and
the comic series. "We have  been  doing  some  promotional  stuff  at
conventions and sold lots of CDs already. We got a good  thing  going
here for us." The album has 'spawned' other forms of the  album  too,
with special  limited  edition  digi-paks,  picture  discs,  gatefold
vinyl, normal vinyl being distributed as well as a special vinyl just
for comic stores where the album folds  out  into  a  poster.  It  is
really cool shit. We are really taking  this  seriously.  People  see
this as a gimmick and it is. No one is helping us  except  some  cool
underground zines and that is it. We aren't going to get support from
radio or MTV. Century Media doesn't have enough money  to  make  this
band an overnight success. You have to do what you  have  to  do  and
fans of heavy metal music have to understand that this shit is dying.
There are not many bands left playing now. We are doing this  and  if
we can reach young kids who read comics then so be it. A lot of these
kids haven't been brainwashed by MTV yet.
     "I am really disgusted by the whole music scene here and this is
a great thing for us because  they  [McFarlane  and  co.]  have  been
really good with us and supportive and maybe with that  help  we  can
stir something up and bring this music back. We'll see."
     Getting back to the support of  label  Century  Media,  Schaffer
says, "They are doing a great job with the  band  because  they  know
they have something to market the band with now. We have  never  been
able to use anything to market us except for our music, which is  the
way it should be, but in this day and age  it  not  easily  accepted.
There are a lot of people sick  of  the  music  scene  with  all  the
alternative music and grunge shit happening and the trends. I think a
lot of people, both adults and kids, are into this comic  series  and
heavy music. The two go hand in hand."
     So, if this is even somewhat successful, will Schaffer  and  his
band attempt another concept album? "I  would  like  to  use  another
artist to do our cover because there are a lot of great  artists  out
there, but I don't know... we'll see.  This  is  such  a  unique  and
special thing for me and I don't know if I want to milk it like that.
I also wouldn't want to look like we were out to be  hooked  up  with
Spawn and  have  no  identity.  I  think  and  see  this  as  a  good
partnership. Me and Al Simmons have become good friends.  I  have  no
idea what will be on the next record and we still have lots  of  life
experiences to have before we settle on doing another record."

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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.


       D I G G I N G   G R A V E S   A N D   H A T I N G   I T 
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
               CoC converses with Grave's Ola Lindgren
                          by: Gino Filicetti

Since their debut record _Into The Grave_ (1991), Sweden's Grave  has
been a much revered underground band. Starting their career as one of
the most brutal death  metal  bands  around,  Grave  has  evolved  to
include other elements in their music; although  never  losing  touch
with their roots. CoC speaks to singer/guitarist Ola Lindgren, one of
only two surviving members of Grave (the other being Jensa Paulsson).
Here's what he had to say.

CoC: Tell us what the band has been up to lately.

Ola Lindgren: We did like three weeks of touring in Europe. We played
              some festival shows with Cannibal  Corpse  and  Impaled
              Nazarene, and we played some headlining shows.

CoC: Considering there are only two members in Grave now, how was  it
     playing live as opposed to having more members in the band?

OL: It was great actually. We had this guy, Jonas, who played bass on
    the first Grave album, he's in the band now as our  bass  player.
    He didn't appear on _Hating Life_ though, I did  the  bass  lines
    for that album.

CoC: How was it to lose Jorgen  (Sandstorm,  ex-bassist/vocalist)  to
     Entombed, did he leave on good terms?

OL: Oh, I don't know. The whole thing about him leaving and all  that
    weren't under the best circumstances, but we still see each other
    and talk to each other often. His leaving was quite unexpected. I
    didn't realize anything until he told us.

CoC: So now Jonas is back as your bass player, why did  he  leave  in
     the first place?

OL: Well, we did the first album with Jonas,  but  then  we  did  two
    tours, and he was getting really tired of  touring  because  it's
    such a totally different lifestyle. You can't keep a job when you
    are at home because you don't know when you have to  go  away  on
    tour the next time. So he left and he led a pretty normal life.

CoC: So now he's willing to give it up again to go on tour?

OL: Well, he's got a pretty good job now. He's a store manager so  he
    can pretty much decide whenever he wants to take time off.

CoC: Have you been offered any more tours?

OL: Nothing else is really planned. We are thinking of going over  to
    the States sometime after the summer. But we still have  to  look
    into it, we haven't got any offers or anything  yet,  but  that's
    what we are going to try and do. And also we want to  do  another
    two or three weeks in Europe to cover some of the countryside  we
    missed.

CoC: Is playing live difficult for you now? Considering you  have  to
     sing and play guitar.

OL: It was pretty hard in the beginning, because I never  really  did
    it that much before. So we had  to  rehearse  it  a  lot  to  get
    everything tight and shit. We did kind of a warm-up show here  in
    Stockholm before we went out on tour and  everything  worked  out
    really well.

CoC: How did the crowds react to the new look of Grave?

OL: There were a lot of people that we've met before. And there  were
    a lot of people who liked the old stuff, and now are really  into
    the new stuff.

CoC: What kind  of  sacrifices  did  you  have  to  make  during  the
     recording because of the fact you only had two people?

OL: I don't know. Not much at all really because we wrote most of the
    songs with only two people in the band. We had  SOME  ideas  when
    Jorgen was still in the band, but not complete songs. So  me  and
    Jensa did all  the  material.  Also  it's  a  lot  easier  making
    decisions and with only two people in the band than with three or
    four. So everything went really smoothly.

CoC: Do you and Jensa get along well?

OL: Yeah, really well. When we create music, Jensa and I always go in
    the same  direction.  We  never  have  a  problem  putting  songs
    together the way we both want to hear it.

CoC: When Jorgen was in the band, how much work and effort did he put
     into Grave?

OL: Well, we never wrote any songs on our own. We'd  always  come  up
    with stuff as a group. So he was a part of it of course,  but  he
    didn't have a bigger or smaller part than anyone else.

CoC: What has changed musically since your last album?

OL: Well, I think it's a lot heavier than  the  last  one,  and  also
    groovier. There is nothing complicated  or  technical,  just  the
    basics. It's really easy to play and easy to listen to.

CoC: What kind of themes do your lyrics deal with?

OL: All the lyrics in the album are a direct reflection of the  title
    _Hating  Life_.  The  lyrics  are  really  critical  and   really
    depressive, so the title fits all the songs. Some  of  the  songs
    are fiction, and some might as well happen in real life. It's not
    the typical death metal thing with blood and guts and  so  forth.
    It's a lot more realistic.

CoC: How much work goes into your lyrics compared to your music?

OL: Not much actually <laughs>. Well, because Jorgen used to  do  all
    the lyrics, getting the lyrics together this time was one of  the
    hardest things to do. For the new record, Jensa did two songs and
    I did seven. But even a month before we went  in  to  record  the
    record, we only had like one or two lyrics written.

CoC: How much time did you spend recording _Hating Life_?

OL: Three weeks total, but we did it on and off. We  took  it  really
    easy, with no stress. We didn't have a time limit  so  some  days
    we'd work during the day, and then we'd take some  days  off  and
    work nights, just so that we didn't do the same thing for a solid
    two weeks of recording or something. It worked out really good.

CoC: Why are you playing music? What does it do for you?

OL: Well, music is a really big  part  of  my  life  now.  I  started
    listening to the early thrash bands in  the  early  eighties,  in
    like 1984 and 85 with Celtic Frost and Destruction  and  Kreator.
    And I started playing guitar when I was twelve. So  it  was  just
    what I've always wanted to do basically. We did  demo  tapes  and
    established ourselves in the underground and it was really fun to
    get that kind of recognition. Then we got  the  record  deal  and
    everything else is history. It's all I know how to do  basically,
    so I guess I better stick with it.

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

         A P H A Z E L ' S   A L M I G H T Y   A N C I E N T 
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
           Chronicles of Chaos chats with Norway's Ancient
                          by: Gino Filicetti

Life for Ancient, started in beginning,  as  all  lifeforms  on  this
great green (or should I say, frozen white) earth do, alone.  In  the
beginning (or 1992 to be  exact),  there  was  Aphazel,  and  Aphazel
alone. Ancient was a solo  project  who's  mastermind,  Aphazel,  has
brought to the fore front of the black metal scene.  CoC  spoke  with
Ancient's guitarist during on of his many lay  overs  in  the  United
States.

CoC: How has Ancient changed since it was a solo project?

Aphazel: Well, I had a drummer named Grimm join the band in 1993.  He
         also sang and  wrote  lyrics.  The  band  consisted  of  two
         members until 1995 when Grimm basically retired  from  music
         altogether. Then I  got  a  vocalist  from  the  band  Grand
         Belials Key named Lord Kaiaphas, he's now playing  drums  as
         well as singing and we got a female  vocalist  from  Avernus
         named Kimberly Goss, she also plays keyboards. We also  have
         another drummer from Norway  named  Kjetil,  he  plays  five
         songs on the new album.

CoC: What has Lord Kaiaphas brought to Ancient?

A: Well, he writes all the lyrics and he sings and plays the drums on
   four songs. But he didn't really have any creative input into  the
   music as I wrote all the songs on _The Cainian  Chronicle_.  Later
   on he'll become more involved with the making of the music. He was
   pretty much a new member when we recorded the album. The way it is
   now, me and Kaiaphas are the main members of Ancient.

CoC: How is the relationship between yourself and Kaiaphas?

A: We get along great. I stay with him whenever  I'm  in  the  United
   States. I met him in June of last year when he was still in  Grand
   Belials Key. I was in Virginia and I met him down there. Then when
   Grand Belials Key split up,  it  was  the  same  time  Grimm  left
   Ancient, so Kaiaphas was the perfect guy to  take  Grimm's  place.
   It's been working out really good.

CoC: I think the lyrics on this CD are the best I've  read  from  ANY
     black metal band, where does Kaiaphas get his inspiration?

A: He reads a lot of books on magick and that  kind  of  stuff.  _The
   Cainian Chronicle_ is based on the book of Nod  which  is  like  a
   vampire story. He's really into the stuff he reads, and the lyrics
   for Grand Belials Key were really good too. 

CoC: Has anyone ever questioned you or your  band's  true-ness?  Have
     you ever been seen as imposters because you  have  Americans  in
     the band?

A: Not really. But I myself don't think we are  a  pure  black  metal
   band. Basically you can say its black metal, but we have a lot  of
   influences from different types of metal and  we  keep  the  music
   very atmospheric. Sort of cross  breeding  black  metal  with  all
   kinds of different styles. 

CoC: What is your opinion of the whole black metal scene in Norway?

A: There are a lot of good bands, but recently there  have  been  too
   many new trendy bands that have come out. But I think it's a  very
   good scene. The country itself only has four and  a  half  million
   people and there  are  just  so  many  good  bands  I  think  it's
   something to be proud of. In Norway though, there  are  a  lot  of
   people  that  play  black  metal,  but  there  aren't   too   many
   non-musician fans of the music.

CoC: Do you think band's like Cradle of  Filth  and  their  story  in
     Terrorizer show that black metal bands aren't really  as  "true"
     as they claim to be?

A: I never really read that story, but I looked at it briefly.  In  a
   way it's kind of funny but it's stupid too I think. I don't  think
   we'd do anything like that. But I don't really care too much  what
   other bands do, it's just entertainment for me basically.

CoC: Did you know Euronymous? What was he like in YOUR opinion?

A: No, I didn't know him. I met him once briefly in Oslo in 1991.  He
   seemed to be pretty much like every other normal  guy.  He  seemed
   like a cool guy, I just didn't get to know him.

CoC: Where does Ancient get its musical inspiration?

A: Well, a lot of the music I'm listening to is music that  came  out
   in the early eighties. I also listen to a lot of gothic music like
   Dead Can Dance and a little bit of Fields of Nifilem. I also get a
   lot of inspiration from myself and just playing my instruments,  I
   don't spend a lot of time listening to music.

CoC: Do you make music alone to  give  yourself  time  to  think  and
     concentrate on it?

A: That's pretty much what I've always done in the past.  When  Grimm
   was in the band he helped out a little bit, but I'm the  only  guy
   who does the guitars and keyboards. For _The Cainian Chronicle_  I
   made ALL the music, it's totally just  my  creation.  But  in  the
   future the members are going to work together more, and it's going
   to be more of a band thing.

CoC: Why did you decide to record with Dan Swano at Unisound? I think
     it was a wise choice because the production of this CD is superb.

A: Well, he's really experienced and he doesn't charge a  hell  of  a
   lot of money. It's like half  the  price  of  recording  in  other
   studios. He works really fast too, we recorded  the  album  in  85
   hours. He works really well and he  helped  out  with  the  female
   vocals and keyboards especially. He's better than other  producers
   we worked with who didn't care too much about the music, they just
   cared about their job  and  getting  things  done.  Plus  he's  an
   excellent musician himself, so he gives us a  lot  of  advice  and
   helped us out a lot.

CoC: Have you done any work for your next record yet?

A: No not really. I haven't started on anything yet. Right  now  it's
   about getting inspiration and talking about  different  ideas  and
   things like that. We plan to record the next album in  the  summer
   of next year and hopefully release it by December 1997. 

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

               T H E   C L A S S I C   C O M E B A C K 
               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                    An Interview with The Almighty
                          by: Adrian Bromley


"Rock  n'  roll  has  been  around  for  like  forty-five  years  and
everything has been tried and done before and you can't  really  show
off to people anymore. For me, playing music has  always  been  about
50% originality and 50% ripping off your heroes. That is the truth." 
     -- Ricky Warwick, singer of The Almighty

     U.K. four-piece (started in Scotland circa  1988)  The  Almighty
have just released there most diverse and last - you heard me -  last
record _Just Add Life_ (produced by Chris  Sheldon  -  Therapy?)  via
Castle  Records  in  the  United  States.  The   band,   fronted   by
singer/guitarist  Ricky  Warwick,  guitarist  Pete  Freisen,  drummer
Stumpy Monroe and bassist Floyd London, have decided to call it quits
following the release of their fifth album _JAL_. 
     This being their most diverse record, singer Warwick decided  it
would be beneficial to talk to the  fans  one  more  time  about  the
demise of The Almighty, the changes the band went  through  musically
and the amicable split the band decided to take from one another. Not
utterly saddened by the demise of the band, Warwick, as well  as  the
other three members, are presently working on other projects. Here is
what he had to say:

CoC: Let us start off about the record _Just Add Life_. What are your
     thoughts about the record and what fans can get out of it?

Ricky Warwick: I think the record shows the melodic side of the band.
               We used to be seen as just a hard band and I think  it
               will be suprising to see how much melody is in  there.
               Hopefully people will also pick up on the diversity of
               the songs as well.

CoC: Do you think that a lot of people that were into the  band  from
     the start will be lost with the changes that the band has  taken
     with _JAL_?

RW: I think we will. There will be those people that  will  have  not
    grown with us and want us to continue making music like the first
    two records and I am sure that we will gain new fans too  due  to
    the music on this record.

CoC: How do you feel about the image and sound of  a  band?  Did  you
     make the calls on what you do about marketing or did the  record
     companies that you have dealt with make the decisions?

RW: In the beginning we probably listened to people because  we  were
    looking for good advice but then as  things  go  along  you  only
    should be listening to yourselves. In the past four or five years
    we haven't be pressured into doing anything that we  didn't  want
    to do. People have told us what to do but we don't listen.

CoC: Any regrets from the days of The  Almighty?  Something  you  did
     that you wish you could have corrected?

RW: When I look back at it now I wish we would  have  used  different
    producers for the first two records. Another  thing  is  that  we
    were never really able to  tour  a  lot  in  the  United  States,
    something I would have liked to have done.

CoC: Where does the album title name come from?

RW: It is like when you buy soup and read the directions and it  says
    'Just Add Water.' People always  buy  stuff  to  make  them  feel
    better like cars or clothes. And what I am  saying  is  that  you
    need not do that to make yourself happy. Just start to feel  good
    about yourself and that is a start."

CoC: Are you comfortable playing this sort of hard pop/punk music?

RW: Completely. I am really happy playing this stuff. It  reminds  me
    of the type of music that I grew up on like The Clash  and  stuff
    from that era.

CoC: How did you hook up with Castle Records?

RW: Well, the day we came out with the record we went in and told EMI
    that was it and they decided that they didn't want to spend money
    promoting the album so we took the album over to  Castle  Records
    for release. It has worked out for us. They put  the  record  out
    and that is all that matters.

CoC: Over the years and all the stuff you had done with The Almighty,
     did you learn anything or become a better musician?

RW: Yeah, you learn more when you learn about  the  people  you  work
    with and playing all those gigs. You learn from  everything  that
    comes with being a musician and you can either learn or get stuck
    in one style. We learned and grew with our music.

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

       ::::::|       :|                       :|            :|
         ::|  :::\ :':| :~~/ :::\ :~~/ :::\ :':| :~~/ :::\ :::|
       ::::::|:|:| :::| :::, :::/ :::, :|:| :::| :::, :|:|  :|
                             :|       
 ::::::|      :|                                 :|  ++
   ::|  :::\ :::| :~~/ :::| :::| ,::\ .::\ /::| :::| :| ,::\ :::\ <::<
 ::::::|:|:|  :|  :::, :|   :|   `::/ `::| \::|  :|  :| `::/ :|:| >::>
                                     ,.:/

Here is where CoC gets the inside story on up-and-coming bands. Check
out this column for a variety of fresh, brutal groups.  Should you be
an aspiring band on your way to super-stardom,  send us your demo and
bio; our address is included in the zine's header.


                    I N D E L I B L Y   I N K E D 
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                     CoC Interrogates Spastic Ink
                           by: Brian Meloon

     Spastic Ink is the current project of WatchTower  guitarist  Ron
Jarzombek. The band's lineup is rounded out by his brother  Bobby  on
drums and bassist Pete Perez, both formerly of Riot. The  band  plays
an all-instrumental brand of progressive metal  (see  review  in  CoC
#10), featuring technical playing from all three members, and complex
compositions.  They  are  possibly  the  most  technical  metal  band
currently  in  existence.  Their  sound  is  very   similar   to   an
instrumental  version  WatchTower's  _Control  and  Resistence_,   or
perhaps can be described by the  phrase  "Meshuggah  minus  Pantera".
That is, if you could purge all the Pantera influence from Meshuggah,
leaving only the technicality of the music and the tonalities of  the
guitar solos, you'd have something that sounds like Spastic Ink. 
     According to Ron, the future of WatchTower is "Not good. We  had
this kind of a hope of getting back together.  Jason  [McMaster,  the
original WatchTower vocalist] was in the picture. Jason was into  it,
I was into it, but it seemed like it just really wasn't the thing  to
do. Rick [Colaluca, drums]  and  Doug  [Keyser,  bass]  just  weren't
motivated to get it going. We all talked and  stuff,  but  it  seemed
like nobody did anything about it. I mean there was always the excuse
of us splitting up because we didn't have a singer, but Jason fits in
pretty damn good. But me, Rick and Doug wrote about  over  an  hour's
worth of material, and it's just kinda  sitting  around  right  now."
Currently, the band members have gone their separate  ways,  and  are
pursuing other  interests.  _C&R_  vocalist  Alan  Tecchio  is  doing
session work, having recorded with  among  others,  Power  (with  Dan
Dalley). Rick and Doug were playing together in a funk/punk/metal/rap
hybrid band called Retarted Elf, who  recently  broke  up.  Jason  is
currently on tour with Dangerous Toys (who he's been  with  since  he
left WatchTower in 1989). Original guitarist Billy White  now  fronts
the Billy White Trio, who just finished up a US tour.
     Spastic Ink formed originally as a side project of Ron's,  while
preparing material for the next WatchTower record. "I had  a  lot  of
hand problems after the WatchTower tour," Ron begins, "I just  messed
up my tendons real bad. I had four surgeries over the course of about
two and a half years, and I was even going to Austin, and writing the
newer [Watchtower] stuff and playing all of it with two fingers,  and
I had a splint on my other hand. The Ink thing started when  my  hand
was getting better, and I was writing some  more  complicated  stuff,
because I could use my four fingers again, and it was kind of a  cool
thing to be playing again after about two and a half or three  years.
The new WatchTower stuff wasn't as crazy as it originally was, so all
the wilder stuff got thrown into the Spastic Ink stuff. When you have
two projects going on, you write something and it has to fit in  with
one thing, and it seemed like almost everything that I was doing  was
going toward Spastic Ink, and if  there  was  a  tune  that  would've
worked for both bands, it was  played  more  accurately,  or  sounded
better when it was with Bobby and Pete."  The  band  started  working
long distance, writing their first song, the 8+ minute long "Mosquito
Brain Surgery" (my personal favorite,  as  well  as  one  of  Ron's),
without ever being in the same room. Ron explains that  Bobby  "would
put something on tape, and I would bump his tape onto my  four-track,
and I would put parts to it, and give that back to  him,  maybe  with
some other stuff on it, and he would just go off on  that.  We  would
just piece it together, and see where the story  was  going,  and  it
just came out out to be a really cool tune." Eventualy, the band  got
together  and   recorded   four   songs,   including   "The   Thumper
Impersonation", a six-section song written to be incidental music for
the movie _Bambi_ (yes, the one about  the  deer).  Although  as  Ron
says, "it wasn't really a demo, it was just so people could see  what
we were doing", these songs made their way to  the  underground,  and
garnered the band an offer to release  the  songs  on  CD.  The  band
instead decided to wait until more songs were finished to  put  their
work out. 
     The result of this wait is the 11-song _Ink  Complete_  project.
It was finished  in  1994,  but  the  band  had  enormous  difficulty
attracting label interest. Ron explains, "We had  been  shopping  the
thing and I don't know how many tapes got sent out, but from  what  I
understand, Chris (their manager) sent probably close to  50  or  100
tapes, along with a glossy and some bio and some other stuff that  he
did. But we got very few responses. The  response  that  we  got  was
'Call me when you get a singer.' I mean, it's  hard  to  do  anything
right now, with the way the whole music market is. I  even  tried  to
send Spastic Ink stuff to labels  that  were  jazz  and  instrumental
oriented, and they said the  only  thing  they  were  taking  in  was
hip-hop and alternative rock. I mean, GRP told  me  that,  Relativity
told me, 'If you're not doing what's in, forget it.'"  With  that  in
mind,  Ron  is  preparing  to  release  the  project   independently,
commenting, "Right now, I'm transferring all the stuff onto an  ADAT,
so I'm adding other parts that I couldn't add before because  it  was
done on a four-track. And we need to get a better mix, and just clean
it up, so we're going to mix it in a real studio. It should be out in
3 or 4 months if everything goes smooth." At last word, the band  was
negotiating with Dream Circle  records  in  Germany  for  a  possible
release.
     Though many describe their particular brand of progressive metal
as "jazzy", Ron objects, citing that their music, "Doesn't  have  any
flat-5, sharp-11 chords or anything like that. It's  organized,  it's
complicated and stuff, but it's not  really  jazz,  it's  progressive
'jazz' you get more of that music where there's no power in  it,  and
it's real free-form. I like to think of whatever I'm  doing  as  more
organized and you know, I've always liked aggression  and  power.  It
depends on what you want to label 'jazz'  as.  'Jazz'  can  be  Chick
Corea, it can be Ella Fitzgerald. It's like saying  'rock  n'  roll'.
Ozzy always calls his music rock n' roll, but I say rock n'  roll  is
Chuck Berry. 'Jazz' is just too broad of a word." As for his personal
influences, he states "I don't really have any  influences  that  are
jazz guitar players. I mean I like people like Larry Carlton, and  Al
DiMeola, but the main influences have been not really 'guitar player'
guitar players, but like Rush, you know Lifeson, and Trevor Rabin  or
Steve  Howe  from  Yes,  and  even  bands  like  UK,  who  had  Allan
Holdsworth, but on the second album, they didn't even have  a  guitar
player. So, it's not really guitar like the guitar hero shit that was
going on a couple years ago, it's more the band oriented,  the  whole
kind of picture, instead of just one guy."
     The future for Spastic Ink is a little uncertain. Worried  about
the trouble instrumental artists are having at  the  moment,  Ron  is
currently preparing vocal-oriented material. He says  "I  would  just
like to get something that I could have my name on that's  crazy  and
stuff that does have vocals on it, so that they  can't  say  'where's
your singer?'" Ron is writing the material for now on  his  computer,
since he's not sure who will be playing it with him. He guesses  that
Bobby will end up playing on it, and Jason is the obvious choice  for
vocalist, as Ron notes "Jason was into the WatchTower thing, he's not
really tied down to anything." Currently, the members of Spastic  Ink
are pursuing other interests, as Ron mentions  "Pete  did  some  tour
with Riot in Europe, and Bobby's gigging around town,  and  I'm  just
doing  the  teaching  thing."  But  the  band  members  haven't  tied
themselves down to these other projects, with Ron claiming "We  could
do it right now, if we sat down." 
     Ron's view of the future of music is pessimistic, as he explains
"I hope the whole Dream Theater craze catches on, but  I  don't  know
how long that's going to last. Most of the audience today  is  pretty
stupid. There's just no music  really  out  there  now,  or  I'm  not
exposed to any of it. I guess I wish I was in Europe, so I could  see
what was going on, but over here I don't know what road it would have
to take for it to turn in any kind  of  positive  direction,  because
right now, it's just a bunch of shit." Regardless of current  trends,
Spastic Ink will continue to play their technical, complex  style  of
progressive metal to whoever will listen. 

Contact: SPASTIC INK, c/o Ayres Rock Management
         6655 Wilkinson Ave. #103, North Hollywood, CA, 91606, USA

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                 T O R O N T O ' S   T A K E O V E R 
                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         CoC Interviews Solus
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     While Toronto's Solus are relative newcomers to the death  metal
scene, and may have a ways to go before they sign to a  major  label,
the band is knowledgeable of the way things work in this industry and
like many acts of this musical genre Solus believe first and foremost
that music is to be used as tool of expression.
     Solus -  consisting  of  singer  Will  Korbut,  guitarist  Derek
Harnanansingh, drummer Darrell Dumas and bassist Doug  Regan  -  have
recently released their debut LP,  the  9-song  _Slave  Of  Mind_,  a
collection of accelerated riffs, brash vocals and  a  groove  that'll
rip your head off. The album's material is  extremely  aggressive,  a
definite outlet for the bands emotions. With the help of producer Rob
Sanzo (Mundane, Poledo) at Signal To Noise Studio, he helped the band
enhance those emotions with some killer knob-twiddling. 
     "I don't think our music changed at all," explains Harnanansingh
about the material of the band going from paper and demos  tape  into
recording the material in a studio. "When we went to Rob we  went  in
and discussed how we wanted to do  things.  We  wanted  to  keep  the
record as raw sounding and as aggressive as we  could  get  it.  With
that in mind, Rob did a great job  and  not  much  was  changed."  On
studio work and the pressure of assembling  a  record  there,  singer
Korbut says, "The pressure  makes  the  recording  process  fly  even
faster. We had a lot of pressure. We had a  real  tight  budget.  The
pressure was really tight and that is why the CD came out the way  it
did I guess."
     "This music is a bloodletting of aggression. A  pouring  out  of
aggression. Everyone in the band has something to be aggressive about
whether it be today's society or society twelve hundred  years  ago,"
says Korbut analyzing the band's material.  "I  think  our  music  is
going to get more aggressive and heavier on a wider spectrum. Playing
this music is something we are now going to  continue  doing.  It  is
like a mad dog tasting blood - we just tasted the blood  and  now  we
are still going for it more."
     As young blood of this musical genre, Solus has seen the ways of
the music industry shift from one style to  another.  Metal  or  even
hard rock has not been in the last little while what it was  say  ten
years ago. Many hard and heavy bands or metal bands have  not  gotten
the exposure that they would have once gotten and now many are forced
to go back into the underground until the time  comes  (if  it  will)
where this type of music is accepted again - meaning  that  a  larger
public accepts it rather than just underground or hard core  fans  of
this musical style. "I don't think it has changed much. This kind  of
music always goes above  and  below  ground.  I  haven't  changed  my
likings  to  bands  since  I  got  into  music,"  says  Harnanansingh
disagreeing with the question somewhat. Korbut juts in, "There are  a
lot of bands that don't get anywhere because there is this huge cloud
of corporatism shrouding any kind of marketing they do and that it is
hard to tell when the heavy bands are performing. I  think  music  is
getting heavier. This alternative thing has  spread  itself  so  thin
that it has no where to go and all these metal bands are going to  be
sitting in the limelight when it goes away."
     Musically the band's makeup revolves around  the  intensity  and
stamina of a tight thrash band but the towering presence and charisma
of a death metal band, as seen on such songs as "Caustic," "Souls  Of
Empty" and "Deciever." The combination of these  two  characteristics
in  the  sound  is  quite  evident,   but   starting   out   explains
Harnanansingh, the band never really tried to play like  any  one  of
their influences. "The influences come from a large range. Everything
from jazz to hard core and metal. It is not something as myself as  a
guitar player really considers. I just listen to  my  influences  and
what comes out comes out. I think our music has  gotten  a  lot  more
aggressive and I don't know why that is. But it works and that is the
way it is meant to be for us." On the material for  songs  he  notes,
"We don't have a preconceived notion of what we are going to  do.  We
have a lot of aggression to get out and a lot of things to say and so
far we haven't run out of ideas we will continue to use that  as  our
sound board."
     "Whatever comes out in the music just comes out,"  says  Korbut,
"Our music is just aggressive for some reason or another. I guess  as
long as everyone had a shitty childhood then we are set and will stay
aggressive." He smiles and laughs.
     Seeing that the band is independent it takes a lot of effort  to
get recognition or least some exposure around the world. The band has
worked hard over the last little while  to  help  get  things  going:
taking out ads in magazines around the world, mailing  out  over  300
CDs and bios to magazines and labels worldwide. What is important  to
an indie band? What is important for them? "For us it  is  a  bit  of
both: playing out and press. There is nothing like seeing  this  live
show. The energy is intense and the press factor is vital because you
need to let people know you are out there or you won't get anywhere,"
states Korbut. "At this point in time we are just happy to  have  the
record out and people liking it. We have been getting great responses
since it has been out."
     Perhaps you think that most indie  bands  would  want  to  taste
success as soon as they could, Solus are the complete  opposite.  "We
are not trying to attract anyone except for people that  will  listen
to our music. Whether it be A&R  people,  label  reps  or  kids  just
freaking out in their bedroom over it. There  is  no  real  focus  in
particular and that surprises people. We are  not  shopping  our  CD,
just trying to get it out there and have  kids  or  anyone  for  that
matter just hear and see how heavy this CD is," says Korbut. "And the
good thing about us being independent is that we call our own  shots.
We don't owe  anyone  anything  as  we  did  everything  for  the  CD
ourselves."
     Harnanansingh, who did the artwork for  the  CD,  comments:  "We
kept the artwork simple and easy in some way to not let  the  artwork
take away from the aggressiveness and  pounding  of  the  record.  We
didn't want to glamorize our product. We'll just let the  music  keep
everyone interested. That is the way it should be."

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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!


Ninefinger - _Torque/Bad Wheel_ 7"  (Deaf American Rec., 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (6 out of 10)
 
After years of being thought lost forever, the  first  Ninefinger  7"
has been re-released to the public  through  Deaf  American  Records.
Originally released through Compulsiv Music, this album  consists  of
two songs of the utmost slowness and heaviness. The band consisted of
Corrosion of Conformity's Mike Dean on bass and vox,  Brutal  Truth's
Rich Hoak on drums and Paul Maiello on  guitar.  The  music  here  is
comparable to some EYEHATEGOD mixed  with  a  good  dose  of  heavily
distorted and lazy vocals. Not the best recording  I've  ever  heard,
but cool nonetheless.


Aceldama - _Blood_  (Mother Noise Records, June 1996)
by: Ryan Hair  (6 out of 10)

I first saw the flyer for this band at a local  music  store.  I  was
interested because it was a local metal band.  The  flyer  said  they
were influenced by King Diamond, Slayer, and Sepultura.  I  have  not
heard any Slayer or Selputura so I was skeptical. I have  a  Mercyful
Fate album that I thought was rather good. At first  I  thought  they
were descent but they later create a brutal yet beautiful atmosphere.
The vocals range from low grunting to James Hetfield barking to  King
Diamond high screeches. They have fairly good production, clean  lows
and highs. They also put in some keyboards that create  the  mystical
atmosphere. The only bad thing I have to say about the album would be
the lack of  interesting  beats  by  the  drummer.  If  I  could  say
something to the band it would be to the drummer, "Learn a  new  beat
bud!" It's very monotonous, even more  than  "generic"  death  metal.
Overall it's a good album for $10.


Amestigon/Angizia  (Napalm Records split CD, June 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel

Amestigon: (6 out of 10)

This  band  plays  predominantly  mid-paced  black  metal,  with  the
standard high-pitched guitar, raspy vocals, and occasional touches of
'atmosphere' in the form of choral arrangements, keyboard flourishes,
and so on. Think of slower Abigor material, and  you've  pretty  much
got it. You've also pretty much heard it all before, even if  not  by
this particular band. "Samhain" is  an  enjoyable  track  with  solid
momentum and cool vocal phrasings,  and  "Mysterious  Realms"  speeds
along quite compellingly. Still, nowhere on this four-track  offering
does Amestigon establish any sonic identity of  their  own.  For  the
most part, they just  sound  like  _Orkblut_-era  Abigor,  minus  the
experimentation. Solid  black  metal,  yeah,  but  pretty  monotonous
sounding too.

Angizia: (4 out of 10)

Having just ripped Amestigon for their lack of originality, I hate to
come down so  hard  on  Angizia,  who  are  obviously  aiming  to  do
something new and different. But  this  stuff  is  just  corny.  Take
mid-paced black metal with an incredibly thin guitar sound,  mix  the
guitar way lower than what sounds like a child's toy piano, have both
play some out-and-out hokey melodies - over and over and over  -  and
you've got the basic Angizia sound. To make it complete, sing a  duet
on top of that - one black  metal  rasp,  one  dreamy  female  voice,
singing the same lines  simultaneously.  Seriously,  I  applaud  this
band's attempt to do something original, but I just  can't  get  into
the results at all. It's different, yeah, but it's cheesey, and  it's
got no real metallic power at all.


Ancient Rites - _Blasphemia Eternal_  (Mascot Records, 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (6 out of 10)

Although Ancient Rites are generally tagged as a  black  metal  band,
it's kind of hard to see why. Maybe it's just their  makeup,  because
on _BE_ (their second full-length), they favor a style much more akin
to that of great  80's  thrash  bands  like  Sodom  and  (especially)
Kreator  -  right  down  to  the  quiet-strings-meets-crunchy-riffing
opening of their CD. More than  anything  else,  they  remind  me  of
Kreator circa that band's first two albums, but with a somewhat  less
ferocious overall sound. _BE_ definitely contains some solid, thrashy
material, delivered with competence and conviction - for proof, check
out "Garden of Delights." Thrash metal lives or dies with the  killer
riff, though, and a lot of  the  riffs  on  this  album  are  neither
complex, nor catchy, nor all that energetic, which makes a lot of the
songs hard to really get into. The vocals are mid-ranged  and  rather
subdued (for an underground act), and the band cruises  through  most
of their material at a pretty restrained speed. So as  extreme  metal
goes, this is fairly tame stuff. Yeah, it has that 'old school' metal
feel to it, but the real giants of the old  school  could  just  blow
this stuff away in terms of energy and invention.


Arcana - _Dark Age of Reason_  (Cold Meat Industry, June 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (5 out of 10)

Hailing  from  the  majestic  Northern  land  of  Sweden  come  Peter
Pettersson and Ida Bengtsson, the heart and soul of Arcana.  Although
this is the couple's first release, Arcana is  widely  known  in  the
Scandanavian folk music scene. The music  on  this  CD  can  be  very
majestic and awe-inspiring at times, but also very dark  and  tragic.
There are ten songs on this recording, fortunately though,  most  are
not of epic length.  The  entire  CD  was  finished  in  35  minutes,
something I found weird about a band that plays this  kind  of  music
(take for example our buddy Mortiis, who loves pumping out the twenty
minute soundscapes!). Some tracks  I  found  particularily  inspiring
were "Source of Light," a faster paced piece  with  beautiful  pianos
that exploits both male and female vocals. Also the title  track  was
excellent, a very dark and brooding song that is sans vox. "The  Song
of Mourning" also appears  on  the  Cold  Meat  Industry  compliation
_...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth_. Altogether an OK album, but not
something I found all that interesting.


Various - _Black Mark Attack_  (Black Mark, July 1996)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (7 out of 10)

A 10 track/band compilation put out by Black Mark,  this  album  very
similar to the Black Mark comp. put out by the zine S.O.D a couple of
years back. It starts off with Bathory's "The Sword", off my favorite
album of 1996 so far, _Blood on Ice_. A great song and  definitely  a
great way to start off a comp.  Next  is  NECROPHOBIC's  "Spawned  By
Evil", which will be on their upcoming CD, _Darkside_. Musically it's
good but vocally it left much to be  desired,  sounding  like  a  bad
black metal screech. Next is EDGE OF  SANITY's  "Murder  Divided",  a
track that could be found only on the Jap version of  E.o.S's  latest
album _Crimson_. Much like the material on _Crimson_, aggressive with
plenty of tempo change and  also  some  good  singing.  Next  is  the
relatively new band YOSH with  "Destiny  Eternity".  Their  brand  of
power/thrash isn't too bad, the song had a nice intro. but then  went
downhill from there leaving just an average track. Next up is MOMENTO
MORI's "Endlessly" which introduces a new  singer  and  drummer,  the
vocalist sounding similar (I'm sure to the delight of their fans)  to
Messiah Marcolin. Musically it's a very good song, one of the best on
the CD. Sweden's DIVINE SIN follow up with "Memories" off their debut
album. Thrash/power  metal  with  plenty  of  vocal  diversity  (from
singing to almost growling) makes this track  a  good  one.  CEMETARY
demonstrate their brand  of  gothic  metal  with  "Sundown",  a  nice
sounding track  again.  From  their  album  _Paradigma_,  TAD  MOROSE
contribute the track "Another Paradigm", a nicely orchestrated  track
which kept my interest for it's little over  five  minutes.  France's
AGRESSOR follow with "The Word of Dog",  without  a  doubt  the  most
aggressive track on the comp. Not too bad, although it did carry on a
little too long. Ending it off is  LAKE  OF  TEARS  with  "Twilight".
Musically it was well done, but I didn't like the vocal affects  they
used as I felt they were irritating and took away from the song as  a
whole. Overall an impressive compilation, the good far out  numbering
the bad.


Blood Duster - _Yeest_  (Relapse, June 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (9 out of 10)

Heavy has been redefined my friends, thanks  to  our  Aussie  friends
from Blood Duster. All it takes is the first few seconds of  this  CD
to realize that Blood Duster's sound is not only original,  but  some
of the most killer grind to  ever  grace  these  ears.  Citing  their
influences as early Carcass and early Napalm, all the way  to  Johnny
Cash and Lynyrd Skynyrd! There are 32 tracks on this CD, 13 of  which
you can consider real songs complete with lyrics et  al.  The  themes
described  in  these  lyrics  are  of  the   utmost   obscenity   and
offensiveness, such as necrophilia in "Vulgar Taste (Of Rotten Cunt)"
and "Mortician," schizophrenic  American  serial  killers  in  "Kill,
Kill, Kill," brutal sadism  in  "Sadomasifuck"  and  the  horrors  of
defecation in "Anal Feast." Hailing  from  Austrailia,  Blood  Duster
gained  notoriety  in  their  homeland  after  opening  on   Carcass'
Austrailian tour and playing with Brutal Truth the next year. This CD
is actually a compliation of their  two,  Austrailia  only  releases,
_Fisting The Dead_ and _Yeest_. Check this one  out  people,  because
the   band   truly   lives    up    to    its    classification    as
Psychorockmenstrualgrindporn.


Brutal Truth - _Machine Parts +4_ 7"  (Deaf American Rec., Nov. 1995)
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)

The infamous Brutal Truth have returned, but only to tease their fans
with this 7" of material recorded at Smoke,  Grind  &  Sleep  Studios
(aka their rehearsal space). The production of this vinyl is very raw
because it was done with their own 8 track recorder, but the  rawness
seems somewhat fitting when mixed with the  music  of  Brutal  Truth.
There are four tracks on this record, and one live track, "Collateral
Damage," with five different 10 second  versions  of  it.  The  songs
include "Spare Change,"  a  very  short  and  fast  number,  "Machine
Parts," one of the best tracks here with a very slow  pace  to  begin
with, and vocals comparable  to  some  black  metal  bands.  Next  is
"Fucktoy," another short and fast song,  and  finally  "Kill,  Trend,
Suicide" which is by far  the  best  track  here.  It  is  a  totally
break-neck blastbeat-o-rama in the truest form of Brutal Truth.  Only
1000 copies of this 7" were pressed (mine being the  959th),  so  get
yours soon. Send $3 in the US and $5 anywhere else for a copy of this
7".

Contact: BRUTAL TRUTH, c/o Rich Hoak, 3 Bethel Church Road
         Dillsburg, PA, 17019, USA
         email: rich666@voicenet.com


The Chasm - _From the Lost Years_  (The Art/Reborn Records, 1996)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (8 out of 10)

From Mexico come a three piece called The Chasm, whose fresh sound is
truly music to my ears! A black metal band at the  core,  along  with
some nice bass and keyboard parts, their sound also includes acoustic
guitar (as much as the rhythm guitar in  some  parts).  Few  and  far
between are speedy parts, but the band definitely  prefers  a  slower
pace, but not so slow as to get boring or too repetitious. Songs like
"The Gravelands", "Deathcult for Eternity",  "Ascension  of  Majestic
Ruins", "An Arcanum Faded" and "Torn" are really a  treat  to  listen
to. Production is well done too. It did (for me) take a  few  listens
to really get into it, but there definitely is a lot of talent  here.
I can see major label attention for THE CHASM in the future.

Contact: THE CHASM, c/o Daniel Corchado, Apdo. Postal #M-2730
         C.P. 06002, Mexico 1, D.F. Mexico


Burnt Colonels - _Malice Afterthought_  (Chameleon Dream, Spring 1996) 
by: Adrian Bromley  (6 out of 10)

This is release number two for hard-grooved/metallic  Toronto  outfit
Burnt Colonels (following their 1993 EP) and as the tracks played  on
_Malice Afterthought_ it wasn't hard to get bored with the  music  on
this full-length release. A concoction of riffs, speed and aggression
feeds the direction and sound of the band on  _Malice  Afterthought_,
which by any standards those elements are ingredients of a  'typical'
recipe for a harder edged band  to  follow.  Heavily  influenced  (at
least through the music) by  White  Zombie,  Pantera,  Biohazard  and
Korn, Burnt Colonels are more groove oriented than by the sheer might
and intensity of their music and at times that seems to  bring  about
some life to this release. And another thing, not sure if many of you
are familiar with the New York trash band Overkill  but  singer  Dave
'Thurston Craven"  Clark's  vocals  are  almost  identical  to  those
provided by Overkill screamer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth.  Just  another
thing I discovered listening to this release. Notable picks  to  hear
on this mediocre  record  would  be  "Bone  Machine,"  "Wounded"  and
"Plague." 


Darkthrone - _Total Death_  (Moonfog Productions, June 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (6 out of 10)

One thing I definitely  respect  about  Darkthrone  is  that  no  two
consecutive releases from them sound quite the same, though  anything
with the band's name on it is guaranteed  to  be  heavy,  harsh,  and
grim. On _TD_, the band departs a bit  from  the  spitting  rage  and
all-out speed of _Transylvanian Hunger_, and from the blatant  Celtic
Frost-isms of their subsequent release. Here, they favor  a  kind  of
hybrid blackened style which is fairly reminiscent of  80's  pioneers
like Frost and Sodom  one  moment  (as  on  "Blasphemer")  and  pure,
simplistic Norse black metal the next (see "Blackwinged"). Also,  the
production on this album is a  step  up,  though  that's  not  really
saying much. Still, on the whole the band seems a  bit  subdued  here
compared to their previous couple  of  outings:  although  undeniably
grim, _TD_ does not quite seethe with the same  vitriolic  fury  that
drips in buckets from older Darkthrone stuff. The speedy material  is
not as fast, nor quite as anguished in tone, and the  more  mid-tempo
tracks seem pretty reserved when compared to the  vicious  pummelings
which this band has been known to deal out in the past. All  in  all,
this is more or less standard stuff, from a band who have  previously
proven themselves capable of having much more harrowing sonic impact.
Not bad, but nothing special, either, and definitely nothing new.


Death Con 1 - _Refuse to Lose_  (Vampire Records, 1996)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (3 out of 10)

This 10-tracker did little for me the first time I heard it,  and  on
additional listens, well, my opinion didn't change. To  describe  the
musical direction of the band I  would  say  it's  slow  paced  death
metal, with goth and  rock  influences.  The  opening  riff  I  swear
reminded me of I MOTHER EARTH's "Rain will Fall" Anyway, DEATH CON  1
are musically competent, however most of the songs did little to stir
me or keep me interested. The last three tracks ("Suppuku", "Hell  is
Home" and "Another Day") are all great tracks. I was surprised  after
hearing the first side of the tape that anything that remained  would
be better than average. I especially liked "Another Day" in  its  sad
and dreary sounding way. If DEATH CON 1 could produce another demo in
the same vein as the aforementioned three songs then  they  may  have
something. If you buy it, buy it for the second side of the tape.

Contact: VAMPIRE PRODUCTIONS, P.O. Box 653
         Maroa, Illinois, 61756, U.S.A


Desultory - _Swallow The Snake_  (Metal Blade, July 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

Swedish three-piece return to  the  music  scene  with  a  blistering
assortment of loud aggressive numbers flowing with the intensity of a
moving freight train. Brutally captivating,  the  thrash/death  metal
sounds of the band are clear and  intense,  rarely  slowing  down  or
letting loose their grips on our  throats.  Take  the  thrash-styled,
Sacrifice/Sacred Reich-ish music for instance: you got the riffs, the
speed and the vocals doing some damage, whereas with the death  metal
flavor to the music you got the depth of  anger  and  hatred  brewing
within the music too. This combination is deadly as you will hear  on
such cuts as "Mushroom Smile," "Swallow The Snake," "Zone  Traveller"
and "Nothing Dies." With this their third album, the band has managed
to come out of Sunlight Studios (with Tomas Skogsberg and Fred  Estby
producing) with a mixed bag  of  thrash/death  metal  cuts  that  are
capable of adding a fresh dimension to today's music scene. Not  that
they are discovering new paths to explore with metal music, just that
their maneuverability to gel both thrash and death metal deserves  to
spark some interest. 


Diabolical Masquerade - _Ravendusk in My Heart_  (Adipocere, 1996)
by: Brian Meloon  (7 out of 10)

This is a side project of Blackheim from Katatonia (a  band  I  can't
stand), but unlike the doomy stylings of Katatonia, this is mostly  a
black metal project. Being a one-man  project,  he  handles  all  the
instruments, and does all the vocals, save the horrible "heavy metal"
vocals in track #5 (courtesy of Dan Swano). His name also appears  in
half of the song titles. Although the drums are  handled  by  a  drum
machine, they actually sound good, and do a decent job  of  remaining
varied. At times, they are a little monotonous, but no worse  than  a
human drummer is. In fact, I'd say that if the production were worse,
you probably couldn't tell that they were from a drum  machine.  That
aside, the guitar and keyboard work is good. Some of the sections are
very good, specifically when he goes for  a  high-speed  black  metal
sound, as he's  able  to  keep  things  precise  without  losing  the
aggression. Track  #4  really  stands  out  for  it's  heavy  use  of
dissonance and overall weirdness. It's too bad that he can't keep  up
these sections for the duration of the  album,  and  instead  has  to
inject sections of the old-school style, which really  detracts  from
my enjoyment of this album. Nevertheless, this is a good effort,  and
once again  I've  found  a  side  project  about  which  I  can  say:
"Blackheim, quit your day job." 


Dimmu Borgir - _Stormblast_  (Cacophonous Records, May 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (8 out of 10)

It's a shame that the black metal scene isn't home to more bands like
Dimmu Borgir - not bands who simply copy their sound, but bands, like
this one, who take the traditional black metal formula  and  make  it
the basis  for  something  comparatively  unique.  Dimmu  Borgir  are
definitely a black metal band (and definitely one of  my  favorites),
but their music is marked by a kind of quiet, majestic sadness  which
seems to be way beyond the emotional range of most other  outfits  in
the genre. On tracks like "Nar Sjelen Hentes Til Helvete," they  flex
plenty of black metal muscle, yet balance their brawn with  a  unique
feeling of sadness and solitude built up through the  crafty  use  of
synthesizers to introduce melody and ambience. The slow and  haunting
"Broderskappets Ring" shows them in top  form,  forging  a  genuinely
somber mood out of ringing guitars, morose  narration,  and  stirring
keys. At their best, Dimmu Borgir conjure up a  distinct  melancholic
feeling much more genuine than the  cornier  efforts  of  most  other
bands. Of course, they're not at their best through all ten tracks of
this, their second full-length release. The very  best  songs  appear
early on the CD, which doesn't quite succeed in maintaining the  same
level of depth and originality all the way through. Still, there  are
some great moments to be heard among the later tracks, and this album
(along with their debut, _For All TId_) comes highly  recommended  to
those looking for a very solid black metal band that is  willing  and
able to add some real feeling and creativity to the standard sound. 


Dismal Euphony - _Dismal Euphony_  (Napalm Records, May 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (7 out of 10)

Closely allied to the black metal scene are a number of 'avant-garde'
acts who take the basic elements of the blackened style - usually the
standard guitar sound, vocal technique, and emphasis on atmosphere  -
and use these as a foundation upon which to build something  more  or
less unique. Some of these bands end  up  putting  out  music  that's
basically just pretentious and corny (see my jabs at Angizia in  this
issue, for instance). Others, however (the  excellent  Accursed,  for
one), succeed in creating a sound that's refreshingly different,  yet
still anchored solidly enough in the traditional style to  retain  an
authentic metallic vibe. Dismal Euphony  definitely  belong  in  this
latter category, and this 18-minute mini-CD  has  me  really  looking
forward to their upcoming full-length. The three tracks offered  here
are moody and melodic  mini-epics,  each  featuring  a  really  cool,
spacey-sounding guitar tone which gets nicely fleshed out by  ambient
keyboards, synth, and the eerie tones of female vocalist Kelzina. The
excellent final track, "The Mournful Silence,"  opens  with  a  great
doomy/acoustic intro which, at the sound of a clap of thunder,  gives
way to a haunting riff iced down by creepy black  metal  vocals,  and
then  continues  on  through  a  number   of   interesting   changes.
"Spellbound," too, proves interesting and enjoyable. For a while  now
the  black  metal   scene   has   been   totally   overflowing   with
creativity-impared hacks slapping on makeup and jumping on the trend,
but this band is creating some genuine, substantial stuff.  I'd  have
upped their score a bit if they  incorporated  a  bit  more  metallic
power and speed, but this one still comes highly recommended.


Dark Funeral - _Secrets of the Black Arts_ (No Fashion Records, 1996) 
by: Steve Hoeltzel (5 out of 10)

This Swedish band boasts some pretty  impressive  qualifications.  On
bass and vocals, we have "The Master of Diabolical Possession & Black
Magick." On drums, it's "Commander of The  Infernal  Demon  Legions."
And on guitar, we have both "The Lord of The Shadows & Master of  The
Black Arts" and (get  this  one)  "The  Lord  of  Destruction,  Evil,
Darkness, and Death." Given all the nasty and scary deeds which these
four supreme dignitaries of ultimate evilness must have  to  perform,
it seems remarkable that they were also able to find the time to  get
together and whip up a whole CD of hyper-fast black metal.  But  they
did. And judging by the results, I'd say that becoming  Lord  of  The
Shadows (and so on) or Lord of Destruction (and so on) must  tend  to
get in the way of coming up with any very interesting riffs -  though
tracks like "The Dawn No More Rises" and "Shadows Over  Transylvania"
do feature some decent guitar-shredding.  Being  Commander  of  Demon
Legions, on the other hand, might actually enhance one's  ability  to
blast out some truly -amazing- percussion, as amply  demonstrated  on
every track. Finally, operating as Master of Possession (and  so  on)
seems to have no real effect either way, since the vocal and bass  on
this album are  standard  black  metal  fare:  raspy  and  inaudible,
respectively. How about the songs? Well, let's  just  say  that  this
infernal outfit falls far short of the standard set by Lord Mysteriis
and company (Setherial), or by Sabathan and crew (Enthroned). Both of
the latter bands rip out  light-speed  black  metal,  but  both  also
incorporate frequent tempo changes, moody interludes, and really wild
guitar parts. By contrast,  Dark  Funeral  write  awfully  monotonous
stuff:  the  vast  majority  of   their   material   sounds   totally
interchangeable, and the few songs that do stand out  are  enjoyable,
but nothing terribly interesting. Hmmm... maybe if these guys put  as
much work into crafting something original as they obviously put into
their evil imagery, they could really kick  ass  next  time.  Just  a
thought from the reviewer - that's me, Count Sarcastic.


Gorgoroth - _Antichrist_  (Malicious Records, June 1996)
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (9 out of 10)

The Satanic mumbo-jumbo that's all over  this  album  is  damn  stale
stuff by  now.  Look:  there's  nothing  particularly  courageous  or
rebellious about copping the -exact- same image and attitude as  five
hundred other, similar-sounding bands. And if by chance Gorgoroth (or
whatever band) actually believes all this  stuff  -  well,  good  for
them, but I've got no use for medieval religion. This  is  1996,  not
1346. Why am I teeing off on Gorgoroth in  particular  here?  Because
the music on this mini-CD (the band's second) is simply some  of  the
best extreme metal I've ever heard -  but  in  terms  of  lyrics  and
imagery it's bogged way down in all these tired old cliches. Speaking
exclusively of the music, though, these guys have  definitely  earned
their 9 points out of 10. (If Satanism is one of your turn-ons, then,
you just might think that this is the greatest release of all  time.)
After a very weird intro, "Bergtrollets Hevn" breaks forth in a  grim
gallop, only to explode after a couple of verses into a full-on black
metal  charge,  desperate  riffing  propelled  by  hyper-fast  drums.
"Gorgoroth" begins at blazing speed, a melodic bass line  woven  into
the 'surf' riff, then slows down  for  a  bit  of  metallic  ambience
before ripping into another fast  and  frenzied  attack.  "Possessed"
goes  for  a  more  prmitive,  pounding  feel,  while  closer  "Sorg"
incorporates a variety of cool (slower) tempos and effects. In  terms
of  both  production  and  (especially)  music,  this  is  quite   an
improvement upon their earlier, and very solid _Pentagram_ release. 


Old Grandad - _Vol. 666_  (Independent, 1996)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (6 out of 10)

Featuring  guitarist  Erik  Moggridge  (ex-Epidemic),  drummer   Will
Carroll (ex-Machine Head) and Max Barnett on  bass/vocals  (actually,
all three members contribute vocals), OLD GRANDAD's  sound  could  be
described as crossing Black Sabbath and thrash with some death  metal
and rock influences. Songs like "Blantant Drug Song" and "Don't  Call
me a Deadhead" show their humor while "Feeling Fine" and "No Hell  to
Fear" hit you hard with their heaviness and groove. For  only  $8  US
for a 14-song CD it's worth the money. You can also check them out on
the internet, their web site is http://www.inreach.com/grandad/

Contact: OLD GRANDAD, 1827 Haight St., Box 95
         San Francisco, CA, 94117, U.S.A.


g/z/r - _Cycle of Sixty/x13_  (TVT Records, Spring 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)

This five song EP comes to us as a follow up to g/z/r's amazing debut
record _Plastic Planet_. If you don't already know, g/z/r is made  up
of Fear Factory's rasper Burton C. Bell and Black Sabbath's legendary
bassist Geezer Butler along with other less notable  musicians.  This
EP consists of five tracks, two  of  which  are  brand  spankin'  new
remixes of "Cycle of Sixty" and "x13" (makes for  an  original  album
title, doesn't it?), the remaining three are  live  cuts.  The  first
song starts off really soft with acoustic  guitars  and  very  quiet,
almost whispered vocals. All through the song I  was  waiting  for  a
heavy grind to brake up the melody, but my wishes were not fulfilled.
The second song, "x13," however is the complete opposite.  It  starts
with a heavy groove and sports  some  weird  distorted  vocals.  It's
intensity never wanes,  it  only  gets  stronger,  even  through  the
surprise solo that appears amongst its tunage. The live songs covered
here are "Drive Boy Shooting," "Detective 27" and "House of  Clouds."
Although I never had the good fortune of  actually  hearing  _Plastic
Planet_, I thought these  live  renditions  were  expertly  executed.
g/z/r are definitely one of those side projects that DON'T suck,  now
all I have to do is snatch myself a copy of their debut.


Iced Earth - _Dark Saga_  (Century Media, July 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

From the depths of hell and the gutters of the  big  city  comes  the
tales of comic book hero/anti-hero Spawn as told  by  melodic  thrash
metal outfit Iced Earth. Tampa Bay, Florida's well-known  progressive
thrashers return with a  cool  concept  album  that  deals  with  the
story-lines, characters and life of the Spawn comic series  (a  comic
that sells more than half a  million  copies  every  issue).  A  dark
tragedy, the album pursues the rather dark and vile side of Spawn for
the most part, but there are glimpses of life, love and understanding
with somewhat of a dark overtone in the lyrics and  music.  Following
in the footsteps of progressive metallers Queensryche  and  Savatage,
Iced Earth's latest can be easily seen as a carbon copy of the  works
of those two bands, but with heavier riffs, screams and determination
to maintain a heaviness for the majority of  the  album,  Iced  Earth
steps away from the aforementioned band's set musical styles - though
_DS_ is not as heavy as their past efforts, _Night Of The Stormrider_
and _Burnt Offerings_. Some great ideas and visions  flow  from  such
cuts as "Violate,"  "The  Last  Laugh,"  "Scarred"  and  the  opening
number/title track. A cool concept record that manages  to  keep  the
listener going from start to finish.


Intrinsic - _Closure_  (Teichiku/Metal Mania Records, 1995)
by: Adrian Bromley  (6 out of 10)

While  Phoenix,  Arizona-based  quintet  Intrinsic  may  be   heading
backwards (to some degree - much like other Arizona  outfit  Wardogs)
with their 80's-ish thrash metal  sound,  the  introduction  of  hard
rock/metal tones scattered throughout the record allow the  songs  to
breathe some form of excitement. Singer Lee Dehmer has this  sort  of
cocky, brashness to his vocal styling and when backed by some serious
guitar shredding by guitarists Garrett Craddock and Michael Mellinger
and a pretty solid rhythm section  the  music  sounds  large  and  in
charge. Though the band dips and radiates some variety in  _Closure_,
the remainder of the record is just solid  clumps  of  thrash  metal.
Standouts? "Falling In," "The Wheel," "Visceral" and "Brutally Frank."


Kataklysm - _Temple Of Knowledge (Kataklysm Part III)_
by: Adrian Bromley  (9 out of 10)  (Nuclear Blast/Eastwest, June 1996)

Following in the footsteps of two highly-acclaimed  releases  (1993's
mini-album _The Mystical Gate Of Reincarnation_ and their full-length
debut _Sorcery_), comes  _Temple  Of  Knowledge_,  the  latest  sonic
assault by Canadian heavies Kataklysm. From the get-go  ('The  Unholy
Signature') this hyberblast/death metal  quartet  rip,  slash,  tear,
mame and crush everything  in  their  path  with  some  of  the  most
explosive and riveting (not to mention loud) work  I  have  heard  in
years. Look under the word "destruction" in Webster's Dictionary  and
_ToK_ will be listed right next to it. Loud and unforgiving comes the
deliverance of nine mammoth-like songs  that  detail  both  extensive
songwriting and playing as well as imagination. The nine  songs  take
shape into three  sections  on  _ToK_:  The  Transenflamed  Memories,
Through The Core Of The Damed and Era Of The Aquarius.  Numbers  that
will make your ears bleed are "Enhanced By The Lore,"  "Beckoning  Of
The Xul," "The Awakener" and "Exode Of Evils". Glad to see  that  one
of Canada's loudest bands just got LOUDER with  _ToK_.  And  yes,  my
ears are still ringing.


King Diamond - _The Graveyard_  (Metal Blade, July 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (8 out of 10)

He's baaaaaaaaack! That's right boys and girls, say your prayers  and
sleep tight for the King is  here  tonight.  This  album  marks  King
Diamond's second effort  since  _The  Spider's  Lullaby_  hailed  his
return to the solo fold. First thing I asked myself when  I  received
this promo copy of _The Graveyard_ was, "How the fuck am  I  supposed
to review a King Diamond album without the lyrics?!" Well,  sometimes
the impossible must be done, so here I am. According to the bio, this
conceptual album is about incest and child molestation and the  trial
of this monster by a man driven insane. The music on  this  album  is
much more fresh and modern sounding than the  current  Mercyful  Fate
album (reviewed elsewhere in this issue) could ever be. Andy LaRocque
shows off some of his hottest licks in some of the most killer  solos
I've heard in a long time. Some of the best songs  include  the  slow
ballad-like, "Heads On The Wall," the fast paced solo-fest, "Meet  Me
At Midnight" and "Sleep Tight  Little  Baby."  As  always,  the  King
utilizes multi-track recording for his vocals which are in  as  great
shape as ever. This album blows the new  Mercyful  Fate  out  of  the
water by a long shot and proves to the world  that  metal's  greatest
storyteller has NOT gone stale.


Kvist - _For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike_  (Avantgarde, 1996)
by: Brian Meloon  (7 out of 10)

This is the debut album from yet another Norwegian black metal  band.
These guys have a typical sound, sounding in  places  (especially  in
the opening cut "Ars Manifestia") very similar to  Emperor  (see  CoC
#1). The  production  here  is  decent,  as  everything  is  audible,
including bass and bass drums (unlike Emperor). However,  the  vocals
are a bit low, and the whole  thing  sounds  a  little  "fuzzy".  The
vocals are standard fare, but a little monotonous, sounding at  times
half-spoken and half-whispered. There are only 6 songs, and the album
lasts for about 37 minutes, so the compositions are fairly  long  and
involved. However, the songwriting could be  improved,  as  the  song
structures don't always make complete  sense  to  me,  or  really  go
anywhere. The playing is solid and at times pretty interesting.  They
throw in enough good ideas to make up for their lack of  originality,
and that makes this worthwhile. They use keyboards, though low in the
mix, and have a variety of tones, including strings and a pipe  organ
tone, similar in effect to Gehenna's _First Spell_. The packaging  is
very sparse, with no band information, and no lyrics (which are  sung
in Norwegian). A worthy offering worth getting, but not essential.


Madball - _Demonstrating My Style_  (Roadrunner/Attic, July 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)

From the ashes of New York hardcore legends Agnostic Front (following
the demise of the band in 1992) comes  Madball,  a  band  that  plays
bombastic heapages of reality and aggression spewed from the mouth of
singer Freddy Cricien and backed by the groove and  determination  of
the remaining three members. Though the band  has  released  two  EPs
(_Ball Of Destruction_ in 1989 and _Droppin Many Suckas_ in 1992)  it
wasn't until the release of their debut album on Roadrunner, _Set  It
Off_, that the band edged towards a solid feel  to  their  music  and
acquiring a strong fanbase, which led the band to become one  of  the
most exciting and promising New York  hardcore  acts.  Now  in  1996,
following major touring, the band has regrouped and recorded fourteen
outstanding and true-to-the-heart tales of life and the hardships one
must face, juiced up by singer Cricien's real life stories. Sure this
may be a  running  theme  for  most  hardcore  bands,  but  there  is
something  exciting  and  volatile  about  the  lyrics  and  messages
conveyed within numbers like "Pride (Times Are  Changing)",  "Addict"
and "Unity" on _DMS_. For those  that  witnessed  the  combative  and
beligerent  attitude  of  Madball's  last  outing,  most   won't   be
disappointed as Madball turns up the 'hardcore' element on _DMS_ up a
notch. 


Mercyful Fate - _Into The Unknown_  (Metal Blade, July 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (5 out of 10)

After an eight year absence that, to most Mercyful  Fate  fans,  felt
like an eternity, the King and his boyz are back, kicking  out  their
fourth album since their reunion in 1993. Pretty impressive eh? Well,
unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about this here  album.  To
tell you the truth, most of the music contained here bored  the  shit
out of me, at times  it  seemed  nothing  more  than  bad  80s  riffs
rehashed again and again. Needless to  say  I  was  "just  a  little"
pissed that this promo didn't include lyrics, which as we  all  know,
are the best part of King Diamond's creations, and  the  reason  he's
been worshiped for so long. The first track, "Lucifer",  starts  this
album with some scary synth music and the King chanting a bastardized
Our Father in praise of the Dark One. Other notable  tracks  include,
"Ghost of Change" which the bio states  is  a  true  story  about  an
encounter the King had with a poltergeist.  My  personal  fave  track
here was "Fifteen Men" it starts with a cool bass intro,  and  has  a
special groove thoughout. Definitely one of the only memorable  songs
on this record. I really found it hard to give a  work  of  the  King
such a low score, but this record just didn't cut the  cake  for  me,
but by all means give it a whirl and see if  it  might  not  be  your
slice of cheese.


Monster Voodoo Machine - _Pirate Satellite_
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)  (45 Revolutions, June 1996)

Toronto, Ontario, Canada's own Monster Voodoo Machine are  back  with
their newest EP, a  follow  up  to  the  mega-successful  1994  album
_Suffersystem_ (their major label debut). Well, this time,  the  band
has undergone a lot of changes; they are no longer with RCA/BMG, they
have axed two members and replaced them, and  their  sound  has  been
dramatically transformed. No longer with the band are  bassist  Terry
Landry or "noise man" Stacy Hoskin. They have been  replaced  by  two
members of the late Toronto outfit Soulstorm; Nick S.  has  taken  up
keyboard duties while Chris Harris  takes  up  the  bass.  Only  1000
copies of this EP have been pressed (mine being the 214th), this  has
probably been done to make the songs on this record  that  much  more
rare and "collectable" but I think this album should be viewed as  an
essential release in lieu of another record deal. As for  the  music,
gone are the hard-edged guitar chords and pounding off beat drumming,
gone is any resemblance to either heavy metal or hardcore,  something
I believe singer/mastermind Adam Sewell has been trying his  best  to
accomplish. The music here is a weird mix of techno,  industrial  and
hip hop. Guitars have not been completely banished,  but  toned  down
drastically. Of the five songs here, only the first  one,  "Water  To
Wine," really grabbed me like most of the _Suffersystem_  album  did.
It has a very catchy and dancable beat, plus some amazing vox  and  a
memorable chorus to sing-a-long to. This EP wasn't the  great  techno
revolution I thought it was going to be, but it also didn't have  the
staying power of their previous record.


Mortification - _Envision EvAngelene_  (Nuclear Blast, July 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (3 out of 10)

Not that I have anything against bands spreading  their  visions  and
views in their music, but with Mortification and  their  rather  firm
stance on Christianity in their music, it just seems TOO  overbearing
at times. Singer/bassist/lyricist Steve Rowe  is  constantly  ramming
down our throats and into our minds every  single  excerpt  from  the
Bible or reference to Christianity he can  (even  in  the  packaging)
with every line in every song - too much I say.  And  if  that  isn't
enough to turn me away from the band and the music they  create,  the
music on the band's latest album, _Envision  EvAngelene_  is  nothing
spectacular  either.  This  record  is  much  more   cluttered   with
references and preachings than their last  record  _Primitive  Rhythm
Machine_. Death metal buried beneath a HUGE Bible would best describe
this effort. The riffs seem stagnant and the vocals  are  hoarse  and
uninspiring as the record goes on, though the 18+ minute  epic  title
track is pretty cool. Maybe I like music more with a  message  and  a
thunderous walllop  rather  than  just  a  enormous  message  and  no
dominating noise factor.


Psychotica - _Psychotica_ (American/Ventrue/Warner, July 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (9 out of 10)

Knee deep in the mentality of  the  Rocky  Horror  Picture  Show  and
supporting numerous theatrical musical numbers reminiscent  of  David
Bowie's Ziggy Stardust era rock n' roll on  their  self-titled  debut
album, comes the raunchy yet seductive sounds of New York shock  rock
crew Psychotica. Led by the offwall and mindfucked  (in  other  words
insane) frontman Patrick Biggs, the motley crue he  leads  with  this
campaign of musical expression prove to be the biggest asset  of  the
band as they continuously help keep the music  slightly  off  balance
but still centered with Biggs strong vocals  and  expressive  singing
style. In other words, Biggs manages to create  a  'psychotic'  world
where his music grows and breathes and only he can  control  it  from
reaching utter anarchy. [hmmm...sounds like Marilyn Manson? --  Gino]
Anarchy is almost reached with numbers like "Starfucker Love," "Stop"
and "Flesh And Bone" and there are  numerous  other  numbers  on  the
18-track LP that stir up some kinda poison for  us  to  swallow.  For
those that like Wayne/Jayne County, Ziggy Stardust and Marilyn Manson
(watch the stampede!) then Psychotica are for you.  With  a  generous
heapage of hype surrounding them, not to mention the opening slot  on
this year's Lollapalooza tour, New York's filthy crew of  saints  and
sinners may become America's new sweethearts. We'll see.


Rotting Christ - _Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers_
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)  (Century Media, July 1996)

Rotting Christ, Greece's epidemy of black metal return in  1996  with
_Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers_, a  stunning  blend  of  brutality  and
passion that rips and tears  through  nine  epic-like  songs,  rarely
losing the listener's interest.  _TotLL_  (their  debut  for  Century
Media) is the much anticipated  follow-up  to  their  triumphant  and
powerful 1995 Osmose Records  release  _Non-Serviam_  and  much  like
_NS_, _TotLL_ showcases the deep rooted  growls  and  crashing  riffs
that embedded the black metal stylings of Rotting Christ as fresh and
innovative when they first attained critical claim with their 1991 EP
_Passage To Arcturo_. With each album the band has managed  to  bring
forth more creativity and depth to both song structure and the lyrics
of each song, allowing the band to not only stay affixed  with  their
black metal tendencies with, "Snowing  Still,"  "Shadows  Follow"  or
"King Of A Stellar War" but also finding them breaking in new musical
directions and sounds with songs  like  "One  With  The  Forest"  and
"Diastric Alchemy" - songs that are leaning towards more  groove  and
feel to them. One way of  looking  at  _TotLL_  is  seeing  it  as  a
stepping stone for the band and its growth, as I am  sure  that  with
future releases from the band we will see the continuing need for the
band to explore other musical boundaries, yet retain the  mighty  and
aggressive sounds they are known for.  Bottom  line:  Rotting  Christ
delivers strong with _TotLL_ and I highly reccomend this release. 


Satyricon - _Nemesis Divina: The Conquering_
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (5 out of 10)  (Moonfog Productions, June 1996)

The first track  on  this,  Satyricon's  third  full-length  release,
explodes with  enough  venom,  aggression,  ans  speed  to  competely
eclipse the band's  earlier  efforts  in  terms  of  sheer  ferocity.
Indeed, it seems like ferocity is the name of the game on  _ND_,  and
more so than on previous releases, which displayed a bit more variety
in terms of tempo and overall feel. Not that  Satyricon  have  turned
into Immortal or anything - there are still quite a few 'atmospheric'
sections thrown in to break up the frenzy. I'm not sure,  though,  if
the end result is quite as interesting or enjoyable as either of  the
band's first two albums. Yeah, this CD contains some excellent riffs,
stamped with that weird, Eastern-ish Satyricon  feel;  and  yeah,  it
incorporates the occasional 'epic' moment along with lots  of  speed.
But on the whole, it's quite a bit more monotonous than  either  _The
Shadowthrone_ (an excellent release) or _Dark Medieval Times_. Unlike
those two recordings, _ND_ contains very little modulation in musical
mood or feel, and there's a conspicuous absence  of  -catchy-  riffs.
(Still, check out opener "Dawn of a New Age," along  with  the  title
track.) And the production ("Bass on zero, treble on ten!") leaves  a
lot to be desired as well. This isn't a terrible album by any  means,
but it doesn't offer anything new - or even more  than  a  couple  of
engaging songs. As a fan of the band's earlier material, I found _ND_
to be a pretty disappointing release.


Soulquake System - _Angry By Nature, Ugly By Choice_
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)  (Black Mark, August 1996)

With a name like this one, I didn't know what to expect from Sweden's
Soulquake System. Upon listening to the  first  few  seconds  of  the
opening track, "Strength To Strength," I was pleased  to  learn  that
SQS aren't just another metal band. The history of the  band  doesn't
stretch all that far seeing how  this  is  their  first  full  length
release. In 1995, SQS released the _Disbelief_ demo that was heralded
by many as the 'best demo  of  1995.'  (According  to  their  bio  of
course). The music on this CD is really catchy and  full  of  groove.
The vocals are definitely of  hardcore  origin,  and  the  many  five
person, anthem-like chants  are  reminiscent  of  a  lot  of  today's
hardcore. Unfortunately, as the CD drew on, the music seemed to  drag
and wade knee deep in repetition, yet another similarity  to  today's
hardcore. All in all, this music should please most, I found it quite
good even though my boredom of  all  things  hardcore  is  more  than
evident.


The Mist - _Gottverlassen_  (Cogumelo Records, 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (7 out of 10)

This release marks the fourth in The Mist's seven year  long  career.
Having formed in Sao Paulo in 1989, The Mist have been plugging  away
in the Brazilian underground ever  since.  In  1991  they  picked  up
ex-Sepultura guitarist Jairo Guedz to record their second album  _The
Hangman Tree_. It  has  now  been  a  year  since  the  recording  of
_Gottverlassen_ but the band is still touring the  countryside.  This
album begun with a very Sepultura-esque feel, which I believe  a  lot
bands from Brazil possess. However, the truth must be  known  because
Sepultura did NOT invent this sound, instead it originated  from  the
scene as a whole  including  other  Brazilian  bands  like  Overdose,
Sarcofago and The Mist (originally named Mayhem).  The  packaging  of
this album is superb, it includes a fold-out bio, lyrics and  a  five
page liner. As for the music, I think it definitely got better  as  I
got used to the  Cassiano's  voice  (which  sounds  a  lot  like  Max
Cavalera) and the rest of the instrumentation. My favorite  song  was
"Switch Off The Body Suckers" which has a heavy  industrial  feel  to
it. Another more unusual song was "Untie Me" which was very slow  and
dark but had an intense chorus to complement the rest  of  the  song.
Altogether this CD was pretty decent, but a mastering of the  English
language  is  definitely  in  order.  The  Mist's  bio  has  horrific
grammatical errors and could actually  hurt  the  band's  chances  of
getting ahead. Hey guys, if you need a proofreader, just  give  me  a
shout!


Turmoil - _From Bleeding Hands_  (Century Media, June 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (6 out of 10)

Heavy hardcore music from this Pennsylvania quintet on  this  10-song
outing, as the majority of the  music  on  Turmoil's  _From  Bleeding
Hands_ lies buried under a powerful onslaught of gritty vocals and  a
treacherous stomp of beats. Having shared stages with  the  likes  of
Madball, Earth Crisis and Snapcase over the last little  while  since
their inception in 1992 and release of their Europe only EP _Who Says
Time Heals All Wounds_ in 1994, I guess it is fair to say that  since
their debut album the band has strengthened their sound and delivery.
With the death-ish/hardcore vocal styling of singer John Gula leading
the assault of noise on numbers like 'New Media,' 'Choke,' 'Evolution
Of  Lies'  and  'These  Bridges,'  the  music  on  _FBH_   is   quite
satisfactory but as time goes on (as is the case with  most  hardcore
records) the music becomes monotonous and leaves the  listener  (i.e.
myself) looking for something else to throw on. Got to give credit to
Turmoil for flowing with  fury  and  aggression  on  most  tracks,  a
saviour factor from a less positive review.


Vader - _Sothis_  (Repulse Records, June 1996)
by: Gino Filicetti  (4 out of 10)

This being the first Vader CD ever in my possession, I was more  that
anxious to finally listen to this band, and hear what  all  the  hype
was about. And I can now safely say, after listening  to  it  through
and through a few times, what the fuck is the big  deal?  This  album
starts off with a spoken word chant entitled  _Hymn  To  The  Ancient
Ones_ which consists of a praising of  all  the  gods  of  old.  Then
starts  the  "onslaught"  of  boring   death   metal   riffage,   and
sub-standard non-growled vox. Such was the title track and it  really
made me wonder how  this  band  could  have  inspired  such  frenzied
acclaimation on the USENET. Hailing  from  Poland,  Vader  should  be
given the benefit of the doubt, as they are the best band I've  heard
emerging from said country, that is, however, no excuse for the music
contained herein. The last track on this CD is a  cover  of  the  all
time classic masterpiece to end  all  masterpieces,  Black  Sabbath's
own, "Black Sabbath." Much of this song is covered as an  exact  copy
of the original until we hit the last verse  of  the  song  which  is
transformed  in  a  cheesy,  poseurish  rip  off  of  some  kind   of
hardcore/rap hybrid. A definite abomination of such a metal  classic.
I'm not sorry to admit it, but I wasn't impressed one bit  with  this
record.


Vertex - _Vertex_  (Blue Dolphin/Caroline, July 1996)
by: Adrian Bromley  (3 out of 10)

Anyone remember Ratt from the 1980's? Anyone here like  them?  Didn't
think so. Well how the times have changed and how  members  of  bands
move from style to style as they grow  as  musicians  (or  as  trends
become popular). Whatever the  case  may  be,  Stephen  Pearcy,  lead
singer for the ultra-cool (for the 80's) Ratt and  that  awful  other
band Arcade, has jumped on board a  techno/industrial/metal  band  by
the name of Vertex. That's right, a three-piece  with  samples,  loud
guitars and keyboards - Vertex has it all. Now the problem with  this
record - and there are lots of them - is that the music seems  cheesy
("Is Justice Your  Peace"  or  "Fight")  and  just  thrown  together.
Sounding a lot more like a weak  NIN  meets  an  unpolished  Megadeth
(Mustaine-style snarls are everywhere) rather than  Skinny  Puppy  or
any other successful techo/industrial band, Vertex's debut is full of
holes with poor songwriting and mismatched musical  styles.  One  can
just hear the lyrics and see that numbers like "Ain't Gonna Be" "Time
And Time" or "One Like A Son" are bland concoctions of noise, samples
and riffs. Interested in seeing how musicians fight to stay afloat in
this industry? Check this one out. Otherwise, leave this one alone.


Visceral Evisceration - _Incessant Desire for Palatable Flesh_
by: Adam Wasylyk  (8 out of 10)  (Napalm Records America)

From Austria come Visceral Evisceration with their debut album, which
combines death and doom with opera-like female vocals.  Reading  much
like old-Carcass as their  lyrics  deal  with  gory/medical  textbook
subjects, musically their sound is truly unique.  During  songs  like
"At the Epicurean Gynecologist",  "Muse  Perverse",  "Chewing  Female
Genital Parts" and "Chewing Flesh... On  the  Bier"  there  are  some
orchestrated parts and musical intro's. Vocally it's more doomy  than
death, as the vocalist in some parts could sing quite emotionally.  A
lot of emphasis has been put on song structure (on this  7  track  CD
the average song is over 7 minutes). I really hope that doesn't scare
anyone off, as there is a lot of quality (and I guess you  could  say
quantity too) on this album, check it out.


Various - _...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth_
by: Gino Filicetti  (9/10)  (Cold Meat Industry, 1995)

This compliation has blown me away every time  I've  listened  to  it
since day one. If you are one  of  the  ignorant  (as  I  was  before
getting this CD) and do not know about Cold Meat Industry  and  their
nine year history, then you  are  probably  not  a  hardcore  ambient
freak. Cold Meat has been around since 1987 releasing, "dark, morbid,
Scandinavian, beautiful, industrial-ambient music." The only artist I
recognized on this CD is Mortiis from which an  exerpt  of  "En  Mork
Horisont"  appears,  a  rather   repetitive   piece,   but   stunning
nonetheless. Some of the most notable tracks on this  CD  are  MZ.412
with "God of Fifty Names" which is my  favorite  track.  It  contains
very strange/alien sounds and if you listen  closely,  you  can  hear
super faint voices in the background. Ordo Equilibrio  also  have  an
amazing track on this compilation entitled,  "Reaping  The  Future...
The First Harvest." It is a very dark and  chilling  tune,  the  best
part being the cruelly cold sounding female voice who speaks  without
emotion.  Other  artists  worth  mention  include  Aghast,  Ildfrost,
Desiderii Marginis and Arcana. Check this one out people, I find this
kind of music fascinating and refreshing.

Contact: COLD MEAT INDUSTRY, c/o Roger Karmanik
         PO Box 1881, 581 17 Linkoping, SWEDEN
         Voice/Fax: 011-46-13-10-39-06


Y & T - _Musically Incorrect_  (Fuel Records, 1996)
by: Brian Meloon  (0 out of 10)

While it might be a slight exaggeration to say that "My shit can  put
out better music than this!", it's not too far from the  truth.  This
record contains what you'd expect from Y & T:  traditional,  generic,
party-style rock n' roll, featuring incredibly bad and cheesy  lyrics
(i.e. "Starlight, star so bright, first star that I see tonight...  I
wish I may, I wish I might, be the  one  to  hold  you  tight.")  and
banal, bluesy, pointless guitar solos, occasionally  wah-wah  soaked.
If that was all this album was, it would be bad, but  this  album  is
even worse. I will give them credit for naming the  album  correctly,
for it's certainly musically incorrect to  plagarize  as  many  other
artists as they do.  In  fact,  if  the  music  weren't  so  terribly
generic, it might be an amusing exercise to count the number of bands
they've ripped off. I found ripoffs of Jane's Addiction, the Beatles,
AC/DC (does the intro to "Pretty Prison" sound familiar?),  Alice  in
Chains, and any one of the  faceless  "alternative"  bands  before  I
couldn't stand listening to it anymore. The best parts of this  album
have a middle-Eastern sound to them, such as "Kashmir"  or  "Orphaned
Land", but even then, the melodies are so cliched and so generic that
I wouldn't classify them as any better than "listenable". Of  course,
the only question that remains is: If you think you might like  these
guys, what are you doing reading this zine? (And no, I  did  NOT  buy
this album)

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Finally, the moment of truth has arrived. This being our  anniversary
issue, we thought it would be fitting to give our writers a forum  to
express THEIR thoughts about certain albums reviewed during the  past
year. Whether it'd be  praising  an  album  even  more,  or  bringing
trashed albums out of the  gutter,  you'll  read  it  here,  in  this
special anniversary column.


Gino's Rebuttals
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dark Tranquility - _The Gallery_  7/10
  orig. in CoC #7 (3/10)
--- I think the angry emails  I  got  about  this  review  speak  for
    themselves. "Carcass/Brutal Truth rip off" and "uninspired" ??  I
    think not.

Therion - _Lepaca Kliffoth_  8/10
  orig. in CoC #2 (10/10)
--- Ok, so I was a _little_ overzealous about this album. BIG DEAL!

Dissection - _Storm Of The Light's Bane_  8/10
  orig. in CoC #4 (6/10)
--- "A cross between Carcass and Iron Maiden" ?!? WTF?  Is  this  the
    same Dissection *I* know?

Ultraviolence - _Psychodrama_  9/10
  orig. in CoC #6 (8/10)
--- Now an even MORE amazing album, like I said originally, who  said
    the only kind heavy music is metal?

Pan-Thy-Monium - _Khaooohs and Kon-Fus-Ion_  10/10
  orig. in CoC #9 (8/10)
--- I put my two cents into the review, and I'll do  it  again  here.
    This is still the best album I've heard  this  year.  Magnificent
    and brilliant are among some of the weaker adjectives that  could
    be used to describe THIS album.

A.C. (Anal Cunt) - _40 More Reasons to Hate Us_  7/10
  orig. in CoC #10 (3/10)
--- Seth Putnam is really something else. This  album  deserves  it's
    points just for the fact that 42 tracks could fit in 30 minutes.

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Adrian's Rebuttals
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nailbomb - _Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide_  8/10
  orig. in CoC #5 (6/10)
--- Power live record  to  say  the  least.  Raw,  loud  and  utterly
    mindblowing. Nailbomb's exit from the  music  world  deserves  an
    encore.

GWAR - _Ragnarok_  1/10
  orig. in CoC #5 (4/10)
--- Can you say "passing fad"? Just like the  Rubik's  Cube  and  New
    Coke, it won't be long till Gwar fall off the planet  they  tried
    so hard to take control of over the last few years.

Mortician - _House By The Cemetary_  2/10
  orig. in CoC #7 (5/10)
--- Stagnant chugs of noise binded  with  irritating  vocals...  cool
    samples. Other than that: Hated it!

Neurosis - _Through Silver in Blood_  8/10
  orig. in CoC #9 (6/10)
--- Managing to blend the elements of hardcore, metal and  industrial
    music, Neurosis' latest is an onslaught of  visions  that  shapes
    itself into one of the strongest releases this year.

Vinnie Moore - _Out of Nowhere_  *no rating* (disbelief) 
  orig. in CoC #10 (3/10)
--- What the hell is Vinnie Moore doing in CoC  anyways?!?!  How  the
    hell did this get past our crack research team???? :)

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Brian's Rebuttals
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dark Tranquility - _The Gallery_  8/10
  orig. in CoC #7 (3/10)
--- A Carcass/Brutal Truth clone? No way... Melodic death/folk metal,
    perhaps not as good as their previous  offerings  and  definately
    not as memorable as In Flames, but still very good.

Moonspell - _Wolfheart_  5/10
  orig. in CoC #5 (8/10)
--- Sort of a mix between black metal, gothic, folk, and old  Danzig.
    There are some really cool parts, but too many really bad  parts,
    such  as  the  Danzig-meets-Axl  Rose   vocal   part:   "Midnight
    Ri-ee-ide". Ack.

A.C. (Anal Cunt) - _40 More Reasons To Hate Us_  5/10
  orig. in CoC #10 (3/10)
--- This album achieves its purpose of being entertaining. For  that,
    it deserves a 5, but don't expect much in the way of music.  Best
    song: "Bill Scott's Dumb".

Cradle of Filth - _Vempire or Dark FaeryTales in Phallustein_  9/10
  orig. in CoC #11 (8/10)
--- This just keeps getting better  and  better.  "Queen  of  Winter,
    Throned" is amazing. Currently my favorite album from 1996. 

Accursed - _Meditations Among the Tombs_  5/10
  orig. in CoC #11 (8/10)
--- A sloppy, under-produced, and cheap-sounding debut album  from  a
    band that sound like they want to be Cradle of Filth.  They  show
    some potential, but never really put it together.

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Steve's Rebuttals
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pan-Thy-Monium - _Khaooohs and Kon-Fus-Ion_  10/10
  orig. in CoC #9 (8/10)
--- I hated to give a 10/10 to this, the first CD I ever reviewed for
    CoC, but I should have. P-T-M III is the greatest fusion of  pure
    metallic power and astounding creativity that I have ever heard.

Abigor - _Nachthymnen_  7/10
  orig. in CoC #9 (6/10)
--- I think this one's a bit  weak  in  the  guitar  department,  but
    overall it's still way  more  inventive  than  most  black  metal
    releases.

Cradle of Filth - _Vempire or Dark FaeryTales in Phallustein_  6/10
  orig. in CoC #10 (8/10)
--- Musically this isn't bad, but in places it just  gets  incredibly
    hokey, florid, and overwrought. The 'Shock Theater' style  speech
    about werewolves is stupefyingly corny,  and  all  the  shrieking
    gets old fast.

Bathory - _Octagon_  5/10
  orig. in CoC #3 (8/10)
--- This isn't a total piece of crap - unless, that is,  you  compare
    it to _Blood Fire Death_, or _The Return_.  Those  classic  older
    releases just -totally- shred this  one  in  terms  of  unbridled
    power and speed.

Profane Grace - _Divination of Souls_  4/10
  orig. in CoC #9 (7/10)
--- This dark-ritual-ambient CD  has  its  moments,  but  it's  super
    monotonous. And it's totally eclipsed by the amazing ritual music
    of Equimanthorn (members of Absu and Necromantia, among others).

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Adam's Rebuttals
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dark Tranquillity - _The Gallery_  7/10
  orig. in CoC #7 (3/10)
--- It is DEFINITELY  not  this  bad.  Carcass/Brutal  Truth  rip-off
    band?? Um, no. It's  not  the  greatest  album  I've  heard,  but
    musically and vocally it's pretty good.

Mortician - _House By The Cemetary_  1/10
  orig. in CoC #7 (5/10)
--- Gino, you MUST have been  in  a  good  mood!!  Lousy  production,
    shitty drum machine (you were right when you said the blast beats
    were a joke!!) and ZERO originality. Makes for a great coaster!!!

Fleshcrawl - _Bloodsoul_  3/10
  orig. in CoC #10 (7/10)
--- I couldn't find one song on this that I liked. It all sounded the
    same, especially the drumming. A total and complete mess......

Impaled Nazarene - _Latex Cult_  6/10
  orig in Coc #10 (9/10)
--- Actually I was  disappointed  by  this.  I  really  liked  _Suomi
    Finland Perkele_, and I thought this was a step backwards.  Other
    than being a little repetitive, it was pretty good, but not great.

Porno - _Give Me a Pistol_  (****-)
  orig. in CoC #10 (**---)
--- I thought it had a very  fresh  sound,  combining  alternative  &
    death. Even the alternative songs I thought were good, this  from
    someone who doesn't like the genre!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                 __                    __      _
              /\ \ \_____      __   /\ \ \___ (_)___  ___
             /  \/ / _ \ \ /\ / /  /  \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \
            / /\  /  __/\ V  V /  / /\  / (_) | \__ \  __/
            \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/   \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___|

Your best source of information on the newest of  the  new,  and  the
deepest 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.

Scoring:   ***** -- I see a record deal in the future
            **** -- Great piece of work
             *** -- Good effort
              ** -- A major overhaul is in order
               * -- A career change is advisable


Absonant Cadence - _Emergence_  (7 track demo)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (*****)

It seems as though the powerful Quebec metal  scene  has  rubbed  off
onto Absonant Cadence, who with  this  seven  song  demo  have  truly
impressed me (check my top five from last issue, and my  top  ten  in
this issue). Playing their style of death  metal,  there  is  a  good
balance of blast beats and slower, more melodic parts.  Starting  off
with the powerful title track, it doesn't let up from there. I  can't
quite think of a band that they sound like, as their  sound  is  very
much unique. Vocally they are like the average death metal band,  but
musically their sound compares to none. The occasional sung  part  is
also present in some of the songs. "Genocide" is by far  my  favorite
track, it has everything!  Both  death  grunting  and  singing,  good
guitaring and the bass and keyboards are simply amazing!.  "Nocturnal
Cycle" is great too (especially drumming-wise), going  from  slow  to
blast beat to slow and so on. A little more than half  an  hour,  you
get a lot of quality death metal. Great stuff.

Contact: ABSONANT CADENCE, c/o Dominic Simard, 2183, Rue Vimy
         Chicoutimi, Quebec, G7G-3X3, CANADA


Body Bag - _Hate Crimes_  (9 track demo)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (***--)

Out with their independant album _Hate Crimes_, BODY  BAG  play  some
interesting death metal but at times it becames hard  to  distinguish
songs  from  each  other.  A   five   piece,   it   includes   former
MASTER/ABOMINATION (remember them???) drummer Aaron Nickeas,  and  at
one point included ABOMINATION guitarist Dean Chioles  until  he  was
diagnosed with Lou Gherig's Disease and therefore had  to  leave  the
band. Starting off with the memorable "Premeditated" and going on  to
play other songs well like  "Anger  as  a  Gift",  "Rape  the  Casket
(Bleed)" and "Ghastly Slayings" but most of the other  songs  sounded
the same. Production could be a bit better too. An average release.

Contact: BODY BAG, c/o Chris Kaiser, 336 W. Lake St. #1
         Barrington, Illinois, 60010, U.S.A.


Chamber Seven - _Chamber Seven_  (4 track demo)
by: Gino Filicetti  (*----)

Just when you thought we were far enough into the  nineties  for  new
bands to forget about the ways  of  old,  comes  along  a  band  like
Chamber Seven. From opening intro to closing riff this demo stank  of
mediocre eighties  thrash,  comparable  to  old  _Fistful  of  Metal_
Anthrax in sound  and  structure.  This  band  hails  from  Sunnyvale
California and that's about all I know about them except  that  their
singer has recently departed because of  a  heavy  college  workload.
Good thing for the band because the vocals are the worst part of this
demo. The singer and bass player about both female, I can't say  much
about the bass lines because they sounded top notch to  me,  but  the
vocals reeked of shit the whole way through, sounding like a bad  DRI
impersonation. Personally, I hate carving up an indie band like this,
but in this case, maybe that's what Chamber Seven needs, a good  wake
up call, because I can't see a record deal EVER being  in  the  works
with a demo like this.


Disarray - _Widespread Human Disaster_  (5 track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley  (****-)

Wow!!! The flyer accompanying the demo  tape  said  "...the  heaviest
music you'll hear from Tennessee..." and I can vouch for  them  being
"the heaviest thing" that I have probably ever heard from  that  U.S.
state, and well, probably the only band  I  have  heard  from  there.
Starting out with the brutal opener  of  "Holocaust"  this  Tennessee
quartet rips through five ferocious songs that send out  messages  of
anger, frustration and intensity. With their Pantera meets  Testament
sound and direction, the band never seems to loose the momentum  they
began with in the opening  number.  Rough  and  tumble  numbers  like
"Death Plague Jesus" and "Powered By hate"  add  more  depth  to  the
existence of hate and anger on this outing and another bonus is  that
this demo tape also sounds great. Even on  maximum  volume  it  still
sounds killer. I'd like to see what the band can do with their  sound
if it ever makes the CD format. Great demo and I'm looking forward to
what these four guys can do in the future.

Contact: DISARRAY, P.O. Box 975, Dickson, Tennesse, 37055, USA
         Voice: (615) 446-1998	


Embrace - _Coven The Eternal_  (9 track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley  (*****)

For most music critics the growth of a band that "we" usually see  is
from their debut album onward. We don't get to see the early days  of
the band, early lineup changes or different styles experimented with.
We are usually provided a sound and image and either we love or  hate
it having rarely any knowledge of a band other than a bio.  Can't  be
said with Kitchener gothic/death metal quartet Embrace as this  music
critic has seen this band blossom from a quite  inventive  band  into
one of Ontario's (if not Canada's) most impressive young acts of this
musical genre. _Coven  The  Eternal_,  their  debut  full-length  CD,
releases  haunting  vocals,  eerie   guitars   and   an   atmospheric
tranquillity that will transport  listeners  into  another  frame  of
mind. At 71-minutes plus, the  nine  songs  found  on  _CTE_  are  an
electrifying bombardment of musical growth and understanding that has
shaped itself into one monstrous wall of complexity and intrigue  led
by sinister riffs and thought-provoking poetry/lyrics. Songs like the
14-minute epic "Twilight Soul," "Obscured" or the stride of "Fall  Of
Farewell" follow in the footsteps of  such  goth/metal  bands  as  My
Dying Bride or multi-visioned bands like Therion and Edge  Of  Sanity
with  their  opera-like,  almost  soliloquy  approach  of  delivering
harmonies and melody, but still managing to control the crunch  of  a
band eager to feed its  violent  but  beautiful  wrath  upon  us.  As
well,_CTE_ showcases Embrace's  material  as  both  well-crafted  and
mighty at the same time. The band, having molded their sound  through
two demos (1995's self-titled and  1996's  4-song  Promo/Demo),  have
worked hard to strengthen earlier material  like  "The  Living  End,"
"Descendence," and "Solitude" into  well-executed  epics  that  leave
lasting and memorable impressions. _CTE_ is by far of  the  strongest
independent records I have heard in sometime. A magnificent release. 

Contact: EMBRACE, 470 Driftwood Dr.
         Kitchener, Ontario, N2N-1S6, CANADA  
         Voice: (519) 744-6404 or (519) 744-5204 Fax: (519) 741-9082 


Endaymynion - _Thy Art_  (9 track demo)
by: Brian Meloon  (****-)

These guys (and a girl) are  from  Italy.  Although  there  are  nine
tracks on the demo, five of them are very short,  leaving  only  four
real tracks, of which one is an instrumental.  Their  sound  is  very
diverse, ranging from heavy speed metal sections  to  light  sections
with piano and flutes, and everywhere in between. It reminds me of  a
cross between Cynic's  _Focus_  and  Thought  Industry's  _Songs  For
Insects_. Since these are two of my favorite  records,  I  am  biased
toward their style. However, this effort isn't as good as  either  of
those two albums, mainly because of their execution.  The  production
is decent, but a little muddy, making it difficult  to  hear  exactly
what's going on at times. Their chaotic style  adds  to  this,  since
there are often a few melodic ideas going on at the  same  time,  and
parts seem to appear out of nowhere and then vanish.  This  certainly
makes for a challenging listen. The playing is  a  little  sloppy  at
points too, with a generally loose  feel,  and  some  obvious  timing
mistakes. Overall it's good though,  with  good  drumming,  and  some
interesting and varied keyboard work. Unfortunately, at  times,  they
sound out of tune, which really hurts their overall effect.  Some  of
the guitar lines suffer from this, but the worst culprit is  vocalist
Jessica, whose voice is not only whiny, but often  flat.  Her  vocals
are the main vocals, but there are a few sections  of  raspy  vocals,
which are rather weak, and mixed too low. Still, this  effort  has  a
lot of good ideas and an original sound to it, so I'd  recommend  it,
but there's room for improvement. 

Contact: ENDAYMYNION, c/o Giuliano Marzola, via Altina 124/g,
         30030 Favaro Veneto (VE), ITALY
         email: teskio@spiro.fisica.unipd.it


Filthboy - _Not Again..._  (9 track demo)
by: Gino Filicetti  (****-)

Once again, our ears are  blessed  with  the  sound  of  Pittsburgh's
coolest bunch of fuckers, Filthboy. This time around Kevin and  Buzzy
are no longer a duet, with the addition of  drummer  Lee  Fisher  and
bassist Dan Ford, Filthboy has come to  fulfill  the  prophecies  and
become a band in the truest sense  of  the  word.  Many  of  you  may
remember their name from way back in CoC #2 when I heard their  first
demo and shit my pants. Well my friends, the Filthy ones have come  a
long way with _Not Again..._ showing  us  that  there  truly  are  no
boundaries but the ones we make for ourselves.  Of  the  nine  tracks
contained herein, one is from the earliest  days  of  this  project's
life; "Penetration" was written by Kevin back before the Filthboy tag
was stapled to this here band. Even though it's old,  I  really  like
this song, it has a lot of synth and techno elements to it (including
a superb imitation of old Atari 2600 sound effects!) and  the  vocals
are a spoken word suicide speech. Other newer  masterpieces  include,
"Righteousness" a heavy techno-type song,  "Power  Of"  a  break-neck
blast-beat-fest and "Alone" a slow song with a very  gothic  feel  to
it, dark interludes supplemented with growls make this song a  jewel.
The only drawback to this  demo  is  that  the  Filthboys  are  still
recording on a four-track and therefore are forced to continue  using
a drum machine. I'm scared to think of what  this  band  would  sound
like if the full drumming force of Lee could be  exploited  on  their
recordings. I guess only time and a record deal will tell.


Jesus Skin - _Jesus Skin_  (4 track demo)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (*----)

A two piece, Jesus Skin release this self titled demo  which  I  feel
STILL needs alot of work. The opening song "Feast" is  average  as  a
song by itself, but the vocals are a complete mess!! They're  so  low
that they are completely laughable. Following is  "TV  Scream"  which
consists of samples and sound bytes, but has little appeal. The other
two songs sound more like the song "Feast", average (at  best)  music
and vocals that need  a  complete  overhaul.  Better  production  and
vocals may have saved this. Last I heard the  guitarist/vocalist  had
moved away from Ohio, but the band is still  alive  and  continue  to
work (although I'm wondering as to how). Send $3 for a copy of _Jesus
Skin_

Contact: JESUS SKIN, PO Box 3249
         Scottsdale, AZ, 85271, U.S.A.
         email: RV2Wasted@aol.com or Beast983@aol.com

Noctophilia - _Noctophilia_  (10 track demo)
by: Ryan Hair  (**---)

Another local band from around were I live. The lead singer  lives  a
few miles from my house. My first impression  was,  "What  the  hell?
Sounds like they recorded this through the lead  singer's  mic!"  The
production sucks shit! Though they do play descent death metal.  Most
of the vocals are growling to barking. The drums and singer seem  for
the most part to stand out, because they are clear  compared  to  the
guitars. I can almost swear there isn't any bass guitar at all.  They
create some good technical death  metal,  while  staying  melodic.  A
local band worth following and supporting.

Contact: NOCTOPHILIA, c/o Tom Gibbs
         106 Fourth St. (VCL), Jackson, MI, 49203, USA


Nun Slaughter - _Face of Evil_  (7 track demo)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (**---)

A four piece death metal outfit, Nun Slaughter  on  this  seven  song
demo play some interesting and not-so interesting music. The  opening
track "Power of  Darkness"  is  interesting  in  it's  dueling  vocal
exchanges. On the rest of the demo the rare blast beat can  be  heard
(but not too clearly or powerfully), the guitars are weak  while  the
vocals are not bad. Shitty production that really affects  the  sound
and the power the band are trying to show/have.

Contact: NUN SLAUGHTER, 132 Old Village Lane
         Bethel Park, PA, 15102, U.S.A.


Pychus - _Brainmower_  (14 track demo) 
by: Adrian Bromley  (****-)

Montreal noise enthusiasts and destruction aficionados  Psychus  have
finally taken the time  to  assemble  a  full-length  release  (since
forming in 1988 and releasing dozens of cassettes/demos) of both  old
and newer material. The results? A pretty  fucked  up  assortment  of
industrial/techno/goth ditties - i.e. "Endorphinate,"  "This  Is  The
Burn" and "Tottering Structures" - that shine with that  "destructive
feel" to it. Imagine if you will the blending of some of  the  darker
qualities of bands like Ministry, NIN, Skinny Puppy  and  Sisters  Of
Mercy and add the maniacal mindset and  volume  of  this  four-piece.
Scary eh? The noises and samples, let alone the pure  awkwardness  of
this LP, makes it stand out from what other  bands  of  this  variety
across Canada are doing. Truly in their own league, Pychus  (in  some
way or another) scared the hell out of me with _Brainmower_. I  think
I need a night light now.


Iron Rainbow - _Never Settle for Less than Metal_  (3 track demo)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (***--)

Heavy metal!! That is indeed what IRON RAINBOW  play  on  this  three
song demo. "Magic Lord of Darkness",  "The  Castle"  and  "Enter  the
Green Dome" are all very addicting and played well,  especially  "The
Castle" with it's catchy chorus. In all three songs the bass plays  a
big part, which really gave the songs  alot  of  their  power.  Their
sound reminds me a lot of FU MANCHU and BLACK SABBATH. Production  is
pretty good, the mix allows all the instruments to be well  heard.  A
fine release and what heavy metal should really sound like.

Contact: IRON RAINBOW, P.O Box 932
         Middle Island, N.Y., 11953, USA


Solus - _Slave Of Mind_  (9 track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley  (****-)

For those that know not of Canada's Solus, may I recommend contacting
the below address for a copy of  this,  their  full-length  debut  CD
_Slave Of Mind_  -  it  shreds!  Heaviness  and  aggression  prevails
throughout this 9-song offering of some of the  most  exciting  death
metal to come out of Canada in a while. Touted as  "one  of  Canada's
heaviest underground bands" Solus live up to that assessment with the
mind-blowing flow of pure death  qualities  from  song  to  song.  Be
ripped apart by "Faultless," "Seven Sisters" and "Souls Of Empty"  or
just mesmerized by the professional intensity and demeanor  of  songs
like "Deceiver" or "Caustic." The key to  Solus'  success  with  this
debut CD is the fact that the band  recruited  amazing  producer  Rob
Sanzo (Signal To Noise  Studios  in  Toronto)  to  help  capture  the
strength of the band, as well as a solid live  feel  to  the  record.
This record sweats with gargantuan riffs and vocals that'll leave any
death metal fan in a state of confusion.

Contact: SOLUS, Skinmask Productions #271 Station B
         Toronto, Ont., Canada, M5T-2W1 
         Voice: (416) 536-8319


Strangers - _End of the Rainbow_  (12 track demo)
by: Brian Meloon  (**---)

These guys are from Texas, and are good enough at what they  do.  The
only problem is that  what  they  do  isn't  very  interesting.  It's
basically  cliche'd  "progressive/power  metal"  (a   commonly   used
misnomer, as the music is neither progressive nor powerful),  with  a
large rock n' roll and mid-80s influence. At times,  they  remind  me
vaguely of Crimson Glory; perhaps "a rock n' roll version of  Crimson
Glory"  would  be  an  accurate  description  of  their  sound.   The
production is decent for a demo, but  isn't  great.  The  playing  is
solid, but they don't really attempt any complex stuff, and  most  of
the guitar solos are pointless and bluesy. The lyrics are very bad at
times, such as the chorus to "You're Gonna Get It": "You're gonna get
it... you don't want it... you're gonna get it now. You're gonna  get
it... you don't want it... so get the hell outta town." They do  show
some balls occasionally, and a few parts caught my attention, but for
the most part, this is tame stuff. I guess I'd describe these guys as
a decent "party rock/metal" band, but not much more. 

Contact: STRANGERS, Voice: (214) 414-6862 or (214) 437-2833 
         Email: wworth@intex.net (Courtney Whitworth)


Sulkus - _Promo '96_  (3 track demo)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (***--)

Sulkus are a  four  piece  death  metal  outfit  from  Australia  who
describe their musical style as "Death-Groove", which is an  accurate
enough description for what can be found on their "Promo  '96"  demo.
Combining elements of death metal and traditional metal, the 3  songs
here are played well and include enough tempo changes to keep it from
becoming repetitive or boring. Good production also helps  out  their
sound. My only complaint is it's  only  3  songs,  just  when  I  was
getting into it was over. For $2 and  postage  you  really  can't  go
wrong.

Contact: SULKUS, P.O. Box 346
         Jannali 2226, NSW AUSTRALIA


Sunride - _Sunride_  (5 track demo)
by: Gino Filicetti  (*****)

Amazing, excellent, great, fucking awesome. What more can I say about
this Finnish band that has just blown me away? From the first  second
of the lead-off track, "Down," to the final riffs of  the  last  song
simply entitled, "Untitled," my toes never stopped  tapping.  Sunride
came into existance in January of 1993 as a quartet and later added a
bassist to the fold. This is the band's first studio demo tape, prior
to this Sunride had only released rehearsal tapes recorded from home.
The music here just grabs you, and makes you want to groove with  the
fuzz of the highly distorted guitars. Similarities to Kyuss  come  to
mind when listening to this tape,  but  the  heaviness  present  here
could never be achieved by the aforementioned band.  The  vocals  are
what sets Sunride apart however, they have the harsh, raspy qualities
of death vox, but not the growling or gurgling aspects.  Finland  has
once again produced an excellent band that  I  am  sure  we  will  be
hearing big things about, in a very short while.  Be  sure  and  grab
this tape, you can thank me after you've heard for yourself.
                     
NOTE: I first heard about this band from the guitarist Wille,  who  I
      am sure I met on IRC. Wille, if you are  reading  this,  please
      email  me  at  <ginof@io.org>  because  I've  lost  your  email
      address, thanks! 

Contact: SUNRIDE, c/o Wille Naukkarimen, Kaakonpyrsto 4 D 34
         40340 Jyvaskyla, FINLAND
         Send $5 US or 20 Fim for a copy of _Sunride_


Torquemada - _Promo 1996_  (3 track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley  (**---)

With just three songs included on this demo tape, it is  rather  hard
to see what  this  Italian  thrash/death  metal  band  is  trying  to
accomplish. With apparent interest in the past with their  successful
demo tapes (_Prelude_ and _In My Eyes,  Darkly_)  from  the  European
metal community and since signing with Monument Records (in 1995) for
release of their second demo, the band has done some studio time  and
come up with these three songs that supposedly carry  on  with  their
need to write brutal music, though  providing  meaningful  lyrics  of
great depth as they head into 1996. Sounding  like  a  cross  between
Obituary and Sepultura (more of the latter),  Torquemada's  sound  is
rather common in this day and age. Nothing seems to be too  different
or interesting and with some stagnant riffs and uninspired screams of
anger thrown throughout the record, one can only look upon this  demo
tape as something that'll either escalate into more  promising  metal
music or a sign of creativity slowly diminishing.


Towpath - _Towpath_  (8 track demo)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (***--)

What the hell is this???? Towpath combine many  musical  styles  into
their sound like funk, death, thrash and noise and also  use  a  wide
variety of vocal styles like chanting, death/black vocals,  screaming
and even what sounds like choir boy singing. Lyrically, on the  first
song, "The  5  Gates  of  Riverside"  it  deals  with  the  physical,
emotional and  sexual  abuse  they  witnessed  growing  up  in  their
hometown. But on the second song they sing about force  feeding  bags
of rotting meat?? They go on to sing  about,  well,  let  me  see,  a
"Skrotum Without Testes", necrophilia while "Desecrating the Grave of
Carol Hathy", and a "Mouthful of Bag" (must I say what the bag is??).
However, musically it's A LOT better. Most of the  songs  are  pretty
catchy in their own way, but the lyrics are  pretty  fucking  stupid.
Are these guys in high school  or  something???  These  guys  need  a
girlfriend, and fast!!! Not for the easily offended.

Contact: TOWPATH, P.O. Box 638
         Kenmore, N.Y., 14217, U.S.A.

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


Here is where Chronicles of Chaos gives you the lowdown on the latest
shows coming your way. Check out Chaotic Concerts every month for the
scoop on the bands brutalizing the masses  with  their  own  form  of
terror.


          M I L W A U K E E ' S   M E T A L   M O N S T E R 
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Chronicles of Chaos covers the Tenth Anniversary of the Metalfest
          At the Eagle's Auditorium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
           July 26 & 27, 1996, Attendance: 3,000 (approx.)


     Over the last few years the  Milwaukee  Metalfest  has  had  its
share  of  bad  times  with   disorganization,   last   minute   band
cancellations and a "pay-to-play" policy. But for  this  year's  10th
anniversary, the surprise, aside from the many great acts  showcasing
their wares, was organization. A definite  plus  seeing  that  I  had
spent 10 hours in a car en route from Toronto, Canada to Milwaukee to
catch the two-day showcase.
     Arriving in Milwaukee on the night before the Fest, for dinner I
ate at one of America's finest Burger King's. Afterwards checking  in
to our hotel for a much needed night's sleep in preparation  for  the
first day's festivities.
     The show was slated to start at 5pm, so with some time to burn I
went on a tour of the Miller Brewery....... but that's another story.
When I arrived at Eagles Auditorium, it was pretty much the way I had
expected it to look like. I went in and found the band lists for  the
Rave and Ballroom stages already up, but with only one  list  it  was
pretty crowded, even to just take a peek. After copying the list down
I noticed that the bigger bands wouldn't be playing for awhile  so  I
headed to the Rave stage to check out  some  of  the  unsigned  death
metal acts. I walked in and heard the band SARCOPHAGY in  the  middle
of their set. From Indiana, brutal  death  metal  was  their  calling
card,  entertaining  to  watch  but  not  too  memorable  music-wise.
Following were EUPHORIC EVISCERATION, who played more death metal and
fared better at it. After them played Illinois's RITUAL, a metal band
with  some  death  influence  who  played  a  more  interesting  set:
something different than just death metal.
     I then headed upstairs to the Ballroom to watch MORBID SYMPHONY.
From Liverpool, England  they  also  played  metal  with  some  death
influences, with some singing too. The crowd was still scarce, but it
was still early.
     I headed back downstairs to  see  another  unsigned  death  band
called BRICK. I learned  after  their  set  that  the  singer  was  a
replacement, and the previous singer quit that  day.  The  guitarist,
seeing the lack of enthusiasm from the crowd proceeded to  tell  them
off. Well, that's one way  to  ensure  you  won't  sell  any  demo's!
Anyway, a not-so-bad set taking the vocalist into consideration.
     I then headed back upstairs to the Ballroom to see  the  one  of
the Metalfest headliners: CANNIBAL CORPSE. Starting their set with  a
track off their new album _Vile_, this was the first time I had  seen
them live (my punishment for living in a town where the  metal  scene
sucks). George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher seemed to fit right in, tearing
into each number. Some songs to  follow  were  "Stripped,  Raped  and
Strangled", "Fucked with a Knife", "Maggots",  "Devoured  by  Vermin"
(with video play on the show  LOUD  on  Much  Music  in  Canada)  and
finished off with "Hammer Smashed Face". A well  played  set,  and  a
good crowd on-hand too
     I  then  headed  back  downstairs  (whew!!,  these  stairs   are
tiring!!) to catch JUNGLE ROT. Playing an  impressive  set  of  death
metal, the Rave room became a haven for death fans as LIFE  OF  AGONY
were playing upstairs.
     Noticing that the bands on both stages were  worth  missing,  it
was the perfect opportunity to check out  the  vendors!!  This  year,
representatives from Napalm Records, Mosh Pit Records (who of  course
put out Pit Magazine) and those from the Sounds of Death  'zine  were
present. After buying a couple of CD's I  headed  back  to  the  Rave
stage where the bigger and more established death bands  were  almost
ready to start.
     I entered and awaited the music of BRUTALITY. To tell the  truth
I wasn't all too impressed with their sound. The PA, which  has  been
notorious in prior years for its lousy sound  was  to  blame,  as  at
times it sounded like a wall of noise. Starting with (well, the first
song title I could actually hear) was "When the Sky Turns Black", and
went on to play BLACK SABBATH's "Electric Funeral" and some tunes off
their up-coming album. Next were INTERNAL BLEEDING,  just  off  their
tour with SIX FEET UNDER and this being their third  Metalfest  in  a
row. They've developed quite a fan base here as you could  tell  from
the crowd, whose response was one of the biggest for any of the death
metal bands on the bill. The band also got very  much  involved  with
the crowd, the singer Frank Rini many times stage diving and  surfing
on the crowd while singing, while  guitarist  Chris  Perveus  playing
guitar on the barricade that  separated  the  fans  from  the  stage.
Playing  some  songs  off  their  up-coming  album   _Extinction   of
Benevolence_ (expected in early '97), they also played some songs off
_Voracious Contempt_ like "Humanicide",  "God  of  Subservience"  and
"Reflection of Ignorance". A good set, and a real crowd pleaser  too.
MONSTROSITY had a tough act to follow, playing both  old  and  tracks
off their upcoming album _Millennium_, which is due  to  be  released
anytime now. Songs like "Ceremonial Void", "Imperial Doom" and "Final
Cremation"  were  played  well,  with  new   vocalist   Jason   Avery
(ex-Eulogy) fitting right in. Unfortunately they  suffered  the  same
fate as BRUTALITY, the music lost its power and sounded at times just
like noise, nothing like their recorded material. Really too bad, but
it was good to see that the absence of George "Corpsegrinder"  Fisher
hadn't affected them at all.
     Seeing the first minute of the next band, I decided to head back
upstairs and end up catch the end of ANTHRAX's set. The  majority  of
Metalfest fans already enjoying  their  set,  I  watched  while  they
played "Bring the Noise" and wasn't too  impressed.  Since  the  Rave
stage was all but done I really had no other choice but to stay.  The
curtains open, and the MISFITS rip into one of their  many  songs  on
the night. Not being a fan I didn't know  many  of  songs  that  were
being played, other than "Last Caress", which I'm sure  I  knew  from
when I was a fan of METALLICA. I was impressed by their  punk  sound,
but I left a little early to avoid the crowds, and to get back to the
hotel as I was tired, and Saturday would be a full day, from 12pm  to
2am. It would be a very long day.


     Waking up a little late and after  eating  lunch  we  headed  to
Eagles Auditorium for another day of music. I arrived at around 12:30
and entered the Rave room to see COPHALIC CARNAGE starting into their
set. I remembered the singer having a  resemblance  to  Kevin  Sharp,
they played another set of generic death metal  (with  many  more  to
come).
     After their set someone stepped up to the mike and said  a  band
called CYANOSIS, a death metal band  were  going  to  play  upstairs.
Getting there early, I leaned against the barricade so that I'd  have
a good spot to watch and hear the band. CYANOSIS finished their sound
check and went into another set of mediocre death  metal.  With  them
being on the Ballroom stage, I was actually expecting more but I  got
less. The band was from Milwaukee, so that explained the  good  crowd
on hand for their set. Next up were CORPSICLE,  who  were  much  more
competent and talented than CYANOSIS, playing an entertaining set  of
death metal. I left early to head back downstairs to see FLESHGRIND.
     All I had heard from FLESHGRIND was but a  single  track  off  a
compilation, so I didn't quite know what to expect. Expecting to hear
another death/grind band, they were good at playing fast and great to
watch. A good set, but all of these death/grind bands were getting me
confused as to which band played what. The following band I  saw  was
also one of the best. AVERNUS played what I call "tribal metal". With
two bongo drum players, a keyboardist, a  drummer,  three  guitarists
and a female singer there was a  lot  to  watch  on-stage.  The  band
played about 3 or 4 fairly lengthy songs  and  I  was  truly  wanting
more!! A worthy break from the death/grind bands.  I  found  it  most
puzzling when I  found  out  later  that  these  guys  were  actually
unsigned! I was starting to think to  myself  "Where  are  the  black
metal bands??". Well, my  question  was  soon  answered  when  corpse
painted CURSE from Connecticut took the stage. The three piece played
an average set, the PA was really starting to hurt my ears.  Standing
beside a girder really helped cut out some of the high end noise. Los
Angeles black/death band SADISTIC INTENT came  on  in  their  studded
leather and played a rather good set, but I remember them going about
15 minutes over their designated time. This of course made  the  Rave
stage fall behind the Ballroom,  but  eventually  it  did  catch  up.
BLOODSTORM, another corpse-painted  black  metal  band  then  played,
definitely playing a better set than CURSE. By this time I was in the
balcony, not wanting to screw up my ears  like  I  did  the  previous
night.
     Looking at my band list, I saw it was time to head back upstairs
to see FU MANCHU. I had seen them the previous week on their  Toronto
tour stop with ORANGE 9MM and CLUTCH. So  seeing  them  gave  me  the
opportunity to directly compare the two sets  sound-wise.  The  sound
was a lot worse here. The PA really didn't do them justice. Having  a
strong bass sound in Toronto, I really couldn't here it at  all  from
where I was standing. Playing songs off of  _In  Search  Of..._  like
"Regal Begal" and "Missing Link", it was a good set, but only average
after what the PA did to it. OPPRESSOR were next and played  a  great
set of death metal, playing new and old tunes, their sophomore  album
_Agony_ expected sometime next month. I  stuck  around  for  some  of
MORDA SKULD's set which I found to be mediocre and not too  exciting.
Downstairs I went to catch some of KRABATHOR's set.
     KRABATHOR from the Czech Republic put on  a  solid  death  metal
set, but not all too memorable. I should have stayed for MORDA SKULD.
Coming up soon on the Rave stage were three of the bigger death/black
bands, but with SUFFOCATION to play soon upstairs some  of  it  would
have to be missed. ACHERON took the stage with  an  "Acheron"  banner
behind the drummer (every band should  have  had  a  banner,  then  I
wouldn't have had to keep asking someone "Which band is this?"). With
both guitarists bald, at least that was memorable. Their  black/death
set was pretty good, the  on-stage  expression  of  their  belief  in
Satanism was strong. Next were VITAL REMAINS. Smoke filled  the  Rave
stage and most of the room. A banner of the baphomet was illuminated.
One of the more memorable sets of the Fest, they went into their  set
playing some newer and  older  songs,  such  as  the  older  "War  of
Paradise", off _Let Us Pray_.
     During the last minutes of VITAL REMAINS I left  early  to  make
sure I caught SUFFOCATION. Sure enough I was  there  with  plenty  of
time. Starting  off  ferociously  with  one  of  my  favorite  songs,
"Infecting the Crypts," they went on to play a variety of  songs  off
most of their albums. Very heavy  and  at  times  very  fast!!!  What
surprised me was the length of the set. After about six  songs,  that
was it! I, along with a lot of the crowd were  disappointed,  wanting
to hear more.
     I then ran back downstairs to  catch  INCANTATION.  Surprisingly
alot of the crowd didn't follow me for some reason. Playing  some  of
their more popular songs like "Emaciated  Holy  Figure",  the  vocals
were particularly low, so low I sometimes couldn't hear him over  the
guitars. Getting an INCANTATION newsletter earlier, I was  interested
to read that they are breaking away  from  Relapse  Records  and  are
working on two Mini CD's for Repulse Records, one  CD  being  from  a
live show and the other having some new songs and a couple of covers.
     At this point, it was over for me. I had seen every band that  I
wanted to see. If things somehow screwed  up  from  here  on  in,  it
wouldn't matter as I had seen all that I  desired  to  see.  However,
things would not screw up, and there was still plenty of bands to see
and plenty of music to hear.
     After seeing the last band I wanted to see on the Rave stage,  I
would spend the rest of the Metalfest preferably sitting somewhere in
the Ballroom. I walked in on Canadian boys VOIVOD who were well  into
their set. Playing their speed/thrash  in  support  of  their  latest
(released some time ago) album _Negatron_, the  crowd  seemed  pretty
much into them, as was I.
     Next were CLUTCH, who as I said earlier I had seen  in  Toronto.
Playing an competent set, it had me wondering "When are they going to
play 'A Shotgun Named Marcus'??". Anyway the band played on  for  the
good part of an hour,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  crowd,  which
consisted of almost all the fans in the building.
     To close out the Metalfest was GWAR. Being the first time I  had
seen them, I didn't quite know what  to  expect.  When  the  curtains
opened, GWAR  went  into  their  set  of  mediocre  punk  rock.  What
impressed  me  were  the  theatrics  of  the  band,  it   was   quite
entertaining to watch. The band's juvenile  stage  humor  had  me  in
hysterics. Songs I liked (and recognized) were "Sick of You" and  one
of their encore's "Ham on the Bone". A good band to  finish  off  the
Fest and clean the palate.


     Now, my afterthoughts on the Fest. First off, I'm awfully glad I
picked this year to go, as the organization was just  fantastic.  The
Rave stage did fall back by about a half hour but it  did  catch  up.
Most of the bands scheduled to play did  so,  so  there  weren't  any
last-minute cancellations or no-shows. Which brings me to one of  the
controversies of this years show.
     I had learned about a month before the show that  the  promoters
were advertising bands on the bill without even asking them to  play.
IMMORTAL and ABSU  were  put  on  the  bill  early,  but  later  were
announced they weren't playing. One of the biggest black metal  bands
right now, MAYHEM, were hyped to play the Metalfest but in  actuality
were never contacted to play in the first place. Manheim, the  former
drummer of MAYHEM refuted the show rumors on the internet by  posting
a message saying that "Necro (butcher,  bass  player)  is  not  happy
about this false advertising, when I told him about it this  weekend.
So to all you fans out there : The True  Mayhem  are  NOT  doing  any
conserts (sic) in US this summer". This comment  is  echoed  in  this
year's Metal Fest Magazine, stating that "Mayhem were never slated to
play this years show, but were  advertised  as  such".  Michael  Hunt
Publishing also stated that it will  no  longer  be  affiliated  with
Milwaukee Metal Mania, due to the MAYHEM incident,  the  continuation
of pay to play, and the absence of an apology to the bands and labels
for last year's show.
     On the topic of Michael Hunt  Publishing,  it  seems  that  they
still haven't learned from their mistakes. Those who remember on last
year's compilation CD there was a RaHoWa  (which  stands  for  RAcial
HOly WAr) track called "The Snow Fell". Well, guess what  was  on  CD
#3, track #4??? You guessed  it!!  RaHoWa's  "Might  is  Right".  And
thumbing threw the Metal Fest Magazine, I stumbled onto a  RaHoWa  CD
review and in one of the articles some racist language that  I  won't
bother to repeat.
     Notable bands that were no-shows were MALEVOLENT  CREATION  (not
sure if they were ever scheduled to play) and  V.O.D.  (or  Voice  of
Destruction) from South Africa, who I heard were unable  to  come  up
with the money to get from the UK, where they were presently  to  get
to Milwaukee.
     Overall it was a great show. There were alot of great bands that
played, almost every one of them I would never have got the chance to
see. Meeting some of the bands and fans was also a  great  experience
in itself. I'm definitely thinking about going back again next  year,
I'm just hoping they can get it this well organized for next year too.

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

                T H E   L O N D O N   L E T - D O W N 
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       The London Death Fest at the Embassy in London, Ontario
                           by: Adam Wasylyk

After enduring a 4 hour  ride  (absolutely  nothing  compared  to  my
Milwaukee Metalfest car ride) I finally arrived at this year's London
Death Fest venue, The Embassy.  Housing  fairly  recent  Deicide  and
Suffocation shows, and me hearing that the  London  metal  scene  was
very strong, I was expecting a good  turnout.  Shopping  at  a  local
record store before the show, I return  in  time  and  took  a  seat.
Disappointed at the size of the crowd that had shown up so  far,  the
first band on the bill were a band called JOE DUMPSTER. Playing their
brand of pop/punk, I was at the least taken  by  surprise.  Hardly  a
band to be on this bill, but played an average set and to my  delight
were off the stage relatively quickly. Next were  BURNING  MOON,  who
had travelled from Toronto for the show. Playing a great set of black
metal and playing a good selection of  songs  from  their  demo  (see
issue #10 for my demo review) and also playing CELTIC FROST and DEATH
covers,  both  of  which  were  done  well.  With  a  woman   dancing
seductively on-stage during their set, it was she, not the band, that
had most of the audience watching. Following (and also  lastly)  were
local act PORNO. Seeing them at the Toronto Death Fest,  their  sound
was less intense as I remembered it, with obvious reasons. The female
singer/dancer was not present and the old drummer was gone. The  lack
of their presence was definitely felt. The guitarist now  filled  the
drumming role, he did an adequate, but not a better job at  it.  With
all three members contributing vocals, PORNO played  a  good  set  of
mostly death metal with not too much else (also  see  issue  #10  for
Alain's demo review, an unfair one but  a  demo  review  anyway  :-).
After the show, I was disappointed on a number of levels. First,  the
small number of bands that played. With other great London acts  like
SUMMERTIME DAISIES and BLOOD OF CHRIST not in attendance, PORNO  were
the only London act to play. Second, the number of fans.  There  must
have been maybe 60 at the most, hell there  were  more  fans  at  the
Toronto Death Fest!!! Perhaps a lack of advertising is  to  blame.  I
really hope so, as it wasn't worth going all the way to London to see
two bands that I could see play in Toronto.

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

  S L A Y E R   S L A U G H T E R S   T H E   S A C R E D   S H O E
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                 Slayer with Unsane at The Trocadero
                  Philadelphia, PA, August 10, 1996
                 by: Drew Schinzel <drew@magpage.com>

     I am not a huge Slayer fan, owning  only  two  of  their  albums
prior to the show, but since metal concerts are so rare in this  area
I decided it would definitely be worth it to make the hour or so trip
to Philadelphia to see one of metal's  most  influential  bands.  The
doors opened at 7pm, and I arrived around 7:30.  Seeing  as  how  the
line was stretching for a few blocks down the street from the door, I
was glad I'd bought my ticket before hand. The line  wasn't  for  the
box office though, it was because everyone (I mean everyone)  had  to
be patted down and checked for  knives,  etc.  [and  camera/recording
equipment especially -- Gino] before entering the place,  which  held
around 1000 people.
     Once I got inside I quickly met up with my friends  from  #metal
on IRC one of whom introduced me to death metal a long time ago,  and
for that I owe him everything. There was already some kind  of  local
band playing, but they weren't even worth listening to so  I  decided
to go check out the T-shirts. They had three different ones, but  one
of them anyone could make at home with a bottle of gray spraypaint so
I only got two; at $20 apiece these things were a little overpriced.
     Next on stage was the official opening act, Unsane. Let me  just
say that these guys sucked.  They  were  indistinguishable  from  any
other band of their genre (that whole kind of metal/hardcore  thing),
and the crowd let them know it. Any time  they  stopped  even  for  a
second, the entire crowd would yell  out  "SLAYER!!"  Unsane  must've
been expecting this and probably received this kind of warm reception
before because after a while they kind of played along. Of course the
vocalist for Unsane  didn't  help  things  either  when  before  they
started playing he yelled out, "Ok,  before  SLAAYYYEERRR!!!  We  are
Unsane." Or something to that effect. Anyway, they  ended  their  set
after maybe 40 minutes and left the stage.
     After about 20 more minutes, everyone finally got what they were
waiting for. The lights slowly dimmed, and Slayer began playing South
of Heaven. This was definitely the most exciting part of the show. By
far the best part of the show was during this song  when  the  entire
crowd sang along with Tom, "Before  you  see  the  light..  YOU  MUST
DIE!!" They followed this up  with  War  Ensemble,  the  second  best
performance of the night. Before the  show  I  had  heard  that  they
played two different sets, you either got the hour  and  a  half  set
full of old songs, or the 10 song set with a lot  of  new  stuff.  We
must've lucked out because they played neither,  they  instead  chose
*21* songs, more old than new, and must've played for about and  hour
and 45 minutes. Here is the full set list (with a lot  of  help  from
Marc aka AtTheGate):

South of Heaven
War Ensemble
Abolish Government
Hell Awaits
Captor of Sin
Gemini
(punk song)
Killing Fields
Anti-Christ
(punk song)
Ditto Head
I Hate You
Richard Hung Himself
Necrophiliac
Dead Skin Mask
Chemical Warfare
Sex, Murder, Art
Seasons in the Abyss
Raining Blood
Mandatory Suicide
Angel of death

     Neither of us having gotten Undisputed Attitude yet,  we  didn't
know the names of a couple of the punk  songs.  Luckily  they  didn't
play a whole lot of them.
     Probably the only thing that marred this  night  was  the  event
that happened about halfway through the  set.  Someone  (accidentally
I'm sure) hit Tom in the hand with a thrown shoe, which caused him to
stop playing. When he resumed he said, "You guys are fucked up." That
wasn't the end though; he seemed to take being hit with the shoe as a
sign of disrespect because throughout the rest of the set he insulted
the crowd and did various other things. Here's a couple: "I  want  to
dedicate this next song to this place, it's called I HATE YOU."  And:
"Why don't you guys fucking shut up." Also: "Normally at  this  point
in the show I have a few words of kindness, but not for you guys."  I
thought all of this was a little unnecessary. I mean it was  probably
just an accident, and even if it wasn't, there was no reason to  take
it out on the rest of the fans.
     Overall, Slayer put on a great show. Never been to a Slayer show
before, so I can't compare it to any other, but  another  friend  who
was there (hey Allison) said it was one of the best shows she'd  ever
been to, by ANYONE. They were full of intensity, didn't  mess  up  at
all, and basically kicked ass. I hope Tom Araya's  final  words  were
true: "Ok, we're going to go home, work on our  new  shit,  and  come
back sometime next year, alright?" There are only a couple  of  dates
left on this short tour, so if you have a chance, by  all  means  go.
Just be sure to arrive after Unsane is done.

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

     C L U T C H I N G   O N T O   T H E   L A S T   O R A N G E
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                 Clutch with Orange 9mm and Fu Manchu
      At Lee's Palace in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 20, 1996

     For the first time ever both Gino and I met up with  our  writer
Adam Wasylyk (who lives somewhere in bum-fuck/West End  Toronto)  for
this concert. We had known Adam for several months over the net as he
originally just submitted concert reviews, but as  time  went  on  we
realized that Adam would be a good asset for the  'zine  and  offered
him the chance to write for us:  doing  reviews  and  interviews.  He
accepted and eventually Adam became part of the Chronicles  of  Chaos
fold: 1/5 of the mag. And the rest is history.
     That night we met up for a pretty solid triple bill  at  one  of
the better venues in Toronto: Lee's Palace. The sparse crowd  at  the
beginning of the night (during Fu  Manchu's  set)  eventually  turned
into  a  sweaty  and  congested  assemblage  of  concert-goer's  when
Maryland noise-guys Clutch took the stage.
     Opening the show was the always cool Fu Manchu, with their Black
Sabbath-esque guitar riffs, drug influenced lyrics and feedback. Loud
and proud, Fu Manchu delivered heavy song after heavy  song  as  they
stormed through 40-minutes of material, mostly off their latest album
_In Search Of..._. Singer Scott  Hill  coated  the  songs  with  some
trippy vocals and charisma, much like  the  ways  of  Monster  Magnet
frontman Dave Wyndorf. Standouts included:  "Regal  Begal,"  "Asphalt
Risin," "Cyclone Launch" and "Solid Hex."
     Next up was New York's Orange 9mm, a  four-piece  hardcore  band
led by the explosive frontman Chaka. The  band's  50-minute  set  was
pure adrenalin, showcasing some great songs (can't remember the names
- grooves were all that counted) that just kept  churning  up  strong
riffs and hard-core grooves. The band had a good response from  happy
moshing fans up front and overall had Clutch's work cut out for them.
Having seen this band last year on The  Warped  Tour  and  now  in  a
smaller venue, I can strongly say that they are  one  of  the  better
hardcore acts playing out right now. Intensity and might guided by  a
focused message.
     As Clutch took the stage, Maryland flag adorning the wall behind
them, the crowd grew more intense. In town for the  third  time  with
their 1995 self-titled record (the band was here with Marilyn  Manson
twice in October 1995) this seemed  to  be  the  least  motivated  or
energetic show that the band has performed. Can you say road fatigue?
With a new album surfacing soon, the band played  some  new  material
which kept the pit going, but nothing was more exhilarating  to  hear
then their classic song (and Beavis And  Butthead  approved)  "Shogun
Named Marcus." Following that song, the remainder of the  band's  set
was just a blur of noise  and  heavy  riffs  with  no  real  peak  of
interest. Needless to say, the band fell flat  and  only  once  in  a
while surfaced with something interesting to keep the fans captivated.
     Despite the somewhat dismal effort of Clutch, both opening  acts
worked hard and in the end proved to be the better choices for  bands
this night. Fu Manchu rocks - be sure to check this band out  if  you
ever get the chance.

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  @!!  !!@  @!@ @!@!!@!  !!@   @!!   @!!!:!   @!@!!@!       !@@!! 
   !:  !!:  !!  !!: :!!  !!:   !!:   !!:      !!: :!!          !:!
    ::.:  :::    :   : : :      :    : :: :::  :   : :     ::.: : 
                                                                  
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          @@!  @@!  @@! @@!  @@@ @@!  @@@   @@!   @@!  @@@
          @!!  !!@  @!@ @!@!!@!  @!@!@!@!   @!!   @!@!@!@!
           !:  !!:  !!  !!: :!!  !!:  !!!   !!:   !!:  !!!
            ::.:  :::    :   : :  :   : :    :     :   : :


Here is where things get ugly. Writer's Wrath  gives  our  writers  a
chance to voice their own opinions about certain hot  topics  in  the
scene today. Check out this semi-monthly column for the most  obscene
and contraversial ramblings this side of the Enquirer.


Chronicles of Chaos' first Writer's Wrath column will appear  in  the
next issue of CoC. We are sorry that we couldn't  deliver  the  debut
article this month due to an extremely heavy workload.

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        __  /  _  __ \  / / /_  ___/_  ___/   _  __ \_  /_
        _  /   / /_/ / /_/ /_  /   _(__  )    / /_/ /  __/
        /_/    \____/\__,_/ /_/    /____/     \____//_/

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           __  /  _  __ \_  ___/  __/  / / /_  ___/  _ \
           _  /   / /_/ /  /   / /_ / /_/ /_  /   /  __/
           /_/    \____//_/    \__/ \__,_/ /_/    \___/


Welcome to Chronicles of Chaos' tour listing column. Check out  Tours
of Torture every month for the scoop on  who's  coming  to  town  and
where to catch your favorite bands. If you have any information about
upcoming tours, we'd be more than happy to hear about it. Contact  us
at <ginof@io.org>.


Grave
~~~~~
Sept 20 - Berkeley Square, Berkeley CA
Sept 21 - Showcase Theatre, Corona CA
Sept 22 - Latin Village, Pico Riviera CA
Sept 23 - World Beat Center, San Diego CA
Sept 24 - Mason Jar, Phoenix AZ
Sept 25 - Skate & Play, Clovis NM
Sept 26 - Showcase, San Antonio TX
Sept 27 - The Abyss, Houston TX
Sept 29 - Rockefeller's, Columbia SC
Oct 1   - Jaxx, Springfield VA
Oct 3   - Sea-Sea's, Moosic PA
Oct 4   - El-N-Gee, New London CT
Oct 5   - Saratoga Winners, Cohoes NY
Oct 6   - CBGB's, New York NY
Oct 7   - Sports Palace, New Britian CT
Oct 8   - Bar Spectacle, Quebec City QUE
Oct 9   - Foufounes Electrique, Montreal QUE
Oct 10  - The Rat, Boston MA
Oct 11  - The Chance, Poughkeepsie NY
  
Iced Earth/Nevermore/PsycoDrama
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aug 23  - Glasshouse, Furth GERMANY
Aug 24  - Open Air, Offenbach GER
Aug 25  - Zeche, Bochum GER
Aug 26  - Markthalle, Hamburg GER
Aug 27  - Aladin, Bremen GER
Aug 28  - Rockclub Pur, Munich GER
Aug 29  - Rockhaus, Vienna AUSTRIA
Aug 31  - Markthalle, Saraganz SWITZERLAND
Sept 1  - Z 7, Pratteln SWIT
Sept 5  - Rohre, Stuttgart GER
Sept 6  - Garage, Saarbrucken GER
Sept 7  - Open Air, Saarbrucken GER
Sept 8  - JUZ, Andernach GER
Sept 12 - Mau, Rostock GER
Sept 13 - Halford, Berlin GER
Sept 14 - East Club, Bischofswerda GER
Sept 15 - Werra Rohn Halle, Merkers GER
Sept 17 - Alter Schlachthof, Lingen GER

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            W H A T   W E   H A V E   C R A N K E D ! ! !
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                Special TOP TEN Year-in-Review Edition

Gino's Top 10

1.  Pan-Thy-Monium - _Khaooohs & Kon-Fus-ion_  (CoC #9)
2.  Pitch Shifter - _Infotainment?_  (CoC #10)
3.  Cradle of Filth - _Vempire_  (CoC #11)
4.  Skrew - _Shadow Of Doubt_  (CoC #8)
5.  Impaled Nazarene - _Latex Cult_  (CoC 10)
6.  Various - _...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth_  (CoC #13)
7.  Ultraviolence - _Psychodrama_  (CoC #6)
8.  Hypocrisy - _Abducted_  (CoC #7)
9.  DHI - _Pressures Collide_  (CoC #6)
10. g/z/r - _Plastic Planet_  (CoC #4)

Adrian's Top 10

1.  Pitch Shifter - _Infotainment?_  (CoC #8)
2.  Only Living Witness - _Innocents_  (not reviewed)
3.  My Dying Bride - _The Angel And The Dark River_  (CoC #8)
4.  Pantera - _The Great Sothern Trendkill_  (CoC #11)
5.  Mindrot - _Dawning_  (CoC #4)
6.  Sepultura - _Roots_  (not reviewed)
7.  Neurosis - _Through Silver In Blood_  (CoC #9)
8.  Rotting Christ - _Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers_  (CoC #13)
9.  Embrace - _Coven The Eternal_  (CoC #13)
10. Solus - _Slave Of Mind_  (CoC #10)

Brian's Top 10

1.  Spastic Ink - _Ink Complete_  (CoC #10)
2.  Arcturus - _Aspera Hiems Symfonia_  (CoC #12)
3.  Cradle of Filth - _Vempire_  (CoC #11)
4.  Spiral Architect - _demo_  (CoC #9)
5.  In Flames - _Subterranean_  (CoC #8)
6.  Sadist - _Tribe_  (CoC #12)
7.  Dawn - _Naer Solen Gar Niber For Evogher_  (CoC #8)
8.  Lethargy - _Humor Me, You Funny Little Man_  (CoC #4)
9.  At the Gates - _Terminal Spirit Disease_  (CoC #1)
10. Aeon - _Demo #2_  (CoC #2)

Steve's Top 10

1.  Pan-Thy-Monium - _Khaoohs and Kon-Fus-Ion_  (CoC #9)
2.  Impaled Nazarene - _Latex Cult_  (CoC #10)
3.  Setherial - _Nord_  (CoC #12)
4.  Equinox - _Return to Mystery_  (CoC #12)
5.  Gorgoroth - _Antichrist_  (CoC #13)
6.  Malevolent Creation - _Eternal_  (CoC #1)
7.  Edge of Sanity - _Crimson_  (CoC #9)
8.  Diaboli - _Mesmerized by Darkness_  (CoC #12)
9.  Dimmu Borgir - _Stormblast_  (CoC #13)
10. Cannibal Corpse - _Vile_  (CoC #8)

Adam's Top 10

1.  Bathory - _Blood on Ice_  (CoC #11)
2.  Amorphis - _Elegy_  (CoC #10)
3.  Pan-Thy-Monium - _Khaooohs & Kon-fus-ion_  (CoC #9)
4.  Necromantia - _Scarlet Evil, Witching Black_  (CoC #10)
5.  Avernus - _A Farewell to Eden_  (not reviewed)
6.  Edge Of Sanity - _Crimson_  (CoC #9)
7.  Golgotha - _Melancholy_  (not reviewed)
8.  Blood of Christ - _The Lonely Flowers of Autumn_  (CoC #11)
9.  Absonant Cadence - _Emergence_  (CoC #13)
10. Burning Moon - _Eternal Darkness_  (CoC #10)

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

Well people, that about wraps it  up  for  our  first  year.  Looking
back, it's been a lot of work but in the end, it is all worth  it.  I
want to thank everyone who's supported us  throughout  the  year  and
helped make this 'zine as great as can be. For  next  month,  we  are
going to take a well deserved vacation, and set the  release  of  CoC
#14 to the first week of October. I hope everyone  will  be  able  to
live with out us for a month! See you all soon,  and  remember  those
Loud Letters. -- Gino Filicetti

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Here now are some words from the OTHER CoC founder, Adrian Bromley:

Thanks go to all our  friends  in  the  music  industry  (labels  and
bands), subscribers and just NET-cruisers for reading  Chronicles  of
Chaos over the last year. Even though at times it  was  difficult  to
get the mag together on time,  the  whole  CoC  staff,  Gino,  Alain,
Brian, Steve, Adam and I have had fun doing it. We hope we've done  a
good job and will continue to do so in the future. Thanks  for  being
there for us - Stay Heavy! -- Adrian "Energizer" Bromley

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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #13

