     ____ _  _ ____ ____ _  _ _ ____ _    ____ ____    ____ ____
     |    |__| |__/ |  | |\ | | |    |    |___ [__     |  | |___
     |___ |  | |  \ |__| | \| | |___ |___ |___ ___]    |__| |

                       ____ _  _ ____ ____ ____
                       |    |__| |__| |  | [__
                       |___ |  | |  | |__| ___]

       CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, November 17, 1997, Issue #26
               http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html

Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti <mailto:ginof@interlog.com>
Coordinator: Adrian Bromley <mailto:energizr@interlog.com>
Contributor: Alain M. Gaudrault <mailto:alain@mks.com>
Contributor: Brian Meloon <mailto:bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Contributor: Steve Hoeltzel <mailto:hoeltzel@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>
Contributor: Adam Wasylyk <mailto:macabre@interlog.com>
Contributor: Drew Schinzel <mailto:drew@magpage.com>
Contributor: Andrew Lewandowski <mailto:kmvb73c@prodigy.com>
Contributor: Pedro Azevedo <mailto:ei94048@tom.fe.up.pt>
Contributor: Paul Schwarz <mailto:tom.s@mcmail.com>
Mailing List provided by: The University of Colorado at Boulder

NOTE: For  more  Chronicles  of  Chaos  information,  check  out  the
      'Details' section at the end of this issue.

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

Issue #26 Contents, 11/17/97
----------------------------
* Loud Letters
* Deadly Dialogues
-- Angel Corpse: Hammer of Metal
-- Dark Funeral: The Dark Age Has Arrived
-- Skrew: Skrewin' The Dawg
-- Algaion: Questions From The Temple of Pain
-- Morbid Angel: A Morbid Update
-- Six Feet Under: 'Cause I'm a War Machine
-- Niden Div. 187: An Officer And A Gentleman
* Album Asylum
-- Algaion - _General Enmity_
-- Alien Faktor - _Arterial Spray... and Cattle Mutilations_
-- Anorexia Nervosa - _Exile_
-- Bloodthorn - _In the Shadow of Your Black Wings_
-- Cenotaph - _Epic Rites_
-- Centinex - _Reflections_
-- Dissection - _The Past Is Alive (Early Mischief)_
-- Dominus - _Vol.Beat_
-- Various - _Earache Unplugged 2_
-- Edge Of Sanity - _Cryptic_
-- Epoch of Unlight - _Black and Crimson Glory_
-- Forbidden Site - _Sturm und Drang_
-- Frederik Thordendal's Special Defects - _Sol Niger Within_
-- Hazard - _Lech_
-- Hexenhaus - _Dejavoodoo_
-- Horna - _Hiidentorni_
-- Hypocrisy - _The Final Chapter_
-- Insatanity - _Vengeance from Beyond the Grave_
-- Immortal Suffering - _Images of Horror_
-- Malignant Eternal - _Far Beneath the Sun_
-- Mayhem - _Wolf's Lair Abyss_
-- Misanthrope - _Visionnaire_
-- Misery Loves Co. - _Not Like Them_
-- Nattvindens Grat - _Chaos Without Theory_
-- Niden Div. 187 - _Impergium_
-- Obtained Enslavement - _Witchcraft_
-- Orphyx - _Fragmentation_
-- Overkill - _From The Underground And Below_
-- Pathos - _Hoverface_
-- Rotting Christ - _A Dead Poem_
-- Sacramentum - _The Coming Of Chaos_
-- Sadist - _Crust_
-- Scar Tissue - _TMOTD_
-- Shub-Niggurath - _The Kinglike Celebration_
-- Thy Grief - _The Frozen Tomb of Mankind_
-- Transcendence - _Eternal Stream_
-- Turmoil - _Anchor_
-- Vergelmer - _Light the Black Flame_
* New Noise
-- Beauty - _Buried With the Sky_
-- Castigate - _Plectrum Loveless Method_
-- Catarrh - _Nightflight_
-- Cephalectomy - _Gateway To The Gods_
-- Click. - _Live At The Thirsty Whale_
* Chaotic Concerts
-- Dark Times: Emperor, Therion, Crematory and Lake of Tears in
Belgium
-- Big Red Deathfest II: Cornell University, New York
-- Portuguese Potential: University of Porto Engineering, Portugal
* What We Have Cranked

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

                 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  <mailto:ginof@interlog.com>  and  enter
'Attention Loud Letters' in the subject field. Hopefully all  letters
received will be featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos.


Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997
From: Anand Shah <ashah@ic.sunysb.edu>
Subject: Re: Chronicles of Chaos #25 (1/3)

Hi, I love your e-zine. Its great andI  really  look  forward  to  it
every month..however, I just  wanted  to  know  hy  you  guys  ignore
reviewing bands liek Godflesh , Faith  No  More,  Techno  Animal  and
other such original extreme  metal/industrial/rock/ambient/dub/techno
influences. You shoud know how many bands think of Godflesh as  their
influences and you should know how bands like FF and Sepultura always
have words of praise for FNM..yet I didn't see one review for any  of
their recent releases..Album of the Year for FNM and Love and Hate in
Dub by Godflesh. I hope to read more about tehm  in  future..  thanx!
anand

[In our defense, I must say that we have covered an ample  amount  of
Godflesh in our pages. In CoC #23 we ran an interview with the  band,
and in CoC #14 we reviewed the _Love and Hate_ album of  which  _Love
and Hate in Dub_ is an album of remixes. As for Faith  No  More,  the
reason that we don't cover them in our pages is mainly  because  they
aren't necessarily an  underground  band.  We'd  rather  reserve  the
limited space in CoC for the more obscure bands that really need  the
exposure. Sorry, but if you really want to read about Faith No  More,
you can go ahead and pick all sorts  of  mainstream  publications  to
fulfill your desire. -- Gino]


Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997
From: "Allen Tam" <scribe@sprint.ca>
Subject: resources

I've been a loyal fan of you  zine  now  since  issue  #5.  I'm  just
wondering though how does a regular guy like me get my hands on  some
of the harder to get albums? I live in Toronto.  My  only  source  is
HMV, but most of the time they are sold out,  never  had  it  or  are
$30+. I was ordering some of my CDs through Sepulture but he took off
with some of my money and I haven't heard from him since.  Could  you
recomend a distribution company  that  deals  with  death  metal.  Or
another good REALIABLE source. Anyways, thanks in advance and keep up
the great work.

The Silent Scribe

[If anyone else out there has any suggestions for our  Silent  Scribe
over here, please contact him directly at his  email  address.  Thank
you. -- Gino]


Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997
From: relapse@webtv.net (Lawrence Reynolds)
Subject: the next issue

hey gino! i must say coc really kicks ass! the black metal  music  is
not  my  type  of  thing  though.i  only  like  the  blasting   black
metal(marduk,the abyss,ulver's new one,as wellas a few  others)i'm  a
huge brutal death metal and grindcore fan. i'd like to  see  more  of
that in future issues.when will the next issue be out? have you heard
the new vader album? is it fucking have a lot of blasting on it? just
get back with me.stay true,travis

travis reynolds

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       __ \                 | |
       |   |  _ \  _` |  _` | | |   |
       |   |  __/ (   | (   | | |   |
      ____/ \___|\__,_|\__,_|_|\__, |
                               ____/

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


                    H A M M E R   O F   M E T A L
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             CoC Interviews Gene Palubicki of Angel Corpse
                           by: Adam Wasylyk

Impressing those of us from CoC who were in attendance at this year's
Michigan Metal Fest with the band's TWO  ravenous  live  sets,  Angel
Corpse devastate both in the flesh and on disc, as evidenced by their
Osmose debut _Hammer of Gods_. Boasting influences such as Possessed,
Bathory, and Morbid Angel, a  retro  feel  permeates  Angel  Corpse's
music -- but rather than exploit it, they've built it into their  own
sound and have created some raging black/death metal that other bands
can only dream of comparing to. I had  the  pleasure  of  talking  at
length with guitarist Gene Palubicki about Angel Corpse and all  that
is metal. What made this  chat  so  enjoyable  was  not  only  Gene's
honesty but also his evident love for metal. Immerse yourself in  the
experience that is Angel Corpse.

CoC: So Angel Corpse was formed as a result of the  demise  of  Order
     From Chaos?

Gene Palubicki: Myself and the bass player/vocalist  from  that  band
                [Pete Helmkamp] got together because I had known  him
                for several years  prior  to  their  break-up,  since
                about 1991. When he told me that their band was going
                to be finished, for the longest  time  I  thought  it
                would be great to have him as a vocalist in  a  band.
                When the opportunity came up, I  started  talking  to
                him about it. I moved from Minnesota down  to  Kansas
                City, where we started working on some material,  and
                that's how it all started.

CoC: Why did Order from Chaos break up, and how  do  you  think  both
     bands compare musically?

GP: There were some eternal problems. I  guess  their  guitar  player
    wanted to quit the band and  start  up  a  side  project  he  was
    working on. He wasn't really interested in what Order from  Chaos
    was doing. That's what probably led to the break up:  everybody's
    ideas didn't work together anymore. [As for  comparisons,]  aside
    from the fact that it's death metal,  I  think  the  actual  song
    structures and writing are almost unrelated.  Because  for  Order
    from Chaos, most of the music was written by the  guitar  player,
    and since that person is not in Angel Corpse, there's  really  no
    comparison at all, aside from the fact  that  it's  death  metal.
    [For] anyone who's into Order from Chaos,  the  only  thing  they
    could relate to is that it's the same vocalist. I mean, musically
    we're far more fast and brutal.

CoC: When you formed Angel Corpse, what  were  the  philosophies  and
     expectations behind the band's creation?

GP: What we wanted to do is what we've always enjoyed: to create pure
    metal. In this case, pure death metal, death/thrash, black/death,
    because that's where we've always come from. We listen to  a  lot
    of the older albums  --  like,  myself,  I  think  [albums]  like
    Possessed's _Seven Churches_ are still some of the most stand-out
    albums to this day. That stuff was pure metal. It had nothing  to
    do with trends. What we're doing is pure metal  as  well,  and  I
    think what we're creating is just metal for the  sake  of  metal.
    Pure brutality, craziness, lead guitar solos and stuff. A lot  of
    bands these days almost  try  to  stamp  out  what  metal  really
    started out with, with bands like Judas Priest with the dual lead
    guitar attack, and they've just tried to turn  it  into  grinding
    sludge that has nothing to do with what metal really  is.  And  I
    think that's what we're trying to re-birth with Angel Corpse: the
    real heavy metal.

CoC: Why do you think that bands have moved away from the lead guitar
     approach to metal?

GP: I think that during the late 80s there was a lot  of  the  guitar
    hero metal that started to come out,  bands  like  Cacophony  and
    others, and after a while the lead  guitar  got  to  be  seen  as
    cheese. And a lot of bands, like  even  before  the  death  metal
    explosion, had already begun to move away from the idea of  doing
    leads or any of that. I don't know, I think with so  many  people
    going with the anti-trend to make things more  dirty,  like  back
    with grind bands like Carcass and early Napalm  Death  stuff,  it
    was like the really hardcore/punk stuff  started  to  cross  over
    with thrash metal and created this real anti-musical sludge,  and
    the real element of metal began to be lost.  As  it  became  more
    refined, metal basically just lost its sight and became more of a
    grind thing.

CoC:  I  noticed  a  strong  _Altars  of  Madness_-era  Morbid  Angel
     influence on _Hammer  of  Gods_.  Are  they  a  band  that  have
     influenced Angel Corpse?

GP: Yeah, I think especially their album _Altars  of  Madness_.  When
    that album came out it was  one  of  the  most  stand-out  albums
    during that time, because there weren't  really  any  bands  that
    were  mixing  blast  beats  and  super-speed  with  any  kind  of
    sensibility at all. Plus, they had the kind of energy of some  of
    the more early Slayer material, or Possessed, for that matter. So
    that really stood out as a great metal  album.  And  keeping  the
    tradition of dual lead guitar attack and all that, it's perfect.

CoC: How did you come to sign to Osmose Productions?

GP: We did a four-track demo tape to showcase some of the songs  that
    we had at the time. And we sent a tape to Osmose, just seeing  if
    they would like to do distribution of the  demo  tape,  but  when
    Herve heard the tape he called us up immediately almost,  and  he
    wanted to sign the band. We did the  demo  tape,  and  two  weeks
    later we were  being  sent  a  contract,  so  we  really  had  no
    circulation in the underground at the time we were signed.

CoC: What are your thoughts on the label's roster of bands?

GP: A lot of the newer stuff that's coming out on the label  I  could
    disagree with. This whole retro thing I think is kind of becoming
    a really bad trend. I think some of  the  bands  that  I  totally
    distaste are probably Inferno and um....

CoC: Bewitched?

GP: Yeah, Bewitched. I mean, anybody who's really into the style that
    they're trying to portray is going to listen to  the  originators
    that do those albums anyway. I mean, why listen to  Inferno  when
    you could listen to  _Endless  Pain_  [by  Kreator]  or  _Inferal
    Overkill_ by Destruction? Those albums are still alive and  well,
    so we don't need a copy. [Finally someone with the guts to say it
    like it is. -- Adam] They're  not  doing  any  justice  to  those
    albums by ripping them off. I mean, unless the bands are doing it
    as a joke.. And if people are happy with that and  they  want  to
    make metal a joke, they can have it, but I don't want any part of
    that.

CoC: So you're basically saying it's okay to use influences from  the
     past, but it's wrong to rip them off?

GP: An influence means that you understood something that  somebody's
    done and you've incorporated  it  into  what  you  do,  not  just
    ripping it  off.  It's  like  you've  learned  how  somebody  did
    something, and you take that knowledge and you apply it  to  what
    you know and make your own creation out of it. To just copy  what
    someone else has done, it's missing creation.  Which  means  it's
    just weak.

CoC: What's your view of the opening of Osmose's American office?  Do
     you think it'll help the state of black metal in North America?

GP: I think so, since most of the black metal stuff from  Europe  has
    only had distribution here through mail order. The fact that  you
    would be able to go to a store and perhaps  find  a  black  metal
    album, I think that's a plus. As far as the American market,  the
    prices would be cheaper, no import prices  and  no  waiting  [for
    shipping, etc.]. It'll take some time for the label to get itself
    organized over here, but probably within a year's time it  should
    start to rear its head.

CoC: So will _Hammer of Gods_ get this domestic treatment?

GP: Yeah, there's going to be twelve releases that will be the  first
    batch, and the re-mastered version of _Hammer of  Gods_  will  be
    one of them. It's going to have two bonus  tracks,  a  couple  of
    cover songs. It'll have covers of Possessed's "Burning  in  Hell"
    and Kreator's "Pleasure to Kill".

CoC: I saw you guys at the Michigan Metal Fest, when you played twice
     to make up for the absence of Absu, and I must say  I  was  very
     impressed. Describe what an Angel Corpse live set is like.

GP: PURE DIABOLIC CHAOS! We try to present something to look  at.  At
    that show, for example, there would be like ten bands that  would
    play that you wouldn't really watch but you'd  hear.  Because  if
    you looked at the stage there was nothing to  see.  It  was  just
    bands going through the motions, nothing exciting.  Nothing  very
    metal about the whole thing. The whole thing about metal is  it's
    supposed to grab people's attention.  It's  not  supposed  to  be
    something you just stare at and say "whatever" and just wait  for
    the next band to come up afterwards. We try to make something  so
    that there's actually reason to watch  what's  going  on  on  the
    stage. It's like with leads -- one guy on one side of  the  stage
    breaks off into some total craziness, when all of  a  sudden  the
    people watching the show can actually look and see  what's  going
    on on another part of the stage. Then the  other  guy  goes  into
    some crazy part. It's basically to have  action  going  on  while
    you're playing. And since we  play  so  incredibly  fast  anyway,
    there's always going to be some kind of action going on,  and  we
    never slow down. That's just not our thing.

CoC: What did you think of the Milwaukee Metal Fest?

GP: It was a pretty good show, but there was a lot of the same, a lot
    of bands sounding alike. I think that's where we really stood out
    at that show. There was no other band at that show  that  sounded
    even remotely close to what we were doing.

CoC: Of the two festivals, was there one that you  enjoyed  more,  or
     did they compare pretty closely?

GP: Aside from the fact that the Milwaukee deal was a lot bigger  and
    there was a lot more people there, I'd have to say the  Milwaukee
    show was better. There  actually  seemed  to  be  people  at  the
    Milwaukee show who were familiar with us; we  got  a  fair  crowd
    response. But at the Michigan show I don't think anyone knew  who
    the fuck we were! <laughs>

CoC: Something that caught my eye at  your  Michigan  show  was  your
     other guitarist Bill [Taylor, ex/Xenomorph]. As I  was  watching
     him on stage, I noticed that his arms appeared  to  be  cut  up.
     Does he do that sort of thing?

GP: Yeah, he does that.

CoC: So he's into self-mutilation?

GP: Yeah.

CoC: What are your thoughts on that?

GP: Well, myself, I don't really practice that kind of thing.  But  I
    guess each one of us in this band are into their  own  individual
    thing. You can kind of tell -- I mean, aside from the  fact  that
    now all three of us actually have shaved heads -- by  looking  at
    each of us on stage, we don't have any kind of unified look. Each
    one of us are in our own little  world  while  we're  out  there,
    which I think is cool, instead of looking like robots.

CoC: Are you one who subscribes to  the  belief  that  keyboards  and
     female vocals don't belong in black metal, or do you think  that
     they can be used efficiently to create atmosphere?

GP: The whole thing with keyboards and female vocals seems like  more
    of something that's attributed  to  gothic  style  music,  as  it
    originally was. With something ambient like Dead Can Dance, music
    like that looks great with female vocals. But when  it's  crossed
    over into metal, that's all it really is --  it's  a  cross-over.
    It's not pure. Obviously, in a way  I'm  wrong  by  saying  that,
    because a lot of bands that do that, crossing metal  with  gothic
    influences and keyboards and female vocals, seem to be doing very
    successfully. But in my opinion, since I like things to  be  pure
    with art, I think it degenerates old  genres.  Because,  I  mean,
    people who are really going to be into  the  metal  stuff  aren't
    really going to like the keyboards and female  vocals.  But  then
    you got people that are into gothic, romantic, dark ambient music
    that are going to hear the stuff, and the metal that's  going  to
    be in the music they're not going to like. But there's  this  new
    fan base that's around nowadays  that  actually  does  like  that
    stuff -- but I really, to say the least, don't tolerate it.

CoC: _Hammer of Gods_ has been out for quite a while, so I'm sure you
     guys have a good amount of new material already.

GP: Yeah, at the end of October we're going into the studio to record
    the new album.

CoC: Is there a title for it yet?

GP: Oh yeah. The new album is called _Exterminate_.

CoC: How does it compare to the material off _Hammer of Gods_?

GP: It's definitely in the same vein as _Hammer of Gods_, but there's
    a lot more emphasis on the speed element. This [new] album's  got
    a lot more really brutal double bass and  a  lot  more  blasting.
    It's going to be faster. Other than that,  I  guess  anybody  who
    liked or hated our first album is probably going to have  a  more
    extreme reaction to this new album.  We're  definitely  going  to
    have a lot better production on this new album:  we're  going  to
    Morrisound Studios down in Tampa to record the new one.

CoC: Where was _Hammer of Gods_ recorded, by the way?

GP: _Hammer of Gods_ was recorded in a local studio  here  in  Kansas
    City, and in the end we were kind of unhappy with the way it came
    out. The engineer didn't really know what it was that we  wanted,
    and we weren't very experienced working in a real studio  at  all
    ourselves, so the production is  really  lacking  on  _Hammer  of
    Gods_ in hindsight. I mean, it's still a very brutal  album,  and
    we still like all the songs and we'll play them all live,  but  I
    think the first album leaves a lot to be desired as  far  as  the
    kind of sound that we wanted. This new album is really  going  to
    let people know what it is that we're all about.

CoC: Finally, what do you think the future holds for Angel Corpse?

GP: Ideally, I hope that we can continue to do a lot more albums  and
    get some good tours and stuff so we can get  this  stuff  out.  I
    really want to get people back into the pure metal thing. I  want
    to get this stuff in the limelight. There's going to be a lot  of
    great albums in the near future. I mean, just in the beginning of
    '98 the new Morbid Angel album is going to be absolutely  killer.
    I just really want people to get back into what is the essence of
    death metal. The whole  gothic  and  romanticism  thing,  it  has
    nothing to do with metal. Death metal is  supposed  to  be  about
    violence, brutality and vengeance, and I want to get that  spirit
    back into people's hearts.

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

           T H E   D A R K   A G E   H A S   A R R I V E D
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             CoC Interviews Lord Ahriman of Dark Funeral
                           by: Adam Wasylyk

One of many black metal bands to embrace  aggression  and  harshness,
Dark Funeral are one of Sweden's bigger  bands,  and  rightfully  so,
judging from their well-received debut, 1996's _The  Secrets  of  the
Black  Arts_.  A   cold   exercise   in   outright   brutality,   the
aforementioned record has just been given the domestic  treatment  by
Metal Blade (Attic here in Canada), meaning more black metal fans  in
this part of the world will be treated to a  record  well  worth  its
weight in blasphemy. A failed phone interview transmogrified into  an
e-mail interview with co-founding member Lord Ahriman, who  was  cool
enough to answer some questions about their upcoming US  tour,  their
upcoming record, and various other matters.

CoC: Even though this album has been out for quite a while, why don't
     you tell me about _The Secrets of the Black Arts_, for those who
     haven't had the pleasure of hearing it.

Lord Ahriman: _The Secrets of The Black Arts_ was recorded during two
              weeks in the Abyss Studio in July  '95.  Musically,  it
              can be described as pure Satanic mayhem. It includes 11
              tracks with a combination of  ultra  brutal  riffs  and
              pure  blood-freezing  melodies  with  eerie   classical
              themes in a furious speed.

CoC: So since the recording of this album  in  the  summer  of  1995,
     three of the four band members have left, leaving you to pick up
     the pieces. Please update us on your present-day line up.

LA: Besides me on guitar, the  current  line-up  consists  of  Typhos
    (guitar), Emperor Magus Caligula (bass  &  vocals)  and  Alzazmon
    (drums).

CoC: Due to these line-up changes, has Dark Funeral's sound  changed?
     More melodic/atmospheric? More aggressive?

LA: Even if I'm the only original member left, you  shouldn't  expect
    any sudden changes. But I am sure that people will notice that we
    have changed a few members. Partly, we are more tight as  a  unit
    than we were with any previous line-up. Our new material is  like
    a natural improvement on our previous album _The Secrets  of  The
    Black Arts_. The main difference is that  we  have  now  included
    more rhythms as well as increased the speed. The  new  songs  are
    also far darker, more technical, and much more varied than on our
    last release. This makes each track genuine in its  own  way.  We
    have improved the previous style, but also continued  in  a  more
    genuine and professional way.

CoC: What is your view on being picked  up  by  Metal  Blade  for  US
     distribution? Was it something that was a complete  surprise  to
     you, or was this a deal long in the making?

LA: Yeah, when I first heard  about  it,  it  was  definitely  a  big
    surprise to me. Although from the day we received the  offer,  it
    took about 6 months before the deal  was  set,  and  a  few  more
    months before the album finally was released in the States.

CoC: Have you been looked down upon by other black  metal  bands  for
     making what they may see as a "commercial" or "mainstream"  move
     by having Metal Blade involved in your distribution?

LA: No. So far I haven't noticed, or heard any negative words towards
    us about being licensed to Metal  Blade,  even  though  I'm  sure
    there must be some envious motherfuckers who believe that we have
    turned into a more commercial act because  of  this.  But  I  can
    assure you that we will forever be true to the underground!!!

CoC: What is the present relationship between  you  and  No  Fashion?
     What are your thoughts on its band roster?

LA: It's very satisfying. No Fashion are doing an excellent  job  for
    us, although it can never be too good, if you know what  I  mean.
    There are a few acts on the label that I really like, and respect
    for what they are doing. There are also a few bands I consider to
    be purely shit, but enough of that.

CoC: Describe a Dark Funeral live show.

LA: Our hellish live performance is like a black mass. It's  probably
    one of the most extreme and intense live performances  you  could
    ever behold. The  introduction  of  the  show,  consisting  of  a
    destruction ritual, is performed live by the four of us.  We  are
    painted like demons, wearing spikes and  rivets,  and  of  course
    covered with pure animal blood. We also  carry  ancient  weapons.
    The show includes fire-breathing as well  as  our  typical  stage
    show, in which we have pig heads impaled  on  two  huge  inverted
    crosses placed in the front of the stage. Unfortunately,  due  to
    hygienic causes, most of the venues, at  least  during  our  last
    European tour, refuse to let  us  perform  with  the  pig  heads.
    However, when the pig heads are included  in  the  show,  Emperor
    Magus Caligula and I end the show by slashing them into pieces.

CoC: Some have said that this use of the pig heads in your live  show
     is a rip-off of Mayhem's. What's your response to this?

LA: Ha, before someone should say anything stupid like that, I  would
    suggest that he or she check out our  hellish  live  performance.
    It's not even close to the Mayhem show, as Mayhem  did  only  one
    single show with pig heads. We have done over 40.

CoC: I heard that Emperor Magus Caligula recently injured himself  on
     stage at a show you played in Finland. What happened?

LA: It wasn't in Finland. It happened during our last tour throughout
    Europe on the opening show in Geeleen (NL). At the  end  of  that
    show, while Emperor Magus Caligula and I slashed  the  pig  heads
    into pieces, Caligula happened to hit himself on the leg  with  a
    big butcher's knife. Even if the blood was pounding out from  his
    veins, he was  still  able  to  continue  the  show  without  any
    interference.

CoC: So you are presently recording at the Abyss Studio. Please  give
     us a studio update and describe how the material is coming out.

LA: Yeah, we have recently completed a three week  recording  session
    in the Abyss Studio (Sept. 1- Sept. 21), which means that  a  new
    Satanic symphony of Dark Funeral finally is completed and put  on
    tape. During the three weeks we spent in  the  Abyss  Studio,  we
    recorded 8 tracks, which in total  have  a  running  time  on  35
    minutes. A few of the new titles  are:  "Slava  Satan",  "Ravenna
    Strigoi Mortii", "Ineffable King of Darkness", and  "Enriched  By
    Evil". In my opinion, this is the most superior recording we have
    done to date. It's also the fastest and most aggressive,  yet  it
    holds a very melodic and hellish atmosphere. The album will carry
    the title _VOBISCUM SATANAS_, and the  release  is  scheduled  in
    February '98. Stay tuned for a new christ-raping piece of wrath!!

CoC: Since _The Secrets..._ was  released,  Blackmoon  has  left  the
     band. What were the reasons for  his  departure?  And  with  him
     being one of the creators of Dark Funeral, was the band's future
     ever in doubt?

LA: Hell no, the future of the band was never in doubt.  We  had  and
    still  have  everything  under  total  control.  Due  to  several
    reasons, we  came  to  a  point  where  the  cooperation  between
    Blackmoon and us, the rest of the band,  couldn't  continue.  The
    new and present lineup is the best we have  had  so  far.  And  I
    would say that we have finally found a stable, well working,  and
    highly professional lineup.

CoC: Blackmoon was very outspoken about his  views  of  Christianity.
     What are your views concerning religion and Christianity?

LA: I'm an elitist and a diehard Satanist, so  I  guess  my  opinions
    about religions and Christian people are quite obvious.

CoC: What's the relationship between Swedish black metal bands? Is it
     on the friendship side, or on the more competitive side?

LA: Well, there is  this  kind  of  silly  backstabbing  and  threats
    between almost each and every band. There are only  a  few  bands
    that I find worth in socializing  with.  I  have,  as  you  might
    understand, stopped caring about all this childishness  going  on
    within the scene. I just ignore these kind of low life attitudes.
    All this shit is just a matter of jealousy, so why fucking
    bother?

CoC: How did it come about for Dark Funeral to play its first gig  in
     North America? A tour is planned -- which bands are on  it,  and
     what are the dates/venue's planned?

LA: It's a long story, but I will make it short. A couple  of  months
    ago, I made like a business call for House  of  Kicks/No  Fashion
    Records to Shane Bugbee. I did not present myself as  being  Lord
    Ahriman of Dark Funeral. I went  under  another  alias.  After  a
    while, he mentioned that  he  was  planning  to  put  up  a  huge
    festival, Expo of the Extreme. Since I was doing this phone  call
    for  H.o.K.,  I  couldn't  resist  asking  him  if  he  would  be
    interested in bringing over a band from No Fashion.  After  going
    through all the bands, he said "I want Dark Funeral to  play  the
    festival." I guess Shane was pretty surprised when I finally told
    him that I was Lord Ahriman, guitarist of Dark Funeral. Later the
    tour plans came up. We were asked to headline the  tour.  And  of
    course we were [willing]. At first it was only planned  to  be  a
    mini-tour, but as time has passed it is now a full scheduled U.S.
    tour. We will start the tour  in  Chicago  at  the  Expo  of  the
    Extreme Oct. 31st and do, as far as I'm informed, the  last  show
    in Oregon Nov. 29th. Besides Dark Funeral, the tour will  include
    Acheron, Destroyer 666, and Usurper.

CoC: Any message/warning to your fans here in  North  America  before
     your arrival on these shores?

LA: Join us in Chicago at the Expo of  the  Extreme  and  during  our
    "American Satanic Crusade Tour". And together, let's  summon  the
    demon god and invoke the new dark age!!!

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                  S K R E W I N '   T H E   D A W G
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         CoC Interviews Skrew
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     Skrew singer/guitarist/writer Adam Grossman is a  workhorse;  he
has always given 100% of his energy to the  industrial/metal  outfit.
He takes his music very seriously --  and  it  shows  in  the  band's
material.
     Since the band's 1992 Metal  Blade  debut,  _Burning  in  Water,
Drowning In Flames_, Skrew  has  evolved  due  to  the  ingestion  of
multiple styles and ideas. Over the years, Skrew has chipped away  at
the frame of the band's music in an attempt to perfect  their  sound.
Fans of the band have witnessed the band's  growth  through  numerous
releases: 1994's brilliant _Dusted_, 1995's _Shadow  of  Doubt_,  and
_Angel Seed XIII_, their latest effort.
     Grossman starts talking about the new record and  the  direction
of Skrew in 1997: "I don't know where  to  really  begin  about  this
record. What is a record other than  where  you  are  at  that  time?
Talking about the last record, _SoD_, I was involved in a  major  car
accident while making the record and the record was pushed back. That
was a great record, but I don't really remember making  it  'cause  I
was under some really heavy narcotics and medication.  I  still  love
that record. It's funny  when  I  hear  it  now,  it  just  has  this
seething, burning down inside the pit of your  stomach  feel  to  it,
whereas _ASXIII_ is more in your face and immediate. This  record  is
like a punch in the mouth."
     "I think the record is like  that  for  several  reasons,"  adds
Grossman, "one of the reasons being that we had five weeks to do this
record, which is like the shortest amount of time we have ever had to
work on a record. We crammed it in. We went in and pumped it  out.  I
would have liked a little bit more time, but y'know what?  It  worked
out fine."
     He continues, "I think this record shows  off  the  sickness  of
life to some degree. I don't write pretty songs.  That  is  not  what
motivates me to write. My musical education comes from the old  Blues
-- 1930s and 40s material -- and  so  I  think  that  works  into  my
songwriting. Not pretty stuff. When I was a kid growing up I was  all
into bands like Bauhaus or The Birthday Party, and all that stuff was
dark and showed  a  vile  side  of  life.  I  just  take  my  musical
inspiration and writing styles from all that, writing darkened  tales
of life and what we go through. It's all there in my music."
     From where does Grossman derive the song ideas? Are they  always
present? "Yeah, I am always writing. We already  have  four  or  five
songs ready to play live or put down on record. I think  it  is  more
like, do I have time to be creative? I  am  always  creating.  If  it
isn't something music related then it is something visual. I do a lot
of artwork, and that keeps me busy  too.  I  don't  know,  ideas  are
always there; it is just getting the time to work on them that is the
obstacle."
     Grossman has helped produce both this record  and  a  few  other
bands (Atlanta band Big  Twin  Din  and  German  industrial/rock  act
Testify) over the course of a year. He  is  constantly  learning  and
acknowledges that he has far more to learn. "I  don't  even  consider
myself a 'producer', but I sure am doing something right, as  I  keep
getting offers to do this. I worked on three  records,  including  my
own, in the last year, so I am happy to be doing this. I would do  it
again if I was asked to."
     Skrew has been Grossman's baby since its inception in  1992.  He
has been at the helm for  the  last  five  years  as  many  musicians
playing in Skrew have come and gone. Despite  the  frequent  changes,
Grossman still stays focused and adamant about keeping the  sound  of
Skrew flourishing and vibrant no matter  who  is  in  the  band.  The
quintet  is  currently  rounded  out  by  programmer/keyboardist  Jim
Vollantine, guitarists Jason L.  and  Doug  C.,  bassist  Frapp,  and
drummer Chris I.
     _ASXIII_ is unlike any other Skrew record, since it  caters  not
to what Skrew has been or should be about (an industrial/metal  feel)
but more to what feels natural in the state of  progression  for  the
band. Grossman agrees. His focus was more on feelings  than  sticking
to a certain style or niche. "I agree... this record  definitely  has
that feel. When we were working on the _SoD_ album with producer Neil
Kernon, it was such a fucking intense  learning  experience  for  us.
This motherfucker has been around, and we learned a lot of shit  with
him. We really did. But you know what? He really had this set idea of
what the Skrew record should sound like. He told me before going into
the studio this was what we were gonna do, and I was into that.  This
record, we wanted to have more of a free flow of ideas going  around.
I think we captured that. All the elements of Skrew  are  there,  but
they aren't set to sound like this or sound like that. It just  molds
itself."
     Once asked about the significance of the album  title,  Grossman
replies, "The title is just words that we came up with  in  order  to
best represent the material on the record. Let's get  into  the  name
first: _Angel Seed_. Okay... what is a seed? A seed  is  where  human
life, plant life, or any type of life starts with a seed. With angel,
it kind of represents this mythological figure you  might  see.  When
you die and go to heaven you might see one. Or even when you die  you
might become a good or bad angel. The title is all-encompassing.  And
the XIII is actually a number that stands for  unbalance  of  things.
Y'know... not in order. So  the  name  of  the  record  signifies  an
unbalance of life. We really didn't put much thought into it, but  it
seems like we did."

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

  Q U E S T I O N S   F R O M   T H E   T E M P L E   O F   P A I N
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        CoC Interviews Algaion
                          by: Drew Schinzel

When  the  name  Algaion  comes  up,  it's  usually  associated  with
high-velocity excursions into melodic black metal -- but  no  longer.
With _General Enmity_, Algaion have separated  themselves  from  that
genre, veering much more towards melodic power  metal,  with  various
other influences.  What  brought  about  these  changes?  What's  the
lyrical philosophy of Algaion? What are the band's  feelings  towards
the music world? Read on as Marten  and  Mathias  of  Algaion  answer
these questions and more...

CoC: "General Enmity" is quite a change from your  earlier  material.
     What caused the transformation? Hardly any of the old  style  is
     there anymore.

Marten: We were completely silent for two  years,  no  rehearsals  or
        anything. Also, if one person writes all  the  music,  it  is
        easier for a band to change radically. Personally, I like the
        new style better.

CoC: Now, with the new sound, what's your opinion of the older
albums?

Marten: I think that they are among the best of their kind  and  that
        they are under-promoted. Both our older albums kill.

CoC: The tone of the album seems  fairly  misanthropic.  What's  your
     view of humanity in general?

Marten: I think that humanity in general is totally useless.  I  have
        no illusions about man's character or capacity but see man as
        one of many biological processes.  Even  with  this  starting
        point, I get constantly disappointed.

CoC: What would you say were your  biggest  influences  for  the  new
     album?

Marten: My finding  out  about  Sigvard  Nilsson-Thurneman  and  F.T.
        Marinetti. Sigvard Thurneman was in 1936  declared  the  most
        dangerous man in Europe.  He  was  the  leader  of  a  secret
        organization called DMC.  They  developed  a  "dehumanization
        program" that would rid themselves of the human  nature  they
        detested. Their goal was the total loss  of  compassion  that
        comes with realizing you  are  no  longer  part  of  mankind.
        Thurneman was arrested in  1936  for  a  series  of  murders,
        arsons, and robberies and was locked up for a long time.  (He
        got out in 1969 -- yes, the Swedish legal  system  is  nice.)
        F.T. Marinetti published his "Futurist Manifesto" in a French
        newspaper in 1909. He was the founder of what is  called  the
        Futurist Movement. The futurists were the furious enemies  of
        all romanticism of the past and of lame  art  and  symbolism.
        Instead, they proclaimed the glorification of new  technology
        and violence: anything that shaped the world according to the
        will of the mangod. DMC  does  not  exist  anymore,  and  the
        futurists have been low on followers after the fall  in  1945
        of their political comrades. Algaion is the last defender  of
        these  great  ideas.  It  would  be  against  my   ideal   to
        romanticize these persons in their entirety just because they
        happened to live before us. The way I see it,  they  provided
        the form that we fill with contemporary contents.

Mathias:  Well,  lyrically  anyway.  Musically,  I  get  inspired  by
         whatever  it  is  that  I'm  listening  to,  be  it  Mayhem,
         Helloween,  Hypocrisy,  Meshuggah,   Brutality,   Malevolent
         Creation, King Diamond, or whatever. I think one can tell  I
         get inspiration from many different bands.

CoC: Do you think that with the  first  two  releases  the  band  was
     holding back some of the elements found on _General Enmity_?  Or
     was there just a sudden shift of  musical  inspiration,  nothing
     more?

Marten: I think that the last track on the MCD we  recorded  in  1995
        bears certain elements that are found on our new material. We
        have always been very melodic, so once the pace was held back
        it was not any big step for us.

Mathias: Yeah, I think it also was a case of us no  longer  giving  a
         damn about what others might think of the music. I  think  I
         was a bit too concerned with what people would think before.
         Now that we realized that 80% of all  into  this  genre  are
         morons anyway, we just thought we'd  do  what  -we-  thought
         sounded good. So, this CD is  for  me  and  Marten,  but  if
         others happen to like it too, that's just a bonus.

CoC: What brought the new members into the band?

Marten: We have no new members; we just got help from more musicians.
        Algaion is and will be me and Mathias.

Mathias: Yeah, we prefer the term 'sidekicks'. Just like  Batman  had
         Robin, Algaion have Erik and Tobias.  But  just  like  there
         could only be one Batman, there can only be one Algaion.  Me
         and Marten.

CoC: The vocals on _GE_ are still basically in  the  old  style.  Why
     didn't you change these also?

Marten: I think there is quite a difference. I think that vocals  the
        old high pitched way would not have fit the new music. One of
        the things that I dislike the most about many  bands  is  the
        tendency to have the music on  the  one  hand  and  then  the
        vocals that sound like they have no relation to the  rest  of
        the music -- as if the vocalist was in another room imitating
        a duck as much as he can, with no relation to  the  music  --
        and then this misery is mixed so high it easily weighs up ten
        tracks of music. This is the reason the vocals are  mixed  so
        low on all our material .

CoC: Did you ever consider singing cleanly?

Marten: I think that would have been a blatant sell-out, and that was
        not the idea with this album.

CoC: Is there anything you're unsatisfied with about the album?

Marten: No. It rules.

CoC: Now that you have a full line-up, is there  any  possibility  of
     live shows in the future?

Marten: Actually we have played live already,  one  month  ago,  with
        Voivod and Dismember here in  Sweden.  We  have  several  new
        shows coming up. The closest in time is in November with  our
        good friends Sorhin. Their new CD is  out,  and  their  label
        arranged something that we will take part in.

CoC: Was _GE_ a difficult album to write? How long did it take?

Marten: Once we got started rehearsing, it  took  maybe  two  months.
        This is a -lot- longer than it took  to  write  our  previous
        albums. I do not understand bands that ask us  this  question
        and then tell us they have been playing for years  and  years
        but that they still only have one or two songs.  (Of  course,
        the usual explanation is that they have been playing together
        not for years and years but rather days and  days.)  Provided
        that you are not a nitwit, it does not take too long to write
        good music.

CoC: How has the reaction to the album been thus far?

Marten: Great. The people whose opinion we care about have thought it
        excellent.  Our  label,  magazines,  and  major  distributors
        believe in this new CD completely. Some forestkids are  bound
        to dislike it, but we knew that from the start; it is part of
        their adolescent rebellion.

CoC: Why did your final choice for a  label  fall  on  Wounded  Love?
     Considering negotiations took place with Nuclear Blast, etc.

Marten: Wounded Love is great label that lets us do what we want.  We
        have nothing against Nuclear Blast, except the fact that they
        have quite a lot of bands that are total crap and have  names
        that rhyme with words that end with "...orgir".

CoC: Do you think the band will continue in this  direction  for  the
     next album?

Marten: The new material will be (well, is) in the line of the  track
        "Mangod Hold the Sceptre" on the new CD, but with more  power
        metal influences and more melodies. It is  also  faster  than
        most of what is on General Enmity.

CoC: So what's next for the band?

Marten: We have been offered to tour Europe early  next  year.  There
        will probably be a new CD recorded next summer, I think.

CoC: What do you like least about being in the music business?

Marten: The "music business attitude". We do  not  care  about  being
        cool, getting girls and  unlimited  amounts  of  alcohol.  We
        would never dress up in gay clothes and  sing  about  "gothic
        romances" just to impress girls, just as little as  we  would
        ever  join  a  movement  like  "Headbangers  Against  Disco".
        Algaion is Algaion, and our ideals  do  not  agree  with  any
        musical subculture. The music, of  course,  has  similarities
        with existing kinds of music, but this is a natural result of
        the limited amount of  possible  chords.  Ideologically,  our
        influences are over sixty years back  in  time  and  have  no
        relation to music or coolness or what  we  would  do  with  a
        million dollars.

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                    A   M O R B I D   U P D A T E
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            CoC Interviews Trey Azagthoth of Morbid Angel
                           by: Adam Wasylyk

Morbid Angel is arguably one of the best death metal  bands  to  come
out of North America to "Dominate" the four corners of the Earth -- a
band that has changed the face of modern death metal. The world  will
soon be graced by the band's sixth  album,  to  be  titled  _Formulas
Fatal to the Flesh_, which will mark the absense of second  guitarist
Erik Rutan and long time bassist/vocalist Dave Vincent. Chronicles of
Chaos was selected to do one of a limited amount of  interviews  with
guitar genius Trey Azagthoth before the record's release. Even though
this turned out to be  a  shorter  chat  than  expected  (and  a  bad
connection made transcription of this interview  pure  hell,  no  pun
intended), it should help update fans on their  upcoming  record  and
other events concerning this most unholy group.

CoC: I'm sure all of your fans know by now that  Dave  has  left  the
     band. Just to recap, what were the reasons for his departure?

Trey Azagthoth: I would say it was a change in interest. He was  with
                us for ten years, and now I  guess,  like  what  he's
                doing now with the Genitorturers is  quite  different
                than what he did with  us.  A  lot  of  it  was  when
                _Domination_ came out, I wasn't really happy with the
                lyrical content as much. [The lyrics were written  by
                Dave.] I didn't feel it really tapped into  the  true
                purpose of the band. I felt that he was  moving  away
                from that purpose, which is  a  spiritual  thing  and
                giving praise to the Ancient Ones. He was  moving  on
                to different subject matter. And I told him that  for
                the next album that we were going to do, I wanted  to
                start writing the lyrics again and get things back on
                track with the true purpose. And I  guess  he  didn't
                feel so good about that; he wanted to continue  in  a
                different vein. And we parted on good terms.

CoC: You've replaced him with the relatively  unknown  Steve  Tucker.
     How did you find him, and what was it about him  that  made  you
     want him to join Morbid Angel?

TA: He's from a Cincinnati band called Ceremony. He has a  very  deep
    type of growling vocals, and he's also part Indian -- so  he's  a
    very spiritual person, and that's what I really want in the band:
    very spiritual type  people.  He's  23  years  old,  and  he's  a
    talented bass player. This time I wrote all the music and  lyrics
    and worked with him real close on the phrasing of the words,  and
    he was great at that. He didn't come at  me  with  some  attitude
    like he wanted to write the lyrics or whatever. He's the  perfect
    person.

CoC: How does Steve compare to Dave in respects like vocals and  bass
     style? Or are they both completely different?

TA: As far as his vocal style, I would say that his natural range  is
    really close to David when he was singing  the  more  deep-toned,
    growling type of vocals. You know, Dave did  different  kinds  of
    things on different albums, but when he sounded on _Covenant_  or
    material like that, I thought that was the better range  that  he
    used. He [Steve] is  very  comparable  to  that.  And  then  also
    there's parts of new songs where the vocals are sung very  quick,
    and that's something I've been wanting to do for a long time.  So
    everything is  more  fast:  vocals,  bass,  guitars,  and  drums,
    everything  rough  and  powerful.  He  does  a  few  things  like
    harmonizing, doing a low vocal part and a higher, screechy  vocal
    part together in one section.  That  was  also  something  I  had
    wanted to do for a long time, but David wasn't really too open to
    that idea; he didn't like the  idea  of  using  a  harmonizer  on
    anything. I personally think that it adds some dimension  to  the
    band, because the voice isn't supposed to sound  like  a  person;
    it's supposed to sound like a  great  being.  And  sometimes  [we
    used] several voices that would make up  this  great  being.  But
    definitely, it's the roar that I was looking for. I  didn't  want
    someone to come in and cup the mike and sing like <he proceeds to
    blow hard into the phone, which sounds like a growl,  causing  me
    to laugh>. I want to hear the words,  and  I  want  to  hear  the
    articulation of the syllables as much as possible, and  that  was
    something Dave could do as well. He was very articulate  in  what
    he was saying; most of the stuff you could understand the  words,
    and plus it was powerful. Steve does a really good job at that.

CoC: About your upcoming record _Formulas Fatal to  the  Flesh_:  how
     much has been recorded, and how does  the  material  compare  to
     that on _Domination_?

TA: Well, at this  stage  we've  done  the  vocals,  the  drums,  the
    rhythms, and the bass. I'm going to do  my  solos  at  home,  and
    we're going to do the mix at the end of this month. As far as how
    they [the albums] compare, a lot of it returns to  the  roots  of
    the band in purpose and in style. The past couple of albums we've
    used a metronome, which has its benefits, but it can also sort of
    sterilize the feeling. The benefits would be timing  and  keeping
    it "correct". But later I realized the live feel of  playing  the
    songs would circle a bit -- a bit faster or slower, that's a live
    feeling. And I realized that with a metronome it would  sterilize
    things a bit. Look at _Domination_: there was  too  much  digital
    type stuff as well. So this is  very  analog,  very  lively.  The
    guitars are also maybe a bit more raw. As far as the style or the
    music, most of it is fast and furious, and there's a  few  tracks
    that are some of the older  feel,  heavy  type  of  riffing  like
    "Abominations", "Ancient Ones", or "Angel  of  Disease"  --  that
    kind of feeling from the earlier  stuff.  Then  there's  a  song,
    another down-tuned, seven-string sludge song called  "Nothing  is
    Not" [this title may be wrong due to our bad phone connection  --
    Adam] that has a slow groove and slow, heavy  type  feel  to  it.
    There's quite a few polyrhythms that I'm using on different parts
    and variations. I would say that most of it's fast and some  slow
    stuff, very furious, very sick, and very ugly.

CoC: Were you happy with how _Entangled In Chaos_ came out?

TA: Yeah, I think for a live album it came out great. I was also  the
    one who produced it. It's very lively. With all the crazy  things
    that happened: tuning, mistakes, cymbals falling down... With all
    that stuff happening and with the speed at which we're playing, I
    think things turned out great.

CoC: Will it see a domestic release? (The  album  is  currently  only
     available in Europe.)

TA: I don't believe so; I think it'll be strictly for import.

CoC: Eric Rutan left the band a while ago as well. Why did he leave?

TA: I guess I wanted to get the band back into the way that I created
    it to begin with. I was the one who created  this  band  back  in
    1984, before I had met any of the people in the band right now. I
    wanted  to  get  it  back  on  the  right  track,  lyrically  and
    musically.  Basically,  I  wanted  to  be  the  sole  creator  of
    everything on this album, except for a couple of segues.  There's
    one segue where Pete [Sandoval,  drums]  created  the  underlying
    melodies and I enhanced it with the performance of a keyboard  on
    it. And there's going to be a drum solo, like a tribal drum thing
    that was created by him. But as far as the actual tracks, they're
    all my thing. Erik is now working on a couple of projects
    himself.

CoC: So for tour purposes a second guitarist will be added, right?

TA: Well, actually we're working on getting  Richard  Brunelle  back.
    [Brunelle's guitar work  appeared  on  _Altars  of  Madness_  and
    _Blessed are the Sick_. -- Adam] Because all I  want  is  backing
    guitar now in a live situation.

CoC: Pete and Erik have been involved in side projects in  the  past.
     Do you have such a project?

TA: I've been messing around with the idea of a guitar album  that  I
    was going to do with Mike [last name is unintelligible on my tape
    -- Adam] from  Nocturnus.  I've  been  really  busy  doing  other
    things,  and  Morbid  Angel  is  my  principal  priority.   Maybe
    something will come from this project; it's called  Chewing  Inc.
    It's going to be just a bunch of guitar stuff and  instrumentals.
    It was fun, and hopefully something will come out from it.

CoC: Has Earache expressed interest in releasing it, or do you  think
     it would be on another label?

TA: I don't know, it would probably be on Earache.

CoC: When will _Formulas Fatal to the Flesh_ be released?

TA: I think in January.

CoC: And a tour will follow?

TA: Yeah, probably in February we'll start doing some touring.

CoC: Finally, what do you say to people who think  that  with  Dave's
     departure Morbid Angel's glory days are gone?

TA: That seems like a statement which has a lot of limitation written
    into it. I can't really say it affects my being. I guess it  goes
    with the old saying, "You can please some of the people  some  of
    the time, but you can't please all the people all the time."  You
    see, the thing is that with this album that  I'm  creating,  it's
    about the triumvirate and  the  Ancient  Ones;  that's  who  [the
    album] is built for. For them,  first.  So  they  will  love  it,
    period. Because it's their manifestation.  If  the  other  people
    don't like it, then whatever.

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

           'C A U S E   I ' M   A   W A R   M A C H I N E !
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            CoC Interview's Six Feet Under's Chris Barnes
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     While there  may  not  be  anything  original  about  the  sound
emanating from the new Six Feet Under record  _Warpath_,  it  is  the
deliverance and groove blaring from the 12-song LP that  sparks  life
into the project led by ex-Cannibal Corpse growler Chris Barnes.  The
band's two previous releases (1995's _Haunted_ LP and last year's  EP
_Alive And Dead_) were  mediocre,  generic  death  metal  records  --
something that would not have been expected, seeing that  Barnes  was
collaborating with Obituary guitar slinger Allen West  in  what  many
were calling a "super-group". (SFU is rounded  out  by  drummer  Greg
Gall and bassist Terry Butler.) The band took some negative shots and
criticism over the debut album and kept going, later putting out  the
live EP.
     It now appears that a few years of touring and taking  time  off
to regroup and write new  material  have  paid  off  for  Barnes  and
company, as _Warpath_ flies off the handle with  its  pure  brutality
and  no-holds-barred  deliverance  of  intensity.  Barnes  talks   to
Chronicles of Chaos from his home in Florida about the making of  the
record, working with Scott Burns, and smoking pot. Be a  trooper  and
read on.

CoC: Both previous albums received mediocre reviews. There were  some
     bad reviews about the _Haunted_ LP and that must  have  affected
     you. Did it? If so, how did it affect the  type  of  record  you
     were going to write with _Warpath_?

Chris Barnes: It's funny. All of the bad press  and  whatnot  had  no
              real influence on the  way  this  record  was  done  or
              recorded. People have been saying what they  wanted  to
              for years about me and the bands I have  been  involved
              in. I can take the  criticism,  just  not  the  tabloid
              journalism. I think there are ways to review  someone's
              stuff in a professional manner, and then there is a way
              that almost demeans the reader to  pick  it  up  'cause
              this writer who is 'oh so important'  put  it  down  so
              bad. Stuff like that might have inspired me in  a  way,
              because everything you see, feel and hear becomes  part
              of you and comes out of you in some  form  or  another.
              Music and writing is my outlet, so  it  came  out  that
              way. I think a lot of that kind of stuff went into  the
              songwriting that I did with  _Warpath_  --  songs  that
              deal with everyday life and how I feel we have lost our
              personal freedoms and human rights. We  have  given  up
              our rights for modern day convenience.

CoC: How do you feel about handling press duties in the band? I would
     assume that after a while of working on the record  and  finally
     putting it out and doing press for it, you really don't want  to
     deal with the record anymore, let alone talk about it.  Is  that
     true?

CB: That is totally true. It does shift. I would  say  two  or  three
    months after a record comes out, it all starts to change. I  like
    to talk to people and all, don't get me  wrong,  but  after  that
    time frame you just don't want to deal with people and press  and
    stuff. It has all been said. Same goes for  touring.  After  like
    six weeks on the road with twelve guys in a crammed bus,  you  do
    think about going home and relaxing.

CoC: Since leaving Cannibal Corpse and starting up and continuing  on
     with Six Feet Under, how have you changed as a person?

CB: You know, I haven't changed much at all. I am the same  person  I
    was years ago. I'm a little more open to my writing now,  because
    I have been given the opportunity to do so with this band.  I  am
    able to explore my own thoughts a little deeper and not be  boxed
    into what four other people want. Not that I wasn't writing  what
    I wanted to in Cannibal Corpse; it's just that  if  I  wanted  to
    write a song like "A Journey Into Darkness" [off  of  _Warpath_],
    they wouldn't have wanted it on the record. I guess the way I see
    it is, as time goes by you experience different things,  and  for
    the most part I am still the same person, sitting  back,  smoking
    some herb, and still writing some kick-ass music.

CoC: Looking back at it now, has leaving Cannibal Corpse affected
you?

CB: Leaving Cannibal Corpse never really  affected  me.  I  was  just
    happy that at that time I had SFU to work with when I did get out
    of Cannibal Corpse, and that I have been able to continue on with
    this record and the SFU project. Leaving Cannibal was more like a
    release for me. Someone told me once a long time ago, "After your
    first love breaks your heart, your heart can't be broken  again,"
    and that really stuck with me with the move to SFU.

CoC: How long did it take to work and finish up the new  record?  Did
     you take your time this time out? I heard you had  to  wait  for
     Allen to finish his duties with Obituary  (the  _Back  From  The
     Dead_ LP) before you could work on this LP.

CB: It was a very relaxed environment for us. Before we  recorded,  I
    had taken two months off from singing. I have never done that. We
    just came into the studio with a totally new outlook on things.

CoC: Why did SFU not work with Scott Burns this time out?  Was  it  a
     different experience for you to not work with him?

CB: It was like a breath of fresh air. His production...oh man.  When
    he mixed _Butchered At Birth_, it just  didn't  sound  right.  By
    that time, we [Cannibal Corpse] had a better understanding of the
    studio. I noticed the rough tape sounded  good,  and  then  after
    working with him it didn't sound right. I  wanted  someone  else,
    but it never happened. Scott was always a good guy, don't get  me
    wrong, but that last thing with Cannibal [leading up  to  Barnes'
    departure from the band] rubbed me the wrong way. I  still  think
    he was out to ruin me. We just didn't see eye to  eye.  _Haunted_
    had been done six months before we went in to  work  on  Cannibal
    Corpse, then I was fired halfway through the new  LP.  The  rough
    mixes of the newer material of Cannibal sounded good, but  things
    just changed. He got this major attitude.. I will never work with
    him again. This time in we  recorded  here  at  home  with  Brain
    Slagel, and it was a bit more comfortable. We had  our  own  time
    and our own schedule. It worked out for the better.

CoC: Explain to me the difference between _Warpath_ and the two other
     releases of SFU.

CB: In an overall sense, _Haunted_ had  a  lot  more  fiction.  I  am
    speaking in a lyrical sense between both LPs. A couple  of  songs
    like "Beneath The Black Sky" and "Human Target" were  about  life
    and about prophecy. There was a sprinkle of that reality  in  the
    songwriting on the first record, whereas on  this  record  things
    are reversed. That type of stuff and songs about rights,  freedom
    of choice, and other reality-based themes  make  up  this  record
    with a sprinkle of fiction. From my point of view, that is what I
    like singing and writing about now.  Of  course,  the  music  has
    changed, as have the vocals. It's all different this time out.

CoC: Is your approach to making music changed? Does it all have to be
     growls and speed anymore?

CB: The music is still heavy as fuck, and as far as vocals go, I sing
    however I think it best accommodates  the  music.  I  thought  of
    working the music more this record. I was thinking about  how  we
    were going to do things, 'cause I never follow  trends  or  other
    types of music. I never do.

CoC: You have obviously altered your song writing style, seeing  that
     now you are tackling real life issues within your music. Is it a
     big change for you?

CB: You can only get inspired by a blast beat so many times. That  is
    just a one-sided tempo, and that is how Cannibal was. Not to  say
    I wasn't experimenting here and there, but I can sure as hell  do
    a lot more of it here now. Maybe my songwriting has  shifted  and
    altered a bit because I am  more  comfortable?  Who  knows?  It's
    weird  how  my  writing  changes,  and  sometimes  I  don't  even
    understand. It is largely affected by  meditation  and  spiritual
    use of cannabis. I think the use of cannabis and this  meditation
    process opens  up  another  part  of  your  brain  that  is  only
    accessible this way. I follow this state of daydreaming,  and  it
    just comes out of me. I can't explain it.

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

         A N   O F F I C E R   A N D   A   G E N T L E M A N
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                   An Interview with Niden Div. 187
                          by: Drew Schinzel

A hyperspeed sonic assault of pummeling drums, explosive guitars, and
tortured vocals, Niden Div. 187  is  one  of  the  most  violent  and
hatefully aggressive bands ever to emerge from Sweden -- or  anywhere
else in the world, for that matter.  Their  debut  full-length  album
_Impergium_,  unleashed  in  September,  is  26  minutes   of   total
adrenaline-pumping mayhem. Here are some of vocalist Henke's
thoughts.

CoC: What exactly is the name "Niden Div. 187" symbolic of? Is  there
     any specific meaning?

Henke: Well, it's like "187" is the American police term for  murder,
       and that's a lot of  what  we  write  about.  We  write  about
       murder, homicide, genocide, and suicides....whatever. The band
       name is like a big reflection of our lyrics and the way we
       think.

CoC: Yeah, but what about the Niden part?

Henke: No, that's just a name, like my name or  your  name.  So  that
       part is going to be like erased from  the  name.  Yeah,  we're
       going to take that out.

CoC: What made you guys bring Jonas Albrekston [bass player, also  in
     Thy Primordial] into the band?

Henke: We needed a bass player and a songwriter. We were a couple  of
       songs short for the _Impergium_ album, so we decided  to  take
       Jonas in. Also, he's a great friend and a great bass player.

CoC: Besides ND187, what's been  keeping  you  busy  lately?  I  know
     there's a new Dawn album coming out fairly soon.

Henke: Yeah, that's basically it. We don't do much. We don't rehearse
       much with Dawn, because our drummer  is  working  in  Sunlight
       Studio now, and one of the guitarists moved  to  Stockholm  as
       well...so we're kind of shattered right now. So I'm not  doing
       that much right now. I'm working, going to the gym  and  stuff
       like that, working out.

CoC:  The  band  is  portrayed  as  so  anti-political,  anti-social,
     anti-moral... I'm wondering, what personal values do  you  hold?
     What things do you believe in, as far as morals are concerned?

Henke: Well, hmm...that's a hard question. Like you  said,  Niden  is
       not a political band at all. We loathe all kinds  of  politics
       and morals, law, and such. Of course, we have to obey them  so
       we won't end up in jail. We get by everyday; we're really sick
       of morals, laws, stuff like that. Sweden is  a  country  where
       you can live, but you can't really grow as a person.

CoC: What about society -don't- you mind? Do  you  see  any  positive
     things about our world?

Henke: What's good about society? Ummm... well, uhh... society, like,
       to fit into society, you have to be a  normal  person.  People
       into black metal and death ain't that normal. Yeah, we  appear
       like normal people [no comment -- Drew], but we have  lots  of
       views and opinions that don't fit in. So, I  don't  think  the
       world, and Sweden, and Swedish society, and stuff like that --
       it ain't too good. I wouldn't mind if it all blew away.

CoC: What other bands do you see as having the same outlook as Niden?
     I mean, besides Zyklon-B...

Henke: Well, I don't know  --  there  aren't  too  many  bands  [like
       Niden]. There's a  Swedish  band  called  In  Battle;  they're
       really good. They have like lyrics and stuff that  go  in  the
       same  vein  as  Niden.  But  they  also  have   lyrics   about
       Scandinavian gods like Odin and stuff like that, and  I  don't
       approve of that. I can't really say that In Battle is  a  band
       like Niden and Zyklon-B. I don't think that lyrics about  Odin
       and stuff, they don't fit it.

CoC: What do you look for in music? Is it purely musical to  you,  or
     do  you  care  about  ideology,  if  a  band  is,  for  example,
     Christian, or maybe really pop sounding?

Henke: Yeah it's all music to me. That's why I don't --  I've  always
       had a problem writing lyrics in the past, because I'm oriented
       towards the music. I always thought that lyrics came in second
       place. That's why it always took  so  long  for  me  to  write
       lyrics. My lyrics aren't just put together, if you know what I
       mean. They all mean something to me.  They  all  were  special
       when I wrote them, so that they aren't just some piece of
       trash.

CoC: Niden's songs are so short and seemingly unstructured. How  long
     does it take the band to write the songs?

Henke: We took two weeks to write and record the  _Impergium_  album.
       We're going to record a new album in December  I  think.  It's
       going to be kind of hard when the drummer is  up  at  Sunlight
       Studio. We have to fix it somehow.

CoC: Will it be in the same general style as _Impergium_?

Henke: Yeah, more harsh...faster.

CoC: It would be kind of hard to  be  any  faster  than  _Impergium_,
     wouldn't you say? Without using a drum machine, that is.

Henke: Oh, it can -sound- faster; it doesn't have to  be  faster.  We
       had a lot of problems when we  mixed  the  album,  because  it
       doesn't sound as fast as it is. It could sound  a  lot  faster
       though if it weren't.

CoC: Is Necropolis a good label for you? Don't you  think  they  have
     too many bands?

Henke: Yeah, they have a bit too many bands. But since Niden is  only
       a side-project band, we think  Necropolis  is  a  really  good
       label for that type of band. [Dawn is  on  Necropolis  too  --
       Drew.] They do a lot of promotion  and  stuff  like  that,  so
       that's good. We don't care about money and  stuff  like  that,
       because if we did, we wouldn't be on Necropolis.  <laughs>  No
       offense to Necropolis, but you don't see a lot of money, which
       we don't care about anyway. You know, we could make like a big
       legal thing out of all this, and get a lot of money, but who
       cares?

CoC: Do you really care if anyone likes the album, or is it  strictly
     personal to you? Is it just an outlet?

Henke: We like the music we make, since we always do black metal, and
       we think "Why should we be the only ones liking  this  music?"
       And we probably aren't [definitely aren't --  Drew].  We  hope
       that other people like it. It's cool, you know, hearing people
       talk about us and stuff like that. That's a great response.

CoC: How have the responses to _Impergium_ been so far?

Henke: I haven't seen that much, except for when we released _Towards
       Judgment_. Terrorizer thought it  was  really  good.  I  don't
       know, we don't  get  a  lot  of  those  reviews  sent  to  us,
       unfortunately. I think Necropolis is working on that as well.

CoC: So what bands are you currently into?

Henke: I don't know, In Battle is a great band. I don't  listen  much
       to black metal anymore. I've grown sick of it. I listen  to  a
       lot of alternative music like Tool, bands that can  express  a
       lot of anger, even though they don't play angry music. I don't
       like bands like Biohazard who are  really  angry;  that's  not
       cool at all. They express  it  so  graphically.  They're  just
       trying to be hard, like big and  muscular.  But  a  band  like
       Tool, they hide their anger in their lyrics, makes you  figure
       out what they want. And they seem kind of hateful to me.

CoC: What do you think of all the trends going on? First it was  just
     black metal, now there are trends popping up  within  the  genre
     itself. What's your take on this?

Henke: <laughs> Like, what kind of bands would  want  to  play  music
       that was popular like ten years ago? I don't understand  that,
       bands playing like Venom and stuff like that. Of course, there
       are bands that are kind of cool, like  Gehennah,  but  playing
       music that was made in the early 80s? That's not cool. Not for
       me.

CoC: Yep, I thought one of the goals of music  was  to  progress  and
     move forward, not to go back and rehash the same old thing.

Henke: Exactly.

CoC: What do you think of bands that just totally  switch  gears  and
     change styles ? For example, Entombed.

Henke: I hate  Entombed,  actually.  I  can't  stand  their  kind  of
       rock'n'roll attitude. They went from like  really  hard  death
       metal  guys,  really  cool  music,  and  they   released   the
       _Clandestine_  album,  and  from  there  it   went   downhill.
       _Clandestine_ sucked.  The  the  following  album  [_Wolverine
       Blues_] sucked. I saw  them  this  summer  at  a  festival  in
       Denmark, and it sucked.

CoC: How about bands like Emperor, who start  off  very  obscure  and
     "true", and now they're making videos and  are  on  labels  like
     Century Media, are breaking the top  10  in  certain  countries,
     etc. Is that a -good- thing in your view?

Henke: Yeah, that's a good thing. They can't really help it:  they're
       great,  excellent  musicians.  The  new  album  really  kills.
       Actually, I think they progressed in the  wrong  type  of  way
       from the _In the Nightside Eclipse_ album. _ItNE_  was  really
       Emperor -- lots of double bass, the vocals were more tormented
       -- and now it's more grind, there's  more  screams  and  stuff
       like  that.  I  think  Emperor  is  a  great  band,  but  they
       progressed kind of wrong.

CoC: I think that's about it. Was there anything else you  wanted  to
     talk about or mention at all?

Henke: I think it's been a great interview. It's not  often  you  get
       interviews that are really thought through. Most of  the  time
       you get interviews that  really  suck.  Great  interviews  are
       really rare, so that's cool.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                   _____  .__ ___.
                  /  _  \ |  |\_ |__  __ __  _____
                 /  /_\  \|  | | __ \|  |  \/     \
                /    |    \  |_| \_\ \  |  /  Y Y  \
                \____|__  /____/___  /____/|__|_|  /
                        \/         \/            \/
              _____                 .__
             /  _  \   _________.__.|  |  __ __  _____
            /  /_\  \ /  ___<   |  ||  | |  |  \/     \
           /    |    \\___ \ \___  ||  |_|  |  /  Y Y  \
           \____|__  /____  >/ ____||____/____/|__|_|  /
                   \/     \/ \/                      \/

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


Algaion - _General Enmity_  (Wounded Love, 1997)
by: Drew Schinzel (6 out of 10)

Wow... what a total change. Gone are the days of the Algaion we  once
knew, the one that put together high-speed forays  into  melodic  yet
still somewhat atypical black metal. Instead,  on  _General  Enmity_,
the band, led by Marten Bjorkman and  Mathias  Kamijo,  take  a  turn
towards power metal, with a lot of doomy influences, and  some  plain
metal parts. _GE_ is the definition of a hit and miss album. Melodic,
energetic tracks like "No Will Without  Fire",  "Indifference  Beyond
Misanthropy", and "The Angel of Decease" are excellent, and show  the
developments towards power metal that Algaion has  taken.  But  other
songs such as "Mangod Hold the Sceptre" and the  title  track  really
don't do much except hang around,  seemingly  without  direction  and
purpose. One of the main caveats of the album are the vocals:  to  be
blunt, they -suck-. Totally emotionless, hollow screaming / talking /
shouting (it sounds like there's some overdubbing), the vocal work is
monotone and just sounds detached and uninterested. Another  drawback
has to be the riffing. At times slicing away through quick riffs with
ease and vigor, they all too often fall into  generic  crunch-riffing
and, I suppose, "doom influenced" riffs; you  know,  the  ones  where
they hit a note and let the distortion go for a few seconds,  play  a
nother note, on and on, etc.  Boring.  Whatever  you  do,  don't  get
_General  Enmity  _  expecting  to  hear  a   melodic   black   metal
tour-de-force, as there is little to no black metal to  be  found  on
this disc. While I guess it's honorable  that  Algaion  took  a  leap
outside the norm and did their own thing, it would've been a lot more
enjoyable to listen to if it had been more  concentrated  and  better
developed.


Alien Faktor - _Arterial Spray... and Cattle Mutilations_
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (7 out of 10)  (Decibel, 1997)

Although Alien Faktor expose the listener  to  a  harshly  disturbing
jaunt through the abysses which separate one synapse from another  in
a mind tormented by neurosis and psychosis, they lack  the  essential
ability to differentiate innovations from passe notions. Each  aspect
of _Arterial Spray..._ which  develops  the  band's  somewhat  unique
vision (actually, the uninitiated  observer  can  deem  this  a  mere
hybrid of GGFH's sociopathic dementia and the frenzied hallucinations
of a Skinny Puppy, but that's neither here nor there...) is partially
negated  by  the  three  most  repugnant,  and  all  too   obtrusive,
stereotypes of the "electronic body music" (aka  "industrial  dance")
sub-genre. Can't they alter the distortion effect on  the  vocals  so
that they don't sound like Phil Anselmo? Also,  has  a  sample  which
contains either "motherfucker"  or  references  to  the  occult  ever
actually offended  anyone?  Personally,  the  frequent  samples  only
distracted me, especially during the more sedate tracks  which  might
otherwise invoke a trance state. And finally: why oh  why  must  they
use guitars? Granted, they create a bludgeoning effect, yet they also
consume the complexities and dark ambience which are  Alien  Faktor's
main selling  points.  Their  prosaic  cover  of  "Love  Under  Will"
provides a palpable manifestation of the half-assed  nature  of  this
entire album: if you plan on covering a  song  by  one  of  the  more
revolutionary of rock bands (the Fields of  the  Nephilim),  why  not
strive for an equally imaginative cover? If you're going  to  compose
horrifying music, why add  superfluities  which  only  confound  this
emotional state?


Anorexia Nervosa - _Exile_  (Season of Mist, September 1997)
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (9 out of 10)

Distressing amnios, discordant effects of suicides, some miracles  of
entrails... This is one interesting and punishing recording.  Its  51
lightless minutes comprise 13 tracks; each track belongs  to  one  of
three "cycles"; plus, each track  is  internally  divided  into  both
"sequence" (grim,  metal-industrial  battery)  and  "action"  (subtle
ambient psywarfare). The music  allies  metal's  destructive  gunnery
with industrial's tactical agility, yet without succumbing to  either
genre's cliches. (No  riff-mongering;  no  inarticulate  grunting  or
over-processed vox; no  tiresome  sampling;  no  rhythmic  monotony.)
Especially noteworthy  are  the  highly  expressive  and  imaginative
vocals, which  ceaselessly  vacillate  between  utter  dejection  and
ironfisted aggression. The songs themselves waver  likewise,  lashing
out murderously one second and begging  for  mercy  the  next,  never
gaining  balance  long  enough  to   become   predictable,   expiring
unexpectedly and leaving only insidious ambient  traces  behind.  The
ambient passages are nicely done -- never  grandiose,  always  subtly
creepy, and the more so the more closely you listen.  Highly  uncanny
structures, unrelentingly dark tones, anguished vocalizations,  weird
repetitions... Everything reinforces the impression of  a  psyche  in
thrall to its own inescapable degradation and fragmentation.  Potent,
unsettling stuff. Accessible? Not especially. Excellent? Yes.


Bloodthorn - _In the Shadow of Your Black Wings_
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (7 out of 10)  (Season of Mist, September 1997)

When you put this CD into your player,  the  display  will  read  "66
60.13". Ah, the many uses of  technology.  The  disk  contains  seven
lengthy songs of fairly laid-back, doomy metal performed  in  a  very
blackened-sounding way. I must admit, I prefer the sounds of explicit
outrage  and  defiance  to  these  doomier  tones  of  dejection  and
resignation.  Still,  there's  some  well  done  material  here.   In
particular, "Breeding the Evil Inside" is an excellent  song,  thanks
mainly to its compelling and unpredictable shifts: from Gehenna-like,
mid-paced toe-tapper,  to  icy  Burzum-esque  drones  of  melody,  to
gorgeous piano and female vocals, to majestic crunching riffs. Opener
"Embodied Core of Darkness" is catchy and melodically memorable,  and
track 66, "With a Bloodstained Axe", increases the level of  violence
a bit, quaking with bilious angst and going out in a blast of  speed.
Were the entire album as strong as these three songs, I'd surely have
rated it a bit higher. As it is, though, the record is burdened by an
excess of comparatively flat material: slow to mid-paced songs  which
definitely  contain  some  nice  moments,  but   little   interesting
development and few strong melodic hooks. Not that this is bad by any
means. All in all, it's a solid debut  effort,  with  a  refreshingly
non-trendy, honest metallic feel.


Cenotaph - _Epic Rites_  (Oz Productions, May 1996)
by: Paul Schwarz  (9 out of 10)

This band truly amazes me. This was one of last year's  best  albums.
_Epic Rites_ has an excellent, crunchy production and songs  similar,
in type and quality, to the Gothenburg greats (you know them by now).
Cenotaph, however, have a lot more to offer  than  just  rip-offs  of
their favourite bands. It's hard for me to break  down  what  I  like
about the music on this album (and believe me I've  tried),  but  the
central brilliance is the honesty with which it is played:  here  you
have a band who really LOVE their music, and their passion gives  the
songs incredible depth and resonance. If pushed, I  would  say  three
distinct things stand out of Cenotaph's musical arrangements: 1)  The
catchy yet heavy choruses and repeated song sections, 2)  the  double
bass drumming which is used sparingly but to  great  effect,  3)  the
dynamic changes within songs. This last factor will make you grin and
play air guitar during nearly every song: you'll be  listening  to  a
quiet  brooding  arpeggio,  something  will  be  spoken  softly,  and
suddenly you are greeted with a full on sound and an incredible riff.
This happens on "Crying Frost", and the effect is mirrored on various
songs on the album. This album proves that you don't have to be  from
Sweden to play this music and play it masterfully.

Contact: X-Rated Records, c/o Mathias Kietzmann
         Apdo. Postal 1-2023, Cuernavaca, Mor., C.P.62001, Mexico
         Voice/Fax: +52-73-17 44 68
         mailto:xrr@mpsnet.com.mx
         WWW: http://members.tripod.com/~xrr/index.html
         Send $14+$2, for P+P, for a copy of this album


Centinex - _Reflections_  (Diehard, February 1997)
by: Paul Schwarz  (7 out of 10)

I find albums like this very hard  to  review.  In  general,  a  band
sticking to their "roots" is a good and commendable thing.  Centinex,
however, seem unable to modify this  to  a  degree  where  it  sounds
fresh. Dismember have proved only recently that you  -can-  play  old
death metal and have it sound fresh. Centinex, on the other hand, are
still essentially playing the music of four years ago.  _Reflections_
is not a bad little  album,  though.  Centinex  do  have  an  amazing
drummer,  and  some  of  the  double  bass  rhythms  and  breaks  are
spine-tinglingly well played. The guitars can be tedious and play too
many high note  chords,  only  rarely  (such  as  on  "The  Dimension
Beyond") playing on the deeper power chords. They do, however,  write
good leads, which adds a fuller feel to their songs. If  there  is  a
central problem, it is the forced,  mechanical  feel;  the  band  are
almost -too- tight. However, if tightness is what you  need  to  pull
off drum breaks like the one on "In Pain", then it can  certainly  be
tolerated. If they loosen up in the future, Centinex could, I  think,
write some excellent music.


Dissection - _The Past Is Alive (Early Mischief)_
by: Drew Schinzel  (6.5 out of 10)  (Necropolis, Oct. 1997)

Knowing that most re-released "demos on CD" albums  are  nothing  too
special, I received _The Past is Alive_ with  restrained  enthusiasm.
Sure, it's the "new" Dissection, but how much listening value do  all
of these official demo releases really have?  The  answer  is  not  a
whole hell of a lot. Although the material on _TPIA _ has  marginally
better production than other demos (though still nothing great),  the
fact remains that you've  heard  practically  all  of  this  material
before, and in the way the band meant for you to hear it. Why  listen
to a demo version of the awesome "In the Cold Winds of Nowhere"  from
1992 with tinny production and rough playing, when you can  hear  the
spectacular version on the timeless _The Somberlain_ in  all  of  its
glory? Probably the only material on _TPIA_ that no one's ever  heard
before are the two songs  courtesy  of  the  pre-Dissection  band  so
cleverly named Satanized, but the  sound  on  these  tracks  is  just
absolutely pathetic, rendering them virtually unlistenable anyway. Of
course, that's not to say that the album is particularly  -bad-.  The
majority of the material -is-  of  pretty  good  quality,  but,  once
again, when you've got the option of throwing on two such epic  discs
as _The Somberlain_ and _Storm of the Light's  Bane_,  _The  Past  Is
Alive_ just doesn't cut it. Nostalgia trip or not, I'll  take  final,
polished versions of songs I already know any day.


Dominus - _Vol.Beat_  (Diehard, October 1997)
by: Paul Schwarz  (9 out of 10)

Dominus have braved the great and treacherous rapid of musical change
and have emerged not only unscathed but also clutching the beast from
the deep which is their third album _Vol.Beat_.  Although  ultimately
an excellent slab of metal, Dominus are skirting very  close  to  the
edge of sounding too light; still,  as  they  say,  nothing  ventured
nothing gained. _Vol.Beat_ is basically heavy, distorted rock n' roll
with various 50's samples of middle Americans talking about  rock  n'
roll as "rhythm, a feeling" and "a feeling that emanates from the pit
of hell", backing up its rock'n'roll aspects. Take Entombed's classic
_Wolverine Blues_, which dazed and confused everyone four years  ago,
take away more of the death and add even more of  the  roll  and  you
have Dominus' '97 take on the now sub-genre of death n' roll. Dominus
have gone further down that road, which Grope only recently  got  run
over on, of trying to add "groove" to their sound, and they have done
pretty well, striking the right balance between  the  death  and  the
roll, especially with respect to the vocals. Apart from rock'n'roll's
own Jabba  the  Hutt,  Dominus  have  also  paid  homage  to  a  more
traditional metal influence in the shape of the suspiciously _Seventh
Son..._ sounding riffs on "Swine For  A  While,  Pigs  For  A  Week".
_Vol.Beat_ is coming your way, and as  Vasquez  (Aliens)  would  say:
"LET'S ROCK!!!!!".


Various - _Earache Unplugged 2_  (Earache, October 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)

I see no reason to say anything other  than  that  this  is  a  great
compilation assembled by Earache. The title says this CD is where the
"New School meets The Old School," and  it  does.  This  15-track  CD
contains  material  from  older  Earache  acts  like  At  The  Gates,
Entombed, Napalm Death, and Pitchshifter, along with newer label acts
like The Haunted (ex-At The Gates and Seance members),  Iron  Monkey,
and Misery Loves Co. While the material from the 'old  school'  bands
is somewhat newer (e.g., Napalm Death contributes "Breed To  Breathe"
off of the  last  LP,  _Inside  The  Torn  Apart_,  and  Pitchshifter
includes "Underachiever" off of 1996's _Infotainment?_),  it  is  the
'new school' songs that peak one's interest. If you want to hear some
good stuff,  witness  the  intensity  and  Slayer-like  feel  of  The
Haunted's track "Undead", the absurdly weird techno  contribution  by
Ultraviolence, and the interesting song "Hippy Fascist" by Pulkas. If
you like or have liked Earache (before they got rid of most of  their
metal acts) and want to sample some of their newly signed acts, scoop
this up. And to boot, the CD is selling for the price of a CD single.
Wow! Now that's a deal.


Edge Of Sanity - _Cryptic_  (Black Mark, November 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)

Woah!! Holy shit! I thought Edge of Sanity was doomed when mastermind
Dan Swano left the band to pursue his solo career, but I  was  wrong.
_Cryptic_, which features the debut appearance of new  singer  Robert
Karlsson , is one hell of a record. Built on speed, anger,  and  pure
unadulterated brutality,  _Cryptic_  kicks  it  into  gear  from  the
blistering opener "Hell Written" and rarely loosens its grip  on  the
listener's  throat.  The  eight  new  songs  deliver  some  extremely
powerful music, and I'm very happy that this ain't a dud. So how  has
the band changed following the departure of Swano?  Well,  the  music
has lost much of its melody (as Swano fancied that sound) and is  now
a frenzied assault of riffs  and  growls  reminiscent  of  older  EoS
material such as _The Spectral  Sorrows_  or  _Purgatory  Afterglow_.
Maybe a change was needed for EoS to get back into a heavier  groove;
Swano openly stated in many interviews that he was losing interest in
EoS and wanted out. I'm giving "props" to both the new singer, Robert
Karlsson, for doing a killer job on vocals and to the rest of EoS for
continuing the life of a band whom many regard as innovators of  both
metal and extreme metal music. I'm pretty sure fans of older EoS will
easily latch onto this; _Cryptic_ is a little bit simpler  than  past
EoS works, but twice as heavy. Note: Watch for a possible first  time
ever U.S. tour for EoS in early 1998.


Epoch of Unlight - _Black and Crimson Glory_  (Y.F.L.H.D., 1997)
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (8.5 out of 10)

Three  tracks  of  unrelenting  excellence  from  a   band   with   a
razor-sharp, energetic, and distinctive  sound.  Labels  like  "black
death" come to mind here, but such grab-all terms definitely don't do
justice to the originality and musicality which abound on  this  MCD.
Early Morbid Angel provides a good point of reference -- not  because
Epoch  of  Unlight  sound  especially  Angelic,  but   because   they
demonstrate the same winning combination of  intelligence,  technical
prowess, and crafty creativity.  The  riffs  are  not  bludgeons  but
scalpels: blackish, perhaps, but with sharper edges and more  melodic
definition. (Check out the  great  riffs  in  the  brilliant  "Silver
Mistress", and you'll see what I mean.) The memorable songs all  have
lively structures with  plenty  of  engaging  changes  and  bouts  of
blasting speed -- top notch drumming,  too.  Vocals  are  done  in  a
blackened style, frequently shifting from snarls  to  more  anguished
barks as wild barbarian yarns are spun atop the  serpentine  strings.
The production is great as well. More importantly, though, the band's
overall sound is very much their own: cutting, barbed,  swift  METAL,
bristling with electrified spikes. Killer work, highly recommended.

Contact: EPOCH OF UNLIGHT, 3125 South Mendenhall
         Memphis, TN, 38115-2808, USA
         mailto:tlosicco@cc.memphis.edu
         WWW: http://www.people.memphis.edu/~tlosicco/EOU.htm


Forbidden Site - _Sturm und Drang_  (Solistitium, 1997)
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (7 out of 10)

This band is just in it for the chicks. In fact,  Forbidden  Site  is
France's equivalent of Cradle of Filth, but these Frenchmen delve far
deeper into erotic realms than those stodgy Brits  ever  could.  Love
and anguish combat in Forbidden Site's utterly  melodramatic  version
of black metal; introspective  moments  of  tranquillity,  sensuously
prolonged riffs, and operatic wails (a hybrid of Tom  G.  Warrior  on
"Mesmerized" and  Pavarotti  on  an  aphrodisiac)  are  subverted  by
descents into the depravity of breakneck, yet  never  diverging  from
the romantic melodies of  the  doomier  moments,  black  metal.  Lead
singer Romarik d'Arvycendres even totes out his  acoustic  guitar  on
"Evanescensce" and piano on "Renaissance Noire" to support his gothic
crooning without the cumbersome aid of guitars  or  drums.  Actually,
"Renaissance Noire" is the best forum for Forbidden Site's aesthetic,
and when a black metal disc's best moment arrives in the form  of  an
instrumental, you can rest assured that this is no great metal album.
While the combination of beautiful females whispering in  French  and
prolonged foreplay which attains a violent climax may equal good sex,
it only produces repulsively pretentious music: a horribly conceived,
yet, nevertheless, surprisingly well executed album -- but  not  well
enough.


Frederik Thordendal's Special Defects - _Sol Niger Within_
by: Brian Meloon  (9 out of 10)  (UAE, 1997)

This was about what I was hoping it would be: a very  unique,  heavy,
technical, and strange  disc.  For  those  of  you  who  don't  know,
Thordendal is the lead guitarist from Meshuggah. He wrote,  produced,
engineered, played bass, guitar, synths, and sang on this album.  The
remainder  of  the  instruments  were  played  by  guest   musicians,
including Mats Oberg (synth, church organ) and Morgan Agren  (drums).
Most  of  the  vocals  are  shouted  and  distorted,  sounding   very
industrial, but there are some spoken and screamed parts as well. The
music is a mix of industrial, Meshuggah-like metal, and jazz  fusion,
and it changes frequently. As usual, Thordendal comes  up  with  some
nice polyrhythmic ideas, but he beats them to death at times,  making
it a little tedious. The disc contains only  one  forty-three  minute
song, which is indexed into 29 pieces so that you can skip  ahead  in
the track (if your CD player has that feature). The first half of the
album flows very well, with virtually no real breaks  in  the  music,
but the second half seems to lose  focus  and  direction,  and  seems
almost thrown together at times. In particular, the two church  organ
pieces, the 4+ minute "Cosmic Vagina  Dentata  Organ"  and  "Magickal
Theatre .33." (which reminds me of  the  guy  from  Cradle  of  Filth
playing with winter gloves on) seem out  of  place  and  unnecessary.
Another unfortunate thing about this disc is that while the style  is
original in a metal format, Thordendal's guitar solos at times  (e.g.
"Z1-Reticuli") sound way too much like Allan Holdsworth.  In  all,  I
think this is an excellent album, breaking new ground  in  the  metal
genre, and highly recommended to those with an adventurous spirit. An
edited version of this album, featuring the most metallic  parts  and
lasting for about six minutes, is scheduled for  release  on  Nuclear
Blast.


Hazard - _Lech_  (Malignant Records, 1997)
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (8 out of 10)

Benny Nilsen has departed from the ambient industrial sound which  he
cultivated under the Morthound (one of the early Cold  Meat  Industry
bands) moniker and  begun  exploring  more  hallucinatory  and  stark
terrain under the  title  of  Hazard.  On  _Lech_,  Nilsen  distances
himself from the homogenized mass of "isolationist ambient" purveyors
by augmenting the typical menagerie of morose drones and  waves  with
more tangible sounds, such as vocal fragments, organ notes, and  even
a pseudo-Egyptian melody on one track. _Lech_  is  also  structurally
dynamic, although this sometimes results in an awkward segue from one
sonic pattern to the next and a few superfluous and anomalous sounds.
Despite a few incongruous or bland moments -- as should  be  expected
from an album  of  this  minimal  nature  --  Nilsen  has  created  a
soundscape which  contains  more  than  enough  variety  and  forward
movement to enthrall the listener.


Hexenhaus - _Dejavoodoo_  (Black Mark, 1997)
by: Brian Meloon  (8 out of 10)

Hexenhaus return with a new offering, picking up  pretty  much  right
where they left off with their _Awakening_ release (1991). For  those
who aren't familiar with them,  Hexenhaus  play  a  pretty  technical
brand of standard progmetal, with the usual  melodic  vocal  stylings
and punchy guitars. They've updated their style somewhat,  but  there
are still a lot of  similarities  with  their  late-80s  incarnation.
Their music is heavier than most "progressive metal" these  days,  as
well as being more technical (in the acrobatic sense). They have some
nice rhythmic ideas including some off-time parts, as  well  as  some
Cacophony-like lead guitar dueling and harmonizing.  The  playing  is
good, with an especially impressive  performance  by  guitarist  Mike
Wead (Abstrakt Algebra, Memento Mori), and solid,  precise  drumming.
There are seven songs, of which only "From the Cradle to  the  Grave"
(a slow, spooky sounding piece) drags. It's one  of  the  few  pieces
which use keyboards, as they typically go for a  more  stripped-down,
simpler approach. The production is clean and appropriate  for  their
style. Overall, this is a pretty solid offering, and should appeal to
those searching for something more aggressive than  the  usual  wimpy
stuff that's passed off as "progressive" these days.


Horna - _Hiidentorni_  (Solistitium, 1997)
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (3 out of 10)

What have we got here? Whoa Satan, it's a mediocre black metal  disc!
After listening to the whole album, I wanted more and I couldn't  get
enough! I wanted more riffs repeated over and  over  and  over  again
until they lost all of their meaning! That "variety" concept has been
beaten to death, why not completely avoid the  trend?  Anyway,  isn't
the whole point of black  metal  to  invoke  suicidal  thoughts,  and
doesn't mindless repetition  accomplish  this  better  than  anything
else? And dude, listen to those vocals! Damn, those are grim,  barely
perceptible, and damned annoying all at the same time!  I'd  like  to
see a "good" band succeed at that mix!  And  don't  fucking  rap  and
techno bands try to suck a good drum  sound  from  their  production?
Fuck black music! Hell, why not provide the  antithesis:  a  tin  can
collision? In summation: this is avoidable.


Hypocrisy - _The Final Chapter_  (Nuclear Blast, October 1997)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (9 out of 10)

Will this be Hypocrisy's final chapter? The information about the end
of Hypocrisy has been contradictory,  and  I  remain  unsure  whether
Hypocrisy's mastermind, Peter Tagtgren, will indeed dedicate his time
to other projects, thus leaving Hypocrisy, or not.  Anyway,  for  the
time being, at least Hypocrisy have  released  another  great  album,
good enough  to  rival  the  ground-shaking  _Abducted_.  _The  Final
Chapter_ shows a lot of  diversity:  Tagtgren's  voice  changes  from
track to track,  ranging  from  deep  death  vox  to  _Abducted_-like
screams to some clean vocals, and the pace changes accordingly.  Some
tracks remind me of _Abducted_ (as  one  would  expect),  while  some
others subtly bring new elements to their sound, such as an  increase
of doom influences. (And Hypocrisy seem to know that doom  influences
go -far- beyond the mediocrity of simply slowing down the  riffs,  as
some careful listeners may notice.) The assortment of styles in _TFC_
just won't let you get bored for an instant in this nearly 55  minute
long work. While none of the tracks stand out as being as great as my
favourite from _Abducted_, the ripping "Killing Art", most  of  _TFC_
is at least as good as their previous album, and often even better --
only a  couple  of  tracks  aren't  so  brilliant  (especially  "Evil
Invaders", which wasn't  written  by  Hypocrisy).  Featuring  another
absolutely polished and powerful production by Tagtgren,  _The  Final
Chapter_ is, in almost every way, the kind of follow-up to _Abducted_
I wanted it to be.


Split CD:
 Insatanity - _Vengeance from Beyond the Grave_  (8 out of 10)
 Immortal Suffering - _Images of Horror_  (6 out of 10)
    by: Steve Hoeltzel  (Mortal Coil Records, 1997)

INSATANITY: Solid, Suffocation-styled death metal  with  emphasis  on
dark,  twisting  structures  and  twitch-of-the-death-nerve  rhythms.
These six tracks have definitely prompted to  me  to  look  upon  the
band's debut release (_Divine Decomposition_) with renewed respect. I
think the  new  material  is  a  bit  let  down  by  slightly  watery
production, but it's no big calamity -- the sound could be  stronger,
but it still comes across well. Anyway, the songs are damn heavy  and
boast challenging structures: in order to grasp the threads that bind
together the countless stomping,  charging,  flailing  sections,  you
have to really pay attention. The hooks are buried deep --  but  bite
down hard, oh subterranean  swimmer,  and  you  shall  taste  many  a
razor-sharp steel barb. And dig the surprise bursts of ripping  black
metal! Great stuff.
IMMORTAL SUFFERING: These guys also play  songs  containing  tons  of
different parts and frequent shifts in speed. They're heavy,  and  of
course they occasionally sound quite "sick", but  their  songs  often
seem like essentially random  collections  of  parts:  clomp,  blast,
thud, clomp, ding... next song, blast, clomp, ding, thud, thud... and
so on. Not that these guys  suck;  they're  just  not  bringing  much
musical flair to the style -- yet.  The  last  two  songs  definitely
demonstrate some real rip-it-up potential, so hopefully they'll  keep
getting stronger. NOTE:  All  the  graphics  for  this  CD  were  put
together on a Mac. Total trueness!


Malignant Eternal - _Far Beneath the Sun_
by: Steve Hoeltzel  (8 out of 10)  (Napalm Records, October 1997)

Part of me would really like to heap  scorn  all  over  this  record,
since it's yet another milestone in the inevitable but heart-breaking
de-clawing of black metal.  Another  polished,  easy-access  slab  of
slick, smooth metal, cloaked in prudently laundered black raiment:  a
gorgeous robe, crafted of the pelts of wolves -- but beneath it is no
emperor, and wolves had to die in its making. Honestly: I think  this
"light" style of black metal is utterly weak  when  compared  to  the
(ahem) true purveyors of the  style:  Abigor,  Behemoth,  Darkthrone,
ULVER, Morgul, Mayhem, Isvind, Diaboli... But I'm not sure  Malignant
Eternal ever asked to be compared to those bands, and on  a  strictly
musical level, this is a very strong release. Perhaps it will not  be
very pleasing to other crusty SOBs like me, who like their metal best
when it's fresh from the teats of the goat.  But  if  you  enjoy  the
likes of Old Man's Child or the newer Dimmu  Borgir,  this  band  may
well blow you away.  The  riff  blast  that  opens  "Daemon  Song"...
damn... much as I'd like to slag it --  turned  up  loud,  it's  very
powerful stuff. (Why they chose the corny "The Reaper"  to  open  the
album instead of this song, I have no idea.) Malignant  Eternal  have
more musical substance than more "pop"-structured stuff like the  new
Dimmu  Borgir:  most  songs  incorporate  interesting   breaks   into
unexpected passages, sharp shifts in timing,  etc.  The  title  track
features cool sudden stops, especially toward the finish,  where  the
song halts, cracks up, then crystallizes: torrent,  trickle,  icicle.
And the final song, "Glory", is done with real musical flair. There's
some imaginative, spacey synth work, too. I could go on  saying  nice
things, but the point is that of the  "light"  black  metal  releases
I've heard, this is probably the best in terms of overall  musicality
and quality production. At any rate, it ranks up there with the first
Old Man's Child record, an articulate  and  atmospheric  METAL  album
which preceded the  current  trend.  This,  too,  is  articulate  and
atmospheric, with great performances and  a  gleaming,  multi-layered
sound. It's not the most "Malignant" thing I've ever heard,  by  far,
but this has quality that can't be denied.


Mayhem - _Wolf's Lair Abyss_  (Misanthropy, Halloween 1997)
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (10 out of 10)

At first glance, this new incarnation  of  Mayhem  appears  to  be  a
completely new beast,  yet  the  remaining  members  of  Mayhem  have
discarded none of the  metaphysical  qualities  which  abounded  from
their music before the death of Euronymous. The Mayhem aesthetic  has
diverged from the internalized sorrow and loathing manifested in  the
searing repetition and stark melodies of _De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas_;
on _Wolf's Lair Abyss_, this misanthropy has reverted back  into  the
primal rage of _Deathcrush_  or  _Pure  Fucking  Armageddon_.  Unholy
violence once again  seeps  from  the  music,  for  Mayhem  not  only
perpetuates the intensity of, for example, "Buried By Time and  Dust"
through an entire mini-CD, but also  has  adopted  a  wall  of  sound
approach. Thus, each track now mercilessly bludgeons the listener  as
an  interminable  procession  of  morose,  yet  brutal,   riffs   and
Hellhammer's demonic  percussion  lacerate  the  feeble  soul.  Also,
Euronymous'   replacement,   Blasphemer,   arguably    exceeds    the
compositional  skill  of  his  predecessor:  Blashphemer  effectively
invokes an equally wide range of moods in each  track  as  Euronymous
did on an entire album.  No  black  metal  band  (with  the  possible
exception of  Burzum)  ever  captured  the  tormented  melancholy  of
Mayhem's previous material, thus the return of  Mayhem  to  its  most
infernal form should be exalted (so much so, in  fact,  that  I  will
neglect to  mention  the  album's  foibles,  such  as  the  sometimes
ludicrous, sometimes haunting vocalizations of Maniac and the  rushed
production which causes distortion in Hellhammer's cymbal work).


Misanthrope - _Visionnaire_  (Holy Records, September 1997)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)

Since it is produced by Fredrik Nordstrom at the  Fredman  Studio  in
Gothenburg, Sweden, and features  guest  work  from  vocalist  Anders
Friden and guitarist Jesper Stromblad (both from In  Flames)  on  two
tracks, _Visionnaire_ does have a Gothenburg feel to it  despite  the
fact that Misanthrope  is  French.  _Visionnaire_  is  also  somewhat
similar to Dark Tranquillity, but, ultimately, it's the  mix  of  all
these Swedish influences with Misanthrope's very own sound that makes
this album what it is -- out of the  ordinary,  and  with  a  lot  of
creativity and musical flair.  Weighing  in  at  nearly  64  minutes,
_Visionnaire_ seems to make a point out of  surprising  the  listener
every once in a while, through sudden (and extreme) changes  of  pace
or style. I like this album best during the fastest  parts  --  blast
beat double-bass drumming  and  extremely  fast,  wild,  yet  melodic
keyboards while the guitars and bass hold  on  very  well.  But  then
Misanthrope will go back to a slower melodic passage,  chorus,  doomy
sequence,  instrumental  part,   or   whatever   might   be   next...
_Visionnaire_ never ceases to surprise you, and seldom  does  any  of
this seem out of place. The vocals are similar to the  Swedish  metal
bands mentioned above; however, while half the  tracks  are  sung  in
French, the vocals sung in  English  sound  like  French  as  well...
_Visionnaire_ seems to break with at least some of Misanthrope's past
(of which I know little), and everything  seems  to  have  been  well
planned and executed.


Misery Loves Co. - _Not Like Them_  (Earache, October 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley  (6 out of 10)

Like many of the releases I have reviewed in this  issue,  change  is
apparent on the second effort from Swedish industrial metal purveyors
Misery Loves Co. While the band's self-titled debut was a  detonating
blast of complex industrial tunes  meshed  with  sinister  riffs  and
distorted vocals, _Not Like Them_ breaks  away  from  the  anger  and
frustration of their debut; _NLT_  caters  more  to  experimentation,
unique sounds, and melody. I've got mixed feelings about  the  second
effort. While, at times, I do miss the heaviness of the band's music,
-- though heaviness can be found  on  _NLT_  --  I  must  admit  that
singer/programmer/guitarist Patrick Wiren's talent at sculpting songs
around melody and riffs is quite impressive. Even the use of acoustic
guitars on numerous tracks raised my brow. I do not hate this record,
though I do feel the band may have wanted me to believe that I  would
be pummeled with heaviness on album number two, but the band lost  me
once they shed their industrial/sample  feel  and  went  for  a  more
guitar-oriented sound. It's also a little  soft  at  times.  I'll  be
okay, even though I am feeling a little cheated.


Nattvindens Grat - _Chaos Without Theory_  (Solistitium, 1997)
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (6 out of 10)

I always do my best to avoid even looking at,  let  alone  analyzing,
album and song titles, but Nattvindens Grat  has  committed  consumer
fraud by entitling their album _Chaos  Without  Theory_.  Although  I
didn't frivolously consume any seconds of thought  by  deciphering  a
theory within this foray into paganized NWOBHM, the album  completely
lacks any semblance of "chaos". Actually, this is the  least  chaotic
metal album that I've heard in quite a while.  (You  might  then  ask
yourself, "Well,  why  is  this  being  reviewed  in  _Chronicles  of
Chaos_?" Damned if I know...) Since this fact needs a reiteration  or
two: every aspect of this album, from  the  start  and  stop  riffing
patterns   to   the   verse-chorus-verse-chorus-guitar    solo-chorus
structure, is perfectly linear. Isn't NG a group of deceptive  little
bastards? Now that we all agree upon that fact,  NG  has  produced  a
competent  simulacra  of  Paradise   Lost's   recent   synthesis   of
pseudo-goth and  power  metal.  Although  memorable  melodies  appear
throughout, the album eventually falters due to  the  overly  buoyant
mood and limited vocal range of the  singer.  Personally,  they  also
need to inject some chaos into their music.


Niden Div. 187 - _Impergium_  (Necropolis, September 1997)
by: Drew Schinzel  (9 out of 10)

Once again, the musical embodiment of total violence  and  aggression
returns, in the form of Niden  Div.  187.  After  proving  with  last
year's MCD _Towards Judgment_ that they were among the fiercest bands
on the planet, ND187 further entrench themselves with _Impergium_,  a
26 minute bludgeoning of total fucking speed, hate,  and  yes,  great
music. Usually we  connect  the  description  "hyperspeed  nihilistic
black metal" with the phrase "unskilled, unstructured piece  of  shit
for music." Not so with ND187:  with  members  of  Dawn,  A  Canorous
Quintet,  and  Thy  Primordial  handling  the  reigns,  this  quartet
certainly is  lacking  neither  in  playing  nor  composing  ability.
Indeed, what we get are ten tracks  of  some  of  the  most  extreme,
anti-trend, conflagrational whirlwinds of musical chaos  that  anyone
has ever heard. Niden Div. 187 is not music for  meek  ears;  if  you
thought that the riffing on the latest Dream Theater album  was  just
too harsh for your tastes, ND187 probably won't be up your alley. The
machine-gun sound  of  the  drums,  courtesy  of  our  friend  Morth,
combined with the razor-edged riffing  of  Leo  Pignon  and  horribly
tortured vocals by Henke Forss,  constitute  an  unyielding  wall  of
sound that begs for your attention. Unfortunately, as a result of the
similar structure of every song  (read:  total  blast  almost  entire
album), things predictably get a little samey, though  never  boring.
However, this is never really a problem, considering  the  songs  are
all in the one to four minute range.  Besides  which,  the  incisive,
scythe-like riffing and haunting  samples  (check  out  track  eight,
"Hate") more than over shadow this slight  detractor.  Basically,  if
crushing, ultra-fast blackened death metal is what you're after,  the
vitriolic compositions of Niden Div. 187 should more than suffice.


Obtained Enslavement - _Witchcraft_  (Wounded Love, 1997)
by: Drew Schinzel  (10 out of 10)

Before I get on to the meat of this review, let me just say that if I
sound a little -too- enthusiastic about this album, excuse me, but  I
am still under the spell of Obtained Enslavement, as I have been ever
since the joyous day that this little disc  of  musical  magnificence
appeared  miraculously  in  my  mailbox.  The   words   to   describe
_Witchcraft_  come  one  after   another:   atmospheric,   grandiose,
orchestral, melodic, superb, devastating, symphonic... all  of  these
and more fit nicely in this situation, but mere  words  alone  cannot
truly  describe  the  complete  near-perfection   recorded   therein.
Obtained Enslavement have created a fifty-one minute opus of  totally
fantastic,  atmospheric,   layered   black   metal   so   lush   with
instrumentation, melody, and orchestration as to almost  leap  beyond
the simple, constricting boundaries of "black metal" into a whole new
realm of musical experience. As with most  similar  bands,  keyboards
play a huge part here, but as opposed to many  bands  of  their  ilk,
Obtained Enslavement never rely on a single type of  sound  from  the
keyboard; instead, the sounds range from  your  typical  black  metal
whispy keys, to near full orchestra simulation, to piano, to  baroque
harpsichord, to -- well, you get the picture. Speaking of piano, that
brings to mind the two keyboard instrumentals  on  _Witchcraft_,  the
intro and outro. These go  far  beyond  typical  intros  and  outros,
however, and into complex works with personalities all their own,  as
the intro is three and a half minutes, and the outro is five  minutes
in duration. Showing OE's obvious musical training, the  final  piece
is reminiscent of Chopin's piano prelude works, though a bit  longer.
Since OE are basically unknown even  in  black  metal  circles  (even
though this is their second album), some comparison  to  other  bands
may be helpful in this case, and I can't avoid comparing  them  to  a
cohesive mixture of Arcturus, Dismal Euphony, Dimmu Borgir,  Emperor,
Ulver, Limbonic  Art  and  Satyricon,  except  _Witchcraft_  contains
elements far above and beyond even  those  eminent  bands.  Blazingly
fast drumming (though never too fast  for  its  own  good),  melodic,
wandering guitars, perfect synth, excellent composition --  what  the
hell else is needed? Though there have been a  bunch  of  great  ones
this year, I have to say that _Witchcraft_ gets  my  vote  for  black
metal album of the year, hands down.


Orphyx - _Fragmentation_  (Malignant Records, 1996)
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (5.5 out of 10)

Upon reaching a fork in the road  of  industrial  music,  Orphyx  has
decided to follow  the  non-option  by  meandering  in  between  both
pathways. Yet the  industrial  gods  have  set  a  trap  within  this
non-path; thus Orphyx, who apparently  wandered  directly  into  this
discreet hazard, is now left dangling between  two  polar  universes:
the  hyper-realistic  discordant  clangs,  rebellious  shrieks,   and
annihilated drones of Brighter Death Now (circa _The Slaughterhouse_)
and the "minimalist" (Lull, Inanna, etc.) attempt to lacerate reality
via poisoned air and shocking twists.  In  other  words,  this  is  a
menagerie of incongruities. Orphyx evade coherence by juxtaposing the
breakneck percussion of "Tanha" (the worst song  on  the  album:  the
percussion moves at such a quick pace that the beats congeal  into  a
singular mass of puerile popping  sounds);  the  pulsating,  rumbling
light noise of "Pathogenesis"; and the surprisingly  dynamic  minimal
ambiance of "Words Once Spoken", before a cataclysmic blast of noise,
akin to a sedated Masonna,  inverts  the  previous  foray  into  pure
ambiance.  Orphyx  strive  toward   coagulating   such   antagonistic
particles through the twelve tracks of _Fragmentation_, which creates
a fragmented vision and negates the  possibility  of  sustaining  any
emotional content throughout an entire track. The  album  is  neither
here nor there, violent nor passive, dark nor light.


Overkill - _From The Underground And Below_  (CMC/BMG, 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)

While I have been a fan of this veteran thrash metal outfit since the
early days (during _The Years Of Decay_ era), I will  honestly  admit
to not being fond of Overkill's newer  material,  with  the  possible
exception of 1993's cool _I  Hear  Black_  LP.  That  is  why  I  was
surprised at how much I liked the band's latest record, _FtUaB_. This
record seems to have once again ignited the spark of this quintet  by
adding a bit of life to a musical style which seemed  to  be  growing
stale. While the music found here may not break  entirely  away  from
the thrash sound which Overkill has given  us  over  the  years,  the
music definitely has a 90s metallic  influence  (i.e.  Machine  Head,
Fear Factory) within the album, which has helped  make  this  a  more
pleasurable listen. New guitarists Sebastian Marino  and  Joe  Comeau
help keep things fresh and singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth  has  never
sounded so angry and frayed. Overkill are still pumping  it  out  and
improving as we head into the year 2000.


Pathos - _Hoverface_  (Black Mark, October 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

Fans of  progressive  metal  acts  like  Nevermore,  Iced  Earth,  or
Savatage will most likely be fascinated by the sounds  and  style  of
Swedish metallers Pathos. The debut album by this quintet is full  of
great riffs and a lot of creative songwriting. From start to  finish,
_Hoverface_ glides with the greatest of  ease  and  lets  loose  some
nifty guitar playing and strong vocal harmonies. Reminiscent  of  the
first  Nevermore  record  and  the  heaviness  of  vintage  Savatage,
_Hoverface_ explores a realm of music that so few  can  create  while
sounding fresh and innovative. As those who follow this  genre  know,
many who attempt this style sound as  though  they  are  cloning  the
genre's stereotypes -- this band does not. The key to the success  of
this  outing  is  singer  Stephan  Carlsson's  great   voice,   which
compliments the music quite well. Also, I would  be  a  fool  to  not
mention the exquisite guitar duties provided by both  Lennart  Specht
and Daniel Antonsson. What a great duo! A strong debut  effort  where
everything seems to click properly together.


Rotting Christ - _A Dead Poem_  (Century Media, October 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)

I guess times and styles do change,  for  Rotting  Christ  sure  have
changed; I never expected to hear catchy riffs and memorable melodies
coming from any Rotting Christ LP. Fans of the  band  who  have  been
following them from their brutally raw and dark debut full-length LP,
_Thy Mighty Contract_ (released in 1993  on  Osmose)  [or,  for  that
matter, _Passage to Arcturo_, which  was  released  before  _TMC_  --
ed.], know that Rotting Christ has always been about power, strength,
and an almost invincible  quality  which  augments  their  music  and
momentum. Even though the band's style (a blend of black, death,  and
doom metal) has evolved over the years (as was  fully  chronicled  on
1996's powerful _Triarchy Of Lost Lovers_ ), they still kept the  raw
and masterful approach to their music intact.  But  all  has  changed
now. The band's latest LP, _A Dead Poem_, overflows with catchy parts
which inject a slight commercial feel into the album and, in the end,
cause it to lose a bit of that true underground feel that they always
radiated. While many may see these changes as a  bad  thing,  it  has
allowed the band to break away from  the  typical  black/death  metal
sound they have been seen as and become more of an intriguing listen.
The music here is well orchestrated and masterfully  crafted  into  a
strong package  of  material.  Standout  tracks  include  "Among  Two
Storms", "Full Colour Is The Night", and "Out Of Spirits." If you are
into this band and can accept change, then pick this up. It's great.


Sacramentum - _The Coming Of Chaos_  (Century Media, September 1997)
by: Paul Schwarz, 8 tracks = (6 out of 10); 9th track = (4 out of 10)

This album's greatest achievement is its production: it remains clear
while retaining the brutality of the music.  The  production  is  the
only part, however, which is top class.  The  most  accurate  way  to
describe the music would be: black metal with melody (e.g. Old  Man's
Child) mixed with retro death/thrash (e.g. Swordmaster). This is  not
one of those albums you can just classify, throw on a pile and leave,
though; Sacramentum have dug deeper  into  their  musical  soul  than
that. Their combining of many different  styles  and  sounds  into  a
single song  is  commendable  and  highlights  their  proficiency  as
musicians. Though technically impressive, this fruit salad  of  riffs
doesn't lead to very good songs. The lack of variation in the vocals,
which change only to deliver brief speeches, doesn't  compliment  the
music at all. On the whole: some songs are good and some are  boring;
none are awful, but similarly none are  brilliant.  A  truly  average
album then? It would be, but there is a twist to this tale. 9  tracks
/ 50 minutes, 8 tracks / 37 minutes. The last track is 13 minutes  of
reverberated  sound  and   "atmosphere",   the   result   of   severe
keyboard/sampler overindulgence. If you play this as an  8  track  37
minute album, it isn't half bad; if you have the stamina to listen to
all of it... then you get bored a lot less easily than I do.


Sadist - _Crust_  (Displeased, October 1997)
by: Paul Schwarz  (2 out of 10)

I originally thought _Crust_ was "new and innovative" and that  if  I
expanded my mind I'd understand it. I realised that, in fact,  it  is
just crap. Sadist have "daringly" tried to mix the downtuned riffs of
the likes of Korn and  Coal  Chamber  with  gothic/darkwave  keyboard
parts; an interesting idea, but a horrible reality. Like other bands'
new albums (Christ Agony, Sacramentum, Grope), _Crust_  also  suffers
from appalling raspy vocals  which  are  neither  extreme  nor  good.
Tribal drumming on "Instinct" and slap bass work on "Fools and Dolts"
are the only standouts on what is basically  a  confused,  incoherent
and plain idiotic sounding album. The band's claims of "sickness" are
not possible to verify without a lyric sheet, and besides, judging by
the made-to-offend song titles ("Perversion Lust Orgasm" and "I  Rape
You"), they're only saying it for the publicity. Ignore  Sadist.  The
only sick thing here is that people wasted time and  money  recording
this.


Scar Tissue - _TMOTD_  (21st Circuitry Records, 1997)
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (8 out of 10)

By ever so slightly expanding the established parameters  of  archaic
industrial music, Scar Tissue has created an  occasionally  pummeling
album. While _TMOTD_ stands in the same evolutionary position as  the
ten to fifteen year old material of the likes of Memorandum  or  SPK,
the desolation of this album transcends the  ferocity  and  emotional
depth of the ambiance generated by most of Scar Tissue's forefathers.
Beneath the traditionally monolithic and demonic rhythms lurk  subtle
dissonance, deep drones, and fragmented voice samples which reiterate
the antagonism between human will and its  subjugating  forces  of  a
mechanistic persuasion. Unfortunately, the percussion  on  the  first
three tracks veers into the realm of techno vapidity, and Scar Tissue
doesn't establish an equilibrium between techno and ambient  until  a
third of the way into the album. The tempo and tone of the percussion
rarely alter, thus an exorbitant  amount  of  background  sounds  are
needed to imbue the music with its depth.  After  these  first  three
tracks, Scar Tissue catapult the industrialized techno genre into  an
ambient realm of enigma and vitality populated only by Autechre.


Shub-Niggurath - _The Kinglike Celebration_
by: Paul Schwarz  (5 out of 10)  (Oz Productions, July 1997)

The first thing that needs to be said is that despite their name  and
(slightly tacky) album title, Shub-Niggurath are not a  "we  recorded
it in our wardrobe" black metal band; there is more  to  their  music
than just the "blasphemy" which they and their press  release  go  on
about. This is not to say that  Shub-Niggurath  are  lacking  in  the
blast beats and inaudible vocals department, but  their  delivery  is
more calculated than a lot of the terrible  bands  who  inhabit  this
genre without any talent and a lot of old Bathory and  Venom  albums.
Tracks such as "Abomination of Ancient Gods" show that this band know
how to construct songs and not simply bore the  listener  with  their
"extremity". Although all this puts Shub-Niggurath safely  above  the
bottom of the barrel, it still doesn't make  them  anything  special.
There is nothing on _A Kinglike Celebration_ which is new and, unless
you have listened to extremely little good black/death metal, nothing
which will really impress you: there are a LOT of bands who play this
kind of music better, but as far as playing this kind of  music  goes
Shub-Niggurath don't do a terrible job.

Contact: X-Rated Records, c/o Mathias Kietzmann
         Apdo. Postal 1-2023, Cuernavaca, Mor., C.P.62001, Mexico
         Voice/Fax: +52-73-17 44 68
         mailto:xrr@mpsnet.com.mx
         WWW: http://members.tripod.com/~xrr/index.html
         Send $14+$2, for P+P, for a copy of this album


Thy Grief - _The Frozen Tomb of Mankind_  (Solistitium, 1997)
by: Andrew Lewandowski  (9 out of 10)

With each tormented melody and scream, Thy Grief  evokes  the  entire
emotional spectrum of despair. No stone, oscillating  from  crippling
loneliness to pugnacious anger, is left  untouched.  Thy  Grief  also
uses every form of black metal as they reap  the  optimum  amount  of
emotion from each  second:  most  of  the  songs  are  mid-paced  and
emphasize technical skill (although they never ostentatiously  flaunt
it) and  blackened  melodies,  yet  they  also  skillfully  alternate
between arcane  dirges  and  brutal  frenzies.  Thy  Grief  has  also
discerned the equilibrium separating abuse  and  transience  of  each
riff and keyboard passage, a rarity for a novice band. Granted,  they
have a few discernible similarities to their peers (for example,  the
ending of "Da Morket Omfavnet Meg" sounds as if Thy Grief usurped  it
from "I Am the Black Wizards"), and no track  equals  the  grandiose,
Wagnerian fury of the opener, but  this  Norwegian  quartet  has  the
potential to become one of the scene's best bands.


Transcendence - _Eternal Stream_  (Gaia Disk, January 1997)
by: Paul Schwarz  (8 out of 10)

For me this is an unusual occurrence. Usually  I  don't  like  albums
with "nice" voices, not on principle, just  by  chance  and  personal
taste. In this respect,  _Eternal  Stream_,  the  first  in  an  epic
trilogy, is  special.  To  explain  this  band's  musical  direction,
however, is not as hard as the press release would suggest. They  are
following similar lines to what music I have heard of other  projects
also involving female vocalists (e.g. The 3rd and the  Mortal,  Storm
and The Gathering). There is a lot  of  very  talented  singing  from
Sebrina Lipari, and also from male vocalist Philippe Coupal, and like
the above mentioned bands the  singing  meshes  with  the  music  and
doesn't sound forced. What is more surprising  than  the  mixture  of
keyboards, acoustics and female vocals is how  "metal"  Transcendence
are. On much of the album the guitars and drums  contain  themselves,
but  then  they  burst  out  from  the  background  to   prove   that
Transcendence can handle dynamics. "Pawn of Prophecy"'s  solo  sounds
like Iron  Maiden,  and  the  use  of  double  bass  drumming,  which
punctuates  many  parts  of  the  album,  is  both  appropriate   and
diversifying. This band push the tired gothic/folk metal  sound  just
that bit further, and the result is truly refreshing.


Turmoil - _Anchor_  (Century Media, October 1997)
by: Adrian Bromley  (6 out of 10)

While I was ambivalent about the band's 1996 debut LP, _From Bleeding
Hands_,  because  of  its  monotonous  hardcore  meets  metal  sound,
_Anchor_ has aroused my interest. Sounding a lot heavier and more  in
control of the music's groove and flow than its predecessor, _Anchor_
-- thanks in part to singer John Gula's more  intense  death/hardcore
vocals -- this Pennsylvania quintet kicks into gear from the  opening
assault of "Staring Back". Striking blows come courtesy of Turmoil as
the band delivers fourteen rough 'n' raw numbers for us to  mosh  to.
But like their previous record -- and most other  hardcore/metal  LPs
-- it gets old after a while, and the listener loses interest as  the
record carries on. I do not know why that is, but it always seems  to
happen for me. Nonetheless, _Anchor_ is a good LP; not a CD  I  would
put on daily, but something I might crank to release some frustration
every once in a while.


Vergelmer - _Light the Black Flame_  (Cacophonous, 1997)
by: Drew Schinzel  (8 out of 10)

Now that retro metal is and has been in full  swing  for  some  time,
it's nice to see a band that is following an -old- trend,  for  once.
No, Vergelmer don't deserve such sarcasm, because,  although  fitting
quite  nicely  into  the  melodic  black  metal  mold,  they  do   it
-extremely-  well.  If  you've  ever  heard  anything  of  this  kind
(Dissection, some older Marduk, Naglfar, The  Darksend,  etc.),  then
you  know  exactly  what  to  expect.  Mostly  fast  songs  (although
Vergelmer  have  a  few  longer  mid-paced  sections  as  well)  with
predominantly high-pitched,  melodic  guitars  and  throatily  rasped
vocals dominate the material here, with some acoustic parts thrown in
for good  measure.  Myself  being  a  huge  fan  of  this  style  (an
understatement), I have a hard time finding much  wrong  with  _Light
the Black Flame_; there're no real serious detractors that  ruin  the
pure listening enjoyment. However, there are a couple of things  that
do dampen the experience a bit: for one, sometimes the songs are just
too damned long and repetitive. What starts off as a  kick-ass  track
quickly turns tedious when the same  section  is  repeated  over  and
over, especially annoying with the mid-paced  songs.  Also,  just  as
mentioned before, _LtBF_ is completely and totally derivative of  all
preceding it, there's not an original concept to be  found  here.  No
surprises, no experimentation. Vergelmer give you  what  you  expect,
and  don't  go  much  further.  That  said,  if   sharply   produced,
well-played, melodic black metal is your craving, Verlgelmer is where
it's at.

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

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:   ***** -- A flawless demo
            **** -- Great piece of work
             *** -- Good effort
              ** -- A major overhaul is in order
               * -- A career change is advisable


Beauty - _Buried With the Sky_  (3-track demo)
by: Brian Meloon  (****-)

Beauty's latest demo includes three more songs  from  the  _Automatic
Killfest_ sessions, including two of  my  favorites,  "Fragment"  and
"Mute". As with their self-titled demo (see CoC #14),  the  music  is
heavy industrial metal, with distorted,  shouted  vocals,  plenty  of
samples, and a dense, layered sound. These three tracks are a  little
more straightforward than the three on their previous demo,  although
the inclusion of female soprano vocals in  "Fragment"  is  especially
unique and interesting, especially when contrasted with the  blasting
industrial metal underneath.  The  drum  programming  is  very  good,
avoiding the simplistic, repetitive use  of  patterns  that  typifies
industrial. The song structures are a combination of  radical  shifts
in tempo and style (soft/loud, slow/fast, etc) and smooth development
sections, leaving you guessing as to what will come next. The playing
is good, though not flashy, and the production is  excellent,  though
everything is covered by a thick layer of  (intentional)  distortion.
This is another strong demo, and hopefully will attract serious label
attention.

Contact: BEAUTY, P.O. Box 316, Oakton, VA, 22124
         mailto:beauty@his.com
         WWW: http://www.his.com/beauty


Castigate - _Plectrum Loveless Method_  (5-track demo)
by: Paul Schwarz  (***--)

Castigate have potential, and that potential can be heard lurking  on
this demo, but it is only potential as yet. Castigate have  tapped  a
good sound and haven't made the mistake of limiting themselves.  They
have incorporated acoustic instruments, female vocals, sound effects,
and a cacophony of bells. This is all well and good, but  Castigate's
problem seems to be getting the songs  structured  right:  the  first
song sounds pasted together, and none  of  the  elements  really  mix
satisfactorily. "Where's the  potential,  then?"  you  may  ask.  The
potential is on songs like "Sleepless Channels", where  they  get  it
right, and in the choice of an outro: the strange sound of a laughing
baby.

Contact: Fadzil, Lot 243, KG.Kangkar Tebrau, 8110, Johor Bahru,
         Johor, Malaysia
         Send: $5 for a copy of this demo


Catarrh - _Nightflight_  (4-track demo)
by: Paul Schwarz  (****_)

Catarrh create a dark, brooding mix of death, raw black,  thrash  and
doom, but also add in their own idiosyncratic twist in the form of  a
strange sound which appears a number of times  and  in  a  number  of
different forms. It sounds like  feedback,  panpipes,  and  screaming
mixed into one. Although sometimes hard on the ears, it works well in
setting Catarrh apart from  the  pack.  The  overall  production  and
especially the vocal production need work; both are a bit  muddy  and
take some potential impact from  the  music.  With  their  production
straightened out, Catarrh could certainly be on the way to  making  a
name for themselves.

Contact: Fadzil, Lot 243, KG.Kangkar Tebrau, 8110, Johor Bahru,
         Johor, Malaysia
         Send: $5 for a copy of this demo


Cephalectomy - _Gateway To The Gods_  (3-track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley  (***--)

I'm pleasantly surprised by this material from the young Nova  Scotia
death metal/grind trio Cephalectomy. While  the  production  on  this
demo (their first one -- let's give them a break, eh?) is not  really
that good, the three songs on the demo really do  sound  solid.  This
well-written material flows with intensity  and  anger.  Cephalectomy
keep things pretty straightforward and brutal,  lashing  out  with  a
multitude of  styles  and  influences  to  be  found  (Brutal  Truth,
Internal Bleeding, and Kataklysm, to name  a  few).  The  vocals  are
vicious throughout, and guitarist Corey  Andrews  shreds  some  heavy
riffs. It's too bad the demo only has three songs, as they really  do
show a lot of talent and are keeping me  interested  in  what  is  to
come. I'm glad Cephalectomy submitted a  demo  to  us  here  at  CoC,
'cause it keeps me believing that metal does exist and is thriving in
Canada.

Contact: CEPHALECTOMY, mailto:cephalectomy@hotmail.com


Click. - _Live At The Thirsty Whale_  (20 tracks 'studio & live')
by: Adrian Bromley  (*----)

Man... I knew this wasn't gonna be good  when  I  heard  the  opening
words on this live demo:  "Okay  folks,  we  have  a  unique  musical
presentation for you." Let's just say I  wasn't  looking  forward  to
what was around the bend. With a mixed  bag  of  original  and  cover
songs, a really bad live recording and horrible  editing,  four-piece
rock'n'roll/metal outfit click. plow through their  material  with  a
very lackluster  performance.  Most  of  the  time,  the  vocals  are
off-key, and the music is just plain mediocre. Nothing really  stands
out. And I hate -- *HATE* --  when  bands  cover  songs  I  like  and
butcher them. Case in point: Alice In Chains' "We  Die  Young".  They
even manage to throw in a few more covers: Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady"
and is that a Ratt cover (the song "Breaking Point")? This demo bites
big  time,  and  that   is   sad,   'cause   I   really   like   live
recordings/bootlegs.

Contact: Abyss Records, c/o Anand Bhatt,
         2 E. 8th St. #1903 Chicago, IL, USA, 60612
         mailto:aabhatt@hotmail.com or mailto:schroda@aol.com

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


                 D A R K   T I M E S ,   P A R T   1
                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
              Therion, Crematory, Lake of Tears and Dark
             CC Racing, Gavere, Belgium, October 3, 1997
             by: Kurt Demeulemeester <kdm@club.innet.be>

     A mixture of metal and gothic fans joined in Gavere for what was
expected to be one  of  the  most  important  shows  in  this  genre.
Obviously nobody wanted to miss any of the bands, because  when  Dark
kicked off  the  hall  was  already  filled  with  'dressed-in-black'
people. This was my first acquaintance with  Dark's  music,  and  the
band  was  a  pleasant  surprise:  an  excellent  vocalist,  sinister
atmosphere, and nice light show -- what else does a  doom/goth  crowd
need? We've seen worse opening acts before! The only  drawback  about
Dark is that the songs are all a bit  similar;  some  more  variation
would be more than welcome. Nevertheless, the band certainly deserves
its place in the scene.
     After Dark's intensity, the live performance of  Lake  of  Tears
was like a cold shower. As opposed to their decent album  sound,  the
band played a completely uninspired and pretty boring set without any
volume or enthusiasm. Some people might like their seventies look and
style, but for me it was  a  big  disappointment.  Better  luck  next
time...
     To everyone's surprise, Crematory,  and  not  Therion,  hit  the
stage as the night's third band.  Crematory  wants  to  expand  their
immense popularity in Germany to the rest  of  the  world,  and  they
surely did a good job here in Belgium. Their stage sound was perfect:
a heavy guitar sound  carried  by  Katrin's  atmospheric,  impressive
keyboards mixed with Gerhard's deep grunts. It was a delight  to  see
how a band with such a history was  still  very  down-to-earth.  They
clearly  enjoyed  themselves  on  stage,  and  this  enthusiasm   was
reflected upon the audience. Most of the  songs  came  from  _Awake_,
their newest CD,  which  included  the  excellent  Sisters  of  Mercy
classic "Temple of Love", but nothing will ever beat the  two  tracks
from their awesome first CD _Transmigration_. A great show for sure!
     When Therion played in Belgium last year in support of Amorphis,
there were seven people on stage, including a tenor  and  a  soprano,
and all orchestral  arrangements  were  performed  live  as  well  as
possible. The choirs weren't always perfect, but the band kicked  ass
-- it was an excellent night. Probably in order to cut down expenses,
front man and mastermind Christofer Johnson  replaced  the  orchestra
with a DAT-tape, like many bands tend to do. As the band  kicked  off
with  their  traditional  opener,  "To  Mega  Therion",  many  people
immediately felt that something had changed  dramatically:  the  band
members overacted like rock stars, and the sound was too  perfect  to
be real.
     We saw the audience split itself in two  groups:  the  ones  who
really enjoyed the show (an excellent light show and  perfect  sound)
and the ones who hated the fake rock star bullshit... Check them  out
and choose for yourselves which camp you are  in.  Anyway,  Crematory
deserved the status of headliner.


                 D A R K   T I M E S ,   P A R T   2
                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            Emperor, Bal-Sagoth, Nocturnal Breed and more
             Jachthoorn, Outer, Belgium, October 4, 1997
             by: Kurt Demeulemeester <kdm@club.innet.be>

     At yesterday's Crematory show I ran into an old friend and got a
bit carried away, drank too much beer and suffered  from  a  terrible
headache the day after... Thus I decided  to  skip  the  first  three
bands on this black metal mini-festival (remorse always  comes  after
the sin). Nocturnal Breed was nothing more than a mundane black metal
band as they screeched their guts out and spat blood;  not  bad,  but
nothing special  either.  The  crowd  stood  and  watched.  But  when
Bal-Sagoth hit the stage, the black hordes,  fed  by  Byron  Roberts'
exciting stage persona, started to show some enthusiasm. Most  songs,
especially during the fast technical parts, drowned in an  incredible
swamp of noise (it was too loud to be clear), but, luckily, the  band
is talented enough to overcome this.  The  climax  of  the  show  was
definitely the excellent "A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria".
     What could I say about Emperor that hasn't been said before? The
band deserves the black metal throne without question  as  all  songs
were performed perfectly despite their hyperblast  speed.  The  sound
was perfect and the crowd went nuts while the band enjoyed  this  and
didn't  need  gimmicks  like  corpsepaint,  blood,  or  between  song
preaching. Emperor let their music speak for itself and showed us how
professional and concentrated they are on stage. This is  what  metal
(whatever flavor you like) is all about, and if you haven't seen this
awesome band before, go check 'em out. This was definitely one of the
best gigs of 1997.

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

               B I G   R E D   D E A T H F E S T   I I
               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
             Nothing Lasts Forever, Funnel, Deuterenema,
             Inner Shadows, The Urination, and Bloodshed
                      At the JAM Community Room
            Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, Oct. 25, 1997
                           by: Brian Meloon

     As the name implies, this was the second deathfest to be held on
the campus of Cornell University in the past couple  of  years.  This
one was held in the JAM (Just About Music)  Program  House  community
room, which is a single room smaller than most bars,  with  no  stage
and no special lighting, located on  the  ground  floor  of  a  dorm.
Admission was free, and  the  crowd  was  the  usual  mix  of  punks,
hardcore-types,  metalheads,  and   people   who   looked   strangely
yuppieish. The show started around  7:30pm  and  ran  smoothly  until
about midnight. The band changes were very quick (around five minutes
each) due to equipment sharing, and the sets were also short  (around
half an hour each). During Deuterenema's set, the crowd  was  at  its
peak with around 100  people  in  attendance,  but  that  number  had
dwindled to about 30 by the time the show was over.
     Nothing Lasts Forever  started  things  off  with  an  energetic
performance. They played a short set  of  hardcore-influenced  metal.
Although  the  crowd  was  composed  of  only  60  people,  the  band
frequently made forays out into the crowd in an attempt to  get  them
to do more than stand around. Unfortunately, it didn't  work.  Still,
it was a good performance.
     Funnel was up next, and I knew this would be a bad set when they
started with Metallica's "Seek and Destroy". Next up was KISS's  "God
of Thunder" (with a drum solo  during  which  the  drummer  lost  his
stick), followed by two late 80s cliche-filled originals and  closing
with Iron Maiden's  "The  Trooper".  Their  performance  was  decent,
though not impressive by any standards, and the  singer's  voice  was
not appropriate for any of the cover songs. He offered neither  range
nor aggression. Their mid-tempo songs did little to excite the crowd.
     Deuterenema followed, and although  their  dyed-green  hair  and
falling-down pants  indicated  hardcore,  these  guys  were  actually
pretty metallic. They covered Slayer's "Seasons  in  the  Abyss"  and
played four or five originals. Unfortunately, their (apparently  new)
singer had a tough time as he not only needed to bring  lyric  sheets
up with him (not that we could make out any of the lyrics), but  also
his non-grunted vocal parts were inaudible. Either he hasn't  learned
to keep his voice at a consistent level when changing styles or there
was a problem with his mic. Either way, the absence of  vocals  where
there should have been some was distracting. Other than that, it  was
a good set, though not particularly memorable.
     The best set of the evening was  turned  in  by  Inner  Shadows,
a.k.a. Ryan McCracken. Ryan went up on stage backed by only his  drum
machine. He played five songs:  four  originals  and  Fear  Factory's
"Martyr", which invoked the first real moshpit of  the  evening.  The
originals were very  impressive  (despite  a  few  screw-ups),  quite
technical, and moderately complex death metal with some  originality.
In addition, the sound was mixed at a pleasant listening level. Since
I didn't have high expectations, I was pleasantly surprised and quite
impressed. I hope Ryan can find a backing band and continue  to  make
progress.
     The Urination played next. They set up with their drummer's back
to the audience and the guitarist and bassist facing  him  (and  us).
These guys are very similar to A.C. (with  songs  titled  "Song  #1",
"Song #2", etc.) and, thankfully, played only six songs. Hence, their
set lasted only six minutes, which included the banter between songs.
Luckily, that was just about the right length of time; any longer and
the joke would have gotten old.
     The most accomplished band there,  Bloodshed,  ended  the  show.
They brought  out  their  own  drumset  and  amps,  so  there  was  a
significant delay between their set and the previous one. These  guys
played  moderately  technical,  but  uneventful,  death  metal   with
original songs such as "Masticated Body Parts" and "Shed Blood".  The
drumming was good, but he would only occasionally do  something  that
would catch my attention. I can't say too much bad about them,  since
they seemed to be competent, but I thought something was missing from
their performance. Perhaps the audience was too tired to  really  get
into the music. While there was a decent moshpit at the beginning  of
their set, by the middle, people had left  along  with  most  of  the
enthusiasm. In any case, they played a relatively short (eight song?)
set, and the show was over.
     All in all, it was an enjoyable evening with some surprises  and
a good deal of variety. With any luck, the  Big  Red  Deathfest  will
become a fall tradition as I think this one was a definite success.

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

       P O R T U G U E S E   P O T E N T I A L ,   P A R T   1
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                    Obscenus, Vertebra and Nympha
   University of Porto (Engineering), Portugal, September 27, 1997
                          by: Pedro Azevedo

     Watching a good underground metal concert (or any metal  concert
for that matter) at the very same University you attend every day  is
something that just doesn't happen  too  often.  In  fact,  it  never
happened to me before. Yet life is full of surprises, and  a  few  of
them are actually good ones -- so, after  a  two  hour  delay,  three
young  and  promising  unsigned  Portuguese  bands  took   over   the
improvised stage.
     The first band, Nympha (whose rehearsal tape I reviewed  in  CoC
#20), deserved better  luck.  The  sound  problems  that  caused  the
keyboards and vocals to  sometimes  disappear  really  weren't  their
fault, but even that failed to  ruin  their  performance.  The  small
audience realized that and reacted accordingly at  the  end  of  each
song. Nympha singer Liliana Barros was the last member of the band to
enter the stage; she  used  a  torch  to  light  some  other  torches
scattered around the stage while dancing to a keyboard intro.  Later,
she also played with some flowers that were laying around  the  stage
(she had flowers drawn up her neck and arms as well), which ended  up
causing a rather funny scene I'll mention later. Initially,  she  got
all of the spotlight since she also bears a  curious  resemblance  to
Anneke Van Giersbergen of The  Gathering,  a  resemblance  that  goes
beyond the vocals -- her hair color is similar, and  they  definitely
have something in common about the way they  move,  dance,  and  sing
with a peculiar smile. But enough of that. The fact is that  she's  a
really good singer, and her live performance didn't disappoint me  at
all. The drumming was remarkable as well, with very  frequent  breaks
and double-bass -- and dynamic, skilled drummers are something I find
highly valuable to any band, especially a slow doom  band  (not  that
Nympha can really be rated as slow, but they're still slower than the
average non-doom band). The rest of the band did their job very  well
too, and I felt their set was too short. I really like this band  and
believe they may have a good future ahead.
     The next band was Vertebra. I had never listened to them before;
all I knew was that they're a death metal band. I  was  surprised  to
see the great show they put on -- very tight  and  powerful  playing,
good rhythmic work,  very  deep  vocals,  and  outstanding  drumming.
Clearly a  more  seasoned  band  than  the  others,  they  were  very
confident and everything seemed to come out really well. At one time,
the vocalist jumped behind the drums and teamed up with  the  drummer
-- while some bands  seem  to  have  four-armed  drummers,  this  was
literally four-armed drumming... The funny scene I mentioned  before,
about the flowers, happened in the end of one song: the  drummer  got
up, picked up a flower left behind by Nympha, and daintily  threw  it
at the vocalist (remember he's a grunter), causing  major  laughs  in
the audience. As their set ended, I was again left wanting more.
     Finally, Obscenus. They are a (read this carefully)  eight-piece
(!) band: vocals, two guitars,  bass,  drums,  keyboard,  violin  and
backing  female  vocals,  although  these  last  two  only  show   up
occasionally. They had  trouble  putting  it  all  together,  as  the
violinist and female vocalist missed  their  first  appearances,  but
they eventually managed to create  quite  a  varied  and  interesting
sound which ranged from death to black metal to  some  slower  spoken
passages. Again, the drummer was very good (all three  of  them  were
very good, in fact), and this band really seems to know exactly  what
they want and how to get it -- I  most  certainly  don't  doubt  that
they'll get signed very soon (they probably already have been by  the
time you're reading this). Towards the end of their  set,  everything
was in place, including the violins and femme vox,  and  it  all  was
very enjoyable and varied.  Considering  the  relatively  short  sets
played by Nympha and Vertebra, I expected Obscenus to play for a long
while; however, while they did play longer than the other  bands,  it
still was a bit short. No matter what, this turned out to be quite  a
memorable night for me.


       P O R T U G U E S E   P O T E N T I A L ,   P A R T   2
       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Morbid Death, Nocturnal Symphony, In Velvet Clouds and 2 Kill
       Assembleia de Campanha, Porto, Portugal, October 4, 1997
                          by: Pedro Azevedo

     Precisely one week  after  the  Obscenus  /  Vertebra  /  Nympha
concert, I found another promising concert nearby. But just when  you
think good things are going your way, reality tends to  strike.  And,
in fact, that's precisely what  happened  here  --  compared  to  the
previous concert, this one was a major disappointment. Just to  start
things off perfectly, I spent an hour and a half waiting for the show
to start.
     The show did eventually start with a band  called  2  Kill,  who
clearly must have walked through the wrong door on their way, because
they definitely landed in  the  wrong  show.  Playing  some  sort  of
hardcore / hip-hop thing and mixing in a plethora of influences  from
several well-known American bands, their originality was below  zero,
and even though I can't say they  couldn't  play  their  instruments,
they added almost nothing to that  major  lack  of  originality.  The
result was that no one in the  audience  really  moved,  most  people
actually remained seated on the ground, and very few bothered to even
nod their heads to the music.
     After a long wait and such a bland start, I was looking  forward
to something more aggressive, such as In Velvet Clouds,  whom  I  had
seen live once before (see CoC #21). Featuring two vocalists (one for
grunting and one for screaming), the vocals needed to sound  good  in
the overall mix; however, as opposed to the previous In Velvet Clouds
concert, the vox just didn't come out as impressively. Besides  that,
things went reasonably well for In  Velvet  Clouds,  but  they  never
quite reached the performance level I expected this time. The set was
also a bit short, but their best tracks  still  managed  to  get  the
audience moving.
     The next band, Nocturnal Symphony,  were  unknown  to  me,  even
though they're a local band. In the end, they turned out to be a very
pleasant surprise and, in my opinion,  the  best  band  of  the  day.
Setting their sound upon some clear Theatre  of  Tragedy  influences,
Nocturnal Symphony still manages to have a sound of  their  own.  The
most obvious similarity to ToT is their usage of both a grunter and a
female vocalist, sometimes simultaneously. Even  though  Raymond  and
Liv Kristine from ToT are something else, these two still did quite a
good job despite the fact that the female singer had a more secondary
role than Liv has in ToT as she mostly  sang  choirs.  Her  voice  is
good, but unfortunately her performance  wasn't  too  varied  --  yet
still nice to hear and watch. The biggest difference between the  two
bands is the (perhaps surprising) fact that Nocturnal Symphony  don't
use any keyboards, causing them to sound  more  like  a  death  band.
Overall, they showed some good ideas and played a  very  entertaining
and enjoyable set.
     The headliners, Morbid Death, who traveled  a  long  way  to  be
here, ended up playing for 30 or 40 people.  The  reason  is  simple:
almost everyone went away before or  during  their  performance.  Not
that they're bad; in fact they're a more experienced  band  than  the
others (they already have a CD out) and did a good job, but  all  the
waiting and the fact that the two local bands (In Velvet  Clouds  and
Nocturnal Symphony) had already played caused the room to  be  almost
empty by then.  Adding  to  all  this,  Morbid  Death  are  a  rather
conventional  metal  band,  and  they   suffered   from   being   the
"headliners" in a concert where most people went to see other  bands.
In the end, I must say this should be regarded as an example of  what
can happen when a concert is inexplicably delayed.
     Wrapping it all up, Nympha, Vertebra, and Obscenus show a lot of
potential, while Nocturnal Symphony and In Velvet Clouds  might  also
have a good future ahead. As for Morbid Death, they seem to be  doing
quite well in what concerns selling their CD, but that's about it.  2
Kill, however, should try to find a  friendlier  environment  in  the
future.

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

Gino's Top 5

1. Mundane - _Feeding On A Lower Spine_
2. Life of Agony - _River Runs Red_
3. Monster Voodoo Machine - _State Voodoo/State Control_
4. Pitchshifter - _Infotainment?_
5. Mortiis - _Crypt Of The Wizard_

Adrian's Top 5

1. Overkill - _From The Underground And Below_
2. Overkill - _Horrorscope_
3. Pathos - _Hoverface_
4. Edge Of Sanity - _Cryptic_
5. Blackstar - _Barbed Wire Soul_

Brian's Top 5

1. Frederik Thordendal's Special Defects - _Sol Niger Within_
2. Emperor - _Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk_
3. Beauty - _Automatic Killfest_
4. Aurora Borealis - _Mansions of Eternity_
5. Hexenhaus - _Dejavoodoo_

Alain's Top 5

1. Deicide - _Serpents of the Light_
2. Brutal Truth - _Sounds of the Animal Kingdom_
3. Dimmu Borgir - _Enthrone Darkness Triumphant_
4. Judas Priest - _Jugulator_
5. Morgion - _Among Majestic Ruin_

Steve's Top 5

1. Ulver - _Bergtatt: Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler_
2. Samhain - _November-Coming-Fire_
3. Sodom - _Persecution Mania / Expurse of Sodomy_
4. Misfits - _Earth AD / Wolf's Blood_
5. Anorexia Nervosa - _Exile_

Adam's Top 5

1. Thy Grief - _The Frozen Tomb of Mankind_
2. Napalm Death - _The Peel Sessions_ (TRUE grind!)
3. In Battle - _In Battle_
4. Unlord - _Schwarswald_
5. Raism - _The Very Best of Pain_

Drew's Top 5

1. Ulver - _The Madrigal of the Night_
2. Rush - _Hemispheres_
3. Obtained Enslavement - _Witchcraft_
4. The Gathering - _Nighttime Birds_
5. Edge of Sanity - _Purgatory Afterglow_

Andrew's Top 5

1. Mayhem - _Wolf's Lair Abyss_
2. Scar Tissue - _TMOTD_
3. In Slaughter Natives - _Enter Now the World_
4. Thy Grief - _The Frozen Tomb of Mankind_
5. Kluster - _Zwei-Osterei_

Pedro's Top 5

1. Hypocrisy - _The Final Chapter_
2. Misanthrope - _Visionnaire_
3. Dismember - _Death Metal_
4. In the Woods... - _Omnio_
5. Opeth - _Orchid_

Paul's Top 5

1. Cryptopsy - _None So Vile_
2. Pyrexia - _System Of The Animal_
3. Old Man's Child - _The Pagan Prosperity_
4. Niden Div.187 - _Impergium_
5. Infernal Torment - _Birthrate Zero_

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Homepage: http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html
FTP Archive: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos

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 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                         CHRONICLES OF CHAOS
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DESCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos is a monthly magazine electronically  distributed
worldwide via the Internet. Chronicles of Chaos focuses on all  forms
of chaotic music including black, death and doom metal, dark/ambient,
industrial and electronic/noise as well as  classic  and  progressive
metal. Each issue will feature a plethora of  album  reviews  from  a
wide range  of  bands,  as  well  as  interviews  with  some  of  the
underground's best acts. Also included in each issue are demo reviews
and indie band interviews.

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 <mailto:ginof@interlog.com>. Please note that this command
must NOT be sent to the list address <coc-ezine@lists.colorado.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   <mailto:ginof@interlog.com>.   The
'Subject:' field of your message must read: "send file X"  where  'X'
is the name of the requested file (do not include the  quotes).  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.

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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #26

All contents copyright 1997 by individual creators of included work.
All opinions expressed herein are those of the individuals expressing
them, and do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone else.
