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


         CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, July 5, 2004, Issue #75
                  http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com


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

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

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

Issue #75 Contents, 7/5/2004
----------------------------
* Albums
-- Atrophia Red Sun - _Twisted Logic_
-- Atrox - _Orgasm_
-- Borknagar  - _Epic_
-- Cadaver  - _Necrosis_
-- Daemonlord - _Of War & Hate_
-- Demonoid - _Riders of the Apocalypse_
-- Divinity Destroyed - _Eden in Ashes_
-- Drudkh - _Autumn Aurora_
-- Elenium - _For Giving - For Getting_
-- Gholgoth - _Somnus Mortis Imago_
-- Hate Forest - _Battlefields_
-- Inhumate - _Life_
-- Inner Shrine - _Samaya_
-- Jungle Rot - _Fueled by Hate_
-- Ministry - _Houses of the Mole_
-- Monstrosity - _Rise to Power_
-- Perditor - _In Signo Suo_
-- Sadistik Exekution - _FUKK II_
-- Scent of Flesh - _Valor of Hatred_
-- Secrets of the Moon - _Carved in Stigmata Wounds_
-- Slipknot - _Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses_
-- St Madness - _We Make Evil Fun_
-- Sun of the Sleepless / Nachtmahr - _Split_
-- Sunn O))) - _The Libations of Samhain_
-- The Fallout Project - _Architecture Breeds Rust_
-- The Vision Bleak - _The Deathship Has a New Captain_
-- Twelve Tribes - _The Rebirth of Tragedy_
* Demos
-- Atrophy - _Dédales_
-- Civil Unrest - _Civil Unrest_
-- Corrupted Mutation - _The Exordium_
-- Necrocannibal - _Splatter Gore_
-- Vorago - _Lobos de Guerra_
-- World of Shit - _World of Shit_
* Gigs
-- Four Times Still Not Enough

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

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

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!


Atrophia Red Sun - _Twisted Logic_  (Empire, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon  (7 out of 10)

This is the second full-length release  from  Poland's  Atrophia  Red 
Sun. I'm not familiar with their previous offering,  but  this  album 
features a novel brand of thrash augmented by spacy keyboards.  Their 
music has a frantic or anxious vibe, as it's tight and punchy but not 
really very aggressive. They have a vaguely computerized  sound,  but 
this comes mostly from the keys; unlike other "cyber" bands  such  as 
Obliveon, the guitars and drums don't  have  a  processed  feel.  The 
songs flow pretty well, with the band eschewing standard verse-chorus 
structures in favor of a  more  flexible  approach.  The  playing  is 
competent, though not particularly challenging, and the production is 
quite good. Vocals are usually a raspy shout, with some other  styles 
as well, such as a lower, almost-spoken growl,  some  processed  vox, 
and some clean vocals (which need some work).  The  keyboards  are  a 
dominant part of their sound. At times they  have  a  new-agey  feel, 
which provides an interesting contrast with  the  thrash  underneath, 
and produces some of the disc's best moments. At other times the keys 
sound cheesy and cheapen the atmosphere, such as when they steal  the 
"X-Files" theme (in the title track). Despite this they do  offer  an 
innovative sound, and those looking for something original to satisfy 
their cybermetal needs should track this down.                        

Contact: http://ars.rockmetal.art.pl


Atrox - _Orgasm_  (Code666, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon  (6 out of 10)

Norway's "schizometallers" Atrox  have  returned  with  their  fourth 
album.  This  time  around  they've  taken  their  brand  of   jazzy, 
progressive, avantgarde metal in a heavier direction:  picture  Dream 
Theater playing Meshuggah and you have a general idea  of  what  they 
sound like. There are  still  some  elements  of  their  older  style 
present, but in general the album is more  straightforward  and  less 
experimental. This applies not only to the music but also to  Atrox's 
most unique feature: Monika's vocals. Of course, there  are  still  a 
few moments where she shrieks, squeals, or whines like a little girl, 
but she sings like a normal person for most of the album. This is  an 
improvement in my eyes, as her singing really ruined  some  otherwise 
good parts of their previous discs for me. But  fear  not,  for  this 
duty is now aptly  performed  by  the  male  backup  vocalist,  whose 
off-key caterwauling ruins the (luckily) few parts  where  he  sings. 
Other than these moments though, nothing on this album really  stands 
out to me as very good  or  very  bad.  Production  and  playing  are 
competent but not exceptional, and most of the  songs  just  have  an 
uninspired  feeling  to  them.  Ultimately,  their  move  to  a  more 
straightforward style is unfortunate, since it makes  the  band  much 
less original.                                                        

Contact: http://www.atrox-web.com


Borknagar  - _Epic_  (Century Media, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit  (7 out of 10)

It would come as no surprise to me if Oystein G. Brun wasn't at least 
slightly  miffed  at  the  dismissive  reception  afforded  his  band 
following the departure  of  Simen  Hestnaes  in  2000.  For  however 
talented a frontman Hestnaes was, one could  hardly  argue  that  his 
successor, Vintersorg, did any  less  an  impressive  job  on  2001's 
_Empiricism_, an album which on all counts  served  up  some  of  the 
most challenging  and  atmospheric  work  in  Borknagar's  impressive 
discography  --  yet  not  all  that  many  people  seemed  to  care. 
Strangely, given the  band's  penchant  for  experimentation,  _Epic_ 
picks  up  exactly  where  its  predecessor  left  off,  despite  the 
impression given off by the cleverly veiled reference to  Emperor  on 
album opener "Future Reminiscence". Initially the choice to  play  it 
safe does work well, and scattered across the  early  stages  of  the 
record are some truly memorable moments that are easily as strong  as 
anything Borknagar  have  ever  recorded.  As  the  album  progresses 
however, more an d  more  filler  starts  to  creep  into  songs  and 
gradually proceedings begin advancing headlong  into  mediocrity.  At 
the heart of this is a problem that is almost emphatic to Borknagar's 
signature style: much like they did on 1998's _The  Archaic  Course_, 
the band, in an attempt to come up with songs that are  distinct  and 
original, end up being almost too clever for their own good and as  a 
result the material becomes soulless and dull. But, as  we  saw  with 
the follow-up to said album, one can never count Borknagar down,  and 
hopefully next time round we'll see a similar return to form.         

Contact: http://www.borknagar.com


Cadaver  - _Necrosis_  (Candlelight Records, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit  (6 out of 10)

That Cadaver appear to have jettisoned the majority of  their  talent 
along with their briefly used three letter acronym (the band released 
their previous record under the moniker of  Cadaver  Inc,  for  those 
that don't know) is all but set in stone from  the  moment  that  the 
ironically  titled  "Necro  as  Fuck"  gets  proceedings  off  to  an 
underwhelming start. Gone is the  cold,  industrial  production  that 
lent 2001's _Discipline_ its misanthropic zest. Distinctly toned down 
is the manic blacker-than-black riffage of the album's  predecessors. 
Hell, even Apollyon's demonic shriek seems to have lost a fair amount 
of its hellish impact. Rather than focusing on what the band are able 
to do extremely well, _Necrosis_ is a laboured attempt at capturing a 
vintage sound that at this point in time does not come  naturally  to 
the band. The album isn't without its merits, though: tucked away  in 
the latter half of its duration are a select few  hidden  gems,  most 
notably the Gorgoroth-esque  "Awakening",  but  even  these  pale  in 
comparison to anything that the  band  served  up  previously.  Given 
the regression in quality  and  songwriting  that's  displayed  here, 
_Necrosis_ comes across more as a collection of early  demos  than  a 
band's fourth full-length effort. Necro as fuck? Hardly.              

Contact: http://www.cadaverinc.com


Daemonlord - _Of War & Hate_  (Independent, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit  (8 out of 10)

Whoever said that good old-fashioned black metal is  turning  into  a 
lost art? Perpetually mainstream-baiting hogwash like Cradle of Filth 
may have "transcended" (in their own words) the genre, but with bands 
like Graveland and Hate Forest consistently releasing  quality  slabs 
of musical misanthropia, black metal looks set to burn its torch  for 
a long time to come. Perhaps even  more  promising  is  the  sizeable 
number of quality unsigned acts currently doing  the  rounds  in  the 
underground, and aside from perhaps  Sweden's  Benighted,  Daemonlord 
are one of the finest such examples I have come across thus  far.  An 
impressive union of the kind of cold,  mechanical  riffing  that  has 
made Anaal Nathrakh one of extreme metal's best kept secrets and  the 
melodic but aggressive tonalities of Dissection, _Of War &  Hate_  is 
a collection  that  succeeds  more  often  than  it  flounders.  More 
puritanical listeners may be tempted to sneer at the use  of  samples 
from mainstream movies like "Robocop", but trac ks like "Pure  Sorrow 
& Hate" and "In the Middle of Infinity" are gems cast  out  of  pure, 
glorious darkness.                                                    

Contact: http://www.daemonlord.com


Demonoid - _Riders of the Apocalypse_  (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit  (9 out of 10)

It is astonishing on a number of levels that the core  membership  of 
Therion were able to record an album of  such  blistering  impact  so 
soon after releasing what easily ranks as one of the defining moments 
of their career. On  the  surface,  Demonoid  might  seem  like  just 
another pet-project in the vein of Bloodbath and Chaosbreed -- paying 
tribute to early masters of extremity in  a  nostalgic,  rather  than 
innovative manner. But, while Demonoid certainly do  have  a  lot  in 
common with those bands, their sound owes as much to Morbid Angel  as 
it does to the earliest Therion albums. Make  no  mistake:  symphonic 
metal it most definitely is not. Former Soilwork /  current  Chimaira 
drummer, Rickard Evensand, hammers out an impressively technical  and 
speedy collection of beats to underpin the hellish  extremity  served 
up by his bandmates, while it is an absolute pleasure to  once  again 
hear Christofer Johnsson employ his rarely used skill as a bona  fide 
death growler. But even with death metal ve ry much being  the  order 
of the day, it is the strand of experimentation that lends this album 
its overwhelmingly dark atmosphere and distinctive charm. Again, this 
is a long way away  from  the  grandiose  orchestras  and  choirs  of 
Therion, and instead rears its head in the occasional and subtle  use 
of synths. Elsewhere, the clean intro on "14th  Century  Plague"  and 
the baritone chorus on "The Evocation" further the  album's  sinister 
ambience to jaw-dropping  levels.  Indeed,  with  all  the  attention 
currently headed in Therion's immediate direction, one can only hope, 
based on the masterful songwriting displayed here, that Demonoid will 
not be relegated to a mere one-off exercise.                          

Contact: http://www.nuclearblast.de


Divinity Destroyed - _Eden in Ashes_  (Independent, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon  (7 out of 10)

Divinity Destroyed hail from Tom's  River,  NJ,  and  play  a  pretty 
standard style of progressive metal, though they do  add  some  death 
metal vocals, which gives them a somewhat original sound. They remind 
me a little bit of Twilight Kingdom -- mostly because  of  the  clean 
vocals -- and of course, Dream Theater, but I  don't  often  get  the 
feeling that I've heard their music before. Their riffs  aren't  very 
technical, but they do a pretty good job of dressing them up to  keep 
things interesting. For example, the way the drums in "Threnody"  get 
progressively more complex is a nice subtle touch. They also go for a 
more complex sound at times, such as the intricate layered section in 
"Sweet Heresy". I'm not so fond of the  few  happy-sounding  melodies 
that they used, but then again I never  like  happy  music,  so  that 
might just be me. The playing is a little rough around the edges, but 
is generally competent. There are a few places where they're  not  as 
tight as they could be, but these are mostly minor issues. The vocals 
are split  roughly  evenly  between  death  metal  growls  and  clean 
singing. Generally, the vocals are well done, but some of the backing 
vocals are off key. The production  is  decent,  though  not  of  the 
highest quality: although all of the instruments are clearly audible, 
it has a  rough  quality  that  makes  it  sound  unprofessional.  In 
general, this is a promising offering,  though  they  certainly  have 
plenty  of  room  for  improvement.  I'd  like  to  see  them  polish 
their sound and work  on  more  elaborate  compositions.  With  these 
improvements, they could be a force to reckon with in the progressive 
metal scene.                                                          

Contact: http://www.divinitydestroyed.com


Drudkh - _Autumn Aurora_  (Supernal Music, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (9 out of 10)

Last year's _Forgotten Legends_ was a major hit  with  a  significant 
part of the CoC staff (myself included), so it was with  considerable 
eagerness that I first listened to  _Autumn  Aurora_.  That  was  the 
wrong state of mind to enjoy Drudkh, however -- you  really  need  to 
sit back, dim the lights, relax and just let the music sink in. It is 
only when one finds the time to do so and step away from  daily  life 
for a while that _Autumn Aurora_ (much like its predecessor)  unveils 
its full potential, as the music has a natural feel to it; it doesn't 
seem rushed, instead flowing as if it followed the moon like an aural 
tide. This is music that can take your  mind  to  some  vast  ancient 
forest or an imposing cliff beside a turbulent  ocean.  On  occasion, 
slight similarities to the guitar style of another extraordinary band 
(although from a very different geographic origin) can be  heard,  as 
some of "Sunwheel" brings to my  mind  memories  of  Primordial.  And 
while this time around  Drudkh  ventured  into  previously  uncharted 
territory by adding a guitar solo to "Wind of the Night Forests"  and 
some keyboard work to their very own kind of pensive black metal, the 
atmosphere remains intact and the style virtually the  same.  _Autumn 
Aurora_ is an album that demands to be experienced; there is a  great 
deal of hidden beauty and tranquillity to be found in  its  music  if 
one knows how to look.                                                

Contact: http://www.supernalmusic.com


Elenium - _For Giving - For Getting_  (Rage of Achilles, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon  (7 out of 10)

This is the debut full-length album  from  Finland's  Elenium.  Their 
style is best described  as  melodic  death  metal  with  progressive 
touches. Their death metal side is based on mid-paced riffs that  are 
heavy but straightforward and not terribly  original.  The  keyboards 
are relied upon to provide  the  progressive  elements,  though  some 
progressive touches do work their way into the guitars as well.  They 
also do quite a bit of keyboard-doubling of guitar lines and  include 
numerous keyboard and guitar solos, most of which  are  quite  flashy 
(think '80s guitar spankoff). They also branch out at times, such  as 
the Havayothesque "Impostor". The main  vocals  are  growled,  though 
there is a heavy use of clean vocals. The growled vocals  are  pretty 
decent, but the clean vocals could use some work. His voice isn't  as 
strong as it should be and he's out of tune at some points. There  is 
some real potential here, as when the  progressive  and  death  metal 
elements blend together well, they provide  some  excellent  moments. 
Unfortunately, these are mostly just moments, and none of the  tracks 
stand out to me as excellent. Fans of melodic deathprog should  enjoy 
it, even though it is a rather hit-or-miss affair.                    

Contact: http://www.eleniumband.com


Gholgoth - _Somnus Mortis Imago_  (Ordealis Records, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis  (6 out of 10)

Yet another band performing  a  hybrid  of  black  and  death  metal! 
Gholgoth successfully incorporate the technicality of death metal and 
the speed and atmosphere  of  black  metal  with  considerable  ease. 
However, although the melding of styles is impeccably done,  Gholgoth 
are seeking  to  occupy  increasingly  contended  ground,  and  offer 
insufficient new ideas to fend off the  competition.  This  album  is 
largely saved from insipid mediocrity by the use of varied vocals  -- 
ranging from a dissonant black metal shriek to a death metal growl -- 
and some fairly technical and notable guitar  work.  This  is  not  a 
terrible album per se; it is simply the kind of album  that  will  be 
enjoyed and listened to upon purchase, but will be all but  forgotten 
several months later.                                                 


Hate Forest - _Battlefields_  (Supernal Music, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)

Following up last year's  impressive  _Purity_  with  _Battlefields_, 
Ukrainians Hate Forest have  tweaked  their  approach  somewhat:  the 
sound is less trebly,  the  fast  sections  are  less  frequent,  and 
the droning feel  of  its  predecessor  has  become  more  prevalent. 
Furthermore, an increase in militaristic and ethnic elements has also 
occurred. The latter is caused mostly by the Ukrainian  folk  singing 
between tracks -- which I began to skip right after the first listen. 
As a result of the above, _Battlefields_ is considerably less intense 
than _Purity_, opting instead for  a  more  ponderous  approach.  The 
black metal guitar  sound  is  still  complemented  mostly  by  death 
vocals;  however,  the  main  reason  why  it  is  hard  to  classify 
_Battlefields_ as black metal is that the compositions tend  to  stay 
away of what one might expect from said genre.  There  is  a  lot  of 
quietly memorable material imbued in _Battlefields_, and  its  doomy, 
sombre nature works in its favour -- much like it did for _Purity_ in 
spite of the different approach. The militaristic cadence of some  of 
the percussion and  riffing  becomes  somewhat  excessive  at  times, 
however, and overall I  tend  to  find  _Purity_  a  slightly  better 
proposition. Also, if you take away the folk chanting, all  you  have 
left is three ten minute tracks, which may be a  deterrent  to  some. 
There is still plenty of merit  in  _Battlefields_  though,  and  its 
unrelentingly dark soundscapes are greatly helped by  some  excellent 
riffs, their bleakness complemented by the  death  vocals  (which  is 
especially  true  of  the  superb  final  track).  In  fact,  overall 
_Battlefields_ proves to be a worthy follow- up to _Purity_  for  the 
most part; shame about the excessive militaristic leanings.           

Contact: http://www.supernalmusic.com


Inhumate - _Life_  (Independent, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit  (8.5 out of 10)

My flatmate's quip that Inhumate play  "gay-pride  grind"  ("In  you, 
mate") is about as ridiculous as the fact  that  this  French  outfit 
have already produced their fourth full-length effort and are yet  to 
sign along the dotted line at the  foot-end  of  a  record  contract. 
Considering that  we're  talking  about  a  genre  where  just  about 
everyone with a penchant for kicking up a racket at ludicrous  speeds 
seems to get picked up by a label, it is indeed curious  that  anyone 
would overlook a band who could come up with the likes of "Destiny?", 
"No Answer"  and  "Rage".  Eschewing  the  psychedelic  voyeurism  of 
Cephalic Carnage  and  the  disjointed  cacophony  of  Brutal  Truth, 
Inhumate play _Scum_-style grind like their lives depended on it. And 
perhaps almost as impressive as their  technical  prowess  is  Didier 
Houbre's recording, which easily outdoes anything I have heard in the 
genre since _Need to Control_. Of  course,  seeing  as  how  this  is 
grindcore, you'd be foolish to be expecting too much in  the  way  of 
surprises,  but  if  sixteen  tracks  of  straightforward  chaos  and 
insanity is what you're after, then _Life_ is an  album  you  do  not 
want to be without.                                                   

Contact: http://www.inhumate.maxximum.org


Inner Shrine - _Samaya_  (Dragonheart, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (4 out of 10)

Generic intro aside, one is  likely  to  find  Inner  Shrine's  sound 
somewhat unusual. The music is composed  of  mostly  rhythmic  guitar 
work (actual leads  only  appear  sporadically),  relatively  upfront 
bass, varied keyboards, a drum machine, and operatic female vocals  a 
la Therion that conduct the melody most of the  time  (except  for  a 
male- sung track towards the end). The artificial  drumming  provides 
an early setback for getting into _Samaya_,  as  it  is  very  easily 
noticeable and rather monotonous. Still, proceeding with  the  album, 
the band's intention of imbuing _Samaya_ with a  medieval  atmosphere 
soon becomes clear in-between the female-led power metal  tunes.  The 
simplistic nature of the vast majority of  the  guitar  work  on  the 
album, the relatively generic keyboard work and the bland  production 
mean there isn't much to grip the  listener's  attention  unless  the 
lead vocals and the atmospheric breaks can save the day.  Ultimately, 
that will depend heavily on the  listener's  taste:  the  vocals  are 
quite good, though not truly outstanding if compared  to  some  other 
artists, while the medieval atmospherics will likely prove  to  be  a 
source of interest for some and a reason to fast-forward for  others. 
_Samaya_ does have some points of interest, and it's not terrible  as 
far as power metal goes,  but  it  is  still  far  from  soaring  and 
captivating enough as a whole. Inner Shrine have a reasonable base to 
build from, but a lot of work is still required to  come  up  with  a 
release that will stand out in today's metal market.                  

Contact: dragonheart@audioglobe.it


Jungle Rot - _Fueled by Hate_  (Olympic / Century Media, 2004)
by: Aaron McKay  (8 out of 10)

It is never a bad day when a new Jungle Rot effort finds its  way  to 
my mailbox. Twelve more cuts of unregulated aggression  in  a  purely 
candid style. As if set to an egg-timer, it never takes more  than  a 
heartbeat for this four-piece from Chicago  to  go  straight  to  the 
fuckin' point. Where most of the tracks  hover  between  the  two  to 
three minute range, _Fueled by Hate_ ratchets-up the  hostility,  not 
to mention the  tightly  infectious  riffs.  Not  a  band  known  for 
straying far from the known quantity of their  style,  even  on  this 
effort, these guys  have  an  impressive  ability  to  deny  sounding 
"reused" or "recycled". Throaty, but understandable vocals have  long 
been a trademark Dave  Matrise  all  throughout  the  nine  years  JR 
has been  shoveling  forth  their  particular  brand  of  underground 
demolition. As if this outfit was  pushing  the  limits,  _Fueled  by 
Hate_ develops the essence of what makes a track memorable with most, 
if not all, the cuts found on this release. Not yet  having  gathered 
enough momentum to overthrow 2001's _Dead and  Buried_  as  my  "most 
spun" JR album, _FbH_ holds promise. About the best thing  going  for 
Jungle Rot is their versatility. Referring mostly to  musical  style, 
their capacity to be a welcome addition to any bill is almost without 
question. Be it Sodom, In Flames, or the  Beastie  Boys,  Jungle  Rot 
is destination  unto  themselves.  _FbH_  is  indeed  most  certainly 
a  stereotypical  Jungle  Rot  offering,  but  at  the  same  time  a 
quintessential piece of gripping attitude and extreme tightness.  Due 
to hit the streets June 29, 2004 -- let the riffs roll!               

Contact: http://www.junglerot.net


Ministry - _Houses of the Mole_  (Sanctuary, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose  (8.5 out of 10)

Barely a year after the somewhat disappointing _Animositisomina_,  Al 
Jourgensen again tries to regain the glory and fame of what was  once 
the powerful Ministry.  Having  lost  his  friend  and  drummer  Paul 
Barker, _Animositisomina_ was a  farewell  to  the  experimental  and 
laid-back sounds that Ministry  had  been  pursuing  on  _Filth  Pig_ 
and _Dark Side of the  Spoon_,  and  a  much-awaited  return  to  the 
straightforward aggression of  the  early  days.  Unfortunately,  the 
album didn't deliver what it was supposed to, because the tension was 
lacking. The songs were aggressive, but sounded too outdated.         

For _Houses of the Mole_, Alan seems to  have  actually  listened  to 
what his fans wanted. From the majestic opening sound of "No 'W'"  to 
the last hidden track of the album, we  find  Ministry  in  excellent 
form. The sound is once again completely guitar-based,  up-tempo  and 
laden with hyperfast tense drum patterns. Another  element  that  has 
found its return to the album is the use of samples: mostly  excerpts 
from television shows or George W Bush speeches, it is  obvious  that 
Alan is trying to point out the rights and wrongs of society for  us. 
Intriguing is that almost every song on the album starts  with  a  W, 
except opener "No 'W'" -- which is a clear reference to Al's aversion 
against Bush. "Warp City" and "WTV" are definitely the fastest  songs 
Ministry has done in over  twelve  years,  the  latter  referring  to 
"TV#2" of _Psalm 69_. The only downtempo song on  the  album  is  the 
closer "Worm", again another  Ministry  tradition.  And  as  if  that 
wasn't enough, we are treated to two bonus track s. #23 (Psalm 23) is 
an alternate outtake, and #69 (another tradition) named "Walrus" is a 
weird distorted sample.                                               

_Houses of the Mole_ sees the much anticipated return of Ministry  to 
a scene from which it had long been driven away by newer bands; I can 
gladly say that  Ministry  is  once  again  fighting  for  its  crown 
position as one of the most extreme industrial bands, and I can  only 
hope Alan will stay on the right path this time around.               


Monstrosity - _Rise to Power_  (Conquest Music, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon  (6 out of 10)

Monstrosity's latest studio offering is on  the  surface  similar  to 
their previous death metal opus _In Dark  Purity_,  but  I  found  it 
rather uninspired. Their style remains largely unchanged: it's  still 
a riff-heavy brand of death metal featuring  both  power  chord-based 
riffs and individual note lines,  harmonized  guitar  parts,  growled 
vocals, fast double  bass  drumming  and  blast  beats.  However,  in 
comparison to  _In  Dark  Purity_,  this  album  has  a  more  brutal 
production, with the guitars losing their sharp  edge  and  taking  a 
more blunt tone. They occasionally  step  outside  this  style,  such 
as the Death-ish instrumental  "The  Fall  of  Eden"  and  the  Marty 
Friedman-inspired guitar solos, but for the most part  the  album  is 
consistent in style.                                                  

The playing is tight, competent and  occasionally  pretty  technical, 
while the guitar solos are  just  average.  The  vocals  are  neither 
particularly interesting nor original, but they don't really  detract 
from the music. Unfortunately, the songs are just average. The  riffs 
are pretty predictable and the song structures don't do  anything  to 
help make them interesting. None of the songs are very memorable  and 
in  the  end,  they  offer  nothing  new  to  the  genre.  One  final 
disappointment is the album's closer, "Shadow of Obliteration", which 
ends with over six minutes of guitar screams and bombs -- similar  to 
those at the end of Cacophony's "Speed Metal Symphony" -- followed by 
over two minutes of a repeated sample that sounds  something  like  a 
car alarm. It's a pointless display of wankery  that  epitomizes  the 
album's lack of vision.                                               

Ultimately, this is a competent release but nothing special. I really 
can't think of any reason that a death metal fan would hate  it,  but 
on the other hand I can't think of any reason why said  fan  wouldn't 
already have ten albums just like it.                                 

Contact: Monstrosity P.O. Box 1343 Englewood, Florida 34295-1343


Perditor - _In Signo Suo_  (Ordealis Records, 2003)
by: Quentin Kalis  (7.5 out of 10)

Perditor  are   a   Dutch   band   performing   straightforward   and 
uncompromising black/war metal. It must be said that  the  production 
is a tad too crisp and the guitar sound a little bit  too  clean  for 
what they are presumably attempting to  achieve,  but  this  a  minor 
quibble. No-nonsense aggression is the sole  raison  d'être  of  this 
band; but fortunately  they  recognise  the  need  to  punctuate  the 
charging belligerence with an occasional change of pace,  or  relieve 
the accumulated tension by means of a well placed solo. Although this 
EP is unlikely to become a classic or a cult release, it is  a  solid 
release that has entrenched Perditor  firmly  in  the  extreme  metal 
world.                                                                


Sadistik Exekution - _FUKK II_  (Osmose Productions, 2004)
by: James Montague  (5 out of 10)

In 1994, Darkthrone described themselves as "the most hated  band  in 
the world". They had no business making  such  a  claim,  given  that 
Sadistik Exekution had already been around for  eight  years.  Search 
for reviews on the Internet and you will find no shortage  of  people 
slating them off as the worst load of shit ever  to  emanate  from  a 
stereo system. I, too, have gone on the record  comparing  _K.A.O.S._ 
(1997) to "a bollocks stew" (hmm, interesting -- must've  been  short 
on vocabulary that day). In time I grew to appreciate that album  for 
the mental maelstrom that it is, though it's hard to  say  whether  I 
actually liked it. In fact, I'm not  sure  if  I've  ever  enjoyed  a 
Sadistik Exekution album; but I find it  impossible  to  tear  myself 
away from them.                                                       

For those who don't know these Aussie sickos, they proclaim to be the 
most extreme death metal band in  the  world.  And  they  are  --  no 
contest. When they step on the accelerator, they produce blast  beats 
and razor-sharp speed riffs that few would even try to  emulate.  The 
lead guitar work  of  Rev.  Kriss  Hades  is  phenomenal,  his  solos 
piercing the heavens with their imperial majesty and opening the door 
for his fellow demon Rok, the spastic  vocalist  who  froths  at  the 
mouth in rabid fervour. Rok pretty much sums up what this band is all 
about: he sounds like a wild dog who has been chained to  the  studio 
floor and yet throws himself  at  the  producers,  each  attack  more 
frenzied than the last. The  lyrics  match  the  mood  of  the  music 
perfectly: he hates other bands ("We are the  most  fukked  up  metal 
band in the world  --  you  are  all...  fukking...  SHIT")  and  his 
listeners ("I bet you all worship the devil,  don't  ya,  ya  fukking 
kunts! Ya dirty fukking kunts!") as much as he hates his  own  ban  d 
(at the end of the song "Shit", he yells, "that was FUKKING SHIT!" -- 
obscenities are a dime a dozen on this baby).                         

For those who -do- know these Aussie sickos -- well, you've  probably 
figured it out by now. _FUKK II_ is even more  violent  and  deranged 
than _FUKK_, and if you liked/hated them  then,  you'll  love/despise 
them now. Sure, they do try a more controlled, mid-tempo approach  to 
songwriting on "Arkhon the Graverobber", the album's standout  track, 
and they do break things up with a disturbing seven-minute collage of 
guitar noise and vocal desperation entitled "The Electric Chair". But 
for the most part, the berzerker approach prevails.                   

Ultimately, I don't particularly enjoy _FUKK II_,  because  memorable 
songwriting  is  compromised  in  favour  of  absolute   mind-warping 
extremity. But hell,  it's  hard  not  to  appreciate  the  genuinely 
stunning  musicianship  and   no-holds-barred   approach   to   audio 
destruction. For the masochistic listener, there is nothing like  the 
battery that Sadistik Exekution yearns to inflict upon your  wretched 
fukking life.                                                         

Contact: http://fade.to/sadx/


Scent of Flesh - _Valor of Hatred_  (Firebox, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (6 out of 10)

_Valor of Hatred_ is a rather unusual release in the relatively short 
history of Firebox Records:  this  is  straightforward  brutal  death 
metal, whereas the vast majority of their  releases  so  far  had  at 
least a considerable doom metal component. It is a competent album as 
far as its genre is concerned, with plenty  of  steady,  hard-hitting 
blast beats and breaks, busy riffing and standard death grunts. Scent 
of Flesh are a very competent act, but when  you're  playing  such  a 
tired genre you really need to be something  special,  which  at  the 
moment they're not. This is an album you  can  play,  enjoy  for  its 
metallic energy, but end up remembering nary a riff:  it's  fun,  but 
generic and forgettable. The  album  simply  lacks  strong  stand-out 
tracks, with "Descent  to  Dark  Clarity"  virtually  the  only  real 
candidate. Ultimately _Valor of Hatred_  is  pretty  much  doomed  to 
obscurity, in spite of being a fun album to play a couple  of  times, 
having some  eye-catching  cover  art  and  boasting  a  song  called 
"Suicidal Cannibalism".                                               

Contact: http://www.firebox.fi


Secrets of the Moon - _Carved in Stigmata Wounds_
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)  (Lupus Lounge, 2004)

Secrets of the Moon come across as polished  and  occasionally  weird 
while keeping some metallic venom -- something plenty of people  seem 
interested in  achieving  these  days.  They  also  incorporate  some 
slightly old-school thrashy  elements  and  an  audible  bass  sound, 
departing from  a  black  metal  base  with  little  care  for  genre 
integrity. They display accomplished musicianship and string together 
some damn good flowing guitar leads, though they also  fall  prey  to 
some less interesting passages interspersed with the others.  _Carved 
in Stigmata Wounds_ is neither  revolutionary  nor  amazing,  but  it 
doesn't sound derivative, and it is  definitely  very  competent  and 
energetic. The band also know how to work some variation  into  their 
sound, which certainly works in their favour: the fast sections  with 
serpentine guitar  work  help  forget  some  excessively  long  tepid 
passages where the album contrastingly lacks said variation.  Overall 
the album is very good, simultaneously a bit technical,  entertaining 
and dark, with a  few  excellent  riffs  ("Cosmogenesis",  "Evolution 
Valour Admission"  and  the  title  track,  for  instance)  and  able 
drumming to top it off -- but then at 72 minutes in length, the songs 
also tend to be  rather  long-winded.  A  bit  more  conciseness  and 
consistency in the future, please, but for the time being _Carved  in 
Stigmata Wounds_ is a very worthy effort.                             

Contact: http://www.lupuslounge.com


Slipknot - _Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses_  (Roadrunner, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose  (9 out of 10)

There's no doubt that Slipknot  has  been  heavily  overhyped.  Their 
second album _Iowa_ was one of the most anticipated releases of  that 
year, sold exceptionally well, but couldn't deliver all the  promises 
that Slipknot had made to their loyal following. What happened  after 
_Iowa_ was unclear to most; some said Slipknot disbanded, others just 
assumed the band was on hiatus. Secretly, the third album  was  being 
assembled.                                                            

_Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses_ is the most mature Slipknot album  to 
date. More than before we find Slipknot exploring the extremes of the 
nu-metal realm by incorporating influences from  a  wide  variety  of 
musical styles. The military percussion on "The Blister Exists",  the 
catchy groove of "Duality", melodic SOAD-influences on "Opium of  the 
People", a bit of gothic  in  "Vermillion"...  borrowing  heavily  on 
different styles is something Slipknot gets away with with ease.  The 
binding factors are easy to point out: aggro-tense vocals, stuttering 
percussion and grinding guitars provide the backdrop to the  Slipknot 
sound. The lyrics still boil with rage and aggression, but they  drip 
with genuineness -- which is highly  appreciated  in  a  world  where 
bands are just trying to be as  extreme  possible  for  the  sake  of 
extremity.                                                            

With all the obvious flirts with hardcore and  death  metal,  calling 
Slipknot a typical nu-metal band would definitely do them  injustice. 
_Vol 3_ has definitely grown into an extreme album and  Slipknot  has 
proven to be more than a overhyped pack of musicians.                 

Contact: http://www.slipknot.com


St Madness - _We Make Evil Fun_  (Nasty Prick Records, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit  (5 out of 10)

Whenever a band's core lyrical departure point centres around comedic 
themes, they invariably always end up treading the thin line  between 
affectionate parody and outright farce. Case in point is Arizona's St 
Madness, whose absurd metallic jibes range from  the  mildly  amusing 
("No Mercy", "Sexual  Abuse")  to  the  downright  stupid  ("You  Are 
My Food",  "Evil  Elvis").  Stylistically,  _We  Make  Evil  Fun_  is 
unashamedly  adolescent  heavy  metal  --  well  played  and  solidly 
produced. But even with the odd killer riff thrown into the  mix,  St 
Madness' brand of  humour  is  frequently  not  as  witty  as  it  so 
desperately wants to be, and every so often it seems to take itself a 
little too seriously to illicit anything other  than  brief,  passing 
curiosity.                                                            

Contact: http://www.stmadness.com


Sun of the Sleepless / Nachtmahr - _Split_  (Lupus Lounge, 2004)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8.5 out of 10)

A few years ago, Sun of the Sleepless impressed me tremendously  with 
the _Poems to the Wretches' Hearts_ EP -- a  brief  work,  relatively 
simple  in  its  _Transilvanian  Hunger_  revivalism,  yet  virtually 
flawless for what it aimed to achieve. I  have  since  only  heard  a 
stunning remix in a Prophecy Productions promotional compilation,  as 
Schwadorf's (of  Empyrium  fame)  solo  project  stayed  in  relative 
obscurity. Year 2004, Sun  of  the  Sleepless  return  with  a  split 
release on Prophecy's new black metal  sub-label  Lupus  Lounge.  The 
other half of this split is provided by a band previously unknown  to 
me: old- school black metallers Nachtmahr.                            

The first six tracks belong to Sun of the Sleepless and vary  greatly 
in nature; they are mostly unreleased or recaptured from more obscure 
recordings (such as the aforementioned compilation song,  the  superb 
"Spring '99"). SotS open with "A Wolf in Sheep's Skin Clad",  a  fine 
example of cold black metal with an ear  for  melody  akin  to,  say, 
Ulver. This time around the vocals are processed and distorted rather 
than "natural" sounding, but it  fits  well  in  the  overall  sound. 
Second track "Romanze zur Nacht" is a slower affair with  a  distinct 
lead guitar line driving the  song  and  a  clear  doom  feel.  While 
lacking quite the impact of the _Poems to the Wretches'  Hearts_  EP, 
these tracks would not have felt out of place there. SotS  then  move 
on to cover Burzum's  "Dunkelheit",  an  interesting  prospect  given 
their profile as purveyors of quality black  metal  coldness  with  a 
doomy edge. The  well-suited  cover  is  pulled  off  in  style,  the 
original reworked in a subtle manner over more  than  seven  minutes. 
"Neunter November" is the sort of track any band in the  genre  knows 
is going to draw some heavy flak, with its repetitive speech  sample, 
trip hop background beat and electronic sound effects.  Had  it  been 
one minute long, it might have  been  an  interesting  interlude;  at 
three minutes in length it is  excessive  and  ultimately  redundant. 
Electronics are also heavily employed in the  cover  of  Darkthrone's 
"Tausend Kalte Winter", but this time to  much  better  effect:  this 
vastly different reinterpretation features an outstanding  background 
atmosphere, vague guitar and piano-like sounds, more of  the  heavily 
distorted vocals, and an ominous beat. A daring and accomplished  six 
minute cover, considering the changes SotS made and the nature of the 
original author. Finally, the  magnificent  "Spring  '99",  itself  a 
remix of a Sun of the Sleepless song,  closes  proceedings  in  great 
fashion: ambient electronics are  mixed  with  an  amazing  sense  of 
bittersweet, agonizing  tension.  Aside  from  the  redundant  fourth 
track, the Sun  of  the  Sleepless  part  of  the  split  is  another 
excellent chapter in the band's short history.                        

Following up such a start could never  be  easy  for  Nachtmahr,  but 
their Darkthrone-inspired style is not entirely out of place here  -- 
and while they stick strictly to old-school formulas, adopting only a 
more professional production, these  Germans  churn  out  three  fine 
examples of the genre. Those who enjoyed the Sun of the Sleepless EP, 
_Poems to the  Wretches'  Hearts_,  are  well  advised  to  give  the 
Nachtmahr side of this split a good chance: the cold melodies, simple 
drumming, raspy vocals and occasional acoustics may not be  of  quite 
the same level as SotS, but they remain very worthwhile. Hoping for a 
Sun of  the  Sleepless  full-length  may  be  no  more  than  wishful 
thinking, but in the absence of that I'll be  looking  forward  to  a 
Nachtmahr album instead -- the two are different, but interest me for 
similar reasons. Overall, this split is definitely  worth  owning  -- 
mostly for Sun of the Sleepless, clearly,  but  Nachtmahr  are  quite 
good and their style fits well, so this split is  far  from  just  an 
overpriced EP with some filler tacked onto the end.                   

Contact: http://www.lupuslounge.com


Sunn O))) - _The Libations of Samhain_  (Bastet, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose  (6 out of 10)

For those familiar with Sunn O))): _The Libations of  Samhain_  is  a 
live  recording  from  earlier  this  year.  This  full-length  album 
consists of two tracks ("The Libations of Samhain" and "Sunn O)))  vs 
Diggers", an interview) and clocks in at over 65 minutes.  For  those 
not familiar with Sunn O))), let me explain what they are about in  a 
few simple words: slow  and  painful  ambient.  Using  silence  as  a 
weapon; distortion as a musical cloak; noise as a pure feeling.       

It is with a bit of regret that I must say that  the  feeling  I  get 
from Sunn O)))'s albums is not reproduced by this live recording. The 
range of frequencies used seems to have shrunk; the noisescapes sound 
less impressive; and as a result, there  is  an  overall  feeling  of 
dissatisfaction left after listening to _The Libations  of  Samhain_. 
The interview is nice if you are interested what's behind the  music, 
but doesn't do much for me either.  _The  Libations  of  Samhain_  is 
still great to bug my neighbors though; for that -- and the effort -- 
I still rate it a 6 out of 10, but most people  will  be  better  off 
trying to find the two _White_ albums.                                

Contact: http://www.ideologic.org


The Fallout Project - _Architecture Breeds Rust_
by: Brian Meloon  (7 out of 10)  (Dare to Care, 2003)

Quebec City's The Fallout Project are a hardcore band in the style of 
early Neurosis, but perhaps a little more melodic. Their music  is  a 
roughly even mix of heavier and lighter  sections,  with  the  latter 
having some similarities to the alternative / math  rock  genre.  The 
two styles complement each other quite well. Most of their  music  is 
slow- to-mid paced and more grating than heavy. The songs  have  some 
very strange structures, such as the  three-and-a-half  minute  quiet 
section in the middle of  the  ten-minute  "An  Open  Wound  Bleeding 
Loose". This ultimately leads to my main complaint  with  this  disc: 
it's not memorable at all. While the music is good to very  good,  it 
isn't organized well enough, and the songs don't stick  with  me  for 
any length of time. I feel that better  song  structures  could  help 
make their music more effective. But as it is, this is  a  reasonably 
good offering, and should appeal to fans of older Neurosis,  as  well 
as bands like Eyes of Fire, Mindrot and Alchemist.                    

Contact: http://www.daretocarerecords.com/falloutbio.shtml


The Vision Bleak - _The Deathship Has a New Captain_
by: Pedro Azevedo  (7 out of 10)  (Prophecy Productions, 2004)

"Supreme horror death rock" from Schwadorf -- the  mastermind  behind 
Empyrium (which has unfortunately been laid to rest) and Sun  of  the 
Sleepless -- and his associate Konstanz, _The  Deathship  Has  a  New 
Captain_ is an album meant to honour authors  such  as  Max  Schreck, 
John Carpenter, Friedrich Murnau and George Romero, among others. The 
songs tend to remind me of a  more  gothic  version  of  Dead  Silent 
Slumber, a project  I  hadn't  even  thought  about  in  ages  before 
listening to this. The Vision Bleak is quite different  though,  with 
more of a rock vibe and gothic vocals  --  even  a  Type  O  Negative 
influence -- as well as operatic elements. Their sound is based  upon 
some pretty hard-hitting guitar chords, with  keyboard  orchestration 
to complement them and pave the way for the  theatrical  vocals.  The 
arrangements are very well done, but the horror here isn't  meant  to 
be presented in a truly dark kind of way: most of  the  choruses  and 
overall sound are relatively light-hearted, not  exactly  going  into 
Necrophagia territory sound- wise. Indeed, for a horror-based  album, 
_The Deathship Has a New Captain_ is rather bouncy and merry  for  my 
taste, much as its  sound  and  performance  cannot  be  faulted.  To 
further dampen my enjoyment of the album, the songwriting is much too 
chorus-based for my liking, and the male vocals also fail to convince 
me. Ultimately, the album is very well done and will be  a  fun  disc 
for those who enjoy a bit of gothic rock and like their horror light; 
darker souls need to look elsewhere.                                  

Contact: http://www.the-vision-bleak.de


Twelve Tribes - _The Rebirth of Tragedy_  (Roadrunner, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose  (7.5 out of 10)

Judging by the large number of bands suddenly  mixing  Swedish  death 
with hardcore, I guess I can safely say this style is  the  next  big 
thing now that black metal has gone underground again. Unfortunately, 
like ever before, labels  seem  to  be  prone  to  signing  any  band 
knocking on their door as long as they fit the genre  --  quality  is 
too often disregarded. Thankfully, Twelve Tribes don't fall into that 
category. A little more relaxed than genremates Killswitch Engage, on 
_The Rebirth of Tragedy_ they provide a good example of how different 
aggressive styles can be blended into ten good songs. Even though the 
process doesn't always work out as well as you would hope, there is a 
lot to be said for _TRoT_: just check out the groove at  the  end  of 
"Baboon Music", the insane riffs in "Venus  Complex"  and  "Godshaped 
War", or the nu-metal-ish "Chroma". The things that work against  the 
album are the (sporadic) clean vocal  and  rap-parts  (especially  in 
"Luma") and its running time -- 45 min utes is a bit long considering 
some of the songs sound a lot similar. Nonetheless, _The  Rebirth  of 
Tragedy_ is a great album that is heartily  recommended  to  fans  of 
Chimaira and Killswitch Engage.                                       

Contact: http://www.twelvetribesmusic.com

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

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

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


Atrophy - _Dédales_
by: Brian Meloon  (4 out of 5)

Not to be confused with the late '80s thrash band of the  same  name, 
this Atrophy is from France, and this is  their  second  demo.  Their 
style is pretty brutal death metal with progressive riffs  and  jazzy 
guitar solos. Mostly they remind me of their  countrymates  Admortem, 
but Atrophy's music is a little more advanced. They also remind me at 
times of Gorguts and Lethargy, and they add a couple jazzy solos that 
sound like they  might  be  from  Pestilence's  _Spheres_.  They  use 
several riff styles, including standard death  metal  riffs,  angular 
and quirky individual note lines and harmonized melodic  riffs.  They 
mix up the styles quite a bit, but I don't really feel much  flow  in 
the songs. Also, there really isn't too much in the way of  dynamics, 
so some parts seem a bit repetitive. The vocals are low and  guttural 
and fit the music, but don't really add much  character  to  it.  The 
playing is very good: technical, but not overly so. The production is 
a little raw -- which at times gives the music an atonal,  completely 
percussive sound -- but it's adequate for a demo. Overall, this is  a 
promising offering, and if they keep improving  as  they  have  been, 
their next offering will be very impressive. My hope is that  they'll 
continue to expand their songwriting  skills  and  expand  the  jazzy 
elements of their  music,  as  this  is  still  a  fertile  area  for 
exploration. Fans of jazzy and technical  death  metal  should  check 
them out and keep an eye on them for the future.                      

(Both of Atrophy's demos  are  available  for  download  at  the  URL 
provided.)                                                            

Contact: http://atrophy.free.fr


Civil Unrest - _Civil Unrest_
by: Aaron McKay  (3.5 out of 5)

It is evident that this quintet takes their chosen  craft  seriously; 
in the case of Civil  Unrest,  that  spells  out  some  finely  tuned 
offerings. With an underutilized Epoch  of  Unlight  vocal  approach, 
this Oceanside, California five-piece work in a  nice  complement  of 
some spoken lyrics on occasion that accent the overall  guttural  and 
strained serpentine style. Frequent, but not abused,  change-ups  are 
worked into the generally heavy temperament of Civil  Unrest's  honed 
sound. Throughout the nearly twenty minutes on the band's five tracks 
offered on this demo, the  direct,  yet  enraged  attitude  exhibited 
here drive home the full impact  purposefully  and  without  remorse. 
Professional and well suited for their calling, Civil Unrest seems to 
have amassed a solid following in the Golden State; they now seek  to 
broaden that reach. Not extreme, but provoking, these guys have miles 
to travel in order to separate themselves from the forgettable  heard 
of today's  scene.  Their  potential  is  appare  nt.  A  well-suited 
adjustment might prove helpful to highlight the  dual  vocal  attack. 
The understated musical intervals, for effect, might be another  area 
to consider forcing to the forefront as it complements the tone quite 
well and has the added benefit of making  the  larger  atmosphere  of 
brutality that much more devastating. Combined with what sounds  like 
strong production on this demo, Civil Unrest can claim to carry forth 
the metal banner with pride.                                          

Contact: http://www.civilunrest1.com


Corrupted Mutation - _The Exordium_
by: Pedro Azevedo  (3 out of 5)

One in a series  of  demos  released  on  CD-R  by  Portuguese  label 
Dungeons Records, Corrupted Mutation play a kind of  blackened  metal 
with melodic leanings, occasionally bringing to mind the  very  early 
work of Dark Tranquillity, and do it  reasonably  well  for  a  demo. 
Taking into consideration that this is only a duo,  with  one  member 
responsible for vocals and lyrics and the other for  all  instruments 
(the drumming sounds  artificial,  by  the  way),  then  a  bit  more 
appreciation starts to develop  for  this  demo.  The  production  is 
adequate, and while  the  playing  is  not  always  tight,  Corrupted 
Mutation still string together a few good passages  into  what  turns 
out to be a rather decent demo -- never  mind  an  atrocious  passage 
or  two,  like  the  (probably  intentional)  beginning  and  end  of 
instrumental "Disarmonic Agony". There is still plenty of work to  be 
done here, but some promise can be found in what  Corrupted  Mutation 
have achieved so far.                                                 

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


Necrocannibal - _Splatter Gore_
by: Pedro Azevedo  (1 out of 5)

Ten tracks crammed into eleven minutes  of  gore-drenched  grindcore, 
the release suffers from a terrible sounding drum machine that  could 
make Mortician (who they also cover) sound reasonably good, and  also 
a nearly non-existing guitar sound on  most  tracks  (the  production 
varies). All you have left is a flurry of artificial hyperspeed  drum 
beats accompanied by  generic  grunts,  with  no  riffs  or  rhythmic 
elements to speak of, and a few obligatory  film  samples.  Grindcore 
can certainly be simplistic, but there's a lot more to it  than  this 
-- being a one-man band cannot excuse everything.                     

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


Vorago - _Lobos de Guerra_
by: Pedro Azevedo  (3.5 out of 5)

Raw Lusitanian black metal may not mean much to the metal world,  but 
Vorago show a firm belief: they actually go so far as  to  write  all 
their involved lyrics in Portuguese, and the theme running throughout 
them is unmistakable. The music has a  loose,  chaotic  feel  to  the 
guitar work that is not uncommon in this type of black metal, as  the 
simple guitar lines are repeated and interwoven in each song, and  at 
times there is a little bit of  Blut  Aus  Nord  in  Vorago's  guitar 
playing and  vocals.  Possibly  the  best  characteristic  this  demo 
possesses stems from the considerable atmosphere  around  the  music, 
reflecting the work that has been put into the lyrics, which is  done 
quite well considering this is only a demo  ("Negro  Amanhecer",  for 
instance). The main subject here is raw black metal with an epic edge 
to it, however, and in that area _Lobos de Guerra_ ("Wolves of  War") 
suffers from a largely inadequate artificial rhythm section; it's not 
terrible by demo standards, but a good human drummer would have  made 
a great difference. Overall this is an interesting demo in  spite  of 
some shortcomings, and it  seems  likely  that  given  the  means  to 
progress Vorago may forge an interesting path for their future.       

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


World of Shit - _World of Shit_
by: Aaron McKay  (2.5 out of 5)

When Chronicles of  Chaos  was  contacted  by  World  of  Shit  about 
reviewing their demo, an assumption was made that there  was  current 
material to peddle. As things  turn  out,  the  only  date  found  on 
this self-titled effort is one  from  the  recording  of  these  five 
tracks found here: September of 2002.  Having  said  that,  this  duo 
is an  interesting  outfit.  Eric  (guitars  and  additional  vocals) 
resides in Chicago, while Mat (drums and vocals)  hangs  his  hat  in 
Berlin, Germany; I'm  guessing  rehearsals  must  be  a  real  bitch! 
Including their name, World of Shit  makes  it  their  sole  ambition 
to get straight  to  the  point,  seemingly  without  the  use  of  a 
bass guitar. The songs on  this  demo  are  direct  and  filled  with 
forceful blast beats and intense riffing, with appropriate  solos  to 
complement the hasty feel. "Servant", track  five,  is  probably  the 
best representation of WoS's potential. "Servant"  feeds  on  a  Hate 
Eternal ambiance with severe riff-packed ability. The CD inlay states 
World of Shit reu nite about every two years to "shit  out  a  demo"; 
defecation also seems to be a high priority to these guys.  Polishing 
(if you can use that world when referencing a  band  named  World  of 
Shit) the hard to decipherer lines between the instrumentation, where 
the guitars blur into the percussion frequently, and underscoring the 
gruff vocals would sure make a difference in  the  studio  next  time 
around. The twelve minutes offered here aren't tough to stomach, just 
less-than-electrifying. As a passing thought, couldn't you  just  see 
WoS a hitting the road with  Cattle  Decapitation,  Dying  Fetus  and 
maybe A.C.? Imagine reading that on the civic center marquee...  Live 
in concert, the Peachypalooza tour!                                   

Contact: worldofsh_t@hotmail.com


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        F O U R   T I M E S   S T I L L   N O T   E N O U G H
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Anthrax and Hatebreed @ The London Astoria, 14 June 2004
                           by: Jackie Smit


Unhelpful door attendants and a brief but annoying quarrel  over  the 
guestlist results in my missing the  first  act  on  tonight's  bill, 
Bullet For My Valentine, and while I can't claim to be familiar  with 
them in the slightest, all  reports  indicate  that  they  played  an 
extremely well received set.                                          

By the time I make my way to  the  floor  area  of  a  packed  London 
Astoria, Hatebreed's road crew have just about  finished  setting  up 
the band's gear, and a tangible air  of  excitement  has  gripped  at 
least a part of the audience, who start chanting impatiently for  the 
New York quartet to come out and get down to the  business  at  hand. 
It's quite a strange pairing if you ask me,  putting  hardcore's  new 
favourite poster children on the same bill as  the  thrash  veterans. 
Still, considering that Hatebreed  have  been  doing  their  best  to 
immerse themselves in the metal scene as much as  possible  of  late, 
taking extreme acts Hate Eternal and Cephalic  Carnage  on  the  road 
with them, it's probably not that far-fetched an idea.                

There is a visible division between the older and  I  dare  say  less 
raucous Anthrax crowd, and Hatebreed's more exuberant and  physically 
intense followers however, and this is made abundantly clear  by  the 
opening of a sizeable circle pit at the start of Hatebreed's  set  -- 
populated by a mere fifteen or  so  punters,  who  proceed  to  throw 
windmill-punches at all and sundry, as the band begins their assault. 
Now, I could probably go on at length about my  hatred  for  hardcore 
dancing, and tonight  --  as  ever  --  is  no  exception;  a  select 
few nearly ruining  the  evening  of  everyone  around  them  through 
sheer inconsideration and stupidity. Thankfully  though,  Hatebreed's 
performance is solid as they come and certainly interesting enough to 
draw my attention away from this display of base-level humanity. Even 
though the band do grow slightly monotonous after twenty-five minutes 
or so, the likes of "Live for This", "Beholder of  Justice",  "Facing 
What Consumes You", "Perseverance" and "Hollow G  round"  have  never 
sounded more menacing and aggressive.                                 

"I Will Be Heard" signals the end of Hatebreed's  set  and  sees  the 
hardcore fans quickly disperse to make way for a  throng  of  Anthrax 
supporters who pile their way toward the  stage  in  anticipation  of 
tonight's main event. It has to be said that whatever  for  criticism 
has been leveled at these guys in the past --  whether  warranted  or 
unwarranted -- they still retain an undeniable presence and  charisma 
which, at least in my book, make them one of the few truly unmissable 
acts in metal. Judging by the deafening roar that greets the  opening 
strains of "What Doesn't Die", at least 3000 others share my opinion, 
and as Scott Ian, John Bush and the rest of  the  boys  take  to  the 
stage, they are clearly in their element right from the off.          

Performing with more energy and passion  than  most  of  their  peers 
could hope to muster in a lifetime, they run through a veritable list 
of classics, from "State of  Euphoria"  to  "Caught  in  a  Mosh"  to 
"Only". And while their album counterparts may have  started  showing 
their age some time ago, there aren't many  songs  in  any  genre  of 
music that can match the sort of intensity that emanates  from  songs 
like "Death Rider", "Madhouse" and "Got the Time" tonight.  Curiously 
though, despite the airing of rarely performed favourites like  "Keep 
It in the Family", it is the double-headed grand finale of "Bring the 
Noise" and (not so surprisingly) an  impromptu  cover  of  "Whiplash" 
that garners the most enthusiasm from tonight's decidedly  old-school 
crowd.                                                                

Ultimately tonight's performance is a triumph all round.  It  may  be 
the fourth time that Anthrax have been in the capital  in  just  over 
two years, but London clearly can't seem to get  enough  of  them  -- 
which for a band that was all but pronounced deceased around the turn 
of the century by virtually everyone in  the  media,  marks  a  truly 
astonishing rebirth.                                                  

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

Pedro's Top 5

1. Farmakon - _A Warm Glimpse_
2. Drudkh - _Autumn Aurora_
3. Mayhem - _Chimera_
4. Sun of the Sleepless / Nachtmahr - _Split_
5. Hate Forest - _Battlefields_

Brian's Top 5

1. Spastic Ink - _Ink Compatible_
2. PsyOpus - _Ideas of Reference_
3. Strangle Fuck - _Demo_
4. Drudkh - _Autumn Aurora_
5. Between the Buried and Me - _The Silent Circus_

Aaron's Top 5

1. Jungle Rot - _Fueled by Hate_
2. Borknagar - _Epic_
3. The Forsaken - _Traces of the Past_
4. Black Label Society - _The Blessed Hellride_
5. Carnal Forge - _Aren't You Dead Yet?_

Quentin's Top 5

1. Ulver - _A Quick Fix of Melancholy_
2. Falkenbach - _Ok Nesna Tysvar TY_
3. Mayhem - _Chimera_
4. Akercocke - _Choronzon_
5. Woodtemple - _The Call From Pagan Woods_

Jackie's Top 5

1. Akercocke - _Choronzon_
2. Graveland - _The Fire of Awakening_
3. The Misfits - _Static Age_
4. Suffocation - _Pierced From Within_
5. Gorgoroth - _Twilight of the Idols_

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Web Site: http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com
FTP Archive: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos

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


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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #75

All contents copyright  (c)  1995-2004  by  individual  creators  of 
included work. All rights reserved.
All  opinions  expressed  herein  are  those  of   the   individuals 
expressing them, and do not necessarily reflect the views of  anyone 
else.                                                                

