       ______ __                      __        __
      |      |  |--.----.-----.-----.|__|.----.|  |.-----.-----.
      |   ---|     |   _|  _  |     ||  ||  __||  ||  -__|__ --|
      |______|__|__|__| |_____|__|__||__||____||__||_____|_____|
                                     ___
                             .-----.'  _|
                             |  _  |   _|
                             |_____|__|
                    ______ __
                   |      |  |--.---.-.-----.-----.
                   |   ---|     |  _  |  _  |__ --|
                   |______|__|__|___._|_____|_____|


         CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, June 15, 1999, Issue #40
               http://www.interlog.com/~ginof/coc.html

Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti <mailto:ginof@interlog.com>
Coordinator: Adrian Bromley <mailto:energizr@interlog.com>
Contributor/Copy Editor: Pedro Azevedo <mailto:ei94048@fe.up.pt>
Contributor/Asst. Copy Editor: Paul Schwarz <mailto:saul@cwcom.net>
Assistant Copy Editor: John Weathers <mailto:anguish@mindspring.com>
Contributor: Alain M. Gaudrault <mailto:alain@gaudrault.net>
Contributor: Brian Meloon <mailto:bmeloon@math.cornell.edu>
Contributor: Adam Wasylyk <mailto:macabre@interlog.com>
Contributor: Aaron McKay <mailto:aaronm@trxinc.com>
Contributor: David Rocher <mailto:el_rojo@dial.oleane.com>
Contributor: Gabriel Sanchez <mailto:mwnoise@yahoo.com>
Contributor: Alex Cantwell <mailto:alex@netmdc.com>

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

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

Issue #40 Contents, 6/15/99
---------------------------
* Loud Letters
* Deadly Dialogues
-- Skinlab: The Flesh Dealers Return
-- Nocturnal Rites: Nightly Nastiness
-- Rotting: Slowly They Rot
-- Payable on Death: Paid in Full
-- Blindside: The Blindside of the Law
* Album Asylum
-- Agathocles / Black Army Jacket 7"
-- Aurora - _Sadiam_
-- Various - _Beauty in Darkness Vol. 3_
-- Bifrost - _Mythistory_
-- Children of Bodom - _Hatebreeder_
-- Corpus Christi - _Anno Domini_
-- Dali's Dilemma - _Manifesto for Futurism_
-- Dellamorte - _Home Sweet Hell..._
-- Dolorian - _When All the Laughter Has Gone_
-- Ensoph - _Les Confessions du Mat_
-- Golgotha - _Elemental Changes_
-- Haste - _Pursuit in the Face of Consequence_
-- Heaven's Gate - _Menergy_
-- Hypocrisy - _Hypocrisy_
-- In Aeternum - _Forever Blasphemy_
-- In Flames - _Colony_
-- Moment Maniacs - _Two Fuckin' Pieces..._
-- Nightmare Lodge - _Blind Miniatures_
-- Nocturnal Breed - _No Retreat... No Surrender_
-- Power Symphony - _Evillot_
-- Pretty Maids - _Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing_
-- Various - _Psyclone Sinphonies_
-- Quiet Riot - _Alive and Well_
-- Scorched Earth Policy - _Tones of Ambivalence XCIX_
-- Various - _Smells Like Team Spirit III_
-- Soil - _Throttle Junkies_
-- Spock's Beard - _Day for Night_
-- Stretcher - _Stretcher_
-- Testament - _The Gathering_
-- The Chasm - _Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph_
-- Therion - _Crowning of Atlantis_
-- Torture Squad - _Shivering_
-- Unfounded - _Corrode_
-- W.A.S.P. - _Helldorado_
-- Whiplash - _Messages in Blood - The Early Years_
* New Noise
-- Aghora - _1998 demo_
-- Antagony - _Antagony_
-- Autoerotichrist / Richard Ramirez - _Birthright_ 7"
-- Autoerotichrist / Incapacitants 7"
-- Autoerotichrist / Japanese Torture Comedy Hour
-- Inchtimer - _Inchtimer_
-- Mutant - _Eden Burnt to Ashes_
-- No Rest for the Dead - _Earthlings From Mars_
-- Teardown - _Persona Non Grata_
* Chaotic Concerts
-- Milwaukee, Eat Your Heart Out... Again!: NJ March Metal Meltdown
-- Dynamonic Destruction: The Dynamo Open Air Festival
-- Eternally Engraved: Sculpture with Omnio
* What We Have Cranked
* Details

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

                 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, 20 May 1999
From: "J.D. Stoner" <searme@sosinet.net>
Subject: Chronicles error

In your most recent issue (good one by the way) you list Amorphis  as
a Nuclear Blast band. They are infact on relapse.

[Indeed, my mistake. It was induced by the fact that  it  is  Nuclear
Blast who distributes them in Europe; I  ended  up  forgetting  about
Relapse. -- Pedro]


Date: Fri, 21 May 99
From: Denis Shepetovsky
         <Denis.Shepetovsky@p69.f44.n5005.z2.fidonet.org>
Subject: Attention Loud Letters

HELLo, ginof@interlog.com!

   I started to read CoC from #20 back and forth and have to say your
   ezine is fucking great for all: reviews, interviews,  writings  of
   both,- but the one thing. This thing is

               WHO ARE THE FUCKING BAND NAMED KYUSS ?

   Writers use it like everybody should know what the style this band
   play and listen to its music twice a day. This may shock you,  but
   nobody of people I ever conversated personaly or  via  FIDOnet  in
   Russia NEVER heard of band like this. I start thinking it is  some
   your local canadian band, but, hey, guys, you're writing  for  the
   whole world.

Denis AKA Helgi.

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

Correction
~~~~~~~~~~
In my review of Downthroat's _I've Got My Mother's Eyes_ in CoC  #39,
the band's address contained an error (1157 instead of 157). Here  is
the correct address. My apologies for any inconvenience this  mistake
may have caused.

Contact: Downthroat, Apartado 157, 3780 Anadia, Portugal

     -- Pedro Azevedo

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

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

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


           T H E   F L E S H   D E A L E R S   R E T U R N
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                        CoC interviews Skinlab
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     It's really hard to put into words the  amount  of  respect  and
admiration I have for Skinlab. Sure, when the Bay Area band  surfaced
in 1997 with the  metalcore,  Machine  Head-ish  _Bound,  Gagged  and
Blindfolded_, it seemed fitting for where  metal  music  was  headed.
They had the right sound and style. Eventually,  people  caught  onto
the band and they became more than just  a  run-of-the-mill  kind  of
metal act. They had the live show and they had  the  aggression.  The
darkened beauty of their music was beginning to boil. They carried on.
     Touring and more touring eventually led them to  become  a  much
more experienced live  act,  further  sharpening  their  razor  sharp
skills and justly allowing them to explore their own creative  angles
with the band.  Mix  in  some  line-up  changes  and  all  the  other
experiences that bands go through from their debut  disc  onto  their
sophomore disc, and you pretty much know what kind  of  shit  Skinlab
has treaded through. Well... the new disc is out and it's  a  winner.
_Disembody: The New Flesh_ [CoC #38] is a blistering assault  to  all
of the senses. It's a cannon of  aggression,  firing  equally  strong
blows as the album goes forth. Much like the  rare,  limited  edition
_Eyesore_ EP [CoC #36] that preceded the album, _Disembody:  The  New
Flesh_ is a masterful and succulent morsel of metal  mayhem  to  chew
on. It's brutal and oh so juicy.  Lock  down  and  crank  it  up,  my
friends. Skinlab mean business in 1999.
     With a new band to follow his charge  into  the  maniacal  metal
world, vocalist/bassist Steev Esquivel is  ready  for  anything.  The
band  --  guitarist   Scott   Sargeant   (ex-Killingculture),   Snake
(ex-Skrew) and drummer Paul Hopkins  --  market  themselves  renegade
veterans of this genre of music; strong, thick skinned and flawlessly
showcasing attitudes that would  make  any  street  hoodlum  envious.
Skinlab is all about maintaining a variety of powerful song ideas and
making sure we get it imbedded it into our skulls before they're done
with us.
     And Steev Esquivel means  business.  He's  a  tough  cookie,  my
friends. Just check out the "nice" message he left  on  my  answering
machine a few Saturdays ago when I was showering prior  to  an  early
morning interview with him (note: 9 a.m. his time on the West  Coast)
and he called a bit early.
     "<BEEP>... Yeah, Adrian, it's Steev calling  from  Skinlab.  I'm
calling for the interview. It's real early  and  you're  not  fucking
there. If you don't call me back in 20 minutes  I'm  gonna  fly  over
there and kill you. Call me. My number is... <BEEP>" Needless to say,
I dried off and called "Hitman" Esquivel right back.
     So did he want to kill me? "No... I'm just tired, man. It's been
a really busy time for us. We were in Europe for five weeks and  then
came back to the U.S. for a tour with Napalm Death  for  a  few  more
weeks and it just has gotten to the point where we  had  only  a  few
days off for a bit of downtime. This is rest  time  for  us  and  I'm
trying to get a lot done. Interviews are a few of the things that had
to be put to rest. I'm just  tired,  I  wasn't  going  to  kill  you,
really. No harm intended, OK? It's just been a busy month pushing the
new record."
     Speaking of the  new  record,  _Disembody:  The  New  Flesh_  is
somewhat new territory for the band. While still overflowing with the
Bay area sound, the band manages to  alter  their  shape  and  sound,
flowing strongly with vibes of powerhouse Neurosis at times. Does the
band realize the change in pace? Did it just happen gradually?  "This
record has been a long time coming. It's been brewing in the back  of
my mind and finally we've been able to put it on record. Sure  things
have happened in our career over the last little while and it  shows.
We're definitely gonna go the opposite of what we think people  would
suspect we were going to do. We just kind of did the exact  opposite,
'cause after listening  to  the  first  album  (_Bound,  Gagged,  and
Blindfolded_) and touring on it for a couple of years, we  felt  that
it was a little slow. By the time we got done with our first tour  in
Europe, we were playing all those songs hell fast! We  feed  off  the
crowd and everything, basically, and that's what led us to think that
we should probably get some more direct "in your face" stuff. On  our
first album we weren't  really  like  that,  we  were  kind  of  more
around-the-way-ish with an airy kind of feeling, and  with  this  one
we're just pummelling you right over the head!"
     He adds: "This record is all about aggression. There is  a  time
and a place for people to vent their anger and  aggression  and  what
better way to do that than through your music, right? I mean, I  love
being able to go into the studio or even on stage and just let  loose
and let it all out. Why not? It's not like I'm hurting  anybody.  I'm
just venting what's inside me and it's cool that people can  pick  up
our disc and really get into what we  do.  Skinlab  has  always  been
there for the fans and they have always been there for us. This  disc
captures us at this point in our careers and it's  a  pretty  intense
ride, if I do say so myself."
     So besides the changing of band members and this album's  change
of pace, what else brought changes to the new recording?  "Basically,
we got a chance to tour a lot, and we've seen people on the road, and
we got a chance to re-evaluate our position with the band. We kind of
sat back and wondered "What the hell are we going to do?", "What kind
of songs are we going to come up with?", and so  far  we've  received
nothing but positive feedback about the new album."
     "I can't describe the thrill I had when I first  heard  the  new
record in this studio. I was so impressed that we had been able to do
what we wanted to do, rather than just  come  out  with  a  sophomore
record sounding like the first one. Doing the EP was cool too, 'cause
it showcased some of our  changes,  but  I  don't  think  people  had
anticipated such changes and aggression  as  what  we  show  here  on
_Disembody: The New Flesh_. It just floored everyone." <laughs>
     The one thing about the new record is the flow of the  material.
It flows effortlessly from opener "So Far  From  the  Truth"  to  the
closer "Looks Can Be Deceiving". One might even argue, with  thoughts
at hand over the album title and the music's flow, could  this  be  a
concept record? Starts Esquivel, "Well, we  had  a  contest,  through
Metal Hammer magazine, and  we  basically  picked  one  word  from  a
contestant's entry. We had a bunch of people send in stuff, like  all
different kinds of titles [for the album]. We liked a  lot  of  them,
but one just stuck out and that was  the  word  "Disembody",  and  we
already had "The New Flesh". "Disembody" kind of  means  us  stepping
out from our past, and "The New Flesh" is kind of introducing the new
band. This record is all about being one. Starting  with  a  form  of
aggression and watching it mutate with the  ideas  we  bring  to  the
record. This is a new sound to some degree and a  definite  new  path
for us to follow."
     Another much noticeable element  to  the  true  archaic,  rusted
rampage of a sound that they deliver is the production work. As found
on the last outing, Andy Sneap (Machine Head  /  Earth  Crisis)  once
again took over duties of working the sound of the band. A successful
accompaniment once  again.  "We  used  Andy  Sneap  again",  explains
Esquivel. "This record has a more raw and noisy, kind of just "boom!"
right in your face sound to it. Where the last one was heavy, and  of
course for an album in 1997 it just crushed you, but still  this  one
just hits you right over the head immediately. There's  no  roundness
to it, there's a lot of wholeness to it.  I  mean  we're  very,  very
proud and we're happy we were able to  accomplish  this  record,  and
it's real cool to put that under our belt."
     With this record, Skinlab should break away from the  derivative
and often overused definition of the band.  You  know?  Machine  Head
clone. Says Esquivel, "The biggest  misconception  is  that  everyone
thinks we're a big Machine Head clone, and that  every  time  a  band
comes out of the Bay Area it's just either going to be  Metallica  or
Machine Head, you know? Ten years from now people  are  going  to  be
saying about the next band coming out of here, "Dude you  guys  sound
like Skinlab!", so whatever."
     In terms of new blood and new flesh for the band, how  did  that
work its way into song writing for the new LP? How much  writing  did
everyone contribute to  the  new  album?  "Actually,  a  pretty  even
amount", explains Esquivel. "We all come in with our ideas,  I'd  say
myself and Scott wrote half the record and Snake wrote  a  couple  of
songs. And between all of those we actually collaborated together  on
them, and kind of put 'em together, threw 'em  back  and  forth,  and
tossed parts out and whatever."
     Get past the notion that  this  band  has  been  assembled  from
various other projects; these guys play like veterans, crushing  down
upon us such a killer sound and equally  powerful  momentum.  It's  a
shame that some may write off Skinlab because of what they  may  have
heard or the label they are signed  to.  Fuck  'em!  I've  said  this
before and I'll say it again, _Disembody: The New Flesh_  is  by  far
one of the best LPs you'll  hear  this  year.  If  your  ears  aren't
bleeding and your neighbours aren't complaining by  a  third  listen,
then you're not playing it loud enough. It's ingenuity like this that
keeps metal music on its toes.

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

                  N I G H T L Y   N A S T I N E S S
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                    CoC interviews Nocturnal Rites
                          by: Adrian Bromley

     It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out when a band  is
on the right direction or when things are clicking pretty good.  Case
in point, Nocturnal Rites. While their last  record  (and  debut  for
Century Media) _Tales of Mistery and Imagination_  was  a  blistering
assault of pure heavy metal mayhem consisting of solid song  writing,
duelling guitars and intense vocals, they seemed poised to break open
the jar of creativity  even  further  with  each  and  every  release
following this one. And that is what happened with their  latest  LP,
_The Sacred Talisman_.  Heavy  metal  has  once  again  come  to  the
forefront, my friends.
     Latched somewhere between  thrilling  and  intensely  passionate
compositions, the music of Nocturnal  Rites  rests  deep  into  woven
patterns of sheer brilliance. The guitar  work  of  founding  members
Frederik Mannberg and Nils Norberg is enough to  draw  you  into  the
world of Nocturnal Rites with just one listen. It's  been  a  gradual
change for the band from their death metal beginnings and debut  disc
_In a Time of Blood and Fire_ for Dark Age Music (Christofer Johnsson
of Therion's label) in 1995. Is this the best record of their career?
Could be. Frederik Mannberg thinks so.
     "I think this is a great record", says Mannberg from his home in
Sweden. "The music is a lot tighter and we spent a bit more  time  on
the songs. This record is definitely a lot faster and harder,  though
still maintaining a melodic feel. It was a good recording process for
us this time out."
     About the interest and  success  the  band  --  rounded  out  by
vocalist  Anders  Zackrisson,  bassist  Nils  Eriksson,   keyboardist
Mattias Bernhardsson and drummer Owe Wulff Lingvall -- had  with  the
last outing, how has that changed  their  approach  going  into  this
record? "We're glad that everything worked out for us with  the  last
record, though the initial tour that we had done when the record came
out with Overkill didn't work too well for us.  It  was  a  different
crowd for us at the time, but we pressed on with touring and got  the
name out there. It's going good for us now, 'cause people  are  aware
of who we are and have seen us play."
     Listening to the new record and hearing such tracks as  "Destiny
Calls", "Eternity Holds" and "Free at Last", it's no wonder the  band
has scaled down their death metal attack and aimed for a much  richer
melodic metal attack. It suits them, as the songs just flow with  one
another, leaving very few gaps of uncertainty  as  the  record  flows
along. Has it been a gradual change for Mannberg and the  band  since
their start? "It has been a good career  for  us.  We're  happy  with
where we have taken the band's music. It has been a  gradual  change.
It was natural. I think we just got  tired  of  playing  death  metal
music. We started listening to old school metal records  and  then  I
dropped out of doing guitar and vocals and just focused on guitar and
we got Anders [singer] into the band. It's been exciting to  see  how
we changed over the years. I'm still happy with what we have done  in
the past and the present."
     "This record has a lot of great songs",  explains  Mannberg.  "I
like a lot of the faster, heavier songs myself,  but  as  a  whole  I
think this record works well and offers quite a bit to the  listener.
It's very technical and very melodic. How could anyone not  get  into
that? The good thing about all the ideas on this record was  that  it
came together quite nicely and I think that is why I am so into  what
we did here. The studio work was very simple. We came  off  the  road
with the last record, got together, wrote some songs  and  went  back
into the studio. It really wasn't as difficult as some would believe.
Maybe we just had a good thing going and  we  still  had  some  solid
ideas from the last recording. Whatever it was, it worked and  that's
all that counts."
     Going more in-depth about the studio work, Mannberg accounts, "I
think one reason that this record turned out this way is  because  of
us really being tight and focused in the studio. We cut out a lot  of
parts on some tracks because we felt they  were  too  happy  and  not
really us. The songs are the  way  we  worked  them  going  into  the
studio. Nothing really changed. There really isn't much to  touch  up
or change. For example, my guitar parts are all done live. Why should
we alter them more? I  like  to  have  a  live  guitar  feel  running
throughout the record. I plug in and we record. It's always been that
way, it just seems as though we have more to add to the mix now  than
when we first started out."
     One thing that Nocturnal Rites has had to deal with  on  a  much
grander scale over the last few years is  being  signed  to  a  major
label like Century Media. Says Mannberg, "Our first record was  on  a
small label called Dark Age Music and it was a small release,  though
it did very well for us. With the last record and this  one  we  have
had to deal with being signed to a major label like Century Media and
it's all new to us -- the contracts, the meetings and all that  other
crap that comes with being signed.  It's  an  experience,  but  we're
learning as it goes along. Things with Century Media have been  quite
good."
     And what about the Swedish  metal  scene  right  now?  "I  don't
know... I don't want to be rude, but a lot of  the  bands  out  there
right now are just playing metal music that is rather  easy.  Nothing
really complicated. I'm not saying that we  are  the  best  band  out
there, but we at least have a lot going on in our music.  It's  quite
hard to  put  together  and  play  such  ideas  on  melodic  guitars,
keyboards and choirs. It's a lot of fun to do this and  I'm  glad  to
see some other promising  metal  acts  coming  out  of  Sweden,  like
Hollow, Persuader and Auberon. People should  keep  an  eye  out  for
these great bands."

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

                    S L O W L Y   T H E Y   R O T
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                   CoC talking to Ontario's Rotting
                           by: Adam Wasylyk

     Those who live in the vicinity of Toronto know that  we've  just
entered what could be called a prosperous time concerning  the  state
of metal. Finally some decent shows have come to our fair city,  acts
including Entombed, Morbid Angel, Incantation, Vader... the list goes
on. What most people forget is that our indie bands are always  here,
whether the times are good or bad. With  Toronto's  metal  scene  now
having a renewed  sense  of  life,  Newmarket's  Rotting  enter  this
auspicious time at the height of its glory, its crowning  achievement
being their new CD _Crushed_.
     Death metal to the core, Rotting (comprised of Korey  Arnold  on
vocals, Keith Devry on drums, Rob Macaulay / Mike  Belfry  on  guitar
and Jeff White on  bass)  have  never  had  to  prove  how  heavy  or
aggressive they are. Need proof of the sheer heaviness of this  band?
Look no further than track one  on  _Crushed_,  "Sexually  Tortured",
just to see how  fucking  heavy  this  band  can  get.  Blast  beats,
guttural vocals and a slight Swedish  influence...  and  what  really
gets me going: catchiness. There are many memorable tunes  here,  and
if you think this is just a  Suffocation  clone  then  you're  sorely
mistaken. Crushed, indeed.
     "Whatever people want to tag us with, it's fine", begins drummer
Keith Devry on how he feels about the tag "brutal death metal"  being
placed on the band's music. "I know we're death metal. I guess  we're
kind of brutal because of the lyrics and the aggression in the music.
But there's so much out there, so many other bands that people  would
consider more brutal than us. It seems that bands  instead  of  being
faster or heavier, everyone wants to be more brutal. I  wouldn't  say
something like we're the most brutal band in the world, but I guess I
can see someone calling us brutal."
     Devry also revealed that the material  on  _Crushed_,  being  as
"brutal" as it may, is in fact a bit dated as  far  as  when  it  was
actually written. "The material on it is about two years old, so it's
not really a representation of who we are now",  states  Devry.  "Now
we're faster and  probably  heavier.  [The  new  material]  has  been
referred to as "old school", as people have told us  that  they  hear
the old school roots in it. I guess that's true to a certain  extent,
because all of us grew  up  during  the  evolution  of  death  metal,
starting in the late '80s. So I guess a lot of that influence  wasn't
found on _Crushed_."
     Rotting's new CD can be found on the fledgling death metal label
United Guttural, which is owned by Rich Lipscomb, who is better known
for his work in the band Fleshgrind. On how they  signed  with  them,
Devry commented: "We met Rich in Milwaukee [at the Metal Fest] a  few
years ago, and that was the first time we saw Fleshgrind play.  Later
on during the festival we eventually got to meet him, got to  talking
and exchanged addresses. A couple of years ago we  played  in  London
with Suffocation and Fleshgrind, we got to talking and he was talking
about starting a distro or a label or something  like  that,  and  he
wanted to keep in touch. So we exchanged phone numbers. So the middle
of last year he got in touch with us as he had  started  [the  label]
and we had already recorded _Crushed_, so things took off from there."
     If there was just one thing that could sum up  what  this  album
represents, it would be the cover art. A picture  of  a  corpse  that
appears to have listened to this album once too many  times...  well,
I'll let Keith explain. "Well, at first the album  was  going  to  be
called "Unholy Penetration", which would have had a  picture  of  the
god of Sodomy screwing a nun up the ass for the cover. As we tried to
work images that way, it would  just  turn  out  to  be  really  fake
looking. Korey looks at a lot of that [gore] stuff on  the  internet,
so we passed around a few pictures amongst each other, and he came up
with the new name _Crushed_. It's also supposed to be symbolic as far
as the music goes; crushed."
     Apparently Canadian Customs wasn't too impressed  with  the  new
album... at least on looks alone. "Rich sent up a couple  of  hundred
_Crushed_ CDs, so the government wanted to see  what  was  coming  up
from down there in all of these boxes. I think what happened was they
read the lyrics, as they never gave a reason why  they  were  holding
it, but I suppose [one of them] sent a copy  to  Ottawa  for  review.
Everything turned out OK afterward. They  ended  up  sending  all  of
them, even though about ten of them were smashed and most of the rest
had the jewel case centre, the thing that holds the CD, it  was  like
someone had put their finger on them and crushed them all."
     I was curious as to what Devry thought of  the  present  Toronto
metal scene, to get an opinion from a band  who's  been  through  the
good times and the bad. "It's better than what it  was  before.  It's
growing. I'm starting to notice  a  lot  more  kids  wearing  [metal]
shirts, that was kind of non-existent  for  a  couple  of  years,  as
everyone was just wearing solid colours. The album sales always  seem
pretty high, but the show turnouts weren't so hot."
     So since _Crushed_ consists of older  material,  I  conclude  by
asking if there's any new direction that the band are going into.  "I
was told that [the new material] sounds a lot like Rotting, but  it's
not Rotting", Devry states. "I think we have a lot more groove to  us
now, and of course a lot of fast parts -- we've  gotten  faster.  The
song structures have kind of changed a bit as well, because when Jeff
headed out to Calgary for school, Rob and I started to do  a  lot  of
the writing. If anything, it's gotten heavier. A lot heavier."
     Rotting will be quite  busy  in  the  upcoming  months.  They've
already played the Ohio Death Fest, and are aiming to play  both  the
Montreal Death Fest and the Milwaukee Metal Fest as well. You've been
warned.

Contact: United Guttural, P.O. Box 752, Grayslake, IL  60030 USA
Contact: Rotting, c/o Keith Devry, 312 Buckingham Road,
         Newmarket, ONT, L3Y-6K5, Canada
         mailto:sdevry@home.com

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

                       P A I D   I N   F U L L
                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                   CoC interviews Payable on Death
                          by: Alex Cantwell

     Payable on Death is a name that you will definitely hear more of
in the very near future. Having just signed a contract with  Atlantic
Records and embarking on yet another DIY tour, they are ready to take
their music to the next level...  of  fans,  that  is.  Their  humble
beginnings are evidenced on their 1994 debut _Snuff  the  Punk_,  put
out on Rescue Records, which was started by some relatives of drummer
Noah Bernardo Jr.. They blew everyone away on  their  second  release
_Brown_, which infused punk rock with a touch of hip hop  and  reggae
into their hardcore sound. Don't let  that  scare  you  off,  though,
because they are HEAVY. Live, they throw down like no other band can,
and have a knack for  completely  engaging  their  audience.  To  the
uninitiated, seeing and hearing a bunch of lunatics screaming  chants
like "the plagues are coming, the plagues  are  coming,  I  feel  the
breath of the death beast!"  and  then  head  walking,  jumping,  and
moshing themselves into frenzy might seem a bit strange, but that  is
just PoD live. 1997 saw the release of _PoD Live at  Tomfest_,  which
displayed to those who would listen what this band was capable of  in
a live setting. For 1999,  they  broke  tradition  with  putting  out
releases under Rescue Records and have done a  one-off  release  with
Tooth and Nail Records:  _The  Warriors  EP_.  With  the  backing  of
Atlantic Records, these guys have the platform to reach the masses. I
recently sat down with vocalist Sonny Sandoval (the band is completed
by Marcos Curiel on guitar and Traa Daniels on bass) before a  recent
show in Las Cruces, New Mexico (my sixth time seeing them!!!) to  see
what was up.

CoC: So when is the new record coming out?

Sonny Sandoval: August 24th.

CoC: And what's it called?

SS: _Fundamental Elements of South Town_.

CoC: Tell me everything about the Atlantic deal; what it involves and
     what it's going to mean for you guys.

SS: We've been around, you know, almost six years on our own... so we
    started shopping major labels, and through all of  the  different
    people that we have talked with, it seemed like Atlantic was  the
    deal, so we went with them.  They  knew  our  whole  history  and
    story. We basically told them that, you know,  we've  been  doing
    this by ourselves for six years and we'll continue to do it  with
    or without a major label, but  we  know  that  Atlantic  has  the
    capabilities of going worldwide, and we told them  that  that  is
    something that we want to do. So we discussed it with  them,  and
    they didn't ask us to change anything, they just said  that  "you
    guys have something about you... and you guys definitely, without
    a shadow of a doubt, believe in what you're talking about, and we
    don't want to take that from you."  And  so,  we  just  got  done
    recording.  We've  spent  the  last  three  months  in  Hollywood
    recording, and we're going to do this tour,  and  then  hopefully
    after this is done, we're going to do some festivals,  then  they
    are going to put us on tour, and then our album will come out  on
    August 24th. Right now they are trying to get us  on  the  Family
    Values Tour in September.

CoC: And that's with Korn and Rob Zombie?

SS: Korn is not on it this year, I think Limp Bizkit is  on  it  this
    year, and I think Soulfly, Kid Rock, and another rap group that I
    can't remember the name of. But last year it  was  Korn  and  all
    them.

CoC: So that's like a real deal? I mean you guys are going to get  it
     for sure, or...

SS: It's the only major festival that's not booked  up  already,  and
    since we're coming out in the ball game  right  now,  that's  the
    only one we have a chance for. But all the booking agents that do
    them, they want us for sure.

CoC: So how has Atlantic got your name out there  without  having  an
     album released through them yet?

SS:  They  haven't  done  anything;  we've  done  it  all  ourselves,
    basically. I mean, that's what they love so much about  us,  that
    we've already made a name for ourselves.  It's  the  people  that
    have been faithful, and came out when we come out to  the  little
    places, and have continued to  play  our  stuff  and  show  their
    friends, wear our t-shirts, and tell people about  us,  and  it's
    through that that Atlantic is like "wow,  these  guys  have  been
    around, and these guys work". One thing that they told  us  about
    all the artists that they have is that they have to make  a  name
    for them. They have no base,  they  have  no  establishment,  and
    that's one thing they loved about  us,  even  the  fact  that  we
    booked this tour with Blindside and  Project  86.  They  couldn't
    believe that we had booked this tour, and that we did it  on  our
    own. They were just like, "woah", you know,  and  that  was  just
    showing them [that] "yeah, they don't need  us".  Basically,  the
    way we look at Atlantic is that they are just a bank to  us,  you
    know what I mean? They have the means to be able  to  put  out  a
    quality album, and then do the marketing and promotion to get  it
    out to kids that we would never, ever  have  the  opportunity  to
    reach, you know what I mean?

CoC: Tell me about "ghetto shows".

SS: What ghetto shows?

CoC: That you all used to do. Didn't you guys play house parties  and
     abandoned houses, and stuff like that?

SS: Yeah, we still do if they want us. We're nobody, you know what  I
    mean, we don't need to play a coliseum. We don't need to  play  a
    big venue, you know what I mean? If one of my friends says  "hey,
    you want to play at my house?" or if somebody I know around  town
    says "hey, I'm throwin' a big keg party", then we're going to  be
    there to play where they all party. We'll always continue  to  do
    that, that's where our heart is, you know what  I  mean?  I  just
    think that everything is just moving up. It's  going  up  levels,
    although we'll play any party that we possibly can.

CoC: So what's the new material like?

SS: There are some songs that are absolutely  heavy,  and  there  are
    some songs that are just catchy,  they  just  groove.  We  got  a
    reggae song... we've never really  been  labelled  to  a  certain
    genre of music. It was never like "oh, those guys  are  hardcore,
    those guys are metal, or punk". It was like "those guys play what
    they like", and I think with this album we've  pretty  much  done
    that. I mean, all the way from doing a cover of "Bullet the  Blue
    Sky" by U2, we have an old song that basically sounds like an old
    Bad Brains song, an old punk-like song, and  we  got  just  those
    groovin' songs, and we got the heavy all-out  songs.  So  it's  a
    mixture, man. It's basically going to be up to  the  listener  to
    decide what they think.

Contact: WWW: http://www.payableondeath.com

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

           T H E   B L I N D S I D E   O F   T H E   L A W
           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                       CoC interviews Blindside
                          by: Alex Cantwell


     Blindside are a new  band  from  Stockholm,  Sweden,  that  have
absolutely nothing to do with "the Stockholm sound". As a  matter  of
fact, they almost completely defy categorization,  and  as  you  will
read in the interview, they don't even know what to call their music!
When I listen to their debut self-titled CD, I'm thinking  along  the
lines of a hardcore band playing Fugazi and Frodus  tunes,  but  then
again I could be completely off base. I recently met up with  bassist
Tomas Naslund and vocalist Christian Lindskog (the  band  is  rounded
out by Simon Grenehed on guitar and Marcus Dahlstrom on  drums)  back
stage during  their  current  US  tour  to  learn  about  all  things
Blindside.

CoC: So do you guys have anything new coming out any time soon?

Tomas Naslund: Yeah, we have a new record coming out in September.

Christian Lindskog: We don't really know yet if it's going to be  out
                    in September, but we think so.

TN: We recorded it, but the contracts are not ready yet.

CoC: How long have you been around? When did the band start?

TN: November of '94.

CoC: And did you have any music released previous to the _Blindside_
     CD?

TN: We had a demo...

CL: ... but besides that, no.

CoC: So how did Solidstate Records find you guys?

TN: The president of the record company in Sweden  [Day-Glo  Records]
    was at a festival or something, and he  handed  out  the  CDs  to
    different people, and Brandon [Ebel, owner  of  Solidstate]  just
    called us up afterwards.

CoC: Without Solidstate, you wouldn't have been able to get the album
     in America, right?

CL: That's right.

CoC: So what kind of following do you have in Sweden?

CL: Not that big. We are a small band.

CoC: Well, what do you call your kind of music?

CL: I don't know... I don't know. People label us so  many  different
    styles. Actually, the next album that  is  coming  out  is  quite
    different from the last one.

CoC: How so?

CL: It's more, I think, hardcore,  more  like  the  hard  stuff.  The
    screaming parts are more like screaming, but we still have  those
    mellow vocals. We have experimented with some stuff.  So  on  one
    hand we have the very hard, but on the  other  hand  it's  a  lot
    softer.

CoC: So is there an audience for your kind of music in Sweden at all,
     or are people just pretty much caught up in black metal and  the
     Gothenburg or Stockholm sound?

CL: The scene is the same as here [US], I guess.

TN: Many good hardcore bands have stopped this year. We have a lot of
    hardcore bands in Sweden coming up, like Refuse.

CoC: Who would you guys cite as influences for Blindside?

CL: A lot of different stuff.

TN: Yeah, we listen to everything.  The  drummer  listens  a  lot  to
    electronic stuff, techno and all  that.  I  guess  we  have  some
    influences on the new record from other Solidstate bands, because
    we got all the records last year.

CoC: But none of that stuff is available in Europe, is it?

CL: It is, but you have to know where to look.  You  know,  it's  not
    like you can just go into the store. It's not like that.

TN: It's hard to get.

CoC: What bands have you been able to build relationship  with  while
     touring the States?

CL: Payable on Death. We've kind of met most of the Solidstate bands.

CoC: Are you guys going to be able to tour in Europe anytime soon?

CL: We'll see. We hope so.

TN: We hope that we can go now with a bigger band.

CoC: Who would you like to tour with?

CL: I would love to travel with PoD once again,  in  Europe,  because
    now they are big and maybe their company wants them to travel  in
    Europe. I think we would learn a lot from  those  guys.  We  have
    learned a lot from those guys. We're going to actually tour  with
    Extol here in the States after this tour is done.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                   _____  .__ ___.
                  /  _  \ |  |\_ |__  __ __  _____
                 /  /_\  \|  | | __ \|  |  \/     \
                /    |    \  |_| \_\ \  |  /  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!


Agathocles / Black Army Jacket 7"  (Deaf American, May 1999)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (7.5 out of 10)

I'm really starting to get into vinyl. Not only does it sound  great,
but it looks really cool as well! This  particular  7"  has  the  two
bands perform two tracks each, and they do a good job at  it.  I  was
surprised at how much I got into the  Agathocles  tracks,  as  I  had
previously obtained their _Thanks for Your Hostility_ CD and  thought
it was pure shite. What made these tracks stand out was the kick  ass
groove that was interwoven with the heavy riffs  and  blasting  drums
the band is known for. Cool shit! The Black Army Jacket  I  was  less
enthused about, but it still  manages  to  kick  ass!  More  hardcore
sounding, but they still manage to throw in a couple of  drum  blasts
for good measure. If you're into powerviolence or hardcore influenced
grind, then this is right up your alley.

Contact: R. Hoek, #3 Bethel Church Road, Dillsburg, PA, 17019, USA
         mailto:rich666@voicenet.com


Aurora - _Sadiam_  (Serious Entertainment, February 1999)
by: Nuno Almeida <messiah@pulhas.org>  (6 out of 10)

Aurora are Danish and play melodic death metal. This  is  a  sort  of
preview of their forthcoming second album, to  be  released  sometime
later this year. After the well received debut _Eos_,  with  this  18
minute long, four song  MCD,  Aurora  distance  themselves  from  the
somewhat pompous and melodramatic  _Eos_  and  move  towards  a  more
straightforward  style,   clearly   influenced   by   the   so-called
"Gothenburg Scene" (At the  Gates,  Dark  Tranquillity,  In  Flames).
After the instrumental "Beloved" come "To Hell" and "Sadiam".  Though
Aurora play some good music, with nice and very melodic guitar riffs,
the main flaw is Claus Frolund's voice. I mean, he does try  to  make
an approach to Mikael Stanne's (Dark Tranquillity) vocal  style,  but
fails miserably, in my  opinion.  It's  almost  funny  to  listen  to
Frolund's voice on "To Hell", for example. The last song, "Home",  is
the only one that will appear on the new album. It's a nice song, but
the riffs are repeated a lot. If  you  think  you'll  like  this,  my
advice is that you seek the original Swedish bands. (Also reviewed in
Ancient Ceremonies #3 -- http://come.to/ac-zine/)


Various - _Beauty in Darkness Vol. 3_  (Nuclear Blast, March 1999)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (6.5 out of 10)

The third instalment of the_ Beauty in Darkness_  compilation  series
continues to showcase metal artists who have gothic elements in their
metal  sound.  Featuring  both  Nuclear  Blast  artists   (Crematory,
EverEve, Darkseed, Dimmu Borgir) and acts on  other  labels  who  fit
into the gothic metal theme (My Dying Bride, Anathema, Moonspell), it
was good to see that the tracks present weren't just  pulled  out  of
the respective  bands'  prior  albums,  as  there's  some  previously
unreleased material and demo versions  here  as  well.  To  tell  the
truth, I haven't been a big fan of this  compilation  series,  but  I
must admit that volume 3 has some quality material on it,  and  those
who like some gothic in their metal should pick it up.


Bifrost - _Mythistory_  (Hammerheart Records, October 1998)
by: Nuno Almeida <messiah@pulhas.org>  (7 out of 10)

Looking at the cover art of this release, one could be fooled and say
"yet another Scandinavian Viking metal band". Bifrost,  however,  are
very different. Since the cover work and band name  were  taken  from
Norse mythology, I was somewhat surprised to find out that they  were
Dutch. In fact, the band was created in 1993, this being their  third
album and the first one on Hammerheart Records. The lyrics don't deal
with Norse mythology as one would expect, but  rather  with  a  wider
range of issues, such as witchcraft and magic, heathendom, occultism,
pre-Christian religions and mysticism. Musically, they have  more  to
do with, say, Judas Priest or  Helloween,  than  with  Enslaved.  The
music is heavily traditional speed/power metal influenced,  with  the
trademark  guitar  solos,  choruses,  and  more.  Vocals  follow  the
old-school approach, changing to death growls or clean vocals now and
then. This could be an interesting release -- in fact,  I  must  give
them credit for being original instead of following the  black  metal
approach of the other bands that share  their  lyrical  content.  The
problem is that the songs are not catchy enough, with only a few nice
parts, usually lead by the keyboard. Still, this is by no means a bad
release.   (Also   reviewed   in    Ancient    Ceremonies    #3    --
http://come.to/ac-zine/)


Children of Bodom - _Hatebreeder_  (Nuclear Blast / PHD, April 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (6 out of 10)

Out of the starting gate I really, really liked this record,  but  as
time went on there was something missing from _Hatebreeder_ that  was
in full swing on the band's previous effort _Something  Wild_.  Maybe
the "wild" of the band was put to a minimum here? Maybe  so,  as  the
band transcends through a thick pallet of heavy riffs, out of control
vocals and a speed factor that would  topple  most  semi-trucks.  But
through all the goodies found on this record, it still doesn't  match
the complex and harsh deliverance of _Something Wild_.  Maybe  I  was
expecting a better record? Who knows? It's unfortunate that the  band
wasn't able to carry over some of the ideals that really hit a  nerve
in me. Sure I was excited with the  new  material,  but  once  I  was
provided with enough time to take a  listen,  it  just  seems  pretty
standard. Hate me for saying this guys,  but  I  was  anticipating  a
better effort. Next time? I hope...


Dali's Dilemma - _Manifesto for Futurism_  (Magna Carta, 1999)
by: Brian Meloon  (7 out of 10)

Three words best describe this CD: images and words (the  1992  album
by Dream Theater, that is). While it doesn't display quite  the  same
level of compositional skill, Dali's Dilemma have copied the  _Images
and Words_ sound very well,  including  several  of  the  guitar  and
keyboard tones. Unfortunately, they went a little  too  far  in  this
regard, as evidenced by the "Wait For Sleep"-inspired "Whispers", and
their theft of part of the middle section of "Metropolis" in  "Living
in Fear". Some of their other influences show up as well, such as the
very U2-ish intro to "Hills of Memory". As you'd  expect,  there's  a
mix of heavy  and  light  material,  making  this  a  diverse  album.
Although the compositions don't flow as well as those on _Images  and
Words_,  there  aren't   many   jarring   transitions   either.   The
musicianship is excellent on all counts, with especially good  guitar
work. The production is impeccable: clean and clear, without sounding
over-produced. This is technically a great album,  but  unfortunately
the  obvious  influences  and  blatant  rip-offs  really  dampen   my
enthusiasm for it. If you're in the mood for  a  good  Dream  Theater
clone, or you're unhappy with the direction they've  taken  recently,
this is a good choice. If you're looking for an original band with  a
unique sound, look elsewhere.


Dellamorte - _Home Sweet Hell..._  (Osmose, May 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz  (5.5 out of 10)

If you're familiar with Dellamorte from their second _Uglier and More
Disgusting_  album  of  1997  and  you  want   that   album's   evil,
near-identical twin, you are advised to snap up _Home Sweet Hell..._,
no questions asked. For those of you not familiar with this  Swedish,
Tagtgren/Abyss-produced band (wow, think of all the bands I could  be
talking about with that qualification),  their  approach  centres  on
straightforward,  speedy  death-punk  and  "death  'n'  roll"  a   la
Entombed's classic _Wolverine Blues_. Dellamorte's  upside  continues
to be that their production gives them  power  and  that  they  write
songs which are listenable and "rocking".  However,  _HSH_  has  some
serious fall downs. To be honest, apart  from  "Supercharged",  which
has a bit of a Cathedral a la _The Ethereal Mirror_ thing  going  on,
this is an entire album of -exactly- the same sort of stuff that  was
on _UaMD_, to the  extent  that  I  would  suggest  "Older  and  More
Uninteresting" would have been a more fitting title for  _HSH_.  It's
not that Dellamorte are the  -most-  unoriginal  or  the  -worst-  at
rehashing this style, but the point is they -are- unoriginal and they
-are- rehashing a style, and when I can hear  this  going  on  on  an
album it tends to prevent me from enjoying it very much,  apart  from
exceptional cases; and Dellamorte are not one of those.


Dolorian - _When All the Laughter Has Gone_  (Wounded Love, 1999)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (8 out of 10)

Often  sounding  like  a  combination  of  some  of  the  fundamental
characteristics of their countrymates Unholy and  Thy  Serpent,  this
new Finnish doom band, Dolorian, at the very least  manage  to  sound
different enough from the norm. Slow and melancholic in a harsher way
than usual, driven by the anguished vocals, devoid  of  many  melodic
embellishments or musical flourishes,  yet  able  to  build  powerful
moments -- this is what _When All the Laughter Has Gone_ sounds  like
at its best. With generally long songs that never seem to really  aim
at building a specific kind of structure  and  a  somewhat  psychotic
feel most of the time, Dolorian have released a doom album that shows
plenty of very  interesting  ideas.  There  are  also  some  annoying
sequences, though; the occasional keyboard enhancements are often  of
that annoying kind and some of the songs are a bit too long for their
own good. The nearly hypnotic nature of most of the  music  tends  to
make  the  album  somewhat  repetitive  as  well.  Nevertheless,  the
remarkable moments that Dolorian do achieve throughout _When All  the
Laughter Has Gone_ and the spirit that they show on most of the album
confirm that they are quite a promising band for the  future  --  and
_When All the Laughter Has Gone_, despite some  flaws,  is  certainly
very good overall already.


Ensoph - _Les Confessions du Mat_  (No Brain, 1998)
by: Brian Meloon  (8 out of 10)

Ensoph was formed from the ashes of Endaymynion [CoC #13] and have  a
similar -- but more refined -- sound. Overall, their sound is gloomy,
comparable to doom bands like the Romanians Abigail [CoC #33] or  God
[CoC #38]. There are three tracks on this MCD, the first two clocking
in at about eleven minutes each and the final track at five  minutes.
The music on the long  songs  varies  between  light  sections  which
typically utilize clean guitar and lighter keyboard tones and heavier
sections with crunching guitars and few (if any) keyboards,  as  well
as sections showing characteristics of each. The band manages to keep
the songs flowing, avoiding the monotony  traps  that  similar  bands
sometimes fall into. They also use a variety of keyboard  and  guitar
tones, as well as flutes and even an accordion. Each of the songs  is
layered, yet the parts fit together well, achieving a cohesive sound.
The vocals  vary  between  male  and  female  clean  vocals  and  the
occasional black metal-style raspy vocals. While both  vocalists  are
good, the male vocalist's accent is more obvious  due  to  his  lower
pitch. The playing is good from each of the members, though  none  of
the material is particularly technical. The  production  is  somewhat
drab, but this fits the music and adds to its gloomy  feel.  Overall,
this is a very impressive offering,  as  it  features  a  unique  and
original sound. Highly recommended for fans of gloomy music.

Contact: Cristian Luise c/o No Brain, Via Scortegara 135,
         30030 Zianigo di Mirano (VE), ITALY
         mailto:teskio@spiro.fisica.unipd.it


Golgotha - _Elemental Changes_  (Repulse Records, April 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

I know CoC writer Adam Wasylyk is really into the  work  of  Golgotha
and  I  can  see  why.  It's  very  enchanting,  very   melodic   and
doom-oriented at times, etching waves of slow-paced numbers into  the
music though still managing to  muster  up  aggressive  qualities  as
well. He even likened it to mid-era Therion.  A  good  comparison,  I
must say. The main reason I am enchanted by the work of  Golgotha  is
its sincere gothic overtone, relying heavily on atmosphere  and  pure
creativity for the recordings to work efficiently. It's got power and
passion all rolled up into one headstrong  recording.  Though  a  bit
bland on the vocal side at times, the music sincerely  makes  up  for
lost ground. Fans of Therion, Moonspell and EverEve might  find  this
interesting. Choice cuts: "Emotionless", "Lifetrappers" and "Internal
Fight". Passion runs deep within Golgotha's music and those giving it
a listen will embrace the warmth and honesty it offers.


Haste - _Pursuit in the Face of Consequence_
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)  (Century Media, April 1999)

This is an interesting release from Century Media -- to some  degree.
While dipping a bit  into  the  hardcore  vat  of  styles,  a  worthy
addition to the already booming roster of hardcore acts on the label,
Haste seem to glide throughout many styles and ideas on  their  debut
disc _Pursuit in the Face of Consequence_ with the greatest of  ease.
Many styles (hardcore, metal, jazz, rock) make up the music of  Haste
and while it may seem like a huge task to tame all  styles  into  one
recording, Haste basks in success. With the presence of  two  singers
and a strong set of musicians (they are a sextet),  Haste  kicks  out
the jams and breaks things down hard 'n'  heavy  when  need  be.  The
powerful  momentum  of  the  band,  led  by  killer  vocals  and   an
ultra-heavy groove, is spellbinding at times, as the band really goes
for the throat and succeeds.  Is  this  the  best  thing  on  Century
Media's roster? Maybe not, but it's a definite gem in a massive music
world where good bands (make that unique or interesting  bands)  seem
to be few and far between these days. Fans  of  other  Century  Media
releases like Turmoil or Stuck Mojo will no  doubt  be  drawn  in  by
Haste's work here. I was.


Heaven's Gate - _Menergy_  (Steamhammer/SPV, April 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz  (4 out of 10)

Drawing heavily from the classic heavy metal styles of Judas  Priest,
Iron Maiden and the like, Heaven's Gate (who have been  in  existence
since 1987) could have some trouble standing  out  from  the  growing
crowd of "Reborn in Metal" bands. They have a  good  grasp  of  heavy
metal song structures, an ability to write decent, sometimes  catchy,
riffs and somewhat anthemic and catchy choruses; but one  thing  they
are certainly not doing is injecting an  ounce  of  originality  into
this near-30 year old genre. One big fall down is their  tendency  to
focus on one particular band's style within  individual  songs;  thus
"Mastermind" sounds like a lost (and worth losing) Annihilator track,
"Menergy" like 'Priest (with a couple of notes actually -ripped-  out
of "Invaders" for  good  measure)  and  "Enter:  Eternity"  like  the
fathers of Hammerfall's slow melodic ballady numbers.  Overall,  this
is disappointingly stagnant for a band who are four albums into their
career, but, as a stand alone album, is  on  par  with  the  mass  of
mediocrity      currently      being      produced      in       this
flash-in-the-pan-fashionable genre.


Hypocrisy - _Hypocrisy_  (Nuclear Blast / PHD, April 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (9 out of 10)

How could anyone not like this record? It's got everything. Ace  song
writing.   Ace   production.   Ace   guitar   work.    Hell,    throw
singer/guitarist/producer/whatever-else-he-can-do Peter Tagtgren into
the picture (helping make sure all comes together nicely) and this is
an unstoppable metal machine, folks.  The  follow-up  to  1998's  all
powerful _The Final Chapter_ (and what was their supposed  swan  song
out of the business) is extra special  for  Tagtgren,  the  band  and
their fans. This is a rebirth in style, sound and inspiration to some
degree. This is a strong record and most certainly recognized as  the
second coming of the band. Sure there is a lot  at  stake  here  with
making a superb record (mission accomplished!), but there  lies  more
to this band's survival at stake than just  that.  The  key  to  this
record and the role of  Hypocrisy  within  the  realms  of  metal  is
Tagtgren's admiration for the material Hypocrisy is working on.  He's
loving where the band is headed and it shows. Melodies and  brutality
mesh so eloquently on the new record. Riffs have strengthened in size
and Tagtgren's vocals have never been more sinister.  Lost  within  a
soundscape of brutality to the nines, Tagtgren  and  co.  rip  at  us
'till we can move no more. Get crushed by such  numbers  as  "Elastic
Inverted  Vision",  "Time  Warp"  and   the   ultra-cool   "Fractured
Millennium". Hypocrisy has always been a band that has delivered  the
goods, though this time it seems as though the goods seem to be in  a
bigger and more impressive format. Hypocrisy, take  a  bow.  This  LP
rules!


In Aeternum - _Forever Blasphemy_  (Necropolis Records, April 1999)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (7 out of 10)

Swedish melodic black metal very similar  to  Naglfar's  _Diabolical_
and also bearing some occasional resemblance to  Dissection's  _Storm
of the  Light's  Bane_  is  what  In  Aeternum  offer  with  _Forever
Blasphemy_.  Fast,  tight,  aggressive,  with  plenty  of   memorable
passages and with  decent  production  courtesy  of  Studio  Fredman,
_Forever Blasphemy_ is one of  those  albums  that  isn't  likely  to
disappoint most fans of the genre. On the other  hand,  however,  not
very surprisingly, the album contains practically no new  ideas.  The
thematic monotony suggested by the album  title  doesn't  help  much,
either, and while In Aeternum are no match for the genre's finest and
can't keep things as constantly good as Naglfar, for  example  (since
this is the band they sound closest to), _Forever Blasphemy_ is still
a very competent and enjoyable album.


In Flames - _Colony_  (Nuclear Blast / PHD, April 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (9.5 out of 10)

Holy shit... I thought the Hypocrisy CD  ruled.  Before  I  can  even
catch a breath from the powerful onslaught of Hypocrisy I am  slammed
face first into  the  ground  by  the  harmonious  and  death-defying
masterful music of In Flames. "Wow" is all I can say. I was extremely
impressed with their last effort _Whoracle_ (1998) and  the  previous
one, the ever-brilliant _The Jester Race_ (1996). Seems as though  as
the years go on and expansion into  their  own  realm  of  creativity
opens up a bit more, this one-time death metal outfit has become  one
of the most impressive and truly groundbreaking  melodic  metal  acts
out there. It's so unique, yet so real in essence. The  band  manages
to capture each time out a special sound or  emotion  as  the  record
goes along, each time leaving us wanting more. As  _Whoracle_  was  a
really above standard record from their previous efforts, it did lack
in some melodic angles, though strengthened heavily  by  a  masterful
array of death growls and chants.  This  record  has  it  all.  Sharp
guitar work, heavy drumming and an excessive amount of melody  (in  a
good way!) make _Colony_ a beauty to behold. When will this  creative
energy be tapped up? Hopefully never. In Flames are the best at  what
they do and it'll be  a  blast  checking  them  out  at  this  year's
Milwaukee Metalfest. You'd do no wrong purchasing this  record.  Keep
it in mind, people.


Moment Maniacs - _Two Fuckin' Pieces..._  (Distortion, March 1999)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (9 out of 10)

Don't let the silly names (both band name and album title) fool  you.
Moment Maniacs have written the album that Entombed should  have  put
out between _Clandestine_ and _Wolverine Blues_. Moment Maniacs  will
definitely be called an Entombed rip-off, from the vocal delivery  to
the drumming and to the guitar sound that the  infamous  Swedes  made
popular oh so long ago. But in all honesty, fuck that.  Entombed  are
now nothing but a bunch of pussies, check out their new  album  _Same
Difference_ if you don't agree. _Two Fucking  Pieces..._,  containing
two members of Marduk and  produced  by  Pete  Tagtgren  (Hypocrisy),
delivers ten tracks of crushing heaviness in epic proportions with  a
little hardcore groove thrown in for good measure.  Track  five,  "My
Loss", is better than anything Entombed have done in  the  last  five
years, and this is coming from someone who likes most of what they've
put out in that time. If you can find this album, you  need  to  pick
this one up.


Nightmare Lodge - _Blind Miniatures_  (Red Stream, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay  (4 out of 10)

Kind of a snoozer here, fellow metal devotees. I am  reminded  during
most  of  Nightmare  Lodge's  forty-eight  minutes  of  watered-down,
techno-influenced, ethereal keyboard menagerie of what my  girlfriend
might delicately place in the CD player to  provide  some  background
distraction while touching-up her  makeup  for  some  required  Woody
Allen film festival. As an (unfair) basis for comparison, however  to
simply provide all reading this with some kind of a working knowledge
of Nightmare Lodge's style, to a  much  lesser  degree,  as  I  am  a
magnificent supporter of Mortiis, _BM_ would put the listener in mind
of one of the two tracks off of _Fodt till  a  Herske_.  As  I  said,
comparing Nightmare Lodge to Mortiis would roughly be the  equivalent
of saying Kingdom Come is like Led Zeppelin. The  statement,  however
remote, is true, but almost laughable, at the same time. Let me share
my thoughts on the four points that Nightmare Lodge earned. The first
attribute (worth two points, for  those  keeping  score)  being  that
David Gilmour explained once, and I'll paraphrase this, that as  long
as music of any kind is accomplishing  its  goal  by  making  someone
happy, it is worthwhile. The second attribute  (worth  the  remaining
two points) lies in the fact that this release is most certainly,  as
Nightmare Lodge is described, full of "haunting passages  of  subdued
and quiet minimal soundscapes".  There  is  a  lot  to  be  said  for
describing a band on such a vivid word-picture  canvas.  Still,  this
doesn't change the fact that I wouldn't put this CD on while slammin'
a cool one down waitin' for Slayer tickets to go  on  sale.  Probably
sleep right through 'till the following morning...


Nocturnal Breed - _No Retreat... No Surrender_
by: Nuno Almeida  (8 out of 10)  (Hammerheart, October 1998)

Nocturnal Breed are another '80s influenced black/thrash  band,  this
being their second album, after 1997's  _Aggressor_.  The  songs  are
mostly reminiscent of early Venom. Very fast and heavy  black/thrash,
with good black-ish vocals, killer guitar riffs (though  the  deja-vu
feeling appears now and then), killer solos and  blazing  drums.  So,
throughout the album  and  in  tracks  like  "Thrash  the  Redeemer",
"Warhorse", "Sodomite" and "Possessed", Nocturnal Breed give us their
vision of the '80s: a vision of power, hate and  fury  the  good  old
metal way. There's also a version  of  Twisted  Sister's  "Under  the
Blade" -- I don't know the original (glam-rock was never my  kind  of
music), but I presume this is better than the original, hehes. On the
end of the album there's a surprise, "Armageddon Nights". Instead  of
the usual fast, Venom-like songs, it's a  slow/mid-paced,  much  more
blackened song, with anguished, painful vocals,  keyboards,  acoustic
guitars and  female  vocals.  The  song  is  OK,  very  Celtic  Frost
influenced, though it has little originality. I guess this  could  be
an indication of the direction Nocturnal Breed are taking, and I  bet
their next album will be much  more  Celtic  Frost-like.  Personally,
this is good, since I prefer Celtic Frost's type  of  metal.  Despite
the lack of originality, this is a good and powerful album, and  they
get an extra point for "Armageddon Nights". (Also reviewed in Ancient
Ceremonies #3 -- http://come.to/ac-zine)


Power Symphony - _Evillot_  (Northwind / Radiation Recs., April 1999)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (3 out of 10)

Imagine a melodic power metal version of Bal-Sagoth's _Battle Magic_.
Now add a remarkably weak instrumental sound and clear limitations as
far as  talent  and  ideas  are  concerned  --  the  only  reasonably
interesting idea featured here is the use of a lead  female  vocalist
who performs normal melodic metal vocals. The music on _Evillot_ just
tends to remind me of a simple, colourful and fragile plastic toy  --
they need stronger  production  and  much  better  ideas.  They  also
definitely need to make  their  music  become  less  transparent  and
obvious and give it much more depth and  strength.  Power  Symphony's
debut is also the first record to be  released  through  the  equally
Italian based label  Northwind  Records  (which  will  apparently  be
distributed by Nuclear Blast's Radiation Records); definitely  not  a
promising start for them, but maybe things will improve in the future.

Contact: Northwind Records, P.O. Box 157, 15057 Tortona, Italy


Pretty Maids - _Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Overdoing_
by: Aaron McKay  (2 out of 10)  (Massacre Records, 1999)

What  the  fuck  would  you  call  this  shit?!  Power-metal?   Maybe
"overdoing" glam-metal?!  I'm  stumped  as  far  as  what  to  say...
Massacre is the responsible for Fates Warning, but I  cannot  explain
what Pretty Maids is doing on such an adequate label. Imagine if  you
will some of the skill,  musically,  of  Ratt  (Warren  DeMartini  --
guitar), but add to that the pathetic, girl-crooning whine of  Poison
-- maybe then you'll have a cheap "B" version of Pretty  Maids.  Some
riffing on this release is noteworthy, like on tracks four  and  six,
"When the Angels Cry" and "Only in America". The guitar work on these
two songs (to say nothing of the other instruments clanking away like
a leaky pipe) would be like trying to patch-up  the  Titanic  with  a
Band-Aid. If the song titles "Hell on  High  Heels"  and  "Loveshine"
don't scream to the Musicland employee "PUT ME IN  THE  WINGER  BIN",
I'm not sure what would. I'd avoid this if you have any hearing  that
you would rather save for the next Pantera show.


Various - _Psyclone Sinphonies_  (Psyclone Sinphonies, 1998)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (5 out of 10)

What Psyclone Sinphonies offers here is about an hour of demo-quality
tracks featuring ten Greek bands. Their styles generally hover around
usually melodic variations of death or somewhat blackened metal, plus
a few thrashier bands towards the end of the compilation. Most of the
"black" metal on offer  here  is  of  the  very  softened-up,  gothic
influenced kind -- but none of the bands reaches beyond some  average
keyboard work and occasional allegedly vampyric influences. The sound
quality is never very good,  but  at  least  it's  never  disastrous,
either. Interesting to notice that five of the  tracks  are  actually
over six minutes long and a couple of them go near  the  nine  minute
mark; the average length is higher  than  I  expected.  Although  the
songs usually lack originality and tend to have the kind of excess of
simplistic or rather imperfect sequences that are usually  associated
with demo tapes, the compilation still flows reasonably well  and  it
seems likely that a few of these bands (Twilight and Mind Revolt  are
marginally worth mentioning) may inclusively be able to  evolve  into
something interesting at a more professional level in the future. For
now, this is a compilation of  material  that  would  generally  make
acceptable demo tapes, but in the end none of the  bands  manages  to
really stand out from the crowd.

Contact: Psyclone Sinphonies, P.O. Box 33014, GR-566 10 Sykies,
         Thessaloniki, Greece
         Price: 11 US$ (Europe), 12 US$ (rest of the World)


Quiet Riot - _Alive and Well_  (Deadline Music, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay  (7 out of 10)

Sometimes there is an itch that only nostalgic '80s metal can scratch
and I'm of the opinion that this newest Quiet Riot release  has  some
claws suited especially for those tough to reach afflictions. Whether
or not you support this type of musical  variance  (or  even  if  you
agree with my assessment or not), very few of us could argue with Mr.
Rudy Sarzo's talent. Together  with  QR's  original  _Mental  Health_
line-up, Mr. Sarzo is responsible for some incredible bass playing on
this release. Also, there is a certain undeniable sophistication  and
culture to Carlos Cavazo's guitar style on  this  effort.  The  sound
Carlos lays out crafting _Alive and  Well_  on  tracks  such  as  the
impressive "The Ritual" (No! Not the Testament album) is some bad-ass
honest work. I will grant you for every "The Ritual" there  seems  to
be a tune like "Slam Dunk (Way to GO!)" that creeps  me  out  like  a
David Lee Roth ditty  off  of  _A  Little  Ain't  Enough_.  _AaW_  is
comprised of two almost totally separate sections on  one  disc.  The
front nine tracks are "new" material including an absorbing cover  of
AC/DC's "Highway to Hell". The following six tracks  are  remakes  of
Quiet Riot classics including a hellish re-do of "The  Wild  and  the
Young". Well,  those  of  you  reading  this  shaking  your  head  in
disbelief, keep just two tidbits locked away in the ol' brain, if you
will -- _AaW_ was produced by Bob Marlette,  who  you  will  probably
remember from his producing duties on the new Black Sabbath with Ozzy
and the  second  morsel  being  this  label,  Deadline,  is  the  one
responsible for giving us that _Straight to Hell_ tribute  to  Slayer
featuring some heavyweights like Hypocrisy, Brutal Truth, and  Jungle
Rot. Food for thought, kiddies. Sometimes a bit o'  divergency  is  a
good thing with variety bein' the spice of life and all. Grab  _Alive
and Well_ for a trip down memory lane. I think you'll appreciate  the
flashback!


Scorched Earth Policy - _Tones of Ambivalence XCIX_
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)  (Scorched Earth Music, April 1999)

Don't get me wrong when I write this review, because this  band  does
kick ass and I'm giving them a good rating, but I gotta  tell  it  to
you straight up: it's all been done before. Like the work of Mindset,
Only Living Witness, Helmet or even Tura Satana (the  list  could  go
on), Scorched Earth Policy keep their feet  planted  on  the  ground,
tune down the guitars and turn up the volume and  crank  it.  Nothing
wrong with that, as all four songs on the EP rock like  there  is  no
tomorrow (especially "Target Market"),  but  we  need  to  break  new
ground here as these noise-core/metal  bands  are  starting  to  lose
ground and repeat themselves. It's becoming a little  dishevelled  in
the ranks, my dear music fans. But take note of a great  pretty  much
unknown band and lock heads. They should kick your ass pretty good.

Contact: 4168 Park Blvd Oakland, CA USA 94602
         mailto:mlamb@presol.com
         WWW: http://www.scorched-earthpolicy.com


Various - _Smells Like Team Spirit III_
by: Aaron McKay  (8.5 out of 10)  (Displeased Records, 1999)

Gotta give credit where credit is due -- Displeased  has  put  out  a
-fine- comp here,  fellow  metal  fiends.  You  have  your  Manegarm,
Houwitser and Cryptopsy  sublime  standbys  on  this  fourteen  band,
seventeen song compilation totalling an hour and seven  minutes,  but
there are two bands that scream to me for elaboration. By name, those
two groups are Nembrionic  and  Verperian  Sorrow.  If  the  upcoming
releases from either of these two bands are a mere  fraction  of  the
greatness encompassed in on _SLTSIII_, then I think that I  may  have
found one, if not -two- of my top 10 best for 1999. Maybe I'm jumping
the gun a touch, but the  raw,  sheer  power  of  Nembrionic's  death
crusade on both tracks, "Lawmaker" and "Beast Machine",  as  well  as
Vesperian Sorrow's untainted eight  minute  forty-five  second  black
metal revolution entitled "From an Everblackened Star",  on  this  CD
are almost -too much- for the mortal mind to wrap itself around.  I'd
say this is certainly a plus for even the most casual collector,  but
those of us looking to  push  the  envelope  a  bit,  Nembrionic  and
Vesperian Sorrow are prescription strength dosages  of  metal  mayhem
that are sure to quench the most violent of metal thirsts.


Soil - _Throttle Junkies_  (MIA Records, April 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (8 out of 10)

The last time we heard anything from Soil it was the five-song EP _El
Chupacabra_ [CoC #37], a blistering rock 'n' roll  montage  of  heavy
riffs and sharp adrenaline spurts. Continuing where  they  left  off,
this strong quintet have really gotten  a  hold  of  a  heavy  sound,
mixing it well with some serious licks  and  truly  memorable  chorus
numbers. As heavy as Pantera  at  times,  though  still  chiming  off
melodies like vintage Galactic Cowboys,  Flotsam  &  Jetsam  or  even
Alice in Chains, Soil make sure they make  their  mark  some  way  or
another with the material on _Throttle Junkies_. A  young  band  with
much  gusto.  I  like  it.  Also  ace  mixing  work   from   producer
extraordinaire Steve Albini.  Choice  cuts  include  "Damning  Eden",
opener "Everything" and the thrilling chunkiness of "Stand to Fall".


Spock's Beard - _Day for Night_  (Steamhammer/SPV, April 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz  (5 out of 10)

Confusing one to assess in some ways, this. When I get a  shit  black
or death metal record it's easy to affix what it is  I  do  or  don't
like about it  because  I  have  a  wide  and  varied  knowledge  and
experience  of  those  styles.  What  I  have  before  me  now  is  a
prog-rock/pop album done by high profile players who've  done  albums
with Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. It's not that I  don't  have  an
opinion, it's just not easy to explain what it is that bugs me  about
this record and what I  like.  Probably  the  biggest  plus  in  this
record's favour is its more progressive funk  influenced  side.  This
comes to include some decent slap bass work and  funky  drumming  and
occasionally some nice guitar runs. Apart from these small joys, _Day
for Night_ rapidly drowns as far as I'm concerned. The band don't use
keyboards to very great effect and the singing  is  a  sort  of  Pink
Floyd on Zanex whiny rock dirge which  admittedly  does  occasionally
impress ("Distance to the Sun"), but in general  is  simply  annoying
and infuriatingly pop-sounding. The album  is  additionally  overlong
and contains that ridiculously wanky fall-down; the "revisited"  song
(and  Spock's  Beard  actually  revisit  two  of  them).  Some   very
digestible  pop  melodies  and  good  musicianship  on  display,  but
certainly not the kind of record  I  crave  for  the  rock  or  metal
fraternity to produce.


Stretcher - _Stretcher_ (<Independent>, April 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

While I'm not keen on the whole six-song outing here -- some  of  the
vocal arrangements grow tiresome after a while --, for the most  part
the dark 'n' moody sounds of Stretcher carry out  rewarding  results.
This up and  coming  New  York  outfit  have  a  surprisingly  strong
production and a knack for making sure the meaty hooks back the solid
songwriting. While at times I'm hearing a bit of  older  Soundgarden,
the material here easily sheds light on their own style and  that  is
worthy of being investigated. From a few listens of the disc, it's no
surprise that this band has the goods to carry it off live, a  factor
all too real seeing that some of the material here is  recorded  live
at New York's famous CBGB's. I'm interested in hearing more.

Contact: 41-34 73rd Street Woodside, NY USA 11377
         mailto:stretcher@erols.com
         WWW: http://www.stretcherband.com


Testament - _The Gathering_  (Spitfire Records, June 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (9 out of 10)

With a mega-helping of pumped fists and guitars shredding  everything
in sight, Bay Area metal thrash gurus Testament return to  the  music
scene with a  blistering  new  LP  called  _The  Gathering_.  But  is
everybody ready for the latest slab of metal from these  metal  Gods?
They better be. With little remorse for the  weak,  Testament  lashes
out with some of their most volatile and proficient  metal  to  date.
Mustering up enough aggression to  surpass  their  ball-busting  last
effort, 1997's _Demonic_, _The Gathering_ is a  heavy  trip  into  an
aggressive style of music. It's heavy and there is no  denying  that.
So what's the big deal with this album? Why does it  sound  so  heavy
and so proficient in all sections of the recording? I'll tell you, my
friends. With Testament co-leaders  Chuck  Billy  (vocals)  and  Eric
Peterson (guitars) at the helm, the two managed to snag James  Murphy
(Obituary, Death, Disincarnate) on guitar,  Steve  DiGiorgio  (Death,
Sadus) on bass and powerhouse drummer  Dave  Lombardo  (Slayer,  Grip
Inc.) bringing up the rear. Impressive? Yes. Wait 'till you hear this
record for yourself. It'll knock your socks off. While the  music  on
_The Gathering_ is very Testament-sounding, the band does gear a  lot
of the music to establishing an aggressive factor, opposed to  a  set
style/sound of doing things. In other words, the  band  still  sounds
like Testament, I mean, c'mon, this is their eighth  record,  but  at
times the record manages to draw a few solid ideas that  help  expand
what the band is all about. All ideas represented here are worthy  of
praising. Solid talent and strong motivation makes _The Gathering_  a
must for all music fans that like their music heavy and  really  well
executed. Man, Lombardo's drums really drive this puppy home. One  of
Testament's best LPs this decade for sure; maybe the best.


The Chasm - _Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph_
by: Paul Schwarz  (9 out of 10)  (Oz Productions, June 1998)

Yes, I know this one's old, but we never covered it, and thus,  since
I recently picked it up and found it in virtually permanent  rotation
on my considerably crowded listening platter for weeks, I decided  it
was worth notifying you, the readers of CoC,  of  the  existence  and
brilliance of this album. This is the band Daniel Corchado  (who  did
the  incredible   vocals   on   Incantation's   latest   masterpiece,
_Diabolical Conquest_) is now once again a permanent member  of,  and
his gutturally crushing and wide-ranging vocal style features, and is
used to great effect over  _DfETT_'s  lengthy  55  minutes.  But  his
vocals are far from being the only  highlight:  the  guitar  work  is
excellent, ranging from the infectious,  straight-ahead  pounding  of
"Revenge Rises", which opens the album, on to the woven acoustics and
duelling melodies of  "I'm  the  Hateful  Raven"  and  "A  Portal  to
Nowhere" and back again and in other directions at the drop of a hat.
The drumming, though not really innovative,  is  creative  and  is  a
meaty backing for the music. The production of this record  is  rough
and clunky (in the good sense), like early Autopsy  and  Incantation,
but not as darkly hollow sounding.  The  sound  of  _DfETT_  is  much
thicker  and  the  guitar  melodies  are  pronounced  and  distinctly
melancholic, leaning towards a more doomy result than a  sludge-death
one. Daniel (who wrote all the music and lyrics) has drawn heavily on
basic, hard-hitting death metal influences and combined these with  a
more  melancholic,  doomy  approach  and  produced  a  record   which
possesses the rare combination of being both invigoratingly  muscular
and violent, while  also  being  stirringly  emotional  and  creating
disconcerting atmospheres, impressively achieved without any  use  of
keyboards. The music here is pretty unique; I can't think of an album
I have which is quite like it and can pick out few  records  from  my
collection which combine the two aspects mentioned above, so well, in
this, _DfETT_ sits up with the likes of _The Key_  and  _Focus_.  The
title says it all: a total triumph, and one which was recorded before
Daniel even joined Incantation. Thus, I am awaiting with bated breath
to find out what the band will now produce with  all  his  additional
experience behind them: album of 1999/2000? It's certainly possible.

Contact: Oz Productions, Apdo. Postal 109, Boulevares C.P.,
         53140, Edo de Mexico, Mexico
         WWW: http://www.ozproductions.com
         mailto:ozprod@hermes.uninet.net.mx


Therion - _Crowning of Atlantis_  (Nuclear Blast, May 1999)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (7 out of 10)

It's always a disappointment for me to see a band fall  from  what  I
perceive as a "state of genius". Therion's _Theli_  was  one  of  the
most unexpected yet brilliant records of the '90s. Meshing metal  and
classical influences effortlessly, it left both fans and  critics  in
awe. They followed up this gem with _Vovin_, an album I was  somewhat
disappointed  with.  Lacking  the  strength   and   beauty   of   its
predecessor, it was a definite stumble in the  musical  path  Therion
have carved over the years. In 1999 we see _Crowning of Atlantis_, an
EP containing new material, covers  and  live  material  culled  from
their back catalogue. The  new  material  basically  follows  in  the
tradition of the material off _Vovin_, although  it  is  a  bit  more
mellow and a little less metal. The live material isn't too bad;  the
cover of "To Mega Therion" is great apart  from  the  female  vocals,
which could use a little more work. Loudness, Manowar and Accept  get
the cover treatment, which Therion do in an adequate fashion. To  sum
up, Therion fans should dig this, but it won't win over any new fans.


Torture Squad - _Shivering_  (<Independent>, 1998)
by: Nuno Almeida <messiah@pulhas.org>  (2 out of 10)

Torture Squad are  from  Brazil  and  play  death/thrash  metal.  The
problem is that this isn't brutal,  this  isn't  technical,  this  is
nothing  but   unimaginative,   bland,   boring,   completely   dated
death/thrash. The vocals suck and the lyrics pretty  much  cover  the
same stereotype issues of death, religion, social problems, whatever.
One final note. The band is  looking  for  a  label,  and  claims  to
already have 15 songs, which should be enough to  record  the  second
and third albums. So Torture Squad is seen as  a  song  factory,  and
things like musical and artistic progression apparently don't  count.
(Also reviewed in Ancient Ceremonies #3 -- http://come.to/ac-zine/)

Contact: Torture Squad, Av. do Cursino, 2817/14, Sao Paulo SP, Brazil


Unfounded - _Corrode_  (Copro Records / PHD, April 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (7 out of 10)

While a lot of bands out there nowadays like to draw inspiration  for
their music from their peers or idols and try to  go  their  own  way
when creating music, it seems almost inevitable that most  bands  out
there nowadays are thrown into a grouping or genre when  people  give
their music a listen. One listen to the music of UK outfit  Unfounded
and the sounds of Machine Head and Pantera will no doubt be  bouncing
around energetically within your cranium. While a  bit  weak  on  the
production angle (muffled vocals and downplayed guitars ran  wild  at
times), the music here is of the hearty variety. It's got groove  and
works well with what the band has to offer.  If  you're  craving  for
some new blood  in  the  moshcore/hardcore  vein,  then  scoping  out
Unfounded might be the sound choice.


W.A.S.P. - _Helldorado_  (CMC/BMG, April 1999)
by: Adrian Bromley  (4 out of 10)

Is it just me or does this -whole- record sound the same? From opener
"Drive By" to closer "Hot Rods to Hell", the new release _Helldorado_
becomes one blinding flash of sameness as we give it a spin.  Blackie
Lawless,  Chris  Holmes  and  the  rest  of  the  W.A.S.P.  clan  are
desperately trying to revisit the past, trying to  once  again  latch
onto the perverse  and  darkened  days  of  the  tumultuous  '80s-era
W.A.S.P. that they have somehow lost going into the  '90s  --  though
_Crimson Idol_ was a kickass record. The key word  is  "try",  folks.
They have tried to find that style in their  music  in  1999  and  it
fails for the most part. While songs like "Dirty Balls",  "Don't  Cry
(Just Suck)" and "Cocaine Cowboys" would sure be a  target  for  then
PMRC head Tipper Gore back then, nowadays it just seems so  unharmful
and somewhat lame in this day and  age  where  extreme  music  easily
surpasses some of W.A.S.P.'s earlier devil dancing, sex-crazed  days.
It's a shame, really, as I saw some light of  hope  in  1997's  _Kill
Fuck Die_ when Lawless re-teamed with guitarist Holmes. Oh well; good
luck, boys.


Whiplash - _Messages in Blood - The Early Years_  (Displeased, 1999)
by: Aaron McKay  (6 out of 10)

Raw, mean, and powerful are simply the first of  a  whole  string  of
congruous and befitting adjectives that come  to  mind  when  hearing
Whiplash's  historical  catalogue  of  material.  I  am  grateful  to
Displeased for getting this into the  hands  of  the  metal-listening
community. To get the negativity out of the way, I might point out to
those of you reading this, while hearing the progression of a  band's
sound by doubling up songs on a release  is  -very-  interesting,  it
makes it somewhat difficult to  tolerate  on  multiple  listens.  For
instance, "Spit on Your Grave", "Stirrin' the Cauldron", "Respect the
Dead" and "The Burning of Atlanta" are all  repeated  on  this  disc.
Like I said, I am happy to hear Whiplash's career  maturation  taking
form on _Messages in Blood - The Early Years_,  but  simply  keep  in
mind that you'll have at least four songs repeated on  this  nineteen
track,  seventy-seven  minute   CD.   Some   highlights   include   a
particularly rough, but done in  fantastic  fashion,  "Eternal  Eyes"
caught live in 1985 in Dover, New Jersey. Also, chalk me up as a  fan
of  "War  Monger",  once  again,  from  a  -very   noticeable-   live
performance, this time at New York's CBGB's. If you still are of  the
opinion that Metallica's _Kill 'Em All_ or Exodus' _Bonded by  Blood_
are the pentacle of all thrash, and  you've  yet  to  be  exposed  to
Whiplash, I might suggest hot-footing it down to your local CD  store
to snatch a copy of _Messages in Blood - The  Early  Years_.  By  the
way, rumour has it that Whiplash will re-unite for a  reunion  record
on Massacre Records entitled _Thrashback_ with a reunion tour for the
lucky bastards in Europe only.

Contact: mailto:whiplash@mail.com
         WWW: http://www.whiplashmetalmusic.com

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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


Aghora - _1998 demo_  (3-track demo)
by: Brian Meloon  (*****)

"Aghora" is a Sanskrit term for "light,  the  absence  of  darkness".
Knowing this gives you a good idea of what Aghora, the  band,  sounds
like. The best comparison I can draw is to the first Portal demo.  If
you haven't heard that, imagine a lighter version  of  Cynic  with  a
female singer who gives the music a touch of The Gathering at  times.
Aghora's music is about the same heaviness as The Gathering,  but  it
has the technicality and mystical/Indian influences of Cynic.  It  is
quite complex, but the song structures belie this complexity.  It  is
quite possible to think that  the  music  is  simple  after  a  first
listen. There are often several ideas layered on top of  each  other,
each carrying its own time signature. However, unlike Don Caballero's
_What Burns Never Returns_ [CoC #38],  these  parts  combine  into  a
cohesive whole, instead of having a dissonant and abstract sound. The
musicianship displayed on this demo is very  impressive.  The  female
vocals are outstanding, showing  an  excellent  range.  The  drumming
(courtesy of ex-Cynic drummer Sean Reinert) is excellent, as  is  the
guitar  work.  There  are  several  guitar  solos  and   instrumental
sections, but the solos are always tasteful and add something to  the
song, instead of being pointless wankery (not that  there's  anything
wrong with that). This is truly an excellent  demo,  and  these  guys
should appeal to fans of both Cynic and the  Gathering.  Aghora  have
recently signed a deal with Sensory Records (who put out the  Gordian
Knot CD), and hopefully will have a full length CD  out  sometime  in
the Spring of 2000.

Contact: Aghora, P.O. Box 165503, Miami, FL, 33116-5503, USA
         mailto:SDobles@aol.com or mailto:cekendahl@earthlink.net
         WWW: http://www.veilmaya.org/aghora  (with sound clips)


Antagony - _Antagony_  (4-track demo)
by: Brian Meloon  (***--)

Antagony are a death metal band from California, and  this  is  their
first demo. Each of the four songs on this demo begins  with  a  long
sample and then turns into standard death metal. A lot of  the  music
is quite slow and plodding, though they break into several fast parts
as well. They tend to do this a little too often for my tastes, as it
breaks up the flow of the songs. The riffs are pretty standard  fare,
and there isn't a lot to differentiate these guys from the throngs of
other  bands  that  have  done  the  same  style.  The   vocals   are
shout-screamed in more of a black metal style  than  the  traditional
guttural/grunted death metal style. The musicianship isn't  bad,  but
the drumming seems to be a little off  in  some  places.  Other  than
that, the playing is fine, but  not  exceptionally  challenging.  The
production is decent, but could  certainly  be  better.  All  of  the
instruments are audible, but the mix and  tones  aren't  particularly
good. Overall, I think these guys need to work some more on  creating
their  own  identity.  The  music  is  competently   performed,   but
ultimately not much different from  every  other  band  playing  this
style.

Contact: Antagony, 470 Edinburgh Cir., Danville, CA  94526, USA
         mailto:vasallo@earthlink.net
         WWW: http://home.earthlink.net/~vomitforth/ (sound clips)


Autoerotichrist / Richard Ramirez - _Birthright_ 7" (WMF)
Autoerotichrist / Incapacitants 7"  (Spite, 1997)
Autoerotichrist / Japanese Torture Comedy Hour (Chaotic Noise, 1997)
by: Adam Wasylyk  (no rating)

Listed above are some 7"s we received from Mason, who  plays  in  the
band Autoerotichrist (and Enemy Soil as well?). To sum up my feelings
on these recordings: I just don't get it. What we have here is  noise
in all of its (lack of?) glory. I can't understand how someone  could
voluntarily subject their ears to this. Feedback, distortion,  loops,
scratching, screaming... it all sounds like a  prolonged  car  crash.
And I dare you to try to tell these  recordings  apart!  Rather  than
giving this a zero, I'd rather say that this music may be worthy  for
the right pair of ears (just not mine!). I guess some  perceive  this
as a "new level of extremity", but that can be achieved in any number
of ways. When it comes to extremity, give me metal anyday!

Contact: Send $4 (each) to: Mason Parrish,
         809 S. Sugarland Run Drive, Steeling, VA  20164  USA


Corpus Christi - _Anno Domini_  (3-track demo)
by: Pedro Azevedo  (****-)

This onslaught of highly abrasive and harsh black metal propelled  by
a synthetic rhythm section, simple and aggressive guitars, background
keyboard distortion and searing vox could only make itself noticed by
its brutality and intensity; and it does. The  structures  are  quite
linear  and  musical  embellishments  are  absent;  the  elements   I
mentioned above are all this demo is based upon. The  production  was
more than likely intended to be as primitive as it  seems,  like  one
would expect; it sounds adequate enough  through  speakers  (in  this
case, for once,  I  prefer  speakers  to  headphones).  Some  of  the
synthetic drumming, however, sounds excessively shrill. Not something
to win any awards for complex musical contents, but  nevertheless  an
impressive outburst of rage.

Contact: Nightmare Productions, P.O. Box 83,
         2825 Costa da Caparica, Portugal


Inchtimer - _Inchtimer_  (5-track demo)
by: Aaron Mackay  (***--)

What we have here is a very clear, well packaged  and  produced  demo
with what I would have to call thumpin' low end  work  more  or  less
spotlighted. In other words, the bass playing is hands-down a  strong
selling point for Inchtimer. The drumming and  guitar  are  extremely
appropriate for Inchtimer's straightforward "stripped"  honest  metal
sound.  The  vocals  play  very   well   into   this   aforementioned
description, but I assure you  that  you've  heard  a  similar  vocal
approach elsewhere; however, by the same token, it draws nothing away
from what Inchtimer is accomplishing on this demo. "Pull Bright", the
second track of five  on  this  nineteen  minute  release,  has  some
excellent  coordination  between  the  members  of   this   purposely
unhinged, but nonetheless tight, three piece unit from  Minnesota.  I
understand that the group  plays  quite  extensively  throughout  the
Midwest, so give 'em some support if  you  happen  to  see  Inchtimer
listed on a venue roster anywhere near you or feel  free  to  contact
them at:

Contact: Inchtimer c/o The Bunker, 2645 First Avenue South,
         Minneapolis, MN, 55408, USA
         mailto:inchtimer@hotmail.com
         WWW: http://www.angelfire.com/mn/inchtimer


Mutant - _Eden Burnt to Ashes_  (5-track demo)
by: Brian Meloon  (*****)

Mutant is a black metal side project of Peter and Henrik from  Theory
in Practice [CoC #23].  The  music  is  of  the  extremely  fast  and
technical variety, putting Mutant right alongside bands  like  Abigor
and In Battle. The playing is exceptional, with fast and  interesting
drumming, and agile guitar work. Keyboards  are  used  sparingly  for
atmosphere, and are well done. The songs  offer  a  good  variety  of
feels and tempos, and they each have their own character.  The  first
three songs are very fast and technical, yet even  a  little  catchy.
"Dark Spheres" is more of a mid-paced, atmospheric style, and "Abduct
to Mutate" finishes off the demo with a  sound  more  reminiscent  of
Theory in Practice. The music changes at various paces, allowing  the
band  to  explore  some  musical  ideas,  and  yet  generally   avoid
repetitiveness. Some sections do drag on a little bit,  but  for  the
most part, the songs change fast enough that they don't  get  boring.
In addition, there are a number of particularly tricky  changes  that
help keep the listener off balance. The production is crystal  clear:
all of the instruments are readily audible. This is  truly  excellent
black metal, and is highly recommended for fans of technical metal of
all varieties. The band has recently signed a deal  for  a  debut  CD
that will be put out by Listenable Records this fall.

Contact: Peter Sjoberg, Orrvagen 7, 81132, Sandviken, Sweden
         mailto:mutant.metal@home.se
         WWW: http://hem3.passagen.se/mutant1/  (with sound clips)


No Rest for the Dead - _Earthlings From Mars_  (4-track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley  (*****)

When Rich Hoak  (ex-Brutal  Truth  drummer)  introduced  me  to  this
Japanese band at the New Jersey March Metal Meltdown, they looked  so
innocent and cutesy. Let me tell you folks, looks can  be  deceiving.
From opening number "Dislocated"  through  "Deny  My  Existence"  and
"Waste of the Thread", this  Japanese  noisecore/noise/sonic  quartet
pull no punches with some of the most blistering drums and screams to
grace any demo that I have heard. And the riffs?  Right  outta  metal
school, boys 'n' girls. Pure mayhem. Mix Today Is the Day with Brutal
Truth and The Boredoms and you've got the maniacal  assemblage  known
as No Rest for the Dead. Utter brutality  wherever  you  go  on  this
monstrous release. Rich Hoak, who is doing his own label  right  now,
called Deaf American, sure has a fine ear when it  comes  to  awesome
shit like this. More to come? I hope so.

Contact: No Rest For The Dead, c/o K. Nozawa,
         1-7-209, Inukura 3, Miyamae, Kawasaki
         Kangagawa, 216-0011 Japan
         mailto:norestforthedead@msn.com
         WWW: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/9607


Teardown - _Persona Non Grata_ (3-track demo)
by: Adrian Bromley  (***--)

Brazilian moshcore/metalcore/hardcore  outfit  Teardown  play  pretty
solid music, focusing heavily on making their music  speak  hard  'n'
heavy. With elements of Machine Head, Sepultura and  Agnostic  Front,
they can do no wrong with this three-song  outing.  While  the  title
track is the best offering of the demo, the three songs work well off
one another. Give this band a few more months and they should be able
to produce a slicker, more solid  release.  I  think  a  good  studio
workout would make these guys sharper and stronger than they  already
are.

Contact: mailto:gabriel@hotnet.net
         WWW: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Amphitheatre/8931/

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



               MILWAUKEE, EAT YOUR HEART OUT... AGAIN!
               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                 CoC covers the March Metal Meltdown
               in Asbury Park, NJ on March 12-13, 1999
                           by: Adam Wasylyk

     It's time for another  Chronicles  of  Chaos  roadtrip!  Scribes
Adrian, Alain, Paul, Jody, Alex (who mysteriously no  one  would  see
during the event) and myself, along  with  former  alumni  Steve  and
Drew, made the trip to  the  first  annual  New  Jersey  March  Metal
Meltdown. It would be said about Asbury  Park,  the  area  where  the
festival took place, that "If  the  world  were  constipated,  they'd
stick the enema right here!". An apt description if  I'd  ever  heard
one.
     Allow me to paint a picture for  you.  The  venue  consisted  of
three stages: the main stage,  the  side  stage  and  the  last,  the
smallest of the three, the Relapse sponsored stage. What a relief  to
find there were no stairs to climb, which I'm sure veteran  Milwaukee
attendees truly appreciated. The Relapse stage  sat  closest  to  the
Atlantic Ocean (the building was on the NJ boardwalk), allowing  cold
winds to enter the room and freeze the soul (as if the  music  wasn't
enough). The side stage allowed bands to play, and would later  house
a wrestling ring where mostly amateurs came in to battle  it  out.  I
must admit, yelling "YOU FUCKING PUSSIES!!!" is more therapeutic than
I thought it'd be. Anyhow, the main stage consisted  of  a  huge  pit
area and a bleacher area which many in  attendance  (including  yours
truly) took advantage of. A better venue couldn't  have  been  chosen
for this type of event.
     Considering that there were over 100 scheduled to play, I  would
discover that it was impossible to even check out half of  the  bands
playing. Picking and choosing carefully, here are some of the bands I
was able to check out.
     Relapse's Benumb were just finishing up as we had  arrived  late
on day one of the two day event. Sounding as powerful as they did  at
last Summer's Milwaukee Metal Fest, their brand of  grindcore  didn't
go unnoticed with onlookers, who applauded  appropriately  when  they
finished up.
     Is this what they call "hardcore" these days? Sounds like  plain
metal to me. Straight edgers Earth Crisis showcased their wares to an
appreciative crowd, whom you could easily pick  out  (meaning  anyone
without a Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir shirt).  Their  (lack  of?)
musical quality isn't the lingering afterthought from this  set,  but
rather the dreadful cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs". I'll be  the
first to admit that I'm not a fan, but even I  -know-  when  a  Black
Sabbath cover is butchered. If the vocalist wasn't embarrassed  after
their performance, the rest of the crowd sure were. Yikes!
     Incantation, one of my favourite death  metal  bands,  played  a
competent yet unexciting set with new vocalist in tow. Displaying vox
that suit the band well, I must admit I  miss  the  great  vocals  of
Daniel Corchado on Incantation's  last  CD,  the  mighty  _Diabolical
Conquest_. Good for what it was, but I expected more from this  great
band.
     I'll admit that I'm not a fan of power/traditional metal, but  I
found myself getting into the 30 someodd minute set  of  Iced  Earth.
Receiving a healthy response from the 2/3 capacity  Convention  Hall,
it was something that I wouldn't  listen  to  at  home,  but  it  was
pleasant in a live setting.

     Amorphis were one of the big reasons why I  decided  to  attend;
I'm just so unhappy that they didn't live up to expectations.  Having
missed them on their  _Tales  From  the  Thousand  Lakes_  tour  with
Entombed way back when, it was most likely more punishing to see them
at this stage, at a time where I feel their  progression  has  gotten
slightly out of hand. Some of  the  blame  for  this  set  should  go
towards the sound people, who needed about three  songs  to  get  the
sound exactly right. However, the band must be faulted as  well.  The
opening track was off their new release _Tuonela_, a song  the  crowd
couldn't appreciate because of the level of  unfamiliarity  with  the
recent release of the new album. Tomi's growls just didn't cut it  on
this night, "Black Winter Day" suffering because of this  along  with
inappropriately   played   keyboards   almost   making   the    track
unrecognizable. "Better Unborn" and "Against Widows"  were  performed
more tightly, but still, something was missing. A disappointment.
     Having seen them play Milwaukee last Summer and  not  being  too
amazed, Hypocrisy had another chance to impress, but they  didn't  do
too well. Guitarist/vocalist Peter Tagtgren at the beginning  of  the
set announced that their second  guitarist  had  food  poisoning  and
therefore couldn't play. As their set went on, you couldn't help  but
hear the hole vacant, where a  second  guitar  could  have  thickened
their sound and given them more power. On top of  that,  they  didn't
perform "Roswell 47", which the crowd were  obviously  listening  out
for. And when Peter broke out into the American  national  anthem  on
his guitar... well, you'd be in hysterics if you could have  seen  my
face.
     Dimmu Borgir closed out the night,  in  classic  fashion.  Their
first show  in  North  America,  it  wasn't  difficult  to  read  the
anticipation on the faces of many in the crowd.  Suffering  the  same
sound problems as many before them, Dimmu were able to overcome  them
and turn in a powerful set of Norwegian black metal. Playing material
off  their  impressive  new  release  _Spiritual  Black   Dimensions_
("Reptile" being the definite standout,  sans  clean  vocals  due  to
sound fuckups) and of course  a  couple  of  tracks  off  the  highly
acclaimed _Enthrone  Darkness  Triumphant_  ("Mourning  Palace",  "In
Death's Embrace") were well received as well. Superior  drumming  and
great keyboards (especially during the tail end of the set) made this
a set most won't soon forget.
     After almost no recovery time, day two was upon us. Holding  the
majority of bands, it was make or break for the 4000 or so metalheads
in attendance. Sarcophagus would be the first band on the second  day
that would make an impression. An  impressive  fusion  of  death  and
black metal with a hint of retro, Sarcophagus dealt out  some  pretty
fast material with a lot of catchy hooks. Mad props goes out  to  the
drummer, whose expert drumming made an  enjoyable  set  even  moreso.
Despite  the  small  amount  of  time  on  stage,  they  were   quite
impressive, to say the least.
     The set of Fallen Christ had me confused. Did I like this? Did I
want to hear any more? The keyboardist, dressed  in  a  military-like
vest with some sort of pitch shifter on his voice,  gave  a  somewhat
memorable performance with an unusual  vocal  style.  The  music  was
competent yet unable to rise anyone in the crowd.
     A pleasant surprise was  the  amazing  performance  of  Osmose's
Vital Remains. They truly kicked ass on this  night,  highlighted  by
the track "Battle Ground" on their _Forever Underground_ LP,  a  song
that I had really dug up to recently but didn't  actually  know  this
band was responsible for it! Another set  that  was  cut  too  short,
however Vital Remains used every second on  stage  to  make  a  solid
impression, and they did just that.
     Candiria's mosh pit almost caused certain death for this writer;
the band's fusion of hardcore and metal produced one of  the  largest
pits of the festival.  Great  stage  presence  accompanied  by  their
trademark start/stop and jazz breaks really made this  a  break  from
some of the monotonous death metal that  was  playing  nearby.  Great
stuff.
     Enslaved took to the blackened main stage with arms crossed  and
guitars set on kill. Taking a page from the  book  of  Dimmu  Borgir,
drummer Dirge Repp (of Gehenna fame) had a tremendous impact  on  how
Enslaved would perform on this night. Known for not having  keyboards
on stage, this really hurt them while playing  the  track  "Slaget  I
Skogen  Bortenfor",  which  is  really  meant  to  have  a   keyboard
accompaniment. The new stuff off _Blodhemn_  sounded  great  live;  I
can't wait to have another opportunity to check these guys out.
     Divine Empire pretty much played the exact set they performed in
Toronto only a week earlier. Cool duelling vocals separate  the  band
from the pack, along with great material like the blastbeat supremacy
of "Out for Blood" or the unbridled insanity of "Silent Carnage". For
a three piece, these guys can sure dish it out.
     The dark  horse  of  the  festival  must  belong  to  the  sound
terrorists known as Today Is  the  Day.  Vocalist/guitarist  Reverend
Steve Austin was truly a man possessed, so convincing it appeared  he
was mentally breaking down right before us. I won't even try to label
the music these guys play; all I can say is  that  it's  noisy,  loud
and, very much like a gory accident, you can't  help  but  stare  and
allow it to fuck with your head.
     Bloodstorm are a band I just can't  get  into.  This  being  the
third time seeing them live, I keep giving them a chance to  grow  on
me but they fail each time out. Mediocre black metal from the touring
bassist of Absu, I just don't get what they're doing. One of the many
bands one can say are a product of their influences.
     Canada's Cryptopsy showed them Yankees how real death  metal  is
played! Tracks like "Defenestration", "White Worms", "Born  Headless"
and "Slit Your Guts" devastated the crowd, despite the poor sound  on
the Relapse stage at that  moment  in  time.  Vocalist  Mike  DiSalvo
roamed the stage like a madman, delivering a great vocal  performance
on this night. Lord Worm would have been proud.
     The last band I was able to check out was  Poland's  Vader,  who
turned out one of the best performances of the festival. Playing with
twice the intensity they had in Toronto just a week  prior,  material
like "Sothis", "Silent Empires", "Black to the Blind",  "Carnal"  and
many others sounded just plain amazing in a live situation. A  highly
underrated band, it was great to have them back over  here  in  North
America.
     We decided to skip out on Napalm Death and Sepultura to  get  an
early start back to the hotel so  beer  could  be  drunk  in  maximum
quantities and some herb could be passed around until oblivion  would
eventually take over. It was a great experience, to be able to  check
out a lot of great bands and meet a  lot  of  cool  people.  Canadian
content was high, with bands  like  Cryptopsy,  Anvil,  Solus,  Human
Disorder, Gorguts and others turning in good sets. Despite some flaws
(incompetent sound engineers, lousy food, etc.), I  was  glad  I  was
able to check out the show. A legacy has been forged.

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

              D Y N A M O N I C   D E S T R U C T I O N
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         Dynamo Open Air 1999
               Mierlo, The Netherlands, May 21-23, 1999
                           by: Paul Schwarz

Introduction
~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Having heard stories of how  great  an  extreme  music  festival
Dynamo is for many years, it has longtime been  an  aim  of  mine  to
attend this legendary three day event. 1999 proved perfect as  I  had
no  school  commitments,  the  funds  to  do  it  and  Manowar   were
headlining; what more reason does a person need? For those of you who
have avidly  read  CoC's  various  reports  on  American  fests  like
Milwaukee and the recent March  Metal  Meltdown  (or  who  have  even
attended these meetings of metal), Dynamo has many of the same  fish,
but in a different kettle. It is, of course, an outdoor festival, and
is also nearly eight times the size of either of  the  aforementioned
in terms of attendance (40000 people  witnessed  Dynamo  this  year).
However, the significant difference, one which I  think  Koshick  and
co. should take a hint from,  is  that  the  set  times  are  not  as
punishingly short. Cryptopsy got 50 minutes  instead  of  20  to  30,
Hypocrisy got one hour instead of 30 to 40 minutes, and I have to say
this makes a -big- difference. The line-up may not look  as  divinely
all-encompassing, but the level of satisfaction  each  set  gives  is
dramatically increased. I would say that if ten minutes were added to
each set at the various US festivals I have been to and  a  requisite
number of bands removed, attendees would walk away with a greater net
happiness. Anyway,  through  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  hard
ground, expensive food, good -legal- pot, good German  beer,  copious
amounts of  tobacco,  even  more  water  and  hanging  with  most  of
Terrorizer's writing staff, this is my story of Dynamo 1999;  I  hope
you enjoy it.

Friday, May 21st, Campsite Stage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     Having previously heard Darkane  on  the  Wardance  compilation,
what struck me about their set was that the vocals sounded distinctly
more melodic. Even though the singer occasionally used a  metal  tube
to create a differing vocal effect, he  was  still  closer  to  power
metal wailing than the death metal rasping I  had  previously  heard.
All the same, the band played decently and their  sound,  though  far
from perfect, was still good.
     After unfortunately passing out in my tent and missing Sodom,  I
went back to the Campsite Stage for Anathema, who took the stage just
before 01:00. Opening  with  a  well-executed  cover  of  Metallica's
"Orion",  Anathema  showcased  a  sound  tweaked  to  perfection  and
proceeded to play  a  set  composed  most  squarely  of  their  newer
material (from the last three  albums),  which  would  be  enough,  I
think, to convince any  non-believer  that  this  band  have  talent,
musicianship and a penchant  for  developing  their  sound  which  is
rarely found.
     Therion were accompanied tonight  by  an  orchestra,  which  was
utilised to great effect, with  interesting  melodies  and  harmonies
being fused with the  guitar/bass/drums/vocals  core,  as  per  their
_Theli_ album. "To Mega Therion" and others from this monumental opus
came off beautifully and the band put a big smile  on  this  writer's
face by also grinding out the crushing  "Wings  of  the  Hydra"  from
1995's _Lepaca Kliffoth_. After leaving the stage and being  demanded
back on for one more song, the band decided it  was  time  to  pledge
their  allegiance  to  old  heavy  metal  and  thus  churned  out  an
absolutely brilliant cover of Saxon's "747". With every catchy  vocal
line, riff and guitar lick intact and kicking serious ass, this cover
was an ideal closer to a triumphant and varied set.

Saturday, May 22nd, Campsite Stage and Main Stage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     I unfortunately had to bypass my chance of seeing The Haunted to
catch Meshuggah, who ended up taking the Main Stage over  20  minutes
late. Beginning with a long industrial-type intro at a  volume  which
made it feel like it was  literally  choking  me,  Meshuggah  pounded
through   the   following   set   with   precision    and    finesse:
"Concatenation", "Sickening",  "Soulburn",  "Future  Breed  Machine",
"Sane", "New Millenium Cyanide Christ", "Suffer in Truth"  and  "Gods
of Rapture". They paused at many of the time changes,  which,  though
it built suspense, was unwelcome in my eyes,  because  hearing  these
sudden changes is part of the rollercoaster of Meshuggah's  music  --
though I will admit doing those sudden changes must be hard  to  pull
off live. Overall, Meshuggah were a thoroughly satisfying first  band
of the day.
     My next appointment was with the  hieroglyphed  sledgehammer  of
death (metal) wielded by South Carolina's Nile  as  they  took  their
place on the Campsite  Stage.  With  the  setlist  comprising  "Barra
Edinazzu", "Pestilence and Iniquity", "Serpent Headed Mask",  "Stones
of Sorrow", "Ramses Bringer of War", "Howling of the Jin",  "Smashing
the Antiu" and one song from their first record, you could hardly  go
wrong and Nile didn't falter on any level. The sound was a decimating
wave of sonic energy, but one which possessed such  clarity  that  no
riff, solo, drum break or vocal line could possibly be  lost  in  the
web of organised chaos that Nile weaved so brilliantly.
     The band of the  festival  for  me  and  a  band  I  am  already
salivating in anticipation of seeing again, Arch Enemy were certainly
a step down in heaviness and intensity from  the  all-out-assault  of
Nile,  but  all   the   same   they   were   relatively   impressive.
Unfortunately, their sound lacked the crystal-like clarity of  Nile's
and thus some of the  finer  subtleties  of  their  more  melodically
intricate music were lost. However, a good performance and a  setlist
including "Bury Me an Angel", "Dark Insanity", "Beast of Man"  (their
opener) and "Bridge of Destiny", among others, meant that Arch  Enemy
were still a long way from disappointing.
     Supreme  masters  of  individualistic  technical  death   metal,
Canada's Cryptopsy played their first European show ever  today,  and
they did more than just turn heads -- they near twisted them off. The
performance was flawless and frightening in its violent extremity and
the response was appropriately appreciative. With  a  killer  setlist
composed  of  "Slit  Your  Guts",  "Faceless  Unknown",   "Emaciate",
"Phobophile", "Defenstration", "Abigor",  "Cold  Hate,  Warm  Blood",
"Crown of  Horns",  "Born  Headless"  and  "White  Worms",  Cryptopsy
pleased the faithful and, I am sure, convinced the unbelievers -- and
probably any passer by with ears -- that they mean serious  business.
Another triumphant set from these crushing live performers.
     The intro chosen by Hypocrisy nicely set  the  stage  for  their
arrival, as any good intro should, and though there were times during
their hour-long set when I found myself trying  to  figure  out  what
song I was hearing through  the  slightly  dense  sound,  my  overall
feeling about their set was positive. As usual,  the  band  played  a
good spread of material from their albums, with the  vicious  one-two
of "Roswell 47" / "Killing  Art"  and  the  hellish  death  metal  of
"Pleasures of Molestation" being definite  highlights  from  me.  New
material from _Hypocrisy_ sounded cool and the band were in good form
with their second guitarist present and the set free of any unwelcome
deviations.
     With their new drummer (David Hirshheimer, formerly of  London's
Infestation) playing his second show tonight  to  40000  people,  one
might have expected Cradle of Filth to have played it a little  safe.
However, despite the fact I am told this performance was not  one  of
their greatest triumphs, this evening Cradle of Filth impressed on  a
number of levels. Firstly  in  performance,  which  was  pretty  damn
flawless, especially, and most impressively, on the part of the newly
appointed Mr. Hirshheimer, who does fucking  brilliantly  in  playing
every song pretty much perfectly -- no mean feat  when  you  consider
Nicholas Barker's considerable skill. Secondly  in  stage  show;  the
pyros, dancing girls and fake blood, though  cheesy,  make  Cradle  a
worthwhile spectacle to watch. Thirdly in stage banter; the quote  of
the weekend comes from Dani, who proclaims: "We were  gonna  come  on
stage on Manowar's Harley Davidsons,  but  unfortunately  I  couldn't
reach the peddles." All in all not  quite  something  to  write  home
about, even with "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh" and  "The  Forest
Whispers  My  Name"  both  getting  airings,  but   certainly   worth
witnessing, and entertaining to say the least.
     Well, "The time has come / All the training done  /  The  muscle
and the blood will come to bear" and it's at  last  time  for  me  to
witness Manowar (The Kings of Metal) live. After a longish wait and a
film-like intro ending in "Ladies and gentlemen... Manowar", the band
kicked off proceedings with  "Manowar"  from  their  classic  _Battle
Hymns_ debut and over the next hour and  a  half  also  churned  out:
"March for Revenge (By the Soldiers of Death)",  "Kill  With  Power",
"Sign of the Hammer", "Fighting the World", "Sting of the Bumblebee",
"The Gods  Made  Heavy  Metal",  "Hail  and  Kill",  "Return  of  the
Warlord", "Power" and "Black Wind, Fire and Steel" along with a combo
of Dutch songs especially for the people  of  Holland  and  a  little
"performance" sandwiched between "Sting of the  Bumblebee"  and  "The
Gods Made  Heavy  Metal".  Off  the  bat,  I  must  say  that  I  was
disappointed. The setlist  was  somewhat  disappointing  (where  were
classics like "Wheels of Fire", "Army  of  the  Immortals"  or  "Dark
Avenger", and why was a quarter of the set culled from  _Louder  Than
Hell_, which is far from being their best record?) and the length  of
time the band spent on Joey's little  "performance",  which  involved
getting a male fan on stage to play guitar and a female fan on  stage
to show her tits, was inordinate in a one and a half hour set, to say
the least, not to mention the continual  use  of  somewhat  ponderous
rock 'n' roll endings which further cut down on how much  time  there
was  to  hear  this  godly  band's  godly  music.  There  were   some
excellently funny moments  in  the  "performance"  segue  (like  Joey
saying to the female on stage: "Okay, I'll be  fair  with  you:  I'll
take  off  my  shirt  and  then  you  take  off  yours",  along  with
continually claiming he'd "never done this  [taken  a  woman's  shirt
off] before") and of course what the band did play was fucking heavy,
loud and more invigorating than a shot of  adrenaline  straight  into
your brain, but, as someone pointed out at the time, for a band  that
are so no bullshit about their music and image, there was  a  lot  of
bullshit in their set. What it comes down to is that we (the  Manowar
fans) wanted the best, and didn't get it; simple as that.

Sunday, May 23rd, Campsite Stage and Main Stage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     It is weird to see a band as old and well respected as  Mercyful
Fate open the  Main  Stage  proceedings  under  bands  as  young  and
inexperienced as System of a Down, but it must be said that  Mercyful
Fate were an absolutely cracking way to open up Sunday's proceedings.
Along with some great sounding songs from the new  _9_  record,  they
belted out the classic epic "Satan's Fall" and blew the  sleep  which
was still in my eyes clean away with "A Dangerous Meeting" and  "Come
to the Sabbath". King was as inspiringly animated  as  ever  and  all
members (including bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, who was  on  his  second
set of the festival) got right into the music, resulting in  a  great
all round performance.
     After indulging in the pleasures of what is legal in Holland but
not elsewhere, I returned, appropriately, for Monster  Magnet's  set.
They were in fine form, opening  with  "Atomic  Clock"  and  pounding
through a set with "Powertrip", "Tractor", "Crop Circle",  "Dopes  to
Infinity", "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" and "Space Lord" providing the
remainder of the ammunition, along with one song off _Superjudge_ and
a weird rap thing  Wyndorf  went  off  on.  Monster  Magnet  have  an
undeniable groove that, though downright infectious on record,  is  a
fucking  andromeda  strain  in  a  live,  outdoor  festival  setting,
especially when the sweet leaf is sprinkled so  liberally  throughout
the audience.
     From my tent, probably three miles  away,  I  heard  Biohazard's
opening salvo of a new song from _New World  Disorder_,  followed  by
"Shades of Grey", "Black and White and Red  All  Over",  another  new
song and "Tales From the Hardside", which convinced me, before I fell
asleep from fatigue, that there was still plenty of  energy  left  in
Brooklyn's ever verbally amusing bruisers.
     My final planned trip to the musical mosh pit  of  the  Campsite
Stage was for Marduk's set as the headliners on the black stage. This
was a fucking "Baptism by Fire" if I have  experienced  one.  Kicking
off with the searing "Panzer Division Marduk" from their  new  record
of the same name, they  blazed  through  the  earlier  aforementioned
(also from the new album)  and  also  gave  the  enthralled  audience
"Beyond the Grace of God" and "Those of the Unlight"  (among  others)
before being forced off after much  less  than  their  allotted  time
because of a late running stage and a pressing curfew time.  However,
in the short time they had, Marduk positively decimated the  Campsite
Stage and proved that no-nonsense, full-speed-ahead  black  metal  is
worth its weight in spikes and bulletbelts when brought into the live
arena.
     So, on to the dubious headliners, of whose  set  I  only  caught
parts. Metallica started off well  with  "Breadfan"  and  "Master  of
Puppets"  and  also  succeeded  in  playing  convincing  versions  of
"Creeping Death" and "Fight Fire With Fire". However, Metallica don't
play even the old stuff as good or convincingly as they used  to  and
when watching them means you have to sit through  various  cuts  from
the last two "Load of rock" albums, the idea and  reality  of  seeing
them live becomes less and less appealing.

Conclusion
~~~~~~~~~~
     In summation, I would say that Dynamo was an incredible festival
experience, not to mention a musical joy, and I only hope  that  work
constraints in the future will not stop me from going back year after
year after year. If you are anything like close to this Southern part
of The Netherlands around the time of  Dynamo,  I  suggest  you  drop
whatever you're doing and make the trip; you won't regret it.

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

                  E T E R N A L L Y   E N G R A V E D
                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                         Sculpture and Omnio
                 at the El Matador, Barreiro, Portugal
                            May 22, 1999
                          by: Pedro Azevedo

     Ever since the first time I listened to  Sculpture's  debut  MCD
_Like a Dead Flower_ [CoC #30], it was quite clear for me  that  they
had very different characteristics from most other  Portuguese  bands
-- different for the better. Skill, emotion  and  determination  were
all equally abundant in each of the MCD's three main  songs.  Due  to
Art  Music's  incompetence,  though,  Sculpture's  highly   promising
full-length album had been delayed for several months already by  the
time the band played this show  in  Barreiro  --  their  very  first,
despite  having  been  together  for  a  few  years  already.  I  was
unfortunately unable to watch the other band that played that  night,
Omnio,  so  they  shall  not  be  mentioned  again  in  this  review.
Nevertheless, they did seem  quite  interesting  from  what  I  heard
during their sound check: doomy metal with full-time acoustic  guitar
and both male and female vocals.
     The result of putting together a band like Sculpture,  who  have
no problem in reproducing their CD sound live, and a strong and clear
live sound was an approximately 45 minute long lesson in doom  metal.
After their new, very mood-setting keyboard intro "Unlighted  Martyrs
Dream" came "At the Gates of Shadows World" to show  just  how  tight
and determined the band was and also that the live  sound  would  not
fail them. One of the new slow songs, "Made of Stone", followed,  and
then "Autumn Serenades" and "Our Crying Earth" blended  together  for
even greater effect. Another new slow song followed,  a  particularly
excellent one, "Her Once Fructuous Womb", and  then  three  more  new
songs, two of which slightly faster than Sculpture's  norm.  Each  of
the new songs was more than worth its time. The slow ones are of  the
same heartfelt, painful and emotional ilk as the older ones and  also
of similar quality. The two faster ones also worked  remarkably  well
live and proved to be quite powerful. To  put  it  simply,  Sculpture
proved that they have an album's worth of -excellent-  songs  waiting
to be recorded. Besides the technical excellence I  already  expected
from each and every band member (talented and precise guitar and bass
playing, skilled and creative  drumming),  their  temporary  vocalist
Nocturnus Horrendus (from the black metal band Noctu,  whose  project
Corpus Christi's demo is also reviewed in this issue)  played  former
vocalist Carlos d'Agua's part quite well, showing a very  good  range
of well performed vocal styles. Finally,  I  must  also  mention  the
truly remarkable feeling shown by bassist Pedro Daniel throughout the
show; true dedication and emotion that are increasingly hard to  find
in today's commercially polluted scene.
     Unfortunately, however, Sculpture have come  to  a  point  where
their sadly short career will come to an end, despite the efforts  to
avoid it. Having been one of the fortunate few to have witnessed what
will apparently remain as their only live performance, I  still  find
it very reasonable to write  this  article,  as  for  me  it  was  an
experience never to be forgotten. Sculpture  certainly  had  all  the
potential to become Portugal's finest band in the hearts of many doom
metallers, and they most definitely already were just that  and  more
in mine.

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

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

Gino's Top 5

1. Autechre - _Incunabula_
2. Autechre - _Tri Repetae++_
3. Hypocrisy - _Hypocrisy_
4. Epoch of Unlight - _What Will Be Has Been_
5. S.O.D. - _Bigger Than the Devil_

Adrian's Top 5

1. In Flames - _Colony_
2. Cave-in - _Creative Eclipses_
3. Hypocrisy - _Hypocrisy Destroys Wacken_
4. Testament - _The Gathering_
5. Fantomas - _Fantomas_

Brian's Top 5

1. Mutant - _Eden Burnt to Ashes_
2. Ensoph - _Les Confessions du Mat_
3. Dali's Dilemma - _Manifesto for Futurism_
4. Primordial - _Imrama_
5. Hellwitch - _Terraasymmetry_

Alain's Top 5

1. Dimmu Borgir - _Spiritual Black Dimensions_
2. Nevermore - _Dreaming Neon Black_
3. Alice Cooper - _The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper_
4. Dying Fetus - _Killing on Adrenaline_
5. Incantation - _Tribute to the Goat_

Adam's Top 5

1. Nine Inch Nails - _The Downward Spiral_
2. Pan-Thy-Monium - everything!
3. Rammstein - _Sehnsucht_
4. Dismal Euphony - _All Little Devils_
5. Cathedral - _Caravan Beyond Redemption_

Pedro's Top 5

1. Evoken - _Embrace the Emptiness_
2. Naglfar - _Diabolical_
3. Dolorian - _When All the Laughter Has Gone_
4. Saturnus - _For the Loveless Lonely Nights_
5. Deinonychus - _Ark of Thought_

Paul's Top 5

1. Rush - _A Farewell to Kings_
2. Marduk - _Panzer Division Marduk_
3. Ripping Corpse - _Dreaming With the Dead_
4. Rollins Band - _Come in and Burn_
5. Belphegor - _Blutsabbath_

Aaron's Top 5

1. War - _Total War_
2. The Abyss - _The Other Side_
3. The Organization - _The Organization_
4. Cianide _ The Dying Truth_
5. Soilwork - _Steel Bath Suicide_

David's Top 5

1. Marduk - _Panzer Division Marduk_
2. Morbid Angel - _Covenant_
3. Immortal - _Pure Holocaust_
4. Hypocrisy - _Hypocrisy_
5. Sins of Omission - _The Creation_

Alex's Top 5

1. No Innocent Victim - _Flesh and Blood_
2. Arch Enemy - _Stigmata_  (Thanks Paul!)
3. Disembowelment - _Transcendence Into the Peripheral_
4. Neurosis - _Through Silver in Blood_
5. A Canorous Quintet - _Silence of the World Beyond_ (Thanks Pedro!)

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

--> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and bio to:
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             Fax: (416) 693-5240   Voice: (416) 693-9517
                     e-mail: ginof@interlog.com
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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 #40

All contents copyright 1999 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.
