__ _ ,'_/ /7 _ _ _ () __ /7 __ __ _ ,'_7 / /_ / \ //7,'o| / \/7/7,','//,'o/(c' ,'o| /_7 |__//n_/// |_,'/_n_/// \_\// |_(/__) |_,'// __ ,'_/ /7 _ _ __ / /_ / \,'o|,'o| (c' |__//n_/|_,7|_,'/__) CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, October 25, 2000, Issue #49 http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com Editor-in-Chief: Gino Filicetti Coordinator: Adrian Bromley Copy Editor / Contributor: Pedro Azevedo Assistant Copy Editor / Contributor: Paul Schwarz Contributor: Brian Meloon Contributor: Adam Wasylyk Contributor: Aaron McKay Contributor: David Rocher Contributor: Alex Cantwell Contributor: Matthias Noll Contributor: Alvin Wee Spiritual Guidance: Alain M. Gaudrault The individual writers can be reached by e-mail at firstname@ChroniclesOfChaos.com ("firstname" must be replaced by the respective writer's first name, e.g. Gino@ChroniclesOfChaos.com). NOTE: You may unsubscribe from Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending a blank e-mail to . For more Chronicles of Chaos information, check out the Details section at the end of this issue. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Issue #49 Contents, 10/25/00 ---------------------------- * Editorial * Loud Letters * Deadly Dialogues -- Morbid Angel: Ageless Angel of Annihilation -- Lux Occulta: Re-Constructing a Pocket-Size Universe -- The Berzerker: Chaos Unleashed From "Down Under" -- Exhumed: Gory Details From the Exhumed Cult -- Unmoored: Simmering in Greed -- Doro: Calling out to Her Fans -- Opprobrium: Making a Name for Themselves * Independent Interrogations -- Anaal Nathrakh: Necro Lives! * Album Asylum -- Alchemist - _Organasm_ -- Ancient Ceremony - _Synagoga Diabolica_ -- Atomizer - _The End of Forever_ -- Aurora - _Devotion_ -- Azrael - _Mafia_ -- Bernard Edwards' Project Homicide - _Bernard Edwards' Project Homicide_ -- Beseech - _Black Emotions_ -- Blackend - _Mental. Game. Messiah._ -- Burning Inside - _The Eve of the Entities_ -- Burzum - -- Corpus Christii - _Saeculum Domini_ -- Crimson Moonlight - _Eternal Emperor_ -- Various - _Critical Mass_ -- Various - _Electropolis Volume II_ -- Dark Age - _Psychotic Side_ -- Deep - _Pieces of Nothing_ -- Desaster / Pentacle - _(Desaster) In League With (Pentacle)_ -- Discordance Axis - _The Inalienable Dreamless_ -- Drowningman - _Rock and Roll Killing Machine_ -- End It - _End It_ -- Ephel Duath - _Phormula_ -- Extol - _Undecieved_ -- Figure Four - _No Weapon Formed Against Us_ -- Funker Vogt - _Maschine Zeit_ -- Various - _Gateway to Hell 2: Tribute to Slayer_ -- Gold fur Eisen - _Kein Morgan_ -- Haemorrhage - _Loathesongs_ -- Hateplow - _The Only Law Is Survival_ -- In Aeternum - _The Pestilent Plague_ -- Into the Sunless Meridian - _Into the Sunless Meridian_ -- Iron Maiden - _Brave New World_ -- Isis - _Celestial_ -- Jane Doe 69 - _Snakeskin_ -- Jester's Funeral - _Quicksilverlight_ -- Various - _Jump in the Pit -- A Tribute to Testament_ -- Juno Reactor - _Shango_ -- Killing Machine - _Killing Machine_ -- Various - _King Diamond Tribute_ -- Kreuzfeuer - _Blut fur Blut_ -- Lesser Known - _Higher Levels_ -- Liber Spirituum - _Frugativi et Appellativi_ -- Mark D - _The Silent Treatment_ -- Martyr - _Warp Zone_ -- Metalium - _State of Triumph -- Chapter Two_ -- Mortification - _10 Years Live Not Dead_ -- Myopia - _Concentration of Suffering_ -- Mythological Cold Towers - _Remoti Meridiani Hymni -- Towards the Magnificent Realm of the Sun_ -- Nightingale - _I_ -- Nocturnal Rites - _Afterlife_ -- Opera IX - _The Black Opera (Symphoniae Mysterioeum in Lauden Tenebrarum)_ -- Ordained - _The Second Coming_ -- Origin - _Origin_ -- Physicist - _Physicist_ -- Point of Recognition - _The Admiration of a Son_ -- Postmortem - _Storm Force_ -- Quo Vadis - _Day Into Night_ -- Redeem - _A Diadem of Beauty_ -- Various - _Root of All Evil 2000 2nd Anniversary Sampler_ -- Rotten Sound - _Still Psycho_ -- Scariot - _Death Forlorn_ -- Society's Burden - _Ten Tales From Hell's Trailer Park_ -- Somnus - _Awakening the Crown_ -- Soulfly - _Primitive_ -- Soulless - _The Darkening of Days_ -- Steve Von Till - _As the Crow Flies_ -- Symphony X - _V_ -- The Fallen - _The Tones in Which We Speak_ -- The Haunted - _The Haunted Made Me Do It_ -- Tierra Santa - _Tierras de Leyenda_ -- Walhalla - _Firereich_ -- Various - _World of Pain -- A Tribute to Sepultura_ -- Wumpscut - _Bloodchild_ -- Yattering - _Murder's Concept_ -- Zemial - _For the Glory of UR_ * New Noise -- Bealiah / Unevil Hopes - -- Erase - _Plastic Soul_ -- Lucifer - _Watching the Christians Burn_ -- Torment - _Torment_ * What We Have Cranked * Details =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____) / /) , , /) )__ _(/ _/_ _____ _ // / (_(__(_(__(_)/ (__(_(_(_(/_ (_____) by: Gino Filicetti The pressure is on, folks, but the unstoppable CoC staff has been furiously working hard to recapture our title of "MONTHLY ezine". Although this issue finds itself in your inbox more than a little tardy, rest assured that we already have material for CoC #50 completed, and that we'll be releasing that issue as soon as the material is assembled and proofed. That should find us in the early weeks of November, after which we will most assuredly reclaim the FIRST of each month as our official release date. I know that most of you are grateful enough that Chronicles of Chaos even exists, let alone that we release issues regularly every month. But this is something that we've let slip in the past year and I believe it is our DUTY to get this magazine out to everyone in a quick and timely manner. So please bear with us as we ascend the mountain of commitment once again and make our promise to you that Chronicles of Chaos will become as reliable as the winter frost in Norway. Before I go, I thought I might bring it to everyone's attention that we have just recently surpassed the 3000 subscriber mark! This marks another milestone in the 5+ year lifespan of Chronicles of Chaos. However, these last 1000 subscribers have taken almost twice as long to find CoC as the first 2000. Does this mean that we've plateaued as an ezine? Does this mean that there are no longer any extreme music enthusiasts out there that aren't already subscribed to CoC? You can bet your ass the answer is a resounding NO on both counts. But to reach our next milestone of 4000 subscribers, we need the help of each and everyone of our readers. We need your help to spread the word, to tell the world of CoC, to help us turn this ezine into an Internet phenomenon: the largest and most respected non-profit, non-commercial and unrelenting ezine in the world. So get posting on your message boards, chatrooms, IRC channels and even your dusty old Fidonet BBSes. Direct everyone to our website at http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com where they can now subscribe to our ezine mailing list (where they will get the entire issue of CoC in their mailbox every month) or our notification mailing list (where they will get small email notices of new issues every month). We can't do it without your help. Go forth and spread the word of CoC like it's never been spread before. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 . All letters received will be featured in upcoming issues of Chronicles of Chaos. Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 From: Andrew Lannen Subject: Poor Review Technique I've been a CoC reader for quite a while now, and rely on its reviews for hints about what albums are must tries and which to avoid. Unfortunately, Aaron McKay's terrible review of Running Wild's _Victory_ is the low point thus far for CoC. It's not that _Victory_ is a good album. It deserved a 3 out of 10, along with a scathing critique of the subpar songwriting and lackluster drumming. Instead of an intelligent critique, though, McKay spent the entire review taking cheap shots at the lead band member's name, the band they did a cover tune of (what's wrong with the Beatles anyway?), and who they toured with several years ago. Nothing but mindless bashing unworthy of a quality zine like CoC. What else could be expected when the opening sentence mentions how much the reviewer hates this style of metal? _Victory_ is Running Wild's ELEVENTH studio album since 1984, and they have maitained a consistent quality that most bands only dream about. Is it beyond McKay to treat them with the respect that they've earned over the years? I suggest that the next time he gets a CD from a genre of metal he intensely dislikes, he should kindly pass it on for someone else to review. Andrew Lannen Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 From: Ax Subject: Response to csarcher@hotmail.com > alla xul (CoC #45)--duh, metal is Satan and God is a weak little > bitch. Hail Satan! YARRR!!! What a misanthrope. Bullshit > alla xul (CoC #46)--like reading his previous letter, only funnier. > He attempts to slay RayRuenes@aol.com by "ridiculating" his > "intellectual mumbelings." You should talk. Learn how to spell. Is > that foreign to you? If you read the letter again you will see that he was the one trying to ridiculate me by various completely uninteresting and irrelevant intellectual speculations. As for my english, yes it sucks but that is also completely uninteresting. And yes again, english is foreign to me. > Well, there you have it. The argument that won't die away. Well, > I've got the definitive answer...LET IT GO ALREADY! JUST LISTEN TO > THE MUSIC AND DON'T TRY TO SEE ANY DEEPER MEANING IN IT THAN IT > ALREADY HAS! Look, the fact is metal=!christianity. Metal is not really satanic but it sure as hell does not have anything to do with christianity i dont see how that is so complicated to grasp, perhaps it is because most people do not realize what christianity is. Another thing i dont really understand is why there, as soon as two (or more) people start arguing in any public forum there is always lots of pacifistic, generalizing idiots that starts interfering with posts like 'you guys are so silly blablabla', what exactly do you hope to accomplish with such posts? I think i prooved my points pretty good. What you wrote in that letter is just generalizing and missinterprenting the original posts and then adding your own uninteresting conclusions. If you have a problem with people having an argument then you can simply ignore them instead of trying to flush them out with posts like the above. /Ax Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 From: "Cody" Subject: Metal fest Hello, Just found out ezine surfing around and wow keep up the good work. This year was my first metal fest and it blew me away. I live only 4 hrs away from it but just started to get into death/black metal so I was kind of a outsider walking around with my white NIN shirt. One band you forgot to point out was Babylon whores. They put on a killer show and won me over big time as a fan. Just before them "The Fall" where not bad but only playing three songs didn't give me much chance to get into them. I also was wondering which one your writers was the one trying to pick chicks up in line for the Mayhem autographs? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ \ | | | | _ \ _` | _` | | | | | | __/ ( | ( | | | | ____/ \___|\__,_|\__,_|_|\__, | ____/ __ \ _) | | | | _` | | _ \ _` | | | _ \ __| | | | ( | | ( | ( | | | __/\__ \ ____/ _|\__,_|_|\___/ \__, |\__,_|\___|____/ |___/ A G E L E S S A N G E L O F A N N I H I L A T I O N ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Steve Tucker of Morbid Angel by: Aaron McKay Here's some background. It is fairly well-established that my growing up in the "Sunshine State" has impacted my musical penchant. Therefore, being exposed to a lot of the juggernauts that comprise the Florida death metal scene made its mark. I sure won't insult your intelligence by listing off the scene's pioneers. Let's just leave it at: Morbid Angel concerts were a regular attraction for me. Off hand, I can remember answering with my attendance Morbid Angel's particular beacon of brutality more than just a few times. Due to the time frame I lived in Florida, I was inherently thrilled to bear witness to the band's _Alters of Madness_ through _Domination_ era. Incredible times. Presently and admittedly, I have never had the privilege to see Steve Tucker perform with the band, so getting the opportunity to discuss Morbid Angel with Mr. Tucker more-or-less completed the circle. Our discussion was detailed, open and frank, with a startling surge of enthusiasm on both our parts. I had too many questions and just so precious little time -- after all, there is -a lot- going on in the Morbid Angel camp. I told Steve I thought this new album, _Gateways to Annihilation_ [reviewed in this issue], was the Morbid Angel album they were preparing their whole careers to release. "Excellent, man!", Steve rings in. "Thanks! We just wrote it from our heart. Three words I would use to sum up this album are dark, passionate, and vibe. That's what this record consists of." He goes on enthusiastically: "I think this record is extremely passionate and I think that shows. I think that is something that you instantly recognize: the passion. The vibe gives a constant flow of energy and it's amazingly dark." I highly doubt anyone having the privilege to hear _Gateways to Annihilation_ could argue with anything said there. Really. Before I got to the intricacies of Steve's vocal approach on this record, I probed around for some of his influences. "Slayer!", he issues forth with no hesitation. "Slayer made me want to play music. When I heard the early Slayer, it just set me off. I went berserk. It started for me with Slayer." Now here is the point that I bet you guys didn't see coming; what about vocal inspiration, Mr. Tucker? Araya? "No, man -- it'd be like Ronnie James Dio." Surprised? I was, too. Listen to his rational, though. "It is a matter of power", Steve instructs. "I know that a lot of people won't understand me comparing what I do to Ronnie James Dio, but there is a definite correlation -- it is about power." I sure can see what Mr. Tucker is saying here. Morbid Angel's worshipper of the man on the silver mountain emphatically continues: "He's brutal. I mean he's not death metal, but still one of the most powerful people I think I have ever heard sing in my life." That seems like enough of an endorsement and reason for me. Now lyrics. You had a lot to do with them for this release, right, Steve? "I wrote them all except for "Secured Limitations"," Tucker affirms. "These are my words. They come from me. People have asked me, "Vocally, you sound a lot different on this record. Why is that?" -- I wrote these words, man." He continues, "When you are writing passionately about things that you feel passionate about, it comes across as passionate." This is ever so evident on this record, my friends. I don't think Socrates could have said it any better. The drumming; A perfect punctuation to the material presented on _Gateways to Annihilation_. "We spent a lot of time on drums", the group's bassist informs me. "We spent more time on drums than Morbid Angel has -ever- spent on drums." Yea? How long? "Two straight weeks on drums", comes the reply. "That's unheard of. Usually it is like four or five days. We did sixty takes of some songs. [The band] thought it meant everything." Well, Mr. Tucker, it shows. You know Pete is capable of an eight-armed blast machine offensive, but instead Mr. Sandoval's caged furor is force like none other on _Gateways to Annihilation_. You'll have to hear it to believe it. Trey's got another vocal effort on this one, too. Is there a threat lashing Trey's vocal efforts from "Invocation of the Continual One" (_Formulas Fatal to the Flesh_) to "Secured Limitations" on this release? "We did some cool effects to Trey's voice to make it seem super-seething", Steve tells me. "Trey wrote the lyrics and showed me the song by singing it. I was actually listening to his track [with Trey singing] and singing -my- track and then played them back. It was like, "Holy shit! This sounds incredible."" Most certainly, if you liked "Invocation of the Continual One", you are in for a special treat with "Secured Limitations". In addition to Mr. Azagthoth's improvisational guitar soloing on this album, his vocal effort makes his contribution nearly priceless. Now, Erik Rutan; one of metal's hardest working souls. "He wrote the music for the last song, "God of the Forsaken", and "Awakenings" that comes in before the song "I"", Steve Tucker states. "Erik is an important part of Morbid Angel. There was a lot of shit surrounding _Formulas..._, but Erik did every single show for _Formulas..._. He was there. I mean, I have never done a single show with Morbid Angel without Erik." I have to say that members of my fellow press corps who prematurely proclaimed the demise of this band due to David Vincent's departure and Erik Rutan's less-than-direct participation on some past Morbid Angel releases really messed-up in light of what Steve Tucker just filled me in on. Honestly like this is what I live for. That and maybe music like _Gateways..._. Furthermore, Steve elaborates, "Right after we recorded _Gateways..._, Erik went off to record the Alas album [one of his two side projects -- Aaron] in New Jersey. Erik is a very important part of this band and one of my very best friends." ""Ageless, Still I Am" is a song that I don't think people are going to get the first few times", the formidable frontman elaborates. "There are some things going on in that song that are really, really obscure things that Morbid Angel has never done before." He's right, folks. I've gotten something out of that song... -nay-, the whole album, -every- time I listen to it. If you are a Morbid Angel fan like I am, I'll say this, I am buying another copy of _Gateways to Annihilation_ -- one for my apartment and one for my truck. I wouldn't want to be caught either place without a copy if... no!, -when- I get to needin' some potent death metal. As of right now, I dread the thought of having to choose between _Gateways to Annihilation_ and Venom's _Resurrection_ for my album of the year! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= RE-CONSTRUCTING A POCKET-SIZE UNIVERSE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Jaroslaw of Lux Occulta by: Pedro Azevedo Even though when Poland is mentioned the mighty Vader may be the band that will come to most metalheads' minds, others inside that geographical area are worthy of attention. And ever since I discovered Lux Occulta when their painfully doomy debut _Forever Alone. Immortal._ [CoC #18] came out in 1996, I knew they had the potential to create some highly remarkable music. And they have kept doing so. The talented symphonies of 1997's _Dionysos_ [CoC #29] have led to the band's greatest musical achievement to date, last year's excellent _My Guardian Anger_ [CoC #48], an album which once again displays Lux Occulta's ability to create tightly woven albums in which music, lyrics and imagery all play important parts. Musically, the aggression is still all there, their skill seems ever-increasing and creativity appears to be more abundant than ever as Lux Occulta prepare to record their fourth full-length album. Representing the band that has been producing the most interesting music in Eastern Europe to have reached my ears, vocalist Jaroslaw answered an e-mail questionnaire that should allow you to find out more about Lux Occulta. CoC: You have come a long way since your debut _Forever Alone. Immortal._, during which you seem to have forsaken some of the doom and anguish in your music in favour of greater dynamics and symphonic arrangements. Do you agree? Would you say there have been changes in your musical objectives, in what you try to express through your music? Jaroslaw: Well, everything changes, that's life. And since we are alive, so is our art. I don't know if it's good or bad, but we get bored quite quickly with music. You see, we were really into these gloomy, somehow ascetic sounds on _Forever Alone. Immortal._; we were into doom and primitive black metal back then. But some day we discovered that two guitars and a never-ending amount of instruments in keyboards can be used in a bit more complex ways, we discovered Cradle of Filth -- no, I'm not ashamed to admit that -- and Emperor. That was when _Dionysos_ was created. But after the recording of _Dionysos_, a few months later we realized that this kind of symphonic black metal has its limits as well. You can hear them in all these so-called symphonic black metal albums that the underground is still full of. That's why with _My Guardian Anger_ we decided to go even further, not to limit ourselves to metal, not to look upon so-called big ones of the genre. We have incorporated some jazzy elements to our music, we have experimented with music and the sound. But the result is the most aggressive and extreme album in our discography. And the less boring one, I'd say! And we will keep on going in this direction, I can promise that. CoC: _My Guardian Anger_, your latest full-length release, does indeed see the band stepping forward into more avant-garde experimentation in your extreme metal -- which in my opinion now has more of a death metal tinge than a black metal one as it used to as well. Do you agree? If so, what caused this? J: I'm not sure if there's much death metal on _My Guardian Anger_. I mean, maybe some guitar lines, some of the vocal parts, but that's all. I guess the new stuff will have even more of that, but still, it won't be a death metal album. What caused these changes? No reason, really. We hardly ever think about our music, we just play it. I guess we did our best on the symphonic black metal field with _Dionysos_ and that's why we moved towards a more progressive style on _My Guardian Anger_. And we keep on evolving. CoC: All of your three full-length albums so far are based on quite distinctive sets of subject, lyrics and artwork -- the change from your debut _FA.I._ to _Dionysos_ having been very noticeable, and the same again between _Dionysos_ and _My Guardian Anger_. Do you consider them as concept albums, or do you just create each of them around a certain different subject? J: Yes, that's how we used to work so far. All of the above mentioned albums are more or less conceptual ones. I just liked this way of working with lyrics, and since I always enjoyed concept albums by other artists as well, I thought it would be interesting to come up with something like that. But I'm not sure if the next one is going to be a concept album too, I still have to consider all the pros and cons. CoC: Were you especially satisfied with one particular album, on the whole: music, lyrics and artwork working together especially well? J: It must be the last one. We have even changed our nicknames to make them fit to the whole concept of _My Guardian Anger_. But of course we've made a good job on _Dionysos_ as well when it comes to the correspondence between the lyrical concept and the artwork. That's what I always try to achieve: to make an album become a piece of art by all means. Of course the music is the most important thing, but it's not the only thing that counts. That's just why I'm a little bit afraid of this MP3 stuff. Not that I'm afraid of losing money because of pirate downloads, because when it comes to bands like ourselves it's a great way of promotion -- maybe the best one. What I mean is that when you have a Lux Occulta album downloaded on your hard drive, that means you only have one part of it, maybe some 70% of what it's all about. But I hope there are still some people who care about such "useless" things as lyrics and artwork. CoC: Both the front and back covers of _My Guardian Anger_ are quite remarkable, in my opinion. What do they mean to you? J: The front cover. I already had the album title, the lyrics and the idea of Tarot cards [for each of the band members] inside the booklet, but I didn't know what to put on the front cover. There were some ideas of some angel image, but it would be too simple a choice with this title. And the other day I met Jacek, the guy who painted most of the Vader covers. He showed me his works and there was one picture between these predictable born-to-be-metal album cover pictures that really grabbed my attention. It was this naked man, kneeling in front of Cosmos with the knife in his hands. I thought it would be a perfect illustration of what I wanted to say with this album... And the back cover. Well, I think of it as of some bitter pill to swallow. Some people say it's tasteless and maybe they are right. But you know, the message behind the album is something like "I am a proud human being, I can destroy and create worlds"... and the back cover was meant to be kind of a question mark put at the end of this sentence. CoC: I also found your representation of the band members through those Tarot cards quite curious. Did everyone just choose his own different card without any conflicting options? I mean, how representative of your personalities are they? J: No conflicts at all. To be honest, I expected some. I thought everyone would like to be Death or Magician; but no, everyone agreed with the card I've chosen. Yes, I have chosen all of them, simply because I'm the one in the band who knows most about Tarot, occultism and the meaning behind it all. They trust me totally when it comes to these things, as much as I trust them when it comes to music, if you know what I mean. Of course I wanted the cards to be very representative of our personalities as well as the whole concept of the album. Some of the choices were pretty obvious to me, some more difficult (like Martin being The Sun), but I think I've succeeded anyway. CoC: The phrase "Re-construction of one pocket-size universe with the patchwork method" that you applied to _My Guardian Anger_ makes sense considering the variety of material contained therein and the way it flows; but again, what does it mean to you? And how successful would you say that re-construction was? J: Well, the above mentioned phrase is the key to understanding the album. It's about destroying the links to the outer world and choosing the way of creation... It says that we all can be gods, at least to some extent, and we should use the power that we have, even if we're destined to fall. In my opinion, the act of creation is more important than its result; the road itself is more important than the place it leads to. My personal re-construction of my own pocket-size universe is not finished yet, but if your question is about the album itself, I think it came out pretty good. CoC: This time you seem to have tried to bring in a myriad of elements into your music, much more so than in previous albums, despite their considerable variety. Where is it that you draw inspiration from to create such music? J: Lots of different inspirations, not only the musical ones. I think the music we play is first of all the reflection of who we are, our twisted personalities, our dreams and fears. This is like a fundament on which we built the Lux Occulta style. But of course then comes the music we listen to. We are all into extreme and original metal, we all enjoy bands like Morbid Angel, Opeth, Nocturnus, Emperor, Nile, Samael (with the exception of _Eternal_, which is pretty boring, I'd say), Master's Hammer, Phlebotomized, Sigh, Forgotten Silence, Kobong (last three being one of the most underrated bands in the history of extreme music). But we're also into David Bowie, Sisters of Mercy, Faith No More, Portishead, Massive Attack, Apollo 440... Some jazz and classical stuff as well. We're very open-minded when it comes to music we listen to and sometimes we "borrow" some ideas from non-metal bands and transform them into metal. I guess that's one of the things that makes our music interesting and fresh. CoC: You have also released a collection of miscellaneous material titled _Maior Arcana_, which I haven't heard yet; what does it consist of? J: It's our only demo _The Forgotten Arts_ remastered, as well as supposed-to-be-vinyl-EP _Maior Arcana_ stuff, consisting of a new version of "Love" from the demo, a song called "When Horned Songs Awake" (it always kills live, but I don't like the studio version) and two covers. One of them is Danzig's classic "Heart of the Devil" and the other "Burn", an oldie from Sisters of Mercy. I wrote my own lyrics to the second one, which are inspired by the church-burning accidents [I wonder if he meant "incidents" -- Pedro] in Norway in the early '90s. I guess _Maior Arcana_, being a half-priced CD, is a good purchase for fans -- but for fans only. I guess it wouldn't be wise to begin with that one if you'd like to know what Lux Occulta is about. CoC: I believe you have left your old label, Pagan Records, and signed with Portugal's Maquiavel Music; is that correct? What motivated this change after such a long stay with Pagan? What are your expectations for this new deal? J: As I said before, we like changes. Changes are always good, they help you to look upon everything you did before from a different perspective. We have signed to Maquiavel Music because we feel they're able to push us on another level. Maybe not in terms of sales, because it's up to the fans after all, but in terms of professional promotion and distribution. You know, we're doing very well in Poland, we're maybe second to Vader here, but that's Poland only. We're almost unknown abroad and I believe that our music is good enough to do something more. We also believe that Maquiavel Music would be able to send us on an European tour, which was too difficult for Pagan Records. Anyway, it's quite possible that Pagan will still represent us in Poland. CoC: What are your plans for the future now? Are there any details you can reveal about your next album yet? J: Our main and only goal at the moment is to record the fourth album, tentatively called _Mother and the Enemy_. I hope we'll be able to do that in February 2001. All I can say at the moment is that the new stuff will be much more advanced on the technical side than _My Guardian Anger_, more extreme, but also much more experimental. We'd like to set our own standards in metal music and I guess this time we're able to do that. And when the album is recorded we will think about some touring. We've been already asked by Rotting Christ to support them on their journey across Europe, and I guess that would be great. But nothing's certain at the moment. CoC: Is there anything else you would like to mention before ending this interview? J: Thank you for your support. Be prepared for our fourth coming in 2001, we're going to steal your souls... Anybody, feel free to visit our website. Some sections are still under construction, but I hope you'll find it pretty interesting and informative anyway. There will be some MP3s soon available for free, so all of you not familiar with Lux Occulta, download them to your hard drive and enjoy. And you can always contact me at . Magick. Freedom. Art. Contact: http://luxocculta.rockmetal.art.pl =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= C H A O S U N L E A S H E D F R O M " D O W N U N D E R " ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC chats with The Berzerker by: Adrian Bromley When one thinks of the fastest and most brutal records this year, there is no doubt that many fingers will point to Australian band The Berzerker and their self-titled release for Earache Records [CoC #47]. The debut release paints a horribly vivid picture of our world and the state in which we live. Just look at song titles like "Pain", "Massacre" and "Cannibal Rights" and you'll understand just where these weirdoes are coming from. Throw on top of that blasting drums, violently charged vocals, ungodly industrial rhythms and ear-piercing guitar riffs and the chaos just goes, um, berzerk. I'm sure you get the picture. When asked about his take on society and how he plans to help elevate it from the depths that it has fallen into, head guy The Berzerker answers: "It is not designed to add, it is designed to take. To take the diseased shell of the mundane human rituals and habits that exist on this planet and destroy them to reveal a being with a greater purity than man. Some achieve this via self-mutilation, drugs or violence. We achieve a more intense result in the form of music. My disgust with humanity was not something that I was born with; it stems from my many years of being let down and disappointed with the performance of almost 100% of the humans I have encountered throughout numerous countries on this planet. But my views on humanity are best described in the lyrics of the first song on the record, titled "Reality"." There are a few elements that make _The Berzerker_ an album truly worth a listen and, in this case, a look. While bombarding us with gabba-fueled industrial death ditties from Hell, the outcasts from society that make up The Berzerker are presented with gruesome skin-like masks and an atrocious appearance. Aren't they afraid that they could be called a gimmick band, lumping them in with the likes of Gwar or Slipknot? "The Berzerker has not been created to change people's opinions or views", comes the reply. "Our philosophy is a simple one, and that is to unite worthy, like-minded beings, beings who are honest, motivated and self-driven to do the things they say they will. It is to create a sub-race somewhere on this planet where we can exist without being surrounded by inconsiderate beings and to be given the rare opportunity to have the utmost respect for the others who are chosen to surround us. The human form conjures up images of complacency, therefore the human form will be avoided." And what of The Berzerker's thoughts on the debut disc? What is more important for the band, the lyrics or the music? "There is not a single area of The Berzerker that overpowers any other. They all must have an equal amount of my attention. At the present moment (as the album is finally complete) the live shows, continual expansion of the band's image and general awareness of The Berzerker is my current focus. The Berzerker is much more than a band, an artist, or simply as music. The Berzerker involves almost all aspects of life on a physical level and spiritual level. My goals are very extensive and encompass many different aspects of life. More information on this topic will be revealed at an appropriate time." He continues: "This quote should sum up my opinion about the album: "Embalming is essentially a process designed to present a dead human individual in the most natural, lifelike attitude and appearance possible. Anything which detracts from the appearance of naturalness will lessen the success of the embalming operation. And in the strictest sense of the word, any result which is not a complete success must be regarded as a failure."" So just where do these ideas and themes stem from? Are they taken from real life or just spur-of-the-moment thoughts inspired by certain situations? Berzerker says: "The topics are not a conscious decision by myself. All the themes are based purely on facts. If my attention is brought to an event I think is worthy of The Berzerker, we will encompass the event and all of the heightened emotions that were involved in the particular event. We chose the name The Berzerker in relating to the "berserk" or bare-sark Norse warriors. The physical appearance of the berserk was one calculated to present an image of terror. The berserker was thought not only to have assumed the ferocity of an animal, but also to have acquired the strength of the bear. By the 12th century, the berserk, with his Odinic religion, animalistic appearance, his inhuman frenzy upon the battlefield, and terrorism within the Scandinavian community, disappeared. The berserk, like his patron deity Odin, was forced to yield to the dissolution of Pagan society and the advent of the White Christ", he notes. "The Berzerker [band], as it stands today, is the most natural form of extremity known on this planet. And being as no performance-enhancing drugs are used at any time, including the recording process and the live performances, this holds true to all sides of the debate on what is truly extreme." These guys are extreme -- to the max. Contact: http://www.theberzerker.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= G O R Y D E T A I L S F R O M T H E E X H U M E D C U L T ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC talks to Matt Harvey of Exhumed by: Adrian Bromley Gee, I wonder what Exhumed's new disc, titled _Slaughtercult_, will be about? Daisy-filled fields? Beautiful songs about love and inspiration? Perhaps a song about the wonderful world we live in? Don't count on it, people. With song titles like "Slave to the Casket", "Funeral Fuck", "Dinnertime in the Morgue" and "A Lesson in Pathology", Exhumed are back and they are here to fuck things up more than they already are. All in the name of gore! The one thing that has always impressed me about Exhumed is the fact that the band (rounded out by vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey, guitarist Mike Beams, drummer Col Jones and new bassist Bud Burke, ex of Pale Existence) has always been about what they want. They write what they want to. They play how they want to. As long as they can fuck things up and make things as gorified as possible, then all is good in the Exhumed camp. Matt Harvey agrees. "We do what we want to do and we don't conform to anyone. We do what we want and we put what we want on the front cover. We don't place a nice piece of artwork on top of the brutal music within. I hate those bands that do that or put on photos to rationalize a justification of singing about rotting corpses. We know at the end of the day that a rotting corpse is just that, a fucking rotting corpse. We just don't care. I guess it can all be summed up in one sentence: we don't give a fuck!" And with such putrid images of blood and body parts, severed limbs and death sequences adorning their album covers, what sort of flack or censorship have they attained thus far? "Oh yeah, man. We get a lot of shit about what we are doing and to tell you the truth, we don't really deal with it. We don't care what people really say about Exhumed, good or bad. There are always people out there saying that it is "juvenile and stupid", and you know what? It is juvenile and stupid. Who cares? We are just having a good fucking time. I don't care what people say, as long as they don't say we are just "okay". I want people to either hate what we are doing or love us. People that think we are just "okay" piss me off and make me wonder just where we went wrong." He laughs. "We are just fans of music and we just can't get enough of metal", explains Harvey. "I think the main reason why we all enjoy playing in Exhumed so much is that we want Exhumed to be the band we'd like to see. We sit around smoking and drinking beer and saying, "What kind of band do I want to see?" Or "What kind of record do I want to hear and have it kick my ass?" That is what we strive for, and will continue to strive for, with this band. That's the whole secret, man. It isn't anything fancy. We just want to play straight up death metal that is fast and brutal as fuck." Ah -- that would explain the reasoning behind Exhumed's passionate throat grabbing sessions with each release. These guys go for the jugular and won't leave until your blood-soaked corpse has stopped convulsing. These are sickos at work and they mean business. "I just want people to get a lot out of what we do. To let people know that we are paying respect to the bands that inspired us, but doing it the way Exhumed was meant to do it. You know, it is us playing the music and you can tell where our roots are coming from. We just keep it messy and full of gore." He adds: "I think death metal in general, I'm talking the whole genre, has become quite cautious and so overproduced and clean. We aren't about that. Exhumed didn't use drum triggers or computer editing. We went in to the studio, sung into the microphones and played our music and this is the result. Deal with it." Those who hear the Exhumed record will no doubt hear the raw yet symphonic wails of aggression take shape into a sonic wall of intensity. Thanks in part to Nasum frontman Mieszko Talarczyk, Exhumed has presented a much fuller sound to digest, though still chock-full of all those gory details. About working with Mieszko, he says: "We wanted a really clear sound, but not a clean and safe one. He is more like a punk producer and that is what makes him so good. It is like the best of both worlds, a raw in-your-face sound that has metal riffs played with clarity and it just brings out the fierceness of it all. We really saw eye to eye on a lot of things, and we knew what he was all about, seeing that we are Nasum fans. He wasn't afraid to push us to try harder too. I'd be playing my part and he'd turn to me and say, "I thought we were making a death metal record. Why are you playing like a pussy?" Then I'd go back and play it again until I got it the way he saw it to be. He pushed us and totally whipped us into shape as a band." Besides the gore aspect of Exhumed, the band has also changed quite a bit over the years in terms of a revolving door of musicians, each time out adding a unique feel to the sound and style of the band. How does Harvey feel about all of the band member changes throughout their existence? How do things stay intact? " We have been through a lot of changes, but it has been worth it, I guess. All of the members now have been with the band for a while and we are all contributing to the record. We have had a lot of line-up changes and I think that is just because me and Col are a bunch of pricks. We want things our way. We want Exhumed to be A-B-C and if you want D-E-F then you can fuck off. It is so funny to hear all of these bands that have line-up changes go and say, "This guy was a jerk and we couldn't work with him." Yeah, right. Those guys in the band are probably assholes. You have to be an asshole to do this and get things done. If you are not part of the solution, then you are the problem. It is that simple." He finishes: "Like I said, I'm an asshole about a lot of things and Exhumed means a lot to me. I am this way because Exhumed has to be a certain way. If it isn't the way we want it to be, then why the fuck do it then? Plus, being an asshole is fun." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= S I M M E R I N G I N G R E E D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews Christian Alvestam of Unmoored by: Alvin Wee All but the most dedicated fans of the Swedish scene would be familiar with this band's poorly promoted album _Cimmerian_. A blessing in disguise perhaps, for the seriously sub-par debut to sink into obscurity: Unmoored are back with a major overhaul, and the stellar _Kingdoms of Greed_ attests to the band's new-found prowess. While a similarly improved promotion isn't quite expected from the label, the very quality of the music should garner considerable attention from discerning critics and fans alike. I hooked up with main man Christian Alvestam in the hope of gaining some insight into the remarkable new opus... Christian Alvestam: Well, let's start by saying we're more than satisfied with the final result. I personally sacrificed a great deal in the making of _Kingdoms of Greed_, so now that it turned out as well as it did, it really is a relief. The album was recorded at Studio Abyss under the watchful eye of producer Tommy Tagtgren, which means the production is of highest quality. In contrast to _Cimmerian_, _KoG_ is more of a concept album lyrically, dealing with all those bittersweet desires that form our lives. As goes for the music, it's faster and more intense than on the debut. It's still as dynamic and varied as _Cimmerian_, though. CoC: You're still a relatively new name in the scene, but you guys have been pretty active in the past. Surely there's some history to share? CA: When we started out back in the late winter of '93, I don't think we really had any goals in the strict sense of the word. However, in '94 we recorded our first "official" demo called _Wood-Chuck Tune_ and it was generally very well received. From that day we all started taking Unmoored more seriously, encouraged by the great response. As for goals, recording an album suddenly had become one. It took us three demos, _Wood-Chuck Tune_ included, to finally get signed in the Summer of '97: a two-album deal with the Singaporean label Pulverised Records. After finishing the recording of our debut album at Sunlight studios, we immediately started working on some new material. We made a couple of songs with Nicke still being a full-time member (our drummer back then), but we soon realized his limited drum skills, along with his decreasing interest in the band in consequence of his personal problems at the time, would put a spoke in our wheel. We simply didn't want to jeopardize what we had going, so we gave him an ultimatum. Either you concentrate on the band wholeheartedly or you give notice. He chose the alternative last-mentioned. We also felt like we had taken Unmoored as far as we could go with the sound established on _Cimmerian_ without starting to repeat ourselves musically. So with the help of drummer Jocke Pettersson, co-producer of _Cimmerian_, we tried to take Unmoored one step further. Did we succeed? Well, the answer to that can be found on _Kingdoms of Greed_. Feel free to check it out! CoC: Either I'm imagining things or some of you have bands on the side, don't you? Jocke's with Thy Primordial, that's for sure... CA: Both me and Jocke are involved with several other bands and projects besides Unmoored, while Rickard and Tobbe aren't. Solar Dawn, Trone and Supernaut are some of the constellations I play with when I'm not practising the guitar in Unmoored. Jocke is also a member of Thy Primordial, Retaliation and Kids Are Sick, to mention a few. CoC: You mentioned Nicke "putting a spoke in your wheel" due to his waning interest. Was the unsatisfactory debut album a direct cause of this trouble? Or were you just trying to appeal more to the fans with _Kingdoms of Greed_? CA: When Nicke declared his resignation, our rehearsals consequently stopped. I then started writing new material completely on my own in view of the situation. All of a sudden there was no longer anybody placing obstacles in my way. Back when Nicke still was in the band, we often had to compromise in the writing process, you see. Always having to simplify everything so that he would be able to play the songs. Considering this, I don't think it's hard to understand our development, or our shift in sound as you prefer to call it. It consequently has nothing to do with trying to enlist more listeners or anything. We've simply removed the missing link, that's all. CoC: So what exactly instigated this shift in sound? Why choose this specific genre of technical death? It's a fine example of integrating melody with aggression in the true Swedish tradition, don't you think? CA: First of all, we didn't choose to play in this style. This was just something that came to be once we started writing the new material with Nicke being out of the picture and all. You know, "cause and effect". As for the mixture of melody and mayhem, the challenge in trying to get these two elements working with one another is in itself the source of inspiration generating creativity. I simply need this defiance in order to be productive of new material. CoC: It's interesting to know what state of mind you're in when composing this duality of passions. Also, I guess your influences wouldn't stray too far away from the realm of death metal? CA: I write new music all the time, no matter what frame of mind I'm in. You can say composing kind of works the other way around for me. Creating new stuff makes me feel good, whatever temper I might be in right before picking up the guitar. As for influences, let's put it this way: bands that we've really come to dig throughout the years are Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Obituary, Testament, Vader, Bolt Thrower, Carcass, Emperor, At the Gates, Entombed, Dismember, Hypocrisy, Eucharist, Dissection and Edge of Sanity, to mention a few. CoC: I personally feel the standard of lyrics in the scene is abysmal, but you seem to handle some unique issues with your writings. What do you usually try to portray? Do you feel there is a disadvantage when the listener cannot hear the lyrics clearly like in normal singing? CA: I'm not trying to spread any message with my lyrics or anything. I pretty much just write down my own thoughts and opinions whenever I see, hear or read something interesting that affects me in one way or another. I don't think not hearing every word in a song is something that works against you, since the listener then has to read the lyrics in order to make out what the vocals are all about. This way you're reaching out to the listener in more ways than one. [The highlight of _Cimmerian_ had to be the final track, entitled "Final State", a sensitive, emotional "ballad", heavily angst-ridden and self-searching. "Final State Part II" made its appearance on _KoG_, once again proving a remarkable experience with the emotive singing and hugely memorable leads. I tried to get to the bottom of the obviously deeply personal lyrics.] CoC: The "Final State" songs are very interesting... they seem to reflect your personal experiences. Is this a sort of catharsis for you, to get it out of your system? Care to share it with us? CA: The "Final State" songs are by far the most personal ones to date. If I told you what they were about lyrically, it would be like giving away the end of a movie before seeing it. I think lyrics in general work better this way -- unanalyzed, that is. [The blatant piss-taking of the track "Now and Forever" on the debut album upset me for some time; it seemed to ridicule the imagery of the extreme black metal scene. My annoyance would probably have been unfounded had the music been less hardcore-ish and immature. Needless to say, I confronted Christian.] CoC: In the song "Now and Forever", you're taking the piss on the image/lifestyle of "evil" black metal bands. As a die-hard purist myself, I can't help wondering: how serious are you with these lyrics, and why do think this way? CA: Well, the lyrics for "Now and Forever" are written in the vein of irony, my friend, so take them with a pinch of salt. All I did was try to mix some humour into a view of life that in a way fascinates me, that's all. As goes for extreme imagery, it's OK by me. I frequently practise upon it myself. CoC: In the light of the band's new musical direction, the lyric takes on a more meaningful slant... OK, back to your music. Many newer Swedish bands are moving in the same direction: to become more technical, more thrashy, etc.. Don't you feel lost in this flood? How do you intend to differentiate Unmoored from the horde of similar bands? CA: You don't have to be the most original band in the world in order to write interesting songs, you know. We do what we do and if someone has a problem with that, too bad. All the bands I mentioned earlier in this interview work as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for us in some way. CoC: Indeed. While not earthshakingly original, _KoG_ is outstanding in its sheer complexity and maturity, and I hope it'll do better this time. What's the future going to be like, then? CA: Since our contract with Pulverised is drawing to a close with the release of _KoG_, we'll probably start looking for a new label in time. As goes for promoting our new album, we'll definitely be trying to do so through some live shows this fall. Nothing is scheduled yet, though. CoC: You're going to leave Pulverised? Not surprising, considering how poorly _Cimmerian_ was promoted! But they're essentially a good label, I think... CA: When _Cimmerian_ was released back in 1999, Pulverised suffered from really severe financial problems. Unfortunately, this came to affect our promotion and consequently our sales. Hopefully this will not be the case with the promotion of _KoG_, especially now that Pulverised have managed to get their economy back on track again. CoC: OK, to finish up here, tell the readers why they should waste their money on another Swedish album... CA: Well, first my compliments to you, Alvin, for your shown interest. For the rest of you, check out _Kingdoms of Greed_ if you like it brutal and melodic at the same time. You will not be disappointed! Apparently promotion for this has been exemplary, with larger labels like Copro taking over distribution overseas. Contact: Pulverised Records, P.O. Box 109, Yishun Central, Singapore 917604, Singapore mailto:pulverised@pacific.net.sg Contact: mailto:unmoored@hotmail.com http://members.tripod.com/unmoored/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= C A L L I N G O U T T O H E R F A N S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC talks to Doro by: Adrian Bromley It has been a long time since Doro Pesch released a record in North America. Ten years, to be exact. Now with a US deal (with KOCH Records) and definite interest from over here, once again the German rock goddess can showcase her goods. It also helps that her record sounds pretty good as well. "This record has so much meaning for me", starts Doro with a thick, but easily understandable German accent. "There are a lot of great songs on this record as well. There are a couple of songs from the _Love Me in Black_ record [1998], which was only released over here in Europe, that I put on this disc as well. Originally I was going to re-record the tracks and needed permission to do so. I was uncertain if they would grant me such permission. Eventually I got the permission and I really felt that songs like "Pain", "Terrorvision" and "I Give My Blood (Dedication)" had to be included with this release. We just fixed up the songs in the studio and they sound so alive and so vibrant. Much more so than the original recordings." So seeing that she had seen success over the past decade in Europe, what kind of album did Doro want to put out? Was there an idea to win over North American fans? What was the mindset for _CTW_? "I wanted to have a modern record, but still have it full of the roots of where I came from. I just wanted a really live recording that had a lot of variety. You know. Everything from really hard rock songs to spiritual songs and even onto ballads. I just felt that this record had to have a lot of variety. I just needed to showcase a lot of emotions here on the disc." While Doro's new disc does have a few tracks from European import records on it, there are also a few interesting collaborations. Those collaborations include works with Lemmy from Motorhead ("Love Me Forever" from Motorhead's _1916_ disc and "Alone Again") and working with guitarists Slash (Slash's Snakepit, ex-Guns 'n' Roses) and Al Pitrelli (Megadeth, ex-Savatage). As well, Doro has placed a rocking cover of Billy Idol's "White Wedding" on _CTW_. She explains the ideas and how they came to be. "Those songs mean so much to me. I love the ones that Lemmy sang on and the ones Slash played on. They just added more to the record. I just wanted to make sure that the record was just full of songs that had good positive energy. I was just looking for this vibe, because I have always felt that if you give out good vibes, the fans will return the good vibes." Since the mid-'80s, Doro had made a name for herself with the "wizards and warriors" influenced act Warlock. Though the band only saw moderate success, they had made a name for themselves and once Doro parted ways with the band for her first release, titled _Force Majeure_, her fans from Warlock had come along for the ride. Regardless of being non-present over here in North America, Doro has still maintained a career in Europe. What keeps it going after so long of slaving away in this business? "My secret is the strong fan base. I never gave up and decided to pack it in after so many failed attempts at getting records released over there. I just never gave up and always gave my best effort. If you try your best and give everything you've got, then people will eventually hear what you are saying and respect that." "I'll tell you", she adds, "after so many years of working on records and almost getting them released in North America and the deals falling through, that is so heartbreaking. I think a lot of things brought those problems on for me in the early '90s. First things changed in the music industry and a lot of bands playing music like I did just went away. I mean, if you weren't from Seattle, then you didn't have a chance at all -- when "grunge" hit all my friends in bands and even myself got dropped from our labels, and it was terrible. And it was tough to get anything going. You couldn't even get anything, regardless of the type of record, because people wanted one thing and didn't listen to what you were providing them with or giving them a chance. The change in music's climate at the time really made it a hard sell for what I was doing at the time. I really thought my music was something that the American market would want to hear, but in the end, it was never to be. And it was heartbreaking. It seems like I am getting a second chance here with _CTW_." As the years have gone on for Doro, her appreciation for what she does has grown. She is in love with music and all that comes with it. Her passion runs deep. "This is a 24 hour a day thing for me", she notes. "I don't really have a family or a private life. It is all about the music for me and I don't think it'd work any other way really. Creating music and being so sure of what you are doing and believing in it takes a lot out of you and you are always on the go doing stuff. Stuff like fighting for ideas and your style and just trying to keep the name out there. I am just so proud to be able to do all of this and now that we have the deal in North America with KOCH, I have been given the opportunity to make an impression once again. I'm very excited." Other than a successful appearance at this year's March Metal Meltdown, it has been a -long- time since Doro toured North America. She is itching to get back on this soil and tour. "It has been too long", Doro says with a long sigh. "I am totally excited about the possibilities of coming over and playing there live. Playing live is what I was born to do. Writing music and making records is fun, but get me on stage and I go wild." She finishes: "The climate seems to be a bit better now for my style of music. I just want fans to know that I care and that I'm going to come over to North America and just rock hard and have fun." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= M A K I N G A N A M E F O R T H E M S E L V E S ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC chats with Frances M. Howard of Opprobrium by: Adrian Bromley A few things have changed for death metal act Incubus. Most notably their name. Now called Opprobrium, a change needed due to the alternative rock band Incubus now owning the name (more on that later), the Louisiana-based, Brazilian born squad have returned to the metal scene after a long absence. Their solid and well-received debut for Nuclear Blast, titled _Beyond the Unknown_, is but a metal memory and the band knows this. With a new name, pent up aggression and strong songs, Opprobrium plan on making a name for themselves once again. The call comes in late one night from singer/guitarist Frances M. Howard after one failed attempt earlier on the night to hook up with him. I'm glad he has called back, because without him explaining the band's return to metal, there is no story. "We have just been living out our regular lives since we left the scene", Howard offers about himself and his brother, Opprobrium drummer Moyses M. Howard. "We tried to put out a record in 1994. We tried to re-release our first record, called _Serpent Temptation_ [1988, on Brutal Records] with me handling the vocals [the original release featured then singer/bassist Scot W. Latour -- Adrian] but it never came out. My brother and I went to Brazil for vacation a few years back and that is where we met Luiz [Carlos], our guitar player. We also discovered we had lots of fans down there and it inspired us to go back and try to start this again. It gave us [the band is rounded out by bassist Andre Luiz Oliveira -- Adrian] an appreciation of what we had had before and inspired us to work on new material. We just wanted to get back that metal sound and vibe we had lost after so many years of not doing music." So what happened with the name Incubus? And why does that alternative rock band go by the name now? "It is kind of funny", snickers Howard. "We were in the record store just looking around and we saw a band with the same name and laughed. After we found out all of the legalities for all of this, we knew that changes had to be made. We thought that we had rights to the name, but after four or five years of not releasing material under that name, someone has the rights to take it. Plus, back then we didn't even trademark the name. We just wanted to have fun and just go out and play rock 'n' roll. So now we have chosen the new name for the band, Opprobrium, and have already trademarked the name too. We are playing by the books now." "The name is great for us, I think", he says. "It has a little bit of mystique. I am really happy with it and I am hoping that with a new name and attitude for all of this, things will start to work out for us once again." Talking about the new record, it is quite obvious that Howard wanted to have his band's return be a triumphant one. His care for the material and the production is apparent. Everything needed to be just right. "I was very apprehensive about doing all of this over again. The writing, the studio -- all of it. It took a couple of beers to just get me settled in and going about recording and writing again , but seriously, we really made a strong effort on this recording. There was a lot of pressure to really make this record representative of what we are about right now. To add even more pressure, Markus Staiger [head of Nuclear Blast] was there in the studio with us. That definitely added more pressure." "I had a hard time getting the vocals down", admits Howard about problems that arose in the studio. "It was just a struggle to get things going, but the producer who helped us -- Harris Johns, he really made an effort to help me get things back on track. He coached us through the singing and it helped out a lot. I think the vocals sound great." Having really been out of the metal music scene for more than five years now, and seen it unfold as a fan, how has Howard viewed the music scene over the last few years and where it has come to? "I think a lot of the old bands out there who are still playing and making records just don't have the fire anymore. I don't really want to name any bands, but I think those bands know who they are. It's a shame, really. I mean, I think a lot of older bands just go out there and make music and not really give it their all. It has been a long time since our release and we know we have to give it our all. We can't just go into a recording half-ass. We need to make a statement here. Why should bands that have been around for a long time not show it? If you have the experience, go for it. That is our attitude right now." Continuing on, he says: "Things have changed so much nowadays with all of the information we are receiving, and so fast. The Internet is an amazing way for bands to let the world know about them. It has changed so much since we started way back in 1986. Man, if we had what we have now back then, we'd be famous." He laughs. "We just wanted to be able to express ourselves with music and go out and play live", says Howard of the underlying reason for returning to metal music. "We just wanted to be able to get our music out there, obviously under a new name, and just have doors hopefully open up for us. I'd love for us to do a song for a soundtrack for a horror movie. That would be cool, but obviously, we just have to worry about this new record and trying to make a name for ourselves all over again." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____ _ _ _ | |___ _| |___ ___ ___ ___ _| |___ ___| |_ |- -| | . | -_| . | -_| | . | -_| | _| |_____|_|_|___|___| _|___|_|_|___|___|_|_|_| |_| _____ _ _ _ | |___| |_ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___| |_|_|___ ___ ___ |- -| | _| -_| _| _| . | . | .'| _| | . | |_ -| |_____|_|_|_| |___|_| |_| |___|_ |__,|_| |_|___|_|_|___| |___| N E C R O L I V E S ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CoC interviews V.I.T.R.I.O.L. of Anaal Nathrakh by: Pedro Azevedo When I found Anaal Nathrakh's demo inside my mail box in Portugal some time ago [CoC #43], I was certainly impressed by the sheer ferocity of the music contained therein. One detail went unnoticed, however: they were from Birmingham. Having moved to the charming town of Warwick (England) by the time I received the band's _Total Fucking Necro_ CD [CoC #48], looking at their contact address I suddenly realized I was now living less than 40 kilometres away from the dwelling place of this relentless musical entity. Of what relevance this is to this interview is questionable, since I still opted to communicate with the band via e-mail (I was unable to record phone conversations at the time). However, having visited Birmingham and having found it a rather lacking in amiability and somehow harsh itself compared to most of the other places I've been to in England, the fact that Anaal Nathrakh's so-called "necro metal" came from Birmingham started making more sense to me. Then again, the band's extreme disenchantment with mankind in general is hardly bound by such frontiers; read on if you wish to find out more. CoC: What was it that originated the formation of Anaal Nathrakh? What made you want to convey such a level of aggression through music? V.I.T.R.I.O.L.: Originally, we met through other bands, and ended up performing in an old band together. We've been friends since then, several years now, and we have always shared something of a musical vision. So it was quite natural for Anaal Nathrakh to come out the way it has -- we just made the music that the two of us thought music should sound like. In terms of conveying such massive aggression, Anaal Nathrakh is a vent, it lets out some of the sound that's in my head. CoC: Though you haven't made any lyrics available (that I know of), the liner notes on the CD certainly indicate you're less than happy about this world. Would you like to expand on that? Is it more about mankind and civilisation itself, or about humanity, the human condition and existence? V: Our lyrics will never be made available. In sentiment, Anaal Nathrakh is an expression of the blackest part of our psyches. I have none of the pretensions of people like Dead, the guy from Mayhem who killed himself. He seemed to think he was some sort of non-human creature inhabiting this planet by mistake or something. I'd put it more like Anaal Nathrakh displays a certain viewpoint, a very disturbed one, but a viewpoint nonetheless; it's an outlet for it -- it runs as follows: mankind is the source of some of the most ridiculous stupidity, the most unadulterated deceit and barbarism imaginable. Surely there is plenty to be less than happy with there. Civilisation has, despite its achievements, produced types of people that make me feel physically sick with their pettiness, their arrogance, their blindness, their lack of scope. If the human condition is one of being eternally confronted with the philosophical "other", and being made to continually feel disgust, if existence is synonymous with an ever present repulsion and hatred for the "life" that seethes everywhere before us like some tumour, does it really come as a surprise that some people should feel less than happy about this world? No master/slave dialectics, no self affirmation implied by the act of killing, just repulsion and a desire to be rid of presentations of "life". Even further, despite already to a greater or lesser extent wallowing in its own repugnance, mankind amounts to a disaster waiting to happen. A race of idiots, fucking idiots, that invents moralities and religions to defend inbred prejudices that it doesn't even perceive, let alone understand, and to divert attention from the fact that it feels incapable of existing on its own justification. And further than this, that were it to be capable of existing on its own as some members of the species seem to be, it would still be totally incapable of a single truly, radically original thought. It's not hard to see how extreme misanthropy would result from a viewpoint like that. However, there's a sick enjoyment taken in bathing in the shit. A perverse medium is struck between out and out hatred for your fellow man and revelling in the filth, like taking joy in a horrible disease. I would go on, but I tend to get carried away. Maybe it sounds a bit of an insane perspective, but so be it. CoC: You are from Birmingham, home of Black Sabbath and Napalm Death -- has that had any influence on you? V: If that means "Are Black Sabbath and Napalm Death influences on Anaal Nathrakh?", the answer is definitely no. In the sense that all people are to a greater or lesser extent products of their environment, I suppose it's inescapable. It's true that people from our background would be hard pushed to experience the world in the same way as people from vastly different backgrounds -- that's one reason why I find it somewhat ridiculous that bands from the Southern hemisphere would want to try to emulate the Norwegians, for example, but still, they have tried. A lack of originality, I suppose. Can you believe I once heard of a band from down there trying to call themselves nordic nationalists or some such? Flipping idiots. Coming from what is essentially a deferential, non-affluent industrial background cannot help but make a person who's got a lot of rage anyway even more misanthropic. In that sense, Birmingham does have an influence, and perhaps that's something that contributed to the bands you mentioned as well. CoC: Where does the name Anaal Nathrakh come from? And what is the origin of that opening sample in which you can hear it? V: The sample's from the film "Excalibur", a film about the Arthurian legend. The phrase "Anaal Nathrakh" is from the charm used to awaken the Dragon, which in the context of the film is a sort of omnipresent, extremely powerful force that can be bent to one's will in part, but is vastly destructive. We thought that fitted in with what we wanted to achieve when we started the band. It is also thought by some that biblical references to Leviathan, or elsewhere to "the great dragon", are among the only references to devils that cannot be resolved as simple linguistic corruptions and the like, such as Beelzebub merely originating from a very old, semi-benevolent god. CoC: How satisfied are you with what you have achieved so far, musically and in terms of production? I understand you had some difficulties with the production for both of your demos, but the final result still worked for me. What changes can we expect to find in your new material sound-wise? V: I personally am quite satisfied. Musically, I would not work with anything I did not believe in, and the results appear to have touched many people in the way we wanted. We have had excellent reactions from some very interesting people, and it looks likely to continue. The production so far has been naturally very raw, but I think it gets the point across: problems or otherwise. It's not as if Anaal Nathrakh is about transparent clarity in its acoustic sections -- this is about fucking insane violence! The new material is much better sounding, much "better produced", but I defy anyone who hears it not to feel the harshness. Overproduced Cradle of Borgilth this is not. CoC: What about the music itself? How do you think it will evolve in the future? V: Our new material is extremely savage, more so than our earlier songs, and I think that will continue. I know it will. It has to. There is also a disturbing current in some of our music, and I see that getting more pronounced. More of a refinement than a progression as such. More elements might be incorporated, but only in such a way as they fit in with our vision of Anaal Nathrakh. Compromising, wimping out, keyboards and female singing etc. are NOT on the fucking cards... CoC: What was it about Mayhem that made you want to cover one track of theirs on each of your demos? What other bands do you feel Anaal Nathrakh is related to in some way? V: I remember hearing _De Mysteriis dom Sathanas_ for the first time -- I bought it the day it came out, in fact. That was a long time ago, some seven years or so, but I can still listen to it today and get a real sense of "the Mayhem feeling" -- I don't think virtually anything else I've heard can do that. Maybe it's something to do with a certain mystique that undeniably surrounded the band back then. I think there's a certain relation in spirit between Anaal Nathrakh and bands like Darkthrone and Gorgoroth, but really we don't tend to consider outside influences very much. We concentrate on the feeling we're trying to convey. CoC: Now that your two demos have been released on CD, what is the band planning to do in terms of future releases? And what's the situation label-wise? V: We have just (as in today, September 13th) finished the recording of our new material. A whole album of the most necro metal ever heard, and it's good. Very good. So we are going to take it to labels and tell them we don't need money to pay for recording an album, we just need them to release what we already have. Hopefully a decent label will realise they can get somewhere with the material and sign us up. We've had some contact with certain labels, and I am confident something will present itself. CoC: Any plans of getting Anaal Nathrakh to play live in front of an audience? What's the story behind the band you do play live in, Mistress? V: Anaal Nathrakh live isn't out of the question. Were we to find, most importantly, a drummer who could play our set live, then maybe. At the moment we're unlikely to be getting the likes of Hellhammer, so for now it's a possibility rather than a likelihood. It would be cool, but unless it was just right, we wouldn't do it. Mistress is unrelated to Anaal Nathrakh in anything other than the vocals being extreme. I have got into trouble in the past because of being too unpredictable/abusive/violent at gigs. Maybe it's a good idea that Anaal Nathrakh don't play live at the moment after all... With AN it would be more focused though. I'd like to see it live myself. CoC: Care to leave a message for our readers? V: Be aware that we are not about to quit, compromise, dilute our vision or anything else, for anyone. And we are not about to go away. Anaal Nathrakh is coming... Only death is real. Contact: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~dbanger/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____ .__ ___. / _ \ | |\_ |__ __ __ _____ / /_\ \| | | __ \| | \/ \ / | \ |_| \_\ \ | / 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! Alchemist - _Organasm_ (Displeased, 2000) by: Aaron McKay (8.5 out of 10) "Thinking-man's metal" is what I would call this enchanted, celestial outpouring of cerebral material. Australia's Alchemist wafts freely on an interesting flight through fogs of Neurosis blown though at times by breezes of Voivod and Cynic (_Focus_). Even though none of the CD's more than fifty minutes of challenging, fourth-dimensional music is colorless, my personal preference would be to take it all in at one sitting. For instance, tracks two, three, and four are dubbed the "Evolution Trilogy", comprised of, in order, "The Bio Approach", "Rampant Macro Life" and "Warring Tribes -- Eventual Demise". As the three-part title might suggest, Alchemist lays out a concentrated version of multi-celled life's (people?, animals?) progression and decline. A choice track that instantly grabbed my attention was "Tide in, Mind out". Creating mood softly but consistently, this song glides effortlessly on the listener's memory through passages in their mind. Typical throughout _Organasm_, and "Tide in, Mind out" in particular, vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist Adam Agius interjects a chemist's blend of clean, hostile, and death metal growls. With the damn fine participation of Roy Torkington (guitar), John Bray (bass/keyboard) and Rodney Holder (drums), it is no wonder Alchemist's line-up hasn't changed in seven years; one simply shouldn't fix a machine that isn't broken. This being my first awakening to the dream Alchemist concocts, I sure as hell intend to mix myself up a potion of their earlier amalgamations, starting most likely with their _Jar of Kingdom_, if possible. It's always best to start with a formula's first ingredient. Ancient Ceremony - _Synagoga Diabolica_ by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10) (Alister Records, September 2000) Opening with a short but effective mood-setting intro, Ancient Ceremony deliver the follow-up MCD/album hybrid to _Fallen Angel's Symphony_ [CoC #38]. A band that has gone through several line-up changes in recent times, Ancient Ceremony certainly have the merit of having kept going, led by vocalist Chris Anderle; but even though _Synagoga Diabolica_ is by no means a bad release, I feel the band needs to find something that will make them stand out from the crowd more effectively in the future. The half-thrashy, half-symphonic blackened metal they present on _Synagoga Diabolica_ lacks a significant part of the flourishes that made _Fallen Angel's Symphony_ more attractive, whilst for the most part failing to compensate for that with remarkable improvements in other areas. The average cover of Metallica's "Creeping Death" that closes the record does little to help things. The music on _Synagoga Diabolica_ is quite listenable and indicates that the band may be getting ready to release a very worthy follow-up, but as Ancient Ceremony head towards their third full-length album (counting this one as an MCD), they need to cause a greater impression next time. Contact: http://www.ancient-ceremony.de Contact: http://www.alister-records.de Atomizer - _The End of Forever_ (End All Life, 2000) by: Alvin Wee (7 out of 10) Taking off from countrymates Destroyer 666 and Bestial Warlust, Atomizer do much to add to an outsider's impression that retro-thrash is all the Aussie hordes are capable of coming up with. No more, no less, for the music is disappointingly bland considering the hype worked up by the label for this release. Generic rock 'n' roll-tinged thrash riffage combining with even more typical black metal vocal rasps don't make for much reviewing material in the wake of precedents Bewitched and Inferno (who nonetheless don't rise very much above the same banality). However, the sheer energy and liveliness of tracks like "Somebody's Gonna Die Tonight" do get one's head moving a little, the pummelling brutality of Sud's drums warring deliciously with the razor-sharp hooks of Justin's riffing. Adopting a tongue-in-cheek rock 'n' roll ethic benefits the music with a rollicking groove lacking in the more "serious" bands (read: Suicidal Winds), which partially saves the record from joining the heap of discarded retro-madness-era Necropolis releases. By the same token, the lyrics take this "fuck you, we're evil" sensibility a tad too far: phrases like "When I burn your house down just for fun / Yeah that's fuckin' evil" don't do much to help the already-precarious situation. On a positive note, musicianship seems to be of the highest calibre, the band's tightness contributing much to the energy of the record. Rather than taking the typical lo-fi approach, the production team's choice of crystal clear instrumentation also adds a punchiness to the material that adds much to the energetic playing. Kudos to End All Life for a highly impressive layout: this vinyl-only release boasts a glossy gatefold cover with great cover art, and opening it reveals glorious full-color photos of the band with lyrics printed alongside, presented with a brilliance and clarity as yet unrivalled in the industry. Surely this ranks alongside one of the most appealing pieces in terms of packaging, surprising for a label renowned for obscure B&W affairs, which explains the relatively high print run of 666 hand-numbered copies -- an impressive number considering EAL's tendency to sell-out their limited-to-100 titles even before their official release. On the whole, Atomizer don't quite match up to the more established acts Down Under, but neither are they to be put aside as failures. Until their next effort, Atomizer can't quite hold a candle to my favourites Swordmaster, but most old-school headbangers won't be disappointed with this very promising outing at all. Not many copies left as usual, but write to: Contact: End All Life, B.P. 4, 86 281 St. Benoit Cedex, France mailto:eal@wanadoo.fr Aurora - _Devotion_ (Serious Entertainment / Voices of Wonder, 2000) by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) From Denmark comes a band who very seriously threatens to become this year's best musical surprise for me. Unafraid to take chances in the technical department (much like Dark Tranquillity did with _The Gallery_), Aurora also add elements that bring to mind such remarkable bands as Opeth and At the Gates. Interested yet? However, don't expect to find a copycat band here though, as the material on _Devotion_ does not lack Aurora's very own style throughout. Beneath some sensual cover art lies a record in which Aurora produce intense and emotional music, backed by very technical and distinctive guitar work and drumming -- technical, but never losing sight of what is relevant and what is superfluous -- and vocals that are both varied and very adequately intense and emotional themselves. Their song structures go far beyond the average three or four minute long chorus repetition routine as well, which together with the impeccable production helps turn _Devotion_ into the excellent record that it is. Contact: http://www.aurora.ms Contact: http://www.seriousentertainment.dk Azrael - _Mafia_ (Locomotive Music, 2000) by: Alvin Wee (7 out of 10) Despite an increasing number of bands breaking out from obscure scenes like Peru, Singapore and even Lithuania, Spanish heavy metal seems reluctant to leave its cloistered scene untouched by foreign hands. Bands like Tierra Santa, Mago de Oz and Ankhara all deserve a level of recognition far above the adoration received in their homeland; for Azrael the case seems to be no different, despite the two fairly well-received albums behind them. Moving away from the almost glam-rock sensibilities characterizing the earlier efforts, _Mafia_ stands the band in better stead to be accepted by the speed/power metal crowd overseas, the only obstacle being the characteristic Spanish stubbornness (or lack of ability?), refusing to write in anything other than their native language. A small setback, considering the quality of material on offer here: lovers of old-school HR/HM will warm to Azrael's somewhat nostalgic delivery of '80s-obsessed heavy rock-made-metal. The ballad "Vendiste Tu Propia..." hints at the band's comfort in the mellower realms, but rippers like "Vuela" and "Atrapado" (see the language problem?) dispel any doubt about their metalness. Progressive touches litter the album sparsely, with odd time signatures and dissonance thrown into the mix, not to mention the blazing fluidity of the solos... All adding up to a quirky originality that admittedly takes some getting used to, but once sucked in, it's a ride well worth paying for. While not the most brilliant thing to come out of Spain since flamenco (the honor belongs to Tierra Santa), Azrael do serve up some considerably mature and solid material, enough for me to urge the more adventurous to go in search of this album at import dealers, or possibly Sentinel Steel in the US. Last minute: news is just in that there's an English version of the album out there... Bernard Edwards' Project Homicide - _Bernard Edwards' Project Homicide_ by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10) (Emerald City, September 2000) Few bands out there have been able to mix the style of multiple bands, but leave it up to psycho-freak Bernard Edwards and his scary henchmen to do so on this release. The band pays homage (steals?) from such diverse freakoids as Kiss, King Diamond and White Zombie, while adding their own dash if insanity. The music of BEPH is more like a battlefield of ideas and sounds, as well as soapbox of beliefs, that really scatter out onto the music fans but does little to draw interest. Of note, drugs get a big push here as the band offers total support for the green leaf. God bless him. Other than a few notable numbers (i.e. "Broken Bones", "Another (Nail in the Coffin)"), BEPH stands out as nothing more than a really gung-ho group of guys trying their best to make music, when all they are doing is repeating what everyone has done before them. Contact: Emerald City, P.O. Box 3919, Hollywood, CA 90078, USA Beseech - _Black Emotions_ (Pavement Music, July 2000) by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10) How do you rate an album that can as easily get quite pleasant on one track as it can really get on your nerves on the next? Well, Beseech do just that with _Black Emotions_. The nice and soft acoustics of "Little Demonchild" or the somewhat doomy "Ghoststory" and "Neon Ocean" achieve most of the former, whilst the excessive goth-isms of questionable quality that pervade a significant part of the rest of the album achieve most of the latter -- I can certainly live without stuff like "Velvet Erotica" and its ilk. Besides the band's new-found goth influences causing changes to the overall style and use of electronic elements, the vocals also vary quite a bit. In addition to female vocals, the male vox range from a goth-like style to some sections that remind me of Tiamat and some of mid-era Paradise Lost. For those to whom a heavy dose of goth elements is especially welcome, _Black Emotions_ is likely to become catchy and enjoyable; for all others, however, this is a lot more likely to be a hit-miss affair, and in my case they are just about able to reach a positive rating. Blackend - _Mental. Game. Messiah._ (Massacre, 1999) by: Alex Cantwell (7.5 out of 10) Wearing the influence of the rich thrash history of their homeland directly on their collective sleeve, Germany's Blackend come crashing down upon the forces of "nu-metal" with a CD that could have been released twelve years ago but sounds great today. If I may name drop (it is, after all, the only resort of the non-creative music critic), it sounds to me that Testament and Kreator played the most significant roles in shaping these young minds, and to a lesser extent Sacrifice. Also, many of the parts seem to sound like a non-depressive Nevermore. One thing that sets them apart from the rest for sure would be the cleanly sung, but heavily accented vocals of Michael Goldschmidt. Of course, for a band to play this particular kind of music, it is required that they have a proficient lead guitarist, and Blackend have that base covered with no problem. Their music is very listenable, not overly technical, and they even throw some Machine Head grooves in there. This is the kind of thrash that _...And Justice for All_ took to a higher level, forever raising the bar for quality metal with intelligent lyrics. This CD is for metal people, and I am doubtful that it would be accepted by the backwards red baseball hat crowd at all. Contact: Massacre Records, Rauheckstr 10, D-74232 Abstatt, Germany http://www.massacre-records.com Burning Inside - _The Eve of the Entities_ (Still Dead, 1999) by: Aaron McKay (5.5 out if 10) This CD was generously provided to me by my good friend and colleague, Paul Schwarz. Having read Paul's interview with Steve Childers [CoC #48], I was anxious to take a listen to Burning Inside's _The Eve of the Entities_ for myself. Consequently, when Mr. Schwarz offered the review of this album to me, I was naturally very open to the idea. As you might ascertain from my rating, this release caused more than a little grief for me. I fought as hard as I know how to burrow myself within Burning Inside's bombastic fortress of technical speed/death metal. I had very little success, obviously. I could appropriately term Burning Inside a "copper glided gem". What I mean by that is, in essence, Burning Inside is a precious stone of members like Richard Christy (Death / Control Denied / Iced Earth), Steve Childers (Black Witchery) and Mike Estes (Acheron). All of these people and their other work I enjoy immensely. The group's obvious mastery of their instruments were seemingly covered over with a less than valuable coating to diminish their luster. What happened? Too musically technical? Yes, possibly that's it, and -not- like the technical metal I relish in some At the Gates or A Canorous Quintet pieces. I am thinking more along the lines of questioning where the band's "hook" is. What is to draw the listener into Burning Inside's offering here on _The Eve of the Entities_? Where does the band separate itself from the herd of other groups playing the very same kind of material? Richard Christy's drumming is a good retaliation to my questions and this point qualifying _TEotE_'s for most of the points furnished to them in my rating. (I think that any of Gene Hoglan's work with his vast catalog of bands would be more of a favorite of mine, however.) I was hoping that the combined efforts of some of the talented musicians in BI mentioned above could influence this release favorably, but it didn't, in my opinion. Some time ago, I was exposed to BI on the Full Moon compilation _Tribute to Hell: Satanic Rites_ [CoC #42] and even some covers since then like on the King Diamond and Mercyful Fate tributes. Unfortunately, these turned out to be mostly forgettable covers and, worse yet, BI's own material, while loosely appealing, isn't too much better. Broadly speaking, the artwork on _The Eve of the Entities_ is professional and very metal in appearance. Eleven tracks of indisputable sounding musical apocalypse, with an impressively stacked CD inlay complete with lyrics. All nicely done right down to the outro, "Everlasting Sleep". (More atmospheric soundscapes like that track worked into the rest of this offering would be a very welcome addition.) Before closing, there are a couple of things that I would like to mention. First off, Jamie Prim's sandpaper-dry vocal approach in some way escapes my ability to define it, but it ultimately fails to "fit" BI absolutely, in my view. As I pointed out, I can't tell you why the vocals by Mr. Prim seem "off-center", and they are not annoying by any means; just simply ill-suited. Kind of like forcing a dodecagon into a round hole; it would probably work, but why would you? Or, better yet, like having Chuck Billy from Testament around the _Demonic_ era pick up the vocal duties for Daniel Corchado or Craig Pillard in Incantation; Mr. Billy could sure pull it off, but it isn't a solid match, I wouldn't think. My second and final point I wanted to make is: I spent a good portion of my life living in the midst of the Florida scene, which is where BI hails from. It goes against everything I want to believe that Burning Inside isn't as good as I would hope they could be, but I cannot in all good conscience laud this band for the reasons mentioned above. I suppose there is always next time... Burzum - (Vinyl Maniac, 2000) by: Alvin Wee (7 out of 10) Another in the series of bootlegs put out by Vinyl Maniac Records, this nice affair seems to have adopted the name _Ragnarok_ in underground circles, and consists of Grishnack's 1991 instrumental rehearsal/demo as well as other rare tracks. Burzum maniacs and avid completists might be intrigued by the rareness of these recordings, but the lack of vocals on an entire side might deter the less dedicated listener. Like most other bootlegs of instrumental rehearsals (Mayhem's _From the Darkest Past_, etc.), the music often lacks the solidity and presence of the full recording, especially in the case of Burzum's straightforward simplicity. What is a brilliant play of minimalist creativity on the debut album becomes too bare-bones, overly stripped-down, and loses its tenuous grip after the first track or two. The impressive quality of the recording does much to help things, though; in fact, this is one of the most impressive translations of demo-material in recent years. While not exactly crystal-clear, little seems to have been lost in the transfer, and the quality of the vinyl ensures that the bootleg doesn't end up sounding typically worse than the original. Side B more than makes up for the preceding blandness, and opens with "Et Hvitt Lys Over Skogen", a previously unreleased studio track from 1992. The monotonous, simplistic music needs no further description, save to say that fond memories of _Aske_-era sentiments are invoked. Varg's characteristic screams penetrate the heavily atmospheric layers, inimitably combining the vastness of cosmic space and the closeness of dank woodlands in a single sprawling, barren soundscape. The difficulty of maintaining such a heavy atmosphere over such a long track isn't apparent in the skilful hands of Vikernes, and although I've never really been a fan of Burzum, the sheer songwriting technique required here cannot but inspire a vague degree of awe. Fans born too late lamenting the altered version of "A Lost Forgotten Sad Spirit" on the Misanthropy releases will probably relish the original DSP recording presented here. Apart from slight production differences and perhaps niggling alterations in the delivery, this doesn't strike me as being any vast improvement over the already killer Misanthropy version. All in all, this isn't the most essential of bootlegs, although the great production and layout deserves a mention here. True fans will probably want to send away for this unique and (possibly) unprecedented release of this material. Contact: No Colours Records, Postfach 32, 04541, Borna, Germany (30DM + postage, $20 should cover it.) Corpus Christii - _Saeculum Domini_ by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10) (So Die Music / Division House, 2000) Having been quite impressed by the brutality displayed on their _Anno Domini_ demo [CoC #40], I was looking forward to this CD release by Corpus Christii. Fast, brutal and raw black metal, propelled by synthetic percussion and devoid of all melody and embellishments is what this duo produces. And despite the mediocrity of lyrics and song titles and the vastly unfriendly (to put it mildly) production, the fact is that _Saeculum Domini_ still works quite well for me. It takes quite a bit of getting used to (headphones -not- recommended this time) and its 41 minutes do tend to become tiring, but the record has some personality of its own and plenty of strength if you look at it from the right perspective. Certainly not an album for those looking for intricate symphonic elements or Abyss-like sound, but nevertheless a strong, very underground-sounding release that lives up to the uncompromising, harsh promise set by their demo tape. Contact: http://www.divisionhouse.com Crimson Moonlight - _Eternal Emperor_ (, 1999) by: Alex Cantwell (7 out of 10) _Eternal Emperor_ is the debut disc from Sweden's newest creators of frozen black metal, Crimson Moonlight. Too bad there are only five tracks (two of which are keyboard instrumentals), because we only get a slight glimpse of what this band is and is not capable of. The production is quite good for an indy release, but it is a bit below par in the drum sound -- not that they sound bad, but it is obvious that there was not a lot of money spent on trying to make everything sound perfectly slick. The three tracks that are not instrumentals feature a lot of keyboard work within them, but are impressively brutal at the same time. Heavy, double bass driven black metal is the music of choice for Crimson Moonlight, and they are off to a good start. Also, as a humorous aside, I have to tell you that one of the group members' name is Pilgrim. I said "member". Contact: Crimson Moonlight, c/o Simon Rosen, Gransefall, 571 94 Nassjo, Sweden mailto:bloodsign@hotmail.com Various - _Critical Mass_ (Metropolis, October 2000) Various - _Electropolis Volume II_ (Metropolis, October 2000) by: Aaron McKay (7.5 and 8 out of 10) As I have brought to your attention before, this label has gathered some competent bands together and formulated a very respectable label dating back twenty years. These two compilation discs are two truly befitting examples. Mind-broadening and empirical material can be heard from most of the listed groups; thirteen cuts on _Critical Mass_ and fourteen on _Electropolis Volume II_. Some more familiar bands to me like Funker Vogt and Wumpscut [see reviews elsewhere in this issue] have songs on both discs joined by better known groups like Front 242 and Front Line Assembly on _Electropolis Volume II_, but _Critical Mass_ suffers a bit from Front 242's absence. _Critical Mass_ is, in all fairness, a specially priced label compilation aimed at adjusting you financially and musically to Metropolis Records in a reasonable manner. _Critical Mass_ supplied a couple of new groups to me worthy of particular mention. The highly meticulous techno-beat of VNV Nation on their song "Rubicon" is both soothing and thick with linear musical techniques. Very compelling. Not all that much less groove-oriented, but mostly more emphatic and enveloping, is Diary of Dreams' "Butterfly: Dance!". Also, Decoded Feedback, Velvet Acid Christ and Crocodile Shop present some intense cuts on _Critical Mass_. _Electropolis Volume II_ is my favorite of the two collections. The heavily wavy Mentallo & The Fixer's "Murders Among Us" was the first to draw me in proceed by a positively developed track listing hitting highlights like Ikon's "Triumph of My Will" (unreleased), Kevorkian Death Cycle's "Eclipse" and Project Pitchfork's "Temper of Poseidon", the latter being one of my favorites on either of these releases. While you are able to derive more than enough nutrition from these electro-treats, I'd maintain there is a lot more techno-sustenance here than empty "dance" calories. Savor the delicacy! Dark Age - _Psychotic Side_ (, August 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10) The one thing that you will always see me point out about Latin or South American bands is the heart and soul they put into their music. Metal music means so much to these people, whether they play it or just listen to it. Listening to Chile quartet Dark Age, you can easily take note of their love for the music they make. The music is rich in sound and production. The music here may just, for the most part, be the meat and potatoes of metal music, but it's the presentation that counts. Sure Dark Age play metal music that draws from the classic '70s/'80s era of metal, but add their own take on things, most prominently the gruff Entombed-like vocal sounds and the everflowing rhythm of down-tuned guitars that help showcase a modern metal attack. The guys rock hard, and there is no doubt in my mind they will progress as the years go on, but right now Dark Age have yet to hit the right groove. There is a lot on offer here, just not enough to make them heads and tails above the rest. Choice cut: "Stolen Sanity". Contact: P.O. Box 51627, Correo Central, Santiago Chile mailto:info@darkage.cl http://www.darkage.cl Deep - _Pieces of Nothing_ (Pavement, 2000) by: Aaron McKay (7 out of 10) What I enjoy the most about this group, I think, is how they break down the music. Sometimes there will be a nice open, airy passage in a track, then guitars fill in and fade off to allow the drums to exhibit themselves. Many combinations of Deep's instruments are utilized within a song and not always simply having just both guitars, bass, vocals, and percussion simultaneously. This is used very well right from the very beginning on "Hear Their Own". This approach adopted by the band sure creates a nice sound. Jerome Hoofnagle maximizes his range from a parched whisper to a full-blown grated death growl, which is also impressive. This being my first foray into Deep's world and never having heard their initial full-length effort, _The Reach of Envy_, I can understand Logan Mader's (Machine Head / Soulfly) interest in producing _Pieces of Nothing_. I sometimes think I can hear some of the influences of bands such as Machine Head and possibly a Sentenced injected Misery Loves Co. with a dry rasp death shred vocal style. After getting picked up by King Diamond for a tour, I doubt Deep will need too much help making it into even bigger, better known metal circles. I might suggest as a piece of constructive criticism that Deep might want to add a touch more diversity to their ventures; sometimes tracks on _PoN_ -can- sound pretty samey. Lyrically speaking, relatively deep (pardon the pun) with meaning and the production is truly solid, too. The attention surrounding Deep is warranted indeed. Pick up _Pieces of Nothing_ and immerse yourself. Desaster / Pentacle - _(Desaster) In League With (Pentacle)_ by: Alvin Wee (10 out of 10) (Iron Pegasus, 2000) "This strictly limited vinyl is a result of a strong friendship between Pentacle and Desaster and their respect for each other throughout the years!" And that quotation on the sleeve aptly sums up the nature of this intriguing 10", each band performing one original song and one cover of the other band's material. Makes for great headbanging, considering that both bands are already stalwarts of the underground. Desaster kick off proceedings with the Pentacle-written "A Serpent in Bloodred", the brutally pummelling drum-intro setting the stage for a riff-fest of terrifying insidiousness -- anyone with an ounce of metalized blood won't be sitting still by now. Not surprisingly, the track doesn't sound unlike Desaster's own material, which merely attests to the band's versatility throughout their previous releases. Racing ahead at breakneck speed, these German thrashmeisters launch into yet another drum-intro, heralding the start of "Hell-Born". While not as merciless as the first track, "Hell-Born" boasts a more controlled, melodic groove that still rips the head off most "retro-thrash" bands, with the wildly flaring solo and Okkulto's inspired "blasphemic death-throat" brimming with sheer ferocity. Pentacle waste no time in introducing Desaster-penned "In a Winter Battle" with a typically Frost-inspired riff and Wannes Gubbels ever-tormented throaty rasps. Desaster are evidently the more melodic songwriters of the two, littering the music with tuneful background leads(?) and infinitely catchy riffs. Certainly the most memorable track on this record, and no less brutal for its melodic nature and lengthy nature. "Soul's Blood" showcases more of Pentacle's straight-ahead brutality, the crushing riffs and ferocious drumming leaving this poor reviewer battered and mangled after a mere minute of aural hammering. Certainly, Pentacle uphold the Dutch death-metal scene's notoriety for sheer heaviness and brutality. Most American bands touted for their extremity would be hard-put to even brush the standards of intensity on offer here. This incredible tribute to the old days of metal is available in a picture disc German pressing, a pink-vinyl Euro version, as well as a black-vinyl American release, and any one of the three is highly recommended for all true aficionados of old-school metal who aren't afraid to risk a sore neck. No idea where the US version can be obtained, but Iron Pegasus can be reached at: Contact: P.O. Box 1462, 56804 Cochem/Mosel, Germany Discordance Axis - _The Inalienable Dreamless_ by: Paul Schwarz (9.5 out of 10) (Hydrahead, July 2000) Mmmm... oh sorry, I'm supposed to be writing the review, aren't I? Well, I've been here for more than forty-five minutes trying to figure out how to get the sheer compacted musical brilliance and -brutality- of Discordance Axis over in words; the disc is spinning for the third time in a row and I'm still not sure I can put across quite how damn awesome and -addictive- this album truly is. The only reason I've listened to it in times equalling dozens rather than, I don't know, many -gross- this Summer is that it's been on a tape with the new Iron Maiden album. Try to imagine Brutal Truth, Dillinger Escape Plan and Drowning Man mixed together, with skin-slicing screams for vocals; take away the fretboard scaling and sincere quieten-downs (it seems DI's world is always distorted...) and replace it with an almost excessively direct approach, and you should have a rough approximation of what the searing twenty three minute / seventeen track ride of _The Inalienable Dreamless_ has in store. And it will quickly hook a seriously painful barb in your mouth, reel you in a bit, and mercilessly draw you struggling and drowning through its troubled waters time and time and time again. Mesmerising in its extremity, deeply affecting, shockingly brutal and loaded with insanely tight percussion fused with molten, grinding guitars and vocals, DI are headed for the top three of the year's best albums, and I'm not sure if the combined forces of Cryptopsy, Immolation and Napalm Death will be able to pull it down even a notch. Drowningman - _Rock and Roll Killing Machine_ by: Adrian Bromley (9.5 out of 10) (Revelation, September 2000) Could there be a better band out there? Maybe so, but Burlington, Vermont hardcore/noisecore/metal act (leaning heavily metal, if you ask me) Drowningman are one of the strongest acts out there nowadays. Their last recording, the sonically powerful EP _How They Light Cigarettes in Prison_, was punishing. The new disc is even -more- punishing. Blistering guitar riffs, hardcore momentum and vocals (crazed and melodic) spill out at you in a feverish pace, leaving little time to get out of the way. These guys could easily crush any band live -- and I'm willing to put money on that. Choice cuts: "When People Become Numbers", "This Year's Most Fashionable Signs of Weakness" and "The Truly Dangerous Nature of a Man Who Doesn't Care If He Lives or Dies". Man, those are great song titles. End It - _End It_ (, August 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) Now this is the way I like these six-song EPs to sound: dirty, fast and without a care in the world. Gritty rock 'n' roll metal machine End It don't do much fancy guitar work or sprinkle any melodies on this batch of material, which features a pretty good cover of Entombed's "Out of Hand". Kind of like a mix between The Obsessed and maybe Motorhead, throw in some chug-chug Entombed riffs/vocals and you've got an idea where these bastards are coming from. As you might expect, the songs are pretty short, rarely going beyond the three-minute mark. I was sold after the rough opener "Skull Issues". To put it in simpler terms: End It came, saw and conquered. Contact: 180 Rosetta Auburn Hills, MI 48326, USA mailto:endit@angelfire.com Ephel Duath - _Phormula_ (Code666, 2000) by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) These Italians try to stretch the boundaries of creativity within black metal in a manner somewhat akin to some of Solefald's efforts, though using very different processes. Leaving behind the Solefald comparison -- for it serves only to illustrate a certain apparent similarity of purposes (innovating with very avant-garde black metal) -- Ephel Duath use everything from strange tempos and baffling guitars to unusual keyboard work to concoct a mixture of both successful and somewhat disjointed sequences throughout _Phormula_. Some passages manage to be simultaneously innovative and enjoyable; some others, however innovative they may try to be, end up subtracting a bit from their respective track's overall value. There is a feeling of weirdness throughout the record that can either be quite challenging or rather infuriating depending on the listener -- as far as I'm concerned, it depends on the -day- itself: although I do like it, this is not a record I'd listen to any day. Nevertheless, the drum machine is well used and the band seems to have enough skill to match most of their experimentation, and despite some less than perfect passages, _Phormula_ still scores quite high in both the experimentation and enjoyability departments, which is always an achievement. Contact: http://www.code666.cjb.net Extol - _Undecieved_ (Endtime / SolidState, 2000) by: Alex Cantwell (8 out of 10) After repeated listens to _Undecieved_, Extol's second full-length offering, I still cannot pinpoint the exact emotion I have about it. You see, Extol is my favorite band, and therefore they cannot escape being judged more carefully than most music that comes my way. Allow me to comment upon the music first and foremost. On one hand, I am excited that they have achieved such a level of technical brilliance as foreshadowed on their previous EP _Mesmerized_ [CoC #42], and as made evident on _Undecieved_, but the songs on this album are not very -easy- to listen to, because they require concentration from the listener just to follow along with them. The album is full of mad scales and melodies, but most are dark and depressive, as are many of the main riffs, especially the conclusion of the title track and the whole of "Shelter". On the other hand, all of the technical playing takes quite a bit away from the black metal aspect of the band, which managed to shine through brilliantly despite all of the scales and melodies present on their previous full-length _Burial_ [CoC #34], but more importantly makes it sound less Norwegian, and that is just not a good thing. However, power is one thing certainly not lacking, as drummer Pete Sandoval, er, I mean David Husvik hammers away with reckless precision, and the first three tracks are among the most powerful songs the band has written. Extol have never been either black nor death, but have always combined the two with great success. I propose that in years to come, _Undecieved_ will be looked upon as their "death metal album". With twelve tracks in all, including three instrumentals (one of which is actually a guest appearance from Sanctum), a few lengthy, wah-soaked leads, and several beautiful Grieg-esque orchestrated passages to break things up a bit, Extol actually do succeed in translating every ounce of energy that they possess in a live setting onto the plastic, which is a rare accomplishment indeed (in part due to the extremely clear and powerful production, another accomplishment seeing as how it was self-produced by the band). Regarding the vocals, lead vocalist Peter Espevoll has gained much strength, and has also successfully diversified his vocals much more than in the past. He's got the death growl thing down, he's mastered the black metal rasp (although with much more ferociousness and conviction than most), but he is also adding some twists and turns tweaks to his sick craft, as witnessed in "Of Light and Shade" (1:55 to 2:18) and the "vomiting" that occurs on several words in "Inferno", as well as other various occurrences. Guitarist Ole Borud has also stepped up to the mic on several tracks with a singing voice not far removed from the style of Fate's Warning's Ray Alder, which is obviously an impressive feat and adds something totally unique to this band. All in all, _Undecieved_ is a brilliant metal creation that will indeed withstand the test of time (at least in my collection), but Extol's greatest work is still ahead of them. Contact: Solid State Records, P.O. Box 12698, Seattle, WA 98111, USA Contact: Endtime Productions, P.O. Box 17142, SE-402 61 Gothenburg, Sweden mailto:endtime@durling.com Figure Four - _No Weapon Formed Against Us_ (Facedown, 2000) by: Alex Cantwell (8 out of 10) These youngsters from Winnipeg have whipped up one heck of a debut album on the fledgling Facedown Records. Don't ask me what a Figure Four is, but I can tell you that they are an extremely tight hardcore band, full of energy, fury and passion for their craft. I'm not exactly sure about their ages, but I saw them live not too long ago, and I can assure you they still have some years of school ahead of them. Their sound is a combination of all things East Coast hardcore with a strong Sick of it All influence, which I imagine they would humbly deny, but I'm telling you they are -that- good. There must be some kind of strong hardcore scene in or around Winnipeg, because these guys have obviously had some sort of strong influence on them regarding all facets of the band; their music, their image and their live show. I hope these guys continue in the path that they have chosen, because they are too good not to. Contact: mailto:figurefour204@hotmail.com Funker Vogt - _Maschine Zeit_ (Metropolis, 2000) by: Aaron McKay (7.5 out of 10) Not having had as long of a career as, say, Wumpscut, Funker Vogt nonetheless pulls their own sizeable weight in the electro, stripped-industrial movement. I've grown to appreciate this band more and more ever since _Maschine Zeit_ was brought to my attention by a good friend awhile back. An authoritative convergence and an unclean vocal style were two primary factors attracting me to Funker Vogt. Bruising dance-esque drop beats litter the nearly sixty-minute soundscape on _Maschine Zeit_ making it terribly interesting to listen to through all of the release's wavy textures. Some background worth mentioning might include Funker Vogt's participation in at least eight compilations since beginning in 1995. Also, as I understand it, the group acquired their name from a close friend of Gerrit Thomas (synth / programming / backing vocals), one of the band's two members. This friend is/was a radio operator in the German armed forces. The word for his position translates into German as "Funker". Excellent, thought-provoking lyrics, yielding some glistening gems such as "Nuclear Winter" and the chorus on "Maschine Zeit". Not nearly as adventurous as Wumpscut, FV has a bare charm particular to them individually. I might have hoped for another layer or two in _Maschine Zeit_'s core sound, but this is a personal preference, I believe, and it sure as hell isn't a reason not to let Funker Vogt attach itself to your curiosity and worn its way into your collection if you're receptive. Contact: http://www.metropolis-records.com Contact: http://www.funker-vogt.com Various - _Gateway to Hell 2: Tribute to Slayer_ (Dwell, 2000) by: Aaron McKay (6 out of 10) Having never heard the original _Gateway to Hell_, I could have possibly gone with a 7 or maybe a 7.5 out of 10 on this follow-up, but I must confess that _Gateway to Hell_ is still the better of the two, in my opinion. Why do I say this? The first tribute to Slayer displayed near perfect works, as you might recall, from Dark Funeral ("Dead Skin Mask"), Monstrosity ("Angel of Death") and Sadistic Intent ("Necrophiliac"). This one boasts a few favorites as well, like Angel Corpse's cover of "Kill Again", Abigor's version of "Crionics" and of course Incantation's reworking of "Hell Awaits" is next to sublime. I will give an honorable mention to Cephalic Carnage here pertaining to their interpretation of "Jesus Saves". I'm a newcomer to the Cephalic Carnage fan-fold, but their effort on this tribute does nothing but further my favorable impression of the band. Where I was most pleasantly surprised was on this CD's excellent production; it was clear, unblemished and it truly made an enjoyable listen. If you are a sucker for tributes and/or clamor for everything that is Slayer, I'd be of the opinion that you might want this one, too. Gold fur Eisen - _Kein Morgan_ (, August 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (9.5 out of 10) Things just happen. Life is so full of surprises; sometimes you are prepared for them and sometimes you are not. You just deal with it and hopefully in the end you come out better for what you have been faced with. Doing Chronicles of Chaos for the last five years has been a very exciting time for me. Not only because of the great friends I have made doing this (props going out to all of the CoC staff!), but also coming in contact with some of the coolest bands out there -- whether they are mainstream-sounding or just so bizarre that a simple review would do it no justice. Such is the case with German four-piece Gold fur Eisen, a truly remarkable band that seems to elude any real genre tagging but still sound so familiar in talent and ideas. The music, a radiating bombshell of metallic riffing, oddball vocals and just plain lunacy, is a six-song release that just shakes the foundations of what music should be about. Just letting go and seeing where it all ends up. No need to follow trends or stick with a certain sound. Gold fur Eisen are about making music and doing it in such a manner that others' thoughts (good or bad) make no impression on them. I have listened to this disc the most this month of reviews and I still do not get bored from it. Maybe it is just the free-flowing spirit of ideas or the fact that the band sings solely in German? I don't know, but I'm infatuated with this band and I'm hoping that I still feel this way a year from now, 'cause this is too neat to lose sight of. Hats off to Gold fur Eisen for providing us metalheads with a truly sincere mindfuck. Contact: Gold fur Eisen, PF 1011413, 17019 Neubrandenburg, Germany http://www.goldfuereisen.de Haemorrhage - _Loathesongs_ (Morbid, September 2000) by: Paul Schwarz (4 out of 10) The pure simplicity of many of the minute long death grinders covered herein, and the fact that they differ little from their originals even in playing style, essentially leaves Haemorrhage's covers sounding flat and pointless. The songs are never as good, and never better, just very much the same as the originals. So why bother with them? Do you need a worse version of a good (or sometimes average...) grindcore/death tune? I doubt it. Elsewhere, the band attempt to cover Suicidal Tendencies (revealing that they lack considerably in knee-length socks and hardcore attitude) and UFO (to odd but uninteresting effect). Entombed and Carcass are the most well-known names from Haemorrhage's musical turf covered here and the more or less average tracks chosen are executed in a workmanlike manner, exemplifying their inherent pointlessness while displaying that Haemorrhage have none of the flair of their predecessors. All round, a well played waste of time and money, and it's an MCD. Hateplow - _The Only Law Is Survival_ (Pavement Music, August 2000) by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) With ex-Suffocation drummer Dave Culross replacing the deceased Larry Hawk, Hateplow (a project that is helmed by Phil Fasciana and Rob Barret of Malevolent Creation) certainly guaranteed an impressive rhythmic backbone for _The Only Law Is Survival_. And indeed, following some rather impressive cover art, the onslaught is merciless as the band unleashes some devastating death/grind of remarkable quality. Not only does their musical delivery reach unusually high levels of aggression, but the technical skill and precision one might expect from looking, for example, at Malevolent Creation's _The Fine Art of Murder_ is here as well. There is also a certain level of similarity between _The Only Law Is Survival_ and _The Fine Art of Murder_ during some of the slower sections, which is expectable given the current Hateplow line-up. Some punk influences on a couple of tracks seem rather excessive to me, however and I don't think they fit too well with the hyperspeed brutality that dominates most of the album, but fortunately they seldom appear during _The Only Law Is Survival_. Meanwhile, the production, if you listen to the record loud enough, does a good job of keeping things simultaneously brutal and clear. Not a groundbreaking album, but certainly one that pushes some things quite close to their limits at times. A thoroughly enjoyable slab of brutality. In Aeternum - _The Pestilent Plague_ (Necropolis, August 2000) by: Aaron McKay (6 out of 10) Here we go: another devilishly elegant slab of CD lawlessness, a la In Aeternum style, that is nearly impossible to review plausibly. I'm reminded here of The New Yorker and Harper's magazines columnist E.B. White, who was known for his essays lightly satirizing the complexities of modern life and once professing, "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." I feel the same way about analyzing In Aeternum's newest release, _The Pestilent Plague_. My score on this review fluctuated greatly depending on many things ranging from to -who- it was I had just finished listening -- to -what- time of day I was again spinning this disc. I compromised and gave _The Pestilent Plague_ the median score between my highest and lowest point values. I'll say this, In Aeternum has numbed, refined and chilled their sound somewhat since 1998's _Forever Blasphemy_, which I freely admit wasn't my favorite effort. The frozen maturity of _The Pestilent Plague_ may have something to do with Tommy Tagtgren's assistance at the Abyss Studios, but I attribute it more to In Aeternum in general and more-than-likely the slot they had opening for Immortal of their European tour, but this is simply conjecture on my part. I hear points of view that tie In Aeternum comparatively to Angel Corpse and Dissection (both great losses to the metal community), but I do not share that opinion. If I would permit the bridging of these bands in my own mind, In Aeternum would sure suffer in the bronze slot after the aforementioned powerhouse groups. Use your best judgement here, readers; In Aeternum is certainly brutal and chilling death metal with a new found petrified sound, but not a lot of meat to keep you returning to the bone to gorge upon. Into the Sunless Meridian - _Into the Sunless Meridian_ by: Alex Cantwell (0.5 out of 10) (Near Dark, 1999) I thought that I would be in store for some great, artsy European metal with a name like Into the Sunless Meridian, but I was disappointed to find that it is but a solo project of some guy named Mikael from New York. Drat. Mikael conjures up a weak attempt to bring back the glory days of thrash, with severe leanings towards a Mercyful Fate sound (he even does a cover of "A Corpse Without Soul" and throws horrible King Diamond vocal renditions into several other songs). The material on this release was recorded from 1994 to 1997, so there is no real consistency or good musical flow, and in most parts the guitar sound leaves a lot to be desired. In summary, this is a demo in disguise that someone at Near Dark, while suffering from temporary insanity, decided to press onto disc. Contact: Near Dark Productions, Box 40, 860 30 Sorberge, Sweden mailto:dreamweaver@telia.com Iron Maiden - _Brave New World_ (Capitol, May 2000) by: Paul Schwarz (6 out of 10) To unearth my reasons for reviewing this "high profile" release in CoC's hallowed "underground" pages, look up my review of Pantera's _Reinventing the Steel_ [CoC #48], insert classic as an adjective where appropriate, amplify influence factor by at least tenfold, and change the decade from the nineties to the eighties. On another note, be assured that the timing of this review is not just down to a perpetually hectic schedule and a two month visit to Argentina, for much as I was disgusted enough on first listen to not be able to finish the entirety of _Brave New World_ past track six, I have since given it repeated spins now totalling in excess of twenty. I have "lived" with this record, and as an Iron Maiden fan. In the words of _BNW_'s final song, there is a thin line between love and hate, and Iron Maiden's comeback with Bruce Dickinson -- back and happily exercising the air-raid siren -- exemplifies perfectly how possible it is to love and hate the same group of musicians, to differing degrees, over nearly seventy(!) minutes of music. Especially after repeated spins, love is definitely the initial emotion evoked by Iron Maiden's twelfth offering. "The Wicker Man" (the album's single and video) is assuredly _BNW_'s finest moment, despite being overlong, excessively anthemic, and repetitive; symptoms of the album's ultimate downfall from start to finish. It isn't surprising to find that Adrian Smith took the greatest part in the creation of this stomping opener, though it's unfortunate that he ripped off Judas Priest's "Running Wild" -- opening riff = identical -- to do so. From here on it proves to be a bumpy ride. "Flight of the Navigator" has its moments but is ultimately maybe a little pretentious; the title track is cleanly structured and adequately evocative but no classic; "Blood Brothers" combines _Load_-era Metallica with Manowar and its first chorus enters after 40 seconds: need I say more?; "Mercenary" is nothing but cannon fodder. It terminated my first listening of _BNW_, and after repeated spins the wholly overlong "Dream of Mirrors" -- and its totally excessively repeated chorus -- fails to evoke any other desire in me. After the flat "Fallen Angel" and god-awful "The Nomad" have dragged by, "Out the Silent Planet" proves to be the only other song on _BNW_ that I can happily listen to all the way through. It injects some -pleasantly- anthemic and powerful riffing laced with pleasant melodies and boasting a -pleasingly- catchy chorus. "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" then closes things off in distinctly lukewarm, unspectacular style. It feels strange to advise a band with years of experience behind them and, we assume, megatons of talent still in them about arrangement and song selection, but at a rough estimate I'd say Maiden could've cut _Brave New World_ down to about half (discarding the fat of inadequate songs and unnecessary repetitions) and come out with a better and eminently more -listenable- album. You see, _BNW_'s greatest asset is that it is Iron Maiden who made it. The musicianship and melodic sensibility is present and correct, and Bruce Dickinson, though maybe not -as- spectacular as on certain past releases, is nonetheless still in possession of some of the finest lungs in the metal world. Many other bands (see current Century Media and Nuclear Blast rosters for details) would probably have performed _BNW_ a lot worse, more obviously exposing its considerable shortcoming. However, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that Maiden have released an album which, by their standards, is verging on the diabolically bad and not just merely the so-so level of witnessed in Bruce's final early nineties days with the band. A Maiden album is not necessarily a good album -- though the weakness of _BNW_ is hard to understand considering the high quality and sheer metalness Dickinson's last solo offering, 1998's _A Chemical Wedding_ -- I hope the band collectively remember that for next time. Honestly speaking though, I don't think Maiden will ever again make an album that I will feel the need to own. Isis - _Celestial_ (Escape Artist, September 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) The work of Isis has always been met with critical acclaim, from their _Mosquito Coast_ EP a few years back onto their _Red Sea_ disc for Second Nature last year and up until now. _Celestial_ is a strong statement from a band that thrives on noise, aggression and lack of conformity. The sounds of the new disc pile upon us like a major car crash, burying us beneath a heaping pound of abstract sounds, doomy sludge-like guitars and ample feedback. The music of _Celestial_ is a wake-up call to the power and intensity that Isis has been able to capture on disc ("Glisten" and "Collapse and Crash"), but more noticeably live. The disc rocks from start to finish and Isis don't hold punches. Wallow in pain as Isis torture you to their sounds and visions. Hard to swallow, but worth digesting. Isis leave no weak links on _Celestial_. Are we all ready for Isis? Let's hope so, 'cause I'm pretty sure these boys are still stockpiling emotions for the long haul. Jane Doe 69 - _Snakeskin_ (, 2000) by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10) Too bad Jane Doe 69 still can't shake off some more of their own influences most of the time. They seem to jump from influence to influence throughout the majority of this second MCD of theirs -- Machine Head, Sepultura, Korn: it's all here. Boasting very competent production and playing, _Snakeskin_ is, if regarded independently of everything else that's going on in the music industry, a strong record that does show considerable potential. But when a band tends to remind you too often of some other bands' most peculiar characteristics, things begin to take a turn for the worse, and that's the case with JD69. Much like _Scars_ [CoC #48], _Snakeskin_ shows that the band still needs more creativity of its own, instead of creativity that's constantly being tainted with excessively obvious influences. They have improved since their previous release, and still look like they can evolve into something more interesting in the future, but there still seems to be quite a bit to change in their musical approach before that happens. Contact: http://www.janedoe69.cjb.net Jester's Funeral - _Quicksilverlight_ by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10) (Black Arrow / Point Music, 2000) I have got to hand it to this German power/heavy metal quintet calling themselves Jester's Funeral. Not only does the band have an incredible amount of mystique and imagery making up their record packaging, they have got a solid and truly powerful sound to go along with it. From the opening chords of "Jester's Empire" onto "Traveler", "Eternal Is the End" and "Astrocry", the band keeps the listener interested. Whether it be the strong guitar riffs or the melodic choruses, Jester's Funeral easily wins you over with each track as it plays. With shades of Blind Guardian, Iced Earth and at times even old Metallica, Jester's Funeral helps paint a fresh picture on a genre of music that has been known to go stale on a regular basis. Not this time, as _Quicksilverlight_ is truly a champion-like effort. Contact: mailto:contact@jestersfuneral.de http://www.jestersfuneral.de Various - _Jump in the Pit -- A Tribute to Testament_ (Dwell, 2000) by: Alex Cantwell (7.5 out of 10) Testament has been a strong force in the world of metal, even as far back as when they were frequenting such places as Ruthie's Inn when they were known as Legacy. With the exception of Metallica, Testament are the only other living witness to the once-burgeoning Bay Area thrash scene, and have continued to have staying power for the duration of their existence. _Jump in the Pit_ offers the chance for some underground bands to pay tribute to a band that still matters, and generally (and surprisingly) fare pretty well. Of course it must be taken into consideration that this is Testament the bands are covering, so obviously the vocal performance is going to be of great importance, and then they have the lead work of Alex Skolnik, Eric Peterson and James Murphy to contend with! Opening the disc, Fury do a bang-up job of "Dog Faced Gods", and their vocalist sounds the closest to Chuck Billy of all the bands on the disc. Wasteland's version of "Time Is Coming" is right-on musically and features an almost black metal vocal performance, but suffers a bit in the areas of guitar sound and production. Prototype and Scary German Guy get right down to business on "Into the Pit" and "Face in the Sky", respectively, adding in some quick double-bass and great lead work. Cold turn in a fairly powerful version of "Perilous Nation", and Ultimatum's version of "Sins of Omission" is quite impressive, and even as they took a bit of creative licence with the beginning, the leads, a bridge and the ending, it has the uniqueness of sounding like a Testament song, as well as a Ultimatum song. (Also, as an aside, I had the privilege of playing bass on this track with the guys, since it was my suggestion for them to do the song, but I swear my minimal contribution in no way has an impact regarding what I think of the song or the CD itself -- but I sure think the bass sound could have been better!) Horror of Horrors, however, does not fare well with their take on "Return to Serenity", turning in a weak guitar performance and a vocal performance that is just plain bad. On the other hand, Catch 22's vocalist really gets into "Trial by Fire", even throwing some power metal screams in there, and their additions to the original leads and complete reworking of the middle section of the song are quite good. Blackend thrash away on "Practice What You Preach" with great skill and musical dexterity, but the vocalist has a -very- thick German accent and takes some getting used to. Closing this tribute are Delusion and Habeas Corpus, who tackle the high speed ragers "Ride" and "Nightmare", respectively, both with success. This is a good tribute, methinks, because the bands rise to the challenge of playing some difficult music, and paying their respects to a band that has had a direct influence on their sound, and the track selection is very close to what I would ask for personally. Contact: Dwell Records, P.O. Box 39439, Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA http://www.dwellrecords.com Juno Reactor - _Shango_ (Metropolis, October 2000) by: Aaron McKay (8.5 out of 10) This label is making things pretty easy -- most of their artists are completely enjoyable and easy to appreciate. Juno Reactor is no exception. About three years ago, the band had a brief stint on Wax Trax / TVT for their _Bible of Dreams_ release, their fourth album. Since the band's formation in the early 1990s, it would appear that experience has been a kind teacher to Ben Watkins and Stephan Holwick, Juno Reactor's two current collaborators. _Shango_'s inspired trance-techno sound has been meticulously combed into a truly sanctified listening experience. A fine working through complicating their techno approach with samples and dubbing, Juno Reactor has mastered the term "trance" with _Shango_. By "trance", I certainly do not mean boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. "Trance" in the sense of your first beer of the evening after a long day of laboring outdoors. I also feel celestial vibes from this effort like watching a Pink Floyd laser light show at mid-night in late July. The band's potential has not gone unnoticed, either. Having tracks appear on movies such as "Lost in Space" and "Mortal Kombat", among others, Juno Reactor now stands on the brink of releasing the musical score for "Beowulf", which, I understand, stars Christopher Lambert. Furthermore, former Billy Idol guitarist and ex-Atomic Playboys pioneer, Steve Stevens, entwines his considerable skill to the first cut off of _Shango_, "Pistolero". The song, though not my favorite on this release, gives the listener a nearly exclusive gaze inside Mr. Stevens's expansive talent while flavoring JR's track with a Spanish flair and zest. I mention these things only because I felt an undercurrent within myself swelling with outrage that I had not realized JR before this point in my life. As you can see, their talents have been utilized in many great ways prior to _Shango_. This newest offering would be a fine place to jump inside Juno Reactor's soaring macrocosm to cease your endless drifting through the cosmos of merely adequate bands seemingly polluting the atmosphere recently. Killing Machine - _Killing Machine_ (Candlelight, September 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (6.5 out of 10) I'll admit, after the first listen of the opening title track, I thought this record was going to just stink to high heaven. The over the top progressive metal style vocals, the wanker guitar solos -- Killing Machine was showcasing all of these signs big time. Then came track #2, "Judgement Day", and my fears had subsided somewhat, as the band had toned down things a bit, and got real gritty with their playing as the disc went on. With members of W.A.S.P. (drummer Stet Howland and bassist Mike Duda), guitar player Peter Scheithaur and ex-Loudness singer Michael Vescera making up the pack, it is quite easy to write this off as a "super group" of sorts. Well it isn't. Far from it, my friends. Even though the band shakes things up a bit, I can't seem to get past the wanker-like guitar solos and the Slaughter-like (early '90s rock band) vocals of Vescera. This also sounds a bit cliche as it unfolds. A rocking debut for sure, but it is more "miss" than "hit". Various - _King Diamond Tribute_ (Necropolis, July 2000) by: Aaron McKay (7 out of 10) Ranging from King Diamond's plentiful back catalog stretching to pick-up 1985's single "No Presents for Christmas", covered extremely well by Exhumed, through my favorite KD album, _Them_, to 1998's _Voodoo_ release. I'm not sure I have to labor on the impact King Diamond has marked on metal's malleable surface, so suffice it to say, Necropolis's decision to pull this tribute off was a classy one. What isn't so classy is Ancient's cover of "Halloween" on this offering. Now, being a fan of _Svartalvheim_ and _Trolltaar_, this is no effortless criticism for me to make. "Halloween" was much better on _Fatal Portrait_ and should have been left there, untouched by Ancient here. Now, that out of the way, most of the other covers are fair and pretty well done. Of this next tier of groups, Fallen Empire's version of "The Exorcist" (_Voodoo_) and the unsigned band Enthrall doing "The Portrait" are arguably the best of the batch. The standouts on this tribute are staggering. Dark Funeral's version of "The Trail" (from my least favorite KD album, _The Eye_) is walloping. This track can also be found on DF's EP _Teach Children to Worship Satan_ [CoC #48] (again, quite a bovine title for such a great EP). Anyway, moving on, as I brought up earlier, Exhumed's cover of the single "No Presents for Christmas" is arresting, humorous and tormenting all at the same time, but Agressor's take on "Welcome Home" from _Them_ is truly my favorite song on this eleven track tribute to one of the most (if not -the most-) recognizable faces in metal. A worthwhile compilation here if anything mentioned in the lines above strike a chord with you or if, for whatever reason, you've just pulled yourself out of the primordial morass of radio bullshit. Kreuzfeuer - _Blut fur Blut_ (Endzeit Klange, 2000) by: Alvin Wee (8 out of 10) While Germany remains the undisputed land of melodic power metal and the like, more extreme forms of metal have been festering in the Teutonic depths. Sadly, the quality of such has been questionable, with even the more successful names like Nagelfar and Moonblood hardly making a dent on the international underground, with the exception of certain non-musical achievements (read: Absurd) making relative headlines. As such, it's rare to come across a German band not entirely motivated by anti-Semitic sentiments. Kreuzfeuer remain an enigma despite my repeated attempts to analyse the driving force behind them. A direct, simple description is in order: the surprisingly professional layout belies the nature of this obscure private pressing, and suggests a slab of brutal, war-obsessed death metal. The music, however, is a total shock, opening with a strange chant leading into a catchy, almost cheerful play of rollicking riffs and whimsical(?) synth, a greater surprise coming in the form of a "Hallelujah" chorus!!! The purist in me dismisses such metal irreverence as pure sacrilege; the actual effect is more appealing than it sounds on paper, and a few more spins is all it takes to start me (secretly) humming along. The sheer tongue in cheek mood seems to pervade the entire album, the mostly merry, catchy tunes clashing bizarrely with the pensive, sombre lyrics. Rather than detract from the effect of the album, this jarring juxtaposition serves to drive home the message with an irony as yet unmatched in the genre. Heavy metal riffs war with guttural growls and highly memorable solos, creating melodic soundscapes most Gothenburg clones would do well to learn from. The very talent for crafting pure foot-tapping melodies song after song is incredibly obvious in just one listening, and to dismiss this band as a mere joke (which they are, in their own unique way) is to miss out on one of the most interesting bands to come out of the German underground in recent years. The fate of such an experimental piece of work is already decided: like most other over-the-top progressives, this band is likely to languish in relative obscurity. Most listeners would be tempted to label Kreuzfeuer as a meaningless "fun" band, but it doesn't take much to realize the potential of this highly unique record. Distribution and promotion is obviously a problem with records like this (this review copy was obtained for my own distro through a supplier), and therefore obtaining a copy might prove difficult. I highly recommend the more adventurous to contact the band directly. Contact: mailto:tattoo@01019freenet.de Lesser Known - _Higher Levels_ (LKE Entertainment, September 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) There has always been something very likeable about the frenzied, hard rocking work of Windsor, Ontario act Lesser Known. I mean, I give them points just for being from my birthplace, but there is a bit more than that to all of this. I think the reason why I like the band is their ability to have melody mesh well with a cool groove. It doesn't work all the time, which is why I give this four-song EP somewhat low marks, but they do hit a stride and those are the ones worth mentioning. Opener "This New World" (there is also another version at the end of the EP) is good, but weak in my books compared to the hard-like feel of "Hell Ya!" and the ultra-rockin' "Underdog". I guess this EP is good as a segue between their last solid disc _Inner Beast_ and whatever else they have ready to roll in the future. At least these guys have their act together and are still going strong after some years. If they didn't have that going for them, I'd have sent them applications for McDonald's. Liber Spirituum - _Frugativi et Appellativi_ by: Adrian Bromley (4 out of 10) (, August 2000) I hate to start things off in the red, but here goes: this is one of the worst releases I have heard in terms of production. The sound is just so muffled and sometimes the guitar solos fade in and out. I know this death metal (though blackened at times) charge is geared on punishing the listener with severe blows bestowed upon us by their righteous words and musical onslaughts, but the weak production turns what could have been a promising killing machine into a muddled pool of noises. Yawn! I admit the intensity is there (tracks "Fuck You Christ (Ancient God of Lying and Betraying)" or "The Law of Forbidden (Occult Art of Seduction and Manipulation"), but Liber Spirituum end up shooting wide as the disc carries on. Too bad, as this sucker is full of hate. Contact: P.O. Box 17-03-774, Quito, Ecuador mailto:jcmaqhe@uio.satnet.net Mark D - _The Silent Treatment_ (Lunasound Recording, 2000) by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10) At its best sounding almost like what could have been the soundtrack to some booze-drenched Tarantino-like movie, this solo release by the man who's worked as producer and bass player for the Melvins in the past is a strange yet appealing disc. One can often almost picture a small, darkened hotel room with worn-out curtains filtering some of the light from a neon sign shining in the night outside, in the middle of some desert-like American location, and... well, you get the picture, and I'll try to avoid writing a cliche-ridden novel instead of a review. The music on _The Silent Treatment_ can equally sound quite depressed or present you with a bouncy bass line; varied but mostly sombre vocal styles are combined with a heavily distorted guitar sound courtesy of engineer Joe Barresi (Kyuss, Monster Magnet, etc.) and dark atmospheres. Things can indeed go from rather sombre and depressed all the way to groovy stuff, but both are generally well achieved on _The Silent Treatment_; the mixture may not always work entirely well, but despite being a rather excessively long record, the overall result and atmosphere is still reasonably interesting. Contact: mailto:luna@ettnet.se Martyr - _Warp Zone_ (, 2000) by: Brian Meloon (10 out of 10) The year 2000 has been an incredible year for fans of technical metal. This year has brought not only the long awaited debut of Spiral Architect [CoC #48], but also the Listenable re-issue of Theory in Practice's _The Armageddon Theories_ [CoC #46], the reformation of Watchtower, and now Martyr's second offering, _Warp Zone_. This album improves on their debut _Hopeless Hopes_ in almost every way possible. While their debut was very Death-ish in its approach, _Warp Zone_ could better be described as Spiral Architect meets Meshuggah, with the occasional Death influence. While it's not quite as technical as Spiral Architect, it makes up for this by being much more original. Their music is extremely complex, switching tempos and riffs often throughout each irregularly-structured song. They utilize a variety of riff styles, changing from chunky to intricate to melodic and back again at a rapid pace. While some of the riffs are somewhat derivative, there are a number of excellent original ideas thrown around, and the songs are structured in such a way that it remains fresh and interesting. The playing is excellent on all counts, and even the guitar solos are well done. Even though each member's parts are very technical, the group is very tight. The production is excellent: very heavy and crystal clear. The songwriting is a little disjointed at times, and occasionally I'm left scratching my head wondering "Why'd they do -that-?", but overall it's quite good. This is absolutely essential for fans of technical metal, and fans of original and innovative metal should check it out as well. Metalium - _State of Triumph -- Chapter Two_ (Pavement, 2000) by: Aaron McKay (3 out of 10) I feel there is very little room in music for outfits like this and what meager space remains is more than adequately filled by Manowar's back catalog. Metalium is "triumph metal" (whatever the hell -that- means), so hence the title of the release. Formulated, paint-by-numbers metal is about all you can expect with this follow-up to Metalium's first effort, _Millennium Metal -- Chapter One_. Boy, something tells me I am glad I missed that effort altogether. _State of Triumph_ forces images of Europe, _Final Countdown_ era, meets Journey meets Lillian Axe or Styx into my mind. The three points this CD did manage to accumulate come from the mature separation between instruments; there is a heavy emphasis on clear musical distinction. That Metalium do impressively. Also there is a screen saver program on this disc. This, at least, is something different from the "flying through space" and "3D maze/pipes" that seem to be everywhere because of Windows. Celebrate triumphantly by buying another disc like classic Manowar. One can't go wrong with _Kings of Metal_, _Sign of the Hammer_ or if you -must- have the word "triumph" in the title, _The Triumph of Steel_ just isn't too bad either. As for _State of Triumph -- Chapter Two_, some things are better left unwritten. Mortification - _10 Years Live Not Dead_ (Metal Blade, 2000) by: Alex Cantwell (6 out of 10) This is the third live release from these Aussies that most metal people love to hate. No matter what your opinion is of this band, though, you have to admire their persistence, and especially that of lead man / bassist / vocalist Steve Rowe, as his bout with leukaemia has brought him close to death many times over the past few years. Mortification has always had a unique sound, somewhat grounded in the style of Sodom and Kreator, and over the years has morphed from a thrash/death outfit to death/grind and back to thrash, but have been moving towards a more "classic metal" sound since the formation of the current line-up, which is rounded out by Lincoln Bowen on guitar and Keith Banister on drums, who have both been in the band since 1996, making the longest lasting Mortification line-up ever. The lead off track is a new song entitled "Dead Man Walking" about the leukemia struggle, and is fairly powerful but nothing to write home about. There is also a medley done in the way that Metallica combines a slew of old songs together (a technique which I absolutely abhor) and includes bits from "Lymphosarcoma", "Destroyer Beholds", "Distarnish Priest" (during which Steve commands everybody to "jump" -- gack!), and "Love Song". Besides the inclusion of those "songs", the furthest they go back into their catalogue for this disc is "Mephibosheth" from 1995's _Primitive Rhythmn Machine_ [see CoC #3 for Gino's less than glowing review of that album]. The weaker moments of this performance include "Chapel of Hope" and "Liberal Mediocrity", as they are not energetic enough songs to be included in a live Mortification performance, if you ask me. The highlights include "Buried Into Obscurity", "Martyrs", "Peace in the Galaxy" and "Hammer of God", which to me made the disc worth owning. Because of the current style of music that Mortification is doing, besides their hardcore Christian supporters who gobble up everything the band does, I'm not sure who their audience is, and it is evident that their impact on the secular music scene has been lessening over the years (even though they have enjoyed a healthy amount of European exposure courtesy of Nuclear Blast over the last eight years), as I don't know one single metalhead who is not a Jesus freak that would even give them the time of day. But as this live CD testifies, that is certainly not due to their lack of musical talent, but rather to the hostility aimed at Christians in general in the metal scene. Myopia - _Concentration of Suffering_ (, August 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) Okay... since the disc has been finished, there have been changes. Singer Dave "The Butcher", who is on the disc, is now out of the band, and there have been some other changes in the band. Fuck!? Good thing I visit their website and check the news frequently. Guess we'll have to wait and see how this affects the band live and on the next recording. As for the recording in my hand, titled _Concentration of Suffering_, this is definitely a powerful and well-executed slab of brutal death metal. This West Coast act have really done their homework in terms of applying a real congruent and sickened style to their sound. The music oozes with intensity ("Onward to Extinction" and "Salvation in Death") as the band steamrolls through 24 minutes of mayhem. Strong production and a real professional attitude may just get these guys noticed. If you like brutal death metal, then let these Canucks rock your world! Contact: 1137 Renfrew Street, Vancouver V5K 4C1, Canada mailto:myopia666@crosswinds.net http://www.crosswinds.net/~myopia666/ Mythological Cold Towers - _Remoti Meridiani Hymni -- Towards the Magnificent Realm of the Sun_ by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) (Somber Music, August 2000) It is nice to hear music that has been laboured over for a long time. When one hears music like this, it becomes quite apparent just how much this music means to the artist. The hard work and determination pays off in the end as we are presented a wonderful and truly magnificent work of music to digest. The Brazilian outfit Mythological Cold Towers have no doubt worked extra hard to fine-tune their dark epic sound and style with _RMH_, a neat little expedition into the darkened world of epic metal, but with a real South American folklore twist. The vast use of folklore sounds, magnificent keyboard work adding harmony and the solid guitar work enhance the vocal delivery of singer Samej as the music of MTC flows effortlessly into a marvellous ride of emotions and sonic wonders. These guys really know how to play music -- not just as musicians, but as believers in the power of music. Get swept away by songs like the title track, "Glorious Traces of the Fall of Tahuantinsuyu" and "Colossal Megalithic Monument". MTC know exactly what buttons to push to draw us in. Contact: Somber Music, P.O. Box 2089, Osasco, SP 06114-990, Brazil mailto:somber@albnet.com.br Nightingale - _I_ (Black Mark, August 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (7.5 out of 10) The third instalment of superstar producer/musician Dan Swano's project Nightingale is easily his most accessible. Strong rock / prog rock harmonies, catchy hooks and solid beefed up production (great use of keyboards) make this release a great listen from "Scarred for Life" onto "Remorse and Regret" and the closing instrumental "Breathing". For all of you Swano junkies, lyrics for all three Nightingale releases are here. While Swano may have left Edge of Sanity and gone his own way with Odyssey, it is quite obvious that his love for rock / prog rock lies deep in his veteran heart. A worthy purchase for fans of his work. Nocturnal Rites - _Afterlife_ (Century Media, September 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) This band, even though they are primarily a power/melodic metal act, can sure turn up the juice when need be. I'm talking deafening roars of metallic ecstasy. While the new disc titled _Afterlife_ is a definite continuation of Nocturnal Rites' material, it doesn't really offer much diversity or groundbreaking work. A lot of the music here is very same sounding, a far cry from their diverse and definitely pounding 1998 record _Tales of Mystery and Imagination_. Nocturnal Rites is still going strong (check out numbers like "Hell and Back" and "The Devil's Child"), I just think the band didn't really try too hard to add another rung to their ladder of creativity here. I have to give them credit, though, as the production is frightfully crystal-clear from start to finish. I'm a little bummed out on how the overall record unfolds, but I'll let die-hard fans of the band make the final judgement call. Opera IX - _The Black Opera (Symphoniae Mysterioeum in Lauden Tenebrarum)_ (Avantgarde / Dwell, 2000) by: Aaron McKay (4 out 10) From what I am to gather about Opera IX (signed to Italy's Avantgarde label and licensed to Dwell), the band composes a sound-quest through cold occultism. _The Black Opera_ is, from all accounts, a concept album dealing with a spirit warrior campaigning for mystical knowledge within the spheres of evil. Now, here's what I hear vocally on _The Black Opera_: Dawn Crosby of Fear of God pre-_Toxic Voodoo_. Good? Yes, not too bad. Actually, Opera IX is fronted by Cadaveria, and not Ms. Cosby, of course, but the comparison is easily established within a minute or two on the first listen. The riffs on this disc are plenty catchy and ferociously rhythmic, but I found it difficult to swim through the atmosphere this band was trying to fashion. I'm not opposed to this occult ambience generally, and Opera IX's effort, while mature, is simply not a favorite of mine. That said, if it -is- something you relish, add a couple of points, at least. As for the positives, this group has no trouble fabricating mood even through the somewhat entangling Cadaveria/Crosby vocal issue I mentioned earlier; plenty of character on _The Black Opera_. Another sure plus is Opera IX's cover of Bauhaus's "Bela Lugosi's Dead", which I have on reunion double disc _Gotham_ from 1999, I believe. Supreme choice for this band. The entire CD clocks in at just over fifty-one minutes and, like I said, if you delight in murky plunges through the depths of female-fronted vocal concept occultism, Opera IX is right up your alley. For me, it's definitely a one-way road -- the other way. Ordained - _The Second Coming_ (Sinternational, September 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (7.5 out of 10) Sounding like a really down and nasty (even vicious) garage rock band, Virginia act Ordained manage to score points with their infectious choruses, singer The Reverend's tantalizing vocals and the downtuned guitars and hard-hitting rhythm section bringing up the rear. While the music might be typical hate-filled ditties, spurned on by aggressive cries and sinister Sabbath-like riffing, the surprising winning factor here is Ordained's ability to add emotion and atmosphere to the songs. Each song has its own emotion, but still each song is given 100% attention (i.e. "Beloved", "Destroyer" and "I Am the One") as it blares out of your speakers. A little bit shock rock, a little bit rock 'n' roll and a whole lot of devil worshipping seems to help fuel Ordained's need to get their message across. Message received, guys. Contact: 5621 S. Greenfield Drive, Portsmouth, VA 23703, USA http://www.ordained.net Origin - _Origin_ (Relapse, September 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (8.5 out of 10) There seems to be a lot going on within the confines of Origin's sound and style. Lots of brain-bashing, that is! From the opening assault of "Lethal Manipulation" onto the deadly crossfire of "Mental Torment", the members of death/grind act Origin have set out to rape us of our hearing and any sound intelligence that we might have had. Pummelling and unthoughtful of what happens to us, Origin came, conquered and left us crippled in a pool of our own vomit and urine. Pleasant thoughts these are not, but neither is Origin. Damn fine music to wreck your mind to. Contact: http://www.origin.tsx.org Physicist - _Physicist_ (HevyDevy Records, August 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) Listening to Devin Townsend's new project Physicist (following other great projects like Ocean Machine, Infinity and of course Strapping Young Lad) is like watching magician David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear. I'm left asking: how the fuck does he do it? Record after record, Townsend and his crew of metallers (most notably skin smasher Gene Hoglan) just push the envelope further by meshing truly powerful melodies with severe riffage and detonating forms of aggression. Loud, but no doubt a beautiful and jaw-dropping result. No doubt this is Townsend's most extreme trip yet into the wonderful world of metal music, but he does his best to make it as pleasant a trip as he possibly can. While my fave project of his is still SYL, this fucker delivers the goods. By the way, Devin, I am in total awe of the track "Death". WOW! Contact: P.O. Box 153, Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 7G1, Canada mailto:hevydevy@home.com http://www.hevydevyrecords.com Point of Recognition - _The Admiration of a Son_ (Rescue, 2000) by: Alex Cantwell (8 out of 10) If this is SoCal Hardcore, I want more. Point of Recognition is -extremely- metal, but has plenty of hardcore elements, and enough sing-along choruses to please any shaved head. These six young men have done very well for themselves with this, their debut. PoR slams out fast one-two punches most of the time, but the mid-tempo material is just as heavy, and most times more emotional. The music is top-notch new school hardcore, and the production is crystal clear. One unique thing that sets them apart for sure is that they have two vocalists: one who uses the traditional hardcore shouting, and one who is closer to the black metal register. Some would say that it is totally unnecessary to have two vocalists in a hardcore band, but I think it adds an incredible dynamic to the chaos that the band themselves churn out, and it sounds really cool when they trade off every other vocal line. Another advantage that PoR have on the competition is the ability to write great riffs, and _TAoaS_ is packed with them. I recently saw these guys live, and it was like witnessing an explosion of power and emotion, and unfortunately as good as this CD is, in no way does it capture the excitement of the band in a live setting. Contact: Rescue Records, 1075 Bay Blvd., Suite A, Chula Vista, CA 91911, USA Postmortem - _Storm Force_ (Morbid Records, June 2000) by: Pedro Azevedo (3 out of 10) Postmortem's attempts at a sort of watered-down, somewhat electronically tinged "death 'n' roll" fall quite short of ever being successful in the duration of this MCD. _Storm Force_ is mostly a collection of uninspired riffs, very poor vocals, annoying electronic sounds, mediocre use of a drum machine and a remarkable lack of ability to stand out and seize your attention. The result is redundant and uninteresting both for the absence of musical direction and its lacklustre execution. Well, at least they seem to give up their attempts to get people dancing early on the MCD, so most of it is at least a relief -- even if a somewhat mediocre one -- after the start of the record. Of course variety can be a good thing, but in my view Postmortem need to make up their mind as far as what style they want to play and then actually try to be good at it. Overall, this is a rather redundant collection of material that generally fails to present any real reasons why it should be noticed. Quo Vadis - _Day Into Night_ (, 1999) by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10) Quo Vadis are a Canadian band, and this is their second full-length album, following up their 1996 debut, _Forever..._. Their brand of thrash is straightforward and somewhat melodic. That is, it's not completely dominated by catchy hooks, but rather incorporates some melodic elements into a standard thrash setting. A good reference point would be the last three Death albums, though Quo Vadis are generally faster, heavier and more technical. However, their music isn't overly complex: generally, the songs are based upon a few distinct riffs which are incorporated into a fairly standard structure. As with most records, there are good and not-so-good riffs here; and the risk you take in basing a song around a handful of riffs is that none of them is good enough to carry the song. Unfortunately, that's what happens for a few songs here, as I find some of the riffs less-than-inspired. But the playing is very good: technical and tight. The production is excellent as well, with the exception of some of the guitar leads, which sound a little cheap in comparison to the rest of the music. At their best ("On the Shores of Ithaka"), these guys are excellent. If the whole album were as good as that song, this would be absolutely essential. As it is, it's a good album that will be enjoyed by fans of fast and heavy thrash. Redeem - _A Diadem of Beauty_ (Sofa, 1999) by: Alex Cantwell (9 out of 10) Remember from my review of Zao's _When Blood and Fire Bring Rest_ in CoC #34 when I prophesied that many new hardcore bands would adopt the use of black metal vocals? Probably not, but I really did say that(!), and with the release of Redeem and Point of Recognition my prophecy has only begun to unfurl before you. Redeem is sick. They take the most depressive feelings and pent-up aggressions and turn them into anthems of rage that fall somewhere around the ever-fading line that exists between hardcore, grind, noisecore and death metal, but yet they are the kind of band who will not be limited to those grounds, as evidenced in the instrumental "The Dayspring From on High". Being from New Jersey certainly must have its advantages when it comes to the metalcore/noisecore scene, as there are so many bands within this genre from the area. Redeem seem to be a ball of mad energy that can barely be contained on a disc, and their riffs just reach out and grab you, pulling you square into the face of vocalist Keith Lenox while he rips your head off with very personal lyrics performed in the sickest hardcore vocal manner ever known to man. In my opinion, the strongest musical influence on these lads is not hardcore, but Slayer -- every song is full of riffs that could easily find a home on any Slayer record, and you can imagine how cool it must sound to have that element translated into non-over-produced hardcore statements. No? Then run out and pick this up and try to prove me wrong, Jack. Up the xHCx! Contact: Sofa Records, 4643 Kendrick St., Philadelphia, PA 19136, USA mailto:sofarecord@aol.com Various - _Root of All Evil 2000 2nd Anniversary Sampler_ by: Aaron McKay (9.5 out of 10) (Root of All Evil, 2000) Probably one of the finest compilations I have in my possession. Like the Wolf release on No Fashion not long ago [CoC #48], here is yet another example of never judging a CD's content on its cover. If you did, you might opt for a more flashy casing like the new (very killer) In Flames effort, but then you would miss out on some of the finest tracks on a sampler I have heard in awhile. While most bands on Root of All Evil are moderately new to me, Lorde of All Desires performed at the Metalfest one year that I attended. Being my short term memory is a lot better than my long term memory, I can't remember a lot about Lorde of All Desires, unfortunately. What I can tell you is their song on this compilation, "Diablerie's Course", is ferociously impressive. Some other bands I can't fathom why I haven't checked out before are Theatre of the Macabre, Aesma Daeva (intensely powerful and frighteningly beautiful metal) and Opaque. This sampler washes over the entire gambit of music genres Root of All Evil oversees. For instance, Opaque have metal and rugged hardcore qualities like a catchier Madball or Biohazard that, in Opaque's case, is truly appealing. Also, bands like Somnus provide a somber, exquisitely cavernous black metal approach to the scene, while Walhalla [see the review of _Fireich_ in this issue] tackle the whole black metal style with touches of infectious death metal injections. This sampler has it all, no doubt about it. Plan-E's "My Skeleton" has a kind of wispy, clean Godflesh sorrowful vocal slant to it, while their form is more of a straightforward metal heaviness. The glassy, unhinged semi-muted buzz feel of Carrier Flux's "The Collective Part 3 -- Attack" is genuinely hypnotizing. Rock-steady low bass riffs like Sleep meets Geezer Butler abound plenty on "Hexe" from The Unholy. Brick gives the Root of All Evil compilation a taste Cannibal Corpse infused Cianide while Reverend Porky Bunge fills in the Anal Cunt slot in the roster. Two tracks from Impaler appear on this disc: "Under the Dirt" and "Speed Thrills". If you look elsewhere in this issue, I have a review that goes into a touch more detail regarding Impaler. "Under the Dirt" is infinitely more groove-oriented with an extremely wise use of tough-sounding drum smacks throughout the track. Like I indicated earlier, a superior sampler. With eighteen total cuts, this is a premium package. Contact: http://www.rootofallevil.com Rotten Sound - _Still Psycho_ (Necropolis / Deathvomit, July 2000) by: Aaron McKay (4 out 10) I think I might rename the first four words above No Shit -- _Still Harebrained_. All this band's points came from the second track, "Ignorance", track five, "Lack of Awareness", and the multimedia clips of the band live this MCD comes with. For the brief time during the above mentioned songs, I was able to gloss over the shaving-off-your-asshair vocals in favor of Rotten Sound's determined rhythm and tempo variances and none of that "too fast" to "more too fast" shit either, as could be said about cuts one, three and four. This brings me to the only tune not yet mentioned, six. Track six is a cover of Carcass's "Reek of Putrefaction". I enjoy hearing bands tip their collective hats to inspiring bands, but not in this case. I have no points and took no points away for this due to the prominence of Carcass, but RS's version isn't even playing the same game as the original, let alone in the same ballpark. As you might be able to ascertain, Rotten Sound draws influence from Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror. But like the comparison to Carcass, RS isn't yet to this echelon. This is nearly a waste of sixteen and a half minutes of your time, but there are some not-so-dim spots to _Still Psycho_. Scariot - _Death Forlorn_ (Demolition Records, September 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) This is just one of those weird records that come out of nowhere and at first kind of impresses you, but then after numerous listens it loses its charm. The band in question here is Scariot, a weird melding of progressive metal vocals, strong guitar riffing and death metal grunts helping lead the charge. I know what you're thinking: "What the fuck?" Don't worry. You're not alone. Comprised of members from Blood Red Throne, In the Woods..., Carpathian Forest and Trail of Tears, Scariot loses its charm in the sense that it is offering too much, too fast. The styles of music change at breakneck speed, leaving metal fans scurrying to find out if their CD has skipped discs. The musicianship is the most obvious characteristic that seems to dominate here, with Scariot showcasing some fancy guitar licks and song arrangements throughout. Too bad the ideas didn't meld together too strong or this would have been a kick-ass record. Contact: Scariot, c/o Daniel Olaisen, Dronningensgt 38, 4610 Kristiansand, Norway mailto:peisapaa@c2i.net Society's Burden - _Ten Tales From Hell's Trailer Park_ by: Adrian Bromley (5 out of 10) (, August 2000) Once you get past the rather downscaled production of the new offering from Society's Burden, you can sort of get into the doom/sludge/stoner state of things. Sludgy guitars, gritty vocals and a real downright dirty ambience spurts out from the material of Society's Burden as they play along, rarely breaking free from the hypnotic drive of the heavy music (check out "Betta Run" and "Cast Out"). The production is just plain lousy, but that is kind of the beauty of it all. The production just attaches itself to the already loosely played numbers, at times morphing them into a crushing metallic gravy train of emotions. I can get down to this, but not on a regular basis. I guess it is also the awful production that kind of turns it off from listen to listen. Take caution if you're going to scope this CD out. Contact: P.O. Box 1208, Ramseur, NC 27316, USA mailto:societysburden@mailandnews.com http://www.societysburden.com Somnus - _Awakening the Crown_ (Root of All Evil, 1999) by: Aaron McKay (7 out of 10) It may be a little old, but surely it is still consequential. Having got this not all that long ago, I wanted to be sure to have it reviewed to share with the CoC community not later than this issue. Great stuff to be uncovered on _Awakening the Crown_. No drab Satanic doldrums or trite black metal extracts, just heavily laden atmospheric enchantment a la trolls, wilderness and mystical dreams. Kind of refreshing. Reminds me somewhat of what little I know of the game Dungeons and Dragons. Song titles like "A Calling of Arms", "The Alchemist" and "Lair (of the Wendol)" may give you the same impression, too. Even before I got my hands on this, I had heard Somnus' "Season in the Abyss" tribute to Slayer on Dwell Records, _Gateway to Hell_. Soft keyboards occasionally haunt tracks on _Awakening the Crown_. Vocals are gruff and stressed, but clear and understandable. Interesting arrangements play a big role in Somnus' style and approach. Not that anyone has asked me, but if they did, I might be inclined to mention utilizing the bass a bit more could pound home the objective on some tracks. My personal favorite cut from _Awakening the Crown_ has to be "Beyond the Shores", a wonderful male/female voice volley at times making the song move swimmingly along with evanescent ease. Strong effort. Contact: Somnus, P.O. Box 81379, Cleveland, Ohio 44181, USA Contact: http://www.rootofallevil.com Soulfly - _Primitive_ (Roadrunner, September 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (8 out of 10) After the exorcism that Max Cavalera displayed on Soulfly's self-titled debut disc, I was beginning to wonder how he'd be able to top that effort. Well, metal fans, he has. On Soulfly's new disc, Cavalera leads his troops through a wind tunnel of experimentation, metal riffs and bombastic cries of aggression as Soulfly once again leads their fans onto soulful groupings of material. _Primitive_ is full of songs with a message and lots of substance, a kind of book of reality and life itself, which punish our ears but keep our feet tapping. Cavalera is not afraid to venture out from the realm of metal music (though at the same time keeping it metallic) to bring an air of originality to the work. Case in point, the bizarre collaboration with Sean Lennon ("Son Song"). Who'd have thought in a million years this would happen? But it did, and it works quite well. Other collaborators include Corey Taylor (#8 from Slipknot), Chino Moreno from the Deftones and Slayer's Tom Araya, all lending hand in support of Cavalera's quest for his musical vision. Some might be expecting the Soulfly record to be geared towards the Ozzfest crowds -- it is no doubt for fans of that ilk --, but this is definitely more of a metal record than some might expect. Just listen to opener "Back to the Primitive" and it might just make you give a damn for Soulfly in 2000. Soulless - _The Darkening of Days_ (, August 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (7 out of 10) Ohio act Soulless have definitely got a solid groove going. Their death metal groove mixed with vibrantly aggressive (yet coherent) vocals is definitely worthy of praise as it rarely changes up much, thus allowing the listener to headbang along to the disc without any drastic momentum changes. From start to finish, _The Darkening of Days_ aims to please with its crushing death metal vocals and hard hitting drive. If there was any setback, and usually there is within this genre, it is the somewhat simple production that comes along with their violent outbursts. It just seems too standard sounding. Had the production been a little more cleaned up, I'm pretty sure the songs would make more of an impact. Just my two cents, folks. This still hits fast and hard. Choice cut: "Turn". Contact: Soulless, c/o Chris Dora, 6110 Bradley, Ave. Parma, OH 44129-2218, USA mailto:chrisdora@webtv.net Steve Von Till - _As the Crow Flies_ (Neurot Recordings, 2000) by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10) Neurosis member Steve Von Till goes solo with this home-recorded album of minimalist, sombre, acoustic music. In addition to using his own deep, tranquil voice, he also plays acoustic guitar and piano, whilst some guests (including Kris Force from Amber Asylum) contribute with other instruments, such as cello and violin. The music has an overall sense of calmness, and the tranquil, sombre beauty throughout the record is as likely to be deeply appreciated and absorbed by some listeners as the album's minimalism is likely to lull some listeners to sleep. Soothing and very adequate for melancholic rainy days, _As the Crow Flies_ is an unpretentious album that does not pander to any trends and does not try to make itself especially marketable in conventional ways; and as far as I'm concerned, that makes it all the more attractive. Granted, this is not a record I'll be listening to several times a day or anything like that, but it still definitely is one whose quality and personality ensure that I'll be enjoying it whenever the time is right. Symphony X - _V_ (Metal Blade, October 2000) by: Brian Meloon (9 out of 10) Symphony X return with their aptly titled fifth full-length album (well, sixth if you count the greatest hits comp _Prelude to the Millennium_), and it proves to be their strongest effort yet. While their previous albums were more song-based, this one flows from song to song as one continuous work. This allows the band more freedom in contrasting motives and ideas between songs, and allows them to move away from standard song structures. In fact, about half of the songs are more like instrumental interludes or introductions than "real" songs, but they're often much more than simple keyboard pieces. The band's style hasn't changed very much since their debut; all of the Yngwie-isms and Egyptian references you'd expect are still there. But they've expanded their influences a little bit, including influences from the likes of Kansas, (symphonic) movie soundtracks, and some classical piano (Chopin, e.g.). I even hear some parts which remind me of a less over-the-top Bal Sagoth. As you'd expect, the production is great, the playing is excellent, and the vocals are great. Even more impressive is the restraint shown by the band members in playing what's appropriate instead of showing off. While there is no sparsity of flashy playing, it doesn't dominate the disc either. Perhaps the lyrics could be a little better, but other than that, it's really hard to find a weakness in this album. Fans of the band's previous works should enjoy this, as should most other fans of progressive metal. The Fallen - _The Tones in Which We Speak_ by: Adrian Bromley (6 out of 10) (, August 2000) Right off the bat, I'm thinking to myself, "These guys are so easily classifiable. They are a thrash metal band that play thick riffs and contain menacing vocals. What else is left to say?" Then I thought, "Is it going to be that easy to write this review? I need a few more listens." After numerous more spins, I came to the same conclusion, but I did have a lot more respect for The Fallen, for paying homage to the thrash metal heroes of years past but still trying to make their music come off a bit more varied. While the riffs are heavy as fuck and the solos would make any guitar fan take note, in the end The Fallen speak the same "tones" that many metal fans have already issued to us die-hard metal fans. Some of us just get sick and tired of hearing rehashed stuff, you know? I think in the end their influences will shine more than their attempt to take their music to another level. As Metallica's James Hetfield used to sing with conviction: "Sad but true..." Contact: 26701 Quail Creek #190 Laguna Hills, CA 92656, USA mailto:thefallen@home.com The Haunted - _The Haunted Made Me Do It_ (Earache, October 2000) by: Adrian Bromley (9 out of 10) What do you do when you have a solid debut album met with critical acclaim and then after touring and playing out two key members (singer and drummer) leave? What the fuck do you think you do? You regroup, revamp the sound and go for it. That is exactly what The Haunted did when they lost members after the successful rise following their self-titled debut disc for Earache. In comes singer Marc Aro (ex-Face Down) and drummer Per Moller Jensen (ex-Invocator), two new factors in the ever-growing metallic strike of The Haunted. The vocals are heavier, the sound more intense and the rhythm section is to die for. Who says change is bad? The new disc, titled _The Haunted Made Me Do It_, helps the Swedish act reinforce their importance in the realm of metal music. With a blistering assault of thrashing metal music that shows off the definite At the Gates vibe that has become such a stable part of the sound (seeing that the band initially was formed by ex-AtG members), the band forges forward with a truly dynamic crunch of metal music. While paying homage to thrash heroes of the past with the new disc, they are also easily paving way for some new modern styles and sounds. Check out tracks like "Bury Your Dead", "Hollow Ground" (the best track!) and "Silencer" and you'll see just why you should invest your time and money in The Haunted. Pick this up, fuck shit up and go crazy. Just tell everyone The Haunted made you do it. Tierra Santa - _Tierras de Leyenda_ (Locomotive Music, 2000) by: Alvin Wee (9 out of 10) Mention Tierra Santa in a group of Spanish metalheads and you'll hear no end of it; say the same to anyone outside the country and chances are you'll get blank stares. Heroes in their homeland and all but zeroes (dare I say this?) outside it, TS certainly deserve a ton more than what they've got in return for last year's godly _Legendario_ album. Those who know the band can't help but worship their brand of old-school, ultra-melodic true metal, and the lukewarm response they've received outside the Spanish-speaking world has been dismal, to say the least. My expectations for this album never did run very high: expecting it to top a modern classic like _Legendario_ would be akin to hoping for another _Seventh Son..._. Locomotive Music responds with notably stunning packaging: a triple fold-out digi-pak in lavish color and a clear tray, a classy booklet and a beautifully printed picture-CD sets the medieval tone for these Spanish swordsmen. The requisite epic intro leads into the characteristic Maiden-worshipping twin-guitar attack of the title track, Angel's fiery cries cutting an authoritative swath through dense waves of bass and florid guitar lines. Weak in the knees from the initial assault, we're led through another typical anthem before the highlight of the album: a two part epic saga of piracy, in the true Running Wild tradition, lyrics apparently credited to one "Jose de Espronceda (1808-1842)". A rollicking adventure on the high seas, _La Cancion del Pirata_ leaves no doubt about the band's ability to craft subtle yet catchy melodies that just go on and on, adding a considerable measure to the similar structure of Running Wild's epics. The second part proves even more captivating as the privateers slip into mellower jerkins for a variation on the first theme. Seldom does metal get this atmospheric... Thanks to the thematic artwork behind each printed lyric, we are never quite lost despite the unfamiliarity of the language; tales of pharaohs and mummies abound in suitably "Egyptian" melodies, Sodom and Gomorrah gets a lashing, and even the Tower of Babel gets a mention. Remarks have been made about having to adapt to the strange-sounding language, nevertheless I couldn't imagine it in any other language: the fiery music complements the language perfectly, in the same way Master's Hammer would sound wrong in any other language than Czech. Needless to say, the music is of a consistently high quality, and without the benchmark _Legendario_, this would rank as the greatest Spanish album ever. As it is, this band demands a place in any self-respecting metalhead's collection, and this album should serve as an excellent introduction to these Spanish sorcerers. Walhalla - _Firereich_ (Root of All Evil, 2000) by: Aaron McKay (8 out of 10) I can't decide if this is simply balls-out aggressive metal or black metal. Very spectacular in its diversity -- style crossing back over itself in an ever-elusive genre pinpointing exercise. Whatever the band calls itself and whatever you deem it necessary to dub it, I like Walhalla's style. Rock steady beats thick with groves and excellent guitar work sounding similar at times to Witchery's _Restless & Dead_, especially in the vocal area. Members from Thy Serpent, Soulgrind and Gloomy Grim form an iron nucleus for Walhalla's explosive reactions. Seek out the second track, "Helldivizion" about the two minute mark for some catchy vocal blasting and infinitely crunchy guitar that loops back again in the song toward the end of the track. Also, the opening to "Warsong666" (the cut immediately following "Helldivizion") is awe-inspiring, as is the song's chugging progression. The tempo inches faster with tacks like "Black Cross Burning", "Winterfuhrer" and most certainly "War Over Norland". The most interesting aspect to this inaugural full-length effort from Finland's Walhalla is the hidden cut at the end of track ten, "Firereich". Let me say when hearing this effort for the first time in my truck coming back from a long weekend vacation, I about drove into the ditch with electrified laughter and enjoyment. Not many bands have the balls to record Bon Jovi's "Runaway", let alone do a killer job at making it sound like inspired black and old school thrash metal. Various - _World of Pain -- A Tribute to Sepultura_ (Dwell, 1999) by: Alex Cantwell (7.5 out of 10) Surprisingly, although this compilation features underground bands only, 11 out of 14 tracks are actually very good representations of the power held by the Sepultura originals. There are small differences in the covers versus the originals here and there, but overall these bands should be commended for their performances. Here are some of the highlights/lowpoints. Things get off to a great start with Pain Corporation, who make "Slave New World" sound like a Swedish death metal song, with a very interesting take on the lead guitar parts. Terminal Plan do a charged-up version of "Propaganda" with dark death growls and the fastest double-kick this side of Demolition Hammer, and Crematorium's take on "Arise" rules. Vore slow "Inner Self" way down from the original speed and seem to get off to a bad start, but it grows on you as the song progresses, so much so that by the end I was headbanging like a fool. Decay of Salvation play a severely downtuned and uninteresting version of "Troops of Doom", and their chords in the opening segment are completely wrong! The band that I was in while in high school did a better cover of this song ten years ago -- next! Rise, Abhorrent, and Turning of the Gears turn in covers of "Primitive Future", "Clenched Fist" and "Desperate Cry" respectively, and their songs sound good, but are just a bit more raw and unrefined than some of the others. Mystifier and Enter Self dip way back into the Sepultura catalog, as they attempt to revamp "Morbid Visions" and "The Curse / Bestial Devastation" respectively -- proving that some things are better left alone. Contact: Dwell Records, P.O. Box 39439, Los Angeles, CA 90039, USA http://www.dwellrecords.com Wumpscut - _Bloodchild_ (Metropolis, 2000) by: Aaron McKay (9 out of 10) Probably one of this year's most prominent and personally relevant releases. As to not shade the review any, this is my first exposure to Wumpscut. Most of you realize my tastes lean toward the death and black aspects of metal, so for this group to sponge my interest like it did lends a fair amount of credence to the possibility of opening new doors to varieties of expansive listening for me. I have probably spun this disc more than any other promo I've reviewed in a very long time -- if ever. The Wumpscut sound is so a propos to whatever mood or time of the day seems to dominate at the very moment you slide in a CD. Make no mistake, Wumpscut has little or nothing to do with metal; techno/industrial is the force to be reckoned with here. I'm moderately unsure of the terms "techno" and "industrial", as a whole, but they do seem to identify Wumpscut nearly perfect. This might not need mentioning, but Wumpscut is focused by along the beam of outstanding German electronic artists; in this case, Rudy Ratzinger. As a stab at the band's sound, let's just say that I whipped out my copy of Hanzel und Gretyl's _Ausgeflippt_ and found it massively less satisfying now in light of _Bloodchild_. About as close as I can get is a ham-handed comparison to labelmates Funker Vogt. This is the primary reason comparisons mostly fail to accomplish their task adequately of giving the listener/reader a parallel basis for judgement. Even the Funker Vogt contrast is not up to par due to the fact that FV is less languid and casual than Wumpscut's leaden beat and approach. I won't get into the entire history of the group, but it does stretch back to the very early nineties with some releases on other labels until 1996, when the impressive Wumpscut was picked up by Metropolis Records. The group has a solid number of efforts under its belt, and even though I only have ten cuts from _Bloodchild_'s new double CD compilation, complete with re-issues of some of the group's earliest material with rarities and a special multimedia track for computers, I still find myself in awe. It goes without saying, the complete _Bloodchild_ must be -astounding-! My new-found impression and interest in Wumpscut won't make writing my Funker Vogt review very easy. I'd certainly urge you to head to www.metropolis-records.com and find at least one way to expand your musical horizons -- with Wumpscut's help, of course. Contact: http://www.insania.com/wumpscut/index.html Yattering - _Murder's Concept_ (Season of Mist, 2000) by: Paul Schwarz (8.5 out of 10) Tagging _Murder's Concept_ simply as "-Very- brutal & -very- technical Death Metal (sic) from Poland with a big fat sound. Need we say more?" actually seems to have been a bit unfair of Season of Mist. For though both these qualities are more than attributable to Yattering, their music is not worthy merely of the attention of anti-progressive stalwarts. The fact that many fans of brutal death (much of the SOD-reading faction for example) may reject Yattering as mere noise and go back to wanking over the new Deicide is definitely to the band's credit. Though not melding technicality into their music as inspirationally or brilliantly as Cryptopsy, Yattering nonetheless combine skull-smashing sound and percussion with jaggedly unusual riffing and jarring, non-linear arrangements. Admittedly, you have to listen pretty closely for _Murder's Concept_ not to merely blur into itself, but if you are sitting comfortably, then as the record progresses and your mind adapts itself to Yattering's pace and style, you are treated to a mind-bendingly warped and twisted musical experience. The lack of coherent song structures or music that is possible to follow does make _Murder's Concept_ more of an oddity than a record which will see repeated spins in your stereo, but it does not divert from the achievement it represents on a musical-dissonance level, nor from the appeal it will have to those of you craving something which is really, truly and purely fucked. Zemial - _For the Glory of UR_ (Iron Pegasus, 2000) by: Alvin Wee (10 out of 10) Finally!!! After ages of obscure existence, Greek black gods Zemial have eventually graced our eager ears with a re-release of their only full length album (long deleted and hardly ever seen at all) on equally-cult label Iron Pegasus. The traditional Greek style needs no introduction, let it suffice to say that lovers of _His Majesty..._-era Varathron will not be disappointed with Zemial's more dynamic sound on _FtGoU_. Blending the epic qualities of Rotting Christ with the hook-laden simplicity of Varathron and the atmosphere of Necromantia, this piece of Greek history surely ranks among _Non Serviam_ and _Crossing the Fiery Path_ as a definitive piece of Hellenic metal. A cut-and-paste montage of sorts, the album boasts cuts ranging from a single '97 track "Nocturnal Witch", a rollicking riff-monster to say the least; slightly older material from '92/'93; and a true bonus: the two tracks from their legendary _Sleeping Under Tartarus_ 7" EP. Despite the apparent chronological discontinuity of the material, nothing seems out of place at all, even the instrumental piece doesn't seem out of place in the least. A tad thin at eight tracks, _FtGoU_ nevertheless satisfies immensely, and the hankering for more at the end can hardly be considered a fault of the album. Iron Pegasus has never attempted to hide the fact that their releases pander to collectors' whims, and this release in three(!) separate formats drives the point home. While the picture LP version of 100 numbered copies (in a picture sleeve!) may well be sold-out in the usual short time, the normal vinyl (333 copies) and the CD versions should still be up for grabs. A classic like this doesn't come round very often, and no effort should be spared in getting hold of it. Contact: Iron Pegasus, P.O. Box 1462, 56804 Cochem/Mosel, Germany. CD costs $15 worldwide, which is a bargain for such quality! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= __ __ _ /\ \ \_____ __ /\ \ \___ (_)___ ___ / \/ / _ \ \ /\ / / / \/ / _ \| / __|/ _ \ / /\ / __/\ V V / / /\ / (_) | \__ \ __/ \_\ \/ \___| \_/\_/ \_\ \/ \___/|_|___/\___| If you have a band, don't forget to send us your demo, including a bio, if you want to be reviewed. We accept demos either on traditional media or MP3 format. E-mail us at to know which is the most appropriate postal address for you to send your CD or tape, in case you are sending one, or to indicate the location of a website from which we can download the MP3 files of your entire demo (but do NOT send any files attached to your e-mail). Scoring: ***** -- A flawless demo **** -- Great piece of work *** -- Good effort ** -- A major overhaul is in order * -- A career change is advisable Bealiah / Unevil Hopes - (3-track / 5-track demo) by: Adrian Bromley (**--- / **---) Going into this split demo, I was thinking these are two different bands teaming up to get some exposure and maybe turn fans onto new styles of music. Man, was I wrong. Both Bealiah (from parts unknown) and Unevil Hopes (from Russia) play almost the same kind of atmospheric music, with a touch of keyboards and some darkened ambience thrown in. The music sounds like something Burzum would attempt to do, but not even half as interesting as Burzum could conjure up. The only saving grace of this demo is Beliah's emotional offering called "Untitled". Hopefully these bands will broaden their sounds a bit more so next time I hear them I can have something more pleasing to say. Slow, moody and for the most part boring. Contact: Unevil Hopes, 28/4 Marata, St. Petersburg 191040, Russia Contact: Turbulence Records, P.O. Box 1496, JKB 11014, Jakarta, Indonesia mailto:thtudg@centrin.net.id Erase - _Plastic Soul_ (5-track MP3 demo) by: Paul Schwarz (***--) _Mental Overload_ sees this typically muscular mid-paced metallic hardcore act, suited up with a decent production, strut their stuff in somewhat typical genre style, but thankfully with enough elements -- like melody and dynamics -- to keep them clear of the insomnia-cure levels Backfire!/BF!, in my opinion, reach. Ultimately though, Erase neither concentrate pure aggression as well as Stampin' Gorund or line a truly brilliant musical vein like Vision of Disorder, and despite a few pleasantly unusual Death/Carcass hybrid solos, the band at this point show no unusual amount of promise. Contact: http://www.mp3.com/erase/ Lucifer - _Watching the Christians Burn_ (8-track demo) by: Brian Meloon (***--) Lucifer is a death metal band from Maryland, USA. This is their first full-length release. Their music is straightforward death metal: nothing fancy or particularly innovative. Their main weakness is the lack of a real drummer. While I generally have no problems with drum machines, the key to their proper use is in making sure that the drums don't get boring and repetitive. And that's what's wrong with this album: the drums are too straightforward and very repetitive. The thing that makes this all the more unfortunate is that the riffs are generally average to good, but the repetitive drumming and song structures combine to really drown out any interest that the band manages to create. The guitar work is very good and even moderately technical. The guitar solos aren't particularly good, but they don't ruin the music either. If the music even had the level of diversity that the vocals do, this would be a much better recording. The vocals range from death vocals to shrieky black vocals, and are very well mixed up (both interspersed and overlayed). While the actual CD packaging is quite good, I must say that their bio sheet has more errors in it than I was expecting. Guys: if you want people to take you seriously, put a little more time into your bio sheet. Overall, this isn't bad for a demo, but these guys aren't quite ready for the big leagues just yet. With some work on making their songs and their drum programming more interesting, they could be ready for the next level. Contact: Lucifer, P.O. Box 49, Goldsboro, MD 21636, USA mailto:acc@lucifernet.com Torment - _Torment_ (4-track demo) by: Brian Meloon (***--) Torment are a thrash band from Sydney, Australia, and this is their second demo. They are a professional outfit, playing straightforward '80s thrash, with almost a punk feel at times. The band that popped into my mind while listening to them was Nuclear Assault (the song "Brainwashed", to be precise). Ultimately, they're not treading too much new ground, but what they're doing, they're doing quite well. The songs display a good variety of tempos and styles, so they aren't overly repetitive or boring. The music is semi-melodic; not hook-based, just straightforward thrash with some melodic guitar lines. The playing isn't too bad, and they have some nice ideas. The rhythm guitar and bass work is good, and the drumming is competent. Unfortunately, the guitar solos aren't very good; they're weak and amateurish in comparison to the rest of the music. There's nothing flashy in the music, which means that attention is focused upon the vocals, which are the album's weak point. The vocalist simply shouts the lyrics in a monotone style. This is passable on some songs, but on others, he tries to carry a tune, which doesn't work because he has basically no range. In addition, the lyrics could use some improvement. The production is a little weak: somewhat faded and tinny, but passable. If you're in the mood for late '80s thrash, this would be a good choice, and it's nice to see bands still playing this style. Contact: Torment, 88 Bridge Road, Westmead N.S.W. 2145, Australia mailto:dunks@torment.com.au http://www.torment.com.au =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gino's Top 5 1. Nasum - _Human 2.0_ 2. Tool - _Undertow_ 3. Nirvana - _Unplugged in New York_ 4. Kiss - _Double Platinum_ 5. Immortal - _Damned in Black_ Adrian's Top 5 1. Rotting Christ - _Khronos_ 2. Nile - _Black Seeds of Vengeance_ 3. Soulfly - _Primitive_ 4. The Haunted - _The Haunted Made Me Do It_ 5. earthtone9 - _arc'tan'gent_ Brian's Top 5 1. Martyr - _Warp Zone_ 2. Inner Strength - _Shallow Reflections_ 3. Apocrypha - _The Forgotten Scroll_ 4. Dark Tranquillity - _Skydancer_ 5. Miscreant - _Dreaming Ice_ Alain's Top 5 1. Dying Fetus - _Grotesque Impalement_ 2. Discordance Axis - _The Inalienable Dreamless_ 3. Assuck - _Misery Index_ 4. Hellnation - _Fucked Up Mess_ 5. Summoning - _Stronghold_ Adam's Top 5 1. Carpathian Forest - _Strange Old Brew_ 2. Rotting Christ - _Khronos_ 3. Allersellen - _Neuschwabenland_ 4. Pungent Stench - _Dirty Rhymes And Psychotronic Beats_ 5. Blood Duster - _Yeest_ Pedro's Top 5 1. Aurora - _Devotion_ 2. Thy Serpent - _Death_ 3. Lux Occulta - _My Guardian Anger_ 4. The Crown - _Deathrace King_ 5. Hateplow - _The Only Law Is Survival_ Paul's Top 5 1. Nile - _Black Seeds of Vengeance_ 2. Drowning Man - _Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline_ 3. Autopsy - _Fiend for Blood_ 4. Public Enemy - _Fear of a Black Planet_ 5. The Ravenous - _Assembled in Blasphemy_ Aaron's Top 5 1. Morbid Angel - _Gateways to Annihilation_ (advance) 2. Dark Tranquillity - _Haven_ (thanks, Adreas!) 3. Cathedral - _Soul Sacrifice_ 4. Tool - _Undertow_ 5. Alas - _Engulfed in Grief_ David's Top 5 1. Finntroll - _Midnattens Widunder_ 2. Resurrection - _Embalmed Existence_ 3. In Flames - _Clayman_ 4. Cadaver / Carnage - _Hallucinating Anxiety / Dark Recollections_ 5. Exhorder - _The Law_ Alex's Top 5 1. Hank Williams III - _Risin' Outlaw_ 2. Morrissey - _Vauxhall and I_ 3. Extol - _Undecieved_ 4. Ultimatum - _The Mechanics of Perilous Times_ (advance) 5. Pestilence - _Testimony of the Ancients_ Alvin's Top 5 1. Monstrosity - _In Dark Purity_ 2. Mercyful Fate - _Shadow Nights_ (bootleg) 3. Moonblood - _Blut und Krieg_ 4. Overdrive - _Metal Attack_ 5. Opus Forgotten - _Demon of Destruction_ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= _____ __ __ __ | \.-----.| |_.---.-.|__| |.-----. | -- | -__|| _| _ || | ||__ --| |_____/|_____||____|___._||__|__||_____| Homepage: http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com FTP Archive: ftp://ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/ChroniclesOfChaos --> Interested in being reviewed? Send us your demo and bio to: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CHRONICLES OF CHAOS 57 Lexfield Ave Downsview Ont. M3M-1M6, Canada Fax: (416) 693-5240 Voice: (416) 693-9517 e-mail: Gino@ChroniclesOfChaos.com ---- Our European Office can be reached at: CHRONICLES OF CHAOS (Europe) Urb. Souto n.20 4500-117 Anta, PORTUGAL e-mail: Pedro@ChroniclesOfChaos.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DESCRIPTION ~~~~~~~~~~~ Chronicles of Chaos is a FREE monthly magazine electronically distributed worldwide via the Internet. Seemingly endless interviews, album reviews and concert reviews encompass the pages of Chronicles of Chaos. Chronicles of Chaos stringently emphasizes all varieties of chaotic music ranging from black and death metal to electronic/noise to dark, doom and ambient forms. Chronicles of Chaos is dedicated to the underground and as such we feature demo reviews from all indie bands who send us material, as well as interviews with a select number of independent acts. Join our mailing list to receive a free copy of Chronicles of Chaos every month. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending an e-mail to with your full name in the subject line of the message. You may unsubscribe from Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending a blank e-mail to . 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 . The 'Subject:' field of your message should contain the issue number that you want (all other text is ignored). To get a copy of our back issue index, send a blank e-mail to . =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #49 All contents copyright 2000 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.