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ALBUM OF THE EDITION:

Hades

Hades - The Downside (Metal Blade, 2000)

Rating: 10/10
Tracks: Ground Zero N.Y.C., Align The Planets, Bitter Suite #1, Hoax, Pay The Price, Hail To The Thief, Shove It, It's A Wonderful Lie, Become Dust, Responsible, The Me That Might Have Been, Ground Zero (Reprise)

It is appropriate that Hades release their 6th full-length album, The Downside, 13 years to the month after their debut album, Resisting Success, was unleashed on an unprepared metal world, as it serves as yet another testament that, thoughout the band's many trials and tribulations, one thing has persevered: the music.

The Downside finds Hades streching their proverbial wingspan to its widest breadth, hitting on everything from the technical speed metal chops that defined their first two releases, to the doom-laden sludge of material penned before the band's untimely breakup in 1989, and well beyond. Hades touch on death metal, Non-Fiction-ish slow grinders, straight up hard rock... all retaining the signature Hades sound as they effortly switch faces, jumping from genre to genre with ease. Judging by that description only, one might expect The Downside is a hodge-podge of unfocused tunes meshed into a big 'ol soup sandwich, but I assure you, such is not the case. Not since Mr. Bungle's last opus, California, has an album this varied, cohesive and consistently strong been released.

Having Metal Blade foot the bill has very audible benefits, as Hades have at last, managed to get the production they deserve. Thick guitars, a crisp drum sound, a very even mix that is perfectly suited to the material. This sound has been a long time coming, folks...

While there is not anything on The Downside that is not distinctively Hades, there are enough curveballs thrown at the listener to suprise fans new and old, and hopefully make the band's few detractors decide to really take another listen before writing them off as just part of the metal resurgence of late. Hades are veterans, and it shows on The Downside like never before. - Al Kikuras

Bloodbath - Breeding Death (Century Media, 2000)

Rating: 8.5/10
Tracks: Breeding Death, Ominous Bloodvomit, Furnace Funeral

Listening to Breeding Death immediately makes me feel like I am 17 again. Remember when that Swedish death metal sound was still new and fresh and hadn't been pummled to the ground with band after band prostituting the surge in popularity for all it's worth? Bloodbath have managed to capture that freshness and sound without veering from the path even one inch! This is old-school, straight up brutal death metal as only the Swedes can do it! With a line-up of veterans like Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth on vocals, Jonas Renkse of Katatonia and October Tide on bass, Blackheim from Katatonia and Diabolical Masquerade on guitar and Dan Swano of Edge Of Sanity on drums, there is no wonder why. Although clocking in at just over 13 minutes with only three tunes, Breeding Death is just long enough to satisfy. - Al Kikuras

Cauldron - Tampering With the Unnatural (Headrush Records, '99)

Rating: 0/10
Tracks: Pressure Gague, Dwell, Transitional Stress, Constancy of Purpose, Tampering With the Unnatural, Minnesong, My Dying Voice, Seasonal Crumblings

Well..I thought I had heard bad cd's before but I was wrong. This is just PATHETIC. From weak vocals that attempt to sound hard and rough, to production that might even make Nocturno Culto giggle, this cd is just beyond wretched. The lyrics are pretty laughable too, as they border into the area of punkrock and hardcore in the political sense, but the music has no real defined genre. I hate having to write reviews like this but this is just awful. Maybe one day Cauldron will decide what genre they want to be, and then they can get better but till then...well I'd rather have the flesh eating bacteria then ever listen to this again. One listen too many if you ask me. - ArcticMyhm

Darkane - Rusted Angel (Relapse, '99)

Rating: 8.5/10
Tracks: Untitled (its a symbol of some sort), Convicted, Bound, Rape Of Mankind, Rusted Angel, A Wisdoms Breed, Chase For Existence, The Arcane Darkness, July 1999, Frenetic Visions

Hailing from Sweden comes a new (at least to my knowledge) band called Darkane. Their debut album, Rusted Angel, out on Relapse Records", is a very impressive mixture of technical Death Metal (a-la Carcass, Heartwork-era) and brutal thrash (Strapping Young Lad comes to mind) with a heavy dose of Swedish melodic metal. When the album begins the first thing you hear are (real) choirs shortly after it's all a blast of insane technical metal that not only runs you over like an Eighteen wheeler but also makes you shake your head in awe at the amazing ability of this band. Songs like the title track, and "Frenetic Visions" showcases Darkane's talent of creating Memorable songs ,while song's like "Convicted" and "Chase For Existence" contain very intricate and thought-out leads. While being an awesome album musically, I feel something unsuitable which are the vocals; The vocal style of lead singer Lawrence Mackrory isn't unlike someone you would hear fronting a grindcore band, At first I wasn't able to tolerate this much but I'll have to admit they have grown on me a bit. However I still think a straight growl or a raspy vocal style would better suit the music. The other thing is all the fuss in the booklet about the Choir and string sections when they really don't appear often throughout the album, but when they do it sounds incredible. Overall If they can improve the vocals and add more Choirs and strings This band can be huge. As for now Rusted Angel is very worthy of every metalhead's attention. - ArcticMyhm

Darkseed - Diving Into Darkness (Nuclear Blast, 2000)

Rating: 10/10
Tracks: Forever Darkness, I Deny You, Counting Moments, Can't Find You, Autumn, Rain, Hopelessness, Left Alone, Downwards, Cold Under Water, Many Wills

This has to be one of the best albums I've ever heard. With a mix of clean vocals and raspy vocals, very doomish riffs, and one of the most somber depressing sounds and feelings to any cd I've heard it really hurts to listen to this but it's so well played you can't help but enjoy this. I was very unfamiliar with Darkseed up till now but they really showed me musicianship I haven't seen in such a long time. One of the most refreshingly different releases Ive heard in a long time. This is highly reccomended for fans of later Sentenced, any type of doom, or generally atmospheric or somber music. This is essential. - ArcticMyhm

Despondency - In Sorrow I Lie (Self-Released, '99)

Rating: 8.5/10
Tracks: At Winter's End, Left Of Eden, In One Hundred Years, In Sorrow I Lie

How I do love New Orleans! I've visited the city a few times over the past few years. I won't bullshit you - all the history and culture can be flushed right down the fucking toilet... it is the food I love.

That said, it seems the New Orleans underground has been very prolific of late. Bloodshed Divine released two demos in the past year, both of which were revered in reviewed in previous review columns, and now the debut demo release from fellow New Orleans-area residents Despondency has found its way into my hands.

I realize that I am declaring the New Orleans music scene a fruitful one based on just two musical outfits, but when they are this strong, I feel justified in doing so. Despondency play very brutal death metal of such a veteran caliber that it is hard to believe this is their debut release. Most brutal death metal tends to be completely one-dimensional - barbaric in mind, sound & purpose, which is the appeal of the genre, to an extent. When a death metal band manages to capture more than that one emotion and/or mindset, the results are often spectacular (Gorguts' Obscura immediately comes to mind), which brings me to Despondency's primary strength. While brutal enough to hold court with the genre's most infamous bashers (listen to the opening track, "At Winter's End"), their material is laden with atmosphere, but not by using any of the standard methods often employed by death metal bands trying to accomplish the same (keyboards, female vocals, etc.). There is something in the songwriting that conveys a depressing, somber mood, even when the band is at its most ravenous, and when Despondency do let out the stops, it is quite a thing to behold.

The one fault with In Sorrow I Lie is the analog recording. As stated on the inlay card, "tape hiss and cracks will be apparent," and they certainly are. In some cases, a raw recording can be very appealing, but in this case the overall sound is fairly muffled and does not do the material justice. Don't let that dissuade you from picking up this release, though, as the material beneath the hiss is well worth your attention! - Al Kikuras

Dismember - Hate Campaign (Nuclear Blast, 2000)

Rating: 8.5/10
Tracks: Suicidal Revelations, Questionable Ethics, Beyond Good & Evil, Retaliate, Enslaved to Bitterness, Mutual Animosity, Patrol 17, Thanatology, Bleeding Over, In Death's Cold Embrace, Hate Campaign

I remember the day that I first got Sting's Mercury Falling album. Myself and a friend (it was Piston) got up bright and early before work to head down to the local corporate record store to buy the album the day it came out (along with Weird Al Yankovic's Bad Hair Day, which really isn't relevant). The sun was shining, the sky was clear... we got the albums, went to a bagel store to get some grub and sat in my car, eating whilst listening to the Sting album. Piston described it as feeling "like an old sweater." There was comfort in the music... it was Sting, so you pretty much knew what you were in for. You knew it was going to be good.

Dismsmber's Hate Campaign, oddly enough, can be compared to Mercury Falling in this sense, but while the Sting release produced a warm, fuzzy feeling, Hate Campaign is like being tossed into an old, familiar iron maiden and feeling the cold spikes sink into your flesh as the door slams shut. There are no unsettling surprises here, just raging death metal laded with melodic moments that do not at all detract from the overall ugliness and brutality of the music. While Hate Campaign is not as over the top as Dismember's last album, Death Metal, it is not, by a long shot, anything less than 100% death metal. Not to imply that the band has stagnated... the songwriting has certainly improved. While previous releases tended to veer off into Oatmeal Country on occasion, there is not a single tiresome moment throughout the 33 minutes that make up Hate Campaign. If you are a fan of the previous Dismember releases, then you will not be disappointed. Sit back, grab a bagel, and enjoy! - Al Kikuras

Eclipse - Dorsacharms Venomous Colours (Candlelight, 2000

Rating: 8/10
Tracks: Introduction To The Hymns, Shadowland, Dance With..., The Wolf's Resin, Epilogue (Requiem)

Excellent, excellent stuff! Eclipse sound to me like a less user-friendly Cradle of Filth. Picture if Rob Darken from Graveland and the guys from Dimmu Borgir went out drinking late one night and wound up in the sack together (it could happen, believe me). Eclipse could well be their lovechild. Take all of the grandiose passages and melody of the lighter black metal bretheren and the grim nature and absolute lack of pomp of Graveland and you have Eclipse. There is no Dani-like screeching, the vocals are much more akin to the aforementioned Mr. Darken. The music, while melodic, is very dark and the band reverts in to good 'ole fashioned black metal blasting with frequency.

An impressive debut release from this Polish band. I eagerly wait to see what future efforts will produce. - Al Kikuras

EYEHATEGOD - The Southern Discomfort (The Label Formerly Known As Wild Rags Records, '99)

Rating: 8.5/10
Tracks: Ruptured Heart Theory, Story Of The Eye, Blank/Shoplift, Southern Discomfort, Serving Time In The Middle Of Nowhere, Lack Of Almost Everything, Peace Thru War (Thru Peace And War), Depress, Dopesick Jam

I was never one much for sludge metal. Most of what I have heard bored the pants off me (not an easy task, I assure you). When I first heard EYEHATEGOD's In The Name Of Suffering 8 or so years ago, I became a believer. Not in the genre as a whole, mind you, but in EYEHATEGOD's brand of punk-encrusted sludge metal. What did it to me? Their stuff is downright disgusting and filthy. Distortion-laden, drenched in feedback and with a vocalist of the screeching ranks I have not heard since Cryptic Slaughter. EYEHATEGOD's music plays like a crime scene... picture walking into a destitute shack, a man and a woman dead in a pool of blood on the floor, drug paraphenenlia and shit in every corner. Know that "punched in the stomach" feeling you get when you drive by a really nasty car accident? That is what I get when I listen to EYEHATEGOD, and while some folks may hate that sensation, I embrace it. It reminds me that I am still alive.

Southern Discomfort is a collection of rare tracks and 7" records pressed on CD, released by the band throughout their long Century Media career. If you are familiar with their three albums previous, you know what to expect. EYEHATEGOD are not really ones for stunning progression. For those of you new to the band, picture a much angrier Black Sabbath after developing a nasty heroin habit and spending a few years in prison for assault. A much uglier beast of a more violent nature would result.

I cared for each subsequent release since the debut less than I did Take As Needed For Pain, not due to any fault of the material, but the production was cleaner each time, which took away from the raw and diseased sound that the band captures so well. Most of the material on Southern Discomfort sounds more akin to In The Name Of Suffering than Take As Needed For Pain or Dopesick, and I am happy man for it. Fans pick this up, as it is virtually another full-length release. Newcomers should start at the beginning and work their way up. It's a painful journey, so brace yourself. - Al Kikuras

Grey Skies Fallen - The Fate of Angels (Nightfall/Terrorizer, '99)

Rating: 7.5/10
Tracks: The Purest Form, The Great Fall, Spiral Dreams, This Burden I Bear, Drawn to the Earth, Dawn, When the Rains Come, Athena, Shadowburn , Walk This Bloody Path, The Fate of Angels

For a band that hails from NYC, you'd be amazed at just how European sounding they really are. This being the band's first and only CD demo (and possibly their official debut), I was instantly amazed at just how professional this whole package was put together. From the cover artwork right down to the crisp and clean production, this is definitely well worth your time, especially if you're likely to salivate over the lush and atmospheric melodies of early My Dying Bride and Opeth.

With songs ranging from slow Morgion-like dirginess to mid-paced symphonic Opeth-inspired death metal, this CD showcases a much more abstract atmosphere when compared to some of it's U.S. brethren. Of course, like any other freshman outing, this is definitely far from being perfect and yes, there are some of the kinks which need to be worked out in order for them to earn a proper recording contract. For starters, vocalist/guitarist Rick Habeeb definitely needs to work with a vocal coach if he wants to utulize his clean vocal range more freely. While his voice definitely falls into the tenor category, something I appreciate since it punctuates the epically structured poetry in his lyrics, his voice however tends to sound a bit too strained in certain places, especially during some of the grandiose breakdown segments like in the "The Purest Form." Thus, his low end growls tend to be a bit more effective yet in due time with enough experience and growth in the field, I'm sure he will be capable enough to surpass these minor limitations. Though musically, "The Purest Form" the disc's opener is pretty much straightforward in that Swedish melodic DM inspired vein, complete with medieval folk inspired rhythms of course, it's during the second song (and perhaps one the disc's most breathtaking moments) "The Great Fall" where things tend to get really interesting. It is here where the listener is drawn deeply into its melancholy world of infinite sadness.

Opening up with a deeply enriched guitar tone full of mournful wah-wah effects, the song then bursts into a mid-paced funeral-esque piece bringing to mind again the great Opeth in nature and continues forth in a sluggish manner complete with lush keyboards which serve to add a subtle ancient mythical texture all its own. Upon first listen to this track alone, you can mentally conjure up scenes filled with magical opaque waters and pale mountaintops luming in the horizon. As overlydramatic as this description sounds, just listen for yourself and you'll understand what I'm talking about. The keyboards on the 5th song, "Drawn to the Earth" again, play a key factor here by providing a symphonic texture making it one of the more trance inducing songs on the whole album. With its cosmic vibe and downtuned fuzzy riffs, Anathema ultimately springs to mind but on a more heavier, crunchier scale. However, before you can even digest the contents properly, the song branches off into a brief ambient soundscape marking the beginning of "Dawn," a Pink Floyd-ian psychedelic instrumental which serves as a nice dichotomy to some of the more darker, riff oriented material before it. "Athena," perhaps the band's only love song on this disc follows with a cool bass line intro, again bringing to mind some of the medieval folk elements this band seems to be inspired by also lays down the groundwork for the guitars and drums that follow. It is here where Rick's vocals actually take a turn for the better, surprisingly enough. Filled with the sort of vigor and overwhelming passion of a downtrodden Romeo, the vocal harmonies work to accentuate the song's melancholic nature. Dynamically driven, this is the kind of CD you'd probably have to listen to at least 2 or 3 times for before letting it sink in but well worth your time. Shit, I've listened to this at least 12 times this past week alone and I'm still continuing to find new elements which I haven't already discovered. And to think, a band this talented coming from NYC of all places? Hmm..go figure. - Envenomed

Hecate Enthroned - Kings of Chaos (Blackened, 2000)

Rating: 9/10
Tracks: Miasma, Perjurer, Deceiving the Deceiver, Malignant Entity, Blessing In Disguise, I Am Born, Exalted In Depravity, Conquet Complete, The Downfall, Repent, Witch Queen Ascending

Here is a band that I am becoming more and more fond of with each release. I was not, at all, impressed by their Upon Promethean Shores EP and showed no interest in subsequent releases until I received a copy of the Dark Requiems... disc to review. I was VERY pleasantly surprised with that album. Hecate had leaned away from their CoF tendencies to unleash a very raw hybrid of death/black metal. Kings of Chaos finds them moving even farther away from the Cradle (ahem). New vocalist, Dean, has breathed even fresher life into the band, alternating between a brutal deep growl and painful screams ala Varg, hitting just about every register inbetween. The pomp of their earlier releases is gone and we are left with a stripped-down, ravenous black/death metal machine that should convert the band's previous detractors into full-on disciples. Granted, those of you that hate the band for non-musical reasons will probably still be nursing that big 'ol chip on your shoulder, but the rest of us will be marveling at the sheer intensity that makes up the 11 tracks on Kings of Chaos. - Al Kikuras

Karma To Burn - Wild Wonderful Purgatory (MIA Records '99)

Rating: 7/10
Tracks: 20, 28, 30, 31, 29, 32, 25, 26, 1, 3, 7, 8

I am not a big fan of stoner rock on the whole. The music doesn't really bother me all that much (although it usually doesn't excite me either). It is normally the vocals that set my stomach churning. Some stoner that can't really sing decides he's Jim-fucking-Morrison and belts out some pointless spew while the band sludges on beneath him. One Jim Morrison was more than enough to make me nauseous, thank you very much.

When Karma To Burn's Wild Wonderful Purgatory showed up on my desk, I put it aside without a second glance to wait for someone of less-discriminating tastes. When the time came for me to assign CDs to our various writers throughout the US, I took a closer look at the bio to decide which individual to send it to and noticed, much to my pleasant surprise, that this is an instrumental album! No half-baked retard that thinks he's a poet to puke his pretentious ramblings all over the music! I slapped the CD on immediately.

Okay, well, there is a downfall to not having a vocalist in stoner rock. Although much less annoying, the music seems a lot more redundant. I had hopes that Karma To Burn had recorded an album sans the vocals because it simply didn't need them, but that does not sound to be the case. There are moments on here where the music carries itself quite well, particularly on the opening track "20," but on the whole I found that the song structure isn't much different than that of Karma To Burn's non-instrumental peers. It sounds more like they just couldn't find a vocalist and said "Fuck it! Let's release the album anyway!"

The end result, a stoner-rock album that doesn't make me want to ralph, but it doesn't exactly have me jumping up and down either. Good for the occasional listen, but no something I will be spinning on a regular basis. - Al Kikuras

Myrkskog - Deathmachine (Candlelight, 2000)

Rating: 9/10
Tracks: Discipline Misanthropy, The Hate Syndicate, A Poignant Scenario of Horror, Sinthetic [sp] Lifeworm, Syndrome 9, Morphinemangled Torture, Deathfare to the Devil, Deathmachine, Pilar Deconstruction (Syndrome 9 Remix)

These days I deeply appreciate a lack of bullshit. So often I have put on an album and been excited by the first few minutes, only to wind up dismally disappointed by the third track because the band takes a left turn into a field of tulips and decides to proclaim their diversity by doing their best impression of Tangerine Dream.

Myrkskog have avoided stepping in that particular pile of dung completely. They come out blasting and keep blasting. This, ladies and dicks, is METAL. Call it black metal, call it death metal, call it cyberindustrial polka metal... just call it METAL!! While Deathmachine does have a cold, industrial feel to it, to pigeonhole this album as industrial, as I have heard some folks refer to it, would be a grave injustice. It is completely inhuman, fast, heavy, and barbaric, and the first album to give December Wolves' Completely Dehumanized a run for the money when it comes to intensity. Inevitably, 45 minutes of blasting does get a bit overwhelming, not in the sense of overload, but the material herein isn't varied enough to hold my interest for the duration. Whereas with Completely Dehumanized my attention would be drawn back to the music if I was involved in some task with the album playing in the background, Deathmachine just slipped by. That is not to say that this is not a rewarding listen, but the material could use a bit more refinement and perhaps a few more hooks. Myrkskog did throw me for a loop with the closing track, "Pilar Deconstruction," as it delves full-force into techno, but as I am not particularly fond of the genre and the track did nothing to heighten my appreciation of it, I wound up with a sour taste in my mouth at the album's close, but the surefire cure for that is to hit "play" again and let the opening track, "Discipline Misanthropy," beat you to death in under 5 minutes. - Al Kikuras

Obliveon - Carnivore Mothermouth (Hypnotic Records '99)

Rating: 9/10
Tracks: Technocarnivore Mothermouth, Love Die Resurrect, Such A Quiet River, Devil In My Eyes, Coercive Currents, Polaroty, Vectors, Glass Made Of Flesh, Fatal Induction, Desert Incorporel

Carnivore Mothermouth is an album that, for all practical purposes, has been 5 years in the making. Obliveon's last masterpiece, Cybervoid, was released waaaay back in 1995. So, the question that comes to mind is: Was Carnivore Mothermouth worth the wait? Fuck yes!

Not to beat a dead horse (as I stated virtually the same thing in my review of Cybervoid), what I really love about Obliveon is that they are doing new and refreshing things in a genre that so many had written off as dead and buried: thrash. Yeah yeah yeah, I realize that I am simplifying things considerably by pegging Obliveon as a thrash band, but at the core, that is what I am hearing.

Again, as on Cybervoid, Obliveon display the elements that set them head and shoulders above the competition: great songwriting, impeccable production, phenomenal performances on the part of each band member and, perhaps the key to their unique sound, an ear for the bizzare. Odd time signatures abound, as does intricate and strange riffing. The band is tight, the vocals deeply expressive and gruff. No shrieking or screaming at all. This is technical metal for the layman. Those scared shitless by Gorguts' brilliant Obscura will find Carnivore Mothermouth a much more pallatable listen, and musicians with a more discerning ear will be impressed by the challenging material Obliveon has written and performed.

In the Cybervoid review I credited Obliveon as displaying the "highest evolution of thrash." I am happy to say that they have outdone themselves, and grown into a fiercer, more evolved musical beast. Let's just hope that with Carnivore Mothermouth they finally grasp the golden ring of worldwide recognition that they so desperately deserve, yet has managed to elude their grip thus far. - Al Kikuras

Sally - s/t (Rise Above Records/The Music Cartel, '99)

Rating: 0.5/10
Tracks: lord of the trees, monolick, uno, four twelve, rolling thunder, monkey steals, the peach, kentucky fried mutherfucker, sonic mountain

In the inadvertent haze of the not so psychedelic, yet witless drug/70's revival blues band circuit known as Stoner Rock (Stoner Doom some would say, if your idea of Doom is sprawled 'cross couch with nigh four or five brain cells activated to swing your head to and fro to the grooves Sabbath composed some thirty years ago) stumbles Sally. Imagine Cathedral without a fraction of the unique astucity they inject into their retroactive character... Sally take Cathedral's shell and extract all the elements that keep something so tired considerably fresh (or at least so spoiled that the stench is poignant enough to keep its listeners awake) and at least somewhat functional beyond the smokey garage. Sadly Sally offer no character of their own, coming across moreso as a neutered clone albeit a ball-less emulator with enough conviction to sound like they LIKE Cathedral a bit (whatever high that gets them). A really uncalled for AC/DC copy 'n paste of "Thunderstruck" fretboard tapping lands its way into one of the pieces here finally dissolving any further credibility the song (or the entire album for that matter) had to offer. Ending the album is an extended attempt at 'psychedelia', a cliche and sedating 'fuck around' (had I used the word 'experimenting' the assumption of 'effort' might have been mistaken for what appears to be 'accidentally' leaving the tape going while testing 'trippy' sounds on their equiptment, offensive to even the most superficial Krauts among us) that intends to remind us once again that these guys have been taking drugs (convincing enough to remind us of their extremely high tolerance level which, sadly, never peaked once in the composition of this material). So, all in all a waste of time, money and cortex. - David Wills

Sinner - The Second Decade (Nuclear Blast, 2000)

Rating: 8.9/10
Tracks: The Second Decade, Jump The Gun, When Silence Falls, Devil's River, Used To The Truth, A Question Of Honor, The Truth Is Out There, Balls To The Wall, Judgment Day, The Biggest Lie, Streets Of Sin, Rage Of A Hurricane, The Nature Of Evil, Born To Rock, Respect, Plus a CD ROM Video Clip

Sinner are old school metal, these guys cut their teeth on metal Over the last decade or so, as the title of this best-of album says, The Second Decade. These guys have been around since the late 80's and it shows. They can really rock out. Sinner's sound hovers between power metal and classic heavy metal.

The material off this album basically comes from three Sinner albums, Judgment Day, Bottom Line, and The Nature Of Evil. Their newer stuff (off of the album The Nature Of Evil) is much more guitar oriented, but I feel that the singing is weaker. The older music tends to be heavier and more rhythm oriented. On the older albums the lead singer did more growling than actual singing, and that seemed to work better. He really isn't that good of a singer, but when he growls he adds a level of fierceness to the music.

The selections off of the album Judgment Day are my favorites ("Jump The Gun," "Used To The Truth," "Judgment Day," and "Streets Of Sin"). These songs tend to be the best balanced. With the singing and the aggression well aligned. I guess someone told this guy that he had a nice voice, and it's not terrible, just not very good.

Another fun song on The Second Decade is the cover of Accept's song "Balls To The Wall" from the Accept tribute album. Now that's a song you can laugh at and with.

I didn't check out the bonus CD ROM, so you'll have to check that for yourself, but that wouldn't effect my rating anyway. It's all about the music, not the special effects. By the way, Cher should fucking die screaming. Thank you.

All in all a very powerful slab of good old fashioned metal played loud and proud. A definite suggestion if you are considering giving Sinner a chance. It also has two previously unreleased songs for die hard Sinner fans that thought they had everything. - Piston Rod

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