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Music Reviews |
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All reviews are on a scale of 1-10. For the jackasses, one is the lowest and ten is the highest. For an explanation of our review policy as well
as info on how to submit materials for review, click here.
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Spotlight Album:
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aka ”An album that really kicked our asses!”
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Hatred - The Offering
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This Edition’s Reviews:
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Click on the artist’s name to be taken to the review. Scroll up or down to view the rest of the reviews, or to return to the top.
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Infestation, Opera IX, Origin, Pandemia, Fog, Enter Self, Sacred Steel, Sinergy, Squealer, Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza, The Chasm, Vanderhoof, Wykked Wytch, Yattering, Behemoth, Source of Tide
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Hatred - The Offering (Demolition, 2000)
Rating: 9/10
My partner, Piston Rod, is not a very patient fellow, especially when it comes to listening to an album for the first time to decide if he wants to review it. He wants to know what is going
on fucking IMMEDIATELY. If there is a long, drawn-out intro, he fast-forwards it. If the vocals on an album don't come in within the first minute or so, he fast forwards it. If the first track is an instrumental,
well, forget it. You've lost him.
I am glad he did not actually put the The Offering on when we were last splitting up the booty, as he might have wound up taking this one home and I would have missed out. Hatred let you
know immediately what you are in for within the first 5 seconds of the opening title track. This is straightforward but engrossing death metal with very thrashy overtones. The vocals are screeched a good 80%
of the time (occasionally sounding like Millie from Kreator), peppered with baritone deathgrowls that are interspersed with uncanny good taste. This is a great album, and the key to it is strong songwriting. Not for
a second do I get the feeling that Hatred are going through the motions. Their songs are laden with changes, with the band bouncing from riff to riff with fluency, never hanging on a part long enough for it to get
even remotely boring or repetitious. I recommend this album with confidence. - Al Kikuras
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Infestation - Mass Immolation (Lunasound, 2000)
Rating: 8.5/10
 Got to love that brutal death metal.
Infestation sound like a cross between Cannibal Corpse, Immolation and Cryptopsy. Three heavyweights, I know. The end result is extremely heavy death metal with enough changes to keep things from whirring
into a big, featureless blurr of riffs and growls. Bands like this may not bring anything new to the fold, but what they are doing is pushing the genre to new levels of
heaviness, refinement and musicianship. They are also proof positive that a good number of death metal bands really have no need for a bassist. I am sure we've all heard those albums
where the band is cranking along at full fucking tilt when all of a sudden the guitars drop out and the overall volume plummets and somewhere beneath your breathing you hear a
low rumbling that could be your stomach until you realize you just pounded a short stack. You realize that fuzz-approaching-a-tone is actually the bass and it is as if the
band and engineer decided it was time to prove that yes, even though it is buried in the mix and is doing nothing more than just following the guitars, there is a bass track
underneath there somewhere. That is not to say this is always the case, but quite often it is.
Well, Infestation decided to say fuck all that shit and don't even have a bassist. Is there a difference? No. Play this album for just about any seasoned death metal fan and I will bet my
entire CD collection that he or she will not notice there is no bass. Once you know, it is easier to notice, but without knowing that going in...
Anyway, this is very convincing stuff. Fast double bass, even faster blasts, great riffing, deep vocals interspersed with high-pitched screeches. I like it. If you're a death metal fan,
you will too. That's the bottom line. - Al Kikuras
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Opera IX - The Black Opera (Dwell Records, 2000)
Rating: 7/10
 It is nice to be pleasantly surprised. I was fully prepared to hate this album. I naively
assumed it was going to be putrid, pretentious goth rock. I know it is sexist of me, but 90% of the time when there is a female vocalist involved in extreme metal she is wailing like a deaf banshee. While there
is a small amount of said wailing on The Black Opera, for the most part, she let's 'er rip with a pretty brutal growl or scream. The music is pompous at times, but for the most
part is intense thrashy death metal with doomish tinges. Keyboards are used tastefully for the most part, but occasionally the keyboardist gets a bit heavy-handed.
The Black Opera starts off strong, but by the end it gets to be too much - like eating 3 chocolate creme donuts from Dunkin' and washing them down with a pint of Nesquick. The
hokey parts build up and leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. Fans of Cradle of Filth theatrics and stuff like that awful Peccatum will really love this. Hardcore death/black
metal fans will find some rewarding moments, but on the whole I'd say can pass on this one. - Al Kikuras
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Origin - s/t (Relapse, 2000)
Rating: 9/10
 First The Bezerker, now this! The future is looking brighter and brighter. Origin
play very frantic, technical, hyper-grind death metal utilizing a REAL DRUMMER so fast and precise he almost comes off sounding like a drum machine. Looking at the back of the CD at this very second, I
am not all that suprised to discover that the man behind the kit is none other than Jon Longsreth, whom you might remember from his two-album stint with Angel Corpse. Does he still have the
incredible speed and stamina displayed on Hammer of Gods and The Inexorable, you ask? If anything, the man has gotten faster on the sticks. He pounds to the point of sounding
inhuman. The whole album has a very cold, mechanical feel to it. It is a non-stop assault on the ears from the first second to the last. Yes, like the Pandemia album reviewed below, it gets
a bit monotonous, but I dig it more because the monotony of it does not bore, it serves to really push the message home. Origin just blast and blast and blast, pushing the envelope to
the point of it being almost ridiculous. Secondly, I love the triple vocal attack. I was disappointed with Carcass' Necroticism album because the triad of voices was nowhere
to be found, but Origin are tearing things up vocally, trading lines and screaming and belching one voice over the other. The album just has the overwhelming feel of too much all at
once, vocally and musically, and while that might turn some folks off I absolutely love it. In the band's bio, it says "With the singular intent of inflicting an otherworldly musical
battering, Origin stop at nothing to overpower..."
That sums it up perfectly, folks. - Al Kikuras
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Pandemia - Spreading the Message (Lost Disciple, 2000)
Rating: 7/10
 One of the big obstacles for modern warriors of death to hurdle over is the
fact that, 99% of the time, it's been done. Death metal is a genre that we've fucked in every hole. It is rare that a band comes along and breathes entirely new life into the 'ol rotting corpse (Gorguts did
it, for one). That is not to say there is no point in playing death metal anymore. Vader managed to do nothing new at all on their latest opus, Litany, but it sounds as fresh as Altars of Madness did when it
first hit the racks over a decade ago. Bands like Vader, Hate Eternal and Decapitated have brought an insatiable hunger back to death metal that was lacking, for the most part, since
the genre became so oversaturated in the early-mid '90s.
Pandemia are obviously enthusiastic about their craft. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm is not contagious. There are some very heavy, intense songs on Spreading the Message ,
and Pandemia definitely put their best foot forward with the album's opener, "Stiffness," but by the middle of the album the material gets to be pretty monotonous. The occasional
riff stands out from the rest, but on the whole the album feels overlong despite being under 30 minutes long.
Definitely not a bad band by any stretch of the imagination, but they didn't really do much to set themselves apart from their contemporaries or predecessors. - Al Kikuras
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FOG - Jezabel's Dream (Bethany Records, 1999)
Rating: 3/10
 I hate writing bad reviews just as much as I hate listening to the bad album in
question but on this occasion I feel I owe it to myself and the readers that I have to use the correct words to describe just how terrible it is. Let's see...from the pseudo gothic lyrics, stale production,
poor musical sturcture and flow, whiny vocals that wouldn't induce fear in a chipmunk, this album just doesn't strike me as worth listening to. I also highly object to the waste of the paper for the
booklet and tray inlay. This band shows no promise at all, no signs of improving, and the only positive is that despite how awful this is I know it's not the worst that can be released.
Music is something that can be seen as art and I guess if you were to call Borknagar the experienced painter...FOG would be the kid who can't even paint a model airplane. 60 Minutes
of my life down the drain... - Rick
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Enter Self - Awaken in Agony (Lost Disciple Records, 2000)
Rating: 8/10
 Lost Disciple's second brutal offering this
month and I gotta say they are 2 for 2. While taking a less guttural vocal approach then most death metal bands it works for Enter Self. The drumming and riffs remind of of early Pyrexia or Internal
Bleeding a bit, two of my favorite bands, so they definitely can't go wrong there. The difference though, Enter Self has more variety in their riffs, and its not just one low tuned riff,
they have some very technical riffs but then go into a groove out of the middle of nowhere, much like Rotting do on their cd Crushed, but when Enter Self does it it isn't quite as sloppy or
chunky, they groove but they do it right. While it may take some time for the midrange vocals to grow on you, musically this album is so well written and played its hard to overlook
just for one minor problem. If you like any death metal with groove like Clean Flesh, Devourment, Internal Bleeding, Dying Fetus, or Pyrexia then you will be into this album. - Rick
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Sacred Steel – Bloodlust (Metal Blade, 2000)
Rating: 8/10
 Much, much better than their last album,
which was much, much better than the album before it…musically that is. The vocal still leave MUCH to be desired. These guys are now a great band musically. However, that only goes to
highlight how much of a weak-link the lead singer, Gerrit P. Mutz, is. The band is improving by leaps and bounds, but Gerrit still sounds like his vocals are being played at the wrong speed
(old record reference for those too young to understand).
The band has hardened and darkened their sound, they have improved their song-writing skills. They rock out with a confidence not seen before, and they play some damn fine
tunes. It’s too bad they can’t realize what’s keeping them back. I understand there is a lack of good vocalists out there, but this is ridiculous. – Piston Rod
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Sinergy – To Hell And Back (Nuclear Blast, 2000)
Rating: 9.7/10
 Now THIS is METAAAAAL!!! This is metal the
likes of which they don’t make anymore. Heavy, fast, and catchy as HELL. This is the type of metal the bands that made it in the 80’s don’t even make anymore. True heart pounding, fist pumping, thrash/power metal.
All hail Sinergy!
The album starts off with Kimberly Goss, the lead singer, screaming “The Bitch Is Back”, and that let’s you know right away the attitude that this album is going to take. It rocks, it
takes no prisoners, and it leaves you wanting more. One of the only albums of late that I actually have a desire to listen to more than once or twice, one that I keep in my car and listen to often.
The only place this loses points is in the fact that some songs are girl songs, since the lead singer is a girl. I don’t like that all
too much, so I took off for it. Otherwise, this album get’s top honors in my book. – Piston Rod
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Squealer – The Prophecy (Metal Blade, 2000)
Rating: 9/10
 Bad name, good band. Nuff said about
that. These guys are a good god-damn metal band. Big ups for my posse. Heavy pounding drums, epic sound to the songs, and good vocals. Attitude galore. Perhaps that’s what a lot of metal bands
lack these days; a “fuck-you” attitude. We were fighting for something in the 80’s, we were fighting to prove that we were heavier and better than anything else. We knew we
were, and didn’t care who put us down. Today, I don’t get that from many bands, but I do from Squealer (Horrible name. See, I didn’t leave it alone).
I look forward to hearing more things from this band. They will be making some waves in the years to come, when metal grows back to it’s old strength, and only the cream will rise to
the top. In the meantime, I will enjoy The Prophecy. – Piston Rod
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The Bad Luck Riot 13 Extravaganza - We Kill Children (Too Damn Hype, 2000)
Rating: 7.5
 Looking like something out of a cheaply made ghetto production of the Texas
Chainsaw Massacre, all 13 members of Bad Luck Riot 13 Extravaganza could probably even put Gwar to shame. Based out of Philly (of all places), these mental ward wackos specialize in all that is unimaginably sicker
than Dahmer’s icebox. Somewhat akin to a more seriously deranged Candiria, the band combines crunchy metallic hardcore with hilariously tongue-in-cheek lyrics revolving
around murder, suicide, rape, and serial killers. Of course, what would something as utterly tasteless as this be without a song entitled, “The Columbine Alma Mater.” Hmm.. kind of
makes Anal Cunt seem like a picnic in comparison, doesn’t it? The highlight definitely has to be the title track. Beginning with a sample of a televised newscast about a deranged
midwestern teen cult, the song soon kicks in with an hystercially funny dialogue between the two vocalists portraying themselves as a couple of backwoods rednecks.
And speaking of the vocals, there’s quite a number of Carcass worshipping gurgles heard on songs like “Stabbin’ You Up,” “Looking Out My Window,” and “Slit My Wrists.” Coming
across musically at times like Pungent Stench meets Bio Hazard, it appears as if the band has ultimately found a way to bridge the gap between both the Death Metal and Hardcore
genres respectively. However, my only gripe about this is that after the first half of the CD, it gets redundantly tiresome to say the least. Otherwise, I’d imagine that the live shows
(judging from the pics inside the CD booklet) are a totally different story indeed! - Envenomed
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The Chasm - Procession to the Infraworld (Dwell Records, 2000)
Rating: 7/10
 With my recent inheritance of many, many new death metal CDs this record is a step
beyond many of the newer releases I've seen. The Chasm has a very primitive feel to their music, but are produced well enough that it's not a frustating listen at all like so
many of todays "cult" black metal bands hope for.
Instead, what The Chasm have done is carve out a simple death metal LP that is based in several different styles of metal past. There is a definite Florida death metal influence,
but it's merely an influence, not a blueprint. The same can be said of the Norwegian black metal sound. Elements of that definitely rear that "cult" heads around these parts, but in a
most fitting way. Add some '80s thrash sounds and you have a well rounded and not overly-derivative death metal LP.
The Chasm assault is sometimes slow and painful, othertimes, just a straight up black fest. But this band is unique because their songs maintain a very groovy edge to
them, holding my interest for most of the record. Truly there are a few moments when i felt like they used a similar riff earlier in the record, but overall, "Procession to the
Infraworld" is sure to satusfy the metal masses. - Shockwave
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Vanderhoof – s/t (Nuclear Blast, 2000)
 Rating: 4/10
This is cock rock of the highest order. Music played by talented guitarist with no balls. Music played for the sole purpose of jerking off on stage. This music gets no interest from me. I need meat and potatoes from
my metal, not veggie burgers. This is “soft” metal. Metal for people that appreciate the musicianship and don’t care about the songs; metal for assholes that want to seem above the
rest because they appreciate it. Fuck them, fuck you, and Fuck Vanderhoof. – Piston Rod
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Wykked Wytch - Something Wykked This Way Comes (Demolition, 2000)
Rating: 4/10
I've listened to this album half a dozen times, trying to get into it, but found myself liking it
less and less with each listen. Wykked Wytch attempt to combine death and black metal with old-school hard rock. Rather than coming up with a catchy, brutal blend of music, it just sounds like a soup sandwich
and gets more and more grating as each song goes by. To vocalist Ipek's credit, she has a pretty versatile voice, capable of some high-pitched screams, deep growls and mid-range
bellowing, but overall the music comes off sounding like cock-rock black/death metal. Not for me. I have heard this band slagged by as many people as I have heard them
praised, so it must be one of those love-hate things. I am in the latter group, sad to say, but some of you out there might be into this. - Al Kikuras
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Yattering - Murderer's Concept (Season of Mist, 2000)
Rating: 8/10
 These Polish kids ain't fucking around! This is some seriously harsh and
captivating shit. Definitely the best Polish metal band I've heard since Vader, Yattering are an interesting mix of death, grind, and other influences. In the dime a
dozen world of metal bands these days, this release caught my attention real fast. In fact I can't remember a death metal record grabbing me this fast since the first time I heard
Cryptopsy's "None So Vile," which is a decent reference point.
Yattering takes elements of Cryptopsy, Suffocation and the aforementioned Vader and mutate it into a seriously disturbing sound. Drumming up the arse, riffs aplenty, and
vocals that change pitch often enough to keep my interest are key elements of Yattering's song writing. Lyrically they offer up some demented shit, which I found myself actually
taking to time to look over. This is very rare for a metal record. Not your typical "let's make war while we skull-fuck Jesus," lyrical drivel.
What am I trying to say here? Ok, if you're looking for a pretty powerful and interesting death metal record, you should end your quest here. Between this and the new
Mayhem release Season of Mist has unleashed two of my favorite metal releases of the year. - Shockwave
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Behemoth - Satanica (Dwell Records, 2000)
Rating: 8/10
 This is definitely a giant leap beyond anything these guys have done before. Having only
heard various comilation tracks from a band I regarded as an average unit with a silly name, this LP is simply infernal.
From the opening track to the final hidden track (track 93, skip tracks 9-92), Behmoth offer up a unique combination of black and death metal, with some elements of
hardcore showing up as well. Gone are the female vocals and poor production, and in their place we find nonstop blasting and consistently interesting music behind it. The vocals lie
between death growls and blackened screams, never really settling on either, while the guitar texture is very unique and sometimes reminds me of the newer Mayhem releases.
Between this, the new Vader and new Yattering discs, Poland is really starting to emerge as quick the hotbed of brutal music. - Shockwave
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Source of Tide - Ruins of Beauty (Candlelight, 2000)
Rating: 1.5/10
 With so many of its bands changing direction as many times you and I
change underwear, you never know what to expect from Norway these days. Once the icy, cold homeland for the primitively dark sounds of, Immortal, Satyricon, and Burzum (to name a few)
has ultimately transformed itself into a Disneyland for neo-classical self indulgence. As if the recent commercial success of Dimmu Borgir and Emperor wasn’t evidently enough, the Norwegian
sextet calling themselves Source of Tide are now even looking to make a nice, hefty paycheck riding on the coattails of the aforementioned bands. Lead by frontman Lord PZ
(who some of you’ll recognize as Ihsahn’s co-conspirator in Peccatum; another useless outfit), this band fits practically every single stereotype you’d come to expect in the
gothmetal genre. From the arpeggiated keyboard scales to the grandiose synth effects right down to the operatic baritone vocals and melodramatic spoken word passages, it’s
all here! Musically, a less speed-oriented Cradle of Filth would be an appropriate reference point. What makes this even worse, are the abundance of cheesy lyrics which might I add
are often song in the most horrendous tones imaginable. While I can appreciate the fact that Lord PZ chose to explore a more "artistic" side, the guy obviously needs to lay off the
Pete Steele and Luciano Pavarotti impressions. And if that’s not bad enough, the occasional high end raspy shrieks on "The Awakening Chains of Mythic Fantasy"” will definitely
have you running for the fast-forward button in a matter of seconds flat.
Songwise, the tempos tend to alternate between slow funeral-like dirges to midpaced crunchy Samael-esque arrangements that come across rather bland in favor. Though
I’ll admit that at times, the band has a robust guitar sound but unfortunately, tends to get drowned out by the layering of synth and keyboard arrangements. Overall, a very
pointless, if not time consuming affair that grates on the ears than wets the pallet. Otherwise, as mentioned earlier, if you happen to like Dimmu Borgir, or even Dismal Euphony then
this might be worthy addition to your CD collection overall. However, I wouldn’t even bother. - Envenomed
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