Music Reviews

Abscess - Tormented (Necropolis, 2000)

8.5/10

Okay, so the big thing here is that Tormented is supposedly a return to the days of the mighty Mental Funeral - without a doubt the crux of Chris Reifert's death metal career, and undoubtedly a pinnacle of the death metal genre. Previous releases by Abscess were enjoyable, but sounded a lot like Autopsy without ever capturing the magic of Reifert's original project and, as such, Abscess was destined to loom in the shadows of Autopsy's bigger-than-death legend. I am happy to write that they have come closer on Tormented than on both previous Abscess releases combined. This is no Mental Funeral, mind you, but it is a lot better than Autopsy's last disc, the mediocre Shitfun.

Abscess have yet to (and may never) completely live up to Autopsy's legacy, but we do have to acknowledge that they left a big grave to fill. It may seem unfair to hold Tormented up against the standard set by Autopsy, but I can only assume that the label and band have faced this fact as well and thus am alleviated of any resulting guilt. In the bio sheet, the note on the back of the crappy cardboard promo sleeve, and ads I have seen for the album, they draw the comparison themselves, cleverly stating that on Tormented,  "...ABSCESS REKINDLES THE G(L)ORY DAYS OF THEIR PROGENITOR, DEATH METAL LEGENDS AUTOPSY!" If that is not begging the comparison, I don't know what is.

So, all done and said, Tormented is a very sick, decrepit sounding mess of death metal that gloriously displays what veteran players are capable of. The band is, after all, made up of former members of Death (is Reifert still dropping that name??), Hexx, and (obviously) Autopsy. They've managed to out-sick their contemporaries and just about all of the bands that came in Autopsy's wake but, like their contemporaries, they have not quite managed to grasp the golden o-ring that Autopsy is, to this day, dangling over the heads of the teeming legions as the kings of gore-soaked death metal. Maybe on the next album they'll actually grab that sucker.

Sidebar: Is it me or does the main riff in track 7, "Halo of Disease," sound almost exactly like the riff in Entombed's "But Life Goes On?" - Al Kikuras

Adversary - We Must Be In Hell (Cursed Productions, ??)

Rating: 8/10

My first reaction to We Must Be In Hell was that it sounded similar to Oppressor, particularly the vocal performance. Adversary are not as technical as their fellow Chicago-area natives, focusing more on Celtic Frost-ish sludge than speed. They actually sound somewhat like a cross between Oppressor and Cianide (another shy town band). So, it goes without saying that if you like both of the aforementioned bands, you will appreciate Adversary. The songs are good. Very ballsy & heavy with an old school metal feel. The recording is lo-fi, but nice and dirty - it fits the music. The material on We Must Be In Hell is more well-thought out than I expected. I thought Adversary were going to play noise blasting death metal, but they incorporate some strong melodies on these four songs, concentrating more on strong riffs than brutality. The end result is a nice, short slab of metal that holds up well under repeat listenings. - Al Kikuras

Damnation - Resist (Dark Realm, 2000)

Rating: 6.5/10

Whomever did the layout for the tray card was certainly fond of Dissection's Storm of the Light's Bane. The similarities are uncanny.

Damnation play a relatively unremarkable, though proficient, brand of death metal that borrows from thrash and black metal. There is nothing particularly striking throughout the 34 or so minutes that make up Resist. It is not a bad album, by any stretch of the imagination, but Damnation really do nothing to set themselves apart from the loads of other bands currently riding the death/thrash metal hobbyhorse. The music is not of the Cannibal Corpse/Suffocation school, but rather Damnation sound somewhat like a less-inspired At the Gates (Slaughter of the Soul era). The problem is the songs are not nearly as catchy as those on Slaughter of the Soul so, while I can appreciate them aesthetically for being heavy and musically proficient, none of the meat sticks to the bones and I am left feeling unfulfilled at the album's close. The moral of the story is, it's not enough to just cook a meal, you've got to cook it well. - Al Kikuras

Dragbody - Flip the KillSwitch (Now or Never, 2000)

Rating: 4/10

There is only one thing that upped this record's rating from a 2.  It was produced by mastermind Steve Albini (Nirvana, Page & Plant, the Jesus Lizard, Neurosis, etc...). Albini's trademark drum and guitar sounds are in full effect here. But that doesn't change the fact that this is still lame metalcore. - Master Shockwave

Elegy - Forbidden Fruit (Noise Records, 2000)

Rating: 10/10

This is Power Metal's finest moment! ELEGY is new to my ears (man am I way behind or what?) and after the first listen, I am very taken by this band. Their latest is the sixth release and after I run out to purchase the previous five, I will look foward to many more. ELEGY have drawn upon the influences of HELLOWEEN, GRIM REAPER and RISING FORCE to forge a great album that we the fans can be most proud of. Ian Parry is an outstanding vocalist reminding me of Steve Grimmette and Jeff Scott Soto. Rounding out the line up is the guitar mastery of Patrick Rondt along with the outstanding rythym section of bassist Martin Helmantel and drummer Dirk Bruinenberg who's style reminds me of my personal favorite drummer Tommy Aldridge. Finally, adding atmosphere and depth without overshadowing the sheer heaviness is keyboardist Gunter Werno. Tracks such as "Icehouse", "Killing Time" and "Elegant Solution" offers personified brutality while "Masquerade" and "I Believe" respectively speaking, show both a progressive and melodic side without compromising the fact this is a great heavy metal band. The title track is the most interesting one of all with the use of a sitar making it quite intriuging to listen to. Collectively this is an album of short stories in which, much like the music throughout, one differs from the other. This is a very versatile offering and most refreshingly it lacks repetiton. Hell this is one freight train I'm sorry I missed out on. But like they say better late than never. I'm a fan why aren't you?! - Bob Mitchell

Fates Warning - Disconnected (Metal Blade, 2000)

Rating: 10/10

It's been a long time since I've heard the music of this legendary band. As a matter of fact, when I knew them personally, the last album I heard was Awaken the Guardian which is now a milestone in progressive heavy metal. Ironically, now years later, I get to review their latest release. I must say in all honesty that like fine wine, this band has aged gracefully. Alot of the old guard is gone from the band but the magic is still there thanks, in part, to the brainchild of FATES Jim Matheos. He along with vocalist Ray Adler, bassist Joey Vera, keysman Kevin Moore and drummer Mark Zonder have put forth a fantastic array of melodic yet complex compositions which successfully maintains and solidifies their rank as the true innovators of progressive heavy metal. Every track is a favorite of mine especially "So" and "Pieces of Me". Very rarely does an entire album shine and this one does it without reserve. I'm proud to know that I once shared an appearance with them in Metal Massacre Five. Now I'm even more proud to say that I own a copy of Disconnected. Congratulations boys on bringing us another great album. - Bob Mitchell

The Haunted - The Haunted Made Me Do It  (Earache, 2000)

Rating: 8.5/10

Earache is mounting a formidable comeback lately, with their ears again focused on the metal underground and not on bad techno.  The second Haunted record is a great way to start off.  Combining a speedy assault of Slayer riffs and Swedish death metal leads (most of this band WAS At The Gates), The Haunted have served up the Thrash record of 2000. Plain and simple, this kicks ass.  The new vocalist blows the original singer out of the water.  His performance is mean, ugly, and harsh.  Upset by the recent nu-metal tendencies Slayer has been showing? Get your grubby hands on this record! - Master Shockwave

Incinerator - Thrash Attack (Sound Riot, 2000)

Rating: 7/10

Well, it says in the bio that Incinerator "follow in the steps of the old gods of 80's Speed/Thrash metal such as: Slayer, Destruction, Dark Angel and Kreator." That pretty much sums it up. I'd say Kreator are the primary constituent of the metal stew that Incinerator have brewing on Thrash Attack. Vocalist Blade could do an adequate job in a Kreator cover band, for that matter. He doesn't have the edge Mille did on Terrible Certainty or Extreme Aggression, or any of the pre-Endorama albums, but there are times where he almost sounds exactly like the man, which might be annoying if it wasn't obvious that it was intentional. The general problem with bands that completely emulate the masters is that, although their hearts are in the right place, they seldom pull it off and wind up sounding like lame cover bands or almost more like a parody of the very bands they are trying to imitate. Incinerator succeed where so many others don't, as they sound like the genuine article. Thrash Attack sounds like it could have been released in '87 or '88 and with song titles like "Scream Queen" and "Storm of the Thrasher," all the attitude of the era is fully intact as well. - Al Kikuras

The Leftovers - 667, The Neighbor of the Beast (Fueled Up, 2000)

Rating: 6.5/10

The cover of this album makes me want to puke in my soup, as does the promo photo on the back. The helmet with his shirt off (he has got to be the singer) looks like he's ready and rearing to take it up the ass. Not surprisingly, the music is as pompous as these guys look, but since it is rock and roll, it works. I am not a big fan of this stuff, but I have to give credit where credit is due and admit that, as far as the straight up new rock movement goes, this is pretty good. The downfall is they don't approach doing anything remotely new, but The Leftovers have penned some catchy songs of mostly up-tempo hard rock that doesn't sound like it is being played by a bunch of pussies. In my opinion,  the absolute pinnacle of stuff like this is Manitoba's Wild Kingdom's 1990 album And You? They managed to stuff in all the pomp and attitude without seeming pretentious, which is the primary thing about The Leftovers (and I am not just talking about the photos) that I find to be a bit grating. But, that does seem to be part of this latest hard rock revival, so I am sure fans of the stuff won't mind at all and will love this album to death. Me, I can stomach about 5 songs before I get the overwhelming urge to throw on something REALLY heavy to cleanse my palate. New Abscess here I come...

To those still giggling over the clever title of this album, I'd like to point out that Sitzo had a song called "667 (Neighbor Of The Beast)" on their Got Sick album, which came out last year. - Al Kikuras

Leviathan - Cold Caress (Poem Productions, 2000) -

Rating: 7/10

Turkey must be a grim as hell place, because this album is about as dark as it gets. A lush acoustic intro perfectly sets the mood for the bleak melodic death/doom that is to follow. Standard European drawn out power chording with single note harmonies are washed effortlessly into the mix with the well played yet unspectacular rhythm section.

My only complaint with this effort is when singer Onur Onuk (yeah, no shit.) tries to do a clean vocal delivery instead of his proficient death style. He sounds like he just had a tracheotomy, or is trying in vain to sing out of his left nostril. Its pretty annoying. But other then that, this is an exceptional release from a part of the world not known for this type of music. Oh yeah... bonus points for the cover art which looks like a woman's hand caressing a big puffy vagina. - Daniel Lawson

Long Winter’s Stare - The Tears of Odin's Fallen (Dark Symphonies 2000)

Rating: 7/10

As of this writing, Long Winters Stare is no more. And that is too bad, because this band had so much potential. Classical in its feel and metal at its heart, this is pure doom. Extremely mournful instrumental passages make up the bulk of this cd, with female and male clean vocal harmonies sharing time with traditional death metal growls. Im pretty sure they use a drum machine, unless they bought their cymbals at the .99 cent store. But the drum tone is easily ignored since the keyboards are turned up to 11. If you're going to put one instrument this high in the mix, you might want to make sure that the person playing said instrument is good. Unfortunately, this is not the case here. Due to the production flaws, this is a difficult release, but fans of the genre will find this enjoyable. - Daniel Lawson

Maharahj - Chapter one, The Descent (Now or Never, 2000)

Rating: 2/10

Metalcore is played by kids who aren't talented enough to play real metal, and think they're too smart to play hardcore.  Thus this shitty, repetitive hybrid comes about.  And it blows. - Master Shockwave

Memorial - Enter My Megaron (Baphomet, 2001)

Rating: 7/10

Well, it certainly presents some brutal and raw black metal, but Memorial's Enter My Megaron isn't all that remarkable. This Holland quintet has got their chops down, but when it comes to penning something distinctive, they are lacking. Enter My Megaron is similar to Immortal's Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism in both production and performance, particularly the vocal department. Vocalist Madis actually sounds like a conglomeration of Abbath Doom Occulta's vocal performances throughout Immortal's 6 albums.

Memorial do everything a black metal band should do, and that is ultimately their downfall. It's ugly, it's raw, it's cold... it just isn't especially distinctive.  While they are slightly above par with the average black metal band, they don't do anything that really sets them apart from their predecessors. They are not as fast as Marduk or Immortal, instead wavering somewhere between the aforementioned bands' tempos and the slower chugging of Hades Almighty. I do like this album, but I think in the long run I won't find myself itching with the urge to listen to it. Hell, I may even forget I have it once it is out of the "to be reviewed" pile. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. - Al Kikuras

Necrophagia - Death Is Fun (Red Stream, 2001)

Rating: 9/10

Surprisingly, though this is demo material released before the classic Necrophagia debut album, Season of the Dead (1987), it is considerably more brutal than the album, especially in the vocal department. The production varies, but is consistently very raw throughout. I love collections like this... old demo tracks. Similar albums that I am also a big fan of are Bloodstorm's Death By The Stormwizard and Graveland's In The Glare of Burning Churches.  A lot of people have heard Season of the Dead and had a hard time believing that it came out over 13 years ago. Some of the songs on Death is Fun date as far back as 1985 and I think disbelievers would be even more surprised. Death is Fun is infinitely more disgusting and brutal than other albums of the era, like Death's Scream Bloody Gore.

The variance in sound quality works to the album's advantage. Several tracks are repeated, but the different productions as well as Killjoy's ever-evolving vocal performance keep things from getting to be redundant.

The packaging is excellent, depicting scenes of murder and mutilation staged by renowned/reviled tattoo artist Paul Booth. The liner notes are a bit off. Track 11 definitely is not "Necrophagia" as reported, but another version of "Chainsaw Lust."  Also, though 12 tracks are listed on the tray card, the inlay booklet and CD itself tell a different story, clocking the total number of songs at 14.

This is where the whole gore death metal thing that bands like Exhumed, Disgorge and others are now touting began, and I don't think I can say the stuff on Death is Fun has been outdone to date, not even by Necrophagia's subsequent releases. This is a piece of death metal history that each and every individual calling his or herself a fan of the genre should own for both historical reference and to see just how dirty and repulsive the stuff can get. - Al Kikuras

Nightwish - Wishmaster (Century Media, 2000)

Rating: 1/10

This is so fucking gay.  I mean really... does anyone sit around and think, "Hmm.... I wanna start a band that's equal parts Sisters of Mercy and Saigon Kick.  And you know what?? We'll throw in some Iron Maiden guitar parts played cleanly to have a metal background!!!! And we need to have LOADS AND LOADS of synth!! This record is really disgraceful. Some of the shit Century Media and Nuclear Blast has been releasing in the past year is really embarrassing.  This is definitely a fine example.  Coal Chamber is heavier.  - Master Shockwave

Overlorde - "2000" (CDR Demo, 2000)

Rating: 9/10

I may be in jeopardy of repeating myself but one of the great things about New Jersey is the rich history of show business. That is, in terms of bands and performers. In past reviews bands such as HADES, WHIPLASH and OVERKILL have all had honorable mentions. Even my old band SLEEPY HOLLOW and other Jersey underground giants like TT QUICK have made their mark on the world of Metal. So now we add to this prestigious list non other than OVERLORDE. This band has been on the come back trail and their latest release makes it quite evident that they still have what it takes to make a big impression on the Metal world. I remember these boys when they performed the same venues I played in throughout Jersey back in the mid-eighties and I remember really admiring what they did back then. Well suffice to say and speaking as a veteran of the game, OVERLORDE have not failed to impress me again! This is an impressive piece of work. What makes it even more worthy is that they have gained the services of vocalist Bobby Lucas who at one time fronted the internationaly renowned SEVEN WITCHES. With good ol' "Leather Lungs" fronting them, OVERLORDE should have no problems achieving their goals in the future. Rounding out the band are long time members guitarist Mark "M.E." Edwards, bassist John "Kong" Bunnuci and drummer Dave Wrenn. Outstanding vocal antics and excellent songwriting are the key elements to this dynamic demo. My favorites here are "Blackness" and "Ogre Wizard". The demo is obviously self produced. One can only imagine what they'll put out when their turn at bat arrives. I look foward to a lot more from OVERLORDE as all of you should as well.  - Bob Mitchell

Holocaust - Hellfire Holocaust (Sound Riot, 2000)

Rating: 8/10

7 songs at 21 minutes... you know Holocaust aren’t writing any “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” epics! What they ARE writing are short, fast death metal songs. Kind of like the Motorhead of death metal, Holocaust (yup, there really is ANOTHER band named that) don’t fuck around. They come, blast, and leave. The riffs are good, with a strong old-metal sense to them. Vocals are very deep, but not of the Cannibal Corpse Tomb of the Mutilated cupped-mic variety. Judging by the cover art, I am assuming these guys spend a fair amount of time imbibing various alcoholic beverages. Well, they certainly don’t play like they’re sloppy drunk. While far from musical visonaries, Holocaust are a competent death metal trio with the good sense to play short songs that never get the chance to get boring, switching tempos often enough to keep things interesting. The production is good, with the bass nice and audible underneath the buzzsaw guitars. - Al Kikuras

A Tribute to Judas Priest: Delivering The Goods Vol. II (Century Media, 2000)

Rating: 8.5/10 

Most tribute albums are just lame marketing schemes, with most bands not really wanting to pay tribute to the band there are covering, but wanting to get their name on an album that may get them more recognition with a wider group of fans. With this tribute album though you really get the feeling that the bands all grew up listening to and were inspired by Judas Priest (after all, what metal fan wasn't). 

Now here is the important thing to remember, when covering a band that basically defined a genre, and whose songs are so recognizable, it is very difficult to do those songs justice. Either you can go in the direction of trying to mimic the song and the band exactly, or you have to make the song your own, while showing the original song complete respect. Both are very difficult things to pull off, especially with a band like Judas Priest.

The best of the lot is Sinner covered by Devin Townsend. This is a perfect example of making the song his own, getting much more crazy and intense than the original, but keeping the original intent and feel. Gamma Ray covers Exciter and does an amazing job. Ralf Scheepers sitting in on vocals shows why he was considered to replace Rob Halford for a while.  It's interesting also, because one of the worst songs here is Victim Of Changes covered by Gamma Ray with original singer Kai Hansen, who just can't pull off the vocal chores and winds up killing the song.

Rage's version of Jawbreaker is a perfect example of making the song their own. They make the song much heavier, which really works, since if they tried to do it Priest style it would be horrible. Kudos to them.

The worst of the bunch is Bloodstone covered Stratovarius. This is a total sin. These guys should be shot. They are complete pussies. The lead singer has absolutely no power behind his singing, and when it called for him to tear into a high vocal the lead singer just completely falls short. This is a perfect example of what is wrong with metal today. 

Overall, I'd say this is a good example of a tribute album; however it makes me feel the same way most tribute albums do, it makes me want to listen to Judas Priest. But if you are a fan of Priest, this is a good change to the everyday, and it may turn you on to some new bands. - Piston Rod

Lizzy Borden - Deal With The Devil (Metal Blade, 2000) 

Rating: 8.6/10 

This is serious metal, played in the old-school fashion, with no apologies given. Lizzy Borden have been around since the hay-day of metal, and still play like it was 1987. Now, I must admit that I am not familiar with Lizzy's older work (I know, I should be shot), but this stuff definitely makes me want to check it out.  

Lizzy's sound is a mix between Twisted Sister, Motley Crue, and Iron Maiden. They are total cheese, there is no denying that, which totally adds to their appeal. The songs are straight forward metal tunes, very simple and catchy, and the lyrics are silly and "evil". This isn't an album that's gonna change the world, but it's one that will make you nostalgic for a time when metal was played by hard pipe-hittin' motherfuckers that didn't care what anyone thought. All that was important was Metal! - Piston Rod

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