ALBUMS OF THE MONTH:

Meshuggah

Gorguts

Battlelust | Daemonarch | Gore Beyond Necropsy | Lorde of All Desires | Messe Noir | Naglfar | Nocturnal Breed | Oppressor | Pungent Stench | Skyforger | Stratovarius
Twin Obscenity | Hammerfall | Necrophagia | Mundanus Imperium

Rating: 10/10
Tracks: Concatenation, New Millennium Cyanide Christ, Corridor Of Chameleons, Neurotica, The Mouth Licking What You Bled, Sane, The Exquisite Machinery Of Torture, Elastic

First and foremost this is a really really reealllly heavy album, but this is heavy with a brain. A fair amount of complex rhythm ideas coupled with some thought provoking lyrics make Chaosphere a great stocking stuffer for Christmas, good for one of the candles of Hanukah, and how ever it its you Kwanza folks give presents to each other (send in the answer). Being that a lot of the ideas on Chaosphere are smarter than the average bear, it might scare some of you away. Well, listen to it five times and you'll love it. This is also about the amount of times you need in order to catch all the cool stuff on this album. Five is the lucky number!

The first song, "Concatenation" (def: the act of linking together a chain like series of events) is a great opener with lyrics that set the tone for the rest of the album, such as, "In this mental cage we absorb ourselves. The only certainty is my suffering." Then there's a guitar solo that sounds more like what you would hear from Marc Ribot than Dimebag Darrell. That is to say more of a sound experiment than a typical metal solo (don't get the wrong idea, Dimebag kicks ass). This also adds quite a bit to the obvious chaotic theme of the entire album.

Song two, "New Millennium Cyanide Christ," is fucking sick. A second coming type song only this time Jesus is pissed off, almost like a Hellraiser-type Jesus, or maybe a Robocop type. No... more of a Terminator Jesus! It sounds funny, but it isn't. It's really fucking vicious. Definitely check out the bridge of this song (the part right after the guitar solo). It is so heavy, every time I hear it gives me a hard-on. Thank god for music like this, or who ever else it is I should thank!

Track four, "Neurotica," sports some magnificent music: a low pounding groove while the singer barks a very fast line. Two very strong rhythm ideas happening at the same time. I've always felt that metal could cover a much wider spectrum rhythmically, and Meshuggah's going in the right direction so that the music will progress (actually progress I mean. Getting better; something that other musicians can appreciate - oh, one other thing, Korn sucks!).

The final track, "Elastic," is a super-heavy, wonderful song that ends with two full minutes of this extremely annoying loop humming sound which you must listen to completely. If you fast forward this section you are a total pussy. After the two minutes, a bunch of the songs overlapped to give this album an almost Operation: Mindcrime type ending.

In closing, Chaosphere is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. This album will probably be in my top ten best metal albums of all time. God bless those Swedes. One more thing... maybe you guys should change your name to Messhuganah. Then you could get all the yenta's too! - Big Titty Car Wash

Rating: 10/10
Tracks: Obscura, Earthly Love, The Carnal State, Nostalgia, The Art of Sombre Ecstasy, Coulded, Subtle Body, Rapturous Grief, Le Vie Est Prelude..., Illuminatus, Faceless Ones, Sweet Silence

Damn. Someone has been studying. Gorguts have unleashed a musical monster of epic proportions with Obscura. The music within these 12 tracks is far beyond anything dared in the death metal genre to date. Forget Human Remains, forget those new boys, The Dillinger Escape Plan. Gorguts have just blown a huge fucking hole in the web of music with a release that transcends the boundaries of the genre that it is undoubtedly a part of. That is what Gorguts have managed to do that NO ONE before them could. Come up with an album that is undeniably death metal. That is undeniably brutal and heavy, yet goes so far beyond everything else accomplished within the genre that to tag it as such would be a great miscarriage of justice. But, what else can you call the sounds on Obscura?? All the elements are here... double bass, blast beats, dual growling vocals, churning guitars, rumbling bass... but they are combined with a craftsmanship more common amongst composers of symphonies than your average, even exceptional, metal songwriter. Dissonant guitar passages, multi-layered time signatures, frantic interplay of instruments... all elements are combined into a cohesive whole so smooth and challenging that it will undoubtedly go over the heads of many. It wouldn't be the first time that great musical accomplishments went by relatively unrecognized, though. Mozart died a pauper. Let's hope the boys in Gorguts gain at least half the recognition they deserve for Obscura, in which case it would be federal law for any self-respecting metalhead to listen to this album once daily for the rest of his or her natural life. - Al Kikuras

Battlelust - Of Battle and Ancient Warcraft (Pavement Music '98)

Rating: 8/10
Tracks: Armageddon Arrives, Retrobution, Angelfire, Forever Laid In Chains, The Sword of Death, Darkened Descendants, Of Battle And Ancient Warcraft, The Dawn of the Black Hearts, With the Blackstorms I Came, Snow And Ice And Demonmight

This is black metal. Fast, relentless, chaotic. Battlelust pull it off with flying colors. All the elements of a powerful black metal band are here... the vocals are brimming with spite, the drums are a-blast with abandon, the guitars are an angry swarm of hatred tinged with melody. The failing with Battlelust is that they contain those elements and nothing more. Nothing new or distinctive is brought to the table.

Don't get me wrong... I do enjoy the album. The music is well-executed, but pretty non-distinct. "Textbook" comes to mind. If someone asked, "what is black metal?" I might throw this album on.

Of Battle And Ancient Warcraft ranks a solid 8. A few points deducted for lack of creativity, but the 8 earned through sheer intensity and all out speed. This sucker doesn't slow down for a second and hits speeds of Marduk level. If you're a fan of pure black metal, you really cannot go wrong here. This is like getting a 24 oz. steak. There are going to be no surprises, but you KNOW you are going to enjoy it. - Al Kikuras

Daemonarch - Hermeticum (Century Media, '98)

Rating: 9/10
Tracks: Lex Talionis, Of A Thousand Young, Corpus Hermeticum, Call From The Grave, Samyaza, Nine Angles, Incubus, The Seventh Daemonarch, Hymn To Lucifer

Now this is the stuff... I know a lot of purists will shun Daemonarch, as the band features three members of Moonspell, but I don't give a fuck. This rages!! It's good to hear keyboards used so well. The key to keyboards (no pun intended) in black metal is NOT TO OVERDO IT!! Don't rely on them. This is black METAL!! They should be used to enhance, in my opinion. I want to hear guitar-driven music, not some wanker trying to do his best impression of that suck from The Doors. This album actually shares a lot of elements with Twin Obscenity's For Blood, Honour and Soil, which I believe was also released by Century Media on the same day. I think Daemonarch are much more successful in their delivery. I listened to the two and wrote the reviews in succession, one right after the other, and listening to this makes me want to go back and slag Twin Obscenity a bit more, but out of fairness I won't. Daemonarch actually remind me of Vader somewhat. Odd, as Vader are a straight-up death metal band and Daemonarch definitely fall into the black metal category. There are elements of death metal here though. The vocals are VERY strong, as is the music behind them. Songwriting is the key here. The tunes on Hermeticum have staying power and provide a very satisfying listen. There is groove and an overabundance of aggression. Very dark overtones to the music. Atmospherics are kept to a minimum, and are all the more effective as a result. This is a great album to cleanse your pallate with after sitting through fluff like the new Theatre of Tragedy or a metal pud-pulling session like the last Sentenced release. Daemonarch provide a potent dose of black metal fury that will have a jaded black metal fan frothing at the mouth. Bring it on!!!- Al Kikuras

Gore Beyond Necropsy - Noise-A-Go Go!!! (Relapse, '98)

Rating: 9/10
Tracks: Intro, Faecal Gore Gore Attack, Chain of Torture, Horrendous Nazi Infection, Gore Gore Warscars, Mild Shit Taste, Brainwashed Media Slave, Garbage In The Sewage, Sulfuric Acid Dream, Poultry Within, Kill The Cock Rock Greedy Hog, Intro, Dead Dog Odolization, Fartstorm, Deaf Dumb Blind, Filth Sounds of Hatred, Cock Rock Asshole, Gurgling Spiral Repulsion, Global Tumor, Negative Thoughts Whirling Around, Born Deformed, Raping the Arse, Cock Rock Roach, Trash of the Hemorrhoids, Mind Plague, Puke Yourself, The Worst Shit in the World, Boiling Detestation, Noise A Go-Go!, Intro, Arsebleed, Horrendously Analdrilled, From the Cradle to the Grave, Dead Life Goes On, Subliminal State Control, Cock Rock Incineration, Pain To Be Slain, Shittier Than Shit, Instant Necropsy, Power of Media Arrogant Mass Control, Uncleanly Devoured Visions, It's the Gore Gore Goreality, Intro, Human BBQ Burning Hell, Stench of Carnage..., Corporate Ghouls, Driller Killer From Outer Space, Disease Bondage, The End of Life, Intro, Bad Taste Grotesqueen, Divine's Dead, Grudge, Harshit Shock, Chaos Disorder & Confusion, Steaming, Bubbling Cadaverous Odor, Shitgobbling Hate Generation, Outro

Blasting goregrind ala the Meat Shits in their glory days!! The stuff on Noise-A-Go-Go brings me back to when the Shits' Bowel Rot demo knocked me on my ass so many years ago, although there is a lot more cohesion and actual musical ability displayed here. The porn samples are replaced with bizzare clips from swing tunes and movies or radio shows seemingly somehow related to the whole swing era. GBN tear through 59 songs in just under 25 minutes, not once stopping to catch their breath. Not for a single second does it get boring or redundant as so many noise bands do. GBN are true masters of their craft and stand a good chance at taking the noise helm by force.

Noise-A-Go-Go is the aural equivalent of having a dump truck driven up your ass at 100 mph. You're left crippled and bleeding with a gaping hole that could house a family of 15. And the REALLY sick thing about it is that you'll come crawling back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths, and fifths... - Al Kikuras

Lorde of All Desires - Crowned in Blasphemy (self-released, '98)

Rating: 8/10
Tracks: Crowned in Blasphemy, The Scars of Withered Beauty, Sins of the Flesh, This Most Precious Best, The Feasting

Very dismal stuff here. Now, "dismal" can hold a few meanings:

1: obsolete : DISASTROUS, DREADFUL 2 : showing or causing gloom or depression 3 : lacking merit : particularly bad

The important issue is: which meaning of the word applies? What a cruel way to start a review, eh? The band hanging... does he like it? Does he think the disc is "dreadful?" Does he think we are "particularly bad??"

To be honest, with the buzz Lorde of All Desires generated at the Metalfest this year, I sincerely doubt they are sitting home right now wringing their hands with apprehension in anticipation of my review. And, especially considering the fact that we have that handy little numerical rating system thing going for all you impatient "review skimmers," they know I didn't exactly hate their CD. In fact, I rather liked it, and still do.

Most black metal appeals to the listener via aggression and hatred. Pure spite is the earmark of the genre, based on most of my experience, but I would say that the aforementioned "depression and gloom" are where Lorde of All Desires really pack a punch. Not to say there aren't moments of malevolence within these 5 songs, but I find that the overall mood conveyed is a bleak one. They're looking to seep into your subconscious and plant a seed of deep lament rather than tear your head off. In all, a much more subtle demise: death by dirge rather than battleaxe.

Lorde of All Desires have molded their craft very well. Melody is tastefully interlaced with outright aggressive black metal and the keyboards, which often kill a black metal band for me, blessedly aren't emblazoned over the guitars... they are mixed well, at an even keel so they neither drown in nor are overpowered by the rest of the instruments. The vocals range from the traditional black metal screem to a deep roar, with some deep, dramatic narration thrown into the mix from time to time.

The weakness with Crowned in Blasphemy is the production. It doesn't do the material justice. Lorde of All Desires have a taste for the epic, I would say, and although the disc encapsulates the grandiose within its 5 tracks, some of the impact is lost in the tinny production. There isn't enough bottom end. I think to befit music of this scope, the production should engulf the listener, but instead I am left feeling like I am standing beside the music rather than swimming in it when I listen to Crowned in Blasphemy, even using a Discman with headphones. With proper production, the material herein would rank a full point higher. Perhaps a label with a keen ear will sign these boys and we'll get to hear what sort of beast they can unleash with a proper budget behind them. I predict frightening results. - Al Kikuras

Messe Noir - "Mandal - Gate of the Calling" (self-released, '98)

Rating: 8/10
Tracks: Excommunicated, The Ancients, Heralds of Pestilence, Call of Tiamat, Passage to Tchort, Impaled Existence, Messe Noir, Sacryfixion

They call it "War Metal." An enticing enough term. What is War Metal, really? Black metal, for the most part. Messe Noir play a particular brand of very over the top, non-stop speed, total blasting black metal. The vocals are somewhat of a departure from the usual screech that most BMers employ. A bit more of a growl, from the Popeye school.

Normally, chaos is a VERY good thing. I think in Messe Noir's case, it gets a little rampant at times, primarily with the vocal arrangements. It seems that there are moments where the phrasing is all-but inconsequential, almost as if the vocal line was conceived with little regard for the music beneath it. Rather than coming off as completely insane, there are times where it seems like there just wasn't very much thought put into the phrasing. Perhaps the recording contributes to the feeling... it is a bit flat and the annunciation suffers as a result. The flat production also leads to a lack of atmosphere, which I think is the biggest fault with Mandal - Gate of the Calling. Although the lyrics are not included, going by the song titles, artwork, the band's name (which I am assuming means "Black Mass") and the few occult passages included in the CD booklet, it is obvious that there are some extreme dark beliefs and posssibly ritual texts behind the music herein. It is a shame the overall sound is not befitting the mood that such subject matter usually conjures.

Criticisms aside, this is some fairly raging stuff. Messe Noir have cornered a small portion of the Black Metal genre and made it their own which is increasingly becoming a difficult task as the scene becomes more and more saturated. I can recommend this highly to anyone who gets worked up when listening to bands like Marduk, Dark Funeral and Immortal. With a little work on the production, Messe Noir could very well be sitting beside their unholy brethren as kings of the genre with their next release. - Al Kikuras

Naglfar - Diabolical(Relapse/WAR, '98)

Rating: 9/10
Tracks: Horncrowned Majesty, Embracing The Apocalypse, 12'th Rising, Into The Cold Voids Of Eternity, The Brimstone Gate, Blades, When Autumn Storms Come, A Departure In Solitude, Diabolical - The Devils Child

It's not often that an album this impressive comes along, especially in the current state of the black metal scene, with the market being so oversaturated with bands. The thinning has begun, I would say, and I'd bet my balls that Naglfar will be one of the acts that survives the flush.

What we have here is a masterful, fast, venomous attack of black metal. Melody, keyboards, clean guitar passages are all employed without, for a second, taking way from the intensity of the music. Now THAT is craftsmanship!! So many bands have gone the way of the melodic, sacrificing the aggression that is an earmark of the genre as a result. Borknagar come to mind, as do Twin Obscenity and Moonspell. Naglfar have avoided that snare so deftly that I can do nothing but shake my head in disbelief.

With 99% of black metal releases you will, inevitably, hear elements of other bands in the presentation. Herein you will find tinges of At The Gates, Cradle of Filth, Immortal, and others. What Naglfar have done here that is so remarkable is take the finest elements of black metal, from the melodic to the over-the-top brutality and mesh it into a cohesive single package that just bleeds with precision and class. The vocals are laden with spite, the music is blindingly fast, the production is the best I have heard in ages, the songwriting is catchy and the musicianship is strong. What the fuck else do you want from a black metal band?? BUY IT!! - Al Kikuras

Nocturnal Breed - Aggressor (Pavement Music '98)

Rating: 8.5/10
Tracks: Rape The Angels, Frantic Aggressor, Maggot Master, Nocturnal Breed, Evil Dead, Metal Storm Rebels, Dead Dominions, Alcoholic Rites, Revelation 666, Blaster, Locomotive Death

Black and death metal blended smoothly. Like Sammy Davis smooth. I think these boys (meaning black metal folks in general) are finally getting a hold of the keyboard. I've noticed a few releases lately (and naturally the names escape me at the moment), where keyboards are used tastefully rather than brandished like hot red pumps on a...

Well, we'll save that for the porn section of the site. Nocturnal Breed nicely blend the intensity of black metal with the songwriting and groove of Terrible Certainty-era Kreator and the chaos of Venom. This is GOOOD shit!! Fist in the air, big spikes, leather-jacket wearing black/death metal. The songs are catchy, the lyrics over the top and somewhat ridiculous at times. The cover of Death's "Evil Dead" is excellent... probably the best Death cover I have heard to date. What sets Nocturnal Breed apart from much of there brethren (and what I am sure will make many of the black metal hard-ons that refuse to smile hate them) is the fact that they don't take themselves 100% seriously. Tunes like "Metal Storm Rebels" and "Alcoholic Rites" call back to the glory days, and "Locomotive Death" could be a Venom tune!

The music here is UGLY, gloriously ugly the way this kind of metal should be! They can hold weight with most bands of both the death and black genre and add a sense of fun that so many miss. Aggressor will be spinning in my player for quite some time, I predict... - Al Kikuras

Oppressor - Elements of Corrosion (Olympic, '98)

Rating: 8/10
Tracks: Corrosion, Kingdom of the Dead, Blinded, I Despise, Through Their Eyes, Upon the Uncreation, In Malice I Breathe, Vulgar Illusions, Lost in Sorrow (Outro)

My only exposure to Oppressor previous to receiving Elements of Corrosion was the live disc they released a few years back. Based on that album, I wasn't inspired to pick up and of Oppressor's other works. I'm glad Olympic sent this one along, because I would have been missing out!

Oppressor don't break any new ground, neither does my jaw drop at any point through Elements of Corrosion. It is the songwriting and the groove that impress me. Elements of Corrosion is a very listenable album. The tunes are catchy, some of the riffs are phenomenal, the vocals are decipherable and distinctive and the drumming is excellent! A prime example of Oppressor at their best can be found on track three, "Blinded." A mid-paced chugger, the song doesn't rely on overwhelming speed, but just the simple ingredient of great metal... strong riffs. Well-written tunes. Oppressor have more in common with old school metal bands than 90% of the groups out there now giving the whole reto-thing a go, as they have captured the element that so many of said retro bands lack that mande very bands they emulate so great. Good songs, with no throwaway parts. Oppressor avoid the snare of trying to out-blast and out-brutalize their contemporaries, slipping ahead of a majority of them by just penning good tunes. - Al Kikuras

Pungent Stench - Praise The Names of the Musical Assasins (Nuclear Blast, '98)

Rating: 9/10
Tracks: Pulsating Protoplasma, Dead Body Lov, Miscarriage, In The Vault, Rip You Without Care, Festered Offals, Pungent Stench, Extreme Deformity, Mucous Secretion, Molecular Disembowelment, The Ballad Of Mangled Homeboys , Daddy Cruel, Tony, Madcatmachopsychoromantik, Extreme Deformity, Festered Offals (original recording), Pulsating Protoplasma (original recording), Pungent Stench (original), Embalmed In Sulfuric Acid

Nuclear Blast have unleashed a monster with this one. Finally, a complilation CD that actually covers all bases... this is truly a thorough look at the masters and innovators of the death metal genre, known to disciples as the mighty Pungent Stench.

We're given everything from demo tracks to songs off rare compilations and select tracks from the notorious albums. Whether new to the Pungent camp or a seasoned listener, there is no excuse for you to not own this album. This is a compilation so tasty that you will find yourself ordering the full-lengths after giving it a few spins if you don't own them already. If you do, this is one more reason to kick yourself in the ass because the band broke up.

There is a nice collage of pics included, a full tour schedule of what appears to be every show the Stench have played (how I would have loved to have seen them with Macabre!), an insanely detailed discography and words from Alex Stench and Markus Straiger (Pres. of Nuclear Blast). There are two drawbacks to the disc, though... and I am sure the folks at the label are sick of hearing about the first: there is no track list. A breakdown of the songs and what release they are from would have been lovely (I got the track listing above from the NB web site). Secondly, the notes from Markus are printed way too small and the fact that his handwriting isn't the best doesn't help either. You can make them out if you look REALLY closely, but it gets kind of annoying. It is the lack of a track list that keeps this one from scoring a perfect 10, but don't let that sway you from picking it up... your money will be well spent!! When else can $12 get you a piece of death metal history? - Al Kikuras

Skyforger - Kauja Pie Saules (II Moons/Mascot '98)

Rating: 8.5/10
Tracks: Neighed The Battlehorses, The Battle Of Saule, The Ancient Oak, Viestards' Fight At Mesotne, Kurshi, Forger Forged Up In The Sky, Why The Horns Of War Are Blown, Battle At Garzoa Forest, The Sacred Firecross

"The poetry of SKYFORGER brings a cold breeze from the 10-13th centirues when the Baltic tribes ruled their own lands on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea and worshipped the true gods of their forefathers." What we have here is a very good blend of Latvian folk music (not that the term "Latvian" really brings any discernable characteristics to mind - I'm not very familiar with Latvian culture) and vicious black metal. Now, I'm a sucker for tone poems, and these guys do it really well by representing the story of the Latvian people fighting for their land in the music. The lyrics are in Latvian, but English translations are included so you can follow along. Honestly, I could see a lot of people NOT liking this album, but I love it... the production is very raw when Skyforger are blasting and well-rounded during the melodic passages. Some of the songs are ancient Latvian folk tunes re-written, and a number are based on specific battles with a short narrative detailing the events at the top of the lyrics. I think what lends this album the sense of authenticity that makes stand apart from other releases attempting to combine folk and black metal is that the folk passages sound like the real deal. You don't just have a harp layered over an electric guitar (although there are sections where the instruments of the modern and ancient era are combined). The authentic insturments are used along with the sounds of horses and armor clanking, warriors screaming in the throes of death, swords clashing and battles raging to really convey the mood represented in the lyrics. I love it!! The sense of Pagan pride is obvious and contagious. I'm ready to grab a sword and hack and slay!! - Al Kikuras

Stratovarius - Destiny(F.A.D., '98)

Rating: Started off at 6/10, dropped to 3/10 as I listened to the rest of the album.
Tracks:

This quintet has a taste for the grandiose, but unfortunatey don't have the imagination to make their achievements meet their aspirations. There are some moments on Destiny where they pull it off, but the klunker power metal ballads really kick the bottom out of this one and it all comes tumbling down. The Velveeta is abound within these 10 tracks, especially on the ballads, like "4000 Rainy Nights" and "Years Go By" and "Venus In The Morning" (yech). As a matter of fact, all of the material on Destiny smacks so much of Queensryche's Empire that you have to wonder what kind of royalties Stratowhoovius are paying the Seattle boys.

The thing that bites my ass the most about this release is that the potential is there for Stratovarius to really kick some serious, high-vocal, poweful metal in the vein of Toxik and the like... instead they meddle in weak ballads and keyboard-driven metal romps that fall victim to the same snare that Dream Theater tracks do. The ability is there, but they are missing the primary element that makes metal great. It doesn't kick ass. The title track is the heaviest it gets, and that is a shame. From there on in, the album gets more pompous and cliche from song to song, and by the end I really had to force myself to keep the disc on.

Move along, boys...it's been done and done better. In the immortal words of Nick "Shagee" Perez, "create or get the fuck out!" - Al Kikuras

Twin Obscenity - For Blood, Honour and Soil(Century Black, '98)

Rating: 7/10
Tracks: In Glorious Strife, The Usurpers Throne, For Blood, Honour and Soil, Upon the Morning Field, The Wanderer, Riders of the Imperial Guard, The Thrise-Damned Legions, The 11th Hour, Lain to the Rest by the Sword

Man, this is the new thing in black metal now. Melody. Not that it is a bad thing, but it is springing up like shit stains in Piston's UnderRoos. I must admit, I am a bigger fan of the all-out blast style of black metal, but I can appreciate the more melodic side when it is well done. Old Man's Child comes to mind. Twin Obscenity do a good job as well, but they fail to really distinguish themselves from the slew of other bands out there treading the same path. They do blast a bit more, and there are no horrendous clean vocals goobering up the CD, but aside from that this is pretty standard fare.

To their credit, the musicianship is great... the arrangements are strong and there is a nice blend of clean and distorted guitar parts. The songwriting doesn't grab me though. I can appreciate the craftsmanship of the songs, but the hooks are missing. Black metal is one of the few genres where a band can get by on speed and ferocity alone. A band may not be able to write worth a lick, but if they manage to keep a frantic pace and blast like a crackwhore on speed they can get by without it. Twin Obscenity have the ability, but need to refine the songwriting process a bit. The strongest, catchiest tune is "The 11th Hour," which, surprisingly, is one of the slowest songs on the album. I usually go for the all-out steam, but not in this case, folks. The guitar sound could also "cut" a bit more. The blade needest to be sharpened.

In all, a strong effort. I think their next outing will be a lot more fruitious and I look forward to checking it out. - Al Kikuras

Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings (Nuclear Blast, '98)

Rating: 9/10 (Bill) - 7/10 (Greg)
Tracks: Heeding The Call, Legacy Of Kings, Let The Hammer Fall, Dreamland, Remember Yesterday, At The End Of The Rainbow, Back To Back, Stronger Than All, Warriors Of Faith, The Fallen One

There are no songs on here that I dont like. Every song basically kicks ass. Hammerfall are not for the weak, only for those strong in the metal spirit. Glory to the Legacy Of Hammerfall!!!! - Bill

Hammerfall appeals to the metalhead in me, plain and simple. People can say whatever they want about these boys... call them cheesy, retro... you pick it. When I hear their music, my fist raises into the air in a celebration of pure metal. Especially seeing them live. Whoooooha!!

I must admit, Legacy of Kings is not the album I expected though... frankly, I am a little disappointed. All of the same elements that made Glory to the Brave are here: catchy tunes, high vocals, galloping rhythms... but that is the problem with it as well. There are no new elements. No progression. The sound is a little better, but aside from that each of these songs could be on Glory to the Brave, but if they were the album would just be too plain long. - Al Kikuras

Necrophagia - Holocausto De La Morte(Red Stream Records, '98)

Rating: 9/10
Tracks: Blood Freak, Embalmed Yet I Breathe, The Cross Burns Black, Deep Inside I Plant The Devil's Seed, Burning Moon Sickness, Cadaverous Screams of My Deceased Lover, Children of the Vortex

I'm a big fan of the first Necrophagia album, Season of the Dead. I got it when I was 12, so I am happy to hear those ideas taken to the next level, even if it took 11 years. I didn't know quite what to expect, to be honest. I wasn't sure if it would be an updated, all-out modern death metal album or if they would hold to the old style. It is definitely a mix between the two, but I would say the old style prevails, with the exception of Killjoy's vocals. On Season of the Dead he went for an almost spoken word approach... tame by today's standards, but much more brutal back when the album first saw the light of day. His new style is much more over the top and sick. I think if he hadn't made the change, the album wouldn't hold much water.

The new Necrophagia doesn't blow away the rest of the stuff out there today, but then, if you listen to a Necrophagia album expecting deep lyrics and intricate music, you've got to be pretty clueless to start with. The music herein is good, just very straightforward. On the same note, you don't watch Fulci's "Zombie" expecting great dialog and phenomenal acting. You expect gore, violence and a few chuckles, which they deliver in full. That is the appeal of camp. This style in music appeals to some people, to others it doesn't... just like those movies appeal to a select audience. I look at is as I might look at a movie like "The Gates of Hell" or "Day of the Dead" versus bigger budget horror flicks like the Nightmare On Elm Street series. To use film terms, it's not high-budget or well-produced but commercial standards, but there is a certain campy appeal that other works in that genre are missing. Holocausto De La Morte captures the essence of campy horror flicks perfectly. Fanatics of the genre, as well as fans of disgustingly vile death metal in the vein of Impetigo (sans the grind), will revel in this album like a zombie feasting on the brains of a fresh kill. - Al Kikuras

Mundanus Imperium - The Spectral Spheres Coronation (Nuclear Blast, '98)

Rating: 6.5/10
Tracks: Distant Conglomeration, The Life Of What You Seak, Beyond The Earthly, Starwars, Predominate, Stargazer, The Unborn Breathes In Silence, If The Universe Transformed

Gamma Ray comes to mind as I listen to this album, but only idea wise. Presentation wise, its almost every metal band that has come before. These guys are completely unoriginal. Vocals sound like David Coverdale mixed with James Hetfield. Musically, Gamma Ray comes to mind again but so does Dio, Queensryche, and a little Maiden.

These guys don't suck, in fact at times I found myself getting into Spectral Sphere. The music is actually kinda heavy, and at times the lead singers voice gets kinda high (low vocals in Heavy and Power Metal just don't do it for me, but even a "low" metal vocalist should be powerful). This singer has his moments, but overall just falls in line with every other "new" metal vocalist. I guess that's the best way to describe Mundanus Imperium. At times they aren't too bad.

The best song on Spectral Sphere in my opinion is "Starwars". It's got a real heavy groove going on, there is a cool distortion on the lead singers voice, and its over in under 2 min. It comes in, hits you in the mouth and leaves. That what a metal song should do.

All in all, not a bad disc for fans of Iced Earth, Jag Panzer, or Sentenced, but true metal fans that like their vocals high, their music loud and their beer cold will probably be bored by this CD

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