Music Reviews

Mortal Decay - Forensic (Unique Leader, 2002)

Rating: 10/10

The only other full length by Mortal Decay was released way back in 1997, Sickening Erotic Fanaticism. If you look back to that point in time, not many other albums were as technical or complex, or just as brutal as SEF was.  Fast forward to 2002. After numerous delays Forensic is finally released, an album years in the making. Was it worth the countless delays for this CD? In 3 words, “Hell’s fucking yes!”

For the uninitiated, Mortal Decay is an extremely brutal death metal band from southern New Jersey, known for their lyrics that tell ultra vivid tales of horror.  The usual topics include murder, rape, cannibalism, molestation, necrophilia, grave robbing and basically anything sick, twisted and disgusting.  Also, Mortal Decay blend some slam riffs, some grindy parts, with frenzied technical riffs as well as extremely organized leads. Mortal Decay is however primarily known for John Paoline's vocal performance on the 3 demo tapes, blending horrifying shrieks, low whispers, extremely sick burps, and violently aggressive midrange vocals.

Now lets get into the new disc, musically speaking not much has changed since Sickening... other than a few parts where only the bass and drum are going, then the guitars cut back in. The only significant change is in the song structure. On the demo material leads were kept to a minimum, and there was much more focus on straight up brutality, this time around they go hyper-technical and manage to compose some very unique and interesting leads that manage to fit in the song, rather then how usually a lead riff just seems to be a chance for a guitarist to show off. Vocally speaking, John Paoline does much more diverse arrangements and patterns then in the past. Not as much mid-range but he added a lot of whispering parts, as well as high shrieks, and somehow it seems that his burp vocals managed to get even deeper since 1995's Brutalizing Creations Demo tape. Drumming on this disc is what really stands out in my opinion though. In the past, Anthony Ipri kept a more steady and jazzier style but this time around he blasts like a madman. Some of the patterns he does here are too complex to possibly fathom how tired his feet and hands were after doing his drum tracks. 

Lyrically, Anthony Ipri has once again pushed the envelope to reaches I never knew possible.  Whether it’s from "Driven Into Hysterics," a sickening glimpse into a past crime including rape, mutilation and then the ultimate pain, allowing the person to live with the knowledge of what occurred, or "Brutalized and Defiled", a recollection of a serial killer’s first hideous crime, Ipri never once writes something that you can laugh at, every line he wrote on this album paints a macabre image in your mind. Anyone can write lyrics about killing people, but with the exception of “Dead Infection - A Chapter of Accidents,” this is the only band that can get me to see what the lyrics are talking about, as each of the 8 tracks (1 instrumental also) is its own horrendous graphic story.  Also, the playing time at 46:00 is great, finally a 9 song cd that breaks the 32:00 barrier, its about time!

There's really not much else to say about Mortal Decay's Forensic really, if what I've said hasn't made you the slightest bit curious that’s OK, but if I've made you interested, check out "Brutalized and Defiled".  Once the 46:00 minute mark is hit, and the disc finishes you realize how great this is, and have to play it over again. A landmark album for New Jersey Death Metal, and Death Metal in general. - Rick

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Circle of Dead Children - The Genocide Machine (Deathvomit Records, 2001)

Rating: 8.5/10

No, The Genocide Machine is not the great white grindcore hope that the label hyped it to be, but it is a very solid album with enough twists that it stands up well to repeat listens. Circle of Dead Children effectively meld grindcore, slight elements of hardcore and the dissonance of sludgecore bands like EYEHATEGOD to an effective end. Vocalist Joe Horvath delivers a very varied and powerful performance, going from ultra-low belching to black metal-ish screams and hitting just about every range in between. The band behind the man certainly churns out a more-than-adequate performance and there are moments, like on the track "Only One Per Coffin," where the band really shines... particularly the drummer, as he plays what is almost a shuffle beat under a guitar part that just screams "BLAST, FUCKER, BLAST." On the whole, though, when the Circle does grind, you could very well be listening to just about any adept grind band. The distinction in their sound comes from the sum rather than the parts, which is admirable, but would be genuinely jaw-dropping if each part was distinct in and of itself. The Genocide Machine is not a disappointing release by any stretch of the imagination, but when the PR and media powers that be hype an album this much, I am bound to run through it with an extra-fine toothed comb, and a few more hairs wound up in the sink than I expected. - Al Kikuras

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The Crown - Crowned in Terror (Metal Blade, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

The Crown return with a new old face at the vocal helm, the revered Tomas Lindberg of At The Gates fame. The world of ATG fans out there still mourning their breakup now have reason to rejoice! Lindberg was a definite no-brainer as the choice to take over the vocal duties, as The Crown are very much ATG inspired. Lindberg sounds in top form. The band is fast and tight, perfectly blending melody and heaviness and thrashing throughout with reckless abandon, but what keeps Crowned in Terror from being as much a masterpiece as Slaughter of the Soul (the comparisons are inevitable and fair considering Lindberg's participation) is the songwriting. The tunes are no where near as catchy, but Crowned in Terror 'tis still a very fun and satisfying album. At press time, reports say Lindberg and the band have split but at least we have this little gem of an album to enjoy as a result of the collaboration. - Al Kikuras

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Crushing Organ/Defleshed By Flies/Biolich - 3 Way Frenzy (Mammoth Grinder Productions, 2001)

Rating: Crushing Organ - 9/10, Defleshed By Flies - 7/10, Biolich - 7/10

Crushing Organ, Tom of Biolich's cyber-goregrind project, is without question the best material on this split.  Basically take Libido Airbag's first album Knee Deep In Her Pussy, make it less dancy, and faster and you have Crushing Organ. This band succeeds where bands like S.M.E.S. fail, CO manage to be creative in a genre where there doesn't seem to be that much room for innovation, and unlike S.M.E.S., Crushing Organ don't sound like Carnival or Nintendo music. The vocals on these tracks are totally pissed off and angry, very good stuff.

Defleshed By Flies, a project of Will of Biolich, isn't too bad on this tape.  DBF play very dirty raw noisy grind with some extremely fast and spastic moments.  I think the best stuff by DBF is track 3 "Mauled By Bears Devoured by Vermin" in which they place samples in during the song, and they actually fit it. Very chaotic sick stuff, could be better but it's not the worst either.

Biolich's tracks here are probably the most lackluster on this release. Biolich's tracks are fast blasting death metal with programmed drums, and its not that their work here is bad, it's just that the 2001 demo is superior to this stuff. Their second track from 1998 is rather interesting, as it shows you how far they have come along.  The vocals are puked, the production is clean, its just that the riffs here aren't that great.

My advice is get this just for the Crushing Organ and Defleshed By Flies tracks. Be warned, every Mammoth Grinder label is DIY cover, and dubbed, don't expect some nice pretty packaging or anything. In this case if you can easily look past packaging and just focus on the music, I'd reccomend this. - Rick

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Cult of Daath - The Grand Torturers of Hell (War Hammer Records, 2001)

Rating: 8.5/10

Cult of Daath embody raw, primal black metal in every single way. The production, the music, the vocals, the lyrics, the packaging - everything about this release is gloriously dismal and putrid. The opening track, "Tyrant," is a prime example of the depths to which Cult of Daath are capable of plummeting. It is ugly and barbaric with a hook. It sticks in the mind like the scene of a particularly gruesome accident, festering like a cancer once it is embedded. Both members, Wargoat Obscurum and Culg-gath Immortum, handle vocals, but never on the same song. Wargoat's delivery is of a deeper register, while Culg-gath's vocals bring Darkthrone to mind, a band who's early influence is very apparent on The Grand Torturers of Hell. Cult of Daath further wear their influences on their sleeve with a well-executed cover of Beherit's "Sadomatic Rites" (off Drawing Down the Moon). Fans of the above bands as well as others of their ilk, like Blasphemy and Black Witchery, will find kindred souls in Cult of Daath and will find The Grand Torturers of Hell to be a very worthy addition to their collections. - Al Kikuras

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Darkness Eternal - Satanchrist (Self-released, 2001)

Rating: 8.5/10

Further solidifying his spot as one of the most proficient "one man bands" in all of extreme metal, George Velaetis returns with the second Darkness Eternal full-length, Satanchrist. The Incantation and Immolation-influenced death metal that made up the debut release, Dawn of the Suffering, is still very-much the flavor on this release, and once again Velaetis expands on the formula of those bands to bring new things to the sound. Tracks like "Descending Into Forever" display the dynamics that Velatetis is capable of, going from brutal-yet-melodic guitar passages to all-out demonic blasting at the drop of a dime. While most one-man projects go for a streamlined approach more due to a lack of proficiency on each instrument, on Satanchrist Velaetis has again managed to sound more like a dual-guitar, full band than most full bands do. The material is in the same vein as Dawn of the Suffering, with little differentiating one disc from the other aside from the improved production on Satanchrist. - Al Kikuras

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Devotee - Dead and Gone cdr (Profane/Regimental, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

This is some of the nastiest black thrash Jersey has ever offered. Featuring the vocal talents of Imperial from Krieg, this is a far cry from the dramatic black metal sound. The first comparison that came to my mind as 'Sabbat Witches Ritual' kicked in was P.T.K.-era Kreator, and as the disc continued through the next two tracks, I found hints of older Bestial Warlust as well; sloppy and not giving a damn. Angry, angry metal.    

The production on this is thick, allowing all the instruments to shine through. The vocals even have the rare monets of low-growl, adding some more distinction to this band. According to the liner notes, Devotee has swallowed all of their xanax and washed it down with Clorox and there shall be no more. Since this is a limited release of 125, I would suggest to any fans of the nasty thrash style to harness a copy of this for your "ha-ha I got this and you didn't' collection. - Rectrix

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December Wolves - Blasterpiece Theatre (Earache/Wicked World, 2002)

Rating: 9/10

Blasterpiece Theatre is undoubtedly one of my most highly anticipated albums of '02. Their debut full-length, 1999's Completely Dehumanized, is one of my all-time favorite albums - the perfect combination of black metal, death metal, and thrash, seamlessly combined and played with such expertise that the end result is an infinitely rewarding and catchy blend of the greatest elements of each of the genres. Metal reached a new level of evolution.

Needless to say (though I just said it anyway), December Wolves have a hell of a legacy to live up to, and while Blasterpiece Theatre is a damn good album in its own right, it doesn't have the same impact or staying power as Completely Dehumanized. The first and most disappointing difference is the lack of a live drummer. Much to my chagrin, they went with 'ol Mr. Drum Machine this time around and as a result the thrash elements that spiced up Completely Dehumanized have been replaced by a more industrial sound. I prefer the thrashy sound myself (I am an absolute thrash fanatic) but I am sure that there will be a faction that will prefer the more dehumanized industrial sound that comes with the drum machine.

So, though it didn't live up to my expectations, Blasterpiece Theatre is still a hell of a good time, laden with nasty little samples, mindblowing riffs, and bizarre arrangements. It seems the Wolves concentrated less on catchy songwriting this time out and more on over the top intensity and they absolutely succeeded at producing an album so relentless that it is almost a chore to listen to. Personally, I would have preferred that they managed to maintain the hooks of the debut, but alas it was not to be so and apparently never will be as shortly after this album's release reports came through of the untimely demise of December Wolves. They can go to the grave content and proud of having released two uncompromising albums the likes of which had never before been previously heard and may very well (but hopefully not) never be heard again. - Al Kikuras

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Dimension Zero - Silent Night Fever (Century Media, 2002)

Rating: 7.5/10

Talk about irony!! The singer from Dimension Zero is named Jocke Gothberg!! SO CLOSE!! Dimension Zero sound like a cross between the ever-popular Gothenberg sound of At The Gates and first-album era God Dethroned. Considering the band is driven by the dual-guitar attack of two members of In Flames (one a "former" member) this should not come as a surprise. Those of us that manage not to wet our pants over In Flames' Maiden-inspired Gothenberg noodlings will probably be a little MORE likely to wet our pants over Dimension Zero's thrash-inspired Gothenberg noodlings. No, as is the case with 96% of active bands, they get no points for originality, but I must give credit where credit is due: Dimension Zero sound like seasoned veterans, mostly because they are, and the music is expertly written and executed. Fans of the sound will find it ringing true here and will undoubtedly hail Silent Night Fever as a pinnacle of the genre. - Al Kikuras

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Entombed - Morning Star (KOCH/Music for Nations, 2002)

Rating: 8.5/10

Well, they've finally done it. Entomed have managed to knock that large chip that was residing on my shoulder since the release of the Hollowman EP, the shot heard apparently only 'round my stereo that signified the end of Entombed's relevance to the genre they helped to forge. How could the band responsible for masterful works like Left Hand Path, the Crawl EP, and Clandestine release such death 'n rock dreck? At a time when it seemed most of the death metal giants were going the way of the velcro sneaker and parachute pants (Hypocrisy released the dull Fourth Dimension; Gorefest the appropriately-titled False; Grave the still good, yet not-as-brutal Soulless), I was so fed up with the blatant lack of brutality that I wanted to invite all those fuckers over for a BBQ and piss in the punch. Well, it took Entombed almost 10 years to finally bring me around to what I still consider to be their "new" sound, though they have been playing it much longer than they did the "old" sound I mourn to this day. Maybe I'm just too old to still be angry, or maybe my mind is now ready to hear what it rejected a decade ago, or (and I like to think this one is the proper "maybe"), maybe Entombed finally hit the formula right and brought back just enough of a hint of the classic sound that they are finally kicking my ass once again with Morning Star. This is a great metal album. The songs are memorable, the riffs are thick (people say they look like Janet Jackson), and the vocals are balls-out, at times sounding a lot like latter-day Tom Araya (particularly on "Bringer of Light") and you can actually understand what the fucker is saying. So, yes, I admit it. "My name is Al Kikuras and I am a fan of the new Entombed album," but let me also add that a baker's dozen 'Morning Stars' jacked up on PCP couldn't beat up one Left Hand Path with its hands tied behind its back. - Al Kikuras

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Gemisuadi - 4 Song Promo (Self Released , 2002)

Rating: 8/10

Out of the middle of nowhere comes this band from Ohio.  I've only heard of them in the past week, and I'm glad I heard of them.  Gemisuadi blends together heavy crushing riffs, with some really sick vocals, both high shrieks and mid and low growls, and very well executed drumming.  Combining elements of Grindcore, and slammy death metal, Gemisuadi manages to create a unique catchy style which leaves you amazed, jaw to the floor, but begging for more of it. With a full length cd on the horizon for Ohio Deathfest, Gemisuadi will go somewhere hopefully very soon. An extremely promising release, which only has two slight problems, no song titles included, but when the music is this good it really doesn't matter and also that it is only 4 songs and clocks in around 6 minutes. It's a good taste of whats to come on their full length. Highly reccomended for fans of extremely brutal death metal. - Rick

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Gruesome Stuff Relish - Teenage Giallo Grind (Razorback, 2002)

Rating: 8.5/10

Razorback Records may not be pushing the envelope of extreme music by any stretch of the imagination, but they sure as hell are delivering the goods. Gruesome Stuff Relish's Teenage Giallo Grind, the 10th album brought to us by the fiends at Razorback, combines (unsurprisingly) elements of Carcass and Impetigo to a gloriously repulsive end. Yes, folks, I know it has been done before, and I know it has been done by the majority of bands on Razorback's roster, but they all do it so fucking well and with such reckless abandon that it is impossible not to get caught up in the storm of eyeballs, intestines, hatchets and gore and just ride that tidal wave of blood like a Slip 'n Slide. Blast beats abound, a triple vocal attack is smeared all over these 30 frenzied tracks like so much fecal matter. The guitars grind, the bass is a wall of noise. You can't understand a singe word they are belching forth, but you just wouldn't want it any other way. Teenage Giallo Grind is a 32-minute, tongue-in-bowel splatterfest that is  guaranteed to have you grinning and the rest of the pussies in the world running for the door. Thank the Gods of Metal for Gruesome Stuff Relish and bless those fiends at Razorback Records for bringing them to the world. - Al Kikuras

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GWAR - Violence Has Arrived (Metal Blade, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

I will never forget my first GWAR show. It was 1992, on the Scumdogs of the Universe tour at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. They were opening for someone, but who the headliners were really does not matter. GWAR absolutely owned the stage. I went home that night amazed, disgusted, thoroughly entertained and stained red from head to toe for the next three days. I saw GWAR a few more times over the subsequent years and while they always put on a great show, they never matched the ferocity of that first night and the level of mayhem with each show was slightly lower tha the one before it. Also, I went home from those gigs the same color as I arrived, though considerably sweatier and smellier. An in-depth conversation with GWAR's nemesis, the mighty Techno-Destructo, revealed that "Little Johnny was going home stained red for a week, and we were getting a lot of letters complaining so we cut back on the dye a bit." I would have preferred, and it would have been infinitely more "GWAR" if he said, "...so we upped the dye by 200%," but alas GWAR gave in. Sadly, the GWAR albums that were released post-Scumdogs also reflected a toned-down GWAR. The thrash and speed metal chops, combined with infectious hooks and that over-the-top sense of humor that made Scumdogs the absolute masterpiece it was were abandoned for more pop and punk-rock sensibilities and while GWAR never really sounded "commercial," they weren't musically scary anymore either and without the live show to back them up, the albums were hardly worth listening to.

When I heard the title of the new album, Violence Has Arrived, and saw the delightful cover art, I had a feeling in the sphincter that GWAR might have made a spectacular return to the days of old. It pleases me to no end to say that I was right!! While they still haven’t topped the creme de la crap, namely Scumdogs, songs like "Battlelust," "Anti-Anti-Christ," "Licksore," and the hilarious "The Apes of Wrath" are products of the GWAR I know and love back at the top of their game. Songs that stand on their own, without the theatrics, costumes, and outrageous live shows. GWAR have returned, folks... all that remains now is for me to see them live and find out if the current show compares to Scumdogs in '92. When and if I do manage to find out, I will report it here. - Al Kikuras

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Hidden - Spectral Magnitude (Red Stream, 2002)

Rating: 9.5/10

I won't make any secret of the fact that I'm a big fan of the Red Stream label. They've always seemed to have a talent for signing some of the best bands out there. A few months back, I was checking the label's news page, and the signing of the band Hidden was announced. All information as to the bands origin and past was withheld, with the music only described as dismal astral metal.  Had it been another label, I might have quickly forgotten about it, but with Red Stream, my curiosity was peaked, and I eagerly anticipated what the new signing might sound like.

Well, now I need wait no longer. Hidden's "Spectral Magnitude" has been unleashed, and I'm pretty fucking impressed. The musical style lies somewhere between black and death metal with little bits of doom thrown in here and there, taking a progressive approach that creates a feeling comparable to drowning in the vast cosmos, rather than having your head bashed in with a sledgehammer while a demon fucks your skull. All of the lyrics deal with science, specifically astrology, with beautiful astrological artwork to match. The production is good, but not ultra-raw, and it captures the sick but grand sound of the band rather well.

All of the elements are there (no pun intended) to create a great album. The riffs are strong and memorable, the bass lines are thick and powerful, the drums are tight and driving, and the vocals are wonderfully sick. And yet there have been many albums made that contain all of these same factors that in their sum have not been nearly as strong as this one.

The music at various points reminds me of many different bands, including but not limited to Nunslaughter, Blasphemy, Noctuary, Autopsy, Judas Iscariot, and Darkthrone. Yet none of these acts work as a single worthy point of comparison, only as reference points to give someone a loose idea of what they might expect.  And even then, some might completely disagree with me (I've heard others make comparisons to Carcass, Nocturnus, and early Katatonia).  While Hidden aren't by any means coming out of left field doing anything radically different, they certainly don't sound derivative of anyone, and that's an unfortunately rare thing these days.

I don't give this album a 10, because in my mind, that's a mark reserved for my favorite albums ever, and I don't think that this is one of them.  However, this is still a great piece of work that will surely be among my top ten for the year, and is certainly a more than worthy addition to your CD collection. - Abraxas

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Homo Iratus - Human Consumes Human (Arctic Music Group, 2001)

Rating: 7/10

Typically I disregard most albums that are political but when the band does this as creatively as Homo Iratus does, I can't help but be pulled in to this.  

Taking elements of Death Metal, some punk, and grindcore Homo Iratus really push the musical envelope to a new extreme. One of the first things that came to mind upon listening was that Cephalic Carnage must be a huge influence on these guys. HI take the unique combinations of riffs, and off time drum beats and rather then play melodic jazz parts, they simply slow it down to a screeching halt and sing clean passages. As for the vocals they do a variety of high screams, mid range growls and as I just mentioned, the clean singing.  

The strangest thing while listening though was the frightening resemblance one riff on this showed to a Soulfly song that used to be a pretty big radio hit. If you put that one part aside you have a well executed complex album that actually tries to send out a good message, that the world is destroying and devouring itself slowly but surely.  Maybe not everyone who hears this will get the message, but if you at least enjoy the music than it is a definate start. Reccomended for fans of: Cephalic Carnage, and political punk/HC. - Rick

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Infamy - The Blood Shall Flow (Mercenary Musick/WWIII, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

By-the-numbers but effective death metal from Los Angeles. Yes, folks, there are a lot of albums of this nature floating around out there, and a fair number of them reviewed in this very update. Recorded in '97, The Blood Shall Flow is most definitely solid but with the quantity of straight up death metal albums suddenly being released these days, it does not particularly stand out from the masses. To their credit, however, Infamy sounded as good in '97 as any death metal band does now, 5 years later. Infamy are fast, heavy and brutal and this is an album that very much fulfills the death metal craving. Fans of Infamy will want to pick up this re-release as it features five demo tracks as a bonus and for newcomers is a fine testament to the late Joshua Jagger's proficiency as a death metal vocalist. - Al Kikuras

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Judas Iscariot - To Embrace The Corpses Bleeding (Red Stream, 2002)

Rating: 9/10

Akhenaten dropped a few jaws with the excellent and Dethroned, Conquered and Forgotten EP last year. A solid and quick-handed drum performance courtesy of Cryptic Winds coupled with Akhenaten's revitalized "go for the jugular" writing style resulted in a much more blistering black metal attack than previous releases. Reportedly, Judas Iscariot was not going to stay this path, but To Embrace The Corpses Bleeding is as much akin to the EP as any other release. While there are slower tracks such as the triumphantly vile "In the Valley of Death, I am their King" and "Behold the Lamb of God Descending," it is the crushing numbers such as the album's opener, "I Awoke to a Night of Pain and Carnage" and "With List and Murder for Our Drink" that set the pace and feel of the album. Like Dethroned, Conquered and Forgotten, To Embrace The Corpses Bleeding is a very strong release that displays Akhenaten's expert and refined songwriting skills. Few can pen black metal this straightforward and manage to keep it interesting for a lengthy 38 minutes, but on To Embrace The Corpses Bleeding, Akhenaten does so effectively. Cryptic Winter's drum performance is again exemplary, bringing a sharp edge to the material that might otherwise be missing. The liner notes express Akhenaten's extreme distaste for the black metal scene in general, but let's hope that his disgust doesn't lead to him leaving the scene altogether as based on the strength of the EP, last year's Weltmacht album and now To Embrace the Corpses Bleeding, he still has much to contribute to the genre. - Al Kikuras

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King Diamond - Abigail II:The Revenge (Metal Blade, 2002)

Rating: 8.5/10

When I first heard the rumors of King resurrecting Abigail's ghost for a second release I publicly declared that if Abigail II sucked I was going to track King down and shake the shit out of him. Since I am rarely out in public, chances are the only people to witness that declaration were myself and, well... that's it, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't 100% serious! It is one thing for King not to have released an album since Conspiracy that lived up to any of the preceding ones. He has a right to keep releasing albums even if his songwriting skills may not be what they once were. At least none of the albums were downright embarrassing and there have been some good moments on a few of his post-1990 releases (The Graveyard wasn't bad and The Spider's Lullaby was heavy, if unremarkable), but when I get the urge to listen to King I have never once reached for an album released in the past 11 years. What really put things into a downward spiral in my opinion was when Mikkey Dee left the band (for Motorhead?? Abbadon could have handled that job... give me a break!). The Eye, the first post-Dee album, was King's Somewhere in Time. Not a bad release, but the first one that wasn't as good as those previous and just about each release since has been a little farther off the mark. None bad, but not a single album scared me the way the early albums did. And yes, King should have left Mercyful Fate in the grave, but I can't hate the man... he IS King Diamond after all and no matter how dreadful the album he was touring on (House of God is a mess, people), he always puts on a great show. 

Well, luckily for King (and mostly for me, I don't have the cash for a ticket to Texas or the desire to spend the night in jail), Abigail II doesn't suck, but it far from lives up to the legacy of the original release. There are some great moments on here. King's vocals sound better than they have in years. The intro, "Spare This Life," sent chills up my spine when I first heard it. "The Storm" and "Mansion in Sorrow" are both great tunes, as is "The Wheelchair." In fact, everything on Abigail II is good, but the album doesn't transport me the way the great King albums do. I remember when I first got Abigail - I was a wee lad of 11 or 12 years old. I sat down in the basement in the corner, a single light and my headphones on and listened to the album start to finish, reading the lyrics as I went and it SCARED me... I was completely entertained and absorbed from the first note to the last. Ditto Them and Conspiracy. Abigail II does not have that power, but it is a fine return to form from a man that I rightfully never lost faith in despite some clunkers, and while not quite the album it should be, is good enough that I can honestly say that I am glad King released it as it gives me hope for another timeless album like the first four. - Al Kikuras

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Krieg - Destruction Ritual (Red Stream/Cicatrix, 2002)

Rating: 9/10

Lord Imperial has returned with Destruction Ritual, the followup to Krieg's The Church EP, one of the most raw and abrasive black metal releases of 2001, if not all time. Destruction Ritual is, likewise, an abominable release that is grating to the ears, and while the production isn't nearly as rough as The Church, it is obvious the album wasn't recorded with top 40 airplay in mind.

A foreboding sample from "Dellamorte Dellamore" leads into the title track, which is an absolutely spectacular example of raw black metal at its finest. The duration of Destruction Ritual is a difficult listen, but isn't REAL black metal supposed to be an all-out assault on the senses? Granted, the production and ever-concise performance of session drummer Duane Timlin/Cryptic Winds makes this perhaps the most accessible Krieg release yet, but that is like saying "that last time that I was shot in the groin hurt a little less than the first few times."

Violence is the predominant element to Krieg's music. Lord Imperial has the uncanny ability to make even melodic guitar passages sound foul, undoubtedly one of the prime characteristics of his writing that sets Krieg's material well above the host of black metal acts currently making the rounds in the underground. Destruction Ritual stands as a testament to the fact that yes, there is still relevant material coming out of the USBM scene despite the swarm of bands currently dripping their "limited edition cassette - 33 copies" or "kult" CDRs all over the carpet. Hails to Krieg for keeping the dark flame burning.  - Al Kikuras

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Legion - Of One (Dark Horizon Records, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

Legion are back with a MUCH blacker sound, and heavier production than the debut cd Conqueror.  Most of the vocals on this recording are higher and there aren't many low parts. What is really refreshing about this band however is the mixture of death, black and thrash.  It's the type of album you feel like headbanging to, or just growling along with. 

Legion have really gotten much more technical since the Conqeror release. A bit on the short side (31 minutes) but when its this catchy you can't help but listen to it a few times in a row.  Very impressive album from Legion, who if they stay on this track should end up on a major label extremely soon. - Rick

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