Music Reviews

Dark Tranquility - Damage Done (Century Media, 2002)

Rating: 10/10

One might argue Dark Tranquility's best days are behind them, but to simply listen to their older albums would be a tragic mistake for any self respecting fan of Swedish Death Metal. If you look past the mediocre Projector everything these guys have recorded has been worth repeated listens. The Gallery is to this day is one of the best recordings to come out of Sweden and it is true they might not ever be that great again but Damage Done is an incredible cd in its own way.

This cd is more of a regression rather than a progression from their last disc Haven.  Damage Done isn't as reliant as the keyboards that I think plagued some moments on Haven, so it has a more traditional sound than the last two albums.  There are tons of twin guitar riffs, some extremely heavy moments, and some beautifully structured rhythm riffs. Vocally this album isn't everything I expected as the vocals are nowhere near the quality they once were, but its intense and tortured in its own special way, if anything the vocals are angry as hell on this which makes for a nice contrast between the keyboard sections and vocals.

As far as production goes everything remains the same. The sound is ideal on this cd, nothing is too loud or too low, everything is mixed in perfectly so nobody's playing truly overshadows anyone else's which really makes for a great showcase of talent.  Granted this production might not work for every band but for a melodic style its great.

I guess if you were expecting a follow-up to Haven to be even softer you will be in for a shock.  Dark Tranquility really shocked me with this album. I expected an average cd at best, and this is quite possibly the best death metal recording of this year.  Damage Done is fast, its melodic, its well written, its everything an album should be. This gets my highest recommendations, sell blood if you must to get this cd. - Rick

Back to the top.
 

Aeternus - Ascension of Terror (HammerHeart Records, 2001)

Rating: 8/10

When I saw this band was from Norway and recorded in Grieghallen I expected some run of the mill black metal band.  I was very pleasantly surprised by what I heard once I popped the cd in.  Aeternus play a very heavy style of very dark death metal. Lyrically it would appear to be your average black metal cd but the riffs are extremely death metal-esque on this release. It is also filled with many gloomy riffs that add a lot of atmosphere to it. Does this CD stand out amongst the heaps of garbage being released by many labels?  You're goddamn right it does.

One of this albums strongest points are the slower darker passages, they are long, drawn out and very pleasing to listen to as you know each dark passage leads to a faster blasting part. I hear a lot of Incantation influence in this band, especially the "Onward to Golgotha" era, but these guys play much faster than Incantation ever have or probably ever will. 

As far as drumming goes this isn't too outstanding but it gets the job done. Theres some great fast blasting, strong double bass that doesn't overpower the guitar, and some very well done fills. With the bass on this album, well, its probably the only low point in the production. I'm a fan of very bass-heavy releases and this just doesn't have that.  Luckily with riffs are good as guitarists Radek and Ares write its very easy to look past the thin bass sound.  The vocals on this cd are very good as well, they might not have a variety in vocals but when you have mid-range vocals that sound this good I don't blame them for mostly mids. 

I would have to say to hear dark death metal this good coming out of Norway is even more shocking than Mayhem's change of styles on "A Grand Declaration Of War".  Aeternus should get some major recognition for this disc, if they don't I would be disappointed in HammerHeart Records for not spreading the word on these guys.  Do yourself a big favor and get this album. - Rick

Back to the top.
 

Alchemy X - 11:59:59 2-song sampler (self-released, 2002)

Rating: n/a

As this is a two-song sampler from the forthcoming Alchemy X release 11:59:59, and these are rough mixes, I don't feel it is appropriate to give this release a numerical rating. I do, however, feel it is appropriate to say "WOW!!" Alchemy X have forged an incredibly well-balanced blend of metal, incorporating Dream Theater-ish musicianship with a level of songwriting that, in my opinion, DT have yet to reach. Though many sing their praises, I have never been a big Dream Theater fan. While I can appreciate the virtuosity each member undeniably displays on his respective instrument, their music was comparable to a master chef making white bread. No matter how well it is done, it is still boring old white bread. If metal isn't HEAVY to the core, I just don't want to hear it! Alchemy X have combined stellar musicianship with catchy songwriting and a consistent heaviness that immediately brings a smile to my face and sets my head to bobbing. Add to this mix the vocals of none other than the great Bob Mitchell of Attacker, Sleepy Hollow and soon to be Vyndykator fame and you have a band that is guaranteed to deliver the goods. Alchemy X are decidedly not thrash, not power metal, not speed metal... I suppose you could call them progressive metal, but that would be to pigeonhole the band as while they are certainly progressive, they are also much much more.

If the sampler is any indication of the strength of 11:59:59, metalheads everywhere can rest assured that you will soon have an album in your hands that will become a permanent fixture in your playlists for years to come. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.
 

Aborym - Fire Walk With Us (Mercenary Musik/World War III)

Rating: 9.5/10

This band features the legendary Attilla on vocals.  That should be enough reason for anyone into black metal to pick this up.  And Attilla is in top form, sounding utterly sick and inhuman. In fact, the man(?) himself calls this album his finest hour. This album is a big improvement from Aborym's debut, "Kali Yuga Bizzare", as they have discarded any commercial tendencies (including their old lead vocalist), and created an album of wonderfully weird industrial-tinged black metal. Aborym really have their own sound on this album, a sound that is both cold and hot at once, and at all times inhuman and evil. A drum machine is used at least some of the time, but where with some bands this would be a minus, for Aborym, it is a plus, adding to the weird inhuman feel.  Also featured on this album is a weird demonic techno track (which some people may hate, but I enjoy), and a cover of one of my favorite black metal songs of all time, Burzum's Det Som Engang Var.  Elsewhere on the album, there is no immediately apparent Burzum influence, and even during the cover, the sound is very much Aborym.  While ultimately, I still enjoy Burzum's version more, what is important is that Aborym did it their own way, not merely trying to do a carbon of what Burzum had already done, but bringing in their own element, and recreating it. This album is certainly not a conventional black metal album by any means, and yet it contains all of the elements that make up true black metal.  This is a dark, twisted, evil, and fucking great album.  - Abraxas

Back to the top.
 

Aurora Borealis - Time, Unveiled (Nightsky Prod, 2002)

Rating: 9/10

Rob Vento, the man behind Aurora Borealis, is quite the metal talent, spanning the genres of black metal, thrash, death metal smoothly and with seeming ease on Time, Unveiled. Much in the vein of Absu's spectacular Tara, Vento's virtually one-man-band performance (with Tim Yeung of Hate Eternal fame on drums) sounds as impressive as Absu's latest and some say greatest slab. Vento is a metal virtuoso. His writing is tasteful and his playing is incredibly clean and fast. It is obvious with the first listen that this man obsesses over every detail of the music. Perhaps the strongest aspect of Vento's writing is his ability to incorporate melody into his memorable songwriting without sacrificing heaviness. There is not a weak moment on Time, Unveiled... not a single idea that isn't executed to perfection. Vocally, Vento employs a mid-high pitched rasp, a hybrid of the black metal screech and balls-out thrash delivery. Yeung's playing is inhumanly fast and accurate with just the right amount of feel to keep him from sounding like a drum machine. Vento is evidently as talented as an engineer as a musician, as the recording is pristine and he handled it all himself. The two bonus demo tracks on the album, "Sixteenth Chamber" and "Slave to the Grave," aren't as cleanly recorded, and the latter song is a bit of a departure from the rest of the material, as it does not sound as refined as the rest of Time, Unveiled. It is to be expected, however, as they were recorded in 1994. It is interesting to hear Vento's earlier material to note how much his skills have developed, and the songs do stand the test of time as they are still a great listen despite not being as well-developed as the newer tunes.

Time, Unveiled is a very impressive release. I look forward to hearing more material from Vento/Aurora Borealis in the future as I think his contributions to metal will be consistently satisfying and relevant. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.
 

Bad Wizard - Free and Easy (Tee Pee Records, 2002)

Rating: 5/10

See The Brought Low review, though I don't think these guys are from New York.  A bit more rooted in '70s rock, leaning towards the stoner rock of bands like Nebula.  The overall effect is the same though. - Big Juan

Back to the top.
 

Beyond the Embrace - Against the Elements (Metal Blade, 2002)

Rating: 6/10

I've definitely heard better metal coming off of Metalblade than this, but this a strong offering from a fairly talented band. Ranging between quick paced Swedish Death influenced moments where the vocals are almost indistinguishable from In Flames, and more old school thrash sounding parts (i.e. Metallica) where the vocals are indistinguishable from James Hetfield's semi-melodic rasp. Against the Elements starts out on a good note, fast, inspired and interesting. As the album goes on, however, you realize that there isn't much more than the first song has to offer.  You could listen to the first track ten times and you pretty much have heard the album.

But I did give this album a 6, and I'll tell you why.  The guitar work, though poorly produced and mushy at times, is fairly articulate and interesting with lots of good harmonies that lace the music in a very In Flames/Iron Maiden sort of way.  The riffing is solid, heavy and melodic, and the semi-clean vocals do add to the feel of it. The drumming is solid, although it sounds like the drummer just picked up his triggers before the recording, because there are a few parts when the double bass stuff gets a big tricky and double fires. I like that you can hear the bass through most of the heaviest parts as well, that makes the music that much heavier, and easy to get into.

The music is pretty strong, but I can guarantee you that this album would've been much stronger had the production been cleaner.  - Jim Bob the Enforcer

Back to the top.
 

Birdflesh - Night of the Ultimate Mosh (Razorback Records, 2002)

Rating: 9/10

It seems like Razorback can do no wrong lately between releases such as Gruesome Stuff Relish, Fuck..I'm Dead, Ghoul, and of course Lord Gore.  After the extremely impressive run as of late I wasn't sure how long it could keep up. Birdflesh was another band just snagged out of obscurity by Razorback and I wasn't quite sure what to make of them at first, based on the first song "Coffinfucker".  After a few listens I can say Birdflesh are the best kept secret in Sweden.

Once again, outstanding packaging on a Razorback disc. Rather than going for typical gory artwork and layout they have more of a cheesy 80's B Movie look to them which is nice for a change. All of the lyrics are included which is also nice, considering many Grind and Death Metal bands don't include their lyrics in their releases.  Its really cool to see a promo that is the complete cd, not just a cardboard case with some bio.

This album contains 2 sessions, one of them provided tracks 1 through 8.  This recording from May of 2001 is pretty good, but in my opinion this cd doesn't really get moving until the second session kicks off. Tracks 9 through 22 were from October 2001 to January 2002, and all of these tracks have a much thicker guitar sound, and the vocals are mixed better. I don't have anything against the first tracks, its just there isn't anything too special there, everything almost seems to bleed together. Overall the production on this is pretty good, the sound is somewhat bassy, and the guitarists' tone is great.  Instead of simply down-tuning Birdflesh aim for a more oldschool sound, and this is where the album really stands out. Bands who tune down are a dime a dozen these days, it is extremely common, and although heavy many bands who do this simply neglect the song writing process. Drumming is pretty tight on this too, impressive blasts, and really good fills. The vocals are extremely creative on this recording. Ranging from high shrieks to angry mids, and some lows they are all over, very creative patterns too.

"Night of the Ultimate Mosh" is blistering Grindcore at its best.  It's fast, it has sick vocals, and best of all it is creative.  This is one of Sweden's finest bands, and quite possibly the best non-melodic DM CD to come out of that country. I highly recommend this album to fans of any older Grindcore. - Rick

Back to the top.
 

Blood Vomit - Up From The Grave (Bloodsoaked, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

Ridiculous. That is the first word that came to my mind when Blood Vomit first spewed forth from the stereo. Up From The Grave is so brutal that it is just ridiculous. Blood Vomit is a product of the sick mind of Keith Barnard, a one-man band the likes of which may be unparalleled in the death metal world. This album is a roller coaster ride of gore, violence, guts, blood, puke, and eyeballs all ready to jump and grab from the first track to the last. We're talking 33 minutes of pure, unadulterated disgusting death metal comparable to Mortician, Bowel and Impetigo. Zombie flick samples are peppered throughout. Blast beats and double bass (courtesy of a drum machine) are abundant as are monstrous riffs and vocals from the depths of a pit teeming with every imaginable manner of filth and scum. Death metal fans have a pungent new corpse to kick. Here's to Blood Vomit continuing to rot for many years to come. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.
 

Brave - Searching For The Sun (Dark Symphonies, 2002)

Rating: 0/10

A very apt album title and band name.  "Searching for the Sun" is appropriate, because try as I might, I couldn't find one bright spot on this album. Brave is an apt band name, because after sitting through this piece of shit, I think I could make it through just about anything, be it a climb up Everest or listening to the Backstreet Boys Unplugged. This album is basically total chick-rock. And my girlfriend didn't even like this CD! Occasionally, a slight metal tendency will show through in the form of a semi-heavy sounding distorted guitar, but make no mistake, THIS IS NOT METAL!  The band is fronted by a female vocalist.  Her voice is cloyingly sweet and somewhat whiny, and it really gets on my fucking nerves! She sings about love, relationships gone bad, and longing to be away from the city.  Boo-fucking-hoo. Even people into chick-rock won't like this CD, as it occasionally features some pathetic attempt at being metal.  I cannot in good taste or in good mental health recommend this to anyone. - Abraxas

Back to the top.
 

Burner - One for the Road (Arctic Music Group, 2002)

Rating 7.5/10

Well I can safely say that this disc a definite surprise.  Based on the layout and song titles ("American Dream," "Whisky Dick," "No Regrets") I was expecting this to me some type of stoner rock band. Instead I'm listening to a release that is literally all over the fucking place. Describing their sound would be very difficult because they go off on so many different tangents.  At times they do have the stoner/rock revival thing going on.  But they also show elements of "Meantime" -era Helmet, moshcore and even throw in some growled low end vocals for added impact.  A really interesting record overall.  I definitely will be interested in what they do next. - Big Juan

Back to the top.
 

Callenish Circle - Flesh_Power_Dominion (Metal Blade, 2002)

Rating: 7/10

I'm not sure where these guys are from, but they sound Swedish. They particularly remind me of At The Gates, specifically Slaughter of the Soul.    How many times have you heard that before? Yes, another band emulating At The Gates. And once again, At The Gates did it much better (after all they were AT THE FUCKING GATES!). That said, the album is fairly enjoyable at points, if not horribly original. Occasionally, they stray from the At The Gates formula, but honestly, when they try to be original, I enjoy them less. And even then, its nothing particularly ground breaking. The disc ends with a cover of Death's classic "Pull the Plug". I'm not too impressed with their version.  Nowhere else on the disc do they sound particularly influenced by Death, and the song doesn't work that well in their style. 

While I've slagged them for being unoriginal, I don't mean to imply that they don't know how to thrash.  Hell, I loved At The Gates, and with them no longer around, I can see the value that albums like this might have to some people. So it depends on your stance. If you're one of the people who still long to hear anything that comes close to emulating the sound of Slaughter of the Soul, then by all means pick this up.  If you've accepted the fact that At The Gates are dead, and no one will do what they did nearly as well as they did it, then you'll probably be content to let this one pass. - Abraxas

Back to the top.
 

Centurian - Liber ZarZax (Olympic, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

I wasn't impressed with Centurian's debut, Of Purest Fire, despite the acclaim it received from critics and consumers alike. It bored me. There was no doubt Centurian were a capable death metal band, but nothing set them apart from their contemporaries - not in the material or delivery. There is nothing radically innovative on Liber ZarZax either, but the intensity is so over the top that it more than makes up for the fact that, at the bottom of it all, Centurian's execution is still pretty by-the-numbers. If you were a fan of Vader's excellent Litany album (and if you are a fan of heavy, fast death metal it was impossible NOT to enjoy Litany), then you will appreciate Liber ZarZax. It is not revolutionary. It is hardly even distinctive, but it sure as hell is enjoyable.  - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.
 

Converge - Jane Doe (Equal Vision, 2001)

Rating 8.5/10

Converge have come a long way in the past decade.  In 1992 you would have caught this band kicking out moshed out mindless hardcore at random VFW halls in the Boston area.  In 2002 Converge have evolved into one of the most intense and technically sound hardcore bands of all time.  Taking cues from classic cult hardcore bands such as Angel Hair, Black Flag, Rorschach and Acme while leaping a few steps forward, "Jane Doe" is a definite milestone for hardcore/punk music. Songs like "Distance and Meaning" and "Concubine" show that this band know how to rock out with blast-beat fury and frequent time changes, while never going overboard like many of their peers.  Whether you like blasting death metal or power metal (well, maybe not power metal) you should find something that tickles you pink about "Jane Doe." - Big Juan

Back to the top.
 

Council of the Fallen - Revealing Damnation (Martyr Music Group, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

You can be sure of two things about any death metal band with Derek Roddy behind the kit: they are going to be fast and they are going to be very capable musicians. The man is a fucking animal, people, but an animal with a brain. Not only does he have the speed to match or exceed any other drummer in death metal, but he is a fine technical player and the capabilities of his band mates reflect that. Council of the Fallen are a very adept death metal band. Benton-ish dual vocals (sans his predictable vocal patterns) keep things interesting. The production is excellent, with the bass audible underneath the guitars. The songwriting is musically solid, but as is the case with most death metal these days, not particularly memorable, but that doesn't keep me from enjoying Revealing Damnation as it is extremely well-executed. They do not go for relentless speed, ala Krisiun and Rebaelliun (though they certainly reach the frenzied peaks of the Brazillian greats), rather mixing up tempos which contributes greatly to the album's appeal. Touches of melody are used and the riffing is incredibly sharp and clean. Fans of the aforementioned Deicide (particularly Legion-era), Morbid Angel, Monstrosity and such will find much to enjoy on Revealing Damnation. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.
 

Dark Domination - Blasphemy (Ketzer Records, 2002)

Rating: 9/10

From Latvia is birthed a musical abortion that fans of Demoncy and Yamatu and comparable acts will absolutely love. A drum machine is used with no regard for dynamics or even sounding remotely like a real drummer. It is just "snare-snare-snare-snare-snare." Relentless pounding that gets to be hypnotic after a few songs. When they try to mix things up rhythmically, like the brief passage about two minutes in to "When Master Satan Returns" and again at about 4:30, it is an absolute mess. With this kind of music, though, you don't want things to be tight. The fact that it is a few hairs short of being a total soup sandwich is a big part of the appeal. The guitar sound is delightfully horrendous, bringing Graveland's Following the Voice of Blood to mind. Blasphemy is an abomination birthed from the no-frills, dismal, vile vein of black metal that most definitely does not cater to the masses but rather seeks to alienate them from an art form that bands like the aforementioned and Dark Domination seek to keep very, very underground and elite. Dark Domination don't delve as much into the deep occult as Yamatu or Demoncy, at least as far as I can tell from the song titles (I was sent just a CDR as a promo), going for a more straightforward Satanic approach, with song titles like "When Master Satan Returns," "Carnival of Evil" and "Black Force's Victory." Just about every track has a long, eerie intro that works well to set the mood and give the ear a much-needed rest and also helps to keep this otherwise long album (over an hour in length) from getting boring in the slightest. The album's closer, "Sword of the Northern Sea," features one of the most demented vocal performances I have ever heard. At times it actually sounds like the vocal track is being played backwards. Likewise, the music takes an absolute freakish turn about 3 minutes in that may well be the result of pure genius as much as a lack of musical ability. When the end result is as sick and twisted as Blasphemy, does it even matter? - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.
 

Dark Funeral - Diabolis Interium (Necropolis Records, 2002)

Rating: 9.75/10

This album kicked my ass.  Holy shit did it kick my ass. I wasn't aware that they STILL MADE black metal like this anymore! Let's put it this way, I put this album in, and it inspired me to want to put on some corpse paint, my bullet belt, spikes and grab my sword.  Then I wanted to run out into the cold woods in the night by myself and revel in the cold and darkness of the Northern Lands.

From the beginning to the end this CD is a relentless blast of pure fucking evil black metal.  The exquisite trem-picked guitars, the tumultuous blast beats, the grim vocals and the somewhat audible bass are mixed together into a blast of energy that tears at your very insides and if you're not angry it makes you angry.  The craftsmanship of this material is intense, and they really have it together. It helps that it was produced by Peter Tagtgren, but I think if this had been recorded on a boombox with a pillow thrown over top of it like old-school black metal, it still would've been a masterpiece of a record.

If any of these guys has a serious criminal record, I'd be willing to put these guys as forerunners of the scene! - Jim Bob the Enforcer

Back to the top.
 

December - The Lament Configuration (Earache, 2002)

Rating: 5/10

Usually I'm the first to bash or put down the combination of Swedish Metal and Hardcore but the way December pull it off isn't too bad. It might not be the most pleasing style to listen to but this isn't terrible by any means.  It is worth listening to but is it really ground-breaking? No, not at all.

The similarities in this album to some Swedish bands are there but not in the typical way.  Rather than high tuned guitars and melodies its simply the pace of the music that screams Swedish. If you take away technicality and have the same flow as say Dark Tranquility's earlier material you get December. 

As far as production the guitar is a bit too loud for my tastes.  It's very distorted and the guitar tone is somewhat annoying.  The drumming is average but it gets the job done.  Vocally I really can't get into this much if at all.  I am not a fan of Hardcore vocals so this really doesn't appeal to me. 

If you want to hear some decent Hardcore pick this up but its not really for me. Its not as bad as one might expect but it isn't outstanding.  A decent release for Earache but I sure do miss their glory days... - Rick

Back to the top.
 

Denata - Deathtrain (Arctic Music, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

Much in the vein of The Crown, Denata take all of the glorious attitude of thrash greats such as Destruction and Kreator and slam it face-first into Gothenburg death metal and black metal to a riotous result. Deathtrain is the kind of music that sends metal festival pits and crowds into an absolute frenzy: a sound that is immediately familiar and comfortable even if you never heard the band before. So, no, they won't get any points for being inventive, but they do amass a fair number for providing nearly a half hour of mindless fun. Churning out 11 songs (plus one intro) in 28 minutes, you know Denata aren't writing any metal epics... just short, fast, 1-2-3 thrashy numbers that will set your neck a' snapping. They bring Nunslaughter to mind, though not as goofy as the US death metal legends, it is obvious that Denata aren't here to do anything as ambitious as spread a message of hate or evil. They just want to thrash, and thrash they do. Enjoy this one, fuckers. I certainly am! - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.