Music Reviews

Strapping Young Lad - SYL (Century Media, 2003)

Rating: 10/10

On occasion, I get promo copies of albums in the mail that make me dance. It happened with the last Hades (USA) album. It happened with Manowar's last epic live release, and it happened with SYL. There I was, in the parking lot at the post office in plain view of all the patrons, dancing a jig with a big ridiculous grin on my face. Suffice to say, I was very delightfully surprised when I pulled this one out of the envelope. I hopped in my crapbox of a car and tore back to the house and slammed this one right into the CD player at full tilt.

See, Strapping Young Lad are one of my all-time favorite bands. I became a convert when I saw them open for Testament on the Demonic tour. Strapping Young Lad made Testament look like the Bangles, and without a woman as fine as Susanna Hoffs shaking her goods, the Bangles ain't worth a lick. Strapping Young Lad's City remains one of the heaviest releases EVER, but for a few years it, sadly, looked to be their last. Devin Townsend (the nice fella behind SYL) was very prolific in the years between City and SYL, and he released nothing but great material, likeTerria, Infinity, and Physicist. However, none approached the heaviness and outright rage of Strapping Young Lad.

Well, folks, Devin is back on the rag and thank the gods for that. SYL is all I hoped it would be. Brutally heavy and perfectly produced, with exemplary performances on the part of every musician. I think Devin's primary strength as a songwriter is his efficiency. Not a second is wasted. Not a single riff is overdone. He is a true master of refinement, a talent more obviously displayed on releases like Terria (which is a very layered and symphonic composition), but no less effectively put to task on SYL. Though much less complex in arrangement, SYL is just as dense, but whereas Terria sounds beautiful, SYL sounds like war if it found melody. But, despite all the anger, all the rage, SYL is still a fun album. Devin's ever-present sense of humor pokes its head through. When he rages, "You fucking pig, now you die!" in "Rape Song," it makes you smile, not because the words aren't delivered with absolute spite, but you can hear the attitude in his voice. It is so over-the top as to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. The music is so intense and ugly, that it becomes a thing of beauty, and music that, as uncommercial as it is, I could see appealing to a non-metal audience.

There you have it. SYL is all I hoped it would be, but... did Devin top the almighty City? At this point, I can't answer with a resounding "Yes." Maybe it is because I haven't had SYL as long as City that it hasn't become ingrained in me and so many metal heads as City has... as cultural archetypes, myths and legends do in the social consciousness, or maybe it is that we shouldn't expect Strapping Young Lad to top City any more than we expect Slayer to top Reign in Blood. It may be an equally insurmountable task, but I do know that the more I listen to SYL, the more it grows on me, and I am already worshipping every scream, every song, every note... - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.

Alchemy X - 11:59:59 (Unisound, 2003)

Rating: 9/10

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 skill each member undeniably displays on his respective instrument, their music is 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.

11:59:59 calls to mind albums like Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime and Nevermore's Dreaming Neon Black in that the material and lyrics are all unified in focus and sound. It plays more like one body of music than a collection of songs, as few rare great metal albums do. Aside from the aforementioned releases, Voivod and King Diamond have (for the most part) consistently managed to pull of this feat.

The songs display a perfect balance of virtuosity and heaviness. The brief opening instrumental, “Shifting Images,” perfectly encapsulates the range of Alchemy X’s skills. A melodic riff leads into a galloping rhythm, then abruptly breaks into a chugging double-bass driven groove before shifting back to a rhythmic solo section. Song two, “Kiss Before Death,” is an epic track, combining great lead work and piano accompaniment to create dense, layered music. Mitchell gives perhaps the most impassioned vocal performance of his career on this album and, particularly, this track. While fans of his raspy vocal delivery (ala his work with Sleepy Hollow and Vyndykator) will not find it here, they will undoubtedly be impressed at the new sound the man of 1,000 voices displays on 11:59:59.

The entire band provide great performances, both as a unit and on their respective instruments. Unlike much progressive metal, however, never does the music become a showcase for any one instrument. While there are solos and flashy playing, the music, itself, is never overshadowed by showboating, and that is Alchemy X's true strength. The music is key, and the songs powerful enough that the playing, although exemplary, never takes priority over the material.

Fans of progressive metal and traditional power metal will eat this up. Alchemy X are a powerful star shining in the metal world right now, with a bright future to look forward to. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.

Catasexual Urge Motivation - Nekronicle (Razorback Records, 2003)

Rating: 10/10

A few months back Billy Nocera of Razorback Records posted info on a message board about how a big C.U.M. discography release was in the works.  It was going to include EVERYTHING they did minus Encylopedia which is once again in print thanks to Razorback, and a demo called Satsujin I believe.  After a few months of waiting it has finally been released and was it worth the wait?  You're goddamn right it was, read on to find out why.

Catasexual Urge Motivation were one of those bands that was never trully appreciated until they split up, except by a select few. Thanks to Razorback Records though, everyone who missed out on the various Splits, Compilation appearances, and Demos can now experience all their material. Nekronicle features 27 tracks from the following releases; Catharsis Demo 1994, Rape Trauma Syndome Demo 1995, Split 7" with Squash Bowels, Split 7" with Slough, Split Tape with Goropsy, 4-Way Split 7" with C.S.S.O., Malignant Tumour, and Negligent Collateral Collapse, 3 tracks from various Compilations, and perhaps the best feature on this CD...2 previously unreleased bonus tracks.  Thats a freaking impressive list there! They split with some of the best bands in the underground and now you can enjoy all their tracks from the above Splits re-mastered and on an official CD. Once again, Razorback Records has outdone themselves with the layout of this album.  Featuring fake newspaper articles, covers of the various material, and lyrics and/or notes for every release, it serves as a good history lesson for C.U.M. and you can pick up some interesting trivial info.  Its really well done as usual, hats off to Razorback.

Every track on this disc has been remastered and touched up because I'm sure the master sources have lost some quality over the years.  I own the split tape with Goropsy and the sound is much heavier on the tracks from that on this disc, it has more low-end heaviness, an admirable update in the sound considering Catasexual Urge Motivation never had a bass player.  For those of you who aren't familiar with C.U.M. they played a very odd style of Goregrind with some Electronic or Cybergrind hints in some songs. Its for the most part very straight forward, sometimes very fast, sometimes very slow but its always brutal. I'm one of those people who can listen to one song on a CD then put on another disc and repeat this for hours, but with this band I feel like I ALWAYS have to listen to the CD all the way through every time I put it on. Its just so well done its hard not to appreciate all of Catasexual Urge Motivation's material.

If you are a fan of Encyclopedia of Serial Murders you owe it to yourself to purchase this as soon as humanly possible. If you own any of the original Splits featured on this you should still pick the disc up as we all know tapes can get eaten by tape decks, and vinyl can melt. I can't find anything bad to say about this CD. It's around 70 minutes of ulta-brutal music, and its never boring to listen to this.  Don't miss out on this release, what Discordance Axis' Original Sound Version is for Grindcore, that's what Nekronicle is for Goregrind. Without a doubt its one of the most important discography releases of all time. - Rick

Back to the top.

The County Medical Examiners - Forensic Fugues and Medicolegal Medleys (Razorback, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

I know that based on my history of reviews thus far, I should slag Forensic Fugues and Medicolegal Medleys. The County Medical Examiners do nothing even remotely new on this release. As is the case with a grow(l)ing legion of bands these days, The County Medical Examiners pay homage to the almighty Carcass, joining Impaled, Ghoul, Lord Gore, Exhumed and so many others as the latest band to kick the corpse that started it all.  Examiners even go so far as to pay direct tithes to their mentors, stating "And special gratitude to the founders of this genre, Carcass, without who, The County Medical Examiners would not exist." Their homage is complete from the textbook lyrics to the cover art... a collage of gore that is a direct take on both Reek of Putrefaction and Symphonies of Sickness. The only thing missing is they didn't name the solos.

The catch here is that The County Medical Examiners are legit. Two are actual doctors, one is a medical student. The tri-vocal attack is in full force. This is basically Symphonies of Sickness, The Lost Sessions. Like I said, nothing new, which is usually a pet peeve of mine, but fuck if it ain't a whole lot of fun. The Examiners are an adept band and pull it off well. If you love Carcass and aren't satisfied with the three albums of this ilk that the gods released, Forensic Fugues and Medicolegal Medleys will help slake your thirst. Enjoy, gorehounds! - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.

Discordance Axis - Pikadourei DVD (Wicked Witch/Hydra Head, 2002)

Rating: 8/10

Discordance Axis sadly broke up May of 2001 but their legacy continues to live on.  A few years ago, if someone would have asked me if a Grindcore band would ever release a DVD I would have laughed it off, but thankfully more bands are taking advantage of this superior format and VHS is becoming more and more outdated with each passing month. Discordance Axis truly take full advantage of the DVD format.

This DVD is made up of 1 show from Tokyo, Japan in 2001, 1 show from CBGB's in 1996, and a promotional video for a song that appeared on their 3-way split CD with Corrupted and 324, called "Ikaruga".  First things first, the Tokyo show is outstanding. They tear through songs from Jouhou, The Inalienable Dreamless, and a few from Ulterior and sound amazing. The video is really spastic which truly fits the style of the band.  Lots of blurry shots, bright flashing lights, and barely any clear stills, but its so entertaining to watch.  There's always something interesting in each shot, and crowd shots are plentiful on this live set.  For anyone like myself who never got to see these legendary guys live, this set is amazing.

Well, you've heard of "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" right? Unfortunately the CBGB's show from 1996 is both bad and ugly.  The video quality is extremely blurry, audio is hard to make out most of the time and its very harsh on the eyes and ears.  Granted it was from 1996, and originally done on VHS so the quality won't be that great, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little disappointed that it wasn't cleaned up at all. 

Next is the Ikaruga promotional video which is probably the most unique video I have ever seen. It's basically computer generated images, words flashing on screen, and shots from such classic video games as Radiant Silvergun, GigaWing2, Mars Matrix and other incredible shooting games.  You have to be a total video game nerd like myself to be able to appreciate this video, as the songs' title is actually a Japanese arcade game, as well as a Sega Dreamcast game. Very cool concept for an amazing song, and they ended up with something truly bizarre, unique, and its a pleasure to watch it every time.

This DVD was in the making for quite some time and I'm glad it turned out as well as it did.  With the exception of the CBGB's show its perfect.  It also features both of their first albums on MP3 if you put it in a PC DVD-ROM Drive, and it also features photo galleries, as well as guitar tablatures from the 2001 tour set. It really can't get much better than this for a Grindcore DVD. If you like Discordance Axis you can't go wrong with this DVD. - Rick

Back to the top.

Eterna - Terra Nova (Crash Music, 2003)

Rating: 8.5/10

I'm a big fan of power metal. GOOD power metal, that is. While I was excited by the notion of the recent power metal resurgence, the resurgence, itself, left much to be desired. Usually a genre's resurgence includes a handful of the original masters attempting to re-grasp the glory that they once held, and failing miserably - perhaps one of a metal band's most unforgivable transgressions. The power metal resurgence didn't seem to fall victim to this particular crime... a good thing, no doubt, but the problem that did lead to its ultimate failure (at least, in my opinion) was most of the new blood sounded like tired versions of the forerunners of the genre, with a few notable exceptions (Lost Horizon and Seven Witches, for example).

There are two primary areas where I think most new power metal acts lack: the vocals and the balls department. Seldom can the singers really "sing" and the music is rarely heavy enough. This is HEAVY metal, folks. If it doesn't have the balls, you can send it rolling.

This brings us to Eterna. I saw the logo, saw the cover and stuck the CD in the "to listen to" pile, assuming it was another skim-milk attempt at the cream of power metal. I was wrong. The first four tracks on Terra Nova are fantastic! Eterna have the vocals - vocalist Leandro Cacoilo sounds like a cross between Michael Kiske and Geoff Tate. They have the balls - the songs are consistently heavy, the arrangements are complex, the timing is varied. They even incorporate elements of Brazilian "choro" music into their craft and the end result is VERY impressive. Eterna are not just going through the motions in an attempt to ride the wave - they are forging their own sound. The title track is a bit less inspired, and the subsequent songs are re-recorded with new vocals from a previous release. While not bad, particularly the straightforward burner "Working Man," they display Eterna's influences a little too plainly. If I had been reviewing the album those tracks were originally on (1999's Papyrus) I would not have been remotely as impressed with Eterna as I am. If the rest of their new material is in the vein of the new stuff on Terra Nova, we have a new great power metal hope that we can expect great things from on their next release. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.

Immolation - Unholy Cult (Olympic, 2003)

Rating: 9/10

One of my favorite death metal bands return with yet another amazing album! Immolation have the gift of writing heavy & brutal music with atmosphere that does not come from female vocals or keyboards, yet is ten times as thick & creepy as any act that does employ them. There is a frightening quality to Immolation's music, like there is a disease lurking beneath the skin of this otherwise healthy & ravenous death metal monster, eating away at it from the inside. A disease that can be sensed, but is not outwardly visible as it lumbers on, wreaking total havoc & carnage.

Unholy Cult is as strong an album as any Immolation release. The employ odd timing, layered guitar work, & relentless delivery to a very The title track is a prime example of Immolation at their finest. It opens with a droning section that drips with menace before lurching into a stuttered rhythm that alternates with ominous wall-of-sound riffing. Immolation still manage to pen memorable music despite the complex arrangements, and that is their primary strength. Any musician that practices hours ever day will, within a few years, be able to play even the most technically challenging music, but it takes a truly great band to make that music stick in your mind, yet still hold your interest after repeat listens.

Immolation have delivered another mighty blow for the longevity and relevance of death metal with Unholy Cult. It is releases like this that metal heads will still be listening to a decade from now. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.

Isolated - Descent on the Cross (Self Released)

Rating: 7/10

When I think of Poland I think of bands like Dead Infection and Squash Bowels, I've never really heard many good death/black metal bands out of Poland but Isolated kind of ended this streak.  This self released CD from Isolated is a decent death and black metal hybrid with raw production.

I know this is a self release so I wasn't expecting much out of the production and I was correct not to. Its not the best, but its not the worst. Sometimes the drums get a bit loud and the vocals are a bit too high in the mix but when its a DIY self-release its what I expect to hear.  AS far as the music is concerned, Isolated show a lot of promise, but this cd doesn't totally deliver. It's not a bad album by any means, but its not great.

I guess this isn't really bad, it just didn't totally interest me from start to finish, but I would like to hear more from Isolated.  Keep your eye on these guys cause big things might be coming for them.  - Rick

Back to the top.

Keep of Kalessin - Through Times of War (WWIII/Avantgarde Music, 2002)

Rating: 6/10

Back in 1997 "kult black metal warriors" were crying foul upon the release of Emperor's long awaited and criminally delayed (literally) second opus "Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk." While Anthems was arguably the most musically forward thinking Emperor record to emerge until their mutual breakup in 2001, the richer production and clean vocals left a feeling of dismay among black metal purists. Thus began a quest for a band to fill Emperor's shoes.

Enter Keep of Kalessiun.

These guys definitely have "Emperor" written all over them.  But in their attempt to ape the stylings of "In the nightside Eclipse," Keep of Kalessiun actually prove just one thing; lightening doesn't strike twice. Where Emperor's debut was chock full of memorable synth arrangements and majestically complex guitar work, this shows what might have happened had Emperor not chosen the route of progression. I've listened to "Through Times of War" at least three times and can honestly say that I find not one stand out track.  There are some excellent guitar passages and they show off a very competent drummer. But a good album this does not make, and I only found myself dusting off my Emperor back catalog rather than seeking out more material from KoK each time the disc ended.

Bottom line, progression isn't always a bad thing. - Big Juan

Back to the top.

King's Evil - Deletion of Humanoise (Crash Music, 2002

Rating: 7/10

I listen to many Japanese bands but I haven't heard one much like King's Evil.  Sure you got your slam/groove bands like Vomit Remnants, powerviolence like Fuck on the Beach, and so on, but no straight forward death metal out of Japan ever really was able to grab me like this album was. It's not ground breaking, its not the most creative album in the world but when it comes down to it, its brutal and its heavy.

As far as production is concerned, everything sounds great here, everything is mixed well and no single aspect really overpowers any other part. If I had to describe King's Evil I guess I might call is thrashy death metal as some of the riffs remind me of Kreator, but then they also have the usual death metal influenced riffs, its a real nice combination and they do this style well. I think the best part of this album is the drumming though, I haven't heard drumming this good in quite some time. The vocals on this album are good too but not the typical death metal growls, its mostly mid/high vocals with a few touches of lows, I guess I might compare the singers voice to Peter of Hypocrisy, but not as high pitched.

When it comes down to it, there is nothing really fundamentally wrong with this album. It's pretty good, and one of the better albums of 2002 but the lack of variety in the vocals kind of hurts it in my opinion.  I prefer bands who do vocal trade-off's but I can deal with this as the music makes up for it. - Rick

Back to the top.

Limbonic Art - The Ultimate Death Worship (Nocturnal Art Productions, 2002)

Rating: 7/10

Another band I'm unfamiliar with?  Man do I need to catch up on my CD collection.  I've heard many people speak very highly of Limbonic Art's earlier material and if this album is even one quarter as good as their earlier stuff I can see why.  I knew not to expect straight forward black metal from this band but other than that I wasn't very sure what I was getting myself into when I popped this into my CD player it was met with mixed emotions.

This entire album has an extremely eerie atmosphere to it and it is only enhanced by the drum machine in my opinion.  Some people may question the use of a drum machine in any type of metal, I'd be one of the first to do so, but when its done properly, such as on this album its easy to enjoy.

I'm not a huge fan of the vocals on this but they did gradually grow on me with repeated listens, but the one part of this album that grabbed me right away was the great guitar riffs. Limbonic Art have some great parts where the synths take a back seat to the guitar and their talent really shines through as each part is more memorable than the previous. Another feature this album has, uncommon for..hell, I guess I'd categorize this as "Black Metal", is the real low-end heaviness. I've heard some death metal albums that didn't sound half as heavy as this. One thing that really holds this album back though has to be some of the synth work. Generally its well done and pretty tasteful on here but there are some moments that sound like they sampled Pong, or maybe a Nintendo game. I don't know about you but its hard for me to take an album seriously that makes me think of Pong.

I suppose this isn't necessarily the score you might expect me to give to the album as it has made me interested in checking out their back catalogue but keep in mind, a bands goal should be to get you interested in what is next, not what happened 4 or 5 years ago.  With that said it is a solid album but I think I might enjoy their older material much more. - Rick

Back to the top.

Lunaris - ...The Infinite (Earache Records, 2002)

Rating: 0/10

"Intricate Astral Metal Featuring Elite Members of Borknagar, Spiral Architect, and Satyricon".  It says so much, yet it says so little. I can see why these men all had to unite in a new project to do this, because if they brought this garbage to their other bands they might be afraid of getting kicked out.  Basically, this is what happens when people aspire to become an Arcturus clone. You get some interesting parts bordering on Metal, then you get melodic passages with clean vocals so nasal you'd swear the singer had a sinus infection. 

Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against any of the persons involved in this project.  In fact I love Borknagar and Satyricon, and Spiral Architect isn't too bad but for some reason members of all 3 together just don't do it for me. This is one of those albums where you hear a great riff starting, and then its over and the songs end up going nowhere and you feel so disappointed because the one cool part could have changed the entire flow of the song. Every now and then you get some hope, but somehow Lunaris just continually disappoint on every opportunity.

This album isn't badly produced, in fact... quite the opposite.  It's polished, its clear, its everything it should be for this style.  It's just not an album I enjoy listening to. I'm sure many people will like this but from the second I saw the slipcase I was slapped in the face with pretentious statements, and I pop the disc in my CD player and sure enough I'm struck by what Emperor might call "Sophisticated Black Metal Art".  This isn't my style, maybe someone will enjoy this but for me personally, its one of those albums you keep just to remind yourself no matter how bad Metal might seem at times, theres always worse out there. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the worst.  - Rick

Back to the top.

Marduk - World Funeral (Regain/The End Records, 2003)

Rating: 8.5/10

Marduk were once at the absolute head of their game, setting the standard for raw, violent black metal with releases like Heaven Shall Burn... When We Are Gathered, and Opus Nocturne. With the release of Nightwing, they explored some different waters, experimenting with slower tempos, while still having a healthy amount of hyperspeed blasting on the album. The next release, Panzer Division Marduk, is without a doubt their most relentless release - it has three speeds: fast, fast, and very very fast. Then came the release of La Grande Danse Macabre, which I found to be a dismally boring release, devoid of the venom that made Marduk the legends they are.

I have to ask myself, though... was my distaste for the new Marduk material due to a failing on the band's part, or a result of the proliferation of black metal bands influenced by Marduk? In the sea of new acts doing what Marduk have done, the genuine article failed to stand out as it once had, but then perhaps that is a failing on their part for not pushing the envelope further.

This brings me to World Funeral, the newest Marduk release. While no faster or heavier than anything previously heard from Marduk, they do set themselves apart from their contemporaries (and disciples) through superior songwriting, one of the benefits of experience. There are a lot of subtle hooks in the music, from the slower crunch and impassioned vocal delivery of "Bleached Bones" to the blasting fury of the title track, the material on World Funeral sticks in the mind and, as such, Marduk have regained much of their former glory.

The veterans are back to show the rookies how it is done, and done well. World Funeral doesn't set new standards for heaviness or speed as seminal Marduk releases did, but it does set a new level of quality in arrangement and songwriting for others to aspire towards. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.

Myrkskog - Superior Massacre (Candlelight Music, 2003)

Rating: 6.5/10

Myrkskog's debut record, the aptly titled Deathmachine was one of the most promising death metal debut's of the new millennium.  So what happened??  How does a band who released one of the angriest records of the year Y2K manage to put out such a lackluster follow up two years later? Upon first and second listen Superior Massacre strikes me as just another death metal record to throw on the funeral pyre. Morbid Angel riffs galore, vocals that lack the individuality of the debut, and the triggered bass drum which sounds like a jammed typewriter.

Now, before I damn this record back to hell, let me point out that it's not all bad. Superior Massacre has it's moments.  The opening moments of "Trapped In Torment" retain the raging feel of their debut, but once that bass drum kicks in it all goes south for me.  I could probably write a mass review damning most recent death metal records for the "typewriter" drum sound.  But instead I will leave you will these words; Myrkskog's second record has some seriously brutal moments, but none of them are enough to elevate it to the status of the classic that is Deathmachine.  Maybe next time guys. - Big Juan

Back to the top.

Pagan Winter - The Cult of Flesh (Death Gasm, 2002)

Rating: 8.5/10

Violent. Ugly. Raw. Caustic. Pagan Winter are a vile, twisted, brutal black metal act akin to Thornspawn in their relentless delivery. For a putrid slab of vomit, I find The Cult of Flesh to be excessively listenable. This 6-song release is a non-stop assault of blast beats, tortured vocals, and whirring guitars. Despite the overabundance of blast beats (which is a good thing), The Cult of Flesh is a surprisingly well-balanced release. Pagan Winter are single-minded in their violence, but mix the arrangements up enough that the music never gets redundant. Track 4, "Guardians of Darkness," is a prime example of their talents. Double bass, thrash beats, blasting, and a touch of melody combine to produce a very rewarding listen. The album is laid out ala Reign in Blood; you have perhaps a half of a second between songs to catch your breath before the next one comes tearing out of the speakers. The relentless battery lasts for just over 20 minutes and includes a cover of Darkthrone's "Under A Funeral Moon," which I think is an apt choice as it shows much of Pagan Winter's roots and juxtaposed with their own material, finely displays how they have taken the feel of their mentors and updated the sound with superior musicianship. The Cult of Flesh is a fine release that any black metal fan would do well to add to his or her collection. - Al Kikuras

Back to the top.

Primordial - Storm Before Calm (Hammerheart Records, 2002)

Rating: 7/10

I hadn't heard anything by this band prior to receiving this disc and I didn't know if it would be good. The cover, and layout almost reminded me of Dawn's "Slaughtersun: Crown of the Triarchy" album, an album I could never get into.  Thankfully once I loaded this disc up I was greeted by some Melodic Black Metal that's fast and very epic. Theres few things in Black Metal I love more than epic song structure, or concept albums. This might not be as interesting as a band like Stormlord, or even Necromicon but its very good in its own ways.

Vocally this album is a mixed bag for me.  The high vocals are really raspy, and twisted, and they sound great on this...but wait till the first time you hear the clean vocals.  To say I'm unimpressed by the clean vocals on this album would be a massive understatement, but thankfully Primordial manage to keep things interesting musically throughout the whole record, so while it has one bad quality, the music really overpowers it. As far as the riffs are concerned, its your typical Melodic Black Metal riffs, but not in a bad way. Progression and innovation are good at times, but this album is that much better because of Primordial sticking to the standard riffs.  Many bands try so hard to break new ground they don't realize they end up with an album that is difficult to listen to, and comes off as very arrogant.  Drums and bass are both pretty good here, not outstanding but they get the job done and help carry the songs.

For this style you need clear heavy production and thankfully Primordial have it.  This album is incredibly easy to listen to thanks to the clean production.  This is the type of album that would sound terrible if it had a raw 4-track-in-the-woods production.  Primordial's production might not be the best ever, but it doesn't hinder the album at all.  Everything is mixed pretty well too sans the guitar.  I would be happier if it was a bit more prevalent in the mix but once again, I'm nitpicking. Its a good album though, that's for certain.

If you want something creative, and ground-breaking this isn't for you. This album isn't going to inspire a legion of clone bands who only play this style, but this band from Ireland has recorded a very good album that I wouldn't mind listening to every now and then.  Recommended for fans of any Melodic Black Metal that isn't keyboard driven.  - Rick

Back to the top.
 

Tiamat - Judas Christ (Century Media, 2003)

Rating: 7/10

I really liked the new Tiamat album, but there was really nothing special about it. If you're the type of person who has listened to the same music for the past 5 years and that music happens to be goth metal, then I would recommend it. Even so, it sounded more like a neo-Depeche Mode cover band. This album may make you a fan of Tiamat, given that you've listened to goth rock forever and you'd never heard of them before.  However, if I really wanted to listen to Depeche Mode, I'd play an album by Depeche Mode.  I guess if you're a band and you've been around forever, old habits, contrary to popular belief, don't die hard. On a positive note, this was the only album Al Kikuras sent me that didn't put me to sleep. - Switchblade Sadie

Back to the top.