Music Reviews

Ninnuam - The Process of Life Separation (Crash, 2004)

Rating:  10/10

Before I get into the musical content of this let me say something. This is one of the finest layouts EVER for any album in any genre of music. The cover has a murdered person, with the spirit in the corner recoiling in horror at the sight of his corpse, the inside has documents about murder including newspaper articles, autopsy reports, pictures..and the lyrics tell a horrible story.  They tell the tale of a revenge killing of sorts, and the highs and lows that came with it.  Very few "concept albums" really sink in for me, this, Nightfall in Middle Earth by BLIND GUARDIAN, and Sightveiler by NECROMICON are in fact the only concept albums I can listen to and feel I totally get. 

Now, to the music, the tale told here is horrendous and is told over some unique blackened death metal.  Most of it is mid-pace but speed is not necessary in this case, not all the time. The mood kind of fits all of the songs according to the lyrics, its so incredibly well planned and thought out and I love that.  NINNUAM really get the point across lyrically and musically.

There is a lot going on in this album and I don't want to really go further in depth about the story told then I already have but its incredible.  This is without a doubt one of the top 5 albums of this year, and it will certainly give INSOMNIUM and FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING a run for their money on my #1 spot.  I just love everything about this album, and I hope NINNUAM catch on and become well known, they deserve it more than you could possibly fathom.- Rick

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Morifade - Domination (Candlelight USA http://www.candlelight.co.uk 2004)

Rating: 8/10

Andy Laroque has the midas touch.  Except that anything he touches turns into 100% true metal. MORIFADE is no exception.  Not only that, these nerdy Swedes have put together an entire record based on Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm." I don't know how you all feel about this, but this makes me get little hearts in my eyes and jump around for joy.  I've been wanting a band to do this well for a long time. MORIFADE have lived up to this with no problem.

A more progressive version of NOCTURNAL RITES, MORIFADE have a obviously Swedish sound, but they've managed to escape the terrible vocals that have been plaguing a lot of power metal releases as of late. While their vocalist is a classic power metal vocalist, he does it with much more relative ease, better lyrics, and less shitty vibrato than That Guy From Sweden who seems to be heading off the majority of power metal bands lately.

There is tremendous interplay between the guitars and keyboards, as well.  This is not something I'm accustomed to hearing outside of CHILDREN OF BODOM, but realistically it's not like that. Often times, it sounds like the guitar and the keyboards are playing what was written as a single line back and forth, using each other as bouncing points.  It's an incredibly unique sound that I don't think I've really heard anywhere else. Other than that, the guitars are pretty thrashy, as is standard fare in power metal these days. The solos are good and melodic, with some very neo-classical YNGWIE influenced parts, but these are few and far between and they're done tastefully and they're not straight rip offs.

While I don't have lyrics to read, I've been pretty impressed with the concept and how it's played out across this record. I think the subject is poignant and interesting and it makes for good heavy metal.  Not only that, but I wasn't aware that anyone saying "surrender your will to the state" could make such a catchy chorus out of it.

Really, I'm very impressed with these guys.  In fact, I'd argue that they're one of the better power metal bands that I've heard in a while.  They're unique, while still fitting in the walls of power metal that we all know and love.

BIG BROTHER DEMANDS THAT YOU BUY THIS RECORD! - Jim Bob The Enforcer

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Mortiis - The Grudge (Earache, 2004)

Rating: 2/10

When MORTIIS quit EMPEROR because his mother wouldn't let him be in the band anymore, he officially gave up all rights to being metal. He has since wandered around, the orphaned little troll that he is, with his Casio, recording at any 4 track he comes across and releasing it as his latest record. It appears, however, that someone has stolen MORTIIS's precious little Casio. In payback, he's decided to produce techno/industrial material.  Bad techno/industrial material, that is.

With the Casio gone, poor little MORTIIS has been forced into the studio with someone who knows how to make everyone sound just like NINE INCH NAILS. Not only that, but he's picked up a full-live band to help produce the sound that Trent Reznor managed to get all by his lonesome.  I can't say enough about how many times I've heard this record before.  Every industrial band since NIN has sounded like this, and they'll continue to sound like this until someone hits them all over the head with a bat. If MORTIIS wasn't a little troll, I'd hit him over the head with a bat personally. But he's just too cute.

At least his atmospheric material with his Casio was fun to listen to while playing D&D.  I can't find many reasons to listen to this album at all. - Jim Bob The Enforcer

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Murder Squad - Ravenous Murderous (Candlelight, 2004)

Rating: 8/10

Primal AUTOPSY worship from Swedish luminaries and former members of DISMEMBER, ENTOMBED, UNANIMATED and, well... AUTOPSY, with Mr. Reifert turning in some vocal and drum performances on various tracks. The end result? AUTOPSY with that signature Swedish guitar tone which, when it comes down to it, isn't all that far from the sound on Mental Funeral, just a bit cleaner. Ravenous Murderous was recorded "over a few days" in 2002. No nitpicking, no going over the music note by note in mixdown to perfect everything, or obsessing over the mastering... this is raw, guttural, putrid death metal as it should be played. It doesn't get much better than track 4,  "Disturbing The Freaks," a dark and frightening story of insanity put to sludge.

You know what to expect. MURDER SQUAD aren't in the game to do anything other than trod already tromped-upon ground, but they walk with some big fucking boots and kick some serious ass in the process. Great cover art, too. - Al Kikuras

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Penumbra - Seclusion (Season of Mist, 2003)

Rating: 6/10

Remember when LACUNA COIL wasn't on Ozzfest? Me too.  Ok, now let's do a little more remembering.  Remember when they had sort of a black metal influence and growling male vocals?  Me too!  That's pretty much what PENUMBRA sounds like, but it doesn't give them quite enough credit.

Definitely a post-black goth band, Penumbra has put together an album chalk full of interesting vocal melodies, melodic guitar work, and it's apparently conceptual.  The four different types of vocals on the record represent four different characters. There is, of course, interaction between these characters as well as choral pieces that add a definite texture.

This isn't all, though.  Interesting instrumentation (bagpipes, and others) and melodies/keys lend to variation that makes a good album.  There are plenty of catchy singable parts as well as more black metal influenced blasty parts. The vocals are very good, throughout. The male vocalist can sing, and thankfully so can the female vocalist. Her voice is far more similar to Cristina Scabbia's voice than say Liv Kristine, and it does the band justice that they've avoided the operatic metal cliche.

All in all this record is pretty good. It's not fantastic, though, either that or it's a grower.  I haven't been inspired to listen to it, and it doesn't feel like it's got a lot of staying power.  But if goth metal is your thing, check these guys out.  They're good at what they do. - Jim Bob The Enforcer

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Perditor - In Signo Suo (Ordealis, 2003)

Rating:  2/10

When I first popped this disc into my CD player I was greeted by some horrendous moaning, and it was then followed up with bland black metal. I asked myself, how could something this bad exist? I then looked at the bands contact information, and they are French. Everything makes sense.  If you like boring monotonous black metal, by all means pick this up. If you like bands that show some talent and can provide you with some entertainment, avoid this like the plague.

I should give it more than 1 paragraph so.. .last night I went to a baseball game. AA ball, the New Britain somethingorothers vs the Trenton Thunder. I saw several kids get clocked in the head by foul baseballs, and that was more interesting then this entire CD. Plus, at least the ball park had beer I could drink while watching the carnage going on all around me. I gave this a 2 because they only used a CD-R for it, rather than wasting money on a real pressed disc.  Wise move fellas, for that you get 2 points. - Rick

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Scorched Earth - Gods, Kings and Conquerors (self-released, 2003)

Rating: 8/10

I sat on this one for a while. Don't know why. It just took a long time to find its way into my CD player, though now that it is there, I think it may hang around a while. Hard to put a finger on SCORCHED EARTH. Not quite black metal, not quite death metal... that classic thrash sound before metal fragmented into so many different sub-genres. Almost like a modern-day old-school SODOM. SCORCHED EARTH pull this off without sounding like a retro-thrash band. They sound like the real deal, which is refreshing, especially considering what many are calling "thrash" these days.

The material on Gods, Kings and Conquerors is not about speed, or technicality... it is about making the head bang and the fist fly. SCORCHED EARTH cover a lot of bases, including Celtic Frost-ish chugging, blast beats, frantic thrashing... the whole shebang, which keeps the material varied and interesting throughout. Vocals are of the "Chloraseptic-by-the-gallon" screaming variety, but not the annoying monotone that seems to be a fad of late. The production is powerful but raw. This is a three-piece band and you can hear it in a good way. There is no enormous wall of guitars that buries the bass. This almost sounds like a really good live recording, which conveys the primal energy that is SCORCHED EARTH's strength. In all, a very solid and entertaining metal release that fans of the good 'ol days will eat up. - Al Kikuras

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Spinal Cord - Remedy (Crash, 2004)

Rating:  4/10

You ever around someone you like and they seem interesting, very attractive and you really enjoy their company, and they enjoy yours? Something goes wrong though and then you see them again and it goes nowhere?  Spinal Cord is that situation recorded onto a CD.

First listen something about this grabbed me and didn't let go until it was over. Second listen, I was still somewhat enjoying it, third time through was a chore and on this, my fourth time, I just want to go to sleep.

There are some really good riffs here, but that metaphor I used before comes into play.  You hear something good, and you wait for something better but it never comes. 5 seconds of interesting music, and then 10 seconds of filler.  This just sounds to me like everything death metal should not be the more I listen to it. I'm curious to hear more of their material because they do show promise at times but they just keep coming up short, and everything sounds very amateur. I want to see them come back with a follow up album that will make me rethink how I feel about them but I'm very indifferent towards this.  It isn't for me, and it damn sure isn't for everyone. I don't know who to recommend this to, to be honest, but if you like death metal and want to take a chance this is it. - Rick

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Sunn o)) - White2 (Southern Lord, 2004)
 
Rating: 9/10
 
Anyone familiar with SUNN o)) should have some idea of what they're getting themselves into here.  If you've heard previous SUNN o)) releases and found them to be "boring," it's unlikely that this record will win you over.  But if you've been following the band since their inception in the late 90s you'll quickly recognize that White2 may be their most definitive work. Coming as the sequel to last year's somewhat disappointing WHITE1, SUNN o)) mainstays Stephen O' Malley (KHANATE, BURNING WITCH) and Greg Anderson (GOATSNAKE) have enlisted some high ranking help. Over the course of three luscious soundscapes you'll find contributions from Joe Preston (THE MELVINS, HIGH ON FIRE, THRONESs), Rex Ritter and the legendary Attila Csihar (TORMENTOR, MAYHEM, ABORYM). All of whom converge into just over an hour of luscious soundscapes and well textured sonic drone. - Big Juan

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Susperia - Unlimited (Candlelight,  2004)

Rating: 5/10

I'm about to make history everybody. Sit back in your chairs and enjoy as I genre-ize (I don't think that's a word, MORE HISTORY!) this band to try to explain why I was thoroughly unimpressed with them.

Whether you like it or not, black metal has been tremendously influential on heavy metal.  In fact, I would argue that a good majority of metal that you listen to now is "post-black metal (insert genre here)."  SUSPERIA are Post-Black-Thrash. That's right, everyone, say it to yourselves several times: Post-Black-Thrash.

Why "Post-Black?"  Well, the drummer of this band is Tjoldav (ex-DIMMU BORGIR) and he helps define this band with the drumming of a "commercial" black metal band. Not that this is bad, mind you, drumming is what makes a band like this as heavy as it is.  Just as it was in DIMMU, his drumming here is commanding, in your face and interesting.  But it's nothing new. He does break it down to some old school beats like you'd hear on a MEGADETH or METALLICA record, but he also blasts and uses his double-kick as often as possible.

"Thrash?"  Yes.  Thrash. Good ol' thrash metal. Except, don't think thrash like SODOM, or KREATOR. Think thrash like CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, which SUSPERIA seem to have more in common with. The guitar work is technical, intricate, weaving melodic structures to keep a music that could get very boring, very quickly, interesting. The guitar work, however, is what really lays the groundwork for being a thrash band. From the chugging riffs to the solos, you can hear the old school thrash seeping through, throw in some of the later "southern rock" style riffs of later COC and you have a pretty solid view of what these guys sound like.

The vocals are also distinctly thrash metal vocals.  While there are rays of light where the gentleman decides to actually sing, the rest of the time is spent in sort of an amelodic rasp similar to ROB ZOMBIE (which I would say is the bastard child of thrash metal, if you want to start an argument).  I find these kinds of vocals to be irritating at best. Fortunately, he manages to change it up enough so that I was actually able to listen to the entire album through several times.  The lyrics, which range "creatively" from things like "I need to get high/I need to get low" to "I hate you" and "I am one of those people who still believes that unicorns exist" are completely unimpressive and unnecessary (again, like most thrash metal). In combination with his irritating vocals, it makes me want to erase this guy from an otherwise interesting Post-Black-Thrash record.

All in all, however, I gave this record a chance and it just didn't "wow" me.  It's not bad. I wouldn't kick someone's ass for putting it in the CD player. But I certainly would never listen to it on my own. - Jim Bob The Enforcer

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The Project Hate MCMXCIX - HATE.DOMINATE.CONGREGATE.ELIMINATE (Threeman, 2004)

Rating:  1/10

Gothic metal eh? Screw you Winamp/CDDB! We'll see what this actually is... wait... no, they're right.  Is this a bad thing?  Depends on your gender and sexual preference.  "But they have great growls!" right genius, they do, but does that get rid of the horrendous female vocals?  Does it get rid of the incredibly bland keyboard parts?  Do growls hide the fact that the riffs on this album are just plain unimaginative and boring?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, this is the album for you. I am not you, and for that I am thankful.  Three listens at 70 minutes per listen... that is a LOT of wasted time. This album in my CD collection now is like the macarena at a wedding.  It’s there but why? It does not belong.  Despite my low score let me tell you the one area this album really excels in, it does a damn fine job holding a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale and preventing my desk from getting rings from condensation. Thanks TPHMCMXCIX, without you and MORDETH, my furniture might potentially be ruined.

Thank you, whatever being controls the existence of mankind. I know one day I will most likely go deaf and get alzheimer's and because of both of them, I will never remember or have to hear this album again.  Avoid like your girlfriend that time of the month, although being bitched at by a menstruating female could be more enjoyable than listening to this, I'm undecided at the moment.- Rick

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Toadliquor - The Horators Lament (Southern Lord, 2003)
 
Rating: 9/10
 
Almost every genre has their forgotten gem or buried treasures.  For doom metal there are a few that come to mind (THERGOTON, PAGAN ALTAR), but few of them hit as hard as TOADLIQUOR. Luckily Southern Lord has granted unto us a proper CD release of all of the band's recorded material.  An accurate description of the TOADLIQUOR sound might best be summed up as the point of utopia between the earliest works of EYEHATEGOD and Grief. But don't point to TOADLIQUOR as some copycat band, because these kids were doing it at almost the exact same time that the aforementioned bands were planting their respective seeds.

Bottom line, if it's doom you seek, then you need look no further than this piece of aural agony.- Big Juan

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Torrent - Between the Stones (No Colours, 2004)
 
Rating: 9/10
 
Wasn't sure what I was going to get with Torrent so my expectations were low. Fooled I was, this is one incendiary release! Over the course of these five songs Torrent throw out low-fi black metal of the most earsplitting variety sure to appeal to fans of KATHARSIS, SATANIC WARMASTER and KRIEG. Oddly, even though I was floored by this record I find little to say other than advising anyone who likes their black metal raw, underproduced and violent to make sure to save a place for Torrent. - Big Juan

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Visceral Damage - The Feast of Flesh Demo (Xtreem, 2003)

Rating:  8/10

Yet another very good offering from Xtreem this time around. I don't know where they find bands like this but I'm incredibly pleased that they do.  VISCERAL DAMAGE play no frills no bullshit brutal death metal and I enjoyed every second of this demo.  I need a full length release from them yesterday.

Production sounds pretty good here, it fits the style. A bit muddy, a bit noisy but like I said, it works very well on this demo.  Seek out this demo if you enjoy death metal at all, I'm expecting huge things from VISCERAL DAMAGE. - Rick

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