Music Reviews

Siege Of Hate - Subversive By Nature (Candlelight, 2005) 

Rating: 9/10

SIEGE OF HATE are a Brazilian band that draw constant comparisons to early NAPALM DEATH, BRUTAL TRUTH, and other grindcore favorites. And rightfully so, really, since they totally follow in that path. I would compare them to the VENOMOUS CONCEPT record that Shane Embury, Kevin Sharp, Danny Herrera, and Buzz Melvin did last year.  I think I'm about one of ten people who loved that record, so that's a compliment.  But I digress…

Grindcore by nature is a limiting genre, but I have to say that SIEGE OF HATE really fucking rock, making the most of the tiny space within the confines of a style that's been done and redone a thousand times over.  Subversive By Nature has a great edge to it, mixing the left-wing political hardcore of early NAPALM DEATH with a dash of the equally political thrash of fellow Brazilians SEPULTURA. Listening to this record, there's not a stinker track in the whole bunch, but my standouts include the angry burst of "Fake" and the slow stomp of "The Future Is Your Gift."  There's not much to say-if you like old-school hardcore with a dash of grind, you will like Subversive By Nature, and if you don't like it, then you should've stopped reading by now.  SIEGE OF HATE aren't doing anything to really push the genre further (they're not the late great NASUM), but dammit, they grind, and they grind well. Also, just for you old punkers, there's a cover of DRI's "No Religion."

I got this record with no frills-no packaging, no info, nothing but a plastic sleeve and a disc-and that minimalist approach totally fits the album.  Let the music do the talking, and this music says, "Fuck you."  I like that.  These guys rule. - JW

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Kataplexia - Catastrophic Scenes (Xtreem, 2005) 

Rating: 6.5/10

KATAPLEXIA are a Finnish technical death metal band, and they're okay.  How's that for a first sentence?  It's the best one I can come up with.  They're what we in the reviewing biz call simply "okay." Like, if someone came up to me on the street and said, "Have you heard of KATAPLEXIA?" then I would say, "Yeah, man.  They're okay," and then I would stop. Because I wouldn't have anything else to say. 

Catastrophic Scenes is a pretty good record-I'm not downing it or the band, really. Songs like "Morgue's Reality" and "Brutal Addiction" have some good riffs, and the album is really solid.  It's a mixture of brutal death metal a la INCANTATION with a dash of the gurgling, belching pig-grunt vocal that I associate more with modern grindcore.  The drumming is unrelenting, and as you would expect, the whole record has pretty much one tempo and sound. The whole approach reminds me a little of Xtreem labelmates DEFACING, whom I reviewed last month and more or less enjoyed.  The band is okay, and the record is okay, and I just can't come up with anything to say that hasn't been said about fifty other similar bands.  How about this? "A great example of good death/grind that could be a little more unique." Works for me. - JW

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Kill - Horned Holocaust (Invictus Productions, 2004)

Rating: 8/10

KILL are a raw Swedish black metal band that draw heavily from the proto-black metal classics like early SODOM, SARCOFAGO, BATHORY, PROFANATICA, SAMAEL's Worship Him and the ilk, with a touch of MAYHEM's De Mysteriis thrown in for good measure. There is little or no use of melody. With the exception of moments like the brief intro to "Vomit of Heaven," this is just ugly, ugly, ugly. The production is noisy, approaching BLASPHEMY-like levels of chaos. The vocals are carcinogenic and vile. There are no keyboards, no female vocals, no pompous symphonic passages. Like SLAYER, KILL are one of those bands whose name perfectly embodies what they are here to do... KILL. While they may not be breaking new ground or even pushing the envelope much further than other bands of a similar nature, KILL have produced a worthy listen with Horned Holocaust, and if bands like the aforementioned get your blood boiling, this release is sure to as well. - Al Kikuras

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Kryoburn - Enigmatic Existence (Candlelight, 2005)
 
Rating: 7.7/10
 
Mold together FEAR FACTORY (the Demanufacture era), City-era STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, a sober PANTERA, half of BENEDICTION, a shot of PISSING RAZORS and a slight MESHUGGAH, and the end result is New Mexico's KRYOBURN. Their debut album, Enigmatic Existence, is a Heavy Metal onslaught molding the solid underground metal style with sampling and programming effects. The resemblance of FEAR FACTORY and BENEDICTION is fairly strong, but that is not a bad thing. Enigmatic Existence is certainly what the metal world needs, and is a quality debut effort from KRYOBURN. Then again, would you expect anything less that's produced by Eddy Garcia of the criminally underrated PISSING RAZORS? Eddy Garcia's interest alone should compel one to give KRYOBURN their ears for 50 minutes and open up to what Enigmatic Existence has to offer. If one likes the end result of a mega-sweaty orgy between FEAR FACTORY, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, early PANTERA, BENEDICTION, PISSING RAZORS and MESHUGGAH, then they should be out of the house purchasing Enigmatic Existence right about now. If one needs a further boast of energy in order to listen to KRYOBURN, a few MP3s are available at their website. - Dave Larmore

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Losa - The Perfect Moment (Metal Blade, 2005)

Rating: 8.5/10

LOSA have clearly been doing their homework. The Perfect Moment references bits of every high-water mark in metal from the last few decades, and it does all of that and still sounds fresh and not derivative at all. Hell, there's even a minute-long eerie instrumental intro like every great death metal album had back in the day.

The real stars here are the guitarists.  Chris Ramirez and Kory Koch keep the riffs coming-there are chugga-chugga mosh parts, harmony bits, complicated math parts, the whole deal.  There are enough cool riffs in "Linear Prophecy" alone to put most nu-metal bands to shame. On the vocal front, frontman Michael Hall has an amazing array of voices, AND he can actually carry a tune.  When he sings, he sounds a little like mall-goth icon Maynard James Keenan.  (He even sounds a little bit like the dreaded Eddie Vedder during the wonderfully titled "Church Of Pitted Vipers.")   When he kicks in and starts growling and screeching and twisting his voice around inside and out, it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.  Third track "Unsuspecting Mind" has some downright creepy vocal parts, with Hall jumping from whispers to black-metal screams and back easily.

And for the record, that first crushing riff in "…Madness (Sentiment Of A Dying Man)" damn near IS The Perfect Moment... Overall, I'm impressed with both LOSA and this record. I'm certain I'll be hearing more from these guys in the future. - JW

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Maniac Killer - Amusing Anecdotes for the Depraved (No Escape, 2005)

Rating: 8/10

My wife isn't much of a death metal fan. She tolerates it. Never a word of complaint when I am blasting it in the office or the car (except when she is doing her paperwork, at which time she'd ask me to put headphones on even if I was listening to Rossini) and she even goes so far as to appreciate and respect much of it, but I think this might be the first time she heard a death metal album where her response was, "This is funny!" You know what, though? She is right! MANIAC KILLER's Amusing Anecdotes for the Depraved is a barrel of fun. From the abundance of bizarre samples to the screamed/grunted/roared/puked vocals, to the fact that there are 43 songs in 37 minutes, it is a safe and accurate assumption that MANIAC NEIL isn't looking to wow us with his technical proficiency here. While his work with FRIGHTMARE and LORD GORE are concrete evidence that the man can play, what Amusing Anecdotes for the Depraved is all about is blowing your O ring wide enough to park a dump truck up there, and to, somehow, have you laughing the whole time. Fun and sexy! Which, is not to say that there isn't some "wicked" guitar work on here... there is. And the writing, while abrupt, has some downright awesome moments, like the opening of "Zombie Sex Slaves," which is a huge guitar part so great, that I can't believe he only played it for 3 seconds. Most bands will release a 45 minute album without a single part that cool. "The Evil Lord of Destruction 666" sounds like DEMONCY (black metal) and MORTICIAN spent a drunken weekend in a seedy motel and had a baby with the build and brawn of Will Rahmer and the low-fi black metal leanings of some guy from DEMONCY.

The material on Amusing Anecdotes was recorded in '01 at Neal's sister's house (MANIAC DEBBIE) and in his bedroom, so as is to be expected, you're not getting Neil Kernon-level production (even though they do share a first name), but it is big, raw, nasty and satisfying. This is a fun album that I listen to with regularity, and entertains me to no end. Thank you, MANIAC NEIL. - Al Kikuras

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Manitou - The Mad Moon Rising (Firebox, 2005)

Rating: 6/10

It's nice to see a bit of progression in the scene, or even if it's not "progression," it's nice to see bands who are putting together a bit of the old with a bit of the new and doing it convincingly.  MANITOU are doing just that.  Like their Finnish metal brethren MACHINE MEN, MANITOU are putting out an old school metal sound in the vein of the classics while updating the sound with thick guitar sound, heavy drums, and progressive songwriting.

The Mad Moon Rising is pretty good offering of this sound. The songs are well written, catchy, with excellent solos, musical variation and technicality. Ranging between DREAM THEATER moments and IRON MAIDEN melodies, MANITOU navigate through this album proficiently.

But, like so many other bands, there isn't anything on this album that really catches me.  While the songs are good, they're not particularly memorable. The solos are the best part (particularly on the fourth track Machine Mind, the guitarist really nails it!), I think, because the vocalist never really hit me with a vocal melody that stuck.   Occasionally there was a chorus that jumped out at me, but for the most part such things never stuck out.

I could see this band being very popular among fans of old school metal or progressive metal, though. If you're really a buff of either sound, you'll probably dig these guys.  They are technically proficient and full of good ideas, I just think their sound hasn't quite gelled for them. - Jim Bob The Enforcer

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Necrophagia - Harvest Ritual, Vol. 1 (Coffin, 2005) 

Rating: 8.5/10

Who would have thought that NECROPHAGIA would be around this long? Formed in 1983, the band managed only one full-length, 1987's Season Of The Dead, before breaking up.  We all know what happened after that, and now Killjoy and company are back with Harvest Ritual, Vol. 1, which may very well be their heaviest record yet. Like the impeccable The Divine Art Of Torture, the album shows a vast sonic improvement over the seminal, primal gore-thrash of the early days. The addition of SIGH's Mirai Kawashima awhile back added an element of sophistication to a band that once would have stood for all things unsophisticated.

But before you worry that the band has lost its raw edge, let me tell you that tracks like "Dead Skin Slave" and "Stitch Her Further" are every bit the NECROPHAGIA you know and love.  The riffs on each song on this record are amazing-every one is crushing, and every one is memorable.  Killjoy howls and growls like a man possessed, and the gore-and-Satan lyrics are still prominent and, for the most part, indecipherable.  But it's tracks like "London 13 Demon Street," with its screeching keyboard solo, and the tension-building intro to "Return To Texas" that show why NECROPHAGIA are the greatest horror-metal band around.  I highly recommend this record. - JW

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Necrotic Disgorgement - Suffocated in Shrinkwrap (Comatose, 2004)

Rating: 6/10

I am a death metal fan. I am a grind fan. I am a goregrind fan. Whatever you want to call it, I dig the stuff, but even to my seasoned ears, a lot of this stuff is getting to be very "cookie cutter." NECROTIC DISGORGEMENT are a good band. Everyone can play, and some of the guitar parts are just wacky (in a good way), but on the whole, they do little or nothing to make themselves stand out from the masses. Subsonic gurgled vocals, frenetic riffing, pinch harmonics, relentless blasting... and nary a hook or catchy part. Yes, it is brutal. Yes, it is heavy, but it flies by without ever grabbing the attention for more than a few moments, and that's not just because it is under 28 minutes in length. While a band like BRODEQUIN gets by on brutality alone because they are so outrageously over the top, with NECROTIC DISGORGEMENT, it is, sadly, a case of, "heard it all before." - Al Kikuras

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Requiem Aeternam - Philosopher (Icorp, 2004)

Rating: 9/10

Uruguay's REQUIEM AETERNAM, which originally included "the Martins" from OPETH, have released only their second release ever.  However, "Philosopher" is a masterpiece of excellent, intelligent metal.

I find the topic of this record to be particularly interesting.  Every song is based on a certain philosopher, ranging form the everpresent Neitzsche to Kierkigaard.  Each one takes on some of the basic philosophy, puts them in poetic form and crafts them artfully into fantastic metal songs.

The music isn't lackluster, either.  Again, progressive, intelligent music that goes between grindy death and placid clean parts that have a jazzy, or even tribal, feel at times.  Obviously, it's easy to draw correlations between this band and OPETH at times, but this is an entirely unique sound.

What stands about this album are three major things: firstly, the band is tight. They craft intelligent music that it would be easy to get lost in. They they play strange rhythms, grindy pieces, deathy parts, clean parts, etc., and the nothing ever seems lacking in the mix. While the tone isn't as thick as it could be, the guitars come across very well, offsetting the grindy rhythm section with intricate, interesting work. Secondly, somehow every song sounds fresh. So many bands go into a recording with a bunch of material that follows the same formula.  It is obvious that REQUIEM AETERNAM has put together their  influences into a cohesive sound without ever sounding boring, repetitive or mundane. Every song, like every philosopher they sing about, is a fresh look at the music they're making. Thirdly, the vocals are totally weird.  His clean tone is ridiculous and odd, and his death metal vocals almost border on "hardcore" at times, but they just have a different tone to them.

Sometimes it's the great CDs that are the hardest to review. When a CD sucks, you can bag it off as a piece of shit, bitch about how labels sign crappy acts and how the guitarist in a band (or more usually, the vocalist) needs to get a day job and give up his pipe dream. When you come across a CD as good as this, it's difficult to put into words how talented these guys are, how excellent the music they make is, and why someone should buy it.

Take my word for it. This will be one of the best purchases you ever make. - Jim Bob The Enforcer

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Severe Torture - Bloodletting (Candlelight, 2005) 

Rating: 7/10

First off, this is mostly a live album, with a cover tune and the entirety of 1998's Baptized demo tacked on.  I'm not normally a huge fan of live albums, and Bloodletting isn't going to change that.  But the weird thing about this record is that there's almost no crowd noise, so it's a live record, but without the actual audience, which is kind of unique.  SEVERE TORTURE is a kick-ass Dutch death-metal band-straight down the middle, no-frills death metal. The first track here is titled "Feces For Jesus" and there's a great studio-recorded PESTILENCE cover, so you kind of get the point about where the band is coming from.  The performances are good-the band is tight as hell and the vocals are sick, and the virtual absence of audience noise made me forget that this is a "live" record. SEVERE TORTURE is a really good band, but speaking objectively, I'm not certain this record is essential. Bloodletting, like all live albums and demo compilations, is pretty much for the dedicated fan, not for a more casual listener.  Also, on the live stuff, sometimes the snare drum sounds like someone banging on a pipe.  That said, listening to the quality of the songs on this record did make me want to track down the studio versions on 2000's Feasting On Blood and 2002's Misanthropic Carnage, both reissued in the US in 2004 by Candlelight Records.  The cover tune is awesome and definitely worth a listen, and the demos are interesting, but again, only essential to the die-hard SEVERE TORTURE enthusiast. - JW

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Slumber - Fallout (Candlelight, 2005)
 
Rating: 8/10
 
Like melodic death metal and early doom? Like them both mixed together? Give Fallout, the debut offering from Sweden's SLUMBER a listen. Whether it be "Distress", "Dreamscape" or "Conflict", SLUMBER have a firm grasp on both early doom and melodic death metal that will appeal to fans of KATATONIA, AMORPHIS, MY DYING BRIDE and OPETH. The six-piece swedish melodic doom outfit is rounded out by vocalist Slavosh Bigonah, guitar duo Jari Lindholm and Aniel Albertsson, bassist Mikael Brunkvist, keyboardist Ehsan Kalantarpour, drummer Ted Larsson and additional keyboardist Daniel Beckman. If Fallout is any indication of what SLUMBER is capable of, then SLUMBER will certainly have a lot more to say to the underground metal scene. Fallout is a solid disc with seven tales of technical ecstasy and quality metal. - Dave Larmore

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Total Devastation - Reclusion (Firebox, 2005) 

Rating: 8.5/10

This record kicks ass from the beginning.  TOTAL DEVASTATION is a Finnish band that is a little bit grind and a little bit industrial-like the Osmonds, except way cooler.  And there's a bonus appearance by G from fellow Scandinavians ROTTEN SOUND.

Album opener "Murderous" sets the stage with pounding riffs and electronic programming flourishes that add touches of MINISTRY to Harri Pikka and Saku Hakuli's grooving thrash.  "They Stand On 3" has some more killer guitar lines, and the title track slows down and chugs along like vintage ENTOMBED.  All throughout, Jaakko Heinonen growls with all the snarl and conviction of the old-school death metal vocalists I grew up listening to. It's the little things that make heavy music that much heavier, and the little breathers like the programmed parts in "Ground Zero" give you just enough time to catch up before the band kick back in and punch you right in the head.

Along with LENG TCH'E and ROTTEN SOUND, the European thrash/grindcore scene is kicking my ass these days. Although they're not as frenetic as those two bands, TOTAL DEVASTATION is no exception to that rule.  Man, I could listen to this shit all day long. - JW

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Vicious Art - Fire Falls and the Waiting Waters (Candlelight, 2005)
 
Rating: 9/10
 
Now THIS is an album from a band that will firmly kick you square in the balls!   Fire Falls and the Waiting Waters is the debut album from Swedish Death/Thrash Metal band VICIOUS ART... and boy, is their art vicious!  For starters, VICIOUS ART is comprised of members formerly from DARK FUNERAL and ENTOMBED, featuring Matti Makela riffing away at 110 Miles Per Hour on Guitar, Robert Lundin mutilating the Drums with his swift solid beats and crushing blast beating and Jorgen Sandstrom rhythmatically pulsating the listener with his Bass work. Joining the trio are guitarist Tobbe Sillman and vocalist Jocke Widfeldt, who possesses such a raw and nasty vocal style that catastrophically laminates the listener's skull in to the wall of aggressive perfection with the assistance of Sandstrom's backing vocals. VICIOUS ART do not slow down at all on Fire Falls and the Waiting Waters, and any fan of Thrash Metal and Death Metal alike would be making a wise choice in investing some cash in to the debut album from VICIOUS ART. A critic could not really give you a song-by-song description, because a listener would have to put Fire Falls and the Waiting Waters in their compact disc player and endure the vicious onslaught themselves, in order to fully comprehend what lurks within VICIOUS ART. Their art is not one to overlook, and VICIOUS ART are bound to stamp an impact on the ass of Heavy Metal and the underground. - Dave Larmore

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Winter Solstice - The Fall Of Rome (Metal Blade, 2005)
 
Rating: 7.4/10
 
Immediately after the 14-second delay when the first riff and drum beat starts in opening track "Following Caligula", you know right off the bat that Hardcore/Thrash Metal outfit WINTER SOLSTICE are performing a carnival of unrelenting frantic aggression that demands to scalp the listener, and WINTER SOLSTICE refuse to let the listener remain still while their ears induce The Fall Of Rome. The songs tend to stick with the same Hardcore/Thrash-paced tempo and vocalist Matt Tarpey refuses to let up on the force-fed throat manifestations that can be compared to CHIMAIRA. The sole oddball and breakdown on The Fall Of Rome is the acoustic instrumental "The Fall Of Rome", which gives the listener's ears a period of ease and it sooths the mellow senses. Immediately following the conclusion of "The Fall Of Rome", the Hardcore/Thrash-paced tempo starts right back up with "Malice In Wonderland" and forecloses with "L'aeroport". For what it's worth, Tim Lambesis (AS I LAY DYING) contributes his throat for "To The Nines". WINTER SOLSTICE has over 4 years under their belt thus far, and certainly they have a lot more to offer to the Metal world. - Dave Larmore

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With Passion - In The Midst Of Bloodied Soil (Earache, 2005) 

Rating: 7.5/10

The album title and songs with names like "A Coniferous War" and "Darkness Doth Bring Mortality" made me think these were ESL kids from the far-flung reaches of some Viking country I'd forgotten about. Well, it turns out that WITH PASSION hails from Sacramento, a city which I'm assuming lacks Vikings.  (I had forgotten about Sacramento, though.  The only other band I ever remember being from Sacramento was TESLA. WITH PASSION sound nothing like them, in case you're wondering.)  It would appear that what WITH PASSION has been doing these last few years is listening to those Viking bands, and they've learned quite a bit. (AT THE GATES springs immediately to mind as an influence, as do some of the more accessible black metal groups like DIMMU BORGIR.)

Also, WITH PASSION has not one, but two keyboard players credited, so I was a little worried it was going to be a noodling prog-metal record. But it's not-it's damn good melodic thrash/black metal that never falls into the trappings of progressive mediocrity.  Singer Samuel McLeod has a great throat for this style, and guitarists Shaun Gier and Andrew Burt spit out killer melodic riffs and solos easily.  Keyboardist Brandon Guandagnalo gets his moments, most notably on the instrumental "The Scorpions Dance," and elsewhere he uses his instrument to augment the songs, not overpower them.

WITH PASSION have a great sense of songwriting and melody, and that combined with the trademark brutality of the genre make this record very listenable.  All in all, In The Midst Of Bloodied Soil is a great start for a young technical black metal band from the vast wastelands of Northern California. - JW

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Wolverine - The Window Purpose (Earache, 2005) 

Rating: 8/10

Progressive rock isn't what I think of when I think of Earache Records, but this, the reissue of Wolverine's debut, comes through the Elitist imprint under the Earache umbrella.  WOLVERINE remind me of old FATES WARNING, with some Tales From The Thousand Lakes-era AMORPHIS thrown in.  The musicianship is top-notch, and not overkill like so many other prog-metal bands.  Stefan Zell's vocals add a touch of gothic sadness to the proceedings, staying away from the operatic tendencies and sticking more with the melancholy of a Ray Alder or Geoff Tate. Drummer Marcus Losbjer contributes death vocals here and there throughout the album, which is why it reminds me old AMORPHIS.

Despite its inexplicable title, The Window Purpose is a good listen, especially since I find progressive metal as a whole mostly boring and snoozeworthy.  Plus, I gave them bonus points for a song with the unpronounceable title of "…"  Music for fans of latter-day QUEENSRYCHE and some of the sadder bands like ANATHEMA. So if that's you, check it out. - JW

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