With a name like Beheaded, I think you know exactly what to expect, and this band doesn’t even try to break out of the stereotype. Cupped mic vocal brutalizations and pit inducing mids that erupt like a pusy sore into gangrenous blasts. Technical. Groovy. Mosh. Predictable. Forgettable death metal all the way down to the final nail Beheaded drives into their own coffin. – Marty
FOREVER UNDERGROUND/MIGHTY MUSIC
Beheaded – Recounts of Disembodiment
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a CommentBathory – Nordland I / Nordland II
•January 3, 2009 • 3 Comments
The “Nordland” saga is filling me with visions of snow capped mountains and the weathered warriors that once sailed below them. Regardless of all the things you may have heard on the Net by one time fans of Bathory like, “this is nowhere near as good as the Hammerheart and Twilight years”, I’m here to tell you to ignore the senseless bashing, for Nordland I feels just as poignant as Quorthon’s early Viking years and would have been the sensible follow-up to the ever enchanting “Blood on Ice” (one of my top 5 faves of all time). “Destroyer of Worlds” was an unbalanced album that possessed a fair share of crap since Quorthon felt the need to cling to the Requiem and Octagon years, but there is no denying the greatness of the first 3 tracks on that release. If you were inspired by “Lake of Fire” in particular, then Nordland I will blow you away as it strikes me as a more developed and layered descent into Bathory’s past. It amazes me that Quorthon can seem so unconcerned about his music by trying to dip back into a tired thrash rhetoric time and again, then out of nowhere produce such a lengthy epic where every track flows with an inspired majesty to suck the listener in to stand with him upon the shores of Asa Bay. Whether he means it or not, I’m convinced, as film quality sound bytes of waves, horses, birds and sailing ships add to the nature element of this album. The drum sound is the most authentic he has captured in years. The guitars possess a unique and full power, while his voice sounds very strong and robust even though it does waiver at times as he stretches to reach those higher notes. And the music… “Nordland” and “Vinterblot” come off as spacious and free as the oceans as Q drapes many emotive harmonies over a power chord foundation that plods along to resound off the mighty halls of Valhalla. The mid-paced delivery is the basis for the entire album, but Quorthon breaks up what many feel is the monotony with an amazing acoustic song (“Ring of Gold”), the spirited power metal-esque “Broken Sword’ (lots of double bass and traditional metal riffing), but the best song on Nordland is the infinitely dense “Foreverdark Woods.” Beginning with a mandolin melody, the theme is carried into the meat of the track where riveting movement and painfully memorable progressions/riff work show just how amazing a songwriter Quorthon can be, even though he rarely breaks out of his formula when everything is working so well. Add even more tasteful colorization to this album in the form of Quorthon’s patented 100 man choir to give certain tracks that “warriors of the mighty hall” feel, and his actual vocal harmonies as well interact perfectly with the musical vessel that is Bathory. “Nordland I” was my #1 release for 2002 and to this day spends many hours enriching my life.
After what seemed like an eternity, Nordland II has finally arrived. Being recorded at the same sessions as Nordland I, there is a definite continuity in overall sound and feel, but this album strikes me as more adventurous musically than its mellow predecessor. He had more time to fine tune this album, so the guitar and drum sounds are the most rich and pounding tones that have graced a Bathory album in ages. Where “Blooded Shore”, “Sea Wolf” and “Vinland” (my favorite track on here) maintain that loping march found on Nordland I, other tracks like “The Land”, “The Messenger” and “Death and Resurrection of a Northern Son” unleash more intricate rhythms and solo work as the dynamics seem to explode within the movement of these tracks. The challenging compositions take Quorthon’s vocal range into dark lands where honestly, it should not go, for his voice cracks time and again beneath the strain. Somehow, this still doesn’t bother me… in fact I like it. Even when his throat isn’t up to the challenge, Quorthon sounds like no other performer in the metal world, and somehow saves each track with his determination and melodic/theatrical charm. He sounds great in the mid-range area for singing (As on “Vinland”) and I hope he maintains this delivery in the future. The movie soundtrack elements seem far less on Nordland II, as the album becomes far more guitar dominant and I am once again amazed at what the man can pull out of his head and heart to capture in the studio. To hear him downplay the music of Bathory in interviews used to piss me off, but as I listen to these 2 albums, I have to take his own ridicule as being humble. Perhaps he is merely emulating a popular style in his back catalog, but I for one am greatly moved by the conviction and musical depth he has created. Is this the end of the Bathory “Viking” legacy? I truly hope not, for I feel with these 2 albums, Quorthon has built upon what he did years ago and has taken it in a more powerful direction that can unlock many new avenues of metal for us to worship. Get both of these albums and be amazed. – Marty
BLACK MARK PRODUCTIONS
Baptism – The Beherial of Midnight
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
The Finnish horde is ever growing and perverting an ancient form of black metal to fit their own evil deeds. In the lo-fi vein of Satanic Warmaster and Clandestine Blaze (though not as potent to these ears), Baptism is a 2 man entity that creates simplistic, often melodic, yet always caustic blackness that uses occasional speed and mid paced dominant rhythms to create no frills aggression. Definitely predictable, but this is a genre that I often listen to for the easy atmosphere and melodious dissonance that cult black metal excels at creating. It just sounds right to me and full of hatred for living. Baptism certainly aren’t doing anything groundbreaking on “The Beherial of Midnight”, but keeping in tune with the musical aesthetic gaining more of a foothold in their country, I’m sure they really don’t care. Baptism are pure in their dedication to traditional BM and I for one appreciate the honesty and overall sound of this 9 track shot of unholy blasphemy. – Marty
NORTHERN HERITAGE
Abominant – Conquest
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Been sitting on this one for a while to absorb the ever-impressive growth and songwriting ability of the long running Abominant. Long running indeed, for this band is one of the sole survivors from the Wild Rags days and each album they have birthed since those years has been a steady increase of power and all encompassing realization of many metal styles. The most noticeable element of diversity is the open minded and adventurous vocal style of Mike Barnes. From dank guttural moans, harsh demonic shrieks and more of a triumphant form of pitch power metal singing, Mike’s vocal delivery is very energetic and adds a deeper dimension to the harmonically bloated music soaring beneath him. On “Conquest”, the music really stands out as Abominant’s most deadly strike, for they kill us all with a fresh level of brutality, but deliver it encased in a riff/hook hungry vessel that beats with the lifeblood of twin guitar harmonies and other such highly developed song building blocks. This careful attention to detail and musical maturity easily sets this band leagues ahead of the largely boring brutal death scene here in the US. “Conquest” further benefits from a booming production were every note and drum fill detonates off of the CD, filling the listener with anxiety, madness and a lust for even more such tasteful death metal. The tempo variety and movement in a vast majority of these songs really is a breath of fresh air. Often times it seems like this band has been overlooked… I don’t know if it has been due to the smaller nature of labels they have worked with, or the fact that they aren’t the type of band that is able to tour the planet to push their music in the drunken faces of a seemingly desensitized fan base, but I’m hear to tell you that Kentucky’s Abominant are one of the good bands out there worth closer inspection and support. – Marty
DEATHGASM RECORDS
Abhorrence – Evoking the Abomination
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
If I didn’t know any better, I would say this is a Krisiun album. From the Petagno artwork, the raw though heavy sound production, the drummers choppy playing style/lack of timing, the bands riff work, the vocal similarities… Abhorrence is even a 3 piece from Brazil fer christsakes !! I will say they have done their homework, and if Krisiun never drew a breath, this band would have kicked major ass. As it stands, “Evoking the Abomination” is unashamed plagiarism. I’m serious… there is nothing here even remotely original on this disc. It’s like Burt Reynold’s look alike/stunt double staring in a movie called “Bandit and the Smokie”. An utterly worthless release. – Marty
EVIL VENGEANCE RECORDS
Aberrant Path – Demo reviews
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
A Death of Reason to Come Demo MC 2005
A very energetic display of US black metal with hints of German and Swedish underground blackness fueling the pistons of Minnesota’s Aberrant Path. This demo contains 4 tracks of mainly fast material that offers many shifts in intensity and breakdowns so that the tremolo riffstorm doesn’t become too overbearing. The fast picking at times feels spastic, if not urgent, but some well-defined melodies arise from the chaos before A.P. settles for more of a mid-paced dissonance to pile on the misanthropic feelings of isolation. A human drummer is a nice touch, as it gives this material a very live feel. Reverb soaked screams retch off in the distance and seem to adhere to their own rhythmic delivery, rather than follow the riffs verbatim. This gives the music more dimension and the underground sense of uneasiness that I happen to appreciate in good underground black metal. This demo is certainly nothing original, but the material feels well-written and there is a lot of promise on display.
The Winds that Defy God 2006 Demo CDr
Even though the production on this 2 song effort possesses a lot more low end and depth, the levels seem a bit shotty in comparison to the MC. The riffs remain interesting, but feel a lot choppier along with a definite thrash influence entering the mix. Still this sounds like the same band, but perhaps the songs were rushed a bit more, or just not developed enough. There are a lot of sloppy ideas here floating in and out of semblance. On the positive side, it does inject an aura of chaos to make this material seem more “unstable”, but on the other hand, it also points to a level of unprepared musicians coming in to record… just bashing it out live to get the material down. I still like what I’m hearing, for there are what seems to be some original riff ideas on display, but Aberrant Path seem like they took a step backwards on this 2 song demo, coming off as a lot less mature in their songwriting capabilities. Still worth checking out though for those of you rabid for the demo action. -Marty
Band Contact: Aberrantpath@hotmail.com
Azoikum – A Collection Of Corpses Vol. 1
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a 5 CDR boxed collection from this German Power Electronics/Death Industrial project, who is also the man also behind Narbenerde. The cassettes re-issued here were all originally on Chaos Tapes: “Wahnsinn” originally released in 1997 and limited to 50 copies; “Funny Games” released in 1998 and limited to 50; “Dedicated To Jeffrey Dahmer” also 1998 but limited to a mere 25; and finally “Mentally Ill” also 1998 and limited to 50 copies. The fifth component to this collection is called “Decayed and Fresh” and pulls together some compilation tracks with 5 previously unreleased tracks. The box set itself is limited to 150 copies. Sonically Azoikum incorporates all the elements of the noise underground really; Dark Ambient passages, burning frequency Power Electronics with and without his savage vocals, throbbing and churning Death Industrial atmospheres, Harsh Noise eruptions and so on. I have most of these cassettes from when they came out originally because I was always fond of the depth and detail Azoikum worked into their compositions and that fact that it was usually a pretty well rounded listen. It’s a project that also didn’t shy away from doing longer tracks at times. It’s nice to see all of this material re-issued for those that may have missed it the first time around because it still holds up really well and provides and excellent overview of the projects early recordings. There are 48 songs total on “A Collection of Corpses Vol. 1” and I know there are plans to release at least one more similar edition as well. There is just too much music here to delve into that many specifics, but this is not a collection of 5 discs of the same thing over and over rest assured. There are many moods and styles represented within a single release and over the length of the collection as a whole, and it’s executed and mixed well, with strong production. Each disc comes in a slip sleeve with color stickers bearing the appropriate release info and then packaged together in a cardboard CD mailer type box. Not sure what the price is on this puppy, but I’d wager it’s worth it. – Scott
MOUTH RECORDS
Morrigan Interview
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Over the years, Germany’s Morrigan have become one of my favorite bands due to their excellent combination of underground black metal with more of a mid-paced, triumphant metal pride by way of Viking era Bathory. This musical union of extremes is perhaps a tired blend when it comes to this style of metal, but Morrigan are one of the few bands that can pull it off every time with successful/ emotionally charged results. “The Damned” is the latest installment to Morrigan’s prolific legacy and once again finds Balor (drums) and Beliar (guitars/vocals) striking the mark with their own blend of epic sound and appreciation for ancient times. The following interview was recently conducted through email and even though his answers are unfortunately brief, Balor shows us the heart of Morrigan with his straight to the point responses. – Marty Rytkonen
Greetings Balor! Your musical inception began back in 1992, along with Beliar as the band Mayhemic Truth. Morrigan does share a lot of stylistic similarities obviously with your past band… I was wondering why you decided to change the bands name to Morrigan? Was there a different purpose or ideology you wanted to express with Morrigan that you maybe felt didn’t fit in with what you had created in Mayhemic Truth? What do you see as the defining differences between both bands?
Mayhemic Truth split up in 1997 and Morrigan was formed in 2000. As you can see it’s no name changing, it was a new beginning…
You have never attempted to hide the impact Quorthon has had on the music of Morrigan. After so many years of writing this style of music, do you still feel comfortable upholding the true spirit of the Bathory aesthetic? I feel that Morrigan have always taken this style and made it seem so vibrant/relevant in the underground black metal genre…
We saw Morrigan not as a tribute band like Warhammer is to Hellhammer, we see the band as “our” band and it was never our idea to hold the spirit of Bathory high. We just create our own music and it doesn’t care if it sounds like Bathory or not.
What has Bathory’s music meant to you over the years and how did you take the passing of Quorthon? I actually heard he was working on an album called “The Vikings” when he passed… I’m completely saddened that we’ll never get to hear/feel this opus. I feel this makes Morrigan’s inclusion of that triumphant metal sound even more necessary… to keep the flame burning so to speak. But on the flipside of that coin, have you ever desired to obtain a completely original/defining sound, rather than people saying, “Oh yeah”. Morrigan. That band that sounds a lot like Bathory? Has that ever been a concern?
Well, everybody have to die when his time comes to pass and Quorthon’s time was over a couple of years ago… Well to speak the truth, I think Quorthon has entered his musical cenit with the Blood On Ice album. All other albums after this more or less sucks and also maybe its better that the album you mentioned never comes out. Well, by the way… It doesn’t interest us if people say that we sound like Bathory…
Your musical relationship with Beliar has been a longstanding one. How has Morrigan, functioning as a 2 piece, affected the band over the years, both creatively and in a live situation? Are both of your visions for this band so concise that you never wanted to bring in anyone else in to pollute the music with unwanted ideas?
Well, Beliar and I are a sworn duo and we don’t really accept a third or forth person beside us in the band. We write all the music together and it’s no problem playing live for us as a duo.
Tell us about the Halls of Manannan? This is your own personal recoding studio I’m assuming. I have always appreciated the completely warm, yet raw production the band has achieved over the years and was wondering what kind of gear you keep relying on to capture this sound? Would you agree that having your own studio at your disposal is beneficial in the speedy way in which Morrigan works? Have you ever opened the doors to other bands as well to record there?
Yes, the Halls Of Manannan are our own home studio. We work mixed with analog and digital gear. The most reason to do all ourselves is, that we can take the time needed to complete an album without the typical studio-stress. No, till now here was no other band beside Morrigan.
Upon hearing “The Damned”, I am once again impressed at how prolific you 2 are as songwriters, and the music sounds just as fresh and vital as it did on “Plague Waste and Death”. It seems after several albums, most bands often lose their direction or spirit for writing music with substance. “The Damned” is a very smartly paced album… skillfully interspersing the more epic tracks between the more caustic attacks. What were your intentions for this album since “Welcome to Samhain” seemed to embrace the more aggressive side of your sound?
We always write songs like they came without a real concept behind it. Also the way from “Welcome to Samhain” to “The Damned” was nothing more than a natural process…
As previously mentioned, the music of Morrigan embraces several distinctive musical styles… that of a blood curdling black metal persona and the more majestic, 6/8 plod of mid-paced and highly melodic metal. What style do you prefer to play, feel more of a connection to, and which do you feel defines Morrigan the most effectively?
As I said before we don’t work with a concept from album to album and it comes natural how many mid tempo songs or high-speed songs comes on an album. We like both styles and we will always do this mixture.
Morrigan releases have been supported by 2 labels over the years, Barbarian Wrath and Undercover Records. What has each label done to bring your name to a wider public consciousness? Since both have been of a diehard underground status, do you feel that these have been the proper home for Morrigan, or has there been restrictions? Is it important for the band to be supported by German companies, or is this of no consequence/just the way it has worked out?
We are an underground band and also we think, that Morrigan fits better with an underground label than a money label like Nuclear Blast or shit like that. In underground labels there is more enthusiasm than on the mainstream orientated big labels.
Lyrically, Beliar’s concepts center around the Celtic people. What do you think he’s trying to present to the listener with his lyrics? Possibly trying to bring an awareness of ancient times to the forefront? Do you 2 as a band feel some sort of connection to the Celts, be it their way of life, their teachings, or what they represented? How do you feel this appreciation for an ancient society has affected you as a person or the way you view this modern society?
We live in a Celtic dominated part of Germania and here you can find some great places that inspire us or especially Beliar for his lyrics.
Time has changed a lot in the extreme music world since the early 90’s… Do you still feel a connection with the musical world around you? How has the Internet affected you/the band, both good and bad? I’ve personally noticed a decline in attendance at metal concerts over the years and I attribute this to the fact that people would rather stay at home and download music, rather than go out and be a part of something. Have you noticed this in Germany as well? Where do you see all of this heading? Will extreme metal fade away into the digital age, or has the true essence of metal transcended all of that?
Well, to be honest: The current situation in the extreme music doesn’t really interest us. There are some good bands around and on the other hand, many shit.
Thanks a lot for your time Balor in giving our readers more of a glimpse into Morrigan. We here at Worm Gear are total fans of your art and wish you continued success! The closing comments are yours…
Thanx for the inti!!!
Zweizz – Black Necrotic Obsfuscation
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
This is a curious release, it’s a 7″ on red vinyl (and apparently an equal # were released on blue vinyl), and the front cover looks like it could almost be a kids album while the back looks more like a classic Carcass record. From there we learn that Zweizz is the project of Svein Hatlevik, best known for his involvement in Dødheimsgard and Fleurety. There’s two tracks here, the title track takes up the A side, and is an odd combination of quirky electronics and glitchy noise. It”s structured around primitive electronic beats, to that is added some various squirming textures, electronics, sampling, guitar elements and garbled Death Grunts. Side two gives us “Birth, Sex, Death” it again uses simple electro beats and electronics to create a off kilter weirdness, and throws in sampling and a warped melody that sounds like steel calypso drums or something. The music changes directions abruptly at times, and has an unbalanced approach throughout. There really isn’t anything off hand I can think of to compare this to that will give you an idea what any of that means. Strange Electro experimentation that never reaches the point that I would call it noise. I’m not really sure what the seriousness level behind this project is or whether it’s something that will continue or not. I liked it better after I’d listened to it a couple times, but the initial reaction was kind of indifferent. It’s curious but beyond that I didn’t find much to hold on to. The release doesn’t specify the RPM speed, I listened to it on 33 because it seemed correct, but then I may have got it wrong and misconstrued the entire release. – Scott
VENDLUS
Abodox, The – New Knife Of The Berserker
•January 3, 2009 • Leave a Comment
The Abodox is a frantic beast, the music directions shift and mutate at a an unpredictable pace and incorporate numerous instruments. At its core, I guess “New Knife Of The Berserker” is most simply described as technical screaming Hardcore, but that is insufficient. It is ruled by those elements and they heave with a bug eyed fury, but add to that the disjointed spasms of early Mr. Bungle, though not as frequent or intrinsically kooky as that. Throw in some sludgy elements, clean moments and scatter throughout that, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, violin, guitar noise etc. depending on the track. It is a heavy, driving guitar record with above average musicianship and a genuine intensity to it above any of the more experimental things going on. Don’t let those things make you apprehensive, the writing is excellent with plenty of riffs and hooks that stand out and while the quirkier side of the project is there, it is not overstated by any means. The vocals are a energized raw scream that further push the adrenaline of this release regardless of the tempo it is at at any given moment. – Scott
Audio Pain – Contagious / 1986
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a CommentContagious/1986
Vendulus Records have re-mastered and re-released 2 of Audiopain’s self released demo’s for a wider base of people to hear the greatness lurking in this Norwegian band’s catalog. Having never heard them before, I’m pleased to report that this band isn’t ashamed to look to metals past and focus their entire sound on a very German influenced thrash attack. Where other more modern bands or super groups out there get together for a romp through nostalgia and make a thrash album, you can’t help but notice a lighthearted camp existing in the music as found on albums by Nocturnal Breed or ever Aura Noir from time to time (even though I do like the latter band). I don’t get that feeling when listening to both of these Audiopain albums. This group takes what they’re doing very seriously and come off sounding like they have older and wiser blood as every note screams conviction.
Contagious – of the 2 albums, this is by far my favorite. Audiopain never use blast beats to keep their thrash pure and I find it very amazing how much skill and awareness went into the riff ideas on this album… you can tell they wanted to create something that did will the listeners thoughts back to the mid to late 80’s, but they wanted their own sound and ideas to dominate rather than borrowing a style or plagiarizing riffs from the classic bands from this era. “Contagious” is paced really well, effortlessly moving between fast and more mid-paced tracks where the guitar lines center around mighty hooks and technical, though never confusing guitar work. When the power chords set the foundation, one can’t help but notice a very minor punk influence in which Audiopain take great care in layering over vibrant strands of intensity to give each track a worthy edge/bite. Add a razorwire sharp, higher register scream to the mix and Audiopain could have easily sat quite comfortably on a Kreator tour during the “Terrible Certainty” era.
1986 – I haven’t researched this band close enough to determine which of these demos came first, but spinning “1986” 2nd, the same formula found on “Contagious” is apparent, but this album/demo contains more of a roomy production and considerably less mid-paced music breaks. “1986” is indeed a barnburner where tight palm muted speed picking inspires heads to bang and fists to fly in earnest appreciation along to the beat. You can really tell this material would go over amazingly well in the live medium. Vocally, less of that black metal snarl is in the screams but the delivery comes off as more shouted and agonized to me. When the speed subsides, the punk vibe really stands out on tracks like “Mechanic Commando” and “The Hunt.” As previously stated, Audiopain unleash some of the best thrash I’ve heard in ages and I will be hunting down this bands normal full-lengths. Fans of Kreator and other gifted bands from that area; Audiopain will re-open your eyes to the greatness of a genre that I thought was long lost/forgotten. – Marty
VENDULUS RECORDS
Audio Kollaps – Ultima Ratio
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Hell yeah! this is what I’ve been needing. Germany’s Audio Kollaps execute a form of grind that sounds like it came off the same filthy streets as the older recordings by Napalm Death (Mentally Murdered era), Filthy Christians, In Battle there is no Law era Bolt Thrower, Prophecy of Doom and old ENT. The grit in the down tuned guitars is similar, being heavily crossbred with punk rock simplicity and a ravenous metal bite. The riffage mirrors the sound… stripped down power chord dominant rhythms supply the heavy handed command to destroy with memorable movement, only to throw in the occasional note fills/tremolo riffs here and there to break up the attack. The tempo is very well balanced between weighty mids and explosive boughts of speed that are never used as the selling point for this bands music. The songs are sickly produced and filled with the dark impoverished industrial town aura of “fuck everything, this music is my voice/weapon against the horrors of my world”, and each track can stand on it’s own. The conviction for grindcore the old way runs deep in “Ultima Ratio”, a point driven even deeper by the gruff growling technique of the vocals. If you liked the older work of the bands listed above, Audio Kollaps will be an eye opening addition to your collection. This band could have been on Earache circa 1990. – Marty
EPISTROPHY RECORDING CO.
At Vance – The Evil in You
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Just like a big share of the Euro power metal movement, I can get into the aggressive guitar work and often impressive solo spell crafting, but why do they always have to file down the sharp teeth bared by the music, with completely weak, pretty boy pitch singing? At Vance are such a band. So much promise and gift for hook laden songwriting where melody and a sharp delivery can intertwine is wasted on laughably rhymey chorus’ and commercial sounding synth work. As “The Evil In You” continues on, the bite that existed on the initial few tracks of this disc corrodes away into a heap of softer rock influences where it’s obvious the vocalist feels most comfortable. Gang yelled chorus’, spandex and images of well groomed babe magnets is what the music of At Vance offers stylistically. Does that sound like something you want to run out and purchase? Me either. – Marty
AFM RECORDS
Atilla Csihar – The Beast of…
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Fans of Attila’s deranged and infinitely complex vocal style will revel in the fact that he has finally found a home for his career retrospective compilation. The Beast of Attila Csihar is full of obscure album and demo tracks from the various bands that he has been involved in dating all the way back to the early years of Tormentor. Enveloped in a design born in the mind of Stephen O’Malley, many exclusive pictures have finally found their way into public site and the artistic presentation perfectly matches Attila’s abstract way of singing. From exclusive Tormentor tracks dating back to 1988, alternate recordings from the De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas session, to his performances in Plasma Pool, Annal Nathrakh and even the new and very promising Italian project known as Korog, Attila has given us all a chilling glimpse into his creative productivity that has spanned well over a decade, along with his own personal comments on each song. The track listing is as follows:
Aborym – Out of Shell (2003)
Plasma Pool – Chanceless Religion (1992 Live)
Tormentor – Heaven (1988)
Korog – Worshipping of Current (2002)
Annal Nathrakh – Atavism (Remix)
Mayhem – Cursed For Eternity (Alternate Mix 1993)
Plasma Pool – Story of Flying (1992)
Professor Fate – Ghost Dance
Limbonic “Jam” Art – Serpently Inspired (Spontaneous Jamming 2001)
Emperor – Funeral Fog (1999)
Plasma Pool – False the Saints (1991)
Aborym – Here is No God (2000)
Mayhem – Freezing Moon (Alternate Mix 1993)
Tormentor – Trance (1988)
Bonus MP3 – SUNN O)) – Decay – The Symptoms of Kali Yuga (2002)
Sincerely, every track on this comp is a gem, with my all time favorite Attila performances going to the godly industrial work from Plasma Pool (Attila will be re-releasing PP’s hard to find debut on his own label, Saturnus Productions soon – www.saturnusproductions.com) and of course Mayhem. It is very interesting to have all his projects in one place and it makes me feel even more compelled to complete my Attila collection. This is a great CD from one of extreme music’s most important and amazing vocalists, with only one other singer above him, and undoubtedly one of his major influences, Skinny Puppy’s Ogre… No one can hold a candle to this mans talent. – Marty
SOUTHERN LORD
Asunder – Works Will Come Undone
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Featuring members from such notable acts as Weakling and Amber Asylum, San Francisco’s Asunder are no stranger to creating depth and interest within their collective works. Asunder as well peers into the mighty void where creativity and soul chilling atmosphere congeal into the shapeless form of musical dread that dwells at the core of truly good and inspired metal. Stylistically existing in that nebulous state between the lands where Neurosis, My Dying Bride, old Anathema and Paradise Lost rule supreme, Asunder do sound like splintered fragments of each aforementioned band, yet power on through the comparisons to arrive at a booming form of depressive doom that stands proud on it’s own merit. Elongated riffs plod along through the melancholic fog to embrace searing guitar harmonies and even some very organic sounding synth lines to unveil new and treacherous folds of creativity and musical depth. The vocals heavily put me in mind of the miserable, burnt out groans of old Anathema singer, Darren White, which is a good thing since I always felt that he was a very talented and often overlooked death growler in the scene. This vocal presence fits perfectly with Asunder’s fully bloated guitar sound, thanks to the organic recording/sound production talents of one Billy Anderson. The actual meat found at the core of both tracks on this lengthy album are enough to sell me on Asunder’s take on the doom genre, but when the band opts for pointless, directionless and uninspired drone-scape at the end of the lengthy track “Rite of Finality”, I felt like this attempt at creating “hypnotic atmosphere” was missed by a long shot. Filler is more like it. Emerging out of such powerful cello passages and clean guitar lines, into a song that seemingly climaxes with well composed power, only to fall into the easy trappings of blind rumbling is unfortunate. Thankfully this experiment lurks at the end of the CD, so it won’t completely distract the listener from the music Asunder has spent the most time composing. All in all this is a very impressive release from a band that is trying to uphold the olden, sadly long gone days of deeply penetrating death doom. I would like to hear maybe some shorter songs on the next album and more of an unfolding glimpse into this bands songwriting ability, than the long and wandering nature of “Works will Come Undone”, but as it stands, this remains a very impressive effort from some of the SF scenes most notable musicians. – Marty
PROFOUND LORE RECORDS
Astral Demise – Heart to the Cosmos
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a CommentI am a fan of 1 man black metal… always have been. Fire up that drum machine after a long walk in the woods wearing moms make-up and let whatever may be, come to life through your underdeveloped riff ideas. Since recording equipment and the use of computers has changed the way we hear music, “the scene” now refers to this movement as “bedroom black metal.” Fair enough. I can see some worth in the slag, but there is a definite difference between bedroom BM and good BM. It doesn’t matter to me how many people are in the band, or by what means said individuals arrived at their songs… if the outcome is good, the quality is irrelevant. Enter Astral Demise. Somehow, sole member Phil (Eros-433) Almaraz was able to create a floating atmosphere with this synth dominant, mid-paced material, EVEN THOUGH all 4 tracks on display are boring beyond belief. The programming is pretty solid as he tries to emulate a style as if played by a human, but the main guitar parts for each song are drawn out power chord affairs that go nowhere. The lack of tempo variation and also the fact that the synth ideas tend to follow the guitar lines exactly, restrain the songs from developing. There is a lot of wasted space. The vocals are your standard goblin snarl, though perhaps thinner/more feeble than so many others out there. Like everything else on here, the power is lacking. Add unnecessary female pitch singing (once again, her choice of vocal harmony is nothing more than emulating the keyboard and guitar line… yawn) and this 4 song demo crawls along with little spark or innovation. Once again, I don’t see how he managed to ring the present atmosphere out of these go nowhere ideas, but I guess there is indeed some magic in point blank minimalism. – Marty
Astarte – Sirens
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment
I haven’t heard this band since their full-length debut on Black Lotus Records some years ago and it seems that the 3 ladies that make up Astarte have evolved out of the black metal clichés they upheld in the past into something a lot better rounded and challenging. “Sirens” is actually a very good release featuring a lot of musical surprises and overall warmth and maturity in their harmonies. The vocals still fit within the black metal realm, but Tristessa’s vocals offer a really sharp and interesting delivery that upholds the traditions of the genre while injecting an aura of uniqueness. The music takes on a bi-polar mix between mid-paced black metal with a strong death metal undertow in regards to a full tone, and a thrashier attack meets Celtic Frost groove as found on the excellent “Deviate”. The Greek metal influence creeps in as well with atypical and often mystical guitar harmonies that gives their music that extra level of uniqueness rarely explored by other bands in this genre. Effective synths and the occasional acoustic guitar part pile on the atmosphere and culture for these ladies to sneak in with their beauty and knock all the men dead with their highly developed chops and knack for writing truly passionate dark/black metal. Add cameo appearances by Sakis (Rotting Christ) and Shagrath (Dimmu Borgir) along with a video for the track, “Black Mighty Gods” and you have a surprisingly great disc sure to darken your thoughts for years to come. Damn good stuff. – Marty
MAGIC RECORDS
Ashes You Leave – Fire
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment
The female vocals on “Fire” are easily the worst I’ve heard. I bitch a lot about singing out of tune, and Ashes You Leave have converted a huge annoyance of mine, into moments of laughter, for the leadoff track “Free” has her going from a masculine low, to explode into a scattered falsetto with forced vibrato wavering all over the place. Very comical indeed. It’s hard to take her serious, for it sounds to me like someone trying to make fun of this genre by over accentuating the more tongue and cheek stylistic traits of romantic doom, but I know this isn’t the case. The male vocals on Fire are very deep and ugly (in a death metal style), reminding me of the singer in Gothic Sex, but he is the secondary screamer up against the welfare “siren”. As this goes on, I long for him to stand up to his girlfriend and send her packing to try to salvage the twisted wreck that Ashes You Leave has become (I don’t recall the previous CD being this wretched). The music is hard to even hear beneath the overly loud vocal torture, but de-tuned doom sporting a canvas of violins and equally “precious” synth lines churns with little interest or spirit. Trying to fit into the Euro-goth trend? Oh yes. Swing and a MISS! “Fire” is going directly the trash. – Marty
MORBID RECORDS
Asgaroth – Red Shift
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment
Overly symphonic metal really has to instantly impress me if I’m going to ever pick the release up again. Predominant synth lines I can live with IF the often annoying goth influence is kept in check. If the music passes the test, the next hurdle is the vocal style. I’m not a big fan of clean vocals, let alone female singing in this context (which this band thankfully does not have). Even though Spain’s Asgaroth pile on the keyboards and allow other eclectic musical styles to infiltrate their sound, this band seems to walk a tightrope of acceptability in the land of the Worm. The metal side of their delivery is always there lurking in the shadows with a harsher vocal style and minimal crunch rhythms, but when the fragile side seeps up in the form of more passionate vocals and pretentious symphonies… I’m about to hit stop and give up, but Asgaroth throw in an interesting twist, or dig back in with a commanding growl to keep me at bay to see where they go with it. “Red Shift” is impressively layered and adventurous in design, but I keep waiting for it to kick in. The whole album acts like an elongated intro that keeps me hanging, waiting for that definite stroke of power that satisfies and sets the listener up for moments of brilliance like “Alsvartr (The Oath)” from Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk did. It never comes, leaving me to endure the endless waves of mid-paced atmosphere that lulls like a church organ one moment, to adopt more of a prog intricacy in the synth tones the next. “Red Shift” isn’t necessarily depressive or eerie… it just IS. Perhaps some form of emotion one way or the other would give this band the much needed direction they need to create in a similar vein as the material on this album, but something far more riveting to command the listener to keep coming back. “Red Shift” is good, but it doesn’t promote listener staying power as Asgaroth blur the lines between the symphonic, metal and shoegazer goth genres. I offer an uncertain shrug of the shoulders to describe this one. I know that offers little help. – Marty
PEACEVILLE
Asgaard – Exorientelux
•January 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment
The vocals of Przemyslaw Olbryt range from effeminate falsetto to a harsher black metal screech while touching on all points of delivery in-between. His voice is painfully annoying as he tends to try for that “crazy”/all over the place presentation that sounds forced. Oddly enough, this style seems to emulate the varying degrees of flamboyant goth synthiness that is the driving force of “Exorientelux”. Someone kill me now. The thin toned and crunchy metal aspect of their sound is buried beneath the synth overkill and is in tune with all the rest of the goth metal trend bands clotting up European airwaves. In a cloud of clove smoke and frilly greek sailors shirts, I would be a happier man if this style would quietly go away. With the silly vocal style, I can’t imagine that people into this genre would even be into Asgaard, even if their music does on occasion execute passable moments of melody and bite. Mixing metal with goth is like getting punched in the shoulder by a 13 year old girl… well it is anyway in Asgaard’s case. Weak! – Marty
METAL MIND PRODUCTIONS
Worm Gear 