Thee Plague of Gentlemen- Primula Pestis ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: March 31st, 2005
Type: Full-length
Label: I Hate
Country: Belgium
Genre: Doom Metal

-written by NausikaDalazBlindaz of metal-archives.com

ENJOYABLE AND ENERGETIC DOOM METAL

This is pretty enjoyable doom metal from a quartet of gents from Ghent in Belgium: there's a good deep motorcycle rumble in the band's sound and the music revolves around a riff-based approach. Guitarist/vocalist Steve McMillan sounds like a mellow version of Metallica man James Hetfield: the voice is tough, gravelly and self-assured. The guy gets the lyrics out and out of the way efficiently so that the instrumentals which those TPOG fellas know are the things we're really hanging out our tongues for can get down - way, waaaay down! - to business.

The guys can plod as slowly as any other doom metal band but when the boys are suddenly overcome by the spirit of rock'n'roll, as on "The Hidden Elixir", these jolly gents go for broke tossing out riff after riff like there's no tomorrow - and sadly after the album's release there was no tomorrow for the band due to McMillan's crimes which caused TPOG to break up and reform as Serpentcult. "The Hidden Elixir" is my favourite track on the album: it's an inspired piece with very catchy riffs, melodies and guitar runs. Not far behind is "Your Love is King (Of the Dead)" which sounds very much like UK doom band Cathedral with Hetfield at the helm as vocalist and the band being energised by the choice of singer.

Perhaps TPOG aren't the most original doom metal band around and they're left far in the dust by a great many other bands in the genre but if you like energetic doom metal even with all the usual musical cliches associated with that music.

68/100

Buy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009XFEBS?ie=UTF8&tag=encymetatheme-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0009XFEBS

Sunn O)))- White2 ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: June 24th, 2004
Type: Full-length
Label: Southern Lord Recordings
Country: United States
Genre: Drone/Doom Metal

-written by NausikaDalazBlindaz of metal-archives.com

TAKING THE SUNN O))) DRONE METAL IDEA TO ITS LIMIT

Superior to "White1" and sounding like it really means business, this album revels in taking the Sunn O))) drone concept to its farthest limit. The grand decleration of war sounds off in opener "Hell-O)))-Ween", a series of monumental twisty-turning guitar riffs that are actually very restrained and not at all scary. The weather changes in "bassAliens" - the withdrawn guitar scrapings bring up a dark chilly feeling and the space embracing the piece seems cold and damp. Guitar tones suggest raindrops and drones hint at mists and grey clouds drifting toward us; as the track progresses, choppy textures herald harsh winds and other disturbances in the atmosphere and beyond.

Pride of place though goes to "Decay2 [Nihil's Maw]" on which Sunn0))) men Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley lead their guests Rex Ritter, Joe Preston and Dawn Smithson through a bleak and windswept post-apocalyptic desert soundscape. Out of this desolation arises Attila Csihar, a prophet-shaman recently returned from the world of the dead, to utter despairing lyrics derived from the ancient Indian Vedas scriptures: they warn of the Age of Kali or Kali-yuga whose denizens' worship of materialism, worldly success and superficiality is frighteningly much like ours and whose decline and destruction surely portend our own civilisation's decay and death. Csihar's guttural sermons, dry and unemotional and conveying the impassive nature of the Hindu gods, sure do pack an almighty punch and the Sunn0)))-led musicians are wise to provide minimal backing only. Taking Csihar on board was a master-stroke and he has indeed acquitted himself well in live performances with the band.

75/100

Buy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00026WSR0?ie=UTF8&tag=encymetatheme-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00026WSR0

Revilement- Pillars of Balance ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: December 10th, 2011
Type: Full-length
Label: Coyote Records
Country: Taiwan
Genre: Death Metal

-written by todesengel89 of metal-archives.com

Technical/brutal death metal has never really interested me, with the only band that had an impact on me being Finland's Demilich, but even then, the material was seldom revisited, since I personally prefer more straightforward old school death metal instead. Revilement, however, managed to capture my attention, being the first brutal death metal band that I encounter from Taiwan that also includes Canadian vocalist Joe Reviled, and also after being exposed to the more black metal side of the country. Pillars of Balance is the band's debut full length album, and the first personal encounter with the band's brand of death metal.

An almost disjointed riffing pattern with blistering speed greets the listener as album opener Pillars of Balance introduces first time listeners to Revilement's style, and Joe Reviled's vocals soon come in, a low gurgled growl, a goregrind style of vocals, belting out undecipherable lyrics yet making it sound as if it were a fourth instrument, along with the guitars, bass and drums, and instantly, bands such as Suffocation are brought to mind. The technicality in the band's music is obvious throughout the album, with the at times odd time signatures and almost progressive song structures that are present, along with the complex riffing of guitarist Allen and the drumming of Billy. The play on cymbals on tracks like Pillars of Balance definitely help to make the album all the more interesting, aside from the usual blasting that albums such as these contain, and his ability to easily shift between different pace and style almost make him sound machine-like, and shows his flair on the instrument. Songs like Terminal Sedation further allows Allen to display his capabilities, with the combination of quick finger-work and weird tempos.

This is not to say that the album is a complete speed-fest as the band also takes a brutal direction as well on some tracks, choosing to slow down and increase the element of heaviness in the music, like on Pity the Humans, where the whole band slows down and the entire band focusses on the intensity in the music and atmosphere. On songs like Terminal Sedation and Tail Devouring Serpent, the band also manages to create a feeling of unease in the listener, with the slow buildup to a climax towards the end of the song, and Path of Apophis even includes an acoustic guitar introduction, and contains some of the more melodic moments on the album. The production quality of the album is also sufficiently raw and even slightly hollow, though not to the extent where clipping becomes immediately obvious and everything becomes nothing but mud, and this helps in making the album sound all the more authentic and organic, and less sterile at the same time. Despite so, each and every instrument is clearly audible on the album, even the rumbling bass of Vic that runs beneath the chaos of Allen's guitars and Billy's drums.

Also included on the album are re-recordings of the tracks on the band's previous EP, Human Vivisection, giving listeners a taste of material that the band wrote earlier in their career, with a seemingly higher focus on speed more than anything else and a heightened sense of urgency compared to their newer songs, though the technicality and brutality of the band is also present. Overall, Pillars of Balance is an enjoyable album for fans of technical and brutal death metal, and places them on the map of Asian death metal, along with bands like Japan's Defiled.

80/100

Antaeus- De Principii Evangelikum ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: September 23rd, 2002
Type: Full-length
Label: Osmose Productions
Country: French
Genre: Black Metal

-written by NausikaDalazBlindaz of metal-archives.com

SOLID MAELSTROM ATTACK ON INSTITUTIONAL RELIGION

Antaeus write quite sophisticated lyrics that revolve around traditional Christian repression of the self and the release of that self into Satanic embrace and presumably spiritual freedom and purification through self-mutilation. Indeed an earlier album the band released which some rate as Antaeus' best was quite explicit about its aims in its title "Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan". The album under review is raw and brutal with a strong beefy sound, an emphasis on blast beats and militaristic guitar riffing, and deep vocals that stand out in the mix as opposed to most BM releases in which the singing usually fights to be heard above the maelstrom. The tracks are fast and short with clipped playing and the lyrics are usually straightforward and frank in their apocalyptic vision. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, the album is best appreciated in its entirety and the songs could be seen as chapters in the one epic as they pass very quickly in a blur.

The music is best described as a mixture of death metal and black metal: death metal comparisons can be made with respect to the rhythms and the emphasis on riffing at the expense of melody; on the other hand, the black metal influence is obvious in the blizzard-like barrage of strings and the lack of lead guitar melody lines. The overall impression is of a solid maelstrom attack of hate and loathing aimed at institutional religion and its propaganda that enjoins self-abasement, self-loathing, passivity and acceptance of a highly authoritarian hierarchy thirsting for power and influence and unwilling to accept responsibility for the psychological damage it inflicts on vulnerable people. It's interesting how black metal became a forum for debate about religion and philosophy in France and this inquiry might acccount for the fearsome reputation French black metal bands enjoy.

80/100

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006G9UC?ie=UTF8&tag=encymetatheme-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00006G9UC

Solar Anus- Skull Alcoholic - The Complete Solar Anus ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: 2006
Type: Compilation
Label: tUMULt
Country: Japan
Genre: Psychedelic Sludge Metal/Rock

-written by NausikaDalazBlindaz of metal-archives.com

SOLAR ANUS RUNS ARE MORE CONSTIPATED THAN FLOWING

Double set consisting of three albums released over 1997 to 2000, this features quite good music but I fiind it hit-and-miss and as the compilation progresses, the album loses inspiration and becomes very mechanical. The Solar Anus modus operandi combines doom metal and stoner hard rock with an irreverent attitude to create heavy riff-driven music, minimalistic in form and style and occasionally showing off good melodies and guitar runs, striving to achieve a transcendental spiritual state with the self-important pomposity of organised religion. A carefree attitude to the pleasures of sex and other body functions and the celebration of these features as a major theme - as if you couldn't guess from the elaborate packaging and the sleeve art of all three albums reproduced in the CD booklet!


30/100

Make a Change... Kill Yourself- Self-titled ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: June 23rd, 2005
Type: Full-length
Label: Total Holocaust Records
Country: Denmark
Genre: Black Metal/Ambient

-written by NausikaDalazBlindaz of metal-archives.com

BEGINS WELL BUT LOSES AGGRESSION AND BITE

A dirgey and solemn funereal doom black metal offering from this delightfully named project of three Danish musicians, this album starts off well on a very solid sonic footing with tremolo guitars pounding out repetitive riff after repetitive riff at a steady pace but as the recording progresses and passes through passages of keyboard-based tones and melodies, it starts to lose its edge and aggression and the vokills, especially the male ones, seem much less menacing than they should be. (Quite possibly because the person singing the childish lyrics isn't the same person who wrote them.) The sound is quite good but the slow pace dulls the impact and power of the music and the singing gets lost in the long drawn-out riffs.

I am really ambivalent about having female vokills on this kind of depressive BM; sure, Demonica has a lovely sweet voice but it's at odds with music that should be misanthropic and seething with animosity towards life. Some of the keyboard passages don't seem original and I keep thinking I've heard them elsewhere on a long-forgotten Swedish goth industrial CD from way back when, when I used to buy a whole load of Cold Meat Industry label releases. Bands and one-man projects specialising in themes self-hate and despair and American bands in particular have cornered this part of the BM spectrum very well - which does not say a great deal that's positive about life in the US of A these days - so this Danish group has its work cut out with regard to developing a more sophisticated and thoughtful lyrical approach and injecting a lot more hate and venom to compensate for the pace. When music is slow as this is, you risk losing momentum and listeners' attention.

Oh well, if Make a Change ... Kill Yourself don't succeed in their chosen field, they could always do work for an advertising agency whose clients are in the self-help publishing industry.


50/100


Buy here: http://www.blackscaped.de/product_info.php?ref=7&products_id=3163&affiliate_banner_id=1

Cormorant- Dwellings ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: December 6th, 2011
Type: Full-length
Label: Self-released/Independent
Country: United States
Genre: Progressive Folk/Black Metal

-written by todesengel89 of metal-archives.com

USA's Cormorant's past releases have caught the extreme metal scene by storm, with their debut EP and full-length album garnering critical acclaim through their unique fusion of various different extreme metal sub-genres. Dwellings sees the band continue in the direction where they have set off from, and their appreciation of different kinds of art-forms is evident from their album artwork, which incidentally was the first thing that caught my attention and piqued my curiousity regarding the music behind the artwork.

The opening riffs of The First Man already displays the folk influences that are present on the band's music, before the vocals of Arthur come in, with almost a sense of frenzy in his vocals, spitting out the lyrics to the songs with much rage and fury, but as the album progresses this makes him seem to only put on a false aggressive front, though this is certainly not something to complain about with the brilliance of the music that one is about to discover. Despite the pace that the band travels at, there is a weird sense of calm and peacefulness in the music as well that is displayed through the melodies of the songs. Unlike many other bands of similar genres, there is not much gain on the guitar, lacking the bite that most extreme metal bands utilise, but this helps in making the softer and more melodic passages on Dwellings more soothing and sincere. Vocalist Arthur also utilises different vocal approaches, depending on and adapting to what is going on in the background, ranging from extreme metal-styled growls and screams to clean vocals and whispers. The clean vocals that are present on songs like Funambulist remind listeners of such French bands as Amesoeurs and Alcest, with the pleasing vocal quality.

The music on Dwellings, as already mentioned, is mostly soothing and at times border on epic and atmospheric. For example, on Funambulist, the band takes a slowdown, focussing on producing a huge wall of sound with an almost fuzzy guitar tone. This is not to say that there aren't heavy moments on the album though, as songs like Junta sees the band slowing down their music even further to a doom-pace, with heavily palm-muted riffs and hard hits on the drums, displaying the heavier side of Cormorant. There are also slightly more upbeat moments on tracks like A Howling Dust as well.

Throughout the album, the various instruments are also noticed to be made use of fully, especially the rhythmic instruments such as the bass of Arthur, with the softer segments seeing the bass taking over the lead role. The guitar solos also seem to take the role of bringing out and accentuating the emotional aspects of the music, with the soaring tone of the guitars, and guitarists Matt and Nick letting their instruments wail, at times sounding as if they were mourning the passing of a close friend. Drummer Brennan displays his versatility as well, through the band's rapid switching between fast and slower moments, incorporating odd time signatures at the same time, yet never missing a single beat. The band's abilities on their instruments is perhaps most evident on the instrumental Confusion of Tongues.

The strength of the band's songwriting is such that even long tracks that range in the 10 minute region such as Funambulist and Unearthly Dreamings never fail to entertain and keep listeners enchanted, not only through the variations in the musical style in a single song, but also through the charismatic execution of the track, and the perfect amount of emotions that they have included in their music. With music as strong as such on Dwellings, it leaves one wondering why bands like Cormorant remained unsigned by major labels, but it could just as well remain so, considering the quality of the work that the band has managed to put out so far on their own, putting many other more recognised and more experienced bands to shame.

90/100

Baphomet- The Dead Shall Inherit (Test Pressing) ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: March 22nd, 1991
Type: Full-length
Label: Mayking Record
Country: United States
Genre: Death Metal

-written by dismember_marcin of metal-archives.com

DM MASTERPIECE, SADLY SO FORGOTTEN AND UNRELEASED

This feels really weird to have a chance to listen to completely different version of an album that you already have been familiar with for over 15 years. It’s like you’ve been cooking a food with specific recipe for some years and all of a sudden someone decided to put an extra ingredient to it… It’s still the same shit, but at the same time it may taste totally different. This press-testing of fabulous “Dead Shall Inherit” was done in 1991, made in 50 copies only and in many aspects it can be seen as just different album from Baphomet. Why? Well, four of these songs appear on both versions of the album, but most of them (six all together!!!) don’t – that’s already a good reason for finding this recording, isn’t it? And that’s quite a mystery to me – how many songs did Baphomet record in the studio during this one session in 1991 then? Sixteen – ten of them are on this version and ten, including six new ones, on the proper release??!! If so, why did they decide to leave so many songs behind and put six new tracks into the “real” “Dead Shall Inherit”? It's really confusing, so maybe someone can give me some answers here, cause I’d fuckin' like to know!? Of course, 50 copies that were pressed 20 years ago is not many, so if you want to listen to this test-pressing nowadays you can have only two options – and it’s either getting mp3 or tape trading… Or buying a bootleg LP, which I actually bought and I must say it’s really well released, with cool artwork, etc, maybe it only lacks a bit of information, but the sound quality is very good.

But the tracklisting of this test pressing is one thing, another reason for getting this version is simply because it sounds totally different than the “normal” “Dead Shall Inherit” LP. The sound difference is really big and as someone who knows shit about studio works, I’m pretty surprised that changing mastering and mixing can have such an effect on the music. Obviously the classic “Dead Shall Inherit” LP sounds totally more brutal, heavier, more “meaty” and professionally. This test-pressing from the other hand has a wonderful raw edge, which makes it so powerful that I just love it! To be honest with you, the production of “Dead Shall Inherit” is not my favourite one; it’s fine and good, but maybe a bit too polished, so here – with that raw, uncompromising sound - these songs got an extra flavour and energy. It's more or less like a demo, but with really merciless production. And the songs sound killer, in some cases maybe better that the actual album - and that's despite the more primitive feeling this recording has!!!

The blasting opener “Animation of the Dead”, followed by two of the highlights, “Infection of Death” and “Torn Soul” present a band that was by then fully matured and which had I think by that time their own style. Sure, it might resemble such acts like Cancer and even Cannibal Corpse or Suffocation, as all these groups perform brutal, but groovy death metal. But Baphomet has something unique in their sound that I think is just their own trademark. It could be easily recognised just by the characteristic vocals of Tom Frost, who growls like no one else! And also the riffs – they're total headbangers; they’re brutal and classic, often violently fast, sometimes massively slow, but many of them are so catchy and energetic that you won’t have other choice but just bang your skull without mercy and destroy everything that’s around you. Also the ever-present and active bass gives an additional feeling, as its barbaric tone is just amazing! In the end, I have to be honest with you – in my opinion this test-pressing of “Dead Shall Inherit” is maybe even better than the real album; it’s more fierce, more powerful and I like the sound better (mind that I still think that the real album version of “Dead…” is great anyway!). This is severe, damn intense album – just listen to “Broken Krypt” – it might be one of the fastest death metal tracks from that time! So, I can only feel saddened that so many great songs were left unreleased. I don’t know if they’ll ever be released again, but it would be damn cool to have a well released LP of it, not just a bootleg.

90/100

Banished- Banished ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: 1993
Type: Single
Label: Olympic Recordings
Country: United States
Genre: Death Metal

-written by dismember_marcin of metal-archives.com

KILLER EP

This is the first recording of Banished I've actually ever heard, and because I used to know Baphomet well for so many years, I was really intrigued if - as Banished - these Buffalo guys will still be able to rip the guts out in similar vein. I mean sometimes the change of the moniker can also bring the change of musical direction - whether it's wanted by the fans or not, or even necessary. Luckily Banished is basically the same band as Baphomet, in every aspect - the line up is the same, the sound and so is the musical style they perform on this fantastic EP. And trust me; if you liked the horror atmosphere of the brutal death metal monster "Dead Shall Inherit", then you will also love "Banished" EP.

Banished simply crushes with these two wonderful tracks – “Altered Minds” and “Cast Out the Flesh”. The first one is just very much in the style of such cult songs like “Torn Soul” or “Infection of Death”. “Cast Out the Flesh” has slightly different riffing, mostly little groovy, but in the end it all ends up in the brutal US death metal box – with its massive sound, downtuned guitars and fantastically pounding bass guitar. Tom Frost’s vocals are again top class, maybe not so deep anymore, but this guy did damn great job here. But here all Banished members did great job – whether it’s the drummer, bassist (COOL!!!) or guitarist. Everything’s so perfect that I really wonder why Banished never got as much attention as Suffocation or say Cannibal Corpse did. Well, that the past now, all what matters is that this EP is just fuckin’ great and it’s a lovely introduction to “Deliver Unto Pain” LP.


90/100

Anvil- Speed of Sound ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: February 1st, 1999
Type: Full-length
Label: Massacre Records
Country: Canada
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal

-written by autothrall of metal-archives.com

SOUND BARRIER'S GOT NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT HERE

Indifference and respect. Two words that, combined, defined my reaction and relationship to the 'mid period' of Canada's enduring metalsmiths Anvil. Loved that the band were continuing to craft their music with the same love and loyalty that they originated in their first decade of output, and loved that they were trampling on down the road and proudly shucking off whatever trends were flown into their faces, without ever seeming 'dated'. Just didn't love the actual songs they were writing. Speed of Sound is, unsurprisingly, a pretty direct extension of the sounds wrought from the two previous records, and yet, if set in the square circle against its Absolutely No Alternative, I believe this album would come out on top, forcing its predecessor to tap out in the third round.

That doesn't mean Speed of Sound is great, or even really good, but there are a few tunes here which even my jaded arse would have to admit to being catchy enough that I'd listen to them more often than anything from Absolutely... or Worth the Weight. The first is the title track, a chunky and pissed off track that represents their first return to the aerial theater since their classic "Winged Assassins". Granted, the "Speed of Sound" chorus is predictable, but I love the overt use of the wind and explosion samples, the solo sequences in the bridge and the way the guitars just dig into a moderate, mid-paced chugging power metal style. Robb Reiner lays the listener out flat, and even if there aren't any particular 'money riffs' it's a job well enough done that it breeds heightened anticipation for the rest of the rock. Another highlight was the cheesy but entertaining "No Evil" in which the band utilizes creepier riffs, atmospheric keys, bells and even some tremolo death metal riffing to exit their comfort zone for a 'haunted house' effect.

For the rest of the tracks, the label 'okay' would be the height of praise I could reward. You've got your signature sex anthems like the "Man Over Broad" (haw haw haw) and the "Mattress Mambo", but neither is much good musically apart from the clever use of the guitar in the outro of the latter to simulate the some creaking cot of coital ecstasy. Anvil continues to reel in the topical material with the child violence anthem "Blood in the Playground" and "Deadbeat Dad", but again, these are quite average arrangements of grooving power/thrash. Then there are a few here which are flat out dumb, like "Bullshit", "Secret Agent" and the domestic terrorist themed "Park That Truck", all of which might have about one and a half decent guitar riffs between them. Speed of Sound is mildly dirtier than it's predecessor, with a sodden, churning guitar tone. Lips is still centered on his lower range vocals circa Lemmy Kilminster, but he exhibits a wider range throughout the album, with a few glorious howls channeled straight from the 80s. Otherwise, this is admittedly interchangeable with either Absolutely No Alternative or Plugged in Permanent: competent, marginally entertaining, but never the band at its best.

67/100
Buy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000IB80?ie=UTF8&tag=encymetatheme-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00000IB80

Anvil- Absolutely No Alternative ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: 1997
Type: Full-length
Label: Massacre Records
Country: Canada
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal

-written by autothrall of metal-archives.com

IN TRUTH, THERE WERE FAR BETTER ALTERNATIVES

Absolutely No Alternative is just another one of those 90s era Anvil records which, while doing nothing particularly wrong, failed to further the band's influence and audience. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the band's overt, titular stance on the dregs of that decade which crippled metal music to begin with, but there is ultimately so little to distinguish this effort from its neighbours, nor does a single song from its selection belong on a career highlight reel. At the very least, this proved a cement lining for the Canadians' relationship with Massacre Records, which began with its predecessor and endured 'til Back to Basics in 2004. It was good for Anvil to have a home, but I'm not sure they ever capitalized on that security.

This was more or less Plugged in Permanent part II, the only differences being that the band dialed down the energy and enthusiasm a small fraction, and Lips stuck almost exclusively to his lower vocal range, leaving the impression that Anvil were going for a Canadian Motörhead vibe with a more complex (but less bad ass) palette for guitar composition. A handful of tracks here are engaging and fun musically, namely the chunk in the middle of the playlist that includes "Hair Pie" and "Rubber Neck", but nothing really leaves a lasting impact. There are a great deal of strutting, grooving guitars performed at fairly explosive speeds, with an enormous influence from the boogie of 70s hard rock and its evolution into the NWOBHM sound, but you'll also hear a consistent undercurrent of primal, thrashing patterns that the band had always manifested, even in their formative early 80s material. That said, so few of them are arranged into unique or memorable patterns that when something DOES, like the bright, atonal chords woven into the song "Green Jesus", they really make me pine for an Anvil that would stretch itself further...

Not all THAT much further, but whenever this band waxes creatively, it shines through their tendency towards drab, light-hearted predictability. I also found the lyrics throughout the album to be a strange, subdued contradiction. It's not that the Canadians haven't always flaunted their silly sex themes alongside the more serious contemporary issues, but it just seems so bizarre to have social themes like "Hero by Death" and "Black or White" pressed up against more lovingly exploitative titles like "Show Me Your Tits" or "Red Light". I mean, I like breasts and vaginas as much as the next guy, if not more, and Kudlow and the gang are obviously not attempting to flaunt misogyny, but I guess I just never noticed how much of a contrast it creates within the space of an album. That aside, this is stock Anvil for the period. Great drums, goofy lyrics, competent leads, decent bass lines, a handful of riffs that will whip the listener into a headbanging frenzy: all too easily forgotten within an hour or so of the experience.

65/100

Buy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000C30C?ie=UTF8&tag=encymetatheme-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00000C30C

Pantommind- Shade of Fate ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: December 22nd, 2005
Type: Full-length
Label: Sensory
Country: Bulgaria
Genre: Progressive Metal

-written by kluseba of metal-archives.com

A PROGRESSIVE MASTERPIECE THAT TOUCHES YOUR SOUL

Pantommind are a very calm, chilling and talented progressive rock or metal band from Bulgaria and I stumbled over their two albums by pure coincidence. The band sounds a little bit like early Dream Theaterand also reminds a little bit of Yes or Pendragon. The band focuses on the melodies and instruments and sometimes the songs could have made it on a movie score without the glimpse of a doubt. The mood of the record is a dreamy melancholy but everything sounds so light and positive that this record will still put a smile on your face.

The sound is dominated by very warm keyboard sounds that create a magic atmosphere in connection with the melodic and soft vocals, the beautiful guitar harmonies, a smooth but present bass guitar and a laid back drumming. Shade Of Fate is the perfect soundtrack to escape from reality, dream and fall asleep in peace. This is a refreshing alternative to all those technically perfect but emotionally dumb fast paced progressive metal bands. As highlights, I might point out the two epic tracks "The Final Line" that could have been on Dream Theater's legendary Images And Words as well as the catchy and "Why" that has a very atmospheric space middle part reminding me of Ayreon and a completely crazy metal guitar solo. The Bulgarian band even beats its own idols as every song on this record is interesting and follows a clear structure and musical mood. This is the kind of record you have to listen to as a whole and where it's hard to pick out any songs.

In the end, metal maniacs may have some problems to approach this calm and atmospheric record but they should invest some time and patience as this album is definitely a grower. Fans of Dream Theater don't have the choice to hail this record. Progressive rock fans may even like this release more and should be satisfied that this kind of magic music still exists nowadays. This record is definitely one of my luckiest choices in the last months and has gained a very special place in my collection. I'm deeply impressed by this profound record and even if it presents nothing really new after all it is simply perfectly executed and touches my soul like almost no other album. This was love at first sight for me and proves me that there are still many outstanding bands to be discovered in the world of rock and metal music after so many years.


98/100

Buy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007ZEOU0?ie=UTF8&tag=encymetatheme-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0007ZEOU0

Anvil- Anthology of Anvil ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: November 21st, 2000
Type: Compilation
Label: Metal Blade Records
Country: Canada
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal

-written by autothrall of metal-archives.com

DON'T EVEN LOOK TWICE AT IT

It had to happen sooner or later, and I'm surprised it took as long as it did, but at last, the very first official Anvil compilation arrived through Metal Blade, their former imprint through the later 80s. I mean, we all know just how much anticipation the band's audience had built up to hear songs that they already owned, right? Oh wait, no, because the only fans that would snap up such a release as this would be those interested in rarities, unheard live cuts and previously unreleased recordings that actually justify its existence. Curiously enough, Anthology of Anvil provides none of these. What it does is grant the purchaser nearly 80 minutes of sloppy seconds, or rather, tracks that are best experienced in their native album environs.

Face it, this was nearly a decade before their documentary flick thrust them briefly into the spotlight they had only glimpsed at in the earlier 80s, and the Canadians were in no way a hot commodity. The diehard following was divided between a group of devoted old schoolers who already own the Anvil albums, and perhaps a small handful of newcomers who were ahead of the curve in that 80s heavy metal nostalgia which has since exploded. There was absolutely no reason to release a collection of redundancies like this one apart from scraping a few bucks. I'll give Metal Blade credit that they've managed to include cuts from each of the band's 9 studio full-lengths to its day, and even one selection from the live record. Perhaps some snappy licensing maneuvers were involved there, but in the end the result is the same: repackaged content with no clear incentive for a purchase.

Yeah, they include a lot of the band's best songs: "Metal on Metal", "Blood on the Ice", "School Love", "Forged in Fire (live)", "Mothra", "Winged Assassins" and "March of the Crabs" all deserve their slots on this roster. For the newer stuff, not so much. "Speed of Sound" and "Smokin' Green" I can see fitting here, but then there are a few others like "Bushpig" and "Doctor Kevorkian" that don't really belong (even if the latter had a video). You're looking at an average of about 2 tracks per album, so it might even come off as a decent sampler: if it were free or at some heavily discounted price (like a dollar). At the full price of a record? Fuck no. An absolute, el Gigante fuck no. With the advent of the internet, I'm sure you can stream just about every song on this disc somewhere...you even could in 2000. There's your sampler. For anyone who actually cares about this band, buy their albums on tour. Or some merch. Give them something of value to them, and get something in return. Track down the old 80s vinyls. I have a few of them, and they're sweet. Anthology of Anvil is just another coin-spinning emblem of commercial emptiness, a void to avoid.

0/100

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Ancient Dome- Perception of this World ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: September 2010
Type: Full-length
Label: Punishment 18 Records
Country: Italy
Genre: Thrash Metal

-written by hells_unicorn of metal-archives.com

A BIT BLEAKER, AND A BIT BETTER

Many nations have offered impressive bands up to the welcoming arms of metal thrashing mad crowds, but to my own recollection few have come from the Italian peninsula (a place better known for its power and black metal scenes). Nevertheless, exceptions are always possible, and Ancient Dome proves to be a fairly impressive one. While largely coinciding with a renewed interest in the retro-thrash style, they've carved out their own niche that is a bit different from the typical revivalist outfit. A smattering of sci-fi alongside a bleak view of the future lyrically (the latter of these two approaches a fairly common thing in the later 80s when thrash metal became "environmentally conscious") and a middle of the road mid 80s, head cutting speed/thrash approach meets a slightly progressive, melodic later 80s hybrid is what makes this band tick, and they appear to be getting better at keeping the second hand of the metallic clock moving.

"Perception Of This World" ups the ante from its predecessor one year prior "The Human Key" by taking a slightly leaner and meaner approach. This becomes all but immediately apparent as a brief introduction that sounds almost like a fragment of a song that could have been on "Eternal Nightmare" leads into a thick, heavy monster of a thrasher in "Liar". While this band has had a number of particularly good songs both on this album and the previous one, this particular number channels just about every positive element of the Bay Area scene and builds up around a principle riff that is somewhat along the lines of an early Iced Earth song. Similarly hard hitting crushers emerge in "When Day Dies..." and "Confused Certainty", though dressed up with some more consonant lead guitar elements that somewhat remind a slight bit of the latter progressive era of Death (particularly "Symbolic").

The area where this album does a little bit better than its predecessor is in the songwriting and production department. While there was a good collection of straight up thrashers to this band’s approach on “Human Key”, they tended to be a little bit hampered when trying to slow things up and develop a more melodic approach that conforms to recent trends in the style. The strongest example is the somewhat ballad oriented and epically bent title song, which definitely draws some elements from the progressive side of the style that has been developing since the early 90s. It starts out with a drawn out and dreary intro that eventually builds up to a furious ride of speeding riffs and even an occasional death metal bark chime in to accompany Paolo’s shrill, gritty shout. Put on top of this a more spacey atmosphere to the lead guitar sound, which is actually quite reminiscent of Chuck Schuldiner’s work on later Death albums, and a multifaceted approach becomes not only a good addition, but equally as strong as the standard meat and potatoes.

There is a good amount to be heard on here, a lot of it heard before, but not quite in this peculiar variation. The production factor comes off as fairly textbook, other than the lead guitar sound which definitely paints a cosmic foreground over what is otherwise a plain, steel bound slate. The songwriting is solid, mixing things up a little bit, but not forgetting that barring the occasional token epic, things need to be digestible for the target audience. This is music that you can wreck your neck to, but also contemplate a possible future to. It doesn’t fully break out to the point of upstaging the large array of thrash metal bands pouring into the scene of late, but Ancient Dome definitely could use some love, and they’ll be getting more from me as their sound develops, metal willing.


80/100

Deicide- Legion ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: June 9th, 1992
Type: Full-length
Label: Roadrunner Records
Country: United States
Genre: Death Metal

-written by Orbitball of metal-archives.com

Probably the best Deicide release ever. Legion is captivating with its energy, its evil, Glen Benton's vocal outbursts, its technicality in songwriting and creativity. This is one album you can never get sick of no matter how many times that you play it. It doesn't fall short on any aspect. The Hoffman brothers shine on the rhythm/lead guitars and Steve putting forth a solid spot behind the drum set. All musicians put forth their best effort and this album is without errors from any aspects. Simply amazing.

The music is pure death metal oriented with anti-Christian lyrics that fit along with the guitars. Both guitarists constructed some riffs that were truly unbelievably awesome on every aspect. The rhythms are heavy palm muted chords and notes that are hyper fast and technical. They're in standard guitar tuning on this one and it fit perfectly with the music. All songs deserve praise because they're so amazing, technical and demonic. Everything from a death metal oriented release that can't possibly go wrong, "Legion" tops it all.

Some of my favorite tracks are "Trifixion" "Holy Deception" and "Revocate The Agitator" because they're the most noteworthy. Glen spews forth another demonic effort like their debut, though their debut he sounded possessed. I'd say that the guitars are the best feature to this release. No Deicide album can replicate such songs with originality and precision. They all fit together perfectly and the leads are high quality and fast as all hell. After this album, the band got a bit lazy from a songwriting standpoint. Nothing can surpass this one.

Glen's lyrics feature one of the most Satanic ones that are pretty much like their debut. Better songwriting then their debut though. "Legion" has everything that is needed from a death metal band. It's mixing, production and sound quality are top notch. You can hear all of the instruments and vocals didn't drown out the music. They pretty much augmented it. There were some backup screams and spoken words on "Trifixion". But for the most part, Glen's vocals are still low, demonic and scream oriented. He's a true lunatic of God's creation.

If you're looking for the proper death metal to pick up that's a sheer classic, "Legion" is it. Nothing falls short here. No laziness in the songwriting. The musicians put forth their best, most technical and killing music ever heard. If you don't have this release, you're definitely missing out because "Legion" is Deicide at it's best and most skilled. Quality, fast, furious and evil. This album captures it all. Nothing in Deicide's discography can top this one, not even their craziest debut release. Pick it up ASAP if you haven't already. Get ready for some amazingly Satanic death metal!


100/100

Buy here: http://www.noremorse.gr/product_info.php?products_id=27107

Horna/Behexen- Horna/Behexen ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: July 2004
Type: Split
Label: Autistiartili Records
Country: Finland
Genre: Black Metal

-written by WSinned90 of metal-archives.com

This is one fantastic split. Containing probably the best material I have heard from both bands.

Horna starts off with their four tracks of primitive yet chaotic and hypnotizing hymns, Corvus vocals are insane on this release, and probably the best I have ever heard him perform, he is insanely hysterical on this recording. The music itself is also the best Horna I have ever heard, the songs are so fucking aggressive, old school, but still it is original and have a fresh sound. Corvus vocals of course takes the aggression to a much higher level than the music would with a more normal sounding vocalist, so thumbs up to him for giving this release that extra violence and insanity. There is not one single second where these four songs begin to shake or loses my attention, you cannot help but be embraced by it.

As soon as Behexen's part starts you know that you are in for a special treat, it is very different from the material on the two full-lenght albums, here they have a much more melancholic and beautiful yet evil and dark sound. This shit completely embraces you, and you are getting on your way to another world, you can just feel your mind slip away, simply amazing. Hoath Torog's vocals fits the music extremely well, he uses pretty much the same voice as we have come to know, but they feel more controlled here, which makes the atmosphere fantastic. Behexen also have that old school vibe, but the production is not raw at all, it is nowhere near the raw production that was on "By the Blessing of Satan", that was a good choice, since the production here fits the music, and makes the atmosphere so intense. Again with Behexen's part I can not find one tiny second of weakness, and this is in my opinion the best recording this band has ever made and probably will make.

I don't think that more words are needed, just buy this release and let it embrace you. From the violent aggression accompanied by the hysterical loud screams of Corvus to the melancholic and evil atmosphere by Behexen.


95/100

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Abigor- Verwustung/Invoke the Dark Age ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: November 1st, 1994
Type: Full-length
Label: Napalm Records
Country: Austria
Genre: Black Metal

-written by WSinned90 of metal-archives.com

This release possess so much feeling and fantastic musicianship, this is in other words very well executed black metal. If you only like raw necro sounding black metal, then I would not suggest this band to you. These are fucking great musicians, they know exactly how to play their instruments and are very talented, both at composing music and performing it. That is definitely something one will notice listening to this band, even on this, their very first album...Hell you will even notice it on the demo tapes when you have get passed the raw quality!

The music is quite melodic, yet very dark and sinister. Sometimes it also possess a very melancholic and beautiful feeling and atmosphere, take for example the song "Weeping Midwintertears" or "In Sin". As far as I know Abigor have never really used bass, and that makes them have a very special sound, which is based on multiple guitar layers. On this recording there is also a decent handful of acoustic guitars, sometimes mixed with the distorted guitars, sometimes standing alone. Now you probably think, no bass?? what the fuck!? this must be some necro sounding shit. No, not at all, actually the production is perfectly clear on this release. And that is what makes Abigor's sound so special, normally bands that do not use bass have that necro sound, Abigor have a production where everything is audible, and that is what makes their sound so special in my opinion. And that counts for all of their releases! Besides of all these multiple guitar layers there is T.T. perfect drum playing, he is, without any doubt the most underrated black metal drummer in the whole fucking WORLD!! He is so tight and makes so fucking fantastic fills, and his drums always fits 100% procent with the riffs, which are also very complex. Abigor has never been a band for fun, these guys are very serious, and you can hear that everything is thought through and is something they have worked very hard on.

On top of this hellish music you have Silenius on vocals, this man is a complete madman, I really dig his vocals, they are simply fantastic. To describe his vocals would be, that they are very hysteric, sinister and depraved, this man screams like if he was in the flames of Hell, tormented by them, but still it is his eternal desire to be there, tormented in eternity. I can only think of one vocalist that I can compare a bit to this man, and that would be Henke Forss of Dawn and Niden Div. 187, they both have that hysterical, depraved and tormented voice, bot do not misunderstand my words, they both have their very own unique voice, and could by no means be mistaken for each other. I only write this to give you a little idea about the vocals Silenius performs.

I would recommend this to people who really like serious black metal, that is very well played and where the musicians actually use their skills. Abigor has always been one of the most skilled bands in this scene and have never done two similar recordings, except from some of the demo tapes.

The spirit is here, the lyrics are good, the music is fantastic executed, the vocals are insane and very powerful and the atmosphere is amazing. So I would suggest that you add this to your collection as soon as possible!


100/100

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Abigor- In Memory... ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: August 28th, 2000
Type: EP
Label: Napalm Records
Country: Austria
Genre: Black Metal

-written by WSinned90 of metal-archives.com

I really think that this is a must have for Abigor fans, you will see some other sides of Abigor on this one, as well as hear interesting versions of other songs.

The compilation starts off with two cover tracks, one cover of Kreator and one of Slayer. This is definitely not what someone would expect from this band. On the other side I can not think of one cover song I would imagine this band do. They start off with the Kreator cover of "Terrible Certainty", it starts with an intro before blasting away, Abigor of course performs the instruments perfectly and I still get a little bit of an Abigor vibe hearing this song, after the solo you also get a little hysteric scream, nice!

Next up is the Slayer "Crionics" cover, again they have maken a little intro and this song also got an Abigor vibe and is performed perfectly. The vocals are not as good as in "Terrible Certainty" in my opinion, but not that it matters so much, they do not destroy the song and I enjoy the music. Also of note is that Thurisaz handles the vocals on these two cover songs and not Silenius, I would have preferred to hear the songs with Silenius on vocals, that could have made the songs a hell of a lot more unique I think, but unfortunately that is not the case.

Next up is the re-recording of the demo track "Shadowlord", this version originally appeared on a compilation released by Napalm Records in 1995 called "With Us Or Against Us". The song starts with Silenius hysteric screams and the production is very clear, similar too "Verwüstung / Invoke the Dark Age", but with a bit more thick production. It is interesting to hear this song as it has been improved a lot since the original demo recording, also it is a pleasure to hear it with Silenius on vocals. I really like the original demo recording of the track, but I think that I prefer this version a bit more.

Then comes a rehearsal version of "Crimson Horizons and Ashen Skies", this is definitely the most interesting track on this release because of two reasons. The first reason is because I think that this song when appearing on "Opus IV" is one of the best Abigor tracks, second because that it differs a lot from the version you have heard on "Opus IV". The way the song is arranged is a lot different, some riffs are different and especially the vocal arrangement is a hell of a lot different, this makes for a very interesting experience and I actually like this version very much. I must however say that I like the version on "Opus IV" more, since I think that the arrangements of the song are more wise and more powerful. However this is a rehearsal version, with extra added guitar layers of course, and that is interesting to hear. It is also interesting to read the lyrics to this version and see the energy and power they create here. But the vocal arrangement on the "Opus IV" recording is definitely a lot more powerful.

Last we have a rough instrumental version of the song "Verwüstung" from "Apokalypse", this version does not differ musically from the version found on "Apokalypse", but it is very interesting to hear the material in a more raw version, since it is the most primitive Abigor release and therefor it actually suits the music good. But I prefer the production on "Apokalypse".

This is a pretty essential release if you really dig Abigor, it is not essential if you are not much into their music and it is definitely not a good place to start your Abigor collection, I would suggest that you try out "Verwüstung / Invoke the Dark Age", "Opus IV" or "Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom)" out first insted if you want to explore their dark art.


80/100

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Abigor- Apokalypse ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: April 14th, 1997
Type: EP
Label: Napalm Records
Country: Austria
Genre: Black Metal

-written by WSinned90 of metal-archives.com

This release sees Abigor with a more primitive and aggressive sound than we have come to know, gone are the beautiful melancholic melodies and all you get here is pure fucking violent aggression. Of course the music is not that primitive when all comes to all, but it is definitely more primitive than what Abigor has released up to this release. I actually don't think that Abigor are capable of composing truely primitive music.

The production fits the music perfect, it is not to clean and it is not to raw. Everything is audible and the production have a really dark and sinister edge. You can definitely hear that this is Abigor, no doubt about that, the riffs and melodies are like only Abigor can perform them! But it is a bit more stripped down to the bone than what they normally do.

If you have heard "Opus IV", then you know that Silenius started to use a really dark and hellish voice, it was not that much present on that release, but on this one that is almost the only one you get and it is really brutal, sinister and effective, it fits the music perfect in other words! You still get some of the tormented, hysteric screams, but it is the other style that is the most present and dominates this slap of violence the most. He sounds like a madman that is possessed on this release, my favourite performance must be on the track "Tu es diaboli juna".

This is a really violent, aggressive and sinister release, it last for 17:21, which is a perfect length for such a release. For me personally this one is in league with Zyklon-B "Blood Must Be Shed" and Niden Div. 187 "Towards Judgement" and "Impergium", and if you dig those releases then I would strongly suggest that you check this one out.

100/100

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Krisiun- Bloodshed ALBUM REVIEW

Release date: October 18th, 2004
Type: EP
Label: Century Media Records
Country: Brazil
Genre: Death Metal

-written by Noktorn of metal-archives.com

EVEN THE COVER IS SIMPLE

I suppose the politically correct word for bands like Krisiun these days is "consistent"; I saw them once opening for Behemoth and Morbid Angel, and while I can't tell you what song they played, it was a pretty good one. I was just surprised by it being a half hour long...

Krisiun does not thrive on variation or experimentation- they have, like many bands before them, arrived at a relatively simple formula and take pride in sticking with it. With the high-minded aspirations of Jungle Rot and the expansive musical pallet of Bolt Thrower, the band has for over twenty years now firmly stuck to the "less is more" philosophy which is written all over their music. They get points for perfection of a certain aesthetic, I suppose; while it's essentially impossible to tell one Krisiun track from another, I can't say I've heard one which actually strikes me as bad. The lexicon of blast beats and tremolo riffs is a small but elegant one, and Krisiun proves that you can do a lot with the two- a lot of the same, certainly, but a lot.

"Bloodshed" is some sort of mixture of unreleased tracks and a handful of songs from the earlier "Unmerciful Order" EP- it's not entirely clear what the goal is, and I'm hardly interested enough to start researching, but compilation or not, the music comes across with basically the same impression no matter how many years between songs might have elapsed. For those who haven't heard Krisiun: a death metal version of norsecore, perhaps, or Vader stripped of the lingering thrash influence. Rivers of blast beats endlessly flow alongside equally endless amounts of tremolo riffing, only occasionally breaking the perpetual breakneck tempo for a martial rhythmic stomp or needling solo. The gruff, half-shouted, half-growled vocals command the listener into battle, and... eh, I'm running out of clever imagery. Krisiun plays very fast, very intense (but not "brutal") death metal that's generally pretty one-dimensional but without the artsy implications you can read into something like Enmity. It's probably the most extreme and monodimensional music an oldschool death metal fan could claim to like.

None of it's bad simply because it doesn't really have enough personality or chances taken to BE bad- Krisiun know how to write tremolo riffs and blast beats and stick to that formula with such dedication that no chance for a bug in the system to arise ever emerges. The riffs are solid, mostly dissonant or hellishly melodic numbers, like a mixture of mid-era Cannibal Corpse and a straightened-out Morbid Angel, the drums are... consistent, and the vocals monotonously angry enough to meet my approval. It's as straightforward as death metal gets, and its lack of frills both prevents it from developing a personality and prevents it from ever stumbling.

My summary, which can be applied to basically any Krisiun release: fun for a while, grating by the end of the album, probably worth a purchase if you find it for under $5.


60/100

Buy here: http://www.noremorse.gr/product_info.php?products_id=7850