| MUSIC REVIEWS (April 2002) |
| AHHHHHHHHHH!/THE GRAPE APES - SPLIT (20 song cassette) PURE HATRED RECORDS This is a split release by two really weird, some what experimental bands. The first 14 songs are by the band AHHHHHHHHH!. These guys play a really raw, sick, noisy style of Death Metal. Most of the songs are some what decent, but are covered with Noise! They do a lot of cover songs by bands like METALLICA, VENOM, THE EXPLOITED, SLAYER, BLACK SABBATH & even THE ROLLING STONES. There is also 1 live song on here as well. The last 6 songs are from the band THE GRAPE APES. This band is also a very raw noisy experimental band. These guys throw in some Electronica influences with effects on the vocals. Most of the music moves at a fast pace with high pitched screaming vocals. These two bands sound almost a like. I think it may actually be the same guys, just under diffrent names.- P.O. BOX 23215 / BELLEVILLE, IL. 62223 / PUREHATREDRECORDS@HOTMAIL.COM AMORPHIS - AM UNIVERSUM (10 song CD) RELAPSE RECORDS This is the fith album release from one of the best bands to emerge out of Finland! The only proof you need is one listen to this release. It comes as a surprise for these guys to be on RELAPSE, cause they stand out from the majority of their bands. The band should be well known to most people reading this by now, but for those very few, I shall try & give them justice as best as I can. They play a well thought out & structured style of Hard Rock & Metal mixed. There is a huge scale of directions their music takes, all performed with perfect persission. There are some majestic melodies & beautiful passages to project you into new realms. The vocals have a Progressive sound to them, but flavored with some Goth influences. The music itself runs the spectrum of Hard Rock, Progressive, Heavy Metal & even touches of Death Metal. This is one band that can be put into just about any catagory of Metal music & sit at the top with ease! - www.AMORPHIS.com ANASARCA - DISCOGRAPHY 1994-1997 (7 song CD) SECOND NATURE Wow! This is the 1st time I've heard this band. They play a very Jazzed up fussion style of hardcore music. This is a collection of all the songs the band recorded before they disbanded. They have an old school Hardcore sound, especially in the vocals. They remind me a little of THE ACCUSSED, but better structured & more involved songs. There is a really cool grooving bass sound through out the whole release as well. This was actually my favorite part of the band. They remind me of a more Hardcore version of CANDIRIA & DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN mixed!!! - ANASARCA@PLANARIAINC.COM ANI DEFRANCO - REVELLING/RECKONING (29 song 2 CD set) RIGHTEOUS BABE RECORDS Well, let's see. What can I say about Ani & her wonderful music you haven't heard before? Probably nothing. This is a 2 CD set of some amazing & different sounding music from Ani. Through out this 2 disc set she deals with complexities of romance, family, urban life, the passing of time & lots more. She covers all areas of music she is known for & some she isn't. There is solo guitar work, instrumental pieces, spoken word, Blues, Alternative, Classic, Rock & more. Half the songs here are all done by her alone & the other half features her live band. This is by far the best I've ever heard from Ani. You get to experience her music from all aspects. Ani is the truest meaning of what an artist is!!! - P.O. BOX 95 / ELLICOTT STATION / BUFFALO, NY. 14205-0095 / INFO@RIGHTEOUSBABE.COM / www.RIGHTEOUSBABE.com ANNO DAEMONICUS - OBSCURITY IN THE ANCIENT OAKS (2 song CD) This is a 2 song promo CD from this dark Black Metal band out of Maine. The 1st song is called "To Encounter The Woodland Spirit". The 2nd song is an instrumental piece. The music is very dark & spiritual sounding Black Metal. There is some mystical & atmospherical sounds mixed in with some deep Black Metal aggression. The vocals are done in a groggy Death Metal style with some lower more Goth like vocals tossed in. They describe their music as being inspired by the enviroment for which we live. This is exactly the feeling you get from just one listen. I really enjoyed this promo a lot & can't wait to check out the full release! - 697 SAWYER ROAD / GREENE, MAINE 04236 / AMAYMON@HOTMAIL.COM / www.ANNODAEMONICUS.com ANTIFREEZE - FOUR LETTER WORDS (14 song CD) KUNG FU RECORDS This is the bands debut release on KUNG FU RECORDS. Originally from Appleton, Wi. (now Austin, Tx.) these guys play some powerful Pop Punk music. The music is fast paced driving Punk music with a really good upbeat sound. The vocals have a little touch of a melodic sound that is sometimes harsh & aggressive sounding. The singer almost reminds me of a less obnoxious version of RANCID's singer. I really liked the grooving sound the band has all through the disc. This is some great Punk Rock music that fits in perfectly with all of the other KUNG FU RECORDS bands. If your a fan of this label, you're gonna love ANTIFREEZE!!! - P.O. BOX 7065 / APPLETON, WI. 54912-7056 / ATARIFREEZE@AOL.COM / www.ANTIFREEZEonline.com ARISE FROM THORNS - ...BEFORE AN AUDIENCE OF STARS... (14 song CD) DARK SYMPHONIES RECORDS This is a re-release of this Virginia based band's 2nd self-financed CD. This CD blew me away! This band is extremely amazing. They play Progressive, Acoustic diverse music with lots of melodic & atmospheric sounds. To add to this diversity there are male & female vocals. Michelle's vocals are so powerful & dynamic that they sweep you away to another world in there music. The music has almost a classical world music sound to it. It goes in many directions, but all stays in the circle of majestic & beautiful passages. This is not one of my favorite styles of music, but I loved this band! They sound like a band to come out of a European country. The band has since changed their name to BRAVE!!! Check them out! - www.BRAVEmusic.com AUTUM TEARS - PROMOTIONAL COMPILATION (14 song CD) DARK SYMPHONIES RECORDS This is a compilation CD for the band AUTUM TEARS. This compilation contains songs from the entire AUTUM TEARS catalog. This release was put together to introduce the music of AUTUM TEARS to people who have never heard them before. This band plays haunting Neo-Classical music with dark orchestral & dramatic elements. There are influences from Goth, Death & Black Metal music styles present in their sound. They incorporate somber passages, enchanting vocals & medieval melodies. This band really makes you escape into their musical world & not want to come back. This 3 piece is truly amazing! I loved every aspect of this band. Everyone should pick this CD up!!! BELFEGOR - THE KINGDOM OF GLACIAL PLACES (12 song CD) WORLD WAR III RECORDS Damn!!! This is some heavy ass music! This has got to be the most intense & amazing Black/Death Metal band to ever emerge out of Poland! The music is terrorizingly fast & just plows you over with a blasting attack of Metal mayhem. The music is played at high speed & is super tight! There is a distant chilling sound that lurks in the background of this bands music. It's a dark evilness that freezes you & pulls you in. The vocals are mid to low range Death/Black growls. They have a harsh grittiness to them. These guys are the new generation of what Black Metal is all about! This master piece should be every Black Metal fans music collection!!! CATHEDRAL - ENDTYME (9 song CD) EARACHE RECORDS After 10 years since the bands start, they emerge with another great album. I was never a huge fan of this band. I've always tried to get into them, but never could. That is, until now! This, in my opinion, is the bands best album to date. Their music has a real Doom & Sludge type sound to it. There is the feeling of a cosmic space journey in the music as well. It's as if they took all the best stuff in music from the 60's all the way to the present times, rolled it all up & came up with this album. You can hear influences from all these eras in their sound! The vocals are a muddy sounding Metal style almost like THE MELVINS, CROWBAR & MONSTER MAGNET all mixed into one. If your a fan of their past albums, your gonna love this album!!! |