| MUSIC REVIEWS April 2005 |
| 10 WAYS... - COMPILATION (34 song CD) This is a promo copy of this two CD set compilation. There are 34 songs total with 10 different bands. The bands include DETRIMENTAM, SERRATED SCALPEL, GODLESS, ULCERATE, MYNDSNARE, MISERY, TERMINAL DESCENT, INGURGITATING OBLIVION, ASCENDANCY & RASPATUL. All the bands play in the extreme Death Metal style. I've herad of some of these bands, but was newely exposed to some of them. The CD comes with a CD-Rom section containg band biography's pictures, contact addresses & more!!! |
| ASTARTE - SIRENS (11 song CD) MAGICK RECORDS This is the brand new album from the Greek Black Metal queens ASTARTE! This is an all female Black Metal group. This is my first time hearing this band & I am quite impressed. They have a mix of old school & new school Black metal elements. There are some really fast all out brutal & hellish parts along with some slower, more melodic & atmospheric parts. The vocals are done in a mid ranged hallowed Black/Death Metal type growls. These females are more evil & better than most male Black Metal bands. This one is well worth picking up!!! - ASTARTE_tristessa@yahoo.com / maria_tristessa@yahoo.com www.ASTARTE.site.cjb.net |
| BESTIAL DEVASTATION - SORES, BLOOD & PUS (7 song CD) Self Released BESTIAL DEVASTATION come from the pits of hell in Italy playing some super sick Gore Metal. The music is built around a Death Metal base, but there is tons of Gore, Grind, Thrash & even a pinch of Doom tossed on top. The music is insanely intense & chaotic sounding & brutal as fuck! The vocals are done in a very low vomitous Death growl that is spewing forth more gore!!! If your a gore whore then your gonna love these guys!!! - BESTIALDEVASTATION666@hotmail.com |
| DENEB - A PATH WITHOUT DESTINATION (11 song CD) Self Released DENEB emerges from Poland & play some really good Death Metal music. These guys have a really thick solid brutal Death Metal sound. The music is done in a new school style with some touches of old school thrown in. Their sound is very technical sounding at times. The vocals are a dual assault of low end Death growls as well as mid ranged Death screams. These guys are hyper intense sounding & very good! This is a must for all Death heads!!! - UL. PLEBISCYTOWA 29 / 44-200 RYBNIK / POLAND bible-basher@wp.pl / www.DENEB.metal.pl |
| DOOM SYNDICATE - BEYOND SALVATION (9 song CD) ROTTING CORPSE RECORDS DOOM SYNDICATE play some very heavy Death Metal music. They do blend in a few other styles of Metal into their sound as well. The foundation of their sound is Death Metal & they blend in elements of Doom, Black & Thrash Metal for some flavoring. They have a good balance of old school & new school Death Metal. The vocals are a mix of one being low end Death growls & the other higher pitched Death screams. These guys are extremely good & need to be checked out!!! - www.DOOMSYNDICATE.com (Available through BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS) |
| ICARUS WITCH - ROSES ON WHITE LACE (5 song CD) MAGICK RECORDS Hailing from Pitssburgh, Pennsylvania, this Metal four piece is set to bring true 80's Heavy Metal back to the front of the Metal scene. These guys have a very traditional Metal sound, with lots of very good song arrangements. The music is in the vein of such greats as DIO, JUDAS PRIEST, QUEENSRYCHE, IRON MAIDEN & BLACK SABBATH. If this isn't a great combo I don't know what is. The vocals are done in a clean Traditional Metal style. They are a cross between JUDAS PRIEST & QUEENSRYCHE. All I have to say is you must buy this disc!!! - 3318 SYLVAN ROAD / PITTSBURGH, PA. 15102 www.ICARUSWITCH.com |
| JAMES LABRIE - ELEMENTS OF PERSUASION (12 song CD) INSIDE OUT MUSIC / SPV This is the third solo album, but first under his own name, of DREAM THEATER vocalist James Labrie. This disc is a bit different from DREAM THEATER's Progressive Rock sound. This album is more of a straight forward style. There are some really technical & Progressive sounds all through out though. There are some heavy aggressive Thrash or Speed Metal elements as well. The vocals are done in some melodic Power, Thrash styles with some harsh Thrash ones tossed in. I'm not a huge fan of DREAM THEATER, but I really enjoyed this disc a lot!!! - www.JAMESLABRIE.com |
| LINCOLN LOVE LOG - ILLNOISE 2 PIECE BBQ (14 song CD) BLACK HOLE PRODUCTIONS My boys are back with another great release. These guys play intense Grindcore/Noise/Death Metal music all balled into one mass of anger. The music is really crunchy & has a lot of adrenaline to it. The vocals are actually done in a harsh, throaty Black Metal style. These guys have it all. LINCOLN LOVE LOG is one of my favorite bands in the underground today. This release contains unreleased shit, tracks from a 3 way split & tracks off some of their demo CDs. Check these fuckers out bitches!!! - P.O. BOX 1247 / FREEPORT, IL. 61032 metzger@peoplepc.com / http://LINCOLNLOVELOG.home.insightbb.com |
| MALSTROM - OBLIGATED BY OBSCURITY (5 song CD) Self Released This is the newest EP release from this New York based Metal band. These guys base the foundation of thier music in Thrash Metal, but add lots of other Metal influences to help energize their sound. There are many elements of Death, Power & Progressive as well as some Hardcore touches. The music is quite technical sounding & sways back & forth between melodic Power Thrash & Death Thrash. The vocals also cross into thrash, Hardcore & Death Metal. These guys are quite good & should be signed!!! - MALSTROMband@hotmail.com / www.MALSTROM.net |
| MERIS - SELF TITLED (3 song CD) Self Released MERIS is a four piece Metal band out of the San Francisco Bay Area. These guys have a great Thrash sound That the Bay Area is known for. These guys toss in some melodic Thrash parts as well as some really shredding Thrash parts. Their sound is some what technical too & they are in no way your typical Thrash Metal band. At times, when the bass was grooving they reminded me of MUDVAYNE or SYSTEM OF A DOWN. The vocals are done in a half harsh & half melodic Thrash style with them swaying back & forth between the two. These guys are good & these 3 songs just left me wanting more!!! - P.O. BOX 912 / PLEASANTON, CA. 94566 sean@MERISband.com / www.MERISband.com |
| METAL MESSAGE COMPILATION - VOLUME #1 (12 song CD) METAL MESSAGE This is the first volume in this compilation series from METAL MESSAGE. The CD is all pro-done & contains 12 songs from 12 bands. All of the bands play in the Death & Black Metal vein. The bands include: SARUMAN, NO MANS LAND, BLOOD FEAST, MY COLD EMBRACE, CERBERUS, SAXORIOR & six others. This is a great compilation that introduced me to some new bands & let me hear more from some I already knew. Pick this compilation up!!! - info@METALMESSAGE.de / www.METALMESSAGE.de |
| MOULDED FLESH - USE & ABUSE (9 song CD) Self Released MOULDED FLESH comes to us from the pits of Poland playing aggressive & intense Death Metal music. They have a very solid old school Death Metal sound. The music is very heavy & brutal. There are some really cool grooves & change ups all through out their music. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl which is very harsh at times. These guys are good, definately one of Poland's finest. their best effort so far!!! - WOJTAS / UL. HIBNERA 72 / 44-217 RYBNIK / POLAND debris666@poczta.fm / www.MOULDED-FLESH.prv.pl |
| OPERA IX - ANPHISBENA (10 song CD) MAGICK RECORDS This is the U.S. debut release from one of Italy's most respected Black Metal bands. I have a few of this bands other releases & have loved everything they put out. This disc is no exception. These guys play extremely well thought out Black metal. The music crosses the entire spectrum of Black Metal styles. They have a ton of rage that gets submerged into lots of atmospheric & symphonic parts. They are not your typical Black Metal band either. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Black metal type growl with an occassional scream tossed in! They do a great cover of BATHORY's "One Road To Asa Bay" too. If your a Black metal fan you must have this disc (as well as their old ones too) in your collection!!! - www.OPERAIX.it |
| OVERKILL - RELIXIV (10 song CD) EAGLE ROCK / SPITFIRE RECORDS I'm always happy to find a new OVERKILL release, especially in my review pile. These guys are one of the best Thrash Metal bands ever & have always been one of my favorites. This is the Brooklyn natives' 14th studio release & also markes 20 years since their 1st release. These guys are pure shredding Thrash metal with crunchy guitars, pounding drums & thumping bass. If you have never heard OVERKILL or seen them live you should not consider yourself a Metal head. On this disc the pull lots of elements from the "UNDER THE INFLUENCE" era & combine it with "I HEAR BLACK" days. This is the best they have released to date! OVERKILL rules!!! Buy this one, who cares what I said above, you should already have it!!! - www.wreckingcrew.com |
| SHADE EMPIRE - SINTHETIC (9 song CD) MAGICK RECORDS SHADE EMPIRE play some incredibly good Black Metal music. The music is very symphonic sounding & atmospheric. I really like the way they blend in the heavier & more aggressive stuff with the symphonic stuff. They also have some Industrial type sounds tossed in the mix too. The keyboards help add a whole different dimension to their sound & really makes them stand out from a lot of other Black Metal bands. The vocals are done in a slower melodic Black metal style along with some mid ranged & harsh sounding Black metal vocals, almost a Black Metal version of CARCASS. All Black Metal fans should have this in their collection!!! |
| SINAI BEACH - IMMERSED (12 song CD) VICTORY RECORDS SINAI BEACH was born in Southern California & play some very intense & extremely good Metalcore music. These guys are heavy as shit!!! The music is very, very aggressive! It has lots of Metal elements flowing through it, but is done in a Hardcore style. I loved the repeated beating they give you by pounding their music in your face. The vocals are done in two different styles. One is a very harsh sounding Hardcore/Metal crossover style & the other is a more melodic one. If you think of PANTERA, SLAYER, MESHUGGAH, old HELMET, HATEBREED, THE MISFITS & BIOHAZARD as one super group, it would come out in the form of SINAI BEACH!!! - www.SINAIBEACH.net |
| SUICIDE - ONE OF YOUR NEIGHBORS (14 song CD) Self Released SUICIDE is a new band I'm being exposed to. these guys come from Turkey & play some technical sounding Death Metal music. They have an old school Death style with some Thrash Metal elements tossed in with new school technicalness. I really liked the heavy thunderous sound they have. The guitars are some what crunchy sounding as well. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl that reminds me of NAPALM DEATH, CANNIBAL CORPSE & HATEPLOW all mixed together. This is some very good, well throught out & intellegent Death Metal music!!! www.SUICIDEpact.net (Availabel through BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS) |
| TERMINAL DESCENT - ARCHETYPE/MANIFEST (promo) (14 song CD) GENERIC ELITE RECORDS This is just a promo version of TERMINAL DESCENT's newest CD release. This band plays old school Death Metal music with some Thrash elements tossed in. The Thrash comes into play mostly in the guitars & some of the rythms. There are some good grooves & breakdowns in the songs. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death growl style. There is a definate improvement over the bands past releases!!! - eternalmindsect@aol.com / http://TERMINALDESCENT.tripod.com |
| ZORA - U.V.A. (3 song CD) Self Released Emerging out of Italy is this three piece Death Metal act named ZORA. These guys play extremely heavy as fuck Death Metal music. The music is full on blasting brutality all the way through. These guys are very good. I loved the chugging heavy aggressive beats they have. The vocals are done in a powerful mid ranged Death growl mixed with some harsh screaming haunts. These guys are very impressive. Every Death Metal collection should have a spot in it for this disc!!! - ZORA@musicadventures.com / jonadi04@hotmail.com / gspppsci@inwind.it www.ZORA-experiment.tk |