| MUSIC REVIEWS (September 2003) |
| AKKOLYTE / SEPTIC TUMOUR - SPLIT (7 Inch Record) CHODE BRAND MUSIC (Available through BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS) AKKOLYTE are a two piece Sludge Doom Grind band from Texas. It's kinda cool, but the dud has a really weak distortion on his bass that kinda makes it sound less heavy in some parts. The production overall is passable, but not much more than that. They try some interesting stuff that reminds me of old DYSTOPIA at some points. All around the songs are decent but they could really use a better production. The B side has SEPTIC TUMOUR. I've listened to a lot from these guys in the past for a little while & this doesn't sound much different then their previous efforts. Some good crusty Thrash-style Power Violence. The production is better than AKKOLYTE, but I still think SEPTIC TUMOUR's best stuff is the "Self Titled" seven inch. This split has the best artwork they've done so far though. (Reveiw done by Topon of FUCK THE FACTS) AKKOLYTE - FUTURE FASCISTS OF AMERICA (7 Inch Record) CHODE BRAND MUSIC (Available through BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS) The Gonzalez brothers are back with their full EP. This sounds better than the split with SEPTIC TUMOUR & I have to give these guys props for being a two peice & still pulling off some pretty full sounding music. The vocals are good even though they seem to be drowning in reverb. The songs are more Punk/Hardcore this time & it seems to work well for them. All in all a good seven inch. I'm sure their parents are very proud. (Review done by Topon of FUCK THE FACTS) ASGAARD - X111 VOLTUM LANAE (10 song CD) METAL MIND PRODUCTIONS This is the fifth CD release from this band out of Poland! ASGAARD is one of the nine worlds in Nordic Mythology. These guys are so amazing! They play a highly involved style of Black Metal music. Their style of Black Metal intwinds influences & sounds from Viking Metal, atmospheric Metal, Death Metal, Goth & even Power Metal music! The majority of the music has a dark atmospheric Viking war like Metal sound! I do hear lots of classical influences in their music as well. They do have some all out smashing & shredding parts too! The vocals are done in a few styles as well. There are lots of dark melodic male vocals, some harsh Black Metal growls & screams along with some very beautiful & atmospheric female vocals. If your a fan of the Swedish or Norwegian Black Metal scene then your gonna love ASGAARD!!! - BARTLOMIEJ LUB WOJCIECH KOSTRZENNA / UL. MONIUSZKI 31 A M. 6 / 49-340 LEWIN BRZESKI / POLAND / bartekkostrzewa@poczta.onet.pl / www.ASGAARD.art.pl ASGAARD - EX ORIENTE LUX (13 song CD) METAL MIND PRODUCTIONS This is the fourth CD release from the band above. These guys are still amazing with each different release I hear of their's. On this disc the band is a little more melodic sounding Black Metal than the above release. They still have the Viking Metal feel to their sound, but they are a little more melodic sounding. There is still a lot of aggression & heaviness to their music as well. They still had the melodic almost Power Metal male vocals mixed with harsh & raw Black Metal screams & growls along with atmospheric female vocals. This album is quite involved just like the new one above & very technical sounding. This is yet another great release from this amazing band. This is a must for any fan of Black Metal music. Get these two disc now!!! - See address above!!! ATROCIOUS DEVOURED - GOLDEN JAIL (6 song CD) Here we have a good Death Metal band out of France. These guys play some very aggressive & highly intense Death Metal music. The music has an almost old school Death Metal style to it. I can also hear lots of Thrash Metal influences in their sound as well. This mostly comes into play in the guitars. They do toss in lots of Grindcore elements, especially in the speed & rawness of some of their songs. The vocals are done in a few styles as well. There are some low Death growls, some mid to high ranged Grindcore growls & screams & a few Thrash like vocals here & there. These guys reminded me of old CARCASS if they were a Grindcore band. Check this band out!!! - 26 RUE DUPLEIX / 44100 NANTES / FRANCE / ATROCIOUS.DEV@infonie.fr / http://perso.infonie.fr/ATROCIOUS.DEV BEHEADED - RECOUNTS OF DISEMBODIMENT (10 song CD) FOREVER UNDERGROUND RECORDS Wow! BEHEADED play some all out highly intense Death Metal music. They take influences from old school Death Metal & new school Death Metal & pound them & smash them together to create their sound! These guys are sick! There's tons of blasts, grinds, breakdowns & raw Death through out the whole disc. I liked the stop & start parts the most along with the shredding guitar sound. The vocals are done in a low guttural Death growl style with the occassional higher one tossed in. These guys totally rip! Fans of MORTAL DECAY, FLESH GRIND, DEEDS OF FLESH & old INTERNAL BLEEDING will love these guys! - BEHEADED@gmx.net / BHDD666@yahoo.com / www.BEHEADED.net BIZARRE X / MIXOMATOSIS - SPLIT (7 Inch Record) FUDGEWORTHY RECORDS Using a picture of some Punk wearing one of your bands patches really seems to be the thing now a days. I can swear I keep seeing this. Anyway, we kick this one off with BIZARRE X. They are a Grind/Punk band from Germany & they sound like it. I knew they were from Germany before I even looked at the inside! Me: 1 Reading: 0. Their music is ok, nothing special, pretty mediocore, basically it's a dis-beat followed by a Grind & repeat. It's just 2 guys so I gotta give 'em props for that, no guitar, just a distorted bass & drums. They seem to share the vocals through out. One guy's got a really annoying voice, he sounds like that guy in the crowd that grabs the mic at shows & starts screaming a bunch of crap, he means well, but it doesn't sound that great. There's also little "noiuse" pieces between songs & I think even during sometimes. It sounds kinda like a kid with one of thos toy lazer guns watching some other kid play missle command, while they're both trippin' on ridlin. On the flip side we got MIXOMATOSIS. At first I thought I had it on the wrong speed, but it just sounds like it's playing slow. The dude must be using a pitch shifter for the lows to give it that record winding down sound. These guys are from Spain & all the songs are live, but the production is good for live, I didn't even notice it was live at first. I like these guys songs, it's nothing new, but decent for the style. I also like the fact they sing in Spanish, that shit's cool yo! This puppy came on clear green wax, so that's an extra point for presentation. I recommend this one for a crusty Grind Punk kegger! (Reviewed by Topon of FUCK THE FACTS) BLAKAGIR - NOSTALGIA (7 song CD) BLAKAGIR play some very dark & majestic sounding Black Metal music. The music has a strong medieval or dark ages feel to it! The music is very conquest & battle like music. It's dark, eerie, majestic & very atmospheric sounding Black Metal music. The vocals are done in a low Black Metal growling style with some melodic or Goth like clean vocals. This music reminds me of the music that's in movies like the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy! This is a must for fans of EMPEROR & MORTIIS!!! BOUND AND GAGGED - FORNICATE THE GUTTED (10 song CD) UNITED GUTTURAL RECORDS Holy crap! These guys are some really fucked up musicians. They play a heavy & crazy style of Death/Grind/Gore combined! Their Death influences are a combination of old school & new school Death! The Grindcore parts are fast, raw & a very aggressive sound. All this is just completely soaked in Gore! Gore! & more Gore! The vocals is where the really fucked up part of this band comes into play! I never heard vocals like this before. The vocals sounded like a stucked pig squelling & trying to do Death growls at the same time! Messed up, huh! Some how they make it work & fit perfectly with their music! This is one for all you Gore whores out there!!! - 7617 W. 162ND ST. / TINLEY PARK, IL. 60477 / BOUNDco@hotmail.com / www.BOUNDGAGGED.net CARNAL REDEMPTION - THE LIMITS OF PERSISTENCE (3 song CD) This is a 3 song demo CD from a Death Metal band hailing from Greece. These guys play old school Death Metal all the way! The music has that vibe when Death Metal music was just pulling apart from Thrash Metal & emerging into it's own style. They do have some Thrash Metal elements in their sound. This is most dominate in their guitar sound & the rhythm of the music. It kind of has a high speed Thrash Metal vibe going on. The vocals are done in a mid ranged Death Metal style in the vein of old DEATH! These guys are really good & do a great job of keeping the old school sound alive!!! - 3 KESKINIOU ST. / VIRONAS 162. 31 / ATHENS GREECE / CARNAL-k99@hotmail.com / http://CARNALREDEMPTION.cjb.net |