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Chronicles of Chaos Issue 072
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CHRONICLES OF CHAOS e-Zine, April 8, 2004, Issue #72
http://www.ChroniclesOfChaos.com
Co-Editor / Founder: Gino Filicetti
Co-Editor / Contributor: Pedro Azevedo
Contributor: Adrian Bromley
Contributor: Brian Meloon
Contributor: Paul Schwarz
Contributor: Aaron McKay
Contributor: David Rocher
Contributor: Matthias Noll
Contributor: Alvin Wee
Contributor: Chris Flaaten
Contributor: Quentin Kalis
Contributor: Xander Hoose
Contributor: Adam Lineker
Contributor: Adrian Magers
Contributor: James Montague
Contributor: Jackie Smit
Spiritual Guidance: Alain M. Gaudrault
The individual writers can be reached by e-mail at
firstname.lastname@ChroniclesOfChaos.com.
(e.g. Gino.Filicetti@ChroniclesOfChaos.com).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Issue #72 Contents, 4/8/2004
----------------------------
* Editorial
* Chats
-- In Flames: A Soundtrack to Comeuppance
-- Rotting Christ: Still Rotting in the Free World
-- Exodus: Dancing With the Damned
* Albums
-- Berserk - _Rites of Supremacy_
-- Blodsrit - _Oscularis Infernum_
-- Cannibal Corpse - _The Wretched Spawn_
-- Dismember - _Where Ironcrosses Grow_
-- Ektomorf - _Destroy_
-- Eros Necropsique - _Crises de Lucidité_
-- Farmer Boys - _The Other Side_
-- Fear Factory - _Archetype_
-- Finnugor - _Death Before Dawn_
-- Furia - _Un Lac de Larmes et de Sang_
-- Genital Grinder - _Genital Grinder_
-- Heaven Shall Burn - _Antigone_
-- Himinbjorg - _Golden Age_
-- Loudblast - _Planet Pandemonium_
-- Mar de Grises - _The Tatterdemalion Express_
-- Mayhem - _Chimera_
-- Morbid Angel - _Heretic_
-- My Dying Bride - _Songs of Darkness, Words of Light_
-- Power of Omens - _Rooms of Anguish_
-- Satanic Warmaster - _...Of the Night_
-- Satanic Warmaster / Clandestine Blaze - _Split_
-- Sceptic - _Unbeliever's Script_
-- Temple of Baal - _Servants of the Beast_
-- Thorn.Eleven - _A Different View_
-- Trauma - _Imperfect Like a God_
-- Under Threat - _Behind Mankind's Disguise_
-- VAST - _Nude_
-- Weakling - _Dead as Dreams_
* Demos
-- Delian League - _Day of Question_
* Gigs
-- Death Comes Ripping
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Y E A R O N E , P A R T T W O
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Reflections on CoC's Second "Year One"
by: Pedro Azevedo
"EDITOR, n. A person who combines the judicial functions of Minos,
Rhadamanthus and Aeacus, but is placable with an obolus; a severely
virtuous censor, but so charitable withal that he tolerates the
virtues of others and the vices of himself; who flings about him the
splintering lightning and sturdy thunders of admonition till he
resembles a bunch of firecrackers petulantly uttering his mind at
the tail of a dog; then straightway murmurs a mild, melodious lay,
soft as the cooing of a donkey intoning its prayer to the evening
star. Master of mysteries and lord of law, high-pinnacled upon the
throne of thought, his face suffused with the dim splendors of the
Transfiguration, his legs intertwisted and his tongue a-cheek, the
editor spills his will along the paper and cuts it off in lengths to
suit. And at intervals from behind the veil of the temple is heard
the voice of the foreman demanding three inches of wit and six lines
of religious meditation, or bidding him turn off the wisdom and
whack up some pathos."
"REVIEW, v.t.
To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it,
Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)
At work upon a book, and so read out of it
The qualities that you have first read into it."
(in "The Devil's Dictionary", by Ambrose Bierce)
To open one of my rare editorials by quoting a profoundly sarcastic
book written from 1881 onwards and published in 1911 may seem an odd
choice, justifiable only by the accurate portrayal contained therein
of CoC's editors, reviewers, or both. Such assumption would be far
from the truth, however: I use Bierce's words in an attempt to
illustrate naught more than the pitfalls and difficulties one faces
in carrying out such tasks -- especially when you have been doing so
for several years whilst juggling personal and professional life as
well.
This ambiguously half-ironic wee rambling of mine therefore stems
both from the toils of editing and writing articles alike when you
must often trudge along beneath the weight of other matters and
duties. Of this the reader need not be aware; but the temptation to
repeatedly expose these circumstances of life under a different light
every few years is considerably difficult for editors to resist. One
sets upon himself the task of doing his part to keep a publication
alive, and after a period of about twelve months succumbs to this
temptation. Such is life.
The purpose of all this? Not much, really; perhaps only to serve as a
relatively dense and arguably pointless introduction to the fact that
it has now been one year since Chronicles of Chaos reopened under its
new guise, with an equally renewed engine and the promise of a
brighter future for every excellent being who spends some time with
us, either reading or writing. This point in time seems to present a
fine opportunity, if ever there is one, to mull over another twelve
months of our lives that we shall never get back, and reflect upon
success, failure, and everything in between.
Given the direction (or lack thereof) this editorial has decided to
possess, I shall only state that from my perspective CoC is today a
much healthier beast than it was one or two years ago -- something
that requires the collective effort of a publication's staff. This is
not your usual "we are still committed to doing this" speech: this
means CoC spent a few months down for the count between 2002 and
2003, dragged itself back up, and has now been standing strong again
for one year -- and what's more, it's back to the regularity of old.
To those who have invested more hours working in this than they would
probably care to count even if they could, all of this is meaningful.
Furthermore, it is my belief that these last twelve months were among
the most important in CoC's nearly nine year history.
May it continue for many more.
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A S O U N D T R A C K T O C O M E U P P A N C E
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CoC chats with Anders Fridén and Peter Ivers of In Flames
by: Jackie Smit
In Flames are about to take over the world. You don't believe me?
Well, for starters the first single off their upcoming _Soundtrack to
Your Escape_ effort debuted at number two on the Swedish charts, and
with high-profile tours with the likes of Slayer and Hatebreed under
their belts in the States, matters across the pond look equally
optimistic. Considering how many of today's metal acts continue to
pilfer the In Flames back catalogue with gay abandon, one could
easily argue that the band are finally getting what they deserve; but
the fact of the matter is that if they were going to get their due
for any single album, _Soundtrack to Your Escape_ is the choice that
would please both old and new fans. Certainly the most creative
offering to carry their logo since 1996's _Whoracle_, the record is
at once heavy, catchy and impossible to resist. I recently met up
with vocalist Anders Fridén and bassist Peter Iwers to discuss the
new album, touring, movie soundtracks and a whole lot in between.
CoC: Since In Flames released _Reroute to Remain_ in 2001, your
profile has increased exponentially, and you've toured with a
lot of very popular bands (Slayer, Slipknot, etc). How did this
affect the band's approach to the music industry and the
recording of _Soundtrack to Your Escape_?
Peter Iwers: It didn't affect the writing of the music in any way,
but it did help us to see things from a 'bigger' point
of view. Seeing all these bands play was incredible. But
again, it didn't affect how we write music, because we
always write music for ourselves.
Anders Fridén: I think that they affected us in a live environment.
They go on stage and they just don't give a crap, you
know, they roll over you like a tank. And that's what
we like to do ourselves: just go out there and do the
best possible show. We don't want to be like other
European bands that make excuses -- "Sorry we're
playing", or "If it's too loud, please stop us" --
we're just there to roll over people, do the best
possible show that we can. But as Peter said, it
doesn't affect us in a musical way. Obviously touring
with a band like Slayer -- if someone had told me ten
years ago that I would be touring with those guys, I
would just have said "Yeah, right."
CoC: So out of all the bands you guys toured with, who would you
regard as your favourite touring buddies?
AF / PI: Slayer!
AF: It was just an amazing thing to tour with a band like them.
They've influenced us and they have influenced metal as a whole
for years and years.
PI: And they still manage to be just really down to earth guys. It's
really nice to see that.
AF: We knew our place on the tour, but their crew was really helpful
and really supportive. It's one of the best tours we've ever done.
CoC: Any crazy tour stories to tell?
AF: We have tons, but they're X-rated. <laughs>
CoC: Moving on to the new album -- the new record instantly gives off
a far more sombre vibe than anything you've done before. What
was your approach to writing and recording _Soundtrack to Your
Escape_, considering the obvious pressure you must have been
under?
AF: I've heard that said before, actually -- people think that we are
under pressure, but we don't have any pressure. I mean, if we
start thinking about it then yeah, but it's only from ourselves.
We try and push ourselves to do our performances at 110%, so the
only place where we feel pressured is within the band, because we
are trying to be better all the time. As far as the fans and the
record company things -- we feel that if we stay true to the
music that we feel is right for In Flames, then the people will
follow.
PI: We just tried to make a better record than we had done before,
and not repeat ourselves.
CoC: You've built most of the songs on this new album around some
very strong choruses that follow an almost traditional '80s
structure. Thinking back to when you did the Depeche Mode cover
on _Whoracle_, would you say that you're showing your roots once
again?
AF: <pauses> Not directly, but of course we've been listening to
those bands for years and years -- since we were young -- so they
affect us and influence us more than the latest music. That's
something that's been with us for years and years. We are an
extreme band, but we do have that influence. Those bands all
wrote some great pop songs. We're all suckers for melodies, and
for example Depeche Mode are one of the greatest bands for
melodies, and if we can use that influence in our music without
sounding like them, then that's great.
CoC: So, taking into account how different _Soundtrack to Your
Escape_ is from something like _Reroute to Remain_, which track
off the new album do you feel defines In Flames in 2004?
PI: "The Quiet Place". We chose that as the single and we feel that's
what sums up what the album sounds like.
AF: I agree, but we are definitely not a one song band, we're an
album band. You've got to listen to the whole record to see where
we are. We've never been about hit singles. We don't write fifty
songs and then choose the best fifteen. We write whatever's
necessary for making the album. We try to top ourselves every
time we write a new song and all of a sudden we have an album.
CoC: As far as choosing Daniel Bergstrand to produce the new record
-- why use him again this time round?
PI: We were very comfortable with working with him the last time. He
was very dedicated to what we were doing and he did a very good
job. Why change a good recipe?
AF: He was very eager to do it this time round. We got to know each
other on the first round and felt how we would react in certain
situations, and now we felt like this is the time to prove
ourselves and really give things an honest chance and show what
we could do together. He knows what we are about and he has done
great things for us; pushing us to our limits and capturing great
moments.
CoC: As you grew more popular after _The Jester Race_, In Flames
obviously drew a lot of criticism with people saying that you
were repeating yourselves and that you had grown boring. Was the
departure of _Soundtrack to Your Escape_ a reaction to that?
PI: Not at all. Our music is never a reaction to what anyone thinks.
We just want to make things really interesting for ourselves. We
want to make the best music that we can make at the time and we
want to make something different from what we have made before.
Evolution comes naturally to us. We never give any thought to
what anyone says when it comes to songwriting.
AF: We've been around for a long time and we've learned a lot from
our experiences. From the first album we have been growing as a
band. In the beginning we didn't really know how to play live, we
weren't such good songwriters, but we pushed everything we had
into In Flames. We don't regret anything, but I think that it's
important to move forward and it's important not to repeat
yourselves.
PI: With us, people know that they can expect the In Flames sound,
but they never quite know exactly what to expect. And regardless
of whether you like it or not, you will never know what you are
going to get, because we don't do anything according to any
trends.
CoC: A lot of the so-called new breed of thrash (Killswitch Engage,
God Forbid, etc.) use a lot of the ideas that In Flames
pioneered many years ago. How do you feel about the push that
bands like this are getting and about the fact their record
companies promote them as having a 'fresh' sound?
AF: We get what we deserve, I think. If success is something that is
meant to be, then we will get it eventually. We have a lot of
fans that come to our shows and we've had a lot of support for
many years now, so I also think that people know who did this
kind of music first. As far as our influence, I think that is
often coincidence, and all the bands you mentioned, I think
are brilliant. I mean, we take influences ourselves; we are
influenced by other bands.
CoC: In Flames appeared on a couple of movie soundtracks last year --
"Freddy Vs. Jason" probably being the most prolific. What would
be your ideal movie to score as a band?
PI: "Star Wars".
AF: "Rambo 4".
PI: Any Jean Claude Van Damme movie. <laughs>
PI: It's a great honour to be part of a soundtrack, and when someone
offers us the opportunity we would always accept.
AF: I think that we definitely gained a few people's interest off
"Freddy Vs. Jason".
CoC: So what are the plans for In Flames for the immediate future?
PI: Touring for the rest of the year -- probably until the end of
the year. We'll be going through Europe, the UK, through to
Australia, the States, and then possibly back for another tour of
Europe.
CoC: Any last words, guys?
PI: Thank you.
AF: Buy _Soundtrack to Your Escape_. You will not be disappointed.
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S T I L L R O T T I N G I N T H E F R E E W O R L D
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CoC chats with Sakis of Rotting Christ
by: Jackie Smit
There's always been something special about Rotting Christ -- an
enigmatic and mysterious quality that has and continues to instill
their many admirers with a fanatical ardor that very few other acts
of their ilk can boast. Of course, central to their appeal has been
the music. Starting with the primitive black metal of _Passage to
Arcturo_ and _Thy Mighty Contract_ in the early '90s, the band
continued to grow and explore further recesses of dark music,
culminating in the mainstream teasing _Sleep of the Angels_. Now,
with their latest opus, _Genesis_, the band have come full circle,
combining their penchant for the atmospheric with the misanthropic
fire of their early black metal sound. But it's not about to end
there, as frontman and chief songwriter Sakis revealed to me during
the band's last visit to London -- the black cult is stronger than
ever, and 2004 could very well be the year that sees the Greek
quartet release their definitive work.
CoC: I've been listening through your back-catalogue recently, and on
your past two efforts there has been a definite return to the
old, traditional black metal of the first Rotting Christ albums.
What was the reason behind your decision to move down this
particular creative path?
Sakis: First of all, it's the fact that we are tired of this metal
attitude that reminds me of a lot of mainstream music. You
know, everyone wants to be famous, everyone wants to play to
a thousand people, everyone wants to be a rock star or
something, and we are fed up with that stuff. Of course, we
started back in 1989 when the music and the scene and the
style were more romantic -- everyone was trading demos. We
didn't have the idea to be rock stars or anything like that,
and now we feel like being teenagers again and returning to
our roots. But even though we have returned to our roots, our
musical style is still adapted in order to sound contemporary;
there are a lot of samples and a lot of atmospheric parts on
the last two albums and there will also be more on the next
one.
CoC: Well, there's certainly a strong sense of _Thy Mighty Contract_
on your last album [_Genesis_], but at the same time you have
given it a modern feel.
S: Exactly.
CoC: So when you listen to Rotting Christ's biggest stylistic
departures -- _A Dead Poem_ and _Sleep of the Angels_ -- do you
carry any regrets about how those albums ended up sounding?
S: No, not at all. In a career that is more than a decade long,
personally I think it wouldn't feel right to play exactly the same
thing all the time. It's not fair to the fans, and it's not fair
to yourself to just keep playing music to satisfy a small group of
people. I just want to express myself in any way I want, and at
that point in time, I was really into heavy metal music, so I
preferred to play that kind of stuff. Now I feel like a teenager
again, and I'm into a lot of black metal stuff, so I like to make
this sort of music. What we are doing right now is not commercial.
We'd like to bring back the feeling of the underground, where like
I said to you before, things were really romantic. We're basically
just not satisfied with how the scene is going now.
CoC: You guys are also busy doing a new album that's going to be out
in September. Care to let me in on a few secrets?
S: I've been working on the new stuff for seven months...
CoC: Seven months?!
S: Yes, because I write all the music and I write all the lyrics by
myself, and I want it to be something special. I don't know
whether it will be, but I want to be able to express myself 100%.
So I write songs, and change them after a few weeks -- repair
things, so to speak. Now we are going to go into the recording
studio as soon as we are finished with this tour; we will be there
for a month and then the finished product will be out in
September. We will record half the album in Greece and the other
half in Sweden, and it will be mastered in Fredman Studios.
CoC: Does that mean that Fredrik Nordstrom will be producing as well?
S: No, I am going to do it myself, but Fredrik will be mixing it and
mastering it. I did it before on _Khronos_ actually, but I didn't
do it so good. Now I am working as a producer in Greece, so I have
learned a lot of new things. As I said before, I prefer to work by
myself -- I don't want many people to be involved in what I'm
doing, because I am the only person who knows what I want.
CoC: Where are the band headed toward lyrically with this new record?
S: Well, you're the first person that I am speaking to about this,
actually. <laughs> There will be some anti-religious lyrics --
nothing like 'fuck God' and all that stuff, just expressing in a
poetic way the misery of people and bringing the theme of religion
into that.
CoC: One thing I have always respected a lot about Rotting Christ is
that you approach any subject you write about from a more
intellectual point of view than many other bands. How do you
feel about bands like Deicide that ply their trade upon very
base- level ideas, with songs like for example "Fuck Your God"
or "Mad at God" off their new album?
S: No, I don't like that. Rotting Christ never do things like that.
We like to be more intellectual and we like people to be able to
take a trip with us, make up their own minds and have their own
ideas. We would never say 'fuck God', because who is God really?
We are more agnostic -- we are still trying to find meanings and
we are still searching for answers.
CoC: So you'd say that it's a misconception for people to regard
Rotting Christ as a Satanic band then?
S: It's not a Satanic band, because Satanism is a religion and we are
against any religion. Also, Satanism is involved in certain parts
of the world with fascism and we are not fascist at all. We come
from Greece, which is against fascism. I find some Satanic
philosophies very interesting, but I am not a Satanist. I am an
agnostic.
CoC: It's an interesting point you make there, because I have always
felt that a lot of bands who use Satanism as a means to rebel
against religion end up doing exactly what they claim to
despise: they're preaching.
S: Yes, definitely.
CoC: I remember reading an interview with you a few years ago and you
were discussing the name Rotting Christ and how you never
expected to receive the sort of negative feedback that you did.
Is this still a point of contention for the band?
S: We tried to change the name for about four or five years, because
we felt like it was too offensive toward many people, and it was
reducing our sales because people were saying that because of our
name they didn't want to buy our albums or let us play. In the
end, we decided to keep it because metal is supposed to be
revolutionary -- otherwise there wouldn't be a point to it. We
don't want people listening to us that care about things like the
band's name; we want people to make up their own minds with us and
to come up with their own ideas, not like a band that sings songs
like "Fuck Your God". That doesn't make a person think at all.
CoC: What would you like people to think about when they're listening
to Rotting Christ?
S: First of all... <pauses> I wouldn't want people to think about
anything specifically. I'm not into forcing someone to follow my
ideas. I want to give alternatives to people about some of the
things that are flouted by conservative society. At the end of the
day it's just ideas, and if you want to get it, you will;
otherwise, so be it. Some people are very offended by what I speak
about sometimes, but these are just small groups. We don't like
how people live nowadays and we try to express that in our music
and to give solutions.
CoC: Looking back over your career, what would you regard as the
definitive Rotting Christ song?
S: Best song? That is very hard to say. It depends on your mood. If
you are in the mood for something that is very dark and very black
metal, then you can choose "Sign of Evil Existence", or if you
want something atmospheric then you can choose "After Dark I
Feel". It depends on what you feel.
CoC: There's no song that you feel slightly 'embarrassed' by?
S: Actually I suppose everyone has something like that, but I don't
think that it's so good to regret anything you did in the past. We
entered into some really bad contracts, because we were not
experienced in such things -- in fact, no one in Greece was
experienced in such matters.
CoC: Speaking of Greece -- what's the state of the Greek underground
scene at the moment?
S: Well, unfortunately Septic Flesh, who was one of the scene's
leaders, has broken up now, but I think that there are many good
bands still left apart from us. Because we are from the south east
part of Europe, it is very hard for one band to go to other parts
of the world, but there are very good bands in Greece and there
are many bands that play there. The thing that is very different
though is the attitude, because if you have not been in the rest
of Europe or in America, you do not know how things are done.
There are many bands that think that they are rock stars, but we
do not concern ourselves with them.
CoC: You mentioned Septic Flesh -- I believe that you are close
friends with several of their members?
S: I have a side-project with guys from Necromantia and Septic Flesh
called Thou Art Lord. They are good friends of ours.
CoC: You have no idea as to why they broke up?
S: It's a personal problem with them -- they have proper everyday
jobs, and if you want to play in a band you have to be on the.
road You have to sacrifice many things .
CoC: Have you ever found yourself in a similar position?
S: I used to work in a record store and I used to have a studio in
the past, but now I quit so that I can concentrate on Rotting
Christ 100%. I don't make a lot of money, but enough to pay the
bills. Life in Greece is not as expensive as it is in the rest of
the world. But it has taken a long time for us to make money from
this band -- we played for five years without making any money.
CoC: What are the plans for Rotting Christ when the new album comes
out?
S: Being on the road. We will go on a world tour as soon as the new
album comes out -- South America, Colombia, Brazil, Europe; all
over the world.
CoC: Any last words, Sakis?
S: Keep the dark cult alive and stay true.
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D A N C I N G W I T H T H E D A M N E D
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CoC chats with Gary Holt and Tom Holting of Exodus
by: Jackie Smit
Exodus is back, and at this point, introductions are not necessary.
Yet, as easy as it is to recall their place among the elite few that
formed an integral part of the fertile breeding ground that was Bay
Area thrash, many won't realise upon spinning their latest effort
that _Tempo of the Damned_ nearly didn't happen. Indeed, as the
nineties grew older and death metal had all but overshadowed the
once-dubbed "heaviest music on earth", the talent that brought the
metal genre classics such as _Bonded by Blood_ and _Fabulous
Disaster_ was about to be swallowed up by a myriad of personal
problems that included the death of a close friend and copious
amounts of illegal chemicals. But in a true triumph of the human
spirit that would not look out of place on an afternoon talk show,
guitarist Gary Holt and his partners in crime managed to pull Exodus'
barely-breathing carcass back from the brink of obscurity.
Fast-forward to our present point in time and I'm sharing a couch
with Gary and drummer extraordinaire Tom Holting, in a plush hotel in
central London. Throughout the conversation, Gary and Tom will both
make reference to the fact that for them, Exodus has been reborn --
and in case you're sceptical, a quick spin of their latest platter
should be all that's required to set you straight.
CoC: Exodus has gone through quite a lot of problems in the past few
years: the drugs, Paul Barloff's passing and so forth. Out of
these experiences, which would you say played the biggest role
in how _Tempo of the Damned_ eventually turned out?
Gary Holt: Personally, I'd have to say getting off the dope. That
took the haze away and cleared that fucking grey cloud
that was covering up any creative spark I had. Once that
was gone, the ideas were just flying out. The energy came
back, the desire to focus came back and that brought the
fucking aggression and the fucking electricity back to us,
which made the album into what it is. Also, Paul's death
-- when I got cleaned up and I could think clearly, the
reality of the situation... that was a huge inspiration to
make the album as good as it is.
Tom Hunting: I feel the same way. We didn't have any focus and there
was no work being done until we got ourselves together.
GH: We worked more on getting more fucking speed than we did writing
anything.
CoC: The album was released on the 2nd of February, which is the
anniversary of Paul's death. Was this the intention from
yourselves or from the label, or is it just a coincidence?
GH: Intentional from myself. Unfortunately it's only being released
in the States on March 9. But basically the label told me that
they're shooting for a February release and I told them that if
that's the case, then why not February 2nd, and they said that
wouldn't be a problem.
CoC: So, do you regard this album as your own personal tribute to
Paul?
GH: Absolutely.
CoC: What do you think his opinion of the record would be if he were
around to hear it?
GH: He'd love it.
TH: I think he -does- feel wherever he is -- he definitely approves
of this.
GH: His spirit is still with us. I mean, you listen to some of
Zetro's vocals on the new songs and you hear Paul kinda
channelling in his ass on a lot of it.
TH: And Paul was a huge influence on Zetro -- I mean, he started the
whole thing. Zet would be the first one to admit that.
GH: They both have different styles and it was totally unintentional,
but you listen to the new stuff and there's definitely some of
Paul coming out there.
CoC: Let's talk about the deal with Nuclear Blast. How did that come
about?
GH: This album would never have been done -- apart from our own
problems -- if it hadn't been for the generosity and commitment
of a lot of people.
TH: We had to reach out to a lot of people.
GH: Yeah, because we recorded it ourselves. I mean, Andy Sneap
covered all of his own expenses because he believed in this
project. A friend of ours put up his credit card and paid for the
studio where we recorded the drum tracks. The studio where we
recorded everything else -- the guy put up with us for no money
upfront and actually took an active part in feeding us a lot of
the time. Those guys all made this album happen. Then we had a
finished album and we were in the exact position that we wanted
to be in. We had a killer album done, and you're always going to
get a better deal if you can provide the label with a fantastic
product. We had a shortlist of people we wanted to shop it to and
Nuclear Blast were at the top of the list -- they were the label
I felt should be our home.
TH: They're doing the right thing with it.
GH: They're metal fans to begin with. They know how to market this
music, they have a proven track record and they've given us
nothing but respect.
CoC: What about the decision to work with Andy Sneap -- how did his
name come up?
TH: Well, he was the only one we wanted to work with.
GH: We worked together the first time on the live album (_Another
Lesson in Violence_) and we have a similar musical history. We
even played the Dynamo festival with Sabbat in 1987. Andy came
out of nowhere to do the live album and I have honestly never
worked with someone as well as I do with him. It's at the point
now where he is the sixth member of this band.
TH: He came out of nowhere when we did the live album and he said: "I
was born to mix this record."
GH: He's our producer and he's like a brother to us. I'll never do an
Exodus record without him. He believed so strongly in this record
that he covered every cost himself.
CoC: It must be an amazing feeling to know that there are people that
believe in Exodus to such a great extent.
GH: Absolutely. The sound that he brought to this record is just
killer.
CoC: It's been eight years since you brought out your last studio
album. How does your approach differ from the early days?
GH: Well, it's a completely different mindset. We have this renewed
energy, which I think is similar to how we felt when we were
writing _Bonded by Blood_, which is why I think people are
comparing the record to that. We've got a drive to just grind. I
liked _Force of Habit_, but when we were making it we were
fighting all the time, we were in the middle of what turned out
to be a ruinous deal with Capitol Records, and when you're caught
up in all the big business bullshit and you're getting no
support, that's when it all just falls apart. And now we don't
have that pressure. I mean, the album is a success just because
we made it -- whether it sells ten copies or fucking ten million.
We're a fucking behind the music special waiting to happen. We've
got drug addictions, we've got death, we've got bad deals.
Hopefully if this album does well, it'll be like a "triumphant
comeback". Unfortunately with music, to really be remembered
you've got to die real early -- you have to go t hrough the
highest highs and the lowest lows and then die the moment you get
back on top. Like Stevie Ray Vaughn: he gets clean off the
fucking coke and the booze and then he fucking dies in a
helicopter crash. It's like a soap opera.
CoC: What would you have done if you were never part of this soap
opera, though?
TH: I'd be a shepherd.
GH: A male exotic dancer... male prostitute...
TH: ...cesspool sucker...
GH: ...proctologist... That's a hard one to say. I mean, growing up
as a kid, I always wanted to be a palaeontologist, so maybe I'd
be digging up dinosaur bones or something.
CoC: So for the record -- are Exodus back for good?
GH: Yeah, definitely. Unless some other crushing blow happens, but I
don't see that.
TH: As long as we can do this, we will.
GH: I always said that I would do this as long as I was having fun
and we broke up in 1992, because I wasn't having fun. Now, I'm
enjoying myself as much as I ever have. I already have ideas for
the next album!
CoC: And with all the things that you went through together as a band
and have now survived -- do you think that it makes you stronger
as a unit and brings you closer together?
GH: Absolutely.
TH: We were sucking on stage, until we took the drugs out of the
picture.
GH: We were getting by just winging it. I mean, we had all these
hardcore fans who were there, but they weren't even really
listening sometimes. And anybody newer would just have seen that
we were sloppy.
CoC: On _Tempo of the Damned_ you've once again delved into a lot of
political subject matter. That said, I recently read a quote
from you [Gary] that said you hated all politicians. Considering
the material you write about, would you say that you're making
observations or proposing solutions?
GH: I'm making observations. I mean, there are solutions that will
never take place. If you take all the big money out of the
picture, then maybe politicians wouldn't be the criminals that
they are. But now it takes you x-amount of millions of dollars to
get elected to public office and all that money has to come from
somewhere. And I mean, I wouldn't give you fucking five bucks
unless I wanted ten back, or a favour. It's these favours that
are fucking things up. On "Scar Sprangled Banner" on the new
album, I actually tried to answer the question as to whether I'm
a liberal. No, I'm as fucking conservative as you can be. I just
don't hang around with these militia fuckers and I don't run
around with machine guns. But I mean, I'm no fool -- I know I'm
being lied to. What else are we in Iraq for but oil? We had the
second biggest genocide in Rwanda and we send what?, a fucking
tiny "peace- keeping" force?! Fucking hundreds and thousands of
people were being massacred with machet es, but we didn't
care because they have dirt, and we don't want dirt. And on
"Scar Sprangled Banner" I talk about "America, the violent and
indifferent"; I'm talking about myself, not just all Americans.
I'm not anti-American. I watched the bombs drop and I didn't
think: "Wow, that's fucking wrong". I was watching the firepower,
not the liberation of a nation.
TH: These are our opinions though. I mean, a lot of politicians base
their entire campaigns on their opinions.
GH: People are taking "Scar Sprangled Banner" out of proportion and
saying that I'm fucking anti-American. I'm not anti-American and
"Scar Sprangled Banner" is no less anti-government than fucking
"Fabulous Disaster" or any of the other anti-government songs
that we've written.
CoC: What would you want people to get out of Exodus' music when the
new album comes out?
GH: A black eye. <laughs> No, I want them to feel the fucking
electricity, I want people to be able to feel something. I want
to turn the people into fucking battlebots.
TH: Yeah, killing each other to get to the merchandise stand to buy a
T-shirt.
GH: Although, every death is one less shirt sold.
CoC: Any last words from you guys?
GH: We're back. We're not going away that easily this time, so
prepare yourself for some musical brass knuckles.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
_, _, __, _,_ _, _ _,
/ \ | |_) | | |\/| (_
|~| | , |_) | | | | , )
~ ~ ~~~ ~ `~' ~ ~ ~
Scoring: 10 out of 10 -- A masterpiece indeed
9 out of 10 -- Highly recommended
7 out of 10 -- Has some redeeming qualities
5 out of 10 -- You are treading in dangerous waters
3 out of 10 -- Nothing here worth looking into
0 out of 10 -- An atrocious album, avoid at all costs!
Berserk - _Rites of Supremacy_ (Oaken Shield / Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (5 out of 10)
What we have here is Iberian black metal -- could this be the
beginning of some stiff competition for the Viking subgenre?
Unlikely, at least in this stage of Berserk's career. Berserk are
from Spain and have already thrust upon the black masses an album
titled _...From the Celtiberian Woods_ a while ago, but _Rites of
Supremacy_ is the first I've actually heard from them. Their music
is mostly mid-paced, semi- melodic black metal, with occasional
keyboards and clean chants employed in the usual ways. In fact, as
far as Iberian black metal goes, Berserk's music is not particularly
distinctive, hence wasting a good opportunity. Production,
songwriting and musicianship are all average, although the repetitive
drumming adds to a certain lack of real dynamics in the music. This
is partially compensated by the reasonable sense of atmosphere that
Berserk achieve on _Rites of Supremacy_, but with its relatively
lengthy song structures the album still isn't a very exciting affair.
Berserk may still be on their way to something interesting, but they
will definitely need to improve in certain areas if they are ever to
get there.
Contact: http://www.berserkhorde.com
Blodsrit - _Oscularis Infernum_ (Oaken Shield / Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)
So, a new album by Sweden's Blodsrit -- or is it Dissection's long
lost demo? Either way, there is no denying how enjoyable _Oscularis
Infernum_ is: for all its lack of originality, this is still an album
you can safely throw into your CD player for a pleasant 40 minutes of
melodic black metal. The album sorely lacks the shiny professional
quality of Naglfar's superior _Sheol_, but not so much as to become a
problem. The production is competent (except for the slightly
annoying drum sound) and the playing is quite adequate (bar the
somewhat repetitive drumming made worse by the drum sound), which in
addition to all the good hooks and melodies ensures a very acceptable
release in spite of its originality issues. Unsurprisingly, you get
most of the usual shticks (such as corpsepaint, a band member named
Nazgul or a Nietzche quotation in the booklet) but this is still
unpretentiously enjoyable -- a rather good bet if that's all you're
looking for and bands like Dissection and Naglfar happen to be your
kind of thing.
Contact: http://www.blodsrit.com
Cannibal Corpse - _The Wretched Spawn_ (Metal Blade, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (9.5 out of 10)
Virtually since their inception, Cannibal Corpse have, almost as a
rule, seemed destined to be reviewers' favourite whipping boys. Quite
as to the reasons why remains uncertain; perhaps it is their stubborn
unwillingness to compromise their now fairly tired lyrical fodder, or
to depart even slightly from their ultra-technical style of death
metal that has since spawned a voluminous legion of imitators.
Whatever the case may be, the fact that they can boast the
distinction of being the first extreme band to achieve platinum
selling status would suggest that they're at least doing something
right, and one could further argue that they have scaled this
considerable height as a direct result of their doing the very things
that the metal media flays them for with their every release.
Predictably once again _The Wretched Spawn_ has drawn its fair share
of criticism, with one point in particular standing out in my mind
this time round as a pure admission of ignorance: that Cannibal
Corpse have simply repeated themselves. It is certainly true that
_The Wretched Spawn_ is a Cannibal Corpse album in every sense of the
word, and so from the off you will know what to expect -- George
"Corpsegrinder" Fisher's blisteringly intense vocals, Alex Webster's
inhumanly skilful bass- wizardry, the seething combination of Jack
Owen and Pat O'Brien's guitars -- all dancing to the tune of Paul
Mazurkiewicz's trademark battery.
What makes Cannibal Corpse worth listening to, nine albums into
their career, is that they continue to evolve their sound within
the admittedly conservative framework which they have imposed on
themselves -- the results of which have proven to be quite excellent.
Small touches indicate how they have grown as songwriters over the
course of a career that spans more than fifteen years: the doomy
intro to "Festering in the Crypt", the dark melodic break halfway
through "Frantic Disembowelment". In the meantime, they continue to
excel as one of the most technical bands in death metal. Say what you
will about their ability to come up with fresh ideas, but there are
precious few guitarists that will outdo the quite frankly sick
staccato riffage of "Psychotic Precision". Of course, it may just be
that what Cannibal Corpse brings to the table just isn't enough for
some, a view that boils down to a simple matter of opinion. But as
Alex Webster states on the record's accompanying DVD documentary, the
band's primary objective has always been to "deliver the death
metal"; and in the case of _The Wretched Spawn_, the group definitely
deserve infinite kudos for a job exceptionally done.
Contact: http://www.cannibalcorpse.net
Dismember - _Where Ironcrosses Grow_ (Karmageddon Media, 2004)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)
It has been five years since a Dismember album last saw the light of
day, but after a triumphant Wacken performance reawakened the world
to their hacking, slashing, chainsaw-powered death metal might,
anticipation has been running high. _Where Ironcrosses Grow_ has
taken its time coming out, having been recorded a year ago, but for
fans of the band and others hungry for some old-school, Autopsy- and
Iron Maiden-infused Swedish death metal, it will be well worth the
wait. Though not quite the mixture of all the best bits of Dismember
Matti Karki will tell you it is, _WIG_ isn't actually far off the
mark. As any of you who've heard the title track -- downloadable from
Karmageddon Media -- will attest, Dismember's sixth full-length
boasts a much better attuned sound than _Hate Campaign_ did: the
dirty crunch of _Like an Everflowing Stream_ is present here in
spirit if not quite in actuality, with the slightly-too-clean, almost
sequenced feel which the Swedes' last two albums dragged like a
ball-and-chain, effectively amputated. Dismember have recaptured the
momentum and fist-to-the-face impact which those last two albums
lacked. Instead of delivering a slightly confused selection of songs
-- some great, some not so great -- Dismember have delivered a
cohesive album which flows from track to track; the opening title
track slams to a close, and after the well- placed click-clack of a
handgun slide preparing a new magazine, "Fuelled by Hate" kicks in
backed with a big BANG; penultimate track "Children of the Cross"
winds down and fades out with a doom-infused riff backed by chaotic,
improvised drum-breaks, seeming to signal the albums close, but then
fades back in for half-a-minute to allow "As I Pull the Trigger" to
swat it aside, bolt you upright, and ultimately pave the way for a
highly satisfying finish. Put simply, _WIG_ combines all the elements
that Dismember fans have come to know and love the band for; it's
not experimental, but it -is- reinvigorated. It may not be the
perfect Dismember album, but it's their most consistent since at
least _Massive Killing Capacity_, my current third favourite after
_Indecent and Obscene_ and _LaEFS_ (yes, in that order), and
certainly an album no fan of the band should be advised to go
without. I'd give it a higher mark, but then I'd be making the same
mistake I did when I reviewed _Death Metal_ in these pages all of
seven years ago: giving an album a high mark because -I- enjoy it so
much, rather than objectively giving it the mark it deserves.
Contact: http://www.dismember.se
Ektomorf - _Destroy_ (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (4 out of 10)
On the surface, Ektomorf's fifth effort appears to possess every
quality that could conceivably make up a good metal record: tight
performances, thick solid production. Yet as the album progresses, it
soon becomes painfully clear that the Hungarians' Meshuggah-meets-
Soulfly cocktail offers precious little in the way of substance.
Songs meander on without build-up, climax or any sort of dynamics,
and by the time the seventh track has aired, monotony has all but
killed any sort of enjoyment one could conceivably have extracted
from the record. That even the most seasoned metalhead could be
forgiven for mistaking vocalist Zoltan for one Max Cavalera doesn't
do much for their cause either. Ultimately, _Destroy_ does little
more other than proving that no matter how much money or marketing
muscle is behind a band, no amount of industry veneer can compensate
for lack of talent.
Contact: http://www.ektomorf.net
Eros Necropsique - _Crises de Lucidité_ (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10)
When you choose to call your project Eros Necropsique and release an
album presented in A5 digibook format, with a black and white photo
of a naked girl lying on the floor embracing a skull as the front
cover, you risk coming across as pretentious -- and either your music
and lyrical concept are going to be good enough to justify that
approach to the way you present your work, or you're pretty much
doomed. However presented, _Crises de Lucidité_ is a 55 minute album
comprised of work spanning from 1995 to 1998. The music is a
stripped down affair built from vocals, keyboard, bass and artificial
percussion, and it is mostly the creation of one Olivier. In each
successive song, French poems are recited in a half-spoken, half-sung
manner through generally well performed vocals. Although brimming
with confidence, they are confined to a relatively safe style.
These are occasionally complemented by a smooth but samey soprano
voice. Sometimes the music veers towards more medieval fields, some
others into more tragic settings, and yet others towards somewhat
Elend-like symphonic soundscapes. However, Eros Necropsique fall well
short of Elend's grandeur; their medieval material comes across as
uninteresting, and the more tragic moments entirely depend on how
well you can take this sort of gothic theatrics. Ultimately, _Crises
de Lucidité_ is let down by its lack of direction and unconvincing
instrumental side. This is not a terrible effort and it does have a
few redeeming qualities, but unless you tend to like their chosen
subject matter quite a lot, you are unlikely to find much that will
interest you here.
Contact: http://erosnecropsique.cjb.net
Farmer Boys - _The Other Side_ (Nuclear Blast, 2004)
by: Jackie Smit (3 out of 10)
With a name as overwhelmingly asinine as Farmer Boys, one could be
forgiven for having preconceptions as to the quality of the band's
musical output. If anything is to be learned from the wonderful and
often weird world of metal however, it's that it's better to not
judge a book by its cover. Unfortunately though, even the most
open-minded pundit is likely to have his or her patience tested, as
the twelve tracks collected on the German five-piece's fourth album
reek of the same year-old stilton that wafts over their moniker.
Billed as a blend of Depeche Mode and Faith No More, Farmer Boys have
little in common with either, and come across instead as the
quintessential caricature of Euro pop rock with slightly louder
guitars. True, the slick, contemporary production job of Siggi Bemm
(The Kovenant, Guano Apes) make this record mildly more palatable
than _The World Is Ours_ or _Until the Cows Come Home_, but as anyone
unlucky enough to have suffered through those albums will attest,
that doesn't count for much.
Contact: http://www.farmerboys.de
Fear Factory - _Archetype_ (Liquid 8, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose (8.5 out of 10)
If I had to make a list of bands that have taken a hard fall in their
career, Fear Factory would be ranking somewhere at the top. With
their immensely successful and genre-breaking album _Demanufacture_
and the critical acclaim for their groundbreaking _Remanufacture_
remix album, Fear Factory's seemed to have carved a bright future for
themselves. But _Obsolete_ disappointed and didn't do quite as well
as expected, while follow-up _Digimortal_ was pretty much ignored by
the masses. And so Fear Factory called it a day, releasing the
horrible _Hatefiles_ compilation to get rid of their contract.
2004 shows the return of revitalized Fear Factory. Dino Cazares has
left the band. Long-time member Christian Olde-Wolbers is on guitars.
Strapping Young Lad Byron Stroud is on bass. Many changes that will
leave the audience wondering how pathetic this renewed attempt will
be; one only needs to think of Sepultura and Metallica to have at
least some scepticism about such insurrections. Thankfully, Fear
Factory is for once not trying to 'create something new' or 'reinvent
music'. Instead, they just do what they do best: making fast,
aggressive tunes with a techno-approach. While this might sound a
somewhat vague description, imagine a cross between _Demanufacture_
and _Obsolete_ if you will. The whole album flows by (sorry: pounds
by) naturally. It is evident that Fear Factory is pissed, but for the
first time in a long period their venting sounds natural instead of
forced.
The thing I like least about _Archetype_ is that most of the songs
follow the same structure, building up and breaking down in exactly
the same fashion. It tends to blend songs together, give them
less individual power. Perhaps this is the real area where Fear
Factory should progress in: adding diversity to their well-proved
concept. Nonetheless, with ballads like "Bite the Hand That Feeds",
powerhouses like "Bonescraper" and a Nirvana cover, I can't be too
harsh. _Archetype_ is an unexpected yet very convincing return for
Fear Factory. Good to have you back.
Contact: http://www.fearfactory.com
Finnugor - _Death Before Dawn_ (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (2 out of 10)
Looking at _Death Before Dawn_'s ridiculously garish cover art, I
could not repress a dominant feeling of apprehension. Looking into
the promotional information provided, I discover that the project's
Hungarian mastermind Gabriel Wolf added the guest talent of his
countrymate Atilla Csihar (Aborym, Tormentor, ex-Mayhem) to Finn
Nikolai Stalhammar this time around. None of this seemed to matter
much as cheesy keyboards were accompanied by the trite reciting of
some text by a female friend of the band calling herself Domina
Mystica -- a combination that did not bode well for _Death Before
Dawn_, much as I hoped that the album itself would be very different
from its intro. To my dismay, it wasn't: ludicrous percussion and
guitar are often accompanied by an overwhelming (and at the same time
so very underwhelming) keyboard, while Csihar shrieks away lyrics to
songs with titles such as "Astral Fornication" (which, incidentally,
is printed together with foxy Ms. Mystica's picture). To put it
bluntly, Finnugor's symphonic black metal is rubbish; it is so deeply
sub-standard that I can only wonder how Adipocere could fail to
notice the album's astonishing mediocrity.
Contact: http://finnugor.cjb.net
Furia - _Un Lac de Larmes et de Sang_ (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7.5 out of 10)
On _Un Lac de Larmes et de Sang_ ("A Lake of Tears and Blood") Furia
have created a concept album, each song a chapter of a story told in
French. Their musical approach gathers some aggression, technical
skill and melody, ending up with an interesting and well produced mix
-- there is plenty of Swedish sharpness, dynamics and technicality a
la Dark Tranquillity to be found. Furia are quite clearly a dedicated
band, and there should be little doubt _Un Lac de Larmes et de Sang_
required a very significant amount of work; furthermore, Furia are
able to turn all of that into something that is also interesting for
the listener -- which isn't always the case, regardless of the level
of dedication or the amount of work the band puts into the
album. Despite some similarities to Dark Tranquillity marring any
aspirations to remarkable originality, _Un Lac de Larmes et de Sang_
is still sufficiently original to stand on its own most of the time.
The overall quality of both musicians
hip and production, coupled with
adept songwriting and several particularly enjoyable passages, ensure
this is an album that should please a large number of listeners.
Contact: http://furia.metal.free.fr
Genital Grinder - _Genital Grinder_ (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (4 out of 10)
Lavish soundscapes of romantic, classically influenced metal,
featuring clean male and female vocals as well as grand piano,
violin, cello and a myriad other instruments to complement the
soothing guitar tone -- a description that has absolutely nothing in
common with Genital Grinder's self-titled debut, as you could
probably guess from the less-than-subtle band name. Grindcore it is,
and if you thought everything had already been invented in the
death/grind genre before Genital Grinder came along... well, you may
be right. Either way, these Parisiens certainly won't prove you wrong
given the recycled nature of this self-titled debut album of theirs:
this is good ol' fashioned grind, deeply rooted in the gore
tradition. The more humorous and cartoonish kind of gore, mind you;
in fact, all of the album's subject matter hangs between obviously
humourous and somewhat childish -- not to mention downright silly
like most of the choruses, interludes and the French sing-along in
the final track. Genital Grinder can grind reasonably well though,
and the album is not entirely a snooze-fest if you're in the mood for
this kind of metal -- just don't expect a bulldozer like their far
superior labelmates Morgue, because Genital Grinder are just a bit of
harmless fun.
Contact: http://www.genitalgrinder.fr.st
Heaven Shall Burn - _Antigone_ (Century Media, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose (8 out of 10)
With black metal having peaked its popularity, most major record
labels are looking for their next big cash cow. Hardcore/noisecore
seems to be the next thing and the signing of Heaven Shall Burn to
the Century Media line-up only seems to ascertain that. Thankfully,
Heaven Shall Burn deserves what's coming to them; for a relatively
small band, they have an excellent sound, groove and production. Even
though one of the most noticeable elements of Heaven Shall Burn's
music are the razor-sharp vocals, the thing that surprised me most
were the guitars that at times sounded like those in the good old
death metal days. Think At the Gates and Bolt Thrower, then recycle
their music into a Converge / Shai Hulud mold and you'd be close.
Small point of concern: the clear production gives _Antigone_ a sharp
aggressive edge, but it does tend to suppress the impact of the
double bass. While Heaven Shall Burn is not as Slayer-oriented as
labelmates Dew- Scented, fans of this band should give _Antigone_ a
fair chance. The European pressing will include two bonus cover
songs: "Dislocation" by Disembodied and "Not My God" by Hate Squad.
Contact: http://www.heavenshallburn.com
Himinbjorg - _Golden Age_ (Adipocere, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7.5 out of 10)
With a new guitarist and a new drummer, Himinbjorg have replaced half
the band after _Haunted Shores_; whether that is one of the main
reasons for the renewed venom found in _Golden Age_ I cannot tell.
The fact remains that this new album sees a strong Himinbjorg return
to the fray with an album that can conjure up a whirlwind during its
faster sections just as easily as it can slow down into a rather more
majestic pace. With the changes in pace and occasional clean singing,
Himinbjorg follow the footsteps of early Borknagar -- there is a
feeling of something nordic to the music of these Frenchmen, and
_Golden Age_ shows character as well as vigour and skill. Dynamic and
engaging, this new Himinbjorg effort should prove well worth your
time.
Contact: http://www.adipocere.fr
Loudblast - _Planet Pandemonium_ (Boycott Records, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose (7.5 out of 10)
All ye ancient death metallers, be warned! Loudblast has returned! It
has been more than six years since these Frenchies have unleashed
carnage upon the world and apparently it was time for them to retreat
from retirement, pick up their instruments, and shred once more.
Loudblast has always been quite underrated, even though their Morbid
Angel-meets-Gorefest approach had a high appeal to the death metal
masses. _Planet Pandemonium_ won't disappoint or surprise any of the
old fans. Except for the up-to-date production, there have been no
drastic stylistic changes; which, in a way, is probably for the best:
most of the bands in this genre have died out long ago (remember
Gorefest, remember Morgoth, remember Pestilence?). On the other hand,
certain songs on _Planet Pandemonium_ do sound a tad bit outdated. If
you're the kind of guy who starts most of his sentences with "back in
the day, everything used to be better", _Planet Pandemonium_ will be
an obligatory purchase. For those feeding off mechanized double-bass
assaults, you'd be better off skipping this one.
Mar de Grises - _The Tatterdemalion Express_ (Firebox, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8.5 out of 10)
Chilean doom metal is hardly a well-known scene in the metal world;
but if more bands like Mar de Grises were to pop out of there, then
that would surely change. Finnish Firebox Records yet again treat us
to some quality doom metal, and once more keep their releases subtly
varied: like most other bands on the label, Mar de Grises also have
their own distinguishing attributes to set them apart from others in
the same genre. _The Tatterdemalion Express_ takes you on a trip to a
different world, standing apart from other doom metal albums in a
number of ways; it has a sound very much its own, employing a
multitude of techniques to achieve its goals, and remaining curiously
varied whilst surprisingly consistent throughout. Mar de Grises
are one of those rare outfits that manage to avoid sounding
like an ordinary band recording an album in some studio; it's
as if the album's musical elements were put together by some
abstract entity, taking shape from chaos and resulting in _The
Tatterdemalion Express_. There is also an important sense of good
taste throughout, of not overdoing things or falling into clichés,
that greatly contributes to the overall result. The album hovers
between interestingly atmospheric and either funereal or moderately
progressive melodic doom most of the time, and includes plenty of
remarkable passages in the process (especially the outstanding
second half of "Storm"). _The Tatterdemalion Express_ is a highly
recommended album, possibly the best so far from the excellent
Firebox Records; not to be missed by anyone into doom metal, or
indeed extreme metal in general.
Contact: http://www.mardegrises.cjb.net
Mayhem - _Chimera_ (Season of Mist, 2004)
by: Chris Flaaten (9 out of 10)
Mayhem. This band is almost legendary, despite their limited
discography and its varying quality. The "grand return" with their
previous album failed to impress me, although there were a couple of
interesting tracks. I remember thinking that if they had just kept
the intensity of the first few tracks throughout the album, and had
better vocals, that it would actually have been quite good. _Chimera_
is the answer to this withered hope. Mayhem has somehow crafted an
album that exceeds even the wildest of expectations. This is not the
gem that fans of _De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas_ have been longing for,
though. _Chimera_ is an inferno of detailed, riff-based extreme
metal, executed with an almost arrogant machine-like precision. The
musical mayhem is fittingly presented in a crystal clear production
that really accentuates the technical and cold aspects of the music.
The word "Chimera" is from Greek Mythology, where it represents a
fire- breathing monster made up of disparate parts (usually lion,
goat and serpent). Similarly, Mayhem's album is also a fearsome,
multi-headed monster oozing hate and ferociousness. Imagine a mix of
the furious "A Time to Die" from _Grand Declaration of War_ and the
chilling moods and timing off Thorns' self-titled album and you're
pretty close. Chimera attacks you viciously from the first track,
"Whore". No compromises and no mercy, a feeling that really sinks in
as Maniac screams the chorus; "She fucking hates you all!". His
vocals are ugly as ever, but thankfully less annoying and with a
lower pitch. The next couple of tracks present more variation, but
the changes of pace only serve to highlight the intensity that runs
consistently throughout the album. Some of the slower passages pack
quite a punch themselves too, like the magnificent ending of "My
Death", with its haunting riffs and chanting (!). Another peak is the
absolutely mindblowing "Slaughter of Dreams", where the riffs have
such fantastic details and interesting time signatures that Cynic and
Spiral Architect could pick up a thing or two. _Chimera_ is the
manifestation of hateful arrogance; an incredibly solid album from a
band that finally lives up to its name.
Contact: http://www.thetruemayhem.com
Morbid Angel - _Heretic_ (Earache Records, 2003)
by: Jackie Smit (9 out of 10)
Like many of their kindred acts, opinion on Morbid Angel's continued
relevance at the present point in time remains divided. There are
some that feel that Trey Azagthoth should have called it a day after
David Vincent's departure in 1995 [He did, if only for a year or so,
in 1996 --Paul]. Others offer an even more obstinate argument,
claiming that the band have yet to release anything that justifies
their existence post 1991's _Blessed Are the Sick_. Then on the other
side of the fence, sit the Morbid Angel faithful -- fans who have
embraced the band's hunger to experiment and evolve, to avoid the
stagnation that now plagues several of the acts that birthed
alongside them at the turn of the 1990s. Enter _Heretic_ -- a record
that could well come as a surprise sucker-punch for many adherents of
the two former persuasions, brimming with the sort of fire that could
ever only come from a band who knows that their reputation as genre
leaders hangs in the balance.
In the last two years alone, death metal's new breed have made their
presence felt to the point where one could even argue that _Heretic_
may well have been the band's swansong had it not lived up to
expectations. The last efforts of Nile, Zyklon and even Morbid
Angel alumnus, Eric Rutan's Hate Eternal, are prime examples of
those upstarts who have come dangerously close to unseating the
Tampa collective from their throne. Thus _Heretic_, almost as a
matter of necessity, kicks into high gear immediately -- "Cleansed
in Pestilence" presents a glorious cluster-bomb of blasts and
polyrhythms, acting as a the veritable pulse beneath the thick wall
of discordant guitar noise that has become Trey Azagthoth's signature
over the course of the past two decades. "Enshrined by Grace" and
"Beneath the Hollow" slow proceedings down for a few brief moments,
only to have "Curse the Flesh" spew out the most venomous collection
of riffs that the band have come up with for aeons, crushing any
notion that Morbid Angel are retreading the slower, sometimes bland
grooves of _Gateways to Annihilation_. But _Heretic_'s defining
moments aren't found in the record's predominant brutality, however;
rather by two instrumentals aired at the album's mid-time mark.
"Place of Many Deaths" and "Abyssous" are urgent, atmospheric pieces
-- affirming beyond a doubt the personal and introspective nature of
the disc. Curiously, the ambience is broken by two technically
brilliant, but undeniably out-of-place solos that conclude the album
-- one an almost comedic drum check and the other a highly
superfluous piece of guitar shredding. Then there's also the matter
of the production techniques utilized on Steve Tucker's vocals: an
ill-conceived combination of flange and chorus effects that only just
falls short of undermining the usually stunning impact of one of the
best death metal vocalists working in extreme music today. Whatever
the weight of these criticisms though, _Heretic_ is a superb,
confident testimony to the enduring legacy of Morbid Angel, even if
it's not entirely flawless.
Contact: http://www.morbidangel.com
My Dying Bride - _Songs of Darkness, Words of Light_
by: Pedro Azevedo (9 out of 10) (Peaceville, 2004)
The question "what do you give a man who has everything?" is surely
more commonplace, but these days My Dying Bride must be asking
themselves: what do you play when you have achieved everything? Fair
enough, they can only be said to have achieved everything within
their musical niche, rather than via MTV or what have you, but that
niche is precisely what really matters to us here -- worldwide record
sales be buggered. These living legends of doom metal have created at
least three masterpieces in my books, each with a character all their
own in spite of their similarities (_Turn Loose the Swans_, _The
Angel and the Dark River_ and _The Dreadful Hours_, not to mention
their amazing live album and a host of other fine efforts), and after
all these years seem healthier than ever. Their detractors might say
they have gone back to their old style, found an easy way out of an
inspirational rut; but to me, such a statement overlooks far too much
of what is actually going on in their music and only focuses on a few
formal aspects -- such as the return of death growls or the absence
of poppy electronica and other similarly fashionable elements.
_Songs of Darkness, Words of Light_ provides further proof that My
Dying Bride have not stagnated; it shows a band keen to experiment
with new approaches within their style, and, more importantly,
succeeding in doing so while keeping the album interesting and
enjoyable for the listener. The album is at times very much My Dying
Bride, yet at others quite unlike what you would expect of them --
but it still makes sense in the end. The Yorkshiremen deliver a
variety of approaches throughout the album, ranging from subdued and
darkly romantic to sinister and all the way to downright vicious, but
manage to keep it impressively memorable for a doom album. There is
much to explore in _SoD,WoL_, and the elements used therein are
expertly employed in order to produced a finely balanced result. Not
every doom cliché is avoided, but the flowing of guitar melodies,
riffs and effects into each other, aided by the much improved use of
keyboards constantly fading into and out of the music, as well as
Aaron's shapeshifting vocals, provide more than enough reasons to
forgive such minor defects. Hopefully whatever source My Dying Bride
have been harvesting their inspiration and ideas from will not run
dry anytime soon.
Contact: http://www.mydyingbride.org
Power of Omens - _Rooms of Anguish_ (MetalAges, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon (5 out of 10)
This is the second full-length album from Texas' Power of Omens, the
followup to 1998's _Eyes of the Oracle_ [CoC #37]. Although on the
surface, the pompous progmetal on this disc is similar to the style
they were playing five years ago, there have been some changes. First
and foremost are the vocals. As on their debut album, the vocalist
sounds a lot like Geoff Tate, but this time, he's decided that he
needs to hit high notes, hit them often, and hit them loud. This was
not a good decision. When he keeps his voice in the lower registers,
he's actually quite good, but his higher parts are simply awful. For
one thing, he seems to have very little range when he sings higher,
so it seems like he's always hitting the same notes. Even worse, the
vocals at times seem to be out of sync with the music, almost as if
they wrote and recorded the music first, then wrote the lyrics and
recorded them several months later. Finally, since the vocals are so
high in the mix, they tend to drown out the other instruments and
steal your attention away from the otherwise-good music. However,
that's not to imply that the music is perfect, as it has some
significant problems of its own. The major problem is that their
drummer doesn't seem to want to settle down and provide a backbone
for the music; he'd rather go off and do his own thing, leaving the
rest of the band to fend for itself. I suppose this is intended to
make the music more interesting -- and normally, I'd agree -- but it
leads to the music as a whole having an ungrounded feeling. Moreover,
some of the sections sound sloppy to me, because the drums are
rolling or playing with an odd rhythm that I wasn't expecting.
But the band certainly has talent, as the Moroccan-influenced
instrumental "The Calm Before the Storm" can attest to. It starts
with Spanish- influenced acoustic guitar, a light keyboard melody
and some subtle but busy drumming. The music keeps this flavor
throughout, even as it brings in the metal guitars, builds to a
climax, and exits with a soft outro. It features both impressive
chops and good compositional skills. Unfortunately, not all parts of
the album feature such good composition, as the band often falls into
the trap of having lots of musical passages woven together without
much apparent thought to song flow. The production is pretty good,
but could be stronger. The instruments are all clean, and the guitars
have a nice sharp tone, but at times they are straining to be heard
above the drums and vocals. This album was a big disappointment to
me, since I know that the band is capable of so much more. Without
their vocalist hitting those high notes, I'd probably give them a 7
or 8 out of 10. If they'd also get a drummer in there who understands
that it's possible to overplay without leaving the music sounding
ungrounded (such as Damion Ramirez, who played on Prototype's _Seed_
demo), it could get a 9 out of 10. But as it is, it's pretty much
unlistenable to me.
Contact: http://www.powerofomens.com
Satanic Warmaster - _...Of the Night_ (No Colours, 2004)
by: Matthias Noll (8 out of 10)
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from _...Of the Night_. Satanic
Warmaster's last album _Opferblut_ didn't impress me much when I
bought and reviewed it and hasn't improved with time. Furthermore,
the split with Clandestine Blaze seemed to indicate that the Finns
might be another band caught in a downward spiral after an awesome
debut record. Surprisingly, this new EP brings back some of the
ferocity of _Strength and Honour_ combined with some excellent
mid-tempo material, and among the trademark Satanic Warmaster riffs a
surprisingly obvious Burzum influence here and there. Announced by
their label as being "depressive and long", I thought this might be
_Black Katharsis_ part two; but the two tracks, each in the ten
minute range, are more diverse, less melancholic than the _BK_
material, and even occasionally fast and aggressive in a fashion that
is less melodic and more primitive and ripping than _Opferblut_. With
a playing time of approximately 20 minutes and two excellent tracks,
this is one of the early highlights of 2004 for me when it comes to
raw and unpolished black metal.
Satanic Warmaster / Clandestine Blaze - _Split_
by: Matthias Noll (2 out of 10) (Northern Heritage, 2004)
The news of a Satanic Warmaster / Clandestine Blaze split almost had
me drooling as if it was still 1985 and Slayer and Exodus were
supposed to team up for a joint effort. Unfortunately, the final
result is totally unspectacular and even terrible in places, and all
the more disappointing considering the awesome work both bands have
delivered in the past. The first two out of the four tracks the bands
recorded together have a slightly more old school (read pre-second
wave) feel to them than what you'd usually expect; the other two
sound as if typical but mediocre Clandestine Blaze riffs just got
strung together with equally typical but also equally mediocre
Satanic Warmaster riffs (or vice versa). The Clandestine Blaze solo
track is forgettable, and is further ruined by a sound that
completely buries the guitar underneath the drumming and less than
great vocals. As if this wasn't enough already, disaster strikes
thrice on this record as Satanic Warmaster turn out to be unable to
save the day. Their track "To the Legions" mainly consists of a riff
that sounds like something an incomplete rock band might be jamming
to get their sound and tuning right until the missing members have
turned up in the practice room. This material should have never seen
the light of day. It is embarrassing for both bands as well as the
highly respectable Northern Heritage label.
Sceptic - _Unbeliever's Script_ (Empire Records, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10)
This is the third full-length offering from Poland's Sceptic, and
follows much in the vein of their previous releases: a blend of death
metal and thrash with melodic and technical touches. The riffs are a
mix of styles, from fast tremolo-picked sections to individual-note
lines to dissonant chords, and a few others. This variety allows
most of the songs to have their own feel, yet there are enough
similarities between the songs to hold the album together. There are
some very cool riffs here, but they're few and far between. Most of
the riffs are average to above-average, but the band changes them
pretty frequently, so even the average riffs don't get boring. And
although "intricate" isn't exactly a word I'd use to describe most of
their music, they do throw in a nice subtle or progressive touch
every once in a while, just to keep things interesting. The playing
is very tight but is missing some of the technicality of their
previous releases. It's generally less hectic and some of the tracks
(in particular "Controlled by Mind" and "Waves of Destruction") seem
unnecessarily slow. Vocals are a mid-register growl; they fit the
music, but aren't really exceptional in any respect. The guitars are
very well done, even the guitar solos, which are tasteful and
appropriate. The bass is quite good, and plays a prominent part in
the music, which is nice to hear for a change. The drumming is
excellent: technical and busy without being distracting. Ultimately,
this is a quite good release, even if there are a few songs
which drag. The band has recently inked a three album deal with
Candlelight, who plan on releasing this album more broadly. This is
good news for fans of technical death metal, as this has been a hard
disc to get ahold of.
Contact: http://www.sceptic.metal.pl
Temple of Baal - _Servants of the Beast_
by: Pedro Azevedo (6 out of 10) (Oaken Shield / Adipocere, 2003)
In all their lo-fi Dark Funeral glory, Temple of Baal are one of
those bands that can come up with half an hour of entertaining metal
whilst completely failing to imbue their music with any originality.
As far as relatively underproduced black metal goes, this French band
has gone for an excessively bassy approach that still retains a
certain atmosphere -- which is not an uncommon occurrence in this
genre. Having said all this, the music does show plenty of intent:
there's a decent amount of good riffs and leads to be found, but then
again there is little or no novelty in them. The drumming struggles
to keep up with the faster sections, though not so noticeably that it
should ruin the album for most listeners, and overall the band
shows adequate musicianship and songwriting throughout the album.
_Servants of the Beast_ is an enjoyable album, but not of a calibre
sufficiently high to overcome much of its lack of originality.
Contact: http://www.templeofbaal.com
Thorn.Eleven - _A Different View_ (Steamhammer, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose (6.5 out of 10)
When I first listened to Thorn.Eleven's self-titled debut album, I
would have never expected it to rank so high in my 2001 albums
list. The whiney vocals, the Tool / Soundgarden sound; I thought
Thorn.Eleven were just another band and that their album was just
another album. However, the more I listened to it, the more I started
to realize that the songs were near-perfect, sticking with you long
after listening them. I can still recall most of the songs even
though I haven't listened to the album in over a year. (And the
vocals don't sound so whiney anymore, it just takes some getting used
to.) Even though _A Different View_ continues along this path, most
of the songs lack that x-factor that made the previous album great.
Occasionally, I get the impression of listening to a collection of
songs that didn't make it onto the debut album. Perhaps it has
something to do with the fuzzy, average production. Perhaps it has
something to do with the increased complexity of some of the songs. I
could be wrong: _A Different View_ could, after a while, turn out to
be a great album -- but something in me seriously doubts that.
Contact: http://www.thorn-eleven.com
Trauma - _Imperfect Like a God_ (Empire Records, 2003)
by: Xander Hoose (8.5 out of 10)
Not ever having heard of Trauma, I was quite surprised when giving
_Imperfect Like a God_ a first spin. With the tight hyper-blasted
drumming, the dense growling vocals and the slick production I was
immediately reminded of Vader and Behemoth, and sure enough, Trauma
also originate from Poland. Seems like they have a patent on good
death metal over there! _Imperfect Like a God_ most reminds me of a
more straightforward variant of Behemoth's _Thelema.6_ album: the
songwriting is less fractured and songs do not contain as many
layers, but with exactly that aggression and usage of instruments it
creates a similar atmosphere. The major, yet only, drawback I have
discovered on _Imperfect Like a God_ is tightly connected with the
lack of layering; even though all the songs are individually killer,
you're bound to lose attention around two-thirds into the album.
Nonetheless, this Behemoth-lite is a definite recommendation to
anyone finding themselves bashing heads on modern technical death.
Under Threat - _Behind Mankind's Disguise_ (Conquest, 2003)
by: Brian Meloon (8 out of 10)
Under Threat hail from Bogota, Columbia, and this is their second
release. Their music is heavy, mid-to-fast-tempo thrash with a good
dose of melody. Most of the riffs are semi-melodic, staccato
individual-note lines which are usually played in sync with the snare
drum and are sometimes harmonized. It reminds me quite a bit of an
updated version of Despair's _Beyond All Reason_ (from 1991),
especially in the structure of the riffs and the way the guitars work
with the drums. Also like Despair, they include a nice instrumental
and some acoustic/clean guitar parts, mostly as intros. The main
musical differences are the updated production -- which is much more
powerful -- and the main vocals, which are a standard shouted/rasped
style. Some of the background vocals are sung in a clean (but not
really melodic) fashion, but the harsh vocals are very dominant. The
music is heavily guitar-based, but there are a few parts where the
bass and drums get to show off. Overall, the band doesn't seem to be
very concerned about being flashy -- you won't find any five-minute
guitar solos here. In fact, the guitar solos weren't very memorable
at all to me, as the guitarists seem to favor short solos or
harmonized guitar leads over long, elaborate solos. Their main focus
seems to be on keeping the songs jam-packed with creative and
moderately technical riffs. The playing is a little sloppy at times,
but overall the band does a good job of staying together, which isn't
a trivial task given the complexity of the music. The production is
bit of a weakness, as it is inconsistent. At times, the drums are
overpowering, and at others it's the vocals and/or guitar which are
dominating. In addition, I would've preferred a tighter feel for the
production, including a sharper guitar tone and a cleaner drum sound.
Ultimately, this is quite a good release and I hope to hear more from
these guys in the future. It should appeal to melodic thrash fans;
it's not doing anything novel, but it does what it does pretty well.
VAST - _Nude_ (456 Entertainment, 2004)
by: Xander Hoose (9 out of 10)
Boy wonder Jon Crosby isn't giving up. Being dropped from the Elektra
label because of the 'dissatisfying' sales for his late-2000 _Music
for People_ album, he has found a home on 456 Entertainment for his
follow-up, _Nude_. Those familiar with VAST already know that Crosby
is responsible for all the instruments and the compositions; even
with such a huge task, _Nude_, like its predecessors, has turned out
to be a small gem. Much of the familiar trademark elements, like the
classical orchestration and industrial elements, have prevailed and
make up the lion's share of _Nude_'s texture. Crosby's vocals have
improved even further, but most striking is the maturity of some of
the songs -- not just lyrically. "Don't Take Your Love Away" is one
of the most breakable songs of the album, closely reminding of some
of Trent Reznor's _Fragile_ songs. VAST definitely doesn't compete in
the same league, but will have appeal to the same kind of listener.
Closing the gap between Stabbing Westward, U2 and The Cure, VAST
still has a bright future ahead, even without the big Elektra
promotional machine.
Weakling - _Dead as Dreams_ (Tumult, 2000)
by: Alvin Wee (10 out of 10)
How a genre-defining opus as mighty as this has managed to slip
beneath my radar for so long shall forever remain a mystery (as well
as cause for endless shame). From somewhat dubious roots (members
from The Fucking Champs, Ludicra and other San Francisco obscurities)
springs black metal genius of the highest order, delivering one
single crushing blow -- Weakling has since disbanded -- to the
posturing scene of today. Making comparisons between the atmosphere
of _Kronet Til Konge_-era Dødheimsgard and that of the opening
track is tempting, for such combination of precise old-school
black-thrashing fury with grand hypnotism has been mastered by
precious few (very early Swordmaster, for instance). Yet Weakling
add to that equation a natural complexity not often found in
black metal, their timely tempo shifts and chord progressions
hinting at a compositional maturity exceeding the vast majority of
the self-important underground. Alternating between firing blazing
black/thrash riff-bullets and rolling out crushing doom-lines, the
band dangles the listener in the gap between triumphant melody and
disharmonic chaos, ever so often breaking into avant-garde interludes
or extended passages of distorted drone without ever losing momentum.
Weakling reprises all the developments of black metal in the past two
decades (replete with a singer scaling Bethlehem-like heights of
anguish), and yet, like Emperor with _Prometheus_, has mastered the
method sufficiently to stand above all blame whilst fucking around
with the conventions of the genre. Contrary to what the label (and
some other reviews) claims, Weakling is by no means extraordinarily
experimental or genre- transcending, but rather genre-defining. The
shocking depth of emotion, sheer musical ability and keenness of ear
for all things destructive displayed on this masterpiece should be
the goal for all black metal bands wishing to transcend mediocrity.
Contact: http://www.tumult.net
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~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Scoring: 5 out of 5 -- A flawless demo
4 out of 5 -- Great piece of work
3 out of 5 -- Good effort
2 out of 5 -- A major overhaul is in order
1 out of 5 -- A career change is advisable
Delian League - _Day of Question_
by: Brian Meloon (3.5 out of 5)
Delian League are from New Jersey, and play a hybrid style of metal
with musical influences from the '80s and '90s and a vocalist who
sounds like he could be from a late '80s metal band. The three songs
here are similar in style, but all have unique identities. "The
Questioning" opens the demo off with a few pretty generic '80s metal
riffs, and retains this base throughout the song. There is a short
section that's a little more progressive, and the solo is neoteric,
but overall this song is pretty run-of-the-mill. "Final Day" is an
improvement, starting off with a short generic riff, and then moving
into more intricate and progressive riffs as the song progresses. A
few of the sections are reminiscent of Red Tide's _Expressions_ demo
[CoC #3], and the song also features a more memorable chorus. The
closer "Days of Regret" is the best of the bunch, adding keyboards,
and featuring a catchy -- but not overly sweet -- chorus. There's a
good mix of heaviness with melody here, including a section with
keyboards atop tremolo-picked guitar lines that wouldn't sound out of
place in a lighter version of Dimmu Borgir. The songs generally flow
pretty well, and they're structured in a way that makes them
comfortable, but not predictable. There are a few rough transitions
though, mostly when they move into a faster gear. The playing is good
to very good on all counts, with the vocals being particularly
strong. I'm generally not a fan of clean vocals, since many vocalists
are either too wimpy or too whiny or too screechy or just plain
annoying. But this guy is quite good, and is able to keep a good
balance of aggression and melody in his voice. The guitars are pretty
well done, and most of the solos fit the music quite well, with the
notable exception of the last half of the last solo in "Final Day",
which has a very amateur feel to it. The bass and drums don't really
stand out to me, but seem to do a competent job. There are a few
places where the band aren't as tight as they could be, and they'll
have to work on this in the future, but this is a relatively minor
quibble. _Day of Question_ is a promising demo, and should be enjoyed
by those looking for something fresh and a little progressive, but
not too extreme or experimental.
Contact: http://www.delianleague.com
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D E A T H C O M E S R I P P I N G
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Decapitated, Rotting Christ, Thus Defiled, Anata
@ The Camden Underworld, London
by: Jackie Smit
It's telling to note that a light snowfall greeted many patrons of
the Underworld earlier this afternoon, while inside the confines of
the venue the majority of tonight's attendees find themselves
drenched in sweat. This is due in no part to any sort of heating
system being in place, but rather the fact that tonight's performance
has been oversold by a good fifty to one hundred people, which -- in
case you hadn't noticed yet -- provides additional evidence to
support the theory that the great death metal resurrection is in well
and truly in process.
Amidst the murmurs of some that the assembled crowd outnumbers even
the turnout when Sepultura performed three special "intimate" gigs in
the capital last year, I am forced to wait in line for the cloakroom
through most of Anata's set. What I do manage to catch however is
great, as the Swedes thrash, shred and roar their way through
material culled mostly from their superb _Under a Stone With No
Inscription_ effort.
Unfortunately the same high praise can't be leveled at Thus Defiled
-- a longtime staple of the local scene, whose appeal continues to
elude me. They are generic, uninspiring and... well... a bit rubbish.
Thankfully the memory of their tedious death/black metal is soon
erased when Greek demi-gods Rotting Christ make a long-awaited return
to the London stage. Performing as a quartet since the reportedly
amicable departure of keyboardist George, they launch into an
immensely satisfying collection of classic and recent favourites.
"Sign of Evil Existence", "Non Serviam", "Thou Art Blind" and "Lex
Talionis" are all given superbly atmospheric airings, and while
material from _A Dead Poem_ and _Sleep of the Angels_ remains sadly
ignored, the band do make up for it by performing a stirring
rendition of "King of a Stellar War".
Even with the bar raised to a daunting height, Poland's favourite
sons Decapitated make quick work of showing one and all who the
evening truly belongs to. Diminutive vocalist Sauron prowls the stage
like a tethered rottweiler, spewing forth acidic vocal lines that are
almost intimidatingly aggressive. In the meantime, his bandmates busy
themselves constructing a dense, crushing wall of noise that tonight
ranks among some of the heaviest and most downright barbaric you're
likely to hear in your life. Fourty-five minutes is all the time we
get to spend with them before they bow out for the evening -- a
sojourn that's almost too brief to fully appreciate their simplistic,
straightforward genius. The intensity that emanates from the audience
could very easily power large cities, but almost curiously it doesn't
result in a frenzied outbreak of flailing limbs -- it transcends into
a state of near mass-hypnosis, as each and every soul in the building
remains transfixed on the spectacle being played out on the stage in
front of them. "Three Dimensional Defect", "The Fury", "Mother War",
"Sensual Sickness", "Eternity Too Short" and "Symmetry of Zero"
(among others) are all played -- each number as precisely performed
as they are perfectly crafted. And, as the final guitar squeal fades
out and the sound of cheering and applause becomes louder than the
echo of Vitek's snare drum, there is little to argue against the fact
that the Camden Underworld has tonight witnessed the stuff of legend.
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W H A T W E H A V E C R A N K E D ! ! !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pedro's Top 5
1. My Dying Bride - _Songs of Darkness, Words of Light_
2. Mar de Grises - _The Tatterdemalion Express_
3. Tenhi - _Kauan_
4. Himinbjorg - _Golden Age_
5. Furia - _Un Lac de Larmes et de Sang_
Brian's Top 5
1. Psycroptic - _The Scepter of the Ancients_
2. Dark Lunacy - _Forget-Me-Not_
3. Extol - _Synergy_
4. Monstrosity - _Rise to Power_
5. Horrified - _Deus Diabolus Inversus_
Paul's Top 5
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival - _Cosmo's Factory_
2. The Who - _Tommy_
3. The Chasm - _Deathcult for Eternity: The Triumph_
4. Dismember - _Like an Everflowing Stream_
5. The Who - _Live at Leeds_
Aaron's Top 5
1. Kataklysm - _Serenity in Fire_
2. Death - _The Sound of Perseverance_
3. Overkill - _Wrecking Everything: Live_
4. Enforsaken - _The Forever Endeavor_
5. In Flames - _Soundtrack to Your Escape_
Matthias' Top 5
1. Tankard - _Beast of Bourbon_
2. Satanic Warmaster - _Of the Night_
3. Vader - _Litany_
4. Drudkh - _Autumn Aurora_
5. Dawn of Azazel - _The Law of the Strong_
Alvin's Top 5
1. Weakling - _Dead as Dreams_
2. Khanate - _Things Viral_
3. Kataklysm - _Serenity in Fire_
4. Diamanda Galas - _Defixiones, Will & Testament_
5. Mayhem - _Chimera_
Chris' Top 5
1. Mayhem - _Chimera_
2. Ayreon - _The Human Equation_
3. My Dying Bride - _Songs of Darkness, Words of Light_
4. Slumber - _Fallout_ (pre-mastered)
5. Dark Age - _Dark Age_
Jackie's Top 5
1. Insomnium - _The Day It All Came Down_
2. Monster Magnet - _Monolithic Baby!_
3. Faith No More - _Angel Dust_
4. Cannibal Corpse - _The Wretched Spawn_
5. Death Angel - _The Art of Dying_
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DESCRIPTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chronicles of Chaos is a FREE monthly magazine electronically
distributed worldwide via the Internet. Seemingly endless interviews,
album reviews and concert reviews encompass the pages of Chronicles
of Chaos. Chronicles of Chaos stringently emphasizes all varieties of
chaotic music ranging from black and death metal to electronic/noise
to dark, doom and ambient forms. Chronicles of Chaos is dedicated
to the underground and as such we feature demo reviews from all indie
bands who send us material, as well as interviews with a select
number of independent acts.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
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You may subscribe to Chronicles of Chaos at any time by sending an
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End Chronicles of Chaos, Issue #72
All contents copyright (c) 1995-2004 by individual creators of
included work. All rights reserved.
All opinions expressed herein are those of the individuals
expressing them, and do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone
else.
