HAEMORRHAGE
'Loathesongs' CD (Morbid)
Like many bands, Haemorrhage feel they owe a lot to bands that
inspired them. I mean, who would really deny their past? So when
a band decides to cover songs that inspired them the listener
is in for an interesting history lesson if nothing else. I've
always felt, that of all the genres, grindcore has had the strongest
bond with the past. Grind bands just love to revel in what influenced
them, as if they were on a mission. Spain's Haemorrhage are no
different. With three albums already behind 'em, it was payback
time. Far from being an excuse to produce a filler album, it
was a chance for them to try adapting old songs to their own
style. But you have to understand Haemorrhage's sound to appreciate
their choice of tracks. On the face of it, these guys love blastbeats
which are surprisingly closer to death metal than earsplitting
grindcore. So when Entombed's 'Premature Autopsy' is played,
you can sense the band just wallowing in the technical shit of
early Swedish DM. But no one would mistake this for an Entombed
carbon copy. The delivery shifts the bias towards gutteral brutalism.
And that's the approach throughout. The consistency of sound
is there but only close inspection will reveal subtlties that
reference the bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Impaled Nazarene,
Cryptic Slaughter and even UFO! Even the more obvious choices
like Carcass, Defecation, Regurgitate and Impetigo fail to restrict
Haemorrhages' own idiosyncrasies. As an album it works well,
though I suspect the band will be more concerned with using the
old school influences to reinforce their own considerable assaults.
And that's how it should be done.
7/10
'HAND OF
DOOM' no.2 (US listings zine)
A5 20 pages $2.00 (handofdoom666@hotmail.com)
Chris Klasa has a radio show on WCSB 89.3 FM broadcast through
Cleveland State Uni, which can also be heard on the internet-
www.wcsb.org. This zine features his set lists as well as reviews
of what he plays. Which is an excellent taste in grind, death,
doom, power violence, brutal hardcore, stoner rock and good 'ol
metal. Yep, Chris' radio show is on the ball with what's happening
in the scene and is guaranteed to be Oasis free! Can you imagine
a show like this on Radio 1?
PO Box 14157, Cleveland, OH. 44114, USA
7/10
HANGNAIL 'Ten Days Before
Summer' CD (Rise Above)
70s big rock cliches aplenty don't detract too much from this
much lauded stoner band from the UK. They fit in with that Goatsnake,
Unida, Kyuss clan with their mix of psychedelia, massive riffing
and hippie space lyrics. Great song titles too- 'Sun Quake',
'One Million Layers B.C.' and all are supremely catchy. But I've
got to say this: Hangnail consists of two thirds of death metal
should-have-beens Decomposed. I suppose the smell of the weed
and the need to trip was just too strong for the boys. Lets hope
they try a little harder next time.
5/10
HATEWORK 'Broken Silence'
CD (Rage Of Achilles)
As brutal and proficient as Arizona's Hatework are, there is
something unfocused about their music. Though obviously technical
death metal, there is a lack of consistency and a flow that makes
such things work. They may call their approach quirky, but i
think they're trying to be different when there's no need to
be different. Are they worried that fans won't take them seriously
unless they sound a 'left of centre', a bit zany? I always though
brutal death metal was about no nonsense seriousness, about making
your point in the most direct and bludgeoning way possible.
6/10
HAVAYOTH 'His Creation
Reversed' CD (Hammerheart)
This album reminds me somewhat of Paradise Lost circa 'Gothic',
if not directly in sound then in attitude and their approach
to composition. The Swedes base their sound, like the Halifax
gloomsters once did, around simple but potent melodies- keyboards
are added almost like an adornment rather than full contributions
as is the norm in 2001. This doesn't detract from the appeal
of Hayavoth's music, as they've got that intangible charisma
P.L. once had which is necessary to pull this sort of thing off
without sounding maudlin and pretentious. Most of the time the
music is slow and depressive, but once in a while they kick into
a more rocking temo. The only drawback here is the vocal style
of Vintersorg, who also plays in the band-you guessed it-Vintersorg.
He has a very unusual style of crooning that's very soulful but
almost otherworldly; it's an interesting sound, to be sure, but
it doesn't always sync with the straightforward music it's meant
to accompany. His vocals work well in his own band (and hopefully
will in Borknagar too), but they aren't 100% effective in this
situation. Maybe simpler is better in this style, as Nick Holmes'
classic vocal contributions to 'Gothic' will attest? Whatever
the case, this is a fairly interesting project that really could
overcome the 'promising, but...' hurdle given time and effort.
[Seth Patterson]
7/10
HECATE ENTHRONED 'Kings
Of Chaos' CD (Blackend)
Okay, it's time to stop picking on Hecate Enthroned. Let's give
'em some credit. The days of the Cradle Of Filth jokes are over.
Anyway, the line up has changed so much, HE have changed too.
'Kings Of Chaos' is an effective blend of keyboard driven black
metal and technical death metal. They've really gone for it now
and new vocalist Dean makes himself felt. No point playing second
fiddle to original vocalist Jon. If there is a fault, HE are
too precise, rigid and focused as if determined to make something
new with this record. Promising rebirth.
7/10
HELLCHILD/ KILARA 'Kutna
Hora' split CD (Rhetoric)
Kutna Hora is a town in the Czech Republic and it is morbidly
famous for the All Saints Cemetary Chapel which, in the eighteenth
century, contained sculptures and architectural details made
from real human bones, taken from the overspilled cemetary. This
was roccoco art of an extreme nature. But clever too. Hellchild
and Kilara are equally original and er... let's say flamboyant
with their own brand of grind. This CD is self consciously different
and stands above any other grind record you may have heard. Highly
recommended.
8/10
HELLCHILD 'Bareskin' CD
(Ritual/ Howling Bull)
If Hellchild's performance on the split with Kilara whetted your
appetite, then the full monty is on this incredible album. 'Bareskin'
contains ten songs of ultra heavy crustcore a la Phobia but with
much stronger melodies and a vocalist who I can confidently say
is truly unique. Tsukasa Harakawa has a drawling gutteral style
that sounds distorted but can easily swing towards something
reminiscent of Machinehead's Rob Flynn. Of course, the rhythm
section never let up and make Harakawa work for his money while
the lyrics are far from the norm- very personal and passioned.
Fabulous.
8/10
HENTCHMEN 'Hentchforth'
12"ep (Italy) $10
Revivalist garage pioneers Hentchmen do what Detroit is best
known for- ragin' rock and roll. This 12" features nine
fat songs played with a early 60s perfection and the addition
of Jack White on vocals adds to the authenticity. But before
you dismiss them as irrelevent to this age, Hentchmen have proved
themselves to be capable of putting on a good show of catchy
songs and fine dress sense. Er... no song is lacking in energy
and they make the sparse instruments count. A band that is consistent
in quality is a rare commodity. For Hentchmen it's simply a special
knack they have.
8/10
Holger HILLER 'Holger
Hiller' CD (Mute)
According to reliable sources, Holger Hiller is quite a versatile
young man with an oevre that traverses avant garde, techno, electronica,
and commercial ads. With three albums behind him and a growing
reputation for instilling the quirky into the potentially banal,
this fourth album definitely demands attention. Okay, this ain't
extreme electronica. It's just on the right side of left field
while remaining a pleasurable listen. In between all the sonic
mashings and troublemaking tweaks is a knack for digging out
cool beats and atmospherics as on the prime mover of a track
'Come'- drum and bass mixed with trance without the commercial
trappings. Then on 'Toyshopshoptoy' Hiller tries his hand at
some kind of warped funk sound hacked with some Japanese kitsch.
It's fun. I guess the best way to listen to this CD would be
to play it on random select mode as this is more about individual
songs contrasting with each other.
7/10
HIT LIST
vol2, no.4 (U.S. fanzine)
A4 162 pages $3.95 cover price, bigunit@pacbell.net)
Interviews with Aerobitch, Pulley, Retch Records, Monkeywrench,
plus Napster and a whole lot more.
This is the zine that's either loved or loathed, but only in
terms of editorials (Jeff Bale's ejaculations) but I guess it
is his zine, and controversial comments are always good to bring
those ol' braincells to life. Otherwise, the zine features columns,
interviews and articles all mixed up so it's pretty energetic
layout wise, but the bands covered fall in the garage, punk,
glam, popcore side of the scene, and the review section is chocablock
with loads of stuff you'll probably never hear about again. It's
pretty comprehensive but the zine's biggest sin is not to support
the real underground. No news sections on what's happening and
no reviews of demos and zines. Does that mean, you have to had
made an impact first before getting into 'Hit List'? Is that
why it's called 'Hit List'? There's also a very long article
on Satanism which seems out of place. I suppose devil worship
is all the trend nowadays. I just haven't got round to reading
it yet,- it's layout is not reader friendly. An article that
long is probably half bullshit. I found 'Hit List' a reasonable
read but no way is it as good as the reports I was getting. It
jusat happens to have a lot of names in the scene writing for
it. But I'll still be checking out future issues.
review material to PO Box 8345, Berkeley, CA. 94707,USA.
6/10
HOLLENTHON 'Domus Mundi'
CD (Napalm)
I once heard this band described as "an evil Therion"
and that's a pretty apt description. In other words, fans of
stripped-down, no-nonsense music should steer well clear of this
release! Hollenthon's mastermind Martin Shirenc (formerly of
Pungent Stench) has thrown all manner of bombast and pomp into
the mix here, but the end results sound considerably more menacing
and, well, dark than the aforementioned band. It's commonplace
for Euro-metal bands to drench their music in keyboards these
days, but Shirenc deserves much credit for managing to not sound
derivative in his utilization of them; maybe one reason Hollenthon
are so effective is that there is more substance underneath the
thick layers of synths than is the case with so many bands tearing
up the charts in Finland and Germany. Unlike Nightwish, for example,
Hollenthon are still very much a guitar-oriented band despite
the multitude of "Ooohs" and "Aaahs" they
summon forth from their Korgs. Occasionally Shirenc's death metal
roots shine through, and it's at these times, when low-tuned
guitar savagery and neo-classical splendor converge, that Hollenthon
are most effective. Points have to be awarded as well for the
sample from the movie 'Legend', which is incorporated seamlessly
and is cleverly placed. Overall, this is one of the better albums
I've heard lately, and anyone who enjoys bands like Tristania,
Haggard, or the early works of Theatre of Tragedy will find much
of merit here too.
[Seth Patterson]
8/10
HOLOCAUSTO CANIBAL 'Gonorreia
Visceral' mCD (So Die Music)
Listen to Holocausto Cannibal's debut mCD and you'll sense a
weirdness to the whole thing. Most albums gore, grind or otherwise
have songs that have a start, middle and an end. HC's songs on
the other hand just seem to appear and disappear out of thin
air like magic. All you will be able to make out is a low, low
guttural vocal, a muffled guitar sound and melodies that have
no structure. Some would call it a mess but I would call it abstraction.
It's a cold, dehumanising feeling they convey, but hey, this
is 100% extreme gore and the need to alienate and distress the
listener is all important. After eighteen minutes one is left
abandoned because they have given you nothing to clutch onto.
It's truly ugly with the don't give a fuck attitude of yer average
serial killer. Don't worry about what they're actually saying
(they're in Portuguese anyway), the sleeve photos are worth a
few hundred words by themselves but the band do point out "all
issues treated on the lyrics refer to real scenarios, closed
in human mind, it's no more than repressed desires, hidden in
the most recondite of our being." In other words it has
to take a band like HC to tell us what's real out there in the
world and they shouldn't be condemned for the way they try to
express it. However, the band can do better because the poor
production makes this sound like a mediocre demo tape, and tagged
on sound bites from horror movies isn't in the league of Mortician.
For a full length to work they have got to balance their abstraction
with real emotions so the suffering of the world is heard through
the vocals. It would probably come out sounding even more insane
than what this is but that's what we love about sick, brutal
metal that's also challenging, confrontational and uncompromising.
These guys have a future.
6/10
HONEY FOR CHRIST 'Long
Way Down And Rising' (1st demo, four songs) - tape= £1.50/
$2 ; CD= £3/ $4
A crushingly heavy rhythm section with a knack for squeezing
melodies out of overbearing riffs and a vocalist who can throw
his voice half way across the emerald isle combine effectively
to make for a very promising doom / heavy metal band. Think early
Cathedral and Solstice. Even on a dubbed tape the sheer depth
to the band comes through and you'll be headbanging to this incessantly.
Cute name though.
Andrew Clarke, 32 Magherabeg Road, Dromore, Co. Down, BT 25
1RS, N.Ireland, UK.
7/10
HOOKERS 'Blood Over Germany-
Live' live CD (People Like You)
The Hookers were the last word in garage rocknroll meets heavy
metal. Not for them the retro 50s silliness of other garage bands.
Hookers only played the tunes their mentor Satan wanted to hear-
which had to be evil, trashy, down market and smelling of whiskey.
This CD captures all that as these losers played their last ever
set in Stuttgart Germany. Hans may have witnessed something special
but the rest of us can only imagine when this is cranked up to
eleven. Yep, whether they're with us or not, everybody needs
Hookers.
7/10
HOOKERS II 'Black Visions
Of Crimson Wisdom' CD (Scooch Pooch)
Following on from 'Satan's Highway' the planet's heaviest rocknrollers
return with more devil charged mayhem across eleven piledriving
songs. It's the typical Hookers plan of attack- brutal and grinding
guitar slaughter but without being metal. They don't loose sight
of their garage punk leanings so even if all the songs do sound
the same, the fast rocknroll still knocks yer for six so it's
not a problem. But I've got to say this, the cover photo should
be enough to make you want to check these fuckers out. Spooky,
baby.
8/10
Peter HOPE/Richard H.
Kirk 'Hoodoo Talk' reissue CD (Mute)
This was originally released in 1987 by Cabaret Voltaire's Richard
H. Kirk and The Box's Richard Hope at a time when Cabaret Voltaire
were signed to EMI. Any artistic restrictions that label placed
upon the band were released on this side project which is still
remarkably fresh despite the limitations of 80s aesthetics. 'Hoodoo
Talk' is a dark, claustrophobic work of forced beats and and
roughly hewn sound textures- not quite industrial but as equally
impersonal. But check out the weird Capt. Beefheatish vibe of
'Sugar Can You Feel The Drums?' where the duo add a much needed
humour to proceedings as if they've decidied to mock that impersonal
nature of electronically generated beats. 'Hoodoo Talk' is more
complex than it sounds and requires more than a few careful listens
to understand it.
7/10
HYPNOS 'In Blood We Trust'
CD (Morbid)
When Carcass released 'Heartwork' I think as many people were
positively surprised by as were disappointed. Here was a band
that transcended their self limiting gorecore by absorbing the
metal influences of their youth. It was a progressive metal album.
Hypnos, in some ways are one of the bands that sprouted from
that legacy. 'In Blood We Trust' isn't pure grindcore or death
metal. It has progressive metal touches that demand a much greater
attention to detail but never at the expense of pummelling power.
If this album doesn't kick in at first listen then try again.
It' well worth it.
8/10
HYPOCRISY 'Hypocrisy'
CD (Nuclear Blast)
Strange isn't it how Peter Tagtgren and Hypocrisy have always
pushed themes and attitudes of death metal into the future with
sci fact/fiction lyrics and a relentless will to exceed the standards
of death metal's own restrictions. Yet, this CD has a very retro
feel to it with Dickinsonesque wails and riffs that would bring
a wistful tear to the eye of many an old thrasher. This isn't
to say Hypocrisy have ran out of ideas, far from it. Each song
is approached differently and explores new avenues as well as
visits older ones which gives a universal touch to their themes,
and makes us glad they reformed.
[Simon Fairfax] 9/10
HYPOCRISY 'Hypocrisy Destroys
Wacken' live CD (Nuclear Blast)
For those of you who can't come to terms with Hypocrisy's continuing
move towards stronger melodies and a prog rock feel (I'm sure
there aren't many of you), then this one's for you. What the
band do in the studio is one thing, but when playing live, they
are true death metal. The rhythm section may back Peter Tagtgren's
gutteral vocal with multilayers of differently textured sounds,
but the death metal is deeply rooted in every song from the early
days right to up the present. The sound quality is amazing...
and so are Hypocrisy.
8/10
IGNORAMUS 'The Family
Unit' (2nd demo nine songs - tape= £2.50 / $5)
I think this band were called Vehemence who's fine demo I reviewed
in no.10 (the contact address is the same). Anyway, Ignoramus
play brutal hardcore embracing anything from old school So Cal
to UK anarcho crust with Belgium devilcore in there somewhere.
It's a daunting listen with varied pace to the songs though they
sound best when playing at full speed. No surprise that a hateful
sound is reflected in hateful lyrics. Excellent recording and
production.
126 Pembroke Road, London, N10 2JD, UK
7/10
ILLDISPOSED 'Kokaiinum'
CD (Die Hard)
Denmark's Illdisposed make a good impression of themselves as
nasty little boys. Vicious songs like the quasi-hooligan anthem
'A Warm Welcome' and the self congratulatory 'Illdisposed' with
its lines "we're the ones who'll stand when all are down/
we're the boys" are what death metal should be about- being
obnoxious, inviting a response and yep, being slightly hooligan.
Bands like Nile and Cryptopsy may have defined the laws of death
metal but they're harmless nice guys. Okay, maybe Illdisposed
are nice guys too, in front of their parole officers, but 'Kokaiinum'
is an album that reeks of vileness.
Bo Summer's vocals and the groove injected brutal death metal
see precedence in Suffocation's 'Human Waste' and 'Effigy Of
The Forgotten' albums. 'Richard Scarry' (him being a children's
author) alternates pummelling riffs with invigorating guitar
licks, while 'Fear Bill Gates' has melodic passages reminding
us that Illdisposed are a Scandinavian metal band. It's one of
the many nice touches that keeps 'Kokaiinum' from suffering from
the monotony lesser death metal albums are prone to. It's an
album that's both visionary but firmly rooted in the old school.
8/10
IMBALANCE 'Spouting Rhetoric'
CD (Household Name) £8/ $12
Following on from their 7", Grimsby's finest come up with
a debut which is so much more than a first look suggests. This
is a forty five minute onslaught of precise social commentary
without ever becoming preachy or patronising. Taking such subjects
as hypocrisy in the press, the death of a friend through drug
abuse, racism and much more, each song is summarized by a quote
from the series of 'Dune' novels by Frank Herbert. Musically,
this reminds me of early Revelation stuff- melodic but definitely
not pop punk. Stunning.
[Simon Fairfax] 10/10
IMMEMORIAL 'Temple Of
Retribution' CD (Blackend)
I don't usually like melodic death metal, but this is pretty
cool. In the vein of Dark Tranquility or a cleaner Dissection,
'Temple Of Retribution' packs a lot of power, and the strength
of the melodies are partly due to the intros created by Morfeus
of Limbonic Art. So don't expect any filler material. As songwriters,
Immemorial have got it all worked out. They've studied the Masters
hard. I'm just pleased that what they've done exceeds expectations.
In time, as they will develop, maybe people will stop regarding
them as your typical Swedish death metal band. That's the hard
bit so wish 'em good luck.
7/10
IMMENSE 'Evil Ones And
Zeros' CD (Fat Cat)
Immense are Fat Cat's most user friendly band, playing indie
guitar rock that lies somewhere between Codeine, Hovercraft and
shoegazer music. Call it post rock if ya wanna. I call it music
for the middleaged (there's a 28 year difference between the
two main songwriters). Nothing wrong with that if your life is
spent sat on a rockin chair dreaming the hours away as the sun
filters through the net curtains. This is music to 'appreciate'
rather than to rock to, and since even I like to lie back and
dream of England, this will come in very handy. But I sense an
evil twinkle in their eyes too. Be careful.
7/10
IMMOLATION 'Failure For
Gods' CD (Metal Blade)
From Christ hating' to Christ rapin' Immolation take you on a
journey of death defying blasphemy with the kind of zealousness
only matched by T.V. Evangelists. It's a non stop barrage fuelled
by devastating brutal death metal that manages to be technical
as well as explosive. But what else should you expect from the
band that has consistently delivered the best albums in the genre.
They may not have the presence or novelty of Cannibal Corpse
but Immolation always deserved to be bigger than they are. If
this album doesn't do anything for them then there really is
not justice in the world. Victorious.
10/10
IMPALED NAZARENE 'Nihil'
CD (Osmose)
It's a welcome relief that Finland's most vicious band are finally
playing full blown metal. Previous recordings, quality notwithstanding,
were very punky and a tad too high pitched ,meaning you couldn't
listen to 'em too many times. and anyway, the hyper fast metal
of Impaled Nazarene was always the backbone that held up each
record. 'Nihil' has a lot more melody with songs wanting to be
songs, but Mika Luttinen does what we love him most for- singing
in a manner that is hateful and tortured in his distinctive way.
'Nihil' is a good restart for the band so I expect a lot more
excellent material in the future.
7/10
IN AETURNUM 'Forever Blasphemy'
CD (Necropolis)
If you can imagine The Dawn without the high art pretensions,
and replace it with good old fashioned dyed in the wool devil
worshipping lyrics, then you've more or less got In Aeturnum.
Being from Sweden, it goes without saying that they've got the
melodic black metal sound to a tee, but full marks goes out to
Fredrik Nordstrom's production. He has worked with the likes
of Haunted, In Flames and At The Gates, so expect precision mixing
and crystal clear sound levels. The triggered drum barrages are
incredible. Whatever the band lack in originality they more than
make up as a rockin' entity.
7/10
INCANTATION 'The Infernal
Storm' CD (Relapse)
Incantation's brutal death metal seems overly complex on 'The
Infernal Storm' at the expense of out and out fast brutality.
For the most past the songs are midpaced, and they even slow
down on 'Heaven Departed' complete with a St. Vitus feel. It
seems like a conscious attempt to make death metal musically
intelligent and I commend them for that. But death metal is inherently
brutal and I am convinced few people will be bowled over by the
sound from their speakers. It's still clearly an Incantation
record, even with their new vocalist, so I think the definitive/
perfect album is yet to be made.
6/10
INCINERATE CD Self-released
Ahh... good old generic American death metal! I've been dying
for a fix of this... or not. This sort of music sounded tired
and, well, downright boring in 1992, so I don't know why there
are still so many U.S. acts who persist in regurgitating the
same cliches over and over again. Death metal can still be an
enjoyable form of music to listen to when played with conviction
(see: Nile, Morbid Angel, or Cryptopsy), but bands like Incinerate
simply aren't adding a damned thing of worth to the genre. Possessing
good technical skills is a must in straightforward death metal,
especially when originality isn't a prime concern, but these
lads are sloppy and amateurish all around. They are really let
down by their drummer, who routinely tires out in mid-blastbeat;
his footwork is still churning while he's decided that hitting
the snare four times in procession is all he can muster 'up top';
unsurprisingly, everything falls apart quickly. The vocalist
is a practitioner of the "I can't really hit the low notes
so I'll just shriek and mumble and no one will notice" approach
to singing, which isn't very pleasant, to say the least. "What
about the lyrics?" you ask. Well, I won't expand too much
on their 'merits', as you already know exactly what they're like,
down to every last rotting corpse and tortured Christian. I could
go on with my nitpicking, but will relent here as Incinerate,
while thoroughly unimpressive at present, are at least young
enough that they might still choose to A) find another hobby,
such as needlepoint or lawn-bowling, or B) spend a little more
time in the rehearsal room before recording again, without suffering
long-term effects.
[Seth Patterson]
3/10
IN DECADES DECLINE 'Duneideann'
CD (Lawgiver)
A change in name from Unique Freak has given these Scots a new
lease of life, and the Freaks weren't half bad in their heyday.
But, 'Duneideann' is just so unexpected and overwhelming. This
is metalcore like most of the best stuff on Goodlife- Arkangel,
Angel Crew, Crawlspace. Hey, they even have death metal vocals
on 'Heavy Metal'. Don't worry though, nothing on here sounds
contrived or done for its own sake. The brutality and violence
matches the despairing nihilism of the lyrics. The band have
mixed and matched ideas in a positive way to make this a debut
worth killing for.
8/10
'IN EFFECT'
no.12 (U.S. fanzine) A4 132 pages, printed, £2.50 ppd
Interviews with Compression, Advertenga, Underdog, Vision, Kill
Your Idols, Grey Area, Awkward Thought.
Huge zine that is pretty much the bible of NYHC. The seven page
news section gives all the latest on local bands. The interviews
are well written and informative. Also various features on NYHC
lifestyle, top 20 albums, cartoons/ artwork, and tons of ads.
Only minor flaw is that it is overtly critical of metalcore.
Otherwise a good read.Available in the UK through Household Name
or c/o Simon, 15 Geoffery Close, Coventry, CV2 3GE
[Simon Fairfax] 8/10
INFESTATION 'Mass Immolation'
CD (Lunasound)
London's Infestation have been causing stirs in the UK death
metal scene for years but this debut CD probably delivers more
than what may have been expected. It is less a simple reworking
of other band's styles than it is an inventive mixture of accomplished
technical playing, versatile delivery, and darkened moods. This
is Satanic death metal that carries the torch passed on by Morbid
Angel but consciously goes out to prove themselves as battlers
who can stand their own ground. A band that has set high standards
for itself so any subsequent releases should promise much in
quality and extremity.
7/10
IN FLAMES 'Clayman' CD
(Nuclear Blast)
Ahh, yes... that dreaded catch-22 dilemma: "should we keep
playing the same thing over and over again, and risk stagnating,
or should we change our style and risk losing our fanbase?".
It looms on the horizon of any band that manages a lengthy career
in music, and In Flames is no exception. They have reached that
point in their career- their 5th full-length release- where people
are wondering if melodic solos, rocking riffs, and screechy vocals
are all the Swedes will ever contribute to metaldom. Make no
mistake, at one point in time the so-called "Gothenburg"
sound was a breath of fresh air- Maiden meets Carcass was a novel
variation on the then-dull sounds most death metal bands were
churning out in the mid 90s. Now, though, once untouchable heroes
like In Flames and Dark Tranquillity are revealed to be just
as human and vulnerable as any other artists; "'Clayman'
is evidence of this, and it's almost painful to get through at
times. As you'd expect, it's just that little touch more accessible
and streamlined than past efforts, but even such a small alteration
to the formula throws things off balance. In Flames are at their
best when they play intensely: 'The Jester Race' was a classic
because it wedded speedy tempos with throat-fucked vocals, but
'Clayman''s tunes sound almost friendly and non-confrontational
in comparison. Only once in a while do they pick up the pace
past midtempo, and this album is just too middle-of-the-road
to excite me. As always, there are exceptions to the rule: the
album's first 3 or 4 songs are the most intense, and not surprisingly
the best. 'Pinball Map', for example, boasts some awesome vocal
hooks. But ultimately, the verdict is in: In Flames had better
do something to make their sound more interesting and intense,
or I'm afraid they'll lose many of listeners out of boredom before
long.
[Seth Patterson]
6/10
INHALER 'Chang' CD (Seriously
Groovy) £7 / $15
Following their debut 'Volume' Inhaler return with 19 slabs of
techno/rock industrial mayhem, incomparable with anyone else
both in sound and attitude. It is refreshing to see a band of
this genre with such an obvious sense of humour. Check out 'Metal
Inferno' for a total true metal piss take (and I like Man O War!).
Television is also subject to Inhaler's conscious style- 'Scooby
Doo' and 'Star trek' are both dealt with ('Mystery Machine and
'Lecutus' respectively). If you're bored with the current music
scene and stale trend, check this out. I doubt you'll be disappointed.
Simon Fairfax] 8/10
INHUME 'Decomposing From
Inside' CD (Bones Brigade)
We're entering Carcass territory on this one but don't expect
any gore graphics or lyrics. Just make do with the aural violence.
Inhume make a good job of their gore grind especially with the
killer vocals- utterly gutterly and fast. Thought I'd never hear
anything like that again, since everyone seems to be experimenting
nowadays. And that rhythms section- just a glorious blur. However,
I really do believe that printed lyrics would have lifted this
to a higher level because that's where the shock value comes
in. Here's hoping for the next album.
6/10
INNER THOUGHT 'Is There
Hope Amid The Ruins' reissue mCD (Utopian Vision Music)
Canada's Inner Thought are one of the most politically overt/
humane death metal bands, in a scene swamped by fictitious horror
and gore subject matter. Combining gutteral vocals and programmed
technical/ industrial rhythms a la early Godflesh or Head Of
David (even Enemy Soil) their sound was precise and cold matching
the stark lyrical approach centred around the madness of the
war in Yugoslavia. This mCD was recorded back in '93 prior to
their two fine albums and is released as a thank you for the
fans' support for the band.
6/10
I.O.D. 'Mundane Existence'
mCD (Iron Man) £7/$10
Dudley's answer to Phobia finally get it on with a crushing whirlwind
release of brutal grind crust that's strangely refreshing for
those overwhelmed by the excesses of the technical nu-grind bands
like Coalesce. I.O.D. should convince you that this stuff is
as relevent and vital today as it has always been but if you're
as angry as these guys then there's no more direct way to get
inside your head. For such a difficult sound the production has
been positive, but I think future releases may find us being
bludgeoned by even greater heaviness if they keep at it. 10 songs
in 18 mins.
7/10
INVASION 'Conquered' CD
(The Plague/ Baphomet)
In true death metal fashion, Invasion, from Michigan City, celebrate
death and destruction with heartless enthusiasm through a mixture
of bludgeoning black death and incredibly unsympathetic lyrics.
Songs about carpet bombing, scorched earth policies, all out
war is described with a relish that reveals a misanthropic attitude.
Do conquerors deserve their power or are they sowing the seeds
for humanity's total annihilation? There's a lot in what Invasion
say that we can relate to and people may hate them for trivialising
warfare. But hasn't the value of life always been trivialised?
Brutal.
8/10
IOWASKA 'Vine Of Souls'
CD (Alternative Tentacles)
Whatever you think of their pagan values and political stance,
the UK's Iowaska play hugely invigorating mix of crust, punk,
metal, rock and prog rock. First impressions are that these are
just another bunch of crusties/ anarcho punx making the most
of their limited abilities (you've all seen bands like that at
the annual punx picnics) but there's too much going on on 'Vine
Of Souls' to suggest anything amateurish. Excellent lyrics, great
melodies and vocals, very strong song structures and genuinely
hypnotic vibes makes this an essentially potent as any pint of
home brewed cider.
8/10
ISIS 'Mosquito Control'
mCD (Escape Artist)
Any band that can better the likes of Cavity, Converge or Bloodlet
deserves to be crowned with the laurels of Caesar. Isis is that
band. Their brutalising devilcore/ grind transcends stylistics,
thus leaving other band's efforts looking like paint by numbers
efforts. The genius of Isis lies as much in the complex structuring
of the songs as in the pulsating beats and frenzied violence
of the vocals. Then there is the underlying layer of electronics
that add to the otherworldliness which the band seems to thrive
on. I don't think any band debuting with four songs could make
a greater impact.
7/10
JABARA 'Why We Wish' CDep
(HG:Fact) $8
Jabara's ararcho punk definitely owes much to Sweden, such has
been taht country's universal influence. To punks, it's the common
language that transcends borders and cultures. You hear Swedish
crust punk and you know this is music for and about the disaffected.
Jabara, from Japan, are no different. This ep does exactly what
you expect and the lyrics, from a very angry young man, make
you think. Again, the sentiment is universal. The great thing
about Jabara is their musicianship. Just because they're punk
that doesn't stop 'em playing with a high level of skill. Great.
7/10
JANMICHAELVINCENTCARCRASH
'A Cobra Trilogy' mCD (Rage Of Achilles)
I'm afraid to say that the majority of the music on this debut
CD sounds are contrived and laboured as the band's name. Clearly
this Seattle band are overwhelmed by their peers Today Is The
Day, Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge (whose Kurt Ballou recorded
this) such that their songs are jam packed with jazz, grind,
cellos, electronics in a complex mish mash with the result being
the sums of the whole all fighting against each other. I can
appreciate what the band are trying to do with this crazy wall
of sound that's continiously being built and reshaped. But sometimes,
you got to stand back and ask yourself "why?". the
answer may "simply because". This noisecore mayhem
is done for it's own sake considering the lyrics aren't particularly
brutal or aggressive. I'd rather have kept everything simple
and direst and let the momentum created by the flow do all the
brutalising hard work. Despite all this criticism I still quite
like this band and they definitely fall in that infamous 'got
lots of potential' pit that we writers like to mention. A band
that would sound great on compilations but they really need to
work harder if they want to produce a listenable album.
6/10
Hilmar JENSSON 'Kjar'
/ 'Traust' / 'Kerfill' collaborative CDs (SMJ/ Smekkleysa)
SMJ is an imprint set up by Iceland's Smekkleysa label to highlight
electronic, noise and improvised music from that Island. Hilmar
Jensson is a 'modernist' jazz musician as well as co-founder
of the Kitchen Motors label (see review elsewhere of his 'Motorlab
1' release) and three of the first four releases on SMJ are by
him.
Improvised music is always a challenge to get into, and requires
much concentration, but beyond the intellectualism is a side
that is much lighter. Good improvised music should be relaxing
to listen to. It should not be there to consistently beat you
over the head with atonal gymnastics.
Fortunately, Jensson's collaborative efforts do work as albums
that entertain as well as provoke ideas about music. What characterises
all three releases is Jensson's appreciation of space. His works
consists of movement of structured notes and the spaces between
them filled with secondary movements that instigate intriguing
levels of tension and counterpoint. 'Kjar' is an electronic work
with Skuli Sverrisson and finds drones coloured by pin point
signals and glitches. Though an abstracted work it really isn't
far removed from 'Traust'. This time similar tensions and exploitation
of space is conducted on a loose jazz framework relying on precussive
touches and outreaching piano lines from Kjartan Valdemarsson,
Mattias Hemstock and Petur Gretarsson. The beauty lies in the
witty exchanges between instruments. The brash freedom of these
pieces are pushed further on the single forty minute 'Kerfill'
Again the piano leads the way, giving ideas to the rest of the
instruments most notably Jenssonn on guitar. What sounds like
a disjointed beginning soon congeals into an explosive tour de
force of joyous playing. By the end, you wonder what made them
stop.
To listen to Jensson across the three albums makes sense of his
work, but anyone one listening to one album without knowledge
of the others will still appreciate the artiste's celebration
of truly free music unlimited by boundaries though limited only
by the chosen language of modern jazz.
8/10
JOEY CHAVEZ 'The Original
Structure' EP (ABB)
Producer du jour Monsieur Chavez has gathered a healthy reputation
for his slow-mo, atmospheric beat construction over the past
few years. 1998's classic showcase EP 'After The Heat', his external
work for Swollen Members, and his close affiliates, Dilated Peoples
made his name a seal of instrumental quality for recent hip-hop
releases. This disappointing follow-up to the aforementioned
'Heat' EP sees a continuance of the vocal link with the Dilated
duo of Iriscience and Evidence, who take a track each. It would
of been refreshing to hear a set of his tracks featuring a wider
variety of vocalists, especially some unheard talent. The weakest
performance that I've ever heard from the seemingly god-like
Evidence can be found on the lacklustre 'People & Places'.
The trademark slow pace backfires here with the light vibe of
the chopped pianos, clashing horribly with the rest of the mixture.
I doubt if the finest emcee in existence could fare well on this.
The third and best song on show is 'The Illest' featuring the
ever-improving Encore, a moody vibraphone sample and that penetrating
Chavez baseline. All the elements within this song gel together
harmoniously, reminding the listener of what Chavez can do with
his stripped-down style of production. It's a shame that this
level of quality control couldn't be applied to the rest of the
EP, with the exception of the bonus beat, which is blazing and
should have been a track in its own right. I hope that the mistakes
are tidied up for the full-length release.
[Joe Maximus]
6/10
JOHN HOLMES 'El Louso-Suavo'
CD (Flat Earth/ Devil Rock) £5 / $12
The John Holmes experience was never going to be an easy ride,
having members of Health Hazard, Manfat and Hard To Swallow,
but be thankful that they've put much serious energy into this.
Whether this is a passing side project or a fully fledged band
is anyone's guess, but the sheer depth to the grind/devilcore
is a potent mix of Bloodlet sounds meeting head on with Iron
Monkey dual vocals with a complex stop start rhythm as a backbone.
Alongside Canvas and Stampin Ground UK/HC needs an emerging band
like John Holmes.
7/10
JOSHUA NORTON CABAL
'Fucked Physical Examination' 3" CD-R (Hospital)
This is a pretty convincing noise slab from Andy Stick (also
in Shank). It does everything you expect across eighteen minutes.
The sound quality is excellent and the tones are rich, with noise
generated from hardware rather than computer, and a high gain
guarantees severe headaches, while playful panning throws each
channel round the room. The work seems to be inspired by a botched
medical examination so the intensity reflects a lot of anger
and helplessness. It's let down slightly by a lot of different
sounds in conflict when maybe a more limited palette would have
allowed a more appropriate dark atmosphere and tension. Promising.
7/10
JUDGEMENT 'Just Be...'
CDep (HG: Fact) $8
It may all be in Japanese but that ain't going to stop anyone
from getting a kick out of this. Fast garage punk metal mayhem
across eight minutes that's totally absorbing, especially if
you like tons of killer guitar solos. This is very much in the
vein of Hellacopters or even The Hookers, and we all know how
much those bands love their guitar wailings. Vocally, it's all
shoutalong choruses designed to get the moshpits moving and singing
along to, so this is one band made for the gig circuit. Of course,
the whole point is to make you pant for an album's worth. We're
waiting guys....
7/10
JUNIOR DISPROL 'Fight
Club' 7" (Same Family Different Ballbag)
I'm admittedly having trouble finding a starting point to describe
this record, but an inadequate description would be a "one-man
posse cut"! Junior Disprol, famed for his guest appearances
on the tunes of various Bristol crews (such as Aspects and Beanz
OBE), as well as his own material in the guise of The EHF splits
himself into a variety of alter egos to ride Evil Ed's sinister,
evolving beat. From Pleasant Skeletor to Red Locust, every persona
shines with wit, charisma and Disprol's intricate battle styling.
A lesser emcee couldn't have carried off such a multi-faceted
display throughout a song: the skill involved reminds me of Task
Force's 'Six Names' cut, which utilised a similar concept. The
version to check for on the seven is by Fleapit producer, Secondson.
Bursting forth with hard drums and guitar chops, the track flips
several diverse beats to fit the alter ego's styles, yet always
returning to its foundation. Don't bother with the head nod action;
this one will have you sprinting towards the mosh pit! Evil Ed
also handles the bonus track, 'Junq Waffle' featuring man of
the moment, Jehst, as well as Alkaline and Skeleton, making this
a quality introduction from the Same Family Different Ballbag
label. Try and track this one down, as it's strictly limited
edition, but you can check for more eccentric rhymes and beats
from Fleapit on their debut EP 'Mangle To This', also on SFDB.
[Joe Maximus]
8/10
KALMAH 'Swamplord' CD
(Spikefarm)
Kalmah are yet another Scandinavian band playing in the melodic
death metal style. Perhaps the best way to clue 'Friend Of The
Devil' readers in as to where this band is on the Metal Evolutionary
Scale is a primitive analogy: let's just say that while the Finns
have bought the right tools, they haven't yet learned how to
do the job. It's amazing how far the death metal scene has come
in the last decade, as far as technical skills are concerned;
listen to even just a demo from Sweden or Finland these days
and you're likely to be dazzled by all manner of fretboard wizardry
and razor-sharp blast beats. The problem, though, is that most
of these bands don't have the songwriting skills to match their
technical prowess. Kalmah are no exception to this: their raspy
vocals, thrashy tempos, and blazing solos simply don't stand
out from what their peers are doing. It's frustrating for the
listener, because there is obviously a great deal of unrealized
potential here. At times I sense a 'North from Here'-era Sentenced
influence in the high-speed melodic passages, although 'Swamplord'
is never quite as vicious as that album was. Listening to an
album like this makes me yearn for the Scan-scene's early days,
when bands like Nihilist and Carnage just leveled me with their
brutality and anger. At any rate, the band would do well in the
future to add more vigor and, well, meanness to their music;
that, coupled with their technical skills, might deliver a very
impressive album indeed.
[Seth Patterson]
6/10
KATAKLYSM 'Epic (The Poetry
Of War)' CD (Nuclear Blast)
My last encounter with Kataklysm was with 'Temple Of Knowledge',
a phenomenal album that took technical death metal to the outer
reaches. Its experimental structure was an expression of these
Canadians' drive to make death metal almost 'Classical'. 'Epic...'
is, if nothing else, Classical. Not in the way of Therion in
that they include orchestrations and choirs, but 'Classical'
in both theme and, dare I say it, military precision. Empires
are not built on improvisation and luck. Likewise, Kataklysm's
conquests required hard thought, severe planning, and the right
armament.
Frontal assaults by vocalist Maurizio Iacona are as precise as
any military formation. 'Era Of The Merciless; is a typically
thoughtful mix of pure death metal, with Barny Greenway like
hardcore growls and slaughtering grind vocals. Those that await
the attack will be met by surprise at each corner. The second
lines of offence are no less effective, with a driving power
to instil fear. Max Duhamel's drum rolls on 'What We Endure'
are the apocalyptic harbingers of destruction. The great Marcus
Aurelius himself would be proud of Kataklysm, though 'Epic...'s
main role now will be to maintain the fragile death metal kingdoms
against the misbegotten expansionism of lesser genres.
8/10
KHANATE 'Khanate' CD (Southern
Lord)
The best description of Khanate's music is in their press release
that proudly states that the songs on this already classic debut
have a 'dead atmosphere' like early Swans material. Everything
about Khanate is about 'dead atmosphere' from the supremely alienating
rhythms to the harsh dry throated vocals, from the abstracted
dynamics to the immeasurably dark tones. Khanate have simply
reinvented doom metal (if they would even consider classifying
their sound) in order to rescue it from what it has become. Essential
brutalism.
9/10
KHOLD 'Masterpiss of Pain'
CD (Moonfog)
I don't think any band could have made a better attempt at putting
out a debut that is at once retro and still hugely relevant today.
There's big fat props aplenty to bands like Darkthrone, but an
even fatter production makes this an album that's 100% up to
date black metal, heavy, dark and catchy!. Yep, catchy as Norwegians
Khold hold a melody together as if their contract depended on
it. But I'm not worried that the band could get too immersed
in their retro leanings because there's too much good stuff on
here to prevent that happening. Let's just say they're going
to be big.
8/10
KICKBACK 'Les 150 Passions
Meurtrieres'
mCD+ CD ROM promo video (Hostile)
The school of hardknocks that expelled the likes of Stampin Ground
and Snapcase has yielded France's Kickback. Though carrying the
same baggage of hate and frustration, Kickback's CD comes from
a different angle. Hugely influenced by the writings of de Sade,
the noise unit Whitehouse, and the concepts of pleasure at any
cost, 'Les 150...' is hugely misogynist, violent and confrontational,
and directed at a community that is mindful of these things.
This is a brutal work designed to lose them friends, but musically
it's overwhelming.
8/10
KID 606/ Christoph de
BABALON split 12"ep (Fat Cat)
It's an inspired pairing to have 20 year old laptop electronica
wunderkind Kid 606 battling it out with the DHR label's most
prominent producer. It's an exercise in compare and contrast
as digital signals are deconstructed in essentially infinite
ways. The stark purism of Kid 606 (like a harder Pan Sonic) enables
precision construction of a collage shards of noise, while the
experimental drum and bass of de Babalon has consistency despite
encompassing hip hop, drone, breakbeat and digital hardcore.
A feast for the ears.
8/10
KID 606/ TIGERBOY split
7" (V/VM Test) £2.50/ $6
The lap top abstractions of Kid 606 are employed in the dissection
of gangsta classic, 'Straight Outta Compton'- where urban angst
meets space age splinter techno, thus taking it out of the ghettos
and into the disaffected bars of Mos Isley. Gotta hear it to
believe it. Kid 606 alter ego Tigerboy takes a jock rock song
'With Attitude' and just rapes it silly under a barrage of a
million bpm and hardassed noises courtesy of his Amiga. By the
end rock lies dead trampled underfoot by the chrome boot of electronica,
and done tastefully (!) in the fine tradition of V/VM. Beware-
your band could be next on their hit list.
7/10
KILLSWITCH (1st demo 6
songs - tape= £2.00/ $4)
Killswitch's alt. rock flirts dangerously with student indie
pop at times but they save themselves by turning up the amps
just that little bit and throwing in catchy riffs like the Wildhearts
trying to be punk. When they speed up that's when the band really
work and could be a force to be reckoned with. If you can catch
'em live then see them because songs like 'Safe Route' and 'Bitch
Of A Son' could set the crowds alights. An album of songs like
these would be worth anyone's money. Quality sound.
Steve Killswitch, 9 Cameron Drive, Bridge Of Don, Aberdeen,
AB23 8QA, Scotland UK.
6/10
KUNG FU RICK/CURTAINRAIL
split 7"ep (625)
Kung Fu Rick deliver four pretty convincing fastcore blasts that
are occasionally interspersed by quirky breaks and boy, do they
sound angry. But the lyrics are kinda lame and fail to match
the fury of their sound. I can't comment on Curtainrail's lyrical
style but they sound equally pissed off too. Fast, thrashing
hardcore as would be expected from any self respecting fast,
thrashing hardcore band from Japan. Listen out for the killer
Dropdead-ish effort 'Black Leather Curtain'. However, there's
nothing really out of the ordinary, except that this is another
record keeping the fastcore tradition alive.
6/10
KUNG FU RICK/ BAD ACID
TRIP split 7"ep (Blatherskyte/ War On Wankers)
Kung Fu Rick have the kind of name that suggests a goofball hardcore
band kinda like Spazz or Charles Bronson but the lyrics to their
songs are dealdy serious and heartfelt. They've got an anger
that's reflected in the power grind, but check out that surprise
finish that does suggest goofball! Bad Acid Trip are more of
the same but with a slightly denser, complex sound like Assholeparade.
They've made an effort to vary the sound and it works, but essentially
it's the speed that counts because they've got six songs to get
through. A cool cynical attitude in their lyrics justifies the
high intense levels which they state as "energetic bursts
of psychopathic fury". I like that.
7/10
LACK OF INTEREST 'Trapped
Inside' 12"ep (Slap A Ham) $13
Not an LP, but actually a 12"ep running at just under 10
minutes, though twenty four songs have been squeezed into the
precious seconds- and songs with lots of words. Everything's
done fast, okay? I guess this is as pure a power violence record
as is possible. But there is depth in the lyrics, written through
a tortured first person. However, on 'Social Inequality' they
sing, "the middle class is needed/ and it must stay".
LOI used to have a song called 'Kill The Middleclass'. How times
change. The production is weak so the disc sounds flat.
6/10
LACUNA COIL 'Unleashed
Memories' CD (Century Media)
Lacuna Coil have been written off by some as pop throwaways,
or as a band that landed a fat Century Media contract more on
the basis of their gorgeous singer's looks than on their musical
merits. Well, this release should go a little ways toward altering
that perception for the better. The band has matured quite a
bit as songwriters since their sugar-coated debut ep; sure, Cristina
Scabbia is still the center of attention but this time around
her sidekick-vocalist Andrea has contributed a lot more. This
album is full of simple but effective harmonies and trade-offs
between the two; fortunately Andrea has traded in his annoying
James Hetfield-isms for a more gruff (sometimes growled) approach,
which works well. The music itself is also fairly simple rock-y
metal, and points are due the band for not going overboard with
the keyboards like well, most Euro-metal bands these days. I'm
not for a moment suggesting that 'Unleashed Memories' will go
down as a classic album, but it is pretty good- I dare say considerably
better than most of what Century Media is releasing nowadays.
Ultimately, though, what prevents this "7" from being
an "8" is its lack of ambition: as pleasant as this
stuff is, it's too safe.
[Seth Patterson]
7/10
LAGWAGON 'Let's Talk About
Left Overs' comp CD (My)
Lagwagon are one of the few pop punk bands that still have staying
power for me. Maybe it's because they don't try hard to be a
this band or a that band, however we like to label them, they're
just a band capable of writing extraordinarily catchy pop songs
with a hard edge and a raw feel. You get that with their full
length albums but you get even more of it with this comp that
compiles b-sides, comp songs and out takes. That's Lagwagon at
their purest. Hey, there's even seven brand new songs. As with
all Lagwagon stuff- essential.
8/10
LAMB OF GOD 'New American
Gospel' CD (Prosthetic)
The influence of Steve Austin, for better or worse, is phenomenal
on this debut from LOG (formerly called Burn The Priest). Following
in the footsteps, but definitely never in the shadow of Today
Is The Day, the band have consolidated all metalcore's finest
elements in a fiery cauldron of hate and contempt. Avoiding the
mystical hocus pocus of Today Is The Day, Lamb Of God, simply
get down to the nitty gritty of everyday living from police brutality
to society's "you are not a name you are a number"
syndromes. Reading the lyrics makes sense of all that outward
anguish, and while Randall Blythe's vocals are typical (though
effective) their combination with Steve Austin's as on 'Terror
And Hubris' adda that extra fear element. Thus, as songs, the
formula is coinsistent: a lot of screaming and shouting with
some heavy duty breakdowns from the rhythm section but nothing
more, nothing less. It is so obviously a debut album of a band
in development, so we're not talking The Dillinger Escape Plan
monotony breaking theatrics at this stage yet, but I think the
band have worked themselves up enough to prepare for a record
less generic and more musically thought out. They've got everything
going for them so definitely ones to watch.
6/10
LEFT FOR DEAD 'Splitting
Heads' comp CD (Phyte/ No Idea) $10
This excellent comp collects the work of the defunct and little
known hardcore outfit Left For Dead across twenty seven tracks.
The stuff collected is from their split 7" with Ochre on
Phyte Records, the split 12" with Acrid on No Idea and a
live set from the split 12" with Chokehold on Rhythm Of
Sickness Records. If power violence or powergrind or power whatever
is destined to leave something worthwhile for posterity, this
would be one of the artifacts deserving a place in its buried
time capsule. Screams, heavy riffs, damaging lyrics, hate. It's
all here.
7/10
LEO SLAYER 'Leo Slayer'
tape (Oto)
Leo Slayer is the computer cut ups project of Sned (Flat Earth/
Sawn Off). Though this suffers from poor sound levels and the
obvious knock on effects in terms of conveying changes in panning
and equalisation, there is a general inventiveness on display.
The different channels all carry different effects from industrial
drones to techno beats to synthes to interference. This is in
line with all the great stuff other electronic artistes are doing
but it still lacks the idiosyncratic touches and emotions that
makes the work of Autechre, Pan Sonic, Fennesz, Bastard Noise
et al so much more far ahead. Good start.
6/10
LIGHT OF THE MORNING 'All
Else Is Error' mCD (Blackfish) £5/ $10
Hands up those who remember Above All. well, here's their vocalist's
new band, and it's a bit of a shock to discover that this is
more metal than anything. Of course, there is an undeniable hardcore
application and influence to this. But also, there is also a
huge Machinehead sound, and the bludgeoning riffing reminds me
strangely enough of Korn's first album. But the pure aggressive
emotion behind the vocals cannot be anything other than genuine.
LOTM should therefore, be judged on their own merits rather than
their influences.
[Simon Fairfax] 9/10
LIL BUNNIES 'Bunnyhole'
7" (Wrench) £2.50 / $4
This is my second suffering of Lil Bunnies and they are even
more insane than last time round on 'Unabunnie'. Of course, the
bunny fixation is still there hinting at some kind of bestial
lust (yep, you've read right). The A-side is simply the line
"get outta my bunnyhole" repeated ad nauseam above
one minutes worth of noisecore. Kinda like the needle getting
stuck on a Boredoms record. The stark minimalism is repeated
on 'Be Kind To The Animals', but here the band can't be bothered
to finish off the song properly so it just cuts off abruptly.
Any wonder they got banned from playing Gilman's in San Fran?
6/10
LIMBONIC ART 'Ad Noctum-
Dynasty Of Death' CD (Nocturnal Art)
Limbonic Art represent the peak of second generation Norwegian
black metal. Those who associate that country's sound as either
belonging to the Emperor or the Darkthrone camps will find the
best of both worlds here. Limbonic Art succeed most for me in
their adherence to ultra speed, but compressed between the riffs
and swathed in overlayers is a kaleidoscope of sound textures
ranging from the symphonic to the grinding. Emperor meets Hypocrisy?
It's a punishing assault on the ears and an endurance test to
sit through it all but this album works best as a whole rather
than as singular songs. Considering its just a two man project
the construction is seamless, though the use of samples and electronics
helps tie together disparate segments. It sets up the formula
for a million bands to copy, and I challenge any to be as bold
as Limbonic Art. Of course, the lyrics and concept is entertaining
enough but I think people will be more into it for the sound.
Will Limbonic Art ever get the coverage of Emperor? Maybe not,
but they sure as hell deserve it. Extraordinary. The ultimate
death worship.
10/10
LIVE HUMAN 'Monostereosis'
Dbl LP (Fat Cat)
The track, 'We Walk On All Fours' on the 'Across Uneven Terrain'
comp gives the impression that San Francisco's LH are a bumping
and grinding post hardcore band incorporating scratching. But
this album in contrast is a lot mellower, which though pleasant
on the ears, doesn't seem to take too many risks. The breakbeats
sound familiar and the scratching is adequate, but nothing that
grabs you. The idea of an avant garde band mixing drums, cello
and turntablism is a formidable one, and I hope LH will become
its deserving pioneers. But they've stalled on this one.
5/10
LLAMA FARMERS 'Dead Letter
Chorus' CD (Beggars Banquet)
I couldn't believe the indifferent reviews I read of this album.
One review described it as "mundane" and "the
sound of lethargic elephants". I think they mean this is
mid paced indie rock. Whatever. I'm a sucker for catchy songs
and dazzling guitars, and while this does sound like it could
have been released ten years ago, it still kicks some serious
butt. It would sit very nicely next to Dinosaur Jr. or Surgery.
Songs like 'Pornaco' and 'Zorrillo' are pure power without being
hardcore or metal. Difficult band to place but very good nonetheless.
8/10
LOCK UP 'Hate Breeds Suffering'
CD (Nuclear Blast)
Most of the time, the best music is the kind that is simple and
direct, free from overworking and contrivance. There's a purity
and freedom about it that is rarely diluted in intensity. Lock
Up benefit immensely from that quality. They may not attempt
the guitar gymnastics of noisecore/ math rock bands and opt for
simple riffing, blastbeats and pure speed, yet they end up expressing
a lot more. And fastcore freaks will especially love this for
the amazing vocal attack of Tomas Lindberg, who's unique approach
always pulls the music out of any holes its dug itself into.
A true lesson in old school crust.
8/10
LOCK UP 'Pleasures Pave
Sewers' CD (Nuclear Blast)
Featuring Shane and Jesse from Napalm Death, Nick Barker (ex
Cradle Of Filth) and Peter Tagtgren (who he?) plus a couple of
updated/ unreleased Terrorizer songs, Lock Up is a convincing
grind entity that pays its dues as much to the aforementioned
Terrorizer as they do to today's blastbeat obsessed death metal.
While there's nothing here that's out of the ordinary and with
the rhythm section providing us with textbook lessons in tightly
bound song structures Peters proves once again how versatile
he is in all his differing fields. Has potential.
6/10
LOCKWELD 'Industrial Requiem'
CD (Dragonflight)
Lockweld are notorious for using industrial machinery and power
tools (drills, sanders, saws) as their sound sources. 'Industrial
Requiem' is therefore appropriately titled and the resulting
processed sounds are equally dark and foreboding. Soon, the source
material ceases to be recognisable as the senses are pummelled
by ferocious sonic barrages in the vein of Masonna or Merzbow.
Though not credited, grind vocal contributions from Bastard Noise's
Eric Wood (?) add to the increasing menace.
7/10
LOOTPACK 'Soundpieces:
Da Antidote!' LP (Stones Throw)
I think there's a competition going on in 1999 to see who can
squeeze the most tracks onto their album! Lootpack win the prize,
due to the fact that most of their twenty four tunes are full
length with a consistent level of quality throughout. Madlib
'the beat conductor' has been accused of being a Premier wannabe,
but he excels on this set in terms of sample choices and chopping
skills. Verbally, the array of guests from the Left Coast keep
the album fresh, with their immediate crew congregating on the
wicked cut 'Episodes'. B-Boys rejoice...
[Joe Maximus] 9/10
Francisco LOPEZ and Joe
COLLEY 'Knowing When To Not Know' 3" CD (Antifrost)
This is part of Antifrost's 'Extreme Sound Souvenirs' 3"
series and finds the prolific Lopez allowing his track 'Knowing...'
to be transformed into much more by the sound artist Joe Colley.
The familiar Lopez trademark of silence gradually becoming loudness
is an invigorating exercise in noise dynamics as an electronic
drone become submerged in the sound of creaking timbers and bass
rumble before minimalist static then silence once again enshrouds
the violence. At only 18 minutes, this does a lot by doing very
little if you see what I mean.
7/10
LOS CRUDOS 'Singles 1991-1995'
comp LP (Don't Belong + others) $10
The complete LC recorded output may last less than an hour but
no other band has affected so many people with so little. This
comp (financed by donations from underground labels and distros
for Europe) is a 27 song whirlwind journey of supreme grind and
anarcho crust that displays genuine integrity and that rare ability
'to connect'. Songs about exploitation, immigration, community
identity, sexuality and general 'fuck the system' may seem tired
and tested but Los Crudos have a power in their words to match
their music. Vital.
8/10
LOST HORIZON 'Awakening
the World' CD (Music For Nations)
My first listen to this record had me believeing that Lost Horizon
were German. Awakening the World has a typically Germanic music-as-precision-engineering
approach with losts of well produced crunchy guitars. However,
singer Etherial Magnanimus (not his real name) is a cut above
the usual Teutonic screecher (see Primal Fear review for further
discussion of this subject) and thus it's not a surprise to learn
that the band are in fact Swedish. This is their first album
and all things considered it's a pretty decent debut. The songs
are fast and intricate sounding without ever degenerating into
tuneless noise. It's refreshing to hear a band that can sound
powerful while keeping melody to the fore. Stand out track in
this regard is "Welcome Back" which makes fine use
of atmospheric keyboards and coruscating guitars. Lyrically the
band seem to espouse a form of martial paganism which evokes
an atmosphere of titanic struggles in the past as well as perhaps
foretelling battles to come against the evils of the modern world.
A brief examination of the record's cover suggests a deep rooted
antipathy towards global capitalism and all that goes with it,
with the band depicting themselves as liberators of the oppressed
masses. This attitude helps to give the record a real exuberant
quality, Lost Horizon sound genuinely passionate about their
beliefs. However, my reservations about the band also stem from
this aspect of the group's persona. I think it might be limiting
for them in the future if their songs continue to emphasise the
pagan warrior type imagery and they could easily degenerate into
a kind of sub-Dungeons and Dragons style parody. Anybody remember
Manowar? In a similar vein I also wonder whether their penchant
for costume might also lead to difficulties in being taken seriously.
As someone who grew up with the jeans/trainers/T-shirt ethic
of eighties thrash metal I have to admit I'm letting my crusty
old prejudices show here. Despite that I think this is a solid
record and I'd certainly be interested in hearing anything Lost
Horizon do subsequently.
[Linden Dunham]
7/10
LOWBROW 'Victims At Play'
CD (The Plague)
Quite a supergroup this- Alan West (Obituary/ Six Feet Under),
Ben Meyer, Richard Bateman, Chris Beeson (Nasty Savage) and Scott
Carino (Fester/Death). A bit pointless to state that this debut
album is a very effective mix of technical death metal and good
ol' thrash with a heavy emphasis on groovin' melodies, cuz y'all
would have worked that that out by yourselves. The production
is top notch, the songs faultless, classic deaththrash lyrics,
lots of screaming guitar solos, a great old school vibe. We're
definitely spoilt for choice even though they've opted for the
tried and tested.
7/10
LUDDITE/CLONE 'The Arsonist
And The Architect' reissue mCD (Relapse)
Originally released by Cyberdine 243, Relapse think enough of
Luddite/Clone to make this available to a wider audience. They
probably picked up on the nu grind elements they've been championing
with the likes of Botch, Dillinger Escape Plan and Today Is The
Day. But there's a death metal edge too in the band's reliance
on rollercoaster riffs and the sudden impact, plus those great
vocals. It's a dense sound so a mCD is probably the right length
but I expect their debut album will allow for greater variance
in sounds and moods. Exciting stuff.
7/10
LUNA:SUIT 'Controlled
Noise' promo tape (Silence
Is Deafening) CD= £7/ $12
Pop punk bands are always likable. Okay, majority of the time
they may be a little too wimpy, especially after a diet of death
metal, but Luna: Suit's debut effort manages to hold my attention.
The vocalist is angry without sounding angry (as is the case
of many pop punk bands) so songs like 'Mind Of Insecurity' and
'Jehovah, Ta No!' are still fun to listen to. There's no surprises
thrown at us, and little to musically separate them from any
other half decent pop punk band. However, means something to
the kids and that's what counts. Good stuff.
6/10
The
101 Rules of Black Metal
(thanx to Damien at Terrorizer for circulating this)
1. Don't be gay.
2. Be "true".
3. All people who aren't "true" are gay.
4. Be grim.
5. Be necro.
6. Be simultaneously grim and necro if at all
possible.
7. Break things while being grim and necro.
8. Don't have fun at concerts. Stand around with
arms crossed.
9. Repeat all above while denouncing organized
religion in any form.
10. Never ever, EVER
under ANY circumstances...
11. ...Listen to Peccatum.
12. When someone asks
you if you enjoy the music
of Mayhem, point out that you only enjoy the music of "the
true" Mayhem. Maniac is gay.
13. Don't play with fuzzy
things, excepting that
by "play" you mean "burn".
14. Don't be Dani Filth.
15. Never, ever, under
any circumstances utter the phrase "Kenny G slams, man."
16. Don't be Dani Filth.
17. When your mom tells
you to take out the
garbage tell her that you're too metal to remove refuse.
18. Don´t pronounce
words that silly as Attila did on Mayhem´s "De Mysterriis..."
(Fffffuuuuuuuuunnnnnneeeeeeeerrrrrrrrraaaaal Fog)
19. Sodomize a virgin
whore.
20. Sodomize anything
that is not male. (Fuzzy things look out!)
21. Make sure your album goes out of print about 3 years after its release... so it becomes'cult'.
22. When in doubt, say
"True Norwiegian Black Metal!"
23. If that doesn't work,
blast beats can fill any silence.
24. Turn any cross you
find upside-down.
25. Nipple twisting is
not a blackmetal activity..
26. Write a cult, underground,
grim and necro zine. Feature only interviews with bands no one
has heard of, even "true" blackmetallers.
27. Never ever, EVER,
EVER be open-minded.
28. Never write songs
less than 15 minutes long and containing less than 15 adjectives
in the title.
29. a) paint face. b)
go in woods. c) act like troll.
30. Don't be Mortiis
(or Dani Filth).
31. Don't wear white
shoes after Labor Day.
32. Don't make jokes
only your mom would get.
33. Don't make jokes.
34. When in doubt, scowl
with eyes downturned.
35. Don't eat Marshmellow
Peeps.
36. To producers of black
metal albums:
remember...no low end! If it doesn't hurt to listen to, it can't
be "true".
37. Make sure that no
less than half of the
musicians on your album are "session" members.
38. When in concert,
always growl names of songs so that they are imperceptible. This
will ensure that anyone who doesn't have your "cult"
LP won't get it.
39. Never play live.
40. When getting ready
to go to a show, completely forget that the other people there
are not going to the show to look at you.
41. Use barbed wire whenever
possible. (Note: this assists in being both "necro"
and "grim".)
42. When asked by a non
true BMer what BM is, say something like, "BM is the raw
essence of pure black evil in man", in any case, make sure
that by the conversations end, the other person still has no
idea what black metal is.
43. Drive one of your
band members to suicide, and claim he died because of the "mainstream"
"infecting" the "scene".
44. Reform with "old
members" and release an album intended to produce commercial
success.
45. When it flops say
that you meant it to fail cause anything less wouldn't be "true".
46. Have a side project.
Ensure that all other members of your band also have side projects.
47. Fill out the other
slots in your other
member's side projects as "session" musicians.
48. Record everything
in the same studio with the same producer/instruments/equipment/etc.
49. Make sure your album
cover never consists of more than three colors (color options
allowed: grey, black, white).
50. Publicly state that
your band is "non- religious", then use the word "Satan"
over 400 times on your one-song thirty-minute album.
51. Never stuff your
shoes to make them appear puffy and avoid the wearing of backwards
baseball caps if at all possible. Red ones in particular.
52. Insist that music
should never progress and that it should still sound the same
way it did 9 friggin years ago.
53. Never say "friggin".
54. Never finish anything
you start.
55. The word "Hail"
is the only appropriate
greeting whenever greeting someone "true".
56. If feeling especially
true on a given occasion, try "Infernal Hails".
57. All logos must include
illegible writing and at least one inverted cross and/or pentagram.
This is non-negotiable.
58. When referring to
sex with a Metal Chick use only the terminology "sticking
my clouded frost-spire into her gates of attrition".
59. Design complex logo for your grim black metal band on binder paper in the middle of math class.
60. Accept every interview
you're offered... then pretend that you really don't enjoy being
interviewed.
61. Thoroughly enjoy
Star Trek: The Next
Generation.
62. Wait... scratch that
last one. (See rule 1)
63. Never divulge to
any outsiders the Exact Day of the Divine Arrival of the Massive
Hoof. Instead, inform them that they should be ready to suck
the Dark Lord's greasy @#%$ at any time.
64. Use the phrase "suck
the dark lord's greasy @#%$" whenever possible.
65. If you ever find
that you have somehow become a member of Hecate Enthroned, be
sure to piece together a music video of scrap footage of yourself
walking around in the woods at night looking evil. Only, instead
of being night make sure it's the middle of the @#%$ day, and
instead of looking evil, look dorky instead. (See also: rule
1)
666. Own hundreds of
black metal albums, demos and bootlegs. Listen to approximately
8 of them regularly.
67. Humping a ceramic
Virgin Mary in front of your uncle's house is not "pimping
it" (unless you tell her you're done then blow in her face
like a shotgun when she turns around).
68. Refrain from using
keyboard smilies when
communicating via the Internet. Single acceptable smiley: -(
69. Why isn't the word
"Northern" in your album
title yet!? Get to it! Amateurs...
70. Spelling things correctly
is neither grim nor necro.
71. Norsk Arysk Blak
Metal! Rahhh!!
72. No matter where you're
from, pretend you're
from Norway and therefore 'true'.
73. Don't be Dani Filth.
(I think that's clear)
74. All pets you own
now will henceforth be known as "Crucifier". Any pets
you own in the future will also be known as "Crucifier".
75. True black metaller:
"Many of our dark hyms
are influenced by the mighty Tolkien... You have not read the
works of Tolkien!? Nerd. Wait a
minute... It appears I am the nerdy one after
all!"
76. @#%$, I'm talking
to myself again.
77. Norsk Arysk Blak
Metal! Rahhh!!
78. That's better, on
with the interview!
80. Create inverted crosses
in all possible
instances. Suggested tools: Drum sticks, twigs, pool cues, pencils,
etc. (See also "clouded frost spire")
81. Profess publicly
that you are a Satanist and
add that you are in touch with Norway's ancient Pagan past. Pretend
that somehow those two facts
make sense in conjunction.
82. Stick your dick in
the mashed potatoes.
83. Don't make Beastie
Boys references.
84. Don't make references.
85. Satanus. Huh huh
huhuhuhuh.
86. Huhuhuhuhuhuhuh.
87. If possible, design
the title of your album so that it consists of three completely
unrelated words. Dimmu Borgir are the master of this
(i.e. Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, Spiritual Black Dimensions,
Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, Godless Savage Garden) but
you may
also want to refer to Immortal's "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism".
88. As we all know, women
have no place in the
homoerotic world of black metal, but if your girl friend still
won't stop bugging you about
wanting to be involved in your band, give her a lame spoken word
part or something.
89. Never form a band
containing you, your wife
and/or girlfriend, and some gay looking guy. (See also: rule
11)
90. Go to bed when your
mom tells you to.
91. If it's rare, it
must be good. Order it
immediately.
92. I will not add that
as it is not metal enough.
93. Are you metal enough
to be reading this?
94. Own every Darkthrone
release. Listen to
exactly none of them.
95. Own cult-as-@#%$
shirts of bands you not only own no releases of, but also haven't
even heard.
96. Use the phrase "cult-as-@#%$"
whenever
possible.
97. Attempt to randomly
throw the word "@#%$"
during random segments of your songs. (Kindly refer to Attilla's
work on De Mysteriis Dom
Sathanas.)
98. In order to make
your recording more
incomprehensible and therefore more "cult", be sure
to either select a singer who has only a tenuous grasp on the
language to be sung. (Acceptable languages: Norwegian, Latin,
Orcish.)
99. I'll tell you what
your album lay out needs... Some titties.
100. And you know what
else? How long since you
acted like a troll? Pick up that makeup and fight, soldier!
101. You mean to tell
me you read this whole thing when you could've have been prancing
about in the forest with an axe? For shame! For
shaaaaame!!