GODÜS
Hell Fuck Demon Sound
(Xtreem Music)
32:03min

Extreme Black Metal from Spain offers this project of WORMED, NÜLL members on their debut CD out now on Xtreem Music. Whereas the influences of such (in)famous acts as DARKTHRONE, ZYKLON B and JUDAS ISCARIOT are obviously present in GODÜS sound something is obviously missing and turns GODÜS not into THE new mediterranean Black Metal sensation, but simply a superfluous, uninteresting band - there is simply no feeling, no fascinatingly dark, hateful aura or atmosphere. This album is musically well performed but rushes by with an undeniably present extremity that is empty and ineffective. In addition to that the info sheet promises a "cold" sound which does not come into being at all during this half an hour. The production is muddy yet not entirely bad, but underlines the over-all impression “Hell Fuck Demon Sound” gives – a half-hearted, extremely mediocre, redundant and replaceable piece of Black Metal omnivorous maniacs might give a chance, but remains far too unspectacular for me. Other Spanish acts like AKERBELTZ or BERSERK are way better! www.godus.cjb.net or www.xtreemmusic.com for additional info and sounds.

Stefan Franke

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GODÜS
Phantomgrave… I Am The Catacombs
(Ordo Decimus Peccatum)
45:08min

Seems the black tide keeps lapping at my heels as yet another band of this ilk rises from the Absu to spit forth a venomous poisoned curse. From Madrid hail GODÜS, unbeknownst to these ears until now. What good that can be said about this band is that this forsaken, Black trinity of Metal players are sufficiently capable with their instruments. And at times prove they can actually play, this is most obvious when they are not playing 1000 miles per hour and do offer up more than the standard overkill blitz riffing that those in this style have been playing as common stock since 1993. However as you would expect it these Spaniards are more interested in crushing mankind with a pulverizing blend of all that is necro and kult and so the stated blitz approach is of course put into effect and worked till its fingers bleed and the actual fingernails are of no more. Ho-hum are the words I find most suited to this band in total though. The first track 'Unholy Execution' did have me wondering if I had loaded the right album in, I will admit that, as one could have been easily mistaken for thinking this was a Death Metal band instead. Yet tracks two through seven will most assuredly erase that from your mind and leave no doubt as to what this act is all about. For fans of KRIEG, newer DARKTHRONE, JUDAS ISCARIOT or BELPHEGOR, I say that if you haven't gone out and sharpened your axe today or had time enough to apply your best attempt with mom's face-paint… err… war paint, then by all means get this CD and blast this fucker while you tend to it! HUUUUUUUUUUUUUAHHHHHHHH! Contact: www.myspace.com/godusphantomgrave or ordo-dp@hotmail.com

Wes Rhodes

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GOJIRA
The Link Alive (DVD)
(Listenable Records)
83:00min + Bonus

One band – lots of opinions. If you are not familiar with the music of France's Metal monsters check out the review from their second album "The Link“ in the re-release section or their new album "From Mars To Sirius“. I still wonder why GOJIRA is quite unknown in Germany for the reason cannot be the quality of the music. Whether some people like it or not: the band created its own unique niche covering the walls with the slimyness of MORBID ANGEL, the groove of MESHUGGAH, the hypnotizing tones of KILLING JOKE and the easyness of newer DEATH, without copying or even sounding like any of them. Nothing for Death or Thrash Metal purists but for those who want to know if there is life after death. Coming to the DVD: what you get is a concert filmed 2003 in Bordeaux in front of approx. 600 people (forgive me if I am incorrect). 15 songs from the albums "Terra Incognita" and (mostly) "The Link" with a perfect sound, a fantastic light show and a powerful, almost frightening well-played performance. From atmospheric tracks like 'Terra Inc.' over the mid-tempo mosher 'Indians' to blast monsters like 'Wisdom Comes' you get all GOJIRA has to offer – which is a lot! Really impressive how professional these guys make the stage their own! In the bonus section you find some elder live-footage (some of it even from 1996). All of it more or less (more more than less, hehe) amateurirshly filmed and in my opinion uninteresting when you get a professionally filmed concert in advance. There are two video clips as well. A quite boring one called "Gojira is..." and one ultra-cool clip from the track 'Love'. Filmed by Alain Duplantier (the brother of the singer and of the drummer, who is a quite famous photographer and commercial-filmer in France) it has a strong "Pi" (the movie) touch and is just a fucking great Metal video! The gallery section again is the usual selection of pictures from the band – it's ok. And for the freaks out there who have the nerve to look for easter-eggs will easily find six on this DVD. GOJIRA made six crazy and quite funny short movies about the fictious adventures of "Tchang & Tangui", played by themselves. Nothing if you eat pentagrams for breakfast and consider Death Metal a deadly serious genre but yet very amusing! Although I am not the biggest fan of live DVDs (somehow I never watch one more than two times) this one is a really strong one – mostly because of the great band! www.gojira-music.com, www.listenable.net. Also available here.

Tim Klöcker

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GOLGOTHA
New Life
(Metal Age Productions)
45:40min

As a matter of fact, GOLGOTHA have been around for quite a while. The act debuted with “Caves Of Mind” in 1994. The sonic vision of these folks oscillates somewhere between THE SINS OF THY BELOVED (without violins, though), THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE and MANDRAKE. Whether this is intentional with respect to their sound is a matter of speculation. Thus, GOLGOTHA’s sound hits into the direction of mid-paced Doom Metal that was quite an influential phenomenon end of the 90s and apparently still is. The vocalist is consistent about his guttural vocals, which is – in a way - positive; the guitar-work is unspectacular. That is, with respect to the latter point, the output offers nothing but mainstream, straight rock-riffs, blatant quarter-notes and uninspired minor harmonies. The production of this oeuvre is smooth, crystal-clear, utterly lacking aggression. Suffice to say that this will be the decisive intention of the band – still, I do not appreciate it at all! When it comes to Doom Metal, I really want to feel doomed and don’t want to be bored (as well as annoyed) by wah-wah rock soli and beautiful delay-filtered guitar patterns. Keyboard-patterns devoid of mysticism, obscurity and uncanny, sacral profundity are nothing particularly pleasing in terms of Doom Metal I feel bold enough to state here. Acts such as MY DYING BRIDE, ESOTERIC, old CATHEDRAL, old ANATHEMA succeeded to elicit what I would call an utterly melancholic and doomed feeling, a sincere delving into an underworld where perennial darkness and sadness dwell. This sombre emotion, however, GOLGOTHA do not succeed to elicit at all! Website: www.golgotha.ws

F. Cthulhu E.

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GOREAPHOBIA
Return To The Shadowlands
(2 track Promo CD-R)
16:22min

Unlike many other American cult Death Metal acts back in the 90's, GOREAPHOBIA unfortunately never managed to release a full length album for one reason or another, so all we got to hear ever since was the classic "Morbidious Pathology" demo (which also ended up on a 7" EP later on) and the "Omen Of Masochism" MCD (I didn't mention the two song promotional demo on purpose as it wasn't officially available). I always considered them a cool band and was really looking forward to finally hear some new material. And because of GOREAPHOBIA's most recent reformation, this has finally become reality now. Unfortunately original vocalist / bassist Chris Gamble isn't in the band anymore these days (he's a member of the Black Metal act BLOOD STORM now), which to me personally is the biggest let down on this new release. The band has recruited someone who's name they can't disclose yet, that's why he currently has to act under the pseudonym "No One". But no matter who he really is, his contribution definitely doesn't fit the band at all! Or would anyone of you like to hear GOREAPHOBIA turn Black Metal? Yep, that's the type of vocals he delivers: aggressive, raw and in the typical shrieky vein. The first song, 'Return To The Shadowlands' musically kicks off very cool though. It's blessed with a killer opening riff and will certainly sound even more brutal and destructive if the band gets the opportunity to record it a little more properly. 'Awakening', the other tune, has its moments as well, but due to its uninspired and therefore quite boring middle section didn't manage to impress me in a similar way. I'm also not too much into the individual playing times of the songs, which vary between 8 and 8 ½ minutes. When writing this lengthy stuff, you gotta make sure to come up with an extremely exciting songwriting to keep the listener's full attention. And, I'm afraid, I doubt that GOREAPHOBIA would be able to do so with these two new songs. I listened to them over and over again, as I really hoped that I would get into them, but it just didn't click. The vocals simply turn me off and as they are very dominating, it's quite difficult to imagine how the actual songs would sound without them (or with a more brutal Death Metal voice). I just hope GOREAPHOBIA will work on this, otherwise they easily might disappoint quite a lot of their old fans.

Frank Stöver

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GOREAPHOBIA
Vile Beast Of Abomination
(Necroharmonic Productions)
42:40min

It's so cool to have these guys back in full force again. After a rather half-assed reunion a couple of years ago with a line-up that by no means did justice to the true GOREAPHOBIA legacy, original members Chris Gamble (bass / vocals), Craig Smilowski (drums), Alex Bouks and Henny Piotrowski (guitars) finally got together again and musically continue on exactly where they left off in the early 90s. Unfortunately this twelve track CD still ain't the band's long overdue debut full length (they never managed to record one before they originally parted ways), but a compilation of their most popular studio recordings (the "Omen Of Masochism" EP and "Morbidious Pathology" demo / 7"), plus four new studio recordings ('Cremate In Hate', 'Wraith Reaper', 'Chronic Blood Larva' and 'Creator Chaos'), as well as three live tracks ('Devious Regordation', 'Chronic Blood Larva' and 'Cremate In Hate'). Longtime followers of this Philadelphia deathsquad will certainly notice that the new studio material consists of some classic tunes that GOREAPHOBIA already played in their very early days, but never managed to record properly in a studio. The cool thing is: the band managed to pull them off in the good old style and didn't drastically re-write / re-arrange them in order to fit into current musical trends. This is still classic oldschool Death Metal of the highest quality with a strong 90s vibe to it. Unfortunately something must've gone wrong during the transfer of the old demo / EP songs from tape to CD as the sound quality (which wasn't the best anyway) has become a bit worse on here. Especially in the case of the "Morbidious Pathology" material, which seems to lack a bit of the deep frequencies now. Too bad, really... At least the packaging is amazing: a killer Drew Elliot coverart in the style of the other GOREAPHOBIA releases, a massive, 20-pages fat boolet with the most in-depth band history I've probably ever read (compiled by an old friend of the band), most of the lyrics, plus lots of old concert flyers and pics. So, all in all an essential purchase for all you oldschool Death Metal lunatics out there! More info you may find at: www.goreaphobia.com, www.necroharmonic.com

Frank Stöver

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GOREAPHOBIA
Sabbatic Communion (7" EP)
(Tarot Productions)
12:08min

"There have been rumors that GOREAPHOBIA have broken up. This is not true! However Chris Gamble, their vocalist, has left the band... GOREAPHOBIA have released a new two song demo for promotional purposes and fans alike..." These quotes are taken from an old flyer that the band used to spread around at the time when the two songs that appear on this vinyl 7" EP originally got released. Well, from what I understood, Chris Gamble was still part of GOREAPHOBIA when the band entered the studio in 1992, but the rest of the line-up had nothing really to do with the original band anymore. Apart from Chris (on bass / vocals) GOREAPHOBIA at that time featured a guy named Kenneth Masteller on drums, John Arcucci on lead guitar / synthesizers (who, if the rumors are true, did not play on this recording though) and Spencer Murphy (nowadays owner of Metal War Productions and a member of the very cool SACRIFICIAL BLOOD) on rhythm guitar. I have no idea why both tracks weren't already included on the Necroharmonic Productions "Vile Beast Of Abomination" compilation CD (probably because it isn't the original line-up?!), but hey - this is also a cool item now, so I certainly won't complain. Tarot Productions definitely did a great job on the whole packaging (it even comes with an innersleeve and additional lyric sheet), it is limited to 500 copies and was pressed on very heavy, clear vinyl. Musically both songs ('Sabbatic Communion' and 'Orcus Will Reign') were a little bit different from the wellknown oldschool Death Metal style that the band had been known for as they were longer, a bit more moody (yet very heavy and raw) and you could hear Chris' increased love for Black Metal already in the way he delivered his vocals (he transformed into Mezzadurus and founded BLOOD STORM right after he left GOREAPHOBIA). In a recently issued press release the label wrote that "this EP features pre-production studio tracks intended for the "Conqueror Of Thorns" album..." - an album that unfortunately never materialized either due to the ongoing line-up problems that GOREAPHOBIA always had to deal with throughout their career. What a pity... www.tarotproductions.com, www.goreaphobia.com, www.myspace.com/goreaphobia

Frank Stöver

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GOREAPHOBIA
Mortal Repulsion
(Ibex Moon Records)
48:23min

Now this is impressive - although, not entirely unexpected considering that every member of GOREAPHOBIA has stayed active in Metal since the band originally dissolved in the mid 90s. All of GOREAPHOBIA's tracks were recently made available on a compilation disc, but this is the first time anything new has seen the light of day since 2001 with the "Return Of The Shadowlands" promo. Needless to say, this long overdue debut from GOREAPHOBIA is a joyous occaision. Unlike most albums, this one is made in such a way as to be taken easily as a whole instead of having four or five stand-out tracks. All the songs, though some are certainly better than others, are nevertheless part of a cryptic whole. Attentive listeners will note that there is a degree of fuzziness to the record, but it does little to diminish the album's power. In fact, fans of newer PROFANATICA should adore this record for that very fact alone. GOREAPHOBIA bludgen, slither, spit, and morbidly serenade. For more info check out www.myspace.com/goreaphobia

Nat Shapiro

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GOREFEST
La Muerte
(Nuclear Blast)
64:45min

This whole reunion circus even in the extreme Metal scene is definitely an aspect that caused more disappointments in the past months than delights, so what can we expect from Dutch flagship GOREFEST in 2005? It has been a fact that the band got damned and crucified by a lot of die hard fans for their last two full lengths, but with a lucky smile on my face I can assure you that “La Muerte” is more than just an excuse for that!!! Expect the unexpected, which means a full force return with some real bangers and a real positive vibe of the good old GOREFEST days, which means to hell and back. Starting with the vocals of Jan Chris which remind me a lot on the “Erase” phase, which means powerful, deep throated stuff, but surely understandable with some little surprises. Riffwise you can discover a lot of reminders of the brilliant “False” days, which means banging heaviness, massive riffing and melodical vibe as well, truly classical GOREFEST style. It’s not focused on technical skills, but lots of feeling and earcatching tunes mixed with the known rock and classical Metal inspired guitarsolo works of the duo Bonebakker / Harthoorn. I guess most of you will smile while discovering GOREFEST blasting again on 'For The Masses' or 'Man To Fall', a track in the vein of classics like 'Mental Misery' or 'Glorious Dead'. The same goes for 'Malicious Intent', but be also prepared for some slow morbid tunes which stand somewhere in the shadow of AUTOPSY and the heaviness of old CELTIC FROST. But be careful “La Muerte” has oldschool elements, but isn’t pathetic oldschool focused, which means here and there you can also find tons of groove and some well hidden modern Thrash elements, too. Most of all I think it is the production of Danish Artfarm Studios, which gives GOREFEST a modern touch in terms of a real heavy and disco destroying sound. GOREFEST defintely deliver an album that has a unqiue way of heaviness in this times of releaseoverkill and this is defintely all what GOREFEST was always about. As a die hard fan I'd wished to hear more “Mindloss” influences, but hey in the end GOREFEST are much better than ever expected to be again which makes be absolutely happy!!! There’s even some aggression and fucking blood on the artwork again, so one of the 2005 surprises is truely fullfilled!!!

Ralf Hauber

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GOREROTTED
Mutilated In Minutes
(Dead Again Records)
26:04min

Before I come to the actual music let me tell you that I just don't get it why people (or bands in particular) enjoy stupid cover art like this. It's even more confusing when you find out that the "artist" that GOREROTTED have used for their sleeve, usually works as a comic book "artist" for Filth Comics... This is simply bad "art" (not to mention the even more dumb scenario they got, of an extremely bloody and gory fuck from behind) and I could easily draw a similar cover within a short period of time. But anyway, luckily GOREROTTED's music is more convincing. It's actually quite good, which once again proves that you shouldn't necessarily judge a book by its cover. The band hails from the UK and already released a pretty successful demo in 1998 (nicely entitled "Her Gash I Did Slash"), which not only resulted in a lot of exposure, but also in a deal with Dead Again Records. Their debut full length "Mutilated In Minutes" features nine often very catchy, yet extremely grinding Death Metal tunes. Musically they should easily appeal to all those of you who would enjoy the riffing of CANNIBAL CORPSE in combination with several older elements of CARCASS and a less weird version of MASS PSYCHOSIS (R.I.P.). The band has two vocalists in their line-up and as you probably already guessed – one is deeply grunting and the other one responsible for the more aggressive screaming. The album has a good production and the band seems to consist of very talented musicians, which isn't always the case, especially not in the Grindcore genre. The reason for the aforementioned catchiness is the songtitles, which often get repeated a few times, so that the crowd can still sing along during the intense blasting insanity. So, to sum it up: stupid packaging, but quite enjoyable music. If you should be having trouble in finding a copy, it also sells for $15 / 25,-DM / 10 pounds (ppd.) directly from the label. Contact: Dead Again Records, P.O. Box 18516, London E11 3UJ, UK, e-mail: promo@deadagain.fsnet.co.uk website: www.deadagain.fsnet.co.uk Frank Stöver

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GORETRADE
Ritual Of Flesh
(From Beyond Productions)
35:06min

After two split CD’s (one with CORPSE FUCKING ART and another with CARNAL) GORETRADE finally unleash their first full-length Death / Grind massacre, which unfortunately is not more than just another mediocre release in this genre. Due to the horrible drum sound (reminds me of the new METALLICA and the last CARNAL album) a lot of brutality is lost and the blast beats start to suck big time after a while. As a positive element one has to name the slight references to the good old NY-style Death Metal (e.g. SUFFOCATION, early INTERNAL BLEEDING etc).The project of INTERNAL SUFFERING’s Andres Garcia is ok, the vocals are alright, the riffs are pretty good and the band does not continually blast themselves into the nirvana, but adds a couple of very heavy and shredding parts too. If there wasn’t the awful drum sound and a little bit more innovation GORETRADE could have definitely made a stand against the supreme US-hordes, but sadly they fail. People who buy everything that pops up in the field of Death / Grind might like to give the Colombian warriors a chance, but do not expect too much. More infos and maybe even MP3’s at www.goretrade.com, the label can be found via the Displeased Records website: www.displeasedrecords.com.

Stefan Franke

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After a 3 year break these Candadian tech-Death Metal mongers return with their 4th album in 10 years. Many of you will remember their classic albums such as 1990's "Considered Dead" and 1993's "Erosion Of Sanity". After that they were dumped from label Roadrunner and were left to explore other options. After a 5 year absence they returned with the odd and overly technical yet awesome "Obscura" album. Many people will be quick to note the comparisons to fellow French - Canadians KATAKLYSM, CRYPTOPSY and OBLIVEON. Yes indeed, they went from a SUFFOCATION clone in the early 90's to a powerhouse. 8 tracks of pure mesmerizing technical Death Metal. Luc Lemay (guitar / vocals) the only mainstay of the band recruits some very talented players on here, especially drummer Steve MacDonald. The main key of this album is that it is much more easier to get into than "Obscura", it is still technical but I can understand it. Opening track roars in with a blast beat with some stop and go riff age to accompany it, from here on in its a wondrous affair of Armageddon. GORGUTS being the most technical of the Montreal bunch, I recommend you get this album.

Dimitri Ganatsios

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GORHOTH
1994-2000 A.B. 
(Proselytism Records)
65:48min

South American Metal needs little description beyond "evil." The entire Southern hemisphere, it seems, plays Metal in the most demented fashion possible. GORHOTH is no exception to that long standing rule. Now active again after a long hiatus, GORHOTH originally began in 1993. This CD, which collects their material between their formation in 1993, to the year 2000, presents a band in firm control of themselves. Without paying any attention to divisions in genre at the time, they wrote their songs with both albums like "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" and "Chemical Exposure" in mind. By wedding second wave Black Metal with pummeling Thrash, GORHOTH carves an interesting niche for themselves in Death Metal. This is the sort of Death Metal songwriting that sets a band apart from the lower class of copy cats. It's puzzling that they haven't been cited as an influence by modern South American Death Metal bands, but that's likely because their demos, at the time of release, weren't spread widely enough. Label contact: www.proselytism.net

Nat Shapiro

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GORTAL
Blastphemous Sindecade 
(Pagan Records)
31:00min 

Whenever the world is swept with a deluge of burpy, hyper accelerated Death Metal like ORIGIN or DYING FETUS, it's hard to remember that extreme Death Metal had a much more decaffenated, and as a result, more accessible definition. GORTAL evidently remember that it's perfectly acceptable to sound like MUTILATED or DEMENTOR. A schizophrenic thrashiness, and equally demented solo work make this album more entertaining than the usual run-of-the-mill Death Metal album. Poland has produced a quantity of competent bands, from the legendary VADER to the lesser known HATE. To their slight detriment, GORTAL are fond of using small intros to open their songs, but not to the extreme degree that RESURRECTION or ACHERON did. Still, it can be a bit annoying. Other than that, GORTAL haven't done anything wrong. www.myspace.com/gortal, www.gortal.pl, www.paganrecords.com.pl

Nat Shapiro

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GORY BLISTER
Skymorphosis
(Mascot Records)
51:17min

I think you heard already quite a lot of good words about GORY BLISTER, some even call them the successor of DEATH. Hm, I wouldn’t go that far, though I have to admit that these Italian guys are definitely on the right way. This is their 2nd release and includes 13 songs + a cover of DEATH’s ‘1000 Eyes’. GORY BLISTER play some kind of technical Death Metal in the vein of DEATH (somewhere between “Human", “Individual Thought Patterns” and “Symbolic”), ATHEIST, CYNIC and I also hear a quite a big influence of CORONER in their songs. This is definitely a band worth looking out for and you will definitely adore them if you are a fan of Chuck Schuldiner’s creations! www.mascotrecords.com. On sale here.

Thomas Ehrmann

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GORY BLISTER
Graveyard Of Angels
(Mascot Records)
35:00min

There are two things about this album that may catch the listener by surprise: the band's name, GORY BLISTER, and the poor classification some Metal Archives user gave them. If anything, GORY BLISTER play modern Death Metal with oldschool leanings, rather than technical Death Metal, which is what the aforesaid person claimed they play. That, and the name GORY BLISTER is more suited to a poor Goregrind band name than anything else, though this poor choice of nomenclature is purely the band's fault. "Graveyard Of Angels" could be a much better record if the rapid-fire harmonic licks were cut out completely, and the guitars continued with their oldschool eeriness all the way through. Upon further listening, its easy to see why one may confuse GORY BLISTER with the technical genre, but to studied ears, they are, at their core, a regular Death Metal band; albeit with a little extra decoration. www.goryblister.com, www.myspace.com/goryblister

Nat Shapiro

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GORYPTIC
From Blast To Collapse
(self-financed)
39:58min

After their last album “Once Was Not” CRYPTOPSY are back again and as usually this album features a brutal mixture between Death Metal and Grindcore, executed once more in a superb way and - wait, this is not the new CRYPTOPSY release, it is the debut of the French based band GORYPTIC. But it could be the next CRYPTOPSY, I do not hear any differences. The same fast and at the same time diversified drumming, song structures far beyond the typical scheme and fine sounding Death Metal riffs. Even the vocalist sounds like Lord Worm (the former and present CRYPTOPSY singer) himself. The sound on this release is quite awesome, a high-end production which can otherwise just be heard on albums by established Death Metal acts like CANNIBAL CORPSE or similar, not necessarily on a debut album. The production is even more impressive if you have in mind that there is no big label in the background providing money, instead “From Blast To Collapse” is a self-financed release. The first release and soon amongst the top acts of brutal Death Metal, quite surprising. The only argument against this album is the circumstance that GORYPTIC are a copy of CRYPTOPSY. Well, in my eyes a very fine copy, not some lame clones. With “From Blast To Collapse” GORYPTIC have become a serious competitor when it comes to the question who is amongst the top brutal Death / Grind bands. www.goryptic.com

Mirco Szymyslik

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Frank Stöver

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GOSPEL OF THE HORNS
A Call To Arms (MCD)
(Invictus Productions)
32:56min

Since “Eve Of The Conqueror”, GOSPEL OF THE HORNS’ second MCD after “The Satanist Dream”, the Australian Black / Thrash Warriors seem to be a very promising act to me. Although they are musically close to older DESTRÖYER 666 they are not just a cheap copy, but capable of creating convincing and original material, that lives off its raw feeling, primitive Riffing and a sound that is less polished than DESTRÖYER 666’s latest album “Cold Steel For An Iron Age”. In addition to that a song like the hymn ‘Slaves’ proves that GOSPEL OF THE HORNS are much closer to Black Metal and traditional Heavy Metal than DESTRÖYER 666, who are in my opinion mainly influenced by old Death / Thrash. Anyway, check out the middle-part of the song and decide for yourself, it reminds me even a bit of the Swedish band BEWITCHED. The fantastic ‘Vengeance Is Mine’, ‘Power Of Darkness’ or the epic ‘The Trial Of Mankind’ are simply entertaining, thrashing Black Metal songs that should satisfy anyone who was disappointed by the latest DESTRÖYER 666, as well as anyone who likes it raw and to the fucking point!!! The only thing I would criticise on “A Call To Arms” is the titletrack, which is an approximately 5 minutes long instrumental, which is not bad, but not very creative as well, I would have prefered a real song instead. But that is really all, that disturbs me about this release, because there is no other weak song on it, the stuff never gets boring and somehow I don’t even get the feeling that the 33 minutes are too short, they absolutely suffice and are worth the money – yeah, I actually bought this CD. Well, if you are into killer Black / Thrash get this CD and I’m sure you won’t be dissatisfied by it. Great, talented band!!! Contact address: GOSPEL OF THE HORNS, No.141, 500 Centre Rd, Bentleigh, Victoria, Australia 3204, they also have a cool website: www.gospelofthehorns.cjb.net and the following Email address: gospelofthehorns@hotmail.com

Stefan Franke

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GOSPEL OF THE HORNS
Realm Of The Damned
(Invictus Productions)
38:05min

GOSPEL OF THE HORNS have returned with a great, new, full-length album. “Realm Of The Damned” presents GOSPEL OF THE HORNS stronger than ever performing their Aussie Thrash-layered Death Metal in the typical GOSPEL way. Still, this time, their compositions sound more solid and at times more catchy (in a positive way) than in the past. I suppose that the huge production helped them a lot to forge such a crushing sound! The band seems to have made a step further - in the right direction of course - making evident that evolution can be positive when it’s done with respect to the past. The whole album gives me the impression that it will sound great when performed live where I guess GOSPEL prove that they are one of the greatest underground bands in contemporary scene. In short,  “Realm Of The Damned” is an album that deserves your attention (if you haven’t listened to any of their material before) and will keep all dedicated hellbanger’s busy for quite some time. Check out for the killer LP version as well! www.elementalist.net/gospel/index.shtml

Manolis A.

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GRÄFENSTEIN
Silence Endless
(Black Hate Productions)
33:20min

”Silence Endless… Dark Endless – a MARDUK reference in the title?” was my first thought when I received the debut of the German duo GRÄFENSTEIN (its name supposedly taken from a castle ruin even though I found the url of a dog school first). Well, certainly no references to the early sound of that Swedish band – rather the speed from latter efforts may have played a role. The disc kicks off with the fast opener 'Days Red Dawn' which recalls the classic Scandinavian school of Black Metal, especially IMMORTAL roughly in their first three albums (at least in my ears). Yet GRÄFENSTEIN do not come across as a mere clone but, well, have a similar charm as the aforementioned band and combine it with some well placed mid tempo parts and breaks. The following songs show a more varied approach and the use of massive headbang-compatible passages from which the band blasts on again, creating a nice balance of fast, raging and slower, dragging parts. I do not really hear that much Thrash elements apart from some riffs here and there (the band refers to its sound as “Black Thrash Metal”) but a good dose of melody blended in. Once again a not that appropriate comparison but the fourth song 'Vow Of Honour' carries some DISSECTION similarities in terms of the melody and phrasing. I must say that the production of the whole album was a positive surprise: the guitars sound sharp and dominant enough yet still mainting a thin Black Metal characteristic, the bass is prominent and audible throughout the songs, adding a good dose of punch to the material. Most probably the drums have not been triggered which results in a natural, thundering sound characteristic with slightly “splashy” cymbals. The vocal delivery stays in the usual croaky realms for that style but the generously applied delay adds a haunting note which blends in well, creating a more than decent overall impression. This is not the ultimate release of German Black Metal but a more than solid effort so fans of Black Metal without gimmicks and a slight Thrash note should risk an ear. Despite the comparisons I made earlier GRÄFENSTEIN have their own sound and obviously do not try to follow another band step by step. Band website: www.realm-of-graefenstein.de, label website: www.blackhate.de

Ulrich Kreienbrink

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GRÄFENSTEIN
Death Born
(Black Hate Productions)
46:11min

Fast and furious Black Metal with lots of Thrash Metal influences from this German band. This is actually their second full length, and a powerful one if you ask me. The first thing that strikes is the intensity of this recording. The sound of the album, recalls the sound of the MAYHEM debut album, specially the guitars, and to a lesser extent the atmosphere of early DARK FUNERAL. They also use a lot of melodic interludes, but played at a frantic pace, that makes them sound fresh. The Thrash Metal influence comes from their land too, mainly KREATOR, which in songs like 'Storm Of Maggots' can be clearly hear. Also, the bass work is very good, doing really a rhythm section to sound like it is supposed and not only following the guitars all the time. Some parts also recall of IMMORTAL, like the song 'People Has Failed' with a very intense drumming, which sounds like war march. The band knows how to use some melody here and there, they also know where to use some more Thrash riffs and some furious Black Metal sounds, in a way few bands have tried, and that makes them also interesting. By mixing those elements, they have created something which sounds different but at the same time retains a very dark essence. Yes, some songs tends to sounds a bit alike, but you need to give this one more than a listen to realize that they have created truly a great recording of intense and blasting Black Metal with many Deathrash sounds, and a very interesting performance. This is how I like extreme Metal. It is on my top list for this years and you better run to get this one. Great band. www.blackhate.de

Julian Nuñez

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GRAUPEL
Auf alten Wegen...
(Cold Dimensions)
49:02min

GRAUPEL started out as a project in 1995, originally formed by NAGELFAR's Rykthius (drums) and Sveinn (bass) who joined forces at the time with DESECRATION's vocalist / guitarist Zingultus in order to play "100% pure, early 90s Black Metal"... But due to lack of common rehearsal time the whole idea basically fell apart until Zingultus decided to fully dedicate himself on GRAUPEL again in 1997 with the two newly recruited members Ratatyske (on drums) and Gnarl (on guitar and bass). A debut demo (the six track effort "Als der Nebel...") was released in 2001 to be followed by a two track 7" EP ("Weiß wie Schnee...") in 2004 (featuring material that originally got recorded for a promo tape back in 1999 already). Despite the rather poor sound quality, those recordings nevertheless caught the attention of the newly founded Cold Dimensions label already, who offered the band the possibility of the release of a full length album... And that album has finally become reality now! "Auf alten Wegen..." is a highly impressive and very grim ten track Black Metal outburst of the most uncompromising kind. The sound is still extremely raw, but totally fits the icecold atmosphere of the material and easily recalls the classic DARKTHRONE atmosphere, with massive reverb on the vocals and a blacker than black overall musical attitude. None of the demo / EP songs made it onto the album, which means you're about to experience all fresh creations here and they offer a lot of variety in the writing. Even though this is a very intense record all in all, GRAUPEL luckily still don't blast the whole way through it yet create enough energy nevertheless. The lyrics are all written completely in German and the extremely dark, yet very fitting packaging of the record totally reflects the true-to-the-bone Black Metal feel of the whole release. In other words: truly a must have debut for all Black Metal purists who still care for bands with the right feel for this kind of music after many years of its commercialization! Website: www.wod-van.de/UNTER/Graupel/graupel.htm. Label contact and ordering information: www.cold-dimensions.de. For the vinyl version contact www.deviant-records.de.vu

Frank Stöver

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GRAVE
Back From The Grave (DoCD)
(Century Media Records)
43:13min (Disc 1)
51:48min (Disc 2)

"Into The Grave" (1991), one of the masterpieces that's obligatory when trying to understand this thing called Death Metal (ah!... good old years, for sure!). The band? No other than GRAVE. A Swedish cult act that then, in the following years released other good albums such as "You'll Never See" (1992) or "Soulless" (1994). Three of the original members of the band: Ola Lindgren (guitar / vocals), Jensa Paulsson (drums) and Jonas Torndal (guitars on this record, although he used to play bass in the past) have met Fredrik Isaksson (bass), an ex-THERION member and have decided to compose 9 cuts of a pure, (very) old school type of dark Death Metal, not like the aforementioned jewels, but at least interesting to make you move your head with the new songs. The band sounds a bit more groovy now, but the general old feeling is present in the new compositions. You have those hyper dark and brutal rhythms mixed with little more variation than in the past and all of this together results in a very good record. The title fits perfectly with the new effort from the Swedes: "Back From The Grave", as it seems that the guys have re-discovered themselves and have tried to make something that sounds as old school GRAVE-style as possible... And I really think that they've succeeded in it! Now it's up to each one of you to understand and accept it or not!!! Of course, there will always be people that think that "second parts never were better"... I'm not one of those! I advice you to be ready for the limited edition first pressing of this CD, as it will come in a double CD with the three demos from the band as an extra: "Sick Disgust Eternal" ('88), "Sexual Mutilation" ('89) and "Anatomia Corporis Humani" ('89).

Tony

(this review originally got published by Xtreem Music)

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GRAVE
Fiendish Regression
(Century Media)
38:45min

The first and last thing that strikes me with this album is that it is outdated. You just know you’ve heard this numerous times before, naming bands such as Unleashed, Bolt Thrower, Entombed, Dismember and, ahem, Grave. Of course, if you desperately need other song-titles I guess 'Last Journey', 'Bloodfeast' and 'Trial By Fire' should do something to you, but you won’t find any revolutionary riffs on 'Fiendish Regression'. This band from Sweden has done its version of Death Metal since the early nineties, and as far as I remember they sounded exactly the same back then. By all means, if you play this loud you get your dose of mid-paced and at times groovy Death Metal, but think of bands that always try to develop I feel that Grave falls behind. This may sounds like I desperately need every new band to be original? Well, wouldn’t that be fantastic? No, of course it wouldn’t because music and genres are also about identity. In that sense I feel that Grave fits perfectly in here. Too bad their songs sound the same and just go on and on without any sing of trying to develop… in any direction. If they don’t do better next time I hope this is their “Last Journey”.

Roy Kristensen

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GRAVE
As Rapture Comes
Century Media Records
41:15min

Feels like a while since not hearing anything new from the the Swedish masters of the Death groove, GRAVE. "As Rapture Comes" is the title of their newest addition to the european Death Metal graveyard and what this will add to their already respectable catalogue? Well, if you are expecting any keyboards or sweet orchestral arrangements then this is not the right place to start. GRAVE is not innovative nor a revolutionary outfit, their job is to play the best oldschool midpaced heavy-as-a-ton-of-elephant-crap Death Metal ever known to mankind with a skillful finese and enchanting evilness hardly seen ever in a Metal band. This is the real deal, not some cheap wannabies trying to revive their long forgotten glories... just check out tunes like 'Living The Dead Behind', 'Unholy Terror' or 'Epic Obliteration'... yes ladies and gentlemen including fucking blast beats that will punish you mercilessly. This is the very essence of what Metal should sound like... pissed off unrelenting aggression beginning to end. A curious note is to know that the album contains a cover of ALICE IN CHAINS, called 'Them Bones'. I honestly don't give a slightest fuck about that band's original version because GRAVE's is sure the filthiest and sickest of the 
two, visit their site at: www.grave.se. It is on sale here.

Mario Cubero

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GRAVE DESECRATOR
Sign Of Doom
(Blood Harvest Records)
49:42min

GRAVE DESECRATOR's first full-length recording "Sign Of Doom" is like a punch in your face. It's brutal, it's raw, it’s a typical Brazilian Black Death massacre and far more than this. The sound (mastered by Andy Classen at Stage One Studio) is killer for such a chaotic form of Metal - wonder what he thought about this order, haha. In a way I would consider this release as "exactly what you expect" but "more than you can request". GRAVE DESECRATOR obviously love their old SARCOFAGO and SEPULTURA records and the influences are clear to recognize, still this 4-piece is everything else than a copycat of the originals. This LP kicks ass and is one of the most outstanding releases in this genre. Everything fits, everything is on the right place and even the layout is perfect. It's skulls, chains, leather, spikes, black eyes and visual brutality what you can find on this beautiful looking (hehe) vinyl-release. Blood Harvest did a wise decision to scratch this recording in black vinyl (the CD-version was released through German Ketzer Records a few months ago) for all of us vinyl junkies here. To keep it short: GRAVE DESECRATOR know what they are doing and if you are out for an untrendy release and would like to support Black Death Metal in the old South American tradition then you have to check out "Sign Of Doom". “Praise the Brazilian Blackest Metal Massacre!!!!!” as it is printed on the LP-booklet. The said LP-version is available through Blood Harvest Records and the CD-version through Ketzer Records. Decide for your own what medium you prefer… www.bloodharvest.se and www.ketzer-records.de.

Thomas Ehrmann

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GRAVEHAMMER
Ensnared In Dismal Blasphemies (7" EP)
(Detest Records)
9:49min

Here's a bit of an irregularity: a Swedish band that would rather not sound so Swedish. Like many of the new, young Death Metal bands from Sweden, GRAVEHAMMER writes music without geography in mind. In some places they sound rather like OBSCURITY - a Swedish band, but one that didn't sound remotely like any other Swedish band before or since, and would prove to be a global influence on the Metal world. The vast majority of the songs takes after the Americans more than anything else, particularly early MORBID ANGEL and NECROVORE. But whatever influences you hear in their music, one thing you'd be hard pressed to deny is the fact that GRAVEHAMMER is talented. www.myspace.com/gravehammerswe, www.detestrecords.com

Nat Shapiro

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GRAVELESS
Condemned To A Nameless Death (Demo 2008)
(Zombie Ritual tapes)
21:47min

The “Metal of Death Uppsala” logo stands proud in the booklet of this demotape and GRAVELESS are another young band featuring musicians who are also active in bands as KATALYSATOR / INVIDIOUS, DEGIAL or EVISCERATOR. Knowing the other bands I have to admit that “Condemned To A Nameless Death” is a good demotape but stands behind the outputs of the mentioned three bands. The music itself is quite good and the guitarriffs might be fantastic, the problem is that the messy sound on this recording ruins a lot. These songs recorded in a better sound quality, perhaps in a better studio (or real studio??) would make this effort far better. It’s clear that the musicians here are, despite their young age, very talented but I feel that they should concentrate and focus on just one or 2 bands per person and not trying to release as much as possible with all possible bands and constellations especially when we are talking about bands which appeal to the same group of listeners who are buying release like this demo. I would like that the band next time focus on a better sound and perhaps next time we can expect the killer songs we are looking for. Right now it’s an “OK” tape for those who are looking for each newcomer in the Death Metal world, especially in Sweden. Hopefully this tape is still available through the Blood Harvest mailorder (http://bloodharvest.se/catalog/) otherwise get in tough with the band directly at www.myspace.com/condemnedtoanamelessdeath.

Thomas Ehrmann

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GRAVE MIASMA
Exalted Emanation (MCD)
(Sepulchral Voice Records)
35:28min

“Exalted Emanation” is the much anticipated debut release of the British Dark Death Metal band GRAVE MIASMA, a band that was initially known as GOAT MOLESTOR but decided to change their moniker for reasons unknown to me. Through the past couple of years I’ve heard so many rumors about GRAVE MIASMA’s killer performances but since I never experienced any of them I could only read about what others - more fortunate than me - witnessed. Luckily, thanks to my friend Chris “Demonomancy” who was generous enough to send me a cool footage of GRAVE MIASMA (thank you very much Chris!) I could not but agree with all those who worshipped GRAVE MIASMA’s gigs because the rumors were nothing but true. The band manages to capture a very special atmosphere while on stage which in fact seems like a ritual of the darkest form. So after some time of anticipation the band’s debut MLP is released on CD and LP format and is nothing but great (as anticipated). Dark Death Metal from the darkest pit, mostly mid-tempo with loads of Black Metal influences especially from dark, “occult” bands.  What I like about GRAVE MIASMA is that they are really into this occult / atmospheric approach with the deep, unearthly vocals and the great, slow and morbid, repetitive sound which helps them build up a great, obscure feeling. I know you read these words quite often, especially nowadays where everybody claims to be so much into the Dark Death Metal (where were you guys 10 years ago when very few cared about this sound?) but GRAVE MIASMA along with bands such as DEAD CONGREGATION, IGNIVOMOUS, VASAELETH, MANTICORE etc are among those that actually make the difference with their highest quality releases in this saturated part of the scene. www.gravemiasma.co.uk, www.sepulchralvoice.de

Manolis A.

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GRAVEN
Perished And Forgotten
(Undercover Records)
38:32min

These guys already caught my attention about two years ago when I noticed a small ad for their "Of Misanthropic Spirit" demo CD somewhere. Without hearing a single note, I somehow knew that this band was worth checking out because their whole visual presentation and attitude proved a lot of taste already... Unfortunately I lost sight with them again (too many releases - too little time...) and therefore missed out on that particular demo (stupid me!). In 2001 they participated in a split release with BARAD DÜR, which featured three wellknown GRAVEN tunes (I suppose they were simply taken from the demo) and now they finally return with their debut full length "Perished And Forgotten". Luckily the material on the album didn't let me down at all - it actually proved my suspicion right. GRAVEN is indeed a fuckin' great band! Raw, unpolished and very grim sounding Black Metal, in the tradition of the originators of this style is what you get throughout the album's playing time of approx. fourty minutes. This ain't no wimp shit and no MARDUK / DARK FUNERAL type highspeed Black Metal either. This is actually a lot more inspired by the first four BATHORY albums, just more evil and blasphemous sounding! They certainly deliver the right atmosphere within their songwriting to get named along the lines of DARKTHRONE, TAAKE, ISVIND, CARPATHIAN FOREST, SECRETS OF THE MOON, ARMAGEDDA, old EMPEROR, old IMMORTAL and so on. "This is GRAVEN's final recording in that kind of too clear and unraw sound... our future releases will be again more grim and hateful..." is printed inside the booklet, which could mean that despite the quality of "Perished And Forgotten" (which is by no means too clear and unraw in my opinion), they will probably evolve even further into a pure, uncompromising direction. Highly interesting band! In the meantime make sure check out "Perished And Forgotten"!    
 
Frank Stöver

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GRAVEN
The Shadows Eternal Call
(Undercover Records)
37:36min

About three years after the release of "Perished And Forgotten" GRAVEN's former member Vronth has resurrected the already buried and rotten corpse and delivers a new album, with a totally different line-up though. As you all probably know, GRAVEN used to split up back then, which resulted in two highly recommended full length albums by Vargsang's self-titled project afterwards ("Call Of The Nightwolves" and "Throne Of The Forgotten"). I never really found out whether or not Vronth also used to be active in one way or another ever since, but that doesn't really matter anymore anyway as GRAVEN's return totally overshadows every attempt now. Besides Vronth, who still plays the drums for GRAVEN, the band consists of a (to me rather unknown) guitarist named Mardar as well as NAGELFAR / GRAUPEL vocalist Zingultus. And believe me: they both do a really great job on "The Shadows Eternal Call", that's for sure! Instead of coming up with annoying musical experiments, GRAVEN anno 2005 focus on what they always did best, which is simple and very grim oldschool Black Metal in the early BATHORY meets DARKTHRONE vein. If someone tells you that a band of that kind has to come up with a rehearsal type sound in order to fullfill the expectations of the narrowminded Black Metal community and related genre "rules", GRAVEN easily prove this statement wrong! The production of the album is fantastic: it's totally clear, yet delivers the raw grimness that turned early DARKTHRONE releases into alltime classics! The guitar is in the usual tuning, the riffing icecold & razorsharp, the drumming straight forward and luckily non digital sounding while the icing on the already rather tasty cake is Zingultus' excellent vocals! He's definitely one of the best of its kind in that department, perfectly knowing what kind of vocal lines a Black Metal song demands! As a result the whole atmosphere of "The Shadows Eternal Call" is far more Black Metal than anything released by MARDUK, DARK FUNERAL and all the other highspeed Blacksters together! Now this is what I call a great dark and sinister feeling and a totally perfect songwriting. Fuck innovation in Black Metal as long as it sounds as impressive as GRAVEN's return to an already rather washed out scene! www.undercover-records.de
 
Frank Stöver

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GRAVES OF VALOR
Salarian Gate
(Relapse Records)
35:31min

Whining bitterly over better days past never looks good, and I do try to keep my own nostalgic wails to a minimum. Yet when any Metal fan in his sane mind is accosted with this rubbish, one can't help but lament what once was. We're never without good bands, but there was a time when even the bad ones had only a PG rating of bad, and weren't abominable. The new roster of bands on Relapse are, by and large, either Deathcore or Metalcore, neither of which anyone appears capable of distinguishing. However, to help foster some kind of distinction - if indeed there is any - Deathcore seems to have more in common with true extreme Metal than Metalcore. GRAVES OF VALOR, who are listed as Deathcore, use rapid-fire staccato drumming, leaden heavy production, and heavy melodies reminiscent of IN FLAMES or SOILWORK to say nothing of AT THE GATES, whom everyone hails as architects of the style. That said, what most people find objectionable are the vocals and the vocal arrangements. As I said, whining never sounds good, and music is no exception. If, on the other hand, you whine about whining in music, that is acceptable. www.myspace.com/fromgravesofvalor, www.relapse.com

Nat Shapiro

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GRAVEWÜRM / SUICIDAL WINDS
From Conflict To Conquest (Split CD)
(Time Before Time Records)
41:39min

On this split GRAVEWÜRM from the United States and SUICIDAL WINDS from Sweden belt out five own compsitions each (the Swedes with an additional cover from of an OZ song), celebrating the oldschool. If  I remember correctly, GRAVEWÜRM features (or featured) an ex(?)-NUNSLAUGHTER member (don't quote me!)… the band is obviously out to play the most ugly, primitive and feral blackened deathly Metal possible… too bad that the songs are so basic, reduced and boring that I consider listening to it as a total waste of time! Cranking up the volume massively helps against the very thin recording but not against the unispired songwriting which seems to be a bit more leaning towards Black Metal than on their earlier works. Actually, their fifth song 'Betrothed To The Underworld' vaguely reminds me of UNGOD's “Circle Of The Seven Infernal Pacts” – sadly this is the only moment where something notable happens. Fans of bands like COUNTESS or BARATHRUM might dig this, even though these two bands are stalwarts of innovation and perfection when compared to GRAVEWÜRM. Enough with that. SUICIDAL WINDS come as refreshing as a violent hailstorm after what seemed like an endless and dried out slumber of boredom! Fast and fucked up hateful Black/Thrash played with conviction and a decent raw and thick production is the game here, topped off with the already mentioned cover from OZ, an old Heavy Metal band from Finland. Leaving the usual MERCILESS comparisons aside, I have to agree with fellow reviewer Stefan who pointed out that SUICIDAL WINDS got quite a bit faster and changed their songwriting a bit. Nevertheless, the oldschool approach has not been altered or watered down in any way. Obviously I could have lived very well without the first five tracks but the SUICIDAL WINDS material justifies the purchase alone. One definite flaw, though, is the fact that either the studio or the pressing plant messed up the track endings: some tracks are cut off with the missing part starting the following song, hopefully that problem is only present on the promo cds. www.time-before-time.com

Ulrich Kreienbrink

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GRAVEYARD
Into The Mausoleum (Promo 2007)
(self-financed)
19:32min

“4 hymns of pure Death Metal based on the late 80s and early 90s European tradition” – that’s what GRAVEYARD are all about. I copied this sentence from the infosheet I got together with this promo CD, therefore please excuse me for my lack of imagination how to describe GRAVEYARD’s sound. OK, I could be more precise, it’s Death Metal in the vein of CARNAGE on their “Dark Recollection” days, UNLEASHED back at “Where No Life Dwells” or even earlier, add influences from ABHORRENCE’s “Vulgar Necrolary” demo and a huge dose of early GRAVE, too. To be honest, some riffs sound not that original, I mean the beginning riff of ‘Ritual’ sounds so familiar that it annoys me that I can’t tell you from where I know this riff, haha. At least I think it has a certain CARNAGE vibe. ‘One Of Them’ borrows the riff of ‘Before The Creation Of Time’ and ‘King Of The Graveyard’ is so much ABHORRENCE-like that it is much more fun to listen to than you expect now while reading this. GRAVEYARD is everything else, but no rip off of the aforementioned bands, GRAVEYARD is playing Death Metal with heart. Perhaps I’m a bit close-minded, but hey, that’s Death Metal the way I love and want it. It makes my tapetrader-heart beat again. The fantastic titletrack is a perfect opener in the way ‘Left Hand Path’ started one of the most impressive albums ever made. And the last 1:45 minutes of this song are exactly what you need to hear from a Death Metal soon-to-be-classic, call it unoriginal to end a song like this, I simply don’t care. Fuck how great this song ends, this ritardando is simply perfect. If you are no fan of the old Death Metal than you will never understand a release like this, if treasures like “Dark Recollection” give you shivers down your spine even more than 17 years after its official release this promo is the real stuff. It includes 4 songs plus in- and outro. GRAVEYARD already signed a deal with Black Seed Productions who will release this promo officially on CD within the next months and the vinylversion will be released soon through Antichristian Front Records. Don’t hesitate to get this promo as long as it is available in this way. Write to julkarn@gmail.com and check out www.myspace.com/graveyardofdoom for news and songsamples.

Thomas Ehrmann

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GRAVEYARD
One With The Dead 
(BlackSeed Productions)
47:46min

After all I've read about this band, I must say (shamefully) that this is my first contact with GRAVEYARD. Coming from Spain, I was expecting some good old blood-soaked Death Metal à la AVULSED / FERMENTO / GSR. Hell was I wrong! It all started as a side-project from members of other Spanish bands such as MORBID FLESH, ERED, TERRORSPAWN, DAWN OV HATE, ENYGMAH and OF DARKNESS. Mostly influenced by the bands they all worshipped when teenagers, Bastard and Julkarn got in contact with drummer Gusi for the first real line up. After two spilt 7"es, a demo tape and adding SBE to the guitar department, "One With The Dead" has been finally unleashed upon us all! Starting off with a classy cover artwork in b/w, these guys pay homage to early 90s Scandinavian Death Metal like no other band has done before. Well, originality is not a highlight here; We have all heard this from bands like CARNAGE, DEMIGOD, NIRVANA 2002, GRAVE, ABHORRENCE etc. The incredible and surprising fact is that GRAVEYARD managed to do it with a vast array of solid riffs, great rhythm section and a powerful vocalist reminiscent of Matti Kärki or Jukka Kolehmainen. To sum it up in one word: awesome! Production wise, "One With The Dead" sounds like straight out of Sunlight Studios back in 1990. Clear, yet heavy as hell, with a well balanced mix and mastering courtesy of Mr. Dan Swanö. The overall sound is almost perfect. You know you love that chainsaw guitar tone, don't you? Gusi's drum-work fits in perfectly along Julkarn and Bastard handling both, bass and guitar duties. Now, onto the music: straight up, crushing mid-paced Death Metal, some songs bordering on fast Thrash, with great doomy passages, twisted guitar melodies and interesting leads. Even an evil keyboard moment, as heard in 'The Skull'. Wait, add another surprising fact: no blastbeats! I can't really do a song-by-song review since they all have their own identity, catchiness and constant variations. You'll have to hear it and enjoy it for yourself. Just the right amount of aggression combined with an evil atmosphere makes "One With The Dead" a superb listen, from start to finish. GRAVEYARD pulled it off with class, guts and really good musicianship! Totally and absolutely recommended for fans of real Death Metal, oldschool or not! www.myspace.com/graveyardofdoom, www.graveyardofdoom.com, www.blackseedprod.com

Alfonso Perez

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THE GREAT DECEIVER
Terra Incognito
(Peaceville Records)
40:45min

With this album everything kind of seems clear to me. I am not willing to indulge in talking for ages about all this here. It’s not really worth it because this output is brilliant – and this statement says it all! Sometimes I sort of have the feeling that THE GREAT DECEIVER were inspired by Nu-Metal / Hardcore acts such as KORN, STRAPPING YOPUNG LAD… and there are worse things, haha… the production sounds powerful (recorded at Dug Out Studios – Meshuggah, In Flames, Strapping Young Lad…) and very modern. The tracks sound equally modern and up-to-date. The guitars are deep, wide and crunchy. The bass pumps from below. The vocals, done by Mr. Tomas Lindberg in person, sound hypnotic at times, aggressive, crazy – the whole lot. The drums have a great groove and make sure that you move and cannot sit still. Everything sounds modern and inspiring on this record. There are tracks with interesting samples, some sitars even, keys every once in a while. Good stuff! (hmm... with all respect to Tompa, but judging this album just by your description, I would say it totally sucks! - Frank)

F. Cthulhu E.

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GREAT VAST FOREST
Battletales And Songs Of Steel
(Evil Horde Records)
46:49min

Well, if you like raw Black Metal with totally sick and raspy screams, that are accompanied by Pagan Metal-like clean vocals / chants and some simple keyboard passages, then GREAT VAST FOREST from Brazil might be the right choice for you! There’s definitely nothing very innovative about this band, except maybe that this kind of music usually does not emerge from the rainforest, but from Scandinavian fjords. “Battletales And Songs Of Steel” lives off its underground feeling and charme, but has, honestly spoken, some slight comical and ridiculous elements, that made me laugh whenever I listened to those Brazilian Metal barbarians. Especially the clean vocals are awful in my opinion and consist mostly of  some “oh ho oh...” – variations and sound a bit repetative. Also the kind of “wolf-howl” at the beginning of track 3, ‘Wolvesclan’, sounds extremely shitty and definitely not like a wolf, maybe Brazilian wolves (I don’t think they have wolves over there, maybe coyotes) howl different than the European ones, ha ha!!! Anyway, if those clean vocals would have been reduced “Battletales And Songs Of Steel” would be a good raw Black Metal CD with a bassy, warm sound. In my opinion Pagan Metal fans should check out this CD, maybe they like it more than I do, but everyone has to listen to GREAT VAST FOREST’s debut because of the “wolf-howl”, it is so funny!!! Who likes to give those Brazilian warriors a serious chance, should check out a MP3 file of this act on their label’s website, www.evilhorderec.com, it is a fantastic site and they even have some better bands too. GREAT VAST FOREST can be contacted through the following address: Rua Independencia N° 208, Bairro Gethal, Lages – SC, 88.520 – 400, Brasil. Email: surgath.gvf@matrix.com.br Website: www.greatvastforest.cjb.net 

Stefan Franke

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GREENFLY
Hidden Pleasures
(Morbid Records)
41:26min

GREENFLY from Spain are somewhere between BOLT THROWER, Swedish oldschool Death and grind attacks. Some parts (especially the melodic leads on ‘Crossbreaker’) even remind me of HAMMERFALL and the likes! Strange combination that might work if only I wouldn’t find their singer’s voices that bad! Monotonously he’s barking on the same level all through the whole album and gets on my nerves far too soon! If the whole band keeps working hard, there might be something cool coming out of this. But if you consider that these guys have been around for over 10 years, some doubt seems to be legitimate. Not bad, just a little boring.

Ramon Claassen

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GRENADE
The Howling Damned
(Hells Headbangers)
43:96min

From the webmaster of GRENADE…“Regrettably, GRENADE has experienced a series of changes that has led to three of the four members leaving the band. Nigel, who is the founding member of GRENADE and the band's songwriter, intends to continue GRENADE in the future. What form this may take remains to be seen, at this early point. As I knew all of the members of GRENADE personally, I have decided to archive and preserve this website for a number of reasons: as a testament to everything that GRENADE has achieved up to this point; as a memorial to the saddening loss of the potential that this first incarnation of the band possessed; and as a salute to all those who supported GRENADE and were there during all of the good times over the years. Finally, I would like to wish the ex-members of GRENADE all the best with their future endeavors.“ Wow…I am almost speechless! Two Hells Headbanger’s CDs reviewed in the spans of two days time (the other being VICTIMIZER from Denmark) and each of these bands having imploded simultaneously as their debut albums have been birthed, makes me wonder what kind of spell is Hells under, to have had this happen again?! Ill timing is one thing yet to have another stillbirth in so little time and in rapid succession, leads me to think something foul is afoot or that mayhaps their well has been poisoned! For those that might be unacquainted with GRENADE, this Aussie outfit is a Blackened Metal hybrid extremely close in style and sound to DESASTER from Germany. So much so that if you’re into DESASTER your money shall be well spent here, as you will no doubt dig what GRENADE are (or should I say were?) all about. “The Howling Damned” is the band’s three year awaited follow up to the 2004 “Hellsong” 7"EP that received more than its fair share of above average praise throughout the Metal world. “The Howling…” features eight pounding tracks that span GRENADE’s short-lived career of riff friendly, Euro-inspired, Metal war craft. Played exclusively and strictly for only the most Die Hard Metallers. Contact: P.O. Box 196, Springwood, NSW 2777 Australia or grenade_attack@hotmail.com or www.myspace.com/grenadeattack

Wes Rhodes

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GRENOUER
Try (MCD)
(Metalism Records)
21:10min

What fucking happened?! That is all I can ask when I listen to this latest disc from Russia's GRENOUER. Without a shadow of doubt the GRENOUER of 2006 is nothing! relatively close in comparison to their previous record "Border Of Misty Times", that was just reviewed recently within these pages. Granted a decade has passed since "Border..." was originally released, and yes I agree some bands do change, but enough already! This is ridiculous! There's not a shred of talent to speak of on this demo disc / album! High end (and by that I mean the production, and obviously the expensive layout / design of this CD, its slipcase, 2007 mini GRENOUER calendar, and all the digital multimedia accoutrements within) overly polished Mall-Core, Nu Metal or whatever the assholes at Metal Edge magazine want to call it these days, is about as far North of real Death Metal or real Metal for that matter as you can get! GRENOUER are in fucking penguin territory with this CD! "Try" features six songs of repulsive radio rock tripe, and one of the more annoying intros that I have ever heard, all of it reeking of pure grade shit! GRENOUER have lost it. Absolutely. And in the same breath I will say that GRENOUER have succumb to the most common pitfall in the music industry, and that is any of those artists who get it twisted in their minds, that it is better to forget the past and evolve with the times than it is to stick to their guns, and hone the skills of what got them the respect, admiration and accolades in the first place. Contact: grenouer@gmail.com or www.grenouer.com

Wes Rhodes

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GRENOUER
Life Long Days
(Locomotive Records)
46:35min

A band from Russia isn’t really something special these days but still not as common as a Black Metal combo from Norway, so the expectations had been there. GRENOUER are a “cult act” in Russia, due to several releases during the last 10 years and “Life Long Days” is the first release which is available to a wider audience (in Europe) thanks to Locomotive Records. GRENOUER is playing a wild mix of futuristic Metal , imagine the musical structure / unstructure of MESHUGGAH, take some space elements à la THE KOVENANT and add the vocals starting with KORN (oh my god, I never thought I would mention this band in a Voices review but…) up to more common bands like MACHINE HEAD and very rarely IN FLAMES. If you read these words it seems obvious why this band is getting their chance but I think that “Life Long Days” will not be the starting point for a great European career. The mix is too weird - a clear musical aim is missing, GRENOUER are trying to cover all trends without giving the listener the chance to concentrate on one picture; on the other hand there's real melodies and songs missing which are so essential for this music. Think that GRENOUER will not be in the position to change their status of an regional cult act, whatever this means in cold Russia. www.locomotiverecords.com, www.grenouer.com

Matthias Auch

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GRIDLOCK
From The Edge (Demo)
(self financed)
7:04min

GRIDLOCK is another brutal quartet from the land of the rising sun. These Japanese masters of brutality cruising in the waters of brutal Death / Grind and following the path of many of their ancestors. This short four tracker is their first demo output and it delivers a straight forward, fast and relentless sonic assault with some midtempo slow downs to take a new breath. The vocals are performed in the dual style combining growls and insane screams. Sure if you judge them strict these maniacs are not a new sensation as they don't invent the genre new, aren't innovative and are just one of numerous bands around the world in this genre... mediocre. But I can't help I find them somehow cool as the songs have a nice powerful production and are straight in your face. And that's necessary more and more nowadays in order to forget all the shit that happens on this rotten planet (at least in my opinion). So if you like to check out underground stuff and you enjoy music the brutal way (or you collect and want to discover new bands in this genre) then you should give them a listen. I will for sure keep an eye on GRIDLOCK's future. http://sound.jp/gridlock/newweb/topmain.html or gridlock_jp@yahoo.co.jp.

Michael Oelschlegel

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THE GRIEF
The Realm Of The Grief (MCD)
(self-financed)
14:52min

From Ecuador we have this 3 song mini CD. It is hard to tell if this is a demo, for it is not a cheap CD-R, but rather a well presented pro CD in a slipcase with a separate lyrics / CD sleeve (a nice touch which reminded me more of how vinyl was used to be done). Their style is defined in their bio as symphonic Doom Black Metal, which is not far away from reality. My main and basic complain is the guitar sound, which is almost non-existent. This is Metal, guitars are supposed to be one of the main ingredients, and when you put them way too low in the background in the mix, it takes away a lot of power. And that is the case here. Really a shame, as everything else was done with a decent level, probably with more keyboards than they really needed. And I say that it is a shame, as on the few parts where the guitar could be sorted out, there are some good riffs, and good solos, that give the music a more traditional Heavy Metal touch. The vocals are quite average for a Black Metal singer, although here and there some more death-growls are used. Main references will be Dimmu Borgir (circa the original "Stormblast") and the Doom aspects can be related to My Dying Bride. The origin of the band goes around 1997, so they are no newcomers. Given the fact that nowadays (instead of the old days when you can only expect rehearsal-quality sounds from bands outside of first world countries) anyone with a computer and some decent software can create a good recording, I cannot really understand why they decided to go on with such a poor guitar sound. If they are wise enough to solve this problem (Metal is loud guitars) and they drop a bit of keyboards, these guys will have a future. You can reach them at therealmofthegrief@gmail.com or at www.myspace.com/thegriefec.

Julian Nuñez

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GRIEF OF EMERALD
Christian Termination
(Listenable Records)
50:25min

I am not familiar with the two previous efforts by this Swedish outfit (“Nightspawn” and “Malformed Seed”, also to be found on Listenable), so I can’t discuss here how the band has evolved with the years passing by. Yet I can say for sure that “Christian Termination” is a massive offering!GRIEF OF EMERALD play a convincing hybrid of Black and Death Metal by mixing the best elements of both genres. While fast and furious, the music gives room for complex arrangements and rhythms, and the band maintain the unpredictability factor on a high level from the beginning to the end of this album. The final result sounds extremely fresh to my ears, and “Christian Termination” stands above the majority of weak or simply ok releases that are put on the market nowadays, because the GRIEF OF EMERALD music style is not easy to pinpoint while showing a lot of cohesiveness. In fact, the band melts catchy Black Metal the kind you can find on the SATYRICON “Nemesis Divina” album together with Death Metal elements. Then, while the shrieking vocals and the morbid keyboards layers are obvious reference to Black Metal, giving the album an overall bleak and gloomy atmosphere, the blast beats and the guitar playing on offer, together with twisted song structures, link also “Christian Termination” to the most technical and brutal side of the Death Metal genre (listen to ‘Raped By The Servant Of God’ with its MORBID ANGEL overtones for instance, and I guess you will get my point). The cover art is the only let down of an otherwise perfect album, it appears a little bit rushed and it is certainly not a strong selling point. But I recommend to you to pass over this kind of visual barrier and only consider the music, because “Christian Termination” could without doubt make your day. Forward to termination!

Edouard Vergriete

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GRIMBANE
Let The Empires Fall
(Moribund Records)
38:71min

A latest signee to the Moribund roster of Black Metal horror. “Grim Canadian Black Metal heralding civilization’s end! Imagine early Judas Iscariot mixed with the melodies of Thy infernal, brutalized with a Ross-Bay (or modern Finnish) Black-Metal Inverted-Cross!“ Featuring members from the pre-internet days of Black and Death Metal scenes…“ vocalist/guitarist Barbarous (i.e. Ace Gestapo Necrosleezer And Vaginal Commands of the legendary BLASPHEMY; and who also was in PROCREATION, NECROSLEEZER and GODLESS NORTH), bassist Madonna Slayer (PROCREATION), guitarist Sordid (ANTI CHRIST, ODIN’S LAW) and drummer Hedon (ANTI CHRIST, ODIN’S LAW). With steely resolve and an iron fist, the four members of GRIMBANE have converged to create a massive debut of violent-yet-tuneful Black Metal. Fittingly titled “Let The Empires Fall”, the record destroys any and all preconceptions of what these four individuals “should” play or record: GRIMBANE are here to forge a new future, to wield the spear of destiny, whilst distilling the teachings of the ancient masters.” So sayeth Moribund’s advertising cult. And furthermore…“The loose ‘n’ lusty surge behind "Let The Empires Fall" is similarly straightforward. Every element is crucial, serving its noble purpose: menacingly articulate vocals command the hordes; riffs rock rhythmically yet flow with icy fluidity; bass and drums lock into blasts and marches alike, keeping a dynamic undercurrent; and even acoustic guitars make an occasional appearance, blowing fell winds of eldritch dread. GRIMBANE, basically, intrinsically understand the power of song. And every song on "Let The Empires Fall" is a veritable anthem in its own right.” No wait it gets worse… err… I mean better…”When so many Scandinavian Black Metal bands rest on fading glories – or, more accurately, “glories” well past their expiration date – GRIMBANE step forward with their own arsenal of glory, unconcerned by their own rich past but simply focused on conquering the future. "Let The Empires Fall" indeed: GRIMBANE will march over you!” Okay…That’s it…I can’t take it anymore. Enough! Enough of the slick and grease on this shoe, the leather presented here is not in question, what is however is the actual shine needed to polish up such a high-resin sheen in total effect to blind the buyer into purchasing a fake and cheap imitation of IMMORTAL. GRIMBANE is an inferior offshoot of a scene rife with the glut of byproducts from those with questionable Metal labels, more than willing enough to side step sincerity and individuality for the almighty dollar. So blatant is the case here of this fact with this album from GRIMBANE, that I am deeply insulted by the attempt made by Moribund to pass off this essentially “Made In China “ fake, as the real deal. Not to mention either the glaring transparency of GRIMBANE to Moribund, as being anything more than a plausible cash cow. A sole money making venture solidifying these exact comments made here by the Cult’s advertising department, who had zero shame in their game, in dropping the namesakes of these members of GRIMBANE and their ex-aforementioned bands, just to garner sales. Fuckin’ disgusting. Save your $12.00 dollars and buy a real CD of IMMORTAL. Contact: www.moribundcult.com

Wes Rhodes 

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GRIMFAUG
Blood Upon The Face Of Creation
(Pestilence Records)
37:36min

The Belgian Black Metal scene might be overshadowed by the mighty ENTHRONED, but other bands are to be discovered if you dig a little deeper. GRIMFAUG for example are a young outfit from the Flemish part of the country who deliver a very harsh form of black aggression. All the typical ingredients of an underground release are presents here: black and white cover, corpse paints, tortured logo and no less tortured music. GRIMFAUG are visibly and audibly not too fond of the nicer aspects of life, at least on record. I found out strong similarities with a band like GORGOROTH here (and this is a compliment I can assure you), in the sense GRIMFAUG recorded this album without caring too much about their sound, and deliver an extremely raw material. The songs contain no more than two riffs each time, and they could sound monotonous in the long term. But (because there is a but of course), the overall result is a damn fine effort, faithful in its spirit to the scene of old. The music flows out the speakers like a menacing and cold mist, the perfect atmosphere for long evenings in autumn and winter. My only complaints concern the percussion sound, the cymbals are mixed too much upfront comparatively to the drums themselves, and this could cause annoyance after a while, especially if you consider that the pacing is on the fast mode all the time. GRIMFAUG obviously need to gain some maturity before they could be considered as entirely convincing. But they show promising elements enough to be checked out. I leave the decision to you; listen to the mp3 on offer at: http://www.grimfaug.tk. To me they are simply enjoyable for now, but this is already an achievement.

Edouard Vergriete

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GRIM FORCE
Circulation To Conclusion
(World Chaos Production)
32:07min

Yes, some more raging old school thrash for your ears all the way from the land of the rising sun! Grim Force are a bit more controled and catchy in direct comparison to their labelmates Terror Squad but nevertheless manage to deliver the goods the way it needs to be all throughout their first (?) album "Circulation To Conclusion". These guys have some ex-Ritual Carnage members in their ranks and also a female bass player full of energy, whereas musically, this is a cool mixture of straigh forward '80s thrash metal in the finest Bay Area tradition mixed with a lot of groovin'-mosh passages and some quite melodic riffing. Actually some of their newer material (which I experienced in a live situation) got me some hints of Arch Enemy as well, but I guess we will see and hear better whenever their next album gets released. Another cool album out through World Chaos Production that fully deserves your metal support! Label contact: World Chaos Production, #406 new light bld. 2-25-6 hongo, bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan E-Mail: worldkdm@syd.odn.ne.jp

Leif Jensen

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GRIMLORD
Dolce Vita Sath An As
(Trident Harmony)
49:37min

The polish band GRIMLORD, having released 5 demos, a debut live album (?) and a full length back in 2007, released their second album "Dolce Vita Sath An As" in 2009. Right from the start, I felt this one was going to be a hard one to review. Based on a traditional Heavy Metal foundation, GRIMLORD should decide which style suits them better. There are many influences present here and the songs range from good old Black Thrash as in the opener 'Dolce Vita Sath An As' to traditional Metal as in 'When The Heads Are Going Down' (a little too melodic for my taste with some odd keyboard work and blastbeats) and 'Oh! My King', which is probably my fave song. A good thrashy and melodic headbanger with nice guitar work, solid bass lines and tight drumming. The vocals are definitely an acquired taste. Not gruff enough, yet not totally melodic. Right here is where the album flips over. The production changes totally after the third song, sounding less natural and kinda mushy and then you find 6 (yes, 6) instrumental songs. These have a lot of the influences already mentioned, some adding little progressive elements here and there, but none of them really caught my attention. So, it turned harder than I thought. Basically, this album is divided into a 3 song EP (the first 3 songs) that showcase a good band trying to build their own style of Black / Thrash / traditional Metal and a 6 song instrumental EP that thrives for more "life", since the songs drift away without direction. Contacts: www.grimlord.eu, www.myspace.com/grimlordband

Alfonso Perez

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GRIMM
Heksenkringen
(Displeased Records)
43:25min

A worn-out band-name (already worn-out when they had chosen it in 1996 whilst founding that band), singing in native language (here: Dutch) and galloping on medieval battle-fields is nothing new and innovative. But these words don't count at all for all of us traditionalist Metal maniacs. The music often reminds me of ISENGARD, at least due to the singing of the vocalist. Of course, all the other Scandinavian bands come to mind and GRIMM really come close both in sound-production and composition structures. Unfortunately this "Folk" thing sounds most of the time too happy in my ears. First song really reminds of the "Eld" stuff of ENSLAVED (even the vocals). But then almost the whole recording gets too nice. Lovers of that Folk-phenomenon probably will appreciate that music that also features a lot of hints to Rock'n'Roll music. I myself like the parts with the nasty and evil screaming lot more. The clear vocals are too loud, used too often and don't contribute to a weird atmosphere that I appreciate so much. Sometimes less is more. In the end, this is better stuff than most of the stuff coming out from that genre. I just would like to have it a bit more evil, nasty with that important a huge impact on me that music should have. But to repeat myself: this is absolutely not bad and I think the songs in a rough demo-version would do it for me for 100%. www.displeasedrecords.com

Hurricane

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GRIND INC.
Executed
(Morbid Records)
35:43min

GRIND INC. from Germany originally started as a project featuring members of NIGHT IN GALES, HATEFACTOR and CORONATION in 2001. By 2003 the band was complete. What we get on their debut CD is sometimes groovy, sometimes (really) fast Death Metal executed with utmost precision and brutality. Full stop. Anybody reading my mind? Yeah, I’m not too fond of that style, right. GRIND INC. pretty much miss out any form of evilness and “ancient feeling” but of course that’s my problem because obviously they never had the intention of becoming my personal favourite band. On the other hand I have to admit that I actually enjoy “Executed” because it’s played with lots of passion and conviction. That’s what matters in the end, right? Okay, on CD it doesn’t seem to make sense that GRIND INC. have two vocalists, especially as their voices sound pretty close. But in a live situation that’s gonna be killer and it’s exactly this kind of music that was created to be put on stage. Actually, GRIND INC. got their recording deal with Morbid Records after having performed at “Morbide Festspiele Vol. 7” in 2004. So in case you happened to be around: catch these guys live – for example in Osnabrück, Germany on the last Friday in July sharing the stage with GOREROTTED and INGURGITATING OBLIVION – I’ll be there! www.grindinc666.de

Ramon Claassen

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GRIND INC.
Sudden State Of Hate
(Twilight Vertrieb)
41:14min

GRIND INC. 2008 seem even more brutal than on "Executed". More speed, more venom, more DYING FETUS and co. I seem to enjoy "Sudden State Of Hate" more than their 2005 debut even though it's still not really my style. The band delivers excellent quality stuff and they're quite capable musicians. The reason why I like this CD more than "Executed" is due to their improved songwriting, I guess: sometimes I even recognize there is a new song playing than a minute ago, hargh! Honestly, if you're into this sort of Death Metal, you should definitely give these guys a chance. Thanks to the internet, you have the chance of listening to a few MP3s on their website, so check 'em out! My fave tune on here: 'Collateral Body Count'. www.grindinc666.de

Cunctator

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GRIS
Il Etait Une Foret
(Sepulchral Productions)
59:23min

Strange things are happenig from time to time, one can not explain why and how. I have seriously considered to contact FBI-agent Fox Moulder, known from the X-Files. "Listen to this album, there is something wrong." But it is real life, so I have to think on myself and after some time I got the answer. It's the music, stupid. It is (more or less) completely missing. I always waited for the music getting started, but it is more like a neverending intro. Maybe I am not too much in Doom Metal to understand suchlike music, but for me this album is boring. Do not get me wrong, it is not about how many riffs are played in a minute or so, it is about the lack of atmosphere. An album like "Hexenwind" by DORNENREICH is (for me) the clear proof that atmosphere is the fundemantal aspect, because this album is completeley without Metal-guitars and even a Metalhead like me likes it. The debut-album of GRIS is supposed to be depressive Black Metal, I guess; slow developing songs, desperate, shrieking vocals, some keyboards, but like I wrote before, pretty uninspiring. The only crucial point is that there are some really good moments, but those moments are buried in an sea of bordeom. Maybe the listeners must be in a certain mood to like music like this. I am not, nor have I been during the last weeks after I received the promo of "Il Etait Une Foret". But having the slogan "Trust no one" in mind, once again everyone may decide on his / her own by visting www.myspace.com/niflheim5. Label contact: www.sepulchralproductions.com

Mirco Szymyslik

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THE GROTESQUERY
Tales Of The Coffin Born
(Cyclone Empire)
46:06min

In the beginning there was darkness and the musical aim of combining the atmosphere of rusty horror stories by Poe and Lovecraft with simple but nevertheless effective Death Metal. THE GROTESQUERY is a further co-operation of workaholic Rogga Johansson (PAGANIZER, DEMIURG, EDGE OF SANITY, RIBSPREADER, PUTREVORE, SINNERS BURN, BONE GNAWER etc.) and his blood brother Kam Lee (BONE GNAWER, ex - MASSACRE). I'm for sure not the biggest fan of the latest Johansson releases but consequently I have to admit that this release is a real highlight – musically and lyrically. The concept story of a father who could not accept the death of his son with deadly consequences has been created over several years – to be exact since 2003 - by Kam Lee and the decision that this concept isn’t suitable for his major band is more or less the hour of birth for THE GROTESQUERY. The story is more than pure background and every song is introduced by a short story fragment and during the 10 songs you can follow the father on his abyssal descent. Musically the album is oldschool as fuck with simple structures but this simplicity makes “Tales Of The Coffin Born” so great – the good old times are shining trough and especially certain British Death Metal acts – a little BENEDICTION here, a little more BOLT THROWER there – bring back sweet melodies. Every headbanger who’s fed up with the ultra high speed mania should buy this album immediately. Again a Cyclone Empire release which shows that Death Metal is more than just returning to the surface of the Metal movement. For more info check out: www.myspace.com/thegrotesquery, www.cyclone-empire.com

Matthias Auch

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GRUESOME
Pure Brutality
(Demo CD-R)
19:34min

From the land of the Trolls, please welcome GRUESOME, a five piece dedicated to raw and primitive Black / Death Metal. The band members are no newcomers in any way, in fact three of them have reached the venerable age of 29 and are in activity in various Norwegian outfits since the late 80's. No wonder then that one couldn’t find traces of any  modern trend on “Pure Brutality”. This five tracker is a fine slab of very enjoyable basic extreme Metal, and appears as an obvious tribute to the ancient scene, done more for self pleasure than for anything else. The title track bursts out after a brief intro (a distorted and electrifying cover of the overused ‘Funeral March’ by Chopin), and is representative of the four other tracks on display. Add raw and crunchy guitars with demented vocals (sometimes bringing back in mind those you can find on the first KATAKLYSM MCD, especially on ‘Mindgrinder’), varying from Black Metal shrieks to brutal Death Metal growls, simple but competent and intense drumming, plus a very powerful sound and you finally obtain the equation symbolizing what is GRUESOME. The keyboards used here are of the Toys R’ Us type, maybe it would be a great idea to get rid of them next time, because they are unnecessary really. I don’t know what are the future plans of the GRUESOME warriors, enough said for the moment that they offer us a nice release in the form of “Pure Brutality”. But on the other hand, I can’t say they are a groundbreaking and breathtaking band, so we have just to wait and see. Yet one thing is sure: they have to do something with their image, just look at the picture on the J-card or visit the band website at http://www.gruesomely.com and you will see what I mean. I know that image is not music but when you play  hostile  darkened Metal, I think you have to  work on that a little! A cool release anyway, and a band worth your supporting.

Edouard Vergriete

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GUERRILLA
On Target
(self-financed)
51:56min

Hell yes, this is fuckin' cool stuff! Anyone into good old fashioned Death / Thrash on a high technical level? Then you better make sure to check out Colgne's very own GUERRILLA. This extremely talented fourpiece delivers ten tracks of very well composed, arranged and produced material, with musical references to ANNIHILATOR, newer DEATH and the likes, enriched by a vocal performance kinda close to a more deathly version of good ol' Phil Rind (SACRED REICH). Brutality goes hand in hand with great guitarwork and a killer rhythm section. If they wouldn't use such a silly bandname and logo, they would most certainly already have gained a lot more attention, I'm pretty sure about that! The band got together in 1994, changed (developed?!) their style a couple of times, from Hardcore / Thrash to melodic Death to this current, probably most convincing direction and released two demos and one EP on the way. Hopefully "On Target" will finally result in some established company picking them up as they certainly deserve it a lot more than most of the lame ass copy cats that are out there nowadays. Further info requests, contract offers and orders (the nicely packaged CD is available for 20,-DM / $10 / 7UK Pounds / 10Euro, all prices plus postage) should be addressed directly to: Martin Below, Weisser Hauptstr. 54, 50999 Köln, Germany, e-mail: info@guerrilla-Metal.com

Frank Stöver

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GUILLOTINE
Metal In The Vein
(Marquee Records)
37:57min

Not the GUILLOTINE that I know about from Sweden, no these maniacs are from Brazil and at least in my opinion (...and that’s all that really matters at the end of the day, doesn’t it?) they are much better than those aforementioned Swedes for three separate reasons. One, the Swedish GUILLOTINE are fake. They absolutely rip off KREATOR almost note-for-fucking-note, title for title and no one with any amount of integrity likes a rip-off. Second, let’s cut to the bone here…The Swedish GUILLOTINE was a gimmick, a trick, for the hapless of Metalhead who was past his limit, too drunk to fuck, too drunk to know any better and spent his money accordingly on audible waste as GUILLOTINE. GUILLOTINE from Sweden was a ruse, completely staged for the upsurge of interest that was happening during this time, later to be hailed as the first wave of the Thrash revival that began back in the mid to late ‘90s. Their album “Under The Guillotine “ was trash. A pathetically lame attempt to cash in on the resurgence and those caught up in having the next Thrash band they could get their hands on. GUILLOTINE from Sweden, in particular, always shall be in my mind a failed money making junket. Thirdly, and most importantly, the musicians of this side project should be ashamed. As there is nothing worse than a pretender. It is the true definition of a poseur! GUILLOTINE from Sweden was a side-project. Each of these musicians had other and much better bands, real bands, going on at the time. So let’s get serious about this shall we? I mean even though I don’t particularly care for the band BEWITCHED… BEWITCHED was all over GUILLOTINE like a bad rash. The exact same thing can be said for NOCTURNAL RITES, the other half of GUILLOTINE. That is though to say NOCTURNAL RITES is to GUILLOTINE more of like a True Metal bio-agent of death, ripping through flesh, as a good venereal disease ought, wreaking havoc in the veins of the unsuspecting host. Breathing bacterial holocaust into a sore infection left by these Swedish whores of GUILLOTINE, where a wallet once called home. Now a seething lump of unbridled muck, that can be smelled and heard sloshing round as you walk, a grand bacterial soup of toxins in the germicidal wasteland of the great unwashed, that is often referred to as the common Metalhead’s underwear! Holy Hell! Seriously though, GUILLOTINE from Sweden eat shit. ‘Nuff said (I enjoy "Under The Guillotine" nevertheless, hehe - Frank). Focus now then on the Brazilian antidote, the cure if you will to this Swedish contagion, from Santo Andre’, Brazil. This GUILLOTINE, is by far and away a better band. And may I say what a cool new addition to the international Thrash Metal scene! Heavy, somewhat original, and overall a band with unrelenting enthusiasm for all things mayhemic and a general sense of knowing that it takes much more than attitude or just a pair of ripped jeans to make it in this game. From this writer’s viewpoint, Brazil’s GUILLOTINE, with a bit more practice, a bit more patience, a bit more concentration on their actual song writing and arranging could naturally land this Brazilian act the accreditation of being the equal to another nocturnal force, this one though is from Norway and they are called NOCTURNAL BREED. That said, my only two complaints of this disc are the following: this CD is kind of all over the place in terms of cohesion. To these ears this GUILLOTINE album “Metal In The Vein “, might have been a bit premature to be released just yet. I think with more time in the rehearsal studio, more dedication to the bands’ overall approach to writing, as previously mentioned above, this GUILLOTINE can and will find its own path where only chaos now reigns. The cover of DEATH’s ‘Defensive Personalities’ for instance, that closes this album - cool song, sounds great. However - next to all your other songs, it doesn’t fit and ultimately gives the impression your band is still searching for its identity. For those in this band reading this, or friends of this band reading this, or to the owners of Marquee for that matter who might think that my words here ring hollow or that I am completely off base. Give a listen to label mates, and fellow countrymen, TAURUS, and their re-released album “Signo De Taurus“ for what I mean exactly when speaking about song choice, song structure and cohesion. Then go back to this album and you’ll hear what I am talking about instantly. The other issue I have with this disc is with the song ‘Soul Of Heavy Metal’. I know this may sound like nitpicking but an honest review is what it is, the vocal screams in the chorus section of this song should have been rethought or redone or mayhaps done not at all. They are completely off. And yes even though I am sure these screams here were meant to kick ass initially, they do not. In fact, they are to the point so badly and overly done, that they appear comical and sincerely don’t do the band any justice. Think Chainsaw Demon from CRANIUM cheesy and then go overboard with it. Definitely not the intended effect the vocalist was after or wanted, of that I am sure. Contact: www.myspace.com/guillotine80 or www.marquee.com.br

Wes Rhodes

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GUILLOTINE
Blood Money
(Pulverised Records)
41:09min 

If it comes to Thrash Metal I'm like an old farmer which is rejecting everything new by preferring the originals instead of listening every week to a further retro band. GUILLOTINE is without a doubt one band which deserves the title cult act and I didn't expect a new release after such a long time. Over a decade ago the band released their "Under The Guillotine" album which - even if it had been released by Necropolis Records and was limited from the start - is still a classic in a lot of Metal collections. Coming back to their new release "Blood Money" we are talking about a trip to the good old days - it seems that time has passed with nearly no affection to these crazy Swedish guys which are still operating in the original line-up. Twelve Thrash grenades with influences from SLAYER to KREATOR with so many aggression and heart blood that right from the start you feel that GUILLOTINE are breathing this music. Especially the sound and the guitars are the true soul of this album and the cover by Ed Repka (MEGADETH, DEATH) is nothing more than a special bonus for this release even if "Blood Money" doesn't need such assistance. If I would search for small points of criticism I could advise some well know riffs and the disappointing title track but come on this album is definitely kicking ass and I know that songs like 'Skeleton City' or 'Insane Oppression' will kill every audience when we ever get the chance to see them on stage again. I'm ready - so see you all in the first line. www.myspace.com/guillotine2007, www.pulverised.net

Matthias Auch

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GURD
Encounter
(Die Hard Music)
50:51min

GURD? What’s GURD, aah, it’s “Drug” backwards, very funny, GURD makes me think of the good old Frank Zander song “Hier kommt GURD”, haha. Ok, I know it was an awful joke, but let’s talk about the music. I’ll try my best to be kind with this CD, because years ago when I still listened to US Hardcore and Crossover (when I was 12 or 13, I think) I liked GURD at least a little bit. Nowadays I personally can’t stand this groovy modern Metal, but anyone who loves it should like the newest effort by Swiss GURD too. “Encounter” is certainly music for the all the Alternative / Nu Metal Discos around the world, songs like ‘A New War’ or ‘Control’ should make the kids go wild on the dance floor! Here and there GURD implement some Thrash riffs (e.g. in ‘Fangs’ and ‘Decision’), which puts them more and more into the MACHINE HEAD section, but anyway I can’t tell you much more about this CD, because I’m rather unfamiliar with anything that’s “Nu”. If you like it the modern way, check it out, if you’re oldschool – laugh at it!

Stefan Franke

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GURKKHAS
A Life Of Suffering
(Morbid Records)
36:31min

Yes, there are faster bands than the French sickos GURKKHAS (ex-D.A.B.), but not too many of them can come up with this frightening fierceness. GURKKHAS were some sort of elite troops in WW2 but the music isn't "just" acoustical warfare, in my mind it immediately creates an image of a beast jumping at me and tearing me to pieces. Now imagine the effect playing this album at maximum volume will have on your parents or neighbours! Mereover, GURKKHAS have created a special sound over the years making them sound unique indeed. So check out "A Life Of Suffering" or this is exactly what's going to happen to you... www.multimedia.com/gurkkhas

Ramon Claassen

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GUT
Pimps Of Gore (MCD)
(Supreme Chaos Records)
11:13min

This MCD by the German Porn Grind sickos GUT contains 8 tracks of very simple and slow Grindcore, unfortunately without any blastbeats or any other good ideas (can you still call it Grind when there are no blastbeats or even fast parts at all? I don't know…). Most of the tracks were furnished with electronic beats by Otto von Schirach, who is an electronic music DJ. These songs remind me of the experimental PUNGENT STENCH stuff, but only much, much more boring. Besides the additional samples from horror and porn flicks, there is absolutely nothing outstanding or entertaining about this release. It is neither provocative nor shocking, just boring! On their homepage you can find a couple of mp3 files to get your own impression: www.gut-grindcore.de

Christoph Göbel

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GWYDION
Ynys Mön
(Trollzorn)
42:10min

Pagan Metal has become quite popular within the last years, a fact which is easily recognizable by the last signings of the big Metal labels. Which started 15 years ago with bands like ENSLAVED, HELHEIM and EINHERJER and further cultivated by the second wave end of the 90's seems to be “Trez Chic” within the last years. The fact that a lot of fresh Pagan Metal bands had lately been signed to earn a piece of the cake seems obvious but I think that the Trollzorn members know that quality is much more important than quantity. GWYDION from Portugal deserved their record deal because even heading from sunny Portugal it’s more than obvious that Viking blood is rushing through their veins. Especially their singer Ruben gives their blackened Pagan Metal a touch of credibility that you can only feel but never touch. This is Pagan Metal in the old style but 'Frost' and 'Av Norron Aett' are good examples that Valhalla is just around the corner and only the short distance trip from hell. Even if this is the second great Trollzorn release reviewed from my side a good album is a good album and GWYDION debut is worth buying, so Vikings of the world unite and support this band from far, far South. www.myspace.com/gwydionmetal, www.gwydion.org, www.trollzorn.de

Matthias Auch

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GWYDION
Horn Triskelion
(Trollzorn)
50:42min

Over the last couple of months only a few Pagan Metal releases could camouflage the fact that the next commercial burn out has been nearly achieved. As usual all labels are talking the same language and the Pagan & Heiden-Festivals are penetrating Europe on a quarterly basis to earn (with nearly the same line-up) as much money as possible. But even with this fact in mind this release has simply blown me away. GWYDION from Portugal are offering with their second release "Horn Triskelion" an album which is combining is some way all available influences within the Pagan scene but without sounding dull and predictable. Two years have passed since the releases of their more than solid debut (also released via German label Trollzorn) and the band has extended their musical influences so don't be astonished if during the first listening session a handful of bands are invading your mind starting with the 'Caribbean' pirates of ALESTORM up to more traditional bands like our dear FINNTROLL maniacs. But what makes this release so enjoyable are tracks like 'Ofiussa (A Terra Das Serpentes)' with supporting female vocals which are giving the song a more than unique note. Unfortunately GWYDION can't hold this quality level throughout the complete album - with some minor weaker tracks at the end of the release otherwise we would talk about a true masterpiece - but "Horn Triskelion" is a powerful weapon with the potential to camouflage Armageddon for at least further three months. All further info you will find at www.trollzorn.de, www.myspace.com/gwydionmetal

Matthias Auch

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