|
K.
A.
Close-Up
(U. M. A. Prod.)
25:39min
Ugh! This singer (Ashram) sounds a bit like Leif from DEW-SCENTED having severe
problems on the toilet. Maybe it’s the clear but powerless production that
supports my impression. Secondly, Ashram uses countless “shits” and
“fucks” on the first track leaving a scent of trying to sound bad or angry
without too much success, if you ask me. Song #1 sounds a lot like the early
German Thrash movement. I’ve heard this kind of riffing a thousand times
before I guess. The second song starts much slower and sounds more interesting
most of the time (yeah, I’m a lazy doomhead who doesn’t like to get his arse
up) until it gets faster in the end in a kind of cheesy way. Like BAD early
German Thrash (sorry, I’m not so much into that style as I always preferred
the American way of the genre). Track #3 is too modern for my taste which fits
better with Ashram’s singing, though. But I really can’t stand this mid
paced groovy “nu” Thrash style. In this case the change of pace improves the
song (again at the end of the track) – first a fast oldschool Thrash rhythm,
then even a blastbeat. Song structure? For what?!? The next song (why name the
songs as I will never remember them in a week or so and I don’t think it’s
important) is a little more natural. On the other hand, Ashram’s voice sound
quite a bit distorted although the inlay card points out that he doesn’t use
any vocal effects). That’s the problem I have with his style. Up next there
are 4 demo tracks that sound more oldschool, frequently crossing the border to
Death Metal. But do I need another band of that style? Only if they’re truly
good! The overall feeling says: “love me or hate me”. I tend to the latter
due to lack of structure and the vocals. Check out their pretty cool homepage. www.brutalka.com
Ramon
Claassen
BACK
KAAMOS
Kaamos
(Candlelight Records)
34:35min
Maybe I’m wrong, but I
somehow get the feeling that being or playing “oldschool Death Metal” is
getting some kind of “trendy”. Right now there are so many bands around,
that claim to be oldschool and in most cases are, but I think this development
also attracts numerous fake ones and cheap copies. Fortunately KAAMOS are not
one of the latter, but a really great, corpseshredding and gravebursting Swedish
Death Metal band, that devours all this melodic, modern crap like IN FLAMES,
SOILWORK for fucking lunch!!! KAAMOS should satisfy all fans of NIHILIST, GRAVE,
DISMEMBER and all the other great ancient Swedish acts of the past, that today
have either vanished or turned into... ahem... gay Metal, haha. The self-titled
album only differs from its legendary forefathers in terms of production,
because KAAMOS have an extremely powerful, crushing sound. The songs themselves
are mostly fast, straight and brutal stuff, although there are some slower ones
as well, like the dark ‘Doom Of Man’, that sadly begins with an awful
Invocation-Intro, but turns out to be a fantastic track. My personal fave is
track eight, which starts off with a cool AUTOPSY-like opening. KAAMOS are not
as godly as their forefathers, but they are a really good act in my opinion and
I think there are only few Death Metal fans out there, who would not enjoy this
album. It is traditional and oldstyle as fuck and KAAMOS do not waste time being
innovative or original, but create rousing, driving Death Metal that certainly
comes from the heart. Check out their website: www.kaamos.nu or contact KAAMOS via Email: kaamos@spray.se or Mail: Kaamos, Box 605,
13626 Haninge, Sweden
Stefan Franke
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KAAMOS
Scales Of Leviathan (MCD)
(Nuclear Winter Records)
20:22min
‘Darkness Awaits’!!! Yeah folks, starting this review with the title of the
2nd track of this MCD and probably one of the best KAAMOS songs ever feels
great. This is the last output from KAAMOS and one of their best, too. I mean,
not that they released anything bad at all! This 5 song MCD is a great testament
of a great Death Metal band which always delivered high quality Death Metal. I
don’t want to say it’s sad that they quit their activities as we can look
back to a bunch of great releases which are always welcome on
our stereo. Not many
of today’s Death Metal bands can say that they always represented the true
oldschool Death Metal spirit – KAAMOS surely can! This is a must have for each
Voices From The Darkside reader, especially for those who are looking for Death
Metal played with heart and feeling. This is Death Metal in the raw and
unpolished way, forget about all these bands claiming to be brutal with their
triggered drums and perfect sound, this here is brutal, this here is Death
Metal. All 5 songs on this MCD are great, but the song mentioned above,
‘Darkness Awaits’, is just utterly fantastic. The other 4 songs are not bad
either and listening to this doom monster called ‘Spiritual Funeral’ at the
end of this recording you know that it’s time to bury this great band forever.
But: some bands won’t ever be forgotten, some bands are meant to live forever.
A great band! Rest in piece! Check out www.nuclearwinter.cjb.net
Thomas Ehrmann
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KABBAL
Synthetically Revived
(Diamond Productions)
39:55min
According to their info sheet KABBAL has been influenced (among others) by
MORBID ANGEL, SUFFOCATION and the first SLAYER records the most. Well, nothing
wrong in that, especially considering that these guys are hailing from France, a
country which still has a long way to go in terms of brutal Metal. But what you
get here is neither the brutality of SUFFOCATION nor the intensity of SLAYER.
The nine tracks are kinda like in between - definitely more brutal (speak: Death
Metal rooted) than SLAYER has ever been, but never to the extend that they come
up with rather unnatural deep grunted vocals or over the top grinding highspeed
madness. This is basically a lot more oldschool sounding, with a brutal, yet
understandable and rather cool Death Metal vocalist (who partly delivers a
doubled vocal style in the DEICIDE vein) and musically mostly performed in the
midpaced way and with faster parts just thrown in here and there as opposed to
blasting all the way through. It's actually those faster parts that tend to
remind me on old SLAYER a lot (in terms of the riffing), while the overall
KABBAL style somehow has a certain MORBID ANGEL feel to it. The technically
brilliant, but still straight forward played songs live off great unique guitar
pieces - partly melodic, partly rather twisted, but always in order to support
the individual atmosphere in the best possible way. The more I listen to
"Synthetically Rivived" the more it grows on me and the more I start
to appreciate its obvious qualities. So, this is definitetely a very cool debut
which is highly recommended to all Death Metal lunatics that are sick and tired
of the new wave of Goregrind Death that drastically changed the scene around
lately. Label contact:
www.diamond-prod.com
Frank Stöver
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KADATH
Chasing The Devil
(Cudgel Agency)
30:57min
This is fucking intense. Hell-yeah, it is. "Chasing The Devil" hits
you with
the power of a ten-ton hammer. KADATH finally managed to put out their second
full-length and it's really a strong one with a great production. This
CD sounds absolutely clear and brutal like hell. But that's only one among
many positive aspects of this album. The next is the amazing cover artwork (done by Torsten Gebhardt who is totally unknown to me) and the
design / layout of this CD, booklet and backcover. Then we have a truly
brilliant lyrical concept about one of the most fiendish serial
killers ever: The "Red Devil" Andrej Chikatilo who killed more than fifty
victims in
the former Soviet Union. Sure that's not the most original stuff but this is
quite different compared to MACABRE's "Dahmer" concept. KADATH
delivers a
way more serious, informative and in depth story. "Chasing The Devil"
is
more like a true crime book than a gore movie. If you wanna find out more
about the "Devil Of Rostov" Andreij Chikatilo you have to check out
the
brilliant movie "Citizen X". You'll also find many related links on
the
bands own homepage:
www.kadathdeath.de
Okay enough said about production, design and lyrics. Let's talk about the
most important thing of an album: the music. "Chasing The Devil" is
for sure
KADATH's most matured and varied album. I really enjoyed the "Cruel"
album album. But hey, the new album is much better and another step forward. Every
single song on "Chasing The Devil" demonstrates unrelenting brutality
in its
purest form. Although KADATH is a raw and brutish band (especially Holger's
vocals sound rough and hateful) they always compose wide-ranging songs with
many different parts and some nice melodies. This is the first recording
with Gesuz (Ex-MENTAL ABERRATION) on guitar and of course he sets his marks
with his awesome riffing. But he did not change the KADATH sound very much.
Maybe they sound more US styled compared to the older stuff. But it's still
the unique KADATH style we know from the "Cruel" album. After the
recordings
former guitar player Mockel joined the band again and KADATH is now ready
to strike back with two guitars. This CD comes in a limited edition with
four CD ROM video tracks. Nothing more to add, only this: BUY NOW!!!
Hacker
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KALMAH
They Will Return
(Century Media)
41:34min
Blackdeath with a (very often too) dominant keyboard. Their approach is
somewhere between CHILDREN OF BODOM (without the Jens Johansson sound) and
STORMLORD. Yet, their hit potential is considerably lower than the COB one. On
one hand, this might turn out to be a problem when fighting for new fans. On the
other hand, the variety of different sounds and interesting solos will surely
prevent you from getting bored too soon. If only the keyboard wasn't that
dominant! The guitars have drive indeed and they kick some serious arse! Finally,
there is another question coming up: why cover MEGADETH's 'Skin O' My Teeth'?
The song isn't that great and it more or less lived from Dave Mustaine's unique
voice... www.student.oulu.fi/~ankokko/kalmah/
Ramon Claassen
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KAOS
Kaos Among Us
(Oblivion Entertainment)
45:35min
Having recorded two intense thrashing, yet generic demos back in the late
80s (just like EPIDEMIC, CONTEMPT, POTENTIAL THREAT, LAUGHING DEAD - this
being the common point for that third wave of Bay Area acts), highly influenced by the likes of VIO-LENCE and EXODUS, they still never managed
to get a record deal back then (another common point) and it's only recently
since they have reformed that they managed to have two albums (including this new one) issued. It's 2003 and this once amazing Bay Area scene is
trying its best to come back in the picture as the reformations of
HEATHEN, ULYSSES SIREN, WARNING S.F., MORDRED (gone for another moniker), DEATH
ANGEL, EXODUS, VIO-LENCE (well gone again, thanks to Rob Flynn), or KAOS prove,
but so far only very few acts have proven that they could still deliver the goods. The ones who haven't changed their musical approach / sound a
single bit in fact. Unfortunately KAOS belongs to the second category as they
have injected a good dose of that actual fake aggressivity known as Nu Metal
in their material, gone are those old ripping riffs that made Thrash so enjoyable, but the biggest low point are undoubtly the vocals being
screamed, shouted or whatever and sounding just like most of the stuff around nowadays. Why making abstraction on those good old thrashing
vocals that had such a big place in Thrash along with ripping / catchy riffing?
It seems all those bands are ashamed to use those elements again
preferring to
opt for cold / boring vocal delivery and moshing / generic riffing. 'Open
Your Past' or the title track are perfect examples of decent tunes, musically speaking, being ruined by the vocals. This said KAOS still pack more
punch and manage to deliver a couple of good riffs from time to time than the likes of SLAYER and others fake bands. If you put this in perspective
it's not that bad huh?! Now if those guys and others could remember the type
of songwriting bands like EXODUS, FORBIDDEN, INSANITY, POSSESSED, VIO-LENCE
used on their early albums then I'm sure they would be able to come up with
the right
stuff! Website:
www.kaosamongus.com
e-mail:
kaos@kaosamongus.com
Laurent
Ramadier
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KAOTEON
Provenance Of Hatred (Demo)
(Unsung Heroes)
13:13min
As Metal is illegal in Lebanon it’s risky to send such music via snail mail.
So I was approached by the band to download their demo. Actually, the production
is pretty good and the band plays with lots of passion. This doesn’t mean
they’re bad musicians – not at all! All of them play at a pretty high level
and I have to highlight their singer because of his impressive work: he whispers,
screams and grunts like a madman! The demo was recorded in one take at a home
studio. Respect! The opening melody of ‘Decrepitude’ reminds me of a well
known tune but I can’t remember which. Drives me pretty crazy. Still, the song
breathes an atmosphere of its own. ‘Provenance Of Hatred’ sounds a little
bit like early BLACK SABBATH on Black Metal, especially because of the guitar
sound. In a way, this is “grim” Black Metal and I wouldn’t have thought
it’s from a middle east country. Doesn’t sound Norwegian, either. Pretty
much universal good Black Metal. The last song ‘Wrenched’ sounds a little
strange to me as some parts don’t really fit into my drawer of Black Metal but
who cares? Although Unsung Heroes released the demo on CD-R (with no rights over
it), the band is looking for further offers from respected labels so the demo
would be released in any other format (pro tape, vinyl, CD, etc.). The band’s
website is still under construction so check it every now and then. Finally, in
case you have ideas or the means to support KAOTEON, contact the band: www.kaoteon.com,
http://unsungheroesrecords.cjb.net,
www.metaleast.com/bands/kaoteon/01-decrepitude.mp3,
www.metaleast.com/bands/kaoteon/02-provenance_of_hatred.mp3,
www.metaleast.com/bands/kaoteon/03-wrenched.mp3
Ramon Claassen
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KARKADAN
Utmost Schizophrenia
(Supreme Chaos Records)
43:19min
Sometimes Swedish, often Finnish sounding, KARKADAN from Germany offer rather
slow melodic Death Metal although they’re frequently crossing the boarders to
the Black Metal genre, especially when blasting. Singer Robby Beyer delivers
pretty strong, sometimes a little monotonous vocals. What I like quite a bit
about KARKADAN is – apart from their skilled songwriting – that they don’t
sound like IRON MAIDEN without a good singer at all and therefore manage to
develop a character of their own. The band is most convincing when they let some
melancholy shine through: especially in the record’s first half. There is a
video of a non-album track included that unfortunately didn’t run on my
ancient computer. “Utmost Schizophrenia” is actually one of the few promos I
received this year that might find its way into my player after having written
this review. www.karkadan.de
Ramon Claassen
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KARNAK
Melodies Of Sperm Composed
(The Twelfth Planet Records)
35:01min
Another
very special outfit from Italy. It seems our southern friends have always
something special to offer, it was already true in the 70’s, and it remains
true today. KARNAK are heavily involved into Techno-Death, as their music is
extremely complex while being brutal. I can cite ATHEIST, later days DEATH and
MEKONG DELTA as obvious influences here, even if
KARNAK have developed their own brand of warped music. The band doesn’t
hesitate to add unusual elements to the brutal core of their compositions, like
Jazz breaks and a somewhat unusual way to insert keyboards touches here and
there. Sometimes KARNAK’s music reminds me of an
eerie and scary film score, and one can even feel unease while listening
to this album (and this is a compliment, be sure of that!) The production on the
CD is fantastic, the drums in particular have beneficiated of a good treatment,
enough to show how much Stefano Rumich is a talented drummer, excellent
performance really. Singer Seby (no longer with the band when I am writing this)
shrieks a little like Chuck on the last few DEATH albums, so I suppose we face a
“love it / hate it” situation here. My complaints concern the rather silly
title of the album, and the sometimes exaggerated need that the KARNAK musicians
have to show out their playing abilities, especially when they go for a Jazz
break, they lost me then, when they seem to look after complexity for
complexity’s sake on some occasions. This album is certainly not one I could
listen to on a daily basis, it is more oriented towards musicians than anybody
else, and it demands time to get into. So I recommend it in priority to aspiring
musicians (especially drummers) and to the lovers of highly technical Metal. I
can compare this with the fantastic last DECEMBER WOLVES offering when it comes
to the overall creepy and disturbing atmosphere. This album is truly an
achievement, and I hope the KARNAK dudes will find their audience, because they
deserve it! Excellent!
Edouard Vergriete
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KARNARIUM
Karnarium (7" EP)
(Nuclear Abominations Records)
Wow, these guys really managed to impress me with this 2 track 7" EP! Never
heard of KARNARIUM before, but through my "investigations" I found out
that this Swedish horde already released two demos ("Demo # 1" in
January 2000 and "Breaking The Manakles Of Malkuth" in November 2000)
as well as a split tape with Germany's BETRAYED. Don't know if they were already
of similar quality back then, but all worshippers of violent, raw, blasphemic
oldschool Death Metal with strong similarities to INCANTATION, KAAMOS and
GROTESQUE should definitely give them a listen right away. The band definitely
combines the best elements of the US and European Death Metal scene! Even though
they still seem to be pretty young folks, the members of KARNARIUM already have
the right feeling for this kind of music and obviously don't give a fuck about
polished mainstream productions and trends in general. Remember how
controversial the sound on "Onward To Golgotha" and early AUTOPSY
releases was discussed back in those days? Well, if you belong to those who love
that kinda stripped to the bone and raw as fuck sound (like myself!), then
you're adviced to invest the requested 4,-€ / US$ in this piece of black vinyl
right away. It comes with a cool embossed logo on the b/w sleeve. Label contact:
BUIO OMEGA, Viale della Cittadella 73, 41100 Modena (MO), Italy, website: www.nuclearabominations.com,
email: michele@buio-omega.it
Frank Stöver
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KARNARIUM
Tänk På Döden
(Embrace My Funeral Records)
37:08min
Not all the Death Metal world evaporated in the mid to late 90s. Bands such as NOMINON, KAAMOS,
INSISION and REPUGNANT led the charge, despite the fact that were no soldiers to command, or at least, not as many as there once had been several years prior. Add to your list, KARNARIUM. While not as clear cut as NOMINON, KARNARIUM are raw, and oldschool to the core.
"Tänk På Döden" is a collection of their demos dating from
2000-2004 (well, not really: it actually features material from the band's
self-titled 7", their split tape with BETRAYED, songs off the "Breaking The
Manacles Of Malkuth" demo, a DISASTROUS MURMUR rehearsal cover, a track from
their "Demo # 1" and some other unreleased versions - Frank). As such, the tracks can sound sloppy at times but, depending on how you look at it, that only enhances the charm in a TREBLINKA sort of way. KARNARIUM could easily be a full time band, but since the members are all busy with other projects like CHURCH BIZARRE,
it's unknown whether or not KARNARIUM releases will be as frequent as the other bands these gifted musicians play in.
www.myspace.com/karnarium
Nat Shapiro
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KARNARIUM
Karnarium
(Blood Harvest Records)
50:48min
Formed in Sweden back in 1998, it is until now, 11 years after, that they
release their debut album. I suppose it is one of the longest waiting times for
releasing an album, given the fact that the band was never considered dead, but
dreaming… I mean on hold. Previously a couple of promos and EP’s have been
dwelling to keep the name alive. I have somewhere the “Tänk På Döden”
compilation CD, but to be honest I can hardly recall it as something memorable,
if maybe just above average Death Metal with a nod to the oldschool of Svensk Döds
Metall, but also some touches of the brutish doomy Death Metal. Well, on their
debut album, few things have changed. Their style is still a brutal Death Metal
assault with some more doomish approach. They tend to have a distinct Swedish
sound, like early ENTOMBED (or should I mention more CREAMTORY) but also I can
foresee a good chunk of INCANTATION in their music and also some early DEATH in
there. A song like ‘1000 I’s’ does possess a supreme main riff which
evokes darkness and obscurity only few Death Metal bands can create. Same can be
said for the song ‘(III) Hammer Of Darkness’ which is an instrumental raging
at 9:42 minutes of pure darkness and damnation. One thing to notice is the heavy
bass use on this one. Many bands get lost using the bass in a high volume but
KARNARIUM does a very good job in doing so, to add an even a more abyssal depth
in their music. Also, I can feel a few Black Metal touches here and there,
most likely related to depressive and suicidal Black Metal, yet melt together in
perfect darkness with the macabre Death Metal atmosphere omnipresent in all the
album. I suppose it al comes related to the origins of some of the band members,
whom seem to be related to bands like KILL, PAGAN RITES and CHURCH BIZARRE. The
overall production on one hand is raw and primitive, which might as well fit
this kind of music, but on the other hand I just think that they could have
improved the power a lot on this with a fuller guitar sound. Some complains can
be found in some of the more Deathgrind parts as they sound more noisy due to
the nature of the raw production, and yes, as many Death Metal bands of this
dark style, some songs / riffs / passages sound very, very similar. The final
product is more than welcome in these days, as a very powerful and obscure Death
Metal release. At first it might sound like another generic Death Metal band
with some good riffs here and there, but for those that dare to put time in it
to grow, it will fully show the horror darkness it breeds. www.bloodharvest.se,
www.myspace.com/karnarium
Julian Nuñez
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KARYBDIS
Devoured By The Depths (Demo 2007)
(self-financed)
15:05min
I don’t know what’s currently going on in Sweden? All of a sudden there are
plenty of amazing Death Metal bands around sounding like those classic ones from
the early nineties. Guess you, as regular readers of Voices From The Darkside
(hehe), are already aware of the music of NECROVATION, DEGIAL or KATALYSATOR?
Add KARYBDIS to this list and you have 4 great newcomers. The strange and sad
thing here is that I write a review about this band which already splitted up.
Still they took the right decision to release this demo anyway. “Devoured By
The Depths” is a demo with 3 songs of oldschool Death Metal with amazing
vocals which sound so much like Rami of CONVULSE back on their “World Without
God” LP. Fuck man, it puts a smile on my face all the time I listen to these
songs! The demo starts with approx. 1:29 minutes of atmospheric keyboard
melodies until the oldschool feast begins. Shredding guitars and
“uuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh”! Yezzz! Guys, were did you steal
this singer? I’m too fuckin’ lazy to find more words to describe the music
of KARYBDIS, for all readers who felt that CONVULSE did everything wrong with
changing their style after “World Without God” should check out this demo!
You can buy the tape version for 4€ (Europe) or $5 (world) from Axel
Johansson, Kaplansbacken 3, bv, 112 24 Stockholm, Sweden or check out www.myspace.com/karybdisdeathmetal
as Axel (drummer) said he would like to upload these songs for as a free
download! That’s underground!
Thomas Ehrmann
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KATAFALK
Storm Of The Horde
(Cold Blood Industries)
36:39min
Holland has
been spitting out countless of talented brutal bands throughout the years and
KATAFALK from Groningen is certainly no exception to the rule. These five
possessed maniacs have managed to mix good old Thrash insanity (SLAYER /
KREATOR) with the aggression of brutal Death Metal and are blasting through
their debut full length "Storm Of The Horde" without compromise! Only
three out of the thirteen tunes on offer here turned out longer than three
minutes - the rest is even more stripped to the bone and consequently hits you
right into your face! All in all very cool and despite the usual factor of
unoriginality (that 90% of extreme bands these days have to deal with), quite
promising! Even though the nucleus of KATAFALK has already been around since
1995 (with guitarist Christian being the only remaining member), for many of you
they probably came out of nowhere. But all line-up
changes they had to go through up till now and their big number of live shows
always resulted in a more intense musical direction afterwards. In 1997 and 2001
they recorded two demos
("Through The Storm"
and "Promo 2001" respectively), of
which the latter finally resulted in a deal with Cold Blood Industries. Strong
and tight musicianship, an aggressive vocal delivery and a raw, yet good
production sums up the record pretty quickly and at the same time also reveals
its weak points. The longer I listen to it, the more it tends to bore me for the
simple fact that it still lacks a bit in diversity. I mean, some slower tracks
in between would probably already have helped. Not only to keep my enthusiasm
alive from start to finish, but also to increase the factor of catchiness (not
meant in a polished, commercial manner of course). But everything's just fast
and if it wasn't for the great SLAYER-esque oldschool riffing I would probably
have switched off the record a lot earlier already. But hey, this is only the
beginning, there's already a lot of potential involved and therefore I bet that
KATAFALK will manage to come up with an even cooler follow up. So, you better
keep an eye on them! Contact: www.katafalk.com,
Label contact: www.coldbloodindustries.com
Frank Stöver
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KATAKLYSM
Epic (Poetry Of War)
(Nuclear Blast Records)
39:41min
After their last magnificient album "Prophecy", KATAKLYSM are finally
back again. That album crushed in many ways, blast beats galore, grind riffs,
vokills and melodic parts. On "Epic" they continue in that fashion but
up the ante. There are more blast beats, more grind riffs and sicker vokills and
even deep growls. Another thing that they have done is add more melodic parts
amidst that brutality. This band hails from my homeland of Canada, Quebec to be
exact the French speaking province. Instantly you will hear CRYPTOPSY, NAPALM
DEATH and some AMON AMARTH in here. I feel this is a stronger record than their
previous because, man - the production just slaughters, the bass drum is like a
good stiff beating with a led pipe. The guitars tear through flesh and the
vocals just make your ears bleed along with a deep rumbling bass sound. If
you're a fan of "Northern Hyperblast", which these guys are, then this
is for you, the accuracy of the blast beats are unheard of.
Dimitri Ganatsios
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KATAKLYSM
In The Arms Of Devastation
(Nuclear Blast)
41:07min
Northern hyperblast Death masters have recharged their batteries to unleash a new opus of grinding devastation.
It's been two years since their widely popular "Serenity In Fire" and honestly I must admit that I was one of the detractors thinking that this
band could not get any better than what they did on the last album. But certainly I was wrong.
They keep on surprising the scene and that is certainly a must. This time around they have taken a diffent approach, yes, you might have heard that they have slowed down a bit but that
shouldn't be a major flaw as long as they keep the spark even when they are not playing at the hyper speed they are known
for. "In The Arms..." is a crunchier, catchier riff-feast and a very enjoyable album by all means. I specially like the thrashier
guitars and that amazing drum sound they achieved this time around which is far better
and less "plastic" sounding than the one on "Serenity...". Little bit more of melody
and dynamics can be added to the melting pot and then you'll get somewhat closer to what their new
album is about. I personally enjoyed songs like 'Crippled & Broken', 'To Reign Again',
'Temptations Nest' and the one I think is my fave 'Open Scars'. I kind of feel a little bit of influence of the latest KREATOR albums production-wise as
well. Interesting fact is that the song 'The Road To Devastation' features guest appearances by Tim Roth and Rob Doherty of
Into Eternity (another prominent band of the
Canadian scene). Visit thier webcave at: www.kataklysm.net.
You can order it
here .
Mario Cubero
BACK
KATALYSATOR
Mass Genocide Ritual (Demo 2007)
14:23min
Talking about being oldschool I think nothing is more oldschool today than when
ordering a demo in the year 2007 to receive a demo cassette instead of CD. Man,
I was really surprised and didn’t expect anything like that. Honestly, I had
serious doubts if my tapedeck on my stereo still plays cassettes and luckily it
worked very well, haha. This oldschool behaviour happened to me when ordering
the 2nd demo “Mass Genocide Ritual” of Swedish KATALYSATOR and after the
first shock (haha) I focused on the music and to tell you the truth, what can
you expect from a bunch of 15-17 year old boys calling themselves P. Pestilence,
A. Obscene, G. Grotesque, H. Death and A. Asphy? Nothing less than a band
sounding like a mix between GROTESQUE and NIHILIST. Really, this is one of the
most amazing and surprising releases within the last couple of months and there
were many of them lately. Every tune sounds so fucking raw and honest here and
the strange thing is it doesn’t sound like a copy, it sounds like the guys
initiated this sound. The guitars are shredding just like on the old NIHILIST
demos and even as the sound isn’t probably on the highest level it fits so
perfectly together. I’m sure we will have a lot of fun with these Death Metal
freaks in the near future and I can’t wait to hear their next release. Their
upcoming plans are to play a lot of live shows and later to record a 7”EP.
Blood Harvest Records, what are you waiting for?? So
better go out and send 30skr (swe), 4 Euro (europe) or 4 $ (US and rest of the
world) to this address: Gottfrid Åhman, Rörbäcksvägen 27, 75752 Uppsala,
Sweden
Thomas Ehrmann
BACK
KATAPLEXIA
Morgue’s Reality
(Severe Music)
27:04min
A “short but sweet” brutal Death Metal effort is Finnish KATAPLEXIA’s
debut “Morgue’s Reality”. Contemporary Death / Grind vocals à la
DISAVOWED meet with straight oldschool Death Metal drive and some slower /
mid-tempo passages one can also find in older DYING FETUS or the earlier
SUFFOCATION, but of course there are a lot of blasted parts, too. KATAPLEXIA is
a project-band of DEEPRED / KABAK member Rodrigo “Fatality” Artiga and
except a couple of solos he does everything himself on this CD. I was quite
surprised to hear how good he actually manages to deliver an absolutely
unoriginal, but hellish entertaining violent and rousing Death Metal album with
enough variation to remain interesting even after more than one listens. The
sound could be a little bit more bassy but overall the production of
“Morgue’s Reality” is well-done, transparent and powerful. Artiga’s way
of songwriting definitely deserves respect, because there is not a single crappy
track on this album and you get loads of surprising breaks, numerous great not
too technical riffs and brutal vocals. “Morgue’s Reality” is an album that
focuses on the essence of brutal Death Metal and does not fall into the
“harder, faster, more technical” trap – one thing I really like about it.
Of course you’ve heard bands like KATAPLEXIA a thousand times before, but they
don’t claim to do anything exceptional or new, but they do it good, really,
really good! And at least I can think of countless bands in the genre which are
not capable of writing such convincing songs as KATAPLEXIA can. Visit the
label’s website via www.severemusic.com
for additional information or write an email to rodrigokabak@hotmail.com.
Stefan Franke
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KATAPLEXIA
Catastrophic Scenes
(Xtreem Music)
25:21min
Would you like to fuck the same woman over and over again? Would you like to eat
pizza every single day? Well, if the woman was incredibly beautiful (in your
eyes), or the pizza was amazingly good, could be. But, would you listen to gory
Death Metal equal to other bands in the same genre? Well played, ok sound,
doglike vocals, fast as a shark, but so far from originality and creativity that
you wouldn't believe it? No, of course you wouldn't. I'm sorry Kataplexia,
but the music you've created doesn't contain a single second I haven't heard
before in one or another way. No, it's not that every band has to be original,
but there has to be something more than plain Death Metal without any form of
impact or tasty ingredients. www.kataplexia.cjb.net
Roy Kristensen
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KATAPLEXIA
Supreme Authority
(Xtreem Music)
33:35min
Wow, I should have listened to this band before. I might have said that thousands of times, but this is another case that
it's worth it. The Finnish KATAPLEXIA are already on their third full-length, the second one for Xtreem Music, and this time with a full
line-up (until now the drummer, Rodrigo "Fatality" Artiga, took care of them). And yes, they released a great album of pure
brutal Death, but from the old one, when the brutalized evolution of Death Metal started to be cold like that, with huge influences from
SUFFOCATION, PYREXIA and even some of the first DEEDS OF FLESH and DISAVOWED. So you can imagine what you will find here: speed, blastbeats, weird
rhythms, heavy and groovy riffs, vocals from the deepest and powerful to the more froggy
ones and with a full amalgam of brutal and extreme resources. So, what makes them different from all those bands appearing these last times, apart of
the time they've been playing it? Really simple. They have that darkness that the first bands of the style used to
have and which the most of them have lost. The cover of 'Supreme Authority' gives a clue about
that. It isn't the typical gory one with brains and guts everywhere, but pure darkness. In fact, the sound they
achieved for this recording is quite similar to the one of the first SUFFOCATION, where darkness prevailed as well as brutality and technique. On the other hand, they have that groovy touch which is usual too in the style, but without going so far as the "Slam" stuff.
They incorporate it to their sound. To summmarize, the writing of everyone of the tracks of this album is carefully done, there are no filler
parts on any level. Especially on the guitars, which are sublime, with really smart breaks, the dark parts I mentioned before, just were they
are needed, and a lot of quality leads. Few Brutal Death albums appeared this year providing something new, even having something more or less
interesting, but this one will be one of them. www.xtreemmusic.com
Jeroni Sancho
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KATATONIA
The Great Cold Distance
(Peaceville)
52:15min
Don’t fool yourself cause the “Brave Murder Days” of Swedish weeping
willows KATATONIA will NEVER come back, so all those crying for the old Blackish
touched Doom monsters better go ahead and put the old material of Blackheim
& Co on your record altar. BUT all those who were impressed by the 2003
emotional attack “Viva Emptiness” will celebrate the release of this new 12
tracker as a highlight. KATATONIA didn’t come up with more drastical stylish
changes, so expect more a natutal step further in a mix of alternativ dark
rocking art with a heavy approach. Jonas Renske vocalwise developed pretty much
and in combination with some decent cold industrial elements the whole sound has
pretty much a kind of TOOL touch. I also think that KATATONIA’s songs have
become more compact, to the point and the first single 'My Twin' defintely has
some potential to crack a wider audience. Personally I’m still a big fan of
the old KATATONIA but all in all this band still creates an awesome and unique
atmosphere of an emotional downfall. It’s a modern album, but still far away
from superficial gothic standards. Expect really well done and deep songwriting
with some hidden heaviness as well, 'Consternation' for example is a real heavy
track in the new KATATONIA sense. A really unique and exciting output for 2006,
still dark in a modern sense and open minded Metalheads from the ANATHEMA, OPETH
etc. league will love that god damned band even nowadays. www.katatonia.com
Ralf
Hauber
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KATATONIA
Night Is The New Day
(Peaceville Records)
48:38min
“Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16) are the perfect words
to summarize the overall musical development of KATATONIA. The band has
travelled a great cold distance and even if they found their own musical
universe years ago – in some way cornered by ANATHEMA and OPETH – is the new
release a perfect synergy of what KATATONIA stands for. They were forced to
fight for every song and minute on “Night Is The New Day” but finally they
overcome every obstacle (mainly the creative barrier of their main songwriter)
and the 48 minutes are like one single song. The album is in no way a return to
their old shores – even if a lot of Metal heads will connect KATATONIA forever
with their No Fashion era and their cult song ‘Without God’- but as long as
KATATONIA are in the position to offer melancholy on such a high quality level
nobody will really miss these times. Currently a lot of Post Rock bands –
mainly from Italy – are trying to copy these influences but their unsuccessful
attempts are the best prove for a band like KATATONIA and their musical quality.
To advise any kind of highlight of this release would be the wrong way, so only
one small advice: choose the right moment for “Night Is The New Day” and
enjoy the complete album.This cult act is for sure a band which from time to
time is leaving the traditional Metal ways but pure traditionalists will miss a
great album and will never understand that there is only one band which could
compose a song like 'Departer'. www.katatonia.com,
www.peaceville.com
Matthias Auch
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KATHAARIA
Promo 2000
(self-financed)
19:42min
If you like grim and raw
Black Metal KATHAARIA from Marl (GER), close to my fucking hometown Bochum
(“Ruhrpott Hell!!!”), might be a good choice for you! The four well-produced
songs on their first demo show that KATHAARIA is a very talented act that
underground labels should definitely be interested in. Their music builds up on
a fundament of DARKTHRONE and CELTIC FROST plus an individual note, excellent
harsh vocals and a variable guitar work, which is quite untypical for the Black
Metal genre. What I like especially about this demo is that KATHAARIA manage to
create an unique character for each song and that the whole thing comes along
with a powerful, bassy production, that sounds much better than some official
releases that plague the market. If you have no problems with the bands I
mentioned above or the likes of ARMAGEDDA, GRAND BELIAL’s KEY or older DESTRÖYER
666 be sure to check out this release – really good Black Metal!!! Contact
KATHAARIA and get this promising demo – support the underground!!! Email: streetcleaner@web.de
or write to John Grumptmann, Blumenstrasse 1, 45768 Marl, Germany
Stefan Franke
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KATHAARIA
The Complex Void Of Negativity
(End All Life Productions)
45:12min
After the release of their debut “The Complex Void Of Negativity” in October
2008 the band had been declared by the international press as one of the few
German bands which are able to compete with the real Black Metal elite.
Everybody can judge by himself which band should be named if it comes to these
handful of elitist bands but based on my opinion SATYRICON (even if their
attitude is not as black as desired) is still a driving force within our scene.
The connection between both bands is the hypnotic touch within their musical
art. The KATHAARIA debut after 8 years of silence (the only release so far was
their demo in 2000) is without a doubt the conversion of resistant lava in
musical form. The basis structure of their debut is for sure Black Metal but the
band has completely focused on the pure essence of this music - like a human
being stripped down to its bare skeleton. So don’t expect any bells, chants or
cursed keyboards – the band furthermore emphasizes the atmosphere and vastness
of their songs by repeating various parts of their songs. I’m sure that
KATHAARIA will never be able to leave their pure underground status (even with
such a great release) but if it comes to musical quality and dedication to their
music the band must be definitely named together with other ‘famous’ German
bands like SECRETS OF THE MOON. “The Complex Void Of Negativity” is a
release as abyssal black as possible and light years away from Dr.Blast and his
dear friend and so the perfect dose of underground Black Metal for all true fans
of this style. www.e-a-l.com
Matthias Auch
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KAUAN
Aava Tuulen Maa
(Firebox / Bad Mood Man Music)
49:09min
Metal has so many facets and - even if this release is more than untypical
for Voices From The Darkside - this Russian band deserves to be mentioned
here especially if you can life with light rain instead of a heavy thunderstorm
from time to time. KAUAN are offering a unique hour of melancholy and
nature bounded music and if the terminus Prophecy Metal would be available
it would describe this music more than suitable. The five songs of their
third release “Aava Tuulen Maa” are a mixture of Folk and minor Doom
influences – now and than “modern” ANATHEMA are shining through - and
KAUAN can be easily described as the Russian TENHI version. All songs
are easily exceeding the 10 minutes mark but this music needs longer
structures and songs like ‘Föhn’ with the hypnotic piano lines are in
the position to fully capture the listener. Normally / naturally this
music isn’t completely my cup of beer but KAUAN are offering a fantastic
album (supported by a more than suitable booklet) and the perfect background
music for the current white landscapes. So enjoy… www.firebox.fi,
www.solitude-prod.com
Matthias Auch
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KAYSER
Kaiserhof
(Scarlet Records)
36:20min
Sweden's KAYSER got together in June of 2004, never really made themselves a
name in the underground through demo releases or anything and about a year
after their origin they are already delivering their debut full length
"Kaiserhof" via Italy's Scarlet Records... So, as you can probably
imagine, I wasn't necessarily too excited to check these guys out in the first
place. And the fact that I didn't really like their monicker nor any of the
member's former bands didn't help to increase my enthusiasm either... So, what
kind of band are we actually dealing with here then? KAYSER's line-up consists
of former SPIRITUAL BEGGARS vocalist / bass player Spice, the two guitar
players Mattias Svensson (THE DEFACED) and Fredrik Finnander (ex – AEON) as
well as Bob Ruben on drums (ex – THE MUSHROOM RIVER BAND). Their album was
recorded at Caesar Studios (SOILWORK, THE DEFACED etc.) and features 10
tracks... and those tracks surprisingly blew me away completely after I had
listened to the disc for the very first time! If you think that THE HAUNTED or
DEW-SCENTED come up with SLAYER-esque material, then I really wonder what
KAYSER is supposed to sound like in your opinion? These guys worship the
classic Hanneman / King riffing to the max and even the drumming often reminds
on Lombardo's incredible varied playing style. Some traditional melody lines as
well as Spice's cool, angry vocals (that are neither modern nor of the typical
Hardcore type) complete the impressive ten tracker of a band that I would never
ever have checked out, if I hadn't received a free promo copy of it. So, thanx
to Scarlet for introducing KAYSER to an old ignorant Metalhead! Great one! www.scarletrecords.it
Frank Stöver
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KEEN
OF THE CROW
Hyborea
(Grau)
56:13min
This is the full-length debut of the new band featuring Rhett Davis and Justin
Christian, both members of the Doom band MORGION. The record serves 8 Doom / Death
songs with prologue, epilogue and the short instrumental 'To Reach Emptiness'.
In my opinion the prologue and epilogue are a total waste, because there
are only some clicks during the minute. The lyrics contain a concept about
Conan of Cimmeria, that everybody should know because of the great movies with
the governor of California. To describe the music, a mixture of bands like Candlemass,
Primordial and Celtic Frost come
to my mind. The songs are all more midtempo but with massive guitars milling
over you. Most of the songs are about 6 to 9 minutes but never get boring
because the band knows how to vary them with breaks, guitar licks or
atmospheric parts all based on a diversified drumming. The vocals are deep
growls most of the time, but sometimes interrupted by some clean spoken parts.
The whole package is rounded by a solid production. So, well done guys. www.keenofthecrow.net
or www.myspace.com/keenofthecrow.The CD
is also on sale here.
Stefan Hagmayer
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KEITZER
As The World Burns
(F.D.A. Rekotz)
39:18min
Not to be confused with Black / Thrash country mates KETZER, Germany’s KEITZER is totally modern-sounding, crushingly powerful melodic
Death / Thrash at Grindcore paces with a prominent new-school Grind / Hardcore influence. The simplistic riffs are big and iconic, and go a long way to making this such a sick album (above and beyond the insanely ripping drums). Said riffs seem in the primitive tradition of
Thrash-influenced Black Metal acts like MARDUK (but you might also say they’re akin to old
Hardcore Thrash, like SEPTIC DEATH). And yet, taken as a whole, there is absolutely no retro vibe whatsoever, ‘80s or even ‘90s. Instead, you get a blistering modern production that could only exist in the new millennium. It’s loud, abrasive, and not warm at all, but it is still good and works perfectly to amplify the extremely aggressive material. The near constant barrage of shouted vocals give it a very modern
Hardcore touch also, unfortunately sounding indistinguishable from a lot of other
Grind / Hardcore bands running these days. But that’s not too serious a problem at all, as the material cuts through with the sheer brutality of unrelenting grinds backing-up dark melodic
Metal. Think of something maybe like a mix of INFERNAL WAR and ROTTEN SOUND. Highly recommendable if you like really catchy blasting shit or, if you prefer, the sultry sound of a snare drum fucking you in the ear.
www.myspace.com/keitzer,
www.fda-rekotz.com
Leonard Likas
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KERBENOK
O
(Northern Silence Productions)
71:28min
Even in 2008 there are still some German Black Metal bands (left) which are not
trying to be different – they are different. For KERBENOK this statement is
for sure applicable. The band had been founded in 2003 and since their great
demo “Auf wilden Pfaden / Im Einklang der Gewalten” (which had been
presented in a beautiful nature bound digipack) I had been sure that with a
supporting record company on their side they could really impress the stagnating
scene. So I was really looking forward to their debut simply called “O” (not
forgetting their MCD released early in 2008) and my greatest expectations had
not been disappointed. Normally I would advise at this point the rough musical
direction but this time it would set borders to a release which is trying to
overcome these invisible borders and still keep true to the pure essence of
their / our scene. The album starts with a dark guitar intro before the first
song 'Heimstatt in Trümmern' with a playing time of nearly 13 minutes is
catching the audience by surprise. Black Metal with minor Pagan influences added
by some modern elements which bring KERBENOK in touch with ENSLAVED and their
masterpiece “Below The Lights”. This modern touch is also available in other
songs but not in such a direct way – but it works and these elements are
perfectly integrated in this monument of a song. The passion for mother nature
is the major topic of KERBENOK and in nature there is no pure black or white; a
fact they perfectly transfered into their music. The album is offering several
moments of rest within the playing time of over 70 minutes which are giving this
release a further layer to explore. The layout of “O” should be again a
small piece of art - a fact which I can’t confirm for sure due to the given
promo version - but I have complete confidence in this band (just take a look at
their website). “O” is one of the albums which are offering more and more
details after every run and only time will tell if my understanding of a
remarkable release will be confirmed by you / my writing colleagues / by time
& dust. www.northern-silence.de;
www.kerbenok.net
Matthias
Auch
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KERMANIA
Ahnenwerk
(Van)
56:54min
The small label Van has gained quite a reputation within the German Black Metal underground in recent times, due to releases by acts such as GRAUPEL or FUNERAL PROCESSION. And KERMANIA’s debut also received some massive praise already. Unfortunately I can’t join in
wholeheartedly. The tracklist with four songs, of which two clock in at approximately 25 minutes instantly reminds of Count Bikerface’s “negro”-masterpieces and although that comparison surely is not an original one it still seems not too far fetched. Just as the beloved Christian Quisling some years ago KERMANIA – supposedly a one man army as well – aims for a sound that is just as heroic as melancholic, only slightly interrupted by short, fast-raging parts. The opener ‘Des Schwertes Schärfe Beichtgesang’ is a good example with its repetitive parts that create an atmosphere full of longing until they finally culminate in a truly majestic climax. But the line between grandeur and boredom is remarkably thin and in my opinion the music on “Ahnenwerk” falls on the latter side too often. There are some magnificent parts on this one but the arrangement of the extra-large tracks is not wholly convincing and especially the clean vocals still leave a lot to be desired. I’m also not too fond of the lyrics that are stuck somewhere between the pretentious and the mundane. But there’s definitely an impressive lot of potential here and if the mentioned flaws are eradicated we should look forward to some really exciting records from KERMANIA in the future. File under “hopefuls”…
www.van-gbr.de
Torsten Gründig
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KHISANTH
Foreseen Storms Of The Apocalypse
(Baphomet Records)
52:29min
This release is a
perfect example why the decline of the Black Metal-scene becomes stronger day by
day. This release is, all in all, not bad. But
everything here is so perfectly average, be it sound, songstructures or the
feeling. There is simply nothing that stands out of the masses. Don't get me
wrong – I am one of the latest persons that needs innovation or techical
skills in Black Metal – but at least an album should offer something to me,
and this simply cannot because it drowns in its own mediocrity. An intro with
the well-known “Hail Satan …” or something passages, followed by songs who
tend to change between aggressive and atmospheric passages, actually most times
in up- to midtempo – here and there some keyboard-walls and a typical vocalist.
The more I listened to this album the more it annoyed me. Recommended only to
those who need everything declared as Black Metal. And even though I may be part
of this group, I wouldn't even need this... http://www.members.tripod.com/khisanth666
Nhashi
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KHOLD
Masterpiss Of Pain
(Moonfog Productions)
34:41min
I wasn't really sure what to expect from an album with a stupid title like "Masterpiss
Of Pain", but after I had finished listening to it for the first time,
I immediately pushed the play button once again. This is really fuckin' great
stuff! Very raw and very oldschool, yet totally Norwegian sounding Black Metal
with a touch of DARKTHRONE, but a lot better produced. Even though KHOLD is
still a new name to the scene, the four members have all previously been active
in other bands before already (TULUS, OLD MAN'S CHILD, VALHALL etc.) and you'll
recognize those past experiences pretty easily as they know how to write
exciting songs. Instead of blasting through their material, they mainly
concentrate on slower / midtempo compositions that live off interesting riffing
and a Nocturno Culto like vocal delivery. My personal favorite out of the ten
featured songs is 'Den Store Allianse', which combines all the band's
trademarks in the best possible way (just listen to the killer main riff!).
Unfortunately KHOLD are losing breath towards the end of the disc a little bit,
so that you'll also get two or three kinda average tunes. Nevertheless, this
still remains an excellent release, which may not have any mainstream potential,
but a lot of the old spirit instead. Highly recommended!
Frank Stöver
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KHOLD
Phantom
(Moonfog Productions)
33:52min
Despite the rather stupid album title “Masterpiss Of Pain” I really
liked last years debut album by Norwegian KHOLD quite a lot. The band managed to
capture the essential harsh and cold atmosphere of traditional raw Black Metal
in a quite impressive manner, but mostly performed everything in a very midpaced
to slow speed. Unlike many other bands of this category they were even blessed
with a good, yet raw and unpolished sounding production and vocals in the good
old DARKTHRONE / IMMORTAL vein. Why I tell you all this? Well, for the simple
reason that their follow up album “Phantom” exactly fits into the
same category again. If you liked “Masterpiss…” you can also pick
this up without having to experience a disappointment in any way afterwards. The
only thing which I personally would like to see changed in the future is the
speed of the songs. It would definitely enrich the variety of the record if
there would be a couple of really fast and aggressive tunes included. Apart from
that, another good one from Gard and company.
Frank Stöver
BACK
KILL
Horned
Holocaust
(Invictus
Productions)
29:51min
KILL
are hailing from Gothenburg and saw the dark light of day back in 1998. Luckily
they are not another new melodic Metal act from that area, so no need to
worry. Furthermore this hellish trio follows the unholy path of their
ancestors. "Horned Holocaust" is their debut album which was
previously available as vinyl version only, released by Worship Him Records in
2003. Irish based label Invictus Productions finally were able to release this
raw piece of meat on compact disc. Before this album they released the
"Nocturnal Death" demo (1999), a 7" EP called
"Necro" in 2003 and a rehearsal tape in 2003 entitled "Morbid
Curse". On this seven tracker theis Swedish force delivers a raw,
dark, brutal and primitive Black Metal assault. Adding influences from bands
like old SARCOFAGO, old SODOM, DARKTHRONE and some dark Death Metal stuff
as well and mix it alltogether to their own blasphemous blend. It's
not groundbreaking new what they play but KILL do it damned well and
really keep the listeners attraction from start to finish. That's because
they know how to capture the old spirit and feeling of the glorious days which
so many bands are missing these days or are unable to create. Excellent! The
production is aggressive and raw but quite good and well balanced (so no
rehearsal room sound here). Actually there is no more to add here... the music
speaks for itself. Metalheads into oldschool Black Metal should immediately
add this release to their wantlist. So buy or die!! If you can't find it
at your record dealer of your trust then get in touch with Invictus
Productions at www.invictusproductions.net
or visit the band's website www.necroblackmetal.tk
or email them getaz@hotmail.com.
Michael
Oelschlegel
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KILL
No Catharis
(Worship Him Records)
28:43min
According to what I read on the net looks like I've been ignoring a splendid band here, but in all honesty I
don't think myself or anyone else should be missing a whole lot if they don't have KILL in their
shelves. Don't get me wrong, there is some value in this album that cannot be ignored but their thrashy primitive
Black Metal formula tends to become tedious and hypnotically repetitive after few spins.
There are some rockier / punkish vibes that keeps the thing from falling apart making it luckily more
interesting. The biggest problem in my opinion lies in the drumming department, some
occasional rolls, fills and actual effort would complement the filthy riffing tremendously. If you really dig deep into bands like current
DARKTHRONE, DODSFERD, DEVIL LEE ROT, CHURCH BIZARRE without a single doubt this might be your flavor of the month just take into account that
KILL wouldnt be a major discovery over the aforementioned acts. For all further
info check out www.myspace.com/thetruekill.
You can get it here: www.myspace.com/worshiphimrecs.
Mario Cubero
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KILLAMAN
Killaman
(Displeased Records)
33:32min
When members of MURDER CORPORATION and DERANGED team up for an album one is
tempted to expect brutal Death Metal, but surprise, surprise this is not the
case with KILLAMAN. Founded in May 2002 the trio dedicated themselves to a
rousing mixture of Thrash Metal and Crustcore / Punk with growled vocals that
remind me sometimes of Chris Barnes (in his good days!). Bands like DRILLER
KILLER, WOLFPACK, SLAYER or even music making psychopath G.G. Alllin can be
named as further influences, but the powerful production at Berno Studios makes
sure that despite all Punk or Thrash elements deadly heaviness is not lost at
all! A lot of speed, drive and murderous aggression make songs like ‘Pistol
Whipped’, ‘Breed On Kills’ or ‘Detected Selected And Shot’ great
examples of first class Death / Thrash with an obvious Punk edge, memorable song
structures and sarcastic lyrics which should be able to attract fans from all
genres. “Killaman” is a contemporary, well-done and entertaining album you
should not miss and it proves once again that despite a good production you do
not have to sound modern at all. Visit www.killaman.net
or www.displeasedrecords.com
and I bet you’ll find even some MP3 files there. Support the serial trend
killers!
Stefan Franke
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