LÄÄZ ROCKIT
Live Untold (DVD)
(OSM Records)
approx. 3 hours

Here it is, the first DVD from the Bay Area Thrash Metal legend LÄÄZ ROCKIT. 3 hours of oldschool Thrash Metal, interviews and behind the scenes footage from 1988 to 2005. The band was one of the bands from the golden Thrash Metal era in San Francisco in the eighties, but never got as big as Metallica, Exodus or Testament. But they always had their fans and a big following, especially in Europe. After a break of 13 years the got back on stage for the “Thrash against Cancer” Festival in 2005 and that’s the tracks the DVD starts with. Most of the songs are from the Thrash Domination in Japan and the Dynamo in the Netherlands (both 2005). Only two from good old 1988 and these are the really funny ones. To see the band in spandex trousers, stud belts and all still with long hair. I wished there was more of this. But LÄÄZ ROCKIT never lost their energy on stage, so during the tracks you realize the fun they still have to play their stuff. The band present their best tracks here, so you get most of them several times, but that doesn't matter because of classics like 'Fire In The Hole', 'Last Breath' or my favourite 'City’s Gonna Burn'. The live tracks are interrupted by interviews with all band members (or the whole band) remembering the old days and telling stories and anecdotes. In the beginning this happens a little bit too often, but they are really funny and informative and it’s getting better during the 3 hours so you can live with it. The sound is really good, same goes for the filming. So, get this DVD and have a lot of fun with this Thrash Metal legend which is back again. www.osmrecords.net or www.laazrockit.com

Stefan Hagmayer

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LÄÄZ ROCKIT
Left For Dead
(Massacre Records)
49:36min

LÄÄZ ROCKIT is the perfect example of the band who would like people to believe they're a Thrash Metal band when they have never been one. You can't erase your past so easily and even if you could, to write Thrash material you need to feel it, to understand it and not just come in your studio and suddenly say, "Okay we're gonna play everything fast, we're gonna riff real fast"... which is obviously what LÄÄZ ROCKIT did adopt as attitude since the "Nothing Sacred" days. "Left For Dead" is in a lot of aspects just a follow up to that record, at least with songs like 'Brain Wash' and 'Turmoil' (two pseudo Thrashy songs which are fortunately rather enjoyable), 'Erased' (a mid paced tune with a great melody stamped over it, Jellum and Kettner still kick ass on guitars), 'My Euphoria', 'Ghost In The Mirror' (a somewhat melodic tune yet with a super edge where ROCKIT shines the best I have to say, kinda reminiscent of METALLICA circa "Metallica"). Everything has a reverse side and you also get your dose of groovy, angry bullshit with 'Liar', 'Delirium Void', 'No Man' as usual I guess it's natural for them to write stuff that sounds actual... what a fuckin' loose attitude guys to follow trends instead of remembering what Metal should sound like. But this said in their case it's still very minimal comparing to the bullshit delivered by bands like EXODUS, SLAYER etc these days. I'm quite surprised by the quality of this record in the end, it's nothing like a must to have BUT just like a typical LÄÄZ ROCKIT album, it's an okay album with its ups and downs. Also Coons hasn't lost anything of his powerful voice and that's a positive point because it was hard to know what to expect from him after years of substance abuse. www.laazrockit.com, www.massacre-records.com

Laurent Ramadier

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LABORATORIO CRISTALITOS
Narcoturismo
(self-financed)
53:25min

What we have here is a Death / Grindcore band from Italy singing mostly about drugs (such as their heroes Brujeria). Their bio states they cover topics such as death, violence, sex, Satan and perversion. I’ve just learned some cool Italian words as I hear the chant of “ganja” quite prominently throughout the opening title track and “zombie” in 'World War Zombie!' The first 10 tracks are sung in Italian with a bonus disc of the same songs sung in Spanish. The songs sound quite similar in both languages, not that there’s anything wrong with that! The trio offer quick bursts of mid-paced Grindcore - think what Brujeria or Napalm Death might sound like if they smoked lots of pot. “Narcoturismo” doesn’t invent any new genre of Metal but it is gasp! melodic and well produced. If it ain’t broke, why fix it? If you don’t mind your Metal mid-paced with added mystery (very little info is available on the band) give them a spin. Good stuff! www.myspace.com/laboratoriocristalitos2

Jesse Light

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LACERATE
Soul Of Revenge (MCD)
(Premonition Records)
19:52min

A couple of years back, bands of this kind still would've been considered as pure noise by many...  But nowadays not only the overall acceptance of brutal music has become a lot stronger, the bands themselves also improved quite drastically. While older releases often heavily suffered, either from a poor sound or the lack of playing abilities (mostly both!), bands that are currently releasing their material are without a doubt way better in every aspect! That also goes for Thailand's extreme four piece LACERATE whose brutal grinding Death assault (despite its overall extremity) still proves a lot of musical talent (just listen to some of the amazing stuff performed by Nakarin, the bass player!). This MCD features their self-titled 4 song demo from 2000 as well as a previously unreleased, new bonus track. The band is mostly blasting through the songs with an unbelievable, uncompromising intensity, comes up with two different vocal styles (the typical deep guttural and the over-the-top hysterical screaming) and still convinces in terms of a good songwriting and a decent production. This is very brutal shit, but performed with a lot of class and the right feel for grinding insanity. I just don't get why the newer song on here is of a worse production quality than the demo material... Available for 8 Euro (ppd. in Germany) / 10 Euro (Europe / overseas - without plastic box) from the newly founded German label: Premonition Records, c/o Michael Oelschlegel, Martin - Luther - Str. 19, 95119 Naila, Germany

Frank Stöver

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LAETHORA
March Of The Parasites
(Osmose Productions)
38:46min

As a great fan of Dark Tranquillity (especially the three first albums) I was eager to check out Laethora’s debut album (Dark Tranquillity guitarist Niklas Sundin and guitarist Joakim Rosen, from The Provenance, comprise the creative core of the band). The music is very different from what one might expect from these guys; “March Of The Parasites” is a sold dose of Death / Grind firmly rooted in the tradition of Napalm Death. The “retro” aspect is present throughout the album, both in terms of the music and the production. Still it is not really a retro album in the ordinary sense. Even though the guys indulge in their love for early 90s Death / Grind and even Punk / Hardcore, they also flirt with Doom and even elements which have a certain cold, “industrial” feel to them. Guitarist Joakim is a great fan of Emperor and this influence is also present in the form of synths, “Black Metallish chords” and dark atmospheres. The lyrics seem to be in the tradition of Napalm Death – there is a message and not just blood/gore and misanthropy. Although misanthropy is present, there seems to be a “positive intention” behind. I want to give the band credit for this. Only one riff reminds me slightly of the “Gothenburg sound”, so the album is very different from what one might expect given the fact that Niklas has been involved in the songwriting. The music is varied and there is a great balance between blast parts, groovy parts and the doomy / ”industrial” / atmospheric parts. Death Metal has lately become a kind of competition in technicality and speed, and I believe that Laethora is one of those bands which are much needed to keep the scene innovative and varied. What is needed to move forward may sometimes be to take one step back. On sale here.

Andreas Aubert

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LÁGRIMAS NEGRAS
In Penumbra (Demo CD)
(self-financed)
27:32min

LÁGRIMAS NEGRAS play the most interesting Goth / Doom Metal I've heard from Spain in the last years. Although their name could be extremely typical (Black Tears in Spanish) "In Penumbra" is far from being typical. Their music is extremely atmospheric, basically based on the best keyboards I've heard in a Spanish Goth / Doom Metal band ever. It's difficult to find a comparison, they mix clean with more guttural vocals, although never reaching Death Metal, they use heavy guitars with some acoustic parts and as I've said the keyboards are always present in the music. Sometimes they remind me of MONUMENTUM and when they fasten the guitars they sound more like CREMATORY era "Awaken" or even GOLGOTHA. Maybe the only problem is that they should improve the clean vocals, but I suppose that with a better production and more time they will be perfectly able to overcome that, because they are clearly experienced musicians. Hope they find the support they need, because in Spain there are bands with far more quality than other European countries and I think that LÁGRIMAS NEGRAS are one of those. lagrimasnegrassoria@hotmail.com

Borja Menéndez

(this review originally got published by Xtreem Music)

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LAID IN ASHES
Bastards From Hell
(Perish In Light / Twilight Records)
35:12min

After their debut “Freakshow 666” from the year 2003 LAID IN ASHES are back again and hopefully this release will get the attention it deserves. There are so many releases, even within the so-called underground, that sometimes good albums are just buried into oblivion. Especially when it comes to an album like “Bastards From Hell”. This one does not reveal its quality at first listening, at least not for me. But if one puts up the endurance to listen to this output more than once, then the listener will discover a fine piece of Metal. Mainly based on Death Metal, LAID IN ASHES expand the limits of this genre by adding elements of Thrash Metal, catchy melodies, like IN FLAMES or early IRON MAIDEN (I guess it depends on your age which band you would pick as comparison) and a dose of gloomy, melancholic Dark / Black Metal. The fast songs are freshened by mid-tempo parts, which perfectly fit to the songs, that mean they underline the atmosphere, not this kind of alibi mid-tempo parts. Vocals are splitted into two voices, deep grunting and husk screaming. In an interview LAID IN ASHES stated that their influences range from (of course) Death, Thrash, Black Metal over to Industrial, Prog Rock and Alternative. This wide variety of influences empower LAID IN ASHES to play such an diversified Death Metal, without losing the feeling to write good songs. www.laid-in-ashes.com

Mirco Szymyslik

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LAST DAYS OF HUMANITY
The Xtc Of Swallowing L.D.O.H. Feaces
(Bones Brigade Records)
33:02min

I gotta confess that I absolutely don't get this type of "music"... and as nobody else of the Voices staff was interested in taking care of this review either, I suppose we can keep it short (as opposed to completely ignore it). This is not exactly a new LAST DAYS OF HUMANITY album, but a 27 track live record, packaged in the usual, extremely tasteless manner. Musically you're about to experience the most extreme Goregrind there probably is, which means that all those of you who already can't stand a mixture of early CARCASS / NAPALM DEATH and new brutal gory US type Death Metal in the DISGORGE vein, should obviously avoid this by all means. Yes, it's as sick as that and maybe even beyond! I have no idea which of the band's "tracks" (if you can actually really name tunes of approx. 1 - 2 minutes playing time that way) might be fan favorites, nor if there's any "classic" missing in the impressive setlist, but you will most certainly find that out for yourselves if you're a worshipper of the sickest of the sick. The sound quality is pretty good actually (for a Goregrind live album that is, of course...), but I was still bloody chuffed when the thirty-three minutes where finally over (yeah, I am a wimp!). Label contact: www.bonesbrigaderecords.com

Frank Stöver

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LAY DOWN ROTTEN
Breeding Insanity
(Remission Records)
42:19min

This is the first CD I heard from this German band but shortly before receiving this recording I had the pleasure to see them live at a smaller festival in my area and I was pretty impressed about their appearance. Because of that I was really looking forward to get their newest, their 3rd CD called “Breeding Insanity”. So what do we get here? LAY DOWN ROTTEN play some kind of oldschool Death Metal, mostly midpaced with great melodies and very good riffs. I can only advice you to check out songs like ‘Within The Veil – The Antidote’, ‘Into Oblivion’ and ‘Venomous Blessings’ which are Death Metal songs in the way fans of bands like Bolt Thrower, Grave and especially Amon Amarth will adore. E. g. the song ‘Venomous Blessings’ could easily succeed on the forthcoming Amon Amarth album. Don’t take this as a negative thing as we are not talking about a totally outstanding outfit here, but the power and the energy they transfer will make a smile on the face of each Death Metal fan out there. I have to add that “Breeding Insanity” will also be released on a limitied edition double CD including 3 covertunes of Carcass’ ‘Heartwork’, Pantera’s ‘Domination’ and Deep Purple’s ‘Black Night’ + 2 CD-Rom videotracks. I can only advice fans of oldschool Death Metal to check ’em out!! Website: www.laydownrotten.com. The CD is available from the label www.remissionrecords.de or here.

Thomas Ehrmann

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LAST MOONS DAWN
Episodes Of The Dawn (Demo 2008)
(Trollzorn)
39:08min

LAST MOONS DAWN's first breath of life is not really an official Trollzorn release but more or less a supported demo production. The band is mainly consisting of ELIVAGAR members and they are trying to build a bridge between traditional melodic Black Metal and this special melancholy music mainly played by 99.99 % of the Prophecy bands. The seven songs plus 2 bombastic instrumentals often remind me of the first EMPYRIUM releases, especially when the singer is using his clear vocals. The demo still shows the two sides of this German band - the first handful of songs are really touched by melancholy whereas the last 2-3 songs are much more rooted in the Black Metal scene. Think that the blackened side of the demo had been composed before the melancholy creations and LAST MOONS DAWN only need to fuse the two hearts in their chest together to further use their musical potential. This demo is maybe not essential but a start has been made and we will see what the future will bring. www.trollzorn.de, www.myspace.com/thelastmoonsdawn

Matthias Auch

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LEATHERWOLF
World Asylum
(Leatherwolf Music)
46:12min

In 1999, ten years after the release of their last studio album "Street Ready", L.A.'s LEATHERWOLF were finally hungry for Metal again, played a couple of re-union shows und then returned to the scene with the impressive, self-financed live album "Wide Open". This disc featured a very cool selection of tracks of all of their three albums, at the time still performed in their classic line-up (Mike Olivieri - vocals, Geoff Gayer / Carey Howe - guitars, Paul Carman - bass and Dean Roberts – drums). Olivieri, Howe and Carman left the band shortly after (mainly due to personal reasons), so this constellation unfortunately fell apart rather quickly again. But the band wasn't ready'n'willing to throw in the towel and did a three-song demo with RACER X frontman Jeff Martin... For some reason that didn't seem to work out either, so after a search for a new suitable frontman they finally recruited Wade Black (CRIMSON GLORY, SEVEN WITCHES) in 2005. The guitar- and bass-positions were completed by Eric Haltern (Z-LOT-Z, DESTINY'S END, HELSTAR) and Pete Perez (RIOT, SPASTIC INK) respectively. And those two definitely were a perfect choice, as they come from a similar traditional Metal background and therefore exactly understand what LEATHERWOLF musically is all about. You can hear that in an impressive manner on the new studio album "World Asylum". Haltern's guitar duells with Geoff Gayer exactly recall the great moments of the band's early days, so he obviously fills in Carey Howe's shoes perfectly, while Pete Perez delivers an amazing job on bass. Together with drummer Dean Roberts he creates a very strong, powerful foundation of the new LEATHERWOLF material. I'm not completely convinced by Wade Black's part though, cause even though he's a very strong vocalist, he unfortunately rarely demonstrates that and focuses too much on his angry, midrange side. From what I understood the band wanted a return to their heavier side (mission accomplished!), but you can easily deliver heavier music with more diverse vocals in order to keep the songs more exciting. That Wade can pull it off a lot better is perfectly reflected in track no.3, 'Behind The Gun', which to me is a total standout on the record. It's heavy, yet very melodic, got some amazing guitarwork and harmonies to it and offers his wide vocal range. That's what LEATHERWOLF has always been about and what fans of their previous releases surely expect from them! So, as far as the songwriting itself is concerned the new material turned out extremely well and apart from some little (more rough sounding) modern overtones here and there it's still easily recognizable as typical LEATHERWOLF. If the "World Asylum" follow-up record should feature more of those great vocal-lines again, the "new" LEATHERWOLF is definitely gonna be back with full force again! The CD is on sale through their website www.leatherwolfmusic.com. In Germany you can also order it here.

Frank Stöver

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LEGACY
Metallic Assault
(Area Death Productions)
38:47min

Instead of the recordings made by the American LEGACY, who later went on to form the more successful TESTAMENT, what you'll get here are equally good songs made by a lesser known LEGACY. There's a distinct German taste in these songs, most of it offered by the vocal patterns. The rest is pure Speed (or Proto-Thrash, if you like) Metal. Whereas many bands excite listeners by making them enamored of the particular style of songwriting the band writes in, bands like LEGACY make them proud to be Metalheads, a feat famously achieved by bands like IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST who embraced Metal as a term and modus operandi. This is exciting music; simple and energetic. There's really very little fault to be had with this record. It may not be sterling, but there's not a single dull spot on it. Worth your time and money! www.myspace.com/legacyofmetal, www.areadeath.net

Nat Shapiro

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THE LEGION
Unseen To Creation
(Listenable Records)
36:23min

Founded in 1999 Swedish THE LEGION did not waste much time, put out the demo “Bloodaeons” in the year 2000 and after some line-up changes in 2001 released the stunning 7” EP “Awakened Fury”, which presented vicous technically skilled Black / Death that united the typical hysterical Swedish grimness with the virtuous brutality of versatile Death Metal. In June 2003 “Awakened Fury” was reissued with a bonus track on Deepsend Records and I can only heartedly recommend this release. “Unseen To Creation”, which I shall focus on now, is THE LEGION’s first full-length and in contrast to the EP, which was recorded at Los Angered Studios, features typical Abyss-sound. But despite my personal reservations to the Tägtgren-bros, in this case their sound definitely fits to the music, because the parallels to the likes of DARK FUNERAL, DISSECTION and SETHERIAL are obvious. But THE LEGION add their own sense for Death Metal-like rhythms and heaviness to the mix and come up with a very fresh and inspired sounding record. Fast, cold and epic melodies intermingled with surprising breaks and twisted structures rather unusual for Swedish Black / Death define the sound of “Unseen To Creation”. The vocals could have been a bit less screechy, because the way they are they just resemble DARK FUNERAL and fail to meet the original quality THE LEGION’s music certainly has. After some time I got used to them and meanwhile I really enjoy this CD, because a mixture of the aforementioned icycold Swedish melodicity and MORBID ANGEL-like musical twists and turns is pretty fascinating... at least to me. If you like the bands I mentioned above or generally Swedish Black / Death that has a couple of new ideas and the feeling that bands like DARK FUNERAL or SETHERIAL meanwhile lack, you do no wrong when you invest your bucks in “Unseen To Creation”. Visit www.legion.nu or www.listenable.net for MP3 files and additional information! You can also order it here.

Stefan Franke

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THE LEGION
Revocation
(Listenable Records)
46:00min

This is the follow-up to the highly acclaimed debut by this Black Metal hopefuls around drum-wunderkind evil Emil of MARDUK fame. And the panzerdivision should better watch out since THE LEGION is hot on their heels with this vital and aggressive assault! It’s not exactly easy to say what makes them stand out since their fast and melodic brand of Swedish blackness is far from innovative and most of it has already been done in quite a similar way by the likes of DARK FUNERAL or SETHERIAL. But by adding a lot of technical twists and turns and throwing in dozens of precise breaks into the ever-raging slaughter-fest they manage to sound fresher and less static than the aforementioned. And they also have the ability to incorporate some really majestic and epic passages into their diverse and well-crafted songs, best example being the mighty ’Bloodgate’. The whole record is bursting with ideas and an enthusiasm that makes the last outputs of formerly great bands like NAGLFAR or LORD BELIAL look pale in comparison.
A great sound with a clearly audible bass and a nice cover by Kris Verwimp round up this highly recommended album that finally puts THE LEGION in the first row of the Swedish Black Metal scene, beside grimmer hordes like WATAIN or FUNERAL MIST. ”Revocate the agitator!” www.legion.nu, www.listenable.net. You may order it here.

Torsten Gründig

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LEGION OF SADISM
The Strongest Force Of Hell
(self-financed)
37:18min

At the Fuck The Commerce Festival I was given this CD for a review and when I inserted it into the player, I didn't like it very much at first. But the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate their sound. Okay, it's not too original, let alone innovative (maybe except for the outro which reminds me a bit of BURZUM's "Filosofem" (for me one of the most boring records ever) - concerning the atmospheric mood). The band plays rather old school Black Metal (not VENOM, rather the Norwegian scene) and their sound perfectly underlines this: although it's a properly pressed CD, the production reminds me a little of DARKTHRONE and the likes: not so polished in order to support a raw impression. For people into pure Black Metal this is not a bad option at all as there doesn't seem to be much movement in that direction with everybody trying to copy DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH nowadays. And they do create a cold atmosphere indeed. Therefore this CD is a nice occasion to take a breath. So if you really need stuff like this and don't care about (or even like) a sort of a naive approach (they're no bad musicians, though), this might indeed be of interest for you. Contact: www.legionofsadism.de.vu legionofsadism@hotmail.com

Ramon Claassen

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LEGIONS OF ASTAROTH
Rites Of Somatic Death
(Enucleation Records)
54:40min

After listening to the split with HELLGOAT and their 7'' EP I again expected a great deal from LEGIONS OF ASTAROTH as their previous output was raw fuckin' Black Metal no 2 ways about it! In existence since 2004 we finally see the release of their full length album and yeah we have some more maturity and songwriting craftsmanship on display here. The rawness is still there but the production is much clearer than the 7'' but takes nothing away from the still raw Black Metal. Although they might not like the comparison it does remind me quite a lot of old Norwegian bands but it has these parts similar to those new American Black Metal bands like Xasthur or Leviathan (they aren't new? who cares! I don't!) but much much better!! And it is a very evil and hypnotic piece of blackness that took me to dimensions and planes of darkness unforseen!!! So if you want to take that darkness trip, so be it, get this CD asap! www.myspace.com/legionsofastaroth, www.enucleationrecords.com 

Luis M. L. Sallard

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LEHAVOTH
Hatred Shaped Man
(Fadeless Records)
29:55min

The band's name LEHAVOTH might be misleading a little bit as I immediately associated it with Black Metal... Well, actually I wasn't completely wrong here as this brutal five piece from Israel started out as a Black Metal act way back in 1995 and even released a demo (“Brith Ha Orvim”) during that early period of their existence. But then the military service forced the members to put the band's activities on ice for several years. In the year 2000 original guitar player Gal Cohen and vocalist Molech finally resurrected LEHAVOTH, but this time not only with a slightly changed line-up, but musically also with a different, way more brutal overall approach. A new demo (“Iconoclastic”) gets recorded and in February 2002 the band travels to Europe, to record their debut album “Hatred Shaped Man” at Sweden's Soundlab Studios with producer Mieszko Talarczyk (who already gained experiences with the likes of Nasum or Genoside SuperStars). This recording immediately caught the attention of Wilko at Hollands Fadeless Records, who offered the band a deal right away, which they gladly accepted. And the rest is already history. "Hatred Shaped Man" has become a real crusher of an album, with nine highly intense compositions, full of technical perfection and the necessary right-into-your-face kind of attitude. I never heard LEHAVOTH's Black Metal past, but judging them just by this half an hour of music, it sounds to me as if they never ever played anything else than brutal Death / Grind in their entire lifes. The material is so full of intensity, the riffing so effective, that it's pretty hard to imagine, seeing these guys play Black Metal. Unlike many other grinding Death Metal acts LEHAVOTH are not in it just for the speed's sake, but for groovy yet devastating brutality. If you'll listen carefully, you may track down influences from a wide area of different bands, from the disharmonic elements of early VOIVOD, to the shredding sickness of old Swedish Death / Grind masters up to brutal American Death Metal. A very solid and unique mixture, performed by a band with a very bright future! The CD even comes with a video bonus track of the track 'Non Civilized'. Keep an eye on them! Label contact: www.fadelessrecords.com. On sale here.

Frank Stöver

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LEMURIA
Tales, Ale And Fire
(self-financed)
40:10min

The two great compilation albums "Face Your Underground" (vol. 1 and vol. 2) should already be proof enough of the big potential of Belgium's current underground scene. But as those albums got compiled by the DeathMetal.be guys, their main focus were of course the Death Metal hordes of our country neighbours, more or less leaving out the more obscure acts that are still striving for originality overthere. LEMURIA definitely is one of those acts worth getting a bigger attention. They started out in 1999 as SPINAL CHILL, back then still being a rather primitive Death Metal act themselves, put out one demo ("Demonic") and a couple of line-up changes later decided to rename the band into LEMURIA. Ever since that they have musically changed quite drastically... A new demo CD ("The Vault Of The Witness") saw the light of day in 2002 and nowadays they come up with something what they call "Black Heavy Metal with folky riffs"... Basically a very well fitting description, yet not really capable of revealing the real talent of this six-piece in the best possible way. There's so much more to their debut full length "Tales, Ale And Fire", that it's actually really hard to put that into words in a short review here. So, whatever I come up with should only be seen as a desperate try, to portrait a rough imagery of the band's big musical variety. Symphonic aspects and beautiful moody keyboard soundscapes all of a sudden get replaced by almost FINNTROLL-like, happy sounding Folk elements... All this gets incorporated in an overall very rough, yet melodic "Viking" Metal style with various different vocal styles on top of it (from a very grim, almost Black Metal–ish voice to a raw deep one)... I even dedected some similarities to classic AMORPHIS (ca. "The Karelian Isthmus" / "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" period)... An impressive production (remember that this a a self financed release!) and the totally fitting cover artwork / logo courtesy of Mr. Kris Verwimp complete the professional picture... So, all in all LEMURIA have delivered a highly impressive album, destined to be picked up by a bigger label in the not too distant future (you can quote me on that!). Sound samples of three of the album's songs are available at the band's also very cool styled website www.lemuria.be, so make sure to check them out.

Frank Stöver

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LEPRASY
Morbid Pathologist
(Shiver Records)
31:38min

Puuh, this is a hard one. LEPRASY play some kind of gory grinding Death Metal and honestly I don’t know exactly what to think about this outfit. The sound on this CD is pretty good, but this brand of Death Metal is definitely nothing special, nothing original, nothing really groundbreaking. The singer grunts in the deepest possible way, the drumming is fast and grinding and the guitars shred your ears, but that’s it! I have to admit that I’m not such a huge fan of this gory Death Metal style, but perhaps this is the right album for all Death Metal maniacs out there who likes it fast and gory. However, some riffs are really good and the drummer seems to be very skilled, too, but I’m not sure if this would be reason enough for me to spend my money on it. Die hard Death Metal maniacs should risk an ear on this CD though!! www.shiver-records.com

Thomas Ehrmann

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LEPTOTRICHIA vs AMPUTATED
Enjoy The Slaughter / Up To Our Nuts In Guts (Split CD)
(IBD Records)
26:39min

I'm not exactly a fan of split releases, but if the participating acts equally know to impress it's definitely a cool thing. And in this case here, it certainly was! Both bands previously released their material on their own already, so die hard underground collectors not necessarily need this anymore. For everyone else LEPTOTRICHIA vs AMPUTATED is a cool item worth checking out though. The first four songs on offer here are from Belgium's LEPTOTRICHIA, who originally used to spread it as a self financed mini CD, entitled "Enjoy The Slaughter". Just like UK's AMPUTATED they play a very intense and brutal form of grindy Death Metal, with the necessary technical skills and a solid, powerful production, courtesy of CCP Studio. In direct comparison to AMPUTATED the LEPTOTRICHIA guys seem to be the more matured sounding band, with more variation in their writing, but also with a not totally convincing, brutal - yet in my opinion partly too faceless sounding vocalist... So after I couple of listens I started to enjoy the overall more raw and shredding AMPUTATED a lot more, mainly because of their totally uncompromising attitude! Maybe this is because of the fact that their part of this split release originally was "just" a demo ("Up To Our Nuts In Guts"), or that their songs simply don't sound that "contructed", I don't know... They just have this straight ahead and very intense rough feel to it, that you either love or hate and which I miss a little bit in LEPTOTRICHIA's material. To give you a little idea of what I'm talking about here, take one of today's brutal US Death Metal acts and compare them to something that comes across like a mixture of older CARCASS meets BOLT THROWER meets TERRORIZER running all over you and then tell me what you consider more exciting...?! But don't get me wrong - LEPTOTRICHIA still is a very cool and promising band. It's just that they can't really cope with AMPUTATED. Period. This split CD ends with someone's saying "That was the biggest load of crap I've ever heard!"... Well, needless to say that he's completely WRONG, isn't it? For all further info check out the label's website: www.ibdrecords.com

Frank Stöver

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LESHAK
Chertovorot
(Stygian Crypt Records)
29:02min

Mother Russia has countless daughters and sons and within the last decade a lot of them have realized their Slavic heritage. LESHAK are an extremely young band heading from this area and they are trying to fuse mid tempo Death Metal with their Pagan roots. Unfortunately the most important word within my introduction is the word trying. First of all the playing time is more than unacceptable with in total around 25 minutes – not counting the hidden ‘Was wollen wir trinken’ bonus track, with - to put it mildly - more than improvable vocals - which is far away from the cult reputation of releases like GORGOROTH’s “Antichrist” these days. On the other hand the band is completely focused on the additional support by female flute player Zuks which is working within one track but becomes more than predictable after song number three. It’s a shame to be forced to advise such harsh criticism especially if it comes to a young band like LESHAK, but if you enter the arena the risk is there that the lions will eat you alive. For sure one of the most disappointing Pagan releases of the last 12 months. www.myspace.com/leshakband, www.stygiancrypt.cjb.net

Matthias Auch

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LETHAL
Deliverance 7” EP
(Blood Harvest Records)

One more seven inch from Blood Harvest Records and once again it’s of highest quality. This time I’m talking about Swedish Thrashers LETHAL and their 3-song EP called “Deliverance”. This bunch of Metalheads presents us here some oldschool Thrash Metal with vocals a little bit comparable to the ones from Tompa from “don’t know where he’s singing right now” but former singer of AT THE GATES. Their brand of Thrash Metal is, as I said before, pretty oldschool sounding and mixed with hints of KREATOR here and there. Fuckin’ tight played stuff actually, including great riffs, fast drumming and the above mentioned cool vocals. Releases like this forces me to tell that this label, Blood Harvest Records, is on its way to become the best underground label right now and it’s a pleasure to hear that they will continue this way with their next releases. Unfortunately I have to finish this review with something negative: this EP is sold out!!! Yes, blame it on me for writing this review so late, but nevertheless try to get this release through www.metribution.com as their onlineshop still carries this release (other already sold out stuff from Blood Harvest Records like the great 7”EP from CORRUPT seems to be still available, too). This could be your last chance. According to the Blood Harvest homepage LETHAL are about to record a LP soon so keep your eyes open for this cool outfit.

Thomas Ehrmann

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LETHAL
Annihilation Agenda
(Blood Harvest Records)

I can’t say that I like their logo, another band with the name LETHAL is active since ages and the cover as well as the lyrics are filled with clichés, nevertheless I fuckin’ like this bunch of young Swedish Thrashers. They are creating nothing new, to be honest their brand of Thrash Metal is so damned outdated and the sound of the recording is compared to the current high-tech recordings not up to date. But what you hear while listening to LETHAL’s music is that they play their brand music with a lot of passion and the 4 guys simply don’t care about the opinion of others, they just wanna rock! After their great “Deliverance” 7” EP “Annihilation Agenda” is the first full-length recording which is again released in the vinyl version through mighty Blood Harvest Records. If I’m correct the CD-version will be released through Iron Fist Records. 9 songs plus one intro are presented here on black vinyl, a feast for Thrash fans and fans of mighty KREATOR (which I think is their major influence) get a song collection presented in such a damned good way! I wonder why they haven’t used one or two of the songs from their sold out 7” EP for this long player but this just means that you get 9 new songs of thrashing madness. Each song goes direct to the point and it’s just fun to listen to this record. For Thrash Metal fans who still believe that the best records in this genre were released in the 80s “Annihilation Agenda” is simply essential! Order it from www.bloodharvest.se or www.myspace.com/bloodharvestrecords. Limited to 500 pieces.

Thomas Ehrmann

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LEVEL-C
Level-C
(Locomotive Records)
38:21min

A pure female Metal band is still something special and if I think about former bands which preferred to convince their audience by playing naked or when the pure fact itself was the most important thing, not every time a proof of quality. But LEVEL-C from Cleveland / Ohio will change this perspective at least about 180 degrees. Their self titled debut after 6 years on the road has become a wild Heavy Metal hybrid inspired by MACHINE HEAD and GRIP INC and to some degree other younger American Metal bands. Can’t help but this is modern Metal, high aggression level, great mosh parts – so Metal heart what do you want more? (hmm… how about some real Metal instead maybe? – Frank) LEVEL-C don’t need the female and good locking bonus (“hot babes” in the words of their record company), they simply playing fresh and powerful Heavy Metal with a very modern edge. The cover artwork (a painting of a naked babe) is to say it on a very friendly way disappointing and I would like to ask LEVEL-C about their motives but who cares about the title “worst cover of the month” if the music can convince without any doubts. A powerful release with 100 % headbanging potential – so which Metal soul can deny this invitation! www.level-c.net, www.locomotiverecords.com

Matthias Auch

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LEVIATHAN
The Tenth Sub Level Of Suicide
(Moribund Records)
71:30min

Sadly in our more and more commercial scene it turns out to be the bands that are in the ranks of the major labels that sell most. This, of course, doesn’t mean those bands’ music is the best. Oh yes, great production is not a point anymore as every band on (in example Nuclear Blast) has so-called great production. But, there are also all those who claim that DarkThrone’s “Transilvanian Hunger” has a bad production. And now Leviathan surprise me with one of the most depressive albums I have heard lately. This is, at least from my point of view, the most depressive album that has been spawned from the Black Metal scene the last three years. The album consists of ten tracks, where a couple are instrumentals trying to make you breathe for a second or two. As the playing time counts in a 70+ minutes, the album needs your patience, being the grower it is. The first aspect you have to surpass is the vocalisation. I don’t know for lyrics, but throughout the album I understood like two sentences. The rest is just screaming and howling, comparable to Burzum’s debut album. When you have gone beyond these screams, you can begin to concentrate on the music. About 60% of the album is mid-paced, 30% is rather fast and the last 10 is effects and instrumental music. This is not original in any sense, but the music surely has an effect. It is mesmerizing, and it hypnotizes you. The first couple of spins I even turned it off, because it sounded rather boring. Then it began to grow, and now, for the 10th time it is still growing. The prominent bass-lines which reveal themselves after a few listening-sessions creates the necessary depth to the music and makes me even more eager to listen to it once again. Just listen to 'He Whom Shadows Move Towards' and 'Scenic Solitude And Leprosy' to understand what I’m talking about, as the bass-lines in these track are catchy as hell, but not light in any sense. A couple of tracks really stand out, the first being 'The Bitter Emblem Of Dissolve' due to its catchiness. A mid-paced pounding rhythm sets the mood and lasts for about three minutes before it turns into a three minute long depressive travel into darkness. This is what I call an intelligent arrangement. The ninth track 'The Idiot Sun' have the most suicidal vocals I’ve heard for ages. The vocals are done better than those infamous Abruptum ones, because in Leviathan they have a purpose while I got the feeling that in Abruptum they were done just to be special. It’s like he chokes while the songs lasts, and that he tries to commit suicide. Being funny I could say he didn’t manage because the screams are ever present on the last track as well. “The Tenth Sub Level Of Suicide” is as Black Metal as it can be, and gives me hope that underground Metal won’t die. But, as I told you earlier in the review, you have to be patient before you want to commit your suicide. Listen to this albums a few times prior to that. On sale here.

Roy Kristensen

alternative review

I can only heartedly agree with Roy’s point of view, LEVIATHAN’s new opus is so extreme, it is almost hard to stand. Whoever listened to the bands Roy mentioned or the likes of BETHLEHEM, ABYSSIC HATE or other visions-of-suicide-creating acts, should get an idea of what "The Tenth Sub Level Of Suicide" is about. Songs like ‘Fucking Your Ghost In Chains Of Ice’ or the aforementioned tracks are forlorn, violent, depressive, soultearing monuments that you will not be able to listen to every day, because it will kill you!!! But every once in a while you should indulge in the shivering, wailing screams and the triumphant riffs of LEVIATHAN. More than 70 minutes of musical and atmospheric intensity and pitch blackness, what more can you ask for. I think after listening to this album various kiddie Black Metal bands will either change their style or give up, because you have to be extremely fucked up to create art like LEVIATHAN did with "The Tenth Sub Level Of Suicide" and I think only few people really want to end that way. I do not want to feel like this and I don’t want to know what hardships you have to go through to be able to come up with such a Black Metal masterpiece, but I do not want to miss this fantastic CD. An MP3 file is available at www.moribundcult.com. The album is on sale here.

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LEX TALIONIS
Inhuman Violence
(Deadsun Records)
29:14min

I have mixed feelings about this one as it turns out to be interesting but still imperfect at the same time. LEX TALIONIS are a French outfit and this is their first full length. Their label defines their music as cyber Death Metal and I think this description fits quite fairly with the content of this album. LEX TALIONIS remind me of NOCTURNUS a lot (especially on a track like 'Wardomain' for instance, where you could even swear that it is Mike Browning singing!) with the same concern for brutality mixed with melody, but without the complexity factor though. In fact, the major flaw of this album lies precisely here: each of the 8 songs on offer is somewhat one dimensional, that is based on one and one only idea repeated ad nauseam (listen to 'Vengeance Bitterness' or 'We Burn In A Fire… But We're Blind To Its Light' and I suppose you will get my point), with the final result being the album lacks depth. Also the use of computer drums, while being logical considering the musical style chosen by LEX TALIONIS, somewhat stress the coldness and the dryness of "Inhuman Violence". I am not too sure about the current line-up situation inside the band, as it appears that the recording line-up is not the same as the actual one, with only Pierre-Marie Reverdy (guitars and vocals) as a stable member. I certainly don't want to give the impression LEX TALIONIS are a hopeless case, quite the contrary in fact, as "Inhuman Violence" has its moments, as proved by tracks like 'Wardomain' or 'Calling The Dead Creatures Of The Infra-World'. Nevertheless I guess the band rushed things a little in order to issue a real album instead of a demo, and I think it shows here. To sum it up, certainly some maturity is needed before LEX TALIONIS could be a sure value. Investigate by yourselves is the only advice I can give you here.

Edouard Vergriete

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LICHT ERLISCHT
The Narrow Path
(Black Blood Records)
45:46min

If you turn out the lights bleak darkness will invade your surrounding and even if your eyes can adjust to the remaining light there is no way to escape the everlasting doom of humanity – death and final extinction. LICHT ERLISCHT – a side project of the Pagan Metal band HORN – tries to take a look behind this darkness and their debut album "The Narrow Path" is not a further Funeral Doom record from a lonely individual (with attached keyboard) who wants to give his desolated live a more or less artful form. The German one man band is presenting a much more vital and metallic version with several great ideas by fusing  in some way the best elements of both worlds – Black Metal and Funeral Doom. LICHT ERLISCHT have worked very extensively to give every of the presented 5 songs another face and even if the songs are not in line with the normal playing time of 4-6 minutes is their never the slightest feeling of tristesse (in an negative musical way). Especially the middle section – can’t advise any song titles due to a very limited promo version – is showing that the band / project has chosen with Funeral Black Metal the perfect name for their style and LICHT ERLISCHT are - even if I know that their intention is completely different – another ray of light in a decaying subgenre. www.black-blood-records.de, www.myspace.com/lichterlischt

Matthias Auch

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LIE IN RUINS
…Monuments
(self-financed)
15:42min

Another rough gem from beyond the grave is what we have here. Hailing from Finland, LIE IN RUINS  (consisting of only two members on this recording) convincingly deliver dark and morbid Scandinavian Death Metal like the mid-nineties never happened – a good thing in my book! It is surprising how much ”… Monuments” is in tone both visually and accoustically with the spirit that was present in so many acts back then. The simple but effective cover sporting a pile of skulls adorned with the cool bandlogo (the monicker itself is great, too!) already sets the atmosphere. After a short intro the listener gets blasted with 'Skinstripper' an unrelenting raw and pure piece of Death Metal that immediately conjures up images of early AUTOPSY, somewhere between “Severed Survival” and “Mental Funeral”, and early ENTOMBED during their demo days – hell, the leads could have been written by Cutler / Corralles and Cederlund / Hellid respectively! Also a slight ABHORRENCE / early AMORPHIS – vibe is present, especially in “Monuments Of Revenge', the last song before the outro - which itself is a dark accoustic picking with twisted screams on top – total AUTOPSY worship! Add a dash of BOLT THROWER and maybe early GRAVE for the overall heaviness and there you are. The vocals of Roni S. also come across as a mixture of a young L.G. Petrov and Chris Reifert, maybe a bit less putrid and disgusting but equally possessed and struggling. Even the gritty and raw production (endowed with enough delay on the leads) fits… What must be stressed is the fact that LIE IN RUINS have obviously put quite a bit of work into the songwriting as all the four songs on “… Monuments” have their own traits, develop and culminate very convincingly. LIE IN RUINS do not plow senselessly through the songs but really deliver morbid dark Death Metal with some doomy vibes, cool leads and great soloing that actually adds depth to the songs. One might criticize that LIE IN RUINS are absolutely unoriginal but considering the fact that this a) their first demo and b) an absolutely great and crushing one I couldn't care less. To be honest, I find “…Monuments” much more convincing than several other recent attempts of other bands to capture the feeling of dark Death Metal. This CD-R is already sold-out as it was limited to 100 copies but the band made the whole affair available as a download, also including the cover. Cool move! Go to http://lieinruins.deathmetal.fi/en/news/ and check the releases section.

Ulrich Kreienbrink

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LIE IN RUINS
…Statues
(self-financed)
19:26min

After the magnificient “…Monuments” demo LIE IN RUINS (now a three-piece) return with another slab of Death Metal entitled “…Statues”. Not much has changed compared to the predecessor, nevertheless some little details are different. Whereas the previous effort was heavily influenced by AUTOPSY the early Swedish influences (like GRAVE) seem to have taken a slightly more dominating role here considering the riffing. Fortunately, the doomridden passages that are accompanied by accoustic picking are still present as for example in the second track 'Autopsychopath'. Well, ENTOMBED and DISMEMBER used to be influenced by the sickos around Mr. Reifert anyway, so… “…Statues” is similarly packed with great classic arrangements, pure morbid riffs, screaming leads and heaviness so anybody who liked “…Monuments” will also dig this one. The overall production is again rather raw and maybe a little bit more crunchy – not quite Sunlight Studio but pleasantly dirty yet powerful. Another little difference are Ronis vocals which are more on the deeper end here. I think the inclusion of BOLT THROWER's “eternal” riff from 'World Eater' and 'Cenotaph' is an homage to their influences. Even though it has been competently embedded into the song and gets soon overwhelemed by an AUTOPSY-styled solo, I am not too fond of obvious quotations like this as I think that LIE IN RUINS have enough potential to deliver their own ideas. It might sound contradictory to some but even when a band is not overly original it stil can be individual. Apart from this little bit of criticism LIE IN RUINS have again come up with a great piece of Death Metal which should appeal to all maniacs who dig old Scandinavian Death Metal done with class.  By the time you read this, this demo CD-R is also sold out but in the meantime the band has been signed by Temple Of Darkness Records and a MCD compiling songs from the two demos is in the pipeline. Keep your dead eyes open for the upcoming interview here! www.myspace.com/totaldeathattack

Ulrich Kreienbrink

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LIE IN RUINS
Architectures Of The Dead
(Temple Of Darkness Records)
25:38min

Scheduled to be released in September 2008, Finnish LIE IN RUINS come up with their first regular MCD on Spanish Temple Of Darkness Records, known for unleashing gems from the past like ETERNAL DARKNESS or MOONDARK. “Architectures Of The Dead” basically compiles all tracks from the “… Statues” demo minus the intro and outro plus two tracks from their debut demo, 'Chambers Of Hatred' and 'Monument Of Revenge' to be exact. Definitely a good move to make the material available as a proper release as both demo CDRs are sold out which is no wonder given both the limitations (300, respectively 150 copies each) and the quality of the material. It is hard to judge whether the tracks have been re-recorded or just remastered – that question will most probably answered in my long overdue interview. At least the cymbals seem to be more present in the mix this time and some little intros and effects have been added. Anyway, “Architecture Of The Dead” comes across as a coherent offering and not a mere collection with audible differences in terms of production or songwriting between the tracks. For stylistical references check the reviews above. As most of the accoustic bits that carried a certain AUTOPSY – flair have been omitted the general impression leans slightly more on the classic Swedish side of Death Metal things, though. The cover is graced by a slightly crude drawing of a satanic chapel with adjacent tombs and a twisted tree, so the packaging follows the direction established with the “… Statues” demo. In a way the design is somewhat reminiscent of the tape cover of DEMIGOD's “Unholy Domain”, whereas the music, as stated earlier, sounds much more Swedish. This should appeal to everybody into classic morbid Death Metal with good songwriting and a cool underground production, enough said. http://lieinruins.deathmetal.fi

Ulrich Kreienbrink

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LIE IN RUINS
Swallowed By The Void
(Spikefarm Records)
53:57min

Finnish LIE IN RUINS isn't the most prolific band on earth, having started rehearsals in 2002, this is their debut album after one mini CD and a couple demos. I guess this slow pace allowed the band to develop and hone their skills, so for the most part the "Swallowed By The Void" album sounds like a very cohesive and mature work by a band firmly aware of what they do. Taking influences from old Swedish Death Metal acts like GRAVE, UNLEASHED and GOREMENT, mixed with the left hand path attitude of DEAD CONGREGATION, KAAMOS or STENCH OF DECAY, these Finnish dudes created one hell of a solid Death Metal album enveloping the listener with dark, sulphuric atmosphere of ancient times! The song structures are quite varied here, from fast, double drum galloping attacks changing into slow, punishing, Doom laden rhythms and so on so forth, but the dark atmosphere is always there, evil is always present! I personally prefer more uptempo tracks like 'Abyss Of Demons' or 'Art Of Desecration', but generally you have to take the whole album as a complete body of work, mind you, not the most orginal work, but damn heavy and crushing!! In fact, it is a slow grower, one or two listens is not enough to get into it, unless you're seasoned Death Metal maniac. The album requires your attention to really appreciate all the nuances spread throughout, but the rewards are great and chances are that in "Swallowed By The Void" you might discover a rough Death Metal gem well-worth adding to your record collection. Of course, for the fans of aforementioned bands, this is a must buy release, no doubt here! More info: http://lieinruins.deathmetal.fi, www.myspace.com/totaldeathattack

Mindaugas "Plix" Lapinskas

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LIFELESS
Beyond The Threshold Of Death
(self-financed)
30:29min

OK, to take the easy way out I could say that this release from the German Death Metal band LIFELESS is Death Metal in the tradition of the early releases of bands as ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER and UNLEASHED. If you like their brand of Metal - buy this release, too. Well, I think it is rather unfair to compare LIFELESS only with those old bands as this recording has far more to offer than a repetition of what these bands already released many years ago. We have to accept that in Death Metal everything's said and done, we can't expect that someone reinvents the wheel again when talking about our beloved music genre. With "Beyond The Threshold Of Death" LIFELESS released an amazing piece of Death Metal, it's brutal, it's well played and above all the shredding guitar sound is amazing here, though the drumsound could be better. The guys produced this recording by themselves while the mastering was done by Vesa Kenttäkumpu from Swedish EVOCATION. Considering that this debut CD is self financed I’d say that this is a perfect start for LIFELESS and the 7 songs plus intro burned on this plastic disc will make you a great time to figure out that Germany has some cool Death Metal acts to offer these days. LIFELESS are one of those and I bet that their next release will be a killer. Check out www.myspace.com/lifelessdeathmetal to get a blast while listening to ‘The Final Sacrifice’ (killer track) and to get in touch with the guys to order this cool recording.

Thomas Ehrmann

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LIFTHRASIL
Vor dem Sturm
(Supreme Chaos Records)
46:24min

Cool intro! Moody piano. Could serve as soundtrack for an old horror movie. Vaguely reminds me of Berlin’s AMOK VEDAR. Not only the intro. Is this German Black Metal identity? Well, maybe... LIFTHRASIL from South Germany play rather melodic Black Metal. But don’t be afraid: the omnipresent keyboards sound quite original. I miss a certain coldness, though, which pretty much defines Black Metal for me. So sometimes I tend to call this Gothic Metal but that doesn’t really do any justice to LIFTHRASIL, either. Actually, they kick quite some ass although their music is rather mid-paced. The guitars sound a little untypical in my ears as well: pretty dirty and mean considering the style they’re playing. Not cheesy at all – even the German lyrics are solid! LIFTHRASIL sound utterly German but – believe it or not – in this case that’s a compliment and especially because they’re good songwriters this might actually ROCK in a live situation as well. My faves are ‘Das letzte Gefecht’ and the groovy (!) ‘Nagelfar’ (shouldn’t this be written without an “e”?). Thumbs up! www.lifthrasil.de

Ramon Claassen

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LIGEIA
In Death Overshadow Thee (7")
(Buio Omega)
approx. 15min

Kansas City based LIGEIA originally started out as NEPENTHE in the early 90s, at the time still consisting of Chris Overton (drums), Patrick Brown (guitars), Alex Blume (bass) and a vocalist named Joe. This line-up recorded a 3 song demo in 1993 ("The Conqueror Worm"), which they didn't spread much. Shortly after the recordings Joe was asked to leave and Alex took over the vocals as well. In 1994 contract negotiatons for a possible release of a 7" / MCD started, but unfortunately that never turned into reality. In 1995 the band also parted ways with Alex and renamed the whole project LIGEIA (which was supposed to be the title of NEPENTHE's EP). In late 1995, early 1996 new material for the "In Death Overshadow Thee" EP was recorded but shortly after LIGEIA was put on ice as Chris decided to join VULPECULA (the band of Chuck Keller from ORDER FROM CHAOS / ARES KINGODOM). But in April of 1996 Eternal Darkness Records still went for it and released the band's "Ligeia" 7" EP and most recently also Buio Omega secured the rights for the release of the "In Death Overshadow Thee" EP, which is now available in a strictly limited edition of 500 copies. The two featured songs, 'Oblivion (The Joyous Dead Man)' and 'Cycles Of Fire' (the latter with lyrics written by Chuck) are fine examples of extremely ugly and raw music, definitely rooted in the in the early days of this genre, with little similarities to classic ORDER FROM CHAOS (in terms of the overall rough sound and intensity), heavy oldschool Thrash and grim Black Metal. So, this is definitely not of interest for the mainstream listener, but a nice little gem for everyone into true to the bone blackend Death Metal. Contact: BUIO OMEGA c/o Toscan Michele, via Repubblica dell'Ossola 18, 41100 Modena (MO), Italy, www.buio-omega.it

Frank Stöver

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LIGHTNING
Filthy Human Beings
(Xtreem Music)
41:21min

LIGHTNING is hailing from Spain and has been formed already in 1990. From 1992 to 1999 they only achieved to release three demos and one EP. "Filthy Human Beings" is LIGHTNING's debut album after 17 years of existence. Recorded already in 2005 it took them more than a year to release it finally via their fellow Label Xtreem Music. Well, I did expect a lot after reading their album title, but honestly, to me this is nothing but average Death Metal with a lot of Hardcore influences (musically and also lyrically every now and then). Objective seen it has a very-well done production, the overall sound is clean, still powerful but totally lacks of absorbing moments. The musicians are skilled and I would not dare to deny the perfectionism they have put into their music and compositions. But this kind of music is nothing but worn-out. In my eyes it is too meaningless. Where's the aggression or the impact an album / recording / song has to abound? www.xtreemmusic.com

Hurricane

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LIMBONIC ART
The Ultimate Death Worship
(Nocturnal Art Productions)
51:48min

Just like the majority of their Black Metal countrymen, Norway's LIMBONIC ART musically also evolved more and more into the heavy Death Metal direction throughout the last couple of years. While on their early releases the atmospheric keyboards were still omnipresent and very much upfront in the mix, the band had undergone a drastic change and went for a slightly heavier approach with their newer creations. As a result, the production on "The Ultimate Death Worship" (the title says it all...) is way more powerful, guitar dominated and keyboards only get used to fill in certain parts of the songs or to create a specific atmosphere in the background. If it wouldn't be such a bad timing (everyone's switching from Black to Death at the moment), not really a bad decision as LIMBONIC ART's material sounds a lot more matured and crushing because of that. They mostly still stick to pretty long tunes though and luckily have also remained true to their "black" approach in the fast parts as well as in the always great vocal delivery (one of the tracks even features a guest appearance of Attila Csihar - TORMENTOR, MAYHEM etc.), while the slower, technical riffing partly has a big MORBID ANGEL feel to it. Somehow it's kinda weird - while I really admired the atmospheric / symphonic parts on their older albums (which even ended up becoming a big LIMBONIC ART trademark), the keyboards we get to hear in the new tracks often sound pretty cheesy (same goes for the programmed drumming, which they really should get rid off pretty quickly). But all in all this release has still enough potential to live up to the high expectations we all have in LIMBONIC ART, and if you listen really carefully "The Ultimate Death Worship" is nothing but the logical follow up to the band's 1999 full length "Ad Noctum / Dynasty Of Death" (which already came across quite similar sounding). Oh, and for all you die hards out there - the vinyl version once again features a bonus track ('Voyage Of The Damned'). Go here to order it.

Frank Stöver

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LIMBONIC ART
Phantasmagoria
(Candlelight Records)
71:02min

There are only a few Norwegian bands which influenced the Black Metal cosmos the way LIMBONIC ART have done. The duo Daemon and Morfeus has distributed a great share to today’s understanding of symphonic Black Metal and their releases, starting with their 1996 “Moon In The Scorpio” debut up to “Ad Noctum – Symphony Of Death” from 1999, are worth to be called true masterpieces. But the sands of time are merciless and during the last decade a lot of things changed, starting with more or less drastic musical developments into quite darker areas up to the final death in 2003 and the ‘predicted’ resurrection in 2006. Finally in 2010 the second release after the split is giving birth and again big developments have taken place. The everlasting duo is history and only Daemon remains and he’s presenting over an hour of material which is really a step forward due to the fact that it is musically a step backwards. The symphonic side has taken command again and the presented 12 tracks are in no way a disappointment for the remaining fans of this band even if exactly this step backward and the resulting similarities with former releases are giving me great headaches. There are parts which I can easily connect with specific songs from their discography and this is the sad prove that tracks like 'When Mind And Flesh Departs' - which even after over a decade still sends shivers down my spine – are definitely history. “Phantasmagoria” is for sure a solid release, and recorded by any newcomer the album would deserve a mild praise, but LIMBONIC ART are one of the last remaining dinosaurs of the great era of Black Metal and therefore my / the musical standards are different. For all further info check out www.myspace.com/officiallimbonicart, www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

Matthias Auch

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LIVIDITY
...'Til Only The Sick Remain
(Morbid Records)
30:26min

US porn grinders LIVIDITY's history reaches back to 1993. Today they're with Morbid Records and I like the music indeed. It's strongly influenced by (early) CANNIBAL CORPSE and the production (Mercenary Digital Studio) supports the brutality a lot. Somehow the band also reminds me a bit of MORTICIAN due to the deep voice and the movie samples. Of course, LIVIDITY use (rather silly) porn- instead of horror samples. Hit me, but I don't see any sense in that concept: personally, I don't get the connection between Death Metal and porn movies... When I'm putting on a Metal record I want to listen to METAL and not get horny (and I'm dead sure those samples wouldn't succeed anyway)! For people into both genres this CD (no vinyl planned, as far as I can see) might be a good choice. I doubt I would have bought this for two reasons: the aforementioned one plus the rather short running time. Still, I'm glad to have "...'Til Only The Sick Remain" as the music is really crushin'. By the way: LIVIDITY will be on tour in Europe in September 2002. http://lividity.imess.net/. On sale here.

Ramon Claassen

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LÖNNDOM
Fälen Från Norr
(Eisenwald Productions)
45:00min

S.Sandström and A.Petterson are already wellknown because of their work with ARMAGEDDA, one of the best bands when it comes to unholy Black Metal in the vein of old Darkthrone. But these two guys do not seem to be bored of working together and, after VOLKERMORD, LEVIATHAN (SWE) and LIK, they again come up with a new project called LÖNNDOM, which has in fact some strong similarities to LIK. Knowing this made me put the CD in my player instantly, as this band always attracted my attention with their Folk Metal / Rock that can't deny a strong influence of ISENGARD and STORM. But LÖNNDOM isn't a LIK clone; while LIK has more of a folkloric, warriorlike and patriotic spirit, this new project is based on melancholy and simply perfect to evoke the landscapes of their country, and still having some similar influences, we could say that they are more in the middle of the most melancholic Folk and minimalist and depressive Black Metal. There are some key points in their songs, starting with the vocals, with a lot of character, and due to the Swedish lyrics they have that raw and sharp touch, as much when they are using the clear and downtuned ones but also when they border the blacker cries. On the other side there are the melodies of the guitars, which reflect the biggest Folk influence, and which at the same time are bringing together the black art when they include some speed. But this is not usual and the few times they do it is in a very melancholic and depressive way. In fact, the songs have a really interesting structure, as they are most atmospheric and with a really definite rhythm by the Folk tones, so Nordic, that adds a really groovy rhythm to them. They are really easy to listen to, but they know really well when they have to enter aggressiveness or drown deep in blackness and atmosphere. As it used to be with recordings of this kind, they chose a simple production. The guitars seem to have some slight reverb and the bass mostly marks the rhythm in a mononotous way, as well as the drums can be heard a bit far (it wouldn't make too much sense to give them a leading role, giving a more "brutal" touch to the sound), but it still sounds pretty well, not like a can. As ARMAGEDDA unfortunately won't continue with their career, we'll still be able to enjoy this new project, which starts really well with "Fälen Från Norr"... We'll see what comes next. The CD was released by Nordvis Productions and it will be released on LP now by Eisenwald, including a limited EP. www.eisenton.de

Jeroni Sancho

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LOITS
Vere Kutse Kohustab (Obliged By The Call Of Blood)
(Ledo Takas Records)
55:16min

LOITS’ main problem is the lack of variation, which is a sad fact since much else surrounding this Estonian Heathen / Black Metal band is filled with quality. The sound is strong, the band has an identity and it feels like they really put some effort behind their expression. There are some normal vocals here and there, such as in 'Kodu'. I don’t know if LOITS’ singer has done some song lessons, but in order to improve he should. In my opinion the grim vocals are way better. A point is that since all lyrics are in their native tongue, it could easily be that fact which makes the normal vocal sounding rather strange to my ears. No matter reason, I don’t think they are strong. But the main vocal is, as said, way better and comparable to Storm’s of MASTER'S HAMMER. They are very grim, and due to the Estonian pronunciation it feels like the vocals are even grimmer than most Black Metal singing. But somehow I think the vocals don’t fit the music. It’s like the music is too rockish and straightforward for such a grim vocal. At times, such as in 'Oskar Ruut' I sense some DARKTHRONE, in other times I feel the more raw and punkish attitude of in example MOTÖRHEAD. Back to the opening of this review. I think the album as a whole is too monotonous. The music is performed mostly in mid-tempo and even though the inclusion of some keyboards helps a bit I still find the music a tad too repetitive. Of course I notice the difference between various tracks, like 'Võitluslipp' is different from 'Raiugem Ruunideks', but when the album is finished I’m left with an impression of an album that is too simple for my taste. Add to this that it is too rockish for me, and sum is that “Vere Kutse Kohustab” is not an album that adds something to my life. All this said, I also think it is an album that should be checked out since it has a good sound and the band has an own identity. It may affect your life. www.loits.org

Roy Kristensen

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LONGING FOR DAWN
A Treacherous Ascension
(Grau)
48:00min

This is heavy stuff which is served by Longing for Dawn from Canada. Only 4 songs but with a total length of 48 minutes. After 3 minutes of the first song the first riff starts. This is slow, really slow and really deep and massive. The band builds minatory sound walls with ultra deep grievous growls, guitar riffs crawl tenaciously out of the stereo and marching drums. This sound tries to touch your deepest senses and puts you down to the ground. The lyrics are as depressed as the whole music. The Canadians take you on a melancholy, soul destroying and depressive trip. This is no stuff for sweet-tempered people. For fanatics of funeral Doom this is a must have. For all others it can be worth to engage oneself on this journey. But note if it is too hard, you are too soft. www.longingfordawn.ca. You can order it here.

Stefan Hagmayer

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LONGING FOR DAWN
Between Elation And Despair
(Grau Records)
52:13 min

Ah...Funeral Doom. I must confess I have already put this genre in dark recesses of my memory. Once my favourite, in a last few years it has, sadly, become stale with not too much going on. Then I got this for review and thought, maybe this record can change a few sceptic minds like mine. Let's see. LONGING FOR DAWN is a Funeral Doom band with ambient touches and a strong atmosphere. They come from Canada, consisting of five members, of which three played in the Black Metal band VENEFICIUM. "Between Elation And Despair" is a record that has all the elements required of good Funeral Doom. It envelopes almost the whole spectrum of emotions that fans usually look for in this genre - it is romantic and full of pain, it is harsh and ambient and, of course, slow and crushing. When I say slow I mean snail-paced dark tonic for the crestfallen among us. When I say crushing I am referring to the emotion of a death and decay of soul that stays with the listener throughout the album and long after. Not so heavy on the guitar part, it is heavy on the amount of desolation it carries. Desperate death growls, epic riffs and mournful lead guitar are definitely high points here. The lead guitar sound is similar to the one used by the band THE ETHEREAL - it is otherwordly, totally alien, wailing and heavy with inhuman sadness. I am not sure if this will save the genre but if you need a slowdown and something reflective in your Metal world, this dark offering is surely one to turn to. For the dark and lonely. www.myspace.com/longingfordawn

Branko Matijaševic

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LONG VOYAGE BACK
II
(Modern Invasion Music)
41:21min

Does anyone still remember Philip Gresik? No? Well, I bet you do! This guy used to be the bass player on the debut by Australia's Thrasher HOBBS ANGEL OF DEATH in 1988 and as far as I remember was also connected to DESTROYER 666 as well somehow later on (but don't quote me on that...). LONG VOYAGE BACK is his solo project and after having released a self-titled mini CD already, he finally comes up with his first full length, simply entitled "II". Unlike his past musical activities, LONG VOYAGE BACK is not aggressive, fast or thrashy – it's actually the total opposite of that! Very relaxed sounding, moody and midpaced material, with simple heavy riffing and a ritual like vocal delivery, a little similar to TORMENTOR's Attila maybe. It's very difficult to put a label on his unique sounding compositions, so just let me tell you that you need to be very open minded to get into it. It's very melodic, but never wimpy sounding; catchy, but not in a mainstream way and also kinda groovy, but not like any of the annoying modern type bands are doing it. All in all a cool record to relax to if you hate to listen to commercial music but need a break between your latest Grindcore purchases. Further info from MODERN INVASION MUSIC, P.O. Box 1417 M, G.P.O. Melbourne, AUSTRALIA 3001, e-mail: hailmim@alphalink.com.au. You also may order it here.

Frank Stöver

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LORD
Hell’s Fucking Metal
(Weird Truth Productions)
31:30min

Sometimes I feel attracted towards a particular band in the first place for some elements that have nothing to do with the music itself. When I randomly picked up acts from the www.myrrthronth.de list, the name LORD (simple and very evocative) retained my attention, and then I surged on their website. All what I saw (the pictures, the influences revealed and even the very cool and elegant logo, all these things being very evocative and telling a lot) convinced me that this French band was worth to listen to. The samples on offer on the site confirmed the valour of LORD, so I ordered this album without any delay. To keep the things simple, in case you miss the golden era when EACH album in the Metal from the dark side field was important, full of eerie atmosphere and black energy, look no further because LORD is here. Figure this out: mix early BATHORY, early DESTRUCTION (“Sentence Of Death”), a tiny dose of early CELTIC FROST (in the few slow passages) plus some Norwegian Black Metal bits and pieces, add personal talent and ideas to round up the things, and a masterpiece comes out in the form of this album (the sophomore one of the band). The LORD people are here to declare their passion for Metal and nothing else, and this is plainly obvious while listening to this seven tracks offering. In fact I am respectful towards people like that, who dedicate their lives for the cause of our beloved music. And believe me, we are facing a major release here! Expect a really good sound which compliments superiorly crafted songs. Among the standout tracks (although there is no filler here) I would like to cite 'Hell’s Fucking Metal' and 'Tormentor, Die By My Will', which make tribute to the scene of old and induced intense breakneck sessions at my home), while 'Apocalyptic Death Spell' illustrates best the LORD love for the Scandinavian scene. The main quality of this album lies in the fact that once the listening session comes to its end, the songs will stay engraved in your mind like in the old days. The band is now a three piece, with a woman (Countess Hoggsogoth) at the guitar duties. Bassist / vocalist Charon graces us with a fantastic vocal performance; his voice could be seen as a mix of regular Black Metal shrieks with Schmier-like screams! And the drumming courtesy of Armageddon is tight and adds catchiness to the whole. I could praise this one for hours, it is the biggest surprise for me this year. I know that you the readers are facing tons and tons of so-called “essential” albums praised by a newsstand press sold to the interests of big labels. So do yourselves a favour, check out the mp3 on offer on the LORD website, I let the music do the talking, it speaks for itself really. Here are the necessary tools of information: http://lord.blackmetal.online.fr, and if you are interested to buy “Hell’s Fucking Metal”, I advise you to contact the band directly at lord.blackmetal@free.fr for sure reply (it is what I did to order). Bow to your knees and obey the LORD! 

Edouard Vergriete

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LORD BELIAL
Scythe Of Death (MCD)
(Metal Fortress Entertainment)
20:46min

Musically this is a really good release. LORD BELIAL show how melodic Black Metal can sound without any keyboards. Creepy atmosphere on rather slow songs or even hymns. Cool dark artwork. There are four tracks on this CD limited to 1666 copies. 3 brand new tunes that remind me a little of DISSECTION. The slow, almost doomy title song lasts for seven minutes and also shouldn’t be shorter. ‘Black Void’ has a typical Black Metal blast beat but also gets slower in the middle part. ‘Possessed By Fire’ has a sort of Pagan or rather old school Black Metal feeling and you can easily shout along at concerts. The last track, musically a cool headbanger called ‘Purify Sweden’ is the tricky one: No Fashion Records didn’t want to release this one. Well, the bottom line in the lyrics is not to kick out or kill foreigners in a Nazi way but to start a crusade against non-Swedish religions like Christianity, Buddhism or Islam. So the overall tone seems to be against all sorts of religions and being a Black Metal band: why not? It even seems less one track minded than just to hate Christianity. Ha, I bet the band’s gonna hate me if I call them open-minded. What weakens my position is the sort of nationalistic (is that the right term?) tone and that the band especially seems to hate muslims. Apart from that, the chorus is problematic as the listener is told to kill. Of course this can all be cliché and I’m sure we had worse lyrics en masse but that doesn’t make those lines less stupid. First of all: they make sort of ‘politics’ more important than the music. Secondly: why can’t people just decide what they’re gonna believe in? Isn’t this what the trouble in the world is all about? Kill someone for his religious beliefs? If this is just a cliché, let me tell you I rather listen to ‘True’ Metal sword & sorcery clichés than to stupid shit like that. Decide for yourself whether you need this one or not. The music is good.

Ramon Claassen

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LORD BELIAL
The Black Curse
(Regain Records)
52:35min

Black Metal is still a very young Metal genre but during the last five years for a lot of people it became quite obvious that only a handful of bands can still offer something new and unique to this style. Luckily the Metal world is not as black as it seems because there are still bands which from the start had released killer albums and kept this quality level with all their releases. LORD BELIAL is without doubt a band which needs to be called a Swedish Black Metal institution and overall are all 7 band releases worth a try. From the glorious old days of  “Kiss The Goat” with the moon touched melancholy of the mid 90s to the furious Divide and Conquer times of their third release “Unholy Crusade” and the last releases via Regain Records in a more a less annual rhyme, the band has been a driving force in the Swedish scene. ”The Black Curse” is a typical LORD BELIAL release but in some way it seems like an improved weapon of Metal mass destruction summarising all the evil, passion and musical knowledge we can expect from this four Swedish maniacs. The release is full of real highlights with so many side remarks to older times, for example ‘Trumpets of Doom’ is a very symphonic song but on the other hand for sure the most aggressive one since years, ‘Inexorable Retribution’ is a great Metal song with a fantastic solo and with ‘Ascension To Lilith ‘ we go back to the roots of this band. Only minus point is the disappointing cover (just think about the great cover of “Enter The Moonlight Gate”) which is reminding me of old Invasion Records times – but luckily is “The Black Curse “ musically the best LORD BELIAL album since ten years and a bad cover cannot change the overall impression of one of the real highlights of 2008. www.regainrecords.com, www.lordbelial.com

Matthias Auch

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