LOST SOUL
Übermensch (Death Of God)
(Osmose Productions)
36:38min

I praised this phenomenal band yesterday, and I can’t help to  do just that now. "Scream Of The Mourning Star", their precedent album, was already a fantastic slab of fresh sounding devilish Death Metal, but I was afraid LOST SOUL might have disbanded, since I heard no news from their camp for two years. Fortunately, here they are again, stronger than ever with this gem. Twelve tracks of uncompromising  and relentless Death Metal that blows everything away! Honestly, I see LOST SOUL as a major contender for the crown of King of Death, so much this album shows intensity and musical mastery. All the tracks (discarding four short instrumentals and the song ‘Soul Hunger’) are played at frantic speed, but the remarkable  production  by Arek Malczewski especially underlines a surprising presence of melody for a so brutal release. Just listen to the mid part of ‘To The New Light!’ , you will hear a superbly executed guitar solo accompanied by crystalline keyboards and then you will grasp the essence of what “Übermensch” really is: brutality with a touch of finesse. Indeed, the use of keyboards add a lot to LOST SOUL music, they are more present now than before (when samples were rather employed), but never to the detriment of the overall raging fury LOST SOUL display so perfectly. Some parts of this release may evoke Black Metal atmospheres (some guitar harmonies even conjures the ghost of the mighty DISSECTION), let’s say LOST SOUL walk backwards the way another fantastic band like VESANIA (by the way, read Frank’s review about them, then buy their debut!!) march on, in the sense the former taint their Death Metal with a Black Metal touch, while the latter do quite the reverse. I wonder what could stop LOST SOUL's crusade for total annihilation in the future, because they deserve nothing else than praises and pledges of allegiance. Poland is known for its vast reservoir of talented bands, but frankly LOST SOUL blow out the vast majority of their country mates (yes, even VADER) with this perfect new album,  without speaking of their rivals elsewhere in the world who can seriously fear them! This review is already much too long I am afraid, because what can you say about perfection? Essential.

Edouard Vergriete

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LOST SOUL
Chaostream
(Wicked World / Earache)
46:02min

There's something about the Polish way of Death Metal that makes me smile. It's always brutal, the sound of almost every album is strong, the musicianship seems just fine and these bands seem to be very confident. Hate, Vader, Behemoth (the best), Decapitated and now Lost Soul. To listen to albums from these bands is every time a journey through a technical landscape that surely makes us impressed. That I personally don't get an orgasm from every release is more a matter of taste than not being impressed by the performances. "Chaostream" is definitely a Polish Death Metal album and contains all the necessary ingredients. There are brutal songs, fast songs, heavy songs, and they're all wrapped into a fine production that makes the music come forth. There's really nothing that feels out of place on the productional side of this release. So, what's buggering me? I think it's the BEHEMOTH - syndrome. No matter how high quality of these bands is, they will always be compared to the finest from BEHEMOTH (and VADER to a certain extent). And a track like 'Angel's Cry' is brutal, but doesn't reach the league of in example "Demigod" or other fast tracks from the same titled album. 'Christian Meat' is a heavy track that goes on in the same direction for mere five minutes, but never feels boring, and it's with such a track LOST SOUL has the strength. They are even more brutal when they slow down for a few minutes. Such a fine Death Metal track makes the rest of the bunch a bit sloppier, despite being faster in general. Overall, "Chaostream" is too fast for its own good, and when the album clocks in at 46:02 minutes I can't help that the feeling of being a bit bored occurs in the end. So, that their technical ability contains a high level, as we're used to from Polish Death Metal, doesn't impress me enough anymore. I need a certain dose of originality and difference to become a fan.

Roy Kristensen

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LOWBROW
Victims At Play 
(Hammerheart / Crook'd Records)
58:21min

Allen West has turned into some very busy guy ever since his OBITUARY days... After he's been constantly writing and playing with SIX FEET UNDER for a while, he immediately formed another project called LOWBROW, together with former NASTY SAVAGE members Curt Beeson (drums) and Ben Meyer (lead guitar). The line-up was completed by Scott Carino on bass (who toured with DEATH a few years ago) and ex-OBITUARY roadie Rich Hornberger on vocals. Their debut album "Victims At Play" features 11 really cool oldschool Death Metal tracks that are musically very close to SIX FEET UNDER / OBITUARY. So, if you consider yourself a die hard fan of Allen's playing style, you shouldn't hesitate for a second to get yourself a copy of this as well. Cause despite the factor of unoriginality, it's a quite solid record, reasonably well produced by ex-OBITUARY bandmate Donald Tardy in the famous Morrisound studios. I just hope that Ben Meyer's input in the songwriting will increase a bit more in the future, cause the result could sound a lot more interesting and unique. Too bad that the cover / packaging is rather poor and the playing time, that your CD player is gonna present you, a fake. From the 58:21 minutes you'll have to take away approx. 15 minutes of silence between track #11 and the following 1:05min long silly secret bonus track. Verrrry funny... Latest news: Scott Carino is no longer a member of LOWBROW. He was replaced after the recordings of the CD by ex - NASTY SAVAGE / AGENT STEEL / GARDY-LOO fourstringer Richard Bateman!

THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE
Burn! (Demo)
(self-financed)
22:10min

I met singer Erik (formerly of PRE MORTEM) at the Wacken Open Air 2004 and this time he gave me this first demo of his new Death Metal band THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE. The second one is already scheduled for the end of 2005. What we get on “Burn!” is pretty far from PRE MORTEM: a lot more straight and back to the roots. The opening track ‘The Stench Of Your Bloodline’ is the fastest one: particularly European and very oldschool with a catchy and powerful chorus. ‘I Am The Law’ is slower: a mid tempo crusher for drinking beer, banging that head of yours and screaming along the vocals. Nice melodic lead guitar that doesn’t get too sweet. ‘Dei Gratia’ has quite a Swedish touch I think. Reminds me a little of early HYPOCRISY hymns with a short calm passage in the centre. The beginning of ‘In A Bloodstained Paradise’ reminds me a little of BOLT THROWER but I can’t recall a single BOLT THROWER song being as slow as this one and, of course, not that groovy. Maybe it’s the sinister approach to melody. The chorus is pretty orgasmic. Nice thrashy part, by the way. The final blast ‘I Am The Iconoclast’ already starts out with an orgasm before it first turns into a headbanger, then a neckbreaker before the easily memorable chorus comes and a beautiful solo lets the tears running. I think Erik mentioned they use a contrabass. Actually, the last few notes on “Burn” belong to that instrument alone. Concerning Death Metal, people who are (or at least feel) at least as old as me and who like their stuff slow are probably gonna like THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE quite a bit. They’re one of the first bands confirmed for Fuck The Commerce 2006, by the way. www.tlp-pla.net

THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE
Flamethrower (Demo)
(self-financed)
25:29min

Here comes my second apology for today going out to Dutch Death Metal bastards THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE. Aeons ago I received their second demo and now - finally - I fulfill my long due duty. Just like its predecessor, "Flamethrower" shows that groovy Death Metal doesn't have to get boring as there are still enough possibilities for varying one's songs. 'The Violence' offers the perfect groove while 'Down' comes up with an excellent solo (don't you agree Metal needs good solos?). 'Breaking The Spell' is a pretty catchy straight forward headbanger whereas 'Adrenalin' is probably gonna make me 'dance' - right, Earik? Cool changes of the groove, by the way. And solos! Definitely a great live song. Up to 'Possessed By Christ' I'd never noticed THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE use a real contrabass. Very dominant on here. Catchy 'chorus'. Finally, 'Burn!' will make it hard for cool people not to jump like a Humppa Metal fan. But there's always the option of banging your head or raising your fist instead. Loads of energy and a bassy middle part. Burn! Burn! Burn! Speed freaks keep away, though. Catch THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE live at the Fuck The Commerce Festival 2006 in Germany! www.theluciferprinciple.nl

Ramon Claassen

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LUCTUS
Jaučiant Pabaigą Arti
(Ledo Takas Records)
44:00min

Formed in 2001, this one man band form Lithuania presents here their debut album, recorded with the help of session musicians, thus avoiding horrible programmed drums, which seems to be a part of their early discography. There is always something “exotic” with bands from this part of Europe singing, growling or screaming in their native tongue. The title of this album translated will be “feeling the end close”. According to their myspace bio, the band lyrics are about war, patriotism, nowadays decadence and the dying paganism. So far the sole band leader has moved and relocated to Italy. Now, let’s go to the music. The main core of the band is based on the kind of Swedish Black Metal performed by early MARDUK and early DARK FUNERAL, which might also serve as a primordial reference. There is also a very strong Deathrash influence roaming along, in the vein of SADUS, KREATOR and similar bands. That unholy mixture will be a certain primitive way of describing the sound of the band. To start with, the recording has an excellent balance, sounding quite organic and yet polished, but not as synthetic as to loosing that warmth that pro-tools takes away most of the time. The execution is also very good, and while the band keeps its direct most of the time, there are many killer riffs, rhythm changes and overall a omnipotent presence of power in all the songs. At times, this does reminded me to Czech heroes MASTERS HAMMER, quite probably due to the vocal delivery (in a quite similar way to that of Franta Storm), but also I sense a similar way of arranging, with a certain orchestral touch to it. The band plays usually in the fast region, and they do it with great mastery, without repeating themselves that much, and adding the right tempo changes when needed. What makes LUCTUS to rise above similar bands (STINY PLAMENU comes to mind as in that same style) is that the music has wisdom on merging the right amounts of intensity and melody with a wicked dark aura evolving the performance. This one is also an album that grows every time you listen to it, and is a definite riff festival in devotion to the darkside. I recall the essence that LUCTUS created to the one a band like AVENGER (from the Czech Republic) caused on me: this is a killer release, with great songs, fantastic riffs, and while not original in any sense, it feels like a new breath of demonic air. If you like Black / Death / Thrash Metal played with passion, intensity and that evil touch, look no further. A very strong debut album. www.myspace.com/luctus, www.ledotakas.net

Julián Núñez

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LUCTUS / ARGHARUS
Sonitus Caeli Ardentis (Split CD)
(Ledo Takas Records)
46:32min

Again, this excellent Lithuanian label gives us some stuff of its own country, although this time it's a split CD by two young bands. The first one formed in 2001 (LUCTUS) by only one member, which lives in Rome but hasn't forgotten its country, and has in its live line-up members of bands like FUCK OFF AND DIE!, OSSASTORIUM, GODZERO, NAHASH, GHOULS, THRONE OF DECADENCE or ARS ONIRICA, with two albums and some demos before this. And the second one was formed in 2004 and starts with this CD. Both bands have slight touches that remind the East European Black Metal scene, and some Death Metal riffs too, but I will describe them now. Starting with LUCTUS, since the first moment there are some points that mark the listening. One is how melodic they sound, although dark, a bit like EMPEROR and DISSECTION, but faster and straighter; on the other side, there's the drum sound, a bit "industrial". Altogether, if you can imagine it, we can say it reminds a bit of the first album of UK's ANAAL NATHRAKH and a bit of French AD HOMINEM, because of how mad they sound, especially in fast parts, comparing them to both cases, and for some martial parts which remind of the French, although dissonant midpaced melodies are there too. The production is quite good too, a bit high perhaps, but it doesn't lack in power, and the songs sound quite aggressive, with hatred vocals that give a lot of strength to the lyrics, which, as usual with bands of that country (or the ones I know), are about patriotism and war. Going to the second part of the split, Argharus are not so far from the sound of the first ones, but have some noticeable differences. First, the use a real drumkit, and that gives a different sound to the music, pero they still keep the speed. Their Black Metal is really melodic too, and uses dissonants riffs, but they play a bit more with heavy midpaced parts, and some depressive ones, and generally remind a bit less of the North European scene, they are not typical at all in fact. On their side, they speak about misanthropy and nihilism, and the vocals are not as high. And, as it's starting to be usual with Ledo Takas, the CD, limited to 1313 copies, has a great artwork, with a twelve pages booklet full of drawings and the lyrics of the songs. So, this isn't one of those shitty CDs you can find so easily. So, for the ones liking East European Black Metal, with Northern roots, this is a good fourty-six minutes CD. www.ledotakas.net

Jeroni Sancho

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LUNA AD NOCTUM
Dimness Profound
(Golden Lake)
37:39min

This CD was released in the first place on Pagan Records from Poland but has now been re-issued by British Golden Lake. I doubt that this was necessary. LUNA AD NOCTUM are another band performing what I’d like to call Neo Black Metal, but what probably other would call Symphonic Black Metal. From the intro on I feel reminded of TARTAROS and LIMBONIC ART, some reminiscences are also clearly from EMPEROR or DIMMU BORGIR during their "Enthrone Darkness…" - times. While the ingredients therefore at least in three out of four cases seem to be promising, the result is bringing someone down to earth again rapidly. Everything has been heard before, performed far better – this is completely faceless music. And when the label then has the courage to bring up comparisons to the probably best symphonic Black Metal-album ever released, namely "Anthems To The Welkin'…", this expedition of LUNA AD NOCTUM can only fail. If this is as breathtaking as that album, then the latest BATHORY-outputs are probably milestones of innovation. A new pair of ears for the label-runners, a monthly injected dose of identity for the band and a new triggersound for the studio, please… And, before I forget, unlike the case my CD-player shows me only eight (instead of nine songs) and a decent videoclip of "The Last Coldest Sunset" is on the CD as well…http://www.goldenlakeprods.co.uk

Nhashi

LUNAR AURORA
Elixir Of Sorrow
(The Oath)
54:08min

Due to labelproblems, it took about three years from finishing the recordings to the actual release of LUNAR AURORA’s fifth full-length-album “Elixir Of Sorrow”. Reduced to a three-piece, after their session-drummer had left, they probably did work smoother than ever. The album includes ten songs, of which two mark the pillar of this album with their lengths of more than 11 minutes each, three shorter songs and five instrumental pieces serving as links and / or intros and outros to the other songs. The main thing is that despite this description LUNAR AUORA are from the beginning able to build up tension and keep this up until the very last second. And as the title already suggests it, it is a tension of sorrow. There’s simply nothing positive in this recording. Additionally the songs are really catchy, it is even justified of talking about a certain hit-potential, certainly not in the way you would use this term in pop-music but listen to (the in my opinion absolute highlight of this album) ‘Hier Und Jetzt’, first the guitar-line will catch you up immediately and afterwards the keyboard-line that sets in a bit later will hook you to the place where you are. No escape. And this is already the next aspect that makes this Bavarian horde so unique: beside the general flair for basic but deadly riffs, the use of the keyboards puts them miles ahead of nowadays Black Metal-scene. Discreetly used, they are always able to add a certain haunting and bizarre feeling giving most songs rather a cosmic than an earthly appearance. Additionally I’d also like to praise that the booklet is very stylish again: everything kept in fluorescent green / black, especially the first and last page of the booklet capture the essence of the album, the stripping down to the inner-self. And while I still could praise this album for a long time, I have to add that I still prefer the “Ars Moriendi” - album to his one for two reasons: the first one is the production which I thought was nearly perfect on that album being rougher and even more bizarre and secondly because that album even built up more tension throughout the album than “Elixir…” Since the current is nevertheless blowing to pieces at least 90% of nowadays releases no questions remain. 2004 proves that the triumvirate of the German Black Metal-scene (SECRETS OF THE MOON, KATHARSIS, and, of course, LUNAR AURORA) is getting stronger than ever. And LUNAR AURORA still have a full-length and split-album coming later this year. Already this one is a must-have. www.lunaraurora.de www.theoath.it

Nhashi

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LUNAR AURORA
Zyklus
(Cold Dimensions)
46:38min

If you're checking out our news section on a regular base you will already be aware of the fact that Germany's Black Metal horde LUNAR AURORA decided to start up a label on their own after having experienced many label changes the hard way in the past already (almost each of their previous releases was put out by a different "company")... "Zyklus", the band's sixth full length (recorded already way back in 2002), is their first on their newly founded Cold Dimensions label and from the business side of things really a very difficult task to start with. Due to the fact that there's only four tracks on it, many mailorders / distributors will probably consider it as a mini CD, which it certainly is NOT! In typical LUNAR AURORA fashion, all of the featured tracks are very long in their individual playing time which demands some in-depth listening until you totally get into them. Furthermore there's a rather sophisticated looking packaging (very Black Metal untypical, even without a bandlogo on the front) and almost poetic sounding song titles ('Der Morgen', 'Der Tag', 'Der Abend'  and 'Die Nacht')... All of this certainly won't really help making this an easy marketable product. But does that mean that "Zyklus" is a bad release then? Not at all! It's actually another really strong one! To me LUNAR AURORA have always been very special (otherwise we obviously wouldn't have released their first two albums on Voices Productions back then) as they simply don't give a shit about any trends or rules of the underground. They just follow their own paths and focus on what they always did best, which is writing songs with a very deep emotional impact. When it comes to this certain sinister atmosphere in Black Metal, most people tend to think that all you need is an upfront keyboard, which delivers some bombastic soundscapes and then everything else is not really of importance any longer. WRONG! There's hardly any bands left that are capable of creating a grim and very demonic atmosphere, but LUNAR AURORA is definitely one of them! In this respect "Zyklus" is Black Metal in perfection, despite all the unusual lyrical / visual ingredients. Even though the band occasionally uses keyboards, you hardly notice them as they mainly go for the very harsh, fast and raw style. And that's what they are best at! The sound, the exceptional vocals, the atmosphere – everything's just perfect here. So, if you lost your interest in this genre when bands started to copy DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH while others decided to turn towards a more Rock'n'Roll - ish direction, this is without a doubt an item to regain your enthusiasm! Excellent! www.lunaraurora.de, www.cold-dimensions.de

Frank Stöver

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