MORTAL FUNGUS
Frightening Countries (Demo)
(self-financed)
18:48min

Are you stuck in early 90s Death Metal? Tired of all those soulless technical “faster-harder-louder” bands? Then MORTAL FUNGUS from Italy might be something for you. Formed in 1991 they recorded two demo tapes and then split up. In 1998 original member Frank put the band together again and this is the result: Florida style Death Metal in the vein of OBITUARY, AUTOPSY or NECROPHAGIA (Florida? - Frank). Personally, I miss the force of those bands when listening to MORTAL FUNGUS. They do get the vibe across but the songs don’t necessarily force me to go crazy. Take the bass solo on 'Season Of Survival', for example: it sounds definitely cool but it somehow takes away the drive a little as well. Maybe that’s the (South) European roots and therefore sort of MORTAL FUNGUS’ identity, I guess. Pretty strange (= cool) solo on here in comparison to the rather melodic ones the band prefers to come up with. Plus a solid cover of ‘Service For A Vacant Coffin’. Finally: I don’t find the production on here that bad... sure, with more money it might have sounded differently but I’ve heard much weaker ones as well. Right now the band is rehearsing 3 new songs for the forthcoming “Face Of Terror” CD. Additionally, Frank is re-arranging old MORTAL FUNGUS stuff with original guitarist Dan Romano. www.mortalfungus.com

Ramon Claassen

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MORTAL FUNGUS
Back To The Lambrosary
(Gentle Exhuming Records)
22:28min

For some, it's simply a matter of time, of finally focusing and blossoming into a fully functioning unit. Such was the case for MORTAL FUNGUS, a band that amazingly formed in 1991 and released nothing except a demo tape in 1999, eight years after the band formed. Since then the band released a split with ARKENEMY in 2003 and resumed their prolonged silence. That is, until this year. Gentle Exhuming Records has released, "Back To The Lambrosary", MORTAL FUNGUS's first full length LP. It's fairly clear these songs were written some time ago, i.e. before Death Metal went south in the mid 90s. Of course, there's always the possibility that the songs are fresh, in which case MORTAL FUNGUS deserve to have their name sewn into a flag. Their music is indeed very old sounding with flurries of blast beats so characteristic of Finnish bands like CONVULSE, a deep growling vocal arrangement which sounds like a cross between Kam Lee and Martin Van Drunen, and finally, guitar which, unfortunately, is perhaps the album's biggest detriment. Other than that, a marvelous job. www.myspace.com/gentleexhumingrecords

Nat Shapiro

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MORTAL INTENTION
Abglanz
(Black Blood Records)
46:20min

A cover is the first impression for a listener to the world of every individual artist and band and sometimes it could be misleading like sunshine on a cold winter morning. This is the case with the fourth release of MORTAL INTENTION which (just taken the cover artwork) would lead to a true Black Metal Band inspired by Swedish ultra fast die hard speed maniacs - but luckily the wind is musical wise blowing from a complete different direction. The German band is on the run since 1996 and knowing not a single demo you can still hear on their new album “Abglanz” that a guitar solo is nothing uncommon to them. The music is nearly incomparable with any single band, it’s more or less a wild run through 15 years of German Black Metal underground with side steps to early band like EMINENZ (keys), EISREGEN (some vocals), IMPENDING DOOM and you can feel in every tune / hymn the idea to enter unknown pathways of common Black Metal. MORTAL INTENTION furthermore understand the use of keys as a instrument supporting the main instruments and not the other way around. So “Abglanz” has become a very epic release with a lot of great songs and surprises behind every oaken door so if your Metal soul is searching for something different take a closer look. www.Black-Blood-Records.de, www.mortalintention.de

Matthias Auch

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MORTEM
Decomposed By Possession
(Merciless Records)
37:06min

MORTEM from Peru is apparently also still alive and deliver some pretty good old fashioned Death Metal on their already third longplayer if I'm right. "Decomposed By Possession" is a rather solid and entertaining Death Metal album, I just wished that the drumsound would be a lot better as that point is rather weak. But for the rest this is really ok and worth to listen to.

Steven Willems

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MORTEM
De Natura Daemonum
(Iron Pegasus)
41:18min

You had to wait almost five years untill the predecessor of "Decomposed By Possession" by Peru's MORTEM was unleashed upon the worldwide hellbangers. I assumed already the worst case scenario that this oldschool Death Metal outfit vanished into thin air and split up. Luckily this didn't happen. Thanks to Costa of Iron Pegasus the band is anno 2005 able to deliver us an absolute lethal dose of relentless, diabolic Death Metal again. I have no idea why, but everything sounds rougher, more bestial if bands from South America are playing this style of music. And that's great! The squad from the Andes massacres like a horde of berzerkers through the ten tracks which are all in the tradition of late 80s / early 90s Death Metal and all wannabe bands outthere can give their instruments already to the junkyard. You will never be able to reach this feeling and the raw intensity. MORTEM absolutely know how a good song has to sound like. Every break and riff fits perfect. Raw and aggressive! The technical skills and level are top and that the band has the right attitude you can already hear from the first riffs. There are really not many bands out there anymore who are able to capture the feeling of this kind of Metal. Their furious assault is supported by the authentic production which even strengthens this oldschool feeling. The sound is excellent but without being too overproduced. The guitars are fast forward and have enough pressure. The merciless drumming will give you the rest. I don't want to highlight any of the songs as you have to listen to the entire album. Warriors which can't get enough of bands and sounds like POSSESSED, DEATH, old MORBID ANGEL and others must own this longplayer. "De Natura Daemonum" is a MUST for every oldschool banger. Hail to the Gods of Metal, hail to the Metal of Death!!!

Michael Oelschlegel

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MORTICIAN
Domain Of Death
(Relapse Records)
36:50min

Deep, deeper, MORTICIAN! Talking about MORTICIAN, everything is even a bit more extreme: the guitars are much deeper as well as the vocals and not every band is as fast as these sickos. Some people may find MORTICIAN ridiculous, quite a few don't. Personally, I like the fact that they usually introduce their songs with sequences from horror films - this creates an atmosphere a movie might not have due to the visual effects' poor quality, etc. The following rage of course would be an excellent sound track for such movies (please don't wake me from my dreams). For those of you who are into MORTICIAN and don't have "Domain Of Death" yet: there are two things I don't like about the new one. First of all: the cheap sounding drum computer (better on "Hacked Up...", for example). Secondly, the short playing time. There are even two (cool) cover versions on here (PUNGENT STENCH and DISASTROUS MURMUR). Hey, guys, this isn't really what I would call a long player! Apart from that you can say that if you already like MORTICIAN, the new songs are not going to disappoint you. If you don't know them yet it looks like this one is easier to get than the others, so check it out. Are you ready to enter the domain of death?

Ramon Claassen

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MORTIFILIA
Redemption
(Mondongo Canibale Records)
33:09min

FUCKYEAH! Finally! Mondongo Canibale has a band worth writing about! I have to tell you I started to feel a bit bad with the continuous slaughter of this record label's roster of bands reviewed herein. As this company obviously has enough finances and dedication for each band it carries, not to mention the level of quality that is in fact present within the production and manufacture of each record they put out, quality enough to stagger even those who work at RELAPSE, CENTURY MEDIA, NUCLEAR BLAST, etc. However, the suicide factor of these compact discs from Mondongo Canibale, were and are the actual bands that were chosen for release. As a listen to each of the bands on Mondongo's roster provoked this listener into fits of nausea, as each one of these acts just ate from the proverbial bucket of shit, that is until now! From Susice, Czech Republic hail MORTIFILIA. The undisputed hellions of their township and valid challengers to the Death Metal crown that their fellow countrymen, the Death masters KRABATHOR, have had an iron will to hold onto since the early '90s! MORTIFILIA conjure up a sick blend of heavy and precision delivered Swedish styled Death Metal in the wake of old DISMEMBER, AT THE GATES and DESULTORY with a vocalist soundly reminiscent of Johan Hegg of AMON AMARTH. MORTIFILIA is a breath of life to this rotted soul! Contact: Pavel@mortifilia.cz or www.mortifilia.cz or www.mondongocanibale.com or Mondongo Canibale Records, P.O. Box 27106, 28080 Madrid, Spain. 

Wes Rhodes

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MORTUARY
Where Death Takes Your Soul (LP)
(Utterly Somber Creations)
approx. 36:50min

Aarrggh! Completely sick and evil Death / Thrash (think "Hell Awaits" era SLAYER, "Pleasure To Kill" era KREATOR and POSSESSED - like vox and structures), released on noble vinyl only, by Utterly Somber Creations out of Chicago. Some of you may be familiar with MORTUARY from their classic thrashing debut album "Blackened Images" released in '92 on the infamous Turbo Music label. It contains the songs from their "W.D.T.Y.S" demo, including two ripping songs previously unheard by me: 'Black Superstition' and 'Auschwitz-Birkenau' (NOT a pro NS song!) plus some great sounding, but still raw live tracks that showcase this band's tight, fierce brand of evil Thrash Metal and shows bands like FUELED BY FIRE and BONDED BY BLOOD how it should be done!! Also included is a not very tight but still good POSSESSED cover of 'The Eyes Of Horror' where the lead guitarist nails the guitar solos without having to go study under that jackass Joe Satriani!!!! Get this now!! Contact: angeldelujuria@msn.com

Luis M.l. Sallard

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MORTUARY TEMPLE
Demo 1
(Cold Dimensions)
41:48min

MORTUARY TEMPLE originally started out as a full band a couple of years ago, but over the course of time evolved into a one man project, lead by ex - LUNAR AURORA drummer Profanatitas who also handles all instruments and vocals on this debut release. "Demo 1" features five intros / outros as well as four rather long songs of which 'Into The Ruins Of Kandor' even reaches the impressive playing time of 16:29 minutes! This mostly pretty midpaced track, kicks off very straight'n'simple and needs about ten minutes to speed up for the first time (and that doesn't even mean highspeed blasting). The overall style of MORTUARY TEMPLE could be described as pretty basic, thrashin' oldschool Black Metal, with a very raw feel to it, a grim vocal delivery and occasionally incorparated (but never overused) creepy keyboard sounds. What I really appreciate about this release is the fact that it still has this very honest and totally dedicated feel to it... something that a lot of bands nowadays seem to have lost. So, the more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed the material. The (advance) CD-R I received additionally features a cover of PROFANATICA's 'I Arose' (not included on the official tape version and in the above mentioned playing time), but for some strange reasons in an instrumental version...?! Anyway, the quality of the "band's" own material speaks enough for itself, so don't hesitate to pre-order a copy directly from www.cold-dimensions.de (official release date: September 18, 2005). For those of you who're constantly interested in the latest gossip let me tell you that Profanatitas also plays in another, no name project nowadays, together with original LUNAR AURORA drummer Nathaniel, who switched over to guitar in the meantime (for health reasons). But even though it is supposed to be very raw and brutal stuff, no recordings or anything are planned from what I understood...

Frank Stöver

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MORTUARY TEMPLE
Demo II
(self-financed)
23:00min

According to MORTUARY TEMPLE's brainchild (and one and only member) Profanatitas "Demo II" is not actually meant to be a real second demotape, but should just be seen as a sign of life... Well, no matter how you're gonna call it, musically it definitely is a big step forward (at least based on my personal narrow minded taste). The songs have been reduced to the max in every aspect this time: shorter individual playing times, no moody keyboards, no interludes – just straight forward, very primitive and raw oldschool Black Metal with an impressive grim overall feel to it. What you get here are 4 songs, plus an instrumental intro and outro (both regular entitled though) and all of 'em really made my day. It actually happens very rarely lately that you get to hear bands of this kind as most of them are obviously more concerned to develop their style into a more complex, thrashier or bombastic direction. Well, MORTUARY TEMPLE luckily went into the opposite direction and are furthermore a very good proof that Black Metal still works best with a "production" that has this dungeon type feel to it, rather than a crystal clear studio sound. Promising! The demo sells for 4,-Euro (ppd.) from this address: M. Lang, Georg-Staber-Ring 7, 83022 Rosenheim, Germany, email: mortuarytemple@web.de. "Demo I" is still available for 5,-Euro.

Frank Stöver

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MORTUUS INFRADAEMONI
Daemon Qui Fecit Terram
(Cold Dimensions)
49:36min

Sadly this is yet another Black Metal release that doesn’t really offer anything noteworthy. It’s not that it is bad or anything, it’s just that too many of this kind have tried to justify sales without really running the whole nine yards… which after all ain’t that long. I mean, if you don’t manage to create any sort of unique atmosphere, to come up with genuine riffs and / or get a sound that is your own, you better stay in your rehearsal room. Mortuus Infradaemoni consists of two guys known for their activities as drummers in the way better Lunar Aurora and one hired vocalist. If they weren’t good enough for that band, perhaps they should practice quite a lot, play in some other bands until the necessary skills are assimilated. Then they could’ve formed their own band. To me “Daemon Qui Fecit Terram” is, as said, just another Black Metal release in the huge pile of raw, dispiteous and adamant underground Black Metal albums that really do not offer anything else than just some new songtitles and bandnames. I rather stick to the remainders of the band these two drummers used to play for. www.cold-dimensions.de

Roy Kristensen

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MORTUUS INFRADAEMONI
Imis Avernis
(Cold Dimensions)
60:25min

Containing a former member of the much acclaimed LUNAR AURORA, MORTUUS INFRADAEMONI are a Black Metal band firmly entrenched in the spiritual and arcane. With many a serpentine tremelo riff similar to NIGHTBRINGER or, perhaps, DARVULIA, the band waste no time erecting an ethereal world very much their own. One can almost see the panoply of colors and fleeting glimpses of mist swirling round and about a forgotten spire. There are a fair amount of slow, and acoustic passages, all equally evocative and thought provoking. The vocal work is done not with a shriek, nor a bark, not even a nasally snarl, but a shadowed, gravelly dictation of sorts like DODHEIMSGARD used on "Kronet Til Konge". It's a good thing that bands like this still exist; bands who don't waste disc space. A great achievement. www.colddimensions.de

Nat Shapiro

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MOSHQUITO
World's End
(Morbid Records)
46:35min

The East German Thrash legend MOSHQUITO is back with their second album! Founded in the mid 1980s in the communist part of Germany the band released their debut album in 1998 and the follow-up proves that long experience pays out. But if you remember their early demo songs like 'Mosh In Moscow': forget it! There are 15 years in between and MOSHQUITO obviously don't want to live in the past. Their vocalist sounds a bit like Max Cavalera and the whole album is in the vein of bands like MACHINE HEAD and Co. But although I prefer fast in-your -face Thrash by bands like EXODUS and EXCITER to this modern style, "World's End" convinces me in the end because despite all these modern, aggressive and sometimes even kind of progressive grooves, MOSHQUITO don't neglect the speed factor either. And from time to time skillfully used acoustic guitars and keyboards make this CD sound a bit more easy. Good one. If you don't resent a more modern kind of Thrash Metal: check them out. MOSHQUITO are good enough to be talked about not only because of their cult status! I wonder if they still cover 'Penny Lane' on stage.

Ramon Claassen

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MOTIVE
Worn Down Dream
(self financed)
39:30min

"Worn Down Dream", the new full length by Phoenix, Arizona based four-piece MOTIVE should be of interest to all those of you who still worship the godfathers of Thrash Metal, SLAYER! The band has already released another album ("Damned If You Do, Dead If You Don't") and a four song EP, both completely on their own. But I suppose with this new ten-track affair the established labels should definitely take notice, cause the intensity these guys deliver throughout the approx. fourty minutes is very impressive. It seems that they worship SLAYER's "South Of Heaven" album the most, as the more "melodic" parts of the vocals and the songwriting in general reminds me a lot on that period of LA's finest. But MOTIVE are far more than just a highly talented SLAYER inspired Thrash unit. The vocals are most of the time a lot more hateful, partly even Hardcore influenced, and the songs have definitely enough of an own note to them. It's just that certain drum parts, some of the riffing and the way Steve Buschart gets his vocals out - all that together has got this typical SLAYER vibe, which I personally don't mind at all, cause the band consists of talented enough musicians, who are able to compete with many established names already. So, in case you got curious now, feel free to contact the band at these addresses: www.motivemetal.com, email: motive1@worldnet.att.net

Frank Stöver

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MOTIVE
Motive (MCD)
(self-financed)
20:01min

MOTIVE, for those of you unacquainted with them, are a Thrash / Heavy Metal band fronted by Steve Buschart, previously of TRAVAIL. They've released a steady stream of material since 2001, a noteworthy considering that particular style wasn't exactly in vogue. Their EP begins with a NWOBHM inspired lick, and pound into Buschart's vocals, a tough, clearly discernable voice somewhat reminiscent of SAVATAGE on "Handful Of Rain" only much tougher, and occaisionally raspy. Though MOTIVE are far and away a thrashing band, they're very well schooled in other areas. The second track, 'Catastrophic Something', has a fair share of riffs that could fit in a Black or Death Metal song. Following that is 'Substance Abuse', which only further showcases MOTIVE's diverse Metal pallete by employing furious growling, a tender guitar solo opening the song, frenetic soloing, and pounding bass drums. An eclectic band, to say the least, and a good one too. Fans of TRAVAIL rejoice. www.myspace.com/motivemetal1

Nat Shapiro

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MOTÖRHEAD
Hammered
(SPV)
45:46min

As already Beavis & Butthead constantly pointed out: Lemmy rules. There isn't much to add except for: so do Mickey Dee and Phil Campbell! Their latest output is called "Hammered" but it doesn't quite satisfy the expectations a Voices reader might have when hearing the title as this new CD sounds less aggressive than "Snakebite Love", for example. Instead, the record is much cooler, more relaxed and melodic. Some riffs even remind me of the good old days, like "Ace Of Spades" and "Overkill". On the other hand, MOTÖRHEAD have developed over the years: they're better musicians (okay, only Mr. Kilmister is left from the founding days) and I dare say: they're better song writers as well. Still, progression for this band always remains within the boundaries of what MOTÖRHEAD have always been standing for. This time what you get is a thrilling piece of Rock'n'Roll as well as yet another proof that Lemmy wrote more than one song in his life and still does so. Combined with thoughtful lyrics like "(you) don't understand your children so you send them all to jail" (from: 'Brave New World') it's a pleasure to have them back once again. Don't miss the shows!

Ramon Claassen

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MOURNFUL GUST
The Frankness Eve
(Bad Moon Man / Solitude Production)
50:12min

I know for sure that there is only water between Sweden and Finland but nevertheless it's un-avoidable to link MOURNFUL GUST musically just right between both countries. The Ukrainian band is playing melodic Doom Metal and this release is like a good bottle of wine, it's becoming better day by day. If Holy Records would still be an international record company instead of concentrating on their French home country their second release "The Frankness Eve" would for sure be released by them because the band is perfectly fitting into their family. The 8 songs are full of interesting ideas; the music heavily supported by flute and piano and even after listening to the release for several times you can still find additional layers in each song. The singer can also add further emotions by switching between dark shouts and more a clearer voice. This release is reminding me of two great bands from the late 90s; on one hand the great debut of finish Doom kings YEARNING ("With Tragedies Adorned") and on the other hand one of the most underestimated Swedish bands EMBRACED. I know that currently the trend is more or less the ultra Doom direction but melancholy can have so many faces and Funeral Doom is limiting this music to its bare essence. Hope that due to the fact that the album had been released by a smaller Russian label it will get the deserved underground support because musically it's premium Doom Metal. http://solitude-prod.com, www.mournfulgust.com

Matthias Auch

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MOURNING BELOVETH
Dust
(Sentinel Records)
74:56min

When I’m not listening to Death, Black or Thrash Metal, I use to put on more doomy, slower stuff such as SAINT VITUS, CANDLEMASS or the first CATHEDRAL. Now MOURNING BELOVETH can be added to this list. They are a fantastic band from Ireland, whose “Dust” album I will listen to in the coming months, when I feel the need for some really dark, really heavy, really slow and emotional Doom / Death. MOURNING BELOVETH mix old MY DYING BRIDE and SOLITUDE AETURNUS in total perfection!!! The sound is raw, powerful and warm, Darren’s growls are so deep and brutal, that even usual Death Metal fans should be convinced to give this band a serious chance, the clean vocals are also great – they sound in fact like SOLITUDE AETURNUS and easily top the clean parts MY DYING BRIDE’s Aaron delivers. Sounds good, huh? I definitely do not exaggerate, MOURNING BELOVETH are that good!!! A song like the opener ‘The Mountains Are Mine’ or ‘Autumnal Fires’ are sinister, yet melodic masterpieces no Doom / Death fan should miss. The eight songs on “Dust” contain one Demo track (recorded 1998), which actually sounds more like CATHEDRAL’s “In Memoriam” than MY DYING BRIDE and offers even a slight sick feeling. Also an unmixed song from MOURNING BELOVETH’s upcoming effort “The Sullen Sulcus” (will be released on Aftermath Music) can be found here and shows that the band is not about to change on their next depressive piece of art. Well, if you have no problem with the bands I mentioned or are a declared fan of Doom / Death Metal, get this CD and I promise you will not be disappointed. There are not many bands around who play this style in such high quality and I hope in MOURNING BELOVETH’s case this is going to be recognised and honoured! Have a look at their website, because you can listen to some of their material there: www.mourningbeloveth.com  If you look for information regarding the availability of “Dust” surf to the Sentinel Records site: www.sentinelireland.com

Stefan Franke

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MOURNING BELOVETH
The Sullen Sulcus
(Aftermath Music)
65:24min

There have been changes in the house of MOURNING BELOVETH! They left their old label Sentinel Records and went to Norwegian Aftermath Music, but did this affect their Doom / Death music? Well, musically there are only minor differences between “Dust” and their new release “The Sullen Sulcus”, they still play powerful Doom / Death like old MY DYING BRIDE mixed with clean vocals comparable to classic Doom Metal like SOLITUDE AETURNUS, only the production has turned out a bit more clear and transparent. The dark and heavy Doom riffs are once again accompanied by great guitar melodies, some acoustic parts and of course the variable growling vocals, which dominate the album. Personally I think “Dust” was slightly better, because I loved its warm sound and the more often featured clean vocal parts, which have been reduced on “The Sullen Sulcus”. But this should not keep you from checking out this release! Listen to track two ‘It Almost Looked Human’, because with “only” 7 minutes it is by far the shortest song on “The Sullen Sulcus” and should give you a good idea of what you can expect of the album. If you like melancholic Doom / Death like the bands I mentioned or OCTOBER TIDE, old PARADISE LOST and stuff like this, I bet you will not do anything wrong by buying MOURNING BELOVETH’s newest effort. Doom or be Doomed!!! Band’s website: www.mourningbeloveth.com Label’s website: www.aftermath-music.com

Stefan Franke

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MOURNING BELOVETH
A Murderous Circus
(Grau)
75:00min

The Irish Death / Doomsters have turned into a quite productive act within this genre and deliver their third opus with "A Murderous Circus" after the fantastic debut "Dust" in 2001 and their second effort "The Sullen Sulcus" in 2002. While musically retaining more or less the same formula as on "The Sullen Sulcus" the individual playing time of the five songs offered here exceeds anything the band released so far thus turning this album into one that needs time and concentrated listening to fully develop its desperate, gloomy atmosphere, but if you dare to invest this time you'll definitely be rewarded afterwards! "A Murderous Circus" is another strong, extremely diverse album blending influences from MY DYING BRIDE, OPETH with their unique melodic feel and an emotional intensity during the clear sung parts (which were so rare on the 2nd album) that always makes me think of countrymen PRIMORDIAL. The high amount of variability on this work comes from the diverse riffing covering traditional crushing Doom riffs where every single note seems to be a dark eternity, the melancholic guitar melodies that always have been the catchy element in MOURNING BELOVETH's sound (a good example therefore: the opener 'The Apocalypse Machine'). In addition to that there are Darren's incredible vocals ranging from fierce low growls over tormented screams, spoken and whispered passages to the aforementioned capturing clear vocals he uses impressively especially in track four 'Nothing (The March Of Death)', my favourite on this album. Productionwise MOURNING BELOVETH again have a crisp and clear heavy sound, which was forged at Klangschmiede Studio E, thus you can entirely indulge in this long, sinister journey of depression, damnation and shattered hope. So if you're into moderate, perfectly done Death / Doom be sure to give this album a chance and buy it along with its predecessors (if you did not do that already)! There will also be a special edition of "A Murderous Circus" containing a second CD with one of the best MOURNING BELOVETH songs ever entitled 'Part I' which appeared on a split EP with LUNAR GATE and was re-recorded for this release as well as another new song called 'Disintegrate'. www.grau.cd

Stefan Franke

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MOURNING BELOVETH
A Disease For The Ages
(Grau)
55:58min

I first heard of these miserable Irish fuckheads via the last issue of the unforgotten Moondance zine, where their demo was chosen as demo of the month. Not the worst reference, especially since the guy responsible for that magazine at the time seemed almost wholly consumed by Neo-Folk and the likes and despised most Metal. Also their first two albums were very well received by the underground, making them rank pretty high in my imaginary ‘gotta check these guys out sometime’ - list (I’m pretty sure a lot of you are familiar with this kind of nerd-phenomena). Yet it was their third full-length "A Murderous Circus" that marked my first contact with their own special brand of Doom and that bleak monolith of dreariness and submission to suffering surely left some scars. And even if the band calls their new record their darkest offering yet, I feel that this time they added some more shades of black to their sound, compared to said album that was drenched in an aura of grey, impenetrable nothingness. The opener ‘The Sickness’ forces the devout listener to his knees right away, Doom perfection to die for. Compared to "A Murderous Circus" the guitar sound has been unmistakeably beefed up and the whole atmosphere is that of insatiable longing and deeply felt misery. Still the overall atmosphere seems a bit more passionate compared to the rather apathetic hopelessness that dominated their previous offering. Maybe it’s the (sparse) use of clean vocals - which I’ve honestly wouldn’t have missed - that gives this a more classic Doom spin. Not all of the five tracks reach the heights of the humbling opener but every minute of this fine hour of Doom is filled to the brim with noble despair and a spark of timeless grandeur. Feverish - devilish – relevant! www.grau.cd

Torsten Gründig

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MOURNING CARESS
Imbalance
(Arise Records / SPV)
41:25min

…and yet another Melodic Death Metal band I got to like. Maybe Frank should sack me right now ;-) . Yes, MOURNING CARESS from Münster, Germany, are definitely fans of bands such as IN FLAMES, SOILWORK and the likes. What counts for MOURNING CARESS is the fact that they’re good musicians (in comparison to the aforementioned bands, or what? Somehow this should be the first rule for any band before they record ANYTHING but unfortunately it’s not). Furthermore, MOURNING CARESS are pretty good songwriters. Their compositions don’t follow the typical pattern of aggression that most of the hordes of AT THE GATES clones use. Instead, MOURNING CARESS develop a rather unusual sort of melancholy through massive use of clean guitar sounds and pickings. No Finnish melancholy, though, more of a German one (Germans can be terribly melancholic or melodramatic, believe me) that vaguely reminds me of SOILWORK (yeah, I know they’re not German, calm down!). Personally, I’m not so fond of their straight bangers like 'A Lifeless Time' but maybe those songs make the calm ones more intense. 'Falling' is a fucking hit, by the way. Another slight point of criticism is singer Gerrit who gives 100% all the time but tends to forget that even in Death Metal there are more tones than "simply" screaming out one’s lungs. Once again, 'Falling' shows that he can handle dynamics but I’m sure he can do even better. Maybe with a little more time in the studio he might come closer to perfection next time. Generally, I like his suffering voice a quite a lot. "Imbalance" is a truly cool album that I love for its dynamics and depth, so take a look at their homepage: www.mourningcaress.com and try to catch them live because on stage they absolutely rock!

Ramon Claassen

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MR. DEATH
Unearthing (Demo 2008)
(self-financed)
12:52min

Haven't heard a real Death Metal recording done at Sunlight Studio from a newer band in the Last couple of years, right!?! So don't miss this one cause in terms of feeling and sound this four tracker is something like a real reanimation of some classical early 90s Death Metal sins. You already read about Juck and Stefan's musical background in TREBLINKA and early TIAMAT, but making comparisions MR. DEATH sounds much heavier and classical Stockhom styled than their old youth recordings ever did. There's not much of this Black Metal touch from their early days left either. Instead of that this is a real Death Metal crucifixion closer to classics like GRAVE, old GOD MACABRE or GODDIFIED, if you still hail those ones. There's no modern vibes at all, but expect a truly dedicated dark touch with nice variations between heaviness and uptempo parts. Furthermore it comes with some real human touched death grunts that are still understandable. For my personal taste the guitars could have deserved a bit more of this fat classical „Swedish – Grunge” Death Metal distortion, but hey this is just a four track appetizer that raises bloody hunger for more!!! Fuck originality in this case MR DEATH keeps what the names promises. Maniacs into old Swedish elk shit should make sure to click at: www.myspace.com/misterdeathsweden or www.mrdeath.se

Hauber

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MR. DEATH
Detached From Life
(Agonia Records)
31:35min

MR DEATH is another example of the booming Swedish brutality, leaning on the Stockholm-sound. Before I heard this first full length "Detached From Life", I blinked my eyes a few times aware of the line-up. To discover former TREBLINKA / TIAMAT and EXPULSION members Stefan Lagergen and Jörgen Thullberg gave me hope for a resurrection of the godly "Sumerian Cry" era. Well, this is way different (although some riffing do have the same vibe, just listen to 'The Storm' and 'Fin') and "Detached From Life" is way more American brutality oriented! And it turns to be a nice surprise, mixing oldschool with new school elements. (Very) violent riffing, pounding drums and a lyrical diet of death, chaos and blasphemy should please a lot of readers. On top of that you'll get easily washed away by the power in 'Evil Undisputed', 'Fin', 'Muse Of Chaos' and 'Suffer'. MR. DEATH will kick your ass for sure during half an hour in a heavier way than on the "Resurrected In Festering Slime" compilation ('Jesus Christ Fuck'). The aggression is shredding, the sound deafening and the members' long experience satisfying. However, in the end "Detached From Life" had more or less the same impact as MAIM's first platter. The feeling is there alright and so is the brutality but (personally) at first I was missing something, but it starts to grow on you with every spin. Well, maybe not for you and you're less picky! If you're looking for simple, powerful deathbangers stop right here and order "Detached From Life" 'cause it's a helluva record! I'm sure the displayed power will work best and simply destroy in a live situation! Don't know any price, but you can get at most mailorders I guess and check their cool myspace: www.mrdeath.se, www.myspace.com/misterdeathsweden. Curious for their next offering!

Michael Tak

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MUCUPURULENT
Soulreaver
(Morbid Records)
37:30min

Don’t they say that the first impression is important? Well, those electronic drum sounds on the opener ‘Again’ definitely can’t impress me. Grind’n’Roll from Germany. At least it makes my foot move when sitting in my armchair and I can imagine this being fun in a live situation, so check out the band’s homepage for details. Apart from that the music doesn’t really enter my brain and I can’t help but feel that I’m wasting my time as the monotonous vocals always start getting on my nerves very soon. Definitely not a must have. www.mucupurulent.de

Ramon Claassen

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MURDER SQUAD
Unsane, Insane And Mentally Deranged
(Pavement Music)
33:21min

It took them an incredible long time to release an album, that's for sure! MURDER SQUAD is a side project of DISMEMBER and ENTOMBED members and has been around for ages already. I still remember rehearsal tapes of the guys that were circulating many years ago and that (almost?) exclusively consisted of AUTOPSY cover songs. Well, by telling you this, I more or less already gave away the secret of MURDER SQUAD's own musical direction. These maniacs are nothing but die hard AUTOPSY worshippers and with this twelve track release they've quite obviously tried to come as close to the original as possible. "Unsane, Insane And Mentally Deranged" also has this dirty rotten sound and indeed re-captures the sick AUTOPSY feel in a very impressive way. But MURDER SQUAD is not AUTOPSY and Matti Kärki not Chris Reifert. Even though the DISMEMBER frontman really did a fantastic job, he's simply lacking in the insane voice of Reifert. And there's a similar problem with the drumming. Peter Stärnvind is a good drummer, but a big part of AUTOPSY's uniqueness is the drum sound and unmistakable playing style, which MURDER SQUAD didn't fully manage to recapture on "Unsane, Insane And Mentally Deranged". Apart from that, this is a fantastic and extremely raw record that even blows away the latest ENTOMBED and DISMEMBER releases. A record, that every true supporter of brutal oldschool Death Metal simply will adore!

Frank Stöver

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MURDER THERAPY
Symmetry Of Delirium
(Deity Down Records)
33:20min

How many techno-brutal Death Metal bands do we really need? I used to like a few technical elements in music, until I found out that too much was, well, too much. Technical Death Metal, Mathcore and such things, are good to show off how good a player is… but at this time and age, where computers can make your average band to sound like a 10 hours a day rehearsed band, that is really irrelevant. 15 years ago, doing something like this takes a lot of attitude… nowadays it takes just a lot of bits. Really. And while this Italian band sounds like they have mastered their instruments long time ago, and they have a heavy, almost synthetic production, too damn good to be true, the fact is that I get lost between the weird arrangements and their monotonous vocalist. On one hand they try to follow the brutal American Death Metal way, you know CANNIBAL CORPSE, SUFFOCATION, the more technical MORBID ANGEL things, and touches of CYRPTOPSY. On the other they just wanted to show how many riffs and rhythm changes can be done in a song. I think you get the idea. The guitars are heavy and up-front and the drums sound really fantastic, if I must give credit to the band is that the production is very good, but then it also does sound way too perfect to be true.  After a few listening some riffs tend to make sense, but then again, if I play this one on random, things sound all similar. Now, very few bands can come out playing a very high and technical form of music, with NECROPHAGIST does a great work in a similar style, but they also try to make things sound more coherent and straightforward. I am sure there must be some fans for this kind of style, but again it is so limited and really soulless, that most of the bands like in this case, sound the same and without a real identity. Some few riffs sounded to me like PANTERA in essence, and that is exactly some of the stuff I do not want in my Death Metal to be included.  The opener song 'The Scourge' ended up being the best one on this, but things get a bit denser, and at the end you are left with 'Delirum' running at exactly 10:00 minutes which is basically a 5 minute song and then other 5 minutes of noises, silence, and there a quite sinister outro.  This is the kind of Death Metal that will pass on unnoticed; no matter how high are their playing skills. I want my music to be more soul than damn body. www.myspace.com/murdertherapy

Julián Núñez

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MURK
Unholy Presences 
(No Colours Records)
40:26min

Finally a release from No Colours which is not totally worthless but generic! Not that this record will not end as beer coaster but when one receives buckets of insipid crap passed off as music on a regular basis one starts to appreciate the nuances I can tell you. Being totally grim and possibly misanthropic, MURK falls into the glorious category of one-man-bands that have some nice moments here and there but fail to deliver in the end. The vocals sounds comparable to Abbath, the music is mainly mid-tempo to slow with some simple leads here and there and consists of watered-down, darkthronish monotonous riffing mainly apart from four or five moments that actually sound good. To spice things up, a long monotonous keyboard/synth piece reminding reminiscient of old VOND (yes, it is really THAT boring) has been included but seemingly played with just one hand (and that one plastered, if I may add). Hooray! Anything else? Yes, the logo looks like cheap shot at DARKTHRONE and the booklet is black and white…dun-dun-duuun. Actually I wanted to close this review with a rhetorical question why labels and musicians alike seem to be content to defecate releases devoid of substance into this world but as the disc has mercifully stopped spinning I am done and out of here. www.no-colours-records.de

Ulrich Kreienbrink

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MURK
All Is Löst
(No Colours Records)
40:42min

One-man project bands are always lotsa fun to listen to as the history has proved many times before. Well, actually they are only fun to listen to if a) they are seriously well-done and have a drive to sound like a full-fledged band b) you get some strange inner satisfaction to tell people how worthless piece of shits they are. Either way, this one-man Black Metal project act that goes under the name MURK - all the way from Tuscany, Italy, falls into the a-category in my opinion, not so clearly, but it does anyway. Musically we could talk about some crossbreed of bands like HELLHAMMER, DARKTHRONE and JUDAS ISCARIOT probably as the nearest comparisons to MURK, this is naturally left to each listener to decide how they see this 1-man Black Metal band, run by a guy named Lore. "All Is Löst" is MURK's 2nd album, and the songs are basically mid-paced adrenaline runs, full of primite and raw wickedness and grimness of Black Metal. I must give some credits to Lore for handling all the instruments remarkably well for this project, managing to fool obviously many of us that there's a whole string of other members behind this band, too. MURK's songs ooze on "All Is Löst" nothing but a primitive power an energy, having even more clear melody lines in them than one could think of first. Lore's somewhat familiar sounding vocal patters owe a thing or two for such deadly and filthy throats of extreme Metal genre as Tom G. Warrior (HELLHAMMER / CELTIC FROST), Akhenaten (JUDAS ISCARIOT) and I might even throw Martin van Drunen (ASPHYX / HAIL OF BULLETS) throaty vocals in comparison to him. He's got a pretty impressive yet postively varied selection to spit his guts out, and when he uses his whole vocal cavalcade for getting his message through the best possible way in the right environment, depending on each song's nature, it makes the songs to stand out for their own good really. "All Is Löst" is a relatively good Black Metal album, and since there's only one guy behind this project, it makes things a bit more special and more appreciated in my sincere opinion. Good stuff thoroughly. www.myspace.com/darkmurk

Luxi Lahtinen

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MURW
In De Mond Van Het Onbekende Wacht Een Oceaan
(self-financed)
50:00min

Until this very moment in time, I had never heard of MURW or “mellow” as I hear the moniker’s title actually means in Dutch. From Den Haag, The Netherlands, hail this off-shoot group (all the members except the keyboardist) play in the melodic Death Metal band INTESTINE that is currently still active. Like INTESTINE this version of that band, now under a different guise and who have been labeled as depressive Black Metal, still echo what they seem to pine for with INTESTINE in the context of all that is sad, gloomy and painfully brought forth to the listener in melodic albeit tragically exhausting dirges. Of one review I read about this album, the grist of this band's musical wheel was akin to that of KATATONIA and I hear that as well. Also some EDGE OF SANITY inspired twists and turns with even a bit of old AMORPHIS from what I can remember of that ancient band, plus enough of MURW’s own stylistic renderings, that surely bring to mind visions of a fetid sea of rotten old bloated corpses. “In the Mouth Of The Unknown Ocean“ the band’s debut CD seem in at least this reviewers opinion as the natural extension from the four previous demos MURW have created since the band’s inception in 1997. That said aside from the piss poor recording / production of this album, especially in regards to the final mix - absolutely being one of the most horrible that I have had the displeasure to listen to in so many weeks! The vocals delivered on this CD are the only band related issue I have with this act, as they are what junks this album for my tastes. Honestly the high-pitched over done Black Metal rasp / screams just belie all of the essential efforts created for these songs and ultimately fail to grasp sincerity to have MURW taken seriously. Contact: pvdzouwe@yahoo.com or graveyard@hotmail.com or www.murw.info

Wes Rhodes

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MUSEUM OF FEAR
The God In My Closet (MCD)
(Dirge Records)
27:19min

This record was giving me a hard time... Not because it is bad or anything, but simply because of the fact that MUSEUM OF FEAR created such a unique brand of music, that it's extremely difficult to find comparisons to their sound and style. Their own slogan "Heavy but not Death Metal, emotional but not "Emo", melodic but not poppy, progressive yet accessible rock music for fans of A PERFECT CIRCLE, PORCUPINE TREE, RUSH and JETHRO TULL" should give you a little hint already, even though I personally don't hear any similiarities to the bands mentioned (except for their own individual uniqueness maybe). If your musical roots are located in traditional Metal, you certainly might be interested to hear that MUSEUM OF FEAR is the follow-up band of Power Metal gods APOLLO RA, a band that created the "Ra Pariah" masterpiece in the late 80s! Unfortunately this powerhouse split up, or better evolved into something new, which they decided to name MUSEUM OF FEAR (a wise decision in order to avoid disappointments within the ranks of their old fanbase). While the band's debut album "Post Hypnotic Suggestion Box" (recorded in 1995) still offered some little APOLLO RA ingredients here and there, yet already showcased the band's strive for originality, this new 6 song effort is obviously the next logical step in leaving behind their musical past completely now. From the glorious APOLLA RA days only vocalist Dan Miller and guitarist Bill McKeown are left nowadays, who decided to hire a bunch of session members for this release (one of them is APOLLA RA drummer Steve Albinak). Musically MUSEUM OF FEAR anno 2007 walk the paths of experimental, progressive Rock (hence probably the aforementioned comparisons) instead of crushing Metal. In their writing melancholic, partly quite dark melodies go hand in hand with an overall very emotional vocal delivery, courtesy of Daniel Miller, while the songs offer a lot of different feelings and a very relaxed atmosphere. Kinda strange that they decided to re-record the "Post Hypnotic Suggestion Box" track 'Mindwheel' for this release, as it does not differ too much from its original version (apart from the more upfront bass in the production maybe)... You'll probably need a few listening sessions until you really manage to appreciate their material from start to finish, but if you're open minded enough it's definitely worth the effort. My only complain is the production, which still leaves a lot to be desired (the band's constant problem ever since the APOLLO RA days). For more info and soundsamples head to their myspace domain www.myspace.com/museumoffear. For ordering details check out the label's website www.dirgerecords.com.

Frank Stöver

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MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET
Suruntuoja
(Northern Sound Records)
43:19min

Don’t let yourselves be disoriented (or repelled)  by the strange moniker of this band who come from Finland (and from where else?).  This four piece claim a span of existence of ten years now, but “Suruntuoja” is only their first release. Imagine the classic era DARK TRANQUILLITY playing sophisticated Black Metal and you will get a fair idea of MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET's music I guess. The Black Metal overtones come essentially from the Pete Lehtinen and Pete Tamminen vocals and also from some chords used, but note that MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET don’t rely on the Black Metal imagery at all (no corpse paints in sight that is). The music is very delicate and elegant while sounding very powerful. Synths are used from time to time, only to underline some atmospheres. An album I could compare this one with is NIGHT IN GALES' “Toward The Twilight”  (this one being a little gem, savagely underrated)  because of developed sense of melody the Finnish musicians display. “Suruntuoja” is a very “autumnal” album, if you see what I mean, the music is tainted with melancholia but a flamboyant one, I am not talking about depression and self-pity. Unfortunately, I can’t say if the lyrics confirm my feeling, because they are all written in the Finnish language. The production is faultless and serves the music adequately, that means you forget about it very fast to be engulfed only in the musical MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET universe. To be honest, I would never had bought this album on my own, due to the awkward moniker and the somewhat banal cover art, but  I am glad to have it after all because “Suruntuoja” is a very enjoyable record, nothing more and nothing less. If you are a nostalgic of the beginnings of the Gothenburg scene, you should investigate their case, reminding yourselves though that MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET are not copycat but are able to produce their own brand of melodic Death / Black. Very interesting! And you can call me a freak, because I even found some 70’s PENTAGRAM  overtones on one track! I let you guess on which one! Contact: http://www.mkl.cjb.net.

Edouard Vergriete

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MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET
Kauniinhauta
(Northern Sound Records)
38:05min

Judging from their sound I'd probably call MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET Pagan Metal but that's a tricky, possibly wrong label: MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET sing in Finnish so I can't say anything about the lyrics. I think it's a good decision, though, because it sounds "exotic" and the singer isn't getting on one's nerves with a possibly bad English. More bands should consider to sing in their native tongue if you ask me. Moreover, MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET absolutely capture the Finnish vibe I discovered long ago with bands such as AMORPHIS, SENTENCED, etc. Still, the band sounds pretty unique with a strong scent of Black Metal, of course. Some occasional violin parts and a female guest vocalist (very hypnotic in Finnish) contribute to this impression. What many bands fail to do - MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET succeed: they're writing captivating, not necessarily catchy songs. They've got groove, good ideas as well as a high creativity: MUSTAN KUUN LAPSET are musicians from the bottom of their hearts. Available on CD, Digi Pack (ltd. to 1000) and vinyl (only 300 copies). SUOMI PERKELE! www.mkl.cjb.net

Ramon Claassen

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MUTILATED
Mutilated
(Bootleg)

Holy shit it was about time that somebody had the guts and intelligence to release the MUTILATED material on vinyl!!! In these days and age where extreme Metal has become a trend, where barking singing has become the norm, where speed for the sake of speed drumming has became the in thing, where writing riffs without giving a shit about hooks, vibes and coming up with distinguishable songs is considered as dated, it's always fresh to hear such material simply because that is real extreme Metal!!! Formed out of the ashes of MUTILATOR (who had issued a promising demo in the Speed / Thrash field in 1987), MUTILATED went on to exist for about five years before dislocating and rising again as ABYSSALS during 1994 (another totally killer deathly act). The hostilities opens with their first demo from 1988, "Psychodeath Lunatics", the recording that originally put them on the map, this version contains the four songs that had been originally recorded ('Cabalistic Cryptograms' - a reworked MUTILATOR tune - was supposed to appear on a compilation but never did and remained in the vaults until recently). The rifferama offered throughout the whole demo is just totally insane. Mainman Michel "Nonos" Dumas really possessed that 'thing' that separates the songwriters from the wannabees. After all MUTILATED were one of the very first extreme acts to ever come out of France - and no boys, I'm not talking about speedy Heavy Metal à la AGRESSOR, LOUDBLAST, MASSACRA - I'm thinking of VIPER, HELLFIRE, UHF, MORSURE here. His writing was just what somebody could expect from a Death / Thrash Metal act, the MORBID ANGEL, POSSESSED influences could be felt but just like IMMOLATION at the same time, MUTILATED kind of had their own sound already. Then the two song demo from 1992 follows which had been recorded with a new line up, long time drummer Jackhammer having been replaced by Guillaume, a second guitarist had been added and bassist Phil taking care of the vocal duties. The band had opted for a total Death sound at this point leaving behind the few Thrash influences from their previous demo. The band simply raged, every single tune could have appeared on a MORBID ANGEL record and shining on it - it was simply that killer!!!! The only not so hot point was the drumming on the very fast parts which sounded kinda weak comparing to, let's say Burill or Hollingshead and the production didn't help either as you're under the impression that he hits a saw instead of the ride cymbal. But this is minor criticism considering the talent displayed here again. And if that's not enough for you hungry Metalheads, the album ends with the unrealised two song 7" which had been recorded during early 1993 but never issued ('Evil Scriptures' and 'Tormented Creation'), total ripping Death Metal all the way and if proof was again needed, MUTILATED had all the ingredients to become one of the leaders in the Death Metal scene and could have sit along the likes of MORBID ANGEL, POSSESSED, DEATH and OBITUARY. That band was that killer and to this day, nobody else in the French scene has penned Death Metal material this way. You may disagree but that's the truth and don't start listing me a bunch of names cos I would disagree. This music has to be understood to be well written / played; using a downtuned guitar, a barking dog and 10 seconds blast beasts doesn't bring Death Metal. For those who were doubting that I like extreme Metal, then here's the proof. I immensely enjoy this style, but the difference is that I'm into songs not noise. After all that's what music is all about, right?! The artwork is also totally cool / professional (featuring the MUTILATOR and MUTILATED demos artwork split in half) and a complete  (I mean complete!) biography is also part of the album. A Brazilian bootleg is also around but doesn't feature the same tracklist / artwork. Of course this album doesn't have a big distro but try mail orders such as www.hellsheadbangers.com. They will certainly have it in stock! Be warned that only 500 copies have been pressed, so hurry up if you're a real Death Metaller. You simply can't live without this. Let's hope now that more will be pressed (different soundboard live tapes exist featuring more unrealised stuff and there's also the totally godly ABYSSALS demo!). (a CD version of the whole stuff would be nice also! - Frank)

Laurent Ramadier

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MUTILATION (Poland)
Conflict Inside
(Adipocere Records)
45:32min

What a slap in the face! Of course MUTILATION didn’t reinvent the wheel with this album, but if you are out for a brutal slab of PURE Death Metal fashioned in the old ways, you will certainly welcome “Conflict Inside” like a bowl of fresh air! All the ingredients are here to make any Death maniac salivate: guttural (not overdone) vocals, superb musicianship, well crafted song writing, and a sort of ‘groovy’ approach in the way to deliver the goods. Think of a far less pedestrian version of SINISTER coupled with a less “Swedish sounding” DISMEMBER plus a touch of IMMOLATION (for the daring arrangements and the malevolent overall ambience), and I think you could fairly imagine what MUTILATION are really like music wise. I love the complexity of the songs, even if this element is in fact kept in the background, as if we should forget about it in the first place. Only an attentive listening reveals all the richness of an album which sounds very classic at first. All the tracks offer a lot of surprises, killer breaks and tempo changes like in my favourite one (even if it is very difficult to single a track out of this superb record) ‘In The Name Of Heresy’ with its cascading monumental and menacing intro. Well, I can praise “Conflict Inside” on and on so much I grow addicted to this album with each new listening session. I would like to mention also the superb production of this disc, the sound offer a kind of a sensual quality I appreciate very much, all the instruments are clearly audible, and the whole is harmoniously mixed, adding even more brutality to the lethal MUTILATION music. The only let down of “Conflict Inside” is the mediocre layout (once again handled by the overused Jacek Wisniewski, who obviously rushed his job here). Note that the album features a DEATH cover (‘Mutilation’ of course!) on which Piotr Luczyk of the cult Polish band KAT laid down a solo. “Conflict Inside” is only the second full-length of the band in a troubled 14 years of existence; let’s just hope there will be another MUTILATION album in a not so distant future! For the moment, don’t miss out “Conflict Inside”.

Edouard Vergriete

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MY DARKEST HATE
Massive Brutality
(Vile Music)
34:43min

MY DARKEST HATE is a new promising act from Germany. They come up with simple structured but quite effective old school Death Metal in the vein of BOLT THROWER or SIX FEET UNDER. In most cases the musicians behind this band aren't any strangers anymore as they are involved in a (wellknown) German Power Metal band. Except for the fact that they can obviously handle their instruments (probably because of that) I don't see any further selling points in this. So I won't give you any names here (why not? By now everybody is already aware of the fact anyway that this is another outlet of SACRED STEEL musicians - Frank). MY DARKEST HATE concentrate on the midtempo style with some upper and some slower parts and they know how to compose some crushing Death Metal tunes. Massive drums plus a massive string section plus a massive grunting vocalist plus a massive wall of sound result in ... a massive brutality! Maybe not the most outstanding release, but who cares? Recommendable. 

Thomas Georg

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MY DARKEST HATE
To Whom It May Concern
(Massacre Records)
40:26min

Meanwhile all this “08/15” standard Death Metal really starts to suck!!! Imagine a mixture of SIX FEET UNDER, BOLT THROWER and OBITUARY and you will get the MY DARKEST HATE sound, most slow to mid-tempo Death Metal with a few fast outbreaks and vocals that vary between deep (boring) growls and excellent John Tardy-like screams, they should have made more use of that! The production is done perfectly and is heavy as fuck, some of the riffs, like in the opener ‘Built By Gods’ or the massive BOLT THROWER-like ‘Eye For An Eye’ are really good, but it does not grip me. Towards the end of “To Whom It May Concern” the songs get weaker and weaker and I get more and more bored. SIX FEET UNDER’s first album or the whole OBITUARY offerings defined this groovy Death Metal stuff and celebrated it in perfection and most important with more sick and heavy feeling than MY DARKEST HATE. Death Metal is not about a powerful crunching sound, deep vocals and grooves that make you nod your head – Death Metal is gutwrenching, bloodthirsty, dark and hateful violence, Death Metal lives off true emotion, MY DARKEST HATE are technically not bad and I respect that members of SACRED STEEL and PRIMAL FEAR try to make Death Metal, but they do not have the right feeling, sorry guys! For more information check out their label’s website: www.massacre-records.com 

Stefan Franke

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MY DYING BRIDE
The Dreadful Hours
(Peaceville Records)
70:51min

Sometimes it's hard to like Metal in general and not only concentrate on one little drawer. Consequently, I stopped following MDB when they lost their violin player Martin Powell and left the musical path they had built themselves. Years passed by and news of MDB finding their way back home reached my ears and although I somehow didn't get around checkin' out "The Dreadful Hours"'s predecessor, my interest was aroused once again. Now listening to this album, feelings long forgotten take away my soul on a journey through all kinds of emotion, especially sadness (of course). At the journey's end (after only 70 minutes!) emptiness remains and there is only one way out: the repeat button! Of course the release date in autumn is just perfect and Aaron's occasional return to extreme vocals gives this record even more depth. There is only one thing missing: a real violin! You probably know those MDB passages where you expect the violin beginning to sing and when instead there is plastic (=keyboards. Yasmin Ahmid is a great keyboard player, but that's not really enough), the music lacks this last bit of perfection. So would you (yes, you!) please learn how to play the fiddle, join this great band and make me happy?! It's true: "unfortunately" there is no way of saving money on MY DYING BRIDE any more. Welcome back!

Ramon Claassen

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MY DYING BRIDE
Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light
(Peaceville Records)
61:04min

After the UK doomsters reanimated the Death Metal elements of their glorious early days on the last two, really excellent studio albums “The Light At The End Of The World” (1999) and “The Dreadful Hours” (2001) their 2004 effort “Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light” marks the return of the melodic, more Gothic-compatible sounds one witnessed on “The Angel And The Dark River” (1995) and “Like Gods Of The Sun” (1996). Aaron Stainthorpe’s vocals have obviously improved a lot on the last two MDB records and although the clean vocal parts dominate the new CD they do not bore at all, but intensively exploit the depths of sadness, dark emotions and forlorn melancholy. Fortunately the Death Metal parts were not completely abandoned, but appear less often and when they appear they are not faster but heavier than ever! Sometimes Stainthorpe’s tormented growls and screams even reach Black Metal-like spheres and thus add at least a little innovation to MDB’s elaborated and proven successful concept of Doom Metal. Beautiful, haunting melodies in ‘The Scarlet Garden’, pure drama and tension in ‘Catherine Blake’, sinister, creeping gloom torn up by the most fragile clean vocals Stainthorpe ever delivered in ‘The Prize Of Beauty’ are good examples for the great amount of variation, songwriting and arrangement skill MY DYING BRIDE represent today. The deadly and softer elements in their music have melted into one mysterious and intriguing soundscape any MDB-fan should really enjoy and although I am partial to the harsher elements in their sound, I think on this album both styles fit together better than before and when I feel the need for quieter sounds I’ll pick this… Follow this link http://peaceville.co.uk/press/ to some way too short sound clips, a couple of great new photos and see the new cover. The band’s own website can be found at www.mydyingbride.org.

Stefan Franke

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MY DYING BRIDE
Sinamorata DVD
(Peaceville)
130:22min

MY LAMENT
Beneath The Hidden (Demo CD)
(Rotten To The Core Agency)
24:45min

MY LAMENT from Belgium introduce themselves to the world with their first three-song demo MCD. Wait, a total playing time of nearly 25min and just three songs? If you suggested Doom Metal, you are right. The band describes their style with words like Dark, Doom and Death, so let’s take a closer look to see if the given description is fitting. Death? The vocalist is grunting, a few parts of spoken words and clear singing are added, but generally the vocals are definitely Death. Doom? The songs are played very slowly, almost no harsh or quick rhythm changing, all is going on very unhasty, everything is adagio and andante, so to say. Dark? Damn sure. Especially the fine melodies that are embedded generate a very dark and dim atmosphere. What makes this release so interesting for me personally is the complete lack of any “modern” kind of elements, like keyboards, female singing and other dispensable gimmicks. It is not that I dislike such modern elements, but I have always respect for bands that just use the classic instrumentation to perform good music. On “Beneath The Hidden” you will discover genuine Death-/Doom Metal, like the early KATATONIA and CATHEDRAL, WINTER or TRISTITIA, to name just a few bands. www.mylament.be

Mirco Szymyslik

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MY LAMENT
Broken Leaf
(Solitude Productions)
54:52min

Does anybody still remember the great American Doom kings MINDROT and their fabulous “Dawning” masterpiece (released in 1995 via Relapse Records!)? The band is long gone but the next generation of Doom Metal acts in form of this Belgium combo is easily capable of replacing the big loss. MY LAMENT is presenting after 6 years of existence a very good debut in form of 8 hymns right between Death and Doom Metal. The band was founded in 2003 and the only release so far was their “Beneath the Hidden” Demo released in 2006. MY LAMENT are not trying to impress the audience by the typical blood and suicide topics – very similar to the above mentioned MINDROT - in contrary they are offering a plain and simple artwork for their CD cover & booklet and this plainness is also reflected in their music. The music slowly creates a comforting dark atmosphere without drifting into extremes, melodies are still there and songs like ‘Silent Nights’ – a great songs full of despair and anger – are the best proof for the qualities of this Belgium band. Think that every fan of for example the Norwegian FUNERAL will find his / her dark joy in this release, for sure a band with a lot of potential and maybe a bright future – even if the word bright is more than unsuitable if it comes to Doom Metal. www.mylament.be, www.solitude-prod.com

Matthias Auch

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MY MINDS MINE
Scenes Of The Complete Annihilation Of This Planet
(Amenta Records)
20:05min

Noisecore (or a blend of Hardcore and Grindcore) have never been my thing and the main reason for that is that I have never really been able to hear the big difference between the bands. I guess that is partly my own fault, since I probably should give it more of a chance than I ever have. Anyway, if you like the genre, all the ingredients are here, 30-40 seconds tracks, noisy sound, fast parts mixed with slower parts, aggressive vocals, all in all pretty twisted. But I find it very hard to get through a whole album in this style, cause it gets very monotone and boring I think.

Sigtyr

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MY OWN GRAVE
Unholy (MCD)
(Pulverised Records)
16:25min

Just five songs on this mini-album, but those five songs got more power and dedication than a full-length release by one of those dispensable mediocre acts within the extreme Metal scene. MY OWN GRAVE presents us their vision of Death Metal. Fast played, short breaks, razor-sharp riffs with some kind of Thrash Metal influences, precise, head-shot like guitar-solo attacks and vocals combining both the classical deep tuned Death Metal growls and more aggressive shouting. Damn! Why did I not notice this band before, they already got a full-length released, named “Unleash“ in 2006. I wonder if they already performed such a superb Death Metal on their debut, and the sound-bits on the bands homepage from that album are really impressive and make me feel I have missed something. The obvious reason why the debut is almost unknown to the Metal scene was their former label getting bankrupt, so hopefully MY OWN GRAVE will escape in the future such problems and keep up their excellent work. www.myowngrave.com

Mirco Szymslik

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MY OWN GRAVE
Necrology
(Pulverised Records)
35:41min

Even after more than 15 years the Voices crew is still worshipping the cult of Swedish Death Metal – and releases like this one are the best prove for our dedication. After a long break MY OWN GRAVE are finally presenting their second full length “Necrology” (the MCD “Unholy” also released via Pulverised Records in spring 2007  was their last sign of life) and after listening to this monster for the first time I was really speechless. The Swedish band has recorded a more than impressing album – 11 killer brutal Death Metal tracks, perfect sound presented on a enormous technical level. Don’t expect any kind of standard songs or filler, the Unisound recording by the nowadays simple called ‘maestro’ Mr.Dan Swanö was the prefect choice for this release. Every instrument has equal rights (within the recording) and if it comes to the killer drums within the song ‘Exhumed To Be buried’ or the countless solos the maestro shows his knowledge. This is a Death Metal manifest which shows that our music has the potential to survive even WW III as long as there are bands like MY OWN GRAVE. I could write endlessly about “Necrology” but the music is a far better ambassador for this release – just listen to ‘Disciples Of War’ (with slight BOLT THROWER influences) and every maniac will immediately be possessed by this release. Again a Pulverised Records release which deserves the full attention of every Voices reader! www.myowngrave.com, www.pulverised.net. On sale here.

Matthias Auch

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MYRK
Icons Of The Dark
(Ketzer Records)
47:47min

I think we can keep this quite short: despite the hopes I had in this since I have never been disappointed by a band from Iceland (POTENTIAM, SOLSTAFIR, CURSE...), this is simply mediocre mid-to-end of Nineties Swedish sounding Black Metal with everything you expected from such a release: very melodic approach, "ultra-evil“-Satan-lyrics (and don‘t get me wrong, those of Jon Nödtveidt e.g. had class!), corpsepaint (which I still find unsuitable for short-haired persons), a clean production etc. I wouldn‘t even have bought this CD at the times when I enjoyed nearly every single band that sounded like somewhere between NAGLFAR and MARDUK, but times changed. If you still find this release attractive, I recommend to check out the songs 'In Silence‘, 'Myrk‘ and 'The Spell‘ which are at least bearable, but the rest... I hope this does not become standard for 2004, as it bores the hell out of me. http://www.ketzer-records.de

Nhashi

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MYRKR
Black Illumination
(Debemur Morti Productions)
39:00min

Welcome to the new release from one of the most tasteful Black Metal labels existing today - Debemur Morti. Releasing quality offerings almost without a fail, this label one more time treats us with an album of deep dark magic. MYRKR is a horde of two coming from Ireland that will, with their debut "Black Illumination", literally take your breath away. Yes, I said horde although a band is comprised of only two members. Because, the sound they developed is so complete that you will wonder how could only two guys do it. It is massive, choking, calm and killing. This is a serious Black Metal without mercy for the meek. As one of the members is also the mastermind behind SLIDHR we cannot talk of lack of experience here. The music is very heavy Black Metal with the occult written all over it. So many bands try to make an occult statement but here it is evident without superfluous external imagery. Esoteric is hidden in the place where it should be concerning the media - in the music itself. MYRKR's outlook on life is dark, of course, its blackness pressing heavy on my shoulders from the speakers and draining life out of me. This statement is only half true - the other half is is the life-enrichening joy that I felt upon hearing someone else taking the responsibility from me to express my own hidden world and letting me wallow in it for free (well almost). MYRKR's album is in its essence akin to NASTROND's later output (who are also their labelmates and with whom they released a split). But where NASTROND are more suffocating and doomy, MYRKR are more clear and spacey. And, as to the existential part of the feel, the bleakness of MYRKR is slightly easier to digest. The reason why we can still breathe when listening to this record is a Necromorbus-styled production that gives us room without cutting off heaviness. It is a small wonder to make a record this pitch black and heavy yet to do it with a certain gentleness that will not scare the listener away. We are treated with the furious guitar attack backed up by the blasting of drums, and yet in a few moments transported to the calm shores of some underground marsh by the slower parts that resemble a kind of sick inverted meditative state, without ever losing the edge in the process. The vocals are of a special kind - they are hard to describe since they change throughout the songs, but if I would be pressed I would say that they are indifferent, thick, deep and very sinister on one side, and direct, shouting and immediate on the other. They fit well with the music, coming from a mysterious place indescribable by words and always with an aura of mandrake hallucination. Character is evident in every nuance and follows the song structures like a twisted venomous monster breath. On the plus side there are also a great cover art (which I used for a desktop image from the day I saw it) and track names such as 'Black Blood Of The Wolf' that transport the listener to another place even before the music starts. On the minus side - well, I couldn't find the words to fill a blank space. For me, this is the first true Black Metal album I have heard in 2009 and the others will have to be really great to outdo this one. www.debemur-morti.com, www.myspace.com/blackillumination

Branko Matijaševic

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MYRKSKOG
Superior Massacre
(Candlelight Records)
33:34min

The previous MYRKSKOG effort, “Deathmachine”, created a minor sensation two years ago due to its high quality, and “Superior Massacre” only confirms the obvious talent  of  this Norwegian outfit. This album is the best Death Metal opus coming out of Norway since DARKTHRONE's “Soulside Journey”.  I suppose by saying that I could have stopped the review here, because I guess you get my point, but it is a pleasure to write about such a stunning album anyway! Now a three piece, MYRSKOG is about devilish Death Metal, highly technical, in the vein the Polish bands are more known for (BEHEMOTH and LOST SOUL are two examples that instantly spread in my mind while listening to MYRKSKOG). After a traditional “windy” intro, the band kick off with maybe the feeblest track of the album, and it is actually very good, so you can imagine how amazing the following tracks are! Guitarist Destructhor  also handles the vocal duties, he vomits his lyrics like a demon spat by the abyss of Hell, a remarkable performance indeed! The music comes out awesome, and MYRKSKOG always find the unexpected break or rhythm that catch you off guard. Some guitar leads reminds me of POSSESSED, and now that I think of it, the general atmosphere on “Superior Massacre” could be equated to the one on “Seven Churches” (keeping in mind of course that 17 years separate the two albums!), because mainly of the same frantic riffing. “Superior Massacre” is produced by the musicians themselves, with the help of the owner of the semi-legendary Akkerhaugen studios, expect a powerful but at the same time aerial sound, a pure delight to the ears! One of the highlight of “Superior Massacre” is the track 'Over The Gore', a sick brutal Death mini-epic tainted with a  Black Metal touch, an original blend that functions perfectly. The lyrics are maybe the weakest point on this, they sound a little predictable and cliché, a more creative work was needed here to add to the sickness of the music. With NILE and IMMOLATION, MYRKSKOG appear now as a solid pillar in the Death Metal Temple Of Fame and I think I made myself perfectly clear about the necessity to  you buying this album. Not only a superior massacre, but also a superior music! Note that the band is presently (fall 2002) touring Europe (with NILE!!) so don’t miss them on the road.

Edouard Vergriete

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MYSTERIA
Temple Of The Scorn
(Pagan Records)
49:58min

MYSTERIA play a decent, but quite derivative and flat blackened Death Metal hybrid popularized by their bigger and nastier countrymen, BEHEMOTH. There is no truly bad track on the album, however neither is there anything truly outstanding. To their credit though, MYSTERIA sound surprisingly in touch with a variety of styles. One moment they play a sort of doom laced Death Metal reminiscent of "Onward To Golgotha", and the next a modern kind of folk though this latter feature is really only apparent in the vocals, which vary as often as the songs do, and do so more towards the latter half of the album. And yet despite their adequate song writing, what prevents this album from achieving its full potential is sound and vibrancy. The guitar tones are rather flat, like a subdued crrackle / crunch and as a consequence, the record does not exude a great deal of energy. However, as I've said before the song writing is quite alright, and if MYSTERIA keep writing the way they do they should be fine. Again, its not a great record, but its certainly not bad. www.myspace.com/mysteriatempleofthescorn

Nat Shapiro

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MYSTIC
Mystic (MCD)
(Wurst Records)
21:54min

Being literally mad at myself for my inability to come up with anything reasonable to say about this mini-CD for quite a long time, I decided to make myself listen to it over and over again until some lines of wisdom are so kind to come and rescue me. And you know what? This experiment turned out to be very far from a torture one may expect listening to some nowadays Metal to be. Though it wouldn’t be fair to put a disgraceful brand of modern Metal on this release, as the mainman in charge of it in no way may be called a child of modern Metal. As Voices readers (or should you be called listeners to voices from the darkside?) may already know, at least those who bothered to have a look at the Frank Gosdzik feature, MYSTIC is the new band of the man who used to bring forth some killer Thrash in SODOM and KREATOR under the name of Frank Blackfire. As a matter of fact, my very first impression was that I was listening to some KREATOR rehearsal circa 1992-1995. Not that MYSTIC turned out to be like that indeed in the end, but those primae impressions are so hard to get rid of, you know. Moreover, a track like 'Insane Human Race', for example, would fit on the “Renewal” album just perfectly, I believe. But even though this release has more to do with dull 90’s Thrash than with exciting and glorious 80’s one, nevertheless it’s possible to feel the spirit of real Thrash here and there. One just must tune him / herself to “deep listening” and be aware of what that spirit should be like at all, of course. Deep listening must be the keywords here, as it’s definitely rather “sit, listen and enjoy” type of music than “let’s bang some heads” one. It’s all too calm, I’m afraid, too composed. It’s definitely a product of a made, mature and experienced musician, not of some young and hungry one. And that’s what is bringing it a bit down. I miss some madness here, some raw power and uncontrolled primeval aggression – in the other words, the things we used to love classic Thrash and Metal in general for. But that’s rather a matter of personal preferences than anything to reproach MYSTIC with. What this release really lacks is a decent producer, because without him it sounds more like a good demo. Just the basic ideas, main structures and melodies, not a finalized product. If you ask me, it seems like Frank really needed this release to prove above all to himself that he still knows how to write some good Thrash tunes and his guitar is still able to produce a handful of exciting riffs. Well, I guess he really did succeed in it. In the end I was convinced as well, therefore even to just sit and listen to his distinctive guitar playing was quite a pleasant experience, not a torture I was talking about at all. I guess by now none have any doubts about his skills, so there’s no need to praise his ability to handle a guitar and tell you that the guitars rule supreme here. Somehow his guitar is easy to recognize wherever Frank plays it, I believe that’s exactly what many guitarists would be ready to kill for to achieve. And those words of wisdom I was waiting for, you may ask, what about them, eh? Well, forget it, they never came. Contact: pingapuckel@hotmail.com

Timothy Dovgy

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MYSTICA
Blinded By My Blood
(Painkiller Records)
35:02min

MYSTICA hails from Belgium and this debut album is my first meeting with this band. And a nice one it is indeed. MYSTICA plays some kind of a combination between Death and Black Metal. No hyper speed kind of Black / Death Metal but more mid-tempo stuff with a lot of variety. Therefore it is very hard to categorize this band, one moment I am hearing inspirations from bands such as new IMMORTAL and one second later I hear a MOTÖRHEAD kinda riff. The band uses grunts comined with extreme screams, this nice mix of styles evolves into one metallic warmachine. The recordings are excellent, and the CD contains another masterpiece-cover done by the legendaric Kris Verwimp. It is released as a standard jewelcase and a limited edition digipack. So make sure you get your copy as soon as possible. More info or orders can be send to Painkiller Records (www.painkiller-records.com)