|
SARX
...Of Natural Rage...
(self financed)
37:57min
SARX is a German five piece that has been around for about three
years now. It only took them one year to decide that they wanted
to finance the recordings of their first full length CD on their
own (whatever happened to the good old demo?!), so in May 2000 they
already entered Little Mountain Studio in Meiswinkel (wherever the
fuck that may be...) to produce "...Of Natural Rage...".
The eight song disk offers straight ahead brutal Death Metal with
some melodic guitar work here and there and convincing deeply grunted
vocals. The additional shrieky vocals that they use every now and
then sound pretty ridiculous though and remind me on a third rate
and rather inexperienced Black Metal vocalist. Certainly an aspect
that needs big improvement. Furthermore the production (especially
in the guitar department) suffers a little bit from the lack of
brutality. A more massive or deeper tuned guitar sound could easily
help to make them sound more intense. In combination with the deep
vocals that would fit a lot better anyway. So, basically the band
is already on the right way, it's just those little bits and pieces
they should continue to work on. Well, the coverart also suxx, but
as it's the music that matters you shouldn't hesitate to keep their
name in mind for the future. Contact and further (ordering) info:
Christian Treude, Sommerstr. 26, 57339 Erndtebrueck – Birkelbach,
Germany, e-mail: ch.treude@gmx.de,
website: www.SARX.de
Frank Stöver
BACK
SATANARCHY
Disgraceful World
(Primitive Art Records)
33:49min
"Influenced
by their heroes MOTÖRHEAD, SLAYER, DISCHARGE and VENOM..."
says the info, and yes, SATANARCHY kick off with a riff they obviously
borrowed from Lemmy, namely ’Iron Fist', just a little different.
But above that you will detect VENOM almost everywhere. And SATANARCHY
are doing quite a good job: although "Disgraceful World"
can't compete with "Black Metal", for example, but on
the other hand it's better than 80% Cronos & Co. ever released.
This band sounds like fun watching live, but don't forget your bullet
belt! Out on limited vinyl as well (hey, of course, this is Primitive
Art Recs.!) featuring a bonus track. Cult: one song called ’Fast
Eddie Clarke' shows SATANARCHY worshipping real Metal guitar players
and condemning people like Malmsteen, Blackmore or Mustaine! These
crazy Swedes make me rise from my armchair! Unbelievable!
Ramon Claassen
BACK
SATANIC
HOLOCAUST
Promo 2008
(self-financed)
11:39min
Fans of SATANIC WARMASTER, PREVALENT RESISTANCE, and all things both believably
harsh and saddening shouldn't have a problem appreciating this new band from
Germany. According to interviews, both members have had years of experience in
the South American scene, meaning they're probably well versed in the history of
Black Metal's brutal side, but, at least for this first promo, they demonstrate
that they're well up on current the musical progressions of today and shall
continue to compose music in that vein. The downside is, its something only the
most die-hard fans will gravitate to. Pure Black Metal tends to do that. www.myspace.com/satanicholocausto
Nathaniel Shapiro
BACK
SATANIC SLAUGHTER
Banished To The Underworld
(Black Sun Records)
36:48min
Swedish SATANIC SLAUGHTER
used to be a band, that did not convince me with their albums (e.g. “Land Of
Unholy Souls”, “Afterlife Kingdom”), but always did receive rave reviews
of their live-shows and so I always thought that there must be something about
this band. And tataa!!! Finally the day the Black / Deathers came up with a good
CD has come!!! “Banished To The Underworld” is a great album for all who are
into aggressive Swedish Black / Death that reminds of the godly UNANIMATED, the
deeply missed DISSECTION or INFERNAL. Although I know, that many people are
extremely bored by this musical direction, I can only speak in favor of SATANIC
SLAUGHTER – they skillfully mix some more thrashy songs (‘Dark
Temptation’, ‘One Night In Hell’, the latter was even written in 1985)
between their traditional Black / Death assaults and manage to create much more
variation and sinister feeling than many of the other bands that play this
style. The hymnic ‘Towards Damnation’s End’, the driving ‘Infernal’ or
‘Apocalyptic War’ show best how this kind of music can still be entertaining
and fascinating after the end of the fucking Black / Death trend in the mid
90’s. SATANIC SLAUGHTER do not start to suck by being too melodic or come up
with shitty and uninspired song material. “Banished To The Underworld” is a
fast, straight-in-your-face album, that summons the intense feeling the acts I
mentioned above used to create some years ago. Other positive things are Andreas
Deblen’s possessed vocal performance and the powerful production at Studio
Helltower. Well, there’s not a single weak song on “Banished To The
Underworld” and I can only recommend this release to all fans of excellent
Swedish Black / Death. The band’s Email: satanicslaughter@hotmail.com
The band’s website: http://hem.passagen.se/ztefdark
Stefan Franke
BACK
SATANIC WARMASTER
Opferblut
(No Colours Records)
37:08min
To be honest I am
not very familiar with Finnland’s underground Black Metallers SATANIC WARMASTER,
but hey it is never too late to learn, right? Their newest album contains 7 new
songs of traditional oldschool Black Metal that fortunately does not orientate
on the Scandinavian legends, because there are way too many bands outthere who
do it the DARKTHRONE way. SATANIC WARMASTER are a positive exception in my eyes,
the intense scream vocals remind me of old ABIGOR, the riffing is full of
variation, which is rather unusual when it comes to oldschool Black Metal and
most songs are quite fast with some epic breakdowns here and there. ‘A Wolf
Cries In Anger’ or the closing ‘Farewell To The Fallen’ create a hateful,
mighty feeling and are small hymns catalysing desperation and other sinister
emotions. “Opferblut” is a good album and I would recommend it to anyone who
enjoys traditional Black Metal that has its own fascinating identity and stands
above all these mere copies plaguing the market. Of course “Opferblut” is
also available on vinyl, check out www.no-colours-records.de
for prices and shit.
Stefan Franke
BACK
SATANS
BLOOD
Christians To Ashes, Angels To Dust
(Sound Riot Productions)
28:23min
I'm
not here to judge the credibility of SATANS BLOOD, but you should
at least know about the fact that half of the members involved in
this Black Metal horde from Northern Germany used to play in the
Death Metal act FEARER before they became Satanic and evil… I mean,
c'mon - just by simply writing each individual musician's name backwards
and by putting on corpsepaint & blood doesn't necessarily transform
you into a true worshipper of the horned one nor into a dedicated
Black Metal musician. But to remain
fair - guitarist Thomas Zorn aka N'roz Samoth already built the
foundation of SATANS BLOOD back in 1995, so at least he can't be
blamed for jumping on a bandwaggon. And
musically this FEARsome (…) fourpiece is a tight unit, that
delivers fast'n'furious raw Black Metal in the classy DARK FUNERAL
/ MARDUK tradition. Not original at all, but their eight song debut
effort "Christians To
Ashes, Angels To Dust" has become a real merciless onslaught,
which is extremely crushing and totally devastating from start to
finish! The welldone production fits the material perfectly and
kinda turns SATANS BLOOD into Germany's answer to the aformentioned
leading Swedish forces of black art. A great logo by Christophe
Szpajdel (definitely one of his best works lately!), bloody'n'blasphemous
bandpics, but a little too colorful (yet convincing) overall packaging
complete the picture. So, apart from all my little mocking, this
is a good release nevertheless that should easily please the needs
of all you keyboard-hating Black Metal purists!
Frank
Stöver
BACK
SATAN’S
HOST
In Articulo Mortis
(self financed)
21:14min
Archidoxes Of Evil
(self financed)
44:56min
I need to give you some introductory explanations concerning this review. Less
than one month ago, a friend of mine mentioned to me that SATAN’S HOST, a semi
legendary Heavy Metal band of the 80s, were still in activity and now playing
Black Metal. I was a little sceptical at first but gave the internet a try
nevertheless. To my great surprise, I found out immediately a brand new site for
SATAN’S HOST, complete with recent news and more importantly a biography
mentioning albums I never heard about!
I have to precise to our younger readers that SATAN’S HOST were mainly
known for their first album “Metal From Hell” (1985) which now is a
collector on vinyl format and
featured no less than Harry Conklin (JAG PANZER) on vocals (using a
pseudonym though). Their sophomore effort “Midnight Wind” (1987) never saw a
proper release but was abundantly bootlegged throughout the years. After that
SATAN’S HOST seemed to vanish out of this world. But in fact the band remained
active in the obscurest way fighting courageously against the odds (read their
troubled biography on http://www.satanshost.com).
But let’s go back to my own encounter with the new incarnation of SATAN’S
HOST. To keep it short, vocalist Eli Elixir was kind enough to send me two
efforts previously issued by the band, these two being reviewed here. “In
Articulo Mortis” dates back as far as 1999 and features five real songs and an
intro. Well, this record blew me the first time I listened to it! And it is very
simple to explain why. Strictly speaking, one can’t say SATAN’S HOST play
Black Metal. Indeed SATAN’S HOST now combine diverse elements coming from
Death, Black, Thrash and Heavy Metal to offer a fantastic music which crushes
everything on sight. SATAN’S HOST owe more to POSSESSED, INFERNAL MAJESTY and
MERCYFUL FATE than anything else, certainly due to the approach of the sole
remaining founding member, guitarist Patrick Evil. Patrick has kept a somewhat
dated way to play his instrument, tying the band firmly in the 80s style, even
if the younger members of the band have of course modernized the SATAN’S HOST
sound. The result is a perfect synthesis of two conceptions of extreme Metal I
don’t know the equivalent of. And if you think I am exaggerating here, just
listen to the samples the band put online and I bet you will be easily
convinced! You will certainly note the complexity of the song structures (hence
the comparisons I made above) and the exceptional talent of all the musicians
involved, especially Eli Elixir who is (to me at least) the very best vocalist
presently in activity in the extreme Metal field. Without stupidly growling or
shrieking, Eli belts out the Satanic lyrics he and the band relish on with an
unbelievable irradiating power, like if his lungs are made of iron. While “In
Articulo Mortis” is nothing more than a mini-effort in term of length,
“Archidoxes Of Evil” is a full album gorged with menacing riffs, demented
vocals, numerous rhythm changes, and I just wonder why this record was never
properly released! Because believe me, this album is HUGE and deserves to be
distributed worldwide without delay. This album tops “None Shall Defy” in
quality, just listen to the track ‘Plight Of The Magus’ to receive the
bloody confirmation of this. I just hope SATAN’S HOST will gain a wider
exposure in a not too distant future, because they have a lot to offer. Maybe a
clever record label will have enough sense to reissue “In Articulo Mortis”
and “Archidoxes Of Evil” while the band announces the imminent issue of
their new album. Meanwhile, I can only urge you to contact Eli at Elixir@satanshost.com
to check if he can supply you with copies of the two records I discuss here.
Support SATAN’S HOST with all the passion you are capable to feel, and then
show that a real Metal heart is beating inside your chest!
Edouard Vergriete
BACK
SATAN’S HOST
Burning The Born Again (A New Philosophy)
(self-financed)
73:00min
When you feel the desperate urge to find the right angle to communicate your
enthusiasm about something, it could be a painful experience, believe me. And I
am in this situation now trying to convince you that this album is a true
miracle. How to praise this the right way? Because we all have the same
experiences about reviews and adverts promising us so-called masterpieces which
reveal themselves mediocre in the end, once we have spent our precious money on
these craps of course! But take my word: this album is a killing from track 1 to
track 13. You can see “Burning The Born Again” as a grand declaration of war
against the lifeless “Metal” music that plagues the underground for now. I
don’t know if you feel like me, but I have enough of these useless bands
trying to break out, convinced they are they have something of interest to offer.
And in the end we rather give “Hell Awaits” or “Don’t Break The Oath”
a new spin, right? Thankfully, SATAN’S HOST still exist to prove in a fiery
and triumphant way that all hope is not lost. With this new offering, they have
reached the highest level imaginable in term of song writing and musical
abilities. These Metal warriors unleash onto us their personal Armageddon, their
private musical Hell, and it is a stunning experience, the kind of which you
don’t return from exactly the same. They are unique in the sense they don’t
have severed their ties with the scene of old and with what they were twenty
years ago (please note: SATAN’S HOST are not a reformed band!). “Burning The
Born Again” is the synthesis of all what the Metal of Death has offered us
from its inception until now. SATAN’S HOST have put into their magical
cauldron the most exciting elements of Heavy, Death, Black, Thrash and even Doom
(listen to ‘Unholy Sabbath’ to hear what I mean) to come out with the ugly
beast this album is. Like I wrote before regarding some of their earlier
recordings, SATAN’S HOST could evoke SLAYER here, MERCYFUL FATE there, but in
the end they have their own style, highly original. Once again on this album,
singer Eli Elixir graces us with an unreal performance; this man may be the best
vocalist in extreme Metal right now, thanks to his hateful and deep voice (the
human equivalent of a demon’s roar you can say, but always clearly
decipherable though). The rhythm section handled by bassist J. Phantom and
drummer Pete 3 Wicked is punishing all the way, from the slow splashing passages
to the blast parts, a feast of complexity. And what to say about the guitar
playing of Patrick Evil, the only survivor of the first SATAN’S HOST line-up,
except that it is stellar? Patrick shows how gifted he his throughout the entire
disc, he has developed a style coming from the heavy rock of the 70s and adapted
it to the brutal Metal of today, his solo on ‘Darkmoon Gathering’ is alone
worth the
price of admittance. The only flaw of this record is that it is too long,
because too good becomes too much in the end, and a complete listen could leave
you totally exhausted (but exhilarated too!). So, if you are looking for the
best pure evil Metal in the world, then look no further, your search is over.
Rank this side by side with “Hell Awaits”, “Seven Churches”, “Nasty
Savage”, “None Shall Defy” or “Altars Of Madness”, I am dead serious
about this you see. To get this fabulous offering, contact PatrickEvil@SatansHost.com
or Elixir@SatansHost.com
and of course visit http://www.SatansHost.com
to hear some samples of the band’s new (and older) songs. A message to the
record label owners: stop signing crap and trendy shit, and offer SATAN’S HOST
the deal they deserve 100%. To all of you: SUPPORT THIS MAJESTIC METAL FROM
HELL!
Edouard Vergriete
BACK
SATAN’S
HOST
Satanic Grimoire: A Greater Black Magick
(Black Magick Inc)
71:37min
SATAN’S HOST set the bar very high with their previous effort “Burning The
Born Again (A New Philosophy)" and how deep my faith in them can be, I was
nevertheless anxious to hear if their new record could live up my great
expectations. Fortunately, SATAN’S HOST did it again, releasing an album
gigantic in musical genius. On “Satanic Grimoire” the band reaches titanic
highs in term of song crafting and musical mastery. Believe me, this album is
HUGE. First the sound is a vast improvement from the already great achievements
SATAN’S HOST obtained previously, the production courtesy of Dave Otero is
awesome to say the least, so much it is clear, dynamic and powerful. But that is
not enough to guarantee a great album. The songs have to follow, no matter what.
Fear not, “Satanic Grimoire” is gorged of fantastic riffs and ideas,
delivered by so much passion they become instant classics. More frankly Black
Metal now than before, SATAN’S HOST still explore well known forms of music
and refresh them, applying to them their secret formula. Like King Midas,
SATAN’S HOST transform everything they touch into gold. I know for a fact
these warriors of Hell are fans of the most famous European Black Metal bands,
but instead of trying to copy them they give their own interpretation of this
music, forging their original style mixing all the forms of Heavy Metal
subgenres. Once again the musical performance of all the musicians is
breathtaking to say the least. Eli Elixir imposes himself as the very best
extreme singer on the planet (I am not afraid to write this as I did before),
all the lyrics are delivered with clarity and passion, with an unbelievable
power, it has to be heard to fully realize the supernatural effect these vocal
lines offer! Mere words cannot transcribe this properly I can tell you (especially
in a time polluted by easy and false enthusiasms). When it comes to guitarist
Patrick “Satan” Evil, well, it is not everyday you will hear a guitarist of
more than 20 years of experience playing updated Black Metal. Patrick surpasses
himself here; he gives all he can, without any restraint, like if his life
depends on it, adding a lot of drama to the songs. He mixes extreme finesse (being
not afraid to play an almost lullaby song) with insane brutality, his guitar
then becoming a butchering axe in the most literal sense. Drummer Pete 3 Wicked
explores here all the possibilities of his kit, from blast beats to thrashing
rides, always enriching the music with unexpected fills and rolls, he reminds me
of Sir Prosciptor McGovern on more than one occasion, need I say more?
“Satanic Grimoire”, to give you a faint idea of its content, could have been
the Black Metal album KING DIAMOND (the band) could have composed, because of
the complex structures of the songs, the variety of atmospheres (some spoken and
screamed invocations are included to punctuate the album, they always reach
cyclonic proportions, so much the vocals are powerful). In fact the album is so
rich music wise that one has to listen to it numerous times to catch it in all
its details, to in the end find out it betters with each additional hearing. The
version I own is self-issued by the band, so I don’t know what the final form
(I mean licensed, because I have no doubt this masterpiece will find its public
all over the globe) will be, two tracks are listed as extras (no fillers!).
SATAN’S HOST deserve all the success possible and above deserve your support.
Don’t fail to visit their site: www.satanshost.com
for tons of info and above all mp3 of the new album that will give proof enough
to validate my enthusiastic review. This is what I call Metal. I am happy
SATAN’S HOST exist.
Edouard Vergriete
BACK
SATAN'S HOST
Great American Scapegoat 666
(Moribund Records)
64:01min
For those unaware of this act’s past, SATAN’S HOST was a Power Metal unit in the early to late ‘80s, that had a debut album entitled “Metal From Hell” released in ‘86 on a relative unknown
independent
label, and naturally shared the same fate that the majority of bands who make this same mistake suffer. No one ever hears about them until years after the fact! And then like mushrooms after a good rain, there are mysteriously hordes of fans who say they’ve been their biggest fans since day one. In this case, you would even be hard pressed to locate anyone in particular out there who’d bother to admit to this untruth or go running to fetch this album from their collection. Not that SATAN’S HOST ate shit in the day they most certainly did not. They did however suffer from a terrible engineer and popularity speaking, were just about as unknown to the outside world as one could possible get. SATAN’S HOST never benefited from a proper recording nor proper distribution / promotion or anything else outside of the actual studio time being paid for and of course a limited debut album run. This LP, as I am sure you have guessed, was subsequently bootlegged later over the years and actually for a good reason. The imagery, the songs, the
vocals(!) - the actual character of this band – provided by JAG PANZER front man, Harry Conklin, was nothing short of monumental for its time. And for the sole fact as well, that logically speaking (and in my opinion) SATAN’S HOST was the next jump off point, the next step up the latter of evolution so-to-speak, in regards to the traditional fodder of that period of U.S Power Metal…The sword and sorcery mystique that had swept up this genre’s scene since ’77. SATAN’S HOST could be in other words, the “missing link” bridging the gap between MAIDEN / the NWOBHM in general / DIO and say / MERCYFUL FATE / METALLICA and SLAYER. Crude as this might appear on paper, the relevance of this particular record “Metal From Hell“ and this band, SATAN’S HOST, and their contribution to the U.S. scene will always go sadly little noticed yet to those that have heard this album, those few shall of course hold the old SATAN’S HOST in absolute reverence. However, before us today lies not this album but one made twenty-two years after the fact. Obviously there’s going to be some changes, and I am not just talking about the apparent personnel either. No this version of SATAN’S HOST, who I might add re-united and reformed HOST in the late ‘90s, have left what those before them were forging back then, back in the past, and now can only considered a poor man’s version of the latest flashes-in-the-pan of Black Metal. The “Great American Scapegoat 666 “, aside from one of the worst titles to be given a supposed Satanic Metal
album (all I can think of is freaking Rob Zombie when I read this album’s name!), is about as pointless an offering in today’s Metal world as say Web Records attempt at distribution, of SATAN’S HOST’s debut album. Seriously, the poor musical direction choice this band has clearly taken, and of course the velveeda cheese-ball, over-the-top, imagery throughout this CD shows them no shame, shows them no validity nor even any substantial credibility as to exactly what this act’s tenure within the scene ought to have forged them by now. There’s no spirit here. Not even in the somewhat feeble attempts to grasp onto the more
HM / Thrash roots of their yesteryear, hence the lead breaks in the title track, as well as
'Pyromancy, The Art of Fire', 'Xeper 22' and of course the lead break initiate of
'7 Strings'. Other then these faulty footholds, not even the lyrics nor the layout, nor the actual logo on the record jacket would ever grant you instantaneous recognition that this specific disc spinning was anyone in particular, let alone SATAN’S HOST.
Contact: www.myspace.com/satanshost
or www.satanshost.com
or www.moribundcult.com
Wes Rhodes
BACK
SATAN'S
HOST
Assault Of Evil… 666 (DVD)
(Moribund Records)
approx. 210min
This legendary and occult band is haunting the scene for over three decades (!!)
already and that makes them even older than SLAYER, dear boys and girls. Still
they only released 5 official (as far as I know) and 2 unofficial / independent
ones. Since March the 13th 2010 we can add this DVD to that list. Shot in
Seattle WA by King of Hearts Productions (HIMSA, DRAWN AND QUARTERED etc) during
their US tour, supporting their "The Great American Scapegoat 666"
promotion-tour. I guess it's shot somewhere in 2008, the year this album got
released. The 6 tracks performed here are 'My Will, My Law: Evil', 'Great
American Scapegoat', 'AZRAEL: Death Wing Angel', 'Satanic Grimoire' and
'Inverted Jesus', so a selection from their last four albums, not counting their
2009 "Power "Purity" Perfection... 999". Black / Death with
Thrash / Heavy Metal riffing and occasional blasting eruptions, like a mixture
of BEHEMOTH and ACHERON roughly speaking, very intense with top notch
musicianship. This DVD is shot from different angles and heights, switching from
black and white to colour constantly, pretty interesting actually. The format is
NTSC (US) by the way, but I had no problem playing this one on my PAL system
(EU). Normally it won't… Anyway I was deeply disappointed for a few reasons…
First of all, the setlist is quite short! Hardly 35 minutes… which is not much
for such a long running band. Second, the interaction with the crowd is nihil
and I even wondered whether this was shot somewhere during the week as a support
act. I could hardly hear any interaction from fans! I don't know if it has to do
with the fact that this band transformed from a Heavy Metal band to a more Death
/ Black Metal outfit or the line-up, but the performance is a bit lame and lacks
power. Too bad, folks! I really don't like to talk bad about this band because I
respect them a lot, but this seems like a total different band! Former vocalist
Elixir is a good frontman, no doubt about that, and the rest is working their
butts off, but that won't safe them. The soundquality is too thin and especially
the guitarsound too clean (a second guitarist would have done the show some
good)! Still, guitarist and longtime-member Patrick Evil shows his immense
talent. Huge difference with other footage on this disc, put as bonus and called
Bootleg video and ten times more interesting and which shows the true caliber of
this band! Take the Samhaim Ceremony (10-31-2009): AWESOME! Elixir is wondering
the stage like a black wizzard and the setting encourages the band in every way,
with big inverted crosses, smoke and good lighting. Drummer Evil Little Hobbit
(right?) is smashing with so much power and intensity that I could really feel
some spirit. Also the sound is way more obscure! With better sound and a full
set, this should have been a WAY BETTER show instead of this Seatle basement
shit! In total you get 5 extra shows which all contain around 2 or 3 tracks and
some backstage footage clocking more than an hour which is always cool 'cause
you'll get to see a band more personal. Part of this is a rehearsal that even
blows away the main performance! Damn it…this could have been so much more!
Especially 'cause SATAN'S HOST deserves way more after 30 years! Bummer! Check
Moribund records at www.moribundcult.com. Hope the upcoming DRAWN AND QUARTERED
DVD will kill! Check SATAN'S HOST at www.satanshost.com,
www.myspace.com/satanshost.
$ 14,00 + postage.
Michael Tak
BACK
SATAN'S SATYRS
Satan's Satyrs
(Demo)
(self-financed)
15:40min
Since DARKTHRONE have taken it upon themselves to function as an underground zine rather than a band, I hope they get wind of this tape and put the logo on their next album cover with their mascot, Mr. Necro. If only DARKTHRONE could write heavy garage
Punk
/ Metal like this. SATAN'S SATYRS live in Virginia, formed in 2009, and are doing all the other American states proud with their drunken anthems barely a year later. The demo as a whole is as interactive a tape as one could hope for. The cover sports hooded figures carrying a casket, the liner notes are done in classic horror fashion, and the tape is a bright red with black lettering. Yet there is a danger to a product like this. Too many bands present their bands like patched jackets. They pick and choose from every Metal genre, and think that alone makes them good because they're "oldschool". But that isn't the case here. This demo exudes authenticity as well as conjures fond memories. Each track was recorded in a different month during 2009. The last track,
'Satan's Satyrs' was cut in August. The first, 'Lycancycler Cult', in November; and the second,
'The Dread Persists', in early December. To have written such good songs in five months is quite a
feat. The band has announced that Skeleton Plague Records will receive copies to sell in the United States, and Devil's Art Productions will handle sales in Chile and the greater part of South America. To reach the band personally, write to:
satanssatyrs@gmail.com
Nat Shapiro
BACK
SATARIEL
Phobos And Deimos
(Hammerheart Records)
51:32min
SATARIEL
play some great sort of modern Thrash Metal. How's that possible?
Easy, they don't use noisy sounds like MACHINE HEAD and the likes
(okay, a tiny but acceptable little bit). Instead, the band reminds
me a bit of Devin Townsend. Especially the strange but beautiful
choruses like on, 'Coffin Gateways' make SATARIEL sound special.
Fast thrashers like the aforementioned song are opposed to groove
monsters like 'Stranger World' that grab you and force you to bang
your poor head. This also keeps the album balanced and exciting.
Here and there SATARIEL use the intensity of Black and Death Metal
for their songs like on 'The Claim'. Obviously they don't care too
much about stylistic borders as long as it improves a song. Finally,
the exciting songwriting combined with a good production would already
be reason enough for me to strongly recommend "Phobos And Deimos"
to you if, yes, if there was not that one fact of one of the best
Metal singers ever contributing vocals on two songs, namely Messiah
Marcolin (CANDLEMASS, MEMENTO MORI)! I've been humming the chorus
of 'Holy Trinity' for weeks now, always with Marcolin's voice in
my ears. The difference between SATARIEL and Messiah's other works
adds yet another interesting aspect to this CD but the biggest surprise
is that the song after those two tracks keeps me listening to the
rest of the album as well and not only Messiah's songs which counts
for the quality of SATARIEL's material and the decision to place
a fast song at that point. Hey, it even took me a whole day of listening
to SATARIEL before I couldn't control myself any more and take out
my CANDLEMASS CDs to listen to them over and over again for days!
And guess which CD I fed my player with afterwards? Right, SATARIEL!
So everybody should spend their time waiting for CANDLEMASS at Bang
Your Head!!! and Wacken by listening to SATARIEL! Hugh!
Ramon Claassen
BACK
SATHANAS
Thy Dark Heavens
(Blackmetal.com)
35:23min
If
you are interested in powerful produced, direct and dark Black / Death Metal, be
sure to get this album!!! SATHANAS, a legendary cult-horde from the US (if you
like to know more about them, have a look at the interview with SATHANAS
main-man Paul Tucker in our “interview” section), unleash their third
official full-length assault with “Thy Dark Heavens” and the album is their
most elaborate and varied yet. “Armies Of Charon” was a bit more raw and
primitive, but slightly monotonous compared to the new CD. Acoustic guitar
intros, more inventive riffing and some growls here and there spiced the whole
thing positively up. The eight songs are dominated by traditional, heavy
mid-tempo riffing, hateful screams that remind me a bit of LORD BELIAL and some
memorable hooks. SATHANAS are a nice exception to those Black / Death acts that
either concentrate on Thrash riffs or the typical Scandinavian stuff and “Thy
Dark Heavens” is certainly worth buying. My personal highlights are ‘Curse
Your Saviour’, the opener ‘Winged Black Spirit’ and the 7 minutes epic
‘Queen Of The Netherworld’, which starts off with an atmospheric acoustic
guitar intro and then turns heavy as fuck! Well, check it out!!! What’s also
nice, is the great Kris Verwimp coverart, although many people say he does too
many artworks, I like his stuff and the one on “Thy Dark Heavens” simply
looks fantastic, although it reminds me a bit of Joe Petagno. Anyway, get this
CD! And before I forget it, a new album by SATHANAS comes in 2003 on Agonia
Productions – it is called “Hex Nefarious”. Label’s website: www.blackmetal.com
Stefan Franke
BACK
SATHANAS
Entering The Diabolical Trinity
(Pulverised Records)
39:04min
First listening to this output, I thought “Well, they sound pretty
oldschool”, but then I realized SATHANAS being active in the Metal scene since 1988, so they not just sound
oldschool, in fact they are oldschool! “Entering The Diabolical Trinity” offers you nine songs (plus intro) of pure Black Metal. I am not talking of the second wave of Black Metal that was started up in the early nineties in Norway by DARKTHRONE, EMPEROR etc., but more of the
oldschool eighties Black / Thrash Metal like early SODOM, BATHORY or HELLHAMMER. On this album no cliché is missing. The band name, the album title, song titles like ‘Demonized‘, ‘In The Circle Of Hell‘ or ‘Triumph Of Darkness‘. An intro, where howling wolves can be heard, the whole output is breathing the ancient spirit. Musically the songs are mainly mid-tempo based, with vocals that are somewhere between shrieking and grunting. The guitar-riffs can be described as catchy and melodic, yet dark and raw. The production is either a reminiscence of the old eighties or maybe they did not find any better studio and / or producer. But be it on purpose or not, the uncooked, brute sound is the exact the way such albums should sound. To make this
oldschool attack complete, the German label Iron Pegasus (referring to the band‘s homepage) is planning to release this fine piece of
oldschool Black Metal on vinyl…of course limited to 666 copies.
www.sathanas.net
Mirco Szymyslik
BACK
SATHANAS
Flesh For The Devil (MCD)
(Pagan Records)
22:55min
After their last full-length “Entering The Diabolic Trinity” SATHANAS are now back again with this mini-album. Six tracks in the typical oldschool Thrash / Black Metal style they always used to play. But sadly this output can not keep the level of the previous release. No energy, powerless sound, no inspiring song-writing. After I received the last promo-package I listened to “Flesh For The Devil” for a few times and could not believe that this is the same band that performed “Entering
The Diabolic Trinity”. Something went wrong, maybe the band was forced to act under pressure or the studio conditions were pretty bad. Be this as it may, this release can not match up with the predecessor, in fact not even or just hardly with the first three VENOM albums. Hopefully the upcoming release “Crowned Infernal” can give back more energy and
oldschool vibes than “Flesh For The Devil” (the SLAUGHTER
cover is pretty cool nevertheless - Frank).
www.sathanas.net
Mirco Szymyslik
BACK
SATHANAS
Crowned Infernal
(Pulverised Records)
41:03min
Mighty SATHANAS returned with a fucking great new album! Almost 3 years after their really cool "Entering
The Diabolic Trinity" LP, these Pennsylvanian Death Metal veteran hounds returned with a brand new shredder
of an album. To be honest I was somehow skeptical whether SATHANAS would still be able to deliver the
goods, but more than glad to realize that they sure do. In my opinion, this is without any doubt one of their best (if not their best) album to date: well delivered with solid-structured songs, killer guitars, and a tight rhythm-section. Add to the above the fantastic production that helps "Crowned Infernal" to sound both underground, yet professional at the same time. SATHANAS do not hesitate to perform their brand of mid-tempo
Death / Black Metal without fearing to introduce loads of Thrash / Heavy parts in it. Not to mention the band's excellent technical abilities that keep on improving for the better with every album. This is a band with class and they're not afraid to reveal this. I doubt that SATHANAS will ever get the attention
they deserve, but I hope that at least real maniacs support them. Personally, I consider them superior and far more interesting than the majority of uninspired stupid evil Death Metal copycats that have flooded the scene, but sadly not many share my opinion I guess. To finish up, the great Necrolord cover artwork makes the release of "Crowned Infernal" on LP format a must!
www.pulverised.net
Manolis A.
BACK
SATHANAS
Nightrealm Apocalyspe
(Pagan Records)
37:46min
It's always nice to hear from old bands. SATHANAS are an American band who have remained more or less consistent in output since 1988. That's an achievement worthy of note; for any band. Also worth noting is their complete lack of shame in displaying their influences: SLAYER (who isn't influenced by them), SODOM (they even scream "In the Sign of Evil" on the first
track), VOIVOD, every other band of the 80s you can think of, and the American
Black Metal scene. The latter influence is observable in the vocal work, which sounds more like ABSU or BLOOD STORM than any European band. SATHANAS tend to shift styles slightly; going from
Death to Thrash, to Black, and back again. This makes it hard to pin down within any one genre, which is fine since we shouldn't really be categorizing like that anyway. The album was recorded with an obviously digital production but, strangely, the songwriting is so oldschool, it doesn't bring it down terribly. It may even grow on you after a few listens. In any event, its remarkable that SATHANAS can still write like this after 21 years.
www.sathanas.net
Nat Shapiro
BACK
SATURNALIA
TEMPLE
Ur
(Nuclear Winter Records)
46:10min
I listened to this tape initially expecting to find little of interest to me.
This tape, however, turned out to be one of the most stunningly executed works
of Doom Metal I have encountered in quite some time (note that this same
recording was subsequently released on CD by Psychedoomelic Records). The first
aspect of the recording that stands out is the production value. The
introductory track initially sounds as if it were recorded underwater. Although
this is an intentional effect the band is going for, initially one may suspect
that the tape was poorly dubbed (this should not be construed as criticism…the
intro track is actually one of the many positive attributes of the recording).
Once the second song begins, the instruments are clear and audible, yet the
entire recording is set upon a foundation of murkier, low end layers of sound
that contribute to the fullness and unique quality of the recording. The
contours of the music have been shaped in such a way, at times, as to avoid the
sharpness and distinctiveness of the instruments’ attack in favor of a
lurching and monolithic structure that coalesces into a single composite unit.
The end result is one of sonic opacity. Lest such a description should suggest a
more modern approach to Doom, the song composition and the instruments employed
by SATURNALIA TEMPLE are decidedly traditional and at times evocative of styles
ranging from WITCHFINDER GENERAL to SAINT VITUS but with a darker and more
psychedelic atmosphere. SATURNALIA TEMPLE’s decision to record in this fashion
creates an authentic sound that is not confined to particular time period. The
riffs that comprise the songs guide the listener toward darker realms by virtue
of the deviant chord structures that augment their occult imagery perfectly.
Like many other bands that delve into this area of Doom Metal, SATURNALIA TEMPLE
invoke a substantial amount of psychedelic influence, but, although psychedelic
at times, the subject matter of the music does not revolve around the trite
topic of drugs (at least not overtly or heavy-handedly). The focus, instead, is
the ascendancy of the mind in the wake of the rising currents of magical and
ancient forces permeating our world. Like the use of psychedelics, delving deep
into the esoteric opens the mind to concepts and images that allow one to
transcend the confines of the ordinary world around us. Although this is
obviously not a novel concept in the world of Metal, it is a particularly
welcome aesthetic adornment for a band playing traditional Doom and SATURNALIA
TEMPLE approach it in a manner that cultivates an entire atmosphere of occult
and esoteric visions. Moreover, SATURNALIA TEMPLE’s music does not sound like
a modern interpretation of traditional Doom, but rather a band that is sincerely
committed to preserving an art ancient and revered in its archetypal form. Every
component of this release operates in unison to create a sound that, although
each element is distinct and prominently displayed, is a sum far exceeding the
value of its parts. The tape can be obtained from here.
Jason Campbell
BACK
SATYRICON
Ten Horns - Ten Diadems
(Moonfog Productions)
64:10min
I
always admired the overall attitude of Norway's SATYRICON as they not only more
or less stayed true to their roots, they are also one of the few, rare
exceptions that didn't musically sell out to the mainstream market like most of
their (once) like-minded countrymen did. To celebrate the band's ten year anniversary
ever since the release of
their classic "The Forest Is My Throne" demo, Moonfog
Productions have just issued a compilation album of ten kinda representative
SATYRICON tracks, some of them unavailable in this format elsewhere. I'm usually
not the biggest fan of these kind of releases, as they mostly charge for stuff
that a die hard fan of a band already owns. But on the other hand, nobody forces
you to buy compilations just for one or two exclusives and they still remain a
good opportunity for
all those who weren't familiar with the back catalogue of an already established
band. Leaving this criticism behind, "Ten Horns - Ten Diadems" is
certainly a good selection of SATYRICON material, covering two songs of each
album as well as one off the "Megiddo" EP. Three of them got
remastered exclusively for this compilation (which I couldn't care less about...)
and you'll also get one previously unreleased track, entitled 'Serpent's Rise' (basically
an instrumental with some spoken parts) plus a very promising preview on the
upcoming new studio album "Volcano", entitled 'Repined Bastard
Nation'. The whole packaging of this release is kinda impressive - the CD comes
in a deluxe looking box, while the booklet features all the lyrics and a bunch
of unpublished SATYRICON pics from past and present. All in all definitely a
fine appetizer to shorten the time until the release of "Volcano" on
August 28, 2002. For all further info check out www.moonfog.com or
www.satyricon.no.
Frank Stöver
BACK
SATYRICON
Volcano
(Virgin Records)
54:33min
The
new SATYRICON album is, besides the fact that it is the first Black Metal album
to be released on a major label, musically a quite bizarre experience. It is
definitely nothing for the Black Metal maniacs out there who think of Black
Metal as an elite, 1000% underground phenomenon, because “Volcano” breaks
these laws of limitation, exclusiveness and the sometimes small, often very big
intolerance that is the major problem of so called “true” Black Metal and
its followers. The musical experiments on “Volcano” are only minimal and not
revolutionary, some female vocals in three songs, which remind me of melancholy
stuff like PORTISHEAD, some electronic effects and samples – that’s all. All
songs have a grim and primitive feeling, especially due to the relatively simple
and often repetative riffing. Satyr’s vocals are colder, darker and better
than on all other SATYRICON offerings at least in my opinion, they are more
emphasized and very intense – great job!!! Songs like the opener ‘With
Ravenous Hunger’ or the closing track ‘Black Lava’ (which lyrically
reflects the good old days of Black Metal) deliver this epic and mighty feeling,
that makes Black Metal so special and fascinating, but sadly these songs are the
only highlights on “Volcano”. Some of the eight tracks (e.g. ‘Repined
Bastard Nation’, ‘Suffering The Tyrants’) tend to feature minimalistic
riffs and song structures, that get repeated again and again until they simply
bore!!! To some listeners this might have a psychedelic or enthralling effect,
but sometimes it seems to me a bit nerve-shattering, sorry. Listen to the album
in a CD shop near you and find out for yourself, it is not a bad album, but one
that needs time and attention. Well, that is the only point of criticism I could
discover, I can live with the label change and my promo looks very
“underground”, haha, black & white photocopied booklet and a CD-R with
the Virgin Records logo. Anyway, check out “Volcano”, if you like a grim and
quite unique album with an absolute fantastic sound (dark and very heavy), a
very mature and modern feeling and slight reminiscences of the past of this
still fascinating Norwegian legend.
Stefan Franke
BACK
SATYRICON
Now, Diabolical
(Roadrunner Records)
44:49min
The type of material contained in this album has been in between the war of words of the more purist
Black Metal breed and the ones who defend the radical shift in Satyricon's musical career right after getting into the big label league.
The tunes contained herewith do not represent a big progression or even a shift compared to their last outing. We are
dealing with heavy, hard-hitting and somewhat friendlier Norwegian Black
Metal. They guys seems to have done a voluntary decision to incorporate musical
influences that are further away from the boundaries of their former releases
and I wonder if those new ideas are even within the Metal schema. 'The Rite Of Our Cross' or
'The Pentagram Burns' make us feel that they have not lost their dark
and extreme approach of their yesterdays. The opposite are songs like
'K.I.N.G.', the opening tune 'Now, Diabolical' (thrashy feel and headbanging CELTIC
FROST-esque middle section) or 'Delirium' which was on the verge of making
me... happy! I bet stuff like this might have been too hard to swallow by several fans for sure.
On a personal note, the album has been growing on me after each spin but I really miss the danger or even the pure darkness
conveyed by their early albums... As pointed few lines above...
friendlier Black Metal for a wider audience and definitely something that you can skip at the record shop. Visit the band website at:
www.satyricon.no.
You may order it
here .
Mario Cubero
BACK
SAURON
Kraina Martwego Slonca
(Devil Worship Rec.)
62:49min
This
is the first release for the Polish label Devil Worship Rec. and
beside the "Kraina Martwego Slonca" album it includes
the "The Baltic Fog" demo from 1995 from Polish band SAURON
(I really wonder how many SAURONs are around actually - this must
be at least the third). This band here offers us old-school mid-
to uptempo Death / Black Metal that could have easily been released
in the beginning of the 90s. No keyboards, no female vocals - and
I really think that this is only for people that have experienced
that time somehow as the others might get easily bored as these
guys neither have supreme technical skills (nevertheless this is
well-played but you are not to expect over-complicated songstructures
and other nonsense) nor an Abyss-sound. This grows far more by feeling
and its attitude. Surprisingly the demo-recordings - especially
the tracks 'Hellish Requiem' and 'In The Shadows Of Sventevith'
- although they are worse in sound are even better than the album
in my opinion. Minor influences can be drawn from old German thrash-acts
and BATHORY for example but with a typical Polish style somehow
- at least no Norwegian influences here. To be tested by people
who think that are bored by the latest outputs with too much of
everything in it. I doubt that the price will be above 8,- US$ in
Europe. www.analgrinder.prv.pl/sauron, Devil Worship Rec.,
Ul. Ostrowiecka 6/49, 26-600 Radom 12, Poland
Nhashi
BACK
SAURON
True Hate Embodiment
(Macabre Operetta Productions)
14:44min
This band is currently signed at Dark Horizon Records (USA), their debut has
been released via this label as well. This band left me awe-struck so to speak.
SAURON play hyper-fast… hmmm, let’s call it WarDeathBlackMetal. Like that,
guys. For some strange reason they remind me of ANGELCORPSE with a stronger
emphasis on the Black Metal component. The production is fabulous… that is,
very clear and powerful. All the elements in the music sound cool in a very
old-schoolish way. Most of the time, these lunies blast their arses off without
bothering about the speed limits they infringe. The vocals sound hoarse and mad
--- just the way it ought to be. The guitars are struck in a maddening speedy
fashion. Every once in a while there are mid-paced parts for the sake of variety.
This is the case, for instance, 'Earth To Ash, Sky To Dust', where there is such
a part reminding me a bit of SATYRICON or MORBID ANGEL. Support these maniacs
and you shall be rewarded with some genuine cacophonies about hate, catastrophes,
apocalypses and destruction… well, the whole lot! Contact:
www.macabreoperetta.com
F. Cthulhu E.
BACK
SAVAGE MESSIAH
Spitting Venom
(self-financed)
32:00min
Fantastic mid-'80s Bay Area styled Thrash Metal that - had this band been around and put this EP out in 1987 instead of 2007
- no doubt Megaforce or Roadrunner Records would have absolutely picked them up! Imagine a catchier / more aggressive HEATHEN with
LÄÄZ ROCKIT lead guitar work and the aural attitude of “New Order “ TESTAMENT. Sounds like your type of Metal, fuckin’ A! Mine too! Vocals are of course naturally clear sung
(and what a nice change of pace from the screamers I have had the displeasure of listening to lately!) reminiscent of a cross between Ben Gaither of the ages-now defunct East Coast Thrashers SILENCE
(the bulk of the vocals presented here on this CD) and Matt Ulricksen of the Castro Valley, California Metallers MILITIA (www.myspace.com/militia89
- check out ‘Fiend Of Misery’ and ‘The Awakening‘). No better reference point of this comparison to Ulricksen is to be heard than when SAVAGE MESSIAH slows down to show you the more melodic edge of their material, most apparent on the band’s sixth track ‘Conspiracy
Of Silence’. Production on this 8 song EP is solid, punchy, with a high emphasis on clarity and a supine even mix. Lyrical matter runs the measure of intellect and interest and the words fit each of the songs like a glove. With the debut CD of fellow countrymen - Huddersfield’s EVILE “Enter The Grave” on Earache Records, I can’t help but think SAVAGE MESSIAH are the next in line to have a chance at major record label success, as to these ears SAVAGE MESSIAH are all over EVILE like a bad habit! Not only this but I can totally see where SAVAGE, in time, will re-establish once again the English Thrash flag once carried by their forebears ONSLAUGHT, ANIHILATED, DEATHWISH / HYDRA VEIN, D.A.M., ACID REIGN, SABBAT, RE-ANIMATOR and XENTRIX. Buy or Die!
Contact:
www.myspace.com/savagemessiahmetal
or davidsilver7@msn.com
Wes Rhodes
BACK
SAXORIOR
Never Ending Battles
(Battlegod Productions)
51:46min
SAXORIOR
(short for Saxon warrior) from Eastern Germany deliver Pagan Metal. They have
been around for quite some time, so what we actually get is at least well
executed. As far as I found out, the CD deals with the Thirty Years’ War
(1618-1648) in Europe. One of the topics you don’t get too often in terms of
Metal. Don’t ask me why – it’s a mystery. Partly, this album is quite
dark, underlining the gravity of the lyrical concept. I also like the Black
Metal vocals quite a bit, they’re full of pathos. What I simply can’t stand,
though, are the overly happy parts in songs like ‘Reasons Of War’.
Ridiculous. Well, for some people that’s probably gonna be cool in a live
situation. You’ll see happy people hopping all around the place, I bet.
Absolutely not my cup of tea. And it’s not only the keyboarder’s fault as
with his work he supports the songs pretty well. The other point I simply have
to criticise is the AC/DC cover ‘For Those About to Rock’. Man, I love AC/DC
but I never heard a truly good cover version on CD. Why don’t bands finally
stop trying? On this particular version, the vocals suck big time! Apart from
that, people into (German) Pagan Metal will probably enjoy this record quite a
bit. www.saxorior.de
The CD is on sale
here.
Ramon Claassen
BACK
SCAREMAKER
Burning Inquisition (Demo)
(self-financed)
8:57min
Three song demo tape from this new USA band, which features band members that
have been related to other bands like DECREPITAPH, SHROUDED, TOMBSTONES (USA),
FOREBODING, ETERNAL SUFFERING, STONE EVIL, SKULLETON, SCUM BITCH, SKINCRAWLER,
BASTARD CROSS, PROCREANT, FESTERED, BLACK PENTAGRAM CULT, BEYOND HELL and
ENCOFFINATION. No, I am not kidding relating all those bands, which is where the
drummer has at one point or another being a member of. Ok, this infernal trio
(including a female bass / backing vocals) and Razorback Records Billy Nocera on
vocals, brings us a deep occult form of Death Metal, basically in a mid-tempo
attack with some few faster passages, and gargling vocals from hell. References
can be made with early INCANTATION, AUTOPSY, DEATH, CARCASS, with a bass-like
guitar sound, some sloppy sounding drums (but not a sloppy performance) and
growly vocals. Yes, this sounds oldschool, but then again it is so far not
interesting enough to go back for more. The band does actually have a sound of
their own, no matter how present their influences are, and there are actually
some great riffs in their slower parts, especially in the last song 'Burning
Inquisition'. But at just three (quite short) songs, I need to hear more to
really appreciate the band, as I am confident there is potential here. www.myspace.com/scaremaker
Julián Núñez
BACK
SCARS
The Nether Hell
(self-financed)
29:14min
Brazilian Thrashers SCARS were put together in 1991. They released their debut
album "Ultimate Encore" via Encore Records in 1994. SCARS played over
500 concerts in their career before they disbanded in 1998. Guess what – they
reformed in 2004 and I have to admit I can’t find anything wrong with that.
Their oldschool Bay Area sound (with several hints of a New York OVERKILL)
really makes me get up and shake my lazy butt! The drums sound a little thin to
my ears, though, but the songs definitely rock: ‘Warfare’ and
‘Creatures…’ show SCARS’ classic roots; ‘Legions…’ and ‘Hidden
Roots…’ have a certain Death Metal undertone while ‘Return…’ and the
title track are pretty much heavy headbanging tunes – almost transport my mind
to the next Metal show. Watch out for these guys! You can download music and
videos from their official site: www.scars.com.br
Ramon Claassen
BACK
SCAR SYMMETRY
Pitch Black Progress
(Nuclear Blast)
48:28min
There is really no title imaginable that would be more inaccurate for this record since there are absolutely no traces of blackness or progress to be found therein. If anybody would pay me to praise this piece of junk I’d probably label it as the prototype of how modern Metal has to sound era vulgaris 2006. In fact it’s just another faceless product, customized for perfect cross-marketing to anyone who thinks he’s into the more extreme. Based on precise staccato-rhythms as established in the last decade by the likes of FEAR FACTORY, mixed with some alibi-grunts and graced with the cheesiest of refrains that make all the glam-fags of the eighties look modest, the second album by SCAR SYMMETRY is a horrid example of music played straight from the wallet. Which is really a crying shame if you consider the amount of talent that here and there shines through the surface of the polished and boring standard-sound, especially in the guitar–soloing which is sometimes bordering on the brilliant. So better ignore the massive praise that this most likely is about to receive and rather go for the re-release of SADIST’s godly “Above The Light”, which still is a much more valid statement concerning the sound of black progress. As for SCAR SYMMETRY: “Sentenced to death by the metal inquisition...” Website:
www.scarsymmetry.com. On sale
here.
Torsten Gründig
BACK
SCARVE
Luminiferous
(Listenable Records)
44:19min
This
is the sophomore album by this French sextet, and I must say that I listened
their first album with distracted ears two years ago because the music did
nothing to me, so I can’t comment on their evolution (or lack of) until today.
Of
course I carefully listened to “Luminiferous” from the beginning to the end
before writing on it, and I am sad to say that the experience was of the painful
type. The band comes
out with what they may see as their “winning” formula to finally end with a
disappointing and even sometimes totally irritating result. First, they have
chosen to go along with two vocalists, one taking over the “melodic” duty,
the other dealing with the “brutal” side of things. All I can say is that
the result sounds really unconvincing, because the “melodic” parts made me
think about some ugly so-called alternative crap bands of the nineties, while
the “brutal” ones are nothing this side of CANNIBAL CORPSE. So, instead of trying to sit on two chairs at the same time, maybe the
SCARVE dudes would have been better inspired to clearly chose their camp. One of
the selling points
of this CD is that Daniel Bergstrand helped to produce it, so I urge fans of
STRAPPING YOUNG LADS and MESHUGGAH to listen to “Luminiferous” without delay,
they may found it immensely enjoyable; to me this kind of modern (and yet dated
in a sense) sound gets on my nerves very fast. The shame is that SCARVE's
highly skilled musicians end to sound like machines because of that trendy
production. Nevertheless, I would like to give a special mention to drummer Dirk
Verbeuren, because he graces us with his phenomenal talent throughout the entire
album, a feast really. The main problem of “Luminiferous” though lies in the
fact the band actually forgot to compose songs, complete with hooks and
memorable moments: I defy you to remember a single track of this album, except
maybe for 'Serpent
Speech'
that gives us an idea of what “Luminiferous could have been with better ideas
and more work in the writing department, and guess what, this is the shortest
song of the album, discounting the 'The
Day After'
ambient piece. OK, I think I have made myself clear on my feelings towards “Luminiferous”.
As always, only your opinion counts, but you would have been well warned. The
promo babbling talks about “new age Death Metal”
and I can tell you that I am not anxious to see this new age coming, leave me in
hell!
Edouard
Vergriete
BACK
SCARVE
Irradiant
(Listenable Records)
44:16min
This
might be a great album for people into MESHUGGAH, SOILWORK,
STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DARKANE or IN FLAMES, the production is
excellent and heavy, it sounds modern and musically SCARVE vary
between fast parts including a couple of Death/Thrash riffs and
diverse vocals shifting between screams/growls and clear parts.
Personally I feel not a single thing when listening to this kind of
contemporary extreme Metal and that is exactly my problem with
SCARVE and all the other bands I mentioned above. What feelings do
you want to deliver or release with your music? There are none
audible! No aggression, no violence, no hatred, no depression, not a
single thing. If a PC would make Metal than it would sound like one
of the aforementioned bands. Sure they are great musicians and
especially MESHUGGAH and SYL did groundbreaking experiments with
Metal elements and created something “new”, but it does not
touch me at all when I listen to it, sorry! If you enjoy any of the
bands I named at the beginning of this review SCARVE will appeal to
you, too, because they certainly have the groove, the modern sound,
the unconventional approach one might consider interesting, but it
is definitely not my cosmos... Visit www.listenable.net
and be sure to check out the label’s real good bands like
IMMOLATION or THE LEGION.
Stefan Franke
BACK
SCATHING
The Day The Laughter Died (Demo-CD)
(self-financed)
17:17min
This
quite young three piece hails from Switzerland, got together in October 2000
and already released two demo CD's ever since. Not only a rather unusual, but
in their case also a very in-effective decision. It's not that the members in
the band are immature sounding musicians, certainly not. Their overall performance
is quite solid and the songs are not exactly what I would consider bad. But
everything sounds way too calculated from my point of view. Death / Thrash Metal
is a musical genre that mostly lives off the intensity, the energy and overall
brutality. SCATHING unfortunately are still lacking in all of that. It seems
to me that their main concern is to come up with a perfect performance instead
of the right feeling and atmosphere. Just listen to their SEPULTURA cover of
'Troops Of Doom' - musically there's nothing to complain about, maybe it's even
better played than the original, but it's heavily lacking in the original charme.
So, instead of releasing everything that gets composed in the rehearsal room
straight away, the band should first of all maybe start playing live as often
as possible in order to get the right feeling for this music. Further info:
www.scathing.ch.vu
Frank
Stöver
BACK
SCENTERIA
Art Of Aggression
(New Aeon Media)
38:28min
The guys in the Swedish four piece SCENTERIA still look pretty young
on the pictures that accompany their debut full length "Art Of
Aggression" and therefore I didn't really expect to like this
record – as stupid as this may sound.
It's just that the majority of younger musicians that are
around these days have a totally different musical background (there's
exceptions to the rule of course)... They grow up on different bands
than old farts like myself which (of course) is also reflected in
the music they play. Don't get me wrong here - it's not that I
consider SCENTERIA bad... not at all! Judging them by the ten tracks
I've heard they even seem to be pretty skilled musicians (apart from
the fact that they are still heavily lacking in an own identity).
The entire material on "Art Of Aggression" is very
energetic and full of aggression, but as I have never really been a
fan of all the modern Thrash bands that (mostly) Scandinavia gave
birth to over the last couple of years SCENTERIA certainly won't
manage to change my narrowmined point of view either. Their label
promotes them with the slogan "...a must for fans of bands like
THE HAUNTED, CHILDREN OF BODOM and TERROR 2000, cause SCENTERIA is
in league with all those bands!" Well, CHILDREN OF BODOM are
not exactly a good comparison here (they are far more melodic and
rooted in traditional Heavy Metal), but if you're into the
aggressive modern thrashin' Death style of THE HAUNTED / TERROR 2000
and the likes, won't mind a couple of recycled SLAYER riffs here and
there and still enjoy a wellknown (quite overused) writing formular
- you might get a kick out of this as well. More info: www.scenteria.com,
www.karmageddonmedia.com
Frank Stöver
BACK
|