Origin - s/t

Relapse

I was wanting to hear this relase for some time, and thanks to our friends down at The Furnace, I fianlly got a copy of the CD. At first I kind of liked the CD, but after repeated listens, I have discrened that it's just your average, run-of-the-mill death metal. Nothing new and exciting here. The riffs are pretty boring and the vocals are *yawn* the same old shit. Sorry for the shitty review, but I'm tired and hungry... -Andrew

Cradle Of Filth - Midian

1. At The Gates Of Midian
2. Cthulhu Dawn
3. Safforn's Curse
4. Death Magick For Adepts
5. Lord Abortion
6. Amor E Morte
7. Creatures That Kissed In Cold Mirrors
8. Her Ghost In The Fog
9. Satanic Mantra
10. Tearing The Veil From Grace
11. Torture Soul Asylum

I wasn't a big Cradle Of Filth fan going into this review. I thought that they were just going to fuck up another CD to appeal to their Hot Topic "goth" crew. I thought it was true when I saw the ridiculous cover art. C'mon! What the hell is that thing on the right?! But I did eventually get the CD into the player and it was a whole different story from then on. The album doesn't waste anytime setting the mood. Eerie and haunting, with plenty of organs and chants. This may not sound different than past Cradle albums, but it just seems better this time around. Much better. Dani's vocals are the same as usual, mixing high, screechy vocals with low, ghastly growls. He over uses the highs a little bit, but it by no means ruins the listening experience. Musically, this album keeps getting better. "Her Ghost in the Fog" features beautiful female opera-style singing behind Dani's screaming. Totally killer tune. I surprised myself in the fact that I really enjoyed this symphonically goth black metal relase. So I suggest you go out and buy it. Now. Run or walk, I don't care! Just get this disc. -Andrew




Kataklysm - The Prophecy

Nuclear Blast

1. 1/9/9/9:6661:2000
2. Manifestation
3. Stormland
4. Breeding The Everlasting
5. Laments Of Fear & Despair
6. Astral Empire
7. Gateway To Extinction
8. Machiavellian
9. The Renaissance

This CD opens with an explanation of a race of people who are technologically advanced, but they are dying and blah blah blah, who cares? Lets get to the music. The music is death metal mixed with a little bit of melody in areas. This is a good thing, except some of the riffs are kind of reminiscent of n�-metal garbage. Luckily though, there isn't too much of it. The album is pretty fast through out, another plus, but there's just something about the CD that just doesn't strike me as really good. None of the tracks are really memorable, except 'Machiavellian', easily the best track on the CD. The riffs and melodies in that song get stuck in my head everytime I hear it. I don't regret buying the CD (I only paid $5 for it) but some may. Not great, but decent. -Andrew




Krisiun - Black Force Domain

Gun Records

1. Black Force Domain
2. Messiah of the Double Cross
3. Hunter of Souls
4. Blind Possession
5. Evil Mastermind
6. Infamous Glory
7. Rejected to Perish Below
8. Meanest Evil
9. Obssession by Evil Force
10. Sacrifice of the Unborn

WOW! This CD is a totally blazing Brazilian inferno of satanic blasphemy!!! This is some seriously fast stuff. They create such an immense sound of blasting death metal that looks to take out all things Christian in its path. And I believe that they accomplish it very well. Krisiun is comprised of only 3 members, which makes them even more impressive for the sound they can pump out. These members are Max Kolesne, Moyses Kolesnem and Alex Camargo (Max and Moyses are brothers). This is the band's first full length (having demos and mini CDs out before it), and I must say it is very impressive. These guys really know their shit. From the shredding guitars at hyper speed or the double bass drumming and blastbeats at hyper speed, everything on this album is perfect. The vocals really fit the mix as well, they don't get annoying after a while, in my opinion. The only problem with the CD is the production. It really isn't that great compared to newer Krisiun, but it doesn't even ruin it for me. It kind of makes the CD have a grim, black metal feel to it :) I recommend this CD to anyone who is into death metal, especially death metal with no speed limits. Very awesome. -Andrew




Red Roses For A Blue Lady - Return to Melancholy

Eulogy

1. I Fall
2. It Doesn't Make Me Ten Again
3. She Doesn't Like Rock-N-Roll
4. Unseen or Unscene
5. Mecklenburg
6. S.R. 241
7. Pretty Birds Get Caught by Cats Too
8. Girl Named
9. Musical Chairs

The first time I heard of Red Roses For a Blue Lady was at a Poison the Well/Twelve Tribes show. It was the Opposite of December tour (great show by the way...), and one of the merch guys told me I should check them out. So I decided to go out on a limb and give this new band a try. I was more than pleased with it! Everyone I played it for is now a huge fan. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when I heard this band described as "Emo-metal." Those two genres aren't exactly "bed buddies." This metal/hardcore/emo hybrid totally voided any preconcived notions I had about their sound. There are plently of stocatto riffs, plus punishing and chaotic grooves, accompanied by seemingly randoms spasms of blazing hardcore breakdowns, which often morph into walls of guitar noise accompanied by heartbreaking screaming voKILLS. Holy Jesus, that was a long sentence. Kyle Borchgardt's vocal style is a combination of growls, skrieks, hisses, and a small amount of singing delivered in such a fashion that you can almost feel his sorrow and contempt. Relatingly, a cursory read of the lyrics - which all deal with loneliness, relationships gone bad, sensitivity, and killing your girlfriend and burying her - reveal the nature of all these strong emotions that embody themselves in his mournful screams. Don't worry though, if that cry-baby emo shit isn't your thing, there is more than enough raw br00tality to counteract. The recording quality of this album is somewhat of a dissappointment, but that is by no means a reason to pass this one up. In fact, I would venture as far as to say this is one of the most crucial releases of the decade in it's genre, and I challenge you to prove me wrong. Just try it, bitch. -Doug




Epoch of unlight - Caught in the Unlight

The End

1. (untitled)
2. At the Threshold of Might
3. The Ethereal Taint
4. Crimson and Steel
5. In the Ansence of Light
6. The Last to Fall
7. Ululant Cries
8. Return to Eidolon
9. Hounds of Tindalos
10. Aegri somnia vana
11. Caught in the Unlight

I said something about Epoch of Unlight being a kick ass band over at Relapse, and low and behold the next day I get an email from Tino (the drummer). Needless to say I was surprised. He was just thanking me for the positive comment on Relapse. Well, I had emaled him back saying that maybe I could have a review for my pathetic little site and he agreed. He also told me that I should email the record company and they would send me an advanced copy of their new CD, Caught in the Unlight. So I did. I have now realized that this was one of the wisest things I have ever done. Epoch of Unlight play a unique style of melodic black/death metal with a bit of thrash in the mix as well. I have tried to think of bands that sound similar, but I can't. epoch of Unlight is one of a kind. Now onto the music. The CD opens with a 25 second opener, then wastes no time getting right to the point. "At the Threshold of Might" starts off right razor sharp guitars and won't take "No" for an answer. And the drumming. Dear Lord! I could go one for hours about how amazing the drumming is!! Tino is serisouly one of the best drummers I have ever had the pleasure to hear. The drumming is incredibly fast and very unpredicatable, you never know what he's going to do next. This is easily the best drumming I've heard in a LONG time. The rest of the CD continues at the same pace. At pointsT, it'll slow down just a tad and out of nowhere BAM!, you're hit with an all out assault on your ear drums. Now to the vocals. The vocals are more along the lines of black metal, but not your typical grim, cold screechy black metal vocals. hese have a bit more power behind thetm and fit the music like a fucking glove. When I first finished the whole CD, I just put it on again to experience the perfection in the music. It's a very rare occasion when one comes across an absolutely perfect CD. This was one of those occasions. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATIONS!!!! -Andrew




As The Sun Sets - Each Individual Voice is Dead

Shit, I don't know.....I'll find out soon though.

1. Intro
2. Searching For A Reason to Carry On
3. From This Day Forward
4. Such Words Upon The Tongues of Demons
5. Unfulfilled Dreams Are a Burning Utopia
6. Carapatian
7. ..Shed for You and for Many
8. A Thousand Falling Skies
9. Everything

For those of you unfamiliar with this CT metal outfit, you really need to stop fingerpointing to your Throwdown record for a second, and find out just how bad five hardcore wussies can punish you. I rarely say this about a hardcore album, but this is downright br00tal. I hesitate to call these guys hardcore, they're straight up metal with a breakdown here and there thrown in for good measure. Not much of that getting all slow with all that palm muting shit though. They always plow full speed ahead through the breakdowns, leaving you no time to mop up all the bile that just got pummeled out of you before they start to blast again. Track 9 - Everything, right around 0:15 is a perfect example. Note the wicked-quick double bass and ultra brutal death growl. Oh man, that part is sick. Check out that same song around 2:30, it's another revoltingly intense breakdown, a la Converge. This just goes to show how diverse their sound is. Not once did this album bore me. One aspect of this band that really sticks out in this reviewers ear is the drumming. Now, I've been exposed to countless death metal drummers who have really impressed me, but Jonathan is fast as shit and at the same time he manages to stay very precise and very technical. Unlike so many other bands in this genre *cough*poisonthewell*coughcoughhack*, the double bass sound doesn't overpower the rest of the percussive sounds, yet it's prominent enough to loosen your stool a bit. Another notable addition to this band is their vocalist, Lex. This guy can scream all high pitched-like and not sound like those screamo or emoviolence or whatever you call them guys. I bet this dude likes black metal, because he could give most of those signers a run for their money. If that wasn't enough, Lex has got a really evil death growl to boot. Some might say that he doesn't growl often enough, but that's the coolest part. Less is more you know! The growls come at the most perfect times - like right after this creepy sample in Such Words Upon the Tongues of Demons, they get all grindy and he just belts it out. It's GRIM. I swear to God I get a stiffy at that part every time. Do yourself a huge favor and peep As the Sun Sets live if you have the chance. It is easily one of the craziest shows you will ever experience. They are very animated, and most important of all, they are just as destructive live as they are on the record. No studio tricks here, just pure uninhibited annihilation. I could go on foever just picking apart every aspect of their music and raving about it, but I don't want to patronize or anything. So instead of reading someone elses' opinion, find out for yourself. I'm sure you'll reach the same conclusions as I, or else you are wrong. So go buy this record from Undecided records RIGHT NOW. Or are you a sackless mangirl?-Doug





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