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Kataklysm
In the Arms of Devastation
(Nuclear Blast)
All metal fans
in Roskilde and its bushwhacker environs love Kataklysm. Their household
elder and newborn niece both adore Kataklysm, and even their über-obese
tomcat hunts mice with Shadows and Dust as a motivational
soundtrack. Wherefore then, I ask, does their material as a whole come
across so bland and lukewarm to these otherwise amenable ears? Whereas the
aforementioned ‘favourite for felines’ has entertained me on more than one
festive booze-sustained occasion, most of all because of its
leviathan-like title track, Serenity in Fire bored me half-stiff at
the first encounter, and almost made me consider a modern-world
abomination like Toto as alternative stereo fodder at the second listen.
In The Arms of Devastation contains all that which makes for an
excellent metal release: cement-block riffs intermixed with candied
melodic licks, screams and roars of dreadful doom +2, them trademark
northern hyperblasts and not least a well-broiled, well-stirred sound. Yet
it all leaves me unexcited for the reason that there is but a sub-atomic
trace of life, soul and feel to extract from these fine-chiselled
colonnades of metal music born dead. There, I said it.
MISEREION
Kataklysm
In The Arms of Devastation
(Nuclear Blast)
This band have
been getting rave reviews all over the world, and when you hear In The
Arms of Devastation, you will know why. Kataklysm have clearly done some
soul-searching and found it necessary to put their whole musical concept
through an evaluation. This basically means that they have thrown away the
things that did not work, kept the things that do, and then refined and
developed the remains to perfection. And the result is nothing less than
stunning. Kataklysm seem to have found the perfect balance between the
melodic and the rawer, more unsweetened and direct approach. The band
really possess a rare ability to turn the most obvious, almost hackneyed
riffs into memorable compositions with a catchiness level just around 100
%. And those breakdowns... Man! This is by no means cutting-edge; but a
power discharge of immense proportions that sets the standard very high
for any competitors. An album that could easily become one of the top five
death metal releases of the year. And with a sound as heavy as ten trucks
loaded with elephant shit in lead buckets, there is no excuse not to pick
up this excellent death metal album.
JESTER
Khold
Mørke Gravers Kammer
(Candlelight)
Khold’s
debut album Masterpiss of Pain was a refreshing flurry, which
combined the distinctive black metal of their old band Tulus with a
rock’n’roll attitude, which yours truly immediately caught on to. The
follow-up Phantoms took it a step further, in that when the moment
of surprise was over from the debut album, Khold stepped forward and
proved that there was a lot more in the band in the form of solid
songwriting and a long-term concept. For that reason my expectations for Mørke
Gravers Kammer were very high, and therefore the new album is a bit of
a disappointment. Even though Khold has by all means released a fine
album, it is not up to par with the previous two records; not least
because it all seems a bit too anonymous, but also because their
individual expression does not come out in the same way at all. Even
though you can easily hear that it is Khold, Mørke Gravers Kammer
sounds very much like so many other releases, and that is sad to discover.
In its entirety Mørke Gravers Kammer is not an album that reaches
the same heights as the two first releases, and I hope that Khold will
take their revenge on the next album.
Bo
Kode
Closer to home
(Demo)
Kode are
wielding musical balls of steel and set new standards for heaviness on
this two-track debut demo. The cross between Fear Factory, Soulfly and a
large portion of groove is actually very listenable, without being
cutting-edge. The band seem skilled and especially vocalist Christian
Campbell shows a wide vocal range and a great amount of potential. With
that said, I would also underline the importance in giving the
compositions a little more spark before signing a contract. The heavy
music constantly builds up a tension and when the climax is supposed to
kick in, Kode keep treading waters and you are really left with a feeling
that something is missing. In this case the missing part on this monster
truck would be the gear. And this one only uses its first gear, if you
know what I mean. A little more varitey and shift in pace and this truck
is ready to run you over. But all in all a listenable debut from an
exciting band.
JESTER
Ljå
Til Avsky For
Livet
(Aftermath Music)
First off I would like
to thank Aftermath Music for releasing this album, because it is by all
means quite a debut we are talking about. Regrettably, I have not heard
the band’s split
7”
EP with Koldbrann, but
I intend to make up for it. Ljå picks up where the majority of the
Norwegian scene left off in the mid-90’s. This is necro black metal as
it should sound like – and then some. The title Til
Avsky For Livet sums up in all simplicity what it is exactly that you
will find on this album: misanthropic black metal that calls up
associations to bands like Gorgoroth and Marduk. Chaos, hatred, Satan and
misanthropy from first to last note; just like black metal should and is
meant to sound. Til Avsky For Livet
gets all the recommendations I can possibly give it, and I am looking
forward to their next album with high expectations.
Bo
Mandrake
Calm
The Seas
(GreyFall)
Having
only the cover, the CD and the track list, the only information I have on
this band is that the record was recorded in Germany and contains 13
tracks. Mandrake somehow has an inspiration from Theatre of Tragedy and
Dismal Euphony and some very twisted angles as well. Being harmonic and
well composed, it sometimes turns into disharmonic passages and back again.
The vocal parts consist of growling and female singing. The keyboard is
all in front and so dominating that I sometimes forgot the guitars and the
bass… which is a shame since it could support the music pretty well, I
think. I grew bored of this CD very fast since I found nothing new in it;
only a well-produced copy of what other bands have made…
MP
Mortiis
The
Grudge
(Earache)
You
can easily say that Mortiis has gone through a tremendous transformation
for the last couple of albums. After a few dark-ambient records he decides
to make a radical change of style on The Smell of Rain, and that
now continues on The Grudge. Where The Smell of Rain has a
stylistic resemblance to Sisters Of Mercy, The Grudge is rather
situated in the Nine Inch Nails territories. In its entirety there is
nothing wrong with the material on The Grudge. At times it can be a
little too much alike the inspirational sources rather than containing
original elements, and it is also evident on this record that Mortiis has
only just begun to move into this genre. There is no doubt that in time he
will surely develop his own style, and in that way come across as more
original than is the case on The Grudge. However, I will recommend
long-time fans of Mortiis to give The Grudge a listen before they
buy it, because this is definitely far from his old material, and a lot
has even happened since The Smell of Rain.
Bo
Motörhead
Kiss Of Death
(SPV)
Holy
fuck, it is impressive beyond belief that Lemmy et al. are not only living
up to their own standard from album to album, but are also able to outdo
themselves. The last couple of albums have been first-rate, and with Inferno fresh in mind Kiss of
Death has quite a few things to live up to – and that it does in
every way. Motörhead are at their very best on Kiss
of Death, and with songs like “Under the Gun”, “God Was Never on
Your Side” and “Sucker” they demonstrate that after more than 30
years they still have the ideas and the fire. There is really not much to
say about Kiss of Death, because we all know that Motörhead deliver the goods
every time they release a new album. So buy it, dammit!
Bo
Mythological
Cold Towers
Sphere
Of Nebaddon
(Sound Riot)
Why
did I not know of this band before? This is actually a record from 1996
re-issued in 2002. If you belong to the group of people that think
Paradise Lost should have continued their style from “Lost Paradise”
and “Gothic”, then this band is definitely something for you.
Continuing the exact same style from “Lost Paradise” and adding their
own contributions in the fray, Mythological Cold Towers come from Brazil
and play Death Doom Metal. Indeed, this is Doom Metal to the core. It is
rare that I stumble upon something this true to the genre – but this is
it. I will try with all my might to get hold of the other CD they made as
well. Tragic melodies, slow riffs, deep growling and a production that
reminds you of early 90’s; what do you miss? Nothing, exactly!
MP
MXD
Frustration Is Fuel
(Equilibre Music)
To call this metal might be stretching the term a
little much, I think. MXD is an electronic-based EBM band with metallic
influences. I think you could compare them to, for example, Chemical
Brothers, Young Gods, Frontline Assembly, Prodigy and to a certain extent
the mix records by Die Krupps (congratulations on the 25 years!), White
Zombie and Rammstein. Frustration Is Fuel is MXD’s fourth outlet
and it is a dance-friendly, synthesizer-based, yet
rock/metal/gothic-oriented journey into the wasteland between dance music
and metal. And a rather good one of its kind. EBM and the whole industrial
dance scene have been ignored by the majority of metal fans despite the
many common denominators; which I think is a pity because the scene has a
lot to offer. The band create some interesting moods that fascinate me,
and they are capable of writing good memorable songs. I found the album
very exciting without being impressive. Fans of the abovementioned bands
should check it out.
JESTER
Nasty
Savage
Psycho
Psycho
(Metal Blade)
The
last couple of years have been plagued by half-hearted reunions, and I
have to admit that I am getting sick and fucking tired of it. When an (unnecessary)
reunion is announced, everything gets blown out of proportions, and when
the album then finally appears, it is a trifling release by a band that is
only a shadow of its old self. *cough* Destruction and Exodus *cough* With
that in mind it is an understatement to say that I was nervous when Nasty
Savage proclaimed their return, because if I have to mention some releases
that I revere and worship, it would be Nasty Savage, Indulgence,
Abstract Reality and Penetration Point. Fortunately, I could
breathe a sigh of relief when Psycho Psycho was issued, because
this is an album that is characterized by solid songs, which signifies a
development in the band but which is at the same time faithful towards the
Nasty Savage that we know. The album feels sincere and evokes the feeling
that they have never really been gone; something which a lot of reunions
could learn a good deal from! As a whole Psycho Psycho is a solid
album that contains a lot of good songs, and the title track in particular
together with “Dementia 13”, “Terminus Maximus”, “Betrayal
System” and “Return of the Savage” should be emphasized. Yep, Nasty
Savage are back – and thanks a lot for that! Now I just hope that they
have returned to stay, because Psycho Psycho shows that they have a
lot to offer still and that they can come across just as strong as during
their heydays. Anxiety has now been replaced by pleasure for the reunion
of Nasty Savage, and I will look forward to their next album with
impatience.
Bo
Nebelhexë
Essensual
(Candlelight)
There
were probably a few people who were surprised when Andrea Haugen laid the
neo-folk band Hagalaz’ Runedance to rest in order to tackle a wider and
more nuanced style with Nebelhexë. The debut album Laguz,
Within the Lake introduced influences from new wave and gothic, but at
the same time it stuck to the heathen moods and characteristic dreamy
themes from Hagalaz’ Runedance, and for that it worked well as a bridge
between the two bands. With the new album Essensual
Andrea Haugen once and for all manifests her visions with Nebelhexë, as
it takes a great step forward from her previous works. The old vibes are
still present but are now integrated into a thoroughly more electronic
sound structure, and it is refreshing to hear her work in this way. In
retrospect there is no doubt that this step has opened up for a whole lot
of possibilities which she did not have with Hagalaz’ Runedance – Essensual is evidence of that – and fans of Hagalaz’ Runedance
should by no means let themselves deterred by the fact that Andrea Haugen
is exploring new territories. All in all a solid effort that you can
safely write into your budget.
Bo
Necrophagia
Nightmare Scenarios
(Red Stream)
This long-awaited
DVD features videos for nine songs from the Divine Art of Torture
album, and just like the previous Necrophagia DVD Through Eyes of the
Dead, this is hardly interesting unless you are a die-hard fan of
Necrophagia. The videos for “Rue Morgue Disciple” and “Sick Room” are
pretty well-done and interesting, but the remaining seven videos are not
really entertaining, and two good ones out of nine is not really that good
statistically speaking, is it? My problem with Necrophagia's videos is
that their music is goddamn brilliant, and I just don’t think their videos
can summon the content and feeling of the music in any way, which is
certainly evidenced by their two DVD releases so far. One of the few cool
things about Nightmare Scenarios is that there is a pretty cool
21-minute feature where we see Necrophagia recording some of the songs
that have ended up on the Divine Art of Torture album and the
Goblins Be Thine mini-album. Also, there is a really cool interview
with Killjoy and also a pretty cool trailer for the upcoming Necrophagia
live DVD entitled Necrotorture/Sickcess, but unfortunately
these are the only features that really grabbed my attention. Bottom line
is that Necrophagia's music speaks for itself and that videos do not do
their music justice. Stick to their albums and worship those instead!
Svest
Negative
Reaction
Everything
You Need For Galactic Battle Adventures
(PsycheDOOMelic)
My
first impression listening through this CD was old Cathedral joined by the
vocalist from Confessor. The band comes from America; Long Island to be
more specific. The music is composed of very basic old-school doom
elements like Black Sabbath and Cathedral. Yet the vocals consist of
neither song nor deep growling but some guy screaming his lungs out of the
body. Very sad, I think. I like the music very much but it is very hard
for me to get used to the screaming. Somehow I find it very much out of
the picture, but maybe this is exactly what Negative Reaction wants to.
Track number two on the CD “I hate Me” has some of the meanest riffs
heard in a long time. Heavy, doomy, crunching guitars that blast your
speakers out of the cabinets. All in all a very nice tribute in the
collection containing St. Vitus, Cathedral and Black Sabbath. I never got
used to the vocal parts but you should definitely check it out if the
abovementioned bands are on your top 5 list.
MP
Nuclear Assault
Third World Genocide
(SPV)
Let me put this
straight: I get tics every time a new reunion is announced. There have
been too many examples of bands that have returned as a shadow of their
former self, and you have had the feeling that some things should remain a
thing of the past. You should never underestimate how much the full
picture can be utterly spoiled by the last perspective you get, and there
is nothing worse than being ripped out of a year-long admiration for a
band because of an irrelevant and uninspired reunion album. Destruction is
a very good example in the world of yours truly, and when I received
Nuclear Assault’s comeback album I was hoping that it would not be the
same case with these thrash metal gods. Now, I can just as well say right
away that it was not the case. Nuclear Assault have on the whole done
quite well with Third World Genocide. They miss the target with a
track like “Whine and Cheese”, which belongs in the songwriting formula of
a hardcore band, and the banjo in “Long Haired Asshole”… Well, it is
rather amusing – but Nuclear Assault? The title track is on the other hand
a fine testimony to the fact that the songwriting from Game Over,
Survive and Handle with Care still lives on in the band.
Generally, the album is a journey back to the halcyon days of Nuclear
Assault, while the band at the same time reveal a meaningful form of
creativity that could be the beginning of a new era for Nuclear Assault
today. Third World Genocide does not leave me speechless with
excitement, but it is far better than I dared hope for, and old fans
should not veer away in anxiety from this reunion.
Bo
Obsidian
Enslaved By Nightmares
(Self-financed)
I knew nothing of Obsidian
from California when they sent Enslaved by Nightmares to the Evilution
Legion, but I’m sure that we will hear a lot more of this band in the
future. The thing is that Obsidian deal with the genres that we love and
cherish in this magazine, and with influences like Morbid Angel, Obituary,
Opeth, Emperor and Dan Swanö there is not much doubt left from yours
truly. As the aforementioned bands suggest, Obsidian perform black/death
metal and they do that very convincingly on the three tracks (with a
playing time of 24:32) that constitute Enslaved by Nightmares. Obsidian
master the traditional American death metal sound and style, but a handful
of Scandinavian influences have also left their mark on the songs – and it
all works really well. The tracks clock in at seven to nine minutes, and
Obsidian achieve to combine brutality with atmosphere all the way through,
so you do not get the feeling that the length of the individual tracks is
too much. This is not least due to the use of keyboards, which primarily
functions as a supplement to the already atmospheric songwriting, and the
keyboards are at no time the dominating force in the music. All in all
this is a solid and convincing demo release that raises the expectations
for the band’s upcoming debut album and live DVD. Enslaved by Nightmares
can be ordered via Obsidian’s official website:
http://www.obsidianskies.net/
Bo
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