tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5814281787697976342024-03-14T08:13:23.566+01:00The Legacy ReviewsReviews of our musical legacy in various genres of rock and metal.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-20208432369665075132016-01-23T19:20:00.005+01:002016-01-23T19:20:39.721+01:00WE ARE MOVING THE BLOG!Hello, everybody.<br />
<br />
We've taken the decision to move our blog from Blogger and move it to Wordpress. Over the years we have encountered too many annoying things with Blogger, and we are not that fond of its dated look. Therefore we will be transferring all of our reviews from this blog to our new place over at Wordpress.com.<br />
<br />
In this process we will be polishing all of our reviews, correcting small mistakes and so on. This should be done before we reach the spring of 2016. There's definitely some new releases we will be taking a look at this year, plus we got some very exciting stuff in the works as well.<br />
<br />
We hope you will keep reading our reviews and support us. And yes, we will still be posting our reviews on Metal-Archives.<br />
<br />
Come visit the blog at: <a href="https://thelegacyreviews.wordpress.com/">https://thelegacyreviews.wordpress.com/</a><br />
<br />
Extremely rotten greetings,<br />
The Legacy Reviews.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-69405850336588865192015-11-21T16:14:00.003+01:002015-11-21T16:14:39.900+01:00Cradle of Filth - Cruelty and the Beast<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Cradle and the Masterpiece</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/cruelty_zpsubqdk2g2.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/cruelty_zpsubqdk2g2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Some people often try to squeeze Cradle of Filth into a genre-box, and most often it is the black metal genre, which is a genre the band never really belonged to and never will. There is so many influences in this band's music that you cannot pin-point it more than simply extreme metal, or even more simplified: Cradle of Filth. This is two labels the band and its countless members would rather have slapped unto the band, and rightfully so. Around this time the band was often compared to Dimmu Borgir and I do personally not see the link, even as a veteran listener. Two different bands with two distinctive sounds. So let's stop the comparison. 1998 is the year that Cradle of Filth's finest work saw the light of day and launched them further into stardom. <br />
<br />
"<i>But Elizabeth laughed, thirteen Autumns had passed, and She was a widow from god and His wrath, finally...</i>"
<br />
<br />
As depicted in the booklet this is the fourth chapter in the Cradle of Filth anthology. "Cruelty and the Beast" is a concept album that follows the life and crimes of Hungarian Countess, Elizabeth Bathory. Compared to "Dusk... and Her Embrace" this album is not as gothic inspired, as this band never repeats itself. I would deem "Cruelty and the Beast" to be a more accessible album than its predecessor, as Dani Filth's vocals are more nurtured and he got a better grip of them this time. This means that the amount of screeching as been dialed down for a more diverse vocal, and this would also carry on to the band's next efforts. The line-up is almost identical to the previous album, the only change being Damien Gregori being replaced with Lector who only had a two-year stint with Cradle of Filth, leaving in 1999 to join Anathema. This album is sadly the last to feature Nicholas Barker, as he would later join Dimmu Borgir, but luckily they found a good replacement in Adrian Erlandsson. A common subject that often divides people when it comes to "Cruelty and the Beast" is the production. Somebody loves it, somebody hates it, and somebody is not too bothered by it. When reviewing these older titles, I try to exhume my memory and recall how I felt the first couple of times listening.<br />
<br />
The sound of the drums definitely sounded odd to me back when I first was exposed to this record. Nowadays I do not have a single complaint with the production, but I guess that is something more than 10 years of listening will do to you. Some describe the drums as sounding like a typewriter and I can see where they're coming from, and it will come down to your first expression and/or if you can get accustomed to them. But hey, it is not like the early Bathory and Sodom records sounded great, is it? Some tracks from the album were actually re-mastered for the "Lovecraft & Witch Hearts" compilation in 2002 where they definitely adjusted the sound of the drums. As always, there is a lot happening on an album by this band and in the end, I am quite happy with the overall mix and sound of the instrumentation. Robin's bass is never left out and stands tall right next to the guitars, adding a satisfying depth to the music and helps elevating its sound. Lector brings some fantastic elements with him into Cradle and this album would not have been the same without his outstanding performance. A performance that is not out shunned in the mix, and together with the entire band it brings a dark and sinister atmosphere to the table. The guitar duo, Gian and Stuart, do not disappoint and just like on "Dusk... and Her Embrace" their work and riffs are simply incredible, and delivered with a great sense of variation. Unlike the guitar work on the previous album, you will not find as many '80s heavy metal inspired riffs, instead the band took a more extreme approach. And let us not forget the cast of three female vocalist providers who also appear on the album. Sarah Jezebel Deva with her atmospheric harmonies is an important ingredient when it comes to classic Cradle of Filth. Danielle Connington makes her last appearance on a Filth album, this time depicting a young Elizabeth Bathory. And last but definitely not least, we have the classy Ingrid Pitt lending her voice as the elder incarnation of Elizabeth.<br />
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"<i>Elizabeth, mysterious. Cruelty brought thee orchids, from the bowels of the abyss.</i>"<br />
<br />
Cradle of Filth shines the most when their albums follows the path of a concept album, instead of a more regular lyric driven album, and "Cruelty and the Beast" is the magnum opus of Cradle of Filth to pin-point just that. The structure of the music is once again varied and exciting, and that is a key point when making songs that reaches the length as they do on this record. Not two songs sound the same, which is a trademark of these notorious Brits. Most noticeable is the icing on the cake: the lyrics. Loaded with imagery and an outstanding structure, Dani Filth shows a remarkable talent with his poetry-inspired lyrics. Together with his distinctive vocals it is a perfect match and I cannot recommend it enough, as with many other works by Cradle, to sit down and read the lyrics while listening to the music.<br />
<br />
A track like "Thirteen Autumns and a Widow" still manages to raise the hair on my neck and arms when it slowly builds up to the last stanza, and the double pedal kicks in together with the keyboard driven music. It never fails. "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids" is a long-time favourite among fans, and for very good reason. The guitars is a big part of this, as this track is without a doubt the heaviest on the album and you'll see why just after one-and-a-half-minute into the song. Now to a track that I always used to skip back in the day, but now I find it essential to the story, and even the music of this album. The song in question is "Venus in Fear". This interlude track only features orchestration for the music part and then it features a moaning Elizabeth satisfying her lesbian fantasies and her excessive killing of young women who you can hear screaming for their lives. Speaking for myself, it was very provocative to listen to back in the day. What this brings to the album is, that after "Venus in Fear" the music becomes more extreme, as you're pummeled in the face with "Desire in Violent Overture", and lyrically Elizabeth's killings starts to mount afterwards. In short: A turning point for the album, both musically and lyrically. "Bathory Aria" is definitely a track worth mentioning as Cradle of Filth manages to pull off a track lasting for 11 minutes and not failing on delivering a marvelous and exciting composition. It is something that should simply be listened to instead of explained.<br />
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"<i>Thirteen chimes of ancient strain, I conjure forth with dirge that fills the void with timbred pain, to fulfil my sexual urge.</i>"<br />
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I would definitely recommend that you go through this album from start until finish, just as you do not open a book and start at chapter five. This is a truly outstanding and exceptional listening experience. It's a shame that so many people hate this band on principle and almost as a trend. This album is without a doubt Cradle of Filth's magnum opus as everything reaches a higher level. A fantastic album where every member performs exceeds their potential delivering an album that has given me chills in the past, and will continue to do so in many years to come.<br />
<br />
"<i>Forever severed from the thrill of coming night, where slow death alone could grant Her flight.</i>"<br />
<br />
R.I.P. Ingrid Pitt, 1937-2010. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
9.7</h1>
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cradleoffilth"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cradleoffilthtv"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/CradleofFilth"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-44573096058849481442015-11-14T14:49:00.001+01:002015-11-14T14:51:03.685+01:00Cradle of Filth - Damnation and a Day<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>...And Darkness was Upon the Face of the Deep</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/cradle_zpstnxylb47.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/cradle_zpstnxylb47.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b><i>Damnation and a Day</i></b> marked a big change for Cradle, as they were signed by Sony for the release of this very album. A common feature for this band's music is that every single album they put out is different, and that is something I really love about this band. It also marked the departure of bassist, Robin Eaglestone, and guitarist Gian Pyres. And how exactly did Cradle of Filth manage to put up with the line-up changes?<br />
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Quite well. Many feared a mainstream change to the music, that the band would sell out, now that there would be a Sony label on the CD. But that did not happen. Instead we got one of Cradle's most adventurous releases to date with great creativity and inspiration. For this album, a big orchestra and a choir was dragged into the studio, but this does not mean a drastic shift towards a orchestra orientated album. On the contrary, those elements brings the album to life. It gives it more substance, merely supporting the band, and it worked out perfectly. On the opening track, "A Promise Fever", it is displayed quite nicely how the guitar can be in focus, complimented by the choir, and the other way around plus some well conducted orchestra interlude passages. Of course, this is not how every track on the album are composed, but just an example of the new element to the music. The very core of this album is still Cradle of Filth. No doubt about it.<br />
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The guitars sounds great on this record, as they have a really powerful sound. This crunch and power is a good combination with the riffs themselves as they come out just as the sound: Crunchy and powerful. This is Dave Pybus' first appearance on a Cradle record, and his bass lays well in the mix giving the music a solid foundation and base. Adrian Erlandsson also performs great on this album and the drums sounds exquisite. Martin Powell have not been left out of the mix, as he is a big part of keeping the album true to the core of Cradle with his keyboard. He was a major figure in this band I must say that I miss him dearly. He was a main songwriter for this album, and wrote the score which the orchestra plays on <b><i>Damnation and a Day</i></b>. Dani Filth's vocals are just immaculate. Ever since <i><b>Cruelty and the Beast</b></i> he got a better grip of his vocals and more control. The blend between his deep growls and high screeches are simply marvelous. The production and mix fits this album well. It sounds big and that is a wise choice from the knob-turners. I do not think that it is overproduced, however it has the clear, yet strong and powerful sound it should have with all the elements that's been weaved into the songs. <br />
<br />
The lyrical theme on this record is different from the previous ones.
Just as the music has another inspiration, so does the lyrics. The
vampire and goth lyrics are gone. Now we're treated with somewhat of a
concept album based on John Milton's poem "Paradise Lost", seeing the
fall of Man through the eyes of Lucifer. The album is divided into four parts which all are introduced with choir and orchestra, perfectly blended into the song that comes afterwards. And it also features some great narration from David McEwen. I would definitely recommend that you just listen to the entire from start until finish. With its 76 minutes it could definitely be prone to being too long, but it does not feel like it. This album holds a well crafted story with just as well crafted music. Just like any other album by Cradle I recommend that you sit down and immerse yourself into the music by reading the lyrics along to the music. Among my favourite excerpts from this album you will find: "A Promise of Fever", "An Enemy Led the Tempest", "Carrion", "Presents from the Poison-Hearted" and "Thank God for the Suffering". The two last songs in particular almost always manages to give me goosebumps. Even after more than ten years as a Cradle fan.<br />
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So who would I recommend this album to? Well, it is always hard to recommend Cradle of Filth albums as there is so many people out there who hates them. If you are into the early stuff this band put out, you should definitely check this album out. It is often overlooked, but in my opinion it stands tall and should not be dismissed. One of many great Cradle of Filth albums.<br />
<br />
R.I.P. David McEwen.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.7</h1>
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cradleoffilth"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cradleoffilthtv"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/CradleofFilth"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-68526650211706157272015-10-08T17:38:00.001+02:002015-10-08T17:41:51.178+02:00Nuclear Assault - Pounder<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>A Pounding Final Assault</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Pounder_zpski9k6mxx.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Pounder_zpski9k6mxx.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
I have actually never been a big fan of Nuclear Assault. Maybe because the first thing I ever heard was the track "<i>Hang the Pope</i>" which I still think is a horrible track, and that consequently held me from exploring the band. However after the EP was announced and I heard some music, I was intrigued to really explore the band. Nonetheless, this mini-album was a positive surprise and I even managed to catch the band on tour, performing a great concert!<br />
<br />
This little EP is kicked off by the title-track which is a fine little nod to the old days and how it has survived through the years. Overall it is a nice opener and sets a good mood for the short amount of time this record lasts for. <i>"Lies"</i> is lyrically something you could've seen back in the '80s as well, as you're supposed to open your eyes and see beyond the so called lies. Musically it is the track I favour the least on this EP, as it's not as interesting or well composed as the other songs. The last two tracks are actually my favourites. <i>"Analog Man in a Digital World"</i> features a really catchy chorus which could work great live is the crowd is familiar with the track. The lyrics are mostly spot on for me personally with passages like "<i>Nifty little gadget you've got running your world, tell me when's the last time that you spoke to a girl?</i>". But contrary to another part of the lyrics, I must admit I love myself a good amount of gaming whether online or not. A bit of Duke Nukem 3D never hurt anybody. At first glance, the last track led my thoughts towards Cutting Crew's classic, but of course the two tracks are two different things. Anyway. <i>"Died in Your Arms"</i> definitely stands out from the rest of the EP with its more melancholic and gloomy feel, both in music and lyrics. On that track those two aspects definitely support each other greatly, and is also why I would say it is the best track off <b><i>Pounder</i></b>.<br />
<br />
Production-wise it sounds like you've been invited into Nuclear Assault's rehearsal room, you've taken a seat on the couch with a cold one, and then just enjoy the show. The analog vs. digital thing definitely shines through on the production, which is not a coincidence. It doesn't sounds as good as past offerings from the band's heydays. For one, I think the snare could've been nurtured a bit more. John Connelly's vocals sounds really good and is not even close to being a point-of-complaint from me. To give you a quick overlook, <i><b>Pounder</b></i> is definitely better than <i><b>Third World Genocide</b></i>, but I wouldn't say that it is on-par with for example, <b><i>The Plague</i></b>. It is a solid last offering where it would've been nice with some more material, but maybe it is a case of "less is more". Hardcore fans can enjoy it and so can newer fans.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
7.5</h1>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NuclearAssaultOfficial/timeline/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/theofficialnuclearassault"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-1750901374887845712015-10-05T17:28:00.003+02:002015-10-05T17:28:27.410+02:00No Longer Taking Review RequestsHello everybody!<br />
<br />
It's been a very hard decision to make, but it has been looming for some time. We can no longer accept requests to do reviews of your bands as the messages are just piling up more and more. This is caused by the fact that we in August launched the new underground label <a href="http://www.intoxicatedrecordings.com/">Intoxicated Recordings</a>.<br />
<br />
We've been happy to support the underground with requests for the time we've done it and we will continue to support the underground - but not by review requests. Only the stuff we find ourselves. Time is simply to scarce.<br />
<br />
Before we end this, you can check out our good buddy at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/underthecoffinreviews">Under the Coffin</a>, who recently launched, for reviews.<br />
<br />
Extremely rotten greetings,<br />
The Legacy Reviews. <br><br><a href="http://www.intoxicatedrecordings.com"><img src="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/535d42d7e4b088f0b622a859/t/56003672e4b0392ab61a0ba4/1442854515704/?format=750w" height="167" width="370" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-73994744661573895462015-09-10T22:29:00.001+02:002015-09-11T08:36:43.032+02:00Slayer - Repentless<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>When the Mediocrity Comes</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Slayer_Repentless_Cover_zpstuthkyge.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Slayer_Repentless_Cover_zpstuthkyge.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Does Slayer really need an introduction? All right then... It's been six years since we had a piece of material from these old fellas which is quite a gab, and a lot of shit happened since 2009. New label, new members, new production team and the loss of Jeff. <br />
<br />
<b><i>Repentless</i></b> starts off pretty strong with the title-track being introduced by the instrumental "<i>Delusions of Saviour</i>". While the intro track, just like 95% of other intro tracks, could've been used for a mid-section is a bit redundant, I must admit that I enjoy the title-track, "<i>Repentless</i>". Bostaph thrusts a lot of life into the track with his all around solid and tight performance. But after that, there's a wide gap until something worthwhile comes along.<br />
"<i>When the Stillness Comes</i>" was very quickly compared to "<i>South of Heaven</i>" and therefore labeled as a major throwback. However this track does not make it into the highlights spot. It never really takes off properly and seems unfinished. But I will give them credit for bringing some variation into the album. Slayer already did a track reminiscent of "<i>South of Heaven</i>" in 1994 with "<i>213</i>" which I think is a better track.<br />
<br />
We're also treated with some recycling in the likes of "<i>Atrocity Vendor</i>". It was originally recorded during the <i><b>World Painted Blood</b></i> sessions and released on a single the year after. There's not much change from the original version. Still corny and forgettable. "<i>Implode</i>" is probably one of the worst tracks off the album and it was definitely not a wise decision for this to be the first track to be heard from the album back when it was announced. Forgettable. That's the word I have to use again and again. It's not until the second last track, "<i>You Against You</i>" that we get something that's worth coming back for. Just as the title-track it mixes some good riffing with skank-beats and just good songwriting. Of course, this does not rank among the band's best offerings, but it's solid, and a relief on this record. It's really hard not to shout along when Tom yells out "YOU AGAINST YOU!"<br />
<br />
Behind the knobs is Terry Date, who has produced a lot of albums which I love, not only because the songwriting but also the production. He does a good job on this album. I am pretty sure he had some restrictions, because the albums sounds like you would expect. Just like a Slayer record in 2015. However credit is due for the heaviness on the record. The instruments sounds have a good depth and punch to them. I do however think both <i><b>Christ Illusion</b></i> and <i><b>World Painted Blood</b></i> had more character in its productions, especially when it comes to the guitars. But it wouldn't had made any sense to go down the same road once more. <br />
<br />
To the touchy subject, the line-up. This is the first album without Jeff and once again Dave is out of the band. A lot of fans have said that it's not Slayer without Lombardo and continue to do so. And as an almost lifelong Slayer fan I would like to say that it is total fucking bullshit. Bostaph is a really good drummer and if anyone shines on <i><b>Repentless</b></i>, it's definitely him. People seem to forget the past he has with Forbidden, featuring on two of the best thrash albums to come out of the bay area. Whether Dave or Paul plays on this record doesn't change the fact of who's at the helm of this ship. Would the album have been better if Jeff was alive? Maybe and maybe not. <b><i>God Hates Us All</i></b> and <i><b>Diabolus in Musica</b></i> are still pretty bad, and don't take that the wrong way, I still grief Jeff's death. Would it have been better if Gary Holt contributed? Maybe and maybe not. <i><b>Blood in Blood Out</b></i> was definitely not the return everybody had hoped for. But I hope to see him contribute in the future, because Slayer won't stop until both King and Araya are in the nursing home.<br />
So throw your goddamn "everything but the original line-up is not Slayer"-goggles. I witnessed this line-up perform at Wacken 2014, which is on the deluxe edition, and it is a fucking power demonstration. As Gary Holt said, he is not some new kid, or a groove metal-dude. He's a veteran. And so is Bostaph.<br />
<br />
I only find two tracks worthy of coming back to on this record. The title-track, "<i>Repentless</i>" and "<i>You Against You</i>". Would I mind hearing these tracks live? No... Would I mind hearing something from <i><b>Christ Illusion</b></i> or <i><b>World Painted Blood</b></i> live? No... But I sure as hell would prefer a set-list only with excerpts from the first six studio releases and hear the classics. At least it has a pretty face. The cover for this album is without a doubt the best since <b><i>Reign in Blood</i></b>.<br />
If I were to place it on the list, I would place it under the last two albums, but it's definitely a better record than both <i><b>God Hates Us All</b></i> and <i><b>Diabolus in Musica</b></i>. But, what you see is what you get. More of the same. For some, that is fine and is going to cut it perfectly, and I'd wish I was on the same wagon. But I'm not. <br />
<br />
R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman, 1964-2013.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
6.5</h1>
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/slayer"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA7S5M8w5X4P1NRzaJ4lsrg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/slayer"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/slayer"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-32158455900901243852015-07-07T19:16:00.001+02:002015-07-07T19:16:48.803+02:00Undergang - Døden Læger Alle Sår<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>No One Hears Your Screams</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Undergang_zpsiwtdgu5f.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Undergang_zpsiwtdgu5f.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
The kings of the Danish death metal scene, Undergang, has returned from the sewers with a new studio album for the first time since 2012's <i>Til Døden Os Skiller</i>. It marks the end to the "Døden"-trilogy, so in the future the Kill-Town threepiece will dive into other territories on future records, promising it won't get less macabre.<br />
<br />
Undergang always managed to phase their albums really good, and this time around it is no different. You're not thrown into a random selection of tracks, but a record that's well structured which definitely is a plus and adds to the experience. It starts off with the title-track and is the shortest burst the band has recorded so far. What struck me on this particular track is the 8 seconds where you get an intro-piece. Thank fuck. There's too many bands these days who shoves an 2-3 minute long instrumental track in your face, which sounds just like hundreds of others. Instead of that you get a swift kick in the face.<br />
The title-track, meaning <i>Death Heals All Wounds</i>, is about escaping life through drugs, alcohol and suicide. It's written in a special period of frontman D. Torturdøds life, where he was in a dark state of mind. This shines through in the music throughout the whole album, as this is the most sinister album the trio has put forth. And that is part of what makes this record fucking great.<br />
<br />
"<i>Døden Læger Alle Sår</i>" is the best sounding Undergang record to date. The production is simply spot on and precedes previous efforts thanks to the mastering from Dan Lowndes. Gone is the unfortunate production from "<i>Til Døden Os Skiller</i>" where the band, after some unlucky circumstances were left with only the rough mix. This time we're presented a sound, a production that equally fits the quality of the songs. Undergang is grittier and more extremely rotten than ever, and don't worry, there's still plenty of feedback to go around. If you close your eyes, you could probably imagine being present at their rehearsal, being blown away while listening to this record. It's not overproduced, it's not sterile, it is just old school. And it is without a doubt the heaviest sounding outing so far, with all instruments and the vocals sounding just right for this kind of rotten death metal. Nothing outshines the other.<br />
<br />
The album develops with great variation just like on the first album, but there's been added more delicious stuff to the recipe this time around. Doom elements find their way more often into this album, just take a short sniff to "<i>Lemlæstelsens Kunst</i>" and try not moving your head. And then you got a track like "<i>Gravrust</i>" that incorporates slow guitar work with some offbeat drumming which gets me every single time. As mentioned, the production and the songwriting simply make each other shine as they're pulled through the roof. The album knows when to pull you around the room and beat you up, when to let you catch your breath and then continue pulverizing you.<br />
This album marks the very first time you'll hear a guitar solo on a Undergang record. Instead of filling each track to the brim with solos you'll forget anyway, beforehand you would be run over by the riff train. On the closing track, "<i>Det Gør Kun Ondt Til Du Dør</i>", that changes. The man himself, Eric Cutler from the legendary Autopsy puts this record to rest with a well played, and well produced solo, making it the best album closer Undergang has used so far. The intro guitar from the opening track is weaved well into this track as well, as it is used to built up tension.<br />
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You won't experience any modern death metal, when listening to any Undergang album and you never will. Depending on your current mood for music, the record might need a spin or two to get a grip on you, but once it does. It will not let go. Overall not all songs are not quite on-par with the ones from "<i>Indhentet af Døden</i>" which outweighs this album in the song department, but the production, there's no contest on that one. <br />
I hope they will try to incorporate new influences in the future and not end up outing the exact same material, album after album. More doom perhaps? Maybe a Left Hand Path approach with haunting synthesizers? More guest solos wouldn't be a bad idea either, because they nailed it perfectly this time. "<i>Døden Læger Alle Sår</i>" definitely surpasses the previous album "<i>Til Døden Os Skiller</i>". I'm quite confident saying that this album is one of the best death metal albums you will hear this year. Despite being the longest album by the band so far, it does not outstay its welcome in any way. If you're new to this trio, you can't go wrong with this record and if you already know them, then I can't see why you should not pick this up.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.8</h1>
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/undergangktdm"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://undergang.bandcamp.com/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://myspace.com/undergang666"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-761622814937510312015-02-25T14:55:00.005+01:002015-03-04T20:49:34.422+01:00Paimonia - Disease Named Humanity <span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Black, Bleak & Blistering</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/paimoniafront_zpsn6w7trld.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/paimoniafront_zpsn6w7trld.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
I like my black metal the way I like my coffee: unblended, dense, and preferably with no sugary additives.<br />
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And dark as pitch, of course. Pitch-fucking-dark.<br />
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“Disease Named Humanity” is the debut full-length release of the Serbian duo Paimonia, who have since issued a split vinyl and a live recording on VHS, effectively staying busy and active. In a time and day when black metal is a teeming, worldwide phenomenon (and where having suckled mountain trolls at the icy-cold bottom of a faraway fjord someplace where Norway becomes Niflheim is no longer a mandatory credential for delivering properly grim and frostbitten svartmetal), it takes much more than just a few croaks atop the regular potpourri of buzz ‘n’ fuzz guitars, zero bass, and minimalist tick-tock drumming to raise eyebrows.<br />
<br />
Paimonia deliver a lot more than that, fortunately.<br />
<br />
Although slightly unremarkable and forgettable in places, “Disease Named Humanity” is a vigorous, ably executed slab of dynamic modern-day black metal – and, considering it’s a debut full-length release, very promising indeed. Intelligent, stimulating riffwork is prevalent throughout all 41 minutes of album length, and the duo of Bojan (vocals, guitars, bass) and Nikola (drums) keep things interesting with a few tricks & turns in the songwriting formula, notably by contrasting animated blastbeat-driven passages with slower, occasionally acoustic, interludes. What they basically lack in outstanding character, Paimonia make up for with quality riffs, topnotch musicianship, clever variation and sheer intensity.<br />
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“Disease Named Humanity” consists of just seven tracks, fittingly ending on a high note with the standout atmosphere-laden dirge “Funeral of Decaying World” and its instrumental addendum “Opus VII”, together spanning almost 13 minutes. Other highlights include album opener “As Plague Scourge This World Apart” (please don’t mind the English!) with its zany, dissonant riffing – not unlike a cleaner, less grimy version of Watain – as well as the epic, rather polymorphous “Depth Within Nothingness Called Life”, which features Gothenburg-esque melodic riffing and an eerie, haunting midsection that would make for a killer recurring theme in a classic horror movie.<br />
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All in all, Paimonia is an outfit worth a mental bookmark for black metal fans with a particularly tender spot for the atmospheric and melodic, yet still hard-hitting and savage. First-tier bands like the aforementioned Watain and 1349 are not many hyperborean leagues away from the core of “Disease Named Humanity”, but there is plenty of individuality on display here to make for a praiseworthy stand-alone offering, as well as one which sets the tone for a decidedly gobsmacking follow-up.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
7.0</h1>
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/paimonia"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://soundcloud.com/paimonia"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/sc_zps2a212230.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>Misereionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14880171245137825015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-56154889140725326332015-01-25T15:00:00.000+01:002015-01-26T10:39:55.499+01:00Annual Round-Up 2014: Alexander's list<center>
<img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/list_zpspp7ea4ky.png" /></center>
<br />
The year 2014 was a pretty slow one for me, when it came to checking out releases. What did that result in? I had to scout and listen to as many records I could fathom in December and holy fuck, is that the last time I'll ever do that... It's been real hard for me to fill out the spots on this list because there was so many mediocre albums in 2014 and it became really frustrating when the year was coming to an end and I had five out of ten spots filled. But I managed! Here at The Legacy Reviews we are three dudes but sadly I'm the only one to bring you a list this year as Oliver didn't have the time and a bug/glitch on blogger deleted Jacobs' list with more than twenty albums, descriptions and whatnot. But don't worry, 2015 will bring you lists from all of us for a more diverse picking!<br />
My list is compiled of 10 albums - <b>NOT ranked</b>. They're the albums I enjoyed the most and are the ones I think stands above the rest. The reason that they're not ranked is that they are wide spanned in genre and it just won't make sense to rank them. At least not to me. At last I also featured a small section of "honorable mentions" with a couple of EP's and albums that did not make the cut.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Battery - Armed with Rage</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/81Cir6J2ZwL_SL1230__zpse90f180f.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/81Cir6J2ZwL_SL1230__zpse90f180f.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Many thrash bands these days claim to be old school. Whether it's their production or song structure. Battery just claim to be fierce, but their production is a fucking treat for your ears because IT IS actually old school. This album adds some great songs to their existing catalog with songs like <i>Vermin of Fukushima</i>, <i>Narcotic Mirage</i>, <i>Armed with Rage</i> and the crusher in the link below! If you need some fresh thrash to your collection, please walk this way.<br />
For an in-depth view on the album, check out my <a href="http://www.legacyreviews.blogspot.dk/2014/02/battery-armed-with-rage.html">review</a>.<br />
<br />
Without further ado, here's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89OoM392Ba8"><i>Genocidal Gatlin Gunners</i></a>. Yes, it says 2013, but the album was delayed to 2014.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/batterythrash"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/BatteryDK"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/batteryzombies"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/rn_zps35d1548c.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/batteryzombies"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://batteryshop.bigcartel.com/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bb_zps9b9a1917.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Triumphant - Herald the Unsung</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a3180446807_10_zps3633200d.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a3180446807_10_zps3633200d.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
These guys... holy shit. Describing them in a few lines will be hard. Triumphant is phenomenal and tricky to pin point. You can't put them in a genre box because there's so many different stuff in here. They named it "evil metal" and that might not appeal to everybody, but me say what it consists of: 80's heavy metal, old school production, thrash metal and black metal. That sounds like a crazy mash up and that's why it should be listened to.<br />
If you need something to be elaborated, I wrote a <a href="http://www.legacyreviews.blogspot.com/2014/03/triumphant-herald-unsung.html">review</a> of the album. <br />
<br />
So to help you out on that front, here's a little link to <a href="http://persekutor.bandcamp.com/album/herald-the-unsung">two tracks</a> off the record.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TriumphantMetal"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://persekutor.bandcamp.com/releases"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Legion of the Damned - Ravenous Plague</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/LegionoftheDamned_2014_RavenousPlague_cover_zps72982779.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/LegionoftheDamned_2014_RavenousPlague_cover_zps72982779.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
A band that might get repetitive for many and I can relate to that. But there's been a change in the Legion of the Damned camp. Founding guitarist Richard Ebisch who also was the axeman under the Occult name, has left. So there's a brand new guitarist in and what did that result in? Their best album since the debut. I might even like this one a little more...<br />
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With that being said, here's a little something from the album in the likes of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfuKtTbBaZ8"><i>Doom Priest</i></a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/LOTDOfficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/legionofthedamned"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/legionotdamned"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Body Count - Manslaughter</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Bodycount-Manslaughter_zpsf4a21358.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Bodycount-Manslaughter_zpsf4a21358.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Problem? I fucking love Ice-T, he's a real metalhead and you can't deny that. If you're hating because of his rap history, then that's your problem. Because Body Count just released their best album since their provoking self titled debut in 1992. <i>Manslaughter</i> is an insane album where Ice takes a load of jabs at society better than most metal bands (especially thrash bands) these days. Body Count is over the top, Body Count is motherfucking back!<br />
<br />
Check out songs like <i>Institutionalized 2014</i> (yeah, it's a Suicidal cover), <i>Black Voodoo Sex</i> and this little link to <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sokdL-0iV9s">Talk Shit, Get Shot</a></i>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/bodycountofficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Obituary - Inked in Blood</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a3445018481_10_zps8b2af983.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a3445018481_10_zps8b2af983.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Finally the wait was over and Obituary pleased us with a new album. It has been receiving mixed reviews and a lot of people seem to fall out when it comes to the production and the vocals. However, that does not go for me! On the contrary I think this is the best album Obituary released since they've reunited. Probably even since The End Complete!<br />
<br />
I'm going to give you a slab of this album with my favorite track, <i><a href="http://obituary.bandcamp.com/track/visions-in-my-head">Visions In My Head</a></i>!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ObituaryBand"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://obituary.bandcamp.com/releases"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/obituary"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/rn_zps35d1548c.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/obituary"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/obituarytheband"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Triptykon - Melana Chasmata</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Triptykon-Melana-Chasmata_zpsea2aaeb0.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Triptykon-Melana-Chasmata_zpsea2aaeb0.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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I love the early Celtic Frost. But <i>Monotheist</i> and the Triptykon debut album never really got to me. That story eventually changed in 2014 when I heard <i>Melana Chasmata</i> and was completely blown away. Before you call The Satanist a masterpiece again, you might wanna listen to this. Whilst not a masterpiece it's more than just an album, it's an experience, and I would like to underline experience. The songs, the productions, the atmosphere. Out of all the albums I heard this year, this one blew me away the most!<br />
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Here's <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmyWeOvF_Sg">Aurorae</a></i>, a little taste of the album. But I implore you to listen to it from start till finish.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/triptykonofficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/triptykonofficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/triptykon"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/rn_zps35d1548c.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/triptykonofficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/Triptykon"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Iron Reagan - The Tyranny of Will</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a3076411052_10_zps9fe9e3e6.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a3076411052_10_zps9fe9e3e6.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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I can't stand punk. I'm not that crazy about Municipal Waste either except for a couple of tracks, but hell! Iron Reagan is great and really fun. This album contains a lot of funny stuff and definitely also something catchy, which eventually was what got me hooked. For example tracks like <i>Miserable Failure</i> and <i>Four More Years</i>. A really good crossover album, which is better than the debut as well.<br />
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Take a listen to it at the boys' Bandcamp site. I'm putting you through to my <a href="http://ironreagan.bandcamp.com/track/miserable-failure">favourite track</a> off the album!<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/IRONREAGAN"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ironreaganofficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://ironreagan.bandcamp.com/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the Gates - At War with Reality</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/867_zpsa4eb02cd.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/867_zpsa4eb02cd.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Who says reunion albums has to suck? One thing's for sure this is one of the better comebacks as they usually are rubbish and doesn't live up the the legacy of the band. At War with Reality experiments with a few ideas but stays true to the core of At the Gates. A fantastic concept album.<br />
Jacob did a review of the album, although I probably like the record a bit more, check out the <a href="http://www.legacyreviews.blogspot.com/2014/12/when-reunion-comes-at-gates-at-war-with.html">review</a> if you'd like.<br />
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As a concept album, I'd recommend going through the whole thing. But here's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzjshF0TFm8">Death and the Labyrinth</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AtTheGatesOfficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/atthegatesofficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/AtthegatesGBG"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Domains - Sinister Ceremonies</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Domains_Sinisterceremonies_zps003f0bfc.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Domains_Sinisterceremonies_zps003f0bfc.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Do you know when some of the old bands still claim to sound old school, and then they don't? Domains don't really claim anything but their debut album, <i>Sinister Ceremonies</i> sounds like it was released at least 20 years ago. I say that with the best intention possible, because this album is pure old school death metal. Just wait until you listen to these vocals...<br />
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You can listen to the entire record on their Bandcamp, and here's the <a href="http://domainsofdeath.bandcamp.com/track/sinister-ceremonies">title track</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/sinisterdomains"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://domainsofdeath.bandcamp.com/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Solbrud - Jærtegn</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a2218305688_10_zpscd4be4c2.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a2218305688_10_zpscd4be4c2.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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The only black metal album on my list. Jærtegn is the second full-length from the Danish band with atmospheric elements and it's just a real listening experience. You're not stuck with a black metal cliche band, or release, but a well crafted 4 song, 46 minutes long album!<br />
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I'd like to give a 15 minute long atmospheric appetizer with the track, <a href="http://solbrud.bandcamp.com/track/klippemennesket">Klippemennesket</a>. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Solbrud"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Solbrud"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://solbrud.bandcamp.com/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Honourable Mentions</i></span><br />
A list of releases that didn't make it to the list, one reason could be it's an EP or the album itself just missed it by an inch.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Monuments - The December Sessions</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a1187090212_10_zps7d4a5221.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a1187090212_10_zps7d4a5221.jpg" height="250" width="250" /></a><br />
<br />
Monuments from Netherlands. A band I found out of sheer luck and boy was that to my benefit. Their debut EP, <i>The December Sessions</i> is absolutely magnificent black/doom metal with an atmosphere that will give you some serious chills.<br />
For a look beyond the surface of the EP, I did a <a href="http://www.legacyreviews.blogspot.com/2014/02/monuments-december-sessions.html">review</a> of it. <br />
<br />
The EP consists of two tracks and lasts for just about 18 minutes, and you can listen to it at Monuments' <a href="http://monumentsnl.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/monumentsnl"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MonumentsNL"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://monumentsnl.bandcamp.com/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://soundcloud.com/MonumentsNL"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/sc_zps2a212230.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Lich King - Do-Over</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a0740906736_10_zpsb6a38fe8.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a0740906736_10_zpsb6a38fe8.jpg" height="250" width="250" /></a><br />
<br />
Of course Lich King is on the list. The promotion alone for this EP, and its cover should be enough for it to be on my list. It contains a couple of re-recordings (do-overs) and a new track, which is a cover of Van Halen's Hot for Teacher. It's their best cover track to date and it is simply flawless. A fantastic little outing from Lich King!<br />
I also did a review of the EP, which you can check out right <a href="http://legacyreviews.blogspot.com/2015/01/lich-king-do-over.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Check out the full EP at their <a href="http://music.lichkingmetal.com/album/do-over">Bandcamp</a>, and you've gotta the video for <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpLbkxEL5bs">Black Metal Sucks</a></i>! <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/LichKingMetal"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/LichKingMetal"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://music.lichkingmetal.com/album/do-over"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/lichking"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/rn_zps35d1548c.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/lichkingmetal"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/LichKingMetal"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Skull Fist - Chasing the Dream</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/380645_zpsf049fe3d.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/380645_zpsf049fe3d.jpg" height="250" width="250" /></a><br />
<br />
I love Skull Fist and I wish I could've included them on the real list but the songs are just not near the quality of the debut. The vocals are not near the quality of the debut either... But it still sounds really old school and that's ultimately what really wins me over. Definitely worth a listen if you like getting fisted.<br />
<br />
Regarding the songs, I still think <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPh8EWRloTE">You're Gonna Pay</a></i> is an absolute smasher. I love it!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/skullfisted"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/SkullFistOfficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://skullfist.bigcartel.com/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bb_zps9b9a1917.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Austrian Death Machine - Triple Brutal</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/TripleBurtalAlbumCoverUnlocked_zps98b9be40.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/TripleBurtalAlbumCoverUnlocked_zps98b9be40.jpg" height="250" width="250" /></a><br />
<br />
I was sad to see Mr. Lambesis jailed, as I love Austrian Death Machine and Pyrithion. <i>Triple Brutal</i> that sadly did not feature 3 discs is a really solid record and it's by a few inches it misses my list. If you like the previous albums and the king, then you should get this album without a single doubt. Even though it's not as strong as <i>Double Brutal</i>. And remember, the best activities for your health are pumping and humping!<br />
<br />
A song, yes? Here's <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDwOJOTvLzE">I'll Be Back</a></i> and I sure as hell Tim Lambesis will be back!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AustrianDeathMachine"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/austriandeathmachine"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/austriandeath"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><br />
<br />
That's what I have to offer from my highlights of 2014! Hopefully there was a record or two that you missed that you'll check out and like! I'll be back with a list in 2015 and I'll make sure the other guys here at TLR are as well! Until then, have a great 2015 and take care \m/Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-90510535768916583902015-01-21T16:30:00.000+01:002015-01-21T16:38:21.279+01:00Battle Beast - Unholy Savior<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Welcome to the Limit</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ArticleSharedImage-28927_zps4d997efd.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ArticleSharedImage-28927_zps4d997efd.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Finnish Battle Beast recently released their third album in the likes of <i>Unholy Savior</i>. It's without a really special record and the band is shaping up to be something to keep your eye on. And allow me to explain why...<br />
<br />
Let me start like this. Do you love the 80's? And when I say love, I mean LOVE the 80's. If you do then this album is for you. There's more reasons than that, but I'll save that for the end! I am not that well acquainted with Battle Beast, as in I've never heard anything by them before listening to this record. The first track I heard was <i>Touch in the Night</i> a couple of weeks before the release of this album. To be honest I thought that Nuclear Blast had uploaded the wrong damn track. I could not believe they had a bad signed that was so fucking 80's. I can however say that, that song is the one that sounds the most like it was actually done back then. Throughout this record I catch myself laughing from time to time. It's not a demeaning laugh, but pure joy. This album makes me so happy and it's just filled with good vibes. I dare you not to smile when suddenly some 80's Roland drum machine toms suddenly break into a heavy metal album. I dare you!<br />
<br />
But let's get into the real meat of the album! From the very beginning of Lionheart the album simply just takes off and it just continues. The title track is one of the best on the album and you'll have to struggle to contain yourself from singing along. Suddenly you're greeted with a sample featuring Al Pacino in Scarface in the tribute to the movie, <i>I want the World... and Everything In It</i>. The middle section of this album is plain and simple amazing. It's where the variation of the album starts to kick in for good and keep everything fresh. That certain middle section contains three tracks and starts out with <i>Sea of Dreams</i> which is a more mellow song and shows that Noora's vocals fits every track they throw her into. That brings us into the fastest song on the album, <i>Speed and Danger</i> which isn't necessarily the best track on the album but the variation is spot on as it leads to <i>Touch in the Night</i>. That track reigns among some of the best from this album as well. The last couple of minutes of the album features the most guitar-driven metal track on the album <i>Far Far Away</i>, and then it ends with one more laid back song. Unless you got the digipak version... Battle Beast took the freedom to cover an 80's anthem in the likes of Paul Engemann's <i>Push it to the Limit</i> (from the Scarface soundtrack). I'm always skeptical about covering of anthems but they actually nailed it. Fucking nailed it.<br />
<br />
I took the liberty to listen to a couple of tracks from the band's self-titled release to compare the production a bit. The electronic elements has been dialed down on this album and that's very good in my opinion. The keyboards are still busy though and they sound great throughout the entire record, but they sound way better this time around. Production-wise this whole record has a really big sound with a majestic touch. There's a lot going on the tracks, a lot of instruments and nothing gets lost but goes hand in hand and sounds terrific. Overall on every front, I think it's a step forward from their last album. And the vocals of Noora are fucking great. She's definitely one of the best female vocalists I've heard as she has a wide range and can fit her vocals into all the songs whether it's rough and edgy or she has to hits some higher screams.<br />
<br />
I'm not into power metal at all. However Battle Beast is really, really accessible. I've been truly amazed by this album. It's modern production and numerous 80's sounds together with the variation and overall songwriting, together with the great vocals from Noora that doesn't come off as girly, but powerful is just a winner all the way. I hope this album will bring Battle Beast forward in the game as I think they are worth much more than a band such as Sabaton. 2015 just got one of the best starts possible with <i>Unholy Savior</i>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.5</h1>
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/battlebeastofficial"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://twitter.com/BattleBeast"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tw_zpsa2105874.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://myspace.com/battlebeastband"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/ms_zps3d7ad4d0.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-50153380925453486462015-01-18T14:17:00.000+01:002015-01-18T14:58:09.244+01:00Nangilima - The Dark Matter<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>The Matter of Monotomy</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a2700327259_10_zps74d73ca3.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a2700327259_10_zps74d73ca3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Nangilima. A death/doom band with members from Sweden, Bulgaria and Spain finally released their debut album. I discovered these guys when they released their first single called <i>Thanatos</i>, I loved it and hoped the band would build upon that for their full album. Now it's time to see if they did just that.<br />
<br />
There is a short answer for this. Do you want it? Of course you do. The short answer is no, and now we take a look into why that is. Let's begin with the line-up because there's been some changes on that front. On the <i>Thanatos</i> single, Nangilima consisted of Emilio on vocals and C.L. was handling all instruments. That's changed in the likes of C.L. being replaced by Nikolay Velev on guitar, bass and keys. And then Khalvst who's doing programming and keys as well.<br />
<i>The Dark Matter</i> is a concept album about a man who finds out that his life is coming to an end. The album then takes you through four seasons ultimately leading to the characters death in the outro. However there was supposed to be another track on the album but it was omitted as the guitar/bassist, Amarok left the band. That track is <i>Fractions of a Shattered Soul</i> and was released as a single only and in my opinion it was not a good decision to omit that track from <i>The Dark Matter</i>. Together with <i>Thanatos</i>, those two tracks reign among their best so far because of the variation they feature both when it comes to the music and vocals. <br />
<br />
Negativity aside there's definitely good things to take from this debut album. The drums sounds better than ever and I have to address a special kudos to Khalvst for the amazing keyboard work. Overall the production is without a doubt better than before and that does help the band a lot and move them away from the demo sound. Throughout the album I do however feel there's too much emphasis on the doom element and not enough on the death element that's been tagged into their genre. When I think death/doom bands like Asphyx comes to my mind. Combine that with Nangilima's two first singles and I must admit I did have some expectations for this record and they were not met. It feels like they confined themselves into this little doom metal box and don't want to break out of it - or maybe that's what they wanted to put forth the atmosphere they feel they needed for this concept album. My problem with that is that throughout 42 minutes of listening it's just slow paced all the way and they never rise from the second track, <i>Stains of a Broken Life</i>, which is the best track on the album. The rest of the tracks follows the same path, same recipe, same gear and it doesn't really makes me want to listen to the record again, it simply lacks the really memorable songs.<br />
<br />
The album lacks what their two first singles had. The variation in music and vocals. Changing into a higher tempo and changing into more black metal-focused vocals but that's never really present in the same way. After <i>Stains of a Broken Life</i> I think the keyboard is out-doing the other instruments as they simply don't bring the same performance. In spite of all this, I'm going to look forward to their next record anyway. I don't believe they will write the same album twice and I really want to hear more of that fantastic keyboard work. I'd recommend this to the real doom metal doomoholics. If you're missing a doom emphasized album with great atmosphere and hard hits then this is definitely for you. I'd simply wish I was one of them. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
7.0</h1>
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/nangilimadoom"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://nangilimadoom.bandcamp.com/"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bc_zps857bd2cb.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-86229686923071346522015-01-15T15:03:00.001+01:002015-01-15T15:03:38.801+01:00Bandemonic - Fires of Redemption<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Fires of Ambition</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Cover_zps2019ff58.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Cover_zps2019ff58.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
The Greek heavy metal band, Bandemonic is ready with their debut album after the well performed 2012 EP, Chains. This time around the band aimed high and have put a lot of effort into their first full-length and now it's time to see how that went.<br />
<br />
The album starts off with what many albums from newer bands starts off with these days. Some kind of instrumental track to make it sound exciting, big and like it has a big production. I think those kind of intros are as redundant as can be, and <i>Fires of Redemption</i> (the track) would have fitted perfect as a mid-section in a song. The album takes a turning point when <i>The Awakening</i> comes on because that's just a fantastic song. It's well written, sounds awesome, great solo and it has the harmonic guitars that the old school heavy metal is known for. I'm happy to see that survive on this album as it also features more power metal influence than their EP, and power metal is not something I'm into at all. After three good songs we reach my second highlight of this album, <i>Guardians of Time</i>. Bandemonic fucking shines when it comes to ballads, which they showed already on their <i>Chains</i> EP. The song is not a minute too long or too short, and it manages to raise the hair on my forearms. It manages to stay fresh with some harder moments in the song and they balanced it out just the way it's supposed to be. I hope they can continue to bash out more beautiful songs like this in the future. The closing track, <i>The Seeker</i>, is a re-recording and I definitely don't mind that at all. It's probably their best track so far, so it's a joy to listen to it with better production and better vocal delivery. <br />
<br />
The album is without a doubt more ambitious than their EP. The production is definitely better than earlier but it was a mixed bag for me in the beginning. Sometimes I just thought it sounded too clean and modern but after a few listens it mellowed out. All of the instruments are really clear, audible and kicking. It's good to see a young new band with the production on their side. The vocals of George Manthos is much better this time around as well and he lays down a better performance than he did on the EP. But what doesn't thrills me on this record is the more present power metal elements. It's one of those genres that I'm just not into and probably never will be, so I hope it won't take over their future music. Even though it's not really a decision of mine, a fella is allowed to hope.<br />
<br />
Despite the production there's still a couple of songs that doesn't strike through and sticks with you. That being said there's still some really good highlights on this album even though one of them is a re-recording, it's still one hell of a track. If you even gained the slightest interest in Bandemonic I'd strongly recommend you get your hands on their <i>Chains</i> EP. At the end of the day Fires of Redemption manages to retain my excitement for this band's future and I'm looking forward to see what these talented young Greeks comes up with next!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
7.7</h1>
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/bandemonic"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/fb_zpsc98bfdc3.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi78gpZ_vXUGpB9gPHs86lg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/yt_zpsd3d887fd.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="https://soundcloud.com/bandemonic-ioannina"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/sc_zps2a212230.png" height="50" width="50" /></a><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/bandemonic"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/rn_zps35d1548c.png" height="50" width="50" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-90532886378567071742015-01-11T14:51:00.000+01:002015-01-16T14:52:17.279+01:00Lich King - Do-Over<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Sounds Like a Healthy Duck!</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a0740906736_10_zpsb6a38fe8.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a0740906736_10_zpsb6a38fe8.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Just in time for Lichmas, Lich King dropped their first EP containing a couple of "do-overs" and a little more. It's supposed to smooth out the waiting and please you until the band unleashes their fifth album, so let's take a quick little look at it.<br />
<br />
So what's new and what's not? Well, we get two do-overs from <i>Necromantic Maelstorm</i> and three from <i>Toxic Zombie Onslaught</i>. Do you remember the way those two albums sound like? If not, Lich King is kind enough to remind you; "<i>Our first two albums were recorded and mixed by a guy who had no idea to do either... They stink</i>". Instead of just making an EP they could've gone the way of Exhumed who's not satisfied with the sound of their debut album, and therefore decided to re-record the whole thing. Great idea since one of my favorite Lich King songs are missing in the likes of <i>Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast</i>. Fuck yeah. But oh well, I'm not in Lich King so it's not my decision, all I can do is hope. And it would be an endless task to please everybody.<br />
<br />
But let's get to it. The do-overs are great and sound really good thanks to the quality in Lich King's sound which has been developing since <i>World Gone Dead</i> and really achieved on <i>Born of the Bomb</i>. That style continues here as Tom sounds better on the first to albums and delivers good vocals and Brian really has become quite a great drummer. I can clearly hear the advancement and I often find myself mimicking the drums. <i>Black Metal Sucks</i> received a little extra re-doing as the bands now put their pictures up on Facebook and not Myspace, and at the end... you'll be surprised. Then we got the cover of Van Halen's <i>Hot for Teacher</i> which as first was an odd choice to me but it is without their greatest cover to date, and it might stay that way because it's fantastic. It fits their image and gave them the opportunity to put in some funny stuff in the class sections in the song. Too bad guitar solos aren't allowed it class. Then we get a recycled Lichmas gift in the likes of <i>Crossover Songs Are Too Damn Short</i>. It has always been listed as a demo version, so I'm not sure if it's ending up on album five or not. Either way it's a fun, great and strangely enough, an ironic song. But ignore the demo moniker on the song because it sounds fucking great.<br />
<br />
And here comes the section that doesn't matter but I just want it in this review. Lich King are fucking great. The promotion they did for this album was phenomenal in the likes of the leaked edition gimmick and just the way the band interacts with their fans. Hiding free download codes on their various sites and on their Minecraft server. I don't play that game but just listen to the idea, it's so genius. You can say what you want about this band, hell back in the day I was not even too crazy about them, but NOBODY interact with their fans the way Lich King does. And they deserve tons of respect for that. At last, a little side note. Look at the cover. It's just fucking glorious and it's just typical of Tom to get such a great idea. If you don't get the reference in the cover, I'm sorry for you, because I won't explain it.<br />
<br />
Conclusion time. Do-Over is a great EP for both the newcomer and the old Lich King fan. Of course you could argue over which songs should be on the record, I could even join in but it would not really gain us anything as we don't call the shots and the selection is quite good as it is. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.0</h1>
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-75917273418679228352015-01-04T17:15:00.000+01:002015-01-04T17:15:15.516+01:00Six String Slaughter - Born Unspoiled<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Do You Practice What You Preach?</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a0060854771_10_zps3815049a.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a0060854771_10_zps3815049a.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
I would like to introduce you to Six String Slaughter. This three-piece death metal band features two members of former Corpus Mortale fame, and they recently released their debuting album. Before this they released two EP's and have been around since 2007, so it's certain to say it took some time to get this one out. So let's have a look at <i>Born Unspoiled</i>.<br />
<br />
The first thing I would like to get out of the way is actually the lyrics, and it's itching! Not because they're bad, oh no... So here's the scope. The lyrics are actually pretty simplistic, they're straight on and right there in your face. It fits really well with the general topics of religion, society and politics. Nothing new under the sun? No, not really, but the jabs taken at the topics feels fresh, they're well placed in the guts. Allow me to demonstrate. <i>Virulent Narcissism</i> targets the social media of the internet, and its horrible narcissism. <i>Holy Lies</i> strikes at Islam, which is something I've been longing for. The title track together with the artwork makes you think how children are born unspoiled until religion ruins it. It's almost like you can feel the anger behind the lyrics. I could go on about the rest of the songs, but we got some more ground to cover, and I don't want to spoil everything for you! <br />
<br />
Now to the rest. You'll be treated with a good and powerful growl with the vocals from Daniel Wilkens, and they are from time to time also varied with some more raspy-styled vocals, but the growling is the main weapon. The music is of course death metal, but the album has various variations and influences throughout the 35 minutes of mayhem. First off, you get some melodic elements on <i>Gathering Dust</i> and <i>Nothing But Death in the End</i>. My favourite track on the album, <i>Everywhere (There Are Prophets)</i> brings you a simple slab of death and groove with lyrics that fits fucking perfect.This variation helps making the album more intriguing and less dull, so you're not stuck with the same thing throughout the entire listen. At last you'll also be treated with an old classic in the likes of a cover of Brutal Truth's <i>Birth of Ignorance</i> which sums up the album. While not mindblowing, the production fits the album quite well and overall it sounds good. You're not missing out on any instruments, though I must admit I like my bass a little more audible, but fear not, it still packs a kick! And even though it's a petite thing, I really like the sound of the snare but besides that the drums does not stand out that much.<br />
<br />
<i>Born Unspoiled</i> is a really interesting debut and it has been worth waiting for. The album strikes with some relative points in its lyrics compared to some other bands who still haven't got anything else to write about than corrupt governments... sigh. The simple lyrics and interesting themes is the biggest strength of this album, and it's delivered with more than competent music. <i>Everywhere (There Are Prophets)</i> is probably my favourite death metal track of 2014. This album definitely puts Six String Slaughter on the map of death metal, maybe not as a world class act but in their home region of Scandinavia and surrounding areas without a doubt!<br />
<br />
Support Six String Slaughter on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sixstringslaughterdk">Facebook</a>, and you can get a hold of Born Unspoiled through their label's <a href="http://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/born-unspoiled">Bandcamp</a>!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.0</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-49297389855839372372014-12-28T17:44:00.001+01:002014-12-28T17:44:26.976+01:00When Reunion Comes: At The Gates - At War With Reality<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"The War Has Just Begun..."</i></span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/867_zpsa4eb02cd.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/867_zpsa4eb02cd.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
At the Gates' classic album, <i>Slaughter of the Soul</i>, is one of the instigators of the modern melodic death metal sound, and one of the best melodic death metal albums in itself. I never really liked the genre, but a handful of albums and <i>Slaughter of the Soul</i> are in my library and does get a spin regularly. When they announced their comeback, I admit, I got pretty excited. Though ATG announced multiple reunion live shows, and said regularly that they would not make a new album as it would be pointless to release an album more than ten years after <i>Slaughter of the Soul</i> and would just dissapoint people. On October 27th, 2014 they released <i>At War With Reality</i>, and let me tell you something, the wait has been woth it.<br />
<br />
The production is clean and smooth, you can hear every instrument clearly, but it still packs a good punch. The music is a little bit different, maybe leaning more towards traditional swedish death metal, but don't worry, there is still plenty of sweet melodic riffing to go around. Drummer Adrian Erlandsson has not lost his edge, his beats are still as good as they were on <i>Slaughter.</i> His snare has a really nice crunchy production, which is satisfying to listen to every time he hits it. He spends most his times playing mid-paced rhythms, which you cannot help headbanging to, but most notable. for me at least, is his fast paced skank beats. They are powerful and sound like they are going to trample all over you.<br />
<br />
The abrasive, screechy growling of Tomas Lindberg sounds just as wild and menacing as they were on <i>Slaughter</i>. He changes it up from time to time on songs like <i>Order from Chaos</i> with this creepy narration voice. The bass is quite prominent, while it mostly just is there for rhythm purposes, it still sounds rich when you sometimes just catches a catchy bass riff.<br />
<br />
As with other ATG albums, the best part of the album are the guitars. as traditional ATG, they play a lot sweet tremolo riffs, that stirs that inner lust you have because you've always wanted to play guitar, but never had the time to learn it. The tremolo riffs sounds like a mix between melodic death and old school death. They also take the time to make some riffs that sound like something that could be on <i>Slaughter</i>, but really belongs in another place. I especially like the mid-paced riffs on many of the songs, it really shows both guitarists Anders Björler and Martin Larsson talents. The tone and structure is bone chilling.<br />
<br />
What really sets this album apart from their previous albums, is that you can feel they didn't want to make another <i>Slaughter</i>, and that they did not. This album stands alone really well, but it still did not have that impact on me like <i>Slaughter</i> did. This album is a nice continuation of ATG as a band and I now I know that if they release another album, it can stand alone like this one did, and not be dependent on earlier albums like a lot of old bands who make new records years after their classics do.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span>
<br />
<h1>
7.8</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755727486195287393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-40595373787385423162014-12-21T18:21:00.002+01:002014-12-21T18:21:27.308+01:00Yob - Clearing the Path to Ascend<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>The Path is Cleared... and I am Ascending</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/NR090_YOB-ClearingThePathtoAscend_zps1cb43d79.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/NR090_YOB-ClearingThePathtoAscend_zps1cb43d79.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
I first discovered Yob, when I heard the album, <i>Atma</i>, in 2011, the album got recommended to me by a friend, since I was just getting into the whole doom metal genre back then (which is coincidentally now my favorite metal genre there is). First going into it I had no idea what to expect when I first put the record on the vinyl player. I thought it was just your run-of-the-mill doom metal. But, oh my, I was wrong, by the end of the record, my whole body was blown away, the only thing that was left were my feet. So understandably, when I heard Yob was releasing a new album, I was so excited I shat my pants. And when I first listened to <i>Clearing the Path to Ascend</i>, I shat my pants so hard it made me fly through the roof, no exaggeration... (okay, maybe a little exaggeration.)<br />
<br />
It all begins with ''<i>In Our Blood</i>''. It starts with a watery guitar intro, and you just wait... just wait for that glorious moment when guitar, bass and drums all hit in at the same time, and the waiting is worth your while. It sends cold chills my spine every time I hear it. And when the wet, reverb-filled vocals begins, you know you have come to the right place. It falls fits together really well and sends your mind to a place above the skies.<br />
<br />
The entire album is an ode to all that is slow and heavy. The production is damp, like the weather before a thunderstorm, and features a prominent bass (played by Aaron Rieseberg) which makes the music massive and entrancing. The drums are slow and trudging, they almost feels intimidating, like an elephant is on a rampage and out to get you. The snaredrum has a nice bang-sound, which I like, it makes you feel like you have been hit by a train. And the cymbals sounds like they are being smashed with a hammer, they stand out like they do on most of Yob's records.<br />
<br />
The vocals, performed by band-leader Mike Scheidt, are filled with morose and anger. They really intensify the music a lot more. I love them, but the only thing that is sub par to his vocals, are Scheidts guitar skill. He is a riff-machine, every riff he conjures up, ends up destroying everything in its path. The main riff of the song ''<i>Marrow</i>'' is undeniably the most depressing, yet beautiful riff that has ever come out from his mind, I am in total love with that song. Combine that riff, with his vocals and you got yourself one hell of a song.<br />
<br />
I have listened to many doom metal bands since I first got recommended Yob by my friend, but Yob is one of the bands I can always come back to, without getting tired of their music. The combination of the production and musicianship of Yob is something any metal fan should experience at least once. Because when you hear them once, you can never go back, the riffs and beats will stay in your head for days, which doesn't happen that often with me. Listen to this album, and embrace its glory.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
9.3</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755727486195287393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-81675788943068815322014-12-17T16:07:00.003+01:002014-12-17T16:08:01.453+01:00Alkoholizer - Free Beer....Surfs Up!!!<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Don't Get Fooled by the Free Beer!</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/alkoholizer-free-beer-surf-s-up-88698_zpsa74bedf9.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/alkoholizer-free-beer-surf-s-up-88698_zpsa74bedf9.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
So... Alkoholizer from Italy is back. They were pretty prominent in the revival with the <i>Drunk or Dead...</i> album in 2009 which was nothing special, but a pretty decent revival album that could fit into any party. After that album the band kind of disappeared but in 2013 they released an EP to state that the Sardinian boars had returned and now we've been offered a new studio album.<br />
<br />
It has been five years since the last studio album and since then, and things have changed within the Italian band. Vocalist Alessandro and drummer Gabriele who both played on <i>Drunk or Dead...</i> have departed. A new drummer has been brought in and bassist Fabrizio is now handling the vocals. Besides that the band also recruited a second guitarist, which results in a couple of solo vs. solo situations but that is about it. It seems pretty clear to me that Alkoholizer didn't want to change anything from their last record as Fabrizio's vocals is just a replica of Alessandro's. And even though I liked the old vocals better, they were still not mindblowing or anything. Just a kind of Tom Araya light... So what you're left with in the end is that Alkoholizer doesn't seem to have moved an inch.<br />
<br />
In addition to that, <i>Free Beer....Surf's Up!!!</i> could easily have been released as a quick follow up in 2011 or so. It follows the exact same recipe as the previous album but it's not quite as good. In spite of the better production on this album, it lacks the real party thrashers that <i>Drunk or Dead...</i> contained. The least they could've done with an album title and cover like this, was to put a Sacred Reich cover on the damn playlist... but no. Negativity aside, of course there's good songs to be found and a fair amount of interesting thrash riffs in songs like <i>Faceless</i>, <i>System Aberration</i> and <i>Breathalize and Destroy!!</i> which also ends up being my favourites from this record.<br />
<br />
So what's left of it in the end? There's a couple tracks here and there that you could add to your party playlist, but even for that I would still go back to the previous album. The album feel redundant to me when the only thing there's better than the previous album is the production and both songs and vocals where better on the last album as well. So if you're okay with getting more of the same then you'd like this album, if not, then there's more interesting releases to get. Not quite the comeback I had hoped for from the Sardinian boars.<br />
<br />
You can find Alkoholizer on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Alkoholizer">Facebook</a> to keep up to date and check their material at <a href="https://alkoholizer.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
7.0</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-27691663681504816582014-12-14T16:11:00.001+01:002014-12-14T16:18:06.065+01:00Earth - Primitive and Deadly<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"The Serpent has Arrived"</i></b></span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a2338655344_10_zps67e658bd.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a2338655344_10_zps67e658bd.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Earth is a band originating from the United States, and are considered pioneers of drone/doom. And I have loved them since I heard the album, <i>The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull</i> in 2008. They also have a personal meaning to me, since they helped me through a few rough months some years back, where the only thing I'd listen to all day was them. I don't know what really made me interested in them, maybe it was the psychedelic blend of genres I love, such as stoner, doom and country (to a certain level). Maybe it was their drone metal that made me feel like I was in another place, I don't know. What I do know is that their latest release, <i>Primitive and Deadly</i> is a great album. Hell, it is better than that. It is awesome.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
<br />
This album has some of the best atmosphere in doom metal The finely produced distortion on the guitar makes the music sound thick, warm and ecstatic, as if you were thrown into a journey that takes you through and over both soft earth, majestic waters and towering mountains.<br />
<br />
The music itself contains enchanting energy. The drums are well-produced, and plays almost daze-like beats throughout the album. Thanks to the thick atmosphere, the performance makes it sound like the drummer was in a well-induced trace. Every part of the kit sounds great. The snare has a really nice bottom to it, and does not sound sloppy like some doom metal bands sometimes do. The bass drum sounds hollow, yet rich. And the cymbals sounds clear, I mean like crystal clear it is almost impossible to describe it otherwise.<br />
<br />
The vocals are performed by Mark Lanegan on <i>There is a Serpent Coming </i>and <i>Rooks across the Gates </i>(Which is my favourite song from the album), while the song, <i>From the Zodiacal Light</i> is performed by the beautiful Rabi Shabeen Qazi of Rose Windows fame. They both do a fantastic job of fleshing out the album. It almost makes me feel like I am riding through the prairie. But best of all is the guitars, they play a lot of dissonant and slow chug-like riffs that often ends in a long sustained note, combine that with the screechy distortion it creates a truly powerful atmosphere. The riffs have a warm sound, almost making you feel like you are in a womb, a little world where you have nothing but time to study and experience this journey you have undertaken.<br />
<br />
Even though this album is basically <i>The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull</i> but with vocals and a little bit more country-influence, Earth's formula have not gotten old. The music and vocals are incredible packed with a thick and astounding atmosphere. This is more than just another record, this is an experience.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.8</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755727486195287393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-26220739373570278972014-12-10T22:31:00.000+01:002014-12-10T15:24:43.217+01:00Cradle of Filth - Total Fucking Darkness<span style="font-size: large;">"Total Fucking Excellent"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tfd_zpscbc07914.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/tfd_zpscbc07914.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Note that this review is focusing mostly on the remastered version of the demo from 2014.<br />
<br />
The demos of Cradle has always been known as the good material before they "went to shit". I don't quite agree with that though, as I love Cradle of Filth and I don't think they've made one bad album. No joke hidden in the grass there. Of course some albums are better than others, but the thing about <i>Total Fucking Darkness</i> is, that I've never really listened to it. Why? Because every time I put on the first track <i>The Black Goddess Rises</i> I just couldn't put up with the quality. I seriously can't remember listening to all of the tracks in one go. Until now.<br />
<br />
What made me pre-order this demo is that it contains the only surviving track from Cradle of Filth's album <i>Goetia</i> which was supposed to have been their debut album. That track is <i>Spattered in Faeces</i> and it is my favourite track off this release without a doubt. It's pretty reminiscent of what Cradle turned into with the release of <i>Dusk... And Her Embrace</i>. For me the track is Cradle to the core with both atmosphere and brutality, the way only Cradle of Filth delivers it. It's a absolutely amazing track, and that alone makes this demo worth the money. It does however make me think about what could have been if they original <i>Goetia</i> recordings haven't been erased. Since <i>Spattered in Faeces</i> was recorded prior to their debut album <i>Principle of Evil Made Flesh</i> you would expect the vocals to sound like on that album. But they don't. They actually sound more like the vocal style that Dani developed on later albums in the 90's. And for me, that is just great as I never digged the vocals on <i>Principle of Evil Made Flesh</i>.<br />
<br />
Furthermore we also get four tracks from the band's Samhain rehearsal in '92 that also contains an unreleased track; <i>Devil Mayfair (Advocatus Diaboli)</i>, but besides that the rehearsed tracks are the same tracks as the ones on the original recording, just from the Samhain rehearsal. The track just mentioned is not as strong as <i>Spattered in Faeces</i> when it comes to both the music and vocal delivery. The main attraction on this demo is without a doubt the remastering and the missing <i>Goetia</i> track that I've already mentioned a dozen times. It's interesting to get a feel of the Samhain rehearsal but it's not as strong as the demo tracks as those tracks sound better and are better delivered. I often listen to everything on this release anyway, so don't think the rehearsal tracks a redundant. It's worth noticing that the demo's runtime used to be around 24 minutes and now it clocks in at 57 minutes. If you are one of the lucky motherfuckers who got a hold of the LP version then you also get two other tracks which is two instrumental pieces from the old keyboardist Benjamin Ryan. <br />
<br />
With the re-release of this demo and the band's recent tour with Behemoth where they played an old school set, embraced their roots, I've really gotten my hopes up for the next album. <i>The Manticore and Other Horrors</i> had me thinking that Dani was out of screams but after seeing them two nights in a row in 2014 he proved me wrong.<br />
So to sums things up, the remastering of this demo certainly brings some justice to the table and the demo, making it worth every penny. It's a true pleasure listening to Cradle's more brutal period in a more enhanced way than before. My favourite of the re-mastered tracks is without a doubt <i>Unbridled at Dusk</i>, the mid section just sounds fantastic. Get this if you love Cradle of Filth and their early period!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.4 </h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-22944397603040567022014-12-07T17:24:00.000+01:002014-12-07T17:25:47.308+01:00Blood Eagle - Kill Your Tyrants<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>The Tyrants Are Killed, Now Go Home...</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bloodeagle-cover_zps15b57206.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/bloodeagle-cover_zps15b57206.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Blood Eagle is a deathgrind band from my home country, Denmark and is the supposed 'supergroup' of leftover musicians from Hatesphere, Volbeat and Mercenary. Now I don't mean that in a bad way, it is just that the 'supergroup'-expression is something I really dislike. Most of these 'supergroups' have not really amounted anything besides having impressive lineups, obviously there are few exceptions, like Bloodbath and Down, but those have big musicians like Mikael Åkerfeldt and Phil Anselmo. The members in Blood Eagle are the a bassist from Hatesphere, a drummer from Raunchy and a brief guitarist from Volbeat. There has to be a limit, you know what I am saying? I obviously mean no disrespect to the musicians of Blood Eagles talents, I just think that there should be a limit on when we label things a 'supergroup'. Anyway, enough of my rambling, lets get to the music.<br />
<br />
So a good thing is that the production is great, it is really thick and feels like a hammer pounding down on you. The drums are well-played, but lacks energy. The hi-hat is way too high in the mix and makes the snaredrum disappear whenever blast beats are being played, which is a really bad things since snaredrums are essential in deathgrind. It has to be said, in the slower/mid-paced sections the snare sounds good. While I have no problem with clicky bassdrums, but the ones used here got a little annoying by the end (which is saying a lot since this EP is only nearly ten minutes).<br />
<br />
The bass is inaudible, which is in some cases excusable since deathgrind tends to blend all the instruments together. The guitars on this EP are some of the best I have heard in a while, they are really heavily distorted, which fits the musical agenda. The riffs, while not the best, are really well performed and gives a great mix between death metal and thrash metal. They also sometimes feel like they belong in a post-metal band, which is evident in the end of the song, <i>Death Sub Zero</i>.<br />
<br />
The vocals are not bad per se. But what ruins it for me, is that the singer sounds like he tried to combine the deep, hoarse growling of death metal and the screaming and yelling vocals of grindcore. I think the vocals would sound much better if they went either way, and did not combine the two voices into one.<br />
<br />
Overall, this was not a bad experience as it may seem like. It is very short one, only ten minutes into three songs, but I actually have no doubt that this was a teaser trailer for what is to come, and I think that Blood Eagle could create something great for the danish metal scene. The really fast deathgrind stuff mixed with the hard-pounding post-metal and mid-paced thrash metal sections are really good, but they just needed that extra push to make it great.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
6.5</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755727486195287393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-11570395221898966602014-12-03T15:11:00.000+01:002014-12-03T17:38:16.620+01:00Amken - Adrenaline Shot<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Be Careful Not to Overdose</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/AMKEN_AdrenalineShot_Cover_zpscb6e0aec.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/AMKEN_AdrenalineShot_Cover_zpscb6e0aec.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
Amken is a debuting thrash metal band from Greece who's been around since 2011. These fellas have received some good press talk especially in their home country where the Greek Metal Hammer magazine named them band of the week earlier in 2014. Not only that but they also secured a spot opening for Six Feet Under, which is quite impressive. <i>Adrenaline Shot</i> with its awesome looking artwork is their first release, so here's a little insight on just that.<br />
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True to the EP's title, you'll get an adrenaline shot and it starts with skank beats, as soon as you play the first track which is also the title track. But I'm not going to plunge into each track as there's only four of them. I am however going to break it down a bit, quite specifically into two parts. But before that, a quick little look on the production. It is crisp. It is clear. Everything is audible and sounds really good, to me it doesn't sound like there's a guitarist or a drummer in the band in charge. It sounds professional and not in a overly polished shitty way but in an impressive way for a debut release. The general way this EP is showcased and done is quite nice and it doesn't feel like it's just a 2nd rate thrash metal band, but someone who wants to be taken seriously.<br />
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In spite of these things, Amken struggle to set themselves apart from other thrash bands coming out, but in some way they manage to do it anyway to a certain point. The first half of the EP, meaning the title track <i>Adrenaline Shot</i> and <i>Zombie Pets</i> are your typical no-brain thrash metal songs. There's not much to them besides the great production and pure fun, and to be honest I need more than that to be entertained by thrash metal these days. Otherwise I see no point in returning to a certain record and listen to it again. It's hard to put words on the vocals, but they're not revolutionary. They feel like a mix of harsh and squealy-like vocals and they are pretty decent but still average. And since the EP is only 19 minutes long it doesn't give you the chance to get enough of them. The real interesting thing however, is the last half of the EP, which is the tracks <i>Nightmares</i> and <i>God's Asleep</i>. On these songs Amken take an important step in my eyes and creates two more grown up thrash songs. <i>Nightmares</i> features my favourite riff off the record and the song itself just got a gloomy feel to it mixed with thrash metal of course. That goes for <i>God's Asleep</i> as well, and that is where Amken really shines and manages to vary the tracks and keep them more interesting. I would love to see the band continue down that road and experiment some more with those ideas.<br />
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So what remains after these four tracks? A fairly entertaining debut release from a Greek thrash band which I hope will turn into something more than just a band who plays no-brain thrash metal. <i>Adrenaline Shot</i> is not going to convince that friend of yours who's sceptical about thrash metal that it's the real thing ever, but you who do enjoy thrash should pick this up for its potential.<br />
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Support the quartet on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/amkenthrash">Facebook</a>, check out their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX0x6n-VwAE">Zombie Pets video</a> and get a hold of their EP at <a href="http://amken.bigcartel.com/">BigCartel</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
7.5</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-6078674775665035682014-11-30T20:43:00.000+01:002014-12-10T11:48:57.097+01:00Fatal Mutiny - Existence in Extinction<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Existing Strength and Confidence</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/cover_zpse84b5166.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/cover_zpse84b5166.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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I feel like Greece is treating me really good. That country keeps spawning new awesome bands and the amount of them seems unending! Fatal Mutiny is the latest addition to my library of Greek metal bands, and they play technical thrash metal. They have been active since 2010 and now they have released their debut album, <i>Existence in Extinction</i> which will be put under the scope.<br />
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I'm not quite sure how to start off though because I just want to get it out immediately that I think this is a really strong and impressive debut album. Allow me to specify. The production is really, really fucking good, it's heavy and thrashy. The drums sound outright amazing and they got a fierce punch that last through the entire album. Everything is clear and audible, and that goes for the bass as well! Besides the sound of the drums, I can't get enough of the production sound of the solos on this album. They sound like the band went back to the 80's and took back the sound with them and I love the 80's sound. The regular guitar tone is thrash no doubt and the overall sound of the album is modern and well produced, then mixed with those solos. It sounds amazing.<br />
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There's a good amount of interesting riffs that supports the technical element of this album quite good, and the mix between all out thrash and technical parts are well varied. And some songs even have jazz inspiration though while thinking what it really reminded me of, I couldn't help think about Atheist. Not a bad thing at all. The vocals are hoarse and angry so don't expect a Toxik clone as Fatal Mutiny feels like they're up in your face most of the time. On two occasions the vocals get varied, one is good and the other is less good. On the track <i>Closing In... Time is Gone</i> we're treated with a deeper vocal almost reaching growling. I really liked that when it comes to variety, because I think the standard vocal fits the music to a certain point. Throughout the album it can be a bit long-drawn to listen to those hoarse vocals and it could probably bother a fair amount of people. Anyway, the other vocal variation is on <i>Ligeia</i> where there is small sections where the vocals almost go harmonic, trying to press in some proper singing, and that did not work for me. I would like to stick to <i>Ligeia</i> for a second as it's the longest song reaching almost 9 minutes. When I saw the length I was expecting the fellas to go progressive on me, which would have been fine but they didn't. Instead it breaks into a solo focused song and then returns to vocals in the end and they actually nail it, and here's where the solo production sound really shines!<br />
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Fatal Mutiny achieve what a lot of bands fail to. They set themselves apart from the rest. Even though their logo might not implicate just that, their music sure as hell does. I hope it's a sign of the times that the "pizza, beer & mosh"-cliché thrash is dying out. Thrash is my favourite sub genre, but enough is enough. But looking at the other side of the coin, where does <i>Existence in Extinction</i> fail? The vocals as I mentioned earlier might be a factor for a lot people and it can be for me as well. It lacks the interesting or catchy songs if you want to call them that, the songs stays on your mind after you've listened to the album. There's not a song like <i>Spontaneous</i>, <i>Heart Attack</i> or <i>World Circus </i>on here. It's probably a bit unfair to just drag in Toxik like that but it is well meant because I want this record to succeed as much as possible. <br />
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What does all this rambling leads us to? A 42 minute long album that is very impressive from a young Greek band that I'm eagerly going to follow in the future. With highlighting moments like <i>Bloodlust, Existence in Extinction</i> and <i>Ligeia</i> it's going to be exciting to see what the future holds for this band. If you're into any kind of thrash I would definitely recommend this album to you, and if you've been longing for something with technical elements then you should rush out to get this album!<br />
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Head over and support the boys at their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FatalMutinyGr">Facebook</a> and please yourself with their music at <a href="https://soundcloud.com/fatal-mutiny">Soundcloud</a>. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.0 </h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-11172010630052912112014-11-25T15:56:00.000+01:002014-12-10T11:48:39.888+01:00Endless Recovery - Thrash Rider<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Beware of Greece</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Final_zpsefcb863a.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Final_zpsefcb863a.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Before we start I would like to use an old saying: Don't judge a book by its cover.
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Now let get this thing started! Endless Recovery started back in 2010 and <i>Thrash Rider</i> is their debut album. Even though the band haven't been active for that many years they've really shuffled through some members leaving drummer, Michalis as the only remaining founding member. But that is not the biggest change to note, as the biggest change is the vocals. Their old vocalist was your generic shouting thrash vocalist, but new in the ranks is Mixalis, whose vocal is leaning more towards black metal but keeping the thrash element to it. If you really wanted to, you could probably draw some lines to the old Sodom, but still keeping its own style with the use of squeals at the end of certain lines in the lyric.<br />
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<i>Thrash Rider</i> contains 8 tracks and it spins for 30 minutes. The total time of this record actually becomes one of its strongest forces and therefore minimizes the chance of the album becoming too long and dull. Instead of that it becomes a thrash metal fix you can consume in 30 minutes. As the first force of the album was its length, the second force is the vocals. The third and final force is actually the production. Sound-wise I really like this album, while it is nothing special or big change within the genre it does what it is supposed to. In particular, I really like the pumping sound of the bass drums which really comes into play in <i>Corrupted Media Propaganda</i> with its continuously high tempo. Besides that song I would recommend <i>Power of Hate</i> which contains some good harmonic solos and then the title track, <i>Thrash Rider</i> with its "catchyness" if that's even a word... probably not. Listen to it anyway!<br />
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So why not judge a book by its cover? In my case I would have turned this album down immediately if it was something I had found myself. In spite of thrash metal being my favourite sub genre, I am tired to death of cliché revival bands. Luckily some bands like Evile, Violator and Fueled By Fire matured...
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Not all of <i>Thrash Rider</i> is entirely cliché but it is overall a really good and well crafted thrash experience that lasts 30 minutes, simply put: It doesn't outstay its welcome. Once again Greece proves to have a gem within its metal scene among bands like War Device and Bandemonic. I would definitely recommend Endless Recovery and I hope they can follow up with another fun and thrashing release like this one!<br />
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You can follow the band on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/endless.recovery">Facebook</a> and check out their music at <a href="https://endlessrecovery.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br />
<h1>
8.3</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-85298760077076453892014-06-18T18:01:00.000+02:002014-12-10T11:52:54.790+01:00Narthraal - Blood Citadel<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Suffering...</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a4107771521_10_zps681f1327.jpg"><img height="320" src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/a4107771521_10_zps681f1327.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Narthraal is a brand new death metal band from Iceland, and <i>Blood Citadel</i> is their first EP which is a concept release based upon the fictional universe of Narthraal. A quite intriguing idea, at least to me, but how well is it executed?<br />
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From the get-go, <i>Blood Citadel</i> is a pretty ambitious. With the description of their music and that it's <span class="text_exposed_show">largely based on biblical hell with a few minor alterations. It builds up a kind of hype and with two tracks with quite some duration and an amazing introduction track, you would like everything to come together in one big picture. The opening track, <i>Blood Citadel</i> is an instrumental with a orchestra. It is actually well composed and it sounds really good, but it leads into </span><i>Narthraal Tore Shuul</i>, a track lasting almost 9 minutes. The problem with that is that the track never quite takes off, and it never becomes really interesting, which is quite essential for long tracks. However that's the story for most of the tracks, they never really take off, but <i>Carnage</i> and <i>Suffering</i> is kind of set apart from the rest. Those two songs are quite good, and <i>Suffering</i> got some elements to it that I wish was present throughout the entire EP. That element is the orchestra from the introduction track returns. It starts off halfway through the track with just a piano playing in the background of the band, but it sounds total out of place. Of course that's not the element I would like to be present throughout <i>Blood Citadel</i>. Just a bit longer into the track the guitars fade out and the orchestra returns. It's well composed and sounds outstanding, plus the band kicks in an accompanies the orchestra for some time, and the two fit perfect. It builds up an epic atmosphere, and that is the element I would have loved to be present throughout the entire EP.<br />
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The production does not quite add anything to the release or help it to stand out. It's quite obvious that the band got a little thing for Swedish death metal and the buzzsaw sound. And it never really comes beyond that point but being a worship of the buzzsaw sound. It sounds good, but it fails to set them apart from all the other bands and make them really intriguing. If I feel like listening to buzzsaw death metal, I'll put on some of the old bands. I would like to point out the bass. It really fails to deliver the punch needed in death metal and comes out as a girly bass. It's really noticeable on <i>Narthraal Tore Shuul</i>, halfway through the track there is a section with only the bass that could have sounded way better with a better sound and production. At the end of <i>Buhrozul - An Ancient Prophecy</i> there is a slow and chugging section that's really headbanging material and it's one of those moments where the bass should kick you in the face and give it that extra punch. That extra punch is missing often and then the bass ends up being almost redundant.<br />
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So the execution was not that successful. But does not mean that there's nothing to gain from this release. I definitely do smell potential and I would love to see the band collaborating more with an orchestra like they did on <i>Blood Citadel</i> and <i>Suffering</i>. That could turn out to be an epic full-length album, if that's what is next on the program. If you're a buzzsaw maniac, then you'll love this, and even if you're not, you should still give Narthraal a try. Something on Iceland reeks of potential.<br />
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Be sure to check Narthraal out on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Narthraal">Facebook</a> and listen to the entire EP on <a href="https://narthraal1.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a>!<br><br><span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br /><h1>6.8</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-581428178769797634.post-47474739869402184122014-03-22T17:46:00.002+01:002014-12-10T11:50:51.971+01:00Toxic Waltz - Decades of Pain<span style="font-size: large;">"<i>Mid-paced Waltz</i>"</span><br />
<a href="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Booklet-1_zpsa0858933.jpg"><img src="http://i1024.photobucket.com/albums/y307/OfficerNice/Booklet-1_zpsa0858933.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a><br />
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Yet another new thrash metal band pops up in the distance. This time it is Toxic Waltz from Germany, and yes they are named after the legendary Exodus track. The band has been active for quite some time, actually since 2009 but it took them five years to put out their debut material. Will it end up being just another drop in the sea? Let's see.<br />
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The album starts out with somewhat of a trend among bands these days - a redundant instrumental intro that doesn't really add anything to the album. The riff in the end carries into the first real track on the album and that is about it. I won't dive into each track that much as it won't really be necessary. <i>Decades of Pain</i> features a modern production, and it doesn't sound that different from other releases coming out at the moment. But I do like the drum production and the overall sound of the drums, except one little strange thing I noticed. Through some passages there's been added some extra reverb to the snare to highlight the drums, and it sounds quite odd to me. Just leave the damn reverb on, let me feel like it's the 80's!<br />
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But how well does Toxic Waltz deliver with this debut album? With emphasis on thrash, they barely deliver. In spite of being named after an Exodus song it doesn't feel like they ever listened to Exodus. <i>Decades of Pain</i> is a mid-paced album and after listening to this album I don't feel like I have been thrashed. Not even once. That is my biggest frustration when going through this album; sitting and waiting for the tempo, for the thrashing to begin, but that day never came. Of course, an album doesn't need to be fast to be good, but since there's no tracks that gets stuck and feel memorable it feels more like a decade of boredom. The last song on the album, <i>Obsession to Kill</i> actually builds up to some waltzing, but it does not take long for it to fall back into the mid-pacing and raising my frustration level. Adding the last nail to the coffin, I don't feel like the vocals add anything to the music either. They feel like your average shouting thrash vocalist, even though at the end of a line in the lyrics, the vocals pulls off some awesome shrieks, screams and growling. The vocal style should have leaned more towards those extremes, even though it still doesn't fix the rest of the album.<br />
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So where does this leave us? The band has received loads of promotion but I don't see why. There's nothing teutonic about them, nothing bay area, not even new school thrash. The album feels more like a groove/thrash album as it never takes off. When getting a real overlook on this album, the thing I'm left with that I really like is the album cover. To sum that up a bit, if you want a good thrash album added to your collection, find something else. If you want some mid-paced groove/thrash, then this is for you. That brings me back to the question I asked myself in the beginning; will it end up being just another drop in the sea? The answer is yes.<br /><br>
<span style="font-size: large;">Rating</span><br /><h1>6</h1>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01764894648290541969noreply@blogger.com