CRITICAL METAL
Update 2, 2006
This update: Canvas Solaris, Daylight Dies,
Degree Absolute, Deviant, Dismember, Ensoph, Hate,
Hate Profile, Head Control System, Inevitable End, Intronaut,
Insense, Jungle Rot, Katatonia,
Melisend, Non-Human Level, , Satariel,
Seven Witches, Shakra, The Gathering, Thyrane, Thyrfing, The Project
hate, Tuff Jeff Salen, Vader.
This update is late as some of the release
dates suggest below. But I think it is
worth the wait. As usual, I have been
swamped in graduate studies which are very demanding. If you have never done it, don’t criticize
it! Anyway, rather than half-assing these reviews, I decided to make them worth your
trouble to read, therefore I took as much time as
needed. Hopefully none of my promo-pimpers will drop me from their lists, but this is the way
it goes. I think I have written some
very dependable reviews.
GREEN CARNATION GIVEAWAY: I have five (each) Green Carnation CD’s,
stickers, and posters. If you want one
of them, this is what I would like for you to do. 1) Tell me the counter number on my homepage
when you read these reviews, 2) E-mail my website link to 10 of your friends
who like metal asking them to look at the reviews, and 3) send me your name and
address. THIS OFFER IS GOOD UNTIL APRIL
1, 2006. After this date, the CD’s
will be gone. Also, we are on the honor
system. If you lie to me about your 10
friends I may never know it. But you
will burn in HELL!
CANVAS SOLARIS “Penumbra Diffuse” (7 tracks. 48.8 mins). SENSORY
Rating: 8. Country of
origin:
CS is an instrumental band whose style is progressive, jazzy, and quite accessible. Prog-metallers and prog-rockers alike will find their style enjoyable. I think those who are into the likes of Stinking Lizaveta and Pelican will both agree on it. But also, fans of Fates Warning and Karmakanic will also appreciate this trios’ work. There are no vocals, which I think is good, because certainly this music doesn’t need them. This CD makes a great soundtrack for studying; it engages the mind, stimulates the senses, but does not distract with vocals.
DAYLIGHT DIES “Dismantling Devotion” (8 tracks.
53 mins). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 9.5. Country of origin:
Several
years back when not a small stir occurred around the first Daylight Dies
release I went out and bought it. I
found the CD moderately interesting but for me it lacked a certain “umphf”. Well,
whatever it was that I felt was lacking in the first release must be present
here because I think they found my “sweet spot”. If, for instance, the first album was too
up-tempo and rock oriented, then this album is satisfyingly diverse in the
tempo category and much more metal in construction. Even this understates the case. The music has a poetic quality. For one thing: chord arrangements. Daylight Dies has discovered a wide range of
chords and transitions rarely heard in metal.
The sheer power and majesty of songs like “A Life Less Lived” and “Dead
Air”—the first two songs right off the bat—is inspiring. To me, this new album combines the epic
quality of Morgion with the aggressiveness of
bands like Agalloch and Aphotic. But I can also understand how fans of Katatonia, Opeth,
and My Dying Bride—all very favorite bands of mine!—will find this new
album much to their taste. I am very
happy to say that after not really being moved by their first release, DD have
now swept me off my feet. It’s going to
be a good year!
DEGREE ABSOLUTE “s/t” (10 tracks. 57.3 mins). SENSORY.
Rating: . Country of origin: . Release date: January 31.
From the intriguing cover art to the name they have chosen for themselves, Degree Absolute come across as a different kind of band. They are, in fact, one of the more aggressive sounding bands on the Sensory label. Though they are clearly progressive, Degree Absolute have got some thrash riffs in their blood. My overall feeling about this CD is that the band has made an excellent symbiosis of aggression and progression through diversity. What I mean is that some songs are fast and chunky, others are softer and more reflective, but the contrast in styles is pleasing, not distracting.
DEVIANT “Ravenous Death Worship” (9 tracks.
38 mins). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 9. Country of
origin:
This
band could not have chosen a more appropriate name for their CD. If anything, listening to Deviant’s Ravenous
Death Worship is like getting a synthesis of Scandenavian
black and death metal (plus Celtic Frost) in concentrated form. I could not help but constantly make
comparisons while listening to this CD.
Upon listening to the first song, “Merciless”, I was reminded of Emperor’s
IX Equilibrium. You may recall
that when that album came out many reviewers commented that the band have moved
away from black metal and closer to death.
The similarities here are noticeable.
This also means that several of Zamoth’s bands
(Zyklon, Mindgrinder) also came to mind
for comparison while listening to Deviant.
Also bands like Satyricon, Marduk,
Immortal, and Gorgoroth very legitimately
come to mind. In other words, Deviant is one of those bands where the old phrase,
“imitation is the highest form of flattery” is appropriate. Cold, dark, and very aggressive, they follow
in the footsteps of their predecessors impressively.
DISMEMBER “The God that Never Was” (11 tracks. 35.5 minutes). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 8. Country of
origin:
This band’s longevity (17 years) is due
largely to their ability to write crushing death metal riffs and to pull them
off with flair. They continue to do so
here with The God that Never Was, their latest. It is, of course, exactly what you would
expect from this band, but when it sounds like this, you are quite
satisfied. If you are not familiar with
Dismember, this is how they sound: fast,
grinding, Swedish death metal, old school, with great flourishes of melody
spread throughout. Occasionally they
will strike a slow and/or doomy note, but for the
most part brutality reigns.
ENSOPH “Project X-Katon”
(15 tracks. 65.1 mins). CRUZ
DEL SUR.
Rating: 7. Country of
origin:
En
Soph = no end or endless. Pronounced /ain/ as in “ain’t” and /soaf/ as in soap – p
+ f (Hebrew אין
סוף). X-Katon = the end
or end times. Greek, escaton. En Soph is a term used in Jewish mysticism to
describe the transcendence of God. It
comes (I am pretty sure) from the Jewish philosophical mysticism of the
medieval period. It is especially
important in Zoharic/Qabbalistic parlance. Whatever the origin of the term “eschaton”,
it is predominantly used in Christian theology to describe the End Times in
apocalyptic thinking (which I do not follow).
How much of this the band actually has in mind is unknown to me.
Musically
Ensoph belong with other electro-mystical groups as Samael,
The Kovenant, Mortiis, and to a lesser extent, Aborym. Unlike at least one of those, Ensoph are a full band, though, which means that they have
real drums among other things. I
personally would like a little more “umph” in their
music. I feel like they lean heavy on
the electro, however, they do have guitars and scream and are not morose like a
gothic band. I think they are best
described as a cross between Mortiis (electro, not
metal) and Samael (metal with lots of electro).
Project X-Katon would have made a good
soundtrack for the Matrix.
HATE “Anaclasis: A Haunting Gospel of Malice and Hatred” (8 tracks. 35.9 mins). LISTENABLE.
Rating: 6.5. Country of origin:
Hate has been around nearly sixteen years, and I have known about them since their 2000 release, Holy Dead Trinity (WWIII Music). This was followed by Cain’s Way in 2002 and Awakening the Liar in 2003. After this came a DVD. And now, a new album, this one. Though they have been around about as long as Vader, Hate have suffered from weak labels. This is likely to change with their being signed to Listenable. Anaclasis is a good album, but not their best.
HATE PROFILE “Opus I: the Khaos Hatefile” (9 tracks. 43.2mins). CRUZ DEL SUR.
Rating: 9. Country of origin: ? Release date: ?
The title is very telling. Opus I
is a concept album which will be continued with further releases (Opus II: The Soule Proceeds and Opus
III: Spirit Breed Era Vulgaris). This
means that the lyrical concepts are already there, and apparently are of great
importance for Amon 418, the lyrical and musical
architect of this project. There was a
time when he had collaborators, but this project was evidently of such personal
meaning to him, that he parted ways with them and continued on his own. He did, however, employ a session drummer (GroM) for the recording of the album. The best thing about this CD to me is the
atmosphere. It is black metal for the
most part, but has a philosophical aura similar to Borknagar
and Arcturis, and maybe Vintersorg. The music is not about speed or attitude, but
like I said, it has the serious tone necessary to convey the lyrical
concepts. It is obvious that Amon 418 did not rush through this project but rather (and
probably) obsessed over it, working it to perfection according to his own
vision. It is very obvious that he has
accomplished something here that will be difficult to beat.
HEAD CONTROL SYSTEM “Murder Nature” (11 tracks. 45.3 mins). THE END RECORDS.
Rating: n/a. Country of
origin:
When I don’t like a CD I try to be objective rather than insulting in my review. To insult someone else’s work, especially something as challenging as a full-length recording, is not only tacky, it shows how egoistic many reviewers are. Anyway, while my first impressions of the CD from the band name, album title, and artwork were less than enthusiastic, all that changed when I discovered that one-half of this two man group is none other than Kristofer Garm Rygg (spelling? Sorry for any mistakes) a.k.a., Trickster G. of Ulver, etc. So I popped the disc in the player. I have to say I never expected not to be really impressed with anything he does, but repeated listenings have failed to capture my interest. It just doesn’t move me. I will do my duty, however, and let you readers know of its existence. And I dare say, that some of you will think it is his best work yet.
INEVITABLE END “Reversal”
(3 song demo. 16.5
mins).
Rating: 8. Country of
origin:
This
three song demo is highly reminiscent of early Extol in my opinion. But it is actually heavier, I think, than
Extol. Regardless, the style is a very
aggressive, and somewhat shrill, death/grind from
Contact:
info@inevitable-end.com.
INTRONAUT “Null”
(5 tracks. 28.3
mins). GOODFELLOW RECORDS.
Rating: 7.5. Country of origin:
Into
the fray of up-and-coming thrashcore bands which are leaning ever more towards
thrash comes Intronaut, a four-piece from
INSENSE “Soothing Torture” (10 tracks.
36.7 mins). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 8. Country of
origin:
Reflective
yet brutal, Insense are perhaps
JUNGLE ROT “Darkness Foretold” (7 tracks.
27.3 mins). CRASH MUSIC.
Rating: 8.5. Country of origin:
I
must confess that I never thought about listening to this band because their
name made me think of bands like Cannibal Corpse and Mortician. What a mistake that was. This band is totally cool
and have some excellent death metal grooves. The CD begins with three cover tunes. Admittedly this is not their own material,
but the choice of tunes says something about the band. First is “Agent Orange”, a classic from
KATATONIA “The Great Cold Distance” (12 tracks.
51.9 mins). PEACEVILLE.
Rating: 9. Country of
origin:
From
the moment I first heard Tonight’s Decision several years ago, I knew I
was going to be a loyal fan of this band.
My favorite album thus far is Last Fair Deal Gone Down, though
all the others, and especiallyVive
Emptiness, are quite satisfactory, if not classic. But in my opinion Last Fair Deal Gone Down
has thus far been the pinnacle of their work.
It is the standard by which all their other albums should be
judged. Well, if The Great Cold
Distance is anything, it is a close second to Last Fair Deal… I am
not yet ready to say that it is better (as some have done), but I am at least willing
to say that it comes close. The songs
have a sound which is more consistent with Last Fair Deal and Vive
than all previous albums. This means
that the band has sort of “settled” on a sound, whereas in the past, I would
have described their sound as “evolving”.
I have no complaints about this because I think it is a great sound,
they are a great band, and practically no one sounds like them. They have arrived at a “trademark sound,” you
might say. The Great Cold Distance
is a good cross between Last Fair Deal and Vive, being
more aggressive and a little less emotional than Last Fair Deal Gone Down.
Anyway, Katatonia’s loyal fans, myself
included, will not find anything here to disappoint them.
More
comments … Katatonia is one of those bands that are
so good and so pioneering, so unique and so interesting that it is difficult to
compare them to anyone else stylelistically. They are, however, in my opinion, in a class
with other unique bands like Opeth, Green
Carnation, Porcupine Tree, and so on. Album after album, some things change, some
things remain the same. One of the
things that remains constant is their professionalism
and their ability to write interesting music.
MELISEND “Demo 2005” (7 tracks. 37.4 mins). Melisend.
Rating: . Country of origin: The
Though this is obviously a self-produced demo I find a lot of potential here. The key word is “potential”, because I think that with a producer and a recording budget this band can release a pretty decent death/doom metal album. There are no major or glaring shortcomings in my opinion, but certainly some guidance and some fine tuning will help this band go places. As of now they sound like a combination of the earliest Paradise Lost album (Lost Paradise) and Celtic Frost mixed with early Mortification. Fans of early My Dying Bride will also hear resonances. Contact the band via their website: www.melisend.com.
NON-HUMAN LEVEL “s/t” (10 tracks. 41.4 mins). LISTENABLE
Rating: 9.5. Country of origin:
NHL
is a side project featuring Peter Wildoer (Darkane) onvocals,
Christopher Malmstrom (Darkane)
on guitars, Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend
Band) on drums, and bass by Gustaf Hielm (ex-Meshuggah). Each member brings something to the mix as is
obvious in the listening. With a line-up
like this you know you have good album.
But let me tell you, it is a bombshell!
In my estimation it is about 50% modern Swedish death, 30% thrash, and about
20% neo-classical. These guys play with
all the fury of a Swedish death band, but you hear a good bit of neo-classical
style in Malmstrom’s work reminiscent of both early Destruction
and Alex Skolnik era Testament. Aside from his stunning guitar work in the
“regular” songs, he also contributes a number of instrumentals which definitely
give Skolnik a run for his money such as track seven,
“Water”. Also, Hielm
on bass shows us he is more than an ordinary “spaghetti bender” by playing
fretless on “Divine Creation of Void”.
The overall feel of the album is Swedish death/thrash with those touches
of neo-classical guitar work (also Swedish in flavor). In all it is an impressive blend of brutality
and finesse. Aside from the respective
“bands of origin” for the guys in NHL, and the comparisons already made to
Destruction and Testament, I also find myself thinking of Witchery and Mindgrinder.
About six years in the making, this is one brilliant debut!
SATARIEL “Hydra” (12 tracks. 48.1 mins). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 6. Country of
origin:
Is my first sample of Satariel. I was under the
mistaken notion that they were a black metal band. (Why I do not know.) but instead I find
them a mixed bag of Swedish styles. Some
of it is death metal. Some of it flirts
with black metal, but not really. Some
of it is fast and heavy, some of it mid-paced.
Sometimes the male vocals are clean, much of the time they are gruff (Dimmu Borgir
style). Occasionally there are sweet
female vocals. Perhaps fans of Ram-Zet,
THE
Rating: 8. Country of
origin: The Netherlands. Release date: April 18.
Usually
I reserve adjectives like “intense” for heavy albums. But if you know The Gathering, you will not
use the word “heavy” to describe their music.
You could, however, use the word “intense” justifiably, because
underneath the ethereal vibes of their music is an undertone of intensity that
comes through with each and every release.
Home is no exception.
While you may be tempted to pop it in the CD player and lay back in a
chair in order to “relax,” you may find yourself—that is,
your mind—preoccupied with it, unable to disengage. At the same time, I do not thing “metal” is
the right category for this band, nor has it ever been. But obviously there is something about them
that draws fans of metal as well as labels like The End Records and Century
Media.
Another admirable
trait of this band is their patience in creating new music. Of course you have to allow for things like
tours, having babies, and so on, but the Gathering have not been in any hurry
to get another release out. They take
their time and make quality music. This
is very easily observed with Home.
I would not say that the band has really conquered any new territory
with this album, but I would say that song after song, a certain work ethic is
discernible. Just listen to “Alone,”
track 3, and you will know what I mean.
They do have their (slightly) heavy moments in songs like “A Noise
Severe,” but for the most part they sound like an ethereal blend of the Cranberries
and U2, only they are not playing top 40 music. Perhaps this explains their appeal to fans on
non-mainstream music like metal. Either
way, this CD is for people who like good music, plain and simple.
THE PROJECT HATE “Armageddon March Eternal” (8 tracks.
1 hour). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 9.5. Country of origin:
Go
ahead and prepare yourself to be told that The Project Hate’s second album, Armageddon
March Eternal, will be one of the STANDOUT CD’s of the year. It will.
Composed of members from Grave, Entombed, and Evergrey (what a combo, eh?), and featuring guest
appearances from members of Defleshed, Vicious
Art, Damnation and others—AND produced by Dan Swano,
certainly this band is and will be the object of a lot of “buzz” in 2006. Need I say more? But of course the CD deserves further
comment.
First,
as you can imagine, the music and musicianship on this CD is top notch. But you can also imagine it is a hybrid
style. It is first of all very death
metal, but has elements of programming, and, in addition to the deep guttural
male vocals, are some alto female vocals. I do not know who the female vocalist is, but
she sounds bit like the singer from Madder Mortem, and her vocals
positively draw Madder Mortem comparisons to this album. Another very distinctive feature of the
music is the length of the songs. Unlike
typical death metal songs which are between two and four minutes long, these songs
generally range from eight to nine minutes long. Lyrically the band goes for blasphemy and
Nietzschean themes. No surprise
there. I mean, with a name like that
what else would you expect? (I’m going
to have to include this CD in my paper on the apocalyptic framework of heavy
metal).
THYRANE “Travesty of Heavenly Essence” (11 tracks. 44.25 mins). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 9. Country of
origin:
From
the first second this CD excited me. My
first impression was a sort of classic heavy metal riffs played death metal
style. A little
chaotic and very catchy. But as I
listened further, I began to feel more and more that Thyrane
reminds me of a Finnish version of Emperor. Not to say that have ripped off Emperor, or
tried to imitate them directly—but who could blame them if that were the
case? Rather, it is their style of
composition of hyper speed drumming, guitar lines which walk up and down the
necks of the guitars, and occasional flourishes of keyboards beneath the
surface. And they do at time—guitars,
bass, and keyboards—make broad, sweeping chord changes over a bed of blast
beats. Nevertheless, this bands penchant
for catchy riffs give them more of a death metal feel than black metal, thus
the Emperor comparison is only that. Criticalnate says they remind him of Children of Bodom. I think that
is not wrong, but not the best comparison.
(Oh well, he is young after all!)
What I like most about this album is that it is very intense and has
really great riffs. I imagine that fans
of both “majestic” black metal (Dimmu Borgir, Old Man’s Child) and death metal (Behemoth,
Non-Human Level) will be equally thrilled by this album.
THYRFING “Farsotstider” (8
tracks. 42.8 mins). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 7.5. Country of origin:
I
really tried to get it. I tried
repeatedly to see (or hear) what others say about Thyrfing. I listened to this album several times (and,
I do have two of their other albums). It
just sounds to me like regular death metal.
Solid, well-executed, well-produced, and somewhat
interesting; but not stellar like so many claim. I guess it is just a chemistry thing. I will say that I probably like this album
more than the other two that I have. And
maybe I would have received it better were it not for all the hype about how
they are so creative. I just don’t get
it.
TUFF JEFF SALEN “The Endless Road” (14 tracks. 51.8 mins). FOUNTAINBLEAU MUSIC.
Rating: 7. Country of
origin:
If you find yourself listening to classic rock bands like Bowie, Van Morrison, Rolling Stones, Joe Walsh, and such, you will find Tuff Jeff Salen’s solo album a taste of nostalgia. Prominent on this record is Tuff Jeff’s love of blues guitar. The album starts off with his well-known (and oft-covered) tune, “All for the Love of Rock n’ Roll”. From there he and assorted musicians play through thirteen more songs ending up much like he started, with “Rock n’ Roll Sez it Better”. In between are a number of heartfelt love songs like “One More Time” and lighthearted romps such as “Everything,” the tongue-in-cheek “I Hate You,” but I think his best work is the bluesy B. B. King inspired, “Take this Hurt off Me.” At times the lyrics are a bit thin or trite (e.g., “One More Time”, “Head Over Heals”), but at other times they are very insightful (“The Endless Road”). All in all, the beauty of this record is its dedication to classic rock guitar, blues licks, and a smooth rhythm section.
SEVEN WITCHES “Amped” (9 tracks. 40.4
mins). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 6. Country of
origin:
This
SHAKRA “Fall” (12 tracks. 47.6 mins). CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 6.5. Country of origin:
It is my
impression that
VADER “The Art of War” (6 tracks +
video. 13.5 mins).
CANDLELIGHT
Rating: 8.5. Country of origin:
“Longevity”
and “commitment” are two words that I think appropriately describe this death metal
powerhouse. After all these years and
all those releases, Vader manage to “keep it fresh,” and this from a band that
plays around 200 shows per year. Here is
a six track death metal e.p. masterpiece to occupy us
until they record another full length.
It is, as always, consummate in musicianship and production. And as always, well worth the listen. If you know the band, this review is not even
necessary. You will want to buy it
simply by knowing that it exists. But if
you do not know the band, The Art of War is a good starting place to introduce
yourself to one of death metal’s premier bands.
Of course I could complain that there are only two full-length death
metal songs, “This is the War!” and “What Color is Your Blood?” but they are both
destined to be fan favorites—I especially like the latter. Tracks 1 and 4 are intro pieces to the two
songs just mentioned, and the last song is only a minute and seconds long,
though it is also death metal. As
indicated above, the CD has a video but I could not get it to work on my
computer. Bummer.