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C

Cannibal Corpse - "Vile"  (Metal Blade, CD, 1996)
Featuring George "CorpseGrinder" Fisher as new vocalist, the Buffalo cannibals released this album 2 years after "The Bleeding"...and what a release it was! Probably the worldwide fans weren't expecting such amount of brutality; some even thought the band was finished after the departure of Chris Barnes, death metal's living legend (he's now totally focused on Six Feet Under). "Vile" spewed Cannibal Corpse to a "higher level", they've turned into a more mature band (that also includes a brand new logo). "Devoured by Vermin", "Monolith" and "Perverse Suffering" are clear evidences of their "adjusted" sonority, with complex and (not always) fast rhythms (sometimes lacking Webster's powerful bass, though). About the drumming, Mazurkiewicz has kept his well-known slamming since "Eaten back to Life", there's not much to add to his performance. Ok, this is an excellent release, an undeniable proof that Chris Barnes is replaceble and all that, but "The Bleeding" is still my favourite album. However what really delights me here are the powerful and lengthened screams of CorpseGrinder! "I am Insaaaaaaaaaaaane!" 

Tracklist:
1 - Devoured By Vermin
2 - Mummified in Barbed Wire
3 - Perverse Suffering
4 - Disfigured
5 - BloodLands
6 - Puncture Wound Massacre
7 - Relentless Beating
8 - Absolute Hatred
9 - Eaten From Inside
10 - Orgasm Through Torture
11 - Monolith

16/20

Tormentor

Carpathian Forest - "Defending the Throne of Evil" (Season of Mist, CD, 2003)
"Defending the Throne of Evil" is the name of the album that marks the debut release of Carpathian Forest on their new label - Season of Mist.
I thought that this album would just bring a change of label, but unfortunately it also brings a change in sonority.
I really liked their previous sound because they were able to join raw Blackmetal parts with other slow and atmospheric moments and even with rock riffs! In this album almost all of that characteristics were lost, being replaced by a very strong and, in my opinion, most of the times unnecessary use of the keyboards.
Lyrically the thematics are quite the same, evolving around some misanthropic, morbid and sadomasochistic feelings. Surprisingly for me it seems that the lyrics now are a little bit more "childish" when compared with, for instance, "Strange Old Brew". I don't understand how this happened because the "Strange Old Brew" lyrics were written in the early nineties and these lyrics in the last year!
Even the experimental songs present in this album, namely "The Old House on the Hill" and "Cold Murderous Music" are very electronic, not doom-like as they used to do in the past, that weree way better than those presented here.
Anyway, I was very disapointed with this release and I hope that this will become just a little flaw in Carpathian Forest's career, not a path to follow.

Tracklist:
1 - It's Darker Than You Think
2 - Skjend Hans Link
3 - The Well of All Human Tears
4 - Put to Sleep Like a Sick Animal!!!
5 - Hymn til Døden
6 - Ancient Spirits of the Underworld
7 - Spill the Blood of the Lamb
8 - One With the Earth
9 - Christian Incoherent Drivel
10 - The Old House on the Hill
11 - Nekrophiliac/Antropophagus Maniac
12 - Cold Murderous Music

13/20

Shemahmforash

Carpathian Forest - "Strange Old Brew" (Avantgarde, CD, 2000)
Carpathian Forest are back with another pack of their original "black metal rock". 
They continue, with this work, faithful to their roots, as this album is yet another mix of atmospheric and raw black metal songs, covered with strange rock riffs and very strong rhythms (listen to "mask of the slave", one of the strongest tracks), providing an extremely original musical landscape. The vocals remain in the same vein, being very well sang raw "black metal" ones, and the lyrics focus not on anti-christian topics, but instead in strange, sadomasoquism-filled situations mostly.
Not all the songs fit in the category mentioned above - check out for example "the house of the whipcord", a slow, morbid track, with spoken vocals and a dragged and depressive sax, or one of the other two instrumental tracks, one just some kind of strange sample and other a piano melody that fits in the common "black metal CD instrumental song".
A curious fact - these are all old songs, written in the middle of the nineties, and that only now have been released (why did they wait so long??).
A fantastic release, extremely original, full of excellent and direct instrumentation, with a very nice production; a complete fist in the face on those who are making Blackmetal the cliché that it is becoming.

Traclklist:
1 - Intro - Damnation Chant
2 - Bloodcleansing
3 - Mask Of The Slave
4 - Martyr / Sacrificulum
5 - Thanatology
6 - The Suicide Song
7 - House Of The Whipcord
8 - Cloak Of Midnight
9 - Return Of The Freezing Winds
10 - Theme From Nekromantikk
11 - The Good Old Enema Treatment
12 - He's Turning Blue

18/20

Zoid

Carpathian Forest - "Black Shining Leather" (AvantGarde, MCD, 1998)
Alright, I admit that I'm not the biggest follower of CF, but my knowledge about this band and its discography enables me to say that before this album they've released 2 good demos ("Demo 93" and "BloodLust and Perversion") and a MCD entitled "Through Chasm, Caves and Titan Woods" (if I'm wrong please correct me). This band was pioneer in the Black Metal scene..the absence of screeching vocals and fast riffs played by razor cold guitars typical from their Norse compatriots was brilliantly replaced by something equally or even more interesting... an old-school-influenced blending between Celtic Frost's riffing and (old) Bathory's utter darkness and evilness. About the already mentioned riffing, these guys aren't Death or something more "recent" like Children of Bodom so don't expect an outstanding guitar work and transcendental solo shredding, instead prepare yourself to be freezed by some simple and dark mid-tempo played tracks that surely will interest to everyone who's minimally inside Black Metal. The ninth ("Third Attempt") and tenth ("The Northern Hemisphere") tracks of this album reveal CF's epic side, with some accoustic guitar work well combined with keyboards (nothing excessive though). As for surprises, the last track really caught me unprepared... very futuristic for my taste. 

Tracklist:
1 - Black shining leather
2 - The swordsman
3 - Death triumphant
4 - Sadomasochistic
5 - Lulus
6 - Pierced genitalia
7 - In silence i observe
8 - Lunar nights
9 - Third attempt
10 - The northern hemisphere
11 - A forest

17,5/20

Tormentor

Carpathian Forest - "Morbid Fascination of Death" (Avantgarde, CD, 2001)
After releasing "Strange Old Brew", Carpathian Forest became on of the most respected bands within the nowadays Blackmetal scene (at least for me). With that respect in mind I was expecting an excellent album coming up, but after listening to "Morbid Fascination of Death" I was a little bit disappointed. This happened because I think that they've restricted to the formulas that resulted in "Strange Old Brew". I liked their previous album a lot, but they should have improved, not followed the same sound.
Besides this resemblance referenced above, this is still a very good piece of music, so if you haven't listened to their previous work, run to the nearest shop and by this piece of music immediately!

Tracklist:
1 - Fever, Flames And Hell
2 - Doomed To Walk The Earth As Slaves of the Living Dead
3 - Morbid Fascination Of Death
4 - Through Self-Mutilation
5 - Knokkelmann
6 - Warlord Of Misanthropy
7 - A World Of Bones
8 - Carpathian Forest
9 - Cold Comfort
10 - Speechless
11 - Ghoul (Mayhem cover)
12 - Nostalgia (Demo Track)

16/20

Shemahmforash

Carpathian Forest - "We're Going to Hell for This" (Avantgarde, CD, 2002)
The purpose of this release is to comemorate the 10th anniversary of this band. Instead of doing a best of or something like that, Carpathian Forest have chosen to do a release that features some cover versions, some new songs and a full live concert.
The new songs are in the same vein of the two previous albums, but in a most direct way. So we can expect that Carpathian Forest will follow the same approach for their following album "Defending the Throne of Satan" (that will be released very soon).
About the covers, I really enjoyed them, especially the Dark Throne cover, they really managed to capture the spirit of the original songs.
The live show features mostly songs from the two latest albums, but their first releases were not forgotten with the inclusion of "Return of the Freeezing Winds" and "Carpathian Forest". The sound quality is quite good, prooving that besides creating great albums this guys know how to play live.
All in all, this album presents a band with 10 years of existence that has had a very good evolution since the earlier days and managed to create their own sound and gained the respect of the apreciators of this kind of extreme music.

Tracklist:
1 - The Angel and the Sodomizer
2 - I am Possessed
3 - Bloody Fucking Necro Hell
4 - Bloodlust and Perversion
5 - Possibilities of Life's Destruction (Discharge cover)
6 - In the Shadows of the Horns (Dark Throne cover)
7 - In League with Satan (Venom cover)
8 - The Good old Enema treatment part II
9 - Morbid Fascination of Death (live)
10 - Sadomasochistic (live)
11 - Mask of the Slave (live)
12 - Knokkelmann (live)
13 - Bloodcleansing (live)
14 - Return of the Freezing Winds (live)
15 - Doomed to Walk the Earth as Slaves of the Livind Dead (live)
16 - He's Turning Blue (live)
17 - Carpathian Forest(live)
18 - Death Triumphant (demo version 96)

17/20

Shemahmforash

Corpus Christii - "Saeculum Domini" (So Die Music, CD, 1999)
If you loathe intensely bands that use a drum machine, have extremely raw home-made productions and antichristian lyrics, stop reading this review. "The most charismatic, hated & polemic band ever in Portugal", this is how the highly professional Hiberica (new label of Corpus Christii) announces this duet formed by Nocturnus Horrendus (vox/bass/guitar) and Ignis Nox (keyboards). Their sonority can be classified as extreme, cold and raw black metal, filled with a great amount of anger...very unusual amongst Lusitanian bands. Nocturnus' crudely screamed voice reminds me the one of Gorgoroth's "Under The Sign of Hell", which from my point of view, is quite aggressive and fits really well within the music. Regarding the keyboards, if you think that this band has any kind of softness or romantic-in-the-woods-kissing crap just by using them, you're utterly wrong;these just create a dark atmosphere that sometimes involves the music in a discreet way, (fortunately) without the muffling-effect so common nowadays (listen to "Jesus Cunt Lickers", for instance...or the beginning of "Throne of The Proud"). If this album had been released between 1989-1992, it would have much more credit, that's my honest opinion. By the way, their new album will see daylight in October 2001...it'll be entitled "The Fire God" and will have the special participation of Necrobutcher, playing bass in a cover of Mayhem's "Buried by Time and Dust" . 

Tracklist:
1 - Flama Tenebrarum 
2 - Victoria Cruenta 
3 - Jesus Cunt Lickers 
4 - Crown Denied 
5 - Throne Of The Proud 
6 - Holy Masturbation 
7 - Ave Domini 
8 - All Hail (Master Satan)

17/20

Tormentor

Corpus Christii - "The Fire God" (Hiberica, CD, 2001)
One of the most awaited releases in Lusitanian grounds for the end of 2001, is finally out. Nocturnus Horrendus and Ignis Nox, the mentors of this project, have delivered us, once again, a fast and powerful Blackmetal album.
This new album brings a more mature band, specially in the composition of the songs (though the lyrics are in the same vein of Saeculum Domini), where you can see a much more varied and coherent work (check, for instance "Lusitânia de Orgulho e Honra", a very nationalist track), but don't be scared, for the traditional harshness is still present. Technically this isn't anyway a masterpiece, but it indeed transmits an enormous amount of feeling. Besides the evolution referred above, there is another aspect which distinguishes this album from it's predecessor - the drums. The drums' work, in my opinion, was the great flaw of their debut album, but that lack was well corrected in this new release, for the drums are very well programmed now and fit really well the music.
Anyhow, this is one of the best Blackmetal albums ever made in Portugal, and with it Corpus Christii will for sure make their mark in the international Underground Blackmetal scene.

Tracklist:
1 - Victory
2 - The Burning
3 - Penetrator
4 - The Fire God
5 - Lusitânia (De Orgulho e Honra)
6 - Ultra Sonic Violence
7 - Lost Curse of Human Decay
8 - Reflex of Nothingness
9 - Buried by Time and Dust

P.S. Necrobutcher participated in the recordings of Mayhem's cover "Buried by Time and Dust"

17,5/20

Shemahmforash

Corpus Christii - "In League with Blackmetal" (Hiberica, CD, 2002)
Corpus Christii with their previous work "The Fire God" became one of the most significative bands within the portuguese Blackmetal scene, so, in Portugal, this album was awaited with somekind of expectations.
Those who are expecting a follow-up for last years' "The Fire God" may get a little bit disapointed, because this album only has 4 new songs in a total of 10.
This new album is a concept album dedicated to Blackmetal! It starts with two new songs that, in my point of view, are in the same vein of "The Fire God". Following these songs we have covers from Kreator and Darkthrone. These two covers were very well executed and I think that they managed to capture the original essence of the songs, special in Kreator's "Tormentor". The fifth and sixth tracks of thr album are two re-recordings of old songs, which didn't brought anything new to the songs. Next we have two covers from the portuguese bands Decayed and Celtic Dance that we're well achieved, especially Decayed's "Fuck Your God". The last two songs of the album really surprised me, they show the experimental part of Corpus Christii, but let me tell you that they didn't aroused me much, we better wait and see what future brings...
Corpus Christii said "We decide to record this album has a homage to Blackmetal" and I think that, all in all, the tribute was well payed.

Tracklist:
I - The Present Trauma
    1 - Forever Destroyed
    2 - In League...
II - The Past Will Forever Reign
    3 - Tormentor (cover from Kreator)
    4 - Triumphant Gleam (cover from Darkthrone)
III - The Past Trauma
    5 - Rape, Torture & Death
    6 -Victoria Cruenta
IV - The Lusitanian Pride
    7 - Ancient Battle Cry (cover from Celtic Dance)
    8 -Fuck Your God (cover from Decayed)
V - The Distorted Pain of the Future
    9 - Submissive
    10 - Eyes of Destiny

17/20

Shemahmforash

Craft - "Terror Propaganda" (Selbstmord, CD, 2002)
This band from Sweden really caught me unprepared with their second album (following 2000's "Total Soul Rape"), for their new release is a great piece of old-school Blackmetal filled with lots of originality and a great amount of feeling!
If you're not familiar with this band, the best way I find to label their music is a modern version of Darkthrone's "Transilvanian Hunger".
The instrumentalization is quite good, dominated, mainly, by the guitars, which play very cold riifs that are sometimes complemented with the presence of well executed solos. The vocals are extraordinary, with the presence of a great amount of screams that fit really well the music!
About the lyrical concept, it is mostly about the extermination of our planet. The booklet doesn't bring all the lyrics, so I can't do a profound analysis of the lyrical aspect of the album, the only thing I can say is that the ones which are present in the booklet are simple, but well written.
It has been a while since I have listened to a band that caused such an impact in me, so as far as I'm concerned this album runs for the best Blackmetal album of this year

Tracklist:
Side A:
1 - Ablaze
2 - The Silence Thereafter
3 - Reaktor 4
4 - Hidden Under the Skin
Side B:
5 - False Orders Begone
6 - N.D.P (Nearly Dead Parasites)
7 - 616
8 - Terror Propaganda

19,5/20

Shemahmforash