Warning: Under Construction...
This is an experiment of a reviews section. In my mind this has to be a mirror of Niccolo' Carli's famous page
Hell Bent For Leather. it contains all of his reviews, plus some revs added by me. Everyone is more than welcome with any reviews... just mail them to me or to Niccolo' and they will be included in the page.
Rating is the same of Hell Bent for Leather (of which I reccomend a visit) ranging from 1 to 6.
Internal Site Jump:
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
Revs of bands beginning with "A"
Revs of bands beginning with "D"
Dream Theater: Falling Into Infinity
Rating: 3
Reviewer: Francesco
It is really sad to notice that the artistic career of a great band like Dream Theater has come to an end similar to that of great bands like Sepultura, Metallica et similia. As soon as I got my hands on a promotional copy of this CD, in fact, I realized that Dream Theater has lost its initial spirit (the one of their best work, Images and Words) to produce some nothingness. A beautiful, skillfully executed, flawlessy recorded, extremely listenable nothingness.
Commercialization and money has struck another blow on Heavy Metal. After listening to this album, I just realized that it was only half from DT, and the other half for the money. Let's state it clear: all the songs are beautiful, lovely to listen, complex in arrangements like everything in DT's songwriting... but all stops there. As soon as you listen to this beautiful nothingness, you realized that there is really little from the band here; very few moments. Instead, you see really big influences by more commercial bands: Soundgarden, for instance, has influenced all the rhythm layout of the band, whereas Queen inflenced all the melodic part. The result are in the slow, romantic, paranoid pieces the album offers (Peruvian Skies, to name just one).
Definitely something for progessive grunge fans. Nothing to do with progressive metal whatsoever.
Good notes for new keyboard player, who seems much influenced by early guitar players like Eddie Van Halen especially in his soloing style. Without Kevin Moore, much of the songwriting fell in the hands of John Petrucci, and his style greatly permeates the spirit of this album. Some good thrash rhythm play is in some pieces. Vocalist James LaBrie offers a "common" performance in this album, nothing great, but nothing bad either; I was happy of this, just because we could stand a chanche of hearing those songs sung decently in live acts.
Expanation of the mark? well... 3 because it's still a good album... but nothing especially worth the buy. If you really want something great from Dream Theater, buy Images and Words instead.
Revs of bands beginning with "H"
Handful of Hate: Glyphotic Supremacy
Rating: 6
Reviewer: Francesco
This is the long awaited debut CD from Italian black metallers Handful of Hate. It explains by itself, and stands as a reminder of the status of italian black metal scene. As soon as you open the CD and take the booklet, you find that it is very small (only 4 pages), even tough the artwork is extremely well made, with a care that can be defined lovely. No unnecessary money has been spent for this release - it seems that sound is what matters at Northern Darkness Records.
And sound really matters in the CD. As soon as you put it in the player and crank the volume full up you see that the production is virtually perfect; every instrument has its place, sound is cared for in every part. "We used 5-6 different axes and 2 different basses in many parts of the record, because it was the sound we wanted" said singer/guitarist/composer Nicola, and there's no difficulty in believing him. Production of this CD is something that many overrated Norge bands would really envy.
Now, let's stop small talk and see the songs. "Reborn from the ashes (Phoenix Mass)" breaks abruptly the silence and unleashes fury to the unwary listener, giving only a few seconds to breath in an acustic break before total darkness envelops the listener. Another break, and Nicola's piercing screams guide to the end.
"Erection - Deligthful rape of the stallar virginity" is another song that really brings meaning to the words "structured chaos"; great guitarwork and the production highlight the really complex harmonies of the song (Lead singer is a classical guitar master). "Astral offspring of abhorrence" is in my humble opinion the best episode on the CD; medieval harmonic lines bring life to the song, and the when the rhythm section unleashes fury the listener is totally enveloped in the harmonical riffing of the two guitars. The sound then goes on really epic.
Summing it up, this is an excellent release that says it all about the Italian black metal scene; great bands, real black metal, great professionals, even tough little money. Max grades to this folks, in hope that a new release could come to delight our ears again soon.
Band Contact: Nicola Bianchi - C. P. 7 - 55054 Massarosa (LU) - ITALY no IRC req'd.
Revs of bands beginning with "M"
Moonspell: Second Skin double digipack
Rating: 4 1/2
Reviewer: Francesco
The Italian distribution channels really made me suffer for this CDs. They were announced for the last days of October, but were procastinated 'till the middle of November. This edition is (as far as I know) for the Italian market only.
I have been a fan of Moonspell since the first mini-CD, "Under the Moonspell", and it is really hard to follow the band in the many changes it had in those years. Let me tell everybody that, with the leave of bassist Ares, the "dark" vein of vocalist Fernando definitely takes the lead in the composing phase, often with good results, even tough pieces are too much driven by the vocals.
The first CD is an EP containing four tracks; "Second Skin" (the new track) a new version of "An Erotic Alchemy" off their Wolfheart CD, a cover of a song by Depeche mode, and another version of Second Skin, almost identical to the first.
I had the occasion of hearing "Second Skin" live in advance when the band performed (poorly, alas) at Gods of Metal in Milan. The song, I dare say, is quite good. Good basswork (even from a bassist's point of view) underlines the really low toned vocals. The general impression one gets is that Moonspell have turned to dark music... and in fact it is.
As for the other tracks, the new version (called "per-version", with a really nice pun) of Erotic Alchemy is really well arranged and performed, with a prominent bassline that creates a good growing ground for the keyboard theme. One only defect, if defects are to be found, is that the song has many "abrupt" changes, that some of you may find annoying. The cover by Depeche Mode is really good (I must admit I don't know the original).
A note for new bassman; praise on his playing, where with a few notes he really manages to hide the fact that he has little to naught thecnique (just see him live!). Great play.
The second CD is a live; Moonspell shows how they can perform good shows (I guess the flop at Milan was not their fault), entertaining their small but loving public. "Opium" off "Irreligious" and "Alma Mater" off "Wolfheart" are the best track. (save for a little error by the drummer in "Opium", which I could barely notice).
Mark explanation? Well done, produced and with a nice package. Worth buying for all Moonspell fans, and for those who love both Metal and Dark. For those who have never heard Moonspell before, tough, my advice is to buy Wolfheart and give it more than a good listen.
Revs of bands beginning with "S"
Samael: Passage
Rating: 5
Reviewer: Francesco
GRRRREAT!! this album really completes Samael's evolution, from their early death-black metal to their latest style, something really gothic yet fast and vivid.
11 pieces, 42 minutes of pure strenght. Sound and production are from the excellent Waldemar Sorychita (who also took care for their excellent previous release, Ceremony of Opposites). The band is the usual 4piece (nothing changed) even tough you have to see them live to know it: in fact, only the names of Vorphalack (vocals, guitar, lyrics) and Xytras (drums, keyboards, music) are mentioned in the artwork.
Finally, useless satanism has been left behind by the band, and their approach to black metal is complete and has come to a personal style. Guitars are particularly heavy, complex in chord structures and progressions yet without any lack in strenght. Drumming is not analogic in the record, but programmed digitally by Xy. I am personally against digital drumming in the world of heavy metal, but I did notice that the drum was triggered only after seeing the band live, because the drums are sampled flawlessly, and the programming is excellent and seems really "human" (nothing a la Immortal, be happy!).
New songs are the natural evolution of their previous album; keys more present, songwriting more complex. Noticeable is their opening track, "Rain", extremely heavy, and the last track "a man in your head", where Vorphalack excellent vocals back up a powerful rhythm section, growing on the fertile ground of Xy's keyboard choirs. Another song worth listening to is "Moonskin", where the band approaches the thematic of love from a black metal point of view.
Excellent perfomance from the band, really. Worth listening, and even worth reading, since the lyrics are the best Samael had written so far.
Original Page Soundtrack: Oriental Metal Break, by Francesco Galli
This page hosted by
Get your own Free Home Page