CD REVIEWS: Page 18
Artist: Deep
Album: Pieces of Nothing
Label: Pavement
The Review: Dark, captivating, eerie, gloomy, methodic and downright scary are some of the very many words I can use to describe this innovative disc from this great metal band! Breaking free from the molds several of the bands seem to fall into in the world of blackened metal, this band uses a style that is a mix of impressive melodic guitar work and earth shaking drum beats. The band seems to spell out doom with every song adding a goth undertone to every to song. The mix of speeds on this disc are also impressive as well providing the listener with dreary songs like "Pieces of Nothing" and "Hear Their Own" yet not totally abandoning their thrash metal routes with songs like "Colored Souls" and "Point". Front man/guitarist Jerome's barks and growls ad the perfect touch to the songs as well. So if you are looking to try on something original from the blackened metal genre this CD is the answer to all your black metal callings. It wil also give you a great mix of songs that are taking the genre to a whole new level!
Recommended Radio Freindly Tracks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10
Overall Grade: A- to A+ MTPF 8/28/00
Artist: Eighteen Visions
Album: Until The Ink Runs Out
Label: Trustkill
The Review: Call me crazy but theres some things I just don't understand about some hardcore bands. Some of those bands include The Dillenger Escape Plan, Will Haven, and this one...Eighteen Visions. The thing I don't understand is why don't these folks sit down and write songs that have a remote flow to them. One second the song is fast then the next second the song is slow. Its like they wrote the songs for the CD, and played mix and match combining a part of every song on every track. The thing I really don't understand is how anyone can actually listen to this stuff without going nuts. With that said, I think you probably get the idea already that this band is a wacky hardcore outlet that has a million switches and breakdowns within their music. The band says they have influences ranging from Zao to the Beatles. Don't get me wrong, this CD is hard as nails and I like variety on a disc...just not all in one song.
Recommended Radio Friendly Tracks: Any but 2,3,5,6,7
Overall Grade: C- MTPF 8/30/00
Artist: Doro
Album: Calling The Wild
Label: Koch
The Review: I won't pretend to know much about Doro Pesch but this is what I can tell you about this rockin' chick! This German vocalist has been involved in the metal scene since the mid 80s playing venues ranging from small clubs in her homeland to touring with the likes of the Scorpions and Dio. Over the years she has come out with several albums with her original band Warlock and under her solo career name Doro. She lasted through the 80s, 90s, and now this brings us to the year 2000. With everything said you are probably thinking that this is going to be a throw back to the 80s heavy metal scene. Actually this disc proves to be an example of what would happen if the modern rock scene hit head on with the 80s underground metal scene. In so many words I am f**king diggin' this disc! The tracks are a mix of grindy hard rock songs (driving music to put it simple...), fun metal attitude lyrics, and sappy power balads! Doro's performance on the disc is comanding to say the least showing her audience how versatile and powerfull her voice still is after all these years. There is a decent mix of contributing artists on the CD as well such as Slash who throws in a guitar solo on track #11 and none other than Lemmy from Motorhead who duets with her while providing the accoustics on tracks #6 and 12. The creme de la creme of the disc comes with the saucy cover of the Billy Idol classic "White Wedding". So raise your devil sign in the air and rock out to this disc that will grow on you before you can say "Damn, is that Doro half-naked on the cover..."
Recommended Radio Friendly Tracks: (radio edit only) 1,2,3,4,7,11,12,14
Overall Grade: B+
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