Are you the kind of metal fan that thinks Immortal is for wimps? Long for something more painfully distorted, shrieking, and altogether blasphemous? Look no further! 1349 is perfectly equipped to suit all of your hardcore black metal needs. In ye olde Norse tradition of sharing bandmates, 1349 features Satyricon's Frost on drums. And indeed, the band has a lot in common with Satyricon and other Moonfog artists such as Thorns. Liberation's sound is made up of hate-filled rasping, shrieking speed-picked guitars, a near constant throb of blast beats, and distant brooding bass notes.

What sets 1349 apart from the crowd? That question reveals the key weakness of Liberation. It's a good hardcore black metal album. When it comes to painful fuzzy noise, things don't get much better, but 1349 isn't especially original. Their guitar sound is kind of similar to a poorly produced version of Thorn's self-titled release, and without any of the spacey ambience and mechanical sounds that let listeners catch their breath. There are only a couple of brief breaks in blast beat/speed picking combo. It's also worth noting that 1349 is an adventuring party of six black metal warriors, on a mission to, like, burn churches, or something.

Seriously, just take a look at their band photo. They've got a leader with munitions strapped around his leather armor. There's a monk. A fair-haired knight. And two very disgruntled looking corpses, who are likely wondering why they were dragged from their graves for a photoshoot. When it comes down to it, some black metal bands are only distinguishable by how many churches they burn, how many people they kill, and what their extreme image is. 1349 eschews any of these usual claims to fame, which is a good sign that maybe they really do like their music and just want to be friendly and share.

If you enjoy older Immortal, Abigor, Marduk, Thorns, Satyricon, Dodheimsgard, Ulver (Nattens Madrigal), or anything by... oh who am I kidding, this list could go on for another six point six six pages. 1349 is yet another hardcore black metal band. They do what they do well. The songs stand apart as much as any music slick with a constant buzz can manage, and Liberation is such an energetic release that I actually kind of like it. 1349 isn't doing anything to change the style, but they're worth a listen if you take your black metal as cold, black, and harsh as it comes.

Track List:
1) Manifest
2) I breathe spears
3) Riders of the Apocalypse
4) Deathmarch
5) Pitch Black
6) Satanic Propaganda
7) Legion
8) Evil Oath
9) Liberation
10) Buried by Time & Dust

1349 is:
Ravn - vocals
Frost - drums
Archaon - guitar
Tjalve - guitar
Seidemann - bass

Candlelight Records:
http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
 

The Ancient Gallery
kopfdelay (Noiseworks Records)
~review by Jyri Glynn

If you were contemplating starting an industrial band, my suggestion would be to sing in Klingon!  If this is not a reasonable option, might I propose German?  Even “Jesus Loves Me” sung in German sounds pissed off!  Lets face it; this is the perfect dialog for any Industrial project!  That being said, The Ancient Gallery is one hell of an industrial band! Oh, and did I mention, they’re German?

In this day of age there’s an over abundance of ill-fated industrial bands who have descended into this black hole of boring sequences, annoying pre-set drum machines and over-distorted, gurgling vocals.  Do they not realize that this makes for a monotonous listening experience for the rest of us?  Christ, if you want to make electronic music interesting at least have some dynamics!

The Ancient Gallery blends electronic, trip-hop beats with metal driven guitars, refreshing synth parts and strong vocals.  This band has it all.

Hailing from the sleepy mountain village, Eppendorf, this project got its beginning ten years ago as a cover-band playing in small regional clubs.  Today they find themselves composing their own approach to modern music with a large amount of their local fan-base residing in Dresden.   Vocalist, Andy Weinhold and guitarist, Robin Weinhold, are brothers; however, all the band members have been close friends since grade school.  The band lost their original drummer, Stefan in 1999 to the Theater where he is now pursuing a career in dance.

The band maintains that one of their biggest influences was The Doors and this is where they acknowledge the origin of the band’s name, The Ancient Gallery.

Kopfdelay is the band’s second full-length release.  Kopf translated into English is “Head”, and when I asked the band how they came up with this title for their release, I was told not philosophize too much into it but that yes, it did translate into English as Head Delay.

Within the album there is also a song titled "Kopfdelay", which was explained to me as a senseless combination of German words, a tribute to Dadaism.  “Ich bin was ich bin, ich bin was ich sehe, ultima ratio kopfdelay” (I am what I am, I see what I see, ultima ratio kopfdelay).

The band explained to me that Dadaism was an artistic movement in the beginning of the last century mostly developed in Berlin.  Its message was to propagate and de-mask the untruthful and canting values of society regarding the two unimaginable wars that took place in Europe.  The protests of the Dadaists were of course also an artistic one and they fought against the traditional old-school way of thinking.  Ironically, synthesizing primitive and banal things with modern techniques to demonstrate the absurdness of logic, intellect and Bourgeoise art (and society).  The Ancient Gallery states that for them it is also a political order to revive the idea, especially in these times.  Though they claim not to be a political band, Kopfdelay is the only released song, until now, which points out a political message.

The album opens with the track, "Alles" (Everything), which has a groove to it that makes one reminisce of days back when bands like Nitzer Ebb ruled the dance charts.

"Destinations", which I am told was created as a memorial to the late Dresden DJ Indy Fada, continues in much the same vein with the addition of crunchy guitar parts in the intro and chorus.

"Teil des ganzen" (Part the whole one), begins with a Middle Eastern instrument that sounds to me like a sitar but quickly explodes into a driving guitar element that is mirrored by a marching drumbeat.  Once again the band exhibits excellent dynamic changes through out the song with various low points that explode into aggressive chorus parts.  This song is sure to be a club hit.

Du willst nur ein Stück                 You want only one piece
Du willst nur einen Mensch         You want one humans
Du willst nur ein Gefühl                You want only one feelings
Du bist                                          You are
Du bist ein Teil des Ganzen       You are a part of the whole one

"Ohne Wissen" (Without Knowledge) has a Nine Inch Nails proximity to it with its whispery vocals and isolated keyboard riffs. While "Druck" (Pressure) demonstrates more of a Wumpscutt meets KMFDM presence to it by blending harmonious female vocals through out the song.

Contrasting in style is the placid track, "Jemand geht" (Someone goes) where the band states that the focus was placed more on the actual lyrics.  The authoress and spokeswoman on this song, Barbara Köhler received various German Literature Awards for these lyrics.

"Noember Euka" is probably my least favorite track on this album; however, Nirgendwann kick-starts the album back into high gear with its electronic rhythms, lashing guitar parts and stylistic traces of Rammstein.

"Va Banque" has an atmospheric- funk mood to it, which certainly adds to the long list of electronic diversity contained within this band.  Weinhold reminds me at times of Ogre (Skinny Puppy) with his textural dialogue.

The rhythmic "Nichts" (Nothing) brings this album to a close leaving the listener with only one option.  Pressing play once again on their stereo!

This follow-up album to the band’s debut release, Deinstallation, is a must have for any listener who enjoys hard-hitting dance music.  I am reluctant to put these guys solely into the Industrial category but I can confidentially state that they do create outstanding and diverse electronically based music.

I don’t anticipate this band to make an appearance anytime soon in the US, but if you happened to find yourself in Dresden, Germany, I’d highly recommend you track this band down and catch one of their live performances.  I’m told you won’t be disappointed.

http://www.theancientgallery.com

lable info:
Noiseworks Records
http://www.noiseworks.net

Allegiance
Hymns of Blod
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

Lord Odin is undoubtedly pleased with Scandanavian metal warriors Allegiance.  Their Hymns of Blod are a thundering firestorm of fury crashing down on a metal scene where blandness is all too common.  Surely, there is a spot reserved in Valhalla for these venomous vikings.  Allegiance's brand of epic black metal recalls elements of many of the stalwarts of the genre and consistently entertains across the lengthy hour-long album.

Hymns of Blod is so jam packed with brutal yet catchy riffs that I suspect Allegiance may have employed some sort of 'Kickass Riff Generator' machine in its creation.  If they did, they surely had it turned up to maximum output.  Nary a song goes by where an attention grabbing melodic hook fails to sink in and rip off a pound of flesh.  In fact, the intensity of the majority of the songs and the length of the album make it a draining experience to listen to in one sitting.  Wisely, Allegiance often intersperses neo-classical guitar based atmospheric interludes inbetween the beatings.  These brief respites allow listeners to regroup and marshall their defenses before the next assault begins, but they are never long enough to blunt the razor edge of the band's weapons-grade songwriting.

Stylistically, the fourteen Hymns of Blod cover much ground in the context of aggressive dark metal.  Most are full-speed-ahead black metal churchburners, but even these are varied and kept interesting by the frequent changes in tempo (from 'really really fast' to 'fast' and back) and occasional squiggly guitar solos.  While listening, I was reminded of a thrashier Dissection with an occasional Mythotyn-esque viking riff thrown in for flavor.  The other tracks generally adhere to the formula established by Immortal on the latter part of 'Sons Of Northern Darkness', where harsh, thrashy churning is slowed down to an epic mid-tempo trek across the frozen plains.  All vocals are the traditional echo drenched gravelly rasp favored by nine-out-of-ten hardened norsemen.

I feel I can safely recommend Allegiance's Hymns of Blod to any and all fans of black metal- in any of its guises.  The ever-evolving compositions, pounding guitar blasts, warlike viking melodies, and scintillating dark energy in every track make this a very enjoyable listen for connoisseurs of Scandanavian metal.  I have some issues with the anti-Christian themes mentioned in the press release (and typically touted by bands in this genre)... but all the songs are sung in Swedish so you probably won't notice if they happen to be decrying your religion.  Though their ideology may be violent and on questionable moral ground, I will gladly sing praise to Allegiance and their mastery of warrior metal.

Track List:
01.) Hofdingadrapa
02.) De Nordiska Lagren
03.) The Third Raven
04.) Den Kristens Dod
05.) Stridsfard
06.) Intag
07.) Med Svard I Hand
08.) Likbal
09.) En Svunnen Tid
10.) Yggdrasil
11.) Do Vite Krist
12.) I Som Drogens Hart Med Doden
13.) I Stjarnornas Skugga
14.) Hrodvitners Rike

Allegiance is:
Bogge - Bass/Vocals
Fredrik Andersson - Drums
Par Thornell - Guitar/Vocals

Mercenary Musik:
http://www.mercenarymusik.com

World War III Music:
http://www.ww3music.com/
 

Amethystium
Aphelion
~reviewed by Mike Ventarola

When Norwegian artist Amethystium first came to my attention a few years back, it was refreshing to hear organic sound between layers of lush music. This was clearly a new direction that ethereal music needed to take, and like the artist Pulsar Bleu, Amethystium’s music seems to emanate from a faraway time and place in mankind’s arcane past.

Although the work itself is labeled as “new age” as a means of marketing and for record placement in the music shops, the soul of the work is clearly embedded in the ambient history of underground ethereal music. Unlike other new age artists, Amethystium steeps the world of sound with layers of Gregorian chants, Middle Eastern intonations, tribal percussion, angelic vocals and mystical flutes.  The average “new age” artist merely creates sound that is fluffy and light. Amethystium, however, takes sound to a level and texture that ventures forth between the veil of light and dark, clearly demonstrating why this work has been embraced by goth ethereal fans worldwide.

Previously, Amethystium’s top Billboard charting CD, Odonata was utilized by this reviewer as an unofficial music therapy experiment to test learning skills with a mentally challenged young woman. The songs resonated within the untapped recesses of this young woman’s mind and she was able to learn to feed herself for the first time in her life.  For many years, various therapists were unable to motivate her to learn anything until that magical moment that culminated with the association of a system of “musical” rewards that included the unique work of Amethystium.  I digress on this point because it should be made evident that Amethystium doesn’t “just” create music. Somehow, he taps into the unseen realm of psychological and neuro-wave lengths and creates a mental stimulus from it, conjuring a positive response from the listener.

Amethystium’s latest release Aphelion is no less brilliant than the preceding release. While the world anxiously watches the fulmination of a rising war and conflict, it is impossible not to feel some of the encroaching tension and anxiety that is building on a global scale. After playing Aphelion, the stress and anxiety seems to melt away, leaving in its place clarity and focus for working towards a better tomorrow.

The vocalist’s who lend their talents to this project are no less than magnificent in their own right. They carve a cleansing sensation that is akin to bathing under a tropical waterfall surrounded by a fragrant garden in a personal paradise of sorts. By the time one reaches “Autumn Interlude” as sung by Joyelle Brandt, one cannot help but feel as though they have truly ventured into the stratosphere of timelessness.

A track by track review seems pointless though because the work has to be taken in its entirety to be fully appreciated. Each song builds upon the next, delicately creating a sacred space away from the cares of the everyday world. Thankfully, in today’s troubled times, music from artists such as Amethystium seems to be the only remedy left to obtain a blissful peace of mind.

Aphelion is akin to taking a mental vacation to the four corners of the world. The majority of world influences are clearly evident, yet they are constructed in such a way that bespeaks harmony in the tragedy, growth after rising from destruction. Do seek out this recording and let your spirit soar to places you never thought possible.

Amethystium is Oystein Ramjford
Additional Vocals:
Martha Krossbakken  on Exultation
Joyelle Brandt on Autumn Interlude
John Yannis Fyssas on Shibumi
Synove Flobak: Cello on “Elvensong”

Tracks:
1. Shadow To Light
2. Garden of Sakuntala
3. Exultation
4. Ad Astra
5. Gates of Morpheus
6. Autumn Interlude
7. Elvensong
8. Shibumi
9. Hymnody
10. Withdrawal
11. Berceuse

Available through Neurodisc Records www.neurodisc.com
Sound downloads available at www.mp3.com/amethystium
Website: www.amethystium.com
 

Artrosis
Melange
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

Have you ever come across a CD so confusing that you weren't sure what to make of it? I felt that way the first time I listened to Artrosis. But it's loosely my job to 'make something of it', so I wasn't content with a review that essentially amounted to 'it's this CD, with music.' Amazingly enough, when I listened to Artroris more closely, I found that I really sort of liked them. Melange has an interesting mix of darkwave electronics, rock riffs, and emotionally bizarre vocals.

Medeah's singing is very unusual; her melodies and phrasings remind me of alternative bands like Soundgarden and even a bit of Pearl Jam, but all in a much darker context. Artrosis's music is actually somewhat hypnotic. Maciej Niedzielski's layered keyboards and synth lines float alongside repeating beats while Medeah performs her melodic chants. The most peculiar aspect of the music comes courtesy of Rafal "Grunthell" Grunt, who plays guitar rather as if he belongs in another band. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Artrosis found his lost guitar recordings from a previous effort and decided to patch them into Melange in some fit of mad creativity.

This isn't to say that the sound doesn't work - it's just peculiar. The guitar tone is full-on rock with harsh distortion, movin' riffs, and even an occasional wild solo that will remind you of rock's legendary players (not because it's of that caliber, but it's vaguely similar in wildness). Some of the tracks even finish with bits of messing around on the guitar - sliding around and making noise like a rock guitarist might at the end of a live song. Since the rock guitar only creeps up on roughly half the songs, you won't have to endure too much of it if you aren't interested in that sort of wanking.

All of these disparate sounds somehow mix into a very dark and enjoyable release. The rock influences sometimes fit with the darkwave elements to make a sound that is not too unlike Nine Inch Nails, and the vocals act as a mediator to bring everything together. I suspect that Artrosis is better at making songs than full albums, because there are a number of standout tracks here: "In a daze", "In low spirits", "Stone Infatuated" - but even the worst songs muster enough creative energy to be a step ahead of 'filler material'. I can assure you that Melange is a very worthwhile proggy gothy dark sort of CD, and fans of proggy gothy dark sort of music should give it a listen.

Track List:
1) In a daze
2) In low spirits
3) Was it meant to be like that?
4) Melange
5) Tone of the Gloom
6) Somewhere between
7) Stone Infatuated
8) Angemel
9) A Leaden Sky
10) A yen
11) Impre Sjon

Artrosis is:
Medeah - vocals
Maciej Niedzielski - keyboards
Rafal "Grunthell" Grunt - guitars

Artrosis Official Web Site:
http://artrosis.rockmetal.art.pl/

Metal Mind Records:
http://www.metalopolis.pl/
 

Blood Red Throne
Affiliated With The Suffering
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

Hey, Green Carnation fans, it's Tchort's newest output with his band Blood Red Throne! Nearly a direct follow-up to Light of Day, Day of Darkness, Affiliated With The Suffering continues the completely unrelated tradition of Floridian death metal. Ok... so it's not a follow-up. Tchort is one of the most confounding metal personalities. The fact that he can make such beautiful music with Green Carnation, and then put out hardcore black metal with Carpathian Forest, and still have the time and energy to make brutal death metal... he must be mad.

Since this CD is so different from any of Tchort's work with Green Carnation, Carpathian Forest, and (previously) Emperor, it's best to evaluate it compared to other death metal releases. Time break out our handy check list!

Bloody cover/lyrics/etc.: Check!
Naked women: None
Brutal riffs: Check
Burping vocals: Aye
Blast-beat drums: Yup
Horrible samples of people dying and talking about death and generally trying to creep you out: Check!

I could probably make the list longer, but you get the idea. Norway isn't exactly known for its hardcore death metal. Blood Red Throne plays the style with the best of them, because the riffs are actually fairly creative and distinct. But it's still your standard brutal death metal, and the fact that Tchort is in the band doesn't imply any greater depth. I think he wants to have a lot of bloody metal fun, and that he did. If you have any taste for horror/gore metal, you can't do much better than the variety of brutal rhythms that Blood Red Throne blasts through on these 9 tracks.

Track List:
1) Unleashing Hell
2) A Dream of Death
3) Bleeders Lament
4) Mandatory Homicide/Death Inc.
5) Razor Jack
6) Chaos Rising
7) Gather the Dead
8) Affiliated With The Suffering
9) Malediction

Blood Red Throne is:
Tchort - guitars
Død - guitars
Mr. Hustler - vocals
Espen "Beist" Antonsen -  drums
Erlend Caspersen - bass

Blood Red Throne - Official Site:
http://www.bloodredthrone.tk

Hammerheart Records:
http://www.hammerheart.com/
 

Christian Death
Atrocities (Re-release)
~reviewed by Matthew Heilman

Being that it is perhaps one of the most criminally under appreciated albums of Gothic Rock, it is my absolute pleasure to review this disc.  Candlelight Records has recently saw fit to re-release the masterpiece Atrocities, the 1986 concept album that was the first full-length Christian Death record released after the departure of Rozz Williams.

For years, people have held close to their habits of dismissing the work Valor Kand did with and continues to do for the band Christian Death. Without question, Rozz Williams was an exceptional lyricist, vocalist, artist, and musician. Without him, there never would have been such a thing as Death Rock.  His influence is incomparable and an incalculable amount of his work demonstrates nothing short of pure genius.  But without Valor, Christian Death would have ended after Ashes was released. Though many believe that the band should have dissolved at that point, it would have been a shame if some of those successive releases had never come into being.

It is possible for open-minded people to enjoy several of Valor’s releases for what they are - good Gothic Rock records.  Despite what fanatical fans of Rozz Williams claim, accepting and listening to the music that Valor produced detracts absolutely nothing from the legacy left by Rozz.  Those that celebrate the achievements of both artists are infinitely richer and will have three times the amount of dark music to enjoy.

What critics inevitably overlook is that Valor, Gitane, and David Glass were equally devoted to Christian Death after Rozz recruited them in 1983.  Their talent and work helped the name Christian Death achieve notoriety at the first peak of the band’s popularity in 1985.  So why should they quit a band that they helped make successful just because the founder of the project no longer wanted to be a part of it?  From 1984 into 1985, they helped make the name Christian Death familiar to alternative music fans -- so they certainly had a right to use it afterward.

The initial three recordings that Valor released under the name Christian Death are some of the most influential and powerful Gothic Rock albums ever recorded.  Not to mention the fact that it was Valor’s material that initially gained the attention of post punk fans and dark alternative music fans in the late 80s.  Valor’s Christian Death yielded the most club hits (“This Is Heresy,” “Zero Sex,” “Church Of No Return,” “Sick Of Love”) and it wasn’t until the mid 90s that Rozz’s Christian Death material began to regularly appear on Goth DJ’s playlists.  (Ironically enough, Valor’s classic tracks have all but disappeared these days – but this I suspect is due to trends, rather than the quality of the music).

Besides the well-publicized but often libelous information about Valor ‘stealing’ the name of Christian Death and his ‘feuds’ with Rozz, the indisputable truth behind Valor’s decline in popularity can be traced to the fact that he hit a *very low* period in the early 90's when he released a few unfocussed albums that have no more than one or two strong tracks.  These releases were much more experimental and unpredictable.  As trends changed, Valor continued to reinvent himself and gradually became more allied with darker metal music and further from Gothic Rock.  What it boils down to is that he is a remarkably talented musician with more insight and vision in one eye than most legendary musicians that get the most credit and attention in this genre.  He and Bari-Bari (who appears on this release and the Wind Kissed Pictures EP from 1985) are responsible for setting the standards of guitar driven Goth as it was throughout the late 80's and into the 90's.  But he continues to receive little respect from those who would probably enjoy, understand, and appreciate him most.

With all that said and done, I will get to the point and the matter at hand: which is to strongly urge readers to check out Atrocities. The album is a conceptual release that explores the ‘atrocities’ of WWII. The result is a stark and melancholic descent into psychology and emotional trauma. This magnum opus begins with a shrill, slithering violin sample lifted from one of Paganini’s 24 Caprices and then crashes into the frantic firestorm of “Will O’ The Wisp.” A shuffling and jagged rhythm underscores a discordant clamor of processed guitars and droning church organs, while Valor’s smoky vocal delivery wavers from a croon to a wail.   The influence of punk rock had yet to fade from Goth, and “Will O’ The Wisp” demonstrates this immediately.  A similar intensity resurfaces throughout much of the album, most notably in the gigantic bass lines of “Strapping Me Down,” the shadowy mischief of “Chimére de-si de-la” and the frenzied tribal drum cascades on “Silent Thunder,” a track that also appears on the Mephisto Walz album The Eternal Deep with Christiana’s vocals.

While several of the tracks are edgy, up-tempo post punk blasts, the album is as atmospheric as it is confrontational.  The haunting gloom of "The Danzig Waltz" is truly unforgettable -- an eerie track that centers on murky piano passages, crowned by Valor’s ghostly vocals and jarring violin effects. Ethereal and apocalyptic folk fans will also take delight in the mediaeval nostalgia of "Strange Fortune,” where layers of acoustic guitar, hand percussion, and soft ambient lead guitars create a warm and inviting mood.

But perhaps Gitane DeMone provides the most atmospheric aspects of the album.  Besides her distinctive back up vocal contributions to nearly every track, “Atrocities” offers a few of her most powerful and memorable lead vocal performances with Christian Death. First with the dark and sensual classic, "Tales Of Innocence," which is an unrivaled example of atmospheric Gothic Rock.  Additionally, Gitane's moving rendition of the infamous Billie Holiday lament "Gloomy Sunday" first appeared on this album.  Though these tracks are available on various live compilations, absolutely nothing compares to the original studio versions of these songs that first appeared on this release.

If you are a fan of the albums Catastrophe Ballet and Ashes, then Atrocities will definitely appeal to you. Though it does not feature the voice of Rozz Williams, musically and thematically, it was a logical and appropriate development of the band’s classic sound.   Valor’s voice is commanding and hypnotic, and the song writing and instrumental arrangements are probably the band’s most mature and accessible.  I hope that more people will be open-minded and check out this fantastic and seminal release. There are few Gothic Rock albums that feel as complete and satisfying as this one.

Track List:
1.) Will O’ The Wisp
2.) Tales Of Innocence
3.) Strapping Me Down
4.) The Danzig Waltz
5.) Chimére de-si de-la
6.) Silent Thunder
7.) Strange Fortune
8.) Ventriloquist
9.) Gloomy Sunday
10.) The Death of Josef

For this release, Christian Death was:
Valor Kand – vocals, guitars,
Gitane DeMone – vocals, synths, organ, piano
David Glass – drums, percussion
Barry Galvin (Bari-Bari) - guitars
Johann Schumann – bass

Christian Death – Official Site:
http://www.christiandeath.com

Candlelight Records:
http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk

RozzNet:
http://www.rozznet.com

John Collins’ Christian Death Page:
http://rozznet.com/collins/
 

Curse
Curse
~reviewed by Mike Ventarola

One of the greatest things about living in a thriving metropolis such as New York City is the ability to find a vast array of artistic endeavors. Whether one seeks out unique bands, paintings, sculpture and the like, there is always a wealth of talent available for our enjoyment. Curse is reflective of an endeavor that typifies the heartbeat of the city.

The band formed in 2000 and states that their influences range from such legendary bands as The Ramones, Velvet Underground, Siouxie and the Banshees, Janis Joplin and Tom Waits. All of the aforementioned artists are still a heavy staple within the college circuit because of the timeless quality of the music. The magic of those bands is based upon their ability to musically translate some of the grit and angst of life in classically original ways while  adding a touch of nostalgic seduction. Now, in the 21st century, Curse has ventured into the forefront to pick up the torch of past legends to bring that timeless tradition up to date, albeit with a touch of darkness for good measure.

Curse first came to the attention of New Yorker’s during the Convergence Festival at Irving Plaza. The buzz about their live performances in and around NYC attracted the attention of producer Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Swans, Helmet), which resulted in this self-titled release.  The interesting thing about the band is their utilization of occult, historical and mystical themes, which includes New Orleans, Vodou, The Rites of Eleusis, as well as the myths of Dionysios, Isis and Orpheus. All of this blends into a respectful and introspective homage to the darker mysteries of ancient religion and lore.

This self-titled release falls within the parameters of a dark music for a modern day beat-generation.  Although the work incorporates catchy rock melodies, one would not label this release “classic rock” or “typical goth.” The rock fusion is clearly evident, however the lyrical content as well as the hybrid of incorporated rhythmic elements and mystical chants bend the rules a bit, creating a new musical paradigm.

Mikaela Pearson’s lead vocals sweep between the essence of an enchantress to the disaffected angst of a rock goddess. The backing vocals and driving bass line from Theodora Michaels, the superb guitar licks from Kevin Michaels and the mesmerizing pulse precision of the drums and percussion from Robert Lacyk make this a band that is potent and cohesive. Everything recorded here is done “live” with minimal overdubs, thus dispensing a reflective and organic sound.

“Tattooed Rain” opens the disc with a new alternative rock flair. This was also the track chosen for Lollipop Magazine’s compilations # 57 and 58 and just seems destined to be the song to make the mark for the band.

“Her Confessor” delivers an updated shoegazer sound that also lyrically paints a story where one can imagine the events as they unfold.

“Starfall” incorporates a portion from Lord Byron’s “Child Harold’s Pilgrimage,” whose inclusion makes the last portion of the song sound like an invocation to the unseen realm.

“Luna” and “Maenads” both deal with ecstatic pagan rites. “Luna” however has more of an anticipatory element while “Maenads” seems to float on a surrealistic cloudburst of rapture.

“Graveyard Shuffle” intentionally gives a “honky-tonk/ barrelhouse-style.” When processed through the parameters of darkness, it works rather well.

“Like A Glass of Wine” dances between the throes of a relationship fraught with continual separations and reunions, never seeming to get it right. Since they have been through the charade so many times, one partner has reached a point where “the news of your leaving goes down like a glass of wine.”

 “High Enough To Reach” utilizes delightful harmony and dark folk rock elements. Here, we are faced with the blatant reality that sometimes it is difficult to deal with one who is only emotionally functional only when they are “high.”

“Gris-Gris” is aptly dedicated to voodoo queen, Marie Laveau. This track showcases the guitars, but really pulls out stops and allows us to get lost in Lacyk’s delightful drumming. All of the tracks feature the talents of each artist, but this one really lets the drums kick into the heat of the song.

“Svengali” demonstrates the forthright attitude of a New York woman at its modern best. Lyrically, a “Svengali-like” person is trying to seduce one with money, presents and lies. However, none of the “5th Avenue treasures” or mesmerism is effective to one who seeks out a hear that is true.

When all is said and done, Curse offers original music that can be deemed as dark alternative with heavy doses from a number of other genres. The band isn’t overproduced to sound commercial, so comparisons with other bands will remain minimal at best. The song construction demonstrates that each artist carefully works off the other without trying to overpower anyone. The “hit” from this Cd that will most likely make it to college radio rotation will probably be “Tattooed Rain.”  The track has a crossover fusion while not being too alarmingly dark for the general public.

Some of these tracks, if remixed, would work for club rotation. In their present state, the music is more for home listening or for a live performance than any nighttime hot spot. Nevertheless, for home listening, Curse is a blessing, particularly due to the fact that there is such a talented drummer keeping pace with the music. That in itself makes this release refreshing at a time when so many bands are resorting to drum pads and mindless machinery.

Curse is available along with sound samples at www.amazon.com , www.cdbaby.com and www.cdstreet.com

Tracks:
1. Tattooed Rain
2. Her Confessor
3. Starfall
4. Luna (Draw Her Down)
5. Graveyard Shuffle (w/ David Amram and Marc Ribot)
6. Like A Glass of Wine
7. High Enough To Reach
8. Maenads
9. Gris-Gris
10. Svengali
11. Starfall (radio edit)

Band Members:
Mikaela Pearson: Vocals
Theodora Michaels: bass, backing vocals
Kevin Michaels: Guitars, e-bow
Robert Lacyk: Drums, percussion

Contributing artists:
David Amram: Piano, congas and pennywhistle
Marc Ribot: lead guitar

Website: www.curseonline.com
Email: cursetheband@hotmail.com
 

Delight
Eternity
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

Napalm Records recently patented their Goth Metal Design-a-tron 5000, a newly updated edition of their old cloning software. Consequently, older versions of their software have leaked on the internet, and now any old label can get their hands on it to make perfectly acceptable but largely unmemorable goth metal CDs. Metal Mind recently hacked the software and decided to produce a standard Napalm goth sound with just a hint of a Polish accent - the accent being the hacked bit.

If you're a fan of Napalm goth metal CDs, you really ought to get ahold of Delight. If you aren't... well, it's up to you. Delight avoids the traditional 'beauty and the beast' sound by getting rid of any beasty vocals entirely. Paulina Maslanka is a perfectly talented vocalist, but sticks to rather pedestrian melodies, as do the keyboards. The guitar riffs are utterly predictable, ranging from standard power chords to The Kovenant-ish militant rhythms.

I'm disappointed to hear yet another release in this style. Isn't it enough that half of Napalm's catalogue is already playing music like this? And the thing that really irks me about these bands is that they are quite good in their own way. Delight isn't directly copying anyone else, so I really do recommend them if you enjoy this style. But the problem is that many of the goth metal acts are all unique in the same sort of way - what defines them tends to be the singer's voice, not the melodies, or the guitar distortion and not the riffs, or even the keyboard samples... but not the compositions.

Delight has the competency to take their music to a higher level, and I sincerely hope they do just that. Right now they've made another enjoyable but forgettable goth metal CD, and I simply can't get excited about it. My advice to the band is to spend more time on the creative songwriting process, and not to settle for expected sorts of melodies. Assuming the band isn't the result of a sophisticated but uninspiring computer program, that is.

Track List:
1) The Hand
2) Stained Glass
3) Requiem
4) Spring Day
5) Whale's Lungs
6) I Promise
7) The Sun
8) Outhereness
9) Wieczny Final

Delight is:
Paulina Maslanka - vocals
Jaroslaw Baran - guitars, drums, samplers, and keyboards
Sebastian Wojtowicz - rhythm guitar
Piotr Szymanksi - bass guitar
Barbara Lasek - keyboards
Tomasz Baran - drums

Delight - Official Site:
http://www.delight.z.pl/

Metal Mind:
http://www.metalopolis.pl/
 

Devlin
Grand Death Opening
~reviewed by Matthew Heilman

Yet another prime example of why I dread going to my mailbox.  Is it a letter dusted by Anthrax that I fear?  No.  What I look forward to with such chagrin is the seemingly endless amount of unimpressive ‘atmospheric’ metal that has been released since last year and is still being shamelessly (mis)promoted. It seems like the spoiled crème of the crop unfailing arrives in my mailbox to review.   Nonetheless, principle obligates me to share these CDs with our readers, if for nothing more than for a cautionary
warning.

Devlin is a new project by Marcus Ehlin, formerly the front man of the Swedish black metal act Siebenburgen.   Most of the time, a band member’s former relations can tip me off.  This time, being that Siebenburgen were a band that I thought had quite a few admirable tricks up their sleeves and two relatively solid releases under their belts, I thought this might not prove to be another dud.  Top that off with a press release that promised  “an ingenious…blend of darkwave, gothic rock, and highly atmospheric doom metal,” my curiosity was bursting and I couldn’t wait to hear what was in store.  Even the cover was cool, depicting an eerie woodcut (which quite possibly could be an Albrecht Dürer) of Adam and Eve lingering around the fatal Tree of Knowledge in place of the usual busty vampiress or dragon slayer that graces most metal covers these days.

But what I should have learned by now being a dark music reviewer and journalist for over seven years is that you cannot judge a CD by its cover, and you certainly cannot depend upon the libelous press releases that accompany promotional CDs.

Devlin, quite simply, is a horrid addition to the continuous stream of poorly executed ‘dark’ metal flooding the market at the present time.  As expected, venomous death growls and raspy black metal rasps are employed by the male vocalist and sound as novel and as gut wrenching as ever.  Please! Not only has the effect of this style of vocals completely lost whatever appeal it may have once had, Marcus sounds sloppy and more like a Muppet than the great vengeful daemon of the abyss he aspires to be.  Perhaps the male vocals wouldn’t sound so ludicrously out of place if they were not juxtaposed with the cock rock vocals of ‘female star singer’ Lexi, who at best, resembles Lita Ford. Apparently, Lexi is ‘operatically trained’ but by whom I could not guess.  Throughout the entire disc, she never varies her flat intonation above a lazy biker chick’s inexperienced alto.  How, pray tell, is this supposed to be atmospheric?  Poor Lexi hasn’t even the slightest clue to as to how much of a parody she is.  Truly, the vocals on this disc, by both Lexi and Marcus are deplorable and inspired absolutely nothing but impatience and disgust within me.

Then there is the music.  The drumming is also sloppy and loose, and like both of the vocalists, the execution is unforgivably lazy.  Few fills, no punch, and the music lurches at pretty much the same lackadaisical pace the whole way through the disc.  Despite how aesthetically unappealing the music is, it regardless sounds uninspired, and is quite boring.  The guitars rely on basic galloping power chords and the keyboards are silly and are best suited to score a children’s Halloween special.  The album seems to get worse as it unfolds.  “Dying Dream” is a disgustingly sentimental ballad, driven by piano and Lexi’s vocals.  Crunchy guitars eventually stir up the monotony of it all, but they only make the song even more tedious.

But it was the cover of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” that truly sent me over the edge.  Lexi’s off key and lethargic alto are a butchery of the original performance while the drums and guitars twinkle along under the poor assumption that they are adding metallic muscle to the song.  However, the original New Wave track is three times as urgent and captivating, without the crunch of distorted guitars.  A horrendously cheesy church organ supplies the melody we have been humming since 1983, and I actually laughed out loud at this juvenile and ineffectual arrangement.  Devlin’s cover of  “White Wedding” can be more fittingly described as an insult rather than a tribute.

Why do I sound so spiteful?  Because I am sick of these bands, and I am sick of these labels.  And if you are buying this drivel, what the bloody hell is wrong with you??   Metal labels are currently manipulating their audiences by throwing around genre descriptions that DO NOT apply to the product they are selling.  They use terms like Doom, Darkwave, and Gothic Rock when not even a single dignified shred of the characteristics of those genres apply to the music contained on the disc.  Sure, it has keyboards, and female vocals, and sings about death.  But it’s not Goth.  And it certainly isn’t Doom, because Doom is not so goddamned cheesy and uninspired.  Even people that hate Doom Metal can at least recognize the sincerity behind it, and can also detect more professional skills, even if they are not interested or moved by what they here.  It sounds like real musicians making real music.  Devlin, however, sounds contrived, dated, underdeveloped, and corny. Any average music fan would be able to readily identify that it is dismissible.

Whatever.  Be more demanding of what you buy, and expect more.  Do not settle for mediocrity like this.  There are great bands out there that can be appreciated that at least take their art more seriously.  These people are jumping on a train that is bound for disaster and I hope to Christ that our readers spend their hard earned money on something else.  Just because it’s newly released means nothing.  Gothic Metal and Doom Metal are in decline, the art has been diluted, and because of bands like Devlin and numerous other bands that I have unfortunately had the pleasure to review as of late, one can no longer boast about these genres with the pride we once did and without having to explain themselves.  And it sucks.

I will step off my pedestal now and go quietly into the soft night…

Track List:
1.) Underworld
2.) Death Is Our Kingdom
3.) Fade
4.) Come To Me
5.) Dying Dream
6.) White Wedding
7.) Divinity
8.) Sinner Paradise
9.) Queen Of Razors
10.) Buried Deep

Devlin – Official Website:
http://www.devlinworld.com

Napalm Records:
http://www.napalmrecords.com

Devlin's Grand Death Opening is forty-four minutes of competently played guitar driven goth-metal.  When listening to it, I am filled with... indifference.  That's not to say it's particularly bad, or even that it's derivative of other bands and therefore uninteresting.  With the exception of a few highlights, the songs are simply unexceptional.  This is, of course, my subjective opinion... but nothing on Grand Death Opening really grabs ahold of me and demands my undivided attention.

The one truly unique aspect of Devlin's music (and the most likely to actually give the band its own identity) is the uni-named Lexi.  She is a fine singer, though she has a strange delivery in the context of metal music.  Her voice would be more at home on an oldies station with the Shirelles or the Supremes or any of those interchangable Motown girl bands.  Her voice is powerful, but sticks to a relatively limited range in the mid-to-low frequencies.  Lexi is at her best when she gets to actually sing as opposed to using the semi spoken-word style she deploys half of the time.  While on the subject of vocals, I'll mention that Marcus Ehlin delivers a bog-standard metal monster growl over many of the songs as an unnecessary counterpoint to Lexi's clean singing.  Will goth-metal bands ever tire of the 'beauty & the beast' vocalist format?

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the album features a wholly ill-conceived cover of Billy Idol's erm... classic... 'White Wedding'.  Billy is probably rolling over in his grave each time it's played.  What?  He's not dead?  Could have fooled me.  Anyhow, Lexi just isn't the right person to be singing the lead vocals in a cover of 'White Wedding', and the goth-rock stylings really don't do the song whatever justice it deserved.  I'd much rather have heard another of the folkier, soft ballady numbers like 'Queen of Razors' or 'Dying Dream' instead.

So, then.  We have an album with adequately played music and a quirky (though perhaps miscast) female vocalist.  Oh, and monster growling.  Can't forget the monster growling.  The lack of any particularly catchy songs really makes this an album I can't recommend for purchase... unless you really really like Lexi's singing.  Listen to the demo mp3 on Napalm's page and find out for yourself if you do.  It may be enough to warrant the expenditure of your hard earned money. As for me, I'm closing the book on Grand Death Opening.

Track List:
01.) Underworld
02.) Death is our Kingdom
03.) Fade
04.) Come to me
05.) Dying dream
06.) White wedding
07.) Divinity
08.) Sinners Paradise
09.) Queen of razors
10.) Buried deep

Devlin is:
Marcus Ehlin: strings, vocals, keys
Lexi: lead vocals

Devlin Official Website:
http://www.devlinworld.com/

Napalm Records:
http://www.napalmrecords.com
 

DVT
DVT
~reviewed by Saint Petrol

God, I've been craving this music for weeks.  A mental palate cleanser, if you will.  A steel brush to the inside of the head, a la Daniel Menche, Merzbow, etc.  From the first moment I pressed "Play" I was in love. I've listened to these pieces several times now, and I'm more amazed each time, especially with what's going on in Baghdad these days.  It's weirdly creepy, sickening, vulgar, to see those images, and hear much the same thing happening from the stereo.  This is some serious headphone holocaust right here, and if it doesn't make you think a little, cringe a little, make a fist a little, tear yourself apart a little, then you must be dead already.  I mean, this is like  "Too Dark Park", on crack.  I find myself clenching my jaw when I  listen to this.  It's really *that* good.  I remember at one point closing my eyes and thinking, "This is like shooting a Glock and having  someone take a blowtorch and jackhammer to your head, all at the same time."

Track Listing:
1  Insurrection
2  Silence as your Deadly Weapon
3  Gasmask and Nightvision
4  Ammunition Entrance
5  Ambush
6  Test of Fortitude
7  Pillars of Confinement
8  Human Downfall
9  Hunted
10  End of the Line
11  Burning Away
12  Automation Threshold (hidden track)

http://www.fracture.ar.com.au/dvt/
order from:  http://www.fracture.ar.com.au  in Europe and Australia.
order in US:  http://www.malignantrecords.com/, http://annihilvs.org/, and
http://www.citadel-gate.com/.

Produced and executed by D. Otrebor.
Additional production on Track 1 by L. Tranter
 

The Electric Hellfire Club
Electronomicon
~reviewed by Saint Petrol

Picture me with white foam dripping from around my mouth; with a slight but undeniable tremor in my hands, and a weird twitch in my left eye.  Electronomicon did this to me.

I confess I've loved the EHC from day one.  I've loved everything they've ever done, even back to Thomas' "My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult" days. I'm just a sucker for anything Thomas Thorn touches, I guess.  My alltime favorite EHC album will probably always be Burn, Baby, Burn but this one's pretty damned cool.  Excuse the pun.  ::Cough::

The thing I love about this particular album is the influence of black and death metal that's crept into the mix.  It was inevitable, and it's rather like peanut butter and chocolate, absinthe and sugar, goths and Johnny The Homicidal Maniac, or whatever.  What I mean to say is that the influence is seductive and delightful, and it gives me the chills just thinking about it.  The thing is, Thomas and EFC are smart enough not to associate themselves with the fake poseur black/death metalists parading themselves about like idiots these days;  they went for the real deal.  Peter Tatgren from Hypocrisy, for one. Having Tommy Tatgren engineer and co-produce with EHC was a brilliant move, and the whole thing leaves me as I described in the first sentences of the review.

Now, don't go thinkin' this is a Darkthrone album or something. This is still the Electric Hellfire Club you know and love.  There's still that sexy, demented sound of Ricktor Ravensbruck's guitar. There's still the lovely, irreverent humor.  It's just, well, it hasn't slept in a few days, and it woke up in its own piss.  This EHC album came to with razors in its brain, and a Mayhem shirt tucked in its leather pants.  Okay?  Okay.  Don't be afraid. Purchase.  Indulge.  Fall back on the couch and shudder.

Track Listing:
1  Into Thee Abyss
2  Wired In Blood
3  Sons Of The Serpent
4  Hypochristian
5  Stockholm Syndrome
6  Whores Of Babylon
7  Broken Goetia
8  I Dream Of Demons
9  Nordland
10  Tannhauser Gate
11  This Is The Zodiac...
12  Hymn To The Fallen:
i  Conjuration (Song Of Azazel)
ii Goat Mass
iii  Revelry (Feast Of The Beast)
13  Keys To The Kingdom

Electric Hellfire Club in this incarnation are:
Thomas Thorn, Ricktor Ravensbruck, and Sabrina Satana.

http://www.electrichell.com
 

The Gathering
Souvenirs
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

The Gathering entered the world of metal as a death metal band, and after a couple of relatively obscure releases, found their calling with the addition of singer Anneke van Giersbergen. Her melodic, soaring vocals added an emotional power that you don't often hear in metal; it changed the band's sound forever. And just to get this out of the way - for those of you still complaining about how The Gathering sold out after their first CD with Anneke, which was somewhat metal, get over it! This is several CDs later: The Gathering has continued to mellow out, but Souvenirs is possibly the group's most experimental and interesting record to date.

The soundscape is full of electronic beats and synth noises with watery, emotional guitar lines, symphonic keyboard swells, and moving piano. Anneke gives her most personal vocal performance yet. She has mostly given up on her rock-oriented singing, but her approach now is very soft and melodic, in a welcoming but intensely intimate way. Each song occupies its own beautiful and sadly downcast world. Even at their most upbeat, The Gathering maintains a melancholy sound that brings their music down to earth. Dark music fans in general should find comfort in this, but even the band's old metal fans will find a lot to appreciate. I'll say The Gathering has sold out when they become ultra happy pop and they start touring with Avril Lavigne and they cut a major record deal - so far they haven't come close.

For now, it's good to see that a band with some commercial appeal is willing to experiment and bring listeners the best music they can. Also, the production is better than ever, and greatly helps the layered themes encompass and sweep you away. Nice production is welcome, otherwise there's little more irritating than beautiful music compacted into a box of sound that's beat against your head repeatedly while you listen. Souvenirs has a style that is hard to label, but it fits well with trip-hop and rock, or maybe that's just 'trip-rock'. It's the kind of hypnotic and easy going music that can take you on a 'trip', but still has enough guitars and forceful elements to be deserving of the 'rock'.

It should also be noted that Garm of Arcturus/Ulver fame appears on the final track. He sings much the way he did on Perdition City's "Nowhere/Catastrophe". His voice is superb as always, and his duet with Anneke is graceful and absorbing. The song is very hypnotic and tranquil, fitting well with the pace of the rest of the CD, and rounding
things up nicely. If you appreciate dark and emotional music, you should definitely listen to Souvenirs - it features the rare kind of music that is easy to get into, but is so diverse and compelling that you won't want to let it go. Fans of more recent Radiohead or similarly experimental and emotional rock music will also get into The Gathering's newest direction. You can check out an mp3 of "Broken Glass" right now on www.theendrecords.com. Make it a point to do so!
 

Track List:
1. These good people
2. Even the spirits are afraid
3. Broken glass
4. You learn about it
5. Souvenirs
6. We’ve just stopped breathing
7. Monsters
8. Golden grounds
9. Jelena
10. A life all mine

The Gathering is:
Hans Rutten
Rene Rutten
Anneke van Giersbergen
Frank Boeijen
Hugo Prinsen Geerligs

The Gathering - Official Site:
http://www.gathering.nl/

The End Records (US):
http://www.theendrecords.com/

Golden Dawn
Masquerade
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

Progressive Baroque Gothic Power Metal.  How's that for a new genre name?  Golden Dawn's album Masquerade has forced me to create that monstrous moniker due to its unique blend of premium grade sounds.  Apparently, Golden Dawn's debut album The Art Of Dreaming was quite popular (and is now also being remastered and reissued by Napalm Records) when it was released seven long years ago.  My press sheet reports that its followup has been 'long awaited by hundreds of thousands of metal fans worldwide'.  I missed out on the band's first tour of duty, but if Masquerade is any indicator, that fluffy bit of PR may be less hyperbolic than it seems at a glance.

Masquerade features a dazzling array of deft guitar play, burbling synthy leads, swirling atmospheres, harpsichords, and engaging vocals.  Everything revolves around dark or melancholic themes but never lacks energy.  Golden Dawn's unique signature is scrawled across every track on the album.  They graft stylistic bits from many eras and genres into a musical Frankenstein.  This is appropriate, since much of 'Masquerade' sounds like a Halloween romp through a haunted house.  If you can imagine (or indeed would dare to try imagining) the result of a fusion of Bach, Children of Bodom, and Fintroll... well, your head might explode, but you'd get an idea of what Golden Dawn has going on.

Not all of the album is pure creepshow-metal.  A sort of bouncy power-metal stride pervades most of the tracks, which zips the listener along before they can catch their breath.  Occasionally, however, the band opts for a mid tempo goth-rock approach.  Further, a number of tracks are suffused with neo-classicism, usually in the form of intricate guitar arrangements or harpsichord madness.  These passages show how technically skilled the musicians are, and rest assured, they are quite capable.  The compositions are all dense with interweaving layers of sound (and happily, crisp, clear production).  They will impress and delight listeners who appreciate a well-crafted song.

Several singers participated in the recording of Masquerade.  Curiously, they are largely unheralded, with only Stefan Traunmüller receiving a vocal credit.  The rest are simply referred to en masse on the press release, which mentions that the band employed '... the talents of several session singers.'  Rather an inglorious way to treat contributors to your album, unless releasing their names is forbidden under some sort of contractual clause.  Whatever the case, these 'session singers' provide a fitting (if sometimes unspectacular) assortment of dramatic clean vocals, black metal raspy growls, and on the last two tracks of the album, delicate and emotional female leads.

Masquerade is a fine album that should find an eager audience in many camps.  Power metal fans will appreciate the energetic and upbeat riffing and fantasy-horror laced thematic content.  More adventurous fans of symphonic black metal may like the dense layers of sound and aggressive guitars coupled often with traditional rasping (Children of Bodom is a good guidepost here... if you enjoy them, this is likely right up your dark, dangerous alley).  Even fans of prog-metal have something to look forward to in the complex arrangements, prominent use of synths, and excellent instrumental performances in general.  Golden Dawn's sun is certainly rising over the metal world, and seems poised to shine as a beacon of quality for some time to come.

Track List:
01.) Silent Inferno
02.) Doomsday Celebration
03.) Alive And Immortal
04.) Where Dragons Reign
05.) Masquerade
06.) Enthralled By Unknown Dimensions
07.) Unborn Again
08.) A Memory's Reflection
09.) Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
10.) Angel

GOLDEN DAWN is:
Stefan Traunmüller - Keyboards, Vocals, Additional Guitars
Sebastian Reiter - Bass, Lead & Acoustic Guitar
Karim Kienzle - Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Moritz Neuner - Drums

Golden Dawn Official Website:
http://www.goldendawn.at/

Napalm Records:
http://www.napalmrecords.com

Javelin/Lowy
Broken Surface
~reviewed by Saint Petrol

I love the parts of this CD where no one is speaking.  They are graceful, thoughtful, and quietly consuming.  However, when the vocals and spoken-word parts begin, I'm totally turned off. The vocals and lyrics seem insipidly silly, kind of like what Beavis and Butthead or Wayne and Garth would do if they were trying to sound cosmopolitan or intelligent.

The big premise of this whole thing is a European guy going to New York City for the first time.  Which, to me, is laughable that someone would dedicate a whole album to this.  Someone who's probably seen Rome and Paris and Munich and Amster- dam would feel compelled to write an entire album to NYC? Yeah right.  Even if I accept the premise, having been to NYC a few times myself, I can't relate to this music as a reflection or interpretation of that particular city.  Maybe it's an articulation of what someone wanted that city to be.  I can't even see these lyrics as genuinely poetic.  'You want something poetic that reflects NYC, listen to the Last Poets or Grand- master Flash.

The promo material says that this CD is partially the work of Harald from Chandeen, which, admittedly means nothing  to me since I've never heard Chandeen, but may mean something to you, and help you to make a decision to purchase the music anyway, in spite of my feelings for it.  In fact, to be fair, I think the music throughout the album is glorious, I just think the vocals ruin it.  Had I the ability to go through and remove the vocals, I'd probably like this album a great deal.

Lastly, whomever wrote the promo material which drew lyrical comparisons in this "concept album" to Allen Ginsberg's Howl is on something I'd like to have a nip of.

Track Listing:
-PART I-
Arrival
The Parade
The broken Surface
A Zone of Silence
Macrocosmic Termite-Town

-PART II-
The Japanese

-PART II-
A More Sober View
a) Air-Conditioning System
b) Lantern Shadow split white urban Native apart

-PART VI-
Animals & Districts
Evening
a) Emptiness, cooling Down
b) Last Instructions

-PART V-
Nearness of Harbour

-PART IV-
Pulsing Adrenaline
The Sound of Leaving Foot-Steps

-ADDITIONAL TRACKS-
Falling back 'n' forth (Löwys LP Version)
Generator X.0.7/8 (Javelins LP Version)

Distributed by Projekt in the US, EFA Medien elsewhere.
On Kalinkalind Records, (a division of Kodex Media.)

http://www.ionjavelin.de
http://www.kalinkaland.de
http://www.kodex-media.de
http://www.projekt.com/projekt/product.asp?sku=KAL00004

Javelin/Lowy are Ion Javelin and Harald Lowy.
 

JC Milo
Giant Bug
~reviewed by Kevin Filan

Toronto singer-songwriter JC Milo really likes Peter Gabriel.  A lot.  His vocal stylings on Giant Bug range the gamut from Lamb Lies Down on Broadway to So and points in between.  In a lesser artist, this could be a fatal flaw.  Thankfully, Milo has the talent and intelligence to rise above the merely derivative.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and you can't go wrong imitating the best.  Standing on the shoulders of giants always makes for a better view... and Milo definitely does his antecedents justice.

The first track, "In the End," starts things off on a positive note.  Milo's imagery of ice ages and apocalypse recalls Gabriel's "Red Rain," complete with synthesizers and a melancholy acoustic piano.  His hymn to materialism, "Absolutely Nowhere," has the same kind of beauty and dark grandeur.  "What we don't know won't kill us/we don't believe in spirits anymore/leaving us absolutely nowhere," Milo croons over a sad cello line that evokes whistling outside a graveyard.  It's one of the highlights of this CD.

Milo's acoustic piano work stands out throughout this CD.  His quiet elegaic chords on "In a Car" could have come from Tom Waits.   Even the comparatively upbeat "As I Do" has an undertone of dread and longing, as he sings to a storm, asking the angry wind to "try to be polite."  Perhaps the flowers will grow in the morning, but right now there's a storm on the horizon; he hopes his former lover "feels the same way as I do," but there are no assurances, and the jaunty piano lines ring hollow as old promises.

Milo's songs are strong, and the creative instrumental arrangements only make them stronger.  The creative cello opening of "Baby Blue Eyes" (and the superb cello work on "In a Car" and "Absolutely Nowhere") show Milo's fondness for that beautiful but sometimes unwieldy instrument.  It's no small feat to incorporate a cello into a standard rock band lineup, but Milo manages to do so with flair and skill.

Too many bands today rely on samples; somewhere along the way  they came to the conclusion that programming skill could make up for musical talent or studio time.  Thankfully, JC Milo isn't among their number.  The chirping samples underpinning the twisted love song "Giant Bug" ("You could be the pusher/I will be the drug") and the electronic percussion of "World of Lies" are as catchy and well-done as the acoustic instrumental work.  Milo uses modern instrumentation as skillfully as he uses the standards.

This isn't Classic Goth: it lacks the Usual Cliches.  It's not danceable enough to be synthpop.  (I can imagine Voltaire covering "Devil's in Love," but that's just because I'm a twisted S.O.B.).   But it's a Damn Fine Slice of Modern Rock.  Some critics have described Milo's work as "acoustic electronica."  I wouldn't go that far -- to me he's closer to Adult Contemporary with a twist of lime, Indie Rock with the snarky irony removed and a healthy dosage of intelligence added.  The vocals resemble Peter Gabriel: the vision is uniquely JC Milo.  Intelligent, thoughtful, well-done and highly recommended.

1) In the End
2) Giant Bug
3) As I Do
4) In a Car
5) Baby Blue Eyes
6) World of Lies
7) Flowers
8) Absolutely Nowhere
9) Devil's in Love
10) Alive in the Sun

Motherwest Records
http://www.motherwest.com

Jera Denny
Dog Days
~reviewed by Mike Ventarola

Jera Denny first came to my attention quite by accident. During the latter part of 2002, while compiling a Gothic Xmas station of songs for the net radio station, I happened across her track “Ghost.” The beauty and mesmerizing quality of the music was convincing enough that further exploration of her work was essential.

Her work belies a dark carnival quality, leading us into an assortment of rooms in some Mad Hatters hall of mirrors. Once there, we survey the various layers of our emotional being. Denny’s vocal style is often reminiscent of Stevie Nicks, which is always a plus to this reviewer. Suffice to say, if you like Stevie Nicks, you will most likely adore Jera Denny. Unlike Nicks, however, Denny’s lyrics are less ambiguous and veer into a dark pop sensibility that you can’t help but put on replay for a while. This is especially true for those who find that their current relationship is held hostage due to a lot of emotional baggage.

“I Know” is a mid-tempo groove about understanding someone better than they think we do. It has a lazy ambience and a catchy hook to it that belies a bit of comfort in the familiarity. Before you realize it, you find yourself immersed and mesmerized into the track, swaying along to the beat on a rhythmic bliss.

“Dog Days” brings us to a portion of the psyche that desperately needs to unleash the primal scream. Mind you, this  seems subliminally conveyed via the opening wails at the start of the track and then interspersed at various points of the track. The self harmony of this track is well constructed and propels this song in anthem-like fashion. Essentially, the track belies that inner churning at finding out the one you love has cheated on you. These emotions are expertly handled here.

“Where We Used To Be” whispers in the back of our mind about the time when things were so much different. It resonates to that cognizant voice within that dares to question the things we often do not want to confront head on.

“Let It Go” provides a bit more of an upswing beat with an assertive declaration about picking up the pieces of one’s life and just let the unimportant things go. Sometimes it is essential to have that private self-talk to realize that some people just aren’t worthy of our time in this life.

“Wait” somberly takes us through that magical moment at sundown. One is wrapped up in the heartfelt sentiment of unrequited emotion that is strongly depicted with the structure of the track. This gives voice to that emotional component where we are in a relationship that has stagnated to nothing. Upon awaking from the “emotional coma,” we somehow find ourselves filled with regret for wasting so much precious time.

 “Ten Miles High” isn’t as strong as the other tracks, but enjoyable in a Fleetwood Mac sort of way.

“Ghost” is the magnum opus that I first learned about last Christmas. This haunting track was written for someone very close to Denny who has since passed on. In some way, the spirit of her friend has coalesced with her vocals in order to bring about a song that is simply magical. It is the type of track that one cannot help but put on repeat a number of times.  This track is haunting with touches of Celtic somberness whose beauty is timeless.

If soft rock that is akin to dark pop mixed with Celtic flavor along with dashes of  Stevie Nicks are conducive to your listening pleasure, do check out Jera Denny. This lady is an abundance of talent with the enchanting ability to bring us to our emotions as painlessly as possible.

Tracks
I Know
Dog Days
Where We Used to Be
Let It Go
Wait
Ten Miles High
Ghost

Lineup:
Jera Denny: vocals, guitars
Struan Oglanby: bass, drum machine
John Holland: drumkat,

Sound Samples and further information available at http://www.mp3.com/jeradenny
Contact through: howardbealerecords@nyc.rr.com

Lacrimas Profundere
Fall, I Will Follow
~reviewed by Matthew Heilman

This German band’s previous release Burning: A Wish was one of my deeply personal favourite releases of 2001.  In terms of the Gothic Metal genre, it remains a CD that is absolutely essential for a fan’s collection.  With Fall, I Will Follow, the band’s fourth full-length release, the band has conscientiously attempted to craft a more commercially viable release.  Most of the time, such a shift in direction is regarded a bad move.  Case in point: Anathema, Katatonia, and according to some, Paradise Lost.  Comparing this latest release with the band’s previous effort, I am personally let down, but I do not feel as venomous or betrayed as when I heard the last few releases from Katatonia and Anathema.   Lacrimas Profundere have managed to move forward without sacrificing their most appealing and critically acclaimed characteristics, and the qualities that are most integral to their alluring sound.

So how has the band changed, exactly?  Basically, the Doom Metal growls are gone, the songs are shorter, the lyrics are more direct and the melodic hooks are more traditionally catchy.   What remains are the smooth, sullen vocal performances of Christopher Schmid, which is perhaps the band’s most inviting and immediate appeal. His captivating voice will unfailingly appeal to earlier Doom Metal fans, and equally provides an audible treasure for Goths, and casual alternative or rock fans.  His voice is majestic, captivating, and the anxious, forlorn emotions flows out on vulnerable, honeyed breaths. The band’s penchants for mid tempo or galloping rhythmic paces remain, as does their enveloping guitar sounds.  Though lighter than in the past, a solid foundation of bottom heavy guitars continue to crunch beneath the emphasized lead voices of jangling, overdriven harmonics and murky arpeggios.  Bits of piano and acoustic strumming and cinematic synths add an additional layer of icy atmosphere, without seeming to follow standards of genre expectations.  They contribute to the sound rather than seem to exist just for the sake of it.

While the brevity and immediacy of Lacrimas Profundere’s new material is an attempt to reach a wider audience, to traditional Doom and darker Goth Metal fans like myself, I believe that this album will have a slightly different affect than it would have on whomever they are targeting as a new audiences.  Fall I Will Follow is a bit more forgettable on some levels.  Not that you would intentionally flush these songs from your memory, but Doom fans rejoice in sprawling, epic song structures and the shorter, more concise tracks fail to evoke that kind of emotional grandiosity. The density of mood – how depressive or passionate the song makes you feel – is what makes a song memorable and determines how much a Doom fan is going to enjoy a song. Though a great many of the elements that solidified Lacrimas Profundere’s place in the annals of dark metal history are still unmistakably present, they have waned somewhat in their intensity and the depth at which they explore their dreary emotions is not quite as inescapable as on past efforts.   But the melancholia is still their in great abundance, which earlier fans will surely recognize and it is tempered in such a way that new fans (not used to Doom) will not be overwhelmed or turned off by it.

Comparisons to Katatonia and Anathema have been tossed around as frequently now as in they were in the past.  In many respects the developments of all three bands from Doom/Death toward various degrees of dark alternative rock certainly mirror one another.   But of the three, Lacrimas Profundere’s music feels far more genuine and dignified to me.   Nonetheless, the thing that I cannot overlook is the use of Travis Smith’s photography for the album’s artwork.   Admittedly, this to me seems like a relatively shady and undignified marketing move: Lacrimas are apparently attempting to further ally themselves by packaging their product similarly and ride the coat tails of Anathema and Katatonia’s “success.”  But further allying themselves with either of these bands threatens their artistic credibility.  Discerning listeners have rightfully given up on both of those bands, despite the fact that so many fans still maintain that the last few Katatonia and Anathema records have been pure genius and were just so goddamned stellar. What Lacrimas Profundere needs to realize is that they can be successful on their own.  What speaks louder than cover art is the music contained therein; and though there are similarities, Lacrimas Profundere’s material is just downright better – it’s more convincing, more moving, and ultimately, more fulfilling.

The bottom line is that Lacrimas Profundere have not entirely failed to deliver an album that will appeal to their fans, because they haven’t (as of yet) sacrificed or abandoned themselves to a style or sound that is beneath them.  Where they choose to go after this, you really can’t tell.  Fall, I Will Follow could be their last noteworthy release – or it could merely be an attempt to diversify themselves and once they have quenched their need for experimentation, they will return to doing what they do best and push the boundaries of Gothic Metal further, rather than trying to attempt to commercialize it for mass consumption.

Whatever the case, I recommend this album.  It isn’t as captivating as their past efforts, but it is FAR better than most other current releases on the market, in any genre.

Track List:
1.) For Bad Times
2.) Adorer Two
3.) Last
4.) I Did It For You
5.) Sear Me Pale Sun
6.) The Nothing Ship
7.) Liquid
8.) Under Your…
9.) …And Her Enigma
10.) Fornever

Lacrimas Profundere is:
Christopher Schmid - vocals
Oliver Nikolas Schmid - lead guitars
Christian Steiner - keys
Willi Wurm - drums
Christian Freitsmiedl - rhythm guitars
Rico Galvagno - bass

Lacrimas Profundere:
http://www.lacrimas.com

Napalm Records:
http://www.napalmrecords.com
 

Marduk
World Funeral
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

The black metal genre is an altogether different beast than it was a decade ago when Marduk was conceived (in, I imagine, a great enveloping oblivion darkness). A lot of bands have since left behind the cold, cold forests and corpse paint in favor of black metal in space or symphonic laden satan-worship. Marduk, however, has not. They've still got their corpse paint, and presumably their spiked maces for dueling in the wintry woods. In an age where most bands have pretty much moved on... I don't know whether to respect Marduk all the more, or wonder if they're just stubborn old black metal warriors.

World Funeral is an exercise in apocalyptic, blasphemous lyrics paired with respectably heavy and atmospheric black metal. Each song has slower and faster riffs and fast riffs with slow tempos and every other combination therein required to make good black metal. This allows the music to breathe when it needs to and beat you senseless the rest of the time. World Funeral is similar to Immortal's Sons of Northern Darkness in that both bands have stuck to a guitar-oriented black metal style. I favor Immortal, but Marduk should appeal to those of you that like your metal oppressively dark and satanic.

If World Funeral has one major flaw, it's that we've heard it before. No matter how well crafted it may be, or how well established Marduk is, World Funeral isn't particularly more special than a lot of older releases by Marduk, Immortal, or any other guitar driven black metal band from the last few years. What World Funeral does have going for it is good production, a nicely heavy guitar, bass, and drum sound, along with above average black metal songwriting.

It's a fairly lonely forest that Marduk is camped in right now. A number of their brethren ran off to abandoned citadels and discovered keyboards, and other disgruntled black metal bands decided to search for satan in space. If you've been waiting for a solid but somewhat modern hardcore black metal release, you'd do well to listen to Marduk. I'd say that you don't really need this CD if you own their other 10+ albums, but if you bought all those, hell, might as well complete the collection. The rest of us can either enjoy recent Abigor, Immortal, Thorns, or any other band that's trying something new.

Track List:
1) With Satan and Victorious Weapons
2) Bleached Bones
3) Cloven Hoof
4) World Funeral
5) To the Death's Head True
6) Castrum Doloris
7) Hearse
8) Night of the Long Knives
9) Bloodletting
10) Blessed Unholy
11) Blackcrowned

Marduk is:
Morgan Steinmeyer Hakansson - guitar
B:War - bass
Legion - vocals
Emil Dragutinovic - drums

Marduk - Official Site:
http://www.marduk.nu/

The End Records (US):
http://www.theendrecords.com/

Mercurine
Mercurine (4 song demo)
~reviewed by Blu

Many of you may remember Mera Roberts as the cello player on Faith and the Muse's Blackout AD Tour. That's where I saw saw her first. She's also made appearances with (but not limited to) Cassandra Complex, black tape for a blue girl and Ministry before relocating to Los Angeles in 2000. Branching out on her own alongside Byron Brown (Superfiends, Kommunity FK, and the New Ambassadors of Love) they've created this promo EP while working on their full length CD. I happened to run into them at a New Year's party in Long Beach and was more then delighted when she happened to have an extra copy with her.

With Mercurine, Mera doesn't play strings at all (which I admit I was a bit disappointed in because I do love strings) but takes the spotlight instead to sing. Her voice shimmers somewhere between Switchblade Symphony, Kate Bush and Monica Richards yet doesn't try to duplicate them. There is all at once an innocent air yet coy, determined strength in her presentation. Their webpage says when forming this project Mera "envisioned a new band that would combine elements of New Order, Curve, My Bloody Valentine and harder-edged electronic influences."  And musically, despite my general dislike for electronic percussion, it's done so well here that it doesn't bother me at all and does, to a certain degree, accomplish her goals. The electronics are used wisely and creatively, careful to avoid the repetitive traps of synthpop and smart enough to put in bright electronic pulses in just the right places. If you're going to use a drum machine, this is a good way to do it. Overall the songs are lush and textured --  upbeat, danceable and dreamy at the same time. While it seems to me that there are hints at a Faith & the Muse's influence in places, particularly on track one, they manage to bring something fresh and new to the table.

"Will Morning Come" is an obvious hit -- a memorable melody with a good danceable beat. Mera's sometimes delicate voice is tempered against distorted guitars and haunting synth lines. Track 2, "Gone Too Far," starts with a melodic bass line and almost elfin-like vocals and percussion that becomes more dominate as the song goes along.

Track 3, "Walking West," is the heaviest electronic-driven song. There's lots of sparkling synth lines contrasted with more gritty guitar playing while track 4, "Nameless" is an instrumental focusing on atmospheric guitars. Dreamy and vast it calls to mind early U2. It is a gorgeous composition.

And finally track 5 was not listed so I assume its a hidden track (or a misprint/accident?). There's cello-like bass lines, synths running counter melody and vocals that are whispered and echoing.

All of the four named songs are available on their well organized website for free so take a few moments to check them out. This is definitely the beginning of a wonderful new music project with a wealth of talent to propel them onward.

Tracks:
1. Will Morning Come
2. Gone Too Far
3. Walking West
4. Nameless

www.mercurine.com
 

Metharia
Promo 2001
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

Metharia is an Italian band who play a style somewhere between classic metal and modern power metal.  As far as I can tell, the promo CD they sent (which appears to be from 2001, oddly enough) isn't for sale... but you can listen to it on their website, as noted at the conclusion of this review.  Should you spend your time doing so?  Perhaps I can help provide an answer.

First off, Metharia's songs are sung exclusively in Italian.  Whether this is a problem is a personal decision for the listener.  I, for one, didn't mind at all.  In fact, it probably enhanced the experience, because for the most part, vocalist Luca Volani sings like a madman.  He wildly over-emotes every single lyric and could reasonably be described as 'raving' most of the time.  It would sound substantially sillier if I knew what he was singing about, and as is it verges on high comedy.  That all sounds very unkind, and perhaps it is... but I'll say this: I enjoyed his way-over-the-top performance.  He sounds like he's just -really- into the music.  I imagine for him, metal truly is a lifestyle.  It doesn't hurt that he has a powerful voice that he can morph from a gritty low rasp to a tender crooning warble in a heartbeat.  All brothers in true metal will be proud of his accomplishments.

Musically, the band sticks to well-tread ground, but does so with panache and verve.  Wild guitar licks that are reminiscent of a little Iron Maiden, a little modern crunch, and alot of hard rock make up the majority of the music.  The pace is varied and many soft sections are mixed in with the heavier chunks.  For an unsigned band, these guys know their way around their instruments.  All of the performances are high quality and quite professional.  Metharia would not be out of place at all opening for Hammerfall or some other arena-filling powermetal act.  In fact I suspect these guys will wind up on Scarlet Records or Nuclear Blast before long.  Surprisingly, the production on the promo is almost as good as that of their professional contemporaries.  A little studio gloss and they'd be well on their way to headlining concerts themselves.

If you're a fan of power metal, you should probably seek Metharia out.  They play with a conviction and emotional edge that I find missing in some of the more polished commercial acts.  I suspect that they will rise in prominence over the next few years when some studio exec gets his hands on one of these promos.  Until then, their music may be hard to find, but is probably worth the effort for fans of the genre.  Rock on, Metharia, rock on.

Track List:
01.) Wakynian Tanka
02.) Come un' oasi
03.) Il Risveglio delle idee
04.) Bestia dentro
05.) Il buio della tampesta
06.) Sudo Sangue
07.) Di notte

Metharia is:
Luca Volani: vocals
Antonio Turco: guitars
Giuseppe Arena: guitars
Emiliano Cuomo: bass
Gianluca Patti: keyboards

Metharia Official Website:
http://www.metharia.net/

MINEFIELD
War Machine
~review by Sonya Brown

Inspiring new music from Minefield deals with inner passions gone astray, and the chaotic turmoil of romance. Their new album, War Machine, contains veiled themes of "covert domination and suffocation" in the "hierarchy of personal relationships".  Each track on War Machine paints vivid landscapes of conflict along a timeline of romance.

During a recent Starvox interview, Minefield vocalist and founder, Tamara Kent, mentions a "certain preoccupation with being close to the ground, or even underground".  "Minefield" itself provokes contemplation of dormant issues, with explosive potential, "buried in the earth".  War Machine represents that concept quite well, with brooding lyrics that blossom from ambient vocals, and then claw incognito to the surface of melodic guitar chords, deep cello, and vivid piano scales.

For instance, the track "By Your Side", illustrates the dichotomy of a light-hearted melody conflicted with bittersweet lyrics: "While you were sleeping, I was plotting your destruction, darling."  And then, she continues, "While you closed your eyes, I planned your whole demise..."  A bit of a shocker that brings a sly smile to my face!

War Machine features texture and rhythm programming by Neil Parfitt, with Tamara Kent on vocals and keyboards.  War Machine also boasts of wonderful guest musicians, such as Veronica Syrtash (whom Tamara dubs 'Goddess of Stringed Things') on cello; Nathan Handy's acoustic guitar work (who currently tours with Ani DiFranco's drummer); and Phil Davies on electric guitar; and backing vocals by Nick-e, and Joy Galiatsos.

My favorite track on War Machine takes form within "Darkness Becomes You".  Sexy and sultry, sweet and innocent.  Tamara's vocal range on this track exhibits her inner seductress in one moment, and her submissive side in the next. "Why can't there be just one boy worth holding on to?" Followed up with, "I feel sincerely used. I can't believe I wasted all my time with you".  Despite the anguish evident within her words, I believe that the boy she sings of still melts her heart, and brings a flush to her cheeks. That's what I love most about War Machine; we go through the emotions with Tamara.  We empathize throughout each scenario because we have all been there before.

And now, again, I must listen to "Darkness Becomes You", because I also wonder "if you think of me when I'm not around?"

WAR MACHINE TRACK LIST:
Creeping
War Machine
Touchdown
Waiting
Play Me Again
Sinking Under
What We've Become
Darkness Becomes You
Drop My Anchor
Quiet
By Your Side
What It's Like
Teclo
Complication

www.Minefieldmusic.com
minefield@mail.com

Writer's Additional Note:
Catalyst, of Soviet Radio, talks to an audience gathered recently at The New Paris Theatre in Portland, Oregon on a rainy Friday night.  "Tamara Kent did the backing vocals for this next song," he tells us all.  "She's in a very good band called Minefield from Toronto, " he continues.  "You should check them out."

Several people in the audience applaud when Catalyst mentions the Canadian music artist, Tamara Kent, and her band, Minefield.   "See?" he says. "They know what I'm talking about. Check them out."   Catalyst then launches into "Shepherd", and I am one of many people delighted to hear the incomparable vocals of Tamara Kent wafting beautifully across the stage as a backdrop for vocals by Catalyst.

You, too, can check out "Shepherd", by Soviet Radio featuring the backing vocals of Tamara Kent, now available at http://www.mp3.com/Soviet_Radio

Moonlight
Candra
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

If you've ever wondered what a merger between The Gathering and Tool might sound like, look no further than Moonlight, one of Poland's more interesting goth metal acts. That's not to say that Moonlight is entirely as good as Tool or The Gathering, but they do have a lot going for them. If you've listened to recent goth metal and wondered why the growly man was let in the studio, or thought that the generi-metal riffs were trite, you'll appreciate Moonlight's exclusive use of female vocals and alternative rock-ish riffing.

Maja Konarksa is an excellent singer, with a compelling soft voice and equally compelling rock shouts. Her style is most similar to Anneke Van Giersbergen of The Gathering, but not in the copycat sense. Maja has her own sound (with a nice Polish accent, no less), she just chose to sing the same sort of songs we might expect from Anneke. Most notably, Maja differs in that she's willing to do harder rock and metal songs - and that's where the Tool comparison comes in; especially on "Asuu", which features a nicely off kilter Tool-styled riff with oddly phrased Maynard-styled vocals.

It's hard to pick a single favorite song off of this release, but I really like "To See Yourself". This song has quiet and welcoming piano melodies with cascading sheets of harmonized vocals. Maja even sings a soft "doo doo doo", and it reminds me of Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" (which, surely to the benefit of all my credibility as a metal journalist, I'll admit I liked). The song progresses to a warmer movement with absolutely beautiful and graceful singing in Maja's native Polish. It's a heck of a lot nicer than the semi-shouted "Body loves body!" chorus on "Body Dialogue". Maja sounds much more comfortable singing in Polish, and her the music is far more emotional when she does.

Moonlight have given us a mostly entertaining and quality goth metal release, and it's worth your time to listen to some of their samples and see what you think. A few of the songs come across as forced, but when the band isn't doing Tool or The Gathering impressions, they really show their potential. Let's hope next time they explore the softer direction they touch on without fully embracing; their rock material is good in a Tool-ish meets goth metal kind of way, but it's a little too commonplace to keep my attention.

Track List:
1) Ronaa
2) Luna II
3) Meren-Re
4) Body Dialogue
5) To See Yourself
6) Asuu
7) Luna
8) Goodnight

Moonlight is:
Maja Konarska - voice
Daniel Potasz - keyboards
Andrzej Kutys - guitars
Michal Podciecchowski - bass, baritone guitar
Maciej Kazmierski - drums and percussion

Metal Mind Records:
http://www.metalopolis.pl/

Mutantum
Sonic Sideshow
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

Finnish one-man-band Mikko Muranen's Sonic Sideshow has rolled into town, and I have been tasked with reviewing it so that you can decide whether or not you should attend.  Under the name Mutantum, Muranen has created this album of explorations into synthesized and sampled sound which takes the listener on a strange journey indeed.  Never sticking to a particular style or idea for long, Sonic Sideshow is diverse and well recorded... but the lack of focus and scattershot stylistic approach makes it a difficult show to sit all the way through.

Since his own press sheet so tidily sums up the scope of Sonic Sideshow, I will refer to it here.  "Generally the music can be described as a sort of easy listening experimental noise with leanings to ambient and progressive rock," it says.  This rosy picture doesn't quite capture the flavor of the music- when there is music, that is.  Some long stretches of the album are ambient sounds devoid of melody or percussion... but just as often, industrial or electronica beats will mix into and out of the soundscape.  Sound effects and spacey synthesizers often crop up, sometimes enhancing and sometimes polluting the mood created by whichever track is playing.

Minimalism is not a trait that Mr. Muranen exhibits, as nearly all the tracks are densely layered with sound.  In a number of instances, piano and synths mix in a way very reminiscent of the more ambient tracks off of Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile or The Downward Spiral.  Most of the time, though, the influences are less obvious and the music/sound veers off into unexpected directions.  Several tracks 'feature' very obtrusive vocal samples like 'stars in the rotten skies', which takes excerpts from what sounds like a porn movie and lays them over a repetitive drum loop bed.  This, I could do without.  I much preferred the purely instrumental compositions.  Similarly, I could do without much of the rock-oriented guitar riffing that crops up in several tracks.  It generally is made of uninteresting rhythm chugging, though 'smells like haeven?' is nothing but a nicely played and seemingly hearftelt guitar solo piece which bucks the trend.

The lack of direction and cohesiveness between the songs makes Sonic Sideshow a very uneven listen.  There are moments where the music connects and draws the listener into whatever mood is being aimed for... along with too many moments where the only thing the music inspires is a desire to hit the 'skip' key on the CD player.  Muranen is a talented synthesist and knows how to mix a track- the production on the album is sharp and clear, capturing the sound brilliantly.  I just wish he had chosen better sounds to capture.  I would find his music more appealing if he picked a genre and explored it in depth rather than dabbling in numerous styles, flitting from one to another before really digging into any single idea.

Whether anyone else will find more enjoyment in Mutantum's meanderings isn't for me to say, but I do think that if you are a fan of experimental electronica-based music, you should check out Muranen's mp3.com page at:  http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/463/mutantum.html and find out for yourself.

Track List:
01.) none more equal
02.) fry me up
03.) smells like haeven?
04.) neuphoria
05.) hands as a hammer
06.) light white load
07.) blind they dream divine
08.) stars in the rotten skies
09.) genocide a day's work
10.) modern primitive

Mutantum is:
All songs written and realized by Mikko Muranen
except neuphoria which is based
on Hallo Gallo written by Rother/Dinger

Mutantum Official Website:
www.cult.tpu.fi/student/mmuranen/mutantum

Mutantum on mp3.com:
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/463/mutantum.html
 

Noxious Emotion
Senses - advance promo (ADSR Musicwerks)
~reviewed by Uncle Nemesis

It's difficult to dig up information about Noxious Emotion. Their website hasn't been updated since February 2002, and by all appearances it was only sporadically tweaked before then (the most recent stuff in the 'reviews' section, for example, dates back to 2000). Checking the band out via their record label doesn't work, either: they're on the ADSR Musicwerks label, which has a dead website - and the label-link on Noxious Emotion's own site goes to the wrong place anyway!

Frankly, all this doesn't exactly endear Noxious Emotion to your reviewer. It's hard to get interested in a band who, it seems, take so little interest in their own work that they won't even provide up-to-date information about themselves. I have no context for this release, no background information, no snippets of news to flesh out the bare bones of my review - just a website that's been gathering virtual dust for over a year. The overall impression I get is that Noxious Emotion are a band who Just Can't Be Arsed. Not exactly the best way for the band to introduce themselves to potential new fans, or indeed to a reviewer who is coming to their music for the first time.

So, what *can* I tell you, then? Only this: Noxious Emotion  are an electronic band from Seattle. Unlike many of their EBM/Industrial counterparts, they seem to have a grain or two of pop sensibility which makes their music a little more interesting and accessible than the usual stomp-and-chant fare which is getting tiresomely over-familiar these days. This CD is a promotional five-tracker to give us a taste of the forthcoming album, which, the accompanying promo-postcard tells me, is scheduled for release in May 2003. How you're supposed to know all this if your only source of information is the band's obsolete website is anyone's guess. Perhaps they'll announce the new album by telepathy, or something.

What makes all this rather frustrating is that the music isn't half bad. It's got a distinctly New Order-ish groove to it: I'd say that's Noxious Emotion's principal influence. But while New Order have become an increasingly smooth, glossy, MOR-ish pop group in their old age, Noxious Emotion retain enough of the rough stuff to stave off Daytime Radio Hell.

'Touch: The Way That I Used To' has the deadpan vocal and descending bassline of classic New Order, an old-skool crack-and-wallop beat, and some neat little synth lines darting about like small children running through a crowd. It's nicely put together, and even though there's no mistaking where the inspiration comes from, it works. Can't beat a good formula, I suppose, even if it's not your own formula.

'Taste: Your Skin' comes up next. All the tracks, incidentally, are identified in this rather odd manner - whether these are the real song titles, or just a convenient way of  giving us the theme of the song isn't clear. This is just the sort of area where a bit of background would be useful, a little insight into the band's intentions and angles, but as I've already noted, we're shit outta luck on that score. 'Taste' touches base a little more with the industrial dancefloor, but refreshingly avoids the usual EBM-isms. The song drives along on a chopped-up orchestra sample and one of those classic clattery snare sounds, like a plastic bucket being kicked downstairs.

'Auditory: The Noise Inside My Head' brings us back to the left-field pop zone, as Noxious Emotion take a stroll through their New Order influences once again. It's all here, even to the bassline squelched down in the mix, just like Hooky used to do it. As a matter of fact, you can almost fit the lyrics to 'Ceremony' around that bassline: 'This is why events unnerve me/They find it all, a different story...' Hmmm. Perhaps, on this song, Noxious Emotion are making their main influence just a little too obvious.

The final two tracks, 'Flavour: Ritualistic Hanging' and 'Vision: In Your Eyes' throw down some more heavy-duty industrial dance - I'd suggest 'Flavour' is probably the most likely track to grab the attention of your neighbourhood industrial DJ, with its menacing rumble and don't-mess vocal. 'Vision' is slower: built around a circling synth-motif with the vocals oozing over the top like ice cream on hot fudge.

So, the music is worth a squirt, especially if you like a bit of New Order, but wish they hadn't become so *acceptable* these days. As for the rest - well. Somebody should take Noxious Emotion aside and gently but firmly point out that it's time to get busy!

The tunestack:
Touch: the Way That I Used To
Taste: Your Skin
Auditory: The Noise Inside My Head
Flavour: Ritualistic Hanging
Vision: In Your Eyes

Noxious Emotion's website (no current information): http://www.noxious.com

ADSR Musicwerks, Noxious Emotion's label (blank page only):
http://www.musicwerks.org

Reviewed by Uncle Nemesis: http://www.nemesis.to
 

Old Man's Child
In Defiance of Existence
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

Old Man's Child was once one of "those" black metal bands. A member of the cheesy irascible lot that hovered in the shadows of greater bands and begged for your attention. Old Man's Child used to scamper around the black metal scene like some kind of annoying kid brother to Dimmu Borgir. Now Dimmu Borgir continues to grow stale and predictable, and the new Old Man's Child album is a fun romp through dark and thrashy black metal. I'm beginning to think I had them pegged wrong.

I mean, good CDs don't just sprout out of nowhere. Odin knows we haven't enough of them, but In Defiance of Existence is as quality a black metal release as anything from the good old days of Dimmu Borgir and Covenant. I've gone back and listened to some earlier Old Man's Child and there is a clear evolution to this new work, so maybe they had the right idea before and I just didn't notice. Their music might never be legendary, but Galder has a knack for catchy thrash riffs that meld well with black metal vocals and drumming. Nick Barker of Cradle of Filth fame has taken up drum duties, so you can expect a lot of insane blast beats and technical playing - though perhaps nothing so adventurous as his work in Dimmu Borgir and Lockup.

Galder's vocals are blackened rasps that offer no surprises. But really, as much as I sometimes wish for an all instrumental black metal album, even monotonous vocals, when done well, can keep the rest of the music from sinking into mediocrity. The songs flow together appropriately. There aren't any destined to be hits, but the quality is good across the board. Galder has a keen sense for deciding when a bass line should peer through the murky ambience or when keyboards might add a suitable emotional touch. There is even a nice instrumental with two acoustic guitars, playing a very European sort of folk sound - much the way Dissection did on acoustic pieces like "Into Infinite Obscurity".

Bottom line: If you miss releases like Nexus Polaris and Enthrone Darkness Triumphant, give this new Old Man's Child album a listen. I'm hesitant in equating it to classics - only time will tell. But it is new, well produced, and fun to listen to, which isn't something I can say about most of today's symphonic black metal. After my disappointment over Dimmu Borgir's latest CD, I didn't think I'd find anything to fulfill the expectations I'd had for it. Old Man's Child manages to do just that. Give it a listen.

Track List:
1) Felonies of The Christian Art
2) Agony of Fallen Grace
3) Black Seeds on Virgin Soil
4) In Defiance of Existence
5) Sacrifice of Vengeance
6) The Soul Receiver
7) In Quest of Enigmatic Dreams
8) The Underworld Domains
9) Life Deprived

Old Man's Child is:
Galder - vocals, lead and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards
Jardar - lead and acoustic guitars
Nicholas Barker - drums

Old Man's Child - Official Site:
http://www.oldmanschild.tk/

Century Media Records:
http://www.centurymedia.com/

Origami Arktika
Vardogr
~reviewed by Saint Petrol

This disc and the websites associated with it, make me realize that I have not travelled enough in my lifetime.  There is so much yet I do not know, especially about other countries, other experiences and perspectives oflife and this planet.  You see, Origami Arktika are a sort of artist's collective. They are a branch of a larger collective called Origami Republika.  The artists involved are not just musicians, but artists of invention, subversion, deconstruction and reconstruction.  What fascinates me about Origami Arktika is that in their revolutionary play, they do not denounce their ancestors nor their country, but incorporate tradition in a respectful way, all the while setting old tradition in the context of new technology and thought.  It's a fascinating texture that arises from this process, a texture of stark beauty, tactile hope, and transcendent melancholy.

Part of the reason the disc reminds me that I need to travel more, is it makes me wonder what it's like to ride on a bus or train through the landscapes in which this music was created.  Certainly, the music calls them to mind with success, but the music makes me hungry for the real physical experience of the landscapes, just as, I imagine, the recordings of Hank Williams would make someone in Norway perhaps hungry for the real physical landscapes of Texas.

An interesting side note was included with the promotional material for this disc.  The quote is from one of the members of Origami Arktika. His name is Rune Flaten, and this is what he had to say about the recordings:

"Vardogr is an old Norse word, meaning forewarning, almost an omen.  When you hear the door opening some time before it does, when you know someone is going to call you before they do.  This is made by a spirit, something which follows people around and pro- jects their coming.  It is a protective spirit, and a promise of things to come."

Track Listing:
1.)  Orretstov
2.)  Savn
3.)  Tukthusen
4.)  Ny Stein
5.)  Eltavaag
6.)  Trank: vill
7.)  Den sorgfulle sjomann

http://kunst.no/origami/arktika/index.html
http://www.silbermedia.com/origamiarktika/
http://kunst.no/origami/

Project Pitchfork
Trialog
~reviewed by chris parasyte

One of two new EPs from Project Pitchfork, Trialog offers another five new songs to compliment last year’s album Inferno. If you don’t normally buy singles or EPs because you hate owning the same songs on the albums twice, fear not - both new Project Pitchfork EPs are made up of five new songs not found on Inferno.

While View From a Throne (Trialog’s sister EP) presents a whirlwind journey of self-awakening spiritual revolution in an energetic musical package, Trialog is much more somber than the other EP. The darker toned music on Trialog paints a stark landscape in the mind. The songs ‘Tal Der Dornen’, ‘Inferno’ and ‘Radiolarie’ are musically reminiscent of some darker work by the likes of :wumpscut: without the driving dance beats or Leœther Strip (think Serenade for the Dead). The artwork that accompanies this CD is a treat, and a perfect match for the music inside - a stark seascape with a deceptive peacefulness adorns the pages of the liner note booklet. Likewise, View From a Throne and Inferno both have beautiful artwork that would make the most diehard file sharing kid want to own the actual CDs.

Like the album Inferno, the lyrics on Trialog are a mix of English and German, though you won’t hear both languages side by side in any given song. Not being fluent in German, I can’t speak to the lyrical content of ‘Tal Der Dornen’, ‘Radiolarie’ or ‘Trialog’, though the music backing each song paints grim images in the mind. The songs are bleak sounding, yet each has one musical aspect such as a keyboard line or marching beat somewhere in the composition that brings a sense of hope to the song. There is one dancier sounding song on the EP - the opening track, ‘Behind the Fog’, could get a weak dancefloor moving, or keep a strong dancefloor going, and the lyrics speak to a David Thrussell-esque anti-consumerism.

While Trialog is a good listen, it’s definitely mood music. If you’re happy and you know it, don’t listen to this CD - it will bring you down a notch. At the same time, the underlying sense of hope in the music could be just the pick-me-up you need on a bad day. Unlike View From a Throne, I don’t really recommend Trialog as a stand alone EP - it definitely works much better as part of a larger body, so just buy Inferno and View From a Throne while you’re picking this one up. You’ll thank me later.

Track List:
1. Behind the Fog
2. Tal Der Dornen
3. Inferno
4. Radiolarie
5. Trialog

Project Pitchfork is:
Achim Farber
Jurgen Jansen
Carsten Klatte
Dirk Scheuber
Peter Spilles

Official Website: www.pitchfork.de

Metropolis Records:
www.metropolis-records.com
label@metropolis-records.com
Metropolis Records
P.O. Box 54307
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Project Pitchfork
View From a Throne
~reviewed by chris parasyte

View From a Throne is one of two new EPs from Germany’s Project Pitchfork. Along with the Trialog EP and last year’s album Inferno, View From a Throne completes the band’s ‘Nun Trilogy’. Why the ten songs on the two new EPs couldn’t be packed onto one CD and bundled in with Inferno to make a double album is a bit of a mystery, but in a time when many bands release double singles with four remixes of an album track on each disc (something Project Pitchfork themselves were guilty of with the Existence singles), getting five new songs on each EP is a welcome treat.

The songs on View From a Throne touch on themes of a deeply personal spirituality. Though Project Pitchfork have always had a spiritual aspect to their music, View From a Throne is more overt in its thematics than anything the band has released in a while. The song ‘Outside’ is perhaps the most strident in its spiritual connotations, recommending the listener to ask questions and find his own path. The song poses a number of questions - “Why do you really care? Why do you really feel? ... and why are you?” and concludes with a plea to the listener to think for themselves and take control. “Your life is a book - start reading it./Someone else would love to fill your pages with his words.”

Likewise, the title track, ‘View From a Throne’, invites self-discovery and spiritual awakening. “We childlike expect the answer to be shouted back to us/and of course we feel alone if our ears hear nothing but our own screams.” Don’t get me wrong here - the songs on View From a Throne are far from preaching the Gospel of Peter. Vocalist Peter Spilles is not trying to get anyone to go along with his beliefs - he would rather each and every person find their own way.

Musically, View From a Throne covers a surprising amount of ground in a short five song span. Project Pitchfork have always a been a band with a broad musical influence base, and it shows on this EP. Anyone who was wondering where the missing dancefloor stompers on Inferno ended up need look no further than both the title track and ‘Metamorphosis’. Both songs have driving beats and intelligent composition that’ll keep you dancing a steady pace, and are equally suited for the ‘bondage pants & big buckle boots’ and ‘flowing Victorian dress & corset’ crowds.

View From a Throne is an important part of the Nun Trilogy, but is strong enough to stand on its own. Taken as part of the larger work, the EP offers a new angle on the themes presented by the other two CDs, yet taken alone it is a powerful manifesto of self-discovery and awakening.

Track List:
1. View From a Throne
2. Die Schlange Vs. (Damon Der Antwort)
3. Corpus Hermeticum (Body/Spirit)
4. Outside
5. Metamorphosis

Project Pitchfork is:
Achim Farber
Jurgen Jansen
Carsten Klatte
Dirk Scheuber
Peter Spilles

Official Website: www.pitchfork.de

Metropolis Records:
www.metropolis-records.com
label@metropolis-records.com
Metropolis Records
P.O. Box 54307
Philadelphia, PA 19105
 

Rozz Williams
Accept the Gift of Sin
~reviewed by DJ Aesthetic

October 26, 1996, Philadelphia, PA. - The Dark Harvest Festival II. You hear the almost childish tune of a keyboard followed by the sound of a distant bell toll. In a startling sort of fashion, the voice breaks through the dreamy state - "Let's skirt the issue - of discipline. Let's start an illusion with hand and pen. Re-read the words and start again..." The concert has begun...

Of all of the live performances that I had ever heard of Rozz Williams', Accept the Gift of Sin has to be by far the most exceptional. The first time I gave it a listen, I immediately felt as though I were right there as the performance was commencing. Like a gift from beyond the grave, David E. Williams has helped bring us one of the most special live Rozz Williams performances ever mastered to CD. This collaboration between the two is a perfect illustration of Rozz's strong ability to adapt his own unique signature vocal styling and feeling to a wide variety of music.

The CD opened up with electro-symphonic versions of old Christian Death classics "Cavity" and "When I Was Bed." Though I enjoyed both of these (as always), the highlights of the CD did not begin until the third track, when Rozz asks the crowd that "if anyone knows the words - feel free to join in," and begins in to the classic, "Tommorow Belongs to Me" from the 1972 movie, "Cabaret" (I wonder if Liza Minnelli would approve?). "Beautiful Brownshirted Man" was yet still another major change of pace as a catchy accordian-driven ballad.

The fifth track, had to have made this performance. I almost did not know what to make of it when I heard the first few words over the atmospheric background, recognizing the lyrics as a cover of the old 70s pop tune, "I'm Not in Love" by 10cc. I honestly did not like the origional, but something about the way Rozz expressed this song in voice made it one of the saddest songs I had ever heard - hitting me like a ton of bricks.. It took me a long pause after I had heard it to continue the CD. If anything, this song made the performance nothing less than perfect.

Lightening up the mood a little bit, the sixth track - "Dream a Little Dream of Me" - somewhat of a trip back in the history of Tin Pan Alley music (the name given to the publishing buisness that hired composers and lyricists in the early 1900s to create popular songs to be sold as sheet music.) "Dream a Little Dream of Me" was one of such songs, humored by its light-heartedness and innocence. This duet between Rozz and David is to be described disturbingly as "delightful" (how's that for Deathrock?).

Bringing the performance to a close is the intense noise driven "Mindfuck (Soundtrack to a Murder)," from Rozz's spoken word album, Every King A Bastard Son. Lyrically horrifying. If this performance was a dream - here is where I would wish to wake up...

"I could die a thousand times, but i'll always be here..."
    --Rozz Williams (R.I.P.)

(Triple X Records)

Track Listing :
1. Cavity
2. When I Was Bed
3. Tommorow Belongs to Me (from Cabaret)
4. Beautiful Brownshirted Man
5. I'm Not in Love
6. Dream a Little Dream of Me
7. Mindfuck (Soundtrack to a Murder)

For this performance :
  Rozz Williams (Vocals)
  David E. Williams (Synthesizer / Backing Vocals)
  Jerome Deppe (Guitar)
  Ken Brune (Saxophone)
  Lou Pepe (Accordion)

http://www.davidewilliams.com/

Limited Copies Now Available Directly From David E. Williams.

Send check or money order for $15 (payable to "David E. Williams") to:
David E. Williams
P.O. Box 2422
Philadelphia, PA 19147 USA

For paypal orders, contact DEWms@aol.com.

Snog
Beyond the Valley of the Proles
~reviewed by chris parasyte

Following a four year gap since 1999’s Third Mall From the Sun, Snog returns with a new album, Beyond the Valley of the Proles. It’s not like Snog mastermind David Thrussell was sitting idle all that time, mind you - he keeps busy enough with his other projects, including Black Lung, Soma and his own spoken word albums - but Snog fans have been waiting for a new album for some time. The line up of Snog has changed somewhat over the years, with Thrussell always at the center of the project; this time around he is joined by Pieter Bourke (Soma, Dead Can Dance).

Slow down, you move too fast. That seems to be what Snog is getting at this time around. Taking more of a stripped-down acoustic approach to the music, Beyond the Valley of the Proles owes more to The Human Germ than it does to Corporate Slave. If you’re looking for new driving dancefloor classics, look somewhere else (or wait for the inevitable remix album). You won’t find them here, as Snog demands a counter to the ever-increasing pace of life in western society. A departure from the more industrial based sound heard on other Snog albums, Beyond the Valley of the Proles has a definite western feel to it. Not country music, mind you, but western... almost like the soundtrack to a John Wayne film. At any time throughout this CD, you could envision a shot of Thrussell riding a white horse into the sunset and the image wouldn’t be incongruous with the soundtrack. Despite its overall slowed down feel, Beyond the Valley of the Proles still retains characteristic Snog electronic bleeps and pings. File under ‘industrial: easy listening’.

That said, don’t think for a second Snog is pulling any punches on this album. The music may be more listener friendly, but the message is still a caustic critique of consumer culture and contemporary political shenanigans. Don’t be fooled into thinking David Thrussell is mellowing in his old age; if anything, he’s got more venom to drip than ever before. The music on Beyond the Valley of the Proles may soothe, but the lyrics will enrage anyone with a shred of social conscience. ‘Justified Homicide’ takes shots at George Bush (both of them), Rupert Murdoch, Queen Elisabeth II and others, while ‘Adelaide’ tells the tale of a town’s law enforcement and criminal justice system gone horribly wrong.

The standout song on the album is ‘Citizens’, a down tempo lullaby relating Thrussell’s prophesy of urbanized human atrophy. The vision of ‘this city of clones drugged into silence/and so on it goes’ echoes fears of a growing complacency among society to just accept what we’re handed, a theme that has been touched on by groups like VNV Nation and Haujobb, and writers such as Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and William Gibson. You can add Snog to that list; David Thrussell’s lyrics hold no delusions of a utopic future.

While the music may fool you, David Thrussell’s distinctive voice will make sure you can’t forget this is in fact Snog. His raspy, sneering bass vocals force you to listen to lyrics that might go ignored if performed by a more benign voice. Comparisons  drawn between Thrussell and Leonard Cohen are fair, but don’t quite fit... imagine Leonard Cohen with headcold, and you’re on the right track.

Beyond the Valley of the Proles, like every other Snog album, should be required listening for, well... anyone. Anyone who likes to think, anyway. Snog doesn’t beat you over the head with politically charged songs the way other groups like Rage Against the Machine do, but rather invites thought and observation about our society and its many ills. This is a damn fine album all around.

Track List:
1. Bad Planet
2. Businessman
3. Fill My Hole
4. The Monster
5. Welcome to Adelaide
6. Justified Homicide
7. Citizens
8. Into the Light
9. Playstation Blues
10. The Fruits
11. Waiting

Snog is:
David Thrussell
Pieter Bourke

Official Website: www.worldwentdown.com/imcc

Metropolis Records:
www.metropolis-records.com
label@metropolis-records.com
Metropolis Records
P.O. Box 54307
Philadelphia, PA 19105

Soilwork
Figure Number Five
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

Soilwork's Natural Born Chaos was one of my favorite CDs from 2002. Figure Number Five isn't. Partly because it's 2003, now, but also because it's a somewhat flawed album... thankfully not in an entirely bad way. Figure Number Five is a pretty good rock/metal album that may be sub par for Soilwork, but is still a hell of a lot more interesting than most rock and metal. Let's take a brief look at Soilwork's evolution as a band, to better explain how they made it to Figure Number Five (because I like lists):

1) Steelbath Suicide: Bewildered listeners likely thought At The Gates  got hopped up on crack and made a CD under the pseudonym Soilwork.

2) The Chainheart Machine: Soilwork developed their own voice, and it  was a frighteningly energetic, hard-hitting metal kind of voice.

3) A Predator's Portrait: Their first really melodic album, with tons of  great solos and some clean singing - who knew Speed could sing?

4) Natural Born Chaos: Continued the melodic themes, but with a focus on Speed's singing.

5) Figure Number Five: The guitar as a lead instrument is virtually gone - this is a vocal dominated CD.

So there you have it. As Speed learned to sing, the rest of the band decided to accompany him from a shack outside the main studio. Figure Number Five is flawed because the riffs are completely unmemorable rock grooves that could be used interchangeably. Speed's voice has developed a great deal - he now covers clean singing that goes beyond simple repeated choruses, but he hasn't let go of his shouts and rants and growls either. He really is quite a good metal singer... I just don't think he was ready to carry an album on his own.

On "Departure Plan", a softer sort of ballad-y number, Speed evokes a very pleasant and melodic main theme that is soon disrupted with a highly annoying shouted chorus. What do I mean by annoying? Well, he plays with his voice a bit while repeating things like "you're so wonderfuhhllll" and comes off sounding like an oaf. Another irritating chorus is the sort of surprised shout "there he goes!" from "Cranking the Sirens".

I'm glad to see Soilwork experimenting and trying new ideas. They even use some hip electronic sounds and Testament-styled ballad thrash themes. But the end result is an uneven mix of good songs, and others that just fall flat on their face trying to be cool or catchy. I think Soilwork honestly want to become a vocal-oriented band, and Speed explores a greater diversity of vocal styles here than ever before. If you're a fan of Soilwork, especially a newer fan, you'll probably really enjoy this CD. It has enough good moments to keep me listening. It's mostly worth the price tag. But if you valued Soilwork for their previously distinct guitar sound, my advice is to mourn for a while and hope Peter Wichers and Ola Frenning form a side project. They sound downright bored as Speed only somewhat successfully steals the show.

Track List:
1) Rejection Role
2) Overload
3) Figure Number Five
4) Strangler
5) Light the Torch
6) Departure Plan
7) Cranking the Sirens
8) Brickwalker
9) The Mindmaker
10) Distortion Sleep
11) Downfall 24

Soilwork is:
Björn "Speed" Strid - vocals
Peter Wichers - guitars
Ola Frenning - guitars
Ola Flink - bass
Henry Ranta - drums
Sven Karlsson - keyboards

Soilwork Official Website:
http://www.soilwork.com

Nuclear Blast Records:
http://www.nuclearblast.de

Steve Roach and Jeffrey Fayman with Robert Fripp and Momodou Kah
Trance Spirits
~reviewed by Saint Petrol

On the first song of the disc, I'm hooked.  I'm impressed with Momodou Kah, and I'm glad for the presence of human skin against goat skin in the recording. By the second song, I'm starting to kind of wish this were a Momodou Kah album.  I miss the sense of conversation between drums that is typical of "genuine" tribal drumming.  The singularity of the drum sounds here  feels unnatural to me, and I become wary of the seemingly endless guitar sighing.  By the third song, I'm seriously ready to turn the disc  off, but I have to proceed,  in order to give this disc an honest review.  I've listened to it the whole way through a few times, but it gets increasingly difficult to do so.  I screw up my face and try to push away the thoughts of how arrogant it seems that Steve Roach would list himself in the second song as a "shamanic percussionist."  I don't know him, but for some reason, his name has for me come to be associated with the suburbanites who drive big shiny SUVs and think they're in touch with tribalism because they own the whole set of his CDs.

Song 5 begs to redeem the CD for me, but again, the background jangly oozey so-called spiritual ethereal sound subverts the power of the drumming.  There's a joke in metal about the drumming being too low in the mix, kind of a Spinal Tap thing I guess; here, the problem is exactly reversed.  Turn that airy fairy sound the heck down and let the drumming of Momodou Kah speak for itself.  I sit through song five, wringing my hands.  I look at the liner notes.  They call that hairy-granola-crystals-for-sale- bookstore-background music "Guitar Soundworlds" on this particular song.  Aw, come on, man.  That sounds so pretentious it  makes _me_ embarrassed to even be sitting here listening to it.

Song 6, I'm seriously ready to rip the CD out of the CD player and see how far it flies, frisbee style.  I can't take this any more. I love African percussion.  This is not African percussion. This is Steve Roach and other people, using African percussion in ways that make me feel very uncomfortable.  I'm tired of the wispy woozy whatever that "Mystic Chord", "Soundworlds," "Mercurial Sounds" crap is.  I'm gonna go play my own drum and try very hard to erase any memory of this album completely from my mind.  Ugh!

Track Listing:
1.)  Taking Flight
2.)  Trance Spirits
3.)  OffSpring
4.)  Seekers
5.)  The Calling
6.)  Year of the Horse
7.)  In The Same Deep Water

http://www.steveroach.com
http://www.tranceportation.com
http://www.projekt.com
 

Soulscape
3 song promo
~reviewed by Blu

Anchored with heart felt, emotional lyrics and propelled by grand rock anthem like melodies along with dance friendly beats, Chicago's Soulscape may have found a combination for success in this somewhat fickle scene. With their lead vocalist no stranger to club nights, this marriage between old school goth rock and new dance/electronica (via the new wave influences of the '80s), attempts to give patrons the best of both.

Let me first state that I love these three songs and anyone would be amiss not to check them out. I think this promo is a brilliant start to what I hope will be a long list of CDs from this group. Having said that, it is often hard to write about music that you like but have suggestions for without it seeming negative somehow and I wish to avoid that altogether. It's not the same as criticism. These are not bad tracks. These are tracks  I would listen to as they are without any changes. It's my hope that the band takes my following comments as the excitement of contemplating what more they could be with a tweak here and tweak there. Of course, this is only my opinion...

Having said that, track 1 is titled "Dreamfree" which opens with a synth propelled percussion and interesting electronic bleeps before the straightforward, masculine vocals come in with a touch of guitar strumming. The beat is strong and I find myself immediately bobbing along with it however, when we reach the chorus, the anticipation for a build up is a bit let down. I've listened to this track over and over again, and it's not that its bad at all, it's that I just want MORE at the chorus. The synth lines imply more emphasis, the vocals get more urgent, and yet something is lacking -- that one big push. And perhaps it's the absence of real percussion or perhaps it's because the bass bleeds out so low that I can't hear it nor the guitar at that point. I hear the synths and I want more. Find a way to give it more power at the chorus and it'll be a chilling moment.

"Rise Again" is great because of it's march-like tempo and uber-catchy melody (I've haven't gotten out of my head for weeks).  The bass work is excellent on this song and I wouldn't mind hearing more of it and although the percussion elements are varied, this is one song that I cannot help feel would sound so much better with a live drummer. You just cannot generate that militaristic force of real drums with synths.

And finally track 3, titled "The Crossing," is their most electronic/dance beat song and here, I think the electronic percussion works quite well and is certainly the most "club friendly" at this point. I also really like the soaring guitar part that glides and buzzes over the top at points in counter melody to the vocals.

Overall, a very promising promo EP and my only word of advice is - give us MORE. More vocals, more bass, more guitar. Lay it on us. I can't wait to hear what's next...

Tracks
1. Dreamfree
2. Rise Again
3. The Crossing

Soulscape on this recording:
Vocals - Mel
Guitars - Dan
Bass - Sam

webpage: www.soulscape.org
(the webpage seems to be currently down but Mel tells me it *should* be working so we hope its just a technical glitch that will be cleared up soon).
 

Stoa
Zal
~reviewed by Kevin Filan

You certainly can't fault Germany's Stoa for a lack of ambition.  Setting the writing of giants like William Blake, James Joyce and Rainer Maria Rilke to music requires a lot of nerve; some might even call it "hubris."  Their most recent release, Zal, aims high ... and frequently hits its target.

The members of Stoa certainly have their musical chops down pat.  Composer and arranger Olaf Parusel has been involved in the classical business since childhood, when he was a member of the oldest chorus in the world.  Singer Antje Buchheiser is also an accomplished violinist, while cellist Christine Fisher and oboist Barbara Uhle both show the kind of skill that comes only with extensive training and practice.  Uhle's melancholy oboe stylings add depth and tension to "Maare" (based on a Japanese poem by Keiji Sayaama), while Fisher's cello supports the ethereal and lovely "Full Fathom Five" (an orchestrated version of Shakespeare's famous speech from "The Tempest").

Given the challenge of setting some of this material to music, Stoa does remarkably well.  While James Joyce was a literary genius, and keenly aware of the music of language, no one ever accused him of being a songwriter.  Still "Alone" succeeds thanks largely to Parusel's compositional skills and to some gorgeous piano work.  "Chanson d'Automne," based on a poem by Paul Verlaine, is even more impressive, thanks largely to the inherent beauty of French and also to some impressive pizzicato cello stylings by Christine Fisher.

Interestingly, one of the most successful compositions on the track is Stoa's lovely remake of Black Tape for a Blue Girl's "I Wish You Could Smile."  While Sam Rosenthal may not be James Joyce, he's got an unerring pop sense.  Turning a Black Tape song into a lushly orchestrated slice of heaven is a piece of cake next to setting Blake or Shakespeare to music.

The vocals on this CD are consistently impressive. Buchheiser's operatic vocals on "Nubius Atrius" (taken from Boethius, author of The Consolation of Philosophy) are evocative of Gregorian chants or Anonymous 4 with modern orchestration.  Still, I found her a bit distant at times While her singing on "Soft Snow" is lovely and complements the Satie-esque acoustic piano, it's a bit mannered.  She might benefit from a class in drama; she has a superb voice but often seems detached from the lyrical emotions.  (I suppose we can give her points for avoiding the melodramatic scenery-chewing we see from too many Goth bands... )  I might also like to see a bit more tension and dissonance incorporated into the music.  The instrumentals are consistently pretty... maybe too pretty.  Songs like "I Held the Moon" and "Think About Eternity" are lovely, but almost sickly-sweet.  They might benefit from some clashing harmonies or some atonal phrases: think Schoenberg's breathtaking "Verklarkte Nacht" or Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" and you'll see what I mean.

Still, this is a fine piece of work, which combines the best of Ethereal music with modern classical and which aims high without becoming pretentious.  In these times, we need all the beautiful music we can get... and Stoa's music is unquestionably beautiful.  Highly recommended.

1) I Held The Moon
2) Alone
3) I Wish You Could Smile
4) Think About Eternity
5) Maare
6) Chanson d'Automne
7) Winter
8) Ariels Song
9) Soft Snow
10) Nubibus Atris
11) Puisque Tout Passe

Projekt Records: www.projekt.com

Stoa – Official Site: http://www.stoa.de
 

Summoning
Lost Tales
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

With Lost Tales, Summoning has once again lowered the bar for what I expect of them.  After reaching their creative peak on Stronghold - an epic masterpiece of transcendent quality - they have sunk further into mediocrity with each successive release.  Many of the problems that marred Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame also plague Lost Tales (which, perhaps ironically, is comprised of two tracks from Summoning's distant past).  Both "feature" terrible production values and irritating samples from Tolkien radio plays.  That's where the similarities end, though, and there are some redeeming aspects of an otherwise disappointing release.

Summoning's greatest strength has always been their ability to musically transport the listener to the ancient realms of fantasy which form the basis of their thematic content.  Typically, they have done this in the past though the use of bombastic percussion, dense synth atmospheres, trilling guitars, and resounding harsh black-metal vocals.  The two 'lost tales' presented on this album, though, eschew all vocals and guitars.  The resulting compositions use synths to outstanding effect, evoking the somber grandeur of Middle Earth as well as any of the band's other output.  Sadly, though, both tracks are considerably diminished by two curious decisions made by Protector and Silenius.

Perhaps to try and compensate for the lack of vocals, a decision was made to lace both tracks with sampled bits of dialogue from Tolkien radio plays.  As they did on Let Mortal Heroes..., these samples simply served to remove me from the trance-like mood the music creates, effectively destroying what made Stronghold and Nightshade Forests so great.  Summoning's best songs capture the imagination, but when dialogue clips of specific characters or scenes are added to them, it takes away your ability to imagine what's going on for yourself.

Adding salt to the wounds the samples gouged is the hideously bad production on both tracks.  Bad production is somewhat understandable, as both these songs were recorded between the band's 1996 release Dol Guldur and Stronghold which came out in 1999.  Nevertheless, 'Arcenstone' sounds like it is being played off a casette tape that's set out in the sun too long, and 'Saruman' akin to an AM radio broadcast.  It is regrettable that Summoning didn't re-record, or at least remaster the two tracks for this modern release.

Lost Tales fills me with disappointment.  Its two tracks are marvellous compositions, full of the same epic spirit from the band's best material.  They are difficult to enjoy, however, due to the considerable problems detailed above.  Unless you are an obsessive Summoning completist, or are unfazed by foul production and bothersome vocal clips interrupting your music, I recommend you pass up this release.  I remain hopeful that Summoning will once again fill me with awe and carry me to ancient lands  over long forgotten pathways..  but I have my doubts that they will ever again reach the pinnacle of songwriting they displayed on Stronghold years ago.

Track List:
1.) Arcenstone
2.) Saruman

Summoning Is:
Protector - All guitars, keyboards, percussion, vocals
Silenius - Keyboards, vocals

Summoning Official Website:
http://www.summoning.info

Napalm Records:
http://www.napalmrecords.com
 

Sword Volcano Complex
Phosphorescent
~reviewed by Saint Petrol

I have listened to this CD more times than I've ever listened to any one CD in order to review it.  The oddity is, it's left me speechless, and it's been the task of several weeks to come up with any words at all for Phosphorescent.  At first I thought I'd make some comparisons to Psychic TV, Current93, Scorpion Wind, and Blood Axis.  But really, the comparative aspects of this album to those bands, are fleeting.  I could just as easily cite sounds like Orbital and Marc Almond.  I get lost trying to describe the album as I listen to it.  It's magical.  Not in that bullshit trying-to-sell-you-a-leisure-cruise magical, but making your hair stand up on the back of your neck magical.  I'm talking strange visions, not Disney.

Each time I listen to this thing, I hear something I swear wasn't on the CD before.  I know I'm mad already, so that could be part of the explanation, but I swear, these songs are alive.  Some of the songs incorporate a studied silliness I admire.  Others reach so deeply into my thoughtfolds it's unsettling. Some of these songs incite reactions in locations of the grey
matter I didn't even know were there.  I'm excited that these sounds came into my life.  I look forward to spending many weird and happy and frightened hours with them.  They're  rather like Alice In Wonderland for manic depressives.  Wait. That's redundant.  It's just plain old a lot like Wonderland. I can see why they called it Phosphorescent, because when I slip the headphones off, I feel radioactive.

Purchase with haste.  Turn off all intrusions.  Listen in low light with candles and headphones.  'Suggest reading Ligotti, Evola, or Lovecraft whilst partaking.

Track Listing:
1  Honeybees Arrive
2  The Better Angels Of Our Nature
3  Phosphorescent
4  Prepare For Landing
5  Knocking On Heaven's Door
6  Sending The Fetch
7  Falling Cat
8  The Other Side Of The World
9  Fire!
10  Spindogpsin
11  Hercules 2
12  The Neon Man
13  Bedtime Stories
14  Tiger's Milk
15  Hypnotized (Live)
16  Under The Paw

On this outing, Sword Volcano Complex is:
Bruce LaFountain, John Murphy, Karl Blake, Jeremy Reed, Val Denham, and Buster, with help from others.

Released on Triumvirate:
http://www.swordvolcano.com/
http://www.middlepillar.com/catalog/browse.pl/artist/SWORD_VOLCANO_COMPLEX__THE
(Middle Pillar carries the debut Sword Volcano Complex disc, and a t-shirt.  Worth
checking into!)
 

Strapping Young Lad
SYL
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

SYL's latest self-titled CD is something of a micro-controversy, in that many people don't seem to think it's a remarkable album. A good deal of other people seem to think it kicks moderate ass. With that relatively lackluster response, you might be wondering whether or not this is a CD to check out. I say: hell yeah! But let me qualify that... This is not the Strapping Young Lad we knew and loved. In place of the industrial-tinged atmospheres on Strapping Young Lad's infamous City, we're given a harder and more organic edge. If you can imagine City mixed with Morbid Angel and Emperor, you'll get a rough idea of what to expect. Anyone who's heard Devin Townsend's recent solo projects might think he's the successful graduate of an Anger Management course. Listening to SYL is all it takes to dispel that notion.

Devin Townsend had pretty much said he was no longer interested in maintaining Strapping Young Lad, but the events of 9/11 sufficiently provoked him to make another set of hate-fueled songs. So if you're thinking that maybe his heart isn't in it, you couldn't be further from the truth. Townsend's vocals are more embittered than before, from his venomous rasps and shrieks to occasionally sarcastic and mocking clean singing. However, I think fans of earlier Strapping Young Lad might miss some of the structure and industrial sounds from City.

The riffs draw in influences from death and black metal with chugging downtuned rhythms and fast as fry speed-picked lines. Gene Hoglan's drumming fills out the sound with his trademark technical approach and double bass. Where City was even somewhat fun in the way that only blind shrieking rage can be, some of that youthful energy is gone. SYL is a much more chaotic and destructive recording. It functions very well as a complete album with consistently good songwriting, but there aren't any singular defining masterpieces that stand out and just beg you set them to repeat.

As a metal CD, SYL ranks in the top 10%. As a Strapping Young Lad album, I'd rank it somewhere just below City, but deem it equally worthwhile in its own way. Devin Townsend is proving that he's still a part-time madman and knows how to craft bludgeoning metal tunes with the best of them. It took me several listens to really get into SYL, if only because the chaotic approach is somewhat demanding mentally - it takes a while to get a feel for the songs. Now I find myself looping the CD with careless abandon and thrashing out (where 'thrashing out' equals 'drinking orange juice and nodding my head lightly'; I do that at concerts, too). In any case, head to www.centurymedia.com or www.strappingyounglad.com to hear more!

Track List:
1) Dire
2) Consequence
3) Relentless
4) Rape Song
5) Aftermath
6) Devour
7) Last Minute
8) Force Fed
9) Dirt Pride
10) Bring On The Young

Strapping Young Lad is:
Devin Townsend - vocals, guitars
Jed Simon - guitars
Byron Stroud - bass
Gene Hoglan - drums

Strapping Young Lad - Official Site:
http://www.strappingyounglad.com/

Century Media Records:
http://www.centurymedia.com/
 

Thou Art Lord
DV8
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

The most obvious feature of Thou Art Lord's new album DV8 is their robust dedication to Satanism.  I don't know about you, but I really find the whole Satan thing pretty passe these days.  It's not shocking, it's not even offensive anymore... it's just tired.  Thou shouldst send thine extra pentagrams back in time to Venom or someone who could have put them to good use.  These guys are from Greece, though... maybe that sort of thing is cutting edge there.  Who knows (besides the Greek).  Fortunately, the band's musical sensibilities are far more sharply honed than their idea of what will terrify young children's parents into a coma.

On DV8, Thou Art Lord vacillates wildly between death metal, black metal, symphonic black metal, thrash, deathy thrash, blackened death, symphonic thr- ... er, you get the idea.  They toss all those styles and gritty growly vocals into a blender, and garnish the results with some unidentifiable spices to boot.  There's even a dash of hardcore and a smattering of power metal (complete with a rousing choral refrain) that sneaks onto the album.  No song seems to adhere entirely to any particular set of genre conventions.  Elements from all wavelengths of the harsher spectrum of metal careen around like bumper cars, rebounding off one another and heading in different directions.  With such a scattershot stylistic approach, you'd think the end result would be confusing and chaotic... and it is, but in a good, wholesomely 'metal' way.

These guys can write some thundering (and often anthemic) riffs that are melodic, catchy, and brutal- but most don't stick around too long before trying to escape through the nearest exit.  The loud, gritty guitars are often supported and padded by dense beds of synths, recalling Dimmu Borgir in their heyday (whenever that was).  The wall of noise is breached at times by skittery guitar solos and swirling dark atmosphere, but remains largely intact throughout the album.  The production is grimy and full of buzz, just how Satan likes it.  Interestingly, vocalist Seth employs a wide range of rasps, grunts, growls, screeches, nu-metal 'disturbed' rants, and shouts.  If you're going to be cliched, you may as well go the whole nine yards and be thorough about it.

If Thou Art Lord focused less on maintaining their cartoonish 'devil worshipper' image and instead just churned out the kickass metal they're clearly capable of, I'd probably like them more.  If you're not embarrassed to have Satanic propaganda lying around your living room (or have a hidden subterranean vault where you store it), you could do worse things with your money than buying DV8.  The band's ebullient disregard of genre constraints ensures that fans of many walks of extreme metal will be pleased, and that the album never gets stale.

Track List:
01.) Chaldean Hex
02.) Baphomets Meteor
03.) Crowning The Winged Skull
04.) Society Of The Dielettanti
05.) Desire, Lust And Incubus
06.) Eyes White Shut And Lips Wide Open
07.) The Shadow Doctrine
08.) Behind The Druid Walls
09.) Those We Guide

Thou Art Lord is:
Seth: Vocals
Akis K.: Drums
The Magus: bass, additional vocals
Sakis: Guitars, additional vocals

Black Lotus Records:
http://www.black-lotus-recs.com/

The End Records (US):
http://www.theendrecords.com
 

Ulver
1993-2003: 1st decade in the machines
~reviewed by Eric Rasmussen

There are few bands as diverse as Ulver, and while I'm not going to get into their full 10 year history, suffice to say that evolving from a black metal band to an IDM/ambient/experimental group is an impressive feat. 1st decade in the machines is a remix CD that imagines Ulver's music in a very fitting way given the band's recent leanings. I'm even hesitant to call it a remix album, despite the fact that it is one, simply because each song is so fully reinterpreted in entirely new and unexpected directions.

Ulver starts things off with their own remix, an appropriate introduction with the pitter patter of electronic percussion and a foreboding ambience with odd distortions. The song quickly accelerates into a section overflowing with a low bass thump and heavy, rolling percussion. Each other song has a distinctly bizarre approach, making me wonder exactly what it is many of these artists hear in Ulver's music that I never could have dreamed up. Upland turns "Lost In Moments" into a heavily distorted and aggressive electronic song; Martin Horntveth mixes a familiar and melodic string section with creepy spoken German; Bogdan Raczynksi explores the lighter, playful side of upbeat IDM with "Bog's basil & curry powder potatos recipe."

Somehow or another, every song on here contributes to an overall feel. One can set the record to repeat and descend into a uniquely surreal world where familiar and emotive Ulver sounds creep up at every turn, but are often buried under densely packed synth noises, occasional melodic padding, and IDM percussion. Two of the most painful songs come from V/Vm and Merzbow. V/Vm, an experimental group made up of pig farmers, or, at least, people who -ought- to be pig farmers, have a very interesting approach to music. It seems to entail causing the listener as much pain as possible with harsh distortion and piercing sounds.

Merzbow does much the same, reinterpreting one of Ulver's black metal songs in an even more painful manner. You don't get a lot of detail or distinctions between sections, but paying close attention to the shifts in sound and atmosphere reveal the same inlaid depth and feeling that is present across the entire CD. I'm typically not one for remix albums, but the artists on 1st decade in the machines do an exceptional job at making songs that are worthwhile on their own, and are not simply shoddy remixes of metal with electronic beats. Anyone who has appreciated Ulver's limited edition EPs or Lyckantropen will find a lot to like on this remix CD. Similarly, any fans ofexperimental/noise/IDM are hereby ordered to seek this out.

Track List:
1) Ulver: Crack Bug
2) Alexander Rishaug: A little wiser than the monkey, much wiser than
seven men
3) Information: Track slow snow
4) Third Eye Foundation: Lyckantropen remix
5) Upland: Lost in moments remix
6) Bogdan Raczynski: Bog's basil & curry powder potatos recipe
7) Martin Horntveth: Der Alte
8) Neotropic: He said - she said
9) A. Wiltzie vs. Stars of the Lid: I love you, but I prefer Trondheim
(parts 1-4)
10) Fennesz: Only the poor have to travel
11) Pita: Ulvrmxsw5
12) Jazzkammer: Wolf rotorvator
13) V/Vm: The descent of men
14) Merzbow: Vow me lbrzu

Ulver - Official Site:
http://ulver.cjb.net/

Jester Records:
http://www.jester-records.com/

Zoar
Clouds Without Water
~reviewed by Saint Petrol

My chin is on the floor.

I slip on the headphones, turn up the volume, and sink into a paradise that makes my brain ache, both by sound, and by thought.  I read the liner notes and know, that for the next few weeks I'll be wishing I was reading the books, authors, and peoples this album refers to, instead of doing what I'm supposed to be doing.  I want to walk into these sounds with an armful of books,  light a fire, curl up, and pull the hole in after me.

First, as for how to describe the sounds, well, minimally, I can say it's a mixture of tribal field recordings, Dead Can Dance's ethereal tapestries, Coil's saw-edged wake-up calls, and a concoction of other elements mixed in that are and should remain, beyond description.

Perhaps I'm overly sensitive, but this album has moved me to tears, made me wide-eyed, and leaves me generally feeling like I need to go for a walk.  It's too beautiful, too moving; 'whispers parts of me I try not to think about. I feel raw, like I've been scrubbed with a brillo pad, but incontrovertibly clean.  I feel lifted by terrible angels. I feel divested of myself, and able to smell colors again. I consider this CD one of my treasures.  I can scarcely believe it exists.

Oh, one more thing.  There are songs on this CD that remind me of Nicole Blackman's work with  the Golden Palominos on a spectacular album called  Dead Inside.  While you're buying the Zoar CD,  find yourself a copy of Dead Inside.  Please, buy both.  The world needs you to hear.

Track Listing:
The Coming Anarchy
Our Way of Life
In Golden Light
Winter Wind
Ashes Falling (Ol Doinyo Lengai)
Clouds Without Water
In These Rooms
Behind The Lake
The Rain Begins
Wakeworld
Here The Deities Approve

Zoar are:
Michael Montes, Peter Rundquist, and Erik Friedlander.

Featuring special guests:
Matt Johnson (The The,) Brendan Perry, (no introduction necessary,) Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields,) Julie Comparini, Tony Levin, Charles Bowden, Paul Shipper, Ken Rich, and last but certainly not least, the Masai people of Lake Natron, Tanzania.

Middle Pillar:
http://www.middlepillar.com

D.M. Thomas:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/D_M_Thomas.htm

Anna Akhmatova:
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/aakhma.htm

Blood Orchid; An Unnatural History of America: here

Henry Purcell:
http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/purcell.html

Miss Waldron's Red Colobus (to whom this album is dedicated):
http://wfscnet.tamu.edu/sconbio/waldroni.htm

An incredible breakdown of the album and all its participants, on the Zoar site:
http://www.zoar.com/cww.html

Nicole Blackman:
http://www.nicoleblackman.com/

Zoar
Clouds Without Water (Middle Pillar Presents)
~reviewed by Blu

Recently I've gotten into some arguments regarding shock rock... or whatever it is that some bands attempt to be. They wear pentagrams, horrible stage makeup and have "spooky" names. They use theatric stage blood and spout words from the bible and talk in adolescent tongues about suicide and murder. They're not smart enough to be campy, and very clearly, they are not scary.  Why do I bring this up here? Because it's bands like Zoar that I recommend they listen to. You want to hear real horror? You want to really be disturbed? Listen to this alone at night, with head phones on, then get back to me. Miles beyond these childish amateurs are bands like Zoar, who, along with the likes of A Murder of Angels, Current 93 and Death in June, explore the dark psyche of the human mind in sophisticated ways. Moreover, they question humanity and all the gray areas that we inhabit. This is not simple music and these are not simple musicians. There is decidedly something more serious going on here. Listen and learn kids. Listen and grow up. Enough of my soapbox.

The point here is that Zoar has been and continues to be a leading creator of dark cinematic soundscapes that will rattle you down to your core and probe the corners of your mind. It's one of the hardest bands I've ever had to review because I don't feel I possess the vocabulary to sufficiently communicate how thorough their work is, how complicated, how intellectual and how darkly beautiful.

On their webpage they provide a brief synopsis of each song with corresponding links to related material. For example, the notes for "The Coming of Anarchy" read:

The title of this piece is taken from an essay written by Robert D. Kaplan in which he argues that scarcity, crime, overpopulation, tribalism, and disease are rapidly destroying the social fabric of our planet. The music was specifically written to reflect the spirit of Kaplan's ideas. Field recordings of the Masai People of Lake Natron, Tanzania are featured.

"Our Way of Life" is my favorite track on this CD and eerily appropriate considering the current world situation. It speaks volumes on current events. Matt Johnson of TheThe provides the spoken word narrative over sounds of electronics and modems, the text taken from the book Blood Orchid by Charles Bowden which  "describes with Old Testament fury and twentieth century anguish the state of the American spirit as the long, bloody century draws to a close."  The words are lengthy but I feel they are important enough to print them here in total:

We are an exceptional model of the human race.
We no longer know how to produce food.
We can no longer heal ourselves.
We no longer raise our young.
We've forgotten the names of the stars, fail to notice the phases of the moon.
We do not know the plants and they no longer protect us.
We tell ourselves that we are the most powerful specimens of our kind who have ever lived.
Yet when the lights are off, we are helpless.
We cannot move without traffic signals.
We must attend classes in order to learn, by rote, numbered steps toward love or how to breast-feed our baby.
We justify anything, anything at all by the need to maintain our way of life.
And then we go to the doctor and tell the professionals we have no life.
We have a simple test for making decisions: our way of life, which we cleverly call our standard of living, must not change except to grow yet more grand.
We have a simple reality we live with each and every day:
our way of life is killing us...

Moving on, "In Golden Life" features the vocals of Early Music specialist Julie Comparini which is a "story... told from the point of view of a ghost singing to her lover who is still alive." It's absolutely haunting and hypnotic with an infusion of gorgeous ethereal vocals.  "Winter Wind" has a bit of a Renaissance feel to it, mournful cello parts and Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance) on vocals. "Ashes Falling" features Julie once again on vocals with The Masai People of Lake Natron, Tanzania in a song about "the eternal aspects of nature with the ephemeral life span of human beings."  This song is probably one of their most accessible tracks and because of that, probably my least favorite on the disc. It simply doesn't impact me as hard as the others do.

In great contract, the title track "Clouds Without Water" is another brilliant example of what Zoar does best. It's an instrumental piece full of dark cyber noises and sounds and features a cello part played by Erik Friedlander. It reminds me a lot of old black and white horror films and is infinitely creepy.  Picking up a steady tempo but holding onto that dark atmosphere only Zoar can create, "In These Rooms" uses spoken word (Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields) to send chills up your spine -

I slit his throat, spit into his eyes and waited three days until the maggots appeared.
And I really believed that what I had done was right, that he deserved to die in my hands.
And I'll never forget the stupid look on his face as the bright fluid ran from the parted flesh, and the confusion I felt as he tried to talk to me, as if talking would make a difference.

In what the band admits to as an eerie irony, Brenden Perry sings on "Wakeworld" (written pre 9/11) that compares the Fall of the Roman Empire to the present day USA -- "the hand that wounded shall not heal you, the hand that wounded will defeat you, the hand that wounded does not hear you, the hand that wounded may have been you."

And finally Julie Comparini performs a seventeenth century work by Henry Purcell in "Here the Deities Approve." Set against a ghostly music box, Julie's operatic vocals seem an appropriate closing to this auditory movie - as if it were the last act of a play - "here the deities approve, the god of music and of love. All the talents they have lent you, all the blessing they have sent you..."

1. The Coming Anarchy
2. Our Way of Life
3. In Golden Light
4. Winter Wind
5. Ashes Falling (Ol Doinyo Lengai)
6. Clouds Without Water
7. In These Rooms
8. Behind the Lake
9. The Rain Begins
10. Wakeworld
11. Here the Deities Approve

Zoar:
Michael Montes: keyboards
Peter Rundquist: Guitars
Erik Friedlander: Cello

featuring special guests: Matt Johnson, Breden Perry, Jennifer Charles, Julie Comparini, Tony Levin, Charles Bowden, Paul Shipper, Ken Rich and the Masai people of the Lake Natron, Tanzania.

www.middlepilar.com/zoar
www.zoar.com

Highly suggested for links and additional information on this recording:
http://www.zoar.com/cww.htmlv