Sent to me by Cyndee this demo, recorded last year, apparently under the auspices of Bari Bari, starts off in such a way that I am not exactly nonplussed, but my reaction made me realise something. Have been reviewing so many different styles of music in the past twelve months and occasionally bemoaning the lack of urgency, that when everything you could want comes booming out in an instant it throws you!

‘Justify’ is the best Goth song I have heard in years, it’s that simple. With a little wheeeeee of feedback, the bass just jumps on you and this fresh, springy music surges along on a trim, raw course to the end, with the vocals initially obscured to the point were you fear an instrumental.

After the stunning introduction to their sound, they don’t quite achieve this height again, with four songs (and three remixes) but they’ve come up with something that you want to hear endlessly, and they are easily the best new band I’ve been lucky enough to hear, certainly this millennium. Most of the quality CDs coming my way in recent memory have tended to be the work of an individual, or bands who have albums with a lot of quality showing through but a few duff tracks or, in the case of The Brides, so much material coming that you know the impact of those records could have been even better if certain tracks had been shifted from one disc to another. With 13th Sky you’re only looking at four tracks, but they’re superb.

‘Justify’ is bracing, ‘What The Silence Brings’ is them operating as Stealth Goth, with the keyboards acting as a hammock beneath suspiciously sweet vocals, ‘Your Perfect Thing’ glides with gluey bass and knowing vocal guile (a female-led Danse Society for the 21st Century, that sort of thing) and ‘In Blue’ is a mix of delicacy and poison. These songs have just the right mix of brevity and repetition. Almost commercially wholesome, but still underground.

The remixes provide slight changes. The Razor Skyline treatment of ‘Justify’ comes at you with clear and enchanting vocals but a lesser bass impact, ‘What The Silence Brings’ in its Control Theory remix has a lava lamp cadence and electro coating, while ‘En Azul’ is a straight Spanish cover of ‘In Blue’.

If they have anything else on CD I’d love to review it.

www.13thsky.com
 

ACID ICE FLOWS
ANGBAD (AIF)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

Good grief! I open up the sleeve and there’s a bloke with that long, lank curly hair, with the big back upper arm tattoos and I’m thinking I’m in for a bad metal encounter. Then I see he’s called Gollum and I’m aware it’s either going to far worse than anything I could imagine or he has to have a sense of humour and I’ll be in for a treat.

It’s the latter, so rejoice with me!!!!! Strange he may be, but his talent is frequently audacious. There’s very little orchestral sophistication in electronics, so some of the keyboard work is a bit plinky, and atonal, emotionless vocals can be a bit of a problem but you have to see past the opening effect and go for what he’s doing. He deadens and flattens the voice out, and then the chorus erupts like a flagon of fleas in your face, as fluted electronics seethe brightly. It’s as good as any dark electro, but it’s very dark. Very.

He’ll use frisky synth as an agile counterpoint to his vocal stew and while he may sound irritating, mystifying us with his lack of verbal clarity, he’s good plenty of little surprises in most tracks ensuring it isn’t just a slow start and then a constant pace until the end. That’s what 90% of experimental Industrial offshoots give us, and that’s boring, but Gollum is a weird man. He has a beautiful austere cinematic glow to “Deception” which is seriously impressive, ushering in normal vocals, which are instantly preferable. These aren’t that great, being somewhat nasal and reedy, but the song achieves a still feel, with a sense of longing.

He can get chillier and moodier with “Final Scream” and adventurous for “Deliver The Disease” with a shuffling, jerking experiment which further demonstrates his range and when he goes for the very quiet music let’s be polite and say I’m sure if  The Terminator ever retired and opened a stamp shop he too would create something close to ‘Stop The Feeling’ in his spare time.

There’s gloopy grandeur coming out of “The Abyss”, an utterly fantastic emotionally proactive experience called ‘Interlude’ which is just that, and annoyingly short, “Cold” might be Babylon Zoo with its cheeky drawl and spacey jokes, and then some weirdness to end. “Stop The Feeling” gets a wiggly remix and goes for popper moves, with ‘One Hundred Years’ being a more interesting dance attempt because it isn’t trying to impress, but the snarling and sick remix of “Formations” takes us too far into a dull torment, and shows Gollum’s creepier work is best when pretty lively. Intense and claustrophobic - bad, intense and agitated angst-ridden - good. Very good indeed.

My album of the month! Who’d have thought it?

DAWN
FORMATIONS
DECEPTION
FINAL SCREAM
DELIVER THE DISEASE
STOP THE FEELING
ELECTRICITY
THE ABYSS
INTERLUDE
COLD
FORMATIONS (SINKING MIX)
STOP THE FEELING (RED LIGHT MIX)
ONE HUNDRED YEARS

Acid Ice Flows "Angbad" is now available through Projekt Records distribution for $11.98. Click here to purchase.

www.acidiceflows.com

ACTION DIRECTE
OKTOBER / COMPATRIOT GAMES (Oktober Productions)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

I’ll say again, I like what I hear of these chaps, but I also see problems. ‘Oktober’ has some ominous synth speculation and a martial beat gone squidgy, with grazed Eurobeat sneering, and it’s a fine thing. The Synthetik remix then takes into consideration its obvious flaws. First it gives us the added bass, which creates a warmer pull, and it tries to widen the impact of the vocals which simply aren’t clear in the original mix. With ‘Compatriot Games’ (yes, love that title) it’s an ungainly, blobby, thrusting entity where the roaring vocal style surely defeats the purpose of having lyrics that are clever and convey a point?

It’s not like they’re singing mystical Goth-metal bollocks where doomy-echoey-treated garbage sounds complicit and acceptable. They have a reason behind what they’re doing, so let’s fucking hear it! The remix again makes things better, but there’s a basic point here. In the Yellow Pages you don’t have to embarrass yourself by looking for Singing Lessons, thinking you’ll be sitting in a waiting room among naturally gifted eight year olds who’ll all be giggling and nudging each other about the red-faced man in the corner. Look for a Vocal Coach, and get someone to advise you seriously about breathing and intonation. It will work wonders.

OKTOBER
OKTOBER (Synthetik)
COMPATRIOT GAMES
COMPATRIOT GAMES (K-Nitrate)

www.actiondirecte.co.uk

Agent Steel
Order Of The Illuminati
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

If thrash is your thing, you need to buy Agent Steel's Order of the Illuminati as soon as you can.  I haven't heard thrash metal this pure, this unadulterated, this unsullied by modern times since... well, since that Overkill live DVD from last year, but that was the exception to the rule.  You know, Rule 1A.  The rule that states "This kind of music died a long time ago, when a meteor hit the earth and covered all that lived in suffocating ash.  None shall make it again, lest they face eternal doom".  Overkill is the only other band I know of to survive the Great Thrash Cataclysm of the '90s without pulling a 'Black Album'.  Nowdays, Agent Steel and Overkill are the last pair of aces left in old-school metal's dwindling hand.

Agent Steel was founded in 1985 (explaining their archaic sound), but disappeared from the metal landscape for a decade or better while thrash grew, thrived, withered, and died.  Apparently, they were recently unfrozen -like Captain America- from an icy glacier, and once thawed, resumed making music as if no time at all had passed.  If Order Of The Illuminati had come out in 1988, it would have been bigger than big.  Huger than huge.  Its blistering guitar leads and anthemic shouted choruses would have reverberated in headbangers skulls until they dropped unconscious.  Parents would have sneered in contempt at the mere mention of their name.  My friend BJ would have silkscreened T-shirts with Agent Steel's logo on them in his spare time.  These days, I doubt it will even get radio airplay here in the US.  How times have changed.

Though lacking some of the sticky hooks of Master of Puppets era Metallica (and sounding a bit slicker), Order... is easily on par with Overkill's Horrorscope or pre-Practice What You Preach Testament.  It's superior to any of Exodus or Anthrax's output from that hallowed age.  It's less technically impressive than Megadeth's insane early albums, but is arguably more enjoyable since Dave Mustaine's shrill whine is nowhere to be found... and don't let me mislead you (try though I may).  Agent Steel is full of fine musicians.  They fit with the best of that long faded era, which is what makes this such a strange release to come out today, as nu-metal befouls the ears of an unknowing generation.

What a beautiful anachronism Order... is.  I admit, I regularly blast current powermetal bands for doing exactly what Agent Steel has done - taking an old genre and playing the style note for note like the masters did.  Maybe I just tolerate thrash metal better since there's less of it around, or maybe I'm just a fickle bastard.  I think the difference, though, is that Agent Steel's Order Of The Illuminati truly stands up to the best examples of thrash.  You'd be a fool not to buy this album if you fondly remember the days when ass-kicking metal towered over the American music scene in defiant scorn.  These are no pretenders.  They are for real, and they shred.

Track List:
01.) Avenger
02.) Ten Fists Of Nations
03.) Earth Under Lucifer
04.) Enslaved
05.) Insurrection
06.) Apocalypse (World Without Windows)
07.) Forever Black
08.) Dance Of St.Vitus (Bass Solo)
09.) Dead Eyes
10.) Kontrol (instrumental)
11.) Human Bullet

Agent Steel is:
Juan Garcia - Guitars
Bernie Versailles - Guitars
Karlos Medina - Bass
Bruce Hall - Vocals
Rigo Amezcua - Drums

Agent Steel Official Site:
http://agentsteelonline.com/

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

Scarlet Records:
http://www.scarletrecords.it/

Asche
Distorted DJ 2 CD set
~reviewed by Goat

Disc two of this set is one of the most inconsistent and irritating discs I've encountered for a while.  Disc 2 contains remixes of Asche's work, by other DJs, and most of it is nauseatingly repetitive and uninspiring. Where the original works challenged the listener, the remixes take the wild beasts Asche created, and mount them nicely on the wall in the den, rendering them lifeless, harmless, and without motion or meaning. Needless to say, I won't be playing Disc 2.

Disc one, however, keeps all the teeth and all the fur that make dark drones feel armed and dangerous.  A wonderful disc for late nights up doing whatever assails you.  You'll be looking out the window, wondering if maybe Lovecraft was on to something. Varying between careful creeping drones and fast-paced attacks, Disc 1 is a beauty to behold. Toss Disc 2 in the bin; wear Disc 1 out!

Asche website:  http://www.ant-zen.com/asche
Distributed in the U.S. via:  http://www.soleilmoon.com
 

ATARAXIA
DES PAROLES BLANCHES (Arkadyss)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

It’s magic. Again. But that is their speciality, so it’s hardly unexpected, although an EP is a trifle out of the ordinary.

Three curious encounters with their distinctive style finds you first patiently observing a gentle trickle of typically autumnal acoustic, as the simple lines start to overlay, and the background swelling of the keyboards build up the depth over which the lyrics in English are draped in a somewhat stark, pained manner.

The mystery I normally get from their work, with lyrics in French or Italian, is still preserved, because I can’t follow what they’re on about. Something to do with the sea.

‘Veules Les Roses’ is more of the same but the twin cortex of the two voices; one light, one dark, but neither soft, shows you the only thing you need to know. They have that special edge, because the vocals have edge, when they should seem simply polite.

‘Hovering’ sees the synth rise to prominence, evoking a settle spirit to this, with surging waves included. They’re almost the masters of Ethereal here, but with rays of divine sunlight instead of wispy mist. Their equally fabulous soaring high-pitched vocal style emerge, to lift you skyward, at which point the piece becomes weirder, surging itself, dreamlike and smoky.

Miss it and you’re an arse.

ETRETAT
VEULES LES ROSES
HOVERING

www.ataraxia.net
www.arkadyss.cjb.net

ATARAXIA
Mon Seul Desir (Cruel Moon)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

More beauty, with less of the grand constructs of some of their earlier works, because as they get ever better at weaving rich concoctions from the simplest of ingredients, the mystery is intensified when it appears to be in such a conventional setting. Although the synth can provide certain teasing sounds, we’re mainly talking about vocals and acoustic guitars, with the old bodhran filling in the percussive density. Yet out of these basic elements they make the most extraordinary moods come alive, far more arresting and enveloping than your typical Ethereal, Ambient or Industrial bands with a full arsenal at their disposal. It’s crazy!

There’s only two traditional pieces of music updated here, the rest being modern, but all very quiet and enigmatic.

What is most noticeable here is the richly warm, aromatic acoustics. Yesterday I pointed out how the vocals can seem to dance around the guitar, but on this album it’s like they’re serenading it, and swimming around it. In ‘Aliscon’ the simple sounds even drops down to a sparser feel where they sing about things with a sense of absolute wonder in the voice, and when they coast into the traditional ‘Jarem Gitti’ which doesn’t put over a stereotypical Eastern promise, the tiny ululations scamper through like naughty shrill ghosts.

It’s Vittorio Vandelli’s acoustic on ‘Sendero En Lago Verde’ which is the stunning musical star here, being chunkier, steadier, and more beautiful than ever! just as he uncoils elegantly throughout ‘Eaudelamer’, and there’s another thing. How come they do this so much better than others? Think what a boring thing acoustic and vocals can be and dredge up whatever hoary old Hippy Goth memories you may have. Ataraxia are nothing like that. They make it all seem intoxicating. I remain mystified.

On the final two tracks they have more modern moves, but still keep it under control. Where previously they’ve shown some wilder racketeering, here they are warm and cosy, with a hint of the sour and sinister. The final track actually starts as a medieval thing, with severe cooing and chirping, but then a gap appears, whereupon it seeps back in with synth and percussion stirring up the mix and guiding us out on the same tone but in a wholly different way, which is a clever idea.

More hugely captivating material. You have to love them.

ALISCON
JAREM GITTI
EAUDELAMER
SENDERO EN LAGO VERDE
A L’AUBE
MUNDUS EST JOCUNDUM

www.ataraxia.net
 

The Azoic
Conflict (Single)
~reviewed by Matthew Heilman

It’s not a common practice for me to review a CD single, which consists of eight different versions of one song.  Not to mention the fact that the style of the song in question is part of a genre that has basically overshadowed everything I love about dark organic music. As most know, ‘the thud’ drives the bats right out of the belfry.  However, what follows will indeed be a favourable review of a highly catchy synth pop single! Simply because an honest music critic can recognize what is good, and when something possesses genuine quality, regardless of their own subjective musical preferences, you gotta give it props.  I like to think that I am one of those critics that possess that ability.

The Azoic were once one of the scariest bands in existence.  And at that time, it seemed like only a select group of scary individuals relished their first two discs of unsettling doom and gloom.  But over the past few years, the band has morphed into a futuristic synth pop project that has received overwhelmingly positive interest in the dark club scene across the globe.   And rightfully so. The Azoic is without question following the conventional dance club formulas of heavyweights like VNV Nation, Assemblage 23 and the like, and I don’t think they are at all attempting to disguise that fact.  But their music stands out because of its memorable hooks, its consistently hard hitting and upbeat programming, and its melodic sensibility.  Not to mention the confident alto vocals of Kristy Venrick.  But perhaps the key to the band’s success is that they never entirely abandoned the darker atmospherics of their formative years.  However often these bobbing rhythms lure the feet of black clad youths on to their local club’s dance floors, the chilling choir or string samples and vocal melodies still retain the ability to send shivers down the listener’s spine.  And that is what sets them apart from most electronic dance acts.  The Azoic is just simply good at what they do, and seem to be getting better at their craft as they settle into the current phase of their seven-year existence and prepare for their forthcoming album, Illuminate, due later this year.

Conflict serves as a teaser of what is to come with the aforementioned full-length, and also to prevent the momentum initiated by last year’s Forward release from slowing down. I can’t honestly pinpoint a single thing that the average fan of this genre would not enjoy about this new single.  It’s got all the right ingredients to be a contemporary club smash and the song is already well on its way to anthem status it seems. It’s immediately catchy, moody as well as energetic, with an enveloping pristine production and glossy rhythmic punch.  And if the album version isn’t enough to strike your fancy or (for DJs) doesn’t quite fit your style of spinning, there are seven alternatives.

I personally enjoyed the first three mixes the most.  The Turmoil version is rougher around the edges when compared to the original, and has a slightly more trance-inducing vibe.  The wonderfully dark CombiChrist mix is a more gristled deconstruction and hits much harder both physically and atmospherically.  Kristy’s melodic vocals are scrapped and replaced with stark spoken bits and creates a much more sinister and hypnotic effect.  The Iris remix left me cold.  Though this mix employs a slower more intricate and lite trip hop vibe to the song, it meanders along lazily and totally forsakes the energy of the original track.  The raw and relatively dynamic Massiv In Mench mix is a good return to form.  The notoriously angst-ridden Germans looped one of Kristy’s breathier vocal lines and slightly pitch shifted the rest a bit higher.  Musically, it volleys between a steady thud and more rhythmic break beats for a few of the verses.  The Negative Format mix is basically an extended version of the song with additional techno flair.  Didn’t quite grab me as much as the other tracks did, but it’s still cool and I am sure DJs will find a use for it.  By this point, I think you get the idea.  Each of the tracks provides a noticeable reinterpretation of the song, while never straying too far from the original ideas.

In addition to the remixes, a multimedia video clip of the track is included.  I am a sucker for videos.  I am addicted to MTV2 and VH1 Classic, and I have always felt that music video was an enthralling art form.  So I always love it when bands include video tracks on their releases, because where the hell else will we see this stuff?  At any rate, the “Conflict” video features live clips of the band performing the track interspersed with footage of speeding trains and dizzying shots of steel beams and the like, and the band miming the song in a concrete tunnel.  There is some nice clashing of full-colour shots with blue and sepia tinted passages, which balance cold and warm tones.  Not to mention a curvaceous gothy gal (probably a close friend of the band that said “I wanna be in your video, dammit!”) that wanders about seemingly lost and stood up by a foolish boy.  At any rate, it’s not a work of sublime cinematic art, but its still quite fly and for those of you that dig the band and haven’t had the privilege to have seen them live, you can see the band in action and see who is behind some of these songs you have been groovin’ to.

At any rate, all I can really say here is I can’t write a short review no matter how hard I try.  I mean, this is a single for chrissakes.  If you dig electro, EBM, synth pop, or whatever the hell they are calling this stuff nowadays, this is not only one of the next anthems, but it is one of the few with any atmospheric substance.  So check it out and be on the lookout for “Illuminate” later this year.

Track List:
1.) Conflict (Album Version)
2.) Conflict (Turmoil Mix)
3.) Conflict (CombiChrist Mix)
4.) Conflict (Alpha Conspiracy Mix by Iris)
5.) Conflict (Massiv In Mensch mix)
6.) Conflict (Phaze Mix by Negative Format)
7.) Conflict (Mechanical Asphyxia Mix by System Syn)
8.) Conflict (Imperative Reaction mix)
· Bonus Video Track

The Azoic is:
Kristy Venrick and Steve Laskarides

The Azoic – Official Site:
http://www.nilaihah.com/azoic

Nilaihah Records:
http://www.nilaihah.com

Battlelore
Sword's Song
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

It seems like only yesterday that I was tasked with enduring Battlelore's debut album, Where The Shadows Lie.  It was, in fact, last year (still far too close for comfort)... but the memory of their first album left me with a gnawing dread for the day their followup would arrive.  That day has come.  Sword's Song is reputedly a fantasy metal album inspired by and based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fabulously popular 'Lord Of The Rings' books.  In actuality, though, Battlelore has produced a fantasy metal album where the only fantasy is thinking that this album evokes the spirit of Tolkien's books.

In my review of Where The Shadows Lie, I wrote:

"For every moment that effectively recalls lands far away where epic adventures take place, there are three moments that effectively recall a cut-rate Dream Theater cover band that's fronted by a death metal singer."

The vocals are what turn Sword's Song from a misguided but pleasant album into an exercise in (im)patience.  Patrik Mennander's deathmetal-ish 'raging' vocals are wholly intolerable, nearly as bad as Tomi Hovi's from their debut album.  Mennander's comical ranting is more muppet-like than orcish.  If I wanted to listen to Cookie Monster, I'd turn on Sesame Street.  Hovi is, however, listed as a guest 'musician' on Sword's Song... so perhaps it's he who deserves the blame for ruining most of this album.  Probably not, though, as nearly all the male vocals sound similar enough that they should receive equal credit.

Whoever decided to let Kaisa Jouhki take a more prominent vocal role on this album than the last was right on the money.  She's a fine singer, with a soft, smooth voice.  Applied to the right backing music (which sporadically happened on Where The Shadows Lie) her voice is perfect for creating an air of mystic fantasy.  On this album, she sounds more like a 'The Gathering' wannabe, through little fault of her own.  If Battlelore dropped the vastly overused 'Beauty & The Beast' clean female/growly male vocal arrangement and just let Kaisa sing... and ditched their synthesizers in favor of a lute or something, they might manage to create some memorable fantasy metal.  Until then, I'll fantasize about reaching the end of this review so I won't have to listen to Sword's Song again.

Track List:
01.) Sons Of Riddermark
02.) Sword's Song
03.) The Mark Of The Bear
04.) Buccaneers Inn
05.) Attack Of The Orcs
06.) Dragonslayer
07.) Chazad-Dum Pt. 2 (Silent Caverns)
08.) Horns Of Gondor
09.) The War Of Wrath
10.) Forked Height
11.) Starlight Kingdom
12.) Bonus Track: The Curse Of The Kings

Battlelore is:
Jyri Vahvanen- Guitar
Miika Kokkola- Bass
Henri Vahvanen- Drums
Jussi Rautio- Guitar
Patrik Mennander- Clean male and raging vocals
Maria- Keyboards
Kaisa Jouhki- Female vocals
Guest musicians:
Eric Zacharias- Additional synthesizer
Tommi Havo- Background raging vocals
Miitri Aaltonen- Background vocals

Battlelore Official Website:
http://www.battlelore.net

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

Beefcake
¥003 + ¥024 + 2X = ¥727
~reviewed by Goat

These guys are so cool.  I love how they take this ooey-gooey trip-out "soundscape" type stuff, and then bash the fuck out of it with stab wounds and night sticks.  This shit is horrifying, and I love it.

Don't ever feel you can trust a Beefcake track.  Even at their most "safe" to the timid ear, they break into some bizarre percussive rant, like dropping an A-bomb on a sunset.  Freakin' beautiful.

I very much encourage the adventurous listener to purchase not only this sort of "overview" album, but the full length works from which it is culled. Previous converts to Beefcakeism will not be disappointed, as this collection includes tracks not previously released on the aforementioned full-lengths.  This isn't some "best of" collection or anything like that, but more of a high-quality Whitman's Sampler to give you an idea of what Beefcake have been up to for the last while.  The nice thing is, none of the candies suck.  Sonorous dichotomy rocks.  Seriously, if you find music like the symphonic/demonic point/counterpoint of black metal, you might just find yourself digging Beefcake.

Track Listing:
 Beefcake do not lower themselves to such things.
You want a tracklisting, make it up yo bad self.
No, seriously.

On Hymen records, distributed in the U.S. by:
http://www.soleilmoon.com
 

THE BOXING LESSON
THE BOXING LESSON EP (Send Me Your Head Records)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

Now here’s an unusual band, who claim to b chasing “the spirits of Sergio Leone’s dreams through the black holes of the heavens” but they end of up base camp below Twin Peaks, like Mercury Rev’s studious nephews. And that’s no bad thing because while these songs have very little of the night about them, other than the sleeve photography, they’re quietly gorgeous indie things.

‘Mexican Disguise’ is a real delight. Think of some tremulous Chris Isaak guitar and a singing style rarely heard outside of Robert Wyatt albums and you’ll have a fair idea of the finely balance gentility on offer. It’s melodies of this shimmering beauty which you’ll find throughout and the commanding vocal performance during ‘Motorola’ indicates how much they can offer because to do this in a slow song without sounding like a wobbling dunce is really difficult, especially given the bland lyrics.

They go for big flourishes in ‘Every Bite Tastes The Same’ with angelic vocal syrup poured over a wobbling guitar jelly and in the knowing, twitching ‘Hard To Fake’ they dwindle rather flatly, being too undemanding, and maybe that’s the serious flaw. They’re a little too pleasant, with the lyrics faintly reflective, not searing; the music inventive and often arresting, but never exhibiting power.

But as a taster it’s enchanting, and they can only grow even better from here.

MEXICAN DISGUISIE
MOTOROLA
EVERY BITE TASTES THE SAME
HARD TO FAKE

www.theboxinglesson.com
 

Cage
Darker Than Black
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

Modern interpretations of classic metal styles often suck (see: bands like, oh, 90% of the AFM Records catalogue).  Sometimes, though, when the stars align in celestial concordance, a rare beast is born that captures the essence of the olden days while infusing it with new life.  Cage's Darker Than Black is one such animal, roaring loudly into the night.  It takes a rollickingly fun sprint through familiar territories... merging a healthy dose of metal cheese, unbridled gusto, big riffs, and a reverence for what has been played before.

Above all else, Cage strikes me as a dumbed down Mercyful Fate.  That probably sounds harsh, and perhaps it is, but if you were to make the legendary black metal originators' sound simpler, goofier, and perhaps heavier... much of Darker Than Black is what you'd arrive at.  Perhaps because they also incorporate Man-O-War-ish powermetal into their musical DNA, Cage's lyrics often come off as funny when they strive to be gravely serious.  Their earnest nature is regrettable, if good spirited, as it takes what could be quite aggressively dark metal into more lighthearted territory.

Contradictory though it seems, that same earnestness is likely what makes this album as fun as it is.  Vocalist Sean Peck is so over-the-top that he's achieved low orbit and threatens at any moment to break loose the sundry bonds of earth and rocket off into space.  His fanatical metal zealotry will convince you that even the most ridiculous lyrics he sings are of the utmost importance.  Morphing back and forth from a Halford-like shout to King Diamondy falsetto shrieks to a blackened rasp and all areas in between, Peck is a relentless Transformer-  a Decepticon who's goal is to destroy you with intense vocal waves (nevermind those pesky Autobots).  Peck's singing defines Cage's sound.

Metal fans could do alot worse than spending their money on Cage's oldschool-blackened power thrash. Who doesn't love an insane raving vocalist and catchy riffs, after all?  While a bit lacking in technical virtuosity, Cage more than make up for it with their enthusiasm and fiery performance.  If the American metal scene continues staging a resurgence, bands like Cage and Agent Steel may stamp out Nu-Metal and its spawn once and for all.  It's about time that someone led the charge against such villainy, and Cage is just the band to sound the clarion call to all fans of real metal... letting them know that their hour of triumph has arrived.

Track List:
01.) Darker Than Black
02.) Kill the Devil
03.) Chupacabra
04.) Blood of the Innocent
05.) Eyes of Obsidian
06.) Philadelphia Experiment
07.) March of the Cage
08.) White Magic
09.) Door to the Unknown
10.) Secret of Fatima
11.) Wings of Destruction
12.) Antimatter
13.) Forces of Freedom

Cage is:
Mike Giordano - Bass
Dave Garcia - Lead / Rhythm Guitar
Sean Peck - Lead Vocals
Anthony Wayne McGuiniss - Lead / Rhythm Guitar
Mike Nielsen - Drums

Cage Official Website:
http://www.cageheavymetal.com/

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

Fugitive Records:
http://www.cageheavymetal.com/

Chandeen
Echoes (Kalinkaland)
~reviewed by Uncle Nemesis

Call me Mister Out Of Touch if you will, but I'd never heard of Chandeen before this album arrived in the review stack. And yet the band have been around for almost ten years in assorted line-ups, Echoes is their sixth album, and according to the promotional info-sheet they're 'one of the leaders of the Heavenly Voices movement'.

Hang on - the Heavenly Voices movement? What's that when it's at home? Is this a genuine musical genre, or the product of a marketing man's fertile imagination? At the risk of being my usual cynical old self, I suspect 'Heavenly Voices' is an artificially created term for use by bands who can't quite bring themselves to say 'Ethereal' - rather like bands who want to delicately tip-toe around the G-word will sometimes call themselves 'Darkwave' or other suchlike synonyms. But if you're looking for a one-word description of the music Chandeen make, here it is. They are unequivocally....ethereal. It's like, how much more ethereal could they get? And the answer is none. None more ethereal.

Echoes is a collection of smoothly-produced mood pieces, all hushed meanderings and delicate forays into filigree and shadow. The words of Oscar Wilde, William Blake, and Edgar Allen Poe crop up in the lyrics. Chandeen seem to see themselves as darkly sensitive romanticists, ever swooning o'er tragedy and beauty in some moonlit arbour - a stylistic area in which, of course, the aforementioned poets reign unchallenged. And, to be sure, their words fit the mood very well:

'A dreamy peace on either hand
Deep silence in the shadowy land'

Chandeen's own lyrics are peppered with references to such imagery as 'tears in memories' and 'dark magic and charms' - in general, they cover their stylistic territory very effectively. Unfortunately, here and there they fall into the same trap as Deine Lakaien. Their efforts to write sensitive, poetic lyrics in their second language occasionally throws up some embarrassingly bathetic howlers. Try this, from 'Drawn By The Sea':

'As we get together, like it used to be
Get together...just you and me'

'I'm calling for you, for you
And I'm falling for you, for you'

Ultimately, Echoes works well as mood music, as a collection of background atmospheres, and if ethereal-ism is your bag then I'd say buy with confidence. Just be prepared to listen to Chandeen's lyrical efforts with a selective ear.

The tunestack:
Indian Summer
Echoes
A Dream Within A Dream
In The Forest
Drawn By The Sea
Impressions - La Fruite De La Lune
Call Of The Banshees
The Dream
Red Blood, Blue Soul
Tangled Sheen

The players:
Antje Schulz: Vocals, instruments
Harald Lowy: Instruments, vocals

With:
Christiane Fischer: Cello
Antje Bucheiser: Vocals
Florian Walther: Guitar

The website: http://www.chandeen.com

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

CLAN OF XYMOX
FAREWELL
~review by Mick Mercer

One of the big boys, and they certainly don’t disappoint, because this has class from top to tail. I didn’t follow the clearly serious depth which the lyrics hold, being on certain themes of regret because often the vocals are kept gently obscured by the frothy mix, which is not the best use of a good voice, but I was transfixed by the sheer translucent opulence of these songs which are grand without being pompous, and eerie without being remote.

It’s richly textured and rapacious at times, little lines streaming out a  fairly secretive beat. For the most part the songs ooze quality and work as a group of tracks, without standout songs, but ‘There’s No Tomorrow’ with cool/cruel samples is a blistered item of feverish luxury, and ‘Dark Mood’ can do bleak while sleek, and be creepy yet sounding pretty, tremendously arresting with an extended otherworldly ending. This makes for a great central part of the record as it moves onto ‘One More Time’ with a guitar line I’ve heard elsewhere, on a song with deft strings and an ever-building surging feel, that then tapers off with ‘It’s Not Enough’ which is a plain rocker in the Psy Furs mould and utterly wonderful.

There’s the charming glide of ‘Losing My Head’, the clanking sharp twists of ‘Into Extremes’ and the addictive neon neural deodorant that is the clean, dry ‘Courageous’. True, the opening vocals are a bit Eldritchy, but it picks up nicely afterwards.

You can’t go wrong with this, as it fills your room without being too demanding, allowing you to fully appreciate and get to grips with exquisite emotional etchings.

FAREWELL
COLD DAMP DAY
THERE’S NO TOMORROW
DARK MOOD
ONE MORE TIME
IT’S NOT ENOUGH
COURAGEOUS
INTO EXTREMES
LOSING MY HEAD
SKINDEEP

www.clanofxymox.com
 

Converter
Expansion 1.3.1, 1.3.2
~reviewed by Goat

Annoying at best, nausea-inspiring at worst.  This is the kind of stuff that rich, liquid-acid-dropping artschool wankers fawn over.  Of course add background screens playing 50s naval training movies, and you've got haute couture.  Yawn.  Pretentious, cumbersome, ridiculous. Highly not recommended.

1.3.1 Track list:
in accordance with utopia
butcher
wires
rust

1.3.2 Track list:
recycle
torment
unreal (live remix)
zombi
doom

Converter website:  http://www.ant-zen.com/converter
U.S. Distribution via:  http://www.soleilmoon.com

CORROSION
TEMPLE OF SECRETS EP (Corrosion)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

As this is the only second release in 2 ½ year from the ex-All Living Fear boys, it’s hard to know what they’re doing it for. (You certainly get no explanation on their website.) Maybe the album planned for early 2004 will explain things better?

I’d heard they were rocky, but despite some good ideas, the fact their ‘The Elemental’ won Meltdown’s best demo for 2001 shows what a drab year it must have been, with such regimented vocals and non-committal guitar, which is why it is good that the Dopamines remix here has happened. They recommend you go hot foot to http://www.dopamines.co.uk for more information, but the site isn’t there! Because this is so much livelier (despite highlighting how plain the synth sound is) I think they should run their ideas past him/her first in future, then follow the power plan suggested, because the ideas works well and could help them.

Their main problem is they’re a duo, and on this EP you see too much evidence of this, where the voice lacks true power and aren’t brought up enough in the mix, because the instruments are already being held back enough to give the vocals some sort of emphasis.

The songs are okay. ‘Temple Of Secrets’ is 80’s trad Goth with a bit more in the way of guitar lines, ‘Morning Dew’ is apparently some ‘classic’ Bonnie Dobson track, and never having heard the original I accept this plaintive thing is lovingly crafted, because it’s a tribute to a mate of theirs, who was involved with the original song, one Tim Rose. It’s very gentle, with occasional soaring notes. (To my amazement it has also been covered by Einsturzende, Pulp, Marc Almond and – eek! – Robert Plant.) The most imaginative Corrosion track is ‘Cold Blooded Martyr’ where the rock element seems freer, and the guitar is great throughout, then the Dopamine thing saves the day properly.

I’m not meaning to imply this is bad at all, as it has a consistently quality level, very much in the lighter end of Goth Rock. Being curiously mild, it simply isn’t exciting in any way.

If you’re buying from outside the UK order online at their site, and within the UK send a cheque for £3.50, which includes postage, payable to Corrosion, to Corrosion, Pludda House, Station Road, Bovey Tracey, Devon, TQ3 9AS. ALF fans certainly won’t notice a whole world of difference.

TEMPLE OF SECRETS
MORNING DEW
COLD BLOODED MARTYR
TEMPLE OF SECRETS (Dopamines Discomix)

http://www.corrosionuk.com/
www.alllivingfear.co.uk -‘Home Too Soon’ LP released Sept 2003, shortly before Whitby appearance.
 

The Cramps
Fiends Of Dope Island (Vengeance)
~reviewed by Uncle Nemesis

I'm very envious of The Cramps. It must be so cool to be able to live your entire life like you're starring in your very own B-movie; to construct your own world of chrome and leather, high heels and tail fins. That's The Cramps' great achievement: they're trash icons, prophets from planet rock 'n' roll. We can't all live our lives like The Cramps, but once in a while they'll put out an album and invite us to their party.

I've lost count of the number of albums The Cramps have released to date, and I certainly can't remember how many different line-ups they've had over the years, so don't expect any erudite contextualising or scene-setting with this one. I'll simply predict that Fiends Of Dope Island will go down in Cramps-history as a bit of a classic. It's got more fire and energy than we have any right to expect after all this time, more wit, humour and gung-ho spirit than most bands can muster in an entire career. The Cramps fuel themselves up with all the enthusiasm and glee of a brand new band, and plunge into a set of classic Cramp-o-rama that's easily as good as anything they've ever done.

You know you're in for a rollercoaster ride when the very first song on the album is entitled 'Big Black Witchcraft Rock' - and yes, it most certainly lives up to its name, with Lux Interior hog callin' the lyrics over one of those magnificent rock 'n' roll bashabouts that The Cramps always do so well. Poison Ivy's guitar grinds and churns, unceremoniously rough 'n' ready on the big bad riff. It's a song which steps right up and dares you to suggest that The Cramps' bellies are any less full of fire than they used to be. And then there's the utterly wonderful 'Doctor Fucker', a song which I suspect exists purely to allow Lux Interior to have some fun with the rhythm of those two words.The whole thing is soaked, nay, marinated in so much reverb that 'Doctor' and 'Fucker' crash into each other like particles in an accelerator as Lux gets loose on the chorus. It's a mad and marvellous stomper with some great voodoo drums thrown in along the way. And the good Doctor's final piece of advice? 'Take two weeks' worth of drugs/And call me in the morning'. Don't try that at home, kids. Oh, all right, go on then.

'She's Got Balls' is a warped love song, a hymn of praise to 'Miss Mascara Monster' who's 'Thin as piss on a plate/And high as the sky above'. A very fine companion song to 'Big Balls' by AC/DC, if any DJ is brave enough to try it, I'd suggest. And then we meet the 'Mojo Man From Mars', inventor of a strangely addictive dance which will getcha any time of day: 'It's too early for the bars/And I done wrecked both the cars' sings Lux, helpless in the grip of the Mojo Man's compulsion and convulsions. The lyrics on this album are as gloriously funny and surreal as ever. Rather unfairly, you'll seldom see The Cramps given any credit as lyricists, but they've always had the uncanny ability to set up a weird, wired world in just a few words; they can take us to another place and have us dancing and laughing within a couple of verses and a crazed chorus. It's a rare skill, and there are plenty of instances of that skill at work here.

But if I was to name one song as my favourite, it would be 'Elvis Fuckin' Christ'. Now, there's something about that title that kind of clues you in to the fact that this isn't a nice little ballad, right? It's a dangerously insane romp, a grand proclamation of undiluted rock 'n' roll attitude, with Lux roaring and railing against the 'Big rock awards' on TV, which have apparently 'Crowned a brand new king'. And, of course, it should've been him, because he's 'Chicken pluckin', go-goo muckin', Elvis fuckin' Christ!' The entire song is an insane, assertive anthem, a steaming, fire-breathing theme song, a statement of intent, The Cramps unceremoniously planting their black flag right in the front yard of anyone who thinks Nickelback is as good as it gets. All this and a harmonica blasting away like a train. What what more could you want?

So, it's time to get a little attitude in your life. It's time to fire up the hot rod and get down to The Cramps' virtual drive-in. Neck those funny green pills, turn it up loud, and spend a while with the Fiends Of Dope Island. I'll guarantee the party will be a blast.

Oh, and a postscript. Just in case you were still in any doubt about The Cramps' warped, genius wit, I note with great delight that Lux Interior and Poison Ivy's songs are published by 'Hiss And Hearse Publishing'. Now tell me you don't love 'em!
 

The tunestack:

Big Black Witchcraft Rock
Papa Satan Sang Louie
Hang Up
Fissure Of Rolando
Doctor Fucker M.D.
Dopefiend Boogie
Taboo
Elvis Fucking Christ
She's Got Balls
Oowee Baby
Mojo Man From Mars
Color Me Black
Wrong Way Ticket

The players:

Lux Interior: Vocals, harmonica, maracas
Poison Ivy: Guitar, theremin
Chopper Franklin: Bass, rhythm guitar
Harry Drumdini: Drums
 

The Cramps don't have an official website, but these fan sites contain the essential stuff:

http://members.shaw.ca/thecramps/index.html

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/6803/main.html

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

Dandelion Wine
Light Streaming Down
~reviewed by Jezebel

I am torn already. Just looking at the CD in its very unique casing, I am torn. I love the unique casing. Something too polished to be home-done, but just enough “homedonedness” to it to be charming. You open it up like a present and that is cool. But…BUT. I like my CD display in my living room. People come in and say “ooh” because of my CDs…this wouldn’t sit in it very well. So. 10 on design. 2 on practicality.

But this is about music. Right?

Yep.

And what music it is. This is my first Australian band that I have reviewed (I just don’t count Nick Cave – sorry he’s English, in my head anyway) so I am quite ready and intrigued. I don’t know what I expected or why I expected something different because it was from Aussies, but I did. And ya know what, I was not disappointed.

A mixture of Rhea’s Obsession with Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Cranes, Faith and Disease and Shroud with an Aussie flavour is the way to describe this. Atmospheric and soft and elevating, it dances into your ears and just softly floats around your brain like a ghost in a haunted house.

The second track, “Light Streaming Down,” i.e. the title track is so interesting in that there are different production values here, it’s about mesmerizing you and pulling you into something. And they do that somehow through the production AND the music. I think because we have such unique instruments (Appalachian dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, lute, bowed psaltery) coupled with a culture that gives such a unique insight into percussion, we get something exciting and rare. Well, at least to this American ear.

As the title track sings, hums, at times, bounces along, you walk along with them on their journey, and it’s pleasant and relaxing and kind. It’s a tad overdrawn and done… ending earlier than I think it does.

“Les Parapluies Qui Ont Mange Les Paris.” Yup – say that five times fast. I can’t say it once as my French is restricted to ballet terms and bad tourist French. Okay – off to google.com.  “The Umbrellas Which Have Eats Paris” – now that is NOT what they intended, is it? Oh who cares, this sultry, sometimes surprising music is lovely and the perfect partner to a night in a club as you are discussing the meaning of life. It sits in the background, and sometimes offers some little jewel of a thought. The production is a little sketchy here though, as the percussion is over done and is scratchy and a bit harsh on the ears. Without it – the song is more lovely.

“To Dream is to Follow” sounded like a Disney song to me when I first saw it. Come on you can see Cinderella singing that, can’t you? So when the soft sound of Naomi’s voice comes out, you are wondering when Cinderella took all those drugs. No…I am not saying that Naomi does take drugs! Please don’t read that and take it that way. I was just wondering when Cinderella lost that blue dress and the tiara and found herself some free floating dresses, let her hair out and ran barefoot through the meadow. This is folksy in a grown-up way which is very pretty, although I don’t know if Naomi’s voice fills the song enough. I like it, I could grow to love, but I would love to hear a fuller voice try it. Attempt to contrast the softness of the music itself. The very fairy like sound. Sorry…that is what I think of. What I see when I hear this song. Strung out fairies. Hope that makes sense to you – because it barely does to me.

“Cella’s Movement” starts with the softest of flourishes and the strangest of sounds. A gorgeous beginning. Intriguing and beguiling. As I believe it is ethereal’s job to do, this takes you on a softly coated journey into dreams and visions and landscapes within one’s mind. You are never really pulled or pushed anywhere, but slightly guided, being given enough freedom to travel, yet not enough rope to hang oneself. There is something magickal in a band that can do that. Yes this is bathtub music.  Even when it “kicks in” (we are talking an ethereal kick by the way), it never is jarring and is still supportive of your dreamscapes.

“Begin Journey (Rejiggered)” is a remix of the first song which I had not mentioned. I thought I would do them together. I really like the original version. It’s soft, welcomes you into the album, sets the stage for the rest of listening. So…why “rejigger” it. Damn, they did it. Shit…let’s have the possible dance track. Something that perhaps the DJ will play early in the evening, right after Dead Can Dance. Something all the swirly girly girls will come out to…well, to swirl their skirts to. I am not saying that is not well done, but when the remix is almost twice as long as the original, there is something a little odd here. And I just have a problem with the gratuitous; let’s put the remix there so we can get some DJ play. But that is just me.

I am having trouble writing the last paragraph for this. The conclusion. AHA. The last song ended, my brain is free again. I personally like this album quite a bit. I think it’s interesting and unique ethereal music. There is a great introducing of unique instruments.

I like Dandelion Wine. They were a tasty drink.

Dandelion Wine are:
Naomi Henderson: vocals, flute
Nicholas Albanis: guitars, Appalachian dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, electronics, bass, doumbek
Steve Wheeler – bass

Track listing:
1) Begin Journey
2) Light Streaming Down
3) Les Parapluies Qui Ont Mange Les Paris
4) To Dream is to Follow
5) Cella’s Movement
6) Begin Journey (Rejiggered)
 

Website: http://www.dandelionwine.com.au

Email: hello@dandelionwine.com.au

DARK HORIZON
DEMO
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

I was enthusiastic about their previous single and I’m equally impressed this, for what I imagine will mainly be a mood-inspired band and one you might care for, as albums which enrich the tone of an evening’s listening in a subtle manner are always ones which grow in our affections.

This four track demo CD gives a hint of the album they plan to release later this year and there are three out of four which are great “Higher Ground” gives us an impressively big drum sound, with beautifully swelling keyboards from Stuart Meadows, and gently obscured vocals which soar unexpectedly at the end, seeming deceptively sluggish but with its own sense of space and, therefore, life. “Time” has a crisp rhythm track and Michael’s Clayton’s most attractive vocals, which weave neatly between softly bulging musical shapes as the keyboards inflate and subside, and the guitars seem to hum. It’s a nicely full sound but allows you to loll, contemplatively. Then “End Of Forever” turns out to give a sleek synth buzz, where only backing vocals build, then end unexpectedly, creating an impressively pretty thing.

The only duff aspect comes with “Horizons” which seems listless, being too similar to the first two in tone and Michael almost flops around with vocals, sounding impassioned and dreamy but actually not stamping his presence in the track, which is a shame because there’s some inventive work here, particularly with Andy Meadows and his weird guitar noise.

Overall though, this is quality work and as these are still just demos the album should be very interesting. See their website for further clues.

www.darkhorizon.org.uk

DARKSEED
ASTRAL ADVENTURES (Massacre)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

I’m not a great Goth Metal fan but after weeks of Industrial-lite and Electro sounds it’s always a relief, and usually refreshing, to hear the purring power of guitars and drums pushing songs along with genuine subtlety, and these instruments are the stars of Darkseed’s show. It can remind you of why this music works in such spectacular fashion. Sometimes. In the case of Darkseed, I think they’ve got trouble.

I like the artistic splashes which enliven ‘Where Will I Go’ so we don’t notice the song drifting fruitlessly, and the chiming bells suggest a mordant feel to ‘Can’t Explain’ only for the manic voice to dwindle until just the munching riffs remain in your mind. This guitar hits out bravely throughout ‘Life’ and the vocals adopt a natural approach which sounds good, but also sweep back into a tough stance and come over as drab, so this must be that ‘difficult a sixth album’, because there are problems scattered throughout any appreciation of this. It seems to have no real direction. Every track is good because of the guitar and drums, and there’s no taking away from their power to see a song clip along sounding crisp, but it’s veering on light metal because of the prosaic studio stuffiness.

A touch of folky roots show through in ‘Rain Of Revival’ and they have a truly beautiful number in ‘Forever Stay’ where the sound opens up and even the clever studio touches work, but overall this is worrying because nothing else sounds authentic. Despite an existence apparently known for a heavy sound and a sense of melancholia, this is a studio-dominated album where everything seems to have been mixed to have be curiously sedate. Whoever plays - or suggested - the milky synth (unaccredited on the press release or promo sleeve) during ‘Souls Unite’ probably shoulders most of the blame. It’s a perfect example of a song that should have exploded into life, slashing and grim-faced, having its fluidity totally dampened down. It’s like they just mustn’t be seen as <i>too</i> lively!

Firstly, the male and female vocal approach is a total waste of time. The male voice is usually enclosed and treated with the grazed effect and is down low, the occasional female voice is bright and up high, clear as can be. She can sing, he’s all pretend power. One of them has to shut up. There’s no point her being there, because her sudden appearances (usually kept fairly brief) are almost a silly distraction, and they hardy help his work when highlighting his obvious deficiencies.

The male voice of Stefan Hertrich will stay, but he has to brought to the foreground and made to compete with the guitars, which are always being held back to accommodate the levels the producers have set to bring out supposed vocal nuances. The fact none exist is worrying. You need vocals to grab a hold of you, but through this album every single song is powered and dominated by guitars, which aren’t even allowed free reign and the vocals have no impact whatsoever.

DYING LAND
FLY INTO THE NIGHT
WHERE WILL I GO
CAN’T EXPLAIN
LIFE
HEAR ME
SOULS UNITE
TRAIN OF REVIVAL
FOREVER STAY
WAITING
EVERY DAY
IT SHALL END

www.darkseed.com
www.massacre-records.com

DEATHBOY
MUSIC TO CRASH CARS TO (Wasp Factory)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

I don’t blame Wasp Factory being overjoyed at releasing this album, because it is truly scintillating, verging on a sensation, and one of the few must-have albums of the year.

With his drum and bass, drizzled techno and programmed awareness, Deathboy (the man) and Deathboy (the band) create a different throbbing pustule on the scabby face of the Industrial scene, because there is part of the brain poking through the sores. It isn’t ever as loud as you might anticipate, it doesn’t really repeat, it hardly falters, and the crucial component is the lyrics. Even when a song is noticeable weaker than a predecessor the words still act like a scalpel on your wariness.

This really connects, and sears, and then steers.

From the start the music lashes out, and the coolly melodic vocals reside like a rascally rodeo cowboy atop a fucking bronco, then switches round in ‘Computer #1’ to be sweet and poppy, immediately showing what vast crossover film potential there must be here, because the feathered Industrial style means crystalline sounds and sensitive vocals. There’s plenty to hear, and plenty to react to.

It isn’t pretty but in its gore there are pleasantries, even with the vile, menacing lyrics of ‘Decimate’ an Antish charm parades, and the lighter sounds, as with ‘Parasite’, scoop you up, then bobble away with you, until you realise that while they may well be the bastard offspring of NIN and Aphex Twin, so the vocals border on a psychotic EMF, having commercial common sense.

It chomps, it stabs, it wraps the razored guitar sound round your head and sets you walking across barbed-wire tightrope, keeping you guessing, and thrilled. The curse of such talent is that some songs which most bands would sell their secret stash of Kylie memorabilia for, seem positively dull by comparison to the rest of their material. ‘Killer’ is either feudal or primal, and basically just nicely weird, ‘Change’ so soppy it’s virtually Electro din, and ‘I Know You Know’ has a jaundiced jackhammer beat but still slurps slowly. That’s a ludicrously wide variety, which still all sounds like them. ‘Lost Again’, ‘Sick World’ and ‘Heat Death’ have brilliant words creeping out from the froth and dank, sour surprises, as the beat goes on, and your speakers whip up their petticoats and run from the room screaming.

I expected a beach landing of demon spawn, but ended up with bleached musical porn, so I’m happy. Play repeatedly, until dead.

WE WILL DESTROY
COMPUTER #1
HELL IS ON THE WAY
DECIMATE
PARASITE
CRAWLOUT
DEMONS
KILLER
CHANGE
I KNOW YOU KNOW
LOST AGAIN
SICK WORLD
MUSIC TO CRASH CARS TO
HEAT DEATH

www.deathboy.co.uk
www.wasp-factory.com

Divine Rapture
The Burning Passion
~reviewed by Goat

Hmmm.  I'm thinkin' "No".

I didn't like this CD the first time I put it on. So, I listened to it again a few hours later in the car, and still didn't like it.  So, I waited a week and put it on and I still didn't like it; I think it's safe to say I'm giving this one a hearty thumbs down.

The question of "why" the thumbs down happened is a little harder to describe.  Divine Rapture have all the right ingredients, but somehow I just don't dig the way they're mixed.  Well, no, I'm not even so sure about all the ingredients.  It's like this:

The death metal drumming and guitar work blaze.  Wonderfully done.  The Biohazard sounding nu-metal rappy stuff mixed in is probably an interesting addition, but not one I care for, even remotely. Throwing in the Graveland-type "kindling and screaming" audio scenes is getting the soup pretty full of ingredients, but then that dash of Rush prog-rock kind of stuff just makes for _way_ too many textures working against each other.

If Divine Rapture would just focus on the straight updeath metal, I'd dig 'em.  This album would be great without all the hokey "let's throw this in" stuff. Let hip hop be hip hop.  Death metal ain't broken. Don't fix it!

Track Listing:
1. The Kindling
2. Your Time Has Come
3. Severed
4. My Demon Your Dove
5. The Defying, The Sorrow, The Awakening
6. Funeral Mist
7. Affliction Of Faith
8. Black Moon Harvest
9. Spirit Storm Serenade
10. No Future, No Past
11. The Smothering

On Listenable Records
http://www.listenable.net/

Divine Rapture is:
J.J. and Mike Hrubovcak, Babak Davodian, and Ryan Moll.
http://www.divinerapture.net

DREAMS OF SANITY
THE GAME (Hall Of Sermon)
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

Do you remember my weird review of a proposed musical my girlfriend Lynda got roped into singing for? You might have thought that was slightly off the radar for a journal like this, but this album is not that different in many ways, featuring as it does The Return Of The Concept Album.

It is the story of a creature, and his life. The concept is of him being a living metaphor for the cruelties of fate and chance: in short, highlighting the Game Of Life.

They hint in the press release that it is almost ‘progressive’, as in Prog Rock, but I think it’s often closer to Pomp Rock. During ’The Beginning’ it’s Jennifer Rush in a hurry, while ‘The Creature That You Came To See’ finds engineers detecting the voice of Carol Decker from T’Pau trapped several alternative realities down in the mix.

This is 80’s Rock. This is Rawk where, coming from a fine European tradition, you expect any song with a flossy keyboards opening to suddenly break out into ‘The Final Countdown’.

‘The Empress’, amazingly, has a female singer and acoustic in close proximity, which some might see as a cliché, which most tracks here could be accused of. The guitars have some good riffs when the songs are sparse, there are decent keyboard moments of charm, and closing ‘Finity’ is nearly poppy.

And, you will be interested to hear, the press release patiently explains, that the listener, through empathising with the protagonist, is forced to examine their own life as though exposed on the stage. To play out their life. And the creature, in a dreadful irony, is forced to re-visit his life each and every time you play the CD again.

Except that this will not happen, because only a complete fucking imbecile would put up with this shite more than once.

IN
THE CREATURE THAT YOU CAME TO SEE
THE BEGINNING THAT LIES
THE EMPRESS
AND SO (I WALK ON)
WE.11.SEA
THE CREATURE (REPRISE)
FINITY

www.hall-of-sermon.de

earlymay
stay off your heels
~reviewed by Kevin Filan

earlymay is a band ten years after their time. Cleaner than grunge, but alternately more sincere and less adventurous than “Alternative,” they would have fit in well on post-Nirvana AOR radio.  Alas, post-Nirvana has become post-post Nirvana… and the “nostalgia” market is still stuck in the 80s.   I’m not sure where earlymay will find a home today; as I listen to stay off your heels I keep thinking of South Park’s “Man from 1996.”  (Perhaps they can tour Des Moines… ).  This is unfortunate: stay off your heels is a tuneful, thoughtful piece of work, which deserves a larger audience.

Unlike most of today’s alternative rock bands, earlymay does not pay homage to rap-metal or hip hop. stay off your heels could have been recorded in some parallel universe where Eminem still lives with his Mom in the trailer park and Korn and Slipknot are still asking “Do you want fries with that?”  In this parallel universe, musicians actually know how to play their instruments, and the rhythm is provided by real drummers, not machines.  (Robby Vansaders is to be commended for his tasteful percussion, which runs the gamut from the driving beat of “come around” to the slow tapping that underpins “plummet.”)

The guitar work from Vis Crockett and lead singer Brad Peterson is melodic, hook-laden and hummable.  The acoustic openings of “what you wanted” and "stay off your heels” set a melancholy mood which continues throughout the songs.  The melodies are strengthened by piano and keyboard work from Charles Newman, as well as contributions from Sinead Hollis on violin and Ariane Lallemand on cello.  The musicianship is generally excellent… although Peterson’s vocals could stand some improvement.  At present he is a competent singer, who gets his point across, but his voice is not particularly strong.  This is not a fatal flaw so much as an area for improvement: Peterson would definitely benefit from some voice lessons.  If he learned to project his voice a bit more, and mastered some breathing lessons and gained some confidence he could easily go from competent to superb.  The raw material is definitely there: all he needs is a bit of refinement.

Most pop is a guilty pleasure:  you don’t need to feel guilty about liking earlymay.  They are working in  a well-mined vein, even one which most would call “overmined.”  And yet they still manage to find a few gems here.  Some will tell you that tuneful, guitar-driven rock music has gone the way of the dinosaur:  if that’s the case, earlymay is here to take you on a tour of Jurassic Park.

1.  a.m.
2.  what you wanted
3.  digital green
4.  come around
5.  built
6.  the commuter
7.  plummet
8.  stay off your heels
9.  hesitate
10.  avalon

Brad Peterson: lead vocal, guitars, tambourine
Vis Crockett:  guitars, optigan,, e-bow
Scott Peterson:  bass, backing vocals
Robby Vansaders:  drums

Additional Musicians:
Ariane Lallemand, Cello:  Sinead Hollis, Violin:
Charles Newman, Piano, Keyboards & Xylophone.

earlymay website:
http://www.earlymay.com

label: Motherwest
http://www.motherwest.com/

Elend
Winds Devouring Men
~reviewed by Matthew Heilman

Elend is a dark and eloquent French ensemble comprised of elaborately trained classical musicians.  They made their debut in the underground with their 1994 opus Leçons De Tenebres which was followed by Les Tenebres Du Dehors in 1996, Weeping Nights in 1997, and the bombastic masterpiece The Umbersun in 1998.  All of these releases were thematically inspired by John Milton’s Paradise Lost and taking a cue from the interpretations of 19th Century Romantic poets like Blake and Shelley, Elend’s portrayal of Milton’s epic offered a sympathetic glorification of Lucifer as an unsung hero-villain.

Musically speaking, Elend set the standard for Neo-Classical and Ethereal bands like Autumn Tears and the hosts of other experimental bands that have  emerged over the past decade.  Their compositions were shaded by early Dead Can Dance, and also revealed influences from composers such as Purcell,  Bach, and Wagner.  As the band progressed, their influences veered toward  later and less orthodox 20th Century composers like Mahler, Pärt, Gorecki,  and Penderecki.   Their use of synthesizers was always one of the most  impressive aspects of the group, because even though their music was  synthesized, it truly resembled an authentic classical orchestra – it was loud, dynamic, complex, and overwhelming.  What further set the band apart was the somewhat unlikely use of Death Metal vocals to represent the figure of Lucifer.  Many of the lyrics came directly from Paradise Lost and perfectly suited the thunderous despair and jealous rage of the fallen angel.  Alongside the growls were clean male vocals that bore a startling resemblance to Dead Can Dance’s Brendan Perry, as well as confident soprano vocals and otherworldly choirs.  With The Umbersun, the band’s final release before slipping into a five-year obscurity, was a sonic triumph, consisting primarily of chilling symphonic carnage.  Wagnerian in scope, the band unleashed whirlwinds of intensity, well-tempered by moments of lugubrious eeriness and stark melancholic beauty.   With that album, their music seemed to reach its grand finale and Lucifer’s songs seemed to have been sung.

The Umbersun was in fact an end of an era for Elend.  Most of their fans never thought they would have released another album, as all was quiet regarding them.  The reason I am giving such a lengthy intro to this review, is that at this point, the band is still relatively shrouded in mystery and obscurity.  Several bands have ventured off into Neo-Classical directions.  But few projects exhibit the power or present the quality of music that Elend is capable of.  More confrontational than Sopor Aeternus and nightmares beyond Black Tape For A Blue Girl, they deserve just as much recognition, if not more so, for their unparalleled compositions.

To my pleasant surprise, and for the legions of Elend’s scattered sect of devoted fans, Elend has returned with their most mature, powerful, and well-orchestrated release to date.  Winds Devouring Men is an absolute masterpiece of darkness.  The spectrum of emotions runs from tender yet seductively depressing serenades to sublime moments of sheer terror and jarring evil.  Technically, the band has advanced several stages beyond their prior material, the result being as powerfully emotional as it is progressive and dynamic.

Thematically speaking, the band seems to have left the direct references to Milton and Lucifer behind, embarking on more personal and esoteric lyrical explorations.  Additionally, the Death Metal growls have been entirely abandoned, leaving more room for the moody vocal croons to blossom.  The strong resemblance to Brendan Perry remains, though his voice is not at all plagiarized, but comes across a fitting tribute.  In many ways, Elend fills the void Dead Can Dance left when they abandoned the Classical structures of their Within The Realm Of The Dying Sun and Serpent’s Egg albums to produce more New Age/World music inspired releases.   So for those of you that enjoyed that era of Dead Can Dance, Elend will surely be a welcomed addition to your music collection.

At any rate, the Luciferian roaring, which less literary minded listeners might have found disruptive, has been left behind.  But there is a remarkable growth in the arrangements of these tracks, featuring an even more organic sound that results from the predominant use of live violins and brass instruments instead of keyboards.  Synths are still used for harpsichord, harps, pizzicato strings, and warm drones and strings to fill out the sound, but all of their synth voices still possess professional tones that are true to life and awe-inspiring in their authenticity.

Even still, Elend had a few more tricks up their sleeve for this release.  They have also unexpectedly introduced perfectly suitable elements of noise and traditional Industrial sounds into their work.  And I don’t mean dancey electronic blippity beep bullshit – I mean REAL Industrial.  Clangs, bangs, feedback, scrapes, rhythmic noise!  The Test Dept / Throbbing Gristle / Neubauten kind of Industrial.  Inspired equally by composers such as Arvo Pärt and Philip Glass and their prepared pianos and clanging tubular bell compositions, Elend crafts their most sinister and oppressive moments with the use of unsettling feedback and shrill noises, juxtaposed against polyphonic swells of strings or disharmonic choirs with the occasional rhythmic rumbling pulsing at the music’s core.  The band does an excellent job placing these sounds, and pairing them with the more lush and buoyant passages of traditional classical elements.

Winds Devouring Men is an epic piece of music, painstakingly woven together from start to finish.  This is a transcendent record, that takes the listener on a journey, at first presenting an inviting sense of comfort with the gorgeous adagios of  “Worn Out With Dreams” and “Charis” before the subtle cacophony of “Under War-Broken Trees” begins to unleash a sense of foreboding doom.  The album then plunges into a deep and dark abyss, and it is here where the Industrial and noise elements begin to creep in on “Away From Barren Stars” and reach their suffocating peak at the album’s title track.  “Vision Is All That Matters” marks the point where the Industrial elements and the lush classical ideas seamlessly coalesce.  The band uses a tasteful amount of restraint, fusing these elements together delicately and carefully, so as to create a unique and complimentary union of sound.  The album then begins to crescendo and reach a grandiose climax, swinging like a pendulum from frigid greys to mercurial reds, and back again, leaving the listener breathless at the album’s fulfilling and mournful finale.

Elend is a band that is long overdue for recognition as one of the leading Neo-Classical bands in existence.  This is a faultless, intelligent, satisfying, and landmark album that should be devoured by fans of dark music.  Fans of Dead Can Dance, Cold Meat Industries, Projekt, Classical, and Experimental music will surely find a treasure in this release, as well within the rest of the band’s discography.  Highly recommended and available from The End Records!

Track List:
1.) The Poisonous Eye
2.) Worn Out With Dreams
3.) Charis
4.) Under War-Broken Trees
5.) Away From Barren Stars
6.) Winds Devouring Men
7.) Vision Is All That Matters
8.) The Newborn Sailor
9.) The Plain Masks Of Daylight
10.) A Staggering Moon
11.) Silent Slumber: A God That Breeds Pestilence

Elend is the vision of:
Iskandar Hasnawi
Sébastien Roland
Renaud Tschirner
(All arrangements, instruments and vocals, sound design and programming)

With:
Klaus Amann – trumpet, horn, trombone
Natalie Barbary – soprano
Shinji Chihara – violin, viola
David Kempf – violin, solo violin
Esteri Rémond – soprano
Simon Eberl – industrial soundscapes and noises

Elend – Official Websites (* both were listed as is in the CDs booklet, but neither page seems to be up at present time)
http://www.elend-music.com
http://www.ensemble-orphique.com

Prophecy Records:
http://www.prophecy.cd

The End Records:
http://www.theendrecords.com
 

Elend
Winds Devouring Men
~reviewed by Joel Steudler

Reviewers often use hyperbole when praising an album they particularly like.  In the case of Elend's brilliant Winds Devouring Men, it would be impossible to use hyperbole since no matter how effusive my praises, they would not be exaggerations.  This album is an artistic triumph of the highest magnitude.  Elend has created a masterpiece of dark neo-classical music, a landmark by which other releases will be judged.  Winds Devouring Men melds orchestral, synthetic, and industrial elements into an intense and powerful symphonic soundscape that that is both avante-garde and gothic in nature.

Winds... is a difficult album to discuss because it bears so little resemblance to most of the music reviewed in these pages.  It is in fact more akin to a filmscore than an album of songs, and is best listened to in its entirety.  It isn't totally devoid of traditional song structures either, though they're most often submerged in vast soundscapes that bleed into one another.  Lengthy passages of the album are devoid of melody and are largely textural, blending traditional orchestration and thundering industrial percussion to startling ends.  Sound design is one of Elend's greatest strengths, crafting eerie atmospheres and massive, disquieting industrial nosie.  Paired with the exceptional production standards, Elend's knack for sound design pushes the intensity through the roof in the louder passages and allows for unnerving washes of sound in quieter times.

Mixed into the dense layers of audio are beautiful, smooth male vocals brimming with pathos.  Though the album's cedits don't specify who does the bulk of the singing, whoever it was has a powerful and expressive voice that perfectly meshes with the music.  His mid-pitched delivery is silky and crisp, and carries the same resonance as the instrumentation surrounding his vocals.  Hauntingly ethereal female voices also surface from time to time, but in a choral role ('ahhh's and 'ooh's) rather than a lyric one.  All of the acoustic instrumentalists deliver as poignant a performance as the vocalists, particularly the violinists, who are used to great effect.  Every musician involved in creating Elend's 'Winds Devouring Men' is worthy of praise for their superb efforts.

If you're a fan of dark, atmospheric music and appreciate artistic expression at its highest level, you owe it to yourself to purchase Winds Devouring Men.  Elend's style may be foreign to many listeners, but if you allow yourself to descend into the sonic world they craft, you'll be swept up into the music in no time.  Fans of moody, dark filmscores or classical music should also find much to appreciate here.  Since I review metal albums most of the time, I'm contractually obligated to make a horrible pun at the end of all my reviews.  With that in mind, I'll just say that if you fit into any of the categories I mentioned above, Winds... will blow you away.

Track List:
01.) the poisonous eye
02.) worn out with dreams
03.) charis
04.) under war-broken trees
05.) away from barren stars
06.) winds devouring men
07.) vision is all that matters
08.) the newborn sailor
09.) the plain masks of daylight
10.) a staggering moon

Elend is:
Iskandar Hasnawi
Sebastien Roland
Renaud Tschimer

Vocals, programming, all other instruments, industrial landscapes and noise

And:
Klaus Amman: Trumpet, Horn, Trombone
Nathalie Barbary: Soprano
Shinji Chihara: Violin, viola
David Kempf:  Violin, solo violin
Esteri Rémond: Soprano

Elend Official Website:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/4019/frames.html

Prophecy Records:
http://www.prophecy.cd/

Faith and the Muse
The Burning Season
~reviewed by Jezebel

Tee hee. And they thought they were giving my partner a birthday gift. He didn’t stand a chance of even hearing the new Faith and the Muse CD after he opened it. HA! Like he would have first crack at listening to the long awaited follow-up album to Evidence of Heaven, released way back in 2000. (yes, I have Vera Causa…not the same) Yeah right. Who the hell was he kidding.

So – I took it and I put it into my CD player and ya know what? I ROCKED!!!!!!!

From the first moment of “Bait & Switch” you know that something is up, something is possibly wrong, something is positively being unleashed here. And it’s Monica. Yes, that mistress of song is there – strong and powerful, hitting that note as only Monica can, but ebbing and tiding through a rock, dare I say metal, rich song…and what is this? “Sredni Vashtar”? What the hell is this? Has William accidentally given Monica one of his hard rocking songs? Or has Monica stolen it? I have no idea, I don’t freaking care. I am too busy dancing. This will get everyone who is anyone off their arses and dancing. But as I dance my little heart away (okay I am bouncing at my desk), I take a look at the lyrics. I have always been a fan of the lyrics from Monica because they are always written with such intelligence and with such an insight into the topics she covers whether they are mythology, religion or the paranormal. But there is something else here. These lyrics are different. These are a departure (big word) from the past. And I can’t just put my finger on it. I did try to. I took the odd title of the song and went webbing. An interesting, albeit a little sick, story of a little boy who hates his mean, horrible guardian. She takes away all that is lovely in his life (which is going to end in five years the doctor tells the 10-year old). All he has is a hen and a ferret in a shed. She sells the hen. And when she goes to take the ferret…it kills her. But the interesting this is that this child had created his own little religion around the ferret. He did rituals for it. And when the guardian went to get the ferret, he fervently prayed for it to do something. And it did. But what is FatM trying to tell us. Damned if I know.</