CD reviews - A

As some of you maybe noticed, I'm definitely out of the myspace thing, yes I have decided to close my account because I simply get bored of the whole thing.
So I'm posting here the old reviews that were supposed to be part of L.O.L.#7,they were placed on myspace blog and were never published on paper, some were more than ten years old but if you missed some albums in the past, here's your chance to get an opinion to know what I thought about them, I'll post here full-length reviews in alphabetical order, one post = one letter, and more Eps & Demos will follow, there won't be any download links to the albums, search for yourself and have a great read:

1917 (ARG) "Vision" CD 2004 CONCRET. Death Metal from Argentina, quite old-school and melodic a bit repetitive riffs here and there and some Black Metal influences. Well, all in all a very classic and cliché album of catchy Death/Black Metal, this is not something that satisfies me but it's cool listening to as it's not going superfastechnical and can be listened anytime, old-school fans might like this for sure.
ABAZAGORATH (USA) "TENEBRARUM CADENT EXSURGEMUS" CD 96 ELEGY. First prod on Elegy records was that Black Metal band which doesn't differs a lot from what we're used to hear, they can go fast, used synths and dark (but not convincing enough...) atmospheres, some medieval/epic melodies with the mid-tempo beats. I won't consider them as original but they did really know how to compose & arrange good, solid songs structures with an overall sound that stays heavy enough so I can finally hear the bass lines in this style! All in all this is very norvegian influenced but better sounding. This appeals to the trendy Black Metal fans. c/o NYARLATHOTEP, 32 HILLSIDE TERRACE, WAYNE, NJ. 07470 USA.
ABHORRENCE (BRA) "EVOKING THE ABOMINATION" CD 2001 LISTENABLE. Fast as Hell, Death Metal from Brazil!!! I Hail this land of ungodly purveyors of abominations! From the first note they grab you by the scalp and scream in your ears with an insane rage & total hatred! Imagine an old 33rpm Speed Death/Thrash Metal album played at 45rpm...! They sound a lot like REBAELLIUN & KRISIUN ("Black Force Domain" epoch!), they got the same rage & intensely chaotic unrelenting energy, blasting fury, holocaustic armageddon with supreme leads that skin you alive, the musicianship in speed also equals these bands, so you're not listening to some lame crap! I only knew the "Ascension" Demo tape before listening to this truly Extreme release and I can say that they improved on every aspects, the flow of aggression is unreal and they know how to arrange the songs for being so much extremes & intenses! Rares are the bands who dares to compose challenging, complex structures & play them at the speed of light with feelings as such! Bands like ABHORRENCE, KRISIUN, ANGELCORPSE, REBAELLIUN... always got my admiration for that they aren't happy with basic/common structures and prefer to sound awesome rather than being forgotten some months after their inception or just following a fucking trend... This is no joke, just an impressive result of hard work! ABHORRENCE will now be forever remembered with "Evoking The Abomination", a title that speaks for itself with its quick riffs, Evil raging voice & apocalyptic drumming, not to forget the supreme speed leads of Death that transport you where no life dwells... Hail Brazil, Hail Death Metal & BUY OR DIE!! AV. CENOBELINO B. SERRA, 2014, JD CANAA 15035-000, S.J. RIO PRETO - SP BRAZIL. abho@zaz.com.br www.siage.com.br/abhorrence.htm LISTENABLE Recs: B.P. 73, 62930 WIMEREUX FRANCE. www.listenable.net
ABOMINANT (USA) "Ungodly" CD 2001 DEATHGASM. Still performing what they accustomed us since their second album, a melodic warrior Death/Black Metal in the Swedish veins that also reminds me of ARGHOSLENT now, this is not bad at all, I liked most of the tunes even if I can't forget their godly Demo & first CD! Their style now is more Metal than ever, as good as GOD DETHRONED or CROWN OF THORNS, this is really fast, extreme & melodic Metal with a raging War! It changes from the typical clones of Gore Metal that America has to offer these days and it's a good thing. Catchy Metal for fans of melodic aggressions!
ABOMINATOR (AUSTRALIA) "SUBVERSIVES FOR LUCIFER" CD 2001 OSMOSE. Great return, now performing more in the ANGEL CORPSE vein (unfortunately r.i.p...), very fuckin' Evil & fast!! Still got this particular Extreme Australia's sound, blackish and heavier like SADISTIK EXEKUTION or BESTIAL WARLUST, intense & unrelenting from the beginning to the end, a demonic force has definitely taken control, these barbaric soldiers of the black will tear your soul apart, Lucifer's spawn is definitely born from ABOMINATOR! That is a very fuckin' intense album blaspheming around, complete Evil & darkness among the cataclysmic tunes fuming from below, by the blasts the beast appeared, by the riffs the storms arised and the by the leads the angels fallen down.... The cover art shows exactly what the atmosphere creates: pure HELL!! Great band for a great prod., this is Black/Death for the Extreme Speed Underground Metal elites, BUY OR DIE!!!! PO BOX 7061, GARDENVALE, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA 3185 AUSTRALIA.
ABOMINATTION (BRA) "Rites Of The Eternal Hate" CD 2000 DESTROYER/PROGRESS. By tthe inttro, dark forces were summoned & demons awaken by tthe gattes of etternal hattred, tthe double-TT band ABOMINATTION from Brazil spewed some old-school Speed Deatth Mettal ttunes somewhatt in tthe Rebaelliun & Krisiun veins butt witth an older dustty sound a la INFERNAL also from Brazil of Deatth. And witth a littttle of "Deicidian" feelings ttoo. Definittely sounds differentt and original, tthis sttands above in nott ttrying tto sound like someone else and tthis is a greatt qualitty in my eyes! Sure some people will nott be happy witth tthe crude raw sound butt tthatt's also why I enjoy tthis much more, ttoday I hatte fresh clean sounding producttions and tto give you an idea of tthe ABOMINATTION's sound, tturn your ears ontto tthe godly CENTTURIAN firstt CD "Choronzonic Chaos Gods" tthatt's how itt sounds alike tto me and tthey gott very good sttrong cattchy riffs & musicianship, killer! Evil Deatth Mettal witth greatt soulful leads tthatt tturns me on like no one else and tthis can only gett praised by tthe ttruestt Deatth Mettal fans around: BUY OR DIE! RUA RODRIGUES ALVES 2472, CEP 950670-700 CAXIAS DO SUL/RS BRASIL. www.abominattiondeath.cjb.net abominattion@bol.com.br PROGRESS MUSIC: RUA S. JOSE, FAZENDAS DE ALMEIRIM, 2080-547 PORTUGAL. progressmusic@clix.pt www.progressmusic.cjb.net
ABORTED (BEL) "ENGINEERING THE DEAD" CD 2001 LISTENABLE. What can I say, this is now even better than before! There are some CANNIBAL CORPSE, CRYPTOPSY, SINISTER, VADER similarities in this CD with the same quality & professionalism, ABORTED has gone beyond the average step! This is a band who has evolved great since the first shitty CD, excellent Split-CD and Supreme "Engineering The Dead"! All Death Metal fans should try to check this one out for their collections, it will blow you away by its technical musicianship and crystal-clear production (maybe too much clear for me but I like it anyway!). You readers shouldn't miss this absolute great album, this is no stupid goregrind shit but intelligently structured Brutal & technical Death to the bone & flesh with great feelings of Death, BUY OR DIE!! c/o SVEN, BEVEREN-DRIES 82, 8791 BEVEREN-LEIE BELGIUM. aborted@pandora.be www.goremageddon.com
ABORTED (BEL) "The Saw & The Carnage Done" CD 2003 LISTENABLE. Third warmageddon from the Belgian brutallers, this is again a little different, this means that they're evolving within their own style a la CRYPTOPSY, fast & technical to the bone, grinds & shreds the most weak of the listener but it's also one band that I prefer listening on CD than seeing on stage, maybe because of the technical structures, Live it's always a cacophony to me! Don't miss this third rendez-vous as it's in the same vein as "Engineering The Dead", great prod & quick riffing, fast & brutal as fuck! It's now more like a mixture of CRYPTOPSY, old CARCASS, DERANGED & SUFFOCATION with some old swedish melodies thrown in here & there, heaviness reigns supreme, will certainly become a best-seller in no time! Extreme Metal is a label that can now relate to ABORTED as it's much more diversified than just saying "Brutal Death" or "Death/Grind", if you like it with something different, just buy it blindly but some vocals are reluctants to me, anyway this is a great new insane album full of great structures and originalities: BUY OR GRIND!
ABORTION (SLO) "The Truth Hurts" CD 2000 COPROMESIS. A Bugs Bunny intro?? This is a Grind band, punishing in the vein of SUBLIME CADAVERIC DECOMPOSITION & INHUME, grunts & screaming voices made it fuckin' Extreme with the two first tracks but then I don't dig those repetitives hardcore/crust tunes, they aren't extreme enough to me, it's like the old NAPALM DEATH finally, forget the beginning of the review, the cartoonish intros made it too fun for me to endure, I stopped the tape after track 7-8 for 31 total... Not my cup of Grind!
ABORTUS (AUSTRALIA) "JUDGE ME NOT" CD 99 BATTLEGOD. Good Death Metal band, some of their beats & blasts remind me Nokturnel and they also got a little of Dying Fetus harmonics influences. Eight tracks album of total entertaining Death Metal that is mainly old-school rooted and with some good solos, melodies are encrypted as well but not too much which is good! Well, another good Australian Death Metal release, for fans of classic Death Metal with a little melodic dose for the headbangers... for the headbangers... for the headbangers... BUY OR DIE! BATTLEGOD Prods: PO BOX 532, KINGSGROVE, NSW, 2208 AUSTRALIA. battlegod@hotmail.com
ABORTUS (AUSTRALIA) "PROCESS OF ELIMINATION" CD 2001 CODE666. A new blast by these Aussie Death Metal warriors, really fast & brutal thrashing & pounding anything on its way in the ancestral old-school traditions!! Amazing band that performs Death Metal that no other bands perform today, excellent structures & arrangements with fine old Slayerian headbanging ideas. As catchy as aggressive, so you might imagine that we’re not in front of a common nor banal band! This album rules and is full of attractives things for me, I’m definitely satisfied with ABORTUS, they shred and knows how to annihilate & pulverize my soul like no one else. Influences…? Hell nope! BUY OR DIE!!! c/o STEVE'S GUITAR SALES, 360 FOREST ROAD, HURSTVILLE NSW 2220 AUSTRALIA. abortus@hotmail.com www.abortus.cjb.net CODE666: VIA BILLI 2, 40026 IMOLA ITALY. code666@code666.net www.code666.net
ABRAMELIN (AUSTRALIA) "Deadspeak" CD 2000. Who thought that this band didn't exist anymore? Me! It's a good surprise to hear another album from these Aussie Death Metal warriors. Good sound and great feelings while listening to "Deadspeak" which is of course still in the old-school tradition as they always did in the past maybe more fast and punishing, kept the morbid feel like no one else, this is a damn good return in my ears: BUY OR DIE!!!
ABSCESS (USA) "THROUGH THE CRACKS OF DEATH" CD 2002 PEACEVILLE. Just like "Tormented" this new album evolves again into deep, raw & heavy Death Metal from the bowels of the underground! Quite cool, I didn't like their two first CDs but now, they have the proper mood & music to offer to my ears! Old-school's still alive among ABSCESS' vibes, some of the riffs are too punk anyway but more in the TERRORIZER & AUTOPSY ways, I didn't know that they returned to their first label that mainly built all the cult AUTOPSY beginning, I also thought that the label was dead…! Well, if you're an adept of pure old-scool insanities, this is recommended for your brain, BUY OR… CRACK!! PEACEVILLE Recs: PO BOX 101, CLECKHEATON, W YORKS, BD19 4YF UK. www.peaceville.com
ABSCESS (USA) "Tormented" CD 2001 LISTENABLE. Old-school underground Metal with some old AUTOPSY's vibes, raw as Hell and heavy as Usurper or Scepter & old MASTER, very catchy & basic riffs with some soulful leads throughout the entire album makes this very cool to listen to, has some MACABRE touches within as well as a morbid feel with voluntary detuned guitars, definitely better than anything they released before! BUY OR DIE! PO BOX 2257, BENICIA, CA. 94510 USA.
ACHERON (USA) "Rites Of The Black Mass" CD 92 METAL AGE. It's simply a re-edition of this great satanic vinyl, lots of people ignored this album thinking that "Satanic Victory" or "Lex Talionis" were their debut, at least I have seen that bullshit printed in some distro catalogs...! As for myself, I think this is their best record, satanic from the beginning to the end, lots of intros, raw sound, catchy riffs, blasting spirit-drums & solos of Death were their simple but efficient, convincing, boiling, soul-entrapment blasphemies! Very old-school, ancient feelings & rituals that will hypnotize your being to join their church of Satan! This simply rules, BUY OR DIE!
ACHERON (USA) "Rebirth-Metamorphosing Into Godhood" CD 2003 Black Lotus. Another satanic & dooming Metal album by one of the oldest underground american band. Still possessed and sulfuring but changing voice and going faster than in the past, you'll recognize the typical ACHERON spirit anyway, it's a good one to me, BUY OR DIE!!
ACT OF FATE (Ger) "Despise the light" CD 99 Self-prod. Yeah, I like it when it starts like that, very heavy and pounding with a great sense of musical brutality, sort of Thrash turning to Death Metal heaviness and obscurity with a huge sound! It reminds me of old Asphyx & old Bolt Thrower at the same time, mid-paced Thrashing Death Metal that is very well done & produced to let your head banging & feet taping, a pint of guiness in your hand… fucking rules! End of eighties-early nineties influenced, undoubtedly, Thrash & Death Metal fans will find here all what they crave as it's as punishing as pounding and created some cool atmospheres including solos & dark melodies while staying true to the real old-school of Metal. Probably a band that will crush on stage with their new-Kreator-alike style, definitely appeals more to the Thrash Metal supporters: BUY OR THRASH!
ADMORTEM (FRA) "Living through blood" CD 2001. Excellent technical Death Metal with skills, it's catchy & thrashy but the production is just too clean for me, it kills the blasting spirit and seems to leave the whole band's arrangements empty sometimes…in other words, it lacks of something! It's unfortunately the case now with most of the new albums coming out: crystal-clean productions asepticize the true essence of real Death Metal that must be raw, ugly & chaoticly vile. Good album showing the band's capabilities anyway, they're original enough to turn your ears onto "Living Through Blood" that can at least be linked to a Brutal Thrash Death style with a modern production.
ADRAMELECH (FIN) "PURE BLOOD DOOM" CD 99 SEVERE MUSIC. New release from these raw death metallers and it sounds good to me, they keep up with solos & feelings. Sometimes too predictable and repetitive for my taste and the unfinished sound does not help to get into it at first listening ...until track 4! They got faster in the brutal parts and also always kept the dooming arrangements with atmospheres, this is very varied in fact, the more I listen to it, the more I like it! The album seems to be hard to find anyway, this "Pure Blood Doom" is a true raging old-school Death Metal experience that will please all those who remain true to real Death fucking Metal spirit, BUY OR DIE! c/o JARKKO RANTANEN, KALEVALANKATU 7 AS.8, 32200 LOIMAA FINLAND. jsr@dlc.fi or ali_adramelech@hotmail.com SEVERE MUSIC: PL 96, 32201 LOIMAA FINLAND. www.severemusic.com
AETERNUS (NOR) "ASCENSION OF TERROR" CD 2001 HAMMERHEART. Wonderful new album! Much more brutal & Evil/obscure than before, now in some places similar to Immolation & Vital Remains, especially the vocals, very Dark/Death Metal. It contains all what I'm looking for when looking for Extreme Evil Death Metal music. Has some old Bolt Thrower heaviness too and catchy arrangements with oppressing/haunting old-school atmospheres, it fucking rules! Many breaks & well thought turn-out enhance their might obscure heaviness. This band showed an excellent evilution with "Ascension Of Terror" definitely one of the best in the Hammerheart catalog, very soulful & lots of emotions/atmospheres with a damn great Metal sound that crushes the weak. Also the band contributed to create a style of their own may they be sometimes similar to some other great bands, they stand clear with their own identity, fucking highly recommended if like me you were not aware or not really enthusiast about their previous albums: BUY OR DIE!!! c/o ARES, BØNESLIA 7, 5155 BØNES NORWAY. or ERIK, FLAKTVEITBOTN 76, 5135 FLAKTVEIT NORWAY. aeternus@compaqnet.no www.aeternus.ch
AETERNUS (NOR) "A DARKER MONUMENT" CD 2003. I found this a little less brutal than "Ascension Of Terror", or maybe the surprise was less evident when following such a godly previous album… Well, I lost a little enthusiasm now, I mean that's still Death Metal but lacks something to kick me violently, it's more a banal mid-paced album like they did before "Ascension Of Terror", really too bad…Using common riffs, it's got too much of a predictable sonwriting, I'm not going to listen it twice, one listening was enough to make a definite opinion: it's not for me! The 4th track 'til the 9th & last were better than the opening tracks, the album had its moment with the BOLT THROWEResque relevance but that's all I can say… Just hope the next album could be a lot better!
AGRESSOR (FRA) "MEDIEVAL RITES" CD 99 SEASON OF MIST. One of the longest running Speed Death Metal band in France is back with a real soulful original album full of great atmospheres and catchy feelings, the whole reminds me of TORCHURE a lot! Maybe faster but with that same dark spirit and some little Black Metal influenced speed. Short acoustic medieval interludes also reminds me of another great underground Death Metal band but can't remember which one... The typical thrashing AGRESSOR touch is still very present and easily recognizable especially in some of those legendary accelerations that they were famous & known for! To my knowledge, this is the only french band that stayed true to what they created even with the eternal line-up changes that occured so many times! Hail Monsieur Alex Colin-Tocquaine, small by appearance but great by talent, BUY OR DIE!!! 4 RUE TRISTAN TZARA, 06600 ANTIBES FRANCE. hyaloid@hotmail.com 24 RUE BRANDIS, 13005 MARSEILLE FRANCE. season@worldnet.fr
AHRET DEV (POL) "HELLISH" CD 2002 DYWIZJA KOT. First album out on Vox Mortiis on tape format only in 1997 that I had reviewed in a past issue (#5 or #666 I don't know!) remastered also including bonus tracks from 1995 never officially released, a total of 19 tracks for 70mn (yes fuckin' rules!!!) of 666% pure & excellent awesome Brutal technical Deathvastating Metal from the underground Polish HELL!! My joy is immense at listening to these brutallers, I do really hope they'll reform one day because it seems that they're now out of the scene, but who knows...? Better than many of their country mates, this album was and still is in my top #10 of all times favorites Polish releases! No words exist to say how powerful they are (oops, were...sigh!), imagine old SUFFOCATION meets old CRYPTOPSY and old DEICIDE, just to let you vomit your saliva! AHRET DEV were darker than many other brutal bands, more obscure and really created their very own style (j'en ai la chair de poule!) with infernal solos from beyond the gates of doom tentatively trying entering our mortal world... This band is so inspiring that every real metalhead must got this in his collection of Death, the timing is worth the damn money: BUY OR DIE!!!! 12,5€ postpaid in Europe, for others just get in contact with: DYWIZJA KOT, PO BOX 28, 00-953 WARSAW 37 POLAND. dywizjakot@prm.pl http://dywizjakot.prm.pl or the band directly why not? c/o MARCIN HERNIK, UL. DOMAGALSKIEGO 15/4, 26-610 RADOM POLAND. ahret_dev@poland.com
ALIENATION MENTAL (CZECH) "BALL SPOUTER" CD 2002 KHAARANUS. This is exactly what I love from Czech bands: super-extreme skilful Grind from Hell, a style that has been played by a few bands only! Among others, AGONY CONSCIENCE was the best surprise a few years ago, then came ALIENATION MENTAL as well as INTERVALLE BIZARRE, proving that there is a motivation at creating the most brutal Metal in the world down there. ALIENATION MENTAL is somewhat continuing from where AGONY CONSCIENCE left after their shameful split-up! Many blast beats and grinding riffs makes these 30mn the most morbid moment ever experienced since a long, long time! It's so technical & genius unpredictable that they make all other Grind bands sounding ridiculous & immature, also proving that you can have a technical band and being extremely brutal as all Hell! No screaming vocals, only pure Death grunts, guttural & morbid. This "Balls Spouter" is truly an infernal machinery that I will not soon forget and seeing them Live only reinforced my love for them: BUY OR DIE!!! c/o JARDA HAZ, OLSTYNSKA 607/1 (SOL 1307), 18100 PRAHA 8 TROJA CZECH REPUBLIC. alienation.mental@centrum.cz KHAARANUS Prods: HVIEZDOSLAVOVA 2 – RADVANICA, 71600 OSTRAVA CZECH REPUBLIC. lolokar@mybox.cz
ANAËMIA (SPA) "STUPIDITY OF THE LAMBS" CD 2000 SOULREAPER. This is a funny project from Dave Rotten & Dave Nigger of CHRIST DENIED, it's supposed to be Grindcore but it is more in the old finnish Death Metal vein to me, the sound is very reminiscent of old ADRAMELECH, DISGRACE, ROTTEN SOUND and so on... This is nothing new of course but just another release of underground hardcore-death brutality and this is not better than Murder Corporation but in the same vein. I'm not fond of this. PO BOX 1195, 28080 MADRID SPAIN.
ANAL BLAST (USA) "Battered Bleeding Bitch" CD Nightfall. Ok, this is their second album I think, it's Grind the way they like it, nothing exceptional nor surnatuwicked, just a Grind album among the flood of others... Grind addicts?
ANARCHUS (MEX) "Still Alive (...And Still Too Drunk)" CD 2000 AMERICAN LINE. Here's something that will appeal to all those who are into the Death/Grind scene for at least ten years & more! Remember that old 7" "500 Years Of Infamy" out on Gothic recs. & Split-LP with MONASTERY, if I remember well... That was in 1991 and the band comes back with this Live under beer influence recorded at Alicia, Mexico city March 20th 1999 including a legendary "Sodomy & Lust" cover of... who you know! The three last tracks are studio recordings mixed under beer influence as always, at Alternative House studios, Mexico city, June 13th & 14, 2000. The particularity of this band resides in the voice, very Evil & resounding from Hell, also their music was very raw and non-pretentious, direct in your face with that haunting atmosphere a la old MASTER but more grindy, really apocalyptic! Some cult tracks such as "The Entity In The Room", "Supreme Creation", "Beyond Good And Evil", "500 Years Of Infamy", "Gone With Flames", "Intolerance And Fanaticism"... A total of 13 Live tracks + 3 studio tracks makes this a CD to worship! BUY OR DIE! APDO 17-808, CP 1141 DF, MEXICO. caguameitor@hotmail.com www.angelfire.com/ks/anarchus A 10th Anniversary CD comp called "Increasing The Hate" is also mentioned & available at: HALF LIFE Recs: PO BOX 5160, HACIENDA HTS., CA. 91745-0160 USA. halflifexx@aol.com AMERICAN LINE Prods: PO BOX 20-465, MEXICO 01001 D.F. MEXICO. lineamer10@hotmail.com
ANATA (SWE) "DREAMS OF DEATH AND DISMAY" CD 2001 SEASON OF MIST. New album of fast raging Death Metal, the beginning sounds like CANNIBAL CORPSE a lot but a little slower anyway and then including some melodies which is not a good idea, boring... Ok, that was not a bad album for sure but this seriously lacks of real identity in my eyes, that was just a good one and nothing else was that exciting to me... Info@season-of-mist.com www.season-of-mist.com
ANATA (SWE) "Under A Stone With No Inscription" CD 2004 Earache. Powerful return of ANATA, sounds more interesting than its predecessor, fast and brutal with a technical edge that turned me on this time, good album believe me!
ANATOMY (AUSTRALIA) "THE WITCHES OF DATHOMIR" CD 99 BLEED/MODERN INVASION. Second Black Metal album from these ex-Death metallers, this is fast, melodic, atmospheric in the pure swedish/norvegian sounding tradition, only the vocals aren't that shrieky trendy shit, it has rage and feelings puts within and the sound is heavier than the trends. Yet this isn't my style at all, I do really prefer the Demo & MCD, they were more crude & brutal. At least this is a great production and the band also includes solos that give their songs a Death Metal touch which I recommend to any fans of actual Black Metal trend because not so many bands dare or are simply inapt to include leads in their tracks anymore, ANATOMY is a skilled Black Metal band with apocalyptic heavy sound and the whole ambiance deserves to be heard by all Extreme Metal fans, it has sometimes influences from old ABSU so this is interesting enough for me to do not pass away and that's why it ended up in my zine, 'coz it has its place here: good skilled and original Black Metal album. Also includes a cover version of POSSESSED "The Exorcist" almost sounding like the original, quite cult track indeed, (already covered by Cannibal Corpse & Profanity!).
ANCESTRAL MALEDICTION (BRA) "DEMONIAC HOLOCAUST" CD 2002 MUTILATION. Here's something great: speed & vicious Death Metal with a raw sound that reminds me of Messe Noir & Hate Wave, thanx Satan they haven't turned to a Krisiun clone! Brutal Evil Death Metal with a maniacal rage that also can be compared to Angelcorpse & Fallen Christ at some points due to their unrelenting riffs & spurting solos, excellent drumming and great arrangements all along this superb album of atrocious unrelenting ferocity, BUY OR DIE! a/c RONALDO WILLIAM, RUA 6 N°135 B. DOS GUEDES, TREMEMBE - SP 12120-000 BRAZIL. ancestralmalediction@milenar.com.br ancestral@net9.com.br. MUTILATION Recs: C.P. 730, SAO PAULO - SP 01059-970 BRAZIL. mutilation@uol.com.br
ANCIENT NECROPSY (COL) CD 2003 Nice To eat You-Mutilated. Seems that since INTERNAL SUFFERING got some success, a new wave of Colombian bands are popping up with the same occult brutality, if you like this kind you might like ANCIENT NECROPSY as it's very very very similar to INTERNAL SUFFERING.
ANGELCORPSE (USA) "DEATH DRAGONS OF THE APOCALYPSE" CD 2002. This is a splendour!! No other Live album from any other bands made it so fuckin' good to hear! Excellent sound on the three gigs featured: 6 tracks from their 1998 US tour, 5 tracks Live 1996 in Strasbourg, France and 3 last tracks from their 1998 European tour. And this is not a bootleg as I read somewhere that it was put out by their own, self-made releases always sound better than anything in my opinion, this disc rules even if you're not an absolute fan of the band, go for it anyway: BUY OR DIE!!!
ANOXIA (USA) "Intense Killings" CD 2003 Self-prod. Killer! I had interviewed them in a past issue due to their unholyexcellent MCD and here they come again with this monstrous & deathvastating album! Fast punishing Death Metal like only the americans do, old-school tradition's not dead fortunately, give this one a favor and BUY OR DIE!!!
ANTAEUS (FRA) "CUT YOUR FLESH AND WORSHIP SATAN" CD 2000. Fuckin' Evil intro right from Hell and fast Black Metal Chaos is what ANTAEUS delivers with unrelenting & memorables riffs that are as catchy as the old Impaled Nazarene or Bestial Warlust stuffs, a fuckin' War induced! Razor sharp raw sound, incisive to the bones & thy flesh consumed! No dreamy melodic stuff here, pure Hell & eternal chaos belongs to this unholy french entity, solid materials that crush most of the other Black Metal bands I could have heard, a Black legend is definitely born…Support this infernal horde you all Death & Black Metal fans: HAIL OR DIE!
ANTAEUS (FRA) "DE PRINCIPII EVANGELIKUM" CD 2002. Second river of blackness from ANTAEUS invades my dark room, unstoppable and getting a darker & heavier flow of apocalyptic rage, hatred definitely settled in this new audio blood of sonic torment that is now close to Angelcorpse at some points in the speed riffs & twisted breaks blasting your lifeless corpse as if your only death was not enough for them. Inhumanly capables to annihilate your being totally, this is a great Nuclear War Metal album: BUY OR DIE!!!
ANTIGAMA (POL) "INTELLECT MADE US BLIND" CD THE FLOOD. 10 tracks of brutality in the grindcore vein, well played but unfortunately thousand other bands do that and ANTIGAMA isn't of the most original band in the package, just having some new-school riffs and industrial power chords with blast-beats can't make them a new revelation, I need something more than the repetitive materials they do. I can just compliment on some twisted riffs and that they play it all as tight as possible but that's all, not for me! c/o SEBASTIAN ROKICKI, AWIONETKI RWD 3/78, 03-982 WARSZAWA POLAND. antigama@poczta.onet.pl THE FLOOD Recs: c/o MBE 180, PIAZZA CAIAZZO 3, 20124 MILANO ITALY. http://fade.to/theflood
APHASIA (CAN) "ARCANE IN THALASSA" CD 2001 Self-prod. Extreme original Metal from Canada! Don't be disgusted by the cover artwork that looks like some soft gothic, melodic doom stuffs, no, this is extremely fast & intense with a rare blasting energy, describing themselves as a Black/Death Metal band and this is correct but a lot more extreme & intense than a lot of more well-known bands! The music is very catchy, epic and melodic of good inspirations from feelings & nature, nothing wimp I assure you! I'm real impressed and amazed by this new band which already had a Demo, a MCD and this full-length album of 50mn worth of intense listening! There's of course a lot of Heavy Metal influences but the best comparisons I can say to give you an idea of what APHASIA is capable of, is that it's in the vein of DISSECTION & IMMORTAL. The sound is extremely clear and very powerful recorded by Jean-François Dagenais. Great unexhausted blasting energy, this is not especially dark nor evil but on the other hand it's very very very very intense & professional Extreme Metal, BUY OR DIE! C.P. ST. ANDRE, B.P. 32111, MONTREAL, QUEBEC H2L 4Y5 CANADA. pouilleuxqc@videotron.ca http://listen.to/aphasia
APOSTLE (SWE) "DUSK FOR CONVENIENCE" CD 99 ABSTRACTION COMMUNICATIONS. From the very first few seconds, I recognized the Beast within! I dig this a mega-lot!!! If someone asks you "what's Death Metal?", you should make him/her listen to APOSTLE because it reflects exactly what Death Metal is all about!! It's always shit to say that but I haven't been kicked like that since a while, I can't believe it yet! Everything in their music relates to an unequalled obscure morbidity, something that I have never heard before APOSTLE!!! Imagine DEHUMANIZED more fluid & Evil, completely obscure with hollow vocals lower than Ross Dolan and an haunted atmosphere like the blasting spirit of DAMNATION's "Rebel Souls" but more technical and challenging still filled up with rage & hatred from the dark side, fury of Death!!! If you can't get this album you can kill yourself immediately because it's so true & so pure DEATH FUCKING SKILFUL METALLLLL!!!!!! I personally can't afford continue living without this in my collection, BUY OR DIE!!!666 apostle@end-war.com http://come.to/apostle ABSTRACTION COMMUNICATIONS: 36 STAINDALE, GUISBOROUGH, CLEVELAND TS14 8JU ENGLAND. mrobi48419@aol.com
ARGHOSLENT (USA) "ARSENAL OF GLORY" CD 99 SEMPITERNAL. This is the re-edition of their last Demo "Arsenal Of Glory" '96 and including "The Imperial Clans" '94 Demo as bonus. You may think that these recordings are a little outdated but you wrong completely! I think there were no Demos as such with that same strength & feelings that were coming out at that same time, these were uniques and still remain strong. If you missed, here's a second chance to get hold of some more Epic War-Death Metal battle with melodies that don't make the band wimping-out. This is some great old songs by this band, BUY OR DIE! PO BOX 393, OAKTON VA. 22124 USA. arghoslent@hotmail.com SEMPITERNAL Prods: PO BOX 08423, CHICAGO, IL. 60608 USA. sempiternal666@juno.com
ARGHOSLENT (USA) "GALLOPING THROUGH THE BATTLE RUINS" CD 98 WOODNYMPH/HAMMERHEART. This was a limited edition and there's probably only few copies circulating now, so hurry up! First album from these Death Metal warriors and I must say that they're unique and original, melodic, catchy tunes all the way and a feeling that is all their own, true Metal survivors, only a few bands keep running totally out of trends and just playing the music they're solidly attached with unconquerable strong Metal chains! This might only please those who really care about bands that know how to make the difference. Death Metal with pride, BUY OR DIE!
ARGHOSLENT (USA) "INCORRIGIBLE BIGOTRY" CD 2003 DRAKKAR. Keeps continuing their very own battle between Death, Thrash & old Speed Metal styles, raw as hell & conquering souls... Just listening to a few seconds and you'll immediately recognize ARGHOSLENT among the unholy masses of underground Metal releases! Strange that a band like this don't get much support from the international Metal scene: they don't sound like any other else, they write very varied song structures, rich in arrangements and original to the bones & flesh... Really a very underrated band that I adore for their genius skills & true to Metal like no one else, kinda like Deceased but even more original & Epic. Fed up with all the clone bands these days? Try ARGHOSLENT's "Incorrigible Bigotry" and you'll get the fresh breath you need, guarantee: BUY OR DIE!!! http://arghoslent.cjb.net
ARKHON INFAUSTUS (FRA) "Hell Injection" CD 2001 OSMOSE. Great surprise to hear that there is at least one real Evil & satanic Death Metal band in France of Hell!! This one's very reminiscent of old SADISTIC INTENT and the cover art is definitely one of the most blasphemous ever done towards the bastard christ! Everything in this disc relates to Satanic Darkness and annihilation of wimp christian's laws, the Antichrist definitely rules their world in all deviant forms of sacrilegious blasphemies & sexual xxxtasy! Everything that is forbidden is now performed through Extreme Death Metal from Hell, fast dark riffs, speed drums assassinations & voices of the dead summoned in utter blackness the forces of Evil leads damnations... "God sent Jesus Christ to save you... Satan sent Arkhon Infaustus to damn you!" Can't retain my joy to hear & see a Dark band like that finally from France, I had dreamt of this for ages, it is now done: pure Evil & old-school Death Metal rules in darkness!! BUY OR DIE!!
ARKHON INFAUSTUS (FRA) "FILTH CATALYST" CD 2003 OSMOSE. This starts great with a lustful intro & completely dark evilness, it's now close to KAAMOS, EXHUMED & BELPHEGOR with such sombre filthy melodic injections. I'm a bastard if I say that I prefered the first album... this new one isn't bad at all but has a better production and is much more Black Metal influenced, very swedish sounding but remains extreme & technical all the way though. I was waiting for something different but they bring it even more different than expected, so they have it done for originality & extremity, it's also damn fast & Evil as all Hell, Satan can be proud of its legionic hordes of chaos! I must admit this is a great one, especially for a french band, only a few bands here dare to play such extreme Evil music with professionalism that can make others taking them for serious about what they do. Just listen & judge by yourself, this album is truly the Beast incarnated, everything has been done in the name of the Dark Lord and nothing has been left for the weak of christ... Lots of catchy riffs makes it powerful & memorable, ready for a final headbanging of Death! An ultimate offering to the infernal Metal Chaos worshippers: BUY OR DIE! www.evilness.com/arkhon666 arkhon_infaustus@hotmail.com
ARKHON INFAUSTUS (FRA) "Perdition Insanabilis" CD 2004 Osmose. Fuck I die, this is already their third album and it's so damn Extreme that it doesn't sounds like coming from France! More in the vein of BELPHEGOR for the overall ambiances, soul-piercing & punishing Evil Death Metal to the point of no return, this one's somptuous: BUY OR DIE!!!
ARMOURED ANGEL (AUSTRALIA) "Angel Of The Sixth Order" CD 99. My copy has a bad deaf sound but I can say this is different from MCD 94, now more simple linear music, repetitive, sort of "pop-metal" very easy to get into! The band regressed with this, trying to do Dark Metal the trendy swedish way, melodic & pop... This simply isn't what I expected, this is disappointing.
ASHES YOU LEAVE (GER) "FIRE" CD 2002 MORBID. What's that pussy-metal?? Leave it to the gothic & atmospheric trends!
ASMODINA (Ger) "Inferno" CD 96/97 P.S.P.
Sounds excellent, old-school & doomy Death Metal band that was totally unknown to me and I'm completely into it from the first note to the last! Very heavy tunes resounding from the gates of Hell like it was played in early nineties by many Swedish & Finnish bands! Contains many obscures arrangements with a brutal Doom ambience that makes me a shiver running down my spine & turning to chicken skin! That's how Death Metal must be & stay forever! Remember another great German band called Torchure? Yes, it's a bit similar and I must say even more haunting!! That's also how I like my female vocals: grunting Evil!! A must buy item for all old-school freaks, this is sombre Death Metal at its best: BUY OR DOOM!
ASPHYX (HOL) "ON THE WINGS OF INFERNO" CD 2000 CENTURY MEDIA. ASPHYX returns with the eternal dooming sound of their own that makes the spirit easily recognizable in this new infernal rising spiral of true Death Metal inferno! The ambience in it sometimes reminds me a little of Morgoth's "Odium" and old Samael, old Obituary, old Death, old Vader etc.. but that still mainly smells the ASPHYX 100% and nothing else could smell so sulfuric today in my opinion! This see them more returning to their self-titled album before "God Cries" and damn I love those rising leads from hell! Excellent feelings are trapped inside the flesh of the tunes and darkness is still present in year 2000, no doubts! I can listen to it eternally even if it only lasts half an hour..., BUY OR DIE!
ATHERETIC (CAN) "ADHESION, AVERSION..." CD 2001 NEOBLAST.
ATROCITY (USA) "THE ART OF DEATH" CD 91 METALCORE. Many people of course knew the German band but this was the one I prefered, I just checked this second album recently in a second-hand record store, a grinding thrashing Death Metal in the REPULSION, TERRORIZER & old MASTER's veins, this is so good!! Old sound, old voice, old feelings & above all, old heavy brutality! 23 tracks for 38mn, doesn't it looks more brutal than the actual 8-9 tracks/25-30mn so called "albums" of today…? No one has the balls to record/release an album like "The Art Of Death" now, the scene's turning fat-ass & lazy bastard at signing bands in the last trends! ATROCITY US not only had short & fast songs, they also managed to make them all sounding different from each other with different arrangements & moods, that's maybe where the underground gets lost today, think about it…
AURORA BOREALIS (USA) "NORTHERN LIGHTS" CD 2000 NIGHTSKY. Third CD from this band and this is faster and more extreme, still 100% Death Metal with epic melodies and screaming/raging vocals that make them sounding also more Black Metal in some places. The new songs are efficient, catchy, destructives with memorables riffings and played at the speed of light with intense feelings of ancient War-Metal battles & deathvastation! Has some Dark & heinous passages with atmospheres & emotions as well as some classic vibes from the old-school days of technical & blasting Speed Death/Thrash musicianship like VADER in some ways but a lot more Epic. Really excellent Extreme Metal album, all released with quality & professionalism. All true Metal fans can't be disappointed by this new effort which is perfect in every aspects, BUY OR DIE! PO BOX 1327, CLINTON, MD. 20735-5327 USA. Aurora4dth@aol.com
AUTHORIZE (SWE) "The Source Of Dominion" CD 91 PUTREFACTION. Old stuff from Sweden, this means a good one! A long & lugubrious intro drives you to a raw as Hell Death Metal with a sound similar to INFAMY, INTERNAL BLEEDING and EXMORTIS Demos, with great sordid atmospheres of complete morbidity, this was abrasive as the charred entrance to falling heaven, some brief solos & synths did let some spirits flying away... That was a great album, really fuckin' glauque! The crude production made it for itself about 666% even darker than anything released in early nineties, that's when listening to AUTHORIZE that you realize that the so called "american style", in fact certainly began to show signs of inhumanity here in damn old Europe, (at least that's what all big American bands said!) and this ageless doomingness shall remains as a reminder from where it cames from...: within! This album is undoubtedly a pure old-school gem.
AUTOPSY (USA) "RIDDEN WITH DISEASE" CD 2000 NECROHARMONIC. Demo 87 & Demo 88 "Critical Madness" all together on a CD with Live tracks! This is an absolute cult classic for all AUTOPSY's fans and also an old-school Death Metal gem as the first Demo was continuing from where Chris Reifert left on with the first DEATH album "Scream Bloody Gore", it's in the same style & spirit, 666% Death Fuckin Morbid Dooming Evil Metal!!! The second Demo was more revealing the real AUTOPSY's sound that everybody then discovered with "Severed Survival", this is too cult for everyone to miss it again! BUY OR DIE & SHOW UP THE REAL DEATH!!!!!Kult! PO BOX 1271, KEARNY, NJ. 07032 USA. necroharmonic@aol.com
AVERNAL (ARG) "No Hope" CD Fogon. Hateful Death Metal that reminds me of GURKKHAS and old swedish releases, very much feelings are trapped in their tunes and the catchiness equals JUNGLE ROT & BANISHED but more memorable due to a somewhat "melodic sound" that reveals the soul of the tracks pretty well, this is a must buy and definitely an excellent old-school band from Argentina: BUY OR DIE!
AVULSED (SPA) "STABWOUND ORGASM" CD 99 REPULSE. Back with a new album and a better production than the average, it sounds heavier and more professional now, still remains very raw and brutal a la BOLT THROWER and old ADRAMELECH, old AMORPHIS, pure Death Metal feelings including some newer CANNIBAL CORPSE arrangements as well but they maintain the approximately same tempo all the time which is mid-paced and sometimes lacking of some accelerations in my opinion, that's the AVULSED feeling, so what can I do beside only listening and appreciate it for what it is: catchy, old gravy eroding & Epic Death Metal tunes that will make your head banging and feet taping, music for zombie-warriors! Sometimes the tracks are really too melodic influenced and so gothenburg trendy sounding, this is disgusting! That's a good album anyway, I won't give it the absolute rate because of the abusive trendy melodic tunes. PO BOX 50562, 28080 MADRID SPAIN. www.repulserecords.com
AVULSION (USA) "DIMENSIONS OF DARKNESS" CD 97 DEATHGASM. Dooming & darkening, heavy, raw Death Metal that recalls the old HELLHAMMER & OBITUARY but slower & even more agonizing in total morbid DOOM edge! The sound is very deaf & obscure, totally unpure old-school tuned like in late 80s/early 90s, bands like DERKETA, MYTHIC, ABHORRENCE, TOXAEMIA, GOREMENT & tons others were famous at creating such an heavy sulfuric atmosphere of Doom full of cadaveric feelings! Like the slowest parts in INCANTATION's "Onward To Golgotha" if you better see what I mean, yeah, true Raw Death Metal ritual with diabolical grunting vibes & atmospheres! This appeals to the oldest die-hard fans only! BUY OR DIE! c/o EVAN MARCH, PO BOX 48829, ATHENS, GA. 30604-8829 USA. avulsion1@msn.com
AXIS OF ADVANCE (CAN) "Obey" CD 2004. Again a bomb from the Canadian's soil, aggressive & brutal, grinding Extreme Metal, really well done and containing some solos here and there, this is raging and that's what counts! Awesome aggression here, I'm definitely turned on by their originality, contains no mosh grooves nor hardcorish elements, a real underground Metal release, people who liked ANGELCORPSE and infernal grindness might BUY OR DIE right now!!