Earache Record's AC (short for Anal Cunt) have already released a slew of 7"'s, EP's and to date, three full length albums. This time out, the band has recorded 53 songs worth of their grind/spazz/hardcore/noise/punk-styled insanity. This record continues with the musical improvement that AC had begun on last year's "40 More Reasons To Hate Us". Rather than just 3-5 second blasts of noise, AC now find themselves in the territory of minute long hardcore punk anthems like, "You're A Cop", and "You Play On A Softball Team" which take the brutality of their music to previously unthought heights of brutality. The replacement of their former guitarist and drummer with new guys, "Nate" and "Josh", is definitely an improvement. The riffs are more structured, yet way more brutal - The drumming commands much of the listener's attention, at par with the drummers of Exit 13, Brutal Truth, or Blood Duster. The lyrical/song title content may, and probably will, offend those politically correct headbangers who pick up this disc, as AC seem to have a fondness for insulting anybody and everything by calling it 'gay' (the internet, technology, windchimes, pottery, recycling, you). AC's insults, may really hit home for some, with titles like "You've Got Cancer", "Ha, Ha, Your Wife Left You", and "You Got Date Raped". Overall, AC as a band, will either fully impress, or turn off prospective listeners; If you've followed AC's career to this point, this album is a MUST and will definitely _NOT_ fail to impress.
Body Count - Violent Demise / The Last Days To this point, Body Count are still known as "Rapper Ice-T's metal band" who in 1991, sparked the "Cop Killer" controversy with their debut self-titled album. However, we found the majority of record critics/music industry people, extremely unimpressed with Body Count's sophomore outing, "Born Dead" (note: that album ROCKED) This year's "Violent Demise" album, sees Body Count dropping the more hardcore punk influences they had adopted on "Born Dead", for more of a return to the original style that made their first album such a success. The album opens with a lash-out at critics of the last album, KA-POW!, bolts right into "My Way", an energised musical assault featuring the rapped guest vocals of Raw Breed. A big majority of this albums songs, are laid-back, brooding pieces sounding very similar to 1991's "Momma's Gotta Die", and "Evil Dick". Ice-T's vocals may surprise some, as on this album, we see Ice actually singing more, along with his usual yelling/rapping style - This may be an acquired taste for some, but if one sees by Ice's vocal limitations, one can sense the effort and power he puts into his vocals. Any lyrics that he has written are also an acquired taste - a blunt/shocking mix of sex and violence, which may turn off some, "strippers/I want my dick sucked/strippers/I wanna bust a nut", but may also definitely have potential to inspire listeners with anthems like "The Last Days", in which Ice asks, "Who am I to tell you anything? I ain't nobody but a brother from South Central who's had the opportunity to go around the world and find that we're all not really that different." I think that the biz, will give this new one favourable reviews, and Body Count definitely deserve any success that comes out of this new album, which is a powerful addition to any BC fan's collection.
Having moved from Earache Records to Relapse Records within the past year over 'creative differences', Brutal Truth have released this 10 track sampler of what's to come from the band. Unfortunately, this EP fails to live up to previous expectations of the band's talent. On this demo, the band sacrifices the crystal clear skull crushingly heavy production/sound that they had on previous releases for more of a muddy demo-ish sound. In interviews Brutal Truth have said that they all played live on this demo because they felt something was lost in recording track by track and have hired Billy Anderson(Melvins, Neurosis) to produce KTS. Lyrically, however, this is Brutal Truth's finest hour, covering topics of religion ("Zombie"), trendiness ("Kill Trend Suicide"), and hemp legalization ("Hypocrite Invasion"). Overall, the music of Brutal Truth has changed quite a bit on this release - the faster parts definitely are faster, and the slower parts way slower. Fans of previous releases may have trouble becoming to the more jam session approach to the songs, as opposed to past tight-as-hell grindcore assaults.
For all you Paradise Lost fans out there, if I told you that some Paradise Lost members went ahead and formed a side project named Darkseed , you would probably go out and buy the CD, you would listen to it and draw the conclusion that, apart from some minor differences, Spellcraft sounds like ICON mixed with Shades of God and a bit of Draconian Times in there too.
After an EP and a full-length CD, Darkseed release Spellcraft, and with that their hopes to international success and recognition.
The best way to describe the style of this German based band would be metal, mixed with doom, gothic and death elements. Their sound is based on various moods, including heavy riffs as well as emotion-laden acoustic parts and melodic, melancholic harmonies. Although this isn't a bad record by far, it probably won't make an innovating impact in today's metal-scene. There are already so many bands combining pianos, female vocals and other classical elements with death-metal music, that unless you're coming up with something really special, nobody's going to blink an eye anymore.
Still, there are some catchy tunes on Spellcraft, there is a good groove and enough power and it contains some good vocal work, if you don't mind the Nick Holmes-sound. I think they are capable of developing their own style or at least of writing some good original songs. It's worth checking out if you're into Paradise Lost and you don't mind the similarities.
HARE (pronounce: ha-ray) hail from Switzerland. They supported Pro-Pain and Sepultura last year and received the Swiss Marlboro Rock-In's metal Award. "Proud to be Loud" is their debut, and it contains 12 tracks.
The tunes are catchy; there is a kind of hard-core beat, mixed with melodic grungy undertone. The vocals are pretty grungy too, maintaining a sort of hypnotising tone. However, I can't say "Proud to be Loud" sounds very original. The songs all sounded familiar in a way, which doesn't give HARE high points in the originality department.
True, the songs are played well, sound professional enough and there's a nice groove. I can imagine a lot of people who will like HARE, but don't buy it if you're looking for something innovating.
Also from Sweden, one-man-side project PAIN. Yes, Peter Togtgren from Hypocrisy is a busy man. One could wonder how much more creative juices he has left for Pain after Hypocrisy and The Abyss. It certainly is different, very different, than what he's been doing before.
I wouldn't really know how to type PAIN's music. The closes thing that comes to mind is Industrial.
The main theme throughout the album is "Life is Pain". With eight tracks, among them "Rope around my Neck", "Learn how to Die", "Don't let me down" and "The last Drop of my Life" you could expect a very slow, doom-oriented CD. However, PAIN's self titled debut is a rather aggressive, very industrial influenced piece of work. It's still slow, agonising and heavy, but probably not in a way one would expect; it's grinding too. In some way, you might want to say it's a bit grungy even, but that would probably paint a false picture. There are a lot of futuristic, electronic grooves and of course in combination with the occasional use of samples. The vocals too have been adjusted to this genre.
Although there is a good distinctive groove, there's not a lot of variety in the songs or between them, so Pain does have a tendency to get monotone sometimes. This is mainly because of the vocals rather than the music itself.
I heard a lot of fuzz about this CD. Everywhere I was hearing how innovating and different Theli was suppose to be. . And yes, after listening to it, I have to admit, I too am quite charmed with the CD.
On Theli, Therion take a whole new step. The CD is made up of ten different compositions, some of which were written years ago. Just that now they've finally had the budget they needed to bring the songs to life.
The best way to describe the CDs sound is metal mixed with classical elements, like an orchestra and choirs. Adding these mood-creating elements to metal has become very common nowadays, but I've never heard a CD where the two sounds fuse/ merge as well as on Theli. They usually have a more supporting function. On Theli however, the classical vocals (courtesy of the North German Radio Choir and the Siren Choir) and orchestra music (courtesy of the Barmbek Symphonic Orchestra) play an important part; they aren't just there to support the music but are an integral part of the songs. The most important band-instrument is definitely the keyboards. Furthermore, the use of two lead vocalists, with two totally different styles, and the abstract and almost mythological ideas behind the lyrics finish up the album.
As the added biography describes it, "The mysterious lyrical concept deals with personal visions, images and prophecies based upon the beliefs, dark magical sciences and wisdom, taught and practised in the Dragon Rouge Lodge, in which Christofer Johnsson is involved for several years now."
I have to admit that the whole feeling created, breathes forth visions of mythological thoughts and ancient worlds. But the lyrical structure themselves, I found to be rather common, almost disappointing, since it could have been much better. Therefor it's not so much the lyrics I'd have to give the credit to, but the music itself.
Like Nuclear Blast promotions described it: 'The Ultimate Symphonic Metal Masterpiece of the Decade.' Well, is it? Judge for yourselves…
Yes, it's compilation time again at Nuclear Blast. This time the German based label bestow upon us not one, not two, but three new compilation CDs. Well, one's a double CD actually. DEATH… is just the beginning lV features 29 tracks, including 18 previously unreleased ones. The majority of which are REAL unreleased tracks, not just live-versions (except Messuggah's Sickening) or re-mixed/ mastered versions.
Compilations are an adequate way for fans to check out new bands, an important way for new bands to get the necessary attention, and a good way for record companies to show what kind of bands they've got signed. And Nuclear Blast have got a worthy stock indeed: Amorphis, In Flames, Therion, Hypocrisy, Dismember, Sinister or Gorefest are all well-established names.
The disadvantage with record company-compilations is that they're a mixture of all sorts of metal-genres; death metal, black metal, hard-core and melodic metal. Therefor it's nearly impossible to like every track. Still, there's enough quality on this CD to make it worth your money. On the whole, the first CD contains the doom, normal and symphonic kind of metal and the hardcore bands, while the second one focuses more on the heavier genres of the metal spectrum; 15 death and black metal bands.
Incidentally Nuclear Blast have also released a video compilation Death….is just the Beginning lV.
The second compilation is called "Call on the Dark". The follow up of the gothic/ metal compilation "Beauty in Darkness", "Call on the Dark" is an 80 minutes Gothic, Wave & Electronic sampler. The whole purpose of the CD is to introduce new and upcoming bands of the genre. To be honest, except for "Born for Bliss" and "Dreadful Shadows", I have never heard of any of the bands featured on the CD although the "biography" claims there are also well known bands on "Call on the Dark".
Although the music itself varies, the fact remains that production-wise I was disappointed. Most of the recordings have got very poor production and sound quality. Granted I've heard much worse, but compared to the Death….is just the Beginning-compilation, the production just doesn't compare. Still, if you're into this kind of music, bad production doesn't bother you (I suppose it has its charms) and you're looking for new bands to check out, you might want to give this CD a try.
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