A TRIBUTE TO THE PRIEST (Nuclear Blast/Century Media Latina , 2003)

Idea By: Andy Siry

Tracks: 1- Hell bent For Leather (Annihilator), 2- Metal Gods (Primal Fear, 3- Delivering the goods (live) (Skid Row w/Rob Halford), 4- Riding on the Wind (Witchery), 5- Screaming for Vengeance (Iced Earth), 6- Jawbreaker (Siebenbürgen), 7- Breaking the Law (Hammerfall), 8- Electric Eye (Benediction), 9- Painkiller (Death), 10- All Guns Blazing (Silent Force), 11- Dreamer, Deceiver (Steel Prophet), 12- Never Satisfied (Armored Saint), 13- Green manalishi (Therion), 14- Diamonds and Rust (Thunderstone)

Cover Art by Thomas Ewerhard

Here we have a tribute to Judas Priest in the line of the two voulmes that Century Media released in the mid nineties. Here we have many metal bands from many different styles that have been influenced by Judas Priest in a way or other. Plus the good thing here are the new songs and the rarities, like for example Annihilator´s version of "Hell Bent For Leather that was released in 1993 as a bonus track in the japanese version of their "Set the World on Fire" album. Many of the bands have chosen to give their own personality to the Priest song that they are covering and they have succeeded like for example Benediction or Death. It is weird to listen Siebenbürgen doing "Jawbreaker" in their own black emtal way. That sounds really well. Well, here is a tribute that would be liked by any Judas Priest fan if they lsiten to it with an open mind. 

Favorite bands: Therion, Benediction, Death and Siebenbürgen

Contact: www.centurymedia.com.br or www.nuclearblast.de

ADORNED BROOD - ASGARD (Moonstorm Recs., 2000)

Produced By: Adorned Brood

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- A God Ruled Time, 3- Asgard, 4- Black Beasts, 5- Twilight in Midgard, 6- Pride Was My Desire, 7- The Ambush, 8- Magic Nights, 9- Mighty Swords, 10- Arrival, 11- Die Wiederkehr

Cover Art by Moonstorm, Adorned Brood and Aike Arndt

 Recorded at Soundstation Studios

An acoustic intro with flute opens this amazing album before getting into the more metallic world of Adorned Brood. Pagan melodies are combined here with pure metal, but everything here is done to create this arcane music full of enchanting vocals combined with screams. And on every track here there is the beautiful sound of the flute combined with the guitars that give Adorned Brood their unique sound. The tracks are extremely heavy and at the same time they are really memorable. The riffs are original as well as the melodies, there are some black metal shades here and there but Adorned Brood manage to create their own sound, thanks to the combination of great male and female vocals (Ingeborg is great!) and the heavy riffs and drumming. One of the albums of the month.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.moonstorm.de or www.adornedbrood.de

ADORNED BROOD - ERDENKRAFT (Moonstorm Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Adorned Brood

Tracks: 1- Welcome our Friends, 2- Totenmarsch, 3- Ledenslied, 4- Old Great Master, 5- Erdenkraft, 6- Der Fluch, 7- Göttersehnsucht, 8- Enchantment, 9- Liar, 10- Jenseits Des Horizonts

Cover Art by Lina Brodesser

 Recorded at Soundstation Studios

Many things have changed since the release of "Asgard" to the release of this album. Here the compositions have become more complex, full of melodies and with better arrangements,Her the contrast between Ingeborg Anna´s and Frost´s vocals reaches its climax. The guitars sound clearer and harder here making a big contrast with the more climatic parts. There is an incredible mix of heavier parts with more climatic moments and this band knows how to make a perfect transition between them. The guitar melodies reach their highest points of inspiration in tracks like "Liar" (there is a part with programmed drums here ???) or "Der Fluch". This is one of those albums that you will miss a lot if you don´t have it and you will find marvellous works of art in it.

Favorite tracks: All the CD.

Contact: www.moonstorm.de or www.adornedbrood.de

ALL PARALLELS - YOU WON´T FEEL A THING (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Nick Sampiello, Mark Schleicher and All Parallels

Tracks: 1- Marrow, 2- Load a gun and kill Me, 3- Hex, 4- Nymphomaniac, 5- That´ll Never Be Me

Cover Art by Sue Cox

 Recorded at New Alliance Studios

Here we have a band that has a lot of power in their guitars with some elements of punk music and at the same time has a lot of pop sensibility in their melodies, specially in the vocals. Here we have a band that creates songs from beginning to end with a simple and effective song structure delivering riffs and vocal melodies (there are interesting vocal harmonies here). The recording has good sound specially on the guitars that sound powerful while retaining a lot of the catchy parts and hooks essential to All Parallels music. Here is All Parallels, a band that has the potential of being in the charts if they are correctly promoted. 

Favorite tracks: "Marrow", "Hex" and "Nymphomaniac"

Contact: www.allparallels.com

ARCHMAGES - MY LAST ESCAPE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Archmages

Tracks: 1- Getting Free, 2- Come, 3- Unavoidable War, 4- Yearning, 5- Alone Again

Cover Art by Martin Müürisepp and Mauno Meesit

Here we have this excellent band coming directly from Estonia. This band has created five songs with really good arrangements and many melodies that have a lot of feelings in them. One of the main things here is the great intereaction between the guitars that play from distorted riffs to clean arpeggios, the bass (that makes interesting arrangements through all the recording, the keyboards (Tuuli´s keayboards give a lot of spirit and melancholy to the tracks) and the excellent Volli´s vocals that are one of the essential elements here. The vocals give taht heaviness in the places where the songs need power and the melancholic feeling that combined with the keyboards add sadness and some dark feeling to Archmages music. A must.

Favorite tracks: All the tracks

Contact: www.metal.ee/archmages

ARTRACH - THROUGH ARCHWAYS OF DARK (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Artrach

Tracks: 1- Into the Valley of Shadows, 2- Legionnaires Pray, 3- Reborn, 4- Curse of the Gladiator, 5- the One, 6- Through Archways of Dark, 7- Admiring the Serial Killer

Cover Art by Artrach

 Recorded at Midas Studio

This CD opewns up with a climatic intro called "Into the Valley of Shadows" before getting into the heavier compositions like "Legionnaries Pray". Here we have a band tghat have many elements of power and heavy metal and at the same time have a progressive side with many changes, many arrangements and interesting keyboards. The vocals are clean but are extremely powerful and add heaviness to the songs (and this guys can also reach interesting high pitches without sounding like a whinning girl). But the main thing here is the combination of the complex guitar riffs with the technical drumming and the bass arrangements that combined with the keyboards give the trademark of the band or what we can call the Artrach song. This is powerful progressive music!!!!

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: diego.denorme@pandora.be

ASGAROTH - RED SHIFT (Peaceville Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Asgaroth

Tracks: 1- Naked Eye, 2- Lured Decoy, 3- Cyphred, 4- Bluntness, 5- Buried, 6- Mindscape, 7- Descent to Dion, 8- I, Befouled, 9- 6 Bloodmarks, 10- Sharpedge Solitude, 11- Red Shift..., 12- Video tracks. Naked Eye

Cover Art by Asgaroth

This is one of the most powerful releases of the year! Comin directly from Barcelona, Spain, the guys in Asgaroth have surprised us with this powerful album full of devastating guitars and incredibly heavy parts. But what gives Asgaroth their complete identity is the mix of the crushing guitars with the keyboards that play great melodies and arrangements on top of this rhythmic base. There are also amazing guitar solos that contribute a lot to the dark feeling that all the album has. The vocals are brutal and they fit perfectly the music (and as all the album is really well mixed you can appreciate each of the parts and each of the mukltiple changes that Asgaroth´s music has along with the great vocals). You must have this one!!

Favorite tracks: All of the CD. One of the releases of the year.

Contact: www.peaceville.co.uk

ASTARTE - QUOD SUPERIUS SICUT INFERIUS (Black Lotus Recs., 2002)

Produced By: the Magus

Tracks: 1- Reign Unfold, 2- Inflamed Paradox, 3- Oblivious Darkness, 4- Incarnate Legend of Mummy Queen, 5- In Velvet Slumber, 6- Deep Down the Cosmos, 7- Astarte, 8- Sickness, 9- Quod Superius Sicut Inferius, 10- Crossing the Wounded Mirror of Death, 11- Man

 Recorded at Praxis Studio

Directly from Greece comes this amazing female fronted black metal band witha lot of faster than hell parts and interesting melodies that give a lot of personality to Astarte. Here the band delivers riff after riff and combine them with dark melodies and a lot of keyboards thta orchestrte the compositions. The vocals are really extreme, specially in the parts where the band delivers blast beats and ultra fast riffs. The guitars in "Inflamed Paradox" let the listener breath for an instant before getting into the brutal world of this band again. The keyboards add a dark atmosphere to each of the compositions here and also add heaviness to the songs. There are whispering vocals in many places and that is essential to create the atmosphere that this amazing band wants. The sound is really good and makes things dfarker and heavier. A must.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.astarte.cjb.net

AUREA - COMING OUT (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Aurea

Tracks: 1- Prelude, 2- Intro in Hell, 3- Dead Angel, 4- Inside, 5-Phoenix Knight, 6- Phoenix of Fire, 7- Symphony of Life, 8- Nefer Tary, 9- Doors of Oblivion, 10- Falling Higher

Cover Art by Aurea

An acoustic intro with beautiful arpeggios and a female voice leads us into the metal world of Aurea. This band starts with full power on "Intro in Hell" delivering crushing riffs over a rhythmic drumming (with interesting double bass in many places). The main thing here is that the riffs are memorable and tehre are many great changes in the rhythms that makes you listen them carefully. There is a heavy power metal / thrash metal influence but the riffs and rhythms are different from what one is accustomed to listen. The vocals are clean and sometimes operistic with good technique and the singer does not abuse the high pitches, perferring to use vocal harmonies that go beyond that. The sound of the recording helps a lot to the heavy sound of the band because of the clean production. Pure metal lovers check Aurea!!!! 

Favorite tracks:

Contact: eclipse25@libero.it

BINDING - RELICT (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Binding

Tracks: 1- Busy Dying, 2- Relict, 3- Bitter Spirit, 4- Absent One, 5- Girl U Want, 6- Busy Dying - remix

Cover Art by Binding

Binding is a twoi man band whose sound is really heavy and at the same time has an industrial side that makes them sound really tight and adds a cold feeling to the music. The main thing here is the great combination of distorted guitar with programmed drums and synth effects that give that machine-like feeling to the compositions. The vocals fit perfectly the music with their melodies that sound really weird against all this heavy music. One of the greatest things here is the variations of rhythms that this guys have achieved and that make really interesting all the compositions. The guitars sound extremely distorted and have a processed sound that fit the music perfectly. I really liked this album a lot and it has a lot of originality in the compositions.

Favorite tracks: "Busy Dying", "Absnet One" and "Bitter Spirit"

Contact: www.the-plague.com/binding

BLASTMAT - MCMLXXXIV (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Blastmat

Tracks: 1- Donkey Bomb, 2- Friendly Fire, 3- Cum One, Cum All, 4- Taliban Fight Song (live), 5- Under Control, 6- 1984, 7- Lives for Lies (live), 8- Church and State (live), 9- Medicated Man, 10- Just Another Song

Cover Art by Blastmat

Here we have Blastmat´s new album, full of direct and effective riffs in a punk / hardcore vein. Here we have the energy of this band that surprised us last year with their powerful previous album. Here we have simple songs played with a lot of energy and whose main goal is to make the listener mosh with their music. Here we have interesting and rhythmic drumming designed for headbanging and we have raw guitars that play a lot of chords and riffs over the rhythm section in order to achieve this powerful sound. The vocals are really punk and they fit the music perfectly as also does the sound that is really good and at the same time unpolished. Here we have a band that amkes powerful hardcore / punk with really good taste.

Favorite tracks: "Cum one, Cum All", "Under Control" and "Church and State"

Contact: www.blastmat.freeservers.com

BLESSED - LAST BREATH BEFORE THE FLESH (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Blessed

Tracks: 1- Fixation, 2- Segment, 3- Come Fire

Cover Art by Blessed

 Recorded at Studio Unholy

Here we have three tracks from this pówerful death metal band full of fast guitar riffs, double bass drumming, extremely guttural vocals, some blast beats here and there and multiple breaks and tempo changes. The guitars are really low tuned and that gives a devastating feeling to the three tracks contained on this CD. The vocals also have some special effect that gives a darker feeling to them, sort of a machine like feeling that when combined with the fast music gives a cold sensation of death and hatred. The sound of the recording is extremely brutal, specially on the guitars and the drums that are the core of Blessed´s music. This is an album that exhudes brutality on each note, from beginning to end.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: http://go.to/blessed

BLOODY RAIN - HALF DECADE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Bloody Rain

Tracks: 1- Speed Up, 2- Dark World, 3- Where is Paradise, 4- The Forest, 5- I Hate Myself

Cover Art by Bloody Rain

Here we have a band that creates heavy rock tunes with many elements of pure heavy metal delivering five tunes with a lot of hooks in the vocals and a lot of rhythm in the guitar riffs. Here they deliver powerful guitar riffs over a good rhythmic base that shines specially on the drums. Sometimes the vocals seem a little bit processed as in "Dark World" and that adds a great cold feeling to the music and that makes things even heavier. There is some use of clean guitars that shine with arpeggios and melodies. There is influence of heavy metal, rock, punk and some alternative music too and the band mixes this influences succesfully to create their own music. This is a band of what I would call the new wave of german heavy rock and her they show their powerful tunes with really good quality.

Favorite tracks: "Dark World", "The Forest" and "I Hate Myself"

Contact: www.bloodyrain.de

BOETZ - BOETZ (Balls Out Records, 2002)

Produced By: Ernest Robert Boetz

Tracks: 1- Southern Tears, 2- Oh Hell Yeah, 3- No Damn Good, 4- Lorion

Cover Art by Ernest Robert Boetz

Here we have Ernest Boetz back with his new album full of rocking tunes witha southern feeling. Here we have a man that mixes different influences to create his own music. Here we can feel as in his previous "Call to Arms" album songs that are like a kick in the butt with their rocking power. Here we can feel influences of Kiss, AC/DC, Motorhead and some southern bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd for example. This is the perfect music to listen with a cold beer in your hand and cranking the volume up. The four songs are extremely rhythmic and rocking and they have been recorded with a really good raunchy sound that makes things even better. The tracks have a direct structure that makes you sing easily the choruses while listening to them Here you have fun and powerful music guaranteed!!

Favorite tracks: The four

Contact: www.boetz.com

BRISTOL MEYERS SQUIBB (Independent., 2002)

Produced By: Bristol Meyers Squibb

Tracks: 1-Antadis Prozone, 2- The Odysselium Complete, 3- Mydriase Arret Active, 4- Solariphobia / O Cold Sweat Night, 5- Sup Correlative Transfert, 6- Tormentor, 7- B Fiction

Cover Art by Boris Doussy

This is a band that features in its lineup Boris Doussy and Sebastien Rivet from Solaris. But Bristol Meyers Squibb is completely different from that band. This band is more industrial with more processed and distorted vocals and guitar riffs that are really cold and give a mechanicla feeling to the band´s music. Imagine bands like Einsturzend Neubauten or others in the industrial style but with a more distorted sound and a darker atmosphere and with more processed and extreme vocals. Here we have a band that clashes your brain with their fat guitar sound combined with electronic drums and processed voices that are designed for a science fiction post hecatomb movie. Lovers of extreme industrial should check this band. 

Favorite tracks: "The Odysselium Complete", "Solariphobia" and "B Fiction"

Contact: doussyb@hotmail.com

BRUTAL DELUXE - MISTAH KURTZ...HE DEAD! (Dream Catcher Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Mike Buchanan

Tracks: 1- Crime and Punishment, 2- Psycho Industrial Da Da, 3- S.(ADO) M.(asochistic) N. (arcissist), 4- Mother Morphine, 5- Everything you Know is Wrong, 6- Slackfreak, 7- Swim, 8- Life Sentence, 9- Symbiosis, 10- The book that changed my Life, 11- Aardman, 12- Flycatcher, 13- Discipline

Cover Art by Mark Wilkinson

 Recorded at New Rising Studio

Here we have this band that has elements from many styles but whose main feature is the extreme heaviness of their songs. This guys some riffs thatc ould be death metal, some vocals that could be doom or some that could be stoner, some guitars that sound more rhythmic and interesting drum patterns that give a lot of heaviness to the songs. One of the main thing here besides the crushing guitars are the vocals that are used in a really original and weird manner giving a lot of identity to Brutal Deluxe´s music playing with rhythms and melodies without hesitation. The sound of the recording is really good, specially on the devastating guitars that sound really heavy and that crush the listener´s brain with their power. Heaviness guaranteed. 

Favorite tracks: "Crime and punishment", "Life Sentence" and "Flycatcher"

Contact: www.dreamcatcher-records.com

CADA CROSS - CORONA BOREALIS (Low Frequency Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Georg Laakso

Tracks: 1- The Northern Crown, 2- Among the Stars, 3- Kings of Grim, 4- Morningstar, 5- Learn the Dark, 6- Flaming Ember, 7- Bring out Your Dead, 8- Forest Remains Victor, 9- Wreath of Seven Stars, 10- Turmion Taival

Cover Art by Timo Tyynismaa

 Recorded at Watercastle Studio

An atmospheric intro full of keyboards and epic melodies leads us directly into the first track of this wonderful album. Here we have the exact dose of melodies, the exact mix of hyper complex and technical riffs with brutal fast parts, the perfect combination of incredible keyboards (Antti does not only play chords progressions but he also does incredible solos and arrangements through all the tracks), heavier than hell guitars, excellent female vocals mixed with brutal male vocals. All of this combined and delivered with an excellent mix is what Cada Cross is about. I would define their music as a combination of brutality, melancholy, melody and technicallity done with amazing musicianship and a lot of quality. One of the albums of the year. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.lowfrequencyrecords.fi

CAMORRISTAS - CAMORRISTAS (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Camorristas

Tracks: 1- Scheisse Erlebt; 2- Suicidal, 3- Fünfzehn Blonde, 4- Camorristas (spanish), 5- Camorristas (german)

 Recorded at Boritocore Studio

Here we have a band with a great sense of humor in their songs and with a really heavy sound combined with influences from other styles such as death metal and hardcore. I really liked the combination of different guitar sounds, such as extremely heavy guitars combined with clean passages, such as in "Suicidal" and the many vocal styles that the band has, going from really melodic to heavier shouts. The guitar riffs are memorable but what gives a lot of identity to the music here are the choruses that are sung with many voices in a really raw way and that make the songs really memorable. This band has excellent lyrics witha lot of humour and they even have made a version in spanish language of the track called "Camorristas".

Favorite tracks: "Camorristas", "Suicidal" and "Scheisse Erlebt"

Contact: www.camorristas.de

CANCRENA - IN THE FLESH (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Cancrena

Tracks: 1- New type, 2- Celebral Biopsy, 3- Baby Impertinent, 4- Black Cat Dies, 5- Systematic Death Terminal Breath, 6- Sarajevo Burns, 7- Criminal Contamination

Cover Art by Cancrena

This is brutal music at its top level but with strong emphasis on catchy riffs insterad of simple speed. Here we have hyperdistorted guitars that play interesting riffs and dissonant arrangements through the seven tracks contained on this CD. The drumming si fast and the drumms sound raw, specially the snare drum that sounds really up and also I have to remark the killer double bass drumming that there is through all the album. The sound is raw and unpolished and that makes thing even more brutal (the guitars are not buried in the mix and the drums can be heard perfectly as well as the guttural vocals). Pure brutality.

Favorite tracks: "Celebral Biopsy", "Black Cat Dies" and "Sarajevo Burns"

Contact: www.cancrena.tk

CAUSE FOR EFFECT - ALBUM (Bucho Discos, 2002)

Produced By: Cause for Effect

Tracks: There are 42 tracks of pure insane madness !!!!!!!!!

Cover Art by Ari Tenhola

 Recorded at Fusion Reactor

Here we have 42 tracks from this mad two man band from Tampere, Finland.  IN fact the music here is like grindcore/ death metal but without guitars. Yes, this is bass guitar and drums and they are played with a lot of musicianship. In fact the guys in Cause for Effect call their music grind fusion, and that moniker fits perfectly their music because they have elements of grindcore such as blast beats in many places and guttural vocals, but at the same time they have mixed it with other styles, thanks to the differnt rhythms that are played here and the arrangements that Tuomo plays on his bass guitar which go from pure metal and grind to funky to jazzy lines without hesitation. The recording has a really good sound and you don´t miss the ultra distorted guitars and you listen the bass lines which are original and really technical. A must for those who want originality.

Favorite tracks: This CD is really original and this guys are completely mad. I like all the CD

Contact: http://listen.to/cfe

CHRIS BURN ENSEMBLE - HORIZONTALS WHITE (Emanem Disc, 2002)

Produced By: Chris Burn

Tracks: 1- Horizontals White, 2- Verticals Blue, 3- There Were Five in Eight, 4- Noght Time Nostalgia, 5- Still Life on May Day

Cover Art by Martin Davidson

 Recorded at the Red Rose and the Conway Hall

Here we have the lattest offering from the Chris Burn Ensemble. This time this musicians deliver a lot of spontaneous music but putting more emphasis on silences and experimentiong a lot with them and with sustained notes (as can be fully heard in "Horizontals White",a track that is over twenty minutes long and where the ensemble delivers all their improvisational skills). There is here plenty of experimentation with sounds and this guys go to the most extreme side of experimentation playing with their instruments and trying to break new boundaries while interacting among them with real musicianship. Lovers of improvisational and spontaneous music will be delighted with the Chris Burn Ensemble.

Favorite tracks: "Verticals Blue", "Night Time Nostalgia" and "Horizontals White"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

CROPMENT - BRAINDRAIN TIMESLAVERY (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Cropment

Tracks: 1- Fear of Death, 2- Oppressed and Contaminated, 3- Seeds of Sickness

Cover Art by Marco Gemmet

 Recorded at Zodiac Studios

This album starts ina re ally brutal way and continues extremely brutal yil the end. Here we have three tracks with ultrabrutal death metal in its rawest form. Here we have blast beats and many others things that have made the stykle famous. Here we have guttural vocals and screaming vocals and more rhythmic riffs in many places that add a lot of heaviness to the compositions. Each riff here is designed to deliver brutality and bestiality to the listener´s brain and they succeed on this. Palms go to the killer drummer who is a double bass beast adding a lot of brutality to the songs. Plus, we have to remark the really good sound that this guys have achieved here. A bestial release.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.cropment.com

CRUSTACEAN - INSANIAC (Cold Blood Industries Recs., 2003)

Produced By: Crustacean, Harrie Wijering and Mark Ter Braak

Tracks: 1- Arena, 2- Random Terror, 3- Psycho 2001, 4- Satanizer, 5- Deathtrap, 6- Soulsucker, 7- Bloodshot, 8- Lost (Head), 9- Penance, 10- Redeemer, 11- Foul Usurper, 12- State Necropolis

Cover Art by Richard Schooten

 Recorded at Harrow Productions

Here we have a brutal band with thrashy vocals !! yes, that is a band that plays music that is closer to death metal, because of the guitar sound and the riffs but uses vocals that fit perfectly a thrash metal band combined with the more guttural ones. There is amazing double bass drumming through all the recording and there are hyper fast riffs and rhythms through the twelve tracks. Palms go to the incredible drummer who is a beast behind the drumkit don´t missing a beat while going really fast and making some technical patterns in many places. I have to remark also the extremely clear sound that the recording has that makes the compsositions even more brutal! The guitars are clearly mixed and that helps a lot to distinguish the good quality of the riffs and the arrangements that each track has.

Favorite tracks: "Arena", "Satanizer" and "Bloodshot"

Contact: www.coldbloodindustries.com

D´HIVER MORT - PALINDROME (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: D´Hiver Mort

Tracks: 1- Spring, 2- Breeder, 3- The Harrowing, 4- Summer, 5- A Season for War, 6- Butterfly, 7- Autumn, 8- Fall, Winter, 9- xi auriel kree (dust and the miserable wind), 10- Persephone, 11- Wynter

 Recorded at Deadworld Studios

Here we have a release that can not be fully described her with words. Here we have a band that consists on Synthea on guitars, vocals, keys adn programming and Fearsore who does bass, keys, vocals and guitars. The music has elements of black metal but goes beyond the style because of the heavy use of electronics and because of the vocals variations. The guitars are heavy and raw and contrast heavily with the programmed drums that give a machine like feeling to each of the compositions here. The compositions are complex and allows the musicians to explore a lot of sides of their musical personality making each composition extremely interesting for the listener. Everything here is designed to leave you with a dark image in your mind (check the beginning of "The Harrowing" and feel chills going down your spine while listening the whispering vocals and the electronics. A must for lovers of something new.

Favorite tracks: The whole CD is really eerie and wonderful

Contact: www.dhivermort.com

DARK FORTRESS - PROFANE GENOCIDAL CREATIONS (Red Stream Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Dark Fortress and Pytten

Tracks: 1- Introduction, 2- defiance of Death, 3- Passage to Extinction, 4- In Morte Aeternitas, 5- Moribound Be Thy Creation, 6- Through Ages of War, 7- Blood of the Templars, 8- Warlord (Face the Angel of Pestilence), 9- Battles Rage in the Infernal depth, 10- A Fortress Dark

 Recorded at Grieghallen Studios

Black Metal!!! Pure black metal, done in the norwegian way with dark arrangements and everything done to create extremely dark compositions full of hatred and despise of god. Here we have really fast guitars combined with keyboards chord progressions that when combined create the extremely obscure sound of the guys from Dark Fortress. The riffs are fast but are interacting with more rhythmic ones that give identity to the band. There are many types of vocals here, from the typical black metal vocals to more whispering ones, to cleaner ones, to female ones. There are amazing guitar melodies and solos such as the one in "Passage to Extinction" done with really good taste. Everything here is black as hell and done with really good musicianship in order to create extremely dark passages that are Dark Fortress trademark. Lovers of black metal will be delighted with this release.

Favorite tracks: "Passage to Extinction", "Through Ages of War" and "Morte Aeternitas"

Contact: www.redstream.org

DARKSIDE CHAPEL - THE BLEEDING WINDS OF WINTER (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Dark Side Chapel

Tracks: 1- From a blackened past, 2- The Bleeding Winds of Winter, 3- Lying in Torment, 4- Midnattsol, 5- Tears of the Withering Lord, 6- Covenant in Flames, 7- Eternal Dusk, 8- ...with Winters Coming

Cover Art by Dark Side Chapel

Extremely climatic and dark metal is what this two guys deliver on this demo. Here we have darkness through the eight compositions and this guys rely heavily on the keyboards and some guitar melodies to achieve this effect. The vocals also help to create this extremely black feeling. The sound of the recording is not really good and I would recommend the musicians to mix everything louder and then, after having everything louder, then making the guitars a little bit more on the front in the mix, then they will achieve a more powerful, yet dark as hell sound. The ideas here are original and really well developed and I think this guys have created really good compositions here that with a better mix would be better appreciated. For lovers of the dark ....here is Darkside Chapel.

Favorite tracks: "The Bleeding Winds of Winter", "Midnattsol" and "Eternal Dusk"

Contact:

DEADWAIT - JUDGED BEFORE DEATH (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Deadwait

Tracks: 1- Brutality, 2- 3 Seconds, 3- Judged before Death, 4- To hell, 5- Fuck you and Die, 6- Swell, 7- Born into hate, 8- Put´em in the basement

 Recorded at Underground Sound Prods.

Here we hae a bband that have amde an interesting mix of brutalith in two ways: first of all this guys have taken death metal riffs and more rhythmic stuff and thrown it into their compositions, then they have added some elements of brutal bands such as Crowbar, Pro-pain or Sepultura and added new sounds to them. Then they have accelerated the mix and give the music a faster twist. Then you have an idea of how Deadwait sounds. Here we have a band that is extremely brutal and that have really brutal vocals without being guttural. In fact this band has taken death metal and hardcore and added other metallic touches to find their own sound. The sound of the recording is really clear and that adds a lot to the brutality of the music. Locers of the most brutal will like this one. 

Favorite tracks: "Brutality", "To hell" and "Born Into Hate"

Contact: www.deadwait.8m.com

DER EREMIT - MAGMA-PRANA (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Gian

Tracks: 1- Magma, 2- Du und ich, 3- Kuchen, 4- Dämon, 5- Mantra, 6- Tränenbecher, 7- Mahnmal, 8- Jemand, 9- Asche, 10- Jammertal, 11- Fleischberg (muttermilch II), 12- Buttermilch, 13- Wasser und brot, 14- Erfreulich, 15- Du und ich (electro edit), 16- Magma (borg drone remix), 17- prana, 18- Nuklearwinter (short-edit), 19-Geschenk

This band is really amazing! Their compositions have extremely electronic elements and they use them in a really special way that none has used before. Just listening to Magma gives you an idea of what this guys are doing: heavy guitars, programmed drums and electronics, eerie vocals that fit the music perfectly, many arrangements and everything gives us a really machine like feeling that suprises on each track. The lyrics are in german language and that adds also a great feeling to the music. There is use also of violins in tracks like "Magma" that give melodic touches (sounding really eastern in some places). Here we have a band that explores new things on each note that they play and that is not afraid of exploring new territories in music. A must

Favorite tracks: This CD is a masterpiece

Contact: www.dereremit.com

DESCENT INTO MADNESS - IN THE DARKEST HOURS (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Descent Into Madness

Tracks: 1- In the Darkest Hours, 2- Thoughts of a Fool, 3- I Cannot Believe, 4- The Poison Inside, 5- Winter´s Garden, 6- Tomorrow

Cover Art by Descent Into Madness

 Recorded at Sugar Hill Studios

Here we have pure metal with elements from other styles such as death metal. Plus we have an incredible mix of male and female vocals that makes each of the tracks here a unique experience (Courtney Claibourne has a very sweet and delicate voice that contrasts with Tom Spencer´s lower range vocals, and some choruses are really catchy and give another dimension to the songs). The musicians here have a lot of technical skills and they put all this skills on each of the tracks to create this six magnificent compositions. I have to remark the excellent guitar solos that Alexander Kamburov plays on the songs here, he has a lot of technical skills and at the same time a lot of feeling. This is with no doubt one of the best albums of the month.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.descentintomadness.com

DESPISE - CONFINEMENT IN DECREPITUDE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Despise

Tracks: 1- Room 101, 2- Mutual Assured Destruction, 3- Separated Entity Alteration, 4- Confrontation, 5- Despiseremix

Cover Art by Despise

 Recorded at Studio Hostivar

Brutality at the most extreme level. Here is Despise, a band that plays extreme brutal grind with many death metal influences, specially on the guitar riffs and the fat sound that the guitars have. The guitars are really low tuned and that is essential for the heaviness of this band. There are some pinch harmonics in the guitar riffs that add variation to the compositions. The vocals are extremely guttural as the style requires to make the things the most extreme and bestial as possible. The sound is good and the guitars crushes your brain with the riffs and the drums with the blast beats. This album is recommended for lovers of utter wild brutality!!!!

Favorite tracks: "Room 101", "Separated Entity" and "Confrontation"

Contact: www.despise.webpark.cz

DESPONDENCY - WOMB OF SHIT (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Despondency

Tracks: 1- Womb of Shit, 2- 9 mm Headfuck, 3- Viral Humanicide

Cover Art by Thomas Westphal

 Recorded at the Soundloge Studio

One of the most brutal release ever. Here we have a band that plays at full speed and have an excellent drummer with a lot of doubleb bass drumming (and a sound that is really clear, sort of the one used by modern bands like Machine Head or Fear Factory, but used in a much more brutal way....this guy is fucking amazing). Here you have blast beats combined with really guttural vocals (almost grind in many places) that are used rhythmically to enhance the guitar riffs. Here we have a band that destroys your brain with each of the three tracks that this MCD has and has no mercy for you. The sound of the recording is really good and I have to remark again the drums sound which is awesome. Here you have a band that will melt your ears and brains with their bestial as fuck music !! 

Favorite tracks: The three. Pure bestiality.

Contact: deadllm@web.de

DESTROYING DIVINITY - ..:CREATED... (Grodhaisn Prods., 2002)

Produced By: Destroying Divinity and Stanislav Valasek

Tracks: 1- Created for the past, 2- To Destroy..., 3- Forget, 4- Bloodbath, 5- To Rot For Your Dreams, 6- the Fated ones, 7- Materialization of Death, 8- Possessed by their Icon, 9- Silent Death, 10- The resurrection of the Eternal Return, 11- The revenge of Tormente Souls, 12- Being Crushed BY Insanity

Cover Art by Deather

 Recorded at Studio Sopa

Nbrutality combined with dark atmosphere and twisted melodies is what we have here. Yes, here we have a band that can play at full speed most of the time but their main goal is utter brutality. Here we have on one recording two recording sessions, one from 2001 and another from 2002 and here we can see the evoluciotn that this band had on that year time span. The newer tracks are even more brutal and have a different sound where the guitars are mixed louder and sound more bestialo. The vocals are extremely guttural (and there is also a screaming type too) and that is essential to Destroying Divinity´s music because the vocals are used as another instrument. I really liked the combination of fast riffs with more rhythmic ones and I think the band has to use more of this ones to create their own sound. Here we have a band that is brutal from beginning to end.

Favorite tracks: "To Destroy...", "Silent Death" and "The revenge..."

Contact: www.grodhaisn.cjb.net

DETONATION - AN EPIC DEFIANCE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Detonation

Tracks: 1- The Dawning (intro), 2- An Epic Defiance, 3- The Prophecy unfolds, 4- Sword Carved Skin, 5- Forever Buried Pain, 6- Crawling Through Vile, 7- The Collision of Despair, 8- Deserving Death, 9- Voices Beyond Reason, 10- Lost Euphoria Part II, 11- The Last of My Commands, 12- Starve

Cover Art by Niklas Sundin

Dutch thrash-death beasts Detonation are back with their first full length album. As I said while reviewing the band´s previous release, this is an excellent band with a lot of technical riffs, really fast parts and intrincated arrangements. Plus here we can listen them with a much better sound that enhances all the efforts and make each of the compositions more powerful and beautiful. Here we have a band that combines in a great way heavy riffs with amazing melodies and through this way they have discovered their unique sound with a lot of originality and identity. Here we have the drummer that does not miss a beat, the guitars that play riff after riff, the bass that makes endless pounding arrangements and the vocals that spit the vocals with all the energy. This is a band that will be one of the top bands in the style in the future. You must listen this. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.detonation.nl

DISSECT - BARE CRUST (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Dissect

Tracks: 1- Jeesuslaulu, 2- Moottoripää, 3- Hyvinvointi, 4- Niskavalo

Cover Art by Lea

 Recorded by J. Perhonen and Dissect

Here we have four tracks of this savage band from Turku, Finland. Their music has a lot of hardcore influences and they have a chieved a really raw MCD with a lot of punk attitude mixed with a heavier sound and a lot of raw, noisy guitar riffs. I really liked the way they sing some of the aprts with two vocals making unisons and screaming the same phrases. The guitar riffs are totally hardcore in the good old style of bands like No Use for a Name or the first Agnostic Front albums. The four tracks here are extremely wild and have many fast parts but at the same time have enaough hooks on the choruses and the riffs to keep the listener paying a lot of attention to the compositions. Lovers of hardcore will surely like this one.

Favorite tracks: "Jeesuslaulu", "Hyvinvointi"

Contact: dissect@surfeu.fi

DOOMMAKER - BLITZKRIEG EP (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Doommaker

Tracks: 1- Blitzkrieg intro, 2- Blitzkrieg, 3- Our Demise

Cover Art by Doommaker

Here we have a band with furious riffs in the death/thrash metal vein. Here we have this guys whose music is really aggressive and has that eighties thrash feeling that combined with modern influences gives this interesting recording. There are two tracks here and they leave you wanting more from them because of their raw energy and their interesting changes and arrangements . Here we have a band that combines interesting riffs with fast drumming and a more extreme voice that gives the music that death metal feeling that the band wants to achieve. There are some interesting melodies that give a special twist to the compositions and add identity to the band. Here is a young band that I would recomment to those who like that special copmbination of thrash and death metal that here shows good results.

Favorite tracks: Both

Contact: www.doommaker.com

DOWNFALL - MY LAST PRAYER (Low Frequency Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Downfall

Tracks: 1- Hateshades, 2- Sweetest Wrath, 3- Hollow Mind, 4- Time To pay, 5- My last Prayer, 6- Torn Apart, 7- Soul Searching, 8- Revelation Black, 9- Dark parade, 10- Withered

Cover Art by Timo Tyynismaa

 Recorded at Watercastle Studio

When I looked at the cover I thought this was going to be a gothic band or something in the style, but I was wrong. Downfall is a band that plays pure heavy rock with many metal touches that give a lot of power to the tunes here. The guitars make a combination of riffs and melodic arrangements that add personality to the songs, while singer Jani Peippo sings with a really clean voice that make intersting melodies to give that special feeling that Downfall´s music has. The band has a certain eighties flavor and at the same time has a really modern sound that makes things more attractive. The song have a lot of hooks in the choruses and Peippo is risponsible of a lot of the melodies that spin in your head for hours. Here is a good option for those who like something new with classical elements.

Favorite tracks: "Hateshades", "Time to pay", "Soul Searching"

Contact: www.lowfrequencyrecords.fi

DRACENA - LABYRINTH OF DARKNESS (Independent, 2001)

Produced By: Dracena

Tracks: 1- Craving, 2- Labyrinth of Darkness, 3- Under a Bloodred Sun

Cover Art by Mia

 Recorded at Terrordome

Dracena is a darker than hell band with many death metal (in the guitar riffs) and black metal (in the voices) touches. Here we have Mia on guitar and vocals creating great rhythmic riffs with her guitar and spitting the lyrics full of hate in a real black metal way. The combination of Mia´s guitars with Emma´s axes is essential for the band´s music as also is Mojjo´s drumming that leaves a lot of space for the other instruments to shine. The tracks have that dark atmosphere that is essential to this style of music and Dracena have managed to make their music darker than hell thanks to their riffs and the anguished vocals. The sound of the recording is raw and unpolished and that gives a more underground feeling to the tracks here. This band is a good combination of styles whose main ingredient is pure darkness.  

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: dracena.mia@telia.com

EMINENT SHADOW - WARRIOR OF THE CENTURIES (Independent, 2001)

Produced By: Eminent Shadow

Tracks: 1- Intro....Battle Fields, 2- Warrior of the Centuries, 3- Martyr of Time, 4- Puppets from true real me, 5- Dying Moment, 6- A Personal Legend, 7- Asgard (Reign of Supremacy)

Cover Art by Mauricio Jr.

 Recorded at Jams Studios

Here we have a really dark band. After an opening with an orchestrated intro this guys deliver a sort odf death metal combined with some doom and melodic parts that is extremely dark and where every note, every beat is done in order to make things more obscure. Here we have multiple melodies that are essential for developing the melancholic and sad feeling that this band has created. Combining this sad feeling with the powerful guitars and the guttural vocals, the guys in Eminent Shadow have developed a musci with a lot of feeling that deserves a lot of listening to find all the elements that are in the compositions. I have to remark the excellent work that the drummer and specially the bass player have done on this recording adding a lot of fury to Eminent Shadow´s music. Lovers of dark feelings should check this band.

Favorite tracks: "Warrior...", "Martyr of Time" and "Dying Moment"

Contact: eminentshadow@ig.com.br

ENORMITY - INHERENT ENSLAVER (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Enormity

Tracks: 1- Better without Reserve, 2- Nails (in your rib), 3- Mr. Bland, 4- Chained in Distress

Cover Art by Mr. J

 Recorded at Neo-Studio

Here we have four tracks from this deathly finnish band. Here we have death emtal played with a lot of technical riffs and many changes in the riffs that make each track really interesting. Here we have a drummer that is amazing with the double bass and plays extremely fast patterns with a lot of precission. We have guitarists that play riff after riff adding a lot of arrangements along with the bass. And then we have the screaming and guttural vocals that are so necessary in the style to add brutality. The sound of the recording makes the band even more powerful because it has a really good mix. I would recommend this band to those who like some complexity along with speed and good guitar arrangements.

Favorite tracks: "Better Without Reserve" and "Chained in Distress"

Contact: www.enormityband.cjb.net

ETERNAL OATH - RIGHTEOUS (Greater Art Recs., 2002)

Mixed By: Fredrik Nordström

Tracks: 1- Preserve the Emotions, 2- Into the Dreamscape, 3- Dreams of the Silent, 4- Righteous, 5- The Destiny Forsaken, 6- Crown of Emptiness, 7- And I Close My Eyes, 8- Eternal, 9- Undeceived World, 10- The Tears for Time

 Recorded at Studio Fredman

Here we have one of those bands that leaves you wanting more and more. Here we have death metal with fast riffs that are very catchy and that are combined with keyboards creating a very distinctive sound.  We have vocals thata re really brutal but are at the same time clear and accentuate a lot the music and makes it even more brutal. Here we have guitars that are really technical and create riffs that are original and also create melodies and arrangements that need a lot of musicianship. There are some amazing keyboards passages combined with heavy guitars. The songs are really well constructed and you only have to check the first track "Preserve the Emotions" to see this. This is a band to don´t miss a step in the future. Also, we have Fredrik Nordström´s mix that is really spectacular and makes the band shine through all the recording. Plus we have here a cover of Paradise Lost´s "Eternal" done at a slower tempo in the beginning . One of the bands and records of the year

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.eternaloath.com

EVAN PARKER / GEORGE LEWIS - FROM SAXOPHONE AND TROMBONE (Psi Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Dave Holland

Tracks: 1- One, 2- Two, 3- Three, 4- Four, 5- Five

Cover Art by Margaret Parker

 Recorded at Art Workers Guild

Here we have this recording from May 1980 in which this two amazing musicians and improvisers interact as if they had rehearsed a lot of time what they would play on this concert. Here we have from melodic sax and trombone lines to the most demential improvisations where both musicians explore the boundaries between sound, melody and noise without hesitations. Here we have some interesting experiments like for example in "One" where Lewis plays some "wave" lines with his trombone while Parker does interesting sounds all over them creating a deep atmosphere with strange variations. Everything here is pure exploration and this two musicians are excellent in trying to discover new possibilities for their instruments. Improvisers and musicians will surely learn a lot from this recording.

Favorite tracks: "Three" and "Five"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

EVAN PARKER / PAUL LYTTON - COLLECTIVE CALLS (Psi Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Evan Parker

Tracks: 1- Peradam, 2- Cat´s Flux, 3- Shaker, 4- Left of the Neo-left, 5- Lytton Perdu, 6- Voice Fragment, 7- Some Mother Blues, 8- What´s Left of the neo-left

Cover Art by Alan Johnston

 Recorded at the Standard Essence Co.

On this wild recording we have Evan Parker deliver his sax lines against Paul Lyttons percussion. Here we have a lot of variations within each of the eight compositions and the intensity of the recording increase as time passes. Lytton´s chaotic while technical percussion lines contrast against Parker´s sounds and phrases that sound more contained in some places and completely unleashed in others. This two musicians have a lot of interaction among them and they know how to create lines that go beyond all musical standards. This is a showcase of what this two men are capable of doing and the experimentation that they deliver on each of their compositions.

Favorite tracks: "Shaker", "Lytton perdu" and "Some Mother Blues"

Contact: www.emanemdisc.com

EVOHE - NON SERVIAM (Indepedent, 2002)

Produced By: Evohe

Tracks: 1- Rotten Angel, 2-Funeste Révélation, 3- Satanic Phobia, 4- Sargathanas, 5- Evil´s Grace

Cover Art by Dentiste

This CD opens up with a calm intro before getting into the brutality of "Rotten Angel", a track with multiple riffs and rhythms and a black metal feeling, specially on the vocals. This is the style that I call atmospheric death/black metal, because of certain melodies and moods that give a climatic feeling to the compositions and because of the mix of black metal feeling and certain death metal riffs and arrangements. Here we have screaming vocals and a sort of spoken one that contrasts heavily with the first. There is also a guttural voice that interacts with the other two types of voices. The drumming is ultra fast and there are many blast beats here that help to get that black metal feeling. The sound of the recording is good and at the same time really raw and that adds to the atmospheric feeling of hatred and sorrow that the compositions have.

Favorite tracks: "Rotten Angel", "Funeste Revelation" and "Evil´s Grace"

Contact: evohe@freesbee.fr

FAR FROM EVEN - FAR FROM EVEN (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Far From Even and Peter Humphries

Tracks: 1- Can´t Communicate, 2- Trip In, 3- Trip on a Wire, 4- Backache, 5- Headache, 6- Drop Me, 7- Up to Your Level, 8- Whistle Blower, 9- It Burns, 10- For the Record, 11- Instead, 12- Care

Cover Art by Far From Even

 Recorded by Peter Humphries and Matt Coulter

This is a really good band!! With a lot of the power thet metal has, a lot of modern touches, interesting song structures and amazing rhythms. There is plenty of guitar riffs with wah wah and effects here adding a rocking touch (with some alternative and stoner parts) to Far From Even heavier music. The vocals are really good (this guy Justin Mac Nair is really good in what he does) and have a lot fo variation making each song different from the other and you can enjoy a lot this album. Also another extra points for this band is the great sound that they have, specially on the guitars and bass that give a lot of power to the riffs and the music. Lovers of heavier than hell rock and songs with a lot of choruses and hooks should check this band

Favorite tracks: "Trip In", "Headache" and "Whistle Blower"

Contact: www.farfromeven.com

FORNICATION - PROMO (Independent., 2002)

Produced By: Fornication

Tracks: 1-

Cover Art by Fornication

 Recorded at Skyr Studio

This band plays pure perverse black metal with raw guitar sound but instead of playing ultra fast blast beats they prefer to play other heavier riffs with more rhythmic quality on them. The vocals are full of anguish while they deliver the sarcastic and perverse lyrics that this band has created. The guitars play heavy riffs that are different from the one note progressions that many black metal bands play. The drummer is really intense and plays interesting patterns through all the tracks. I have to remark the good guitar work here delivering riffs with a lot of space for the vocals and the drumming to be creative. The sound of the recording is good and I would mix a little bit more clear the guitars to make them even more effective. This is a crushing release for black metal lovers.

Favorite tracks:

Contact: http://fornication.bm.free.fr

FREUND HEIN - COINCIDENTIA OPPOSITORUM (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Freund Hein

Tracks: 1- Clouds are gone But Whre´s my Sun, 2- Drudenfuss und mumenschanz, 3- I Like Your Way of Hurting Me

Cover Art by Freund Hein

 Recorded at FFW Studios

After their previous "Subversive Revolution" here come the new MCD from this guys from Austria. And their music has evolved since their previous effort. Here we have songs that have this brutlity that Freund Hein delivers and that have also this machine like sound that the band has when combine the guitars with keyboards and some other sounds. Here everything has that great feeling and the songs are memorable specially because of the riffs that are rhythmical enough to be kept in the lsitener´s mind. The melodies in "Drudenfuss..." also are really well placed in the composition and are essential for making this track one of the most memorable on this MCD. The sound is really good and that helps to make things even more bestial and to achieve the feeling that the guys in Freund Hein wanted to transmit. A band with a lot of identity !

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.freundhein.com

GOLDENPYRE - NECROTERRORISM (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Pedro Mano and GoldenPyre

Tracks: 1- Mourning Relief, 2- Filthy Potion, 3- Corrosion of the Future, 4-Mesmerising Aphrodite

Cover Art by Diaboliih

 Recorded at Grave Studio

Here we have a band whose music is dark death metal. I have put the word "dark" before death metal because here we have a darker than hell atmosphere going on through the songs despite the brutality of the band. Everything here, starting with the cover art is designed to creat a dark atmosphere and a lot of heaviness on each composition. The guitars are extremely heavy and are the essence of GoldenPyre´s music. They play brutal riffs and sometimes add some open chords or melody to give the listener a break and to change a little bit the feeling of the song. I liked a lot the many rhytmical riffs and the drumming in tracks like "Filthy Potion": The vocals are guttural enough to make the band really brutal death metal but at the same time add a lot of darkness to the compositions, specially when used over the slower riffs. A must for lovers of brutality. 

Favorite tracks: "Filthy Potion", "Mourning Relief" and "Mesmerising Aphrodite"

Contact: www.goldenpyre.cjb.net

HEAVE - FEARS COME ALIVE (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Heave

Tracks: 1- Fears come Alive, 2- hey, 3- Playing With Fire, 4- Blood on My Hands

Cover Art by Heave

Here we have a band that plays heavy music, difficult to define because it has elements of heavy metal but played with heavier guitar sound. Also they have parts in which the bass plays along the drums with no guitar while the vocals sing tits enchanting melodies. I have to remark that the band has a great singer with a big vocal range that is essential for Heave´s music, sounding somewhere in between heavy / power metal and thrash/speed metal (there is some screaming and high pitches that reminded me the style). There are excellent guitar riffs, specially on the heavier parts, played with a good sound and every track here has many parts. The compositions are well developed and they have a structure that allows the listener to cling to the songs and keep them in their memories. Here we have metal with elements from different styles but with good musicianship and originality.

Favorite tracks: "Fears Come Alive" and "Blood on My Hands"

Contact: www.heave.nu

HIDROLOGY - ASLEEP (Independent , 2002)

Produced By: Hidrology

Tracks: 1- Senseless, 2- Crawling into the Dark, 3- No Rules, 4- Sunshine, 5- Boromir, 6- Taking Over the Machines, 7- Asleep, 8- Closeness, 9- Waiting for a Feeling, 10- Mental Condition

 Recorded at H Homestudio

Here we have one of the best bands from Argentina !!! Yes, this amazing progressive metal band comes directly from my home country and I am saying proudly that they have nothing to envy. There are amazing keyboards in all the compositions that are essential to Hidrology´s sound. This keyboards, combined with the heavy guitars and the great sax lines give a lot of originality . This CD has been recorded with a lot of effort and this guys have achieved a great sound that makes each of the instruments shine. I have to remark the vocals of Federico Cristante that fuit the music really well and does not abuse the high pitches. I will strongly recommend this band to lovers of progressive, heavy and power metal with ideas. 

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.hidrology.com

HONEY FOR CHRIST - HONEY FOR CHRIST (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Honey For Christ

Tracks: 1- Forging Iron Will, 2- Movements Below the Surface, 3- The Heretic Hook

Cover Art by Honey For Christ

 Recorded at Einstein Studios

Here we have a band that have fooled me in the beginning!!! Yes, they start with a fast guitar riff with a sound that could be death metal and then comes a vocalist with a wider range singing really good melodies over them in a more heavy metal vein!! I really liked that!! Who says that pure heavy metal has lost its originality? Here we have a band that have developed their own sound by mixing some styles and adding them their own personality and a dark feeling in order to achieve the sound they had in their minds. Here we have three great tracks that leaves you wanting more Honey for Christ. It is essential here the good guitar riffs that are different from what one expects and the great vocalist that is full of feelings and transmits them while he sings (and also when he growls in death metal style such as in some parts in "Movements...". And it surprises me that they have recorded this threee tracks in just one day. They must rehearse a lot becvause they sound really tight. A must.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: www.honeyforchrist.co.uk

HROSSHARSGRANI - SCHATTENKRIEGER (CCP Recs., 2002)

Produced By:

Tracks: 1- Einleitung, 2- Das Flammende Auge, 3- Zweiter Schattenzyklus, 4- Im Feuer der Rache, 5- Dritter Schattenzyklus, 6- Ein gar Stolzes Heer, 7- Vierter Schattenzyklus, 8- Schattenkrieger, 9- Strahlend Schwarz, 10- Fünfter Schattenzyklus, 11- Donnerschlag, 12- Die Schatten Trügen, 13- Sechster Schattenzyklus, 14- Wenn Winters Sang und Klang Verstumint, 15- Oh Schatz, 16- Siebenter Schattenzyklus, 17- ...Krieg Entbrannte (Nacht der Helden)

Cover Art by

 Recorded at CCP STUDIO

An opening leads us into "das Flammende Auge", a track  full of heavy guitars and an amazing keyboards line that is repetaed in many parts of the song in order to get fixed in the listener´s brain. Here we have magnificent keyboards mixed with powerful guitars that are essential for Hrosshargsrani´s music. This band has a lot of epic touches in their music and that makes the sound real unique when combined with the male vocals that are really clear while powerful (some sound close to Therion but the scope of Hrossharsgrani´s music is completely different from that band). Plus here we have a great combination of male and female vocals that are essential to create the climaxes in the songs. The music on this album has a lot of atmosphere combined with energy and everything here has really good sound wth a great mix. The lyrics in german add a lot to the general feeling and identity of the band. This is one of those albums that you can not miss.

Favorite tracks: All the CD is a real work of art

Contact: www.ccprecords.com or hrossharsgrani@a1.net

HUMAN RITUAL - OFFERING (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Human Ritual

Tracks: 1- Less than Human, 2- Behind the Faces, 3- Mansect, 4- this So Called Life

Cover Art by Travis Komalcheet

 Recorded at Chapman Studios

This amazing band takes the heavier things of bands like Machine Head, Biohazard, Prong, Pantera and others, they mix them and then they regurguitate it in the form of their own music. Here you have those riffs that are extremely heavy and when combined here with the bass and the drumming we have one of the heaviest bands on Earth (you have just to check "Mansect" tosee what I am saying). The sound of this recording is FUCKING HUGE !! and I would really love to see this band live someday because I think that would be a heavier than fucking hell experience. The singer, Brad Oliver is extremely versatile and goes from singing melodic lines to screaming at the top of his lungs without hesitation. This is an album destined to be a classic in metal (I hope this guys remember this review when they become extremely famous).

Favorite tracks: The four songs are completely destructive and they annihilate your brain !!!

Contact: www.humanritual.com

HUTT - MISERAVEL (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Hutt

Tracks: 1- Patriota?, 2- Polvora, Pipoca e Sangue, 3- Epitafio (O Seu), 4- Bub, 5- Miseravel Mundo Novo, 6- Nada de Respostas, 7- Memoria Curta, 8- Meu problema Sou Eu, 9- Bozus Cristo, 10- Pensa Logo Dexiste

Cover Art by Hutt

Here we have an extremely fast and noisy band full of grind blast beats and extremely guttural and distorted vocals. This guys have no mercy!! They crush your brain from the first second to the last of this ultra brutal album. The guitars are really disrtorted and the mix is extremely raw helping the music to sound really energetic and unpolished. The faster tracks are really bursts of energy that makes your brain melt with the blast beats and the hyper fast riffs. There are also some rhythmic riffs that I would like the band to use more often because they are the most devastating. The sound of the recording is raw and unpolished but that does not lessen the level of aggression and the intensity that Hutt´s music has. Grind/death lovers rejoice with Hutt!!

Favorite tracks: "Patriota?", "Bub" and "Nada de Respostas"

Contact: hutt1@hotmail.com

HYPONIC - BLACK SUN (Independent, 2002)

Produced By: Hyponic

Tracks: 1- Labyrinth of Ignorance, 2- A False Legend, 3- The Last Divine, 4- Third, 5- Vile, 6- Black Sun

Cover Art by Kin

 Recorded at Hyponic´s Band Room

This band plays death metal with excellent guitar riffs, guttural vocals and interesting mid paced parts like the ones in "A False Legend" that add a lot of atmosphere and variation to the songs. What I really liked here is the guitar sound that is extremely heavy but at the same time very clear and effective. Kin and Roy play open riffs that allow some melancholic sounding melodies to develop in tracks like "Third" with really good taste. And this band really knows how to combine this melodies with sheer brutality as they show in tracks like "Vile". This is a good mix of fast death metal, some doom riffs and melancholic melodies that give a dark feeling to Hyponic´s music.

Favorite tracks: "A False Legend", "Black Sun" and "Vile"

Contact: hyponic@asiamail.com

ICED EARTH - TRIBUTE TO THE GODS (Century Media Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Iced Earth

Tracks: 1- Creatures of the night, 2- The Number of the Beast, 3- Highway to the Hell, 4- Burnin for You, 5- God of thunder, 6- Screaming for Vengeance, 7- Dead Babies, 8- Cities on Flame, 9- It´s a long way to the top, 10- Black Sabbath, 11- Hallowed Be Thy Name

Cover Art by Axel Hermann and Travis Smith

 Recorded at Schaffer Sound Studios

The guys in Iced Earth decided to make this tribute to the bands that influenced them and specially the leader Jon Schaffer. Here we have classic songs from bands like Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Blue Oyster Cult, Alice Cooper and Kiss covered by Iced Earth in their own way (very similar to the original versions). I liked a lot the heavier tracks eventhough the AC/DC tracks are amazing as the original songs are, and I liked a lot the more metalic feeling that Iced Earth gave to songs like "Creatures of the Night" or "God of thunder". This is a really good tribute to classic bands that we all love and whose songs are always good to listen to.

Favorite tracks: "Creatures of the Night", "The Number of the Beast" and "Screaming for Vengeance"

Contact: www.centurymedia.com.br

IMAGIKA - AND SO IT BURNS (World War III Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Uwe Luis & Imagika

Tracks: 1- Intro, 2- Chaos To Murder, 3- Fallen One, 4- My Dominion, 5- Atrocity, 6- Hell, 7- It Burns, 8- Annihilate, 9- Darkness has Come, 10- Fade Away, 11- the thief, 12- When, 13- Unheard

Cover Art by Darkworld 2000

 Recorded at Prairie Sun Studios

This band crushes you from the beginning: a short acoustic guitar intro leads directly into the first track that is a thrashing tune full of heavy guitar riffs and vocals that somewhat reminded me to the guy that used to sing in Cacophony. How heavy guitars can sound? Listen to "Chaos to Murder" and find the answer. Here you have a band with no mercy delivering riff after riff in sort of a mix of heavy metal and thrash metal that was sorely missed in the metal scene. Imagika gives metal music a new and fresh breath of air taking old elements and mixing them and creating their own sound with modern guitars and crushing drums. The vocalist here is really versatile and he knows how to fit the guitars and the songs perfectly. I have to remark the sound of this recording which is one of the best that I have ever listened!!! One of the recordings of the year.

Favorite tracks: All the CD

Contact: www.ww3music.com

ITALIAN EXPERIENCES III (Path of Experiences Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Path of Experiences Recs

Tracks: 1- Il male Che mi Fa (Dianira), 2- Too Easy for You (Living Dream), 3- Libera Nella Mente (Falling Silence), 4- Equilibrium (Spellcraft), 5- Distruzioni per l´uso (Ali perdute). 6- Raccontami (Gamila), 7- Brucia (Kardia), 8- Attimo (Fucktotum), 9- Radioactivity (Nuclear Devastation), 10- Shut Up (Meschalina), 11- Overture 2002 (Bright Corner), 12- Ten Methods to Die (Hollywood Vampyres)

Cover Art by A&A

Here we have a compilation featuring twelve italian bands from many different styles. Here we have from the rock of bands like Living Dream to the pure metal of Falling Silence with crushing riffs and lot of heaviness and many modern touches. Then we have also Spellcraft´s extremely climatic composition with many clean guitars and interesting arrangements that suddenly turns heavy. Also we have Ali Perdute with their music full of ancient melodies and dark atmosphere. There are bands like Kardia that sound really modern with "Brucia" and the crushing chorus of that song that add a new metal sound to the compilation. Fucktotum is more heavy metal with atmospheric parts and whispering vocals. Nuclear Devastation is pure grind at full speed and Meschalina is heavy rock with catchy riffs, some rapping and some electronics. Here we have a compilation that is a good showcase of the many different styles that are making their music in the italian metal underground.

Favorite bands: Spellcraft, Kardia and Bright Corner

Contact: http://spazioweb.inwind.it/pathofexperiences

IVORY MOON - PROMO 2002 (Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Ivory Moon

Tracks: 1- Hell, 2- Valhalla, 3- Lord of Mountain

Cover Art by Ivory Moon

Ivory Moon is a progressive band that has conceived here three compositions full of melodies, tempo changes and arrangements. Plus we have a lot of energy that is focused in the heavy guitars that the band uses. There is an excellent vocal work with male vocals singing complex melodies through all the songs and there are a lot of epic choruses that fit perfectly the music and give a lot of quality to Ivory Moon´s music (I think that this vocals are essential to the Ivory Moon sound). Here we have three tracks that never stop surprising the listener because of the many different arrangements and phrases and the many changes in mood and speed. Ivory Moon has a lot of musicianship with many technical skills that are essential to play this tracks correctly. This is a band with many ideas that they put into theior compositions and with excellent musicianship.

Favorite tracks: The three

Contact: http://digilander.iol.it/ivorysite

KABBAL - SYNTHETICALLY REVIVED (Diamond Prods., 2002)

Produced By: Kabbal

Tracks: 1- Extra Sensorial Journey, 2- The Great massacre (Verset 666), 3- Wisdom of the graves, 4- Life Surge, 5- Epitaph of the Older Ones, 6- Trihedron, 7- Scientific War, 8- La Citée de Marbre

 Recorded at Update Studio

This is a really brutal release but at the same time the band hasa lot of musicianship and they seem to have rehearsed their music a lot because they sound extremely tight: the band plays multiple bestial riffs on each track sounding original by avoiding cliches of the death metal genre. In fact, the band has a lot of identity in their music and they achieve this result with the mix of rhythms tahta re not really common in death metal as well as mixing them with faster parts, and also through the guitar melodies and the amazing changes. This band has a lot of musicianship and the guys here have a lot of technical skills, because their music is complex and they play it extremely well. Here you have a really good sound that makes things even better. Kabbal is a band that plays brutal music but with a lot of imagination and originality. 

Favorite tracks: "Wisdom of the Graves", "Life Surge" and "Scientific War"

Contact: www.diamond-prod.com

KALIBAN - THE TEMPEST OF THOUGHTS (Low Frequency Recs., 2002)

Produced By: Kaliban