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Unseen Terror - Human Error (reissue) |
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Written by Insane Wayne
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Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:04 |
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So Earache finally got off their dead asses and decided to cater to some of their old school fans. Last time, it was the first two Nocturnus albums. Now you're seeing 2 more classic Earache reissues, Spazztic Blur, and the band here known as Unseen Terror. For those of you who have been living under a rock, Unseen Terror consists of the first recordings by founders Shane Embry (Napalm Death, Malformed Earthborn, and Lock Up) and Mitch Dickinson (Heresy) from 1987. This is classic shit with very catchy lyrics, you'll even catch yourself singing/shouting along with Mitch as he goes off in his tangents. The sound quality is quite rough, but what can you expect from one of the first Earache releases. This CD has the original Human Error LP fully restored, plus bonus tracks from their 1986 demo (which got them signed) and their final recordings in 1989 plus liner notes from Mitch Dickinson himself. There's been talk of an Unseen Terror reunion, and the liner notes do state that that's not too far from reality. I'll tell you one thing, this is a piece of history, old schoolers will froth in the mouth knowing they don't have to wear out that old Human Error LP, The kids getting into extreme metal would learn a thing or two about how grindcore was originally played, raw, fast, and unrelenting. Buy this CD!!
(Earache) Rating: 10 /10 |
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The 3rd and the Mortal - Memoirs |
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Written by Chris Slack
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Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:03 |
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You may remember Norway’s The 3rd and the Mortal from their Mid-nineties releases such as “Sorrow” and “Tears Laid In Earth.”. From those gothic-doom metal albums they went on to the more straight-ahead goth rock presentations like “Painting on Glass” and “In This Room”. After a 5 year hiatus they are now back with “Memoirs”. “Memoirs” was recorded in several intervals over a period of 4 years, and this time a lot of guest musicians are included. There are five different singers on the album, and several others are participating on various instruments.
Musically this ranges from mellow pop with bluesy vocals (“Zeppoliner”) to tracks like “The City” which sound something like a Nordic Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy to upbeat electro-jazz numbers (“Fools Like Us”) to the electronica/goth hybrids of “Those Of My Kind” and “Spider”. None of the earlier metal influences are present but don’t think of that as being a bad thing, it’s just different. Strangely lacking from most tracks are the haunting female vocals the band is so well known for. This could possibly be due to Ann-Mari Evardsen no longer being with the band. I don’t know this for sure but the labels web site does not list her among the members.
This album is pretty darn good background music if you want something on that won’t distract you from doing something else. Personally I’d get pretty bored of this after a bit simply because there isn’t enough happening to keep my attention nor is there anything really memorable about it. Fans of electronica and goth rock may enjoy this but I couldn’t recommend it to anyone else. Longtime fans of the band would be MUCH better served by picking up Tactile Gemma’s self-titled debut featuring the vocals of Ann-Mari Evardsen and Monica Evardsen.
1. Zeppoliner
2. Good Evening Mr. Q
3. The City
4. Reflections
5. Thin Dark Line
6. Fools Like Us
7. Those Of My Kind
8. Simple Mind
9. Spider
http://www.prophecyproductions.de/pr...n/thethird.htm
(Prophecy Productions) Rating: 6 /10 |
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December - The Lament Configuration |
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Written by Clark Chaos
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Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:00 |
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Well, just got this in from Earache. This band hails from the little retirement community of Reno, Nevada. I am surprised by the power of this band. Very heavy at times, with some great riffs that catch you and draw you in. If I had to be more specific, the band is a great mix of metal and the new generation of Hardcore. The drummer is probably the biggest stand out from this band. The guy just totally destroys that double bass. I still don't understand this new generation of bands with their off key, jazz riffs. I could understand if it was used here and there but every damn song just gets dull. I guess the new Hardcore generation is wanting to be more technical then the old school styles. I guess this would be called Technical Hardcore. Hmmmmmmm, well I would recommend this CD for fans of Dillenger, Converge and Botch. (Earache) Rating: 7 /10 |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:02 |
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Written by Chris Slack
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Saturday, 14 June 2008 22:00 |
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This album was originally released by Italy’s Code666 under the title of "Phormula". Lee Barrett (founder of Candlelight Records) signed them to his Elitist label which recently joined forces with Earache. While they are in the studio putting the finishing touches on their Earache debut the label saw fit to re-issue the original “Phormula” in it’s entirety with a couple remixes and three tracks from their “Opera” demo. The CD was remastered by Tim Turan (Emperor and Opeth) but since I haven’t heard the original release of “Phormula” I can’t comment on the remastering.
This is a bizarre black metal creation. Think Emperor under hypnosis convinced that they are musicians from the 22nd century and you’d begin to get the idea. Don’t get me wrong, while the Emperor influence is there Ephel Duath is not another Emperor clone. This two-man band mixes complex guitar riffage with multi-layered synths and insane rum programming. Don’t let the lack of “real” drums frighten you off; they certainly don’t sound electronic (with the exception of the two remixes). Song tempos are all over the place, from mid-paced to hyperblast speeds. Vocals are what you’d expect from a black metal band, high-pitched screeches dominate the album tracks. The demo tracks contain some of the clean Viking-style vocals but it seems they have abandoned that style for the CD.
I have but two criticisms of this album, one being that the guitar mix could have been a bit louder and two being that we just don’t need another Tolkien inspired band name! Those are minor complaints though for an overall high quality release. While I can’t recommend this one hundred percent it is a worthy purchase for those who are into more recent Emperor (and/or the legions of Emperor clones) or black metal fans who are looking for something fresh and epic sounding to rattle their eardrums.
Track list:
1. The Embossed
2. Greynesses Grow Already Old
3. The Danza
4. The Flickering Warmth
5. Myriads
6. Phormula
7. The Blow’s Rhymers
8. Insomnia’s Desert
9. Embossed (On the Corpse) (remix by Homo Homini Loops)
10. Instinkt (remix by PASO)
11. Opera I
12. Adulta Hieme: The Magnificence
13. Falling
http://ephel.cjb.net
(Earache/Elitist) Rating: 7 /10 |
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Written by Chris Slack
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Saturday, 14 June 2008 21:44 |
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Move over Vader and Behemoth, for a new holder of the Polish Death Metal crown is here. For those of you who are not familiar with Decapitated I’ll give a brief rundown: They were originally formed in 1996 when the average age of members was a mere 14 years old. They released several demos and ended up signing with Earache/Wicked World who released their debut CD, “Winds of Creation”, in April 2000. Most critics praised this CD; I thought it was good but nothing out of the ordinary.
Fast-forward to 2002. I got a pack of promos from Earache a couple days ago and the first one I listened to was the new Decapitated CD “Nihility”. This CD blows “Winds of Creation” and most other recent death metal releases out of the water. The drumming is next to perfection (I assume everything’s triggered), technical stuff with lots of stop/start action and cool timing changes. The guitar riffing is brutal but catchy and memorable. I caught myself whistling along with the rhythm a number of times. Leads are on the money and flow very well long with the ferocious rhythms. The vocalist sort of reminds me of Steve Tucker but not exactly. One thing for sure is that it certainly fits the music!
This release places Decapitated firmly among the current death metal elite. Given the young ages of the members one can only wonder at what the future holds for them musically as they are so damn good now! “Nihility” is pure, technical, and brutal death metal that comes straight from the blackened hearts of these polish youngsters. Do yourself a favor and buy this CD now!
Track list:
1. Perfect Dehumanisation (The Answer?)
2. Eternity Too Short
3. Mother War
4. Nihility (Anti-Human Manifesto)
5. Names
6. Spheres of Madness
7. Babylon’s Pride
8. Symmetry of Zero
http://www.decapitated.metal.pl/
(Earache/Wicked World) Rating: 9 /10 |
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