Loits "Must Album" Nailboard Records Itīs with ease these guys perform their entertaining and varied style of their own brew; FlakīnīRoll. Iīm not sure about the Flak, but thereīs a good dose of Roll, all over. Each track is different from each other, thereīs a good and solid addition of catchy melodies, and both vocals, drums and guitars fit together like a girl with two equally nice tits. Iīve been a passive admirer of this band for a long time, and Loits make sure Tallinn seems like an interesting city to visit, should we judge it from their strikingly brilliant ability to compose songs. All their songs are sung in their native language, and unless you want to attend school to get to the bottom of them, Iīm more than confident a roll in the hay with this CD will make you satisfied for a good while. J. Loon |
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Azrael "Obdurate/Unto Death" Moribund Records This is a re-mastered re-release of Azraelīs EP and demo, originally released in 2001-2002, both long out of print. They have released several albums after these original recordings, following up on their quite so withdrawn and dense Black Metal compositions. Long songs that dig into the dark nature of the genre, without having a need to be the light on the horizon. Itīs music that is comfortable being on its own, and this is the strong side of Azrael. It drifts off in a clear direction, even though its surroundings are foggy and diffuse. And the distorted shrieks add to the overall sound of a band that is in balance, even though itīs got a strong presence of a mental fracture. The guitar riffs are creative without being off the wall, reaching out to the Avantgarde Black Metal this band is labelled as. Scum |
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Bahimiron "Southern Nihilizm" Moribund Records I would like to divide this album into two separate entities. On the one side we have Metal that is stripped from any form of compromise and normal ingredients. The vocals are performed by a maniac, the drums pound their way throughout the entire album and make this a pleasant and wild ride, if I may say so. The material that Bahimiron is forwarding us on their second album is not harmonic or melodic in an obvious way. But getting to the other side of this album, and a drawback indeed, is the mediocre riffing. It bores me to death, and quite frankly ruin this album for me. When every other part of this album is compromised of an unstable mental input, the riffs are nothing but dull and predictable. And much to my surprise, predictable in its harmonic approach too. I believe you should be extremely die hard to enjoy this album. Even though I think the songs get stronger towards the end, thanks to the title track and "War.Whiskey.Sodomy". Scum |
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Behemoth "At the Arena ov Aion - Live Apostasy" Regain Records The first live album from Behemoth, and that's after eight studio albums, no less. The sound on this is very good, almost as good as on the studio recordings, so in a way one can look upon this as a re-recorded best of-album. Behemoth's expression is very rich and massive, at the same time they play very fast and aggressive, so without the clear sound it could easily ended up in real chaos. Additionally they perform with a surgeon's precision. But, there are two things that bother me. One is Nergal's never ending shouting and begging for the audience's enthusiasm. In my opinion it would've been so much more superior and worthy to stand tall and kept the mouth shut and let the audience in awe. Behemoth are misanthropic blackened Death Metal, not Rock'n'Roll. The other thing is the question of value of this release when it holds no surprises. Apart from a short pointless drum solo, there's nothing out of the ordinary here. Incidentally, a box version of this live album has two bonus tracks, including a Turbonegro cover song. This is definitely a release for the die hard fans only, but it made me realize how many good songs Behemoth really have, and made me blow the dust off the studio albums and gave them a new spin. Luna |
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Burmese/Cadaver Eyes "Split CD" Heart & Crossbone Records They both go hand in hand with distortion, feedback and a wall of massive and brutal Power Electronics. Add to that some insane Grindcore and even more insane vocals, I suppose that would sum up the core of both Burmese and Cadaver Eyes. They are not on a mission to please your ears with soft tunes or melodic passages, this is basically in-your-face brutal music that has a fuck off attitude to compromises. Worthless |
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Disloyal "Prophecy" No Colours Records Polish Death Metal. Not a bad tag to hang on to, but Disloyal are as fresh as a band can get when they avoid being original. Instead they head down a road that have been common knowledge to each and every Death Metal fan for the last 20 years, and unless youīre new to this genre, this is not gonna be too interesting for you. The sound is strong and powerful, some okay riffing and tempo changes, but at the end of the day it wonīt be near my top 100 Death Metal album list. Scum |
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Fimbultyr "Gryende Tidevarv" Unexploded Records Founded in 2005, this rather young band perform a mixture of Viking Metal, Folk style and some elements of Black Metal, all together not resulting in something I would say is original. Not even slightly. The melodies are over the top melodic, and with the addition of traditional synth it kind of strike me as odd that these guys have chosen Metal as their path. Rolling Stones is much rawer and harder than this band, but then again, Viking Metal is usually quite melodic. A touch of something of their own style would have been beneficial, as it repeats everything this genre have done the last couple of years, without adding something new to it. Scum |
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Gravdal "Sadist" Unexploded Records Itīs an album that as soon as you turn it off is forgotten. Iīve played it many times, each time I am left with the same experience. Gravdal compromise straight forward Black Metal with a twist here and there that make it listen able for the time being. Some of the riffs are quite good, thereīs a certain groove now and then, but it is somewhat camouflaged. The riffs that are nice are quickly forgotten. And instead of focusing on their best parts, building on them to make the music reach a nice level, the best parts are gone as soon as their appeared. And with much of the other material of a very average level, all of what they are doing on this album is forgotten the second the album is finished. J. Loon |
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Hollowing & Maor Appelbaum "Collaborating Torture" Heart & Crossbone Records All things eventually come to an end, a place where nothing can go on like it has in the past. And with the death of Hollowing, aka Matt Gibney, who died from an overdose in January 2006, this stands as a symbol of a companionship that was successful. But itīs not gonna turn heads on the street corners where the sun shines, this is limited to those of you who already feel the glimpse of remarkable darkness in Industrial sounds and atmospheres. Itīs gloomy and dense, monotonous and hypnotic, basically all you should want from an album that have no wish to cross musical borders just for the sake of it. J. Loon |
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Mencea "Dark Matter Energy Noir" Indie Recordings A new band from Greece, embracing many genres of extreme Metal and performs it very well. This debut album shows a band that wants a lot, but does not necessary know a lot. And that's ok. It's important for a band to build on something, and that something, in this case is the will itself. Nothing is more pointless than a megaphone when you've got nothing to say. "Dark Matter Energy Noir" opens very strong with "The Passing", a tough track with a lot of good riffing, aggressive energy and a twisted atmosphere. The following two tracks are almost equally good, and one can almost feel sensational quality from a debuting band. However, and not very surprising, the material doesn't hold this quality all the way. The album as a whole is unstable and a bit too divided. Is it supposed to attract followers of In Flames or Red Harvest? It gets more anonymous for each track. Nevertheless, Mencea are a band that one should look out for in future releases. All of a sudden they stand before you with a contemporary classic album You'll never know. Luna |
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Nebiros "Kurwa Satana" No Colours Records With dull riffs, music that doesnīt stick out in one way or the other, and a lack of ability to compose what they have into something more appealing than this, I suppose this is a drowner. An album that Iīve listened to six or seven times, without feeling any gratitude for the music they do play. It feels ultimately simple, like thereīs no effort put into it at all. And the riffs, which are important in this kind of stripped down and primitive Blackish Metal, are so basic and boring it feels more like a juvenile parody than a real die hard killer old school album. But I refuse to laugh. Scum |
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Noneuclid "The Crawling Chaos" Merciless Records Times like these require originality to avoid the starvation of music. Noneuclid fit into the term original with ease. Original twists here and there, accompanying the touch of American Thrash and overall unique Metal they offer on this debut album. The strong compositions give "The Crawling Chaos" strength and a personality that stand alone, on its own soil. Compare it with none, this is impressive and perhaps a little progressive too. With a debut album as diverse and strong like this, I hope to see this bandīs prosperous nature really reaching its full potential, as this is nothing short of an album that doesnīt really fit into a certain genre. And albums like that is required in times like these. Andre P. |
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Nyktalgia "Peisithanatos" No Colours Records The second album from this German band is based in the underground. A repeat spiced up with something of its own, I would say. 4 tracks, each clocking in on an average of 11 minutes, are moody and melodic with painful vocals that add a grimness to the melancholic and melodic riffs. Thereīs strong hints of Bathory in the opening track, followed by strong hints of Thorns in the riffing on the second one. Not overly original, more of a repeat musically, but limited to 2000 copies this is underground and will appeal to the horde whose appetite for this music is endless. Andre P. |
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October Falls "The Womb of Primordial Nature" Debemur Morti Productions Mr. Lehto has moved October Falls away from its first all-accoustic nature into something that is dark, melodic and includes electric instruments. Still keeping an eye on his past, though including elements that have Black Metal written on its internal organs. This newest album is heavy and dark in expression, melodic on the outside and have a sound to it that is filled with a certain tranquillity. Much to the success of its neat composition, the melodies here give the music that touch of relief, or tranquillity to the soul, if you prefer. It clearly follow the direction of "The Streams of the End", and if you were attracted to those tunes, October Falls build further on that musical path, which should be a pleasant album to delve into. Worthless |
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Svartthron "Bearer of the Crimson Flame" Inferna Profundus Records A solo project hailing from Lithuania, with session vocals imported from Australia. Not a common constellation. Musically this is Black Metal with strong hints of doom. Nothing wrong with it, except for the fact that it is rather passive. I become increasingly impatient soon after this one starts. The riffs go in circles, the vocals soon feels as a contrast to the music, and not as an allied. There are no attempts at making this a little extra special, but as background music I think it would be ok. Andre P. |
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Traumatic Voyage "Khiaoscuro" Merciless Records This is the sixth Traumatic Voyage album to date, and more is to come in the future. To me, this is a brand new experience, as Iīve never even heard about this band before. One reason might be the fact that this isnīt considered a milestone in modern music history. Another is the low profile this guy Astorian have kept with this solo project ever since recording the debut demo in 1991. The press sheet explains: "The whole concept of Traumatic Voyage is based on Astorianīs endless quest for the final, cosmic truth and what he discovers during his search." It sounds much more interesting than it really is. This album actually starts off quite promising, though. A fresh sound with some astral synth additions, different and potentially well composed. But itīs just almost, and the result becomes more and more worn out and naive along the way. Towards the end I feel exhausted and without a trace of patience left. A lot of bad sounding Metal riffs and vocal parts that does not sound good. The compositional aspects of the music and the lack of good ideas make the album revolve around a naive and unfulfilled nature. Considering the long time existence of this band and how much it actually requires of talent to compose music that a listener feel attracted to, I see absolutely no hope for a revolution for this band, which it would require if I should spend time on this band in the future. Andre P. |
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Zilverhill "Eötvös" Adeptsound It was one of these days I was really pushed out of this secure and civilized World I am a part of. The day I first got a glimpse of this band via their Myspace page. Shortly after I got this album for review, and it just communicated to me in a way I have never experienced before. There is just this presence of something alien and obscure within the music that I am unable to explain. Itīs all about experiencing it, and really, keeping it to yourself. This is such an album that you donīt play for fun, or for party. Itīs calm music that moves forward at its own pace. Brilliant samples that add something twisted and stripping it down to a level where human presence is alien to this kind of music. It creates images in my mind that I do not welcome when I dream. Images of something weird, something unusual and something of musical value. Whether you play this with lights on, or off, it has powers that will penetrate all of its surroundings. And I am no way able to describe this with words. All I can, and this comes from the bottom of my heart, recommend this to those of you who welcome great music that is out of the ordinary. This is a must have. A controlled industrial ambient journey through a musical landscape that is beyond our World. Way beyond. I would say itīs alien. But this is only parts of the truth, and the best possible compliment I can use. J. Loon |
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Aura Noir "Hades Rise" Tyrant Syndicate/Peaceville Once and for all, this is THE Aura Noir album to date. I liked this immediately, but hold on to your hats and thongs: the qualities within this album make it a steady climber with each round it circles in the player. Gone are the direct references to the 80īs in riffs, as what witnessed on their super duper debut "Black Thrash Attack". But still, a presence of the darker sides of Metal from the 80īs is a sure ingredient and fundament in the music. Thereīs been a twisted development for this band, but really, they deserve to be back and with such a renewed energy this album is expressing, I am really short of breath. The mean nature of the music, the twisted and rather complicated riffing, oh dude, what a pearl! Apollyon and Aggressor have outdone themselves on this album, and this is directed at their way of composing the music. This secure each track a special aura, feeling and really, being mean to the bone. Dirty too, as in cursing before sipping at the bottle of abyss. Kicking off with the title track that consist of obvious highlights, but the details, those twisted riffs combined with both their vocal abilities, yupp, bring on the horses! Itīs more complicated music in my ears, if compared to their previous albums, and much more put together in a way that secure it to rise and continually improve and putting it in place. Brimming with energy and a killer aura of something dirty. Something that qualifies as Metal. With a big, distorted M. And with each spin I go for a new favourite track. Worthless |
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Destruction "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N." AFM Records Destruction deserves cred for releasing a couple of pretty good Thrash Metal albums in the eighties, and they deserve cred for keeping the wheels rolling for 25 years now. But let's be honest, they haven't released a really good album for some time. It's the same thing over and over. Some really good riffs here and there and the rest are empty in content and easily forgotten. "D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N." is no exception. It starts of cool enough with the title-track and from there it gradually gets more and more boring to listen to. And I'm not sure if I would categorize it as Thrash Metal no longer. It's kind of hard Heavy Metal, German style. I'm firmly convinced that they could have toned down the rapid release-hysteria, and saved up the good songs for one strong album. Even if that should take ten years, it would've been better. (l) |
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Enslaved "Vertebrae" Indie Recordings Are you one of those who think that Enslaved has now drifted so far away from what once was their sound and expression that there's not really any Enslaved left? Me too. It's always hard to swallow big changes in something you cherish, but when you think about it, all bands that keep on going year after year will change. Let's take the bands that made Norwegian Black Metal a brand that is world famous. Enslaved was very much a part of this. Darkthrone, Mayhem, Emperor, Burzum, they've all changed. All in their own way, of course. Ok, we're pretty used to the new sound of Enslaved by now. Both "Isa" and "Ruun" was far from Black Metal in that sense. But "Vertebrae" is even more progressive than ever. A lot of clean vocals and an overall soft production make this seriously alienated to old Enslaved fans. So, let's put that aside for a minute and look at this as an independent release. There's no doubt that this album is well worked through, and after a few spins the music is settling as adult and pretty intelligent. I'm tempted to pull resemblance towards late Opeth releases. They also incorporate more and more progressive music into a fundamentally extreme Metal genre. Quite successfully I would say. Personally I would point out the track "New Dawn" as a highlight on this one, with its cruel atmosphere. One can not simply say that this album is bad, regardless of what kind of Enslaved you prefer. And if you're into the new style I believe you're in for a treat. Luna |
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Hermh "After the fire - Ashes" Pagan Records Hermh have been around for many years now and judging by this album alone they havenīt really managed to find a unique approach to what they are presenting on this album. I cannot avoid getting strong hints of Dimmu Borgir in the way the synth is used, and that is a bummer. Any band with a strong identity would not allow their music to sound so clearly inspired by another band. And on the other hand, basing much of your musical expression on Dimmu Borgir is getting dated and really not interesting for anyone except their friends and families. A part from the synth, musically Hermh is not able to do something that could make me recommend this. Itīs all really dated, itīs been done a number of times by other bands in this genre and at the end of the day you will forget about this album. Sort of sympho Black/Death Metal without the necessary extra level of something unique. Hermh is obviously searching for something, but in no way succeeding in creating an album that will last for a second after you turn in off. (w) |
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Inferis "In the path of malignant spirits" Old Temple Straight forward Death Metal with a powerful bass sound is what Inferis from Chile are offering on this album. I would only recommend this to those of you who have a never ending thirst for all kinds of brutal Death Metal. For those not possessed by Death Metal no matter what: this album come across as old news and something weīve all heard a lot of times during the last 20 years. Inferis play well and have a good intensity, but overall they do not offer anything new or unique to a genre that have produced quite a few killer albums. The result is nevertheless quite brutal despite being quickly forgotten. (s) |
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Mysteria "Temple of the Scorn" Pagan Records Mysteria mix Death Metal with 80īs sounding American Thrash, especially a touch of old Metallica, I would say, and try to make it something special. But unfortunately the album is really tedious and quite average. The material itself and the way it is composed leaves little hope for this album, and I canīt really point out parts I think are good. It is far from what I would reckon most people are interested in. Nothing out of the ordinary, even though I can detect some attempts. But blame it on the mediocre compositions or the lack of that extra something in the music itself, this album is quickly forgotten. (w) |
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Quadrivium "Adversus" Soulseller Records Symphonic Metal is what this Norwegian band is presenting on their debut album. The members have been involved in other bands earlier, like Myrkgrav and Ragnarok, to mention a couple of them, but in a way it feels like they have forgotten about time and history. This is not something fresh or new. This is repetition. This is in need of power, as in Metal. One reason I, and Iīm sure a lot of you, listen to Metal is to get a good dose of something intense or something powerful. This is in a way almost outdated in my ears. Really over the top melodic synth that absorb any effort of originality from the music. I cannot understand the need for such an album in 2008. I rather listen to silence. Or music that at least have a touch of being unique. Like Arctururs, which is a band that seek originality, is creative and create music. This is the opposite, unfortunately. (b) |
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Ross the Boss "New Metal Leader" AFM Records Ross the Boss was the singer in Manowar from 1982 till 1988, and now twenty years after he went off, he delivers his debut solo album. There's no surprise that this is Heavy Metal in its truest form. It seems like he's been living in a cave, isolated from all civilisation and musical environments. This is so eighties mullet-headbanging Heavy Metal, in both good and bad. It's kind of entertaining and fun. Some of the songs like the opener "Blood of Knives" and the dark "Constantine's Sword" is actually good. The rest is really really outdated and lame. But I didn't expect some experimental Jazz Grind Core album from a former Manowar member anyway, so there you go. (l) |
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Svartharid "Malicious Pride" Soulseller Records Two albums on Napalm Records, and now the second album on Soulseller Records. Their fourth album in total. Svartharid has never been a band you consider to be a part of the unique scene that originated in Norway in the early 90īs. In a way Svartharid is to Black Metal what Gorguts is to Death Metal. This album is straight forward Black Metal, but without the Black Metal feeling. It is just music without the ingredients that once was so genuin about Norwegian Black Metal. So perhaps, this is where Norwegian Black Metal is today? Just music, music that feels studied and narrow, not magical or unique. The best riffs on this album, and there are a couple, are heavily soaked in Darkthrone inspiration. The rest of this album is done in a way which is nice and well played. But it does not feel honest. And it is a product rather than a great musical experience. And the synth add beauty and predictability, not eerie or bizarre feelings, which would have been a little bit more "Black Metal". (u) |
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Thundertale "Milzinai" Atra Musica Records Fancy light and predictable Heavy Metal with a dose of, well, Pop feeling? I am no fan of Heavy Metal but this is really, really, really bad and uninspiring music. Sung in their native tongue of Lithuania with a Eurovision Song Contest twist, but really. No! (u) |
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Urfaust "Drei Rituale Jenseits Des Kosmos" Debemur Morti Productions Synthesizer ultra Doom. Their label describe the music of this Dutch masterpiece as that. Nothing short of brilliant, this one is sneaky and rather weird. But by the forces of music, what a fantastic piece of work! I am almost ashamed of not having come across this band before. I guess an apology wonīt be accepted, and if it were, I would never admit to having apologised in the first place, so letīs just forget about that. The presence of something much more than just music makes this perfect. The vocals, that slow and frightening way of performing their weird but easily appreciated music, itīs really just a musical revelation. 3 tracks going in a slow motion, but really offering such a musical listening experience, that it must be repeated. A brand new way of channelling dark and really spooky music. Urfaust does it with brilliance! Scum |
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Verzivatar "In the shadow of sombre clouds" Old Temple Well, dull and crappy Black Metal. Extremely naive and without magic or that awesome feeling Black Metal should possess. This is actually worthless shit. Idiotic riffs that have nothing in common with Black Metal, a lack of understading for a genre that by this album once again is polluted by mediocre and average musiciansship. 4 tracks all in all, but donīt even bother... (u) |
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Xploding Plastix "Treated Timber Resists Rot" Beatservice Records Great news! Xploding is back! Without warning, after five years of silence, this record appears like an old friend you haven't seen for a long time. Surprising and very much welcome. So, what have these guys been up to? I know them from before as two guys who yearns for cutting and pasting all kinds of instrumental sounds, mixing it with real instruments and turn it into a rich and varied expression. By this release they don't seem to have changed their sound a bit, only warmer and overall more electronic. Their third full-length opens in a pretty electronic fashion. Kind of Aphex Twin-ish with nice snatching beats and twitched sounds. Further on, the more organic side gets more evident. Like the dark "Joyous Insolence" with its slow beats and deep strings. A track that can be categorized as really furious is "The Full Graft", with much of the energy that filled much of their debut album. One personal favourite is the track "Band Of Miscreants". This one really stands out as a demonstration of how to make a film score to an epic diabolical movie. It's Xploding Plastix at their best. With a few exceptions, like "Omar Sharif Bonanza" and "Joy Comes in the Morning", both released on EP's between albums. If I should pick on anything, which I shouldn't, it's the lack of something new. With this album Xploding Plastix reinforces their position as electronic eccentrics without stepping out to evolve in any way. In this case, it's probably the best, considering that I wasn't aware of their ongoing existence, and I've truly missed them. Luna |
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Portal "Seepia / Outre" Ordo Decimus Peccatum Take the energy from Angel Corpse and blend it with the complexity of Immolation, and you will have a good image of what this Australian band is about. But, that is not all. Portal add another dimension to their music. Something unpredictable, something a bit chaotic, bizarre and intense. Portal just simply drag you into a back alley where there is no light and a presence of something that will make the air moist and cold. Their dark and powerful tunes of unpolished and psychologically unstable Death Metal is awesome and for sure inviting you in for another listen which will bring new aspects to these two albums. Seepia was originally released in 2003, Outre 4 years later. Both albums are excellent, and I will not hesitate to recommend this to you if you are into killer Death Metal that is not over melodic or without depth. This is dark and weird, awesome and massive. A new favourite of mine! (w) |
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Andras "Iron Way" Einheit Produktionen Andras have been around a while, taking their music from uninteresting Black Metal to something that can be related to as Pagan Metal. Sweet melodies, sweet sound and deep, clear vocals, for the most part. The problem is that this kind of music comes by numbers, and despite of repeated spins I canīt seem to figure out where this band is heading. There is no aggression here, no power or punch. Over the top kind Metal really, but even though they have no ambitions to be a band that set standards, they play and have composed an album that despite all this is sweet and filled with an harmonic musical expression. If you find that appealing, "Iron Way" could be something for you. (w) |
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Benighted "Identisick" Osmose Productions A re-release here. New style Death Metal with creativity and a touch of Grind, I think! They possess a tremendous energy and power throughout this album, not afraid of pushing their music forward and combining technical Death Metal with sheer straight forward aggression. A formula I think they succeed with in a natural and fine way. Lots of up tempo intensity, but with some breathers here and there which make it all well worth of a spin in the player. Killer guitar sound and ultra growling vocals, yeah, brutal and with the necessary variation for a powerful musical trip. (w) |
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Bionic Angel "Digital Violence" Schwarzdorn Production Quite nice this one, easy and catchy music. Bionic Angel have this light and sing a long like catchiness to it that makes it a good album when youīre in the mood for it, or I suppose it could be great for partying also. A touch of Metal but for the most part they have these guitars going with some electronic beats, catchy melodies and mixing it all in with Rock and I would say Pop too. In a way they remind me about the melodic parts of Apoptygma Berzerk, but I would also say that Marilyn Manson comes to mind once or twice too. Several of the tracks here have this really great potential of being like radio tracks, if you know what I mean. Iīve enjoyed it, but I have to admit it would have been a tad more favourable if they could go the whole way and really create a unique sound and expression, as this is too close to what other bands have done which is a drawback. (b) |
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Doublesion "Cannibal Surgery" Fog Foundation Well, here's a band that lurks in the field of implacability. Fundamentally predictable extreme Metal (Black / Death), developed further with untraditional instruments and effects into something more unpredictable. The most imminent resemblance is the French schitzos Carnival in Coal. Although Doublesion has a way to go, you can easily hear the potential in the experimentation. This release is a short burst, lasting just close to 20 minutes. It's hard to tell if they got what it takes to become a full-fledged innovative act. I will certainly keep an eye open for them. Hopefully, then they will improve the sound by either invest in a better drum machine, or hire a proper drummer. They could also take the experimentation even further and let the madness out in full bloom. (l) |
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Empire Auriga "Auriga Dying" Moribund Records Itīs a field of tough competition Empire Auriga are placing themselves in. On the one side you have all the excellent releases from Cold Meat Industry it is easy to compare this non-metal album with. Stuff that is more industrial, more haunting and more ugly than this one, like Deutsch Nepal for instance. On the other side you have Archon Satani that used to pollute the music industry with really excellent albums. Empire Auriga are for those of you who enjoy a moody and atmospheric album that in many cases could be a soundtrack to a dark and terrifying movie. As for "Auriga Dying" I canīt seem to find its authentic originality, thus leading my interest over to the more haunting Brighter Death Now, which I prefer over this one. But itīs done with an understanding for the genre and itīs all in all a nice atmospheric experience. But a bit too typical to really stand out as something groundbreaking. Nice though! (w) |
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Leviathan "A Silhouette in Splinters" Moribund Records Leviathan. A band that I for the last couple of years have a non stop interest and respect for. One thing is the refreshing withdrawn nature. Another is the honest and rather mysterious presence of something unexplainable in the music. And then, the actual music itself. Interesting and captivating Black Metal, a pulse in the dying footsteps of the Black Metal genre. "A Silhouette in Splinters" have up until now only been available on vinyl, in a limited edition. First time on CD, but this is an album completely stripped from anything Metal. A dark and haunting exploration of one key ingredient of this band, here fully exposed. If you are not familiar with this American band, I would not suggest this as your introduction to the band. Go into their back catalogue and look for their Black Metal albums. This is for the real fans, the ones that want to know every aspect of this band. (u) |
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Nocturnal Fear "Code of Violence" Moribund Records Modern US Thrash, it says on the info sheet following this CD. Add to that a dose of the past days of older Thrash bands, and the force behind this band and album could give you a hint. They squeeze out track after track with a ferocious energy and intensity, but leaving no mark on the ground. Despite a number of repeated listens, and a real wish to really get into this one, I just canīt force myself to go all the way. The members of this band have years of experience and an understanding of the genre they are a part of, but the result and the actual music is by numbers. One thing I personally like with Thrash are the killer riffs or almost chorus like vocal compositions. This is not something this band master, and I am just dying for something to link my mind to. The riffs are not that exciting and itīs obvious they are not out here to be more than just another band among hundreds. In a genre that is gaining more energy and awesome new bands, this is just not strong enough. Their grip on the past is ok, but the guitar solos does little good for the music, except underlining the fact that Nocturnal Fear blindly follow the traditions in this genre. (u) |
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Oakenshield "Gylfaginning" Einheit Produktionen Folk music combined with Metal. Flute and what have you, drum machine and a touch of Metal the light way. One hour overkill, but it is true to its nature and might appeal to you if you like melodies and Folk Metal. (s) |
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Sorgsvart "Vikingtid og Anarki" Einheit Produktionen I never understand why people mix hard Metal with these Folk themes, beyond words over-melodic and sing-a-long like. But then again, I love Slayer for the same reasons I just canīt enjoy this. But in giving you a picture, this is Folk Metal, with synth and clear, Folkish vocals. (u) |
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Thrudvangar "Zwischen Asgard und Midgard" Einheit Produktionen Viking Metal is really not my cup of tea, to put it mildly. The acceptance of clichés and over the top melodic melodies within this genre is just beyond my understanding. Thrudvangar is really no exception in this genre. They open this CD with the sounds of thunder, then follow it up with Metal that is not really original or interesting. The mediocre compositions are in a way polluted by these utterly sweet and simple melodies which really require no musical talent to come up with. The mild sound could really be in need of some punch or power, resulting in the overall impression that there is an obvious lack of energy in the sound. It is quickly forgotten and really so predictable it is kind of amusing. (u) |
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Totalselfhatred "Totalselfhatred" Ordo Decimus Peccatum A superb debut album by all means. It starts off with a short, beautiful and melancholic intro, which in all aspects really sum up this album, except for the short bit. The album lasts for just over 45 minutes, has a direct and clear sound that combined with a nice variety and well composed music secure it a place in my collection. In a way or two itīs excellent with its floating musical motion, its mid paced melancholy that together with very harmonic and nicely melodic sad Black Metal is of great value to my ears. This band from Finland donīt go out of their musical path, itīs safe and without unpredictable musical solutions, but even though I for the most part appreciate music that manage to surprise me, Totalselfhatred and their self titled debut have a magnetism in their music that appeal to me. It must be the beauty. Or the sadness. Either way, a great and well put together album. (b) |
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Trimonium "Son of a Blizzard" Einheit Produktionen Very, very melodic and straight forward without anything original or really amazing. A touch of inspiration from Abbath in the vocals, it seems. Musically they have a good variation between mid-tempo to up-tempo material, but as I personally prefer Metal that have a mean and aggressive nature, Trimonium further give me a reason to not convert to kind and overly melodic Metal. Their focus on the guitars are okay, but the riffs are extremely melodic and kind. Overall it is predictable music as well. But they combine melodies with nice drumming and the Abbath-ish vocals give them a little benefit in creating an album that if you donīt mind the kind approach to Metal, could interest you. (u) |
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Ulvhedin "Pagan Manifest" Einheit Produktionen A Viking Metal band that is both original and not leaning on cheesy melodies! Wow! They even give me the impression they have a understanding for the music they play, the riffs they make and their ability to compose songs give little doubt to the fact that this band is having musicians in it, and not just bone heads. Hurray! Ulvhedin combine a nice pace with power and original riffing. Tempo changes give it variation and they do it in their own way. Itīs not aggressive or brutal but they succeed in combining their own style with something that within this genre sounds fresh and intelligent. (s) |
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Khold "Hundre år gammal" Tabu Recordings The fifth album from the rather underrated Norwegian act is out now, and to me personally this is a major highlight. Staying with tradition, Khold offer groove and cool riffing, hand in hand. The album is varied and kicks off directly with a phenomenal groove and intensity. The variation and more or less genius compositional skills this band is putting down on this album is awesome. Track 6, "Rekviem" is not only a tune of utter brilliance, but further show off how great the Khold mind is when it comes to putting together their material. The opening of "Rekviem" offer such a tasteful quality and feeling, and halfway through, when they sort of restart the song in the same way is nothing short of a compositional act of a genius. To me this is among the absolutely best Khold have done to date. Some of their earlier records have all had a lot of highlights, but perhaps been unable to keep it up through the whole album. This however just gets better and better the more it is played. (u) |
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Crystal Moors "Antiqvam Exqvirite Matrem" Blood Fire Death Productions Crystal Moors is a Pagan Metal band hailing from Spain, and offering decent but easily forgotten material on this album. Quite sweet melodies with the addition of synth, which removes some of the power in the music. It is mediocre stuff by numbers, put together in a little bit clumsy fashion which isnīt doing much good for the overall impression. Iīve heard better and Iīve heard worse, but this is slightly insignificant and surpassed by hundreds of more interesting releases this year alone. (b) |
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Evilfeast "Funeral Sorcery" Alles Stenar Previously released in a limited edition of 300 cassettes, if you have that one you are certainly one of just a very few. Evilfeast hails from Poland and this is their second album, another one will be released this year as well, but Iīm satisfied this one has been made available on CD by Alles Stenar. Evilfeast is very much clinging on to an underground style of Black Metal. Performed in a traditional way with additional synth, but I am left with an impression that this is done very well. Perhaps not too original but theyīve got their own little style of their own, with a presence of a feeling that save this from the dustbin. The feeling is present throughout the entire album and combined with the intensity and the abysmal Black Metal it turns this album into a good one. The guitars are a bit in the Burzum vein, and it works out very well. (w) |
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Evilfeast/Marblebog "Isenheimen/Abyss calls..." Alles Stenar Two Polish underground Black Metal bands on this split release. Evilfeast are in the area of floating and moody Black Metal with a defined dark aura. Itīs a band that have a nice variation in the material even though I feel the essence of their work is really this floating type of Black Metal with synth added to it. It is not overly original, but still it work out very well. The material that is presented is done in a good manner and that alone makes originality unnecessary. But I think if youīre not really into this then the part of Evilfeast will not do you any favours. The last 3 songs, of a total of 7, are a little sharper and more direct in nature. Synth is also present here, and Marblebog is as well a band for the die-hard underground Black Metal fanatics. The longing, floating presence is an ingredient in their material too. Marblebod add to their music some quite weird riffing a couple of times which makes it interesting, even though I feel their material in general is in need of something more than what is presented here. It comes across as something Iīve heard too many times already, and that is a drawback. (s) |
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Frostgrave "Hymn of the Dead" Absolute Hell Productions The combination of rather harsh Black Metal with melodies and some creative and original inputs are super on this album. They have the details which lift the music and make it really worthwhile listening to. Some of the vocal arrangements are positively awkward, the guitar solo in the first track that just comes out from nowhere being both strange and great, things like that are refreshingly clever and add something unpredictable which is positive. Up tempo Black Metal, riff based and sharp, this one is nice! The material they offer on this disc have a touch of something wild and unpredictable, even though it is for the most part based deeply in tradition with a stripped down production. I will clearly stress the fact that if you demand a lot of originality in the music this one is not for you. But if you enjoy straight ahead Black Metal which is quite raw and simple, yep, you might end up enjoying this one like I do. (s) |
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Grivf "Yggdrasil" Det Germanske Folket There is an utter dark and down tuned aura coming along the ride on this album. Monotonous, depressive and utter one dimensional, though with spices. Grivf could easily have fallen into the trap of repeating what others have done before, but this is done with an impressive and depressive touch. Which is strangely calm and powerful and at the same time massive and relatively aggressive. Not aggressive in speed or intensity, but more of a psychological aggressiveness that is coming from below, somewhere deep down. Even though there is no need to compare this with Sunno))), it gives me some of the same anti social shivers. (b) |
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Theudho "Cult of Wuotan" Det Germanske Folket Predictable and in terms of this Pagan Metal genre quite conservative. Joyful riffs combined with an overall easy listening aura. A Heavy Metal feeling is not far off either. The female vocals are working well in this scenario but the rest of this album is rather dull. The feeling of "heard it before" is quite profound, and the material offer nothing spectacular. The synth is extra sweet with the melodies and it turns this album into a very light one. Sweet and predictable Metal with a dash of Heavy Metal should sum it up. (w) |
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Thirst "Blacklight" Alles Stenar Very professional and well done, Thirst deliver some sharp and melodic Black Metal with occational synth that have a rich sound and a good variation in the material that is offered. But it comes across as an album that rather should have been released 10 years ago, because this has been done so many times by now and is definitely drained out. Fast and well played Black Metal, with normal style Black Metal vocals, fast drums and a solid dose of power and intensity. But without soul or the ingredients that would set them a part from other bands. Flat and by numbers, too normal and nice. (w) |
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Vrankenvorde "Schlachtensang" Blood Fire Death Productions This is an album that honestly is not worthy of a review. The material that is presented here isnīt even close to being mediocre, it is far worse. The material itself is polluted by an overwhelming redneck attitude, the riffs are of such a low quality it is really just laughable. And it is sadly obvious that none of the members of this band have any talent when it comes to the actual composition of their music. Itīs an album that reeks of bad musical ideas, no musical direction and is just compromised of material that most decent bands would never use on a record. (u) |
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V/A "Might is Right - Nordic Warchants II" Det Germanske Folket Oh what a package! A double CD plus a DVD from the Ragnarök Festival. In other words, lots of Viking Metal, Pagan Metal, Folk Metal, extreme Metal and Black Metal for the ear, and the same aspect only with an additional touch of the eye with the DVD. Lots of bands, many well known, others unfamiliar for me. A massive package indeed which looks nice and offers a wide and varied variety of bands and genres for the curious and the needy. The filming is nice from the festival and is interesting to look at, even though I think once is enough for my needs. Musically there are several hours of stuff here. My favourite: Irminsul from the CD and Urgehal from the DVD. (b) |
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Battle Dagorath "Eternal Throne" Mercenary Musik Battle Dagorath (!) base their normal type Black Metal for the most part around a very high pace, which work out pretty fine. But it could and should have been something more to remember if they actually had some really good material to present. On this album they donīt, and my summary is fast music with much room for improvement. It has been done a hundred times already, why not focus on being a little bit unique and at least try to create some magic, or even just one fanatically awesome riff? Track 7 is the best on this album, an instrumental and very well put together track, which by the way is a non metal track on this CD. (w) |
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Funerarium "Nocthule" Undercover Records Ladies and gentlemen! Black Metal that at best could be defined as mediocre . Nothing here is even remotely interesting. I would almost assume these guys havenīt heard much Black Metal, because this is exactly what this genre doesnīt need: yet another band that offer nothing. Nothing! Standard vocals without effort, that sound like all other bands, amazingly friendly riffing and guitar parts that have nothing to do with good Black Metal. And itīs all composed in a mediocre manner. I am appalled by standard shit like this! FOREVER! No identity, no magic, no feeling, just dull human music. (w) |
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Marionette "Spite" Listenable Records Oh my testicles! A new Swedish hardcore band that claims to be original and going beyond boundaries. Well, without exaggeration they sound like a million others. Modern sound, simple riffing, annoying screaming vocals with nice melodic choruses. One thing I can't understand about this genre is why the vocals are so aggressive while the music is so nice ? It's just so tiring to listen to 45 minutes of the same shit. Do we really need another band sounding like this? I mean, come on! Do something on your own, or nothing at all (l) |
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Parade Ground "Rosary" Sleep Walking Records - "We have thought Rosary as musical collages, sound installations, brutal rage...Something vomited, a musical abstraction... Our music is an irrepressible vomiting... A suffering." An important aspect when trying to understand and listen to Parade Groundīs phenomenal album. I didnīt really know what to expect, and played it the first time sort of as background music while I was doing something else. Its hypnotical aura caught me off guard, and I soon discovered that this demanded something from me, the receiver, the listener. I laid down on the couch, dimmed the lights and turned up the volume and just without thinking closed my eyes. It was time for a mental holiday, a travel by music, delivered by Parade Ground. A band that have been around for a very long time, but to me this is the first encounter with this Belgian force. Rosary is produced by Patrick Codenys of Front 242 fame, and in good hands for sure. Musically this is both weird and comforting. I guess I am not able to explain the album by words, which is essentially great and a proof of unpredictable qualities. It this had sounded like something else it would be easy, but it doesnīt. The collages the bands is referring to is put together very well, and it doesnīt really sound like collages. The strength of this disc is its unpredictable nature. Its ability to surprise while holding on to a much bizarre feeling is wonderful. (u) |
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Textures "Silhouettes" Listenable Records Fans of technical Metal, here's something to check out. This is progressive and very varied. They can be compared to bands like Meshuggah or Dillinger Escape Plan one minute, and then Dream Theater or The Mars Volta the other. And it's all mixed up within the same songs here, not separated in one melodic nice song then one hard and aggressive one. And that's what progressive music is all about. Loved and hated for it. It's challenging, and you have to make this spin quite a few times before you can sort everything out. The band is obviously skilled and the sound is very good. The fly in the ointment is the defuse unsettling expression. The risk of scaring away fans of the hard stuff with the soft stuff, and vice versa, is definitely present. (l) |
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Treponem Pal "Weird Machine" Listenable Records Here's a band that has kept it going since 1986, and this is their eighth release. Still they are anonymous to yours truly, and to many others also I think. Well, to those of my kind I can tell that Treponem Pal is a band that operates in the alternative Rock / Metal genre. Riff based, groovy, raspy melodic vocals, with keyboards and samplers that make a modern sound. The band members have links to other bands in the same street, with a much bigger name such as Ministry, Prong, Young Gods etc. I think it's a reason that Treponem Pal hasn't reached the same fame, and it's simply the quality of the songs. At least on this album, it's not strong enough and it misses the real hooks that stick to your mind. Maybe it's not weird enough, like the album title would suggest. With a few exceptions of course, like the opener "Dirty Dance". A nice machine like stomping tune with a repetitive piano melody on top. All in all interesting, but a bit too safe. (l) |
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V/A "Norsk Svart Metall" NSM Records The third wave of Norwegian Black Metal. A third wave of something, could that possibly be of any interest? Norwegian Black Metal is definitely not such a strong trademark as it used to be. The vitality and unique approach to music is somewhat gone. But that happens to all unique styles. The more established it gets, the less new input it is fed with. If we look at the bands most of us have a relationship with, like Immortal, Darkthrone, Emperor, Satyricon and Enslaved, just to mention a few of them, they all had their very own style. They developed their own style, and you could immediately hear and feel whether you put on a Darkthrone album or an album of Immortal. If we look at this third wave, which is presented on this CD there is little hope for the future. The bands are not really having their own style. They add nothing new to a music genre that have produced some fantastic albums. And that always happen, when something gets more and more watered out, the innovators move forward and the new bands donīt draw inspiration to their own style of music, but rather copy and just present rehash material over and over again. Much because they donīt have their own style. In my opinion this is a sad example of how the new bands are unable to take this music one step further. (m) |
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When "You Are Silent" Jester Records To me, When has always been similar to art. The early releases, such as "Gynt" and "Prefab Wreckage" were collages of sounds rather than songs the traditional way. The albums were demanding and required your full attention, if you desired something out of it. I, for one, have delved into the works and I kept them close to my heart. In 2001 "The Lobster Boys" was released, and suddenly When had taken a move away from the singular, towards more traditional song writing in Pop oriented areas, although the strange psychedelia were kept in some parts. The next three albums got gradually more and more digestible for the common man, and the strangeness had to make space for the straight and harmonic. By all means Lars Pedersen, the man who single-handedly is When, is a superb musician and does the Pop music with great success as well, but to me and many others his real genius lies within obscure music. So it's with great joy to announce that this new album is back to the real dark art. The opening track, "Lost Cure", is a sneaky and creepy number, which could make Angelo Badalamenti envious and David Lynch wouldn't have to look further for putting music to his future films. Elegantly moving forward slowly in repetitive moves. Just waiting for something nameless lurking around the corner. There's an overall black aura surrounding this album. Even the cover art gives me shivers and brings nostalgic feelings from "The Black Death" album (1992). Some of that album's sad and desperate atmosphere is adapted and very much present on this new one. I have to mention the last track too. The twenty minute sick opus called "False Alarm". It goes from calm chamber music to an inferno of industrial rhythmic noise. Not once is this getting boring. Not once are you getting a feeling of nonsense to fill out the album. Everything is perfectly in place. From you press play you get dragged in to his surreal world, hypnotised, feeding your brain, until it's over. The recording is done by Tore Ylvisaker of Ulver, who also co-produced this album with Lars Pedersen. Other vice Lars has performed everything himself, as usual. What an artist (l) |
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Avsky "Malignant" Moribund Records Disappointing! Really disappointing! Avsky merge together really fanatical Black Metal vocals with music that I now have heard so many times that it really is getting to a point where I feel I waste my time. But this band has a phenomenal potential. A potential that is clearly based in the vocals on this album. Musically, they really disappoint me. Standard stuff really, definitely close to this orthodox Black Metal style. But other bands are doing this much better, and Avsky is balancing on the knife edge of being amusingly uncreative. The vocalist is really standing up and being insane, while all the music is being played while sitting down. Thatīs what it feels like. If they only could offer something, avoid the standard recipe of putting together their music, oh, this would have been so much better. And Avsky would have been a band to remember. As for this album, no! Itīs boring! Standard! Uncreative! Come on, create and play! Donīt just play! (m) |
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the Batallion "Stronghold of men" Dark Essence Records Powerful Metal with a distinct groove and Rockīn Roll attitude, for sure setting a good standard for masculine Metal, as they so much wish to emphasise. Nothing wrong with that as it is in fact true. Theyīve got a bunch of killer riffs, a groove that is of a cool nature and up-tempo metal that succeeds in making this a one of a kind album. Enjoyable for rainy days, partying and when you make your girlfriend clean the apartment while you relax with a beer. After a rather cool and up-tempo start this album falls down a bit with a couple of fillers midway that are ultra dull, but it picks up a bit again towards the end. A cool metal album for those who enjoy that style of music. (w) |
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Brown Jenkins "Angel Eyes" Moribund Records Another weird experience of Brown Jenkins and the trademark sound that is direct and to the point. Yet still with a touch of improvisation, a musical experience that is not common. Strange and eerie, with intense guitars and a hovering abysmal feeling to it. "Angel Eyes" is an album of such intensity and bleak power that I have problems listening to it at times. An overkill of guitars and demonic vocals that are calling for a certain state of mind. Sometimes this music drags me towards it, sometimes it push me away. But Iīm marked by it. Almost 40 minutes of this powerful album might just be enough for me. But as I said, itīs all about being in the right mood, supposedly. (b) |
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Flagellum Dei "Under the might..." Bloody Productions An album consisting of straight forward underground Black Metal. But halfway through the opening track they manage to add a completely useless heavy metal guitar solo which is unforgivable. Up-tempo Black Metal without any ups or downs really, and towards the end of this album, that last for almost 40 minutes, it is really getting tedious. I have no idea how many albums Iīve heard that are like this. Not good, not bad. Just floating somewhere in between. Flagellum Dei needs a better songwriter and a person that can put something of a higher quality into their tunes, which I hope will happen before they release something next time. This is quickly forgotten. (u) |
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Helheim "Kaoskult" Dark Essence Records I havenīt heard this band since their mini-CD "Terrorveldet", almost 10 years ago. Didnīt like them back then and never thought of them since. But with that said, this is not all that bad. The opening track is catchy and powerful, with nice guitars adding a little extra. They follow that with a second track that is nicely put together and nice to listen to. The album is produced with a powerful and dark sound and musically spiced with variation and some occasional synth that fits well with their style. Easily an album you can live without, but good to see this Viking Metal band having improved quite a bit since their early days. (w) |
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Invictus "Imperium Paganum" No Colours Records Invictus are doing some sort of folk inspired synth music on this disc. If you like the style of Wongraven this one is for you. I personally can listen to this as background music but nothing more than that. Synth arrangements with flutes and folk or medieval melodies, well, itīs not something unique but done in a traditional way. (b) |
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I Shalt Become "In the falling snow" No Colours Records Minimalistic and floating Black Metal, monotonous and with limited melodies that serves the material nicely. But itīs not much of a challenge. It feels rather uncreative, but still it has its moments. When youīre in the mood for it, that is. I Shalt Become is hiding its music behind a curtain only leaving small portions of music coming out. Small shades of light. Keeping back energy and leaving the scene open for others. Itīs down tuned music, introvert and taking really small steps at a time. Moody and harmonic, itīs Black Metal with small letters. (b) |
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Murk "Unholy Presences" No Colours Records This is something we all have heard before, and most likely done much better too. Itīs really nothing wrong with this album, except for the fact that it is a xerox copy of other bands. Not much unique identity here, some riffs are okay others not. The vocals are all pretty average and the unholy presence is only present in the title of the album, unfortunately. But itīs an okay attempt but without the necessary means to carry it out. Itīs Black Metal done in a very standard way, and that synth piece going for ages is so unoriginal itīs really amazing. (b) |
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Nargaroth "Semper Fidelis" No Colours Records Ugly, monotonous and with that little extra that makes this rather nice. Nargaroth have been around many years now and they continue to release crisp and raw Black Metal of the old style and days. Not much freaky optimism or clean production, in other words. Itīs stripped down and rather minimalistic compositions that are the trademark of this band, and with a good floating continuation in their music hand in hand with suitable melodies and riffing, yeah, it sounds and feels good. A nice amount and use of samples, mostly choir samples secure this release a position of the better albums in this style of underground Black Metal. Iīve heard many albums that can be classified raw and stripped down but this one is good. Thereīs a presence of identity and a willingness to create something a little different, even though staying firmly within all possible borders of expression. The vocals are raw and the music more of a floating and mid-pace style, for a mind-blowing 80 minutes playing time! (w) |
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Orenda "The Funeral" No Colours Records Well played and well composed melancholic Black Metal. Really controlled and with a strong presence of a melancholic nature, a future without hope. Orenda give us 4 tracks and well over half an hour playing time, that all are in that floating vein and that take no step outside that path. It works good and each track is a little different from another, with nice guitars and vocals that never take up too much room in the music. (s) |
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Skogsvandrerne "Skogsvandrerne" Ancient Beliefs Hmm, the only positive remark I can give about this band is that they are trying to do something a little bit different. A good attempt, but the result is of no use. Ugly vocals and rather melodic and ugly metal. Black Metal, perhaps. It is of absolutely no interest to anyone, but if this is the type of music the people in this band is into then I hope they will do something a bit more interesting next time around. It sounds and feels like a rehearsal which should have stayed within the room, not on a CD. (u) |
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Those Who Bring The Torture "Those who bring the torture" No Colours Records Solid Grind/Death metal, up-tempo and nice, but without that little extra to set them a part from a bunch of other cool bands. The songs are enjoyable but a bit predictable. Nice vocals, but very much similar to others (of course), and the riffing is okay. The production is powerful and the guitar sound is great. A couple of samples here and there too, but all in all not more than an average okay album, even though some of the song titles are fantastic. (s) |
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Tymah "Loquitor Cum Alqo Sathanas" No Colours Records Itīs been done a million times before. Mediocre Black Metal with mediocre riffs and standard vocals. Canīt find one little thing interesting about this release. (w) |
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V/A "15 years jubileum metal attack!" No Colours Records A budget label sampler from No Colours Records. Perhaps the next big band is on this CD, like Dimmu Borgir years back in time? All in all 19 tracks from 19 different bands. This is No Colours anno 2008. (u) |
Corpus Christii "Rising" Nightmare Productions Definitely come a good way since their early years, but to head straight to the really big problem with this album is that Corpus Christii are walking up a musical path that is already starting to have a lot of footprints in them. And really clear and strong footprints too. "Rising" is trying to reach a level it really isnīt made for. This is Black Metal with strong hints of the spiritual powers of bands like Mortuus and Funeral Mist, which they are doing in a much more convincing manner than this. This, however, feels like an attempt that didnīt work out. The riffs are dull and very uninspiring, and is in desperate need for some real conviction. A pale shadow of the best bands in this style of Black Metal, and "Rising" leave absolutely no mark on the path, unfortunately. (w) |
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Drowned "Viscera Terræ" Worship Him Records With the vocalist from Necros Christos doing his vocal duties excellently also in this band, Drowned come across as another killer band from Germany! They released their first demo back in ī93, but I suppose this is their debut "release" in a way, even though itīs a mini-album. Four songs of abyssic and morbid Death Metal. Lurking and twisted, Drowned are really coming across as a band that have found their sound and style that I am sure they will continue to shape into something really awesome. Death Metal with feeling, power and depth. Killer album artwork, and compliments for the ultra nice t-shirt! I worship bands that have their own style, and dare to do something a little different. Vinyl version will be repressed and available again soon. (m) |
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Miseryīs Omen "Hope Dies" Worship Him Records Iīm positive and open to bands that are having their own style of music, or at least trying to create something that isnīt a blueprint of their favourite bands. Miseryīs Omen is definitely a band with their own style. A style that is not a straight line, but rather a mixture of different musical directions blended together in a neat and precise formula. This Australian band have a progressive approach to much of their music, and with a musical aura that might suggest a mixture of Negative Plane and Swedish Änglagård with an obvious Heavy Metal edge to some of the guitars, I am not sure how to explain this band any further. It is definitely an album you will remember, and that alone is refreshing. But whether you like this or not is simply a matter of your mood and taste in music. Iīve had this playing over and over for days, and I like much of it, but it tends to be a bit too nice. An atmosphere that is too friendly but it is not boring. And will not be forgotten. (w) |
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Obtest "Gyvybés Medis" Osmose Productions A strange band to have on Osmose really! Obtest hails from Lithuania and play melodic metal that is very much in the Heavy Metal vein. Especially the melodies. Perhaps a touch of old east european metal too, especially in the vocals. Overall this is miles from what I personally consider interesting music, but Obtest have put together an album that is decent within the style of music they play. Thereīs no big surprise here, except for the parts that might be more folk inspired...The melodies are super melodic and not far from being cheesy. To me, this was a terrible experience having to listen through this album several times, but thatīs just based on my perfect taste in music anyway (uh). Horrible! (u) |
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Xerión "Nocturnal Misantropia" Schwarzdorn Productions Harmony and melody goes hand in hand with rather grim vocals and powerful metal. This is Xeriónīs debut album, and itīs a nice listen. The album does not offer a challenge to the ear, as it is very melodic and itīs music weīve heard before. But the songs are played well and the melodies are nice. You get this contrast with some powerful metal and really a lot of kind melodies that really work out nicely, but itīs far from being unique and with a character of its own. Itīs labelled as Celtic Black Metal, but Iīm not sure about this black metal thing on this album though. But add to that a good dose of sweet melodies and really harmonic music and you might get a more accurate picture. (b) |
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Asesino "Cristo Satanico" Listenable Records A nice surprise. I've never heard of this band before. So the first impression was really good. Dino Cazares (Fear Factory / Brujeria) is one of the members of this obscure gang, and to describe this in short terms one can almost say that they have the same expression as Brujeria (i.e. Spanish twisted lyrics), with the bombastic and precise sound as Fear Factory. Asesino are a band that combine Hardcore and Death Metal with style. There are not many who can manage just that. Be original within these genres That's tough. The album opens very aggressive with "Regresando Odio". Hits you right in the face with strong rhythmic riffing, accompanied by precise hard-hitting drumming. "Padre Pedofilio" evolves later, as a groove-monster. And there are plenty of more riff-ridden tunes here to bang your head to. I bet that the band-name comes from the Brujeria-tune with the same name, and another Brujeria-song, "Matando Gueros", is covered and puts an end to this album. So the links are clear. Highly recommended for fans of the mentioned bands. (l) |
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Azaghal "Omega" Moribund Records With a number of releases up their sleeve this Finnish act release their debut for Moribund Records. A record that on the one side is very intense and powerful, with really intense vocals. Top that with up tempo Black Metal and there you have "Omega". On the other side their approach to melodies are of the very harmonic nature. Sort of friendly melodies and riffing, as oppose to more fierce or creepy riffing. The whole album falls between these two sides, and are far from creating superlatives in my mind. Itīs really just another ok album, another ok Black Metal album that in reality is too normal (to be considered Black Metal). But itīs an album that is staying true to this expression and not going in a creative off-track direction. Powerful, intense and melodic Black Metal from Azaghal. (u) |
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Bloodjinn "This Machine Runs on Empty" Listenable Records A pretty OK sounding band from America, operating within different areas of extreme Metal. Well sounding, well played, but the expression in itself is not very original. The vocals are mostly screaming Hardcore, which is boring. Their skills is without a doubt their rhythmic riffing. Creative and entertaining. But I don't think Bloodjinn will get that much attention, due to the lost-in-the-haystack-problem. (l) |
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Hate "Morphosis" Listenable Records Hate operates in the contemporary Death Metal field. In company with bands like Vader, Blood Red Throne, Decapitated etc. Not as technical oriented, but the sound is modern and strong. I'm not sure if Hate got what it takes to step up a level. At least, not with this album. They have absolutely stuff that's tough and bangable, but it comes just in glimpses. And that's not enough in my book. I believe that one day Hate could release a killer album. They have got the skills and the ability. I, for one, can easily wait till next time. Then check them out again. (l) |
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Mord "Necrosodomic Abyss" Osmose Productions Very intense and hateful Black Metal. During 37 minutes you get run over by blast beats and on-the-top-of-your-lungs screaming. And that is actually Mordīs strongest card, the vocals. It's just so top fuelled by hate. When it comes to the actual music, the riffing is just average and leads nowhere. Some places the tempo is turned down and the riffing gets pretty groovy and cool. But all in all, the music is passing me by without once getting tempted to study it closer. (l) |
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Revenge "Infiltration. Downfall. Death" Osmose Production This is so fucking ugly. It's admirable that they have put so much effort in this particular sound. Really dirty guitars, brumming drums and vocals that goes from screaming Black to incredible possessed growling. Fascinating hateful and militant Black / Death Metal is a way I would describe Revenge. I get a bit "Season of the dead"-vibes (Necrophagia) here. Unfortunately the music doesn't hold that much of a substance and are easily forgotten. After all it's seemingly uncontrollable chaos from start to finish. During the 35 minutes you get tired. But the sound, excellent. (l) |
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Animus Mortis "Atrabilis (Residues from verb & flesh)" Debemur Morti Productions Straight forward high speed Black Metal, but the details these guys have come up with saves this from being just another okay album. If you are tired of Black Metal this will not increase your appetite for infernal tunes of music. But these small details in the guitars that are sneaking through this intense wave of massive european sounding Black Metal is giving them that little extra. Animus Mortis are from Chile, but are far from having a South American trademark sound in their music. This album is more or less going in a high speed with really intense and powerful Black Metal combined with melody of an infernal calibre. Composed well and with a really powerful and clear sound. (u) |
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Ebola "Infernal Revelation" Old Temple Some good old morbid Death Metal here! Debut album from this Polish band, that are spreading their disease through waves of brutal audio tones. Seducing the ear with a crushing grip on their instruments, this is packed with killer riffs and a powerful, yet horror filled production. For sure bringing the mind back to excellent old school Death Metal vibes, they put the extra touch of perfection to this album with some vocals that must have been adopted from a zombie. Brutal speed and overall a touch of something insane bring this album up to a high level of quality Death Metal! (s) |
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Nåstrond "Muspellz Synir" Debemur Morti Productions This strange Swedish band have been around for years, and I remember them alongside bands like Throne of Ahaz and Unpure, though with no musical comparison. This new album is one of those albums that are really hard to describe with words. Itīs going in a rather peculiar direction, and for people, like myself, who are intrigued by bands that really have their own sound and style, this oneīs pretty interesting. Unpleasant and twisted, Nåstrond are definitely weird, and that meant in a positive way. Take the monotonous and "early 90īs sounding" "Ascending Blaze", that leads off to "Agios", diabolical tranquillity, perhaps? I feel words are not giving this album justice. I am not saying this is out of this world great, but it definitely has a character of its own that is covered with a musical creepy atmosphere. (w) |
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Panchrysia "Deathcult Salvation" Dark Essence Records Well, sometimes you get a pretty good impression of an album after the first listen. Listening to this album one time left we with nothing. It felt flat, ordinary and really in need of a trademark sound. After having let this album spin for about ten times, I have to say that it has improved a little, but still is surfacing among the first impression of being flat and really in need of a trademark sound, style and feeling. It is very well produced by Devo Andersson, with solid power and clear sound. The vocals are quite good, but thatīs it really. Much of the material here is surprisingly basic, and without a feeling to back it up, it feels like a band that is copying others rather than creating their own music. They have a good base of Black Metal, but without something extra to make this album stand out, it feels empty. (u) |
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Sauron "Hornology" Old Temple With roots dating back to 1991, Sauron have been on and off with a number of line up changes. This is an album I feel the band should be satisfied with, and hopefully left with a feeling that it has been worth all the obstacles they have stumbled upon through the years. Presented by their label as a Black Metal album, I feel this needs a little explanation. Musically this is guitar based music, and guitars that are not what most of us consider Black Metal. They are composed with a much more old school and traditional touch, much more technical than Black Metal, and are not really infernal as one could expect. The vocals are also standing on their own, and not grim as one usually find Black Metal vocals to be. But, this give me a feeling of the same level as perhaps older East-European bands. Bands with their own form of expression. This is technical metal in my book, with a touch of Black Metal. Well done and well worth a spin, but donīt mix this up with the other Sauron, as itīs very much different. (w) |
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True to their roots Diaboli |
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Downwards Grimbane |
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Fresh and intelligent IXXI |
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Terrorizer on speed Psychopathic Terror |
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Up-tempo Black Metal Sacrilegious Impalement |
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Power and intensity Satanīs Host |
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Turn on the Thrash! Audiopain |
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Guitar based emptiness Brown Jenkins |
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Even grandma would sing along Dantalion |
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Weird shit Ensepulchred |
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No good riffs Godless Rising |
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Industrial excellence Havoc Unit |
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Simple Black Metal Marblebog |
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Nothing to remember Necronoclast |
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Well... Satanīs Host |
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Interesting Sjodogg |
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Hardcore Seizure Crypt |
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Raw Black Metal Torch of War |
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...phenomenal... V:28 |
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Folk Metal, thatīs it! Yggdrasil |
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Anaal Nathrakh |
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Benighted |
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Bloodthirst |
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Carved In Stone |
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Mother of hell! Festung Nebelburg |
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Infestum |
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Lydia Laska |
Revelation of Doom |
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Stillborn |
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Vardlokkur |
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Oh yeah! Infernö |
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Black Metal with feeling Krohm |
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Stripped down and Primitive Morte |
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Dull and unoriginal Necromessiah |
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Heavy sadness October Falls |
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Really exciting...not really Opeth |
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Delicate background music Ouroboros |
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Experimental Spektr |
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Better than expected Svartsyn |
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Good and controlled Black Metal Avichi |
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Intense extreme metal Black Dementia |
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Halfway complex metal Crystalium |
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Darkthrone goes "Evil Rock"! Darkthrone |
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70 minutes, no thanks! Dødsferd |
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...safe and true... Glorior Belli |
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A very good album Impaled Nazarene |
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Easily forgotten Malleus Maleficarum |
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A nice listen Mister Bones |
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Lack of originality Raspatul |
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Unoriginal and too long Satan's Host |
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Requires broad-minded people Shining (N) |
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Ordinary Silva Nigra |
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Professional and well done... Stillhet |
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Always unpredictable Ulver |
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Apostolum "Anedonia" Moribund Records Quite a half hearted effort this one, despite a rather ok start of this CD. Musically itīs very gloomy and depressive, but somewhere along the listen I end up with the impression they do not go all the way and instead end up with something that feels unfulfilled. Weīre somewhere in the Katatonia landscape, but in a much bleaker sense. The melodies arenÂīt as sharp as Katatonia manage to create and they also are of a much lower standard. Apostolum also bring in parts that resemble Black Metal which I donīt think work out that well. This due to the fact that the material they have arenīt very good and secondly because it feels like they donīt really know where to go with their music. Itīs depressive and tuned downwards, but as the music bring forth a feeling of hopelessness, so is also the music they offer. The potential is there, itīs just the material they have that feels far from fulfilled. (w) Azrael "Act III: Self / Act IV: Goat" Moribund Records Surprisingly good Black Metal from the United States. It's definitely not traditional BM, more in the field of Blut Aus Nord disharmonic post BM. This is also very progressive, with its balanced expression of themes that have the length that demands the atmosphere to settle in your brain. This music makes you actually sit down and listen, and think. A bit like Opeth's early work, were the music goes acoustic in repetition with rarely any vocals on. I think it's precisely these acoustic parts that are Azrael's strongest cards. The melodies are original and the use of upright / contrabass makes it even more twisted and avant-garde. Occasionally brilliant. This release is a double album with over one hour on each disc. Some will embrace this idea. There are years between double-albums these days. (In additional information, the price is no more than one single CD.) On the down side, Azrael's music isn't that various and entertaining to hold the listener for over two hours. They begin to repeat themselves and the urge for change comes crawling pretty fast on disc two. The most evident thought is of course that this should be one strong disc with the better of the two. Either way Azrael is a name to watch out for if you're into alternative bands like: Ved Buens Ende, Amok, Blut Aus Nord etc. (l) Bahimiron "Pure Negativism: In Allegiance with Self Wreckage" Aura Mystique This music makes me want to go out and kill This band! (l) Blakagir "Carpathian Art of Sin" Pulverised Records Another on of these "Black Metal" bands that start their album with a family-friendly, cosy synth/piano intro, I thought. Uh! And as the label categorise this as Black Metal, I waited for some Metal to kick off, but track two continued in the same lame fashion. When the third track started, I had to adjust my expectations, as this is a synth kind of thing. Film music, call it what you like. Itīs friendly, nothing bizarre or strange, and nothing is original. It might be nice if you want to fall asleep, but it has nothing to do with Metal, and I can easily think of better albums in this genre. (w) Blood Red Throne "Come Death" Earache Tchort & co return with an extremely good-sounding album. More powerful and direct sound, is not easy to come by. Their last one, "Altered Genesis", did also have very bombastic sound. That album did also reveal some real killers. I have more trouble finding the real treasures on "Come Death". Here and there some rifts evolve from beyond this world, but it don't last the whole song out, and makes the overall impression somewhat unsatisfying. Some places Blood Red Throne are definitely on the level, or even above bands like Cannibal Corpse and so fourth. Real technical, well played and inventive. Unfortunately the real hooks fail to appear, and they sound too monotonous on this album. (l) Deathcult "Cult of the Dragon" Dark Essence Records I remember when Carpathian Forest released their "Black Shining Leather" back in 1998. The Black Metal presented was both traditional and something new. Mixed in misanthropic hateful music was fist-in-the-air rebellious Punk-Rock. A mix that didn't look good on the paper, but sat out in real life proved everybody wrong. The attitude was the most important thing. Afterwards, bands like Vreid, Satyricon and not least Darkthrone, been spotted right in this area. I believe that this have some significance for what we can expect in the future of extreme Metal in general. So, that's why I think that Deathcultīs debut album stumbles right in a contemporary field. Premeditated or not, this sounds fresh and raw. And as long as the attitude is honest, the product stands tall. This album has enough good songs to be mentioned in a must-have collection of Norwegian Black Metal. The only drawback for these guys is the veil of an own trademark sound. If Herr Ekkel (Mr. Disgusting) and the others of Deathcult are focusing even more on sharpening their songs, making memorable riffs and reinforce this attitude, they can be able to get attention beyond recognition. Sieg Heil Satan indeed. (l)
Deception "Nails Sticking Offensive" Old Temple Death Metal, that comes in a special package. It looks like a 7 inch vinyl cover as you fold it out, but in fact itīs a CD release. Well, if only the music had been as interesting and original as the cover, I would have been quite happy. This is average Death Metal, with the typical and uninteresting guitar solos polluting the music. Itīs fast and aggressive, but lack power and good ideas to make it stand out as something above average. Each copy comes hand numbered. (w) Dimension F3H "Does the Pain Excite You?" Dark Essence Records Four years have past since the debut of this band. It went almost into oblivion, now suddenly Morfeus stands before us with a fierce grin. To the ignoramus, he is one half of the late theatrical, yet bombastic, Black Metal band, Limbonic Art. The sound is better, sharper and heavier, than the debut "Reaping the World Winds", and it is also more aggressive. All the clean vocals from Nesmoht is replaced by raspy vocals from Morfeus himself. But it's not yet as extreme as Limbonic, not by far. The tracks here, seems more compact and song orientated. It is therefore unfortunate that the songs themselves aren't strong enough to stand alone. It seems a bit too careful and straight. And the lyrics are quite naive, which is strange coming from him. The album, as a whole, needs more outbursts in form of more ambient / techno parts, or whatever. It needs something out of the ordinary, like some tracks had on the debut. It's moving safely forward, no big surprises, and then it's over. (l) Dodsferd "Fucking your creation" Moribund Records Debut album from this one-man band from Greece. Itīs straight ahead Black Metal with no traces of the typical Greek sound that was a trademark in the past. Dodsferd rely a lot on the riffs in the music, which I think is a good idea. Unfortunately I feel the riffs are not something extraordinary and instead of lifting the music they tend to bring it down to something ordinary. The vocals are pretty good, with an infernal energy that work out well. Overall this album is okay, but I hope for some more inventive riffs for his next release. This debut lands in a rather uninteresting musical landscape, as it offers nothing new or excellent. Unfortunately the most fitting word I can think of is ordinary. The same goes for the sample he has used as an introduction to the album too. Itīs not something new or great. Heard it all before, which also goes for the music. (u)
Ephel Duath "Pain Remixes the Known" Earache Remix albums isn't always very successful. Often it seems that the contributors do their share and then it turns out the way it lands. Fortuitous. On this album it's single-handedly one person who stands behind the desk of buttons and turntables. The Italian producer Eraldo Bernocchi does a good job making this album as well compound as possible. It's Ephel Duath's latest "Pain Necessary to Know" that has come under Bernocchi's meat cleaver. Without exaggeration, the result has ended up light-years from the origin. Where Ephel Duath goes Prog-Jazz-Avant-Metal in a very spastic and not just a little schizophrenic way, this album operates in terms of Dub, Ambient and Electronica. And even Drum 'n Bass and Big Beat stuff. But most of it lies in the first mentioned area. So this is more digestible than the Ephel Duath everyday world. Where they change mood and theme every ten seconds, Bernocchi have taken out elements and turned it into tunes that holds the theme and atmosphere throughout the song. This album reaches out to fans of electronic music, and that only. But I, for one, will recommend it strongly to anyone who seeks a gloomy and threatening atmosphere to delve in to. (l) Ewig Frost "Blue Septime Winters" Ashen Productions One does not simply put on corpse paint, turn all recording equipment to crap, and then label yourself as old school Black Metal. That just won't do. Black Metal is an honest feeling of hatred, and good BM bands conjure riffs that are damn straight evil. Ewig Frost tries to copy someone else's feeling. How stupid is that? They fail miserably in their attempt to look and sound true and necro. In addition, the performance on this album is awkwardly bad. (l) Godless Rising "Battle Lords" Moribund Records Real ugly. Not bad at all. Rhode Island's Godless Rising, featuring Vital Remains members, serves old school Death Metal with some new school twists. Like ridiculously fast double bass drumming and a general production that have a post apocalyptic / war atmosphere. With statements growled out, dripping of blasphemy. Of course, Godless Rising isn't inventing anything here, but more underlining the finest within this genre. Catchy riffs, delivered in a furious manner. One thing I'm missing, though, is more variation. Like many DM albums, the first 20 minutes or so is well and good, and then comes the boredom-monster crawling. (I)
Hellveto "966" Pulverised Records Metal with fairy tale synth and vocals reminiscent of the old Greek Black Metal bands. It could have been music accompanying a movie, it has epic touches but as the metal here is severely uninspiring, it fails in its attempt to be something of a kind. The music is so clean and sweet that the vocals create a rather useless contrast. Itīs melodic, but the melodies are lame and as a whole it feels like something Iīve heard before, and in no way need to hear again. (s) Luctus/Argharus "Sonitus Caeli Ardentis" Ledo Takas Records Two extreme Metal bands from Lithuania, delivering a dose of pretty average Metal, perhaps in the empty Black Metal vein. Of these two, Luctus is the band that offers the most. Argharus is just plain average music, nothing at all I find interesting. Itīs well played but that is really all. I wish they had some inspiration to create music, rather than just play it. Luctus is not that far away from Argharus, but at least there is a little more effort, even though the word creative is not exactly fitting. Both bands do not succeed in doing something out of the ordinary, and are easily forgotten in a genre that have got plenty of bands similar as this. (u)
My Own Grave "Unholy" Pulverised Records A mini album, lasting just over 15 minutes of Death Metal that is somewhere between melodic and brutal. Itīs varied and compact, but is in need of something inventive to make a mark. Pretty okay, nice for a listen, but doesnÂīt manage to impress me too much, and I have to use the term average in order to describe it fully. In other words, not bad and not good. If you have a taste for Death Metal, and have listened to quite a few albums up through the years, this is another one of those discs that becomes neutral in a genre that have quite a few really excellent bands. (s) Nominon "Terra Necrosis" Konqueror Records I was looking forward to this. The grooves and growls on "Remnants of a Diabolical History", the album prior to this, was a real refreshment in my home. Death Metal with a smell of burning rubber. "Terra Necrosis" has a more distinct and measured expression. It is Death Metal in its purest sense. So the Rock 'n Roll attitude, is more or less replaced with fast aggressive DM. There are still passages that grooves like hell, but all in all more focused hatred. If you prefer old Entombed instead of new, it's a safe buy. Personally I would've preferred it the other way around. (l)
Outremer "Turn into Grey" Pulverised Records Half an hour of Stoner meets Entombed. Massive sound and it all starts off like a bomb. A fine groove and variation in the music is a good combination. And as the title suggest, this isnīt positive music, but really down tuned stuff that has a doomy aura. The massive guitar sound is a treat in itself, and with inventive music I think this one is nice. (s) Shining/Funeral Dirge "The Sinister Alliance" Old Temple Hereīs a little treat for those who appreciate Shining, as this is the first single "Submit to Self Destruction" on CD. Kvarforthīs other project from the past, Funeral Dirgeīs self titled EP is also put in here, which I think is nice. I like the material of both bands, especially nice to hear the old songs of Shining. Itīs still something miserable and hopeless surrounding the music, heīs kept that pretty consistent up through the years. Funeral Dirge is darker and more monotonous than Shining on this one, while I personally prefer Shiningīs despair and nothingness. Quite excellent stuff that is performed very well. This one is also available as a 7 inch vinyl, limited to 666 hand numbered copies. Tjolgtjar "Five Tjolgtjarian Keys" Suffering Jesus Productions Kind of weird, kind of unusual and kind of interesting. But interesting only in small portions, as much of this feels like something that ought to be spiced up a bit. A difficult album to review actually, but it has Black Metal as a base, with a lot of other things going on. Much Rock, some Heavy Metal and all in all varied and unpredictable. The vocals varies from Black Metal to something very different. Especially track four is an example of this. I like parts of this, and parts of this is not catching my interest. But there is something going on here that is intriguing. And difficult to explain with words.(s) Tomahawk "Anonymous" Ipecac It isn't exactly a big surprise when music that comes from Mike Patton takes turns, and show something completely new. Expect the unexpected, if you will. Still, I thought that Tomahawk was more of a straight Rock band, and would follow their style. This album isn't Rock. That's for sure. A whole new shape and fragrance is born with this album. Inspired by native American music, exclusively. Rituals and totem dances, all the way. And it works, Goddamn it. Maybe not for the whole album, but some tracks here are strangely compelling. It starts of pitch black with "War Song". A track so dark it could easily have been a intro to the latest Mayhem album. "Ghost Dance" has a really nice melody that repeats hypnotically, "Red Fox" is a cool number that could have been Mr. Bungle. Personally I would prefer some stuff in the old rocky Tomahawk style here. To get a more balanced and varied album. However I admire the bold attempt of frequent renewal. (l) Torturium "Black Lunatic Chaos" Aura Mystique Torturium serves a dose of old-scool Black Metal that is pretty OK. Cold, nice sound. Possessed vocals. Riffs that hails directly from mid-nineties BM. So, this band has grasped the finer elements from this genre. Understood its meaning and atmosphere. But, of course, failed standing on their own, and borrowed too greedily from the pioneers. (l) |
