Accept ~ Too Mean To Die (album review) .... NWOBHM flashback!

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Style: heavy metal, power metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Year: 2021
Home: Germany

Members: Mark Tornillo ~ vocals
Wolf Hoffmann ~ lead guitar
Uwe Lulis, Philip Shouse ~ rhythm guitars
Martin Motnik ~ bass
Christopher Williams ~ drums

I've reviewed a few early Accept & some U.D.O. albums, confessing surprise at how enjoyable they were, but I figured I had to be fair & review a post Udo album. This is the band's 16th album & the fifth with frontman Mark Tornillo. It also features a new bassist & rhythm guitarist. Tornillo's voice isn't too far a stretch from Udo, barely a hop. Perhaps its Udo's twin brother with a bit of Brian Johnson from AC/DC thrown in. Which means, if you like early Accept than don't be afraid to check out current Accept. There will be more here that is familiar than not. What will be here? A brutal attack of intense proportions that likely got missed by many metalheads in the world of Covid 2020 where all eyes were on other things. Too Mean To Die is as if the band looked at their career, looked at what made them & their peers successful, forgot about trends or what anyone else is doing, & just blasted it old school like no time had passed. Its old school being classic NWOBHM metal. Straight to the point. Nothing fancy. Nobody is re-inventing the wheel, but just rocking the template. The drums provide the backbone. The singer growls, but not too much. The rest of the group chomps away at riff after riff like a vulture swooping down. It was an enjoyable 50 minutes. Yet, having said that, the songs are largely forgettable as you feel like you've heard them all before in decades past by other bands. Sometimes I found myself thinking 'this sounds exactly like somebody, now who is it?' Thankfully the band stays away from the blues, as with Tornillo they'd likely sound too much like AC/DC. The songs could be more memorable, as the riffs were plentiful but the hooks few. Everything sorta blends into everything else, & stand-out moments were likely because this sounded too much like classic moody Accept. This is essentially one of those albums that you'll enjoy listening to, but you likely won't remember it. The one moment you will remember is maybe the anthem power ballad "The Best Is Yet To Come", but more because it feels out of place, like a different band & you've heard better. Too Mean To Die is good metal that hits most of the right buttons & not much more.

Vamp ~ The Rich Don't Rock (album review) ... This album rocks, but you've heard it before!

Style: hard rock, hair metal
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1989
Home: Germany

Members: Tom Bellini ~ vocals
Ricolf Cross ~ guitar
Oliver Scholz ~ bass
Dicki Fliszar ~ drums
 

 

I was told this band was like Firehouse & absolutely worth a listen. I'm a huge Firehouse from day one. I have all their albums. I even supported an indie musician who I didn't have much response to musically because he worked with with one of the members. Sorry, this is not Firehouse. Its only Firehouse in that both singers are tenors & the bands are in the same '80's mold. Firehouse had great ballads that were almost over the top ... not to be found here. They also had a personality ... also not found here. I would call Germany's Vamp not so much Firehouse as more like the non-AOR side of Danger Danger sound-wise. I love Danger Danger, but they demonstrated a lot of under-rated diversity on their debut ... only barely heard here, like the band was hesitant to stretch out. Mike Pont's Hotshot, who I have reviewed, also comes to mind with "Heartbreak, Heartbreak". Hotshot was a band that splintered out of Danger Danger's pre-debut album line-up. They never did an album, but have become famous for including original Danger Danger guitarist Al Pitrelli, i.e. future Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The difference is Pitrelli, even as a young guitar slinger, had a distinctive melodic approach to soloing. Distinctiveness ... missing from Vamp. If you like the Scorpions you'll like "Renegades" and "Love Games." "Like I Want" reminded me a bit of W.A.S.P.. Just a bit though, as they are not nearly as forced. I might also name-drop Y&T, but the point has been made that this band sounds like so many other bands. What is Vamp bringing to the table? Good playing? Good singing? Yes. But, so do others. Is there anything here that sounds like their own personality? No. If I played this album for you would you be able to say this is Vamp, versus Baton Rouge or Dangerous Toys or the Scorpions or whoever? Likely not. There's nothing here to grab on to that makes you want to come back for more or hear more, let alone recognize the band. This album never succeeded commercially. Some blame it on the label, but honestly they just have nothing unique to lift them up in the market place. The Scorpion like moments are the best, might be the ones I'd recommend to listen to. So much of the rest of the album feels like filler with no singles jumping out at me. Those that like this genre of music will likely rate this album high, because they like this style but not because they are being honest with themselves that this is a band meant for long-term success. I will confess I've been called prudish in my reviews, & told I don't like music that just rocks with the cock. That's not true in the least. I just think guys are obsessed with their cocks, as in who has the best, so why not play like yours is the best? That's not being prudish, but just wanting you to show me your stuff. I'm not gay, but I want to be converted by your junk. Or, its just ... junk. There is a 2012 deluxe version of this album released later with a ton of unreleased demos and a band interview. 

U.D.O. ~ Rev-Raptor (album review) ... Udo can do no wrong!

Style: heavy metal, speed metal
Label: AFM
Year: 2011
Home: Germany

Members: Udo Dirkschneider ~ vocals
Stefan Kaufmann ~ guitars/keyboards
Igor Gianola ~ guitars
Fitty Wienhold ~ bass/keyboards
Francesco Jovino ~ drums

I recently reviewed U.D.O.'s release just before this one, Dominator, & after days of non-stop listening declared: "This is a perfect slab of metal ... This is the album I've wanted so many bands to make." Having earlier listened to the classic Accept albums Restless & Wild & Balls To The Wall, which I agree are classics, I pretty much am feeling Udo has the midas touch. So, did U.D.O. follow up the perfection of Dominator? Pretty darn close to it. I'm just going to say it really does feel Udo can do no wrong, or at least in the early 2000's he is making music most metalheads would die to have their name associated with. Rev-Raptor, which is one of the strangest names for an album I've heard in a while, doesn't veer far from the template set by Dominator. At times the albums feel almost interchangeable. They both have heavy as fuck speed metal, amazingly original sounding rhythms, great singing, soaring solos, plus a few keyboard heavy power ballads. Its raw, powerful & technically intense & the energy is high for both albums. I do feel that there's less musical variety on Rev-Raptor. At times the songs seemed to blend together a bit more. That might also be to the fact I was so shocked by the power of Dominator I found myself listening a bit more closely. Here the shock has worn off. Yet, the album makes up for this weakness by cranking things just a bit harder & still retaining a perfect mix of soft & hard, calm & fury. If you like metal dripping with distortion guitar attacks & power drill rhythms than Rev-Raptor needs to meet your ears. I do think the ballads are stronger on this release, as they have an anthem-like quality that gives them a little edge. Okay, I'll confess "I Give As Good As I Get" has a great careening guitar solo that fits the song perfectly without going over the edge or taking over. That is an art in itself. The producer of these 2 albums needs kudos & your metal band should call him immediately. He finds that perfect balance between letting songs breath & creating a wall of sound that will clobber your brain. That producer is, for the record, also the co-composer & guitarist, who first joined up with Udo as the original drummer of Accept. I particularly like "Leatherhead" which features a menacing thick guitar riff, think early Marilyn Manson or Rob Zombie, but then has this almost light-weight solo that provides great contrast & gives the song added depth. U.D.O. knows how to put the pieces together perfectly. Rev-Raptor is another slice of how to do metal right.

U.D.O. ~ Dominator (album review) ... Metal perfection!

Style: heavy metal, speed metal
Label: AFM
Year: 2009
Home: Germany

Members: Udo Dirkschneider ~ vocals
Stefan Kaufmann ~ guitars/keyboards
Igor Gianola ~ guitars
Fitty Wienhold ~ bass/keyboards
Francesco Jovino ~ drums

Guest: Mathias Dieth ~ lead guitar

This is a perfect slab of metal. Listen to it. Tell me if you disagree in the comments. End of story. I've listened to this multiple times over multiple days, actually more like non-stop over multiple days, & I've yet to hear anything that isn't perfect about this album. This is the album I've wanted so many bands to make. This is the album I was expecting to hear from bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Kiss & others, but got something that everyone has rightfully forgotten. This stomping beast reminds me a lot of Halford & Judas Priest at their later day best, but with more emphasis on groove than screaming vocals & thunderous riffs & atmospheric moments. It has all the ingredients right for some heavy as fuck melodic metal, whether driving rockers or lush power ballads: interesting lyrics, great singing with lots of variety, backing vocals that sound fierce vs the typical big gang vocals, riffs that are more than just notes but actually are moody & scary, addictive melodies & stomping rhythms that sound like giant robots walking, thick guitars that don't ever get too muddy or try to out riff each other, & even just the right amount of atmospheric keyboards. Even the 1930's-esque cabaret of "Devils Rendezvous" is delightful, though it shouldn't work & likely wouldn't on any other album. It provides a breathing moment before the album closes with some moody speed metal & a big keyboard heavy power ballad in "Whispers In The Dark" that feels a bit like some of Ozzy's work. Dominator keeps your interest from start to finish with a masterfully produced thick wall of sound full of little nuances that will have you head-banging or listening in for the details. I listened to this following writing the reviews of Accept's classics Restless & Wild & Balls To The Wild. I chose the album because it got decent reviews on allmusic. I haven't heard anything else from Udo solo, but can he do no wrong or am I just listening to the best of his catalog? I could go on, but I really have no words to describe the beauty & wonder of the beautiful album. Just listen. If you think I'm wrong put it below, but I likely won't be persuaded by anything but the most detailed arguments that this isn't perfection.

Accept ~ Restless & Wild (album review) ... Thrash before thrash!

Style: heavy metal, speed metal
Label: Portrait
Year: 1982
Home: Germany

Members: Udo Dirkschneider ~ vocals
Wolf Hoffmann ~ guitars
Peter Baltes ~ bass
Stefan Kaufmann ~ drums

Balls To The Wall is the most commercially successful Accept album. Yet, their fourth album, Restless & Wild, that came just before had already made waves in the metal community & holds classic status among many. Restless & Wild might be called the lesser known wilder younger brother, that is forgotten only due to timing & not charting in the U.S.. It is an in-your-face wild messy ride along the lines of Judas Priest, Motorhead & NWOBHM bands. Brutal power metal that might be considered proto-thrash. Part of this lays in the face melting opener "Fast As A Shark" which features some of the first speed metal double bass drumming. Also of note, there was a change in membership with guitarists. All the guitars on the album were by Wolf Hoffman, though a second guitarist was credited on the album. Wolf needs credit for crafting a great album churning out excellent rhythms & leads. The guitars just growl & drool with thick distortion, while Udo screams like Rob Halford. I do feel like the emphasis here is more on the guitars, whereas the vocals took a bit stronger role on the next album. While Balls To The Wall has a different guitar approach that relied more on the dual guitar sound, whereas this feel often more like rhythm with lead over it. Both albums are 2 sides of the same coin & show a band musically in their prime just before commercial success took things to a new level. Personally, I prefer the later album, as I like my metal a bit slower & melodic, but if you like heavy, fist pumping, headbanging music that will keep your air guitars rockin' for hours, than absolutely do not overlook this forgotten classic. "Neon Nights" has an interesting guitar opening that fuses an acoustic guitar with a guitar with its speed manipulated a couple times. It introduces a mystical power ballad. Usually I don't say such things, but its not needed. The song is strong & the flow of the album is interrupted by this instrumental moment, not accentuated by it. This is the only thing I'd dump on the album, or put it after all the songs as an instrumental coda as its kinda cool. I like the fact the band has power ballads more the flavor of Dio than Bon Jovi. Songs that might be sung by vikings, over syrupy love ballads that the '80's would overflow with to its detriment.

Accept ~ Balls To The Wall (album review) ... Accept this album as your new favorite!

Style: heavy metal, power metal
Label: Epic
Year: 1983
Home: Germany

Members: Udo Dirkschneider ~ vocals
Wolf Hoffmann, Herman Frank ~ guitars
Peter Baltes ~ bass
Stefan Kaufmann ~ drums

I've never heard anything from Accept aside from the MTV hit "Balls To The Wall". I know, that might be a cardinal sin & I will take your horrid name calling in the comments. So, flashback to 1983 with the album of the same name that largely put Accept on the map, though the album before it Restless & Wild also has classic status among metal fans. Balls To The Wall is considered historically a huge album by just about every metal historian. When it was released metal was still largely more underground than not. It wasn't user friendly or mainstream, not popular in the clubs, while the metal community was seen as outsiders, Satanists, maybe even troublemakers. Even though metal had been around for a bit, it was still a fringe scene when the '80's dawned & every parents nightmare. This is one of the albums, alongside works by Quiet Riot, Van Halen, Twisted Sister & a handful of other bands, which helped push metal out of the shadows & into the mainstream. I was 6 yrs old when Balls To The Wall was released, but it would be years later that I first heard the title track as at the time we didn't have but a few channels & none were MTV. When I first saw the video my immediate reaction hearing the lyrics & seeing the cover was that this must be one of those gay songs like Boy George. I know that sounds crass, but this was a world where Ellen DeGeneres was not a household name nor an iconic lesbian, Melissa Ethridge had not yet said yes I am, you could recognize a gay man due to the Freddie Mercury mustache, & Elton John was marrying a woman. Unless you lived in a big city, & I didn't, gays were that uncle you spoke about in hushed tones, or Boy George. I figured any guy singing about his balls must be gay. I didn't know the phrase had any meaning, though for the life of me I couldn't figure out what you did once you put your balls on the wall. What purpose does that serve? All this sounds horrid, & I write it to give you a good laugh, but I also must confess that I thought Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" was 100% about food. Why would someone pour sugar on someone else? That's a waste of sugar when people are starving in Africa. Adults licked sugar off each other & stood against walls with their pants down. Being an adult was going to be strange! Who know I'd see 2020 ... nevermind. ... So, nostalgia aside, I come to this album not from 1983 but from 2021, where I obviously don't see it as a gay song. I'm hearing it in 2021 after metal is mainstream & I've heard more metal styles & albums than I can ever begin to count. I thus come at it with a big question: is this as good as its legacy makes it out to be? Which leads to other questions. Does it deserve a listen outside the context of 1983, as in as it withstood the text of time? Is there any other good songs on it aside from the title track? Having made you suffer through my bad humor & nostalgia I'm going to just skip to the answers: Yes, yes, yes! I'd put this album up against any metal album from any time after its release, including present day. This is a must have for your collection. It has a sound firmly rooted in classic metal, which every metal fan loves, re: Kiss, NWOBHM, Black Sabbath, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Judas Priest. Also, it just totally grooves, which I don't hear enough in modern metal albums that go for walls of sound & lots of flashy playing. Yet, think of all the headbanging albums of classic status. They all groove. Even Van Halen grooves. This grabs you with solid riffs that will have your head pounding from start to finish. I really like the clean guitars. I mean that as in every note can be heard. I tire of these bands that turn the distortion way up & crank things so crazy you can't hear what is being playing. Give me Megadeth, Pantera & bands where its just the riff & the pure air. Too many bands muddy the waters. I also really like the slow burn feel of this album. Its not a speed your face off attack. This is slow, scary, plodding & heavy. I do have to mention the speaking part on the title track. I didn't remember it, so I watched the MTV video & this isn't there. Its too bad, as having the speaking part with the bass just rolling along & some viking-like backing vocals is awesome. I usually don't like talking parts, outside of Elvis where it is somewhat bearable, but this is haunting. It totally makes the song & its too bad they cropped it from the single version. I also really liked "London Leatherboys". This has a great lost NWOBHM-esque sound. Very masculine lyrics of tough guys & wild girls, before the scene went pretty boy cock rock sexy. As for Udo, he may not be a singer everyone gravitates to. I'm sure some have said he's not so good, but he's original, makes up for any scratchy tones with depth & feeling so many better singers don't have. I tire of singers who want to scream to the heights, but have no emotion. Udo is the perfect counterpart to the music in a way not enough singers are, who are singer over or under but not as an equal with the music. I have to also saying sticking the power ballad "Winter Dreams" at the end is a nice touch. The obligatory power acoustic ballad is over-rated. Dump it. We're fine without one. Here it ends the album as a nice coda. I like the fact that this is mystical & almost otherworldly, which is a different feeling for such songs. Yet, it still rocks without getting all weepy. All that being said - take this album & learn from it. Its a classic for good reason.

Scorpions ~ Bad For Good: The Very Best Of The Scorpions (hits comp) (album review) ... Rock you like a hurricane!

Style: classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal
Label: Hip-O
Year: 2002
Home: Germany

Members: Klaus Meine ~ vocals
Michael Schenker ~ lead guitar/b. vocals
Matthias Jabs ~ guitars/b. vocals
Rudolf Schenker ~ guitars/sitar/ebow/b. vocals
Francis Buchholz ~ bass/moog/b. vocals
Ralph Rieckermann – bass/b. vocals
Herman Rarebell ~ drums/b. vocals

Additional: Koen van Baal, Jim Vallance, John Webster ~ keyboards
Lee Aaron, Claudia Frohling, Tony Ioannoua, Cliff Roles, Jim Lewis, Dries van der Schuyt, Paul Laine, Mark LaFrance, Bruce Fairbairn, Mark Hudson ~ b. vocals

This is one of those bands that in America, for most of my life anyways, folks were more likely to pick up a Scorpions greatest hits than any individual studio album. They had but a few hits here & a small legacy often eclipsed. It's in Europe is where their biggest impact really lies & the most honest recognition of the diversity of the output. Until the last few years, partially due to the announcement they were disbanding, later retracted, but earlier due to the resurgence of heavy metal, American fans forgot the Scorpions had a four decade career full of much more diversity than one might expect from a metal band. I've always thought it was good to see them come back to the spotlight over the last few years, bringing American fans, new & old, to their studio output beyond just the few hits. But, ignoring this recent surge & even assuming that even with it many new or casual fans might just turn to the greatest hits album anyways, I wanted to take one of the many such compilations available & answer the question - is it worth picking up? Is the hype real & the legacy valuable? I declare yes. & unlike many bands the legacy is not necessarily built on reputation or names/faces or famous events, but just great music. The rockers are just pure headbanging joy, though some are less inspired & more imitative like "Tease Me, Please Me" & "Blackout". The middle ground, like "No One Like You", shows off the Dio-reminiscent vocals that were the secret to this band. Also on this particular collection for this range is "Loving You Sunday Morning" & "Big City Nights". There's a bunch of hits the Scorpions had in these two styles (i.e. "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Rhythm Of Love"), but the real secret in the band's longevity might be the ballads (i.e. "Wind Of Change", "Still Loving You", "Send Me An Angel"). These are not cliched hair metal power ballads, as one might want to think, but draw on the fact that the Scorpions had been around in the 70's, thus these are more akin to Boston or Journey. The Scorpions are not an 80's power metal band & never really were & that's the even more hidden secret to the game. There's numerous greatest hits compilations. This is just one of many. It includes two new songs to attract old fans to buy one more album, but they are inconsequential as greatest hits additions often are as they're nice to hear but pale in comparison to the hits sitting next to them & their only value might be that they feature a new bassist. But, avoid buying the compilations from early in their career as while the output is good but it'll lack many of the more recognizable songs.

Die Krupps ~ III: Odyssey Of The Mind (album review) ... Music for your mind, body & soul!

Style: electronica, industrial, body rock
Label: Cleopatra
Year: 1995
Home: Germany
 
Members: Jurgen Engler ~ vocals/guitar/keyboards/percussion
Lee Altus ~ guitar
Ralf Dorper ~ sampling
Christopher Lietz ~ drum programming
Rudiger Esch ~ bass

DK have become known by many for its dark industrial meets electronica tribute to Metallica that gives the band an amazing facelift, even if at times the electronica bubbling & vocals gets a bit annoying. Personally, I find more interesting when DK gets out of tribute mode & do their own music ... though, ironically, on III: Odyssey Of The Mind it sounds like Metallica gone industrial. Lou Reed was a poor choice of collaborator. This album brings out the guitars & drums much harder than before, becoming more of an industrial outing than pure cold electronica that DK had fashioned before & largely built their early reputation on. It was their Metallica tribute that introduced guitars & their name to a metal audience & now it's continued all the way. Though, this is still an electronica band with bubbly sounds & a looping mentality, but because they've honed in on Metallica & not another industrial band as their template it sounds interesting in a way later similar industrial & sampling groups don't. It's not necessarily breaking any boundaries musically. While later albums would lose the Metallica & be more mainstream industrial with sound effects, with the songs losing much of their memorable features but sounding great next to The Prodigy. For those that only know DK through their Metallica tribute this album might be a shocking one to hear as its very different. But, between the two albums one gets a great holistic view of DK & this is the best of their later more industrial sound. DK is known for being an innovator in the genre of body music in the European rock scene, styled with dense synth electronica & harsh vocals.

Black Shape Of Nexus ~ Mannheim (live) (album review) ... The hills are alive with black shapes!

Style: sludge, experimental
Label: Quiet.Still.Dead.Records
Year: 2010
Home: Germany

Members: Jan ~ electronics/keys
Geb, Ralf Bernhardt ~ guitars
Stefan Kuhn ~ bass
Malte Seidel ~ vocals
Marco Hauser ~ drums

 


I recently reviewed BSON's latest album, Negative Black, which led to having the chance to interview them & also come across this earlier live release. Being familiar with the band & never having heard a sludge group live I obviously took an interest. First off, it should be mentioned the super quality production for a live album. Though, not a bit of audience sound is to be heard. Next, the fact that it is nearly instrumental except for some undecipherable screaming, which doesn't even come until fifteen minutes in. I've always felt if you have to scream you probably don't need the vocals & I continue with resolve here listening ... though with the echo effect it can be a bit cool when the vocal sound trails off. The vocals are an effect here, not traditional vocals. While the new album finds them moving across the sludge landscape looking for new sounds in the genre, to great success, this collection of five songs over sixty minutes is much more tame & subdued with less obvious experimentation. The heavy low-end two guitar onslaught of BSON is apparent & recognizable here & they just churn forward like a rolling mudslide in every sense of the word. One critic has likened them to a slowed down Mastadon. The comparison isn't too far off. Slow Black Sabbath-esque riffs just repeat & repeat in a thick haze of sound. It must be a monster to hear at top volume. But, while the new albums features the same thick haze there is also squawking guitars & keyboards weaving through it with abandon. Here this is kept to a minimum, or at least doesn't seem to in your face & much more subdued. It's not until the second half of the concert that things start to break down to just basics, moving in a direction that would be taken up on Negative Black. It should be noted that the songs also have a much more similar sound here, or a much tighter range. Or, more properly, while the end of the album doesn't sound like the beginning the change is subtle one built over steps like a John Adams or Philip Glass composition. To recall my earlier review, I said BSON was "one of the heaviest sludgy rhythms I've had a chance to hear. It's masterful it's so heavy. It one big stone slab of pure low-end power riding against a very simple drum beat." Now hearing them both live & in the studio across a couple years I can hear a band in change, this is sludge but not as menacing as the new album nor as experimental, but I can also hear a band honing in on a few key factors to get their chops down tight. Mannheim was originally released on cassette, followed by a CD release on a different label.

Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (album review) ... A day at the races!

Style: power metal, symphonic metal, speed metal
Label: 2002
Year: Virgin
Home: Germany

Members: Hansi Kursch ~ vocals
Andre Olbrich ~ guitars
Marcus Siepen ~ rhythm guitar
Thomas Stauch ~ drums
Additional: Oliver Holzwarth ~ bass
Pad Bender, Boris Schmidt, Sascha Pierro, Michael Schuren, Matthias Wiesner ~ keyboards
Rolf Kohler, Thomas Hackmann, Olaf Senkbeil, Billy King ~ b. vocals

Anyone for a little Queen? Maybe a lightning fast power metal take on "Bohemian Rhapsody"? Well, I can't offer that - exactly - but borrowing an album title from Queen, German group BG answers the question of 'what if the symphonic sounds including chorus vocal parts of Queen were developed out by a speed power metal band'? The answer: Epic, upbeat versus dark metal, a nod to Dragonforce, over the top. On A Night At The Opera GB pulled all the stops out on their most ambitious release that moved away from straight prog-metal to something that is symphonic in every sense of the world, including the traditional classical & how Yes & Dream Theater define symphonic. I'll confess I originally bought this album because of the Queen title & I liked the album art, but knowing nothing about the band. I got what I paid for. The problem is Queen knew how to be complicated & over the top yet also subtle & soft. BG are complicated, busy, in your face, layer over layer. Subtle & soft is not in their palette for this album, thus while on one hand this show off their creative multi-layered world music influence at its best, yet at the same time may not show off BG at their representational best. I honestly don't know if I can tell you what BG sound like after listening to this & I've never felt compelled to find their other albums. This really must be taken at high volume or at least with good headphones as there are so many layers & so many things tucked into the mix that low volume a lot is lost. You miss their creativity ... but, for me, that's for me a sign that its time to pull back. At the end of the first song, a meager 6 minutes, I'd heard so many changes & ebbs & flows that I thought I'd heard numerous songs & the album was nearing completion. I've yet to be able to sit through the entire album in one go as halfway through my ears are exhausted & so is my mind. There's albums that are overly long but I should never have to cut an album up to listen by choice. It's one thing if I don't have the time to listen. But, creativity at its best never comes with the assurance that it will be completely accessible to the audience.

Black Shape Of Nexus ~ Negative Black (album review) ... Positive music!

Style: sludge, experimental
Label: Exile On Mainstream
Year: 2012
Home: Germany

Members: Jan ~ electronics/keys
Geb, Ralf Bernhardt ~ guitars
Stefan Kuhn ~ bass
Malte Seidel ~ vocals
Marco Hauser ~ drums

Opening with a distorted & disjointed guitar sounding like its stumbling with feedback in hand out of a solo like something one might find at the end of a Sonic Youth or Smashing Pumpkins song one wonders what type of band this is. It's certainly not sludge as advertised. Just at that giving up hope moment the mix is interrupted by the sludge factor in all its hard to swallow glory riding on top of the mix. The guitar continues to squawk with disjointed noise like a Lou Reed experiment while the rhythm section & other band members create one of the heaviest sludgy rhythms I've had a chance to hear. It's masterful it's so heavy. It one big stone slab of pure low-end power riding against a very simple drum beat. I've reminded of Count Basie whose rhythm section was given the nickname of the 'Basie beat' because the idea was one big rhythm sound versus a bunch of little instruments. The idea is a unified sound & the BSON have hit that one on the head. The sludge style, for many of us, is distinctive for its feeling of mud rolling down the hill. BSON is the volcanic mudslide that buried Pompeii alive. One can imagine an artistic representation being a monster made out of mud, versus some sludge peers that are more like light streams. Here the distinctiveness of each instrument is completely gone, which is the way it should be. But, yet, with distorted guitars bubbling away now & then in the mix under the monolith one is prone to put this more in the experimental end of the genre. Near the end of the six minute opener "Illinois" comes a voiceover about the struggle of the working man, in English, probably from a movie. It's an interesting choice of vocal burst & left to the end of the song has a great impact & helps add to the experimental quality. Sadly, some of the other songs feature dueling heavily distorted & dampened screamed vocals both high & low of a traditional metal quality that provide variety but are anti-climactic after the voiceover. Luckily, movie or tv voiceovers return in the later song "10000 qF" including both sung lyrics & voiceover to great effect, before the album takes a more instrumental direction, except for some delightful mumbling & gasping in the final title track. With the voiceover mixed with the singing one suddenly gets the feeling that what came before was but a textural build-up, both lyrically & musically. The three preceding songs are laying out the paint on the palette to be then mixed & rediscovered in ways that are quite fascinating & unexpected. Further, at a lofty eighty minutes the music doesn't feel like it repeats itself. Not once does the listening experience feel like it went on to long. The crawling sludge of the first song gets a contrast with what can only be described as a more vibrant funky sludge sound on "400H" & "60WV". The fourth track, "10000 qF", starts off much more traditional metal sounding in its rhythm just sans any lead guitar lines. One can almost hear some Black Sabbath in it. It's almost like they started out at the extreme sludge end & moved center. But, where does the rest of the album go? Well, the first half is a must hear for sludge fans ... the second half doesn't disappoint either & I'll leave that for you to discover! But, I'll give you a hint - you never would believe sludge metal can develop so much over a single album even venturing into the atmospheric realm (i.e. "RMS") with shocking abandon before coming back to a thunderous crawl slower than ever (i.e. "Neg. Black"). I have a feeling BSON are aiming for an abrasive sound, to quote one reviewer's word, but I find the powerful low-end so fascinating, being a bassist myself, that it ends ups being an addictively interesting listening with its fangs drained of venom. I'm fascinated by how it's so unified in its sound becoming one monster of a instrument with its little dancing distorted guitar elf children running around its feet. Negative Black is the third release by this German outfit that is a ride sludge fans will certainly enjoy.

Van Canto ~ Hero (album review) ... The greatest da da dum dum!

Style: vocal, experimental, heavy metal
Label: Gun
Year: 2008
Home: Germany

Members: Dennis Schunke, Inga Scharf ~ lead vocals
Ross Thompson ~ higher b. vocals
Stefan Schmidt ~ lower b. vocals/wahwah solo guitar vocals
Ingo Sterzinger ~ lowest b. vocals
Bastian Emig ~ drums

Guest: Hansi Kursch ~ vocals

Though untraditional German rockers VC had gotten immediate attention on their debut, A Storm To Come, with their ear-catching rendition of Metallica's "Battery", a fast youtube favorite, it's their sophomore effort Hero that really is the highlight of their output to date. Quite often bands come out shining on their first album but it's the second where their sound really gels & they get a grip on what works & what doesn't, let alone become strong where they were weak. A Storm To Come suffered from some light arrangements where the lead singing was fine but the backing "dum dum da dum" vocalizations were not strong enough, too low in the mix & often moved into less than thrilling "ahs" & "oohs" & normal backing singing. It set up the band's gimmick but its Hero that moves things beyond gimmick & up a notch, or tightened the act. It happened a bit on the "Battery" but the rest of the album had too much normal acapella & put too much emphasis on the lead vocal & not enough on the 'rhythm section', which is the focus of VC. But, things have changed with Hero. The whisper is gone for harder heavy metal, or there's less focus on opera & more on the pounding rhythm section. For those that don't know what "dum dum da dum" vocalizations are or are feeling confused VC is not a normal heavy metal band. They do operatic metal with four male vocalists, a female vocalist & a drummer. That's it. No other instrumentation. All the rhythms & textures of a normal band are imitated via "dum dum da dum", "oh oh oh", "rakka rakka"& other non-word vocalizations while one guy & the girl take traditional lead vocals. They call themselves 'hero metal acapella.' The lead singer Dennis Schunke has a good full chest voice but not exactly a distinctive voice. His tone reminds me more of Paul Rodgers than any heavy metal singer, while Inga Scharf adds an operatic element with her high tones in a group of deep voiced men. So, obviously, the real attraction of the band is the backing vocals of the guys imitating a rhythm section. To hear someone sing Metallica is an experience in itself & put VC immediately into the limelight. Cover songs on subsequent albums have thus continued to be a main draw. The original songs being epic but lacking some of the punch of the covers. Hero takes this to a higher level than any album before or after. Their debut had two covers, Hero has half the album as covers: Manowar's "Kings of Metal", Nightwish's "Wishmaster", Deep Purple's "Stormbringer", Iron Maiden's "Fear Of The Dark", Blind Guardian's "The Bard's Song" & "Take To The Sky", the later featuring guest Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian. Hero was the first album to feature a guest that would become the norm. It's hard to avoid not knowing about VC. I've had the opportunity to interview founder Stefan Schmidt who takes great pride in the original compositions, many from his pen, but sadly few are going to overlook these for the gimmick singles. Hero attempts to bring together both worlds. The only other weak part of the album is the vocalized guitar solos that are run through a wah-wah pedal thus losing their unique tones.

Heidenreich ~ A Death Gate Cycle (album review) ... The prophet's musical sacrifice!

Style: death metal, black metal, symphonic metal, experimental
Label: Napalm Records
Year: 1997
Home: Austria

Members: Peter K. ~ guitars/bass/keyboards
Thurisaz ~ vocals
Lucia ~ keyboards

Primarily the side project of Peter K. of Abigor, but including two past & future Abigor bandmates, A Death Gate Cycle is the first of two releases by the largely unsuccessful Heidenreich. This black/death metal release was panned by critics but at the same time it's endeavors to be creative have been what's kept in alive in death metal circles & amongst those looking for something different & somewhat obscure. The eight minute opening title track sets the mold for mostly what follows. It opens with a synthesizer spawned symphonic movement that is as authentically classical as any symphonic metal album can ever hope to get ... though symphonic/classical in a epic soundtrack sort of way to a movie about the Civil War or perhaps 'Lord Of The Rings'. But, this gives way suddenly to a typical death metal song of heavy Mayhem-inspired distorted riffing & growled vocals, only to just as suddenly be replaced by heavy winds blowing & another symphony but with some German voiceover a la Christopher Lee. The bridge, a highlight of the death metal part, features some creepy organ playing & a second singer trying to sound like he's in a church or more properly an opera but with a voice too weak & untrained to pull off the result. It's trying to be Satyricon with Tarja Tarunen on backing vocals ... but nobody has her voice & even she doesn't sing to death metal. While the black metal riffing sounds like all other black metal riffing, which is the problem with much black/death metal - its too imitative & lacking depth. Mayhem & Burzum were great for their originality & venomous attack but it's not music that holds up to scrutiny or imitation. Thus, we have bands like Heidenreich that try to be original but miss the mark with not disaster but boredom. Obviously this track is a mini-story but the German language fails to give its meaning to the casual listener who doesn't have any available translated lyrics while the sudden jarring from orchestra to metal to orchestra does little to create a flowing story or mood though it's trying desperately to be a musical epic. The tracks that follow tend to be in the same mold, though "Frozen Tears" has a monk-like chorus that's a bit better & a symphonic ending that's so out of a movie one can almost see the action. There's also a slow meandering guitar solo that does wonders to balance out the over-driven distorted riffing. "The Prophet's Sacrifice" & "Todeswunsch" are both instrumental orchestral pieces, though the later is a piano focused song with a Philip Glass-like repetitive rhythm that ends up sounding like a gloomy Yanni. Yanni should never sound gloomy, but at least they sound like Yanni versus just another symphonic metal band as something is obviously going right on some level. But, are these two bridges between the other songs creating a larger album length story or just symphonic forays for the sake of it? It's hard to tell, though if one removed all the death metal parts outside of the slow guitar soloing this would be an amazing genre-defying album. On some level Judas Priest would try to do similar with Nostradamus with wild songs bridged by orchestral background music, but they'd link the pieces far better & let it all flow into each other instead interruption after interruption. Closing track "Memories Of a Descending Moon" opens with a sword fight & battle scene sounds with a guitar solo of droning notes & a Christopher Lee voice over with the battle drowning out as the song continues. It's not really a song, per say as its meanders too much. But, it's the most experimental song on the album & the only one where everything comes together & flows like one believes Peter K wants it to. It's well worth checking out. Sadly, this is just another moment when I wish I had the time to go back & study my family tongue of German again.

Neon Legion ~ Empire (album review) ... Art rock moodiness!

Style: electronica, experimental
Label: self-released
Year: 2011
Home: Germany/America/Canada/Argentina

Members: Philip Kurt Kressin ~ vocals/keyboards
Brett Caswell, Afie Jurvanen, Javier Bustos ~ guitar
Chris Lesso, Brad Kilpatrick, Kieran Adams, Alejandro Lopez ~ drums
Lincoln Hamlyn, Jon Hynes, Jeremy Little, Juan Huici ~ bass
Nicolas Ospina ~ keyboards
Daniel Bensi ~ cello/piano
Adam Crystal ~ violin/keyboards

NL is the rock ensemble encircling German composer/multi-instrumentalist Philip Kurt Kressin. NL is also more than a band but a cry for chivalrous moral living, painting this shout with rock, classical themes & electronica for their debut release Empire. Kressin comes from an electronica background with a reinvention of his music after a foray into classical music for a film soundtrack. With a partially deaf director Kressin was forced to add sub-bass frequencies so the deaf could feel the music, thus organically discovering new musical directions. A two year stay in Argentina added more musical dimensions leading to the first incarnation of NL. Kressin's project would eventually include both American & Canadian musicians transforming NL from just a band into an organically changing international ensemble. Recalling the art rock of the Flaming Lips, a little early Depeche Mode & other such avant-garde bands Kressin sings in a light almost tongue-in-cheek & slightly synthesized tenor over a background of generally soft electronica & beats that will recall for many fans the ballads of Erasure or other synth-pop bands of the past. But, what is absent is the heavy looping quality that dominates so much of electronica making the result more machine than human. For Kressin electronic loops are just one instrument among many & not the dominate sound as songs move from primarily electronic to live instruments including distorted guitars. Though some of NL would be welcomed on the dancefloor this is not dance music, though it might be welcomed in trance circles for its creative ethereal keyboards that reappear here & there between the guitars & beats. Empire is mostly an upbeat collection of three minute songs of hypnotic quality, never getting too maudlin or extremely moody though moments are there with the album getting darker as it progresses ... though the darker moments are, intentional or not, the definite highlights. But, everything takes a dive down with the seven minute coda-like concluding track "La Revolucion" that brings out all the moodiness that came before with its nearly instrumental mix of guitars/keyboards. It sounds like lonely soldiers going off to war. It doesn't attack but creeps while it opens up a whole new world just as the it lets the listener move on.

Die Krupps ~ A Tribute To Metallica (EP) ... Metallica should be jealous they didn't make this!

Style: industrial, electronic, hard rock, progressive, experimental, tribute
Label: Hollywood
Year: 1992
Home: Germany

Members: Jurgen Engler ~ guitar/synthesizer/vocal
Ralf Dorper ~ keyboards
Rudiger Esch ~ bass

Additional: Bjorn Lucker ~ drums

Die Krupps is an electric/industrial band that has swung the pendulum from the electronic coldness of Gary Numan to the industrial attack of Rammstein to find an interesting mix with their covers EP of Metallica. As might not be a surprise, it also verges on the ege of being a lot more interesting that than Metallica has been since they dawned black nail polish, loaded, reloaded & took the gun apart to clean it. A Tribute To Metallica includes the classics "Enter Sandman", "Nothing Else Matters", "The Unforgiven", "Blackened", "Battery", "For Whom The Bells Toll" & "One". Now, 'interesting' is the keyword because Metallica fans are greatly mixed on whether this is better or worse. If you don't like Gary Numan or similar techno artists you probably will find this as awkward as if Britney Spears played heavy metal. If, on the other hand, you understand that dark music is defined differently when played by Metallica versus Charlie Mingus you might find this an enjoyable experiment. One of the problems is that with slashing guitars replaced by keyboards/electronic drums it loses the intensity & speed of Metallica along with putting a heavier focus on the vocals, plus nothing can quite replace the full sound of two slashing guitars & bass. But, those who follow Die Krupps know they can be just as heavy but here have chosen to give Metallica a complete workout by reigning in their industrial leanings. What's the point of just playing Metallica but just with electronic drums? Metallica have probably already thought of doing that themselves. Certainly, it wouldn't have been above Megadeth at one point in their goal to be more commercially viable. James Hetfield is the better singer & the slower pace does affect weaken some songs (ie "Enter Sandman", "One"). But, that being said, "Nothing Else Matters", already a ballad, is highlight not to be missed that is a haunting walk through the song. While "Blackened" & "For Whom The Bells Toll" are probably the most distinct interpretations from their originals, particularly with the synthesized vocals of "For Whom The Bells Toll".

Carpeduke ~ Carpeduke (aka debut) (album review) ... Vomit of evil!

Style: industrial, progressive, heavy metal
Label: Blade Records
Year: 2010
Home: Germany

Members: Carpeduke ~ vocals/guitar
Ron Gardner ~ guitar/b. vocals
Susanne Schafer ~ bass
M. Poco ~ drums

A bit of glam, goth, electronica, old fashioned metal, pop rock, & even Latin make up Carpeduke on his fourth release. Carpeduke is one of those musicians who doesn't believe in limiting his creativity to any one musical direction, which is why one will hear the song "Ozzy & The Bat" sung in English, Spanish, & German & there's even an Italian song ("Italiana"). While "Maria Aranga", an absolute highlight of the album completely worth hunting up, & "Coco Loco" put Latin rhythms into a metal setting with amazing fireworks. I'm not familiar with Spanish metal music, but is there a heavy metal scene out there that lays down ethnic conga line rhythms with heavy metal guitars where the two sound like they were meant to be together & were born together back in the earliest days of metal? After hearing Carpeduke's experiments I want there to be such a music scene & I want to know about it, if it doesn't already exist. Further, on "Angelsdust - Americana" & "Wicked Sound" one hears a melody that might be found on an 80's Rush album, primarily due to the singing, while the fan favorite "Vomit Of Evil" is reminiscent of Rammstein. Now, this is not to say that Carpeduke is an imitator & has no sound of his own. Quite the opposite. He does what every artist strives to do - not be caged into, borrow from one's inspirations & make an outcome that sounds original & personal. This is an album full of moods, matching its linguistical & stylistic diversity, versus wild guitars & super headbanging metal. The good thing about this is I feel comfortable recommending his album to people who like progressive rock & heavy metal, but yet also people, like myself, who get fascinated by musicians braving musical boundaries & going for more ethnic approaches. While Carpeduke does a great job at keeping some common sound throughout the whole affair, a task easier said then done when going from heavy metal to electronica to who knows where. Though, this common string is probably a primary factor in why many of the songs tended to fall on the more safe side to my ears. But, this is a minor complaint & is a double sided coin as its the safeness that opens up Carpeduke to a bigger audience. Carpeduke is setting himself up for a mis-step though, something I'm sure he already knows, as the diversity of music tightens the microscope over him. As long he never forgets to let the music come first & not the experiment, or don't forget to let loose & just head bang because well done that's just as impressive as singing in multiple languages, he'll do fine on his fifth release.

Rotfront ~ Emigrantski Raggamuffin (album review) ... From the other side of the Berlin wall!

Style: punk, ska, rap, ethnic
Label: Essay Recordings
Year: 2009
Home: Berlin, Germany

Members: Yuriy Gurzhy ~ guitar/bass/vocals
Simon Wahorn ~ bass/guitar/vocals
Dorka Gryllus, MadMilian ~ vocals
Dan Freeman ~ sax
Max Bakshish ~ sax/clarinet
Daniel Kahn ~ accordian
Anke Lucks ~ trombone
Jan Pfennig ~ drums

What comes to mind when you mix together the musical aggression of punk with the funky backbeat of ska? Probably many bands, actually, including the famed No Doubt that helped make ska mainstream. How about when you mix acoustic European gypsy music with free flowing Klezmer horns & female vocals lines? Probably that ethnic album of gypsy violin music your NPR listening uncle likes to play but you only find chaotically & exotically strange. Okay, now the challenge question. What about when you mix the ska, punk, gypsy & klezmer together & even through in a dash of hip-hop? No, I'm talking about a joke album by Weird Al, though considering some of his experiments that might be a good guess. I'm actually referring to the popular German group Rotfront that does indeed mix all of the above, & quite successfully, creating something that I would highly recommend seeking out. Founded in 2003 by DJ's/guitarists Yuriy Gurzhy & Hungarian Simon Wahorn, Rotfront, or in its full form, the Emigrantski Raggamuffin Kollektiv RotFront, is as much a political-musical movement as it is a cohesive band with its rotating door of musicians depending upon the desired outcome & gig. It's half party band with a ska backbeat behind Klezmer-esque horn solos & a rotating line-up of male & female singers & occasional rapper ... a distorted rock guitar appears only in the bridge of "Klezmerton" ... but at the same time is clearly a punk band with a socially relevant message underneath the fun. It's a bit easy to even dismiss the message as the music is so upbeat & the singing careful & often comical ... everything but angry ... but the disgruntled feelings with society are clearly there & hidden just enough to catch you off guard. Though, it should be noted that the songs are in either German, Russian or Hungarian, so one has to assume that the few English songs share similar themes as their foreign brethren. "Sovietoblaster", one of the best English songs which verges on hip-hop, paints a deceptively content yet dismal picture of the Soviet Union with underground contract killers. Or another example is the chorus of "Red Mercedes" with "the world is going mad, it makes me feel bad ... my red Mercedes will take me away ... everywhere I go I smell destruction, but who remembers what they're fighting for", or from "Rotfront FM" with "no heating on a winter morning, is a sign of global warming ... making love is the only thing we can still enjoy for free." It's hard to let that bit of woe slip past your ears unnoticed. Some songs are more punk sounding ("Kemenyek A Fenyek") while others take a more gypsy-esque free-flowing approach ("B-Style", "Berlin - Barcelona") that creates for a diverse array of music that never gets dull or predictable. The closet band I can think of to compare are the equally musically diverse yet socially relevant Chumbawumba, who had a single hit in America but are much bigger in England, who create upbeat music filled with cutting social criticism. Like Rotfront their music is deceptively not angry sounding. It's the complete opposite of death metal bands that try to make everything angry sounding ... but it's the contrast that is the missing key ingredient. While at times (i.e. "Red Mercedes", "Devil") I recall the socially relevant Jewish hip-hop ramblings of Matisyahu with his fast rapping style. The only thing missing are guest vocals by J-Lo. She would fit in perfect. For those curious, Rotfront is German for 'Red Front', or the 'Red Front Fighters League' that was a paramilitary branch of the Communist Party of Germany that engaged in street fights with the Nazis before being banned in 1932 ... but not before having their raised arm salute borrowed by Nazis. I should also clarify that it's not necessarily gypsy music Rotfront play but more a Mediterranean style, but my American readers know immediately gypsy sounds while Mediterranean would only lead to them scratching their heads.

Lou Reed & Zeitkratzer ~ Metal Machine Music (live) (album review) ... When the worst album in history goes classical!

Style: experimental, classical, instrumental, tribute, drone
Label: Asphodel
Year: 2007
Home: Germany & California

Members: Lou Reed ~ electric guitar
Reinhold Friedl ~ piano
Burkhard Schlothauer ~ violin
Christian Messer ~ viola
Ulrich Maiß ~ cello
Alexander Frangenheim ~ contrabass
Ulrich Krieger ~ saxophones
Franz Hautzinger ~ trumpet
Melvyn Poore ~ tuba
Luca Vnitucci ~ accordion
Adam Weisman ~ percussion

There's albums of distorted feedback ... then there's the infamous Lou Reed hit-or-miss 1970's classic Metal Machine Music which brought feedback to a new level of pure un-listenability. All thanks to a couple of guitars positioned in front of amps to loop back & forth with the recordings later cut & spliced to form new disjointed sounds across four tracks of 15 minutes apiece. Whether it was done as a joke to end a recording contract or it really is Lou's secret masterpiece with hidden classical music excerpts, it's hard to tell with him & I'm a diehard fan, the general consensus is that if you can listen to the entire album without getting physically sick you're probably mentally deranged. It's also been often called one of the worst albums in rock music, albeit it's not really rock nor really music though its by a rock icon. But, if this legendary recording already wasn't strange enough the beast was brought back to life & given a facelift via this re-recording by a German symphonic ensemble, yes, symphonic as in classical symphony ensemble with not a bit of feedback or even any electric cords. The story goes that they asked Lou to perform the piece & he said it wasn't transcribed, let alone impossible to transcribe. They said they'd already done three parts. Considering how similar each part sounds on the original release it's always struck me as curious why they left out one movement. Once you've suffered through 45 minutes of it why not go all the way for the final 15?So, the result is this live recording with Lou guesting on electric guitar & includes a DVD for those that don't believe feedback can be transcribed & played on acoustic instruments. Though, honestly, it can't be. If this is a note per note recording the difference between a distorted guitar & a plucked viola make for almost a new recording while Lou's playing is his typical rambling solo far from the cocaine induced playing of decades ago. But, the idea is attractive to consider none the less while imagining that you're hearing the same recording decades later. Further, this is far from unlistenable. Actually, the DVD is quite enjoyable & even includes a post-show interview with Lou & probably more enjoyable than just the CD alone. If this was ever supposed to be a joke the punchline has been killed. This album may not be a rock album, though on some level it might be heavy metal, but Lou Reed's influence on the rock world is undeniable so for him to do something like this, or the Zeitkratzer orchestra to reinterpret his work, definitely makes it unique & interesting rock/metal worth sharing.

Warhammer ~ Towards The Chapter Of Chaos (hits comp) (album review) ... The 1st chapter was a cliff hanger, quite literally it left you hanging!

Style: black metal, doom metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Year: 2003
Home: Germany

Members: Necros II ~ bass/guitar
Volker "Iron Lung" Frerich ~ vocals
Rolf Meyn ~ drums

 

 

 

  Warhammer is a German tribute band to the short lived single album Swiss band Hellhammer, the precursor to Celtic Frost, except they aren't like other tribute bands in the fact that they don't play Hellhammer songs ... but, that's the only thing they don't do, as the lyrics, sound, feeling & even album art is all Hellhammer. This 'hits' compilation includes alternate versions & rehearsals of songs that cover their '97 demo tape through their first official release the next year up to their 4th release in 2002. I'll confess to not being familiar with Hellhammer or their music, but in the years of this compilation Warhammer was the dirge side of doom metal through slow riffs that are more at home with early Black Sabbath than modern guitar blistering black metal that verges on speed metal too often. Personally, I'll take this any day. As for the vocals, one of the more unique features of the band, they sound like someone in the middle of gagging & throwing up or something out of the pit of a dark Catholic tomb in the Middle Ages. The production quality varies on a few tracks, but on one hand perfectly matches the raw darkness of the music. Like a lot of black/death metal, such as Nunslaughter or Burzum, you won't find the music cluttered with a lot of fancy guitar solos. This is music meant to pull out the inner demon through hypnotic straight-forward riffs ... not the inner dancer through fancy power metal finger tapping. This is beastly & dirty by being unflashy & not trying too hard. Metallica only wish they were this dark but they try too hard. Albeit, if you like Metallica's Kill 'Em All, outside of the singing, then you'll probably like this ... but that was while Metallica wasn't trying too hard.