Aeternam - Disciples of the Unseen
There are some bands who have real skill and talent but still go by unknown. Aeternam is one of those bands. From the first song on this album, you can tell that the band is very skilled. The music in short is epic yet brutal and unlike some modern, so called 'symphonic' bands, they don't try to hide behind layers of programmed keyboard music.
The band is very skilled. The song-writing is really amazing and you can feel that from the intro itself. Most of the songs have some time signature changes and some catchy yet brilliant choruses, all which fits in precisely and perfectly. The guitars sound raw and brutal and the guitarists play some kick ass riffs. Most of the guitarring is fast and to the point. A few slow parts too which are well executed. The bass guitar is too under-produced, and is rendered inaudible. That was my main qualm with this album and due to which I deducted 5 points. The lead guitar work is mind-blowing too. It's not overly technical but it fits perfectly with the album's ambiance.
The drumming is brutal yet catchy. The drummer has some undeniably good talent. From the first few seconds, it becomes clear that the drumming is no joke on this album. The drumming for the most part is fast and on the uptempo side. Now about the keyboards, they are quite nice. They aren't over-used and neither do they bury other instruments like a lot of other modern bands. What the keyboard actually does on this album, is to add to the overall atmosphere in a vital manner. Without the keyboard, the album will sound different, in a bad way. The vocals are good too and quite versatile. Most of the album's vocal comprise of growls (similar to Amon Amarth). The rest of them are clean choruses which fit in perfectly well. The lyrical work is decent too.
The production on this album is nice though nothing to write home about. The bass guitar is buried in the mix which made me deduct some points. Though, in the end, this is a brilliant album. If you see it anywhere, be sure to pick it up. It is bound to impress anyone who likes metal in general. I really wish that this band gets some mass appreciation.
Original review at: http://metal-archives.com/
Symphonic/Folk Death Metal, Canada
Full-length, Self Released
2009
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3 de ago. de 2009
Borgne - IV
Looking at the dark, misty forest that serves as a cover for Borgne’s fourth venture, then noticing that the album (and all of Borgne’s other albums) is numbered; one might be led to believe that IV is but a repeat of what oh-so-many other black metal bands have done in the past. And you know what? Whoever came into this review thinking this is completely right. BUT although bringing nothing new to the table, Borgne’s takes what has been left on the table and recreates it with the same amount of talent, depth and emotion as the great bands of the 90’s that created and pioneered the genre.
It will come as no surprise that the album starts off on the wrong foot with a boring, uninspired “ambient” track made-up of cheap wind sounds and other effects that are harder to identify. But after bringing our expectations all the way down, Borgne come right back with Sedna and shoots them back up.
Throughout the album, Bornyhake (the man behind the band) spews out intense, atmospheric music very reminiscent of the 90’s scene but adding a slight industrial touch to it. Now don’t come in here expecting techno breaks and psychedelic keyboards. Borgne’s uses this added touch with the furious guitar chords and battering drum beats to create atmospheres so dense you can almost see the fog appearing in your room. Everything is layered together so tightly as to not let any cracks appear in the wall of sound that is being sent your way.
In between the generic intro track and the generic closing track, the album is relentless. The guitars unleash a fury of heavily distorted chords and a small amount of tremolo picking that couples itself with unrelenting drums to create the basic heavy angry sound necessary for this style of music. The drums are often used to complement the guitars by slowing down/speeding up to change the atmosphere of a riff or adding some bass which can dramatically increase the intensity of a passage.
The keyboards are inserted right in the middle of the mix; neither buried under the mix nor taking the forefront. Their use is crucial to achieving the sound found on IV. The slow repetition of a section is great at accentuating the plodding rhythm found in the songs. Also the distant sound of the keys only increases the heavy atmospheres already created by the guitars.
The vocals are, for the most part, the basic angry shriek found in your average black metal but there are a few well placed low growls thrown in for effect. This style, although not in any way new or original, fits with the music and does work with the angry ambience of the album.
So although not bringing anything new, Borgne manages to revive the style of quality black metal that was lost somewhere near the end of the 90’s and adds hi own personal touch to it. This is a great listen for all those that find themselves dissatisfied with the modern scene and want a little blast from the past.
Original review at: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/
Black Metal, Switzerland
Full-length, Sepulchral Productions
March 31st, 2009
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28 de jul. de 2009
Zwenz - A Life's Work of Natrgaard
On his newest release "A life's work of Natrgaard" Natrgaard has a completely new style. Before he made Black Metal, more and more influenced with an atmospheric sound. Now on this latest release it is not really Black metal anymore, rather Folk Metal or let us call it "Nature Metal" (which I think Natrgaard wants it to be).
The music itself is by far calmer and more epic as before. That does not mean, that there aren't faster and more rocking parts, but the focus does not lie on them. Even the harsh and raw vocals from for example "Weltenfahrt jenseits der Karte" have mostly been replaced by clean vocals. Natrgaard sure is not the best clean vocalist, I liked his rawer vocals a little bit better, but he does a good job. And important to mention is that the Burzum and Nargaroth like influences from the former albums have mostly disappeared, if one has to compare "A Life's work" with another band "Empyrium" or maybe "Surturs Lohe" jump to my mind, though "Zwenz" has its own sound and still manages to be more than a copy of a famous or legendary band. The production values are great too. Clear sound, as far as I can tell no errors in playing and some nice soundsamples make the album great to listen to.
Still this is not a really professional album, but I am sure when Natrgaard gets signed by a label or gets the chance to release something on a label, I am sure he will keep up the good work. He has more talent and more ideas than many other (even very good) bands in the Black Metal underground scene, that is certain.
Original review at: http://www.metal-archives.com/
Black Metal, Germany
Full-length, Self-Produced
April 2005
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Old Man's Child - In Defiance Of Existence
Old Man's Child, a black metal band who aren't exactly the most respected in their genre. In fact they are probably the most hated after the ex-black metal bands Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. Because they share some members with the terrible two? Because they include melody in a genre that's supposed to be raw? The use of keyboards? The fact that they're fairly popular? Who knows. But this isn't reflected in the quality of their music. Personally I think it's a good thing to share the two most talented (ex-)members of those two bands, namely Galder and Nicholas Barker. As a whole Old Man's Child looks like this:
Galder - Vocals, Lead & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Jardar - Lead & Acoustic Guitars
Nicholas Barker - Drums
This album is arguably the finest work Old Man's Child has ever put out. Contrary to some of the band's earlier work, this isn't drowned in keyboards or synths, something that might have put off some people. The keyboards are used appropriately, only to create an atmosphere or add a touch of melody. And this is done with great skill. The production is crystal clear and sounds really great (So what if they didn't record in some cellar?) The keyboards are more in the background, where they should be. They give the album a dark and mystical sound, suited for the genre, there are even some chanted vocals to add to that atmosphere. The other vocals have a layered effect and sound good. The guitars and the drums are the most prominent. And with good reason!
The riffs on this album are superb, Galder is certainly a talented guitarist. Every song contains at least a couple of creative riffs and here and there a nice solo. The guitar work has quite a bit of death metal influence and it certainly sounds a lot fuller and chunkier than other black metal. And they mix very well with the keys, there's even some acoustic work around, mainly intros but 'In Quest of Enigmatic Dreams' is fully acoustic and instrumental.
The drums sound perfect in the mix and they really are some of the best I've heard. Barker is an amazing drummer, despite of being so hated. He does some great blast beats, but he's more than that, he has some wonderful fills and his double bass work is furiously trampling and fast as lightning. He's really the driving force of this album.
I can really say this is a very enjoyable album, great production, brilliant song writing, mixing melody and occult lyrics with speed and aggression of the drums and the guitars. And even though the sound of this album is too full and melodic to be accepted by the elitists this is a strong recommendation.
Original review at: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/
Melodic Black Metal, Norway
Full-length, Century Media
January 20th, 2003
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8 de abr. de 2009
Vesania (Pol) - Rage of Reason
Symphonic Black Metal, Poland
Single, Empire Records
January 15th, 2008
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3 de abr. de 2009
Vesania (Pol) - Firefrost Arcanum
I think it's fair to say that Poland have more than their fair share of quality death and black metal bands, and with Vesania boasting members of Behemoth and Vader in their ranks, it's not hard to see where the highly proficient abundance of musical guile comes from on this, their debut album.
This could almost be a lost mid-period Emperor album, if it were not for the slightly less progressive guitar gymnastics, whilst still maintaining the tone of black metal from the farthest reaches of skull crushing, well honed and produced extreme metal soundscapes. This is pretty far from an overindulgent Dimmu-like release, or even an under-cooked Darkthrone-like affair as you can get in 'black' metal, managing to push the album's sonic boundaries into the realms of a more synth-drenched death metal Myrkskog, whilst retaining its ingrown blackened sensibilities. Spattered with atmospheric sections, the album boasts generally long track lengths each taking you on a sonic journey, ranging from face-removing sandblaster sections, to slower, flesh burning monolithic Aeternus-esque destruction. There's a fair bit of Zyklon-like futurism interweaved into the general crushing black/death, with intelligent riffs embedded deep into the song structures, adding a strong sense of dynamics to the fold, which when coupled with the strong but not overpowering usage of synthesizer can (at times) sound really impressive.
Original review at http://www.metalcrypt.com/
Symphonic Black Metal, Poland
Full-length, Empire Records
2003
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Tarot (Fin) - Crows Fly Black
Tarot is a band traditions reaching back to the early 80s, and have over the years released numerous albums to much critical praise. But it wasn't until the band's front man, singer and bass player Marco Hietala joined Nightwish things were really made huge for the band. Marco has an amazing and very distinct voice, and thankfully he's been able to combine his work with both Tarot and Nightwish in a satisfactory manner. 2004 saw the release of Tarot's Suffer Our Pleasures, and now the follow-up, Crows Fly Black, is ready.
The genre Tarot operate in is pretty straight forward heavy metal, based around strong riffs, groove and catchy chorus-lines. Suffer Our Pleasures had some excellent songs, but suffered a bit due to lack of variation. Rest assured, Crows Fly Black takes the band to new heights, managing to side-step almost every booby trap put in their way. The album's opener, being the title track, took a while to grow on me, but as soon as I got there I was hooked. Other excellent songs to notice are Traitor, Bleeding Dust, You and Grey, but overall there are no particularly weak moments to mention. One thing I appreciate very much is the band's ability to vary the tempo of the songs, this is a clear improvement from Suffer Our Pleasures. The songs evolve, progress and skip rope hither and thither in between different parts, creating new and exciting moments many times in each song. The production is excellent, Marco's powerful and gritty voice is mixed in perfectly with the hard hitting guitars and bass.
One important thing to note is that this album is a sure grower, I doubt you'll get instantly hooked. But as you start to notice the little things, the guitar licks, the layers of synth in the backgroun and the sometimes almost unnoticeable tempo-changes, I'm pretty sure you'll get around to loving it. Mostly for lovers of Marco's voice, lovers of classic heavy metal or good melodies in general, but I really do recommend it to almost anyone. Give it a chance. This one'll be released the 19th of January, so Tarot has together with Therion's latest given us one hell of a start for the new metal year.
Rating: 85/100
Written by Ole Kristian Mastadøy at http://www.enslavedbymetal.com/
Heavy Metal, Finland
Full-length, King Foo Entertainment
October 27th, 2006
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Raxa - MezoVedic
If you were interested in Tenochtitlan but found their music to be a bit too much "world music" and not enough metal, I am pleased to inform you that Lefthander's similar project is far more balanced. Even if you've never heard of them, but like bands that mix metal with Pre-Hispanic instrumentation such as Yaotl Mictlan, Ek, and Ch'aska (just to name a few) I think you will find this album to be quite in your taste. And if you haven't heard of those bands, well then do so.
This is one of those albums that for some may take more than one more listen to get into. I know I was a bit reluctant at first. The big difference between Raxa and the bands mentioned earlier is that due to the heavy use of keyboards in order be atmospheric, you may feel sometimes that you're at the freaking dentist's waiting room, or a very strange kind of spa. This is why unless you don't mind the whole atmospheric thing, you may actually have to wait to digest this album.
But once you get over this, the journey can begin. MezoVedic is quite an awesome album. Unlike Tenochtitlan's latest endeavor, Lefthander takes his time with the songs, combining both clean and growling vocals; both heavy riffs and tranquilizing breaks that avoid the cheap, sudden shifts back to the metal to seem heavier than what the music really is. Also, tracks such as "Incumbeni Kadingirra", and "Calm in the Hall of two Truths" combine Lefthander's vocals with female vocals, further enriching the album.
Original review at http://www.metal-archives.com/
Doom Metal / Folk / Ambient, Russia
Full-length, Mystic Empire
April 2008
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Funeral Procession - The Red Vine Litanies
Black Metal, Germany
EP, Ván Records
July 7th, 2008
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1 de abr. de 2009
Paysage d'Hiver - Kristall & Isa
I couldn't help first commenting on some things said in the review below me, which I know is somewhat unfair because the reviewer will have no chance to reply to mt comments. I honestly think though that it would be ill advised to take advice as to how to interpret the atmosphere of this album from a review that describes parts of this as techno. Everyone can think what they like, but I think that the correct approach is needed to all music to properly and fully enjoy it.
That being said, this music is all about repetition and atmosphere and little about technicality, individual riffs and melodies, or indeed even solely the musical aspect of Paysage d'Hiver. PdH is one of those bands where the concept is either hit or miss, you connect with the musics themes and ideas or you don't (which offers a perfectly fine and legitimate explanation as to why someone would rate this low). I find myself able to connect with the music and the whole aesthetical concept of PdH, and write my review in a way that assumes that the reader may potentially understand the music as well.
The songs are very basic, drumming shows little signs of life besides a droning pound that soon engraves itself into the back of the production. Guitars are a blaze of sound without a discernible shape to them that would lend them the ability to play a distinct melody. Everything drones and repeats quite a bit, and only the vocals and synth provide the variation needed to not make this something that would indeed be boring. All the elements together make this album full enough to be able to convey the emotions and ideas put into it.
The main concepts of course are winter and darkness, and the music provides a platform to meditate on these concepts. If one can understand this link of what the music means in relation to the concept of PdH, then the music will immediately make more sense. One will come to realize that this particular music is music to think and even dream upon. It opens up the imagination and paints landscapes of darkness and snow. That is why the repetition and steady droning of the guitars is essential. It is so that there will be no sudden in jolt to ones thoughts. The only breaks appear in between songs, during which some ambient noises can be heard before fading into the next droning song.
Those familiar only with the ambient work of Wintherr might dismiss this at first, but in essence both styles of PdH ultimately achieve the same end of creating an immense atmosphere. The only difference is that the black metal side of PdH is considerably harder to appreciate at first, becuase it is far less melodic and calm than the ambient works. Highly recommended as music to listen to while relaxing or before sleeping, but not as black metal that is played in the background or in an environment where it is secondary, because this music demands your attention!
Original review at http://metal-archives.com/
Black Metal, Ambient, Switzerland
Demo, Kunsthall Produktionen
2001
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