These reviews are from Dave Wolff from the web zine, Autoeroticasphyxium. You can contact him at AEAzinedw@aol.com.

SHALLOW GRAVE SATANIC SYMPHONY Family Friendlee EP
http://www.myspace.com/shallowgravesatanicsympho; http://www.myspace.com/sgssbackalleyteam; http://www.myspace.com/satan39sstepdaughterssgsspage3; http://www.myspace.com/126851672; http://www.myspace.com/127026999
Shallow Grave Satanic Symphony from Rock Island, Illinois have existed since around the turn of the millennium. Their live show is a ritual where sexuality and fetishism meet their "true Satanic glam techno," a genre they invented to rebel against categorization. This can be described as a mixture of goth, techno, experimental, death metal, hip hop and glam. Videos of their live shows can be viewed at one or two of their MySpace profiles and the profile of vocalist Anal Action Aim'ee. Various songs they've recorded from 2001 onward can likewise be experienced. Their 2007 demo consists of nineteen tracks, which incorporate layers of keyboards, beats and effects with demonic vocals and samples. The band composed these songs to satisfy their craving for unlabelled musical expression. It's admittedly not for everyone, save those in the underground whose tastes are with bands who create their own territory to "branch out" into. Fans of The Blair Witch Project will be interested in the samples from Blair Witch 2 in the track "Transylvanian Lesbian Orchestra."

BOWELS OUT Enlightenment Through Dismemberment (CDN Records)
http://www.cdnrecords.com; http://www.bowelsout.cjb.net; http://www.myspace.com/bowelsout
Bowels Out is a death-grind band from El Paso, Texas. This debut full-length of theirs was presented to me by Herlaka Rose of her self-made promotion company, Kovenant Rose Productions (myspace.com/kovenant_rose_productions). As their introduction to the grindcore industry, Enlightenment Through Dismemberment is a black light ray of hope to the scene affirming that death=grind is still a force to be reckoned with. The brutal, chaotic whirlwind the lyrics of "Human Cadaver Deterioration," "Hacksawed Genitals," "Decimating The Decaying Orifice" & "Steady Bleeding Through Precise Incisions" are set to earned Bowels Out comparisons to Gorgasm. Of course I was thinking of Carcass more than any other band, most of all since the guitars have a similar darkness to them. Bowels Out use a minimal amount of sampling on this album, pushing their songs into full view in this mosaic of sonic extremity.

DIAGNOSE: LEBENSGEFAHR Transformalin (Autopsy Kitchen)
http://www.autopsykitchen.com; http://diagnoselebensgefahr.com; http://www.myspace.com/diagnoselebensgefahr
Diagnose: Lebensgefahr is an ambient-noise-experimental project founded Nattramn, formerly of Silencer. His debut CD Transformalin is vaguely described on the Diagnose: Lebensgefahr official MySpace page as "a co-operation between Nattramn and the Växjö Psychiatric Ward and Växjö Health and insurance office." There is little explanation of what this means, except to say Nattramn lost his mind many years ago and the process of writing this album was his therapy. A more detailed explanation could be on the project's official site, which says he was recently acquitted of two counts of assault. In any event, the eleven tracks here are singularly chilling and suggestive of profound insanity, somewhere between the best of Cold Meat Industry's roster, Abruptum's mid-90s catalog and GG Allin's "My Bloody Mutilation." The haunting monologue of "Upon The High Horse Of Self Destruction" was one of the most memorable moments of this CD, with Nattramn's recurring mantra of "throw my bones to the pigs." Other moments as insidiously malevolent are here to affect different listeners at different levels, depending on their sanity threshold.

HOT BUTTERED ANAL Please Kill Me (Independent)
http://www.hotbutteredanal.com; http://www.myspace.com/hotbutteredanal
Between the name Hot Buttered Anal and this album's fifteen songs crammed into thirty minutes I was expecting some more extreme deathgrind here. Instead of deathgrind, Please Kill Me is thrashcore crossover leaning closer toward the early 80s hardcore of SS Decontrol and D.O.A. The thrash elements manifest in the guitars and lead vocals sung akin to James Hetfield. The black humor of "Flaming Robots" and "Magnum" reminded me a little of GWAR. Hot Buttered Anal were co-formed in Providence, Rhode Island by vocalist/guitarist Bob Cocks and drummer/vocalist Chris Cornhole who have been playing in bands for a good amount of years. The band say they've been compared to GG Allin and Butthole Surfers; a more interesting description was "a cross between angry dildo metal and undead chicken puke." Their page on MySpace is previewing some of the tracks on this album if you're interested in checking them out.

REQUIEM Lock The Dead
http://requiem.ratherbad.com; http://www.myspace.com/requiem420; http://www.myspace.com/requiemlv
The "heavycore" band Requiem formed in Las Vegas back in 1991. Lock The Dead is one of two CDs the band released in 2006. The twelve tracks on this self-produced CD are an odd mixture of old school hardcore, early death metal, British grindcore and Crowbar-style post-thrash. There and a few guitar solos played over this, and some moments that sound influenced by raw melodic black metal. Guitarist Brutal Berry handles these different influences admirably while handling lead vocals. Bassist Tim the Wizard and drummer Shane Chains Riley keep up with Brutal Berry as he plows through the riffs of each song. The solos Berry adds to some of the songs sound mixed louder than the instruments, which tends to distract from them a little. The CD's last track sounds like a stab at British punk.

REQUIEM Retrowar
http://requiem.ratherbad.com; http://www.myspace.com/requiem420; http://www.myspace.com/requiemlv
Retrowar is the second CD Requiem released in 2006, also self-produced. These seven tracks here are the same length as Lock The Dead. Here they have fewer influences thrown together, with the hardcore and death metal elements more tightly interwoven. The production here is about the same; the lyrical approach primarily focuses on war and technology. Brutal Berry's solos still sound louder than everything else and could be tightened a little more. Shane Chains Riley has a few more chances to play percussion fills under Berry's riffs, and it sounds like there's more double bass going on. The songs on this CD and Lock The Dead can be downloaded for a cost of 99 cents (U.S.) at the band's official site.

AHUMADO GRANUJO Chemical Holocaust (Khaaranus Productions)
http://www.sweb.cz/ahumado; http://khaaranus.wz.cz
Crusty grindcore with vocals that reminded me of Carcass on Reek Of Putrefaction and a variety of effects in between tracks that brought Sore Throat's experimental period to mind. In some places are longer techno-industrial instrumentals complementing the heavier music nicely, as in "Faggotura," "Pickled Temelin," "Le Ketamin" and "Sandokal." This Czech band have a fondness for cover songs; past releases have included covers of Impetigo, Regurgitate, Ulcerous Phlegm and Gut. This album contains covers of songs by CBT, Krisiun and Disrupt.

ALIENATION MENTAL psychopathicolorspectrum (Khaaranus Productions)
http://alienation-mental.wz.cz; http://khaaranus.wz.cz
The Czech Republic's Alienation Mental released their first CD Kopferkingel (which included covers of Korn, Agathocles and Yaga) in 1998. The following year saw the band's first MCD release through Khaaranus Productions and they have continued a relationship with the label ever since besides keeping in touch with Burning Dogma records who released a compilation CD for them in 2004. psychopathicolorspectrum is brutal machinelike death-grind with industrial overtones. A recurring theme is of being swallowed whole by the mechanisms of inhumanity, as demonstrated in "A Yellow Symbol," "Erase Head," "No Way Out" and the title track.

NEEDUFUL THINGS Dead Point (Psychotherapy Records, Khaaranus Productions)
http://www.needfulthings.wz.cz; http://www.psychotherapy.wz.cz; http://khaaranus.wz.cz
Needful Things, a grindcore act from the Czech Republic, have been around since 1995 and released a number of split CDs (with Genital Gore, Wadge, Existench and others) & multiple splits (with Social Deformity, Dahmer and The Satanic Grind Dogs Of Death among others) besides releasing their own stuff and making compilation appearances through the years. Dead Point augments the heaviest, most extreme elements of classic Napalm Death and Carcass, giving them an updated feel to place them in a class with the best goregrind bands of the modern era. In the near future the band plan to release a split with Sewn Shut and appear on the Play Fast Or Don't Part 1 and Tribute To Warsore compilations.

POPPY SEED GRINDER Oppressed Reality (Khaaranus Productions)
http://www.poppyseedgrinder.cz; http://khaaranus.wz.cz
The Czech Republic's Poppy Seed Grinder released their first full-length in 2004 after releasing a CD demo in 1998 and a split CD with Defeated Sanity in 2002. The band have made quite a few festival appearances recently and sound like they have enough potential to break into the American death metal/grindcore industry, so it wouldn't surprise me if they were to be "discovered" soon. Oppressed Reality is a slab of unrelenting DM/grind with tight guitars, strong percussion and a consistent vocal range. Two songs from this album, "Elimination Of Evil" and "Bloody Psychotic Disease" can be previewed on the band's official website.

IN FLAMES Come Clarity (Ferret)
www.inflames.com
Those of you who remember In Flames' older work like Whoracle and Clayman will notice Come Clarity as more melodic and Headbangers' Ball-friendly than on those albums. Still, the band have managed to conserve most of the percussive thumping and mournful guitar harmonies of the 90s to go with the euphonious vocals and polished quality of this album. The solid balance between their accessibility and their roots equals a strong representation of where Swedish melodic death metal is heading these days. Vocalist/songwriter Lisa Miskovsky makes a guest appearance on "Dead End." The band recently did an in-store in Colorado Springs, are booked for this year's Download Festival and are planning to tour later this year.

GORELORD Norwegian Chainsaw Massacre (Coffin)
PO Box 196242, Winter Springs, Florida 32719-6242
Fusing skull crushing heaviness with groove, Norwegian Chainsaw Massacre seems an appropriate soundtrack to the sickest splatter flick you can ever hope to witness. This is one of those death metal albums that play like a splatter flick; this movie's opening sequence is represented by an acoustic intro, "Outback Part 2," followed by the unmistakable sound of a chainsaw starting. From this comes the opening strains of "Dying or Dreaming," a song with enough crunch and bombast to reduce your brain cells to jelly. As if that wasn't enough, you have "All Hail The Gods of Horror," "Flesh to Feed," "Deathbreed," "The Rising of the Dead" and "Glorification of Violence" to contend with until the twelve minute opus "The Final Cut" comes creeping along with eerie keyboards to guide you through the movie's bloodsoaked finale.

HONEY FOR CHRIST The Darkest Pinnacle of Light (Rundown)
www.honeyforchrist.com; www.rundownrecords.co.uk
Honey For Christ is one of those bands who have their shit together and know what they're after even though they're not on a prominent independent label yet. The Darkest Pinnacle of Light is the Ireland based death-thrash band's fourth MCD and their potential shines through the demo-level production of the five cuts gracing it. Frontman Andy sings over music that goes back and forth between aggressive and introspective, and his vocal presence doesn't overshadow his playing. Bassist Paul and drummer Chris are a more than capable rhythm section for the band's purposes. "The Final Transition" is an interesting song featuring musical elements I'd like to see them pursue more in the near future.

EVOCATION Evocation (Merciless)
Darkened Swedish death metal with some black metal-likened atmosphere; think classic Entombed crossed with classic Blasphemy. Seven songs preceded by an introduction of somber guitars and wind effects. The vocals resonate with a certain rasp to accompany the traditional guttural death metal style. Heavy guitar production helps channel impressive fretwork and harmonies in standouts such as "Through The Darkened Peril," "The Ancient Gate" and "On A Journey."

DELIRIUM TREMENS Thrashing Warthogs (Merciless)
Energetic German death-thrash with a strong Kreator vibe and vocals akin to classic Destruction. Thrashing Warthogs is the second full-length Delirium Tremens' have released since 1999 and they're well on their way toward getting their shit together in terms of musicianship and professionalism. The dexterity manifest in the guitars and the ferocity in the drums demonstrate the band's ability to play rings around many brutal death metal bands that have existed for as long as they have. Decent production job too. Personal favorites were "Worship Satan" and "Follow Us If You Want To Die."

ECHO US Echo Us (Absolute Probability)
www.absoluteprobability.com
I interviewed Ethan, the sole force behind Echo Us, for issue 12 of my zine (AEA). If you're into goth and/or symphonic metal the ideas he brings to CD might appeal to you. Echo Us is predominantly a keyboard/programming project with lots of engaging electronic and organic sounds filling each song on this CD. Some of the tracks here are far longer than the standard five-to-six minute song; "Her Heart's Army/White Wednesday" clocks in at eleven minutes in all. Ethan wrote, recorded and produced most of the material, with some assistance from bassist Kai Kurasawa.

NACHTMYSTIUM Nachtmystium (Battle Kommand)
www.battlekommand.com
This is a reissue of Nachtmystium's self-titled 2002 EP with remastered sound and updated cover art. I never heard the original release of this, but the production and atmosphere was mind-blowing. Raw, abrasive, misanthropic black metal that abandons all compromise and offers no apologies. Distorted vocals, dissonant guitars and a thick drum sound that makes the impression that you're alone inside miles upon miles of forest and something evil is watching from a distance. The musicianship occasionally reminded me of Darkthrone. The overall presentation of "Cold Tormentor (I've Become)," "Come Forth, Devastation" and "Call Of The Ancient" is monstrous in scope and nightmarish in vision.

XASTHUR/LEVIATHAN Split CD (Battle Kommand)
www.battlekommand.com
This split CD features over sixty minutes of grim, melancholic black metal proving that Stateside bands can write music as dark and forbidding as their overseas counterparts. Hailing from Southern California, currently the land of sunshine, beaches and Baywatch clones, Xasthur take the road less traveled, being as gloomy and despondent as a black metal band can play. Tracks like "The Eerie Bliss of Torture (And Solitude)," "Conjuration of Terror" and "Achieve Emptiness," while the drums are mostly buried, boast tormented vocals as well as a nice interplay between guitars and keyboards. Leviathan, another prominent U.S. black metal band from the same area of California that produced the likes of Exodus and Metallica, have been building word-of-mouth renown on some misanthropic music themselves. The songs they contribute to the split resonate with the same grim coldness presented by Xasthur, though the drums and keyboards are significantly more prominent. "Unfailing Fall Into Naught" is a particularly dark and brutal listening experience.

SAPTHURAN/LEVIATHAN Split CD (Battle Kommand)
www.battlekommand.com
On this split Leviathan join forces with American cult black metallers Sapthuran, who journey deeper into the realms of chaos and desolation. Sapthuran introduce themselves first with "As A Tale Told by the Leaves and Whispered by the Wind." Opening with a wind effect and a fade-in that called Behemoth's "From Hornedlands to Lindisfarne" to mind, this song heads far into epic territory at ten minutes. Sapthuran record very abrasive around the edges, especially when it comes to the vocals. The acoustic interlude "As Autumn Sheds Its Final Tear" provides a few moments of respite from this relentless, driving melancholy. A sensation of having a variety of sharpened blades slashing you open on different areas of your body is what you can expect from Leviathan in "Odious Convulsions" and "The Fourth Blind Wound" are faster than Sapthuran, with more depth and atmosphere. The guitars are also easier to make out through the distortion. "Another Sip Of Fear" and "Crushing The Prolapsed Oviducts Of Virtue" have some interesting ambient sections; the latter song had a section with distant, tortured vocals that had me thinking of Abruptum.

THE RUINS OF BEVERAST Unlock The Shrine (Battle Kommand)
www.battlekommand.com
A "sinister black metal band" from Germany, The Ruins of Beverast released their debut CD-R The Furious Waves Of Damnation (now out of print) in 2003, releasing their debut full-length Unlock The Shrine a year later. The song chosen to introduce this full-length, "Between Bronze Walls," is a lengthy, grandiose affair with guitar harmonies and haunting keyboards played over persistent rhythm guitars. The samples taken from "The Believers" are nice touches. "Skeleton Coast" is a keyboard-percussion track serving as a prelude to the hammering "Euphoria When The Bombs Fell," which incorporates slower sections with singularly frightening chorus effects. "God Sent No Sign" is another brief interlude featuring a somber guitar progression as a distorted progression emerges from behind it, growing steadily in volume. These are just a few moments worth mentioning on this album. Many of the songs can be downloaded from this web page: www.van-gbr.de/gemeinsame Seiten/RuinsInfo.htm; this page also features the lyrics and the lyrics of The Furious Waves Of Damnation. The driving force behind The Ruins of Beverast is percussionist Alexander, formerly of Naglfar and Graupel.

SEVEN WITCHES Amped (Candlelight USA/Regain)
www.candlelightrecordsusa.com
Since 1999 and Second War In Heaven, power metallers Seven Witches have remained consistent in releasing at least one full length per year. Their other full lengths are City Of Lost Souls (2000), Xiled To Infinity And One (2002), Passage To The Other Side (2003) and Year Of The Witch (2004). Having released those CDs on Massacre and Noise, the band released their sixth album on Regain records in 2005. Featuring Savatage guitarist Jack Frost and Alan Tecchio & Kevin Bolembach of Non-Fiction, Seven Witches press their experience as potently as the old school vibe they've managed to hold onto through the years. The riff-drum synchronicity in "West Nile," "Sunnydale High," "Fame Gets You Off," "Red" and even the power ballad "Dishonor Killings" feel like lead pipes slamming your skull countless times. Candlelight says Seven Witches are destined to spearhead the power metal revival with Iced Earth and Virgin Steele (who have a new album of their own to speak for). While this remains to be seen, any band that can make Billy Idol's "Flesh For Fantasy" sound heavier has a good shot at achieving this.

HELLOWEEN Keeper of the Seven Keys III: The Legacy (SPV/Steamhammer)
Helloween returns to continue a metal opera The Keeper of the Seven Keys began in 1987. The band appear altogether assured Keeper of the Seven Keys III will approximate the venturesomeness of the legend's first two chapters despite a gap of eighteen years. Granted, I lost touch with them for some time and a quick look at their discography showed me they've released a long string of albums. Still, Keeper of the Seven Keys III is a considerable leap ahead for Helloween in the creativity department. A double CD clocking in at well over an hour, it proves Helloween can write epics that rival what newer artists are capable of writing. Two such epics can be heard here: the 13-minute "King for 100 Years" and the 11-minute "Occasion Avenue." New drummer Dani Loeble adds weight to these songs with solid percussion and clean transitions. For Ritchie Blackmore fans, Candice Knight of Blackmore's Night makes a guest appearance on "Light the Universe," sharing lead vocals with Andi Deris. Look for their promotional video for "Mrs. God" as a bonus track.

THE SAINTS OF PAIN Vol. 2 (Independent)
www.TheSaintsofPain.com
The first Saints of Pain performance I saw was at CBGB 313 Gallery where they're known to play often. I was so impressed by their hypnotic, depressive heaviness I grabbed a copy of this CD promo. I would describe these three tracks (Anthem, Killing Jar, Little Whispers) as suffusing Black Sabbath, Crowbar, Danzig and Load-era Metallica while adding an infinitesimal trace of Goth metal added. Each track builds on the astringent acoustic intro introducing it, burgeoning in heaviness with each passing second. Images of emotional destitution, unfulfilled yearning and bottomless heavy-heartedness escort these anodyne rhythms, giving the feelings they put to music an unvarnished, almost heartfelt quality. The effect this combination will have on you is quite profound. The band has a growing fan base in the Manhattan area; after experiencing the gloominess of this CD you will understand why.

HE WHO CORRUPTS The Smell Of Money (Eugenics Record Label)
www.eugenicsrecordlabel.com
Chicago grindcore band He Who Corrupts have really pushed the promotion for their latest CD EP since it came out last October. While this is the first time I've heard anything from them, it's not that bad. The five cuts boast an apocalyptic feel, with dissonant chords and a massive bass sound. The entire EP has been available for download at www.downloadpunk.com since its outing last autumn. It can also be ordered through the official Interpunk site (www.interpunk.com), copies ordered here arrive with an autographed dollar bill and poster. The digipak edition of The Smell Of Money comes with a scratch and sniff gimmick, plus video enhancements of their "Master Of Profits" promotional clip and an interview. The clip is hilarious, depicting the band in business suits drinking Slim Fast and coffee, screaming at employees, shitting money to throw everywhere and generally causing havoc.

ALLHELLUJA Inferno Museum (Scarlet Records)
www.scarletrecords.it
Allhelluja's debut album is not brutal or extreme, but it's still so crushing I feel as if my head is about to implode any second. The Italy/Denmark-based band combines stoner rock, biker rock and a touch of death metal a la recent Entombed into an unrelenting machine of annihilation that overwhelms any impedance. The ten tracks on Inferno Museum, preluded by a Gregorian intro, are tied together by a concept modeled after Dead Man Upright, a novel written by Derek Raymond in 1993. In the novel, a series of inexplicable disappearances happen in eighteen months, arousing the suspicion of the law. Hakan Akesson, renowned for his work with In Flames and Rammstein, mastered the album (recorded at Italy's GB Studios) in Sweden's Cutting Room Studios.

KAYSER Kaiserhof (Scarlet Records)
www.scarletrecords.it
Started in 2004 by former members of The Defaced, Spiritual Beggars, Aeon and The Mushroom River Band, Kayser saw their debut album released in the late spring of 2005. Recorded at Caesar Studios where The Defaced and Soilwork have recorded, Kaiserhof has a conspicuous thrash metal edge in a number of its tracks. Opener "1919" begins the track list with an energetic old school impression that resurfaces in "7 Days To Sink" and "Like A Drunk Christ." Megadeth and Slayer are indicated as the band's biggest influences in the biography provided by Scarlet records. The Megadeth influence is most prevalent in the guitar solos though a riff may strike a chord with diehard Megadeth fans here and there. Tracks like "Good Citizen" sound significantly more neoteric, ringing with classic Hypocrisy and Tales From The Thousand Lakes-era Amorphis in its progressions as it does with mid-80s thrash in the acoustic section that appears in the middle.

DIVINE EMPIRE Method Of Execution (Crash Music)
You might remember Jason Blachowicz from his stint playing bass for a certain death metal band known as Malevolent Creation. He appeared on that band's first six albums, also doing lead vocals on the latter three of those. Well, Divine Empire is his newest band, formed with Malevolent Creation's former guitarist and percussionist, J.P. Soars & Derek Roddy (who was since replaced by Duane Tindin). As much as Malevolent are still going strong, Divine Empire comes dangerously close to matching the ruthless, ungovernable ferocity they showed themselves capable of at their best. And they achieve this with only three members, which places them in a firm contendership with the likes of Hate Eternal. What's more, there are sixteen tracks on their fourth full-length, and it seems unlikely that even the most hardened death metaller could withstand the wrathful energy they channeled into them. There is one track on this CD, "Prelude To The Storm," with classical guitars that demonstrate how much the band have matured as artists since their debut CD Redemption came out in 1998. Look for more classical guitars in "Storm of Hatred" and other cuts. The way they incorporated them into their songs is definitely a first that presents many opportunities for the future of DM.

TEXAS IS ON FIRE Shine. Set. Repeat. (Crash Music)
Citing Arch Enemy, Soilwork, The Hope Conspiracy and Botch as influences, this Denver metalcore band create a unique sound that relies heavily on complex yet appealing guitars. Texas Is On Fire recorded their first album for Crash at Denver's Chameleon Audio and Video, reworking five songs from their EP Take Your Sex Elsewhere Girl, I'm Trying To Dance. The riffs the band play are nothing less than awe-inspiring; possibly the best thing the album has going for it. The production could do with improvement in the days to come, most of all in the drums that sound like the snare was lined with a sheet of paper, however the chords and time changes kept me attentive to each subsequent track.

ANODYNE The First Four Years: Discography Volume 1 (Black Box Recordings)
www.blackboxrec.com
Anodyne, fronted by Black Box Recordings founder Mike Hill, started in Boston in summer 1997 and relocated to New York City after their inaugural tour. Specializing in noisy, experimental metal-core, the band have enjoyed a steady recording career, during which time they jammed with drummer Dave Witte of Burnt by the Sun and Discordance Axis. This "greatest hits" CD is compiled from all their releases from '97 to 2001, including their first demo from '97 and self-titled seven inch from 1998, their appearances on the Metal Is A Tough Business, Sometimes It Goes CDR and Self-Deconstruction compilations, and their Red Was Her Favorite Color and Berkowitz seven inches. One highlight worth mentioning is a cover they recorded of Charles Manson's "Look At Your Game Girl" from Red Was Her Favorite Color.

BLACK ARMY JACKET Closed Casket (Black Box Recordings)
www.blackboxrec.com
The illustriously well-known NYC hardcore band reissue virtually all the material they recorded from 1996 to '99, the years they existed as a unit. Rare gems included here are the band's debut demo, the unreleased seven inch they recorded for Relapse, a shitload of unreleased tracks and all the songs they cut for splits with Agathocles and Hemlock. Fifty songs in all to delight in on this CD, plus an enhancement featuring live clips at CBGB and the Cactus Club in San Jose, California (you will need Quick Time to watch these). Dave Witte (Burnt by the Sun, Discordance Axis) is likewise on this comp, appearing on the first fourteen cuts. The liner notes have a few promotional fliers and live pictures of the band. Closed Casket is additionally available from Relapse, Level Plane and Lumberjack according to the front page of the band's site, www.blackarmyjacket.com

THE HEURISTIC Parapraxes (Black Box Recordings)
www.blackboxrec.com
Schizophrenic grindcore-math metal-melodic metalcore-jazz fusion-indie-noise. The Heuristic from Boston, Massachusetts cram nine songs into a space of just under seventeen minutes, establishing their intent to disassemble the genre and reconstruct it as they deem necessary before one of those minutes has passed by. As this CD progresses from track to track without allowing a few seconds' pause, the band thrust you from one mood to the next in an intoxicating affectation. The ideas they translate from thought to lyric messes with your mind as effectively as the music behind them; the more interesting song titles are "There Is No Square Root Of Negative One In Team," "Speed Lemur Houses Ex-Endurance On Account of Perspicacity" and "Red Headed Stepchild Of The Non-Repeating Decimals."

CATHETER Dimension 303 (Selfmadegod Records)
www.selfmadegod.com
This is an extremely refreshing listen for fans of old school crust/sludgecore. For those who love this style with varying speeds and blast beats, this is even more enjoyable. Since 1997 the Denver band released a demo and a seven inch, a debut full-length, a bunch of split seven-inches with bands like Fiendead, Black Market Fetus, Forced Instinct & Unholy Grave and some more split CDs with Laughing Dog, F.U.B.A.R. & Birdflesh. No incorporation of jazz-rock or progressive rock here, just relentless grind with vexatious distortion in the guitars and bass and overlapping vocals insinuating each member of this trio is howling his throat raw. At times these songs recollected The Exploited and Napalm Death circa From Enslavement To Obliteration. "Miserable Existence" at its outset is accentuated with a sample from George A. Romero's Day Of The Dead.

ANTIGAMA Zeroland (Selfmadegod Records)
www.selfmadegod.com
Formed by Sebastian Rokicki formerly of Different State and Garden Of Worm and Krzysztof Bentkowski formerly of Sparagmos, Damnable and Monev, this Poland-based grindcore band established a name touring and releasing splits with bands from all over the world, appearing on a Godflesh tribute CD with a remake of "Anything Is Mine," releasing some promo CDs and releasing two full-length CDs. The band's latest split release is a limited edition (1000 copies) seven-inch with Circle Of Dead Children on a label from the States known as Haunted Hotel. Zeroland, their sophomore effort, is a slab of futuristic grindcore bringing old Voivod to mind with dissonant guitar chords, transmundane effects, celestial keyboards and electronic sounds. The title track at the end of the CD adds to the avant-garde quality they bring to record, sampling what sounds like overlapping television broadcasts while more electronic sounds intermittently insinuate themselves into the picture from below them.

WOJCZECH Sedimente (Selfmadegod Records)
www.selfmadegod.com
Having been in existence since 1995, Wojczech have built a worldwide fan base by touring the globe extensively, performing in a number of countries including Switzerland, Poland, France, Czechoslovakia, Malaysia, Belgium, Singapore, Spain, Brazil, Thailand and their native Germany. After releasing a consecution of split seven inches with Groinchurn, Sarcasm, Cut Your Hair, Dirty Power Game, Instinct of Survival and others, they released their freshman recording on Selfmadegod in November last year. This album was produced by the celebrated Harris Johns, acknowledged for his work with Sodom, Kreator, Voivod and Pestilence, at Germany's Spiderhouse Studios. Besides the overtones in thrash and death metal on this album, there are quite a few triplet blast beats bestowing a contrastive edge on the traditional blast beats.

TOTIMOSHI Mysterioso? (Crucial Blast Records)
www.crucialblast.net
Totimoshi, a stoner-sludge power trio from Oakland, California, reissued their sophomore full-length to include an enhanced CD-ROM folder with band pictures and a promotional video. Souping up the distortion on the guitars to the point of overkill, the band make an effort to set themselves apart from the stoner band scene by composing material with post-punk rhythms and Spanish melodies, which is an interesting combination. Think of Black Sabbath and Sonic Youth and you'll possess a basic idea of what this full-length sounds like. "Float" is constructed on a method of guitar crunching that called the Bad Brains classic "Re-Ignition" to my memory as I absorbed the opening riffs. From there the song plunged into a gritty double-bass laden journey that became almost hypnotic as it continued. The repetitiveness this song was written with reasserts itself in one shape or another in songs like "Screwed," "Cellophane" and "Oblivion."

SUZUKITON Service Repair Handbook (Crucial Blast Records)
www.crucialblast.net
Another stimulating stoner rock album, Service Repair Handbook contains lengthy instrumental passages, a thrashy edge in the guitars, precise percussion, and no vocals. Suzukiton was formed of present and former members of Alabama Thunderpussy, who say they're making a statement about reacting to complacency by taking time to think through the compositions they wrote for this. The progressions sound as if they were meticulously planned during the writing process, and the absence of lyrics is one aspect that drives the point home even more strongly than if one of the band was singing over the music. Crucial Blast are comparing the band to Dysrythmia in terms of sophistication and musical advancement, and this is only their debut full-length.

SUNN O))) Black One (Southern Lord Recordings)
www.southernlord.com
The band known for the potential to literally demolish stone edifices with the proper volume augment their power on their sixth full length. In the tradition of having guest artists appear with them; Julian Cope and Attila Csihar (Mayhem) have made their presence known on past CDs; Sunn O))) recorded Black One with Oren Ambarchi, Wrest and Malefic of Twilight, and Bastard Noise's John Weise. A bleaker, more dismal ambience permeates the seven tracks Steve O' Malley (Khanate) and Greg Anderson (Goatsnake) arranged for this album, accompanied by a few additional layers of sound. Absorbing these tunes through your speakers is more akin to watching someone slowly suffocate in a shallow grave than ever, when his agonized howls are felt rather than heard. If you're seeking the ultimate crushing doom metal ensemble, you really need look no further than this project from Portland, Oregon.

CACODAEMON The Demoniac Invocation (EXH Goetie Records)
Cacodaemon is a black/death metal band from Finland who have two demos (Black Death Metal, Morbid Winds of Destruction) and two CDs (Fullmoon Ritual, Cacodaemon) out besides this one. The Demoniac Invocation is a full-length of eleven tracks. A defined appreciation of late 80s/early 90s death metal is evident in these songs; moreover there is a sensibility comparable with Welcome to Hell-era Venom, a few Black Sabbath-inspired guitar solos, all distributed with an occasional Egyptian feel. The vocals have an explicit disposition for early DM artists like Sarcofago and old Beherit, as do the occult-based lyrics. Current members of the band were playing with another Finland band known as Death Thrashers Kuopio.

DIMENTIANON Promo 2005 (Paragon Records)
www.ParagonRecords.net
In the 90s the members of Dimentianon were in The Forgotten, who released a series of cassettes and CDs before releasing one split EP with Rigor Sardonicous and laying their concept to rest in 2002. This is Dimentianon's third CD since 2002, following up on 2003's Seven Suicides. While being thrashier in some places and having greater, less concealed impressions extreme license the four track affair they released this year continues to encompass every undertone of dispiritedness, melancholy and nightmare. Long Island's premier black metal band is still among the most original and promising of the U.S. independent circuit, and the local cult out here remains as active as ever. Dimentianon will give Long Island black metal a personality all its own for a long time.

RIGOR SARDONICOUS Apocalypsis Damnare (Paragon Records)
www.ParagonRecords.net
Originally released in 1999, this CD was re-recorded with Rigor Sardonicous founding members Joseph J. Fogarazzo and Glenn Hampton and bassist Steve Moran, formerly of Evoken. The reissue also features a video track for "Parasitosis," a song off their album Risus Ex Mortuus. The video tells the story of a guy at a barbecue who suddenly has macabre and violent hallucinations. Aa for this CD, Apocalypsis Damnare is an agonizingly slow, doom-laden excursion into anguish and hopelessness that appears to have no foreseeable end. I enjoyed the keyboard introduction "Exordium," creating a tranquil, almost soothing mood which led to darker shadows via the seven-plus minute title cut. Here the serenity was replaced by the heavy breathing of some spectral woman, accompanied by repetitive, hypnotic percussion that in turn led to some of the most dirgeful dissonance I could have expected to experience. And all this happened within the first five minutes of this CD. Seven tracks follow offering as much desolation as the post-intro track had. The lead vocals are so deep, they must be heard firsthand to be believed.

BIOLICH The Space Between Home And Today (Paragon Records)
www.ParagonRecords.net
Joining the ranks of the more inventive acts emerging from the death-grind movement, Biolich merge technicality with atmosphere, death metal with hardcore, and transform it into a lethal combination with plenty of blast beats, time changes and dual vocals that will have your head spinning long before this CD has run its course. Select tracks off the band's debut MCD The Space Between Home And Today ("Extensive Autumn Necrony" and "Time Kills Everything") can be downloaded from the band's MySpace site at http://www.biolich.com. If you want to preview them there in preparation for purchasing their CD through Paragon, you won't be disappointed. The band are getting much exposure with MySpace as I write this, so go see what the buzz is about.

BLACK CRUCIFIXION The Fallen One Of Flames (Paragon Records)
www.ParagonRecords.net
Black Crucifixion sound like they've come a long way from the debut performance they described on the liner notes of this CD. At this show, a metal festival in their home country of Finland, the band shared the stage with Impaled Nazarene, Amorphis, Beherit, Demigod, Belial and Sentenced. According to the liners, their set was less than professional, and copies made that night are still making their way through the tape trading circuit. I don't know how bad they sounded back then, but having listened to this album I don't think I would concern myself too much either way. The Fallen One Of Flames is a slab of dark, evil black metal in the 1990s vein, brimming with malevolent enmity and rage. Paragon compares this to Beherit's album Drawing Down The Moon. I heard that album before and I can see the similarities, only there's more rawness and aggression from track to track as opposed to Beherit's effort which was more experimental in its atmosphere. Paragon is handing the sales of this CD only in North and South America; its European release is being handled by a label, distro and mail order company known as Soulseller Records.

CHARNEL VALLEY The Dark Archives (Paragon Records)
www.ParagonRecords.net
Five songs of abrasive, dissonant black metal in the vein of old Darkthrone and Fimbulwinter. For an analog recording that sounds like every track here ( "Catapult," "The Drowning Forest," "Demonic Science," "They Sleep in Open Graves," and "The Beast of Six Thousand Bones") were taped in somebody's basement, the sound quality is pretty decent. The band recently did an interview in Transcending the Mundane (www.basementbar.com), that said their founding members Czar and Worm (Marty Rytknonen and S. Craig Zahler) had known each other for a long time, and are doing this band for their love of black metal, not elitism or intrascene politics, which I thought is a good reason to start an underground metal band.

RAMESSES We Will Lead You To Glorious Times (Dark Reign Recordings)
www.devildollrecords.com
Ramesses is a doom metal band hailing from the United Kingdom, consisting for former members of Cathedral, Electric Wizard and Spirmyard. Coming into being in 2003, they released a handful of material including a split CD with Negative Reaction and a 7-inch picture disc and appeared on a compilation CD called Dreams...Of What Life Could Have Been with Grief, Negative Reaction, Soul Preacher, Fistula and others. You can visit www.hcp-industries.demon.co.uk/ramesses to see their full discography and contact them about what's available. The four tracks on We Will Lead You To Glorious Times were reportedly recorded and mixed within 24 hours when the band went to the studio. These songs are raw, drawn-out, gritty affairs for fans of Cathedral and Godflesh, with a nine-minute epic in the form of "Witchampton," and promotional videos for "Ramesses II" and "Master Your Demon."

SERMON OF HYPOCRISY To Burn What He Creates (Independent Promo)
www.humanhatemachine.com
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Sermon Of Hypocrisy recorded this MCD (produced by Stuart Anstis, former guitarist for Cradle of Filth) in the summer of 2002. To my knowledge the band have one other MCD out, entitled Mashochistic Discipline. This MCD is perceptibly muddy sounding to me but the tightness and proficiency of this band overcomes this easily enough. The three songs here; "To Burn What He Creates," "Shadowfall" and "Profaneteria;" are technically precise and demonically relentless, reminding me a bit of a cross between Kreator and Immortal, with dual vocals propagating an atmosphere of demons surging out from the deepest pits of the underworld to claim the souls of the unwary. Highly recommended for the blackest souls in the underground.

THE MASS Perfect Picture Of Wisdom And Boldness (Crucial Blast Records)
www.crucialblast.net
Oakland, California's The Mass could well be the first band in the history of grindcore, death-grind and math metal to incorporate saxophone-driven jazz fusion into extreme music. As this is the second time I have heard from them, I'd venture to say they do it quite well. This band is also adept at incorporating groove into metal while carrying out multiple time changes in a single song. The addition of saxophones into songs like "Cloven Head" almost gives this album a hardcore-ska feel, sort of like Murphy's Law may have sounded if they recorded an album with members of Exit 13. This is a unique recording for those of you who enjoy seeing bands from different parts of the grind genre take the most off-the-wall chances experimenting with their music.

FEAR MY THOUGHTS Hell Sweet Hell (Lifeforce Records)
www.lifeforcerecords.com
Founded in 1998 by former Parricide member Patrick Hagmann, Fear My Thoughts have six releases under their name including this one, released by Life Force last July. For those who haven't heard of them yet, the band is like a more melodic At The Gates, with more intricate guitar riffs and occasional keyboards augmenting the intensity brought to this album. Tracks like "Dying Eyes" and "Sadist Hour" come close to resonating with a prog-metal feel. There's plenty of aggression to spare along with this, and for all the Headbangers' Ball-friendliness the band show themselves capable of, they are enthusiastic to compose thrashy material and the raw production (courtesy of Jacob Hansen) retains the bite of the melodic death metal that originated in the mid-90s.

KAYO DOT Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue (Robotic Empire Records)
www.roboticempire.com
Profoundly disconsolate "misery metal" cleverly mixed in with jazz-fusion. Listening to Kayo Dot's music is like experiencing a deathly eerie dream in which the ambiance of the world around you changes from serene to nightmarish in the blink of an eye. Perspectives shift without warning and you can't make heads or tails of where you are, or where you'll find yourself. Ominous foreboding slyly creeps into peaceful tranquility lurking just underneath as if your universe will be invaded by an overwhelming despondency, then disappears again, Before you know it, the mood is back like a reminder that something is still following you, just out of sight. You don't exactly know when it's going to unleash itself with full force, or how long it will last once it does.

ARYOS Maitre Des Dominations Cerebrales (EXH Goetie Records)
Aryos is a French band playing black metal they describe as "strange art." Strange art entails heavy orchestration, effects and a range of atmospheric/churchy incantations. The band began as Forlorn XIX in 1994, recorded a handful of unreleased rehearsals and then parted ways with their founding keyboardist, reforming as Aryos in 1998. Between '99 and 2003 they released four CD demos, then in 2004 they released their first official full-length with EXH Goetie, which you are reading about now. The musicians filling the band's lineup; Emperor Napharion Zbiagagze (vocals, guitars), Alilteas Gornnec (keyboards) and Regius Petal (drums); approach black metal as they might approach a ceremony paying homage to all things of the unlight, transforming the genre into a production as elaborate as three members can hope to accomplish with various instruments, effects and vocal effects. The band has a website as engrossing as their music, with a "reserved for adults" photo art section featuring shots taken by artist Philippe Pissier of a gothic model who goes by the name Lilith Von Sirius.

ARCTURUS Sideshow Symphonies (Season of Mist Records)
www.season-of-mist.com
The masters of progressive-symphonic-astral-black metal triumphantly return with their latest full length, released in September 2005. Sideshow Symphonies shows the band as ambitious as ever, with an immense sound opulent with celestial atmospherics and exceptional musicianship. Still featuring the meticulous percussion of Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Von Blomberg of Mayhem and The Kovenant and the expertise of gifted keyboardist/founding member Steinar Johnsen, Arcturus now boasts the larger-than-life persona of new frontman Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnaes (ex-Dimmu Borgir, Borknagar) replacing Oyvind Haegeland on vocals. A breathtakingly colossal abyss, far vaster than the human mind can fathom, is provided access through this CD, and once the journey gets underway you're heading for its farthest reaches at unimaginable speeds. The profound distinction of "Hibernation Sickness Complete," "Shipwrecked Frontier Pioneer," "Daemonpainter," "Nocturnal Vision Revisited" and "Moonshine Delirium" is all-inclusive and presents a vision of the cosmos that's heavy, avant garde and utterly convincing. The closing strains of "Hufsa" are particularly chilling to listen to.

SOLEFALD Red For Fire: An Icelandic Odyssey Part I (Season of Mist Records)
www.season-of-mist.com
This is Solefald's first CD for Season of Mist, and features the talents of Garm of Ulver and Borknagar. Garm was also a member of Arcturus under the stage name of Kristoffer Rygg. As the title says, this is a conceptual CD based on ancient Icelandic sagas, intended for continuation on future releases. Solefald bring an interesting mix to black metal, interconnecting rough-edged guitars with blast parts, orchestral strings & keyboards, outlandish melodies and bizarre Pink Floyd/Peccatum-ish vocal choruses. "Sun I Called" and "White Frost Queen" are two of my favorite songs on this CD, being one of the more inventive of the nine tracks here. The latter track begins with a kind of Celtic mood, with overlapping male and female vocals, and assumes a hypnotic quality later on. Most of these tracks have a semi-epic feel, clocking in between five and six minutes, as the briefer "Bragi (Instrumental)" and "Prayer of a Son (Poem)" make room for a couple of breaks in the action.

CONFESSOR Unraveled (Season of Mist Records)
www.season-of-mist.com
This band has existed since 1986 and made a name for themselves circulating a handful of demos; 1987's "The Secret," 1988's "Uncontrolled" & 1990's "Collapse;" through the tape trade circuit before they appeared on compilations from Metal Blade ("Metal Massacre X") and Peaceville ("Vile Vibes") and accompanied Carcass, Cathedral and Entombed on the 1992 Gods of Grind tour. The band split up back in 2004 but reunited for a tribute show for member Ivan Edward Colon who passed away in 2002. Their career kicked off again when Season of Mist signed them in 2005. It's good to see they reformed, since they're one of the most original doom metal bands I've heard in years when it seems every other doom band simply wants to emulate Black Sabbath. At least this band dare to carry the genre to another level, with tighter progressions and drums, vocal melodies and time changes.

CONFESSOR Sour Times EP (Season of Mist Records)
www.season-of-mist.com
This is another release by Confessor being handled by Season of Mist. This enhanced MCD contains the original version and a radio edit of the title track, remastered demos, a screensaver, band photos and a live video of their song "The Last Judgment."

DODSFERD Kruzifixxion of Human Disgust (Independent Promo)
"Misanthropic black metal" heavily reminiscent of old Burzum and Darkthrone. This promo is limited to 150 copies, so if this review interests you in obtaining a copy, contact the above address as soon as possible. Dodsferd is a one-man project comprised of a misanthropist who goes by the stage name Wrath. This promo is dark, inelegant, nasty, coarse, funereal and dispiriting, what the black metal genre is supposed to be at its foundation. Intro "Eternal Suffering for Mankind" is even more tenebrous than the three following songs. "Kruzifixxion of Human Disgust," "Staring at the Forthcoming Chaos" & "Forever Cursed" have durable, resolute backbone, especially the last song which is the fastest, most energetic cut on this promo. There are two bonus tracks here; one is a live performance of "Kruzifixxion of Human Disgust" and the other is a cover of Burzum's "War," also performed live. These live tracks were recorded in 2005, a year after the demo, and the intro tape used during the show is on here; however, the liner notes don't say who appeared on stage with Wrath when these songs were taped. Still a good representation of these songs.

VILE The New Age of Chaos (Unique Leader Records)
www.uniqueleader.com
Bay Area death metallers Vile, who gained massive support in the U.S. opening for Cannibal Corpse, Cephalic Carnage & Deeds of Flesh while doing the same overseas in Europe conducting a headline tour, released their third CD last September, and by the sound of it, they're hungry to dominate the world with their ultra-brutal and technical brand of death metal. The band say they've incorporated some groove and black metal elements into The New Age of Chaos to boost the crunch, double bass percussion & low-pitched vocals stemming from the influence Cannibal, Deicide and Morbid Angel have effected on brutal music since early in the 90s. The nine tracks gracing this album are connected by a unifying concept presenting what could happen if events in the Middle East were to escalate into world war. Vile present this as not just a conventional war under the threat of nuclear power, but a war of cultural values and religious ideals in which the outcome will determine the future of civilization itself. You can hear some of these songs on the band's myspace site located at www.myspace.com/vile (their official site is www.vilestench.com).

ARTISIAN Lament for the Eternal Frost (Grindethic Records)
www.grindethic.co.uk
Black metal from the United Kingdom that you can't instantly categorize with Cradle of Filth. The ten tracks Artisian composed for this CD are more closely likened to bands based in Poland and Singapore. The guitars and production are raw, primal and cultish, there is a multitude of dissonant progressions written into these songs, and dual lead vocals (low-pitched to high-pitched) often take place in the forefront. The introduction to this album was recorded as an incantation to the powers of darkness with voices in the background meant to depict the demons being summoned to earth from beyond. The CD is a little more than twenty minutes in length, which is sufficient length for a first impression from this band.

DROGHEDA/BRUTAL INSANITY (split CD) (Extremist Records)
Here you receive almost an hour's worth of extreme hyperblasting brutality from these two intense bands. While the four tracks (including "Illvolution" & "Front-Right-Fatal") and eight live tracks Brutal Insanity contributed to this are tight and well-executed, the ten tracks Drogheda contributed (including "Of Pain," "Carcass Dweller," "Stygian Nightmare" & "Lords of Chaos") are the ultimate in chaotic, crusty, grimy, abrasive goregrind. Both of these bands are certain to remove your face and serve it to you on a silver platter, excess blood and all. Check this out immediately if you are an enthusiast of deathgrind and goregrind. Grindethic Records is distroing this split; contact them for ordering information.

AFTER THE LAST SKY/INERT Split CD (Ignore This Records/Circus of the Macabre
Records)
After The Last Sky, formerly known as Animosity, contribute three songs to this split. "Art School Lebensborn," "Dragons Teeth Harvest" & "Regretting Those Drunken Words" are an odd amalgamation of death metal, grindcore and hardcore with some black metal-style vocals. Raw, dirty production, precise musicianship and an interesting addition of sampling added to their final track. The four songs by the United Kindgom's Inert; "Conqueror Worm," "Oblivious to the Threat," "Empire of the Dead" and "Haunted;" are forthright death/grindcore with occult overtones and a sample from 1978's "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" introducing the second track. A sample taken from 1978's "Dawn of the Dead" introduces the thirdtrack; Raw Nerve Promotions from England noted the same sample was used by Mortician on their album "Zombie Apocalypse."

DEVANIC Mask Installed (Independent Promo)
www.devanic.com
Austrian melodic death metal somewhat like the Swedish kind, only Devanic establish their own identity writing acoustic sections into their music. Many of the band's guitar harmonies are slightly more intricate than the harmonies written by the Swedish bands, and there are other aspects to their sound you wouldn't have heard in this style before. Devanic was formed by ex-members of Septicemia, Moriturus, Subtil, Corona Endorser and Flex Tracked. This promo CD was released back in 2004 and they have a full-length scheduled for release soon. They're also in the process of revamping their official website so check back often.

WATCH ME BURN - S/T
www.watchmeburn.com, kevinfetus@hotmail.com
Watch Me Burn have been around since 2000 and describe themselves in their press kit as "dirty-sludgy-crusty-grind-thrash with a hint of psychedelic ambiance." I've heard my share of bands who take grind in many different directions, and sometimes it seems that the contrast bands of this genre established between the brutal and quieter parts of their songs material has been overdone to the point of self-parody. There are exceptions, like Fuck The Facts who manage to bring originality to this formula. Watch Me Burn is one of these exceptions, incorporating spacey atmospherics in the four tracks comprising this promo, which will be part of track listing of their upcoming full-length on Vomitcore Records, their own label. Impressive is the fact that the band isn't even signed to a major indie, and they've opened for bands like Pig Destroyer, Cattle Decapitation and Vulgar Pigeons. Watch Me Burn also have a female vocalist who can provide competition for her male counterparts in the lungs department. The band has a polished sound that's a rarity with the grimier sound most grind bands go after. Three of the four tracks; "The Wolf That Ate The Sun," "Civilized" and "Rusty Nails" are based on typical grind, while "Watch Me Burn" is founded on a slower Black Sabbath vibe. Write PO Box 6488, Burbank, CA 91510-6488 USA for more information.

TOILET BOYS The Early Years (Morpheus)
http://www.geocities.com/uheep2/ozit.htm
With twenty years of input from Long Island, Seattle and Hollywood, it turns out New York City has retained its ability to produce musical entities difficult for the rock world to ignore. Remember that such artists as the Ramones, New York Dolls and Kiss began right here. The thing about those bands (and about Twisted Sister for that matter) is the way they presented themselves on stage reflected on the androgynous conception of masculine femininity that was part of New York underground culture long before the major labels transformed glam metal into a money factory (you read that right; glam was conceived as a punk phenomenon). Initially intended to be a one night only performance opening for Deborah Harry at a NYC party known as Squeezebox, the Toilet Boys are on their way to revitalizing New York transgenderism as musical theater. The Toilet Boys' live show, a melange of Kiss, Motley Crue, Misfits and Hedwig & the Angry Inch, is like performances of old from NY bands who instinctively knew they had something special, with a dark carnival mood emulating Marilyn Monroe and Vincent Price. This could well be the last great proto-punk band on earth, and if it should carry them aboveground you could keep this CD and tell people this is where it started. The Early Years reissues their earliest material next to live stuff on audio and enhanced audio. Some highlights of this compilation include "Phly," "Paul Stanley Was A Lady," "Squeezebox Baby," "Good Girl," "Vibrator" and a cover of "Talk Dirty To Me" that sounds just a little more in tune with the Sex Pistols' attitude than Poison could've made it sound when they recorded it.

V/A Live at Continental: Best of NYC Vol. 1
V/A Live at Continental: Best of NYC Vol. 2
http://www.continentalnyc.com
This is a series of compilation CDs released to honor the memories of Joey and Dee Dee Ramone, with ex-New York Fire Department member Johnny Heff, Bullys guitarist and 9/11 hero who died while helping other victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center. The Continental has become the New York punk scene's hub of activity since Coney Island High closed down in the 90s, housing everyone from Iggy Pop to Sebastian Bach; from the Exploited to Metal Church to Nashville Pussy to L.A. Guns. If you've never seen a band perform on the Continental stage, the experience of being in the midst of the action has been caught; taped by a mobile truck lurking out in the street; and transferred to CD for fans to get the next best thing to actually being there. Volume 1 of the series was released on April 19; volume 2 on May 10. At the official Billboard web site, club owner Trigger is quoted as saying the Live at Continental: Best of NYC series is "a special document for all of us of that time period in the 90s that we'll always have." While Trigger said more volumes will probably be added, he stressed that "this particular group of bands could never be duplicated." Artists featured on both of these volumes include Murphy's Law, Cro-Mags, Harley's War, Lunachicks, Independents, Sea Monster, Bullys, Toilet Boys, H2O, Bouncing Souls, Cheetah Chrome, L.E.S. Stitches, The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black and the late Joey Ramone and his band doing "I Wanna Be Sedated" on volume 1 and "Blitzkrieg Bop" on volume 2.

LEVELSIX On The Inside (Independent)
http://www.levelsix.net john@levelsix.net
LevelSix is a Brooklyn-based band who describe themselves as influenced by Soundgarden and Disturbed, Depeche Mode and The Cure. The band recently did a radio interview where they said their name was inspired by a number of sources; one was the sixth level of hell as explained in Dante's Inferno. This CD, which they recorded and distributed on their own, is more of a thrash-meets-heavy-alternative affair, with depth provided by the lead vocals. I would add Hatebreed and Zakk Wylde to the list of bands LevelSix cite as influences. Some of the songs here can be previewed on their web site along with a couple live clips. The contrast between guitar crunching and circus like leads in "Views" and "Darker Shade of Light" furnish the band's thrash elements with new and interesting dimensions. If the band was to develop this aspect of their sound by elaborating the lead parts the results would be worth taking heed. The heavy ballad "Give In To Me" and the punkish, energetic "Love Is A Myth" are likewise worthy of a few repeated listens.

THE FANTASTIKOL HOLE Mathematikal Oil (Basement Apes Industries)
fantastikol@hotmail.fr
Twenty-six tracks of death-noise-goregrind with some industrial moods and dissonant chord progressions. This band was just recently signed to Basement Apes Industries, a label from France who have a contact address in the States. You can sample a couple mp3 files of their songs on Basement Apes' site (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/basementapesind). This will appeal to you if you like the self-produced material of bands like Fuck The Facts, though this CD is tighter and the contrast between the vocal tradeoffs and different guitar sounds is sharper without as much rawness. You can make out the riffs and percussion more clearly than you'd have been able to if the songs were recorded rawer. Some of the songs have a difference in overall sound that is distinctly divergent from the last; the cleaner production allows this to be picked up on right away. Lots of double bass, tempo changes and start-stop action here too. I'm anticipating more good stuff from this band in the days to come.

SCOTT MOSHER Inferno (The Ambient Mind)
Scott Mosher is a New York based musician, composer, art director and production designer who has been promoting a string of independently released CDs through his distro and creative art studio The Ambient Mind. Inferno is Mosher's third project, a collection of atmospheric power metal cuts comparative to Moving Pictures/Permanent Waves-era Rush and No Exit-era Fates Warning with some commercial license. Mosher plays every instrument here; guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, programming and drums; and writes most of the lyrics except for one song he co-wrote with Todd Corsa who contributes the vocals. The production is very clean and Mosher seems to instinctually know which instrument to emphasize at which point. The keyboard and synth sounds flow together nicely and overall the music isn't as pompous as most 70s art rock bands have been known to be. The ultra-professional packaging has the lyrics to each song and graphic artwork designed by Mosher. You can preview most of the songs on this album at The Ambient Mind's official web site: http://www.theambientmind.com.

SCOTT MOSHER Virtuality (The Ambient Mind)
Virtuality is Scott Mosher's second full-length, released three years before Inferno came out. There are many keyboard sounds on this CD as well, though they are a bit less ambient and more electronic. The music here, described as 'cyber rock' by Mosher, is also a bit guitar heavier than his latest CD. A lot of the keyboards reminded me of Pink Floyd on Dark Side of the Moon. Todd Corsa contributes lead vocals and a guitar solo to one track. Mosher adds more cyber elements to his music with some vocal effects. The artwork Mosher designed for the liner notes is even more profound than it is on Inferno; there is one piece with pyramids resting on an ocean with a moon on the horizon and an array of stars that is particularly breathtaking to see. Most of these songs can also be previewed at the official Ambient Mind site. Mosher is planning to release a new CD either in 2005 or 2006. Visit the site for more information.

ORIGIN Echoes of Decimation (Relapse)
When Paul Ryan formed Origin with Jeremy Turner in 1997, a deathgrind band of monstrous proportions was born. In the years that followed Ryan would see founding members depart and new members enter and leave again (including former Angel Corpse drummer John Longstreth and former Cephalic Carnage bassist Doug Williams). A rabid following accompanied this as Origin secured prominent opening slots, starting with a bill with Suffocation and continuing with a couple of Death Across America tour spots (with Nile/Cryptopsy/Gorguts in 1998 and Vader/Dying Fetus in 2000). The three year interim between their first album "Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas" and their latest "Echoes of Decimation" was more than worth it. "Echoes of Decimation" is a lethal 26-minute dose of symphonic distemper transcending deathgrind according to its present definition. Ryan and guitarist Clint Appelhanz, who share lead vocals, double the precision of technical death metal while current drummer James King reaches the implacable speed of Cryptopsy, maintaining pace only to pick it up even faster without skipping a beat through the changes. Highly recommended for fans of any of the bands mentioned in this writeup, and all other souls condemned to eternal damnation.

CEPHALIC CARNAGE Anomalies (Relapse)
Cephalic Carnage's unique "Rocky Mountain hydro-grind" has long been praised for its inventiveness, mixing thrash & death with jazz-fusion & space rock in the classic Pink Floyd mode. Their fourth full-length "Anomalies" is as unearthly as the music written for it, exploring ESP and psychic warfare, government conspiracies and paranormal contingence of a private sort. Did the band intend to tie these songs together in some way? Does religion have the right answer of what "shadow people" lurk on the other side of existence and what their purpose is, or is it not what they expected? If you take these songs and put them in a loose concept next to "Enviovore" and "Ontogeny of Behavior," the big picture that results makes you think about what's happening in the world of UFO coverups and paranormal activity, especially if you're into those programs on the Sci-Fi Channel that go deeply into what's behind said coverups. Other than this, if you loved their past three full-lengths, their Nile-meets-Voivod-meets-stoner-rock style shouldn't be too disappointing.

BANE The Note (Equal Vision)
Bane is a hardcore band from Boston who released their debut album "It All Comes Down To This" in 1999 and toured across the United States four times (besides touring Europe) before album #2 came out. After a hiatus of three years, album #3 "The Note" calls to recollection what it meant to play hardcore before the mainstream expanded exposure of the music, and in doing so expanded a few bands' ambition. Remembering that interference from the mainstream often spells doom for any music scene that would otherwise make more lasting changes in music, Bane propose to remain in touch with the scene, proselytizing the independence that was synonymous with hardcore since it began in Manhattan in 1981 to '82. "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda," "End With An Ellipsis," "What Keeps Us Here" and "Swan Song" urge you to differentiate the interests the majors have from the interests of the bands themselves. The unfeigned old school feel of these songs are a reminder to fans that hardcore bands were meant to survive through fanzines instead of MTV.

BRAND NEW SIN Recipe For Disaster (Century Media)
Available on May 31, Brand New Sin's CM debut will be right up your alley if you're a fan of Black Label Society. Their "Black and Blue" single has already gotten praise from Guitar One and Billboard, and is included as a video track here. Brand New Sin comes from Syracuse, NY, but will doubtless restore the confidence of anyone who believed Lynyrd Skynyrd was the last great Southern rock band. "Recipe For Disaster" is thirteen skull-crushing hymns to living on the road, boozing and getting laid, with relentless percussion from Kevin Dean, punishing guitars by Kris Weichmann and Kenny Dunham and solid bottom from bassist Chuck Kahl. Vocalist Joe Altier sounds like Zakk Wylde and Pantera-era Phil Anselmo at times, but his voice is generally more melodic and passionate than both of them. Each riff and drum hit feels like the Big Show is smashing your chest in with a sledgehammer. The band will tour with Motorhead and C.O.C. as soon as this album is out so catch them if they come around.

IMPELLITERI Pedal To The Metal (SPV/Steamhammer)
Decent power/classical metal with impressive solos; this is more or less what to expect from a band that has existed since back in the day. Apart from the music, the album title and some of the lyrics were a little too corny. Back then I'd have come to the same conclusion. I read Chris Impelliteri's quote on the band's site that the album was recorded with an attitude that was "very tongue in cheek," so that he isn't taking the lyrics too seriously puts them into a perspective that's quite different than if a band were serious about writing similar lyrics. Once you get past this, the music here is actually quite good, and you can tell by listening that they pushed themselves while in the studio.

HAVOCHATE Cycle of Pain (Indecent Media)
Highly melodic death-thrash with a diffuse touch of biker rock. "Cycle of Pain" is Havochate's second full-length album (the belligerent, more single-minded "This Violent Earth" was the first) and marks a few lineup changes. James Murphy and his production skills will be missed, and a new vocalist, Tim Bouchee, replaces John Malleck. Bouchee has greater range than his predecessor, making this album more old school than the last. Only this turns out more effective in some songs more than others. The production sounds geared more for the band's speed and energy output than the times Bouchee sings lower pitched. If compared to "Earth," "Cycle" may be too much of a change in direction, but on its own it can be perceived as a grand balance between thrash and melodic death, heavy on both aggression and emotion.

BLACKFIRE REVELATION Gold and Guns on 51 (Southern Reconstruction)
More Black Sabbathy stoner metal from New Orleans, this CD has a raw sound as if the band recorded it live in a club after closing time. As Blackfire Revelation themselves said on their site, "....we wanted it to sound like it was recorded between 1968 and 1973." There's a lot of grittiness and drawn-out riffing here. At times I thought it was too drawn out but I liked the devil-may-care/we-know-we're-ugly-fucks attitude and underlying sense of menace under the guitars. In some places the band take on a bluesy Jimi Hendrix-ish feeling. This album has only five tracks to speak for, the last song being a cover of Blue Cheer's "Second Time Around" with Sean Yseult of White Zombie guesting on bass.

URGEHAL Through Thick Fog Till Death (Southern Lord)
Unholy black metal with elements of Dissection and Throne of Ahaz, plus professionalism and very good musicianship. Urgehal are part of the 'new wave' of the Norwegian black metal invasion though they've been around since 1992. The band forsake the progressive route taken by Emperor, sticking to Norse black metal's roots in rawness and blasphemy. This was originally released on Agonia (Poland) in 2003, following up Atomkinder which featured covers of Sepultura's "Antichrist" and Kreator's "Ripping Corpse." Southern Lord licensed the album from Agonia and released it on American shores this year; they promise that the material will "piss off any poser into Cradle of Shit or Demon Burger." No covers here as on their debut release, but there are many songs to desecrate Christ to, including four live tracks added for the domestic release. Drummer Uruz throws much energy into the blast beats and the double bass which the band build on to generate an intense CD. Favorite tracks on this light-eclipsing slab of sacrilege are the title song, "Raise the Symbols of Satan," "Invasion," "Mirror Satan" and "Dead Cold December." For true black metal fanatics everywhere.

CURSED Two (Goodfellow Records)
Originating in, Canada, Cursed spew a deadly mix of crust-punk/stoner metal with influences as diverse as Discharge, Amebix and The Obsessed, among other bands. Cursed presents hardcore potency, tormented screams and unclean dissonance from start to end, and the album is just thirty minutes in length. If you're easily bored by stoner bands who release hour long albums, this CD may give you more enthusiasm than you anticipated. While some tracks are typically Sabbath-inspired ("Reparations," "Model Home Invasion"), most have underlying muscle as well as quicker tempo.

THINE EYES BLEED In the Wake of Separation (The End Records)
So Johnny Araya is still following in the footsteps of his brother Tom and playing thrash metal (I'm not exactly sure but I believe he was playing in a band called Bloodcum in the 80s). Together with Jeff Phillips (former tour guitarist for Kittie), he and the rest of the band have shared the stage with Kittie, Superjoint Ritual and Jackass cast member Steve O. In the Wake of Separation connects thrash-core with old school thrash, fashioning guitar harmonies with blast beats and the relentless aggression revivalist bands like The Crown were exploring a decade ago. Everything is in your face and very relentless in its fusion of different styles of metal, even when things slow down when the song calls for it.

WINTER SOLSTICE The Fall Of Rome (Metal Blade)
Recorded in less than a month, produced by the band and Andreas Magnusson (Scarlet), this album has an all-around modernistic hardcore-thrash feeling FUSE TV would eat up without hesitation if programming execs were introduced to the band by the proper parties. The stringent percussion and the guitars' start-stop riffs are so thorough you'll feel as if the music is beating you down with more enthusiasm than usual. Winter Solstice draw parallels between contemporary society and ancient Rome, seeing developments happening today as examples of what happened from Rome's ascent to its decline. As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis makes a guest appearance on "To The Nines."

PRIMORDIAL The Gathering Wilderness (Metal Blade)
Yet another fine illustration of pagan/Celtic black metal from this Ireland-based band, with rawer vocals and guitars and a stronger epic feel. The drums demand more notice and almost assume a tribal character, adding to the motif captured by vocalist/lyricist A.A. Nemtheanga of an ancient past that faded into history but has not been entirely forgotten. Every song is a deep litany about the human origins of all the gods, the shadows of every crime against humanity threatening to tear through to strangle the light and the longing of innocent death. "The Golden Spiral," "The Gathering Wilderness" "The Coffin Ships" and "Cities Carved in Stone" are the most profound statements reminding you of ages long vanished.

SUNN O))) The Grim Robe Demos (Southern Lord Recordings)
The band known for composing music that can literally make building crumble to its foundations if played loud enough (it has something to do with waves of sound and frequency) release four tracks of demo material recorded in 1998 & '99. There are actually two releases of this, one in CD format and the other in double LP (this is now out of stock, according to southernlord.com). If you're into minimalistic/ambient stuff like Neptune Towers or ambient/violent stuff like Abruptum, you'll find these demos have a charisma all their own. Not something you want to listen to if you have a heart condition; whenever I listen to a CD by this band I feel the energy they put out crushing my brain. Imagine a live performance from these guys while hearing this album; you would be able to see the walls cracking and splitting up in a bunch of places.

GOATSNAKE Trampled Under Hoof (Southern Lord Recordings)
Goatsnake says their new album had been in the works for a few years; the initial tracks were recorded in 2002 while the rest of it wasn't finished until 2004. If you are a big fan of this band you might agree with their assessment that this is their heaviest recording yet. Members of Thorr's Hammer/SUNN O))) and Kyuss/The Obsessed were involved in the making of this album, which includes covers of St. Vitus' "Burial At Sea" and Black Oak Arkansas' "Hot Rod."

HYPNOSIS Cyber Death (Crash Music)
Pierre Bouthemy; Res. Floquet; 9, Rue Capitane Pellot; 64100 Bayonne; France
http://www.hypnosismetal.fr.st; hypnosis-metal@wannadoo.fr
Hypnosis do an interesting fusion of death metal and futuristic industrial sounds, placing themselves in a category with classic Voivod. Hypnosis' concept on this album seems to be mankind becoming enslaved by virtual reality. The band's lineup centers on guitarist/vocalist Cindy Goulobkoff and guitarist/vocalist Pierre Bouthemy who does the programming (Patrice Albia is session bassist). These two trade off on the vocals a lot, creating captivating harmonies. The problem is Bouthemy's vocals sound mixed too low which makes it hard to fully appreciate his communication with Goulobkoff. The production caters to the electronic effects on this album more than it does its brutal aspects, and a greater sense of balance would have been appropriate in this area as well. Not that I'm downplaying the potential the band have, but they could do better to perfect it. For this CD Hypnosis filmed a promotional video of a song called "Who," produced by Inari Productions (dean.venetza@wanadoo.fr).

FATES WARNING FWX (Metal Blade)
As the title says FWX is the progressive metal band's tenth studio album, good to have for fans with a deep attachment even if they left their old sound behind back in the 90s. This is a little more like Fates Warning's classic material than Still Life and Disconnected to me, and there were enough gloomy, heavy and exotic (!!!) moments to keep me interested. On the other hand, I don't believe that modernness of any kind fits a band that dared to infuse heavy music with the sort of tempo changes Rush wrote into their songs when no other metal band was willing to take such chances, and given a choice I would recommend Metal Blade's reissues of Night on Brocken and Awaken the Guardian as first impressions.

SUPPOSITORY/GROT Split CD (Grindethic Records)
http://www.grindethic.co.uk/ beer@grindethic.co.uk
Brutal Holland grindcore thrashers Suppository have released many split CDs with such bands as Agathocles, Inhume and Regurgitate. The ten songs they recorded for this split CD are more punk-oriented than death-grind, like old Napalm Death and Sore Throat, with heavy guitars and distortion in the higher-pitched vocals. Grot record with more distortion in the guitars and bass, and their subject matter is much more repulsively explicit. Grot's samples are generally funnier than Suppository's though Suppository have a good one with two guys discussing the reasons Papa Smurf created Smurfette. Grot include covers by A.C., Napalm Death and Fallen Christ here.

V/A Obscene Extreme 2001 (Obscene)
http://www.obscene.cz/ curby@obscene.cz
This compilation CD features songs by Extreme Noise Terror, Exhumed, General Surgery, Beodequin, Blood, Prostitute Disfigurement, Le Scrawl, The Uncurbed, Fleshless, Abortion, Butcher ABC, Gride, Coma, Despondency, Mincing Fury And Guttural Clamor Of Queer Decay, Fleshgore, Emeth, Birdflesh, Despise, Gutted, Wasteform, Bloody Diarrhoea and others. The liner notes have background stuff and some contact information for each band. Highly recommended for a growing audience of all things ultra-brutal, ultra-gory and ultra-sick. This comp is certain to offend a great many people.

SIX REASONS TO KILL/ABSIDIA Morphology of Fear (Split CD) (Bastardized Recordings)
PO Box 200521; 56005 Koblenz; Germany; http://www.bastardizedrecordings.de/
These German bands each have four songs on this split, proselytized by the label as a prime example of why German death metal is still going strong. Six Reasons To Kill show themselves as technically proficient though the snare sound could use some improvement on future recordings. Absidia are as profound as they are brutal, introducing themselves with a somber piano piece before going into songs that rip into you with slight touches in black metal and melodic death. The lyrics to all the songs are included in this package, and there is a website where you can check out an interview with Peter Hoffman, the graphic designer responsible for the artwork on the front cover and inner sleeve.

NOISECOREFREAK My Mother The Anarchist (Deadsix Communications)
http://www.geocities.com/noisecorefreak02/ noisecorefreak@hotmail.com
As with much of this Canadian band's material, the tracks on this album were composed and recorded toward the end of the 90s. My Mother The Anarchist consists of 13 songs recorded between October '98 and February '99. This album is even noisier than usual with more effects and industrial noises added to the mix. "Razorgrin" is a cacophonous blur of power tools that merges into a series of stattaco bursts of death-grind, and this is just the intro. From there on, you get blasting, thrashing and more blasting, heavily distorted guitars, machine gun velocity drums and inhuman vocals over ruckus that seems to have no logical purpose, yet Noisecorefreak have a way of making the formula work.

NYIA Head Held High (Candlelight Records)
Named after a mysterious demon in Polish mythology, NYIA is a project comprised of members of Vader, Prophecy and Kobong. The band started in 1999 and have two releases; a four song promo and the album you're reading about now. Head Held High contains manic, tortured vocals over guitars like acid-coated sandpaper, drums eager to pound holes in your skull and progressions described as unconventional and near impossible to classify, except as apocalyptic death metal with touches of hardcore and industrial-noise. If you like brutality with heavy grittiness, this will appeal to you.

LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR Carnage (Southern Lord Recordings)
Rather than look to newer acts for inspiration, this Chicago-based band pay homage to the elder deities; Venom, Celtic Frost, Black Sabbath and Slayer. As a result, there is a bit of what could be termed stoner rock to be found within Lair Of The Minotaur's pounding death-thrash. "Caravan of Blood Soaked Kentauroi" is a good example of this while songs like "Carnage Fucking Carnage," "Enemy of Gods" and "Demon Serpent" have a stronger 80s death metal feeling.

SUSPERIA Unlimited (Candlelight Records)
Norwegian power thrash with relentless energy, flamboyant presentation, occasional groove with melodic vocals and production that turns each component into streamlined, deadly weapons. Much of the music has elements of hardcore and funk, as in "Chemistry" and "The Coming Past," but you won't catch the band going soft that often while this album is on. At times this reminded me of Superjoint Ritual, Prong and Biohazard, only with a greater sense of classic thrash.

EWIGKEIT Radio Ixtlan (Earache Records)
James Fogarty, founding member of The Meads Of Asphodel, has been the sole driving force behind Ewigkeit since he started it in the mid 90s. Composed in solitude, the material that ended up on all four of the project's full-lengths reflects on when black metal began expanding its evil atmosphere into the cosmos, experimenting with celestial themes similar to those explored by Pink Floyd and Voivod. If you enjoy the spacey stuff that Bal Sagoth and Sear Bliss were doing at that point in black metal's evolution, taken in directions that weren't previously thought of, this CD should suit your taste. The guitars and drums could have been less muddy but there are many interesting sounds and effects to transcend by as you're spinning this album in your stereo. Some elements of gothic metal can be heard in a few of these songs.

MITHRAS Worlds Beyond The Veil (Candlelight Records)
Are Mithras (formerly Imperator) the originators of astral death metal? No one has come forward and officially declared them as such yet; even so, it wouldn't surprise me if they ended up being credited with starting a new genre within the genre. I've not quite heard brutal death with such a massive otherworldly atmosphere like Mithras deliver on this album. On their merit as musicians alone, Leon Macey and Rayner Coss are worthy of comparison to the likes of Morbid Angel and Nile. On top of this, the soundscapes they create augment their heaviness and musical ability a hundred times over as crushing tracks like "Bequeath Thy Visions," "The Caller and the Listener" and "Lords and Masters" are magnified to monstrous proportions, transforming them into relentless vehicles for devastation on a universal scale. Ambient pieces like "Break the Worlds' Divide" and "The Sands of Time" add to the astral feeling personified on this album.

FILII NIGRANTIUM INFERNALIUM Promo CD
A/C Pedro Cruz; Apartado 142; 2830 Barreiro; Brazil; http://www.infernalium.com; infernalium@netvisao.pt
Filii Nigrantium Infernalium include two recordings on this CD; "A Queda," released in 2002 by Tenser Productions, and "A Era Do Abutre," released on Portuguese label Monasterium Records in '95. The band have been around since 1989 and released their first demo back in '93. This is classic thrash/power metal with black metal around the edges, sort of like a cross between Trouble and Arckanum. Filii Nigrantium Infernalium's driving force is founding member Belathauzer, whose clean guitars and bloodcurdling vocals are an interesting contrast. The CD includes pictures, lyrics, MP3 tracks and a bio in English and Portuguese.

ESQARIAL Inheritance (Crash Music/Earsplit PR)
Death-thrash from Poland. Tight musicianship, clean production, plenty of double bass and melodic guitars. The vocals of guitarist Marek Pajok are relatively low-pitched and often you hear him singing when a certain part of the song calls for it. He and second guitarist Bartek Nowak play nice arrangements, trading off impressive solos that soar over them. Some of their riffs remind me of Black Sabbath and Queensryche while others sound rooted in Polish death metal.

TWILIGHT OPHERA The End of Halcyon Age (Crash Music/Earsplit PR)
Theatrical, keyboard-laden black metal that reminded me most strongly of what Bal-Sagoth were doing in the mid to late 90s, which would make sense considering that the band formed around the same time. This is their third album and the first released by Crash. Lots of inventive guitar melodies, otherworldly themes and operatic vocal harmonies provided here. The liner notes have the lyrics to al the songs and there's a video track added for their song "Pseudogods."

ILLOGICIST Subjected (Crash Music/Earsplit PR)
Technical death-thrash with high-pitched vocals and precision tempo changes that at times creep into progressive rock territory. The guitars and bass share odd harmony patterns in many songs while the double kick drums underscore this to give these progressions several layers of sound. One of the better examples of how the band do this is in the verse pattern of "Dissonant Perspectives" and "Subjected." The band produced this CD themselves which is another plus.

HATEWORK Thrash 'n' Roll (Beer City Records)
Despite a band name that might call Morbid Angel to mind this album has little to do with death metal. On the other hand, it's a good CD to have if you're into 80's rock-metal. A sound like a faster, thrashier Motorhead comes with the first cut and keeps the energy up through the rest of the album. Anthemic choruses, bluesy guitars and hyperactive drumming. Hatework hail from Italy and have four other full lengths out; log on to www.hatework.it to learn more about them.

IMPULSE MANSLAUGHTER Live at WFMU (Beer City Records)
Impulse Manslaughter are reportedly one of the first thrash-core crossover bands, having started out in Chicago back in the early part of the 80s. This CD has almost 40 tracks; the first 17 are taken from a performance they did for WFMU in February 1993. The other tracks are compiled from songs that appeared on compilations, spilt EPs with other bands and their