INVERACITY - Extermination Of Millions (Unique Leader Recs, 2007)

Here comes the second LP of the Greek brutal death metallers INVERACITY, following the excellent “Circle Of Perversion” one. The new album steps on the well-known American brutal death metal style of the band, in the path of SUFFOCATION, but not so mush influenced from that monster band, as the previous album was.

We can hear the band's progress on all levels, associated with changing new members. That gave new prospect to the band and maturity to the songwriting. This fact has as a result to say that "Extermination Of Millions" is one of the best death Metal releases of the year, on the globe!

The album contains not only ultra fast songs, but also some really sick mid tempo parts, that can be heard with total ecstasy from all the Metal fans. The heavy riffs along with the constant, but not annoying, drumming, have created an atmosphere that made the dragon voice of George to cause absolute terror! Only death lives here and you can smell it.

P.S. For further information for things about R.C. visit :

http://www.myspace.com/inveracity

INVERACITY DISCOGRAPHY :

Inveracity - Defeated Human Raped Demo 2000
Inveracity - Insision Split, Revenge Productions 2001
Inveracity - Circle Of Perversion Full-length,
(Unmatched Brutality Records2003)
Inveracity - Extermination of Millions Full-length
(Unique Leader Records 2007)

DOOMSWORD - MY NAME WILL LIVE ON [2007] (album review)

Four years of silence have passed since the release of 2003’s “Let Battle Commence” album, and the Italian epic metallers Doomsword, return with their 4^th full-length album, “My Name Will Live On”. The year 2007, found Doomsword with two changes in line-up, in the positions of lead guitarist and bassist.

After listening the new album, someone who has heard the past releases of the group, can easily notice a little bit different direction to their sound. In many songs, the speeds are higher than the past, with a less doom vibe on the mood and many staccato riffs. Despite that these changes are very clear, the basic components of the identity of the group are still here. The well-known early Manowar-meets-Bathory, style of the group is the dominant element of the songs. Both riffs and lead parts are perfect and full with epic feeling. All the songs are in the same level of quality, with result the listener’s interest to be maintained unimpaired, from the first, until the last moment of the album. We can hear majestic and “marching” themes, which in combination with some battle samples, are transferring the listener straight to the battlefield and it’s not an exaggeration to say that sometimes this fact is giving an intense war soundtrack character to the music of the group. Another element that is effective for the music is the plenty of catchy melodies and refrains, which helps the assimilation of the songs from the very first hearing of the album.

Concluding, Doomsword created an excellent album, which according the opinion of this article’s writer, stands into the 10 best albums of this year so far. This is an album that offers many moments of thrilling to the listeners and I hope and wish, to become the vehicle for a breakthrough into a bigger audience, for a band that composes music with the heart and following some values that have eclipsed in many metal groups of our days.

“OUR FATE IS WRITTEN, SWORD AND SHIELD: BORN TO DIE ON THE BATTLEFIELD”.

P.S.: The band has the rule to use as a title of every new album, a song-title from their last album. So, the new album’s title, “My Name Will Live On”, is the title of the 7^th song of their last album. Following this habit of the group, despite that it’s too early for such a prediction, “Hall Of Music” wants to predict the title of Doomsword’s forthcoming album. Our choice is the new album’s 8^th song-title, “Once Glorious”.

DOOMSWORD discography:

(1999) Doomsword
(2002) Resound The Horn
(2003) Let Battle Commence
(2007) My Name Will Live On

for more info: i) www.doomsword.it
ii) http://www.myspace.com/officialdoomsword

PARADISE LOST - IN REQUIEM [2007] (album review)

Here we go. The band from Yorkshire is back with a new album. This new album will surprise many people and of course many fans of the band. This situation is always, more or less, predictable every time that Paradise Lost release a new album, because everyone is curious to listen to the new songs of the band and depending to each listener likings, to love or hate them. The fact of making so many argument and dissent around their music and their name, is an element that makes Paradise Lost a huge band (except the quality of their music, of course).

This time Paradise Lost decided to make a big return to their roots. They composed new killer songs with heavy/doom riffs, which could excellent, be into “Icon”, “Shades of God” and “Draconian Times” albums. Attention, the order that I referred the albums isn’t randomly. It reflects excellent the mood of the album. Even the double-pedal playing on drums is present on many songs. The new album starts from there, where their last one, “Paradise Lost” album, stopped and continues in a heavier, darker and sadder motive. Elements from the rest albums, are also present here and there. The high quality of the songs must be taken as granted, and the sound of the album is unbelievable, as Rhys Fulber, on the production, and Mike Frazer (Ac/Dc, Aerosmith, Metallica) on the mixing, made amazing work. If I had to mention some songs, as my favorites, these will be: “Ash & Debris”, “Praise Lamented Shade”, “Requiem”, “Prelude To Descent” and “Fallen Children”, without this means that the rest songs aren’t good.

Concluding, the shadowkings are ascending again there where they deserve to be, at their throne. They managed to eliminate all these 12 years, since the releasing of “Draconian Times” and to present us an album which to some years will be mentioned as classic. I kneel humbly before their majesty. The kings are alive, long live the kings.

PARADISE LOST discography:

(1990) Lost Paradise
(1991) Gothic
(1992) Shades Of God
(1993) Icon
(1995) Draconian Times
(1997) One Second
(1999) Host
(2001) Believe In Nothing
(2002) Symbol Of Life
(2005) Paradise Lost
(2007) In Requiem

Chris Caffery - Pins and Needles (Album Review 2007)

Hello to you all out there. After days of silence, today again I will put my comments on an album that really made me change my mind about the former member of "Savatage", Chris Caffery. Having his new album in my hands, makes me really happy, because we are talking about a very progressive metal album. I have to admit that Caffery has a huge imagination, since he has combined melodies that comes suddenly in your ears from the nowhere and lyrics that create a silent, promising, mystical atmosphere. The only thing that brings you back from the focusing on "what sound will I hear next" is the rock smashing guitar solos and the jazz moments of some songs. A heavy, alternative, power, hard rock, Progressive metal album that can not be heard that easily. The first hearing will leave you with the expression "what happed here", but after trying to hear it again and if that isn't enough, and again, your effort will be rewarded and the time that you will spend, it will spend for taking a step forward to your music horizons.

Chris Caffery have released the next stuff:

2004	Faces
2004	Music Man [EP]
2007	Pins And Needles

++Keep The Flame Burning++

DODHEIMSGARD - SUPERVILLAIN OUTCAST [2007] (album review)

In this year of grace, the black metal pioneers Dødheimsgard (Dhg) released their new, 4^th in order full-length album, “Supervillain Outcast”. For about eight years after their last release, 1999’s “666 International”, I was waiting impatiently, and I guess all the band’s friends, for this one. I can’t explain the reason why I was so impatient, whole this period, but I guess that I must “put the blame” on their innovative last album. Ladies and gentlemen, Dødheimsgard crossed the threshold of this solar system, in 1999 and they sent us a brief report about what exists out there, written into “666 International” album. Now, with their triumphant return back to earth, they are describing their whole experience into “Supervillain Outcast”.

With the first listening of the album, it’s clear that we have to do with a “special” album, for once more time. The riffs are amazing and somewhere between 1998’s EP “Satanic Art” and “666 International”, with continuous changes from melodic to morbid, and from frenzied to groovy. The programming/effects are diminished a little bit, comparing to “666 International”, but they are placed to the appropriate points in order to serve each song’s aim, by creating cold and weird atmospheres. The drumming is simply genius from a gifted musician, Czral. Behind the microphone, the new singer Kvohst replaces Aldrahn and he manages to almost disappear, this absence, as his performance is remarkable. I believe that it’s not coincidental that Vicotnik the band’s master and guitarist, released his project’s Code debut album, in which Kvohst sings also, before “Supervillain Outcast”, in order to make clear to all of us, Kvohst’s abilities. It will be not fair, if I don’t mention the psychedelic cover of the album and the beautiful artwork.

If I had to made a further mention for some tracks from the album, these will be “Horrorizon” which is atmospheric with many Ved Buens Ende references, “Ghostforce Soul Constrictor” which is my album’s favorite, “All Is Not Self”, which seems to have escaped from Ved Buens Ende’s “Written in Waters” album, and finally “21^st Century Devil”, whose main theme is based to a melody from “Sonar Bliss” song (this melody is played by grand piano at 4.05’ min ) of “666 International” album.

Dødheimsgard discography:

[1995] Kronet til Konge
[1996] Monumental Possession
[1998] Satanic Art EP
[1999] 666 International
[2007] Supervillain Outcast

for further information visit: www.myspace.com/dodheimsgard

Dew Scented - Incerate (Album Review) (2007)

Hello friends and music brothers!!!! Today I will put my comments on an album that after hearing it several times I can say that it is a rewarding offspring of the band named as "Dew Scented". The album is called "Incinerate", a classic melodic-death metal album with brutal vocals, as in every death metal album, and guitar riffs that will make you headbang for every second of every track. Following the new, and old in some ways, wave of melodic death metal, made by bands such as the "At the gates", the "Dew Scented" have made an album with powerful riffs followed with very nice guitar solos and fast drum beats that can be characterized as "stone breaking". Some of the listeners may say that they look alike the style of the band named "The Haunted", but as I have said before, we have a new wave of melodic death metal and now just a style coping. There are few to say more about this METAL album... just hear it... It has something to say since the band isn't new in the neighborhood :P

So fans out there, hear the album and HEADBANG as much as you can!!!

"Dew Scented" have also released the following albums:
Immortelle 1996
Innoscent 1998
Ill-Natured 1999
Inwards 2002
Impact 2003
Ill-Natured & Innoscent [Compilation] 2003
Issue VI 2005


++Keep The Flame Burning++

ROTTING CHRIST - Theogonia [2007, Season Of Mist] (Album review)

This is the tenth LP for Greek pioneer metallers ROTTING CHRIST. It's their first concept album that has to do with the birth of Gods in Ancient Greek Mythology. Musically speaking it is the one of the fourth best albums they have ever made. It's simply perfect. It combines all the things that made them famous to their fans with some new staff from greek folk music.

The album has a lot of metal riffs (so many only Triarchy had) that makes the concept to seem to have be borned in ..Hell. The vocals are exactly as they had to be, the bass lines the same and of course the drums seems to be played from another drummer not Themis ( He had to play like this for many years, congratulations!!). The music seems the darkest ever and the black metal feeling back in roots!! It's amazing 20 years later Sakis has made an album that can show to a lot of new bands the way of playing excellent Brutal Metal.

They recorded, mixed, produced and mastered this album here in Greece of course by Sakis Tolis with the help of Aris Christou the owner of SCA studios in Athens in a hot summer of 2006. Horns Up metal brothers & sisters!!

P.S. For further information for things about R.C. visit : http://www.rotting-christ.com http://www.myspace.com/rottingchristabyss
http://www.season-of-mist.com

ROTTING CHRIST discography :

1991 Passage to Arcturo (Decapitated Records)
1993 Thy Mighty Contract (Osmose Productions)
1994 Non Serviam (Unisound Records)
1996 Triarchy of the Lost Lovers (Century Media Records)
1997 A Dead Poem (Century Media Records)
1999 Sleep of the Angels (Century Media Records)
2000 Khronos Χ Ξ Σ (Century Media Records)
2002 Genesis (Century Media Records)
2004 Sanctus Diavolos (Century Media Records)
2007 Theogonia (Season Of Mist Records)

MACHINE HEAD - THE BLACKENING [2007] (album review)

The new Machine Head album is finally out. After the successful 2003’s “Through the Ashes of Empires” and its return to roots, Machine Head acquired back a lot of fans that they lost after the unsuccessful experiments of 1999’s “The Burning Red” and 2001’s “Supercharger”. It seems that they will continue their upward course, as the new album contributes the maximum in this path.

When the first song “Clenching the Fists of Dissent” starts to play, a Middle-East chant opens the track and an amazing acoustic theme follows. Rob Flynn says that they tried to write the saddest acoustic verse they could write. After this, a bulldozer riff explodes and from that point the listener can easily understand that some brutal staff will succeed it. The epic continues on this 10mins long song with rotation of riffs, lead and melodic parts, pick slides, breaks and groovy parts. After the sixth minute and an UNBELIEVABLE solo, a choir starts to shout “Fight, fight, fight!!!” with a backing riff that contributes the whole thing to remind a little bit the respective famous break of Metallica’s “Creeping Death”. The 2^nd track, “Beautiful Mourning” is a typical groovy Machine Head track with many harmonics and many melodic vocals. “Aesthetics of Hate”, the 3^rd track, is another great song and it is the most thrashy of the album. This will be a killer live one. I can already imagine the mosh pits and the rolling heads at band’s live shows. It was not coincidental that before the album's release, the band used to play this single one song at live shows, as an album preview. Razor-like riffs, killer lead parts, brutal vocals, on the solo the two guitars have a beautiful “conversation” and not to forget the amazing drumming. You CAN’T simply ask for more. “Now I Lay Thee Down” is another beautiful song with many modern metal riffs. “Slanderous” is the 5^th track and it starts with a monster pick slide. In it’s flow and after some heavy staff, turns to a groovy mood and… are they Hammet/Hetfield that play the solo here? “Halo” is the next one and a more than classic Machine Head track, with many groovy, lead/melodic parts and great solo. Number 7 on the album is “Wolves”. Another lengthy song, as it counts 9 minutes. An almost progressive song, as it has innumerable riffs and demands to be listened many times to find out what is going on here. It’s a great song. Rob Flynn said that it was a big challenge for him to write some complicated and also lengthy songs, keeping in parallel the listener’s interest unimpaired. The album’s last song “A Farewell to Arms” follows the same pattern with “Wolves”, as it counts 10 minutes and has also complex structure. No need to say that it is another great song.

In conclusion, Machine Head created a killer album with qualitative guitar work, great ideas, a very strong rhythm section, fantastic drumming and also strong and steady sound, which helps at maximum the listener to distinguish what each instrument, plays exactly. It is the best album they have released since their debut, and I dare to say that it can stand equally next to 1994’s “Burn My Eyes”. An album that offers great moments to listener and deserves a seat at every serious metal compilation.

P.S.: If somebody decides to buy it, prefer the Limited Edition which contains a Metallica cover to “Battery” and also a bonus DVD with the making of “The Blackening” and a 2006 tour documentary.

MACHINE HEAD discography:

[1994] Burn My Eyes
[1997] The More Thing Changes…
[1999] The Burning Red
[2001] Supercharger
[2003] Hellalive (live)
[2004] Through The Ashes Of Empires
[2005] Elegies (dvd)
[2007] The Blackening

Freedom Call - Dimensions (2007) (Album Review)

"Freedom Call" their name and the are coming from Germany. From the title someone can understand that we are talking about a power metal band that speaks of freedom and innocence in their new album called "Dimensions". An album that will bring memories, to those how will listen it, of bands like "Helloween" and "Hammerfall" since the voice of the singer is singing with the same way. An interesting power metal album with sound from the good old "power" that we all have been fans of and some of us still remains. Pleasant melodies and music compositions but I didn't like the voice of the speaker in the intro and the name of the 4th song called "Mr. Evil", it is a bit of copy from the song of "Helloween" called "Mr. Ego" and the fused with the song of the same band called "Dr. Stein", plus the 80's guitars and drums of the same song. All the other songs are much much better, with far better melodies such as the "Queen of my world" and guitars that has the speed character of the power metal of this decade and from the 90's. Generally we are talking about an album that can be adorable by a power metal fan and pleasant for the rest of the listeners and for some others just an other album for the stores and only. Hear it before judging it!

Also "Freedom Call" has released the albums:

1999 Stairway To Fairyland
1999 Taragon [EP]
2001 Crystal Empire
2002 Eternity
2004 Live Invasion [Live]
2005 The Circle Of Life


++Keep The Flame Burning++

After Forever - After Forever (2007) (review)

Hello again to you all out there music freaks. This time I will say my opinion about the new homonym album of "After Forever". After careful listening of the album, I can say that it is maybe the best of the rest their albums. They have kept the "opera sound" of their female vocals and the style that can remind us the style of the "Nightwish". Violins and classical instrumentals make more atmospheric the originally power metal sound of the band and the melody of the keyboards fills the rewarding sound of the electric guitar and bass. The whole album is very pleasing and easy to hear without anything complicated, with nice melodies, heavy parts, a few brutal vocals that you forget that you have heard them after some seconds and refrains that lift the songs higher. A very good Opera-Power Metal album that the fans of the style will love and the rest of the listeners will be satisfied after listening the "After Forever" playing... "After Forever"

"After Forever" has also released the albums:
2000 Prison Of Desire
2001 Decipher
2003 Exordium [EP]
2004 Invisible Circles
2005 Remagine

++Keep The Flame Burning++

REVOLTING BREED - RISE AGAINST [2007] (album review)

Revolting Breed was formed in 2004 in Patras, Greece. They released their debut album on last February, which is self-financed. The album recorded in several places at Patras and the mixing and mastering of the album made by Andy Classen (Rotting Christ, Holy Moses, Tankard, Krisiun has worked with him also) at the famous Stage One Studios at Germany. The band consists of Andrew (vrrrrr), Alexander (grrrrr), Sotiris (brrrrr), Haris (drrrrr) and John (grrrrr).

Going to the album content it’s easily to notice that the band has plenty influences from the Swedish scene of death metal. The riffs are following what the great masters “At the Gates” (R.I.P.) taught at their last ever album, “Slaughter Of The Soul”, and what shortly after “The Haunted” did. If you hear it, it’s clear enough that the band has filtered these influences and has married them with references to thrash/hardcore groups, such as Machine Head. The tracks are quite fast with many and clever breaks which are leading to great groovy parts. The melodies are not missing from here and the album despite the 14 tracks (including the intro) and its length, doesn’t allow the listener to get bored at any moment of its running time. The sound is amazing and quite strong and the lyrics are following the spirit of the band’s name and album’s title.

In conclusion we have a qualitative and well-worked album that can stand equivalently next to releases from well-known bands. Hope to the future that band to continue releasing such great albums. RISE AND REVOLT!

P.S.: The album can’t be found in stores, but you can order it directly from the band, at: http://www.myspace.com/revoltingbreed or revoltingbreed@yahoo.gr , for 5 EURO plus the shipping cost.

Vomitory - Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize (2007) (REVIEW)

Today I am listening to the new album of "Vomitory", called "Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize" and I want to say few thinks about it. The listener, even from the title of the album, understands that he keeps in this hands a very terrorizing, brutalizing, sodomizing album and it really is. Without any instrumental intro or any kind of intro, "Vomitory" have decide to begin to album with an earth-breaking song made of high speed riffs and drum beats. The vocals sounds like the old time classic death, vague and brutal way that the most death bands of the previous decade like the old albums of the "Hypocrisy" and the band itself. So the album sounds like the madness of "Vomitory" and it is the madness of "Vomitory". While I was listening the album, I noticed some sound-outbursts of the instrument and the voice of the singer that reminds those of black metal bands and "Celtic Frost's" songs while the bass guitar strikes hard with higher trebles. A real death metal album that keeps the name of "Vomitory" high in the eyes of the death metal fans and those how start listening this album will place them high in their mind.

Also the "Vomitory" have released the albums
1996 Raped In Their Own Blood
1999 Redemption
2001 Revelation Nausea
2002 Blood Rapture
2004 Primal Massacre


++Keep The Flame Burning++

Ensiferum - Victory songs (REVIEW)

Listening a this album I can say that a "glory" chill passed through my body. A very powerful album that will touch all the metal fans. A fusion of the old time classic "RUNNING WILD" riffs with the up-speed power riffs of the north. A combination of the Death brutal vocals with the clear vocals of a "MANOWAR" song. The album has nothing to envy of any other power metal band since all the songs are companioned by "ethnic" sounds. A very epic album that all the metallizers must listen. Melodies of victory, songs of battle and glory... maybe by the aspect of a Horde warrior in WOW (World of Warcraft) while being in the battle or on a mountain of the Azeroth and thinking of the path he has chosen. As you can see I liked the album very much... I hope that you like i too...

Also for the history, Ensiferum has released the albums Ensiferum - 2001, Iron - 2004, The Dragonheads (ep) - 2006 and 10th Anniversary Live (live) (DVD)



++Keep The Flame Burning++