Vulgar Volume 1
Musik Reviews
I- Total Trash
II-Risky, very Risky, I Warned You
III-Good C.D.
IIII-Find it, it’s worth it!
IIIII-Instant Classic, Get or Else, Kill for it!!
Metal Church-Masterpiece
(Nuclear Blast)
Ahh, old power/ thrash lords have reformed with original vocalist David Wayne to create this form of boring metal. Their overall power is gone, to put it to ya straight it’s nothing like their first The Dark or my personal favorite Blessing in Disguise which has the better vocalist. Get this if you are diehard, there’s even a chance you might be disappointed. His voice gets annoying at times.
II
Annihilator-Criteria for a Black Widow
(Roadrunner Records)
Another thrash band reforms with original vocalist Randy Rampage from the Alice in Hell record. So far, so good, first track did it for me, it’s so thrashy good, a punch in the face. The CD is great 1/3 of the way then it starts to drag but still, the musicianship is there. Great thrash vocals, I wouldn’t say it’s better than Alice In Hell but it’s good to see them going thrash again.
III
Testament-The Gathering
(Spit Fire)
O.K., Dave Lombardo, Steve Digorgio, and James Murphy join to help the struggling Testament, and man, do they help them out. This is some of Testament’s best in a while. Very strong songs, which hold aggression and power at the same time. The musicianship is superb, Lombardo is just amazing on this record and Billy (Chuck)’s voice is harsh as hell, mixing his voice up with some death metal vocals. Songs like D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate), Down For Life, Legions Of the Dead are easily Testament classics. If you have this, you know what I mean. If you don’t buy it or steal it.
IIII
Mercyful Fate-9
(Metal Blade)
M. Fate returns again with #9, it’s typical Fate, it’s better than the last two, which were horrible. I think Time is a better record than this one, so is anything before it. It’s not the classic everybody is yapping about but it’s not bad either. Last Rites, Sold My Soul, and the almost thrashy Insane stand out, with a killer cover, their best ever for sure, also on with the Don’t Break The Oath cover.
III
Nocturnal Rites-The Sacred Talisman
(Century Media)
Power metal, their 3rd record. Typical power metal, with your legendary journeys. These guys are better than Hammerfall though. They try to keep a style of their own instead of trying to be Helloween and it’s not xtian metal either! Their last CD Tales of Mystery and Imagination was a bit more interesting but still it’s worthy for metal heads with open minds.
II ½
Virgin Steele-The House of Atreus, Act 1
(Noise)
Another power metal band, if you like MANOWAR you will either love or hate these guys because they sound so alike. What Virgin Steele does here is a concept CD, a barbaric, romantic opera based on Greek mythology, which I think is cool. Just like MANOWAR’s Triumph of Steel. I like Triumph of Steele better, hell yea, but a lot of effort was put into this release. Also, it’s worthy of purchase, there are 22 tracks with a lot of them being in the seconds. You have songs in epic proportions but it drags at times. If you own a lot of CD’s you won’t be playing this often, but it is educational.
III
Substance-D-Addictions
(Noise)
Oh shit! This is the guy from the glam band Tuff, remember those lipstick-wearing boys. Here there is no glam, they have a new sound to fit into the 90’s or new millennium. They mix a Strapping Young Lads meets Rob Zombie sound very, very heavy chords. It’s a great record to play very loud and can compete with real rock stars like Fear Factory. It’s a heavy record. I recommend it.
III ½
Children of Bodom-Hatebreeder
(Nuclear Blast)
Children’s second record, I believe this is a record of extreme melody. Fast and accurate leads usually heard on power metal bands music. I hear an influence to country mates Sentenced North From Here but have a style of their own. They are also very young which makes this record all the more impressive. It’s classically influenced with Malmsteen touch and little elements of the black metal style. This is for the musically inclined legions. A great purchase.
IIII
Babylon Whores-King Fear
(Necropolis Records)
Hard goth rock that can be filed next to Type O Negative, these guys are a bit more upbeat and closer to metal. Stories of Satan, pitchforks and the like. I’ve been told this is a classic by a few, it’s good but not classic material to my ears. Good packaging. It’s not a record I listen to very much but you might think it rules or sucks. Try it.
III
Katatonia-Tonights’s Decision
(Peaceville)
This band for me is getting worse and worse. Yes they are progressing but the wrong way. They are starting to sound like early grunge rock of the 1990’s. I only like two songs on this Had to (leave) and Right Into the Bliss. I think Discouraged Ones is a bit better, my favorite still remains Dance of December Souls that’s the best. I don’t recommend this to any metal head; this is for the alternative grunge rockers. They guys voice sounds like it’s made for Helmet (the band), there’s no power or feeling. No classic here. All these mags praise this CD, except me. A failure here!
I ½
Kovenant-Animatronic
(Nuclear Blast)
Changing the name from Covenant to Kovenant, this band or Nagash (or his new name Lexicon) is a Marylin Manson wannabe. Besides the rip off and unoriginality of the looks I really got into the music, weird but yes I did. It’s a laid back type of style. They really don’t sound like Marylin Manson, it’s metal mixed with goth/industrial, my favorite here is still their black metal In Times Before The Light but I also like Animatronic a bit better than Nexus Polaris. It’s not the record of the year but theirs some decent tunes and good memorable leads here with some female vocals and samples.
III
In the Woods-Strange in Stereo
(Misantrophy-RIP)
Fuck, what the hell went wrong!!! This band did one of the best records of the decade with Omnio and then their career ended most likely with this album. This album doesn’t click, it’s like a Katatonia record yes, strange and only for people who are curious for something really different. Gone are those memorable melodies with those riffs and rhythms. Can’t waste time. Stick to Heart of the Ages or Omnio. Make believe Strange in Stereo doesn’t exist!
I ½
In Flames-Colony
(Nuclear Blast)
This band and record suck. Buy an At The Gates album instead. Again, totally lame. They suck live too. What a waste.
Dark Tranquility-Projector
(Century Media)
Another At The Gates influenced band. These guys are tighter and better than In Flames with a strong production. I appreciate The Mind’s Eye CD better. Here we have the use of clean vocals almost in a goth tone the music has slowed, down since the last CD. Yes, they have some mid paced fast stuff. A talented band that can be huge in the years to come.
III ½
Bal-Sagoth-The Power Cosmic
(Nuclear Blast America)
Battle metal lords, Sagoth are back with a new CD and on a new label! I was never a big fan with this band. Their first LP was good and crap after that. This new one though, has a crisp new sound, very much in a classical vein almost like an opera. They have a whole story in here. A lot of effort was put into this release, a touch of power metal also but still, a battle metal release, a really great cover also. This is for open metal minds only! I’m impressed, the vocals are high screeching with deep vocal talking. Fans of Therion/ Rhapsody take note.
III ½
Anathema-Judgement
(Music For Nations)
Goth/ doom fathers are back really soon with another stab of their goth metal music. Believe it or not, of all the material by Anathema, this one is my favorite. They have really come together and put a record, which has established them as a good musical group with Vincent Cavanaghs’s vocals being better than ever. All this is a major progression in the right direction. I hope they don’t start sounding like a Katatonia or In The Woods. A record full of melancholy, sadness, deathloss. A classic along with Serenades and Silent Enigma.
IIII ½
Rotting Christ-Sleep of the Angels
(Century Media)
My Greek brothers return with a step ahead from A Dead Poem. Heading in the goth/ metal direction or dark metal I should say. It’s a good album but far from the greatness of Thy Mighty Contract. Sleep... is a good record full of great melodies and hooks with overpowering keyboards, Sakis’ vocals are the same. He experimented on Der Perfekte Traum where he sounds like the vocalists of Rammstein or Laibach. But still, Rotting Christ’s albums are getting produced better and better. Off to the Abyss Studios next I hear.
III ½
Samael-Eternal
(Century Media)
A progression from Passage this album is a bit lighter than Passage, not as hard hitting. It’s getting really into the Laibach field here, which is cool. Their dark and evil edge on previous albums is gone. It’s more like a militant type thing. Anti-xtian yes, at times, but the lyrics are also about relationships also which is weird. There are a few danceable beats here. Space metal here, either you love them or you hate them. Now fans of old don’t bother, open minds try it out.
III
Tiamat-Skeleton Skeleton
(Century Media)
These guys are one of my favorite bands ever! I adored Deeper Kind of Slumber, it took me a while to absorb this one but I ‘m hooked. It’s like a mix between Wild Honey and Deeper Kind of Slumber. This band or Johan knows how to write excellent lyrics and depressing neo-goth rock music not for everybody. This is music from the heart. A band that doesn’t fail for me. Tiamat is the future for neo-goth rock period. And with a superb record.
IIIII
Sundown-Glimmer
(Century Media)
2nd record for Sundown and their last. They have called it quits but Mathias is reforming Cemetery but to follow in the footsteps of this last record. This CD is very influenced by industrial music, it’s more industrial than metal with small goth elements. He is good on writing simple and catchy stuff, he can really strike it big if their CD was promoted for Sundown. songs like Halo,Prey, Stab are hard hitting industrial/ metal thrash with midi guitars and beat boxes. I like this better than Design 19 although many don’t think so. Try it out.
IIII
Moonspell-The Butterfly Effect
(Century Media)
Another one of my all time favorites. I’ve been into these guys since their Anno Satanaie demo. All their albums are great in my book, especially Wolfheart. This record sits at the top of my desk; I listen to it a lot. It’s the return of Fernando’s deep vocals, which I’m happy with, harsher than ever, and the music is heading in the industrial direction. And the music is very heavy; a lot of good samples here and there a definite original and a band that always has great musical ideas. Song’s like Soulsick, Lustmord, Angelizer are very influenced by the amazing Daemonarch record. Moonspell are back in form. Hail Portugal! Hail Moonspell!
IIIII
Novembre-Classica
(Century Media)
Oh shit, this CD is amazing, what musicians, wow! I’m stunned, this is only their second release, their first on Century Media, what an accomplishment with opener Cold Blue Steel. Their form of black / dark metal strikes the nerve, so melancholic with a style of their own. If you don’t know this band, they are from Italy and they are really worth it. Talented with a capital T! I’m so into this CD, I can’t even explain it. I stand in awe. Classica for sure! Buy or Die, seek or be destroyed!
IIIII
Sentenced-Crimson
(Century Media)
Suicide metal is back to send you to an early grave. Anyway, I’m not so impressed with Crimson, it’s not as catchy as Frozen was. It’s like they’re running out of ideas. A return to North From Here, would have been a good idea or Amok. But still, you have those classic hooks, which became Sentenced trademark within the scene. It’s still rock Sentenced like Down and Frozen before it. North From Here fans you got another disappointment as for the rest, enjoy!
IIII
Diabolique-The Black Flower
(Black Sun)
Necrolord (Kristian Whalin) famous artist for the likes of Emperor, Tiamat, Mercyful Fate, Witchery, etc. has this neo-goth rock band with a second record that has been in my CD walkman for a very long time. If you adore Tiamat, Diabolique is not far away at all, they don’t sound the same but play in the same vein as goth. You got here some very depressing songs about life, sadness, relationships fucked, death. A listen to this album will make you feel down but it depends on your mood. I highly recommend this work of art to all goth/ metal and doom people. You’ll feel all the melancholy here also.
IIIII
Return to Vulgardemon's Musik Reviews
