Animosity & Drumcorps - Altered Beast

by Cosmo Lee

When I saw Animosity play in Berlin last year, I ran into Drumcorps (aka Aaron Spectre). He told me that Animosity had commissioned him to remix songs from their latest record, Animal (Metal Blade, 2007). This excited me to no end. Animosity is one of my favorite bands, and Drumcorps is the only breakcore artist I can stand (partially because he samples Botch and Converge). The results are out - three remixes, each guaranteed to raise your blood pressure. Drumcorps adds his trademark pulverizing drill 'n' bass beats, gleefully chopping up Amen breaks and tossing them into a digital blender. The remixes are surprisingly straightforward, not altering vocals or guitars much, though the final one has rather psychedelic edits. Though purists might frown upon such a pairing, it makes complete sense - Animosity's end-times message run through Drumcorps' turn-knobs-to-infinity production. It's harsh, dirty, and best of all, free. Download the EP in 320 kbps MP3 or FLAC here.

Toothgrinder (remix aka "Thin Retro God")
Toothgrinder (original)

The release also comes in some of the most mindblowingly eye-watering vinyl ever made: 10" splatter vinyl, 4 varieties ("Birthday Cake," "Cupcake," "Wealthy Eggplant," and "Moldy Cheese"), with a foil-stamped B-side and a hand-screenprinted, hand-letterpressed jacket. For pictures and more info, go here.

Finally, look out for Drumcorps' remix (alongside Danny Lohner, Scott Hull, Phillip Cope, and Ulver) in the 3rd installment of the 5-volume Genghis Tron remixes. Volume 1 is in stores next week, featuring remixes by Steve Moore, Justin K. Broadrick, Eluvium, and that Rob Crow fellow we discussed yesterday.

Buy:
10" mindblowing splatter vinyl
Free download (320 kbps MP3, FLAC)

Black Shape of Nexus - Self-Titled

by Cosmo Lee

In doom metal, the usual words tossed around pertain to size - "lumbering," "massive," etc. While Germany's Black Shape of Nexus are certainly those things - they tune down to a bowel-shaking B flat - they exhibit surprising nuance. Amid the requisitive tiiiiiimestretching riffs are melodic curlicues and percussive details that demand active listening. More importantly, the songs have forward momentum; only in the 21-minute closer does the band fall into the trap of the eternal one-note dirge.

IV

The vocals are suitably throat-scarred, but the instrumental "IV" best displays the band's strengths. After a prophetic quote from Planet of the Apes ("Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn...") comes an earthshaking stomp, heralding invasion by something large and alien. Lumbering, massive riffs indeed follow, but they're balanced by delicate jangles. Six minutes in, the band drops into a hypnotic march as bleak melodies darken the skies. One gets the image of a cloud spreading and blotting out the sun. The recording is fantastic; the guitar tones practically bulge from the speakers.

Black Shape of Nexus have a way with packaging. This CD, which compiles their self-titled LP and tracks from a split with Crowskin, comes in a golden metal box with black felt on the back (limited to 500 copies). Even more recondite is a 100-copy, tour-only edition that packages the CD inside a 5.25" floppy disc. Practical value notwithstanding, the design values of such accoutrements and the band's website are undeniable. High quality product in small, meaningful quantities - it's a good way to run an operation.

Buy:
Bis Auf's Messer
All That Is Heavy
Black Shape of Nexus

The Ocean - Precambrian

Speaking of The Ocean, I've reviewed their album Precambrian at Pitchfork. It came out last November, so it didn't make many year-end lists (if I ran a label, I would finish each year's release schedule by October for such purposes). Precambrian would have - or should have - dominated them. Sadly, there's no critic herd mentality for it like there was for Mastodon's Leviathan, a lesser work. 83 minutes of exploding color, with more literary references than a 200 level class - I could hardly circumscribe it with mere language.

Ectasian (excerpt)
Rhyacian (excerpt)

The Ocean are undertaking a massive tour of Europe, UK, US, and Canada. This German collective doesn't cross the pond often, so don't miss out. For tour dates, see here.

Dirtbag tour of the year

In the dirtbag tour of the year, Kylesa are hitting the road with The Ocean, Lair of the Minotaur, and Withered. (I think I grew chest hair just typing that.) These stars will only align for a few dates - see below. However, they're also touring separately or in smaller combinations; for schedules, click the MySpace links above. LotM and Withered have new records out in late March and June, respectively.

Kylesa - Hollow Severer
The Ocean - Neoarchaean
Lair of the Minotaur - Behead the Gorgon
Withered - Fear and Pain that Cripples Me

Kylesa on tour

5/22 Raleigh, NC – Volume 11 (with Withered)
5/23 Philadelphia, PA – Millcreek Tavern (with Disfear, Thrones)

(with The Ocean, Lair of the Minotaur, Withered)

5/24 Boston, MA – Church of Boston
5/25 Wallingford, CT – Cherry Street Station
5/26 New York, NY – Knitting Factory
5/27 Cleveland, OH – Peabody's
5/28 Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club
5/29 Covington, KY – Mad Hatter
5/30 Charlotte, NC – Tremont Music Hall
5/31 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade

(with The Ocean, Lair of the Minotaur)

6/01 Orlando, FL – Back Booth
6/02 Tampa, FL – Brass Mug
6/03 Tallahassee, FL – The Beta Bar

Freedom Call - Dimensions

I can't evaluate modern power metal objectively. Most of it sounds the same to me, which probably just means I'm ignorant. But it doesn't have many qualities that make me want to learn more. I like epic ambition; I don't like gloss masquerading as such. Freedom Call are in here this week only because (a) they're German, and (b) they have a song called "Mr. Evil."

Mr. Evil
Innocent World

Actually, Dimensions (SPV/Steamhammer, 2007) has some terribly catchy songs (as well as terribly stereotypical D&D artwork). "Mr. Evil" is basically Edguy; but because Freedom Call aren't taking the piss, they're even funnier. "Innocent World" is fascinatingly repulsive. It has nauseating gear shift key changes (e.g., the "bump up" at the end of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" and R.E.M.'s "Stand"; there is an entire website devoted to this device), as well as a friggin' children's choir. Even creepier, they're singing about how innocent they are. The song sends shivers down my spine.

For better or for worse, the first third of this record lodges in the brain. After that, it succumbs to "all sounds same." The power ballads are particularly treacly. Adrien Begrand, quoting Carl Wilson's 33 1/3 book about Celine Dion, astutely observes that little separates European power metal ballads from the Titanic diva. This isn't necessarily a value judgment. I appreciate this stuff with the same brain cells (all ten of them) that like hair metal and modern emo.

Really, this isn't so far from those things. The production values, chord progressions, and guitar techniques (especially the palm-muted eighth-note melodies) are all similar. Minus the "Tarzan Boy" whoa's, "Mr. Evil" is basically hair metal; the way the drums drop out in the first verse recalls Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69." This might come as a blow to those who uphold "power metal" as "true metal." Of course, not all power metal is like this - OK, it doesn't all sound the same - your Sonata Arcticas and Blind Guardians are more "true." Perhaps nothing is "true," though, in a world where Guitar Hero makes laypeople buy Dragonforce by the bushel.

Dimensions is available physically from CM Distro and The End, and digitally from Amazon.

Verdunkeln - Einblick in den Qualenfall

If The Cure and The Sisters of Mercy got together and made blackened doom, they'd be Verdunkeln - the former for guitars, and the latter for atmosphere. Einblick in den Qualenfall (Ván, 2007) oozes '80s in its rubbery clean tones and reverbed, compressed drums. The guitar intro to "In die Irre" recalls the chewy outro to The Cure's "A Forest." Peter Hook also comes to mind.

In die Irre (excerpt)
Der Herrscher (excerpt)

This is a metal record, though. And yet when it shows claws, they're bitten to the quick. Big, hollow drums dominate the mix (an '80s trait); only "Der Herrscher" gets heavy with its metal. But when it does, boy, does it. This 17-minute monster lumbers into a jog, gains steam, then perspires spiky melodies cooled by wafts of keyboards. The black metal rasps are standard, but the male choral vocals aren't; the last track is basically a gothic chorale, oh-so-Teutonic. Blast my lack of German, as the lyrics are entirely in it, but evidently Verdunkeln means "to darken."

The German black metal elite, such as Endstille and The Ruins of Beverast, have been singing the praises of their colleague. Einblick is one of the more unique records I've heard in a while. Perhaps Ian Curtis is looking down from wherever he is, and flashing horns.

Einblick in den Qualenfall is available at The End.

Endstille - Endstilles Reich

Endstille are quick to point out their origins in Schleswig-Holstein, as opposed to the rest of Germany. This northern state abuts Denmark and is home to the annual Wacken Open Air festival. Schleswig-Holstein's disposition is evidently more Scandinavian than German, which helps explain Endstille's near-perfect take on black metal.

Among Our Glorious Existence
Endstilles Reich

The cover of Endstilles Reich (Regain, 2007) depicts post-WWII Kiel, the capital of Schleswig-Holstein. War is a natural obsession for Germans. But being German and war-obsessed does not automatically make one evil. Endstille are firmly anti-NSBM; they opened 2003's Frühlingserwachen with a radio soundbite announcing Hitler's death. Unfortunately, the promo of this album did not come with lyrics. They are mostly in English, though, and interviews reveal that much thought went into their mix of historical and personal themes.

Much thought went into this band, in general. "Endstille" means "final silence," and the band ends each album with a track called "Endstille." Five full-lengths into their career, they are professional operators. Endstilles Reich is an unbroken string of complete control. The band hails down the requisite blastbeats, but often shifts into heavy, swinging shuffles, as oceanic chords wash over the top. Eschewing drum triggers, the sound is natural and huge. This album is a model of consistency and power.

Endstille's fans are justifiably a bit crazy. They've dressed up cars with some of the finest black metal regalia you'll see on the road. See this Passat (photo 1, photo 2) and this VW van (photo). They're not quite the Iron Maiden plane (photo), but they're impressive.

Endstilles Reich is available from The End.

Genocide (Ger) - Apocalyptic Visions

If you follow black metal, follow Ván, a German label that's quietly building an envelope-pushing discography. Last year, the Ruins of Beverast record (review) turned quite a few heads, the reissue of Nagelfar's Virus West (review) was most welcome, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around Verdunkeln's Einblick in den Qualenfall, which recasts Joy Division as black metal.

Blasphemy
Ad Arma

Troublingly, Metal Archives lists 21 metal bands named Genocide. (I highly recommend Samantha Powers' Pulitzer Prize-winning book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.) Unsurprisingly, Germany has the most, with three. This Genocide is neither NSBM nor thrash, but upside-down cross black metal. The liner notes say, "This piece of blasphemous intolerance was recorded and mixed by Baal at Studio Panzerklang within three days beginning with the 1974th anniversary of the bastard's crucifixion." And, as if to dispel NSBM rumors: "We must secure the total extermination of ALL RACES and a future for NONENTITY."

The music is old-school black metal - blastbeats, mournful melodies, tortured rasps, oompah polka beats. It's a bit orthodox for Ván, but the quality is high. The recording is impressive, full of rawness, strength, and rhythm section girth (a fellow named Plague is credited with "Bombthrower Bass"). The songs are concise and catchy, with a few amusingly pasted-in symphonic/choral samples. No formal innovations, just a solid, enjoyable listen.

Apocalyptic Visions is available at Ván, Asphyxiate, and The End.

Defeated Sanity - Psalms of the Moribund

One of the funnier interview questions I've seen was asked of German brutal death metallers Defeated Sanity: "Why are movies on German TV not subtitled? It is so irritating to hear Robert De Niro speak German." The answer: "I don't know. I guess most Germans are too stupid/lazy to learn the English language."

Stoned then Defiled
Engorged with Humiliation

Which, to paint with a broad brush, is so true. "Everyone in Germany speaks English" is a big myth. When I lived there, I found that maybe 30% of the populace could converse in English. Not that that's a negative - I was the one causing problems by not learning the native language - but it didn't make life fun.

ESL + metal = fun, though, and Psalms of the Moribund (Grindethic, 2007) is case in point. This is "big words" metal, with song titles like "Fatal Self Inflicted Disfigurement," "Engorged with Humiliation," and "Arousal through Punishment." From native English speakers, these would either be jokes or displays of severe intellectual insecurity.

From non-native speakers, though, they're fucking funny. At first, I thought "Stoned then Defiled" meant "I'll get you high, then fling poo at you." Turns out the song is quite smart, addressing the scapegoating of rape victims in religiously oppressive societies. No doubt it's the only song ever written with the line, "Several blunt objects begin landing on your cranium." Man, I love death metal.

Suffocation is a big influence here, especially in the Terrance Hobbs-style machine gun breaks. Devourment's down-tuned brutal style is also evident. Heavy, half-time passages contrast nicely with the blasting throughout. During these slower parts, the drums explore some cool, off-kilter accents. The bass is warm, full, and given to quirky, Cryptopsy-esque excursions. Damned if I can tell these songs apart, but their execution is impeccable.

Bonus points for naming the band after my dominant mental state. (Actually, the name comes from Japanese death metallers Defiled.) The Jon Zig-designed logo is sick, too. You can find Psalms at Grindethic and Unique Leader.

Bolz'n - Spalt>funktion

The current Decibel has a quote from artist Matthew Barney (Cremaster-mind and Björk squeeze) about Pig Destroyer: "I've never experienced a think tank, but Pig Destroyer records make me feel like I'm inside one. One which is functioning and positive - where ideas attack from all sides, with new ones replacing old ones before the old ones have a chance to die."

Totstellen
Fragmente

Perhaps Barney is describing old Pig Destroyer, as PD's latest record is strong but hardly polygonal. His comment would better describe Bolz'n. When I first heard this Berlin-based band (its name comes from German sports slang) on Aversionline.com last year, I had to track down Spalt>funktion. Even after many listens, it still feels alien. The almost complete absence of repetition and singer Alexandra's startling array of shrieks, howls, and downright manly growls make each listen a journey into the unknown. I don't know if there are songs here, but there sure is a lot of ass-kicking.

This record has the freshness of the first time I heard Fantomas, Napalm Death's Scum, and John Zorn's Painkiller. Guitars don't play riffs so much as divots of earth, spraying them in all directions like an epileptic golfer. This is grindcore in its truest sense, not as a format of death metal compressed into one-minute songs, but as pure, physical attack. In between spazzouts, the band takes breathers with slow, doomy riffs and industrial soundscapes. The whole stew goes through hairy, lo-fi production, as Alexandra's vocal flamethrower struggles to burn through, and usually wins. This band sounds like a small-scale war; it evokes that cartoon image of cats fighting in a cloud of dust, with limbs occasionally sticking out.

Sadly, Bolz'n is no more. Alexandra left the band "because of harshest quarrels," and a full-length Bolz'n recently recorded for Bones Brigade is now in limbo. So, if you want to release the record, contact the band's MySpace (which has clips from it). Also, Alexandra is looking for a new band. She is one of the fiercest vocalists I've ever heard, so I get the feeling she has to audition bands, not the other way around. If you think you've got what it takes, contact her MySpace.

Spalt>funktion is available at Bones Brigade, and on vinyl from Relapse and Slave Union.

Torch of War (Ger) - The Principle of Cosmic Instability

The Principle of Cosmic Instability (Autopsy Kitchen, 2007) is probably the harshest recording I've ever heard. The music is plenty scathing, but the sound is an icepick in the ear. Imagine inverting metal's usual scooped EQ into a "frown," then boosting the midrange until something bleeds. This shit is painful.

Wolf Among Sheep
The Principle of Cosmic Instability

In fact, the sound is so blown out that I asked Autopsy Kitchen boss Jeffrey if it was a mistake. He said no, that he had mastered the album himself, and that the sound was originally even rougher!

Given that it makes Darkthrone sound like Def Leppard, this record is beautifully clawing nastiness. It's one-man black metal, from a German named F. Nachzehrer. There are drums (probably from a machine), but they're really poundings for help inside walls of metallic abrasion. The vocals, too, are sandpaper as wallpaper.

Once one acclimates to such scratchiness, melodies emerge. They're slicingly mournful, though, and not a concession to anything. Such extreme lo-fi sound is not normally my taste, but it's integral to these songs. In fact, it's kind of addictive. It hurts too much to turn up loudly, but it's marvelous as a grim, mid-level buzz.

The Principle of Cosmic Instability is available at Autopsy Kitchen.

Long Distance Calling - Satellite Bay

At first, Long Distance Calling seemed like another NeurIsis clone. They had long songs, organic rhythms, and soft/loud dynamics. Even the artwork seemed derivative of mid-'90s Chicago post-rock. But one night, their brilliance floored me. I fell in love. I found this year's Year of No Light, the band that does the NeurIsis sound even better than the masters.

Fire in the Mountain
The Very Last Day

The key to Satellite Bay (Viva Hate, 2007) is clean tones. Quite simply, they're touching. They interlock like finest cloth weaving. The attention to detail is incredible. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour comes to mind. Even when the guitars inevitably pop distortion pedals, they retain delicacy. In fact, I could do without the dirty parts, the clean ones are so good. But I don't mind the oomph. It's physical; I often find myself rocking back and forth to this record. That is, when I'm not lying down, heartstrings twisted to breaking point.

An added bonus is the perfect production. The drum kit is probably the best-sounding I've heard this year. Guitars sound natural, electric, and hot and cold when necessary. The bass is throbbing and full. Vocals are infrequent, highly processed, usually spoken word. Peter Dolving makes a most un-Haunted cameo; dig the haunting quote from Kafka's The Trial in "Fire in the Mountain."

I'm really not doing this record justice. It's hard to step back from new love. Yes, Germans have heart. Mine.

Satellite Bay is available on CD from The End, and in limited edition colored vinyl and CD metal box set from Viva Hate.

Converge, Job for a Cowboy, Rise and Fall, Animosity @ SO36, 19.06.07

SO36, Berlin, 19.06.07

SO36 isn't just a club. It's a friggin' complex, with stairs in back and on the side leading up to an immense backstage area that resembles an office, albeit a punked-out one. Graffiti from previous occupants litters the walls. In multiple rooms, band and crew members sprawl on couches, check email, and warm up on guitar. I am astonished to see someone firing up a full-on buffet for Converge, Rise and Fall, and Animosity, who are touring Europe together. Today's Never Say Die! festival adds Job for a Cowboy, as well as two bands of utterly forgettable, breakdown-crippled hardcore.

Animosity

Animosity goes on way too early, at 7:30pm. At this point, they should never play first on any bill. For youngsters barely of drinking age, they have more chops and maturity than most of their peers. Technical death metal crunches through the speakers, but new material from the upcoming album, Animal, detours through prog and rock. Leo Miller isn't using his low death growl so much now, sticking instead with a more natural midrange yell. He stomps around like an angry bull and pours water over himself, scaring the delicate girls in front wearing metalcore T-shirts. New bassist Evan Brewer confidently pumps out complex lines without looking at his instrument. The band is a well-oiled machine.

Rise and Fall

Belgium's Rise and Fall have a familiar sound - "death 'n' roll," "punk 'n' roll," whatever you want to call it. Think Motörhead crossed with High on Fire through a hardcore lens a la Doomriders. I don't understand a single word, but the philthy bass tone and Ramones stances speak volumes. Boys and girls bop along in a rather cute slam dance fashion. Sometimes the attack is too pulverizing, and the pit flags accordingly, but screw being a "warm up band"!

Job for a Cowboy

Job for a Cowboy is the hottest band in metal at the moment because of MySpace. Even before its first full-length came out, its profile got millions of hits, and bands were already citing it as an influence and imitating its pig squeal vocals and logo font. Only a month after the debut album's release, half the kids here wear JFAC shirts. Girls scream, guys call out to band members by name, people request songs. JFAC prove themselves a technically proficient but otherwise mediocre death metal band. I don't see what the fuss is about.

Converge

Converge blows away my highest expectations. I talk to Jacob Bannon before the show, and he is exceedingly humble. Actions speak louder than words, though. Birdlike, he flies around the stage summoning death and catharsis. He often crouches at the front and lets the kids sing his words. They pile over each other to get at the mic. I am pressed against the stage so hard my hip bone gets bruised. In fact, my entire back feels like a bruise. Fists, hands, fingers, faces, and elbows push and punch against it. A kind-faced girl clutches my shirt as she disappears, feet flailing, into the pit.

Electricity runs through the band. Kurt Ballou may be the most underrated guitarist alive. He sprays forth chunky chords, cutting runs, all manner of strange noises. Nate Newton hoists his bass skywards, sending dirtclods of distortion flying. When Ben Koller pounds out blastbeats, the venue shudders orgasmically. Slam dancers keep knocking the wind out of me. I am afraid; I am alive.

For the full 23-photo gallery of the show, go here.

Neurosis, Watain, Pig Destroyer, and more

Neurosis, upstairs @ GAMH, SF Photo by Brendan Tobin

It's been a while since my last reviews update. There's so much good stuff now, it's almost overwhelming! At Stylus, I've reviewed Cephalic Carnage, Neurosis, Pelican, and Pig Destroyer. At Metal Injection, I've reviewed Akercocke, Toxic Bonkers, N.I.L., Deadlock, Merciless Death, Thought Chamber, and Watain.

Neurosis - Water Is Not Enough
Watain - Sworn to the Dark
Akercocke - The Dark Inside
Pig Destroyer - Heathen Temple
Cephalic Carnage - Divination & Volition

The Neurosis album will make my year-end top three. Watain might get up there, too. Akercocke would have stood a chance if not for the horrible hack mastering job. Check out "The Dark Inside" for the drum 'n' bass part that drops into the song - random but cool.

World Downfall - Beyond Salvation

When you name your band World Downfall, you pretty much guarantee yourself a lifetime of Google page rank fights with Terrorizer (I wonder if Daylight Dies are pissed that Killswitch Engage put out an album with their name in it). And on Beyond Salvation (self-released, 2006), this Cologne band indeed walks a similar line between grindcore and death metal.

You're a Total Fuck Up
Your Shadow Moves Faster than Mine

But World Downfall adds modern edges to its old-school spirit. These touches aren't huge - the way chords move, the crisp production, a bafflingly throwaway electronic coda - and that's just fine. If you want ripping, no-nonsense death/grind with socio-political lyrics, varied speeds, and vice-grip-like execution, this is your album. Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy even contributes "guest vokills" on "Your Shadow Moves Faster than Mine."

The album's back cover says, "Feel free and encouraged to copy this recording for everyone who asks for it. Spread the virus. No copyright." Accordingly, the album is available for free download here. However, I encourage picking up the real thing, as it comes with live video footage and matte-finish artwork with aerial photos a la Isis' Panopticon. You can find it at the band's website.

Hirax, Six Feet Under, Obscurus Advocam...

Obscurus Advocam

Some new writing up - at Metal Injection, I've reviewed robust efforts by old-school thrashers Hirax and 420 advocates Six Feet Under, as well as black metal from The Ruins of Beverast and Obscurus Advocam. The latter has been really doing it for me lately - black metal that's heavy for once! At Stylus, I have a dual review of Croatian math rockers Cog and Bosnian electronic/rock hybrid Vuneny, both on the always-inspiring Moonlee Records.

Hirax - Assassins of War
Obscurus Advocam - Verbia Daemonicus
Cog - Up Anchors, Down Sails

Secrets of the Moon - Antithesis

Secrets of the Moon blend black, death, doom, and prog metal, slightly recalling Akercocke, though the latter lets in more light. I haven't heard this German band's first album, Stronghold of the Inviolables, though one review describes its production as "of the basement variety." Thus, Antithesis (Lupus Lounge, 2006; AJNA Offensive, 2007) follows the path of 2004's Carved in Stigmata Wounds, but with much stronger production and performances.

Ordinance
Seraphim Is Dead

On this album, Secrets of the Moon have found the intangible "it" - when you know your vision and execute it perfectly. The production brings this out, with huge guitars and a clear mix. I could listen to this album for hours. It's light and dark, it's epic and endless, and for once I am at a loss for words, as Antithesis simply blows me away.

The liner notes are beautiful, with refreshingly serif-free lyrics and subtle, black-on-black titles. Accompanying the lyrics are haunting black-and-white photos, including a detail of the Holocaust Memorial, one of Berlin's most powerful locations, spiritually and aesthetically. This is a total package, a near-perfect balance of esoteric and accessible. I cannot recommend this album highly enough. You can find it at The AJNA Offensive and The End.

Antigama, Throne of Katarsis, Get Thrashed, and more

Antigama

A bunch of new writing up - at Metal Injection, I've got reviews of Polish grinders Antigama, Norwegian black metal band Throne of Katarsis, and Los Angeles prog metallers Redemption, as well as interviews with Spanish band NahemaH and shredder Laura Christine from San Diego death metallers Warface.

Antigama - Neutral Balance
Naglfar - The Darkest Road
Stalaggh - Projekt Misanthropia (excerpt)

At Stylus, I've reviewed Rick Ernst's excellent documentary film, Get Thrashed: The History of Thrash Metal. I also have dual reviews of black metallers Naglfar/Nagelfar and the literally insane Diagnose: Lebensgefahr/Stalaggh. Stalaggh is hands down the scariest sound I've ever heard. Coil's Hellraiser themes, the original Omen soundtrack, Prussian Blue - all pale in comparison.

The Unchallenged - Sceneries

Causal Reasons
Reversal

Self-Released
2001


"Sounds like ____" is tricky business. Really, it's best (though perhaps not for commercial purposes) to sound unique. But since that's basically impossible, given today's cultural forces (perhaps someone in some media-deprived locale could hit upon playing heavy metal, but I highly, highly doubt it), most musicians hope to remind listeners of something good they've heard before.

Which makes The Unchallenged such a, well, challenge. This German band sounds amazingly like mid-career Death. It's all there, from the the sixteenth note riffs to the abstract harmonies to the raspy vocals. Occasionally the band busts out with thrash or power metal bits - until I remember that Chuck Schuldiner also had those influences. Death is one of my favorite bands, and it's fascinating and heartwarming that people would duplicate that sound. But it's also a little creepy. A tribute to the fallen, or a voice from the grave?

Originality aside, The Unchallenged bring the goods - chops aplenty, firing riffs, tight arrangements. So far, the band has only one full-length, 2001's Sceneries. But it remains active and seeking a record deal. You can download the album for free here. Schuldiner was heading in new musical directions when he passed; I'm curious if The Unchallenged will be similarly exploratory.

Thanks to reader Joerg for turning me on to this.

When I am rich, I will buy Dave Lombardo

Bar menu, Berlin, DE

One day here in Berlin, I stumbled across a bar called "wenn ick reich bin, ick koof mir Dave Lombardo." The waitress said that it was local dialect for "when I am rich, I will buy Dave Lombardo."

Now, that hardly makes sense. And other than its name and logo, the bar was pretty much the same as any other. Still, the fact a bar is named after Dave Lombardo is one reason why I heart Berlin.

Jitterbug - New Roses

Polished Surface

Yonah
2006



Jitterbug is a four-piece instrumental prog rock/metal band from Germany. If that conjures up images of ponytailed guys in Dream Theater shirts, rest easy. This six-track MCD has hints of that older sound, but it has one foot firmly planted in the present. Thus, it has a modern sense of concision and rock riffing that's very "now."

What stands out most is the use of piano. A few swirly pads and an old-school "wannabe guitar solo" pop up, but otherwise the keyboards stick with 88's. This adds a classy air, yet the guitars often venture into more adventurous harmonic territory. It's an interesting contrast; imagine Dysrhythmia as a European prog band. The guitar work and drumming are fluent, but they keep wankery to a minimum. I'm especially digging the clean tones in "Polished Surface", the proggiest tune here. They take me to another place, a vibe I haven't felt since I was a child first discovering prog metal.

The recording is clean, yet slightly rough around the edges. The mix, too, is a little guitar-heavy at the expense of the drums. However, I don't mind, as music of this type is often hyper-produced. It's nice, for example, to hear the scrape of a pick digging into a string. This band is still finding its voice, but it's got all the right ingredients. You can pick up this fine debut by contacting the band.

Drumcorps - Grist

Drumcorps is Aaron Spectre, an artist in Berlin who makes what could loosely be called breakcore. Now, I'm generally not a fan of breakcore. To me, it seems like the worst result of letting white people near black music. Breakbeats lose their funk, grooves lose their soul, and sounds bunch up at unpleasant frequencies.

But Drumcorps appeals to me, and not just because he samples metal; DHR and gabber have done that already. Rather, Drumcorps fuses metal and drum & bass without trying to be either. When metal bands use electronics, the result is often a mess. Take, for example, Lacuna Coil's keyboard-choked last album, or The Berzerker's perpetual fight between distorted kicks and guitars. D&b, too, doesn't mix well with metal. Dancefloors want deep bass and crisp highs, not earfuls of midrange. Sure, distorted synths are common in d&b, but they've got nothing on, say, cranked 5150 amps.

Drumcorps - Botch Up and Die
Drumcorps - Time

However, on Grist (Ad Noiseam/Cock Rock Disco) Drumcrops finds a good middle between metal and d&b. He doesn't fill up songs with bass, instead layering guitars over drums naturally. But the drums are anything but natural. Hyper-chopped breakbeats explode and mutate through shuddering edits. Drums and guitars pitch up and down through timestretching that wallows in gritty digital artifacts. Songs veer through various speeds and time signatures, with ambient bits in between. Bands sampled include Botch, Converge, and other sources I couldn't place. Unlike your average over-produced d&b 12", Drumcorps lets the grit and edges hang out.

On CD, you can get Grist at Ad Noiseam and Aquarius. As an extremely cheap digital download, you can get it at Cock Rock Disco.

Sufferage - Bloodspawn

Few female vocalists approach Arch Enemy's Angela Gossow in brutality. However, Sufferage's Jasmin Fleiner does, and then some. Without knowing her identity, I would have sworn that the vocals on Bloodspawn (on Remission) came from a man. In real life, that would be bad, but in metal, that's awesome. Her voice is no joke; I hear both Max Cavalera and LG Petrov in it.

Sufferage hails from Hamburg, Germany, and plays old-school, straightforward death metal. Think Bolt Thrower, early Cannibal Corpse, perhaps some Skinless. In an age where death metal often involves sitting helplessly as odd meters and technical riffs fly around you, such simplicity is refreshing. These grooves demand circle headbanging, the kind where you put your hands on your knees and just go for it. Expect chugging riffs, tremolo picking, and blastbeats galore. The songs are all killer, no filler, with no clean tones, solos, or any such frills. At times, I found myself wishing for more high-end information, but the songs crush, and that's what matters.

Sufferage - Allday Life
Sufferage - What About

Fleiner comes from a grind/punk background, so her lyrics are pointed and often political. Some of her lyrics are downright funny. Check out the third verse in "Allday Life" (at 1:52):

I am not a lazy bastard
I don't wanna refuse work
I'd just like to work more rarely
3 days every week'd be good
Maybe this subject doesn't fit into
Death metal aggressions
But today's work made me sick
And I'd bet you know these days

Amen, sister. And how about these gems that lead off "What About"?

Oh what a mess, I hate writing lyrics
I'm without the slightest clue
About what or about who
I'm without the slightest clue
Should I write about vicious killings?
About peace, love, and understanding?
About war and political fuckings?
Or about chocolate - I would like that

Death metal, 3-day work weeks, chocolate - these are people after my own heart. As an added bonus, the artwork is clear and legible. I am sick of having to figure out song titles by looking up albums on Amazon because their artwork is artsy and unreadable. The more time I spend with this album, the more I dig it. Unfortunately, it might be a bitch to get, as one can only mailorder from the label in German, and distribution otherwise looks dicey. Your best bet is to order directly from the band's website.

Katharsis - WorldWithoutEnd

Rock bands evidently don't care about trademark protection, as no less than ten claim the name "Katharsis." Three alone, including this one, come from Germany. Perhaps in some alternate universe these bands are competing on a reality show for the right to use the name. This Katharsis would no doubt wipe the floor with its "grunge" and "dark metal" rivals.

Formed in the early '90s, Katharsis amassed a long discography of demos and splits before releasing two full-lengths, 2000's 666 and 2003's Kruzifixxion. Both were variations on early Darkthrone, with buzzing, almost bassless swatches of frosty riffs and raspy shrieks.

On these albums, the band used the occasional delay or reverb on vocals. However, WorldWithoutEnd (on Norma Evangelium Diaboli) goes absolutely nuts with these effects. The results are mixed but generally enjoyable. On one hand, so much reverb clouds up the sound and gets tiring after a while. On the other hand, it adds a maniacal edge to the vocals, and it's so over-the-top that it's often amusing. The cymbals in "Wytchdance" manage to cut through the cloud until reverb gradually fills the room with dry ice.

Katharsis - Wytchdance

Absurd song titles ("Kross Fyre," "Ascent from Ghoulgotha") aside, the packaging is top class, with nicely diabolical reds and blacks. Support the real Katharsis and pick this up at Aquarius or The End.

Voodoocult - Jesus Killing Machine

Rarely will I post about an album I don't recommend. However, Jesus Killing Machine has enough historical value to deserve a mention, if not a warning to stay away. The sticker on the front says, "featuring Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer), Gabby Abularach (ex-Cro-Mags), Phillip Boa, Waldemar Sorychta (Despair, Tiamat), Dave "Taif" Ball (ex-Killing Joke) + special guest Chuck Schuldiner (Death) + secret special guest" - which turned out to be Mille Petrozza of Kreator.

Whoa! Dave Lombardo, Chuck Schuldiner, and Mille Petrozza on the same album! Why hadn't I heard of this before???

Because it sucks, that's why. It's almost inconceivable that members of Slayer, Death, and Kreator could get together to make something this bad. You'd have to pay them to do so - and my guess is that's what happened. The culprit would be Phillip Boa, a German pop singer whose main band is called Voodooclub. Evidently he decided to play "Metal Fantasy Camp" and throw money around for some metal big shots. He had good taste in session musicians, I'll give him that.

The worst 6 euro I've ever spent.

The best explanation for why this album sucks so badly is that Boa wrote the music and simply got his long-haired friends to play it. But Ball is also to blame for a few "songs," and Lombardo and Petrozza each penned a clunker. Thankfully, my man Schuldiner only soiled his hands with a few solos; that's what you'll hear below, the two tracks on which he plays.

Voodoocult - Born Bad and Sliced!
Voodoocult - Voodoocult

The album straddles a horrible line between 3rd-tier thrash and hard rock. The riffs are DOA, the singing is out-of-tune, and the lyrics are beyond ludicrous:

And my mother was not sad
When she said
Violent baby, ruthless pig
Eternal beyondster hipster, I am
Breed of the bad
All my bringing up
And growing tall
Was verging on the ridiculous
In a setting close to nought
This one's born bad!
Bad! Born bad and sliced!

Sadly, Lombardo wrote the music to this one. Schuldiner and Sorychta trade off four-bar solos around 3:05; Schuldiner has the first and third solos (in the right channel). I have never been more impatient for a song to get to the solos. Schuldiner's cameo (around 2:15) on the Anthrax ripoff title track is similarly brief; he has the first solo, while Sorychta has the second. That's all you ever need to hear from this piece of crap. If you see some dude on eBay trying to shill this as "Voodoocult CD Slayer Death Kreator RARE" - that's probably me.