Yep, and “Damage Limitation” sounds note for note like a replica of BT’s “Walking Corpse,” right down to the Kevin Sharp/Danny Lilker interplay of low/high death grunts copied flawlessly by E.N.T.’s co-heads of the throat department, founding member Dean Jones and newcomer Adam Catchpole. Take, for example, “Man Made Hell,” a roiling brew of Cannibal Corpse gutstring whinings, shredding death-metal riffage (both courtesy of ex-Cradle Of Filth’s Gian Pyres), and a double-kickdrum feeding frenzy.

Want something faster? Try swallowing “No Longer As Slaves” and “Through Mayhem” in one gulp, then chase that with the prolonged belly growls and maniacal guitar solo in “One Truth One Hate.” If you’re still standing, you’re one of the few who actually remembers that this is the band who performed their ‘cover’ of The KLF’s “3 A.M. Eternal” at the ’92 Brit Awards and then caused mass hysteria and headlines when they sprayed the crowd with blank machine gun bullets.

Anarchy in the U.K., indeed.

While Bride’s dual slabs of melancholy were voted by the fans on the group’s website, Anathema here seems particularly adamant over what tracks made it on the first Resonance. Whether that’s in Anathema’s favor depends on when you discovered their sublime output. In any case, one quick run through the track listing reveals that material with former singer Darren ‘Daz’ White is suspiciously missing. What? No ‘Sweet Tears,’ ‘Kingdom’ or even ‘Eternal Rise of the Sun?’ Nope. Well, ‘Scars of the Old Stream’ appears, but can hardly be counted as a bona fide Anathema track of yore. But before the diehard fan in me discards the vestal Resonance as a mindless assortment of Liverpudlian table scraps, the quality and overall fluidity of the album is something which marks nearly every Anathema album. It’s almost indescribable ‘ The Silent Enigma, Eternity and Judgement all possessed this celestial fingerprint. Not to say Resonance matches any of the above in terms of sheer emotional weight, but the spark is there.

The compilation lures the listener into relaxed state of concentration with slower, more reflective tracks like ‘Everwake’ and ‘J’ai Fait Une Promesse,’ both home to the hauntingly beautiful Ruth, and never quite turns heavier. Musically, that is. The acoustic rendition of ‘Far Away’ is just as impassioned as the original, with vocalist/guitarist Vincent Cavanagh’s soul-wrenching outcries hitting home as powerfully as they did when first unleashed on The Silent Enigma. The track blends effortlessly with two of the three Eternity pieces, the third part being an unplugged affair displayed with Anathema’s warm rage. ‘Better Off Dead,’ a Bad Religion cover that appeared on Peaceville’s X compilation, however is a bit of a stretch. With an unnamed female vocalist at the mic, ‘Better Off Dead’ ends up sounding like a Lilith Fair B-Side, forgoing Bad Religion’s penchant for fast-paced, tell-it-like-you-don’t-want-to-hear-it punk for piano/vocal melodrama. Yuck!

Anathema’s reverence for Pink Floyd isn’t a secret, which is certainly why ‘One of the Few’ (off Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut) and ‘Goodbye Cruel World’ (off The Wall) are rendered with utmost caution. The tracks aren’t the most adventurous to tackle from Floyd’s wide array of emotionally charged work. They do fit the scope of Resonance and lyrically are prime fare for the Cavanagh brothers to soak up and reverberate it back to the world.

‘Inner Silence,’ ‘Destiny’ and the orchestrated version of ‘The Silent Enigma’ are all culled from Eternity, an album that seems sorely regarded as a low point Anathema’s post-Darren White discography. Not sure if they’re present to resurrect an old album or to help continue the otherwise (rattled only by the rough live cut of ‘Angelica’) smooth transition from track to track. Not surprisingly, such heavy petting of Eternity works well in the absence of material from Judgement. With regard to said album, ‘Forgotten Hopes,’ ‘One Last Goodbye’ or ‘Emotional Winter’ would have worked perfectly here. My bet their omission is down to licensing issues between Peaceville and MFN. Oh well, hopefully a few cuts from Judgement will prevail on the second part of ‘Resonance’ as should ‘Lovelorn Rhapsody’ (Peaceville Vol. 4 version, thank you), ‘Mine is Yours to Drown in,’ ‘Sunset of the Age,’ ‘Cerulean Twilight’ and maybe a smashing cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb.’

 The catalog holes notwithstanding, Anathema more than make up for it them with the most consistent collection out of the bunch (At The Gates, My Dying Bride, Autopsy), showing companies like Nuclear Blast and others too numerous to mention that with a little care and vision collections don’t have to sit dejectedly in cut-out bins or sold to local used stores for pocket change. Anathema has always been a unique entity in a world of mediocrity and Resonance continues to be a testament to that. Here’s to concourse number two.

A new vocalist in the form of Dave Ingram (ex-Benediction) and a new album signaled Bolt Thrower were indeed alive and well. Truth be told, a Bolt Thrower album is just that – expecting more will invariably set you up for disappointment. Bolt Thrower aren’t Voivod and have never aimed beyond their careful trajectory. Therein lies the beauty of death metal’s most consistent outfit. Guitarists Barry Thompson and Gavin Ward are riff machines with a soul, hammering out some of the most infectious riffery this side of Tony Iommi. In fact, hindsight reveals Bolt Thrower have always been closer to Black Sabbath than Carcass and Napalm Death, two more bands that helped shape the formative U.K. scene.

With the above in mind, Honour Valour Pride is a massive undertaking in the science and craft of the riff. Each song here contains a formidable payload of headbanging delight. “Contact-Wait Out” opens up to the bunker-thick churn of Thompson and Ward’s slickly devised mid-paced death metal – think “Cenotaph” in terms of heaviness. Ingram’s vocals aren’t quite as clear as Willets, but what he lacks in clarity he makes up for in power, which isn’t too dissimilar from his shining performance on Benediction’s The Grotesque – Ashen Epitaph. Only two tracks in and “Inside the Wire” is undoubtedly the standout. The song’s simple but effective gait isn’t as impenetrable as the opening of, say, “World Eater” yet you won’t find another quite like it. If current death metal (hello Six Feet Under?) featured this kind of exemplary craftsmanship much of it wouldn’t be utterly forgettable.

Also, tucked away inside Bolt Thrower’s efficient arsenal is melody. You’ll find it laced in every track, but more so in the band’s melancholic work. “Honour” is such a track as were “Dying Creed” and “Silent Demise.” These death metal ‘ballads’ have almost vanished today, and hearing a veteran crank it down a notch is a testament to their longevity. “7th Offensive,” “K-Machine” and “Pride” drive with similar force as most newer Bolt Thrower cuts and despite a few diversions (Jo Bench’s brief but welcome bass solo, Slayer-like builds, eerie solos) manage to scour large swaths of old-school attitude on the current landscape of boredom. Combine “Inside the Wire” and “K-Machine” into a two-song MCD and I doubt most bands 10 years younger will be in a mortar shot of touching Bolt Thrower. Don’t get me wrong, Honour Valour Pride has a few yawn-fests. “Suspect Hostile,” the opening of “Valour” and the verses of “A Hollow Truce” move like a HUM V in neck-deep water. Get it.

On the whole, Honour Valour Pride makes for essential Bolt Thrower listening. It’s more inspired than Mercenary and the Andy Faulkner production does wonders for the band’s outstanding attention to riff structure. Bolt Thrower junkies like yours truly will nevertheless enjoy but Honour Valour Pride points out that even Krisiun and the Brazilian wind-‘em-up-and-go-movement don’t have much on Bolt Thrower. Quality over quantity has never been so right.

I first encountered Agathodaimon in 1997, with their demo, and thought they were quite promising, an up-and-coming gothic black metal band. Over the years that followed I was aware that they released albums but I never actually picked them up. I am guessing their two previous albums were similar in style to Chapter III because the music has not changed much since ’97. Musically they are mid-paced to slow with many passages that incorporate blast beats, yet there is no intensity. The music feels neither aggressive nor angry, it seems maybe depressing or mournful, which is keeping with the gothic tendencies.

The black aspects such as blastbeats and “evil” vocals do not fit well because the atmosphere is wrong. There are some high points on this album, such as “The Ending of Our Yesterday”, and overall it is not a bad album, just nothing beyond the ordinary.

Agathodaimon is a band that has not reached its potential, but deserves credit for remaining true to their style.

Arise suffers the same fate as their peers on The Godly Work of Art: recycled riffs and similarly pilfered atmospherics are on display here, and while they sound incredible to a first-time listener, the fact remains At The Gates performed this with more soul, intent and energy. It’s that simple. The first three tracks of The Godly Work of Art are so inherently At The Gates (circa Slaughter of the Soul) that you’d swear guitarist Erik Ljungqvist and L-G Jonasson simply reworked ‘Under a Serpent Sun’ and ‘Blinded By Fear’ and stamped with their own seal of approval by adding Hypocrisy (circa Abducted) mid-paced grooves. The opening title track does a commendable job at merging all of the above by bridging the verses with either a blastbeat or a Carcass-styled (circa Heartwork) solo, which works to Arise’s advantage in this instance. Unfortunately, it’s high-performance melodic death without much individuality as a track like ‘Within’ also demonstrates. The song’s main riff is infectious and smartly assembled, but the hook only lasts so long before that uncomfortable feeling of ‘I’ve heard this before’ sets in. Even ‘Within’s’ smattering of Bay Area (read: Testament, Exodus) influence compounds the fact Arise aren’t working from a palette entirely their own.

Despite the above-par performance, the band’s youth is on display here, too. Cuts like ‘Haterush,’ ‘Abducted Intelligence,’ and ”And the Truth is Lies’ are simply running through the motions second tier bands (insert name here) established five years ago. With sections of originality (such as the soloing; strange clean picking) peering through the mediocrity on more than one occasion, Arise do have original thoughts inside the songwriting collective. ‘Cellbound’ and the very riff-intensive ‘Wounds’ are the best tracks on the album as it’s in these songs that the quartet signal a brighter, less-dependent-on-their-influences future. The element of At The Gates is present but not nearly as strong ‘ ‘Cellbound’s’ fast harmonies, thrash metal sensibilities and technical prowess make for one killer cut; ‘Wounds’ is a comparatively slower song with sections of massive chugging and blues-tinged spikes.

The Godly Work of Art closes with a cover of Metallica’s ‘Motorbreath,’ which I find a little out of context. Metallica covers aren’t exactly an exciting proposition ‘ even this one. Personally, I feel Arise could be more if they really focused less on what others are doing (or have done) and presented the scene with an album that not only kills in its intensity but is smart about it. Think about it, if Slaughter of the Soul wasn’t so painstakingly crafted, perhaps a band such as Arise wouldn’t necessarily exist in the form its in. How many bands imitated Slayer and are still around to reap the metallic rewards? Not a one.

The Godly Work of Art does have it fair share of redeeming qualities (outlined above) and should please non-discriminate Swedish death connoisseurs, but I’m hard-pressed to give the album more than a sidelong glance.

After two average releases (1995’s The Dreams You Dread, and 1998’s Grind Bastards), Benediction took some time off, changed vocalists and came back with a new sense of energy. New growler, Dave Hunt is just what the Doctor ordered for this ailing and aging stalwart of the British death metal scene. Previous vocalist Dave Ingram has moved on to Bolt Thrower, and this was a good move for Benediction. While Hunt has the same overall sounding voice, he has far more range and emotion than Ingram. There’s even a few of the whispered passages that made The Grand Leveler so atmospheric. (I Literally was “Jumping at Shadows”, when I listened to that album with headphones!) He also seems to have injected the entire band with a new sense of vigor and fire, which burns through all of the eleven tracks.

Bolstered by a pristine Andy Sneap Production, this album has everything you would expect from a quality Benediction release. Thundering mid paced to fast riffing, interwoven with some slower controlled chugging. While none of this re-defines death metal, or flows with originality, it harnesses everything that made death metal so basic, simple and fun in the early 90’s (before all the sub genres and pigeonholing). There are faster songs, (“Suffering Feeds Me”-a personal favorite), and some slower songs (“Diary of a Killer”). The fast songs certainly are not nearly as brutal as some of the more modern death/grindcore (In fact I don’t think there is a single blast beat on the album), but have a certain throwback charm that reminds us the roots of death metal. Benediction shows that heaviness isn’t necessarily equated with speed. By allowing control and strong songwriting to be the focus of the album, Benediction have shown the slew of younger bands how it is done; with class, structure and a nod to the past. This is Benediction’s best material since The Grand Leveler and Transcend the Rubicon.

Listeners should not expect anything new or ground breaking musically or lyrically, just a solid death metal album form one of the most consistent bands in the scene.

That being said, I find Bane to be a perfect example of what I think a hardcore band is. Albeit, I am up ’till this, their third and newest album (Give Blood), unfamiliar with the band’s previous two releases. I know, shame on me. So you’ll find my thoughts objective and unhindered by long- time admiration for the band. Bane, like I said above, play hardcore, and they play it by the book. There are your vocals that are shouted, but certainly clear enough to hear almost each word accompanied by the occasional shout/sing along parts highlighting a verse or chorus. What’s being said is a great part about this band as well. The whole album has a positive feel through each song that is unmistakable. I think what makes this band standout from the rest of the bunch is sincerity. I believe what these guys are saying, there is conviction behind their words all throughout, which is a big aspect of hardcore and certainly Bane.

The music is innovative for being hardcore but not too much to broaden out into other areas. It has some mellower moments, a few builds and quieter parts that lace several songs throughout the CD. Track 3 (“Snakes Among Us”) has an intro that starts quietly then builds and gets louder until busting out into the song. The same formula can also be seen in track 9 (“The Big Gundown”) which is a nice break from the standard “1 – 2 – 3 – GO!” approach, it helps differentiate songs from each other. For the most part Bane stick to the main hardcore pace, not too fast, not too slow, but right in the mid-range. They do pick up the speed on more than a few occasions and oppositely slow down here and there. More often than not though the tempo is very upbeat and driving.

The album closes with a rad, somewhat slower, sing along shouting, “Give more, give everything, give blood!” These guys certainly have heart and it’s easy to tell.

After a promising debut on Century Media in 1998, the band ran into some label issues, revolving band members, and was eventually signed to Blackend. I think the instability has affected to level of output and time the band can focus on song-writing, as the material on The Light, the Dark and the Endless Knot falls far short of the debut record. This is unfortunate, as Waylander really have some elements that make them stand out from the pack, they are just not fully utilized effectively.

Musically, Waylander produce average death/thrash riffs pulling obviously from NWBHM and other European metal outfits; the problem is it just isn’t played very well. The drums sometimes are out of sync, the guitars riffs are sloppy, and on the rare moments when the band speed up, all the instruments seem to fit together out of sheer luck rather than skill. Overall it sounds like a well produced demo, and reminded me in quality of Cruachan’s primitive Tuatha Na Gael. However, the band has recently undergone even more line-up changes, and hopefully this will solve the numerous musical issues.

On top of the questionable playing, the Celtic elements seem thrown in as an afterthought just fit the imagery, and its limited to only a tin whistle and flute. Hardly awe inspiring pagan grandeur. I wouldn’t mind this if the music itself stood up fine on its own, but it doesn’t. None of the riffs really invoke the required atmosphere to complete Waylander’s desired pagan effect. The odd acoustic flute interlude and tin whistle over some of riffs doesn’t cut it, especially when other bands in the genre have far more variation and depth to their ethnic elements. Then the failing coup de grace, the entire album suffers from the Curse Of The Awful Clean Vocals. Yes, the singer can growl and snarl adequately but he (Ciaran O’Hagan) has a severe case of “crapcleanvocalitis” – possibly even worse than displayed on Hin Onde’s recent album. Even attempts at bouncy jig type songs, which normally really get me going, fall flat due to all the aforementioned elements (“After the Fall” and “Release the Spirit Within”).

I hate writing negative reviews, but a really had a hard time finding much positive about this album, as Waylander took a huge step back from Reawakening Pride Once Lost. Essentially Waylander do have the tools the make a impact in the pagan/Celtic metal ring, but until they learn to play more cohesively, settle on a label and stabilize the line-up, the amazing potential won’t be realized. However, I will still investigate future releases as I think external and internal adversity has temporarily taken the some of the bite out of this once proud clan. Hopefully, after some time thy will return triumphantly.

I have known about this band for awhile but had never had any desire to listen to them so I can not compare New Obscurantis Order to their two previous releases. The vocals are not bad and the symphonic aspect is under control for the most part. It does have a pseudo-majestic feel that makes me think of 1940’s cartoons. The whirlwind pace is heightened by the synthesizers and the vocals never stop, as if they are afraid to go long without them because they might have to slow down. This album is supposed to be darker than previous releases. I find it light and theatrical, not really dark at all. The shouted vocals don’t give a dark feel either, but there are some ominous sounds throughout. With their cover of Solitude, they prove Candlemass songs do not work well with screamed vocals or with that gothic whine. It is nice to see a band covering Candlemass, but mutilating it and still putting it on the album doesn’t work for me.

Overall New Obscurantis Order is a strong performance and fans of the genre should like it well enough to overlook it’s faults. To goth fans there may not even be any faults.

At times, the album is too much. Anathema allows a chilling personal wound to be opened for listeners to climb into, revealing intimate brutal truths about the band and their vast musical journeys. Be forewarned, escaping this release is nigh impossible, as the band intend to conquer your soul through stark, painful realism. This is what moves this album beyond simple terms like ‘masterpiece’ (what does that really mean anyway?), and instead lifts it into enigmatic ranking, alongside albums such as Jeff Buckley’s Grace, Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left or Slint’s Spiderland. This is precisely why you’ll never hear Anathema or any of these other artists on MTV or popular radio, because creatively they exist on a higher plane.

Within them is found an unexplainable magic that shatters all preconceptions of artistic music, implanting itself tightly into your quiet emotional existence. Most ignore it or walk away, unable to cope with this level of achievement. For those brave enough to tread these seething waters, A Fine Day to Exit is the ultimate in bittersweet rewards. For Anathema, they have taken an exponential step forward in a bold new direction that plays upon themes only hinted at previously. Albeit risky, it is the only option afforded this era’s greatest, most unrecognized, talented, and under-appreciated rock band.

Extreme metal tags from the early 90’s have bled the band dry, pulling them far away of receiving proper critical recognition. This caused, stark indifference outside the metal community to past monumental achievements (namely 1999’s Judgement and 1998’s grossly underrated Alternative 4), leaving the band one simple option. Walk away from metal forever, with no regrets. With AFDTE, Anathema has done so, as proudly and ambitiously as one would expect from these classy Brits. After a 10-year journey, they’ve grown up and justly found their ‘voice,’ so be prepared.

Opener “Pressure” is classic Anathema formula, following in the tradition of fellow openers “Fragile Dreams” and “Deep.” Only in this case, there is a distinctive Radiohead OK Computer pulse, as the song glides effortlessly along with a weighty sense of deep-rooted importance. Anathema’s layered (almost molten), urgent sound has accepted a whole new diversity into its vocabulary, in much the same way Katatonia or Cave In did – with the usage of more acoustics, piano and electronic nuances. “Release” is pure originality, with only a hint of Johnny Cash-esque twang in the acoustic guitars, as the song builds into a momentous glacier of shimmering emotion. The ghost of Jeff Buckley is conjured freely on “Looking Outside Inside” and “Leave No Trace.” The first is an atmospheric journey inward for the band with loud bursts of desperation that recalls Buckley’s “Mojo Pin” or “So Real,” only with a bit more Anathema-ish psychedelic cloud-cover. The latter sounds deeply personal; the lyrics could carry infinite meanings. “The moment is passing you by,” singer Vincent Cavanagh croons as quiet acoustic crescendos gulf forward recalling Radiohead’s “Karma Police.”

The lyrics offer both testaments to human frailty and express the vulnerability of a band on a quest for artistic soul-searching (and overdue respect). Les Smith’s delicate use of keys is a far cry from his torrid Cradle past, where he was forced to overdue the dramatics instead of creating lush soundscapes for the Cavanagh brothers cosmic, sticky guitarwork. Only his brother Danny, whose loose bluesy style sounds like a braver David Gilmour at times, overmatches Vincent’s godly guitar playing. Vincent’s vocal work has put him into a dangerous category alongside the Thom Yorkes and Jeff Buckleys of our generation. Nowhere is this more evident then on centerpiece “Underworld,” a song that begs both heartfelt interpretation and consummate worshipping.

Some songs feel important, while scant few stray into inescapable genius. This falls into the latter, as mesmerizing musical execution mixed with Cavanagh’s purgatorial vocal performance leaves the listener either in flames or in tears, where endless layers of emotionally complex baggage unfold. Curiously found cutting through the blackness of this song is a rare redemptive quality. With Anathema it seems there is always hope. Danny makes a rare vocal appearance, rising to the occasion to reveal his wispy Nick Drake vocals on “Barriers.” The track inescapably floats through the listener’s subconscious thanks to the gentle propulsion of drummer John Douglas, who again proves what it takes to be a great rock drummer.

One might think the album schizophrenic, but it is quite the opposite indeed, as each song softly propels their powerful message forward in a logical manner rarely seen (think OK Computer, Lateralus or If_Then_Else). Stream of conscious rocker, “Panic,” is both unforeseen and refreshing. It is a total surprise unlike anything the band has ever produced: garbled lyrics, seemingly meaningless (Yeah right guys, nice try!), carry a firm rhythmic prose lacking in most modern music. Like a metallic, Beat-poetry session, the Cavanagh brothers race against one another in cosmic verbal warfare leading to an eruptive silence, comparable only to the hollow of a murdered explosion. On the quiet downturn comes the groping title track and album closer, “Temporary Peace,” in all their cosmic reverence.

A Fine Day to Exit is a myriad of interstellar emotions, firmly planted in the British soil of Floyd, the Byrds, Drake or even latter-day Radiohead. Cathartic breakpoint is achieved as Anathema leaves us with the gorgeously abusive tranquility of “Temporary Peace.” Here the band chooses to use subtle, accentuating female vocals (as with “Barriers”) that cascade over the listener, leading to a puritanical out-of-body experience. This sensation is not only a summation of Anathema’s ability to heal through their music, but a sonic exclamation point to an enigmatic masterpiece. Fitting, as Vincent’s soothingly repetitious phrase, “Drifting out…,” intersects with crashing waves to create a blinding, astral effect. When this blinding subsides your senses return to ground zero. From here you start over again, so the senses can freely explore the base musical textures grazing this Pandora’s box. It’s a shame bassist Dave Pybus left for Cradle’s boring narcissism, because Anathema have tempered into a wicked musical weapon. Each individual seems to be dwelling inside each other’s minds, wielding a sharp understanding of what each band member brings to the musical table.

 It seems that not only have Anathema mastered natural feedback and imperfective, infectious melodies, but also a knack for adverse rhythms and bleeding musical patience. Want uneasy rhythms? Try the bridge/chorus interchanges of “Looking Outside Inside,” a melange of strangely shifting euphonious passages that reads like flight manual for floating progressive indie rock. There is a cosmic ethnicity here that even makes recent space rock events like Cave In’s Jupiter pale, not to mention enough stark realism to comfortably place them alongside legends like Drake, Roy Harper or Buckley (Tim or Jeff). What’s beautiful about Anathema’s music is their ability to take standard repetitious rock formulas and make them anything but. They mold tangible sensibilities with minutely abstract ideas to form repeating verses that, in essence, never truly repeat.

As with each successive album, Anathema is ever-changing, always moving forward. No verse is alike, no chorus the same, their music is an organic art form that truly lives and breathes. Just as no moment of our day ever repeats, Anathema interject wistful feedback, increasing layers of keyboard, folkish acoustic undertones or a new vocal harmony to make every second comfortably different. After mastering this technique on Judgement’s shining “Wings of God,” it seems the band is ready for total ascension into a higher musical plane of artistic existence. With A Fine Day to Exit, they have breathtakingly succeeded. Do you want to know the scary part though (besides how many words this review is)? I daresay that I think they have only begun to ascend. Now that is truly chilling…

Blood in the Ink, their Eulogy debut, is 100 percent tough-guy, thugcore, replete with breakaway staccato runs, finger-pointing shouts, simplistic riffing and plenty of attitude. From opening track “Driving this Car Head First into a Wall” to closer “Finger on the Trigger,” Until The End expectedly ram every staple of hardcore down your throat only to rip it back out when they see fit.

At times, the guitar tuning and chord progressions are similar to Obituary’s The End Complete and the vocals of Pete Kowalsky are akin to inflections of Burnt By The Sun’s Mike Olender. At others, the music possesses an early Sick Of It All and Agnostic Front vibe, which, for the floor-punchers and ninja trainees, is a bona fide signal Until The End don’t adhere to shout ‘n’ pout guidelines that’s current in vogue.

Certainly, this quintet won’t win any awards for reinventing the wheel as Blood in the Ink uses repeated themes (riffs, song structure, vocal patterns) in order to magnify their message of a hardcore unity and sonic supremacy. Even if one look at the interior of the album seems to vindicate violence, Until The End wants to punch you bloody for all the ‘good’ reasons. Humor aside, if Hatebreed, Hoods, Skarhead and all the other bands who own more than one pair of brass knuckles are fair game, then Until The End should appeal to you. Those looking for more evolution in the hardcore ladder are strongly advised to head back to the ‘right’ side of the tracks.

Of course that’s no surprise, looking at the all-star line-up: keyboardist/vocalist Neal Morse (Spock’s Beard), drummer Mike Portney (Dream Theater), guitarist Roine Stolt (Flower Kings), and bassist Pete Trewavas (Marillion). These musicians are highly talented in their respective main bands, all of which have added significantly to the progressive-rock genre; put them together, however, and the union becomes utterly phenomenal.

Each of the record’s four, suite-length tracks is multi-layered and simply amazing: the 26-minute “Duel With The Devil” begins with a walking bass line a la Yes’ “Sweet Dreams,” ends with keyboard atmospherics reminiscent of Yes’ “Close To The Edge,” and packs plenty of Steve Howe/Rick Wakeman flourishes in between. After a false start, “Suite Charlotte Pike” soars into Beatles/Yes harmonic heaven and is followed by the title track, a brief piano ballad. Another 26-minute monster, “Stranger In Your Soul” ends disc one and is a heavier combination of Trevor Rabin’s chordage on Yes’ 90125, Jimmy Page’s fretwork on Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, and Rick Wakeman’s prowess on his solo epic The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur.

The bonus disc kicks off with a note-for-note cover of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” rendered near perfectly and Transatlantic-ized in spots, with the band putting their signature spin on it. The Beatles’ “And I Love Her” gets Latinized in this first-take recording that began with a mere studio chat; unfortunately, the vocals are unprocessed and therefore muffled because of the song’s spontaneous birth. Sadly, Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water” gets the same undersupplied vocal treatment, though their version is fairly brilliant after realizing the group switched instruments: Morse on drums, Portnoy on bass, and Trewavas on keys (the debut of the Transpacific line-up). Then come fly-on-the-wall studio chats; an early demo of “Duel With The Devil” from Morse called “Dance With The Devil”; Stolt’s demo meanderings; and a CD-ROM feature with studio footage, band biography, photos, and web links. Made for fans by fans, Bridge Across Forever will stand the test of time to epitomize progressive rock.

Ten albums and over 15 years of rage, Agnostic Front have outlasted many of their NYHC contemporaries ‘ even though their last “great” album was 1992’s One Voice,  the band have returned with their most throwback hardcore punk effort since Liberty and Justice. Agnostic Front’s last two albums were good, but were interchangeable as far as the quality of the songs; they seemed to lack the unique sense of rebellious power that permeated their earlier efforts. Dead Yuppies sees a true return to thespeedy 3-chord power riff glory of Victim In Pain. Sporting a classic black cover and bold white labeling, this album reeks of old school. Even the crowd shot on the back is a nod to prior victories. The raw production sounds 10 years old, not the polished metalcore-ish sound they had started leaning to.

Fifteen songs, 30 minutes, spiteful outspoken lyrics, chanted choruses and those super simple yet oh-so-catchy riffs is true NYHC at its best. The songs on Dead Yuppies drip with energetic, tattooed anger. Second song “Out of Reach” brings “Power” to mind and rips along with timeless abandon, which then seamlessly changes into “Everybody’s A Critic,” another rage-filled minute of “Fuck You” street tough attitude. The song easily throws off the Roadrunner-era throes of commercialization. “Urban Decadence” is the kind of sweaty mosh pit rousing anthem that just begs for a live audience and a live album.

The core of Agnostic Front, vocalist Roger Miret and guitarist Vinnie Stigma, ensure that the album retains its old school feel throughout. Miret even sounds 10 years younger, and Stigma’s solos are still thankfully rare and chaotic. As ever, Agnostic Front’s lyrics range from personal vendettas, political tirades, and chest-pounding self-proclamation. They’re all delivered with Miret’s trademark scowling throat. 

Another area that emphasizes the ‘Front’s return to glory are the breakdowns.”Rather than the crisp, crunchy metallic groove of Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front’s slower moments are rawer heartfelt expressions of anger or pride. And its a thing of nostalgic beauty.”Alright’s” rousing ending is a prime example of how Agnostic Front have regressed, which is certainly more beneficial than detrimental. 

At its heart, Dead Yuppies is far more abrasive punk than metal; it has a lot more residual elements from the band’s past, and could possibly revive a genre thought long dead outside New York. You could consider this a comeback album as it sounds so wonderfully dated, but the beaten down charm of this style is that it always sounds good, especially when done with the kind of conviction on display here.

This might be Agnostic Front’s strongest effort in a decade, and further proves that the New Yorkers are true to the scene-today, tomorrow and forever.

Though Therion have been doing the classical thing long before it dawned on Metallica-’95’s Theli saw the band embrace this style in earnest – these Swedes have followed a similar path: they began heavy with ’91s Of Darkness, peaked with ’95s Lepaca Kliffoth, and have endured a bumpy descent ever since. Bandleader Christofer Johnsson’s real challenge has been selling the idea of operatic metal to the masses, much like Skyclad pushing their pun-laden bombast or Tempest marketing their Irish folk metal.

Thankfully, Secret Of The Runes is not last year’s Deggial, a silly record that was more Broadway metal than goth mediocrity. But even though Secret is decidedly heavier in the riff department, the album still yearns for acceptance on the Great White Way. Based on Nordic rune tradition, “Ginnungagap” starts out with the rhythms of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” flaunting Middle Eastern tonal qualities that either resemble Nile at 16 rpm or make Tiamat’s 1992 opus Clouds so darn enticing. In fact, the chord progressions in “Nifelheim” are hauntingly comparable to the same from Tiamat’s “In A Dream” (from that same album), while “Muspelheim” starts with Moody Blues-ish symphonics and ends with hair(band)-brained guitar wankery reserved for Malmsteen and his militia. “Ljusalfheim” boasts too many Queen-isms to mention, and “Jotunheim” has Mexican horns that smack of the AM radio hit from ’72, “Conquistador,” by Robin Trower’s Procol Harem (ironically, another classical-tinged rock band).

Swallowing the album’s vocals is difficult at best: “Asgard” and “Midgard” are good examples, for they house a female choir and soloists, which remind one of a cathedral Xmas program, and their male counterparts, whose voices swing to memories of the Seven Dwarves and all other terrible Disney soundtracks. Granted, you might find this, as the bio states, “a disc that contains so much depth and talent yet is so hard to explain.” I just don’t see the attraction.

As their album cover shows, their aim is to shock, and they claim people have left concerts too shocked by the show’s sexual character. While not bad musically, this appears to be a band you will not fully appreciate unless you see them live. “Ineffable Hell Commander” is slow with rumbling drums and shrieking guitars, “the Ominous Circle” is a plodding heavy slow song with lots of distortion, “the Whorehouse Coven” is dominated by blastbeats, with some variations, accompanied by the same ultra-heavy guitars.

 For the most part all the songs share the same quick tempo. With little to distinguish one song from the next, it feels more like one long song with many parts, and works as an album because of this strong cohesion. The two best songs are the two slow paced ones minus blastbeats. They incorporate lots of feedback and distortion and it works well for them. Arkhon Infaustus are like a brutal Motorhead. If they moved in next door more than your lawn would die.

They call this “undaground musical terrorism.” What it is is an atmospheric, dissonant epic necro-opera. All tracks fit together in a mostly cohesive whole and build from one to another, showing at least a passing familiarity with classical composition. A movie soundtrack this is not, and ambient noise is very minimal. Musically we have ultra simple hypnotic black with many layers upon layers, giving a thick, dense feel, like being lost in the dark. I really have no clue as to the hidden meaning, if in fact there is one, but I find the disc enjoyable enough to garner full listening attention each time I play it. There are many long pauses ending/beginning chapters, usually followed by abrupt continuations of the previous sound, but for some reason it is not bothersome. The occasional low rumblings during the pauses are an odd touch, but when they blast full volume back in, the intensity is heightened. The many atmospheric passages serve as interludes from the blastbeats. Chapter five even slows down into doom passages with simple slow guitars, an absence of melody and lots of background reverberations.

Many bands have albums full of songs you can not tell apart, this is a forty minute song broken into six pieces, somewhat arbitrary it seems, to make manageable pieces, because times when it seems a likely break for a track it is not and other times you don’t realize that you have moved on to the next track. Apparently their next album is to be called Dialogue With The Stars. With that title I’ll wait and see, but in the meantime, I listen to this one from time to time.

Building slowly from the quiet, pensive opening instrumental “Dusk” straight into the nine minute plus dirge of “Doom’s Bride,” the band hits its stride and locks into a repetitive heavy hook and never looks back. Led by the spot on, heavy hitting drum style of Mike Hubbard (ex-Infestation), who plays it relatively simple but pounds hard throughout, the trio works really well together at locking into a groove and staying with it, something which I feel is an absolute necessity for this style of music to make the most impact. The tempo change around the five minute mark of “Doom’s Bride” is done perfectly and shows just how effective they are at getting into the zone.

Vocally, bassist Jerry Orne’s style is closest to that of Sleep’s Al Cisneros on that band’s defining moment, Jerusalem. His phrasings are done primarily in a monotonous tone, which manage to make the lyrics seem even that much more menacing than they really are. Hearing him bark out lyrics like “Altar of dawn, bury me in light / Crimson eclipse, Blood and Body ignite” (from “Lysergic Communion”) is enough to make a doomhead really smile and take notice.

The most outstanding accomplishment on the record, however, has to be the band’s ability to travel from quiet introspective parts to crushing heaviness and back within a single song. They manage to shift dynamics with such ease that it is a real delight to participate in the journey. The band is currently on the road in North America with Electric Wizard and judging from both band’s latest discs it may be the best underground doom tour in a long time.

For those not familiar with the band, what we have is a Swedish band playing the Norwegian black metal style, slow and melodic guitars and harsh screams, with many fast paced parts accompanied by blastbeats. Fans of the early Norwegian scene should like it, but if you are new to the band, it is not their best material. Fans of Thy Primordial will not be disappointed because it is simply a more raw version of what you would expect. Standout songs include “Bortum Nattsvart Himmel,” with its audible bass lines and fast melodic guitars and “Mitt Sokandes Ritual,” an epic 8-minute affair with excellent slow guitars. this one is worth the price of admission.

I am obviously not the target audience. Schatten Aus… is over two hours long and I find it impossible to sit through it. I might as well plug in the vacuum cleaner and listen to that for awhile, why not record that and call it a song, I guess Cathedral already did that. I’m told that this is very similar to Ulver’s current sound. If that is the case I’m sure the majority of you will love this but I’ll have to listen to some Ulver mp3s… Ok, I’m back. I guess I can officially write off Ulver as well. I knew they had changed direction, but… I’d have to say that if “Perdition City is a mammoth work of electronic genius” the new Bethlehem disk is a flea that went for a ride in that mammoth’s fur.

Have we got any memorable tracks? Surreal trip music with bizarre noise and synthesized effects and distortions make up the bulk of it. No information came with the promo, not booklets, no press release, no hints, and the spoken parts are all in German. My guess is they are telling you to kill yourself. In between garbled radio tuning bits and garbled whispered vocals is some industrial / techno dance without the rhythm (disk 2, track 17) and easy listening style with some whining guitars and clean singing over recognizable rhythm (disk 2. track 15). The thirteen minute final track follows 47 consecutive blank tracks, and is the closest thing to a coherent song on the whole double album.

I think if I edited these two disks down to an ep worth of good material I still would not play it, but it would feel like less of a rip-off. If I’m ever in the mood for demented space rock I’ll pull out my Hawkwind records, that’s as bizarre as I ever need. At two hours fifteen minutes, Schatten Aus Der Alexander Welt occupies time that would have been better spent doing anything else.

What we have here in April Ethereal is an aggressive, melodic, romantic death/doom metal band – who have borrowed everything (name, album title) from Opeth song titles. Along with the aggression, the other thing that stands out is the raw, almost ‘in the room’ production. With the exception of the keys, you really can ‘hear’ the room at times, which I think is kind of cool. The songs here blend death metal speed, doom metal mood and goth metal’s acoustic and piano accents into what amounts to a very dark record. ‘The First Step Into The Unknown’ is a relentless killer of a track, accented by quick forays into acoustic bliss. ‘The Repose’ begins with folk-like acoustic strumming before diving into a mid-tempo double kick drum riff and more of those throat-straining growls. That is the vocal style of this record. Don’t be fooled by some of the adjectives I’ve used so far. There are no female vocals, and what clean vocals there are, like on ‘Hologram,’ are spoken. The growls are deep, full and rich, which helps to fill out the whole vibe of the music.

Speaking of ‘Hologram’, there are some fantastic acoustic guitar melodies worked into the arrangement and the instrumental section is very melodic. All eight tracks on Advent run together with no silence in between, almost making it sound like one long song. That makes it hard to know when a new song has begun unless you’re watching the counter, but closer repeated listens remedies that. There are more than enough dynamics run throughout this record to accomplish separation. The lyrics are very poetic. They read more like dramatic sonnets than metal lyrics. In opening track ‘Her Silent Cry At Dawn’, it is written, ‘A tear fell on his grave’his soul ended it’s race’silent, lonely, boarded over’covered by the hatred of this world”.

Comparisons to Opeth would not be totally unfounded, but also not totally accurate as April Ethereal still has a ways to go to earn that sort of compliment. But, it is a good record and one that fans of goth-y death metal should dig.

Osiris – Typhon Unmasked is well performed, technical black metal with chaotic and melodic elements. Once again they offer nothing new to the genre, but once again they showcase strong musicianship. Also once again, the mix is less than perfect. The vocals are buried and the synths are too loud, making it difficult to pick out the individual guitar lines in many places. The vocals are nothing special, but not really being able to hear them is an annoyance. Overcoming the production faults, what we have is a quick pace without being overly aggressive. Only the harshness of the vocals adds any intensity; lack of intensity is actually not a problem here.

The music is quite enjoyable and interesting enough to warrant repeated listening, however. Slow passages fit well with fast breaks and dispel the monotonousness of the drumming, which helps song flow. The guitar playing is quite nice and for the most part the synths fill in without taking over. If it wasn’t for the tone of the lyrics I wouldn’t say a brutal edge was necessary. Musically it works quite beautifully as melodic upbeat music, which is probably a sacrilegious thing to say about a black metal band. “Mercurian Soulscapes” has some clean vocals which are not very clear due to poor production values. With lines like, “Patiently observing those we desire to hunt fully prepared to unleash our innermost demons to violate, to ravish and to annihilate,” some aggression seems appropriate, but as I said, the music is interesting enough to keep your attention while waiting patiently for the brutality that never comes. “My Twin of Disorder” uses blastbeats to set the pace and guitars chug along, but the keys carry the melodies, quite memorable actually.

As I said, Alghazanth is musically quite accomplished, but the production hurts. And that, in the end, may affect the band’s standing in literally a sea of competitors. Proceed only if you’re a completist.

Comparisons to Eyehategod are inevitable, but I’d go so far as to say that Beaten Back to Pure are even more hateful and depraved. There’s something akin to recent Crowbar here too, not so much stylistically, but more in terms of sheer sonic density. Big, fat guitars with absolutely perfect tone churn out a mix of dragging stoner blues and Sabbath stomp, with solos that bend all over the fretboard like a staggering drunk trying to find his way to the next riff.

Very little melody is present, but BBTP keep things interesting with non-repeating song structures and well-placed tempo changes. It’s nice to hear a southern sludge band who aren’t afraid to speed up the tempo now and then, like on the crushing “Failure Wine,” where the band sounds like they’re trying their damnedest to stay atop a bucking bronco. Other standout tracks include the galloping “Whore’s Bath,” which opens with a bouncy groove, slows to a crawl, cranks out a good, old-fashioned, mournful “where have you gone Tony Iommi?” lead, then picks up steam towards the end. Also check out the closer “Six Gun Salute,” which just keeps getting slower and meaner during the final section of the tune – sludge indeed.

Vocalist Ben screams out one of the most scathing, scraping, throat-shreading performances I’ve heard since Kiss It Goodbye disbanded. His utterly merciless, whisky and gasoline-chugging grate is positively painful to behold. You can hear his throat ripping on “Tremors Beneath the Flesh.” It’s just plain sick – you’ve gotta love it! With six tracks spanning slightly over 30 minutes, this album makes its case with conviction – not only is a seventh track unnecessary, it might be humanly unwithstandible. This stuff is that caustic.

Looking for a good kick in the ass by a pair of spurred boots? Forget about that odds-and-ends collection Eyehategod released a little while ago and grab a copy of Southern Apocalypse. Whisky, weed and hookers sold separately.

There is nothing original about the band or their sound and no particularly memorable songs grace this cd, but what stands out is the quality of the recording. Finally an obscure “underground” band that does not think you need abysmal production values to be “true black metal.” Track nine, “When the Shadows Become Flesh” is a departure in style from the rest. It is a minute long interlude that sounds like being underwater in a submarine. Track ten, “Within Ye Woods, Before Ye Throne” offers the most diversity. Vocal overdubs work well here, giving a sort of evil chorus effect. Unfortunately, the song ends with another lengthy sound sample. Blood for Satan is a well played, well produced slab of black metal that will please many fans, but not those fans in the hunt for originality.

Early Abigor comes to mind. The music is slow paced but not plodding, with occasionally quickened pace, and vocals typical of the Swedish bands. His vocal delivery is not overly varied, but conveys emotion well. Check out “Likbal” to hear clean vocals, proving that with different vocals, say Vintersorg’s older style viking clean vocals, and the same music it works too. Some songs wander a bit too long and some end rather abruptly, but overall a fine effort. A huge progression from the previous effort. What is missing is the aggression of brutal death that many bands are adding today. Having said that, it is really not missed, it’s absence is actually a strength. This is certainly by no means goth, but it has a Finnish melodic black feel in places. I am glad there are still some out there interested in early 90’s black, even better to find a band that has such a firm grasp on the style. Forget death and goth attributes for a more modern sound.

For many one man bands the drumming is the weak point. Here the drumming is not a problem, it neither detracts or adds, but a real drummer would be a welcome addition. I had already been enjoying this disc for some time when asked to review it, and when I looked on their website, to my surprise, I learned of a follow up release, promo only, called Secrets Unveiled. That secret; new member Fiebig on drums. I’m not sure why the decision to not release this disc to the general public, since to my ears they are already advanced enough to no longer need demos. With new bass player Saphanoz, Blodsrit is now a three piece, and already hard at work on a new album, tentatively called The Rape of Vestal Purity. Watch out for this fast rising horde. These Swedes deserve more attention.

There have been some impressive releases in to heavier end of the Death metal/grindcore spectrum (Soils of Fate and Anata come to mind) recently. However, Sweden’s Deranged have risen above that shortlist, and unleashed a thirty-five minute assault on the senses that left me battered and bruised, but more importantly-impressed. While this genre of brutal death metal has become saturated with gore driven shock bands, Deranged brings a more indirect yet equally disturbing presentation to their material.

Firstly, the inlay booklet and accompanying artwork is subliminally disturbing without being overtly offensive. The same could be said for the music. This tight three- piece draw influences from all the greats you’d expect: Slayer, Carcass, Autopsy and Morbid Angel. All those influences are great, but what makes this album a little different, is that they have packaged their form of blasting death metal with a tight Gothenburg sheen. They may hate me saying this but, with a crunchy, clean production and songwriting that stands out from other similar acts, they have a very NWSDM aura about them. This is particularly evident on the ripping opening track “Flesh Rebel”. If the riffs at 3:07 and 4:02 do not get you slamming your head like a Soilwork tune-I don’t know what will. Luckily there are several such great moments in the album. The riff and solo at 1:50 in “Malebolgia” is another. Don’t get me wrong-this stuff is infinitely more brutal than Soilwork or Gardenian, but it does have that NWSDM “feel” at certain times. This is a good thing for a few reasons: 1) It sets itself apart from the horde of Cannibal Corpse/Morbid Angel worshippers. 2) It makes the whole CD listenable rather than just blowing by in a blur of blast beats and whirling staccato riffs (Of which there are plenty). 3) This kind of structured chaos allows the excellent musicianship and writing of all three members to shine through, rather than be lost in wall of bottom end noise.

Thankfully, all of the songs are over two minutes, which makes them all a satisfying listen rather than a group of blasting riffs strung together in 30 second barrages. All that being said, the vocalist could use a little more variety to complement the varied musical attack. I also found myself skipping past the two instrumental tracks (“La Orgia De Los Muertos” &”Screen Passion”), consisting of samples, drum beats and sound effects. Overall, an excellent brutal death metal CD that should appease fans of Dying Fetus and Cannibal Corpse as well as those of The Forsaken and Soilwork. I’m off to go track their other albums.