The inlay photos of the band prove to me that some people should never play Vampire: The Masquerade. It also proves that Dani Filth (from Cradle of Filth) and Shagrath are having a contest to see who can be the biggest androgynous Goth fruitcake in PVC and spikes. Honestly, do bands actually look at the pictures they take of themselves before they send these things to the pressing plant? Or do they actually think that they look totally evil and depraved by dressing this way? Maybe things are different over in Europe, but here in San Francisco the only people that dress this way are flaming homosexuals. Musically, Dimmu Borgir once again does their best to be Cradle of Filth and like Cradle of Filth, this album really isn’t all that different from their previous album. The songs on Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia are a little more memorable than the newest Filth release but at the same time, it doesn’t really go anywhere new. I think both CoF and Dimmu Borgir have come to a crossroads in their respective careers. I get the impression that they don’t really know what direction to go beyond what they’ve done. They could go more epic and symphonic (Classically based) or they can go more commercial (more “Hard Rock” based) - both of which are viable options at this point if they can maintain their Metal roots (unlike Metallica, who dropped it entirely). The next release will be the telling one for Dimmu Borgir. Will they go forward or stagnate? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find out that these drum tracks are performed by a machine. They’re inhumanly fast, and unbelievably precise. Hell, I guess that’s not all that weird. But what is weird, is how varied this is stylistically. The fast Black Metal is somewhat more segregated from the “symphonic” elements, and thanks to the machine-like drumming and sometimes strange electronics, this is a little “Industrialized,” too. Plus, now there are also some very wimpy, cleanly sung male vocals that occasionally just appear out of nowhere and really seem out of place. Still, this is not at all the total disaster that I had heard it was, but it’s also not as great as this band has been in the past, when they were perhaps more focused. The real shame of this album is that one of the tracks I liked best, their cover of Twister Sister’s “Burn in Hell,” is apparently the Europe-only bonus track. What it’s doing on my review copy is anyone’s guess, since the bonus track that’s listed is “Devil’s Path,” but I understand that’s only on the Japanese version… Confused yet? That general confusion carries over throughout the entire album, leaving it a bit schizo, but still an enjoyable listen.

Considering that this is more or less a Vader side project, you can probably guess how it sounds. But, that’s about as far away from being bad as would be possible. There is an extremely slight Industrial feel to this, thanks to a couple intros and the inhuman precision of the drumming, but don’t worry this is otherwise pure Death Metal brutality.

The merging of Metal and Hardcore has comprised some of the most unforgettable records the last few years have had to offer. There is little doubt in my mind that this latest offering from Boston’s Diecast will catapult them to the forefront of this remarkable movement. This album is an aggressive monument to the excursion of adrenaline. Impeccable grooves that attack rather than placate, layered on a pantheon of inhuman double bass punishment. There are two vocal styles, the dominant being a tormented throat made all the more extreme by a soul-filled traditional singing voice that may require some getting used to for some. I believe I was hooked by the fourth complete listen. Lyrically this band is pretty much on, and their exquisite crafting of vocal patterns will ensure that you take the choruses of masterpieces like “In the Shadows,” “Desensitized,” and “Solace” to your grave. Huge production is just the icing on the cake. I am going to offer Ray my soul for this disc.

The best of their three CDs, this album starts off with a Lounge act intro to “Last Man in the Gang Bang,” which I think is pretty funny. Also cool is the fact that this is noticeably heavier than their previous albums, with some of the songs being real Thrashers (such as my favorite, the pork smoking perfection of “Officer Friendly Takes a Dirt Nap”), and nods to Godzilla, and 2 Live Crew. Yeah, these guys aren’t afraid to cover any kind of musical ground, and really seem to like to mix it up, as evidenced by their choice of covers: “Bark at the Moon” (which is done comedy-free, other than the natural humor that is Ozzy Osbourne), “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” (shortened, and renamed “Hit Me With Your Wet Twat”), and every song Anal Cunt ever recorded, which Dick D has called “Variations on the Secret Anal Cunt Chord Progression.” And they make fun of Motley Crue (check out “Motley Kazoo”). Okay, this isn’t for everyone, I know that. So if you take yourself way too seriously, you might want to avoid this. But then you’d be missing out on the Grind ending of their rendition of “Roll Out the Barrel,” and such classics as “Real Men Don’t Wear Rubbers,” the aforementioned “Officer Friendly…,” and “I Love You for Your Pussy.”

This band is a perfect example of a band that is trying to evolve their sound, yet at the same time, they are weighed down by the conventions of the style they started playing. Diamond Eyed Princess probably started out as a Darkthrone/Burzum/Emperor influenced band that gradually began playing more and more Medieval European Folk styled material. The problem is that while the Folk stuff is awesome, DEP insists on throwing in stuff that is essentially Darkthrone/Burzum/Emperor worship. The inclusion of this raw, chaotic Black Metal stuff really throws off the flow of the album and to tell the truth, it doesn’t sound all that good either. The real strength of DEP is the Folk stuff. If you like bands like The Soil Bleeds Black, Lord Wind or the Medieval stuff by Blood Axis, the bulk of this album will appeal to you. For the band, stick to the Folk stuff. Ditch the “traditional” Black Metal stuff because you’re actually bringing down the quality of your album.

Where do I begin? Everything this god-among-men puts his mind and heart into turns out to be the greatest music ever written. Katatonia, Bloodbath, Bewitched… alright enough nostalgia. This latest masterpiece comes in the form of a movie soundtrack. Yes, someone who apparently knows what he’s doing asked Nystrom to do a score for a horror film (I’d assume it’s horror), and with the aid of another gifted musical handyman, Dan Swano, they have created an opus to move the Earth. Now, this doesn’t exactly play like an LP. There are 60+ pieces written and assembled into movements with recurring themes throughout. However, it is quality Metal music from start to finish including elements ranging from Black to Death to traditional Heavy Metal, and even traditional classic film score aspects. I’ve even read that Blakkheim was stylistically cramped by the producers of the film (which has yet to see the light of day I might add). So even under close scrutiny, Anders is capable of outstanding musical feats beyond the range of mere mortals. This is as unique and moving as a musical experience gets. An audio adventure, if you will. There is no way in hell this movie could live up to the expectations set by the soundtrack, unless that is, Anders directs the picture, too.

This is certainly intense enough… I’m not sure if the double bass lets up for more than a second at a time throughout the entire album! I have no idea how their drummer, Aantar, can manage playing this stuff live - you’d think two or three songs would kill him! But to achieve all this raw power, Diabolic has traded in a little of the catchiness I remember from their earlier work. Still, while it’s spinning, this disc is a monster.

Having seen these guys play in support of Cannibal Corpse a few years back, I can honestly compare their live sound to that of an industrial flour sifter with solos. This being my first experience with their studio work, I will say that they are more enjoyable with the absence of shitty PA speakers and the ever-present scent of sweat and booze. However, while there certainly are no weak tracks here (eleven songs of solidly played, fast, technical Death Metal), nothing really stands out either. This is just one of those albums that amidst its duration, the mind can’t help but wander.