Anhkrehg - Lands of War
This band hails from Canada, and in case you’re wondering, they’re from the French speaking area. This explains the songs with French lyrics. I’ll leave it at that before my hereditary dislike of French people kicks in (England!). Regardless, this is some pretty potent Black/Death Metal with some Thrashier moments that I’m inclined to say has a lot more in common with older German Thrash than either Norse Black Metal or Death Metal in either the Swedish style or the American Florida/Buffalo style. The vocals are mostly in the traditional “raspy shriek” with the occasional Death growl thrown in. I personally thought that the inclusion of the Death growl was a good idea that just wasn’t implemented enough. I think they only do it for one or two songs and the rest are just raspy Black Metal styled shrieks. The guitar is pretty loud but I noticed that though it was louder than the bass, the drums were still the dominant instrument here. And the snare is kind of annoying too. I think the biggest problem Anhkrehg faces is musical diversity. Many of the songs were similarly structured and though the riffs were different, the drumming was pretty much the same - and when the drums are the loudest instrument, that’s not good. Lands of War is intense and brutal, which is always a plus when playing Black/Death, and since this is their debut album, I’m hoping that these guys experiment with their sound and mix things up a bit more on their next release.
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Angel Dust - Enlighten the Darkness
Jack’s review above [for the band’s 1999’s Bleed album -Editor] is perhaps a little harsh. Angel Dust, at least as represented here, has aggressive drumming. But if they did not - if they had Rock drumming, and a somewhat altered production, this would be the very definition of Ass Rock.
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Andras - Quest for Deliverance
I believe that this is the fourth strike by German Atmospheric Black Metal stalwarts Andras and though the bulk of the album is some pretty good stuff, I really have to question the inclusion of the Sodom cover (“Blasphemer”). The reason for this is that it totally interrupts the flow of the album. The cover sounds so out of place that it really draws attention to itself. Imagine a Death Metal song in the middle of an Iron Maiden album. That’s how different it sounds. Another problem this band faces is the fact that they don’t sound all that good when they play fast. When the speed kicks up, their songs lose all the feeling and atmosphere that they had built up as well as calling attention to how thin the guitars and drums are. This is a clearly keyboard dominated band and they should remember that. Their best work is in the slower to mid-paced realm. Next time guys, forget the fast stuff and concentrate on the atmosphere. That’s the stuff that sounds the best.
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Ancient Wisdom - ...and the Physical Shape of Light Bled
For those of you not familiar with this one-man project, this Vargher of Bewitched fame trying his hand at a little Blackened Doom. His past works have been outstanding with The Calling and For Snow Covered the Northland, but this album unfortunately is a step down. The synths this time around are downright irritating. I can’t explain it, but they simply overpower the other aspects of the music. The campy sounding keys stick out like a sore thumb robbing the dark music of its grim. Keyboards have always been a part of Vargher’s arsenal, but more suavely subdued in the past, only highlighting, not spotlighting. Don’t dismiss Ancient Wisdom as a failure, just avoid this one release. The aforementioned records are gems.
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Ancient Wisdom - ...and the Physical Shape of Light Bled
At last! The suicidal Black Doom masters have returned! The sound this time is more atmospheric than heavy, and things are kept keyboard-intensive and of course slow paced. There is also an excellent cover of Demon’s “The Spell.”
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Ancestral Malediction - Ancient Contradictions
All my promo copy has is two tracks, possibly from their split CD with Ophiolatry, and two bonus demo tracks… Brutal Death / Grind! The production isn’t the best, but that might just be the tape. This isn’t much to go on, but what’s here is pretty good, and certainly very intense.
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Amebix - Arise!
Back in 1985 or so, when this record (sans the bonus tracks, of course) was initially released, the word “Crust” apparently had a different meaning than the one it has come to possess since then. The combination of Punk and Metal at the time of Arise! lacked the speed and intensity that E.N.T. or Driller Killer would bring to it later on. But does it’s mid-pacedness make this any less good? Not really, but it is different and probably not what you’d expect if I had just said that this is a great slab of seminal Crust. And then there are the vocals, which are also probably not what you might expect, being that they are more British cider Punk - thick and sloppy - as opposed to the prototypical E.N.T. growl / scream combo. The bonus tracks are a big plus for me, since I do have the original pressing, and there are also pretty extensive liner notes (including some comments from none other than the legendary underground artist Pushead).
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Alkonost - Songs of the Eternal Oak
Melancholy, depressing Black Metal, maybe not unlike early Katatonia, with raw, raspy vocals. It’s extremely well executed and close to flawless.
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Agressor - Medieval Rites
There’s nothing like the sounds of a storm to start off a an album… Umm, is that a horn? God damn, these guys try way too hard to be different and “original.” When they aren’t wasting their time with flutes and other insanity, this is great Thrashy Death Metal. I don’t mind the occasional female vocals and violins, but I can generally do without wind instruments and barnyard sounds. However, I must say that they do a great job on their cover of King Diamond’s “Welcome Home.”
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