Deadguy - Screamin’ With the Deadguy Quintet

Posted on Sunday, October 17, 2010

Damn, I thought their Fixation… album was ferocious, but this beats it - even the vocals are somehow more intense, although that may be due to them being multi-tracked (some tracks sounding Death or even Black Metal-like). Deadguy have retained their title of “hardest Hardcore.”

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Dawn of Dreams (Austria) - Amber

Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2010

If you can, imagine combining a Gothic Rock style with some slightly more Metal elements, and the occasional Death growl kind of vocals. It’s a strange brew that never seems to be perfectly blended, but there are quite a lot of good bits floating around in this.

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Dawn (Sweden) - Sorgh Pa Svarte Vingar Flogh

Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2010

These guys have an advantage over quite a few of their Black Metal peers: They can play their instruments. This really allows their unholy speed riffing to stand up and be counted. They’re murderous on “Soil of the Dead Earth,” and the rest are nearly as excellent. As an added plus, they cover Infernal Majesty’s “Night of the Living Dead,” and make it their own.

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Dawn (Germany) - Trespass Infinity

Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2010

Good, clear production graces these two straightforward, but fairly intense, Death Metal tracks. There is really nothing special to be found here, but these songs are well written and played. The band simply needs a little time to develop a more unique sound and identity.

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Dawn (Belgium) - Live Into 1996

Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2010

I would imagine that watching Dawn perform would be quite an experience. Maybe one day I’ll get over to Belgium to see them. Until then, I must be satisfied with these live recordings, which is a shame, because if the visual aspect is half as disturbing as the audio, the combination might drive the weaker members of the audience insane. This is a particularly important live showing, as it features an especially intense rendition of one of my favorite Dawn compositions, “I Crawl Horny and Dead on the Floor of the Old Room.”

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Darzamat - In the Flames of Black Art

Posted on Saturday, October 16, 2010

This comes in two formats, singly or as part of a special edition box set with their new EP, In the Opium of Black Veil. This three-piece band hails from Poland and plays symphonic Black Metal. That’s quite a chore for a band that is essentially composed of two vocalists (one male and one female) and a guy who plays everything else. Some have called this album “Industrial Black Metal” as they use a drum machine on it. I really disagree with that categorization as the keyboard is much more the central instrument. I guess some people will call ANYTHING with a drum machine “Industrial.” This has a lot of the prerequisite Symphonic Black Metal stuff, massive keyboards, female vocals and Classical music influenced song structures. Nothing new or different, in other words. You get the same stuff from other bands as well but Darzamat is very good at what they’re doing. If you like the more bombastic moments of Emperor or the epic style of Summoning then this album is one to search out.

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Darkthrone - Total Death

Posted on Friday, October 15, 2010

Apparently it has finally dawned on these blasphemers that a good production is sort of fucking important. Total Death’s greatest strength is in its thick, powerful sound. Darkthrone have always been able to produce the necessary massive riffs, but sometimes it was pretty tough to hear them over all the white noise. Let me assure you that this is their best since Soulside Journey. Finally they have an album that lives up to their reputation.

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Darkness Enshroud - Unveiled Ghostly Shadows

Posted on Friday, October 15, 2010

More very minimalistic “evil” Ambient soundscapes. At least the recording is better than on their debut insomnia-cure, Ancient Kingdoms. Hey, Baron Michael, what exactly are “trance inducing vibes”? By “trance” do you mean “sleep”? Great layout, logo, and pictures, though.

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Darklands - Chronicles

Posted on Friday, October 15, 2010

Very heavy, well-played Doom, with goofy vocals. I’m sort of reminded of Left Hand Solution, but with the bastard 3-way child of Pete Steele, Glenn Danzig, and Lee Dorian singing. There are times when it’s okay, but it’s never really great, and that holds Darklands back.

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