Deinonychus - After the Rain Falls and Empty Sky Remains
This is weird Black Metal. The vox are fucking spastic, and rarely have much to do with the music. They vary from screams to yells to a freaked out cackle. The music varies nearly as much: Fast, slow, all speeds in-between. But it seems really thrown together. Maybe it’s the lack of different drum beats or the insane vox, but this is too crazy to be memorable for any other reason. I guess I’ll up the rating a little for that.
(0) Comment(s)
Deicide - Serpents of the Light
This church-burner clocks in at just over a half hour, so although a short album, it is at least long enough to be considered an LP. But what’s it sound like? In short, Serpents… is a distillation of their three previous albums. The production is supreme (I can even distinctly hear the bass this time!), the riffs and the drumming are as Hellish as you would expect, and the band’s trademarked catchyness is totally intact. There are some improvements, too. The vox are somewhat more understandable, but still utterly demonic. It’s an excellent compromise between clarity and brutality, and Glen would be well advised to stick with this style. And the guitar solos: With every album the Hoffman brothers have improved their leadwork, but this is the most notable progression yet. When Deicide came out in 1990, a lot of critics complained about the use of a harmonizer on the vocals, and the, shall we say, sloppy guitar solos. Their next album, Legion, was an attempt to prove that the band could play in a more technical style, and that plan backfired to a certain degree. Then Once Upon the Cross was unleashed, and the godkillers were well on their way back to glory. Serpents… can only be seen as the perfection of their efforts. Yes, there is a riff or two on here that is not 100% certified by Lord Satan, but this is very close to flawless. One thing I find a little odd about the lyrics, is this: They say “christ” more often than Mortification and Living Sacrifice combined! I know that Deicide says stuff like “fuck the christ,” or whatever, but maybe it would be cool to find a way to praise Satan without saying “christ this” and “christ that.” Let’s keep that joker out of it.
(0) Comment(s)
Defleshed - Under the Blade
Ultrahigh energy Black Thrash, with more than a little Death Metal, and the added plus of really memorable songs. Very impressive indeed, and quite a step up from their Ma Belle Scapelle EP. This shows exactly what difference a good production can make.
(0) Comment(s)
Decrepit (Ohio - USA) - Acrimonium
Dedicated to our fallen brother, Tom Rojack, this disc is like a “how to” guide for memorable Death Metal. Supremely heavy and yet easy to remember. And they cover the Bloodfeast classic “Face Fate.” Pretty hard to top all that. I can only hope that the remaining guys will continue on without Tom and give the world more much-needed Metal.
(0) Comment(s)
December Bleeding - December Bleeding
Depressing Death/Doom Metal that is honestly majestic. Believe it or not, but I’m actually reminded a little of the new Venom album (Cast in Stone) in some of the slower moments. The vocals range from deep clean to deep growls to yells and sound very natural at all times. The monstrous riffs are backed up by precise drumming and ubiquitous keyboards. This results in songs that demand to be listened to over and over, and a truly impressive demo. My only criticism is in the recording, which has been mixed to highlight the vocals at the expense of the guitars. But a problem that trivial could be fixed easily, and shouldn’t stop you from checking this out immediately.
(0) Comment(s)
Deathwitch - Dawn of Armageddon
More or less as much simple Black/Death Metal as their first album, Triumphant Devastation, but maybe a bit more Death oriented, and certainly more memorable. Some demo tracks are included as a bonus.
(0) Comment(s)
Death Penalty - Bitter
Passable Death Metal with homoerotic “tough-guy” vocals.
[Metal Curse #11 had an additional loose page (“Last Second Additions”) inserted into the centerfold of the zine, featuring a bunch of even-shorter-than-usual “bonus” reviews of stuff that arrived after the deadline for that issue. This is one of those “Last Second Additions” reviews.]
(0) Comment(s)
Deaf & Dumb / Imperial Foeticide - split
D&D deliver massively brutal Death Grind guaranteed to crush the spirit of even the most jaded listener. The always impressive IF are just as furious, but also more technical and experimental. It would be difficult to find a better extreme Death combo than what’s on this disc.
(0) Comment(s)
Dead by Dawn - After I Eat Your Brains
Pathetic try at ripping off White Zombie.
[Metal Curse #11 had an additional loose page (“Last Second Additions”) inserted into the centerfold of the zine, featuring a bunch of even-shorter-than-usual “bonus” reviews of stuff that arrived after the deadline for that issue. This is one of those “Last Second Additions” reviews.]
(0) Comment(s)
Page 263 of 388 pages « First < 261 262 263 264 265 > Last »
