Left-wing musical and political icon Jello Biafra is back with yet another triple-CD spoken word album and as before, Jello takes no political prisoners. This release covers a lot of ground and once again, so much material is time sensitive that you can’t help but feel that some of the information on this album is a bit dated. Even with an abundance of material surrounding the beginning of the War on Terrorism™ and September 11®, I thought that Jello had a lot to say that was still relevant - one of the things being the questioning of how much of the news we are being fed is real. Even though I tend not to agree with some of the more Socialistic things Jello has to say (I’m quite a bit more to the right than he is - though I’m still considered to be left of the center politically), I won’t question his right to say what he does. The only thing that I thought brought this album down from perfection was the fact that a good portion of this album repeated stuff that was already on The Big Ka-Boom: Part 1, which was released almost a year or so ago. That wouldn’t have been a crime if that particular CD were a limited edition kind of thing, but it wasn’t. Besides, most people who buy Jello’s albums would already own that one so repeating what was on it would be redundant. On a side note, if half the stuff he says about his former band-mates is true, the “new” Dead Kennedys have to be killed. It’s one thing to want to make a little money, but it’s another thing entirely to sell out completely. If D.H. Peligro really did say that they supported the War on Terrorism™ and the Bush administration, then they really have pissed on everything that Dead Kennedys stood for all those years ago.

This was kind of a disappointment for me. Listening to Jello is like a lecture in that he imparts a lot of information and you usually get a lot out of his spoken word albums - even if you don’t agree with everything he’s saying. This album, the first one he’s done since September 11th, sounds very tame. It’s almost as if he’s holding back. My guess is that he’s choosing his words very carefully for this one, knowing how people feel about that whole World Trade Center thing. This cautiousness sort of takes the edge off this album. On top of it being so diplomatic, it is also very short. Most Jello Biafra spoken word albums last over an hour - most of the time it’s longer. This one lasts less than 35 minutes. You get a bunch of timely information and some critique of the government, but 35 minutes isn’t enough time to really go into any of the nuances of his political knowledge and opinion. This is more like a message to his fans than a full-on rant session. I may not agree with all of his opinions, but I’m more than willing to let Jello say his piece. After all, we’re still America and we still allow freedom of speech.

War Hammer records continues their tradition of releasing (or should I say re-releasing?) CDs of bands that many Black Metal traditionalists consider true “cult” acts. Bestial Summoning existed for only a short time, releasing a rehearsal demo (Sodomistic Rituals), a live 7-inch EP and one full length LP (The Dark War Has Begun) before calling it quits in 1992. One of their hallmarks was the fact that almost all of their stuff was improvised to some degree. This band gave new meaning to “making shit up as they went along,” and in the case of Bestial Summoning, it worked out really well. When you compare their long out-of-print material to the shit that infests the scene today, you realize that Bestial Summoning was not only ahead of their time but also a hell of a lot better than most bands out there today. Even the production was better than one would expect from a band that thrived on chaos and the lack of preparation. The guitars are thicker, for one thing, and while the vocals are raspy screams, you can still understand a good portion of what The Unsane was saying. Even the live tracks sound much better than most studio recorded albums. If you love the insane Satanic rantings of Don from Nunslaughter, you have got to hear the live tracks on this CD. The intro where The Unsane starts talking shit to the crowd is probably one of the funniest things I’ve heard on a Black Metal album to date. Back in the day, a lot of people hated this band, but today I think a lot of “old-schoolers” can listen to this and appreciate it.

Hmm… Clearly this band is influenced by the likes of Blasphemy and Beherit to some degree, though Bestial Mockery obviously has added a few changes to that particular style. One noticeable alteration is the fact that someone in the band clearly knows how to play the guitar well enough to do some solos that don’t sound like complete and utter shit. The music on this album is pretty primitive and repetitive, sounding almost like there are only two riffs per song sometimes. Granted, the two riffs are usually pretty memorable in a non-annoying way -which is always a good thing. Somehow, this disc feels very contrived to me in that I think the band is trying too hard to look “old-school.” The layout screams “early ‘90s Black Metal demo tape” complete with ink smears and “wrinkled paper” distortions. Musically, this is not nearly as raw and chaotic as these guys are trying to pretend they are. The center of the inlay has band photos and above the pictures are the words “Unpure - Unholy - Untight.” These words may be true but they neglected to include “good sound,” “audible bass guitar” and “as talented as you can get while still being called ‘chaotic’ Black Metal.” I don’t know who is in this band, but obviously they know how to play and they know what “cult” Black Fucking Metal sounded like. For what it is, this is a solid album of retro-Black Metal. Take this as a tribute to the old masters because the only alternative is to call Bestial Mockery a bunch of posers who are trying to pretend like they’re “cult.”

If one had ever wondered what a collaboration between Crematory and Olivia Newton-John would sound like, that restless soul may now repose. The answer to this long-anticipated query awaits for them on the Souls Highway.

Germany’s answer to Morbid Angel returns with their first “live” CD. This album was released to celebrate their 10th year, compiling live cuts from all of their albums plus a video track and a couple new songs. The bulk of this disc is devoted to the live material and if you like the previous three Belphegor albums, you’ll enjoy this as well. My one major gripe about this album was the fact that it isn’t one actual show. It’s a bunch of tracks from various shows spliced together. The differences in sound and production quality are very evident. Some tracks have higher vocals, others have thin guitars. There is no real consistency in the sound other than the fact that Belphegor is tight as fuck and every song is face-ripping, neck snapping, and full of the wrath of our master Satan. If this CD is anything to go by, this is definitely a band to check out! The new tracks are in the same vein as the older material. Belphegor sounds a lot like Morbid Angel did during their Altars of Madness days - only faster. Fans of Sadistic Intent and old Morbid Angel will fucking love this shit.

Can you say “bootleg”? I knew you could. And this surely is a bootleg - if it isn’t, I’d be very, very surprised. The only thing that could make Beherit sound worse than their studio albums is for them to release live material - or in this case, someone else released it for them. The sad thing about this CD is that it actually sounds a hell of a lot better than many of the lo-fi Grim Black Metal bands out there today. The sound is horrible (it was recorded in 1992, after all) and though it is bass-heavy and there are flaws in the recording, you still get some of that evil Black Metal feeling coming through. The chaotic element comes through more in this live setting, to be sure. There are only six songs on this CD and I was surprised that their set lasted more than 20 minutes. Beherit was up there with Blasphemy in their own little Black/Grind genre for a while. Hardcore fans of the band will definitely want a copy of this, but the rest of us will probably want to avoid this for two reasons: first, the band gets no money from the sales of this CD, and second, the sound quality is shit.

How cool is it to hear the mighty Black Metal onslaught of Behemoth in 5.1 surround sound? Hell yes! And if an entire live show isn’t enough for you, this DVD also offers two videos (“Decade of Therion,” and “Chant for Eschaton 2000”), interviews, bonus audio tracks, and a lot more. Like all live albums, this is for fans only, and probably won’t be winning any new converts, but fortunately there is a lot here to keep us busy.

I’d intended on making a bigger deal of Behemoth’s massive transition from a Mayhemic Black/Death Metal hybrid to a much heavier bludgeonfest of all-out Morbid Angel worship. But the truth is, the end results are tragically similar. Behemoth still remains a band that is more than capable of great ideas, charming intricacies, and suffocatingly extreme riffs, yet somehow can’t create a full length album that does not drag on tediously in its duration. A mysterious, yet all too common fate that so many talented bands must suffer, leaving the bewildered critic to bestow the only ill-advised admonition suitable… better luck next time.

Poland’s most brutal Black/Death band returns with yet another ferocious assault. I have to hand it to these guys. This album fucking rips. Granted, there are still lots of similarities to fellow Polish Metallers Vader, but this is mostly in the production department. Face it, both Behemoth and Vader have almost the same guitar sound and the levels are almost identical in terms of instrument loudness. Zos Kia Cultus sounds like the horrific combination of the brutality of Vader, a touch of the technical side of newer Morbid Angel and some serious occultism a-la Crowley. A lot of the lyrics on this album are very esoteric, lending a depth that few bands have these days. You can really tell the folks in Behemoth are well read in the occultism department. One of the things that I really thought was cool on Zos Kia Cultus was the amount of quality in the songs themselves. The guitars were brutal, punishing and technical but at the same time, they were never overly so. The same went for the drumming. It was never overdone. They could have easily grinded and blasted their way through this album, but the restraint made every riff hit harder and every drum fill more effective. I didn’t think much of this album when I first listened to it, but each subsequent listen has made me like it more and more.

I don’t have a whole lot of information on this band - mostly because the band doesn’t give much in the CD’s inlay or the back. Musically, this is fairly standard Black Metal in the Darkthrone / early Burzum/Judas Iscariot vein. You don’t get a whole lot of surprises and the songs are not very complex. I think the average song has only two or three riffs in total. The production on A Grave to This World is not the greatest, but it is better than your average “Grim/Cold/Necro” Black Metal band. The guitar is definitely too low compared to the vocals and the drums. The vocals are probably the most annoying part of the whole package. I think it has more to do with the fact that they were too loud than because Alastor, the bassist/singer, has an annoying voice. He definitely has a banshee wail, though. I think the main problem Beheaded Lamb faces is the fact that none of their songs stand out. They are all fairly plain and ultimately, forgettable. They don’t suck, but at the same time, you can’t remember any of them once the CD stops playing. A Grave to This World is okay. It doesn’t suck. It isn’t good and it certainly isn’t great. If this band can get some sort of identity for themselves, they will go somewhere. Until then, they are definitely going to get lost in the massive ocean of generic Black Metal that currently floods the market.

Extremely brutal Death Metal in the vein of Suffocation with traces of Morbid Angel worship here and there. From the get-go this explodes out of the speakers with a deranged depth and precision which need I say provides this listener with initial enjoyment, but in all honesty this does drag on a little bit towards the end. None of the songs are terrible, but a lot of them are lacking “the big riffs” if you know what I mean. The bloody-knuckle jaw-droppers if you will. Some songs, like “Horde of the Stolen Sun” and the title track, are done just right, and since a lot of bands do build from the crowd-pleasers, I look for the band to improve with each release.

Somebody sank a lot of money into the packaging of this MCD and considering the quality of the music on Fixed by the Devil, they should have spent some of that cash on either a really good hooker or some quality drugs. To be totally honest, The Beast just doesn’t have the musical talent to merit having a product look this good because these guys suck. They make Von, Beherit, Bestial Summoning and Blasphemy look like Wagner, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. When you can make a Von cover sound worse than the original, you really fucking suck ass. The best tracks are the intro (“Enter”) and the outro (“Leave”). The rest are barely listenable. The guitars sound like a muffled chainsaw, the drumming sounded like a robotic arm flicking a light switch on and off really fast and the lyrics on this MCD are on par with a rambling homeless lunatic who thinks he’s Satan. The drums mostly drown out the guitars and while the vocals are acceptable, the whole package (in terms of music) should have been a rough mix demo tape at best. The Beast may appeal to die-hard fans of “Grim” or “Necro” Black Metal bands like Necrofrost (another barely listenable lo-fi Black Metal band) but the rest of us will want to avoid this band like the plague. Don’t let the cool Chris Moyen art and slick packaging fool you. You can dress up absolute shit but the stink eventually makes its way out.

This band, like label-mates Summoning, must be loving the whole J.R.R. Tolkien revival going on right now. With the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings trilogy has never seen so much popularity with the mainstream public. Like Summoning, Battlelore derives all of their lyrics from Tolkien’s books and related literature surrounding Middle Earth (such as Dungeons & Dragons, which was totally based on Tolkien’s world - they just never openly admitted it). Lyrically, a lot of this reads like a glorified round of Dungeons & Dragons mixed with LoTR buzzwords like “Mithril” or “Khazad-dum.” It isn’t bad, just a bit on the hokey side. Unlike Summoning, however, these folks have opted for a more Classically-oriented (more strings, less atmosphere and bombast) symphonic style that reminds me of bands like Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir at times, and Therion at others. Structurally, it also employs plenty of Classical/Operatic musical elements that make this more than just a Mystic Cradle of Dimmu Borgir clone band. Some of the riffs and structures are a bit jarring at times but on the whole, this is a pretty good stab at something that only Therion and Haggard have really pulled off to any major degree of success. This is their first album that I’m aware of, so if this is a sign of what is to come from Battlelore, I’ll be waiting for them with my sword belted at my side, my chainmail shirt on and my shield slung across my back for another romp across Middle Earth.

This band hails from Finland and much like the other bands on Northern Heritage, they play Black Metal in the lo-fi vein. Northern Heritage is clearly interested in bands that espouse the doctrine of “Necro” or “Grim” Black Metal with barely above rehearsal tape sound and generic songs. In terms of sound quality, Baptism is better than average for a band playing in this style. The guitars actually have some lower end in them, adding some depth to the sound rather than the normal “freezing cold / we turned the treble all the way up” style so many bands utilize these days. Musically, these guys aren’t doing anything horribly original, nor are they attempting to. This is a very safe, color by numbers Black Metal release. You have all the prerequisites and few frills if any. None of the songs are very different from each other and Baptism seems fairly content to simply rehash things in terms of song structure. Ten years ago, I would have been more forgiving of these things because back then, 500,000 other bands hadn’t done it already. Today, however, 500,000 bands have already done it - many of whom have done it better than this. Baptism is average. No more, no less.

This band has recently been signed to This Dark Reign Records, and I can see why. This is Death/Grind with terrific riffs, the perfect guitar sound, fantastic drum programming, and brutal vocals like a crossbreed of Frank Mullen and Joe Ptacek. The band will inject intriguing oddities into their attack, such as a Black Metal moment, keyboards, and perplexing atmospheres that insure that Balatonizer may write the best 30-second songs in the business. In fact, their only flaw may be the material’s length. At ten tracks, this clocks in at just over eight minutes! If anything, it definitely leaves you wanting more, as I know I’ll be seeking out their full length. It is truly great to see three dorky, fat, Death Metal guys without a drummer get a deal. Maybe life is fair.

This band has been described as playing “Militant Heathen War Metal” and after spinning this, their latest album, I have to agree. These guys have been lumped in with the NSBM scene quite often and though they are apparently not part of that particular genre, they do use a lot of imagery that is associated with it. Face it folks, any time you have songs about World War II and use related imagery, you’re going to get people associating you with Nazism. The music of Axis of Advance is fast and the production on The List makes things sound a whole lot like a Blitzkrieg assault on the senses. Things start off fast and though there is the occasional slowdown, the bulk of The List feels like the audio equivalent of getting run over by a tank while artillery rains down all around you. Though their style seems primitive at first listen, there is a surprising amount of technical stuff going on amidst the rampaging chaos. If you go beneath the blur of chaotic guitar riffs, machinegun drumming and tortured vocals, you can hear some interesting guitar work. Fans of War/Black/Death Metal in the vein of Conquerer, Black Witchery and cult Canadian horde Blasphemy will fucking worship this release.

A long time ago - Hell, a really long god damn time ago - I used to buy anything that Combat Records released, because I knew that I had about a 99% chance of being very happy with my purchase. You could count on Combat to deliver. Well, eventually their win-streak went sour, and I’ve never really known another “big” label that I could trust like that. And never thought I would. But, you know what? I think that Victory may have made a believer out of me once again. Okay, I can think of a couple albums that Victory has released that I didn’t worship, but when listening to Atreyu, they fade from my memory. As you would expect, this is intense Hardcore. No surprise there. Also foreseen is that Suicide Notes… kicks ass, but what really puts this over the top is that the band tries some different ideas with the vocals and songwriting, that for once, actually work (for the most part). Maybe such experimentation is easier for a Hardcore band to get away with than it is for a Metal band, and I guess that’s not fair, but nothing is.

Not since Dismember has a Swedish Death band’s releases instilled so much confidence at the record store. Fans of Amon Amarth know exactly what I mean. One of the few “sure things” anymore is that the new AA is going to fucking rock. You know it’s going to be heavy, you know the production will be top notch, you know the lyrics will be of the highest war torn quality, and you know it will be loaded with this band’s trademark majestic melodies. It almost makes the reviewer’s job tougher to keep coming up with new ways to describe this band’s unmatched power and glory, leaving them to petty diversion tactics that are pleasing to the eye such as… Deepest Cuts: “Death in Fire,” “Vs. the World,” “Across the Rainbow Bridge,” and “1,000 Years of Oppression.”

You just have to love a woman like Cadaveria. It’s not often you find a woman with a nice set of tits and who is willing to show them to you on every occasion. She did it on practically every Opera IX album and she does it here on her newest project. The advertisements for this album bill this as Horror Metal, but for me that’s Necrophagia. This honestly sounds different enough that I can’t really pinpoint one major influence. This has elements of many different styles of Metal mixed together with some Classical elements. The Classical elements give this sort of a “soundtrack” feel but this predominantly sounds like a Traditional Metal album in terms of listenability. This has some great riffing and the soloing is pretty kick-ass too. The keyboards are more of a garnish on this album and this prevents the Mystic Cradle of Dimmu Borgir feeling from dominating their style. After viewing the band photos, I was seriously afraid that The Shadows’ Madame was going to be a trip into what Cadaveria fantasizes Dani Filth’s basement torture chamber is like. This is nowhere close to that and for that, I tip my hat to this band. This is a solid album that will definitely get repeated listens.