Immortal’s metamorphosis from Black Metal to Death Metal has been an enjoyable journey. While Abbath’s vocals retain their Norwegian BM roots, the riffs have developed more structure and with superior production allow the hooks to be heard (including the bassline). Horgh’s drumming is pure precision in league with Pete Sandoval. In the immortal words of Bestial Warlust, this is “Death fucking Metal.” Unleash the ghosts of war on the helpless sheep!

Let’s see, what should an Immolation album deliver? Brutal anti-x-tian Death Metal, of course! And that’s exactly what we get once again. Some bands need to grow and evolve, and some know better than to really fuck around with that sort of thing too much. Immolation stick with what they know best, and the result is not surprising: a great album.

Feel the need for speed? Then you can’t go wrong with Hateplow. If they don’t get the job done for you, only an airplane crash will suffice otherwise. Much in the vein of Eternal / In Cold Blood era Malevolent Creation meets the first Divine Empire. Blinding speed is pretty much the foundation for the entire album, barring the awesome “Incarcerated (Intent to Sell),” which is devastating in its old school mid-tempo. What’s amazing is their ability to give riffs memorable finesse while playing 200 mph. I may never know that level of skill, but damn it feels good coming out of those speakers with a nice thick production to boot. Mandatory high-stress listening.

This is the latest album by Poland’s favorite Nazi, Rob Darken, and his Black Metal terror, Graveland. Out of all the Nazi Black Metal bands out there (Nokturnal Mortem, Thor’s Hammer, Thunderbolt, Absurd and, of course, Burzum - to name a few), Graveland is arguably the most talented. Burzum might be recognized by more people, but I seriously think that Graveland has better songs. This latest album is influenced by the quasi-Asatru/Wotansvolk manifesto of the same name, though this influence only comes through in the lyrics. Musically, this is a continuation of Immortal Pride and Lord Wind’s latest album, Heralds of Fight. There is still a militaristic vibe running through the songs, though not to the same degree as Lord Wind. The Slavic Folk element is very powerful, showing up in both the riffs and in the keyboard parts, and there is still a hint of Hammerheart-era Bathory in the mix. This band has come a long way from their Emperor-worshipping beginnings and if Epic Black Metal is your cup of tea, you won’t be wasting your money here.

This is the latest release by the world’s most talented Nazi Black Metal band, and though it was only a two-song affair, I firmly believe that it was worth the $13 that I spent on it. Unlike previous efforts, this EP has full-color artwork (of Vlad Tepes) and the packaging, though slightly minimal, is excellent. The two songs, “Impaler of Wallachia” and “In the Northern Carpathians,” both clock in at about 10 minutes each and continue on in the vein of Immortal Pride’s epic style. Impaler’s Wolves isn’t Immortal Pride part 2, if that’s what you’re thinking. Graveland is much more talented than that. For this CD, they have opted for a slightly rawer guitar sound and less of an “ethnic” style. This is more in the lines of Western European style Black Metal. There are still some bits of Slavic Folk here and there, but this has a much darker feeling - though only slightly less epic than Immortal Pride. If you want Black Metal with atmosphere, Graveland more than delivers the goods. These last two releases, this EP and Immortal Pride, have really set this band apart from the rest of the pretenders out there in the Black Metal community. To all of those people who’ve written Graveland off as being a joke, this Polish horde may get the last laugh on you yet.

Wasting no time after releasing their self-titled effort, Hypocrisy is back with ten new extraterrestrial tales on Into the Abyss. What makes this such an impressive release is that it incorporates elements of Hypocrisy’s entire back catalog to create a collection of songs that should appeal to any Hypocrisy fan no matter which release is your favorite. Into the Abyss is charged with ferocity and intensity, and backed by the rhythm section of Hedlund and Szöke, the music is as dynamic and solid as ever. As always, Tagtgren’s vocals shift effortlessly from Deathly growls to ghastly screams while his razor-sharp guitar riffs make songs like “Legions Descend” and “Blinded” instant Hypocrisy classics. Closing track “Deathrow” shares a strong bloodline with “Request Denied,” yet another classic from the release The Final Chapter. The production is flawless which, given Tagtgren’s talent as a producer, should come as no surprise. The packaging and layout are top-notch as well making this lush fold-out digipak as pleasing to the eyes as the music is to the ears. Into the Abyss is a necessity for Hypocrisy fans and the perfect introduction for those previously unfamiliar with this band’s music. This release is irrefutable proof that Hypocrisy has no intentions of slowing down or fading into obscurity any time soon.

Umm, gay fucking title, guys. Otherwise this is pretty good intense Thrash with bits of Death Metal in there, too. But it’s certainly not the be-all end-all that some apparently think it is. I do like the new screamer, though, and this is certainly an improvement over their debut.

Paying tribute to some of their personal favorites, the Grind Gore masters expertly cover Defecation, Carcass, Entombed, Regurgitate, and Entombed (an unbelievable rendition of “Premature Autopsy”), while also delivering sickness-added versions of Impetigo, Suicidal Tendencies, Cryptic Slaughter, and UFO classics. Their take on Impaled Nazarene’s “Satanic Masowhore” simply must be heard. And the real blood-icing on this corpse-cake is their own new (de)composition, “Oozing Molten Gristle.” Add to that the great liner notes detailing why they chose each song to cover, and you have a CD of epic proportions.

This is kind of boring, but at least it’s a huge improvement over the swirling wall of incoherent anti-riff noise that was their last album. Still, it’s not much to get excited about. I think all the common Black Metal tactics have been exhausted past their full potential. This has some cool riffs, but for the most part it really drags on. Heard better, heard worse.

The suicide of former drummer Grim seems to have affected this band quite a bit. This is not the Gorgoroth that I remember. If one word can describe the new sound, it is “heavy.” On most, if not all, of their previous releases, Gorgoroth had the rather thin, traditionally noisy guitar sound that exemplified the post-Darkthrone era of raw, underproduced Black Fucking Metal. Incipit Satan sees the guitars getting thicker and deeper, adding that infamous “Sunlight” sound to the mix as well. If “heavy” describes the sound, then “dark” describes the music. Things have slowed down, gotten heavy, Industrial/Dark Ambient elements have started creeping in, and the songs are much, much more mature than ever before. This album has more experimentation on it than all of the previous Gorgoroth albums combined. Shit, there is even the equivalent of a Goth Rock song on here! Granted, there are still faster segments on this CD, but nowhere near what albums such as Antichrist or Destroyer… were.

Damn, these guys have really come back down to Earth. These are actual songs, with actual vocal patterns! Still it leaves a bit to be desired as far as sticking with you goes. I may be on crack, but this sort of reminds me of mid-career Napalm Death, but hardly as unforgettable. I can handle about 10 minutes before the brutality becomes a narcolepsy-inducing drone. Everything this album has to offer is achieved in the first song. It’s basically just the same shit every track. This band should just throw in the towel, or maybe come back with something different.

Hell! This sounds a whole lot like old Dismember! This is definitely not the Gehenna that I remember from about 5 years ago! Back then, they still had Sarcana on keyboards and the band played Emperor-ish atmospheric Black Metal. After Malice (Our Third Spell), Sarcana left the band and things have gotten uglier and uglier since then - and I don’t mean because they lost a certified babe. After she left, their music became more brutal, more violent and just downright more fucking evil. Their previous album, Admirion Black, showed the band heading more in the Death Metal direction, taking influence from old Slayer and Exodus (Bonded by Blood-era) and that album was about as majestic and beautiful as a mugging. If Admirion Black was a mugging, then Murder is aptly named. This album is a continuation of that evolution. Murder is almost pure Death Fucking Metal like the Swedes played it back in the early ’90s. The guitars are down-tuned, distorted like fuck and the whole album is about as pretty as getting your skull smashed in with a sledgehammer while being ass-raped by a chainsaw. I wonder, if they keep going like they have been, will the next album be classified as a dismemberment?

With each album, The Gathering’s sound is more and more mainstreamed. That doesn’t have to be bad, but by this point in the game I don’t think they could get much mellower.

What can really be said about live albums? Are you a fan of the band already? If so, then you’ll want to (and already have) check out this live disc. I’m sure it won’t make any converts to the band’s somewhat dark, very mellow sound. That said, the sound quality and production, which are always a major concern for live recordings, are absolutely stunning here. Apparently the “real” version of this CD will contain a CD-ROM video track that the promo copies do not have. That’s a real shame, since I’d think watching this band live would be a lot better than just hearing them.

Dead Body Music is the second album by Gardens of Gehenna and their debut for Last Episode. Gardens of Gehenna plays brutal Doom/Death Metal with a minimalistic use of keyboards and occasional violin. Their first album reminded me more of My Dying Bride (back when they were a Death Metal band), but this one seems less Gothic and more Death Metal. In a way, it reminds me more of Thergothon than MDB now that they’ve taken the Gothic sound pretty much out of their music. The removal of that particular aspect of their sound has definitely added more brutality to their songs. One thing that remains, however, is that dark atmosphere that makes Doom/Death Metal more interesting. Yes, the gloominess is gone but the darkness is deeper and more malevolent.

More new-wave Swedish Metal. The press release wants me to say that this album has elevated Gardenian into the “realms of the death metal-elite,” but that’s hardly true for a number of reasons. While this is Metal of some form, I’d be hard pressed to call it “Death Metal.” Check out Entombed’s Left Hand Path, Grave’s Into the Grave, Unleashed’s Where No Life Dwells, or Dismsmber’s Like an Ever Flowing Stream for only a few examples of Swedish Death Metal. Also check them out for flawless examples of what should be meant by the word “elite.” This album isn’t bad, and certainly I like it more than Jack did their last one (1999’s Soulburner), but the infusion of Rock elements like wimpy vocals and some song structures and elements, only serve to dilute the rest.

Attention-grabbing atmospheric Death Metal swathed in mystery. The music blends brutality with melody giving the songs added depth and complexity. Layered keyboards and swelling guitar rhythms create dark atmospheres that envelop the listener within their intricacies. A very involved effort, indeed not an album fully appreciated with a casual ear. Repeated spins expose deeper nuances in the music. Original, interesting, challenging, and memorable from beginning to end. Well done!

This is barely tolerable, as I’ve never been into radio-friendly music. Some of the songs are just plain weird. The only interesting thing about this mess is the sampling that goes on between some tracks. Several of the samples are actually pretty funny, but otherwise this is just plain dull. And, with seventeen tracks, it was a chore to get through. Readers of Metal Curse will find nothing of interest here.

Gothic-tinged Death/Doom with a Greek feel. I am reminded of old Septic Flesh and even Rotting Christ, although Gaias is nowhere near that league yet. These clean vocals would’ve been a mistake in English, let alone Spanish. Traces of more modern Black Metal are scattered throughout for injections of intensity, as they are often well needed. Overall, this isn’t bad, but I doubt I’ll be reaching for it anytime soon.

Doesn’t the title of this plastic abortion tell you that it must suck? Perhaps it gets better after the first 30 seconds of the third track (somehow I doubt it), but that’s when the “Rapping” begins in earnest, so I wouldn’t know. Fuck this fruitbooty bullshit! These idiots might just as well go back to doing Top 40 covers, or whatever they did before someone told them “the kids really like that Rap/Metal stuff!”