As odd as it seems to say this these days, I hear a lot of Metallica on this, specifically their And Justice for All album. However, Deviant come at this style from a more Thrash (even Death) standpoint, and the result isn’t bad.

Until the pitifully stupid distorted vocals kicked in, I thought this was the same band that released the amazing Into Eternity, and its excellent follow-up, Bitterness. I then checked the CD booklet to see what was going on and why the hell Metal Blade would sign two bands with the same name. To my absolute fucking horror, I discovered that somehow this is the same band. How they mutated from a first-class Death Metal act into this “Hard Alternative” is really beyond me. I didn’t even realize that this was also recorded at Sunlight! Maybe if you think that Tool is ultra brutal Underground Extreme Metal, you might be able to tolerate this, as it’s really not (musically) pathetic for what it is. But what it is to me is a complete disappointment.

This Doom band (with actual violin - no keyboards) would be great if I could hear what they’re doing. Usually I don’t complain about a demo’s sound quality, but this time it really detracts from what might be excellent material. I can hear some great ideas through the murk, but it’s difficult to accurately say much else. It might be the case that if you buy the demo you’ll get a better copy than I have, as mine appears to be a 10th generation dub, and is, for some unknown reason, all sticky and grimy.

After a darkly ambient intro, this progresses into Black Thrash, usually with very standard drumming, which is the weak point of the album. Of course the vocals are agonized, but convincing. I was very glad to hear the good production and riffs (early Celtic Frost, as might be expected). Desaster have a great ability to write memorable songs, and I think that with a more individual sound, these guys would really be great.

Long-time readers will recall that I reviewed the (inferior) American release of this album back in issue #8. I didn’t like the gurgly vocals then and I still don’t. The music, however, is well played, and certainly brutal, so, if necessary, ignore the vocals. This version has vastly improved layout, and 4 bonus tracks from the band’s 1991 demo.

Sick Death Metal is what this band is about, and they do it very well. But the most unique thing about this professional looking and sounding disc is that the lyrics are in French.

Clocking in at only 17 seconds over the half-hour mark (including over 3 minutes of intro and outro), this is a rather short effort, but certainly to the point. Although fairly basic speedy Death Metal with traditionally gory lyrics, the playing is tight and the production pretty good. Trading Pieces offers nothing new, but (other than the rather annoying music-less gurgled outro) at least it’s well done and probably worthy of a listen.

This is less Ambient than their debut, Wisdom Floats, but even with the heavy guitar and drums, is just as graceful and majestic. I’m very pleased to hear that they are trying some different things, and even more pleased that these things are working so well for them.

Three studio and 4 live cuts. Not bad for an EP. The sound quality isn’t great, but it’s not too bad. As for the music, Decayed Catacomb play somewhat Thrash influenced Death Metal, with maybe a touch of Doom. It is darkly atmospheric, but manages to keep moving at the same time. Not an awesome release, but interesting nonetheless.

Although very simple, the style of Black Metal employed by Deathwitch is at least energetic, and there are two chicks in the band, so I guess that’s a plus.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

Having recently had the perverse pleasure of seeing these goat fuckers live, I am proud to report that they are every bit as good on stage as on this masterpiece. Their epic, majestic, yet furious, Black Metal onslaught is captured here in near perfection, thanks to the amazing production of Abyss Studio. But the real praise must of course go to the band themselves for coming up with songs of such power and emotion. This insures that Dark Funeral must be considered one of the top Black Metal bands on the planet. “Lay down your souls.”