Once again Dead Void Dreams was updated on time. Seem as my plan to publish twice a month bears fruit, which I like.
Yet again we've only reviews written, hopefully I can get my shit together and finally complete and send those interviews I've planned for quite some time now. I bet Asen feels gutted that Stefan Kaufman didn't yet managed to answer the one he send him...we'll see what the future brings on that front.
Support the bands and leave your comments, critics and suggestions. That' s all it takes.
During the last decade my doom appreciation gene mutated to gigantic proportions, and I've found as the years are passing by I'm becoming a disciple more and more. I mean, Candlemass has always been there for me since my teen days, but I prioritized differently and immersed myself with various other genres, mainly the faster paced ones, but always kept my ears to the ground for some slow and low music as well. This paid off real well as the genre, in its different stylistics, proved to have more long lasting impact than various juvenile pastimes. Procession's traditional take on doom is sound for sore ears, as the music twists and unfolds while lurking in the listener's mind, taking the addiction to dangerously high levels. People who say this is bad aren't listening. Felipe Plaza's guitar riffs set the tone by weaving spells of despair and glimmering hope, which is perfectly matched by his voice and the dynamics provided by the rhythm section. You can easily spot these guys putting their very souls in the music, these strong emotions pouring in their songs can't be faked easily after all. Apparently many other fans hold similar opinions, thus the album is already on its third vinyl press by High Roller complimentary to the CD released by Doomentia out of Czech Republic. Success that, for once, is well deserved and it would be interesting to see what's next for Procession, having in mind that Felipe has relocated to Sweden recently and recruited brand-new members on board. [8,5]
I feel a lengthy review would be inappropriate for this band and their trademarked brand of sonic annihilation. By now everyone should know what's to be expected of Black Witchery and here they're once again to conquer, manipulate and destroy all alleged sanity in the listener. In case your opinion on this band derives around the lows of 'a joke that went too far', well the joke is on you really and the least we hear from you talking about BLACK metal, the merer. Good riddance I say. Go lick your God's asshole in eternity. 'Inferno Of Sacred Destruction' is the sound of Satanic war incarnate, an onslaught of absolute musical barbarity that shows no mercy – this is the raison d'etre of Black Witchery displayed in 22 raging, battering your skull in, minutes. And that's my only minor grip,as this is probably the shortest full length there is in existence. This, and the fact that I feel gutted to never seen the band live yet. [9]
Another little gem from High Roller here. The EP features the title song and a cover version of Mercyful Fate's classic 'Evil', with Hellbutcher from Nifelheim making cameo appearance for that one. I don't know how incentive this might be for purchasing, but I reckon those who hold Ram's take on traditional heavy metal in high regard would like to invest. Judging by some reactions there's a healthy faction of people who dig the band, and deservedly so I hasten to add. 'Under The Scythe' is mainly fast paced number with galloping riffs galore and a catchy sing-along chorus that works wonders with its youthful energy. It certainly takes big balls to cover any song by the Fate, but the guys soldiered on and deliver a reasonably good take here. Some impressive guitar solos on both tracks too. Good job overall, mates. [7]
Liquid Graveyard have every right to appear pissed off and angry – the label's site doesn't plain mention 'The Fifth Time I Died' has already been released for some time now, and there's a misprint omitting the title track's lyric in the booklet to boot! But these guys, and a gal, appear to be real cool sports. So much so that they'd be cool enough with my review of their previous album to personally send me the new CD for another write up. Thanks for that Raquel, really appreciated. Another thing I like about this band is their willingness to go their own way musically, even though this is probably just a bit too slick sounding for my demented brain. There's some rawness here as well, which could be attested to the vocal style used by John Walker that nicely compliments the main vocals of Raquel. Her vocals are well varied and as you could guess, some of those styles work better than others, making this really an acquired taste issue. The best bit about the band is still the guitar work of Mr. Walker, he never seems like overdoing his playing, and there's just the right amount of small licks and pieces added to assure the catchy vibe of the riffs. Liquid Graveyard sound good enough and I'll file them under my personal 'guilty pleasure' list of bands that have their roots in death metal, but aren't really fitting the term in all fairness, being kinda experimental and modern sounding to these ears. [6,5]
Now this is reminiscent to those old demo days in more than one way. Masada give us only two songs that clock at just over six and a half minutes total, which brought back memories of all those countless promos/demos I still have on tape from days past. There are differences caused by the time and age we are living in as well – one can simply download this for free from Masada's bandcamp page and the members are far from being some local weirdos in their mid to late teens. Except for the founder member Chris Milewski's quite obscure music history prior to this one, the rest of the band are musicians with whose work most metal fiends should be familiar with: vocalist is Cazz Grant from Crucifier, the drummer Craig Smilowski is best known for his savage work on Immolation's 'Dawn Of Possession' and 'Here In After', both my personal faves of that band, and the Rellik's bassist Matt Dwyer. Granted, not exactly household names for the uninitiated, but good starting point and reference of what's to be expected of Masada for those in the know. And what we've here is death metal, that's enriched by some quirky guitar work, Cazz' gravely vocal tone and the equally as menacing rhythm section. Hell, give this a quick download to investigate further into this band, what could you possibly lose by clicking on that damn link below? I can only hope we won't need six more years between 'Suffer Mental Decay' and its successor. [7]
We metalheads are such a strange bunch of misfits. For the most part we all appear scary and gruesome but in fact we are those nice guys minding their own business. And yes, we are misanthropic, but that's pretty inaccurate while our collective party button is switched on. Everyone could attest some mind-blowing, offensive, funny or whatever stories related to the subject of partying with the gang, right? So, allow Alastor to be the soundtrack to the boozed up nights and morning afters that lie ahead then. Thrashing black rage, dirty sounding and completely drenched in the oh-so-familiar FOAD (non) ethic, the Portuguese band delivers, and then some. I've long been admirer of Decayed, so I'm more than thrilled to finally immerse myself with another of the projects by main man JA. Never particularly liked much that easily thrown around 'die hard' tag, but I suppose this time its use is well justified here. The music of Alastor might be well described as a trip down the memory lane, and while the more confused folks would use that pejoratively, those who have made a sworn pledged in the name of beer drinking and hell-raising would get quite a kick from this album. I can spot, from right here in my chair, heads banging, beer flowing and horns rising over the world, whilst maniacs are listening to these tunes. What is also good is that one gets two albums for the price of one, as the CD includes not only the more recent 'Demon Attack', but has the added bonus of Alastor's 1996 debut 'Gates Of Darkness' as well. And yeah, Motley Crue is definitely a band that deserve some respect, I knew I couldn't be the only one who was thinking like this... [8,5]
I should properly kick myself, in a classic Roy Keane-style, in the ball-sack for waiting years and years before checking the music of this Irish band! Yes, I can be pretty foolish occasionally, and now I envy all of you who own Abaddon Incarnate's back cataloque. Fuckers. That above statement is supposedly even more impressive if we've to consider that I've listened to only three Abaddon Incarnate tunes. The promo tracks I got from the band represent their side of the split 7'' with Phobia, that has been released in February by Underground Movement, out of Dublin. Masterfully written and produced, tightly performed, ultra intense and extremely memorable grind – these guys have ticked all the right boxes and clearly belong to the upper echelon of their chosen genre. Hardly surprising really, as the chaps have been in the game for quite some time now and as anyone should realize – genuine integrity and extensive rehearsing do pay off. I can't be arsed to give perfect rating nowadays, and I haven't heard the Phobia part of the split, but this stuff alone earns a well deserved [9].
Pandemonium's history is a bit too complicated to go into detail here, suffice to say that the band is active once again now and a new album is to be released on Pagan Records this fall. In 2010 Godz O War celebrated the band's 20thanniversary by releasing Pandemonium's debut 1992 demo 'Devilri' on vinyl, including this here promo disc for free with all orders. A cool touch definitely, especially taking in consideration that next to the two audio tracks ('Black Forest' and 'God Delusion') this also includes some live videos of the band. The accompanying flyer do suggests to file the music under 'Satanic dark metal', which might be somewhat appropriate given the image they're projecting, but I need to hear more to be fully convinced. Neither of those tracks really grabbed my full attention, yet there's some good guitar harmonies and intricate drumming to be spotted, plus the band seem to have some interesting ideas how to unfold these mid-tempo tracks. Probably my biggest grip are the vocals, they are just 'there' for me, failing to achieve real lasting impact on the listener. Still, I wouldn't dismiss Pandemonium before hearing the planned 'Misanthropy' album, as the professional approach of this Polish act is out of question. Time shall tell, I reckon. [6]
I can't recall the last time I was sent a tape in the mail, but here it is – the debut demo of the one-man entity named Black Hammer. Information about this band, and its creator J.K., is as scarce as it gets, which is no small feat in itself in this day and age. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, since the music here has successfully replaced the alleged need of triumphant press releases, or annoying Internet 'buzz'. Refreshingly enough, this is not the lo-fi black/pagan metal that the majority of those one-man bands mostly seem to specialize in, what's on offer here instead is fully drenched in that raw as fuck, balls-to-the-fukkin-wall, metal/punk hybrid style of old. J.K. has undoubtedly realized that keeping things simple is the way to go with this particular style, allowing the catchy riffs to lead the listener through these five songs, nicely supported by the head-banging tempos and the caustic vocals. 'The Horror' is a promising declaration of that aggressive 'Fuck The World' mentality that goes hand in hand with the more abrasive side of thrash metal (think early Destruction and Sodom), the dirty and sick bits of Venom and Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, plus the kind of general disdain proclaimed by the likes of GBH or The Exploited. I'd much prefer listening to this demo and band instead of the umpteenth act trying (in vain) to explore their inner self, or some other inane crap of this ilk. While not technically or production-wise perfect, Black Hammer is still a good addition to the collections of those who need their music rude and not related to current trends. Only 300 were made of this demo, so ask for yours. [6,5]
Colombian power metal? You better bet it is! And really solid sounding one at that – powerful and uncompromising music, which borrows from the best traditions of both the German and the US scenes. 'Core Domain' is the perfect opener – a real metal anthem – speed and melody combined with harmonic guitar solos and catchy choruses. The rest of the album continues in similar vein, featuring not only fast tracks but some mid-tempo one as well, the latter of which are borderline thrash ('When Zombies Rise'), which is another thing Thunderblast have in common with the heavier specter of the US power metal. The press release compares the band to Iced Earth but in my opinion they sound more akin to German bands such as Rage and Brainstorm, with a tinny little dose of Tankard added. Unlike Rage, however, Thunderblast's music appear to be more all around encompassing and homogeneous, possibly due to the good Helloween-esque melodic solos and twin harmonies provided by the band's guitar players. There's not a single bad song here, and I'll mention just some of the personal faves: 'Core Domain', 'Horror At Outpost 10', 'Invaders From Another World', 'Lab From Hell' and the awesomely blasting 'War Of The Monsters'. Cheers to Pure Steel for giving us the opportunity to listen to this gem, that otherwise might have gone unnoticed by most. Crank up the volume, enjoy and be chill for the future of the real good music. [8,5]
What we have here is a band that fights for its place under the sun, with some demos and two EPs to their credit. This one is the more recent of the pair, self-described as death/thrash by the band. A fitting description, as the music is pure thrash, influenced probably by the early works of Slayer and Forbidden, with some of the vocals they've used applying to the death metal tag. Personally speaking, I find the songs here sounding a bit 'samey' , even though there's a good deal of riffs, melodic solos and tempo variations here. My personal favourite off the five tracks presented was 'And I Burst', hopefully we would hear more of this kind of songs in future from Everwhere. [7]
Master Alafern (who participates in other Ukrainian bands such as Thundercraft, Svyatogor and Triglav) is the mastermind behind this project, playing all the instruments and supplying additional vocals to those sung by the sole other member here, Dromos Aniliagos. The guys incorporate the violin in their songs, which is rare for the style, unlike the use of keyboards, which are also present being embraced by such bands for quite some time now. Quintessence Mystica play symphonic black metal, taking their main dose of inspiration from various Scandinavian bands, Dimmu Borgir and Emperor appearing to be the most obvious ones. The black metal maelstrom starts right off the bat with the sinister,zealous sounding track 'Vector Space Of Desires', and in the third song, 'Aspects Of Contemplation', we are introduced to the wailing, tragic, sound of the violin that's used for the rest of the album. Three of the songs are all instrumental, allowing some breath before the blasting tempos to kick in again. The vocals vary from hysterical screaming to clean singing, to malicious whisperings and even some death-styled growls, and the band has added some of the Ukrainian language throughout the songs. This album definitely is a wind of fresh air for the stagnating black metal scene we have nowadays. [9,5]
One can't deny the quality of the music offered by this Ukrainian band, thus the label's support to them is easily justified. What we have is a band whose vibe does resemble, more or less, that of Immortal, nothing wrong with that as Balfor aren't cheap copycats either – this is strong and powerful black metal as dictated by the legacy of the Scandinavia's top-tiers . Various other influences can be found as well, for example 'In A Thunder Of Ancient Glory' one is reminded of Emperor's grandeur ('IX Equilibrium' era), while for 'Kingdom's Blood' the tempo is slowed down, giving a scent of doom to the listener. Balfor have the opportunity open to explore their unique path on the albums that lie ahead for them. [7,5]
I have only the digital promo of this, so can't really comment on the possible beauty of the vinyl and the packaging, but I know that the 7'' is limited to 1000 copies. The important question is, however, are Zuul any good? And here your humble (hmm) reviewer, with a smirk on his face, do answers with 'Yes, they're good. Real good'. There's something really admirable in the music these guys are cranking up here, something that folks devoted to heavy metal for years and years will probably find bloody appealing. Yes, I'm talking about highly energized playing, ridiculously catchy riffage and stunningly memorable choruses – basically the things that first made me fell in love with the genre back in the day. God, me getting back into that air-guitar playing thingy again? Yep, that's how I feel while listening to these two tracks ('Howl Of The Wolf' and 'Skull Splitter'), as these are shining examples how to combine properly your influences into a successful sounding package. In case you love your heavy metal straight from the heart, with no pompous pseudo-grandeur in sight, but with a gently displayed nod to the NWOBHM, the early to mid 80's American style, and slight punk-based roughness, then Zuul will deliver the goods for you. In case you're disappointed by this EP, I can accept the fact that you're wrong, but just send me the vinyl to bribe me to keep my mouth shut about your questionable tastes in metal, okay? [7]
So, here it is – the first of the numerous (knock on wood!) regular updates for this webzine.
[Note: That was a bad idea and was rejected later. Little did I know at the time that posting reviews together is an awfully stupid move. - ED]
There's nothing much to say right now, everything is here on your screen. Check out the reviews we've prepared for you, check out the bands that may be up your alley and leave a comment or two. I've been hellishly busy as of lately, so all the reviews were written by Asen Asenov and these are his first, and hopefully far from last, contributions to the zine. I promise I'll join him on Vol II of the June update with a collection of ill-natured, badly scribed and outstandingly informative reviews. Eventually.
During the course of the recent months My Space went down the drain, I'll try and provide other alternatives when giving links to the featured bands, when possible. Hell, you all can google the damn name yourselves in the end,right? As you can see, there are You Tube videos embedded in the zine now, which might be a good way of sampling bands and tunes.
For those who have been supportive to Dead Void Dreams – sincere thanks! You know who you are, no need of particular lists.
Take care.
Vladimir Petrov
EMERALD
'Re-Forged'
(Pure Steel Records)
Emerald are cult (to some people accounts, at least) heavy/power metal band from Switzerland. This is their first album after recruiting a new singer, Thomas Winkler (T-Rage), and guitarist Manuel Werro (Shroudshifter, Fatherfuckers), with the both of them turning up with pretty good work here. Emerald's music displays a wide range of influences, some of which seem to be Iron Maiden, Helloween, Edguy and Hammerfall, as well as the US power experimentalists Cage. In fact, one of the guest appearances on this album is by Cage's Sean Peck, other guests include Mike Sifringer (Destruction), Mike Steel (Steelclad) and Oromi and Damir Eskic (Gonoreas). The songs vary from slow ones to rather fast numbers, complete with the requisite heroic and fantasy lyrics. Some of my favourites were 'Pipes Are Calling', 'Тhe Last Legion', 'Secret Agenda', 'The Wanderer', the epic sounding 'Mutiny' and the angry 'Where's Your God'. The album is, definitely, one of the most accomplished works of the band, and despite the numerous hardships they're still weaving high the flag of true heavy metal with pride! [8,5]
I'm delighted by the new release of these Finnish black metal masters. Its nine songs, with total length of nearly an hour, transport us to the vast frozen fields of the north. Their epic black metal style from the past albums is still intact here, the songs are yet again very melody and harmony-laden, which is considered by some as a betrayal to the cause of black metal. There's a good deal of surprises too, the untypical female choirs a la Therion in 'With A Thorn In Our Hearts', or the dark ambiance of 'Our Ascent Of The Tower' and the song 'For Thirteen Moon', which I'd refer to as being an epic ballad. The bands closes off with a rapid fast composition, a great ending of an album done in the best traditions of the epic, melodic black metal. Don't miss out! [9,5]
(Just got an email from Woodcut that on 8 June they're releasing this and band's previous album, 'Wreath Of Thevatat' on 180 gram vinyl, check their site for additional info.)
The fourth album of Bloodbound certainly differs from the the one preceding it, 'Tabula Rasa'. And I mean that positively,as the band has used the more straightforward approach to the songwriting here, known from the times of their debut. The songs are well varied between mid and fast tempo, delivering metallic anthems akin to Hammerfall, Gamma Ray and Edguy. Melody is the key element of the compositions and the guitar solos are in abundance. Another trademark of the band is the good use of catchy choruses, not unlike Hammerfall again, who on their turn had borrowed that from the gods Accept. This album is also the debut for the new singer, Patrick Johansson (Dawn of Silence), and apparently the band has hit the bull's eye with his addition. 'Moria' starts off the album on a high note, with its surprisingly dark atmosphere, but my pick of a favourite track,however, is the fast and crushing "Reflections Of Evil" - a true power metal anthem in the veins of Gamma Ray and Edguy. Other remarkable cuts are "Together We Fight", the awesome ballad "Brothers Of War" and "The Dark Side Of Life". There's a certain Stratovarius vibe in the latter mentioned tune, which translates as quick playing and high level melody. The rest of the album is equally as impressive too. Bloodbound are here again, stronger than ever! [8,5]
Hailing from Finland, Stargazery can be described as 'super group' of sorts - its members are known for their respective participation in bands such as MSG, Masterstroke, Snakegod,Burning Point, among others. 'Eye On The Sky' is the band's debut CD - tightly played melodic metal with strong, dominant, keyboards parts. The main influences in the music seem to be found in the classic hard rock and melodic metal originators, namely Rainbow and Dio, as well as Whitesnake and even Europe to some extent. The title song, which is easily one of the better ones on the disc, also sports a Stratovarius influence. Other recommended tracks are "Jester Of Kings", "Puppet On A String" and "S.O.S.". The album also contains a cover version of 'Headless Cross', from the Toni Martin era of The Sabs. Stargazery will easily appeal to the melodic metal fans with this classy album. [8]
The second album of the Lithuanians and once again they deliver unto us epic and traditional sounding power/heavy metal, spiced up with some hard rock, which adds some good variety for the listener. Production quality is top notch and hardly differs from the 'western' standards. Musically, this is influenced both from the classics of Judas Priest and Ingwie J. Malmsteen, all the way to more recent acts such as Angel Dust (the singing manner) and Nocturnal Rites. The highlights of the disc are definitely the tunes 'Born In Hell' and 'Black Star'. There's also a certain Candlemass-inspired epic touch to the closing song, which doesn't mean blind copying or cheap rip-off of the Swedes. Song number six is still a mystery to me - it's untitled and most likely a cover version sung by someone else instead of the band's vocalist. [8]
'Night Assassins' is the debut for these Hungarians and apparently before forming Morbid Carnage the members made some history for themselves playing black metal, but we're dealing with a different animal now. Never boring for a second, the stuff this band plays is typical for the bands of this new thrash metal wave of late. Fast and cutting riffs, a lot of tempo changes and memorable choruses. All of this in the veins of bands such as Destruction and Slayer. And so it goes from the opening blast of 'Warlust' to the very end of the album. The band is suitable for fans of both the old school as well as the younger thrash legions. Music that goes well when chugging down the beers, with no lame parts or 'virtuoso' guitar moments in sight. Fast, faster and yeah - faster, like the true thrash requires. [8]
This is the debut album for the Norwegian newcomers. Their style can be described as symphonic gothic pop metal, with added power metal and hard rock elements. Band's singer, Eline, delivers her vocals rather convincingly and with great deal of variation throughout the album, supported at times by the In Flames-alike backing vocals from the rest of the band. The predominantly mid-tempo music goes on smoothly, allegedly a searched effect by the band, since this makes for some pleasant background listening. The problem is that once the disc is over one doesn't seem to remember much of it. Some of the more choice cuts, however, are 'State Of Emergency', 'Before I'm Gone', 'Monkey Business' and 'Wisteria Lane Concept', which is the heaviest of the bunch with its hefty opening power metal riffs, before shifting gears to a calmer mode, and Eline's varying her vocals from angry screaming all the way to some angelic singing. A promising album that fans of bands such as Angel and early Sirenia probably will appreciate, despite the hard task to pigeonhole Fastlane Flower within the boundaries of a strict music style. [7,5]
A teaser EP from the Swedes, to fill the gap between their 2009 release 'Exodus To Hell' and the forthcoming new album. Their style is strongly influenced by the NWOBHM and the likes of Iron Maiden and Brocas Helm, showcasing undying enthusiasm, bordering on fanatic worship to their idols at times. All three songs – 'Crusaders Must Ride', 'Man With The Chains' and 'Lighting Rod Avenger' are immensely melodic, coupled with high level vocal delivery and somewhat 'hollow' production work that sounds like lifted straight off the glory days in the late '80's. This music is not my main forte, yet it's hard to deny this band's ability. Quite a good appetizer to the full-length here. [7,5]
If you're even remotely familiar with the Swedish black/death scene, then Algaion should be a well known name. This, their latest album has been long in the making, due to the member's commitments to various of other projects. Musically, there's no surprises here, as this is the expected hard punch in the face delivered by the band. Rawer that Unanimated and faster than Rotting Christ, with good number of rather memorable melodies woven into the lot of the songs. Just what the fans of the style enjoy. Plus, there's a cover of the old, and cult, 'Sign Of Evil Existence', paying tribute to the aforementioned Greek blasphemers. [7]
