Barge To Hell 2012: A Report by Remi Cote (part 2)

Part two of Remi Cote's report of this year's BARGE TO HELL

Missed the first part? Check it out here


TEXT: Remi Cote 
CORRECTIONS: Jacinte Pearsons 
PHOTOS & VIDEOS: Jean-Philippe Beaulieu
 
 
Back on the boat, with most of my orifices filled with white sand, I ran to catch my new buddy Andrew’s band on the pool deck: MONSTROSITY! I am ashamed to say I never had the chance to see them live and it was one of my priority on da boat to hell… disappointed I was not! Solid from start to finish, crushing in every possible ways. They are amazing musicians (you too Andrew! There you go, I said it!) and they should be a much bigger band in my opinion. If you have the chance to see them live, just go! I managed to catch a few songs from MORGOTH on the small stage at the Spectrum Lounge and they were killing it again… went for a quick shower and came back to see GRAVE, again, at the spectrum. Killer set and it was sounding great this time… this band is just fucking awesome, the new album is great and I needed to see them on the boat. GRAVE is god… they made me a happy sailor that night for sure. I also caught PARADISE LOST at the Chorus Line… I have been a fan of this band for ever, saw them live a few times and I was not going to miss the opportunity to see them live again… I also got myself a nice shirt the day before, so I am thrilled and anxious to see them. I am sorry to say that this is my disappointment of the cruise… I will not go into details as I am not into slagging bands off… but this was not up to par if you catch my drift. Totally disappointed. I will keep the shirt and keep listening to the albums. I felt fortunate to see SANCTUARY again, they played another new song and again, I just can’t wait to get that new album, it is going to be great for sure. I went on to catch a few songs from BOUNDED BY BLOOD and they were great. I couple of drinks later I went to my bunk, once again very happy to be there. 

MORGOTH: The art of sinking
SANCTUARY...Soldiers of steel

Day 4 (December 6) was going to be brutal… and it started with a bang with SOLSTAFIR. They were the right band to start this great day. You do not want to see KRISIUN at 10 in the morning (Well, I do, but not everybody!) and did they woke us up in a great way! I love the new album and they are very cool to see live… The stage look like a natural thing for them (looks easier for them than riding a Jet Ski! LOL! Sorry I will not go into details on this!) and they were the perfect band to enjoy with a glass of milk and a glazed donut beside the pool on a beach chair. I am a SOLSTAFIR fan more than ever. Went on to see DARK SERMON at the spectrum and I must say they were great! Not really my style (modern Death Metal mixed with Deathcore) but they have a killer stage presence, very intense. Pretty cool, I suggest you guys to investigate them a bit further. I ran to the pool deck to make sure not to miss a second of one of my favourite bands… the godly NOVEMBER’S DOOM! Paul is god… the guy sings like a fucking master! Solid is not even getting close to describe this band’s amazing live performance. I have all their albums, and I know their songs by heart, this band was one of the highlights on my trip to the Barge to hell… so heavy, so dark! They also played a great cover of WOODS OF YPRES… fucking magical moments. I wish they could play another 2 hours. AMAZING! I will do everything I can to see them live again. After this show, I managed to catch HACKNEYED which I thought were pretty cool if not necessarily my thing. I caught a few songs from HOLY MOSES, they had a lot of fans on that cruise but I am not really into their music. Still, they are good musicians and we could see and feel they were enjoying the whole thing as much as their fans in front of them. Kudos for this alone! We went to JOHNNY ROCKET for a quick burger (man, this burger joint is just great!) and came back to see HEADCRUSHER at the Spectrum. This band did kick my ass fair and square… Great band, great presence, musically similar to AT THE GATES mixed with some good old SEPULTURA… very intense. Check them out! At 2H30 I went back to the pool side to catch ROTTING CHRIST. They did well and they were well received by the crowd. The Greek’s discography is a hit and missed as far as I’m concerned but I must admit they really put on a great show, I am happy they were there and they deserved their spot on the cruise. I was curious to see VITAL REMAINS live, and since I never really was a big fan of their music, I will admit I was not expecting much and I was surprised they were actually playing the chorus line. Well, I never felt so dumb in my life… how the hell did I miss this freaking tornado for so many years? Shame on me! This was an unbelievable concert from A to freaking Z… The singer is redefining the term frontman in my humble opinion… fucking intense dude, he is a show on his own. It was a great (dark and evil!) moment of the cruise for me… I just ordered the last 2 albums a few minutes ago to make amends. AWSOME fucking band!!! I couldn’t live with the idea of not seeing POSSESSED live again and so I went to the pool deck to see if they could top their first show… They did more than that, it was even better! Fucking impressive… Please tell me the fuck why they are not signed on a label and kicking ass around the world right now? Holy fuck, for the sake of the metal scene, we need another POSSESSED album pronto! Totally exhausted (in a good way) by what I just saw, I decided to go back and check on KRISIUN… I knew what to expect and I was not surprised to see them slaying on stage… super tight, great sound, great songs by great people. For some reasons they always come out better live than on disc for me... it was a great show. I went to see ENSLAVED, and they did great, again... fucking impressive band. Went to the spectrum to see LOCK UP, too many people, couldn’t see anything and the sound was horrible... that bar sucks. I hate myself for not being able to see them at the Chorus Line, but hey, it’s impossible to be everywhere at the same time. I managed to catch HAVOK for a few songs after a nice supper and a couple of beers. At this time, I was exhausted, spent the entire day watching bands and I needed a break. So I went to my room for a quick shower and came back for what was going to be my last show of the festival... the second concert from BEHEMOTH at the pool deck. They were nothing less than fantastic once again. What a cool way to finish an amazing week of extreme metal. More bands were playing later on but we saw them all or were just too tired to see more. Plus, we had to leave early the day after... We all pretty much went to bed with the conviction that we accomplished our mission. 

SOLSTAFIR: Proper nautical style.

NOVEMBERS DOOM under the jealous sun

Passage to Arcturo: ROTTING CHRIST
Divine in fire: VITAL REMAINS

To sums up such an event in a few lines is pretty much impossible. I am happy with what I got for the money I have paid for. Few things are not working as far as I am concerned... First, to give the chance to unknown bands to be part of such a festival is a great idea... but to have them play at 4H30 in the morning is nonsense... It is ridiculous. I wanted to see KAMPFAR at the pool deck but at quarter to 4 in the morning? Who wanted to see ABIOTIC at 4:30? The spectrum Lounge is not the best option but since you have to work with it, I suggest you take off the damned fence in front of the stage... and maybe the bands should play on the floor in front of the stage, they would have more room and we could see them seated without any problems... I know the logistic for such a festival must be a pain in the ass to deal with and overall it went well, delays are inevitable in such an event but I know a few guys that were royally pissed off waiting for an extra 2-3 hours for the merch store to open... I mean, we were all on board when the ship departed, so why not putting the merch store together the day before opening the store? Just a thought... The restaurants and buffet are just great. You are tired and want to fuck off into your room? You will sleep well, no worries! The staff is great, polite, and helpful in any possible ways. Checking in was bliss and checking out was even easier... I just loved the experience and I already decided to go next year. So if you wish to get in touch with me for next year or if you were there this year and want to chat, please feel free to e-mail me at prc_music@yahoo.ca Let’s talk metal... and see you all next year! - REMI 

 More photos and videos from Barge To Hell:

Barge To Hell photos

Barge To Hell YouTube 

Barge To Hell 2012: A Report by Remi Cote (part 1)

Huge thanks to Remi for letting me use this report. 

I raise my glass in your honour - cheers!



TEXT: Remi Cote 
CORRECTIONS: Jacinte Pearsons 
PHOTOS & VIDEOS: Jean-Philippe Beaulieu


BARGE TO HELL:


My name is Remi and I am a 43 years old metal fan from QC, Canada. I have been involved in the scene for close to 30 years, I did various labels, I still run PRC MUSIC (www.prcmusic.com – home of Negativa, Beyond Creation, Stalwart, Gorelust, amongst  few others) and I started a record store called PROFUSION in 2003 which I sold in late 2011... I live for this music. It is in my veins. I will try to give you an idea of the day to day life on the first BARGE TO HELL as a metal fan, not a journalist, which I am not and have no pretention to be. I actually have no idea how to really do this… I sell music and distribute music, that is what I do best, so please bear with me if my article is not up to par with anything you will read in TERRORIZER or DECIBEL!

Can’t actually say how and why but we finally managed to survive this trip and made it back home safe… Why “Survive” you may ask? There were no tsunamis or plane crashes or Titanic-like catastrophes… But how can you think going to such an event with some of the best bands on earth, surrounded by friends, bars and drunken metal heads, and not get into the mood and shit faced? This is actually the best fucking festival I had the chance to experience, and for numerous reasons, and I am already getting anxious for BARGE TO HELL 2… I will be there, and you should too. Hell, we should go together.

We flew (me and 6 of my buddies) from Montreal and we could tell it was going to be a fun week because we were already (quietly) causing mayhem and laughing our butts off at the airport while checking in… the party was on, at 4:30 AM. After various body searches on myself and metal bro Eric by the very cool and chatty guy at the boarders (let’s call him Dick), we finally all boarded the plane… direction NY and then Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We flew out on December 1st in order to enjoy the sun, beaches and buckets of beers before the cruise… mission accomplished. We all had our proud moments.

We were all pretty anxious on D-DAY, December 3rd, and woke up early for a quick continental breakfast (meaning muffins and cereals) and shower to finally leave for the port of Miami…
 
We arrived there with a private shuttle. We saw black shirts and tattoos all over the place - Shane from NAPALM DEATH with his bass and luggage, the dudes from KRISIUN getting in line, the guys from ENSLAVED taking pictures with fans… we knew we were finally home… Home sweet home.

EXODUS - Bonded by blood

After checking in and finding our rooms, it was time to run around the boat and meet some cool people… EXODUS was scheduled to start the hostilities at the Chorus Line Theater. This is a cool club, actually my favourite place on the boat to watch a show, very comfy seats, the sound was always great and you have a perfect view of the stage where ever you may want to sit. 

ENSLAVED - The Space Odyssey of the longships
  

It was unfortunately impossible to see every show, as some bands were playing while others were already on stage but on the first day I saw EXODUS (solid as usual), SOILWORK (Dirk is god and yeah, Speed was impressive), a bit of HOLY MOSES, I literally was blown away into very small pieces by ENSLAVED (incredible show!), SODOM killed everything on the pool deck… but nothing could actually prepare us for the unreal, incredible awesome first concert of the festival from my favourite band from Poland BEHEMOTH! I saw them numerous times and I swear on my wife’s head that I never saw them like that… evil was fucking dripping from the walls around us… it was incredible, magical. BEHEMOTH is way above everybody else as far as stage presence and precision… this show actually killed me several times in the process and since I slept a mere 5 hours in the 48 hours before, I decided it was time to hit the bunk bed for the night. I went to my room with a smile on my face.

BEHEMOTH - Here and beyond


 

Day 2 (December 4th) started at 10 with ARTILLERY… which I missed as we were already in line waiting for the merch store to open… yeah, I’m a 43 years old kid and I need my goodies. Unfortunately for me, it was a hard fucking task to find XXL size shirts… No BEHEMOTH dammit. No GRAVE. No ENSLAVED… Still got a kick ass POSSESSED shirt, a cool MONSTROSITY shirt, the Barge To Hell shirt and baseball cap… life goes on. Went back to the pool stage in time to catch MORGOTH and they were fucking amazing… loved their set. Afterwards I got my ass kicked by LOUDBLAST, a pleasant surprise as far as I’m concerned as I didn’t hear anything new from the band since forever. Then SACRED REICH killed everything. It was fun to actually enjoy the band in the pool with the guys from MUNICIPAL WASTE… They had as much fun as we did for sure, SACRED REICH killed it, it was great seeing them live again after almost 20 years in my case! I went to the Spectrum Lounge to see NECRONOMICON (the Canadian one!) which I usually enjoy, I saw them live a lot and they deserve their new success in my opinion… but playing on this stage didn’t give them much of a chance. The sound was bad and we couldn’t see much of them on stage because first, they had quite a lot of people showing up which is cool, but there was also a barrier in front of the stage, which made things a bit weird and difficult to fully enjoy the band’s presence… please take that fence off next year, it’s annoying and absolutely not necessary.

Next we had the chance to see BRUJERIA in action, which didn’t do much for me I’m afraid. The next gig was some sort of trip back to school for me, seeing CORROSION OF CONFORMITY in full force with their original line-up, like I did in the mid 80’s in a crappy bar in Montreal, was pure bliss… they were amazing. Pure gold for an old creep like me.

LOUDBLAST the Caribbean Sea!
SACRED REICH...time to surf!
La BRUJA
COC - 'Why Are We Here?'

 


Still on the COC buzz, we ran to the Chorus Line to see NAPALM DEATH… I saw them numerous times, again and again, I love them to death but this concert was beyond fucking sick… I never saw Barney so fucking intense before. The set list was amazing; they played material from all their classics. Incredible gig! We skipped MAYHEM and went to grab a bite, we came back just in time for SANCTUARY. They were great, as if the band actually never stopped for 2 decades or so… can’t wait for the new album. Next, AT THE GATES were playing the pool deck. The set list was cool. MOONSPELL went on stage next at the chorus line and did a killer set too… from what I heard, the singer as a weird effect on the ladies… I took a peek at the MUNICIPAL WASTE show at the Lounge; we could barely see the singer on stage as they were too many people enjoying a solid fucking gig in front of him. I can’t understand why this band was not playing the bigger room… SEPULTURA was next on the pool deck. They played some amazing songs but I don’t know… I am not a fan anymore. It was like seeing a good cover band. Those who had the chance to see SEPULTURA with the (almost) original line-up will understand what I mean. POSSESSED were scheduled to destroy the chorus line and they did… I saw them in the mid 80’s and they were good. Fast forward 20 something years later, they were amazing… Everything they played on stage was obviously a classic. It is cool to see Jeff Bercera on stage again. This was my last concert for day 2. I was barely standing on my feet.

AT THE GATES of the loud memory
MOONSPELL: Portugal ruling the seas once more
 

Day 3 (December 5) was our day off within our vacation… we left the boat for Nassau. Went to the closest Starbucks for WI-Fi and a well-deserved coffee. We took a cab, died about 25 times on our way to the beach… barely alive; we went and find ourselves a nice spot to hang out. The weather was amazing, we had a blast. I am used to travelling in the south, I go at least once or twice a year, and I can’t say I would recommend Nassau… it is ridiculously expensive and you get the same treatment as if you were to go to a Mexican resort, weather and beach-like. And Mexico is much cheaper. Our taxi driver told us Michael Jackson stayed on Paradise Island and paid 25.000$ a night to stay there… I told him Uncle Tom was staying on our boat for free.

At first sight those looked like CORONER shorts to me...

Part 2 of Remi's metal adventure will be posted tomorrow, Dec 12th.

Meanwhile you can check out all photos and videos shot by Jean-Philipe on the following locations:

Barge To Hell 2012 photos 

and

Barge To Hell 2012 You Tube  

Voidcleaning - reviews part 4

A day off work has become more of a rarity for me than stumbling upon a mint first press Yellow Goat vinyl that's sold for a dime. Today is one of those rare days and 'cause I'm not Nocturno Culto (obviously!) I wouldn't be going outside on a ski trip through the woods - I'd rather be watching the snowfall from the safety of my bedroom, while abusing millions cups of black coffee and millions packs of the beloved Viceroy cigarettes. That's right - it's review 'o clock here...



HIC IACET - 'Prophecy Of Doom' 7" (Hells Headbangers)

The label seems to dig these Spaniards, this 7" being the follow up to the HHR (vinyl) reissue of the band's debut demo, 'Hedonist Of The Death'. After listening to these two songs the pairing makes perfect sense - Hic Iacet certainly worship the old, non-technical and brutally raw ways of black and death metal - production and music-wise. This could be a two-edged sword for Hic Iacet though: metallers who like it slick and polished most likely will stay clear of this band, while many of the old timers might be able to pick up more familiar riffs and patterns than what good is, thus ending up kinda indifferent to the whole affair. Agreeably, here's promise on there and it's evident the band is trying to project a grimly unhealthy aura with its music, but this is just not memorable enough to make one jetting to the player and flipping the wax over and over until the vinyl is shred to bits. Blame it on my age, if you wish, or on the existence of bands like Necros Christos, who are doing something similar in style - just better!, but Hic Iacet ain't yet the band to give me goosebumps all over. [7] 


SATHANAS / SPAWN OF SATAN - Split 7" (Hells Headbangers)

Alright, more old school death / thrash here. Spawn Of Satan's "Ritual Murder" bears a slight resemblance to the current works of NunSlaughter, hardly a surprise as it's Jim Sadist playing in both those bands. Not as nasty sounding as most of the NunSlaughter tunes, in fairness, but there's just enough Slaughter influence mixed in along the driving sorta-thrash riffs and deathly growls to make you aware of the similarities. [7]

Sathanas has always been a "difficult" band to me - I like the style they are going for and I respect them for staying true to themselves over the years, yet their tunes have never really floored me to the point of me uttering something similar to "Fuuuuck, this is awesome!". "Unholy Eternal" doesn't change the scenario in the slightest, no matter how many chances I've given to it to sunk in. Oh well, some bands are bound to remain just like this, I guess. [6,5] 


BLACK JESUS - 'Black Jesus Saves' (Hells Headbangers)

This 12" vinyl release rightfully completes the circle for the debut demo of these Melbourne based Repulsion worshippers; 'Black Jesus Saves' had made it now on tape, compact disc and wax. In case you're an undying fan of the Flint, MI, foursome these 8 songs of depravity would easily turn out to be your best new friend - one you would go on and swear you've always been familiar with somehow. One you can sit down with, telling one another random tales of radiation sickness and acts of the unspeakable, bathing in the acid rain until you realize you're both supposed to rot wearing those faded 'Horrified' shirts. Kinda cool, kinda depressing, isn't it? I'm betting my balls this band really excels live, though. [7]


ANCIENT ASCENDANT - 'Into The Dark' (Self-released)

Even though one can hardly shake off the feeling that this English band might be drawing from way too vast array of different styles and influences, the quality displayed on this 5 song MCD is hard to be shot down and buried. Modern day sounding death / thrash hybrid that doesn't make me like throwing my phone across the room? Score one for Ancient Ascendant! Not only the guitarists shred as if there's no tomorrow, but this is also filled with quirky riffs and nuances that make you pay close attention. Rest assured the vocals are just as interesting, diverse sounding and dominating in the mix, with the rhythm section holding up well its end with meticulous precision - no matter if I'd enjoy it better somehow less sterile and more "forceful" sounding. The aim here is writing songs that are both technically challenging and intense, I believe. If that's what the band originally had in mind, then there's no denying that 'Into The Dark' has been a success. If you enjoy stuff like 'Heartwork' era Carcass, Dissection's 'Reinkaos' or even Dark Tranquillity and Gojira (crossbred with Dream Theater, ha!) you might want to invest some time and dosh into these Reading based new-age ancients. Reading, you say? Thanks for selling Kevin Doyle to Wolves in 2009, the guy is class. [7,5]

Children Of Technology 'Mayhemic Speed Anarchy' review

CHILDREN OF TECHNOLOGY
'Mayhemic Speed Anarchy' 7"
(Hells Headbangers)

'It's Time To Face The Doomsday', the Italians debut outing for Hells Headbangers, was embraced with open arms by Dale, as can be attested by the positive review he gave them. COT's punk/metal mixture isn't exactly unique sounding, a thing that seemingly isn't bothering the band at all and they're still proudly wearing their influences on their collective sleeves on this 7". Rest assured the usual suspect influence of Broken Bones and English Dogs are here on the title song, but what I'm most reminded of, whilst listening, is The Exploited. Resemblances to that band's 'Death Before Dishonour' / 'The Massacre' era, both production and riff/solo-wise, are pretty obvious - and what about having "anarchy" in the lyrics? Competently played and energetic, for sure but I reckon I'd rather stick to the true and tried Wattie's gang - and his harsher and fucked up pronunciation. Side B is COT frantically covering "Computer World" by Black Uniforms - good to see these Swedes getting some more exposure and appreciation! Frankly speaking, 'Mayhemic Speed Anarchy' is a rather good stop-gap type EP (and vinyl is king, simple!) but it's also hardly the most addictive drug the market offers. If you love your crossover being more on the punky side this will get you high enough, though. [7]
(Vladimir Petrov) 


 

Bestial Warlust 'Satan's Fist' review

BESTIAL WARLUST
'Satan's Fist'
(Hells Headbangers / Invictus Productions)

Off the top of my head I could think of nearly 666 ways of approaching this release, and scribing the review. I can't highlight enough the impact Bestial Warlust's debut album 'Vengeance War 'Till Death' had on my teen psyche back in the day - this was a complete overloading experience - and still is to this day. Not only those Aussie bastards in no time replaced Blasphemy as my top pick in this particular genre, but they were also the first band that made me pay close attention to their native underground scene, a move that has resulted in experiencing some of the most awesome music those crusty ears have been subjected to - EVER. Fuck it, I would've even scanned and uploaded for you that absolutely atrocious "interview" I did with Bloodstorm  back in the day, only if I could find it - probably for the better: that would've been the ultimate proof for my lame "journalism" and horrible music tastes since day one, hah. In short, I might be called a fan-boy when this band comes into question. Hail Bestial Warlust

'Satan's Fist' was originally recorded as a demo in 1996 and was kept in the vaults since. I, for one, am really glad this is made available on vinyl and CD now, the sound quality is easily superior to the various dubs and 128kbs downloads out there. Even though this is hardly the most triumphant offering unleashed by the band I can't imagine someone complaining about these 3 songs. Sure, this is only Hellcunt and Skullfucker demoing tunes and trying to keep the band alive after the demise of the previous line-up(s) but even for two members they've made a racket between themselves and what this (slightly!) lacks in the full-on ferocious annihilation department, they make for it with some mean guitar riffs and melodies that wouldn't have sounded out of place if used by bands such as Destroyer 666 or Assaulter, to mention just a couple of examples. The more I listen to this, the more I seem to dig it - especially after somehow shaking off the initial expectations that 'Satan's Fist' is gonna be on the same level as the two studio albums. Still, this is militantly aggressive, raw as nobody's business, slit-your-throat metal done the Bestial way - a pleasure to the old timers and a great way to the younger legions to see as to why the band is still cited as one of the most influential by some of the meanest ones making the waves in the underground those days. Add this to your Xmass shopping list, you fuckos! [8]
(Vladimir Petrov)



 

Forgotten Tomb '...And Don't Deliver Us From Evil' review

FORGOTTEN TOMB
'…And Don’t Deliver Us From Evil'
(Agonia Records)

“Kill my chances to survive”. Nothing more, nothing less from the Italian depressive blackers Forgotten Tomb and their amazing latest work '…And Don’t Deliver Us From Evil'. All seven songs reveal a depressive, suicidal, pessimistic and melancholic doomy and gothic atmosphere; in other words dark enough for an internal introspection. Forgotten Tomb do call us to fight our own demons, to explore our own inner soul and mind and finally to make a retrospect to our failures, celebrating the emptiness and vanity. However, the album has no intention to allow us forgiving ourselves for what we have done; it is rather a purgatory where everyone goes inside, but no one can leave from this Dante’s vicious cycle of hell.

Forgotten Tomb Facebook
Leaving aside the lyrical concept of the album and the feelings of vain wandering into the nothingness that it reveals, and from a technical point of view, Forgotten Tomb gives us one major album, perhaps the best album in their career so far. Blasting drums, fast tempo guitar riffs turning to more melodic at some points, bass according to the rhythm, and vocals varying from clean, to throaty growls, and to desperate screams. The Italian’s last work is characterized by astonishing musical compositions, both lyrically and musically, excellent performance, coherent sound, and experimental musical features.
Even after five albums, Forgotten Tomb remains one of the favourite bands that continue to surprise us with their innovations and at the same time with their faithfulness to their original depressive sound and nihilistic ideology. The amazing "Love Me Like You’d Love The Death" is what we dedicate to the band for offering us this album. 
Rating: 9/10 (leaving 10/10 for their next work)
(Dark Alice's nightingale)

 

Ragnarok 'Malediction' review

RAGNAROK
'Malediction'
(Agonia Records)

Many bands emerged during the ‘90s following the Norwegian black metal genre. However, only few of them are still active and / or  faithful to this style nowadays. One of these bands is Ragnarok, introducing us their seventh full-length violent album 'Malediction'.
Unleash the blasphemous beast: fast and attacking guitar riffs, stormy and merciless drums, brutal bass and classic black metal vocals compose the map of this album. The highlight of the album could be the melodic guitar intro on "Dystocratic", making a nice change from the other songs. HansFyrtse and his team from Sarpsborg, Norway offer 45 minutes of blasting music, leaving the listener with feelings of hate and anger against humanity and Christianity. Aggressive and evil, the lyrical content of the ten songs deals with a variety of themes: from the Vikings attack on Lindisfarne Monastery in 793 which set aside the Christian religion, to one’s inner demons and humanity's conflicts, all the way to the wrong operation of democracy - yet always conjuring visions of slaughtered Christian corpses lying at the battlefield.
Rounding things out - 'Malediction' is a typical black metal album, almost like the ones done back in the '90s, with little new to offer us music-wise, but being this technically good it leaves us with nothing to complain about. You have nothing new and experimental to expect from this album, except for furious vocals mixed with stormy instruments. It is about a true raw black metal album, with concrete sound, instrumental balance and flawless execution, which will definitely satisfy all fans of the genre.[8]
(Dark Alice's nightingale)




 

Bloody Hammers 'Bloody Hammers' review

BLOODY HAMMERS
'Bloody Hammers'
(Soulseller Records)

Guessing from the artwork of this album, one is sure what he is going to hear: old school psychedelic occult stoner/doom metal. Indeed, this is the musical concept on the first full-length self-titled album of Bloody Hammers from North Carolina. The name of the band derives from the Roky Erickson’s song "Bloody Hammer" found on his album 'The Evil One' from 1981. Some of the band’s influences are Alice Cooper, Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Danzig and Nick Cave, which can be easily understood even from the first song, as well as from the brilliant "Fear No Evil", the hypnotic "Say Goodbye to the Sun" and the astonishing ‘Don’t Breath a Word’. 
'Bloody Hammers' is chock full of powerful horror dark hard rock / heavy metal, with groovy and melodic sound, catchy riffs and clean vocals. Concrete sound, instrumental balance and excellent performance characterize all ten songs of the album. One can also find at times  touches of electro and industrial-type sound, which makes the atmosphere of this work even more sparkling. All these different styles have been blended very well, without significant variations in the musical compositions – something for which one could blame the music as monotonous, hypnotizing the listener and leaving him with a "funky melancholy". [8]
(Dark Alice's nightingale)




Acrimonious 'Sunyata' review

ACRIMONIOUS
'Sunyata'
(Agonia Records)

Imposing and raw old school black metal blended with melodic riffs from the Greek band Acrimonious and its second work called 'Sunyata', which was released just few days ago from their current label Agonia Records. Faithful to their initial motive, the first song "Nexus Aosoth" offers us a journey to an eerie world with its supernal sound. But that was only the beginning… The rest of the album can be simply characterized as "pure evil": blasting drums by C. Docre, well-played bass, which is exactly on the songs’ rhythm, fast tempo repetitive guitar riffs that give room for melodic solos from Semjaza 218 and Letifer, excellent vocals from ar-Ra’d al-Iblis and Letifer, varying between growls, low screams, spoken words and whispers. The use of an ecclesiastic choir at the end of “Adharma” further enhances the occultism of the album and overall ‘Sunyata’ offers us a ritualistic, cold and real black sound, touching sometimes the limits of thrash. 
The second album with its imaginative artwork is much more aggressive and faster, revealing more hatred and anger than 'Purulence', the band's 2009 debut album. 'Sunyata' has also a ritualistic, almost pagan, atmosphere that the band wants to express through the chosen lyrical themes they're dealing with - Satanism, evil and Greek mythological demons. The sound of the band is much more improved and technically proficient, there is a balance between the vocals and the instruments without overlaps throughout the whole album, while the musical compositions sound much more coherent and concrete.[8]
(Dark Alice's nightingale) 


 
ACRIMONIOUS - The Hollow Wedjat by Agonia Records

Blutmond 'The Revolution Is Dead!' review

BLUTMOND
'The Revolution Is Dead!'
(Code 666)

Right off the bat the Swiss black avant-gardists Blutmond pique your interest with an ingenious and imaginative newspaper-style info sheet that accompanies the release of their third full-length album, not to mention the provocative artwork created by 10XIXt.
Musically, this is quite provocative too - Marc’s romantic saxophone is beautifully blended with the aggressive vocals of both John and Jerry, Dave’s tight drums and Sin-Marlon’s melodic guitar riffs.
Blutmond experiments with their sound and give us a weird album, where emotion, hate and anger are carefully and successfully mixed together. Unconventional and non-traditional, the sound of Blutmond gives a new meaning to the concept of avant-garde black metal, borrowing features from post-rock, electronic, jazz, progressive and black scene. The ‘punky’ vocals aim directly at your face, when the guitars and the keyboards try in some parts to calm down the listener, who constantly feels under pressure and slightly confused. Undoubtedly Blutmond has pushed further the limits of avant-garde with this album that lyrically deals with the reluctance of humans to fight the mass culture that has entered our lives by force. [8]
(Dark Alice's nightingale)



Giveaway: Win 4 CDs from Orchestrated Misery Recordings / Clawhammer PR

GIVEAWAY

I love the guys over at Clawhammer PR. 


You should love them too, as this is yet another giveaway run by those top cats - and yet another chance for you to win a hefty stack of awesome albums.


Up for the grabs is 4 CDs pack featuring each and every album released to date by Orchestrated Misery Recordings, the label run by Indiana's own underground legend Peter Clemens.  
Check out the label's site at this location.


One lucky bastard will win the following CDs:


YELLOWTOOTH - 'Disgust'
NOCTURNAL TORMENT - 'They Come At Night'
CATAPULT IN SMOKE - 'Born In Fire'
CATAPULT IN SMOKE - 'Unearthed'


To participate, just send an email (Subject: Giveaway) to

deadvoiddreams [at] gmail.com

and your name will be added to the drawing hat.

The winner will be picked randomly.
Deadline is December, 31st 2012.

Cheers.



NunSlaughter 'Devils Congeries Vol.I' review

NUNSLAUGHTER Devils Congeries Vol. I Hells Headbangers By now everybody and his dog should know what NunSlaughter stands for...