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The Kandidate - Until We Are
Outnumbered
Record Label:
Napalm Records
Band
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/thekandidate
Record Label Website:
www.napalmrecords.com
Reviewer: Steve Green |
The Kandidate were formerly known as The
Downward Spiral and found themselves without a frontman, so they
recorded the instrumental side of this, their debut album with Jacob
Bredahl at his Smart n Hard studio. And to cut a not exactly long story
a little shorter, Bredahl liked what he heard and joined the band as
their new singer and the band changed their name to The Kandidate....
and they all lived happily ever after.
Back in the real world: Is it a bit unfair on The Kandidate frontman
Jacob Bredahl, (ex of Hatesphere / Allhelluja, for those that don't know
of his illustrious past), to say I wasn't too excited about hearing this
album as I knew how it would sound before I'd even heard a note? I guess
it is, but this album did sound exactly how I expected it to, but I'm
pleased to say the quality is also of a decent standard too. In very
simple terms, this is The Entombed colliding head-on with Slayer and The
Kandidate is the fusion of the carnage caused. Upbeat, groove-laden,
in-your-face and utterly uncompromising.
Returning to my original gripe, there isn't anything new going on here,
but if you're into the whole Death N Roll style, plus are a fan of both
Slayer and The Entombed, then you could do a lot worse than picking up
this album. From my own point of view, I think the album is very well
executed, I love the groove the band have got going on, I just feel it's
about 15 years too late for me to get excited about it. |
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The Wounded Kings
- Shadows Over Atlantis
Record
Label: I Hate Records
Band
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/thewoundedkings2
Record Label Website:
www.ihate.se
Reviewer: Chris Davison |
Right kids, it’s quiz time. What does the Wounded Kings album have in
common with Namor from the Marvel comics, and The Man From Atlantis, the
short lived TV show shown on ITV in the early 1980s to rival the BBC’s
Doctor Who? Give in? OK. They all feature a man in his underpants
prominently. No...hang on...I can’t read my own writing here...erm....ah
right, yes. They all revolve around the concept of Atlantis.
Atlantis, used originally by Plato (probably in an allegorical kind of
way), has since become a cause célèbre to all manner of crackpots,
visionaries and mystics, all eager to harness the mystique of a lost and
previously advanced civilisation for their own ends. The enduring power
of the symbolism of a society ruined by nature is not lost on the
Wounded Kings, a doom band from our very own Blighty, who similarly
match the mystique and aquatic destruction of the civilisation with
their own apocalyptic musical vision. Drifting in a psychedelic sense,
much like the ebbs and tides of sea borne currents, this is an album
that weaves magic as it slides in and out of the consciousness. Deep,
thick guitar riffs flow liquidly round and round, hypnotically
compelling the senses in the same ways that waves attract the eyes. The
vocals, a crooning, mesmerising and clean sound resound like the
seductive call of the mythological siren, luring the unwary sailor (or
in this case, listener), to their doom. As one might expect, this is a
carefully wrought, multi-layered album, incredibly difficult to dissect
without detracting from the holistic effect of the composition. Seldom
has an album based on the concept of the sea been so effective in design
or execution.
Delicate Piano. Feedback laden guitars. Lethargic, shuffling drums. More
than the sum of parts, nether the less, this is most definitely a doom
album. Never much more than a medium-slow tempo, those expecting any
adrenaline rushes or sudden outbursts of fret-abuse are going to be
sorely disappointed. Like a less drugged up, more cerebral version of
early Electric Wizard, this is likely to appeal to the same demographic
of true doom warriors, hungry for quality. Actually, the good doom
output of the UK has been overshadowed of late by the so-called
resurgence of Thrash and Death Metal bands, though the quality here is
better than pretty much any other release by a UK band in recent months.
Don’t go into “The Shadow Over Atlantis” expecting to be banging your
head, swinging your beer flagon and pumping the air with your horns – it
just isn’t going to happen. Pop this on your stereo, dim the lights and
play the Animal Channel Aquatic Special on your telly with the sound off
and you’re onto a winner. |
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Thrudvangar
- Durch Blut Und Eis
Record
Label: Einheit
Produktionen
Band Website:
www.thrudvangar.com
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/thrudvangar
Record Label Website:
www.einheit-produktionen.de
Reviewer: Crin |
Formed in 1998, this Germanic band have remained pretty true to the
sound of thick, meaty Viking Metal. Germanic Viking Black Metal to be
precise, and here’s the fourth album from this more Metalized Pagan band
and this album is based around the saga of the legendary Eric The Red.
Thrudvangar are a very capable, melodic metal act that drift between the
Gothic nuances of Crematory to the mainstream Gothenburg Death dynamics
of In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. There are even hints of old
Pyogenesis and the gloomy melancholy that band embraced. Overall though,
this is high octane, highly emotive Pagan Metal with a keyboard spine.
There is little of the folk elements of bands like Bifrost, Pagan Reign,
Slavland or the Kroda. Here we have a hard driving Metal band very
similar to Amon Amarth, direct and thundering METAL made into
atmospheric epic Viking Metal! |
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Troll - Neo-Satanic Supremacy
Record
Label: Napalm Records
Band
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/troll
Record Label Website:
www.napalmrecords.com
Reviewer: Crin |
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Troll was formed in 1992 by Nagash [Covenant, Dimmi Borgir] who was 14
years old at the time. I recall getting the Trollstorms Over Nidingjuv,
mcd way back in 1995, a veritable caustic symphonic raw black metal
statement. 1996 saw the release of the debut album “Drep de Kristne”
(“Kill the Christians”). Following the release of “Drep de Kristne”,
Nagash dedicated more time to Dimmu Borgir and The Kovenant. The band
have since released a few decent albums, the last being, Universal, in
2001. Nine years onwards and here we are with album no-4, and maybe
missing the boat by the same time scale. This is a competent enough
release of treading water keyboard saturated black metal, brash,
invigorating and polished to a fine slick presentation. The facts though
tell a different story, one of ‘is this the new Old Mans Child’ album?,
or a Dimmu Borgir lost recording? There is nothing remotely bad about
Troll’s fourth album proper. It is beautifully crafted, fast, hammering
symphonic paint by numbers stuff. The band has sadly lost all traces of
its smoky Black Metal atmosphere and is now very much [as it has been
for years] a mainstream [or as mainstream as this crystal clear sounding
stuff can get] band who are ten years too late as this style is already
very much monopolized by Dimmu and of a lesser degree Old Mans Child.
Like Limbonic Art, Troll will never leap beyond their capabilities,
their time has passed and great music will never turn back the clock. |
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Ver Sacrum
- Tyrrenika Record
Label: Rock Over Records
Band
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/versacrumband
Record Label Website:
www.myspace.com/rockoverrecords
Reviewer: Steve Earles |
It’s great when you hear a band taking such an original approach, this
Italian metal band have forged a fine concept album on the history of
Etruschi, people who settled in what is now Italy from Asia Minor
establishing a highly cultural civilisation but were eventually defeated
by the Romans, who they cursed to the same eventual fate. As related in
the finely-wrought Intro and Outro.
If I was trying to sum up Ver Sacrum in a nutshell I’d describe them as
an Italian Bathory, not just in terms of their musical virtuosity and
ferocity but also their embracing of historical themes in their lyrics
and music. Indeed on Ceremony of Fire they band incorporate more riffs
and time-changes than most bands do on an entire album. On Voice of
Wisdom, by Metatron, I sense the spirit of Bulldozer! Plague and Death
is driving metal-‘’Seas and lakes turn into pools of tears’, some
beautiful lyrics too. Farewell By The Lightning manages to be both
primordial and technical at the same time-no mean feat. Beautifully
packaged and finely wrought, I recommend his album whole-heartedly, and
await the next one eagerly. |
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Voices of Destiny -
From The Ashes Record
Label: Massacre Records
Band Website:
www.voices-of-destiny.de
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/voicesofdestinylb
Record Label Website:
www.massacre-records.com
Reviewer: Steve Earles |
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This album is a very pleasant surprise. We are totally awash in gothic
metal bands fronted by a pretty female singers, and sometimes little
else, Lacuna Coil have spawned many melodic monsters! But Voices Of
Destiny are fine musicians and song writers (something too many bands
forget). Opening track Ray of Hope is extremely uplifting. Twisting The
Knife is a sweeping epic, show casing the undoubted playing abilities of
the band. Chris Gutjahr is a guitar hero in the right sense of the word,
Jens Hartwig and Erik Seitz are a rock solid rhythm team, while the
soaring keyboards of Luka Palme can be heard to great effect on Icecold
and All Eyes On Me. Undoubtedly though, the star of the show has to
singer Meike Holzmann, she has an utterly spellbinding voice, seriously
catchy and very versatile, particularly on the epic Red Winter’s Snow
II: Blood and Stone, and Bitter Vision. Fine song-writing, first class
musicianship, and a singer with that all important x-factor, make this
an inspiring debut from an inspiring band, and in these dark days we
need more bands that make us feel that way. |
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Winter's Verge - Tales of Tragedy
Record
Label:
Massacre
Band Website:
www.wintersverge.com
MySpace:
www.myspace.com/wintersverge
Record Label Website:
www.massacre-records.com
Reviewer: Steve Green |
The fact that Cypriot Power Metallers
Winter's Verge have just toured with Stratovarius should tell you more
about the band than anything I could attempt to cobble together.
Winter's Verge are just on the wrong side of cheese and pomposity for my
tastes (and as a major Manowar fan, I'm not adverse to the occasional
partaking of cheese). I just find this type of Power Metal a bit
safe.... and well, nice. I had to endure Stratovarius live last year as
I have a 14 year old daughter with a liking for cheesy Power Metal and
it was her 1st indoor gig, so I had to go (my biker festivals were
obviously not good enough for her). And as much as I can admire the
musicianship and the interaction between band and audience, I just don't
feel it. The same deal goes for Winter's Verge. Wonderfully put
together, the album is obviously going to appeal to the hordes of Power
Metal fans out there, but when George Charalambous hits the high notes,
then certain parts of my body start to recoil and it's a case of saving
my balls or continue to listen to this album. It's a no-brainer as far
as I'm concerned. |
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