·Release of the week
Cult of Luna
·Other albums this week
Elis / Glittermind / Impious / In Battle / Jeremiah and the Red Eyes / Louie Fontaine / Odyssea
/ Persefone / Raze De Odin / Red Harvest / White Willow
Singles/EP’s this week
#1 Defender / Seth / Son of
the Morning
· All releases are out now unless otherwise noted
· All reviews written by Hans Jįkup Eišisgarš
Release of the
week:
Cult of Luna; Salvation
Earache
(Provided by Target Distribution)
Having gained much critical praise after
releasing their second album “The Beyond” last year, Cult of Luna are finally back with a new album and from the
sound of it, it’s hard to imagine this one receiving less praise than “The Beyond.” Already having toured
with the likes of Dillinger Escape Plan, Poison The Well and the likeminded Isis, Cult of Luna have already laid the foundation
for a much need bigger audience and intelligent music is always welcome to reach the masses if I have a say in the matter.
However, it’s hard to imagine a band like Cult of Luna getting on “Top of the Pops” anytime soon. “Salvation”
starts rather easily and laid-back before it kicks into the loudest and meanest groove, sludge and noise you’ll be hearing
this year. Enjoy. I sure did. (JJJJJ-)
Release date: 4th October 2004
Other albums this
week:
Elis; Dark Clouds In A Perfect
Sky
Napalm Records
(Provided by Target Distribution)
Most of the metal music we get
to hear comes from the same countries over and over again (can you say Germany, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Finland, USA etc. etc.???),
but every once in a while a band comes along from a country you’d almost imagined metal didn’t even exist. And
I am to talk, coming from the Faroe Islands? Anyway, Elis is from Liechtenstein and fronted by singer Sabine Duenser this
five-piece, once known as Erben Der Schopfung, is getting ready to take over the gothic metal world with their well-arranged,
classically inspired and dark gothic metal. It’s extremely well-done, I’ll give these folks that, but in the long
run I get a little bored with it. (JJJ---) Release
date: 4th October 2004
Glittermind; Evige Asatro
Karmageddom Media
(Provided by Target Distribution)
The thing that I mind most interesting about this project is that it’s made by this guy that’s
not even 20 years now and actually only 16-17 years old when most of this was recorded. He plays everything by himself here,
he sings and he has written, co-written or rearranged every track on here. Musically this is also pretty unusual for a guy
this young. This is metal in nature mostly, but it has a lot of folk elements going on sort of like in a Skyclad kind of way,
but there’s also stuff on here that would appeal to fans of punk-bands like Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly.
Impious; Hellucinate
Metal Blade
(Provided by Target Distribution)
Okay, I will be repeating myself a bit here, but what the heck so do a lot of these death metal bands, huh? Swedish
Impious surprise a bit with the fact that they’re not heading for the Swedish-sounding melo-death thing, but their take
on old school death/thrash sure as Hell doesn’t bring forth a lot of surprises. It’s boring and it’s sounds
exactly like a zillion of other death metal bands. (JJ----) Release date: 4th
October 2004
In Battle; Welcome To The Battlefield
Metal Blade
(Provided by Target Distribution)
In a lot of ways In Battle is like fellow Swedes Impious (also reviewed in this issue). They’re, as I already
said, Swedish, they play death/thrash metal instead of heading for the typical melo-death thing and they’re a bit predictable
too. Somehow I liked this album a little bit better than Impious’ “Hellucinate” though, but I can’t
say that this is something that I’d recommend to people looking for exciting new music to buy. Mixed and mastered by
Eric Rutan of Morbid Angel/Hate Eternal fame. (JJJ---)
Jeremiah and the Red Eyes; Red Eyes & Restless
Bull Stud Records
After releasing a solo album in 2002, Jeremiah now releases a new album with his band Red Eyes. Musically it’s
a cross between folk-rock and blues inspired by the likes of Tom Waits and Muddy Waters, but played in sort of a raw format.
The copy I received unfortunately had a few scratches on it, which ruined the overall idea of it a bit, but I think I get
the picture nonetheless. (JJJ---)
Louie Fontaine; Soul Satisfaction on Clean Sheets
Fontaine Music Industry
Danish Louie Fontaine is a hard nut to crack. He’s different than most people and weird as shit. He got
tired of having his music destroyed by bad drummers so he created his own 1 ton beat machine. Yeah, that’s right and
the beat operator is someone with the lovely name Bondage Queen????? And instead of releasing an album with 10-12 tracks like
everybody else, he releases a lengthy double album featuring 21 tracks. Yep, I guess that’s just the way this Louie
Fontaine character is. Musically he’s also different than most, going all the way from Caribbean-sounding music in “I
Love You So Much” to punk rock in another and, well, practically everything in between in other places. Great stuff.
(JJJJ--)
Odyssea; Tears In Floods
Scarlet Records
(Provided by Target Distribution)
Labyrinth-members keep popping up in new bands, most notably in the not-so-new-anymore Falconer and now also
in Italian-based Odyssea, which features Pier Gonella (ex-Labyrinth) on guitar and former Labyrinth-singer Rob Tiranti on
guest-vocals in one song. But this is hardly a band that reaches Labyrinth’s heights. It’s rather typical Italian
power metal without anything sticking out much. Doesn’t do it for me. (JJJ---) Release date: 4th October 2004
Persefone; Truth Inside The Shades
Adipocere Records
(Provided by Intromental Management)
Another metal band hailing from a strange and unusual place for metal, as far as I am concerned that is. Perfefone
from Andorra play symphonic and classically inspired black metal with influences from melodic death metal and progressive
rock/metal, which, other than that, isn’t easily described with words, because it switches between different things
almost constantly. A varied and good black metal offering from this band from Andorra. (JJJJ--)
Raza De Odio; La Nueva Alarma
Scarlet Records
(Provided by Target Distribution)
Sepultura and Soulfly used to pull of the tribal metal thing off with easy, but I really can’t think of
too many other bands that have made a big impact on me within this field. Italian Raze De Odin who write most of their stuff
in Italian kind of took me of guard with their tribal metal thing. They take it one step further even by adding Latin influences
in form of Spanish-sounding guitars and stuff like that. Actually, try imagining how Gypsy Kings would sound like if dressed
in thrash metal? I bet it would be something like this, because, as funny as it may sound, Gypsy Kings actually came to mind
while listening to some of the more percussive tribal/Latin stuff on here. Release date: (JJJJ--) Release date: 4th
October 2004
Red Harvest; Internal Punishment Programs
Nocturnal Art Productions
(Provided by Target Distribution)
According to the press-release Red Harvest are considered pioneers within the Norwegian industrial metal scene.
The only problem is that I wouldn’t even label Red Harvest industrial metal. Not on “Internal Punishment Programs”
and not on their previous album “Sick Transit Gloria Mundi” (an album that got them nominated to a Grammy in their
homeland) either. But there are some electronic elements in their music (I’d just with there were more) and its these
that makes this CD more than just an average loud metal CD. All in all I think that “Internal Punishment Programs”
is a little better than “Sick Transit Gloria Mundi” and another step in the right direction for this band. (JJJJ--)
White Willow; Storm Season
The Laser’s Edge
(Provided by Intromental Management)
According to the press-release this Norwegian outfit is the best selling progressive rock band on this label,
which surprises me because I can’t remember ever having heard about them. “Storm Season” is their forth
album and it’s actually one of the better progrock albums I’ve heard lately. I think it’s the gothic influences
that win me over, especially through the female vocals of Sylvia Erichsen that instantly remind me of bands like Lacuna Coil,
Madder Mortem and The Gathering. Fans of progrock with traces of metal and goth-rock will like White Willow. (JJJJ--)
Singles/EP’s this week:
#1 Defender; The Diary Truthful EP
Engineer Records
Like Son of the Morning #1 Defender has sort of a post-hardcore thing going, but they’re heading in more
of a emo kind of direction. This ain’t wussy like a lot of the American sounding emo though. It’s definitely metallic
and it’s definitely hardcore, but it has got lots of emo-trademarks as well, especially in the vocal department. Anyway,
these guys are pretty good at this thing. Release date: (JJJJ--) Release date: 11th
October 2004
Seth; Behind The Green Door
Self-released
Seth is a US band that was formed in 2000. They have an ear for 80’s metal, but instead of going into the
whole high-pitching vocals thing they stay with the more mid-ranged vocals (sort of like James Hetfield and that sort of thing).
These guys are definitely old-school, but you can also hear a slight 90’s crunchy grunge riff here and there throughout
this four-track EP, if these guys will admit it or not. Oh and these guys have a drummer named Sammy Lee. No relations to
Tommy Lee I am sure. And one more ting. These guys sent me the most professionally made press-pack I’ve seen in ages.
Well done. (JJJ---)
Son of the Morning; The Forest Band EP
Engineer Records
Wow, these guys made me go crazy in my room while listening
to this EP. Not often I even move a muscle longer while listening to CDs I am about to review, but these guys, well, they
practically had me jumping around the room. This is a five-track EP featuring some of the coolest post-hardcore the UK has
on offer right now. This has a bit of that catchy metallic hardcore that’s so popular these days featuring a thin line
between emotive vocals and insane screaming. What sets Son of the Morning a bit on the left wing of this genre, though, is
an occasional odd twist and turn that makes them sound kind of differently. (JJJJJ-) Release date: 11th October 2004
