New Reviews 1/31/2009 @ AZM

Dimension Zero- He who shall not bleed-CD (Candlelight USA)

The Gothenburg sound is alive an well in this Sweden Melodic Death / Thrash Troubadour's. Dimension Zero which consists of current and former member of In Flames, Marduk & Soilwork. Have a much more aggressive sound then either In Flames or Soilwork do today its almost like all these gentlemen are trying to relieve the sound that made them want to start making music in the 1st place. Bands like Testament, Exodus, Overkill with a touch of bands like Carcass and Entombed for good measure. All the songs are short and to the point with a vicious guitar/ drum/ vocal attack. The bass lines play a crucial part in this band as with out that thick full bass rumble filling in the more acrobatic guitar moments it would sound very frail. The vocals go from the more Throat/ Scream metal vocal to the Black Death vocals you would hear in bands like Old Man's Child, Dimmu Borgir or Dark Tranquility. The brutality when it comes out esp on track 5 "Dead Red Heat" matches with any metal band out there. Dimension Zero shred's it with the best of them one hell of a CD my friends.

http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/




Lethargy-Purification-CD ( PowerageRecords)

Do you remember the the late 80's / early 90's Blues Metal explosion wants like Badlands, Warrior Soul, Extreme,Corrorison of Conformity etc well if you add a bit of Monster Magnet and Soundgarden in for good measure you would very close have what Lethargy is. Powerful Heavy rock songs with amazingly tasteful and flowing solos, a back beat to kick you in the ass and a vocalist that most reminds me of Kory from Warrior Soul meets Gary from Extreme. I'm sure some of you will call this Stoner rock at times do you the lazy laid back flow of the music at time. Lethargy could be the next Daughtry if you gave them a chance. The seem to be childhood friends and been around 8 yrs to become the tight rock force they are. I'm really blown away how much I like this. Its the same way Anathema newer material has grown on me. It must be me getting older and open to more ideals.
www.myspace.com/poweragerecords

Khors- Mysticism-CD (Paragon Records)

Dark Blackened Metal in the vein of Samael, Bethlethem and Shining is what we have going on here. The synths are very tubular and bell like to add a fantasy element to the heavy and grim tone the guitars and vocals add most of the time. There are moments where the remind me a slower progressive black metal band like Borknagar or Old Man's Child. Khors is one talented unit that brings you through many layers and levels of emotions. There is a very full and massive sound to this band and you can hear that all the songs are very thought out and mean a lot to the band. There from the Ukrain which is a former russian stronghold but there heathen and nationalism has been coming through very strong with many bands comeing from this region . There is a haunting harmony about all they create as well. It really pulls you in and keep you at a close distance to the music and words as a whole. Paragon records is now a force to be reckoned with they have grown past upstart US metal label and are now up there with Moribund, Battle Kommand and Southern Lord as the elite of the more extreme metal forces.

http://paragonrecords.org/


Deathspell Omega - Veritas Diaboli Manet In Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon-CD (The Ajna Offensive)

This a band of mystery, chaos and dark beauty all at the same time. With each release Deathspell Omega become more occult, avantgarde and just plain interesting. The Discordant guitar and odd percussion movements all mix with a vocal style that I want to call Black Metal Invocations. This is a sickeness that creeps out of Deathspell Omega that no other band really creates at all. The closest band to this madness would be V.E.G.A to my ears. Regaurdless of who the band members are of this project. This mystic's of the underworld create Edgy, Forward Thinking Black metal with no care other then to please themselves and that is what is the most important in the end. This is but one 22 minute track and will be in my digital audio player for weeks to come like all that has come before by Deathspeel Omega. I am a fan.....
http://www.theajnaoffensive.com/



Rape Pillage and Burn - Songs Of Death... Songs Of Hell-CD (Ibex Moon Records)


This the re fucking birth of Massive Killing Capacity period Dismember this may have something to do with Richard Cabeza being the bassist for this project. I don't what else to say that grinding bass tone and the very throaty death vocals is what I remember most from that period. This is classic 90's Death metal sound with that heavy Punk/Thrash element that most of the Swedish/Danish bands at that time had. A more perfect home could not be Ibex Moon run by John of Incantation another band that seems to have influenced the sound of this band greatly with moments of Blackened and Doomish guitar riffs that come and pass through out this 5 song ep. Rape Pillage and Burn have a very bright future if that don't burn out too quickly.

http://ibexmoonrecords.com/


Conure- Stream-CD (Edgetone Records)

Industrial and Experimental music is one of those things you either love or hate . Just like your either great or horrible at creating it and Mark Wilson of Conure is one of the great ones at this art. Conure is a many armed beast in this genre too at time its electro then the next moment its dark and beat driven. On Stream Conure go into a much more aggressive/noisy side of extreme drone, sounds and power electronics. It reminds me a lot of where Control and Sickness were taking there music a few years back. Oddly enough Thomas of Control fame mastered this release and you can really hear the lows and rumbles extremely well thanks to that fantastic job. With Stream I think Mark/ Conure is the most abrasive and angry I've ever heard the project. Some of the textures and sounds are down right Bleak and painful. This is a new side to the project for me. Conure as been more about deep sound and layers of tones before. If this is a new dimenison and thought pattern for Conure then I say go with it as Stream is his strongest work to date. Power electronic fan's this is essential listening.

http://www.edgetonerecords.com/