New Reviews 2/6/2010 @ AZM
In Mourning- Monolith-CD (Pulverised Records)
Wow this CD is taking my breathe away yes they are a Swedish Death metal band and have elements of Opeth, Dan Swano & Opeth all in one. The dark melodies are down right beautiful to say the least ..then the Post Metal bombastic elements come in and knock you off your feet. In Mourning is now going to make me check out there past catalog as well. There is a Strong mix of Prog, Melodic Death metal and Power metal going on here. With Monolith they sound like the sound that labels like Listenable and Peaceville have made so popular over the years. Pulverised has become a major force with top notch extreme metal releases of the last 2-3 yrs as well. If I was to say were this band truly lies it would be between Opeth and Katatonia in style, context and just over all majesty. I'm going to end the review on this note. The singer sounds so much like Dan Swano its making want to pull out those Middle period Edge of Sanity Cds esp " Purgutory Afterglow". Top Notch release my friends...
http://www.pulverised.net/
Holy Shit Shining has crossed over to the Avant Post Black metal side once and for all with this part Electronic, part Metal, part Industrial, part Prog and part Jazz opus. If you love bands like The Kovenant, Peccatum, DHG, Rammestein, NIN and Mike Patton Darker side of the spectrum then is a must have, own, worship and just down right never let go. I wasnt ready for this . Is like if Ulver /Arcturus went full on industrial or if Skinny Puppy and Liabach went metal... I can not in words really put how forward thinking and just simply fucking brilliant BlackJazz is. There are even moments of bands where Shining show like that could be recording with Tub Ring or Sleepy Time Gorillia Museum. Shining have just made the epic leap to the over this style like Mayhem did with " Grand Declaration of War" or Arcturus did with" La Masquerade". I know many of you are going think this is complete shit as its not Black metal in anyway now and to those of you I'm sad you can not enjoy music going adventurous. With Shining it is up to the rest of the music world to now surpass them as Album of the year for me ... Yes I know its only Feb 2010 t-minus 10 months and counting good luck ....
http://theendrecords.com/
EL- Creepo-S/T-CD (Rotten Records)
So Todd Smith the mainman behind Dog Disco Fashion and Polkadot Cadaver but brilliant project that have strong love for all things Mike Patton and Surf Rock and Cabaret Pop Music. . With EL-CREEPO Tim seem to have going is to Singer/ Songwritter mode and reflected within for a mellower more acoustic driven pop/ rock release . Neil Diamond or Wayne Newton would be oh so proud of Mr Smith and his solo adventure going on here. As I go through listening to the release it does get some heavier rocking moments but its just moments this more a polished pop release for music not so much in the chaos realm as esp Polkadot Cadaver jumps into these days. The delicate nature of the release as a whole is what makes its all the more magical my friends. When your ready to mellow out a bit this is just right to de-stress and let the day just pass you by.
http://rottenrecords.com/
Negura Bunget-Maiestrit-CD (Prophecy Productions)
What can really be said about this band that has not been said in an almost decade run as a ritualistic pagan black death force. Negura Bunget really keep the black metal sounds of the nature in hand . Maiestrit seems to be a reworking of older material and it sounds very different to me so maybe that just it they weren't happy with the results . If they are not happy this time out I don't know what to think as Maiestrit is atmospheric, cold , grim and beautiful and lush all at the same time. Negura always has a barbaric element to the over all sound. I really wonder if this has to do with the eastern European background of the band. As Negura Bunget has had a major lineup shift this will be the last release with old line-up . We will have to wait and see where this project next us on the next part of the dark and mysterious journey..
http://prophecyproductions.de/
Stygian- Fury Raising-CD (Mortal Music)
Syygian live on a healthy dose of Thrash, Classic and Power metal . With a strong love of Iced Earth and Metallica mixed and fused into a sound that is very similar but yet edgy enough to make you see where their creative gel comes from. This is a working mans/ Blue Collar Thrash band in the same way bands like Overkill, Testament and Death Angel are. They are clearly not trying to rewrite what has been all that bands like Stygian are doing is add on too the legacy and make a bit of it all there own. The recording sounds fantastic too as one of the major curses of thrash metal is that horrible thin and one dimensional treble sound. There is a funky edge to them as well that almost has a Warrior Soul or Forbidden gave us back in the 90's. Your going to like this or hate it in the 1st track so if you make it to the second track they have won you over and in any world isn't that what any band wants for you to get to track two!!!!
http://mortal-music.com/
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