Abbath - S/t

http://www.secret-face.com/

#FOR FANS OF: Black Metal

I thought that this release is actually better than their new LP because it sounds less like Immortal and more like Abbath's band. So on here, you hear what Abbath had in store with listeners, not Immortal. I liked it the whole way through. They have some catchy songs. I liked this from start to finish, even though not everything I liked about it. I liked the aura and atmosphere it has to it. It's a little bit eerie in a way. The guitars and vocals are the favorites of mine out of everything on here. The recording quality was good, pretty top notch if I might say so at least. I just thought a little of it is kind of flat sounding, but not too bad.

Abbath sounds like their holding the sound of their own whereas 'Outstrider' sounds too much like Immortal. Of course Abbath's vocals can't be duplicated so he'll always sound like himself. He changes up a little bit on here but not too much. The music is just astounding, especially track one. The songs are pretty much all killer and pack a punch to them. I don't think they ever let up at times. A lot of the riffs are technical. And original sounding as all hell. Abbath came up with some KING guitar pieces he really delved into creativity city. I don't doubt that it took some time to write the music to this one.

The sound of most of the vocals were grim but that's what makes his voice not duplicated in black metal. Though the latest Immortal with Demonaz was sounding pretty much like Abbath for that record. I still think it can't be replicated. And the riffs are sweet the whole way through. It's too bad he didn't carry this sound to the latest Abbath. It would've been better not to sound like his former band. On here, he just tears it up. The whole release is killer. Even the bonus tracks. I liked this one the whole way through. There wasn't anything that I'd change on here. It's definitely monumental.

The only reason why I knocked off some points is because I thought the recording could've sounded a little bit better. Nevertheless, they get an 80. Probably one of the better recordings in 2016. I can't believe it's been that long before he's had this record out. But anyway, for him to be still active in the metal genre is good. He's quite an outstanding musician. His lead guitar work could be a little bit better but still, his songwriting is exceptional. One of my favorite black metal musicians. As long as he keeps making music, I'll be happy with that. Give this one a listen to! (Death8699)

(Season of Mist - 2016)
Score: 80

https://abbath.bandcamp.com/album/abbath

Centurian - Liber ZarZax

BACK IN TIME: recensione gentilmente concessa da Nihil Zine

#PER CHI AMA: Death Metal, Deicide

Cosa si propongono gli olandesi Centurian? Di rammentarci che la spada di Damocle dello sterminio di massa è sempre sospesa su di noi? O si tratta semplicemente dell'ennesima allegra brigata in vena di caciara? A giudicare da titoli come "Fornicating the Nazarene", la seconda ipotesi parrebbe la più plausibile. Ma soprassediamo. Rammentate il primo Lp dei Deicide e 'Cross the Styx' dei Sinister? Bene, l'assalto sonoro dei Centurian può essere accostato a quei precedenti illustri. 'Liber ZarZax' è un album che prende alla gola. Si soffre, e molto, prima di vederne la fine. Undici canzoni, undici inesorabili vangate. La voce, bassa e gutturale, ci riporta alle veglie intorno al fuoco nelle caverne del paleolitico. Laceranti assoli di chitarra aggiungono un tocco ulteriore di follia al quadro d'insieme. Quanto ai testi: "Colosseum of Blood" tratta del medesimo argomento di "Lion's Den" dei Morbid Angel (da 'Covenant'): se allora David Vincent ruggiva "Kill them all! Kill them all for slander and mute their ways!" qui si legge "Kill them all! Shed their blood. Kill them! The flesh must fall". In entrambi i casi, quel "them" è riferito ai cristiani votati al martirio nelle arene della Roma dei Cesari. Le litanie apocalittiche di "Heading for Holocaust" risultano persino commoventi: solo un inguaribile ottimista potrebbe ancora sperare nella fine del mondo. Per concludere, l'album dei Centurian va affrontato alla stregua di un'esperienza penitenziale: con stoicismo.

(Listenable Records - 2001)
Voto: 60

https://www.facebook.com/Centurian333

Power Trip - Nightmare Logic

http://www.secret-face.com/

#FOR FANS OF: Thrash Metal

All 32 minutes is quite killer! Awesome riffs, original and catchy. That's what I liked the most out of this release. That and the vocals. Sad what happened to Riley, he was just too darn young. His vocals have an echo sound to them and hoarse sort of sound. They were pretty unique. I think they augmented the guitars. And the guitars were put together in a quite masterful way. I wouldn't change anything about this release. They lacked it a bit in the recording department, though that's my only sense of drawback with the release. But everything else is quite good. The drums went well aside the guitars.

This album could've been a bit longer, but I loved every bit of it. The music is the strongest force here. Not too familiar with crossover metal as I am with thrash metal but they're both meshed together. I liked what I heard though. The riffs are quite technical as hell. They sway all over the place. But it's in a good way, they all have their unique quality to them. Just the leads are a little sloppy, but not that bad. I think if they took out the leads and just kept it to the music itself then I would've given them a higher rating. Nevertheless, a good release from start to finish. That crunch tone guitar is just sick!

As I say, the production quality could've been a little bit better but everything was well orchestrated. They really did an ass-kicking job here. The recording quality just needed a little adjustment, that's pretty much it. In any case, this release just dominated. The vocals were like I said unique and went well with the music. I liked everything about this release except the production. It just needed a step up to it. But the guitar riffs made up for that. I made sure to hear this on digital before anything else. The album isn't that long but it's still pretty good to put on my "to get" list in terms of CD's.

Definitely check out the digital recording to this release and see what you think. I thought that the whole release was killer. But to each to their own. I wouldn't say "caveat emptor" I'd say that it's worth some spins through before you see about getting the actual CD. That is, if it's available. I would say a really strong release here and every minute of it was sick. The guitars are quite technical as hell. That's what's the highlight of this release. Even though Riley died, he left off with an amazing record that will in the thrash/crossover metal recordings that are just sickly. Take a listen to this! (Death8699)

(Southern Lord Recordings - 2017)
Score: 82

https://powertripsl.bandcamp.com/album/nightmare-logic

Epica - The Holographic Principle

http://www.secret-face.com/

#FOR FANS OF: Symph Metal

I was a fan after I heard 'The Quantum Enigma' some years ago when it was newly released. I felt that since I liked that one, 'The Holographic Principle' was good in the next. I was right. I like Simone's vocals and the music, which is whole symphonic featuring some killer guitars. I also liked their EP 'The Solace System' which featured six tracks that didn't make it on this full-length. 'The Holographic Principle' features some moderate sounding tempos with illustrious vocals (clean) as well as mixed with some male voice that's hoarse (featured on "Universal Death Squad", etc.). It's mostly Simone on here.

The music is all-encompassing pretty orchestra tic and the guitar riffs are blatantly heavy. But they (despite the keys) sound like an underground band with seriously intriguing musicians. Both styles of the vocals (brief) seem to mesh well with the operatic vox. Simone is easily likeable though they are many people that I've heard that despise her voice and personality. But on here to me, she's absolutely amazing. Her voice soothes the brutal tunes of the music. An illustrious taste.

My favorite song of all time from the band "Universal Death Squad" is featured on a YouTube video for the song. I don't much like the video but hearing the song on this LP has what really got me into this release. Though I like all tracks on here. But this one in particular hit-home with me. Absolutely. The whole album seems to tell a story and seems to be a sort of concept release. Mark seems to have infected Simone with certain types of physics (which appears on an interview with Simone). She barely made it through High School when it was the second time around that she was asked to be on vocals for the band.

I think that Simone's voice on here seems to fit that moving sound that the band has eradiated over the years which I don't want to go any further down their discography. I think that 'The Quantum Enigma' is or was a good start to the band. I feel that this one and that one are my favorites. Though I did enjoy 'The Solace System' EP quite immensly. I can't wait to hear their latest 'Omega'. Mark does the bulk of the songwriting which is where Simone has to latch onto (the concepts) in order to successfully belt forth her immaculate clean Dutch vocal duties. It's no wonder she's friends with Christina Scabbia. Women in metal, hell yes! Check this out! (Death8699)

(Nuclear Blast - 2016)
Score: 80

https://www.epica.nl/band

Graveyard - Lights Out

#PER CHI AMA: Hard Rock

La consueta raffica di pallettoni zep-sab ("An Industry of Murder", "Goliath", "Seven Seven", il riff killer di "Endless Night" e, in misura solo leggermente minore, tutto il resto dell'album) dovrebbe riuscire nell'intento di impallinare a morte i vostri padiglioni coriacei. Viceversa, gli schivapallottole potrebbero rilevare maggior fascino nelle ballad mid-tempo, bluesy ("Hard Time Lovin'") e sbilenche ("20/20"), a metà tra la magniloquenza southern del suono e quello spleen sornione cali-pop jim-morrisoniano nella modulazione vocale che negli anni sessanta attirava reggiseni con la stessa magnitudo con cui il monolite di '2001 Odissea nello Spazio' attirava la conoscenza. Se avete in mente di sbarazzarvi della famiglia e rifare con la stessa gente quella stessa vacanza ad Amsterdam di venticinque anni fa che nelle conversazioni riuscite a qualificare esclusivamente con l'aggettivo "epica", ecco, questo è il disco giusto da prender su. (Alberto Calorosi)

(Nuclear Blast - 2012)
Voto: 77

https://www.facebook.com/graveyardofficial

Panopticon - The End is Growing Near

#PER CHI AMA: Black/Folk

Dopo il 'Live in Belgium' ed in attesa di ascoltare qualcosa di nuovo, il buon Austin Lunn ha riesumato un paio di pezzi che aveva scritto nel biennio 2008-2010, all'epoca dell'uscita di 'Collapse'. Proprio in linea con la furia di quel disco, i due nuovi vecchi brani dei Panopticon si muovono tra ritmiche sparatissime, urla feroci e melodie votate sempre ad un caotico ma efficace black dalle vaghe tinte folkloriche. Si parte con la lunga e tortuosa "Haunted America II", song incentrata sul tema della persecuzione degli indigeni d'America da parte dei coloni inglesi e che si muove su frenetiche ritmiche black contrappuntate dalle grim vocals del factotum statunitense, e tra disarmoniche porzioni di chitarra che raramente ho trovato nella discografia del musicista originario del Kentucky. Il primo pezzo sembra un lungo racconto che avrà modo di toccare apici compositivi davvero interessanti per poi chiudersi con delle spoken words che ci introdurranno all'altrettanto suggestiva title track, il cui tema è legato alla crisi climatica e alla degradazione dell'ambiente, e che nasconde nella sua ritmica una spettrale melodia che ne stempera la brutalità palesata nel martellante incedere di batteria e chitarre. Saranno anche due brani di oltre 12 anni fa, ma la qualità dei Panopticon non si discute minimamente, anzi trovo questi due pezzi molto migliori di alcune delle ultime release del polistrumentista americano. Bella trovata. (Francesco Scarci)

(Bindrune Recordings - 2022)
Voto: 75

https://thetruepanopticon.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-is-growing-near 

Bergthron - Jagdheim

BACK IN TIME: recensione gentilmente concessa da Nihil Zine

#PER CHI AMA: Epic Black

Mini cd (tre canzoni) di black metal dal respiro epico. I testi sono in lingua tedesca. Nulla da eccepire in merito a questa scelta: è giusto che le nazioni difendano le proprie peculiarità linguistiche dalla marea montante dell'omologazione culturale. Nel libretto appare, in calce, un breve scritto intitolato "Il culto di Wotan". Venendo alla musica, cominciamo col dire che le canzoni dei Bergthron sono piuttosto lunghe, com'è consuetudine per molti gruppi black epici (pensate solo a Falkenbach e Graveland). Chi nutre predilezione e simpatia per il genere apprezzerà senz'altro le prime due canzoni, "Aus Edlem Blut" e "Im Weien Wald". La title track, invece, parte svantaggiata da un riff di chitarra alquanto discutibile (degno tutt’al più della musica rock radiofonica) e dalla malaugurata presenza di una voce gracchiante e sgraziata. Un semplice incidente di percorso?

(Perverted Taste – 2001)
Voto: 63

https://www.bergthron.de/index.php?route=common/home

Emperor - IX Equilibrium

BACK IN TIME:
http://www.secret-face.com/

#FOR FANS OF: Symph Black

What a kick ass release! So much intensity and variety. I valued this album greatly. The music is what's the most captivating! I enjoyed the whole thing. I don't know why this got some poor ratings because it's so catchy and noteworthy. These guys know how to tear it up musically. I realize the symphonic black metal genre it falls under and me disliking synthesizers doesn't make me like this album any less than it is. I think the keys went well alongside the guitars. The guitars are where the intensity lies. And the variation in the vocals make the album even more likable. It totally kicks ass the whole way through.

Songs are in variation with tempos, but most of them has that sort of variety in themselves. These guys never seem to disappoint. I like the guitars on pretty much all of the songs. I think the songwriting is way good. That's what makes the music most likable to me. The vocals are good as well. Everything seems to fit in just right. I like the atmosphere here, too. It makes the music sound more eerie and dark. But always the guitars, they kick ass the most. A long sought after release that I didn't take notice of until somewhat recently. The release was from long ago but still deserves praise.

I like the production quality and mixing. It seems as though everything was woven together rightly. It's everything to like in a black metal album. These guys have been kicking ass for years, I hope that they have a new album on it's way since they're still active! I'd love to hear some good new material. The only thing that is in a sour note is the lead guitar. I couldn't really stomach it I thought the main rhythms were fantastic though. If they cut out the lead I would've rated this higher. But since this is an older album, the guitars should've been just rhythm. They kind of make the sound to the rhythms more muddled.

I liked this album the whole way through. I enjoyed the bulk of the compositions. I think I'm right in saying that the leads put a damper on the music. If it were solely the rhythms, the music would sound more intense and killer. The tempo changes were there making it more diverse and well thought after. I really think this is an underrated album. But I can't change that. My opinion is to check out this album on digital first then make your choice as if you would want a physical copy of the LP. Get to hearing it! (Death8699)

(Candlelight Records - 1999)
Score: 80

https://www.facebook.com/emperorofficial