Reviews: metal

(metal / industrial crossover / punk / stoner)

Major Conflict – Sounds like 1983

Mad at the world records is a Hungry Eye related label for punk, trash and hardcore music. Major Conflict was a New York City based hardcore band in the early 80’s.

Crisis -­ Holocaust Hymns

Before Douglas P. and Tony Wakeford ‘invented’ neofolk with Death in June, they played punk rock. Their punk sound was fueled with post-punk and new wave influences and they appeared under the name Crisis.

Vision Bleak, The – Carpathia: a dramatic poem

I don’t like metal. Still the first album by The Vision Bleak was a record I could enjoy more or less. What you can expect on this second album is more of the same grotesque, theatrical, dark gothic influenced metal.

State of Being – Haywire

Though the cover of this album made me think that I could expect a space ambient album, “Haywire” from State of Being actually contains a typical American crossover industrial sound. This group from Cleveland, Ohio, mixes heavy rock/metal guitar riffs with keyboard layers and occassional electronic beats and the mildy angry vocals of Christopher Földi…

Dreamside, The – Spin moon magic

In the mid 90’s The Dreamside was one of my favourite goth/wave bands from The Netherlands. I still play their debut album “Pale blue lights” (Death Wish office, 1994) now and then. Then they were mostly a duo, sounding largely electronic, with all room for the melancholic voice of founder Kemi Vita, which reminded me of All About Eve…

Things Outside The Skin – You Knew It All Along

Things Outside The Skin is an aggro-tech industrial band (at least that is what they call themselves) from Brooklyn, NY. You knew it all along is the third full-length release from the gentlemen. As I’m not aquainted with the old material, I can’t compare to that…

Morbide Eenheid – Op een booreiland twee jaar geleden

I have no idea why the band decided to send promotional material to Funprox. Although covering lots of musical styles, it’s about (dark) underground music mostly (but count black metal out). This project plays some kind of improv./jazzy rock/metal with no vocals…

Bloody Mary – Blood ’n Roll

A new label, specifically set up to give better deals for young bands in the metal scene. An independent label that wants to spread metal to the world, set up by Paul Beavis and Tim Fraser (former manager of Christian Death and Theatres Des Vampires). They were later joined by Dave Pybus (formerly working for Peaceville, but better known as ex-axeman with Cradle Of Filth)…

Phallus über Alles – Iron Woman

If you thought Digital Hardcore was no longer produced, you aren’t awake. Phallus über Alles proves it is a genre that is still alive and kicking.

Mute Angst Envy – South 11th Street

Mute Angst Envy is a three-piece band from San Franciso who released their third album with ‘South 11th street’. The music on this cd is mainly dark alternative rock, with a few excursions to harder metal.

Eremit, Der – Das

If I’m correct this is the fifth release of Der Eremit. Over the course of their albums they have transformed from pure electronic music, to the use of more real instruments and more metal-like music. The band started out as a solo project but by now is a six piece. Der Gian is the frontman of Der Eremit, he used to play in death metal bands and this history can be heard on Das…

Ministry – Houses of the Molé

After ‘Psalm 69’ I lost track of the development of Ministry. But judging from ‘Houses of the Molé’ not so much has changed in their universe, despite the departure of long time member Paul Barker. Al Jourgensen and co. are as always loud and aggressive. Ministry still has an overwhelming industrial metal sound, which is violent and repetitive…

Electric Wizard, The – We Live

After the demise of stoner/doom cultists ?Electric Wizard? a lot of changes were made in the band?s line-up, to give birth to its successor ?THE Electric Wizard?. The new line-up consists of Jus Osborn (the only surviving member of EW), Justin Greaves (ex-Iron Monkey), Rob Al-Issa and Liz Buckingham. This new group managed to deliver one of the heaviest albums of recent times…

Year Future – The Hidden Hand

This is the second EP by the Calfornian band Year Future, and a precursor to the full length debut (expected this winter). The band could be called a punk, hardcore or rock band. I prefer to use the description dark punk. Opening track ‘Nature Unveiled’ refers to the Current 93 album with the same title…

Iron Monkey – Iron monkey / Our problem

It does not happen often that I review releases that are already out for a number of years, and of which the band has already split up. In this case however, I felt it was really necessary to write something about Iron Monkey because they are certainly one of the heaviest bands I ever encountered…

My Dying Bride – Songs of darkness, words of light

With each new release, My Dying Bride seem to become more and more professional. This release offers 8 excellently produced tracks in the typical MDB style. Emotional sounding guitar layers, melodic keyboards, slow drums and varied vocals (ranging from dramatic speech to ?black metal? style grunting) produce a multilayered and melodramatic carpet of depressing doom metal of the highest calibre…

Inner Shrine – Samaya

Gothic metal is a big hit. Bands like Within Temptation and After Forever have become famous with it. Without discrediting these bands, Inner Shrine is much more gothic metal than they are. This band fuses powerful metal pieces with dark and tranquil gothic atmospheres, opera voices and Latin lyrics. Their music is loud, frightening and dark but it also has its relaxing and beautiful moments…

Melomanics – ….From the factory

The four tracks on this demo cd portray a taste and style of their own. The sound of Melomanics can be compared with early Faith No More and late Devo. Expect a fusion of rock with funky elements and weird electronic popsongs. The rock elements are mixed with synth, wave and elektro sounds…

Promonium Jesters – Time and Place

A few years ago I heard a demo by the Promonium Jesters from Canada. The main thing I can remember is that it was quite loud, heavy guitars with aggressive electronic music and some weird elements. This 11-track debut (?) album contains some songs of that previous demo and has a similar crossover style…

Trepan – s/t

A rock band from Seatle. Of course ‘grunge’ comes to your mind. Especially when they have a renowned producer on board in the person of Jack Endino, who has worked with big names like Nirvana and Soundgarden.Trepan itself names a more contemporary comparison like Queens of the Stone Age…