February 2004 Archives
CD, Ektro 2004
Track list: Me olemme veitsi joka viiltää - Jumalat liekeissä - Muistokirjoitus - Tuuleen kätketty kirje - Hyökkäysvaunu - Morsius kuoleman - Rankaisun ylhäinen ruhtinas - Hämärän enkeli - Saa rakkaus vuoria odottaa - Puutarha menneen ihmemaan - Sanansaattaja
New Kuusumun profeetta album is a curious thing, indeed. Their previous album, Jatkuvasti maailmaa pelastamaan kyllästynyt supersankari was a brilliant five-star masterpiece. I really haven't figured out this one yet. One thing is sure: the album ridicules epic heavy metal in a complicated way. It's funny, but not in a boringly obvious way. I like the album, but only time will tell if it's a keeper like their second album. ****
CD, Mute 2004
Track list: Ich gehe jetzt - Perpetuum Mobile - Ein leichtes leises Säuseln - Selbsportrait mit Kater - Boreas - Ein seltener Vogel - Ozean und Brandung - Paradiesseits - Youme & Meyou - Der Weg ins Freie - Dead Friends (Around the Corner) - Grundstück
Einstürzende Neubauten is one of my true favourite bands. I like everything they've done. Perpetuum Mobile didn't let me down, either. Of course their style has changed a lot since they started their infernal racket, but I like the way it has evolved. Perpetuum Mobile is indeed very far from metal clang of Kollaps, but quite close to their previous album Silence Is Sexy. It's more quiet, but not serene. The soundscape is very interesting, full of clinking metal and odd whirling of compressed air. I love their imagination... In "Ein leichtes leises Säuseln" Andrew Chudy plays "dried linden leaves / survival blanket / gas burner". That's all very neat. I also like Blixa's vocals, he's certainly one of my favourites.
The limited edition has a bonus DVD with five songs with 5.1 channel sounds. I'd like to hear them played with proper equipment, which I unfortunately don't have... So the limited edition isn't really vital, unless you have good home theater equipment. Still, the album is absolutely brilliant. *****
CD, Regain Records 2004
Track list: Death from Beyond - Swallow Your Soul - Howling - The Raven - Bondage Goddess - Revelation Unorthodox - Funeral Dream - Pentagram Murderer - Blood Angels Recital - Erotikill - Blood Nymphoman - Deathwish - We Live Again
This one should be put in "horror punk" category, but I don't have one. Black metal is pretty close. At least when you start to listen to this album, that's what you'll think, until the vocals kick in. This band features members of Marduk and the sound is definitely black metal-ish. However, the clean vocals lean towards punk. The result sounds slightly confusing. However, once you get over that, the music is pretty ok. Their black metal punk rock is actually quite nice party music, especially if you like the horror / bondage / sex theme. ***
CD, Thundering Records 2004
Track list: Emilie's Broken Heart - Sister Sorrow - Short Term God - One Chance Left - Valuable Things - The Lucid Song (Embers of Dawn part II) - Suicide Me - Orchids for Kids
I don't know why, but I don't know many French singers who sing in English and do it well. Kemet's vocalist is no different. Their music is some kind of goth metal (dark sensual metal is what the label calls it), which leaves me a bit cold even though I like goth and metal. One major reason is the weak vocals. Put Ville Valo in charge and it would be fine. The songs are also slightly bland, with some exceptions ("Sister Sorrow", for one, is a pretty good track). Nice, but bland. **
CD, Woodcut Records 2004
Track list: By the Blessing of Satan - Fist of the Satanist - Sieluni Saatanan Vihasta Roihuten - Celebration of christ's Fall - Black Metal Baptism - Watchers of My Black Temple - Under the Eye of Lord
Behexen plays pure old school black metal, much like Nattefrost. And that's just fine for me... Their vocalist Torog has a haunting voice and to back that up, they manage to create an impressive wall of sound. Good work. Lyrics invoke Satan - hard to say more, because the promo version doesn't include printed lyrics and Torog isn't the easiest vocalist to understand. Very old school, very primitive, very effective. However, I'll give it only three stars, because simply put, there's little new on this album. Still, it's a good album if you're into primitive old school black metal. ***
