June 2005 Archives

CD, Autotehtaat 2005

Track list: Devil Behind the Woodpile - Downbound Express - (I Believe in) Black Jesus - Kenneth Neu on Death Row - Umbanda Boom O-Mami Wata Woo - I Feel Nothing - What's the Use of Getting Sober when You're Gonna Get Drunk? - Compassion - Aeolipile Babe - The Flood - I Asked for Gasoline - Little Red and Carril Ann

Hurrah, more wild and sweaty rhythm'n'blues from the Cosmo Jones guys! Seeing this album in a record store was a very pleasant surprise. After few times through it, I'm not quite ready to rank it as high as Negrospiritualized, but there are several good tracks in it. Downbound Express is an instant favourite of mine. Great work! ****

CD, Massacre Records 2005

Track list: Existence - Serenity - Spine - Adoration - Senses - Empathy - Reality - Sanity - Identity - Hope - Memory - Everything

Let's see: this Norwegian (check) band features a pretty female vocalist (check) who has a rather beautiful voice (check). They are aiming full blast at both goth (check) and metal (check) audiences... Well, if you've read my reviews, you know what I think of these bland and generic female-vocalist led goth metal bands: if it ain't Theatre of Tragedy good, it ain't nothing. Once again: the vocalist is good (if a bit thin on the voice), the songs are decent, but it just doesn't excite me a bit. Goth metal fans, check this one out, otherwise forget it. ***

CD, Janosch Moldau Records 2005

Track list: On My Own - I'm Falling From Love - Bleed On - Baptized - I Love the Night - Reloved - My Father - The Loveroots - We Are Laughing - Redeemer - Life Is Moving - Real Christianity

Janosch Moldau plays soft electronic pop, which has many features I like. His voice is pleasant in a distant way and the electronic beats kind of catchy. The sound is smooth, yet perhaps a bit too subtle. I wouldn't have minded some heavier dance beats. Fans of darkish electronic pop (bands like Girls Under Glass) might want to check this out. ****

CD, Black Lodge 2005

Track list: Doomsdaylight - Bleed Your Wounds - Season of Huge Mortality - Daughter of Chaos - Words of Prey - The Fifth Angel - Evolution's End

Rutthna's black metal sound relies on wicked mood and slower tempos than usual. No blindingly fast blastbeats here, but that's fine: I like the result anyway. However, even though the songs sound good, the content's a bit lacking. Nothing really sticks to my mind, and that usually means that I won't return to the album after I'm finished reviewing it. It's a shame, but perhaps Rutthna's next album will be better? There's certainly potential. ***

CD, Staupa Musica 2005

Track list: Del Amina - Domina - Nachtfrass - Bruder Titus - Gloria - Gaudete - Me Novarem - Herrscher - Bruder Huhn - Schattentanz - Ballde von den 3 Suendern - 3 hodiger Esel - Repeat - Domina 2

Latin vocals, church-like chanting, bag pipes - it's medieval times again. Potentia Animi clicks into the medieval bag pipe scene, but has quite a little metal influences (unlike, say, In Extremo). There's some personal touch involved, especially with the vocals, which are quite neat. The best tracks are layed on the beginning of the album - the first five tracks are the best. The rest is not quite the same, but worth listening to anyway. For the fans of the genre, this is a very good album. ****

CD, Baphomet Records 2005

Track list: Introduction - Interferometer - Hydrodynamic Physics - Infinity Express - Deathstar Oblivion - The Search for Where Life May Have Existed - Interplanetary Space Physics and Climatology - Ripples in Time - Planets of Metal - Extraterrestrial Illusions

I'll confess: I don't get this. Alexisstar Morphalite consists of rather crappy underground (eg. demo-quality) black metal, with lyrics about astrophysics. This must be a joke of some kind I don't get. The things aren't helped by musicians hiding in the cover of anonymity. All I know is they are Finnish. Why this album was released? That's a question for which we'll never know the answer, I suppose. Meanwhile, avoid this unless you're a physicist with affinity for underground black metal. *

CD, Nocturnal Art Productions 2005

Track list: Warhead - Pathetic Submission - The Rebellion - Transition - Epilogue - Hellfire - Concept of Honesty - Death's Disciples - Obligation to Prevail

Riot Detonator is a rough death metal attack. It's quite like the band's previous album, MindTech. The material was complete, says the info sheet, when that album was released, so perhaps it's not a coincidence. I'm still a bit lukewarm about MindGrinder. I see what they're doing, but perhaps it's just not for me. There's plenty of better death metal, that's for sure. ***

CD, Massacre Records 2005

Track list: The Dark Things You Fear - Thrashomatic Overdrive - Portals of Nightfall - Bonegrinder 1916 - Synthetic God - Where the Oceans Meet Eternity - Grave Without a Name - Once... In the Windblasted North - W.A.R. (Without Any Regret) - Heavy Armed Assault - Open Fire - Grim Frost

Cryptic Wintermoon's black metal is laced with thrash and heavy metal elements. At some points it's full on black metal blast, at others the heavy metal melodies rule. That's actually quite nice, as it all works out rather well. There are some very good tracks (Bonegrinder 1916, Once... In the Windblasted North), even though the rest of the album doesn't quite stand out. Decent, if nothing really memorable. ***