Strike. This is one of the bands whose concert I will never forgive myself to have missed. In a way, it’s one of the first times I find a band this fucking good at playing southern Swedish Death Metal with this ferocity. There are elements of AT THE GATES, UNANIMATED, MERCILESS and other deluxe bands which have given a chance to the word melodic in Death Metal while keeping it untarnished by useless, frivolous romanticism. IN AETERNUM music is raw and cruel yet they got this vaguely melodic feel that just gives it some soul and spin. The vocals are real superb, AT THE GATES don’t go that far from my mind when listening to this great blasphemic release. Yet this band has got even further of late, but then I will maintain myself on this release only. And well, yes there is some Black metal as well but only the finest parts of this genre. Really, really excellent.
Archives: Reviews
INGROWING (Cze): “Peristaltica IX” split Cd with IMPETIGO (USA/Il) 2000 Bizarre Leprous
The INGROWING 2 other tracks are very interesting on the other hand, with the double vocal interchange, one shrieking and hysterical, with some phlegmy/puking attempts (not always perfect tho) the other much similar to Amott’s backing on the first 3 CARCASS albums. More Death Metal than grind anyway, with a sincere rotting attitude and perverted swings, probably the best stuff I heave heard from INGROWING for a long time, including a putrid IMPETIGO cover.IMPETIGO (USA/Il): “Late Night Necrophiliac Fun” split Cd with INGROWING (Cze) 2000 Bizarre Leprous
A reissue of IMPETIGO/INGROWING split 7″ as far as I know, pressed on an absurd 2 colour CD, transparent but with a 3″ silver disc within the disc (difficult to explain” both bands logos are printed on the disc. The IMPETIGO cover is fucking great, while the INGROWING one follow the (sigh) traditional cyber/gore theme with the traditional lack of class. The IMPETIGO track (“I work for the Streetcleaner” as the title suggests. are very, very muddy and confused, barely understandable at all (recalls me of a SUFFOCATION picture disc I got 7/8 years ago with live tracks from the first 2 albums), I would suggest this only to collectors.HYPOCRISY (Swe): “Hypocrisy Destroys Wacken” live Cd 1999 Nuclear Blast
The overdone solution of injecting melodies into HYPOCRISY Death Metal music got me a bit sick to this point. That romantic, sad feeling which permeates their music (his music I would say at this point as the main character in the band takes up much relevancy). For being a live, it’s recorded in a flawless way, you can perceive the live feeling of stage music by the vibrations, the broad band distortions which give body and soul to the music. Sadly very few of the songs have the right intensity, mainly songs from “Obsculum Obscenum” and “Penetralia”, of course. Since they got the screams in the music to replace the classic grunts, and maybe even one album before, this band has been running down a constant slope. I don’t care for the newer stuff but the oldest shit still retain some fascination. Political rating without praise.HYPOCRISY (Swe): s/t Cd 1999 Nuclear Blast
There’s something nostalgic in the distant but heavy melodies in the latest HYPOCRISY stuff. Ever since “The Fourth Dimension”, this unlikely association of Death Melody have become more and more evident. The vocals in this new release have somewhat abandoned the grunting approach for the more screaming approach of bands such as IN FLAMES and stuff. Epic and melodic in a very gay way, this disc doesn’t convince me, not for the annoying abuse of keyboards to add grandeur nor to the almost epic metal pompous vocals that are sometimes used to raise the level of boldness to the whole work. From second track on the music recalls some of the old HYPOCRISY feel, with fast riffing and heavily rhythmic solutions, although the screams remain and the unadulterated Death Metal has gone to leave some experimentation and at the same time, classic metal influences, and yeah. Maybe even worse, a funny melodic imprint Which I honestly do not need at all, and Death metal needs even less.
Note: The CD tracks are unmastered, not that this would help it have some better interest.HYPNOS (Cze): “In Blood We Trust” Cd 2001 Morbid
How do you define this band? Weak. That’s what I can manage to say. While not as absolutely weak and boring as SIX FEET UNDER or BENEDICTION, this band has nothing that can be described as interesting, if not the names KRABATHOR and IMPALED NAZARENE behind their shoulders. They have a good structure as the core of the singular songs, rather dense and pounding, but they get ruined by overly easy listening riffs for heavy metal fans (notice the small caps) when they shift into absolutely forgettable mid-tempos. The vocals are tired, the bridges agonizing for my ears, and the solos as melodic as those of any regular power metal band. Yes sure the overall thing is not completely to dispose of but the rest which makes up 80% of the disc is tedious to the least. Of course I wonder why Morbid sent me 5 of this crap when I asked for other CDs without requesting me for alternatives. While not that bad, they fall into the limbo of absolute mediocrity. This album is their second after a self titled MCD.HOLLOW (Swe): “Architect of the Mind” Cd 1999 Nuclear Blast
People that know me know that every band which as clean vocals to me is IRON MAIDEN. If I enter a shop when they have some Power Metal band on, the first thing I say is “Hey, I know this song, it’s from some IRON MAIDEN ALBUM”. But then lot of people (not friends of mine mainly) like IRON MAIDEN and maybe they can get into HOLLOW as well. Too easy to use their name for a joke. But this is very sterile, child music. I figure this band is playing somewhere posing like rock stars and they even have following. I can’t but imagine some big, drunk Goregrinder smashing their pretty faces with spiked boots. Damn, this music is intolerable…get out this shit from my puter.