Musically, GALLERY OF MITES is an homage to the band members’ references, as Bugs on the Bluefish is a powertrip to 70’s hard rock and some of the 60’s (lack of) charisma. Bands that immediately come to mind: STOOGES, early ROLLING STONES and a truckload of other well-known acts the traditional stoner will undoubtedly recognise. Speaking of which, there is yet a track with MONSTER MAGNET members backing former KYUSS/ current HERMANO vocalist John Garcia, probably a cocktail-molotov of orgasmic nature for thousands of stoners around the world (100 Days).

Despite the good technicality and the obvious quality of the musicians, Bugs on the Bluefish did not really sound that magnificent, but it should please very man die-hard revivalists anyway. This is probably ideal as a soundtrack to a crazy Summer.

Highlights of the album are without the shadow of a doubt Rebel Souls and Coronation. Resurrection of Azarath is thus an excellent means to revive glorious moments of the DAMNATION era, as well as grasp the very rare tracks of Promo 1998. Ogverall, I found the compilation CD rather attractive and musically worthwhile, were DAMNATION not one of the milestones of the Polish scene. Now it is off to a new album!

Magistralec Ouverture is a quite long intro to L’Émpire des Sens. Some might consider it way too long. Others might praise it for the interesting arrangements. My personal opinion lies somewhere in between ~ I quite like the arrangements, but agree to it being interesting only at first listening sessions.

Votre Déchéance is not quite as aggressive as I had imagined ~ there seems to be at least one instrument (be it the guitar or keyboards) that cuts all the aggressiveness.

By the third minute of Mon Âme Noire I had already surrendered to the calmer part of the song ~ though I would gladly do without the female vocals.

In To Enter the Tragic Symphony, keyboards tend to become interesting every now and then.however, there is the problem of the too obvious COF influences, also in vocals.

The album features two guest musicians: Marco B. of OBSIDIAN GATE, who performs the orchestral introduction of L’Émpire des Sens and Robynne of DAEONIA, who performs the female vocals. Furthermore, a cover version of FALKENBACH’s Balturs Tod has been included and is sung by ex~SETH’s Vicomte Vampyr. Definitely one of the highlights of the album (or is it because I adore the original version?), alongside the title track.

Not generalising to the band as a whole, I would say the biggest problem with L’Empire des Sens is that this debut album sounds too much like DIMMU BORGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH, which comes as a result of keyboards and female vocals being close to the above mentioned bands’. AD INFERNA could definitely be more original. After a while, I get the impression I have to listen to the CD to the end for reviewing purposes only, that is to say: the album has a tendency to become boring ~ which is not a very healthy feeling.

Musicians are good, but somehow somewhat ‘artificial’. Although the album is above the average, I would not consider it that striking. There seems to be something lacking. Future albums might help overcome the absence of this vital element.

Myspace Ad Inferna

I guess Indigenous is plagued by some of the same shit that plagues this kind of music, after a while it all seems the same, it doesn’t feel like its really a band problem as much as a musical genre problem, there are only so much ways you can blast away, well anyways it all starts off from “Middle Class Kidds” with the all too smoothing blasting and growling, its kinda quick and simple grindcorish track, not too bad, “Cannibalistic Society” is more a hardcore grind with nuances at the end, “Higher” starts up with … i don’t know some kind of movie sound sample with people struggling while Grace Slick and the Jefferson Airplane Starship sing “White Rabbit” on the background… what? higher? hey not all hippies were high hahaha, well anyways it then goes into blast hardcore and kinda keeps like that till the end, still with a nice pace to back it up, “You’ll Never see Heaven” starts off slower more verging on the hardcore side, still with intermittent blasting and then back to the full on blasting grind, till halfway were it kinda goes to more a death mood, humm a bit spliced together but still nice riffs and interesting listening, “Ethnocide” is a bit of a 2min throwaway track blasting half way to more growling and more blasting.

“Curse the Unholy Corpse of Jesus” is another kinda mess of track, and not in a good way, the vocalist seems to be everywhere on this one… txaaa you don’t need to growl all the way through, sometimes not talking makes a bigger impact, let the music speak for you, “Stench of Immortality” is back on the hardcore side of things, and a much better listen, kinda reminds me a bit of hardcore punk, well with the added screaming howls, finishes on a more moody groove, solid track, “Company Car” moves us back into the griding and blasting, kinda standard stuff, “Procreate” is a bit groovier hardcore grind track that finishes with a guitar lead, cool, now “Isolator” kinds starts a bit techie but grows back into full blast grind, “Kollapse” is a bit of more groovier kind of death hardcore metal, i liked it, mostly cause it has a bit of everything and still sounds pretty distinct from the rest of the the album, “Which One of Us is Gonna Die First” again starts off with more hardcore metal and kinda goes on… but well you all know what i feel about 15min tracks, unless they are going to do some groundbreaking stuff, then they mostly suck, this one is ok with some not that good parts… still about half way it stops for the “ethereal” sounds and the low guitar number finishing with some talk that gets lost on someone like me that grabs a cd to listen to music not to someones thought agendas… boring, especially for re-playability… skip skip.

From production values, lets say its ok, a bit muddy at times, still even though most tracks aren’t awesome, there are some interesting ones, also cause most tracks keep it short it listens well as a whole even when they start a lot of tracks with interesting and groovy intros and then blast away until the end, not following through, uhhh also i found the track names quite charming heheh, so what can i say of “Indigenous” humm like i said above this genres are a bit difficult to move beyond what is expected, even if you fuse and mash them together like Straigthate intended, i would say that this album is a solid album for those genres, these guys know theirs chops, this isn’t some garage shit, so if you are into hardcore or grind, be sure to check them out its a pretty sweet listening, but if you are looking for enlightenment, fish elsewhere ^_^

Myspace Straighthate | Video for Ethnocide

Straighthate – Higher
Straighthate – Stench of Immortality

Obzen, is a shambled of an album … its not a “this doesn’t make sense” in a good way, its a “what the hell were they thinking”, i always expect new stuff or weird stuff from them, very little is ever normal and as such i find it very refreshing and enticing, but even in all the madness there was always something coherent, something that made sense, they were like Matryoshka Dolls, were each layer was different but it all fitted perfectly and therefore it made sense… now this “album” (if i should call it that) is like me getting tracks from their different albums and making a best of, sure there would be great tracks but it would all sound like shit together.

Well, I wont be talking a great deal about each track, no point really, the first 2 tracks, “Combustion” and “Electric Red” have nothing in common with the rest of the album, they sound like refreshed thrash metal, while “Bleed” (the single by the way… remember what i said about the 10000 Days single…) has nothing to with the rest of the album, its a mind blowing track with Tomas Haake doing a freakish double bass drum work that makes me lack the words to described it, it all sounds like white sound from a television… i would buy the album just for that track … but this inconsistencies go further, also the over abuse of “commercial” sounding ruses like slowing down or stopping a song to build it up again… cause i counted… they used it 7 times (that i noticed) almost in every single track, you know at some point that they will pause for some micro shitty interlude, I’ve got no problem with that, but it has to make sense… but overusing it is like Linkin Park making micro intros for every single shitty track they put out (sorry just went and saw one of their live shows and they sucked a bit).

“Lethargica” is next and the name fits the song, its kinda an OK track, with no big highlights it kinda drags on, now the title track “Obzen” is another beast, much more innovative and a bit of a headbanger with a more stop-goish groove going on with loads of highlights… “This Spiteful Snake” is an intricate groovy track, but still lacking, it doesn’t seem to go anywhere and ultimately it just feels self indulgent (trying to fit every single thing into it), “Pineal Gland Optics” we get a straight back to back speedier groove, again great quality and musicianship but with nothing else to add, “Pravus” is pushing again the silliness, its interesting, but not that audible, its a mishmash of musical techniques than music, we finish with “Dancers To A Discordant System”, that starts pretty mind blowing heavy and groovy (why didn’t they do this on some of the other tracks is beyond me), but then it gets into a certain pattern and although pretty good, it wasn’t nothing to call back home.

I know, maybe i expect too much, but like every Meshuggah album it takes a certain amount of time to really start understanding the music or a album, so i took that time, but after the 100th listen, these things still bug me like hell, i was expecting a lot of different things, i was expecting “Bleed”, but no, i get this best of (when their EP I, was the right way to do a Best Of) and then you join things like the freakishly moronic cover art that looks shitty and reminds me of the endogenous Marilyn Manson of Mechanical Animals, were at least he went over the top with it (in a good way), while with Meshuggah its just silly.

Ahh i wont drag this too long, they said in a interview that this was the first time they really had the time to make a album, and not be in a hurry, well then i hope for the next one, they’ll have to make it over a weekend, for sure we would get a masterpiece, this is above all a disappointment and will rarely fit my Meshuggah everyday playlist, don’t get me wrong, all this ranting should be taken with a touch of salt, the production is pretty much on the mark, and there are some really cool tracks (“Bleed” is Beyond Awesome), but i do expect a lot from this band, and I’m sorry to say but this time it feels, they over promised and under delivered, and that to me is a shame.

Official Site Meshuggah.net | Myspace Meshuggah | Vidcult Bleed Video

Meshuggah – Bleed

Now to Life, the first real contact I have had with INHUMATE (at long last). It took three or four years for the band to release something ‘new’ since the Growth album – in the meantime, they have been rather busy playing tens of shows all around Europe and releasing numerous split tapes, split EPs, compilations, etc. Back in 1996, INHUMATE set themselves for the development of a conceptual series of albums – an heptalogy based on the concept of Life and the Abolition of Time (how is that for a change?…). It all started in ’97 under the moniker Internal Life. This first part deals with a preoccupation with presenting an illustration of the antenatal life. Ex-Pulsion represents the moment of the birth, whereas Growth does not need much explanation. The present album Life is the middle album and attempts at portraying the maturity of a life form (perhaps of INHUMATE too). The future albums are the development of the heptalogy and should be titled The Fifth Season, Expulsed and External Life. According to the band, this last step ends life on Earth of all men and opens Mankind to infinity. Does it mean it will bring INHUMATE to an end too? We hope not.

I have been hearing all these good things about INHUMATE for the past years, but now I see they were founded. These French goresters appear to have developed their music to a different level – most songs are actually quite enticing, With many movement-impelling rhythms, grinding guitars and the occasional blast drums. And what is the more, the recording is not the kind of Underground thing which does not allow one to understand the instruments separately. Life was recorded, mixed & mastered at Down Town Studio and no vocal effects were used.

Apparently, INHUMATE keep up the tradition of three-second-long tracks in I Want to Kill Some… (Part IV). Let me guess what the three previous editions of the episode sound like… Favorite tracks are For Lust, N.D.S. (brilliant!), No Answer and A Trip. But INHUMATE do break with tradition in one aspect: Life features no sample of any kind – which is a fresh breeze on the scene, huh?

The Life/ Live feeling is very much present in the booklet’s artwork, which features tons of pictures of the band live, fliers and the likes of. Those who still have not seen INHUMATE live (like myself) may be curious to see/ hear the band live on stage. INHUMATE thought about it too, and as a result they included a number of live tracks. I was not at all disappointed by the tracks, though I must admit to finding it slightly awkward to hear such a violent band speaking French at intervals, haha. Somehow it does not seem to fit. Fortunately, you don’t get to understand that the lyrics to N.D.S. are written in French. Mean me.

By A Trip, I thought these guys sounded a bit like SIX FEET UNDER, but N.D.S. brought a distinct HATE ETERNAL feel to the music. None of these bands happen to be Grind, so it is not really an indicated way to give you a general overview on the music, is it? The best solution is quite simple actually: visit the band’s website siteinhumate.com and download songs and videos – then you will get to know INHUMATE. Or buy the fucking album!

Official Site Siteinhumate.com | Myspace Inhumate

Inhumate – Blasted

«Intense» is a good word to describe the album (although not quite as intense as they would have it), characteristically American in nature (and for once I mean this in a positive sense): technical, brutal and grunted through and through. Drums are good, guitars are now and then hypnotizing, and the songs sound well thought-out. There are breaks, dragged rhythms of chaos, but mostly Death Metal violence. For fans of DISGORGE, IMMOLATION, DISAVOWED or DYING FETUS.

Conceptually, DEBODIFIED are heavily war-inspired, and the cover artwork (by Jon Zig) reflects the album title – my view of Utopia in the eyes of a beast can also be illustrated by the war panzers, helicopters and related warfare, dictating the onslaught and mutilated, maimed and burning human corpses. The everlasting struggle against the Human scum – innocent or not. Or maybe the Beast is none other than the very person who holds a speech at the beginning of Terminated with Prejudice – Mr Adolf “Swine” Hitler.

Recorded October 2002 at the Soundlab Studio, produced by DEBODIFIED and engineered by Joey Rhyme, Utopia… features Jay Barnes (of LUST OF DECAY) on backing vocals (Instinct for Malevolence).

But I might as well have conjugated the verbs in the Past Tense – you see, DEBODIFIED was disbanded two months after the release of Utopia in the Eyes of a Beast, due to turmoil within the band. This is the band’s legacy. And it is a killer.

Myspace Debodified

Conceived and bred by the malignant mind of Jason Suecof (CAPHARNAUM), CROTCHDUSTER come up with a rare set of songs, also spasm-inducing for the weak-minded, as well as for the less attentive ones. The first song, True Nature of Williams, is an amalgamate of completely different sounds, and the parodying intention is immediately noticeable. The target is, of course, bands and songs of all genres, be it metal, pop or whatever. The moment I heard the first few seconds, I immediately wondered whether the right CD was in my stereo, and yes, it was. Even though CROTCHDUSTER did not at all seem like a band given to slow music, pop or semi-pop, that is exactly what you get from the first song. Add a unique impression of Holy Wars (MEGADETH), early SEPULTURA and BEE GEES with a Mask-like soundtrack, and your next step is Big Top Williams. It is inevitable to get into the spirit of the song and the band. Once there, there is no way in hell you can stop listening to Big Fat Box of Shit.

The most significant and perhaps the most representative song of the band is undoubtedly Mammal Sauce, a hilarious hymn to a substance who ingredients only Bill Williams (band member) and people from another dimension seem to know. The upsurge of Chinese diarrhea, in a THERION-like environment, followed by really squeaky and miserably frustrated power metal-like vocals carry on the concept behind Big Fat Box of Shit: to mock uncontrollably. Fornicus “Fuckmouth” McFlappy and Slippery Jim are supervised by their faithful producer and composer, a dog by the name of Cain, who may have been part of the inspiration for the Cher-like vocal effects. In all fairness, the vocals are just great and extremely versatile, regardless of genre. Now picture Barney – that mythical Simpsons character, singing the chorus a la Cher. The Mike Patton/ MR. BUNGLE influence stands out rather prominently, so if you are into both, you will probably also appreciate CROTCHDUSTER. And in the band’s own words: If you don’t like Mammal Sauce, you might as well be gay!

The image department also reflects the parody, and we are given certain Beavis & Butthead-like characters under an Africanised perspective, as well as some other hallucinogen-induced creatures. The booklet includes lyrics, product of a brilliant evil mind, centered on the spiritual, carnal and sensual world of Williamburgsland.

An album to watch out for, for the straight-forwardness and daring spirit, one of those truly unexpected moments which leave a sour taste in your mouth when a growl and grunt session is expected and, instead, we get to hear weird versions of some crazy old metal classics followed by BEE GEES or BLUR-inspired music and other related squeaks. Even though this may not be the usual 24/ 7 type of album, you might as well become severely addicted, for this is simultaneously one of the most original, uncompromised, satirical, competent and audible albums I have had the pleasure of listening to over the last few years. Ad as if all of the above were not enough, the album features special guests Richard Christy, James Murphy and John Tardy.

Big Fat Box of Shit finishes off with the band members reading aloud some hate mail and providing the writers with hilarious replies (Cain’s reply is naturally verbalized by fellow band members). Towards the end, we are also told of the latest Black Metal band, Hellspawned Warhammer of the Nordic Wind. Do not miss this album – buy it now!

Myspace Crotchduster | Encyclopaedia Metallum Crotchduster

So the album starts with the title track “Bleed The Fifth”, were you get a pretty tight death metal track with tight blasting and a kind of over simplistic guitar work (ahh what do you expect from Dino) and pretty much metalish vocals, still hard hitting and very by the book type of metal, hehehe im complaining just a bit, but overall it is still a pretty catching track, then we get the single “Failed Creation” were you get again a by the book hardcorish melodic death metal track, its ok but in comparison to the rest of the album its a bit too radio friendly and the chorus seems completely out of place like “… play death play death play … ohhh lets stop everything its time for the clean vocal chorus … play death play death play …”, still its not bad, its just not that great, then we get “This Threat Is Real” were you get like a 2 part thrash setup, that is until you enter into the “screaming tech metal part” that is actually pretty kick ass very groovy blasting, “Impossible Is Nothing” seems and feels more like Fear Factory, with tight drumming and guitar combo, ahhh how i missed it, then it goes more into death metal groove, still even when its not excellent its refreshing in their hit on this genre mix, that is until we get into the melodic part… i would cut that… its pretty awful, skip skip.

“Savior Self” ohhh snap hehe tech metal, awesome awesome, blasting away, then it goes into deathcore genre… until again… ahhh the painful melodic part, and then a OH MY FREAKIN HELL a “Body Hammer” hint damn… thats sweet (if you don’t know what i mean… fuck you hehehe) and thats all i have to say, “Rise Of The Scorned” starts out a bit like a melodic interlude, ahh the fuckers attached it to the begging of the song, noo it kind melds pretty well to the death metal track that blasts of screaming away, the rest is ok, i guess more into the metalcore, it ends pretty well merging with the beginning of the track, next up is “False Gospel” with a bit more deathcore meets metalcore with a much better groovy chorus with some in between licks from Dino’s guitar (i complain i know, but i like is over simplistic playing style), next is “Soul Decoded (Now And Forever)” ohh doesn’t that sound like a Fear Factory track name?, and wouldn’t you figure, it kinda sounds tech metalish, muahahah great and even better is the absence of Burton “everytime i get to a chorus i hit the sissy distortion mode” Bell, we even get a bit of a stop-go groovness, fuck it, its not awesome, but its pretty good, “Royal Blood Heresy” ohh a bit more tech metal, still pretty fucking groovy stuff, we even get a strange melodic blasting part that its actually not so bad, good job, then the album finishes up with “Closure” that although sounds like trademark Dino melodic stuff, the guy singing sounds a bit too Nickelback for my frail heart and so i pretend i didn’t listen to it.

Ahhh finished, so what would i expect from a band made of a tech/industrial metal guitar player, a death metal drummer and a hardcorish melodic metal singer… well exactly what i heard, it all seems so divided and broken apart, both trough the album and in the songs, its not a coherent sound in all aspects, its a broken down mess of different genres, hell just listen to the first and last track, its frightening, but in the end what did i think of this album?

In a perfect world Fear Factory wouldn’t have pseudo disbanded and wouldn’t be playing the fucking sissy contrived music they are playing now, hummm? did i called it music? i meant to say playing around with their instruments, but well enough about fear factory, what about divine heresy, well its a new band and as such its normal for the sound to be a work in progress, ill give them that, as well the fact that the bass player didn’t play a part working on this album, that and the fact that in the end this is a pretty nice album, makes me hope for a brighter future for Divine Heresy and as such i recommend everyone to at least give it a listen, hehehe.

Myspace Divine Heresy | Video for Failed Creation

Divine Heresy – Failed Creation
Divine Heresy – Savior Self