DELICATE TERROR
“Decaying Innocence”
self-released
rating: 4 of 6
This is not for me. DELICATE TERROR play some sort of industrial, dreamy at times, often being brutal and rather aggressive, sometimes almost turning into BRIGHTER DEATH NOW-clone with plenty of those wicked sounds, noises and sfx’s. Vocals range from calm though a bit disturbing whispering-alike to harsh and morbid screams in the vein of NINE INCH NAILS. “If slow violent sex at midnight was just a sound it could caress this nOiZ. DELICATE TERROR is an entity of deep recesses in the breached walls of human dreams. A thread of non-linear cascading canvases of tones and non harmonic noiz. To this add a machine forged display of chaos in rhythm. Over and woven through is a luring voice teasing your curiosity into this HeLl”. Sounds weird, doesn’t it? But, being more than equivocal, this description fits this band’s sound very well. “Decaying Innocence” is an excellent album for industrial minds, but I don’t like industrial that much to be fascinated with DELICATE TERROR’s sounds. If it had black metal approach to it, or appeared as a pure experiment with noise, perhaps I would give it a better mark… but they’re what they are. (Herr Stalhammar)

DESTINY'S END
"Breathe Deep The Dark"
Metal Blade Records
rating: 5, 5 of 6
Sorry for the short review, but I was writing it in hurry, a few hours before unleashing this issue. In short - this is excellent power / speed metal with former HELSTAR singer, fast, exciting, thoughtout and really heavy. Maybe it sounds too high-flown, but "Breathe..." will become a classic some time... Expect the interview next issue!(Herr Stalhammar)

EMINENCE
"Eminence"
Sony Music Entertainment (Brazil)
rating: 1 of 6
A band being on Sony and sending promos themselves?? Hmm... Concerning the music, EMINENCE play some stupid hardcore mixing it with death metal and few folk motifs sometimes, sounding a lot like late SEPULTURA. I hate "Roots". And since this MCD is even worse (is it possible???), you'll better forget about it. (Herr Stalhammar)
 
GOODING
"Factory Blue (Songs From The Unrealized Film Script)"
"Winter's Return"
Both CDs released by S3 Records
rating: A MASTERPIECE
This is the most strange (nonono, not 'weird' or 'sick' like The Great Kat's CD, but exactly the 'strange' one!) stuff I ever discovered in my mailbox. And, to tell you the truth, I never had such a hard time writing review… I was redoing it for thousand times, agonizingly gleaning words and definitions… The most difficult thing for me was to define GOODING's style, especially when it comes to "Winter's Return". Everything seems to be rather simple with "Factory Blue" - it's kind of an ambient stuff mixed with some harsh industrial and neo-classical moves. But this another CD… Perhaps, it's also ambient? Well, then let's figure out what is 'ambient'. In my personal view, there're few different kinds of it. The first one is… hmm, let's call it 'dark ambient', represented by such bands as ELEND, RAISON D'ETRE, ORDO EQUILIBRIO, AUTUMN TEARS, NIRNAETH, XYTRAS and BLOOD AXIS. In short, it appears as a mix of (often) anxious-sounding synthesizer music, sometimes featuring neo-classical motives and orchestrations. The second type is 'ambient / dark wave' with acts like ORDO EQUITUM SOLIS, late NAOS, IMPRESSIONS OF WINTER, DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS, who compose their stuff within the bounds of two aforementioned genres, i.e. their creations sound like 'gothic / dark wave' stuff based on keyboards. Besides, we have 'folk' or 'medieval' ambient: WONGRAVEN, PAZUZU, THE SOIL BLEEDS BLACK and ESTAMPIE. Also there're bands who mix ambient with industrial sounds, featuring various experiments with noise - PUISSANCE and ELHAZ for example… Ambient also has more 'occult' side of things. Most often those who perform this sort of music compose rather primitive stuff (although it doesn't regard all of suchlike projects), featuring plenty of mystic chants and invocations, spoken words, monologues and ancient rites brought into the music. ENDURA and MORTIIS seem to be good example. Majority of the bands mentioned above has some connection with black metal scene or, at least, support anti-christian movement. But how should I call f.ex. DEAD CAN DANCE?? Are they satanic? Are they heathens? And what if they are not? And what about SAVIOUR MACHINE's "Legend, Part II"? Musically, this CD sounds like a pure 'dark ambient', but these guys are convinced christians, hence can I consider their creations to be 'ambient?? So tell me, how should I define "Winter's Return"? Let's talk more concrete regarding this awesome album. It includes ten tracks of unique instrumental music, based on classical guitars, although it also features electric ones, as well as bass, drums and keyboards. Somehow I think that it stands far from ambient; this CD strikes more like a mixture of New Age, neo-classical music, rhythm'n'blues and fusion with those fantastic solos (check out "Distance To The Sun"!!!), pounding drums, unforgettable bass lines and background keyboards appearing here and there. All in all, it's very beautiful music, painting the picture of a perfect world where there's no place for us, humans, with our aim for total destruction. "Winter's Return" is full of peace and harmony although it becomes somehow disturbing sometimes. It's not 'happy' or something, though! I said it's 'full of harmony', but the atmosphere doesn't have anything to do with such feelings as joy - it's more sorrowful and melancholic… The production is just brilliant, by the way! And now imagine that this CD was all played and recorded by only one person, who was nineteen years of age back then! Gooding's skills as a musician and sound-engineer nearly made me to consider him to be a genius… And now let's move our heads to "Factory Blue", released a year before "Winter's Return" but being younger at a couple of years when it comes to recording's date. This CD is slightly different from the "Winter's Return" which only proves that Gooding possesses very versatile talent. It sounds like a soundtrack for the end of the world (the human world…), being grim and in the same time tremendous stuff, combining the elements of dark industrial and ambient (ah, finally I can say it for sure!) with few neo-classical influences. It's based on the idea of 'a world in which humans have destroyed themselves and animals and the natural world have somehow gotten back on top' (excerpt from New Age Voice magazine), although it doesn't have lyrics in the common sense of this word; these are more like single phrases - although they have the ability to penetrate into the very essense of the topic they deal with. Very often it happens that bands performing ambient / industrial aren't able of creating anything with an exception for meaningless, monotonous noise - but everything's different with Gooding. He contrives to make a harmony of chaos, to spawn a bewitching melody of an incomprehensible noise… There're no vocals here, only spoken samples which fit the whole concept perfectly, I think… "Requiem 1918", "Dark Water", "Dreams Without Humans", "Kingdom Two", “Liptunium 237” and, especially, "Anger Below" fascinated me… Well, in fact, why the hell do I mark out any songs of this brilliant album?! All of the tunes it consists of are worth listening… As well as worth attention is the layout… Possibly it's the first time when I see such a perfect combination of form and content. The cover says that "a percentage of the proceeds of this record will be used to support the abolishment of animal cruelty through nonprofit organizations such as IDA and ALDF", and I really appreciate it. So… seems like we've came to an end, eh? Therefore; is it boring? Not at all. It it insincere? Never. Is it original? Undoubtedly. Is it intriguing and highly impressive? For sure. Does it have an imitable atmosphere? Definitely. Is Gooding a genius? My answer is… "yes"!
P.S. Oh, how I wish to listen to other CDs by this outstanding person…
P.P.S. You may ask why didn't I place this review in "black metal" section which also includes reviews on ambient stuff? Well, speaking honestly, I don't think that Gooding has anything in common with BM, as well as 'usual' ambient…

GOOSEFLESH
“Welcome To Suffer Age”
Goldtrack Records
rating: 3 of 6
GOOSEFLESH seems to be quite famous band in Sweden, at least that’s what their label says, however I got acquainted with them only thanks to this MCD. One of my pals once told me that GOOSEFLESH play some kind of an old-school doom metal, hence I was really surprised when I discovered that this band compose and perform absolutely different sort of music from what I expected it to be. “Welcome To Suffer Age” is a thrash / hardcore / crossover thing, with few pseudo-death metal parts here and there, some reminiscences of BLACK SABBATH and almost heavy metal guitars, unusually melodic for this style. No doubts that GOOSEFLESH differ a lot from most of SEPULTURA-clones, and that it’s a great effort for the lovers of such stuff… however I’m not one of them, so the mark is ‘3’. (Herr Stalhammar)

THE GREAT KAT
“Bloody Vivaldi”
TPR Music
rating: SICK!
Ooh… No doubts that it’s really sick stuff… Imagine the CD lasting for eight (!!!) minutes, featuring Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” performed in a hyper-speed way where Kat plays all guitar, violin and viola parts herself, “The Four Seasons” which have a duration of 2 minutes! Besides this track, “Bloody Vivaldi” includes brilliant version of Sarasate’s “Carmen Fantasy” and two more “songs”, “Torture Chamber” and “BLOOD” which appear as Kat’s own compositions somehow reminding me of Marylin Manson with their weird industrialized rhythms, early CARCASS-alike lyrics filled with blood, torture and sexual perversions and absolutely inhuman shrieks…  By the way, her blasphemous image and attitude undoubtedly should appeal to many black metallers, heh heh... All in all, I like this CD. At least, it definitely doesn’t have anything to do with any kind of banality, although it’s so short!
P.S. This girl is utterly insane for sure… However, did you ever see the genius of sound mind??? (Herr Stalhammar)

HAMMERFALL
«Legacy Of Kings»
Nuclear Blast Records
rating: 6 of 6
«Have you ever heard an ideal sound when it comes to metal band?» – that's my question. And if you will answer «METALLICA's self-titled CD», most probably I'll just tell you to fuck off. Nothing can be compared to HAMMERFALL in the terms of sound… I don't know how much money they payed for the recording, but something tells me that Nuclear Blast soon ruins themselves if they will release albums with such a sound, since I somehow doubt that HAMMERFALL's sales are the same with SCORPIONS, heh heh… Yeah, this band play plain heavy metal in the finest sense of these words. Although it's really hard to understand if all of the songs on «Legacy Of The Kings» were composed by HAMMERFALL, or these are just covers from famous heavy metal kings… Just fancy the following situation: I sit with a couple of my friends, drink beer, listen to this CD… and right after 10 minutes I get an earache due to my pals' screams blaming this band in plagiarism. Yes, I should confess… there's absolutely no originality here. But in spite of this, I got a greatest pleasure listening to this album. And so will you, if you were grew up listening to the heroes of '80s… (Lazar)

HELLOWEEN
“Better Than Raw”
Helloween Ltd.
rating: 6 of 6
HELLOWEEN is back!!! And not just back – they're back with lots of amazing ideas. The first song - “Push”, basically blows you away. Uli showed himself as a great songwriter, not just as an amazing drummer. That is undoubtedly the best album since “Keepers”. The “weenies” became much heavier without losing their melody, and have proven once again that they are the kings of power metal! The material that they have offered is very different - really heavy riffs on “Push” and “Handful of Pain”, traditional stuff on “Back on the ground” and “Falling Higher”, long opuses like “Midnight Sun”, and some new experimental stuff like “Hey Lord!” and “Time” - which isn’t a traditional HELLOWEEN ballad, but is still amazing.  Everyone can find something on the album according to their taste, and the same goes for the songs that they would hate, so that's why this CD is not accepted by everyone.  There is a song in Latin on “Better Than Raw”, which makes it even more interesting.  The funny thing about the album is the booklet. It contains pumpkin illustrations to every song, and the pictures of the band with eyes that seem to be fucked up on hash - “You understood by the look in our eyes - metal will never die.” I wonder if this is a secret call for legalizing cannabis, isn’t it? (Silvanus)

KARI RUESLATTEN
“Mesmerized”
Sony / Columbia
rating: 2 of 6
I liked Kari’s former solo efforts, “Demo Recordings ‘95” and “Spindelsinn”, despite that they didn’t have anything in common with metal music at all, but this one is just disgusting. “Mesmerized” is 100% pop album, lacking any elements of dark wave or folklore in contrast to f.ex. “Spindelsinn”. Besides, all the lyrics on “Mesmerized” are in English, appearing as too plain and primitive… Kari’s voice also doesn’t sound that inimitable and impressive anymore… Looks like she turned into some kind of Norway’s Madonna… Too bad. (Herr Stalhammar)

MAGNITUDE 9
“Chaos To Control”
Inside Out Music
rating: 6 of 6
No doubts that “Chaos To Control” is the most impressive heavy metal album I’ve heard for the last few months or maybe even a year! It’s quite typical, though enough original CD combining all the best points of heavy metal. The singer has a definitely good and pleasant voice which fits the music more than perfectly and guitar work is simply genius (although few solos remind me of early Yngwie’s works too much)… add some keys here and there, as well as unforgettable melodies and burdens, and you’ll get a perfect album done within the usual limits of this genre. MAGNITUDE 9 are not so fast as f.ex. NOCTURNAL RITES or EDGUY, they’re more close to RAGE when it comes to speed. By the way, the strangest fact regarding this band goes for their origin. Usually, heavy and power / speed metal bands (especially, the worthy ones, heh heh) come from Germany or Sweden nowadays, however MAGNITUDE 9 are the US act… Anyway, I don’t give a fuck about the country where they hail from, since “Chaos To Control” is a magnificent CD. To see that I’m right at 100%, check out the opening tune “End Of Time” or “Secrets Within”! Believe me, together with ICED EARTH, this band is the best heavy metal band that ever came from United States… (Herr Stalhammar)

MOTORHEAD
“Snake Bite Love”
Steamhammer Records
rating: 6 of 6
I don’t know why I’m writing this review. I guess, all heavy metal fans already bought this groundbreaking CD and enjoy it… There’s only one thing I can say in regards to “Snake Bite Love” – Lemmy and MOTORHEAD still kick ass! They still remain the gods of rock’n’roll, and there’re no one who can dethrone them… “Dogs Of War”, “Dead And Gone”, “Joy Of Labour”… these tracks simply kill! There’re no trace of any metamorphosis or innovations on this CD, but who needs ‘em?? Absolutely amazing stuff from a legendary and genius band… (Herr Stalhammar)

NOCTURNAL RITES
“Tales Of Mystery And Imagination”
Century Media Records
rating: 4 of 6 (Silvanus)
        5 of 6 (Herr Stalhammar)
If you wanna hear a traditional power metal album that is just what you need.  Everything is professionally played and professionally recorded, though I think that the guitar should sound louder than drums, and there really should be bass heard! Vocals are quite boring, although there is nothing terrible.  All the rest is professionally made (especially guitar), but professionalism is not the only thing that holds music together. NOCTURNAL RITES didn’t come up with any new ideas at all. So we should thank Kai Hansen for this creation (if it deserves such a name)! All of the songs sound the same, but one thing is missing (so it isn’t a real rip off really) - a traditional power metal ballad starting with Am chord. Still, if you like to hear a tradition power metal album ala “ATTACK” and “CHROMING ROSE” with great twin guitar solos and traditional MANOWAR lyrics, you could not find a better one. (Silvanus)
P.S. (Herr’s note): Hmm… I don’t know… Perhaps you didn’t listen to such killer tracks as f.ex. “Test Of Time” featured on this CD? Anyway, in my eyes (and ears) NOCTURNAL RITES are one of the most promising young power metal acts in Europe nowadays!

OVERLIFE
"Between Passion And Madness"
Goldtrack Records
rating: 4, 5 of 6
Possibly, "Between Passion And Madness" is the best CD Spain's Goldtrack Records have released so far. You see, I didn't listen to SEER'S TEAR and KNELL ODYSSEY, while the albums from RUINATION and GOOSEFLESH didn't impress me too much... OVERLIFE comes from the same country as their label does, and this CD appears as their debut effort. "Between Passion And Madness" includes four really long songs (from 7 to 10 minutes) (+ one short ballad, as well as prologue and epilogue) of a perfect mixture between traditional heavy metal and 'progressive rock', although I'd like to see someone else on vocals, simply because Leandro's voice seems to be rather 'weak' somehow, however I wouldn't name it a shortcoming, at least his singing doesn't sound irritating, and while in a chorus, it seems to be almost splendid. Outstanding work by Sergio Sanchez (keyboards) and Javier Martinez (guitars) / Javier  Marco (guitars) is what really makes me to mark out this band... In general, musically OVERLIFE are quite close to Italy's SKYLARK, although they're much more heavier, while the music featured on "Between Passion And Madness" appears as thousand times more thoughtout, various and intriguing than on "Dragon's Secrets" CD by SKYLARK... "OVERLIFE is the Baroque adapted to a music without frontiers, to an atmosphere with no limits. It's a passion which contains an intense and melodic voice, involving chorus, guitars that united to the bass, keyboards and drums compose an instrumental part able to show the highest heights of feelings, and madness of some rhythms uncapable to fit in the traditional structures..." (Herr Stalhammar)

PENDRAGON
“Live In Krakow 1996”
Toff Records
rating: 5 of 6
PENDRAGON strikes as very famous band among those who’re into so-called ‘progressive rock’, however I never listened to this type of music too much, so I guess that there’s nothing strange in the fact that “Live In Krakow 1996” is the first CD from PENDRAGON I’ve heard. And, damn it, I like this stuff! The sound is perfect, as well as the musicianship. Regarding music… it’s serene and beautiful stuff with pleasant vocals and wonderful guitar passages with addition of some splendid keyboards… You know, this CD somehow gives a lot of positive emotions… it makes you LIVE…Listen to “Masters Of Illusions” and you’ll understand me… (Herr Stalhammar)

PROTON BURST
“Silence”
Adipocere Records
rating: perhaps, the sickest masterpiece ever…?
Yes, these guys are definitely sick individuals – or how else could they create such a delirious album? Even The Great Kat seems to be of sound mind and her CDs – to be quite ‘usual’ in comparison to PROTON BURST. In fact, French bands were always known for their craving for various experiments, while this country itself – for rather big number of outstanding and, in the same time, purely insane projects like MISANTHROPE, SCARVE, FORBIDDEN SITE, STILLE VOLK, DEAD SOULS RISING, M.PHERAL… ad infinitum… Do you really consider such bands as ABRUPTUM or ESOTERIC to be the sickest ones on the whole planet? Then you just haven’t heard PROTON BURST. I was really, really surprised to discover this band on Adipocere whom I always considered a black / death metal label. But enough with France and Adipocere. I’ll better try to tell you what is going on here, although describing this CD in few words seems to be almost impossible task… Perhaps, someone would define them as ‘death / industrial’, others as a vanguard band… One of my friends even called it as ‘industrialized thrash’… But all of these attempts to reckon PROTON BURST to any of the existing genres fail miserably, simply because there’re no such genre! No doubts that “Silence” features plenty of weird sfx’s and computer sounds as well as some samples and programming – but does it mean that they’re industrial, even if songs carry the titles like “Sex O – D”, “Metafile” or “Protophase Process”? No! Yes, R. sings in a growling voice sometimes, few fragments are definitely very brutal, while drums should be better called as a ‘pounding disaster’, but does it mean that we have to call ‘em ‘death metal’? No! Sure, “Silence” captures extremely sick structures annihilating everything that is of sound mind, as well as absolutely insane rhythms and harmonies (or should I say, ‘disharmonies’?) and distorted voices together with utterly morbid atmosphere, while the album in a whole is very hard for one’s perception – but are they ‘vanguard’ because of that? Hmm… I dunno. The only thing I know consists in the following – PROTON BURST bewitched me with their outstanding and more than anxious music. Highly recommended (with an exception for those who’re weak in mind)… (Herr Stalhammar)

SABU
“Between The Light”
USG Records
rating: 4, 5 of 5
Aarrghh, that good old rock’n’roll! This is the sort of music heavily influenced by AC / DC and MOTORHEAD (godz!!!), featuring very lively and memorable stuff with staggering vocals in the vein of Brian Johnson and David Coverdale, the sort of stuff which will shake up your very soul! Tracks like “Spitfire”, “I Just Ain’t” and “I Was Made To Love Her” are fucking KILLERS!!! (Herr Stalhammar)

SUPERHIGHWAY CARFIRE
“Defective Immediately”
Infernal Racket Records
rating: 3, 5 of 6
What is it? Package with punk-rock sent to Vae Solis mag? Hmm, didn’t these guys confuse me with someone else? Anyway, if I got this CD, I have to review it. What’s most interesting, it’s not bad. I never listened to this kind of music, so I can’t say if SUPERHIGHWAY CARFIRE are original or not, but their version of aggressive, in-your-face, hardcorish punk rock with few industrial influences has something that made me to give them quite good rating. There’s certain magic in the songs like “Everything Seen Here”, “Shadow Of Doubt” or ballad-alike “Out In This Cold” and even I, the one who always disdained everything connected with punk or hardcore, more or less liked this MCD. (Herr Stalhammar)

TALE
“Elysium Fields”
Baronhouse Ltd.
rating: 3, 5 of 6
This English band’s stuff may be defined in every possible way with exception for such terms as ‘heavy’, heh heh... In the beginning “Elysium Fields” reminded me of QUEENSRYCHE’s “Operation: Mindcrime”, however later it turned out as fine art rock mixed with rhythm’n’blues and some jazz played together with additional orchestra and choir. Most of songs even lack e-guitars, although I wouldn’t call it a shortcoming. This CD has many good sides like interesting lyrical concept, staggering arrangements, impressive saxophone and Hammond’s parts, wide range of vocals, perfect production… and I really love that bass guitar’s sound! “The Holy Man”, “Beelzebub”, “The Card Game” and “Elysium Fields” are the songs you should check out first! This is definitely a must-to-have album for all fans of prog-rock, however it didn’t impress me that much to give ‘em better mark…
P.S. There’s one really funny fact regarding TALE. First I considered this band an English band, however later I discovered that TALE’s members come from South Africa and New Zealand… (Herr Stalhammar)

VENI DOMINE
“Spiritual Wasteland”
Massacre Records
rating: A MASTERPIECE
Oh, how I wish to listen to the former CDs from this magnificent band! If I’m not mistaken, “Spiritual Wasteland” is their third album, and it’s definitely genius stuff!!! Unfortunately I can’t compare it to the previous releases by VENI DOMINE,  although I’m not that sure if it is so bad… Honestly speaking, I can’t define their style. It is too complicated for doom or power metal, as well as too heavy and grim for progressive rock. “Spiritual Wasteland” features extremely impressive material, forcing to appear the reminiscenes of early QUEENSRYCHE, although it’s hundred times more diverse (and heavier as well). I believe that keyboards play very important role here; at least, VENI DOMINE’s sound is basically based on this instrument, which however doesn’t mean that guitars are hidden somewhere in the deep background – no, those powerful riffs and harmonies together with astounding solo parts are here. Shit… seems like I didn’t tell you anything important. Ok, let’s try to say in more banal way. So what is VENI DOMINE? It’s unforgettable and easily recognizable vocals by Fredrik Ohlsson, who undoubtedly has very strong voice; complicated structures; majestic and almost symphonic-alike keyboards (genius ones!); thundering drums; clanging (in finest sense of a word, of course) bass and highly exciting lyrics. You know, it’s not that ‘easy’ stuff for your ears like HELLOWEEN or NOCTURNAL RITES (see the reviews above), it doesn’t have memorable melodies or refrains (maybe only few ones…) “Spiritual Wasteland” appears as rather morbid stuff, with very weird and anxious atmosphere, although it doesn’t have anything to do with vanguard. Oh no! This review sucks! Damn it… Ok, nevermind. Buy this album immediately, listen to “Last Letter From Earth”, “Someone’s Knocking” “The Temple” or “Riddle Of Eternity” and try to write something yourself… I bet you won’t manage to do it! (Herr Stalhammar)