Netherbird - Monumental Black Colossal (2010)

I've long gathered the impression that melodic Swedish black metal, which was so prevalent in the 90s, is something of a decaying genre of late, with most of its forebears and standouts like Dissection, Midvinter, Sacramentum and (early) Mork Gryning having passed into the halls of extinction, and only a few acts like Dark Funeral and Lord Belial pressing on to varying levels of success. However, decaying does not mean 'dead', and there are some hopes for this strain of black madness which still breathe fresh mists into the haunted air of Gothic desolation. Netherbird is one such hope, if not the brightest, having already released a full-length and several EPs that did not gather much steam. Monumental Black Colossal is a fair follow-up to The Ghost Collector in 2008, but it unfortunately falls just so shy of the graceful kick in the rump this scene really needs to press on against the swallowing night.

The band have some schnazzy song titles on this record, like "Strindbergian Fire", "The Weight of Vapour", and "White Noise Sky in Overdrive", so my expectations were immediately piqued. The intro "Looming Majesty" is the same overture of Gothic piano, ominous choirs at the edge of perception and swelling storm-like atmosphere that has heralded so many albums in this vein, and the band then surge forth with the melodic, expected thunder into "White Noise in Overdrive". The vocals mix up rasping and grunted vocals, so you get the feeling there is a Cradle of Filth influence, though not so pronounced as Dani Filth. As pleasant as its composition is, I really found myself nodding off here, because there are just so few riffs worth keeping, the one exception the thrashing black surge after the opening blitz. After this, another brief instrumental titled "The Faraway View" before the creepy, ivy-like escalation of "A Shadow in the Garden of Darkness", in which bells toll and darkness is evoked but never driven deep into the neck with adequate fangs.

"Strindbergian Fire" is perhaps the most functional piece of work here, an epic of chugging, bells and spooky moods that transforms into a reasonably fast, searing melodic passage, though the song does begin to sag until the haunted house bridge segments, again reminiscent of Cradle of Filth. "The Weight of Vapour" is a slower piece which relies on its redundant melodies to create an emotional momentum before the storming, familiar melodies once again arise, and after the steadily driving "At the Bottom of the Chrystal Artery", the core album's playtime comes to and end, without ever really getting anywhere. This is pretty short, about 26 minutes long, but the band tosses on a pair of unreleased tracks to flesh it out: "In the Eyes of Time" and "Across the Chasm". They sound slightly underfed next to the more modern productions, but musically they are not deficient by comparison. Just not that interesting either...

On the surface, there is nothing wrong with Netherbird. They effortlessly weave their Gothic landscapes through sufficiently punishing black aggression, but they just never quite climax at the proper money shot. All the instruments are tight, the production on the core album is competitive for today, and if you're looking for an alternative to Chthonic, Cradle of Filth, Ancient, Hecate Enthroned, or Dimmu Borgir, you may well be in the right place. But Monumental Black Colossal simply doesn't scream 'necessary' in any of its carefully concocted architecture, and the band's competence and creativity are stifled by the lack of compelling, original ideas, or evil screaming melodies that will resound long beyond its brief existence.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

http://www.netherbird.com/

Insidious Disease - Shadowcast (2010)

There are super-groups and then there are super-groups, and this Norwegian project Insidious Disease may very well fall into the latter category, if we are taking into account the collective experience of its membership. This is a collaboration between vocalist Marc Grewe (of Comecon and German death cult Morgoth), bassist Shane Embury (Napalm Death, Brujeria, Lock Up, and many more), drummer Tony Laureano (who has played with basically every successful, extreme band ever in need of a drummer, Nile and Angelcorpse among them), Erkekjetter Silenoz of Dimmu Borgir and Jardar of Old Man's Child on the guitars. One could rightfully ask themselves what has brought this rogues' gallery of Parental Enemy No. 1's together in a single place. Haven't these not so gentle men already covered everything in their vast careers?

Insidious Disease is interesting because its honestly a culmination of many of its members former or current ongoing projects, a jugger-beast of massive proportions, rooted largely in pure death metal, but with an increased injection of black and thrash metal aesthetics, and perhaps a little grind as well. Vocally Grewe does not evoke the commonplace grunt or growl of the death genre, instead infusing his Morgoth frontal force with an almost hardcore edge of anger, like a street ready wakeup blend of Lars-Goran Petrov, Chris Reifert and Chuck Schuldiner (which arguably, he always sounded like). The riffs here are so many sledgehammer pistons of blunt force, though the band is not above a melodic segue where courtesy demands it. The album's sheer strength is both its strength and weakness, for while it sounds intense, it occasionally stifles itself with less interesting, burdensome riffing.

Laureano's a beast as usual, which you can hear immediately in the scorching opener "Nuclear Salvation", which pummels the face like a giant mutant's boot repeatedly, leads exploding off through the course of destruction and Grewe's pissed off attitude. A lot of the tracks are huge and fast, such as "Abortion Stew" (with a minor Pestilence influence in the octave riffing) and the storming black/death monstrosity "The Desire". Some, however, aim for a more grooving, thrashed picking sequence with some concrete breakdowns, like "Ritual of Bloodshed", "Boundless" and the bouncing "Value in Flesh". Rarely does the album expunge into some truly monolithic riff, but the production is so punishing and steadfast that you'll still find yourself straining your neck to the majority of the play length.

Add a reasonable cover of Death's classic "Leprosy", and you've got yourself a marginally successful super-group debut. If you're a fan of old Entombed, Morgoth, Bolt Thrower, Napalm Death, Comecon, Pestilence, Death and Malevolent Creation, with a slightly blacker heart, then this is a feasible reproduction of many of those traits which should at least aurally stimulate the angry masses. The band was formed years ago, so its obvious they took their time getting this to us, aiming for maximum impact. The one true flaw is that the material simply leaves my presence once I have pressed 'stop', and there is not even one song here I feel the instant urge to gaze back upon. But when pincered in its head fisting embrace, as on the blasting epitaph of "Conceived Through Hate", you can't help but feel ready for a fight.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/insidiousdisease

Decrepit Birth - Polarity (2010)

Californians Decrepit Birth made an instant splash amidst the brutal tech death underground with their 2003 debut ...And Time Begins, but I didn't find myself falling for their mix of extremity and excess musical prowess until the the second album, Diminishing Between Worlds, which came out a half decade later in 2008. Like other bands from their coast Odious Mortem, Severed Savior, The Faceless, and Abysmal Torment, they're one of those 'whole package' deals: amazingly coherent and tight with their instruments, capable of writing damn near limitless volley of riffs, and brutal enough in the breakdown department to please the less demanding, violent element of death metal showgoers. Polarity sees the band expand upon their prior effort slightly, with a touch more musical aptitude and willingness to expand and incorporate extra classical and progressive influence to their compositions.

You won't hear a track go by on this record without some well-written, flurry of melodic scales and strokes that perks the ears directly to attention, and it is the balance of this ambition against the expected, double kick/blasted forays that ultimately makes it a success. The vocals are your typical, vomited gutturals, and I feel that at times they feel a little too one-track and uninspired when compared against the music itself, occasionally joined by a snarling companion, but it is a rare death metal band these days with a vocalist that can tear your entrails out and then step on them, so its best in many cases to play it 'safe', if you can call a grown man hammering you with orcish grunts 'safe'. The mix is professionally executed, with all notes available to the ear and a steady balance of instruments. Decrepit Birth put a lot of work into this record, and you'll be able to process every second of tension and release that the band thrives upon.

Polarity seems to me what be the natural extension of the Florida legends Death had they advanced into a more brutal framework instead of sputtering out with a weak and powerless effort like The Sound of Perseverance. You can hear Chuck's influence in a lot of the thin, crisp melodic riffing which takes the inspiration of a Death, Symbolic or Individual Thought Patterns to another level when set against the incredible, forceful precision of the drummer and rhythm guitars. Scales abound here, given just the right processed gleam to contribute an ever twisting distraction for the 38 minutes of the album. Often a keyboard will be used to further push the atmospheric envelope, and the band's brainy, cosmic lyrics match up very well with the almost scientific methodology of the performance. In this regards, they are very similar to the act Obscura, so fans of those Germans that haven't already boarded this interstellar train should step up, because now is the time.

The album moves consistently from the gently woven melodic patterns that christen "A Departure of the Sun (Ignite the Tesla Coil" to the grand sorrow that burdens the simpler chord and clean guitar selection of the instrument outro "Darkness Embrace", and the entire work is reined in under 40 minutes, with no composition becoming so indulgent or far out that you would ever become exhausted (assuming you enjoy this style). I found some rapture in the acrobatic bounce and kick of the title track "Polarity"; the thick hammering of the chugged rhythm guitars, harmonic spills and storm ascension of "The Quickening of Time"; the unswerving juggernaut of percussive picking and sweeps that realize "Symbiosis"; and the great melodies spitting through the eye of "The Resonance", gravity optional. However, there really is not a single track which will not offer some enticement, even the 1 minute hyper riffing prog-death barrage of "A Brief Odyssey in Time". It's remarkable how much Decrepit Birth can compact into a moment.

If you whine and cuss about all things modern in death metal, then let me state, Polarity is just not for you, nor is anything else by this band. Here, they skirt along the boundaries of what tech death is capable of, but I don't think they honestly escape the universal pull of familiarity all that much. The vocals are not quite excellent, but so few are in the modern death landscape, and as a percussive symbiont to the drumming, they suffice. What Decrepit Birth do best here is sculpt an engaging onslaught of music which leaves the gore and butchery of the genre far below, in terrestrial urban chaos, while this band escapes to seed and explore new worlds, as if they were a rocket ship of symphonic-minded, brutal ballast, a Stanley Kubrick sweeping his vision across the pulsing notes of the firmament.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10] (balanced in the paradox of contradictions)

http://www.myspace.com/decrepitbirth

Lithuria - Pimps of the Living Dead (2010)

What are a bunch of young Finns obsessed with horror flicks and gore to do but start a band to vent out all their twisted, mocking fantasies upon the metal populace? Well, I'm not sure how serious this Lithuria is about their devotion to carnal delights, but I do know that they can write a varied record which draws upon a number of styles in modern extremity. Guttural vocals that often draw upon Carcass-like snarls or pig squeals, stomping rhythms that mix up brutal death, slam death and even some hardcore elements with gang shouts, and one of the better productions I've heard from such a new band. The guitars are huge and punchy, the dynamic, pestilence melodies explosive, and the rhythm section is like a squad of malpractice surgeons making house calls.

Does Pimps of the Living Dead do anything to really stretch the envelope of this genre? Not exactly, but I felt like they offered a more brutal alternative to the American 'secret identity' band Ghoul, but without all the heavier thrash influence. It's immensely dumb, entertaining fun, and noticing the frivolous image the band goes for with the splattered blood and other cheesy horror props, I don't think the band had any ulterior motives except to have themselves a blast while the audience moshed and sloshed around in the oozing, vapid remains that might or might not come flying off the stage at a performance.

The recording is compact, modern and extremely punchy as the band blast away with "The Dying Process", a forward blitz of absolute brutality with mixed guttural/snarl vocals and some nice, simpler chug breakdowns amidst the bridge rhythms. The track ends with a gloomy, morbid atmosphere that recalls a little Pestilence, but with a keyboard instead of discordant guitars, and far more layered vocal squalor. "Pimps of the Living Dead" itself is more of a fun, shuffling thrash/death rhythm with some Sepultura-like siren guitars that twist into a little Necrophagist licking. Despite the excess of chugging, this tune really kicks its feet and it is quite fun, one of the best here. "Dead Embryo Vomit" opens like a Pantera brickhouse thrash rhythm gone Cannibal Corpse, and "Victim of Primitivity" has some dull, crawling mosh rhythms that break for a morbid, horror atmosphere in the clean, eerie guitars and roiling feedback ambiance. Other tracks that rock pretty hard include the choppy "Light Evacuates" and the twisting, grinding "World Ending Pestilence".

Lithuria is not above nor afraid to incorporate a wide range of styles into their composition, and this might actually work against them. At times they are as complex and forceful as the current crop of modern extreme death artists, but at some others they simplify themselves to a scorched morgue policy, with thick and simple groove/chugs that seem bent on providing a manic mosh atmosphere for the audience. I actually feel like the band balances everything pretty well. To the less discriminating, casual fan of brutal death or even deathcore/metalcore, the album might offer a lot of fun (which is rather the point). The band's lyrics and song inspirations are not quite so shallow as one might suspect, drawing successfully from campy horror flicks and doing them some justice. I was bowled over by the fresh sound of the band, but ultimately did not find too many of these songs memorable for very long. Strangely, the slam/chug elements, which I don't often enjoy when used to excess in death metal, did not distract me here, serving as efficient means to an end. Their occasional lapses into atmosphere were the most stunning moments on the record, and though this is decent in the end, I wonder if more of this exploration might improve the band in the future. Pimps of the Living Dead functions well enough though, if you dial down the expectations and you're looking only for a good time.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.lithuria.com/

Shaman - Origins (2010)

When you look at Shaman's story, it's kind of a miracle the band still exists to put out records. They started as an escape for former Angra frontman Andre Matos and drummer Ricard Confessori, and released a pretty good debut in Ritual, which featured a great mesh of prog and power metal with oodles of catchy licks running up and down the fretboard, and of course Matos' trademark for high pitched, whiny but quality vocals. Sadly, the band followed this up with a less interesting sophomore, Reason, under the added 'a' Shaaman, and then Matos decided he was going to do his thing and leave. His was not the only exodus, so Confessori had to hire a new line-up, including Fernando Quesada and Leo Mancini of fellow Brazilian band Wizards, and new vocalist Thiago Bianchi of Karma. This line-up released Immortal, which was not very good at all, a low point for the band.

It would have been easy to just abandon this project at that point, since the band might have felt awkward and the fans might have felt the last of the magic, but no! Confessori and his crew have gone back to the studio, spent a few years writing, and arrived with the 4th full-length Origins, which is truthfully the best thing they've done since the debut. In fact, it features most of the qualities I appreciate about Ritual, with an even thicker tone, and seeing that Confessori is now back with Angra, I think it's truly admirable that he hasn't given up on this band. You don't see that level of dedication every day, especially coupled with a kick ass compensation for a rather forgettable effort. By kick ass, I mean this record is almost at the level of the incomparable Angra in its songwriting, and it weaves a unique conceptual tale of a Siberian boy, the travails of his tribe, and his eventual evolution into a spiritual icon for his people.

Bianchi's vocals might honestly be a turn-off for some, and I do feel that he's toned down a little much in the mix, but he remains comparable in style to Andre Matos and the newer Angra vocalist Eduardo Falaschi. If you appreciate them, then there's no reason Bianchi will not suffice as the torch is passed on down the line. He's somewhat shrieky and wavering, and every now and then he grates slightly on the nerve, but even he shines here in places. When I say 'even he', that's because the rest of the band kick total fucking tail throughout this entire album. The mix of choppy, grooving rhythms and anthemic eruptions is sure to sate the listeners expectations, and Mancini has transformed into this riffing god. This band has always had strong keyboards, but they're also dialed up for this, perfectly complementing the driving rhythms and often escalating into impressive atmospheres of their own.

The tribal percussion and ambiance of "Origins (The Day I Died)" intro transform into the storming epic "Lethal Awakening", where flights of fanciful and complex guitar licks are graced by a series of explosive leads, soon joined by hyper keyboards and Bianchi's ghostlike crooning. The breakdown with the mystical guitar solo and proggish, jamming synthesizer is also a highlight here, and immediately the listener is pumped for this record. This is how you start an album, folks. "Inferno Veil" follows with a great intro, drums thundering into this heavy as balls guitar segment. This is basically a Siberian epic fucking thrasher, with carefully measured levels of tension and bombastic power metal verses. My ears felt like they wanted to tear off of my fat head and forever dwell within Shaman's unraveling myth-history.

Next, a period of calm, with the gentle orchestration and wilderness percussion of "Ego Pt. I", with an emotional performance from Bianchi, counter-attacked by the raging "Ego Pt. II", with a dense, shredded rhythm passage and some of the best vocal lines on the entire album. "Finally Home" is a happier, uplifting piece which incorporates a lot of Angra to it, especially from the Fireworks era, and "Rising Up to Life" is a worthy piano power ballad in which Bianchi also gets to stretch his pipes (very similar to Falaschi here). "No Mind" opens with a big groove rhythm, but quickly abandons it for one of the most incredible little melodic speed metal licks the band has done since the debut, while "Blind Messiah" erupts from a titillating acoustic segment to some jamming, mountain walls of prog metal. I also truly love the band's cover of "Kurenai" from X Japan! What an unexpected surprise, and Shaman offer it all the love and power they can muster.

Yes, folks. Immortal represented the ashes of this band's downward trajectory, and Origins represents the phoenix, spitting fire at all the non-believers at is storms skyward from the pit of a shaky career. The composition and performances are extraordinary all around, with the possible exception of Bianchi, who could be mixed in a little better. Still, he's at his best here, and provides little distraction from the amazing guitar work and rhythm section of the band, nor the choppy but brilliant excursions into synthesizer heaven. I can't think of a single track on the album that did not grasp my attention, and this is a work very much worthy of the band in whose shadow Shaman must forever lie. Or maybe not...

Verdict: Win [8.75/10]

http://www.shamanimmortal.com/

Darkseed - Poison Awaits (2010)

I've always held a fondness for the more catchy strains of Gothic metal keeping the fires lit for the genre's popularity across Europe, and Darkseed have always been an act I've kept my eyes and ears on. The band has followed a very similar course to the British gods Paradise Lost, though the Germans' origins were slightly more upbeat. Albums like Midnight Solemnly Dance, Spellcraft, and Give Me Light all featured memorable songcraft, but beyond that the band took a turn for the more accessible, radio ready fare that very much mirrored your Draconian Times or One Second. The same use of mid paced rockers, big choruses, and Hetfield-like vocals were dominant in these eras, and still...these were not bad albums.

So really, I was not taken aback when I first listened to this record and thought of Paradise Lost's 2002 album Symbol of Life, which I truly adored. Darkseed's got a new frontman here named Harald Winkler who reminds me a lot of Nick Holmes, with perhaps a touch of accent leading off as he winds through the deeper, masculine baritones and the upper range with its slightly swerving melodies. Do not mistake me, he is not a carbon copy, he just uses a similar inflection, which to be fair fits the music perfectly. The remainder of the band have returned from the previous record Ultimate Darkness, five years ago, with the exception of a new bassist, and it is just Thomas Herrmann sticking around from the band's early 90s period.

Poison Awaits does not lead off with its best piece, of that I am certain. "Roads" is a pretty standard chord progression which is merely a warm-up for far better material to come, eclipsed even by the second song "Incinerate", which weaves cutesy keyboard lines through the steady if predictable, rocking chords. If you love Paradise Lost's late 90s or 21st century material before reverting back to their heavier side in recent years, or if you fancy the Finnish male-fronted Gothic metal scene of Charon, Entwine, To/Die/For and the like, you're probably going to like this one. If you don't love that style, then you will have already have fled from the album from "Roads", so carry on. It's pretty catchy, and I'm also reminded of fellow Germans Crematory, although Darkseed does not make use of the guttural vox. Title track "Poison Awaits" is the next at bat, with waves of electro body music morphing into some desperate, melodic synthesizer lines over an even harder driving rhythm.

"Seeds of Sorrow" sees Winkler in a deeper tone not unlike Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell, but far less cryptic and far more accessible. It seems somewhat like a Dreadful Shadows track, with the slow build to the surge of power chords. "All is Vanity" ups the ante with some rasped vocals that accompany the pre-chorus lyrics, and "Black Throne" is pretty pure Paradise Lost worship with more silly putty synthesizers dreaming beneath the crushing guitar tone, but its once again very catchy. The latter half of the album features a handful of ear-catchers like "A Dual Pact" and "Striving for Fire", and I really liked the melancholic piano gone metal ballad "Torn to Shatters".

Poison Awaits is nearly an hour long, but most of the tracks deliver the mopey Gothic goods, especially if you're into their past few efforts like Diving Into Darkness or Astral Adventures. "Roads" is probably the least interesting here, so I'm curious why the band wanted to shove it up front. The mix is well done, modern and clear studio sound which hangs at the standards set by many other bands of this genre like Theater of Tragedy and Charon. There is very little ambition in the guitar playing or song structure, and in fact they are preened for verse/chorus song sensibility to a fault, rarely venturing forth beyond some slightly tasty bridge segments. But these are not common traits for the style, and thus Darkseed are preaching to the choir. If you tend to hate this genre of male-fronted, Gothic metal with deep vocals and keyboards, then I see no reason your opinion would be changed by this latest effort. But if you keep a closet full of Crematory, Dreadful Shadows, and the less doomy Paradise Lost records, this is clearly for you. It's still not a Spellcraft or a Give Me Light, but it will have to suffice.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.darkseed.com/

Daemonarch - Hermeticum (1998)

There is probably some sub-set of Moonspell's following that rued the band's decision to shift from their ritual black metal roots of Under the Moonspell and Wolfheart to a more Gothic rock-focused medium, and to these the one-shot side project Daemonarch must have come as some blessing, since it somewhat returns to those years of mystic, occult exploration. The lyrics to this were written when Fernando Ribeiro was but a teenager chasing Satan, though I assume they undertook some revision before this final project, but otherwise we are presented with an album worthy of Moonspell themselves, though perhaps not as memorable.

Hermeticum is a whirlwind of tribal drums, thick and simplistic metal chords and atmospheric keyboards suited to any orgy of the damned, or castle of treacherous, diabolic mysteries. But the band also incorporates a lot of dynamic exploration and some searing guitars that very much mirror their work on a Wolfheart or Irreligious. Through it all, they manage to somehow keep the writing fresh and catchy, especially on a few of the tunes that might have better served the band as standout tracks for their main band. This is all Moonspell members. In addition to Ribeiro, we had Sergio Crestana, Pedro Paixao and Ricardo Amorim in their recurring roles, and perhaps that is where the strength truly lies, in the cohesion of this band of morbid brothers.

"Corpus Hermeticum" is a favorite here for the very catchy use of the keyboards, both symphonic and 'cute' in that light, striking piano technique which flows off the swell of the guitars and orchestra hits with poppy precision. The haunting folly of "Samyaza" is perfect for any haunted house parlour, the vocals like those of some grave tending usher welcoming you to an abode of creeps and frolics. "Incubus" uses a great vocal atmosphere, Ribeiro delivering some of the most aggressive rasping of his entire career, and all manner of mysterious sounds at the edge of the perception beneath the solid beats and blood-glistening guitars. Then there is "The Seventh Daemonarch", a pretty steadily rising charger that would have fit in perfectly with Wolfheart, in particular the soaring, manly vocal force. The bleeding, desperate streams of opener "Lex Talionis" are also worthwhile.

In fact, there are really no stinkers across the whole album. It's all moody and effective work, though varying in the level of seriousness one might take it for. The band have also included a cover of Bathory's "Call from the Grave", set to a pompous level of production with requisite crashing percussion and some added depth. A good choice, and a good band to pursue a cover song (I love what Moonspell did with Depeche Mode's "Sacred"). Hermeticum sounds quite fantastic, a dark and fun trip through the band's devilish roots, which had at this time been supplanted in their main band for more 'relevant' fare (though still intelligent and well written). The lyrics might seem a little dire or primitive, but then that's the source from which they were inspired. I'd easily recommend this to a fan of any and all Moonspell up to Sin/Pecado.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (guilt is growing)

Damnatory - The Madness Never Ends (1990)

1990 was the year Swedish death metal really started breaking out, due to the explosion of Entombed's brilliant debut Left Hand Path, but there was still a carry-over from the thrash scene, and not all bands were to stalk the trail into a renaissance of Euro brutality. One exception was the short-lived entity Damnatory, who played a pretty unique brand of thrash metal laced in power/traditional heaviness that often skirts along the doomed terrace of their countrymen Candlemass. This is not through the vocals, which are more haughty and grunted here than a Messiah Marcolin, but in some of the thick, crushing rhythms. The majority of the material on The Madness Never Ends is not of a faster nature, but instead plods along at a mid pace with powerful thrash riffing.

Are the riffs any good? Well, not very often, but the album makes up this deficit with a bit of personality that simply stood distinct from its peers. "Nailed to the Cross" begins with the same 'hallelujah' intro found on Sabbat's "The Church Bizarre", then into some slower rhythms over which the vocals often soar like a monk staring in sadness at his savior on the rack. "War Without Sense" is a more pumping thrash number, and here the vocals are far cooler, with an angry pitch that sounds like some man with a pitchfork shouting down at you from his mountainside farm. Thus the slightly doom permutation that howls through the music. I rather enjoyed this track for several of its riffs, but it does feel a little forced in the transitions, and the bass is mighty loud. "Money" starts at a percussion-led trot, then cycling through some more throw, chuggy power/thrash rhythms with half-decent leads interspersed throughout. Seems a little messy, but again I kind of liked the vocals.

Highlights of the album are rather scarce, because there doesn't feel like a lot of deviation in the way the bands present their songs, but a few moments catch the ear, like the bludgeoning simplicity of the instrumental "Beyond and Back", the epic 8+ minute journey "Cemetary of Life" which is half decent, drawn out thrash, or the more direct force of "Scars Within the Psyche" and speed of "Into My World Beyond". "Infinity" is also worth hearing, I like the atmosphere and the slow, plodding certainty of the tried and tested riffing, plus the vocals which soar off like some cosmic doom monger.

The Madness Never Ends is a decent record to track down if you can tolerate its thick atmosphere and a production that might feel rather dated to some. The vocals have a lot of reverb, the guitars are thick and crunchy and the bass thick as the man sauce gathered at the monastery wall, with tinny little drums crashing along behind it all. It's probably a pretty good collector's item, but there's more than enough decent music to back it up. Try and imagine a mix of Sabbat (UK), Candlemass and Hallows Eve. Sounds pretty amazing? Well, for me that is what Damnatory had conjured here. Had they gone on to produce more, they might have made a worthy contender against bands like Memory's Garden, Tad Morose or Morgana LeFay.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

Dead & Bloated - You Don't (1992)

I've said it many times before, but by 1992 thrash was already in the oven and ready for a good, deep cooking, that is if your name wasn't already Metallica, Slayer or Megadeth. Thus, it pains me so greatly to look at a debut album coming out in this year from a band who had already committed a few demos in the late 80s. Not to say that Dead & Bloated were one to show a considerable level of worth. In fact, the lamely titled You Don't is nothing more than an average offering which felt tired even for two decades ago, but had this very same album dropped a few years prior, it might have ridden the wave of California thrash to at least accommodate some small measure of cult worship and respect.

Perhaps the most delirious and noteworthy element to this record would be the vocals, which are a link in the chain more biting than most thrash or crossover bands of this period. Steven Kubit had a voice like a gremlin, or like the more cruel lines used on Annihilator's great Alice in Hell record, but used throughout almost the entire record. When they work, they work rather well, creating a vicious and hostile unpredictability that feels like a fresh kill. When they don't work, they're so calamitous that you'll just start cracking up unwittingly. The guitars have a solid but average, hammering tone to them, but they seem to focus more on just the act of thrashing out some swerving rhythms than really evoking memorable melodies or stringing together any truly gripping individual riffs. The rhythm section is a considerable presence, especially the bass guitar, which was actually more common as the genre was moving into a new decade.

What really drags the album down is the utter lack of compelling riff-work, despite the bands attempt to hammer out some earnest anger into the tracks. Take the almost 7-minute length title track, which consists of sloppy and unimpressive thrashing and far too much bass. The band also suffers from the occasional incorporation of a 'funky' presence in the bass, which is perhaps the symptom of a large plague infecting thrash of this period, brought on by the crappy Suicidal Tendencies side-band Infectious Grooves, and the increasing popularity of The Red Hot Chili Peppers in the metal audience, as they all abandoned themselves and started chasing the alternative rock culture chuck wagon. Dead & Bloated are not quite 'funk', but that influence is clearly creeping in here, with the way the bass bounces to the thick, aimless guitar.

Elsewhere, you're just not getting much of worth from these Californians. At best, on a track like "IXL", they sound like their statesmen Sadus, only cornier and not as fast. It's largely the bass sound, once again. "Nuclear Lucifer" might be an average, meaty mosh pit favorite at best, with some truly hostile vocals, but as usual this band is incapable of capitalizing on a good chorus. He usually just barks a little harder, and that's the difference. Most of the album though is not even as compelling as these. "Convulse" is retarded, with some clean guitars and an attempt at a psychedelic vocal line before they burst into a hilariously underwhelming rabble of goofy vocal patterns that peak with a few lines of lyrical repetition that make Les Claypool sound like less of a dork, like some sort of bizarre hoe-down throwdown of idiocy.

In the end, You Don't (I can't get over how bad the fucking title is) is nothing more than an irritating missed chance at a screwball thrash record. The competence of the musicians and the clear production do not compensate for the bad writing and ineffectual, floppy feel of the tunes. Perhaps the band's namesake was all too telling about this genre in 1992, and their sole full-length feels like a truly flaccid, extra limb that just flops around in your way all the time until you finally have the surgeon cut it off at the joint. Obviously the band did not feel so strongly about their work here, since they disappeared soon after.

Vedict: Fail [3/10]

Defier - Overture of Annihilation EP (1990)

Finland was never quite able to break into the thrashing mainstream back at the close of the 80s or early 90s, despite having a few top flight acts like Stone or A.R.G., but then, very few European countries were successful in that medium outside of Germany (and to a lesser extent, England). There were a number of solid but not standout bands kicking around just below the surface, and for a few brief years, Defier was one of them. This EP, Overture of Annihilation may have never made it to a label, but it was given an independent release into the hands of enough folks that it's out there on the web at least.

Basically, Defier sound like a Finnish equivalent to the California thrash legends Testament. This is due to the vocals of Ami. His voice isn't as powerful and churlish as Chuck Billy, but he uses a similar excess of melody to the barking that creates a similar aesthetic. Riff-wise, this band was fairly forceful, as chunky as some of the earlier Stone records, but also structurally reminiscent of the British band Xentrix, albeit rougher in production. The leads are fast and frivolous, and not mixed into the riffage very well, but in all its a decent lo-fi production that can get the heads banging, though it won't last much longer than it takes to develop a strain.

"Blinded by the Preach" has some savage riffs, but its also the closest sounding to Testament, lacking only in the atmosphere of Skolnick's dark, bleeding solos. Once Ami breaks into the chorus, it sounds very similar to a song like "Sins of Omission" from Practice What You Preach. It doesn't help that the intro to "Capital Punishment" also sounds a little similar to something like "Alone in the Dark", and there is not much strength to the riffs here aside from the propulsive force of the track. "System of Oppression" sounds almost precisely like the first two songs, with more chugging, thick guitars, one of which is reminiscent of something from Xentrix' For Whose Advantage?, which came out the same year. The closing track on the EP, "In a Tunnel of Pain", oozes a thick bass-line into some thundering drums and chords, and then a descending Slayer-like melody, before some rolling chugs. Its perhaps the best song on the EP, but then that really isn't saying so much.

There is nothing particularly terrible about Defier. They clearly draw on their influences and attempt to create a similar atmosphere, without much ambition to the writing. If you're a total whore for the first three Testament records, and just want something in a similar style, then you could think of this almost as a cover band, but the songs simply do not provide worthwhile riffs and virile energy for a replay, in any case. After a few more years, and one demo, the band was merely a tax write-off.

Verdict: Indifference [5/10]