Skagos: "Anarchic"

There have been a lot of sub genres thrown around in reference to the second full length by this Canadian duo, and I can sum it up all quick for you by saying there's not a lot of ground not already covered in a less long winded fashion by Alcest. I'm not sure whether two twenty minute song albums have become a thing for any sort of post whatever black metal or experimenting with black metal mean you have to drone. In truth can you write a cucking song is what needs to be asked. Are theire great songs theatre over ten minutes yes. But those same musicians can write on in a concise manner as well. The safety in this long song trend is much like a live show the listener godson a trip and forget what he heard three minutes ago because they might as well be listening to another song.

The black metal thing here is highly suspect, its more like fast Mogwai...whole cascading blast beat thing, I think there has to be more varied elements or perhaps now that it's been a thing for a while it needs to progress , may the new Deafheaven will change it up here, it just appears and isn't anything we haven't heard before, the vocal sections that are almost accapella are cool enough but like most things on this album the ideas are run into the ground. The harsh vocal are executed by the book in a midrange but don't feel angry or evil.the best part of the song is the groove the hit at the 9:45 mark. This is the sort of thing they need to develop more. It's more Agalloch in feel than some of the Wolvesinthethroneroom comparison they get, the blasty parts are the on,y place I hear that . The returned the blast seems more awkward than when they first hit, though the clean vocals layered around in help out.

Take the first side of 2112, those songs can all stand along on there own where what Skagosis strung together some cool parts they often take their time getting to them the kind of procrastination that like being in a conversation with someone who has to talk their way around to what the point is. In the first song simply the side a, the point doesn't come til past the ten minute mark, the lead into the actual song is about the span of an entire side of a Nails album. the clean vocals are cool there is more to them than the standard intone of most post rock bands who employ a similar tactic , but they aren't Alcest either.

The first 11 mins of the second song where cool furthe first three minutes then I feel the sing song chant is the invocation of boredom. There's about five mins of very minimalist ambiance which is a waste of space,this could be captured and get the same feel but with something that draws you in as you floataway. So it stays limp and they can't get it up for eighteen mintues.

Soif you are going to just have two songs make sure one of them is awesome, ormay break up these pieces see if they stand on their own because when you string the, together they are not going to be any more developed if they don't go anywhere. I'll round this down to a 4 out of ten , there is the cool accents of the heavy Part on the first song that whole section is only three minutes, so they don't know a good thing when they got it. I have their Ethan the version I got was incomplete and their was going to be a side c to this , but if it's more of the same I don't think it's going to be of much use.

Death Wolf :" 2 Black Armoured Death"

The second album from this Swedish band who boasts having the bassist of Marduk in it's ranks. They were once called Devils Whorehouse before changing their name , so from that alone there's is going to be a Misfits influence but I'd say this more often metal than not though, they do use the very straightforward version of what a suppose it a punk take on the blast beat.

The production has an odd density to, like the producer had been listening to Nails a lot , not to say it has that sort of crunch but if you told me Kurt Ballou produced this it would make sense. In some ways this comes across like a black n roll take on Life of Agony's "the River Runs Red " album as we ave goth and hardcore ,iced together though it's no the first marriage of this sort.

There is an eighties metal punk crossover element that at times brings something like D.R.I to mind, and then at others the Danzig solo years on the interlude "Luciferian Blood Covenant. The title track is certainly the main culprit in the crossover department, bordering on being flat put punk but these are metal heads trying to play punk rather than the other way around. Not as effective as Slayer's Undisputed Attitude where they flat out covered punk songs, though haven't been able to convincingly metal them selves afterward. I think "Death Wolf March" strikes a better balance. At six minutes the a heftier song than the punk bursts, it gives more breathing room to create an almost doomy feel. Though midway I found my self looking at the iPod thinking o.k they have another three minutes left what are they going to do to switch it up.

There is little more of a fifties swing to "My Little Black angel" but at the same time there's still a vikingnmetal metal under current. The vocals stay rough where I think the song could have benefitted from more finesse. The fact the solo thing in here I can't tell if it's a guitar or a synth earns them some points, though it probably a guitar with effects on it.

The punk side returns with "Malice Striker" though there are doomy metal components to it and the clean vocals while Danzig is some sense also have thatmid range King Diamond croon to them, though if any prying I would say these guys are more likely to have a Merciful Fate influence than the Kng solo, though comes across like In Soltitude. By the refrain I'm almost sure it's a merciful fate influence.

The more Danzig like power ballad "Lord of Putrefaction" goes bad cop on what I suppose is the chorus. These are the first real horro punk moments I have come across though I suppose it sussposedto be large component of what they do. The vocals finallypop out of the mix more on the bridge. They are a,it'll dry and could use some verb.

We waffle back into punk with "World Serpent" which has more of a Slayer feel to it in how the vocals are spat back at you. The execution on it is rather bland. I think on the doomed pace like "Rothenburg" is a tempo they are more comfortable with surprising considering some of their black metal roots, but you know some sounds just come across better at certain tempos than others. I think in the songwriting department more variation and dynamic within the songs would be a better move for the as I find my self getting bored midway through. The point is often belabored, shorter verses more dynamic chrouses and varied bridges...ya know the basics are things they could be fit from, with something like Marduk who can become dynamically flat I can see where this skill set was not developed.

The eighties makes a appearance with some post NWOBHM on "Darkness of Hel" that has the Diamond Head of Maiden gallop to it. The Viking blood boils here, it can't be hidden by a devil lock.The bass player wakes up and I wonder what has he been doing all album, the vocals take on more of a rasp. I think if they could blend this rather than the punk thing with the death punk vibe they would be onto something.

I finally figure out by the time we get to "Night Stalker" that the gruffness of the vocals reminds me of Primordial. This of to Richard Rameriez, comes of a little forced, the line "beating the drum for funerals to come" is well awkward. We continue on the repetitive path not the left hand me more often than not here.

Then the final nail I the coffin is "Sudden Blooletter" where I can see the sacrafice that needs to be made is this album from my iPod to make room for the other stuff I need to get to this week. I'll give this album a 6.5, there are some cool dark moods captured, if you like harder metal but find your self with a Danzig fixation give this at least another point and hunt it down. Its more often than not just not my thing, the spooky crooning I like and some of the more down trodden Life of Agony moments but all in all I don't have to have this though you might.

Meads of Asphodel "Sonderkommando"

One day I want it hear an album by these guys where they finally get the production they deserve. This album if you can believe it is even more ambitious than past efforts bringing it closer to some more along the lines of Sigh than your average black metal band. They courageously employ a wide variety of instruments which the production values showcases in varied levels of effectiveness.

The playing is not slack some of the guitar sections have roughed edges and not in the raw black metal way either where lo if production is their calling card. This album begs to be treated more along the lines of Cormorant as from the opening it delves into seventies prog rock, though more of the grooving sixties variety with winks in a more Deep Purple direction, but not to discourage fans they wind back up into heavier territory by the songs end , however better production would give the guitars more of an edge.

I suppose it's a concept album about the nazi troops who tended the furnaces. I have admired their irreverent lyrical content and attacks on the judeo roots of Christianity. Sure it's an easy target but they go about it in a manner that displays some creativity. The conceptual element sits oddly with some songs like "Wishing Well of Bones" that takes on more of a folk metal feel. The lower guttural vocals haunt the underbelly of the vocal layering and there is on riff in particular that I like but it's buried in the mix. Despite the sound of the kit the drumming is excellent. The double bass is e.q'ed on the thin side.

I begin to wonder how much lyrical fuel for the fire the topic of the Nazi ovens can have during the crackling sound effects before "Aktion T4" it has more of a Rotting Christ feel so even when they go into blast beats it never really sounds like black metal to me, some of the riffing even reminds me a tad of old Megadeth. Lots of guitar soloing on this to the point of where the riffs on this song sound like they were thinking "Now what would be a good riff to solo over".

"Silent Ghosts of Babi Yar" sounds sorta like Gwar to me , but more along the long lines of "Scum Dogs of the Universe" era. There are some very militant accents, but the verses are very straightforward. Midway into it things get more melodic and proggy. The clean vocals could be off a Solefald album, and the bass player reals starts to earn his cut here. The syncopation toward the songs final moments really works to bring it at all home.

There are odd excursions into the polka of a German parade mixed with Liabach on the interlude "Children of the Sun Wheel banner". It makes more sense than the old witch at the beginning of " Lamenting Weaver of Horror". The part to to this song opens with some intresting exploration of sound, almost post-rock guitar with metallic samples before punching into some pretty epic Viking metal. The layers of vocals reinforce comparisons to both Sigh and Rotting Christ. The blasts that come out of nowhere don't seem like they were built up to and the Wizard of Oz vocals are strangely set against it, but this song has so much going on to when the pieces to this puzzle are forced into place it's not glaringly obvious with a casual listen. There are so many component til much like Sigh you find your self liking enough to appease your ears.

"Lamenting Weaver of Horror" is over half an acted narrative of sorts and the final three minutes resemble a song, which is a lot of intro to get through to be met by some overly dramatic Therion style musical number. Tough darker and more experimental than Therion.

"Sins of the Pharaohs" is very straight forward and a return to the more Therion like feel. The clean vocals when they come in aren't as annoying as Therion's can be when they pull out the Andrew Loyd Weber and when things get proggy midway into it there is some relief, because it darkens up . The harsher vocals could stand to have more growl to them, it would help hide the accent.

"Last Train to Eden" takes two minutes to get through sound effects to establish itself as a song. The place is slowed down, but even though there are dirge like tendencies I wouldn't say it emulates what most consider doom, though it does remind me a little of the last My Dying Bride album. The more thrash riff that appears in the final three minutes is an awkward transition and a little stiff. The bass player is obvious influenced by Geezer Butler in the way he works around what's going on and his preformance really stands out on this album.

" the Hourglass of Ash" is more than likely my favorite song on the album. It has a swing to it and a sax coats the back ground to provide another layer of sound. The breaks down into polka flavored jazz in the last two minutes before being wound up into a spiraling riff that coils around the song under the female vocals which take on a dramatic almost Therion like air.

"Mussulmans Wander..." which is how I'm going to leave the title whose name is as humorous as it is long. It's weird, the chanted vocals the harmonica solo coming out of nowhere, this one really has a Sigh feel to it but set against like a Monty Python skit on goth metal. Yeah that crazy, but in a good way, though I also like Mr. Bungle so I have a high tolerance for Zappa like chaos breaking out.

"Send my Love to Maher-Shalal-hash-Baz" is more of just a soundscape jam than a song, with a narrative over it. The album as a whole feels like I took some acid while watching the History channel. This album could have benefitted from better production but midway through I stopped noticing and what they are doing began to stand on its own. I'll give this album an 8.5 out of 10 even though for me personally I'm not sure how much iPod time it will demand as dispite it's heavier leanings some of the more quirky prog diversions I find myself in cases like Solefald and Arcturus to not always be in the mood for such an aural carnival, this often applies even to Sigh who I feel is superior in creating this sort of thing with a more organic feel. I do respect and commend them for what they have crafted and think it needs to be acknowledged and fans of experimental prog metal should like this once they get past the rough shod presentation.

Depeche Mode : "Delta Machine"

I consider myself a Depeche Mode fan, as I have a long history with the band most closely associating the "Violator" album as the soundtrack to my drug summer of 1995 when I would put that album on very time I saw the sunrise and then "Ultra" was played during many a drugged haze. But it's no secret when it comes to iconic Eighties bands I favored the Cure and the Smiths, who think the bulk of their catalogue tends to hold up better. But I can hang with earlierDepeche Mode anything peppier than say "Master and Servant" I can only take it certain doses.

From Exciter on I have lost touch with the band so this was my chance to reconnect. I can say right of the bat with the opener "Welcome to my World" it sounds more streamed lined and doesn't have the depth of their darker sound. I would say this song borders on being almost minimalist. I take Gahan is still sober , though "Songs of Faith , Love and Devotion" is a very almost inspirational album when he was in the midst of his addiction. The drum programming doesn't have the thump of their nineties work. It reminds me more of Daft Punk's Tron soundtrack, though less orchestral in scope. The lyrics are mature and reflective, the vocals are plaintive not the overly emotive de
I every I normally think of Gahan

They soon return to a more familiar form on "Soft Touch/ Raw Nerve" the guitar is present, the beat are modern sounding in their pulse though still thinner and not darkly sensual in their pulse.Granted the lyrically content isn't sexual but seems like he's making comments about how someone's mental health effects him, so a group therapy session, but the beat does have a manic agitation to it.

"Broken" sounds like they are trying to recreate the feel of "Behind the Wheel" so fans looking to relive the glory days and don't notice this might really like this one. It is more of typical Gahan croon. The song works the production just gets on my nerves how thinly digital every tho sounds. Even the parts where there are real instruments are very compressed down into this. It's like all the sex was produced right of this album, though there no real fault in their writing the impact is just diminished, even when I crank my headphones to full blast.

Martin Gore's are really weird deprture on " the Child Inside" almost like David Bowie. It's a slower song even more minimally arranged and mostly filler. The beats improve on "Soothe My Soul" their is a very sterile element to the electronic nature of it but when the chorus kicks in it s tries to resurrect the sultry swing of a "Personal Jesus". Of course being older their isn't as much would searching and getting sober doesn't do rock n roll any favors as a general rule.

So the album does lack any of the rock elements the nineties material had. In the darker moments like the almost Nick Cave like tone of "Angel" still has a sputter to the beat , though the synth sounds are well placed and panned. There's a weird break where the song sounds like a golden light shines down on Gahan before it builds into a Faint like thicker synth drone.

I had already seen a live preformance of "Heaven" but I think I prefer the recorded version, I like Gore's harmonies here I think he works better in this capacity than taking the spotlight. Even though this song as a slower slink to it and in some ways reminds me of a Duran Duran ballad I like it. It feels believable and genuine to them. I'm not sure why the production comes across some much warmer and more organic here. I know it's weird I want my electronica to sound organic but I think it has and can be accomplished, in fact it works well on this song.

They go for a bluesy sound on "Goodbye" by some how end up making it sound like it could have been on Tron as well. The guitar riff doesn't do anything original until the chorus and then you can't tell if it's synth or guitar, I think they were going for an "I Feel You" thing here and it took a slightly wrong turn, not to the point of where the song as a whole doesn't work it just doesn't work as well as a Depeche Mode song should I'm sure the Killers would be proud of it but is is Depeche Mode whose work must be held to a higher standard since we know what they are capable of.

The blues continues to surface on songs like "Slow" , the lyrics are a little vapid at best here, the guitar riffs continue to sound like just stock blues they sampled. The first song on the album I found myself having to really search for a redeeming quality, I suppose Gahan'svoice sounds good here , but shouldn't it always? The cliches keep coming in the lyrical front. The fuzz of the guitar towards the end had potential but nothing to save the song.

The drone of almost Nine Inch Nails lingers in the beat to "Alone". The sounds are fuller and more improved though more digital than dusty and the melody is pretty safe and middle of the road for them. If they are relying on Gore's harmonies to save them things like this then how much of himself was Gahan investing? There's a little more drive right from the first few measures of "Secret to the End" which I can only imagine is about Gahan's closeted lifestyle. The chorus kicks in with more flare than is generally found on the album and the guitar finally bellies up and offers something imaginative. I like the ..should have , would have been you...interplay in the vocal layering. So songs like this make me suspect of the albums moment which lean in the direction of filler when they show me. They do in fact still know what is up.

"Should have been Higher" didn't hit me off the bat, but I like the restrained tension in the verses, though the chorus dynamically doesn't smack you but I can see it growing on me and being the sound track to a vanilla sex scene that is supposed to be edgey to "Normal" people. Once again the vocal layers and harmonies come in to save the day and at least there's a dab of sex left in this machine.

Well while not their strongest song they do get points as all the blips , beeps and glitches of "My Little Universe" is experimental enough and something different sounds more like some one remixing a Depeche Mode song , so they beat the dee jays to the punch on this one.

Most of my qualms are really just in the productions and even though some moments are more inspired than others I'll still give this one an 8.5 , so weigh it against Violator which is no doubt a 10 and that should give you a rough idea what you are heading into on this, I think they might as well have a relapse when they are going back into the studio and we could get something more visceral from them.

Ken Mode : "Entrench"

When I first listened to the Canadian post-hardcore band's new album , I wished I have downloaded Depeche Mode instead of Ken Mode , but after a closer listen through headphones I have warmed up to it. Matt Bayles produced it so it sounds great and all the instruments are well played. The thick riffs start off angular but not forsaking the power to rock you for mathematics.

A lot of this sort of thing clearly has descended from Botch, yet the Rollins yell that seems to have become increasingly popular amongst the hipsters riding the line between punk and metal these days, makes some of the songs less than memorable as they have a similar cadence. Are their touches of Amp Rep era bands? Check yes so it's hipster approved and Brooklyn Vegan will give them their seal of approval. But by the time it gets around to the third song "The Promises of God" this seems like a variation of the second song, though their is a little more crunch to one riff in particular and a cool smacking punch to a bridge breakdown, but just a cool riff or two does not a good song make or make a good song for that matter, though by the end of the third song they power through to redeem themselves as the vocals butch it up into say Nails territory.

Theres a more metal take on things with the song "Daeodon" where some of the riffing is less apologetic about being into metal. Which is feeling I get that they are trying to save face with their punk friends. The chorus gets more Rollins but the almost sludgey grunge to the verses make up for it and apologies aside they are good at what they do I have no doubt they can pull all of this off as tightly at rattling volumes live which give them a stong case as a band.

The math punk flares up on "Why don't you Just Quit". Im still trying to figure out though why this album should be in my iPod instead of Pissed Jeans. It's slicker and more metal, making me curious if the whole Rollins thing is a new turn of events or if they used to sound more like Mastodon. There a melodic chord progression I like on this one but that doesn't make it a song.

There's a very Filth Pig feel to the opening of "Figure Your Life Out". The ambiance hovering over the bass line is a nice touch they need to break thing son this one up a bit. The guitar work is very fluid and I like they way they move the song along but the vocals have really begun to bore me by this point. The "this is my black hole" line works but would be more effective if this Unsane type of vocal phrasing had been more intresting. When the song congeals into a tightly chugged riff that swells up by the end it works a lot better.

The gears switch by the beginning of "Monomyth". There is some delicate post-rock guitar, which I like because I want to hear a band that has a range of dynamics to what they do. Though by the two and a half minute mark you are ready for this to go somewhere, so pacing can be an issue for these guys. When the strings come in sure it sounds good but the song still just feels like an intro. So the fact they can't blend this into their normal song framework makes this interlude a little pointless.

They crash back into a more typical form with the Convergish "Your Heartwarming Story Makes Me Sick" it shows one thing which is their heavy is not as convincing as Converge's, in fact the riffs come across as bland until the break down at the end. The post-rock guitar sound returns on "Romeo Must Never Know" the vocal whisper changes it up and the bass line reminds me of a Kylesa song, but all the above is an improvement. The drums back off and the bass takes the controls and there is almost some singing on the chorus, it's the very monotone Jesu type thing and the way the drums crash back in has a Swans feel to it making this instantly my favorite song so far. In the final three mintues they bring back the punch they have had for most of the album but I think it is more effective here and the single note stuff the guitar does is some of the best work on the album.

"the Terror Pulse" has a more muscular throb to it. The distorted bass line is thick and oozes a coat of grime over the song like a monster slug. It builds into a more predictable post-hardcore part, which I suppose could pass for a chorus. Back to the cool cool idea but when they fall after a really good song then this sort of thing feels like filler. The angry pacing builds up into a very nineties hardcore section. The last chance for them to redeem themselves lies in the hands of "No, I'm Charge" that runs along the same lines of a bass heavy distorted steamroller with the Boot Camp yell over it. There is some Mathy syncopation jammed into the corners and the guitar coasts over top but it doesn't feel like it going anywhere this album hasn't already taken us.

I'll give this album a six , there's potential and a couple stand out songs, but they don't provide enough dynamics to an album that falls upon being a one trick pony for the most part this would have been really innovative shit in the late nineties but having lived through that period already it doesn't do much more me now, how ever if you are stuck in that time period or too young to have been there then it might be worth your while as they do a good job of pulling it of but how many of these sort of bands do we need today?

Fell Voices : Renum Saturni

I really like the ambiance of the previous album I heard from this California trio.

Sticking to the vast epic nature of their song writing the new album is comprised of three songs that clock in collectively at over an hour.

They take their time building into the first song. The intro is five and a half minutes before we get to the first blasts of "Dawn". While their is the hypnotic drone around the edges, in the eye of this storm is prett straight forward and raw as the production is denser but also a muddier guitar tone and the vocals even mixed further back.The modulation is slight and more felt than heard. Live if this was loud enough I imagine might come across like getting hit with the Swans wall of sound and this is something I can let drone in the back ground as I write since it doesn't demand my closest attention , but it begs the question ...What about the songs? Is it fair to even think of this in the same scope as Emperor or even Deafheaven , who create chaos but it still functions in the bounds of a song rather than as a movement. Ten minutes in and it's moving but not really going anywhere. There are very subtle shifts on more of a vibrational level than a chorus, is this blur the verse , well I'm assuming it is. Can they recreate this live and what would they be recreating is another question as there is a very in the moment organic quality to this. At the twelve minute mark we have a change, the drums are accenting the cymbals things are swelling and being stirred like a boiling broth. It takes on more of a dim shimmer than anything really black metal here, though the moment is short lived before plunged back into the frothing void. There up to this point aren't really any dynamics to speak of and the ambiance is in the punishment. The drummer begin to refocus their accents which gives it some definition. The drums roll into motion creating a swirl around the flurry that gradually seems to have notched up the intensity by the last seven minute mark. Though the final three minutes are consumed by a locust like swarm of feedback.

The vocals are pretty much an after thought like the we're on the bands previous efforts a distant howling from a far away wasteland. I doubt any real words or lyrics are present this just seems like a static layer of screaming for the sake of screaming.

The following song plots a similar course to destination unknown though takes less time getting to the blast which it hangs on for the listener is seventeen minutes into the the drone of "Emergence" something that earns a head bang takes places as they find more of a gallop before drifting off into feedback and distant howling, this is drawn out for the next two and a half minutes. The guitars do seem to have a darker tone as the album progresses, like astrommcloud getting blacker as it nears. The majority of the drone this song takes on carries a little more ferocity than the previous song.

The third song waits two minutes to develop past the ringing of delayed feedback. It simmers to life keeping with the progression of evoking a somewhat darker feeling than the rpevious song but is full blast ahead.

Often feeling dynamically flat it can be said that I can also just leave this album on and let it play. This doesn't mean the songs are necessarilly distinguishable but it all flows together like I'm listening to a more tempestuous Phillip Glass Peice . I wonder how Phillip Glass feels about black metal. Though I can listen to the album on constant repeat Becuase im a sucker for the hypnotic drone of this flavor of black metal, there is not much in the way of actually song writing , which I understand these guys are more about the sonic architecture than hooks and choruses but I feel they are capable musicians who could have taken steps forward and this feels like a lateral move the kind of uncompromising cop out Slayer makes when they pump out the same album year after year so this get a 7.5 whiles it's a captivating listen for what it is what it is could stand to be more dynamic.

Weekly Shuffle

Ok I kow the last one was on Friday but this originally was an every Wednesday thing so I a, getting back to that this week so every weds I will be clicking through the iPod and reviewing the first ten songs that pop up

"Wired" by New Model Army... I think this song really show cases what they do best. It has a punk drive but is still brooding in its melodic nature, the vocal almost feels like a Nick Cave. The bassist has skills that keep them from being punk even at their rowdiest is he weaves around the drums and guitars with artful grace.

"Children of the Sea" by Black Sabbath ...Ntil he died Dio Sabbath got a bad rap, then when he Dio every one claimed to be old school Dio fans. Ronnie is a better singer than Oxxy. Ozzy just has more manical charisma to his voice which is a Sabbath staple, but the Dio albums are still classic I think Iommk started soloing like he had something to prove and is some of his best work. The drumming is a little sluggish and the weak link. I like how dark these albums feel much darker than Mever Say Die or Technical Ectasy for sure.

" Let's not wrestle Mt. Heart Attack " by Liars ... I have a feeling this is a band a lot of you are missing out on. Sure they would be filed under experimental indie rock.Bit have enough dark weirdness to make fans of metal or goth take notice. This song has a noisy drone to it and sounds like if Radiohead decided to conduct a voodoo ritual or an indie rock take on Alice Cooper'a Black Juju.

"Epitome VIII" by Blut Aus Nord...part of their whole 777 trilogy, these guys make the black in the black metal blacker than it is metal. The drumming is really cool beaneaters the murk, with these guys I wouldn't be surprised if it was programmed. The French seem to have more dissonance more often than not amd the dissonance is what makes this song so heavy as it creeps along. The chords ring with dirty evil.

"Once upon the Cross" by Deicide ...the title track from the album I consider the bands last real moment of greatness as after this everything began to sound the same and the anger from Glen Benton began to disparate the closer he came to the day where he claims he was going to kill himself. The production on this album was great for the nineties. Their song rioting wasti notch , it was back hen death metal still retains enough thrash in it to hook you in rather than just throw a bunch of flat blasting at you.

"Inheritance" by Katatonia ... Though I like this album, this song displays how the band sifted away from metal into a weird mix of Depeche Mode like ballads by way of Opeth. The melancholy drift and the tasteful guitar work really all me on it, but Viva Emptiness is my favorite album by these guys and I wish they would have rocked out a little more on this one as having gone too far in this direction their new album suggests they might have forgotten the way back.

"Black Hands of Death" by Von...wow more metal this week. I like this album and this song in particular showsa user range of dynamics, wheni go back and listen to I can hear a ambiance I. The production that adds a cool feel to the songs hitch are pretty much straight forward, this one is more like Rotting Christ rather than their normal raw last feet, that they helped innovate . I think I owe this album more night time listens or rainy morning writing back ground plays.

" the devils hand" by Vried ...like the Von I reviewed this album. The guitar still sounds just as tight and catchy as en I first have this a shot , the bass has more of role In the mix than most black metal which could be why this almost has a thrash feel. By todays standards I think it presses the boundaries of what would be labelled black metal but it's alot of fun. The end stomp is a real head banging moment to look forward to.

"For her Light" by Feilds of the Nephillim ...they are becoming a weekly fixture, granted I have their discography on my iPod. This one has a little more melody a cool bass line that rolls around in the back ground. They have always had more of a rock feel than their other counter parts, like if the Cult got darker instead of cock rock. The guitar is taking the nineties middle ground here and not getting as metal as it some times ventures.

"100,000" by Nine Inch Nails ...Has a cool drive even if for them it's straight forward, it steers clear of so of the jazzercise they stepped into on With Teeth. Trent really weathered a lot of trends and managed to still remain relevant . The more fuzzy lo if production I think helped with this if it had been produced Ina way to try and recreate say Downward spiral then he would had come across sounding dated. So he knows what's up and doesn't make me too worried about the revamping of nine inch nails to come.