DARKTHRONE TRIBUTE

“Darkthrone Holy Darkthrone” 1998 CD

(Moonfog Records/PHD Canada)

Ha ha! Darkthrone! Now here is a much deserved tribute album and personally one that I have been waiting sometime for. Hopefully Darkthrone will be releasing some new material sometime soon though. All the covers are pretty much strictly true to the originals with the exception of Thorns version of “The Pagan Winter”. Now, I’ve heard Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto was impressed with this version but I am not at all. Not only does it utilized computerized effects w/ vocals and instruments but it completely loses the hateful, misanthropic feeling of Darkthrone, which for me, is the main ingredient. The Enslaved and Gorgoroth covers of “Natassia In Eternal Sleep” and “Slotter I Det Fjerne” respectively are my favorites. Both are also carbon copies save for the production. In my opinion, there is no way to do a Darkthrone song better than the original as no band can re-create that feeling, so a strict cover is nothing to mock. Other songs consist of Satyricon’s “Kathaarian Life Code”, Emperor’s “Cromlech”, Dodheimsgard’s “Green Cave Float”, Immortal’s “To Walk The Infernal Fields” and Gehenna’s “Transylvanian Hunger”. Besides Immortal’s thick bass heavy production and Gehenna’s noticeably sped up version of “Transylvanian Hunger” , these songs are very close to the originals, just the way I think it should be done. It is great to see these bands pay their respects to the mighty Darkthrone and if you are listening to any of these bands and not Darkthrone you should remedy that fast!  - JEFFREY KUSBEL  

PHD Canada, C-1445 Crown St., N. Vancouver, B.C., V7J 1G4, CANADA Email = phdcan@axionet.com

DAWNBRINGER

“Unbleed” 1998 CD

(Twilight Records)

Wow! It took a few listens before it sunk in, but damn this is some bad ass shit. The sound on here is rather organic and rich. Mix a heavy Iron Maiden influence with some of the best facets of thrash & death metal alongside small hints of black metal and sharpen the point ever so slightly with a progressive edge. That is a basic overview but doesn’t but doesn’t do just to the skills of this heavy band or the maturity they display with imaginative songs structures. Vocals by John and drummer, Chris are spot on and run the gambit of growls/screams/cackles to powerfully deep and commanding clean which highlight the cover tune (which I cannot place but surely know it!) “Untold”. Great album and I only see this band getting better, which is scary!

Twilight Records, P.O. Box 416, Devault, PA.19432, USA

DEAD

“V.I.P.” 1999 CD

(Poserslaughter Records)

I am stoked to have gotten this! I had no clue this band was still around! I enjoyed this bands demos “Far Beyond Your Imagination” & “Slaves To The Abysmal Perversity” and later their split CD with Regurgitate. Now here is their 2^nd album (the 1^st eluded me completely) . Dead are wicked sick, crusty death/grind that even brings back sweet early Autopsy flashbacks. Dead always were known for their warped sense of humor and that is presented here on tracks like “Evil Go-go Babes From Outer Space”, “In Gang-Bang City”, “Chew-in-cum (Sperm-int mix)”. Fucking classic and a must have!

DEATH PENALTY

“Conviction” 1998 CD

(Wild Rags!)

My copy of this CD arrived cracked and broken. W.R. was nice enough to send along another copy. I hated this bands last CD also on W.R. reviewed last issue. They played a death/hardcore/industrial hybrid. Now they dropped the industrial element thankfully. Now doing the death and hardcore mix or deathcore as they call it. This time around we have some very rhythmic music and it is pretty quality stuff. As opposed to their last release “Bitter” which was awfully generic and boring. I’m not floored but I am impressed by the large progression in a short amount of time! Deathcore freaks will masturbate over this one.

W.W.R., 22O7 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello, CA. 92085, USA or band website = www.pcpltd/deathpenalty/

DEICIDE

“Where Satan Lives” 1998 Live CD

(Roadrunner Records)

Deicide, at the House Of Blues in Chicago. There’s not too much more to say about this release. Although, I’m sure it has been anticipated for years from the die hard fans. I for one enjoy this first live release of their career as Deicide are a great death metal band, blasphemous to the core. The production is not as bass heavy as one would expect, but still as heavy as satan would appreciate. All albums are visited here fairly equally but the majority of the tracks are taken from “Once Upon The Cross” and “Serpents Of The Light”. Not much between song banter from Glen here just a straight- forward death metal concert, just the way I like ‘em.  - JEFFREY KUSBEL

DEPRESY

“A Grand Magnificence” 1998 CD

(Shindy Productions)

I am highly impressed with this, melodic but still heavy and aggressive death metal from Slovokia. Their music is highly sophisticated and the musicians obviously are talented. The catchiness grabs you and draws you in to Depresy’s world, the sheer emotion of their music keeps you there listening for more than 50 minutes. The sound of this disc is very pleasant, a professional and class release all around. Drahos’ vocals are deep and semi-descipherable growl/whispers that are commanding and well suited. Depresy are also solid song writers and this album as a reference point reminds me at times of Hypocrisy on their “The Final Chapter” opus. If that doesn’t make you want to listen to this, I don’t know what will!

Shindy Prod., c/o Martin Brzbohaty, Sandova 17, 579 04, Adamov, CZECH REPUBLIC

DESTRUCTOR

“Maximum Destruction” 1985/1998 CD (re-release)

(Listenable Records USA)

This is a re-release on this bands classic debut w/ no less than 6 (4 studio, 2 live!) bonus tracks not on the original. This album fucking rages and reeks of pure power/heavy/speed metal. They bring to mind peers of the time such as Iron Maiden, Dark Angel, Hallows Eve, Metal Church and the like but in the Destructor style. This album has all the ear marks of an overlooked, under appreciated blazing heavy metal classic! Get this yesterday!

DICHOTIC

“Collapse In Despair” 1998 CD

(Lost In The Fog/Discorporate Music)

Nice heavy & brutal death metal (never slipping into the grind area ‘tho) on this east coast Canadian bands debut. I was surprised I had not heard of this band, being so, quality and being of course Canadian. It’s all here for the extreme fan. Fast parts, momentary slow parts, deep growls, precise and pounding drums & a nice production to boot. Dichotic like to throw in some cool counter flow guitar noodling parts ala Gorguts or Cryptopsy. Send $10 CDN/$15 US to:

Lost In The Fog, 86 Nelson’s Landing # 216, Bedford, Nova Scotia, B4A 4C6, CANADA.

Band contact: Dichotic, 2476 Robie St. # 8, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 4N1, CANADA

DISSECTION

“The Past Is Alive” 1998 CD

(Necropolis (scene raper) Records)

I was sent a review of this, by C.A. writer, Jeffrey Kusbel, my apologies to him for not printing his review here. I have a disturbing story to tell you about. Besides the fact that all of my dealings in the past with Necropolis Records (and Necropolis ‘zine before the label formed) were either negative or just non-existent as they never wrote back a number of times, even after I sent I.R.C’s to them. I won’t bother to mention his name (but it should be easy to figure out from my past issues who I am close friends with that has a label & ‘zine) but I was talking to him on the phone and I greatly respect this person. He is a longtime underground supporter (back into the mid-80’s!) and I trust his word 100% as he is no shit talker. Well, this gentleman told me a story he about his dealings with Necropolis. It started with him ordering a vinyl version of a Nifelheim album - he was returned his money in the form of a credit slip and no explanation. So he sent back the credit slip to Necropolis with a flyer he kept that the label themselves had put out and he circled where it said “Vinyl LP version now available”. They once again returned his credit slip again with no explanation. Pissed by now my friend sent back the credit slip once again and said “Just send me the CD”. As a side note here each time he wrote, he put flyers for his label and ‘zine in each letter to them. Then and here is the kicker, FINALLY sent him what he asked for the, which was the CD. The package had lots of padding in it, THE STUFFING AROUND THE CD WAS THIS DEDICATED GENTLEMAN’S LABEL/’ZINE FLYERS ALL SHREDDED UP INTO PIECES!!! Beware of Necropolis they don’t care about you or the scene, only themselves and the money they can take from you! There will be no support from this mag to Necropolis. They can just FUCK OFF!

DIVINE EMPIRE

“Redemption” 1998 CD

(Olympic Records)

Mix up Deicide (hello Glen Benton vocals) and Repulsion with a small dash of original spice and you have Divine Empire. Extremely heavy and ploughing death metal, that is well played and comes with a nice production. Not ground breaking but a damn good listen and I like it.

Olympic Records, P.O. Box 7217, Elgin, IL. 60121, USA  

DROGHEDA

“Celebrating Five Years Of Violence” 1998 CD

(Wild Rags!)

I’ve known of these crusty fuckers for a while but the only material I have by them is was their ’92 demo and ’96 split 7” w/ Morticite. I thought they were decent but nothing special. After hearing this new killer release I would have to say they are one of the best grind bands in the US. This is a really interesting album in that it spans their career but most of the old songs have been re-recorded for this and thus the production throughout is pretty even. In all there are 29 tracks of ‘explicit grind’ for over 60 minutes for us freaky mothers to writhe to. Drogheda really like straight-ahead ball busting grind as evidenced on tracks like “Terror, Fucking Terror”, “Stygian Nightmare” and “Clean Up The Chunks”. Then there is another side to the madness where they mix traditional sounding catchy metal riffs and structures with their trademark grinding with good results. Great garage band grindcore, I mean they are no Venom but what do you expect!?