TALES OF DARKNORD

“The Last” 1998 Cassette LP

(R.I.P. Promotions)

Simplistic, pounding heavy death metal from Russia. I liked their debut album ‘97’s “Endless Sunfall”, but the sound (of which I’m normally not picky with) was utterly tinny, so much so I got a headache listening to it. This time around everything has been cleaned up nicely. T.O.D. write, catchy riffs and throw in a few blasts but never really grind it up in their American-ish tunes. My only two nit-picks are things could have been tighter and I didn’t care much for their Acheron and Six Feet Under (Ugh!) covers.

R.I.P Promotions, c/o Vlad Korolenko, P.O. Box 72, Smolensk - 04, 214004, RUSSIA or band contact: T.O.D., c/o Alex, Chelyabinskaya 14, Volgograd 400120, RUSSIA

THE GREAT KAT

“Bloody Vivaldi” 1998 MCD

(Thomas Public Relations)

Anybody remember that old Great Kat video “Metal Messiah” from the late ‘80’s? Well, Kat is still doing the same old shtick you know “I am a god, I am your master, you are my slave blah blah blah…” Her last few releases she has taken songs from classical composers and re-does them for violin and electric guitar. This time it is Vivaldi and Sarasate. There is no doubt Kat, the Julliard grad is a virtuoso on her respective instruments. The 2 new songs on here are fast (speed is always good by me) but here it never really goes anywhere. Like her last release a couple years ago this weighs in at a whopping 7 + minutes! She’s talented, she looks good in skimpy leather and a garter but seems to be constantly treading an already well beaten (by herself) path.

T.P.R., 775 Park Ave., Suite # 222, Huntington, NY. 11743, USA Email = greatkat@greatkat.com website = www.greatkat.com

THY SERPENT

“Christcrusher” 1998 CD

(Nuclear Blast Records)

This is pretty disappointing. First off, they no longer claim to play black metal as they did in the past and now play “Antichristian dark metal”. I was really into their ’94 demo “Frozen Memory” and even further enamored with their debut long player “Forests Of Witchery”. Mainman Sami has also retracted his sole hold on the music writing and Azheim (who penned 3 of the 8 tracks). Gone is the luster and majesty of their symphonic black metal replaced by a stripped down regression into goth metal. Some parts are well done but come off as boring and uneventful. Back to the drawing board, this doesn’t even close to cutting it.

TRAIL OF TEARS

“Disclosure In Red” 1998 CD

(DSFA Records)

Boy, are Holland’s bands/labels ever into this romantic/melancholic death/doom style. Which is precisely what T.O.T. from Norway present here on their debut record for Holland’s DSFA. All the elements are here. Clean male singing and growls, operatic female vocals, slow melancholic riffs, synths, violins. You know the usual. I dug the production on here it is rich and lavish. Some guitar bits are admittedly tasty and well played. This is good, but I don’t care for this style and you have to be better than good to impress me in this genre.

DSFA Records, P.O. Box 5058, 4380 KB Vlissingen, THE NETHERLANDS

TWIN OBSCENITY

 “For Blood, Honor And Soil” 1998 CD

(Century Media)

I missed this bands debut album “Where Light Touches None”, but I am graced (?) with this sophomore effort. Frankly, I am perplexed as to why C.M. snapped up such a generic and inept unit like Twin Obscenity! These Norwegians are flat out a demo level w/ bland guitar riffs that work their way thru simplistic structuring, that mix in keys that really do not even sound like they were written for the songs they appear in! They also paint in trendy female operatic vocals across the musical canvass and are some of the worst I’ve had the displeasure to hear. With regards to the sound is this their full-length demo pressed onto CD!? Thin guitars, tinny drums and an inadequate mix. I did enjoy a few of the off-beat vocalizations but those are used sparingly. This LP gives a already limping and played out symphonic black metal scene a bad name.

TRAUMA

“Daimonion” 1998 CD

(Pagan Records)

Trauma (formerly Thanatos) are only second to Vader as the oldest Polish death metal band having formed over 10 years ago! They have released several demo tapes and their debut album on Vox Mortis in ’96. This is some great death metal, somewhat along the lines of Vader taking heavy influence from the American scene but still play, much of their material with true Euro dexterity. Trauma have a flare for solid song structuring, which are both driving and interesting with all spiced up by tasty drum work and smoking guitar solos. Recommended.

TUNRIDA

“Hierarchy” 1998 CD

(Solistitium Records)

I must admit, I really enjoyed listening to “Hierarchy”, the first full-length from Finland’s Tunrida. They play a fast and melodic form of black metal with some slight death metal touches. There’s a lot of music to be enjoyed here and the musicianship is creative, with well thought out compositions and some odd vocal effects ect. Added, here, and there are a plus. The album doesn’t contain just one straight-forward style of playing but mixes things up a bit with some more melodic non-double bass tracks and piano interludes, ect. “The Calling” actually sounds somewhat akin to something In Flames would release! The vocals are in the more shouted death metal vein rather than the black metal rasp common for this style and it perfectly suits the music within. I’m sure I will be listening to this one quite often and I strongly recommend this to anyone eager to check out new talent within the black metal scene.  - JEFFREY KUSBEL

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ULVER

“Themes From William Blake’s: The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell” 1999 Double CD

(Jester/V.O.W.)

Okay, first apparently Garm of Ulver was pissed at Century Media & split from them and formed Jester Records (distributed by Voices Of Wonder) and released this double album. This album is based on William Blake’s written work. Bruce Dickinson has made it well known to everyone in the press since his previous album was released in ’97. That his next album “The Chemical Wedding” (Which beat this Ulver album into stores by at least 6 months) was going to be based on this exact same work by William Blake! I guess nobody told Ulver. He (Garm) Probably stole the idea. Now let us get on to this abomination of an album. I am not the biggest Ulver fan but I did enjoy their early stuff and I am sure fans of the band early or late will be sickened and disappointed by this! I could go into a long list of all the awful points to be found. Just let me tell you this imagine if you will (though it may induce vomiting) Tears For Fears and Devo mixed heavily with a softer version of Ministry and KMFDM or some other gay techno/rap inspired beats (showing their Beastie Boys influence)! On top of this dung heap is Garm singing throughout in a clean voice that sounds like Micheal Bolten attempting to be a viking warrior. What a fucking mess!

Voices Of Wonder, PB 2010 Granerlokka, N - 05050, NORWAY website = www.vow.dk

UPON A DARK HORIZON

“Underground Comp. Vol. # 1” 1998 CD

(Dark Horizon Records)

Cool compilation. It consists of all dark and evil black metal minus a few exceptions like Vomitory, Nocturnal Breed, & Hellwitch. It struck me as pointless to include so many well known bands on other labels: Mandanus Imperium (NBA), Aeturnus (Hammerheart Recs.) ect... Other bands on here are Sorhin, Hordes Of The Lunar Eclipse, Wallachia, Bethel, Legion, and Primordial. This release is the first volley in a assault by D.H.R. expect soon releases from The Black Witchery, Nebron, Lucifugum and more.

D.H.R., 6435 West Jefferson Blvd., Suite # 666, Fort Wayne, Indiana  46804, USA