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Thursday, December 19, 2002
"DEMON HUNTER (Self-Titled)"
by
Bill Vogel III
December 19, 2002 A.D.
Aggression has no limits. It is the precision workings of extremity. Such is the nature of the band Demon Hunter. Their self-titled opus, out on Solid State Records, is a slithering journey through the abysmally beautiful aspects of modern Death Metal.
Twisted melodic elements, such as cellos and samples, are incorporated into the mix. Clean and growled vocals wind through precise guitar blasts and pummeling rhythm sections. The grooves are deep and ferocious-burning and tearing simultaneously.
Tracks of intense noteworthiness include "As We Wept," the shredding "I Have Seen Where It Grows" (my favorite one), "Through The Black," and "Screams Of The Undead." Demon Hunter razes the sky.
Overall, this is a phenomenal debut. Demon Hunter is another great new band to watch for. Stay savage. Farewell.
Related Bands: Living Sacrifice, Vader, Godgory, In
Flames, Diabolic, Monstrosity, Aion,
Crack Up, etc.
Keep the faith, and the AGGRESSION. War.
Email at: StrangeAeons@hatebox.net
LifeEraser@aol.com
StrangeAeons@compuserve.com
Copyright 2002.
Courtesy of Stranger Aeons Magazine.
W.B. Vogel III 1:45 PM
Tuesday, December 17, 2002
"'Black Earth' by Arch Enemy"
by
Bill Vogel III
Friday, December 13, 2002 A.D.
Arising from the crumbling wreckage of the legendary British Grindcore act Carcass, a truly great Death Metal band was born. That band is Arch Enemy, and their debut opus "Black Earth" [Century Media/Wrong Again Records] is an essential classic. Thankfully, this once extremely hard to find gem was reissued this year by Century Media Records.
Featuring the creative/guitar genius of Michael and Christopher Amott, as well as the apocalyptic growl of vocalist Johan Liiva. This Swedish outfit's style is a cross between Deathrock and Swedish Death Metal with a strong melodic flair-somewhat akin to fusing early Sentenced with Konkhra. (It's no wonder that this band is so great.)
The guitars have a killer groove, as blasts of Thrash frenzy are overlaid with flashes of virtuoso style solos. Liiva's vocals are superb-powerful, roaring, and crisp growls that have the traumatic clarity of a thunderclap. Arch Enemy is amazing.
Tracks of noteworthy greatness include "Idolatress," "Bury Me An Angel," "Eureka," the crushing "Transfiguration Macabre," and "Cosmic Retribution." It also has two bonus tracks-covers of Iron Maiden's "The Ides Of March" (instrumental) and "Aces High."
But my absolute favorite is "Losing Faith." It's a sublimely brutal cut about life (love) and the damage it does. "This life that I believed in, sentences me without mercy," it proclaims. It also says, "Staring down the depths, of the mind once again, regret this way of living, retrospectives in the end, losing faith in heaven, now conform to hell, blindfolds of romance, this pain I can not bear." This is the poetry of power-chords and putrefying dreams.
In final retrospect, this is one of the best Death Metal releases ever. And it's the best reissue of the year. Even though it originally saw the light-of-day in 1996, time hasn't dulled any of its glory. Stay savage. Farewell.
Related Bands: Entombed, Carcass, Carnage, Cadaver,
Soilwork, Konkhra, Dominus, Night In
Gales, In Flames, Vader, Dismember,
Decapitated, etc.
Keep the faith, and the AGGRESSION. Piece.
Email at: StrangeAeons@hatebox.net
LifeEraser@aol.com
StrangeAeons@compuserve.com
Copyright 2002.
Courtesy of Stranger Aeons Magazine.
W.B. Vogel III 10:45 AM
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