Well, it took me some time to get used to this album and instead of concluding that it was completely a waste of a release. I came to the conclusion that it wasn't utter crap. The music combined with the lyrics seemed to have somehow fit into place more so than just listening to the music itself. Their topics didn't really grab my attention it was like I said the music meshed well with the lyrics. Some songs started out sounding good and catchy then again it seems as though the entire album now has a lot of key moments. It seems like you can only catch this release if you listen to the songs and lyrics at the same time. Otherwise you'll come to my first conclusion which was that it was completely worthless.

Long time member Gary Holt was on rhythm and lead guitars as well as Lee Altus. They made some leads that weren't that noteworthy though it wasn't a complete waste. I just thought that they should've put more time into the riffs so that you cannot only differentiate whose lead is whose but to also admire the talent that was exhibited here. I couldn't get myself into those leads really not that they were bad but they just needed to be a better mix between the two lead guitarists. Rob Dukes does a decent job on vocals spewing forth Gary Holt's spiteful lyrics. Not only does he have yelling and screaming but also has some clean vox on one song. He replaced Steve "Zetro" Souza who left the band in 2004 and Paul Baloff who passed away in 2002 from a stroke that he endured. The lyrics are actually well put together. The band sings about the death, anti-Christianity, violence, war, etc. 

The guitars are tuned down some plus they didn't give up their thrash roots I don't think on any of their past releases (though I've only heard a little of their previous works). They didn't sell out changing their style of music just to sell records like Metallica did (as an example). Definitely some key moments can be heard here. Though I think that some of their tempos and rhythms didn't really grasp me. The reason is because some of the music didn't seem to fit. Yes a little bit of clean tone guitar work but not much at all really. So their variety within each song was decent but what wasn't decent was that some songs seemed to drag along going nowhere. Some of the solo guitar work was a little bit too much. Both Gary and Lee did a good job on the leads but they weren't completely astonishing. I've only heard this album and "Impact Is Imminent" so I can't dive into their complete discography to really compare older or now newer releases. In conclusion, I think that overall this release goes back into what I started out saying: it wasn't utter crap though not the best thrash release that I've heard.

Rate: 70%.

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected]).

This release is from my standpoint better than their last few efforts. I'd say it's their best since 'Conquerors Of Armageddon' (2000). The riffs aren't as noteworthy as that release though. I think that they're more versatile now then they have been in past releases. It's not just blast beating galore there's a lot more variety now. There's also an acoustic piece entitled 'Black Wind' which was well composed. It shows a different side of Krisiun than we're used to. They also cover Sepultura's 'Refuse/Resist' off of 'Chaos AD' (1993) album. Awesome cover! In terms of the vocals, Alex still dishes out the same brutal low bellowing vox as usual. The leads by Moyses are still phenomenal. He's one amazing shredder that's for sure. The drums by Max are tight as ever. With the different tempos now too he's still solid on that end. The production by Andy Classen is superb. Every instrument and vocal outputs were very solid from my perspective.

For the most part, the songs aren't as repetitive as they were in the past. Like I said, with this release they show more variety to their music. This 3-piece act has been around since 1990! I think that they should get another guitarist though. They originally had 2 guitarists but I suppose that he dropped out of the band. 'Southern Storm' is over 50 minutes in length. The songs are 3-4 minutes long except for the instrumental which is less than a minute. This album at times is still somewhat repetitive but I think it's much less so than previous releases.

Krisiun's lyrical content hasn't changed any. They still sing about Satanism, anti-Christianity and darkness. Kind of reminds me of Deicide though I think that for Krisiun it's just a gimmick with their lyrics. My favorite tracks here are 'Slaying Steel', 'Combustion Inferno' and 'Origin of Terror'. Overall, these guys have made some changes to their music in a good way. 

Rate: 90%.

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected]).

Since their formation in Germany of 1994, Dark Fortress have managed to complete 5 full-length releases. This current album has a new vocalist who goes by the name of Morean. He is briefly featured on their past release entitled 'Seance.' Their previous vocalist Azathoth departed from the band in 2007 due to personal reasons (source:http://thetruedarkfortress.com/bio.htm). The band decided to recruit Morean because of his lyrical and vocal abilities.

'Eidolon' has six members altogether. Morean (as previously mentioned) is on vocals, Asvargyr on guitars, V. Santura on second guitar, Draug on bass, Paymon on keyboards, and Seraph on drums. Celtic Frost's vocalist sings as a guest on the song "Baphomet." The band made a video that you can view on YouTube called "Edge of Night" (overall source: http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=180415). 

This full-length concept album falls under the category of melodic black metal. The reason why it is termed "melodic black metal" is because the music displayed here which feature guitars that carry with them an eerie/evil concoction of riffs, in unison keyboards, screeching vox, and warping bass. There are some blast beating drums as well as double kick, which goes along with the music. The entire release has a symphonic echo vibe to it.

In terms of the sound, there are some killer riffs which display some ultra fast picking melodies and leads. The guitars have a huge block of distortion to them. The bass on this release you can actually hear blended well with the music. Everything seemed to fit. That would include the production, sound quality, overall playing and huge display of talent!

There is a reason why 'Eidolon' is considered to be a concept release. This is because according to the band it deals with nine chapters that "describes the initiation, dehumanization, and unearthly rebirth of a transcending soul by mirror magic and astral projection" (source: http://thetruedarkfortress.com/bio.htm). The lyrics are difficult to grasp because of this subject. There are no cover songs whatsoever. The lyrical concept was chosen by Morean.

Dark Fortress shows an array of ability for this particular genre of metal. Everything seemed to fit well together. There are a few songs that are a little boring. But for the most part, 'Eidolon' is a fine piece of work. The words here are quite creative and the music combined with the concept are amazing. Don't miss out on this album!

Rate: 85%.

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected])

Formed in Sweden in 1992, Naglfar has five full-length releases total since then. 'Pariah' is their fourth full-length. They've gone through quite a few lineup changes since their first coming together as an official band. Four members are featured on this one. Their latest release entitled 'Harvest' is the only other album that I own out of their entire discography.

Naglfar's genre falls under the category of melodic black metal. Andreas Nilsson is on lead/rhythm guitars, Marcus Norman also is on lead/rhythm guitars, Kristoffer "Wrath" Olivius plays bass/vocals and Mattias Grahn is on drums. On this release, Wrath plays bass and sings. Morgon Lie replaces Wrath on bass for their 'Harvest' album.

In terms of the sound, I'd say that the quality is only mediocre. It's difficult to hear all of the instruments in unison with one another. The rhythm guitars however are decent from what I am able to hear of them. The tempos are quite fast for the most part but there are sections where they are slower paced. All in all, the time signatures guitar wise are quite fast tremolo picking and drum beats are blasts gallore.

Guitar wise, the melodies are quite good. They have a unique sound to them from what I can amass. If they had a better production, I would probably give this album a higher rating. Wrath's vocal outputs are pretty much the same for the whole album. His voice features higher-end screaming with not much variety.

Wrath mostly sings about evil and darkness. It fits well with the music. On their limited edition digipack, there is a cover song entitled "The Calling Blaze" which is originally sung by Throne Of Ahaz. In addition, their Japanese release features a song entitled "Skulls" (overall source: http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=77021).

Again, if Naglfar's sound quality was better on this album, I would give it a higher rating. I'm not saying that it's a complete waste to purchase. But as I stated before, it's difficult to hear the guitar riffs as well as the music altogether. Their latest release I think is a much better output. 'Pariah' does still have some key melodies however. The band lineup shows talent and Wrath's vocals are good.

Some tracks to hear which are my favorites include "A Swarm Of Plagues", "Revelations Carved In Flesh", "None Shall Be Spared" and "The Perpetual Horrors." The total length for the release clocks in at almost 40 minutes. You can view their web site at http://www.naglfar.net/.

Rate: 75%.

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected]).

Cradle of Filth (COF) have come a long way since they first formed in the United Kingdom back in 1991. Originally, they started out playing death metal. Then, they have evolved into a gothic metal group and at present are playing extreme gothic metal with some hints of black metal influence. Dani Filth is the only original member left. The full actual title of this new release is "Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder -- The Life and Crimes of Gilles De Rais." It is a concept album researched and written by COF's vocalist.

The songs fit into the genre of extreme gothic metal and symphonic black metal. These categories are newer to the band. Their present style seems to fit well within these particular types of metal. There aren't too many bands that play this genre (extreme gothic metal). Cradle of Filth does a good job with properly executing it.

Sound-wise, it has some aspects of their previous release back in 1996 which is 'Dusk...And Her Embrace.' Dani's vocal outputs aren't as high-pitched as they were back then. There's a mixture on this album of high end vocals along side hoarse throat. Guitar by Paul Allender is superb. There were very catchy rhythms and leads demonstrated. No doubt this release outdoes their previous one which is entitled 'Thornography' (2006).

Many guest vocalists are featured, even Dani Filth's daughter on a few tracks. The other female vocalists are incredible especially on the song "The Death Of Love." Also, Doug Bradly as narrator gave the album an eerie sound to it. Keyboards by Mark Newby-Robson put Cradle of Filth into a more symphonic aura. It is thoroughly enjoyed this entire cast.

In terms of the words, there was a great display of intelligent lyricism. Reading through the lyrical content is very challenging because of the topic chosen. Surely it took a lot of research to touch on this 15th century serial killer, sexual deviant and Satanist Gilles De Rais. This album has no cover songs on it. All of the music is newly composed by the band as a whole. The limited edition digipack contains 10 bonus tracks.

The overall performance by the band puts it into one of Cradle of Filth's finest works. 'Dusk...And Her Embrace' is their reigning release. However, 'Midian' (2000) and their prior 'Thornography' (2006) are also great outputs. Favorite tracks on their latest include "Shat Out of Hell", "The Death of Love", and "Sweetest Maleficia."

Rate: 90%.

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected])

Formed in 1998, this Swedish act has managed to produce 5 full-length CD's. 'Demonic Art' is their latest onslaught. The only other album I've heard from them is 'Rusted Angel' (1998). I'd have to conclude that 'Rusted Angel' is a better release. However, I do like this new album a lot. The meaning of "Darkane" is a comes from two words: "dark" and "arcane."

The bonus CD features 3 new tracks so the whole CD clocks in to be almost fifty-one minutes. It also has a DVD to it. Their current line-up is Jens Broman on vocals, Christofer Malmstrom on guitars, Klas Ideberg also on guitars, Jorgen Lofberg on bass and Peter Wildoer on drums. Darkane has gone through some line-up changes since they originally formed.

This act used to play primarily melodic death metal. Their current genres are melodic death metal mixed with thrash metal. These styles seem to fit the album well. On their official website, the band shows their influences. If you go to their page, you'll see who their musical preferences are.

For the intro, there is a melodic piece that segues into track two. The guitars altogether feature heavy galloping riffs which demonstrates the thrash influence. The chorus sections are more on the melodic side. The music is pretty catchy. Best to play the album on a high blasting stereo so that you don't miss out on any of the riffs. The vocals feature high end screams along with clean parts, particularly during the choruses. The time signatures are all over the place. There's even some blast beats. The guitar leads are well thought out. Some are slow and melodic while others completely shred.

In addition, the music features several riffs per song which demonstrate their newer style. Most songs are definitely a combination of melodic death and thrash as I previously stated. It's a definite unique blend of genres. The guitars are what stands out the most for me. Most of the songs are heavily distorted but there are clean tone bits as well.

In terms of the sound quality, 'Demonic Art' is well mixed. You can hear all of the instruments in unison. The playing overall shows how talented this band is. The reason why I say this is because Darkane is not only able to mix two genres together, they are also capable of coming up with completely new riffs that totally dominate.

The lyrical themes are about psychology, inner struggles, and life. I think that they are well thought out and not completely nonsensical. It shows how diverse this band is. There are no covers on the new release.

I think that all of the tracks here I pretty much like. This release is quite awesome. Not only is the mixing good, but the songs are very catchy. Check out the songs "Leaving Existence", "Execution 44" and "Demigod" to come up with your own opinion!

Rate: 80%.

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected]).

It's quite difficult to believe that this band has been around since 1982. They started as a punk rock band, which then became extreme grindcore and now are currently playing grindcore/death metal. This newer sound fits the band better. They've also gone through several lineup changes since their origin. On this new release, they feature Mark "Barney" Greenway on vocals, Mitch Harris on guitars/vocals, Shane Embury on bass/vocals and Danny Herrera on drums. 

The time signatures (tempos) on the music are all over the place. Some tracks start out with a groove style on guitars. Then, there are riffs that are heavily tremolo picked. In addition, a harmonic riff is also exhibited. Also, on some tracks there are a few cliche type of rhythms. However, some guitar riffs are very unique and catchy. There is only one guitar solo on this entire album. They really should've kept it out because Mitch does a better job on rhythm only. He did the writing on the bulk of the compositions. Shane wrote some of songs too though. There are 14 tracks which clocks in at almost 51 minutes in length.

For the overall sound, each instrument/vocals you can hear very clearly. Everything was mixed well. The guitar is thick, the drums blasting, the vocal outputs are mostly hoarse though some are screams and also some very little clean voice. The playing here shows that this band still has talent. They have not slacked off at all. They still know how to create intense/extreme music. Their age haven't gotten in the way of that whatsoever. They're still putting out quality material.

The lyrics feature topics such as political unrest, hate, aggression, and social issues. "Barney" wrote most of the songs. Though Shane wrote a couple and Mitch on one track. The lyrical content is rather interesting. They're not about death, dying, gore or anything else that's mindless. These words are actually intelligent. There is much admiration that I have for the songs. There are no covers on this album at all. All of the tracks are brand new.

In conclusion, "Time Waits For No Slave" is one hell of a solid release. Not every track was entirely innovative though. As I mentioned previously, there were some guitar riffs that were a bit cliche. But overall, Napalm Death composed some new awesome songs. 'Harmony Corruption' remains to be my favorite release of theirs however. If you're into grindcore/death metal, then do yourself a favor and pick this release up!

Rate: 80%.

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected]).

The energy here was a above average, which gave me a feel and taste for what to expect from them since a friend of mine who accompanied me in 2013 at their opening live performance for Killswitch Engage/Lamb of God tour that we missed! Due to weather, traffic, heavy rain and my buddy's lower back injury prevented us from seeing them at the Aragon Theater in October 2013, of which the acoustics were horrible!  The only reason I went to that gig with him was to see just Testament, now is time to wait for them next time they come to Chicago.  20 years of wanting to see them and barely missed them, which would've given me a real taste in person of what they're like live, especially Alex Skolnick.
 
Getting back to their live album here, not losing focus on this previous experience of mine that I explained in the first paragraph of this review, "Dark Roots of Thrash" was like a "B" rating to me, even though the acoustics on both CD's definitely dominated.  It seems that age sort of took out that obvious umph they had when they were playing during their earlier years.  However, I would give a shout and compliment them in playing with a tad bit of variation, not entirely like on their most current CD "Dark Roots of the Earth", those songs played on here simply were superb just like hearing it on the studio recording back when it came out in 2012.
 
Again, the production/sound quality was exceptional, though I had higher expectations of the band which I shouldn't have, but they're older now and Greg Christian FYI is no longer in the band.  Steve Di Giorgio is replacing him for their next album.  About the track listing, I'm glad that they chose songs that came mostly from their latest release of course, plus some from good older albums such as "Practice What You Preach", "The Legacy", "The New Order", "Formation of Damnation", etc.  I'm glad that they picked some of the older tunes because I think that's where they as stated in the title of their most current release that thrash metal they've never deviated from their "roots" so to speak.
 
Like I said, the energy and execution of each song (there were 19 total on it altogether) was quite much like their studio releases, plus the intro to the first CD, the National Anthem was played.  I guess a sort of reckoning with them aging like we all are, but still still true to their music as well as their new or long-time fans.  Chuck Billy stated on multiple occasions how much the band as a whole fans have been so supportive over the years and them at their greatest especially with Skolnick on lead guitar.  His executions on both CD's (leads) simply shredded, with a little touch of improvisation, however, for the most part, he played them VERY close to how they sounded on the actual albums.
 
The music altogether is dominating thrash, some improvisations (like I mentioned), some licks and rhythms that deviated from the studio recordings, but as a WHOLE, the really dominate live.  It's going to be exceptionally great when they come around to my state and I'll be able to actually get the "in person" effect of the band executing their awesome thrash metal rhythms, leads, vocals and true passion for the thrash metal genre over the years.  Yes some songs I disliked from older albums that they played, especially "The Haunting", off of "The Legacy", their first full-length recording, just that track and another off of "Formation of Damnation" was just average.
 
I don't especially like live albums in general because of the recording quality, but on here, it's amazing that they were able to mesh all of the guitar riffs/leads and you could definitely hear or get a feel for their passionate performances plus live music that you would go crazy over.  They did make a DVD on this "Dark Roots of the Earth" tour, of which you could I think get from their site (http://www.testament-legions.com/) or of course maybe Amazon.com.  I would encourage you as a fan and listener of their studio albums, you'll catch the live vibe they have which when they're in your town next tour for their album they're working on now, get this one and it'll do ya justice to hear them live for you!

Rate: 80%.

Reviewed By Death8699 (Ryan Fanucchi: [email protected]).
 

The true kings of black metal reign fully once again because they refuse to give in and let go of the talent they wholeheartedly possess. They reign this genre and seem to have progressed with each succeeding release ever since their original formation back in 1990. Though they've had lineup changes, this didn't mean that they were going to abandon their roots.

Musically, this release is a bit better then 'Damned In Black.' The production is more audible so the instruments and vocals are much clearer sounding. There seems to be some riffs very similar to 'At The Heart Of Winter' as well. Not as catchy, but still a better effort than 'Damned In Black' because of the melodic riffs with some more brutal time signatures as especially displayed on the intro entitled "One By One."

There's a lot of blast beats by Horgh to assist the more intense tempos by Abbath. Some songs feature clean style guitar work though not taking up an entire song but just a smidgen amount of them. Also, there is an atmospheric intro on the track entitled 'Antarctica.' Fit the title perfectly! Abbath definitely progressed on the guitar ever since replacing Demonaz back in 1997. His leads are more technical on this album but aren't the greatest. I find the rhythms to be more catchy then anything else.

As I've noted sound wise this album succeeds 'Damned In Black' with a clearer production by Peter Tagtgren. Abbath's vocal abilities haven't changed really based on what I've heard from previous releases. However, there's more screams by him on here. The songwriting by Abbath progressed with more technical efforts as opposed to previous releases.

The lyrical content on here was done by Demonaz. His topics reflect grimness, winter, the north, battles and winterdemons. Ever since being replaced by Abbath because of tendinitis in his arm, he stuck with Immortal fulfilling the lyrical content. That occurred after 'Blizzard Beasts' was released. Abbath was on bass/vocals from 1990-1997. He took over on the guitar and Demonaz started writing the lyrics for each album beginning on 'At The Heart Of Winter.' There are absolutely no covers on this release. Just over 50 minutes in length here and 8 solid tracks!

Immortal disbanded after this album. The bonus DVD features them live at BB King's in New York via 2005. This album is one of Immortal's most brutal even though as previously stated there were clean bits as well as quite a few melodic riffs. There really wasn't any track that didn't fail to attract my attention towards. The whole album I was impressed with. These musicians once again reflected much seniority in their songwriting style.

Rate: 90%.

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected]).

This Finnish based band was formed in 1997. Their name came from a murder which occurred in 1960 at Lake Bodom. 3 out of 4 teens were stabbed to death but the murder mystery is still unresolved. On 'Something Wild', the band started off playing melodic death metal. However, 'Hatebreeder' was the first album that I've ever heard by them. It was wholly unique in my estimation and I've been a fan ever since. Their newer style of metal seems like a combination of melodic death and thrash metal combined. At least that's my opinion in regards to 'Blooddrunk' wholeheartedly.

There seems to be a lot of mixed opinions in regards to this new release. I disliked it at the start and now I'm pretty glued to it. It isn't a poor effort by the band to be honest. The music has unique melodic/thrash style riffs and the keyboards augment the guitars keeping that style that they are so well noted for having. 'Blooddrunk' to me is better than their previous release 'Are You Dead Yet?' because the riffs are catchier making COB sound more like their older material. That really seems like the jist of it.

I wouldn't consider the music to be in the genre of power metal at all. Again melodic death/thrash metal is more accurate. The crunch tone guitars and Alexi's screaming vocals leaves me to conclude that they're trying to sound a little different with their riffs/genres. The keys augment the guitar's "heavier" tone. I think all of the tracks are noteworthy. There really aren't any that I dislike. 'Blooddrunk' seems to capture me as being more of a mature release by the band. It doesn't fail in rating as an album in COB's discography.

Crunchier tone guitar is what they use here as opposed past releases. The production is solid with each instrument mixed quite well. The vocals are blended in good in addition to the music. However, the lead guitars aren't quite as "chilling" to hear. It seems like they've kind of digressed in that department. I consider the leads on 'Hate Crew Deathroll' to be catchier. Nevertheless, the sound still features the COB that I've always considered to be. This release is very noteworthy.

It's rumored that Alexi was fed up with people criticizing his lyrics so they aren't featured on the insert booklet. His vocals on this album are pretty much the same as on past releases. The back-up vocals by the band are also featured to give it more of a wholehearted effort augmenting Alexi's outputs. In terms of covers, there aren't any featured here on the US version of the album.

Despite all of the negative criticism 'Blooddrunk' received, I don't really think it's warranted. The reason is because I don't consider the band to have lost their edge that they held musically in past releases. I definitely consider 'Blooddrunk' to be a solid COB release. Just because they're trying to wedge in a "thrashier" sound to the music doesn't mean that they've just went to hell. As far as if they deserve to be written off as now piss poor musicians, I don't feel that way at all towards this release.

Rate: 75%

Reviewed By Death8699 ([email protected])