The band was formed in 1984 under the name Ghostrider by Claudio (guitars) and Peso (drums) right after they saw Venom in concert. Under the influence of bands such as Slayer, Possessed, Kreator, Celtic Frost and Bathory, Necrodeath released a cult-demo tape titled “The Shining Pentagram” and obtained an incredible success through the underground. Tons of tributes in major magazines, fanzines and other underground features highlighted the release of the first two legendary albums “Into The Macabre” (1987) and “Fragments Of Insanity” (1989). “The Age of Fear” is a collection of some of their most powerful songs: it contains 15 tracks, the first 12 of which are taken from the band’s past eight albums, arranged chronologically and the previously unreleased “onyric” version of the song “Queen Of Desire”, featuring guest appearances by Giorgia Gueglio (Mastercastle) on vocals and Botys Beezard (Godyva) on piano, and also the killer cover version of Slayer’s classic “Black Magic” and the live version of the band’s own “The Theory”. The album’s artwork was made by French artist Pierre-Alain D. Read more Necrodeath – The Age Of Fear (2011)
Jungle Rot – Kill On Command (2011)
Hailed by many as the metal release of the year, “Kill On Command” is classy, traditional and absolutely old-school as it is. Fans disappointed by the quite modern approach of Morbid Angel on “Illud Divinum Insanus”, will be pleased by the thrash/death grindings of Jungle Rot.
The Midwest based quartet have garnered a large and loyal following within the last 10 years due in large part to having a style more similar to acts such as Slayer and Sodom, rather than the typical Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation rip-offs. Read more Jungle Rot – Kill On Command (2011)
Kinky Yukky Yuppy – Escape (2010)
Kinky Yukky Yuppy after releasing several EPs, signed with M&O Music and released their debut album in October last year. Labeled simply “indie”, these guys from Evreux, France delivering a quite colourful blending of classic and indie rock flavored with alternative rock/metal heaviness and pop-like melodies. Quite breathing and very refreshing mixture, they have a nice vibe and excellent groove, have a few extremely powerful riffs, just as they have some catchy melodies. The band name there own influences: Biffy Clyro, A Perfect Circle, Rage Against the Machine, Foo Fighters, Incubus, Silverchair, Alien Ant Farm, Manchester Orchestra, and actually this colourful is their music.
Lead singer and guitarist Jérémi reminds me of Steve Hogarth of Marillion and KYY share some similarities with the post-Fish era (1989–present) Marillion, although KYY mainly bring to the surface some much heavier, metal-like sounds. Read more Kinky Yukky Yuppy – Escape (2010)
Rotting Out – Street Prowl (2011)
Fast and furious. 6131 Records promised “energetic, fast paced hardcore in the vein of Striking Distance and Black Flag” and it’s reminds me of Billy Milano’s M.O.D. (Method of Destruction) with less thrash infusion, but still on the same crossover/hardcore punk direction. And it’s something here also from the unfamous Billy’s humor, one of their best song being “Laugh Now, Die Later”. Walter, Carlos, Tank, Jorge and Ben comes from Los Angeles, California and their hardcore punk is fast as it is possible, still melodious, two decades ago for sure I would mosh out my ass on it. This high-energy, pumping, straight and powerful approach has its indisputable charm and live, down at the club, there’s nothing proper than this loud and angry, spitting right in your face approach. Read more Rotting Out – Street Prowl (2011)
Awake in Sleep – Awake in Sleep (2011)
Free release (name your price), available for download on their Bandcamp page, “Awake In Sleep” is a gloomy, turbulent sludge/post-rock/post-metal release in the classic vain of Neurosis, Isis, Cult of Luna, etc from a young band from Nantes, France.
Andrey Kalinovsky Рguitar and vocals, Fran̤ois Cl̩zio Рguitar, David Roger Рbass and backing vocals and drummer Maxime Guerreiro delivered an EP filled with four epic, dark and noise compositions, coloured with noises, creepy textures, cutting edge riffs and raw vocals. Contorted, dirty and heavy moments are interrelated with smoother, quite moments, nice musical contemplations, this material is pretty intense, but also interesting and nicely balanced between heaviness and musicality. Excellent debut, looking further for more! Read more Awake in Sleep РAwake in Sleep (2011)
Verneri Pohjola – Aurora (2011)
Finnish trumpeter/composer Verneri Pohjola seems to be a huge Miles Davis fan and the spirit of the “Dark Magus” is all over “Aurora”, more, its include also an exciting re-work of Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez”, not in the manner of Davis and Gil Evans on “Sketches of Spain”, but adding to it another – his own – perspective.
Pohjola was born in 1977, the son of bassist Pekka Pohjola, a legend of Finnish jazz and a player with an international reputation. He writes music and performs with several renowned groups in the fields of jazz, soul and rock. His main work include the jazz foursome Ilmiliekki Quartet and the indie/art rock band Silvio in which he plays Rhodes-piano and drums. Pohjola also contributes to groups such as Quintessence, Q-Continuum and Warp!, to name only a few. In 2008 he released an experimental sound collage, Michelin Star, only namely to be dubbed as jazz with drummer Joonas Riippa.
Released by Texicalli Records in February 2009, “Aurora” was re-released this year by German label Act Music. Read more Verneri Pohjola – Aurora (2011)
Dirge – Elysian Magnetic Fields (2011)
Dark and atmospheric, slow and fearful, heavy and mysterious, Dirge comes on a long way of explorations and experiments, started from industrial roots they grow into the sludge/doom area of experimental/avant-garde metal, incorporate both classic rock instruments and samplers/machines into their own flavored dark metal fulfilled with progressive rock and cinematic elements.
If something actually is dark and heavy, definitively Dirge is. Merging classic approaches with modern structures, sounds and elements, they delivering their own epic, tortured and contorted metal, absolutely heavy and dark as a starless night. Still, their music contains melodies, quite musical themes which gave them a mysterious sparkling. Gave to the guys from Crowbar some old Pink Floyd themes to jam with and you’re almost there where Dirge starts their path of exploration and creation. Read more Dirge – Elysian Magnetic Fields (2011)
6h33 – Orphan of Good Manners (2011)
The way out is through… together in sickness and filth… as long as somebody can really explain me what “weirdo” means, what is actually sick or filthy. It’s quite small chances to let myself tied up as it’s just don’t seems an option to torture somebody for my own pleasure, but that really don’t make me healthier as those who doing this kind of “kinky” stuffs are not by default sicker then me. Still, there’s always a first time for everything and… never say never because as a joke of life, when you refuse something it will comes down on you crushing. Differences make us unique, and right or wrong is just a matter of perception.
And 6:33 is quite an unique and intense blending of music including metal rawness, electro/jazz/funk vibe, industrial shapes, darkwave and pop like melodies and… maladies and… lot of healthy sickness. So, where did you put those handcuffs and that whip? Read more 6h33 – Orphan of Good Manners (2011)
Hidden Number – Human_Error (2011)
I’m an idiot and well, I’m the first to admit it, but do you ever think of yourself as a Pavlov’s dog? Work from 9 to 6 – quite a slavery -, been attracted by a particular type of man or woman, eat the same type of shit and drink the same kind of beer – or whatever, watch the same TV channels and listen the same kind of music… If this is not the case of conditioning, I don’t know what it is. And our world getting grayer and grayer each and every day by eliminate the alternatives and everything comes down to be black or white. Or zeros and ones. Fucking spooky. But we’re tired and bored because we don’t see the third option. And well, talking bout numbers, there’s always a third option. And a forth, and so on. Hidden numbers…
And human errors.
Dean Swanson and his Hidden Number is a good opportunity to break the chain and listening something else which will do not fit in the boxes, you can stick labels to it. Well, only if there’s something human still left in you and you didn’t become completely a Pavlov’s dog… Read more Hidden Number – Human_Error (2011)
Die Krupps and Nitzer Ebb – Join In The Rhythm Of Machines (2011)
Die Krupps celebrate 30 years (1981-2011) of “True Work” by a joint European tour with Nitzer Ebb. This is a limited CD and it has been sold exclusively during the “Join In The Rhythm of Machines tour” at the merchandising booth. The CD contains two Nitzer Ebb and two Die Krupps tracks, each re-arranged by the other band. Die Krupps re-worked “On The Road” and “Blood Money” while Nitzer Ebb delivered their versions for “High Tech Low Life” and “To The Hilt”.
Good to remember there were bands doing this three decades ago, good to listen some good-old fashioned EBM/industrial, absolutely classy and with style and taste. And well, pretty good to see them still pumping alive and surprisingly – or not – sometimes they are fresher than many of nowadays “born dead” products… Read more Die Krupps and Nitzer Ebb – Join In The Rhythm Of Machines (2011)
