Wednesday, January 23, 2008

LATEST REVIEWS (MY IDEA OF WISDOM)

ISOLE - BLISS OF SOLITUDE
A bit of rock and a whole lot of doom minus the "dooooooooooooom!" droning we're all so familiar is how one would describe Isole. Previously known for a handful of years as "Forlorn" (probably got lost in the mix of several other bands with that name, so changing it was definitely a smart move), Isole's version of doom is lengthy and mostly clean vocals as opposed to anything guttural, which only makes a brief appearance in the final song. I'd still hesitate to say it's any kind of happy doom though, as tracks called "Imprisoned in Sorrow" and "Dying" would easily attest otherwise. If you prefer your doom of the epic and less molasses-style variety, this is sure to please. (FA)
NAPALM RECORDS
www.napalmrecords.com, nathan@napalmrecords.com, www.forevermore.se, isole@forevermore.se, www.myspace.com/isole

NECRONOCLAST - THE PLAGUE
A one-man project leaping from the bowels of hells foulest pits, Necronoclast is a tortured-vocal, abyss-diving lesson is cryptic black doom and gloom. Don't you just hate when drum machines, sound a little too, well, "machine"? With flawless programmed drums, there's no worries here. You'd swear a human or perhaps some ghoul was behind the battery arsenal. And believe me when I tell you that worry-free black metal gets harder and harder to come by these days, this one-man project can deliver the goods when veterans bands often keep stumbling! Highly volatile and charged by aggressive emotions, you'll want Necronoclast's plague to engulf you without harboring any doubt! (FA)
MORIBUND CULT
www.moribundcult.com, nathan@moribundcult.com, www.necronoclast.com, contact@necronoclast.com, www.myspace.com/necronoclast

BROWN JENKINS - DAGONITE
Well isn't that an interesting name! You'd think these guys would be some country act, at the very least! Turns out it's actually a character from Lovecraftian lore that takes the form of some hideous anthropomorphic rat demon. First impressions be damned, this here is some pummeling, agonizing, creepy-crawly black/doom that feels like walking through a river of molasses with broken glass on its surface! Five tracks, lengthy and full of all the makings of maggot-infested carcasses on a hot summer afternoon. There's also no real vocals to speak of, just some hallucinatory grunts and groans every now and then to smother you with some love and affection in the slimiest of ways. Who wants cuddle? (FA)
MORIBUND CULT
www.moribundcult.com, nathan@moribundcult.com, www.777starshine.com, brownjenkins13@yahoo.com, www.mypsace.com/brownjenkinsband

HORNA - SOTAHUUTO
Wow, ANOTHER Horna CD! What is that, the tenth one this year? Just
when I had this inherent fear of the old black metal rehash machine
infecting me with its taint of "too much, too soon," lo, I was taken
by surprise and how raw and fast this album was. No Cradle of
Filthisms to be found! Nothing dull, nothing boredom-inducing! In
fact, you'd swear the spirit of Qurthon took over on this one!
Pre-Viking era Bathory worship can only be pulled off by a certain
few, and Horna hits the bullseye here. 9 blistering fast and short
tracks of black/speed insanity. My first instinct failed me, and good
thing! (FA)
GRIEVANTEE PRODUCTIONS (DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTION THROUGH MORIBUND)
www.grievantee.com, shatraug@grievantee.com, www.moribundcult.com,
nathan@moribundcult.com, www.legin-horna.com,
www.myspace.com/theturehorna

ENTHRONED - TETRA KARCIST
You know the drill. Enthroned are one of the longest running acts in modern black metal and at the time of their nascence it was odd to see a band wearing all that scary corpse paint back when the Scandinavians pretty much owned that aspect of the music (before become the caricatures of themselves that many of them have become today). Since then there have been a good handful of albums and the band has leapt from one label to another until taking up residency at Napalm. This doesn't stray from any of the formula you've been so fond of for over the last decade. Ripping fast. Crystal clear. Satan this, Satan that, Satan every which way but loose. There's even an appearance by MkM of Antaeus to add that little extra element of Satan that just may have been missing. Better safe than sorry, evidently! (FA)
NAPALM RECORDS
www.napalmrecords.com, nathan@napalmrecords.com, www.enthroned-horde.com , www.myspace.com/enthronedhorde, nornagest666@hotmail.com

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