Paimonia - Disease Named Humanity

"Black, Bleak & Blistering"


I like my black metal the way I like my coffee: unblended, dense, and preferably with no sugary additives.

And dark as pitch, of course. Pitch-fucking-dark.

“Disease Named Humanity” is the debut full-length release of the Serbian duo Paimonia, who have since issued a split vinyl and a live recording on VHS, effectively staying busy and active. In a time and day when black metal is a teeming, worldwide phenomenon (and where having suckled mountain trolls at the icy-cold bottom of a faraway fjord someplace where Norway becomes Niflheim is no longer a mandatory credential for delivering properly grim and frostbitten svartmetal), it takes much more than just a few croaks atop the regular potpourri of buzz ‘n’ fuzz guitars, zero bass, and minimalist tick-tock drumming to raise eyebrows.

Paimonia deliver a lot more than that, fortunately.

Although slightly unremarkable and forgettable in places, “Disease Named Humanity” is a vigorous, ably executed slab of dynamic modern-day black metal – and, considering it’s a debut full-length release, very promising indeed. Intelligent, stimulating riffwork is prevalent throughout all 41 minutes of album length, and the duo of Bojan (vocals, guitars, bass) and Nikola (drums) keep things interesting with a few tricks & turns in the songwriting formula, notably by contrasting animated blastbeat-driven passages with slower, occasionally acoustic, interludes. What they basically lack in outstanding character, Paimonia make up for with quality riffs, topnotch musicianship, clever variation and sheer intensity.

“Disease Named Humanity” consists of just seven tracks, fittingly ending on a high note with the standout atmosphere-laden dirge “Funeral of Decaying World” and its instrumental addendum “Opus VII”, together spanning almost 13 minutes. Other highlights include album opener “As Plague Scourge This World Apart” (please don’t mind the English!) with its zany, dissonant riffing – not unlike a cleaner, less grimy version of Watain – as well as the epic, rather polymorphous “Depth Within Nothingness Called Life”, which features Gothenburg-esque melodic riffing and an eerie, haunting midsection that would make for a killer recurring theme in a classic horror movie.

All in all, Paimonia is an outfit worth a mental bookmark for black metal fans with a particularly tender spot for the atmospheric and melodic, yet still hard-hitting and savage. First-tier bands like the aforementioned Watain and 1349 are not many hyperborean leagues away from the core of “Disease Named Humanity”, but there is plenty of individuality on display here to make for a praiseworthy stand-alone offering, as well as one which sets the tone for a decidedly gobsmacking follow-up.

Rating

7.0

Blood Eagle - Kill Your Tyrants

"The Tyrants Are Killed, Now Go Home..."


Blood Eagle is a deathgrind band from my home country, Denmark and is the supposed 'supergroup' of leftover musicians from Hatesphere, Volbeat and Mercenary. Now I don't mean that in a bad way, it is just that the 'supergroup'-expression is something I really dislike. Most of these 'supergroups' have not really amounted anything besides having impressive lineups, obviously there are few exceptions, like Bloodbath and Down, but those have big musicians like Mikael Åkerfeldt and Phil Anselmo. The members in Blood Eagle are the a bassist from Hatesphere, a drummer from Raunchy and a brief guitarist from Volbeat. There has to be a limit, you know what I am saying? I obviously mean no disrespect to the musicians of Blood Eagles talents, I just think that there should be a limit on when we label things a 'supergroup'. Anyway, enough of my rambling, lets get to the music.

So a good thing is that the production is great, it is really thick and feels like a hammer pounding down on you. The drums are well-played, but lacks energy. The hi-hat is way too high in the mix and makes the snaredrum disappear whenever blast beats are being played, which is a really bad things since snaredrums are essential in deathgrind. It has to be said, in the slower/mid-paced sections the snare sounds good. While I have no problem with clicky bassdrums, but the ones used here got a little annoying by the end (which is saying a lot since this EP is only nearly ten minutes).

The bass is inaudible, which is in some cases excusable since deathgrind tends to blend all the instruments together. The guitars on this EP are some of the best I have heard in a while, they are really heavily distorted, which fits the musical agenda. The riffs, while not the best, are really well performed and gives a great mix between death metal and thrash metal. They also sometimes feel like they belong in a post-metal band, which is evident in the end of the song, Death Sub Zero.

The vocals are not bad per se. But what ruins it for me, is that the singer sounds like he tried to combine the deep, hoarse growling of death metal and the screaming and yelling vocals of grindcore. I think the vocals would sound much better if they went either way, and did not combine the two voices into one.

Overall, this was not a bad experience as it may seem like. It is very short one, only ten minutes into three songs, but I actually have no doubt that this was a teaser trailer for what is to come, and I think that Blood Eagle could create something great for the danish metal scene. The really fast deathgrind stuff mixed with the hard-pounding post-metal and mid-paced thrash metal sections are really good, but they just needed that extra push to make it great.

Rating

6.5

War Device - Whisper of Souls

"Embrace the War Device"


War Device do not fuck around. In January '13 they released their EP, The Anger and in December they released their debut album, Whisper of Souls. A busy year for the Greek thrashers, and I've been looking forward to this album, so let's have a look, shall we?

The album starts with the fashion that's spreading more and more; an instrumental intro. It's not that different from your average intro track, it is mid paced and slowly building up until the next tracks starts. And it leads into the title track of the album which is really enjoyable. One thing I have to get off my chest is that War Device is no "thrash revival" band. With this album they cement that they got their own style unlike many other new thrash metal bands. I really liked their EP and its production, and the production is even better now, and that is a major plus. A lot of times I've experienced that bands go from releasing an EP to a full length and then screw up the production because it has to be as clean as possible. But not this time! The sound hits a lot harder than on the EP, and the bass really came out as the winner here unlike on The Anger. The drums also sound good, especially the pedals, but I'm not too crazy about the snare which could have been better but it's not awful either.

Greece. I must say I don't know too much about their bands. I also brought up this subject in my review of their EP, and that Suicidal Angels is the only Greek band you really hear about. Or at least the only I really hear about. But my point is... War Device is better that Suicidal Angels. I don't get bored halfway through Whisper of Souls, neither do I get the feeling that I just heard the same song 5 minutes ago with the exact same structure. Anyway, as I mentioned, War Device really cemented their style with this release and building upon what the made with The Anger. They certainly did not disappoint me with this album, but it didn't meet my high expectations either. The album cover is once again photoshopped, but it looks pretty good in spite of that. I would like to have seen Andrei Bouzikov's version of it...

The album's strongest pillar is the production. I had high expectations (maybe too high) for this album as their EP, The Anger, was a blast from start till end. So the consistency the EP had faded a bit on Whisper of Souls. Of course a full-length holds more tracks, so the chance of fillers is a bit higher. In spite of that the albums still comes out as a strong debut with great content and a re-recording from The Anger. The tracks that I think stands out is Whisper of Souls, Shattering My Thoughts, M.I.P. (Mind in Panic), and Rehab Beyond Perfection. And if you like any of those songs, or some of the other tracks from the album then you gotta get their EP as well. It's just badass, and it features a killer Kreator cover! To sum up this album, it's quite good but I got a feeling that it maybe was a bit rushed. 2013 seemed to have been a busy year for War Device with both their EP and debut album. But with those two releases they truly have got a solid foundation for their future, and I'm looking forward to their next material.

Rating

8

Rider - Streets of Nowhere

"Streets of 1983"


Hey! Do you feel like going back to 1983? Then join the nostalgia with Brazilian heavy metal band, Rider. Streets of Nowhere is the first EP by the band and introduces a new singer, and what a record this is!

Rider's first demo was recorded live with their old singer and Streets of Nowhere seems to be their first experience in a studio and introduces César Caçador on vocals. This EP brings you 4 tracks with a total of 20 minutes, and boy, are you in for a treat! The production and overall sound of this release is so old school, that I just can't stop listening to it. Not only that, but the songs are fantastic, with great solos and what a voice! I haven't heard Rider with their old lead singer but César sounds outstanding and fits the band perfect, so hopefully he'll stay on board. However sometimes it sounds to me that he is out of key, but it is very briefly on a song or two. On a side note the choruses, harmonies and solos will get you humming along, and it won't take long until you're screaming along.

Visiting the band on Facebook and watching some of their photos also gives me the nostalgia feeling, and it seems like Brazil got a thriving underground scene. Rider is just pure old school traditional heavy metal! It is such a pleasant listen and I can't spin it just once. The guitar harmonies is just outstanding and the production of every single aspect of this EP just reminds me of an 80's album and I am crazy about it. I won't pick out any tracks, as every track offers something amazing, so you should check out every single track! All the instruments are knitted well together, and nothing is drowned out. The vocals are nice and clear, the bass is always present and not interfering with the amazing sound of the guitars. Last but not least the dreams also sound terrific. All I can say is that for a first time in the studio, this is a job well done!

So... what's left to say? Not that much, actually. If you like heavy metal, and if you like it old school, I cannot recommend Streets of Nowhere enough. The songs are filled with great choruses, harmonies, solos and that 80's feeling. The only drawback is that lead singer César sometimes is out of key. It is nothing major, at least not to me, so if you can get past that then you're going to have a great time listening to this record. Get your hands on this and keep your eyes on Rider as they're going to release more fantastic music later this year!

Follow this magnificent band on Facebook, and listen to some of their material on YouTube. (Bandcamp coming soon!)

Rating

9

Vestiges / Panopticon Split

"Songs of Sadness"


This split features the music of two high quality bands. Panopticon is a one-man atmospheric black metal with folk elements from Louisville, Kentucky. The image of this band is to a great extent about philosophy and nature. Vestiges is a band that in their early prime had much more crust and hardcore elements to their music, though on this latest release they seem to have moved more away from the hardcore elements and focusing on a form of cascadian black metal alike Wolves in the Throne Room. The skills of both bands are really extensive, whether you prefer the folk-ish and haunting melodies of Panopticon or Vestiges hardcore-infused cascadian-style black metal, the music is surreal and absolutely fantastic on both parts.

As I never heard Vestiges before this split, I did not know what to expect but I was very surprised with their side of this split. The first track, VII is a ambient and built-up track for what is to come, it is actually a good track on its own. I listened to it while I took a walk in the woods near my house and it proved to make a great atmosphere, but enough of that, the second track, VIII is the masterpiece of Vestiges' side. It starts out pretty harsh in a manner that reminds me of Panopticon, though with a discrete touch of hardcore. The breakdown which occurs around four minutes in is also stunning, which gave me a funeral doom kinda feel.

All in all, I really came to like Vestiges despite I haven't really liked what they've done in the past, and I will definitely watch out for more material with them.

All right, so with the warmup introduced by Vestiges, Panopticon sets the earthquake in motion with my favourite track from this split, A Letter. A very emotional song I have to admit, you can almost feel A Lunn's anger flowing out through your speakers. The song is full of haunting and saddening melodies, which is evident from the start. It is especially clear about one minute in when he plays a slow melody with a more soft-hitting traditional blast-beating over it. It is unlike anything I've ever heard, and me go 'That is what I love about Panopticon.'. The song ends with A. Lunn making some intricate drumpatterns and a guitarsolo. And so, The Eulogy begins, it starts out quiet and play melancholic riffs to a mid-paced beat with creative drum fills. This all changes though when you get three minutes into the track, where it goes into blast beating and makes you reminiscent of that Panopticon's usual fast-paced style of black metal. The vocals on this track are really good, they sound very painful, almost torturous. Now the last track, Collapse & Die, I kinda feel is out of place, don't get me wrong it is a very good song and cover of Suicide Nation. Though it is a short song compared to Panopticon's usual song lengths and doesn't feel quite epic as the two songs before it. It is a satisfying way of ending this split.

So, this is definitely one of my favourite splits of this year, if not THE best. The bands compliment each other heavily and fits together nicely. Vestiges transformation into a more black metal-ish entity is a welcoming addition and Panopticon is majestic as always. My final word is that this split is definitely worth paying for even though it is at a 'name your price'-deal.

Be sure to check out both Vestiges and Panopticon on Facebook!

Rating

Vaalt - Demo MMXIII

"Metal harder than Granite"

Vaalt is a band hailing from Calgary, Canada. They formed in 2012 and released this demo in 2013.

The production is very raw and adds a very distinct Incantation feel to it. The guitars have an ominous sound to them and is perfectly placed in the production, and does not drown out the other instrument. Which to my personal experience, happens to a lot of death metal bands. As for the music itself, it is like old Incantation's production mixed with Thorr's Hammer music layout and sound (minus the clean vocals). And because I fuckin' love those two bands that gives a big plus in my book. The bass plays simple riffs to the drumbeat and maintain a very deep sound. The drums, while hard hitting, they are kind of buried and very messy, the bassdrum is almost inaudible. Is it too bad, because the drummer actually plays some great beats, especially on track 2.

The vocal parts are done by a woman named Alayna Gretton, and by Odin's beard does she have one of the most awe-inspiring and deep vocals I have heard in my life. These vocals would bellow so deep in the mines of Moria that the Balrog would cower in fear. There are also some haunting screams on 'Predation Granite', which adds a variation to her vocals, and very much to the atmosphere of this demo. On 'Soliloquy of the Smoldering', her vocals match the droning beats in utterly fashion. Maybe I praise Alayna's vocals a bit too much, but I was just surprised to find vocals of this quality and voracity on a demo.

The production is maybe a little too raw, but the music is absolutely fantastic. I especially love the atmosphere this gem has produced, which many modern old school bands just don't do for me. This is a great demo, and I will surely follow these guys in the following years to see what else they can produce.

Rating

8.5

Fuck the Facts - Amer

"The Beauty Under the Grind"

Fuck the Facts is a band that has been around since 1999 with Topon Das being the only original member left, they have released eight albums and a ton of splits, EP's and compilations. And in my opinion the band really got into its groove when vocalist Mel Mongeon entered the band in 2002. It was when I listened to their 2006 album Stigmata High Five, that I was intrigued with the bands panicky and eccentric grindcore and melodic, groovy and noisy style of death metal. And it should be said right away that I really love this band, so it is very hard for me to maintain an objective view of this EP.

Fuck the Facts have changed their sound slowly over the years, from a very eerily and outright maniacal sounding grindcore group to the more melodic and groovy sounding metal, while still maintaining their grindcore roots. While this EP certainly has much more melody and less grindcore, their intentions are the same. Insane up-beat music on songs such as 'Vent Du Nord' and mindblowingly beautiful passages in songs such as 'Une Triste Vue' and 'Amère', Now I must admit that I don't know shit about the french language even though I had it in school through 7th to the 9th grade. But I don't really mind it since I don't read lyrics half the time I listen to metal anyways, there is one song with english lyrics though and that track is just as good as the others.

The whole EP is full of both intense grindy moments and fantasticly executed more melodic passages. Topon delivers some really insane riffing, the insane kinda riffing that is both wild and catchy at the same time. Drummer Vil applies fast and precise blast beats and other tricky-sounding beats. The bass I can rarily hear, though bassist Marc Bourgon delivers some great backing vocals. On top of the pile of excellent music and productions is Mel Mongeon's signature yelling vocals mixed with some deep-growls which was used on the
last album 'Die Miserable' and EP 'Misery', and they're certainly a welcoming addition on this EP as much as they were on the forementioned.

Fuck the Facts is a band that continues to get better and better, and this is no exception. This is definitely a great collection of tracks that I'm gonna listen to a long time from now.

Rating

8.8

Wormlust - The Feral Wisdom

'Black Metal Ambrosia'



This Icelandic band was founded by H.V Lyngdal in 2003 under the moniker of Wolfheart and joined by drummer Bjarni Einarsson on The Feral Wisdom. Lyngdal changed Wolfheart into Wormlust in 2006 with some demos the following years, one of them was the astonishing Seven Paths demo, he finally released The Feral Wisdom in mid 2013.

Wormlust are a very strange band to describe. Let us say, an ethereal hybrid of a psychedelic and atmospheric style of black metal. And it really intensifies the ambiance of the album. Above all, the word I would use to describe Wormlust best is mesmerizing. An almost murmuring, spacey and vociferous sound production enchants the listener to their magnificent and grand-epic style of the first track Sex Augu, Tólf Stjörnur. Although it starts with an ambient intro, the feral and noisy beast that is Wormlust is unleashed with an absolutely destroying sound that left me with my jaw dropping down to the floor. The vehement and dissonant sounds continued to echo in my room leaving my hopes for enlightenment all but abolished. Halfway through the track, the sound gets even more magnificent with the use of mid-tempo beats and synthesizer to its eminent sound. I was also really surprised how insame the bass sounds sometimes around the 6:30 minute mark. A scarce number of melodic leads are also incorporated into this track, the track ends with two minutes of ambient experimentation.

And now for an abrupt turn of events, Wormlust lies their grand-epic style aside once more as we are allowed to indulge in a very mirky and melodic touch at the start of Djöflasýra. The riffs in this song are very hypnotic, and the mid-tempo moments of this song works great to finish the listeners ascend into the ethereal skies. The vehement sounds are still delivered, but this song have somewhat a lesser aggressive approach than the first track, but that has given way for even more soaring ambiance around 3 minutes in. The song then builts itself up in a crawling pace, resuming at the seven minute mark what resembles the chaotic and psychotic form Sex Auga, Tólf Stjörnur had. In contrast, this song ends on a high note as the first ended in with ambient music.

While the first half of the album was a schizophrenic frenzy of unwordly music, the second half of The Feral Wisdom is quite different. It begins with the track, Á Altari Meistarans makes this album do a full collision into psychedelic territory. The track evolves with a long slowness, and feels a little droning. Although certainly different, the end of this song fits perfectly into the next, Iður Úti. There was a certain tension to this track, I felt like something was going to happen. And it did, almost three minutes in, the music becomes what you recognize from the two first songs, but before you know it... it ends. Developing the track once more with silent, eerie sounds. The last four minutes, which the band puts all their energi into, go back the maniacal black metal from before. Even though I think this song is weirdly built, it sounds very natural, it is also completely nuts at the same time.

The only downside that I had with this record was the transition between the two halves of the it. They are outright strange. But above all else, the album is really well put together and heavy, so heavy it is brain sickening in fact, but in a good way. For those of you, who are looking for black metal with complexity, depth and absolute insanity, then this is for you. This is a wandering to the outlying empty spaces of our galaxy, and then back. This album is a journey so dark it will drive you to madness and left craving for more.

Rating:
9.7

Satyricon - Satyricon

"The Unwanted Rumbles Our World"


Ahh, it is time again for all the angry closeminded black metal fans to talk shit about Satyricon again. Oh, how I've missed it! Actually I haven't, I am just practising my sarcasm. After five years the Norwegian duo finally returned with a new album, and this one is bound to split even more fans than the predecessors.

From the get-go when the introduction "Voice of Shadows" starts it was very clear to me that it would be a different Satyricon that was unfolding than it was five years ago. This time we're handed a much more progressive and atmospheric piece of work, and I must say if there is a genre I hardly ever listen to, then it's progressive. However I am not very fond of the starting song "Voice of Shadows" as it throws the listener off course, at least it did with me. It doesn't quite suite what it leads up to, the track "Tro og Kraft" which is one of the best songs off the album, as it together with some of the other highlights from the album still got the same vibe as some tracks from The Age of Nero. But have adapted to the sound of this album, and it is something you must hear for yourself.

The weakest track on the album is "Phoenix", mainly because of the guest vocals from Norwegian singer Sivert Høyem. It's very hard for me to adjust to such a mainstream vocal in the middle of a Satyricon album. Musically the track is fine and sounds good, plus Frost keeps it from getting too mainstream with his signature drumming. But I would love to hear the track with Satyr's vocals on instead. Luckily the band applies some damage control with "Walker Upon the Wind" which puts you back on track where "Nocturnal Flare" left off. It actually does that and a little more as it got a lot more tempo to it. So don't think Satyricon has gone all soft, because they haven't! A track like "Ageless Northern Spirit" could easily been recorded on The Age of Nero as it actually hits you hard in the face but also got the slower passages that builds up for yet another punch in the face!

I was positively surprised when I saw the cover for this release, as it fits the album unbelievable well. It is different from the works they used in the past, and it should be as this album is truly unique. Highlights on this album is narrowed down to: "Tro og Kraft", "Our World, It Rumbles Tonight", "Walker Upon the Wind", "Ageless Northern Spirit" and "The Infinity of Time and Space". Previously Satyricon has divided a lot of fans because of the new directions they've taken, and this album will do the exact same thing as it wanders off into a different direction than The Age of Nero. But it is a good, and interesting path they have chosen.

You know, it doesn't always have to be about frostbitten mountains, grim forests or killing Christians. And it is getting tiring to hear people complain about Satyricon, after all it is not 2006 any more. So how about growing the fuck up, instead of saying this band is pretending to be this and that. As I said, it's tiring. Satyricon keeps growing as a band, and they will continue to grow, and that is one of the things that keep making this band so interesting.

This is an album that will grow on you. If you liked any of Satyricon's newer albums, counting from Volcano and up, then you will find some good sides to this album. This album doesn't hit you as hard in the face as The Age of Nero did, and with good reason since it never was its intention. This self-titled album is much more progressive and atmospheric, to be precise it is the most atmospheric album since Nemesis Divina. But since it's not "trve kvlt blerk merdl" with corpsepaint and stuff, then nobody cares. However there is still hard hitting moments on the album that reminds you of the recent predecessors. So if you liked those albums then you should give this a try, if not, try it anyway. This album should be enjoyed for what it is, and as I said, it will grow on you. And remember... listen to it with an open mind.

Rating

8.3

Nekrodeus - Putrid Scent of Grave Perversion

"Clean Scent of Disappointment"


Death metal from Austria, how about that? I must admit I don't know anything regarding metal from Austria, but with Nekrodeus throwing out a debut EP, that as now changed! Almost all the members has been members of the previous band Zodiac which changed into Blasphemist. That band apparently broke up due to some differences with the bassist. So maybe now the Austrian lads can catch their breath and stop forming new bands all the time. As a little note Nekrodeus was formed in 2013 and they've already put out their first release.

Musically this album strikes you down, it sure as hell pleases my ears from start till finish. But there is a major problem that pulls the experience down. This band has two vocalists. Stefan Rindler got deep death metal vocals and he actually reminds me of Glenn Benton from Deicide. Moritz Pollinger's vocals is not near anything related to death metal, but deathcore. A lot of deathcore screaming occurs, and just to be clear: I do not like any kind of core. Throughout the EP it varies whether they sing simultaneously or not, but they both appear on every single song, obviously.

The cover for the release is pretty descent, it's better than a lot of the photoshopped covers that many bands choose. Stylish it reminds me a lot of The Cleansing's Feeding the Inevitable. Regarding highlights of the album, it's tough for me to choose anything as the songs are usually ruined by the vocals. "Lenore" and "Witchhammer" got some really good riffs, but so does all the songs. Again... the vocals. So you'll have to listen for yourself! The guitars and drums is well produced and doesn't sound shit for a modern release. I almost forgot the bass! It's does its job well, gives the album a heavy feeling and doesn't drown out the guitar. Production wise, this EP is a lovely piece of work!

The music on this album is really, really good. But the dual vocals ruins the whole album for me, and that is a real shame. I doubt the band will focus on one vocalist as the whole band (minus the bassist) has been together for years as I mentioned in the beginning of the review. If the band only had the one vocalist this album would have gotten a way higher rating. But rating this album is quite difficult as there is a lot of good sides to the EP, and it sounds splendid. A little note on that is that they recorded in their own studio, nicely done! But back to the matter at hand. What splits me, and pulls this album down is the core vocals. So if you're into those kind of vocals and can endure them, knock yourself out. If not, find something else, preferably a band with one vocalist. 

Rating

6

Ministry - From Beer to Eternity

"From Worthy to Unworthy"


So... this is the end of Ministry. I was thrilled back when Ministry announced their comeback. I've been a fan for years and I finally got to see them at Wacken '12. But the albums that followed from the "relapse" of Ministry are dreadful. Just read the damn title of this album: From Beer to Eternity. I don't even know what to say. I... *facepalm*
So now I welcome you to my opinion and vision of the final Ministry album.

Like with Relapse and its first single "99 Percenters" I was looking forward to the album when I heard "PermaWar". I hoped the album would continue down that road and close up Ministry with a smashing album. But when I first put on the album I was just waiting for "PermaWar" to come on, as the two first tracks offers nothing good, and after "PermaWar" came on I just waited for the album to end. I didn't just wait for it to end, I wanted it to end. On my first listen I didn't even get half way through the album and the times I did, was not a listening pleasure in any way.
But how does the album sound? It continues down the road from were Relapse left off, so it basicly sounds like Ministry. However it is not as fast and metal, actually. Besides that you'll hear almost anything you expect from a Ministry recipe. Industrial elements, signature drums, Al's vocals sounds as always and of course samples. However an important ingredient was left out: Consistency.

"Lesson Unlearned" more or less puts Al aside and primarily features a woman on vocals. I don't know if it is Al's wife, Angie, but what I do know is that it does not mix well with Ministry. It sounds too "popish".
In some other songs you will even hear Arabian influences, reggae and electronic influences as well, and trust me, nothing of it fits Ministry. Now if you think back to Psalm 69, you might remember the track "TV II"? If yes, you might have been looking forward to the track "Side FX Include Mikey's Middle Finger (TV 4)". But it is just another let down. Half of the track is actually in the likes of "TV II". But it ends up as unbearable mayhem and the last half is a bunch of samples of various voices and then 2-3 seconds of more mayhem that suddenly just breaks into the song and then stops. In that song Al says "I feel like shit". Yeah? So do I, anybody care to guess the reason? The last thing I briefly want to bring up is the end of the album "Enjoy the Quiet" is almost 3 minutes of radio static. Just imagine that for a second, because then I won't have to explain how bad it is.

At least there's been some progression regarding the cover. Relapse's cover was horrible... and though From Beer to Eternity isn't the greatest cover, it looks better and features the original Ministry logo! Highlights of the album... "PermaWar", and that's it, but it's a damn good highlight. "Perfect Storm" could be added to the list as well as it continues where "PermaWar" left off. Oh, and if you're wondering if the album is better than Relapse? It's not. I'll put it like this: If you like me were disappointed with Relapse, then you will find it ironic that From Beer to Eternity makes Relapse sound like a great album.

Before I give you my conclusion you should know that I am a HUGE Ministry fan. I've been listening for years and I find bright sides of every single album they've made. From Beer to Eternity is just a massive disappointment. I was hoping for much, much more than this since it is their last album, so...
If I could change Ministry's history this album and Relapse would never have been made and the reunion would just have been a touring thing. When it comes to consistency, these two albums just doesn't cut it. And even though there is a few tracks I like, I could easily live without them. It is a matter of taste, but I think that The Last Sucker was a perfect farewell album. It was intended and created as a farewell album and when I first heard "The End of Days Part II" it struck me right in the heart, as much as I love this band, it was the perfect album to bow out with.
"From Beer to Eternity" is a half hearted album. The songs are repetitive and boring, the album got no consistency or replay value. I never thought I should say those words about something that Ministry made.
This record is not worthy of being Ministry's last album. It's hardly worthy of being a Ministry album.

Now, let us enjoy the quiet...

R.I.P. Mike Scaccia, 1965-2012.

Rating

6.1

Saxon - Sacrifice

"Wheels of Repetition"


I guess it is not really a surprise that Saxon already got a new album thrown out into the streets, as they more or less have been keeping this 2 year span between each album for quite some time. Is that a good thing that we keep having all this brand new material or is it a bad thing...?

The album contains the usual ingredients that you would find on a Saxon album. Good production, solid band performance and the usual topics you would expect from Saxon.
Biff's voice is still going strong and I do not doubt he will be able to perform on a high level for a couple of years in the future, though he has reached into his sixties. Through the first two or three listens the album doesn't really offer much but then it grows on you a bit, and that is pretty much how it goes with a lot of Saxon albums post their "glory days". I was however from the looks of the cover hoping that the Aztec theme would shine through and bring some diversity into their discography. Since that is not the case you can always hope for some new smashers, which there of course is. But besides that, it is actually not that different from previous albums. Some fillers and decent songs and then some tracks you can add to your Saxon play list. Other than that, there is really not that much to blow up about this album, as it has been done countless times before by the band. 

"Sacrifice" also offers us five re-recorded songs. 'Just Let Me Rock', 'Forever Free', 'Crusader', 'Frozen Rainbow' and 'Requiem (We Will Remember)'.
The orchestral version of 'Crusader' is decent. Sometimes the orchestra is a little misplaced and doesn't quite fit the rest of the music. But it isn't really as orchestral oriented as it could be, but without hesitation I would always listen to the original, though the normal re-recording from "Heavy Metal Thunder" is an okay fresh take. Adding these re-recordings definitely was a wise choice, at least for my taste. I love some good re-recordings, of course the band already released "Heavy Metal Thunder" in 2002 which only featured such tracks. The two standards 'Just Let Me Rock' and 'Forever Free' are funny enough fresh takes as well. Though 'Just Let Me Rock' never really got through to me and is rather forgettable, and that goes for the original and new version. 'Forever Free' however is a really solid take on an already good song and is easily a re-recording I would play some more in the future!

Normally I don't really want to listen to acoustic versions of tracks, I can't really come with any explanation. I just can't see the use in some way... But the first version 'Requiem (We Will Remember)' which have been cut down in length which suits the song a lot, is actually pretty good. As the song already was a kind of a ballad but maybe a little to long in duration, this acoustic version serves the track a lot of justice and it definitely something I will listen to again! Now, 'Frozen Rainbow' is one of my favourite songs by the songs so I really feared for this song's awesomeness in acoustic "mode". But... They actually didn't ruin it. As the previous song, it has been cut down in length, not that much though. It is nice and calm, and originally it also had a ballad feel to it. I really applaud Saxon on those acoustic songs. It really shows the skills of the band that they can "transform" some old tracks like that and not making them doll. It's like they have gotten and overdose of breath mints. Totally fucking fresh. Now I got two versions of one of my favourite Saxon songs. Perfect! Normally I don't do track by track reviews but to me it just seemed like something good to do, for old and even new fans so you know about the quality of these new recordings. If you of course care about re-recordings, and if not... Oh well!

Oh the cover... Well it is a typical Saxon cover with the logo taking up a big space of the cover and then some sort of badge or illustration. But unlike "Into the Labyrinth" it just got a boring black background and it kind of kills it... The man behind the cover is Paul Raymond Gregory who has worked with the band before and created covers like "Unleash the Beast" and "Rock the Nations", so he is capable of more, just a shame the band chose this as the final cover. From the core of the track list with means the ten new tracks I would highlight 'Sacrifice', 'Made in Belfast' and 'Guardians of the Tomb'. It is not much but they are the only tracks that really stand out, but if you want to make the three track span a little bigger then add the re-recordings of 'Requiem (We Will Remember)', 'Frozen Rainbow' and 'Forever Free'.

Instead of dishing up with these albums within a 2 year span I think they should take some more time off to write better material. A real fucking smasher, which the band really need, to get some more success which they deserve. Personally I prefer Saxon over Iron Maiden (oh yea I said it), but that is just me. Saxon got so many hidden gems, you just got to find them. But I really think they deserve a real breakthrough, it almost makes me sad that they are so under appreciated. So when reflecting "Sacrifice" doesn't really add anything new to the table that the band haven't already released. However it was a nice surprise with the acoustic versions of some old songs, maybe they should incorporate acoustic songs more on their albums, because they really got a nose for it!  It is not a bad album but not a great one either, just a decent performance, though some of the re-recordings really pulled this album up in rating.

Rating

7.9

War Device - The Anger

"The Greek Army's New War Device"


When it comes to Greece and metal I know just about nothing, the only band I know about is Suicidal Angels which I saw back in 2010. But the Greek thrash scene got a brand new contender in the likes of War Device. The band was formed in 2012 in Serres, and this year they released their first piece of material in the likes of "The Anger".

The EP contains five tracks and an intro, and the intro itself was actually surprisingly good. It doesn't have a name so it is simply called "Intro". It is a recording of a guy who goes into his room and listens to some different bands. So throughout the intro you will be warmed up with bands like: D.R.I., Overkill, Megadeth, Sodom, Slayer, Venom and Razor. Note the last band. My favourite thrash band, so I got totally hyped when 'Evil Invaders' started playing. It ends with some radio scrabbling and then breaks into the first track 'Evil, Death and Hell'. From start till finish, not only on this track but the whole album it is just non stop madness. When new thrash bands pop up these days I always fear that they try to re-invent the genre but often end up sound re-cycled. However War Device keep a fresh and aggressive approach the entire time and even take the time to start of the title track with a bass line. I really enjoyed that myself, it is nice with some diversity! The music itself takes roots all the way back to the early eighties and you can definitely hear some Slayer in there from the "Show No Mercy" days, and mix that up with Max Cavalera vocals and you got War Device. The production... oh yes, the production. This shit is not overproduced in any way, the band have gone for a old school sound and they got it. The vocals has also been mixed perfectly for the purpose of this EP.
When I first laid eyes upon the tracklist it first struck my eyes that the band had a cover of Kreator's 'Under the Guillotine', and since I hadn't heard the band before I was really frightened that it would suck. Of course it doesn't, you just have to imagine Max Cavalera in his prime singing a cover of it, because musically it rips and the band got the shit under control!

The cover for this release is nothing special and is without any doubt photoshopped, but not over worked so it looks too shitty. When it comes to EP's I don't really highlight any tracks because it is so short, and since this EP is really good so there's not going to be any problems listening the whole thing through. It will be well worth your time.

With the right amount of promotion this release will without any doubt make a way for War Device and if they manage to follow up with a debut album that contains just as good or even better material then I would say the future is bright for the Greek thrashers. So if you are on the lookout for some new thrash metal that keeps it the way it is supposed to be and filled with good and interesting influences then I will definitely recommend you to check out War Device.

...and you can do just that by catching up with them on Facebook!

Rating

8.5

Newsted - Metal

"Risen From the Flames"


So Jason Newsted is back. To be honest I haven't really been following him since he left Metallica and he has been abroad in various bands since then. He played with Ozzy and Voivod for example and he also recorded a single with Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan in WhoCares. I am actually not that surprised that Jason formed his own band where he would be leading the massacre. Even way back in the day with Metallica he definitely had the energy to front a band and his vocal duties live was not that bad either!

There is so many influences on this EP. Motörhead for once. Then some Black Sabbath. It is all blended in together over the course of the four tracks. Of course there is more to it than those two bands just mentioned. It just sounds old school, and I really mean old school. There is definitely also some 70's stuff in there besides Sabbath and though this might scare some people of, groove. But that is in there too, it doesn't shine through to much though which could be why it becomes so interesting. To kind of sum it up simple, it contains what probably has inspired Jason for all of his career and also what he played himself. What bothers me the most is the annoying filter which is applied to the vocals from time to time. Hopefully that idea will be scrapped for a future album where it is just more raw and non-filtered... The tone is very different as well sometimes. When the groovy parts hit in you are assured that it is heavy as fuck, but if you take the main riff of 'Soldierhead', it sounds more rock oriented so to say, with the "right" tone it could had a killer thrash tune. But it is not that bad and reflects the already mentioned mixed bag principle of this EP.
Some people might...well no, some people ARE going to say this EP is better than anything Metallica has released since Newsted left them is just... well it depends on your taste, and many people hate the new Metallica. I used to do that too, but this EP is not even close having its claws into St. Anger (yes I said it) or Death Magnetic. Lulu however... Yea, the EP is better than Lulu.

Metal... When I first saw the title I almost facepalmed. It is so unimaginative that it hurts. It's not like we expected this release to be a Jazz album. But to be straight forward with it all I think it was just something that was put together to really announce that Jason is back for good and here to stay. That goes for the cover for this release as well, not really that much to it, more or less just a "I'm back bitches" statement. Maybe the band don't want to be labelled as thrash, speed, groove, heavy and whatnot. Just metal, and that actually makes sense since this is release is such a mixed bag of goodies.

Though I stand with some mixed feelings towards this EP, I am actually looking forward to the debut whenever it comes out. The band have a really solid base to build upon and I am really looking forward to see what they come up with, and hopefully they will drop the vocal filter. If you like Jason from the Metallica times or some other times then check it out. If you would like some solid metal with a bunch of different influences hidden in each track then get your filthy hands on this album.

Rating"

7.7