JUSTIN’S METAL REVIEWS W/C 19/11/07

 

OPETH / THE ROUNDHOUSE TAPES

 

This was recorded last year on the tour to support the “Ghost Reveries “ album that came out in 2005 and as such is a piece of history and it shows the band is a force to be reckoned with live.

 

The band put on a superb, flawless performance and at times its hard to believe that this is live, the songs played are a good mix of old “Bleak”, “Wondowpane” and new “Ghost Perdition”, “Blackwater Park” and show the bands diverse music styles off perfectly, this is in effect a best of live.  Because most of the bands songs have a tendency to be long so although there are two discs there are only 9 songs but it’s the quality that counts not the quantity and the quality is very high.

 

I don’t normally like live albums but this on by Opeth is an exception, if you were lucky enough to see them on tour last year4 or you actually went to the Roundhouse gig, this is indeed a fantastic reminder how good they were.

 

WESISTE       http://www.opeth.com/ & http://www.peaceville.com/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = Disc 1 = 61 mins + 6 TRACKS, Disc 2 = 35 + 3 TRACKS

 

 

ALCHEMIST / TRIPSIS

 

This is an Australian band, described as Progressive Death Metal but that does not do them justice at all, they have a lot of influences in their sound, Killing Joke, Fear Factory and Nephelim to name 3 that spring to mind and with all this going on I the soudscape it makes for very interesting listening.

 

The bands sound is as big as the country they come from but has a sparse openness about it that is both enticing and alluring but they can pour on the heaviness with the best of them when they want to.  Tracks like, “Nothing In No Time” and “Substance Of Shadows” show off the bands talents to great effect and give you a good feel of what these guys are trying to created, they are both innovative and creative giving them a very different sound to any one else around at the moment and this superb CD makes for very interesting listening.

 

If you want to catch up on what the band have done before there is a very good double CD out as well and if like me you love this CD you won’t be able to resist it and a clear album of the week.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.alchemist.com.au/  & http://www.relapse.com/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 43 mins + 9 GLORIOUS TRACKS

 

 

NIFELHEIM / ENVOY OF LUCIFER

 

If your looking for some Old School style Black Metal then look no further than Nifelhiem, invoking the spirit and feeling of some of the past masters like Darkthrone, Mayhem, Immortal and the like.

 

With songs like “Strom Of The Reaper”, “Evil Is Eternal” and the epic  “No More Life” you know exactly what you’re letting yourse3lf in for, some damn fine Black Metal at its purist best, all of it done with passion, conviction and a sincerity that is impossible to emulate.  The guitar sound is a Black as night and the solos are like cries of the banshee and when the vocalist growls in the usual Black Metal style, you know he means business.

 

This CD may not win you over to the dark side but if you enjoy true, pure Black Metal you can’t help but like this album as its full of everything that you could wish for, also listen out for; “Gates Of Damnation”, “Claws Of Death” and “Belial’s Prey”

 

WEBSITE      http://www.nifelheim.co.nr/  & http://www.regainrecords.com/

 

TOTAL  PLAYING TIME 44 mins + 10 BLACK TRACKS