JUSTIN’S METAL REVIEWS W/C 21/1/08

 

DISFEAR / LIVE THE STORM

 

If I tell you this is a Swedish band featuring ex At The Gates / The Crown vocalist Thomas Lindberg and former Entombed guitarist Uff  Cederlund you will know what to expect, high energy Metal, Rot N Roll at its best, a Motorhead for the 21st Century.

 

This is Disfear’s 2nd album and like their debut the world subtle has no meaning, all the songs are in your face, heads down, no nonsense mindless boogie, with a Punk like attitude but this does not distract from the fact that this is still well crafted, well played Metal for the masses as “Deadweight”, “Get If Off” and “Testament” aptly demonstrate.  Most of the songs are around the 3 minute mare with one exception the final ”Phantom” which has a two minute drum and guitar intro before unleashing the unstoppable riffs.

 

There is nothing original on here but then when the material is as good as this it doesn’t have to be and if you’re a fan of Entombed, Mororhead or The Crown I know you will enjoy every minute of every song on this excellent CD.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.disfear.com/ & http://www.relapse.com/

 

DOWNLOAD            “Get It Off”

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 35 mins + 10 BLISTERING TRACKS

 

 

BIOMECHANICAL / CANNIBALIZED

 

Oh WOW this is totally awesome, Biomechanical are a British band and this is their 3rd album and their best yet, this sounds like Extreme Avant-garde Metal from an alternate dimension that has somehow slipped through the fabric of time-space.

 

I described their last album “Empire Of The Worlds” as sounding like a Progressive Death Metal Judas Priest, mainly due to the Rob Halford type screams that the vocalist is fond of but this CD shows that the band have progressed way beyond this, this is the sound of t6he damned in torment.  There is so much going o here that just listening to it leaves you breathless the choral and symphonic work on some of the songs remind me of Equilibrium era Emperor and sounds like there are three songs playing at once, just listen to “Through Hated Arise” or “Slow The Poison” to hear what I mean.  The title track ”Cannibalized” is a brutal, aggressive, uncompromising piece of modern Metal that deserves your full attention as does “Reborn Into Damnation” and “Consumed” which leaves you feeling that you have been.  The track “Breathing Silence” starts off with a slow acoustic passage but disquieting and disturbing, leaving you with a feeling of unease before letting rip with some unholy Death Metal.

 

This album is the aural equivalent of an adrenalin rush and will leave you feeling punch drunk, an equal mix of exhaustion and exhilaration, this is without doubt one of the most challenging album’s it has been my privilege to listen to since Emperor split and a definite contender for album of the year 2008, one question how the Hell will they do this live? If for one cant wait to find out.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.biomechanical.co.uk/  & http://www.earache.com/

 

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 47 mins + 10 TRACKS         

 

DARK FORTRESS / EIDOLON

 

There have been some very good Black/Death Metal albums come out of Germany over the past year, Disaster and Sonic Reign to name but two and now you can add the name Dark Fortress to the list.

 

This is the latest from these German guys and this time around they have a new vocalist in the line up and although I have liked Dark Fortress since “Stab Wounds” the new guy brings a very different darker, more menacing shade of Black to the bands sound, at times more akin to Rotting Christ to great effect.  This is a concept album about souls transcendence to another dimension using mirror magic, see what I mane about being more sinister style of Black Metal.  The album is full imaginative, almost inspired Metal and you will love tracks like “Baphomet”, “No Longer Human” or “The Unflesh” as each track is like a chapter in a book and like a book it leads to a superb ending in the form of a seven and a half minute epic called “Antiversum” that I personally think is one of their best tracks ever.

 

If like me you love Black Metal and are looking for something with that extra something then this CD will be just what you’re looking for, but be warned its not for the feint hearted and may give lesser mortals nightmare’s, buy if you dare.  For fans of Dark Funeral, Immortal and Absu.

 

WEBSITE      http://www.thetruedarkfortress.com/ & http://www.centurymedia.com/

 

TOTAL PLYAING TIME = 52 mins + 9 SINISTER TRACKS