JUSTIN’S METAL REVIEWS W/C 3/8/09

NOVEMBERS DOOM / INTO NIGHT’S REQUIEM INFERNAL

There are a hand full of band that I would buy an album by even if I had not heard one note, purely because I know I can trust them to come up with a totally stunning, listenable album, Opeth is one, My Dying Bride is another and Novembers Doom and the band have not let me down.

To say this is a stunningly, brilliant album full of perfectly executed Death/ Doom Metal doesn’t come anywhere near close to describing how good this CD is, its one of those time when no matter how eloquent you are, or how descriptive you can be only listening to the music can you fully appreciate, the Power and sheer majesty of the material on offer. The title track kicks the album off in fine style, with the quality turned up to the max, the powerful guitar riffs, full of force and brutality counterbalance against the harsh vocals interspersed with the tight mournful melodies of the chorus, make it a sheer joy to listen to. The following tack “Eulogy For The Living Lost” is similarly endowed with pure elegance and its not until the sombre delicate, splendour of “The Fifth Day Of March” that the band slow the pace down but this just makes this track seem that much better.

I could go on and on about how good this album is but as I said, no words come even close to describing how good this album is, you just need to go and buy it for yourself and hear it, this is a definite strong contender for album of the year. This is an absolute MUST BUY, if you haven’t heard of the band before you have not listened to any of my shows and you are missing out BIG time.

WEBSITE http://www.noverbersdoom.com& http://www.theendrecords.com

DOWNLOAD “Empathy’s Greed”

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 45 mins + 8 GLORIOUS TRACKS

BEHEMOTH / EVANGELION

For sheer brutality and power Polish Behemoth are untouchable on this album, these guys have just got better and better since the 2002 release of “Zos Kia Cultus” (re released this last year by Peaceville) and are now as good as, if not better than the might Vader and Decapitated.

The bands mix of Black and Death Metal has stood them well and has bought them international critical acclaim since the “Demigod” was released and this album will take them to the next level. The absolute force of the opening track “Daimonos” is impossible to ignore, its pneumatic aural pounding stuns you into silence and when the twin lead kicks in its pure magick and the guys know a thing about magick, “Ov Fire And The Void” is as impossible to ignore as an earthquake and shake the very foundations of your consciousness with ease.

This band are now impossible to ignore any longer and even those who don’t listen to this type of extreme Metal are now aware of them, (yes there are twisted people like that out there) this is without doubt one of the best Death Metal albums of 2009 so far and I cant recommended this too highly, also listen out for: the lengthy, slower riffs of “Lucifer”, the twisted blackness of “He Who Breeds Pestilence” and the eastern flavoured “Shemhamforash” and “The Seed Of I” all of which have and will be played on my HFM and Pipeline shows, there is a limited edition with bonus DVD and expanded artwork on initial copies, good but not essential.

WEBSITE http://www.behemoth.pl & http://www.nuclearblast.de

TOTAL PLAYING TIME 42 mins + 9 BRUTAL TRACKS