TTI Archive: February 2001

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Grade Scale adopted at Troll's Independent (starting from the lowest)

1 - Plop
2 - Hand-grenade
3 - Heavy-duty Shell
4 - Nuclear Explosion
5 - Troll-fart!!!

5/5
ANNIHILATOR
Carnival Diablos
2001
Steamhammer
thrash
Oh Gosh! thought I when heard of Jeff Waters having won buzz-saw master Joe Comeau of Overkill to be the frontman singer in the band, that would be kind of interesting to listen to. I was a bit shocked when I read in booklet that Comeau doesn't play the guitar on this record, doing only vocals. The CD itself made everything clear having killed me absolutely. Joe opened the window to a new era of Annihilator and the fresh air of novelties is very strong. I think the main advantage facing all previous A. Singers is that Comeau CAN sing. Tracks on 'Carnival Diablos' show his vocals variety - usually he produces the same old-fashioned Annihilatorish vocals, one song ('Shallow Grave') is definitely tributing to AC/DC, 'Time Bomb' made me think it was noone other than Rob Halford guest appearing on it etc. What about music. Phew! What can I say - Jeff Waters has done a great job. It is really a diabolical carnival we have here. Half of the record is soaked with riffs that made Annihilator so world known and famous - teeth crushing, making you run nowhere to become an adrenaline donor 'cause you have got a hellot of it ('Battered', 'Perfect Virus', 'Hunter Killer'), the head song 'Carnival Diablos' is really a masterpiece, I have no words to describe it, it really kicks ass, it is very melodic and unusually slow, aggressive and at the same time singable. 'Epic of War' was the last surprise having reminded me of Iron Maiden. Five fists and not an inch less! (Felix da Katt)

3/5
BLOOD RED ANGEL
The Language Of Hate
2000
Gutter Records
thrash
Youngsters cannot play thrash properly. Can you remember at least one good thrash band that emerged in the past couple of years? OK, you may mention The Haunted, but that group comprises already famous musicians. Thrash bands formed by people of younger age are usually of no interest. I do not know what is wrong with them all, but they all sound like one-sided copies of established monsters of the genre. Germany's Blood Red Angel draw inspiration from bands like Slayer and especially early Grip Inc., but their debut record "The Language Of Hate" somehow fails to impress me. All components seem to be in place - heaviness, aggression, excellent sound quality - but the album in general is a bit boring. I mean, compare this CD with, for instance, Artillery's latest effort, and you will see the difference. What bothers me the most here is the lyrics, mostly describing war and violence. F**king shit, I know more about war than those people do. And I know enough not to praise the brave warriors fighting for their motherland in Vietnam or any other place on earth, as Blood Red Angel do. This band needs to choose something else to sing about and find a more original approach to their music. (Maniac)

4+/5
CORNERSTONE
Arrival
2000
Majestic Entertainment
hard rock?
Here is what happens when someone in a band usurps songwriting powers and other authors have to make solo records to realise their ideas. Royal Hunt's Andre Andersen is the only one who's allowed to write for the band, and what is his long-time made Steen Mogensen supposed to do? Right, make a solo effort. Or rather form a duet with nobody else but Doogie White, the last singer in Rainbow. So, Steen writes music and lyrics, plays bass and keyboards, Doogie is doing the vocals, while other instruments are played by guest musicians, all formerly or currently in Royal Hunt. However the end product has not much in common with Steen's main band, except for the characteristic keyboard sound (thanks to Andre who did some synth solos). Cornerstone are much more straighforward, guitars and drums are softer, and the singing is different too. I don't know how to describe this kind of music, some would probably call it watered-down version of Royal Hunt, but I'm only glad that "Arrival" does not sound like your typical RH-family record. I even regret that Andre does not allow Steen to write for RH, as their latest album "Fear" would have benefited a lot from inclusion of a couple of songs from Cornerstone. Taken separately, "Arrival" is a great record, but the songs are quite in the same vein and it's hard to single out your favourites. And I doubt that there can be a great record without outstanding compositions. (Maniac)

4/5
EINHERJER
Norwegian Native Art
2000
Native North Records
viking black
A nice album title, eh? Viking metal, invented some 15 years ago, is now considered "Norwegian native art." I guess the band’s next move will be to submit a bill to their country’s government proposing introduction of obligatory heavy metal studies in all Norwegian schools. If such bill happens to become law, this record will definitely be included into the course. Let Einherjer say they have nothing to do with black. They have, and a lot. Traditional blackish vocals are dominant here, and the music is also closely linked to that genre, especially on fast parts. Of course, there are plenties of other influences (the band goes as far as rounding up their CD with a ballad) and the lyrics deal with vikings and their culture, not with traditional black metal themes. After all, it is not that important what monicker you use to describe music, its quality is much more essential. "Norwegian Native Art" has no problem with this. It contains a lot of great songs, and the sound quality is excellent, as the CD was produced by Andy La Rocque (King Diamond). My favourite tracks are "Crimson Rain" and the ballad "Regicide," but the other six songs are also worth checking out. Einherjer seem to be on their way towards becoming my favourite viking metal act, but they have not managed to beat Vintersorg so far. (Maniac)

4/5
HIRILORN / NASAV
Split
2000
Sempiternal Prods.
black
Finally a black metal record that I like. And who gives a damn if I don't know a thing about the two bands that are featured on this split CD, for maybe that's the way it should be in black metal. Let the music speak for itself, not names. And the music has a lot to say, especially on the first five tracks of this release, recorded by Hirilorn. They are graced by plenties of the most varied melodies, and a wonderful magic atmosphere. Maybe the songs are too melodic for being true black, but this is the band's characteristic trait, the one that distinguishes Hirilorn from hordes of average black metal bands, from Nasav, for instance. Nasav are a typical example of present-day black metal, their music is reasonably aggressive, but not too much, the vocals are reasonably row, but not too much, and the sound is reasonably good, but not perfect. They are nice to listen, but very hard to tell from any other black metal band, and their impression on me was much weaker. The split is good anyway, though mostly thanks to the first band. (Maniac)

3/5
HYPNOSIA
Extreme Hatred
2000
Hammerheart Records
death
Well, I take it if you're Czech and you want to start a band you will inevitably end up playing death metal. I mean it's not even 'if' anymore, it's an axiom. Like, once it has only been Krabathor and then, all of a sudden, there are legions of them infesting the planet, sweeping all the living creatures in an all-out warfare. Well, the Hypnosia dudes are, certainly, all you could ever wish in death metal - sick, brutal, fast, technical… the only trouble with it is they simply Czech-mated themselves by trying to push everything to the extreme. Wake up, lads, it's not in anymore. You can be all the fast and aggressive you want, but it is not going to help you when your head hits the concrete wall of reality. The entire absence of hits and fresh musical ideas kills all the potential of this probably talented band and puts it in a bottomless swamp that is called mediocrity. Once again, had they appeared some 10 years ago… Three fists for enthusiasm and ideological loyalty. (Troll)

1/5
INFERI
The Call Of The Dark Side
2000
Furias Records
black
Records like this make me hate technical progress. It seems like the present day-technology allows anyone, regardless of his/her talents or abilities to play an instrument, issue a CD, provided the person has the necessary amount of money. Even people from the most exotic places, including Africa and South America, manage to release their music on CD and distribute it all over the world. Inferi is from Argentina, and "The Call Of The Dark Side" seems to be their first record. Somehow copies of this release reached Russia, and one of them is now playing in my speakers. I wish it didn’t, for what I’m hearing is indeed horrible. Bleak and primitive black metal, very typical, very boring and the sound quality is beyond any verbal description. Even early works of Darkthrone and Bathory sound better than this. Why, I wanna know why, somebody is willing to waste money on such records, finance their release, promotion and stuff? Don’t tell me this is "true" or "underground." It is just tiresome and tedious. And I just can’t stand it. (Maniac)

5/5
KINGDOM COME
Too
2000
Eagle Records
hard rock
After a solo album Lenny Wolf is back with his main project - Kingdom Come. Strange but after the first run-through I was kinda what's this thing all about?! I mean I didn't expect such an album from Lenny & Co. What we witness now is the fact that many 80ies and early 90ies bands are going all-out trying to look and sound modern. But what really happens is that they actually loose their originality. In a very few cases such changes are positive. But what was done by Lenny and his team is really impressive - Kingdom Come's sound is now even closer to classic hard rock than their first albums!!! "Too" is a very strange blend of old re-recorded songs from Stone Fury records ("Too late", "Should have told you" and "Tease") and new tracks. But despite this difference (the last Stone Fury album was released in 1986!!!) the record sounds as an organic whole. The only tribute to fancy sound in "Too" is the guitar playing. Mid-tempo songs with catchy melodies, perfect guitars, slightly pessimistic lyrics (not in all tracks, certainly) and Lenny's vocals make this album one the most impressive that I heard lately. With this record Lenny has definitively proved that Kingdom Come isn't one of those king-for-a-day bands that are trying so hard to fit the trend by releasing a very "modern and cheesy" album and shooting a stylish video for MTV. An album for real connoisseurs of good music and I'm sure you're one of those Too! (Big Daddy)

3/5
MISFORTUNE
Forsaken
2000
Blackend Records
Swedish death/black
Everyone knows I like melodic music. Misfortune are melodic allright. Does it mean that I like them? Well, not particularly. I’m afraid I’m just missing the point of this record. When a band plays the most trendy music like this typical Swedish death/black model they have to aim at something. For instance, at surpassing early In Flames, Dark Tranquillity or Gates Of Ishtar. Or at signing with Spinefarm (they specialise in this type of music) or Nuclear Blast (they work with everything that sells) and cash in on the popularity of the genre. However I’m afraid the guys do not aim at anything, they just play for the sake of having fun. There is not much in Misfortune that distinguishes them from many other performers elbowing in the very close space limited by the boundaries of the genre. Thus, I don’t really see why I should prefer this band to others. They are, however, a bit heavier that the masses of typical In Flames clones, but that does not help a lot. Unnecessary. (Maniac)

Unrated
NAERVAER
Skiftninger
2001
Prophecy Productions
Oliver Shanti meets Leonard Cohen and gets stoned
Along with their colleagues from Cold Meat Industry, home of such cult ambient acts as Raison d'Etre and Brighter Death Now, Prophecy Productions could be considered one of the most strange and bizarre labels around - I mean if bizarre was a boot it'd fit it. Well, Naervaer… what could be said really about this band? They are… well, if I was to continue this allegory, I'd say that if bizarre was a boot Naervaer would be the shoemakers, you know what I mean. This is not even music anymore. It is something larger. Well it does have a melody of its own, and some basic rhythm to it, but still… it's larger than that. The closest thing musically that occurred to me would be most likely what Oliver Shanti is doing with his ethnic ambient based on the culture of North-American Red Indians. But it's more than that too, cause I mean it is a little bit more insane. There is some sort of lunacy behind the whole thing. I mean if Shanti's music is all about reaching nirvana, than Naervaer would lead you quite in the opposite direction. It's not that it will drive you all restless and crazy, but it certainly will disturb you for a while. It's like them low-budget 16mm underground movies. Or, the obscure poetry of the MacSpeden group. Or Broegel's paintings. I dunno. It's weird. It's insane. It's horrifying. But it is so beautiful at the same time… I won't rate it though. Check'em out yerselves… ;) (Troll)

5/5
PARADISE LOST
Mouth (single)
2001
EMI Records
gothic metal
Surprise! They’re not dead! And not dead for heavy metal they are either. This 15-minute taster of the upcoming album “Believe In Nothing” features heavy guitars, pounding drums, a good share of electronics, a full orchestra and a deadly dose of melancholy - everything that Paradise Lost stands for. As far as I can see from these four tracks, the band is back to the sound of “One Second”, my favourite album in their discography. The first two songs, “Mouth” and “Sway”, are quite heavy, with lots of “One Second” -era distorted guitars, backed by electronic noises in the vein of “Host”. This combination works great and a small step back in their evolution did Paradise Lost a world of good. The third track is the orchestrated ballad “Gone”, an apotheosis of gloom and melancholy that is just unbelievably beautiful. Added to those is the remix of “Mouth” that is not radically different from the original, but that does not matter as long as you dig the previous three tracks. I just hope that Nick, Gregor & Co have enough songs of such high quality to put on the full album. If so, it’s gonna be a mega killer. (Maniac)

4/5
PECCATUM
Amor Fati
2000
Candlelight Records
symphonic metal
If Nightwish and Tristania are too soft for you, check out Peccatum. This project combines neoclassic elements and beautiful female vocals with black metal guitars, pounding programmed drums and very raw male singing. Many people are not going to like that, as the record stands very far from what typical black metal, heavy metal or gothic metal are thought to be. Others are gonna say that the drum machine fits the music poorly or female vocals are weak or guitars are too heavy and that the band should change on the next record to match the listeners’ expectations. I like the record as it is, mostly because it is non-typical. I perceive Peccatum as a field for experimentation where all kinds of crazy ideas are mixed in bizarre proportions. Some fruit of such experimentation are fantastic, some are not, but what the hell, it’s much more interesting than most pure black or pure power metal releases anyway. With the line up featuring Ihsahn from Emperor and his wife Inhriel, Peccatum is bound for some attention from the fans and the press, and I hope that those who are into style-mixing will not pass it by. (Maniac)

4/5
ROB ROCK
Rage Of Creation
2000
Massacre Records
heavy metal
Surprise! Who would expect the singer of Axel Rudi Pell and Chris Impelliteri to go solo with such a success? His "Rage Of Creation" is a great heavy metal record, quite original but often reminding of Bruce Dickinson’s "Accident Of Birth." This is logical given that both CDs were produced by Roy Z., who became heavy metal’s No.1 produced after working with Rob Halford and Helloween. It is of interest that Roy manages to find an individual approach to each artist, and his low-pitch trademark appears only accidentally on "Rage Of Creation," the only exception being the tune "Judgement Day," the heaviest on this album. Other tracks demonstrate a more traditional heavy metal sound, which suits Rob’s vocals perfectly, making the songs "One Way Out," "In The Night" and incredible ABBA cover "The Eagle" a real pleasure for fans of true metal, not too heavy but not too radio-friendly either. I would have also named the final song "Forever" among my favourites, if not for its lyrics, which deal with eternal love and affection to a woman. Why so much pathos? Why again these lines about "love of my life"? A good way to spoil the impression of a record. (Maniac)

3+/5
SILENT STREAM OF GODLESS ELEGY
Themes
2000
Redblack Prods.
doom/death
Another doom/death outfit, this time from the Czech Republic, a rather exotic place for such music. However the content of the record is not exotic at all, this blend of doom/death is played everywhere around the world these days. At first I actually hated the CD, thinking it has nothing new for me. The second try changed my attitute and the third made me really enjoy "Themes." Not being a revelation, the Czech guys and girls are different from most of the bands in this genre are doing. Their songs are symphonic and deppressing, but still heavy and even dynamic (dynamic doom? wow, I can pride myself on inventing a new stylistic definition). Singer Peter Stanek has a noticeable voice, it's not death growl, but still truly aggressive and brutal. Sometimes violin player Zusanna helps with the female vocals, but her singing is nothing special. Besides, Peter Durst from Darkside sings on the track "My Friend Who Doesn't Exist," one of the best on this CD. Another outstanding track is "We Shall Go," which sounds like a doom metal march. Besides, the last song is sung in Czech, also an interesting experiment. Other tracks are also enjoyable, there is plenty of strings and guitars on them, and fans of doom/death should not miss this release. However don't expect a sensation after a first spin, this is a record that really takes time to appreciate. (Maniac)

4/5
SWARTALF
The Golden Section
2000
Memento Mori
metal ambient
I liked a lot of what I understood about this record, but what I didn't understand should be much better. "The Golden Section" is a very complicated disc, and very unusual to say the least. Metal riffing and computerised drums are mixed with the ambient background and atmosphere to create a weird but intriguing music that I cannot compare with anyone. I've read some reviews saying that the record has a lot of black metal influences. With this I cannot agree. Swartalf are rumoured to include some musicians that are very popular on the black metal stage, but that's where any connection with black ends. Riffs are more industrial than blackish, and the vocals, though aggressive and menacing, have nothing to do with typical raven-like screams. "The Golden Section" is a treat for everyone that loves off-the-wall music, but if you go for it better be aware that songs are long and lacking development and the whole record sounds a bit monotonous. (Maniac)

4-/5
UNBOUND
…In Infinity
2000
Premium Records
doomcore
Having gathered in 1996 somewhere in Germany four metalheads created a demo tape and only in 1999 this tape found itself in the hands of Totenmond management. 'In Infinity' was honoured to be the first CD to be issued on the new label Premium Rec., that was created by the mentioned above Totenmond staff. I'll tell you the truth - I have read about 8 reviews on this CD. Unbound is said to be Crowbar, Carnivore followers. I can't acknowledge this statement - I simply haven't heard these bands. Sorry. But I heard and am actually listening to Unbound now. The music is very heavy, being made such with the help of very low-pitched guitars, almost always very slow, well doomish, all-in-all very specific. But the vocals, the vocals! Oh shite! It would nothing to describe them as unusual. Singer Marshl produces vocals that are actually a blend of growling, gargling sounds, hardcore screams and even clear voices. That is something you have to hear. But on the whole regardless of very catchy riffology, for me this music ended up to be a bit dull. The same thing as with Tanzwut - I would like to have a song or two on compilation CD and then it would be just awesome, but the whole album I simply can't stand it. (Felix da Katt)
P.S. Watch out for the re-interpretation of the T.REX-classic "Children of The Revolution" which is made to be a doom piece. Nice idea I have to admit.

2/5
VARIOUS ARTISTS
In the Sign of the Horns - a Tribute to Venom
2000
Dwell Records
cover buggery
Looks like Dwell Records are getting stuck in their tribute brughaha. Last month we already reviewed their attempt to honour Morbid Angel, which, although rated at 4 fists, honestly could have been a huge lot better. Well, this time we are talking a collection of covers of an even more famous band, the almighty Venom. Just happened so, that this is already the third tribute to this band I encounter, and, unfortunately it's simply getting worse. The first one I ever heard was called 'In the Name of Satan,' released through the French First Town Records, and was entirely brilliant, both from the point of view of its originality and the casting: Paradise Lost, Kreator, Voivod, Anathema, Skyclad just to name a few. Well the second, entitled 'Promoters of the Third World War' (Tribute Records), was a huge step back, from all points of view, production included. Nonetheless, everything there was compensated by a raw underground vibe, which was pretty cool. Well, the Dwell's 'In the Sign of the Horns' is just shite. As simple as that. I knew I was going to hate it from the very first track. Nocturne managed to do the worst ever version of 'Black Metal' you could have ever heard. I mean their lead singer could not even catch the rhythm. Awful. '1,000 Days in Sodom' done by Coffin Texts was a little bit better, but what followed them was crap all the way to the very end of the record. Shitty sound, entire unprofessionalism, and total absence of originality - that's what is expecting those who will be tricked into buying this record. I mean it's so bad I don't know where to begin from. The only couple of tracks that do step out of this pile of crap are probably Acheron's 'Countess Bathory' and Evil Incarnate's 'In Nomine Satanas'. I mean, even Ritual Carnage screwed up here. Ah, bugger… (Troll)

3+/5
VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Keepers Of Jericho - A Tribute To Helloween
2000
Arise Records
Helloween covered by new breed of Europower
Pumpkins rule - who’s gonna argue about that? More arguable is the question whether present-day speed/power adepts can compete with the patriarchs of the style. Listening to this tribute, issued by Italian record label Arise Records and re-issued in Japan (of course!) by Victor Entertainment, I come to the conclusion that 95 percent of them cannot. Out of 13 tracks only one may be compared with the original version in quality and originality - Rhapsody rearranged quite an obscure Helloween track ("Guardians") so much that it now sounds like a 100-percent "hollywood metal" song. The other bands, most of them young German and Italian power/speed acts, are trying hard, but the best they can do is to play as close to the original version as possible. A couple of performers made their versions much heavier than the originals - Metalium turned "Ride The Sky" into thrash metal and Brainstorm did almost the same with "Savage," but by adding heaviness those bands lost something in the melodic department. Dark Moor were the most courageous, as they chose to play "Halloween" - a 13-minute-long epic track with dozens of tempo changes and solos. Let’s do them honour, they managed to cope with their task and the result is one of the best tunes on this CD, only the band’s female singer has quite noticeable accent. Less successful are a couple of tunes that suffer from poor mixing, and the track done by Sonata Arctica, as I never managed to understand whether it was an attempt to change the song ("I Want Out") or inability to play it properly. The overall impression that I get from this tribute is that it’s a nice record, but I was really expecting much more from a tribute to Helloween. If you’re a speed/power freak you should check this out anyway, but be ready for a minor disappointment, for Helloween are unique, and their style and playing skills are almost impossible to surpass. P.S. I just want to add that the tracks featured on this tribute are taken from Helloween’s releases dated 1984 to 1988 and the participants I haven’t mentioned are Luca Turilli, Heavens Gate, Vision Divine, Labyrinth, Morifade, Secret Sphere, Squealer and Cydonia. (Maniac)

5/5
WYNJARA
Wynjara
2000
Nocturnal Art Productions
death... is just the beginning
What do we see having glanced at the names of the band members - JP Soars (ex-Pain God, ex-Malevolent Creation and right now in Divine Empire) and Jason Morgan (ex-Monstrosity) on guitars. Neat, isn't it? The project of such grandees! For many of you who probably thought themselves too tired of brutal death metal, please don't go on reading the next review 'cause WYNJARA is something special. Once I asked Troll about his opinion of probability of ever being a band that would play a true death metal but in a bit modern way. Having heard the lecture on this topic, I actually a bit forgotten about it, but Nocturnal Arts Production revived me. Have you ever thought of calling death metal music 'beautiful'. For Wynjara this epithet is absolute. Brutality and speed are there of course, the excellent guttural voices too, heavily distorted guitars and technically perfect drumming. But what is the best is that most of the songs are based on melodies (whether deadly, or acoustic, in clear sound). Starting from somewhere from the 4th song every second track is an instrumental showing the musicians in a complete another dimension. Tracks are supposedly inspired by the Aboriginal beliefs ('Namarrkon', 'Waratah', 'Ngalyod', 'Barnumbirr'), and their technical level is simply perfect! The CD production amazes me. Hey. I want the second album. I can't wait to have it. In addition to that, you'll even have a cover of the Scorpions 'Animal Magnetism'… (Felix da Katt)