UMUR "Progression Towards Evil" is the debut full-length studio album by US, New York based death metal act Skinless. The album was released through Step Up Records in March 1998. Skinless formed in 1992 under the Gorebag monicker but soon changed their name to the current one. The band released their first demo in 1994 and the "Swollen Heaps" demo followed in 1995. Since the release of "Swollen Heaps" there have been some lineup changes. Sherwood Webber now solely performs vocals (he recorded some of the drum tracks on "Swollen Heaps"), drummer/vocalist Ryan Wade has been replaced by Bob Beaulac (who performs drums and not vocals on this album), and bassist Adam Lewis has been replaced by Joe Keyser. Guitarist Noah Carpenter has been the only constant member of Skinless since their formation, but this particular lineup would actually be stabile for a couple of albums.

Stylistically the material on "Progression Towards Evil" is pretty much a continuation of the heavy and brutal groove laden death metal style of the "Swollen Heaps" demo. Both "Crispy Kids" and "Cuntaminated" from the demo were re-recorded and included on "Progression Towards Evil". Skinless have increased the overall pace of their music though, which now features more faster parts than the demos did, but it´s still predominantly a heavy and groove laden death metal release. It´s not as such slam death, but there are definitely some shared elements featured on the album. The vocals are brutal unintelligible growling and they are placed very high in the mix, occasionally almost drowning the instrumental part of the music. I´d say the vocals are maybe placed a bit too high in the mix, although it´s important on this type of release, that they are dominant to ensure a high level of brutality and savagery. But these vocals are arguably placed a bit too high in the mix.

Skinless are a well playing unit and everything is delivered with the skill and precision needed to play this type of music. "Progression Towards Evil" is not a cold and mechanical death metal release though, as the band have an organic touch to their performances and the raw and unpolished sound production values further enhance the feeling that you´re listening to real people playing. Upon conclusion "Progression Towards Evil" is a raw, relatively immature, and not perfect debut album from Skinless. There´s promise here and some of those heavy brutal grooves are really great and crushing, but a little more is needed to reach the heights of the best contemporary releases. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 Released in 1995 (the clue’s in the name of the album!), ‘From the Gutter to the Stage’ is a compilation album by progressive metal band Savatage, one of my all-time favourite groups.

I mention that little fact, because even though they’ve been one of my favourite bands for a long time, I find this compilation a bit of a mixed bag. Don’t get me wrong, the songs are absolute bangers, but as is the case with any “best of” CD, firstly, they become dated over time, and secondly, there’s always a case for songs that should have been included or excluded. And in this case, yeah, there’s a number of songs I feel shouldn’t have been left out, and likewise, there’s some here that I feel take up the space of what otherwise could have been one of the ‘Tage’s main compositions.

There’s a second disc, which I guess is some kind of “rare” tracks or something. But they’ve all since seen the light of day on the 2002 re-issues, or elsewhere, so listening back to it now, they’re nothing new, and also, there’s only four of them, which is kind of a waste of a disc! First world problems, I suppose.

Anyway, all negativity aside, this IS Savatage, and Savatage are awesome. You’ve got ‘Edge of Thorns’, ‘Gutter Ballet’, ‘Hall of the Mountain King’, ‘Chance’ and ‘Power of the Night’, all of which are absolutely fantastic tracks. So overall, this is a good disc to own, and certainly makes for a great introduction to newcomers, but ultimately, it’s dated, and by this point there’s better, more well-rounded compilations out there.

martindavey87 I loved ‘Load’. I loved ‘Reload’. I didn’t mind when they did a covers album, or played with an orchestra. And I was one of the 17 people (including the band themselves… maybe) who actually liked ‘St. Anger’. But with ‘Lulu’, Metallica (and Lou Reed, for that matter), have finally achieved their goal of making one of, if not THE, absolute worst album in music history.

The collaborative project between musical giants Metallica and Lou Reed, ‘Lulu’ is a 2011 concept double-album, and while the project initially sparked people’s interest, the results very quickly became the subject of universal criticism.

And rightfully so.

I always give every album a fair number of listens, even ones I don’t enjoy, hoping that something might just click or pique my interest after multiple listens. I listened to ‘Lulu’ three times, and it’s been the three most tedious experiences I’ve had to endure. The songs are boring, the lyrics are awful, and the mash-up between Metallica’s heavy metal and Lou Reed’s weird style of talk-singing, or sing-talking, just don’t work.

Musically, the album COULD have been okay. If James Hetfield was singing and this was another Metallica foray into alternative or art rock, it might have been listenable. But it’s not. There’s lyrical gems like “I would cut my legs and tits off when I think of Boris Karloff”, and a song where Reed spends eight minutes asking “why do you cheat on me”, and the whole time I hearing this, I’m picturing Lars Ulrich at some art gallery, trying to be all deep and introspective. But in reality, this is all an absolute pile of nonsense.

Nothing can redeem this album, and the only reason I have to keep it in my collection is because it’s Metallica, and I have some rubbish OCD collector thing going on, that makes me need to keep it. Just don’t even bother.

UMUR "Swollen Heaps" is the second demo recording by US, New York based death metal act Skinless. The demo was independently released in October 1995. Skinless formed in 1992 under the Gorebag monicker but soon after changed their name to the current one. The band released their first demo in 1994 and shortly after the release of the demo original vocalist Mike Levy left. Instead a rather strange constellation happened. Drummer Ryan Wade performs vocals on three out of five tracks on "Swollen Heaps" and plays drums on the remaining two, while new vocalist Sherwood Webber peforms vocals on the two tracks where Wade doesn´t perform, but also plays drums on the three tracks where Wade doesn´t. Bassist Ted Monsour has left and has been replaced by Adam Lewis. So only the role of guitarist Noah Carpenter hasn´t changed since the first demo.

Stylistically Skinless still play a brutal and crushingly heavy death metal style, which is predominantly mid-paced and groove laden. It´s not so much Obituary, Jungle Rot, and Six Feet Under I´m thinking of when listening to "Swollen Heaps" though (which I do when listening to the first demo), but instead Suffocation and other early slam death originators. The brutality and technical playing have been taken a notch up, and "Swollen Heaps" is overall quite the impressive death metal demo. Filled to the brim with heavy brutal grooves and riffs, unintelligible brutal growling, and high level musicianship, this is a quality release. The songwriting is effective and relatively memorable and the sound production is in the better end of death metal demo sound recordings. This could just as well have been released as an EP on a label. Both "Crispy Kids" and "Cuntaminated" from this demo were re-recorded and included on Skinless debut full-length studio album "Progression Towards Evil" (released in March 1998). A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 ‘The Final Experiment’ is the debut album by legendary progressive metal outfit, Ayreon, the band pseudonym of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Arjen Anthony Lucassen. I use the term “legendary” because Ayreon albums have not only gone on to garner huge fan adulation and respect, but have become known for utilizing a wealth of musicians from various genres, thus displaying a high standard of quality and musicianship.

However, that’s now. Back in 1995, Lucassen was pretty much unknown, and was just starting to put this little project together. Not being able to pick from an unlimited pallet of musicians like he is today, almost everyone on this album is also relatively unknown, and are mostly friends from Lucassen’s homeland, the Netherlands.

And so with that said, this album is nothing more than laying the foundations of what’s to come. The huge medieval science fiction concept is in place, and it’s clear the musical direction is in the vein of traditional progressive metal, though with an underlying folk influence. However, for all the pomp and pageantry, I do find this album to be pretty forgettable. There’s only a handful of songs I’d really consider coming back to, such as ‘Eyes of Time’, ‘Sail Away to Avalon’ and ‘Ye Courtyard Minstrel Boy’, which are all remarkable, but otherwise, I would much rather listen to any of Ayreon’s later releases.

But for what it’s worth, this is still an album worth owning, if nothing more, than because it’s the start of a huge rock opera that will go on to span many albums over many years. But much, much better things are on the horizon for this Dutch project.

UMUR "Demo 1994" is the first demo recording by US, New York based death metal act Skinless. The demo was independently released in 1994. Skinless formed in 1992 under the Gorebag monicker but soon after changed their name to the current one. It´s the only Skinless release to feature original vocalist Mike Levy, who would depart soon after the release of this demo.

The demo features 6 tracks and a playing time close to 25 minutes, so there is quantity enough in terms of getting to know Skinless and their style of music, which is ultimately the goal of a demo. Stylistically this is brutal and heavy death metal which is predominantly mid-paced and features heavy brutal grooves and riffs. It´s artists like Obituary, Six Feet Under, and Jungle Rot, I´m reminded of, and this is generally crushingly heavy death metal. The vile movie sample intros are quite effective, providing the demo with the right foul atmosphere.

It doesn´t sound much like anything Skinless would produce down the road, but it´s still good quality death metal. Skinless are a well playing unit, and the demo features a decent sound production job, so upon conclusion it´s a demo worth investigaing and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Metropolis" is the third full-length studio album by Norwegian rock act Seigmen. The album was released through the 1:70 label in October 1995. It´s the successor to "Total" from 1994. The original album release features Norwegian language lyrics, but the band released an English language version of the album in February 1996 titled "Metropolis – The Grandmaster Recordings". Probably as an attempt to have a breakthrough outside of Scandinavia. "Metropolis" is Seigmen´s most commercially successful release and although it´s not a mainstrean seeking rock album, it is overall more accessible than the two albums which precede it.

Stylistically the music is dark, heavy (not in a heavy metal fashion), and melancholic rock and although this is generally a bit more harder edged and energetic, I´m often reminded of The Cure albeit with Norwegian lyrics. Lead vocalist Alex Møklebust, whispers, sings emotional parts, and at times a bit more raw, and his voice and singing style are great for this style of music. The bass is a prominent instrument in Seigmen´s music and along with the two guitars create a gloomy and depressive atmosphere. The drums are dynamic and perfectly compliment both the softer parts of the music as well as the louder and more hard rocking sections.

Among the highlights on the 11 track, 57:38 minutes long album are the opening title track, the anthemic "Slaver av solen", the beatiful instrumental "Circus", and the 11:47 minutes long closing track "Nemesis" (which does end with 3 minutes of annoying feedback noise, but is otherwise a great track). Every track on the album is worth a mention though, and "Metropolis" is through and through a quality release. That feeling is further enhanced by the incredibly well sounding production job, which is both powerful, detailed, and suiting the music perfectly. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

martindavey87 Released in 1998, ‘Fly Eyes’ is the third studio album by German rockers H-Blockx. It follows their previous two outings, which were solid rap-rock albums revelling in the early 90’s sound and style. However, ‘Fly…’ sees less emphasis on the rapping, and leans more stylistically in the vein of late 90’s MTV-inspired radio-friendly hard rock. (That was a mouthful!)

It’s not all bad though, I mean, yeah, it’s different than the aggressive and kind of quirky sound that H-Blockx had on their previous releases, but at the same time it still sounds like the same band. They play well together, and are good at writing catchy, memorable rock anthems, with highlights being ‘Fly’, ‘Stars’, ‘Even Goes’, ‘Liquid Sunlight’ and ‘Without You’.

Chuck in a few excellent guitar solos, confident vocals and a solid production, and you’re left with a fine slab of 90’s rock. There’s really not much else to say about this one. It’ll never be my favourite H-Blockx album, but it’s good enough to come back to once in a while.

UMUR "Slaughter of the Soul" is the fourth full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act At the Gates. The album was released through Earache Records in November 1995. It´s the successor to "Terminal Spirit Disease" from 1994 and it would be the last album release by At the Gates before their split-up in 1996. The band were at the height of their success and had their international breakthrough with "Slaughter of the Soul", but after touring heavily in support of the album (including a couple of US tours), the Björler brothers (Anders on guitars and Jonas on bass) decided to leave At the Gates, and the remaining members didn´t feel they could continue without them. The Björler brothers and drummer Adrian Erlandsson would soon after form The Haunted.

Stylistically the material on "Slaughter of the Soul" is the most powerful, trimmed, and mature version of At the Gates. Gone are the odd musical experiments of the first two albums, and the material inconsistency of "Terminal Spirit Disease" (1994), and what´s left is the sharpest, most melodic, rewarding, and intriguing release of their original run. Lead vocalist Tomas Lindberg still sounds like he has just swallowed a plateful of broken glass with his high pitched almost desperate sounding growling vocal style and the band are very well playing delivering one death/thrashy riff after another, and loads of melodic leads and harmonies. The rhythm section drive the music forward in a powerful energetic fashion, and it´s definitely one of those albums where it´s audible that the band members felt they had composed something special, and that they needed to convey that in the most intense way possible.

This may first and foremost be a melodic death metal release, but many of the riffs on the album actually belong in thrash metal territory, making "Slaughter of the Soul" quite the interesting release in terms of the fast-paced rhythm guitar riffs. While the tracks are not exactly experimental or anything in that ballpark, At the Gates still manage to incorporate enough non vers/chorus parts to keep the songs interesting, which is also helped along by the many tempo changes during the tracks. "Slaughter of the Soul" also features atmospheric parts and while it may not initially sound like it, the tracks are varied and memorable and have the potential to grow on you.

"Slaughter of the Soul" features a powerful, detailed, and well sounding production, which suits the material perfectly, and upon conclusion it´s a high quality release by At the Gates. a 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Amok" is the third full-length studio album by Finland, Muhos based death/gothic metal act Sentenced. The album was released through Century Media Records in January 1995. It´s the successor to "North From Here" (1993) although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the October 1994 EP "The Trooper". The quartet lineup who recorded "North From Here" (1993) is intact on "Amok"...

...and the fact that there haven´t been any lineup changes and that lead guitarist Miika Tenkula is still the main songwriter in the band is quite frankly baffling when you listen to the material on "Amok" compared to the sound and style of the material featured on "North From Here" (1993). Sentenced were a very young band when they started out (releasing their first demo "When Death Join Us..." in November 1990) and they were constantly changing their sound and style in the first 5 years of the band´s existence. The change from the old school death metal sound on "Shadows of the Past" (1991) to the melodic and technical blackened death metal style on "North From Here" (1993) was also a great stylistic change, but the change is even more significant between "North From Here" (1993) and "Amok".

Stylistially the material on "Amok" is a melodic and gothic/doom tinged death´n´roll style and the music often sounds like contemporary Paradise Lost mixed with some Cemetary/Tiamat and some 80s traditional heavy metal and goth rock influences (complete with the occasional female backing vocals). In that respect the core sound isn´t particularly original, but Sentenced still manage to sound unique. The lead guitar work by Tenkula is quite exquisite and deserves a special mention, but the vocals by bassist/lead vocalist Taneli Jarva are also worth a mention as they sound very unique. He has a raw semi-growlig vocal style, but he is able to put a lot of melody and emotion into his delivery. The vocals are probably an aquired taste, but to my ears they are a treat...

The material is well written, instantly catchy, and memorable. There´s also enough variation between tracks to keep the album entertaining throughout. "Amok" features a decent sounding production job, but the drums and the bass could have been given more room in the mix. They are often completely overshadowed by the vocals, the hard rocking guitar riffs, and the soaring melancholic leads. "Amok" is overall a great release though, and quite frankly a huge surprise if you´re familiar with the preceding Sentenced releases. If you know your death metal history, in retrospect the stylistic change isn´t that surprising though, as many Scandinavian artists (many of them Sentenced´s fellow countrymen) turned their backs on old school death metal at this point and started incorporating rock´n´roll and traditional heavy metal elements to their core death metal sound. Upon conclusion Sentenced succeeded pretty well in doing that on "Amok" and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "XXX" is an EP release by Brazilian thrash metal act Sextrash. The EP was released through Maggot Records in 1989. Sextrash formed in 1987 in Belo Horizonte and released a couple of demos in the late 80s, before being signed for the release of "XXX".

Stylistically the material on the 3 tracks, 8:49 minutes long EP is aggressive and brutal thrash metal, which at times borders proto black and death metal. "XXX" has that ferocious primal edge that many South American thrash metal releases from the 1980s are known for and it´s almost like Sextrash go out of their way to deliver the most savage and caustic attack commited to tape. It sounds authentic and nicely raw though, so they definitely succeed in delivering said attack.

The murky, loud, and raw sounding production job further enhances the brutality and aggression of the material, and while the songwriting isn´t the most original you´ll hear in the genre, "XXX" is still a decent quality release and a nice addition to your collection of 1980s thrash/blackened speed metal releases from South America. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Graveyard Classics III" is the eleventh full-length studio album by US, Florida based death metal act Six Feet Under. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in January 2010. It´s the successor to "Death Rituals" from 2008 and as the title also suggests the third instalment of the "Graveyard Classics" cover albums series.

While the first "Graveyard Classics" album featured death metal cover versions of various classic hard rock, punk, and heavy metal tracks, the second "Graveyard Classics" album was a death metal cover version of the full "Back in Black" (1980) album by AC/DC. On "Graveyard Classics III", Six Feet Under return to the formula of covering various artists instead of a full album. They have opted to cover tracks by artists like Metallica, Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Ramones, and Twisted Sister, so stylistically it´s somewhere between punk, heavy metal, and thrash metal. The instrumental performances are strong enough, but not all tracks sound great with Chris Barnes growling. Not surprisingly "At Dawn They Sleep" by Slayer is the most successful cover on the album, as it´s the track best suited for death metal growling. The tracks which originally features more melodic singing, have a tendency not to sound great with Barnes' growling on top, as he doesn´t manage to add any melody to his growling. The quality of his growling vocals also vary from track to track. On some tracks he sounds relatively decent, without reaching excellence, while he sounds monotone and a little hoarse and powerless on others.

I know some people find the "Graveyard Classics" albums a great listen, but honestly I think they are bit of a novelty listening experience. It´s entertaining enough while it plays (and there are a couple of moments where the growling vocals provide a slight humourous edge), but I don´t get the urge to listen to them again. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Torcha!" is the second full-length studio album by Finnish, Helsinki based heavy rock/metal act Waltari. The album was released through Emergo Records in 1992. It´s the succcessor to "Monk-Punk" from 1991 and features the same quartet lineup who recorded the predecessor.

Stylistically the material on "Torcha!" is an eclectic combination of musical styles and elements and in that respect "Torcha!" is a natural successor to "Monk-Punk" (1991). An alternative, adventurous, and often funky heavy rock/metal style (with the occasional nod towards thrash metal) is a relatively valid description, but Waltari are incredibly hard to put a label on (and I´m sure that´s exactly how they want it to be). Labels like high level musicianship, intriguing songwriting, and high quality production values fully apply though, and "Torcha!" is through and through an interesting listen.

Featuring 15 tracks and a total playing time of 61:11 minutes "Torcha!" is a pretty massive album in terms of quantity, but it´s not an album containing many filler tracks (like one could have feared). Instead the variation and multitude of stylistic elements ensure an engaging listen from start to finish. Even the more wacky tracks work well within the context of the album, and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is therefore deserved.

UMUR "Get What You Deserve" is the sixth full-length studio album by German thrash metal act Sodom. The album was released through Steamhammer Records in January 1994. It´s the successor to "Tapping the Vein" from 1992 and there´s been one lineup change since the predecessor a drummer Chris Witchhunter has left, leaving bassist/lead vocalist Tom Angelripper the only remaining founding member. Witchhunter has been replaced by former Living Death/Holy Moses drummer Atomic Steif (real name: Guido Richter). Guitarist Andy Brings completes the trio lineup.

Stylistically the material on "Get What You Deserve" is a continuation of the dark and brutal thrash metal sound of "Tapping the Vein" (1992). Just like the case was with the predecessor Sodom have opted for a more raw and brutal sound and Angelripper sounds seriously pissed, delivering his caustic raw snarl. It´s not quite death metal growling, but listeners who hear a death metal influence are excused. Most tracks are relatively short (2-3 minutes in length), and they are effective brutal thrash metal tunes. There are however a few exceptions from the predominantly fast-paced and furious thrash metal assault, as Sodom have also included a couple of mid-paced heavy tracks, the instrumental "Tribute to Moby Dick", a couple of German language tracks, and the occassional hardcore punk and traditional heavy metal influenced section. There´s also some humour in the lyrics department, which is a deviation from the usual death and destruction themes of the lyrics. So upon conclusion "Get What You Deserve" is a bit more varied than what it may initially appear to be. Highlights include the opening title track, "Jabba the Hut", and the above mentioned "Tribute to Moby Dick", but all tracks on the album have something to offer.

The album features a raw, brutal, and at times slightly murky sounding production job, which suits the material well. The rawness of the production provides the material with the right ferocious edge, although a few details are lost in the gloom of the mix. "Get What You Deserve" is in many ways a sibling release to "Tapping the Vein" (1992), and those who enjoyed the predecessor will pretty surely also greatly appreciate this album. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Hatred for Mankind" is the debut full-length studio album by UK blackened death/doom/sludge metal act Dragged Into Sunlight. The album was released through the Mordgrimm label in September 2009. Dragged Into Sunlight formed in 2006 and their first release was a collaboration EP/mini-album with Kas Mana titled "Terminal Aggressor" which was released in March 2009.

If the unnerving and vile cover artwork (which is somehow made even more eerie by the fact that it almost looks like it´s made by a child) doesn´t tell you that this will be an incredibly dark, savage, and hateful listening experience, the "Hatred for Mankind" album title definitely should...and here´s one of those cases where album title, cover artwork, lyrics, and music go hand in hand. This is gloomy, bleak, and hateful blackened death/doom/sludge metal, featuring an oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere (helped along by eerie voice samples from movies), which feels like it´s designed to cause you harm.

The music is relatively varied in pace and Dragged Into Sunlight master both fast-paced brutal and aggressive death metal and slower doom/sludgy parts (which sometimes remind me of what Eyehategod would sound like it they went all-in on a blackened death metal sound) with the same confidence and conviction. The vocals are brutal and caustic aggressive growling and screaming, and they are generally very well performed, adding another caustic angry element to the already vicious assault on your ears.

So this is overall a highly aggressive and brutal sounding release, but the strength of "Hatred for Mankind" is actually the balance Dragged Into Sunlight are able to create with some atmospheric (still dark and morbid) sounding parts (like the clean singins choir part on "I, Aurora"), which means the tracks never feel long or like they outstay their welcome even though most of them are actually pretty long. "Hatred for Mankind" features six tracks and a total playing time of 51:37 minutes and four out of those six tracks are either close to being 10 minutes long or exceed 10 minutes in length.

The filthy, organic, and savage sounding production values are to my ears a stroke of genius. "Hatred for Mankind" sounds crushingly heavy and brutal, but still features enough clarity for the listener to be able to hear all details of the music. It´s a perfect production job for this type of music. So upon conclusion "Hatred for Mankind" is a high quality debut album from Dragged Into Sunlight. This does not sound like a debut album at all. These guys sound like they know exactly what they want to do with their music and everything on this album works well together. There´s nothing here which doesn´t fit or which sounds awkward. It´s a perfect bleak, brutal, and savage listening experience and a 4.5 star (90%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Master of Disaster" is an EP release by Canadian heavy metal act Black Knight. The EP was independently released in 1985. Black Knight formed in 1981 and released a 1984 demo before recording and self-releasing this EP. They disbanded some time after releasing "Master of Disaster", and it would be their only release (save for the 1984 demo).

Stylistically the 5 tracks on the 24:16 minutes long EP are powerful, energetic, and raw heavy metal (with a slight touch of early US power metal). Hard rocking, sharp riffs, melodic lead- and harmony guitar work, and an incredibly well singing lead vocalist in front. I was shocked to learn that the vocals are performed by a woman (Lori "The Scream Queen" Wilde), because the are very raw and if I didn´t know I would never have guessed that it was a woman singing (an artist like Chastain is a valid reference). Especially the vocal performance on the slow and epic "Aaraigathor (Metal Anthem)" makes me wonder if the vocalist credits are correct (I´ve read some sources saying that, that particular track was performed by a male vocalist). Well...under any circumstances the vocals are absolutely fantastic.

The songwriting is of a high quality, the performances are on a high level on all posts, and "Master of Disaster" also features a powerful, detailed, and sharp sounding production job, making it a high quality release from Black Knight. I would have loved to have heard a follow-up to this release, but unfortunately that wasn´t to be. To my ears this one is a gem and I can highly recommend it. Sure it´s not the most unique release in this style from 1985, but there´s so much quality here to enjoy that it´s a minor issue. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Parasite" is an eponymously titled EP release by Swedish heavy metal act Parasite. The EP was released through the Hellrec Records label in 1984. The EP has been reissued many times since. Roadrunner Records for example picked it up for a European reissue release in 1985. Parasite formed in 1981 and released two demos in 1983 before being signed for the release of this EP. It´s the only label release by Parasite as they would disband in 1985 without further releases under their belts. Drummer Johan Billerhaug would subsequently perform with both Hexenhaus and Memento Mori.

The EP features five tracks and a total playing time of 18:34 minutes. The music style is heavy metal with both melodic moments and a rare nod towards speed metal. It´s pretty effective and energetic material and lead vocalist/bassist Paul Zanichelli has a pretty strong voice and a convincing delivery. The two guitarists often play harmony parts and the band are generally well playing. The material is relatively standard for the style. Parasite don´t carve their own style with this release, but they do what they do with the right attitudes, skills, and songwriting craft. The EP also features a decent (for the time) sound production and a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "Demo 2" is the fourth demo recording by Norwgian death metal act Cadaver. The demo was recorded in January 1990 but it was never officially released (which probably explains the lack of a title). It was handed out to friends of the band though, and has made its way to the public through those channels. If I have to guess it´s maybe a pre-production demo for the December 1990 "Hallucinating Anxiety" debut full-length studio album.

The demo features five tracks and a total playing time of 19:34 minutes. All five tracks would also be featured on Cadaver´s debut full-length studio album "Hallucinating Anxiety" (released in December 1990) in what to my ears sound like different versions. Very little information is available regarding this demo though, so I can´t be sure. To me the sound production just sounds much sharper, clearer, and defined than the more raw and brutal sounding "Hallucinating Anxiety".

Given the fact that all material featured on the demo is also available on "Hallucinating Anxiety" it´s not the most neccesary release if you already own the album, but that doesn´t take away from the fact that it´s a high quality old school death metal recording and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Sunset at Dawn" is the third demo recording by Norwegian death metal act Cadaver. The demo was independently released in September 1989. It was recorded live on August the 16th, 1989, in Sarpsborg, Norway. Although it may sound like a bootleg live recording it is considered an official live demo recording by the band. There´s some minimal Norwegian language communication with the audience between tracks (you can hear the audience but they are very low in the mix), but other than that Cadaver are content to deliver their music in a surprisingly mature and skilled fashion (they had only existed around a year at this point).

The demo features six tracks and a total playing time of 18:39 minutes. It´s the same six tracks which are also featured on the tracklist of the band´s second demo "Abnormal Deformity" from July 1989, although the tracklist order is slightly altered on this release. So this is not a demo featuring any new material and we are in reality "just" treated to a more raw and live recorded version of the early-Carcass influenced "Abnormal Deformity" death metal demo material. No problem though, as "Abnormal Deformity" is a great demo and the live versions of the tracks featured on "Sunset at Dawn" feature the right brutal, gritty, and savage live sound to distinguish themselves from the studio versions. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Abnormal Deformity" is the second demo recording by Norwegian death metal act Cadaver. The demo was independently released in July 1989. It follows the release of Cadaver´s November 1988 rehearsal demo "Into the Outside". Bassist René Jansen has been added to the lineup since the first demo, and Cadaver are therefore a trio on "Abnormal Deformity" (the first demo didn´t feature any bass tracks).

It´s interesting to experience the development between "Into the Outside" and "Abnormal Deformity". While the first demo was a brutal, savage, but still occasionally thrash infused old school death metal release, "Abnormal Deformity" is obviously a Carcass influenced affair. It´s like Cadaver learned of the existence of Carcass between the two demo releases, and were instantly influenced by the sound of the Liverpool band. It´s really not that strange of course as countless testimonies from seminal Norwegian, Swedish, and especially Finnish death metal artists (artists like Xysma, Disgrace, and Lubricant are for example all strongly influenced by Carcass) mention Carcass as one of their main influences.

To my ears that makes "Abnormal Deformity" a slightly less unique demo compared to the raw and more primitive "Into the Outside", but it´s still a great quality old school death metal demo, and fans of early Carcass are of course recommended to take a listen. The addition of bass makes "Abnormal Deformity" a heavier and more professional sounding demo than "Into the Outside", so there´s been no decrease in overall quality. Cadaver are still a well playing band, and they sure know how to write an effective old school death metal tune too.

The slightly more clear (although still very raw and brutal) sounding production values provide the listener with a better understanding of the details of Cadaver´s music and upon conclusion "Abnormal Deformity" is a good quality sophomore demo recording by Cadaver, showing a band on their way forward. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Into the Outside" is the first demo recording by Norwegian death metal act Cadaver. The demo was independently released in November 1988. It´s a rehearsal tape recorded by the duo lineup of Ole Bjerkebakke (drums, vocals) and Anders Odden (guitar). So it´s a demo recording devoid of bass, but it´s not a huge issue.

Considering that this is a "live-in-the-rehearsal-room" recording "Into the Outside" features a lot of quality elements. The sound production is predictably lo-fi, noisy, and savage beyond savage. The raw and murky sound production values actually aren´t an issue though, as the violent, almost crusty sounding brutal death metal assault of Cadaver only benefits from the gloomy and filthy sounding production.

Cadaver are a well playing band too. It´s amazing that a band who only formed earlier the same year as recording this demo already sound as confident and convincing as Cadaver do here. Although the music naturally features some thrash metal riffs and rhythms (given the fact that this is a late 1988 death metal recording), this is to my ears 100% old school death metal, and considering the time of release, this must be one of the earliest Norwegian demos featuring a pure death metal sound.

Not everything is aligned perfectly though, and it´s obvious from a "fun" track like "Fisken Skrek I Vannet" ("The Fish Screamed In The Water") that Cadaver were at this point still very young guys, who also needed a bit of silly fun in their lives. But tracks like "Maelström", "Hypertrophyan", and "Into the Outside" perfectly show what Cadaver are capable of. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Joe Satriani" is an eponymously titled EP by US rock artist Joe Satriani. It´s an independently released affair and it´s the first official release from Satriani. The material featured on the EP was solely recorded by Satriani using only his guitar. So rhythm sounds are also created using the guitar. It´s a fully instrumental release featuring no vocals. At the time of recording the material the 28-year old Satriani was working as a guitar teacher and played in a band called The Squares. The EP received some positive reviews which led to Satriani pursuing a music career (beyond teaching guitar).

Stylistically the five tracks on the 16:41 minutes long EP are instrumental guitar rock. Some songs are more energetic and hard rocking (like EP opener "Talk to Me"), while others are a little more experimental ("Banana Mango" and "I Am Become Death") and a track like EP closer "Saying Goodbye" is a beautiful instrumental guitar ballad. It´s obvious that Satriani is an incredibly skilled guitarist, but he also has a great understanding of composition and how to write memorable melodies.

The recording is of course a little primitive and most listeners would probably perceive it as a lo-fi recording, but to my ears it sounds decent enough, although it´s of course not a professional sound recording. It´s definitely a promising (but not perfect) start to a music career, which would subsequently be very successful. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

Warthur The Genitorturers' second album is the first one with David Vincent as a full-time member of the band - he'd previously done bass here and there but hadn't joined officially, but by this stage he'd left Morbid Angel to give his full attention to his then-wife Gen's industrial metal project. Horny industrial stuff like this was ten a penny back in the late 1990s, of course; Sin City's 1998 release date more or less coincides with peak Marilyn Manson. Yet whilst Manson put a lot of energy into creating the impression he was making some sort of deep artistic statement which just happened to use lots of alternatingly creepy and horny imagery for esoteric reasons, the Genitorturers don't bother to conceal what their ambitions are: they want to be the ideal soundtrack for your local BDSM club, and with a combination of sexually charged lyrics, catchy industrial metal, and a sense of kinky, edgy fun running through the album, they more or less succeed.

UMUR "Steeler" is the debut full-length studio album by US heavy metal act Steeler. The album was released through Shrapnel Records in September 1983. Steeler formed in 1981 and had their beginnings in Nashville, Tennessee. They soon relocated to the thriving heavy rock/metal scene of the early 80s Los Angeles, California. Steeler only released this debut album and disbanded in 1984, when lead vocalist/guitarist Ron Keel formed his own band Keel. Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen (who would later have a prolific solo career) had already left to join Alcatrazz in late 1983.

Stylistically the material on the 9 tracks, 36:54 minutes long album is relatively standard heavy rock/metal (contemporary artists like W.A.S.P. and Quiet Riot aren´t the worst comparisons) and while the songs are well composed, it´s predominantly an album worth listening to because Keel has a strong voice and a skilled delivery and of course for the blistering lead guitar work from Malmsteen, who already this early on (he was only 19 when he recorded this album) showed great skills and occasionally the neo-classical touch to his playing, that he would later be known for. He even gets his own "Eruption" moment during the first three minutes of "Hot on Your Heels", which is more than anything a showcase for his considerable skills.

The album features a relatively thin but not completely powerless production job, which is decent enough and in any case this type of sound production isn´t unusual for the time and music style. Upon conclusion this debut (and sole album) release from Steeler is a decent quality heavy rock/metal album but it´s not exactly a seminal album in the style. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Warring Factions" is the second full-length studio album by Norwegian black metal act Ansur. The album was released through Candlelight Records in April 2008. It´s the successor to "Axiom" from August 2006. "Warring Factions" would be the last studio album under the Ansur monicker, as the band opted to change their name to Leixis in 2011. The reason for the name change was predominantly that Ansur wanted to distance themselves from their black metal sound and instead start a band which focused on playing progressive rock...

...well... listening to "Warring Factions", Ansur were already well on their way in that direction. Although the album still features the occasional use of semi-snarling extreme metal vocals and a couple of more extreme metal oriented moments (one minute into "An Exercise In Depth Of Field" you´ll find one of those moments), the material is generally much more hard rock and progressive rock oriented with dominant use of organ, blistering melodic guitar work, hard rock chord progressions and riffs, time-signature changes, use of dissonance, and just an overall progressive mindset to the songwriting (the inclusion of saxophone is a brilliant touch). I think some of Ihsahn´s work is a valid reference, but Ansur generally create something pretty unique here.

One of the things I find interesting about "Warring Factions" is the positive energy and generally uplifting atmosphere that the album exudes. It´s not that Ansur was ever the most extreme or dark and savage sounding black metal act, but it´s still a bit surprising how much light and melody they have let in on "Warring Factions".

The band are obviously very well playing, but Ansur should probably already at this point have taken the plunge and gotten rid of the harsh vocals, because the few times lead vocalist Espen A.R. Aulie sings more melodic and clean are where the music shines the most. The harsh vocals are unfortunately the weak link of the album. They are not badly performed, but they just don´t fit the instrumental part of the music that well.

"Warring Factions" is a relatively long album featuring 7 tracks (including two tracks exceeding 12 minutes in length) and a total playing time of 61:34 minutes. The long playing time is fully warranted though and the album just flies by presenting one intriguing songwriting idea after another. The album features a well sounding production too (although the drums are a bit buried in the mix and sometimes also sound a bit artificial/programmed), and upon conclusion "Warring Factions" is one hell of a progressive metal album. Highly unique and creative. It would have been interesting to hear where Ansur would take their music had they carried on. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Nord" is the debut full-length studio album by French, Bordeaux based post/sludge-metal act Year of No Light. The album was released through Radar Swarm Records in September 2006. Year of No Light formed in 2001 and released a 2004 demo before being signed for the release of "Nord".

Stylistically the music on the album is heavy, slow-to mid-paced, and quite atmospheric. I´m more than one time reminded of Isis which is also due to the use of distorted hardcore/blackened screaming vocals. Year of No Light also have a very melodic and sometimes almost symphonic atmospheric edge to their music. There are actually a considerable amount of melodies amidst the heavy riffing which works well for the band. The more aggressive and massive heavy moments of the band´s music leans more toward sludge metal, but there are plenty of slow-building atmosperic music here too.

"Nord" is a well produced album, and there´s some high level musicianship on display here too, so upon conclusion it´s a good quality release combining atmospheric post-metal with heavier and more aggressive sludge metal. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

Vim Fuego Former New Zealand rugby captain Sean Fitzpatrick was the master of the sporting cliché. When it came to press conferences, the All Black captain had a list of stock phrases he would roll out time and time again, which ultimately told you very little about the match, but not that it mattered, because the All Blacks usually won anyway. One of Fitzy’s favourites was “It was a game of two halves.”

This blindingly obvious observation meant the team had performed to a different level in each 40 minute stretch of the game, usually starting indifferently, and then getting their act together in the second half to annihilate the opposition. This analogy fits SinceByMan’s ‘Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse’ perfectly.

‘Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse’ starts with a leaning toward the mediocre. “Emergency And Me” isn’t the worst Metalcore song you’re ever likely to hear, but it hardly sets the world on fire. Its feel of urban alienation is a little different to the norm, but otherwise, fairly standard stuff- not particularly heavy, a bit angsty, a bit melodic, a bit average.

The standard set, SinceByMan sleepwalk through the next three songs, all of which pique a little interest, but nothing to blow you away. The end result is left hanging in the balance.

But then, the team left the field, received an absolute bollocking from the coach, dosed up on energy drinks, and then hit the field with a new resolve and sense of purpose. Switching from Metalcore’s suffocating standard, SinceByMan take a step to the left field from “Match On Action” onward. The intensity is cranked up, imagination and inventiveness are let loose, and the inspiration flows.

SinceByMan enter the space generally occupied by the likes of Dillinger Escape Plan and Soilent Green, a space where logic becomes chaos, and categorisation is discarded. Sure, this isn’t as chaotic as Dillinger Escape Plan, nor as heavy as Soilent Green, but you’ll find heavily syncopated rhythms, spinning riffs, discordant solos, and plain old fucking with the boundaries of music. Laid back acoustic sections add contrast, as does the heavy Dub intro to the electronically deconstructed “Binary Heart Attack”. “Quid Pro Quo Motherfucker” introduces female vocals, creating breakdowns which sound like Atari Teenage Riot on steroids. “Photographer Ex Post Facto” starts with a riff which sounds like Faith No More’s “Woodpecker From Mars”, but soon twists into something far more dangerous.

This album becomes a tumbling kaleidoscope of jarring guitars, stark contrasts, off kilter percussion, electronic drones, and a conglomeration of concepts. ‘Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse’ is like a shallow dip into madness, without descending to the full on schizoid paranoia of Dillinger Escape Plan or Neurosis. It’s not a world-beater yet, but SinceByMan are heading in the right direction. So, as Fitzy would have said, thanks to the ladies for the afternoon tea, full credit to the opposition, and rugby… er, music was the winner on the day.

Vim Fuego Back in the 1980s, teens who had been raised on big doses of Iron Maiden, Metallica and Megadeth got together to form their own bands. While most of these bands disappeared without trace, a few became big names in the Metal scene, like Pantera, Flotsam and Jetsam, Death Angel and New Zealand’s own Shihad. In their original incarnations, these bands combined the aggression and high level of musicianship of their idols, while injecting an element of melody and subtlety not seen before in such intense music. World domination beckoned.

Of course, we know now, in perfect 20/20 hindsight, it didn’t happen. Sure, Pantera made it big, but lost their melody. Flotsam and Jetsam lost bassist and main songwriter Jason Newstead to Metallica. Death Angel disintegrated, and Shihad abandoned Metal for a successful career in Alternative land.

However, there is hope. Growing up on large doses of Megadeth, Metallica and Iron Maiden, Ashburton, New Zealand’s Inertia have come up with a sound something like a 21st century version of Flotsam and Jetsam, Death Angel and Shihad. What’s more, the members of Inertia were in nappies when these bands were making their names. A happy coincidence? Most certainly, because this band hadn’t even heard Flotsam and Jetsam, Death Angel and early Shihad when they recorded this five song demo.

Opening track “Judgement Day” starts with an acoustic intro, before blasting in to the main body of the song, which bears a passing resemblance to Flotsam and Jetsam’s “No Place For Disgrace”. The interplay of the rhythm guitar and bass is particularly impressive, particularly for such young musicians.

Second track “Comets” is a longer song, showing a potential for future epics from this band. The song clocks up a high riff count, without just throwing them together aimlessly, and shows a good understanding of song dynamics. The solos are great air guitar material too.

“Cold Night Air” changes the pace completely, starting as a dreamy ballad, hinting at full on power, but never fully unleashing. While attempting such a track on a demo could have been risky, Inertia pulls it off almost effortlessly.

“Waking The Dead” and “No-Mans Land” are a strong pair of songs to finish with, showing off how much fun old school melodic Thrash actually was.

As far as the sound quality goes, this is an excellent first demo. The instruments are well defined. Singer Adam Willis has a strong voice, at times reminiscent of Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson, or Flotsam And Jetsam’s Eric AK. With more experience, he will develop into a powerful melodic vocalist.

This demo is a great start, from which this band will undoubtedly grow. It is a fresh shine on a once glorious, but much tarnished, brand of Heavy Metal.

Vim Fuego All you really need to know about Lawnmower Deth and Metal Duck is that both bands were seriously funny.

This split album was the debut release for both bands. It is now hard to find in any format, but the fact that fans are still desperate to get their hands on the album attests to the enduring attraction of a sense of humour and good fun thrash tunes. Part of the attraction is the self-effacing humour. Neither band took themselves terribly seriously at a time when thrash was generally a very earnest business. Some bands, like Sacred Reich took on serious issues, like politics and prejudice, successfully. Others, like Testament, Flotsam and Jetsam, and even Nuclear Assault just came off sounding cheesy.

But really, who cares about nuclear war or environmental problems when you can have songs with lyrics as classy as “Watch out Grandma, here comes a lawnmower/Gonna rip your face off” repeated over and over. Lawnmower Deth tackled the odd issue later in their career, but back when they recorded ‘M.L.F.’ their only concern was liberating repressed lawnmowers everywhere. There is not a serious moment on the entire album, but you wouldn’t expect it with song titles like “I Got the Clap and My Knob Fell Off” and “Drink To Be Sick”. Yep, if Lawnmower Deth were going to get called crap, they were going to have fun doing it.

Musically though, they were not crap at all. Filtering through the decidedly dodgy production, there are some excellent riffs surfacing, and a more than competent rhythm section. If Lawnmower Deth had taken themselves seriously, they could easily have outperformed Xentrix, Re-Animator or even Acid Reign as far as British thrash goes.

Metal Duck shared the same type of humour lyrically (“Cheese Puff Death Squad”, “March of the Metal Duck to the Duck Ponds of Hell”), but trod different ground musically. Rather than the UKAC (United Kingdom Apple Core) style thrash of Lawnmower Deth, their brand of urine extraction was accompanied by a rougher, faster style, at times verging on old school grindcore. In places, it is possible to believe you are listening to old Extreme Noise Terror, dual vocals and all. Of course, ENT didn’t usually play songs whose lyrics consisted of counting to 12.

This is a short split album, even though there are 24 tracks. Both bands took great delight in peppering their recordings with hyperblast micro-songs. At times hard to comprehend, but always funny when you can grasp what’s going on, this split album achieves something very important. It leaves you wanting more.

Vim Fuego A live Mayhem show is a rare and much vaunted occasion. The band’s body count, and the collective prison time served by various members has meant finding enough musicians for a show has not always been a straightforward exercise.

Even the most casual of black metal fans knows the basics of the Mayhem story. A group of Norwegian teens got together in the mid-80s, and from a series of events involving unhinged band members, murders, church burnings, master-tape tampering, and extreme theological and political views, black metal was born. Oh yeah, and there was a bit of music thrown in there too.

“De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” was a revelation on its initial release in 1994, the album black metal fans had been yearning for since “Deathcrush”. Put simply, it was fast, raw black metal from beyond the grave. Even though it had been preceded by a few high quality albums, from the likes of Darkthrone and Immortal, “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” redefined what black metal actually was.

When the Gods (from the Norse pantheon, of course) smile upon Mayhem, and the required number of living and un-incarcerated band members can be assembled, the results can be magnificent, as the band’s explosive “Live in Leipzig” album proved. So, can lightning strike twice?

“No” would be too simplistic an answer. “Not really” would be too vague. “Yes” would be wrong. “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive” is just a bit tough to judge.

Look at the title. Deliberate or not, sticking “…Alive” at the end of the album title invites instant comparison to the four, or perhaps five (it depends if you count the “Alive! The Millennium Concert” album or not) “Kiss Alive” albums. Many Kiss fans will tell you those albums are where the band shines brightest. Mayhem definitely shines live, but there is just something a bit flat about this entire performance.

It was recorded in Norrköping, Sweden, in December 2015, and is the entire “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” album performed live, played in order, and seemingly without breaks, just like a studio album. Therein lies a weakness to the trend of bands playing entire albums live. The strike rate of great songs to duds meant Kiss had to be picky as to which songs they put in a live show, but even bands with a lower dud rate like Metallica still have the odd turd in the swimming pool, like “Escape”, James Hetfield’s least favourite song, which he was still forced to learn and play for their performances of the “Ride The Lightning” album. While there is nothing like “Hooligan”, “Baby Driver” or “2000 Man” anywhere in Mayhem’s back catalogue, the four tracks from “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas” which appeared on “Live In Leipzig” just seems stronger in this situation too.

Vocalist Attila Csihar is not famous for between song banter, but surely there must have been some breaks between songs. Remember moments like Iron Maiden’s “Live After Death”, with Bruce Dickinson’s “And this is what not to do if a bird shits on you” or Lemmy’s introduction to “We Are The Roadcrew” on “No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith”. Wit is not essential, but it would be nice to know there was actually a band playing live to an audience.

And that is possibly the biggest problem. This all sounds too polished, especially for such an incendiary black metal band, and may as well have been a re-recording of the entire album in the studio. There is no life, nor any chilled necrotic death to this album at all. Mayhem may perhaps be too good for their own good. While near faultlessly performed, it has no character or vitality, and is just not an essential release from one of black metal’s most essential bands.

UMUR "Sinsaenum" is an eponymously titled EP/single release by multi-national death metal act Sinsaenum. It was released through earMUSIC in June 2016 to promote the forthcoming release of the band´s debut full-length studio album "Echoes of the Tortured" which was released a month later in July 2016. The EP/single features the non-album track "Death Is the Beginning" and "The Forgotten One", the latter which was included on "Echoes of the Tortured".

Stylistically this is early 90s influenced US death metal. Artists like Morbid Angel, Angelcorpse, and other technically well playing, brutal, and sharp death metal bands from that era are valid references. Sinsaenum don´t offer much innovative or unique here, but the songwriting is memorable, effective, and powerful, and the performances are flawless. The performances are actually more than just flawless, they are high class on all positions. Looking at the lineup and the names involved in the project (among them Joey Jordison, Attila Csihar, and Frédéric Leclercq) that´s not surprising though. The drumming is through the roof and the many well played lead guitar parts deserve a mention too.

Two songs aren´t much available material to evaluate an artist, but I think in this case the material featured on this EP/single display exactly what you can expect on the forthcoming "Echoes of the Tortured" album, and that´s high quality US death metal. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "What a Time to Be Alive" is the second full-length studio album by Australian death metal act Werewolves. The album was released through Prosthetic Records in Jaunary 2021, less than a year after the release of their debut full-length studio alhum "The Dead Are Screaming" from April 2020. Werewolves formed in 2019 and features Psycroptic drummer David Haley in the lineup. Guitarist Matt Wilcock and lead vocalist/bassist Sam Bean are both associated with acts like Abramelin, The Antichrist Imperium, and The Berzerker, and the trio can in that respect be called an Australian underground extreme metal supergroup.

Stylistically the material on "What a Time to Be Alive" is a continuation of the relatively standard quality deathgrind of "The Dead Are Screaming" (2020). The two albums sound much alike, and if you enjoyed the debut, chances are you´ll enjoy this one just as much. Werewolves are a well playing unit, and the shifts between deep growling vocals and higher pitched aggressive snarling works well here. As mentioned above the songwriting is pretty standard for the genre though, and not much stands out as being particularly memorable beyond the playing time.

"What a Time to Be Alive" is well produced, featuring a sound production which suits the material well, but overall I get the same feeling about this one as I did with the debut album. Something is missing for this to reach excellence. Still a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Axiom" is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian black metal act Ansur. The album was released through Candlelight Records in August 2006. Ansur formed in 2003 and released a demo in 2004, which was re-released in 2005 with the altered title "Carved in Flesh". In 2011 after releasing two full-length studio albums, Ansur decided to change their name to Leixis and play progressive rock instead of the progressive black metal style they performed under the Ansur monicker.

Axiom opens with the relatively short "Earth Erasure", but during the 3:19 minutes playing time, the listener is treated to most of the riff styles and songwriting ideas which Ansur explore on the remaining part of the album. The vocals are extreme, but not the most extreme black metal snarling I have ever heard. There are thrash metal styled raw vocals here too and the same can be said about the riff style. The music is dynamic and often features open chords, use of light dissonance, changing time-signatures, and atmospheric melodic parts (even occasionally epic in scope). So describing this as progressive black metal is valid enough.

Although Glenn Ferguson is credited for performing drums on "Axiom", the drums sound artificial and programmed to my ears. They are one of the least interesting features on the album. The guitar riffs, the guitar solos, and the occasional change from raw and brutal to melodic and atmopsheric are on the other hand some of the greatest features of the music. The vocals are decent too.

The album features a sound production which on one hand sounds pretty good, but there are couple of things which drag it down. The drum sound has already been mentioned as a negative, but there is something wrong with the overall sound of the album too. It´s like it wasn´t recorded at a professional recording studio. It sounds like a very well sounding digital demo recording. When that is said "Axiom" is still an interesting, intriguing, and well composed progressive black metal release and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Wait for the Night" is an EP release by US heavy/power metal act Virgin Steele. The EP was released through Mongol Horde in December 1983. It´s the follow-up release to Virgin Steele´s second full-length studio album "Guardians Of The Flame" from August 1983. The EP exists in two versions. The US version is titled "Wait for the Night" and features four new original tracks (which did not appear on the original version of "Guardians Of The Flame" (1983)), while the European version is titled "A Cry In The Night". "A Cry In The Night" is the closing track on the original version of "Guardians Of The Flame" (1983) and on the European version of the EP, a remix version of the track replaces "Don't Say Goodbye (Tonight)", which is the opening track on the US version of the EP. The track "Interview" replaces the track "Wait for the Night", so the two versions only share two tracks in "Go Down Fighting" and "I Am The One".

I won´t go into detail with every track on the US and European versions of the EP, but only say that stylistically all tracks are more or less a continuation of the melodic heavy metal style of the preceding album, and as the case was on the album it´s the helium screams of lead vocalist David Defeis and the creative lead guitars of Jack Starr, which are the most interesting features of the band´s music. The rhythm section is pretty average for the style and the songwriting is decent but not terribly memorable. The sound production is reverb laden and lacking heavy bottom, so it´s not the greatest contemporary heavy metal release. There´s enough quality here to warrant a 3 star (60%) rating but that´s it.

UMUR "Guardians Of The Flame" is the second full-length studio album by US heavy/power metal act Virgin Steele. The album was released through Mongol Horde in June 1983. It´s the successor to the eponymously titled debut album from 1982. The quartet lineup from the debut album is intact here.

Stylistically "Guardians Of The Flame" is a more consistent release than the debut album, and it features less hard rock elements and a more pure heavy metal sound. The dramatic (almost theatrical) moments and use of keyboards have been increased here though, which at times give the album an air of something more epic. It´s predominantly an energetic heavy metal album featuring high pitched vocals, screaming blistering lead guitar work, and relatively simple and recognisable heavy metal riffs and rhythms. There´s very little in that department you won´t have heard on other contemporary releases in a similar style. It´s definitely the vocals by David Defeis and the crazy guitar work of Jack Starr, which are the star elements of the show.

The material is relatively well written, and there are even a couple of tracks which are really good here, but the moments of excellence are fewer than the moments of me thinking this is just decent quality heavy metal. In that respect Virgin Steele are still lacking a bit more punch and memorable hooks. The reverb laden and thin sounding production job doesn´t help either, and all in all a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "Raped in Their Own Blood" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish death metal act Vomitory. The album was relaesed through Fadeless Records in November 1996. Vomitory was founded in 1989, and "Raped in Their Own Blood" is preceded by no less than three demos and the 1993 "Moribound" EP.

Unlike the majority of their Swedish contemporaries Vomitory do not play an old school Swedish death metal style in the vein of Entombed and Dismember. Instead the material on "Raped in Their Own Blood" is influenced by a more varied palette of old school death metal styles. Sure the album features hardcore punk influenced riffs and rhythms like many of the Stockholm based Swedish death metal artists also use on their releases, and there´s the occassional morbid melodic touch which also points in that direction, but other than that Vomitory aren´t that "Swedish" sounding. They generally play a more grim, raw, and murky sounding death metal, which features both fast-paced, heavy mid-paced, and doomy death metal parts and a mean sounding growling vocalist.

"Raped in Their Own Blood" may not be the most unique sounding old school death metal release, but the raw authenticy, the anarchestic approach to songwriting, and the grimness of the sound production are all contributing factors to the fact, that it´s a highly effective old school death metal release. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Something Burning" is the sixth full-length studio album by US, California based power/heavy metal act Vicious Rumors. The album was released through Massacre Records in September 1996. It´s the successor to "Word Of Mouth" from 1994 and features a couple of lineup changes since the predecessor as guitarist Mark McGhee has been replaced by Steve Smyth, and as lead vocalist Carl Albert sadly died from injuries sustained in a car accident in April 1995, guitarist Geoff Thorpe has taken on the lead vocal duties on the album, making Vicious Rumors a quartet on "Something Burning".

"Something Burning" did not only mark a major lineup change on the lead vocalist spot, but also a major change in musical style. Up until then every Vicious Rumors had been heavy metal/US power metal styled and with a world class singer like Carl Albert fronting the band, some of those releases were among the seminal albums in the US power metal style. "Something Burning" is almost the sound of a completely different band. Thorpe has a more raw voice and aggressive singing style, although still relatively melodic, but it´s actually not the vocals which are the most significant change. It´s the instrumental part of the music which is now made up of heavy groove laden riffs and rhythms. I don´t know if it was the terrible loss of Albert or maybe just the shifting musical tides of the early- mid 90s, but Vicious Rumors arguably play groove metal on "Something Burning".

As a starting point I have nothing against groove metal or groove thrash or whatever you want to label it, but I´m afraid this sounds a lot like a desperate attempt to stay relevant and honestly it comes off a bit insincere. The vers/chorus songwriting isn´t terribly interesting either and there´s a pedestrian atmosphere surrounding the whole project. The sound production is of a good quality, but not exactly the type of production I´d expect to hear on a Vicious Rumors album. This would have fit much better on an early 90s Seattle rock release.

I wouldn´t call "Something Burning" a terrible release, but it´s certainly not a great one either. If you want to hear music in this style, there are loads of other contemporary groove metal albums of there, which are much better and more interesting. Vicious Rumors should have stuck to their heavy metal/US power metal guns, have ridden through the storm of the heavy metal/US power metal unkind 90s, and they would have come out on top without losing fans and face, like they did with this release. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Kadath Decoded" is the debut full-length studio album by German progrssive metal act Payne´s Grey. The album was independently released in 1995. Payne´s Grey formed in 1988 in the city of Karlsruhe and were active in the early- to mid-90s, releasing two demos (one in 1990 and another in 1991) and this debut full-length studio album. Since the release of the 1991 "Infinity" demo Haluk Balikci has been added as a second lead vocalist. Two male vocalists made Payne´s Grey stand out on the 90s progressive metal scene, but although they managed to tour with Psychotic Waltz as support act on the latter´s 1996 European tour supporting their "Bleeding" (1995) album, they never got a real breakthrough, and they are more or less just a cult band/footnote in progressive metal history. "Kadath Decoded" would be their sole studio album in their original run.

Cult bands/footnote artists don´t necessarily have to be poor artists though, and Payne´s Grey certainly have a lot to offer to fans of 90s progressive metal. "Kadath Decoded" features 12 tracks and total playing time of 67:19 minutes, so it´s quite a long release. It´s a concept album build on the H. P. Lovecraft novella "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" (originally written by Lovecraft in 1926/1927 but only posthumously published by Arkham House in 1943). It´s a story of a nightmarish dream realm, and Payne´s Grey successfully capture the abstract occultist/monster horror of Lovecraft.

Keyboard player Tomek Turek is obviously an incredibly skilled musician and a lot of the music is based on his playing and musical ideas. The rest of the band are well playing too, but considering that "Kadath Decoded" is a progressive metal album, it´s a more dark and atmospheric release than a heavy and sharp metal ditto. It´s a higly dynamic release featuring both loud epic sections and more subtle atmospheric sections. In addition to the omnipresent keyboards, the music features guitars, bass, and drums, but also the occasional use of flute (played by guitarist Jan Schröder). The two vocalists sing a lot of harmony vocals, but also deliver their own parts. They have very similar voices though, which is a bit of a shame as two more different sounding vocalists could probably have made the vocal part of the music more varied and interesting. To my ears it´s a missed opportunity. It´s not that the music requires a beauty/beast type of vocal delivery, but two different sounding voices could have created another dynamic and provided the music with an exciting dimension. When that is said the vocals are generally well performed in typical high pitched power/progressive metal style.

"Kadath Decoded" features a decent quality sound production, although it lacks a bit of punch and heaviness. You can hear all details though and as mentioned above it´s just not the most heavy and metal oriented progressive metal release out there. The emphasis is on the arrangements (dominanted by the keyboards) and the dark atmospheres. Upon conclusion "Kadath Decoded" is a highly unique progressive metal album from the 90s. It´s not that you haven´t heard all the elements used before on other releases from other artists, but Payne´s Grey manage to use those elements and create something which doesn´t really sound like anything else. I´m sure with more experience and more albums under their belts, that Payne´s Grey could have gone on to greatness, but as "Kadath Decoded" ended up being their sole album release, that obviously wasn´t to be. They left behind a pretty interesting release though and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Infinity" is the second demo release by German progressive metal act Payne´s Grey. The demo was independently released in 1991. It follows the release of the April 1990 "Of Tyrants and Reflections" demo. Payne´s Grey formed in 1988 in the city of Karlsruhe and were active in the early- to mid-90s, releasing two demos and the 1995 debut full-length studio album "Kadath Decoded". They subsequently toured with among others Psychotic Waltz.

Stylistically the material on the 5 tracks, 31:55 minutes long demo is a more pure form of progressive metal compared to the slightly more power metal leaning progressive metal of the first demo. The addition of keyboard player Tomek Turek has had a great impact on the sound of Payne´s Grey. While lead vocalist Hagen Schmidt has a tendency to sing in a higher pitch than his voice and abilities allow him to, his vocals are generally much better sounding than on the first demo, which was more or less ruined by his strained vocal performance. He varies his vocal range more on "Infinity" too, which is great for the diversity of the material. The compositions are overall of a good quality with the symphonic keyboards providing a both epic and orchestral element.

It´s not a perfect demo and the sound production could have been much more powerful, defined, and detailed, but it´s decent enough considering that "Infinity" is a demo release. There´s loads of promise here and Payne´s Grey show great progression from the first demo and a taste of what they would become a few years down the line. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Satan Is A Bitch" is an EP release by US, California based grindcore act Cancer Christ. The EP was released through Seeing Red Records in June 2023. It´s the successor to the October 2021 "The Blood of Jesus" EP.

Continueing their brand of abrasive, noisy, and aggressive cybergrind, Cancer Christ have maybe become slightly more diverse on "Satan Is A Bitch" but otherwise prove again that they are one of the more exciting new grindcore bands around. Samples, programmed drums, and aggressive raw hardcore screaming are the elements making up the music. It´s Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Pig Destroyer I´m mostly reminded of when listening to "Satan Is A Bitch", because Cancer Christ have some of the same filthy, vile, and savage lyrics and sounds.

"Satan Is A Bitch" is a well produced release, featuring a sharp, brutal, and raw sounding production, which suits the material well. Upon conclusion Cancer Christ have developed their sound enough since the last release to keep things interesting and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "The Blood of Jesus" is an EP release by US, California based grindcore act Cancer Christ. The EP was independently released in October 2021. Cancer Christ formed in 2020 and initially consisted of the duo of Tommy Meehan (Snake Boss) and Anthony Mehlhaff (Saint Anthony). The duo almost immediately started working on demos and performing live with various guest performers. They always wear snake masks on stage.

Stylistically this is cybergrind which is obviously influenced by artists like Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Pig Destroyer. Samples, programmed drums, and aggressive raw hardcore shouting vocals are some of the elements of the band´s music. The EP only features 3 tracks and a total playing time of 4:28 minutes, but what "The Blood of Jesus" lacks in quantity it fully makes up for in quality. It´s well produced, well performed, and above all very well composed.

The lyrics are pretty extreme gravitating towards the dark/vile parts of life (as well as often being blasphemous) and it all works very well within the context of the band´s music. For guys wearing snake masks on stage, this EP sounds incredibly like serious business. Nothing silly about the music here. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Of Tyrants and Reflections" is the first dmeo recording by German progressive metal act Payne´s Grey. The demo was independently released in April 1990. Payne´s Grey formed in 1988 in the city of Karlsruhe and were active in the early- to mid-90s, releasing two demos and the 1995 debut full-length studio album "Kadath Decoded". They subsequently toured with among others Psychotic Waltz.

Stylistically early Psychotic Waltz actially isn´t the worst reference, but it´s predominantly early Fates Warning with the occasional nod towards late 80s Helloween that I´m mostly reminded of. So Payne´s Grey hit the sound somewhere between the more technical power metal of the 80s and the early progressive metal of the late 80s/early 90s.

"Of Tyrants and Reflections" features four tracks and total playing time of 18.10 minutes and it´s a demo featuring a decent but not great sound quality. The band are well playing but lead vocalist Hagen Schmidt sounds terribly strained delivering what is mostly very high pitched vocals. He is not without skills, but he needs a better sound production to help his vocals shine, and maybe a bit more vocal training too.

When that is said "Of Tyrants and Reflections" is otherwise a treat for fans of the genre, and had the vocals been less forced and strained sounding, this would have been a great demo. I still hear a lot of promise and high level instrumental performances, but I´m afraid the vocals ruin the listening experience and make the demo a bit of a chore to get through. A 2 star (40%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 Based off of the strength of albums like ‘Nightfall in Middle Earth’, ‘A Night At the Opera’ and ‘A Twist in the Myth’, I’d long-considered Blind Guardian one of my favourite bands. However, when delving into their back-catalogue, I found their earlier albums (and it seems, their more popular amongst fans), to be fairly disappointing. I didn’t mind the speed metal influence over their music, it’s just that all the albums seemed a bit… repetitive?

With each album though, more and more non-metal influences crept in. Orchestral arrangements, folk passages, more emphasis on vocal harmonies, more story-telling, the band were becoming more and more theatrical and “epic” with each release. Which brings us to 1995’s ‘Imaginations From the Other Side’, the album where Blind Guardian really start to become the band I fell in love with.

Taking things into more progressive metal territory, the band really start to hit their stride here. Songs like ‘Mordred’s Song’, ‘Bright Eyes’, ‘I’m Alive’ and the title track all show a band who have broken out of their speed metal shell to add new flourishes to their music, and epic ballad ‘A Past and Future Secret’ demonstrates the bands orchestral arranging, with beautiful layers of music all intertwining to really bring the world of myths and legends to life.

As you can see by my rating however, while I do like this album, I don’t quite regard it as highly as others. Some people consider this one of the best power metal albums out there. I think of it as the album where Blind Guardian really start to break out of the power metal trappings and evolve into something a lot more. No doubt, ‘Imaginations…’ is a really good album, but the best is yet to come.

martindavey87 By 2009, it’d been five years since Megadeth’s “return”, after Dave Mustaine had split the band up and retired following a well-documented injury. Upon their comeback, they unleashed two albums, 2004’s ‘The System Has Failed’ and 2007’s ‘United Abominations’. Both albums were a sure throwback to the bands earlier thrash days, with intense guitar riffs, lyrics full of distain and hatred, spewed out by a voice oozing of political unrest. This was the Megadeth of old!

However, with 2009’s ‘Endgame’, it just feels a tad repetitive already. Like the band are on autopilot and just repeating the previous two albums.

That’s not to say ‘Endgame’ is bad. It’s got its moments. It’s got all the ingredients of classic Megadeth. The playing is insanely fast, and the riffs are as intricate and intense as they were in the ‘Rust in Peace’ days. But after having this on my playlist for what feels like forever, I’m just struggling to really feel like I’d ever come back to any of these songs by choice.

And that may seem harsher than I intend it to, because there are some decent tracks on here, they just don’t, in my opinion, hold up as well to Megadeth’s previous output. ’44 Minutes’, ‘Head Crusher’ and ‘The Hardest Part of Letting Go… Sealed With a Kiss’ are all good tracks, and are worth a listen or two, but personally, I’d rather listen to anything from ‘Cryptic Writings’, ‘Youthanasia’, ‘Rust in Peace’ or even, *gulp*… ‘Risk’.

UMUR "God is Violence" is the debut full-length studio album by US, California based grindcore act Cancer Christ. The album was released through Seeing Red Records in January 2024. Cancer Christ formed in 2020 and released the "The Blood of Jesus" EP in October 2021. A couple of years later the "Satan Is A Bitch" appeared in June 2023. Some of the material from the two EPs have been re-recorded and included on "God is Violence". The main duo lineup of Tommy Meehan (Snake Boss on Noise Guitars, Vocals, Samples) and Anthony Mehlhaff (Saint Anthony on vocals) are complimented by new commers Piss Snake (bass, vocals), Diesel Snake (guitars), and Apocalypse Snake (drums).

Stylistically this is noisy and raw grindcore featuring samples and some raw and aggressive shouted hardcore vocals. comparisons to Pig Destroyer and especially to Agoraphobic Nosebleed are valid. I´m often reminded of the filth, noise, and depravity of the latter...also when it comes to the lyrics which are quite twisted and extreme. Cancer Christ are known for delivering chaotic live shows and for always wearing snake/reptilian masks on stage, which could suggest that they are a novelty joke band, but nothing could be further from the truth and the 20 tracks on the 26:09 will convince you otherwise if you give the album a listen.

This is both very well performed, well produced, and even more important incredibly well composed. Cancer Christ is a prime example of high quality grindcore, which offers a lot more than just relentless blast beats and primitive songwriting. This is quite sophisticated in its own right, although Cancer Christ never forget aggression, brutality, and the right filthy attitude. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

UMUR "Free Your Soul... and Save My Mind" is the ninth full-length studio album by US, California based crossover/thrash metal act Suicidal Tendencies. The album was released through Suicidal Records in July 2000. It´s the successor to "Freedumb" from July 1999. After waiting 5 years for a new album between the release of "Suicidal for Life" (1994) and "Freedumb", the band obviously wanted to prove to the fans that they were back with a vengeance and now released a new album only a year down the line from the latter mentioned. The quintet lineup who recorded "Freedumb" is intact on "Free Your Soul... and Save My Mind".

While "Freedumb" almost exlusively featured a "back to the roots" hardcore punk sound (albeit with funky elements and the rare nod towards crossover thrash), "Free Your Soul... and Save My Mind" is generally a more eclectic sounding album. Hardcore punk elements are still a dominant part of the soundscape (as heard on tracks like "Pop Songs", "Start Your Brain", and "Animal"), but funk and thrash/groove metal elements are now also a more integral part of the band´s sound. Just listen to the heavy grooves on songs like "Su casa es mi casa", "Bullenium", "Public Dissension", and "No More No Less". There was nothing like that on "Freedumb". The funky sounds of the title track are also really effectful and work well within the context of the album. The album closes with the power ballad "Home", which unfortunately feels a bit overlong and uneventful with its 7:30 minutes long playing time. "Free Your Soul... and Save My Mind" is in many ways Suicidal Tendencies displaying all the different stylistic elements of the last 10 years of releases (including their side-project Infectious Grooves).

"Free Your Soul... and Save My Mind" is a self-produced affair and features a powerful, detailed, and delightfully heavy sound production perfectly suiting the material. Featuring 15 tracks and a total playing time of 56:26 minutes "Free Your Soul... and Save My Mind" is slightly on the long side, and although most tracks on the album are quality tracks, a few could have been removed for a shorter and more effectful release, and the album would only have prospered from it and possibly have made an even more profound impact. Abundance of quantity is a minor issue though, and there is still enough high quality compositions here to warrant a 3.5 star (70%) rating.

UMUR "Freedumb" is the eighth full-length studio album by US, California based crossover/thrash metal act Suicidal Tendencies. The album was released through Suicidal Records in July 1999. It´s the successor to "Suicidal for Life" from 1994 although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the "Six the Hard Way" EP from 1998. Suicidal Tendencies disbanded in 1995, but reunited in 1996 with a new lineup, which included lead guitarist Dean Pleasants (replacing Rocky George) and drummer Brooks Wackerman (replacing Jimmy DeGrasso) from lead vocalist Mike Muir´s funk metal side-project Infectious Grooves. Bassist Robert Trujillo has been replaced by Josh Paul. The only remaining members from the last album are lead vocalist Mike Muir and rhythm guitarist Mike Clark.

The attention and commercial success of the late 80s/early 90s Suicidal Tendencies releases became a bit too much for band founder Mike Muir who felt the band had lost sight of their hardcore punk roots/DYI attitude and after delivering their last album for Epic Records ("Suicidal for Life"), the band split-up at the end of the tour, which they did in support of "Suicidal for Life" It was time to go back to the roots and "Freedumb" is just that as it´s an album filled to the brim with energetic and aggressive hardcore punk songs with only the occasional touch of thrash metal and a nod here and there to the funky elements the band (and their funky side-project) also brought to the table in the early- mid 90s. While it´s arguably the distinct sound of Suicidal Tendencies (how could it be anything else when Muir is singing?) it´s a drastic departure from the crossover thrash metal style of the late 80s releases (and in the case of "The Art of Rebellion" (1992) the melodic heavy rock/metal style). The only track on "Freedumb" which sounds remotely like anything the band had released in the last 10 years is closing track "Heaven" which is a melodic rock/metal track, which could easily have been included on "The Art of Rebellion".

Paul Northfield was brought in to co-produce the album (like he did on "Suicidal for Life"), and "Freedumb" is a powerful, detailed, and generally well sounding release. The musicianship is on a high level on all posts too and "Freedumb" is upon conclusion a decent quality release by Suicidal Tendencies. Compared to the preceding releases by the band the songwriting doesn´t quite hold up though. Hardcore punk has it´s limits and it´s a bit of a shame the band have now almost stopped playing thrash metal riffs and rhythms. Despite a few funky sections here and there, which spice things up a little, "Freedumb" does end up being a slightly one-dimensional listen. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Six the Hard Way" is an EP release by US, California based crossover/thrash metal act Suicidal Tendencies. The EP was released through Suicidal Records in November 1998. The EP bridges the gap between the band´s seventh and eighth full-length studio albums "Suicidal for Life" (1994) and "Freedumb" (1999) and can be seen as a teaser preceding the release of the latter. Suicidal Tendencies disbanded in 1995, but reunited in 1996 with a new lineup, which included guitarist Dean Pleasants and drummer Brooks Wackerman from lead vocalist Mike Muir´s funk metal side-project Infectious Grooves.

As the title may suggest "Six the Hard Way" features six tracks. The two hardcore punk styled tracks "Freedumb" and "Cyco Vision" would both appear in identical versions on the "Freedumb" (1999) album, but the two funk infused crossover tracks "Refuse" and "What's the Word?" are exclusive to this release (the Infectious Grooves influences are strong on those tracks). The two remaining tracks on the EP are live versions of the two Suicidal Tendencies crossover classics "Fascist Pig" and "I Saw Your Mommy".

The studio cuts feature a well sounding production, and the live tracks sound decent too, and "Six the Hard Way" is therefore overall a decent quality EP. The tracks from "Freedumb" (1999) are both pretty decent hardcore punk songs, but as both are available in the same versions on the full-length album, they aren´t exactly worth the price of admission here. "Refuse" and "What's the Word?" which are the two songs exclusive to this release, aren´t really that great and the two live songs are decent but nothing too special, so upon conclusion "Six the Hard Way" not the most necessary release by Suicidal Tendencies, but since the fans at the time hadn´t heard anything new from the band in four years, it does serve its purpose as a stop gap release. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 After a three-album streak of absolutely stellar releases (‘Tyranny’, ‘Legacy’, and ‘Room V’), Shadow Gallery looked to have found their niche and really hit their stride, consistently putting out fantastic albums with their own recognisable sound. Tragically, this came to halt in 2008, with the passing of vocalist Mike Baker.

Losing any band members must be hard, especially once the grieving is done, and it’s time to pick up the pieces. Do you start anew? Plod along with previously written material? And is there guilt in getting someone new to record those parts? Barely a year after Baker’s passing, Shadow Gallery were back, recruiting a new vocalist and releasing ‘Digital Ghosts’ upon us all. Sadly, it’s quite noticeable that a huge part of the band is missing.

That’s not to say this is a bad album, but I’ve really, really struggled with this one. The musicianship is excellent as always, but there’s just a huge absence of something. Call it magic? Heart? Soul? I don’t know what it is, but the song-writing just doesn’t quite seem as inspired as before. Maybe the band were just going through the motions to finish the album and move on?

With that said, there’s still a few tracks worth checking out. Songs like ‘Venom’, ‘Gold Dust’ and ‘Pain’ are all decent enough, and are worthy of the Shadow Gallery name, and there’s some good, solid progressive metal on offer here if you can be patient enough, but overall, this is far, far from the best work this band is capable of, and I think I’d much rather just listen to one of their previous albums.

UMUR "Mannequins" is the fifth full-length studio album by Greek progressive metal act Hail Spirit Noir. The album was released through Agonia Records in September 2021. It´s the successor to "Eden in Reverse" from 2020. "Mannequins" is an experimental release from Hail Spirit Noir as it only features half the sextet lineup who recorded "Eden in Reverse". Not because the other half of the lineup has quit Hail Spirit Noir, but because keyboardists Haris and Sakis Bandis, and lead vocalist Cons Marg have recorded "Mannequins" as a trio using only keyboards/synths and vocals.

So "Mannequins" features no regular rock instrumentation and no ties to the band´s black metal past or even their more recent psychedelic/progressive/space rock output. The band have stated in interviews that this is probably a one-off experimental release, and that they´ll most likely return to more familiar territories on the next album release (which they did with "Fossil Gardens" from June 2024). The idea to release a synthwave release was probably born during the COVID-19 lockdown, and it makes sense that this sort of release could be conceived under such circumstances.

The band had a self-made 80s influenced slasher/horror story script in mind while writing the music featured on "Mannequins" and it´s to be listened to as a soundtrack album to that sort of movie. Keeping in mind that it´s the premise of the music, Hail Spirit Noir succeed very well in that mission. This is John Carpenter and Goblin type synth horror music, which is predominantly instrumental. The title track and the synth disco beat track "Enter Disco Inferno" feature vocals though, and both are among the highlights of the album. The remaining tracks are great too with simple eerie synth melodies and programmed drum beats. Although not completely similar it´s interesting to note that Ulver released their horror movie themed synthwave album "Scary Muzak" just a month after "Mannequins" came out. It may just be a coincidence, but maybe it´s a contemporary trend.

"Mannequins" is a well produced release and while it´s sometimes almost a bit too simple and one-dimensional, it´s still a well-made, well performed, and interesting release. At least Hail spirit Noir hit all the right notes to trigger my imagination in terms of visioning how the imaginary movie scenes play out during the various tracks, and I guess when that´s possible the band have done something right. This may not be a release for the "regular" fans of Hail Spirit Noir, but to those who enjoy horror movie synthwave soundtrack music, this one is definitely worth a listen. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.