UMUR "Eschatology Of War" is the debut full-length studio album by Ukrainian, Lviv based black/doom/death metal act 1914. The album was released through Archaic Sound in December 2015. 1914 formed in 2014, which is rather symbolic as that year marks the 100-year anniversary since the start of World War I, which serves as the band´s primary lyrical focus, and also their band name. Singing about war is nothing new and artists like Bolt Thrower and Hail of Bullets (and quite a few others) have made whole careers out of it, but off the top of my head I can´t name another artist solely basing their lyrics on World War I (WWI) (I just remembered Kanonenfieber though, so some do exist). The band image, their band photos, and even their performer names reflect the WWI theme. So these guys mean business and their extreme dedication to the project is arguably fascinating.

The lyrics are well written and it´s obvious that the topics are well researched. The band take us through various periods and episodes of WWI, telling stories of mustard gas attacks, the horror, disease, and dread of the trenches, Zeppelin air attacks, machine gun fire, and some historical facts thrown in, which provide the whole thing with the right amount of authenticity and gloom. Needless to say that the lyrics provide the album with a dark and unpleasant atmosphere. Another atmosphere enhancer are the sampled intro and outro tracks "War In" and "War Out", which feature WWI contemporary recording artists Billy Murray and the American Quartet and Charles Harrison respectively performing "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" and "The Last Long Mile". Both tracks are considered compositions related to WWI. The former was often used as a marching song for soldiers during the war.

Stylistically the material on the album is a combination of black metal, doom metal, and death metal. It´s hard to say which of the styles is the dominant one, so my best description of the music would be an equal share of all three. The riffs are sinister, brutal, and heavy, but sometimes faster and more black metal tremolo styled. The pace is predominantly slow and doomy though, but there are also heavy mid-paced death metal styled riffs and rhythms featured on the album (those sections aren´t completely unlike some of Bolt Thrower´s output). The vocals are snarling blackened growling. They are very well performed, intelligible, and passionate, and generally a great asset to the album.

"Eschatology Of War" features a powerful, brutal, and detailed sounding production job, suiting the material perfectly. I personally wouldn´t have minded if the production had been a little more filthy and raw, but the production values are arguably both well sounding and professional. Upon conclusion "Eschatology Of War" is a high quality debut album by 1914. Hitting the right balance between the doom, death, and black metal influences could have proven difficult, but 1914 seamlessly combine the influences and create a sound of their own. The many vintage war themed samples and music snippets combined with the cruel lyrical subjects and the dark and heavy music make "Eschatology Of War" a great listen. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

UMUR "Spawned by the Horrors of Thermonuclear Warfare" is a compilation album by US, Seattle, Washington based death/thrash metal act Oxygen Destroyer. The compilation was released through Sewer Rot Records in July 2022. It bridges the gap between Oxygen Destroyer´s second- and third full-length studio albums "Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind" (2021) and "Guardian of the Universe" (2024).

The compilation features eight tracks and a total playing time of 22:50 minutes. The material is culled from various demos and split releases from the period 2015-2019. It´s not a compilation featuring all rarity/minor release tracks from Oxygen Destroyer, which is actually a bit weird since the playing time is so short. They could easilay have put the missing tracks from the period on the tracklist and still kept the album length under 30 minutes. The tracks which are missing are "Atomic Breath" from the 2015 debut demo and the 2017 one-track single song "Vanquished by the Unrelenting Devastation of the Celestial Behemoth". Other than those two tracks you get everything on this compilation recorded and released by Oxygen Destroyer in the 2015-2019 period except the material from their 2018 debut full-length studio album "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death". "Vanquished by the Unrelenting Devastation of the Celestial Behemoth" however appears on the debut album and "Atomic Breath" also appears in a re-recorded version, along with re-recorded versions of some of the tracks featured on this compilation.

Stylistically Oxygen Destroyer play a relentlessly aggressive death/thrash metal style with a rabid dog snarling vocalist in front. It´s a music style which was at its peak in the late 80s/early 90s with artists like Merciless, Demolition Hammer, and early Vader leading the pack. Since then there have from time to time appeared a new act playing the style, but Oxygen Destroyer are among the more prolific contemporary artists dedicated to playing death/thrash metal and they sound almost one to one like a band from the late 80s/early 90s period, both when it comes to compositional style, the performances, and the sound production choices.

The quality of the material featured on this compilation differs slightly. Not so much when it comes to the songwriting and the performances of the material, but when it comes to the production quality of the various tracks. It´s however predominantly "Relentless Desire for Nuclear Radiation" from the December 2015 demo, which stands out because of the crude, chaotic, and raw sounding demo production. The two other tracks from the same demo which are also included here, do no appear in the demo versions of the tracks, but instead in the re-recordings which were originally featured on the September 2016 "Saurian Warfare" split with Carnotaurus.

Upon conclusion "Spawned by the Horrors of Thermonuclear Warfare" is a good quality compilation of minor release tracks from the early period of Oxygen Destroyer´s discography, and although a few tracks are missing, you still get some great and raw early versions of tracks which would later appear in re-recorded form on "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death" and a few rarities too which the band never re-recorded. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "The Dead Are Screaming" is the debut full-length studio album by Australian death metal act Werewolves. The album was released through Prosthetic Records in April 2020. Werewolves formed in 2019 and features among others Psycroptic drummer David Haley in the ranks. Guitarist Matt Wilcock and lead vocalist/bassist Sam Bean are both associated with acts like Abramelin, The Antichrist Imperium, and The Berzerker. So Werewolves is pretty much an Australian underground extreme metal supergroup.

Stylistically this is brutal and vicious sounding deathgrind featuring both deep growling vocals and occasionally raw snarling vocals. Not surprisingly the music is predominantly very fast-paced, but Werewolves also play mid-paced heavy parts. While this is not a one to one direct comparison, I´d say references to an artist like Terrorizer are valid. "The Dead Are Screaming" aren´t the most unique sounding deathgrind release on the scene, although it´s certainly well composed, but Werewolves more than anything win because they are skilled musicians performing their music with great passion and conviction.

"The Dead Are Screaming" features a raw, detailed, and powerful sounding production job, perfectly suiting the material. So while Werewolves still need to tweek their songwriting just a bit to make their songs a little more memorable, "The Dead Are Screaming" is still a high quality deathgrind release, and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

martindavey87 Following on very closely to the format of 2004’s ‘Live At Budokan’, ‘Score: 20th Anniversary Tour’ is a fantastic DVD for fans of progressive metal icons, Dream Theater.

The first disc features an almost three-hour concert. Beautifully shot, with excellent sound and clear visuals, the band are on top form as always. The set is interesting in that, while touring in support of their ‘Octavarium’ album, (represented here five times), the band also go through various tracks throughout their discography in chronological order. Ending with an orchestra and treating us to ‘Octavarium’, ‘Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence’ and ‘Metropolis Pt. 1’, the set list is fantastic, and certainly differs to other live releases.

Amidst a number of bonus tracks and animated visuals, the true gem on the second disc is an hour-long documentary on the history of the band. While it’s a lot to cram into 60-minutes, this is still an interesting and enjoyable watch, and includes plenty of live footage, interviews and photos.

Rounding up the perfect trilogy of live albums/DVD’s, along with ‘Metropolis 2000…’, and ‘Budokan…’, ‘Score’ is an exceptional release, sure to please fans, and is an absolutely essential addition to every prog collection.

UMUR "Mourning Has Broken" is the third full-length studio album by UK, Nottingham based thrash/heavy metal act Sabbat. The album was released through Noise Records in March 1991. It´s the successor to "Dreamweaver (Reflections of Our Yesterdays)" from 1989 and features several lineup changes since the predecessor. Lead vocalist Martin Walkyier has been replaced by Ritchie Desmond, guitarist Simon Jonas has been replaced by Neil Watson, and bassist Fraser Craske has been replaced by Wayne Banks, leaving only guitarist Andy Sneap and drummer Simon Negus from the lineup who recorded the predecessor.

Some artists are able to successfully replace band members and carry on as if nothing had happened, or at least with minimal impact, and even in some cases with an improved sound as a result of the lineup changes, but none of the above apply to Sabbat on "Mourning Has Broken". Especially the change on the lead vocalist spot has had great impact. Not only did Walkyier have a distinct sounding voice and vocal style, but his lyrics and pagan image, were a big part of Sabbat, and although Desmond is actually a skilled vocalist with a strong voice, who generally does a good job on "Mourning Has Broken", he has a hard time bringing anything resembling Walkyier´s intensity and uniqueness to the table.

"Dreamweaver (Reflections of Our Yesterdays)" introduced some longer and more complex compositions, compared to the material on the debut album, but on "Mourning Has Broken", Sabbat fully enters progressive territories, and the music on the album can best be described as a technical thrash/progressive metal release with touches of US power metal. Although some may argue it´s not the best comparison, I actually think Confessor is the most valid reference when describing the sound of "Mourning Has Broken". There´s a similar high pitched, bleak, and toneless quality to the vocal style of Desmond, and although not quite as technical or innovative as Confessor are, Sabbat still come off as a pretty technically well playing act on "Mourning Has Broken" (Negus do seem a bit out of his league here though, and the drumming has a tendency to sound a little stiff and awkward). At times I´m also reminded of an act like Sanctuary.

With the departure of Walkyier out goes the pagan/occult lyrics too, and "Mourning Has Broken" focuses more on bleak (even depressive) social/political/religious issues/topics/observations. This is a dark and heavy release filled to the brim with gloom and despair at the state of the world.

"Mourning Has Broken" features a sound production which is not up to par with what you´d expect from a production from 1991. There´s something wrong with the tone of the instruments (especially the drums) and how they are placed in the mix. Ultimately it´s just not a pleasant sounding production job, and even if the remaining parts of the album (performances, songwriting...etc.) were of a high quality, the sound production would still have a negative influence on my overall impression of the album. The performances and the songwriting are however not at all times of a high quality, and especially the songwriting seems directionless and lacking hooks. Sneap himself has in interviews called the songwriting patchy and said that the tracks were thrown together, and that´s also the feeling you get as a listener, when giving the album a spin (some tracks are decent while others suffer more as a consequence of the patchy songwriting).

When that is said I still think "Mourning Has Broken" is a relatively interesting album. It´s not a great album nor is a particularly memorable release, and it´s questionable if the decision to release the album under the Sabbat monicker was a good one, but there´s still something intriguing about the band´s ability to create a bleak atmosphere, and there are also some really sharp and powerful riffs and lead guitar work featured here. As mentioned above Desmond isn´t as unique a vocalist as Walkyier, but he can hold his own, and his US power metal vocal style (high pitched screaming and deeper and more raw shouting) actually suits the material pretty well. So bad sounding production and patchy songwriting, but predominantly great musicianship and a nicely bleak atmosphere are what characterize "Mourning Has Broken". A 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "Oxygen Destroyer vs. Power Beast: Pacific Devastation" is a split release between US, Seattle Washington based death/thrash metal act Oxygen Destroyer and US, Portland, Oregon based death/heavy metal act Power Beast. The split was released through Headsplit Records in October 2019. It´s a two-track split featuring one song by each artist.

Oxygen Destroyer had at this point released their debut full-length studio album "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death" (April 2018), but "Sons of the Necrobeast" is a track which is exclusive to this split (at least at the time of release). The "Septic Punishment" track from Power Beast is also exclusive to this split.

Oxygen Destroyer´s track continues the aggressive death/thrash metal of their preceding releases and you´ll find no surprises here if you´re familiar with those. Fast-paced, aggressive, and highly energetic death/thrash metal is on the menu. Power Beast is a different sounding act, playing a filthy, raw, and brutal old school death metal style. Both tracks are well produced, well composed, and well performed and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

martindavey87 Pretty standard Metallica live DVD here. Great set, fantastic sound and visuals, and the band all on top form as always (even Lars does alright!). The metal legends, touring to promote 2008’s ‘Death Magnetic’ have gone back to their old-school way of having the stage in the middle of the venue, kind of making this feel like ‘Cunning Stunts’ all over again, except, ten years wiser and more mature. And while they may not have the same drive and ambition as they did in the 90’s, it’s clear to see that this is an alcohol and drug-free band, who are just having the time of their lives up on stage.

Featuring all the hits you’d come to expect, such as ‘One’, ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘Sad But True’, ‘Broken, Beat and Scarred’, ‘Battery’ and a whole host of others, including some “bonus track” surprises, such as ‘Turn the Page’, ‘Holier Than Thou’ and ‘Breadfan’, this is a great DVD that may not stand out in the bands discography as much as previous releases ‘Live Shit: Binge & Purge’, ‘Cunning Stunts’ or ‘S&M’, but is still plenty worthwhile owning, and certainly enough to satisfy any Metallica fan.

martindavey87 Regardless of the results, I’ll always give Metallica credit for not being afraid to try new things. Going from thrash metal to alternative rock, playing with an orchestra, side projects with Lou Reed and now this… a concert movie?

And the results here, as expected, are pretty mixed. The actual movie aspect doesn’t make much sense. With a daft storyline interspersed with the concert footage, and at times tying into the show itself. Sometimes with the band actually even doing little choreographed bits on stage, this all comes across as a bit awkward at times, and is probably more of a detriment than anything.

However, the concert footage itself is absolutely gorgeous! The visuals are fantastic and the high-definition video really gives it a crystal-clear picture, with some very cool camera angles and some awesome close-ups. Along with all the usual Metallica pyrotechnics and on-stage stunts and props, this is like ‘Cunning Stunts’ on steroids.

But sadly, that’s pretty much the only highlight. There’s a whole hoard of extras, including behind-the-scenes documentaries, Q&A sessions, trailers, music videos, and a whole bunch more, but it’s mostly all pretty bland and generic, with the only saving grace being that live footage. I wish they’d just done an entire concert DVD recorded like this, because that part, really is THAT damn good!

UMUR "South of Heaven" is the fourth full-length studio album by US, California based thrash metal act Slayer. The album was released through Def Jam Recordings in July 1988. It´s the successor to "Reign in Blood" from 1986 and like the predecessor "South of Heaven" was also produced by Rick Rubin. Following up an album like "Reign in Blood (1986)", which was an instant classic upon release and greatly boosted Slayer´s profile on the scene, was always going to be difficult if not downright impossible, so Slayer had discussions among themselves about where to go from there and they made a conscious decision not to make "Reign in Blood" part 2.

So while "South of Heaven" sounds unmistakably like Slayer, it´s a completely different sounding album to its direct predecessor. "South of Heaven" features a less heavy, raw, and abrasive sounding production to it´s predecessor, but the less savage power also means the sound production on "South of Heaven" is more clear and detailed than the sound production on "Reign in Blood". It´s just a completely different listening experience, and it´s understandable why some fans felt that "South of Heaven" packed a lot less punch than what they were used to hearing from Slayer.

It´s not only the sound production which makes "South of Heaven" different from the preceding Slayer releases, the songwriting is also quite different. The tracks are more varied, there are hints of melody (even some clean guitars on closing track "Spill the Blood"), and lead vocalist/bassist Tom Araya even sings a few lines in addition to his usual raw shouted vocals. Of course Slayer is still Slayer, and you won´t find any sweet lullabies or mainstream tendencies on "South of Heaven", which is still a highly aggressive, furiously fast-paced, and brutal thrash metal release.

Slayer haven´t scaled down on their controversial lyrics either, and right from the opening title track the listener is treated to anti-christian lyrics, and other subjects on the album include murder, violence and war. Highlights include the title track, "Mandatory Suicide", and "Silent Scream", but some of my personal favorites are "Behind the Crooked Cross" (about soldiers forced to fight for the Nazis during world war II), "Read Between the Lies", and the absolutely brilliant "Live Undead". The latter features a head scratching number of trade-off guitar solos, tempo changes, and riffs. Crazy track that one...

...I always felt the cover of "Dissident Aggressor" by Judas Priest was the least interesting track on the album, but I´ve come to appreciate even that song over the years. Performance wise Slayer are a force to be reckoned with. Fast-paced thrash riffs (and heavy ones too), blistering screaming guitar solos, great powerful and organic drumming by Dave Lombardo, and the distinct sounding and unique raw vocals by Araya in front. At this point they were an incredibly tight playing unit and very few contemporaries were able to match their level of intensity and extremity, while still producing memorable material. Because that is one of Slayer´s greatest assets. Producing really extreme music that you are still able to remember and scream along to.

So while "South of Heaven" is probably the least extreme Slayer album (along with the debut album, which also features hints of melody), it still packs a punch and sounds unmistakably like Slayer. It´s an incredibly bold release considering how relatively different it sounds to "Reign in Blood", and they could have risked that their fans had turned their backs on them, but that´s not at all what happened. Instead the fans embraced the new sound, or at least grew to appreciate it and respect the fact that Slayer did not want to stagnate, and it ultimately enabled Slayer to continue to further build upon their already considerable high level of artistic and commercial success. A 5 star (100%) rating is fully deserved.

martindavey87 Compiling two previously released Dream Theater VHS’s (they were the days!), this DVD is around three and a half hours of various music videos, live footage and tour diaries. ‘Images and Words…’ focuses on the bands first visit to Japan way back in the early 90’s, while ‘Five Years…’ follows the bands career from around 1994 to 1998, covering the making of the ‘Awake’ and ‘Falling Into Infinity’ albums, as well as the subsequent tours.

There’s plenty of highlights on both discs, besides the abundance of live concert footage, seeing the band members loitering the streets of Japan, in the studio writing, recording, and dilly-dallying, as well as playing covers with guest appearances, there’s a lot here for fans to enjoy.

An added bonus for the dedicated fans are the commentaries for both discs, where the guys are absolutely hilarious in their ability to poke fun at themselves (and each other), and not take anything too seriously. Overall, two fantastic discs in fantastic package, definitely worth owning for any Dream Theater fans.

UMUR "Fright Night" is the debut full-length studio album by Finnish power metal act Stratovarius. The album was released through CBS Finland in May 1989. Stratovarius formed under the Black Water monicer in August 1984 but changed their name to the current one in 1985. The band released a demo in 1987, featuring three of the tracks, which appear on "Fright Night" in re-recorded versions ("Future Shock", "Fright Night", and "Night Screamer").

Stylistically the material on "Fright Night" is neo-classical influenced Euro power metal, and the influence from artists like Helloween, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Rainbow, are there in abundance. Often to a point where the tracks on the album aren´t really that original sounding. Fortunately Stratovarius were already this early on a well playing unit (altough not spectacular), and there are many great instrumental performances throughout the album. Shredding neo-classical guitar runs, melodic heavy/power metal riffing, and a solid playing rhythm section. Guitarist Timo Tolkki also sings on "Fright Night", and while the instrumental part of the music is pretty strong, the vocals aren´t. Tolkki has a relatively unremarkable heavy/power metal type voice and vocal style, and although his overall performance is bearable, he sounds awfully strained and sometimes even sounds a little out of key. I´m not sure the latter is correct, but his vocals does little positive for the music.

"Fright Night" features a decent sounding production. It´s not great, but not awful either, and if you can look past the rather weak vocals and the fact that the material aren´t exactly the most unique sounding, "Fright Night" is still a relatively enjoyable debut release by Stratovarius. A 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "Category III Kaiju" is a split release between US, Seattle Washington based death/thrash metal act Oxygen Destroyer and Canadian, Thunder Bay, Ontario based death/thrash metal act VHS. The split features two tracks from each artist. It´s an independent release from May 2019.

Both artists have chosen campy/B-horror movie lyrical subjects and images to support their aggressive and energetic death/thrash metal music styles. As far as I´ve been able to investigate the material from both artists are exclusive to this release (at least at the time of release). Oxygen Destroyer plays a deadly type of death/thrash metal with a snarling rabid dog vocalist in front, screaming chromatic solos, and a highly energetic playing style and pace, while VHS are slightly more death metal oriented but still has traces of brutal thrash metal and even a bit of grindcore in their sound.

The material from both artists is well produced, well composed, and well performed and "Category III Kaiju" is overall a high quality split release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Vanquished by the Unrelenting Devastation of the Celestial Behemoth" is a one-track digital single by US, Seattle, Washington based death/thrash metal act Oxygen Destroyer. The single was independently released in July 2017. I`m not 100% sure as I think the sound productions differ slightly between the two versions, but I think this is a different version of the song than the version featured on Oxygen Destroyer´s April 2018 debut full-length studio album "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death". It could be the same recording though, just tweaked a bit on the sound production side.

Needless to say Oxygen Destroyer are very consistent in sound and style, and "Vanquished by the Unrelenting Devastation of the Celestial Behemoth" is just another great example of their relentlessly aggressive and highly energetic type of death/thrash metal. Early Vader and Demolition Hammer are often mentioned among the influences, and I can hear those influences too. The track is well produced and the raw, powerful, and brutal sound production further enhances the impact of the song on the listener. These guys know what they do and they do it well. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

martindavey87 All these years later, and this still ranks as one of Metallica’s best DVD’s. The cleverly titled ‘S&M’, released in 1999, sees one of heavy metal’s greatest bands teaming with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, to unleash this sonic assault on the senses.

Taking place prior to all the drama at the turn of the century (do some research if you’re unsure what I’m referring to), the band are on top form here. James Hetfield’s vocals sounded absolutely fantastic around this time, and the band play phenomenally. Great sound, great picture (considering the technology of the day), lots of great camera angles and especially great performances, including Lars! This whole show was spot-on.

With Michael Kamen and co. backing them, Metallica’s music just seems so much more vibrant and alive, evident on so many classics such as ‘Master of Puppets’, ‘Battery’, ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ (which sounds incredible), and ‘One’, which is given a whole new sense of rising tension and dread thanks to the orchestra.

Chuck in two new tracks, both of which are absolute bangers, a 40-minute documentary, and the ability to hear the concert back isolating just the band or the orchestra, this is an incredible DVD, that holds up well today and belongs in the collection of every Metallica fan.

Warthur There's several acts out there that ended up incorporating a BDSM performance art angle into their stage shows back in the 1990s, particularly on the industrial scene. Some of these were clearly doing this either to cover for a lack of interesting music, or merely adopted it as a cool, edgy aesthetic, but on their debut album the Genitorturers combine an apparent passion for the subject matter with pretty solid tunes and performances.

The core of the band is married couple Gen and David Vincent. At this point in time, this was a side project for David, since his main gig was in Morbid Angel - but it's Gen who takes on frontwoman duties and brings this vicious, almost gutteral edge to her vocals. Lots of 1990s metal groups were going for a "beauty and the beast" aesthetic where the female vocalist was meant to sound as pretty as possible and leave anything remotely harsh to her male counterparts; Gen doesn't get into outright death metal growls here, but she does give the impression of being a woman you absolutely do not want to cross, defiantly roaring about sexual subject matter with a disarming frankness which really helps the overall aesthetic.

As far as the backing goes - it's 1990s industrial metal of a fairly commercially-leaning sort. It's a few notches more metallic than what the likes of, say, Marilyn Manson were putting out at the time, but it ends up at a point where it manages to be extreme without being enormously innovative. If you're quite into the 1990s industrial metal style and think Gen's vocals are enjoyable and the lyrical subject matter appeals, 120 Days of Genitorture will seem like a grand old time, but it's never going to be seen as the most truly groundbreaking and experimental of industrial metal efforts.

UMUR "Sap" is an EP release by US heavy/hard rock act Alice in Chains. The EP was released through Columbia Records in February 1992 and it bridges the gap between the band´s debut and second full-length studio albums "Facelift (1990)" and "Dirt (September 1992)". After finishing up their tour supporting "Facelift (1990)", the band went straight to the studio to start recording the track "Would?" for the Cameron Crowe movie "Singles" (June 1992) but in addition to that track the band ended up recording around 10 demo tracks for their next album during the same session. Alice in Chains opted to release 5 of those tracks, which were (mostly) acoustic tracks, as an EP as a gap release between their debut- and sophomore studio albums.

An early version of "Rooster" was recorded during the sessions, but ultimately left off the EP, as the band wanted that song included on "Dirt (1992)". Therefore "Sap" features 5 tracks (one is a hidden track titled "Love Song"). Ann Wilson of Heart guests on a couple of tracks and Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Mark Arm (Mudhoney) also guest on "Right Turn".

While "Facelift (1990)" is a bleak, depressive, heavy, and dark affair, "Sap" shows a more mellow and melancholic side of Alice in Chains. This is still not music full of sunshine (which would probably also have felt weird) and "Right Turn" is downright depressive, but the tasteful acoustic arrangements and the skillful performances make "Sap" both a worthy and interesting follow-up release to "Facelift (1990)". As always it´s the vocals and vocal harmonies by lead vocalist Layne Staley and guitarist/backing vocalist Jerry Cantrell (who sings a lot of lead vocals on this EP), which provide the band´s music with its unique character and sound. This is deeply emotional and melancholic music, and the band make sure that their performances match the intensity and passion of the material.

So upon conclusion "Sap" is a nice and different sounding gap release, and also a pretty bold move from such a young band with only one full-length album under their belts, but "Sap" proved to be a huge commercial success for Alice in Chains as it ended up selling more than 500.000 copies. So great was the demand from their fans for new music from them, that Alice in Chains deliberately didn´t do much promotion for the release. No music video was shot for any of the tracks on the EP, and the label didn´t advertise the release in the press either. They just sort of slipped the EP unto the market, and watched what happened. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved, although I´d argue that both the acoustic based tracks on "Dirt (1992)" and on the band´s second acoustic based EP "Jar of Flies (1994)" are overall more complete and interesting material.

UMUR "Death Rituals" is the tenth full-length studio album by US, Florida based death metal act Six Feet Under. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in November 2008. It´s the successor to "Commandment" from 2007. Although both Greg Gall (drums) and Terry Butler (bass) are also featured on the succeeding covers album "Graveyard Classics III" (2010), this would be their last performance on a Six Feet Under album featuring original material. Both had been members of Six Feet Under since 1993 and appear on the band´s 1995 debut album "Haunted".

Stylistically "Death Rituals" pretty much continues the old school death metal with heavy grooves and Chris Barnes distinct sounding hoarse growling vocals of the preceding releases. There are no attempts at trying something different or any wishes from the Six Feet Under camp to develop their style or sound. This could just have well have been released in the mid-90s. Sometimes the relatively simple riffs, rhythms, vocals, and song structures work really well and there is definitely an undeniable charm to the procedings, but other times it´s almost too predictable and lacking something remarkable. Most tracks are heavy mid-paced affairs with a great emphasis on heavy grooves and the only track which stands out a bit is the cover of "Bastard" by Mötley Crue, which is of course delivered with loads of death metal power and growling vocals.

So "Death Rituals" is very much business as usual for Six Feet Under. The album features an organic, raw, and powerful sounding production job, suiting the material well. "Death Rituals" will not make you a fan of Six Feet Under, if you weren´t fond of the earlier releases, but those who enjoy the preceding releases of the band should find just as much groove laden, organic old school death metal here as they can digest. In fact "Death Rituals" was the band´s longest release at this point, clocking in at just under 50 minutes. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Saurian Warfare" is a split release between US, Seattle Washington based death/thrash metal act Oxygen Destroyer and US, Seattle Washington based death metal act Carnotaurus. The split features two tracks from each artist. It´s an independent release from September 2016.

Oxygen Destroyer have opted to re-record "Onslaught of the Precambrian Hordes" and "Summoning the Moth of Divinity", which first appeared on their December 2015 demo. Carnotaurus have included a re-recording of "No Higher than Dust" from their 2010 "A Taste of the Carnage to Come" demo and the unreleased "A Stampede of Horns and Shields" track.

Although the two artists have similar images and lyrical philosophies writing about mythical (or in the case of Carnotaurus real but extinct) monsters, their playing styles and sounds are quite different. Oxygen Destroyer play a relentlessly aggressive and highly energetic death/thrash metal style with a snarling vocalist in front, while Carnotaurus play a filthy, raw, and brutal type of death metal with growling vocals. Both artists have produced some decent quality material though (I´d take Oxygen Destroyer over Carnotaurus anyday, but to each his own) and "Saurian Warfare" is overall a good quality release and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Anarchogram" is an EP release by UK death metal/goregrind act The Rotted. The EP was independently released in July 2010. "Anarchogram" bridges the gap between the band´s debut- and sophomore full-length studio albums "Get Dead or Die Trying (2008)" and "Ad Nauseam (2011)".

"Anarchogram" features 6 tracks and a total playing time of 21:22 minutes. "Drink Myself To Death" and "Dawn Of A New Error" are new original deathgrind compositions, while the remaining four tracks are covers of Motörhead, Sepultura, Mayhem, and Entombed). The new original tracks are decent but nothing out of the ordinary for the style (a little more deathgrind influenced that the predominantly death metal influenced preceding album release), while the covers are all well done and given enough The Rotted spin to be interesting. The Rotted are a well playing band and "Anarchogram" is well produced too, so upon conclusion this EP is a nice little stop gap release between "Get Dead or Die Trying (2008)" and "Ad Nauseam (2011)". A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Brutal Thrashing Kaiju Metal" is the second demo recording by US, Seattle, Washington based death/thrash metal act Oxygen Destroyer. The demo was independently released in March 2016. It succeeds the release of the band´s first demo from December 2015.

Stylistically the two tracks on the 6:11 minutes long demo are a continuation of the relenetessly aggressive, highly energetic, and predominantly very fast-paced death/thrash metal style of the first demo. The sound production is slighly more defined and less chaotic then on the first demo, but other than that Oxygen Destroyer sound more or less the same. They already this early on had a vision and a sound which they would follow on the subsequent releases.

The slightly more professional sound production values make "Brutal Thrashing Kaiju Metal" a more easily accesssible release then the first demo, but it´s still a raw, savage, and highly aggressive demo recording, and fans of the death/thrash metal style of the late 80s/early 90s should find a lot to appreciate here. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

SalamiDickDeath The story of Corelia is an absolute tragedy.

After an unbelievable start with this extraordinary EP. Replete with gorgeous Prog Metal….yes, in the vein of Protest the Hero, Periphery, The Human Abstract etc. but absolutely with their own unique voice. They promise a double album for their 1st official LP. Get something like 2/3rds of the way and then tragedy strikes in the form of mental illness.

After a gofundme debacle where money was not returned to its investors it’s all over.

This EP however cannot be taken back and it is incredible. An outstanding addition to the Modern Prog Metal genre. Quit versatile vocals at times reaching incredible heights, tight and heavy playing on guitar that weaves riffing and arpeggios until the shimmering cleans are picked through. Same goes for the drums consistently matching the energy of the guitars.

The thing that makes the story so sad is the fact that this EP is practically an immaculate display of musical artistry in its chosen genre.

martindavey87 I seem to have some weird kind of foreign, unofficial-type version of this DVD. Not sure if that’s a contributing factor or not, but the sound seems a bit underwhelming. The guitars and vocals seem fairly quiet and just seem all sludgy and blurred in with the mix. It’s not awful mind you, but it certainly doesn’t help considering that, as much as I love Godsmack, they seem quite boring here. They’re don’t seem very animated at all, and when the music is fairly simple and straightforward like this, I need to see a bit more of a show than people just standing there, looking down at their instruments. Still love the band though, just don’t think this DVD is that good.

UMUR "Within the Visceria" is the debut full-length studio album by Danish death metal act Neckbreakker (previously known under the Nakkeknaekker monicker). The album was released through Nuclear Blast in December 2024. A very young band (drummer Anton Bregendorf is for example only 18 years old) from the city of Silkeborg, Neckbreakker was formed in 2020 as Nakkeknaekker and they released a couple of demos before changing their name to Neckbreakker in 2024. An English language version of their original Danish language monicker.

Stylistically they play a heavy and groove laden type of death metal. Rooted in the early 90s old school death metal scene, but there is a bit more to Neckbreakker than that, as they include more contemporary influences too. The heavy sometimes hardcore oriented groove of some parts and the aggressive shouting vocals of Christoffer Kofoed aren´t old school death metal features, but Neckbreakker manage to incorporate those elements pretty well with their more old school death metal features.

The band are well playing, but it´s immediately clear that it´s Bregendorf who is the standout musician in Neckbreakker. Busy, organic, and powerful drumming, which drives the music forward with loads of aggression, heavy swagger, and creativity. You don´t hear that often in this genre of music, and although Neckbreakker doesn´t sound much like Entombed it´s definitely Nicke Andersson´s organic playing style and inventive playing on the early Entombed releases I´m reminded of. It´s not that they have similar playing styles, but it´s the organic groove and constant attention to what is best for the music which they share. Contemporary and very successful fellow contrymen in Baest are bound to be mentioned here too, but Neckbreakker are generally a more diverse and hardcore/groove oriented death metal act than the more traditional old school death metal of Baest.

"Within the Visceria" features a powerful, raw, and overall effective sound production, which suits the material well and upon conclusion it´s a good quality debut release from Neckbreakker, who definitely have the potential to go places with their music. The songwriting is at times a bit too safe and Neckbreakker don´t offer the listener anything they haven´t heard before. It´s not a major issue as especially the musical performances are as strong as they are and the album is as well produced as it is, but a few more catchy and memorable moments wouldn´t have hurt and could have made my overall impression of the album a little more positive. It´s ultimately still a good quality release though and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Oxygen Destroyer (2015 Demo)" is the first demo recording by US, Seattle, Washington based death/thrash metal act Oxygen Destroyer. The demo was independently released in December 2015. Oxygen Destroyer was formed in 2014 and on this recording they consisted of Joey Walker (bass), Jordan Farrow (guitars, vocals), and Rodney Serrano (drums).

Stylistically the four tracks on the 10:35 minutes long demo are in a relentlessly energetic and caustic aggressive death/thrash metal style just on the verge of becoming unhinged. It´s raw, fast-paced, and pretty one-dimensional. It´s not exactly a dynamic release, and from you push play until the last second of closing track "Atomic Breath" it pretty much sounds like the same úber aggressive death/thrash metal song being played with rabid dog snarling vocals delivering the only slightly dynamic feature of the music. Does it matter that the music is pummeling, savage, and blunt all the way through the demo...nope, that´s more or less how I expect a death/thrash metal demo to sound like. It´s like listening to early Merciless or demo days Invocator mixed with some 1985-1986 Kreator.

The sound production is raw and a bit on the lo-fi side for the genre, but it´s authentic sounding and still packing the right punch. Upon conclusion Oxygen Destroyer don´t get many point for sounding unique, but instead they win on attitude, rawness, and energy. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Heaven Is Gone" is the debut full-length studio album by US, New York based stoner/doom metal act Seventh Void. The album was released through Big Vin Records (Vinnie Paul´s label, who is also credited as producer on the album) in April 2009. Seventh Void formed in 2003 and to many, part of the band´s appeal is probably the fact that two of the four members of the contemporary Type O Negative lineup are included in the lineup who recorded "Heaven Is Gone". Johnny Kelly on drums and Kenny Hickey on lead vocals and guitar. Bassist Hank Bell and lead guitarist Matt Brown complete the quartet lineup.

The material featured on "Heaven Is Gone" was recorded during a pause in Type O Negative band activity after finishing their tour supporting "Dead Again" (2007), and Seventh Void was probably just meant to be a project to keep Kelly and Hickey busy while they waited for Peter Steele to write material for the next Type O Negative album. Of course that never came to be as Steele unexpectedly died in April 2010 and in November the same year the official announcement came that the remaining members of Type O Negative would not continue without Steele.

So a lot of talk about Type O Negative above, but name dropping that band is not only valid because of the shared members, but also because of musical similarities. Seventh Void are generally more straight forward delivering heavy stoner doomy riffs and rhythms and no gothic rock/metal influences or lyrics about depressive vampires or dark romance, but when Hickey sings it´s impossible not to think of his then main band, as he has always complimented Steele, with his high pitched voice and semi-aggressive delivery. Here he is the sole vocalist, and while he does a good job within the boundaries of his abilities, a whole album featuring his voice is a bit much. Other than that the material is decent enough, although seldom reaching excellence. In many ways Seventh Void remind me of another Type O Negative offspring in A Pale Horse Named Death (minus the gothic metal influences). So the heavy riffs and rhythms are at times complimented by alternative rock/metal elements.

The sound production is well sounding and obviously the work of a professional, but I would actually have prefered a more raw and organic sounding production, which I think would have suited the material better. Upon conclusion "Heaven Is Gone" isn´t exactly a revelation, and I probably wouldn´t have given it a shot if it wasn´t for the names involved, but with that said it´s still a decent quality release, and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 ‘Francais...’ is one of three Metallica DVD’s that all seemed to pop up around a close time-frame of each other (the others being similar concerts from Mexico and Quebec). Released in 2009, it features Metallica touring to promote their fairly new release, ‘Death Magnetic’, from the previous year. On this concert DVD, the set list is solid, the playing is fantastic, and the visuals are excellent. The setting is an old amphitheatre that looks absolutely beautiful as a music venue. The only setback was that this lacks a lot of the pyrotechnics and effects that their arena shows afforded them. So unless you’re a huge fan, it might get a bit boring just sitting here and watching them, well, just play for over two hours.

Still, it’s a great DVD, and the band is on top form, with boundless energy and enthusiasm, we even see quite a few songs that hadn’t been played live in a long time! And with a few added extras (interviews, extra footage etc), this makes for a worthy addition to any Metallica fans collection.

martindavey87 Filmed and released in 2004, ‘When Dream and Day Reunite’ was the first DVD to come out from Dream Theater’s Official Bootlegs series. Paying tribute to the band’s debut album, ‘When Dream and Day Unite’, on its 15th anniversary, this is an interesting look back at the bands first official album. An album which they no longer own the rights to, therefore meaning this is as good as a remix, remaster or re-release that we’ll ever get.

The concert footage is fantastic! Playing their debut album in its entirety, and featuring guest appearances by Derek Sherinian and Charlie Dominici, this is excellent stuff, and well worth watching. The sound and picture are great, and as expected, the performers are all on top form. As well as rehearsal footage and behind-the-scenes commentary, this is all great material for Dream Theater fans.

Then the icing on the cake, a 70-minute “home video” documentary compiled by Mike Portnoy, featuring concert footage and the band discussing their album, all in their early days. This is super interesting to watch, especially seeing them at such a young age. For an “official bootleg”, this DVD has an absolute wealth of material, and is truly a must-have for Dream Theater fans.

UMUR "Burn the World" is the fourth full-length studio album by Swedish heavy metal act Portrait. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in August 2017. It´s the successor to "Crossroads" from 2014. The band are down to the trio of Anders Persson (drums), Christian Lindell (guitars, bass), and Per Lengstedt (vocals) after guitarist David Olofsson and bassist Mikael Castervall have jumped ship.

The material on "Burn the World" pretty much continue in the Mercyful Fate/King Diamond influenced heavy metal style of the preceding releases, but Lengstedt do have other things in his vocal repetoire than sounding like a clone of King Diamond. So while the music certainly features enough high pitched vocals and harmonies to keep the King Diamond fanboys happy, Lengstedt´s mid-range vocals and some of his screams are slightly more unique sounding. The tracks feature very traditional sounding heavy metal riffs, solos, harmonies, and rhythm work, although some of the tracks are more adventurous in nature than just consisting of vers/chorus sections. Best examplified by the 8:49 minutes long closing track "Pure of Heart".

"Burn the World" is a well produced release, featuring a powerful, organic, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well. It´s not an album which is much better or much different than what they have released before, but it´s another solid album release and Portrait can be proud of what they´ve produced here. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Within Suffering" is the debut full-length studio album by Canadian, Ontario based thrash metal act Overthrow. The album was released through Epidemic Records in 1990. Overthrow was a relatively shortlived act forming in 1987 and disbanding in 1991 after releasing the 1989 "Bodily Domination" demo and "Within Suffering".

Stylistically the 9 tracks on the 31:11 minutes long album (later reissues feature the tracks from the "Bodily Domination" demo and some good quality live recordings) are brutal and aggressive sounding thrash metal (in some cases touching death/thrash territory). "Within Suffering" was recorded at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida with producer Scott Burns and not surprisingly the album features a dark and heavy sounding production further enhancing the link to death metal. This is predominantly a thrash metal release though, it´s just in the more dark, brutal, and aggressive end of the scale.

While the tempo is mostly furiously fast-paced, Overthrow also play mid-paced heavy riffs and rhythms, which help the album appear a little more diverse. The vocals are raw and angry sounding rabid dog snarling, and perfect for the style. In addition to the many fast-paced brutal thrash metal riffs and rhythms the music also features some well performed screaming guitar solos. Artists like Demolition Hammer and Sadus are valid references (and artists like Devastation, Gammacide, and 1986-Dark Angel), although "Within Suffering" is maybe slightly more traditional thrash metal styled.

Upon conclusion "Within Suffering" is a high quality thrash metal release in the brutal end of the spectrum, and fans of aggressive death/thrash are the target audience. A little more variation between tracks wouldn´t have hurt, but other than that this is through and through a good quality release and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "A World Drowning in Detest" is the third full-length studio album by Danish death metal act Detest. The album was released through Emanzipation Productions in December 2024. It´s the successor to "We Will Get What We Deserve" from 2021, which was Detest´s comeback album after not having released a full-length studio album since "Dorval" from 1994, although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the "A Moment of Love" EP from 2019.

So with a more steady release rate it would seem that Detest are back with a vengeance. Listening to "A World Drowning in Detest", the vengeance part isn´t entirely true though, but more about that later. Stylistically Detest play a predominantly old school oriented death metal style which is based on heavy riffs and grooves and which is mostly played at mid-pace, although the band speed things up on occasion. My impression is however overall that "A World Drowning in Detest" is a faster-paced album than "We Will Get What We Deserve". The vocals are one-dimensional growling and performed without much feeling or aggression. They are just there and lead vocalist/bassist Simon Springborg gets the job done but not much more than that.

The musicianship is overall pretty strong, but I have to mention that some of the lead guitar parts sound a little shaky/out of tune. The worst example of that is on instrumental album opener "It's Over", but the leads are generally not the greatest throughout the album. "A World Drowning in Detest" features a professional and well sounding production job, so it´s the relatively mediocre songwriting and the sometimes shaky musicianship which aren´t fully up to par with some of the contemporary Danish death metal artists which Detest are in competition with like Baest and Neckbreakker. As legends of the Danish death metal scene Detest are supposed to show the new young artists that they are leaders, but on "A World Drowning in Detest" they sound like faceless followers to me. Despite the criticism there are however still quality here and a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is the third full-length studio album by Austrian progressive rock/metal act Mayfair. The album was released through the King Pest label in 1998. As "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is the only release registered as being released through King Pest, I suspect that it´s the band´s own label. "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is the successor to "Die Flucht" from 1995 and it was the last album released during Mayfair´s original run from 1989 to 2000, when they disbanded the first time.

Although Mario Prünster´s Geddy Lee (Rush) sounding voice and delivery immediately gives away that "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is a Mayfair release, all metal elements (which were already sparse) from the two predecing album releases have been stripped from the band´s sound, and "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is instead a sort of experimental/semi-progressive rock album with strong alternative/indie rock leanings. It´s generally pretty odd sounding music and the emphasis is on groove, atmosphere, and weird/abstract songwriting ideas.

"Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is almost as thin sounding as the last two releases, and it would be a lie if i told you that it´s a particularly well produced release. But that´s nothing new when it comes to Mayfair. Upon conclusion "Fastest Trip to Cybertown" is an odd sounding rock album, and I´m not sure who would be the audience for this type of music. It´s occasionally interesting, but never really a great listening experience and a 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 Originally released on VHS in 1990, ‘Chronicles’ features twelve music videos by rock legends Rush. Totalling at just over an hour, these are all available on YouTube, and thus, makes this DVD redundant. However, with that said, it’s Rush! While none of these videos are overly memorable, the music is absolutely fantastic, and in particular, focuses a lot on the bands’ 80’s synth-era material (my favourite Rush era). With hits like ‘Tom Sawyer’, ‘Subdivisions’, ‘Red Sector A’, ‘Distant Early Warning’ and ‘The Big Money’, there is no doubting the quality of the content here.

Still, the DVD format of these video compilations is obsolete, and only worthwhile to collectors like me. And while this one is heavily dated today, it’s still a great watch for fans, and if you come across it cheap, it’s more than worthy of being in your collection.

Warthur As with Rush In Rio, this came out in DVD and CD versions, depending on whether you want the visuals or just the audio. And as with Rush In Rio, the crowd is just a wee bit too prominent in the mix to my tastes - we heard them cheering at the start, gang, we don't need more reminders when they were there when the draw is Rush's music. Beyond the R30 Overture medley, this is largely the sort of thing we've heard extensively before, and generally speaking I find latter-day Rush live albums are less notable than earlier ones, in part because the band got so polished that the live renditions of their material don't really differ enough from the studio versions to feel fresh.

UMUR "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Seattle, Washington based death/thrash metal act Oxygen Destroyer. The album was independently released in April 2018. Oxygen Destroyer formed in 2014 and released a couple of demos during their formative years. The band name derives from the name of the weapon used to kill Godzilla in the original 1954 movie. The lyrics and imagery of "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death" also revolve around The Godzilla monster.

Stylistically the material on "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death" is predominantly furiously fast-paced and aggressive death/thrash with a rabid dog snarling vocalist in front. It´s a relentlessly energetic, angry, and hard-edged release, designed to kill...

...and kill it does. The album is loaded with aggressive and brutal tremolo riffs, fast precision drumming, screaming solos, and high level interplay between the musicians. The material is not particularly varied, although the tracks do feature tempo changes, and heavier riff sections here and there, but the intense caustic vocals and sharp aggressive instrumental delivery are the key ingredients to why this album is such an effective listen and why it makes such a great impact on the listener. You´re put through the death/thrash grinder and left completely exhausted upon completion of the album. While the lyrical themes and imagery may seem a little campy and silly to some, they actually work really well within the context of this release.

"Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death" features a raw, brutal, and detailed sound production, which suits the material perfectly, and upon conclusion this is a high quality debut album by Oxygen Destroyer. Fans of artists like Demolition Hammer, Sadus, and Merciless should find lots to enjoy here, and it gets a huge recommendation from me. Other than the lyrics and the image of the band, there´s little here you haven´t heard before, but for fans of the genre this is a high quality release and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved...now I´m off to beat someone to a bloody pulp while listening to "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death"...

UMUR "Die Flucht" is the second full-length studio album by Austrian progressive rock/metal act Mayfair. The album was released through the German Music Is Intelligence label in 1995. It´s the successor the the 1993 debut full-length studio album "Behind...".

Stylistically "Die Flucht" is a continuation of the odd/atmospheric/theatrical progressive metal of the debut album, although the band have scaled slightly back on the technical playing, and have put even more emphasis on atmosphere and occasionally play a more alternative/indie rock oriented sound. Mayfair are almost impossible to describe correctly, because their music style is pretty unique but an atmospheric, floating, and sometimes theatrical progressive rock/metal style isn´t all wrong. It´s slow- to mid-paced music which often sounds almost linear in structure. The tracks feature a decent amount of sections and different musical ideas and moments, but they often feel a little directionless, unfocused, and lacking melodic hooks.

The sound production is as thin and powerless as the sound production on the debut album, so no development or positive changes in that department. "Die Flucht" is not a bad release, but it´s not really great either and just as my feeling was when listening to the debut album, I also feel that "Die Flucht" is more interesting than great. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 This DVD is basically a quick and easy, one hour run through of some of Sabbath’s biggest hits. Short and sweet. Originally filmed in 1978, and you can tell, the picture is rough around the edges, and the sound is audible, but certainly not great. Overall though, I find the band pretty boring live. Maybe it’s just that I didn’t grow up with Sabbath, but they literally play their hits and that’s the end of it. You don’t really see the audience, and the visuals are very dated. It’s cool to see them perform some classics though, such as ‘Snowblind’, ‘Paranoid, ‘War Pigs’ and ‘Black Sabbath’, but seeing as this is such a short performance and there’s no extras on the DVD, I’d say this is best left to the die-hard fans and collectors.

martindavey87 Released by industrial metal giants Rammstein in 2003, ‘Lichtspielhaus’ is a DVD that compiles plenty of visual bits and bobs from the bands history. With a wealth of live footage, music videos, behind-the-scenes features and various other extras, there is a complete smorgasbord of material here for fans to sink their teeth into.

However, the menus can be quite tricky to navigate at times, and in all fairness, this is probably all on YouTube by now. At least, the music videos are, no doubt. Some of the interviews are in German too, and without subtitles, might be tricky for non-German speakers.

Great DVD overall though, and definitely belongs in the collection of every Rammstein fan.

martindavey87 It’s an alright DVD, the picture is fine, the sound is fine, the playing is fantastic, the set is fantastic, Mustaine’s vocals are a bit naff, but in fairness I’ve never really thought he sounded too good live anyway. The main feature is about 90 minutes long, and interspersed with random clips of Mustaine and Drover playing acoustically. It’s watchable, but a little disjointed. Overall, this release is simply “good”. It’s not mind-blowing, but it’s worth watching, and certainly if you’re a fan, then it’s nice to own. I think previous live DVD ‘Rude Awakening’ is much better though, and has more extras on it too. And what is up with the cover?

UMUR "Behind..." is the debut full-length studio album by Austrian progressive metal act Mayfair. The album was released through General Inquisitor Torquemado in 1993. Mayfair formed in 1989 and released the 1989 "Live for the King" and the 1991 "Find My Screams Behind This Gate" demos before being signed for the release of "Behind..." by the small and shortlived independent General Inquisitor Torquemado label.

"Behind..." features 6 tracks and a total playing time of 29:16, which really isn´t much considering that this is a progressive metal release. One of the regular features of the genre is excessive song- and album lengths, but Mayfair are generally a very different sounding and quite creative progressive metal act, and you should by no means expect this to sound like the Dream Theater school of progressive metal, which started to flood the market around this time. The music features no keyboards, and it´s often strangely atmosperic and almost abstract theatrical in nature. The most odd moments of Psychotic Waltz may be a valid reference, but the music on "Behind..." is quite hard to describe correctly.

It´s certainly unique and quite the interesting listen, although not everything works equally well. The sound production is a bit on the powerless and thin side, and although lead vocalist Mario Prünster is arguably a skilled vocalist his distinct sounding voice and theatrical delivery are sometimes a bit much on the ears (picture how Geddy Lee from Rush would sound like if he was crazy). So upon conclusion I´d put "Behind..." in the catagory of being more interesting than great, but I´d still recommend giving the album a listen if you´re curious to find and hear progressive metal from the 90s, which is on the weirder and more unique side of the spectrum. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "The Furious Waves Of Damnation" is a demo release by German atmospheric black/doom metal act The Ruins of Beverast. The demo was independently released in 2003. The Ruins of Beverast was formed in 2003 by Alexander von Meilenwald and it´s a one-man project with Meilenwald handling all instruments and vocals. Before forming The Ruins of Beverast, Meilenwald was a member of German black metal act Nagelfar from 1993 to 2002, after which he and fellow founder Zorn decided to split-up the band. Nagelfar released three full-length studio albums while active, so Meilenwald was already at this point a relatively seasoned musician/composer.

The material on "The Furious Waves Of Damnation" is quite different from the sound of the following releases by The Ruins of Beverast, and does not serve as a representative early peak view of the project´s sound and style. In that respect it´s a bit of an odd release in the band´s discography, but maybe Meilenwald just hadn´t yet figured out what he wanted to do with his new project. Stylistically this is pretty simple, repetitive, and lo-fi produced black metal. The sound production is thin and the guitar tone very fuzzy and noisy, which often makes it difficult to make out what´s going on. The predominantly fast-paced tremolo riffs and blasting drumming blur together in a thin sounding noisy inferno. The vocals are pretty standard for the genre. Raw and snarling reverb laden croaking. Keyboards and lead guitar parts are used to create eerie atmospheres.

The tracks are typically repetitive in nature and rely on simple gloomy atmospheres. The performance by Meilenwald is organic, but especially the drumming isn´t the most precise. The blast beat sections are very long though, so Meilenwald is excused for not being on point all the time considering the physical endurance needed. This is after all a demo release. Upon conclusion "The Furious Waves Of Damnation" is the odd one out in the discography of The Ruins of Beverast, and although a few slower parts (for example on "Suicide Feast") do point in the direction of things to come, this demo is so completely different in style, that it could well have been a totally different artists performing. It´s not a bad quality demo release, but it´s not exactly spectacular either and a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "Pathei Mathos" is an EP release by Norwegian experimental music act Manes. The EP was released through Aftermath Music in June 2024. Although it´s been quite a few years since the last major release from Manes, they have kept themselves busy releasing a couple of conpilations as well as a couple of singles since the release of "Slow Motion Death Sequence" (Manes fifth full-length studio album, released in August 2018). They have also released the black metal "Innerst i mørket" full-length studio album under the Manii monicker in September 2023.

The EP features four tracks and a total playing time of 23:40, and as something new most of the vocals are female clean vocals performed by M. Hellem (Martyra). Manes still use ambient electronic elements to create atmosphere, but the music features rock/metal instrumentation too and actually reminds me of late 90s/early 90s The Gathering. The Swedes in Paatos is another valid reference (and artists like Atrox and Madder Mortem), and on this particular release the Ulver clone accusations, which Manes are often subjected to, aren´t true at all.

"Pathei Mathos" features a nice raw sound production and the addition of a female lead vocalist has not meant that the music has become more polished or mainstream oriented. It´s still dark and somewhat heavy rock/metal music with ambient electronic elements and a melancholic atmosphere (the music also features gothic rock/metal leanings). Fans of especially The Gathering should find a lot to enjoy on this release. To my ears Manes aren´t as unique sounding on "Pathei Mathos" as they previously have been, but there´s nothing wrong with the quality of the music. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

martindavey87 In my opinion, this is without a doubt one of the best live DVD’s ever!

The concert is spot on. The picture and sound are fantastic, the camera angles capture everything perfectly, and the set list, while no doubt being somewhat “dated” now, is still incredible. As you’d expect with Dream Theater, the performances are all breath-taking, not only in the songs themselves, but all the extra jams, solos and whatever else they might throw in during the near-three hour set.

On top of that, there’s a whole wealth of incredible extras that should please anyone who’s ever considered themselves a fan of the progressive metal pioneers. A look at John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess’ gear, a Mike Portnoy drum solo that goes beyond mindless bashing, but fully entertains the audience, a highlights video, a multi-angle version of arguably the most insane instrumental song you’ll ever hear, and the true highlight, a 30-minute documentary of the Japanese tour.

I got this when it first came out, and it totally blew me away back then, as much as it does now. Without any doubt in my mind, this release is absolutely perfect, and definitely one of the all-time greatest live concert DVD’s.

martindavey87 Promoting their 1999 concept album, ‘Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory’, ‘Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York’ sees progressive metal giants Dream Theater perform the album in its entirety on stage, coincidentally, in New York! The video and audio are a little dated, but still sounds good regardless, and the visuals are pretty cheesy by today’s standards. But overall, the performances are fantastic and fans of the band will definitely enjoy this!

Included is a 25-minute documentary, an hour of “deleted scenes” (basically, more songs!), as well as a photo gallery and a hidden video, this is an excellent release brimming with material. And while the band would go on to perfect this formula with later DVD’s such as ‘Live At Budokan’ and ‘Score’, ‘Metropolis 2000…’ is still an essential addition to the collection of any prog fan.

UMUR "Indulgence" is the second full-length studio album by US, Florida based thrash/speed metal act Nasty Savage. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in February 1987. It´s the successor to the eponymously titled debut album from 1985 and it features one lineup change since the predecessor as bassist Fred Dregischan has been replaced by Dezsõ István Bartha.

Stylistically Nasty Savage have sharpened their blades on "Indulgence", which is a harsher, meaner, more technical, and overall more aggressive (even brutal at times) sounding thrash metal release compared to the thrash/speed metal of the debut album. "Stabbed in the Back" opens the album and it´s a hard-edged thrash metal track bordering proto death/thrash territory, which lead vocalist Nasty Ronnie singing in a rabid dog snarling vocal style. "Divination" is more sharp and heavy, but pretty much continues the hard edged thrash metal style of the opening track. The two opening tracks are definitely among the highlights of the album, but "Incursion Dementia" also needs a mention, as it´s a standout track because of Nasty Ronnie´s high pitched King Diamond influenced vocals. There are other high pitched screaming vocal parts on the album, but that vocal style is generally not the dominant one (other than on "Incursion Dementia").

"Indulgence" features a heavy, intense, and detailed sounding production, which suits the material perfectly. The album was recorded at Morrisound Studios and engineered by Jim Morris (and produced by the band themselves), and while it doesn´t sound like the Scott Burns productions which came out of Morrisound Studios on a string just a few years down the line, "Indulgence" is still a pretty dark and brutal sounding thrash metal release. Upon conclusion it´s through and through a high quality release, and Nasty Savage also manage to put enough of a personal spin on their thrash metal for this to come off relatively unique. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Svidd neger" is a soundtrack album release and the seventh full-length studio album by Norwegian experimental music act Ulver. The album was released through Jester Records in September 2003 and it´s the soundtrack to the original motion picture "Svidd Neger". It´s the successor to "Lyckantropen Themes" from November 2002 (also a soundtrack album release), although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the August 2003 "A Quick Fix of Melancholy" EP.

Try and imagine how the music style found on the "A Quick Fix of Melancholy" EP would sound if the tracks were more ambient, subtle, and repetitive and you´re halfway there describing the sound of "Svidd neger". It´s a pleasant, atmospheric, and ambient soundtrack release, but it´s also apparent that the music is made to be used as the soundtrack to a film. Because as pleasant and calming it is listening to "Svidd neger" it´s obvious that the music would function better while watching the movie. The dramatic climaxes of "Rock Massif Pt. 1" and "Rock Massif Pt. 2" which are placed around the middle of the album are some of the few examples on the album featuring anything but mellow, subtle, melancholic, and ambient music, although the intriguing "Waltz Of King Karl" arguably also falls under the catagory of being different from the remainder of the album. A few shorter noise tracks also help keep the album varied, but the overall feeling after listening to "Svidd neger" is still that it´s predominantly a mellow, subtle, and melancholic ambient music release.

"Svidd neger" features a well sounding production, and especially the programmed orchestral/string parts sound really well. Upon conclusion "Svidd neger" is a good quality ambient music release from Ulver and it´s obvious that it would make an effective soundtrack too. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Chozzen Phate" is the second demo recording by US, Texas based power metal act Chozzen Phate. The demo was independently released in 1991 and follows the rehearsal demo from earlier the same year. Chozzen Phate was a very shortlived act forming in 1989, releasing the two 1991 demos and then disbanding. The material from this demo was reissued along with unreleased live material on the 2009 compilation release "Chozzen Phate" through Steel Legacy Records.

Stylistically the material on the 5 tracks, 31:18 minutes long demo is US power metal. It´s relatively heavy material but still melodic and epic in nature. For a 1991 release it sounds very dated, which is in some part due to the relatively lo-fi demo recording quality, but also the music style. It´s early Fates Warning, early Queensrýche and their ilk who Chozzen Phate sound like (at their most heavy and thrashy maybe Sanctuary) and they are not among the better acts in the genre. Lead vocalist Paul DeLeon can hit the high notes and delivers some pretty convincing screams too, but his lower register vocals are often delivered without the neccesary precision and emphasis on the wording (and there are moments when he is out of key).

The instrumental part of the music often becomes a blurry mess under the dominant vocals, and it´s safe to say that this is not a well produced demo recording. It´s music for fans of mid- to late 80s US power metal but while it´s always interesting to hear obscure forgotten artists from that time, who didn´t make it, there´s sometimes also a good reason why that was. Chozzen Phate is one such case. Their performances are sub par, the sound production is sub par, and the songwriting isn´t anything out of the ordinary for the genre either, so a 2.5 star (50%) rating isn´t all wrong.

UMUR "Overthrow" is an EP release by US, Maryland based death metal/deathgrind act Misery Index. The EP was released through Anarchos Records in July 2001. Misery Index was formed in 2001 by lead vocalist/bassist Jason Netherton after leaving Dying Fetus earlier that same year. He quickly set up Misery Index with his former Dying Fetus colleague/drummer Kevin Talley, and guitarist/vocalist Mike Harrison. This original trio lineup wouldn´t last long, but they did manage to release this debut EP, and few splits.

The original version of the EP features 5 tracks and a total playing time of 15:07 minutes (the cassette tape version features a sixth bonus track). 4 original compositions and a cover of "Dead Shall Rise" by Terrorizer. Later reissues have featured several bonus tracks recorded live on April 6th, 2002 on WERS 88.9's "Nasty Habits" radio programme at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. The live tracks feature a good sound quality and are a nice addition to the original material.

Stylistically the material on "Overthrow" is an almost direct continuation of the brutal and technically well played death metal/deathgrind style of Netherton´s and Talley´s previous band, and it´s impossible not to mention Dying Fetus, because there are so many similarities in sound and style between the two artists at this point (minus the ultra brutal unintellible growling vocals and fast arpeggio guitar sweeps of Dying Fetus). So fans of "Killing on Adrenaline" (1998)/"Destroy the Opposition" (2000)-era Dying Fetus, are strongly advised to give "Overthrow" a listen. This is harsh, energetic, brutal, and aggressive death metal/deathgrind featuring both heavy groove laden sections and fast-paced blasting. Netherton has a strong voice and a commanding delivery, performing his aggressive intelligible growling vocals with great passion and authority.

While there are certainly some extraordinary musicianship on display here, the precision playing is not cold and calculated, but rather organic and raw, providing the music with great authenticity, intensity, and presence. Upon conclusion "Overthrow" is a highly convincing debut release by Misery Index. The band have used their past experiences well, built upon them, and have written and recorded a high quality release and a 4 star (80%) rating is well deserved.

UMUR "Goblins Be Thine" is an EP release by US death metal act Necrophagia. The EP was released through Red Stream, Inc. in 2004. It bridges the gap between the band´s third and fourth full-length studio albums "The Divine Art of Torture" (2003) and "Harvest Ritual, Volume 1" (2005). The sextet lineup who recorded "The Divine Art of Torture" (2003) is intact on "Goblins Be Thine". Therefore Necrophagia still make use of the keyboards services of Mirai Kawashima from Sigh...

...I mention this specifically because Kawashima´s involvement on "Goblins Be Thine" is dominant. At times almost to a point where you are in doubt if this is a death metal influenced Sigh release. The italian progressive horror soundtrack rock act Goblin is also a valid reference, and maybe the title of the EP is indeed an ode to them. Necrophagia is of course still the brainchild of lead vocalist/founding- and only remaining original member Killjoy and the core old school brutal thrash/early death metal sound is still intact. So are the horror/gore themed lyrics and imagery, which are only enhanced by horror movie samples and Kawashima´s horror- and classical music themed keyboards and synths ("The Fog" for example builds on John Carpenter's theme from the 1980 movie of the same title). The death metal foundation of the music is pretty simple and mostly slow-to mid-paced, and the band only very rarely speed the music up. This is all about putrid gore/horror atmosphere and raw filthy riffs and rhythms. Killjoy´s growling vocals are quite the treat on this EP, as he gargles, snarls, and croaks his way through the songs. There´s a caustic bite to his performance that not all extreme metal vocalists are able to deliver.

"Goblins Be Thine" features a sound production, which is perfect for the material, and it´s overall an incredibly well sounding release. The balance between sounding filthy and raw, and still being able to hear all details in the mix is hit perfect here. While "Goblins Be Thine" at it´s core is trademark Necrophagia, Kawashima´s dominant influence on the music still makes this EP a standout release in the band´s discography. Some may find the keyboards/synths a bit B-horror movie cheesy/campy, but to my ears they are quite brilliant (I´m a huge fan of the epic classical keyboards/synths on "To Sleep With the Dead". A theme culled from the 1987 horror movie "Nekromantik"). Featuring 6 tracks and a total playing time of 31:54 minutes, "Goblins Be Thine" also features enough quantity to warrant a purchase, and when that quantity is loaded with quality a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "A Quick Fix of Melancholy" is an EP release by Norwegian experimental music act Ulver. The EP was released through Jester Records in August 2003. It´s the follow-up release to the November 2002 soundtrack album release "Lyckantropen Themes" and it was released only a month before the release of Ulver´s seventh full-length studio album "Svidd neger" (also a soundtrack album released in September 2003).

Ulver had been experimenting with drone, noise, and ambient music since "Perdition City: Music To An Interior Film" (March 2000) and some experiments worked better than others. With "A Quick Fix of Melancholy" they hit one of their better quality ambient moments. While still being pretty experimental and diverse, the four tracks on the 23:09 minutes long EP have more shape, form, and direction than the more experimental ambient releases which directly precede it. The programmed orchestral parts and the semi-operatic vocals (the fact that there are vocals at all) are a relief after being subjected to the shapeless ambience of the preceding releases. I´ll dare say that "A Quick Fix of Melancholy" is at least occassionally an inviting and easily accessible ambient electronic music release.

Featuring a well sounding production job, intriguing songwriting ideas, and a perfect execution of those ideas, "A Quick Fix of Melancholy" is arguably the most interesting and well made Ulver release from this period of their career. A must listen for fans of Ulver´s ambient output. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "The Next Room" is the third full-length studio album by US, California based thrash/alternative/funk metal act Mordred. The album was released through Noise Records in June 1994. It was Mordred´s final release before their initial breakup in 1995. There´s been one lineup change since "In This Life (1991)" as lead vocalist Scott Holderby has been replaced by Paul Kimball (who had performed with the thrash/crossover act A.M.Q.A. in the 1980s). While three years between albums were a long time in those days, Mordred released no less than four EPs and a live video in the years 1992-1994, so there were plenty of releases to fill the gap between the two full-length studio albums.

While Scott Holderby was a pretty unique singer, the change on the lead vocalist spot has actually been good for the band as Kimball is an overall better and more versatile frontman. He is able to deliver both raw and powerful vocals, but also bluesy/soul influenced warmer parts, alternative rock vocals (not too far removed from vocalists like Layne Stayley and Scott Weiland), and talking/singing funky type vocals. Mordred were always a very creative act, combining many different music styles (initially predominantly thrash metal and funk metal), and the material on "The Next Room" are as diverse as ever.

The album is not only varied though, it´s also memorable and generally of a high quality. Although not all tracks feature riffs which can be classified as heavy metal riffs, all tracks still pack a punch. It´s one of the great assets of the album how much power and attitude the band are able to deliver. The drumming is quite technical and the drummer plays one infectious groove after another, while the two guitarists play sharp heavy riffs and just as many non-distorted funky riffs. The bass is clearly audible in the mix and add the right groovy and funky bottom to the music, while keyboard player/sample & turntable man Aaron Vaughn adds atmosphere and something unique to the music. No better experienced than on the instrumental "The Next Room Over".

As if that wasn´t enough "The Next Room" features an exceptionally well sounding production job, suiting the music perfectly. Upon conclusion "The Next Room" certainly was a great (at the time) swansong for Mordred (they´ve since reunited and have released further material), and to my ears it´s the release where all their different influences and styles most successfully came together. The dark melodic alternative rock/metal touches suits the music well, and paired with the heavy riffs, groovy rhythms, and funky guitars/bass, it´s overall a high quality release by Mordred. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.