Veneror are a project from Italy that debuts with Percussimus Foedus Cum Morte via Dutch label New Era Productions. The trio brings, with this studio release, a personal and timeless form of melodic Underground Black Metal with a grim, occult atmosphere and an eerie, freezing sound. An Italian band indeed… (I cannot, and will not, ignore my passion for the Italian scene). First the artwork: what a great cover design!
Out of Chicago rolls on Stone Magnum and executes this slab of dark yet melodic doom metal of the finest order. I can hear traces of Trouble, C.O.C., Candlemass, St Vitus and ofcourse, the mighty Dio-era Sabbath, especially in the Iommi-ish riffwork.
This CD is from the mastertape recorded in 1972/1974 which seemed to be lost. This quartet are clearly influenced by hard rock’s illustrious past, cuz there are faint echoes of Led Zeppelin, Cactus, Grand Funk, Leafhound and Bloodrock. Although Stepson are, at least on the surface, an easily familiar commonplace hard rock band, there is something absolutely intriguing and hypnotizing about their stab at bluesy hard rock music.
As you might know, it wasn’t only Germany, Sweden and the U.S. that were ‘big’ during the earliest era of the Death Metal scene. Without any doubt, the Netherlands were of undeniable importance back then, and without the Dutch scene, the current Death Metal scene wouldn’t have developed the way it finally did.
This wonderful album is my favorite of the past couple of weeks, if the amount of time I've spent listening to it is any indication. Everything that made Orchid’s Capricorn so magical, has returned in spades on Mouths of Madness. Orchid, a US hard rock band with more range than almost anyone out there, have released their second offering, following on the heels of their “Wizard of war” single.
Italian five-piece Nude were formed by two Metal artists, former Undertakers bass player Antonio Pucciarelli and guitarist Fabio Calluori (of Electrocution / From Depths and Heimdall-fame), and (unknown to me) vocalist Tom Capuano (aka Tommy Box) in order to express their passion for something completely different from Rock or Metal: Electro / Goth Rock / New Wave stuff.
Necrocurse were originally formed in 2004, but it took until 2009 before they really became a serious entity, when the line-up was sort of perfected. One might call Necrocurse a super-band for the members are or were active in a couple of highly acclaimed bands: vocalist Per ‘Hellbutcher’ Gustavsson of Nifelheim-fame, drummer Nicklas ‘Terror’ Rudolfsson, the guy behind Runemagick and The Funeral Orchestra (and formerly involved with e.g.
Germany’s quartet LDC’s latest 8-track offering reveals a band whose stoner rock vibes and post rock licks work in conjunction to righteously kick you in the but. A veritable potpourri of great songs and a great overall sound is what The Flood Inside offers. The epic sweep of nearly every track envelopes the listener into swirling maelstroms of emotions. The guitars are solid, the leads expressive. The band employs various technical elements and creative songwriting to make their songs stand out from the morass that passes for post rock these days.
Kamelot are one of those symphonic power metal bands that loads of people seem to enjoy as they have rather progressive song writing and skip the overloaded elements. After the criticized predecessor “Poetry For The Poisoned” that had many dull moments and a lack of passion and variation, the band’s Norwegian singer Roy Khan left the band and was soon replaced by another Scandinavian singer, the young Tommy Karevik from Sweden. Many people were expecting a return to strength. But this didn’t happened.
I hear a lot of potential in Jolly’s blend of prog metal, emotional undercurrents, and inventive approach. Strong vocal harmony throughout the recording along with killer arrangements makes for a great musical time. There’s plenty to discover as the band easily transitions between mellow sections and parts with more grit. What’s interesting is that, while the songs echo bands as Threshold, Rush, Pain of Salvation and Yes, they don’t sound too dated. These songs capture a creative energy and manage to sound fresh and invigorating.
