1349-Beyond the Apocalypse
(Candelight, 2004)

From the black and white cover art to the band photos I just knew that I was in for an all out black metal assault. I wasn’t prepared for just how good this was going to be though. I wasn’t expecting it to be fairly typical, especially with the unique band name. It’s not exactly 100% original, but it’s refreshing jump back to the early days of black metal.

I think the band I hear the most of is early Emperor. They have the same dynamic and feature a similar straight ahead riffing approach. I’m extremely glad that the band wants nothing to do with keyboards. You’ll find no out of place keyboard passages or synth intros. Just straight ahead simple and effective guitar riffs, blasting drums and high pitched vocals. I’m extremely impressed that the band doesn’t use the same typical melodic riffs. Certain riffs have that cold Dark Throne type sound, but a lot of them totally sound like an evil version thrash to me. They have that same simple straight forward style and of course it’s a great deal faster, but a lot of it sounds very thrash influenced to me.

One thing that I think would draw some people to the band would be that Frost from Satyricon plays drums in the band. Initially he was brought in as a session drummer, but he was so impressed with what the band was doing that he wanted to stay on as a full time member. The drumming might not be the main driving force behind the band, but it’s definitely the runner up. The drums are blasting with an almost constant double bass assault that add a great deal of energy to the bands sound.

This is pretty much what I’d consider the ideal production for a black metal album. It’s heavy, and raw sounding but it’s still easy to listen to. I know that black metal is supposed to be cold sounding and raw, but that doesn’t mean you have to turn up the treble to ten and make every ones ears bleed. I’m definitely not one for overproduced black metal, but it needs a bit of polish to at least be listanable.

I would almost say that this band is a perfect combination of the older style of black metal with the newer style. They have an old school approach to riff writing, but still have a somewhat modern approach with the blasting and some of the more technical sounding riffs from time to time. If you are into black metal, 1349 is a name that you’ll be hearing a lot about in the next little while.

Tatharia-A Secret Device
(Crash, 2003)

This one took me a few spins to get into. I guess you could say that Tatharia plays a combination of black metal and death metal. It’s not really typical of either genre though. The riffing for the most part is quite melodic, and the melodic nature of the riffing is reinforced by the use of keyboards. There is almost an industrial feel to some of the riffs and tempos as well. Over all it’s a pretty varied MCD.

I’m not sure of who I would even compare these guys to. It’s fairly unique, yet at the same time it’s not exactly original. They just seem to keep things varied enough that you can’t really pinpoint any influences directly. I hear a bit of Cradle of Filth from time to time, but for the most part it doesn’t sound like them. You can expect some blasting, lots of thrash tempo riffs and mainly mid tempo riffs. The band uses a lot of mid tempo riffs which are really quite effective in making the songs stand out. Overall, the songwriting is pretty damned good, although it could stand to be a bit more concise at times.

My main problem with this MCD lies in the production. It’s just too overly rigid sounding. The drums especially sound very triggered and machine like. They have a lot of bite to them, but not in a good way. The snare sound especially could have used a lot of work. Everything else sounds pretty good, although I would say that the vocals are a bit too out front for my liking.
For the fact that these guys have only been around for a couple of years I am definitely impressed, and they definitely have a lot of potential for the future. If they work on making the songs more to the point and get a more natural sounding production this band could go from being very good to being unstoppable.

Tarot-Suffer Our Pleasures
(Metal Blade, 2003)

This one is a little bit hit and miss for me. There are some really good songs, but at the same time a few of the songs are lacking. I might have actually been a lot more impressed if they didn’t start off the cd with the track I Rule. The lyrics are pretty silly and it’s just not the strongest song the album has to offer. It’s a damn good album, that should have been introduced by a different song.

These guys have been together for quite sometime, the early to mid 80’s I think and I’m not sure how this album stacks up compared to their back catalog. It’s along the lines of classic heavy metal, yet there is a bit of a modern power metal flair to it at times. So you’ll hear a lot of melody, and higher pitched vocals. Actually, while on the subject of the vocals, there are two fairly distinct voices found throughout the cd. One is more melodic and sounds reminiscent of Helloween, and the other one has a bit more grit to it and just doesn’t fit very well. I’m not sure if it’s the same singer, but I’d definitely say I’m a bigger fan of the more melodic side of the band vocally.

I’d also say that this is a bit more varied then most classic heavy metal albums. It isn’t just straight power chords and soaring melodies. They have a lot of sections that build up and they have a good sense of dynamics. I’d also say that it’s a lot darker then a lot of the power metal you hear these days.

The production is heavy and powerful, the guitar tone is especially heavy. I’m not sure if it’s because of the more rhythmic nature of some of the guitar riffs, but this album has a monstrously heavy guitar tone, which is a bit different for a heavy metal album of this nature. It sounds amazing though and I wouldn’t really want to hear it any other way.

With the exception of the opening track which really didn’t do anything for me, this is a very good album. I was ready to write it off because of the first track, but it gets much better after this track is over.

Tenebrosus-The Fall of Worthless Morals
(Metal Mind, 2003)

This could possibly be the first black metal band from Poland that I have ever heard. I probably would have taken them a bit more seriously if they had of left off the corpse paint, but from a musical point of view these guys aren't too bad. Sure, it's typical sounding. It's nothing that Dark Funeral or Marduk haven't done before, but it's still a good listen.

The only thing that really makes this album a cut above the average is the production. Most black metal productions are terrible. But the band has managed to get a very thick and dense sound for a black metal album. The drumming could have possibly had a bit more clarity, but I give them credit because these don't sound like triggered drums. The production manages to make a fairly chaotic sounding band listenable.

My main gripe with this band is that the songwriting really goes nowhere. One song bleeds into the next and it's tough to tell when one song ends and another begins without watching the numbers on the cd player change. This isn't a bad album, it's worth a listen if you are into harsh black metal. It's just been done countless times before.

Taliandorogd-Neverplace
(Adipocere, 2002)

This is more like what I would expect from Adipocere. This band plays black metal, but it’s a fairly unique approach to the style. The band is melodic, yet at the same time, there really isn’t anything dark about the melodies that the band uses. It’s almost like power metal with a much more raw vocal approach. I suppose Children of Bodom might be a comparison, but that’s really reaching I think.

I guess I would have to complain about how loud the synths are at times in the mix. But there are certain times where I actually enjoy the interplay between the synths and the guitars. They do add a lot to certain sections, but they definitely should have been quieter during the blasting riffs. I’m glad they don’t have any full-blown synth solos either. They just sound far too out of place in metal.

The production fits the style of music quite well. It isn’t overproduced, yet the guitars have a clean sound and even when the band is blasting it’s easy to hear what is going on. Like I said earlier though, the synths are a bit loud at times, but that’s really my only complaint.

If you are into the more melodic side of black metal, or would like to hear Children of Bodom with more blasting and less wanking, check these guys out!

Temple of Baal-Servants of the Beast
(Oaken Shield, 2003)

The first thing I noticed about this band was that this totally sounds like it could have come out in the early 90’s. Musically, it’s fairly straightforward black metal, but the production totally reminds me of demos and black metal albums from the early 90’s. It has a very cult sound to it.

The comparisons are fairly easily heard with the band showing strong Dark Throne and Mayhem influences. They have the fast and chaotic parts, yet at the same time they have a lot of slower and almost punk sounding parts. These parts throw a Celtic Frost/Hellhammer influence into the mix and it makes the band really stick out. You really need a break from the blasting once in a while, and it’s amazing how much a slower part does. It doesn’t even have to be much slower, even a thrash style tempo adds a lot to the bands diversity.

Like I said earlier the production totally reminds me of the early 90’s. You can hear what is going on, yet it has a very raw sound. It almost sounds like an amazing rehearsal recording. There aren’t a tremendous amount of overdubs. Just guitar, bass, drums and vocals, all you need for black metal. They left the keys at home it seems, and I’m glad they did.

Combine great song writing, with an extremely cool production and layout, and you get the awesome new album from Temple of Baal. If you like black metal, prepare to be blown away.

Terror-Lowest of the Low
(Bridge Nine, 2003)

I was a huge fan of Buried Alive. I think I own all of their albums, and I still listen to them quite frequently. What does that have to do with Terror? Well, the singer from Buried Alive is in Terror and the two bands have very similar sounds. But if you'd believe it Terror is even more pissed off and heavy.

Terror play fast and heavy hardcore that reminds me quite a bit of Buried Alive, but it also reminds me a lot of Hatebreed too. You have the heavy guitars, and the driving double bass, but for the most part the riffing is simple and raging. I'm glad they kept the tempo up. A lot of hardcore has moved away from the tempo that we are so used to hearing. I'm glad to see bands progressing, but it' also nice to see a band that keeps the tempo fast and rips off some faces doing so. The songs are hardly over 2 minutes and these guys definitely leave the filler for the unimaginative bands out there.

My only complaint is that this is a MCD, and it's only 16 minutes long. At the same time though that just satiates my appetite and makes me want to hear a full length that much more. Hopefully one is not that far off.

The production is perfect for this type of music. It's raw, yet still tight and really lets the energy of the band explode. Be forwarned though, if you listen to this album loud make sure your neighbours aren't home. You just might get evicted!

If you are into fast and raging hardcore, Terror is your new favorite band. Go out and buy this now!


Terrorist-Mata O Muere
(Dues Mortuss Productions, 2003)

I really wish people took a bit more time decided on song orders. Picking a great song to lead off a cd is pretty much essential when there are so many bands around these days. If you start off with a so-so song, what's going to keep people listening? So what does that have to do with this album? This is an awesome album, but the opening track fails to kick it into overdrive right out of the gate. It's a mostly mid-tempo song, that does get better when the tempo increases but I'd definitely say it's a mid-album song, opposed to an opening track. Had they of started the disc off with the second song it would have started with the kick to the skull that this album needed to kick off with.

Terrorist is simply put a death/grind band. They have a lot in common with the classic bands, ie: Napalm Death and Terrorizer. They don't really do much that hasn't been heard before. The riffing is very straight forward and actually somewhat typical. It's not really a genre that you expect experimenting, but unique to help separate them from the rest of the pack would have been nice. It's not really a big deal that they don't change things up much, after all this is old school death metal, not jazz.

I guess the production is pretty much what you'd expect. I do however wish the guitars were quite a bit louder. When the vocals are roaring and the drums blasting, the guitars sometimes take a back seat to the rest of the chaos. It's a little thing, but the sound could have been tremendously improved with louder guitars.

This one is definitely for those who are into Napalm Death or Terrorizer. These guys have some groovier moments that don't really sound like either bands, but for the most part you can tell they wear their influences on their sleeves. It may not be anything new, but it's still a damn good album of quality death/grind.

Thunderstone-The Burning
(Nuclear Blast/PHD, 2004)

I’ve noticed that I tend to be overly harsh in power metal reviews. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve never dreamed of wearing chain mail or slaying dragons, but it’s a style of music that is really hit or miss for me. Thunderstone aren’t a new band to these ears, and they are one of the few power metal bands that hits the mark with me.

I say it far too much in reviews, but Thunderstone aren’t doing anything new. They are essentially playing the tried and true power metal formula, but for some reason it just works. I’m not sure if it’s the tight playing, or the great songwriting but something just works for this band. You can expect lots of melodic guitar riffs, up tempo drums, and of course melodic vocals. They aren’t as high as you might be expecting though. The singer can really belt it out though, yet he has a unique voice which helps separate these guys from the seemingly endless amount of power metal out there right now.

The main thing that I don’t like about this band is the use of keyboards. I don’t mind them at times, but some of the melodies and keyboard solos are a bit too much for me. It makes me think of Deep Purple and it’s not really who I want to hear influencing a power metal band.

The production is pretty much perfect. During the lead breaks I wish the rhythm guitars were a bit louder but that’s pretty much my only complaint. Everything is loud and powerful sounding, and you never have to strain to hear anything. I wouldn’t expect anything less then perfect from a power metal band, especially one on Nuclear Blast.

It’s not really anything new, but a unique vocalist and great songwriting helps this band stand out from being just another faceless power metal band.

Torture Killer-For Maggots to Devour
(Candlelight USA, 2004)

You want to know exactly who these guys sound like? Six Feet Under and Obituary. It is original? Not in the slightest. But you know what it is? One of the best and most inspired death metal albums I have heard in quite sometime. In a time when bands think they need to be as heavy and technical as humanly possible, it’s nice to see a band keeping it simple, to the point and just writing some catchy songs. At it’s core, Torture Killer is all about writing catchy riffs that may not be anything new, but any death metal fan would be lying if they said they couldn’t get into this band.

Basically if you take the best elements of Six Feet Under’s “Haunted” and say Obituary’s “End Complete” you’d have a good idea of what to expect from this band. They have the simple, groove oriented riffing perfected and when things do speed up it’s hardly ever past a punk tempo. If you are expecting blast beats, you’ll be very disappointed. There isn’t one to be found on this entire album. You will find tons of double bass accented riffs, and slow yet very heavy riffs. It really does sound like a combination of Six Feet Under and Obituary. It’s weird that you don’t hear the two influcnes popping up more. Obituary were an amazing band in their prime and I still think Haunted was an amazing album. Even if SFU have pretty much gone to complete shit as of late.

When you consider the band recorded this album on next to no budget in something like 10 hours I think it sounds amazing. Hell, regardless of how much time they put into it, it still sounds amazing. I’m particularly a big fan of the drum sound. It’s natural sounding and the playing is very tight. The band as a whole is a very tight band. I have absolutely no complaints about the production. I can’t get over how good it sounds.

Like I’ve said many times in the review, these guys sound like a cross between Six Feet Under and Obituary so if that sounds appealing to you then by all means check them out. Any fan of old school death metal will be able to get into this quite easily.

Tsjuder-Demonic Possession
(Drakkar, 2002)

This is what I like to hear. Harsh, yet memorable black metal that gives the middle finger to triggers and studio wankery. How the hell did one of the undergrounds harshest sounding sub-genres become so overproduced? Tsjuder will have nothing to do with that and stays true to the old school formula of black metal.

This bands sound in undoubtedly black metal. It has the blasting and harsh vocals, but at the same time the riffing is a bit different from the typical cold melodic style you are used to. There are many riffs in that style, yet at the same time, there are many heavier riffs that remind me of Celtic Frost. The band is still harsh and blasting but the odd different sounding riff adds a lot to the music. You also hear the odd thrash sounding riff from time to time.

Don’t expect to find any of the latest crazes of current black metal to pop up in this bands sound. You won’t find any flutes, and keyboards anywhere on this album! It’s nice that the band also has gone for an analog recording. It may not be as tight as people have come to expect thanks to black metal becoming trendy, but this is how black metal should sound.

Raise your horns and bang your head! This is how metal is supposed to sound!

Turbonegro-Scandanavian Leather
(Epitaph/Burning Heart, 2003)


I've been wanting to hear these guys for quite sometime. I never really knew what to expect from them, but the name always intrigued me and I heard they rocked harder then anyone had rocked before. Do they live up my expectations? Do they ever! Turbonegro are pretty much the quintessential rock band for this decade. They have the rock and roll style down, yet while most bands opt for a raw and sloppy sound, these guys are about as tight as they come.

It's actually nice to see a band playing rock music that is interesting. It seems like even the underground rock bands follow trends, and you just end up with a lot of bands that sound the same. Sure, these guys have things in common. The simple power chord riffing, pentatonic soloing, and catchy quirky choruses, but they just seem to do it better then everyone. Nevermind the stuff you see on the tv, this is real rock music. These guys are definitely equal parts Ramones and MC5, which is an excellent combination. You hear hints of Black Flag too, but you definitely couldn't deny that Turbonegro have their own niche within the rock genre.

Considering this is a rock n roll record, don't expect any crazy studio trickery or a massive amount of layering. You basically get everything you need, guitars, bass, drums and vocals. It's not extremely slick sounding, but it definitely is a good sounding album. The production is the perfect match for the bands style.

If you are a fan of rock music it really doesn't get much better then this. Forget about the mainstream supposed garage rock, this is the real stuff. Turbonegro will rock your pants off, and they wouldn't want it any other way.

Twelve Tribes-The Rebirth of Tragedy
(Ferret, 2004)

It seems that just when genres are starting to become stale bands will come along and interject new life into a dying sound. Metalcore is becoming a bit out of hand. There are countless faceless bands out there, and innovation has been long dead. Until now that is. Twelve Tribes bring the genre back to life with a bolt of energy that would make even the Frankenstein monster stand up and walk.

The band has elements that aren't new to the genre. The heavy guitar riffs, and roaring vocals are staples of the genre. The difference here however is that the heavy riffs are actually original and not just rehashing the same Poison the Well and Killswitch Engage riffs we have heard 10,000 times. The band has an excellent grip on dynamics, and squeezes every ounce of energy possibe out of every little nuance of the bands sound. The band is fairly midtempo, and at times you could defintely say they have groove. A really vague description would be a combination of Killswitch Engage and Candiria, but neither influence is really apparant.

Another surprising thing is the occasional hip hop influence coming through. They don't break down with rap beats and scratching, but a lot of vocal lines have a hip hop feel to it. It comes across more along the lines of say what bands like Orange 9mm or Burn did. It has absolutely nothing to do with rapcore, so don't worry about that.

The production allows the band to go wherever they want and still get the point across. The guitars are heavy, but still manage to be dynamic and interesting. They aren't just playing three chord riffs, so the production really helps everything cut through the mix.

Innovation in metalcore really doesn't happen much these days. So when it does it stands out like a sore thumb. Simply put, Twelve Tribes have released an album that turns the genre on it's head and is too good to be overlooked.