18 New Reviews: Zyklon, Opeth, Watchmaker, and more

[JayKeeley]

18 full reviews now uploaded. Some seriously good stuff here. Sneak peek to forum regulars, in the A-Z Index you'll find the following:

OPETH - Still Life
MY RUIN - The Shape of Things to Come EP
FEAR FACTORY - Hatefiles
WATCH THEM DIE - Watch Them Die
LIFE OF AGONY - River Runs Again
NIGHTRAGE - Sweet Vengeance
NUCLEAR RABBIT - Mutopia
UNMOORED - Indefinite Soul-Extension
PHASES - The Dark Side of Music (The End)
V/A - Uncorrupted Steel pt.2 (Metal Blade)
WATCHMAKER - Kill.Fucking.Everyone
YNGWIE J MALMSTEEN - Attack!!
DESTRUCTION - Metal Discharge
HANDFUL OF HATE - Vicecrown
ION DISSONANCE - Breathing is Irrelevant
KRISIUN - Works of Carnage
MONSTROSITY - Rise to Power
ZYKLON - Aeon [Staff Pick of the Week]

Review main index and front page will be updated later this evening for update completion.

:Spin:

 

[JayKeeley]

Excerpt from the Krisiun review...

Guitarist Moyses Kolesne is still the Brazilian version of Trey Azagthoth and Eddie Van Halen thrown into a blender, poured into a cup, swallowed and then regurgitated, resembling a mass of Rhoads, Schuldiner, King and Hanneman all at once.

I love that description!

 

[Demonspell]

BWD did a great job on the Opeth review, and the track by track description of The End sampler was very well done.

 

[JayKeeley]

Talked with Andreas via mail this evening - I asked him about the song selection on Phases. Apparently the songs were selected by the bands themselves. Anyway, the reason why Agalloch chose something so ambigious was so "not to disclose the direction of the new album". Interesting.

 

[Nate The Great]

Some good reviews there.

The new Zyklon is kind of boring to me, though.

 

[Papa Josh]

The new Zyklon is kind of boring to me, though.

 

[JayKeeley]

Other review excerpts I liked:

From WATCH THEM DIE:

an album that observes the sadistic murders of men, women and children; all heard through the different viewpoints of several murderers and one single conclusion that ties them together: ‘The high of watching their victims die.’

This section from the OPETH review makes me want to get the CD out again:

But it is not until the fourth track, "Moonlapse Vertigo", that things really get kicking. It all begins innocently enough: the trademark OPETH riffing, fantastic leads that build the song, and an acoustic breakdown followed by sweet vocals by Mikael. Then comes the riff. It is at this point in the CD that OPETH reach PURE SONIC BLISS, and not for the only time in the album.

I need to get some NUCLEAR RABBIT, because I'm not going to settle only for EPHEL DUATH, and likewise I urge NAD to check out SIGH at some point:

The musicians in this band are all over the place. The drums are very jazz-oriented, the bass is straight out of bass-led prog, the guitar flies from surf to ska to punk to metal, and the vocals are everywhere. I repeat: everywhere. Screams, yells, croons, doo-wop, growls, and more can (and do) happen all in the same song. Even with these vast tones, everything comes together, and when certain instruments are showing off, it still flows incredibly well.

I've also never heard any ZYKLON ever, and now I feel like I need to get this before I start thinking about my top 10 for 2003:

"Specimen Eruption" is a highlight both musically and lyrically. A thought provoking topic dealing with population control and before you go screaming "Nazi racist," etc. ad nauseum, really sit down and read the lyrics and their explanations. In fact, read all of them, as Bard "Faust" Eithun has really penned some interesting prose for Aeon.

 

[NAD]

Still Life rocks, I love that Opeth album.

Sounds like I need to get some Krisiun...

If you want a Nuclear Rabbit CD-R JayKeeley, just let me know. Otherwise you can order direct from their website, they re-released their older material too.

I imagine that Agalloch track will be very interesting in an album, but by itself it made no sense.

 

[JayKeeley]

If you want a Nuclear Rabbit CD-R JayKeeley, just let me know. Otherwise you can order direct from their website, they re-released their older material too.

I think I might order their latest.

I'll throw in a Sigh CD-R in your next promo pack though. You need to hear these guys.

I imagine that Agalloch track will be very interesting in an album, but by itself it made no sense.

From the sounds of it, this song is...how you Amerikans say...a "curve ball".

 

[NAD]

Yes yes, curveball. I still need to pick up Pale Folklore.

Good place to start with Nuclear Rabbit is Mutopia (the latest one), as it is the most accesible. Intestinal Fortitude is bizarre, and then Vicuna is all out madness.

 

[JayKeeley]

I still need to pick up Pale Folklore.

Quite honestly, if you're willing to go out and buy stuff like Goatsblood, you've at least got to have Pale Folklore in your collection first.

Good place to start with Nuclear Rabbit is Mutopia (the latest one), as it is the most accesible. Intestinal Fortitude is bizarre, and then Vicuna is all out madness.

Yes, I'll get Mutopia. I think the turning point was in you comparing NB with Ephel Duath. I wonder how ED got so much notoriety so quickly?

By the way, did a friend of Markgugs ever contact you re: Nuclear Rabbit. If you don't know this, I met this guy at the recent Slayer gig in NY and he said he'd been turned on to Nuclear Rabbit based on your reviews/interview etc. I told him he should write you a note of thanks.

 

[NAD]

I'll never live down Goatsblood 'round here. That's fine, your loss.

Hey, that's cool but no, nobody ever contacted me. Glad I made a believer of Nuclear Rabbit. Those dudes are total DIY right now, not even shopping for labels, just content at distributing their own stuff. Ephel Duath isn't a complete ripoff, but first time I heard them I thought "cool, dudes in Italy listen to Nuclear Rabbit."

 

[JayKeeley]

Glad I made a believer of Nuclear Rabbit.

Right, there has to be a reason why we do all this shit for no love or money. Writing and uploading (don't underestimate the long-winded publishing process) 18 reviews in one go is only worthwhile if people actually read them, am I wrong?

 

[NAD]

Aye, a practical use for unpaid writing other than self-satisfaction. But like you said before: "at least my mum reads it," and mine does.

 

[Hell Mike]

I saw Sigh mentioned above. Scorn Defeat fucking slays, so get it.

 

[JayKeeley]

I saw Sigh mentioned above. Scorn Defeat fucking slays, so get it.

Heh, that's probably their most normal one. I do like it very much though. Weren't they the first band Euronymous signed for his label?

I like Imaginary Sonicscope the best.

 

[Hell Mike]

Scorn Defeat is the only one I've heard (got), I'm a bit afraid to get the other ones as I think they're too much drug-rambling.

They were probably the first band, I don't know about that, but at least I know the release is a DSP one.

 

[Demonspell]

<<I wonder how ED got so much notoriety so quickly?>>

Probably because of all the great reviews The Painter's Palette got and the promotion (not the least extensive word of mouth on UM) Lee put into the album, as well as the bizarrely powerful music within...

 

[Papa Josh]

Probably because of all the great reviews The Painter's Palette got

Got one here!
(shameless plug!)

 

[JayKeeley]

NAD should just spam every forum with Nuclear Rabbit glorification then. Talk about unsung heroes.