MARCH:
LAMENTED SOULS, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SATYRICON, CANNIBAL CORPSE, FURZE, GRAVE, THE GREAT DECEIVER, INTO ETERNITY, PROBOT, SHINING/DOLORIAN, REVEREND BIZARRE/ORODRUIN, SWALLOW THE SUN, MURDER SQUAD, ATOMIZER, EXODUS, HYPOCRISY, IN FLAMES, MY DYING BRIDE, ENTOMBED, NARGAROTH, ENDSTILLE,

Lamented Souls 'The Origins of Misery' Duplicate Records In the mid-90's a few lucky tastemakers had in their possession a 4 track demo tape housed in an unassuming cover from a Norwegian act called Lamented Souls. Whenever I unearthed the tape, I would listen to it religiously for a period of time before casually misplacing it, forgetting about it until the next time it revealed itself again, much to my relief. Everytime I found it again, it was like finding cash down the back of the sofa, surprise, happiness and smugness all at once. The Lamented Souls 1995 demo was worth far more to me than anything I might find under the cushions though. I worshipped its flighty doominess, the stellar vocals driving it along, and overall I loved the fact that it sounded like nothing else I was hearing at the time, especially from black-hearted Norway. Instead here was a band who were epic in the vein of Solitude Aeturnus, slightly trippy and often snails pace, lumbering along with an echoed, mournful vocal accompaniment sung partly in Norwegian adding more mysticism to their sound in the process. Without fully understanding what they were all about, I just knew they were different. Lamented Souls brand of haunting, dreamy doom sat for me in the same sphere as early spiritual Anathema and the beleaguered down-trodden realm of Revelation, but somehow they rocked through the gloom. It was an odd feeling to feel uplifted by the gloom, something that only St Vitus had truly managed before. None of this helps to describe adequately Lamented Souls sound. Post-depression doom? Warm and comforting sombreness? The friendly face of morbidity? Don't worry, I won't go on.... Confusing is the best way to describe the band. Apart from a real talent in creating a curious doom offshoot, the band boasted the gargantuan vocal talents of Simen Hestnaes, the man whose silken throat graced Borknagar's flamboyant 'The Archaic Course' and who lifted Dimmu Borgir from the ranks of the mediocre to something far more engaging. Hestnaes high-powered honeydrenched vocals powered the band through 'Eternal Existence' and 'Nemesis' with spine tingling precision, the off/on key unpredictability of his performance betraying genuine abandon. That 1995 demo is represented on 'The Origins of Misery' which serves as a compilation of the cult sounds the band produced. Additional recordings are included, most interestingly tracks from an album recording in 1997, shelved until now, which features more varied material including a distinctly Metal sounding 'Demon Baby' and a psychedelic 'Traces of You.' The re-recorded and fucked-with version of 'Sprukken Maske' feels warmer than the original, but its the downbeat '95 version of 'Var' that should reduce you to your unworthy knees, as an example of doom soul searching at its finest. www.duplicate-records.com

Killswitch Engage - 'The End of Heartache' Roadrunner Of course all this talk of Metal's new 'Big Four' is a little premature. The new pretenders, universally assumed to be Chimaira, God Forbid, Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage, have not quite managed to scale the heights of Testament, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer quite yet, but of the four youngsters, its Killswitch who have the most obvious capacity to lead a new revolution in sound, based on a degree of innovation and a fair amount of shameless plagiarism. For there are times when 'The End of Heartache' sounds so much like In Flames (circa 'The Jester Race' and 'Whoracle') that those of a certain vintage can't help but smirk. The main melodic riff and structure of 'Rose of Sharyn' should result in a letter from Jesper Stromblad's lawyers, so near the knuckle is the homage. Its the clearest example yet of the Swedish-isation of the current American Metal scene, and of course, the Yanks have got it ever so slightly wrong. Instead of opting for the razor-taloned vitriol of At the Gates they've gone for the more palatable cleanliness of In Flames et al, producing a watered down version of the melodic Dark Angel worship that gave the Swedish scene its intensity and necessity. And yet its the tepid aggression that is the modern US scene's greatest strength, because by opting to incorporate a palatable 'little bit of everything', bands like Killswitch are going to deservedly appeal to a wide cross section of heavy music enthusiasts. Killswitch Engage do a 'little bit of everything' well. Whilst Chimaira huff and puff around tame Pantera cast offs and where Shadows Fall repeatedly get lost in a maze of parboiled averageness, Killswitch get the hooks in early and more directly. Sure, you can smell the clean vocal chorus a mile off but when it comes its usually infectiously worth the wait. And although God Forbid are arguably doing more interesting things with their off-kilter dynamics, they are beaten to the punch by their main rivals unerring ability to pen a real song with appealing directness. 'The End of Heartache' plays to all crowds equally artfully. Fans of the harder stuff will snap their necks to the (modern) thrashy beats and the crunchy, unprocessed Fear Factory chug on tracks like 'Declaration'; their girlfriends will swoon at the pleasingly well delivered clean chorus line and the 'new man' sensitive subject matter (blame emo) on more tempestuous numbers like the title track and 'Wasted Sacrifice'. The fashion conscious will appreciate the up to date look of the band (at least they don't look like In Flames) and the post-hardcore Trustkill/Ferret T-shirt wearing dude will get off on the growled vocal histrionics and the overall stomp factor. The only threat Killswitch Engage must fear is not from their contemporaries, but from within. The songs have a distinctly formulaic nature to them (lets start with the thrash, progress to growl n' grumble and then burst out with the soaring clean chorus) which the band will have to expand on if they wanna avoid painting themselves into a corner in the future. However, there is something undeniably essential about a band who can pen a tune as sickeningly effective as 'When Darkness Falls' on only their second outing. And lets face it, Killswitch Engage better fly the flag for the new breed, 'cos their contemporaries are having a hard time keeping up. www.killswitchengage.com

Satyricon 'Black Lava in the North' Bootlegs can be a big mistake, with people out to cash in on bands popularity. Often this leaves the punter with an un-listenable so-called 'live' album. So it comes as a welcome surprise to find this – a Satyricon live LP (recorded in Sweden 15/10 –2002) with has fantastic sound, in fact the only problem with it is the volume (the recording volume is a tad low – but this can be solved by simply turning the volume up!). You get 7 and a half songs for you cash. Why a half? Well, they start off playing a cover of 'Black Metal' and then go straight into 'Fuel for Hatred'. Other classics aired here include barbaric versions of 'Nemesis divina', 'Dominions of Satyricon' and 'Havoc vulture'. Alongside these are some new(ish) songs such as 'Possessed' and 'Mental Mercury'. And YES there’s 'Mother North' here too. All in all a great live album, and one for anyone who is obsessed enough with the band to search out some interesting unofficial releases (and lets face it who doesn’t?). To my knowledge ONLY on vinyl (HA!) – back or blue vinyl. www.satyricon.no Francis

Cannibal Corpse 'The Wretched Spawn' Metal Blade There's no two ways about it - Cannibal Corpse are the Status Quo of Death Metal. Steadfast and unsurprising, they churn out respectable albums with clinical regularity, breaking no new ground and offering nothing more than their tried and tested trademarks. But in the case of Cannibal Corpse, this feels perfectly alright. We don't need them to progress, we don't need them to diversify, we just need them to be Cannibal Corpse. And they are just that, again and again. Opener 'Severed Head Stoning' makes a decent fist of harking back to the glory days of 'Eaten Back to Life' before the next few tracks whizz by without leaving any serious indent in the memory. Ironically, when the band do finally attempt something different, on this occasion it becomes a standout track, as in the case of 'Festering in the Crypt', powered by a quite devastating slow riff and a phenomenal vocal take of bowel-haemorrhaging proportions. The title track too is notable, a sub mid-pace churner for the most part that relies on a killer, sick riff to keep the interest. But that's enough in the way of experimentation for the Corpse boys, who swiftly return to the safe routine for the admittedly good, but non-surprising 'Rotted Body Landslide' and 'Blunt Force Castration.' By the end of this overlong album, you're left with precious little to really remember, but somehow you don't feel completely cheated because you've been given pretty much what you expected anyway. If averageness was ever acceptable, then its ok when it's Cannibal Corpse. A word or two on the accompanying DVD. 1. Don't ever let Pat O' Brien in front of the camera again. 2. Watching 'Corpsegrinder' cooking sausages is not my idea of a bonus feature. 3. Instead lets have more cool footage of the band ripping in the studio - 3 tracks ain't enough! Finally, as a barometer, when the most interesting interview is that given by the producer, you know we're talking 'strictly one viewing' material only. But isn't that just what we demand of Cannibal Corpse - the consistently average? www.cannibalcorpse.net

Furze 'Nercomanzee Cogent' 2LP Apocalyptic Empire After hearing the 'Trident Autocrat' MLP a few years ago, I’ve always had my eyes out for this mad band’s next offering. And with 'Necromanzee Cogent' I am pleased to say (if not surprisingly) that this delivers way beyond what I’d hope for. If Black Metal has a new direction then this is it, pure nasty black doom that oozes from the speakers, and a sound that even hell would reject. The second track 'For the Lust of Darkness' has some great eerie doom moments along with some fast paced rolling blackness and the two are blended together extremely well. At times this reminds me of Ved Buens Ende and is easily on par with those cult black metal weirdo’s. Other tracks like 'Dodsrikets Fremtred', which has great pounding riffs, and 'Leizla', which sounds like a demented runaway car – are simply different every time you listen to them. You’ll hear something new each time. Also 'Silver Starlight' is killer with ruthless, relentless riffing. Note this as an album for any serious Black Metal fan. One that at times can put a cold shiver down your spine (just try 'Sathanas’ Megalomania'). Don’t just stand around like an idiot – buy it!!! Also out on double gatefold vinyl (with poster!) limited to 500. zone7.net/furze Francis

six picture disc LP box set Grave 'Morbid Ways to Die' Century Media Always the unsung heroes of Swedish Death Metal, Grave's early output remains among the best ever to come from a scene so prolific, if not so diverse. Back in 1990 it was all about down tuning to fuck, giving the guitars the most grotesque tones imaginable, and keeping the beat neck-snapping with liberal applications of the blast. You had Entombed, you had Carnage, you had Dismember, you had Grave. You had countless others too, but Grave kept it simple and won out if not in stylistic terms, then at least by applying the basics so well that even you though you kinda knew what was coming, it only added to the fun. Grave was always a fun listen. This eye-popping 6 picture disc LP box set does do justice to the varied history. The seismic debut 'Into the Grave' contains one of my favourite EVER Death Metal tunes, 'Extremely Rotten Flesh', a song so skulking, so grim-faced, so reeking of morbidity, that it was never omitted from any mix tape I made from first hearing it until well into the mid-90's. This outstrips 'Left Hand Path' and 'Like An Ever Flowing Stream' with ease. A truly massive debut. 'You'll Never See...' as a follow up inevitably failed to compete initially, but listening to it now it runs 'Into...' pretty damn close.The title track and 'Obsessed' in particular repeated the magic formula of punked-up Death-riffs hung drawn and quartered by Skogsberg in the (at that time) essential Sunlight Studios. After a stop-gap EP '...And Here I Die...Satisfied' (which I wasn't 'cos it was only three tracks) came the affliction that spread like the plague across Scandinavia circa 1994 - medically known as 'wolverinebluesitis'. After an average outing with the 'Soulless' album in '94 came the lowpoint as Grave went hunting paydirt in the slipstream of Entombed's breakthrough 'death n' roll' success. The 'Hating Life' album would have been ok, if you hadn't any idea of the quality that had gone before. And anyway 'Restrained' was a direct attempt at re-writing 'Hollowman' which sucked. The material seemed upbeat and quite chirpy, with guitarist Ola Lindgren's first vocal appearance doing nothing to shake the impression that this was a poor attempt at Entombed parody. Lame. The box set rounds out with the comeback album 'Back from the Grave' and while that title might be optimistic, my impression of re-formations and their usefulness remains as it always as been. Approach with caution and an open mind. What makes this collection worth your green is the proliferation of bonus tracks (sixteen in all!) that punctuate the standard album material, mostly taken from various demo's during the band's career. Again, its the early material that demands attention, with the two tracks from the early 'Tremendous Pain' 7" and sick version of 'Extremely Rotten Flesh' from the 'Anatomia Corporis Humani' demo in '89 retaining their awesome death maniac zeal. Not a flawless collection then but when Grave are on form there are few bands who can compete in their narrow spectrum six feet under the Death Metal morass. Plenty of additional info is available in the lavish-ish booklet complete with title page typo (!?!). Limited to 2000 so be (extremely) quick. www.intothegrave.com

The Great Deceiver 'Terra Incognito' Peaceville Tomas Lindberg has by and large been a victim of his own success. With At the Gates he perfected one of the most recognisable screams in the business, a gargled froth of vitriol and torment. Lock Up aside, his other contributions to the post-ATG era have largely taken the form of self parody, perpetually renting out his more than capable larynx to a variety of less than inspired and often awestruck wannabees. The Crown was fun but no more than that, Nightrage was ordinary and Nail Within was simply limp. The ace in his pocket has always been The Great Deceiver, and its now more than ironic that his finest performance since ATG is on a record that sounds nothing like his apparent 'golden era.' Lindberg is also helped by the fact that he doesn't have to carry the full weight himself, this is no 'Tomas Lindberg and friends' album but an outfit in which guitarist Kristian Wahlin is able to fully express his musical vision and in many ways take your mind off the fact that its another Lindberg recording your listening to. Swathes of melancholic riffs cut through the direct and deviant production from Daniel Bergstrand. If The Great Deceiver are trying to align themselves with anyone you get the impression they would like to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Killswitch Engage, God Forbid etc, but the fact is that 'Terra Incognito' is way more cerebral than those more straightforward acts. 'The Heel on the Throat of the Young' could even be a hit with fans of a more modern persuasion, but on the video track 'Lake of Sulphur' the band veer closer to the territory of Nine Inch Nails and (shock, horror) Marilyn Manson, giving them a run for their money in the process. And yet once again you're drawn back to that voice, which is noticeably deeper, less nails-down-the-blackboard screech, and in places distorted and electronically deformed - its sound GREAT and its sounds distinctly un-Lindberg. 'Terra Incognito' is daring in every respect, from vocal performance to production to guitar structures to overall atmosphere. In truth, it's probably too layered to appeal to a significant portion of the post-nu 'extreme' crowd but its guaranteed to last a lot longer and warrant repeated listenings from those with a more discerning taste. www.thegreatdeceiver.com

Into Eternity 'Buried in Oblivion' Century Media It only happens once in a while but when it does, it reminds you of music's power to surprise and confound. I had absolutely zero expectations when slipping Into Eternity's new record into the player. An unremarkable front over, zero info on the reverse of the promo and sceptical pre-judgment had already made this a loser in my mind. Surprising then, and pleasantly so, to find that Into Eternity's music is blessed with invention and individuality. Of course its not all good news. With four of the five band members contributing vocals, the deathly roars of Chris Krall, Jim Austin and Rob Doherty seem unremarkable. The inevitable foray into Swedo-stealing makes parts of the album too predictable, and the blasts are less blasts and more timid taps of the snare. Mercifully, there are plenty of plus points to make this worthy of celebrating. Much of the playing and fluid guitar work is adventurous and memorable, and would not have been out of place of 'Individual Though Patterns' - technically compelling without being too wanky, and just the right side of crushing to get the neck moving, especially on 'Beginning of the End.' Even more challenging are the clean vocals delivered in robust nature by Chris Krall (and backed by bro' Scott?). Emotive in the vein of Geoff Tate and as chorally pleasing as While Heaven Wept's Tom Phillips, they lend a celestial weight to the thrashy power Metal creatively kicking away underneath them. 'Spiralling Into Depression' has a chorus that is pure early Queensryche, full of pomp and superiority, which is really raised from the norm by some uplifting vocals. Which is the paradox really, because almost all of the subject matter seems to focus on the negative, yet the vocals seem to add hope not self pity to the message. Only on the acoustically driven 'Morose Seclusion' and the despondent title track does this feel like a weight added rather than a weight lifted, but even then you're still singing along with a smile on your lips rather than a tear in the eye. This is basically a damn enjoyable widdly Metal album, aggressive enough to appeal to the Thrashers and Schuldiner legions, and melancholic enough for your Nevermore, and bolstered thanks to some distinctive clean vocals. Take a chance and be rewarded. www.intoeternity.com

2LP Probot 'Probot' Southern Lord How predictable was it that Probot was already condemned in certain circles as nothing more than Dave Grohl's stab at gaining some underground cred? Like he needs it.......he punked his way around the underground way back when with Mission Impossible and Scream, then aided and abetted Nirvana's ramraid on the mainstream. So what if he fronts a sugary pop punk band these days? The fact is that Probot was created by a guy who knows his music, for people who appreciate people that know their music. Its not like he needed to do this.........he did it for something called the 'sheer hell of it all.' Imagine that. Grohl thankfully spared us the desperate self-congratulatory hypocrisy of so many artists claiming to be 'in touch with the underground' (no Darkthrone T-shirts in photo sessions for our Dave) and simply got down to business by recruiting some of the most creative vocalists in rock, and wrote songs he knew they could sing, 'cos he'd been worshipping them for years. And knowledge certainly is power here, as Grohl shows his deep appreciation of each of his heroes regular acts by aping their style with a knowing wink. And after all, you couldn't con this many accomplished frontmen into contributing to Probot if it wasn't coming from the heart in the first place. Picking through each track is pretty pointless, as I'm sure you'll each have a pre-determined favourite that you'll check out first anyway. Cronos' devilish 'Centuries of Sin' recalls Venom's acidic glory days, King Diamond excels on the evil 'Sweet Dreams', and Wino is implacably majestic throughout 'The Emerald Law.' Cathedral's Lee Dorrian turns in one of his best ever lyrical and vocal performances on the album's surprise highlight 'Ice Cold Man.' What is amazing is that each track sounds pleasingly similar to the vocalist's day job, so tuned-in is Grohl to each singers past work and the context they work best in. Its actually uncanny, something only a top musician fan could achieve, the subtleties that make the songs great as opposed to ok. Maybe Grohl could have another career as a ghost writer, fine tuning material from behind the scenes. His writing skills are exemplified further when listening to Max Cavalera's 'Red War'. Here the song is so good, so 'Chaos AD'/'Roots' era Sepultura, that Max actually can't match the music with any kind of appropriate vocal contribution, so pedestrian has he been with Soulfly, its like he's forgotten how to do it properly. Tom G. Warrior also falls foul of being eclipsed by a better song than his vocals can cope with, again presumably because he's been dicking around with Apollyon Sun so long he's misplaced the individuality in the first place. Its called a 'death grunt' Tom, remember? Obviously it was never Grohl's intention to show up any of his heroes for the pale shadows of their former selves that a couple of them so clearly are. At the end of the day treat Probot as a tutorial; it may open your eyes to a few bands you had never investigated previously, and it will definitely teach you that no matter what kind of music you follow, real appreciation and understanding can't be faked by name-dropping a few underground bands into the conversation. You've got to, like, live it. www.southernlord.com www.probotmusic.com

Shining/Dolorian (split 7") Unpleasent Wax A completely funereal double bill here courtesy of Selbstmord's new Unpleasant Wax division. Further proof, as if it were needed, that Shining are one of Black Metal's most creative forces is uncoiled with their coffin-paced track 'Through Corridors of Oppression', where the atmosphere unfolds like a grey morning going nowhere fast, all mist and fuzz and forlorn wandering. The flipside shows Dolorian following suit, if slightly less memorably, with their own morbid tale, 'Ekstasis', adding little in the way of merriment to the proceedings. Distinctly sombre. suicidesquadron.cjb.net www.selbstmord.nu

Reverend Bizarre / Orodriun split 12" Hellride Music Reverend Bizarre are the best new force in traditional Doom, bar none. Both of their albums have showed great promise and experimentation within the genre's own restrictions, and this track moulds the expectedly epic with diversity and invention, over the course of a quarter of an hour. Recalling the sonorous tones of 'Black Sabbath' and the ludicrous nature of Cathedral's 'Cosmic Funeral', the Rev's contribution, 'Demons Annoying Me', tells the sorry tale of a schizophrenic loser in love tormented by suicidal hauntings. The vocals range from baritone-ish preaching to tortured moans of agony as the song's story ebbs and flows. Magickal. Inevitably in the face of such great opposition, Orodruin come of looking second best but their brand of doom, spread across two tracks ('Ascending Damnation' and 'Master, The Tempest is Raging') does recall hints of Solitude Aeturnus, Penance and the like at their most memorable points, adding some oddball breaks particularly on the second cut. Not at all bad, but trounced I'm afraid by another massive effort from the consistently awesome Reverend Bizarre. www.hellridemusic.com

Swallow the Sun 'The Morning Never Came' Firebox This was recommended to me as a mixture of modern day Katatonia and older Paradise Lost etc, so my interest was raised even if the prospect didn't sound massively original. When done well, this kind of thing can be a powerful force. Swallow the Sun certainly make all the right moves, employing the obligatory 'Tales from A Thousand Lakes' throaty roar to add extra gusto to their riffs. And riffs is the key here, or rather riffs and hooks. If you're gonna compete with such masterclasses as 'Brave Murder Day' and 'Shades of God' then you're gonna need to be on top form. But you're already asking the impossible....... Opener 'Through Her Silvery Body' makes a decent stab at sloth-like Akerfeldt/Mackintosh majesty and is pleasant enough, but doesn't chill the bones in the way this kind of thing should. However, it must be said there is some invention on show here, and 'Hold This Woe' is the closest we get to genuine goosebumps, being the albums best song......but it won't ever replace anything from 'Discouraged Ones' despite the obvious homage being paid. I'm being a little unfair here as 'The Morning Never Came' really is worthy of your attention, but I suppose how you judge it will be based on your previous listening experiences and whether you enjoy genuine despondency or just want to dip your toe in the melancholic pool with one arm on the safety rail............... www.swallowthesun.net/

Murder Squad 'Ravenous Murderous' Threeman Recordings Being extremely partial as I am for all things Chris Reifert, this CD was snapped up with unusual zeal. I must say that despite being a devoted disciple of Autopsy, not all of the main man's output has got me going; The Ravenous I just don't 'get' and despite finding Abscess's 'Urine Junkies' funny in a typically juvenile way, and enjoying the low grade values on 'Through the Cracks of Death', nothing can cut it for me in the primal way 'Severed Survival' can. Anyway. Murder Squad is essentially Entombed living out their Autopsy fantasy under a guise other than Entombed, but this time they have gone the whole hog and recruited Mr. Reifert to add his spew-stained class to the proceedings. With largely killer results. But first the downside. He's not on every track. Sometimes he's contributing guitar when he should be coughing up vocal mucus or rattling away on a kit made from human bones. Matti Karki of Dismember fills in where Reifert bales out and does an ok job, of sounding like Matti Karki. Which is ok, but we want the real deal. We get on the fabulous 'Disturbing the Freaks' where our jacked-up hero regales us with tales of ridding the speechless of their innards and of eventual self mutilation. 'Spunkslut' continues in typically puerile fashion, teenage hormones on acid after watching too much Roy 'Chubby' Brown'. Elsewhere we get Autopsy imitation aplenty on 'Shitstorm' and 'Homocide' which musically all recall the glory days of 'Mental Funeral' et al, as well as in the latter's case, Repulsion. Ultimately this is a pointless exercise. You either get Autopsy or you don't. Entombed obviously owe them a huge debt so this has the feel of a private party where the Swedes get to have their idol as the guest of honour. You feel a bit like you've gatecrashed an invite-only love-in. So you're reduced to peering in through the keyhole to get your rocks off. Its so nearly the real thing, but just not quite as good. www.threeman.net

Atomizer 'The Only Weapon of Choice' Ajun Records Australia seems to be pumping out some great bands in the last couple of years (Destroyer 666, Gospel of the Horns and Abyssic Hate to name but a few), and Atomizer have always lurked in the background as a band waiting for a well-deserved break. With this, their third album, they’ve pushed their rock n' roll Death Metal formula forward by leaps and bounds. Songs like 'And the Hunt Starts Again' really kicks in with a classic Motorhead feel while still feeding the Death Metal addiction. Others like 'The Campaign', 'One Man’s Failure' and 'Isolation' have a great punky feel, but are still full of evil Metal intent, that captures an early thrash feel. The best track by far has to be 'When I Die, I Wanna Die Violently' with a classic melodic riffing, and sing-along lyrics. While production may not be to the standards of major label releases and leaves the sound a little rough around the edges – to me this only adds to the appeal. This will in time be remembered as a classic by a band that deserves more recognition than they are given. Also out on limited gatefold vinyl (666 copies – first 100 on grey vinyl and in camouflage bag) and picture disc (200 copies with poster). www.atomizer.net Francis

Exodus 'Tempo of the Damned' Nuclear Blast I had the opportunity to hear some early mixes from this album last year, and was pleased to find that the old farts had pulled something worthwhile out of the hat with 'Tempo of the Damned.' Listening to the record back then I imagined the sequencing of the record would be important, and so it proved as the band have largely elected to put the quality tunes first. That means that the full album, for me, goes on a couple of songs to long, but don't let that put you off what is a very worthwhile listen. The production from Andy Sneap really helps the band sound big and fresh, the potentially dated thrash pace instead coming across as punchy and snappy, given the feel of a less clicky, more organic Pantera. Songs blaze past on a bedrock of subtly understated riffs, completely at odds with the mostly infantile lyrics, saved from the overbearing cheese factor by a convincing delivery from Steve Souza. As with most bands that have been around the block a few times and continue insisting that they have records left in them, Exodus have obviously woken up to the fact that, when they put their minds to it, doing what they do best and no more is their best option. No nu-metal styling, no becoming politicized all of a sudden, no disowning their metal past. Slayer could learn a thing or two from these guys............here we get mid and fast tempo songs about vengeance, violence and religious disdain, nothing fancy just meat and potatoes stuff. A surprisingly quality album then from a band that I thought was past it...........and have ended up reminding us why Thrash was so cool in the first place. Dumb-ass in parts maybe, but with a knowing smile. www.exodusattack.com

Hypocrisy 'The Arrival' Nuclear Blast Its more mystifying than the aliens that Hypocrisy continually bang on about - why are Hypocrisy so admired and seemingly so successful? No questioning Peter Tatgren's quality as a producer, where he consistently makes the mediocre seem less so. Why then, can he not turn his band's own perennially dull output into something more worthwhile? 'Born Dead' couldn't be a more suitable opening track title for this album of achingly grey songs, each one floating past without registering even a flicker of response from the sorry listener......the vocals being universally thin, the hooks non-existent and the invention necessary to make this even a reasonable output not even an option. One track, faster the others, about four songs in, is so poor that I actually laughed out loud, the first reaction I managed apart from suicidal boredom. Are the drums even in time? This makes St Anger's drum performance seem adequate. By track 6 I've become catatonic. Thankfully with great reserves of energy and resolve, the stop button rescues the day. Horrible. And probably Top 5 in Germany. www.hypocrisy.tv

In Flames 'Soundtrack to Your Escape' Nuclear Blast I hold In Flames entirely responsible for the dire and never ending stream of shite US 'post-something' bands that are saturating the heavy music scene right now. By touring the States so often, and with many varied partners, they have become the 'post-something's' Swedish band of choice. So when I think of In Flames I think of abominations like Shadows Fall, Avenged Sevenfold, Bleeding Through etc etc etc. I'll make exceptions for Killswitch Engage and God Forbid, but only because they have obviously listened to a range of Swedish Metal albums other than 'Colony' and 'Reroute to Remain.' The rest of the current sewerage being inflicted on the world from our friendly Stateside scene is In Flames fault. No-one uses the meaningful names of Dissection, At the Gates and Sentenced (I know where they're from before you start) as anything other than names to drop. They might even have heard (of) Eucharist. But instead In Flames is the influence, the permeating idea, the virus. Someone very aptly said that In Flames will one day have a killer 'Greatest Hits' album, so hit and miss is their output.........but none of the tracks from this album will be on it, so listless is the material on show here. At several points the vocals try so very hard to ape Jonathon Davis in so obvious an attempt to the 'broaden the appeal' of the band, that it makes you wanna tear your ears off and hide them down the back of the sofa. I hate to say it about a band that has produced many magnificent moments in its past, and as a founding force of the awesome Swedish Melodic Death Metal epoch of the early 90's that was once so innovative and influential, but these guys have lost it bigtime. One big yawnfest I'm afraid, but more dangerously than that, you can imagine a whole breed of new bands starting up across America using this as a blueprint for how they should sound, which is more cause for concern than the decrepit state of what was once a very special band. www.inflames.com

My Dying Bride'Songs of Darkness Words of Light' Peaceville Interesting to hear how innovators of any particular genre inevitably come back to playing their strongest hands, after a period of 'experimentation' which the fanbase, just as inevitably, avoids in its droves. Give 'em what they want - bread and circuses keep the masses amused. It must be a bit galling for My Dying Bride to have to furrow familiar ground, but when the soil they are working with is so fertile, it somehow doesn't feel like we're being cheated. The last couple of MDB records have had comfortable familiarity stamped all over them, but they haven't felt like wasted experiences, just variations on the themes that made 'Turn Loose the Swans' so grandiose and spectacular all those years ago. The new album re-works successfully old MDB trademarks, melodically enhanced Candlemass riffing mixed with sombre periods of virtual silence, brooding until the reassuring thump of leaden paced drums with a rigidly controlled variation four or five different fills takes us to the Gothic gates of doom and back. Vocally the band continue to alternate the off-key croon with the swampy gargle, but there seems more words than ever from Aaron. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your preference for tales of twisted love and woe, or for satisfyingly thick guitar tones crafted into slabs of mournful despondency. No doubt My Dying Bride feel plenty of both to be useful in creating the epic scale they manage on tracks like 'Catherine Blake' and the momentous 'The Blue Lotus', which is one of the band's finest tunes ever. So business as usual then for the 'resigned to their position as doom/death's No.1 force' My Dying Bride. For once it matters not that they sound warmly familiar, instead this album leaves you thanking your lucky stars that there's a band out there that can still find enough scope within their traditional parameters to keep churning out quality morbidity like this. Not sure where the fridge magnet given away free with this limited edition fits into the artistic vision though. www.mydyingbride.org

Entombed 'Uprising' Threeman Recordings Now out on vinyl these albums serve as a timely reminder that all is well in the Entombed camp. Safe in their role mixing old-school Swedo-riffs with a little rock n' roll (baby), Entombed are chucking out consistently great albums, with no apparent regard for anything other pleasing themselves. www.threeman.net

Entombed 'Morning Star' Threeman Recordings All three are worthy of a mention, but if you haven't got them but already like 'Clandestine' and 'Wolverine Blues' you won't go wrong with any of them. My personal fave is the Motorhead tribute 'Uprising' which rattles along with a swagger and a sneer, and contains real attitude on belters like 'Seeing Red' and 'Won't Back Down'. www.threeman.net

Entombed 'Inferno' Threeman Recordings 'Inferno' is more varied and something of a slumbering giant, less predictable than the other two, but still refreshingly non self-conscious and obviously done just for the love of it. Which is as it should be. All three vinyl's are lovingly crafted with either gatefold sleeves or embossing, and feel as heavy as they sound. Available direct from Threeman Recordings. www.threeman.net

Nargaroth 'Gelielte des Regens' No Colours Nargaroth have long be a band that have hidden in the underground den of black metal, spoken of with either complete worship or complete disgust. Having picked up a couple of their earlier albums I was keen to hear their latest effort. Opening with ambient themes and even a didgeridoo (!), I knew this was going to be interesting. But when I heard those dark, cold necro sound bleeding from the speakers I new this was going to be killer. Taking a sound very much akin to mid era Burum (Huis lyset tar oss and filosofem albums), it has a raw and mournful pace, with some haunting melodies, almost blending all the songs into one long one. The sound production is good (for a black metal album), drums thump away almost echoing. Good nasty guitar sound and harsh vocal and are all mixed well, so one does not drown the other out. Don’t expected this to be ground breaking or new, this is an album for those who truly love black metal as it’s supposed to be – simple. Also out on Double blue vinyl. www.no-colours-records.de Francis

Endstille 'Fruhlingserwachen' Twilight vertrieb This is full on blasting black metal reminding me of Marduk. Fruhlingserwachen has some great songs from “Ripping angelflesh” which pounds along like boulders down a hillside to the title track which will rip your ears off! Other great songs are Defloration which has great rolling mid-pace feel, 1914 is like having an atom bomb let off in your face – warp speed all the way. “Biblist burner” is excellent - which mixes the lighting drumming with some cool slower pace riffs. But my favourite is “Endstille” a good strong black metal song, with song really good drumming and some killer riffs. Production is good with all-round quality sound that fleshes out the songs nicely. Overall this is for fans of Marduk or Setherial, and one that won’t be gathering dust. Also on gatefold vinyl (with poster!) via Northern Silence production www.northern-silence.cjb.net Francis