Rock

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    Death Wolf – Death Wolf (2011)

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    Formed in 2000 by Marduk guitarist Morgan Hakansson under the name Devils Whorehouse; the band has rebirthed themselves in 2011 into Death Wolf that is a harder, thrashier and more aggressive outfit. While there is still some heavy Glen Danzig influence hanging over, it seems like vocalist Maelstrom has come into his own with more intensity and passion.

    The opener “Circle of Abomination” comes ripping in with a combination of thrash and Misfit-style punk. The vocals are gritty and Makko’s guitar riffing is brutal while Hrafn comes in with some complex drum work. A little over a minute in the track slows down to a chugging rhythm with a searing guitar solo in the background. “The Other Hell” opens with a nice melodic riff and is a bit different as far as the tempo goes. I would call this southern doom metal if I had to call it anything. This is one of the tracks where you will hear Maelstrom sound the most like Mr. Danzig.

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    Lekamen Illusion Kallet – The Second Wind (2011)

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    In another addition to the ‘meh’ column of this month, today we have Lekamen Illusion Kallet (LIK) and their fourth full-length release “The Second Wind”. The band has re-emerged to release a pretty standard Black Metal meets Rock and Roll release that should fly low in most people’s radars.

    With over 40 minutes of bleak and depressing music, the band does one thing right: create a very desolate and dark atmosphere. The guitar tuning gives out a very raw and low-fi roar that is very effective in creating said atmosphere. Also, the slow tempo presented in these songs makes them perfect for an agonizing evening under very bad weather conditions.

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    Year of the Goat – Lucem Ferre (2011)

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    Keeping the flam alive of 60’s and 70’s Psychedelic Rock, today we have the Swedes of Year of the Goat and their debut MCD “Lucem Ferre”. In this action packed 4 song release, the band shows their chops at creating dark anthems of pure evil just the right old-school vibe.

    With the opening track “Of Darkness”, the band immediately turns back the pages of time and involves you in a magical atmosphere that only very few band’s can achieve these days. The guitars are spot on and the overall pacing of the song is just perfect. The vocals are greatly executed and the layering added provides the typical vibe for the genre.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Graveyard – Hisingen Blues (2011)

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    As probably one of the most different bands in the Nuclear Blast roster, today we have Graveyard and their instant Rock classic “Hisingen Blues”. Hailing from Sweden, the band has already made a few successful runs in the USA with the likes of Clutch, Witch and CKY, and they are gathering great momentum behind their intoxicatingly addictive music.

    Featuring 9 tracks of pure Hard/Psychedelic Rock tracks, “Hissingen Blues” does a great job in transporting the vibe and musicianship of 70’s rock into a more modern context. In each of the songs, the band infuses their personalities and creates magical tracks that are ready to be enjoyed by all fans of good Rock music.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Anniversary Circle – Saturated Feathers (2010)

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    Having formed around 20 years ago and never release a debut album is something that can be considered quite a feat and probably should be in Guinness book of World Records. For Anniversary Circle, this fact has only gained them more rep in the underground scene and made “Saturated Feathers” and even more special release.

    With a mixture of influences ranging between Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Cure, Joy Division, Killing Joke and many others, Anniversary Circle sounds a bit dated but this is exactly what makes them very effective an appealing for us.

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    Ghost – Opus Eponymous (2011)

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    Labeled as one of the most interesting Psychedelic/Occult Rock releases of the last few years “Opus Eponymous” is the first full-length release of Ghost. For over 30 minutes we are treated to a very interesting and nostalgic sound that the band presents with their satanic craft.

    The album gets off to a great start with “Con Clavi Con Dio” thanks to solid riffs, great vocal arrangements and keyboards. However, the band’s sound is not as bombastic and effective as we expected and bands like The Devil’s Blood put them to shame when it comes to Psychedelic rock with occult elements.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Thomas Giles – Pulse (2011)

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    After not liking any of Between the Buried and Me’s stuff, I was about to hurl when I got this promo in my review queue. However, something magical will happen to you when you listen to this album since you will end-up loving it for its originality and freshness.

    I believe since I was expecting some crap like Between the Buried and Me I was less critical about this release, but many listens to this album you will still find yourself appreciating it and finding new details about the music. Thomas Giles crafts 11 songs that are very rich sounding and that have the perfect amounts of electronic elements, rock guitars, melancholic vocals and piano sections.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Nachtgeschrei – Ardeo (2010)

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    One of our favorite Folk Metal/Rock bands has returned with “Ardeo” and the only thing we can’t think is that 3 albums in 3 years definitely take a toll on a band’s creativity. In this release the band deliver 49 minutes of exactly the same as on “Am Rande der Welt” and “Hoffnungsschimmer”.

    We don’t really care if a band does the same album 5 different ways as long as it is appealing and engaging. “Ardeo” is half and half in both departments, the band’s sound is as appealing as ever, but it sounds exactly the same as on their previous release. In terms of the appeal, there are great moments for sure, but they are drowned by uninspired repetition.

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    Joyless – Without Support (2011)

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    Formed by members of Forgotten Tomb, today we have Joyless and their first full-length release in 10 years titled “Without Support”. In this release the band gives us 11 tunes of Psychedelic/Depressive Rock with a very dark and minimalistic approach to music.

    Lead by the charming (and depressing) voice of Ida Helleboe, the band rocks out songs that will definitely fit a rainy day mood and will depress the life out of the listener. After changing from Black Metal to Depressive Rock in their amazing “Wisdom & Arrogance” album back in 2000, the band has been releasing a series of split releases culminating in “Without Support”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Mystons – Alkaem (2010)

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    Hailing from Finland, we recently got in our PO BOX a very different and unique sounding release from a band named Myston. “Alkaem” marks the band’s second full-length release and with the wide palette of styles, Myston seems to be ready to take over the world and fans of Metal, Indie Rock, Alternative Metal, Grunge and everything in between.

    The first thing you will notice about “Alkaem” is that Mystos has a very enigmatic sounding front man with M Myston handling the vocals and guitars. His vocals will immediately make you identify this band in a second, and when paired with the very diverse and interesting sound of the band, we think the band has a winning lottery ticket in their hands.

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