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EDITOR / PRÍPAD EWI BURDOVEJ
"Viagra" / "Ostrov Island" 7" EP '99
(Epidemie Records / Hirax Records)
This split 7" presents us 2 Slovakian Punk/Hardcore bands both with 2 songs. EDITOR's 2 tracks stand for a kind of ultra modern Hardcore music with lots of broken-type riffs, into-your-face vocals and fast punk-motivated parts. Good songs but unfortunately nothing outstanding. By the way, they used to sing in Slovakian. Maybe it hides some originality, I don't really know. P.E.B. follows them with 2 mid-paced melodic Punk songs. The 5-piece uses Slovakian language as well as some female vocals plus keyboards here and there. The same goes for them as for EDITOR. Well-composed tunes, but the originality is still missing there. If you want to hear some hackneyed Hardcore/Punk riffs then order this 7" EP right away!
ETERNAL HATRED
"Upon Rotten Mankind" 7" EP '99
(Stormbringer Productions)
ETERNAL HATRED plays obscure Death Metal with a definite old-school attitude. Their 7" represents 2 blasting Thrash-motivated tunes executed in a killer but still polished way. The songs are "Upon Rotten Mankind" and "Into the Demonweb". These tracks are full of dynamic and energetic riffs coming from the ultimate depths of Thrash and Death Metal styles. I would say everything's done with a good taste and competent hands there. Moreover, a devastating sound production plus lots of frightful vocal parts are waiting you there too. The front and back photos are also great to look onto, ha-ha... So my advice will be simple. Don't miss this piece of vinyl!
FORGOTTEN SILENCE / NOTRE DAME
"Hathor's Place" / "Abattoir, Abattoir du Noir" 7" EP '99
(Fallon Distro)
On this 2-song 7" EP you'll find two extraordinary bands. FORGOTTEN SILENCE opens with "Hathor's Place". It's an incredibly scored song from this Czech 6-piece motion picture masters. As usual for their songs it captures loads of progressive elements beginning from jazzy drumming, complex riffing and artful bass-lines to eastern-based keyboard motives and enchanting female vocals (along with death growls, of course). Flawless output, no doubt! It continues "Abattoir, Abattoir du Noir" song from the Swedish innovators of theatric and motion picture tunes - NOTRE DAME. This song was recorded live somewhere in Romania during the band's East-European Tour-ture in Oct. '99. Featuring such skilful musicians as Snowy Shaw (ex-drummer of KING DIAMOND, MEMENTO MORI, MERCYFUL FATE and ILLWILL), Vampirella, Mannequin De Sade and Jean Pierre De Sade they are about to demonstrate how bizarre a realm of perversion & horror can be. Increasing your interest I can tell you that it contains the amazing soloing-work of Andy LaRocque (KING DIAMOND) as well. Yet not enough? Well, then I'll add that they are operating with extreme groovy riffs, weird female vocals and some special chaos-like atmosphere during this live track. Conquering music for conquering minds! Warmly recommended EP!
HAMMERHAWK
"War" 7" EP 2000
(Stormbringer Productions)
Dutch HAMMERHAWK should be known to all hardcore metalheads since they've been around since the early 1980's. For record collector's they're a well-known name as well as their self-released 1984 MLP "Breaks Loose" is a sought after collector's item. On this new record the band's line-up is: Thys "Maniac" Bruyns (bass/vocals), Paul Van Rijswijk (guitar/backing vocals), Dennis Hartog (guitar/backing vocals) and Ray Van Wijngaarden (drums). "War" begins the fight. It's a fast ass-kicking Heavy Metal tune with lots of incredible solos, polished drum parts and old-school vocalizing attitude. In this song you can clearly hear the band's hardcore heritage too. On the other side we have the traditional and anthem-motivated song called "Heavy Metal Forever". It combines a flawless mix of heavy metal refrains, some old hackneyed but still groovy riffs plus a MANOWAR/MOTÖRHEAD-like shouting. The musicianship is simply rules all the way! Especially the guitarists' work amazed me. They squeezed out some very storming hypersonic solos along with the well-proved melodic ones. Heavy Metal warriors worldwide unite! This 7" has been limited to 600 copies and available on three different colored vinyls (blue, red and white - 200 of each). Also a collector's edition PicDisc of the 7" is available as well (200 copies).
LUNATIC GODS
"Cuckoo" 7" EP '99
(Epidemie Records / Hirax Records)
The first ever LUNATIC GODS 7" EP contains an own composition "Cuckoo" plus the cover version of METALLICA's "Phantom Lord". Their own track follows the atmospheric way of "Sitting by the Fire" album '98, though the band managed to add there more brutality (I mean the fast grinding drum patterns here) and variety (riff-structure-wise) in general. Interesting thing that this tune captures fewer keyboards parts as usually we get accustomed to. Anyway fans of atmospheric Death/Doom Metal will definitely like it! The other side includes "Phantom Lord" in a quite original and up to date interpretation. I would say it comes with two-times faster pace plus lots of fast drum parts, luxurious keyboard passages, insane guitar solos and well-guessed vocals. Good work guys! On this record the band's line-up is: Hirax (guitar), Psycho (drums), Mortis (vocals), Emil (vocals), Richard (bass) and King (keyboards). You can get this short but exciting EP from the band directly.
MURDER CORPORATION
"Retract The Hostile / Forced Into Regression" 7" EP '98
(Stormbringer Productions)
You'll get roughly 8 minutes of pure blasting Death Metal on this 7" release. Fantastic sound and great mixture of dynamic riffs and catchy
drum parts are awaiting you there. On this 2-song stuff you can get a lesson
how to play brutal and ass-kicking Death Metal all the way. The vocals
are really awesome and come in a very deep growling way. MURDER CORPORATION
rules!
STORMWARRIOR
"Possessed By Metal" 7" EP 2001
(Dream Evil Records)
STORMWARRIOR delivers us 2 songs in the best traditions of Heavy/Speed
Metal. Pure metallic assault awaits you there. The metal warriors behind
this great nostalgic-like stuff are Thunder Axe (vocals & guitars),
Hell Saviour (bass), Scythewielder (guitars) and Evil Steel (drums). Both
songs, namely "Heavy Metal Fire" and "Defenders of Metal",
can be characterized as ultra melodic hymns with amazing vocalizing &
soloing works, respectively. To all this you should also add the crystal
clear sound production & fantastic refrains. "Possessed by Metal"
will make you headbanging all the way; it's for sure. I can compare their
over 8 minutes long material to the old good materials of HELLOWEEN &
AGENT STEEL, for example, though STORMWARRIOR not just follows the legacy
of the aforementioned bands, but has a definite potential to continue it
triumphal. Teutonic Speed Metal at its best! The price of this masterful
7" is 10 DM or $5 US (incl. postage paid).
TEMPERANCE
"Temperance" 7" EP '99
(Stormbringer Productions)
This Swedish 2-man band plays quite unusual music as for me. Its members - Fredde (vocals, guitars, bass) and B (drums, backing vocals) - call it as Soul Metal. Well, basically they perform an experimental type of Doom/Thrash Metal. So you can listen to lots of strange elements there. Most of all they deal with meditative-like yet depressive guitar harmonies plus ultra grievous vocal parts, which make their sound rather melancholic and sorrowful at times. "With My Raincoat On" displays the depressive side of the band with a bunch of sad clear-type vocals and slow drumming, while "Homagen" stands for the thrashy side and delivers us a more powerful, riff-oriented song. All in all, I would recommend this 7" for every open-minded metal fan worldwide.
VORTEX
"The Mill" 10" MLP 2000
(Stormbringer Productions)
VORTEX is a rather old Dutch cult Heavy Metal band. They've been around since 1979 but they split up in the late 80's, early 90's or something like that. VORTEX released two classic albums, "Metal Bats" and "Open the Gate", back in the middle 1980's. They've re-united a few years ago and released a CD with re-recordings of old songs. Nevertheless, this 10" is their first official release to feature new material. It includes four extra-melodic Heavy Metal tunes accomplished in a straight-from-your-heart way. Their repertory opens by the catchy guitar riffs of "Oubliette". This track has lots of great refrains plus features a short but quite tuneful solo too. Then comes "I Got Mucho More" with its dynamic riff-structures, cool soloing-work and super weird vocal parts. I should say the manner of the vocalist is really unique there. I can't even compare it to anyone else. It's just flawless in a way it is. The other side of the 10" begins by the killer title track itself. It's another good example about how skilled are these musicians are. The rhythm-section displays a thoroughly worked-out basis there to which you should imagine a die-hard metallic attitude as well. And as the completion we have the remarkable Heavy Metal hymn called "A Lovely Day". The overall stuff has a top sound quality plus comes on colored vinyl (Mine is red - Ed.), but most likely as a collector's edition it's available on PicDisc as well. In a word, I am more than sure that you'll be satisfied by the content of "The Mill", as it affects like a balsam for the metallic heart! Get this brilliant 10" or die!
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