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Thorns 'Thorns' (Moonfog)
Pish, thought I, another platter of Nordic grimness and evil... yawn, how tiresome... ah, how wrong preconceptions can be. The vibe on this is darker, more compelling than anticipated, even seductive. 'Underneath the Universe', by way of illustration, is fraught with tension and laden with a deep hypnotic fix. Thorns paints atmospheric soundscapes, often reminiscent of Emperor were it not for the underpinning electronica, ably assisted on his expedition by Satyr (Satyricon) and Hellhammer (Mayhem). As an album, it doesn't compell me to recommend it as anything earth-shattering, but I do suggest that you lend it an ear. (Spandex)
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Tygers of Pan Tang 'Live at Nottingham Rock City, '81' (Neat)
First issue of a live gig recorded by the Tygers on their 1981 'Speelbound' tour, this features material from their first two albums and ROKS mightily. With a deadly sound, this is powerful Heavy Metal, drilling a rich vein of NWOBHM enthusiasm and savvy. John Deverill's delivery is most noteworthy (given the throat problems plaguing him on that tour), particularly so on the splendid 'Silver and Gold'. Neat Records should be hailed for their releases of the past few years... well packaged, extensively researched platters of the highest quality klassik Metal has been spewed forth from this stable, with barely a mention in the capricious UK music press. This particular release must have also been one close to label boss Jess Cox's heart, given that he was the original set of lungs for the Tygers. (Spandex)
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Unseen Terror 'Human Error' (Earache reissue)
Yup, the 'Garfield' opus returns. I'm referring, of course, to Unseen Terror's '87 platter, now reissued by Earache. Shane Embury, better known as the blurred-hand of Napalm Death, formed a rather generous third of this band which featured heavily (oops) in the mid-late 80's UK Death Metal-Hardcore (aka 'Grind') scene, alongside the likes of Intense Degree, Doom and Electro-Hippies. Definitely a product of its time, the 'awesome mosh power' tag seems inappropriate given today's levels of extremity, but their infamy was sufficient to grant numerous compilation appearances, a Peel session and so forth. Lyrically, the themes reach from personal values through to mass-action anarcho edicts (essentially a solid blend of commonsense), which were consciously saved from falling into a morass of finger-pointing righteousness by the application of a heady dose of humour revolving the ongoing struggles between cartoon characters Garfield and Odie. And why not? Give it a spin, I say. (Spandex)
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Waylander 'The Light, the Dark and the Endless Knot' (Blackend)
Ireland's hairiest return to the fray, following three long years in exile, shrouded in Ulster's dread mists. Hungry for war, yet wearied by life's folly, the clan is now in a more reflective, pensive mind. Less jiggery-folkery if you know these halyins purely for their anthemic 'Born to the Fight', this album is darker, more expansive than the debut. Yet the benefits reaped are many-fold, as Waylander are now in possession of an enviably potent presence and forcefulness. The highlights include 'Morrigan's Domain', where the guitarist manages to highjack the show with an astonishingly tasty piece of leadwork which somehow calls to mind the klassik toon 'Comfortably Numb'. In fact, this is a more guitar-focussed outing then 'Awakening...'. Nonetheless, it would be amiss of the reviewer to neglect to note that the production is less than perfect, which robs the tin-whistle of its potency... and also that Ciaran's vocals do come across as a tad awkward on occasion (when the throat and bark are substituted for a more melodic delivery)... but these are niggling points. Allied to the evolved sound, Ciaran's lyrics are increasingly reflective of contemporary (or timeless?) social ills, and in fact this whole platter stands both head and shoulders above the debut. Go for it. (Spandex)
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Wayne 'Metal Church' (Nuclear Blast)
Hold it a mo... that logo... that's Metal Church's unless I am very much mistook. It sounds so goddam Metal, it must be Metal Church. Look at the biog sheet and there it is... Mr David Wayne, co-founder of M.C (alongside the good Mr Vanderhoof) and he of 'Reverend'. But hold on, it's more like Artillery now that I think of it, and less like Metal Church. See, it's the vocals what does it. Make of this what you will. I quite enjoyed it at the time, but doubt that I'll be listening to it again. (Spandex)
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Witchfynde 'The Witching Hour' (Edgy/ Neat)
Just in case anyone out there thought that this was a straightforward reformation album by a heavily name-checked NWOBHM act, think again. Like the ongoing legal squabble over who actually has the rights to the 'Saxon' band name, there are currently two acts going under the name of Witchfynde, differentiated on paper by one-letter in the spelling. So which one's this? Well, it has both Montalo and Gra Scoresby (who performed on the debut 'Give 'Em Hell' and the excellent 'Stagefright' albums), so you may feel that this crew is the more authentic of the two. It's a moot point, which should be of lesser significance than the actual quality of their respective recent albums. Content-wise, new material is mixed with re-recordings of old classics, most notably the bona fide klassik 'Wake up Screaming'. This particular song is still effective but stands naked without its original atmospherics and subtle menace. It's the newer fayre which catches these ears, the 'Stab in the Back' and 'Hall of Mirrors' displaying an old dog in no need of learning new fancy tricks. However, it's not as compelling as Wytchfynde's opus. (Spandex)
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Wykked Wytch (Demolition)
Not again, thought I, after having sat through the pain of 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' in the last issue. Mercifully, they've got better. Much better. And Countess now sounds more like Dani Filth, though not so annoying if you know what I mean. Sound wise, they've also moved one foot further into the Black Metal kamp. Again, the C.O.F parallels can be drawn here... it virtually screams 'Dusk and Her embrace', which was a mighty fine album, which becomes less surprising when you look at the sleeve notes and see that these Italian's were produced by Kit Woolven (yes, he of 'Dusk...'). As such, this album offers absolutely nothing new to Metal. (Spandex)
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Wytchfynde 'The Awakening' (Demolition)
Yup, the other one. Fronted by Luther Beltz, who confusingly fronted Witchfynde for 83's 'Cloak and Dagger' outing, this opus runs away with many an accolade if you're a dribbling klasik-Metal-loving fool like myself. This empowering album caught me at a transient period of disillusionment with the never-ending conveyor belt of humdrum Metal, what with its delicious melding of classic Witchfynde, Priest and Gravedigger. If you doubt my word, lend an ear to the likes of 'To the Devil a Daughter' or 'Unholy Shadows'. Outstanding. To hell with trend, genre and pseudo-sophistication, this is simply Pure Heavy Fucking Metal with a mature pace and vision. And we like that. Of the two 'Witchfynde' albums here, this is by far the more inspiring. (Spandex)
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V/A 'Contains No Holy Additives' (Eldethorn)
Vol. 4 of Crin's UK underground compilations, and the strongest one to date. A reliably eclectic mix as ever, this touches on Death, Black, Experimental and all manner of progressive and harsh styles. Hell, there's even a smidgeon of MetalCore. Having a track or two by the likes of Thus Defiled and The Meads of Asphodel (absolutely coincidental of course) add 'big-name' weight to this collection, but as ever the real meat lies in the demo-band fayre on offer. The quality is truly inspiring, from the likes of N. Ireland's very own Epoch to the godlike Unsilence, by way of the Immolation-esque complexities of Mithras and the epic, swathing Thrash of Epitaph. The best introduction to the UK underground I know of, without any doubt. (Spandex)
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V/A 'In Unison' (Sentinel)
The first release from Ireland's Sentinel Records boyz, 'In Unison' is a double-CD compilation of Irish Metal. No cock-rock, no Nu Metal, no post-grunge self-obsession... what you get here is pure sonic Armageddon, real Metal rooted firmly in the extreme genre. So who's on it? Well, try Primordial, Waylander, Geasa, Abaddon Incarnate, Cruachan: a heady mix, but you can get these bands platters easily elsewhere. No, the real strength of this comp lies in the coverage of the bands still in demo-land. Scald, Desolate, Moonfog, Karnayna, Inhumane, Hexxed (R.I.P), Morphosis (from the grave), Lunar Gate and Mephitis. Who knows, the 'next big yin' may well be on here (most likely either Scald or Mourning Beloveth). Just think, buying this now before they take off means you can be TOTALLY KULT! (ha ha). And by merging the 'big names' with the more obscure, it's a must for anyone with even the vaguest interest in the Irish Metal scene. And by 'Irish', read geographical location, not political nationality. No borders on this 'un! Devour this in tandem with 'Contains No Holy Additives' and you'll be the dog's bollox when it comes to rhyming off the underground kream. Sentinel have since followed this up with the release of Abaddon Incarnate's second album. More power to those fine gentlemen Taube and Butler, they well deserve it. (Spandex)
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