Category: CD/DVD Reviews

Myrkur – Mareridt

Myrkur is a lady that didn’t have easy in metal scene so far. Her music is a mix of elements of folk and Black metal and whatever she feels that is needed. After playing several festival shows and tours a new release is on hands. It’s called “Mareridt” and is available now..
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Mirrorplain – Path of Salvation

Mirrorplain is a melodic Rock formation with a dark touch that released two EP’s so far. Now the band is ready for the release of a full length album called “Path of Salvation”. It is available now. Read more of this article »

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Ensiferum – Two Paths

A band like Ensiferum needs no introduction. The crazy and awesome Finnish band has been delivering us some epic folk metal since 1995. With many studio albums and awesome live shows, they are definitely one of the favorites in the folk metal genre. They are back with a brand new album called “Two Paths” which has been released recently. I was especially curious about this record because, as some of you know, the band parted ways with the keyboardist Emmi Silvennoinen last year and welcomed the amazing accordionist Netta Skog (ex-Turisas). So I was quite eager to hear her contributions… Read more of this article »

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Astarium – Drum-Ghoul

A one man band can have plan if it is helmed by a man with a plan.  But no plan survives first contact with the project, so how does Astarium fare? Let’s survey.

I have a natural wariness when it comes to one man bands.  Not that they can’t be good, it is just that I often find that one man’s vision is extremely constricted and so elements that would otherwise form a coherent whole often sound streamlined.  This isn’t quite the case with Astarium, the project helmed by a fellow who calls himself SiN.  Drum-Ghoul is the project’s fifth and newest release, and my introduction.  So I will be viewing this album as a stand-alone. Read more of this article »

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Kaos Krew – Returno

It was a staple of 90’s to have Extreme Kool Letterz in the names of things, like Mortal Kombat.  Metal bands have longed done that, so what does Kaos Krew offer other than typological oddities? Let’s peruse.

Kaos Krew are an industrial rock band hailing from Finland.  The DC Comics-like titled album, Returno, is their first outing in four years.  That said, it’s very hard to shoehorn them into a single category, as they play this weird mix of old school heavy metal, modern industrial rock, hard rock and, especially in the vocals department, just a touch of modern prog.  It’s a very delicate balancing act, and it works mostly in their favor, although there is something to be said about maintaining so delicate a balance.  The production is admirable for, if nothing else, coherently bringing together a wide range together in a coherent manner.  More on that later.

Throughout Returno, the consistency comes in the form of how these elements are brought together.  Hard rock / heavy metal hybrid riffs come at you right from the get-go, and the way the riffs are structured blur the lines between the two.  The bass is mostly inconspicuous (save for When Soldiers Cry, there it shines), but it does the work.  The drumming is competent, though nothing special.  Now, the industrial bit comes in with the use of synthesizers, but the label itself is a bit of a misnomer, as the synthesizer sounds mixed into the music are used much in the way of a neo prog band, only with about half the flair.  This sort of eats into the album, because for every coherent industrial or hard rock moment (Man Down and Dying to Survive respectively) you get a jumbled mess (dear Lord, Panama.)

The vocals are a weak link, not because they are sub-par or anything, but the lyrics are often uninspiring, bordering on and actually clichéd, and they could do with a lot less serious and a lot more fun to better suit the energy of the music.  Crippled by Belief is a serious offender in this regard, and the lyrics don’t really do the album any favors.  The delivery is also dry and pretty much the same in every song, but then there are attempted breakout moments, like ones littering Dead and Gone, that only serve as a bitter reminder that they never quite get there.

Speaking of, this is a good time to get into the main shortcoming of Returno – the songwriting.  There is a lack of focus throughout.  Remember when I said it was a delicate balance? Well, the downside of that is, Kaos Krew try to bring together those influences out all at once, and so often jump back and forth between them rather than melding them together.  When Soldiers Cry is a good, solid example: its verses are ominous, tense and foreboding, but the chorus comes in and washes all of that build-up away in a limp-wristed payoff marred with showy, almost upbeat guitars and dry, drawn out vocalizations before returning to the tension, creating an unpleasant mood whiplash that promises more than it delivers.

Thus the overall album is a bit incoherent, and also a bit repetitive.  The songs easily blur together before long and while there are good individual moments, they are scattered and you easily space out.  These songs, like the penultimate / closer Follow Him can’t hold attention for very long, and once that goes, so goes the song.  Also, I fail to see the point in ending the album, any album for that matter, with a live rendition of a previous track, and so Returno has that as a downer.

Overall, though, Kaos Krew offer a competent, nice album that, despite its shortcomings, may offer a welcome distraction, and a nice enough place to visit.  Give it a go, I’d say, see what you take from it.

Line-Up:
Göran Fellman
Jonas Kuhlberg
Zacharias Ahlvik
Massi Wickman
Sven Wannäs
Ulf Skog

Tracklist: 01. End My Pride 02. Man Down 03. Dying to Survive 04. When Soldiers Cry 05. Panama 06. Crippled by Belief 07. Through Flames 08. Dead and Gone 09. Follow Him 10. Big Sale (live)

 

Kaos Krew Official website

Kaos Krew on Facebook

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Hot Water Music – Light It Up

Hot Water Music is a post-hardcore band from Gainesville, Florida. The members of the band are Chuck Ragan, Chris Wollard, Jason Black, and George Rebelo. Hot Water Music first formed in 1993. In 1998, after releasing multiple EPs and three full-length albums, the band briefly disbanded, but soon reformed, announcing their continuation as Hot Water Music at the concert recorded for “Live at the Hardback”. Read more of this article »

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Highrider – Roll For Initiative

Highrider’s hometown Gothenburg has always been a breeding ground for clashes of the extreme. Highrider’s debut album is a disturbance between genres and follows up on the band’s praised EP-release “Armageddon Rock” (2016, The Sign Records). Highriders new album “Roll For Initiative” is nuclear destruction on its own, with lots of high energy, this album can be summarized as over the top music mutation beyond this world. Read more of this article »

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The Moorings – Unbowing

The Moorings are an ultra-energetic quintet famous for delivering an efficient mix between Celtic folk and alternative rock. Since 2011, the band has been faithful to the traditional themes of the Anglo-Saxon repertoire. It has been chosen many times to share the bill with the most respected bands of the genre such as The Dubliners, The Pogues or The Dropkick Murphys. Read more of this article »

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I Wear * Experiment – Patience

I Wear* Experiment is a punchy nordic electro trio leaning towards experimentation and cinematic soundscapes. The band began their journey into electronical pop music bringing back the punch and aggressiveness that they feel has gone missing over time.
I Wear* Experiment creates edgy big banger beats and synths with a touch of Ladyhawk, CHRVCHES, Florence and The Machine like graceful vocals. In a live situation they are visually and sonically impeccable. Read more of this article »

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Septicflesh – Codex Omega

When we are talking about extreme/symphonic death metal, Septicflesh is one of the names that comes to mind. Formed in 1990, the Greek formation has been delivering us some fine extreme metal ranging from death/doom (in the early days) to symphonic metal. With a long history like that, they have released 10 albums with the last one being “Codex Omega” which has been released recently. Read more of this article »

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