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REVIEWS

It seems Satan himself has created another Polish legion to help fight for the dark side, crushing christianity, bringing fear to people's lives and thrashing their way through an eternal battlefield. This legion of the devil is collectively known as HELL-BORN and the battle they produce is finely packaged in eight songs of straightforward, in your face, no pussy footing around thrash. By that I mean nothing too technical or experimental, but this is an album born of the new breed of thrash, where elements of both black and death metal join forces to create a certain grimness to the unholy thrashing sounds of HELL-BORN.  In this album's case I do keep wanting to hear a bit more aggression and speed here and there but then it wouldn't really be thrash would it? Maybe it just needs something to give it a bit more 'oommpphh.' But I am just being picky and really as far as thrash goes HELL-BORN have created an album well worth hearing.
*Empress Amber*

IMMEMORIAL
Monologue
Conquer Records

To classify an album such as IMMEMORIAL's 'Monologue' into a specific style of metal is of course limiting and does not really do justice to the array of sounds that the album has to offer. It is technical death, yet it is quite melodic in parts, the vocals span both death and black metal, there is a hint of thrash and that is just one song! This band has always had a female on vocals, not that you can tell, and of course this leads to the obvious Arch Enemy, Sinister comparisons, not that I am comparing them it is just that until females doing death vocals becomes a more common practice these comparisons are bound to emerge. Perhaps Immemorial will help to break the stigma associated with having a metal front woman, perhaps I am continuing to enforce it by even mentioning the 'f' word at all. But regardless of this IMMEMORIAL have put together a diverse and interesting album of complexities in sound. So keep you mind open and enjoy.
*Empress Amber*

ENAMORED
A Stolen Season
www.angelfire.com/pa4/enamored

ENAMORED's 'A Stolen Season' is one of those albums you can't help wondering about. What would it sound like with a better recording? Could these guys become a mighty force to be reckoned with in albums to come? And why are there at least three metal heads in their family and only one in mine? Daniel, Jonathan and Jeremiah Martnick are three brothers that make up the American black metal band ENAMORED (Not to be confused with the christian hardcore band of the same name which I had the miss fortune of stumbling across on the net while looking for info) and 'A Stolen Season' is their debut, self financed album. The writing is in the style of Opeth, the feeling of the recording more reminiscent of Nocturnal Wind’s 'Everlasting Fall' album. An interesting feature of this CD is the prominent bass lines which course throughout the songs, giving a unique sound which is hard to come by in these days of over crowded genres of metal. ENAMORED is a band well worth keeping an eye on for the future.
*Empress Amber*

MESS AGE
Self Convicted
Conquer Records

Band names can be misleading; often names dictate what you expect a band to sound like. For me the name MESS AGE brought connotations of some Nu-metal/rap-core group. Fortunately there really is nothing in a name and MESS AGE's debut album 'Self Convicted' is a pleasing mixture of thrash and death metal with a bit of melody made even more pleasing because of the fact that there is not even a hint of the afore mentioned assumptions. These Polish thrashers have produced an album that is in keeping with the quality we have come to expect from anything that comes out of that country of late. Interestingly Nergal from Behemoth does additional vocals on the song 'Kill the Falsehood.'
*Empress Amber*

SHADEWORKS
Sooty Limbs

   Shadeworks is the creation of Nicolas Arnaud. This talented guy from Belgium is the sole song writter and player, apart from a guest female vocalist, on this demo entitled Sooty Limbs. Containing four very diverse sounding tracks, this demo certainly gives a taste of what Shadeworks could become. Track one 'Sooty Limbs' reminds me heavilty of mid to recent Katatonia with its gentle male vocals and melodic riffs along with the occasional growl. However the female vocals and a quiet interlude of keyboards and whispers steer it away from this. Track two 'Blind Healing' start off heavily before the keyboards and a completely different style of vocals to the previous song, cut in. This track reminds me of Nicodemus, with similar drumming and vocal effects. This track has an 'electro' feel to it, as does the begining of the third track 'Terra'. Then it changes completely again. The guitar work sounds really good but would probably benefit if it was a bit more varied. Track four 'Silky Birds' is a slower, doomier song than the rest. Sooty Limbs contains a combination of different music styles which seem to be being experimented with. Once Shadeworks has found its true direction I believe it with be a much stronger project.
6.5/10 *Empress Amber*

AWAKENING
An Eves Nightmare

   Perth band Awakening have created an album that is both interesting and unique. An Eves Nightmare contains 12 tracks and has a kind of evil amusement park feel behind it. When listening to this CD you really just have to take it for what it is, even if you are not quite sure what An Eves Nightmare is supposed to be. It is definatelty stretching the limits to classify this synth laden recording as metal, but I also do not feel that Awakening are trying to pass this album off as something it is not. The vast majority of the vocals are clean, the songs are fairly short and the guitar is rarely distorted. There is something  underlyingly sinister about the whole album, like it could be the soundtrack to some parallel, twisted universe, taking the listener to some strange land. The cover art only serves to enforce this atmosphere. For what it is, this album has quite a few good tracks which really do achieve a strong atmosphere and track nine is fairly heavy sounding. But there are also a couple of songs on the album which are a little off puting such as 'Resurrect.' The first and last tracks are good from any perspective, be it metal or not. However... If you like your metal heavy and/or fast then this is not the release for you. For those wanting some experimental, aventgarde stuff then check this album out.
5/10 *Empress Amber*

KULT OV AZAZEL-
Triumph of Fire
Arctic Music

  Its taken me a few years to really get into American black metal and my view has totally taken a turn for their are some amazing bands like Thy Infernal, Fog and Judas Iscariot leading the way for a strong new scene. Kult ov Azazel are definatley strong contenders. Triumph of Fire isn't anything really new or different, which is one thing I like about it. It is chaotic, fast black metal in the vein of old Dark Funeral and Setherial. Kult ov Azazel have stripped down to the bare but brutal elements of black metal and executed an album full of hymns in the hounour of satan himself. Triumph of Fire has a strong, consistent dark undertone which creates a certain atmosphere through out the recording. A strong point of American black metal is the way they combine it with death metal, this is what Kult ov Azazel have done with their sound. Triumph of Fire isn't a release that is trying to change a certain sound, just enforce it.
7/10 *Jason 'Wormtongue'*

    Once an extreme metal act recieves a government grant to record an album in Australia you know its
going to be  something amazing. Psycroptic have recorded an album which can only be described as an Aussie classic. Not one bad  word has been said about their debut album, for there is not one aspect to complain about. A great mixture of brutal      technical death metal which utilises elements of black and power metal in most of the song structures. Comparisons with      Deeds of Flesh and Pagan (Aust) as far as time signatures are concerned yet still extremely original. Lyrics are another plus, each containing stories which seem to have hidden philosophies with great twists. This release is not to be over looked!
contact: psycroptic@hotmail.com
9/10  *Jason*

LYCANTHIA
Myriad

This Cd contains 15 tracks of which every second one is an instrumental intalude. The music is haunting and beautiful and also quite saddeneing in places, especially 'My Darkness.' Lycanthia's brand of Gothic Doom Metal is made unique by its 3 vocal layerings and use of cello and flute. The recording is not brilliant but this does not take away from the atmosphere the album emitts. It has been selling well locally and we are proud to say that Dark Inspirations made it into the thankyou list. Its worth buying just to see that!
7.5/10  *Empress Amber*

This is the funnyist album i have heard ever. Volatile are true Aussie drinkin', barbein', metal heads. The fun just never stops with this release. Tracks include "Eating Dead Sheila's cunt," "Gay Mardi Gras Massacre,""Pissed Cunt" Etc,Etc. My first listen ended up with me crying with laughter. I also enjoyed finding 'Wheres Wally' among hardcore fat porn, and beer drinking photos. This release is a must for all true beer drinking, grind lovin' Aussies.
contact: volatile@cyber.net.au
10/10  *Jason*

Alchemist are renowned for being one of Australia's most known and maybe biggest metal band. Organasm shows a progression from 'Spiratek' to a more stripped back sound, psychodelic could be a word for it. The boys are dropping a lot more acid these days and have mellowed while still remaining heavy. Organasm is a great journey, almost relaxing to listen to. This is a great release and highly reccomended to anyone who likes metal.
contact: thegoodfolks@phantom.com.au
8/10  *Jason*

MISERY
Curses
Venomous Records

Queenslands metal gods' Misery are back with their 3rd full length release. They have amazingly kept the ultra deep guitar sound from  their 'Revel in Blasphemy' CD. Misery don't hold back with their brutal death metal, no pretty keyboards or female vocals here. Tracks like 'Swine' and 'Blood for Blood' will soon be Misery classics. Added bonus on the end of the CD is 2 recordings of the 'Insects and Septic Octopus' from the 'Necessary Evil' CD.
Contact: info@venomousrecords.com
7/10  *Jason*

T666
Troops of Satan

A very generic sounding release from the boys of Bondi Beach, with 3 tracks of anti christian death metal. Listening to troops of Satan, Cannibal Corpse crossed my mind alot, with very Deicide-esque lyrics. But these similarities do these bands justice. This album is very tight sounding. Unfortunatly T666 don't play enough gigs and this EP only goes for 10 minutes, but worth every second I might add.
contact: info@T666.com
 6/10  *Jason*

Another band hailing from Perth, Enforce have a strong Hypocrisy influence within the songs. This is well played melodic death metal with typical death metal track names-'As Death sets in' 'Brutal' and 'Slayer.' This is a very impressive release and shows a lot of potential for the future.
contact: Dominion@iinet.net.au
7/10  *Jason*