THE EVIL INQUISITION ISSUE 2

A WASTE OF TALENT - 'Psychodelic Steamtrain'
[Misantrof ANTI-Records]


For those of you out there that don't know these lads, A Waste Of Talent are the polar opposite to what their catchy moniker might suggest. Featuring amongst others two members [Vrangsinn - Guitars and Mothorsen - Saxophone] of the infamous Norwegian Black Metal giants Carpathian Forest. This project is extremely different though from the aforementioned with their subtle steam train effect intro leading slowly and ominously into a dark resentful sounding piece of well played technical Doom Metal. This eight track release entitled "Psycholdelic Steamtrain" has a real methodical feel about it, written by abject professionals and performed with grace, finesse and flair! It is possible to hear the bands obvious Black Metal influences mixed and entwined into A Waste Of Talents vast melodies but on the whole this is pure Groove laden Doom Metal! One thing that you will notice is that the album doesn't flow to any set conventional parameters and so as a result can occasionally be a little hard to follow, but what this really highlights is the bands need to be original in the work that they're doing and this of course is no bad thing. What I like is the bands constantly changing tempo, style and mood but the one thing that is an ever present is A Waste Of Talents raw sounding heaviness and craft, their grinding Doom sound forged in the frost bitten winters of Norway. "Psychodelic Steamtrain" takes you on a journey and although it may take a few repeat listens it is well capable of infiltrating you're mind and mood. [7.5]
http://www.myspace.com/awasteoftalentnorway

ANGELUS - 'Halhatatlantalanitas'
[Unsigned]


Oh to speak even a smattering of basic Hungarian, or for a legendary Monty Python Hungarian to English phrasebook [Please foowndal my butt-ocks] This Hungarian female dark Death Doom band may be quite evil in naming their latest release Halhatatlantalanítás, a word that is unpronounceable and to try too sounds like a cat vomiting! What you get for this unbridled generous streak is twelve tracks of uncontrollable fury woven superbly around expertly played melodic interludes. Granted to anyone not from their native land might be fooled into believing that each song is a personal insult to your mother, but simple facts must be observed. Halhatatlantalanítás is groovy baby yeah! Taking influence from a number of prominent Extreme Metal bands and splicing this with a groove laden Doom sound, Angelus back up their three existing demo with a well thought out and brutally executed full length album. Everything about Angelus appears raw and appealing! Angelus break the mould and brings Death Doom hurtling towards the new decade with an apocalyptic bang! [7.5]
http://www.myspace.com/angelusmusic

APOSTATY - 'Recluse From The Northern Hill'
[NHD]


Weighing in with some seriously gritty, raw and authentic black metal, Hungarian three piece 'Apostaty's' inaugural demo the mouth wateringly entitled 'Recluse From The Northern Hill' dishes out six uncompromisingly menacing tracks of unbridled black metal hostility. Following a radio transmission like intro the demo's title track serves up some passionately vitriolic vocals that spew forth a never ending barrage of fury whilst musically 'Apostaty' remain cold, aloof and blisteringly heavy whilst being drenched in cataclysmic hatred. An occasional soft guitar plucked interlude fails to mask or dampen the sheer animosity that is generated and as the band rumble apocalypse like into 'Grinder Of The Faithlesses' it becomes apparent that unfetted brutality is the bands trademark. In that respect 'Apostaty' are a one trick pony but their willingness to dominate, shock and devour counts for so much! [7]
http://www.myspace.com/apostatymusic

LAST MINUTE TO JAFFNA - 'Volume I'
[Concubine]


I'll be honest with you, the chronology of Torino based Melodic Doom outfit Last Minute To Jaffna's track list is slightly puzzling, but I'm sure they know what they're doing as the music they produce suggests. Slow, distorted and racked with strong feedback sounds, Last Minute To Jaffna's new release "Volume I" takes it's sweet time to reveal it's secrets with a clean and clinical air to it. Once in full flow the vocals take on a particularly raw tone as the roaring guitars build momentum and broil and churn to climax as "Chapter X" writhes it's way forward. What was once a controlled ambiance is now a dominating flood of sound that engulfs your senses and ensnares your mind with powerful sounds and superb melodies. Not one to remain static, Last Minute To Jaffna never settle. Pace changes and style variations are common not just within the album but within each song keeping you constantly guessing and always positively entertained. At their heaviest setting this Italian Doom colossus will leave you breathless as their down tuned growling fury is unleashed cataclysmically in your direction. Yet at their most toned down ambient moments they can chill the soul and haunt the dark spaces with with which you conceal yourself. The emotional bombardment combined with the menacing physical sound of Last Minute To Jaffna never ceases, hence why "Volume I" is more an understanding, a knowledge gained than a simple listening experience! [8]
http://www.myspace.com/lastminutetojaffna

MADKING LUDWIG - 'Seven Stairways'
[Cypher Key]


Female fronted Progressive Stoner Doom hailing from the Canadian frontier, what more could a person want? Well my sense of hearing back after this band have bludgeoned them with cataclysmic beats for seven whole songs. Madking Ludwig live up to their name instantaneously. Sludge ridden riffs hit you at all angles but throughout the opening track "Kursk" I keep constantly expecting Peter Gabriel's voice to come in, that is the power of the flute that gives this band such wondrous undertones. It's so early Genesis in it's simplicity that I'm getting nostalgic!! Tremendous flute undertones aside, this is a band of unbridled power and splendid fast biting riff-age. Leila Jolin-Dahel who enticed your soul with the flute now opens her mouth to let forth powerful and confident vocals as the band play majestically in the background. Madking Ludwigs sound is a culmination with each band member fulfilling his or her role to the utmost of their ability and the results are simply divine. In all honesty I don't think I've ever heard a band sound like this. The droning Doom riffs are unbridled and untamed, but the beautiful vocals and the flute/clarinet melodies give the band such a unique quality that "Seven Stairways" is an album that you won't be able to switch off for long. The simple fact of the matter is this. In all my years I have listened to a whole host of different music and my conclusion is that there are no greater forms of musical endeavour than Doom and Progressive Rock. Madking Ludwig have combined my two passions with such talent and beauty that I find myself instantly in love with their sound and style. "Seven Stairways" never relents and never wavers in it's awesomeness. It twists and turns, it ensnares your senses and leaves you breathless and thoroughly wanting more. I think it's safe to say that "Seven Stairways" is one f the finest things I have ever heard and as a band Madking Ludwig have the talent and ambition to be a true legend of Doom! You have been told, The Inquisitor has spoken ... Watch this space! [9.5]
http://www.myspace.com/madkingludwig

MOURNFUL CONGREGATION - 'The June Frost'
[Weird Truth]


Doom is for those whose hearts beat slower, never a more true word spoken but you would be hard pushed to find a slower collective heart beat than Australian funeral doom merchants 'Mournful Congregation'. Now lets talk quality, putting aside the seventeen minute epic that is 'White Cold Wrath Burnt Frozen Blood' which is needless to say as close to an orgasm as doom can take you, 'The June Frost' is a seemingly endless chasm of solemn dirges, a myriad of excruciatingly slow and down tuned riff monsters and an oppressive bleak cloud of impending morale destruction all rolled up tightly into this one morbid exercise of inner hatred and dwelling deeply on the blackness of the soul. 'The June Frost' is an album not to be taken lightly for to do so would instigate it's dominance over you're mood and soul as it overpowers you with suffocating omnipresent filth but in the end the quality will shine through and you will embrace the darkness and bitterness that 'Mournful Congregation' have created with open arms and a sunken heart beating slow to the rhythm of pounding doom hostility! [8.5]
http://www.myspace.com/mournfulcongregation

MY FUNERALMARCH - 'My Funeralmarch EP'
[Ton Magnet]


My Funeralmarch is the brainchild of German Doom fanatic Daniel Hegemann and as far as one man projects go this is a thorough success. Indeed of recent times one man bands seem to be losing the awkward tag and showing some real promise and flair and no genre can boast as larger successes than Doom with the likes of My Funeralmarch and Doom: Vs both on the scene writing and performing such quality music. My Funeralmarch combines the fast paced dark sounding beauty of Doom and adds to it the raw and violent nature of Death Metal to produce a hard hitting five track EP that is everything you would expect from a Doom release. Yes there isn't much originality to the project and the song titles are very chiched in places but the sound cannot be disputed. Mostly at a fast tempo the entertainment value of the EP is high and it flows and grooves together so well throughout that one cannot help but to be impressed. "Thorns" is a well positioned track, dead centre of the release that brings down the tone and shows the most atmospheric side of My Funeralmarch, and although nothing groundbreaking this acoustic track does keep the mind interested and the ideas fresh. "Thorns Of Love" is basically the same song as "Thorns" but takes up the heavier sound again and extends upon the theme. It has to be said though that the acoustic effect under laying the blackened heaviness gives off a very welcome ambiance. I would find it very hard to overly disparage My Funeralmarch's new EP as it does sound very good and is produced and performed with great competence and flair. If the project is to bloom and grow in the future though some fresh ideas will be needed or the concept may be lost to darkness. [6.5]
http://www.myspace.com/myfuneralmarch666

NORDVREDE - 'Hammerprofeti'
[Hexenhammer]


Oh to be able to speak the language of the Viking! From a land of near perpetual darkness and constant frost bitten, nay snow drenched winter, Tromso slap bang in the middle of Northern Norway is home to a band so bleak and dark they may indeed come with in built night vision. bringing to you're door the latest in anti-religious sentiments, pure vindictive unadulterated and unleashed hatred for all things human and of course the national pride and splendour of all things Norwegian, the home of Black Metal. Nordvrede then are the epitome of winter reared explosive Black Metal and from every orifice they exude the extreme Norwegian way. Just from their photograph and artwork alone you know that from here on in proceedings with be hostile and bleak. I'm glad to say though that musically they don't take things too far. My main gripe with a lot of Black Metal acts is that they overdo things, music overly exaggerated until it becomes a sheer wall of noise with no discernable music. Not here though. Don't get me wrong "Hammerprofeti" isn't full of folk tales and ye olde melodies, far from it but the music is pronounced and shock upon shock alot of the vocals are extremely audible but be not mistaken as this whole experience is still as sinister and evil as you would wish it to be and the result is a vitriolic joy to behold. "Carried By Wings Of Iron" is a particular favorite and one could even call it slightly catchy or at least as catchy as Black Metal can ever allow itself to be. Nordvrede like to stick to a medium paced grind but in places like to mix up the tempo with some extravagant and deeply dark tunes. Whilst nothing particularly individual or fresh can be said regarding Nordvrede you still cannot be anything but a little humbled and slightly afraid of their professional yet crushingly cold Black Metal sound and as a band they entertain as well as shock and devour, spitting out pure venom and hating pretty much all around them. Except Norway of course. Personally I think Nordvrede are fantastic, great to listen too, dark, evil but never crossing that line into pure noise as some do. True Norwegian Black Metal played loud and with massive hostility. Mmmmmm. [8]
http://www.myspace.com/nordvrede