THE EVIL INQUISITION ISSUE 30

SANGUINEOUS - 'Extinguish The Dying Light Of Serenity'
[Unsigned]


Featuring a member of The Nihilistic Front who I featured in the last issue, Australia's Sanguineous take you away from the Doom side of Metal and focus more on the Brutal Death side of the spectrum with their release 'Extinguish The Dying Light Of Serenity'. The production values on this one are slightly off and that gives the whole release a rather muffled affect and that sadly is a real let down, because if you can persevere with this band and try to distinguish through the fuzz, you'll hear brutal vocals capable of stripping flesh and a bestial grinding style that is as vile and gore ridden as any you can hear. Once again this is a case of a band being dogged by poor production but in this day and age money is tight, but i hope in better years to come this band will bounce back with a vengeance and show us in a nice clear precise sound just how devastating they can be. [6]
http://www.sanguineousdeath.com

LED ASTRAY - 'In Ways Unforseen'
[Unsigned]


from Utrecht in The Netherlands comes a six piece Technical Death and Thrash Metal band by the name of Led Astray and their debut full length release 'In Ways Unforseen'. from the instant this release kicks in there is fast pronounced drumming of the highest order, catchy hook ridden riff-age and vocals that could tear your face off, and it never stops, never once relents to a crawl for you to catch your breathe. In places the vocals take on a Grind like quality which I love, it always sounds so filthy and guttural. 'In Ways Unforseen' is lacking some what in melody at time and that makes it occasionally samey, but you cannot argue with the technical prowess of Led Astray nor their determination to be totally menacing and down right brutal. Whilst this may be a little too clean cut and methodical for some Metal fans, there are those out there that will simply lap this up, and they are in the many. [7]
http://www.myspace.com/ledastraynl

GODHATE - 'Anguish'
[Unsigned]


Simply called Godhate, this Swedish anti religious Death Metal band have released their debut on us in the form of 'Anguish'. Most noticeable and starting right from the offset is the drumming, simply breathe taking double kick, as fast as you like and faster. Vocally they are generic but heavy, and only the average riff-age really lets this band down. That said as a whole they do not exactly rip up trees with their musical fury and that is a shame, but they do have some strong lyrical intensity and integrity. I find it hard to get into them because the sound is not bassy enough for me, I like deep doom like riffs even in my Death Metal, but what really turned me off was the complete lack of imagination in the tracks, no melody, no game plan, just thrash out riff after riff of brutality, but the tunes are not that brutal and these days it takes a lot more than this to be noticed. [5.5]
http://www.myspace.com/godhate

OVEROTH - 'Death Personified'
[Unsigned]


Overoth hail from Northern Ireland and are a four piece Death Metal troop who have released 'Death Personified', their debut EP. Now here is a band who knows how to give me what I want when it comes to Death Metal. Slowed down doom like riffs that sink into the flesh deep and get their hooks in, intensely insane growling vocals that send a chill down your spine, and the ability to be patient rather than thrashing out the nearest riff to hand. Don't get me wrong this band can up the tempo and slam out blast after blast of generic Death Metal savagery but in places they can change tack and throw something completely different at you and that's what excites me. 'Death Personified' is a standard Death Metal album made by a standard Death Metal band in all honesty, but never let your guard down around this lot, because when you are completely unawares, they will sneak up and unleash the dreadful brutal nature that lays deep within them, and when they do you'll head bang your neck off before the dawn arrives!! [7.5]
http://www.myspace.com/overoth

INSENSE - 'The Silent Epidemic'
[Black Baloon]


This Norwegian Metal band display influences ranging from Death Metal to Hardcore and have now released their brand new full length album 'The Silent Epidemic'. Having said all that while the name sounds pretty cool, surely all epidemics are silent? All jokes aside though, once this band kick in you will not be laughing, more dumb struck with the frankly awesome intensity that this band unleash. With the piercing vocals combined with the sturdy drumming and gripping riff-age, the effect is mind blowing, I shit you not. 'The Silent Epidemic' winds and grinds its way through some of the most brutal sounding music your likely to hear in a long time, and my commiserations for anyone or anything that gets locked in the imagination of this psychotic lot. Yet on the flip side, they can sing with clean vocals, have softer melodic moments and be completely the opposite of what you expect. To reflect then, this band has it all, including a kick ass new album that you have to hear!! [8.5]
http://www.myspace.com/insense

ANNULOND - 'Battles, Singing And Ale Drinking'
[AHQ]


Black and Viking Metal from the grim winter Norse lands of... Australia? Well that is the case but with a release name like 'Battles, Singing And Ale Drinking' I am expecting big things from this troop. As the release kicks in though it is clear to hear that the production standards are bloody awful and that is a real disappointment. Musically they are extremely basic. The riff-age is bog standard although does have some catchiness to it, the vocals are dark but generic and the drumming sounds okay but is too muffled to really get to grips with. I really wanted to get into 'Battles, Singing and Ale Drinking' but the end result is so poor that you could never listen too it again. Given good production though you never know, but from what I can hear the song writing and musicianship also needs a lot of improvement. [4]
http://www.myspace.com/annulond

MASTER CASTLE - The Phoenix'
[Lion]


Master Castle are a female fronted Power Metal brigade from Genoa in Italy and this, 'The Phoenix' is their debut full length release. With their beautiful lead singer, it has to be said I have been looking forward to this. I am just one of those guys that loves his Metal to be sung by a beautiful lady and Master Castle supply this and then some. yes this has a deep element of cheese value but Franky the melodies are crisp and clear, the vocals beautiful and refreshing and the overall ambiance is brilliant. 'The Phoenix' is fast paced and when played loud can fill the void that you are in and make everything bearable again. There is of course those who will say well this has all been done before and they are right, but when music sounds this good it doesn't matter if it is original, only that you can have a good time listening to it, and trust me when you play some Master Castle, you'll feel powerful, you'll feel like a drink and you'll love every second. [8]
http://www.myspace.com/mastercastle

ELITE - 'We Own The Mountains'
[Folter]


Elite are a Norwegian Black Metal five piece who have now unveiled for us their third full length album entitled 'We Own The Mountains'. now not too add in too much of a pun but with a name like this they are bound to be elitist Black Metal folk, and 'We Own The Mountains' is very cliched and Scandinavian, but who cares? it's a great name. Musically the band are all you would expect, full on Black Metal riff-age that assaults your senses with the help of crisp and raw vocals and frantic drumming. Putting all that aside though and you have succinct melodies that enrich the overall sound and after a few tracks you realise that this Black Metal band are not elitist at all, and actually make fantastic in roads into trying to sound like their own band and not just follow the path that many a Black Metal band in Norway has already put down and followed. Elite are superb and if your in the mood for a bleak stab at frost bitten Norse Black Metal, try something a little different, try some Elite. You'll find them skulking in the mountains. [8]
http://www.myspace.com/elitenorway

BRIGANTIA - 'Chronicles Of Doom'
[Unsigned]


I'm looking forward to this one, from the sing song land of Tipperary in Ireland comes three piece Doom Metal from Brigantia and their new release 'Chronicles Of Doom'. Now for those of you who do read a lot of my reviews you will know that there is nothing I like more than a good old fashioned Doom band, there is nothing greater on this planet than well played Doom. Brigantia and their new release 'Chronicles Of Doom' [A cliched title I know but bear with it] do not come across in the first parts of this as well played Doom, in fact they sound boring and slightly amateur. the riffs pack no punch and there is nowhere near enough bass. Where is the ominous feeling? The oppressive nature? All this has is some decent melody and as it picks up pace some good stoner metal riffs, but frankly this has nothing much other than that to offer. Standard, generic and rather dull, an utter dissapointment. [3]
http://www.myspace.com/brigantiadoom

MOLOCH - 'Depression Of Surtr'
[Black Metal]


So much has been said recently about the rising popularity of the Ukraine Black Metal scene, so here is one of the grand daddy's of it. Moloch have released 'Depression Of Surtr', a greatest hits compilation of songs spanning over only five years but an extraordinary and staggering forty releases, many of them demos, splits and EP's, but there is the odd full length in there too. What you get from all that experience and knowledge of the Black Metal scene is a really stripped down raw old school Black Metal feel. there is no melody, no softening of the blow, this is original Black Metal in all it's angst and fury and if left to do it's own thing will dominate from the offset. That said, the music is heavily buried under distortion and feedback, so that all you can really hear is the harsh painful vocals, a slight tinkle of symbol and the treacherous riff-age that spreads like a virus through the whole release. i would usually criticise this kind of thing but this is the sound that they have set out for, for so many years. I don't like it, but many underground warrior in the winter lands will. [6]
http://www.myspace.com/molochukr