Heavy Metal Tribune

I am very sure you have heard of 'The Millennium Trilogy' by Stieg Larsson which has been translated from Swedish to many other languages. The theme of the trilogy seems to be about sucky men who have a psychopathic hatred towards woman, and the shit that they do to to each other, for justice, or for fuck's sake.

The Swedish version of this film was pretty fucking awesome, how about this international version which stars the Bond guy Daniel Craig and a lesser known Rooney Mara???

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is an English-language drama/thriller film directed by David Fincher, adapted from Stieg Larsson's Swedish-language novel of the same name.


The film stars Daniel Craig (yea, the bond guy) as Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander and tells the story of a man's mission to find out what has happened to a girl who has been missing for 40 years, and who may have been murdered.

Girl With Dragon Tattoo is a whopping labyrinth of 158 minutes, and yet the film didn’t sacrifice any major events of the book.

Within this crazy labyrinth lie murder, corruption, family secrets and the inner demons of the two unexpected partners chasing the truth of a 40-year-old mystery.

Mikael Blomkvist is a financial reporter determined to restore his honour after being convicted of libel. Engaged by one of Sweden’s wealthiest industrialists, Henrik Vanger (played by Academy Award® nominee Christopher Plummer), to get to the bottom of the long-ago disappearance of his beloved niece, Harriet – murdered, Vanger believes, by a member of his large family – the journalist heads to a remote island on the frozen Swedish coast, unaware of what awaits him.

Soon, Blomkvist, held back by his limitations, tracked the disturbed but genius hacker Lisbeth Slander to aid him in his mission. We can expect to get more curious about Lisbeth Salander’s  background, and that, will be addressed in the next 2 sequels.

As a fan of the Millennium Trilogy, I didn’t think that this International version might be any better than the original Swedish one, but just sitting through the opening sequence alone, featuring the abstract and putrid ferro-fluid coated main casts is like an open declaration that this version just isn’t about bigger budgets, it is about an expanded storyline that the Swedish film didn’t have.

I also feel that it is easier to understand the storyline from this film.


The biggest question is, Who is a better Lisbeth Salander?

I am actually very surprised that Rooney Mara who isn’t an A-list unlike Daniel Craig did a VERY good job as the disturbed & punk titular character, Lisbeth Salander.

In fact, her Lisbeth had more emotions, displaying her acting skills, but this is the same factor that divides the fans of Lisbeth. Some believe that she should be emotionally detached completely like how Noomi Rapace portrayed.


Well, I would say it is easier to understand Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth, but I prefered Noomi Rapace's swagger.


Everyone’s raving about Rooney Mara. Why? You should listen to her super-accurate Swedish accented English. She pierced new holes in her face and body for the role, and that includes a nipple piercing. That is a A-list dedication for acting.


Not forgetting the charming Sweden Winterland. I cannot wait for the sequels to come out, even if you might have watched or read the Swedish Millennium Trilogy; you NEED to catch GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO in all good cinemas from 2^nd January.  



©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | CynnedCynner

2011 has been a great year with many awesome releases in all genres, and it has been quite difficult narrowing down our favourite releases to just 10. Nevertheless, we present to you, our editors' picks for 2011.

	Clarence 1. Absu- Abzu 2. Azarath - Blasphemers' Maledictions 3. Spearhead – Theomachia 4. Marduk – Iron Dawn 5. Vader – Welcome to the Morbid Reich 6. Vallenfyre – A Fragile King 7. Krisiun – The Great Execution 8. Crown Ov Horns - Infernvs Dominatvs 9. Fleshgod Apocalypse – Agony 10. Apocalypse Command - Damnation Scythes of Invincible Abomination
Hong Rui 1. Sabbat - Sabbatrinity 2. Gargoyle - Kisho 3. Archgoat - Heavenly Vulva (Christ's Last Rites) 4. Bestial Raids - Prime Evil Damnation 5. Blasphemophagher - The III Command of the Absolute Chaos 6. Heresiarch - Hammer of Intransigence 7. Zygoatsis - Satanic Kultus - Unholy Desecration (S.K.U.D.) 8. Antediluvian - Through the Cervix of Hawaah 9. Vektor - Outer Isolation 10. Ignivomous - Blood and Mercury
	JJ 1. Dir en Grey - Dum Spiro Spero 2. Anaal Nathrakh - Passion 3. Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy 4. Sabbat - Sabbatrinity 5. Witch Mountain - South of Salem 6. Cynic - Carbon-Based Anatomy 7. Chthonic - Takasago Army 8. Belphegor - Black Magic Necromance 9. Hate Eternal - Phoenix Amongst the Ashes 10. Iced Earth - Dystopia
Ling 1. Falkenbach - Tiurida 2. Burzum - Fallen 3. ChthoniC - Takasago Army 4. Rudra - Brahmavidya: Immortal I 5. Opeth - Heritage 6. Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows 7. Obscura - Omnivium 8. Cynic - Carbon-Based Anatomy 9. Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa 10. Pain - You Only Live Twice

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune

Lvcifyre [UK]
The Calling Depths
2011
Full Length
Blood Harvest Records (LP)/Pulverised Records (CD)
Death Metal

Receiving new death metal albums these days often leave me disappointed or expectant, with most new releases either leaning towards the Swedish death metal style, or Incantation-styled OSDM. Hence, receiving and listening to UK band Lvcifyre's debut full length album, The Calling Depths certainly brings in a breath of fresh air.

What is present here is fundamentally Immolation-inspired death metal, only put to a heavier mode. Throughout the album, on top of the usual heavy riffing of the guitars, the drums of Menthor seem to be one of the driving force of the band, with most tracks seeing him punishing his snare drum without any mercy, pounding on them with every last bit of his energy. The guitar tone is heavy, and guitarist T. Kaos alternate between furiously trem-picked riffs and heavy chugging segments, as evident from tracks like Holy Chaos. T. Kaos also doubles as vocalist of the band, and his style is reminiscent of the Polish death metal style, bringing to mind vocalists of bands like Behemoth and Vader, yet with a more chaotic and frantic instrumental section backing him up.

The band also utilise softer and slower segments of the album to build up the tension in the air, such as on the introductory riffs of Death's Magnetic Sleep, where clean guitars suddenly give way to full-blown chaos. Guitar solos on the album are also another unique point, soaring above the gruff tone of the rhythm guitars beneath, ensuring that they get the attention that they deserve. These solos also help in putting a sense of unease into the listener, with the uncertain direction that they are going, such as those on Death's Magnetic Sleep, wailing aimlessly like a wandering ghost, and even the outro lead guitars leave a lingering, haunting presence. The more furious tracks like Husk of Impurity also bring to mind bands that play death metal in the Polish style such as Crown ov Horns, with the ferocity present in the track.

It is almost amazing how big a band comprising only 2 members can sound. Fuck, the band doesn't even need a bassist, for that matter, to prove their worth and heaviness, with 2 members being sufficient to bring about enough energy to decimate those in their path. The Calling Depths will certainly bring the jaded death metal listener something new (finally), without any compromise on the sincerity and sheer raw brutality in the music that modern death metal acts tend to lack as well.

Lvcifyre on the internet:
Facebook
MySpace
ReverbNation
Blood Harvest Records
Pulverised Records

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Enterro [Brazil]
The Bell of Leprous
2011
Full Length
Höllehammer
Black Metal

Brazil, on top of the more famous bands like Sepultura, has seen a rise in the number of more underground extreme metal bands in recent years, with bands like Darkest Hate Warfront bearing the flag of Brazilian black metal. Enterro this year releases their second full length album, The Bell of Leprous, further displaying the capabilities of Brazilians in their expression of hatred and violence.

Boasting Kafer from Darkest Hate Warfront (one of the first Brazilian black metal bands that I encountered), Enterro certainly interested me, though having 2 members who play in another band labelled as "countrycore" certainly left me slightly apprehensive. Fortunately, the music on The Bell of Leprous holds itself up, and expect nothing but brutal and aggressive black metal in the veins of bands like Marduk. The guitar riffs are unpolished and raw, and this serves only to add to the authenticity and sincerity of the album. Vocalist Nihil, instead of choosing the typical route of black metal-styled shrieks or growls, utilises a deeper, throatier growl, easily sounding like he could come off a death metal record instead and this certainly adds a nice touch to the overall feel of the music on the album. Bassist Kafer also gets his personal time to shine, with lead bass spots on tracks like Earth and Worms.

The band also displays their numerous influences on the album throughout, and the seasoned listener can easily spot things such as the Norwegian black metal-influenced opening riffs of The Bell of Leprous, and more Swedish styled black metal riffs later in the album. On songs like Arguments for Ignorants, there is even a slow moment on the album, with guitar riffs that sound like what could have come off a Reign in Blood-era Slayer album, displaying the range of influences that the band has put into the music. Cold Inert further shows the band's songwriting diversity, with slower parts reminiscent of later Marduk works present among the chaos that the faster sections present.

The dirty and slightly raw production quality keeps up and is fitting to the album title, The Bell of Leprous, and the lyrical themes that reek of death and nihilism on the songs. The numerous spoken samples such as those on B11 also help to keep up the atmosphere in the album as well. Despite so, none of the instruments are buried under the mix, which helps to make the album an extremely enjoyable one for fans of heavier and more aggressive variants of black metal.

Enterro on the internet:
MySpace
Höllehammer

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

IronfisT [Singapore]
Weapons of Mass Sexxxtruction
2008
Full Length
Embrace My Funeral Records
Black/Thrash Metal

There is a certain obsession with sex and violence when looking at Singaporean black/thrash metal band IronfisT and their debut full length album, Weapons of Mass Sexxxtruction says it all. After almost 10 years of nothing but demo, EP and split releases, the band finally releases their first full length album in 2008 and one look at the album tracklisting displays the band's perverse desires in its full glory. This promises to be a fun and wild, albeit slightly insane ride ahead.

The numerous split with other high profile bands such as Morbosidad and Sabbat displays the experience that the band has had, and probably points towards their musical style: dirty black/thrash metal sounding like a stripped-down, no-frills version of Singapore's Mighty Impiety. Insane shrieks greet the listener as the album begins proper with Sexxpocalyptic Darshannas, and the band presents to listeners their perverse lyrics, mixing up the sexual and the spiritual for the ultimate pleasure one could ever desire or imagine. The riffs that are unleashed by guitarists Psycho Fai and Al Ashraff are heavy as fuck, and the hyperactive lead guitar lines that are layered on top of these riffs makes for one hell of a fun album to listen to. There are times when the lead guitars just go on aimlessly and almost make the band sound as if they were high and simply doing whatever the hell they wanted. Vocalist Rape "the mad" Alhazred alternates between shrieks and gruff spoken-style vocals, and is backed by the constant presence of the rumbling bass of Whorelord Dille and the drums of Mokgasmatron.

The band also displays their ability to fuse seriousness and fun together, with songs on the albums written in such a way that they remain captivating throughout. Catchy guitar lines on top of the heaviness present make this album all the more interesting to listen to. Songs such as Transilvestite Hunger even include shout-a-long moments, such as when Rape "the mad" Alhazred commands the listener to "unleash the hunger!". Furthermore, the instrumental tracks In the Realm of Spirits and Lament of the Ahl-Batin display a perhaps more serious side of the band, containing only clean guitar lines, and almost sounds like it could come off an early Rudra record, with the Eastern feel of the melodies present, especially the latter track. The shorter songs like Call of the Hymenas... Lesbian Carrion displays the strong element of fun that the band puts in their music, and sounds like a suitable track to do a short jiggle to in the midst of all chaos.

Weapons of Mass Sexxxtruction is one hell of an entertaining record to listen to, and is certainly a suitable record to party in reckless abandon, sounding like an Impiety or Mantak with a strong sense of humour and lust. If you also like bands like Bestial Mockery, this album would certainly get your head banging, only that this time it is without the extravagant usage of chainsaws.

IronfisT on the internet:
MySpace
Embrace My Funeral Records

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Blaze of Perdition's unique band format of utilising 2 vocalists was what made me initially interested in the band. With the release of their second full length album, The Hierophant, the band has proven themselves to be a force to reckon with, with numerous influences from bands such as Watain included in their music. We talk to vocalist Sonneillon to find out more.

In Virtue [USA]
Embrace the Horror
2012
Full Length
Independent
Power Metal

In Virtue - Twin Species: The Virtuous and the Vengeful by heavymetaltribune

Power metal is one genre that I have a soft spot for, being one of the first genres of metal that I really got into, with the big sweeping melodies of bands like Gamma Ray and the more tongue-in-cheek bands like Edguy, with their charming sense of humour. However, American power metal is one style that have never really captured my attention, being the birthplace of many "flower metal" bands. In Virtue, with their brand new album manages to catch my eye with their promise of a apocalyptic-themed concept album.

Embrace the Horror starts off slightly weak and disappointing though after the promising introductory sounds at the background, with a keyboard-driven melody and weak guitar tones, but the band redeems itself with catchy hooks, at least until vocalist The Infamous Ms. C comes in, sounding slightly off-tune from the rest of the band and weak in comparison with the energy that drummer Eli provides for the band. Fortunately though, the band improves as they go along, with melodies that only get catchier and addictive, and Ms. C begins to show her talent soon enough, backed by the growls of guitarist Trey. Trey also dispalys his ability on the guitars with the abundance of lead guitar lines that are littered throughout, ranging from face-melting shred-fests to heavily-chugged sections, with songs like Witch Hunt being good examples of his dynamic range of influences.

The band utilises quite a number of guest musicians throughout the album, and this is obvious right from the opening track, courtesy of the "In Virtue Apocalypse Orchestra" which comprises stringed instrumentalists such as violinists and cellists, and this certainly helps to make the music more authentic, compared to the numerous bands that instead choose to produce strings using keyboards and synths. The blending of these orchestral elements with the "traditional" metal music instruments make things extremely interesting, such as on the layering of a lead guitar and a lead violin (if I may call it that way) on Twin Species: The Virtuous and the Vengeful, resulting in the music sounding more dynamic. However, on songs like Witch Hunt, the choir gets slightly irritating, in particular the soprano, not sounding full enough to really produce an epic/symphonic metal effect.

The band displays its ingenuity in the songwriting department, with the number of influences that are thrown into the album so large that it is hard to classify the band into one particular genre. While the foundation of Embrace the Horror is undoubtedly power metal, they have also included such influences as thrash metal (on Foresworn II - Parabola), melodic death metal (Cataclysmic Shock) and progressive metal into their music, with orchestral segments reminding listeners of bands like Epica. Songs like In Service to His Madness and The Essence of Unreason even bring bands like Dream Theater to mind, with the song progression and the odd time signatures included. On The Essence of Unreason there is even a fun country/bluesy guitar solo included in the middle, making things even more interesting and unpredictable before seeing the band suddenly go into a more emotional section. The band also ensures that the music and the lyrics that are written fit each other, with tracks like Twin Species: The Virtuous and the Vengeful telling a story, alternating between heavy and melodic sections, with each section representing the vengeful and the virtuous respectively.

Closing track Afterture (Requiem for Planet Earth) is perhaps the track that displays the band's style of incorporating weird influences in its music in its full glory, from calming soundscapes to carnival-like atmospheres to bossa nova inspired music then heavy chugging of the guitar, even including electronic elements making the song a disjointed piece, yet in its own weird way, a masterpiece at the same time, and makes the band sound as if they were trying to squeeze every possible musical genre into an 11 minute track.

While musically Embrace the Horrors get slightly weak at times, it has been awhile since a conceptual album has caught my attention in such a way. The numerous unconventional influences that the band has included has certainly helped in the band's cause as well, making Embrace the Horrors overall a pretty enjoyable album for the casual power metal or progressive metal fan.

Embrace the Horrors is available for pre-orders here.

Related articles:
Interview with In Virtue

In Virtue on the internet:
Official website
Facebook
MySpace
YouTube

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Reposted from: Blabbermouth.net

David Gold, a founding member of the Ontario, Canada-based black and doom metal band WOODS OF YPRES, was killed Wednesday afternoon (December 21) in a car accident near Barrie, Ontario. He was 31 years old.

According to Ontario Provincial Police, the accident — which involved a vehicle and a pedestrian — occurred at 1:30 p.m. on Highway 400 north of Highway 89.

The police shut down the northbound lanes at Highway 89 and traffic was diverted from the scene as OPP highway safety investigators collected evidence.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

The accident occurred just hours after Gold texted his mother in Sault Ste. Marie that he was on his way home, according to Local2.ca.

There were no other injuries.

WOODS OF YPRES' new album, "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light", will be released in 2012 via Earache Records. The CD was recorded with producer Siegfried Meier (KITTIE) at Beach Road Studios in Ontario, Canada, and was mixed by John Fryer (NINE INCH NAILS, PARADISE LOST).

Earache Records set up a memorial page on its web site after learning of Gold's death.

Formed in 2002, WOODS OF YPRES has earned critical acclaim for its ever-evolving, envelope-pushing mix of blackened doom metal. Most often compared to bands such as AGALLOCH and TYPE O NEGATIVE, WOODS OF YPRES toes a thin line between the catchy, the artistic and the extreme to create an unmistakable signature sound.

WOODS OF YPRES' recently released single, the now-ominously-titled "Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Woods of Ypres on the internet:
Official website
MySpace
Earache Records

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune

GxSxD [Japan]
God Send Death
2006
Full Length
Till Your Death Records
Death Metal

My first encounter with GxSxD was at a local show last year, when they were in Singapore performing with fellow Japanese death metal band Defiled. The intense music and the fusion of death and thrash metal elements reminded audiences of famed Polish band Vader, with many proclaiming them to be Asia's answer to the Polish behemoth (pun unintended). God Send Death is GxSxD's debut full length album, and released back in 2006, the material that is present on this album would be different from what their newer stuff sound like, and marks the early beginnings of the band's journey.

The first thing that is noticed is the difference in production quality of the album, compared to later works such as those on the split album with Sec Dimension, which has a heavier and an overall fuller tone. The sound on God Send Death is markedly rawer, which could either be a shame because of the excellent execution and the brilliant songwriting, or be a strength of the records because the raw energy of the band simply shines through and is clearly audible in the performance of the music. Opening track Die in Vein proves this point, as heavy riffs greet the listener and the band takes their time in building up the tension in the air, and a soft spoken vocal section by then-vocalist Kazuhiro greets the listener. Admittedly, spoken sections such as these sound slightly awkward, and at times even make the band sound slightly nu-metallish, but the music more than makes up for it. Kazuhiro also breaks into clean singing sections, such as on Way to the Truth, and while clean vocals are obviously not his strength, they do help to add some variety to the music.

The riffing on the album is brilliant as usual, with the axe-wielding twin brothers Yosuke and Yusuke in perfect cohesion, throwing out razor sharp riff after riff, never a single beat out of sync with each other. The brothers also take turns handling lead guitar duties, displaying the talent that each of them have on their instruments. The thrash metal influence that the band has included is also evident in the playing style of Yusuke and Yosuke, with the riffs at time leaning more towards thrash metal, reminding listeners of the chaotic style that Slayer's Kerry King would utilise. Furthermore, intro to tracks like Way to the Truth lets such influences shine, with an ominous lead guitar line, soon joined by the other guitar, harmonising the lead. The surprising thing here is that despite the raw production quality, the rumbling bass is clearly audible all the time. Ikunaga's drumming is also ace, with a number of moments that are given to him to shine, such as on Good Blood Son where punishes the skins without mercy. The numerous shift in pace on the track also displays his versatility and ability behind the kit. The drum tone is another point that makes the album enjoyable with a slightly hollow and empty sound to it.

While the songs on God Send Death may not be familiar to fans who know GxSxD from their recent performances, they are definitely the framework that the band has started out from. The promise of new material that is soon to be released on Pulverised Records has certainly left me eagerly waiting, but meanwhile, if one wants to listen to their more Vader-esque stuff (which fortunately removes the weaker points of this album) can hunt down a copy of their split with Sec Dimension, Fighting on the Edge.

Related articles:
Album Review: Sec Dimension/GxSxD - Fighting on the Edge

GxSxD on the internet:
Official website
MySpace
Till Your Death Records

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Erevos [Greece]
Descensus Ad Inferos
2011
Full Length
Orkestral Promenade Production
Melodic Black Metal

Erevos are certainly not amateurs when it comes to playing music, with at least 7 years of experience and 5 releases under their belt, even though Descensus Ad Inferos is their debut full length album. The promotional text on the cover of the album, recommending the album to fans of bands like Dissection and Deicide caught my attention, being a casual listener to both bands, and also left me with a certain level of expectation since the band has quoted 2 such high-profile bands as some of their influences.

While the promises managed to capture my attention initially, they left me slightly disappointed as well. The music right from the start of the album sounds more like symphonic black metal rather than music similar to the aforementioned bands. The high presence of the keyboards on songs such as Adou Katavasis makes the music sound more like what bands like Enslavement of Beauty would put out instead, though the style of Erevos is considerably heavier, and the band sounds tighter as well. It can't be denied though, that the music on Descensus Ad Inferos has sufficient balance between melodic and heavy elements, and gets pretty enjoyable after awhile.

The vocals of Growler manages to infuse elements of emotion and sincerity in the music, and alternates between black metal styled shrieks and brutal death metal styled throaty growls. They also display different styles of playing as well, alternating between chugging riffs and trem-picked sections, at times punctuating the riffs with pinch harmonics. The numerous solos littered throughout the album also display the technical brilliance on their instruments. Drummer Tek also shines on the album, and while nothing particularly technical or flashy, he manages to keep the pace of the band.

The songwriting is heavily reminiscent of the many symphonic black metal bands such as the aforementioned Enslavement of Beauty and Anorexia Nervosa, such as on The Omnipotence of the Judges, where the keyboards take a background role and complements the music through shrouding the song in a dense atmosphere. However, often songs begin with a hopeful start, such as on Those Who Decide about Fate, but the band soon breaks into awkward moments through a sudden unexpected change of style instead of following up on the foundation that they have put in place with the introductory sections of the song.

Throughout the album though, there are many instances of the keys of Tisiphoni sounding awkward and out of place, as if the band were unsure what they wanted and threw them in randomly and this certainly causes much disruption to the enjoyment of the music. Many times, the inclusion of keys are certainly unneeded and the album would have fared better without the keys, or if it had taken the role of a background instrument in creating and maintaining the atmosphere instead, such as on The Omnipotence of the Judges.

The lyrics are also another aspect of the music that caught my attention. While it is understandable that English might not be the first language of the band, and simple lyrics would make it easier for fans to understand the message that the band is trying to get across, some of the lyrics inevitably come across as awkward, such as on Possessed by the Moon, where Growler growls out "fuck, fuck, fuck the cross!" to an unintentionally funny effect, despite the powerful song title. That said though, whether this makes the song more or less effective or enjoyable is entirely up to the listener to decide, though in a weird way, this also has the effect of making the lyrics more entertaining to read, and make curious listeners want to find out what Growler is growling about as well.

Descensus Ad Inferos, while being a commendable effort for a band's debut album, certainly does not do justice to the years of experience the band has, with few memorable albums throughout. Nevertheless, this album is recommended for fans of melodic and symphonic black metal.

Erevos on the internet:
Official website
MySpace
Facebook
YouTube
Orkestral Promenade Production

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Diamond Plate [USA]
Generation Why?
2011
Full Length
Earache Records
Thrash Metal

Over the years, Diamond Plate has slowly garnered a steady fan base through their high energy EP releases. This year sees Earache Records finally releasing their debut full length album, Generation Why? and features, for the first time, new guitarist Mario on rhythm guitars, providing the band a fuller and more dynamic sound now.

Album opener Entertainment Today, with the numerous sound clips taken from various news reports, gives listeners a sense of what's to come - a political/social commentary, with one hour of headbanging fun to go with it. Though it gets slightly draggy, the wait is worth it as the first riffs introduce the listener to Diamond Plate's music, catchy and infectious, yet technical thrash metal. Their sound is almost reminiscent of newer thrash metal bands such as Vektor, yet they retain the old-school thrash metal edge in their songwriting style, and their old-school references can be heard littered throughout the album, with riffing patterns throughout the album reminding listeners of bands such as Exodus and Slayer (such as on Waste of Life).

The excellent execution of each of the individual instruments also makes the listener spoilt for choice when deciding what to focus on - the infectious melody or the technicality of the music. Drummer Jim provides a sense of urgency on all the tracks and makes every hit on the skin with high precision, all the while maintaining the rhythm and the pace of the band to ensure that nothing spins out of control with the high energy present in the band. Jon's bass lines also provide a nice warm sound to the album, so that the album doesn't sound too clean, and provides the backbone on guitar solos on tracks like Pull the Trigger. Lead guitarist Konrad displays his flair on the instrument, and also his influences with solos that remind listeners of legends such as the late Dimebag Darrell. The instrumental track More than Words probably displays the band's musicianship and songwriting skills at its best, with each member needing to focus only on a single instrument.

Bassist/vocalist Jon's vocal style might be the talking point for some listeners who are more used to the barking styles that most thrash metal vocalists tend to utilise. Jon's style sounds like a shout/scream hybrid, and at times it almost sounds like a metalcore vocalist playing in a proper thrash metal band, yet this does nothing to spoil the music for me, even reminding me of India's death/thrash maniacs Devoid.

The band also experiments with various songwriting styles in the album, with songs like Tomb with a View putting a slight slowdown in the album, with an almost emotional touch to the music, with Jon's vocals helping to put in the emotional edge, sounding almost like a desperate plea, and the guitarists taking a more melodic direction for songs like these. There are also heavier tracks in the form of Fool's Paradise as well, complete with heavy chugging and a broody mood. The album closing track, Empire Tomorrow also displays this emotional touch once more, with the acoustic guitar ending to the track, though it incorporates one of the biggest pet-peeves of mine, the silence after the track before the "outro" comes.

With the excellent musicianship on the album, it is almost hard to believe that the members have an average age of 19-20 years old, and Generation Why? has certainly managed to bring old-school thrash metal up to date with a modern sound. For a one hour thrash metal album, Generation Why? surprisingly manages to keep its listeners interested, and this is certainly the mark of an excellent album.

Diamond Plate on the internet:
MySpace
Facebook
Twitter
Earache Records

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

In Virtue hails from Bay Area, known more for being the birthplace of thrash metal, yet what the band presents with their sophomore full length album, Embrace the Horror is what the band describes as apocalyptic power metal. We talk to the band to find out more about what goes on behind the writing of their upcoming album, and a bit about their history as well.

In Virtue - Twin Species: The Virtuous and the Vengeful by heavymetaltribune

Ritual Necromancy [USA]
Oath of the Abyss
2011
Full Length
Dark Descent Records
Death Metal

Ritual Necromancy - Desecrated Omnipresence by heavymetaltribune

The recent trend in death metal seems to be the old school death metal revival, a la Incantation. Releases that brag the old school vibe and musical style have been numerous in the past year, and Dark Descent Records presents yet another contender with Ritual Necromancy's debut full length album, Oath of the Abyss.

If raw and dark death metal is your kind of thing, Oath of the Abyss would certainly satisfy. Album opener Accretion sets the mood right with the dirty production quality instantly hitting the listener, with an atmosphere so heavy that it almost feels suffocating. The spoken samples at the background help make things feel even more creepy and haunting, and this serves to build the tension in the song before all hell breaks loose with Cacophonic Dementia. And aptly titled the song is, with the whole wall of sound that crashes down upon the listener, with the drums of KS being the main focus and driving force of the band's sound. The tone of the drums are such that it sounds almost machine-gun like, especially the sound of the snare which would have fitted comfortably in any war metal album. The bass drums are also tuned nicely, hitting the listener hard and having an impact so great that it makes the listener feel as if his heart could smash its way out of his chest at any instant.

Bassist/vocalist JF's vocals are a low guttural style, as if they were summoned from the depths of hell. The gnarling and biting tone of the guitars, accompanied by the chaotic playing style of guitarists AW and LF makes sure that no man is left sane after the 37 minutes of ear-torturing. The influences in the band's playing are clear, ranging from bands such as legends Incantation to more recent bands such as Vasaeleth and Ignivomous, only put to a more dirty and heavy mode. The variation in pace in the album makes the album more interesting and prevents listener from blanking out by throwing curveballs at the listener when least expected, such as the urgency in Desecrated Omnipresence that comes after the sludgy and doom-paced ending of The Chasm. This also makes longer tracks like the last 2 tracks Consummating Crypts of Eternity and Oath of the Abyss not as boring as typical 6-7 minute tracks would be.

The utilisation of various sound samples throughout the album provide some sort of context to the album, and also serve as a transition between songs such as at the beginning of Descent. The loudness of the album (at times resulting in clipping in the audio) also makes album such as this even more appealing, with no compromise on any aspects at all, resulting in the album sounding as authentic as possible, without any pretensions.

Ritual Necromancy on the internet:
Website
MySpace
Dark Descent Records

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

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People like raving about Robert Downey Jr and Sherlock Holmes excessively, but 80% of them have never read a chapter of the book. The first movie was not that fantastic in my opinion, but it was entertaining.
is an action/mystery/bromance film, directed by Guy Ritchie, starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, reprising their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively, as the duo join forces to outwit and bring down their most cunning adversary, Professor Moriarty, played by Jared Harris.

Professor Moriarty, played by Jared Harris

Mhorgl [Australia]
Heresiarch
2011
Full Length
Sovereign Records
Black Metal

The experience of the members in Mhorgl is evident, with the numerous acts that each of the members have been a part of (including Louis, who played drums for Singapore's Impiety as well). The band releases their third full length album Heresiarch this year, one short year after their previous effort, Antinomian. Reviews of previous releases see people talking about the unique style of black metal that the band plays, and this certainly gets me fascinated, not knowing what to expect on Heresiarch.

Despite the melodic black metal tag that some have given the band, what is presented by the band right from the start is aggressive and furious raw black metal. Right from Inheriting the Mantle of Power, the band does not give the listener any chance to back off, hitting listeners in the face with their speed and intensity. Without having to wait for much longer, the band displays the variety of styles that they have incorporated in their music, with guitarist Robert punctuating trem-picked riffs with constant pinch-harmonics, adding a unique flavour to the music. Furthermore, the guitar solos that are provided on the album are mostly full-on shred, fully displaying the capabilities of Robert on his instrument, with bassist James providing the rumbling low-end with his bass. Drummer Louis displays his hyperactivity behind the kit, not stopping for a moment and not displaying a single sign of tiredness despite the speed that he is blasting at. The urgency that the band typically travels at reminds listeners of bands like Absu as well.

The songs that the band has written also do not follow any conventional black metal patterns, with songs like Ophidian Legacy providing an almost progressive touch to the style of the band, and the fiddling with the guitars at the background makes the song sound almost avant-garde and experimental. The whole wall of sound provided by each of the instruments makes for this album to be a busy one, as every single moment is filled with activity by  more than one single instrument, keeping listeners enchanted throughout. Even so, the band manages to display the emotions that are present on the songs, through the desperation in Sam's vocals and the urgent lead guitar lines of Robert.

Throughout the album, numerous influences from various other genres can be spotted as well. Songs like Black Wolf Militia even incorporate riffs that sound like it could come off a rock & roll record, and Ravenous Warlord provides some punk-ish moments as well, further pushing the boundaries of what "conventional" black metal entails, though there are also moments of black/thrash metal littered throughout. Then there are the soft moments on the album like on the interlude The Seed of Rebellion and Hostis Humani Generis, where only an acoustic guitar is present, sounding like it could come off a Neil Zaza album with the soothing and calming melodies, marking the opening and closing of Fallen, and this is definitely a nice touch to the song. Later tracks also make use of such techniques as well, to my pleasant surprise.

Heresiarch, while having incorporated elements of numerous other genres in the songs that are present, is still fundamentally black metal. This album is certainly not recommended for traditionalists and would perhaps make an enjoyable listen for the more adventurous fan of extreme metal, who are looking for a break in the monotone in the black metal circle in recent years.

Mhorgl on the internet:
Official website
MySpace
Facebook

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Heresiarch [New Zealand]
Hammer of Intransigence
2011
EP
Dark Descent Records
Black/Death Metal

Heresiarch - Thunorrad by heavymetaltribune

Alongside the numerous acts out of New Zealand bearing the flag of the old school and barbaric black/death metal such as Diocletian and Witchrist, comes Heresiarch, with their brand new EP, Hammer of Intransigence. While Heresiarch does not claim to bring a fresh new sound to the already saturated black/death metal arena, what is presented on Hammer of Intransigence is sheer brilliance in the execution and progress of the sound that pioneers of war metal have crafted.

Right from the beginning, this EP reeks of chaos and violence, from the sounds of war horns at the background on the introductory track Abomination down to the ominous, ritualistic atmosphere that lingers in the air. As Abominations gives way to Carnivore, it is just non-stop ear-raping barbaric, ritualistic black/death metal, with the relentless blasting of drummer CjS, reminiscent of other prominent drummers such as James Read. Various effects that are utilised by the band also remind listeners of other war metal counterparts, such as the screams that are present at the background of Carnivore, instantly bringing to mind the tortured shrieks present on songs by  bands like Conqueror. The heavy guitar tone and the vocals alternating between low-pitched gurgling and slightly higher pitched growls complement the underlying chaos on the skins perfectly as well. Even the chaotic guitar solos on Thunorrad remind listeners of bands like Revenge.

The band also manages to display some slight variety in their songwriting styles, with songs like Carnivore and Intransigent incorporating slower moments to build up the climax and tension in the song, and shorter tracks like Iconoclasm simply providing a whole barrage of blast beats, and display the band's fury in its full glory. The songwriting style, with the incorporation of slower parts, once again remind listeners of bands like Conqueror. The abrasive production quality also serves only to make this record all the more well-done, nicely bringing out the barbaric and old-school essence in the music.

If one is looking for technical wankery and a polished production job, then a word of caution: Hammer of Intransigence would probably be one of those albums that you would least want to explore. While Heresiarch sounds like an unconventional band on the Dark Descent Records roster, there is certainly no reason to complain and more new material is certainly welcome. To put it shortly, Hammer of Intransigence sounds like a mix between bands like Conqueror and Bestial Raids, and is hence highly recommended for fans of the aforementioned bands.

Heresiarch on the internet:
Dark Descent Records

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Undead Creep [Italy]
The Ever-Burning Torch
2011
Full Length
Dark Descent Records
Death Metal
7.5/10

Italy's Undead Creep this year releases their debut full length album, The Ever-Burning Torch and listening to them for the very first time, I made the honest mistake of thinking that they hail from Sweden, and it's easy to see why once the album begins. The familiar, crusty tone of the guitars greet the listener as the album opens with Immolated for Reincarnation, complete with the drumming style of David and the vocals of Sandro, instantly transporting the listener to Sweden, where bands like Entombed reigned.

There is a nice balance of different musical styles on the album, though the foundation that Undead Creep has built on is undoubtedly Swedish death metal. For example, the introductory riffs on songs like Surrounded by Tombs display the thrash metal influences that they have included in their songwriting. Eternal Rest is also an excellent example of the variations that the band has included, with a heavy doom-like section, a melodic guitar solo in the middle of the track, and ending the track on a high note with a fast, thrashy section. Furthermore, the interlude track On Blackened Mountains also displayed rare moments of calm, with the usage of acoustic guitars.

Throughout the album, the atmosphere is dark, shrouded by the heavy usage of keyboards, which at times tend to border on excessive. There are also considerably few guitar solos throughout the album, but when they do appear these are brilliant, and are usually melodic such as those on Surrounded by Tombs, though they admittedly sound slightly out of place in the raw and unpolished production job of the album, and also in terms of the musical style. For example, the short lead guitar solo on God's Disdain sounded more like it could come off a power metal album rather than a Swedish death metal track, and the polished and soaring tone of the guitar certainly stuck out like a sore thumb. On top of that, the drumming on some of the tracks also almost sound out-of-sync, creating a slightly sloppy effect, though this at time serves to bring out the primitiveness of the execution style.

There is also the included demo self-titled demo on the album, and this helps listeners to track the progress of the band thus far, though nothing much has changed between the songs on the demo and that on the full length album. Undead Creep, with The Ever-Burning Torch, has displayed the borderless characteristic of metal genres, and that decent old school Swedish-styled death metal can also come from outside of Sweden.

Undead Creep on the internet:
MySpace
Dark Descent Records

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Following the increasing popularity of extreme metal in Taiwan with bands like ChthoniC and Anthelion gaining much popularity, comes surge of young black metal bands like Bloody Tyrant. This year sees the band releasing their debut full length album, 2 years after their formation. We talk to the band to learn more about them.

Witchrist [New Zealand]
Beheaded Ouroboros
2010
Full Length
Invictus Productions
Black/Death Metal
9.2/10

Brewing deep in the New Zealand underground are bands such as Ulcerate, Diocletian and Witchrist, biding their time and waiting for an opportunity to have mankind experience their wrath. Beheaded Ouroboros is Witchrist's debut full length output, and promises 40 minutes of solid, primitive death metal.

If one were a fan of dirty and primitive bands, with a dark atmosphere such as Vasaeleth, Impetuous Ritual and of course, Diocletian, the fare that is presented on Beheaded Ourorobos will immediately be familiar. The band pushes themselves (and their listeners) to the extreme, opening with the longest track on the album Sorcerer of Lightning, with a slow build up to the climax and drenching the music with a dense atmosphere that almost makes it hard to breathe. If you thought Impetuous Ritual was heavy, wait till you listen to Beheaded Ouroboros. Just imagine the works of the aforementioned band, put to a slightly slower pace (even on the faster sections of the album), with the same down-tuned instruments, but with a muddier/heavier production job. Session vocalist Imprecator's vocals are tortured as fuck, and he alternates between undecipherable gurgling growls and blood curdling shrieks, fitting, and at times even going so far as to enforce the demented and ritualistic atmosphere of the music well.

Getting past the opening track, the rest of the album becomes easier to appreciate (especially for listeners who are not used to something this raw and bestial). Devour the Flesh skips the slow build up, and instead sees the band opting to just throw everything out at the listener without any reserve, and this is of course something welcome for speed maniacs. As per most other similarly styled bands, there are chaotic and seemingly senseless guitar solos included, sounding almost as if the notes are picked out of random. Adoration of Black Messiah also sees the band include some ethnic instruments, though these serve to be there just so that the band can desecrate them later, and of course, how could the usual tolling of the bells be forgotten?

With Beheaded Ouroboros, Witchrist has exemplified the utter insanity that they are able to come up with. Suffice to say, this record has managed to put their country on the international extreme metal map, and ensures that no sane man is left standing at the end of the record.

Witchrist on the internet:
Official website
Facebook
Invictus Productions

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui

Ukraine's Raventale, with their latest album, Bringer of Heartsore, has managed to capture the essence of the emotions in the music, without sounding cheesy. The perfect fusion of black and doom metal result in an epic journey that will mesmerise listeners. We talk to Astaroth, mastermind behind the band to learn more.

Raventale - Twilight, The Vernal Dusk by heavymetaltribune

Raventale [Ukraine]
Bringer of Heartsore
2011
Full Length
BadMoodMan Music
Black Metal
8.7/10

Raventale - Twilight, The Vernal Dusk by heavymetaltribune

Just as one thinks that the extreme metal scene has reached a point beyond saturation and there is no way that new releases can possibly beat those "old-school" and "classic" releases (especially with the recent old-school revival movement), bands like Raventale pop out to prove this belief wrong. Ukraine's Raventale has been around since 2005, with a steady stream of releases. Bringer of Heartsore marks the band's fifth release in six years.

BadMoonMan Music, the label of the band, touts this release as one of the most "sophisticated, sensual and mature" work of the band, and it is easy to see why as soon as the album begins, with Anything is Void presenting listeners with a somewhat heavy and emotional atmosphere in the guitar riffs. There is no rush as the band slowly builds up the climax and the anticipation for the song to begin proper, and while many bands fail to do so, Raventale has managed to do this nicely, ensuring that each part that is included on the song is well-thought out. For the most part, the music that is on Bringer of Heartsore is melancholic black metal, somewhat like a more emotional version of bands like Pestilential Shadows (or a more polished version of Drowning the Light), what with the inclusion of keys, keeping up a haunting atmosphere. There is also a slight Norwegian black metal  influence on some of the tracks, such as the riffing on These Days of Sorrow. Band mastermind Astaroth's vocals are filled with equal parts pain and aggression, and this provides a nice balance of emotions in the album. Note though, that this album is not just depressive fare throughout as band Astaroth includes different styles on most of the songs, one moment just straight out emotional, followed by an aggressive chugging section such as on Breathing the Scent of Death.

On top of the usual black metal elements, Raventale has also included a number of different influences in their songwriting as well, and these also sit well with the structure of the songs and keeps the listener constantly interested in the music. The progressive elements are evident in the song structures of most of the tracks, with the band often displaying tempo shifts to fit the mood of the music at the moment in time. The guitar solos on the album such as those on Twilight, The Vernal Dusk are also woeful and drenched with emotions, and sound more like it could come off a Octavarium-era Dream Theater album instead (minus the usual mindless shredding of John Petrucci, of course). Longer songs on the album such as the opening track Anything is Void and Twilight, The Vernal Dusk have an epic feel to them as well, and this certainly helps in preventing them from becoming boring affairs. The Last Afterglow Burned also brings in some doom metal moments, further displaying the range of influences of Raventale.

Depressive black metal has never sounded this appealing, and Raventale has definitely changed this with Bringer of Heartsore, with the diversity that is included in the 40 minutes on the album.

Raventale on the internet:
MySpace
Facebook
BadMoodMan Music

©2011 Heavy Metal Tribune | Hong Rui