Bernt Sunde "Bricks and Mud"

Bernt Sunde has something to give.. With this album he state his point of mind and make the edge around a little thicker.
When i fianally got hold of this great album, i did actually get the full package.. with lyrics and all.

I would send a very thank to this fellow. Bernt has been a member of both

Penitent (Songs of Despair) and Forlorn (Hybernation) Majestic and mighty is the opening on "The Birth"

As we are pulled further .. This Brilliant musician knows how to compose. And he lays nothing between, as you will find out, in the inlay CD cover;

The Category is The Cognsoscenti.
not This or That
You Will Enjoy The Album"

I personally like his energetic vocals, with a Devilish / "Devil Doll" kind of attitude. .... Nothing less This is a Masterpiece - Nothing Less.... "The Key"

Graabein

Interview - Graabein

By: Taaken
Interviewer: exraven

exraven:
Tell us about Graabein and your ideological views and thoughts.








Graabein was founded in 2000 by Robert, Taaken and Helge, if I'm not entirely wrong.


We founded the band out of love for metal, but we later developed our music into having something to say. Our ideology right now is to tell everyone one who believe they know or can predict shit, to fuck off.. Our thoughts? Fuck you!
Could you tell us about your musical influences?

Our or my musical influences takes us back to the 80's.
Twisted Sister, Iron Maiden, Sodom, Destruction and other German thrash bands.
We're equally influenced by "newer" black/thrash metal bands like Carpathian Forest, Aura Noir, Audiopain and other fucks with the right mind of metal.

How is it to front the type of music you represent, in a already well-fed black metal scene?

Doesn't make a fucking difference to me.
Most bands that exist today should've died and fucked themselves away many years ago. Some of them sound and appear alright, but in mind are worthless.
Predictable drivel from mindless assholes!

Have you got response from record companies, or do still struggle to get credits for your, undoubtedly great, music?

We haven't really been searching for it that much up to this point.
We will do an effort to make it happen after the demo we're recording at the moment, and perhaps others will think what you think about our music.

What could you say, is the reason for, that bands in the pit, have so big troubles getting cred and acknowledgement in the channels that pulls the right strings?
(Magazines, record companies, and in the end, music buyers).

That might be because of the bands that stay in the pit mostly remain politically incorrect. And because of this narrow minded "let's stop the world in tragedy" world that we live in are not ready to accept them(us) for what we are, and want to be.

I would say that you've made a shitload of changes, when it comes to bandmembers, and also within the band..... Have you settled with a competent linup now?

This line-up is probably the strongest we've had.
I'm not sure if it'll remain the same in the future, although I wouldn't mind.
Changes has to be made to make this hateful instrument work properly.

I heard that you co-supported Carpathian Forest on drums, for one gig.
How was it to participate and work with these eminent musicians?

Rumours, rumours, rumours.
I played session drums for Nattefrost on his first concert at Tribute, Sandnes.
I did not play for or with Carpathian Forst, just with Nattefrost and Vrangsinn from the mentioned band. But all in all, it was a great experience, and a small honour to play with people who actually has the right ideology when it comes to real black metal.

I was so lucky to experience Graabein live, a few week's ago.
Unfortunately (or not) you played at a youth club. Which means no alcohol.....
But I must admit, that the aprox. 30 peoples attended the concert, got what they came for.
Thanx for a fucking great concert.
What's your opinion?

First of, thank you for attending the show, and for your kind words.
The concert went fine, no argument there.
The sound was not optimal, but the audience did seem to enjoy themselves
(sexually or not), so it was a fun experience, nevertheless.

What does "Black Unholy Cowbell Music" stand for?

Hehe, I have this stupid idea that we might be the first or only black metal band to use a cowbell when playing drums. Therefore "black unholy COWBELL thrash", which was the right music description.

I resence a vague "touch" of CF, when i both hear your music played live, and by reading what you write on your homepage...
Could it be so, that we can draw parallels, between them and Graabein?

The music of Carpathian Forest has indeed inspired me, so one parallel can be drawn.
I would never compare myself or my music to the band itself,
all I can say that I believe is that we might've had the same inspirations when it came/comes to writing our music. After all, fuck you are two very important words.

You also play drums in another local BM band, Tyrant.
Can you tell us something about that Band?

Yes, I do. And no I can't…
Well, Tyrant is more Swedish inspired black metal band with more lyrics about Satan than Graabein. The music has more melody, and less thrash than Graabein.
I refuse to say another fucking word about it! ;)

What are the future activities of Graabein? More demo-work or live acts?

We're recording our fifth demo at the time.
A grim fucking piece of black/thrash work of hateful art.
A disaster piece of fuck you and feces!
No live acts have been planned, we'll focus on the demo at hand above all.

Open slot.... If you want to add something to this view.
Thanks and good luck with future struggle against the rotten society.

Hails to Taaken and Graabein

Thanks for interview, fuckface.
Check out www.graabein.tk for updates on what the fuck is going on.
Sign the guest book and please tell us how sexy we look in makeup,
and order a copy of "Black Unholy Thrash Metal" when it's done.
For now, fuckers. Bye!


Interview by Exraven

Forlorn - Ad Caelestis Res

"Ad Caelestis res" The second album of the brilliant Forlorn is <<colder>> than their first release “The Crystal Palace”.
This might be a result of the production, which by the way sucks. Clinical and fuzzy describes the production. It’s a great shame because the songs are good, some of them awesome, “Phantoms” made me cry when the divine voice of Jan Kenneth Barkved appeared. Other songs like “Distant worlds & distant moons” and “Legends of Creation”.

Alvarin (Hennex) and C.Worhn are truly two masterminds; therefore it is extremely sad that the sound quality is totally fucked. This could have been a milestone but ended up being a disappointment, there are good times but not as many as on “The Crystal Palace”…

3/6
 

Lineup during “Opus lll: Ad caelestis res”
Alvarin: Guitars, Synthesizers and vocals
C.Worhn: Guitars bass and synthesizers
Blod: Drums
Jan Kenneth Barkved: Clean/Majestic vocals

Mayhem - Chimera

Whore” opens this mayhem of profanity! The drums are sickeningly fast, guitars whining and the vocals grim and sickening.

“My Death” is slow and grinding with something I didn’t expect to hear from Maniac, clean vocals!

Maybe the best Mayhem song ever is “You Must Fall”. The guitars makes visions of hell appear with immense power, Maniac have grown into a brilliant vocalist. His lyrics still blasphemes all religious beliefs and he roars “You are nothing, you are nothing” and “Annoying humanity sickens me, I contemplate your extinction”.

There are some boring moments on “Chimera” but nothing that makes it less interesting.

The best songs must be “You Must Fall”, “Chimera” and “Whore” but the whole album is quality Black Metal only Mayhem are able to make. A future classic!

Points: 5/6

Lineup during Chimera:
Maniac: Vocals
Hellhammer: Drums
Blasphemer: Guitar
Necrobutcher: Bass

Ethereal Blue - Black Heart Process

There are quite a few Greek bands that have moulded from the ethernal ground. Before there where black metal bands like Rotting Christ and Septic Flesh, but here i will present to you a new and upcomming; Atmospheric Death Metal Band:

Ethereal Blue - Black Heart Process [Deadsun Records 2005]
Melodic Death/Black Metal I recently received a promo from a Greek band, which granted my attention as i started to hear what theese guys have put on disc...

The band started up in 2002.
They have previously recorded a demo called: "A Mourning Ocean"

This was a copy of their debut album: “Black Heart Process”. The music can be described as melodic and atmospheric death metal, with some mixed influences of black metal.
Theese guys have contributed a great manifest of a debut album. I liked the contrast and variations, which was a sign of a well co-ordinated band. The guitars lies steady as rock's, with melodic fragments by keyboard. The music gave me a certain feeling of bands like Graveworm & Ancient Ceremony, when i played the first round. But later on, i clearly see that they have their own style... This is an album you have to play some rounds in the stereo before you really understand it’s potential.... [U can buy the cd here]

Song By Song:
1. Intro: Your Mechanical Ego - 1:54 Unexpected opening, with some industrial elements. Symphonic inspired track.

2. Destination: Denial - 6:14 Trash or die... This song is straight forward and easy to get. The lead guitar is basic layer here, with the death vs clean vocals as the direct oposite to each other. One of my favourites...

3. Despair - 6:42 High speed, trash & die... Death Metal!!! Guitar oriented, with clean and death vocals. I had to play this repeatedly, for some times.

4. War - 3:28 Mid-tempo with hunting vocal... One of the tracks that did hit me straight away. Constantly changes in composition makes it a little progressive as well.

5. Black Heart Purification - 8:52 Here you can find links to Gothic and Black styles. There are very good contrast's in both lyrics and music. Vocals are grim as hell, followed up by a clean “hunting” "backup-vocal". A well played interlude builds up to the climax, of a ending, on the track. My personal favourite.

6. Transplanted Images - 5:13 Clean vocals opens this song. Not much to say.. In the end you get somekind of a “soft vs raw” vocal. This can be a little boring in the long run though..

7. Licking the Wounds - 6:43 Straight on it, Pure Death..... But again, contrast's in music is a phenomena within metal music. I think you can draw paralells to Graveworm/ and other melodic metal-bands.

8. Noi, Tu, Loss - 8:57 Melancholic opening here... Burst into fast and powerfull death/black- metal. Under this layer you find great symphonic elements and the well known clean vocals.
Total Running Time – 48:03 + The band is coordinated, and both music and lyrics are well performed. - The vocals could have been more visible in some of the songs. Some minor details on the production. (Sound and mix) I have only one thing to say about this album.. Buy it.

5.8/6

Lineup
Efthimis V. - vocals Fokion S. - guitars George A. - guitars Miltos D. - bass Dimitris K.- drums Akis P. - keyboards and piano
Check them out:[myspace/etherealblueband]

Alice Cooper - "From the Inside"

Alice Cooper - From The Inside

I remember buying this CD, I had just recently started to listen to Alice Cooper, and at that time my favourite Cooper was Trash and Constrictor. And this wasn't what I expected when I put it in my CD-player. This wasn't the heavy metal I expected, and it actually took years before I realised it's greatness. These days I think From The Inside kicks both Trash and Constrictor's asses. Here Alice Cooper seems to have been inspired a bit by progressive rock in the area Rush operates, but without making a progressive album. This is rock, but not a very hard and aggressive form of rock. You can almost call it old mans-rock, but whatever you wanna call it, it works! Hell, the use of the piano has simularities with the way Elton John use the piano, and even that works! Songs like "Jackknife Johnny", "Inmates (We're All Crazy)" and "Wish I Was Born In Beverly Hills" are all great pieces of music. So if you are musically openminded, check it out. You may even like it. And just for the record, I don't secretly admire Elton John, I don't like his music and I certainly don't like his glasses! Points:

5/6.

[R. Naaden]

Kamelot - "Epica"

"Epica" came out in 2002 on Noise Records.
Epica is loosely based on Faust by J. W. Von Goethe and Ariel's inner journey, you can read more about that at Kamelot's homepage.

Here Kamelot plays a melodic power metal with some progressive influences. The songs are well "built" up, and Roy Khan shows what a great vocalist he is. It kicks off with a prologue, that glids elegantly into "Center Of The Universe" who drags you in from the start. It goes on with strong contribiutions as "Wander", "Descent Of The Archangel" and "The Morning After (Carry On)".
All in all a very strong album from Kamelot
.

Points: 5,5/6.

Line-up: Roy Khan - Vocals Thomas Youngblood - Guitars, B. Vocals Glenn Barry - Bass Casey Grillo - Drums

[R. Naaden]