Category: Issue #2

Entrevista con Jackal’s Truth

Metallykon

Geia, George!!! Ti kaneis? kala? Edo Andreas apo webzine Metalzin. Bueno, mejor en Español… Los Jackal’s Truth son los responsables de una de las mejores demos de 1997 en Europa de Black Metal. “Dominus Silvae” es una auténtica maravilla que sin duda llevará a este grupo al reconocimiento underground. Si quieres saber más sobre la demo, chequea esta recensión.

Cuál es el significado del nombre “Jackal’s Truth”? 
El nombre está inspirado en las letras de Slayer de la canción “Anti-Christ”. Si alguien leyera toda la letra de esta canción probablemente no enterndería lo que queremos decir con este nombre. Para nosotros Jackal’s Truth tiene que ver con la naturaleza, la cosa más pura jamás creada.

En vuestros promo-flyers describis vuestra música como “profundo y emocional black metal ritualistico”. Qué queréis decir con ello? 
Creemos que esta descripción es la más adecuada para nuestra música…

Aún estoy fascinado por vuestra demo. Por lo que sé, vuestra demo ha sido un completo éxito. 
Sí, la repuesta de la gente ha sido increíble, nunca creímos que fueramos a alcanzar unos standards tan altos (Y por qué no? Vuestra música es genial! -ed!)

Cuantas cintas habéis vendido hasta ahora? 
Hasta ahora (10 de Enero 1998) hemos vendido más de 900 copias!

Cómo puede un fan conseguir vuestra demo? Cuál es el precio? 
Puede contactar con nosotros en: Kostas Thelouras, 6 Pierion, 41 222 LARISSA – Hellas (Grécia) y no olvidad adjuntar 1000 drakmas o 5 dólares.

Vuestra demo se presenta en un lujoso package y diseño. El artwork parece ser muy importante para vosotros… 
Por supuesto, porque la primera impresión es muy importante. esto atraerá futuros fans. Absolutamente la cosa más importante es la música pero todo tiene su importancia!

Sobre vuestra demo, el único punto negativo es ver que es demasiado corta. Por qué no habéis incluido más canciones? No puede ser debido a falta de tiempo en es estudio porque pasastéis 30 horas en él! 
Básicamente habíamos compuesto 5 canciones pero no…

Hablando de canciones, cuántas nuevas canciones habéis compuesto ya? En qué dirección van? 
Hemos compuesto 3 nuevas canciones (2 de ellas ya las hemos grabado) que son más técnicas pero a la vez más extremas!

Cómo es vuestro método de componer? Quién escribe las letras y quién la música? 
Toda la música la componemos entre todos y las letras las escribo yo.

A veces vuestra música me recuerda a los Rotting Christ. Estás de acuerdo? Cuales son vuestros sentimientos respecto a los padrinos de la escena Black Metal griega? Abristéis para ellos en Heraklion, Creta… 
Rotting Christ son la mejor y más antigua banda de black metal en Grécia y una de las mejores del mundo. Así que no es extraño que tengamos influencias de ellos. El concierto en Creta fué increíble. El publico fué sensacional y fué una experiencia muy especial para nosotros el tocar con los Rotting Christ.

Ya que hablamos de influencias, me parecéis también influenciados por los Iron Maiden. Qué piensas? 
Maiden es una de las mejores bandas de Metal y también una de las creadoras de la escena Heavy Metal. Miles de grupos han sido influenciados por los Maiden, y uno de ellos son Jackal’s Truth. Up the Irons!

Incluis una parte hablada en Griego, algunos motifs del artwork están inspirados por la antigua Grecia. Cómo sentis esa gloriosa época y como influencia vuestra banda? 
Ayth varieme! (Bueno, creo que tendréis que aprender Griego para saber lo que ha dicho)

Bien, eso es todo. Evxaphstw George!!!

Bliss – “Sin To Skin”

Metallykon

Massacre Records 

Inglaterra tiene una larga y fuerte tradición concreniendo a la música gótica y de su fértil suelo aparecen cada día bandas nuevas pero, como Bliss se encargan de demostrar, la cantidad no va pareja a la calidad. Formados en 1996, después de dos demos consiguieron un contrato con Swan Lake / Massacre para su primer CD. “Sin To Skin” es otra dosis de aburrido goth inglés. La banda lo llama “Depeche Mode heavy” y son de verdad sinceros ya que su música es tan pesada y aburrida como un infierno! Y sobre lo de ‘Depeche Mode’, los DM son una de las peores bandas que jamás han pisado la tierra, así que no es de extrñar que Bliss sólo condigan un 3 sobre 10. La banda pretendidamente está influenciada por los dioses Sisters of Mercy y los Celtic Frost, pero ni tienen la agilidad de los primeros ni el talento de los segundos; en su lugar tienen una falta absoluta de instinto compositor. Ni siquiera la masterización de Alex Krull de los Atrocity aporta nada a este CD.

Bliss no son para nada una bienaventuranza para la escena musical europea, así que no hay problema si se quedan en su isla y no vienen al continente en ningún momento; no merecemos que nos aburran unos típicos, angostos, aburridos y pesados británicos.

Si eres un fanático de bandas como Depeche Mode o The Mission (lo que significaría que no tienes ningún sentido musical), probablemente te guste este CD, pero si ese no es tu caso mejor olvidas este álbum y te gastas las 2500 pelas que te costaría en prive; la elección es mucho mejor, créeme.

Children of Bodom “Something Wild”

Metallykon

Century Media 

Espoo is a finnish town known because its lake Bodom was the scenario of brutal serial killings during the 70s. But now Espoo will also be known because its lake brings now name to a band with a highly promising future: Children of Bodom.

Children of Bodom is what we would obtain if famous speed metal Stratovarius played a Black/Death style similar to Dark Tranquillity’s. Technically perfect and musically talented, Children of Bodom offers a fine mixture of classical Heavy Metal influences (over all, on the guitarwork, deeply touched by the golden fingers of Yngwie Malmsteen) with the extremity of modern Metal bands though they do not forget to add some different atmospheres (whether be they by adding organs or mediaeval keyboards) to bring colour to the album.

Killer song “Deadnight Warrior” (inluded in the 1997 Spinefarm compilation “Metallito”) opens an album that for 36 minutes (7 + 1 hidden “secret”) shows us that the classic ’80s Heavy Metal runs through their veins (Check their song “The Nail” as evidence: pure Motörhead!!!). Out in February.

 

Ouija “Riding Into The Funeral Paths”

Metallykon

Repulse Records

6/10

Probably you’ve never heard of this brand new band, but it’s a new outfit worth listening to. Being born out of the ashes of Levial, after a promo they recorded in 1997 to be released as a mini CD through a small label that finally never edited it, they signed to well-working Spanish label Repulse Records for the release of this full-length album “Riding Into The Funeral Paths”.

Since its first song, the outbreaking “When The Sun Shall Die” till the bizarre finishing “Holocaust In Heaven”, Ouija drags us through their world of darkness, forests creatures, occult rites and fantasy by their Swedish-styled Black Metal. Their sound is quite similar to Dissection’s; guitars go agile yet not very fast, vocals are blacky and melodyc and though drums sound a bit soft (too soft in my ears), the feeling and atmosphere they create is quite dark and cold, in the typical nordic way. Spoken parts performed behind the guitar-based melodies, military drums rhythms and some other rrangements help to be drown in their world of hate towards the light.

I cannot end this review not speaking about this album’s real jewel, “Unbridled Transylvanian Passion”, a real killer song that would perfectly be able to appear in “Storm of the ligth’s bane”. Other remarkable songs are “Before A Possible Relapse” and “Crossing The Seventh Gate”. Defintely an unexpectedly good surprise.

Vader “Black To The Blind”

Metallykon

Napalm Records

Rating 7/10

Polish well-known band Vader attack again with another dose of what they do best: pure Death Metal. “Black To The Blind” (title taken out from Alistair Crowley’s book “Book Of The Law”) means no novelty for the eastern deathmetallers. It is not worse nor better, it is more or less the same they have always offered the market, as brutal as ever. Here you’ll find a war machine that suffocates you since the beginning with “Heading For Internal Darkness” till the end with “Black To The Blind”. Guitars fly under a hammering drumming. An outrageous sonic massacre that, though lasts less than 30′, leaves you totally devastated. If the nazi army Wehrmacht was to sound like something, that would be called Vader. Peter (v/g), Mauser (g), Shambo (b) and Doc (d/samples) assures us that the eastern deadly blood still burns. As Unleashed says, hail to Poland!

Dismal Euphony – “Autumn Leaves”

Metallykon

Napalm Records

Rating= 7/10

Never before a band’s name meant so much. “Dismal Euphony” announces a quality CD of sad sounds, and that’s exactly what we find on “Autumn Leaves”. Though they are Norwegian, do not expect a dose of cold Black Metal but a brilliant mixture of avantgarde, gothic, doom, metal and classical music styles. The songs are not easy to describe as they are so rich in instrumental differencies (guitars, organs, pianos, keyboards, acoustic guitars…) and changes of style (even industrial as in the beginning of “Splendid Horror” and on the last track) that labelling their music would be as hard as trying to capture a twisting snake. On the lyrics we find main singer Ole’s voice combining with Elin’s female vox. All very talentfully, as they definetely are not cacophonous but really euphonous!!! As an anechdotic point there is the last song, which is supposed to last 4:40 but, when this time is gone, after 3 minutes of complete silence, an acoustic guitar firstly and a piano secondly appear to give finally way to a distortion that makes the song last over a quarter of an hour. Bizarre, huh? Just like “Autumn Leaves” itself…

Rotting Christ – “A Dead Poem”

Metallykon

Century Media

Rating: 7/10

Greek legendary band Rotting Christ have released another CD that means another step forward on the band’s path towards maturity. On the same vein of its predecessor “Triarchy of The lost Lovers”, “A Dead Poem” is a perfect combination of snaking riffs, writhing melodies and hardness with a (still, yes!) Black Metal spirit. Sound is clear, very polished yet powerful and the CD has many arrangements that enriches RC’s music: industrial-like passages, keyboards, acoustic guitars… something really new for a band like RC. Anyway, those who love the classical RC’s guitar riffing sound don’t be afraid coz it still stays in the limelight due to their inspired melodies, something that is most noticed on instrumental “Ten Miles High”. In fact guitar is the most outstanding instrument throughtout the album, both in the riffing and solo-ing.

The album has real jewels such as “As if By Magic”, “Ira Incestus”, “A Dead Poem”, “Among Two Storms” (with guest vocals by Fernando of Moonspell), “Full Colour is The Night”…

Lyrically RC has definetely left behind the BM topics they were used to on their first works and continue the path begun with “Triarchy…”, being all written by both Sakis and Jim (the latter, due to personal reasons has left the band).

RC demonstrates how a BM band can develop itself keeping loyal to its roots. “ADP” is a 100% Rotting Christ’s CD that with no doubt will attract more fans to this dinosauric European BM band.

The artwork is also excellent, and note that with the CD comes enclosed a free Century Media compilation CD with bands like Sentenced, Borknagar, Sacramentum, Alastis, Old Man’s Child, Samael, Tiamat, Sundown, Ulver, etc… A real must for anyone involved in extreme Metal.

Cradle of Filth – “Dusk… and her embrace”

Metallykon

Music For Nations

Rating: 9/10

Their first work “The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh” made them become one of the very few really important Black Metal bands. It was an absolute success that was followed by another pure piece of art, “Vempire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein”. Now the britons release their long-awaited “Dusk… and her embrace”, that with no doubt will also become one of the most sold albums in the BM genre, if not the most. This album starts with a classical music track titled “Humana Inspired To Nightmare”. There are two more songs like this one throughtout the album among the proper Black Metal songs. These are very inspired and it is obvious that the guys have worked a lot on them as the result is perfect. Too perfect, I’d dare to say: “DAHE” is too perfect, too polished to be real Black Metal. This is no way a complaint, it’s just that sometimes I miss a bit of brutality, madness, violence, the sort of feelings one expects to find in a Black Metal album.

About the songs concretely, “Funeral in Carpathia” begins with an IronMaidenoid riff, “A Gothic Romance” is as depressing as the lyrics, “Beauty Slept In Sodom” is pure Cradle of Filth and “Haunted Shores”, my favourite one, is to me the most killer song and right-to-the-bone song in “DAHE”.

All songs have different passages with Dani’s screamings and growlings, instrumental parts, classical-like passages and of course those godly speecjes that CoF have always done so well.

About lyrics… What can I say? We all know Dani’s writing style: megaloid novelettes with an old-styled English on complicated, even sometimes senseless (except for Dani himself, of course!) topics, Synthesizing, Cradle of Filth have composed a perfect opera. Too perfect, for me…

Marduk – “Heaven Shall Burn… When We Are Gathered”

Metallykon

Rating: 5

Swedish blackmetallers Marduk have always been Marduk. It might sound obvious, but what I mean is that this band has always played the same, sounded the same, looked the same. Some may applause this attitude, some may criticize. I won’t do any of the two, but speak on this album. “HSBWWAG” is another ration for the Mardukmaniacs. Those who love Marduk will love this CD while those who hate them will also hate this CD. It could be titled “Dark Endless” or “Those Of The Unlight” or “Opus Nocturne”; it doesn’t matter as it is the same Marduk have always offered. Maybe this LP is even more simple and massacring than the previous, but this is the only differnce I can notice. Marduk have always included a slow song among this destructive tunes, and so do they in “HSBWWAG”. This time it is called “Dracula Va Domni Din Nou In Transilvania”. The fast songs have titles like “Infernal Eternal”, “Darkness it shall be”, “The Black Tormentor of Satan”, “Legion”, etc… so you may guess that the lyrics have also remained the same: Topics on Satan, Hell, Darkness…

There ain’t much to add. If you still want more Marduk, this is your CD. If you’d like to try something different, then forget this album.

Moonspell – “Irreligious”

Metallykon

Century Media 

Rating: 6/10

Portugal’s most famous band Moonspell have become extremely popular in many European countries, but in Germany they’re considered real gods. And they surely deserve it. “Under The Moonspell” was a great first step that putted them on the starting grill, and “Wolfheart” confirmed them as one of the most original outfits in Doom / Gothic Metal. “Wolfheart” was a masterpiece and therefore overpassing it was nearly impossible. So it would be stupid trying to superate “Wolfheart”, and pretty cleverly Moonspell have tried something a bit different.

The wolves have released by Century Media “Irreligious”, a work that honestly is not as good as “Wolfheart” was, but is a brilliant LP. There aren’t any folky songs like “Trebaruna” or “Ataegina” nor the arabic influences that appeared on “Under…”, but Irreligious has great songs that will become classics like “Opium” or “Fullmoon Madness”. Fernando’s vocals keep being quite similar to Type O’Negative’s Peter Steele and the team keeps playing as a swiss watch and sound is really clear and clean. “Irreligious” is a worth buying album, but don’t expect another “Wolfheart”.