Avulsed es la banda de Dave Rotten y, depués de haver sacado algunas cosillas como 7”s, Eps y MCDs ahora sacan por fin su primer álbum de larga duración a través de la própia discográfica de Dave Repulse Records.

Su música es bastante brutal y sofocante, no extremadamente rápida pero ágil y fresca. Algunas partes rápidas se intercambian con partes más lentas y pesadas con lo que las canciones no se hacen aburridas y con unos breaks entre sus buenos riffs bastante bien ejecutados. Algunos solos -a cargo del lead Cabra- nos demuestran el buen hacer de este chico con los dedos sobre las 6 cuerdas.

Uno de los aspectos más interesantes del álbum es la letra de las canciones. Mientras que en muchos grupos Death son bastante cutres y con un significado inexistente (sólo son el ensamblaje de palabras “mortuorias” que no son más que un montón de mierda), las de los madrileños son verdaderas historias, jodidamente enfermas (no puedes esperar nada más de una mente tan desviada, no?) y, por eso, jodidamente divertidas. Los Avulsed son una fiesta; no traen ningún mensaje ni politico ni religioso ni social, son solo puro entretenimiento y, en lo que a se refiere a la música, una verdadera eminencia en la brutalencia!!!

Avulsed is Dave Rotten’s band, which, after having released several 7”, Eps and MCD, now release their first full-length CD through Dave’s own label Repulse Records.

Music is quite brutal and suffocating, not extremely fast but agile and fresh. Some fast parts give way to slower, heavier ones not to bore and well-executed at their breaks. Some solos in charge of lead guitarrist Cabra (“Goat”) show his skills with the fingers on the 6 strings.

One of the most appealing aspects of “Eminence In Putrescence” is the songs’ lyrics. Despite many Death Metal bands’ lyrics are definetely crap and meaningless, Avulsed’s are real stories that are worth by themselves. Stories are quite sick (you can’t expect anything else from such a deviated mind) yet funny. I’m not sure whether he takes his lyrics seriously, but if he did and published his stories he would surely win the Nobel!!! They bring no message, neither political nor social no religious; lyirically Avulsed are pure entertainment, and, as for the music, a real eminence in brutalence!!!

Algunos podrían pensar en Suécia como un lugar del que no puede proceder ningún tipo de odio o aversión considerando que se supone que es un “paraíso en la tierra”, pero varias bandas que vienen del citado país nos han demostrado ya que esto dista de ser cierto. Después de los Misery Loves Co. y de los Meshuggah, ahora los Captor se nos muestran para exhorcizar (se escribe así?) el dolor y la rabia que yace en las almas de estos chicos.

“Dogface” es una provisión sin tregua de segadores riffs, melodías pesadas como el infierno y palabras de odio arrancadas de las sangrantes cavidades de la garganta del cantante Magnus Fasth (convenientemente vestido de Adidas, por supuesto!!!). El sonido, a pesar de ser ultra-crudo, es tan limpio que hace que los riffs de Fredrik y del nuevo hacha Jonnie (que substituye al despedido Niklas Kullström) sean aún más dolorosos!

Las influencias de bandas como Korn, los Sepultura de “Roots”, los Ten Minute Silence o los Coal Chamber son obvias, pero esto es más que una crítica un cumplido pues los Captor son una banda bastante prometedora en el espectro de la música que ellos tocan. En resumen, una buena patada en las pelotas del paraíso sueco.

Some may think of Sweden as a place from which no anger or loathing can come from considering it is supposed to be kind of a “paradise on earth”, but several bands which hail from that country shows us this ain’t true. After Misery Loves Co. and Meshuggah, now Captor come to exhorcize the pain and the rage that lay in these guys’ souls.

“Dogface” is a non-stop delivering of harvesting riffs, heavy as fuck melodies and words of hate uprooted from the rightly-dressed-with-Adidas-gear screamer Magnus Fasth’s throat. The sound, though being ultra-raw, is clean so as to make Fredrik and new axeman (replacing farewelled Niklas Kullström) Jonnie’s guitar riffs hurt even more!

The influences of bands such as Korn, late Sepultura, Ten Seconds Silence or Coal Chamber are obvious, but this is rather a compliment for the band than a critic, for that makes me think of Captor as a high-promising band in the spectre of the music they play. Globally, a good kick in the balls of the Swedish paradise.

Ktok Records

Rating: 7/10

This is the first release that comes to my hands from this (to me) unknown Finnish label. From the finish-ing finnish (I am a funny guy, yes? :)) lands hail these two guys along with a few session musicians to scream out the hatred they inbreed within. Yes, their desperate vocals and passionate riffs give their music a dark and suicidal atmosphere that makes your bones tremble. There are some calmer parts however, as the clear vocals in “Pandemonium” and “Embraced” or the Iron-Maiden-esque chorus of “Whispers”, a classic Heavy Metal influence that also flourishes in “Archways”. The intensity of the recording is undeniable, yet some parts make it more tasty such as the keyboards of “Equinox Nocturne” or the violins and war soundtrack that appears in “Lacrimae Mundi”. All in all, a good load of half-Swedish styled half-Maiden-esque aggressive metal from the master of eves.

Nuclear Blast

Rating: 7/10

Norwegian second-line black metal band Gorgoroth’s name is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien’s celebre book “Lord Of The Rings” and the dungeons in which evil breeds, and the name really fits with the band’s music because their music is definetely the spawn of the horned (and not less horny) one! Really a pure sonic holocaust.

“Destoyer” is a 8-tracks CD with the typical -and kep in purpose- dirty and unpolished Norwegian sound, over all on songs such as “Slottet i det Fjerne” and “Bloodoffer” (it sounds quite similar to Ulver, more or less) that leaves no chance to any break or tranquil passage, instead is aggressive as hell throughout the album, both in the faster songs (“Destroyer”, “Open The Gates…”) and the slower-tempored songs (“Om Kristen Oj Jödisk Tru” – do I have to translate the title?- which has a II WW’s drumming and “The Virginborn”).

The band’s fourth work is quite lineal yet some details (the chants on “Pa Slagmark Langt Mot Nord”, for instance) make it more tasty. The only failing point is production, quite poor (yes, I know Gorgoroth are not Arcturus and want it to be this way, but…!) that could be improved much more. In three words: Wehrmacht made music.

Goldtrack Records

Rating: 8/10

Heavy Metal is definetely not my fave musical genre, but as I got this promo CD in my hands I decided to check it out and see. And what do I find here? Well, an excellent German-styled piece of classical HM, in the vein of Helloween or Gamma Ray, you know, melodyc guitar lines, rocky riffs and a good dose of speed :). As for the lyrics, the promo does not provide them so I can’t tell you, but the singer could be the re-incarnation of Michael Kiske, with an extremely sharp voice and a very talented performance in his singing. His vox are so Kiske-esque that sometimes you think it is not a guy who sings but a fucking woman!

The CD contains 7 songs and lasts 42 minutes; the songs being quite epic, as the drumwork on “Victims Of The Holocaust”, with some calmer parts as in “The Promised Song”, and finally the CD closes with an epilogue which is nothing but a terryfying piano opus. In short, a stunning debut for this unknown (at least for me) Spanish band you all guys into German HM should listen to. Great work, guys, yet I have to mention a single handicap: the cover and the band’s logo, which are mega crap and can be ok for a demotape but ruins the band’s image! (and that is real pity, because the band is really excellent!)

Gun / BMG

Rating: 6/10

Neither Heavy Metal nor Christianity appeal to me, so when I got this heavy metal band’s CD that lyrically dealt with the legend of the crusaders and the Christian fight to “alliberate” the s-called Holy Land, I wasn’t too happy to listen to the CD. And, after having listened to it carefully, well, there ain’t much to say: Typically German Heavy Metal. Sometimes pretentious, sometimes alright, but the musical approach is quite basic, and Chris Boltendahl’s singing is also quite childisch, lyrics are extremely poor (just compare them to those of Cradle Of Filth) and simple, in the vein of Manowar so to speak: swords, crosses, knights, battles and so forth: nothing new indeed. I suppose that was the reason why Manowar became so succesful: their message was so simple that everybody could understand it and therefore join the “cult”. I guess this is the way Heavy Metal fans like HM to be and theerfore i don’t expeect it to change… …unfortunately. The only remarkable things are the speed of “Lionheart”, the acoustic guitars of “The Keeper Of The Holy Grail” and the bagpipes on “The Battle Of Bannockburn”

Goldtrack Records

Rating: 8/10

Hmm… Lithuania? Where the fuck is Lithuania? I have just checked my Europe’s map and still haven’t found it on the map! (Joke) Anyway, what counts here is the music, and I have to say it’s really good! They show many Paradise Lost influences, which mainly flourish on the guitarwork and the singer’s way of atoning the lyrics. Most of the songs’s tempo is quite slow, with gothic-rocky melodies with a metal touch, yet in another ones, as in “Never”, the acoustic guitars achieve importance over all and the speed is diminished till becoming kind of a ballad.

Anyway, I respect very much the nations which struggle for its independence aand sovereignity, so I congratulate Lithuania for having freed herself from two of the biggest pestilences at the same time: Communism and Occupation. Freedom is a European valour and all European nations shoud enjoy it thereafter! These lines of course have nothing to do with my CD reviews’ section, but I wanted to express my feelings on the history of my beloved Europa… …and as this is MY VERY OWN e-zine I write what I WANT! I won’t restrict myself at my own e-zine, would I?