Dimmu Borgir – ABRAHADABRA

The Norwegian lords of Black Metal, Dimmu Borgir, have done it again! They have raised the bar once more with their 9^th studio album entitled “Abrahadabra”. They gathered an astonishing 101 musicians together to record this new CD, including the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the Schola Cantorum choir, Agnete Kjølsrud (ex-Animal Alpha, Djerv), Garm, Gerlioz, Andy Sneap and Ricky Black. The entire creation of this magical working synthesized over the course of 11 months, and the result of this monumental undertaking is an incredibly dynamic collection of tracks that’s comparable to a horror movie score.

If this new record were a score to a haunting film, then the first track “Xibir” would definitely be the opening credits. “Xibir” is an instrumental symphonic piece that begins with the choir and strings sections building up their presence with repetitive phrases that gradually swell in length and volume. Then the percussive kettledrums kick in and pave the way for some vibrant staccato violin phrases, and the introduction of the brass section. The muted trumpets and heavy baritone saxophones give the piece an “Omen-like” feel at this point. The steady rhythmic downbeat is continually embellished with secondary phrases from the strings and brass, while the legato choir emotionally charges the music to a fever pitch. Suddenly the piece moves into a dreamlike waltz that lifts one up into a euphoric state, but then the dance stops and you’re left in an eerie state of unrest, as the strings grind their bows and the choir whispers inaudible words in their final crescendo of the piece.

"Xibir" leaked track on YouTube 

Next is “Born Treacherous”, the sinister evolution of the “Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse” symphonic sound Dimmu Borgir has become infamous for. The furious guitar riffing of Silenoz and Galder is accented with arpeggiated phrasings of Norwegian Radio Orchestra and choral arrangements of the Schola Cantorum. Even with such incredibly complicated arrangements, the brutality is not overlooked as session drummer Daray has plenty of double-bass cut-time beats and blast-beats, while the loathsome lyrics of front-man Shagrath are intensified with the full choir chanting along his wicked words in unison: “Born Treacherous!”

Third is “Gateways”, an aesthetic continuation of “Born Treacherous”, but this track adds even more elements to the already complex music. We are introduced to keyboard sounds of Gerlioz, and the licentious lips of Agnete Kjølsrud. Agnete’s vocal style is harsh yet melodic and fits well with Dimmu Borgir’s aggressive nature. The video for “Gateways” can be seen on Dimmu Borgir’s official YouTube page, or by clicking on the image below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KzzbYp7NtY

The rest of songs continue the full symphonic metal sound of the first two songs, but the tempo of the songs begins to gradually decrease toward the end, especially the oddly placed cover songs, and this is where the CD starts to loose it’s hold over me. It is for this sole reason Dimmu Borgir doesn’t receive a full 4 skulls for Abrahadabra, but instead I give them 3 ½ skulls. The entire CD as a whole is very good, I just feel that it lacks the aggressiveness in the later half of the CD that is demonstrated in the first few tracks. But, I will still recommend this CD to fans of Dimmu and those looking for new symphonic metal to listen to.

Rating: 3 ½ skulls

Track listing:

1 – Xibir (instrumental)

2 - Born Treacherous

3 - Gateways

4 - Chess With The Abyss

5 - Dimmu Borgir

6 - Ritualist

7 - The Demiurge Molecule

8 - A Jewel Traced Through Coal

9 - Renewal

10 - Endings And Continuations

11 - Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple Cover)*

12 - D.M.D.R: Dead Mean Don't Rape (GGFH Cover)*

* Bonus tracks on the exclusive Hot Topic edition

 Source:
http://www.dimmu-borgir.com/

Facebreaker – INFECTED

As the name suggests, Facebreaker is a brutal, bone crushing death metal band in the vein of Cannibal Corpse, or Decapitated. The 5 piece militia consisting of Roberth Karlsson on Vocals, Janne Ivarsson on Guitar, Jonas Magnusson on Bass & Backing Vocals, Mika Lagreen on Lead Guitar, and Mikael Wassholm on Drums, have just unleashed their latest audial assault entitled “Infected”, a no-nonsense, in-your-face attack of blood-curdling vocals, aggressive drumming, and great guitar-work that combines vintage melodic style with a modern harsh edge.

Running at 37+ minutes, the songs are typically high adrenaline from start to finish. With titles like “Creeping Flesh”, “Torn to Shreds” and “Bloodthirst”, the vile imagery chronicled by vocalist Roberth adds the essential blood-spattered element to this infectious release. The CD is 11 tracks long, and the brutality never lets up, from the first track to the last. There are no ambient tracks or acoustic intros to break the mood of this vicious CD, just plenty of badass solos and sick riffing. “Infected” is sure to become a favorite of fans of the old school death metal sound and to those seeking something new to grind bones to.

Rating: 3 Skulls

Track listing:

1. Creeping Flesh

2. Cannibalistic

3. Torn to Shreds

4. Epidemic

5. Bloodshed

6. Mankind Under Siege

7. Waiting for the Pain

8. Into the Pit

9. Bloodthirst

10. Reanimating the Dead

11. Infected

Running time: 37:13

Sources:
http://www.myspace.com/facebreaker_mail

http://www.metalblade.com/facebreaker

Gwar – BLOODY PIT OF HORROR

The Scumdog soldiers, Gwar, have outlined their latest plans to zombify the planet’s populace into a submissive army of slaves in their latest musical machination, Bloody Pit of Horror (in stores November 9th). These Antarctican anarchists have been laying waste to the human race for 26 years, and this, their 12^th full length album, will most certainly crush humanity further into a bloody, meaty pulp. The Bloody Pit of Horror lays waste to all!

The new release kicks off with their new slave anthem “Zombies, March!” a catchy thrashing tune with heavy down picking and kick ass cut time riffs. Vocalist Oderus Urungus unsurprisingly proclaims himself as the supreme leader of the zombies, as he calls to his undead minions to “March!!!” to sound of Gwar’s music. There are quite a few sections where guitarist Flattus Maximus shows off his flying fingers and lays down some impressive lead guitar work. “Zombies, March!” is the first video from this record, and can be seen on Gwar’s official YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/gwar).

The carnage continues with “Come the Carnivor”, a doom laden composition that sounds like the shuffling of undead as they make their way from the grave. “A Gathering of Ghouls” & “Storm is Coming” follow with its upbeat thrash drumming, and double picking guitar riffs that stop and go with deadly precision. And the loathsome lyrics paint some pretty gruesome pictures of zombie hordes devouring all, adding just the right imagery to this maniacal music.

“Tick-Tits” is up next, and I can honestly say that musically this is my favorite track from this new release. The level of musicianship is pushed up a notch as the main riff illustrates a superior level of guitar playing, while the steady double bass drumming compliments the riffing perfectly. There are some pretty sweet Wah-solos on this track, as well, which just add the right flavor to the chaos. Lyrically… well, the song is called “Tick-Tits”, so you can pretty much figure out what it’s about. But I will say that The high adrenaline tempo of this songs can be felt in Oderus’ voice, which seem to flow almost non-stop at times.

“Beat You Death” storms out of the gate like a maelstrom of old school thrash, featuring Bassist Beefcake The Mighty spewing the hateful verses on this track. “You are my Meat” is next, a classic chauvinistic, cannibalistic, cut-time crusher that flows directly into “Hail, Genocide!” a song about mass extermination. “KZ Necromancer” keeps the chaos flowing with its thundering drums, speed picking, and wailing guitar solos. Next up is “The Litany of the Slain” which plays like a role call to those who have died, with its heavy cut-time riffing and endless descriptions of fatalities. The mayhem closes with “Sick and Twisted”, an appropriately named track for musically it takes Gwar into a realm of diminished intervals and experimental guitar sounds.

All in all, I will say that “Bloody Pit of Horrors” is Gwar’s best release to date. Yeah, I know some of you may be thinking “He says that every time Gwar releases something new” but Gwar seems to be one of the few bands that actually gets better with each new release. So many bands out there become parodies of them selves and just repeat the same writing style over and over, but not Gwar. After 26 years of playing shows and writing music, these masters of metal have perfected their craft and have attained a longevity that shows no sign of dwindling any time soon. So it is my great pleasure to issue Gwar's "Bloody Pit of Horror" the highest rating possible, the illustrious 4 out of 4 Skulls!

Hail Gwar!

Rating: 4 skulls!

Track Listing:

1. Zombies, March

2. Come the Carnivor

3. A Gathering of Ghouls

4. Storm is Coming

5. Tick-Tits

6. Beat You to Death

7. You are my Meat

8. Hail, Genocide!

9. KZ Necromancer

10. The Litany of the Slain

11. Sick and Twisted

Running Time: 37:02

Source:
http://www.gwar.net
http://www.gwar.tv
http://www.gwarbq.com
http://www.oderus.com
http://www.youtube.com/gwar
http://www.facebook.com/gwar
http://www.myspace.com/gwarofficial

The Red Chord – FED THROUGH THE TEETH MACHINE

Massachusetts’ masters of mayhem, The Red Chord, have just released their latest (and by far their greatest) CD entitled FED THROUGH THE TEETH MACHINE, a ravenous rampage of raw hatred directed at the trendy bands that litter the music scene. This their fourth full length release showcases their uncompromising song writing style which sets them miles above the rest with their highly technical guitar riffs, insane drumming, and ferocious layered vocals. But not everything is played on FED THROUGH THE TEETH MACHINE is at 800 beats per minute, the brutal break-downs and sublime solos add a decorous divergence from the in-your-face intensity felt throughout.

The Red Chord has been together for over 9 years now, and in that time they’ve harnessed their powerful audial-attack into a mind-blowing assault of Death-core domination. From the first note heard to the last scream shouted, FED THROUGH THE TEETH MACHINE is a non-stop barrage of blistering blast beats, heavy-as-all-Hell guitar riffs, and guttural growls. Front-man Guy Kozowyk clues us into the double (and sometimes triple) meanings behind his thought provoking lyrics on FED THROUGH THE TEETH MACHINE: “Could it be about a dude talking about a zipper? And you turn it around and ask, ‘What does it mean to be fed through the teeth machine?’ Does it mean you started out doing a tour for $20 a night, getting chewed up and spit out? Where does it get you? That’s you trying to prove to people you are still attempting to do whatever you want. You are fed through a system, exploited.” 

Well, one thing that The Red Chord certainly is not is one-dimensional. These guys take great pride in not only blowing your mind with their superior musicianship, but with their highly imaginative lyrical content. Do yourself a favor and pick up FED THROUGH THE TEETH MACHINE. You won’t be disappointed!

Rating: 3 ½ Skulls

Track Listing:

1. Demoralizer

2. Hour Of Rats

3. Hymns And Crippled Anthems

4. Embarrassment Legacy

5. Tales Of Martyrs And Disappearing Acts

6. Floating Through The Vein

7. Ingest The Ash

8. One Robot To Another

9. Mouthful Of Precious Stones

10. The Ugliest Truth

11. Face Area Solution

12. Sleepless Nights In The Compound

Source:

http://www.myspace.com/theredchord

http://www.theredchord.com

King Diamond re-releases “THE GRAVEYARD” & “THE SPIDER’S LULLABYE” in time for Halloween!

Metal Blade records has just reissued 2 classic King Diamond albums, THE SPIDER’S LULLYBYE and THE GRAVEYARD, remarkably re-mastered and featuring all new eerie artwork. Each album will include bonus material that fans will be able to obtain digitally. Both THE SPIDER’S LULLABYE and THE GRAVEYARD will include live “bootleg” versions (with video footage) of the following songs: “The Spider's Lullabye” from the album of the same name, and “Trick Or Treat” and “Up From The Grave” from THE GRAVEYARD.

King Diamond himself praises the reissued CDs claiming “Andy LaRocque re-mastered both records and you can really hear more details and sounds that I remember recording but didn’t come through in the original mastering. The records have much more bottom end this time around. There’s even more details and clarity than the original version and you’ll hear things you’ve never heard before in both releases. Andy did a great job re-mastering and improving these albums above and beyond my expectations. The artwork has also been completely redone for SPIDERS and GRAVEYARD and is just amazing. I did not expect them to come out this good and am just completely thrilled with the result.” I agree wholehearted with King D’s sentiments and feel these re-mastered versions surpass the original’s intensity. The vocals sound superb, the guitar solos are crisp and in your face, the bass and drums push through the mix nicely, and the keyboards add an ominous element. So when you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack for your haunting Halloween weekend this year, look no further than these 2 wonderfully wicked masterpieces.

Rating:

THE SPIDER’S LULLABYE: 3 ½ skulls

THE GRAVEYARD: 3 ½ skulls

Sources:
http://www.myspace.com/kingdiamond

http://covenworldwide.org/

http://www.metalblade.com/

The Black Dahlia Murder – DEFLORATE

The Black Dahlia Murder has just released their latest CD entitled DEFLORATE, a brilliantly orchestrated onslaught of demonic vocals, maniacal percussive explosions, complex and creative rhythms, and face-melting guitar solos. DEFLORATE is their fourth full length release, and the follow up to their highly acclaimed NOCTURNAL CD. After headlining the 2008 Summer Slaughter Tour and having their first DVD “MAJESTY” debut at #2 on the Billboard Top Music Video Charts, DEFLORATE will most certainly elevate The Black Dahlia Murder to the highest echelon of the American Death Metal scene.

DEFLORATE kicks off with the infernal composition called “Black Valor”, a full throttle, high adrenaline track that rips through melodic thrash riffing masterfully harmonized by guitarist Brian Eschbach and new comer Ryan Knight, who also adds a new virtuoso element to the music with his superb solos. The blistering blast beats provided by Shannon Lucas and the prodigious bass playing of “Bart” Williams lays down the fiendish foundation for front-man and head blasphemer Trevor Strnad to scream and growl his wonderfully wicked words. Up next is “Necropolis”, a hard pounding, audial assault that also happens to be the band’s first video off of their new release which can be seen HERE. The mayhem pursues with tracks like “Christ Deformed”, and “Eyes Of Thousand” that push the band into new depths of brutality and showcase a more fierce vocal style than every heard before, and “I Will Return” demonstrates some mind blowing harmonies while still remaining impressive heavy.

DEFLORATE runs 10 tracks deep and plays a little over 34 minutes in length. It will certainly whet the appetites of the most ravenous bloodthirsty fans and fiends of extreme metal alike.

Rating: 4 out of 4 Skulls!

TRACK LISTING:

01. Black Valor

02. Necropolis

03. A Selection Unnatural

04. Denounced, Disgraced

05. Christ Deformed

06. Death Panorama

07. Throne Of Lunacy

08. Eyes Of Thousand

09. That Which Erodes The Most Tender

10. I Will Return

Source:

http://www.myspace.com/blackdahliamurder

Landmine Marathon – RUSTED EYES AWAKE

The female fronted grindcore band, Landmine Marathon, has just reissued their 2008 release RUSTED EYES AWAKE. At a time when bands are seeking to be fastest or the most technical, Landmine Marathon heeds the age old motto Keep It Simple, Stupid, and revert back to the roots of this extreme form of music. Sounding often like a combination of Napalm Death, Bolt Thrower, and Terrorizer, Landmine Marathon offers blast beats combined with brutal guitar riffing and screaming vocals that often lead to heavy break down riffs, with double vocals, and harmonized rhythms.

The CD plays in under a little 32 minutes, which is a little short for my tastes, but thankfully none of the 8 tracks are filler tracks. Each and every song kicks ass! Those of you who enjoy this era of metal, are going to love this CD.  I know I did!

Rating: 3 1/2 skulls

Track Listing:

1. Bile Towers

2. Certain Death

3. Bled To Oblivion

4. Xenocide

5. Heroin Swine

6. Skin From Skull

7. Red Days

8. Rusted Eyes Awake

Sources:

http://www.myspace.com/landminemarathon

http://store.prostheticrecords.com/index.php/bands/landmine-marathon/landmine-marathon-rusted-eyes-awake-preorder.html