Black Metal, Death Metal, Grindcore, Thrash and Heavy Metal Reviews from the net's original Heavy Metal site

Howdy,

Another week of brutal death metal balancing intricate and misanthropic
black metal.  Some of this stuff will mark stages in the evolution of these
genres, as some serious innovation is going down.  Check out WICKED
INNOCENCE at all costs, and don't forget classics like DIMMU BORGIR or
IMMOLATION.  As black metal advances, death metal moves toward the technical
and structural highlights indicated but not reached by most of its earlier
career.

1. Enthroned "Prophecies of Pagan Fire" (Osmose)
2. Dimmu Borgir "Stormblast" (Cacophonous)
3. Enslaved/Satyricon "Yggdrasil" (Moonfog)
4. Hades "Alone Walkyng" (Wounded Love)
5. Deeds of Flesh "Gradually Melted" (Wild Rags)
6. Necromantia "Scarlet Evil Witching Black" (Osmose)
7. Immolation "Here in After" (Metal Blade)
8. Rise "Shadow of Ruins" (Nigma)
9. Wicked Innocence "Omnipotence" (Napalm Records)
10. Ancient "The Cainian Chronicles" (Metal Blade)
11. Kvist "For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike" (Avantgarde)
12. Rotting Christ "Triarchy of the Lost Lovers" (Century Media)
13. Kataklysm "Sorcery" (Nuclear Blast)
14. Satyricon "Nemesis Divina" (Moonfog)
15. Candiria "Surrealistic Madness" (Too Damn Hype)

These are powerful releases showing some of the diversity of metal.
ENTHRONED from the Netherlands join us with "Prophecies of Pagan Fire," a
high-speed melodic riposte with the forces of light in defeat, and the
re-release of Enslaved's demos finds articulation in "Yggdrasil," what might
be their most representative recording to date.  As usual, local band RISE
hold space on our chart with their consistent, thorough, and authentic
deadicated death metal fanaticism "Shadow of Ruins," which so far is the
best oldstyle death metal album of this year in my humble book!  WICKED
INNOCENCE thrill with technical power and intense percussion, while
NECROMANTIA and CANDIRIA bring progressive elements to the forefront with
intricate, technical, and beautifully goofball compositions!

The metal matters!  Thanks to all who have ever read this or heard the show!
We love you!

Spinoza Ray Prozak