Music Review: Brutal Misanthropy (2008)

Sharp riffs and a slightly progressive style are what Necroabortion have going for them. Unfortunately, the guitar solos sound out of place and the listening gets tedious after awhile. There’s a reason why bands should keep their albums short, and Argentina’s Necroabortion would do well to let ideas fully develop before turning them into songs. An otherwise decent sounding album, Brutal Misanthropy is not something you might want to check out more than once.

Music Review: Evisceration Plague (2009)

Shame on me for writing about Cannibal Corpse’s latest offering almost a year after its release. The gods of death metal stay true to their style on their eleventh killer batch of songs, Evisceration Plague, groovy enough to make you headbang at any time of the day no matter where you are, and brutal enough to make you feel proud as ever to love death metal. Say anything to devalue what Cannibal Corpse bring to the surgery table and I will call you an idiot; to expect anything but pure death metal of the highest quality from Cannibal Corpse is asking to be disqualified from speaking about death metal. The formula remains unchanged (of course!), and murderous as ever, the band flaunts excellent musicianship and its consistent growth through the years on Evisceration Plague. Those whose heads have already been severed by the world’s best death metal band can sit back and enjoy the gore. Never will you hear acoustic rubbish or clean singing or anything wimpy of the sort, and Cannibal Corpse know exactly how to keep things interesting. May the corpse continue decomposing.

RATING: 4/5

Music Review: Grounded In Space

That all of the many instruments used on Advaita’s debut album are clearly audible throughout is the first thing that is affirmed from a listen. Such a rarity, a far cry from ‘music’ which has instruments (and musicians!) fighting for space. Perhaps, the album title is in some way related to how the musicians in Advaita perceive each other as individuals and a band as a whole, an understanding which has built a strong relationship between their respective instruments.

With eight members, it’d be an exercise getting into names. Another one and they could’ve been a clownish nu metal band. Another three and they could play cricket and get attacked in Pakistan. The guys are between the ages of 21 and 28. Two vocalists, one is a ‘lead vocalist’ and the other is a ‘Hindustani vocalist’. Guitars, keyboards, drums, percussion, sarangi, tabla, bass and electronic soundscapes, along with the singing, create a mesmerising atmosphere.

The ‘lead vocals’ (heh) and the ‘Hindustani vocals’ (double heh) do not put the band in a spot, till the fabulous Gates Of Dawn comes along. This is when the ‘Hindustani vocalist’ pulls a Shankar Mahadevan, which is so not required here, and he is probably not trying to create that effect intentionally. But the way the music is placed and paced behind and around these vocals (and on the entire album) more than makes up for little grievances to which one might choose to not give too much importance.

There is no doubt Advaita is packed with skilled musicians, but the crystal-clear production and experimental nature of the music overshadow any importance one might give to their lyrics, which are good in places (Mere Yaar, for example) and highly confused elsewhere (Gates Of Dawn, a sorry muddle of pity and self-pity).

VERDICT

Grounded in Space is a perfect blend of several unique instruments done in a rather interesting way. It’ll be even more interesting to see if Advaita can top this.

RATING: 4/5

(From my Buzz18 reviews)

Review: Belus

Year: “2010”

Artist: “Burzum”

Album: “Belus”

Genre: “Black Metal”

CREATOR

Black Metal has known no finer exponent than Burzum, no character more intriguing than Count Grishnackh. The composer of fine albums like Aske, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Filosofem and Hliðskjálf among others, Count Grishnackh’s odd behaviour fascinated me as much as his music. Burzum being a one-man project added greatly to his mystique, and all these factors led to Burzum becoming my all-time favourite Black Metal band.

DESTROYER

Sentenced to 21 years in prison for arson and the murder of Øystein Aarseth, Count Grishnackh’s racist ideologies got tremendous exposure thanks to the media which was and is as taken by the man as many of us are. As much as I love architecture, I have to say the thought of churches burning is exciting as hell. As much as I love Mayhem, I have to say Euronymous was replaceable (he was replaced, wasn’t he?) and Varg Vikernes is not. One of them had to die; better Euronymous than Grishnackh.

PRESERVER

Coming to the album at last, Belus is everything you expect and want the new Burzum record to be. Belus is very powerful music, a superb album from Burzum. The old bard picks up from where he left off, his sound and signature firmly in place, his trademark drumming and riffing keeping the pace steady and interesting throughout. Those who share my views on “pure music” will be satiated with what Count Grishnackh has done on Belus, meaning “The White God”. The essence of Burzum’s music is ever-present on Belus, and the purity of his sound intact. The man is feared, the band is here, the vision is clear. Black Metal has a white god – we know him as Varg.

Music Review: Majesty And Decay

By Devdutt Nawalkar

There have been a few sterling Immolation-derived efforts since Shadows In The Light. In many ways, Dead Congregation with their Immolation and Incantation worship outdid what their idols have done over the last few years, at least in terms of brooding darkness and young energy (well, Incantation have been pretty consistent throughout). Ulcerate came out with ‘Everything Is Fire‘ last year, that progressive mindfuck that could yet define a new way forward for extreme metal. The seed of serrated atonality, sown by Voivod all those years ago, taken to heart by Gorguts, and always nurtured by Immolation, has finally borne fruit in eager and capable younger hands.

Immolation, for my opinion’s worth, have been the most consistent band in the genre for twenty years. (As a perfunctory aside, they’ve also been the greatest death metal band in that time) No band, retaining their early sound, rivals their output in terms of songwriting prowess, innovation, and sheer memorability. From the early fuckyouness against the church and its debaucheries to themes of more universal and politically themed frustration, Immolation have always emphasized the angry, rebellious spirit within death metal, never once succumbing to self-parody or the tongue-in-cheekiness other bands are prone too. They’ve always taken their art seriously, never made compromises, and have earned respect and acclaim from all quarters.

Having said all that, the underground has been rife for some time with misgivings about the slight changes in style that have crept in over the last couple of albums. Harnessing Ruin wasn’t given a favourable welcome, with charges of stagnation and courting trends seething below. Of course, to an underground averse to any form of accessibility and melodic content, however well done, even the slightest deviation from established palettes is paramount to betrayal. To these ears though, Harnessing Ruin always seemed like a segue – one a tad uncertain admittedly – that bore reward in the brilliant Shadows In The Light. Shadows found the band perfecting their newer, more streamlined style to a razor’s edge, opening up new avenues for the future.

Majesty And Decay is where the ancient past meets the recent. The album is very cleanly split on either side of an interlude. The first half sees the band giving more polish to the style they’ve introduced over the last few years; militant, grooving, quiet stretches of uneasy atmospherics, and leads more melodic than ever before. Rob Vigna is as twisted and inventive as ever while laying down rhythms but his playing is more conventional than I can recollect from before. In no way is that a bad thing either; a Vigna solo is never a mundane, by-the-books affair, always throwing curveballs and wrong turns at the listener.

‘The Purge’ muscles on with little regard for subtlety, but the brief-as-a-quickie ‘A Token Of Malice’ shows first glimpses of the classic Immolation dissonance , twisting and groaning like some metal monolith about to come crashing down. The title track is a heavy bastard with a main riff as catchy as the Asian flu, grooving and tormenting in equal parts. ‘Divine Code’ is a bit of a comedown; a simple song with no pretence and little memorability. ‘In Human Form’ and ‘A Glorious Epoch’ are mostly mid-paced bruisers with the trademark eerie tension that the band is famous for.

Hailing off the second half is a dark interlude quite reminiscent of the apocalyptic intro to the Dead Congregation debut. ‘A Thunderous Consequence’ is still a bit restrained but has some strange things happening beneath Vigna’s turned up noodlings. Cue ‘The Rapture Of Ghosts’, however, and the band takes us all the way back to the technical maelstroms of the Here In After Days. Zero predictability meshed with the band’s recent, more intensely melodic sensibilities makes The Rapture one of the best songs on the record, and THE style I’d love for the band to take to heart. It also has the long, repetitive outro usually reserved for the band’s epic closers. Of course, ‘The Comfort Of Cowards’ lives up to its storied final song billing – a six minute long excursion into Kingdom Immolation, kicked off with repetitive harmonics for the first minute. Fans of Gorguts’ Obscura will be quick to latch onto a few quick nods to that seminal work. Vigna’s first solo is something I’m sure I’ve heard on Harnessing Ruin, but I’m being too pedantic. Great song, and the way it breaks down at the end to lead into the expected climax makes a classic casestudy for the causes of whiplash among metal fans.

Steve Shalaty is in thunderous form here. He’s been steadily evolving and honing his style to the Immolation sound since Harnessing Ruin. Shadows In The Light was a dramatic step forward, and he’s taken the ball and run with all the way past the goalline here. His drumming, apart from being just a percussive instrument, actually adds texture and melody to these songs. Almost tribal in its groove and ferocity, he is as much the driving force behind these songs as Vigna, and his work is now fully qualified to be ranked alongside Alex Hernandez’s superlative performances on earlier records. Bob Vigna is, of course, one of the greatest death metal guitarists ever. I’d like to know how he comes up with his stuff which, while being so powerfully musical, never stoops to the cheesiness of say a Ralph Santolla (who’s a great player, just for the record). Vigna’s ably assisted by ex-Angelcorpse axe and now long-standing member Bill Taylor. Taylor has always been overshadowed by Vigna and Dolan and just the overwhelming presence that is Immolation. But he can hold his own in any company, and is great in a live situation to boot.

Majesty And Decay can sit very capably among the Immolation pantheon. At this stage in the game, it’s inconceivable that the band will ever release anything subpar. Where do they go from here? Well, ‘The Rapture Of Ghosts’ hints at a way forward. While it’s understandably hard for a veteran band to consistently capture the vibe of their younger days, it would be great if they could tap into that old sound for a bit before breaking back into whatever they’re doing today. Regardless, this album solidifies their standing as the single most important death metal band today.

Rating: 8/10

Music Review: Connections

A R Rahman wrecks superbly crafted music with very average vocals

What can be said about A R Rahman that hasn’t been said before? Here’s something: His vocals don’t cut it. Honestly, it’s upsetting to have a legendary composer push himself as a vocalist when there are great singers around. A minor clarification – ‘great’ does not mean Sukhwinder Singh. Also, it’s obvious Rahman’s trying very hard to put himself out there as a vocalist, since he has ‘handpicked’ songs he has sung on.

Percussion is king on Jiya Se Jiya, a lovable tune dampened by A R Rahman”s voice right from the start. Khalballi is a wonderful example of how some music should be released without vocals. Ever wished you could choke someone by just thinking about it?

Meherbaan from Ada‘s soundtrack is a classy song. The music is perfect, and after a long time Rahman’s voice sounds bearable. Surprisingly, it sounds alright even when he goes higher on this one. Dil Se has kickass music, there’s plenty going on and it all fits right in. For those who long for the Rahman of yore, you’ll find some of him in here. Ek Mohabbat ‘Vote For Taj’ is like the other songs on the compilation… well composed. Almost every track is Rahman attempting to show his mellow side, which is terrible for this collection because there’s very little here that actually ‘connects’. By the time Pray For Me Brother comes on, you’re ready to toss the CD case at someone just to start a fight out of sheer boredom.

The fabulous Bombay Theme overshadows everything else on this compilation. Not only has Rahman done the music a huge favour by not singing, but the composition is also excellent. Bombay Theme is the only song on this collection that is full of soul. The rest is stuff that will be praised to death because it has Rahman’s name on it.

The instrumental version of Pray For Me Brother sounds better than the original, but may very well be played while you’re having free lunch at a wedding. It’s pretty pointless to have a Club Mix of Jiya Se Jiya, and it’s even more stupid to make something like that, but then everyone wants to make money, yes?

My only beef with Rahman is that his singing is dull. He’s bloody good at composing music, and manages to sing with sincerity. But sincerity does not always ensure quality.‘A Journey Through Anthems’, the CD says, but how many of these tracks can actually be called ‘anthems’? Sorry to break it to you, but except for Bombay Theme, there is nothing else on this CD that comes close to being an anthem.

What use is a compilation that doesn’t feature some of the artiste’s best work? Is it an attempt at showcasing his lesser known songs? Or is it an effective money-squeezing exercise, considering fanboys will buy it anyway?

The biggest question here is, how many musicians who sing about peace and hugs actually care? Do musicians and music labels not know everyone cannot be fooled and some people can actually tell when an artiste is cementing his popularity among the public that doesn’t know better? It’s really not that hard to recognise a poseur, y’know?

VERDICT

Maybe the best of Rahman’s work has been kept aside for future compilations. Neat way of ensuring the cash never stops flowing, but too obvious. And way too pretentious. I bet all your Michael Jackson CDs have been dusted, so just continue spinning ’em if you want to listen to songs about peace.

RATING: 2.5/5

(From my Buzz18 reviews)

SEE: Songs I Hate

Music Review: Ghajini

Music Review: M.I.A’s Kala

The second album draws diverse sounds but doesn’t pack a punch

The world always sits up and takes notice of every new rebel that springs up, which should pretty much explain the interest an artist like M.I.A. generates. Revolutionary music has a lot of power, a fact that anyone who has heard Rage Against The Machine will be well aware of. M.I.A. named her debut Arular after her father, a Tamil Tiger rebel. Kala has been named after M.I.A.’s mother. Arular enjoyed a good dose of success, so let’s see how Kala has turned out.

Bamboo Banga employs a barking dog and a part of Ilayaraja’s song Kaattukkuyilu from the film Dalapathi. The sample is the only listenable part of Bamboo Banga, while M.I.A. sings about India, Sri Lanka, someone doing the Macarena, and M.I.A. coming back with power. Bird Flu should’ve been the opening track, for it is truly enjoyable. The drums on Bird Flu are damn good, and you’ll get up from your office chair to do a koli dance to the hen being choked at regular intervals.

Boyz is too ineffective to do anything for either gender, so let’s listen to Jimmy instead. Those familiar with Bollywood will instantly recognize this tune as one of the smash hits from Disco Dancer, the movie that catapulted Mithun Chakraborty to stardom. M.I.A. takes one of Bappi Lahiri’s best known songs and makes a charming remix of it.

Fantastic is the thumping Mango Pickle Down River, with a bunch of kids rhyming over the drone of a didgeridoo. A good job done with the help of The Wilcannia Mob – the didgeridoo is the backbone of Mango Pickle Down River, along with some neat scratching. 20 Dollar is also highly effective – hip-hop vocals by M.I.A. and elements of Pixies’ Where Is My Mind.

World Town and The Turn are below average songs. Fillers, anyone? ‘Where were you in ’92?’, questions M.I.A on XR2 – a song you might want to hurriedly memorise a day before M.I.A. performs live in your city.

Paper Planes outshines everything else on Kala, and why not? It is the only other brilliant song in Slumdog Millionaire (Rahman’s Mausam And Escape is the other one). ‘I fly like paper/get high like planes’, M.I.A coolly announces. The chorus is one of the most infectious ones you’ll ever hear, with gunshots and a ringing cash register. ‘M.I.A./third world democracy/I got more records in the KGB’, the lady goes on. Wish there were more such songs on Kala… or on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, for that matter. Sigh, never mind.

Timbaland is on the closing track Come Down, on which M.I.A decides to go catchy. Finally!

VERDICT: M.I.A‘s Kala draws diverse sounds but doesn’t pack a punch. However, it’ll make you curious enough to listen to her debut. Or just wait for the third one – she’ll probably name it after the baby.

RATING: 3/5

(From my Buzz18 reviews)

Music Review: Death Magnetic

METALLICA TEACHES THE WORLD WHAT ‘METAL’ IN THEIR NAME STANDS FOR

There it was in front of me, Metallica’s latest album. I threw it into the CD player feeling the way I’ve felt throwing the last few Metallica albums in the CD player.

Knowledge – That I’m about to listen to the latest offering from the fathers of thrash metal, the band that has smashed everything in its way to become the biggest heavy metal band of all time.

And hope – that maybe the gods will put on their leather boots again and make a solid thrash album, another one from their stable that will blow minds for years to come.

We all know how thrash metal came about, and what the ’80s were like, and that along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer formed the trinity of thrash metal.

While Megadeth and Slayer have managed to stay ‘metal’, faltering only once or twice,Metallica was the band that drastically changed its style, losing the respect of countless fans along the way. Load and Reload, though powerful albums, were not even close to the kind of music the band was known for, and left many fans feeling cheated.

Their last album St. Anger is regarded as a ‘joke’ in metal history, as it only showed what the greatest band in the world had been reduced to.

After dashing fans’ hopes for years, the band has returned with a new producer and a new attitude and the old logo! As good as the first four, gripping like the fifth one, slightly better or even worse than St. Anger, you ask?

OUR KINGS HAVE RETURNED!

The most awaited album of the year starts withThat Was Just Your Life and the first thing you know when the intro (that wouldn’t be out of place on …And Justice For All) ends is that the old sound is back! Gone is the irritating snare sound they had on St. Anger, Lars Ulrich has finally understood what drums on a Metallica record are supposed to sound like.

The sound is fat, heavy and polished, unlike St. Anger’s attempt at ‘rawness’ to create a more real (really annoying, actually) sound. The pre-chorus has a riff similar to the verse of Through The Never (The Black Album) and man, am I glad to hear that!

Kirk Hammett, where the hell has he been!! The solos are flying and how!! St. Anger had a strict no-solos policy, and it’s almost as if Mr. Hammett is showing the rest of the band what fools they have been to try and make him go against what he does best. Right from the first song, baby!

The End Of The Line starts off very smoothly, with the kind of confidence and charm other bands in the world can only dream of possessing. The verse sounds like a part from The Four Horsemen (Kill ‘Em All), ‘Time/taking a toll on you/the lines that crack your face…’ You know what I’m talking about.

It is just so good to hear the band get their act together and once again make music that flows, instead of trying to come up with heavy-sounding riffs, terrible drumming and trying to cram it all into what they called a ‘song’. Kirk is enjoying himself on the wah pedal, and the band is jamming!

‘Show your scars!’ demands Hetfield on Broke, Beat And Scarred amidst double-bass thumping. ‘You rise/you fall/you rise again’… it’s like they’re singing about themselves. A part in the song reminds me of the ending of Seek And Destroy (Kill ‘Em All). ‘We die hard!’ Yeah baby, it is about them!

What is this? James Hetfield is singing on The Day That Never Comes, and it is a Metallica classic! It starts off slow, I check the tracklist wondering if this is The Unforgiven III. By them time I know it’s not, the song goes the One way. Holy ****! What have these guys started drinking again?

All Nightmare Long is Metallica trying stuff they way they used to in the early days…doing something different while ensuring the song remains heavy. There are too many things happening in here, but unlike St. Anger, the riffs fit right in the songs and the men know where exactly the song is going. There are two solos on this one, and Kirk is like a kid at a video game arcade, free to let it loose and he’s ripping!

THE HAMMER OF METALLICA CRUSHES YOU

It’s almost unbelievable, the kind of comeback this band has made. Before you have time to recover from the first half, they offer you Cyanide. And in the first few seconds you get a taste of Rob Trujillo’s bass-playing, unadulterated by the gigantic Metalli-sound that has trampled upon mortal bands while taking a stroll in the park.Cyanide sounds so fresh and who else but Hetfield can come up with something like ‘Death, won’t you let me stay?’ And if anyone needs further proof of how much at home the band is playing heavy metal again, listen to the sound James makes at 5:38 on Cyanide.

The Unforgiven III – How can this band churn out classic after classic for years and make it all seem effortless? The Unforgiven III is nothing like The Unforgiven I or II except that it makes you fall in love with Metallica all over again. It has a nice piano intro which for some reason takes my thoughts to Low Man’sLyric (I know there’s no piano on it!). The song has James Hetfield written all over it, what with lyrics like ‘How can I be lost/if I’ve got nowhere to go?’ and ‘How can I blame you/when it’s me I can’t forgive?’

And Metallica take the metal throne back with The Judas Kiss, easily the most rocking (if I may call it that) song on the album. It sounds like they’re singing about themselves again, about the time their career hit an all-time low and had fans disowning them. But there isn’t anything weepy about this song, and in fact it’s Metallica grabbing everything they hate by the neck and lifting it a few feet up in the air. ‘Bow down/sell your soul to me/I will set you free.’ Hell, yeah.

Suicide And Redemption is, hold your breath, an instrumental. Where have you been,Metallica? After years and years of making us wait, the men in black unleash upon us a classy, sophisticated jam. I am proud to declare the band I love more than anything else in the world is back in form, stylish as only they know how to be. What a composition! If anyone thinks they’d never be able to touch their former selves, listen to this and tell me it doesn’t outshine everything on this planet right now.

HOLY ****! Did they pull My Apocalypse out of the Master Of Puppets album or what? This sounds like a mash of Battery and Damage Inc. and I can’t get over it! ‘Violate, annihilate’ and that’s exactly what this album does. ‘Suffer unto my apocalypse!’,Metallica command us. Gladly, sirs.

BANG THE HEAD THAT DOESN’T BANG

If you don’t like the Metallica you hear in Death Magnetic, maybe you could consider puncturing your ears. Metallica has never been easy listening, and as with all their albums, this too starts growing on you after a few listens.

Rick Rubin has definitely done the band good, as you can tell from the sound and song structures. And that’s exactly what the men in black needed.

James Hetfield is singing and shouting like himself again, and man, does it make me feel good! Rob Trujillo seems comfortable with the band, and does what is required of him very well. Lars Ulrich (forgive him, please) seems to be making up for that horrible snare sound on the last album with some double-bass playing. Okay Lars, let’s keep it up now.

Kirk Hammett deserves a special mention for all that crazy soloing which adds plenty to Death Magnetic. Hammett is uninhibited and on fire and dare anyone stop him from soloing again!

This, my friends, is the direction Metallica should’ve taken many years ago, instead of fooling themselves into believing they’d grown up. Of course, Metallica is older now, and this is what older Metallica should sound like. The ‘Tallica is back and they seem to have realized what they were born to do. Fall to your knees, and bow to the metal gods!

Rating: 3/5

(From my Buzz18 reviews)

Music Review: Nefarious Dismal Orations

-by Dipankar ‘Demonos’ Roy

Band: “Inquisition”

Album: “Nefarious Dismal Orations” (2007)

One of the existing hopes of black metal in Kali Yuga ‘bizaare ;), ex-Columbia USBM led by the towering Lord Dagon is the extremely evil, unhallowed almighty Inquisition.

Nefarious Dismal Orations comes post megalithic albums like Invoking…, Into the Infernal… & Magnificent Glorification….and this time with a title that’s shorter but hymns to his beloved Lord that are larger than what can be surmised in mere CD space.

Nefarious…dawns with an Ingmar Bergman kind of theme aptly christened Ancient Monumental War Hymn that takes one right to the classical world of antiquity & wisdom that builds up to unleash an onslaught of machine-gun triggered drums and now-characteristic Inquisition guitar riffing and yes the bellowing, haunting wails of Dagon. His vocal capability has long been the point of utter amazement and stoic horror. There is something stupefying in the overdriven vocals those which don’t cry of depression, suicide or desolation. Instead what is apparent in most of Inquisition songs are hymns to the ancient Lord of Darkness. Surprise element: Double vocal growls. This track holds a sensation of what is to follow beyond.

Nocturnal Gatherings and Wicked Rites reminisces one of those sinister & abrupt guitar leads that Dagon has introduced in his earlier work, they sound like a sudden wail of an attack out of nowhere like an ambush. This song has intermittent slow bridges where, for once you can let your mind pause for a while out of the ecstatic victorious feeling & reflect on the sheer genius of the artistry that Dagon has consistently held all this while. Surprise Element: Song ends with howls of some hundred miserable souls begging you for mercy and the overdriven guitars taking the lives out of them.

Strike of the Morning Star is definitely one of the best songs of the album. Ancient, powerful, controlled, and clear. The fact I love this band so much is that Inquisition is mighty strong with their lyrics, and you can distinctly figure the message that Lord Dagon holds for those with Luciferian inclination. Beautiful solo riffing completes the track. No surprise element here as his consistency abounds.

Through the Infinite Sphere Our Majesty Shall Rise – Unlike Marduk and some other bands, there is no self glorification here. Its all about what Dagon said before in one of his tracks from the Magnificent Glorification….album – Its the Eternal Loyalty to our (his) Lord Satan. And eternal loyalty is what Dagon stands by. Some extreme double bass involved here, as the solemn haunting continues.

Infernal Evocation of Torment is sure to remind you of Abbath. Surprise Element: Lots of Immortal influence without sounding like them. This is a hymn of shorter duration as compared to other songs in the album; in fact it’s the shortest at 2:56.

By now you have gathered enough energy and ready to raise Him from the great Slumber so as to assist Him in His doing – hence this is the time Where Darkness is Lord and Death the Beginning hits you in the heart! This song is one that holds a lot of emotional elements. Some great riffwork melodies. However insertion some solos could’ve been very tasteful here. But again do not forget – you are in Inquisition territory! Slow drawling sounds with pinch harmonics and majestic melodies lead you to a trance-like or rather a séance-like atmosphere; perfect for your nocturnal rituals to commence. So feel cosy now & indulge.

The title hymn exudes fury and controlled chaos at the start. Surprise element: Oh lord, was Dagon humoring himself? Notice the pitch bends here at the riff bends. This track disappointed me for a split bit, but before I realized I was struck by – Surprise Element 2: an Ingmar Bergman kind of war hymn playing in the outro that effects as a far-off beguiling victory horn. The most notorious song of the album this or shall I surmise – Nefarious Dismal Orations.

My pick of the album – Enter the Cult. Definitely takes the throne away as the best beckoning call to the ones uninitiated. The wailing leads are back as guitars do the talking for Dagon. You can feel the flow of adrenalin in the song structure. The sound has been maintained to the most wicked level. Surprise Element: An unyielding wait for Dagon’s vocal parts.

Before the Symbol of Satan We Vow and Praise – The finale hymn says it all. For those who missed the vocals, Dagon is back with renewed evil prowess. Sharp-edged and resonating chants and hymns bounce off the walls around you as the weak tremble and the mighty become stronger. By now the enlightened monster of yourself that you have invoked within, in all grimness and solemnity is at one with the solitary chiming of the bells that concludes this excellent musical piece of war wizardry that Inquisition has set forth.

Am I impressed or what? Hell Jeah.

Overtly Satanic & subtly violent without even treading into misanthropy, depression, fascism, mindless homicide/genocide or confabulated Nietzsche-inspired themes, this album like all others is entirely dedicated to the worship of The Supreme Lord of Nature.

Definitely not one of Inquisition’s masterworks. Nevertheless, the surprises & treats in store for a keen listener or a fan, in times of nowadays black metal, Inquisition majestically heralds the masthead following of the truest form.

If you need a rating: 3.5/5…because Before the Symbol of Satan We WOW and Praise!

Music Review: Man Made Machine

Artist: “Z Machine”

Album: “Man Made Machine” (2005)

Kicking the underground trance scene around since 2005, Paul Marks is all set to play a set at The Blue Frog with other artists. Marks, known in the world of trance as “Z Machine”, is from Israel and has created an album called Man Made Machine, which has been my favourite trance album since I heard it. Classy and never overbearing, the tracks on Man Made Machine all have the same style but are completely different from one another. The first thing you need to do is get Man Made Machine (it’s perfect for sunrise), and the second thing you need to do is go watch Z Machine play his excellent morning music when he performs at The Blue Frog sometime in the next fortnight. It won’t be like the rave I experienced at Monkey Valley in January 2005, but drop some acid anyway.