IMMOLATION:

• Dawn Of Possession (1991)
• Stepping On Angels...Before Dawn (1994)
  
• Here In After (1996) I read a really positive review of this cd recently and so decided to pick it up. While it's not as brilliant IMO as the reviewer said, it is indeed a decent CD. You basically know what to expect from this band, some thick guitars, some off key riffs that make you feel uneasy. I guess overall my only problem is that since I heard this after "Close To A World Below", even though it came out before, I'm comparing this CD to the best from the band, and it's falling a little short. That's not really fair I suppose, the songwriting is definitely good, it just hasn't quite reached the maturity that they did in later releases, which is fine, they had to start somewhere to get to somewhere else. Comparisons aside, the production is good and thick with some nice heavy riffs. And there are a few of those signature "weird" riffs, the offkey low string bends and offbeat squawks that IMO are what differentiates the band from the other guys out there. If you already have "World Below", I recommend getting this album next.
  
• Failures For Gods (1999)
• Close To A World Below (2000) A cross between Morbid Angel and Brutality, actually, compared to Morbid's new album, this may actually be the winner. The songs tend to be more atmospheric with lots of repeated riffs and very little standard structure (none of this verse chrous verse chorus stuff). As far as style, lots of low tremolo picking, ringing top-3-string chords, and some slower chunky riffs, and while there is a bunch of blasting, the album tends to remain midpaced pretty much the whole way through. Productionwise, not much treble which makes things a bit muffled, but the sounds is thick and healthy, and the performance is good with lots of feeling. I usually prefer more speed, but I have to admit this album kicks some serious ass, the songs and the overall feeling of the album is excellent, I'd definately check it out.
• Unholy Cult (2002) Sorta mixed results here. Their previous album had a lot of parts where you'd just sit there and go "cool", riffs, twisted passages, interesting sounds, etc. While retaining much of the same sound and style as that album, "Unholy Cult" just seems to have way less of those "Cool" moments. Otherwise, not much else to report, this is very much "Close To A World Below" 2 in sound, style, song structure, but I'm just not digging the songs as much. For fans of the band, worth looking into, there's still some good parts well worth listening to, but for new people, I'd suggest picking up "World Below" instead.
• Harnessing Ruin (2005) Wow, where did all the treble go? That's the first thing that struck me when I hit play on the album. First, it's mixed quite low so you have to pump up the volume to get it to a normal level, and then the production is really quite muffled. Not that the band has ever had fantastic production, but certainly compared to "Unholy Cult" this is a step backwards. Thankfully, the saving grace of the album is the songs are a lot better and more memorable than the ones off of "Unholy". Still not quite as good as "Close To A World Below", but this album has far better riffs, and plenty of blasphemous lyrics which makes it fun to listen to. "Unholy" I have to admit I found kinda bland, and really haven't listened to it much at all after the initial review, this I think will receive far more play on my cd player. Other than that, it's Immolation, with all that that implies. Worth getting, even with the production issues.
• Hope and Horror (2007, EP+DVD) Short 3 song EP, comes with a 10 track live DVD. The 3 new songs are good, the mix is a bit odd. The first time I listened to the CD, I couldn't hear much more than low tones. My guess is they mixed the bass at 100%, mids at 0, and highend at 50%, so it's scooped with the treble brought down slightly. The result, if you want to hear what the guitars are really doing, you'll need to bring that subwoofer down a bit to compensate. The group's odd song writing comes across as usual, which in my opinion is the genius of this band, no one writes riffs quite like Immolation does, and these songs don't disappoint. An excellent prelude to their new full length that's coming up. The DVD contains 10 songs (45 min) from a live performance in New York from 2006. A good variety of old and new songs (although sadly, only one tune from my favorite Immolation CD, "Close To A World Below"). The camerawork is nice, the sound is decent, but the guitars and bass are a little noisy, and low in the mix compared to the drums. Performance wise, nothing out of the ordinary, just 4 guys banging their heads, but they are obviously enjoying themselves, and the crowd's having fun too. Overall, I'd definitely buy this CD/DVD, it has some good material, and it's well worth the cash.
• Shadows in the Light (2007) I'm of two minds on this release. First, the band has managed to achieve their best production ever. When critiquing the sound on an album, you have to ask yourself whether the band sounds the way they do because that's their sound, or if they sound that way because they were recorded / mixed badly. In my opinion, there's a big difference between finding your own sound and being badly produced (although some bands may argue "No, we wanted to sound this way" in an attempt to defend the final mix of their CD). Obviously no two bands should sound alike, and this album is a perfect example of how you can achieve an excellent sound and yet still sound like yourself. This album is total Immolation, just thicker, stronger, and more powerful. So sound wise, this gets a strong 10. The area the album lacks a bit is in song writing. The songs here are good, but I found their last album, and even their recent EP, had more memorable hooks. After listening to this CD a few times, the songs just haven't grabbed me in the same way much of their previous material has. No big shift in song writing style, still plenty of odd chord progressions, and the drumming is as oddly groovy as ever. Overall, great sound, good but not spectacular songs, definitely worth checking out.

• Septic Vomit (1997, Demo)
  
• From Here to Colostomy (1999, EP)
• Split 7" with Cephalic Carnage (1999, Split 7")
  
• The Dead Shall Dead Remain (2000) Simple test to see if you will like this cd, do you like carcass? Because this band sounds just like them. I don't mean a passing resemblance, a riff stolen here or there, I mean, if I hadn't known, I would have guessed this was a carcass release that I had never heard before. The singers are identical with a capitol I, same blasts, same riff style, it's spooky, like a missing album sometime between "Symphonies of Sickness" and "Necrotism". That said, while the cd is good, I don't know, I mean, it's like listening to a carcass tribute band. The sound is ok, although the guitar/bass sound is a bit low, muffled, and overly distorted (yes, there is such a thing), they definitely need a little more clarity and more treble next time. I think any carcass fan will enjoy this cd, so I do recommend getting it, but hopefully next time they try and do something a bit different.
• Split 7" with Engorged (2000, Split 7")
• Choice Cuts (2001, Rare)
• Mondo Medicale (2002) Well, this isn't quite as Carcass like as the last CD, but the influence is still there and slapping you in the face. Track 1 is this intro thing that's supposed to be spooky but comes of pretty silly, thankfully track 2 starts off with some good blastbeats. The production is much cleaner on this album than the last. I just don't know, while the songs are ok, there's just nothing here to elevate the album above all the better stuff out there. I mean, I've had this cd on my pile for awhile to review, but everytime I try and get around to reviewing it I just don't because I have trouble finding any characteristics in the music that are unique enough to write about. I mean, after hearing 2 notes in any chord progression, I can almost perfectly hum the rest of the riff before hearing it. Far too derivative for my taste, there's better places to put your cash out there.
  
• Medical Waste (2003, EP)
• Dementia Rex Split CD with Haemorrhage (2003, SplitCD)
  

IMPENDING DOOM:

• The Sin and Doom of Godless Men (2005, EP)
• Nailed. Dead. Risen. (2008) Deathcore band that sounds almost identical to Suicide Silence or Scar Culture (with the occasional Cannibal Corpse style squawk). Plenty of blasting bits, followed quickly by the usual slow sludgy breakdowns. The guitar tone is thick, so distorted in fact it's sometime difficult to hear if they're actually hitting any pitch. Vocals are ridiculously low, almost Disgorge low for most of the album. And would you believe this is actually a Christian band? I've certainly heard Christian metal before, but this is probably the most extreme Christian band I've ever heard. My main complaint with this album is that the songs are all too similar. Their structures are very simplistic, and there's very little to differentiate them from each other, even after multiple listens. The bands this group are emulating are far better at writing a more memorable song. The band may improve with age, this is their debut album. Otherwise, a decent album, they're obviously skilled musicians, the production is excellent, they just need to work on more memorable songs, and find a way to be a little different from all the other groups in the genre (other than their religious beliefs).
  

• In Splendour (2003) First off, to say Morbid Angel is an influence on this band is not quite getting the whole picture. From the guitar tone, to the vocals, to the harmonized guitar solos, to track 4 that sounds similar to 'He Who Sleeps' or 'One With Nothing', to tracks 5 that has a certain 'Rapture' vibe to it, this band really is Morbid Angel in Swedish form. And yet, while I've had a number of clone bands pass my way recently (namely carcass clones), and haven't really listened to those cds ever again, this album has gotten some serious play on my cd player. These songs are really good, I mean, it doesn't sound like the songs are ripped off from MA as much as this is a lost MA album, as well written and crafted as the stuff Trey has been putting out these past few years (well, maybe not quite as good, but it's a 8 for MA's 10). The only note would be this cd is faster for the most part, without those interludes that have become more common on MA albums of late. So if you just close your eyes, forget that this is a different band, and just enjoy the music for the music itself, I think you'll be very satisfied. Ok ok, so maybe that's sorta like dating the twin sister of your ex-girlfriend who just dumped you, but hey, we're all sick fucks to begin with, right? Highly recommended if you don't mind the similarities, MA's "Heretic" will be coming out in less than a month, so it should be interesting to see where this all goes.
  

• Rehearsal Demo 1990 (1990, Demo)
• Demo 1990 (1990, Demo)
• Entrantment of evil 7" EP (1990, EP)
• Deliverance of Horrific Prophesies (EP)
• Onward to Golgotha (1992)
• Mortal Throne of Nazarene (1994)
• Upon the Throne of Apocalypse (EP)
• The Forsaken Mourning of Angelic Anguish (1997, EP)
• Tribute to the Goat (EP)
• Diabolical Conquest
• The Infernal Storm (2000) Slow and sludgy doom/death metal. Even with Dave Culross on the skins as the session drummer, the band keeps most of their tempos slowish, with lots of held notes and mid tempo tremolo picking, and a few faster bits thrown in here and there. Riff wise, I can draw parallels to any of Brutality's albums, reasonably good riffs that are all solid, but nothing really jumps out at you as pure genius. Sound wise, very bottom heavy in a morbid angel's "Domination" style (similar vocals too). While a good album overall, I can't really say they do anything that hasn't been done before.
• Decimate Christendom (2004) A cool song in mp3 led me to try the band one more time and see if they were worth listening to. The odd thing is this album sounds very much like Immolation's "Close To A World Below", but with less original songs (to have two bands with such similar names and to have such similar sounds is kinda amusing). Productionwise, it's kinda messy with tons of midrange with very little bass or high end, so it's muffled and soft at the same time (for anyone who's read my reviews on a regular basis, these guys have the exact opposite to the scooped sound I enjoy). Song wise, a lot of slower stuff with a few faster bits (usually at the beginning of the songs). The songs aren't bad, and there are a few good riffs here and there, but overall the band just seems to lack energy, and the messy production doesn't help things. Not terribly impressed I'm afraid, I was right the first time. If they're going to Decimate Christendom they'll need a stronger sound to do it.
  

• Prick (1993)
• Crawlspace (1994) Australian death. The guitar is low, the riffs are really catchy. Although a little rough around the edges, this band shows lots of promise.
• Control (1995) Straying from their death roots to a more industrial style, the sound is muddier and you can barely hear the guitar. The keyboards don't really add anything to the songs, and the riffs aren't terribly new or original. A mediocre album at best.

• None Shall Defy (1987)
• Nigresent Dissolution (1988, EP)
• Creation of Chaos (1988, EP)
• Unholier Than Thou (1998) Somewhere between thrash and death metal, this is the second release for the band (Geez, they certainly waited a long time between releases). The songs definately sound like late 80s death/thrash (Slayer meets Testament), with all the usual toppings, but there's something more here, and it has to be the fantastic songwriting and catchy riffs, not to mention great production with a nice and crunchy (and tight) guitar tone. The album is a blast from the past but without the boredom that usually comes from retro albums. It's refreshing to see a band that can still make high quality and original thrash at the turn of the century. Check it out!

• Man's True Nature (1995) Very brutal, grinding band, great production, super sick lyrics. They sound a bit like Dying Fetus, but haven't reached the song writing maturity that DF have. Still, an impressive first album, even if the song structures seem a bit confused. And some cool leads to boot.
• Birthrate Zero (1997) A very different album from their previous material. While before they spent their time throwing riffs at you fast and furious, this album shows they put a bit more thought into the song writing. I'm not sure if I agree with their switch or not. While I do like more coherant song writing, this band seemed to do better when they were just grinding at top speed. Some of the new songs are good, some of the riffs are good, some other parts are mediocre. The songs need more focus. And better production. While their last album had an honestly scary guitar tone, the guitars are fuzzy in this release, a very thin tone with no high end at all. Not bad, not great, doomed to be somewhere in between. Still decent I guess.

• Curse Of Creation (1998, Demo) Standard Grind/Death metal similar to Cannibal Corpse or Dying Fetus (with similar low/high vocals combination). Good bassy production for a demo, even though there is no bass guitar on this Demo (the band has two guitar players, the guitar tone is a little fuzzy but still decent). They know how to write a great riff and back it up with coherent song writing. Super fast double kicks and blast beats, the band could be a little tighter, but I assume that will improve with more time in the studio. A heavy 4 song demo, these guys have what it takes to make something of themselves, well worth checking out. Contact them at Infestation, 22, SM6 9DN, England.
• Mass Immolation (2000) 1st album from the band, which includes several songs from their demo rerecorded. Good quality death metal, a mixture of lowish and screamed vocals. Overall, I think the band probably should have spent a few more days in the studio getting everything perfect. Most of the album is high quality, but there are a few rough spots: for example, the super fast drums (think Flo from Cryptopsy speed) are great, but a kick or two is missed or misplaced every once in awhile, mistakes that could easily be fixed by re-recording. Decent guitar sound, good high and low end, but it does feel a little thin sometimes. Riff wise, these guys hit the mark, short songs with memorable riffs, and a good variety of speeds and moods. Overall worth checking out, next album I do hope the band has a little more time to work in the studio to get everything finessed, and get that guitar sound a little thicker through overdubs or more bass or something, that's really the only two things missing on this album.

• Hellfuck (1997) The booklet thank you's include "Deicide for all the inspiration", as well as "Satan for making this record possible." I think you get the idea. Short songs, good production, basically it's 23 tracks of pure brutal speed in the traditional death metal style. The drum machine is fast, but I do prefer a real drummer. Well done, but it has been done before.
• JesuSatan (1999) A little more straight forward than their previous album, the songs are longer, and the drum machine is replaced by a real drummer, which definately gives it a more human feel. Lots of good riffs, blasting and double kicks, certainly nothing we haven't heard before, but it's solid and well done. Surrounded by more extreme bands, this release may get lost in the shuffle, but it's more than worth a listen.

• Lunar Strain (1994)
• Subterranean (1994, EP)
• The Jester Race (1995)
• Black-Ash Inheritance (1997, EP)
• Whoracle (1998)
• Colony (1999) So I've read all sorts of reviews saying "Colony" is one of the band's best albums, and their newer material isn't nearly as good (say "Reroute"). So listening to this album for the first time, my number one priority is to figure out what about their style has changed enough to incur the wrath of the critics? Overall the styles are pretty close, but I suppose the main difference is the focus on "Colony" leans more towards the heavier guitar parts and the catchy clean vocals are kept to a bare minimum. Now personally I don't mind mixing sung stuff with angry stuff as long as it's done tastefully (and harmonized singing can certainly compliments the harmonized guitar work and chord progressions that In Flames are known for), but I can also see where my opinion may differ from others who just can't stand pitch in the singer's voice. Well, whatever, I'm not going to pick sides on this, this album rocks and so does the newer stuff, although in a slightly different way. There are still a few acoustic breaks and such to break things up a bit (again, far fewer than on later albums), but overall this album is heavy guitar followed by heavy guitar and a touch of heavy guitar. Soundwise, the guitars are a little sharper on this release, not quite entombed's Clandestine, but in the same vague direction. The bass is also slightly low in the mix, but not horribly so, it's just it's obviously a guitar driven mix. The songs are great all the way through without any weak points I can find. Very impressive album, and highly recommended.
  
• Clayman (2000) Sort of the missing link between "Colony" and "Reroute", which of course makes perfect sense considering the timeline. The guitars are still plenty heavy, and the majority of the vocals are still plenty angry, but there are just a few more songs with acoustic bits, or twin guitar melody or held chords, or whispered vocals. Also the songs are just a bit more laid back and not quite as frantic. Finally the guitars aren't quite as sharp in the mix as "Colony", and the bass is slightly higher in the mix, removing some of that crunch in the guitar sound. Does this mean this isn't a good album? Not at all, there's a lot of good songs here, but it doesn't quite reach either the intensity of "Colony" or the harmony of "Reroute". Not their best album, but still very. very good.
  
• Tokyo Showdown (2001, Live)
• Reroute To Remain (2002) Lets start off by saying I am probably an odd person to be giving an In Flames review, mainly because this cd is really the first time I've seriously sat down and listened to one of their albums. So while so many other reviewers, much more familiar with their work, would say this band or that band sound like In Flames, I will have to go in the other direction, and say that In Flames sound like, say Arch Enemy, or Satariel, ie, swedish symphonic thrash lord of the rings whatever sort of music. Guitar wise, plenty of good riffs and thrashy stuff. The band also uses just enough well placed keyboards to give it that epic fantasy movie feel to it. Vocal wise, the lead singer is doing a lot of screaming, but it's the kind of screaming that has pitch, not the hoarse stuff you hear elsewhere. They also have this chorus of sung background vocals that appear in about every song, which work well in some parts, less so in others, the melodies give each song a bit more of their own character, something which can get lost if you have the same guy growling at the same pitch all the time. However, the band may be going overboard with their melodicness at times, so if you're more of a pure aggression sort of person, you may wish to beware. Production wise, excellent, nothing wrong to report. I'm not exactly sure how this cd fares compared to previous or newer In Flames material, in fact, from a few reviews I've read, it sounds like this may be one of their weaker albums, so I'll be interested in getting some more in the future to see how it compares.
• Trigger (2003, EP)
• Soundtrack To Your Escape (2004) For anyone who heard their last album, this album continues in that direction but pushes the melodic nature of the songs a bit more. This is both good and bad. The advantage, the songwriting quality and memorability has gone up a notch thanks to a little more variety to the songs. However, the disadvantage is some of that memorability (that comes from the held guitar chords, choral vocals and keyboards) comes at the expense of having a few less super heavy fast chunky riffs. Note, I said less, not none, there's still plenty of good thrashy riffs (like the opening to 'Touch Of Red', which kicks serious ass), but I feel "Reroute" was overall a little angrier, and would have liked a little more that that here. Productionwise pretty similar to the last one, except the guitars are slightly less muffled. Also, stupid critique, but what's up with these song titles? 'Dial 595-Escape'? 'Superhero Of The Computer Rage'? Overall, this is a good album, but I tend to prefer the heavier songs on the album over the melodic stuff.
• Used and Abused... In Live We Trust (2005, Live CD / DVD) 2 CD 2 DVD live set from the band. The first concert CD is from a recent show at the Hammersmith in London, and is fantastic. The production is huge, with enough reverb to give it that big live sound but without getting muddy. And the crowd is just going wild the whole time, I always like live albums where you can hear the crowd, helps distinguish it from studio recordings, and it helps give the cd that live energy which is the whole reason for releasing a live album anyways, right? The cd is pretty short (only 9 songs), but very effective, certainly one of the best live performances I've heard in a long time. The second CD is from another show at Sticky Fingers, the crowd isn't as loud in this one, and the sound is ever so slightly muddier, but it's 95% as good as the first CD and a much larger setlist this time (14 songs), with no repeats over the two live CDs. Then we come to the DVDs, that start with the filmed recording of the two shows from the CDs (with extra songs not on the CD recording). Immediately you see why the crowd sounded louder on the first CD, the Hammersmith show is in front of thousands of people, and the Sticky Fingers show is in a very small venue, maybe 200 people squeezed in. The camerawork is great in both shows, a good pace of camera switching, decent angles and of course the same great sound from the CDs. If I had any nit it was the hammersmith show has such strong lighting, it's sometimes difficult to see the people on stage, but it's not too much of a detraction. The 2nd DVD contains all the music videos from the band, and an hour long documentary discussing the DVD and live shows, which is interesting although no real surprises, mostly just a lot of "Ya, we're really happy to play these live shows and see the fans" sort of stuff. Overall a very professional package, with lots of high quality material, and a good buy for any fan of the band.
• Come Clarity (2006) Well, the album sure starts off with a bang, immediately jumping into a fast umpa beat with distortion at full blast. A good sign perhaps? Does this mean the band has given up the melody of their previous album for the heavier stuff? Well, not quite, there's still melody here, like the female sung vocals in 'Dead End' or the chorus in 'Reflect The Storm' (probably my least favorite songs on the album). But there's tons of heavy angry songs too like 'Take This Life' and 'Scream', and overall way less keyboards. So a mixed bag of melody and aggression, although favoring the heavy side a bit more this time. Also, song wise, the album is more consistent, I felt that "Soundtrack" sort of petered out at the end, whereas this album has some good songs all the way to the finish. And the production is just fantastic, the guitars are really up front without stepping on the other instruments, and the distorted bass gives the songs a really nice foundation. Definitely worth owning.
• A Sense of Purpose (2008) Anyone who's followed In Flames' career over the years know they sorta drift between heavier material and lighter, almost popier stuff. Well, this album is more in the pop vein. And the songs are generally blah. You know those albums you listen to where every song kinda sounds kinda like the last one? Well, this album is it, the riffs, choral vocals, and drum beats all sound heavily recycled and far too simple. The first track that sounds a little different is 'The Chosen Pessimist', and that's a light song. The first single 'The Mirror's Truth' is decent, but overall I'd vote to give this album a miss, they have much better material to check out.
  

• Blackest Origins... (2002) Ingurgitate, the story of one man (Chris Hutto), his drum machine, his guitar skills and a very deep voice. The result is a very gurgly death metal album (think Malignancy or Skinless) with more simplified song structures, I assume mainly because of the drum machine, programming that thing for complex time signature changes must be a real bitch. Anyways, the result is very brutal, and I do dig the riffs, the gargly vocals, and the production is huge and in your face, but overall it's a bit too sterile for me. I mean, the bassdrum setting is at like 400 beats for a good chunk of the album, the cymbals are very mechanical sounding and repetitive. It's well worth a listen, but I think the thing he really needs to do is get a real drummer in there, since the mechanicalness of the drums seems to be the main thing that detracts from the songs and music.
• Bleeding His Sacred Kingship (2005) No longer a one man band, Ingurgitate now has a real drummer and a vocalist that lets mainman Chris Hutto focus more on the guitars. While the result is a superior album overall, it certainly is far removed from the debut "Blackest Origins...". Hell it might as well be a different band name. The primary difference of course is the new live drummer. He's fast, but not nearly as fast as the drum machine, so the band looses some of their speed and some of the intensity that came from that ridiculously fast droning drums. On the other hand, the new drummer adds complexity, some really nice beats and the human element, which is a good trade in my book, since it makes everything far less repetitive. Other differences include a dip in the production, there's tons more bass (good), but has lost a lot of the highend (bad). Thankfully, the sound is still thick, so even if it's not mixed perfectly, the guitar tone still has presence and so you forget about the muffledness pretty quickly and move on to the great songs. And they are really good, we've got fast stuff, tremolo picking, chunky bits, while nothing jumps out immediately as the most awesome riff ever, the album is solid and multiple listens help solidify the songs, which are well structured and plenty heavy. If I had to draw comparisons, maybe a little Fleshgrind with a touch of Morbid Angel. Anyways, this album is a total surprise considering the first album, but a good surprise, and well worth checking out. Welcome to the all new Ingurgitate.
  

• Serendium (1996) A mixture of brutal death and symphonic metal. Has some segments where you swear you're listening to the thickest riffs you've ever heard, and then they go totally symphonic with held chords, keyboards, strings, piano and epic guitar melodies. This shift in focus makes the thematic structure of the album a bit uneven, but the excellent production and good riffs make it worth the price of admission. Lots of trills, squawks, chugging riffs, heavy, heavy palm muting, tremolo picking. This guitar / bass tone is just about as thick, powerful and low as they come. The vocalist sounds a bit like the guy from Broken Hope. Good technical drums with a good mix of fills and straight beats. Nothing too overly fast, the album stays mid paced to slow, with a few quicker parts to keep it from becoming monotonous.
• The Hidden Lore (1998, EP) The first thing on your mind will be Cannibal Corpse, since Iniquity uses lots of squawks and trills in their rhythms, but the band has enough originality to stop it from being a clone band. I definitely like these riffs, combinations of the aforementioned trills and squawks, and low chugging. And they got rid of the symphonic elements, which I think is a plus in this case. The drummer isn't super fast or anything, but his fills and rhythms make up for any lack of straight blasting. The band goes for a more technical approach, but it's still good for head banging, and it's not overly technical (they don't change time signatures too much or anything) to interfere with just good quality songs. The vocalist has that low gargling sound that's always a lot of fun. In general, despite similarities to CC, pretty quickly you'll realize that this band can write an excellent riff and back it up with good musicianship. Worth owning.
• Five Across The Eyes (1999) Very similar to their recent EP, with a few changes. First, the really low gurgly vocalist is gone, replaced with a more standard middle range vocalist who does a decent job, but not as brutal as that last vocalist. The production is almost as good as the EP, although a tiny bit more muddy, probably from a little too much mids in the guitar tone, the EP really had a much stronger scooped sound. And as for the songs themselves, many of them are quite good, I'd say if their EP hit a 10 in song writing, this album gets an 8 or so, mainly due to a few riffs that seem more like filler as opposed to inspirational. So overall it's a good album, but a tiny step down from 'The Hidden Lore'. I repeat, a tiny step, noticeable yes, but I don't feel it blackens the reputation of what I consider a really good death metal act for this new millennia. It just means they should consider a few adjustments for their next album if I'm going to give it a really high rating that their talent deserves.
• Grime (2002) No real surprises here. Same style as previous materials, same production as their last full length cd, I feel the songs are a little better in this album than their previous album. Not much to say really, while nothing inventive this is good quality death metal with plenty of good riffs and hooks and is quite well worth grabbing the first chance you get.
• Iniquity Bloody Iniquity (2003, CDComp) A lot of older material and a few unreleased tracks. The cd starts off with 3 unreleased tracks (2 from the limited edition 7" "Revel In Cremation"), all 3 are quite good, same sort of style as "Grime". Then there's 2 tracks from "Grime", 3 from "Five Across The Eyes", 2 from "Hidden Lore", 1 from "Serendium", then 4 more taken from various compilations and demos, the first 2 have some nice bassy sound quality, although they also have some keyboards that I'm not a huge fan of, the next is a real demo, with clear production, although quite muffled, the last track is far less muffled. The new/rare stuff on this CD is good, but there really are only like 7 new songs, making this more of an EP at CD prices, so I recommend it if you're a big fan, just realize a lot of material on this is taken from their previous albums.
  

• Ultra Sonic HateStorm (2006) This death metal band from the Netherlands takes a page from old-school Malevolent Creation, and the result is a pretty kick ass album. First, their vocalist sounds a little like ex-Malevolent Creation vocalist Jason Blachowicz. The riffs are fast and furious, with lots of fast picking, tremolo picking, and plenty of blasts and fast double bass. Another reference point would be Deranged's album "High On Blood", to give you some idea of the level of aggressiveness we're talking about here. The songs are memorable, my only complaint would be the album's production value sounds very much like Malevolent Creation's "Stillborn" or "Eternal", so the sound is a little thin without a lot of bass. It's not bad, but definitely something they should work on next time. While nothing revolutionary, if you enjoy older Malevolent Creation, and just want some nice angry blasting and some good riffs, check this band out.
  

• One Dollar (1992, Demo) Very early demo of material on later albums, badly recorded but hey, it's a very early demo. Its fun, but for collectors only.
• Invocation of Evil (1993, Demo) 5 songs, many of which can be found rerecorded on "Voracious Contempt". The recording quality is clear but soft. Good songs though.
• Perpetual Degradation (1994, EP) 4 songs, once again, many of which can be found rerecorded on "Voracious Contempt". The guitar sound is better than on their previous demo, but not as powerful as the one on "Voracious" (but it is clearer). Overall good production with a few things that could have been louder in the mix. And the drummer does the vocals, since they didn't have Frank yet, so we don't have that super low growling we usually have, but it's still decent.
• Voracious Contempt (1995) Although the guitar sound is very muddy, the shear brutality of this band is unquestionable. They have the nastiest, scariest, most grinding sound I've ever heard. Well worth a listen.
• The Extinction of Benevolence (1997) These guys sure haven't mellowed over the past few years. Production wise, the guitar sound is a bit clearer than the last album, but overall the recording quality seems a bit fuzzy. This doesn't take away from the songs much though, which are still ultra brutal and grinding. Tons of riffs, super low vocals. They don't really chart any new territory with this release, but that's not what the band is about. As stated on a note that came along with my CD: "I hope it kicks your fucking ass all over the damn place." And it did.
• Driven To Conquer (1999) A good release from a slightly modified band. After undergoing a variety of line up changes, the result is a new album. The riffs are better than the previous album (as in more original sounding and memorable). They are, of course, very heavy. The production is nice and clear, but I feel it could have been a little larger, the guitar tone could have had more bulk to it (like old Obituary or Bolt Thrower). Nice blasts and double kicks. Vocals are good, but the new vocalist is more high pitched, I miss the super low gurgling of Frank. Ah well. All in all, very high quality death metal, and a nice addition to anyone's collection 'o death, this album will not disappoint.
• Alien Breed 1991-2001 (2001, EP) Contains "One Dollar Demo", "Invocation of Evil" and "Perpetual Degredation". See above for review. Also includes one new song from the band, 'Alien Breed'. Not much to say, it starts with a strange, almost nu-metal riff, but then continues with blasting, gargled vocals and all the usual. It's a good song, but that intro riff is just too, well, odd and out of place. If you don't have any of the other material on it, I'd suggest getting it, it collects their past quite nicely.
• Onward To Mecca (2004) 5 year break between albums, and I'm afraid I'm more than a little disappointed. First off, the production is just pitiful on this album. I now have a new definition of muffled, there's just no top end to be found. Second the songs, they're all sort of bland, no real standout riffs anywhere, and if there are, you can't really hear them right since the production turns everything into a noisy mess. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but I'm listening to this album right now while I'm reviewing it, and this will probably be the last time I'll feel like hearing it. Anyways, it still sounds like Internal Bleeding, so if you're a huge fan you'll probably grab this anyways. But with bad production and songs that aren't all that inspired, I'd recommend putting your cash elsewhere, either with other bands or with buying any cds from the band you may have missed in the past, since they were far superior.
  

• Choronzonic Force Domination (2004) Speaking of Severe Torture's new live album (Which I reviewed at the same time as this release), here's a cd that falls firmly into the same category of fast blasting death metal. Or other possible parallels could be drawn with Diabolic, Deranged or the latest Hate Eternal in that most of the riffs are tremolo picked and the drumming is blast beats all the way through. Vocals are low Broken Hope style gargling. Production wise, it's clear and decently mixed, but it lacks some bass. Technique wise, the only thing I could complain about is the guitar work is a little sloppy now and again, mostly uneven tremolo picking. Song wise, the songs are good, but it's old territory that numerous other bands have explored before. Decent, but the lack of originality and good but not great production means this album can't be considered a must buy, go grab some mp3s first and see if they work for you.

• The Design (2005) There's a fine line between being true to the genre and having nothing to offer to a genre. While Into The Moat are obviously skilled musicians, they really don't offer anything you can't hear in other bands like Dillenger Escape Plan, The Red Chord or Despised Icon, and those bands seem to do it better. It's all about finding something a little unique, about taking each and every song and putting a little stamp on it that says "This song belongs to us!" Into The Moat unfortunately doesn't seem to do that, and the CD passes without anything that really grabs me. Not a bad cd, but without anything unique or some super standout riffs I'd have to recommend giving this a miss.

• Genetic Confusion (1988, Demo) Fast thrash with Carcass style vocals (the voice could be Jeff Walker's clone). Nothing terribly new or inventive, but decent production and some decent songs.
• Alterations (1989, Demo) Similar to their last demo, but with a slightly stronger Slayer influence (the songs never get slow, they just take off at top speed and never stop). This leads to a bit of monotony at some points, a few tasty hooks would help keep all the brutal speed from blending into the background noise in my head.
• Excursion Demise (1991) A thrash band who are starting their career in the 90s? Well, why not. Even if the style is a bit dated, the music is good. Lots and lots of riffs, lots of boom-chick on the drums, fast solos, the full monty. I found some of the songs to be a bit too generic, songs on later albums are a bit more memorable, but good quality overall.
• Weave The Apocalypse (1993) One of the few thrash bands to try and make a name for themselves in today's metal scene. The music is very technical, good songwriting, the guitar sound is very dry and crunchy, like early Metallica. I really hate the vocals though (they sound way too whiny).
• Early Years (1994) Their first two Demos re-released and two bonus cover songs. The bonus songs are 'The Eternal War' by Artillery, and 'The Promise Of Agony' by Dark Angel, both of which are performed in a similar style to the stuff off of "Weave".
• Dying To Live (1995) Very similar to "Weave The Apocalypse", except the sound is a bit dryer, and the vocals have improved a bit. Riff driven thrash metal, and those riffs are goooood. Apparently their last CD before they broke up.
• Through The Flesh To The Soul (2003) Somehow I missed Invocator's triumphant return to the land of the living after an 8 year hiatus. And it is indeed triumphant, keeping the best parts of invocator then mixing it with a more modern sound to produce something pretty damn cool. The first thing you're struck by is the production, they have that whole wall of sound thing going on, overdub upon overdub with plenty of reverb, it sounds like an army of guitars is playing. I have no clue how these guys will pull sound like this off live with only two guitars. Songwise, it sounds pretty similar to old Invocator, quite thrashy with some of the melodic elements that make the band unique (let it never be said that Invocator don't gravitate towards specific chord progressions). My only complaint is that some of the songs sound too much alike, they would have done well to maybe add a few softer parts or more start and stop riffs to break up the sound now and again. Anyways, something to work on for next time, but otherwise this cd kicks some serious ass, if you were a fan of the band back in the 90s or just love thrash, check this out.
  

• Breathing Is Irrelevant (2003) I heard a lot of things about how fresh and different this cd was, not to mention it did really well in my last year's readers poll, so I decided to pick it up and see what's shaking. While the cd is good, I really have to admit this style is not really my thing. Basically the band is doing the Dillenger Escape Plan deal, hardcore screamed vocals over out-of-tune chords, super complex riffs that have no visible time signature at all. I tend to be more of a fan of say Meshuggah, who use complex time signatures, but have a better sense of song structure such that each song feels like a complete entity instead of just a collection of riffs. But as far as collections go, this band does have some cool riffs. I definitely prefer when they lapse into something a little more regular as opposed to the totally freeform stuff. The band is very tight of course, and well produced (although maybe a little skinny on the bass, but that tends to be par for the course on records like these). Basically if you enjoy the Dillenger Escape Plan or Cephalic Carnage, this band is in the same vein and very good.