STRATUZ - Spirit Seduction

This is the most original shit I've tasted on the metal scene all year. Stratuz starts the disc with too long an intro, yet it can be forgiven as "Swift Death" tears out with a heavy grinding groove. Franklin Berroteran's vocals go beyond the usual satanic growling, giving us demonic screams and rhythmic phrasing, while the dual guitars of Coral and Martini set the stage using thrashing riffs and quick changes. Some of the leads throughout this record are definitely classic. As with all great bands, Stratuz has the killer bottom end with Leonardo Rangel on bass and Rafael Ramirez (braves? Nah.....) tearing it up percussion wise. A stand out is the song "Mula", showcasing the machine gun riffs, crushing drives and soaring vocals. Quickly thereafter, the band launches into "Sleeping Sins", another top number featuring a strong dark overtone. The song gets more progressive as it goes, ending on a yell. Lots of Stratuz owes heavily to Venom and early Slayer, yet the band does it their way, punishing the listener with sonic as well as psyche. There are some really intense thrash, moments, such as the opening of "The Last Angel" that then cuts right into the grind. Speaking of Grind, there is some core stuff on "Return Of The Souls", setting the stage for the gothic "Spirit Seduction" which, although being over the top and a bit much with the mix, shows how Stratuz can hit wherever they're needed, the commando raid from Hell. I especially like "No More Lies" another heavy piece strongly gothic perhaps it is a prayer, yet, for, and to, whom? Savor this flavor from Venezuela, it is top choice stading as one of the best metal releases of 2001. Contact: http://www.stratuz.net - Distribution through Belgium's LSP - http://www.lsp-company.com

VINTERRIKET - Promo 2001

Very Gothic is the artist known as Vinterriket, injecting swelling keys, buzz guitar bombast, funeral marches, errie sonic landscapes into a unique composing style making use of phrasing in both character and performance. This stuff never gets "metal", but it's darkwave style gothic is black nontheless. Some of the experimental stuff like "Sorgens Ois" has its moments. King Crimson flirted with some things like Vinterriket does with the psychedelic landscape, and Floyd too, yet this artist, with numbers like " Pa Takete Enger Og Myrer" shows a real sense of dark creation. Contact: Neodawn Productions c/o C Ziegler, Pfarrer Striebel Weg 11, 88471 Laupheim, Untersulmetingen, Germania http://www.go.to/neodawnproductions

NEODAWN PRODUCTIONS - Sampler 2001

Cool ambinet gothic/horror sampler form Neodawn features the above mentioned talents of Vinterriket, a truly tragic death and thrash section from Necroplasma (this band defines "noise" as metal), and the mighty Kharon delivering the demon spell with an unholy metal. Like a fucking panzer blasting your head! Scary! Contact: Neodawn in Germania

GARDENS OF GEHENNA - Dead Body Music

Definitely one of the world's great gothic metal bands, Gardens Of Gehenna use their textures of keys, grinding guitars and low end vocals (I can actually understand alot of this)to create a vortex of imagery using sound. The initial cut "Requiem" would be cool for most gothic metal bands, possibly their best, for Gardens Of Gehenna it's like a warm-up for the show. The band gives you the power-chord sabbath-on-smack grinder "Iesaiah" to nod you so they can sneak in "Tod Und Teufel", their underground hit, which is one of the top gothic singles of 2001, and should be the German national anthem. On the strength of votes, this song has stayed in the Underground Top 10 for two months, and that's no small feat for a song sung in deutsch. Other top numbers on Dead Body Music include the english version of Beautiful Blackness, showing true necrotendencies. You've got true grinding death on "Lacrimae Rerum" and epic metal on the closing "Dust Of Life", making Gardens Of Gehenna's Dead Body Music full of the force of shadows. Watch for a revised version of the band on the road and with some new studio stuff in early 2002. Contact: http://www.gardens-of-gehenna.de

KALESON - God Says Yes

Progressive Metal heavy on the medieval fantasy trip. Reminds me of maybe Dio's band with Lizzy Borden's singer, or maybe Geddy Lee a very long time ago. Maybe Rainbow with Yngwie's singer in the 80's? I think maybe this one would be better in Sermon but I listen to it and besides Kaleson being from the Greek Bible, I can't tell if this is Dungeons and Dragons or the medieval music ministry. If you like any of the above mentioned, find Kaleson. I can't find any literature that came with this.

NOMED - Nomed

These guys are the thrash band from hell. Not only are they fast and totally evil sounding, but with the demon stomp from the pit done up original, there's no stopping these stormtroppers from Le Havre, France. Currently in the look for a label (hint), Nomed screams through the driving "Winds Of Heart" and the torturous speed riffs of "The Voice Of Demon", check out the percussion. When these guys throw that classic neck snapping thrash, it's nothing short of percision. Black metal as they are, the gothic "Metal Quest" seems more as an ode to conquest, in a very classic underground style. You progressive damnation on "In The Darkness", before the best chance for a single, the multi-honed "Feel The Pain", just fuckin' rips. Over all, as a demo they're shopping, and as an underground release, the sound is good, if at times a bit distorted as I am sure the band pushed the meters. If you want some serious, fast shit, you can't beat these guys. Contact: NOMED c/o Lemesle Andre 13 rue de la Solidarite 76620 Le Havre, France 0033-(0) 661562031 lemesleandre@aol.com

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Wizards Of Gore, A Tribute To Impetigo

An excellent 28 cut disc, a cut above the tributes you normally get, this one for Impetigo from grind masters Razorback Records, although out for a while now, ranks among the best you'll ever find. In the late 80's and early 90's, Impetigo defined what underground metal was. Blindingly fast, with death, black, thrash and speed metal all wrapped tightly, Impetigo never sold themselves short, they stayed brutal and completely underground until their end in 1993. What we have on this tribute are great metal bands themselves playing homage to a band that defined an era, when extreme metal came to full power, and probably forever changed the definition of hardcore. I won't list all the bands here, but check out the Razorback website, this is a must for Impetigo, or any balls-out-metal fan. Contact: http://www.razorbackrecords.com