WITCHBURNER - Incarnation Of Evil

These guys went through some changes recently, but they are still one of the heaviest bands on the european continent, if not the entire planet. Witchburner works all the time, and musically they are shaping a true metal machine. Their attack rips you with raging blast beats that feed into big stomps and swift frontal assaults. Learning much from the big early underground stars, like classic maiden, metallica, and slayer, Witchburner crank up the boilers with some german blitzkrieg of their own. It took some doing, but Incarnation Of Evil finally made it out in 2002 and is one of the best metal albums of the past couple of years. Their underground hit "Hexenhammer" is a good place to start listening to what makes Witchhammer lethal. Blinding thrash mixed with the ripping bottom ends bring a smile. The song "War And Witchery" is nothing less than the battle cry of the apocalypse. Looks like we're here, with Witchburner as the "devils command", belching fire all the way to hell and back! Rock On! Recommended for war times. Contact: www.witchburner.de, witchburner666@web.de, POB 11 13, 36146 Kalbach, Germany

DOUBLE DIAMOND - Conquer With Steel

Part of the band's promotion campaign for their unreleased album at the time, this CD single made the Underground rounds and is now a collectors, if you can find it. Big beat traditional dual guitar metal with very strong fantasy themes. Think early Manowar. Their presentation and execution of imagery prevades the bands music, and their website, giving them lasting presence. That, and the appeal of their melodic classic metal, are gaining this band lots of fans. I'll raise my hand to that one. Contact: http://doublediamondmetal.cjb.net, erwin.suetens@notes.basant.be, doublediamond@pi.be or zjosuah@pandora.be +32(0)14593412

BONE DUST - 2002

The two minute beginning of this album has to go. I suppose the band thought it was necessary. Grinding thrash, raw vocals and progressive changes, and lots of them, mark this band's sound afterwards. Bone Dust are beyond heavy, as they break it down to the roots of grindcore, then come back at you with hardcore angst. They fire off one of the best early as the "Injected With Frustration" gives you a thrash piece of work. They grind you down to pulp on the following "Tainted". If you're in the mood for some serious head banging, "Autumn Slaughters" is like a morass of big riff. This shit will wipe out the neighbors! Contact: cain620@aol.com, Keith (614) 920-4336/266-2861

SMOKEBOX - Sampler CD

Big riffs out of the box, using powerchords like vintage UFO, then throwing the Skin Lab stylings and some classic metal vibes, Smokebox hits like a big stomp after the master toke. Enough growling, shouting mixing speedy punk metal to make any head high. As you get into their vibe, Smokebox brings you into their garage, where they tinker with vintage metal distortion coaxing the deep rumble and buzz saw grind that meshes well when Servidio lets loose with a combo of grunts, grumbles, and something that reminds me of Morrison flying drunk. Pretty cool really, just shy of really classy, or real cheesy. Contact: smokebox@exploremaine.com, Ton (207)375-7233, Rick (207)576-1368

DESIRE - Locos Horrendus

As fucking gothic as black metal gets. Screams of demons, as their blackened hearts weep in the cold darkness, beautiful modal instrumentation, full of depth and drama, tinge their mournful cries. Singing guitars tell the tale of the underworld, of lost hearts, souls, burning passions of wanting. The lyrics of Desire are incredibly intense, reading as a novel spun into music, haunting, demonic and succulently spiritual in any of the moves the music takes you through. A better band mixing the elements of pure, fantastic poetry, with dark, moving music, I do not know. This Desire CD will be a colletors in the underground. Contact: POBox 21380, 1132-001, Lisbon, Portugal, thecrowshelter.desire@clix.pt, thecrowshelter-desire.planetaclix.pt

SIC SEED - aka the DEVILS baby

One of the hottest up n coming bands from 2002, Sic Seed plow forward with their first full length release. Sic Seed hail from the heart of colonial American, Norfolk Virginia, and like good eastern US bands tend to be there abouts on the metal scene, Sic Seed excel at being traditional as well as creative. One second it's some of the fastest thrash you've heard, then its wicked grindcore, straight into some psychedelic noise, then back into the thrash. Lots of thrashing, grinding, and screaming in Sic Seed land ladies and gentlemen. These motherfuckers can fly on the hardcore, don't ever let anyone fool ya. The song Right is an underground classic. Contact: Sinternational Records, www.sinternational.net, or Sic Seed @ 1152 Eppington Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23454

MELANCHOLIC SEASONS - "in my eyes"

Very emotive and harsh, Melancholic Seasons bring black metal from Germany. At times their production belies the band's tight agility, so you might need a couple of listens and then you'll either really get into this, or it's too melancholy. The riffs are straightforward, vintage early black metal stuff. "This Is Your God" has a really cool beginning, and turns into a showcase for MS to show us how they can rock. What follows is "I Am The Evil", a fine piece of work as MS shows you how they can rage too. The "Frozen Lyrics" pumps the thrust of a wicked metal grind and builds through the verse, only letting you down when you expect something a bit more brutal for the climax. Of the six songs on this EP, give 'em a strong 3, for a 50% kill rate, and put it on the list to buy the full length release in summer 2003 Contact: Andreas Henke, Leipziger Ring 164, 63110 Rodgau, Germany, andi@melancholic-seasons.de

GODDESS OF DESIRE - Conquerors Divine

Tops of the theatrical death metal class, that actually play fucking good, instead of drunk bastards with greasepaint screaming and growling. The listener can understand the yelp of all the vocals well, and enjoy listening to Goddess Of Desire's tales of war, dark angels, triumph of the pagans over christians, the usual evil stuff. Conquerers Divine has a much improved sound and songwriting compared to GOD's last recorded outting. The great songs and better music mesh good with their demonic battle visions. They shroud this battle demon in shades of music that mixes everything from vintage kiss sounds to s.o.d to classic maiden, take this demon out on stage, throw in some hot chicks, war paint, volume, fire, madness, give you hell and tell you to fuck off. Ancient and Awesome. Contact: www.goddess-of-desire.info/,lordarydon@goddess-of-desire.info, 3431223@pager.mirabilis.com, Nesdijk 81, NL-1861 MH Bergen, Netherlands

BIOMECHANICAL - Distorted (Eight Moons prerelease)

Superior old school metal from the UK, Biomechanical churn out a strong dose of composed metal masterpieces. Ranging from the excellent epic "The Awakening" to the psycho colored "Do You Know Me", their music employs top of the line guitar work with a classic bottom end that seems to hug the corners as the strength of the vocals take the music to the limit without overpowering the listener with screetching like so many lessor bands attempting this quality. For balls-out riffing, phrasing, and groove, check out the searing sounds of the title cut. The group also has put together a well planned and executed website, that looks good and for the most part faster than alot of the flash heavy stuff I've seen (and I've seen way too much). Originally released as a four song demo, Distorted has been incorporated into their debut album Eight Moons. Well worth your attention if you love the killer. Contact: www.biomechanical.co.uk, jonbiomechanical@aol.com

BYFIST - Adrenalin

Nothing but pure fucking juice here. Byfist rock like they created the genre, bombshell power riffs, metal anthems scream from this extremely popular band. Classic metal at it's very best. Byfist are known in the underground as one of the strongest of the style bands that have been coming back in in the independent metal scene over the past couple of years, it's starting to feel like the early 80's again, with the mind blowing music that is coming out. Byfist simply kick ass on songs like the atomic "Meltdown", with it's blasting riff and cool fist pounding "radiation meltdown" ending. Check out the vocals of Vikk Real, he's the "real thing" alright. He's got the pipes. The whole band just blasts your face. You gotta get this! Contact: Saba Records, POB 1098m Helotes, Texas 78023, sabarecords2000@yahoo.com, www.byfist.com

CHARLIE DROWN - Silent Rizing

Charlie's back to fuckin' rip your head off and feed it to the dogs. A blend of electro prog metal, gothic and Wendy O' Williams, Charlie Drown comes off like street punks on a murder spree. There is madness all around as Kull and Martin take off the gloves and metal it up bareknuckled. From the killing reality of "Dazed" to the industrial fisting sex of "DominHater", people literally everywhere are getting off on Charlie Drown. When you've got killer heavy shit, a super sex goddess for a lead singer, there is no limit to what you can do. Another release like this one will completely break this band on the scene. Tattoos included! Contact: www.charliedrown.com, charlie@charliedrown.com

SUMMON - No Thoughts From The Sky

Death metal coated with thrash and sold to you black as hell. Demons salavate over this, with its faster than thou blast beats burning the ears and stoking the death metal screams of glorious pain. So fucking dark these guys are, so fucking fast, call it hardcore from deepest hell. Summon lets you know, the fury from down below, hath risin from Michigan. Contact: www.angelfire.com/mi/summon/, summon@voyager.net