CD REVIEWS IV - Miscellaneous - http://maxpages.com/aeazine2/ISSUE_12_CD_REVIEWS

SIGH Gallows Gallery
Baphomet Records, PO Box 282, Wellsville, OH 43968 USA
www.infernalhorde.com/baphomet
I became a huge fan of Sigh after picking up Hail Horror Hail, which in many ways is years ahead of anything I've heard from a thrash or black metal band. The album presented a unique and vivid perception of the outside world viewed by a person who is not entirely all there, not to mention a perspective of mortality from deep inside his mind, that no other act has even come close to. For this reason it is a regular fixture in my stereo to this day. Unfortunately I missed the band's next full-lengths (Scenario IV: Dread Dreams, Imaginary Sonicscape), so I'm jumping ahead about seven years from Hail Horror Hail to Gallows Gallery, though I got to hear Necrophagia's new album with Mirai Kawashima in the lineup and I'm planning to return to the other albums in the near future. While some elements that brought Hail Horror Hail to mind are here, the backbone of this album is of a traditional heavy metal and thrash flavor with some progressive rock added for good measure. The line connecting "Pale Monument" (start) to "Messiahplan" (finish) is straighter and tighter compared to the schizophrenic manner in which Hail... fluctuated from tempo to tempo and mood to mood. The production is much stronger, as if the band are playing right in your room as you listen, having brought a full PA system. The percussion in particular seemed to threaten to flatten me into my chair with each drum hit. Mirai has found an interesting way to make his vocals simultaneously aggressive and melodic and adds some equally interesting effects to his voice. Catchy vocal harmonies show themselves between some of the verse-chorus patterns. Mirai also contributes keyboard solos to the songs on this album, the way they're arranged with Shinichi Ishikawa's guitar solos is another favorable aspect. In "The Enlightenment Day," these arrangements have an almost Megadeth-like precision. With guest appearances from KIlljoy of Necrophagia, Metatron of Meads of Asphodel, Niklas Sundin of Dark Tranquility and Bruce Lamont of Yakuza who contributes saxophone solos (!), this is easily one of the year's finest moments in metal. -DW

SLEEPING VILLAGE Mourning Persists
Eyes of the Dead Productions, http://eyesofthedead.cjb.net, eodprod@interfree.it
Yet another promising Italian black metal band, Sleeping Village (inspired by the Black Sabbath song of the same name) hail from Tuscany and have been writing and recording since winter 2002. Before releasing Mourning Persists in 2005, founding member Mortifer recorded a self-produced self-titled limited edition (only 30 copies) debut in May of 2003. For those who might have gotten their hands on one of those copies, Mortifer states there is more atmosphere and emotion on the new demo. Some of the bands Mortifer cites as influences are Fleurety, Forgotten Woods, Ulver and Bethlehem. The songs on Mourning Persists are lonely, despondent black metal with a contrast between ambiance and electronics. Most of the electronic sounds seem to be in the percussion, mostly if there's a song with a blast beat. Occasionally an effect will be added when a faster song is reaching its peak of energy, creating a dissemblance that comes across as profound against the backdrop of razor-sharp guitars and pounding electronic battery. In the slower songs, the drums are more organic and contribute a distant aura suggesting vast, bottomless desolation. These songs often counterpoint themselves, vacillating between tranquil, almost beautiful, soundscapes and harsher semblances of despair. Release of this CD is limited to 500 copies. -DW

SOCIAL DEFORMITY Grotesque Depravity
Bloodhead Productions, P.O. Box 2074, Mariupol, Donetsk region 87539 Ukraine
Another Russian CD that comes from the slaying tundras. Oh man, does this release just slaughters everything in site! Starts out like an episode of Doctor Who's The Long Game. Like some trippy airplane sequence with some pleasant voice, then it just brutally slays from then on. This has got to be one of the deepest and most guttural things since anything Suffocation ever put out. Cause it sounds a lot like that, just an assault on your eardrums, which is the way I prefer. The cover itself has some masked person with something that looks like a planet on this person's chest. But it ends up being a bug bunch of killer fleas swirling around this person's chest! Deep musical brutality that just kills you in your feeble sleep, unrelenting madness from the corridors of true disturbing death! Standout songs include: Left to Die, Pulled Out Of The Grave, Opening the Casket and The Realm Of Dumb Science. This brutality was produced by Indi of Grenouer. Check out social Deformity's site at: http://blastdeform.musica.mustdie.ru. There mailing info is this: 614022 RUSSIA, Perm City, Karpinskogo str. 31 - 26. Shablov Anatoly’s email is this: blastdeform@hotmail.ru. Another potent force of killing come from the torn motherland of Russia’s dismemberment of corpses! Hell yeah man! *Raises demonic horns for Blastcore!" -Mickmo

SUPERCHRIST Heavy Metal Tonight
Black Planet, 3176 N. Broadway Avenue #95, Chicago, IL 60657 USA
I was pleasantly surprised with this album, cause it was a live album recorded in Chicago, but it was not your typical metal album, mind you. This had very clear vocals to it, almost reminisce of GG Allin or even Danzig. This has a few punk influences in it, from what I can gather. It is a little sleazy, but just really expressive and always has this presence in your face. It lets you know on the CD itself that, when “Sunday, May 2nd 2004 rolls around, your all fucked!”. Lots of family favorites on this one like “Stand Up And Shit” and “Frano Fucked Yoko Ono” supply the smoke-induced room full of frequent clubbers. In its own little way, this just really grows on you like the ugly rearing of any early Motorhead album. It is much like the cover itself: dark, a little blue and electrical. But I found myself singing along to the lyrics after a while. So hit these dudes up for a contact: Superchrist, C/O Black Planet, 3176 N. Broadway Avenue #95, Chicago, IL 60657 USA or check out their site at superchrist.net. Email contact is: godblesssuperchrist@yahoo.com. Do it before the storm clouds strike you down amidst the darkness of some lonely church steeple somewhere. There truly is, Heavy Metal Tonight! -Mickmo

SYNTHETIC THEORY self-titled
http://www.myspace.com/synthetictheory
A cool little instrumental album, this has a lot of beats and progressions that were very heavy. I am with this school myself of making music solely on the computer. But this just explodes from your speakers tenfold. Like in this wild reverberation from an Interplanetary chaos. Standout songs include: Breaking The Core, Eargasm, Isolation Impuring Consciousness, Emotion Impalation, Dispersing in Hatred and The Massacre Fetus. I did not get much contact info into this release, but check out: http://www.myspace.com/synthetictheory for a taste of their wild and uninhibited music. Their email is this: screamgounheard@hotmail.com. The taste of death is a bitter one! -Mickmo

VILE The New Age Of Chaos
Listenable Records, BP 73, 62930 Wimereux, France
Unique Leader Records. P.O. Box 6544, Los Osos, CA 93412 USA
I saw these dudes when they had James Lee from Origin as lead vokills during their touring. This is an album that kills people in the boiler room and just takes no prisoners whatsoever! Utter brutality with this thing. Slamming beats of blood pour on you as this album just perpetuates into deep mad sickness and descent. Key songs to take note of are Devour, The New Age Of Chaos, Suicide Warfare, The Burning Shrines, World Hunt and Forlorn. This is actually a pretty progressive death metal album and even political in meaning. Great riffs and a whole lot of slaying to go! It just kills little children in their sleep! The reason I say this, they progress a step further then Depopulate. The album cover has this split world with some Iraqi blade and in the split 3rd Planet is fresh brain matter. Contact the gore masters at this address: VILE, PO Box 6032, Concord, CA 94524 USA. Website: www.vilestench.com. Kill your evil parents who grounded you and have a nice day! -Mickmo

WATCH ME BURN self-titled
PO Box 6488, Burbank, CA 91510-6488 USA
www.watchmeburn.com, kevinfetus@hotmail.com
This is a great little promo done up by a band called Watch Me Burn. It has 4 songs on this, but they pack an amazing slaughter to them. Kevin Fetus is with this band, along with this amazing girl who does vokills. The cover art is done up by Ratbone, and it is also some very brutal art! With 4 songs, there are a few stand outs, like The Wolf That Ate The Sun and Rusty Nails. Another Vomitcore production that just really slays as it totally burns! Anyone who wants a demo, contact: Vomitcore Music, PO Box 6488, Burbank, CA 91510-6488. The website is www.watchmeburn.com. Go check it out or die very slowly! -Mickmo

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