The Latest Rants and Raves - Posted November 16, 2008

ONE MAN ARMY & THE UNDEAD QUARTET - Error In Evolution - Nuclear Blast

This is the second OMA release I have reviewed, but I'm still not quite sure what to make of this band. They are obviously obsessed with murder and mayhem, and the first few tracks support this with a down and dirty style that would be a suitable soundtrack for a fight in a biker bar, complete with brass knuckles and bloody pool cues. The latter portion, kicking off with the Alice Cooper cover "He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask), is considerably more creepy.

ARBITER - Demo

This three track promo shows a young band that holds some promise if they can get a little more disciplined about their song structures, which tend to be rather rambling and incohesive. Getting a second guitarist could help, so that the songs don't fall apart during all the lead squealing. Lyrically they show signs of being environmentally conscious, but the words are still appropriately spiteful and sick for a death metal band.

OCTAVIA SPERATI - Grace Submerged - Candlelight

An appropriate title for this mostly hard-driving, yet doom laden set from Norway's dark ladies, the lone exception being the power ballad "Don't Believe A Word", which puts a female spin on commitment issues. Driven by Trine's murky bass lines and Silje's haunting vocals, the album peaks with "Provenance of Hate" before closing with the moody instrumental "Submerged".

THE ABSENCE - Riders of the Plague - Metal Blade

What we have here is the absence of suck. Featuring a deadly version of the Testament thrash classic "Into The Pit", this set is a disciplined military assault with a simple objective, "destroy everything in sight".

SUSPERIA - Cut From Stone - Candlelight

They certainly picked an appropriate title for this Viking display of power. Although they have their moments of delicacy, notably in "Distant Memory" and the solemn "Brother", Susperia sticks to the hard and crushing method that has served them well on previous releases. Their skillful shredders are backed up by the formidable percussion of former Dimmu drummer Tjodalv and Athera's vocals express pride and pain in a range from coarse gravel to polished granite.