Diahableries reviews E

[:: E Reviews ::]
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Band: Eclectika
Title: The last blue bird
Material: cd
Label: azylum ruines
Year: 2007
Reviewed by: Voïd

Eclectika is a black thrash melodic band from France. After a demo out in 2005 the band proposes this time a complete entitled album ' the last blue bird '. It would be difficult to classify this band because it uses several methods of expression black metal voice, death metal and female voice, left athmospheric and thrash rhythmic. We could place Eclectika in a more experimental and independent frame directed to the black metal.
The production really misses strength, what does not put the band in its advantage. We feel that the album is not completely succeeds and misses maturity. There are many of the good ideas but they are not exploited in hundred percent. The set not being completely catastrophic for all that. We can hope that the band knows how to advance in the future its qualities which are already perceptible on this album.

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Band : Edenyzed
Title : Vanity moves the world
Material : cd-r
Label : Autoproduction
Reviewed by : Sagoth

This band comes from Italy where a scene is starting to grow up with bands such as Technophobia. EDENYZED make their place with "Vanity moves the World". They play an industrial metal with symphonic orchestral parts sometimes and with electro influences from time to time. Saturated guitars are joined to intersect the whole. The voices remind of black metal vocals but there is no Satanism lyrics there even if everything looks like a deep breath during dark days. The band proposes a romantic approach with their visuals nearer to gothic than everything else : standard gibus, costumes and good dress are required. Thus, they play a very good music and it is efficient because everything is in its place there. They conceive a strong univers that takes the listener away like a man dreaming under the wormwood influence into a mysterious world. We will not leave this band without after-effects. I expect some more from them. A very good production because all the songs have an high level of quality. This stuff is awesome and the lay-out is polished. So, I recommend to keep a close listening on this band.

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Band : Electronic Press Kit
Title : [Racines + Apports]
Material : cd-r (promo)
Label : Abyssa Netlabel
Year : 2007
Reviewed by : HssH

Mark : 3,5/5

Electronic Press Kit is a side project from Emmanuel D. who plays with Electric Press Kit (noisy cold wave and industrial band). With four titles that compose “[Racines + Apports]” Emmanuel offers a dark and ambient music with a lot of minimal or refined musical parts. No vocals to enlarge the whole except the addition of samples such as “Jamais peut-être il n’y a eu tant de philosophes et si peu de philosophie” and such as lyrics vocals at the end of the album. Thus, this opus is for introspection really because it is as soothing as dreamlike. Keyboards mixed with drums and samples. Nothing else inside. Sometimes it could be done with perfect arrangements but this time it begins first with a very poor track with too much repetitions. Too bad. Then the compositions still repetitive progress with success to result in a dark dreamlike invitation. That’s much better in my opinion. Therefore, track after track, the whole grows up such as a strange composite into an organic entity and makes it interesting. Also, the keybords sound on “Ouverture” which is the last track too reminds of cathedral’s organs with a neverending repetition. It repeats and repeats again to damage your brain such as a ritual from an old age. At last, the faultless production is a good point for “[Racines + Apports]”. It distinguishes between a lot of demo releases sound. Maybe you will be ok with this musical sight.

Kontakt :
Band : www.myspace.com/electronicpk
Label : http://abyssa.netlabel.free.fr

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Band: Element
Title: Nos corps perdus
Material: cd
Label: Manitou Music
Year: 2007
Length: 35 mn
Reviewed by: HssH

Mark: 5/5

Watcha, Mass Hysteria or Aqme should be named Element’s brothers in arms so true it is that “Nos corps perdus” is a new son for this kind of music that I would call melodic metal core which usually uses electro-rock influences to intensify the whole. So, Element constrain itself to convince since its first release called “A Coeur ouvert” recorded in 2005 and it’s finally a success with “Nos corps perdus”: 10 tracks of which an acoustic track with “A jamais éteint”. Everything is great there: faultless sound, perfect production, ingenious compositions…what else ? Element’s singer knows how to take turns hard core screams with pop and rock vocals melodies and it’s enlarged with background vocals. Besides a lot of dark, sad and also gloomy melodies intensify the choice of lyrics because the opus talks above all about silliness of human being and precisely something such as “silliness of human being should make you think. Thus, it’s never too late for a whole life change”, you know. There is an extract from « Fracasse » song for instance: “Renverse ceux qui mettent à terre, réagis soi fier, fais leur mordre la poussière,[…]impose le respect, […] à toi de changer la donne ». Therefore, a strong riot mood inside makes the whole powerful and catchy. All rhythmic parts second to perfection this prevailing atmosphere. So, I recommend you to discover this band quickly !

Kontakt:
Management: www.m-o-office.com
Label: www.thundering-records.com

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Band : El Grinding Mafiozos Sampler #1
Title : Comp cdr #1
Material : cd
Label : Overcome Recs
Year : .
Reviewed by : HSSH

Note :

El Grinding Mafiozos sampler #1 : 22 bands of brutal death or grind metal : Encabulos, Solekhan, Gerbe of Life, Openwound, Birdflesh, Byatis, Divine Rapture, Fate, Inhumate, Inhume, Bloody Sign, Ananda, Kabbal, The Kill, Insision, Regurgitate, Repudiate, Rotting, Fleshtized, Profanity, Disgust, Sudden Death. Quite sound production for all of them !!! Kover artwork by Gab from Nihilistic Holocaust zine (still raw !!!!). Kontakt : Ananda : c/o Lacombe Jérôme - 65, rue haute - 78250 Meulan - France, Birdflesh : Razorback Rec. ; Bloody Sign : c/o Ulbo - 47, rue Basse - 68420 Gueberschwihr - France. Bloody Sign ; Byatis : Flavien Bridault - 6, av. des rossignols - 62360 Hesdin l'Abbé - France. Byatis ; Disgust : Laurent Dequidt - 7, rue Jules Guesde - 62420 Billy Montigny -France. Disgust . Divine Rapture : P.O. Box 159 - Chester Heights - PA 19017 - USA. Divine Rapture ; Encabulos : P.O. box 1648 - Geelong VIC - Australia 3220. Encabulos ; Fate : c/o Quarante Berny - 12, rue Jean Lolive - 93170 Bagnolet - France. Fate ; Gerbe of Life : c/o Seb - 10, rue Molière appt 2C - 59000 Lille - France. Gerbe of Life ; Inhumate : c/o Fred Anton - 19, rue des pâturages - 67310 Zeinheim - France. Inhumate ; Inhume : Inhume ; Insision : c/o C.Birath - Inedalsgatan 10nb - 112 33 - Stockholm - Sweden. Insision ; Kabbal : c/o Diamond Prods - Le Plan de Cabrie Ouest - 83340 Fayence - France. Kabbal ; Openwound/The Kill : P.O. Box 133 - Deer Park 3023 - Melbourne - Victoria - Australia. Blastasfuk ; Profanity : Martl Bauer - Emilienstr.19c - 86153 Ausburg - Germany. Profanity ; Regurgitate : Regurgitate ; Repudiate : Repudiate ; Rotting : Rotting ; Solekhan : 7, rue Leclerc - 67300 Schiltigheim - France. Solekhan ; Sudden Death : Mathias Härtel - Osterkamps Kamp 5 - 49525 - Lengerich - Germany. Sudden Death ; Overcome Recs : BP 80249 - 35102 Rennes cedex 3 - France. Overcome Recs. Available ! (go to the Diahableries Association Section)

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Band : Ellipsis
Title : Imperial tzadik
Label : Thundering Records
Material : cd
Year : 2006
Reviewed by : Huruem

Note : DDDDD

Ellipsis is a weird band. They’re playing a progressive metal with some slightly doom influences and they call that “psycho metal”. The vocals lines are mostly sung, not shouted, which sounded weird to me to be honest. When you’re used to listen to some stuff like Neurosis, Isis, Opeth,… You’re pretty much used to listen to growls even with a music that doesn’t play much on the brutality of Metal. I think I would have been able to cope
with that if the singer was really impressive, but It seems that this guy has difficulties to go to some very high pitched parts, and he’s doing it a lot. On the other hand, the instrumental parts are great. The atmosphere is very interesting, the guitar riffs are very very good, the keyboard lines are good. Unfortunatly the Bass and drumparts are left aside. The band has a real identity. I mean it is a very interesting and impressive work. It’s just that I never entered the album despite lots of efforts to do so, and I couldn’t find the reason why, except the vocals but it’s probably not the the only reason.

Comment by HssH : I’m fond of Ellipsis vocals because he does what he wants with. From Messiah Marcolin vocals to Manilla Road singing, from thrash to death too, I have one thing to say : beautiful !!! And Ellipsis music is great too because it’s very inventive, original, far from beaten tracks. Sick and cheeky ! Now, make your opinion…from Huruem to HssH comment !

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Band : Elysian Blaze
Title : Levitating the carnal
Label : Asphyxiate recordings
Material : cd Year : 2006
Reviewed by : Iormungand Thrazar

Note : DDDDD

Elysian Blaze is quite unknow to this day : let’s say that with the amount of quality displayed on the second album entitled « Levitating the carnal « , this fact has to change. Having released their debut effort « Cold walls and apparitions » through German label Nocturnal Silence Productions, Elysian Blaze got offered a deal by their fellow countrymates of Asphyxiate recordings. This Australian one-man band shares two things with Pestilential Shadows (another great Australian act) : they don’t sound Australian at all (compared to the black/death metal we’re used to from this area) and they play very dark and melancholic black metal. In fact, this album reminds me of Vrolok’s « Soul amputation » insofar as it displays the same kind of total and muddy darkness. All songs last more than 10 minutes except for the intro and outro, the production is quite harsh but is perfect for the style. Keyboards hold a good place though not too much, they add a great dimension to Elysian Blaze’s musical creation. This is the kind of album that follows you for a part of your life and this will be reminded for sure. « Macabre be thy blood », « Eclipse » and « Levitating the carnal » are my personal favourites but all titles have something great in them. If you thought Xasthur or Leviathan were the archetypes of depressive black metal, well I got to say I really prefer Elysian Blaze over these two. Anytime…

Contact : http://www.myspace.com/asphyxiate_recordings

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Band: Embryonic Cells
Title: Before the Storm
Label: self-released
Material : Cd
Year: 2007
Reviewed by: Viod ( from coroner zine)

"Embryonic Cells" leaves finally its first album entitled "Before the storm" after 12 years of existence, because although it is their first album, the band formed in 1994. They had exerted for this time in the black metal underground. The album is composed of 10 titles of dark music with small dimensions of symphonic feelings that homogenizes the whole. The album begins with an introduction that makes fear and it prepares the listener to a sequel. As a whole the titles are well built: the rhythmic ones are powerful and emotive, accentuated by keyboards (harmonic choirs). The titles are distinct the ones from the others, with tempos and various feelings which pass from melancholy to titles much more aggressive and hard, with epic tendency such as "Godess earth", as an example, that turned to thrash metal (Slayer old). The band knew how to find a personal style and original, with the various influences camouflaged well in their musical interpretation, what takes part in the originality of their style. The sound of the album is not too badly for a self-production, excepted the mixing of the vocals ones which would be saturated too much and which dribbles. We have to hope that this album will do the French band out of the underground scene, and that they find a label which will be able to return to these musicians the 12 year old fruit of work and musical passion. "Embryonic Cells" is an example to be followed and encouraged!

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Band : Enter VI
Title : Dreams
Material : cd
Label : Nick Fehlberg and Enter VI
Year : 2000.
Reviewed by : HSSH

Note :

Enter VI:Dreams / 10 tracks(A.Skocic/A.Vexler/R.Juhasz/D.Shore) 2000.Old school thrashing metal band there with Testament, Slayer and Exodus influences. No death or black vokals but powerful and killing sound ! The band come from Australia and this is a professionnal opus. Produced by Nick Fehlberg and Enter VI.

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Band : Epheles
Title : L'ombre de la Croix
Material : cd
Label :
Year : 2001.
Reviewed by : HSSH

Note :

Epheles : L'ombre de la Croix / 4 tracks (Nephtys/Malphas). 2001One more french black metal ! Yes, and their release is excellent too ! Their musik is brutal and melodik sometimes. Not basik at all ! You can find depressive gothik influences or beginning Emperor style. This opus is better than their last tape demo. Fast, dark, brutal, melodik with a very good sound quality.This is for those who need variations into long tracks. The "singer" voice will take your breath away. Epheles - 57, rue principale Eich - 57430 Sarrable - France Available ! (go to the Diahableries Association Section)

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Band : Eternal Majesty
Material : cd
Title : Wounds of hatred and slavery
Label : Candlelight Records/Appease Me
Year : 2006
Reviewed by : Iormungand Thrazar

Note : 4.5/5

The French black metal squad has finally returned. After two convincing releases, the 2003 album "From war to darkness" and the 2005 ep "Night shadows", Eternal Majesty has now signed with Candlelight Records. Contractually, this is a major improvement for them. Obviously, regarding the quality of this second album entitled "Wounds of hatred and slavery ”, the English label took a good decision (in fact, Eternal Majesty signed with Appease Me which is a subdivision of Candlelight, but that's the same really). From the first electric notes of "The return of the frozen wind", no doubt, Eternal Majesty is still the same, but they have improved on all fields: production, musicianship and compositions. Everything on this album is more complete and finished than previously. Eternal Majesty means supersonic accelerations, impure throat of hate, warlike drums and throbbing bass. The improved and more efficient production has really taken the compositions to another, higher level. The band is now more devastating than ever. The fastness of "Don't follow me" remind me of "Soyons les pierre du temple noir" from the first album, but don't think you have heard it all since the dark essence of this album lies in the last three tracks in my opinion. Most bands tend to become boring after five or six songs and the end of the album is just a filler, Eternal Majesty doesn't. The triplet "The last march of the crucified", "Corrupted shadow" and "Through the mist" is breathtaking."The last march of the crucified" is pure Eternal Majesty, brutal and melodic at the same time. "Corrupted shadow" starts with a riff we could have heard on a Taake album and "Through the mist" is really vicious, starting with a calm piece of black metal and ending with a melody similar to old Mütiilation. Forgot to mention the intro "Wounds", the interlude "Hatred" and the outro "Slavery", three pieces of creepy ambient music, reminding the listener of the album title: the loop is closed. "Wounds of hatred and slavery" is a masterpiece album of fierce, melodic and straightforward black metal by one of the best bands of the French territory. No more, no less.

Contacts :
Http://www.eternalmajesty.com
Http://www.myspace.com/eternalmajesty666

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Band : Eternal Majesty / Temple of Baal
Title : Unholy Chants of Darkness / Faces of the Void
Material : lp
Label : Eal production
Year : 2000.
Reviewed by : HSSH

Note :

Eternal Majesty / Temple of Baal : Unholy Chants of Darkness / Faces of the Void / E.M. : 1 intro/3 tracks/1 outro / T.o.B. : 3 tracks (E.Majesty : Navint Alfius/Martyr/Sagoth/Thorgon/T.o.B. : Arkdaemon/Ambuscias) This is the first limited split opus with the two bands. You will find old and new tracks. The new tracks of E.Majesty are excellent. There is a lot of variations, arrangements which sound very good. I think they need a label now. Their musik is better than ever. They are one of the most ug bands from France to give the best on gig today. I hope they will follow Antaeus on the Osmose Productions way. But i didn't really care to Temple of Baal. Ok, you recognize their musik bu this is too much basik for me this time and sometimes it is boring. I prefer what they did on their tapes. But this is just my opinion. In the meantime, this is pure Temple of Baal style there. You will be not disappointed when you buy it anyway !

Contact : Eal Productions - bp 4 - 86281 St Benoît cedex - France - Eal

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Band : Exodus
Title : Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Material : cd
Label : Nuclear Blast GmbH
Year : 2005
Reviewed by : HssH

Note : DDDDD

Exodus strike again with their new thrash metal opus called “Shovel Headed Kill Machine”. This is the second release after their come back with “Tempo of the Damned” out last year. Ten tracks of pure thrash metal from US. They know the play ! But listen ! They have a new singer this time (Rob Dukes) and Rick Hunolt gone away. So, they have a new guitar player : Lee Altus. Tome Hunting left the band too and it has a consequence : Less feelings and less melodies than before with the lead guitar parts. Also less variations with the vocals but steady rythmic parts and sometimes it’s more technical than their old releases. This opus recorded with a high sound quality. Thus, you will be not disappointed with the sound and everything is ok for all rythmics parts. But I found “Tempo…” better !!! Maybe because Steve Souza and Rick Hunolt did the rest…because they did the part that I needed. So, “Shovel…” offers good parts because it is efficient sometimes. But it is linear sometimes too in my opinion and it’s the first time I felt it with this band. And what about the cover and the lay-out ? Well, you will like it if you agree with the video-games pictures.

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