QUARTERLY CD reviews

Autumn 2005

TWILIGHT ODYSSEY
Twilight Odyssey

independent

Yes, it’s there: one of the most precious hard rock diamonds of this year. We were already blown away by their three track demo CD, but this release simply beats everything. Ten songs and a total length of a bit over a full hour, TWILIGHT ODYSSEY provides you with the best true metal imaginable. When the CD kicks off with “Plaza Del Torros”, we get a flashback of our one-day event with this band in their rehearsal room in New York City. The IRON MAIDEN like choruses are mixed with the flashing guitar work of Ben Asaro. And this is only just the beginning. I slowly start to raise my fist to the beginning of “Zero Hour”, again beefed up with early MAIDEN like riffs. “Near Dark” is definitely (Rita and I agreed on that!) our favorite song. Don’t ask us why. It’s the unexplainable magic that was there from the moment we heard the song in the rehearsal room. PJ’s vocals are clear and she’s not the screaming kind, thank God! Ben is a guitar hero pur sang, but the good thing is that his solos are in duty of the songs. He is not the MALMSTEEN-like big ego tripper, that starts a solo in the beginning of the song and ends it when the last notes slowly fade away. Wow, what a big punch on the face! With “Under The Black Flag” we finally get a little room to breath, after a great, almost overwhelming start. “Under The Black Flag” is a lengthy song with a lot of speed and mood changes. To me, this is sufficient proof, that the band knows to create a good song without stranding in too complex structures. It slowly builds itself up into a nice climax, in which drummer Sal Pellerito beats the shit out of his drum kit like he was chased by a seven-headed dragon. “Defiler” is another lengthy metal song, in which we hear the strength of PJ’s vocals very well. The icely scream at the end of this song will make the temperature drop a few degrees in your room, that’s for sure. In the beginning of “The Endless Days Of A Stranger”, the four legged and armed drummer is unleashed again. The chorus invites you to raise your fist and yell the words out real loud. This will be great, when they play this fantastic song in a live setting. Also Ben is warming up his fingers in this song. One of the highlights on the album, that’s for sure. After that, there’s again some time to take a deep breath during “Onward To The Games”. It opens with some relaxing guitar work of Ben, and it’s a little piece of rest with some great axework of the maestro himself. You’re gonna need it, because the band has got some more impressive pieces of art left for us at the end of the album. “The New Queen” is build upon a nice riff, and the speed goes up once more. “Gettysburg (The Blue And The Gray)” is from the demo. The riff is still magic and it contains just about everything that a good metal song needs. Just listen to the awesome guitar solo, and you’ll be flabbergasted for life. And the canonballs of destruction have just begun…..(remember WARLORD). Even MANOWAR would not have to be ashamed of themselves, if they would come up with a song like this. The CD closes with “Gift Of The Southern Oracle”, which is another, great, eight minute metal experience, written by one of the most fantastic US metal bands of this moment. Besides PJ, Ben and Pat, the band consists of bass player Gennady Khirich, who seems to be invisible, like a good bass player should. But without his input, the rhythm just wouldn’t be complete, believe me. TWILIGHT ODYSSEY went for the highest score available, and they have reached their goal with an album, that could end very high in our list of best metal albums of 2005. Congratulations! Website: http://www.twilightodyssey.com.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

Summer 2005

SCARLET ANGEL
Scarlet Angel

Road Peezah Records

Beware of the Angel! Don’t tell me, that I didn’t warn you. This is what heavy metal is all about. Nine songs with a total running time of thirty minutes, all classics, put on a silver disc. When you look at the CD cover, you know that you’ve discovered a rough diamond with this CD. And bingo, it’s the highest quality immaginable. The band hails from Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and captures the best of bands like HALLOWEEN or any other US metal band. The high pitching vocals of Jackie Joyce, the innovative drum parts of Kim Yates, the perfect leads, breaks and riffs of Michelle Armiger and the concrete bass foundation of John Mooney makes this CD just perfect. Add to this, the really awesome artwork and lyrics and you have the right ingredients for one of the best US metal releases of the past few years, together with IGNITOR and hopefully the new release of TWILIGHT ODYSSEY. The opener is a short spoken word on music, but with “Scarlet Angel”, they already stole my heart. Listen to the great metal riffs in “Iron Clad Warrior”. Those high screams!! Men, I wish this band would play over here in Europe soon, because they are ready for a big international breakthrough, if it was up to me. Do you still have any doubts? Just listen to the beginning of “I Won’t Hurt You” and you’ll agree with me, that these people create the perfect old school metal songs. I am not kidding here! Check out “Airborne: Death From Above”. The only thing that you can do is to raise your fists in the air and yell. The solo in this song makes the chalk disappear from your bedroom wall. It’s absolutely brilliant and awesome beyond belief. All songs on this album are highlights, believe me. But if I had to pick just one, it definitely would be the last song “Jack-O-Latern”. It opens like “Trick Or Treat” of HALLOWEEN, and then explodes in the fourth gear. Check out the interview with this band in this last printed issue of Metal Maidens, and check out the bands website at http://kimskrypt.com/scarletangelrocks.htm. or you don’t belong to the army of metal believers anymore. Hail to SCARLET ANGEL, and I will do something that I’ve never done before in the forty issues we made so far of this magazine. I’ll reward this CD with the title of ‘Quarterly Pick’ and give it five and a half flashbombs. Just to let you know, that this release is an essential buy in every metal collection.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX1/2 (=11 points out of 10!!)

March 2005

BARRELHOUSE
As Long As It Is, It's Not What It Will Have Been

Munich Records

This album might look a bit odd in my yearlist, between all the brutal violence of bands like MOTÖRHEAD, TYRANT’S REIGN and BITCHES SIN. But BARRELHOUSE always has had a special place in my heart. Their energetic live shows, great albums, and constant ability to create music which always hits a soft spot in my heart, makes them a very special band in my eyes. And right now I am already looking forward to catch the band live again at our own Leerdam Blues festival at the end of February. Before this will actually happen, there’s their new live album to enjoy. And again I am more than impressed. Even after so many years of existance, the band still is in great shape. From the first notes on, I am in a trance, and this only disappears when the last notes fade away. The album was recorded on several different locations in Holland between 1997 and 2004. The guitar tandem always knows how to amaze me. Sometimes, it seems like they don’t know how to end a guitar solo, so it goes on and on and on. Johnny and Guus Laporte take care of this instrumental piece of firework. Han van Dam does the same, but then on his piano. And I know from their live shows that I attended many times, that he also has that same drive to go on and on. Especially, when the crowd drives him mad, he will add just a little bit more. The rhythm section of a band must be invisible. You must be able to rely on these guys every second, because although they are not upfront in the band, they are the driving force. I think, that’s why they chose Bob Dros on drums and Jan Willem Sligting on bass to do this job. Both invisible on stage, though unbearable for the tight sound of the band. I don’t know, if Jan Willem is still programming the bands for Paradiso in Amsterdam, but here he plays the bass like it’s the only thing, he has ever done in life. Tineke Schoemaker is the frontlady of this great blues band. No wonder she’s in the spotlights all the time. That voice. If there ever was a Dutch lady, that can call herself the perfect blues singer, than it must be Tineke. She has got class. She has got style. And she has got a voice, that makes my flesh crawl. It has got soul, it’s the blues in optima forma. Her sound is recognisable from the first notes on. Add to this the perfect accompanying band, and you know that it must be a great album to enjoy. I wonder, why they never released a nice DVD with some live shows on it. Their live shows are a real treat, ‘cause these people don’t only play the blues, but after thirty years they still enjoy playing live. And that’s what you can hear on this sixty-five minute, thirteen song live album. It’s the best, you can find in this genre. And now you also know why I’m not afraid to put this album between the releases of MOTÖRHEAD, BITCHES SIN and TYRANT’S REIGN. Their music is so pure! It comes straight from the heart, and that’s why it has such a special place in my heart. You better believe it! Here’s to the next thirty years, I hope! For more information about the band you can also check out http://www.barrelhouse.nl.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

December 2004

OTEP
House Of The Secrets

Capitol Records

OTEP is back with a great new album, which is full with musical poetry and thoughts of this female artisian. The twelve tracks are worthy of a forty-five minutes look into the mind of Otep Shamaya. And simultaneously with this release came a very limited DVD with live recordings and other brain works of this remarkable musician. The CD starts off with “Requiem”. It’s the ultimate opener to get your necessary adrenaline shot, while listening to the eardrum splitting “Warhead”. When you put the CD in your PC, you’re also able to view the video for this violent attack. I wonder, how somebody who is “Burried Alive” can make so much noise! For the average MM readers, this album might be a bit hard to comprehend. When you’re a practised listener however, you will definitely hear the beauty of these songs. People, who like the sound of CRISIS, THE GREAT KAT, ARCH ENEMY or MY RUIN, will know what I mean. There’s a constant battle between the songs. The deep look inside the mind and soul of Otep versus the ultra heavy parts, that really blow you out of your chair. So you’d better fasten your seatbelts, because there’s a lot of anger on this great new album. We have obtained the limited version with the 3D cover, which contains an enhanced program with video, poetry, drawings and pics. As you can see, Otep does everything to reveal her inner self. And although it’s the music that counts, it’s defintinely worth checking out. Besides the blonde frontlady, the band consists of Greg Wells on guitar and ocassionally some drums and piano, Evil J on bass and Joey Jordison on drums. Rob Patterson plays some guitar as well, but he’s no regular band member. Must you be insane or a real genius to make an album like “House Of Secrets”? I would go for the second option. Just listen to the title track. It’s more or less a short movie put on to music, which lasts only four minutes. Try to tell a good story in four minutes, I bet you won’t succeed. Well, this lady does it pretty easily. Okay, she may have got some weird ideas, too. Listen to the “Autopsy Song” for example. It’s a morbide example of her deepest thoughts. Then try to read the lyrics in the booklet. It’s a typical example of a lady, who wants to give you a look inside her mind, but is still afraid to show you the mess in there. You can look, but please don’t come too close. You can read the lyrics, but you have to be very careful not to damage your eyes. Only those, who take the time can have a clear view of what it’s all about. Many people have already skipped these phrases maybe, and went on to the next review. I am not into all these new alternative, loud screaming nu-metal bands. But OTEP is definitely something else. Check it out, if you dare! Website: http://www.otep.com.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

October 2004

NOCODE
Crimson

independent

NOCODE is a name to remember. In my humble opinion, they are really a great promise for the future, which they prove on this debut album, called “Crimson”. Ten own written songs with a total length of over fifty minutes bring us back to the magic sound of KATE BUSH accompanied by a heavy rock band. Main reason for this description are the great vocals of frontlady Johanneke Kranendonk, who is just nineteen years old (!). In fact, all the band members are still very young, which means we can hopefully enjoy their great music for a long time to come. The band consists of Jelle Warendorff on guitars and synths, Stijn Warendorff on bass (seventeen years old!), and Dirk Schuit on drums. There’s a certain magic in their songs, that constantly make you long for more. Listen to “Firemen And Their Hoses” for example. I must admit, the title of the song sounds a little odd, but the music is simply phenomenal. It really blew me away! I never expected this to be written and performed by people, that haven’t even reached the age of twenty!! If their live shows are only half as spectacular as some of the songs on this album, it must be a thrill to see the band live sometime! And if Johanneke is also the lady on the CD cover, than I can get even more lyrical here. Her voice is the perfect match between (early) Anneke van Giersbergen and KATE BUSH. But her face covered with make up, reminds me of Stacia, the dancer of old hippie culture band HAWKWIND. This, next to the floating sound of the songs, lets the shivers run down my spine. The puzzle falls into one piece and matches perfectly. Listen to the short intro “Dream Weaver”, which is the perfect introduction to one of the highlights on this album, called “Twirling, Twirling”. I would almost use a comparision with the masters of the prog sympho rock PINK FLOYD, but their music has a face of itself to be compared to these heroes of theatrical music. This album is one piece of very high quality music. And I will definitely introduce this band to you in one of our upcoming issues. Everybody, who wants to hear music that’s far away from the average sounding bands, needs to buy a copy of “Crimson”, because it’s one of the best albums that I’ve heard in years in this style. And to Dutch standards, it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard in decades. I do hope, the band will never try to sound catchy to score a hitsingle, because this is what some younger bands are aiming for in the beginning of their career. I would beg them on my knees to keep doing the things, they’re doing right now. And then I’ll also forgive their jazzy side step in “Poisonous Smile”. Okay, these young musicians have the ability to play music like that, but to me it was the odd one out here. The conclusion may be an open door now, after reading this review. NOCODE is a great band with a lot of potential, and this debut album will make many turns in my CD player in the near future. And although the band name asks me not to do this, I must give this product a code that they deserve. I give it the code of ‘quarterly pick’, because that’s what they deserve! http://www.nocodemusic.nl.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

June 2004

RIPPER
…..And The Dead Shall Rise

Black Widow Records

You’ve already read their story in Metal Maidens magazine by means of a comprehensive interview, that we did with Rob Graves (a.k.a. ‘The Undertaker’). Now it’s finally time to enjoy their heavenly shock rock horror metal on CD. A lot of die hard metal fans will already know the LP or the picture disc by this heavy metal monster from 1986. Now you’ll be able to hear all the details, which were hidden on the LP version, because the production of the CD is really good. And the songs are rough diamonds, all eight of them. “Death Awaits You” is a great opener, which was also released on the famous “Metal Massacre VIII” compilation. Then RIPPER starts digging graves in “Sinister Minister”, the song that landed on the “Metal That Matters” compilation, which ends with a scream that will drop the temperature in your room a couple degrees. It also has a great guitar solo in the middle. In the beginning of “The Executioner”, the keyboards fly from one box to the other, like a bat in the night, until J.D. Shadowz (a.k.a. ‘The Executioner’) on drums starts the song with drumsticks that must have been made of human bones, if you ask me. Next, the band introduces you to “The Night Cruizer”, which opens with a few icely screams again, and some sphereful keyboard sounds of Steve Bogle (a.k.a. ‘The Hunger’). After a two minute long intro, Sadie Paine (a.k.a. ‘The Vampyre’) sings the story, with her high pinching voice, that will definitely give you the creeps. Her musical ideas give me the shivers too, because this band created such a great sound. It’s a real shame, they never played Europe, and the band remained in the underground scene of America. Perhaps in the near future, they’ll get the chance to come over and play live here for us with their full show. Who knows?!??? OK, the CD continues with “Don’t Tie Me Down”. It’s great to hear so much different voices on the album. All influences. Last but not least, we’re on a “Metal Mission”. Then it’s over after forty-five minutes, and you’ll have to push the ‘repeat’ button again to stay in trance, and relive the eight songs again and again, until your hair starts to turn grey, and your teeth start to fall out. What a great sound, what a great image, what a great band, what a great CD. Need I say more, to convince you here?? I don’t think so. The latest news is, that Rob has got in contact again with the metal maiden within RIPPER, Sadie Paine. And they also got in touch with J.D. Shadowz, The Executioner. At the moment they are recording a new album, and if it’s only half as good as “…And The Dead Shall Rise”, then it will be a real killer. I can’t wait to hear more from this band, that once moved the earth in Texas and surroundings. If you’re into the great US metal sound of the eighties, combined with touches of PRIEST, MERCYFUL FATE and DEATH SS, and mindblowing horror lyrics and ditto image, then this one is for you. Hail to the ‘old’ line-up of RIPPER for giving us “…And The Dead Shall Rise”, and hail to the ‘new’ line up of RIPPER, as well as for lightening the torch again. ‘When The Fog Rolls In And You Hear the Wolves Cries, The Graves Will Open And The Dead Shall Rise’!! Full score for this awesome CD, which is an essential buy for every one, that calls him (or her)self a heavy metal fan, buy or die!!

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

March 2004

MY RUIN
The Horror Of Beauty

Century Media

Holy Cow!!! Talking about an ultra heavy intro!! MY RUIN’s very own “E5150” (BLACK SABBATH) is called “Stage Fright” and it ripped my stereo set apart!! “Made To Measure” is exactly the kind of song that I expected after such a great intro. The screaming voice of Tairrie B., the pounding drums of Yael, the bulldozer bass sound of Meghan Mattox and the arid SABBATH like riffs of Mick Murphy, who plays his solos like he’s the guitarplayer of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, containing a lot of weird sounds, bleeps and peeps. I think, this is the heaviest release ever of MY RUIN, and they really grab back to the heavy sound of the late seventies. Add some screaming, sometimes distorted vocals to it, and you’ll create a sound that is heavy as shit! It’s the doomy version of ARCH ENEMY. It’s FIREBALL MINISTRY on acid. It’s the soundtrack of the world of today. It’s horror, it’s rough, it’s mean, it’s violent, and nobody can or will change it. Tairrie will never get tired of kicking against the things that she hates. And as long as she does it, the way she does right now, it’s okay with me. At the end of this fifty minute industrial doom attack, you get a cover of PJ HARVEY, called “Rid Of Me”. There is also a multimedia part on this CD, which contains the video track of “Made To Measure” and ‘the making of’ this video clip. The album title is just perfect and the dark horror metal sounds so good, that it easily becomes beautiful. What a great release! Website: www.myruin.com.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

December 2003

VIXEN
The Works

Pyram-Axis Records

WARNING!!!!! This album contains real heavy metal, and is only meant to be played at full power. Second warning! This is not the all-female band VIXEN, but it’s the original VIXEN from Hawaii, presenting a great compilation album containing the finest heavy metal imaginable. The album opens with “Angels From The Dust”, originally recorded by DEUCE. It can be seen as one of the best underground metal tracks of all time. It was one of the first songs I’ve ever heard by this band, and the great voice of Kim La Chance attracked me right from the start. And not to mention, the great guitarwork of Marty Friedman. Almost nobody knew the man by then, but the people in the tape traders business and underground scene knew that this was the ultimate guitar sound, they liked to hear. Friedman played in DEUCE, before he joined VIXEN. He leaves the band later on to form ALOHA and HAWAII, the awesome band CACOPHONEY (together with his good friend Jason Becker) and later on he joins MEGADETH, a story that most of you will still remember. He also releases a couple of solo albums, of which “Dragon’s Kiss” is by far the best. “Angels From The Dust” is also one of the highlights on Mike Varney’s “US Metal Volume II - Unsung Guitar Heroes”. “New Age Rock ‘N’ Roller” proves us that Kim is still a great singer, because the vocal lines were added to the song, only just a couple of months ago. Kim is still active in the music industry, she plays in bands such as SPACEDRUMS (trance/dance) and KRYSTALWERK, but I don’t think their music is really interesting for the readers of this magazine. This doesn’t alter the fact that a song like “Living In Sin” for example still sounds awesome! The high pitching vocals of Kim gives me the goosebumps all over. Add to this the powerful sound of the other two band members; Paul Escorpeso (ex-MANICA) on bass and Jeff Graves on drums, and you’ll surely enjoy another great heavy metal classic! VIXEN was one of a very few bands coming from Hawaii in those days, next to HAWAII, ALOHA and SACRED RITE. The band released an EP called “Made In Hawaii”, which was also released as a picture disc, in a very limited quantity. All the five songs from the EP are on this disc of course. I’ve always loved VIXEN’s version of THE ANIMALS song “The House Of The Rising Sun”. It was on one of their demos, and it makes the original song sound like a lullaby. With this version I see cracks appearing in the walls of my living room. AAAAAAARRRGGHHH!!!!! We also hear the original versions of “Angels From the Dust” and “Living In Sin” on this album. An album, that is full of real metal classics. Kim formed her own band MALISHA, after she left VIXEN. What else happened in her musical career will be told to you soon hopefully, in an exclusive interview, that we are planning to do with this beautiful, blonde metal VIXEN. Thank you Kim for making the review of this album possible, and thank you very much for the great music, you’ve given to us in the past. We all love you for that! This album, containing thirteen songs and fifty minutes of heav(enl)y metal, receives more points than I am allowed to give, but I don’t care. Play it again, Sam!!

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=12 points out of 10!!)

October 2003

FANNY
First Time In A Long Time (box)

Reprise Records

This is really incredible, dear MM readers! It’s a very limited (5000 copies only) four CD box of FANNY. Their whole story was already told in MM#25, and this is their story on CD. It’s packed in a beautiful box, including a fifty-two page booklet with lots of pictures you’ve never seen before, liner notes and a recent interview with three ex-band members. If you’re into five hours and ten minutes of FANNY music, divided over eighty-four songs and promos, then this one’s for you. I won’t tell the story of this band again, you can read that on our website and in our ‘zine. I’ll just take a closer look at the five hours of music here. CD one starts with their debut album “Fanny”. They cover “Badge” of THE CREAM here and “It Takes A Lot Of Good Loving” of BOOKER T JONES. Highlights being “I Just Realized” and “Changing Horses”. Funny thing here is, that if you bought the Canadian version of this album, you got a lot of other tracks, that are track 12-19 on this first CD. You’ll hear the first version of “Charity Ball” and “Place In The Country”, “Changes”, “One Step At A Time”, “Nowhere To Run”, “Seven Roads”, “Lady’s Choice” and “New Day”. These songs are followed by a three song demo of WILD HONEY. WILD HONEY was the band, that existed before FANNY was formed. We hear “I Find Myself”, “Queen Aretha” and “Flame Tree”. This all happened in 1969, and to me these songs have a very high value, when you look at the whole history of FANNY, as we know them today. These songs could very well be on any FANNY album, because they sound very much alike their later material. After three short commercials, we come to CD two. This one starts with the “Charity Ball” album, which is one of my favorites. Just listen to the first three songs, they’re real rough diamonds. After that, we hear the single version of “Charity Ball”, which is obviously different than the album version. “True Blue”, “Candlelighter Man” and “Summer Song” were labelled as ‘The Kitchen Tapes’. “Tomorrow” and “Rock Bottom Blues” are from the sessions, they recorded for the album “Fanny Hill”. These versions were not used though. What they did use are the first six songs of “Fanny Hill” on this second CD. The third CD opens with the last five songs of “Fanny Hill”. The rest of this CD is comprised with some real treasures, such as the single versions of “Wonderful Feeling” and “Young And Dumb” (IKE TURNER) and the original vocal version of the “Rock Bottom Blues”. The CD closes with two live sets. First up, there’s seven songs , recorded live at the Bijou Café in Philadelphia on April 21st, 1973. The second part contains four songs, recorded in Cleveland on April 11th in 1972. This is the living prove, that these ladies rocked with a capitol R. They played even more powerful than on their albums. The first set I’d like to call a ‘cover set’, because the ladies choose to play six covers here. The second set consists of FANNY originals only. They sound just a little bit more ‘dusty’, but they know to capture the right feeling really well. The live version of “Charity Ball” is really breathtaking. It’s so pure and so good, that it’s hard to describe the feeling, that I got when I heard it for the first time. Then we land to the seclusion of this CD set with the fourth CD. It opens with six demo tracks for the “Mother’s Pride” album, starting with a great bluesy version of “Lonesome Pine”. Together with “I’ll Never Be The Same” and “Old Millwaukee” (great, laid back, country like tune!), it unfortunately didn’t make it on the record. Now’s your chance to hear these ladies play the blues, which is absolutely magnificent! “Back In My Arms Again” and “No Deposit, No Return” are previously unreleased recordings. Then you can listen to the complete “Mother’s Pride” album. The CD closes with another promo and a demo recording of “ ‘Till Then”. This set will cost you a couple of bucks, but what these ladies did for the female rock scene is really priceless. They opened doors, paved the path, and did a lot of the work, that was necessary to give women access to the world of rock music, which was a men’s world until that time. The only thing we miss here is the time FANNY had Patti Quatro in their line up and recorded one LP. But this album was recorded on Cassablanca instead of Reprise. I think, it would have made their whole story complete. You can obtain more information about FANNY or the box set from June Millington from her own website at www.junemillington.com. I can only give this the full score and make it our quarterly pick. It’s for all the hard work these ladies have done over the years, and for the things they’ve archieved for the women in rock music. Maybe if FANNY wouldn’t have started a band back in those days, I was writing about boy bands today and there wouldn’t be no Metal Maidens at all. FANNY RULES!

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

June 2003

MISSA MERCURIA
S/T

Generation Records

Seems to be a big fad these days. Members of famous bands grouping together to create something special. Such is the case with MISSA MERCURIA and I think we have hit the summit of all rock operas. I'll call this operatic power metal, because unmistakably, that's exactly what it is. This album will be a fine addition to anyone's collection, who loves music in general. It’s all here in one package. Heavy symphonic metal. Quiet sultry ballads. Over the top melodies. Lovers of male and female vocals, alike, will dig this effort for its variation and consistency. It is on a level with anything else of its kind. First off, lets deal with the players. D.C. Cooper "Firegod" (SILENT FORCE) has been a force in metal for quite some time now. Along with Geoff Tate and Damien Wilson he has one of the most talented metal voices around today. D.C. undertakes a lot of the male vocals on MISSA MERCURIA. He is joined by Sabine Edelsbacher "Watergoddess" (EDENBRIDGE) on only one of the tracks on the album, to the dismay of all you femme vocal enthusiast's and Sabine fans. But nevertheless, she has made her mark in the production. There are also two other female vocalists, who I am not familiar with. Their names being, Lori Williams "Earthgoddess" and Isolde Grob "Mercuria", the latter being a classical opera singer. They are both very good for this release and fit in well with Cooper and the other male voices in the band. The rest of the vocals on the album are by Andy Kuntz "Airgod" (VANDENPLAS) and David Readman "Narration" (PINK CREAM 69). You'll enjoy D.C. Coopers voice the most, I assure you. The instrumentation involved, deals with members from the three metal bands I have mentioned, so far. Andreas Lill-drums, Stephan Lill-guitars and Gunter Werno-keyboards are all from VANDENPLAS. Dennis Ward-bass and Alfred Koffler-guitars, are from PINK CREAM 69 and Alex Beyrodt-guitar of SILENT FORCE. All of the lyrics are written by D.C. Cooper. Musical score by Werno, Stephan Lill, Beyrodt, and Koffler. The story of MISSA MERCURIA was written by Karin Forstner. But the way I see it, this is Cooper's project. His influence is all over this production. Now for the music. Get ready for some great operatic, symphonic power metal. After a couple of short instrumentals or preludes, the first vocal track is undertaken by D.C. Cooper with backing from Kuntz, called "Devine Spark". A very good metal track not unlike anything else we've come to know and love from Cooper. I'm not going to do every track here, just the ones of the most importance. One being the following track "Whisper Of The Soul" sung by Sabine Edelsbacher. Funny thing about Sabine. I am a fan of her band EDENBRIDGE. But it seems to me, that whenever she does one of these guest appearances, she seems to let it all hang out, ala the Beto Vasquez’ album, which I thought, was a highlight of her career. When she sings in EDENBRIDGE, she sounds to me, to be very restricted, and not as emotional in her delivery for some reason. Anyway, this is one of my favorite tracks on the album along with the very next track "Mother Earth" sung by Lori Williams. Don't really know who she is for this review, all I can tell you, she has a very nice voice, and sings one of the more memorable tunes on the album. Then were treated to "Spirit Of Wisdom" sung by Andy Kuntz, which is one of the first heavy tracks on the album. After that, we’re treated to another short instrumental (and by the way, all of the major tracks on this album, are separated by instrumental or segues ala SYMPHONY X), and then we get to hear the soprano vocals of Isolde on the title track "Missa Mercuria". I am not familiar with her either, but she seems to be a new talent in the making. She has a voice not unlike that of Tarja of NIGHTWISH. This album is a real treat for those who like male and female vocals in their music. This album seems to have something for everyone. The only other track of honorable mention would be "Farewell For Loves Sake-Journey To Hades". On this track, Isolde and D.C. do one of the best duets together I have ever heard. Its a nice metal ballad with the two singing duet and trade offs vocals. Simply, beautiful. Play it loud! And that's where I'll stop. I don't want to give it all away. For the rest of the album, you'll be treated to some nice operatic power metal, with vocals and without. There are sixteen tracks all together, clocking in at over an hour of wonderful music. MISSA MERCURIA is on a par with anything made by the likes of people such as Arjen Lucassen, and very much in the same vein. Although, no one can match the bombastisism of that fine artist. In my opinion, he is the king of projects such as these. Also, as you can tell, this is one of those albums that defies description. You have to own it, to cherish it. It is also a testament to all of the great musical talent we are being treated to these days. So, if you like your metal with male and female vocals. Heavy in places, but soulful also. And with a lot of symphonics. Then you’re just going to totally enjoy what you hear on this disc. The production level is of the highest quality. Just look at the talent assembled here. How can it not be? So, at the end of this writing, I can do only one thing. Say it’s perfect. Just find it. Internet: http://www.missa mercuria.com/

reviewed by: Dennis R. Arancio
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

March 2003

SERAPHIM
The Equal Spirit

Arise Records

SERAPHIM hails from Taiwan and they consist of Pay on vocals, Kessier on guitar, Jax on bass and vocals, ‘Evil’ Dan on guitar and Simon on drums. Guest musician is Maggie on keyboards. The additional players on the album are Pay, Chala, Deen and Jimmy Sun on keyboards, Chun Chen on clarinet, Du Kuan Chang on violin, Hong Hsang Chu on violin and Lin Meng Ying on cello. The additional players learn us that the sound of SERAPHIM is bombastic and full of orchestral arrangements. But above all, they sound fresh and surprised me with their great song structures. Twelve long epic songs fill this CD, that contains over seventy minutes of heavenly power metal. If you want to know which style they play, I would like to come up with names like NIGHTWISH, WITHIN TEMPTA-TION, DARK MOOR and STRATOVARIUS. But I would like to add, that SERAPHIM is definitely heavier than all these bands. They already showed to have a lot of potential on their debut album “The Soul That Never Dies”, but I think that “The Equal Spirit” is a giant step forward. The CD is full of adventurous speed and mood changes and can be seen as one big fantasy trip through exotic islands. No, I am not drifiting away on a pink cloud here. This band has just that little bit of something, that I miss with bands such as WITHIN TEMPTATION and NIGHTWISH - no matter how good and professional they are! I predict a great future for this band, especially with the sabbatical year of NIGHTWISH. I hope that the fans will pick up this band. They’re ready for their big breakthrough, if you ask me. Internet: www.magnum.com/tw/ seraphim/english/index.htm.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

Dec. 2002

CETI
Lamiastrata

Oskar Productions

CETI are from Poland, and they’ve reissued their second album “Lamiastrata” (which was originally released in 1992) with two bonustracks on Oskar Productions. I think that not too many real heavy metal fans will have the album, because it was only released in Poland and available on cassette only. CETI stands for Communication with Extra Terestial Intelligence. It’s a fact, that not too many magazines will pay attention to bands like this, so we decided to do it for them. They don’t know what they miss out on, because CETI’s music is very high quality heavy metal. There are thirteen songs on “Lamiastrata”, with a total time of one hour. The big name in CETI is singer Grzegorz Kupczyk, who was also in bands like NON IRON and TURBO. This last one is one of Poland’s most well known metal bands, next to KAT. CETI consists of Grzegorz Kupczyk on vocals, Andrzej ‘Lysy’ Lysów on guitar, Maciej ‘Maciuperski’ Przybylski on bass, Marcin ‘Mucek’ Krystek on drums and Maria ‘Amadea’ Wietrzykowska on keyboards. Maria’s music is very much upfront in the mix. On “Lamiastrata” we can hear music that can be compared to the great classical influenced sound of YNGWIE J MALMSTEEN, DIO and HELLOWEEN. But in general, the music of CETI is a bit heavier. Just listen to great songs like “Burning Fantasy” and “The Priests Of Lie”. I will definitely try to get in touch with the band to get more information and music from them, because they really sound very interesting indeed. We know that they’ve already released a number of albums with titles like “Racism” and “Extasy”. So watch these spaces very carefully for more info on CETI. The bands official homepage can be found at: http://kupczyk.rockmetal.pl. I can only give this full score, because the band deserves it. Only for the real diehard heavy metal fans among us!!

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

Sept. 2002

THE GREAT KAT
Wagner's War

independent

Every time I review a CD of THE GREAT KAT, I am down on my knees. I worship this lady more and more after each CD, she releases. The eleven minutes of classical influenced shredding metal guitar and violin really go beyond all human comprehension! Add to this the great packaging and way of promotion, and the picture is complete. This lady is a f*cking genius!! This brilliant new CD opens with “The Ride Of The Valkyrie’s”, a true metal explosion about war and destruction completed with a choir and a symphony orchestra. And this is only just the beginning of ‘Act I’, which is called ‘War’. She continues with an ultra fast song called “War”, which has the fastest guitar sound imaginable. KAT is faster than the speed of sound! She’s awesome!!! She’s incredible!!! “Terror” opens with an organ and then collapses with the galopping beat of KAT’s shredding guitar sound. “Punishment” is an act of violence on CD. It’s bombastic and fast, and it’s the beginning of ‘Act II’: ‘Revenge’. KAT takes command, and shouts her vicious attack plans to her troops. This lady is really getting mean here. “Humiliation” is the next chapter. You can’t escape from her claws anymore now! ‘Act III’ is called ‘Victory’ and it opens with an excellent version of Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody #2”. The CD closes with “Sarasate’s Zapateado”, another fast version of a real classical piece of art. Besides THE GREAT KAT, we can also enjoy her troops, consisting of Lionel Cordew on drums and Jeff Ingegno on bass. I have no other words for this violent attack than awesome, incredible, brilliant and f*cking genius!! I’m not sure, if you dare to ask for more information, but hey, here’s the site: www.greatkat.com or send an email to: greatkat@greatkat.com. You can also (snail) mail her at: Thomas Public Relations, Inc, 775 Park Ave. Suite #222, Huntington, NY 11743, USA. This is all at your own risk of course. After hearing this, I know for sure, this is absolutely the best piece of work that I’ve heard from this long legged, evil, vicious, blonde, big breasted war machine. I know that I am not worthy to speak to my mistress, but I hope that she will remove my handcuffs again soon. I love it when she is mean to me, but this attack was going a bit too far. Nobody can beat this, I take a deep bow for my mistress. I hope she will invade Europe in the future, I can’t wait for that to happen. In the meantime I will punish myself and push the play button again and again and again and again......

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXXX (=12 points out of 10!!)

June 2002

ARCH ENEMY
Wages Of Sin

Century Media

We had to wait a while for this. In Japan, the CD is out for a long time yet, but the limited European version is much more interesting to review. It contains a bonus CD with previously unreleased material. But let’s start with the new CD first. Sit tight, fasten your seatbelts and listen to the brutal, violent attack of your ‘arch enemy’. They are evil and show no mercy at all. Opener “Enemy Within” proves this, right from the start. And if you ever talk about a brutal, screaming vocalist, don’t forget to mention the beautiful blonde scream machine Angela Gossow then. She’s a killer vocalist, with a throat that’s absolutely made out of emery-paper. In case you didn’t notice there’s a lady singing here, then you would have guessed this is a whiskey drinking madman with a long beard screaming in the microphone. Also breathtaking is the fabulous guitarwork of Christopher and Michael Amott. Just listen to the great powerful riffs and the mindblowing guitarsolos. The dynamic rhythm section consists of Daniel Erlandson on drums and Sharlee D’Angelo (MERCYFUL FATE/WITCHERY) on bass, while Per Wilberg plays the keyboard and piano parts on this album. The music becomes really beautiful, when they slow things down, like in the middle of “Heart Of Darkness”. It’s almost unbelievable that the band explodes in a brutal ear attack a few seconds later. I think it’s almost impossible to write a negative review, when you release an album like this. Just undergo the strength and the power of ARCH ENEMY and you’ll hear (and see) it for yourself. Yes, you can see it too, because they’ve added a bonus video for “Ravenous”. Which was definitely one of the highlights on this CD for me, among many others, by the way. The bonus CD contains seven songs with their previous singer John Liiva. Listen to great cover versions of “Starbreaker” of JUDAS PRIEST, “Aces High” of IRON MAIDEN and “Scream Of Anger” of EUROPE. They have also added another video clip here. This time for “The Immortal”. ARCH ENEMY will play live at Graspop in Belgium this July. I’m sure they will raise some fists in the first ranks! For more info on the band, go to: www.archenemy.net.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

March 2002

BROADZILLA
Lady Luck

Diamond Star Records

Take the voice of ALICE COOPER in the seventies, add to this the guitarwork of good old TED NUGENT, mix it with GIRLSCHOOL and you’ll listen to the new CD of BROADZILLA. The resemblance will be quite remarkable! If it didn’t become clear to you with their previous release “Broadzilla Vs. The Tramp-O-Lean”, then it certainly will with this new CD “Lady Luck”. These girls play heavy metal, how it should be played! They kick ass, they are hot and they look beautiful in their red leather suits. Listen to the great solos in songs like “Ecstasy” and title track “Lady Luck”. They’ll certainly knock you off your feet! “On The Run” could be on any MOTÖRHEAD album, or a GIRLSCHOOL album, if you prefer ladies rockerz only. It’s unbelievable: the strength that comes from this three piece band! The band is reduced to three people only, but they’ve become much, much heavier! The band consists of Angie Manly on drums and vocals, the lady with the arms of reinforced concrete; Kim Essiambre on bass and vocals, the driving force of the rhythm section, that keeps things going. And last but not least we have Rachel May on guitars and vocals. See the smoke coming out of her fingers, when she plays those hot licks and solos. This lady is steaming! “Stargazer” opens with a great ‘Gonzo’ like riff again. And “Burn Baby Burn!” has got this great MOTÖRHEAD like intro. There’s a lot to enjoy on the thirteen tracks that are on this album, and which lasts for a full hour. But hey, wait! There’s one big mistake at the end of the CD. It’s called the ‘Lucky Thirteen Bonus Track’, which is in fact the Detroit Techno Remix of “Liquir Snatch” by SEAN DEASON. Skip this junk, if you can! Don’t forget to listen to the hidden track at the very end of this CD.....if you liked the last song. Because there’s a lot more of this techno stuff coming your way. “Why????”, I ask myself. The CD was perfect without it! When I leave out the remix and the hidden shit, I can give the full score to this new CD of BROADZILLA. Check out their website at: www.detroitmusic.com/broadzilla.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

December 2001

POWERS COURT
Nine Kinds Of Hell

Dragonheart

We had to wait a long time, but the waiting has been rewarded by this great new CD of POWERS COURT. The band consists of Danie Powers on vocals, guitars, mandolins and keyboards, Steve Murray on bass and Mark Evans on drums. Opener “The Tragedy Of Faust” is already one of my favorites. The combination of MANILLA ROAD and KING DIAMOND in the vocals is still there. The influences of IRON MAIDEN and old METALLICA in the sound are also still there. And Danies guitarplaying still shows some resemblance to RANDY RHOADS here and there. The nine songs on this second CD have a playing time of about fifty minutes. Fifty minutes of power metal with a touch of melody. “Darkened Paradise” opens with a great classical heavy metal riff. I can almost see those heads banging! The vocals of Danie are high again, and she sings exactly what you would expect, if you know the band a little better. High KING DIAMOND like oh’s and ah’s. In one word: brilliant!! I already wrote about the influences of RANDY RHOADS in the guitarplaying of Danie Powers. Now everyone says this these days, ‘cause Randy is a real legendary guitar hero. But in Danies case, it’s true. Just listen to the mind blowing solo in the beginning of “Agnostica” and I guess you’ll be convinced. Especially the very first seconds of this solo could be played by the master himself. You wouldn’t hear the difference. The rest of the song is very mysterious with great riffing and a high KING DIAMOND level in the vocals. Don’t think that the CD has no variation at all, because I regular mention names like RANDY RHOADS and KING DIAMOND. Just listen to “Conquistador” and there you have your variation. You won’t expect this song on “Nine Kinds Of Hell”. POWERS COURT is a name to remember. Most of the time when you hear of a great band, they disappear after a good debut album. But I’m convinced that POWERS COURT is here to stay. Great new album with a very beautiful sleeve. An essential buy for every metal head on earth.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

October 2001

HOLY MOSES
Master Of Disaster (MCD)

Century Media

Holy Moses! HOLY MOSES is back!!! Who could ever think, this would happen: a reunion of Germany's thrash metal beasts, HOLY MOSES? Well, it's true. In 2001, the band consists of Franky Botz on rhythm guitar, Joern Schubert on lead guitars, Jochen Fuenders on bass, Julien Schmidt on drums and of course frontlady Sabina Classen on vocals, screams and growls. Or as they describe it on this promo CD 'female vocals from hell', which is in fact a very suitable description. The band spits five ultra speed thrash classics at you in seventeen minutes. Listen to these rhythm guitars, the fast drumbeats and the bass that pounds like a hammer in your throat. Put the icely growls of Sabina on top of that and you have a magnificent new release. The CD cover looks great, and if you love the sound of good old metal bands like ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT and SACRED REICH, then you must at least hear this once. Take it from me, you're easily done after that. While Sabina's former band THE TEMPLE OF THE ABSURD was dark, industrial and had a few touches of the newer styles of metal, this MCD kicks back the time like fifteen years or so. And if seventeen minutes is too short for you, then you just push the repeat button and this violent speed attack will start all over again. Two questions will remain after listening to this great mini CD. What has happened to THE TEMPLE OF THE ABSURD? And why is Sabina's brother Andy no longer a member of HOLY MOSES, although he was responsible for the co-writing and producing of this new CD? Hopefully, we will get the answers to these questions really soon. I can't wait to see this band at Wacken this year. I think they will blow everybody away! Hahahahaha. Don't forget to check out their website at: www.holymoses.de

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

June 2001

FATIMA HILL
Valhalla

World Chaos Production

WOW, check this out! I've always loved Japanese bands a lot in the eighties. But this CD proves that there's still a lot of hidden talent in the land of the rising sun. FATIMA HILL presents us a re-issue of their 1997 debut release "Valhalla". Seven long tracks with a total running time of almost one hour will cling you to your seat. This is how heavy metal should sound. A touch of melody, strong riffs, stunning guitar solos and pounding drums. Maybe I can refer to ALCATRAZZ and the later RAINBOW, to describe the sound of this band from Sapporo a bit better. The sound is completed by the strong voice of Yuko. The band has added one song to the 1997 release. This song closes the CD and is called "Aeon". FATIMA HILL consists of female vocalist Yuko, guitar player Anjuie Yamashiro, bass player Hayato Asano and keyboard player Takamichi Koeda who's dressed up as a monk. If you want to know what FATIMA HILL is all about, I suggest to have a listen to the fourteen minute epic "The Sun Of Thorns", which opens with a dark mystical keyboard intro. In the middle of this dark metal tune the band switches to a jazzy interlude, which breaks this song in half. At the end of this song the guitars take over and they'll definately astonish you. Listen to the sudden speed changes in another long anthem called "Valhalla~The Song For Beatrice Part 2~", which suddenly ends with a piano part. While "Oriel Window" is a very bombastic piece of music, full of beautiful string arrangements. "Valhalla" will only be available as an expensive Japanese import CD, but the fans of good melodic metal will sure dig this CD. You can check out the bands website at: www.fatimahill.com.

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

March 2001

MASTERMIND
Prog, Fusion, Metal, Leather & Sweat

StellarVox

I won’t give you all the details of the difficulties we had finding this CD. Everywhere we searched, the title had either been deleted from their catalogue or they’d never heard about it. After hearing their previous CD "Angels Of The Apocalypse", we were very interested in this live CD. Which was recorded during the USA tour from June 18th till June 26th 1999, where they also played on the Nearfest. The title of this eighty (!!!!!) minutes CD is made out the music of the band (Prog, Fusion and Metal) and the weather conditions during the tour (Leather and Sweat). It’s a pity that keyboard wizard Jens Johansson was unable to join the band on this tour. So the band had to hire a friend of them called Mickey Simmonds (ex FISH, CAMEL and MIKE OLDFIELD) to do the very important keyboard parts. The rest of the band consists of Bill Berends on guitars and backing vocals, Rich Berends on drums, Bob Eckman on bass and Lisa Bouchelle on vocals and acoustic guitar. Right from the start, this CD grabs you by the throat. The production is good and it gives you a good overview of the virtuosity of the band. When you know that there are ten songs on this CD, you can already expect very lengthy songs with long instrumental parts. Ranging from speedy metal attacks to experimental fusion pieces. But everything was done in a very professional way. Which makes it easy to listen to these great compositions. For example, listen to "The Approaching Storm" and close your eyes. In the middle of the song, it tells you that the storm is getting nearer. You can almost feel it! To explain that magic can be difficult, just think about the "Images And Words" CD of DREAM THEATER and you’ll get the point. It’s the same kind of magic that you’ll hear on this CD. Well, at least I did then. If you’re into DREAM THEATER and you already liked the previous albums of MASTERMIND, then it’s definately time to search for "Prog, Fusion, Metal, Leather & Sweat". Highlight for me was the encore, called “Jubilee”. Here we hear the virtuosity of the band at its best. It starts instrumental, then a drumsolo is added and in closing they run through some well known instrumental classics like “Hall Of The Mountain King” (SAVATAGE/EDVARD GRIEG), parts of the fifth and the ninth symphony of BEETHOVEN, “The Sabre Dance”, “The Star Sprangled Banner” and "God Save The Queen". Apparently, Lisa has left the band already and she has been replaced by Tracey McShane. The music will basically stay the same, I guess. If you can’t find this precious little diamond anywhere, then you’d better go and visit the website of the band at: www.k2nesoft.com/master mind or go to the website of their recordlabel at www.stellarvox.com. Or drop a line to: Offline Management, P.O. Box 1259, Browns Mills, NJ, 08015, USA. The CD will probably cost you about US$15.00 and US$3.00 for shipping and handling. Enjoy it!!!

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)

Dec. 2000

AMETHYST
Flames In Eternity

independent

AMETHYST hails from Victoria, Australia and they play heavy metal like it should be done. The band consists of Georgie Larin on guitars, Nestor Melone on drums and Liz Galea on vocals. Evan Harris helped out on bass on this CD and Endel Rivers played the keyboards. Opener "Black Widow" will certainly blow you away, while "Eyes Of The Innocent" is based on a PANTERA-like riff: brutal, doomy and very heavy. In the middle of the song they change it into a fast monster, ending with a great guitarsolo. "Amulets Curse" opens with a riff that reminds me of THIN LIZZY's "Bad Reputation". Another metal anthem arises! "Stay" is the ballad. When you look at the variety of styles, you might want to compare them to ICRI'S WITCH (who are now called ELLIS). Because after the ballad, they play a swampy kind of blues that has got a bit of ROSE TATTOO sound ("Butcher And Fast Eddy" at a higher speed!) and then they easily change to a more BLACK SABBATH-like approach in "Flesh" with a guitar solo reminding me of riff master Tony Iommi himself! "Enough Is Enough" they scream in the next song. It's a short track that, although the title suggests something else, simply asks for more. The thrashy "The Kill" will get all those heads banging again. It also has a doomy part and will easily take you by force. The Bay Area sound is captured in four and a half minute here. The riffs could very well have been on the earlier METALLICA albums and the guitar solo fits in perfectly, screaming very high at times. Let's raise a mosh pit, ladies and gentlemen! "The Archer" is a classical interlude - the intro to "Point Of No Return". A song, which has a nice construction. Opening as a ballad and then changing to a mid tempo song with a lot of power. "The Ballad" (which won't surprise anyone) is the second ballad on this absolutely good debut CD. The CD ends with "Wasted Youth". Another great metal track, just like the opener. If you don't buy this album, it's all up to you but don't say we didn't warn you!! AMETHYST rocks and the best way to show it, is to make them our so called 'quarterly pick', which they can see as a big compliment. To order your own copy of this CD, get in touch with the band by writing to: Amethystmetal, P.O. Box 486, Thomastown, 3074, Victoria, Australia or send an e-mail to: amethystmetal@hotmail.com.
Twelve brilliant metal tracks with a playing time of fifty-six minutes will soon come your way, so don't miss it! We'd like to thank our good friend Peter Fundeis for making this review possible

reviewed by: Toine van Poorten
XXXXX (=10 points out of 10!!)