They toy with the doom-death thing, but instead of shallow satanic or just plain dumb lyrics, Anathema writes love songs. Death love songs. Love death songs. Something like that.

To call this really, really weird would be an understatement, except that the music is rather tasty. Not quite My Dying Bride, but then, who is?

This disc adds the Crestfallen EP, which was recorded after the album. I can hear a maturing process coming on. These guys are starting to sound a little like the late Tiamat. And that is not a bad thing at all. Be sure to check out the last four tracks. They really smoke!

If Anathema keeps this up, the words god-like might be sprouting from my brain next time around. Wow.

Their first album, before they really tried to rip off Cannibal Corpse.

I know I shouldn't rag on traditional death metal style, but this is not a very talented band. To be fair, this is the best I've heard them play, and the production is pretty good. I even found myself getting into a couple of the songs.

It's just all so bland, though. No texture or coloring (check out Sinister for an example of a traditional type band that shows a little artistic merit) to spice up the noise. Oh well. This did exceed expectations by a notch or two.

From the info I've read on these guys, their live shows would be much more interesting than what they put down in the studio. While being fairly amusing while improvising helps your road rep, it tends to sound a little dumb recorded.

This is certainly strange stuff performed with gusto, but it lacks that something to really turn me on. I would love to catch their act, though.

I reviewed this a while ago, but since most of you are seeing it for the first time (due to new RED distribution), I'll give you my more coalesced thoughts.

Industrial stuff that is more experimental and sample-laden than most of what has been coming your way lately. Personally, I think these guys are among the most creative and talented folk brewing such noise around.

Although I like their first album even more (it will be reissued later this year), this is much more the heavier of the two. If you've been on the Pitch Shifter, Dead World or any heavy industrial stuff, Circle of Dust will destroy your mind. Reward creativity with airplay. I know you can do it.

The guys wandered all the way from North Carolina up to AmRep studios in Minneapolis. They got what they deserved: thick sludgy production that would make Lubricated Goat proud.

Actually, it does sound a little better than the demo I reviewed a couple of months ago, and the songs are nicely aggressive, not merely wall-o-noise. Personally, I prefer movement to musical constipation, which a lot of AmRep bands favor.

But, of course, this is an N.C. band on a similar label, and they manage to kick my ass a good distance. Dare I ask for more?

A little slower and more melodramatic, Grave's EP is not really bad, but it failed to keep my interest.

I really liked their last album, and this isn't that much of a departure. I guess I've just moved on and expect bands to evolve along with my musical taste.

To be fair, this is a damned solid disc that should bowl a lot of you over. I wish I could say the same, but I just got done listening to the new My Dying Bride. Yeah, it's not fair, but them's the facts.

Apparently Mountain and other obtusely epic seventies bands are the only things they play on the radio in Iowa. After a couple of songs, you wish the chords would pound in a slightly different pattern.

And they do, after a while. And you also have to consider Dave Diebler's rather affected voice, which has a Perry Farrell-esque whining quality to it if he's not careful.

These songs sound a lot more important than they are. The strange contradiction between lyrics and production would be annoying, if this wasn't so self-consciously dorky. How three very nice folks can make such noise is part of the fun of the band.

If you give it chance, it will grow on you. Just don't let it ferment.

Perhaps you know the proper pronunciation, but I am a bit mystified. Then again, "It's that motherfuckin' kick-ass Intricate album, dude!" won't quite do it, either.

A good many of you have expressed your sincere admiration for this disc, and with good reason. It lies somewhere in the industrial universe (with mostly real drums), most closely coming in contact (to my ear) with the Young Gods, with nods to Pitch Shifter and the industrial death school.

It may drag at spots, I suppose, but in all this is a spectacular effort. Fill my cup to the rim.

Also known (this time) as Rob Wright of NoMeansNo, Mr. Wrong in this incarnation favors wailing vocals and similar wailing bass. That's about it.

What it comes off like is a Danzig track without all of the pretentious production and lyrical posing. I'm not shitting you. This sounds pretty damned cool.

If you haven't had your fill of truly strange stuff, this should indulge that secret craving. Mmm, good!

This has been in my deck since its arrival in Michigan. And if you have been reading A&A for a while, you know what I think of these guys.

Nice to see Peaceville hook up with someone who can get their records to stations and in stores. It seems the first MDB EP got to more stations than their full-length (both planted my butt into granite).

While the whole doom-death movement is picking up steam, no one does it nearly as well as My Dying Bride. Perhaps it's because these guys take chances. About half of this album could more correctly be called goth, as it does get pretty atmospheric.

So that when the hammer comes down, your brain is pulverized. These folk know how to set up a listener, and they know how to finish the deed.

Death or otherwise, the finest album of the year so far. Period.

In case you didn't know already, this is Max from Sepultura and Alex from Fudge Tunnel. They mess around with a drum machine and a few samples, but once the guitars and such kick in, all hell breaks loose.

Loose is a good word. While I still have yet to hear the full Sepultura, this sounds a lot better than the snippets I have caught on MTV and the like. With Sepultura, Max was under the gun to come up with a big album. But here, it's him and Alex fucking around.

And it sounds a lot like Max fronting a more industrial Fudge Tunnel, really. That is a good thing. Barely controlled aggression the likes of which I haven't heard in a while.

Like the Meathook Seed, this is at least as good as the "official" recordings these guys have put out in the last year. While the glut of side projects (most not nearly this good) has become a little annoying, Nailbomb is one worth repeating. Like I need to tell you to play this.

I first heard these folk on the Shut Up Kitty compilation, where their savage reworking of "Boy" was a real highlight.

In all, a pleasant industrial-dance outing, with lyrics more biting than the background noise. No complaints from this side of the aisle.

Many of the songs are rather vicious attacks on racism, but not preachy in any way. Just the facts. I wish I could say more, but once again I am stymied in the face of great music. Damn my blocked pen.

Highly addictive listening.

So you're jamming the Circle of Dust and wondering what R.E.X. is sending you next? Be on the lookout for Passafist.

This is also from the industrial side, although certainly more loopy than CoD. The beats are a little more club-oriented, though the guitars are prevalent and this is one aggressive band.

The songs are rather catchy and textured. The Caruso brothers et. al. manage to cram a lot into their music. The production is just the slightest bit sloppy, taking just the brightest sheen off and giving this album an almost live feel. It sounds great.

If you got into the Vampire Rodents or some of the other Reconstriction stuff, Passafist should more than satisfy. This is one cool disc.

Kinda a wall-o-noise, post-punk, yank-yer-crank, jam-jam-jam sorta thing.

That means I liked it a lot, and I have no idea how to describe it accurately to you without overmodifying. Oh, I suppose you could relate it to the Poster Children or Superchunk or even Jawbox, but this is no ripoff. Nope, these folk are very much their own band with their own sound.

The production is slightly sloppy, which accentuates the better parts of the band. I remember digging their single, but this completely transcends.

If you didn't get this, then give these folks a call and get your hands on it. Absolutely stunning.

Very polished late eighties-style metal. It compares well to Armored Saint and the like. Production is quite good (amazing for a demo), and the songs are tightly written and performed.

Very nice package.

This, of course, is their first album, which was obviously once licensed to a certain "All Blacks" organization (their familiar "Stop the Madness" anti-drug logo is fuzzy but present in the lower right-hand corner on the back).

Decent traditional metal, their most recent album was hurt by its release proximity to Only Living Witness, perhaps the best traditional metal album of last year.

This is good, maybe even a little more interesting than their later album. But the art reproduction (on the back) is at bootleg level. Come on. The band deserves much better treatment than was exhibited on this release.

But ignore my annoyance at the label folks. This music deserves your attention.

I've always been amazed at how good death metal live albums sound. Perhaps all that studio nonsense takes something away from the vital lifeforce of the bands or some other such metaphysical bullshit.

Perhaps some forms of music weren't meant to have layer after layer of overdubs, just the meat and potatoes, thank you. Unleashed has always had a good live rep, and this certainly keeps that notion going in my head. Good songs, great sound. What else do you want from a live album?