"No keyboards was (sic) used on this recording." A pretty impressive statement for a black metal disc.

Speed and hollering are the two trademarks here; also, the production is about the best I've heard on a black metal album. Well, when you get a little money behind you...

The Abyss also has taken a little time to craft the songs, which makes them listenable (somewhat). This is the most commercial (and to my ear, best) black metal disc I've heard. That doesn't say much, but you should check this out. I don't know where black metal is heading, but some evolution is a good thing.

Scattershot industrial with so many helpers you might wonder how the band worked them all in.

Argyle Park doesn't worry too much about creating coherent visions; instead, the band merely tried to keep the songs from being pulled apart by the forces of varying samples and musical influences.

Controlled chaos is best expressed in the industrial genre, and Argyle Park has the idea down to a science. While you may not understand how all of the guests (read the liners) got in, you can believe it after listening.

A spasm of songs that leaves you breathless (and that's if you were sitting while listening; I can't imagine moving-too exhausting). Misguided is all over the place, and a big load of fun. It takes a while to get, but stick around. You never know what you might learn.

Without sounding a whole lot like Bad Religion, the Badtown Boys are the first band I've heard to successfully bridge the speed hardcore and pop punk traditions in years.

There's a lot of angst, and most of the songs end up being some sort of personal rant about this or that, but then, it wouldn't be punk without such sentiments, now would it?

Completely solid in every way: songwriting, technique, production, whatever. I can't think of one serious criticism, though in the future some breadth of lyrical topics might be nice.

But that's really nitpicking. This is a great album chock full o' goodies. Who can complain about that?

Just in case you were curious, the 29:15 is the timing of the "Amen" track and has no biblical significance.

Bardo Pond creates these monstrous musical compositions that center around a certain member of the band (usually guitar, but also sometimes the drums), with caterwauls of feedback and distortion so extreme you might swear the song got lost somewhere.

Music at its most deconstructed. There are but a few musical ideas on this entire disc, and not every song really has one. At times I think the purpose is to simply annoy and frighten the listener.

But is it "art"? Oh, sure. Bardo Pond celebrates cacophony in all its resident forms, to unbelievable excess. Incomprehensible much of the time, sure, but I still dig it.

The guitars, beats, keyboards and everything just scream "German industrial!" all the way.

Never a bad thing, though Birmingham 6 doesn't do much to break out of the mold. As a fan of this sound, there's plenty here for me to enjoy. But the average person is probably quite happy to just crank the new KMFDM. With good reason, as well.

Perhaps a little more techno oriented than many German outfits, Birmingham 6 does push the speed envelope somewhat (and I wish some local DJs would play stuff like that in the clubs, but oh well…) and crank things up, but still nothing really original.

A solid album within a well-defined (and well-known) sound concept. I'd just like to hear a little more personal experimentation.

God, I remember when stuff like this ruled the airwaves.

Like Ratt, Cinderella, Dokken and all the other bands recycling Aerosmith, AC/DC and Judas Priest. Chosen have tapped into the pulse of 80s glam metal, and they do a pretty decent job of recreating the sound.

Of course, while the stuff is catchy, it's also as flimsy as rice paper. All bluster and no substance.

The alternative? Um, I'm not sure precisely to what, but I like this for what it is: cheesy, catchy crap. It's fun, and I'll forget it tomorrow. But I enjoyed myself while the disc played.

For those not in the know, Chrome was the band where the world first got to know Helios Creed, and when he was with the band, Chrome put out some of the first punk-industrial-goth-whatever music in existence.

But Creed left soon after 3rd... (the first seven tracks on this disc), and you hear the results on Eyes (tracks 8-15). The albums are only a couple of years apart (1982 and 1984), but the absence of Creed's guitar (and more eclectic songwriting direction) had left Chrome sounding like a lot of other cheesy goth bands (like the ascending Love and Rockets, except that L&R had more guitar).

3rd from the Sun is a classic, and Into the Eyes of the Zombie King is not. Simple as that. I'm not saying Helios Creed is a far better artist than Damon Edge, but when the two worked together (and forged a vision neither could conceive himself) the result was far superior.

There is no good reason these albums were combined here, but they do show off perfectly the early and later days of Chrome.

Lost in the mix.

I have a feeling it may have been intentional, but this album is so treble heavy, the guitar, drums and vocals all combine to create a mushy chaos. From the sounds I can make out, this is pretty mundane old school death metal, but if there are any nuances, the production hid them from my ears.

Some bands (like, say, Incantation) can stay true to the old school because their production is so amazing. Crucifixion is in the other camp; knocked out by some odd choices at the knobs.

Back with his second selection of tape-loop noise in two months, Mark Spybey (with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy on three tracks) creates six new sonic sculptures.

The tracks on this set are more moody and less intense than those on halfted maul, but engaging nonetheless. As for Key's contribution, I can only guess. I don't hear much difference in the composition of the tracks on which he guests.

Once again, a warning to those who may not be expecting this: Dead Voices on Air does not create nice little pieces of mind-numbing music. This is seriously experimental industrial noise, and you should adventure at your own risk. I'm taking the full safari tour, myself.

When I heard the news a few months ago that Chuck Schuldiner had recruited another set of sidemen to crank out yet another Death album, I was dubious, to say the least.

I've never been a Death fan, and I thought the last two albums were particularly stagnant in the creative department.

But I'm pleasantly surprised by this disc. Chuck and Co. have given up on death metal, going for a more speed-prog metal approach, and it fits quite well.

Death has always been a bit too technically oriented to get me off, and that trend continues here. But Chuck has come up with a great collection of riffage, and for one it sounds like he really tried to write songs.

This is the best Death album I've ever heard. The performances are great, and the production is clean, which is exactly what this new creative turn needed. While still not exactly my cup of tea, I've got my hat off the Chuck and the boys: a fine album, indeed.

This sounds exactly like, well, another Deicide record.

If you are a fan, I can't see how this will disappoint. For me, silly lyrics (if Glen Benton is trying to become the poet laureate of American Satanism, he need to work at that a little more) and pretty mundane death metal combine into mush.

The production is surprisingly sharp for Scott Burns, and it leaves some of the riffs sounding positively Anthrax-like. Perhaps the music is a little more coherent, but I still just don't get it. All the Deicide fans should enjoy this, but this album doesn't bring any new blood to the camp.

Generally starting with a grunge base, Dripping Goss then adds whatever seems necessary to make a cool song.

The bass has its funky moments, but once the rest of the band kicks in, that's pretty much forgotten. Brian Goss's vocals are distorted at various levels; sometimes you understand, sometimes not.

There are lots of interesting things going on at the sidelines here, but I do wish Dripping Goss varied its formula just a little. It is hard to classify the band, but a lot of the songs do share similar constructions.

They've found their sound. Now they merely need to expand. Not nearly as difficult an act as the first. And even without such diversity, Dripping Goss is pretty damned cool.

Punchy old school death metal that keeps creeping up on you. Effluvia changes speeds and moods a bit much for my taste, but the playing is good.

The production really emphasizes the percussion, which leaves an interesting sound, but the guitars and bass are completely left in the muck. Wish I could hear that more.

A little more attention to song flow (and better management of the middle sound ranges) would garner Effluvia much more attention. But in all, this is a good effort.

Once again, the U.K. hardcore scene has produced a winner. ENT cranks out the vitriol at full speed and highest distortion levels.

This could, and really should, have degenerated into a complete mess. Most of the time the speeds rival a grind match, and the guitars, bass and drums are just a blur.

But it manages to hang together, if barely. And that "at the precipice" feeling is a glorious one. The lyrics seem to be interesting, but there is no sheet, and it takes quite a few listens just to get a line out coherently, so no report on that here.

Of course, I plan to spend the time necessary to figure this whole thing. ENT is well worth the effort, if for nothing other than sheer exhilaration.

Punchy pop punctuated by some ripping riffs. The a-side concerns personal problems and burning theaters and the flip is a fun little tale about killing a "boring guy". Or maybe the positions are switched. Hard to say.

I really dig the music. It's poppy and discordant at the same time (a neat trick). The vocals and vocal lines are completely out of sync with the music, and that adds to the tension.

Not an easy listen, but pretty interesting and effective nonetheless.

Fleming McWilliams sounds like she really wants to sing with a wispy affectation and stick with more mellow pop tracks.

But the songs she and John Mark Painter write send her voice all over the place trying to catch the screaming prog-rock excess that the band plays. The Sundays laid over ELO? Why not?

The production lends even more lushness, and the result is an odd mishmash of sounds that is gorgeous and a bit otherworldly. Now, I'm not sure all that much is underneath, but the facade is rather pretty.

For being so commercial-sounding, Fleming & John (the band) has a strange musical union at its core. It's not necessarily my thing, but I know quite a few folks who will dig it.

Sounding like early Uncle Tupelo (crashing chords and country music all rolled into one) amped up after listening to the "Rawhide" theme song one too many times.

A big ol' wad of fun, in other words.

"Patsy" is a goofy paen to all the weird images promulgated by mainstream country music. I think. It could just as easily be about stupid people in general. Hard to say, but I like speculating. The other two tracks are equally interesting and amusing.

These boys have punktry down to a science. Love to hear a full-length.

If Black Flag met Uriah Heep...

No, really! Lots of hardcore bombast combined with this Hammond organ dropped in on top. Wow, how weird can you get?

I'm not sure why no one thought of this before, but I haven't heard it if it has been done. Musically, Grimskunk isn't terribly innovative or interesting, but the organ adds this cool texture to pretty mundane anthemic hardcore songs.

Guaranteed to astonish your friends. I don't know how much of a future this band has, but what a sound.

New Order on ludes, Sisters on seconal, whatever: this is experimental electro-goth instrumental stuff that is so sparsely arranged at the start you sometimes wonder whether the disc has the ability to get going at all.

But eventually the songs flesh themselves out, the beats start cranking (occasionally) and the whole project creeps along.

This doesn't really get me off, but I do like spots. It's a little sterile, overall, to really make me sit up and take notice. But it sure is different, and that's worth a few points in my book.

A Swedish take on the industrio-goth-death first promulgated by Fear Factory.

Misery loves Co. sticks a little closer to the industrial side (with less added vocals) than FF, but there is still a strong similarity in theory, if not actual practice.

The production gives MCL an extremely full sound, one that tends to peel scalp off skull. In the right circumstances, a not unpleasant occurrence.

This disc has real commercial potential, reaching out to sincere industrial fans and real death metal fans as well. The success of the Meathook Seed disc should prove that there are those crave the adventurous.

I've been cranking the CD5 for some time now, and the full disc only makes me happier. This is simply a stunning achievement.

The latest in the evolution of death metal: crude doom. At the surface, Pyogenesis seems to follow in the path laid forth by Edge of Sanity and Amorphis, among others, but this is just the veneer.

Underneath is a rugged, rude attack that takes all of the grace out of the proceedings. All the seams are exposed, just as on the EP.

But even with everything frayed, this is a much stronger effort than Waves. Attention has been paid to songwriting, and the obvious creativity has been harnessed much more effectively on this disc.

Pyogenesis is still not one of my favorite bands. But this album is pretty decent, well worth a few spins. And I have the feeling the more I listen, the more I'll like it. So give it a chance to grow on you as well.

The first note tells you these boys have paid close attention to their Vancouver neighbors, D.O.A. and particularly Nomeansno (check out the bass sound!), combining the straightforward approach of the former with the lyrical and sonic approach of the latter.

These are good things, by the way.

SNFU are pretty much the perfect Epitaph band of the moment: tuneful enough to attract the kiddies, and interesting enough to get guys like me excited. Their first album (for Epitaph, fifth overall) was quite good; this one steps ahead.

Thick, chunky and occasionally wacky. The One... is a good set of tunes. Don't stop until you pass go.

Odd thing about musical movements: Often the artists who do the most with a particular idea where nowhere near the genesis.

The most innovative and creative grunge sounds have come from bands in the midwest, and whether they've added pop-punk, industrial or classic hard rock overtones, the result is consistently more interesting than any Seattle band.

Third Stone has the heavy bass and melodic style of the Temple of the Dog set, but the boys also rip things up, layering a melodic heavy metal style over the grunge base. Catchy and most appealing.

This stuff hasn't been consciously created to be commercial, but the sound is addictive. You've heard all these parts before, but never quite in this way. Thoroughly engaging.

Where Grotus takes eastern rhythms and musical ideas on the minimal tack, Thorn tries to cram all sort of ideas into each and every song. Perhaps some sort of attempt to orchestrate chaos.

Oddly, Thorn succeeds best when the guitars are used sparingly. Once the big attack starts, the songs start to run together and sound like a bad version of latter-day Ministry.

There are, of course, stranger moments, like the power industrial ballad "Desire", which sounds like FLA grafted over a base of Great White.

My favorite song from these guys is still the third track on the single, which managed to get away from all conventions and is quite cool.

This album isn't bad, but I've heard a lot of it before. Because I heard "She Rises Like the Sun", I know Thorn can be creative and innovative. Too bad it surfaces all too infrequently on this album.

Five bands with three tracks each (well, two for Dysphoria). Down the list...

Cruxx: Decent chunky riff band, trying hard to sound like Anthrax, Pantera, Metallica, whoever. Great sound, need work sounding original.

Soul Grind: Death metal guitar riffs with hardcore vocal style. The sound is a little muffled, but I like what these guys are doing. Great sense of the potential of rhythm.

Suiciety: Clanging death metal, with a brilliant sense of distortion. Nice production, great songs. Definitely the high spot.

This: Heavy funk (descending into metal) that wanks a bit much, but isn't completely insufferable. The guitars do have a cool sound, and I'm pretty sure these folks don't take themselves too seriously. Goofy lyrics.

Dysphoria: A real in-your-face death metal attack that needs a little more beef from the knobs (a la Incantation). Still, the two songs are completely vicious and speed-driven. Not terribly original, but this is adrenaline overdrive city.

A nice collection of bands, certainly worth checking out.

Music that will never exist again, or so the press states.

W.O.O. prefers to improvise heavily in a semi-jazz format, which is why this live set is supposed to showcase the band's real talent.

The members are generally proficient on their instruments, and occasionally the band kicks up a real big racket. But is this really good?

I don't know. Things get pretty messy often enough, and I like the moments of chaos. But much of the time the sound is just too sparse for me and the whole thing reminds me of a bad beat poetry experience.

These folks are trying to be highly creative, and on the occasional track, they succeed. But W.O.O. needs to do a little more study before it tries to tackle the tricky world of jazz improvisation head on. Too often the folks come off as cheesy rock musicians faking at jazz.

Altar of the King
Altar of the King advance cassette
(RTN)

Tres European; not surprising, since the label is in Luxembourg. Great driving songs with cool throaty vocals. Iron Maiden will never die with bands like Altar of the King cranking this music out.

The band name may be silly, but the pop music cranked out by the Presidents is first rate. A little goofy, but why not have fun?