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Album Review: Decapitated – Carnival is Forever

July 13th, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

Album Review: Decapitated
Carnival is Forever
Nuclear Blast

The ability (or non-ability) to overcome tragedy is intrinsic to the human condition. Unfortunately bands are not exempt from this circumstance. Historically, the death of a founding member of a band generally results in the death of the band. Despite losing his brother and Decapitated co-founder Vitek in the tragic tour bus accident that also put vocalist Covan in a coma, Vogg (guitar) has refused to call it quits. Instead he recruited the best musicians he could find, Rafał Piotrowski (vocals), Heinrich (bass) and Krimh (drums) to fill in the lineup.

After touring the world in 2010, Vogg and co. somehow managed to find the time to write an 8 track epic titled Carnival is Forever. Produced by Vogg, with the help of Daniel Bergstrand (Behemoth, Meshuggah), this album is a step in a new direction for Decapitated. While Vogg’s contribution as primary songwriter is ever-present with his signature mindblowingly technical, rhythmic riffs, there are more dynamics here than in previous releases.

The first track “The Knife” immediately reveals the band’s choice to record the drums live without triggers. The result is a humbling recognition of the fact that newly appointed drummer Krimh is at the top of his game. There’s no way of ever replacing a drummer like Vitek, however Krimh is one of the few capable of not only maintaining the near-untouchable technical prowess of the band but also of contributing to their evolution. Besides Krimh, vocalist Rafał Piotrowski puts a nice touch on the album as well, with a vocal dexterity not always found in the death metal genre.

myspace.com/decapitated

nuclearblastusa.com

By Alxs Ness

WANT MORE ALBUM REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

Copyright © 2004-2011 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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Album Review: All Shall Perish – This Is Where It Ends

July 4th, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

Album Review – All Shall Perish
This Is Where It Ends
Nuclear Blast

Beginning the name and ending with impeccable musical ability, Oakland’s All Shall Perish are ragingly astounding with their meticulous ingenuity and blasting performances. After some deadly serious touring (consider Siberia for a moment) in support of 2008’s Awaken the Dreamers, they were keeping busy writing new material. And now, apart from a dick up society’s ass, they are back to conquer and mutilate with one of their strongest arguments yet: This Is Where It Ends.

Indeed, it may just be the end for your ear membranes when you get to listen to this live, but for now you will be spared by your volume control. To be fully immersed in the experience though, you should turn this as loud as possible, if only to hear Hernan Hermida do his magic. He’s clearly mocking everybody and making it look like he’s giving private vocal lessons. His output is as usually nothing short of perfect, all the way from low to high.

The tier changes that All Shall Perish went through are for the better: Francesco Artusato on lead guitar is doing a great job and blends in well. Still, some of the solos stand out and seem to belong to a “softer” genre. They don’t spoil the impression, but are nonetheless noticeable.

Following a good tradition of making heavy viscous tracks that are at the same time 100% deathcore, All Shall Perish are at their best on “The Procession of Ashes”. Recorded and mixed in Castle Ultimae Studios and produced by Zack Ohren, This Is Where It Ends is a melodic wall of sound and one of the most interesting albums of the year.

In stores July 26th.

allshallperish.com

By Arceon

WANT MORE ALBUM REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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ABORT Is Proud To Sponsor: DESTRUCTION w/ Guests, April 26, 2011, Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, B.C.

February 11th, 2011 Filed under: ABORT Presents..., News/Calendar/Industry by Editor in Chief

The Rickshaw Theatre & SCRAPE present…

German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION will embark on the “North American Reckoning 2011″ headlining tour in April/May with support from Australia’s DESTROYER 666 and Vancouver’s INFERNAL MAJESTY in Vancouver, BC @ The Rickshaw Theatre on Tuesday April 26

Commented Destruction bassist/vocalist Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer: “It feels fantastic to return to North American shores for the first time after our return to Nuclear Blast with a new album as brutal as ‘Day Of Reckoning’ on our backs. This is the strongest material we have written since [2001's] ‘The Antichrist’ and we are burning to present these shredding songs and introduce our new 6.6-foot-tall drum animal Vaaver [Indukti, ex-Unsun] live! Of course, all the Destruction classics will be there; we know what our faithful fans want and we will serve them well! You will feel the force of the strongest lineup we have ever had. Experience the true power and the rigorous precision of German thrash metal live this spring! Can’t fuckin’ wait!”

Sponsored by ABORT Magazine

Advance tickets $20.00 available at Scrape Records and online at www.densixx.com

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NEW VIDEO FROM DIMMU BORGIR NOW ONLINE

December 23rd, 2010 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry by Editor in Chief

ABOVE: NOT the new video from Dimmu Borgir (we like this one better)

Well it seems those kooky kids in Demon Burger have once again outdone themselves as evident in the video “Gateways” from their current Nuclear Blast Release ABRAHADABRA. Oslo’s finest have gone beyond the norm on this one, as they perch themselves upon a throne in the midst of a “Wicked, Winter, Wonderland” Personally, we thought they were endorsing one of those “Got Milk” ads (with the volume off), but don’t worry there’s blood.

Shagrath is looking mighty “Frosty The Deathman”, while sporting his custom made Ralph Lauren Ram Horns ($1,400.00 Available at all Zellers Outlets) good for you Shagrath! (not to be confused with “Shadrach” from Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique) let the Black Metal masses know that “White is Alright” (hmmm…that did not come out quite right -Ed).

“Dimmu Borgir,” the new video by Norwegian symphonic black metal band, DIMMU BORGIR, is now available for viewing at Nuclear Blast’s VEVO channel. The video was created by Katapult Films (Rammstein) director Sandra Marschner (Marilyn Manson, Children Of Bodom, Mando Diao).

The track “Dimmu Borgir” comes off the band’s recent album, ABRAHADABRA, which debuted at #42 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, #5 on the Top Hard Music Albums chart, and #6 on the Independent Current Albums chart. ABRAHADABRA also debuted at #4 on the Top Rock albums and #30 Top Albums charts at iTunes (U.S.) the day of its release. In Canada, the album debuted at #4 on the Nielsen Soundscan Top Hard Albums chart.

DIMMU BORGIR just completed their headlining “Darkness Reborn World Tour” of North America. Read the ABORT review here

dimmu-borgir.com

Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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ABORT is Proud To Sponsor: SEPULTURA w/ NEVERMORE and Guests, Friday, May 31, 2011, Vancouver, B.C.

December 4th, 2010 Filed under: ABORT Presents..., News/Calendar/Industry by Editor in Chief

https://tickets.voguetheatre.com/Online/seatSelect.asp?BOset::WSadmissions::admission::performance_id=3AFC78D0-AE53-4010-8925-1292D6B41891

Legendary Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA, will return to the US for a massive headlining tour next April/May in support of their upcoming Nuclear Blast Records debut! Joining them will be a veritable united nations on metal in the form of Austria’s BELPHEGOR, Norway’s KEEP OF KALESSIN, Poland’s HATE, Montreal Canada’s NEURAXIS, and California based thrashers BONDED BY BLOOD. Starting May 23 Seattle Washington’s own insanely heavy, melodic metal kings NEVERMORE, will replace bondage obsessed blackened death metallers BELPHEGOR to finish out the tour.

“We are very happy to play once again in the US, especially after a long time away from the American and Canadian stages,” commented guitarist Andreas Kisser. “We’re also excited to start working with our new label Nuclear Blast. They have a rich history in the heavy music business and we are honored to have such a partner. We are currently working on a new record, that will be released together with the American dates, so it will be our first tour for the new album. Hope to see you all at the shows! We will play the whole history of the group and we’re going have a blast! See you on the Sepultour 2011!”

Confirmed North American shows for 2011 are at :

http://sepultura.uol.com.br/v6/en/tour_dates.php

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

SEPULTURA have now added a special event VIP ticket for a pre-show meet-and-greet to take place one hour before doors. Each night, fans will get to meet and greet SEPULTURA. VIP and reduced service charge tickets on sale now exclusively through Enterthevault.com until December 28, at which time they go on sale through all other normal ticketing systems.

SEPULTURA recently inked a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The band will enter the studio before the end of the year to begin work on a new studio album for a 2011 release.

For more info visit: www.Sepultura.com | www.myspace.com/Sepultura

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CD Review: Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini

October 21st, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review – Enslaved
Axioma Ethica Odini
Nuclear Blast

Self-described as a Progressive, Psychedelic Black Metal band, since 2000’s Mardraum, Enslaved have worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of genre definitions and create a sound which is uniquely theirs. One listen to their latest release Axioma Ethica Odini and it is immediately apparent that they have continued to stay the course. Having nearly mastered the art of dynamics, with this latest release, Enslaved offer the listener an experience of brutality and beauty, light and dark, all in a one hour time-span. As an antithesis to the “insert verse here, now chorus, now breakdown” formula adopted by less creative bands, this experimental five-piece has constructed a self-sustainable, auditory entity that commands all the senses, if only for a short time.

As has been observed by writers, critics and fans all over the world, there are usually two distinct paths that a band with such longevity will take: either they ride out the wave of their earlier hits/continuously create music in the vein of that which brought them renown in the first place; or they explore the possibilities contained within their music and push their sound wherever their creativity sees fit. Though the latter is by far the riskiest proposition, it often yields the most interesting results. In the case of Enslaved their progression has been so steady- extending over more then half of their discography- that it is an integral part of their identity at this point.

With such a seemingly organic creative process it’s exciting to see where the future will take Enslaved. “Lightening” points to new possibilities with Herbrand Larsen bringing his distinctive melodies to the fore, acting as a dual vocalist rather than a secondary character to Grutle Kjellson’s powerful growls. Perhaps future recordings will see Larsen continue to take a more assertive approach. Who knows? The only real certainty with Enslaved is that change is imminent and though they have a characteristic style, it is consistently being refined and improved with every subsequent release.

Enslaved perform here in Vancouver, with Dimmu Borgir on November 21st, 2010

BUY TICKETS HERE

myspace.com/enslaved

nuclearblastusa.com

By Alxs Ness

WANT MORE CD REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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DVD/CD Review: Immortal – Live at Wacken 2007- The Seventh Date of Blashyrkh

October 19th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - DVD by Editor in Chief

DVD/CD Review – Immortal
Live at Wacken 2007- The Seventh Date of Blashyrkh
Nuclear Blast

Immortal’s latest release The Seventh Date of Blashyrkh documents the band’s epic performance at the Wacken Open Air festival back in 2007. Having temporarily called it quits in 2003 due to personal issues, their Seven Dates of Blashyrkh mini-tour in 2007 was an important comeback; reasserting the band’s dominance in a genre that has had a strong resurgence with an increase in media attention and various documentaries over the past 5 years. This package is pretty straightforward- live performance on the DVD, live audio on the CD, no bonus features, just straight-up Norwegian Black metal the way the legendary Immortal’s been doing it since 1990.

The current line-up consisting of Abbath (Vocals/guitars), Apollyon (bass) and Horgh (drums) stormed the stage to greet the 70,000 + fans in attendance. Though they had most likely suspected it from the start, those present were in for a treat. With the exception of Blizzard Beasts, Immortal played at least one track from every album in their discography including favorites such as “At the Heart of Winter,””Wrath From Above,””One by One” and “Blashyrk (Mighty Ravendark).” To top it all off, the pyrotechnics and lights added a nice touch and coupled with the high sound quality of the recording made for an entertaining and seamless audio/visual combination.

Just like the CD/DVD package, their performance was pretty bare bones, no surprises here. Realistically this is for the best-fans attended the performance with certain expectations in mind and while Immortal didn’t make history here, they met those expectations without letting anyone down. One of the highlights on stage was Abbath’s showmanship which always somehow contains brief moments of hilarity- need I mention his infamous ‘crab walk’? It’s nice to see a band kick ass on stage all the while not taking themselves too seriously.

immortalofficial.com

nuclearblastusa.com

By Alxs Ness

WANT MORE DVD REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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CD Review: Testament – The Formation of Damnation: Deluxe Tour Edition

August 11th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Music by Editor in Chief

CD Review – Testament
The Formation of Damnation –Deluxe Tour Edition
Nuclear Blast

With a nine year gap since their previous The Gathering, The Formation of Damnation could not have come at a better time for the legendary San Francisco Bay Area thrash band Testament. Released in 2008, The Formation effectively launched the band back into a much deserved spotlight with international critical acclaim and a “Best Album” award at the 2008 Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Awards ceremony. Far from a walk down memory lane, Testament avoided the temptation of regurgitating the style and sounds that etched their name into thrash history books. Instead they produced an album demonstrating the evolution of their sound since the beginning- with the end-result deeply entrenched in not only thrash metal, but death and classic American metal as well.

2010’s The Formation of Damnation –Deluxe Tour Edition is an enhanced reissue of the 2008 version containing in addition to the original tracks, a second disc with live audio and video of classics “The New Order”, “Practice What you Preach” and “Souls of Black” performed at the Alcatraz Prison for MTV’s “52/52” Special. Unfortunately the content of the video, while awesome in its own right, is so short that it’s over as soon as you start getting into it. While the footage looks amazing -the mood set by the bars of the prison cells darkly befitting Testament’s monstrous sound- the two minute (at the most) duration of each video is frustrating. Luckily, the CD-ROM also functions as a CD, with the three tracks included in their entirety.

The beauty of the audio portion is how the walls of Alcatraz give Testament a huge sound- more so then usual if you can believe it. The result is a unique listening experience that combines a live feel with otherworldly reverberation. When all is said and done, it’s the audio that makes this Deluxe Tour Edition a stand-out reissue.

testamentlegions.com

nuclearblastusa.com

By Alxs Ness

WANT MORE CD REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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