BEHEXEN My Soul For His Glory (Moribund) cd 14.98
Time to right another wrong. Finnish black metal horde Behexen are woefully under represented on the aQ site. One listing, no review. Bah! That is not right. So here we have the latest blast of sickness from these legendary buzzing black legions, and they sound as fantastic as ever. We love Finnish black metal, nearly as much as we love French black metal, ditto with Norwegian, there's just something so unique about the sound of Finnish black buzz. Like most black metal, heavily indebted to the Scandinavian elite, but they Finns make that sound their own, Horna, Ajattara, Satanic Warmaster, Clandestine Blaze, Baptism, Beherit, Barathrum, Azaghal and of course Sargeist, two members of which also do time in Behexen.
The production is incredible: so heavy, the guitar so thick and dense; the riffs are amazing, buzzy and black but weirdly melodic, the band blast furiously one minute, slipping into a midtempo lope the next, the vocals a guttural howl, the arrangements cool and not at all typical, some bits of Khold-like groove here and there, deep clean vocals, almost chant-like, long drawn out sections of melancholy dirge that almost sounds like Katatonia, creepy haunting high end harmonics laced over blurred buzz beneath, all bookended by ultra sick, ultra grim blast and buzz.
"O.O.O." is the weirdest of the bunch, and maybe our favorite, with just guitar unfurling a depressive minor key melody, while a deep vocal mumbles and murmurs, and the sound of what could be a knife being sharpened surfaces throughout, but there are strange unlikely bits all over the record, making it weird enough to keep it interesting, but not so weird that it doesn't remain true and grim and KVLT.
MPEG Stream: "Let The Horror And Chaos Come"
MPEG Stream: "Born In The Serpent Of The Abyss"

BEHEXEN / HORNA split (Morbid Moon) cd 14.98

BEHEXEN / SATANIC WARMASTER split (Hammer Of Hate) cd 12.98

BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning (Troubleman Unlimited / Vothoc) cd 14.98
First lesson you learn from these guys: you don't mess around with something like nano-nucleonic cyborg summoning. Leave it to the pros. It's dangerous, but that's what they're paid to do. Paid handsomely, in fact, as this $14.98 cd turns out to be only 17 minutes and 38 seconds long. But again, start cutting costs and those nano-nuke cyborgs could just get loose and wreak havoc. But the only havoc being wreaked here is all by the Behold The Arctopus guys, whom it will be remembered last blew our prog-lovin' minds with the instrumental tech-metal tour-de-force of their Arctopocalypse Now...Warmageddon Later 3" cd. Now that they've graduated to the 5" cd format, you can only imagine how much more insane their music has gotten! These musical nerd-athletes will bring a gleeful smile to the face of anyone into the extremes of technical complexity practiced by, say, Meshuggah or Melt-Banana. Headspinning stuff, recommended to all who think that the Chapman Stick is the under-utilized lead instrument that most other metal bands are lacking, and that somebody should do something about it -- that somebody being Behold The Arctopus' Colin Martson (also of Infidel!/Castro?, who have a new double cd coming soon on Crucial Blast by the way). Those for whom straightforward, 4/4, less than triple digit bpm drumming is a problem will also happily approve of this.
So, again, sorry this is so relatively expensive for the length -- but for sure they do cram a fuck of a lot of music in those 1,058 seconds!!
MPEG Stream: "Exospacial Psionic Aura"
MPEG Stream: "Sensory Amusia"

BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS Skullgrid (Metal Blade) cd 13.98
In the time it takes to read this review, your head would have spun around about 1000 times if you'd been listening to this album, instead. It's the latest tour de force from hyper technical math metal geeks Behold The Arctopus, and it's chock full of their usual blazing fast fretboard acrobatics (on instruments with WAY more strings than most guitarists would want to contend with) and blasting superprogalistic complexpialidocious drumming. Imagine a jazz fusion band called Melt-Meshuggah, with Eddie Van Halen sitting in to shred, that's kinda what BTA is all about. Whew! We can really only stop and stare at the stereo when these boys get going, though they do let up for some post-rock atmospheric bits too at times. It's all instrumental, also as per usual, with song titles like "Canada", "Scepters", "You Are Number Six", and the sorta Champs-ily named "Some Mist".
MPEG Stream: "Canada"
MPEG Stream: "Scepters"

BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS / ORTHRELM Paincave / Pithot 1 (Crucial Blast) cd ep 7.98
Wherein these two bands try to outdo each other (and everyone else in the world) at being absolutely the most INSANE, frenzied, complex, technical-prog-metallic-masturbatory band ever. Good thing it's so short (two tracks, a little under nine minutes total for the disc) 'cause both bands (and listeners!) would be utterly exhausted if they went on any longer.
In one corner, you've got Behold The Arctopus from New York, who have wanky prog gizmo the Chapman Stick in their instrumental arsenal. In the other, from right here in San Francisco, guitarist Mick Barr's Orthrelm, and Mick don't need no stinkin' Stick. Well, get this and you can judge who is the winner.
Pretty clearly, fans of either or both bands need this for sure, and will additionally be tickled pink by the cool cover artwork, by none other than Voivod drummer Away (who's got an art book coming out on Troubleman sometime soon, we hear).
MPEG Stream: ORTHRELM "Pithot 1"

BELKETRE Ambre Zuerkl Vuorhdrevarvtre (Tragic Empire) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

BELLOWS s/t (self-released) cd-r 8.98
They had us at DOOM BAND, NO STRINGS. Just drums, sax, and TUBA. That's IT. FUCKING tuba and sax, seriously, no guitar, no bass, just two horns and a drum kit, and these guys kick up a sound that dwarfs plenty of bands with axes to spare. Bellows is the perfect name for these guys, cuz the lungs on these guys must be like bellows, the horns moan and howl, the sax especially, the lead instrument, is wrapped in effects, and essential lays down some wailing, FX drenched, leads, that squeal and howl, the bands lock into killer lurching groove, the tuba, letting loose with an elephant roar low end, the sax just as often laying down a weird sheet of hiss or washed out drone, sometimes so effected it sounds like some fucked up synthesizer. And the drums, heavy and chaotic and mathy, the band locked into lurching lumbering dirges, post rocky workouts, and full on noise rock freakouts. It's a little like a marching band gone over to the darkside, some sinister assembly held in the deepest recesses of hell. The vocals are also bellowed, distorted and growled, venomous and malevolent, giving the sound a distinctly nineties East Coast noise rock Cop Shoot Cop sort of vibe. There's always a groove, but it's typically a woozy doomic one, the drums driving the sound big time, but those horns are just insane, some of the sounds they get out of 'em, on "Haunts" it's all drums and tuba, while the sax unfurls a creepy minor key melody, over and over, so hypnotic, before the track breaks down, and the low end is transformed into what sounds like a choir of throat singers, while the sax bleats and trills, and the drums just bludgeon.
There are moments, where the sound borders on jazzy, it's sort of unavoidable, but we're talking face melting Brotzmann style jazz, and that jazziness is inevitably all filtered through some crusty, creepy, blown out super distorted space doom filter, that makes these guys sound absolutely like no one else, and just as often as it gets jazzy, it gets something else, "Story Of A Giant" is all spaced out and almost waltzy, and there's no way you could tell the instrumentation, the sax unfurling shimmery psychedelic clouds of tangled melody, the tuba a thick bass throb, all wrapped in a druggy haze, and on the record closer, "Half-Life", the sax is super processed and becomes some fractured angular noisemaking machine, leading the group into an extended drone-out, all long tones, chanted vocals, swirling effects, total psych drone trip out, before finally slipping into a woozy jazzy outro, and finally a crushing chugging closing burst of ultra distorted crunch.
Fuck yeah. Came close to making this a fourth Record Of The Week!
MPEG Stream: "Haunt"
MPEG Stream: "Scratching The Wrong Itch"
MPEG Stream: "Story Of A Giant"

BELPHEGOR Infernal Live Orgasm (Napalm) cd 14.98
Live record from this Austrian black/death metal band. Featuring butchered babies and distorted Last Suppers on their album covers, Belphegor have been spitting out their brand of satanic black metal for three albums now, and this cd collects some of the best tracks from those records. Sharing some elements with the mighty Marduk and their countrymen Abigor, Belphegor are raw and blurry buzzsaw black metal, mostly lightspeed tempos with furious drumming and a wash of minor key anguish. Live, black metal seems to not hold up so well, but this recording is quite good, with just enough separation between the instruments to keep it from becoming a big distorted mess, and a brutal and intense performance to boot.
RealAudio clip: "Purity Through Fire"
RealAudio clip: "Necrodaemon Terrorsathan"

BELPHEGOR Necrodaemon Terrorsathan (Last Episode) cd 15.98
Third demonic blast from this Austrian black metal band, and easily their best. Takes the primitive buzzsaw blur of their earlier records a step forward, with better production, better songs, better playing and even more pictures of naked demon ladies, candles, skulls and satanic altars. Grrrrreat!

BELPHEGOR Pestapokalypse VI (Nuclear Blast) cd 15.98

MPEG Stream: "Belphegor - Hell's Ambassador"
MPEG Stream: "Seyn Todt In Schwartz"

BENEATH THE MASSACRE Mechanics Of Dysfunction (Prosthetic) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "The Surface"
MPEG Stream: "Society's Disposable Son"
MPEG Stream: "The System's Failure"

BENIGHTED LEAMS Astral Tenebrion (Supernal Music) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wow. Possibly the most fucked up, ridiculous black metal "band" ever, with their (his, actually, it's one guy) newest disc, some kind of pseudocerebral spacemetal epic with *amazing* songtitles like "Aurora of Despondence on Valles Marineris" and "Hermetically Leering As Frigid Blores Obumber" and "Sinister Demurral Estranged The Seductive Looming". Seemingly produced at home by someone probably not entirely familiar with how to work his four-track, and definitely struggling to operate his drum machine properly! Thus, so great that both Andee and Allan have purchased one. Also, recommended by Josh from the Champs.

BENIGHTED LEAMS Ferln Centesms (Supernal) cd 15.98
THE RETURN OF POSSIBLY THE MOST RETARDED BLACK METAL BAND EVER!!! That may not sound like the ideal way to start a review that's goal is to convince you just how fucking crucial this record is. But then maybe you're not familiar with Benighted Leams or our absolute, possibly-misguided worship of their last two (sadly, out of print) records. Benighted Leams is another grim, cult, one man black metal band, but that's where any similarities end. Benighted Leams are so weird and so damaged and so completely fucked it boggles the mind. On past records, the rule of the day was utter chaos, levels would fluctuate EXTREMELY, with the vocals so high in the mix they threatened to blow your speakers, the drumming would wander from almost blast beats to clumsy midtempo stumbling, guitars were a murky muddy blackened beast, riffs smeared into fuzzy rooooaaaars and the whole thing a dizzingly nightmarish blackmetal soundscape and a completely baffling trip through the a dark musical minefield. We're happy to report that very little has changed. Could have something to do with the fact that the music on Ferln Centesms was composed 7+ years ago and the lyrics written over the past 4 years. Not that the lyrics matter all that much, as the vocals this time around are buried and totally indecipherable (enough so that a few people here thought it was instrumental). This is droning buzzing, stumbling mid tempo blackness. All the songs seem to almost follow some sort of template, a minute or two of blasting buzz, then a minute or two of hushed gurgling forestdrone, and then more buzzing. Very hypnotic and repetitive. And did we mention weird? The blurb we initially read about this new record compared it to Voivod and we must admit we were pretty skeptical. However, the songs are indeed surprisingly reminiscent of classic Voivod, jagged and complex, with convoluted song structures and weird arrangements. However, to be fair, it sounds much more like some random, slightly inept garage band covering Voivod's Dimension Hatross! So, to understand Benighted Leams, imagine the weirdest 4-track oustsider metal you've ever heard, mix in a stumbling, blackened Voivod, include song titles like "The Ormod Liss Of Transuranical Nortivagations" or "Sullen Slumber Of Swooning Gloom" and a record called Ferln Centesms, include gorgeous forest-y artwork and a band photo that appears to be Mr. Leams himself captured in mid stride, running through the snow, and strangely headless (?). Wow. We LOVE this band. Some (just some) of you might too...
MPEG Stream: "The Ormod Liss Of Transuranical Nortivagations"
MPEG Stream: "Sullen Slumber Of Swooning Gloom"

BENIGHTED LEAMS Obombrid Welkins (Supernal) cd 15.98
Way back in 1999, the first time we ever heard them, we referred to Benighted Leams as "possibly the most retarded black metal band ever"! A level of dementedness and fucked up-ness by which all others would be measured. Leams mainman A.K. took umbrage, wondering why we would possibly describe his band that way, and how such a review could be expected to sell records?
Funny thing is, we sold tons and tons, Benighted Leams becoming THE sort of AQ black metal band. Gloriously damaged and demented, fucked up and oh so weird. Perhaps 'retarded' was not the ideal word choice, but we were trying to capture the essence of BL's then-sound, a sort of stumbling, struggling WTF black metal buzz. The drums were programmed and off time, often too loud, the guitars and vocals were alternately buried in the mix, and ear shreddingly loud. BUT! It was one of those perfect moments, where all of those various accidents and musical mistakes combined to create something vastly superior to its constituent parts. Still to this day, one of the greatest, weirdest, most inspired outsider bands EVER.
So here we are, almost 8 years, and a few Leams discs later, when we got word of a brand new Benighted Leams!!! Holy Shit were we excited!! A new Leams on the way. We had been hovering around the front door waiting for the mailman like kids at Christmas, when the day suddenly came and there was a big ol' package for us (and you!) from the UK, and inside we knew, lurked the new Leams!!
A lot has changed in the Benighted Leams camp -- no struggling damaged fucked up black metal stumble anymore, nope, the new Leams is thick and heavy, relentless, and HUGE sounding, like maybe it was recorded in a real studio, the guitars are massive and crunchy, the riffs killer and grim, the drums could still be programmed, but they sound much more organic, settled perfectly in the mix, a swirling, mostly midtempo blackness, with brief bursts of glorious blasting buzz. The vocals are buried, alternating with bits of found sound and purloined speeches. On first listen the untrained ear might not necessarily realize that this was Benighted Leams, but we know! There's no disguising the gloriously bizarre blackness that is Benighted leams. From the album title, Obombrid Welkins, to the song titles, "Kevin Macdonald's Theory Of Eurocentralism As A Group Evolution Strategy", "There Descends A Nauseating Dampness", "Alopaecia", to the strange but gorgeous design and layout, complete with a photo to accompany each track's lyrics (including a shot of a head obviously afflicted with "Alopaecia"), to the murky band photos (one half of BL is female apparently!), to the music! Drone drenched black metal, relentless and hypnotic, single riffs repeated over and over, simple and mournful and mesmerizing, minor key melodies tangled up in fuzzed out buzz, the vocals and samples making the songs sound ghostly and haunting.
Definitely not the weirdest Benighted Leams record, but possibly the best! As with all things Leams, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
MPEG Stream: "Kevin Macdonald's Theory Of Eurocentralism As A Group Evolution Strategy"
MPEG Stream: "Obombrid Welkins"
MPEG Stream: "The Fame Of Dead Mens Deeds"

BENUMB By Means of Upheaval (Relapse) cd 14.98

BENUMB Withering Strands of Hope (Relapse) cd 14.98
Crushing political East Bay grind from the Bay Area's masters of blazing crustcore intensity. 32 tracks. Complex and heavy, right on lyrics addressing the sad state of world affairs, and as usual, a huge comprehensive list (with contacts) of all the cool bands and labels.

BENUMB / PIG DESTROYER split (Robotic Empire) 3" cd 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
West Coast vs. East Coast!! Grindcore tag team battle royale. Benumb offer up 3 tracks of grunted, growling metal/grind, with some cool strangely recorded sub-bass rumble (not sure if it's on purpose or not). The mighty Pig Destroyer spit out 7 tracks of pummelling, incredibly tight metallic grind, heavy and intense. Super distorted vocals and crushing riffs. Suypposedly them just fucking around, testing the equipment during the recording of their amazing 'Prowler...' record, but it sounds pretty serious to me. Even a blazing cover of the Dwarves' 'Fuck You Up And Get High.' 10 tracks in seven minutes. Fuck yeah!!
RealAudio clip: BENUMB "Path of the Righteous"
RealAudio clip: PIG DESTROYER "Fuck you up and Get High"
RealAudio clip: PIG DESTROYER "Black Centipede"

BERGRAVEN Dodsvisioner (Hydra Head) cd 14.98
Hydra Head, the home to lots of AQ faves, from Isis to Pelican to Khanate, has gradually been dipping their toes into much blacker waters, reissuing the Heresi record in the US, and signing USBM hero Xasthur, and now offering up the latest full length from Sweden's melodic black metal weirdos Bergraven.
These guys are tough to describe. A deliriously unpredictable listen. Dodsvisioner is not thrashing blasting grimness, although it is grim in its own peculiar way. The tempos are mostly mid, the guitars soar and warble and rumble and emit damaged atonal melodies, more than they actually buzz. The vocals are appropriately raspy and demonic, but when they are draped across strange clean reverbed guitars, or weird circusy keyboards, or even -- stranger still for black metal -- pedal steel, they take on a whole different vibe.
The closest comparisons that come to mind are Lifelover and Katatonia, if you somehow mixed those two bands, Katatonia's moody melancholia, and Lifelover's strange off-kilter blackened pop sensibility, you'd be close, but the music of Bergraven is it's own dark weirdness entirely.
It's melodic for sure, but the melodies are strange, almost alien sounding. And the arrangements are full of space, whether it's stretches of ambience, or loping post rock, clean guitars and simple mathy drumming.
Everywhere there lurk strange haunting minor key chords, and when keyboards do join the fray, they're strange and almost new wave-y sounding. The main guitar parts are gnarled and detuned, often not distorted, but clean and reverbed, eventually giving way to some dense black chug but even then, a lot of the time they're drenched in whooshy chorus or shimmering delay. Often those bits sound a little like Joy Division, but on a malfunctioning turntable. Weird and woozy. Elsewhere the guitars get all 'blue' and moody and smoky and sound like they were purloined from some Chris Isaak tune. The vocals are hushed dramatic whispers as often as they are anguished howls. Bursts of double kick underpin loping darkwave jangle, beautiful post rock rhythms get all washed out and smeared with layers of indistinct blackness, there's so much going on, and so much of it is not at all metal, but manages to sound dark and black and intensely grim. A gloriously tangled blackened sonic web for sure.
This definitely pushes a lot of our 'fucked' metal buttons, as well as our demented black pop buttons (bet you didn't think we had those!) and the more we listen to it the further we get sucked into Bergraven's damaged metallic black pop universe...
MPEG Stream: "Doende"
MPEG Stream: "Ondkall"

BERGRAVEN Till Makabert Vasen (Hydra Head) cd 15.98
After 2007's much lauded Dodsvisioner album, Sweden's Bergraven returns with another set of odd gothic-tinged post-rocking blackness. While the music of Bergraven definitely fits well within the realm of black metal with its overall mood and spirit, Till Makabert Vasen is a hard one to pin down. Things never get insanely over-the-top metal, at least not in a typical way, instead opting to create a decidedly eerie and disconcerting atmosphere with all the tension found in the build up. The instrumentation here seems to imply an expert awareness of restraint, and how effectively it can be used for achieving a certain uneasy feeling. Not that this bears any resemblance to the Doors, but think of "The Crystal Ship" to get an idea of how negative space can be used to create a powerful sense of focus without getting all aggro. The gruff vocals are upfront and strong, sounding pretty pissed, but as they are sung in Swedish we can only assume... But they are definitely very interesting, as black metal vocals are generally known for being shrieky or bellowing, often buried in the mix as just another part of the maelstrom. Here Bergraven mainman Par Gustafsson's voice retains a surprising clarity that you simply can't ignore. While the vocals never seem to get too frantic or out of control, they retain a forcefulness that, at the heart of it all, is pretty damn metal.
Another noteworthy aspect of Bergraven's approach is the seriously impressive musicianship and the overall song structures, which are just plain weird and quite unexpected. The guitars seem to have just as much to do with '90s indie rock heroes like Drive Like Jehu or Unwound as they do with black metal, while the Slinty rhythm section keeps things moving in a winding, snakelike manner with all sorts of mathy weirdness. The songs kind of swirl within their own self-contained world, never getting too expansive or wandering, but retaining a high degree of concentration. One is reminded at times of Lifelover, or even Deathspell Omega's weirder, jazzier moments from Fas, with sour, discordant guitar chords and plodding, sometimes sparse drumming helping to set the generally unwavering vibe that keeps this one flowing evenly.
Whatever it is that Bergraven sings about, one certainly detects a sense of isolation and loneliness. The artwork features strange images of an empty chair in a forest and a man, presumably Gustafsson, sitting in a cabin in front of a fireplace with his face blurred out, making it clear that you will never know too much about the mastermind behind the music.
With Dodsvisioner, everyone seemed a bit confused that Hydra Head was venturing into such dark waters, but to us, it makes total sense. That label has always championed a unique commingling of art and metal, and it is clear that Bergraven has no problems stepping outside the norms of its genre.
MPEG Stream: "Drommen Om Undersang"
MPEG Stream: "Asketens Enda Prydnad"
MPEG Stream: "Det Andra Liket"

BERSERKER, THE Animosity (Earache) cd 16.98

MPEG Stream: "Eye For An Eye"
MPEG Stream: "Purgatory"

BERZERKER, THE Dissimulate (Earache) cd 15.98

RealAudio clip: "Massacre"
RealAudio clip: "Intro Commentary / Isolated Vocal Tracks For The Song 'Massacre'"
RealAudio clip: "Reality"

BERZERKER, THE s/t (Earache) cd 15.98
Brutal and punishing scary monster drum machine grind from down under. Crushingly heavy, noisy and super complex grind/metal along the lines of Pig Destroyer or Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Techno metal with a Carcass fixation (there's even a cover of "Incarnated Solvent Abuse" on here). Live however, the Berzerker are another beast entirely, looking much more like Slipknot than some crusty grind band, decked out in matching jumpsuits and rubber demon masks. Scary stuff. So scary apparently that their video was pulled from Aussie MTV! This is a reissue of the Berzerker's original LP on Earache!
RealAudio clip: "Massacre"
RealAudio clip: "Intro Commentary / Isolated Vocal Tracks For The Song 'Massacre'"
RealAudio clip: "Reality"

BERZERKER, THE s/t (Earache) 2cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Brutal and punishing scary monster drum machine grind from down under. Crushingly heavy, noisy and super complex grind/metal along the lines of Pig Destroyer or Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Techno metal with a Carcass fixation (there's even a cover of "Incarnated Solvent Abuse" on here). Live however, the Berzerker are another beast entirely, looking much more like Slipknot than some crusty grind band, decked out in matching jumpsuits and rubber demon masks. Scary stuff. So scary apparently that their video was pulled from Aussie MTV! This is a reissue of the Berzerker's original LP on Earache and this time comes with a bonus cd. And while the first disc -is- great, it's the bonus disc that's the real keeper here. A sort of audio behind the scenes documentary on the making of this record, with live versions of songs, demo versions, as well as sneak previews of songs on the next record. But also included are commentary tracks as well as isolated drum/vocal/guitar tracks, giving us non-Berzerker types a glimpse into the creative process that yielded the album. The commentaries are delivered in a deadpan Australian drawl, recorded with plenty of "scary" reverb and delivered over a bed of dark and creepy drones, detailing the mics and amps used, what they did with their advance money and whatever else the Berzerker wants to talk about. Then there's the isolated tracks, which are really fascinating, letting us examine the individual parts in greater detail, exposing the guitar parts as way more complex and weird than they sound in the context of the song, and the vocal parts way more insane than they sound buried in the mix (suddenly his death metal burping sounds like some sort of aboriginal chant). All of which the Berzerker explains in the preceding commentaries. Pretty funny, but also really really cool. Belive it or not, this kind of makes us wish all cds came with a bonus disc of commentaries/bonus material/etc., DVD style.
RealAudio clip: "Massacre"
RealAudio clip: "Intro Commentary / Isolated Vocal Tracks For The Song 'Massacre'"
RealAudio clip: "Reality"

BERZERKER, THE The Principles And Practices Of (Earache) dvd 24.00

BERZERKER, THE World Of Lies (Earache) cd 14.98
Aussie technogrind outfit The Berzerker offer up their latest juggernaut of death on Earache, World Of Lies. This third time around they've removed their cool Slipknot-like monster masks but their music is still plenty scary. Peppered with bad-vibes samples, these downtuned tunes are vicious vehicles for The Berserker's indecipherable vocals, with which he spits out personal, angry, emo lyrics. Most striking, though, about this band's music is the absolute blasting speed of the drumbeats. It's insane. Truly berserk indeed. Whew. And no, it's not entirely human. Unfeeling machines are involved... so The Berzerker could be compared to a hyperspeed Godflesh. They are also very much Carcass-inspired. Thus it totally belongs on Earache, reminding us of the classic old days, and should please most fans of "extreme" metal today, pushing as it does at the envelope of velocity and violence.
MPEG Stream: "Committed To Nothing"
MPEG Stream: "Burn The Evil"

BESTIAL MOCKERY Gospel of the Insane (Red Stream) cd 11.98

BESTIAL MOCKERY / FORCE OF DARKNESS Poison Of The Underground (Turanian Honour) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A little 7" blast of grim and necro, super raw, thrashing blackness. Old old old old skool brutality. As the sleeve says, Poison Of The Underground. And this is the real underground. On one side, Chilean horde Force of Darkness, on the other black thrashing Swedes Bestial Mockery. And just because this is raw and old school doesn't mean there might not be a few surprises in store.
Force Of Darkness, offer up, as the insert proclaims, an "Evil South American Black Thrash Attack", all buzzing riffs and thrashing drums, but what it doesn't tell you, is that the vocals are demented! Ultra fast tongue twisting garbled shddHSshUAHsaoaosa. Like the singer is possessed and speaking in tongues. Pretty far out. Bestial Mockery counter with, again, according to the insert, their won brand of black thrash, "Unpure, Unholy, Untight!" And it is all of those things, especially untight. A wildly thrashing slab of black brutality, wrapped in an ultra necro lo-fi production with some riffs that manage to be surprisingly catchy.
Cool, thick black and white sleeves, with printed inserts, complete with lyrics, skulls, bullet belts and more! LIMITED TO 500 COPIES, each sleeve hand numbered.

BESTIAL SUMMONING The Dark War Has Begun (WarHammer) cd 14.98

BETHLEHEM Dictius Te Necare (Red Stream) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Non-deluxe, single disc edition of this German BM band's best album. By far. The singer on this record (a session vocalist no less!!) is AMAZING. It sounds like he's being stabbed to death the whole time. As heard on the Gummo soundtrack.

BETHLEHEM Dictius Te Necare (Red Stream) 2cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Deluxe edition of this German BM band's best album. By far. The singer on this record (a session vocalist no less!!) is AMAZING. It sounds like he's being stabbed to death the whole time. As heard on the Gummo soundtrack.

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME s/t (LifeForce) cd 14.98
There's a trend in metalcore these days to mix in super melodic, catchy parts that don't fit at all in some sort of bid to appeal to folks who can't handle their metalcore being ALL metal, or to make it onto MTV, where there's now a glut of bands who, when not pounding away in a loose approximation of death metal, sound like boy bands or super wussy indie pop. While BTBAM do have their 'sensitive' moments, they're not just stuck on as an afterthought, they are as critical to the song as the crushing riffs and howled vocals. For the most part, BTBAM are HEAVY through and through, dense and downtuned, pummellingly intense, and rhythmically super complex with obtuse time signatures, hiccupping and stuttering, stop/starts, with even the most straight ahead rhythms complicated by little off time breeches. There's definitely some Swedish influence here (In Flames etc...) but BTBAM manage to take the sound of Swedish death metal, and infuse it with the mathematic complexity of Dillinger Escape Plan and their own strange idea of songwriting, all convoluted and serpentine, and come up with something pretty original in the process. No mean feat considering metalcore's sound-alike tendencies. Songs flit from buzzing black metal to muffled crunchy brass knuckle chug, ultra low guttural death metal barks stumble through chaotic and lurching, stuttery breakdowns, blazing double kick underpins dual guitar harmonies that sound more demonic than melodic and everything is tempered by waltzy minor key melodic bridges with soaring harmony vocals. Thanks to AQ pal Metal Dave for turning us on to this!
MPEG Stream: "More Of Myself To Kill"
MPEG Stream: "Arsonist"

BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME The Silent Circus (Victory) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Lost Perfection"
MPEG Stream: "Camilla Rhodes"

BEWITCHED Unveiling Zion (Supernal) cd 15.98

BEYOND DAWN Electric Sulking Machine (Peaceville) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Norway's Beyond Dawn build upon the unique sound they established with their Misanthropy-label classic "Revelry": gothic dirge-pop infused with both electronica and metal. Kind of like Katatonia meets Tarwater, with a healthy dose of the Swans (the vocals are magnificently, uncannily close to those of Michael Gira). Beyond Dawn began as yet another black metal outfit (albeit one that stood out from the pack by their use of the trombone!), and now have evolved into something very different, and very special. But the trombones remain! Highly recommended.

BEYOND DAWN Frysh (Peaceville) cd 14.98
There seems to be a trend over the last few years in Norwegian metal. A serious obsession with techno, that when combined with the distinctly Black metal notion that maturing musically means becoming LESS metal, results in all sort of new permutations, that while definitely pushing the boundaries, tend to disappoint long time fans. Look at Manes, Arcturus, Ulver, etc. So what does this have to do with Beyond Dawn? Well...they started out as a seriously grim black metal band, whose unlikely use of a trombone was the only clue to their future direction. They soon moved in a distinctly dirge-y, melancholy, gloom pop direction, sounding more like Katatonia and even the Swans (due in no small part to the vocalist's uncanny Michael Gira like croon) and less like Darkthrone of Mayhem. At the same time, they began to incorporate all sorts of electronic glitchery: drum machines, weird processing, and studio trickery. On Frysh, their latest and weirdest record to date, things have gone about as far away from metal as humanly (or inhumanly) possible. They've pretty much given up the metal ghost entirely, opting for a melancholy techno-doom-pop. Weird bleeping synth melodies hover over skittish almost-techno rhythms, shimmering washes of synthesizer hum, and even some slide guitar! The sticker on the cd calls them "Norwegian's Loungecore Kings". Not sure how accurate that really is, but this definitely has more in common sonically with Depeche Mode or the Pet Shop Boys that it does with any metal bands I can think of. But don't get the wrong impression. This record RULES! Finally a metal band, that instead of talking about how much they love Depeche Mode or some other gloomy pop bands, and maybe even covering a Depeche Mode song once in a while, actually writes gorgeously catchy and sweetly depressive songs that rival those of any of their influences. To me this sounds like a more electronic Angels Of Light, or a metal flecked Magnetic Fields, or Dntel or the Postal Service covering Katatonia with Michael Gira on vocals. So so good. Took me a while to get over the silly and garish cover and the 'loungecore kings' sticker and the goofy new band member names (Clubshoes, Tore Jazztobakk, Hi-Fi Haavik, and Espen Weltschmertz). I was smelling 'jokeband' for sure. But the more I listen to Frysh, the more it reveals itself as a decidedly rich, multi-layered tapestry of perfectly morose, exquisitely crafted, bewitchingly dreamy techno pop gems. SO recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Far From Showbiz"
MPEG Stream: "Increasing the Gravity"
MPEG Stream: "Among the Sedatives"

BEYOND DAWN In Reverie (Eibon) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hell yeah! We were just doing a bit of cleaning, and found a little stash of these, an AQ record of the week from WAY back in June of 2000!!! We only found 10 copies, and we're pretty sure this is out of print now, so as soon as these are gone, that's it!
This record is sooooo amazing. So dark, and beautiful, creepy and mysterious. So much so that we just had to make it record of the week! Initially, our interest in Beyond Dawn was due mostly to the bizarre fact that they were a trombone-fronted black metal band!! But, in the space of one record (Revelry, the record preceding this one), their sound shifted completely, to something less metal, more experimental, a morose sort of "avant-pop" with a heavy heavy heavy Swans vibe. As well as a bit of Katatonia too. And thankfully, the trombone remained. The mostly acoustic follow-up "In Reverie" also could quite easily be a late period Swans record or an Angels Of Light disc. But for our money, it's even better than most of the later Swans records. The voice is a deep ringing baritone, a dead ringer for Michael Gira's, but the music is way more bizarre. Somehow managing to be both lush and spare, Beyond Dawn create rickety tales of loss and sorrow with plaintive trombone, simple minor key strumming, bizarre percussion, clouds of subtle glistening electronics and warm emotional swells, all wrapped in a creepy atmospheric intensity. Immediately following this disc, they then went on to explore a more electronica-influenced sound on their next record, the completely different but equally amazing Electric Sulking Machine, reviewed elsewhere on the site. Not sure what happened to these guys, they sort of just disappeared, which is an incredible shame as they are just such an amazing band, a perpetual AQ favorite for sure, and this is such a totally breathtaking disc. For everyone who somehow missed out on this 6 years ago, at least ten of you get a second chance. Don't blow it again! So recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Need"
MPEG Stream: "Rendezvous"
MPEG Stream: "Prey"

BEYOND LIGHT Eclipsed Sun Path (Sun & Moon) cd 13.98

BEYOND SENSORY EXPERIENCE Korrelations (Old Europa Cafe) cd 15.98
We finally managed to get a few more of these in, so if you missed out last time don't dawdle!
Not long after we reviewed the recent collaboration between dark ambient drone legends, Nordvargr and Drakh (who started out as partners in the legendary black industrial drone outfit MZ412), we received an email from Drakh, thanking us for the review, and letting us know about his main project Beyond Sensory Experience. What a weird coincidence. Some of us around here were already huge fans of BSE, but had no idea who was behind it. Although sonically it makes perfect sense. Beyond Sensory Experience is an exploration into bleak sonic darkness, vast expanses of suffocating drones and desiccated melodies, haunting disembodied voices and ghostly glimpses into the dark soul. Korrelations is a remix record of sorts. Four original tracks, seven re-interpretations. One from ex-partner Nordvargr, the rest from like minded isolationists Alexxx, Doshaka, P3, Zdan and Alko. While occasionally the new versions introduce Muslimgauze-like tribal percussion, traditional drum kit and electric guitars, the bulk of the record is dark and dreary and rumblingly minimal. Muted pulses underscore streaks of black and grey, distant throbs beat out funereal rhythms beneath huge swaths of thick fuzzy drone, all flecked with bizarre sonic bits of lost dialogue, cracked and creaking flutters, and a completely claustrophobic and creepy ambience.
MPEG Stream: "Korrelations"
MPEG Stream: "The Two-Trace Problem (Alexxx)"
MPEG Stream: "Tortuna (Henriknordvargrbjorkk)"

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL Brutality - Majesty - Eternity (Scarey Records) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Metal IS comin' back... that is, if bands like Bible Of The Devil have anything to say about it. And by "metal" we mean real, Priest/Maiden/NWOBHM inspired heavy metal. Glory days metal, like in the early '80s, before the glam MTV hair bands took over, and most of the non-posers forgot about melody and went underground into the cesspits of death and grind metal... And by "back" we mean, um, at least here at Aquarius we know we can sell some of these.
We first heard these guys when we brought in their last album, Tight Empire, on the advice of our pals Hammers Of Misfortune, who'd played with 'em in BOTD's hometown of Chicago. We liked it, but that disc was almost as "garage-rock" as it was metal, greasy and axe-kickin' but not, y'know, stuff from the gates of Valhalla. But now, bearing the statement-of-purpose title of Brutality - Majesty - Eternity, Bible Of The Devil have unleashed a true metal masterpiece! Bow down to their twin guitar attack, classic riffing, and sheer heavy metal exuberance. Should appeal to fans of some other bands we've recommended who are also in the business of old school metal revival: 3 Inches Of Blood, Early Man and Slough Feg, fer instance. In fact, BOTD toured with Slough Feg this summer -- I caught the show in Boston and it was a slayfest indeed, those two bands are well matched. True enough, with these twelve tracks, you can play spot the influence all album-long (just like with Early Man)... Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, AC/DC. The guitar harmonies and epic songwriting owe a lot to Maiden and Lizzy (and Slough Feg?) while the vocals remind us of both Lemmy from Motorhead and Udo from Accept's gargle at times... But it's all wrapped up into something that isn't quite like any single one of their forebearers. And is pretty darn killer.
So if you're into some over the top, denim and leather, flying V action ('specially if you're already a Slough Feg fan) you should definitely check out this new Bible Of The Devil disc!
MPEG Stream: "Flee"
MPEG Stream: "Warrior Fugue"
MPEG Stream: "Sea Of Rape Pt. II (Fool's Dance)"

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL Freedom Metal (Cruz Del Sur) cd 17.98
This is pretty much exactly what you'd hope for from a band who has a Flying V guitar as part of their logo! Chicago's Bible Of The Devil are back, all hairy and bearded, with another ripping record of '80s, NWOBHM inspired heavy metal rockin'. It's their fifth album, so along with the guitar, they've got a (Roman numeral) V in the logo on the cover of this, too. V can also stand for victory, and "triumphant" is a word we've used to describe these guys' metallic gallop in the past, a gallop graced with gruff Lemmy-ish vocal gargle and (of course) tons of twin Flying V fret burnin' leads and dual harmonies.
Catchy stoner riffage, soaring melodies, singalong choruses, total shred, these guys bring it on Freedom Metal, recorded by their hometown heaviness production guru, Sanford Parker. No wonder they're such good buddies with those epic eccentrics known as Slough Feg. Their rollicking riffs even seemingly share some of the same Celtic/folk influences at times... or Thin Lizzy influence anyway, as on the likes of "Greek Fire", "500 More", and especially the super Lizzyish, upbeat "Ol' Girl" (which we could also describe as sounding like Southern rock with extra Champs-y guitars). Furthermore, while the whole album hews to BOTD's usual raw rock vibe, one foot still in the garage, they mix it up from track-to-track, some more blazingly metallic, and a few more melodically mellow, as with the moody "Heat Feeler" which has moments that make us think of Elvis Costello or something!
Basically, Bible Of The Devil just keep gettin' better n' better, and Freedom Metal is a blast. And like a blast from the past that ain't actually from the past. Our only question: why no song called "Turn It Up, Man"?
NB. we also have a new BOTD split 7" with Virginia doom metal act Valkyrie, we'll try to list that next time if we still have copies.
MPEG Stream: "Hijack The Night"
MPEG Stream: "Womanize"
MPEG Stream: "Greek Fire"

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL Freedom Metal (Heavy Birth Vinyl Records) lp 14.98
One of the best unabashed rock/metal records from last year, this indeed definitely deserves the vinyl treatment. Here's what we said about the cd:
This is pretty much exactly what you'd hope for from a band who has a Flying V guitar as part of their logo! Chicago's Bible Of The Devil are back, all hairy and bearded, with another ripping record of '80s, NWOBHM inspired heavy metal rockin'. It's their fifth album, so along with the guitar, they've got a (Roman numeral) V in the logo on the cover of this, too. V can also stand for victory, and "triumphant" is a word we've used to describe these guys' metallic gallop in the past, a gallop graced with gruff Lemmy-ish vocal gargle and (of course) tons of twin Flying V fret burnin' leads and dual harmonies.
Catchy stoner riffage, soaring melodies, singalong choruses, total shred, these guys bring it on Freedom Metal, recorded by their hometown heaviness production guru, Sanford Parker. No wonder they're such good buddies with those epic eccentrics known as Slough Feg. Their rollicking riffs even seemingly share some of the same Celtic/folk influences at times... or Thin Lizzy influence anyway, as on the likes of "Greek Fire", "500 More", and especially the super Lizzyish, upbeat "Ol' Girl" (which we could also describe as sounding like Southern rock with extra Champs-y guitars). Furthermore, while the whole album hews to BOTD's usual raw rock vibe, one foot still in the garage, they mix it up from track-to-track, some more blazingly metallic, and a few more melodically mellow, as with the moody "Heat Feeler" which has moments that make us think of Elvis Costello or something!
Basically, Bible Of The Devil just keep gettin' better n' better, and Freedom Metal is a blast. And like a blast from the past that ain't actually from the past. Our only question: why no song called "Turn It Up, Man"?
MPEG Stream: "Hijack The Night"
MPEG Stream: "Womanize"
MPEG Stream: "Greek Fire"

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL The Diabolic Possession (Cruz Del Sur) cd 14.98
Back in stock! On last year's Brutality - Majesty - Eternity album, Chicago's Bible Of The Devil really turned on the Heavy Metal afterburners, rocketing from being just a hard rockin', gritty garage/punk band who obviously loved their old AC/DC, Motley Crue and Motorhead cassettes, to the next level of metallic majesty, crafting truly epic, twin guitar riffed compositions worthy of eccentric AQ faves The Lord Weird Slough Feg -- who, perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, are pals and frequent touring (and recent split 7") partners with BOTD. If, like us, you thought that was a righteous development, then you'll for sure be pleased with their new onslaught, The Diabolic Procession! The sheer metal triumph of Brutality - Majesty - Eternity is recapitulated here, and then some! If anything, these guys have gotten even more Slough Feg-gy, with some hints of Celtic folk seemingly sneaking into their riff-writing. And they're on the same label as Slough Feg, now, in fact. So, as with the Feg, Maidenesque dual guitar action is a big part of this album's appeal, for us -- you've gotta love lots of guitar (twin Flying V's, if you must know) to dig this, that's for sure. But there's more (which is also crucial): strong songwriting, tons of energy, memorable melodies, and cerebral concepts. Regarding that last item -- I guess it's circular logic to say this, but who but a metal band would consider making a whole album all about something like the tragic historical episode of the Children's Crusades of the Middle Ages?? Gotta love it.
And despite the history lessons, and folky riffs, and acoustic bits that have found their way into these epic numbers, Bible Of The Devil still has something of their punk roots about 'em, notably in the vocals, which are a lot rougher and tougher than the typical power metal croon. Gruff and gravely yet sorta screechy, we're reminded of Lemmy at times, Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. at others... works for us! Goes great with the crunchy chuggy, Maiden/Slough Feg mixed with Metallica tuneage. The Diabolic Possession is another definite triumph for these 'garage rockers gone metal'... very metal!!
MPEG Stream: "Millenialism"
MPEG Stream: "Legions Of The Oriflamme"
MPEG Stream: "Judas Ships"

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL Tight Empire (Dead Teenager) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Like Zebulon Pike last list, here's another band recommended to us by our pals Hammers Of Misfortune, who played with 'em when on tour this past summer. Mike from Hammers lent me their new cd, and I agreed with him that it rocked and immediately wanted one and figured a few of you might want one too...so here it is! Chicago's Bible Of The Devil are a ass-kickin' garage-metal outfit, cranking out raw guitar riffage with raucous vocals. Influences probably include AC/DC, Alice Cooper and the NWOBHM. Both really heavy and kinda punk, these greasy long-hairs know what they're doing that's for sure. You don't possess a profanity-laced screech like their singer or engage in the twin axe action with which Bible Of The Devil's guitarists are adept without payin' some dues. Should stoke all the same urges as Motley Crue and Motorhead...we'd also cite the Hellacopters, Turbonegro, the Necros, and SF locals Night After Night and Drunkhorse as like minded acts whose fans ought to do some 'Bible study'.
MPEG Stream: "Ball Deep, Mountain High"
MPEG Stream: "Sexual Dry Gulch"

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL / BLADE OF THE RIPPER split (Scarey Records) 7" 5.98
Chicago's formation Flying V pilots Bible Of The Devil fight in the skies on this split 7" with another band of metal maniacs, Louisville's Blade Of The Ripper (featuring one of the dudes from Nashville Pussy and The Hookers, letting his Venom fandom come to the fore). The 33 rpm Side A is BOTD's "Hot Deth", and it harks back a bit to their more Hellacopters-ish garagey rawk early stylings while staying as metal as their spelling of "deth" would suggest. On the flip (which is supposed to spin at 45, 'cause they're fucking with you or something), BOTR offer up "Cast Me In The Fire", maybe even more vicious and raw and metallically evil than the A-side, though you do have the option of speeding "Hot Deth" up to 45 if you want to hear something faster (and more ridiculous), to which "Cast Me In The Fire" can't respond unless you've got a turntable that plays at 78 too. We're big BOTD fans already, but this makes us want to check out more BOTR also. Limited edition, Italian import, we have but a fistful.

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL / VALKYRIE The Auld Dirt Road / False Dreams (Heavy Birth Vinyl Records) 7" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We listed the latest album of dual Flying V action (Flying VV?) from Chicago's metal masters Bible Of The Devil last list. Here's another, new n' exclusive, kick ass track from them, "The Auld Dirt Road", on one side of this split 7" single they share with Virginia doomsters Valkyrie, who do a song called "False Dreams". Between 'em, BOTD and Valkyrie manage to turn this 7" inch into a shrine to all that's retro, rad, & rockin', with Bible leaning towards Thin Lizzy, and Valkyrie tilting towards Pentagram...
It's a limited edition release, naturally, on either red or blue colored vinyl (luck of the draw). We have but a handful.

BIG BUSINESS Head For The Shallow (Hydra Head) cd 14.98
Fans of the late great beer guzzling, punk rock, riff slinging metalheads Karp must now rejoice, as Big Business are a dead ringer for those metal miscreants, which of course makes plenty of sense as the CEO of this particular Big Business is none other than Karp frontman Jared! So if you loved Karp, you're obviously gonna love this. And if you don't know Jared / Karp / Big Business, think relentless riffing, powerhouse drumming, shouted vocals, goofy but sort of brilliant lyrics, a supercharged AC/DC filtered through a beer soaked haze, a mild obsession with Judas Priest and a desire to kick much ass. Not hard to imagine legions of white belted, tight pants-ed irony-metal bands being rounded up by the true metal police and beaten into submission while protesting the true rock of Big Business which threatens to make their joke metal obsolete, all beneath the towering Marshall stack shapped monolith of Big Business, while Jared and his board of directors sit in their penthouse, twenty stories above hurling riff after riff after motherfucking riff at the cowering crowd below, laughing maniacally and rocking relentlessly!
MPEG Stream: "O.G."
MPEG Stream: "Focus Pocus"

BIG BUSINESS Here Come The Waterworks (Hydra Head) cd 13.98

MPEG Stream: "Just As The Day Was Dawning"
MPEG Stream: "Hands Up"
MPEG Stream: "Shields"

BIG BUSINESS Mind The Drift (Hydra Head) cd 15.98
Big Business had always sounded a bit like the Melvins, which made perfect sense, as the drums and bass duo also function as 2nd bass and 2nd drums in the Melvins. But they always had their own thing going on, a sound that while still heavy and obtuse, was weirdly melodic, a sort of metallicized fractured pop. We meant to review last year's Here Comes The Waterworks, a totally classic chunk of hooky heaviness, equal parts heaving metallic heft, and twisted melodicism, but somehow it slipped through the review-writing cracks here, whoops. We were mostly expecting more of the same on Mind The Drift, but holy shit, it's even better than Waterworks. Way more epic and sprawling and proggy, showtunes is probably not the best word to use to describe the songs here, but that was definitely our first thought, not cheesy showtunes like your parents made you listen to in the car on long trips, no, BB's tunes could be the soundtrack to to some otherworldly Broadway musical jam packed with twisted carnivalesque epic songsmithery, smoke and streamers and flames and leering demonic faces, twisted shapes, colors psychedelic and kaleidoscopic, but more than anything, the songs are incredibly catchy, the vocals soaring and dramatic, a huge development from the punk rock howl of their earlier recordings, the instrumentation is lush, fleshed out by a guitarist, and the arrangements are impossibly complex, lots of stop / starts, amazing vocal interplay, some of the most incredibly irresistible melodies ever, all woven into super tight, dense mini-epics. It's not metal, it's not punk, it's not post rock, it's bits and pieces of all of those, but cobbled together into something completely jaw droppingly over the top, but not ostentatious, the songs might feel grand and majestic, but it also feels like these guys could just reel off a new song at the drop of a hat and it would sound as good as any of these. The band do get rough and raw, and rock out a bit, but they shine on those aforementioned numbers, where they kick out the sprawling dramatic soundtracky post punk show tune jams, like some impossibly rad mix of the Melvins and Meat Loaf (circa Bat Out Of Hell). Our favorite track is probably "Gold And Final" (although it seems like every time we listen to this we discover a new favorite), with its super tense brooding verse, the little looped effected stutter before a devastating chorus, and an insane hook. We've been humming this song nonstop since we got this. Just listen to the sound sample, totally timeless, like some classic rock jam transported forward in time several decades, but picking up all sorts of detritus in the process and growing gradually slightly more warped and twisted. So good. Could be a contender for record of the year. Really.
Incredible packaging too, done up like found vintage postcards, the song titles and credits worked into mysterious missives, all the images washed out, complete with a Big Business post mark and everything.
MPEG Stream: "Found Art"
MPEG Stream: "Gold And Final"
MPEG Stream: "Cats, Mice."

BIOMECHANICAL The Empires Of The Worlds (Earache) cd 14.98
Holy crap. This band is so completely mindblowing. Ultra technical, downtuned black thrash... power metal? An impossible mix of techgrindthrash a la Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, Strapping Young Lad and the like, but with plenty of chugcrunchmosh as per Pantera, but most importantly, a huge heaping dose of classic melodic power metal: blazing leads and harmony solos like they were plucked straight from some Iron Maiden b-side, wailing and soaring eighties style Rob Halford like vocals, all plopped smack dab in the middle of a dense sludgy, churning whirpool of brutal pummeling technical thrash metal. Imagine your favorite eighties metal record, Avenger, Obsession, Omen, doesn't matter, now imagine that band going through one of those science fiction transformations, you know like where the dinky little robot is dragged down the conveyor belt, strapped down and then is suddenly awash in a blur of sparking machines, and molten metal, a hundred mechanical arms with all manner of alien tools welding and cutting, sparks spraying everywhere, flames and smoke, until the tiny robot emerges a hulking armored battle machine, all sharp edges and planet crushing firepower. That's basically Biomechanical. Imagine Iron Maiden or especially Queensryche (the singer sounds a hell of a lot like Geoff Tate) with a 21st century makeover. A blurred buzzy blast of totally brutal thrashmetal, technical and convoluted but super catchy. With those wailing vocals that at first sound so completely out of place, but immediately make Biomechanical so much more interesting than their grunting shrieking thrash metal brethren. Plus they smear the proceedings with all sorts of bizarre keyboards which gives the whole record a demented alien vibe. The metalheads around AQ have been rocking this nonstop since we first got it a few months back!
MPEG Stream: "Enemy Within"
MPEG Stream: "The Empires Of The Worlds"