LAST CRACK "Burning Time"

LAST CRACK (United States)
"Burning Time"
Roadrunner Records, 1991

The first time I knew about this band was around 96-97 and thanks to a friend who borrowed me a vhs tape with videclips recorded from the MTV's Headbanger's Ball show, there was Warrant, Sepultura, D.R.I., Mordred and then Last Crack came up with a clip called "Energy Mind". I was shocked with the sound of this fantastic band.

I think the style of this band and this particular record its out of the ordinary, speaking about when this record was recorded. In 1991 there was not many bands playing this kind of stuff which I think fits well into the Progressive Heavy Metal. 

You will not find growls or Death/Thrash vocals here, just clean vocals performed incredibly by frontman named just "Buddo". Excellent guitar riffing and solos!! The production sounds amazing, just like if they had recorded the album today. Excellent songs besides "Energy Mind" are "Kiss a the Cold" and "Love Craig". Last Crack could easyly be the guilty that bands like Opeth, Evergrey and Between the Buried and Me exists today.

Unfortunately for Last Crack they didn't get the deserved promotion considering that they are an amazing band, they could be a big band for sure. After the release of "Burning Time" they did a few stuff later, another full-lenght album and some live stuff back in 2005, a very much quiet band I must say and almost forgotten for many.

So ladies and gentleman, this album its a MASTERPIECE so If you can manage to get it do it!!

Points: 5 of 5

To listen: Last Crack - Live - Precious Human Stress/Kiss A The Cold Live

TAAKEFERD - "Når Sirkelen Brytes"

TAAKEFERD (Norway)
"Når Sirkelen Brytes"
Obscure Abhorrence Productions, 2012

Taakeferd may not sound familiar to anybody...however this band has been around since 1999 formed in Tromsø, Norway. They did a demo back in 2000 and they have had a very quiet career as a band since then. The last stuff they recorded was an EP called "Livsgnist" around 2005 and now at last their first full-lenght album has been released by Obscure Abhorrence from Germany back in March of this year.

A very good album without a doubt, great vocals for starters and very much into the current Gorgoroth singer Pest. The production its really good compared to the most of Black Metal albums, its clean on it's 90% with fast and straight riffs adorned with mid-tempo parts and good atmospheres along the album. 

The opening track "Når Sirkelen Brytes" its a fast song and gives you an idea of what the album is all about. Another amazing song its "Når Lojal Lider Illojal" has some clean vocals/chorus too which I consider very much into the Norwegian sound of bands like Taake, Gorgoroth and the new revelation Kirkebrann.

One of the things that immediatly I noticed and I personally think its that the cover art its the flaw on this album, I want to think its part of the Taakeferd concept but what is true its that its an amazing album and that Taakeferd has everything to become a big band in the future for sure.

The recommendation its for people into Gorgoroth's old stuff, Taake, Urgehal and Norwegian Black Metal in general, congratulations to Taakeferd cuz it worth the long wait.

Points: 4 of 5

To listen: Taakeferd - Nar Sirkelen Brytes

INTERMENT - "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy"

INTERMENT (Sweden)
"Into the Crypts of Blasphemy"
Pulverised Records, 2010

The band members of Interment have been part of important Swedish Death Metal acts like Centinex and Uncanny. Interment's current lineup has still members from the demo days, Guitarist/Vocalist Johan Jansson and Guitarist John Forsberg along with drummer Kennet Englund makes the Interment sound just like the early days.

Long time ago I discovered this band and immeditaly got hocked by their sound, their first demo "Where Death Will Increase" became one of my fave Swedish Death Metal stuff to listen. This band was formed back 1988 and they did just a few demos and then splited up for a long time. It was nice to know that Interment reunited again and finally had the chance to check "Into the Crypts of Blasphemy" album.

This album has re-recorded songs from their first 3 demos like "Morbid Death" which is one of my fave tracks of their first demo and "Where Death will Increase". The production sounds raw trying to give that Death Metal sound of the 90's to the drums and guitars, I think the sound its more raw than clean actually. Their style its totally into bands of their homeland like Carnage, Nirvana 2002 and Centinex, a very "Stockholm" sound. I think that they should have recorded this album at the Sunlight Studio with Tomas Skogsberg to make it the cherry on the top, having at hand such amazing producer would be the best option, let's hope next time they will take it into consideration.

The LP version has a cover song of Carnage's "Torn Apart" which is a classic into the Swedish Death Metal scene nowdays. I hope Interment don't delay to much in release a new album and deliver us another big overdose of Death Metal.

So, if the bands mentioned before don't ring any bells to you, this album is for people into bands like Bloodbath, Demonical and Dismember. Long live the Swedish Death Metal!!!

Points: 4.5 of 5

To listen: Interment - Stench of Flesh

GRAVEYARD DIRT "For Grace or Damnation"

GRAVEYARD DIRT (Ireland)

"For Grace or Damnation"

Ashen Productions, 2010

A couple of months ago I got this album of Graveyard Dirt thinking that was gonna be another Doom metal release and nothing out of the ordinary. While listening the album I started to detect really interesting stuff along the record. Is not really an original style of this guys but its definetly well played and composed, this album has a very clean production like many many records has nowdays but it has a very 90's vibe of a few bands that are and was the masters back and today.

You can hear clear influences of My Dying Bride and old Anathema, even the vocals reminded me the feeling of Katatonia's "Dance of December Souls" with some Candlemass too, sometimes trying to find their own stlye which I thnk is good, they will have to work more on that particular area.

Interesting songs are "A New Day Fire", and my favorite song of the entire album "Enslaved by Grief" begins with this smooth delayed guitar that its simply amazing.

The album has 8 songs and its around 1 hour of music, the album its so great that you barely notice that its long. Another impressive fact at least to me its to know that this great band its from Ireland, personally I dont know many bands from there. Great release if your taste is into the old Doom Metal school of the 90's....I miss the old days.

Points: 4 of 5 

To listen: Graveyard Dirt - Enslaved By Grief

PEST (Sweden) "Blasphemy is my Throne"

PEST (Sweden)
"Blasphemy is my Throne"  EP
Bloodstone Records, 2002

The sound of this band its pretty much in the Norwegian old school style and nothing of Swedish melodies are present on this EP, however the opening track reminded me a little bit the vibe of Throne of Ahaz's "Nifelheim" with a lot of the old Darkthrone sound between the "Under a Funeral Moon" and "Total Death" albums. Celtic Frost riffing are without a doubt part of the style of Pest with some Burzum evocations here and there.

Alhough you might think this could be another Black Metal record it has some interesting tracks like "Along the Path of the Fallen" and "Circle of Damnation's Fire" with some mid-tempo riffs and classical speed of the genre. The production its how it must be in this kind of Black Metal, raw and cold but not rehearsal sound at all. 

Tracks "When Darkness is Complete" and "Thorns from Underneath" are bonus tracks taken from the "Black Thorns" demo and are only available on the CD version.
This is considered as an EP, however bonus tracks extend the running time of CD version beyond 40 minutes.

So, If you are into old Norwegian Black Metal and into bands like Armagedda, Beastcraft, Vargsang and Tsjuder this is for you.

Points: 4 of 5 

To listen: Pest - Blasphemy Is My Throne