Fangorn - "Fangorn"

(Germany, G.U.C., Death Metal, 2001)

Well, well another band which found inspiration in Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings", this time they've choose the name of Fangorn, a dark wood where lots of mysterious things take place. The cover of this CD also shows a forest which is barely visible because of the dark image which I've found very nice. This is already their third release so far (and last... I've heard that they've split up). After "Non Rhapsodian" in 1998 and "Pentatonische Furien" in 1999 here comes the third, self titled release. The music is a combination of Death, Black and Gothic Metal, well played with good combinations, they are passing from Death Metal parts played in high speed to acoustic, the vocals are very diverse, growled, screamed, normal and even a female vocalist which fits very well the music and is not sounding dull. There are also lots of melodies within this album. When you see a band labeled as Death Metal you wouldn't think that it could sound that emotional as this sounds. There are some high speed tracks like "Steinheit" which are fitting well into the whole. This is that kind of release that would not let you loose interest even for a minute, due to its various kind of compositions. The lyrics are in German language, a language that I don't understand so I can't tell you more about this matter. This release is worthy to check out.

Fleshgrind - "Live in Germany"

(U.S.A., United Guttural Records, Brutal Death Metal, 2003)

Recorded live as the CD title sais, "Live in Germany" was recorded in Germany at the Fuck The Commerce festival. The whole content of this CD is about 5 songs of their best ever recorded tracks, a perfect choice for a remarkable live gig. Band musical style is the same and it was mentained at the same high level; a combination between technical Death Metal and brutal gore, very fresh and intense. Although the CD was recorded live the sound is a very good one, like the production too. The main attraction point of "Live in Germany" is Lipscomb vocal register and the rhythmical section. As a matter of fact this CD was recorded under the banner of United Guttural Records, one of the most interesting labels ever, very known for its other brutal bands such as: Sikfuk, Malignancy, Deeds Of Flesh, Bound And Gagged and Rotting. I'd also like to add that Rich Lipscomb is the owner of this home recordings, besides the fact that he is very known in the underground for his activity as a singer in some other bands. So... beware of these U.S. Brutal Death Metal masters!

Floodland - "Ocean Of The Lost"

(Austria, Wait And Bleed Records, Gothic Rock, 2001)

Welcome to the "Ocean Of The Lost". Do you have this CD in your collection? If not, then you have to buy it! Why? Because this release is simply great. They play Gothic Rock influenced by the early Fields Of The Nephilim. I love all from this CD: cover, music, lyrics... Also you can find here the beautiful vocalist of Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy (Zuzana Stream). "Dark clouds soar over the heads of the listeners and attract them to a land full of dreams, delusions and despair." Lost in this musical dream you will want to listen again and again and again...

Flutwacht - "Chains, Metal & Body Parts"

(Germany, 2005, Smell The Stench, Industrial/Noise)

Flutwacht is a Drone/Noise/Industrial project from Germany. The name of the band may be meaning "Guardian Of The Wave" in a literal translation. "Chains, Metal & Body Parts" is an album released in a limited edition by the Australian Noise label Smell The Stench featuring 8 untitled "songs", probably limited to 50 or 60 copies only.
There is slightly a variation between the tracks from this release. The main state of mind in which you will enter if you will have the will to listen to this release in full is negativism, the feeling of self-torture rages from every second transformed in sound by this Germans. We are unimportant as a whole, as an entity, only decadence is what we must crave for; this is what this particular release makes me feel. There is no light or contemplative moment here; there is nothing that can be called music in the standard way. But what is music more than a norm that some people taught us? Why must we believe that all those soft sounds that we hear every day trough a radio or TV are music? Is this music? Listen and you will decide.

Fogland - "Znaman"

(Romania, Radical Conflict Productions, Folk/Ambient/Black Metal, 2002)

This is the second release of this Romanian band, the first being a demo release in 1997 and entitled "In My Misanthropic Kingdom". Compared with the demo, this full length has some differences: the style is almost completely changed, from the bad quality Black Metal that they were playing on that demo to this more complex music that is to be found here on this CD. Some songs are very long, some having up ten minutes in length, but you will not get bored because the composition is quite diverse; from easy listen to Classical parts accompanied by the keyboards to more harsh, electric guitar riffs oriented to Black Metal, from soft and clean male vocals to Black Metal screams and on some tracks you can also hear a feminine voice. My favourite songs here are: "Prin Timpuri De Legendă" and "Doar Lupii", this last song being the best on the whole album (the only Black Metal song). A bad thing is the production which is not so clear, especially on vocals which seem much distorted. In my opinion you can see evolution here...

Folkearth - "By The Sword Of My Father"

(International, Stygian Crypt Productions, Folk/Viking Metal, 2006)

Huh, I have to say without any hesitation, I had awaited second album of this unique project and I've been already got a chance to satisfy this new album! About 31 musicians from 8 European countries took a part in creation of this album and the result became even better than expected!
Probably, this is the first Metal project of such breadth which was issued through Russian underground label and this step demonstrates that Metal music has no borders, if talents join the forces. Folkearth is a unique cocktail of all European Folklore with huge Nordic taste, which has a presence at everything, starts from lyrics and ends typical Folk tunes. We may guess German, Swedish and even Irish melodies throughout these songs and I have to say, that the most astonishing thing, which amazed me immensely was a fact, that despite of huge crowd of composers, the album does not sounds like a compilation of different songs; the authors could keep common atmosphere within all songs, which is very hard at my opinion. Just guess how it is hard to collaborate when it is considered that everyone has own vision and ideas, which have to be harmonically blended into main songs' conception. "By The Sword Of My Father" threw us off to the ancient times, to glorious Norsemen, people from north, where honour and valour were above all, and battles directed under Odihn the one-eyed name.
The most impressive songs are: "Instrumental" – in the best German countryside traditions: just want to take beer and start the dance! Inflammatory and fairy pipes just incendiary to have a fun with full of life German wenches and get more and more ale, huh!!! So, "Return to Walehalle" is my favourite song, it just an implicit masterpiece, the sorrowful ballade with beautiful female vocal, sooner applied on male growling, in the best doom Metal traditions. Female voice is something primordial, I can't impress all my delight; it associates for me with young Slavic white-haired girl, as an embodiment of beauty and honour, who took a sing about those who feel... No more words, you just certainly have to listen to and enjoy as I do. And, finally, "Tribute To The Viking Gods" is ultimately favourite song of me – according the name it's about Viking, but... The music performed in Irish Folk style, or close to it! A real ballade, a qualitative ballade!
Well, let's bring the result. This album almost a masterpiece, everything done in a high level and we may fell professional approach to the work from the author's side. A tiny bit and it could became a gold masterpiece. I wish I had musicians will do their best on a next work and do not decrease their huge art potential. "By The Sword Of My Father" is a second chapter in Folkearth's discography and musicians has been preparing new, third conceptual work, which, without doubts, should be not worse than this great album! Good luck to them!

Forest Of Impaled - "Forward The Spears"

(U.S.A., Red Stream Records, Raw Black Metal, 2003)

Still from the beginning of this review I'd like to remark that Forest of Impaled are supporters of Raw Black Metal genre; sometimes raw, sometimes technical or slow, Forest Of Impaled created a very good Black Metal album, although this material was recorded outside of the Scandinavian borders, the most darker area of extreme Metal music. So people are still saying that Scandinavia is the homeland of true Black Metal, because here we can find the true originators of this musical style. But I'm not so sure that this opinion is a true one nowadays, because as I can see, "Forward The Spears" is a very aggressive and intense album, although it was recorded by an U.S. band; a band very involved in the Raw Black Metal area, but very well combined with a few Death Metal insertions. Forest Of Impaled succeeded to "catch" and record battle sounds, and the final result is a good one at all. Recorded in October 2002 in Studio One, with the help of Chris Djuric, the sound engineer, "Forward The Spears" combines, in a very pleasant way, technical Black Metal, sometimes with Death Metal lines, with extreme Metal moments of Raw Black Metal; a decisive role having the rhythmical section and the heavy guitars. Band rhythmical section passes very easy from complex rhythms to simple and fast sound beatings, drummer rhythms being a devastating one, "drawing" out his other fellow's souls. CD 10 songs are very well composed and recorded, although, sometimes, the rhythms and the melodically lines repeats a few principal musical themes, and the things creates a slight note of discomfort. The vocal register uses both tonalities, the screaming one and the guttural one, very well combined with the guitarist dwell; all these being very interesting intersected by slight keyboards touches. The lyrical concept uses a few Satanic lyrics, very well combined with those battle sounds and stories. CD booklet was realized by a well known drawer artist, Deather, who was helped by David Najbrt, this one being known for his Death Metal band called Limits Of Nescient. So... Red Stream's choice seems to be a very good one; Forest Of Impaled proving that they deserve to be an important part of this extreme Metal label. With such an album Forest Of Impaled embarked upon the road that'll bring them total recognition from Raw Black Metal fans and media. But for a total victory, they must work very hard only than they'll be enthroned as the real kings of Black Metal, as they already say that they are.

Forest Stream - "The Crown Of Winter"

(Russia, Candlelight Records, Doom Metal, 2009)

Founded back in 1995 by Sonm (d, k & v) together with Omin (g & b) near Moscow, Forest Stream started to play and create a musical content that would capture the beauty and magic of existence, something I met on Return To Innocence if you want an example!
Time passed extremely fast and here we have band's last opus released through Candlelight who suddenly proposed a 3 album deal happily accepted by this Russian combo. The mixing process of "The Crown Of Winter" was handled by Brett Caldas Lima, known for his collaboration with combos such as Kalisia or To-Mera. Extremely epic and emotional "The Crown Of Winter" combines the Doom Metal music with extremely guttural vokills and a normal chant both closer to Mourning Beloveth I'd say. Some other said that band's musical content is a good mixture between Emperor and Opeth, filled here and there with serious emotional core of classis Doom. And I must to admit that this opinion isn't a bad one, because Forest Stream has something from both combos I mentioned above, without being a useless copy of them. Emotional from the very beginning "The Crown Of Winter" introduce long tracks around 9 minutes each; a musical content emphasized by amazing key parts and guitar lines taken from another time and space. All these being extremely well combined with a vocal score that uses guttural vocals! But we can hear male/female normal scores, but a raw black attitude from time to time too.
As you can see this is the menu offered by Forest Stream; a big surprise for me I must to admit, all the elements mentioned above being very well emphasized by a cover artwork in a perfect harmony with the whole content offered by this Russians! Finally I'd like to add that Forest Stream amazed me, and I assure you I'll keep my eyes large open wide to follow this combo in the future! If you want to listen something that speaks for itself, then take "The Crown Of Winter" and you won't be disappointed by this symphony for Satan!

Forgotten Monastery - "Demo I"

(U.S.A., Self released, Dark Ambient, 2007)

Forgotten Monastery is a new Dark Ambient project from Omaha, Nebraska. This first demo, containing six tracks in total, shows a very promising start for the project, which is full of chilling textures, sinister melodic lines, and often quite disturbing atmospheres. The first track, "Lost In Buried Catacombs", is perhaps the blackest of the lot. Simple, repetitive sub-bass notes plod along at a snails pace. Omnipresent and never letting up, they're like the breath of some ancient guardian spirit – earthy, rattly, and constantly breathing down the back of your neck as you wander uncharted corridors. Odd clanging noises reverberate through the impenetrable blackness like somebody trying to break into an ancient and forgotten tomb, or worse – trying to escape. For a similar idea of what this track feels like, try locking yourself in a boiler room, turning all the lights out, and trying to find your way out. A chilling journey, indeed – well done.
The second track of the demo, "Forsaken Altar Of Sacrifice", though not nearly as oppressive as the first, is at least as disturbing. Starting with a super low note that's like the opening of a portal to the spirit world, it is accompanied by a choir of ghostly voices. They come in one layer at a time, starting as a low drone then adding more and more layers until eventually you have what sounds like 4 different lines of music (perhaps there are more), each one moving independently from the rest. Sometimes they drop out, leaving gaps like voids, only to come back in and fill the music out again. Beneath everything there remains a low, churning layer like a thick fog, keeping everything cold and chilling. Despite its strong start, however, I can't help but feel that this song doesn't quite fill its potential. Although the music is unsettling at first, after a while all the voices just begin to sound unconnected. Occasionally you can pick out odd harmonies and disharmonies in the piece, but they don't all sound intentional and, for the most part, it just sounds like a bunch of notes thrown together at random. Moments of chaos and disorder can work very well in music, but when it is stretched into a 6-minute song things become a bit tedious.
"Trapped Beneath Cold Stone", the fifth track, is a chilling, psychedelic journey that takes you beneath miles and miles of ice and leaves you there, trapped and alone. Something like frozen breath greets your ears as you hang there, suspended in sheets of thick ice. It is a constant reminder of where you are. As you lose all feeling in your limbs, alien currents ripple through as if you were suspended in water, a roiling disturbance to all that is peaceful and tranquil. This is by far the most upsetting, disturbing, and just plain wrong track of all, and I mean those as compliments. It's hard to focus on anything, making you feel claustrophobic. At once the music is both stiff and cold, yet loose and fluid. Intriguing in the least.
In general, this is a strong demo and a solid effort, but it suffers from some weaknesses. As mentioned with "Forsaken Altar Of Sacrifice," there are some composition flaws. Everything doesn't always sound like it's put together very well and it can at times sound unconnected, distracting from the feeling of the music in general. Another thing this demo suffers from is an overall lack of dynamics (Ambient music has dynamics, too!). Each track seems to be made up of one particular idea that is stretched out to its breaking point. There are some great things on this demo, yet no effort is made to expand upon those ideas and fully explore their possibilities. One last bit of criticism I have is that some of the sounds on the album sound like they were recorded using a fairly cheap synthesizer or done on a computer with a poor MIDI card or sound software. Perhaps it is that the songs aren't mixed or mastered well, but when making purely Ambient music, having a quality way to synthesize notes is a must. Otherwise, things (especially strings settings) can sound a bit cheesy. All-in-all, though, despite this demo's flaws, it is only the first demo for Forgotten Monastery and shows a lot of promise for the new project. I am definitely looking forward to hearing more from them and I expect fans of other Dark Ambient projects such as New Risen Throne and Kammarheit will find something to enjoy here.

Frozen Death - "Ravenstorm"

(Germany, Midwinter Records, Black Metal, 2007)

Frozen Death seem to have been a band that passed me by, issuing only two promos, "Ravenstorm" in 2003 and "Winter Domain" from 2000. They have now sadly split up and this full length CD from Midwinter Records is a compilation of these two releases, providing a "complete Frozen Death anthology" as stated in the booklet. First up is the more accomplished "Ravenstorm" promo, here we have fast, Melodic Black Metal with a very cold, freezing sound which reminds me an awful lot of "Pure Holocaust" from Immortal. Fast, chaotic riffs, frenetic guitars and echoed mid range vocals... The production is actually very good, you can hear the duelling guitars very well and the drums are clear (the drummer plays a little more precisely than Abbath did) but the sound has plenty of raw atmosphere.
"Winter Domain" isn't quite as good as the first six tracks; they are rawer with a fuzzier, more demo like sound. I guess the band is still finding their "sound" on this one, it's clear that the faster stuff they came to do very well is showing through. The final song on the CD is a little more unusual and sounds more like Grindcore than Scandinavian Black Metal, but I think that's the intention.
Fans of early 90s Norwegian Black Metal (or rather Norsecore!) should think about checking out Frozen Death. This CD is limited to 500 copies and I wouldn't count on any more being printed, so if you see this and are into Immortal, Mayhem etc. then it's a safe bet you'll hear something you like.

FS Projekt - "Rozhdeniye Maga (The Birth Of A Magus)"

(Russia, Self released, Power Metal, 2013)

Let's be clear, first, about what I don't want from my Power Metal. I don't want biting social commentary. I don't want 14-minute attempts at Prog with choirs and orchestras and pretentious lyrics about the nature of time (Epica I'm looking in your direction here). What I want are songs about dragons, wizards, fire, and dragons setting wizards on fire. And that's exactly what I get from Russian Power-Metallers FS Projekt's debut EP "Rozhdeniye Maga (The Birth Of A Magus)". Quick, bouncy 3-5 minute fantasy vignettes that will add enchantment to my sword and let me level up. Oh yes.
The opening title track immediately sets the scene. Obviously I don't speak a word of Russian, but it doesn't matter, you can smell the brimstone from the tight guitar harmonies and anthemic melodies. There's a wizard. And if he kicks your ass half as hard as this song then you're in deep trouble. The darker feel and folkier soundings of the second track "Ice" put paid to the idea (mostly promoted by Dragonforce) that all Power Metal songs have to sound exactly the same. Songwriter and axeman Efes has put a great deal of thought into making sure that one of Metal's slightly narrower envelopes is thoroughly explored and brings a subtlety of expression to a genre that often badly lacks it, and once again the tight guitar harmonies are a particular highlight. The third and closing track "Fingolfin" starts off as a stomper but then turns the tempo up, and has great dynamics and changes of musical direction.
I'm also a big fan of producer/vocalist Oleg Mishin's voice, who rejects the usual Power Metal squawk for something with a bit more growl and bite, giving this sound a distinctive character and, despite all the Tolkien imagery, actually avoiding a lot of the cliches the genre so often falls into. Former Blaze Bayley sticksman Andrei Itschenko's propulsive style fits this perfectly, hurrying all the songs along without any unnecessary flailing. So, in a strange way, by taking Power Metal back to its hinterland, FS Projekt are actually creating something very refreshing and original. They've shown that the problem with Power Metal was not that it was too narrow a genre and needed to expand, but that, quite frankly, a lot of it simply wasn't very good, and by getting the core things absolutely right there's a great deal of originality and subtlety to be had. Highly recommended.

Funerus - "Festering Earth"

(U.S.A., Ibex Moon Records, Death Metal, 2004)

Despite being American, it seems that pure Death Metallers Funerus are more fans of the early 90s Swedish scene than that their countrymen. Consequently there is little speed on display, the band relies more on crushing mid-tempo riffs to reach the desired effect. When they do speed up, however, things are very messy, so it would be better to hide their weaknesses and concentrate on the slower stuff... Which never rises above "average", in my opinion. I suppose those of you that still yearn for the yet another "Left Hand Path" act of brutality will find enough to enjoy, but this is just not enough for me. A rainy, grey day of a CD, I'm afraid.


Furia - "Grudzień Za Grudniem"

(Poland, Pagan Records, Black Metal, 2009)

Consisting in 7 new tracks, "Grudzień Za Grudniem" is Furia's new full length after the highly acclaimed 2007 "Martwa Polska Jesień"; a new material released on a new label, Furia signing the deal with Pagan Records last year! Including in its line-up skilled musicians from Massemord, Furia delievers songs into "grim poetry in unique and original style", combined absolutely amazing with a Black Metal musical way of playing, full of emotions, cold hatred atmosphere, melodic riffs and a evil vocal score recommended to fans of Taake, Deathspell Omega, Drudkh or Shinning! Combining its extreme musical content with some Jazz lines and some blues phases, the whole work signed Furia takes dramatically dimensions, something I never heard until now unfortunately!
From time to time this material goes in a slow direction, although the drums section still remains a sick one until the end; the rhythm changes are almost everywhere, being in a perfect contradiction with the so called blues lines and with the technical moments on guitar! Although this is a Black Metal material it's a very good opportunity for headbanging, the musical content offered by Furia predisposing to such moments too, showing us the maturity in the compositional process of this gang I like a lot!
In the end I'd say that "Grudzień Za Grudniem" is a very good product, closer to be a masterpiece; a release that changed lot things inside me, one of my favourite materials I ever listened in the latest 10 years or so! Nothing to add in the end! This material speaks for itself through the whole musical content you'll see only if you are going to take it as soon as possible!

Füxa - "The Modified Mechanics Of This Device"

(U.S.A., Antenna Records, Space Rock, 2002)

Imagine yourself traveling trough space and hearing the interstellar music, then coming back to Earth, there you find in your stereo a CD from a band with a strange name, you don't know what this CD is and you push the play button and from your speakers a strange music is to be heard. You lay on your sofa and think that you are traveling in space again. Stars, meteorites are surrounding you and that music, that haunting music which is of such unnatural shape.
This is very psychedelic leading you into another dimension, to be honest I haven't listened to too many bands of this genre but this band convinced me that there are still interesting bands in the psychedelic genre. I've had the same sensation when I was listening to Pink Floyd's album "Meddle", especially the song "Echoes". The majority of the songs here are vocal less, created only by electronic sounds and harmonies, and for my surprise the music is dark, especially the 6th track which reminded me of Burzum's "Rundgang Um Die Transzendentale Säule Der Singularität" from the "Filosofem" album, such different bands reuniting in the vast territory of music. Traveling more into the album you will find some songs which seem to be played on real instruments, some kind of Jazz influenced experiments. Then again the electronic experiments... and after fourteen songs this marvelous trip ends...