AXEDMINISTER (Singapore)
Demo CD 2000
I forgot how many copies they produced this 28 min demoCD but it is now sold out. Glad I have a copy. I am interested to listen to this official release after listening to some of their rehearsals. AXEDMINISTERS is a new progressive/heavy metal band. Before, Singapore have MANIFEST, URBAN KARMA,
TRI-RYCHE in this genre. AXEDMINISTERS just show that this genre is growing in our underground scene. But to stand as tall as these bands will need a bit more than what they deliver here although they have some interesting ideas. There are some songs which you will sing together with Yusuff if you know the lyrics. "Zero" for example is too catchy to be ignored. And the best of all is "Blue Fountain". The music are okay, the melodic solos are great but perhaps they can add a bit of speed in their music.
axedministers@hotmail.com
3/5
CROWHEAD (Norway)
Love Letter
Neodawn Production, 2000
After knowing ex-SHADOWDANCERS plays in Crowhead, Love Letter must deliver somekind of gothic/doom metal, they way I can digest and appreciate. My first experience with Shadowdancers was with a track in Trollskogen compilation tape (issued by Oskorei Prod. in 1997/98). I forgot the song but I still remember some of the good bands there (TRAIL OF TEARS, ENCHANTED,
FROSTMOON, HELLSTORM). "Love Letter" delivers 3 songs which dwell in the realm of gothic rock. Soft, depressive and dreary but not at any chance bored me to death which I usually feel when listening to this kind of music especially when male is the singer. The clean vocals of both the musician suit fine with the music. You will not believe that the line-up, consist of only Øyrind and Jo-Inge. Recommended to everyone who like somekind of soft music to relax their ear after torturing your ears with brutal metal music. (Note
: That is not the original cover)
c/o Jo-Inge Slangsvold, P.O. Box 512, 1703 Sarpsborg, NORWAY.
Telephone: (0047) 90791831
crowhead@c2i.net
https://www.angelfire.com/nb/crowhead
4/5
FENRIR
(Singapore)
Withered Beauty
Promo 2000
FENRIR is one among the Singaporean band 'hiding' in the internet. I've forgot how many Singaporean band I know from internet but never heard of them in the 'actual' scene. I found their email in some metal website guestbook and then drop a few emails. FENRIR plays swedish melodic death metal with black metal vocal ala Dani C.O.Filth. They are just 'okay' musically but have some surprises in the 3 tracks here. The first track "Covenent Of Sorrow" inludes a beautiful piano part at the end of this song. The track "The Winterfall" and "Howling" sounds like slower version of In Flames. That's make a bit of their own identity. I don't why but I dislike the drumming though. I'm not critising the drummer skill but sound something not right with it (the sound or drumbeat pattern, etc). There are lots of riffs I like to hear in here but I guess I want more speed added to like them more. "Withered Beuaty" probably the first demo CD from S.E.A. The promo consist 3 songs and there are 2 more songs. If they are lucky searching for a label, these 5 tracks will be released as a MCD. Hopefully the other 2 songs have the continuation or longer version of "The Winterfall". I feel this track is incomplete. They started okay, melodic riffs, blackish vocals. Then come the slow part before it continues with a different riff (a good one) but then it fades and the song are done. I was almost on the 'climax' there. They succeeded in triggering my mood there. Good luck guys ! I hope you will get sign by a label soon.
c/o Kevin Poh, Blk 67, Circuit Road, #07-249, S370067, Singapore.
withered_beauty@yahoo.com http://zap.to/fenrir
3/5
HOSTIAN (Finland)
Antichrist Hammer Fuck
Necrofucker Records, 2000
As said by a friend of mine, this is a demoCD. 7 tracks, 31 minutes. "We are depeest hell of black metal" is what they said in the booklet. Musically they are thrash/black metal band. Every line-up is named with
Necro... . Necrofucker, Necromancer, Necrochoul, Necroraper and
Necrojantzi. If they want to add a new member, they can add Necrocock Destructor (Steel Madness writer) since he is also a thrash maniac. Haha ! Mostly the song are into old school thrash metal except for few song. The track "9 Infernal" is the slowest track with just drumbeat and light guitar plus normal male vocal. Only
"Scortum" the only black metal attack, the type which make finnih proud of. The sound is raw. The last track is the craziest and the rawest track here. Musically, they are not original enough but managed to caught my attention.
3.5/5
ORDO DRACONIS (Holland)
Nox Speculis Noctis
Demo CD 1999
Dark atmospheric black metal from Holland. I was surprise
when I received this because the package and the production of Nox Speculis... is too
professional to be called a demo. 4 tracks spinning for 30 minutes of atmospheric black
metal with excessive (and effective !) keyboard (and melodic at times). This CD starts
with a 4 minutes intro of mid-paced black metal and without a pause, it continues to the
second track. Actually in the all songs, it have fast and slow parts, but in The
Conjuration Complete, it is almost fast from start to the end. Keyboard is being played a
lot here and that may sucks to the ears of some listener but in this CD, the keyboard is
fine with me. Deirdre Of Sorrow is the best track here as I like very much the melodic
guitar solo. This CD comes with colored, good layout 8 page booklet complete with lyrics
and pictures. With all these and the great music, it is too good to be a demo !
USD 8 from Ordo Draconis, Archimedesstraat 12, 2871 XL Schoonhoven, The Netherlands.
rahab_od@hotmail.com
5/5
THE BONE MACHINE (Scotland)
DemoCD 1999
Looking from the cover of this CD, you might think THE BONE MACHINE
play brutal death grind/gore music. But they are not, they come from
Scotland and they play rock with some good solos. You may wonder why does
this band featured in STEEL MADNESS ? The guitarist email me and told me
about his band. Later I visit their site and downloaded Dark Skies
and I like it very much. Now I got the whole album, which is self-released
album on CD-R with a live video clip included. 8 tracks, 2 of them are live.
They are not heavy, but I like their music very much. Sometimes the music
slow, depressive. The song Dark
Sky, Filter, Prey
are my fave here. I'm not sure how much is the price for this CD but
all the songs and the video are also available for download. Check it in the
internet.
http://www.thebonemachine.freeserve.co.uk
2.5/5
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