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Dark Tranquility - Exposures: In Retrospect And Denial (2004 - Century Media)

Exposures: In Retrospect And Denial

Dark Tranquility are a band that, like countless others have experienced considerable musical change since their inception. Anathema are a case that springs to mind, harnessing a nastier sound in their darker days and now experimenting with modern/prog rock. I apologise for my digressions and irrelevent banter...back to Dark Tranquility.
'Exposures...' is a collection of rare tracks, b-sides and older tunes that the band have lifted of hideously old demo tapes found in their attics. The second disc comprises of live songs from various different performancesspanning their career.
I must say I am very impressed with the older stuff from around 1990-91. Much heavier and avoiding the cheese giving a satisfying brutal resonance. In my opinion these early death/thrash days were Dark Tranquility at their best, and this is how I would like to remember them. Unfortunately the appeal of power metal melodies and melodic rock influences took over and drove the band in the direction their seemingly unstoppable vehicle is currently pointed. I am not saying Dark Tranquility now suck, i just much preferred the angrier Dark Tranquility. The new melodic Dark Tranquility is still a good listen. I feel a band falling into this In Flames/Scandinavian melodic metal genre has to be fucking impressive to stand out of the oh-so mediocre crowd.
If you are on of the masses of Dark Tranquility fans that have accumulated over the years, this will delight you to no end. You never heard Dark Tranquility before? This would be a good starting point...
Reviewed By - hail erebus

Slay The Masses Score...7/10

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Destroyer 666 - Cold Steel For An Iron Age (2002 - Season Of Mist)

Cold Steel...For An Iron Age

Beer and australians have always been a successful, and sometimes comical combination. Thier love for the brew has surpassed the ages, and makes you think that by logic, the whole nation should be a commeradery of lazy, fat-gutted people.
Destroyer 666 have shown us that this is complete bollocks as they swirl us off our feet with their great black 'n' roll music. I call it that because it is not as abrasive as most black metal seems, but it is more inviting and easier on the ears. So what is this like another Cradle Of Filth? I hear you cry. Well for those among us lucky enough to have heard any of D666's work, we can safely say no, as it is still true to the cause of metal and hs songs talking about girls being gang-raped and enjoying it and lots of anti-christian hymns for all the family.
K.K. Warslut and co. have done a good job here, but obviously their earlier work is better. To put it succinctly, 'Cold Steel..For An Iron Age' is a beer fuelled, bastard heavy, death-metal infulenced balck metal album, that would appeal to most fans within the extreme metal world.
Reviewed By - hail erebus

Slay The Masses Score...7.5/10

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