CENTURIONS GHOST-THE GREAT WORK
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Does what it says on the tin.
THEY'RE good with album titles, are London doomsters Centurions Ghost. 2005's debut'A Sign Of ThingsTo Come' couldn't have better described the impact they'd make on the local doom scene. Now, with over half the band ousted and three new Centurions, filling the void, the band have stepped up to the plate and delivered a grand statement in'The Great Work: This is a solid, mature and enthralling listen that whilst having its roots in doom, stretches the sound of the band in the most appealing of ways. Opening couplet'The Supreme Moment' and'Let Sleeping Corpses Lie'crash down around your ears like monolithic towers of stone, but the intricate instrumental work-out'Specimen No Tshows dexterity whilst the bull-in-a-china-shop attack of 'Bedbound (in The House Of Doom)'will get the head banging.
IN BATTLE-KINGDOM OF FEAR
Death comes calling.
IT'S been three years since these severe Swedes last hit us hard, with the album 'Welcome To The Battlefield: Not that much has changed during this period. In Battle are still unashamedly brutal, yet also highly proficient musicians, which puts them a cut or two above the norm. 'Kingdom Of Fear' is really a continuation of all we've heard before. The bombastic belligerence of'Terrorkings' complements the technically gifted guitar axis of Hasse Carlsson and Elofsson on'The Wandering One: The surly, deliberate stomp of'Path Of Power' offsets the hyperactive brutalised belch of'Raven Calls: In Battle comfortably span the whole of traditional death metal spectrum, adding occasional touches of thrash and modern hardcore. 'Kingdom Of Fear'won't change the extreme landscape, but solidly sticks to the old charter.
ISKALD-SHADES OF MISERY
Upbeat misery
THIS young duo hail from the extreme north of Norway, up where your spit hits the ground with a clatter, and play melodic black metal with a solid thrash underpinning. You might expect arctic grimness and coldness, but not a bit of it: this is positively uplifting stuff that catches fire as soon as the riffs kick in. Passionate black metal? Who'd ever have thunk it? They sound a little like Dimmu Borgir on a budget, though that isn't a put-down. They do have an epic edge, such as the thrashy'Pesten'as well as an intense and abrasive one. They may be a little too much in thrall to their influences - you can hear a lot of Lord Belial, Dissection and DarkTranquility in there - but its refreshing to hear somebody playing this sort of stuff with such hyperactive passion and commitment It makes anything derivative sound like they invented it in the first place.
THE STARGAZER'S ASSISTANT-THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND
Rumbling ritualistic noises.
THE Stargazer's Assistant is David J Smith of Guapo and Miasma &The Carousel Of Headless Horses, in collaboration with Daniel O'Sullivan (Miasma, Guapo, Mothlite, Elsa Drake) and audio engineer Antti Uusumaki. The music was composed to accompany his sculptural installations. The sculptures are HR Giger-like hyper-realistic death masks, hooded figures and corpse-like aliens. The minimal drones were a perfect accompaniment to that walk through darkness. Out of context ifs still disturbing: like Sunn 0))) at their most malevolent, this is the sound of a black magic ritual being played out in your head,the sort of background music that can corrode your soul; listen carefully.