Brutalni blog za brutalne metalce

nedjelja, 08.06.2008.

Necronomicon

That is not dead which can eternal lie,And with strange aeons even death may die.—Abdul Alhazred, The Necronomicon

The Necronomicon is a fictional book appearing in the stories by horror novelist H. P. Lovecraft. It was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1924 short story "The Hound", written in 1922, though its purported author, the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, had been quoted a year earlier in Lovecraft's "The Nameless City".Among other things, the work contains an account of the Old Ones, their history, and the means for summoning them.

Other authors such as August Derleth and Clark Ashton Smith also cited it in their works; Lovecraft approved, believing such common allusions built up "a background of evil verisimilitude." Many readers have believed it to be a real work, with booksellers and librarians receiving many requests for it; pranksters have listed it in rare book catalogues, and a student smuggled a card for it into the Yale University Library's card catalog.

Capitalizing on the notoriety of the fictional volume, real-life publishers have printed many books entitled Necronomicon since Lovecraft's death.

The Necronomicon is mentioned in a number of Lovecraft's short stories and in his novellas At the Mountains of Madness and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. However, despite frequent references to the book, Lovecraft was very sparing of details about its appearance and contents. He once wrote that "if anyone were to try to write the Necronomicon, it would disappoint all those who have shuddered at cryptic references to it."

In "The Nameless City" (1921), a rhyming couplet that appears at two points in the story is ascribed to Abdul Alhazred:

That is not dead which can eternal lie.
And with strange aeons even death may die.

The same couplet appears in "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928), where it is identified as a quotation from the Necronomicon. This "much-discussed" couplet, as Lovecraft calls it in the latter story, has also been quoted in works by other authors, including Brian Lumley's The Burrowers Beneath, which adds a long paragraph preceding the couplet.

The Necronomicon is undoubtedly a substantial text, as indicated by its description in The Dunwich Horror (1929). In the story, Wilbur Whateley visits Miskatonic University's library to consult the "unabridged" version of the Necronomicon for a spell that would have appeared on the 751st page of his own inherited, but defective, Dee edition.

The Necronomicon's appearance and physical dimensions are not clearly stated in Lovecraft's work. Other than the obvious black letter editions, it is commonly portrayed as bound in leather of various types and having metal clasps. Moreover, editions are sometimes disguised. In The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, for example, John Merrit pulls down a book labelled Qanoon-e-Islam from Joseph Curwen’s bookshelf and discovers to his disquiet that it is actually the Necronomicon.

In the Evil Dead series of movies, the book is described as "Bound in human flesh and inked in blood, it contains bizarre burial rituals and demon resurrection passages. It was never meant for the world of the living." Many commercially available versions of the book fail to include any of the contents that Lovecraft describes. The Simon Necronomicon in particular has been criticized for this.

| komentari (13) | print | # |

utorak, 25.03.2008.

Nargaroth is a German black metal solo project.

According to Kanwulf, Nargaroth was formed in 1989, but due to contradictory statements of Kanwulf, this date is disputed, as well as the release of the seven track instrumental demo Orke in 1991. It is supposed that this demo was actually released in 1999; the demo Herbstleyd, which Kanwulf claims to be released in 1993, was probably not released before this date. Nargaroth's first album Herbstleyd was released by No Colours Records in 1999, followed in 2000 by Amarok, which is not an album but a re-release of old recordings, as well as the controversial demo Fuck Off Nowadays Black Metal, (released as a demo resulting to disputes over production values). This demo is said to be limited to 333 tapes and 100 LPs, but more units were probably released.

In 2001 No Colours released Black Metal ist Krieg, considered Kanwulf's dedication to black metal. It was followed in 2002 by Rasluka Part II. The third album Geliebte des Regens was released in 2003. 2004 saw release of live album Crushing Some Belgian Scum, Rasluka Part I and Prosatanica Shooting Angels.

Kanwulf

Kanwulf classifies his music as "German Hateful and Misanthropic Metal", not as black metal; he does so especially because black metal is mainly influenced by Satanism whereas Nargaroth is not.Despite Kanwulf’s denial, as the music resembles classic black metal and the emotional background and influence being an essence of black metal, Nargaroth is often seen as a black metal band.

Kanwulf has been criticized[citation needed] for his appearance at a German talk show, and his exclamation "Black Metal ist Krieg" has often been a target of both black metallers and people with no connection to that subculture.

Kanwulf was pummelled by Wolf of the NSBM band Absurd at the North American Black Metal Invasion concert in Bitterfeld in 2001 for having threatened his son.

Sometimes Nargaroth is seen as a part of the NSBM scene although Nargaroth songs do not contain obvious racist or Anti-Semitic statements, due to Kanwulf's participation in NSBM band Totenburg and the following several statements (see Herbstleyd booklet):

"Zur höheren Ehre der deutschen Soldaten der Wehrmacht 1933–1945. Die Negierung ihrer Leistungen sowie das Augenverschließen vor ihrer Opferbereitschaft, gerade im letzten Kriegsjahr, ist die Schande unserer Nation!" (free translation: to honour the soldiers of the Wehrmacht. Denying their achievements and their sacrifices, especially in 1945, is a shame for our nation.)
"German Hateful and Misanthropic Metal, made from White man for White man."
While interviewed by "Magacinum ab ovo" (see external links), Kanwulf said he sees Nazism as a mental restriction and is a supporter of the Kriegsgräberfürsorge, a German organization similar to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and the MIA International. This is not regarded as a credible statement by some critics.

Furthermore, Kanwulf is believed to be screaming "When I die, sieg heil" on the second song of Herbstleyd, entitled Karmageddon. The lyrics in the booklet read "When I die, .... ....". There is still screaming after the line "When I die", but it is hard to understand due to the rasp vocals typical for this genre. It is supposed that the booklet was censored to avoid the album to be forbidden. There is a recording from a concert in Erlangen that can be found on the double LP pressing of the Herbstleyd album, where this passage has been censored, too, but a distinct "Heil" can be heard, followed by insults from the attendants of the concert. Furthermore, Kanwulf has been seen doing the Hitler and the so-called Kühnen salute while performing on stage. More recent controversies surrounding Kanwulf have been his masturbating over a select group of fan's T-shirts which were included with the contents of the 'Semper Fidelis' Boxsets.

Kanwulf toured Mexico and Guatemala in 2008.

Discography
Orke demo (1991, date disputed)
Herbstleyd demo (1993, date disputed)
Herbstleyd (1999)
Amarok (2000)
Fuck Off Nowadays Black Metal demo (2000)
Black Metal ist Krieg (2001)
Rasluka Pt. II (2002)
Geliebte des Regens (2003)
Crushing Some Belgian Scum (live) (2004)
Rasluka Pt. I (2004)
Prosatanica Shooting Angels (2004)
Nargaroth/Sarvari (2007)
Semper Fidelis (2007)
Semper Fidelis Boxset (2007)

| komentari (9) | print | # |

petak, 07.03.2008.

Parapsihologija

"Parapsihologija nije ni spiritizam ni praznovjerje. Ona je pokušaj istrazivanja funkcija licnosti s one strane praga svijesti"
G.N.M.Tyrrell

Druga strana stvarnosti
Nema broja onima kojima se desilo da prozive "neobicno” iskustvo, iskustvo koje ostavlja covjeka iznenadjenog ili ustrašenog.

Kada bi pomislili na nekog prijatelja koji bi im u isto vrijeme telefonirao, pogodili ime nepoznate osobe, sanjali san koji upozorava na opasnost, osjetili glasove kada su sami, vidjeli "nekog” u sobi u trenutku budenja. Slucajnosti? Halucinacije? Ili dokaz da postoje nadnaravne pojave?Mnogi smatraju da se parapsihologija ne moze izdvojiti kao zasebna oblast (para)nauke. Ona bi se, prema nekim svojim karakteristikama, prije mogla smjestiti u tajne vještine i tajna ucenja, kao što su spiritizam (prizivanje duhova) ili magija. Jer, kako je poznato, covjek je još od prahistorije vjerovao u postojanje duhova i mogucnost da ih prizove, kao što je vjerovao da se buducnost moze predvidjeti, a sudbina promijeniti.

Zanimljiva proslost
Mozda je prvi parapsiholog bio lidijski kralj Krez koji je 550. pr.n.e. iskušao sedam prorocišta trazeci od njih da predvide šta ce uciniti na dati dan. Kazu da je samo prorocište u Delfima (Grcka) polozilo "ispit”.
Ipak, pravo zanimanje za paranormalne pojave nastaje sa pojavom spiritizma polovinom 19. stoljeca: 31. marta/travnja 1848. u Hydesvillu (New York) porodicu Fox probudili su cudni udarci koji kao da su izlazili iz zidova sobe u kojoj su spavale njihove djevojcice Kate i Margaret. Roditelji su došli do zakljucka da u kuci boravi duh. Dvije sestre, koje je pod svoje uzeo jedan sposoban medij, krenule su na turneju po Sjedinjenim Drzavama prizivajuci duhove po narudzbi, gomilajuci bogate darove. Bavile su se tim sve do 1888. kada je Margaret priznala da je prizivanje duhova bila dobro smišljena prevara.

ZAGONETKA KOJA JOS NIJE RIJESENA: Sta uzrokuje samospaljivanje?

Ali spiritizam je vec uveliko zapalio maštu ljudi. Uveliko se povecao broj sansi a s njima i fenomena: materijalizacija duhova, levitacija, telekineza, glasovi u tami...
Krajem 19. stoljeca i znanost se pocela zanimati za parapsihologiju, i to sa kontradiktornim rezultatima: s jedne strane u Londonu nastaje Društvo za psihicko istrazivanje (Society for Psychical Research) koje ce demaskirati mnoge obmane, a s druge strane sir William Crookes, cijenjeni engleski fizicar, koji ubjedljivo tvrdi da su sposobnosti nekih medija istinite.

Neumoljiva statistika
Tridesetih godina paznja se usmjerava na laboratorijske eksperimente sa ljudima obdarenim telepatijom, vidovitošcu i predvidanjem. Rijec je, dakle, o posobnostima za koju je Joseph Rhine odredio termin ekstraculne percepcije ili Esp. Ali, priznaju znanstvenici, njegova je veca zasluga što je statistiku uveo kao metod za objektivno ocjenjivanje rezultata testa.
Danas su se proucavanja paranormalnih fenomena proširila na slijepe i gluhe koji svoje nedostatke mogu nadoknaditi telepatijom. Za to je zasluzan parapsiholog Charles Honorton koji je 1974. predlozio tehniku "gancfeld" (ganzfeld), što je njemacka rijec za "jednoobrazno polje”. Prvi eksperimenti su dali sjajne rezultate, ali nakon pazljivijeg proucavanja otkrivene su, navodno, metodološke greške. Godine 1990. Honortonova grupa je, pak, ponovila uspjehe, i pored strogih kontrola. Statistika je predvidala 25 odsto tacnih odgovora, procenat je, medutim, iznosio 35. Vjerovatnost da je rijec o slucajnosti bila je jedan prema dvadeset hiljada.

Prisustvo fenomena
Godine 1997. Robert Morris, profesor parapsihologije na univerzitetu Edimburg, iskušao je osobe koje su se smatrale kreativnim. Tacni odgovori umjetnika bili su 47 odsto, a kod muzicara cak - 56 odsto. Anthony Lawrence, parapsiholog sa univerziteta Coventry se nada da ce se za deset ili dvadeset godina naci efikasni instrumenti za poboljšanje telepatskih sposobnosti svakog covjeka.
Na polju psihokineze (sposobnost premještanja ili uticaja na predmete pomocu misli) koristi se "generator slucajnih dogadaja”, elektronski aparat koji emituje signale (svjetlost, brojevi ili zvuci) prema slucajnom slijedu. Osoba treba nastojati da utjece na mašinu tako da rezultatima više ne dominira slucaj. Jedna analiza rezultata 800 eksperimenata iz 1989. godine ubjedljivo je potvrdila prisustvo stvarnog fenomena.
U stvari, eksperimenti su dostigli nivo tolike tacnosti da su iskljucene metodološke greške ili obmane. Ali ni formalna besprijekornost nije zadovoljila skeptike. Pokušali su otkriti manjkavosti koje, kada se jednom koriguju, drasticno smanjuju procenat uspjeha.
Jedan od najspektakularnijih psihokinetickih efekata je, na primjer, prozimanje materije. Godine 1988. Švajcarac Silvio Meyer je rekao da je "snagom misli” spojio dva kvadrata, jedan od papira a drugi od aluminija. Federalna laboratirija za probu materijala u St. Galenu, koja je dobila zadatak da to provjeri, nije otkrila nikakav znak lemljenja, lijepljenja ili neceg slicnog, ali je, navodno, nekoliko godina kasnije, Amerikanac Martin Gardner ukazao je na jednostavan sistem za realizaciju istog eksperimenta, ali izvan parapsihologije, odnosno poštujuci prirodne zakone.

Zbunjena nauka
Mnogim "nevjernim Tomama" u znanosti krajnje su sumnjivi i pranoterapeuti, odnosno bioenergicari, dakle, oni koji tvrde da svaku bolest mogu lijeciti rukama, odnosno bioenergijom vlastitog organizma u što su se, konacno, uistinu uvjerili i mnogi pacijenti. Iako su mnogi dobronamjerni, za vecinu znanstvenika nema nikakvog dokaza da iz njihovih dlanova izlazi nekakva blagotvorna energija koja ozdravljuje bolesne. A kako ne znaju naci racionalno objašnjenje za uspješna ozdravljenja, njihovi se komentari obicno završavaju na primjedbama da je, moguce, rijec o placebo efektu, odnosno o snaznoj (blagotvornoj) - sugestiji!
Da bi odbacile teze o "iscjeljiteljskom dodiru” skeptici su napravili eksperiment sa devetogodišnjom djevojcicom Emily Rosa iz Lovelanda (Colorado). Pranoterapeut je trebao uvuci ruke u dvije rupe izbušene u ekranu i, bez mogucnosti da vidi, reci da li se ruka Emily nalazila blize desnoj ili lijevoj. Nijedan od 21 terapeuta nije uspio prevazici procenat uspjeha kao da je od oka pogadao. Rad Emily je tako zasluzio da bude objavljen u jednoj uglednoj medicinskoj reviji.
Najteze je provjeriti takozvana "putovanja izvan tijela” (astralna putovanja), iskustva u kojima subjekt, znajuci da ne sanja, "vidi” ambijent iz polozaja koji je drukciji od polozaja njegovog tijela. Ovoj kategoriji pripadaju i "iskustva pred smrt”: osobe probudene iz kome koje su ispricale da su bile odvojene od tijela ili da su tamo negdje, "na drugom svijetu", susrele mrtve rodake.

Tajna istrazivanja
Jedna od slabijih tacaka parapsihologije jeste nepredvidljivost i dvosmislenost fenomena. Pocetkom sedamdesetih, CIA je pokrenula tajni program za ocjenu i angazovanje senzitiva (medija) u špijunazi. Godine 1995. angazovani su parapsiholog Jessica Utts i psiholog Ray Hyman da ocijene rezultate. Ako je vjerovati zvanicnim izvještajima, zakljuceno je da su informacije bile nejasne i dvosmislene. Dakle, gotovo bez imalo prakticne korisnosti. No, mnogi misle da pravi rezultati nikada nisu ugledali svjetlost dana i da se još i dan-danas cuvaju u strogo kontroliranim sefovima.
Utisak je, smatraju skeptici medu znanstvenicima, da se cak i u slucajevima kada je potvrdeno postojanje parapsiholoških fenomena, radilo o tako slabim i nesigurnim manifestacijama da nikako ne mogu utjecati na naš zivot. Barem dok se ne nade nacin za proširenje i pojacavanje efekata. Godine je 1990. japanski elektronski kolos Sony zapoceo s projektom za provjeru da li psihicki fenomeni mogu imati neku upotrebnu vrijednost. Program je, navodno, poslije dvije godine obustavljen, jer se nije odmaklo ni korak od pocetka! No, pouzdano se zna, da znanstvenici, medu njima i oni najugledniji, vec godinama eksperimentiraju istrazujuci parapsihološke fenomena, a rezultati njihovih saznanja drze se, kazu, u strogoj tajnosti...

| komentari (15) | print | # |

utorak, 04.03.2008.

SODOM is a German thrash metal band formed in 1982. They are considered one of the three biggest German thrash metal bands; the other two being Kreator and Destruction.

While the other two big German thrash metal bands created a sound that would later influence death metal, Sodom stands out uniquely among its contemporaries as creating a sound that would later greatly influence many black metal bands that would come in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Sodom's original line-up consisted of Tom Angelripper, Bloody Monster and Aggressor. The band was initially formed by Tom as a desperate attempt to get out of having to work in coal mines in his home town of Gelsenkirchen. Taking inspiration from bands such as Motörhead, Tank, Slayer, Venom and Accept, they released two demos which led to a record deal with Steamhammer (none of which were recorded with Bloody Monster, who was replaced by Chris Witchunter). Aggressor left the band shortly before releasing the In the Sign of Evil EP (generally regarded as an important early black metal release), and was replaced by Grave Violator, who did not last long himself, and left following the recording of In the Sign of Evil. A replacement was found in the form of Michael "Destructor" Wulf. They then went and recorded Obsessed by Cruelty, their full length debut. It featured music that was mostly in the same vein of In The Sign of Evil. Wulf did not last long himself, and later went and joined Kreator (this relationship would not last long either, and the man would later die in 1995 after a tragic motorcycle accident).

For the most part, the band was not taken seriously at first, as various press sources stated them as nothing more than "a second rate Venom clone with semi inventive lyrics". One member would change that. This member was Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik, who came in to fill the empty guitar spot Wulf left behind. His debut with the band was on the Expurse of Sodomy EP. This release would be the last time Sodom would delve into the realm of proto black/thrash metal. Frank had convinced Tom that thrash metal was moving beyond the realms of the horror/occult/satanic themes of bands like Venom, and that themes such as politics, society, and war were being embraced. Tom was already very interested in various wars, yet viewed them as stupid and outright dumb. This new inspiration culminated into Frank's full length debut with the band Persecution Mania. The new lyrical approach and increased musicianship on the part of Frank gave the band great praise (as well as a mascot Knarrenheinz, who appeared for the first time on Persecution Mania's cover), and they soon embarked on a tour of Europe with the Swiss thrash metal outfit Coroner. After touring for the better part of 1987 and 1988, the band returned to the studio to make another album. The final product was titled Agent Orange, and it sold 100,000 copies in Germany alone. This made Sodom famous, giving them world wide critical acclaim, and securing their place alongside Kreator and Destruction as one of the great three teutonic thrash metal bands. To this date, Agent Orange has sold more than any other German thrash metal album all over the world.

However, problems were brewing inside of the band. Tom and Chris had delved further into alcoholism (and in the case of Chris, drug use), and Frank was sick of the fact that he was composing new music that his band mates would often perform poorly live. Mille Petrozza of Kreator offered Frank a position with his band, after they lost their second guitarist. Feeling the need to move on, Frank left Sodom to go with Kreator. Angelripper then went out looking for a replacement. He ended up selecting Michael Hoffman, formerly of fellow German thrashers Assassin.

With this line-up, the album Better Off Dead was released in 1990. During the South American tour however, Hoffman decided to stay in Brazil and therefore was forced to quit. His replacement was found in Andy Brings and a new album was recorded, titled Tapping the Vein, which had a more death metal sound than before. This proved to be the last album with the drummer Witchhunter who was kicked out of the band. Atomic Steif formerly of both Holy Moses & Living Death found his way behind the drum kit.

This line-up recorded the next album, Get What You Deserve. Out were the death metal influences, in came the punk influences. Get What You Deserve had an arguably grotesque album cover and many fans were disappointed with the new direction. Also, this marked the beginning of less international visibility for Sodom as thrash lost its commercial viability for the remainder of the 1990s. Also at this time, Angelripper also started a solo career doing metal impressions of drinking songs, German schlagers and even Xmassy Carols. Another live album was recorded of the tour in support of this album called Marooned - Live.

In the same vein as the previous album, Masquerade in Blood was released in 1995. Again another guitarist was to be found. The new axeman was Strahli, but he did not stay very long with the band, as he was arrested and imprisoned on drug related matters and has since been difficult to locate, most likely due to being homeless. Atomic Steif also left and again Angelripper needed to search for new members. These were found in Bernemann on guitars and Bobby Schottkowski on drums. This line-up has stabilized the band significantly and is still current.

The album 'Til Death Do Us Unite featured a controversial album cover, depicting the belly a pregnant woman and a beer gut of a man pressing a human skull together. This album marked the beginning of return to thrash, but was more along the lines of thrash/crossover sound and had much in common with bands like Suicidal Tendencies. It also spawned the song that Sodom would make their most famous music video for, the highly controversial song Fuck The Police. After this album, Sodom returned to the studio and released Code Red in 1999. This was a full return to the teutonic thrash metal sound of the 1980s, and was met with great praise from fans and press alike. A limited edition featured a bonus CD containing a tribute to Sodom album called Homage to the Gods. With 2001 came the release of M-16, a concept album about the Vietnam War, which took its title from the famed M16 assault rifle. A tour followed with the other two big German thrash metal bands Kreator and Destruction, but Sodom ended up leaving and going on its own halfway through the tour due feuding between Destruction bassist Marcel Schirmer and Tom Angelripper. The reason of the feuding was due to the fact that Destruction claimed Sodom ripped them off in terms of music and sound.

In 2003, a double live album was recorded in Bangkok, Thailand, titled One Night in Bangkok. A new album simply titled Sodom was released in 2006, in the same vein as its predecessor M-16. The title was chosen - as Angelripper explained - because every band needs a self-titled album. The album was however delayed, because the DVD Lords of Depravity took more time to compose than initially thought.

In 2007, Tom was asked by the record label Steamhammer if there were any tracks that were to be released on the In The Sign Of Evil EP. Tom stated there were, and the label gave Tom the idea to get ex-members Chris Witchhunter and Grave Violator (real name Franz Josef Peppi) to re-record the EP with the bonus tracks. This new album is titled The Final Sign of Evil. At the same time, Tom has also revealed that the lineup of him, Bernd, and Bobby are making a new album, which the band expects to release in 2008. There is no name for the album as of now.

| komentari (7) | print | # |

nedjelja, 10.02.2008.

Venom are a heavy metal/first wave of black metal band, formed in late 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Coming to prominence towards the end of the 'New Wave of British Heavy Metal', Venom have found little mainstream success or critical acclaim, but are widely regarded as highly influential, particularly for their first two albums, Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982).

The title of Venom's second album would become influential and definitive enough to describe an entire subgenre called black metal, a category under which the band is most commonly referred.The nature of Venom's high-pitch guitars, harsh vocals, use of pseudonyms, and unrelenting emphasis on Satanic lyrics and imagery is considered the template for the subgenre's later successes, and arguably for the broader extreme metal movement in general.

Their second album, Black Metal (1982) is cited as perhaps the most important influence in the development of black metal, thrash metal, death metal and other related styles that are often grouped under the extreme metal umbrella. Many defining elements of these genres are first found in the lyrics and song titles created by Cronos and his unique singing style as well as the guitar work and solos performed by Mantas.

Critic Ed Rivadavia described Black Metal as the product of 'a trio of visionary village idiots grappling with forces beyond their control (i.e., creative developments so groundbreaking they themselves had little control over its final destination, nor the technical ability to match their vision).' Despite its shortcomings, the album is nonetheless hugely influential.

Guitarist Mantas left the band after recording Possessed (1985). The follow-up, Calm Before The Storm (1987) moved away from Satanic themes in favor of Tolkienesque “Sword and Sorcery” material.

In late 2005, Venom released a career defining 4-disc box set MMV, which includes an exclusive mini-poster of the band's seven-date tour of Europe with Metallica and a 60 page picture book, with interviews and pictures. The set includes all their best-known songs, along with rarities like live tracks, demos and outtakes.

In March 2006, Venom released their latest album, Metal Black, featuring original frontman Cronos along with his brother Antton on drums, and guitarist Mike Hickey aka Mykvs. The album is a return to Venom's sound in Black Metal, as signified by the name "Metal Black".

As of early 2007, guitarist Mykvs has left the band due to an inability to completely focus on Venom during tours. A new guitarist by the name of Rage has been named as his replacement.

studio albumi
Welcome To Hell (1981)
Black Metal (1982)
At War With Satan (1983) (Chart Position #64 UK)
Possessed (1985) (Chart Position #99 UK)
Calm Before The Storm (1987)
Prime Evil (1989)
Temples of Ice (1991)
The Waste Lands (1992)
Venom ' 96 (EP) (1996)
Cast In Stone (1997)
Resurrection (2000)
Metal Black (2006)
Cast In Stone (expanded edition) (2006)

WELCOME TO HELL

| komentari (6) | print | # |

nedjelja, 25.11.2007.

Vader is a Polish death metal band founded in 1986. They stand as one of the best-known European death metal bands. Vader plays a style of death metal different from that of their American counterparts, but their approach is nonetheless firmly based upon the template created by Death. For example, many bands of this genre tend to play guitar solos and lead parts which do not adhere strictly to traditional musical principles (such as being in key) and make extensive use of tremolo bar, creating a rather dissonant sound. Vader, on the other hand, whilst often playing in this style, occasionally diverge and play diminished, augmented, and minor scale solos. Vader is also different in that vocalist Piotr Wiwczarek's vocals do not follow the standard sound widely considered acceptable for death metal. While his vocal delivery remains extreme, it is a much throatier approach, giving him the ability to enunciate words more clearly than most death metal vocalists.

According to interviews, the band's name was inspired by Darth Vader, a Star Wars character.
Formed in 1986, Vader released the demo Morbid Reich in 1990, remarkable not only for the quality of the demo given the equipment available behind the Iron Curtain, but also that the demo sold 10,000 copies, easily the most successful death metal demo of all time. The songs from Morbid Reich would appear later on their full-length debut album in 1993 entitled The Ultimate Incantation on Earache Records. In 1998, they signed a contract to Metal Blade Records. Fans consider this event a victory of "pure" death metal over new styles that formed in the 90s, like rap metal and grunge metal. They also prize the band for not giving up their extreme style in favour of a more mainstream one that would probably sell more records.

Members:

* Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek - guitar, vocals
* Maurycy "Mauser" Stefanowicz - guitar
* Marcin "Novy" Nowak - bass guitar
* Dariusz "Daray" Brzozowski - drums

| komentari (22) | print | # |

subota, 10.11.2007.

Megadeth je thrash metal grupa koja dolazi is SAD-a, točnije iz okolice San Francisca znanoj kao Bay Area odakle su ponikli mnogi značajni thrash metal sastavi kao Metallica, Flotsam & Jetsam, Forbidden i drugi. Osnivač sastava je Dave Mustain nekadašnji član orginalne postave Metallice.

Pošto je 1983. morao napustiti Metallicu, Dave Mustaine osnovao je srodni bend nazvan Megadeth. U tom bendu je vodeći gitarist i pjevač već više od 20 godina. Iako su u početku zvučali kao Metallica, s vremenom su izgradili svoj zvuk temeljen na laserski preciznim solažama i opakim salva rifovima.
Uspješno su predvodili thrash metal scenu tjekom 80-tih i 90-tih. Bend se
uspio održati usprkos brojnim promjenama postava i neprekidnim Mustainovim problemima s drogom. Pošto se uspješno oslobodio grozne navike, ponovo je uzeo karijeru u svoje ruke, i tako su postali jednim od najpopularnijih bendova na svijetu sve do prije par godina. Tada je zbog posljedica ozlijede ruke Mustain morao prestati svirati gitaru, pa je odlucio raspustiti bend. Ipak, njegov povratak nije trebalo dugo očekivati. Prije godinu dana Megadeth je objavio novi album ˝The System Has Failed˝. Pred malo njihova bivša kuća Capitol Records objavila je best of izdanje. ˝Greatest hits : Back to the starts˝ donosi 17 hitova koji su izabrali fanovi na službenim web-portalima benda. Ovo izdanje bilo je samo najava za golemi videomaterijal ˝Arselal of Megadeth˝. Donosi koncerte, spotove, intervjue i dosad neobjavljene kućne uratke lidera Davea Mustainea. Prošlo ljeto u SAD-u Mustaine je pokrenuo jednu od najiščekivanijih turneja- Gigantour, ne bi li konkurirao Ozzfestu. Uz Megadeth još su nastupali Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Anthrax i Life Of Agony.

MEGADETH - SYMPHONY OF DESTRUCTION

| komentari (17) | print | # |

ponedjeljak, 05.11.2007.

Finntroll is a folk metal band from Finland. They combine elements of extreme metal with Finnish polka, called humppa. Finntroll's lyrics are in Swedish, one of Finland's two national languages, because "Swedish just sounds damn trollish", according to the band's first vocalist, Katla (whose native language is Swedish). Finntroll means "Troll from Finland" or "a spotty troll" since the word for spot (acne) and a finnish person are the same in Swedish.

Finntroll was founded in 1997, by Teemu "Somnium" Raimoranta, guitarist of Impaled Nazarene, and Jan "Katla" Jämsen. Their first demo, Rivfader, was recorded about a year later, in 1998. After the demo recording, the other members of the band, Samu Ruotsalainen (from Barathrum, Shape of Despair and Rapture), Samuli Ponsimaa, Henri Sorvali (from Moonsorrow) and Sami Uusitalo joined the band. The record label Spinefarm got interested in the band then, and made a contract, yielding the album Midnattens Widunder (English: The Monstrosity of Midnight) (1999) as a result.

The next step for Finntroll was the album Jaktens Tid (English: The time of the Hunt), which was released in 2001. This album managed to climb to rank 20 of the Finnish album charts, exceeding expectation of band and publisher alike. The following wave of popularity attracted the attention of Century Media, which began promoting Finntroll for the rest of the world. The following summer, the band had their first time playing on open air festivals in Finland and other countries.

The year after the release of the album Jaktens Tid proved to be a misfortune for Finntroll: some tours had to be cancelled, and in the aftermath of his problems, vocalist Jämsen had to retire from the band due to a viral-based tumor in his vocal cords which could not be removed surgically; he retired after the release of the album Visor om Slutet (English: Songs about the End).

Said album was recorded in early January 2003, in a forest cabin near Helsinki. It was an "acoustical experiment", where Jämsen and the new vocalist Tapio Wilska (of Sethian and Lyijykomppania) shared the singing duties among them. The album was released as a mid-price album and held rank one of the Finnish midprice chart for several weeks.

Shortly before the release of Visor om Slutet, Raimoranta died by falling off a bridge in Helsinki after having consumed too much alcohol, according to the official story. Finntroll didn't dissolve after losing one of their founding members, but decided to go on, touring for two weeks in Europe, supported by the group Katatonia. The guitarist Mikael Karlbom was hired as a replacement for Raimoranta.

In 2004, the band released an EP, Trollhammaren (English: The Troll Hammer), and an album called Nattfödd (English: Nightborn).

On January 29th, 2006, Tapio Wilska, vocalist of the band since 2003, was fired from the band. In a statement issued on the band's website, Wilska states that he would like to keep the reason for his dismissal private.

A new album, titled Ur Jordens Djup (English: From the Depths of the Earth), was released March, 2007. This fifth album put more emphasis on epic keyboard riffs with very loud but melodic guitar and downplayed some of the polka elements. Former vocalist Katla was brought in to write the lyrics for this album.

FINNTROLL - TROLLHAMMAREN

| komentari (27) | print | # |

petak, 02.11.2007.

Norther is a melodic death metal band from Espoo, Finland whose style incorporates elements of heavy metal, black metal and power metal. Norther's sound has been said to be similar to that of Children of Bodom[citation needed], and the band has cited Children of Bodom as being an influence to them.[citation needed] However, they deviate from Children of Bodom in that their songs tend to be less technical and more melodic.

The band began in early 1996 under the name of Requiem, and was assembled by guitarist Petri Lindroos and drummer Toni Hallio, accompanied by two other musicians. In the beginning, the band suffered from the lack of a proper rehearsal place, but in late 1997, guitarist Alexander Kuoppala (ex-Children of Bodom) found a suitable place for them to practice at Lepakko; around this time the band decided to change their name from Requiem to Decayed. Their luck was short-lived, however, as their new rehearsal place was soon to be demolished. The musicians who played with Lindroos and Hallio soon lost their motivation and quit Requiem.

After a few months, the band managed to find another rehearsal place, and began looking for members to complete their line-up. After quite a few auditions, they were unable to find musicians that they deemed fit to play with them, and thus went on a hiatus, which lasted until the beginning of 2000, when they met guitarist Kristian Ranta. The band became active once more, and with the help of two guys who were friends of Lindroos - Sebastian Knight and Joakim Ekroos - the band recorded their first demo in November 2000 named Warlord, for the first time using the name "Norther". A promising demo led them to signing a deal with Spinefarm Records.[1]

Due to internal problems, Ekroos and Knight left the band; this lead Norther into finding its first stable formation when bassist Jukka Koskinen and keyboardist Tuomas Planman were incorporated into the band.

When the album Dreams of Endless War was recorded and released in 2002 Norther received a positive response from the specialized press and began playing gigs in the Helsinki area. Following this, the band maintained a prolific release schedule, releasing the albums Mirror of Madness (2003), Death Unlimited (2004), and Till Death Unites Us (2006), as well as the singles Released (2002), Unleash Hell (2003), Spreading Death (2003), and Scream (2006), the MiniDVD single Spreading Death, and the EPs Solution 7 (2005), and No Way Back (2007).

In October of 2005, drummer Toni Hallio left the band, leaving guitarist/vocalist Lindroos as the only remaining original member. Hallio was replaced by Heikki Saari, drummer of Virtuocity.

In a recent update, Norther have announced in a short message on their official website they will enter the Astia Studios in Lappeenranta, Finland in August/September to record their next full length album.[2] The follow-up to 2006's "Till Death Unites Us" will be produced by Anssi Kippo. Currently the album is untitled but has been announced for release in March, 2008.

Petri is also a full time guitarist/vocalist of folk metal Band Ensiferum in place of Jari Mäenpää.

Petri Lindroos

Norther - Frozen Angel

We were together as one
All that we had can't be undone
Our love fading, now it's gone
Our time fading, so it's done
The blood that binds us
Till death unites us

Alone we die
My Frozen angel
Alone we fade away
From this world
Alone you die
My frozen angel
Alone we fade away
From this world

We were together as one
All that we had can't be undone
Our love fading the feeling is gone
Our time fading, now it's done
Nothing I do, nothing I say
Fade Away
My angel...

| komentari (10) | print | # |

četvrtak, 25.10.2007.

A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha or pentangle or, more formally, as a star pentagon) is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes. The word pentagram comes from the Greek word Ŕµ˝Ä¬łÁ±ĽĽż˝ (pentagrammon), a noun form of Ŕµ˝Ä¬łÁ±ĽĽżÂ (pentagrammos) or Ŕµ˝ÄłÁ±ĽĽżÂ (pentegrammos), a word meaning roughly "five-lined" or "five lines".

Pentagrams were used symbolically in ancient Greece and Babylonia. The pentagram has magical associations, and many people who practice neopagan faiths wear jewelry incorporating the symbol. Christians once more commonly used the pentagram to represent the five wounds of Jesus, and it also has associations within Freemasonry.

The pentagram has long been associated with the planet Venus, and the worship of the goddess Venus, or her equivalent. It is also associated with the Roman Lucifer, who was Venus as the Morning Star, the bringer of light and knowledge. It is most likely to have originated from the observations of prehistoric astronomers. When viewed from Earth, successive inferior conjunctions of Venus plot a nearly perfect pentagram shape around the zodiac every eight years.

The word "pentacle" is sometimes used synonymously with "pentagram", although their technical usages are different, and their etymologies may be unrelated.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and others perpetuated the popularity of the pentagram as a magic symbol, keeping the Pythagorean attributions of elements to the five points. By the mid-19th century a further distinction had developed amongst occultists regarding the pentagram's orientation. With a single point upwards it depicted spirit presiding over the four elements of matter, and was essentially "good". However the other way up was considered evil.

"A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit. It is the goat of lust attacking the heavens with its horns, a sign execrated by initiates."[8]
"Let us keep the figure of the Five-pointed Star always upright, with the topmost triangle pointing to heaven, for it is the seat of wisdom, and if the figure is reversed, perversion and evil will be the result."

The pentagram was used as a Christian symbol for the five senses,[10] and if the letters S, A, L, V, and S are inscribed in the points, it can be taken as a symbol of health (from Latin salus).[citation needed]

Medieval Christians believed it to symbolise the five wounds of Christ. The pentagram was believed to protect against witches and demons.[11]

The pentagram figured in a heavily symbolic Arthurian romance[11]: it appears on the shield of Sir Gawain in the 14th century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. As the poet explains, the five points of the star each have five meanings: they represent the five senses, the five fingers, the five wounds of Christ,[12] the five joys that Mary had of Jesus (the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Resurrection, the Ascension, and the Assumption), and the five virtues of knighthood which Gawain hopes to embody: noble generosity, fellowship, purity, courtesy, and compassion.

Probably due to misinterpretation of symbols used by ceremonial magicians, it later became associated with Satanism and subsequently rejected by most of Christianity sometime in the twentieth century.[11]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has traditionally used pentagrams and five-pointed stars in Temple architecture, particularly the Nauvoo Illinois Temple[13] and the Salt Lake Temple. These symbols derived from traditional morning star pentagrams that are no longer commonly used in mainstream Christianity.

Satanists use a pentagram with two points up, often inscribed in a double circle, with the head of a goat inside the pentagram. This is referred to as the Sigil of Baphomet. They use it much the same way as the Pythagoreans, as Tartaros means Hell in Christian terminology (the word is used as such in the Bible, referring to the place where the fallen angels are fettered). The Pythagorean Greek letters are most often replaced by the Hebrew letters ÜŐŮęß forming the name Leviathan. Less esoteric LaVeyan Satanists use it as a sign of rebellion or religious identification, the three downward points symbolising rejection of the holy Trinity.