April 7, 2003 >> Into Eternity Dead or Dreaming Century Media 2002 Overall, I would say that Into Eternity is pretty good. If you are a fan of Nevermore, I think you might like this, the vocal melodies remind of them. These guys have also been compared to Maiden and Opeth. Upon listen- ing to them, I can see why people would make that connection as they are as prog as Opeth while being as raw sounding as classic Maiden. However, if I catch the son of a bitch that let them get away with the kick drum sound on this album I'll feed him to a wood chipper. The kick drum sounds like a Rubbermade bin stuffed with pillows. It really does not suit the very large sound of the band. Oh, and the whole album is over compressed which has the result of making it very tiring to listen to more than three songs. >> Wolfsheim Casting Shadows Metorpolis 2003 Casting Shadows is a mellow eighties-influenced album, pow- ered mainly by synthesizer and nice English and German vocals. Of course, that is hardly surpris- ing, since Wolfsheim is known as a synth-pop group. Fortunately, this album is much more synth than pop, as Wolfsheim’s music is distinctly lacking in the sort of Christina Aguilera-Britney Spears pop that proliferates our radio today. kkk > Dana >> Andromeda l=! Century Media 2003 If you don’t like Dream Theatre or Liquid Tension Experiment then you will not like these guys. These guys con- sist of a Swedish quartet that love pretentious prog. Once again, I cannot strain the impor- tance of liking prog and power metal in order to enjoy this group. Also a plus is the fact that, unlike most Century Media albums, the production does not, in fact, suck donkey balls. Happy day! The instruments seem to have been recorded and mixed with the band overall sound in mind. I can’t say this is the best stuff on earth, but I can say that it stands out amongst the steam- ing turds that usually dominate Century’s body. kak > Destrudo >> Soilwork Figure Number Five Century Media 2003 This follow up to 2002's Natural Born Chaos is very simi- lar to last year’s effort. Unfortunately, I can’t decide if this is a good thing or not. It might be that after four albums Soilwork has discovered their voice and decided to stagnate; having discovered what sells records they have decided to continue to sell records and refrain from developing. On the other hand, it might be that this album sounds so similar to the last album because some of the material may be from last year. You may have to judge that for your self. Otherwise, the album is produced well with a North American appeal to its sound, as well as some old school .metal techniques, like melody and gui- tar solos. Don’t worry, the guitar solos are not over the top. At the very least, I can definitely say it is way better than the new Linkin Park. kkk > Destrudo >> Solefald In Harmonia Universali Century Media 2003 Unfortunately, Solefald is not In Harmonia Universali. There is plenty of harmony on this album but it suffers from a production aesthetic that ruins the effect. Most of the album tries to deliv- er the claim of the title but it turns into an unintelligible mess. It is not as though I think they are not capable, I just think that the album is mixed entirely wrong. Solefald mixes many dif- ferent atmospheres on _ this album. A song can go from blast beat heavy to pianos and melod- ic vocals, all the while pulling it off; it does not sound forced or unbelievable. They use a wide range of instrumentation on this album from choirs, saxophones, Hammond organs, Spanish gui- tar, and pianos. This album depicts a band with lots of potential, however, the produc- tion shoots them in the foot. So, if you can see past the production, you may enjoy this album. kk > Destrudo >> Ashley Maclsaac Ashley Macisaac Universal Now, who here thought that Ashley MaclIsaac was found passed out in a ditch somewhere and was no longer making music? You too? Well, one of Canada’s most infamous musi- cians has come back with a new self-titled album. This disc fea- tures Ashley singing on 6 differ- ent tracks, with a gritty, strong voice that was a pleasant sur- prise to this reviewer. The sec- ond track, Lay Me Down, is the first radio single off this album, and it’s teasing representation of the rest of the cd. The song is very rhythmic and apt for the radio, but nothing like the rest of the cd. Track 9, Captain America, is a bluegrass tune that has Ashley singing, and reminds me a lot of the music off the “Brother Where Art Thou?” All in all, this album isn’t nearly as strong as Ashley’s previous offerings, but is a good listen, and worth buying if you are a fan. >> Ra From One Universal 2002 This CD starts out promising, with an intro chock-full of Eastern influence. Unfortunately, the album does not continue to follow this pattern, and quickly degenerates to generic rock songs. The songs in themselves are good, but they sound like too many of the other rock songs that are already on the market. The CD does have the bonus of well-played instruments and well-sung lyrics, so it is not a complete loss. ake . > Dana Page 6 >> Project Pitchfork View From a Throne Metropolis 2002 Project Pitchfork was once known as a driving force behind the European industrial scene. The second album in the Nun trilogy, the View From a Throne EP, is not particularly industrial, it is, in fact, more akin to 80’s synth pop. The album itself is a very nice listen, with lush synthesizer loops and smooth, beautiful lyrics. It is a very good album, once you get past the expectation for some hard industrial sounds. kak -Dana PROIPOT PEPCHH >> Project Pitchfork Trialog Metropolis 2003 The third album in the Nun tril- ogy. Trialog, is a mellow foray into the world of synthesizer-based dance music. The album has the same vocal stylings that Project Pitchfork is known for, plus some house beats, this album is a depar- ture from the previous album released in the trilogy. This CD showcases more of the industri- al/goth sounds that cause the group to be known as “one of Europe’s most prominent leaders in the industrial scene”. kkk > Dana