Warckon - High Treason (Emanes Metal Records, 2014)

Genre:  Thrash Metal
Year: 2014
Country: Belgium
Tracklist:

1.	Mare Tranquilitatis
2.	The Weak
3.	(My Very Own) Moriarty
4.	High Treason
5.	Choir of Shadows
6.	Dawn of the Era Gargoylaes
7.	Sleeper
8.	The Samurai
9.	Mutant Messiah
10.	Grief Is in the Eye of the Beholder

Review:
Now this is to my liking, a local thrash band. And not an unknown one either, Warckon is presenting us here with their second release already. The first one 'The Madman's Lullaby' did well enough that they got picked up by Emanes Metal Records, who also re-released their first one.

What we get on the second one is more of the same, more fast riffing, hard hitting thrash metal that they brought us on their debute album. It starts out deceitfully soft with an instrumental opener just to prepare you for the musical onslaught that is to come. The Weak gives us very Death Angel like thrash riffs and is the highlight of the album, the more annihilator like (My Very Own) Moriarty slows down the tempo considerately and is followed up by the more more Heavy Metal track High Treason, I hear a lot of NWOBHM influences in that one. After that the tempo rises again until the bonus track, Grief Is in the Eye of the Beholder, which is an attempt to a ballad thats misses it mark a little bit.

So all in all a very well done thrasher that proves that these young hounds have more up their sleeves. If I can say some negative points it is that production wise it could sound a bit better, it would benefit to play Moriarty a little bit faster so not to break so early with the tempo and the voiceover guy isn't really a necessary add-on.

This time no fotos or review from the booklet since I received a promo copy withouth artwork but at least the cover art is looking nice.

The other Belgian thrash bands better step up their game to compete with 'High Treason'.


Where to buy: 
Here

Chvad SB - Crickets Were The Compass (Silber Records, 2014)

Genre: Drone
Year: 2014
Country: USA
Tracklist:

1. It Haunts Her
2. A Hair Before Sundown
3. The Dust Cloud Permeates
4. People Keep Asking And I Say You're Well
5. There Isn't A Day That Goes By
6.Crickets Were The Compass And The World Goes 'Round  

Review:
Those of you who read my Gut movie review (here), might remember me saying the music had a sort of a eerie electronic vibe, affordable but haunting.

Well good news, Chvad SB (the artist from the Gut soundtrack) has released an album titled "Crickets Were The Compass". While only having 6 songs it clocks in at a whopping 47 minutes of music thats a whole lotta bang for you buck. The music is best described as more of electronic eerie drone music. The sort that you have to listen to with your eyes closed and your mind free to think a story with the music. I feel its excellent stuff for any indie movie maker to use. It's not a release I would recommand playing at a party or just in the car, it's stuff you need to be in the mood for.
And that might be the album biggest fault, it IS long and frankly hard to sit through in one sitting. I had to take a break in between listening because I was loosing focus of the music.

The artwork is done by Richard Sala (http://richardsala.tumblr.com), its well done. It really captures the feel of desolation, loneliness and sense of having lost something. It fits the moody music well.

Since its purely instrumental their is no need for lyrics so I can see why they didn't include a booklet in the release but still It would be great to have even some more artwork and maybe some fotos in a separate booklet next time.

Concluding, what we have here is scary, eerie and a good soundtrack to slowly getting insane. No rating this time because its truly something you like or not. Give it a try.

Where to buy: 
Here

Various Artists - "Metal Scrap Records XX Years Anniversary" compilation /Special Edition Deluxe 2CD Digipack/ (Metal Scrap Records, 2013)

 

Genre: Divers
Year: 2013
Country: Ukraine


Tracklist:
Decade A
01. HELL:ON - Slaughter Smell (feat. Andy La Rocque) 03:38
02. CRUSHER - Misled Youth 03:35
03. CYDIA - Последний Стон (The Last Groan) 04:08
04. UNGRACE - SBM (Death cover) 06:07
05. INFECTED - Disinfected 04:20
06. QUO VADIS - Iron Fist 02:19
07. SYMURAN - Ravens (Amon Amarth cover) 03:51
08. CRYOGENIC IMPLOSION - Process Of Imagination 03:35
09. MAJESTY OF REVIVAL - Newborn Sun 06:45
10. RAM-PAGE - Shadow 02:30
11. LETHARGIA - Привкус Мести (Taste of Revenge) 06:30
12. DRUKNROLL - Моя Звезда (My Star) 04:39
Total playing time: 51:57
Bonus video: interview with Anatoliy “Kruger” Kondyuk,
director of Metal Scrap Records

Decade B
01. DRUKNROLL - Самурай (Samurai) 03:50
02. MIND AFFLICTION - Odium Humani Generis 04:15
03. SYMURAN - All Shall Fall (Immortal cover) 05:50
04. INFECTED - Symbiosys 01:21
05. INFECTED - Erosion Of Brain 02:11
06. VOICE OF MIDNIGHT - Signum Crucis 03:59
07. UNGRACE - Unhuman 03:18
08. Dima Krutyholova (FORCEOUT) - Clarity 03:46
09. SYMPHONY OF SYMBOLS - Controlled Cataclysm 09:54
10. QUO VADIS - Rasputin (Boney M cover) 03:40
11. MAJESTY OF REVIVAL - The Code (Remix) 05:07
Total playing time: 47:13

Bonus videos: CRUSHER, CYDIA, D.HATE, DIMICANDUM, DRUKNROLL,
HELL:ON, NEURONIA, UNITED MIND CLUB, VADIKAN


Maybe we should start with some background to this metal label, Metal Scrap Records,
they began in 1993 as Metal Scrap Production, releasing a paper metal magazine. After a while they released some audio releases as well (starting with compilations). Now about 20 years later the label is stronger then ever, metal label #1 in Ukraine, helping domestic and foreign bands to get out there, releasing cds and organizing concerts.

Why am I telling you this?
Since I got their brand new compilation album here to review. For their 20 year anniversary they released their seventh compilation album

So what do we get here? Bands that span the complete history of the label, I reviewed some of them before (MAJESTY OF REVIVAL, DRUKNROLL, MIND AFFLICTION, FORCEOUT, Lethargia)
The compilation comes in 2 version a normal version and the special edition deluxe version (the version to get and the version I have got).
The Special Edition Deluxe Enhanced 2CD Digipack includes: 23 audio tracks/100 min. of music in various Metal styles, as well as 9 official videos, 17 min. video interview with director of Metal Scrap Records, bandphotos, wallpapers and a  booklet.

The quality of the album is top notch, it feels sturdy looks nice and really professional. 

Not all the songs are the same quality but with a label with that many releases there is bound to be something for everyone.
Also it contains the best cover of a Boney-M song I ever heard. Check it out.

Rating:
No Score

Where to buy:

http://metalscraprecords.com/shop/en/store/product/view/36/3347