Dying Fetus / Grotesque Impalement
The most recent album of the band I'm going to see tomorrow. I don't know how many albums they released before this.

In the scene of the so called extreme music, except melodic-death, digital-core, noise so on being at the frontier, it is very difficult to have a distinct distinction among several type of music at least in the core field. Of course one doesn't have to keep one's mind on such distinctions, and personally speaking, either I don't remind such things ordinally except in cases such as explaining or recommending some new bands or cds to friends or someone. So, as for this album, it can possibly be said as death metal as well as grind-core or something one want to categorize. What is more, last 2 track go far beyond my understanding:-)

Moreover, the fact that there are so many similar bands makes it more difficult to say something definite about this band and album. Actually, on this album there is no peculiarity which strike listeners at first listening (excepst last 2 enigmatic tracks). However it doesn't mean this album is just on or below the level. Besides the clear sound and grim performances, I most admired at there tarent of making songs. Although this kind of music has many restrictions and these and reproductiveness on the show prevents from doing many things, however one can make effort for making the music easier to be digged even for non maniac ordinaly people, and in fact this album seems to have success on this aspect. There are some people think it treachery if a band like this try to create some catchy things. But, personally, I think to make songs more catchy is better if there is no so much established pre-concept. And from this viewpoint this album rules.

Kataklysm / Temple of Knowledge (Kataklysm III)

Kataklysm / The Prophecy

In Flames / Clayman
The new album of the band whose show I saw just in last October is delivered even before we expect the album. However, since not a few bands release two albums within a year, that is not so much surprising.

Nonethless, although this quite short interval makes us uneasy about the quality of the album, in fact my anxiety was useless. Saying that the sound production of the last album is far below the satisfaction now, their works on arrangements, mixings etc. in this album is excellent. The overall sound sounds very pleeasantly.

Even if so, the quality of songs themselves are just on the same level as the previous album "COLONY", I think, and I cannot give them my full cheers. Also I feel that many of these songs are not more than recycles or re-cookings of aborted ideas for previous works. In particular, main vocal (quasi-)melodies are sometimes tasteless and hard to grasp, and fail to make me feel good. That is at least one of bad points comparing to remarkable efforts of other members, however true it is that the singer really sings.

Anyway, I know well I require too much. Actually, although I thought "this sucks! Typical In Flames songs are just last three trecks!!" at the first listening, now I really enjoy listening to this repeatedly. I'm relly looking forward the upcoming show. To be hasty, also I expect them much more improvements on the next album.

Destruction / All Hell Breaks Loose
Just for the preparation for the upcoming show. To be honest, I've never listened them up to the present, and I knew nothing but their name and covers of several albums. At first I didn't intend to prepare anything for the show, however later for some reason I cannot grasp I came to think that it's not good, then I decided to buy at least just the most recent album.

Well, the biggest problem is that I'm not so much keen on this album. The main reason is, I suppose, their songs lack much of originalities. At least for me, their sounds just as "Hmm.. I think I've heard something like this before" type things. Actually, names like Testament, Slayer, Anvil etc. frequently come to my mind while listening. However certain it is that their works on this album are far above the average, something prevents me from digging it. In fact, despise my feeling that I've heard this type of things before, repeated listenings fail to make me adopted to songs. I and this album are ill-matched, I think.

Rhea's Obsession / Initiation
Since I saw their show for the first time (of course it was too impressive to forget them although I quickly forgot the main act they supported for), I wanted to have their albums. Prevented from that by staffs shortage from unknown cause, finally I happend to get it and now enjoy this.

In this connection, I know at least other one album comes from a label Ng (whose current main act is Kittie :-p) being big in Canada, and that album is far more easy to be got than this album.

To say easily and simply, they play an Eno, John Hussel type thing. But, absorbing industrial and other miscellaneous things and succeeding to mix them well, their sound is bery experimental but doesn't refuse ordinary people. Actually, I hate the world-music thing which just rubs the atomosphere of several tribal or unwestern musics. However, I can dig the sound their creates. In fact, in this album many elements are still under developping and not fully sophisticated yet. Even if so, I can still feel their eagerness to make a truly original music. I wish their music would be listened not only in Canada and north America but also much more widely.

Six Feet Under / Maximum Violence
Needless to say, this is the last album of the death metal band by Chris Burnes, an ex-member of Cannibal Corpse. Of course I've heard Cannibal Corpse for some years and I like it. However, I have no interest in why and how Chris left the band. Simply, I like both band and always enjoy stuffs of both band.

Especially in Japan, they say that SFU is not good because they hardly play fast tunes, I heard. I don't think so, because I think there is no rule that death metal band have to play fast tunes, and contraly, there are meny bands which plays nothing but fast tunes but at the same time plays just boring things. Although the speed of songs and techniques (blasphemous drums, murderously fast solos and vomitting death voices etc.) are important indeed, but the most important thing is the quality of songs themselves and the total quality of the whole sound production. From that view point, SFU gives songs which I can dig, so I like it. Today I find that sometimes main vocal melodies sounds alike as those of Michirou of The Stalin, a japanese punk hard-core act which is one of mu favorites.

As for the speed of songs, I think this album is enough. Even if songs' sheer BPM is quite high, if the play itself and ovrall sound production is not good, it destroys everything. And more importantly, however fast songs may be and the band may play, if things are just monotonous, we can be easily bored. Even in this point, SFU has an extra-ordinaly talent, I think.

Download / Furnace
A group formed by ex-members of worldly well-known Skinny Puppy. I don't know how many albums they have made, but certainly this is not the last album.

Better or worse, Skinny Puppy was a master of studio works, and very good at elaborately constructed sound productions. Listening to this band for the first time, I felf same thing. So far so good, and perhaps the more carefully and repeatedly I listen to it, the much more facts and subtle techniques I can find. However, this album lacks a pop aspect and catchy side which Skinny Puppy had beyond doubt. So, it's hard for me to listen to it carefully, and this prevents me from digging it. In short, this is "first 'Oh! What's this?', second 'Too much ...'" type thing.

I assume it is dangerous to judge this band solely by this album. But, at least it is certain that this band will never be a big band of Skinny Puppy class.

AC/DC / Live
When I have to prepare for an upcoming show, and if I have never heard the band or already having heard them and having some their stuffs but they aren't ready for me now for some reason, I make it my custom to buy their recent album and best album. And as for the best album, it's far better to buy a live album then a compilation of studio works, I reached to this conclusion though experiences.

Well, for that reason in this case of upcoming AC/DC show too I bought this double live album. Its sound and performance itself is great, and an expectation of the real show I will see makes me high. However, from the viewpoint that this is a live album, I felt something is missed in this album, to be honest. I suppose its reason is: first, its tracks are recorded at unspecifiedly many different places, and second, intervals between tracks are sometimes strangely long. Comparing to that of Motorhead (I'm not clear about if this comparison makes sense. But it's another matter), since it has noises from audiences without cesession even if there are long intervals between songs, I'm free from the strangeness as that. On the other hand in the case of this album, strangely long interval without any sound tear up the good atmosphere into pieces.

Of course, I don't have to worry about such silly thing at the real show, so all I have to do is to expect the show itself and enjoy the show. But anyway, this live album has such an weak point certainly.

Meyhem / Grand Declaration of War
First, let me complain about a thing. Seeing the back of cover, it seems to say the album contains 8 songs. However actually it is evident that the album has more than 8 songs. Then, I thought it has some secret trucks. And in fact it has secret trucks, but aside them, trucks before them are still over 8. So next, I thought I could identify each songs by seeing the booklet having lyrics. However it is not easy to read. I don't know whether if these irritating things are for make listners to listen the album as total, or a measure against mp3 or something, but certainly this album is not friendly to listeners.

Well, the most surprising aspect of this album is the use of drum-machine-like rhythm devices (however perhaps Mr. Hellhammer plays it) and rap-type vocals. To be honest, I listen to this band for the first time by this album. However, apart from that and considering the fact Hellhammer plays in The Kovenant too, above mentioned aspects are still shocking and makes me wonder if Meyhem is the band which want to play such things.

However shocking they are, these are just some part of this album. And basically they play very standard type things of the norwegian black metal. In total, the quality of whole sound production is very great indeed.

Personally, I feel rather difficult to follow songs because they are too much complicated and lack some catchy elements. So I assume I cannot dig it.

Anvil/Anthology
Best album as the title says. Since to buy again stuffs which I already bought is just a loss of money, a best album like this is very helpful. One demerit is that at least in north america almost all best album doesn't contain lyrics in its booklet (on the contrary in Japan almost all best album have lyrics, howver it makes its cost higher). As for this album, the booklet lacks lylics but has a long liner notes, and it's still a good source of imformations for us.

To be honest, while I was in Japan, I hardly had an interest in the canadian metal. However, canadian rock bands which are famous to ordinaly people in Japan are at most just Rush and Triumph. And although bands like Annihilator, Voivod and Anvil are known in Japan, they are famous only among metal maniacs. So, besides that I don't like Rush so much, until I came here I had hardly listened to canadian metal. Actually, i think, even today in Japan not so many people can list easily canadian bands in general, except metal maniacs (for nowadays some of them like even bands from Finland, Portugal, Turkey etc.).

Well, listening to this album, one can know how constantly they have created good stuffs. The oldest song is dated 1982, so they have a career as long as the oldest NWOBHM bands. Honestly, I'm surprised so much. The most idiot is me who have never had a mind to listen them, but I incline to complain against guys of Magazines or rock critics who have left them a band just for few maniacs.

Front Line Assembly/Implode
This is presumably their last album. I don't know the reason why, but recently there is no information for shows of artists in this genre. I don't know either whether this is because now this genre is not so popular than before or because of some other reason. Anyway it's a great misfortune for me being a big industrial fan and living in a country of the industrial music.

As one of two greatest industrial band of Canada, we tend to compare them to Skinny Puppy which was the other. Then at least formerly, I think, FLA created more lough but driving sound in comparison with the much subtle sound production of Skinny Puppy. However, in this album FLA makes a subtler sound like them, and I'm slightly surprised by this.

In any genre, I think, however agressive sound one makes, listeners are quick to be adopted to this. So, the problem must be by what mean one makes reflesh the experience of listeners. To put matters simply, there are two major ways: to dare to make much more agressive sound by some means (for example, using much more metallic guitar sound or death voices, noises etc.), or to try some other means. It seems that FLA takes the latter way for a present. Considering the appearance of a genre which expands both metal and industrial (for ex. Fear Factry, Rammstein, their choice may be a clever one.