Rain - "Headshaker"

(Italy, Deadsun Records, Heavy Metal, 2003)

This is pure Hard'n'Heavy, very close to the one played in the 80s. The production is good and strong, giving to the music the proper dynamics. The first three songs are sounding like the ones from their last CD "Bigditch 4707", but when it comes to the fourth "Face The Blizzard" they are looking like a new band with much more vivacity and when the CD player reaches the song "Viking" the music reaches my heart and I start to sing with them. "Blood Sport", the next song that has a strong refrain and warrior-like choirs , "Yellow Putrefaction" is a perfect biker song and has a harmonica-like solo, "Energy" has a very good starting riff and a solo break at the middle of it, "Only Your Dreams" start with some strange electric noise and then turns into a mid-tempo song with a very rhythm, "Serial Killer" has more speed and very good bass line and good drumming, and the last song "Only For The Rain Crew" is like an anthem for this band and its supporters. A good CD from an old band, worthy to buy!

Rainbird - "Poets' Blood"

(Belarus, Black Fire Productions, Doom Metal, 2006)

This is a debut work of Belarussian doomsters, much known in narrow circles as Screaming From The Oblivion. So, these guys, probably, decided to seek another ways of Doom expression under the new name, but kept original spirit, which characterized their music in whole. I mean measured tempo and low guitar passages, which sometimes boring a bit due to lack of originality and fluid decisions. Sometimes we may determine acoustic guitar touches, which help to keep the atmosphere in Doom vein and allow add the sorrow. The Melancholy sense dominates here and presented into laconic mix of Death/Doom with Gothic influences. So, the band also decided to include a song called "Dreamer", which is well-famous on their previous band, mentioned above, which is, as for my opinion, the best song over all the album!
"Poets' Blood" is not a new name in Doom Metal genre, but Belarussians has demonstrated the direction they follow on and I only may wish good luck to them.

Ravenous - "Blood Delirium"

(U.S.A., Red Stream Records, Death Metal, 2004)

Although the members of Ravenous are very known (Killjoy (Necrophagia), Reifert (Autopsy) and Lilker (Brutal Truth/Nuclear Assault) this band sounds too old for the new millennium. Some guitar solos sound damn good, also the drums section, although in my point of view the sound isn't the best one. Frequently the vocal register used by Killjoy is a hilarious one, but probably out there is someone that will like it. I recommend "Blood Delirium" for completists only.

Reek Of Shits - "Bloody Obstetric Technology"

(Czech Republic, Bizarre Leprous Production, Brutal Death/Grind, 2005)

Formed back in 1996 under Moral Dissection name, band members will very soon change the name into Reek Of Shits, probably in 1997, when the band recorded a demo tape called "Reek Of Shits"! Until now the years have passed damn fast and Reek Of Shits are back in the Metal scene with a new album called "Bloody Obstetric Technology"! Musically integrated into the Brutal Death Metal style, filled with Grindcore parts, "Bloody Obstetric Technology" tries to attract its listeners through its 14 songs, offering us a very interesting album where we can very easily met sexual maniacs, very known murderers and psychopath doctors; a very morbid picture in the end. Although this is a very brutal material, band members prooves that they never forgot to introduce some slower moments or technical phases too. Recorded in 2003 in Polkna Studio "Bloody Obstetric Technology" begins its madness with an excellent intro taken from a horror movie I assume. Emphasized by Wali (guitar) or Cody (bass) this album can be easily remarked through frontman's vocal contribution; Reznik being a singer which combines very well both tonalities very often used into the Brutal Death/Grind area, you know very well what am I talking about! Bury drums sounds damn good, this instrument being a very important element for the final resultof this CD. Finally I'd like to add that the cover artwork is made by Pepa, the leader of Bizarre Embalming; a very usual artwork for such musical and lyrical content. "Bloody Obstetric Technology" is for sure one of the best Bizarre Leprous Production albums ever recorded, and probably one of the best european Brutal Death Metal materials I've heared in the latest years!

Repentance Born - "Follow The Sun"

(U.K., Confidential Records, Hard Rock, 2003)

The band Repentance Born hasn't sent me any bio-sheet so I don't know anything about their history and releases. This EP appears to appeal to the fans of Hard Rock music; the problem is that I don't know if this will impress anyone... The music is not that bad but the production leaves much to be desired from! The sound of the drums is very thin and although they name a human drummer the sound of the drums is not natural, it sounds like a drum machine. The songs are simple, the best part being the voice, which sometimes is very emotional (like on the song "Fade"). All in all this sounds like an 80s U.S. Hard Rock release with a lot of "mainstream influences". This band can find some fans; but with better produced albums, because it will not work if they continue on this line! The genre that they play demands a good production, so if you don't have it... It is a pity that this was not better produced because they are having potential of creating good music!

Reaction Ecstasy Trance - "The Dark At The End Of The Tunnel"

(Czech Republic, Crystal Productions, Doom/Gothic, 2004)

Reaction Ecstasy Trance is a Czech Doom Metal band that started its musical endeavor about 18 years ago in Trinec. Their first album entitled "Depression" came up in 1995, the genre they've chosen to play was and still is Doom, from then they have released another three albums, "In Memories (1996), "X" (1999), "In Love With Blood" (2002), until their latest offering: "The Dark At The End Of The Tunnel" from 2004, the album on which I will focus on the following lines.
Falling under the emotional Doom/Gothic tag, this album is filled with good quality songs, tough sometimes pretty generic. The feeling that I get after listening to this album is that I want to hear more, I do not know exactly if this comes from the fact that I need to listen more to this band or that the songs are not complete, rounded, polished ...one thing is for sure: they do deliver some atmosphere. Some of them are anthem-like, see: "Church Of Stone" or "Dead Enough", others are generic Metal: "System Of Salvation" or "Eternal Enemy".
The music is well balanced, there are atmospheric parts, lots of tempo changes, in fact all of the songs as individualities are pretty different from one to another. Vocal like they're offering is grunts, clear male vocals and soprano female vocals, but not in the usual "beauty and the beast" way, in their case it is more mature and it does not sound like those old almost fairytale-like Doom/Death albums. Lyrically they deliver some good visions upon death, religion and time. As bonus feature you will get a video of the song "Eternal Enemy".
All in all this is a good album especially if you are familiar with the Czech Doom/Death scene, if you like that sound then this will be a good addition to your collection, if not, you can give this a try. And as a final note, their full discography and videos can be downloaded from their official website.

Retch - "Ben-Wa-Baby Heads"

(U.S.A., Unmatched Brutality Records, Porno Grindcore, 2002)

Believe it or not, but "Ben-Wa-Baby Heads" is in my point of view one of the most original products I've ever met in this industry! This CD contains 9 compositions, the main attraction point of this album being Ryan Allen vocal register; an absolutelly inhuman one, but, unfortunatelly for us, a filtered one via PC. But that's not a so big problem, because we are mostly interests in the musical content on its whole. As you can probably imagine, this U.S. combo uses a drum machine because a drum player will be useless considering its fast rhythm. That's not a bad ideea at all, and I want to congratulate the guys for the choice they did. All in all, Justin bass is probably the most important musical instrument used by Retch, although Ryan's guitar is a very technical one too. I'd like to remark that we can find here a cover version song of Clean Fish, but we can find also a song made by Lars from Metallica called "Pussymouth" that seems to be the best song played on this CD. The cover artwork is one of the most sickest I've seen until now, and it was made by Grandpa Murder - a very obscure personage. The lyrical concept fits perfectly with the whole musical content and with the CD artwork; its lines abounding in hilar sex phases filled with bondage moments from time to time. In my point of view "Ben-Wa-Baby Heads" is a pleasant and interesting material, and I'd like to recomand it to all Grindcore freaks arround the world!

Reviver - "Osiris Eyes"

(The Netherlands, Self released, Melodic Heavy/Power Metal, 2003)

On this MCD you can find three pieces of pure Heavy Metal with Power Metal influences played in a good manner. This is not the usual copycats that are to be sold today, they really have personality and show that they are a good band and if they would be discovered they will raise many appreciation. The first song "Osiris Eyes" starts almost like a Melodic Black Metal song, that in the beginning made me think that I will deal with other kind of music, but after the main vocal line appeared it was pure Heavy Metal. "Another Day", the second song from the release can be considered the hit of this MCD, it has a very good melody and the vocal lines are singed in a very good manner and the refrain really rocks, after some spins you end singing along! "Garden Of Eden" the third song, has a mid tempo, and then has an acoustic break and after that some Power Metal passages follow at high speed. You can find this at the contact address below!

Rigorism - "Human Fear"

(Russia, More Hate Productions, Atmospheric Death Metal, 2004)

This is Rigorism's debut CD on More Hate and I was expecting full on musical assault, especially considering this band has members of Barbarity and Extinction (well that should be Ex-Extinction hehe). "Human Fear", however, is a more measured approach to the Death Metal formula. The first thing that strikes you about this CD is the synths; they are very well done and add a horror/soundtrack feel to the music. Rigorism, however, are a Metal band, and there are plenty of crushing mid-tempo riffs and vokills to be enjoyed, the latter of which vary between a brutal gurgle and spine-chilling shriek. It seems mastermind Lev Sergeev is one seriously talented individual as he's got the balance between atmospheres and brutality just right; indeed "Human Fear" also sports a very fine production job with a perfect mix, which is even more impressive when you read in the sleeve notes it is home recorded! So if you are looking for in an interesting, unique take on the Death Metal genre then I highly recommend checking this album out.

Rompeprop - "Hellcock's Porn Flakes"

(The Netherlands, Bizarre Leprous Production, Death/Grindcore, 2004)

Thanks to Roman, the owner of Bizarre Leprous Production, you can read an interesting review of one of the most promissing Dutch extreme Metal bands, Rompeprop. If I'm not wrong, Rompeprop is the discovery of the Dutch Bizarre Leprous Production subdivision, and band constituents shows their gratitude to all label members via CD boobklet. Rompeprop plays a kind of technical Porngrind, scattered with various slow or Epic Metal moments. Epic Metal!!!??? Yeah! If you could imagine that this thing could be possible to be hear on such a release. Unfortunatelly for us the vocal score used by band frontman is made through a PC vocal filter, and band members remind this on the booklet. The musical instruments sounds damn good, emphasizing in a masterly way the rhythmical section and the guitar; the last one being a very heavy one because the guitar players are using a very fuckin' interesting distorsh with a deadfull Hardcore attack! The cover artwork is in a tight connection with band lyrics and with the Porngrind image I've told you above, but too much emphasized for my own taste. So don't hesitate to get this CD because you have a great opportunity to hear 12 very interesting Porngrind songs with the sound of the new millennium!

Rottervore - "Iniquitous"

(U.S.A., Xtreem Music Records, Death Metal, 2009)

Originally recorded in February 1993 at Audiomation Studios, Pittsburgh with engineer Joe West and released the same year by Spanish label Drowned Productions, later Repulse and now Xtreem Music, "Iniquitous" sees its masterpiece properly released & distributed over 16 years after the inception process. Re-issued this year in double format CD and 12" LP, together with the first official shirt of this album, Rottrevore's "Iniquitous" new version features three live bonus tracks from 1992!
Recorded by vocalist/guitarist Mark Mastro, guitarist Chris Weber, bassist Chris Free and drummer Jason Graham, "Iniquitous" still remains a master piece; an album that makes me dreaming on band's future if they didn't decided to quit the extreme Metal scene. What we got here is old school Death Metal, with some Grindcore lines; something that reminds me from time to time about old Immolation in its Rigor Mortis era, and Illdisposed on "Submit"! The vocal score is a very sick one, although we could say that in this period I mentioned above, were just a few gangs doing this way without vocal effects.
Because this is an old material I won't insist on it too much, but I'd like to thank Xtreem Music for this awesome idea and for the chance we got with the re-release of one of the most important materials ever recorded in the Death Metal mainstream across the ocean! Classical Death Metal for the old Death Metal fans, but for the new ones too; a cult album and an original band that I miss so much. Death Metal never dies!!!