Review by Allan on March 30, 2002.

Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of power metal, except for a few standout bands. So, that is why I was pleasantly surprised when I came across Tad Morose’s latest offering, “Matters of the Dark”. I was surprised that a band as good as these guys could go so unnoticed and underrated in the metal scene. The bands of style of power, thrash, and melody is very convincing to even the most skeptical of power metal.

Not knowing what to expect, I was hooked from the very first start of the album with 'Sword of Retribution', with its excellent riffs and a solo that made me rewind to hear it again. The rest of the album follows the same suit, thankfully. While all staying in that same suit, they aren’t all identical. The title track, 'Matters of the Dark', has excellent riffs that just make you want to bang your head. The two closing tracks, 'The Devil’s Finger' and 'Don’t Pray For Me', are really great and hold a lot of diversity, and definitely act as a great closing for the album. They end the album strong, instead of the whole thing starting strong and dying out. 'New Clear Skies' has excellent groove to it, while not seeming out of place. In fact, the whole album has a really nice groove to it. Ultimately, the entire album has seamless transitions, whether it be verse to chorus, song to song, or whatever else. Tad Morose does an excellent job, sounding similar to Jag Panzer, Nevermore, Dio, and Lefay, while still retaining a sound of their own.

The musicianship of the band is great. I really enjoy vocalist Urban Breed. He does a nice job fitting with the melody, and is not annoying by going to high, or doing an unfitting style of death or black. The two guitarists, Christer Andersson and Daniel Olsson, do an excellent job with song writing and their playing ability is fantastic. The rhythm section definitely does a great job, instead of just being there for the sake of being there.

Bottom Line: Tad Morose has the composing ability, the energy, the musicianship, and the experience to make an excellent album. Definitely underrated and under appreciated within the scene, I hope that this album can shed a little bit more light onto the band for people who haven’t been exposed to them.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 6
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8
Overall: 7

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Elijah on February 19, 2020.

Six Feet Under's first two albums had something cool going on, but it had more wasted potential rather than good musical moments. The band definitely could've come up with some better stuff, but they just filled the albums with contrived songs just to fill up space. If they put more time into the songwriting those albums would've been so much better, but that's not what we got. Thankfully for the first time in their career, this isn't the case at all. Maximum Violence is a new and revamped version of SFU, and this is actually some pretty good stuff.

As I've said before; when Six Feet Under started out they had some good ideas, but they didn't execute them as greatly as they could've, but with Maximum Violence they actually started to give a damn and make their stuff sound more alive and powerful. With an opener like 'Feasting on the Blood of the Insane', you can instantly tell they put more effort into the songwriting. It starts with a spooky-sounding slow riff section with slight wails on both guitar and bass. This part of the song also has a spoken word behind it. Interesting. Then the song comes in hard and heavy, the main riff appears, a catchy and clever drum beat plays along with it, and the bass is also here (you can actually hear the bass being played too) it’s not buried and hidden like most usual death metal releases. Chris' vocals aren't bad either surprisingly, the lyrics on this album are starting to get more creative and in-depth as well. The way Barnes sings in this song is cool, it flows along greatly with the beat of the song. 'Victim of the Paranoid' is a good track as well; catchy as fuck riff, good, visible bass playing, powerful machine gun drums that play away with the riff and also provides some cool patterns and beats throughout the song, and cool vocals that flow good throughout the song. Obviously Barnes' vocals aren't top notch, but on this album they sound decent. The main reason why this album is so good is because the songs aren't all that boring anymore. With Maximum Violence you get nice riffs, more drum variety, and thicker bass. The songwriting skills here are great, every track is listenable, and you'll rarely find yourself getting bored or uninterested while listening to this. All the tracks have something different about themselves. They all start out differently and nothing really is repetitive. Fresh riffs, heavier sound, what could be better for Six Feet Under?

This album is the beginning of their transition from some heavier-sounding death metal-influenced groove metal, to pure "death 'n' roll". The guitars are way heavier, the riffs are better, pretty much everything is heavier compared to the albums prior to this one. Maximum Violence is less groovy than the other stuff, because they started focusing on a heavy sound and less on groovyness. I can say with this record they did a pretty nice job. A revamped and more talented version of SFU. Way more backbone and originality.

This album may be good but that doesn't mean its flawless, which it isn't. Come on, this is Six Feet Under, there's always a flaw in their music, always. The main issue is the sound of the drums. The DRUMMING isn't bad, it’s the sound OF the drums; the drums sound cheap as hell. When you're listening to the first few tracks of the album it’s easy to notice the drums sound cheap and kinda trashy, once you get more into the later tracks of the album it won’t bother you at all anymore. It’s not really that much of a bother in the first place, but it definitely needs to be noticed for the way it sounds. Then the vocals (no shocker here). The vocals aren't BAD, but this is noticeably the start of the downfall of Chris Barnes. The vox aren't terrible, but they aren't that great either. I'm just glad on this record they actually sound good. His vocals fit good with the type of music early Six Feet Under created, but Maximum Violence marks the spot for the beginning of the end of Barnes' vocals.

In conclusion, this is Six Feet Under's first great effort. This is more thought-out, creative, and original. It's not really boring or repetitive at all, this is some quality stuff. This album doesn't deserve nearly much hate as it gets. This is some of the band’s better works, and that's a fact. Give this album more attention and focus less on all the other ones.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by Felix on February 19, 2020.

Life can be nice with a pretty girl, a good drink and a strong album. But without a pretty girl, without a good drink and only equipped with a work of Six Feet Under, one will probably discover the dark side of life. Okay, let's stay fair. The more or less acceptably produced disc starts in a solid way. "Feasting on the Blood of the Insane" (please ignore the moronic title) combines a sinister groove with a morbid malignancy and Hellhammer greet Grave. Only the polarizing, one-dimensional vocals of Barnes do not give me anything.

However, Maximum Violence is one of these notorious albums that entice the listeners with a fairly proper opener, but the remaining 33 minutes announce the triumph of mediocrity. I am sure that the musicians have the technical abilities it needs to perform interesting songs, but this fact remains their secret as long as they do not compose interesting songs. Some riffs have been heard a thousand times before and the whole guitar work sounds bloodless. The slow pace of many sections is totally boring and, as mentioned before, the ridiculously deep growls fail to add value to the single compositions. SFU have written ugly songs, but they lack dynamic and vehemence, impulsivity and momentum. Surprising or enthralling elements? Don't even think about it. Maybe the cover song of Kiss was meant to set a contrast, but SFU ruin this song completely. The original version from "Creatures of the Night" with its dull riffing is not great, but here the boring essence of the piece shines in full glory. It sounds absolutely powerless and is performed without any inspiration. I almost feel the urge to call Gene Simmons in order to beg forgiveness, but the unbelievably worthless lyrics of the majority of the other songs ("die motherf**ker") paralyses me.

The pieces have no personality, the entire full-length appears as a sticky porridge. Although the group wants to deliver catchy sections, I belong to the lucky people who are able to forget each and every song immediately as soon as the last tone has faded away. I admit that SFU try to vary their approach within the very narrow guidelines of their style. Many tempo changes indicate their ambition to avoid monotony. But this attempt fails. I am not at risk to press the repeat button. Quite the contrary, the longer the album lasts, the more I wish that it comes to an end. These shitty numbers like "Torture Killer" (these stupid titles make me sick) are amateurish and do not even contain the smallest form of a melody. Okay, death metal is generally not known for offering melodic harmonies in abundance, but a necessary minimum should not be forgotten. Yet here it seems to be killed by the Maximum Violence, although this blunt and lackluster work fails to deliver a really violent sound. Compared with the brutality of bands such as Vomitory, the maximum violence of SFU is nothing but a moderate breeze. Give up, dudes, it just makes no sense. And now I need a good drink.

Rating: 2 out of 10

Review by Felix on February 9, 2022.

New releases of well-known black metal bands cast their shadows in advance. Watain and Dark Funeral are only two names that return in the next weeks. That’s surely a good thing, but the strongest source of power has always been the underground. Sidious from the United Kingdom have not been on my radar so far and I am surprised that they already released two full lengths. Nevertheless, I don’t think that they are already a firm and stable factor in the community of the sub-genre. Hopefully, Blackest Insurrection will change this.

The album presents 7 songs and clocks in at 47 minutes. These technical data indicate a more or less remarkable degree of complexity, but the twists and turns of the individual pieces do not hurt their flow. Sidious deliver homogeneous song structures; the material is accessible and it feels good to experience that we are not confronted with narcissists who just want to demonstrate their technical skills. The creation of a coherent song is always in the focus of the quartet whose drummer is also involved in Hecate Enthroned. The throaty vocals and sometimes pretty intrusive keyboards, for example in 'To Know My Kingdom' make me think of this band, but Sidious do not play symphonic or theatrical black metal. There exists a good level of harsh misanthropy in their music and almost hypnotizing sequences (the beginning of the closer) also do not come up short. I wish they would have given their songs a more bestial touch every now and then, but don’t understand this as a major flaw.

Unfortunately, there is a further problem. At the end of Blackest Insurrection, the band runs out of ideas, slowly but steadily. The vibrancy of the first songs cannot be recreated and that’s a pity, because the group starts with really good outbursts of hate. The opening title track spreads coldness while offering both high velocity parts and smooth guitar lines. It is one of these openers that draw the listener into the album in a matter of seconds due to its good, well-defined production, its dynamic and its pure blackness. Nevertheless – and this is good news – the highlight of the album has another name. 'Blood-Soaked Mist' welcomes the listener with rebellious guitar lines, intensive blast beats parts, cleverly arranged breaks and a deep and demonic heaviness. Even its calm break in the second half of the song works excellently.

The band tries to vary its songs within the given frame of the chosen genre. 'Hailing Shards Of Agony' and 'The Palace Yond The Threshold' deliver not only the guttural screaming of the lead vocalist, but also a triumphant, majestic voice and some joint background vocals and shouts. There is no Dimmu-symphony, no Cradle-kitsch and no female voices whisper words of dark eroticism. Instead, the band is – especially in the harsher moments – ugly enough to convey the genre-inherent scorn. Thus, I regret a little that the (still solid) last two songs cannot quite keep up with the first five tracks, otherwise it would have been an outstanding work. Either way, Blackest Insurrection deserves the full attention of every black metal fan who needs something different than the (fascinating) typical Finnish approach from time to time. Okay, Sidious are definitely not the most individual band, but they don't gaze at Scandinavia with their eyes wide open and saliva in the corners of their mouths either. Instead, they convey the soul and the aesthetics of black metal in the interface of Hecate Enthroned, Dark Funeral and old Enthroned. So now let’s see whether the announced outputs of the “big players” will find the right answer to this work.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Alex Grindor on August 26, 2024.

When one hears the term "Atmospheric Black Metal" one immediately associates it with a grand forest bathed in the moonlight, or even a peaceful night in utter silence contemplating the stars. The last place one would even consider for a band of such style to exist is in a city in the midst of a desert. Well, that is where Pillars Of Mountains come into. Born in 2016 in Atacama, Chile, it is a project spearheaded by Ricardo Mauricio, under the alias "Winter Black". Unlike the vast majority of bands from said region, Ricardo chose to go in the opposite direction of its peers; a more contemplative musical exercise, inspired by the majesty of the stars and the geography of the Atacama region, mixed with the oniric experience of dreams. While the project initially seemed to veer a bit more into Amon Amarth territory with its initial demos, in 2018 they released Distance, their debut EP.

Beginning with a melancholic intro that slowly builds up and eventually gives way to a majestic sound that evokes somnolency and introspection, while not losing any heaviness in the process. The songs have around 5-6 minutes each, with well-crafted segments and changes that ensnare the listener in its dream-inspired compositions, detailing lucid dream voyages, the majesty of the Sun and the winter sky. Ricardo handles all instrumentation and it is amazing what he was capable of at just 19 years old (at the time of the release). He knew exactly what he wanted to achieve and the end result did not disappoint, although the music leans more towards doom metal than atmospheric black at times. However, Ricardo is not a singer, so he set out to find someone who would fit his project; enter Bryan Svank.

Bryan delivers a strong vocal performance that fits right through the music. His competent growls are neither too dry nor too deep, and you can make out what he sings with barely any trouble. The only major issue I have with the vocals is the way the lyrics are pronounced. Now, of course, English is not their native language and Ricardo knows this, but the lyrics are not well written and this problem translates to the vocal performance. It would seem that neither of them proofread the lyrics or knew someone who could, but this is a minor issue.

Production-wise, everything is crystal clear. The guitars are soaked in reverb but still pack a punch. The bass has presence and weight and the drums are well executed. No instrument overshadows the other. Some sections do repeat constantly, but such is the nature of this style. The only problem I have would be with the vocal placement. As I stated before, it's not bad, but at times it feels more like the songs were composed without vocals in mind like they were an afterthought. Many of the tracks condense the vocal performance to very brief sections, leaving the rest of the instrumentation on its own, which feels somewhat weird at moments.

Despite these minute details, Distance is an excellent EP by a then-young man who shows a lot of promise in this music style, paired with a competent vocalist who gets the job done. The EP is barely over 20 minutes, so it doesn't overstay its welcome, but it will leave you wanting for more. More so, if you would rather listen to the music without the vocals, there is an instrumental version of the EP available as well. If you enjoy this particular subgenre of metal, give Pillars Of Mountains a chance.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Alex Grindor on August 26, 2024.

When one hears the term "Atmospheric Black Metal" one immediately associates it with a grand forest bathed in the moonlight, or even a peaceful night in utter silence contemplating the stars. The last place one would even consider for a band of such style to exist is in a city in the midst of a desert. Well, that is where Pillars Of Mountains come into. Born in 2016 in Atacama, Chile, it is a project spearheaded by Ricardo Mauricio, under the alias "Winter Black". Unlike the vast majority of bands from said region, Ricardo chose to go in the opposite direction of its peers; a more contemplative musical exercise, inspired by the majesty of the stars and the geography of the Atacama region, mixed with the oniric experience of dreams. While the project initially seemed to veer a bit more into Amon Amarth territory with its initial demos, in 2018 they released Distance, their debut EP.

Beginning with a melancholic intro that slowly builds up and eventually gives way to a majestic sound that evokes somnolency and introspection, while not losing any heaviness in the process. The songs have around 5-6 minutes each, with well-crafted segments and changes that ensnare the listener in its dream-inspired compositions, detailing lucid dream voyages, the majesty of the Sun and the winter sky. Ricardo handles all instrumentation and it is amazing what he was capable of at just 19 years old (at the time of the release). He knew exactly what he wanted to achieve and the end result did not disappoint, although the music leans more towards doom metal than atmospheric black at times. However, Ricardo is not a singer, so he set out to find someone who would fit his project; enter Bryan Svank.

Bryan delivers a strong vocal performance that fits right through the music. His competent growls are neither too dry nor too deep, and you can make out what he sings with barely any trouble. The only major issue I have with the vocals is the way the lyrics are pronounced. Now, of course, English is not their native language and Ricardo knows this, but the lyrics are not well written and this problem translates to the vocal performance. It would seem that neither of them proofread the lyrics or knew someone who could, but this is a minor issue.

Production-wise, everything is crystal clear. The guitars are soaked in reverb but still pack a punch. The bass has presence and weight and the drums are well executed. No instrument overshadows the other. Some sections do repeat constantly, but such is the nature of this style. The only problem I have would be with the vocal placement. As I stated before, it's not bad, but at times it feels more like the songs were composed without vocals in mind like they were an afterthought. Many of the tracks condense the vocal performance to very brief sections, leaving the rest of the instrumentation on its own, which feels somewhat weird at moments.

Despite these minute details, Distance is an excellent EP by a then-young man who shows a lot of promise in this music style, paired with a competent vocalist who gets the job done. The EP is barely over 20 minutes, so it doesn't overstay its welcome, but it will leave you wanting for more. More so, if you would rather listen to the music without the vocals, there is an instrumental version of the EP available as well. If you enjoy this particular subgenre of metal, give Pillars Of Mountains a chance.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10