Review: ZARQUUM/GODA - The Cryptic Aesthetic Split CD no comments

ZARQUUM/GODA - The Cryptic Aesthetic Split

1. I got the CD for quite sometime now. Basically this split CD, which was released by Demigod Records showcased 2 worthy bands from two not so different sub-genres. Both Zarquum and Goda played death metal while the former preferred the brutal and technical brand, the later opted the more melodic approach but both bands still retained the level of aggression and madness quite well equally. Six tracks altogether with three songs each.

2. Let us start with Zarquum. Again, I have written something about them earlier. Three songs were offered and I enjoyed all three of them with track number 2 being my favorite. There are a couple of riffs that I liked in that song and I personally adored the keyboard/synth layer in the later stage of the song. There were a lot of  notes being thrown around to highlight the brutal and technical aggression, the solos were sick although I have to say that that kind of solos were not really my cup of tea. 

3. Despite the songs were well arranged, the rhythm guitars were a bit too trebly thus killing the sense of heaviness and crunch for the songs. Maybe it was intended to sound that way, I do not know but having the vocals go through some type of distortion does not help to ease the shear blister that my ears had to go through. Sometime it sounded like it was recorded inside a wooden box with the third song by Zarquum, Fana, being the best example. The drum and bass (almost non existent) parts were low in the mix thus making the songs very guitar driven. The drums does not give you any room to breath, like, at all. 

4. Goda or Genocide Overkill Destruction Annihilation played the brand of death metal that is more friendly to my ears. Heavy and groove driven, the elements in a death metal record that I personally appreciate and love. The guitar sounded heavy and crispy as fuck with decent solos here and there. Guitar harmonies were beautifully placed. The rhythm parts on the left pan were equally balanced with the lead guitars on the right and I love the beautifully panned mix (not in that order for some songs). It felt organic.  

5. The bass is there but again, too low in the mix for my taste and for me to fully appreciate. I guess if they can put up the bass higher in the mix it would provide a heavier and groovier sound and that would definitely help expanding the sound of the songs a little bit more, not to mention that it will also help highlight the drum department. The drums, execution wise, were excellent. The mix were sometimes balanced between the sheer heaviness of the rhythm section and the vocals, although at times I have to say that the snare sound would seem a bit lost every time the vocals came attacking. 

6. I have to praise the song structures for Goda especially in Sakhnat Ainulbanat, the last song on the CD There were a lot of parts that would make your head automatically bang. I guess the main culprit should be pointed to the extensive palm muted riff exercises through out the song while some thrash riffs were included to destroy the crowd, if performed live.

7. Out of these two good bands, I have to prefer Goda over Zarquum simply due to the fact that my ears were more equipped for the melodic and groovier stuff, but tastes and preferences may vary. Both are good in what they do. A good split release indeed. 

Review: AJAL - Odd Oracle. no comments

1. I guess each and every time I post a new entry for this wretched blog, I need to start with "wow, it has been a while since I update this blog". And a while it has been indeed. But I need to keep this blog going since I still owe a friend of mine a blog post for his band. I contemplated switching the contents of this blog from english to Malay but looking at the number of visits I got, I guess I will stick with english for the time being. Lets get down to business. I am going to review Ajal's Odd Circle.

AJAL - Odd Oracle Demo 2010

2. I think I have written something about Ajal in a previous post somewhere before but that was merely to introduce the band to you. Here it is the 2010 demo called Odd Oracle.

4. Judging from the sound from the CD, Ajal plays decent thrash metal with whispery black metal vocals. Most of the songs, well all of the songs started with excerpts from movies or news. The crashing thunderous first chord for the first song and the fourth song came complete with out-of-tune introductory solos. A few seconds later, your typical thrash chops and riffs came galloping down. 

5- The sound of the guitar is way too murky for my taste. The bass is non existent thus making the whole damn CD felt too percussive. The solo. Man, where should I start with the solos. I was having an extremely difficult time swallowing the solos. Way out of tune and the notes were all over the place. The soloist obviously was not prepared to do the record. Dude, word of advice, plan your solos properly before you record. 

6- All in all. The stuff is pretty much decent with a couple of highlights on the riff department here and there but the solos really killed everything for me. Kudos to the drummer for trying his hard to hold the songs in place. As much as I tried to appreciate the vocals, but feline shrieks does not sit well with my ears. Sorry.

Download: MegaKematian - T1gab3las. no comments

1- Wah, betapa lama tidak mengemas kini blog ini. Walau apa pun, saya ingin maklumkan kepada semua bahawa Megadeth telah pun menerbitkan album studio ke tiga belas mereka yang bertajuk Th1rt3en. Sekiranya anda meminati bunyi yang terdapat pada album sebelum ini, Endgame, maka saya pasti anda akan meminati bunyi didalam album terbaru Dave Mustaine dan rakan-rakan ini. Bukan sekadar bunyi, malah kandungan lagu-lagunya seolah olah sama. Seolah-olah setiap lagu didalam album ini merupakan second part untuk setiap lagu lagu yang ada didalam End Game.

2- Album ini dibuka dengan intro untuk lagu Sudden Death . Seperti End Game album ini dibuka dengan duel diantara Mustaine dan Broderick. Lagu yang direka khusus untuk Guitar Hero ini boleh saya simpulkan sebagai violent dan seperti mana lagu pertama didalam album End Game, solo-solo kecil diselit dan  dibiarkan bergelimpangan dimerata tempat seperti bayi bayi kecil yang dibuang. Chorus lagu ini cukup bermelodi dan mengingatkan saya kepada Hangar 18 dari album Rust In Peace.

3- Saya kira ramai yang sudah mendengar lagu Public Enemy #1 yang sudah tersebar luas di Youtube. Lagu ini juga sudah pun di mainkan di persembahan-persembahan live mereka. Whose Life (is it anyway?) pula terlalu mendatar dan kedengaran biasa sahaja bagi saya kecuali riff gitar pada bahagian chorus yang agak mencengkam. 

4- Sekiranya ingin mendengar sound Megadeth yang klasik maka lagu We The People adalah lagu yang perlu anda dengar. Riff bergelimpangan. Manakala lagu Guns, Drugs and Money pula mempunyai riff yang menarik yang diulang-ulang  sehingga ke akhir lagu. Lagu Never Dead yang menyusur selepasnya adalah satu lagi lagu yang saya anggap sebagai violent dan sedikit dark.

5- New World Order kedengaran biasa sahaja dengan riff utama adalah riff klasik Mustaine. Fast Lane merupakan sebuah lagu yang laju dipadatkan dengan permainan double paddle Shawn Drover. Black Swan pula cukup bermelodik dan agak poppish. Sebuah lagu yang sedikit radio friendly. Wrecker pula bakal menjadi crowd favorite untuk dimainkan semasa live. Millenium of the Blind pula sebuah lagu perlahan yang agak membosankan tetapi liriknya mengenai politik.

6- Saya menyukai lagu seterusnya iaitu Deadly Nighstshade kerana riff pada verse nya agak uptempo dan sangat sesuai untuk headbang tanpa henti selama 4 minit dan 56 saat. Satu lagi lagu yang sesuai dan boleh dijadikan crowd favorite. Lagu terakhir bertajuk 13. Sekiranya anda meminati feel pada lagu In My Darkest Moment, maka anda akan suka lagu ini.

DOWNLOAD