CD

Baroness’ previous album was a strong piece of work, but not all fans seemed to be delighted by it.

Hum...Badmotorfinger? I seem to remember a Belgian Stoner quartet from Antwerp, which released a demo-EP entitled Muchas Gracias Motherfurckers some time ago...so don't confuse the Bologna based Italian Heavy Metal act by the same name (which we're dealing with here) with the aforementioned, okay?!

Aha, a re-acquaintance...because I (as well as then colleague Trik) reviewed this band's debut album Angular Perceptions (Trik's review and my own were posted 03/03 and 20/03 of that year, respectively, and can be found for your scrutiny and fact-finding needs in this website's “Archive” section), and as it turns out...I won't have to tell you too much about the band's adventures in between that debut and this, the sophomore album, because Thought Chamber was never meant to be more than a studio project, apparently (correct me if I

During last weekend, the editor-in-chief came up to my place with a total of 17 CD's, 2 DVD's, and no less than 41 download albums for me to review...and the statement that there were also some InsideOut Music download releases which needed my attention first (in spite of our rule that we review actual albums before the downloads), because the local promoter was getting on his back.

This Italian Heavy/ Gothic Rock act from Trieste (the most extreme eastern coastal town in Italy's North, almost bordering the Slovenian border) was founded in 2005 by singer Giorgia Sacco Taz and guitarist Luigi Pressacco, who had an idea of a keyboard-infused Gothic Rock based on Heavy Rock riffs and Giorgia's obscure and introspective lyrics.

We just recently received a package sent to us by Italian agency Atomic Stuff, who apparently do promotional work for the labels logic(il)logic Records and Street Symphonies Records, with the occasional unsigned act on the side (which they then manage to get product distribution through the same as does the labels). Actually, I've been thinking that perhaps the promotion agency was brought to life by the labels themselves which, by the way, seem to be linked somehow.

Sulfurous Prayers Of Blight And Darkness is a collection of two demonstrational recordings, Sulfurous Prayers (2010/2011) and Blight And Darkness (2009/2010). That explains the grandiose title of this compilation, as you could have guessed… Sulfurous Prayers was the band’s (in fact, a one-man project) 2011-demo, Blight Of Darkness was released in 2009 under the former moniker, Sperm Of Antichrist. The purists amongst us would call this stuff a split-release, I guess, but what the f…

Austrian label Napalm recently released Beg Upon The Light, the debut full length of Texan act Venomous Maximus. This outfit around frontman Gregg Higgins created a concept that isn’t that unusual in this kind of Music, i.e. the darkest vision of occultism. The album brings a modern and catchy mixture of Dark Rock, Stoner and Doom Metal with a very darkened, occult atmosphere. It’s melodic and, at the same time, rocking, it’s modern and traditional, it’s catching and obscure.

Italy’s Stormlord do exist for more than two decades in mean time, and besides a memorable collection of recordings, the band played live all over Mater Terra, along with bands like Carcass, Testament, Opeth, Ancient, Motörhead and many, really many others.

Schwarzer Engel are the solo-outfit of Ger-man Dave Jason. Via Trisol Music, he released the debut Apokalypse in 2010, followed later that year by the EP Geister Und Dämonen (‘ghost and demons’), and a second full length, Träume Einer Nacht (‘dream of a night’), in 2011. In mean time, Schwarzer Engel (Dave works with a permanent live crew) hit the road in our countries with e.g.