Yearlist 1995 - Lost Stats Domain

Yearlist 1995:

[1995]


①		Anathema - The Silent Enigma Score: 10/10 This is the first cd with Vincent Cavanagh on vocals, and he does quite a good job I think. The Silent Enigma turned out to be a brilliant cd, with a lot of instrumental parts and also a lot more keyboards than on their previous work. All this together with Vincent's desolate screams and the poetic lyrics makes it a real beautiful melancholic album

My Dying Bride - The Angel and the Dark River Score: 10/10 Again a lot has changed in My Dying Bride's sound. The songs are still long, slow and melodic but the sound is a lot clearer now. And so is the artwork... Aaron only sings with his normal voice now, only the digipack bonustrack is with grunt. Despite all this the general beautiful depressive feeling of My Dying Bride is still there. It's not as good as "Turn Loose the Swans" but still great.			②

③		Fear Factory - Demanufacture Score: 10/10 Luckily Fear Factory returned to their industrial metal style after the last remix cd. The sound has changed a bit, though. It's now all less death metal, and a bit 'cleaner', but still very brutal. I think it's better than their first cd. The songs sound better and are more varied. Shame only that Burton's grunt is also a bit less 'death metal' now. But overall it's a great continuation of Fear Factory's own typical Industrial type of metal.

Anathema - Pentecost III Score: 10/10 It would become clear later that this is the last Anathema CD with Darren White on vocals. And he couldn't have left with a more worthy farewell, as this cd is truly brilliant. Songs that completely engulf you, each a work of art in itself. Only pity is that the cd isn't very long. Though too long to be called a mini cd I think. So everyone who likes doom metal should really get this one			④

⑤		Celestial Season - Solar Lovers Score: 10/10 This is the second cd of Celestial Season, and it's truly a masterpiece. Even the first tones of the first song promise this. Melodic Doom as it should be... The sound of this album is also very special. The guitars and drums have a very low sound, and this together with violins and the grunt and normal (whispering) voice make this an excellent doom album. There is also a cover on it ('Vienna' by Ultrafox) which is even better than the original I think. Guess this is another proof that dutch doom bands are nothing less than the british ones... :)

Moonspell - Wolfheart Score: 10/10 Whow. Some cds just remain important in the history of metal. This really is one of those, which is clear the first time you hear it. It's a very cool and unique style that lies somewhere between black and doom metal, with influences from many other styles. It is very varying, with soft and hard parts, with clear vocals and grunts, some female vocals and lots of keyboards. Still the second part of the cd is better than the first (though the first song rules too...). If the first songs were as good as the last, this cd would have been rated 9 maybe 9.5 ...			⑥

⑦		Ulver - Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler Score: 10/10 When there's so much black metal bands that hardly know how to play their instruments, it's quite a relief to hear a band like "Ulver". The calm pieces clearly show they can really play, but there are enough ultra fast parts to keep the interest. All of this combined with one of the best clean male singing I ever heard and a dirty black metal grunt just makes one of the best black metal albums around. The only weak point is the middle of the third song. I saw someone describe the sound heard there as 'chewing on the microphone'. I identified it as some guy walking through some kind of wood. But with only this audible it isn't very interesting... Ah well, every other minute of this album is pure enjoyment...

Sadness - Danteferno Score: 10/10 When comparing this second album of Sadness to the first one the biggest difference is that there's more and louder guitars. The sound is much more Metal now, and that's not a bad thing at all... I think this cd is more in the doom / death genre, but with enough weird and experimental elements that always make Sadness quite unique. This does mean the music needs a little more time to really 'get into', but it's definitely worth the effort.			⑧

⑨		In The Woods... - Heart of the Ages Score: 10/10 This is a very cool attempt to combine Black metal and Doom metal. The doom metal parts have lots of keyboards, clean guitars and normal singing vocals, and the black metal parts have high-pitched guitars and grunts, but it's a all a pretty cool combination.

Morbid Angel - Domination Score: 10/10 Yet again a masterpiece from Morbid Angel. Domination also contains very good death metal, a bit cleaner than Covenant. It's allmost as good, though I like it a bit less because Covenant had some real great songs and some I liked less, and on Domination I like them all, but none as good as the 'cool' Covenant songs. Still a very very nice death metal album...			⑩

⑪	Hypocrisy - The Fourth Dimension Score: 10/10 Hypocrisy once again proves that it's one of the best death metal bands ever. The Fourth Dimension is a bit slower than their previous cds, and the keyboards play a bigger part in it. This makes it lean towards doom metal sometimes which I think is very cool. Maybe if you only like fast death metal this album can be a disappointment, but I think it's one of the best they've made.

Absu The Sun of Tiphareth Score: 10/10			⑫

⑬	Cemetery Of Scream Melancholy Score: 10/10

Hecate Enthroned - Upon Promeathean Shores (Unscriptured Waters) Score: 10/10 There's a few ex-Cradle of Filth bandmembers in Hecate so I've heard, but they don't sound very much like Cradle I think. Though you can hear some influences. It's just great melodic black metal, lots of cool relaxed parts varying with more even cooler fast parts. The vocals are both high black metal grunts and very low grunts, which is a very cool combination. Too bad it only lasts for half an hour, but this promises a LOT for future releases...			⑭

⑮	Satyricon - The Shadowthrone Score: 10/10 Satyricon is one of the more melodic bands from the 'true' norwegian black metal scene. This cd is quite similar to the previous one I think, which is very good melodic black. Especially the first song (just like the previous cd) is very cool. There's even a cool vikingmetal song on it. Anyways, Satyricon is such a legendary band that anyone who likes black metal should get this

Hecate Enthroned An Ode for a Haunted Wood (demo) Score: 10/10			⑯

⑰	Dissection Storm of the Light's Bane Score: 10/10

Mindrot Dawning Score: 10/10			⑱

⑲	Summoning Minas Morgul Score: 10/10

Fleurety Min Tid Skal Komme Score: 10/10			⑳

21	Decoryah Wisdom Floats Score: 9.5/10

Crematory Illusions Score: 9.5/10			22

23	Hades Almighty ...Again Shall Be (as Hades) Score: 9.5/10

Ved Buens Ende Written in Waters Score: 9.5/10			24

25	Alastis ...And Death Smiled Score: 9.5/10

Tyrant Under the Dark Mystic Sky Score: 9.5/10			26

27	Paramæcium Within the Ancient Forest Score: 9.5/10

Crystal Darkness Sombre (demo) Score: 9.5/10			28

29	Neolithic For Destroy The Lament Score: 9.5/10

Dimmu Borgir - For All Tid Score: 9.5/10 Okay, I haven't got the original release of For All Tid, and I'm still sorry I didn't buy it when it was released, because this is a great black metal album. The production is a bit vague, but that just gives it more atmosphere. To my opinion this sound of Dimmu Borgir is way better than what they play nowadays, and everyone should buy this album or Stormblast instead of Enthrone Darkness Triumphant... :)			30

31	Darkthrone Panzerfaust Score: 9.5/10

Tiamat Gaia Score: 9.5/10			32

33	Dusk Majestic Thou in Ruin Score: 9.5/10

Diabolical Masquerade - Ravendusk in my Heart Score: 9/10 Okay, Blackheim from Katatonia solo to sing songs about... Blackheim. Hmmm... But actually he does quite a good job at it. The music sounds very good, but not very original. It doesn't sound like Katatonia, but more like Melodic Black with a heavy Dan Swanö feel to it. Maybe on the next album Blackheim will have more of an own style			34

35	Theatre Of Tragedy - Theatre of Tragedy Score: 9/10 Theatre of Tragedy plays a very cool type of metal. Most vocals are by the female singer, Liv Kristine Espenæs, and she can sing damn good. Further vocals are male grunt and clean style, and the music is a relaxed kind of doom metal. It's all very relaxed to listen to, though it sometimes has a small tendencies to become background music. So it's a very nice cd, but it could be a lot better if the songs were a bit more varying I think

Gehenna Seen Through the Veils of Darkness (The Second Spell) Score: 9/10			36

37	Opeth - Orchid Score: 9/10 This first album of Opeth is a very cool kind of black / death / doom metal. I think there's something in their music that would appeal to every metal fan. Though if you only like extreme fast black or only slow doom you'd probably don't like it. But if your taste is as diverse as Opeth, you've got to like this one... Only negative thing is that the short intro's aren't that interesting.

Nightfall Athenian Echoes Score: 9/10			38

39	Falkenbach ...Sk�nn af sver�i s�l valt�va... (demo) Score: 9/10

Disaffected Vast Score: 9/10			40

41	Amorphis Black Winter Day Score: 9/10

Ved Buens Ende Those Who Caress the Pale (demo) Score: 9/10			42

43	Ragnarok (NO) Nattferd Score: 9/10

Morgul In Gowns Flowing Wide (demo) Score: 9/10			44

45	The Elysian Fields - Adelain Score: 9/10 Elysian Fields certainly have something here. They play a kind of death/black metal with its own sound due to the violin and amazingly fast drumming. But it still needs a lot more originality. Most songs just seem to go on without something happening. I think their sounds is okay, but if they work some more on their songwriting it would become really cool. So, a nice first effort.

Mock / Tumulus Split Score: 9/10			46

47	Beyond Dawn Pity Love Score: 9/10

Sigh Infidel Art Score: 9/10			48

49	Sinoath - Research Score: 8.5/10 Don't be emberrased if you've never heard of this band or album before... Neither had I. Sinoath are an Italian melodic death metal band, who have lots of keyboards in their music. They sound maybe a bit like Crematory, only more death metal, and the singer has more of an old-fashioned 'shouting' grunt. It's very nice to listen to, only I suggest not to read the lyrics. They're so packed with Christian Morals that they make me slightly sick... But the music is okay

Virgin Black Virgin Black (demo) Score: 8.5/10			50

51	Paradigma Mare Veris Score: 8.5/10

Cruachan Tuatha Na Gael Score: 8.5/10			52

53	Vinterland Welcome My Last Chapter (Wings of Sorrow) Score: 8.5/10

Mastiphal For a Glory of All Evil Spirits, Rise for Victory Score: 8.5/10			54

55	Blut Aus Nord - Ultima Thulée Score: 8.5/10 I've never heard of Blut Aus Nord before... And the cd isn't making things very clear either. A German band name with a contact address in France and French lyrics. Hmm... Anyways, I guess this is a one-man black metal band from France. But who cares, cause it's really good black metal. Very nice sound, good songs, some keyboards, but not too much. The music is somewhere between Ancient's first album and Burzum's more atmospherical work. Shame only about the cd that hardly has any artwork, lyrics or info in it...

Barathrum Eerie Score: 8.5/10			56

57	Menhir Barditus (demo) Score: 8.5/10

Behemoth Sventevith (Storming near the Baltic) Score: 8.5/10			58

59	Primordial Imrama Score: 8.5/10

Apeiron / Golden Dawn Split Score: 8/10			60

61	Tristitia One With Darkness Score: 8/10

Arkona (POL) Imperium Score: 8/10			62

63	Various ABMS: Norici Obscura Pars Score: 8/10

Falkenbach Laeknishendr (demo) Score: 8/10			64

65	Lash Out What Absence Yields Score: 8/10

Nokturnal Mortum Lunar Poetry (demo) Score: 8/10			66

67	Sear Bliss - The Pagan Winter (demo) Score: 8/10 This demo is the best example that good music can be quite independent from good sound quality. The soundquality is isnt very good and the vocals are just plain bad, but the songs are so damn good that it's a great tape to listen to. No wonder that Sear Bliss quickly grew out to become one of my all-time favourite bands with these four songs of excellent mid-tempo black metal with keyboards and trumpet. The tape of course is quite impossible to obtain but it's also released on cd with an excellent bonustrack. Recommended!

Godkiller The Warlord (demo) Score: 8/10			68

69	The Blood Divine Promo (demo) Score: 8/10

Oppressor European Oppression Live Score: 8/10			70

71	Eterne Still Dreaming Score: 8/10

Storm Nordavind Score: 7.5/10			72

73	Pandemonium Pandemonium (as Domain) Score: 7.5/10

Daeonia The Dreaming Moment (as Aeon) (demo) Score: 7.5/10			74

75	Algaion Oimai Algeiou Score: 7.5/10

At The Gates Slaughter of the Soul Score: 7.5/10			76

77	Lords Of The Stone In An Eyelid's Fall (demo) Score: 7.5/10

Desire Advance Tracks 95 (demo) Score: 7.5/10			78

79	Twin Obscenity Revelations of Glaaki (demo) Score: 7.5/10

Hybernoid Todays Tomorrows Yesterday Score: 7.5/10			80

81	Hypocrisy Maximum Abduction Score: 7.5/10

Eternal Mourning My Soul's Grief (demo) Score: 7.5/10			82

83	The Ancients Rebirth Drain the Portal in Blood Score: 7.5/10

Earthcorpse Born Bleeding Score: 7.5/10			84

85	Ancient - Trolltaar Score: 7.5/10 Trolltaar sounds very much like Svartalvheim I think. If anything is different, it would be that the sound is even vaguer. So it's a cool mini cd. Only a shame that it is so mini...

Etherial Winds Find the Way... Together Score: 7.5/10			86

87	Negură Bunget From Transilvanian Forest (as Wiccan Rede) (demo) Score: 7.5/10

Orphanage - Oblivion Score: 7/10 Seems like there's more and more dutch doom bands these days. The newest addition is Orphanage, who play a melodic kind of doom / death with female vocals and keyboards (like most other dutch doom bands do). The music isn't very original I think, but it is nice to listen to. I guess since this is only their debut they still have to find an own style, so I'm curious what they'll make next...			88

89	Celestial Season - Sonic Orb Score: 7/10 If you liked 'Solar Lovers' and you expect the same, you'll get dissapointed. So did I. This minicd is completely different from what Celestial used to make, especially the singing (they have a different singer...) This cd is much more like pop music than metal. The guitars and drums all sound a lot less heavy, though at some moments you can still hear some typical Celestial melodies. And that's what makes this cd okay. It's not great, just okay.

Atrophia Red Sun Painfull Love (demo) Score: 7/10			90

91	Septic Flesh Esoptron Score: 7/10

Ophthalamia Via Dolorosa Score: 7/10			92

93	Death Symbolic Score: 7/10

Lacrimas Profundere ...And the Wings Embraced Us Score: 7/10			94

95	Grip Inc. Power of Inner Strength Score: 7/10

Immortal Battles in the North Score: 7/10			96

97	Alchemist Lunasphere Score: 7/10

Dormanth Valley of Dreams Score: 7/10			98

99	Deinonychus The Silence Of December Score: 7/10

Helheim Jormundgand Score: 7/10			100

Stats generated at: 09/03/24