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Bands are listed alphabetically, with individuals listed by last name.

Review Archive: O

O.C.D. - Hoard Wash Pray Repeat · DEMO (CD)
Hardcore New York Metal through and through. They come across as pissed off at the world and they’re not gonna take it anymore. This CD contains some drilling, fearsome guitar riffing, basic bass lines and angry-as-Hell vocals. Not to mention they do a pretty ass-kicking version of Alice Cooper’s "I Love the Dead." - 8.25 - <ANG> **MC11**

O.N.A. - The Self-Immolation Rite · Satanasphere
From what I understand, this album was originally recorded in 1991. This version is actually that album with some additional recordings from the winter of 1997. It starts out with some very profound spoken word that goes on for about six minutes, followed by a bit of acoustic guitar for nearly two minutes and just when you think you’re going to hear some sort of actual music, you find out this whole CD is one track containing only spoken word with some subtle background music. The story contains some gruesome accounts of corpse violation among other evil doings. Something you would expect Vincent Price to be narrating. It’s cool for the most part, just unexpected. - 9 - <ANG> **MC11**

O.S.101 - United Brotherhood of Scenesters · Victory
These guys are maybe a little bit too happy for their own good, but you’d be hard pressed to find more catchy or expertly written and played Hardcore Punk anywhere. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC12**

OBEY BIZAR - Intimidation · Figure Four
There is absolutely nothing "intimidating" in the least about this band's music. From the "tough-guy" vocals to the crunchy, bouncy rhythms, they're shamelessly ripping off PANTERA. If you're gonna plagiarize a band, at least find one that doesn't suck! Monotonous noise. - 2 - <Painkiller>

OBLIGATORISK TORTYR - Obligatorisk Tortyr · Osmose
This Crusty Grind is fairly awesome, and certainly ultra high energy. They even inject a lot of life into their cover of "Total War." But, perhaps taking a cue from MACABRE, O.T.'s screamer occasionally lets loose with an ear-shredding wail that any frightened 10-year-old girl would be proud of. I'll admit that you do sort of get used to it by the end of the disc. But "get used to it" and "like it" are entirely different. Barring that vocal blemish, however, this is certainly an impressive debut. - 9 - <Ray>

OBITUARY - Cause of Death · Roadrunner
This, the second album from OBITUARY, is somewhat disappointing. After James Murphy left DEATH and joined this band, I thought that the new LP would be the best album of the decade. Perhaps I simply expected too much. This album is not really bad, in fact it’s far from it. John’s vocals are still an instrument all of their own, and the music is still heavy as fuck. The slow parts are slow and grindy and so brutal that they would kill a normal person. The faster stuff is also real heavy and thick, but there is not a lot of it, OBITUARY plays slow grind-you-to-death kind of stuff. They also cover a CELTIC FROST song, "Circle of the Tyrants," which is okay, but I would have rather heard another original. New member James doesn’t really kill anyone with his solos, I thought he would be given a bit more room for that kind of thing here, maybe next time. This is a good LP, but it feels a little rushed. But don’t misunderstand, OBITUARY is the Cause of Death. - 8.25 - <Ray>
{As far as I’m concerned, Cause of Death has proven to be OBITUARY’s best...} **MC3**

OBITUARY - Back From the Dead · Roadrunner
With every new album ever since the seminal Slowly We Rot, OBITUARY have taken themselves further and further on their personal evolution. Except for The End Complete, of course, which was pretty good but not quite the innovation some fans might have expected. Well, to make a long story short, Back From the Dead is rather similar in that respect. Where World Demise included the incorporation of samples due to Scott "Extra Member of the Band" Burns’ influence, Back From the Dead contains nothing of the sort. The only innovative thing is the "Bullituary (Remix)" track, featuring the BULLY BOYS. Other than that, it’s just more of the same, really. Not bad, not better. I predict that OBITUARY might get dropped by Roadrunner.  Oh, I’d almost forget the multimedia track: It does not work on my fairly standard system. Bugger. - 6.5 - <RK> **MC11**

OBITUARY - Dead · Roadrunner
It's good to hear a live album that sounds this damn good. Sixteen tracks spanning five LPs were captured at a Boston show in late '97, and these ancestors of true Death Metal have never sounded better. Hell, this live CD sounds better than most studio albums out there. I'm not a big fan of live albums in general, but between this and BIOHAZARD's latest, I think Roadrunner's got a good thing going. If you're sick of trendy and watered down Extreme Metal, listening to a nice medley of "Dying" and "Cause of Death," plus the album's final track - a mindcrushing version of "Slowly We Rot" - will cure your ails. - 9 - <Psycho> **MC11**

OBLIVEON - Fiction of Veracity · DEMO
First of all, OBLIVEON has a unique style. They sound something like a real heavy VOI VOD. The guys, Stephane Picard (bass & vocals), Alain Demers (drums), Martin Gagne (guitar) and Pierre Remillard (guitar), are all very talented and play with intense conviction. Stephane’s vocals are not the raw Death kind, but are not really sung either. It almost sounds as if he is reading a poem. This style is refreshing and interesting. This demo contains six songs, the longest of which, "Fiction of Veracity," is over eight and a half minutes and none is less than four. Usually a song of such length fails to hold my interest for the entire time. This one does. The tape has no real faults and is a real gem. I feel safe in saying that OBLIVEON will be huge someday. Buy or die. - 8.75 - <Ray>
{Still releasing albums today, this technical Metal band recently saw their Whimsical Uproar demo re-released on CD by Red Stream Records. Now if I could only find their albums anywhere. I’ve been searching for the better part of a decade for this band’s releases, but obviously I’ve had little luck.} **MC3**

OBLIVEON - Whimsical Uproar... EP · Red Stream
I first heard of these technical Thrash masters was when I got their Fiction of Veracity demo in ‘89. This EP is actually a re-release of their ‘87 demo, and I’m extremely pleased to finally hear this stuff. I’ve not been able to track down their albums, so if anyone can help me with that, I’d appreciate it. Anyway, when a CD only has 3 songs (15 minutes) they’d damn well better kick ass, and they certainly do. You’d have a hard time telling that this was recorded over a decade ago, but that might be due as much to the recent "revival" of this style (kinda like early KREATOR) as the timelessness of the recording. - 9.25 - <Ray> **MC11**

OBLIVION - Contents Under Pressure · DEMO
OBLIVION is a really great band. They have a strong musical ability and are extremely tight. The singer, George Machuga, has the meanest yell in the world. All six songs are hard as fuck and as brutal as Satan’s barbed cock. And here’s the interesting part: the songs are also MEMORABLE! That seems to be missing from a lot of the really brutal stuff anymore. The lyrics are also great and are included. This is a slay-fest! Favorite song: "Involuntary Bio-conflagration." Contents Under Pressure is recommended. - 9 - <Ray> **MC4**

OBSCENITY - The 3rd Chapter · Morbid
Imagine combining the intensity of DEICIDE with the songwriting of DISMEMBER, and throw in an occasional bit of majestic melancholy stuff, and you've got OBSCENITY. This is an absolute must for all Death maniacs. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC10**

OBSCENITY - Human Barbecue · Morbid
I don’t know how they did it, but this is possibly even more intense than The 3rd Chapter. And after 10 cuts of their patented Deathgore (including a sample from the video game Resident Evil), we’re treated to an equally kick-ass cover of "Raining Blood." Hell yeah! - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC11**

OBSCENITY - Intense · Morbid
Yeah, no shit! What else could an OBSCENITY album be, if not Intense? Just like their previous releases, this is a masterful slab of brutal Death Metal. But what sets OBSCENITY apart from most current practitioners of this art is that fast that they know when to vary the tempo, and cover the entire range from Grind to - well, maybe not Doom exactly, but the sadness of slower DISMEMBER, for sure. Intense might be their best album so far, and that is really saying something. As an added bonus, the CD has several entertaining videos on it, one of which shows the band enjoying some Satanic Whoppers at Burger King. There is also one for the song "Eaten from Inside." Awesome barely does this band justice. - 9.75 - <Ray>

OBSCURATION - The 5th Season · DEMO (CD)
Interesting. This band combines melancholy Death Doom with occasional clean vocals and acoustic guitars. It’s very expertly executed, and results in heavy, memorable, emotional songs. - 9 - <Ray> **MC11**

OBSCURE DISASTER - Zeitalter der Unvernunft · DEMO
After a long intro, the technical Death, or as they call it, "Flesh-Metal," starts. It sounds great and is played well, but is neither overly intense nor overly memorable. - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC10**

OBSCURITY - Child's Play · DEMO
On first listen this may fool you into thinking that OBSCURITY is another in the never-ending stream of gory Death Metal bands, but in fact they are experimental in some ways. The vox are varied (although I dislike the "overdriven" style that is occasionally employed), and the music, while mostly in the traditional brutal Death style, is innovative; sometimes they add acoustic parts, or even alter the tape speed to get the effect they want. I won't say that everything they do is genius, but at least they're trying to have their own style, and they're not skimping on the meat in the process, either. - 8 - <Ray> **MC10**

OBSECRATION - Advance Promo Tape '94 · DEMO
Only two tracks, but two interesting tracks. OBSECRATION lean a bit more to the Death side of things than other Underground bands from Greece, but are still full of emotion and abyssic despair. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC9**

OBSECRATION - Oblivious 7" · Molon Lave
This is one of the best sounding 7"s I’ve ever heard. OBSECRATION combine most forms of Extreme Metal (Death, Black, Doom, Thrash) into their own creation, and manage to display this in only two songs. Technical, heavy, memorable: Perfect. - 10 - **MC11**

OBSKURE - Overcasting · Moonshadow
This atmospheric Death Metal can, and often does, switch gears from Thrashy to Doomy without warning. However, far from being jarring, the transitions are for the most part natural sounding and seem to flow into one another, almost despite themselves. There are occasional lapses in greatness, such as the many different vocal styles, and sometimes strange keyboard usage. But for the most part, this is very interesting. - 8 - <Ray>

OBTAINED ENSLAVEMENT - Witchcraft · Wounded Love
Very well recorded fast Black Metal. So well recorded that I can actually hear the bass. That’s pretty rare. Other than that, it’s fairly standard, although they’re talented players. A few great riffs & imaginative passages allow this to stand a bit above the fierce competition. - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC11**

OBTAINED ENSLAVEMENT - The Shepherd and the Hounds of Hell · Napalm
Fast, energetic Black Metal that doesn't do much for me. The occasional use of completely ridiculous cleanly sung male vocals really brings this down. Way down. - 6.5 - <Ray>

OBTEST - Auka Seniems Dievams · Ledo Takas
This was sounding like some awesome Viking Death/Thrash until it was ruined by the vocals of a drunken pirate. Compound that with the fact that the lyrics are in Lithuanian and we have an obstacle that cannot be surmounted. As I said, musically this is fine. Thick, majestic melodies a la AMON AMARTH or EINHERJER, but not even a real Viking would be tough enough to sit through these vocals. - 5.75 - <Jack>

OBTRUNCATION - The Callous Concept · Damnation
God Damn! These motherfuckers play fast! Really fast! And they don’t stop! Except to briefly grind out some ugly guitar tone & vocals straight from a pit. All the songs sound exactly the same, but who cares! They play fast, fucking fast! Also they have an upside down cross in their logo. And they’re fast. - 6.5 - <Brainhammer/Doktor Necrosis> **MC12**

OCCULT - Violence & Hatred EP · Painkiller
This 2-song promo from OCCULT's forthcoming album Rage to Revenge left me hungry for more. The title track absolutely rips! Heavy Death / Thrash with plenty of speed and a crushing double-bass attack. The production on this song is perfect! Vocalists Maurice Swinkels and Rachel Heyzer share duties on the mic. Maurice delivers a fierce, brutal growl while Rachel unleashes a venomous shriek that leaves no question as to her abilities. And this is the girl who's gonna sing on SINISTER's next release! The second track on this EP, "Killing for Recreation," isn't quite as fast, but it is every bit as powerful. Those guitars scream! My only regret is that I never bothered to check out any of OCCULT's previous releases. After spinning Violence and Hatred, and being completely blown away by these two tracks, I must have all their material! - 9.25 - <Painkiller>

OCCULT - Rage to Revenge · Painkiller
This is the band that once featured the lovely Rachel who now rages with the gods of SINISTER. What she has left behind is a decent Thrashy Black/Death outfit. Certainly they are talented musicians capable of some headbangable hooks and flashy speed, but the music didn't make me want to kill or cry. Just sort of nod my head and play a little air guitar. As middle-of-the-road as this may be, I'm having a hard time saying anything too bad about a band this in love with old SLAYER. - 7.75 - <Jack>

OCCULTUS / ESGAROTH - Split CD · Sempiternal
Both bands deliver raw, yet majestic, Black Metal. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC11** - "Last Second Additions"

OCTOBER 31 - Voyage to Infinity · DEMO
DECEASED's main man King Fowley must never sleep. This is another of his side projects, and the best one I've heard. As far as musical style goes, I'm reminded of the speedier moments of CANDLEMASS with some MANOWAR thrown in, but with a beefier guitar sound. OCTOBER 31 are without a doubt as musically gifted as the aforementioned bands, and that's saying it all, really. In addition to the drums, King also handles the occasional keyboards, but most interesting are his vocals, which are steadfastly old school Heavy Metal, thus fitting perfectly with the music. Voyage to Infinity is easily one of the best demos I've ever heard and the best in this style in recent memory. - 10 - <Ray> **MC10**

OCTOBER 31 - The Fire Awaits You · RIP
After reading lyrics like, "In the name of Lucifer, the burning one / With the powers of Hell itself they have come / Tonight they are armed with evil, evil is their call / No one can stop this dawning curse / No one can see it fall," from the song "Salem’s Curse," there’s no way on the planet I could possibly give these guys a remotely mediocre review. This band is true, traditional, Heavy Metal with a mission. Straightforward vocals, phenomenal guitar riffing, meticulously arranged drums and kick-ass lyrics! All the elements for a classic Metal release. Mission accomplished. - 9.75 - <ANG> **MC11**

OCTOBER TIDE - Grey Dawn · Avantgarde
It’s easy to tell that OCTOBER TIDE are masters of this style, as they make this awesome display of mega-heavy, sorrowful Death Doom seem effortless. To say that this is mandatory listening is a vast understatement. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC12**

ODD MAN OUT - Odd Man Out · DEMO
There is some Thrash influence in the speed and intensity departments (maybe like OVERKILL meets GANG GREEN), but the sound of the recording is more like FLOTSAM AND JETSAM (i.e.. ultra clear with the bass mixed high, as it should be). This makes for interesting, memorable songs, & the execution is impressively precise and well done. The singer sounds like he could be bustin' his lungs for someone like TROUBLE, but sometimes he gets possessed to sound whiny for a few seconds or to mildly overdrive his vox, but these minor irritants pass quickly. - 9 - <Ray> **MC10**

ODDZAR - s/t · DCide
I think I used to call bands like this "Alternocore." These teenagers from Maryland have a fairly unique style, one that’s hard to pigeonhole, but mainly because they’re sleeve-worn influences are all over the place. I hear a lot of different things listening to this young band’s debut. Some okay (DEFTONES, HELMET, CHEVELLE, WEEZER), some definitely not so okay (LIFE OF AGONY, LINKIN PARK, STAIND, SALIVA), all of them trendy. The only track I’m really digging is "El Cajon Pass," which has an Emocore-strong FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND feel. Another hot trend, I know, but the vocal performance on this particular song is hard to deny. These guys are probably ready for the radio already, and perhaps even mainstream success, but I think a quote from the cult B-movie, Bachelor Party, starring a very young Tom Hanks, sums it all up quite perfectly for yours truly. "I usually don’t like my filth this clean." - 7 - <Jack>

ODES OF ECSTASY - Embossed Dream in Four Acts · The End
Symphonic Death / Doom with some female vocals. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC11** - "Last Second Additions"

ODES OF ECSTASY - Deceitful Melody · The End
This is a difficult album to describe, being that it covers a lot of ground. I suppose that it's not completely dissimilar from the "Classical Metal" of the last couple THERION albums, right down to the female vocals. The first time that I heard it, the lack of heaviness really turned me off, but upon repeated listens, the majestic quality of the songwriting and aggressive musicianship really took me over. And there are certainly some intense Deathrash parts to this album, and even raw, Death-like vocals, but that's not the norm. And, really that's good, because ODES OF ECSTASY has a pretty unique sound that may take an attentive listen or two, but that's exactly what sets them apart and makes this such an enjoyable listen. - 9.5 - <Ray>

ODHINN - From A Splendourus Battle · Napalm
Lack of originality aside, this is a pretty good dose of the style of DARK FUNERAL / MARDUK Black Metal that is predominant in the scene these days. Since this is a demo repress, I’ve overlooked the fact that they glaringly copy their main influences (which is something a lot of bands do when they release a demo recording). If this band can take this idea and give it their own twist, they could be contenders. As it stands now, they are good at what they are doing, they just aren’t doing anything new or different. - 8 - <Ychoril> **MC12**

ODIUM - The Sad Realm Of The Stars · Nocturnal Art
Yet another Norge band on Samoth’s label that plays in the vein of EMPEROR. Where labelmates LIMBONIC ART went for more keyboards and a more orchestral sound, ODIUM have gone for minimal keyboards and a guitar-based sound. If you took the massive keyboards off of Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk, you would pretty much get the majority of ODIUM’s sound. Their guitar tone needs to be thicker and they could probably turn up the bass a bit, but on the whole, this isn’t a bad album. Not stellar, but still good. Their next album should be one to look out for. - 8 - <Ychoril> **MC12**

OF INFINITY - The Essence of Infinity · demo
Stunning production and a ton of atmospheric, depressive Doom hooks, but I simply can’t get past the overbearing female vocals. Far too NIGHTWISHy-washy for my tastes. Still, this 3-song self-financed CD is leagues above any or all of Napalm’s Debbie Gibson Metal roster. - 7.75 - <Jack>
www.ofinfinity.com

OF SILENCE BURIED - O.S.B. · DEMO
Some of the riffs are interesting, but the vocals and drum machine are annoying, and so is the repetition of even the good riffs. I don't know what to call this mess, and I suppose it doesn't really matter, since I didn't hear much of interest. - 5.75 - <Ray> **MC10**

OF THE FALLEN - Of the Fallen · DEMO (CD)
Good "symphonic" Black Metal, but with excessive use of keyboards sometimes. They usually play fast, as you would guess, but really mellow way out a couple of times. More or less trying to be SATYRICON or DIMMU BORGIR, I guess, but doing a good job of it. That’s helped by the excellent quality of this recording, and the knowledge that kick ass riffs are essential. The more I listen to this, the more I like it. This demo CD has since been rereleased by Wild Rags. - 9 - <Ray> **MC12**

OFFENSE - Aside · Abstract Emotions
Somehow, OFFENSE manage to occasionally be both Thrashy and Doomy at the same time, yet at all time are a Death Metal band - perhaps like a Death Metal version of CANDLEMASS. Anyway, they make this stylistic synthesis sound easy and natural, and with Aside have created a real masterpiece. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC10**

OIL FILTER - Oil Filter · DEMO (CD)
This is the second best band from the town I call home (the first is UMBILICAL CORD). After a couple of demos & years of hard work, O.F. were finally able to release this self-financed debut. It contains a unique mixture of old CELTIC FROST and WINTER style riffs and drumming, with SEPULTURA - Roots style vox. Also, like WINTER, OIL FILTER has a keyboardist and atmospheric interludes in between songs. My only gripes with O.F. are the simplistic lyrics (for the songs that have them) and the vocal style. I feel that Matt could find a vocal style that would fit their downtuned music a little better. But who really gives a fuck when you’re chugging pitchers of beer at Ichabod’s North! - 7.75 - <Quade> **MC11**

OKTOBER - Heathen Pride · DEMO (CD)
Okay kids, can we all say "refund"? Very good. I knew you could. Can you guess what the very sick person writing this review wants? Very good. I knew you’d get it. That’s fucking right. I want a refund. This has so many things wrong with it that I really, really question this release. Now, I’m the first to admit that I suck as a musician, but this should not have been released, especially not on CD. First of all, OKTOBER lacks transitions. You know, going from riff one to riff two... You get the picture. These guys play riff one, pause, then play riff two. That wouldn’t be bad, but they do it pretty often. They also play riff one, then start playing riff two veeeery sloooooowly and then start playing that same riff at the speed it’s supposed to be played. This gives the songs a "slapped together" sound that really is something that ruins things right off. You get a collection of riffs and after a while, the novelty wears off. The drumming is pretty one-dimensional too. And to top it off, when I (that’s right, Mr. Couldn’t Play The Drums To Save My Own Life) can pick out mistakes, then I figure these guys could have caught them too. And that drum sound. I’ve heard drum machines that sound better. The snare sounds like a garbage can lid. This is also so drum dominated that the guitars and the bass are buried. Granted, OKTOBER have some occasionally good ideas thrown in here, it’s just that they don’t know how to put them together properly to make really kick ass songs. This is a perfect example of a band rushing to release something on CD that they shortchange themselves by creating something substandard at best. My advice is to avoid this one. Maybe their next one will be better, but this one pretty much sucks. - 3 - <Ychoril> **MC12**

OLD - Lo Flux Tube · Relativity/Earache
Picture a hybrid of PINK FLOYD, MINISTRY and GODFLESH playing long instrumental pieces and occasionally releasing a small demon to spit caustic rantings alongside this strangeness. This is an impressive effort, so impressive that John Zorn, the god of loon, plays turbo sax on the title cut. Also noteworthy is the inclusion of Jason Everman on bass, who is evidently trying to be in every strangely cool band on earth. And hats go off to Jimmy Plotkin, who does everything from guitars to drum programming (they sound real to me). - 9 - <Clint> **MC7**

OLD - The Musical Dimensions of Sleastak · Earache
More weird musical spasms from these former OLD LADY DRIVERS. But for all the strangeness, this is still really heavy, and it certainly sounds sick. It's kinda fucked up, but I like it. - 9.25 - <Ray> **MC8**

OLD - Formula · Earache
This is horrible Art Rock torture. All the heaviness and interesting weirdness is completely stripped away, to reveal a core of pocket lint. This is nothing new, interesting, strange, experimental, or anything else, other than laughable. - 2.25 - <Ray> **MC9**

OLD FUNERAL - The Older Ones · Hammerheart
This is a repress of older material by one of the forefathers of Norwegian Black Metal. In fact, this is not even Black Metal but Death/Thrash Metal. The reason I refer to them as forefathers of the Black Metal scene is because not only did they have Varg from BURZUM in the band, Abbath and Demonaz of IMMORTAL played in OLD FUNERAL as did Jorn from HADES (or should I call them HADES ALMIGHTY now?). Talk about an all-star lineup, huh? Anyway, the music is pretty good in a primitive sort of way and is quite old now. The last recorded material of this band was in 1992. If you want to hear what your favorite Norsemen were doing back in the old days before they put on their corpse-paint then this is something to search out. The production quality isn't the best but when you consider that they were recorded so long ago and all of the songs were demo or 7" material, they all sound good. The Older Ones is a cool retrospective look at a band that should be quasi-legendary in their own right. Next to Deathcrush, this should be looked at as one of the foundation stones for the whole second wave of Black Metal. - 9 - <Ychoril>

OLD GRANDAD - Vol. 666 · DEMO (CD)
OLD GRANDAD combine many different styles of aggression into their own blasphemous sound. It's heavy, different, and they apparently are in league with Satan. The only part I don't like are the "let's get stoned and drunk" lyrics, but they have a humorous edge to them, and sort of remind me of TANKARD (like the classic "666 Packs," for example), so I'll let that slide. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC10**

OLD GRANDAD - OGD EP / San Fran666co Bootleg · Hectic
A little SABBATH, a touch of Death, a hit of acid, Satan, & a sense of humor. The new songs are maybe even better than those on their previous (self-released) CD, Vol. 666. Certainly the lyrics to "Fear" are worth the price alone. And the live cuts sound pretty good, too. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC11**

OLD MAN’S CHILD - Born of the Flickering · Century Black
By now enough reviews have made fun of this band’s name, so I’ll spare them that, but it’s almost the only complaint I have. OMC’s style of Black Metal is fast & razor sharp, but there is also a layer of depressing atmosphere called forth by unearthly keyboards. This combined with the varied nature of the riffs makes for a very interesting listen. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC11**

OLD MAN’S CHILD - The Pagan Prosperity · Century Media
More or less the same as their above review, but more refined in all ways. The production is noticeably improved, almost all the riffs are one’s I wish I had written, the solos fit in better with what’s going on and are occasionally great, the vocals are near growling perfection, and the keyboards seem to be more fully integrated. I’m surprised at how much they were able to improve without altering their style. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC11**

OLD MAN’S CHILD - Ill Natured... · Century Black
Bad-Ass. Now this album was recorded at Sunlight Studios and with Gene Hogland on the drums. This in and of itself should lead you to believe this album destroys the Earth, and it does, but not to the extent you’d think. Surprisingly, and somewhat refreshingly, this album does not have the typical Sunlight (early ENTOMBED) sound. The keyboards give it a cool Medieval sound at times. The production is great, and obviously Gene kills! Although not always contemporary, the songs are well written and airtight. Perhaps the keyboards are so up in the mix that it detracts from the music’s potential toward enormous brutality, but a musical monster none the less. - 9 - <Bob> **MC12**

OLD MAN'S CHILD - Revelation 666 - The Curse of Damnation · Century Media
OLD MAN'S CHILD is back to offer us their fourth full-length of symphonic grandeur. This is highly polished Black Metal similar in style to recent releases by DIMMU BORGIR. In my opinion though, OLD MAN'S CHILD is far more convincing with their delivery of this music than DIMMU BORGIR could ever hope to be. This new release sees a natural progression in the music from the last offering Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion. Although keyboards do play a large role in the new material, I don't think their usage is as dominant as it was on the last release. Main-member Galder's song-writing skills on this opus are still very strong, and his vocals are as deliciously evil as ever! Previous members Tjodalv and Jardar have returned for this recording. I was very pleased to see these two in the line-up once again because Jardar is an incredible guitar-player, and Tjodalv is one of the most impressive drummers within the Black Metal scene today. I think his drumming is one of the biggest reasons I started listening to OLD MAN'S CHILD! Production this time around comes courtesy of Peter Tägtgren and Abyss Studios, so there are definitely no complaints there. If you like any of this band's previous releases, you're sure to enjoy Revelation 666. - 8.75 - <Painkiller>

OLD MAN'S CHILD - Revelation 666, the Curse of Damnation · Century Media
OMC has been consistently putting out melodic, atmospheric, and fast Black Metal for quite some time it seems now. With no apparent waver from delivering what quality Black Metal should adhere to, what's left to say? "Hail Satan." - 9.25 - <Bob>

OLD MAN'S CHILD - Vermin · Century Media
DIMMU BORGIR's Galder is back to unleash the plague upon the unsuspecting masses. This time around it's all his baby. Only the services of session drummer, Reno Killerich (ex-DIMMU BORGIR, VILE, and EXMORTEM), and some guest soloing from TESTAMENT/DRAGONLORD axeman, Eric Peterson, are enlisted. While I begin to seriously doubt if classics like The Pagan Prosperity and Ill-Natured Spiritual Invasion will ever be equaled, much less topped, Vermin is a step in the right direction. Much more punch and hook than 2003's In Defiance of Existence and the forgettable Revelation 666, this album boasts a rich production (Galder also produced this LP as well as writing everything) and an emphasis on getting back to strong riffs and sadistic melodies. The deviant clean guitar lines that accompany the breakdowns on "The Plague of Sorrow" are instant ear candy, and the drumming on "War of Fidelity" is stellar. The keyboards are still present, yet no longer the star of the show, and while the album is not completely void of filler, the good far outweighs the bad. Definitely the most solid output from OLD MAN'S CHILD in some time. - 9.5 - <Jack>

OLEMUS - Passion Fall · CCP
One of their songs is called "C.U.N.T." I guess that's kinda cool. These guys try a lot of different Metal styles, and rather than sounding diverse, they tend to just sound confused. The heavier stuff works best for me (big surprise there, huh?), but nothing they do is too bad. I'm sure they like the idea of not being "tied down" to one style vocally or musically, but maybe a somewhat more focused approach would be a good idea. - 8.25 - <Ray>

OLIVER MAGNUM - Drive By · DEMO
One of my friends raved to me about this demo for a long time, so I expected a lot from it. Simply put: It delivered. Now, these guys are not Death or even really Thrash. However, this is sorta heavy, and the production is unbelievable. This really has a great sound, and the songs are catchy, which is always a plus. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC8**

ON THORNS I LAY - Sounds of a Beautiful Experience · Holy
I think that Holy records consistently put out the most interesting releases of any label on earth. I had never before heard of this band, and I really don't understand how that's possible, since they are amazing. The music is, as you would expect from a Holy band, fairly non-traditional, but contains some Death Metal elements - most notably the occasional use of the Death-style vocals and guitars. The normal vox are a sort of whispered poem, and the other instrumentation is atmospheric and Doomy. Unique and very cool. - 9.25 - <Ray> **MC9**

ONE LAST SIN - CD Promo · DEMO
These guys are tough to describe, combining elements of extreme Metal and Hardcore, but not in the usual ways. The songs have some groove, but it’s not nearly as emphasized as you would expect. The vocals are screeched in a fairly unique way, but I’m going to stick with the idea that they’re more Hardcore than Death (or maybe Black) Metal. Unfortunately, this promo tape only has 2 songs from their debut CD, so by the time I start to get a solid grasp on their style, it’s over. But it more than held my interest, and I’m looking forward to checking out the entire CD. - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC12**

ONE LIFE CREW - Crime Ridden Society EP · Victory
This is one of my favorite Victory releases, and that's really saying quite a bit. O.L.C. play extremely memorable, old-style Hardcore, and they play it to near perfection. I recommend getting this immediately. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC10**

ONE MASTER - s/t · demo
What we have here are three American Black Metal enthusiasts with a digital 8-track, paying homage to the earliest incantations of the early ‘90s Norwegian movement. Whether it was intentional or not, I hear traces of ancient MAYHEM, BURZUM, DARK THRONE, IMMORTAL, SATYRICON, and of course old BATHORY, but that should've been a given. Vocally, however, the patented Nordic screech is abandoned for a deeper, gravely Thrash voice, but again, this is an 8-track recording. The lyrics are pure nihilistic genius, straightforward and laced with hate. I can't help but admire the riffs. From the chaotic moments of "Journey to the Northern Lands" on to the better portion of the disc's BURZUMesque crawl, I'm hooked. Sadly though, much of the demo's five songs are murdered by excessive repetition. As good as the riffs are, most of these 7-minute songs should've probably been 4-5 minutes long instead. A little dullness aside, these guys in their larvae stage show tremendous ability in invoking the evil spirit of the Elder Gods. I'd like to see what they could do in a good studio with a good producer. I'm sure they would, too. - 8.5 - <Jack>
heavymetalcairo@hotmail.com

ONLY LIVING WITNESS - 7" · label unknown
Pretty intense stuff. Sorta Hardcore sounding, or kinda Thrashy, maybe. It's hard to say. Anyway, these three songs sound great and the raw production doesn't hurt anything. Actually it makes the music heavier. Very cool. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC8**

ONLY LIVING WITNESS - Prone Mortal Form · Century Media
These guys seem to be (just barely) onto something resembling a style of their own, but what's here is way too nebulous to be considered fully realized or even "promising." There's a respectable crunch to their execution and production, though, and you could say they sound like a less majestic, more blunt version of the mighty DIAMONDHEAD. - 6.5 - <J.J.> **MC8**

ONLY LIVING WITNESS - Freaklaw 7" · Chainsaw Safety
For a moment, until the voalcs started, I though that I was wrong about these guys, and that I actually like them. Then, as the first words slowly erupted, I realized that I had my player set to 33 speed, instead of 45. With no vocals, and at the wrong speed, this was okay. - 5 - <Ray> **MC9**

ONLY LIVING WITNESS - Innocents · Century Media
Described in their bio as a "Hard Alternative" band - whatever the hell that means - OLW are, according to me, more of a bad thing. This sounds like every other band who maybe once had an original idea, but gave up on it to more easily follow the trend. - 5 - <Ray> **MC9**

ONWARD - Evermoving · Century Media
Power Metal. "Virtuoso guitarist." I'll admit that I'd thought this would have to suck ass, but somehow it doesn't. This singer is clearly superior to the majority of "New Wave of Power Metal" squealers, and despite the expected guitar stroke-fest sections of the music, these are actual songs, and not just excuses for solos. Although, of course, there are many guitar solos, but they're generally extremely well done and tasteful. Leave it to Century Media to get a New Wave Power Metal band that is actually good. - 8.75 - <Ray>

OPAQUE - Resolve · Root of All Evil
It took a while, but I've figured out what I really don't like about this band. It's not that the music is a choppy hybrid of Metal and Hardcore (and not a very good one, either), nor is it that the vocals are raspy and harsh in all the wrong ways. No, the problem is that 95% of the time, the vocals and music are unrelated to such a degree that I think the singer has probably never even heard these songs, including when he was recording his vocals. - 6 - <Ray>

OPERA IX - Sacro Culto · Shiver
Here’s a Black / Death Metal band with epic-length songs, keyboards, a 70 minute album, & a female singer who isn’t afraid to growl as well as sing "cleanly." That’s pretty cool. And this disc is also a huge improvement over their debut, The Call of the Wood, at least with respect to the production. Plus, the aforementioned chick singer, Cadaveria, once again appears topless on the cover, so what more could you want? - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC11**

OPERA IX - Symphoniae Mysteriorum in Laudem Tenebrarum · Dwell / Avantgarde
As with their last album, Sacro Culto, this Thrashy Black Death album features epic-length songs, and the unique vocal stylings of Cadaveria. This time she does, however, stay a bit more often in the sort of "gruff" vocal territory, but still unleashes a Death-growl every so often. And for once, she manages to (at least on the US version) keep all her clothes on in her pictures. - 8.5 - <Ray>

OPERA IX - Anphisbena · Magick
I was actually able to muster a little curiosity for this release, as the departure of the lovely Cadaveria (whose vocal attack had been gradually deteriorating with each album) has paved the way for a male vocalist, reportedly with a more traditional Black Metal bite. Well, I listened to this about six times trying to find something nice to say, but this quite simply cannot hold my interest. At their best, OPERA IX’s symphonic Black/Death resembles a flat EMPEROR, or maybe a tenth rate ROTTING CHRIST (mid-career). Tediously boring, begging the mind to wander, the reason this CD’s promo blurb makes mention of their cover of BATHORY’s "One Rode to Asa Bay" is because it is really the only topic of discussion this monotonous effort lends itself to. - 6.25 - <Jack>

OPETH - Orchid · Candlelight
First allow me to address the idea of production: This was recorded at the always amazing Unisound, so for the knowledgeable, that's all I have to say. Musically, this Metal is fast, and sort of Thrashy, but in that new-wave Black Metal kind of way. The vocals are screechy, which fits. Ahh, but wait, it's more complicated than that, as you would expect from a Candlelight band. Yes, they slow down, and add some ominous elements, by way of acoustic guitars, and piano. It's a very moving experience, and I would wholeheartedly suggest it. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC9**

OPETH - Morningrise · Candlelight
Their great writing & playing skills, and fearless experimentation make OPETH a truly unique band. Imagine what it would sound like if MY DYING BRIDE played Black Metal, and you'll begin to understand something of OPETH's style. Even with all the different elements in the songs, from a weird sort of Progressive Metal to haunting Doom, to a furious Black onslaught, OPETH never lose sight of how to make their songs memorable, and perform them with amazing skill and apparent ease. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC10**

OPETH - My Arms, Your Hearse · Century Black / Candlelight
This is OPETH’s third album and perhaps the pinnacle of their musical career. I know I shouldn’t jinx the band like that, but when a band releases a masterpiece, they usually have nowhere to go but down. Enough of my pessimism because My Arms, Your Hearse is a work of art. This truly is the most progressive release in OPETH’s entire catalog, incorporating all genres of sophisticated music (i.e., Black Metal, Death Metal, Traditional Metal, Progressive Rock, and Classical). Elements of the above blend together like an Autumn twilight leading into a nighttime sky. Imagine, if you will, of drinking mead, then sipping a fine wine followed by a shot of liquor, and then repeating the combination. Of course you would get sick doing this, but the guys in OPETH wouldn’t. Hence their ability to mix otherwise volatile musical styles into an amazing album. - 10 - <Quade> **MC12**

OPETH - Blackwater Park · Koch / Music for Nations
Music for Nations has a US distributor! Oh Hell yes! That's good enough news all by itself, but then consider that I'm reviewing the new OPETH album, and man, what a good day this has turned into. Their follow-up to Still Life (which, unfortunately, we didn't get to review), and fifth album, this starts out with a slow ambient buildup of nearly 30 seconds, and then explodes right into Black Death mode, with Mikael's always inspirational Death growls kicking me squa' in the nuts. Of course their infamous versatility is showcased soon enough and this album is as stylistically diverse as you might imagine, although perhaps a touch more focused on the less-intense side of the band than in the past. For those not familiar with OPETH, let me explain that they can easily, and seamlessly, go from speed and intensity to quiet piano or acoustic guitars at any time, and somehow they manage to always make it sound like just exactly the right thing to have done. Blackwater Park is an album that takes a few spins to really sink in, and really deserves the time. While maybe not utter perfection (or perhaps I have yet to give it enough time to fully appreciate it - but I must finish my reviews!), this is still an amazing release, and even just the first couple minutes of the song "Bleak" is reason enough to own this disc. - 9.5 - <Ray>

OPHTHALAMIA - To Elishia · Necropolis
Suicide Metal, Satan, some naked chick covered in blood. It sounds good so far, right? Add in the names It & All. That might be great news to some of you, but not to me. I don’t like VONDUR and think that ABRUPTUM is boring and stupid. But this isn’t all that bad. The extremely raw recording makes the music seem heavier, except when the guys are out of tune or just plain fuck up. And they keep it slow to mid paced, so this is perhaps is what really early ASPHYX rehearsals might have sounded like, before they figured out a lot of stuff, like how to tune their instruments. I suppose that I should forgive the mistakes on these songs, since this is a collection of demo and rehearsal tracks, but why should I? It’s "who gives a fuck" attitude really rubs me the wrong way. Satan fucking forbid that he would ever bother to put forth 10% effort, or even close to it! Maybe this is all the better he can do, but hides behind his attitude and how "true" he is. Either way, this is still by far the best thing I’ve heard from Mr. It, but even with covers of "Deathcrush" and BATHORY’s "Sacrifice" to help it out, it’s still nothing impressive. - 7.25 - <Ray> **MC11**

OPHTHALAMIA - A Long Journey · Necropolis
It’s hard for me to believe that something featuring the "talents" of It and All from ABRUPTUM and VONDUR could be listenable, much less good. But here it is. They even bothered to tune their instruments and write actual riffs this time. The always excellent Abyss studio production is the final element needed to transform what I thought would be a disaster, into an incredible slab of Black Metal that masterfully covers the ground from suicidal depression to Thrashy energy. They even do a pretty good VENOM cover. A Long Journey so thoroughly blows away the band’s first CD, To Elishia, that I can hardly believe that Mr. It would have ever allowed it to be released. Maybe Peter Tagtgren (this album’s producer, and owner of Abyss studio) had more of a hand in this than just the production? All I know is that I don’t think I’ve ever heard such improvement, and I can’t believe I’m typing this, but now I’m really looking forward to seeing what OPHTHALAMIA will do next. Fuck, the world is a surprising place sometimes. - 9 - <Ray> **MC12**

OPPRESSOR - World Abomination · DEMO
Cool intro. Slow Death. Not CATHEDRAL slow, but pretty slow. The vocals are cool; kinda like David Vincent (MORBID ANGEL), but better. The guitar sound is very heavy, and the drums are cool. This demo has some speedy parts, but not too fast. The best song here is the title track. This is a great piece of slow Death. Well worth the cost. - 8.5 - <Tom> **MC7**

OPPRESSOR - As Blood Flows · DEMO
This is completely amazing. And I guess someone agrees with me since it got them signed. Anyway, this is technical, yet brutal Death. And they even achieve the nearly impossible and make these two styles combine into something memorable - very memorable. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC8**

OPPRESSOR - Solstice of Oppression · Red Light
Not afraid to take chances, these freaks begin this album with double bass and acoustic guitar. A little experimentation can really pay off, as it does for OPPRESSOR. A bit of keyboard here, some acoustic guitar there, and innovative arrangements throughout. Plus a really high level of musicianship. And yet, with all that going on, this is still really heavy, especially the vocals, and occasionally really fast, but thanks to the all digital recording, everything sounds clear. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC8**

OPPRESSOR - European Oppression Live + As Blood Flows · Megalithic / Circumstantial
Ahh yes, their seven song As Blood Flows demo (which you may recall from last issue that I love) on CD at last, plus some live versions of album tracks (always a plus!). Don't forget a new version of "Human Sacrifice," and uhh would you believe a cover of MOTLEY CRUE's "Looks That Kill"? Actually, they do make it pretty heavy, but even the heaviest rendition will suffer if the original is a Hair Metal song. I would have thought OPPRESSOR too interested in being technical and brutal at the same time to bother with such a cover, but it sort of works for them. Although not being familiar with the original, I don't know how faithful this version is, but who cares? Does everyone except me like MOTLEY CRUE? - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC9**

OPPRESSOR - Agony · M.I.A.
There are a few technical flourishes here and there, but until I got to the fifth track, "Valley of Thorns," I was sure that OPPRESSOR had given up their trademark innovation for a more straightforward, although not really more brutal, approach. Sadly, the very next track is well on its way back to the predictable, formulaic Death of the first four. And while there are a few somewhat inventive passages in the final songs, and highly impressive playing throughout, the songwriting is for the most part very cut-and-dried. Perhaps they simply needed more time to fine-tune this material. - 8 - <Ray> **MC10**

OPPRESSOR - Valley of Thorns 7" · Funeral Mask
Here we have demo versions of two songs from the band’s Agony LP. "Valley of Thorns" (my favorite from Agony) and "I Am Darkness." The combination of a more raw recording and lower sound quality has oddly made these songs a bit heavier, but the extreme technical ability cuts through, so I’m tempted to say that I like them better than the album versions. Maybe Agony’s production was too good, although this isn’t quite good enough. Anyway, OPPRESSOR was wise to pick these two songs, and even if you have Agony, this is worthwhile. - 8.5 - **MC11**

OPPRESSOR - Elements of Corrosion · Olympic
It seems as if OPPERSSOR have perfected the fusing of their early very technical style with the more straightforwardly brutal tendencies of their last album, Agony. After several listens to Elements of Corrosion, it’s pretty clear that these guys wrote this material with the idea of performing it live, and have also really put tremendous effort into making sure that it’s complexity doesn’t take away from the catchiness, or the intensity. This is probably most evident in the track "Kingdom of the Dead," which easily belongs in the Death Metal hall of fame. And the other songs are close behind it. This is perhaps the best release ever from Chicago’s masters of technical Death, and for OPPRESSOR, that’s saying a lot. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC12**

OPPROBRIUM - Discerning Forces · Nuclear Blast
What happens when INCUBUS find Jesus? They regroup, thumb through the dictionary for the stupidest possible new band name, and write an uninteresting record of easily forgettable Death / Thrash. I'll admit the music is well-played, but boring nonetheless, and the singer's attempt at an angry bark is stale. Did I mention these sheep were christians? Yes, hypocrites for playing the Metal of Death indeed. Not to mention stupid. I think I like the other INCUBUS better. Baaaa baaaa! - 3 - <Jack>

OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE - Lowest Common Dominator · Roadrunner
Industrial Deathrash not as lethal as FEAR FACTORY, and without the energy of NINE INCH NAILS. Still, this is interesting and pretty heavy. Just not the most interesting or the heaviest. If Industrial is your thing, you could do worse. If you're comin' at this from the Death Metal realm (infernal), I'd say check this out after FEAR FACTORY, PITCHSHIFTER, SKREW, MINISTRY and maybe even NINE INCH NAILS (the Broken EP only). - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC7**

OPTIMUM WOUND PROFILE - Silver or Lead · Roadrunner
Interesting. Rather Industrial sound, with quite a few samples, although they used here are a lot better than most of the others I've ever heard. The music is really heavy, and this probably sounds more like an electronic Death Metal band, than an Industrial band. Pretty fucking cool. - 9 - <Ray> **MC8**

OPTIMUS PRIME - Optimus Prime · DEMO
Very groovy and Thrashy, with a sorta bass heavy, thick sound - which I always like. Vocally, this could present an obstacle to some, as Lawrence sounds somewhat like Eric A.K. (FLOTSAM & JETSAM), but I don't mind that. What I really don't like is his excessive use of the word "yeah." I don't know why, but that bugs me. Other than that, I like it. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC8**

ORANGE GOBLIN - Time Travelling Blues · Rise Above / TMC
I really do not understand why this kind of spaced out Stoner Rock is ever referred to as "Doom Metal," since that’s just not what it is at all. Having said that, ORANGE GOBLIN do an excellent job of keeping this heavy, while maintaining a groove. And this stuff is just instantly memorable. Admittedly, this isn’t a style in which I’m the most well-versed, but ORANGE GOBLIN have got to be at the top of the list. - 9 - <Ray> **MC12**

ORANGE GOBLIN - The Big Black · TMC / Rise Above
Just like their album Time Travelling Blues, this is groove-fueled, guitar-driven Heavy Rock. Emphasis on "heavy," especially the title track. - 8.75 - <Ray>

ORANGE GOBLIN - Coup de Grace · TMC
The coolest thing about this CD is that the packaging is an homage to old EC horror comics. But the groove-laden, KYUSS-inspired (members of KYUSS produce and lend guest vocals to this album) dirty, uhh... Rock, I guess... isn't bad, either. The strangely close-to-the-original cover of "We Bite" is really out of place here stylistically, but, as far as I'm concerned, the best track on the album. I do love the MISFITS, though. I wish all the "Retro" bands were at least this good. - 7.75 - <Ray>

ORDER FROM CHAOS - Plateau of Invincibility EP · Shivadarshana
First I got the 10" vinyl version of this from Ax/ction records, then not much later, I got the CD version, which has 2 extra live tracks from the Live Into Distant Fears EP, from Stage 3 America. Anyway, these guys cover SODOM's "Nuctemeron," and VENOM's "Dead of the Night" and "Senile Decay," and that is supposed to be "the ultimate tribute" to those bands. Well, I don't know about all that, but they do an excellent job, as you would expect, since their style of Black Metal is more rooted in the early sounds. - 9 - <Ray> **MC9**

ORDER FROM CHAOS - Dawn Bringer · Shivadarshana
As with the EP, I received this from Stage 3. And also like the EP, this has two extra live tracks, this time from the Pain Lengthens Time EP. As I said before, these guys operate in an older style, and it clearly works great for them. This has a very menacing feeling to it, and that's a plus in my book. - 9.25 - <Ray> **MC9**

ORDO ROSARIUM EQUILIBRIO - Cocktails Carnage Crucifixion and Pornography · Cold Meat
Wow, the reciting of aimless wandering poetry, set to acoustic guitar and synths. Artistic for the sake of artistic, this sounds like college hippies freestyling at a party. You can bet your ball bag, with Cold Meat, it sure as shit is going to be hit or miss. - 1 - <Jack>

ORDO TYRANNIS - Vasa Iniquitatis · Flood the Earth
Despite the fact that this band features BLACK FUNERAL’s talentless wannabe-evil-guy Mike Ford, I hoped that I’d like it. How could I not like a Flood the Earth release?!? Well, actually listening to this one did the trick. It starts with what I’d thought was the mandatory stupid Black Metal into, this time featuring what sounds like a damaged Playskool My First Keyboard drum loop behind really loud, possibly even slightly over-driven tape hiss, feedback, and the worst cut-and-paste sample I’ve ever heard. It’s so bad, in fact, that it must be intentional, which somehow makes a negative amount of sense, and that’s not even possible. It turns out that the "intro" was as much a "song" as anything on here. My brain already hurts and the monotony just refuses to ever let up for a second. Imagine a glacial pace far below the most tedious failed Doom, but without even any attempts at changes, dynamics, heaviness, or anything to generate any interest. I think that this is all synth, minimal as even that is, but who really knows or cares? It’s often not much more than a cycling tone with some sound effects, the aforementioned Playskool drum loop and little-kid-trying-to-sound-"Black-Metal" screechy vocals, with the entire mess distorted. I suffered through the entire disc so that you, the loyal Metal Curse reader, would never have to. Let me assure you that no one could make it through this sonic AIDS twice. - 1 - <Ray>

THE ORGANIZATION - The Organization · Unsafe Unsane / Metal Blade
This is what has become of DEATH ANGEL. It's really not too bad, and at times approaches great, but it's certainly not as good as The Ultra Violence or even Act III. Plus, I don't exactly like this smooth vocal style. I can, however, see this album selling pretty well for them, if Metal Blade were to properly lick MTV's ass. - 7.75 - <Ray> **MC8**

THE ORGANIZATION S.F. - Savor the Flavor · Metal Blade
This really sounds a lot more focused than their self-titled debut. And, it would just be a good idea to forget that these guys ever had anything to do with DEATH ANGEL, since this is really different. I guess this retains a small Thrash element, but mostly it's more like SOUNDGARDEN. I have got to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. There are still a few rough spots, like the distorted vocals in "The Drought" and the rhyming of "fire" and "desire" in the same song, but for the most part, this is just fine. - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC9**

ORIGIN - Origin · Relapse
Fuckin' brutal!! - 9 - <Nick>

ORPHANAGE - Oblivion · Displeased / DSFA
Self-described as "Innovative Gregorian Groovy Celtic Doom Death Metal." I suppose that's a pretty accurate, if somewhat vague, description. Really, this is interesting, but it's tough to blend all those styles together and not hit a snag every now and then. A little more time to iron everything out, and ORPHANAGE will be unstoppable. - 8 - <Ray> **MC9**

ORPHANAGE - By Time Alone · DSFA
According to their bio, they’re "The best ‘innovative, Gregorian, groovy, Celtic, doom, death metal’ band ever." With their second release, By Time Alone, this Holland based band has a bit of everything that makes this statement close to the truth. Fierce, growling vocals, a beautifully ambient female background singer, very well constructed songs, some over the top screaming every so often. From what I understand, they did a small tour with fellow Doom masters, MY DYING BRIDE in ’95 and had great success. If they keep putting out music as well orchestrated and creative as this, they will continue to have this success. - 9 - <ANG> **MC11**

ORPHANED LAND - Sahara · Holy
Okay, I admit that I have heard female vocals harmonized with a Death growl before. And I will say that I have some experience with diverse instrumentation, and I have heard production and songs of this (high) level before, too. Actually this sound is almost the rule for Holy bands. Good thing I totally love it. And of course ORPHANED LAND bring their own flair to this style. A pretty amazing CD, but I expected no less from this very talented band. - 9.25 - <Ray> **MC9**

ORPHANED LAND - El Norra Alila · Holy
Their combination of some elements of Death and Black Metal, with majestic Doom has always been impressive, but El Norra Alila is nothing short of amazing. Memorable, well-played, and ominous, but always very heavy. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC10**

ORQUIDEA NEGRA - Oruidea Negra · Krig-Ha-Bandolo
Very impressive traditional Metal. They have the talent to really do this style justice, even in the vocal department. In fact, everything about this is amazing. The playing is stunning & super memorable. I do hear some MAIDEN riffs here and there, but anyone who is able to play them shouldn’t be afraid do to so. Jean’s vocals are so dead on to HELLOWEEN, that I can hardly believe these guys aren’t from Germany (they’re actually from Brazil). And maybe the most amazing part is the production. The guitars are thick & heavy, the bass loud, and the mix allows everything to be heard without sounding too separated. - 9.5 - <Ray> **MC11**

ORTH - Feed the Flames · Morbid
ORTH provides Death Metal, with some, but maybe not as much as you might expect, Grind influence, and at least an equal amount of old-school Thrash. The vocals are thick and more of a raspy gurgle than anything else, which kinds of makes everything seem more intense. A little goofy at times, but not bad. - 7.75 - <Ray>

ORTHANC - ‘Till the Victory · DEMO
Catchy, well played, Thrashy Black Metal with great raspy vocals. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC12**

OSSUARY - The Black Wind Whisper From the Coast · DEMO
The raw production only adds to the extreme brutality of this Death band. Admittedly, I have heard more brutal, but OSSUARY have a certain style about them that’s hard to define, but that I really like. Nothing too amazing is done on this demo, but maybe it’s the energy and intensity that makes it cool. - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC11**

OSSUARY INSANE - Fallen to the Pits · DEMO
These guys aren't playing around. This is massively brutal Death / Grind, and it's even sort of memorable - especially the slower parts. From what I can make out of the lyrics, I think they're no fans of god, so what else do you have to know? That's enough for me. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC10**

OSSUARY INSANE - Demonized · DEMO
Everything necessary for quality Satanic Death Metal can be found in OSSUARY INSANE. Intensity, conviction, skill, nerve. These guys have it all, and proceed to beat you over the head with it for the duration of this full-length release. - 9.75 - <Ray> **MC11**

OTYG - Sagovindars Boning · Napalm
This is the second album by Swedish Folk Metal troupe OTYG and if you like your Folk Metal heavy on the Folk, you'll like this. Compared to their first album, Alvefard, this is definitely more Swedish Folk oriented (meaning medieval styled music rather than that John Denver shit that Americans tend to call "Folk Music"). Alvefard reminded me strongly of the Norwegian horde STORM but this one goes farther and is more progressed. The violin and mouth harp are more prominent and the guitars are much more in the background than before. I didn't hear a flute so I'm guessing that they have disposed of that instrument this time around in favor of more violin integration. The music itself is more complex and not as memorable but still gets your head bobbing and your toe tapping along. This isn't headbanging music. It's not aggressive but then, this style of music never really is. As before, all the lyrics are in Swedish so I have no fucking idea what the songs are about. I take that back. They cover a DIO classic, "Holy Diver," but with folk instrumentation so the violin takes center stage and the whole song has been rearranged to fit their style. Though Vintersorg is no Ronnie James Dio, he does give it a good go and the song is far from a rehash done to fill space. Most Metalheads will probably not like this style, but fans of STORM, FALKENBACH, or any of the other Folk-influenced bands out there (mostly in the Black Metal scene, but not necessarily restricted to that style) will like it. Fans of medieval music in the vein of ATARAXIA or THE SOIL BLEEDS BLACK will appreciate this too. - 8.5 - <Ychoril>

OUIJA - Riding Into the Funeral Paths · Repulse
Pretty well done majestic Black Metal. Fast and dark, with quite a few really memorable parts. - 8 - <Ray> **MC11**

OUTPAIENTS - Life on the Outside · DEMO
This is a three-piece Hardcore band from New York. Well, not exactly Hardcore, I'd say hard Funkcore. I don't really care much for their music, you might even say I hate it. The vocals on this demo blow. They sound like the girl from SKID ROW, but pussier. The lyrics are stupid. They try to say something important, but just can't manage it. And the guitar sound is like a cheap PRIMUS rip-off. The only good thing I can say about OUTPAITENTS is that they played a show with BLACK FLAG. - 4 - <Tom> **MC7**

OVER VIBES - Mark Two · DEMO
Commercial Pop Metal. But having said that, this isn't too bad. Certainly not what I normally review (or even like), but it's done pretty well, and the sound is great. Ten bucks is a bit steep, but this does have 8 songs. Anyone into the more "above-ground" sounding stuff should check this out. - 8.25 - <Ray> **MC8**

OVERKILL - Horrorscope · Atlantic/ Megaforce
The first thing that I noticed about this album is that Bobby Gustafson is gone and it takes two new guitarists to fill his shoes. But, they do it. Bobby's presence is not missed, it sounds is if he were still here. The next thing I noticed was the drums. Sid Flack has given his best effort on this one. I happen to normally like Blitz's vox, but occasionally they do tend to be a burden here. This LP is acceptable, although nothing special. I guess after hearing the awesome The Years of Decay, I expected more. - 8 - <Ray> **MC6**

OVERKILL - Wide Fuckin' Open · Atlantic
Surprisingly good. These guys have somehow retained an interesting sound. That is very rare for a band of their age, it seems. One of the last Thrash holdouts, it appears as if they will carry the bloody flag of defiance onward forever. The only thing I don't like is the medley of cover songs "hidden" at the end of the disc. It sounds like they recorded a couple practice sessions, and then slapped 'em on here. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC9**

OVERKILL - From the Underground and Below · CMC
I’ve always worried that each new LP would be the one where OVERKILL sold us out, for no reason other than my own paranoia. And thanks to this monster of an album, I’m finally free of that affliction (as far as OVERKILL are concerned anyway). I’ll trust these guys to kick ass from now on, as I guess I always should have. Moving on to the actual review, if you couldn’t tell by now, I really like From the Underground and Below. Good title. And I’m extremely happy to report that there are exactly zero seconds of NWOHSCPM (New Wave Of Homosexual So-Called Power Metal) influence on here. OVERKILL do explore some "new" areas (like raspier vocals, for example), as they have on each album, but they mostly stick to Thrashing your fuckin’ skull in. - 9.25 - <Ray> **MC11**

OVERKILL - Necroshine · CMC
This is plenty heavy, and honestly pretty memorable. I’m always happy to hear something new from OVERKILL. But somehow this seems to be missing that hard-to-describe "something" that would push it over the edge from great to classic. But, in these days of sellouts and poseurs, I’m just glad to see that some of the older bands are standing their ground. - 8.75 - <Ray> **MC12**

OVERSUN - Pinnacle’s Obsession · DEMO
It’s a little difficult to describe these guys. They have sometimes kinda Metal guitars, distorted and crunchy. While other times, the music is considerably more mellow and uses some synths to carry things. The vocals are also pretty calm, and of course sung cleanly, but can become somewhat more aggressive at times. This might make you think that I don’t like the band, but that’s not true at all. They are different than most of what I’d normally listen to, but I think they do a great job in making all their songs both interesting and catchy, and something about them just seems cool. - 8 - <Ray> **MC12**

OVERTHRONE - Terres Astraea Reliquit · demo
Symphonic Black Metal with a Thrashy feel. Sort of like the broke, American version of EMPEROR’s last two LPs. Very good, but not quite great yet. - 7.5 - <Jack>
www.geocities.com/overthroneband

OVERTHRONE - One of the Missing · demo
They’re still in love with EMPEROR, but this time the production is much better. The clarity does wonders for the band’s sound. Contains all three songs from 2004’s Terres Astraea Reliquit demo completely remixed and sounding much better also. - 8.25 - <Jack>
overthrone@hotmail.com

OXIDISED RAZOR - La Realidad es Sangrienta · American Line
Tragic. Gore by the numbers. Follow pattern--horror flick sample--guttural noise--repeat pattern. Upped a couple points for at least attempting to cover "Sperminator" by the infamous GUT. - 6.5 - <Jack>

THE OXYMORONS - St. Jude 7" · self released
OK, this 4 song 7" is difficult to describe. The music sometimes sounds a little like Punk... uhh, soft Punk... and sometimes it's more mellow. It's even to the point that they do a (mostly) serious cover of PRINCE's "Little Red Corvette," that to be honest, I actually kinda liked. There is something about this band that seems friendly (except for the intro, which is very grating, but somehow fits before a song called "Unearthing Your Grave"). Maybe it's how high the bass is mixed. This is not my normal listening, so it's difficult to articulate further. But suffice to say, they are weird -in a good way. - 8 - <Ray> **MC7**

THE OXYMORONS - Dancing on Billy's Grave · Mutant Renegade
Not all the tracks on this CD sit that well with me. These guys are sorta Alternative, and fairly mellow. Unfortunately, the bass is mixed lower on this than on their last 7", and I really liked it louder. But anyway, like I was saying, some songs really have a lot of energy and feeling, and a few just don't... but for only $9 for the CD, enough of them do. - 7.75 - <Ray> **MC8**

OXYPLEGATZ - Sidereal Journey · Season of Mist
Strange and experimental Metal. Very interesting. - 8.5 - <Ray> **MC11** - "Last Second Additions"