reviews written by Maija

Dear Reader,
Welcome to another month of the Butcher’s Block! Life has been interesting since last month. Our devil dog has doubled in size (and trouble) and it seems I can’t find a spare minute... not that I could before he came along. He just makes things more ‘interesting’.  A week or so back, I took five minutes out to paint my nails and it struck me very funny that... I actually used to have time to do frivolous things like paint my nails, some odd years ago. Time now, is usually just a cruel joke that dances by me. The days and nights seem shorter (ok, part of that might be due to some of my boozing. It’s hard to remember the last book I actually finished. I’ve been stuck on the same chapter of the same book for the last 3 or 4 months. But I suppose it is better to be so busy that you feel overwhelmed than to have nothing to do and feel the dull sting of boredom. Well, enough about that.

It’s been a while since I wrote any reviews, mainly because interviews are in general more ‘fun’ for me. It’s always a hoot getting to know the folks behind the music I listen to. But there’s definitely a ton of music coming out... more than what I can keep up with. As always, a small portion is really slaughter ass, most extremely mediocre and the rest complete crap that I can’t even begin to fathom how anyone thought it would be a good idea to release it. For this month, yep, you guessed it; I decided to review a few things long overdue. Time once again to pour that drink....

KETTLE CADAVER “Among the Damned” DVD

Well, beat me with the wow stick! This DVD is simply... utterly WOW! Similar to their debut DVD, but better... bloodier... meatier... sicker! It has its epic moments... its disturbing moments... its “how the hell?? and WHAT the hell???” moments and everything in between. At first I must admit, I was skeptical.... I was, dare I say, a little worried that it wouldn’t compare to the first one. So many bands put out one great thing and after that, it’s all downhill. But Kettle Cadaver have really topped themselves. What I really appreciate about this DVD is that it’s a perfect balance of grainy film (but NOT ‘budget’ - you can actually tell what’s going on)... high quality (MTV worthy- i.e these guys actually seem to know what they’re doing when armed with equipment) and still keeps in with the whole underground art. I know, it sounds like a paradox.... but trust me, when you see it, you’ll know what I am talking about. Expect to hear: a little punk, a little thrash, a little Metal, a little Rockin’ Metal, a little noise- industrial, a little Black Metal... and a little hardcore. Expect to see: a ‘road warrior’ worship video that kicks serious ass, some ‘backyard’ bloody- gouging- stuff flying everywhere fighting, sluts & snakes, amazing live performances, genital mutilation, the aftermath of some serious facial mutilation and some things that well, I couldn’t even begin to describe.... Very rarely do I ever stumble upon anything that could simultaneously make me blush, say ‘ouch’, turn a sort of green, giggle and cringe. Yes... I do believe this is actually the first.......
www.horrorrockrecords.com

WEDARD “Einsamer Winterweg” CD

Normally I do not like my depressive Metal so subtle. I’m more of an angry sort of depressive weirdo, which means I want to hear Burzum- “Aske” like vocals blowing out my speakers with all sorts of human hatred and obscenities over sloppy guitars and drums. Afterall, the feeling is always what is most important. These days, it’s either got to be really fucking extreme or really fucking good to catch my ear. Maybe it’s the time of year... but this piece of work is a lot more subtle than the usual shit I play, but it’s really hitting the spot on a foggy night like this. There’s a lot of eerie, cold, and unpleasant feeling there. But, make no mistake; you will not hear anything really different than what you have heard before. This is not mind blowing “how the hell did he do that?” kind of Black Metal. This is “it’s time to lock myself in the bathroom with a bottle of gin and really do some hard fucking thinking and drinking” kind of Black Metal. It really reminds me of when I was 16/17 and discovering a lot of Black Metal for the 1st time... when everything was so new and mysterious to me. You know.... when you actually believed these guys lived apart from the rest of humanity, before cold reality showed you the truth. I can actually listen to this with wide eyes as its mystique spellbinds me. Outside of BROWN JENKINS, WYRD and RED KING, currently this is the only slower type Black Metal shit actually worth listening to.
www.regimentalrecords.com

NARGAROTH “Dead-Ication” 2xDVD

This is the first bad review I have given anything. I usually prefer to only review DVDS/ CDS/ DEMOS that I actually like. But I do believe this DVD warrants some warning of some sort. There’s little wrong with the overall quality of the film. But NARGAROTH’s performances seem very ‘dry’. And while “Black Metal Ist Krieg” is one of my all time favorite albums, I would NEVER go to a NARGAROTH show after watching this DVD.... even if I was put on the fucking guest list. Kanwulf is a terrible frontman, using the same boring hand gestures every time he sings. Honestly Nargaroth’s performance does NOTHING for me, and seems more of a joke than a serious Black Metal act. Don’t even get me started on the bonus “Kanwulf movies”! I was a little tipsy when I watched the DVD, so don’t remember a whole hell of a lot, except a lot of Vietnam footage (which can be seen on the history channel). This DVD is overpriced and overrated. If looking for entertainment, you’d be better off buying a bottle of Vodka.