Acid Ape (Swe) – Fleshspa (Lunasound) One of the more recent releases on cultlabel Lunasound are a combo called Acid Ape, a powertrio who have previously have made a couple of demos. Fleshspa, the debut Ape disc keep a pretty good standard in the material standpoint back to basic heavycore, a similar vibe to Melvins,Eyehategod and Sleep, mixing it up with string and hammond arrangements that makes it pretty tripping. What I miss on this album is that it could be a bit more dynamic sound and the material should be a bit more varied in tempo, but the guys have delivered a good debut album. Straight out fuzz, short cuts and a pretty good power. Order/Info www.lunasoundrecording.com AcidApe www.acidape.com

Convoy (Hung) – Possibilities ( PsycheDoomelic Rec.) From Budapest, Hungary to Seattle it is a very long distance but no matter how many times I have turned Convoys debut in and out they remind me of one of those subpop combos coming out from the late 80s/early 90s in the backwater of Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone and Alice In Chains, they got the tone and the vibe. Its only one time that there is some hungarian folkymns that is the semiballad (of two) Let It Breathe in the midsection. Convoys debut is a promising effort, good vocals, a heavyprogressive style that is pleasant to listen to with nice arrangements and a solid production. There is a good structure and balance in their material, most of it, there is a few lumps for example the first track Franny´s Tears, it doesnt reach out enough, I miss some power in the performance, but as said most of it are enjoyable. Convoy have been around for 5 years and got a good support so far from the underground scene, also supported Spirit Caravan at their Budapest show 2000 when S.C did a europetrip with Beaver, but they are still not signed to any label. Psychedoomelic (part of Psychedelic Zine) are handling the distribution. Convoy have made a few features on some compilations including a Sabbath tribute on Midwest Metal Rec, thats it. Convoys way of subpop have a very good psychedelic vibe, labels should check this combo out cause its not always a unit from the old eastblock have a nice combination of heavyrock/melody and alternative vibes, Convoy certainly have that. Fans of heavyprogressive, good melodic heavy and alternative stuff check this disc out. Bonus is that current Lord Of The Rings actor,former Mr Dracula Christopher Lee opens the disc with a spoken intro from 74. Info/Order www.psychedoomelic.com bandinfo www.convoy.hu mail greff13@hotmail.com

M A Q/Outside (Jap) – Same ( Gyoku Rec.) Jap boys with new toys. A 4 track instrumental Ep that I dont find entertaining whatsoever. Gyoku Records continues their mission by digging in the Jap underground scene, a very good mission but they sign bands that are completely off the wall that is the case with M A Q at least their performance on this Ep. These guys bring on tech stuff, play funky fusionsections, trying to create various moods by letting in a dumb synthesizer in time and notime, I dont get the picture. I guess the guys had fun in the studio, but it aint fun listening to it. There is no red line, not even a thin. Outside are sharing the disc, these guys have a more atmospheric spacevibe, but they sure aint interesting either it is only the first track (jap insert no english titles) where they have a section of 2-3 minutes that are a bit similar to Hawkwinds classic The Golden Void, that is the only enjoyment I have had with the disc, beside that is Outside no more than a sleeping pill. Maybe these guys have a name back home, but in my book they are at the bottomlist. For collectors of long instrumental passages, one track is around 20 minutes, the rest of us skip this one. Order/Info www.gyoku.com mail gyoku@gyoku.com

M-Squad (US) – Smoke (Primate Media) M-Squad breaks the silence after 4 years since their first album came out, still the same label as the first disc Primate Media. M-Squad for those who dont have clue formed out of the ashes of NY doomcombo Bloodfarmers who made an album for german doomlabel Hellhound Records in the mid-90s, previously they made a few bonecrushing demos. M-Squad have a different direction compare to the Bloodfarmers style. Back then it was very overdosed with oldschooldoom St Vitus, old Trouble, Obsessed and early Pentagram. M-Squad still have oldschool roots but nowdays it is more late 60s/early 70s tripping and more fuzzed out, a vibe of Blue Cheer, Fraction and MayBlitz. Listening to their latest release they have progressed the sound they had on the first album, more progressive,bluesy and psychedelic. The band have skipped guitarist Mike Nichols who played on the first disc, Eli Brown who sang on the first as well now have taken the bass and Matt Holt who had the bass on the first have taken over the axe. Holts playing is one of the focal points here, a clean organic influential sound, another is the percussion work from Mike Jett just check out Back In Time that clocks in at 14 + minutes, a brilliant and spooky section turns up in the midsection, one of the extraplus here also the dynamic SmokeBlower. A suprisetrack is Bald Rock Blues that follows the tradition of Hoedown Jam on the first disc, a nice acoustic instrumental bluespiece, closing the album are the ultimate doomstomper Before the grave. Smoke is a awesome disc with great variation in the material and a solid production. A must for Doomsters, heavyrockfans and those who are looking for a alternative. Order/Info www.msquad.com mail msquad@msquad.com

Rite (Finl) – Shoot Skull For Jackpot (Waterdragon Rec.) latest give from Waterdragon are Rites debut Shoot Skull For Jackpot, odd title finnish sense of humour. Rite have been reviewed here before on the demo/ep pages their first ep Goddamn that Waterdragon made a re-issue of in 2001. The ep was good fuzzed out heavy stomp I remember, its been ages since I had a listen to it. Rite have since then featured on the PLU comp The Mighty Desert Rock Avengers released this year. Their debut is a nice one, short straight out fuzz with no frills that goes for most of the material but there is also two doomier psyched out pieces in Surmanajo and Doomsday Machine those have also the longest playing time 4/5 minutes, those are my fave tunes on this one. The rest of the disc are pleasant to listen cause there is a pretty good attitude here and it is pretty simple. The production is also pretty tight. There is hints of later Trouble here, also some Spiritual Beggars vibes. Good raunchy vocals, pretty good guitarwork and pretty tight backing section. A promising debut. Order/Info www.waterdragonrecords.com Rite www.riffrock.com/rite

Thunderstorm (Italy) – Witchunter Tales ( Northwind Rec.) The best album of 2002 on my list,Abdullahs latest and Place Of Skulls first are following close behind. Thunderstorm knocked me out completely with their first album Sad Symphony that came out 2000, a total classic and to me one of the greatest doomalbums ever released. Killer vocal delivery, brilliant guitarwork and a backing section solid as a rock, with the keyboard building a atmospheric soundpicture. The material on that album is to me major doom anthems. Witchunter Tales is a natural progression from Sad Symphony, still the same concept as the first album, classic thunderous epic doom metal, not even the reformed Candlemass upcoming album are safe here. Thunderstorm hands out every card they got in  the performance and the production standpoint. Fabios vocal delivery is even more stunning here, what a voice!! His performance here place him up there with Rob Lowe and Messiah Marcolin, there is also more emotional and varied effort in the instrumentation of the album. Witchunter Tales have been on almost instant repeat since I got a few weeks back and for every spin I am more speechless over the quality Witchunter Tales have. 7 major doom classics, one short acoustic hymn and a great coverversion of the Sabs Electric Funeral is offered on the menu. Thunderstorm proves that Sad Symphony wasnt a short wave, with Witchunter Tales they have improved their skills as one of the greatest doombands on this planet. A must for every doomhead, metalfans, heavyfreaks and those who are looking for a alternative. A timeless classic !!!!. Dont miss them at the Doom Shall Rise fest in february and my upcoming interview. Order/Info www.northwindrecords.com Thunderstorm info www.thunderstormlair.de

Valis (US) – Same (Lunasound) A combo whose roots are buried very deep down in the Seattle subpopscene, and that is the city they are coming from so no fake here. Valis stands for Vast Active Living Intellegence System were previously with Mans Ruin but since the label folded the band have a new home in Lunasound, a better home. Formed already in 96 by the Mudhoney drummer Dan Peters with Screaming Trees mainman Van Conner, his bro Pat and TAD bassist Kurt Danielson, these guys made a split with Kitty Kitty for Mans Ruin in 98 before Peters returned to the Mudhoneyfold, Screaming Trees basher Sean Hollister replaced him. The recordings of this disc took place in 2000 but it was very much in the can for a year before they hooked up with Lunasound and now the disc sees the light of day. Anyone who remember what Screaming Trees sounded like will hear that Valis are a better band, this is more direct and more wideout. Some of the tracks are really pumping a brilliant groove, while there is a few that aint that dynamic but are pleasant and enjoyable to listen to. I dig the opening of Indian Giver, Transmuter and Universe and the final Pilots House those are my extraplus, those are really dynamic and Valis are thankfully not holding back anything, raw powerhouse heavyrock. Valis could place Seattle back on the rockmap with the right support cause their debut shows promise. Order/Info www.lunasoundrecording.com mail info@lunasoundrecording.com

VoodooShock (Germ/Switz) – Same (PsycheDoomelic Rec.) Swizz-German doomsters VoodooShock have finally issued their debut album handed out by Psychedoomelic Records. VoodooShock first demo was reviewed a few editions back in the demo/ep section, some of the material from that disc are in here. For newcomers came the creation of VoodooShock after the ashes of Naevus, a excellent underrated in some places german doomcombo who made an album for Rise Above a couple of years back, mainman Uwe Groebel formed the band with former End Of Green backing section (another brilliant german band)drummer Matthias Siffermann and bassplayer Oliver Merkle until he replaced them with Swizz duo Michael Greilinger and Christian Specker. Their demo have so far recieved a good response from doomsters and various mags and webszines, a great springboard for this album. After a few rounds I am very impressed with the performance. This is awesome oldschool  doom  Pentagram ,St Vitus, Obsessed, old Trouble and Witchfinder G. it have that vibe definitely. A excellent atmospheric production where the arrangements and the instrumentation gives a lot of freedom with Uwes impressive vocalperformance on top + a killer guitarwork and a hammering backing section. Another thing that makes the album very pleasant are the experimental suprises coming up some very cool cosmic spooky overdubs. As bonus there is a great cover of one of my alltime fave tunes Moody Blues Nights In White Satin from the first album Days Of Future Passed (issued by Deram in 1967), a awesome version and a excellent tribute. VoodooShock have made a brilliant debut, a classic doomalbum. A musthave for doomsters, fans of heavyrock and those who are looking for a alternative. Dont miss them at the upcoming Doom Shall Rise fest in february.  Info/Order www.psychedoomelic.com Voodooshock www.voodooshock.de

Yob (US) – Elobrations of Carbon (12^th Rec.) Another great release from 12^th Records, a label you can thrust, they issued the amazing first High On Fire Ep before they went on to Mans Ruin and Relapse. Yob is the band, a powertrio out of Oregon and this is their first disc. A playing time over 70+ minutes over 6 tracks, you get the picture these guys arent into powermetal or metal at all instead they are hammering out the oldschool doombook by using the riffs from old Trouble, St Vitus, the old Sabs and early Cathedral (semi oldschool) also borrowing from Electric Wizard,Revelation and Church Of Misery and Sleep, Yob claims that they are into Rush and midera Neurosis, I agree just a tiny bit, my wiev is that this is very much oldschool. The only minor problem I have is that there is small sections of deathvocals in here that doesnt fit but check out Elobrations Of Carbon, a wellmade album with a nice production, a progressive attitude and a heavyload of slabdash doomstomp, extraplus for the driving ClearSeeing that really moves and the 16+ minute doom opus AsleepinSamara, a track that echoes very early St Vitus when Scotty Reagers was fronting. A must for every doomhead, fans of fast and furious metal should buy this one as a alternative and for those who are looking for something new. Yob have done a good job. Order/Info www.12threcords.com Yobinfo www.yobrock.com

By Gabriel Lilliehook