REBORN TO CONQUER - "ETERNAL SLEEP" (Sinister Metallic Hardcore on "MARKED FOR DEATH RECORDS" from 2012.)

REBORN TO CONQUER - "ETERNAL SLEEP"

("MARKED FOR DEATH RECORDS"; CD)

(Label contact: https://www.facebook.com/markedfordeathrecords)

(Running time: Eight songs in around thrity-six minutes.)

(Release year: Released already back then in 2012... but I just got aware of it and finally my hands on it recently so shut up, and now here it is, my review on it.)

Here it is, the so far still newest album of REBORN TO CONQUER. Years ago I saw them live, and they totally conquered me in a superior and dominant manner. And it is incredible how fast time moves on, because this was now already before four years... fuck it, I grow old, period. Okay, back then I bought their two so far released full length albums, "FULL COURT PRESS" and "HOMICIDE", and while "FULL COURT PRESS" was sort of a let down surprise because the stereotypical Tough Guy Beatdown Hardcore that this album offered (and still offers) was anything but definitely not what REBORN TO CONQUER delivered live up on and from the stage, but then "HOMICIDE" was a full bomb, and then after three years of working hard two years ago in 2012 REBORN TO CONQUER unleashed their newest offspring, titled "ETERNAL SLEEP", and it is for all what I think or mean to know still their current album and for all what I definitely know it was and is again a step forward. Not such a giant move than the "HOMICIDE" masterpiece was (and still) is (especially) compared to/with the "FULL COURT PRESS" album, not that incredible huge, but still surely a step forward. To get it straight right from the start: I like the "HOMICIDE" album anyhow a bit, even it's surely only a little bit, better or more, but that's just a thing or a matter of my personal taste in music and mainly based on the tendency that in my perception the band moved back then strong in a Holy Terror Hardcore direction and that was and is simply sort of my holy grail of Hardcore music, personally for me, so you see, it is just based on my very own personal perception and also taste in music (okay on what else...), but in every moment, every second it shines clearly through that "ETERNAL SLEEP" is definitely all the time more tight, more intense, more complex, more demanding structured, and it is incredible challenging arranged and composed and it is marked by a so damn tight and grapping intense and deep atmosphere, it's amazing, I mean, this album is like a twisted and bestial ride through the abysmal dephts of mankind and its sick and twisted suffering belief(s) in a higher entity above all else that it makes your skin crawl and your mind and head spin around all the time. Music wise REBORN TO CONQUER clearly go in a direction best described as sinsiter dark and nearly hypnotic intense Metallic Hardcore music-wise in the tradition of mighty bands like ARKANGEL, KICKBACK, DAY OF SUFFERING, and ALL OUT WAR, but they do it all on their very on (left hand) path, and they do it all on one hell of a fucking high level of quality. Deep and dark, very heavy and sick sinister distorted guitars build up the walls of music on the foundament of a sheer forceful and outstanding precise and incredible tight to the point played rhythm section, and then all is cultivated with purely intense vokillz that are mainly/mostly done in a aggressive and hysteric screamed and only slightly shouted way, very pissed off and above all very charismatic done, and it all is shaken up by cool spoken word parts and great chosen and composed'n'arranged movie samples that heavily add up to the atmosphere, as if this would be anyhow necessary... no way... but it makes it all even more intense and with this great and I just fucking love it, it makes my skin crawl even (far) more, point and fact. The technical skills of the REBORN TO CONQUER guys are above any discussions or doubts, they are just very strong and skilled talented musicians. And, even more important, they are very, very skilled songwriters, and what they create here and what a great atmosphere they create right from the start out of nothing is simply just overwhelming. Amazing!!! But I think I've already written something to it already one or two times above, and so I maybe shouldn't repeat myself here and now (again). But instead of this I better write down some words to their lyrics: I don't know if this was intended or not but to me "ETERNAL SLEEP" is sort of a concept album dealing with the issue or topic of a or the (especially monotheistic religious) belief of man in a higher entity named "god" or how-ever else and especially with the concept of death and after-life and the surviving or ongoing/-travelling of the soul of man and what the construct of man's religious belief(s) has/have to offer for answers to this questions, and it is done on a very thoughtful and passionated, a smart and cliché-free, a philosophical level and in such a way, and this is just great, and at least as intense and demanding and challenging as the music itself already is. Take some time and experience and discover "ETERNAL SLEEP" in its whole entirely because otherwise you would really miss a lot, one hell of a lot, period. The artwork of the album is great, and especially the cover would really deserve a LP release. The gloom and deep production sound is a perfect match, and only adds up to the high, the very high quality of "ETERNAL SLEEP". So, now finally coming to the closing line(s) of this review, just let me summarize: Every fan of intense and deep, dark and sinsiter, heavy and brutal and in a gloomy way distorted metallic Hardcore (or of any music of that specific intense, dark, and heavy and brutal kind) that beside overwhelming music also offers strong food for your thoughts and that also offers a very own unique approach shouldn't think twice but get this album as soon as possible (in case he or she still doesn't have it already), because this is really one hell of an exciting and grapping intense ride. Highly recommended, pure gold, I love it. In the name of the father, the son, and the holy... FUCK YOU!!! Amazing!!! /// Andy

(9 of 10 points) 

(Band contact: https://www.facebook.com/#!/rtc2k6?fref=ts)

 

 

 

 

 

(I just thought that I could give ya the complete artwork, and so I did... the scans look good but while uploading and completing this very post here they suddenly looked shitty at least in some parts but don't ask me why Blogger fucked this up while uploading when it turns out that some of the scans really look that shitty when finished this one here...)

To pass in review: Manslaughter-Gig Reports October 2010 and November 2010

Hey folks,

here now comes a little review of the concert gigs I was at last year in October and November. I've announced, hm, I guess via a 'General Informations' post two weeks ago or so, that I will give you the reports of the gigs all together in one new 'Gig Reports' post. Don't ask yourself why... The concerts had taken place already for quite a while ago (more or less, I know...) and so I can't guarantee ya anything about the details and stuff like this, and that's the reason why I decided to put it all together in one post up here, so that it will be worthwhile.

So okay, here we go, first stop DIARY ABOUT MY NIGHTMARES and HEADSHOT, CRIPPER and ESCALATION...

Saturday, the 09. of November of 2010 - It had been two concerts that I visited at this day. Both gigs taken place in Goslar Rock City. First date was the gig organized by Marcus of THROAT-CUT in Goslar in the B6  with DIARY ABOUT MY NIGHTMARES and HEADSHOT. I was the day on the road with my girlfriend and after she refues to listen to most of my music ;-) I said to her at the evening of this day "C'ya later!" and was on my way. I arrived when the first band DIARY ABOUT MY NIGHTMARES was already playing. Brutal Death Metal with deep growl vocals, 'shreddering' guitars and shitloads of Blast Speed parts. Not that bad, but at all a little bit too boring because it seemed to me like already 'heard-a-thousand-times-before' stuff. But anyhow they really knew how to make some solid vand good alarm and they already got the headbanging crowd pretty good going on. But one thing that I usually get aware of in the B6 over the last concerts I got also this time aware of: Damn, is it loud or is it loud?!? Whooaaa, my ears dictated me to go to the bar to have a drink and to watch the band from the door to the concert room. Damn it, I'm getting old, I guess, haha;-). It was fun to go to this concert, to finally meet Steffi again (Hey you!), as well as Marcus (of THROAT-CUT), and also Bruno and Tiffy (even it totally wasn't their music, haha;-)...), and again also a big bunch of some of my former pupils had been visiting this concert. After DIARY ABOUT MY NIGHTMARES next up would have been HEADSHOT. But I decided not to watch them anyhow, for two reasons: The crew called me up that they, which means in this case 'Pinne', 'Peino', 'Tobilicous', and 'Mayo', would be in the Tor III (also in Goslar City) and after I hadn't met the guys back then for quite a while I decided to go there. Especially, the second reason, because HEADSHOT just simply aren't my band, no, it's to me boring Thrash Metal somewhere between Old School and also a little bit New School, but okay, then I rather listen to the originals in SLAYER, OVERKILL, etc. pp., yehp, I'm not saying that HEADSHOT would be a bad band, but they aren't just 'my' band. So, yehp, Tor III was calling... And I payed entry fee for a second time for another concert this evening. Don't ask any questions... I asked myself already enough, haha;-). Arriving at the Tor III the first band ESCALATION was playing their last few songs... and thank the gods (or whom or what else ever) for this. Horrible Thrash Metal, all songs sounded the same, same (fast) pace, same rhythm, all the same. Nah, forget about. ESCALATION?!? Hm, maybe an escalation of boredom... Talked with the crew, had a laugh, had a say, met Julia (Greetings!), and then time was up for CRIPPER. Thrash Metal with some Death Metal influences in it, and fronted by a very nice to look at chica. CRIPPER was a good act, no doubt about it, nothing that I would need to listen to at home, but they played a very good gig and especially the live performance and the stage acting of the front girl was really, really damn good. If you like to listen to some Thrash Metal (more on the Old School side of things) with some Death Metal stuff in it, then check CRIPPER out, could be something interesting for ya. After the concert I talked with Julia quite a while and then I was up and away and going (or driving) home. Nice concert evening, even the concerts itself hadn't been that great at all anyhow and even if I wouldn't have needed to pay two times entry fee at all for this evening, nah, sure not, haha;-)!!!

Onward to Golgotha, next stop circa two weeks later and again in Goslar, this time with THE METEORS and their support act THE HOWLING WOLFMEN...

Saturday, the 23. of October of 2010 - If ya ask me Psychobilly is one of the most uninteresting and boring and especially most retarded genres of somehow to Rock (& Roll) and Punk music linked Underground music ever, but after the oh so legendary THE METEORS should be playing in Goslar (so more or less in my hood, haha;-)...) I decided to go and give them a fair chance to convince me at least live (after they've failed to do so with every single one of their records). I arrived a little bit late in the Tor III (yehp, again) and so I just saw the last song of the support band THE HOWLING WOLFMEN. I've known nothing of them before this evening and I will propably also in the future know nothing more about them. Okay, okay, okay, to judge by only one song isn't fair, I know, I know, I know, but watching this jackasses scratching on a wash board to play their song and 'singing' that terrible wrong into the mic, uh, uh, uh, didn't know that they meant this 'howling' in their bandname so damn literally. Okay, out of the room watched all these freaks and nerds that participated to join this evening in visiting this concert and I was about to laugh my lung out. What a bunch of absurd and laughable nerds... And with one of the biggest 'Peino' and I had been there, our buddy 'Ossi', incredible, just thinking 'bout his shoes... uh, uh, uh, haha;-)... Okay, how-ever, let the 'kids' have their fun, and soon THE METEORS climbed up the stage and started playing. What shall I say... I talked after their gig with Ede and we two experienced it the same way: They (which means THE METEORS) basically played one song for something about one-and-a-half-hour... The drum playing (beat, rhythm, pace) was more or less all the time the same, the contrabass playing sounded also all the time the same, and the guitar playing sounded just ridiculous equal, too, all the time. What a farce!!! The atmosphere was also pretty strange and violent, due to the occurence of the stage security of THE METEORS this evening. Nah, what a crap concert!!! And that all these Psychobilly, (Neo-) Rockabilly, Punkabilly, Punk'n'Roll, Greaser, etc. pp. bullshit is also nothing but a ridiculous trend farce, nah, I won't have to tell it ya. I really don't feel the need to tell ya more about it, I mean, it would latest then be nothing than running my mouth and this would be bullshit, too. I think I've made myself clear. Ah, but it was nice to meet Ede (thanks for the detailed informations about the future plans with THROAT-CUT and BLACKLIST LTD., and I just hope that it works all out like it's planned), Hank and Diane, greetings to ya all!!! Ah, and Sören was also there, alloting propaganda for some B6 happenings in the halls of the opposition of the Tor III, haha, 'comrade double-agent' at work, haha;-).

Last stop coming through, it had been the middle of November and it was Hardcore time, the 'homecoming' of the great 2 DIAS DE SANGRE (plus REBORN TO CONQUER, THE PLATOON, and BUTCHER), so here we go again on our journey through my final gig reports of 2010...

Saturday, the 13. of November of 2010 - It was really about time that 2 DIAS DE SANGRE returned to Goslar Rock City, and it was pretty clear from the start that I would be there. Especially because also at this day it was the first chance to get their phenomenal new split record with GIVE 'EM BLOOD at a concert of them over here in Germany. So okay, my girlfriend and I came home from a great saturday day-trip at the evening of this saturday. And while she was cooking 'Tobilicous' pretty soon called me where I would be... he was already their and waiting... So, okay, I decided to go a little bit earlier than planned, kissed my chica amante good-bye for the next few hours and on my way I was (like I've already said, we don't really have that much the same taste in music, haha;-)...), and again my destination was also the Tor III in Goslar Rock City. As I arrived I met promptly 'Tobilicous' and 'Pinne' should be coming a little bit later also. Next up had been cheerful salutations of and with Angelo (2DDS) and Jan (2DDS) and with Beat and Björn, and also some very good talkings with Angelo and Jan (all the best for you and your wife and your hopefully healthful new born child) followed up, and as 'Pinne' arrived three major parts of the crew (just look above) were finally together again, haha, and so it was clear that it would became a damn great evening anyhow, haha;-). Firts band had been BUTCHER. Beatdown Hardcore of the... pretty much sucking and damn boring kind... It's always a bad thing if a Beatdown Hardcore band thinks that it's enough to play all songs through-and-through in the typical beat-down-pace and if all your songs existing out of nothing but a beatdown part, yehp, that's not so creative after all and it's totally boring crap. Typical 'Tough Guy' lyrics to it, yoahr, and that was the performance of BUTCHER. Some violent dancing was going on and that was all. Nothing to remember anyhow. But maybe we will see a good future development of them mkore or less soon. Then followed one of the best Berlin Hardcore bands around, REBORN TO CONQUER. I've reviewed their both full length (...) records some time at the beginning of December of 2010 or so, so you can read more about and to them there. Great band, awesome live performance, and their ARKANGEL, INTEGRITY (2000) and ALL OUT WAR influences really came through even stronger than on their albums. Good interaction with the crowd, heavy violent dancing action, yeahr, great band, great gig, nothing left to say more here and now. After this 2 DIAS DE SANGRE followed. Handicaped by the fact that Denis (their singer) was in England (?) this weekend so that they had to do the gig with a displacement-singer. And even that guy did what he can and also a pretty good job at all this was the only weak point of their gig, because he just simply don't have the voice and the charisma and the stage performance quality of Denis. But anyhow they've done just a damn good job. Old and brandnew songs were fired into the crowd and if the Tor III security wouldn't had been so paranoid than the crwod action would have been much better. But so the security grabbed the guys who were doing some violent dancing and carried them out of the concert room. Bullshit, if ya ask me!!! So they turned the gig a little bit down, if you know what I want to say with that. But anyhow, and even Angelo and the boys weren't that satisfied and pretty annoyed with the gig I still think that it was a damn good gig by them. Point and fact!!! Last band of the evening was THE PLATOON. A great mixture out of metallic Hardcore (more) and Beatdown Hardcore (less), and they had given us a great concert, and also an awesome INTEGRITY cover. Violent dancing everywhere, great band, damn authentic attitude, great songs, it was an awesome gig of this to me before this evening totally unknown band. Somehow I can't tell ya more currently, because of the time that passed me by since then, haha;-), like I've already said I'm getting old, haha;-). It was a great evening and I would really wish that more concerts of this kind would be taken place here in Goslar City.
Hm, for all what I've heard then the Tor III will be history from 2011 on, what's a little bit pity, even it was never one of my favorite locations anyhow.
That's it, and some time in the future there will also come new 'Gig Reports' posting again, for sure, and then maybe also again one gig one post...

FROM HEAVEN WE HAVE FALLEN, FROM EDEN WE'VE BEEN BANNED! IN SEAS WE BRED NEW LIFE AND ON EARTH WE'LL HAVE OUR FINAL STAND!

REBORN TO CONQUER - "HOMICIDE"
("SPOOK RECORDS"; CD):

And here it is, the second and still newest release from the Berlin Hardcore machine of the name of REBORN TO CONQUER. Like I've already written before in the review of their debut full length and the direct precursor release of this one here they've changed really a lot, growing from your ordinary stereotypical Beatdown Hardcore band to a sheer monster of an pretty unique metallic Hardcore band with from now on already a very strong own identity. A lot of more different influences are to be noticed, as well as a huge development when it comes to the songwriting, that's damn diverse and truly really very, very well-versed. They really turned into guys that damn fucking know how to write awesomly grapping songs, that know how to create an intense atmosphere and to give every and each single song its very, very own character and identity. And, by the way, this guys also really fucking know how to play their instruments in a more than 'only' very good way, great, great job!!! Sticking still in some ways true to their Beatdown Hardcore roots, but the Beatdown aspects are only very rudimentary present today. Influences of INTEGRITY and ARKANGEL as well as ALL OUT WAR are very present, but without that REBORN TO CONQUER are copying anything or anyone, and also very, very fresh and active and alive, no damn fucking boring retro crap's to be recognized here, so one more time and again thumbs up, fucking great!!! All very diverse and varying, and that's really grapping you and not letting you loose again. Trust me!!! Also the lyrics are far away from this whole 'Tough Guy' stuff that's oh so typical for the majority of the Hardcore bands of today with a Beatdown background. Very good stuff, excellent job, very sinister and pretty often with a philosophical and also religious (?) (maybe more belive than religion, but that I really don't know anyhow) background, and if ya ask me then there's also some political stuff pretty good worked into it all, and also the lyrics are really demanding stuff that you also have to work yourself into, no matter if you may agree on all the stuff they deal with or not, but damn, it's an awesome job tht they've done also on th lyrical front!!! The production sound is also a true bomb, as well as the very sinister artwork is truly a pure beauty, point and fact!!! If this record (respectively the running time of it) would be at least a little bit longer than just something around 19 minutes, and if they could let loose their too stereotypical Beatdown Hardcore past even a little bit more, then they will pretty sure get the top note here given by me to them he next time, but also so it's a more than 'just' a great release fuck it, that's a fist class release, nothing else and especially nothing less, point and fact!!! Get this record as soon as you can, and check them also out on the live front, 'cause trust me, they will comvince you also live on stage. Awesome stuff!!! Ah, and if I understood it right then they re also already orking on new material, and yeahr, I'm already damn excited about it. Ha, and this band is a first class premum example for why bands that develop are anything but bad, get used to it, all you 'nostalgic nerds' out there, haha;-)!!! Great, great band!!! (9 of 10 points)

(http://www.myspace.com/rtc2k6)

Now you get a live video of them playing and performing their anthem "NEW SALEM" (that you can find on this record here called "HOMICIDE", check it out!!! Ah, it was taken at their gig over here in Goslar last month where I saw them also live, and that's pretty cool, haha;-). (But I'm sorry to say this, but you cn't see me on the video... sad but true, so get used to it, haha;-)...) Great band!!!

REBORN TO CONQUER - "A NEW SALEM" (live)

WE GOT ENOUGH DISRESPECT FOR ALL OF YOU!!!

REBORN TO CONQUER - "FULL COURT PRESS" ("Warcity Records"; CD):

Here's the first (?) proper (more or less) full length release of this Hardcore band from Germany. Hailing out from the city of Berlin. So, yes, we're dealing here with an ambassador of the Berlin Hardcore scene and genre. This record was released back in the days of 2008 via (the for what I know today defunct) "WARCITY RECORDS" label (also from Berlin) and up to this current day here and now already a new record was released by them (via "SPOOK RCORDS"), but this one I will review later on this very blog here. I saw them live some weeks ago in Goslar, sharing the stage with DOS DIAS DE SANGRE, THE PLATOON, and BUTCHER, and what shall I say, they pretty much impressed and convinced me and so I decided to go and buy a record of them. I just wanted to buy that one here because it was the cheaper one (when it comes to the prices) and I usually have to try to keep my bucks together these days, you know what I mean, but 'Thanx!' to their guitar player, who made me some good prices for buying both records, I decided to get their two releases. And you know what, that was the right decision because after they took me by storm with their stage performance and their live played music this one here was and somehow still is some kind of a dissapointment to me. It's not a really through and through bad record, don't understand it wrong, but it's miles away from their live playing and also from their second release, also looking from the style a little bit different then what they are doing today (to judge by having seen them live and by knowing their latest release). Okay, with their "FULL COURT PRESS" here we get basically your stereotypical Beatdown Hardcore music like you can listen to it on nearly every corner of the regional Hardcore scenes of every bigger and smaller city, nothing suprising, nothing really grapping anyhow, you know how the story goes by pressing play and listening to the very first song of this record here. The typical pace of the songs is the down beat (or beat down;-)...) pace, sometimes they loosen it all up with some up tempo parts. The guitars making a lot of pressure and creating a lot of force, the rhythm section is working very tight and very well-versed, the crew shouts are loud and fat, and the lead vocals are bitterly pissed off and damn aggressive. Yes, so all what you expect from your ordinary Beatdown Hardcore band. That's not bad (like I've said, don't understand it wrong), but it's all so damn boring and listened to more than over a thousand times, and it's all done very solid and nice, but all done also in the 'listened to it more than over a thousand times'-way so that it makes me more yawning than it's making me mosh. Classical case of a midfield release, and they can do so much better (like they display with their second release, and also like they showcased live on stage). When it comes to the lyrics, hm, it's a lot of pseudo-tough 'Tough Guy' stuff that's pretty often truly free of too much intellectual things at all... You should know by now what I want to say with this words... The artwork looks pretty good (also nice band logo) and the production sound is truly of a pretty good quality. So, okay, if you're searching for just another dose of brutal Beatdown Hardcore then get it or at least check it, if not, hm, can't tell ya what you should do, just not expecting too much... Like I've said, a midfield release, nothing less, point and fact. (6 of 10 points)

(http://www.myspace.com/rtc2k6)
Now you should get (if it's all working out like it should) a video clip of REBORN TO CONQUER and their song "DIRTY SANCHEZ", and that song you can find here on the reviewed "FULL COURT PRESS" titled record, check it out to know more about it at all!!!

REBORN TO CONQUER - "DIRTY SANCHEZ"