CoC : Various - Out of the Dark Live Compilation : Review

Various - _Out of the Dark Live Compilation_
(Century Media, 1997)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)

Six bands, six examples of some of the best European metal being made today. Each band plays two tracks, for a total of over 60 minutes, and the live sound on this CD is as good as it gets. So let's move on to the important part, which is who plays what, and how. The opening tracks belong to the Portuguese band Moonspell, who play their classic "Vampiria" from _Wolfheart_ and "A Poisoned Gift" from _Irreligious_. As usual, the guitars aren't too brilliant, but the songs were well chosen (even though I'd rather listen to "Alma Mater") and the overall performance is very solid. Next comes the true highlight of the whole CD: The Gathering, from Holland. Words fail to describe just how excellent they are live, from every band member playing perfect and with an amazing sound to Anneke van Giersbergen's awesome femme vox - and she doesn't miss a single note. They play "Leaves" and "Eleanor" from _Mandylion_. Samael, from Switzerland, take over next, and they sound as good and powerful live as one would expect - they play "My Saviour" from _Passage_ and the older "Mask of the Red Death", taken from _Ceremony of Opposites_. The Finnish band Sentenced come next with "Bleed" from _Down_ and "Dance on the Graces" from _Amok_. I never was much of a fan of theirs, but their performance seems perfectly reasonable. Rotting Christ play "The First Field of the Battle" (not much of a good choice, in my opinion) and "King of a Stellar War", both from the Greek's last album _Triarchy of the Lost Lovers_. They don't seem to play too tight live, but it's not bad either, and the second track is still quite good. The finishing act belongs to Crematory, from Germany, who rather disappointingly have chosen "Ist Es Wahr" from their self-titled album and the not-so-bad "Eyes of Suffering" from _Transmigration_. Being a keyboard-based band, their live sound is similar to the album's. So, if you don't know most of these bands, you really should buy this digi-pak; if you do know them, well, either you enjoy live albums a lot or you don't. As far as I'm concerned, The Gathering's remarkable performance is enough to make this album worth it, even though the second half of this compilation is quite inferior to the first.

(article published 13/5/1997)

ALBUMS
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4/5/2007	Q Kalis		Various - Defaced and Split
3/25/2007	Q Kalis	8	Various - Fuck the Modern World
3/8/2007	J Ulrey	7.5	Various - Intoxicated Vol. 4
2/24/2007	K Sarampalis	7	Various - Metal Message Vol III
1/28/2007	Q Kalis	8.5	Various - A Reassuring Voice on the Television
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1/10/2005	T DePalma	7.5	Various - Listen Without Distraction - A Tribute to Kyuss
10/19/2004	P Azevedo	7	Various - Fenriz Presents... The Best of Old-School Black Metal
1/17/2004	A McKay	3.5	Various - Defenders of Metal Volume 1 - The Seduction
11/16/2003	X Hoose	7	Various - Japanese Assault
8/31/2003	J Montague	8	Various - Barbaric Onslaught (Australian Metal Attack)
5/29/2003	Q Kalis	7.5	Various - Victory Through Total Domination: Compilation No. III
5/27/2003	A Wee	7	Various - The Obsolete View
4/5/2003	P Azevedo	8	Various - Better Undead Than Alive
3/31/2003	P Azevedo	7.5	Various - Svartmetall Compilation 2001
3/26/2003	X Hoose	4	Various - Covered in Blood: A Tribute to Slayer
4/12/2002	B Meloon	6	Various - Czech Assault
4/12/2002	Q Kalis	7.5	Various - The Bells of the Mystical Empire
1/14/2002	A Wee	6	Various - Hellion Promo Vol II
1/14/2002	A McKay	7	Various - Colorado Colossus
10/19/2001	Q Kalis	7.5	Various - Beauty in Darkness 5
8/12/2001	A McKay	2	Various - Brazilian Assault
8/12/2001	V Eldefors	7	Various - Triarchy of Vasconia
8/12/2001	A Wee	9	Various - Black Metal Blitzkrieg
5/13/2001	A Wee	8	Various - The Return of Darkness and Hate
5/13/2001	A McKay	8	Various - Requiems of Revulsion: A Tribute to Carcass
3/13/2001	A McKay	4	Various - Chamber Metal: Neo-Classical Metal Guitar
3/13/2001	A McKay	6.5	Various - Overload 2: Tribute to Metallica
1/10/2001	A McKay	6.5	Various - Scream Forth Blasphemy: A Tribute to Morbid Angel
11/20/2000	A McKay	2	Various - Dead Zeppelin - A Metal Tribute to Led Zeppelin
11/20/2000	A McKay	6.5	Various - In the Sign of the Horns - A Tribute to Venom
11/20/2000	G Sanchez	7	Various - Economi$ed
11/20/2000	G Sanchez	8	Various - Coalescence
10/25/2000	A McKay	6	Various - Gateway to Hell 2: Tribute to Slayer
10/25/2000	A McKay	7	Various - King Diamond Tribute
10/25/2000	A Cantwell	7.5	Various - World of Pain -- A Tribute to Sepultura
10/25/2000	A Cantwell	7.5	Various - Jump in the Pit -- A Tribute to Testament
10/25/2000	A McKay	9.5	Various - Root of All Evil 2000 2nd Anniversary Sampler
8/12/2000	A McKay	5	Various - Raise the Flag of Hate: A Tribute to Kreator
8/12/2000	A McKay	8	Various - Curse of the Demon: A Tribute to Mercyful Fate
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3/5/2000	A Bromley	8.5	Various - Holy Dio: Tribute to Ronnie James Dio
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1/15/2000	P Azevedo	8	Various - To Magic...
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12/9/1999	A Bromley	8.5	Various - Never Give In: A Tribute to Bad Brains
8/12/1999	A McKay	3	Various - A Tribute to Hell: Satanic Rites
8/12/1999	P Schwarz	3	Various - ECW Extreme Music
8/12/1999	G Sanchez	6	Various - Lobot Manual
8/12/1999	G Sanchez	7.5	Various - Needlepoint
8/12/1999	A McKay	9	Various - White: Nightmares in the End
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6/15/1999	P Azevedo	5	Various - Psyclone Sinphonies
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5/19/1999	G Sanchez	6.5	Various - Extreme America 3
5/19/1999	A McKay	7	Various - Straight to Hell -- A Tribute to Slayer
5/19/1999	G Sanchez	7.5	Various - Freak Animal Zine #11 CD
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3/14/1999	A McKay	7	Various - In Conspiracy With Satan
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2/13/1999	A Cantwell	8.5	Various - Full Moon Productions Sampler CD
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1/16/1999	P Schwarz	8	Various - Wardance
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11/19/1998	A Bromley	8	Various - GRRRR!!: Extreme Music From Vancouver
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10/1/1998	A Cantwell	7	Various - Songs From the Penalty Box: Volume 2
10/1/1998	P Schwarz	8	Various - Amduscias
9/1/1998	P Azevedo	6	Various - High Radiation 4
9/1/1998	A Bromley	7	Various - Call on the Dark II
9/1/1998	B Meloon	7	Various - Bestial Sampler: 1997-1998
9/1/1998	A Wasylyk	8	Various - Fiesta Comes Alive!
9/1/1998	P Schwarz	9	Various - Statements of Intent
7/8/1998	A Wasylyk	6	Various - Blackened III
7/8/1998	A Wasylyk	7	Various - Statements of Intent
7/8/1998	A Wasylyk	8	Various - Sepultural Feast: A Tribute to Sepultura
6/7/1998	P Azevedo		Various - Peaceville X
6/7/1998	A Bromley	7	Various - Call To Irons: A Tribute to Iron Maiden
6/7/1998	A Wasylyk	7	Various - Voyager: 10 Years Nuclear Blast
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1/1/1998	A Wasylyk	5	Various - A Declaration of Independence
1/1/1998	A Gaudrault	7	Various - Masters of Misery - Black Sabbath: The Earache Tribute
1/1/1998	A Bromley	7	Various - Untitled (ten)
11/17/1997	A Bromley	8	Various - Earache Unplugged 2
7/14/1997	A Wasylyk	3	Various - The Kanada Compilation
7/14/1997	Z Tsarfin	7	Various - Awakenings: Females in Extreme Music
7/14/1997	A Bromley	9	Various - A Black Mark Tribute
6/7/1997	A Bromley	8	Various - The Ozz-Fest: Live
5/13/1997	S Hoeltzel	9	Various - World Domination II
2/5/1997	A Bromley	5	Various - Frozen Dawn III
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1/2/1997	A Wasylyk	9	Various - Beneath the Icy Floe: A Projekt Sampler V.4
8/12/1996	A Wasylyk	7	Various - Black Mark Attack
8/12/1996	G Filicetti	9	Various - ...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth
7/17/1996	A Bromley	9	Various - Beauty In Darkness
6/9/1996	S Hoeltzel	7	Various - Nordic Metal: A Tribute to Euronymous
4/18/1996	N Bassett	7	Various - In Memory of Celtic Frost
3/14/1996	A Bromley	7	Various - Identity II
3/14/1996	N Bassett	8	Various - With Us Or Against Us
1/17/1996	G Filicetti	9	Various - Four Ways To Misery