Avulsed release the 6th full-length in the band's career, which will be called "Ritual Zombi," which will be a conceptual work dealing with zombies. Xtreem Music comments on the pending release:"The album will contain 9 new songs plus a cover song of Death's 'Zombie Ritual' as a tribute to the band that started it all for the real Death Metal sound (with permission from Possessed, of course!!). There will be also three instrumental songs (intro, interlude & outro) and this will be the first recording featuring new drummer Osckar Bravo."'Ritual Zombi' promises to be the strongest album of the band, gathering all elements that made Avulsed's style over two decades, a respected force with thousands of diehard fans around the world, which for sure won't be disappointed with this new work, that will be another step in the band's fight to keep the true spirit of Death Metal, free of clichés, labels & trends, staying loyal to what the band has been playing since day one back in 1991, which is: DEATH METAL.

With 2007’s The Last Sucker Ministry mainman Al Jourgensen claimed it would his band’s final act of musical defiance. Yet in 2012 another album emerged under the Relapse moniker. Al wasn’t too happy being cajoled in another Ministry adventure by his bandmates, but it was a far more inspired effort than its predecessor and an excellent album to go out with a bang. As with 2013, you guessed it Al released another Ministry album, entitled From Beer To Eternity…As with Relapse, the new Ministry album wasn’t exactly planned. In fact, it was the result of a couple of very fruitful writing sessions before the untimely death of guitarist Mike Scaccia. The cadre for this record are formed by the last recorded music by Scaccia and From Beer To Eternity is a musical tribute from Al Jourgensen and Co to commemorate their fallen brother. As a reviewer this puts me in an awkward position, because for all intents and purposes, the final Ministry album is somewhat of a mixed bag.

Great bluesy hard rock from Belgium. Formed in Brussels in 1969 as Doctor Downtrip (eponymous 1st LP in 1973), by the end of 1975 the name was shortened to Downtrip. "If You Don't Rock Now" was released in 1976 on CBS/Epic. Excellent hard-rocking stuff throughout; highlights were "Sweet Lies" and the awesome "Getting Louder". It took more than two years before another Downtrip album hit the shops, but "Downtown" was a fine third set. Especially the first side had storming numbers such as "Scarecrow", "Shout It Out", "Dedicated To You" and the longer title song. Two frenetic guitars and powerful bass making a big and nervous sound. Recommended!

André Campra - Messe de Requiem
La Chapelle Royale Orchestra & Choir / Philippe Herreweghe
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 203 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Harmonia Mundi # 901251 | Country/Year: France 1987
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque, Sacred

…Campra was one of the leading French opera composers in the period between Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau. He wrote several tragédies en musique, but his chief claim to fame is as the creator of a new genre, opéra-ballet. He also wrote three books of cantatas as well as religious music, including a requiem…

Kara (often stylized as KARA) is a South Korean pop girl group formed by DSP Media in 2007. The group is composed of Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, Nicole Jung, Goo Hara, and Kang Jiyoung. The group's name comes from the Greek word "chara", which they interpreted to mean "sweet melody".

Ismail Türker - Umuda Yol - Weg in die Hoffnung
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 315 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Wonderland # WR 9032 | Country/Year: Germany 2005
Genre: Folk, World, Jazz | Style: Oriental Crossover

..features traditional Turkish folklore side by side with jazz. World music from Arabian countries and the Balkans is playfully interwoven with the blues, orient and occident meet joyfully and blend into a colourful world of sound that expresses wholehearted joie de vivre.

This recording is available as a CD set or as part of a boxed set with Israel in Egypt. {BTW - The Parrott led recording of Israel in Egypt is among the finest I've heard.} This Messiah rendition seems familiar - even if you've never heard it before. That's probably due to the slower pacing and the avoidance of dramatic dynamic and tempo changes some conductors prefer. Nonetheless it is an excellent recording! The orchestra is 'spot on'. The soloists [all six of them!] are excellent across the board. But the star of the show is the chorus. They simply nail it. The clarity, precision and wonderful blending of the voices are all superb. The sopranos don't oversing in their high range and the choral balance always seems to be as Handel intended.