Cosmiclava where the lava flows

There's no need to introduce vocalist Maniac, because he became famous for his work with Mayhem, one of the first Norwegian black metal bands. His hateful vocals were one of the reasons, why Mayhem's first offical release 'Deathcrush' became a milestone in the history of black metal. In the late 1980's he left the band and returned in 1995 where he stayed for almost a decade in the reunited line-up of the band. Well, all this is well-known history. SKITLIV, formed in 2005, is his latest band that released their first demo in 2007. Surprisingly, Cold Spring Records showed interest and signed the band for 'Amfetamin', which is more like a compilation than a real debut album. It contains eight tracks; the unreleased title-track, a re-mixed version of 'Slow Pain Coming' (Cold Spring Mix) plus six live tracks, which have been recorded at The Underworld in London on 13th December 2007. Although SKITLIV is much slower than Maniac's previous band, the music is still engrained in black metal. Guitarist Niklas Kvarforth, who was also in Ondskapt and Funeral Dirge, completed SKITLIV's cold, pissed metal while Maniac's venomous harsh vocals build the center of hate and disgust in almost each song. Surprisingly, Attila Csihar supported his old comrad on the first song 'Amfetamin', that consists only of vocals and guitar.

The result could be moody piece of ambience, if there weren't the intense vocals of Maniac. 'Slow Pain Coming' is accompanied by a blubbery stream of noise, while the rest of the song is slow and doomy. But the vocals make sure that the black metal vibe always comes to the fore. Afterwards it's time for the aforementioned six live tracks, which kick off with 'Who Will Deliver Us From Gold & Planets?'. Here one can find the next surprise, because none other than Current 93 is playing that song. Among the remaining five cuts is also 'A Valley Below' from the demo, which is one of the best songs. The excecution is raw and every single riffs cuts like a razorblade into the flesh. It's also interesting to hear 'Slow Pain Coming' and 'Amfetamin' in a live set, because this brutal versions unleash more energy than the tamed studio recordings. Maniac's vocals can be compared with a flamethrower, that burns its way through each song with less control. If you ever be in doubt about his nickname, than you should listen to his performance and you'll find out very soon that this is an appropriate name for him. Altogether 'Amfetamin' is a very nice soundtrack for the days when you hate each and everyone, but the famous names promise more than the music can keep.
(KK)
www.myspace.com/skitliv777
www.coldspring.co.uk