Julie Laughs NoMore
From The Mist of the Ruins

December 2001
Released: , Vile Music
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Waspman

Want some original, kickass, non-trendy melodic death metal? Allow me to present (relative) newcomers Julie Laughs NoMore. If you read nothing else in this review, just know that these guys kick copious amounts of ass, so much so that I almost hurts to listen to this disc! Eight tracks of pure melodic death and nothing more, JLN simply get in, get it done, and get the fuck out.

“Mistress of Death” opens the album in great fashion, a mid-to-fast paced monster with some great guitar lines that let you know that these guys mean business. That, and Danne’s growls just sound fuckin’ mean! The speedy “Children of the Empty Cross” is up next and further pastes you into your chair, preparing your for the sheer godliness of “From the Mist of Ruins”. No shit, this is the single best melodic death song I’ve heard this year. God, that opening riff is so goddamned catchy, it’s sick! And don’t even get me started on the chorus – godly! Throw in some tasty twin leads and you’ve got yourself a contender for Song of the Year. That song is closely followed in greatness by album closer, “200 Years”.

For a young band, these guys are surprisingly adept songwriters, wasting nary a second on this entire disc. Sure, the middle of the album isn’t quite as focused as the beginning and end, songs like “The Iron Gate” dragging ever so slightly. The vocalist is also smart enough to vary up his singing, ranging from growls to screams to kinda clean vocals that still sound like they do a little throat-ripping. This variety helps give the songs an original character and help give the band its own identity. Still, Danne sometimes takes his screams a little too high, hitting a pitch that can be grating at time, so a little more work on the vocals might be needed. Indeed the whole album carries a vaguely loose quality, and the entire band might need to get some more stage time under their belts to tighten up a bit.

Minor criticisms aside, this is one of the best albums I’ve heard in 2001 and all fans of melodic death metal should do themselves a favour and check this world destroyer out (Bathory nuthin’!). Seek in the hopes that ye shall find!