Plk Terrible

Kreator dialed in their modern thrash on Terrible Certainty, the group's third full-length offering. One of the most highly anticipated European metal records of the decade, this 1987 release proves that the previous year's hit, Pleasure to Kill, wasn't a fluke, and that Kreator was capable of delivering under pressure. The German outfit cranks up the technical difficulty on Terrible Certainty, executing the tightest performances of their career while maneuvering around some extremely difficult, yet memorable riffs…

Kreator dialed in their modern thrash on Terrible Certainty, the group's third full-length offering. One of the most highly anticipated European metal records of the decade, this 1987 release proves that the previous year's hit, Pleasure to Kill, wasn't a fluke, and that Kreator was capable of delivering under pressure…

The famous Russian director Sergei Eisenstein held Prokofiev the film composer in the highest regard, and to couple their two celebrated collaborations, Ivan the Terrible and Alexander Nevsky, in a two-disc set is therefore entirely appropriate. Ivan the Terrible, however, is a problematic score. Assembled by Abram Stassevich after the composer’s death, the oratorio lacks the large-scale balances and tensions of Prokofiev’s own Nevsky cantata, relying on narration to hold the structure together. This substantial English version by Michael Lankester, intended to ‘compensate for the lack of visual image’, is well projected by Christopher Plummer. Rostropovich directs a vivid performance of Alexander Nevsky, and only the rich tone of Russian voices is lacking. The LSO plays brilliantly, while the recording does full justice to one of Prokofiev’s finest scores.

"Double-tracked with a ghostly haze of background fuzz, Hedvig’s lightning-rod guitar blazes a trail that comes in the wake of the heaviest guitar giants – there’s Hendrix, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi and Led Zep’s Jimmy Page swirling around the cauldron, but also the exploratory, disciplined freeplay of Pete Cosey, John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana buzzing out of her fingertips. Born in the Norwegian town of Ålesund in the early 80s, Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen has been steeped in the guitar since fooling around with her mother’s nylon-strung acoustic at the age of ten."

Prokofiev's score for Ivan the Terrible is some of the best film music ever written, fusing the composer's melodic gifts, his salty version of high-romantic orchestration, his love of grand church chants and thrilling marches. Despite the lack of Eisenstein's visuals, this powerful recording captures much of the film's epic grandeur, with Polyansky drawing some massive climaxes and breathtaking moments of intimacy from his forces.

Ben Craven is a heavy-duty prog-rock monster that's unafraid of invoking irresistible hooks and melodies. The combination of expansive, orchestrated arrangements and intelligent songwriting make this one of 2011's most intriguing and captivating releases. "Great & Terrible Potions" is all Ben Craven. He wrote and performed all the material as well as producing, engineering, mixing and mastering the album.
However like all good prog-rock albums, the final touches are vital. Enlisting the assistance of Roger Dean seemed a natural progression given the heavy influences of 70’s prog-rock bands within Craven’s music…