SOULS OF DIOTIMA 'What Remains Of The Day' REVALVE Italy has had it's absolute fair share of delivering outstanding albums this year and Souls Of Diotima's sophomore album 'What Remains Of The Day' is no exception, delivering absolute perfection in dramatic form, by lashing together high-pitched symphonic power metal vocals and progressive metal elements, the result is a dynamic effort that comes fully loaded with beauty, elegance and total enthrallment. Taking clear influences from bands like Nightwish, Within Temptation and Sonata Arctica, this is one album to please the masses. Souls Of Diotima are going to make waves across Europe and are sure to gain some fans along the way. [10] RHYS STEVENSON METALSTEEL 'Steel Alive' Deep in the depths of Europe there are countless long-going metal bands, but when Slovenian Heavy Metallers Metalsteel make their first live album come truly alive, it brings the importance of their 10 years tearing down their hometown of Medvode. Pounding drumming leads the charge as riff after riff and solo after solo cascade down the waterfall of eccentricity and in the end collides to deliver an almighty explosion of surrealism as the band manage to take the listener with them and make it feel as if the listener is there at the live concert, whatever happens next is anyone's guess, but for Metalsteel, they are becoming true Slovenian Heavy Metal legends. [8] RHYS STEVENSON EUCLIDEAN 'Euclidean' It would seem that the debut self-titled demo by Swiss three-piece Post-Black Metal band Euclidean is powered by the halogen collider and that the plasma reaction as a result delivers the grimmest cosmological result ever, mixing the traditional Black Metal vocals but adding lots of atmosphere, so much so it would make earth's atmosphere obsolete, whilst the demo displays a delicate balance of soothing music and aggressive vocals, the core essence of this release is the feeling the listener receives from it, the feeling of depression and the thrill to want more, in the end 'Euclidean' is such an eclectic release, it would take the scientists forever to decode. [10] RHYS STEVENSON LAPIS LAZULI 'A Justified Loss' The Swedish maestro's returned last year with their third effort 'A Justified Loss' and by far have they improved, the sextet (now quintet) bring together a mixing pot of different influences ranging from Delain to Nightwish and at the same time deliver the sound that is sure to get them label attention. With very delicate female vocals playing beauty and the beast with the male vocals and the music delivering the composition expected from the phantom of the opera, dramatic metal at it's very finest and yet Lapis Lazuli are sure to push boundaries even further, making progress that is fully worked and deserved for. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SCYTHIA 'For The Bear' From time to time a band produces a release that carries the question of whether it befits the style of music intended, as for Scythia and their first EP 'For The Bear', the question is applied. Sure there are folk elements throught the oboe and the atmosphere, but it needs to be a little more folk than it already is, such as more instruments and the vocals need changing, they are far too Heavy Metal style and thus undermine the intended sound. Though some songs offer a happy and bard style of feeling, the overall release needs tweaking, 'For The Bear' is one of those releases that results in the listener either loving or hating it, not middle ground. [5] RHYS STEVENSON DISSONANCE IN DESIGN 'Neurotransmitting An Epiphany' FIVEBYFIVE Slamming American Technical Progressive Melodic Death Metal / Deathcore bludgers it's way through the sludge that is left from the many failing 'core' bands and thus Dissonance In Design pick up the pieces and wield an attack that is as complex as an algorithm, leaving absolute zero as a result from 'Neurotransmitting An Epiphany'. With technical riffs and drumming engaging the pattern of play and the vocals commanding the insane brutality exhilarated on this release, what could be heard here is Colorado's finest metal band ever, clear precession and built in mind for fans of Veil Of Maya, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Neuraxis and Strapping Young Lad, just don't bank on their debut album carrying any scent of mercy. [9] RHYS STEVENSON PATH OF DESTINY 'Parasite God' Germany's Path Of Destiny make their welcomed return with their first ever EP 'Parasite God', the Symphonic Black / Death Metal machine powers their way into the next stage of delivering the next greatest sound from the German Metal scene. Path Of Destiny should be hotly tipped to be Germany's unsigned metal band of 2012, because 'Parasite God' has everything a die-hard metal fan could ask for, brutal drumming, slick riffs and vocals so tough, it's tighter than a nun's backside. Tantalizingly complex and yet easy to follow, 'Parasite God' is the sound of the underground, fear it. As for Path Of Destiny, this should be the wake up call for them to be signed. [10] RHYS STEVENSON WANING 'The Human Condition' ANTONYM Delivering their second album is Sweden's Waning, the Progressive Black Metal outfit devour another studio in order to broadcast their message of misanthropic humanity via their new album 'The Human Condition', featuring some of the most evil shrieks ever heard and technically composed music to act as a forerunner to the band's almighty atmospheric disturbances. Providing razor-riffs of which slice through any human senses to leave a profound sense of eerieness about the album and the band in general. 'The Human Condition' is an album that will please any fan of Black Metal and fans of Watain, Ihsahn and Emporer. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON MOSS OF MOONLIGHT 'Seed' CASCADIAN ALLIANCE When a duo Black / Folk Metal project originates from the USA and they consider themselves as Cascadian, it can only mean that Moss Of Moonlight have released their debut album 'Seed', mixing a host of different Folk Music elements with the classic slow sound of Black Metal to produce a truly unique experience, one that should and will captivate fans all round, similar to bands like Winterfylleth and Ancient Rites, Moss of Moonlight dig deep to find their sound that would echo across the land and seas and hopefully will plant the 'Seed' for Cascadia to become a nation. [8] RHYS STEVENSON TEN TONNE DOZER
'Black Moon Rising' Hailing from the Shetland Islands, the burly Southern Groove Metallers Ten Tonne Dozer make no mistake in their sophomore EP 'Black Moon Rising', producing music that would go down sumptuously with a shot of Jack Daniels and a moment of chilling out, epic riffs and sharp vocals tear down the atmosphere with a selection of four songs that come along with tactical drumming. As for Ten Tonne Dozer this is an EP that can signal the Shetland Islands Metal scene is awakening to deliver one of it's finest ever metal bands, in fact fellow islands will see the local metal scene rise in time for the 'Black Moon Rising'. [7] RHYS STEVENSON
1 Comment
28/7/2013 23:28:35
All the tracks in the album 'What Remains of the Day' are indeed a different experience. I really liked the songs, but still the visualization could have been much better. The white screen ruined the studio scenes. Anyway, all the best to 'Souls of Diotima'.
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