 SURVAEL 'War Of The Wild' They call it Epic Black / Folk Metal, we call it 'Cultural Metal', henceforth arise Survael, Spain's quintet immersing the listener in shrieking vocals and Ancient Rites-like composure, one could not permit that the five-piece entice bull-fighting even with this monstrous debut EP herewith playing. 'War Of The Wild' features intricate solo's and a whole load of ethnicity amongst the divine sounds produces here, coincidentally it could be seen as a cultural revival of Spain's rich history, but as the Madrid-based band start their career, it could be said that Survael are in a league of their own, sadly to say not a good league either. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON  ENSHROUDING 'Time To Kill The Beast' BULLROSER Well it's a hard one to pin down, both the album and band, claimed to be from Mongolia, but we prefer to state they are Finnish, because well with Finnish musicians, what else can they be? Again they are pinned down as Black / Death Metal, but truly they are plain Melodic Death Metal, even if 'Time To Kill The Beast' has enough gusto and power to blow holes in the upper stratosphere, the fact remains this is an album that never was, however what it is instead is a release chock full of twists and turns at ever corner, surprising the listener and driving them into a false sense of security. Smashing drums lead the way on this face-punching delivery and wrap it up with some snazzy guitar work; afterwards it truly is 'Time To Kill The Beast'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  HEDFIRST 'Godforsaken' + '44' Two releases, one each side of the band splitting up and coincidentally two different sounds, so when taking into account the 2007 full length 'Godforsaken' by Polish Post-Groove Thrashers Hedfirst, that being their third ever album, you can expect a full-on blast of Lamb Of God style Groove Metal and Evile style Thrash Metal, oozing out with riffs galore and delivering outrageous drumming to savour any passionate metal fan, it is clear to see why Hedfirst are still underground, the music however original it is lacks a great deal of eccentricity, yet ironically it seems to capture one's attention. Again this is one of those albums that just happen to be there, but there again it has a decent level of meaning. After the reformation, their fourth album dropped, entitled '44' it depicts the heart of the band, a flowing river of blood-red music and powerful sounds, sure the lyrical shift reverts to Polish on this one, the brutality is maximised and the product is far more captivating than 'Godforsaken' . Consider 'Godforsaken' as a cardiac arrest and '44' as a healthy heart, Hedfirst have now found their ground and have utilised a far greater winning sound. Neck-snapping drumming supporting cutting-edge riffs and truly heavy vocals, this is the sound to carry Hedfirst forward. Prepare to mosh, for '44' is the soundtrack of the Polish Metal revolution and so the band from Warsaw is going into the revolution Hedfirst. [4] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  FLAME OF WAR 'Long Live Death!' LOWER SILESIAN STRONGHOLD Polish Black Metal duo Flame Of War make their welcomed return by releasing their fourth assault entitled 'Long Live Death!', the album takes in really raw sounds and old-school Black Metal, in the totalitarianism vein of course, mixing together traditionalism, paganism and war themes, it could easily be dubbed NSBM, even with its military style emphasis, but wouldn't that be a tad ironic for the hated to become supporters? Regardless 'Long Live Death!' delivers the old school style of Black Metal, in the veins of Mayhem, Gorgoroth and early Polish BM. For Flame of War, this is another chapter to be standing tall and saluting for, Black metal in Poland will never be the same again. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  DARK FURY 'W.A.R.' LOWER SILESIAN STRONGHOLD It comes to this, the seventh full length by Poland's Dark Fury in their fifteenth year of existence, the highly recognised NSBM trio truly step out of the darkness and ignite the area once more with the sounds of the far-right movement and attach it to some highly sophisticated Black Metal, from military style drumming to the atmosphere experienced at the tombs of Auschwitz, 'W.A.R.' brings back to life the dark times of the 20th century in musical expression and this time they have not failed to impress. Whether you like, hate or thrust neutral views against the NSBM genre, Dark Fury do more than just praise the bygone Nazi empire, in fact they teach it in historical form, making it a musical history lesson. 'W.A.R.' will impress those who love raw and dark Black Metal and also the far-right side of political music. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  NIHTERNNES 'The Dawning Of A New Era' + 'The Mouthless Dead' + 'Subterfuge' English Symphonic Dark Metal project / band Nihternnes is one of the darkest to ever walk the British Isles, forging atmospheric symphonic black metal with the darkness of bitter political humanity, this is the plague that has been threatening both Northampton and now Cornwall. Kicking off with 'The Dawning Of A New Era, which is the debut album and was released back in 2007, it is clear that there is a lot of raw Symphonic Black metal going on, take a pinch of Dimmu Borgir and lace it with a smothering of Mayhem and Carpathian Forest, you get the idea. 'The Dawning Of A New Era' delivers a knockout punch of extreme music and was the beginning of an underground storm. Forwarding towards 2009 and the first ever EP takes flight, 'The Mouthless Dead' instead drops the symphonic black metal sound of its predecessors and instead optimises a new depressive and ghoulish sound to kill of the listener's senses. Employing Progressive Dark Metal as the new sound, the EP 'The Mouthless Dead' delivers nearly 45 minutes worth of music in three tracks, so if you have time to kill, dinner is being cooked or something along those lines, you could just play this to cover the time wasting. It won't be everyone's cup of tea and sure fits the ambient music genre to a point, but the overall impression left is a bizarre and wordless one. Finally coming into 2012 and once again the depressive music sinks in, there shows little sign of change in comparison to the 2009 EP and as such pretty much demands a similar response. Except this time round you may need a whole hour free, for the sophomore album 'Subterfuge' delivers seven tracks in just over an hour, and by the time it's over your exhausted, wondering what the hell this was all about, sure the composition is sublime, but compared to the symphonic black metal days, Nihternnes in fact has gone downhill dramatically. [6] + [4] + [3] RHYS STEVENSON  FRAGMENT 'The Misotheist Portrayal' Just when Oxfordshire was named the most tranquil county of 2012, that statement was soon interrupted by a mass noise of machine-like Black / Death Metal, enter the badboys Fragment and their soul crushing debut demo 'The Misotheist Portrayal', playing in the old school style of the music genre, this quartet drag up the deepest pits of hell to unleash a musical belter that would make Behemoth shake in their boots. Fuelled by their latest outing and a three year career to their name, Fragment may well just become that band that lifted the Oxfordshire Metal scene to new heights, make some room 'cause this is going to get crazy. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  AWAKER 'Control Lost' In light of saddening news, that the drummer and co-founder of Awaker Marcin Kolinski passed away Monday 06/08/2012, we dedicate this review to him, gone but not forgotten, may his soul rock on. Awaker emerge from the streets of Manchester with their atomic debut album 'Control Lost', wielding together delicate melodies and musical sounds, the quartet immerse the listener in a fountain of heavenly Progressive Metal. Sure this is an album that carries a certain atmosphere and with that in mind the listener has to be in the right mood, you could dub it a chill out album but in hindsight it is an album that totally acts as a multi-mood piece, fluctuating guitar riffs embezzled by straight-edge drumming and lush vocals, Awaker make the whole djent movement look weak as a piece of solder. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  MISANTHROPIA 'Everdark' If this was meant to be an improvement from the debut album, only knows what the first album must have sounded like, sure here we have a decent slab of melodies but the drums at times sound a little sloppy for anything catchy and the riffs seem a little basic, that said 'Everdark' by German Melodic Power Thrashers Misanthropia does deliver emphatic vocals, mixing the high pitches of Dream Theater with the deep growling experienced with Opeth, but with that, it is imminent and evident that the two genres combined simply do not work, what you get is two sounds colliding, mixing a powerful and upbeat sound with a slow and deep sound, something that you would expect from a widow murdering her husband to gain the million euro heritage, dark thought sure but that coalesces with Misanthropia's dark music. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DECIBEL HAMMER 'Release The Havoc' It just seems that when the Finnish go to create old-school Thrash Metal for the modern audience and atmosphere, they nail it perfectly. Such an example is Decibel Hammer, the three musketeers from Tampere indulge in the 80's Thrash Metal style and add some Black / Speed Metal style vocals to deliver a dark and abysmal release, abysmal in that you couldn't find anything more pathetically extraordinary anywhere else. 'Release The Havoc' blasts out Slayer-esque music at a rate of knots and totally overwhelms the listener with some really scary sounds, no wonder there has been a rise in casualties in Finland, the cause is of course Decibel Hammer shocking listeners into total paralysis, killing off their senses and as the band begin to 'Release The Havoc', the darkness bites once again. [8] RHYS STEVENSON Add Comment  GENUINE RELIEF 'Behind The Smile' METALGATE Billed as possibly the best answer from the Czech Metal scene in the Black / Death Metal vein, Genuine Relief may sound a cliché to the previous statement, but make no mistake. With drums so heavy and fast it makes the Skoda car look weak, smashing the norm with evil riffs and grizzly vocals on their debut album 'Behind The Smile', it is likely that this band will see attention across Europe and perhaps beyond. With a bleak atmosphere drawn up from the pits of hell and the music crafted so finely it would appear similar to the final product of a gold smith, it's heavy, shiny and most importantly 100% metal, Genuine Relief are a band to watch and ideally prepare to be mesmerised by. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  MARIONETTE 'Nerve' 'Nerve' marks the return of the Swedish sextet Marionette but with a new drummer and vocalist in their ranks, whilst conventionally not as lively as 'Enemies', the third opus produces a darker and far more atmospheric sound to their organic style of playing. With Alexander Andersson bringing in his Black Metal influences, Marionette are darker than ever. Taking on board the Gothenburg sound and adapting it to a trance-laden slice of cutting edge Melodic Death Metal, 'Nerve' is an album with a total sound shift and has redirected the band's emphasis on the whole Visual Kei visage. But don't be fooled, the album still delivers that unique sound pioneered by Aron, Mikael, Anton and Linus and has only been maximised by the two new recruits, with 'Nerve' finally on the table, Marionette are arming themselves to take the world by storm. With Marionette, not only do you get a six-piece machine, but you get a full-on punch that will crush your soul and you're very last 'Nerve'. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  LIVEEVIL '3 Altering' METALGATE '3 Altering' is the third outing by Czech Electro-Gothic Metallers Liveevil, following their 2009 sensation 'Unique Constellation' it was always going to be a tricky task to summon up something far greater than itself, yet Liveevil have managed to pull it off, returning with their electronic backdrop and deep male vocals, the quartet once again captivate the minds of the listener with their Eisbrecher / Rammstein - style sound and twist it to deliver a cracker of an album. However, at some points the music sounds a little repetitious and thus loses fluiditiy, but despite that the album itself combines elements in the far-side of the music genres concerned. '3 Altering' is an album with a load of electronic beats, gothic influence and industrial cores, but it is not ground breaking, or is it? [8] RHYS STEVENSON  MILOS MEIER 'DRUMMING SYNDROME - DRUM SHOW' METALGATE In the 2012 release of Miloš Meier's 'Drumming Syndrome' DVD, the Czech drumming maestro takes the viewers on a whirlwind journey through the drummers life of how he came to play drums, who he has met and played with and more importantly acts as a platform for budding drummers to cotton on to how the legend plays and what tips the lad has. Featuring three live videos of his sets in the Czech settlements of Olomouc, Ostrana and Hronov as well as a live studio video at the akropolis and also special features like music videos, other live shows with the bands he plays in: Stroy, Dymytry and Noid, topped off with a documentary all about the man himself. For budding drummers and also fans of Czech Metal music, this is a superb DVD to watch and be educated by, experience the force of a Czech drumming wizard and be infected by the 'Drumming Syndrome'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MINDREAPER 'Human Edge (... To The Abyss)' Unfortunately this is not Melodic Thrash Metal as there is meant to be keyboards present, instead what we have here is an example of Thrash Metal slowed down and sped up within reason. But for Germany's Mindreaper, of whose debut album 'Human Edge (... To The Abyss) came after eleven years of the band's existence is a little disappointing, as was Germany in the world cup, you could say the quintet scored an own goal and you'd be right, the guitars are too over processed, the drums are fine (no errors present) and the vocals remain true, but overall the album lacks an element of class and so the wait for the album was a little wasted, but not a total failure, just nothing spectacular. [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON  OBLIVION MACHINE 'Unnatural & Wrong' / 'Zero-Gravity' / 'Starfield' MOLOT Russia was always known for exceptional Extreme Metal, but when one band by the name of Oblivion Machine come on the block, many could not believe what they were hearing, so starting with their debut album back in 2008, 'Unnatural & Wrong' isnt the greatest of sounds, not least because the vocals are hardly present, the guitars are quiet and the drums are the only section to give the release any life in it. However it is fast paced and acts as a promising catalyst for the later releases. 'Unnatural & Wrong' is not the best of starts but the band can only progress from there, in the end it is an album that isn't a total failure, but isn't a great album either. Coming into 2011 and the band's third album 'Zero-Gravity' wipes the floor with their debut album, there is far more presence on the album and perhaps its the female vocals that they are missing as they add that extra level of movement to the release, a truly grand mix of electronic sounds with the harshness of Death Metal and Industrial Metal. With sounds similar to that of fellow country-men Xe-None and Illidiance, Oblivion Machine with 'Zero-Gravity' have clearly found their sound that will suit them forever. Sensational riffs and danceable drumming come together and are topped with some really evil vocals of which leaves the album as possibly the turning point in the bands existance. 2012 came into view and the next release by Oblivion Machine took shape, this time in the form of their first ever EP called 'Starfield'. Continuing the new sound of electronic death metal with the heavenly female vocals, this is a promising release and platform for the new sound to be fully exploited on. 'Starfield' is a thirty-six minute, six track opus for which achieves to captivate the listener in excellent form. Not much else can be said about this release only that it will provide Oblivion Machine with a brutal from of assault, the cyberstorm as we know it has only just begun. [4] + [7.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON  BLOOD & BRUTALITY 'Sick Of It All' / 'The Blood & The Brutality' BLOOD & BRUTALITY Hailing from Alabama, USA, Blood & Brutality serve up their unique twist on Death / Thrash Metal with playing Thrash Metal music and near-enough Death Metal vocals. However their sophomore album 'Sick Of It All' shows what the band is capable of doing, by lashing together some of the fastest drumming they could muster with a load of grizzly riffs and spine-chilling vocals, sure this is nothing new but it gives to be old-school and ideally happy playing what they want to play. Armed with a feast of songs to keep the listener hooked, 'Sick Of It All' proves to be one of those releases that no matter how many times you listen to it, you cannot deny it is practically old school and so therefore retains its place in metal history. Coming into 2011 and the band go a little more on the raw side but still retain that recognisable sound established on 'Sick Of It All', or you would think. With the music now changing at different speeds from the middle-of-the-road speed to neck breaking Thrash Metal style, the sort of speed that suggests the drummer is battery operated, Duracell probably. Whether you like it or hate it, listeners cannot deny that 'The Blood & The Brutality' is probably the band's best album. It mixes the Slayer Thrash Metal sound with the Death Metal vocals devised in the Swedish lands. it is this sensational combination that gives the album it's highly recognisable tune and is sure to please many listeners alike across the globe, old hat people may say, we say metal to the bone, 'The Blood & The Brutality' of the state of Alabama. [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON  PASSION OF DEATH 'Passion of Death' BLOOD & BRUTALITY Well there is not much to go by on this release only that is was released this year, the band comes from Alabama, the drummer is the owner of Blood & Brutality Records and that this band play Death / Thrash Metal. Ok so 'Passion of Death' is pretty much a low-budget recording but the music still delivers in its raw form over the course of five tracks and it is these five tracks that ultimately suggest that the band are on to something unique, with agility on the forefront of the drumming department and the cutting-edge riffs carving their way through the silent atmosphere, 'Passion of Death' is a decent enough solid start from the duo. [6] RHYS STEVENSON  WOLFSHEAD 'Promo 2012' Dragging out the original sounds of Heavy Metal when it was born and adding a modern stance on it with guttural vocals is Finnish quartet Wolfshead and their debut promo, their first ever release in their 2nd year of activity. Dubbed 'Traditional Heavy Metal', the quartet from Oulu do not fail to impress with their Iron Maiden-esque style of playing and yet they manage to cut themselves some slack and deliver music that comes from the heart. With their 2012 promo, listeners can here vocals so melodramatic they make mood swings look appalling, as for the music itself, it's similar to a sweet shop, designed to make anyone high off their tits. None the less, this band will go far and this promo won't go unnoticed. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  NARBARION 'Les Ailes Noires' Usually French Black Metal is as bad as a drunk downing his own pee, but when Narbarion, a one-man project led by Lourdes musician Morkhor comes into the limelight with his debut demo 'Les Ailes Noires', this is a reprieval that was a long-time coming. Mixing the harsh raw sounds of Black Metal with ambient sounds like crows and running water, this is a truly atmospheric release. Naturally all of the songs are sung in French, but that does not withdraw the music from being sensational, in fact it adds a level of uniqueness to the final product. 'Les Ailes Noires' is a demo for any Black Metal fan and is sure to light the path to greater releases, in the veins of Burzum and Blut Aus Nord, Narbarion is a name that will eventually be on everyone's tongues, you won't find music like this anywhere else. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LAHANNYA 'Dystopia' KABUKI A bit of a reprisal comes into play with Lahannya's latest offering 'Dystopia', the multi-national quartet deliver a Gothic-twisted emphasis on the whole Alternative Metal division, with joyous melodies and erotic vocals coalescing together to shed new light on the sounds of modern music. Long gone are the days of London being a reputed Gothic area but the music continues to flourish and rule the night and with Lahannya firmly now set in stone and on the road to achieve much more, nothing will stop this foursome from reviving the old roots of Gothic/Alternative music. 'Dystopia' is for fans of Evanescence, The Cyan Velvet Project, Velcra and Domina Noctis. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  BELLIGERENT INTENT 'Seven Are They' Perhaps this could be a signature soundtrack to a world war two film, or it could be something dark that's lurking in Australia's backyard; a dead body perhaps? But whatever fans can make of Belligerent Intent's debut album 'Seven Are They', it is guaranteed a smacking of rough and grizzly Black / Death Metal. Blistering drums are perhaps the best section of the band's debut, but as an overall production it can be easily linked to other bands such as The Furor or Behemoth. Next thing we will know is that there is a sharp rise of hearing loss in the Melbourne area, or it could be the screeching of the Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix (we think). [8] RHYS STEVENSON  KLYNT 'Of Klynt & Man' Hard to make anything of this one, well technically that's a lie, this is Austrian quintet Klynt and their debut release 'Of Klynt & Man', now when claiming to be Power / Thrash Metal, it would be assumed to be fast, with melodic vocals and heavy vocals in tandem, however what Klynt have done have gone the opposite, heavy vocals, melodic music and medium pace. Like the fable of Midas, Klynt are on that path but are a fair distance away from making any epic sounds as-of-yet, but with this release under their belt, it can only get better for the lads, one band to keep an eye out for. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  WHITECHAPEL 'Whitechapel' METAL BLADE Within the myriad and factory-processed Deathcore bands that seem to have come out of nowhere, lies a diamond amongst the fakes and it is this diamond that is in fact Whitechapel. The American juggernauts assault the fourth outing in sensational style, with a breakdown after blastbeat smack-in-the-face reception, the self-titled album by the heavy-weight titans is a clear sign of how Deathcore 'should be done'. This without a doubt has to be the best album they have ever released and will prove a real hard act to follow on from. For fans of Resist The Thought and The Black Dahlia Murder amongst many other elite Deathcore acts. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  CATACOMBS 'Catacombs' Somewhat easy to compare when speaking of Catacombs, the closest you can pinhole them to is Wintersun, minus the chill factor. However, Australia's Catacombs and their debut self-titled EP is not without any deviations; subtle breakdowns emerge here and there whilst retaining the melodic overture found on 'The Fallen'. Sure it's not a 100% production and generally no first release is, but the Melbourne lads do have a sense of musical direction and with this EP under wraps, they could break into the international scene, with hints of Amon Amarth and the slow Melodic doom-feel in the shadows, Catacombs are a decent band with a decent release. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  FORGOTTEN HORROR 'The Serpent Creation' WOODCUT Its something about the Finnish that makes them and Black Metal seem to go well, even if Thrash Metal is thrown into the affray, so when Kuopio-based trio Forgotten Horror make their anticipated debut album, the result is a glorious thirty-five minute jaunt of Black-infused Thrash Metal. From start to finish, the band serve up some of the most explicit musical creations to date, such that this is a promising start to the Finnish band's career, armed with a fist of fury and battalion armour, this is one record to savour and for those die-hards, one to recommend as a Finnish prodigy. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  BLUDGER 'The Death of The Trend' What only can be described as Progressive Deathcore, Bludger s**t out their latest EP 'The Death of The Trend' with extreme diarrhoea, taking clear influences from Meshuggah, Pantera and Ion Dissonance, the quintet who are based in Leeds excrete a solid slamming of Deathcore with the fluidity of Progressive Metal. Battering the listener with four tracks of concrete musicianship that could only be broken down by an atomic bomb, not even Sheffield noiseboys Bring Me The Horizon could muster this, it would send Oli Sykes running with his tail between his legs, it would seem Bludger are causing 'The Death of The Trend' that seems to be 'scenecore'. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  URINE TEMPLE / VERMIN / HEXE / SABBAGOR 'Urine Temple / Vermin / Hexe / Sabbagor' SKINNED ALIVE So when more or less the same two musicians for four different projects makes a split, it is somewhat of a novelty, usually its multiple people, but the South African musicians D-Hond and Vermox wield together instruments and sounds to produce this remarkable 4-way split, even if Black Metal is the primary genre, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal and Death Metal all make an appearance so there is a wide variety to choose from, the split release itself topples out at nearly one hour and twenty minutes so for those looking for new music, listeners are spoilt for choice. Definitely a South African gem in terms of its characteristics. [7] + [7] + [6.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON  PIEL DE SERPIENTE 'Inevitable' PURE STEEL Melodic Heavy Metal quintet Piel De Serpiente waste no time and effort in releasing their third majestic album, the five-piece from Valencia in Spain unleash the bulls in the paddocks for this one, mixing their romantic native language of Spanish with the delightful melodies found in bands like Dream Evil and Katana, fast and melodic songs are present on this release and that is guaranteed to captivate the listener. Whilst the male Spanish vocals aren't as dynamic as the females, senor Lufti Salah Al-Kharbutli does not fail to disappoint and even more so drummer Emma López proves that female drummers are just as good. It was 'Inevitable' that Piel De Serpiente were to make a justified return. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  FIREBRAND SUPER ROCK 'Firebrand Super Rock' RISING Scottish lads Firebrand Super Rock raise up the tempo with their debut album 'Firebrand Super Rock', it features the style of Iron Maiden and School of Rock style vocals and music, with an awesome array of riffs to covertly backdrop the sensational vocals on this album, the quartet from Edinburgh unleash a flood of extraordinary songs of which are certain to rock out many listeners to death. Unleashed via the brilliant Rising Records (The Dead Lay Waiting, Confined Within, etc.), Firebrand Super Rock are exactly what their band name says and are sure to set alight the UK when they make their first major tour. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  AMBEHR 'Amber Dreamland' GRAILIGHT Armenian Power Folk Metal quintet Ambehr return with their fourth masterpiece and this time it is in English rather than the traditional Armenian, with this release the closest to fantasy it can get is the release itself, majestic, full-of-melody and fast paced music, enough to get any party started. Whilst their previous albums were in their native tongue of Armenian, this release does not differ regardless of the language change, everything is perfect, the truth is that Ambehr are leading the Armenian Metal scene and will continue to do so. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  ARTANIA 'Ночь оденет тебе свой венец' GRAILIGHT So mixing the Russian language with the extreme sounds of Symphonic Black Metal and pure gothic imagery and darkness is Artania with their debut album 'Ночь оденет тебе свой венец' (Night Shall Crown Ye), whilst not sounding similar to Dimmu Borgir, Artania do offer their own unique sound, one similar to that of Cradle of Filth, but none the less the album is full of beauty, darkness and extreme music, a total revelation in the Russian Black Metal scene and exceptionally, Russian Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  GREY HEAVEN FALL '...Grey Heaven Fall' GRAILIGHT Russian Symphonic Black / Death Metal sextet Grey Heaven Fall come out of the shadows with their self-titled debut album of which is frenetically fast, insanely magical and such a pleasure to listen to, with an armament of heavy yet swift tracks to entrance the listener into complete oblivious senselessness, this is perhaps the best Symphonic Metal album this year, none the less '...Grey Heaven Fall' is one of those albums that fans of Illidiance, Shturm, and Tristwood will enjoy, a classic release that signals an oncoming slaughter by this band. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SKYFALL 'Bestiarium Pool' GRAILIGHT Twelve years wait and Skyfall finally release their long-awaited debut album 'Bestiarium Pool', the Russian Melodic Black Metal band carefully crafts the album into absolute perfection with precision and correct tuning, the Russian quintet sing in both Russian and English and whilst that does not affect the music itself, the listener may switch between singing and just listening, with raw vocals at the reins, spine-chilling melodies creeping down the human spine and riffs that are so hard, diamonds are obsolete, resistance is futile. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  KARTIKEYA 'Mahayuga' GRAILIGHT This is the next step in the evolution of Metal music, Black Death Metal mixing traditional Indian musical sounds by a Russian band!!!! Kartikeya return with their mystics and religious faiths in form of their sophomore album 'Mahayuga', bringing more cultural aspects on the Indian religion of Hinduism and Indian philosophy, this is a truly remarkable and ground-breaking album. Sensational vocals aided by brutally heavy drumming and chaotic riffing, this is the new way forward; a collaboration of multiple cultures into one. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  FOURTH AUTUMN 'Mock The Weak' RISING Deep from within the Welsh valleys arises a Black / Death metal band of four musicians of whom come together to unleash their debut album 'Mock The Weak'. Fourth Autumn are ready to unleash the darkness onto the masses in fierce style, whilst not exactly sounding similar to that of Polish titans Behemoth, the clear swinging-beat of Black Metal emphasises the extreme mentality of the quartet and yet manages to stab the atmosphere with insanity and spectacular intricacy, none the less this is a beacon of hope for the Welsh Metal scene which seems to of late been dominated by the common genre of Metalcore, or any 'core' genre. Fourth Autumn are set to take the UK Metal scene by storm and show how evil the dragons of the west really can be. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  FROM THE DEPTH 'Back To Life' RISING Adventure and magical sorcery come to mind with the Italian Power Metal ensemble From The Depth's debut album 'Back To Life', with a constant stream of majestic keyboard strokes to add a level of discovery to the affray, uniquely this is a band who somehow mix European Power Metal; with its neck-breaking pace and decibel-smashing solos, with the embodiment of Disney magic, one would assume they had just come from a fairy tale with the gallant feel in their music. 'Back To Life' is surely a solid reminder that the Italian's are passionate about fast and powerful metal and From The Depth is no exception, without a doubt power metal album of the year 2011. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  VINTERBLOT 'Nether Collapse' RISING Uprising Italian Viking / Death Metal quintet Vinterblot make the first move with their debut album 'Nether Collapse' being released next year, it sees the new signing of Rising Records unleash a horrid and eccentric mix of cutting-edge Death Metal and Viking Metal melodies / lyrics. How odd it is that a band from a country with no Viking relation whatsoever, manages to deliver the same level of brutality as per se Tyr from the Faroe Islands. With an armament of ten tracks to batter your brains and mosh your body to, Vinterblot are only just getting started and are far from shying away just yet, the journey for them has just begun. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  4 ARM 'Submission For Liberty' RISING 2011 saw Australia's 4 Arm release their third album in absolute... what the? It would seem that the Groove Metal, crossed with Thrash Metal and Metalcore went AWOL. Whilst the attempt is there, the tunes are near out of sync, the Metalcore style vocals are not there, and whilst this is a poser copy of Lamb Of God, the guitars only offer little light for this quartet. With most of the songs sounding similar in more ways than one and with no sense of change of tune, this may be a shooting in the foot for the Australian band. [3.5] RHYS STEVENSON  THE SULLEN ROUTE 'Apocalyclinic' SOLITUDE PRODS. Typical Russian Doom / Death Metal, none the less The Sullen Route offer their version of the common sound and nationality combination with their second album in two years, 'Apocalyclinic' delivers a reasonably paced period of depressing yet neatly organised Doom Metal. But just like most Doom / Death Metal bands, the music is slow, heavy and full of depressive dark atmosphere, but take hats off to the Russian quintet for keeping the old style alive, almost certainly one of those releases that even when you're drunk out of your mind, it still captivates somehow. [6] RHYS STEVENSON  CRESCENT LAMENT 'Behind The Lethal Deceit' Eclipsing the moonlight on dark nights is the sounds of Crescent Lament's debut album 'Behind The Lethal Deceit', sounding extremely superior to their previous two releases (demo and EP), the Taiwanese septet immerse the listener with anguish amongst all darkened emotions. Captivated by the soul-soothing vocals of Muer Chou and intricacy from the backdrop musicians of which comprises of the usual guitarists, bassist, drummer and keyboardist as well as a special appearance by violinist Heven Chang. This debut delicacy of pure Taiwanese musicianship’s and heavenly feminine melodies is surely to change the direction of the swinging pendulum; Crescent Lament is set to take the world by storm. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  ANKOR 'My Own Angel' STF Catalonian Heavy Power Metal sextet Ankor make their return extra special, that being in reference to their majestic and all-so intricate sophomore album 'My Own Angel'. From raging waterfalls in the mountains to desert racing in the plains of Spain, Ankor will take you on a magical journey that not even Disney could conjur up, providing the perfect accompiment to the El Clásico experienced in Spanish football. Dynamic vocals arising from the depths of the abyss collide with graceful music from the heavens to produce a beautiful piece of exciting music, without a doubt 'My Own Angel' is Spanish Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  DARKMOON 'Wounds' STF Firing on all cylinders is Swiss mosh-bombardiers Darkmoon with their third album assault, 'Wounds' deploys the combined sound of Black and Death Metal to such an extent, this is perhaps a toned down version of Behemoth, but whilst that may sound apt, the music is just as brutal as rottweilers savaging a gang of chickens, ruthlessly and brutally. For the quintet from Hölstein this is perhaps the pivotal moment in their existence, rallying a futile blast of unimaginable proportions. Darkmoon is without a doubt, Switzerland's most kept secret until now, the evil has just turned nasty. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  ASGAIA 'Trinegra' STF Battling their way through the forests and wilderness of the Melodic Death minefield, Germany's Asgaia offer a unique twist on the common genre with some ambiance and coldness in their music, similar to that of Latvia's Preternatural. Mystical and eclectic best suit this quintet's third album 'Trinegra', by diverging away from the rules of the genre and adding their own unique sound to the affray. Pummelling drums encase the atmospheric in a shroud of bizarreness and almost near sci-fi embodiment. Asgaia are sure to become a storm in the German Metal scene and with this effort, they are ready to smother Europe, watch this band at all costs. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  ELIZIUM 'Relief By The Sun' STF In their 20th year of existence, the underground yet-long-serving Gothic Doom quintet Elizium make their sophomore album somewhat worth the wait, by far not the greatest Gothic Doom release yet it has a persona to it in relation to the atmosphere produced - such that depression easily seeps in. For the Dutch quintet this is another step, but for the listener this may well be the last step before untolled suicide. Whilst conventionally short in length to most Doom Metal albums, 'Relief By The Sun' has a darkened feel instead, but lacks creativity here and there, ideally this release is for those Gothic Doom diehards, but not necessarily the average metal fan, just don't expect the release to make tracks. [3.5] RHYS STEVENSON  LOSNA 'Distilling Spirits' Brazilian Cross Thrashers Losna made their second assault all the more heavier and brutal and as their sophomore album 'Distilling Spirits' proves, Brazilian Thrash Metal is in a league of its own. For the trio from Porto Alegre, this is a new step in their band's existence, taking on board a furious and angry message of mass hate and spitting-in-your-face attitude. Certified to take moshpits beyond insanity and registered to play beyond max voltage output, Losna are the new face of Brazilian Metal. With 'Distilling Spirits' now under their belts and their third album in sight, nothing is going to stop them now, it has only just begun. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  BLODSPOR 'Laughing Through Violence' EYOSACOI Norwegian Black / Death Metal band Blodspor make a somewhat abysmal start to their career, their debut album 'Laughing Through Violence' has a few tracks that are worthy enough to be praised, such as 'Dark Hour Of Decay' of which has a finely tuned balance of the two genres, but songs like 'Mental Hibernation' need serious rethinking. For a debut album this has a 50/50 split reception on it, with some good and bad tracks interlinking, but credit for them on this one, as for all bands to progress is to build on and make better what was wrong. [5.5]  ACHREN 'The Forgotten King' COEL DORCHAS After eight years, burly Glaswegian Blackened Thrash merchants Achren finally shed out their debut album 'The Forgotten King', fast-paced and sensationally ballsy, this is a release with enough grit to make the snowplough operators look like pansies. Dubbing their genre as 'blood metal', the quartet from the metropolitan city of Glasgow in Scotland ignite and unleash a torrential wave of audio missiles nearly as long as five minutes. Whilst conventionally not the best possible start, the album offers glimpses of promising potential and hope. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  TYRANEX 'Extermination Has Begun' INFERNÖ Like a snake on the prowl for food, Tyranex emerge from the underground in black and with a feisty minx as their front-woman, ripping ears with claws as long as Nine Inch Nails. Tyranex is a Swedish Thrash trio with enough balls to bludgeon any hardcore fan to death. 'Extermination Has Begun' is their debut album and what a corker it is, a full-on hell rollercoaster speeding across nine tracks of adrenaline-charged incantations and incendiary bombs detonating at every second. For the two males and woman clad-in-leather, this release is a great starter and a sure eye-grabber for big media groups. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  KHARIOT 'Disymposium' Australian Extreme Prog Metal stalwarts Khariot make their debut start with their first full-length album 'Disymposium', whilst conventionally a cake mixture of many Metal genres: Prog, Death, Thrash, Black and more, Khariot are a experimental metal band at heart and as such have a lot of sudden tune changes, so it is unclear whether this was intent or totally within the uncanny grasp of luck. However, Khariot are not a band to be downed by at any means, even if little bits of the album are left questionable. Khariot's debut album 'Disymposium' is for fans of Meshuggah, Design The Skyline and Strapping Young Lad. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  LOCAL I 'Ecorces' SALUTE Dark and despairingly disturbing springs to mind when hearing Local I's third sensational opus 'Ecorces', delivering a full-on blast of Black Metal-cross-Death Metal production of which ignites the furious frenzy developed by the Russian duo. 'Ecorces' deploys a raw-tinged sound to the music whilst essentially capturing a slight slant on ambiance in that it devours any clear-cut sound and envelopes it with a sound that rivals only the screams made by burning witches. Local I are one truly remarkable underground Russian band of who will continue purging the scene with darkened discrepancy and unruly unrest. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  EQUINOX 'A Child Was Born Of The Underworld' SALUTE Back in 2010 the only release by Swedish Black Metal duo Equinox was ever made, in 66 copies essentially, but the key part in all of this is that they formed in 1986 but split in 1987 - perhaps one of Sweden's long forgotten underground Black Metal bands. None the less, the album itself is very raw, heavily distorted guitars make way for a chime-twinkling drum pattern. Whilst conventionally the vocals are shrieked and echoed so to speak, the lyrics cannot be deciphered - all for more making it even darker. 'A Child Was Born Of The Underworld' is a testament to the True Swedish Black Metal scene and a harmonious reminder that Salute Records founder Satanic Tony knows Metal music inside and out. Equinox is one of a kind, a rarity and so whomever hears the band's music has a right gem in their hands. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  ULTRA NOVA 'Into Pain....' SALUTE Wallowing in the sewers of both the USA and Canada is the two-man band Ultra Nova with their slick-stance on raw Black / Death Metal. Whilst the production need be not great, this adds to the raw ambiance of it. 'Into Pain....' is their debut 2011 EP and by far does it engrave a darkened signal of ravishing intent in respect of mass destruction of hearing. Although it cannot be essentially called an EP with two tracks - more so a demo, none the less this is one release that proves a promising sign for the duo.  MORIBOND 'The Wild Ride' SALUTE American / Canadian Doom Metal duo Moribond flick the amp to bring their premier demo 'The Wild Ride' to light, unleashing the thickened sound of sludge-style Doom Metal in a three track attack, Moribond devour the bleakest atmosphere imaginable and erode any corresponding despair surrounding the listener. Whilst the vocals are not truly impressive, being near-inaudible - the music itself offers its own services and alleviates any misconceptions right from the first track. A cult release from a soon-to-be cult band, Moribond are due to turn heads. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  WINTERCOLD 'The Return Of Baal' SALUTE Depressingly sorrowful and mentally disturbing is Wintercold's sophomore album 'The Return Of Baal', the Swedish one-man project pioneered by Salute Record's owner Satanic Tony brings a cold and bitter feel to the atmosphere by introducing a new style of Gothic Doom Metal by making it sound depressing and Pagan-like. Without a doubt this is a well produced album that has hidden qualities all over it, just waiting to take the listener to a different place each time. Wintercold is one project for those who love Pagan and Doom Metal and with this release, there is clearly more to come. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  PREMONITION 'The Plague Of Ignorance' SALUTE Back in 2009, Saudi Arabian one-man project Premonition (Arjun Gill is originally Indian) made his debut album 'The Plague Of Ignorance' shed light and effectively raise another flag for the Saudi Arabian Metal scene. The music itself may be dubbed 'extreme metal' as it encompasses Black, Death, Thrash and Metalcore and so 'Blackened Deathrashcore' may as well be a mouthful. With a chock load of pulsating riffs, rifling blast-beats and a rainbow-variety of vocals, this is Premonition at it's best, even though this is just a debut. Guaranteed to set off moshpits in a flash, 'The Plague Of Ignorance' is a clear sign that more is to come, even more so a forecast for heavier material is predicted. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  FALGAR 'Beyond The Fading Stars' SALUTE Backtracking to 2010 and to the latest release of Puerto Rican Black Metal one-man project Falgar is as monumental as realizing history. 'Beyond The Fading Stars' deploys the darkened atonement of Raw Black Metal in its harshest form, whereby the vocals offer a spine-chilling spiritual rape and the music itself carves bleeding wounds in the listener's soul. Released in only 99 copies, this is one album that any Black Metal fan should have in their repertoire, for it carries a really evil and imaginative creation ideology on it, the notion that Black Metal is ever-expanding 'Beyond The Fading Stars', Falgar is flying the flag for the Puerto Rico Metal scene. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DEONA CART DELUNA 'In The Manner Ov Death' SALUTE Malaysian Death / Thrash mob Deona Cart Deluna return with their grand-slamming sound of raw vocals and distorted guitars in the form of their breathtaking 2011 EP 'In The Manner Ov Death'. Rallying a roller-coaster of outrageous riffs and bombastic blastbeats, the quintet from Johore Southern Gateway unleashes absolute god-raving hell on this EP with more than four fruity tracks to indulge in. Only one can imagine the sheer velocity of audio-brutality experienced when seeing these guys live at a gig or festival. Deona Cart Deluna are without a doubt one of the best emerging Malaysian Metal talents around and are clearly deserving of a place at one of Europe's top festivals. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  AMORTYS 'Voz Muerta' SALUTE Hailing from Colombia, Blackened Death Metal quartet Amortys brought a new style of insanity to the table in 2009 with their first demo 'Voz Muerta'. Whilst singing in their native Spanish, the boys from Bogota do not fail to impress to the masses with this releases, the level of raw music on this release is sensational, whilst it's practically easy to mosh to, the vocals are a little understandable and so the music acts as a foundation for this. Easy to say that Amortys are wallowing in the deepest chasms of the Colombian Metal scene, bring on the debut EP. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  NOKTURNAL FOREST 'To Embrace The Nocturnal Hymns' SALUTE 2010 saw call of duty in the Syrian Metal scene with one-man project Nokturnal Forest take up the valiance of playing more Black Metal in the form of his debut EP 'To Embrace The Nocturnal Hymns', whilst the music itself is a lovely raw sound, there is nothing wrong with this release. For a musician from the Middle East to unleash this oriental darkness in such a way is a signal that the metal in that region is far from being labelled as a pushover. Nokturnal Forest is leading a storm of Syrian Metal of which is to engulf the underground, calling it a dark threat and ultimately signalling the dawn of a new era for Black Metal. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON | 2013
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