VOODOO GODS
'Shrunken Head'
MISANTHROPICA ENTERPRISES

When you feature a septet that resembles a Death / Thrash Metal Armageddon with Nergal of Behemoth on the front line and past members of Morbid Angel, Manowar, Decapitated and Deicide amongst the affray, you know this band is going to be sensational. Enter Florida-based Voodoo Gods and their debut EP 'Shrunken Head', full of the very essence of voodooism from it's Caribbean counterparts, even Baron Samedi could not cope with the brutal force residing here. Grizzly vocals lead the way for the erotic riffs and elaborate drumming to decimate any senses the listener may have, this is something extra special and is sure to attract attention from far and wide. Fuelled by the Gulf of Mexico, this cyclonic storm is strengthening up and is preparing to make a global assault.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

ACROMONIA
'Human Downfall'

Probably soon to be considered the next best German Melodic Death Metal band on the block, Baden-Württemberg's Acromonia storms out of the gates with their highly promising debut EP 'Human Downfall', awashed with emphatic solo's, ballsy drumming and vocals so deep it would make the nearby church cemetery shake earthquake-style. For fans of Soilwork, Scar Symmetry and Threat Signal, Acromonia's 'Human Downfall' takes the classic sound of Melodic Death Metal, adds their own emphasis on it and triumphantly delivers something so epic, the debut album is already seems promising.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

WANDAR
'Landlose Ufer'

Heathen Black Metal horde Wandar make their full-on battle assault with their debut album 'Landlose Ufer', exclusively singing in their native language of German, the quartet immerse the atmosphere with Germanic paganism and heathen traits, laced with the evil, cold and bitterness of continental Black Metal. Not all German Black Metal bands make their debut as refreshing as they should be and so when coming across 'Landlose Ufer', there is not a lot of negativity that can be scrutinised on, even if the production seems a little weak, the album spits originality and signals an oncoming winter storm as Wandar rebel across the lands.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

ERA HEX
'New Aeon'

From time to time band's will try to mix genres as extreme as they can and so when four Bavarians lock horns with the intricate sounds of Industrial Death Metal and incorporate elegant sounds of Symphonic Metal, the stage is set for the absolute demise of their debut EP 'New Aeon'. Blasting sonic waves  with the immense velocity delivered by the double bass drumming and smothering it with total technical riffing, harmonious keyboard elements and gritty death metal vocals, you can clearly see a mixture of Scar Symmetry, Shade Empire and Breach The Void. All in all the EP signals that Era Hex, as we know it is the Cyber Metal juggernaut the world has been waiting for.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

DESTINATIONS CALLING
'End Of Time'

Germany's Destination's Calling make their awaited return with their sophomore album 'End Of Time', filled to the brim with Power Metal, this album naturally is your average sounding one in the stated genre. High-pitched vocals, adventurous musical compositions and an all-round feeling of power, 'End Of Time' is an album that will please any fan of Sonata Arctica, Edguy and Dream Theater. The only downside of the album is that it's not long enough (even if it's over fifty minutes long) and it only starts kicking off when track three 'Revolution in Min' comes into play, but in conclusion it is a decent enough album, we'll let the listener make the critical judgements.

[6.5] RHYS STEVENSON

BLEEDING
'Bleeding'

One year in and Hamburg's Bleeding deliver their debut self-titled EP, but the first part of the storm is a bit of a bumpy ride, there are a host of genres wafting and weaving about the release, from Progressive Metal to Power Metal and from Thrash Metal to Modern Rock, there again when you take three musicians and give them a studio, anything can happen. If you had to pigeon-hole this release, simply call it 'experimental funk metal', the rhythm changes every minute and the music ranges from high-pitch belters to low-sounding humdingers. Exclusively this EP can cater for a range of acquired tastes, eventually leaving the listener with 'Bleeding' ears.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

CLEAR SKY NAILSTORM
'Marching Through Darkness'

German Melodic Thrashers Clear Sky Nailstorm emerge out of the sewers with the stench of their infectious and disease-ridden debut EP 'Marching Through Darkness', oozing with confidence and heavy brutality, who said German musicians were only good at Death Metal? Mein gott nein. Clear Sky Nailstorm are exactly what they say are, a heavy downpour of razor-sharp riffs, metallic drumming and two-ton weight vocals, all in all producing a fine piece of musicianship. 'Marching Through Darkness' takes the listener on a ride of their life, from the cascading riffs to the heavy drop of the drumstick, just purely epic.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

RUNNING DEATH
'The Call Of Extinction'

Bavaria plays host to a number of exceedingly good bands and from time to time there are bands from this part of Germany that deserve (well they all do) to be signed, but Running Death with their neck-breaking Thrash Metal deserve it most, in fact they modernise the already established Teutonic Thrash Metal sub-genre without fault or deviation from the main sound that is expected. Moulding versatility with total brutality, Running Death emerges as one of the finest newcomers of the German metal scene, time will come and this band will be ready for more.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

WINTER IN EDEN
'Echoes Of Betrayal'

Following their debut album, upcoming English Symphonic Gothic Metallers Winter In Eden make their welcomed return with 'Echoes Of Betrayal', their second full-length album loaded with heavenly vocals, dramatic musical composure and dark elegancy at every minute of this gracious release. This is the album that deserves to end in Winter In Eden being signed, the evidence is there that this band have enough potential to overthrow the queen of the Symphonic Gothic Metal throne, that is Within Temptation, with 'Echoes Of Betrayal' now firmly out in the open, the wolves of the forest are packing together, the hunt is on, with a feast of riffs, drum sequences and operatic chanting leading the way, there is nothing that will stop this five-piece leviathan from taking the world by storm.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

AEURTUM
'The Fall'

Hailing from Birmingham, one man project Aeurtum makes his debut album 'The Fall' and whilst the music is fine the vocals lack any real presence, thus leaving the album in a state of being unfinished, well thats how it would seem. Fixing depression and other darker topics as the main point for the lyrics, the music may as well add the same level of depression as it fails to impress, lacking any clear motivation in relation to the fact the melodic death metal has gone awoll and the progressive metal seems a little overused, Aeurtum may as well have just experienced 'The Fall'.

[2] RHYS STEVENSON

POSSESSOR
'City Built With Skulls'
SLANEY

Virginian Thrash maniacs Possessor make their short-awaited debut with 'City Built With Skulls', a solid production of classic American Thrash Metal in the style of Metallica and Slayer. Loaded with riffs and fist-burning drumming, 'City Built With Skulls' slashes its way through the silent atmosphere and explodes by delivering a feast of tasteful compositions. Rough it up and ride it bareback, this is breakneck Thrash as it should be in its modern form. For Possessor, this their moment to stand out and shine, an album that keeps the classics intact and retains its title as the original sound, 'City Built With Skulls' is not for the faint of heart (or indeed haters of old school metal).

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

ZOMBIES ATE MY GIRLFRIEND
'Patient Zero'

Possibly one of the greatest modern day bands to walk out of the South African Metal scene. Zombies Ate My Girlfriend kick off their highly-anticipated career with the face-punching EP 'Patient Zero', spewing out cursed Melodic Death Metal and lashed with elements of Metalcore here and there, the compass points south on this one as the quintet smash apart the crystal silence with what can easily be perceived as South African Metal album of the year. As bloody as the Boer war and as brutal as the realisation of penguins on the sandy beaches, Zombies Ate My Girlfriend are due to hit the international scene and fly the flag for the South African Metal scene, think you know metal? You don't know sh*t until you check this lot out!

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

SURREAL THOUGHTS
'Augmentations'

Interestingly enough, Bavarian quartet Surreal Thoughts make their return well and truly known, making their next outing their sophomore album 'Augmentations' come to life, the Progressive Death Metal ensemble demolish every instrument in sight and yet sadly fail to make the cutting edge vocals that were anticipated to be there. Whilst the riffs are great, they mask out the drums and so the production lacks any presence, so what you end up with is a perfect elemental piece minus any atmosphere. Give due the death growling is decent, but unless you have got ultra-high hearing, the lyrics without reading them are anyone's guess, anyone's guess that is if you can be bothered.

[5.5] RHYS STEVENSON

BONERIDE
'Arms Of Mercy'

Bringing back the glories of the Heavy Metal and Rock 'N' Roll sound is Finnish Heavy Metallers Boneride and their third demo 'Arms Of Mercy', whilst not exactly similar to the titans Iron Maiden, the closest you can compare this quartet is to bands like AC/DC, Motorhead and Judas Priest, the sort that require the listener to be in tight leather (if your a girl), drinking Jack Daniels and riding a Harley-Davidson across the snow-laden landscapes of Finland. As for 'Arms Of Mercy', this is a sure sign that Boneride are readying themselves to unleash something rather epic and highly extraordinary, as such this is a band to watch and well in the end they take the no-nonsense direction and remain with rock in their hearts.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

FROSTBITTEN
'Nocturnal Hypnosis'

Hailing from the city of Cambridge, Frostbitten is a one-man Black Metal project and yet when upon hearing the debut album 'Nocturnal Hypnosis' unfold like a venus fly trap decapitating its prey, the inevitable sound of raw black metal spews out over the atmosphere like a poison gas murdering everything living within its detonation radius. Word of warning, turn down the speakers, for at points the album gets very loud and as such could make the listener sh*t themselves. Full of depressive shrieks, shrieks rivalling pain and music to rival the satanic Justin Bieber, no wonder this is an underground project, you probably could not find anything more kvlt.

[6.66] RHYS STEVENSON

WRITHING VOID
'Isolate'

From the dark corners of the lands of Northern Ireland arises a force so powerful, it made Southern Ireland tremble in fear, enter the band or project Writhing Void with the debut EP 'Isolate', a classic example of pure Black Metal. Loaded with some of the most evil vocals heard on overseas British soil and yet the EP carries this feeling of pure euphoria, for it has the raw sound in tune and yet somehow has a lively feel to it, quite bizarre for a Black Metal album, but who is to judge? The EP features four tracks of pure chaos, let alone the drums running wild and the vocals spitting curses at every second, 'Isolate' is probably the darkest release ever to be created in the Northern Irish Metal scene.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

WAKING THEO
'Reborn'

So much is a-due here, the North / West Yorkshire quintet Waking Theo smash their way back into the scene with their latest demo 'Reborn' in wake of their vocalist changing, needless to say - this is the real deal. The vocals as far as one can hear, are awashed with gritty Metalcore and so bullies the band into action for a full fist-pumping smackdown. In short, the Thrash Metal elements residing in the guitar riffs and the Metalcore physique blasting out from the drums and vocals edge Waking Theo further into the scene, this material is perhaps the material to get them label attention if not major press, if this does not get attention from Metal Hammer, Terrorizer or at least Kerrang! I'll eat my speakers.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

THE FLESH TRADING COMPANY
'River Runs Red'

Bavaria seems to be spewing out a host of excellent metal bands lately and The Flesh Trading Company is no exception, bringing to the frontline their debut EP 'River Runs Red' in what can be called a 'DVD case'. Kicking off with the 'in your face' attitude, the music punches the listener so hard it makes unarmed combat look like a hugging session. Mixing Death Metal vocals with the agile speed of Thrash Metal and the embodiment of Heavy Metal, the German quintet set themselves up to buttrape anything that stands in their way and with their EP now out in the open, this is going to only get even more nasty, let the pain commence.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

EMMELEYA
'Opium Vision'

German Progressive Death Metal mob Emmeleya whack out their debut album on a bizarre note, 'Opium Vision' has all the elements but the keyboards as far as it can be said, ruins the overall sound. However, given due it is an acceptable album, but one that will take time for listeners to get used to. Kicking off with an almighty eleven minute track maybe the worst ordering yet, surely a build up would be more appropiate, unless Emmeleya were really seeing an 'Opium Vision', in that case the album is worth more than the opium is, it will be interesting to see where this lot go on from here.

[5] RHYS STEVENSON

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

SANGUINE GLACIALIS
'Dancing With A Hanged Man'

Finally god forbid a band that has a unique sound and is sure to stir some attention in the global media and music industry, this is Sanguine Glacialis and their emphatic-sounding debut album 'Dancing With A Hanged Man', built upon a solid foundation of classic Melodic Death Metal whilst covering it with Gothic Metal vocals, visualisation and atmosphere, the sort of album that has The Birthday Massacre mixed with Silent Descent - basically combining two worlds together result in this lust-laden album, a beauty and the beast translated into music. 'Dancing With A Hanged Man' is one of those albums that is dubbed a gem and why? Because you cannot place a valuation on their emphatic music, simply put.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

DICTATOR
'Stay Brutal Baby'
MORE HATE PRODS.

Purging out the dark side of the Russian Federation and exploiting the crevasses amongst the Siberian tundra is trio Dictator with their god-smiting third album 'Stay Brutal Baby', conventionally playing old-school Black Metal with Industrial and gothic influences, this is perhaps the darker version of Aborym or even so a whole unique sound on it's own. Commanding vocals are the main weapon in this catalogue of dark musical mass and are supported by rhythmetic riffs and precise percussion, both mixing together to produce a spectacular creation of experimental metal. Call it what you like, the truth remains it's godly music and it is this sort of band that wallows in the Russian underground yet does not get considerable exposure, what we think is that their message to every band is to 'Stay Brutal Baby'.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

BLACK SHADOW
'…Сквозь Чёрное Пламя Молоха…'
MORE HATE PRODS.

It's always special when a band sings in their native language and Black Shadow are no exception, mixing raw Black Metal with their Russian language to concoct something so destructive, it took four bottles of vodka just to wake the listener up from the audio onslaught they have just been through. Sure the band uses a drum machine, but who is going to know (oops)? '…Сквозь Чёрное Пламя Молоха…' marks their eighth Satanic ritual and it never gets any tiring, not even after thirty-six minutes of total chaos, so for the record '…Сквозь Чёрное Пламя Молоха…' is for fans of Black Metal, the Russian language and Satanic music, oh and by the way Satan, whose your daddy? Black Shadow of course.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

SLAUGHTER BRUTE
'Systematic Transmutations'
MORE HATE PRODS.

Just when Brutal Death Metal wasn't tricky enough, Slaughter Brute have added more technical possibilities to the already complex genre, as proven with their sophomore face-punching piece of musical architecture, the Ukrainians deliver 'Systematic Transmutations' in a simple way, mixing traditional Suffocation with the modern Vader and enveloping the sound into something that is beyond this world, chaotic and yet ironically brutal. 'Systematic Transmutations' is by far the greatest Brutal Death Metal album from the Ukraine to date and as for Slaughter Brute, well their time has come to storm around Europe and deliver a taste of Eastern Europe.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SOLARWARD
'How To Survive A Rainout'
MORE HATE PRODS.

Making their welcomed return is Belarus' own Solarward and their second album 'How To Survive A Rainout', bringing back with them their unique dark natural sound of Melodic Black Metal and this time a sort of concept album, only sort of because the songs are loosely related to the album's title and so with that bring a sentimental military feel to the atmosphere, which something for the quintet maybe a revelation, but what is certain is that they have delivered another noteworthy slice of music that befits the lack of different bands in the Eastern European bloc. Nonetheless this is perhaps the album to change the course direction of the band forever, emphatic riffs, shrieking vocals and heavenly melodies in the style of Cradle Of Filth, are the threat here and will never be eradicated.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

ENTHYMION
'Arcana Of Apocalypse'
MORE HATE PRODS.

The endless similar-sounding bands of the Black Metal genre never end and here is another example, Enthymion. Playing drums at over 1000bpm (exaggeration), shrieking like a god damn banshee and playing riffs that are far too familiar for Black Metal diehards and yet when the Polish five-piece make their awaited debut with 'Arcana Of Apocalypse', it can't be helped but to notice how similar they sound to bands like Infernal War, yet even so the fact the band is no longer existing perhaps stopped their embarassment from escalating, ultimately it is not the most unique of Black Metal albums but it cannot be shunned as a nothing.

[5] RHYS STEVENSON

MLEKRA
'0105'
MORE HATE PRODS.

Unconventional and too basic it would seem when talking about the debut album by Ukrainian Black metal duo Mlekra, their first outing '0105' demonstrates you have to go as fast as you can and shriek as loud as you can just to prove your brutal, well what can be said, what 'cant' be said. For a band signed to a prolific Russian label, one was expecting much more than what has been delivered, sure it cannot be passed off as a 'you suck so get lost' album because ironically it keeps the old traditions of the blastbeat and dark atmosphere alive, just not on a great level of presence, it will be interesting to see where the duo go on from here.

[4] RHYS STEVENSON

Темноврат
'Грань Бесконечности'
MORE HATE PRODS.

Somewhat of a mini-album this can be called, five tracks equating to 50 minutes of solid Russian Pagan Black Metal. Spewing out the duo's debut album 'Грань Бесконечности' is Темноврат, for those non-Russian speakers best use Google translation or hire a personal translator, but for those who enjoy experiencing a new culture, the aforementioned becomes an option, anyhow the ambience is there and there seems to be little vocals, all the more for making the album darker, or so it would seem. the album in question does not really excite or depress the listener so much that they cannot walk without crying, in fact the album for it is actually becomes one of those easily 'overdone' albums, but still a good album debut.

[5] RHYS STEVENSON
_

GRACE DISGRACED
'Enthrallment Traced'
MORE HATE PRODS.

Smashing through the barriers of the Russian Federation fortress is Technical Death Metallers Grace Disgraced and their emphatic debut album 'Enthrallment Traced', featuring vocals so harsh that it makes raw vodka seem like purified water and the music provided a sense of brutal power. Beat after beat, the quartet immerse the listener in tight time signatures and complex drummers whilst the vocals deliver guttural sounds so immense it's contagious. If this were to be an army, Europe is f*cked, the immense power delivered on this album is far more explosive than any atomic explosion and is sure to leave the album in the position to finish of the listener, who will be left for dead, simply slaughter music.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

ASCENDED DEAD
'Ascended Dead (Demo I)'

You cannot help but to think that the debut demo by Californian Death Metallers Ascended Dead was intended for raw publication only, even though released on a tape and at large deliver so-low produced music that it would take the 2020 version of the Dolby Digital System to even register the output at level 2 on the dial. Sure the release is not a total silent production, but as for its overall perception there is much more to be done before the band embark on trying to deliver their music to the masses. After all this is a sound that's meant to be depressive, occult-loaded and darkening, instead it may as well be dubbed 'bizarre'

[3] RHYS STEVENSON

MARTYRD
'The Mortal Coil'

As bright as that classic New York sunrise, Thrash maniacs Martyrd make their welcomed return to deliver 'The Mortal Coil', a futile collection of modernised Thrash Metal tracks, designed to outwit the preconceived ideas the artwork delivers. Capturing influential essences from the likes of Dream Theater, Symphony X, Testament and Metallica, Martyrd are setting themselves up to become the next band to emerge from the metropolis of American Thrash Metal. With their infectious riffs shredding through the human senses like a pack of wolves on their midnight hunt and the drums providing a solid base whilst the vocals power the album forward into a sense of total destruction, the next stop is going to be an interesting one, 'The Mortal Coil' could very well be the album that see's them get a record deal.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

WANTED INC.
'Demons We Created'

Teutonic Thrash Metal quartet make their second album sound sweet, they forget to put the cherry on the cake, that said 'Demons We Created' qualifies as a break-neck release. From start to finish, the five-piece blast holes in the silence around with the echoing sounds of the guitars, riffing up like a chainsaw about to desecrate the Bavarian forests whilst the vocals and drums deliver a sound only a V12 could equate to. This is an album full of everything, full of angst, breakdowns, quirky riffs and pure German engineering; sure it's nothing on the scale of Holy Moses, but it will please fans of Evile, Blood Tsunami and Testament. As for Wanted Inc. they could be the band Germany has been waiting for, a breath of fresh air.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

BLACK HAMMER
'Darker Days Will Come'
FORGOTTEN WISDOM PRODS.

2012 sees the premier EP release of French one-man project Black Hammer, 'Darker Days Will Come' explodes and ignites with the infinite dark sound of classic Blackened Thrash Metal produced by the musical magician known as The Iron Messiah. The music itself is raw and gruesome, just the way its meant to be, the vocals however are raspy and chilling, thus bringing into the affray an abysmal outburst of blackened horror, so evil it would make the French revolution look like a tea party. 'Darker Days Will Come' is designed for fans of Dissimulation, Aura Noir and Toxic Holocaust, even so 'Darker Days Will Come' and that's a fact.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

DEUS IGNOTUS
'Christmation'
FORGOTTEN WISDOM PRODS.

Well apparently it seems that due to the financial situation in Greece that the metal scene is getting darker, as seen by the recent release by Black Metal duo Deus Ignotus, their debut album 'Christmation' has what Black Metal already is, fast drumming, sensational blastbeats and evil vocals, so there is really nothing new here at all, still it cannot be knocked as not a good release, it is brimming with technical playing at every minute and is sure to please many amongst the Black Metal subgenre, as for the band this is the beginning of something epic, something more epic than Mayhem.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

ANWYNN
'Forbidden Songs'
M & O MUSIC

Now this is the sort of band to uplift the Belgian Metal scene, mixing together a myriad of metal styles to construct what we perceive as 'Angelic Heavy Metal', their debut album 'Forbidden Songs' takes pinches from Death Metal, Melodic and Symphonic Metal, Progressive Metal and Gothic Metal, so there is something for everyone, but don't let the soft genres fool you, the Death Metal vocals are as brutal as a warm pint of Leffe. 'Forbidden Songs' delivers an onslaught of majestic music, brilliantly executed vocals and delinquent melodies, this is the album to set this lot off on a storm across Europe, the time has come, Anwynn are set to take the Belgian Metal scene to new heights. 'Forbidden Songs' is an album which fans of Izegrim, Arcane Grail and Diabulus In Musica will like.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

ACYL
'Algebra'
M & O Music

Mixing traditional Algerian and North African / Arabian sounds with the Progressive Metal sounds of the French metal scene is dual-nationality quartet Acyl with their genius debut album 'Algebra'. Authentic in every way, 'Algebra' provides listeners with a taste for original Arabian sounds and brings the atmosphere of being in the sands to life. With a percussive beat giving a dance feel and the vocals delivering that harsh and ambient feel to the music, all in all resulting in a release that has enough originality in it to be called innovative. 'Algebra' is a release that will please fans of Myrath, Orphaned Land and Anagesia.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

FENRIR
'Echoes Of The Wolf'

From time to time you can be assured of specialist metal bands to arise from the depths of the abyss, so when Fenrir appear on the radar with their debut album 'Echoes Of The Wolf', you get the instantaneous pre-conceived idea its going to be a Folk Metal album, quite the contrary, in fact to be specific with the violin driving the melodies, the vocals providing heavenly choruses and the basic foundation of a metal band providing a solid backbone to the band, this is clearly the best Celtic Metal band France has ever produced. Laden with joy, adventures and sensational musicianship, the sextet from Nancy conduct a formula that any ancient druid would be baffled by, dragging the listener into the ancient times of Gaul and enriching their senses with what can be claimed as French Metal album of the year.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

NAHUM
'The Gates Are Open'

It has to be said that Nahum's debut album 'The Gates Are Open' lacks any real vibrancy, sure the Melodic Death Metal / Thrash Metal combo plays well, but the overall feeling is that the vocals don't change level and so thus leave it with a set method of performance, however the music does offer some unique sound shifts especially on 'Equal', but for the Czech quartet the album in question is not a be all end all, for it does have mind-blowing drumming and heart-breaking riffs, so there are at times good and bad points, but the overall reception is a fairly positive one. It has sounds for every sort of metal fan, 'The Gates Are Open' and Nahum is 'nearly' ready to slaughter Europe.

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

NATTERGAL
'Singular Disasters'

Even the most raw and atmospheric Black Metal bands have something extraordinary to offer and Nattergal is no exception, smothering the genre with cold, depressive and doom-laden feelings is just one difference, the fact being the project is performed by one female musician from Mexico is another, in fact her debut album 'Singular Disasters' has far more ambience on it than a session with the hippies. 'Singular Disasters' brings together a host of different styles of Black metal, moulds them together and delivers what one could perceive as one of the most rawest albums released to date, even so with the album designed for fans of evidently Raw Depressive Black Metal, it is one of a kind and should never be disregarded as a commoner.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

MURDEROUS INSTINCT
'Manifestation Of Evil'

Those uncanny Scotsmen, producing metal music to piss off the English because we tend to fail at Brutal Death Metal, well when you take into account Aberdeenshire's Murderous Instinct, you get the nostalgic feeling of the many battles between the nations, Culloden for example. But you tend to realise, hang on, this album has got more than angry musicians on it, this is a damn good masterpiece. So when the Scottish quartet shed out their debut album 'Manifestation Of Evil', the production is acceptable, but the music is godly and so without any doubt whatsoever, what we have here is an album that fans of Excrementory Grindfuckers, Cerebral Bore and The Atrocity Exhibit will love, now where's my cooking haggis.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

SHEBREW
'Provenance'

So apart from the fact the band's logo is similar to that of the iconic Star Wars logo, Brummie trio Shebrew come galloping out of the gates with their debut EP 'Provenance', putting together a juicy meal of Stoner Doom Metal to captivate the listener into a false sense of security, why? Well it's hardly Doom Metal at all, it's that sort of music you play when smoking weed at a campfire and hang out with the hippies, and it's mellow and delightful, if that's the best way to put it. But taking into account that this is a damn good starting point for the band, they may well get some major attention, or at least they deserve to, simply inspirational.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

DEPRAVED PLAGUE
'Systemic'

Well hospitals in Cambridgeshire must be overwhelmed with people suffering neck pains and other broken bones, the cause of the accidents can be blamed onto the infectious album release by Cambridge Death Metal mob Depraved Plague. This year the quartet unleash total chaos with their debut album 'Systemic', a futile sound of old school Cannibal Corpse and modern style techniques combined together to smash every skull who stands in their way, in fact scrap calling it Death Metal, the term 'Radioactive Metal' would befit them to the very cells from which they are made of, it's lethal, it's metal and it's 100% dangerous, Deprave Plague are on course to rival the world's biggest Death Metal titans, game on.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

APPARITION
'For Vengeance... And For Love'
METAL COMPASS

Making their welcomed return is Staffordshire's Apparition with their sophomore album 'For Vengeance... And For Love' and their unique style of soul-soothing Gothic Metal. Two years have passed since their 2010 compilation and the wait has been worth it, delivering beautiful female vocals with an atmospheric backdrop, this is a album that creates a feeling of relaxation, a sort of stress-release entertainment, but however the listener perceives it, this is a band that deserves credit and recognition as bringing a new style of Gothic Metal to the forefront, sure they are not on the same par as bands similar to them like Within Temptation and Delain, no, in fact they are one whole level above them.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

PRAYERS OF SANITY
'Confrontations'

Simply put the best ever Thrash Metal band Portugal has ever seen, enter Prayers Of Sanity and their awaited return with their second offering entitled 'Confrontations'. The second album delivers break-neck Thrash Metal in the style of Slayer-cross-Holy Moses and so what you get is forty minutes worth of total brain-f*cking material. Pummelling drums ride the waves as the guitars provide tricky and technically demanding riffs and the vocals blast out at a thousand M.P.H., all in all this together provides the algorithm for what can be see as Portuguese Metal album of the year. Think you know Thrash? Think it's just how fast you can go? Until you know this band you know nothing of the kind.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

IN THE SILENCE
'A Fair Dream Gone Mad'

If you're a fan of emotional and somewhat a little depressive music then you should not turn a blind eye to 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad', true its ideally Atmospheric Prog Metal, but even so the melancholy is enough to turn any priest demonic. 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad' is the debut album by Californian quartet In The Silence and it features eight tracks equating to forty-six minutes of ambience, rock and general misery. The composition is good granted but the overall release is a little bleak, its one of those albums that sits in the corner of the cupboard, gathering dust and yet fails to lose its lustre, although the irony is that it's meant to be dark, perhaps it is what it's stated as, 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad'.

[5.5] RHYS STEVENSON

DISARM GOLIATH
'Born To Rule'

Instantly the whole Iron Maiden sound hits you like a raging bull high on illicit drugs, but when you dissect a band like Disarm Goliath, they do have some influences coming in from Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Metallica (especially the solo's) and intriguingly they tend to have that Brummie sound; the home of metal. So when their sophomore album 'Born To Rule' comes out to rock the countryside, what it does instead is captures the essence of Heavy Metal gone-by and adds some modern features; we'll leave the listener to detect them. None the less, 'Born To Rule' is an album for the fans of Classic Metal and also bands like Kobra & The Lotus, Kaine, Merciless Fail and Rage.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

PLANET RAIN
'Antichthon'

Of course anyone would be mistaken to dub every Swedish Melodic Death Metal band the same, in truth it's just not the case, every one of them has something unique to offer, especially bands like Planet Rain who make their long-awaited debut album 'Antichthon' take flight in spectacular form. Delivering a fist punching wall of sound in the heaviest obliteration to date, this is the sound to smack the clone bands into line. 'Antichthon' hosts a brutal onslaught of outrageous riffs, emotional vocals and classic drumming; this is just the beginning of something magical.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

TEMPLE OF THE MAGGOT
'Black Mass Apocalypse'
UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS.

Two years have past and now the dark and disturbing sounds of Temple of The Maggot are back amongst us, the Mongolian duo, now based in Europe, return with their second offering of Raw Black Metal in its darkest form yet. 'Black Mass Apocalypse' brings more satanic traits with it and transforms the atmosphere into a bleak and spine-chilling feeling, not because of the music but because of the sensation the album brings with it. For the duo that have been going four years, this is their best release to date and is sure to please fans of Carpathian Forest and Darkthrone with grim intent.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

NATHORG
'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory'
UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS.

Nathorg could easily be the band to bring the Iranian Metal scene to the masses across the world, breaking out with their debut album 'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory', you can clearly see why these are the favourites to land themselves into the attention laps of global media, full on Blackened Death Metal at its core with hints of ambience and anti-religious hatred, coming from a land that's heavily influenced by Islam, this is a risky yet bold-statement of rebellion. Played in the style of Belphegor and Gorgoroth, Nathorg are sure to become the next Middle Eastern metal band to grace the covers of the British metal magazines. 'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory' serves up raw vocals, insanely fast drumming and soul-freezing riffs in one whole slab of forty minutes, think you know Extreme music? Think again.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

SIRANNON
'Semper Caliga'
UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS.

2011 saw darkness fall and cloud over the Turkish cities of Izmir and Istanbul as the all female quartet Sirannon deliver their debut album 'Semper Caliga' which is loaded with really evil Black Metal. Mixing Paganism and History in with their music, Sirannon use their native language on some songs and bring a unique Middle Eastern / Eastern European twist to their music. Full of raw sounding guitars and really low-key vocals and non-existent drumming, this is a raw production all over and is sure to entice those who love really distorted music. As for Sirannon and their release 'Semper Caliga', it is just the beginning; they won't stop there, not by a long shot.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

SHORT FUSE
'Hate Brought To This Place Called Home' + 'Shred The Dead' + 'Annihilate The Masses'

California, the home of Hollywood, huge-wage earners, crime, the golden gate bridge and of course its bustling nightlife, but beneath the sewers of this huge state is a monster waiting to escape, its first appearance came in 2005 when it sparked fear amongst the community. Enter the six-piece band with a short fuse, literally. Explosive Melodic Death Metal on a grand scale, Short Fuse conjured up a fairly decent debut album and laid the path down to make their music something of the rare kind, innovative. 'Hate Brought To This Place Called Home' in fact back in 2005 was produced by a quintet, but still brought that edge that lacked in the Californian Metal scene, mixing the classic sounds of the aforementioned metal genre with their own unique attitude, much more was expected to come and it did.

2010 and the quintet became a sextet and in time for their sophomore album 'Shred The Dead' which has a greater and more powerful sound than its predecessor, weaving even more guttural vocals than a drunk German, coupled with blazing drumming and cutting-edge riffs, this is the exact sound Short Fuse will be identified by, 'Shred The Dead' is a masterpiece in its own rights and is designed to make the dead come alive and leave the alive for dead. Lashing keyboard elements to this release and in turn overthrowing their previous release into disrepute, for the elements drawn on this release are far beyond anything magical, they're simply non-descript.

Coming into the present times and Short Fuse deliver their third outing 'Annihilate The Masses' with even more gusto than their previous two efforts, it seems as every album passes they get better and better, although that's a generic concept for every band, but in respect of Short Fuse, they should keep this sound as is now, 'Annihilate The Masses' brings out a far more atmospheric feel via the eccentricity of the keyboards and elaborate piecing together of the drums and guitars, whilst the vocals do the powering forward of this monstrous beast. All in all the music is for fans of bands like Silent Descent, Scar Symmetry and intricate melodic death metal, just be careful of the explosive sound to be witnessed, it only takes a short fuse to get it going.

[5] + [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON

ETERNAL DREAM
'The Fall Of Salanthine'

You know when fantasies and adventures have that certain feeling to them, well when you take six musicians from the autonomous region of Andalusia and give them a studio to work in, music flows freely, lyrics run like cascading waterfalls, full of drama, power and elegancy and yet the resulting crescendo comes as perhaps Spain's best answer to Within Temptation. Eternal Dream strap together the heavenly sounds of the female vocals with the fast and pacey rhythms of Power Metal to create a unique and diverse sound, a sound which can only be summed up as 'Symphonic Operatic Metal'. 'The Fall Of Salanthine' takes the listener on a journey through the roaming sands and mountains of the Spanish lands and resurrects the classical dramatics performed in the Flamenco. Strictly, Eternal Dream is the band to please fans of Blind Guardian, Within Temptation, Nightwish and Amberian Dawn, you'll never find a band like this quite again, simply magic.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

MENZIA
'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' + 'Way To Nowhere'

In the darkest corners of the autonomous lands of Catalonia, lays a Gothic Metal quintet of whom deliver much more than the average beauty and the beast scenario, it seems that Spanish musicians know how to flirt with the darkness at its best opportunities and so what came out in 2010 was nothing of the ordinary, the debut demo 'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' was brought into this world and with it came an elegant stream of 'los sonidos del amor', or 'streams of love' in that the music delivers that romantic touch and feeling whilst backing it up with the solid beats of the drums and crisp riffing from the guitars and so with 'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' now firmly set in stone, the next move was to become perhaps the most pivotal in the band's career.

Moving into modern times and there is a clear sense of musical adjustment, Menzia return to release their 2012 and second demo 'Way To Nowhere', bringing back with them their unique style of Gothic Metal in the style of Lacuna Coil and Delain. Putting together a host of melodic keyboard notes with soul-crushing percussion and guitar riffs and coating the music with a lashing of beautifully powerful vocals to produce a sensational demo. There is not much else to say about this demo only that it is a cleverly produced release and that it is sure to please many fans in the Gothic Metal vein, the band's next move will be an interesting one.

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

L'ENDEVI
'An Eternity'
ART GATES

The sophomore album by Valencian quintet L'endevi could have been better, the vocals at times sound too forced and so completely undermine the true sounds of Gothic Metal. The music itself is spot on, adding a unique and dark feel to the atmosphere, but the female vocals are too much and so totally wreck the album. 'An Eternity' in a nutshell is a fairly decent release but it falls far short of anything ground breaking, sure it's due to gain some attention across the continent, but until the vocals are redone and the anger is thought through, sad to say L'endevi won't break out of the underground. If only they could add a keyboardist, now that would act as a great partner to the angry vocals, in fact actually the band have a lot of potential, they just need to find the right road to it.

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

ETERNAL CHAOS
'Dark God Of The Eternal'
MIGHTY HORDES

Darkness was reported to have covered Colombia entirely on the 28th May 2010, when Black Metal quartet Eternal Chaos made their debut album come alive in the harshest and most evil kind of ways. 'Dark God Of The Eternal' is your classic Black Metal album, loaded with raw guitars, hellish and heavenly vocals and insanely fast drumming. For a Colombian Metal band it is surprisingly well executed but the same patterns here and there do drag it down a bit, regardless of that it is a decent enough album that will please fans of Darkthrone and most Black Metal bands, with this album now firmly set in stone, Eternal Chaos are flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

OPVS LEVIATHAN
'I:O:I'
MIGHTY HORDES

It seems that Colombia has a knack of producing some rather interesting and musically intricate Black Metal, so when Opvs Leviathan call it time to release their debut album 'I:O:I', it could not be anymore greater produced than it has been. This is a band wallowing in the depths of Epic Black Metal, why epic? Due to the feeling of adventure riding on their debut album 'I:O:I', it takes the listener on a journey through the mountainous and drug-cartel lands of Colombia whilst keeping them on their toes with furious drumming and outrageous riffing. You know, if Opvs Leviathan ever set foot on European soil, they may well make the Norwegian bands wet themselves in their sleep, 'I:O:I' is that powerful, check it out if you dare.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

DIVINE CODEX
'The Dark Descent'
MIGHTY HORDES

'The Dark Descent', you might as well call it Technical Black Metal, let's face it, it features old-school Black Metal in the Mayhem style and adds technical elements here and there, so what you get effectively is a parallel sounding album, neat eh? So when the Italian duo Divine Codex releases this monstrosity, they unleashed with it a load of hell, maniac geniuses and sensational music precision. Wielding together a sound that bizarrely no other modern Black Metal band has even dreamt of and yet they remain pretty underground, well 'The Dark Descent' in a nutshell takes the listener on a journey to hell and back; remember the password out though, for The Divine Codex is a tough puzzle to crack.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

KOSMOS
'From Innocence To Pervesity'

French Black Metal has always been a hit and miss area and from time to time bands or projects emerge that wipe the floor with the rest of the scene, unfortunately its projects like Kosmos who loiter on the fence. The debut album 'From Innocence To Pervesity' delivers sensational musical compositions via insane drumming, raw riffs and a dark grim atmosphere, but what lets it down is the vocals, sure there is meant to be vocals, but it just sounds like static on the microphone. Overall the album is fairly well done, but the vocals need more work to be done rather than making pretty designs using corpse paint.

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

SPIRITS WAY
'Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved'

Polish Death Metal quartet Spirits Way take no time out to release their next opus as a year after their 2011 debut EP, they release their debut album 'Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved'. Kicking off with technical metal simmering in the background and Death Metal delivering the goods in extreme form, this is a solid prime example of how Death Metal should be conducted. 'Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved' features seven tracks of nitty-gritty music and twenty-one minutes worth of complete annihilation of the hearing senses. It would be really odd if no record label snaps this lot up, brimming with potential and attitude, 'Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved' may as well be Polish Metal album of the year.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

BURNING SHADOWS
'Gather, Darkness!'

The question is 'Why on earth aren't these guys signed'? Listeners would most probably agree when checking out Burning Shadows and their sophomore album 'Gather, Darkness!', lashing together majestic Power Metal vocals with the traditional sounds of Heavy Metal to create a folklorish album. Mixing their intricate music with the lyrical topics of mythology, war and Tolkien themes, no wonder the overall product sounds like a thousand horses galloping; it's fast-paced, full of unexpected twists and turns and ultimately truly American. For the Maryland quartet this is a step forward and is sure to get attention across the globe.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

HELLSPAWN
'The Great Red Dragon'
Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Psycho

Hellspawn return to shed out their sophomore album 'The Great Red Dragon', the Polish quartet clearly have influence from titans Behemoth as there are very identical riffs between the two, even so 'The Great Red Dragon' is a well-produced slab of no-bullsh*t Death Metal. It is fast, brutal and a skull-smashing piece of musicianship. From the first second to the last riff, 'The Great Red Dragon' wipes the floor with their previous releases and is sure to garner much attention across Europe. With the drums blazing and the guitars shedding out notes like as if he has the runs, Hellspawn have done it again and brought their signature sound to the table for a second round.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

IBLIS
'Menthell'
D.T.M PRODS

Strange things happen and sometimes they cannot be explained, such a chase is the debut album by Iblis from Poland, their album 'Menthell' covers much of the old school Black 'N' Roll that they seemed to play, but in fact most of the album dives into the Avant-Garde Metal pool and plucks out some of the most bizarre sounds ever imaginable. Playing in the style of bands like December Wolves, Aarni and Sunn O))), the quartet produce a unique sound that is hard to compare with any other bands. Weaving the Avant-Garde influences with their style of Post-Black Metal, Iblis are a one of a kind.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

PANDEMONIUM
'Misanthropy'
PAGAN

Number four has dropped and strangely enough it's a nothing, the drums pummel away as it says in the script, but with no build-up or anti-climax, this failed to break the box office, enough of the film language, this is music, or so it should be. For Poland's Pandemonium, it couldn't get any bizarre, for starters the album tends to lack presence, yet the music is fine, the atmosphere is dull, yet the feeling is there. 'Misanthropy' in question is indeed a question mark over the band's excellent record of decent albums, but this is one they should quickly forget, from such a long-running band and a well known one at that, much was more to be expected than has been delivered.

[5] RHYS STEVENSON

WARHEAD
'The End Is Here'

Sometimes you just think that recording studios can go from absolute perfection to backyard trash, sadly the album in question got beaten up in the backyard. 'The End Is Here' by American Thrashers Warhead is their debut album, yet to listen to it, you need speakers at maximum, it is that bad. The music itself is well done, a straight-edge production in the vein of Thrash Metal and clearly shows signs that they stuck to it and did not deviate, but for the level of the sound that is produced at a normal level, well you would need a huge speaker system to make it sound ok, sad to say but 'The End Is Here' for Warhead.

[2.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SVENTOYAR (Свентояр)
'Our Strength'
BLACK DEATH PROD.

Those Eastern Europeans, lavish and deep in their beloved folk music and beliefs, so when Sventoyar (Свентояр) come back to release their sophomore album 'Our Strength', it cannot be helped but to notice this is a band singing about Slavonic Paganism, folklore and nationalism, but don't dub them as a Nazi band, this is not the case. The Ukrainian quintet come together to produce a beautiful display of traditional folk music with the harsh sounds of Metal music to create something extraordinary. Singing in their native Ukrainian language, you get that truly glorious feel of being taken into the ancient history of their lands and with 'Our Strength' now firmly set in stone, Sventoyar are taking Ukrainian Metal to greater heights.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON
_

YOSSI SASSI
'Melting Clocks'
VERYCORDS

Most of the albums coming from the Middle East tend to have that exotic feel about them, 'Melting Clocks' is no different, the total instrumental album by Orphaned Land's Yossi Sassi delivers the best sounds of traditional Hebrew and Israeli music with the solid backbone of rock music. Composed in such a way that even at Yom Kippur, this would be a perfect soundtrack to the colourful festival. Garnered by the authentic Oriental sounds of the native homeland of Christianity, Yossi Sassi delivers a masterpiece classic to the world in a thousand colours and with his 'Melting Clocks' album now firmly set in the music world; this is just the start of something rather epic.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

DARK AMBITION
'Gallows Of Empire'
ROCK SPACE KOREA

On the other side of the globe in South Korea, comes a return for the sextet Dark Ambition and their sophomore album 'Gallows Of Empire'. The Seoul-based band deliver another round of their unique Melodic Black / Folk / Death Metal sound combo and their historical legends as lyrics once more, such a fine album this is and especially since it's the bands tenth anniversary. Mixing heavenly keyboard notes with the harsh brutality executed by the drums, vocals and guitars, altogether come as one to produce one of the finest dark albums South Korea has ever seen. 'Gallows Of Empire' is in fact for fans of Cradle Of Filth, Hecate Enthroned, Ancient Rites and general Extreme Dark Metal.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

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

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

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

MOLOCH
'Isolation Der Essenz' / 'Stiller Schrei des Winters (2002-2012)'
SABBATHID RECORDS / METALLIC MEDIA

2010 brought with it a cold and bitter wind blowing from the Ukraine across Europe, carrying with it the notes and despair of Moloch's album release 'Isolation Der Essenz', full of depression, ambience and raw Black Metal, this is the exact sound that is pillaging the airwaves for the last decade. With each song the raw sounds of the guitars and background drumming add a distinct yet peacefully irate sound and it is that sound that develops into something powerful and atmospheric. Firmly for fans of Darkthrone, early Mayhem and Carpathian Forest, Moloch is truly dark and ambient. But for the album 'Isolation Der Essenz' expect nothing less but a pure grim shock and mind-raping, for this album is as perfect as you can get to disturbing evil.

Moving forward to the present day and what we have here is a collection of the darkest, disturbing, raw and yet grim sounds Moloch has blasted out over the decade, from the ambient noise sh*t out on 'Philosophie Der Depression' to the rampant beats from 'Das Leben ist wie ein verwundeter Vogel der langsam von Himmel fallt'. This is a star-studded array of the best songs Moloch (Pr. Sergiy Fjordsson) has developed to date and is sure to please any Raw Black Metal / Ambient fan. With over an hour's worth of grim despair, utmost horror and Ukrainian genius, 'Stiller Schrei des Winters (2002-2012)' is without any doubt one of the finest compilations in the Black Metal sub-genre ever. Now for the modern Black metal fan who finds bands like Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth and Watain kvlt as f*ck, wait till Moloch robs you of your senses, resistance is futile, the magician from Eastern Europe has spoken.

[7.5] / [8] RHYS STEVENSON

BLOOD FEUD
'Hiding Behind The Light'

Hailing from Iceland, Technical Deathrash merchants Blood Feud emerge on the scene guns blazing with their emphatic debut album 'Hiding Behind The Light'. Mixing intricate riffs with the bulldozing sound of rampant bulls driving the drums and vocals so rotten it makes gangrene look like fruitcake. Clear-cut sounds definitely come from influences such as Kreator (through the drumming and vocals) and Children of Bodom (through the melodies created and the riffs). The only backlash of this album is the clarity of the vocals, hard to sing along to but then again it is ironic in that it adds to the ferocity of the album, so effectively by having a backlash, Blood Feud have also created a benefit to the album, in fact it would be surprising if they don't get sniffed out by a label with this epic being unleashed. Blood Feud with their album 'Hiding Behind The Light' are flying the flag high for the Icelandic Metal scene.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

MISGUIDED AGGRESSION
'Flood The Common Ground'
LAST MAN STANDING MUSIC / YEAR OF THE SUN

Now you can not exactly dub this band as Lamb of God version 2, but you can say they are heavily influenced by them. So when Canada's Groove / Metalcore quintet emerge on the block with their 2011 release 'Flood The Common Ground', it is quickly gobbled up and spewed out across the cyber-world as possibly the next big album of the year. Pounding riffs mixed with the thickened vocals that sound not unlike Randy Blythe and the menacing double-bass drumming which drives the album into the unknown. For the record the guitarist is also called Randy, whether this is coincidence or fate it is undecided, but what is decided is that Misguided Aggression will soon become a band on everyone's lips, the cards have been dealt, the next move will hopefully be their ace of spades.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

ACID DEATH
'Eidolon'
NOISEHEAD

Sometimes bands come out with the idea that they can deliver complex, brutal and fast metal all in one package at once, however few get it right, one of those bands is Acid Death. Coming out of the grave last year and releasing their third album (despite inactivity) and what a return this is, forging the fast slick sounds of Prog Metal with the harsh brutality of Deathrash, the Green quartet emerge as a new reformed band, with their slate clean and their music dirty as a bog, this could be the band of the year in the Greek Metal scene. Pounding drumming come with a host of savage riffs and guttural vocals to produce a fist-punching slab of genius.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

OSMIUM GUILLOTINE
'Subhuman'

You know at first it can't be helped that to think this release is going to be a low-production with utter trashy recordings and failure written all over it, but then after the first track, the 2012 EP and third EP overall, 'Subhuman' wakes up and delivers the Heavy Metal D-Day. This is Essex quartet Osmium Guillotine, a combination of Iron Maiden and Venom and a hue of a Anglo-Saxon Paganism feel to them (for some odd reason), resulting in a classic sound rejuvenated to modern standards, albeit this isn't your one millionth 'core' band. Riffs so rough it would make your grandma break-dance in her latex leotard whilst your grandpa moshes with his band of merry men, it's that kind of release that gets you off your ass and wakes you up, unless of course your a 'Subhuman'.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON