PURSUIT OF POWER
'Across The World'

You can get the sense of forward thrust on Pursuit Of Power's debut album 'Across The World', ideally a great soundtrack for those going on tornado chasing, with it's tasty melodic riffs and harmonious musical backdrops, 'Across The World' is a one of a kind. Spawned from the brains of Martin McCann and his friend Steve Mullican Jr., the musical epic delivers a breathtaking elegant production of solid music, epic atmosphere and heavenly vocals, all of which can be drawn in comparison to bands like Sonata Arctica and Iron Maiden. If 'Across The World' is anything to go by, Pursuit Of Power could may well be bringing a new sound to the table, with bouncy riffs, speedy drumming and pedal to the metal no-nonsense.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

BEYOND EXISTENCE
'Rising Tide'

Words escape on this one, the production is dire and the drums are hardly heard, even the subtle guitar riffing gets less acknowledgement than a farmer on holiday leave. The fact being the quality is poor is an understatement; sure that generally can't be helped but the lack of musical presence is not really acceptable, even if it is the debut EP by Beyond Existence from The Netherlands. However, it is not entirely a flat fail, the only reprisal is that the keyboards give a delicate introduction, but the overall reaction to this release is not one of positivity, much has to be changed and fast or Beyond Existence could be faced with their own 'Rising Tide'.

[3] RHYS STEVENSON

ANGIST
'Circle of Suffering'

2011 saw another Icelandic Death Metal release, it seems that the country has a fascination with bringing out Death Metal releases, yet usually they are of tough quality, and Angist's 'Circle of Suffering' is no exception, bringing to the battlefront the old school style in the form of Bloodbath and Death to name a few. Fluid drumming, gut-rotten vocals and tricky riffs combine and mesh together to excrete a sound so petrifying, it made Eyjafjallajökull erupt in fear. Featuring two females and two males, the quartet from Reykjavík bring a revival to the old guard and freshen up the Icelandic Metal scene. 'Circle of Suffering' is a good sign of more to come, the tremors can be heard, you have been warned.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

J.T. RIPPER
'Death Is Among Us'

German Speed Thrashers J.T. Ripper (Jack The Ripper) make a solid start to their career with their old school 80's style demo 'Death Is Among Us'. Playing uniquely in the style of early Slayer and Sepultura, the quartet makes no mess about it and progress with no hesitating whatsoever. Raw and rough recordings are how it should be and this band do not fail to impress with this release from which would seem apt to dub as possibly the revival of German 80's Thrash Metal. Taking a pinch of no-nonsense and dipping it in the cauldron of history, J.T. Rippers take the grizzly times of their historical moniker and moulds it onto modern times.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

SLIPPERY
'First Blow'

Take into account bands like Iron Maiden, Whitesnake, Deep Purple and more in the Hard Rock / Heavy Metal vein and then add the Brazilian attitude to it and you end up with the quintet Slippery with their rocking debut album 'First Blow', their first album in their eight year career. With classic vocals in the Bruce Dickinson style and the guitars and drums coming together in the original Hard Rock style, this is a band who knows how to play clean edge metal without the need to be tricky, complex or so congested that they need a breather every five seconds. 'First Blow' is for those fans of classic NWOBHM and original Hard Rock music magic.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

THRIVEN
'Bag Of Scumbags'

Brazilian Metal is always known to be a fast and flexible sound when it comes to producing Heavy Metal, so when the quintet Thriven deliver their first album 'Bag Of Scumbags', the mountains shook and the pace of life in Sao Paulo went out of sync. Mixing Groove tunes with the smackdown force of Metalcore, the five-piece deliver a unique twist on Lamb of God from which is a clear influence. From the sensational and epic breakdown on 'A la Calabresi' to the spine-snapping speed track known as 'Fudge'. This is an album with enough potential to blow holes in speakers worldwide, this is the real deal, this is the 'Bag Of Scumbags' and it's going to haunt you, you have been warned.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

CROSS UP YOURS
'Holy Shit'

The voice of hate, the hatred against all religions is among us and it comes in various forms, so when Greg Bukinus delivers his first EP from the Black / Death Metal project Cross Up Yours, you get the sense this is one pissed off person. 'Holy Shit' delivers the raw vocals experienced in the darkest forms of Black Metal whilst enraging the human senses with the insanely fast drumming. Distinctly taking influences from bands like Carpathian Forest and Darkthrone, Cross Up Yours does more than deliver the evil goods, it says fuck to everyone and everything whilst morally and musically saluting the big fat middle finger, moral is: "when you put the Cross Up Yours, you get 'Holy Shit".

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SUNLIGHT REALITY
'Through The Rings Of Darkness'

Russia's Melodic Death Metal newcomers Sunlight Reality unleash their debut album 'Through The Rings Of Darkness' with a sound that sounds so common amongst other bands, the drumming is a little bland and ideally it's more of a Death Metal album as the melodies are just not there. The riffs are too consistent and lack any fluidity and the vocals are more shrieking than growling, so whether the band are in the wrong genre ideology or they weren't on their best form during the recording phase, remains a mystery, but it's not all there to be condoned, in fact the best descent thing about the album is that its fast, but even then it sounds a bit too fast, ah well

MOUNTAIN GRAVE
'Ruins' & 'Rage & Ruin'

Black / Death Metal from the USA at times can be dire, dull and boring, however it can be rewarding and so when bands like Mountain Grave come around, they swing the pendulum the other way, now taking into account that their 2010 demo is a raw sounding release and that this is between two albums, the overall production is not it's best. The drums deliver a solid sound and the raw buzzing of the guitars install a unique atmosphere but the vocals are hardly heard if not result in simple shrieks. Given due it has a dark and disturbing atmosphere it lacks in the musical presence section and as a result leaves the demo on a knife-edge.

2011 was a little better but had a trippy sound to it, instead of full-on double bass drumming and harsh vocals demolishing the sound around, it desecrates the release itself. The release in question is the band's second album 'Rage & Ruin', give due the riffs are more rampant than its predecessor and the drums are far more lively, but the vocals need a little oomph in the intonation. Overall it is a decent enough, crafted release but there are some minor areas that need dressing, if anything the album is for fans of old Black / Death Metal and not so much the behemoth style that dominates this genre these days.

[4] + [6] RHYS STEVENSON

TO THE MARROW
'For Your Blinded Minds'

Smashing through the barriers of sound is newbies To The Marrow, the German Progressive Deathrashers make their immediate debut with their first ever album 'For Your Blinded Minds'. Featuring a multitude for sick breakdowns, feisty riffs, gut-wrenching drumming and juicy vocals, 'For Your Blinded Minds' is more than an album, it's a god damn assault course. Taking influence from bands like HateSphere and The Black Dahlia Murder, the quartet immerse the listener in some of the heaviest metal Germany has to offer this year, an instantaneous classic is born here and is sure to propel To The Marrow into the international metal scene limelight, if you thought you seen Extreme Metal, think again, you haven't seen nothing yet!

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

REVERIES END
'Beneath The Silent Shades / Empyreal Form'

So between the two demo's by Finnish Dark Metallers Reveries End, a guitarist has left the band, but none the less, none of the essence has dissipated. Starting with their premier demo 'Beneath The Silent Shade' which instantaneously brings in the Doom Metal atmosphere and almost Nightwish operatic vocals with a slither of Melodic Death Metal style drums. With the heavenly vocals bound for the Finnish choir and the musicians giving a wall of sound as a barrier, this is a decent first attempt. 'Beneath The Silent Shade' is for fans of Apocalyptica, Vanguard and all around dark music.

'Empyreal Form' sees the departure of guitarist Mikko Pylkko and the quintet becomes a quartet, but the sound does not change, it ironically has improved. The second demo of 2012 brings out a greater production and more power behind the sound. With the first track 'Descent' being similar to that of Nightwish's 'Tutankhamen' and the average song by Arkona. With a greater and darker atmosphere shedding itself all over 'Empyreal Form', this is the sound that would best suit Reveries End, but by adding some symphonies here and there, it could be one notch better, still a very good demo and is sure to aid them into becoming a promising band.

[7] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

AMNESIA
'Inside My Head'

There is a common feeling amongst bands who use Thrash Metal in Brazil, it seems to be always fast, complex and sensationally brutal, there again Sepultura laid down that guideline, but it's bands like Amnesia who go one step further, the Brazilian quintet incorporate Death Metal in with their music to produce a trippy, brutal slab of pure menacing metal. This comes in their 2012 debut EP 'Inside My Head', spitting out the trash and injecting the new modern sound of Brazilian Death/Thrash Metal. With three tracks spear-heading a complimentary promo video, Amnesia's Inside My Head has set the tone for the band to achieve great things and they fully deserve it.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

EMBASSY OF SILENCE
'Antler Velvet'
RAVENHEART

Once in a while you come across a band who totally blows wide open the guidelines and runs riot in the studio, such a band is Embassy Of Silence whose 2012 sophomore album delivers a non-apologetic smacking of Progressive Gothic Metal. The Finnish sextet conjures up a cosmic sound of darkened verses and erotic music to indulge anyone's tastes. The second major out 'Antler Velvet' delivers the essential 'Gothic femme' vocals and heavy music together in just under an hour, but all of it is worth it, with songs sounding similar to that of Delain, Lacuna Coil, and Echoes of Eternity, this is just the beginning.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

HIGHLIGHT KENOSIS
'Change'
RAVENHEART

Returning once again is Romania's Prog Metallers Highlight Kenosis, who are now based in Germany. Following their highly successful debut album 'Glowing', the quartet delivers their next offering 'Change'. With the sounds of traditional progressive metal being mixed with the influential sounds of Krypteria, Guano Apes and Goldfrapp, this is the next step in great success for one of Romania's upcoming finest bands. From the sensational solo on 'There Is No Secret' to the pop rock feel on 'I Wish You Felt The Same', Highlight Kenosis are powering their way to further achievements and with this album under their belts, there is nothing to stop them.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

MALEDIA
'Your Angels Cry'
RAVENHEART

2012 sees the first EP by Italian quintet Maledia come to life, the Symphonic Gothic Metal band unleash the sounds of 'Your Angels Cry' with comparisons of Tarja era Nightwish and the use of female operatic vocals and the beastly vocals of guitarist Daniele. In a way they have also got comparisons with Within Temptation in that the supremacy of the high notes and the music come together to deliver a classic epic. Brimming with excellence and powerful creativity, Maledia is duly a force to be reckoned with, move aside Within Temptation and Nightwish, there's a new band on the block and they won't be budged easily.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

_ RAVENLAND
'And A Crow Brings Me Back'
FREE MIND / RAVENHEART

As dark and mysterious as the forests of the South American continent, the 2009 debut album release by Brazilian Gothic Metal quintet (now sextet) Ravenland. 'And A Crow Brings Me Back' utilises much of the Bauhaus / Poisonblack sound, but whilst their lies no real feminine feel to the release, the male vocals dominate as well as accentuate the supporting music into complete overdrive, this is perhaps a cliché when referring to the politeness of the Brazilians of which is deemed better than most Europeans, but whilst the music conveys a shadowy message, the overall release is one of question and somewhat confounding.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

ONLY FATE REMAINS
'Breathe'
RAVENHEART

This is the storm that the Netherlands has long been waiting for, a force to be reckoned with and one to knock the Dutch Metal scene into full throttle, this of course is the Gothic Metal quintet Only Fate Remains and their absolutely outstanding and beautifully crafted debut album 'Breathe'. With clear background symphonies and vocals in the style of Within Temptation, it seems to be that this Amsterdam five-piece have what it takes to dethrone Within Temptation cleanly. It has darkness, it has timed notes, it has erotic-covered atmosphere and a sense of being rooted in the rock sense with the Clan Of Xymox, none the less 'Breathe' is definitely Dutch Metal album of the year.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

WEEPING SILENCE
'Theatre Of Life'
RAVENHEART

2011 marks the return of Malta's most loved Gothic Doom Metal band Weeping Silence, who unleash their sophomore album 'Theatre Of Life' to the masses and in sensational style, with heavenly vocals guiding the band to the perfect tune, the keyboard notes add a more darker Gothic feel to the music, whilst the drums and guitars follow lead, but in all seriousness, it would seem the Doom Metal is not really present, that ironically is a good thing, for the style of music Weeping Silence demonstrate on 'Theatre Of Life', it would be awful to marry it up with any more Doom Metal, but as it is, this is definitely Maltese Metal album of the year.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SILENT OPERA
'Immortal Beauty'
RAVENHEART

As beautiful as the sopranos of ancient Rome and as majestic as long-gone Pavarotti, the Italian Symphonic Metal outfit Silent Opera make their notes count with their dramatic and theatrical debut album 'Immortal Beauty', featuring operatic vocals powerful enough to challenge Therion to a duel, but yet the vocals are so heavenly, the listener is easily captivated by the soft, soothing sounds of the music and vocals. The outfits depicted in the album release signify the elegancy of the Italian renaissance and at that the music delivers the final touches. Symphonies flow like a cascading waterfall and the stage provides the perfect dramatic setting, Silent Opera is due to take Europe by storm.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

FALLEN FATE
'The Virus Has Spread'

With clear influences of Lamb Of God and Thrash-neck speed influence of Slayer, English Thrash crackpots Fallen Fate explode onto the scene with their insanely blitzing debut album 'The Virus Has Spread'. Fast, brutal and sensationally bombastic, the quartet from County Durham bring out the mentally challenging and pummelling sound of Thrash riffs in quick succession whilst whipping in solo's found in such Lamb Of God tracks i.e. 'walk with me in hell', the guitar intro is similar to that of Fallen Fate's 'Origin of Sin' solo. With breakdowns also in the wing, this is potentially the new style to craze the underground into complete overdrive, hail the Thrashcore; this is because 'The Virus Has Spread'.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

THE BROWNING
'Burn This World'
EARACHE

Considered one of the next big bands to embrace to storm of colliding electronic music and metal together, The Browning install their hard drive force of complex Extreme / Hybrid Metal or Technical Electro-Deathcore, but essentially a sickening mix of Deathcore, Trance Music, EBM, Technical Metal and Cyber Metal. The fact being their debut album 'Burn This World' is one that cannot be genre-pinned, simply because of its multi-sound offering and it's tasty repertoire of brain-bashing breakdowns, energetic electronic EBM and all round sonic blasting. The Browning may be compared to bands like Design The Skyline, but even so both bands are leading a metal revolution, The Browning just taking it one step further, make or break for this band and genre is set to stay, love it or hate it, the perfect poker hand has been dealt, its time to 'Burn This World'.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

KOZAKS OF METALLISHTAN
'Kozaks Of Metallishtan'

Once in a while you get a band that breaks all guidelines, rules and totally wrecks conformity, this time it falls grace to the Finnish Metal scene, or so to speak the land of Metallishtan of which is located in modern day Russia. The trio of musical leaders bring a totally new idea to the Metal music world and as such bring out a totally unique sound. 'Kozaks Of Metallishtan' is the band's self-titled debut release and has a collection of Russian-tinged Soviet propaganda and digs at Sweden in the purest and comical form. None the less, the Metallishtani's will be immersed by the revolution and with this music, it spells the rebirth of the once forgotten nation. Kozaks Of Metallishtan is for fans of Rammstein and System of a Down, but for the band itself, Kozaks Of Metallishtan is a one of a kind, one band that will drive forward and bring a whole new level of Metal to the masses.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

WINTERCOLD
'Lost Wolf'
SATANICA

Swedish one-man project Wintercold returns with another assault of Gothic-tinged Doom Metal, this time the full-length release in question is 'Lost Wolf', amassing a rather eclectic and sometimes shoddy mix of excellent and downright disappointing tracks. Some of the major highlights include 'Psychopath' with its quick beat and somewhat funky approach to the musical style. Nonetheless this is another fine example of the Swedish musical magician Satanic Tony; his project Wintercold is rumbling around the underground and with this latest release, things can only get darker, more intricate and most importantly heavier.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

HELLARISE
'Human Disgrace'

All female Brazilian Death / Thrash group Hellarise shed light in 2010 with their debut demo 'Human Disgrace', dragging up a fast blazing arrangement of songs fuelled by Amazonian wood and tribal heritage, this band mix a bit of Sepultura with feisty feminine creativity. For this debut effort from Brazil's underground, this is a good attempt at making brutal music. None the less, Hellarise could have gone better on production but with that in mind, the overall product is more than a general death / thrashes release, this is a demo with enough guts on it to over-throw any Ronaldinho or Pele.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

HAMEREX
'Rites Of Passage'

Yorkshire boys Hamerex waiver their next assault of classic Heavy metal with their latest release 'Rites Of Passage', with a cascade of riffs and drumming to entice the most frantic of mosh-pits, Hamerex are igniting the old traditions and bringing them to the masses as a trophy of the evolution of Metal music. 'Rites Of Passage' brings a whole new stance on the meaning of original and traditional, this is by far one of the most impressive rejuvenations of old style metal to be unleashed, a sheer class of absolute proportions. For fans of Iron Maiden, Kaine, Van Halen.

[8] 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