 CENTURIES OF TORMENT 'Centuries Of Torment' Even for Indonesia's standards, this is near appalling, first off the vocals are hardly recognisable and the music itself is very basic and standard of the Death / Thrash Metal combo, sure the solo's are fairly unique but the overall production is disappointing. So for Centuries Of Torment's debut album, it can be perceived as a decent album but with no real unique value on it. However, having said that, the album itself will please fans of Thrash Metal in the Slayer style, whilst appealing to fans of Death Metal in the Suffocation style, sadly it's just a case of sounding like every other band in their own sub-genre. [5] 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 Add Comment  APOTASY 'Redemption' Well the clarity is nearly good but as far as the music goes, it's pretty decent. This is Apotasy from Slovakia, playing Melodic Death Metal on their debut demo 'Redemption', in any sense they are similar to bands from the USA, fast double-bass drumming, epic riffs and threatening vocals. For the trio this is a solid start, of course it's not 100% perfect, but neither is any band on their first outing. 'Redemption' itself carries a little twinkle on it in that composure is tight and the resulting production is a brutal enough display of what can be achieved, if this band were to add a bassist it would sound a little more heavier, but as for the release, well it speaks for itself, modern Melodic Death Metal in it's most gruesome moment. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  NEOANDERTALS 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child / Australopithecus' Before the critics just slaughter this release, let's be honest it's practically Brutal Death Metal music without any lyrics, the grunting just brings out the caveman style Death Metal, or is that just an ironic pun? Whatever it is, Estonia's duo Neoandertals smash it out with their second album 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child', pummelling drumming drives the insanity beyond believe whilst the gut-rotten vocals completely and utterly demoralises the listener into a sound sense of utmost suicide, or perhaps it's just listener playing dead. 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child' is a unique album in that it provokes more of the Avant Garde album than needs to be and as a result lowers the final conclusion of the album beyond mere acceptance, listen if you will, it could just kill you. 2012 saw the third release take life, 'Australopithecus' becomes album number three in the Estonian duet's career. Now once again the drums deliver the goods, the guitars for the most part of it have a livelier approach and since the vocals have been dropped, there is a huge improvement in the sound. Sure it carries on the same salsa-like movement between the Avant Garde sound and the Brutal Death monster that emerged on their second album, but it adds a more progressive sound to the affray, especially on the drums. Now this could act as a damn good film soundtrack especially during a fight scene or especially in a spy movie, but for the salient point, the fact remains the percussive side is by far the more dominant and so this is the better album of the past two. [4.5] + [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  THIS BROKEN MACHINE 'The Inhuman Use Of Human Beings' It's great when bands create their own genre names to suit their music playing and so when you have the Italian quartet This Broken Machine deliver their Progressive Metalcore debut album 'The Inhuman Use Of Human Beings', it gets instantly dubbed by the band as 'Architectural Metal, let's just hope the scaffolding holds them up and that they don't enter self-demolition mode. Anyhow, drawing crystal clear influences from bands like Killswitch Engage and Mastodon, it is no surprise then that with each riff there underlies a melody and under each melody underlies a blastbeat. Mid-tempo is the best way to describe the speed, it's not insanely fast or boringly slow but it does keep the listener on their toes. This is a sign to say that there is more to come from this Italian lot and they won't go quietly about it either. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  CATUVOLCUS 'Gergovia' DEATHBOUND Quebec Blackened Folk Metal trio (now duo) Catuvolcus return with their Celtic and Gaulish music in emphatic form, with their sophomore album 'Gergovia', they deliver blazing drumming with a furious attitude in the vocal department and a raw reception with the guitars, altogether smiting all other similar sounding bands and valiantly producing a well-delivered release. With songs generally longer than six minutes on this release, there is a lot for the listener to dissect and to take on board whilst the overall production captivates the listener in an atmosphere of dark folklore and cold bitter times, Catuvolcus may well be close to exploding on the international metal scene. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  VORPAL NOMAD 'Hyperborea' METALODIC It couldn't get any better than this, the debut album by Colombian Power Metal quintet Vorpal Nomad bursts into a classic epic and outright adventurous soundtrack. 'Hyperborea' carries a harmonious sound and a real rough vocal array but interestingly sounds not unlike to bands like Winter's Verge or Nightwish and is sure to drag this band right out of the darkness and into the pits of the international metal scene community. 'Hyperborea' delivers blitzkrieg riffs, sensational drumming and some of the craziest vocals ever since the birth of Power Metal and is a key for the Colombian Metal scene to unlock itself and unleash a torrent of music across the seas, with 'Hyperborea' Vorpal Nomad is without any doubt, flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene, [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LINEAR SPHERE 'Manvantara' Technical Prog Metal or Djent Metal, whatever you want to call it, the fact remains the second album by London's Linear Sphere is a journey of science, technology and long song epics. Singing in the style of the Progressive Metal vein, the quintet opt to adopt technical music as the back drop and so with that firmly installed in their compositions, the riffs get so technical it required a mathematician to calculate the time signatures as well as monitor the drum strokes. Naturally this is only the inaugural start for the lads, there is much more to do but with this album now alive and kicking, that should not be a problem. 'Manvantara' is for fans of The Devin Townsend Project, Periphery and Tesseract. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  HAILSTONE 'The Greater Counterfeit' Arising from the graves of the mountains of Bavaria, Germany is Hailstone and their mind-blowing debut album 'The Greater Counterfeit'. Fusing the intricate melodies summoned by the quintet with the harsh brutality developed via Blackened Death Metal. This is a machine on speed, spewing out epic riffs, ulcerating vocals and face-smashing blastbeats. Playing in the style of Evocation, Kalodin and Cannibal Corpse, the five-piece from Munich do all what's needed to deliver a stellar performance and ignite their road to further achievements. From the first track to the last track, 'The Greater Counterfeit' delivers a death warrant in ten tracks, it is so brutal, they had to confine the band for three years and detoxify them from hyperactivity. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  CONTRAST 'Charybdis' Blasting down barn doors is the ten-leg beast Contrast with their sensational sophomore album 'Charybdis'. Playing in the style of In Flames, the quintet hailing from Germany deliver a constant flow of raging riffs, firm and sustainable drumming and the most guttural vocals you can find in German Melodic Death Metal, perhaps it is the guttural level of the German language they sing in that aids the death growls! 'Charybdis' brings music that keeps the listener on their toes and does not give them a moment's peace, from the intricate riff intro on the song 'Charybdis' to the sonic speed of the drums on 'Gaias Hand', there is something for everyone on this release and it is guaranteed, Contrast won't go down quietly, this band will make waves. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  KLAMM 'Wahnsee' As cold and bitter as the Bavarian mountains, Klamm deliver a frosty reception with their traditional Black / Folk Metal and German language combined on their debut album 'Wahnsee'. Bringing with it a feeling of sitting by a campfire and singing to myth and folklore of the high mountains and forests of the southern German lands. Slow and melancholic spring to mind and yet essentially the album has the clean crisp atmosphere to it, dragging the listener right into the heart of the emotions expressed by this exceptional quintet, from the first very note to the last shriek, Klamm show what they are made of and are sure to become a known band without any doubt. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  SEKORIA 'Iter Stellarum' Nothing comes more darker than this, well that can be debated, but when you have a quartet delivering what is perceived to be Epic Black Metal, the intonation of the sub-genre sounds out what a band is all about and so when Sekoria come on the block with their debut album 'Iter Stellarum', it cannot be automatically tagged as a general Black Metal album. It delivers its own ambient atmosphere without the use of keyboard music, now the listener may conceive that as a pathetic reason to go it alone, but their album 'Iter Stellarum' delivers justice in the most grim form yet and so what you end up with is a decent production, just don't expect any other band to do the same and succeed. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON P.S. Global Metal Apocalypse does not support or encourage the NSBM movement, nor do we condone it, we purely look at it as a Black Metal genre and focus purely on the music itself.  FEUERNACHT 'Kamps Macht Frei' ONE PEOPLE ONE STRUGGLE The debut from the Austrian NSBM machine known as Feuernacht does not go without any compromise, singing entirely in their native German language, the band drag out from the darkness the most gruesome and evil types of Black Metal, the National Socialist kind. Whilst most will hate on the album, the music deals justice in that it delivers a cleverly structured slice of classic Black Metal. Fast-drumming on top of raw vocals that are so raw, it makes blood-red meat look pathetic. With a morbid, cold and damp atmosphere being drawn into the affray, this release could be the peak of the movement and as such, without any argument, a release worthy on anyone's shelves. Grim, black and practically old-school, 'Kamps Macht Frei' is the signature tune of Feuernacht. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MOSHPIT 'We Carry The Heart' ONE PEOPLE ONE STRUGGLE Let's face it, the 2012 offering by German Metalcore mob Moshpit is poised to smack the hell out of the cloned Metalcore bands that scatter the earth's surface these days. Their 2012 album 'We Carry The Heart' is a perfect example of how Metalcore 'should' be done. Brutal breakdowns, neck-slashing riffs and gut-rotting vocals accelerate the monstrosity that is Moshpit. Signed to OPOS Records, Moshpit are one hell of a promising band and are sure to smash their way through the German Metal scene like a dozen horses charging into battle, this, is, the, sh*t! [8] RHYS STEVENSON  WARSENAL '2012 Demo' Give the lads due and praise, well after all Canada's Speed / Thrash Metal crackpots Warsenal make their debut on the scene with their 2012 demo. Regretfully quality is near appalling, but there again it makes you turn the volume up past 13, and then you'll find that this release has close links to the likes of Slayer and Anthrax. For the trio from the French-speaking region of Quebec, this could be the first step to bring back the old glorified sounds of 80's Speed and Trash Metal. Fast percussive beats, shredding riffs and slick vocals, Warsenal maybe become the war arsenal. [5] RHYS STEVENSON  NIGHTCREEPERS 'Alpha' Gallantly wielding their swords, strapping together their barrels and priming their arrows, is French Pagan Folk Metallers Nightcreepers with their majestic sophomore album 'Alpha'. This sextet create an upbeat yet traditional sound with the usage of keyboards and a finely-tuned accordion to mix the classic French music sound with the harsh brutality of the Metal music infrastructure. It is not often that you come across bands similar to that of Arkona, Primordial or Cruachan; minus the Celtic Metal influence, or so one thinks. However, Nightcreepers are sure to storm the European lands, turn heads and most importantly sport that upcoming, needed label signing (and one could see them on a label like Nuclear Blast someday). [9] RHYS STEVENSON  RISE OF AVERNUS 'Rise Of Avernus The debut EP by Australian quintet Rise Of Avernus does not go without it's drawbacks, it's too short. The EP kicks off the melodramatic and dark atmosphere through the delinquent sounds of the keyboard and the raw riffs of the guitar intertwining with the deep and depressive vocals, all of which bring together a real dank release. For the Progressive Gothic Doomsters, this is a great attempt on the first hurdle and it would seem that they have much more to offer in the next few releases. With clear-cut influences from Opeth, Paradise Lost and Candlemass, this is one EP to please any Doom Metal fan. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  AENYGMIST 'Creation Born of Trauma' As raw as cold meat found in the northern most parts of Canada, Quebec's quintet Aenygmist unleashed an absolute belter in the Melodic Black Metal vein back in 2010 with their debut album 'Creation Born of Trauma'. Best fitting to that of Cradle of Filth, the release cultivates a dark and bleak atmosphere within the blackened corners of the listener's mind, meaning it is one of those releases that takes you away from your senses, this is the sort of output that has been missing from this land and with the beauty residing in this release, Aenygmist could well be the next big Black Metal act from Canada. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  CORPSE FAUNA 'Gore Gallery' Arising from the pits of Essex is Death Metal / Grindcore quintet Corpse Fauna, this five-piece simmer out the gravel from the grit and repeatedly smash the listener into brick walls with their debut demo 'Gore Gallery'. Whilst the production isn’t the most wonderful and at times sounds completely non-existent, the demo is a fair attempt at kick-starting the band's career, of course all bands don’t sound their best on their first demo, but Corpse Fauna are sure to make an impression as time goes on, with the double bass and guitars adding a raw atmosphere to it, the only way is forward, the only way is Essex. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  AONIA 'City of Shadows' It would seem that Aonia, who hail from the Midlands, have chosen to adopt an Operatic-cross-Disney epic style of Symphonic Gothic Power Metal. The female-fronted quintet debuted with their 2011 EP 'City of Shadows' and instantaneously it bursts into life by alleviating the suspense via a terrific outcry of emphatic riffs and heavenly vocals. This is the 'beauty and the beast' scenario whereby the aurora of the Gothic Metal reaches that essential point whereby absolute bliss is maintained, henceforth Aonia may as well be England's answer to Sweden's Therion and Finland's Nightwish, but wherever this band end up, they have covered the land in a 'city of shadows'. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  BULL-RIFF STAMPEDE 'Scatter The Ground' If not for the ad-hoc riffing and the occasional cymbal thumping, this could be a rather decent Death/Thrash album, instead it just falls short of the full works, yet it holds a rather interesting sound, fast and shrieking, a unique combo found in the Italian Death / Thrash scene, added to the affray is some bombastic English solo's, all of which combine together to produce a decent effort for Bull-Riff Stampede, however the Bristolians need to stop learning how to 'Scatter The Ground' and learn how to stand their ground. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  CENSURA 'The Island' BIELER BROS RECORDS American Franco-Irish quartet Censura blast themselves into the Irish Metal scene with an apocalyptic boom, mixing an eclectic style of Electronic Power Metal and embodied with Metalcore and Industrial influences, Censura are in the new style of Modern Metal. Their five-track EP 'The Island' from start to finish is a non-stop rollercoaster of mesmerising trance-style beats, furious vocals and some of the most sickening riffs known to man, let alone being drawn to comparisons with Dead By April and Asking Alexandria, Censura are the new face of Irish Metal, watch out, this is just the beginning. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  THREAT SIGNAL 'Under Reprisal' NUCLEAR BLAST 2006 saw promising Canadian quintet Threat Signal unleashes the belter that gave them the propulsion into Metal history. Furious and insane Melodic Death Metal with various influences here and there give the boys from Ontario the extremity developed by fellow countrymen Strapping Young Lad. Whilst not sounding anything remotely similar to the European style of Melodic Death Metal, Threat Signal instead offers their own twist on the popular genre. With drumming as fast as a tornado tearing up the back-streets of Hamilton, vocals as brutally soul-smashing as a blizzard and guitars as sharp as a bayonet, Threat Signal are leading the Canadian Metal scene to newer levels. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  TALANAS 'Reason & Abstract' EULOGY MEDIA A softer breath of fresh air is felt on the premier debut EP by London quintet Talanas, mixing the blazing speed of Progressive Metal with the heaviness of Death Metal, this is perhaps the respite the common Deathcore trait needs, simply back to basics. With 20 minutes worth of prime solid Metal to consolidate and dissect, this may just yet be the key that the UK Metal scene has been waiting for, a complete answer to the compelling French band Gojira and without any doubt what-so-ever, the face of modern metal reborn under a new pseudonym; the storm itself has only just begun. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  EVILE 'Five Serpent's Teeth' EARACHE Yorkshire Thrash Metal maniacs Evile shed terror with their 2011 album 'Five Serpent's Teeth', playing at break-neck speed this is how Thrash Metal is meant to sound. Their third album shows more promise than ever before and provides the sound of modern British Metal at its prime. If Huddersfield FC vs. Leeds was gnarly enough, Evile would certainly provide the soundtrack to the epic clash, for the future of British Thrash Metal, Evile is surely leading the way, sensationally fast drumming providing a steady platform for some of the most irate riffs heard for yonks, Evile are set to smash the barrier into next Tuesday. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  SILENCE BEFORE 'What A Fine Day For Violence' These bands just seem to come out of the woodwork, one would assume that the formula for the merging together of Metallic Hardcore was disputable enough, but when Metalcore comes into the realm it is bands like Silence Before who lead the attack, with their debut EP released in 2011, the only step forward for this Slovenian quintet is European massacre. With clear influences taken from bands like Asking Alexandria, Whitechapel and Bleeding Through, there lies no reason to why Silence Before has not got the power nor the capabilities to take Europe by storm and with this effort, it would seem rather shocking that they don't end up signed in the next year or so, this will be an EP that's hard to follow up. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SMARGROTH 'Empyreal Circle' Shadows move in from the east in response to the acrimonious empowerment of Black Metal monstrosity that is Smargroth, the Slovenian quintet make their second effort seem more so enthusiastic and sounding similar to that of Dimmu Borgir, but whilst there are not many symphonies on 'Empyreal Circle', the latter does crop up on the odd note. One would assume that Smargroth are simply another Black Metal band, regardless of the magic and fantasy-cross-warrior world that has seemed to develop, hark the new genre of 'Magic Metal' has been set in stone, but for now Smargroth are on a mission and is sure to please many Black Metal fans alike. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SHADOWICON 'Empire In Ruins' November 2011 saw the sensational debut album of Slovenian Symphonic Power Metal sextet ShadowIcon, with an array of enchanting sounds to summon the listener into another world via the delightful sounds of the keyboards to the pleasurable and softening vocals of Ana Prijatelj, whilst musically the band sound like a cross of old Nightwish and Within Temptation, ShadowIcon are indeed a band on their own accord, in that they have their own 'dramatis persona' about them. 'Empire In Ruins' the debut album in its own rights sounds similar to that of fellow countrymen Aperion's debut album 'Act Of Hybris'; the latter would make it seem apparent Slovenian women have the right vocals for symphonic music, hark 'Empire In Ruins' is without a doubt Slovenian Metal album of the year. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  NORDHEIM 'Lost In The North' 2010 gave birth to Nordheim's debut album 'Lost In The North', with a collision of 'troll' metal and Black Metal, the result is a Korpiklaani / Turisas style release, fast paced, extreme in vocals and drumming and eccentric riffs catapult the listener into a forty-two minute onslaught of Metal music from Quebec in Canada. Unlike most Black / Folk Metal albums in the style of Vikings, Trolls et al, 'Lost In The North' brings in the darkness found within Canadian Black Metal and does well to twist the music into a cascading, whipping storm of cold north water and majestic sounds, the listener will truly get 'Lost In The North'. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  DYNABYTE '2kx' Aggressive and erotic spring to mind when listening to Dynabyte's 2010 album '2kx', the Italian Industrial Gothic Metal trio mix the aesthetics and visual look of Industrial Goth aka rivethead with the hardness of Industrial Metal. With screaming vocals tearing apart the surrounding room like a bulldozer demolishing wooden buildings and music to solve the hunger of all rivetheads, Goths and Metalheads, this is another reason and symbol of proof that Dynabyte are the next big Industrial Music act in Italy's chambers, alongside fellow countrymen Neon:Synthesis and Helalyn Flowers, fans of Rammstein, Ruoska and Velcra will love this. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  RAVENSCRY 'One Way Out' WORMHOLE DEATH Italy's answer to the globally known Evanescence has come around, with their debut album 'One Way Out' shining the way to absolute brilliance, Italian Melodic / Alternative Metal quintet Ravenscry do not fail to disappoint, with vocals in the style of Amy Lee being clear as day and music in the style of Lacuna Coil, this could be the band Italy has been waiting for to unleash sheer beauty and power upon the global metal music world. Leaving the listener spine-chilled and the atmosphere adapted to pure majestic feelings, Ravenscry are flying the Italian flag in the Alternative Metal vein. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  ABSINTHE 'La F’ee Verte' GREEN FAIRY All-female Hard Rock / Heavy Metal trio Absinthe from the USA unleash a belter with their EP 'La F’ee Verte', with an attitude for rock and roll clearly imminent and a striking force of true 1970's style rock music, this is perhaps one band that shouldn't be dismissed as beyond their sell by date, for music always lives on. With guitars blazing fire like no tomorrow and heavenly vocals backed up by sensational drumming, this is one EP that fans of Iron Maiden, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin ought to like, Absinthe are more than just female rockers, they are bad-ass ladies. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  AGONYST 'Centennial' Norwich Progressive Deathrash / Metalcore crew Agonyst bring forth an all-out assault on the Norfolk countryside with an audio blast so brutal it is horrific enough to rip woman's clothes off. 2010 saw their formidable sound take full flight with their debut album 'Centennial', carving a path through the misty haze of their past to the light that's now before them. With drums blazing, guitars out of control and vocals so heavily scaring, Agonyst are the next best product of the Norfolk broads. With an eye for ear-terror and a taste for sensational extreme metal, the quartet from Norwich is ready to take the strain. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SCARAB 'Blinding The Masses' OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS Egyptian Death Metallers Scarab excavated their ancient Egyptian history and restored it within Metal's majestic character and modern day technology, thus giving birth to one of Egypt's finest metal exports and Scarab's debut album, 'Blinding The Masses' in 2009. Laying Death Metal with traditional Egyptian music on the guitar, Scarab can also dubbed as another Oriental Metal act. With epic's such as 'Valley Of The Sandwalkers' being produced, there is no reason to why Scarab should not be acknowledged by the masses, but with that comes a cliché, in that the modern Metalheads are blinded to the lesser known metal scenes and so Scarab enforce that as their debut title, 'Blinding The Masses'. Scarab is certainly flying the flag for the Egyptian Metal scene and with the intent to encase the world with their sensational earthquake-causing Death Metal. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  BLACK PAGAN DEATH SALUTE VOL.2 SALUTE 2010 saw some of the world's finest underground dark metal bands come together under the label Salute Records to deliver a global assault upon the masses, bands from Italy, Sweden, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia, The Netherlands, India, Serbia, France, Colombia, Philippines, Uruguay, Malta, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia unite with one cause, to bring metal to the masses. Chock-loaded with genres to savour any metal fan, this is a compilation that die-hard metal fans should invest in getting. With hours of pure solid metal, the Black Pagan Death Salute Vol.2 compilation is an underground success, captivating a wide audience. This international storm has only just begun and will continue to get heavier and heavier, [10] RHYS STEVENSON  FROSTHAMMER 'The Cold Wind Of Eternity' Long standing Canadian Symphonic Black Metal quartet Frosthammer make their thoughts heard with their fourth demo and 2011 release 'The Cold Wind Of Eternity', mixing their own sound and a handful of atmospheric incantations, this is perhaps one of Canada's darkest releases. Whilst the production is a little low, this adds to the character of the sound, the sort of raw and evil persona so-developed. Frosthammer will continue storming the underground with their scintillating orgasmic sound and as such become one of the shadows gems, a tribute to 'The Cold Wind Of Eternity'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  FLESHCRAWLER 'Abuse Your Fucking God' SALUTE One-man project Fleshcrawler makes the first move into the light with the first debut album, released in only 10 copies. The brains behind this project is Swedish musician Satanic Tony (owner of Salute Records), this Black/Death/Grindcore project regurgitates the sickening horrors found within the deepest depths of hell and converts that into an audible sound that can easily rival the very definition of Extreme Metal itself. Valhalla as we know it will never be the same again, for this release is a spitting image of such a place and as such eludes many who listen to it into a false sense of being misled. Fleshcrawler like many one-man projects are unique, as time, sweat and pure brainpower is put into these releases. [10] RHYS STEVENSON GMN - Vol38 - Calcined, Frosthammer / Demorian / Ancient Warlord, Ashen Reign, Barbarian Prophecies29/08/2011  CALCINED 'Thwarted' Like an avalanche that failed to go off, Calcined are perhaps one of the least musically apt bands from Switzerland, well, in fact they implement a sector of Brutal Death Metal into the ranks, collectively the music itself is good but the vocals lack clarity and are often grunted rather than growled. This being their debut EP 'Thwarted', the blastbeats, riffs and composure is sublime, the audio inserts in relation to the additional recordings are fairly decent, the vocals could be adapted but none the less their debut EP is not a complete failure, but the Swiss quartet are heading in the right direction, eventually the sound will improve. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  FROSTHAMMER / DEMORIAN 'Old Times Glances Upon US' SALUTE Joining forces on the 2011 split release 'Old Times Glances Upon US' is Canada's Symphonic Black Metal quartet Frosthammer and Sweden's Black Metal duo Demorian. Frosthammer deliver the signature raw sound they have always carried on their releases and this ultimately sheds an atmospheric approach of dark dankness and chaotic depression in its suicidal form. Delivering a cold blast of winter-covered Symphonic Black metal is what Frosthammer does best and on this split they do not fail to impress. On the other half Demorian bring a furious excitement of brain-crushing Black Metal, raw blast-beats simmering under a wispy audio wave of raw vocals, fast and insane drumming coalescing with mid-paced guitars to add a further dimension to their side of this split. This is perhaps two of the most darkest Black Metal bands in the underground, just be aware that they don't take weak ears on this one, a split release not for the faint of heart. [8] + [8.5]  DEMORIAN / ANCIENT WARLORD 'Infernal Antichristian Incantations' SALUTE Swedish Black Metal underground tyrants Demorian hit back with another split release, this time it is with Filipino Black Metal quartet Ancient Warlord under the release title of 'Infernal Antichristian Incantations'. Demorian carry on their trademark raw black metal parameter in relation to the ear-burning received from the scintillating drumming by the Swedish duo, sadly though this is not one of their best outings, but still is a well devised sound. Moving onto the second half of this split album is the Filipino quartet Ancient Warlord with their rather unethical sound of raw guitars humming and drumming providing a foundation for cold-hearted vocals. This is perhaps one of the Philippines darkest bands and essentially brings two continents together on this release, a truly explicit result of sensational Black Metal. [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ASHEN REIGN 'An Angel Burden' Fighting their way back from the studio is American Heavy Power Metal one-man band Ashen Reign, who is all done by Brent McDaniel and in a breathtaking style at that, fusing a mystical atmosphere to the backbone of his eccentric wielding of Heavy Metal to Power Metal to create a dynamic sound of which is totally unique. By far one of the best American Metal releases of this year, with soul and a sense of dedication clearly evident on his sophomore album 'An Angel Burden'. As extravagant as Devin Townsend of Canada, Brent McDaniel and his magical Ashen Reign are set to become legend. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  BARBARIAN PROPHECIES 'Remember The Fallen' Galician Black / Death Metal novices Barbarian Prophecies devour the horrific accounts of Auschwitz on their sophomore album 'Remember The Fallen', with artwork to symbolise this and sounds to mimic the negativity of the brutality experienced at such concentration camps. Fast, insanely brutal and despairingly dark, this is Spain's darkest side and inevitably one of the Spanish Metal scene's darkest album releases. The band however is not associated with the NSBM movement and should not be judged as such. For their second attempt at a mass metal break out, they have gone and done the right thing, kept it extreme and brain-challenging. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON GMN - Vol26 - Motör Militia, The Silent Rage, Smouldering In Forgotten, Abriosis, Analdicktion21/07/2011  MOTOR MILITIA 'Cloaked In Darkness' Within no doubt, the middle east's finest Thrash Metal band, Motör Militia return with their sophomore album 'Cloaked In Darkness' after seven years. The quintet from Bahrain take the music into their own stride, with sensational riffs encased with a Heavy Thrash Metal approach coming from the drums and whilst the vocals implement a slice of mental brutality, the overall album has a kick-ass spirit to it, so much to say for Slayer's monumental 'Reign In Blood' as being a classic, for Motor Militia have just redefined the meaning of 'classic', however situated in a country with only a few metal bands in current existence there lies no real competition, only from other Middle Eastern countries, even so Motor Militia are essentially flying the flag for the Bahraini Metal scene, 'Cloaked In Darkness' is an essential album for any Thrash or Global Metal fan, a true diamond-of-an-album found in one of the smallest Middle Eastern countries. Combining Arabic and English lyrics is just the beginning for Motor Militia, but for the Bahraini Metal scene, it is no longer 'Cloaked In Darkness'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  THE SILENT RAGE 'Harvester Of Souls' Greek Melodic Power Metal quintet The Silent Rage unleash their second EP 'Harvester Of Souls' with a Sonata Arctica tone to it, with highly pitched vocals and a percussive beat, The Silent Rage take their Greek atmosphere and channel it into something greater than the acropolis and Ancient Greece, with a rally of riffs to savour any untamed hearing and a beat to keep those heads banging, The Silent Rage are truly in another level of Greek Metal, whilst the lyrical content or topic is unclear, they certainly know how to bring a fantasy-like presence to their music, merely scraping the barrel of darkness to encourage a feasible level of composition, essentially a force waiting to escape the boundaries of Southern Europe. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SMOULDERING IN FORGOTTEN 'I Devourer' Another one of Bahrain's Metal titans, Smouldering In Forgotten unleashed the darker side to this island with their sophomore full-length album 'I Devourer' released last year, armed with a brutalizing slab of Black infused Death Metal this sextet are the natural Bahraini rivals to Polish veterans Behemoth. Earthquake-causing drumming enveloped by a torrential wave of flesh-shredding riffs and mind-crushing vocals all coalesce to deliver one of the Middle East's most brutal and evil releases to date, whilst the music provides the brutality, the atmosphere changes into a thunderous imagination of sand storms, camels and barren deserts and not just the haphazard mirage. Smouldering In Forgotten are truly the Middle East's heaviest Metal band, watch this country metal scene at all costs. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  ABRIOSIS 'Tattered & Bound' SHIT KNIFE Canadian Technical Death Metal newcomers Abriosis fire up the sound-blasting cannons with their fearful debut album 'Tattered & Bound', covering an extreme level of brutality it comes with an introduction which coherently doubles up as a sound warning, this album is not for soft-hearing people or ones suspecting of a Disney-laden Death Metal release, far from it, Abriosis cultivate a sonic streak of hard-hitting blast-beats shrouding some of the sickest riffs that rivals the aftermath of downing bottles of syrup and lubricating the larynx for a powerful explosion of brutal growling. Whilst falling short of the complexity of mathcore, Abriosis make up for lost time signatures by crafting and shaping their own sound, one which defines them separate to all Canadian Tech Death bands, a sure band to keep an eye out for. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ANALDICKTION 'Sluts' SCROTUM JUS Well this release takes the biscuit, Brutal Death Grinders Analdicktion from Singapore unleash a bloody torrent of sickening gore and molesting audio rape with their debut album 'Sluts', whether the vocals were jammed in the tape recorder remains unclear, yet is relevance to noise is clear as daylight, however it does churn stomachs and gives a vomiting feeling of which eradicates all pleasantries. Similar to Vulgate Dogmas, in terms of brutality and heaviness, Analdicktion is a product of the globally successful saw film franchise, just don't plan to walk away from this album without being tested, oh yes there will be blood. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  EXTIRPATION 'Tormentor Supreme Black Katharsis' INFERNAL KAOS Basque Black/Death Metal one-man project Extirpation unleashes a full force of deep darkness and growling empowerment with his debut album 'Tormentor Supreme Black Katharsis', with a raw influence clearly imminent and an essence of gruelling evil, the one-man project is enough to churn anyone's stomach inside out with a complete sense of introductory torture chasm, a testament to the Basque Country's autonomous status, the storm has just begun. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  VIATHYN 'The Peregrine Way' Majestically arriving from the state of Alberta in Canada is Power Proggers Viathyn with their debut album 'The Peregrine Way' released last year, with an enigma supporting the very foundation of this lush work, it is within no doubt that this band know exactly what they are doing, with a beat here and there, a riff seeming lost and vocals changing from second to second, this is a true work of inspiration, with that though it is not perfect, but it is a decent start from a band who have just debuted, the only problem is the time changing, from fast and powerful to a sloppy Progressive part, the album is a fair decent one. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MCGALLIGOG 'Delusions Of Madness' Irish quintet McGalligog take the Guinness and Irish funkiness to secure their first ever release, their 2010 EP 'Delusions Of Madness' which foresees a cleverly worked amalgamation of Melodic Death Metal with Thrash influences clearly taken into account, whilst not as good as anticipated with the vocals lacking a bit of clarity, the overall production is excellent, unstable and revolutionizing in that it is a decent attempt. 'Another Fast One' pretty much sums the band up in both musical and song-title stances, ever thought Cruachan was holding back a deluge of Irish Metal? McGalligog seem to have proven so. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SHATTERED HOPE 'Absence' SOLITUDE An absolute tiring album, so much it'll make you yawn, for being a band who straddles in the Atmospheric Doom / Death Metal and Funeral Doom Metal vein (simply Dark Metal) without making a solid attempt at captivating it's listeners is diabolical, for Greece's Shattered Hopes the band name is self-explanatory, for this release 'Absence' lacks quality, it is a real depressive release. [1] RHYS STEVENSON  DEUS OTIOSUS 'Murderer' F.D.A. REKOTZ The sort of album found in Dracula's music collection, horror-themed Death Thrashers Deus Otiosus unleash hell with their debut album 'Murderer' released last year with an emphatic array of blastbeats, riffs and non-continuous composition changing, an abrupt calamity of fusing two genres together in between song fragments, essentially a bizarre twist for the Death/Thrash genre, the Danish quintet exhibit what some try to achieve and fall at, that is a unique time procession, 'Murderer' drafts in depression as well, so if metal fans wish to you listen to it, you have been warned. [7] RHYS STEVENSON | 2013
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