BOW PROMETHEUS 'Treachery' SWIMMING WITH SHARKS Deathcore, it's a genre that has awashed the Metal music scene since its birth with tons of bands who strangely sound the same, but when bands like Bow Prometheus escape the yellow brick road, things can turn right nasty, nasty in that Deathcore has a new sound, Symphonic Deathcore. Enter the fourteen-legged machine Bow Prometheus, fusing together electronic symphonies with the harsh brutality of Deathcore smackdowns, this Texas masterpiece is sure not to disappoint in times to com and especially with their debut EP 'Treachery' now out, the storm has well and truly formed and is ready for impact, taking cover is very much advised. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON RESURRECTION OF THE GODS 3 COMPILATION MORT PRODUCTIONS If there is one thing about compilations it's that they bring a number of bands onto one CD and exposes them in the best possible manner and so when Chinese Metal label Mort Productions devised a series known as the 'Resurrection Of The Gods', this was to be an absolute onslaught of Chinese Metal. Here we have the third installment in the series, released in 2005 and featuring eleven bands on it from a wide range of sub-genres. This compilation is an essential release for anyone who is getting into metal bands from the Asian countries and especially China. Featuring bands such as Cut At Waist from Xi'anwho play a combination of Death Metal and Grindcore, Falling who hail from Hangzhou and play a mix of Gothic Metal and Black Metal to bands like The Last Successor who originate from Beijing and play an intricate style of Progressive metal with Power Metal added in, and bands like Wrath of Desport who perform straight edge Black Metal. The fact remains on this compilation there is something for everyone and whether the listener likes it or not, Chinese Metal is going to get even heavier as years go on. [7] RHYS STEVENSON RESURRECTION OF THE GODS 5 COMPILATION MORT PRODUCTIONS Switching the attention from the third compilation to the fifth compilation, here we have the resurrection of the gods number five, released in 2008 and featuring twelve bands on it from a wide range of sub-genres. This compilation is an essential release for anyone who is getting into metal bands from the Asian countries and especially China. Featuring bands such as Narakam from Beijing who play straight-edge, no-nonsense Death Metal, Frosty Eve who hail from Beijing and play Melodic Death Metal, to bands like Frozen Cross who originate from Beijing and play a style of Power Metal with a ton of Melodic Metal on the side, but with female vocals in the sound and style of Within Temptation, and bands like Raging Mob who hail from Beijing and create in-your-face Thrash Metal. The fact remains that just like its previous versions, this compilation has something for everyone and whether the listener likes it or not, Chinese Metal has just got one whole level heavier. [8] RHYS STEVENSON RESURRECTION OF THE GODS 7 COMPILATION MORT PRODUCTIONS Switching the attention from the fifth compilation to the seventh compilation, here we have the resurrection of the gods number seven, released in 2011 and featuring eleven bands on it from a wide range of sub-genres. This compilation is an essential release for anyone who is getting into metal bands from the Asian countries and especially China. Featuring bands such as Why Lazy from Henan _who play ballsy, gut-rot Metalcore, Skeletal Augury who hail from Beijing and play Melodic Death Metal, to bands like Frozen Cross who originate from Beijing and play a style of Power Metal with a ton of Melodic Metal on the side, but with female vocals in the sound and style of Within Temptation, and bands like Raging Mob who hail from Beijing and create in-your-face Thrash Metal. The fact remains that just like its previous versions, this compilation has something for everyone and whether the listener likes it or not, Chinese Metal has just got one whole level heavier. [8] RHYS STEVENSON _CHINA RUNS BLOOD
COMPILATION MORT PRODUCTIONS Apart from the Resurrection of The Gods series that Mort Productions has done, the other cleverly done compilation is the 'China Runs Blood' compilation, this features more extreme metal bands. Covering all of the more vile genres from Death Metal to Goregrind and from Brutal Death Metal to Grindcore, listener's best avoid eating before listening to this release. Chock full of the most gruesome bands China has to offer and features three quarters of an hours-worth of pure solid, unrelenting and disturbing riffs, blastbeats and gut-rotting vocals. The fact now remains that this compilation has something for everyone who is a fan of Extreme metal and whether the listener likes it or not, Chinese Metal has just got even more disturbing. [8] RHYS STEVENSON
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LAHANNYA 'Dystopia' KABUKI A bit of a reprisal comes into play with Lahannya's latest offering 'Dystopia', the multi-national quartet deliver a Gothic-twisted emphasis on the whole Alternative Metal division, with joyous melodies and erotic vocals coalescing together to shed new light on the sounds of modern music. Long gone are the days of London being a reputed Gothic area but the music continues to flourish and rule the night and with Lahannya firmly now set in stone and on the road to achieve much more, nothing will stop this foursome from reviving the old roots of Gothic/Alternative music. 'Dystopia' is for fans of Evanescence, The Cyan Velvet Project, Velcra and Domina Noctis. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BELLIGERENT INTENT 'Seven Are They' Perhaps this could be a signature soundtrack to a world war two film, or it could be something dark that's lurking in Australia's backyard; a dead body perhaps? But whatever fans can make of Belligerent Intent's debut album 'Seven Are They', it is guaranteed a smacking of rough and grizzly Black / Death Metal. Blistering drums are perhaps the best section of the band's debut, but as an overall production it can be easily linked to other bands such as The Furor or Behemoth. Next thing we will know is that there is a sharp rise of hearing loss in the Melbourne area, or it could be the screeching of the Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix (we think). [8] RHYS STEVENSON KLYNT 'Of Klynt & Man' Hard to make anything of this one, well technically that's a lie, this is Austrian quintet Klynt and their debut release 'Of Klynt & Man', now when claiming to be Power / Thrash Metal, it would be assumed to be fast, with melodic vocals and heavy vocals in tandem, however what Klynt have done have gone the opposite, heavy vocals, melodic music and medium pace. Like the fable of Midas, Klynt are on that path but are a fair distance away from making any epic sounds as-of-yet, but with this release under their belt, it can only get better for the lads, one band to keep an eye out for. [7] RHYS STEVENSON WHITECHAPEL 'Whitechapel' METAL BLADE Within the myriad and factory-processed Deathcore bands that seem to have come out of nowhere, lies a diamond amongst the fakes and it is this diamond that is in fact Whitechapel. The American juggernauts assault the fourth outing in sensational style, with a breakdown after blastbeat smack-in-the-face reception, the self-titled album by the heavy-weight titans is a clear sign of how Deathcore 'should be done'. This without a doubt has to be the best album they have ever released and will prove a real hard act to follow on from. For fans of Resist The Thought and The Black Dahlia Murder amongst many other elite Deathcore acts. [8] RHYS STEVENSON CATACOMBS
'Catacombs' Somewhat easy to compare when speaking of Catacombs, the closest you can pinhole them to is Wintersun, minus the chill factor. However, Australia's Catacombs and their debut self-titled EP is not without any deviations; subtle breakdowns emerge here and there whilst retaining the melodic overture found on 'The Fallen'. Sure it's not a 100% production and generally no first release is, but the Melbourne lads do have a sense of musical direction and with this EP under wraps, they could break into the international scene, with hints of Amon Amarth and the slow Melodic doom-feel in the shadows, Catacombs are a decent band with a decent release. [7] RHYS STEVENSON GMN - Vol76 - Silent Descent, Core In China Comp, Ihsahn, Mask of Virtue, Absence Of Light20/5/2012 _ SILENT DESCENT 'Mind Games' RISING RECORDS It's here, the follow-up to the nuclear blast that was 'Duplicity', the Rising Records debut album by Kent's Trance Metal wizards Silent Descent. The septet who hail from the town of Dartford utilise a delicate balance of Trance Music with European style Melodic Death Metal. Whilst conventionally differentiating their sound entirely from the rest of the 'Trance Army' such as: Enter Shikari, Asking Alexandria, Blood Stain Child etc, the septet have ruthlessly returned to max-out their sound with enough power and gusto to cause a ripple-effect across the Thames estuary. If pioneering a subgenre was meant to come from sheer experimentation, then it has certainly fallen for Silent Descent. This album captures the trance magic from the arsenal known as 'Kipster', the firing of skin-cutting riffs from Tom Callahan and Jaco Oxley, whilst being embezzled by the magnitude of the thunderous drumming by Jerry Sadowski and the ultimate armour piercing warhead devised by vocal architect Tom Watling, let alone the intertwining by Paul Hurrell and Jimmy Huang to altogether deliver what is perhaps already perceived as the album of the year in the UK Metal scene. RHYS STEVENSON [10] _CORE IN CHINA ROCK IN CHINA As ancient as their forefathers, the Chinese Metal and Rock scenes are ones that are not fully researched into and as such are left underground, what this free online compilation has done (which is downloadable from this page) is dug out a myriad of bands from the Metalcore, Deathcore, Nintendocore, Hardcore and Screamo sub-genres and presented this to the masses. The compilation took five months to compile and represent the areas of Beijing, Wuhan, Changsha, Taipei, Hong Kong, Baou and Guangzhou. It has been released via Rock In China's web page and is worth downloading, For a country like China to have an underground scene of epic proportions is a testament to the unformidable power of the internet, from the very first Heavy Metal band Tang Dynasty to tomorrow's Chinese musicians, this is a compilation any Metal fan should download and support. From New Tanks slamming Deathcore (which is brutal enough to make you look a right softy), to Meat Sucks' beautiful ballad-tinged hardcore sensation. You'd be asking for more than a Chinese takeaway, this compilation covers many tastes and not just one. Noodlecore some people call it, but Nintendocore is a crossing of Nintendo music and Deathcore/Metalcore; quite apt for a console that is ironically Japanese. But take no assumptions, download it and let your ears do the deciding, China has spoken, the bands are ready, are you? Let the audio assault begin.... RHYS STEVENSON (8.5) _IHSAHN 'Eremita' CANDLELIGHT One would confuse this with easy listening, or perhaps pure sensational imagination. This is after all Ihsahn's latest offering 'Eremita', a cleverly constructed assault of Extreme Progressive Metal with enough riffs to leave you barking for more. 'Eremita' marks Ihsahn's fourth outing and possibly his most impressive in the existence of the project. It’s fast, its heavy, its Norwegian and it’s insane, Ihsahn is taking Extreme Metal to a third dimension and in doing so, lashing it with a furious smacking of Black Metal-tinged Prog Metal. Who said innovation and experimentation was disastrous? [7] RHYS STEVENSON _ MASK OF VIRTUE 'In This World' RISING RECORDS Another band using the electronic music wildcard, but there is something unique about Mask Of Virtue, whether it's the fact they use melodic vocals and down-right brutal hardcore as a backdrop or the fact they are poised to the take the UK scene by storm. Whilst not as prolific (yet) as Hertfordshire band Enter Shikari, the Yorkshire quintet are not far behind from copping onto that sound, but at the sound they are currently at, they should stick. This is after hearing their debut album 'In This World', a harmonious composition of some of the sickest riffs, danceable beats and soul-destroying vocals. From start to finish, this is a non-stop roller-coaster of 'electronicore' at its absolute finest. Naturally sounding as Enter Shikari's successor, this is the 'electronicore' band the UK has been waiting for, next stop... global domination. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ABSENCE OF LIGHT
'Vyom Chakra' Unknown territories often hold a gem or two within their repertoire, Kenya is no exception. With the EP 'Vyom Chakra' free to download, it is worth taking a peek. This is Absence Of Light's debut release and is full of brutalising Extreme Metal from all aspects: sensational blastbeats, erratic riff changing and gut-wrenching vocals, coming from a country where Metal music is very underground this is essentially a taste of what can be done here. In the sounds of bands like Strapping Young Lad at its best, it is hard to state what this Kenyan band sound like, one would simply say 'check it out for yourself', but without any resilience whatsoever, this has to be the starting point for the Kenyan Metal scene. [8] RHYS STEVENSON GMN - Vol57 - Synarchy, The Apocryphal Order, Krv, Behold Thy End / Our Fallen, Heaven The Axe21/12/2011 _ SYNARCHY 'Tear Up The World' TUTL Returning with their highly-anticipated second album is Faroese Melodic Thrash belters Synarchy, their second album 'Tear Up The World' unleashes more torrential downpours of sensational riffs, unassailable drumming and valiant vocals, powerful enough to make any Viking run away scared. Coming from a small Metal scene, Synarchy are due to be the next big Faroese Metal export after Tyr and essentially are laying down the way for fellow countrymen to follow in their footsteps. With 'Tear Up The World' at the hands of the masses, there is no stopping now for the quintet of Tórshavn, as they 'Tear Up The World' and fly the flag for the Faroese Metal scene; without a doubt Faroese Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON THE APOCRYPHAL ORDER 'The Apocryphal Order' TUTL Smashing through the inlets and cliffs of the Faroe Islands is the new-born band The Apocryphal Order with their debut self-titled EP, with its no nonsense slaughtering sound of rapid drumming, bone-crushing riffs and unearthly vocals, this quartet from Tórshavn unleash pure hell in four tracks, with a delicate balance of Death Metal growls with the music itself bearing the forefront for the Thrash Metal half. Unlike your generic Death / Thrash signature sound, this Faroese lot score each note to perfection and use the timing extremely well, sounding like a cross of Unleashed and modern Scandinavian Thrash Metal, The Apocryphal Order is taking the next step to becoming the darkest force in the Faroe Islands. [8] RHYS STEVENSON _ KRV 'Ograma' NORTHERN HORDE / ZERO BUDGET PRODS 'Ograma' is Krv's fourth and ultimately last album, in its post-humours state it includes the 5 track EP 'U Kamenom Grobu', this is a fitting way to end the Bosnian Black Metal band's eight year life. Soothingly dark and raw, the 10 track album (and 5 track EP) offer a disturbing yet intricate way of performing Black Metal in your native tongue, essentially this band give a rather ethical approach to their music, regretfully they are no longer active but will be revered to as an underground band in the Bosnian Metal scene. [6] RHYS STEVENSON _BEHOLD THY END & OUR FALLEN 'Behold Thy End & Our Fallen' Two New Zealand Death Metal / Deathcore underground maniacs come crashing together to unleash a split of murderous proportions, with Behold Thy End cooking up a ferocious assault of blasphemous Death Metal in its sickest and most vile form whilst Our Fallen deliver a face-smacking slaughter of gritty Deathcore. Whilst Our Fallen sadly is on hiatus, Behold Thy End seems to still be active, just. None the less this split is one enough to explode any party into overdrive and make the fireworks seem more like petty popping candy. Without a doubt this is the heaviest release from the New Zealand Metal scene this year and one full of potential for both bands, just don’t count on any compromise. [8] + [9] RHYS STEVENSON _ HEAVEN THE AXE
'Sex, Chugs & Rock 'N' Roll' Sexiness’, sleek and extremely riot grrrl, this is Australia's bad boys and girl band Heaven The Axe who utilise an erotic style of Hard Rock / Heavy Metal, this comes with their eccentric debut album 'Sex, Chugs & Rock 'N' Roll', full of the AC/DC rock spirit and Iron Maiden music composure, none the less don’t be fooled by the hot-chick-in-a-band cliché, Phoebe Pinnock means business with her devilish vocals and heavenly attitude, all of which backed by four exceptionally talented musicians gives Heaven The Axe the motive to take the world by storm. Australian rock and roll will never be the same again, without a doubt Australian Metal album of the year 2011. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ONE WITHOUT 'Sweet Relief' Hailing from the centre of the Gothenburg Metal storm system, Swedish Gothic Metalcore quintet One Without storm out of the darkness with their all-so beautiful melodies and earthquake-rhythmetic beats in the form of their sophomore album 'Sweet Relief'. The Metalcore part stems from the source that seems to be the same as where fellow countrymen Sonic Syndicate have doused themselves in whereas the Gothic Metal part is in the style of the Italian maestros Lacuna Coil. None the less this is not Motionless In White mark 2, but more so a band in their own rights and sounds. Without a doubt this is the Swedish Metal album of the year 2011. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SENTENCED TO BURN 'We Represent' No prisoners and no prayers are welcome with the debut EP of Hardcore crew Sentenced To Burn, the quintet from the State of Brunei Darussalam (in South-East Asia) give no reason to why people should shy away from their music, full of breakdown and rib-snapping riffs, this is Hardcore beyond all belief. Drawing clear influences from the American Hardcore scene and especially Hatebreed, Sentenced To Burn are truly bringing metal to the masses with 'We Represent', simply put you would have to be totally insane not to check them out. Balls, sweat, brutality, masculinity, just about everything including the kitchen sink has been injected into this release, forget Hatebreed 'cause this is the new s***! The band may as well be caught saying 'We Represent' Brunei Darussalam, because they are flying the flag for their Metal scene. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON INFLUENCE 'Where Does Your Way Lead To?' Without compromise and without any signs of respite, this is the brutal melodic storm the Polish Metal scene has been waiting for, clad in business suits and corporate like CEO's, the Technical / Melodic Death Metal quartet Influence shed noise on their debut EP 'Where Does Your Way Lead To?' Fast paced percussion encased by the viral sounds of outrageous riffs and solos and dogged by some of the harshest vocals heard this year, Influence are exactly what the band name says, an influence to the next generation of Metal bands, think twice before dismissing them as another average Melodic Metal band, you'd be a fool to do so, so in the end fans know where the bands way leads to, but 'Where Does Your Way Lead To?' [9] RHYS STEVENSON MITIGATE 'A New Day' Austrian Symphonic / Melodic Death Metal trio Mitigate return once again with swords raised high and in triumph of unleashing their second album 'A New Day' to the masses. Much goes by the basic drumming but more attention is drawn to the vocals of which give two contrasting feelings, one of majestic feeling and the other of being slaughtered, whilst conventionally the music has some progressive elements to it - especially in the symphonies, but even so the latter is a just reflection of 'Dimmu Borgir-like' symphonic metal. Mitigate for who they are, have created a separate sound regardless of the common drum sounds, rest assured it can only get better. [7] RHYS STEVENSON LIVARKAHIL
'Signs Of Decay' LISTENABLE Parisian Deathcore slammers Livarkahil commit double genocide with their emphatically grave-raping sophomore album 'Signs Of Decay'. Fisting in a smacking of brain-crushing Death Metal in its most extreme form whilst the gritty gravel of Hardcore digs down into the skull's chambers to unleash a torrential flooding of blood and sweat in an outrageous style. With smack-down breakdowns and vocals to give any emo a migraine, 'Signs Of Decay' is the most unforgivable Deathcore production this year, take no mercy, take no cowardice, Livarkahil have only just begun the humanity slaughtering. [10] RHYS STEVENSON AUTUMN SUN 'Autumn Sun' Emerging from the dark shadows of Gauteng is South African Gothic / Melodic Death Metal quartet Autumn Sun with their self-titled album (presumably debut), featuring a fast blast of racy tracks to inflame any ears with a burning sensation. Whilst the Melodic Death Metal takes the reigns, the Gothic Metal sits softly in the background in the form of soft female vocals and harmonic keyboard notes which moulds to become a true entrancing mix of ingenious musicianship. Autumn Sun are set to become a promising band in the South African Metal scene and are sure to gain global attention. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DEMORIAN 'Back To the Glorious Past’ + 'Vikingpath' + Excerpt from upcoming album "Excerpt From A Diary" AZERMEDOTH / KVLT666 / DANGER OF DEATH Demorian is a Swedish Black Metal duo compromising of Salute Record’s owner as one of the musicians. Crisp Swedish Black Metal is produced from the speakers as well as a cold and bitter atmosphere. Winter has come with their debut album 'Back To the Glorious Past’ released back in 2009 as darkness encases the room and a cold wintry wind blasts around resembling the powerful sonata’s produced by the music. Their second album 'Vikingpath' released last year in only 66 copies, brings more of their darkened souls to the frontline, cursing the shadows of Pagan Black Metal and it's nature counterpart, Demorian perform an unholy ritual to summon the darker sounds once again, with a fetish for raw sounds and atmospheric senses being unbound to the Swedish Black Metal scene, Demorian revel in the abyss. Finishing off with a little sampler is their unreleased tracks 'Excerpt From A Diary' and 'Prypiat Angels' (referring to the ghost town near the Chernobyl area in the Ukraine), colder and bitterer than previous works, this is a sumptuous pre-listener in relation to their upcoming album, a subtle but apt enough proof that Demorian has just begun. [7] + [8] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON DESIGN THE SKYLINE 'Neveah' VICTORY Revered as one of the most hated band in history, but in all honesty that's just people's jealousy. In comes Design The Skyline, an American septet mixing a whole new genre from separate individual tastes, if Design The Skyline was a recipe it would either equate to the full American breakfast or the traditional English roast - they are not edible, just to clarify. Essentially listeners will realize a myriad of music genres meld into one tune, but this in itself seems to have worked out perfectly. Catering for the many emotions humans feel, this Corpus Christi band takes the listener on a journey through space, time, emotions and general life itself, cascading the many atrocities and numerous positives experienced during a lifetime. Since their demo song 'Surrounded By Silence' - of which was dubbed 'electro-Deathcore', the band has finely tuned and tweaked their sounds to fit neatly in line with the other sounds as seen on the song 'break free from your life' - having slow and fast trance periods amongst generic Metalcore-ish drum patterns. What puts people off is the scene / emo look, but don't forget these bands: Lordi, Black Veil Brides, Marilyn Manson amongst others, totally proven their critics wrong and eradicated any prejudicial beings from the face of the planet. Intellectually without the hate, perhaps the publicity would not have been as grand, but that's just a possibility for it should be seen that all the tracks on this album cater for a wide array of music tastes: trance music, post-hardcore, Deathcore, Metalcore, Industrial / Thrash Metal (as seen on 'reality away'), Mathcore and even technical Deathcore if precision is required. Regardless of the negativity, Design The Skyline are pioneers of a new sound, essentially 'Experimental Electro-Deathcore' and with that in mind are set to push the boundaries further and further, the storm has just begun, 'Neveah' was just the artillery, bring on the tank infantry. [10] RHYS STEVENSON DISHARMONIC 'Impossible' The first ever song unleashed by Spanish (Andalusian) Death Metal trio Disharmonic qualifies as an absolute hell-blazer, fanatical drumming simmers in the background with the force of 1000 raging bulls whilst the matadors Bao Brurial, Javi and Kike tame the beast they have created. Residing within the Brutal Death Metal intonation, Disharmonic fail not to up their ante and give their first attempt and release a proper erotic beating, forged with influences from the fast and heavy Scandinavian Death Metal scene, they use that as a foundation but add the Iberian and Mediterranean heavy hardness to the affray and result in what is billed as possibly the best ever release by a Spanish Metal band in 2011. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ELDERGAAD
'Children Of Gaad' If Eldergaad was a football team they would be Liverpool FC, up and down all the time. The American Thrash Metal quartet emerges with their debut album 'Children Of Gaad' with as much sleaze and difference than Slayer and Megadeth would have. Whilst not exactly fast on some tracks, the heaviness is still there, yet it sounds similar to that of Slayer. However they do exert a sound that suits them to the bone, one sound that is different and yet strangely bizarre in that the speed of each song changes from riff to riff, so with little consistency this is soon to be a 'what just happened' album. None the less this is a band who could easily get noticed, expect whiplash from this album to be imminent though, [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON FORTRESS UNDER SIEGE 'The Mortal Flesh Of Love' METAL MAD MUSIC As majestic as the Acropolis and brutal as the Spartans, Fortress Under Siege stand up and make their debut album 'The Mortal Flesh Of Love' sound extraordinarily powerful and easy to succumb to, mixing their Greek atmosphere with the elegance of Progressive Metal to unleash very high vocals, sensational riffs and bullet-blazing drumming in a package that could so easily rival every other Progressive Metal band, such an epic sound drives the listener in the front row of travelling on journeys of discovery, such sounds should be heard at Epcot more often, with trance music arriving via the keyboards, Fortress Under Siege are the next latest big metal export from Greece. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BAD MAMASAN 'Jeanine The Wolverine' Chinese Thrashers Bad Mamasan kick off serious business with their debut album 'Jeanine The Wolverine' with Iron Maiden-style vocals and a progressive thrash style of drumming, more so a unique combo of Heavy Thrash Metal with Chinese ideas. Whilst the sound essentially is nothing new, the difference between other bands and Bad Mamasan is simply with funk influences, almost so as if the songs are near enough easy to dance to, but overall the music just seems a little too standard, no sort of power behind it, but none the less a decent release, one that doesn't carry much negativity but positivity could be better. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON INDOMITE 'Espejo Y Realidad' Hailing from Colombia, Power Progressive Metal troupe Indomite deliver their first ever release in the form of their 2011 demo 'Espejo Y Realidad', combining their native Spanish tongue with the valiant power found in Power Metal and fast beats found within Progressive Metal, the quintet are starting their efforts off in a decent fashion, not so because the language is different, but essentially they have the musical beats timed well, the riffs are tight and the vocals are in two-tone with both male and female chords at the rein of the lyrics themselves, a combination of fluttery Colombian beauty with the hard-hitting conquistadors of South America makes this demo essentially Colombia's best release this year, Indomite are flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene. [8] RHYS STEVENSON XENESTHIS 'Thou Shalt Not' Escaping the vaults of the underground is Austrian Metalcore newcomers Xenesthis with their debut album 'Thou Shalt Not', mixing a sensational array of female melodic vocals with the brutality and heaviness of Metalcore, so essentially Melodic Metalcore. With classical elements somehow seeming present in the atmosphere, maybe a touch of Mozart in their or a classic response to the titans In This Moment, none the less a unique revelation in the common Metal genre, rhythmical drumming assisted by some of the most in-your-face vocal attitude going around, whilst sounding a little similar to Sonic Syndicate, this band is defining their own genre, as for Austrian Metalcore Xenesthis are flying the flag here, one band to watch for the future. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON OSTITTO
'Genocide '71 Split (Ostitto side) and 'Menes' single' G SERIES Hailing from Bangladesh is Deathcore quartet Ostitto with their latest single 'Menes' and their own half of the split CD release with Bangladeshi Technical Death Metal band Chromatic Massacre, the split itself features a solid assault of brutality along with traditional Bangladeshi melodies on the single 'Menes', mixing Metal with the secrets of the Asian continent, Ostitto are sounding heavier than the American veterans Whitechapel, with a blazing array of drumming compositions amongst gut-rotting vocals and sharp riffs, extreme enough to make the cricket team seem like softies, essentially this is a pure sign that the Bangladeshi Metal scene is gaining momentum, watch this band at all costs, Ostitto are flying the flag for the Bangladeshi Metal scene. [6.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON AR 'Chaffinch / The Trade single CD' Cambridge monsters AR unleash uncanny havoc with this two song demo, essentially an A and B side, but what the hell, here is a band with more balls than a bull on testosterone pills, mixing Thrash Metal elements with Heavy Alternative Metal, the so called 'in-your-face' kind, armed with a variety of killer riffs, slick vocals and drums too cool enough to appear on MTV, AR is Cambridgeshire's latest hopefuls to break into the English Metal mainstream, just don't count them on being support for bands much longer. [8] RHYS STEVENSON RECOIL 'The Will To Sin' NEW JUSTICE Pummelling the sandstorms around the desert is Australia's new fury fighters Recoil, a whammed up boy band with a guttural sense of brutality, essentially a Deathcore / Death Metal quartet who just released their mesmerising debut album 'The Will To Sin' last year. Whilst not as heavy as first thought, the true essence lies in the ravenous riffs of which cascade like no tomorrow. Part Parkway Drive, part Whitechapel, part Unleashed, this is Australian Metal as never heard before, if you have 'The Will To Sin', then Recoil is your band. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON RETALIATORY MEASURES 'MMX' Hallows call by name when Retaliatory Measures come into the affray, essentially five Finns with enough whimsical empowerment to topple any non-metal fan, 'MMX' is their debut EP released last year and with it comes Death / Thrash Metal in the sincerest form, a beacon to the ever-diversifying Finnish Metal scene, but whilst this is nothing new in terms of genre developing, the sound itself is as new as can be, so whilst this is not a genre-defining EP nor a definite development, it is still a decent release. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON INSAIN 'Spiritual Rebirth' Screwing out the blood-sodden carpets of Paris is French Brutal Death Metal posse Insain, a rather aptly stated band name, for this music is Insain. Brutalizing blast-beats form amid outrageous vocal dilemmas and intrinsic riffs, all merging together to create a theatrical solidarity composition in the form of their debut 2010 album 'Spiritual Rebirth', this is French Metal on drugs, a cocktail of mental song structures and forensic vocals alleviating any sickness, the brute of Brutal Death Metal is here. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SIMULACRUM
'Promo 2011' Fast, unconventional and seemingly a near-perfect mess, the vocals are all over the place, the drums are totally not what they are meant to be, the guitars just do the trick, this is pretty much what sums up the 2011 promotional released by Finnish Progressive Metal quintet Simulacrum, this needs serious work done to it, the vocals are more so Power Metal and so it is highly unclear to what genre they want, but given credit for developing something bizarrely unique. [5] RHYS STEVENSON FRANTIC AMBER 'Wrath Of Judgement' Gothic in visualization, Melodic Death Metal in sound, Sweden's all-female newcomers Frantic Amber revolt in the underground with beautiful extremities and insane brutal force, their debut EP 'Wrath Of Judgement' released in 2010 is slower and more heavier than Scar Symmetry and Arch Enemy put together, slick riffs, gritty vocals and riotous drumming sizzle altogether on this juicy debut, Frantic Amber are not your average Gothic-tinged Swedish girls, they are five Angela Gossow's, only heavier. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ILL NINO 'Dead New World' VICTORY Latin Metal veterans Ill Nino return with the blast of Latino fury and heavy metal balls, immaculate compositions on their latest and 2010 album 'Dead New World', weaving their way between Latino-influenced Nu Metal and Metalcore, sounding like a crossover of Sepultura and Lamb Of God, with an array of bandmembers of different nationalities, the influences differ from song to song, but keeping to a nu metalcore approach, this is a funky album with so much riding on it in terms of legacy, fuelled by their signing with Victory Records, Ill Nino excite the latest fan generation from the bright 'Dead New World'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON DR. ACULA 'Slander' VICTORY American 'Party Metal' / Deathcore mob Dr. Acula return with their highly anticipated fourth album, chock-full of intense breakdowns, funky gruel vocals and suspense on every second of the album, for the seven lads from New York, this is an album strong and brutal enough to rip holes in the streets and assimilate the problems of American life, to turn it into one roller-coaster of funky Deathcore and potentially experimental metal, but this is one release for the 'wtf' category, having said that, 'Party Metal' might just become a new genre. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SISTER SIN 'True Sound Of The Underground' VICTORY Swedish Hard Rock / Heavy Metal quartet Sister Sin make it three with their 2010 album 'True Sound Of The Underground', essentially the chic version of Iron Maiden, but with more sweat, blood and girl power, with an array of songs in the fury vein as well as rock ballads, this is Sweden's answer to Canada's Kobra & The Lotus, by far better and more glamorous, potentially an album to motorbike to. Bring on the Harley Davidson's zooming along Swedish countryside roads and the blasting of Sister Sin. [8] RHYS STEVENSON EXILIA
'My Own Army' AFM Italian Nu Metal quartet Exilia eroded hearing and lightened hearts in 2009 with their fourth full-length album taking life, whilst 'My Own Army' is clearly not as heavy as previous albums, the grunge elements are still there, what with Masha's voice enchanting and the other three members providing a musical supplement, these songs are not to be snuffed at, this is a more easy listening album but at the same time, 'My Own Army' has its own unique sound to it, one of melody, riot, softness and heaviness, a pivotal release in the end. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON |
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