AGRESIVA
'Eternal Foe'

Revolution, that is the only word to describe the Spanish onslaught brought on by the emphatic debut album 'Eternal Foe' by Madrid Thrashers Agresiva. Corroded by a bountiful load of riffs, grizzly vocals and neck-snapping drumming, 'Eternal Foe' sees the clashing of 80's style Thrash with the tenor of American Power Metal. Just like a horde of bulls on a rampage and the free-flowing attacking style displayed by Real Madrid, Agresiva set the tone for the expectations of Spanish Power Thrash Metal. From start to finish, a non-stop delivery of powerful vocals, brain-smashing riffs and quick-footed drumming is what is to be expected. Is this Spanish Metal album of the year? Might as well be!

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

HULDRE
'Intet Menneskebarn'

No joke, this is proper Eurovision material, no wait let's not stoop that low for a release that is a mish-mash of Eluveitie, Aperion and Arkona. Collectively playing a violin, guitar, bass, drum, a flute and a hurdy-gurdy is sextet Huldre from Denmark. Delivering their Danish myth-laden debut album 'Intet Menneskebarn' in a classical way, it won't take long before the major labels start sniffing this album out. Fuelled by the classics of Danish folklore and tales, this is a truly remarkable album and is sure to get the European Metal scene wake-up call, or at least could act as a wake-up call for anyone. Bouncy music mix with a tongue-twister of Danish lyrics and traditional Folk Metal vocals and result in a definitive piece of music.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

DUBLIN DEATH PATROL
'Death Sentence'
MASCOT

For a band name which could provoke the Irish and Northern Irish, the septet from California, Dublin Death Patrol return with a vengeance with their face-melting second effort 'Death Sentence', quite literally one song down and you'll be signing your death warrant for enduring a luxury seldom ever done, simply classic Heavy Thrash Metal. Featuring the masterminds Steve Souza and Chuck Billy, they lead a valiant group of musicians on a quest to deliver epic sounds, and they have done. Scintillating riffs merge with brutal drumming and skull-crunching vocals and it is this sound that could shape the band forever, now if this album does not get in the top 20 on the billboard, I shall eat my speakers.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

ADJUST THE SUN
'Devouring Worlds'

So the debut album from Adjust The Sun is practically Scar Symmetry but adjusted to a different style. Strapping progressive elements to the embodiment of Melodic Death Metal and ending up with a unique sound in that both gender vocals come together, the guitars riff it out to the max and the drummer provides a technical level of musicianship, such is an apt description of the German's debut album 'Devouring Worlds', think of Gojira mixing with Scar Symmetry and you'll get the idea of what this sounds like. For the sextet this is a promising start but the only problem is keeping it up, only time will tell, but for now and especially 2012, witness the birth of a new force in the German Metal scene.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

BLOODLINE SERIES 1, 2 & 3
Compilation
WHATEVER NEXT / ROCK MATRIX

So unleashing the ultimate smackdown of Metal is the Bloodline Series, spanning from series 1 to 3 and delivering a feast-for-your-ears exhibition of some of the finest talent that's found in the Bandquest competition. Bands all over the country are found on this remarkable series as well as a rainbow-array of Music genres, from your breakneck Thrash Metal to spine-chilling Black Metal and from your gut-wrenching Death Metal to your soul-soothing Heavy Metal. But the bands on the compilations are not all unsigned, per se Sanctorum from Colchester are signed to Auburn Fox Records, but let's face it this is a grand vehicle for those unsigned to show what they can do and hope to gain a name for themselves, from Southend hopefuls Merciless Fail to ex-Essex University student band Dismanibus, let alone forgetting The Furious Horde are to play Metalcamp in Slovenia this year! What you hear here is not just a collection of songs, but a true monument to the beautiful side of the British Metal scene, nay the winner of the Bandquest competition gets to play at the Bloodstock Open Air festival this year. For all metal fans, getting these compilations will be money worth investing in as there is the likelihood you will be hearing bands who in years to come are going to be big, let alone huge in their local scenes. Summing up the three compilations without delving into insane lengths of paragraphs will be a tad tricky, however the best way to sum them up? Let the listener decide, let the rollercoaster begin and let Heavy Metal once again spew out fresh sounds. As Jimi Hendrix put it "Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music", so for the bands involved in the compilations and he Bandquest competition, they are not just producing music, they are making the changes to the British music scene and with this next wave of British Metal, nothing is going to stop them from re-establishing the United Kingdom as a major player in the Global Metal music scene.

The compilations and t-shirts supporting Bandquest can be purchased from the Darkstore website individually (CDs and t-shirts priced accordingly), but can be bought altogether at any Bandquest event for £12 (3 CDs, 1 Bandquest t-shirt and 1 copy of the Altascope magazine), check out the Unified Sounds FB group for details on upcoming heats in London, Kent, Essex, Sussex, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

[10] + [10] + [10]

RHYS STEVENSON

SCARRED BY BEAUTY
'Sutra'
MIGHTY MUSIC

Well it would seem almost imperfect not to call Scarred By Beauty a band of whom features ex-Hatesphere vocalist Jon Albrechtsen a threat to Danish Metal. Their debut 2011 album 'Sutra' carries enough gusto and whim to separate the virtuous from the down-right dirty. This is Hardcore-meets-Thrash metal = Thrashcore territory and should not be dismissed as another petty 'core' genre. With riffs as sharp as blades and drumming as hard-hitting as a knock-out migraine, Scarred By Beauty are set to take Europe by storm and set ablaze the roaming fields of Copenhagen.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

_ MORPHING INTO PRIMAL
'Principios De Autodestruccion'
INDEPENDENT (RELEASED VIA XTREEM MUSIC)

Certainly not what you would expect from a Melodic Death Metal, pummelling drums only equate to half of the miscategorising of Spain's Morphing Into Primal, with more emphasis on Death Metal being as clear as crystal, the quartet seem to know what they are doing, sure the language barrier may prove an issue for those non-Spanish speakers, but the music deals with that in sensational form. Or make the latter stages a brief moment, for the album does offer melodic death metal in the 'Gothenburg style'; nay they are not a cloned Dark Tranquillity, but a version of the Swedes. Sure there is nothing new exhibited from this group but don’t dismiss them that easily, they are due to bring something new to the Spanish Metal scene and with this effort, they can only excel.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

STALWART
'Manifest Of Refusal'
PRC MUSIC

There is something about Russian Metal that seems to have that spine-tingling effect and Stalwart's fourth outing is no exception. ''Manifest Of Refusal' conjures up the prolific sound of blazing drums and ear-shredding riffs, both brutal enough to leave listeners with hearing problems. If carnage was evident in music, this sums it right to the bone. A futile example of speed and intricate technicality posted on an apocalyptical sound echoing to the crossing of Behemoth-meets-Gojira style Death/Thrash. If you thought that the Russians were only good for Pagan or Slavic Folk Metal, you'd be mistaken, prepare to be disembowlled, as this is shortlisted for Russian Metal album of the year.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

MASS HYPNOSIS
'Sanctimonious'
GEENGER RECORDS

Carrying on from the well-received 'Dis4nimation' which was released back in 2010, Croatian Melodic Death quintet Mass Hypnosis return with their follow-up 'Sanctimonious', at first it seems like another cliché-loaded Melodic Death album, but the tides soon change into the sounds of Hail Of Bullets, In Flames and The Dead Lay Waiting; a culmination of Melodic death Metal, with breakdowns and thrashing drums here and there. There is a new sound with this band and although the lyric topics are on verge of controversy, the imminent result is a futile explosion of Modern Metal. Comparing to their debut album, there is more orchestration present here and this gives a greater brutal experience. 'Sanctimonious' is to take this Croatian bunch into further fields across Europe and are certainly ones to watch out for.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

G.L.A.S.S.
'Giving Life A Secret Story'

Hailing from Germany, 2010 saw one of the most majestic and heavenly releases take shape courtesy of Progressive / Power quartet (now quintet) G.L.A.S.S. of which evidently is an abbreviation of their debut album 'Giving Life A Secret Story'. Fittingly soft vocals add a sense of calmness and tranquillity to the exuberant and adventurous sounds cast by the guitars and drums together. This is one of those albums that you either love it or hate it, because there is different sounds on each track altogether but all coming into one sound-wave of 'soul metal'. G.L.A.S.S. is one band that fans of Sonata Arctica will enjoy, but also one band that is sure to cause a storm in the coming years.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

ASGAIA
'Trinegra'
STF

Battling their way through the forests and wilderness of the Melodic Death minefield, Germany's Asgaia offer a unique twist on the common genre with some ambiance and coldness in their music, similar to that of Latvia's Preternatural. Mystical and eclectic best suit this quintet's third album 'Trinegra', by diverging away from the rules of the genre and adding their own unique sound to the affray. Pummelling drums encase the atmospheric in a shroud of bizarreness and almost near sci-fi embodiment. Asgaia are sure to become a storm in the German Metal scene and with this effort, they are ready to smother Europe, watch this band at all costs.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

DARKMOON
'Wounds'
STF

Firing on all cylinders is Swiss mosh-bombardiers Darkmoon with their third album assault, 'Wounds' deploys the combined sound of Black and Death Metal to such an extent, this is perhaps a toned down version of Behemoth, but whilst that may sound apt, the music is just as brutal as rottweilers savaging a gang of chickens, ruthlessly and brutally. For the quintet from Hölstein this is perhaps the pivotal moment in their existence, rallying a futile blast of unimaginable proportions. Darkmoon is without a doubt, Switzerland's most kept secret until now, the evil has just turned nasty.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

BRAINDEADZ
'Born From Damnation'
STF

Teutonic Thrash quintet Braindeadz return with their sophomore album 'Born From Damnation', continuing the sounds of the German Thrash style and bringing more gut-busting riffs and brain-squelching drum beats to the masses. Evidently Braindeadz are amongst the same group of bands like Holy Moses to grace their national sound, but the truth is Braindeadz revolutionize that sound into a harsher reality. Wielding an army of furious artillery assaults in respect to sensational songs, the Limburg an der Lahn quintet have just begun.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

BLACKHORNED
'Dark Season'
UNDERCOVER

Dark as the misery of the blackened woods and cold as the frostbitten mornings of a Danish winter, Black / Thrash quartet Blackhorned smother the atmosphere with sensational despair, darkness and spine-chilling coldness. The sounds emanating from the deepest chasms of hell and banishing all light in the room, the sound of their fourth full length album released last year, 'Dark Season' brings the suicide emotion to the center of the altar and sacrifices a bleak and dormant moment to unleash brutality in the greatest audio form to date, Blackhorned are without a doubt Denmark's finest underground metal band.

[9.5] 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