ANGELICAL TEARS 'The Eleventh Hour' Angelical Tears, the oncoming threat from Oklahoma, USA, emerge once again from the darkened abyss and deliver their latest release 'The Eleventh Hour'. Featuring more of the classic Within Temptation and Evanescence combination, the quintet immerse the listener with soothing heavenly vocals, razor-hard riffs and solid drumming in one epic package. Since their self-titled debut, Angelical Tears have torn apart the rulebook and wrote their own sound, layering different elements from different Metal genres and finalising a sound that will captivate any fan of female-fronted bands, this is perhaps the album to get them signed by and as 'The Eleventh Hour' strikes, four tornadoes spawn, ready to strike the heart of the everyday metal fan. [9] RHYS STEVENSON DARK THEORY 'Bludgeon' Hailing from the county known as the garden of England, Kent quartet Dark Theory cultivate patches of poison ivy and record the cold and bitter screams provoked by their victims, of course their EP 'Bludgeon' hosts a myriad of different genres, but the main core sound is truly Gothic Black Metal. Sure the first sound of drum 'n' bass gives a startling impression, but buy time and moving onto 'Vampires Pain' and the more modern sound kicks in, modern albeit the obvious Victorian Gothic Metal influence and naturally the bitter sweetness of Olivia's backing vocals, but needless to say that Ryan finishes off with some gruelling vocals, was just the start of 'Bludgeon', as it is a tale of two halves, but the latter is to take Dark Theory into the legions of bands like Theatres des Vampires, Darkwell, The Furious Horde and Cradle Of Filth. If you thought Kent was all about roaming fields, go forth; just don't disturb the graveyards, for the Dark Theory is soon to curse the lands. [8] RHYS STEVENSON CIRCLES LINE 'Promo 2012' Residing in the lap of the gods, Circles Lane mix traditional Greek sounds with their classic Heavy Metal composition, sure this is nothing new but it still has a twinkle about it. Their debut demo entitled 'Promo 2012' delivers the classic Bruce Dickinson high-pitch vocals and the standard signature tune to the Heavy Metal genre, the riffs are of the Speed Metal guild and yet the overall production is as classic as it can get. If you're expecting free-flowing music and differentiation, think again, Circles Line will appeal to those fans of the classic side of metal but for the modern generation, this wouldn't be for you. [7] RHYS STEVENSON VINDICATOR 'United We Fall' SLANEY American Thrash Metal, seems to be loaded with the same ole lyrics, musical composure and atmosphere, Vindicator is no different. Fusing the topics of nuclear war, zombies and violence to their unique sound of Teutonic (German) Thrash Metal and old school Death Metal double-bass drumming, this is a band full of imagination and it shows on their third album 'United We Fall', riff after riff, the Ohio quartet smash through the sound barrier to deliver a face-punching sound of classic Thrash Metal. Get ready to sh*t your pants, this is the sound to tear the political manifesto's apart. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ESSENCE OF DATUM 'I Am Alpha & Omega' Possibly the metal band the Eastern European nation of Belarus has been waiting for to lift the scene into further recognition, Essence Of Datum go completely instrumental on their 2012 promo 'I Am Alpha & Omega' and do it absolutely perfect. Mixing Technical melodies with the embodiment of solid grizzly Death Metal, the trio dive into the fountain of experimentation and blast out in exciting fashion, full of cracking riffs and emphatic solo's, 'I Am Alpha & Omega' is a release that belongs in any metal fan's arsenal, think you know guitars, blastbeats and technical compositions? Wait till Essence Of Datum smash your skill in, as you realise 'I Am Alpha & Omega' and everyone else is subordinate. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SINMATTIC 'Sinmattic' Once in a while Portugal spews out a metal band that warrants international attention, this time the limelight falls upon Sinmattic and their debut self-titled EP. The quartet (now quintet) delivers a dark and softening sound of Melodic Gothic Metal. As shadowy as the historic Gothic tribe residing in the Iberian lands, Sinmattic revive their country's past and deliver it to the masses via an army of soul-calming lyrics, tantalising riffs and beautifully constructed drum patterns, altogether devising a concoction of Children of Bodom melodies and Epica soprano vocals, Sinmattic are sure to alight the Portuguese Metal scene for the Gothic Metal sound. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON NYCTICORAX 'Black Raven... Dark Night' + 'Anima Tenebrarum' 2006 saw the sophomore album by Latvian quartet Nycticorax come to haunt the hallowed lands of Eastern Europe with their unique style of Vampiric Black Metal. 'Black Raven... Dark Night' is immersed in the Gothic atmosphere Riga offers to it's folk, Nycticorax latched onto that energy feed and sent out truly dark musical messages in Latvian and Russian alike, using the classic shriek of the Black Metal infrastructure, the atmosphere revolves around the haunted lands of Dracula and ousts the light with a full on blast of True Latvian Black Metal. From the dark mysticism of this hallowed band and the outgoing audio sounds of Vampiric Black Metal, it would be interesting to see how Nycticorax evolves from this. Forwarding the clocks to 2011 and Latvian Black Metallers Nycticorax return to terrorise Europe once again, this time it's their third album 'Anima Tenebrarum' that delivers the cold and bitter taste of vampirism in it's true form. Pulsating drums coat the vocals in an infectious disease, so deadly it makes the old Soviet regime look as weak as a plastic ruler, but that's not to say that this Latvian band are of the sort, in fact Nycticorax are due to take the Latvian Metal scene to newer heights, with 'Anima Tenebrarum' now firmly set on powering the band onto newer styles of their already constructed Vampiric Black Metal, nothing is going to stop this mammoth machine. [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON RAJFAJH 'The True Nation' Probably time to close this band down, twenty years have passed and coming to their 2012 EP you'd find more entertainment elsewhere. The typical shriek, muffed riff and nearly-heard blastbeat are the three factors that dominate this release; however it cannot be totally condoned; at least it features a ambient feel to it, but the sort that may take time to get used to. 'The True Nation' if you take it seriously could refer to a pagan or nationalist sentiment and so the latter could upset certain people, albeit the fact that the band name is closely linked to either the Arabic or central Asian languages and so the product is somewhat intriguing. [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON SPACE CHASER '2012 demo / promo' From time to time modern day metal bands decide to keep the traditions alive, Space Chaser are no exception. The Thrash Metal quintet from Berlin release their premier demo and promo this year and as such show excellency right from the first riff, this is 80's style Thrash Metal in the vein of Anthrax and Metallica mostly, with the classic and easily detectable riffs and signature drumming as the backdrop, Space Chaser are nowhere near the Teutonic Thrash Metal style that has plagued the German metal scene for years. As long as they keep this up, they could make a name for themselves in the European metal scenes, you won't need a time travel machine to see 80's Thrash Metal, let the Space Chaser get it for you. [7] RHYS STEVENSON COLDBLOOD
'Under The Blade I Die' + 'The Other Gods' 2007 saw the debut album by Brazilian old-school Death Metal quartet Coldblood emerge from the pits of the Amazon and swamp the country in a swathe of Satanic Anti-Christianity. 'Under The Blade I Die' features toned down riffs come and going like a scythe slicing open the hearing sense with a sonic blast of irresistable blastbeats and guttural vocals as the perfect accompynants, as for Coldblood this was a new step in their band's existance and became a pivotal point in their musical direction, or did it? Regardless, 'Under The Blade I Die' is a solid performance of relenting Death Metal and is sure to batter anyone's brains to death. So when it came to present day and the year 2012 was calling, Coldblood released their first ever EP 'The Other Gods', much like the debut album except the production and quality is far superior on the EP. Plus strangely for an EP, this lasts over an hour and thus the listener is buried amongst a ton of really intricate and lush old school Death Metal once again. From the bizarre and creepy instrumentals like 'Before the Last Breath' to absolute face-melters like Reincarnating A New Black God, 'The Other Gods' is an example of pure brilliance and is sure to push Coldblood onto further releases in their twenty-year career (achieved this year). [7] + [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON
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NATTERGAL 'Singular Disasters' Even the most raw and atmospheric Black Metal bands have something extraordinary to offer and Nattergal is no exception, smothering the genre with cold, depressive and doom-laden feelings is just one difference, the fact being the project is performed by one female musician from Mexico is another, in fact her debut album 'Singular Disasters' has far more ambience on it than a session with the hippies. 'Singular Disasters' brings together a host of different styles of Black metal, moulds them together and delivers what one could perceive as one of the most rawest albums released to date, even so with the album designed for fans of evidently Raw Depressive Black Metal, it is one of a kind and should never be disregarded as a commoner. [7] RHYS STEVENSON MURDEROUS INSTINCT 'Manifestation Of Evil' Those uncanny Scotsmen, producing metal music to piss off the English because we tend to fail at Brutal Death Metal, well when you take into account Aberdeenshire's Murderous Instinct, you get the nostalgic feeling of the many battles between the nations, Culloden for example. But you tend to realise, hang on, this album has got more than angry musicians on it, this is a damn good masterpiece. So when the Scottish quartet shed out their debut album 'Manifestation Of Evil', the production is acceptable, but the music is godly and so without any doubt whatsoever, what we have here is an album that fans of Excrementory Grindfuckers, Cerebral Bore and The Atrocity Exhibit will love, now where's my cooking haggis. [9] RHYS STEVENSON SHEBREW 'Provenance' So apart from the fact the band's logo is similar to that of the iconic Star Wars logo, Brummie trio Shebrew come galloping out of the gates with their debut EP 'Provenance', putting together a juicy meal of Stoner Doom Metal to captivate the listener into a false sense of security, why? Well it's hardly Doom Metal at all, it's that sort of music you play when smoking weed at a campfire and hang out with the hippies, and it's mellow and delightful, if that's the best way to put it. But taking into account that this is a damn good starting point for the band, they may well get some major attention, or at least they deserve to, simply inspirational. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DEPRAVED PLAGUE 'Systemic' Well hospitals in Cambridgeshire must be overwhelmed with people suffering neck pains and other broken bones, the cause of the accidents can be blamed onto the infectious album release by Cambridge Death Metal mob Depraved Plague. This year the quartet unleash total chaos with their debut album 'Systemic', a futile sound of old school Cannibal Corpse and modern style techniques combined together to smash every skull who stands in their way, in fact scrap calling it Death Metal, the term 'Radioactive Metal' would befit them to the very cells from which they are made of, it's lethal, it's metal and it's 100% dangerous, Deprave Plague are on course to rival the world's biggest Death Metal titans, game on. [10] RHYS STEVENSON APPARITION 'For Vengeance... And For Love' METAL COMPASS Making their welcomed return is Staffordshire's Apparition with their sophomore album 'For Vengeance... And For Love' and their unique style of soul-soothing Gothic Metal. Two years have passed since their 2010 compilation and the wait has been worth it, delivering beautiful female vocals with an atmospheric backdrop, this is a album that creates a feeling of relaxation, a sort of stress-release entertainment, but however the listener perceives it, this is a band that deserves credit and recognition as bringing a new style of Gothic Metal to the forefront, sure they are not on the same par as bands similar to them like Within Temptation and Delain, no, in fact they are one whole level above them. [9] RHYS STEVENSON PRAYERS OF SANITY 'Confrontations' Simply put the best ever Thrash Metal band Portugal has ever seen, enter Prayers Of Sanity and their awaited return with their second offering entitled 'Confrontations'. The second album delivers break-neck Thrash Metal in the style of Slayer-cross-Holy Moses and so what you get is forty minutes worth of total brain-f*cking material. Pummelling drums ride the waves as the guitars provide tricky and technically demanding riffs and the vocals blast out at a thousand M.P.H., all in all this together provides the algorithm for what can be see as Portuguese Metal album of the year. Think you know Thrash? Think it's just how fast you can go? Until you know this band you know nothing of the kind. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SYNODIK 'Sequences For A New Matrix' The storm is oncoming, this is the new sound of modern Italian Metal. Synodik emerge out of the underground with a new style of music developed on their own accord, enter Cyber Death Metal. Mixing the delightful sounds of keyboards and lyrics regarding technology and everything on par with that, it won't be long before this Italian lot are signed, rest assured. Their debut album in question is a myriad of sounds and as such totally obliterates any pre-conceived ideas about the sound and well quite frankly, if they don't get any global attention, then it will shock the whole global community that this is without any doubt Italian Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON IN THE SILENCE 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad' If you're a fan of emotional and somewhat a little depressive music then you should not turn a blind eye to 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad', true its ideally Atmospheric Prog Metal, but even so the melancholy is enough to turn any priest demonic. 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad' is the debut album by Californian quartet In The Silence and it features eight tracks equating to forty-six minutes of ambience, rock and general misery. The composition is good granted but the overall release is a little bleak, its one of those albums that sits in the corner of the cupboard, gathering dust and yet fails to lose its lustre, although the irony is that it's meant to be dark, perhaps it is what it's stated as, 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad'. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON DISARM GOLIATH 'Born To Rule' Instantly the whole Iron Maiden sound hits you like a raging bull high on illicit drugs, but when you dissect a band like Disarm Goliath, they do have some influences coming in from Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Metallica (especially the solo's) and intriguingly they tend to have that Brummie sound; the home of metal. So when their sophomore album 'Born To Rule' comes out to rock the countryside, what it does instead is captures the essence of Heavy Metal gone-by and adds some modern features; we'll leave the listener to detect them. None the less, 'Born To Rule' is an album for the fans of Classic Metal and also bands like Kobra & The Lotus, Kaine, Merciless Fail and Rage. [7] RHYS STEVENSON PLANET RAIN
'Antichthon' Of course anyone would be mistaken to dub every Swedish Melodic Death Metal band the same, in truth it's just not the case, every one of them has something unique to offer, especially bands like Planet Rain who make their long-awaited debut album 'Antichthon' take flight in spectacular form. Delivering a fist punching wall of sound in the heaviest obliteration to date, this is the sound to smack the clone bands into line. 'Antichthon' hosts a brutal onslaught of outrageous riffs, emotional vocals and classic drumming; this is just the beginning of something magical. [7] RHYS STEVENSON TEMPLE OF THE MAGGOT 'Black Mass Apocalypse' UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS. Two years have past and now the dark and disturbing sounds of Temple of The Maggot are back amongst us, the Mongolian duo, now based in Europe, return with their second offering of Raw Black Metal in its darkest form yet. 'Black Mass Apocalypse' brings more satanic traits with it and transforms the atmosphere into a bleak and spine-chilling feeling, not because of the music but because of the sensation the album brings with it. For the duo that have been going four years, this is their best release to date and is sure to please fans of Carpathian Forest and Darkthrone with grim intent. [8] RHYS STEVENSON NATHORG 'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory' UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS. Nathorg could easily be the band to bring the Iranian Metal scene to the masses across the world, breaking out with their debut album 'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory', you can clearly see why these are the favourites to land themselves into the attention laps of global media, full on Blackened Death Metal at its core with hints of ambience and anti-religious hatred, coming from a land that's heavily influenced by Islam, this is a risky yet bold-statement of rebellion. Played in the style of Belphegor and Gorgoroth, Nathorg are sure to become the next Middle Eastern metal band to grace the covers of the British metal magazines. 'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory' serves up raw vocals, insanely fast drumming and soul-freezing riffs in one whole slab of forty minutes, think you know Extreme music? Think again. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SIRANNON 'Semper Caliga' UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS. 2011 saw darkness fall and cloud over the Turkish cities of Izmir and Istanbul as the all female quartet Sirannon deliver their debut album 'Semper Caliga' which is loaded with really evil Black Metal. Mixing Paganism and History in with their music, Sirannon use their native language on some songs and bring a unique Middle Eastern / Eastern European twist to their music. Full of raw sounding guitars and really low-key vocals and non-existent drumming, this is a raw production all over and is sure to entice those who love really distorted music. As for Sirannon and their release 'Semper Caliga', it is just the beginning; they won't stop there, not by a long shot. [7] RHYS STEVENSON SHORT FUSE 'Hate Brought To This Place Called Home' + 'Shred The Dead' + 'Annihilate The Masses' California, the home of Hollywood, huge-wage earners, crime, the golden gate bridge and of course its bustling nightlife, but beneath the sewers of this huge state is a monster waiting to escape, its first appearance came in 2005 when it sparked fear amongst the community. Enter the six-piece band with a short fuse, literally. Explosive Melodic Death Metal on a grand scale, Short Fuse conjured up a fairly decent debut album and laid the path down to make their music something of the rare kind, innovative. 'Hate Brought To This Place Called Home' in fact back in 2005 was produced by a quintet, but still brought that edge that lacked in the Californian Metal scene, mixing the classic sounds of the aforementioned metal genre with their own unique attitude, much more was expected to come and it did. 2010 and the quintet became a sextet and in time for their sophomore album 'Shred The Dead' which has a greater and more powerful sound than its predecessor, weaving even more guttural vocals than a drunk German, coupled with blazing drumming and cutting-edge riffs, this is the exact sound Short Fuse will be identified by, 'Shred The Dead' is a masterpiece in its own rights and is designed to make the dead come alive and leave the alive for dead. Lashing keyboard elements to this release and in turn overthrowing their previous release into disrepute, for the elements drawn on this release are far beyond anything magical, they're simply non-descript. Coming into the present times and Short Fuse deliver their third outing 'Annihilate The Masses' with even more gusto than their previous two efforts, it seems as every album passes they get better and better, although that's a generic concept for every band, but in respect of Short Fuse, they should keep this sound as is now, 'Annihilate The Masses' brings out a far more atmospheric feel via the eccentricity of the keyboards and elaborate piecing together of the drums and guitars, whilst the vocals do the powering forward of this monstrous beast. All in all the music is for fans of bands like Silent Descent, Scar Symmetry and intricate melodic death metal, just be careful of the explosive sound to be witnessed, it only takes a short fuse to get it going. [5] + [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON ETERNAL DREAM 'The Fall Of Salanthine' You know when fantasies and adventures have that certain feeling to them, well when you take six musicians from the autonomous region of Andalusia and give them a studio to work in, music flows freely, lyrics run like cascading waterfalls, full of drama, power and elegancy and yet the resulting crescendo comes as perhaps Spain's best answer to Within Temptation. Eternal Dream strap together the heavenly sounds of the female vocals with the fast and pacey rhythms of Power Metal to create a unique and diverse sound, a sound which can only be summed up as 'Symphonic Operatic Metal'. 'The Fall Of Salanthine' takes the listener on a journey through the roaming sands and mountains of the Spanish lands and resurrects the classical dramatics performed in the Flamenco. Strictly, Eternal Dream is the band to please fans of Blind Guardian, Within Temptation, Nightwish and Amberian Dawn, you'll never find a band like this quite again, simply magic. [10] RHYS STEVENSON MENZIA 'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' + 'Way To Nowhere' In the darkest corners of the autonomous lands of Catalonia, lays a Gothic Metal quintet of whom deliver much more than the average beauty and the beast scenario, it seems that Spanish musicians know how to flirt with the darkness at its best opportunities and so what came out in 2010 was nothing of the ordinary, the debut demo 'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' was brought into this world and with it came an elegant stream of 'los sonidos del amor', or 'streams of love' in that the music delivers that romantic touch and feeling whilst backing it up with the solid beats of the drums and crisp riffing from the guitars and so with 'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' now firmly set in stone, the next move was to become perhaps the most pivotal in the band's career. Moving into modern times and there is a clear sense of musical adjustment, Menzia return to release their 2012 and second demo 'Way To Nowhere', bringing back with them their unique style of Gothic Metal in the style of Lacuna Coil and Delain. Putting together a host of melodic keyboard notes with soul-crushing percussion and guitar riffs and coating the music with a lashing of beautifully powerful vocals to produce a sensational demo. There is not much else to say about this demo only that it is a cleverly produced release and that it is sure to please many fans in the Gothic Metal vein, the band's next move will be an interesting one. [6] RHYS STEVENSON L'ENDEVI 'An Eternity' ART GATES The sophomore album by Valencian quintet L'endevi could have been better, the vocals at times sound too forced and so completely undermine the true sounds of Gothic Metal. The music itself is spot on, adding a unique and dark feel to the atmosphere, but the female vocals are too much and so totally wreck the album. 'An Eternity' in a nutshell is a fairly decent release but it falls far short of anything ground breaking, sure it's due to gain some attention across the continent, but until the vocals are redone and the anger is thought through, sad to say L'endevi won't break out of the underground. If only they could add a keyboardist, now that would act as a great partner to the angry vocals, in fact actually the band have a lot of potential, they just need to find the right road to it. [6] RHYS STEVENSON ETERNAL CHAOS 'Dark God Of The Eternal' MIGHTY HORDES Darkness was reported to have covered Colombia entirely on the 28th May 2010, when Black Metal quartet Eternal Chaos made their debut album come alive in the harshest and most evil kind of ways. 'Dark God Of The Eternal' is your classic Black Metal album, loaded with raw guitars, hellish and heavenly vocals and insanely fast drumming. For a Colombian Metal band it is surprisingly well executed but the same patterns here and there do drag it down a bit, regardless of that it is a decent enough album that will please fans of Darkthrone and most Black Metal bands, with this album now firmly set in stone, Eternal Chaos are flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene. [8] RHYS STEVENSON OPVS LEVIATHAN 'I:O:I' MIGHTY HORDES It seems that Colombia has a knack of producing some rather interesting and musically intricate Black Metal, so when Opvs Leviathan call it time to release their debut album 'I:O:I', it could not be anymore greater produced than it has been. This is a band wallowing in the depths of Epic Black Metal, why epic? Due to the feeling of adventure riding on their debut album 'I:O:I', it takes the listener on a journey through the mountainous and drug-cartel lands of Colombia whilst keeping them on their toes with furious drumming and outrageous riffing. You know, if Opvs Leviathan ever set foot on European soil, they may well make the Norwegian bands wet themselves in their sleep, 'I:O:I' is that powerful, check it out if you dare. [8] RHYS STEVENSON DIVINE CODEX
'The Dark Descent' MIGHTY HORDES 'The Dark Descent', you might as well call it Technical Black Metal, let's face it, it features old-school Black Metal in the Mayhem style and adds technical elements here and there, so what you get effectively is a parallel sounding album, neat eh? So when the Italian duo Divine Codex releases this monstrosity, they unleashed with it a load of hell, maniac geniuses and sensational music precision. Wielding together a sound that bizarrely no other modern Black Metal band has even dreamt of and yet they remain pretty underground, well 'The Dark Descent' in a nutshell takes the listener on a journey to hell and back; remember the password out though, for The Divine Codex is a tough puzzle to crack. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON GENUINE RELIEF 'Behind The Smile' METALGATE Billed as possibly the best answer from the Czech Metal scene in the Black / Death Metal vein, Genuine Relief may sound a cliché to the previous statement, but make no mistake. With drums so heavy and fast it makes the Skoda car look weak, smashing the norm with evil riffs and grizzly vocals on their debut album 'Behind The Smile', it is likely that this band will see attention across Europe and perhaps beyond. With a bleak atmosphere drawn up from the pits of hell and the music crafted so finely it would appear similar to the final product of a gold smith, it's heavy, shiny and most importantly 100% metal, Genuine Relief are a band to watch and ideally prepare to be mesmerised by. [8] RHYS STEVENSON MARIONETTE 'Nerve' 'Nerve' marks the return of the Swedish sextet Marionette but with a new drummer and vocalist in their ranks, whilst conventionally not as lively as 'Enemies', the third opus produces a darker and far more atmospheric sound to their organic style of playing. With Alexander Andersson bringing in his Black Metal influences, Marionette are darker than ever. Taking on board the Gothenburg sound and adapting it to a trance-laden slice of cutting edge Melodic Death Metal, 'Nerve' is an album with a total sound shift and has redirected the band's emphasis on the whole Visual Kei visage. But don't be fooled, the album still delivers that unique sound pioneered by Aron, Mikael, Anton and Linus and has only been maximised by the two new recruits, with 'Nerve' finally on the table, Marionette are arming themselves to take the world by storm. With Marionette, not only do you get a six-piece machine, but you get a full-on punch that will crush your soul and you're very last 'Nerve'. [9] RHYS STEVENSON LIVEEVIL '3 Altering' METALGATE '3 Altering' is the third outing by Czech Electro-Gothic Metallers Liveevil, following their 2009 sensation 'Unique Constellation' it was always going to be a tricky task to summon up something far greater than itself, yet Liveevil have managed to pull it off, returning with their electronic backdrop and deep male vocals, the quartet once again captivate the minds of the listener with their Eisbrecher / Rammstein - style sound and twist it to deliver a cracker of an album. However, at some points the music sounds a little repetitious and thus loses fluiditiy, but despite that the album itself combines elements in the far-side of the music genres concerned. '3 Altering' is an album with a load of electronic beats, gothic influence and industrial cores, but it is not ground breaking, or is it? [8] RHYS STEVENSON MILOS MEIER 'DRUMMING SYNDROME - DRUM SHOW' METALGATE In the 2012 release of Miloš Meier's 'Drumming Syndrome' DVD, the Czech drumming maestro takes the viewers on a whirlwind journey through the drummers life of how he came to play drums, who he has met and played with and more importantly acts as a platform for budding drummers to cotton on to how the legend plays and what tips the lad has. Featuring three live videos of his sets in the Czech settlements of Olomouc, Ostrana and Hronov as well as a live studio video at the akropolis and also special features like music videos, other live shows with the bands he plays in: Stroy, Dymytry and Noid, topped off with a documentary all about the man himself. For budding drummers and also fans of Czech Metal music, this is a superb DVD to watch and be educated by, experience the force of a Czech drumming wizard and be infected by the 'Drumming Syndrome'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MINDREAPER 'Human Edge (... To The Abyss)' Unfortunately this is not Melodic Thrash Metal as there is meant to be keyboards present, instead what we have here is an example of Thrash Metal slowed down and sped up within reason. But for Germany's Mindreaper, of whose debut album 'Human Edge (... To The Abyss) came after eleven years of the band's existence is a little disappointing, as was Germany in the world cup, you could say the quintet scored an own goal and you'd be right, the guitars are too over processed, the drums are fine (no errors present) and the vocals remain true, but overall the album lacks an element of class and so the wait for the album was a little wasted, but not a total failure, just nothing spectacular. [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON OBLIVION MACHINE 'Unnatural & Wrong' / 'Zero-Gravity' / 'Starfield' MOLOT Russia was always known for exceptional Extreme Metal, but when one band by the name of Oblivion Machine come on the block, many could not believe what they were hearing, so starting with their debut album back in 2008, 'Unnatural & Wrong' isnt the greatest of sounds, not least because the vocals are hardly present, the guitars are quiet and the drums are the only section to give the release any life in it. However it is fast paced and acts as a promising catalyst for the later releases. 'Unnatural & Wrong' is not the best of starts but the band can only progress from there, in the end it is an album that isn't a total failure, but isn't a great album either. Coming into 2011 and the band's third album 'Zero-Gravity' wipes the floor with their debut album, there is far more presence on the album and perhaps its the female vocals that they are missing as they add that extra level of movement to the release, a truly grand mix of electronic sounds with the harshness of Death Metal and Industrial Metal. With sounds similar to that of fellow country-men Xe-None and Illidiance, Oblivion Machine with 'Zero-Gravity' have clearly found their sound that will suit them forever. Sensational riffs and danceable drumming come together and are topped with some really evil vocals of which leaves the album as possibly the turning point in the bands existance. 2012 came into view and the next release by Oblivion Machine took shape, this time in the form of their first ever EP called 'Starfield'. Continuing the new sound of electronic death metal with the heavenly female vocals, this is a promising release and platform for the new sound to be fully exploited on. 'Starfield' is a thirty-six minute, six track opus for which achieves to captivate the listener in excellent form. Not much else can be said about this release only that it will provide Oblivion Machine with a brutal from of assault, the cyberstorm as we know it has only just begun. [4] + [7.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLOOD & BRUTALITY 'Sick Of It All' / 'The Blood & The Brutality' BLOOD & BRUTALITY Hailing from Alabama, USA, Blood & Brutality serve up their unique twist on Death / Thrash Metal with playing Thrash Metal music and near-enough Death Metal vocals. However their sophomore album 'Sick Of It All' shows what the band is capable of doing, by lashing together some of the fastest drumming they could muster with a load of grizzly riffs and spine-chilling vocals, sure this is nothing new but it gives to be old-school and ideally happy playing what they want to play. Armed with a feast of songs to keep the listener hooked, 'Sick Of It All' proves to be one of those releases that no matter how many times you listen to it, you cannot deny it is practically old school and so therefore retains its place in metal history. Coming into 2011 and the band go a little more on the raw side but still retain that recognisable sound established on 'Sick Of It All', or you would think. With the music now changing at different speeds from the middle-of-the-road speed to neck breaking Thrash Metal style, the sort of speed that suggests the drummer is battery operated, Duracell probably. Whether you like it or hate it, listeners cannot deny that 'The Blood & The Brutality' is probably the band's best album. It mixes the Slayer Thrash Metal sound with the Death Metal vocals devised in the Swedish lands. it is this sensational combination that gives the album it's highly recognisable tune and is sure to please many listeners alike across the globe, old hat people may say, we say metal to the bone, 'The Blood & The Brutality' of the state of Alabama. [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON PASSION OF DEATH 'Passion of Death' BLOOD & BRUTALITY Well there is not much to go by on this release only that is was released this year, the band comes from Alabama, the drummer is the owner of Blood & Brutality Records and that this band play Death / Thrash Metal. Ok so 'Passion of Death' is pretty much a low-budget recording but the music still delivers in its raw form over the course of five tracks and it is these five tracks that ultimately suggest that the band are on to something unique, with agility on the forefront of the drumming department and the cutting-edge riffs carving their way through the silent atmosphere, 'Passion of Death' is a decent enough solid start from the duo. [6] RHYS STEVENSON WOLFSHEAD 'Promo 2012' Dragging out the original sounds of Heavy Metal when it was born and adding a modern stance on it with guttural vocals is Finnish quartet Wolfshead and their debut promo, their first ever release in their 2nd year of activity. Dubbed 'Traditional Heavy Metal', the quartet from Oulu do not fail to impress with their Iron Maiden-esque style of playing and yet they manage to cut themselves some slack and deliver music that comes from the heart. With their 2012 promo, listeners can here vocals so melodramatic they make mood swings look appalling, as for the music itself, it's similar to a sweet shop, designed to make anyone high off their tits. None the less, this band will go far and this promo won't go unnoticed. [7] RHYS STEVENSON NARBARION
'Les Ailes Noires' Usually French Black Metal is as bad as a drunk downing his own pee, but when Narbarion, a one-man project led by Lourdes musician Morkhor comes into the limelight with his debut demo 'Les Ailes Noires', this is a reprieval that was a long-time coming. Mixing the harsh raw sounds of Black Metal with ambient sounds like crows and running water, this is a truly atmospheric release. Naturally all of the songs are sung in French, but that does not withdraw the music from being sensational, in fact it adds a level of uniqueness to the final product. 'Les Ailes Noires' is a demo for any Black Metal fan and is sure to light the path to greater releases, in the veins of Burzum and Blut Aus Nord, Narbarion is a name that will eventually be on everyone's tongues, you won't find music like this anywhere else. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ELDERS' TALES 'A Dreamer's Phantasy' The debut demo from French Melodic Power Metal sextet is a great effort but the male vocals are something to be less desired, it doesn't carry the same level of power that female vocals would do. However through the melancholy and Gothic-tinged atmosphere, Elders' Tales do deliver a superb musical side, one filled with calm moods and vibrant colours. Classed as an album that delivers that relaxation factor, it does not fall short of anything but a decent album and points the band in the right direction, with the melodies fusing together Gothic elements and fantasy together whilst merging it with high vocals; which in relation to the previous statement perhaps could feature both gender vocals and then it will simply be 'A Dreamer's Phantasy' of Beauty & The Beast. [7] RHYS STEVENSON DRAIN LIFE 'Revelations Of The Enslaved' A three years wait and the Dutch sorrow-masters of Thrashy Metalcore come back to deliver their second offering 'Revelations Of The Enslaved', full of speed and insane vocals, this is a hit and miss album as the band switch from genre to genre at the sound of a riff and motion of a blastbeat. Summoning up the spit-in-your-face style of Metalcore and lashing it with grizzly Thrash Metal toppings, 'Revelations Of The Enslaved' is certified to construct and destruct the listener piece by painful piece as the quintet put together a riff-a-thon of mesmerising guitar compositions and ingenious drumming of which can only be totally backed up by the vocals of total chaos. If you want to click your neck, listen to Doom Metal, if you want to snap a thousand necks listen to Drain Life. [9] RHYS STEVENSON _ NUCLEAR ASSAULT 'Atomic Waste! Demos & Rehearsals' HIGH ROLLER For a band that started in 1984, split-up and reunited three times during the past 28 years, the time has come for a rain check, or ideally a compilation of the greats. Enter 'Atomic Waste! Demos & Rehearsals' by New York old-school Thrashers Nuclear Assault, with a history linking with a number of Thrash acts including: Holy Moses, Anthrax and Soulfly to name a few, 'Atomic Waste! Demos & Rehearsals' is more than a collection of old music, its classic gold! Mixing the 80's Thrash Metal style developed along the East coast of the USA, Nuclear Assault deliver a powerful and extreme presence with this compilation, from start to finish through over an hour’s worth of yesteryear classics, this is the finest compilation of one of America's unspoken bands. 'Atomic Waste! Demos & Rehearsals' is for fans of old school thrash metal and lovers of crossover, it is without a doubt a pure, timeless classic. [8] RHYS STEVENSON GUERILLA TREE 'Mental Leaps' Much like H.I.M. from Finland, the vocals on Guerilla Tree's debut album 'Mental Leaps' delivers the deep male vocals of the Gothic Metal subgenre and lashes it with sensational epic melodies and meaningful percussion. Very much in the vein of Dream Theater and Type O'Negative, the German quintet compose a masterpiece of absolute undisputable perfection in it's most modest form. Eccentric solo's and gallant music take the listener on a whirlwind journey through the dark forests and gothic landscapes of Medieval Germany. It generally is not easy to discover label material, but give Guerilla Tree due, they are sure to attract a host of labels and with 'Mental Leaps' under their belts, the next step will be an interesting one. [9] RHYS STEVENSON REDEYE 'I Am God' The fourth demo is dropped and still no debut album in the six years of Redeye's existence, bit worrying, but when you get a band like this mixing old school Thrash Metal with the modern brutality of furious Death Metal, you can understand it's simply too good to put into album form. Hard hitting and insane music is driven by three burly musicians and one wordsmith, simply put the whole quartet and their finished effort 'I Am God' makes any Death / Thrash Metal band weep in their sleep, a ferocious display of utmost anger, harsh brutality and face-smashing metal, 'I Am God' is a promising sign of more extreme music to come. [7] RHYS STEVENSON TEMPUS FUSION 'To End It All' There's a storm brewing over Hampshire and it isn't a weather one either, shooting colours across the sky from the top of the Spinnaker Tower and creating waves in the form of their majestic debut album 'To End It All'. Taking clear influences from The Defiled, Devin Townsend, Gojira and TesseracT, Tempus Fusion are set to rock the nation, let alone Bloodstock this year. With this valiant and vibrant offer it would seem likely that will be signed in the near future, it cannot be ignored. 'To End It All' delivers a torrent of double bass drumming, wind-swept riffs and solo's, precise composition and a soothing vocal range to go with it, for Tempus Fusion 'To End It All' is to drive metal music to the extreme levels. [10] RHYS STEVENSON FLAMEDROP 'Burn Every Clue (Promo)' So apart from the odd occurrence of a chugging bass sound, the overall production of 'Burn Every Clue (Promo)' comes as no surprise as a superbly executed release, the 2012 demo by Hungarian Melodic Deathrashers Flamedrop is a prequel to what is yet to come and serves up as a promising step for the young quintet. The three tracks on the release are of great significance in that this could be the build up to their awaited debut album, although focusing on the demo in hand it delivers epic melodies, crushing riffs and speedy drumming, all of which mesh together to give a hard-on full-on metal experience, from start to the finish Flamedrop bring to the table a new unique sound. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BLUE GILLESPIE 'Seven Rages Of Man' It would seem that the Welsh valleys had a sudden drop of rampant sheep and that locals reported mysterious woolly creatures moshing to the sound of 'Seven Rages Of Man', or maybe it was marauding scientists checking out the insane technicality shown by Blue Gillespie. 'Seven Rages Of Man' marks the return of Newport's sons Blue Gillespie for their second outing, mixing complex riffs with a harsh progressive sound and commanding vocals, it is clear to see that 'Seven Rages Of Man' could easily be compared to Mastodon's 'The Hunter'. Full on metal at a fairly melodic level and yet regardless of the calmness here and there, the vocals rough up the noise in ballistic style, no wonder health and safety went crazy over South Wales, this stuff is lethal. [9] RHYS STEVENSON Волчий Острог 'Багряный Восход Возрождения' GRAILIGHT PRODS. Волчий Острог is a septet from the vast lands of Russia and they come out of the shadows with their emphatic debut album 'Багряный Восход Возрождения'. Layering Melodic Death Metal with the folk sounds of Pagan Metal and shaping it using their native Russian language, Волчий Острог prove that they are a force to be reckoned with. Throughout the album changes speed from going insanely fast to having a more mid-paced melodic feel especially on 'Багряный Рассвет Возрождения' where the guitars deal a beautifully constructed solo and the drums deliver an intricate percussive support, all whilst the vocals crash head-on with the most guttural vocals anyone could muster. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ ARCANA IMPERIA
'Новые Миры' GRAILIGHT PRODS. Making their return to unleash hell with their third offering, Arcana Imperia explode in the total sound of Melodic infused Black / Death Metal. 'Новые Миры' sees the quartet conduct more melodic guitar work with the fury-pace of the double bass drums amassed on top of breathtaking vocals. Lashing together the harsh sounds of the Russian language with such delinquent music is as original as a Cossack reciting latin passages. A common trait amongst most Russian bands and so the originality dissipates, along with parts in songs which have no get-up-and-go attitude and so the overall perception of their third outing is that there are good and bad parts, just don't call it groundbreaking. [7] RHYS STEVENSON ____暗月冥 (Moonless Acheron) 暗月冥 (Moonless Acheron) COLD WOODS PRODS The debut album from Chinese Thrash maniacs Moonless Acheron is one full of negative compromise and epic riffs, vocals and mind-blowing composure. Not unlike Evile or Testament, Moonless Acheron emerge with their debut self-titled album with guitars blazing hot from the epic riffs produced, drums demolished and the vocals so heavy and brutal, the great wall of china has started to fall down. Mixing fast flowing and intricate musicianship with the harsh brutality of Extreme Chinese Metal, this is an album worthy of international exposure and is sure to garner attention from major magazines both in China and Europe. [8] RHYS STEVENSON 3, 14... 'Похороны Лучшего Друга (Funerals Of Best Friends)' Returning back with their third album in their ten year career, Azerbaijani Melodic Doomsters 3, 14... bring more of their traditional music influences and the Russian language to produce a truly unique sound of middle eastern and dark music. From the first to the last second across the two disks, the band takes the listener on a winding journey through the black nights and cultural feel of their native homeland. Following up from their second serving back in 2010, the band has come a long way and have indeed improved themselves dramatically. Drawing influences from My Dying Bride and Tiamat, producing a mesmerising release and vastly becoming the most successful metal band in Azerbaijan, 3, 14... are flying the flag for the Azerbaijan Metal scene and are sure to take on Europe like a wildfire. [9] RHYS STEVENSON WINTER'S VEIL 'The Storm Awakens' There's a bitter wind blowing through the streets of London and it isn't pleasant either, it's the fast-flowing soundwaves of Winter's Veil and their bitter atmospherically-charged debut album 'The Storm Awakens'. Fuelled with males vocals in the style of Bruce Dickinson, female vocals in the style of orchestral gothic metal (a lower version of Within Temptation) and musically similar to that of Pythia and Lacuna Coil, the quartet from London are sure to set sights on breaking through the underground scene and into the realms of the well-known bands. Bringing with this release, they deliver a harmonious and illustrious sound of frost-bitten Power Metal and the delicacies that come within the darkness of Gothic Metal and this album is without a doubt going to attract both fans and media alike, as well as potentially a record label, this is a band to watch. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SAVAGE 'Sons Of Malice' SANCTUARY Having been through the very birth of the sound we know as Heavy Metal back in the 1970's, having a ten year hiatus from 2002 till 2012 and now delivering their sixth overall album, it is no wonder why Savage should be regarded as a gem, a band that has seen it all. Now emerging with their latest album 'Sons Of Malice', the NWOBHM sons of Mansfield deliver a mind-blowing composition of nitty-gritty Hard Rock and wetty-sweaty Heavy Metal as they demolish all previous releases in an hour-long epic. Having a star-studded career is not complete without the classics being released and this is sure to go down as one. Full-on heavy metal riffing, rock 'n' roll attitude and a talent for producing what is regarded as being in the league of classic British Heavy Metal. 'Sons Of Malice' is for fans of Iron Maiden, AC/DC and classic metal and rock, but what makes the new line-up extra-special is three members are family and the drummer is also family. [10] RHYS STEVENSON TRI MEBIUS
'Blind Materials / Promised Sense' RE-STROPHE 2011 saw the debut album from Japanese Melodic Heavy Metallers Tri Mebius come to life, their release 'Blind Material' takes the very essence of the Japanese language and moulds it with melodies and heavy brutality far beyond imaginable, however the only slight drawback is the drumming beyond too repetitious. The guitars however deal absolute peril and riff it out beyond level 13 whilst the vocals led by Nao deliver a lively feel to the release, almost similar to that of L'Arc En Ciel. For the then quintet from Osaka this is a decent enough release and set the ball in motion for them to become Japan's latest product. 'Blind Material' is for fans of Kobra & The Lotus and Sister Sin. Moving into 2012 and the now Japanese quartet (guitarist had left in Dec 2011) make a greater effort on their single 'Promised Sense'. This time round it is far more livelier and more precise. With two songs and instrumental to keep the listener occupied, the major difference is that the music is far more powerful, the drums have greater percussion and the vocals deliver that more epic feeling. This is the sound that Tri Mebius should stick to as it works like duck to water. With this effort it is clear to see that Tri Mebius will become a well known band in Japan and hopefully Eastern Asia, but with this effort it is more than likely that they could break even further. With both songs deliviring a very upbeat atmosphere and musical deliverance, it will be hard to find a band to replace them. [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON LYCANTHIA 'Oligarchy' Full of melodramatic music and outrageous darkness is what is best to describe Lycanthia's sophomore album 'Oligarchy' as, but the only downside is that there is really too much going on, for example the harsh male vocals on top of the female high vocals doesn't sound good, and maybe alternating the vocals would. The music itself is fairly good for a Doom-laden Metal album but still the guitars lack any real presence, ironically giving it an even more raw presentation, even though the drums and the keyboards steal the show. However no matter what the negative parts of the album are, the good points are that it is very dark, gothic and beyond extreme, something which lacks in some bands these days. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON ILLUMINATA 'A World So Cold' NAPALM RECORDS Making their return with their second album is Austrian Melodic Power / Gothic group Illuminata, the three male and three female ensemble bring to the masses 'A World So Cold' released in 2011. This sees the sextet signed to Napalm Records and also brings their delightful and majestic sounds to the table once more, epic symphonies, luscious vocals and powerful music come together to take the listener on a magical journey through the wispy clouds and wintry mountains of the Austrian alps as Illuminata lead the way and deliver an absolute epic in the tune of Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil, but what is missing is the one and only fact, this album is too short, it is that good. [10] RHYS STEVENSON THE NINE TREASURES '十丈铜嘴 Arvan Ald Guulin Hunshoor' MORT PRODUCTIONS Simply put, this could be Chinese Metal album of the year, because '十丈铜嘴 Arvan Ald Guulin Hunshoor' not only has lyrics sung in Mongolian, features Chinese Folk music mixed with Heavy Metal or because it's the debut album by The Nine Treasures, but because the absolute originality is parallel. Hailing from Inner Mongolia, The Nine Treasures weave together a myriad of musical instruments to effectively deliver a piece of music that makes most Oriental Metal bands obsolete and what makes The Nine Treasures so special is that they've only been around two years, released their debut and are signed to a major Chinese label, in fact they've only started, next stop Loud Park? [10] RHYS STEVENSON TERMINAL LOST (天幕落) '卷贰 凤凰山' MORT PRODUCTIONS Darkness falls over Shanghai as Terminal Lost return with their second slab of evil Melodic Black Metal in the form of '卷贰 凤凰山', the quintet bring the darker side of the Chinese Metal scene to the masses and blasts wide open the doors for black wolves to charge forward at the speed of the drums, whilst ravens swoop down as the riffs drop and the Oriental sounds deliver a soul-soothing and soul-crushing dual blow, this is an album full of many influences to keep any listener occupied and so it will be interesting to see where Terminal Lost go on from here, whether to more Oriental sounds, darker atmospheres or harder music. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SIGH
'Infidel Art / Hail Horror Hail' MORT PRODUCTIONS So way, way back in 1995, Sigh the Black Metal / Avant Garde Metal lords of Japan, released their sophomore album as a follow up to 1993's 'Scorn Defeat', 'Infidel Art' sees more melancholy develop from the band who at this point were a trio. Mixing the darkness of the Japanese history with the bleak and cold atmosphere found in traditional Black Metal, this album delivers a cross between extreme music and the oriental sounds of Japan, now one felt that the film The Grudge was eerie enough, but when an album like this comes out of the dark to haunt your hearing, it would seem wrong to put it as a stereotypical black metal album, for here is a band who undoubtedly changed the course of Japanese Metal forever. Moving onto 1997 and Sigh turn up a notch by bringing in darker imagery and a far more cold, bitter and evil atmosphere into their third release 'Hail Horror Hail', which in turn reveals itself to be a rather sensational and unnerving album. Full of the Avant Garde Metal style in the music parts and Black Metal vocals cover the rest of the album with the bleak and eerie atmosphere warranted by the album from the first song to the very last song, Sigh take the listener on a journey of mystery, myth and total legendary proportions with this release and as they now at present have nine albums in their 23 year career, Sigh are now Japanese Metal legends. FROSTY EVE '垂死的梦境 (Dying Dreamland)' MORT PRODUCTIONS 2007 saw a new force rise in the depths of Beijing, China. That force was instantly named the Frosty Eve and took with it six musicians to create a truly sensational take on Melodic Death Metal. The debut EP '垂死的梦境 (Dying Dreamland)' features the sextet sing in their native Chinese but provide music similar to that of Wintersun. Harmoniously delivering cold and bitter winds from the keyboard and rough, gritty punches from the drums and guitars, it was only meant to be topped off by some of the harshest vocals ever heard in metal music history. No doubt about it, Frosty Eve are one heck of a damn good Melodic Death Metal band and are sure to lead the Chinese Metal scene onto further achievements. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON FEARLESS 'Lord Of Twilight' MORT PRODUCTIONS Smashing their way onto the scene is Chinese Melodic Death Metal outfit Fearless and their debut EP 'Lord Of Twilight' which uniquely incorporates traditional Chinese sounds with the rough sound of Metal to create something Oriental and something distinct. The quartet hailing from Shanghai deliver a mixed blend of Chinese oriental sounds on the keyboard with the Melodic Death Metal sound from which bands like Dark Salvation and Sight Of Emptiness can be compared too, but even so the fact remains that this is the new breed of metal bands and are set to take the underground by storm, even if it is only in the Far East, great things will happen. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DAGON POWER '大红袍' MORT PRODUCTIONS Chinese Metalcore is something that not many people would think about and so when Dagon Power emerge on the block with sounds like Asking Alexandria and Bleeding Through, the next step which indeed is the slaughter, could not be dreamt of. Pummelling drumming mixed with outrageous riffing and some gruesome vocals altogether mix to make a face-smacker of an album. If you thought you knew Metalcore, think again, this band will take you and smash your brain ten times harder than a Glaswegian kiss (headbutt). For Dagon Power, the prospect of global recognition has just begun. [8] RHYS STEVENSON NARAKAM 'Burning At Moment' MORT PRODUCTIONS Narakam is China's first ever Death Metal band, forming in 1993, however forward to 2008 and there is a period of which was seen as a dark time for China, well that is you're referring to Narakam and their second album 'Burning At Moment' which see's the quintet deliver a concrete smacking of Oriental Death Metal. Featuring eight tracks of ballistic drumming, riffing and gut-rotting vocals. With influences easily drawn from bands such as Hail of Bullets, Unleashed and Tang Dynasty (most for the oriental sounds / vocal chanting), Narakam are easily proving that they have what it takes to drive extreme metal to the cliff, over the edge and provide a fast, sharp and painful drop, it will be interesting to see what they sound like now. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SCREAMING SAVIOR
'宙海 / Infinity' MORT PRODUCTIONS It is not often that you come across an album that could be pointed as genre-defining, so when China's Screaming Savior emerge once again to deliver their second round of Oriental Gothic Black Metal, it is hardly surprising that comparisons can be drawn from ChthoniC, Theatres Des Vampires and Shade Empire, by mixing harmonious sounds with traditional Chinese sounds and the vocals experienced on Shade Empire's 'Zero Nexus' album. This altogether gives Screaming Savior something to jeer about, or at least reprieve the sense that they are altering the course of Extreme Metal for the good, and with '宙海 / Infinity' being their latest works, much more is yet to come from this sextet. [8] 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 _ RAVENLAND 'And A Crow Brings Me Back' FREE MIND / RAVENHEART As dark and mysterious as the forests of the South American continent, the 2009 debut album release by Brazilian Gothic Metal quintet (now sextet) Ravenland. 'And A Crow Brings Me Back' utilises much of the Bauhaus / Poisonblack sound, but whilst their lies no real feminine feel to the release, the male vocals dominate as well as accentuate the supporting music into complete overdrive, this is perhaps a cliché when referring to the politeness of the Brazilians of which is deemed better than most Europeans, but whilst the music conveys a shadowy message, the overall release is one of question and somewhat confounding. [7] RHYS STEVENSON ONLY FATE REMAINS 'Breathe' RAVENHEART This is the storm that the Netherlands has long been waiting for, a force to be reckoned with and one to knock the Dutch Metal scene into full throttle, this of course is the Gothic Metal quintet Only Fate Remains and their absolutely outstanding and beautifully crafted debut album 'Breathe'. With clear background symphonies and vocals in the style of Within Temptation, it seems to be that this Amsterdam five-piece have what it takes to dethrone Within Temptation cleanly. It has darkness, it has timed notes, it has erotic-covered atmosphere and a sense of being rooted in the rock sense with the Clan Of Xymox, none the less 'Breathe' is definitely Dutch Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON WEEPING SILENCE 'Theatre Of Life' RAVENHEART 2011 marks the return of Malta's most loved Gothic Doom Metal band Weeping Silence, who unleash their sophomore album 'Theatre Of Life' to the masses and in sensational style, with heavenly vocals guiding the band to the perfect tune, the keyboard notes add a more darker Gothic feel to the music, whilst the drums and guitars follow lead, but in all seriousness, it would seem the Doom Metal is not really present, that ironically is a good thing, for the style of music Weeping Silence demonstrate on 'Theatre Of Life', it would be awful to marry it up with any more Doom Metal, but as it is, this is definitely Maltese Metal album of the year. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SILENT OPERA 'Immortal Beauty' RAVENHEART As beautiful as the sopranos of ancient Rome and as majestic as long-gone Pavarotti, the Italian Symphonic Metal outfit Silent Opera make their notes count with their dramatic and theatrical debut album 'Immortal Beauty', featuring operatic vocals powerful enough to challenge Therion to a duel, but yet the vocals are so heavenly, the listener is easily captivated by the soft, soothing sounds of the music and vocals. The outfits depicted in the album release signify the elegancy of the Italian renaissance and at that the music delivers the final touches. Symphonies flow like a cascading waterfall and the stage provides the perfect dramatic setting, Silent Opera is due to take Europe by storm. [10] RHYS STEVENSON FALLEN FATE
'The Virus Has Spread' With clear influences of Lamb Of God and Thrash-neck speed influence of Slayer, English Thrash crackpots Fallen Fate explode onto the scene with their insanely blitzing debut album 'The Virus Has Spread'. Fast, brutal and sensationally bombastic, the quartet from County Durham bring out the mentally challenging and pummelling sound of Thrash riffs in quick succession whilst whipping in solo's found in such Lamb Of God tracks i.e. 'walk with me in hell', the guitar intro is similar to that of Fallen Fate's 'Origin of Sin' solo. With breakdowns also in the wing, this is potentially the new style to craze the underground into complete overdrive, hail the Thrashcore; this is because 'The Virus Has Spread'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON |
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