 WORKSHOP 'Khooni Murga' DEMONSTEALER Who would have thought that the art of comedy could mix with the harsh brutality of Heavy Metal, well back in 2008 a disturbance was born and caused a result in 2009. Workshop, the Indian Heavy Metal quartet who specialise in humour, comedy and parody, conjured up their debut album back in 2009, fronted by Sahil Makhija (vocalist of India's most famous band Demonic Resurrection), the Mumbai boys deliver a tongue-in-cheek twist on the classic side of the Heavy Metal infrastructure, by singing in both English and the local variation of Hindi, mixing classic sounds and hilarious punch lines, it is no wonder why Workshop are a band in a class of their own. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  BLYND 'Punishment Unfolds' Hailing from the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean, Blynd unleash a three-track taster of what is to come, fresh from their sensational performance at Bloodstock Open Air, the Cypriot quartet do not fail to impress with their Heavy Thrash Metal and brutal breakdown combo. For a band from a scene with as much known metal as the vast wine selection on the fertile land, Blynd without any doubt deliver the goods and in excellent form, it's fast and grizzly meshed with chunky riffs, eccentric drumming and totally 100% metal, the album when it's out for real will be interesting enough. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  BLACK TRIP 'Heart Of The Dream' Now neither Thrash Metal nor Melodic Death Metal is meant to be sloppy and so when Black Trip comes back with their third EP, hands just cover the face. Whilst it clear has a bit of both the vocals aren't clear and the musical composition is basic standard with no fluidity or deviation at all thus leaving it on a knife edge. For Mexico's Black Trip, their 2012 EP 'Heart of the Dream' resembles nothing but a simple sound with added solo's, even which are a tad all over the place, let's face it if it were to be a football team, the goalie would be sent off and a 30-0 deficit imaginable, sure it's not a complete failure but neither is it anything groundbreaking, effectively what this means is that the 'Heart of the Dream' has been shattered. [5] RHYS STEVENSON  SLAY THE SHEPHERD / RAPID DOMINANCE 'Rise Of The Antagonist' / 'Premonition' Two releases, nearly the same band. So when Slay The Shepherd made their only release 'Rise of the Antagonist' back in 2011, little did they know they were to change to become Rapid Dominance. However 'Rise of the Antagonist' delivers a tricky combination of aggressive riffs and gritty vocals but the sound obviously was not good for the band hence the change, but overall the release 'Rise Of The Antagonist' is a good attempt, but the change-over can also mean that they did not like their current position and so with that in mind shifted to a newer direction. Shifting to 2012 and the new boys Rapid Dominance do not fail with their debut EP 'Premonition', mixing the sounds of Lamb of God and a myriad of metal sub-genres; namely Progressive Metal with Death / Thrash Metal. It's fast flowing, powerfully brutal and insanely intricate, lashed with technical riffs and vocals so disturbing it made any autopsy automatically become a comedy. This is a band with a load of fury and wizardry stored up their sleeves, more than the predecessors had and it is this band that will lead the Danish Metal scene to newer levels. [5] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  RAGER 'Image Of Fear' From time to time release come out so poor you have to double the level your speakers are just to barely hear them, such a band is Rager from Weston-Super-Mare of whom have released their second EP and ultimately play it in the Slayer style, slamming rhythms, guitar-wire flaming riffs and blazing vocals, there should be a restraining order on this lot for going too fast on the instruments. Overall the release is a fairly decent effort but the clarity that's lacking leaves the release totally open to any criticism or praise, it's just that it isn't a powerful start. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON  SHOT AT DAWN 'White Trash Metal Brigade' Norway generally has a reputation for spewing out bands in the Thrash and Black Metal sub-genres, but even that does not equate the force of Shot At Dawn. Lashing furious breakdowns with intricate melodies and mesmerising technical attributes, 'White Trash Metal Brigade' is their pivotal album. The ten-legged Melodic Death Metal / Deathcore machine combine elements from bands like BMTH, Suicide Silence, Bleeding Through and the adequate Deathcore breakdown; this is the sort of album and band to garner label attention across the Americas and Europe whilst carving the two genres in half. Threading a sound together that sounds so unique it makes Deathcore seem infant to the incredible tune devised by this Oslo lot, for fast brutal and grizzly music look no further, join the 'White Trash Metal Brigade' and watch your enemies as they are Shot At Dawn. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  WILL WALLNER / VIVIEN VAIN 'Will Wallner / Vivien Vain' So the side-project to White Wizzard is born and by jove does it kick off in electrifying style, enter Will Wallner accompanied by the illustrious Vivien Vain delivering the fiery raging vocals. The duo from L.A. California make their 3 year wait for a debut come to a close as they unleash the Hard Rock / Heavy Metal belter 'Will Wallner / Vivien Vain', featuring all the classy elements from bands such as Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Van Halen and more, this is simply a breathtaking album full of the old classic sounds with a modern emphasis. Harmonious vocals surrounded by some crafty and technical guitar work and backed up by some insane drumming; this is an album with everything chucked in and is sure to get some well-deserved attention. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  BANSHEE 'Mindslave' SNOWBLIND PRODS. It only took an eleven year period for Kansas wizards Banshee to re-emerge from the tornado bunker and deliver an album worthy of F5 classification. Their third album in their 27 year existence is a sharp reminder this band is far beyond finished, crafting and curling up their unique sound in the Power Metal sub-genre. The quartet may be clocking on and the modern generation may seem them as has-beens, but this is simply not the case, Banshee are far from finished and with 'Mindslave' bringing the original tones and sounds of classic Power Metal back to the frontline, this is just the beginning of something far more epic than the first landing on the moon. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  RIGOR MORTIS 'Grave New World' BRUTAL SYNDICATE If not for the horrendous vocals that sound so much like a guy being tortured or castrated, it would be a decent album, even so the sloppy bass sound adds more to the pain the ears are receiving. This is of course the 2011 EP by Japanese Thrash Metallers Rigor Mortis and it, well, is very non-descript. 'Grave New World' sets up a fast and ferocious drumming style and the riffing does well to keep in time, but the bass and the vocals are the major let down and if it is to be that Rigor Mortis are to aim for a debut album, they have got a long way to go, one whole album of this could cause death by dangerous music, there again it's better than Bieber so everyone is in the clear. [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DIABLERIE 'Transition' Corr good lord, so much energy has surged through the speakers and it is this energy that gets the vibes on their toes, raving and getting down to the groove. Because you can't get enough from Diaberie's second EP 'Transition'. Mixing the funk sound experienced in Industrial Metal and tarnishing it with the synthetic sounds of Electronic Metal and putting into it vocals of the Hardcore guild, this is a truly sensational piece of music and is sure to go down well in the Finnish Metal scene. Showing off clear influences from bands like The Berzerker, Impaled Nazarene, The Amenta and other Extreme Metal bands, Diablerie may become more than just a blip on the radar. [7] RHYS STEVENSON Add Comment  APOTASY 'Redemption' Well the clarity is nearly good but as far as the music goes, it's pretty decent. This is Apotasy from Slovakia, playing Melodic Death Metal on their debut demo 'Redemption', in any sense they are similar to bands from the USA, fast double-bass drumming, epic riffs and threatening vocals. For the trio this is a solid start, of course it's not 100% perfect, but neither is any band on their first outing. 'Redemption' itself carries a little twinkle on it in that composure is tight and the resulting production is a brutal enough display of what can be achieved, if this band were to add a bassist it would sound a little more heavier, but as for the release, well it speaks for itself, modern Melodic Death Metal in it's most gruesome moment. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  NEOANDERTALS 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child / Australopithecus' Before the critics just slaughter this release, let's be honest it's practically Brutal Death Metal music without any lyrics, the grunting just brings out the caveman style Death Metal, or is that just an ironic pun? Whatever it is, Estonia's duo Neoandertals smash it out with their second album 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child', pummelling drumming drives the insanity beyond believe whilst the gut-rotten vocals completely and utterly demoralises the listener into a sound sense of utmost suicide, or perhaps it's just listener playing dead. 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child' is a unique album in that it provokes more of the Avant Garde album than needs to be and as a result lowers the final conclusion of the album beyond mere acceptance, listen if you will, it could just kill you. 2012 saw the third release take life, 'Australopithecus' becomes album number three in the Estonian duet's career. Now once again the drums deliver the goods, the guitars for the most part of it have a livelier approach and since the vocals have been dropped, there is a huge improvement in the sound. Sure it carries on the same salsa-like movement between the Avant Garde sound and the Brutal Death monster that emerged on their second album, but it adds a more progressive sound to the affray, especially on the drums. Now this could act as a damn good film soundtrack especially during a fight scene or especially in a spy movie, but for the salient point, the fact remains the percussive side is by far the more dominant and so this is the better album of the past two. [4.5] + [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  THIS BROKEN MACHINE 'The Inhuman Use Of Human Beings' It's great when bands create their own genre names to suit their music playing and so when you have the Italian quartet This Broken Machine deliver their Progressive Metalcore debut album 'The Inhuman Use Of Human Beings', it gets instantly dubbed by the band as 'Architectural Metal, let's just hope the scaffolding holds them up and that they don't enter self-demolition mode. Anyhow, drawing crystal clear influences from bands like Killswitch Engage and Mastodon, it is no surprise then that with each riff there underlies a melody and under each melody underlies a blastbeat. Mid-tempo is the best way to describe the speed, it's not insanely fast or boringly slow but it does keep the listener on their toes. This is a sign to say that there is more to come from this Italian lot and they won't go quietly about it either. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  CATUVOLCUS 'Gergovia' DEATHBOUND Quebec Blackened Folk Metal trio (now duo) Catuvolcus return with their Celtic and Gaulish music in emphatic form, with their sophomore album 'Gergovia', they deliver blazing drumming with a furious attitude in the vocal department and a raw reception with the guitars, altogether smiting all other similar sounding bands and valiantly producing a well-delivered release. With songs generally longer than six minutes on this release, there is a lot for the listener to dissect and to take on board whilst the overall production captivates the listener in an atmosphere of dark folklore and cold bitter times, Catuvolcus may well be close to exploding on the international metal scene. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  VORPAL NOMAD 'Hyperborea' METALODIC It couldn't get any better than this, the debut album by Colombian Power Metal quintet Vorpal Nomad bursts into a classic epic and outright adventurous soundtrack. 'Hyperborea' carries a harmonious sound and a real rough vocal array but interestingly sounds not unlike to bands like Winter's Verge or Nightwish and is sure to drag this band right out of the darkness and into the pits of the international metal scene community. 'Hyperborea' delivers blitzkrieg riffs, sensational drumming and some of the craziest vocals ever since the birth of Power Metal and is a key for the Colombian Metal scene to unlock itself and unleash a torrent of music across the seas, with 'Hyperborea' Vorpal Nomad is without any doubt, flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene, [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LINEAR SPHERE 'Manvantara' Technical Prog Metal or Djent Metal, whatever you want to call it, the fact remains the second album by London's Linear Sphere is a journey of science, technology and long song epics. Singing in the style of the Progressive Metal vein, the quintet opt to adopt technical music as the back drop and so with that firmly installed in their compositions, the riffs get so technical it required a mathematician to calculate the time signatures as well as monitor the drum strokes. Naturally this is only the inaugural start for the lads, there is much more to do but with this album now alive and kicking, that should not be a problem. 'Manvantara' is for fans of The Devin Townsend Project, Periphery and Tesseract. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  HAILSTONE 'The Greater Counterfeit' Arising from the graves of the mountains of Bavaria, Germany is Hailstone and their mind-blowing debut album 'The Greater Counterfeit'. Fusing the intricate melodies summoned by the quintet with the harsh brutality developed via Blackened Death Metal. This is a machine on speed, spewing out epic riffs, ulcerating vocals and face-smashing blastbeats. Playing in the style of Evocation, Kalodin and Cannibal Corpse, the five-piece from Munich do all what's needed to deliver a stellar performance and ignite their road to further achievements. From the first track to the last track, 'The Greater Counterfeit' delivers a death warrant in ten tracks, it is so brutal, they had to confine the band for three years and detoxify them from hyperactivity. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  CONTRAST 'Charybdis' Blasting down barn doors is the ten-leg beast Contrast with their sensational sophomore album 'Charybdis'. Playing in the style of In Flames, the quintet hailing from Germany deliver a constant flow of raging riffs, firm and sustainable drumming and the most guttural vocals you can find in German Melodic Death Metal, perhaps it is the guttural level of the German language they sing in that aids the death growls! 'Charybdis' brings music that keeps the listener on their toes and does not give them a moment's peace, from the intricate riff intro on the song 'Charybdis' to the sonic speed of the drums on 'Gaias Hand', there is something for everyone on this release and it is guaranteed, Contrast won't go down quietly, this band will make waves. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  KLAMM 'Wahnsee' As cold and bitter as the Bavarian mountains, Klamm deliver a frosty reception with their traditional Black / Folk Metal and German language combined on their debut album 'Wahnsee'. Bringing with it a feeling of sitting by a campfire and singing to myth and folklore of the high mountains and forests of the southern German lands. Slow and melancholic spring to mind and yet essentially the album has the clean crisp atmosphere to it, dragging the listener right into the heart of the emotions expressed by this exceptional quintet, from the first very note to the last shriek, Klamm show what they are made of and are sure to become a known band without any doubt. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  SEKORIA 'Iter Stellarum' Nothing comes more darker than this, well that can be debated, but when you have a quartet delivering what is perceived to be Epic Black Metal, the intonation of the sub-genre sounds out what a band is all about and so when Sekoria come on the block with their debut album 'Iter Stellarum', it cannot be automatically tagged as a general Black Metal album. It delivers its own ambient atmosphere without the use of keyboard music, now the listener may conceive that as a pathetic reason to go it alone, but their album 'Iter Stellarum' delivers justice in the most grim form yet and so what you end up with is a decent production, just don't expect any other band to do the same and succeed. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  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  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  CONQUEST OF STEEL 'Victorious In Defeat' NO FACE Bradford-based Power Metal quintet Conquest of Steel make their awaited return with their latest offering in the form of a four-track single (3 studio and 1 live), this being called 'Victorious In Defeat'. The only downside is, it does not sound anything like Power Metal, no high-pitch melodic vocals nor any gallioping speed on the drums / guitars, this is more like melodic heavy metal, for the West Yorkshire lads, this is a decent piece of musicianship, timed and excellent in beat and whilst the overall product is a good release, it should be noted that the riffs are a little repetitious. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  RAW IN SECT 'Red Flows' WORMHOLE DEATH Musically representing the anger of the Greek nation and it's population, the Technical Death / Thrash Metal quartet Raw In Sect spit blood out with their debut album 'Red Flows', capturing and ensnaring the listener into sheer heavy brutality whilst murdering the human senses, rendering the human hearing ability obsolete. Here is a band with enough fury to overturn the faltering E.U, with a fistful of balls smashing against the skulls of the belligerent listener; the ultimate result is one of sheer decapitation and mental scarring, without a doubt Greek Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  JAPANISCHE KAMPFHORSPIELE 'Kaputte Nackte Affen' UNUNDEUX Sad to say that the German Grindcore band Japanische Kampfhörspiele split up this year, none the less their fifth full-length release will not go without being noticed as an interesting release, not only do they sing in their native language of German but there is hardly any continual riffs, this is perhaps the signature tune for Grindcore, short songs with enough bizarre music to keep the listener questioning whether it is music or not, eighteen tracks amounting to 45 minutes, that is enough to save a place for the band in German Metal history. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  SOULDRAINER 'Heaven's Gate' VICISOLUM Swedish Melodic Death Metal trio Souldrainer make their second return a real sweet one, returning to deliver their sophomore album 'Heaven's Gate' to the masses, the album features Scar Symmetry (old style) influences but with a lot more beat in it, somewhat funked up. Fist-slamming riffs pulverised by the mesmerising drumming of which are both fuelled and ignited by the fiery vocals that are emitted, this is pure modern metal at its finest, with each riff casting a new sound to each beat of the drum, Souldrainer is set to become the next best Melodic Death Metal export from Sweden. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  ALL FALLS DOWN / REANIMA 'All Falls Down / Reanima Split' UNUNDEUX Utterly a poor split, one would have thought both Austrian Death Metal bands would have taken the moment to shed spit and light up a path to absolute decapitation, but this nothing better than Justin Bieber, an utter disgrace to the music genre. The riffs are too choppy and the drums lack any enthusiasm whilst the vocals, well, imagine a bodybuilder being castrated, it's that painful to listen to, seriously without any sheer motivation on this split, it lacks a lot to be desired. [1] / [1] RHYS STEVENSON  CONNATURAL TERROR 'Lunacy Frenzy' PSYCHO LUNACY SOUNDS Arising from the grassy plains of Põlva in Estonia is Death Metal duo Connatural Terror and their disturbingly wretched debut EP 'Lunacy Frenzy', whilst the overall production is great, the vocal dynamics could be easily improved, however the music itself offers a two or three stroke battering and by jove is the double bass heavy. Although not exactly the greatest releases to start with, the effort in this is clearly felt with the vocals, what sets this duo apart from the rest of the Death Metal gathering, the level of precision in the vocals is paramount, almost explicitly morbid. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  AMORAL 'Beneath' IMPERIAL CASSETTE / THE END Armed with the absolutely talented Ari Koivunen (Finland's Idol 2007 winner) on vocal duties, Finnish Power Metal (and Death Metal) machine Amoral make their warmed-welcome return with their fifth album 'Beneath', this brings a storm of blizzardous drumming along with some of the most epic riffs ever heard by the band and of course utilising the magic that the Finnish Power Metal vocalists seem to muster, none the less Amoral know what sound they want to create, one of epic dynamic sounds and endless neck-breaking Metal music, 'Beneath' is for fans of Sonata Arctica, Shade Empire and Children Of Bodom; with the release now out it has to be Finnish Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  IN LEAGUE 'Where The Silence Is Easy' Australia sees a new boy band on the block, this time it is In League with their debut album 'Where The Silence Is Easy', the Post-Hardcore sextet immerse the listener with gravitational-pulling riffs and brain-shredding drumming, all supported by some of the most melodic vocals heard from Australia. Sounding similar to that of Enter Shikari (minus the trance) and Rise Against, In League are sure to gain global attention from media and fans alike, 'Where The Silence Is Easy' is an exceptionally powerful release and with the attitude and musical direction displayed on this release, there is nothing to stop this furious blazing wildfire of six lads to dominate the globe. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ESSENZA 'Devils Breath' BIG MUD Totally unethical and despairingly common, Essenza's third album released in 2009 is nothing more than a standard Heavy Metal release, no enthusiasm or drive to make it entertaining, as if the guitars just rusted up or the drummers lost the groove. The only good thing about it is the fact they've tried to make another album, but with this effort they may as well want to re-record it and make it 10x better, whilst the album does offer some glimmer of hopes here and there, listeners may disobey their Metal traits for once and listen to Justin Bieber, back to square one for the Italian trio. [2] RHYS STEVENSON  MITIGATE 'Welcome To Our World' Austrian Symphonic / Melodic Death Metal trio Mitigate make their debut album 'Welcome To Our World' sound out with axes raised high in view of 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. [6] RHYS STEVENSON  FOURTH AUTUMN 'Mock The Weak' RISING Deep from within the Welsh valleys arises a Black / Death metal band of four musicians of whom come together to unleash their debut album 'Mock The Weak'. Fourth Autumn are ready to unleash the darkness onto the masses in fierce style, whilst not exactly sounding similar to that of Polish titans Behemoth, the clear swinging-beat of Black Metal emphasises the extreme mentality of the quartet and yet manages to stab the atmosphere with insanity and spectacular intricacy, none the less this is a beacon of hope for the Welsh Metal scene which seems to of late been dominated by the common genre of Metalcore, or any 'core' genre. Fourth Autumn are set to take the UK Metal scene by storm and show how evil the dragons of the west really can be. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  FROM THE DEPTH 'Back To Life' RISING Adventure and magical sorcery come to mind with the Italian Power Metal ensemble From The Depth's debut album 'Back To Life', with a constant stream of majestic keyboard strokes to add a level of discovery to the affray, uniquely this is a band who somehow mix European Power Metal; with its neck-breaking pace and decibel-smashing solos, with the embodiment of Disney magic, one would assume they had just come from a fairy tale with the gallant feel in their music. 'Back To Life' is surely a solid reminder that the Italian's are passionate about fast and powerful metal and From The Depth is no exception, without a doubt power metal album of the year 2011. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  VINTERBLOT 'Nether Collapse' RISING Uprising Italian Viking / Death Metal quintet Vinterblot make the first move with their debut album 'Nether Collapse' being released next year, it sees the new signing of Rising Records unleash a horrid and eccentric mix of cutting-edge Death Metal and Viking Metal melodies / lyrics. How odd it is that a band from a country with no Viking relation whatsoever, manages to deliver the same level of brutality as per se Tyr from the Faroe Islands. With an armament of ten tracks to batter your brains and mosh your body to, Vinterblot are only just getting started and are far from shying away just yet, the journey for them has just begun. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  4 ARM 'Submission For Liberty' RISING 2011 saw Australia's 4 Arm release their third album in absolute... what the? It would seem that the Groove Metal, crossed with Thrash Metal and Metalcore went AWOL. Whilst the attempt is there, the tunes are near out of sync, the Metalcore style vocals are not there, and whilst this is a poser copy of Lamb Of God, the guitars only offer little light for this quartet. With most of the songs sounding similar in more ways than one and with no sense of change of tune, this may be a shooting in the foot for the Australian band. [3.5] RHYS STEVENSON  THE SULLEN ROUTE 'Apocalyclinic' SOLITUDE PRODS. Typical Russian Doom / Death Metal, none the less The Sullen Route offer their version of the common sound and nationality combination with their second album in two years, 'Apocalyclinic' delivers a reasonably paced period of depressing yet neatly organised Doom Metal. But just like most Doom / Death Metal bands, the music is slow, heavy and full of depressive dark atmosphere, but take hats off to the Russian quintet for keeping the old style alive, almost certainly one of those releases that even when you're drunk out of your mind, it still captivates somehow. [6] RHYS STEVENSON  POWERSTORM 'Act I' Sixteen years it took for this moment, was it worth the wait? Very much so. Greek Power Metal one-man project Powerstorm (Kostas Falieros) made this moment the best that could ever be, a powerful yet exciting array of high vocals and majestic riffs aligned with some of the most insane solo's ever heard from the Greek Metal scene. Whilst 'Act I' has the power and majestic nature of the Ancient Greek folks people and gods, Powerstorm bring the might of Zeus to Mount Olympus in this fast and lively release, this is something modern Greece should cherish, the notion of having a Greek mastermind, one to rival Canada's Devin Townsend. Powerstorm is one band to watch out for, this has just begun and that was 'Act I'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SAPIENCY 'Fate's End' Fresh from the baby ward in Frankfurt-Am-Main hospital is little newcomers Sapiency, the German sextet implementing a hard blast of Melodic Death / Thrash Metal with the driven force of Germany's hard and heavy hitting twist on Metal music. Their debut album 'Fate's End' released last year echo's a complete sound of fist-beating vocals and ear-ripping music to infuse any negative atmosphere with a get-up and mosh aesthetic as a replacement. Sapiency with this effort are surely to be snapped up by a record label without a doubt, possibly someone like Metal Blade or Napalm Records. A true testament to the burgeoning German Metal scene, a band to watch without fail. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  TOKKS VOITTO 'Formation' Wondering whether the sauerkraut went off in the fridge, but for Germany's latest Melodic Death Metal conjure, this is half the case. Tokks Voitto excrete their debut EP 'Formation' with a load of question marks surrounding it, whilst the music is near enough suitable to be accepted, the vocals are somewhat of a mystery, not only is there no clean vocals as usually seen in Melodic Death Metal, the lyrics are inaudible and thus resulting in a near poor EP. But for this German sextet, this is just the beginning as the only way for these guys is up. So whilst the vocals leave a disappointing aftertaste, the music itself provides a fruitful lavish taste of erotic melodies. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  UNLEASH THE ARCHERS 'Demons Of The Astrowaste' Racing across the North American plains and mountains is Canadian storm-troopers Unleash The Archers returning with their second offering in the form of another album loaded with insanely heavenly musical compositions and a sense of majestic adventure. Wielding a powerful thunderstruck alliance of Melodic Death Metal with Power Metal, this British Columbia quintet unleash a catastrophic landslide of ferocious riffs and brain-battering drumming along with vocals on an emphatic scale, contrasting with the highs and lows of the vocal range. With 'Demons Of The Astrowaste' now in their repertoire, this is one sign that Unleash The Archers should be signed, this band is to get big and by far engulf the globe with a powerful audio blast of female-fronted metal. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  WILD 'La Nueva Orden' Playing la salsa and la flamenco is Madrid's Heavy / Power Metal newbies Wild with their spicy debut album 'La Nueva Orden', now whilst conventionally the lyrics are in Spanish, this does not deter the fact the music carries the luscious sounds and reverts the vocals into a side order. For the Spanish quintet, this is one step they will take in their stride, as did fellow countrymen Avalanche. Intellectually sounding reminiscent of 3 Inches of Blood in relation to the constant fixed beats and mentally high vocals. Sensationally as the album is the true essence is yet to be found and so Wild have a challenge ahead, one they will as shown by this effort, will be taken head-on. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ILL CROW 'Into The Forgotten Spheres' As far as Eastern or Central European Folk Metal goes, the Pagan or Slavic feel lacks here, but also the musical creativity, it seems very dull and wishy-washy, whilst the vocals and keyboards do good for Ill Crow's second demo 'Into The Forgotten Spheres', the rest is undesirable, not exactly the worst metal album but one that needs a lot of redesigning. The demo makes Justin Bieber's music justifiable, let alone sarcastically 'alternative metal'. [4] RHYS STEVENSON  CLANDESTINED 'Ruinatics' BUSDEATH Evaluating the oriental is Japanese ninja's Clandestined and their sensational blast of Death / Thrash Metal, with their 2011 sophomore album 'Ruinatics' comes a sound similar to that of Sepultura but with a pinch more of speed and rawness to complete the sound. Collectively, this release is a decent attempt at making their own sound, whilst the production could have been better, for an underground band this is a fairly ok shot at it. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  DOTMA 'Sleep Paralyses' SCARLET Arising from the shadowy footsteps of fellow countrymen Amberian Dawn is Finland's latest female-fronted Power Metal exports Dotma and their signature tune of heavenly vocals, mystical guitar riffs and sensationally warped drumming to create their debut outing 'Sleep Paralyses'. With elements of Within Temptation in their closets, Dotma ex-cruciate pure bliss in a majestic wave of luscious and soul-soothing melodies, a crystal clear sign of the true power of Finnish power metal. Whilst not has heavy as Sonata Arctica, Dotma are certain to become regulars of Power Metal. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  TREMOR 'South Of Sanity' Progressive Metal, fast and heavy as well as funky and... Caribbean? Trinidad & Tobago Progressive Metallers Tremor hit back with their fourth full length album 'South Of Sanity', clipping together the fast pacey speed of Iron Maiden and heaviness of traditional Prog Metallers. For a band from a region of limited metal music activity, Tremor certainly make themselves self-explanatory, with a rumble of drums, seismic wave-riffs and soul-destroying vocals, this Trinidadian bunch bring on the noise, Tremor is flying the flag for the Trinidad & Tobago Metal scene.  SILENTIUM 'Amortean' DYNAMIC ARTS Finnish Gothic Metal veterans Silentium ravage the darkness of their land to deliver their fifth onslaught of spine-chilling vocals and powerful music in the form of their latest album 'Amortean' released in 2008. Whilst not as soft as fellow countrymen Vanguard, Silentium prove once again why the Finnish goth scene is one to be reckoned with, collecting orchestral chants with swift solos and blastbeats powerful enough to savor, this is one record for any Gothic Metal fan, a true work of inspiration.  VIZANT 'Vasilevs Vasileon Vasilevon Vasilevondon' Montenegrin Gothic Doom Metallers Vizant kicked off their musical torrent of Orthodox Christian-tinged Metal music with a long-titled album, 'Vasilevs Vasileon Vasilevon Vasilevondon' (presumably Montenegrin or Latin) features their own style of music, whilst taking the dark history surrounding their homeland, they use their native tongue to personify their music. But they aren't Christian Metal, or so at least it could be argued, but what is certain is Vizant are flying the flag for the Montenegrin Metal scene. For fans of Arkona and Moonspell. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  WINDFALL 'Crush' Fresh from Tuscany, Italy, is Melodic Heavy Metal quintet Windfall with their debut 2010 EP 'Crush', laying the tradition of Heavy Metal with Italian stallion melodies and feminine words, Windfall are Italy's answer to Finland's Skyward, naturally the Italian female vocals are one of dramaticism and excitement and Francesca Tedeschi does not fail to impress, as nor do the other band-members. This true solid production from Windfall is a real glimmer of hope for greater music in years to come. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  ETERNAL DECAY 'Beyond The Ties Of Flesh' Occultists Eternal Decay immerse the surrounding atmosphere with a darkened aurora and sense of mysticism with their complex full-length debut 'Beyond The Ties Of Flesh' which saw birth in 2010. In short, Israeli Black Metal trio Eternal Decay exhibit a real sense of demoniacal controversy with in relation to their heathen homeland and in the view of their music following similar paths that of Melechesh. But for this three-piece metal band, this is probably the next Salem and so 'Beyond The Ties Of Flesh' likes the Eternal Decay of Hebrew Black Metal. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  VIZANT 'Sjene Živih' Returning with their sophomore album is Montenegro's Vizant, bringing back their traditional twist of Montenegrin linguistics and Gothic Doom Metal to revolutionize the result of their first album leaves them with the aftermath, the birth of 'Sjene Živih'. Some would opt to place them under Pagan Metal, but with Orthodox Christianity as a lyrical topic, this would not be just. For the quartet from Niksic, this is their answer to revered Russian maestro's Arkona, game on.  LIKE TOMORROW 'Perfect World' 2010 saw Finnish Melodic Power Metallers Like Tomorrow unleash their fourth force of nature in form of their EP 'Perfect World', whisking the beauty of Finnish female vocals with the intricate compositions of the talented Finns on guitars and drums to develop their own unique sound to eradicate the shadowy darkness of the forefathers of Dark Metal. Bringing such emotional music and sorrowful tears to my eyes, this is one release for anyone who needs a good cry, as this world is far from being a 'Perfect World'. [10] RHYS STEVENSON | 2013
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