 REVERIES END 'Beneath The Silent Shades / Empyreal Form' So between the two demo's by Finnish Dark Metallers Reveries End, a guitarist has left the band, but none the less, none of the essence has dissipated. Starting with their premier demo 'Beneath The Silent Shade' which instantaneously brings in the Doom Metal atmosphere and almost Nightwish operatic vocals with a slither of Melodic Death Metal style drums. With the heavenly vocals bound for the Finnish choir and the musicians giving a wall of sound as a barrier, this is a decent first attempt. 'Beneath The Silent Shade' is for fans of Apocalyptica, Vanguard and all around dark music. 'Empyreal Form' sees the departure of guitarist Mikko Pylkko and the quintet becomes a quartet, but the sound does not change, it ironically has improved. The second demo of 2012 brings out a greater production and more power behind the sound. With the first track 'Descent' being similar to that of Nightwish's 'Tutankhamen' and the average song by Arkona. With a greater and darker atmosphere shedding itself all over 'Empyreal Form', this is the sound that would best suit Reveries End, but by adding some symphonies here and there, it could be one notch better, still a very good demo and is sure to aid them into becoming a promising band. [7] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  AMNESIA 'Inside My Head' There is a common feeling amongst bands who use Thrash Metal in Brazil, it seems to be always fast, complex and sensationally brutal, there again Sepultura laid down that guideline, but it's bands like Amnesia who go one step further, the Brazilian quintet incorporate Death Metal in with their music to produce a trippy, brutal slab of pure menacing metal. This comes in their 2012 debut EP 'Inside My Head', spitting out the trash and injecting the new modern sound of Brazilian Death/Thrash Metal. With three tracks spear-heading a complimentary promo video, Amnesia's Inside My Head has set the tone for the band to achieve great things and they fully deserve it. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  EMBASSY OF SILENCE 'Antler Velvet' RAVENHEART Once in a while you come across a band who totally blows wide open the guidelines and runs riot in the studio, such a band is Embassy Of Silence whose 2012 sophomore album delivers a non-apologetic smacking of Progressive Gothic Metal. The Finnish sextet conjures up a cosmic sound of darkened verses and erotic music to indulge anyone's tastes. The second major out 'Antler Velvet' delivers the essential 'Gothic femme' vocals and heavy music together in just under an hour, but all of it is worth it, with songs sounding similar to that of Delain, Lacuna Coil, and Echoes of Eternity, this is just the beginning. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  HIGHLIGHT KENOSIS 'Change' RAVENHEART Returning once again is Romania's Prog Metallers Highlight Kenosis, who are now based in Germany. Following their highly successful debut album 'Glowing', the quartet delivers their next offering 'Change'. With the sounds of traditional progressive metal being mixed with the influential sounds of Krypteria, Guano Apes and Goldfrapp, this is the next step in great success for one of Romania's upcoming finest bands. From the sensational solo on 'There Is No Secret' to the pop rock feel on 'I Wish You Felt The Same', Highlight Kenosis are powering their way to further achievements and with this album under their belts, there is nothing to stop them. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MALEDIA 'Your Angels Cry' RAVENHEART 2012 sees the first EP by Italian quintet Maledia come to life, the Symphonic Gothic Metal band unleash the sounds of 'Your Angels Cry' with comparisons of Tarja era Nightwish and the use of female operatic vocals and the beastly vocals of guitarist Daniele. In a way they have also got comparisons with Within Temptation in that the supremacy of the high notes and the music come together to deliver a classic epic. Brimming with excellence and powerful creativity, Maledia is duly a force to be reckoned with, move aside Within Temptation and Nightwish, there's a new band on the block and they won't be budged easily. [8] RHYS STEVENSON Add Comment  FADING CIRCLES 'Cyber Whirlwind' Although based in Romania, the Hungarian trio Fading Circles make their imminent return with their Progressive / Power Metal tune in the shape of their sophomore full-length 'Cyber Whirlwind'. Whilst the music itself has a tendency to shift speed slightly, the solo's do the talking and in this add a certain level of magic to the album. Whilst not conventionally fast like Sonata Arctica, Fading Circles tone down the speed and add a atmospheric feel to it, casting a mysticism shadow over the listener, but leaving them stumped to what has just happened, simply due to the clear fact that the music itself saddles within the Progressive Metal vein but the vocals sit in the Power Metal side and so therefore two genres collide, providing an unique experience. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  INSINNERATOR 'Stalagmite Of Ice' Making their debut is Texan Thrash Metal moguls Insinnerator and their debut album 'Stalagmite Of Ice', with their balls of fury sound and easy-to-recognize 'cowboy' accent. But don't let that y'all be put off, for this quartet bring in as much Slayer influence as Calgary has for beef. Fast, slick, sick and mesmerizingly beautiful, Insinnerator is the new breed of Texan Thrash, scintillating any previous releases with a stroke of neat musicianship. Guaranteed for a make-shift moshpit and wall of death, the four Americans know their Thrash inside and out and were born to be insane Thrashers. Just don't wince at the album or when the band stabs you with a 'Stalagmite Of Ice'. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  SYNTHETIC BREED 'Perpetual Motion Machine' SYMBIOTIC Cybernetics spring to mind with Synthetic Breed's sophomore album 'Perpetual Motion Machine', the Australian Cyber / Industrial Death Metal trio (now quartet) exert a force of brutal heaviness with glorious funk tunes in a parallel motion of fury-laden dance grooves. Whilst not as heavy as fellow countrymen The Berzerker, the industrial parts can be likened to that of Swiss band Breach The Void. What could make the sound much more appertaining would be synthesizers, adding a further industrial feel to it and a sense of atmosphere. None the less this is one album to captivate fans and music critics alike, a true blend of brutal music with body-moving pulsation. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LOSNA 'Wild Hallucinations' Fourteen years have eclipsed since Brazil's Crossover Thrashers Losna came up with their return statement, yet they return with their sophomore album 'Wild Hallucinations' with a little disappointment setting in, the thrash stance seems to have depleted, but none the less this is a release with a bowlful of guts and strategic brutality on all levels. With the bass guitar clearly heard, it adds a sense of raw music to it, adding a new level of customized harshness. With Losna 'Wild Hallucinations' is a fair decent attempt, but some minor changes are needed, the music needs a little more Sepultura in it. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  NOCTURN DEAMBULATION 'The Grand Opening' French Death Metal newbies Nocturn Deambulation implore their own stance on the metal genre with a circus and surgical procedure-based debut album entitled 'The Grand Opening', so much for the merry go round as this album takes the listener on a windy maze of ferocious drumming, exquisite vocals and phantasmagoria in lieu of their ravenous riffs. Whilst the band immerse themselves within the repertoire of la cirque d'hiver, this is perhaps an entirely new sound on it's own. Majestically sounding and essentially brutal, 'The Grand Opening' is without a doubt French Death Metal album of the year 2011. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  EXCRECOR 'Synchronicity' With a slight of hand comes the Americans new wave of tantalizing Melodic Death Metal, with their debut EP 'Synchronicity' released last year, it is no surprise that New Hampshire quartet Excrecor are tipped off as the next band to feel the force of popularity. With a stiff backbone of sumptuous drumming and elegant riffs, there is no reason to why this EP has nothing wrong with it, if this is a signal of a new oncoming, then that signal carries all but a warning of 'Synchronicity'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  TERROR INSIDE 'Sumerki Razuma' IROND Terror Inside the new Russian Death Metal newcomers alleviate all potential negativity with their hard-worked debut album 'Sumerki Razuma' released back in 2009, with a solid wave of Russian language-tinged Death Metal and brutality powerful enough to overthrow the many Russian oligarchs, Terror Inside are preparing to unleash their next blast of sonic music, this time with a heftier warning of mass ear damage. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ZOMBIFIED 'Outbreak' GRINDSCENE Arising from Belfast cemetery is Zombie-fetish band Zombified with their grizzly guttural Death Metal emanating from the speakers in spine-tingling fashion, whilst the music does justice, the vocals could be worked a little better, but essentially their debut EP 'Outbreak' released in 2010 is not a bad one, just a little bit disappointing, still one release with much in stock for raw Death Metal lovers and especially fans in the Northern Irish Metal scene. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  IMMANIFEST 'Qliphotic' Floridian Symphonic Blackened Death Metallers Immanifest arise from the Tampa darkness to unleash a secular exemplar of sensational religious-tinged extreme metal, with their debut EP 'Qliphotic' released last year, it carries a significant alliance of evil, occultist preaching and sensational compositions to provide a basic structure for what is billed as one of Florida's darkest metal releases of all time, Immanifest are set to rival Russia's Arcane Grail and deliver a spectacular array of mysticism, metal and evil genius. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  TRUE MIND 'No Redemption' Symphonic Gothic Metal newcomers True Mind release their debut demo 'No Redemption' in 2010 with a standing innovation of dark Transylvanian Gothic traits amongst symphonic vocals and soothing melodies, the Romanian quartet bring to life the darkness found within the rural spots of this Eastern European nation, essentially bringing the best of their culture with it, without a doubt the natural contender to rival the Dutch veterans Within Temptation and to challenge novices Amberian Dawn from Finland and Aperion from Slovenia, True Mind has 'No Redemption' whatsoever. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON | 2013
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