1833 AD 'My Dark Symphony' Just when the Indian Metal scene was just breaking out into the international scene, 2012 witnesses the debut album from New Delhi Black Metal band 1833 AD (coincidentally the year British slavery was abolished), marching out of the Taj Mahal with a fist of fury and vocals so dark, the spices of India could be considered obsolete, for the music itself is a spicy concoction of oppressive hatred and classic Black Metal with ethnic sounds added in for the full flavour. As for the album 'My Dark Symphony', it will not go unnoticed and is sure to give the band that epic boost needed to challenge Demonic Resurrection for the crown of best Indian Metal band of all time. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ALLOS 'Spiritual Battle' Christianity to Brazil is like a plectrum is to a guitarist, essential, well at least partly as it gives the faithful teachings but more so gives the musician another religion to align with the religion called music. Enter Brazilian quintet Allos with their Progressive Power Metal battalion sound and their successful debut album 'Spiritual Battle', strap your belt tightly as the band takes you on a whirlwind journey through the mystics of the Amazon rainforest, the beautiful game of soccer and to the roots, bloody roots of this south American nation. Guided by the eccentricity on the keyboard, Allos are certain to become the next metal export to the world. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ARCHAIOS 'The Distant' DARK CANVAS RECORDS Who'd of thought that the second outing by Archaios was to be an international hit? Well we certainly did. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, this Melodic Death Metal machine battled their way into the international spotlight and as a result have produced a rather technically improvised piece of elegant musicianship, it's brutal, it's pacey and it certainly deserves to be on any metal fan's shelf, 'The Distant' delivers nine tracks of the most pulsating, spine-snapping metal that the Caribbean has ever seen, so before thinking these noble lands are all about pirates, rum and tropical beaches, just wait till the sharks come in off 'The Distant' coastline and attack your senses in the horde known as Archaios. [10] RHYS STEVENSON BEAST 'Thrash Metal Propaganda' Spain has a history of spewing out Thrash Metal bands that fail at the first hurdle, but ever seldom does a band reach the final hurdle before slipping up, Beast however took the easy way and clambered their way into the Spanish metal scene with their sophomore EP 'Thrash Metal Propaganda', taking your classic 80's Thrash Metal style apart and adding some more slower and moodier feelings to the sound, whilst not as fast as Slayer, the music could be compared to 'Creeping Death' by Metallica, however with that in mind, and taking into account the lyric topics, one can see that this nuclear production is awashed with radioactive metal, so toxic that the listener may be inclined to headbang, such is a law that guards the 'Thrash Metal Propaganda'. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CRYPTIC AGE 'Sounds Of Infinity' Residing in one of England's most medieval counties, Cryptic Age of North Yorkshire are a tough puzzle to crack, playing under a band name you would associate with technical music and instead laying Power / Folk Metal, yet there is little bits of Folk Metal here and there; albeit the double bass drumming for which could be linked to Pagan Metal, but when taking the whole of their debut album 'Sounds Of Infinity' apart, there are bits here and there to suggest is some Folk Metal. The vocals definitely add that gallant feeling, the atmosphere is as folkloric as gathering around a druid's ceremony and the music itself does interlink at times to create something rather magical, it's one of those albums that has a high after a low and so as 'Sounds Of Infinity' pushes the band into the wider metal scene, their next release will be an interesting one. [6] RHYS STEVENSON KAINE 'Falling Through Freedom' So the time has come for the Peterborough / Essex quartet (now trio since Josh's departure) Kaine to deliver their best shot and by far has that been achieved, lacing together their unique sound of Heavy Thrash Metal (or as they call it Legendary Speed Metal) with an artwork reminiscent of the Norse mythological land of Niflheim and yet there does seem to feel a little bit like a Folk Metal atmosphere surrounding this album. Loaded with short and lengthy epics, from breakneck-Thrash to melodies encased in their Heavy Metal department, Kaine deliver 'Falling Through Freedom' with one notable arsenal, Dennis Stratton of whom is an ex-member of Iron Maiden and has considerably given this band the utmost exposure. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON METAL CAMBRA 'Metal Cambra Recopilatorio' As elegant as flamenco and as dramatic as a bull fight, Valencian octet Metal Cambra deliver their first ever compilation of their best instrumental works, fusing together Progressive Folk Metal elements with classical music in a sort of Gaelic influence and Iberian sound, thus producing an eclectic mix of different musical styles. 'Metal Cambra Recopilatorio' is without any doubt a perfect accompaniment to any dancing undertaken that comes from Spanish or Latin American background whilst also serving up as more importantly a wondrous masterpiece, from start to finish Metal Cambra keep the listener on their feet, simply one of a kind. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON NANSIS 'Exorde' War Metal makes its mark on the Swiss Alps when Nansis deliver their premier Black Metal demo to the masses in devastating form, 'Exorde' plays very much into the hands of the European theater of WW2 and exhibits a unique combination of having both French and English lyrics on the release. Cold and frostbitten, Nansis' 'Exorde' is a release without compromise and as such crucifies anyone who spits out against Black Metal. Similar to bands like Carpathian Forest and even more England's Eastern Front, Nansis explore the darkest depths of Swiss history and lashes it with the complexity of modern Black Metal. 'Exorde' delivers six tracks of what is promising and posing as possibly the next big Black Metal band out of Switzerland. [8] RHYS STEVENSON NEURAL FX 'Abreaction' The global metal scene better strap in for this one, Mexican Progressive Metal quartet Neural FX deliver an atomic bomb-of-an-album, their debut release 'Abreaction' delivers sensational vocals and majestic sounds that can only be drawn in comparison to the titans of Symphony X and Dream Theater. Harmonious vocals lead the way on this breathtaking release that you wouldn't find anywhere else, even so the guitars layer some ballistic riffs that make any taco bell chilli powder obsolete, it is that explosive, fusing traditional Mexican elements to the rapid heaviness of the Progressive Metal sound, Neural FX are to lead the Mexican Metal scene to the masses, simply outstanding. [9] RHYS STEVENSON SIN DEADLY SIN
'Fall From Heaven' From time to time there comes a band that is ideal to follow up behind another band in the same country, as for Lacuna Coil they can budge over to let Italy's new highly anticipated Gothic Metal band take charge, enter Sin Deadly Sin and their mind-blowing debut album 'Fall From Heaven', featuring heavenly angelic vocals and dark atmospheric music that acts as a blanket of illustrious beauty, Gothic ambiance and a line-up that pieces together their own musical puzzle. Amidst the whole connectivity between the romance side of the Italian culture lies a force waiting to explode upon the European Metal scene and as Sin Deadly Sin begin their ascent as the new face of Italian Metal, it will not take long before we could see the band break into the major album charts; it deserves that level of attention! [10] RHYS STEVENSON
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January 2013
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