PITBULLS IN THE NURSERY 'Equanimity' KLONOSPHERE France seems to have a love affair with the Progressive, Technical and Death Metal sub-genres as the latest installment in the genres metal history becomes real. 'Equanimity' is the second album by Pitbulls In The Nursery and it has enough bite to give you a severe case of 'headbangulitis'. Mixing sheer brutality and velocity with technical elements so precise, that even Einstein would not be able to figure them out. Taking the eccentric 'Insiders' and lengthy 'Your Dream's Not Mine', it is clear that the Pitbulls have got their vision for a refreshed Modern Metal well and truly recognized. If Gorod and Gojira were to produce offspring, Pitbulls In The Nursery would be the offspring you never saw coming, as they bring the apocalyptic, cataclysmic sound of full-on volatile metal to the forefront, you have been warned. Download This: "Insiders" - Click here to listen (link tba) For Fans of: Gorod, Gojira, The Faceless [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON WINTERCOLD 'Paradise Is Not Here' SALUTE One of the latest releases by Wintercold is a single featuring two tracks, the first 'Paradise Is Not Here' is an instrumental and the second is a cover of Blitz's 'Razors In The Night'. Mastered once again by multi-instrumentalist Satanic Tony, this instrumental is loaded with enough doom and gloom to set the atmosphere straight, make the hairs on your neck stand up and position itself as a truly remarkable work of art. Standing at a whopping 14 minutes long, this instrumental will keep fans of Gothic Doom Metal entertained indefinitely whilst the cover offers a far more heavier and brutal side to the release; with of course Tony's infamous raspy, raw vocals. Limited to a run of 20 copies, this will be a sought-after single in the underground metal scene. 'Paradise Is Not Here' is without a doubt, a delightful listen. Get the single from the official Salute Records website here For Fans of: Demorian, Gothic Doom Metal [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CRUADALACH 'Rebel Against Me' METALGATE Arguably the Czech Republic's answer to Switzerland's Eluveitie, purveyors of Folk-laden Melodic Death Metal. Four years since their debut album, it was inevitable that Cruadalach would return to splatter a second offering across the Folk / Melodic Death Metal spectrum, by infusing Bohemian folk sounds (or wider Slavic) with bouncy aggressive beats, this octet set the bar high for fellow Czech folk metal bands to do better. Whilst perhaps leaning towards more of a Pagan Metal sound, this does not detract the music from becoming related to perhaps the Russian or Ukrainian approach, but rather setting itself up as standalone approach. For the seasoned metalhead who is indulgent in folk metal and melodic death metal in-tow, 'Rebel Against Me' guarantees to wet your whiskers. Cruadalach will certainly maintain a cult following whilst building upon the 'Bohemian Folk Metal' sound. Download This: "Life-Worshipping Bastards" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Eluveitie, Netherfell, Dalriada [8] RHYS STEVENSON WINTERAGE 'The Harmonic Passage' INDEPENDENT As orchestrated as Fleshgod Apocalypse, symphonic as Rhapsody of Fire and elegant as Lacuna Coil, Winterage are the latest installment in the vibrant Italian Metal scene. Marching in with their debut album 'The Harmonic Passage', this inquisitive sextet utilize the majestic sounds of Power Metal with the gracefulness of Symphonic Metal to brood their own dramatic result. One that echoes the upper echelons of bygone operettas and modernizes the antiquarian nature of Italian renaissance masterpieces. In a nutshell 'The Harmonic Passage' is an honorable nod to the bygone years of classic opera, the already-veteran Italian Metal scene and lends itself as a path for new Symphonic Power Metal bands to follow. Lasting a sensational 70 minutes, this debut effort should draw attention from suited labels who would wish to take Winterage under their wings. Check out: "Winterage - The Harmonic Passage EP teaser" - click here to view. For Fans of: Rhapsody Of Fire, Therion, Avantasia [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON FLAMEDROP 'Thoughts On Fire' INDEPENDENT Flamedrop are probably that one band you never thought you would see coming, well embrace it because this Hungarian horde are here to stay. Mustering up a cataclysmic of thunderous riffs, ground-shaking drums and vocals so vicious, venomous snakes are set to become obsolete. This quintet's debut album 'Thoughts On Fire' certainly ticks all of the boxes that guarantee it to be an instant hit across Europe if not the Hungarian Metal scene, it is brim-full of power, heaviness, brutality and technicality. There is no doubt that the following release will have to be extra-special to knock this one for six, because by this effort if Flamedrop are not snapped up by a major metal label, then clearly there is something wrong with this industry; 'Thoughts On Fire' is an easy contender for Hungarian Metal release of the year. For Fans of: The Haunted, Arch Enemy, Malefice Download This: "Cruel Intentions" - click here to listen [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON BREZNO 'Kri' INDEPENDENT Four years on from their excellent debut EP, Slovenia's Brezno have shown no signs of stopping by delivering their debut album 'Kri' released last year. Maintaining their devotion to singing in the Slovene language, the sextet make no mistake at making their first effort a memorable one. Remaining true to their roots, Brezno once again prove themselves to be a key part in the 'New Wave of Slovenian Folk Metal' alongside the likes of Zaria and Avven, with 'Kri' providing Brezno a platform to build upon, we may very well see more of this tight-unit. Alongside their early Bloodstock appearance, it is inevitable that sometime in the future they will make their return, well with 'Kri' as decent as it is, it would be a high demand for their return. Download This: "V Nebo" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Avven, Zaria, Dalriada [8] RHYS STEVENSON DREADED MORTUARY 'Vulgar Way To Die' INDEPENDENT To think that Indonesia is the only South-East Asian to produce quality Thrash Metal is a complete understatement, take for example Dreaded Mortuary's second album 'Vulgar Way To Die', it has enough Slayer in it to make Slayer retire early. This 30 minute adventure offers listeners a brutal onslaught of the classic 80's Thrash Metal sound, full on fast music with enough brutality to make you crack your head open. But whilst this is a solid album in it's own right, it is nothing new and therefore might just appear to be another Thrash Metal release to many, but despite this it still packs a punch and then some. 'Vulgar Way To Die' certainly gives Dreaded Mortuary the upper hand in staking their claim as a successful Filipino Metal export, watch them with interest. Watch this: "Vulgar Way To Die teaser" - click here to watch/listen For Fans of: Slayer, Megadeth, 80's Thrash Metal [8] RHYS STEVENSON WATERLAND 'Our Nation' INDEPENDENT Be honest, Portugal is one of those countries that doesn't really get much attention when it comes to metal music with the exception of Moonspell. Take away the veil and you find a fired-up, pacey metal scene and it's bands like Waterland who keep it going. Take their third album 'Our Nation', it's sensational blend of Symphonic, Melodic and Power Metal gives it that so-called 'Epcot' feel, the sort of vibes experienced at the Disney park. Either that or the sort of sound that would give Portugal their long-awaited win at the Eurovision Song Contest. It is because of the contrasting sounds, that this album can be considered one of the best albums to emerge from the underground melodic / symphonic metal scene in years. 'Our Nation' can easily be considered a contender for Portuguese Metal release of the year, with it's emphatic transcending symphonies, bouncy melodies and majestic heaviness, there is no real room to argue against said statement. Download This: "Land Of Dreams" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Dotma, Seraphim [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON REZISTOR 'By Any Means Necessary' INDEPENDENT Despite the effort displayed on the second album by Romanian Groove Thrashers Rezistor, it lacks that wow factor. 'By Any Means Necessary' constitutes as your average Groove / Thrash Metal release and so with that in mind, don't expect anything special. That said the composition is still a worthy listen, it just does not carry the ability to convince that it is a label-signing release. Given the album is 30 minutes long, it is a rather short, if not unexpected disappointment. The drums deal justice, whilst the vocals and guitars lack any authentic stamping-power, leaving the album to revel in the 'what-could-have-been' category. If Rezistor want to gain a name for themselves across 'By Any Means Necessary', this album is almost certainly not going to do it. Download This: "Wake Up!" - Click here to listen For Fans of: late-Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy [7] RHYS STEVENSON EVOLVENT
'Whatever Happens' BERNETT France's love affair with Symphonic Gothic Metal continues with Evolvent's second album 'Whatever Happens', following such a strong debut album (2011) and a below-par EP (2014) the anxiety of whether this album would be decent was on the table. Suffice to say, 'Whatever Happens' is a rampaging voyage across blackened symphony after blackened symphony, with tantalizingly erotic vocals and an electric atmosphere, it is clear that this album was built to cast away the band's demons. The result? Success. 'Whatever Happens' pays homage to the dramatic, the operatic and the atmospheric elements that form the foundation of the very Symphonic Gothic Metal sound, as for Evolvent this can be considered as their finest hour as they stand as one of France's unsung metal gems. Download This: "Love Doesn't Love Me" - click here to listen For Fans of: Within Temptation, Tarja-era Nightwish, The Hourglass (RO) [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON
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BEYOND CHRONICLES 'Shatter' INDEPENDENT High hopes have been placed on the French outfit known as Beyond Chronicles, well with their premier EP 'Shatter' carrying such a convincing sound that in basketball-terms would be considered a slam-dunk, you would have to be stupid to write this group off. Never has French Melodic Death Metal been so exciting, from the rhythmic architecture providing the basis for the guitars, vocals and bass to unleash themselves upon to the slight hint of Modern Metal creeping in, 'Shatter' is a release that will shake the very foundations of the European Metal circuit. Essentially 'Shatter' is as rich in fresh potential for success as much as Sèvres goaded the world of porcelain, Beyond Chronicles are one band to watch for the future, no mistake about it they will go far and will gain acclaimed attention from across Europe. Download this: "Born To Die" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Marionette, Deals Death, Sight Of Emptiness [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON LA HORDE 'Dystopie' FANTAI'ZIC PRODS. Comme-ci comme-ça, or like this like that. That is what springs to mind when pouring over La Horde's second album 'Dystopie', this French unit explore the various avenues of Thrash, Punk and Hardcore to muster up a violent, abrasive and unruly splattering of Thrashcore; but with more Hardcore than Thrash. Bolting together their sound with the romance of the French language is like dressing up a female Black Metal fan in a pink flowery dress, one is brutal and the other elegant. But despite this conflicting analogy (think black rose), 'Dystopie' is a full-on stomping album that would appeal to any fan of old-school Hardcore and modern-Thrash; it is what it says it is, a take-on what life will be like if humanity keeps heading down the yellow-brick road, except La Horde will lead the horde. 'Dystopie' is a decent enough release, it is not groundbreaking or cutting edge, but it will do for now. Download This: "Chan Chan" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Hatebreed, Scarred By Beauty, Skreamer 'Dystopie' is out 5th October via Fantai'zic Productions and all major online outlets [7] RHYS STEVENSON INVOKER 'Aeon' NON SERVIAM Germany has a long history with producing some of the finest Black / Death Metal acts and Invoker continue that legacy by returning with their second offering 'Aeon'. Whilst the vocals continue the raw sound that distinguishes them from titans of said genre like Behemoth and Vesania, Invoker tend to drag in more brutal and atmospheric influences to the mix, resulting in a fast and furious yet cumbersome presentation. Whilst 'Aeon' might not exactly be the release to drag them out of the underground shadows, it does however poise itself as a decent listen for those who prefer the more exquisite strains of Black / Death Metal. With two instrumentals, a total listening duration of 45 minutes and an eight minute epic, this album will guarantee anyone who peers into it, a listen they will never forget. Download This (when out): "In The Womb Of Arrogance" For Fans of: Dissection, Bolt Thrower, Hypocrisy 'Aeon' is out 30th October via Non Serviam Records in both physical and digital formats [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON FORKLIFT ELEVATOR 'Borderline' INDEPENDENT Despite the crazy band name, Italian wielders of Groove / Thrash Metal Forklift Elevator deal justice with their debut album 'Borderline'. Whether that's a remark about their music style being borderline or their band name remains to be seen, but the problem that is presented with their debut album is the quality delivered. Naturally self-produced albums are a little risky in terms of whether it will be successful or not, Forklift Elevator just avoided that trap, just. 'Borderline' does offer crunchy riffs (especially on 'Damn Bug') and thick bass elements, but it lacks that kick force that this quintet are so capable of mustering. By adding a bit more eccentricity and / or power will give them that magical spark to ignite their career and gain much acclaimed attention. Despite this, 'Borderline' is still a valiant effort it just does not have that quality to make this unit stand out from the underground masses. Download This: "Struggle Of Life" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Five Finger Death Punch, Machine Head, Hebiimetaru [7] RHYS STEVENSON NICROTEK 'Strange Sound From The Sky' BLACK LION PRODS. Eclectic to say the least, well what else can be said when you put industrial music, Black Metal, folk, ambient and atmospheric music into the mixing pot? Insane is another way, but however you wish to put it, it seems that Indonesian soloist Bobby Deathstars has ventured into the euphoric moment of widening the Black Metal cesspool even more. His project Nicrotek has pummeled out 9 albums this year and this is just one of them, 'Strange Sound From The Sky' explores the creative and artistic breadth of this ingenious musician. Granted to the die-hard kvlt Black Metal fans this would come across as a pile of wank, to those into electronic music the harshness of Black Metal would leave them clueless. Hence this release is designed for total musical annihilation and so for that kudos must be bestowed, what with the sound and atmosphere creating a wide landscape, where can this project go from here? Download This: "Unexpected Situation" - Click here to listen For Fans of: 'Black Metal, 'Ambient', 'Experimental music' [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BLACK ROYAL 'The Summoning Pt. I' ARMLESS STRANGER Stoner Death Metal? If that is not another way of describing dying from a meth overdose then no idea what is, joke aside Finnish quartet Black Royal demonstrate their musicianship well through their premier EP 'The Summoning Pt. I'. Thick as the Floridian Death Metal sound and brutal as a mediocre hangover, 'The Summoning Pt. I' is a league apart from other weirdly genre-combined releases. The sad thing is that it just seems to not go anywhere, the music is good but the initiative is one that lacks that convincing element. Granted it will appeal to those who like thick, fast and ironically slow music, but there is too much going on for it to be a decent release. If the band were to hone in on their playing skills and fine tune it, then sure the outcome would be far different, but this is a learning step for the Finns, time will tell if their is any improvements. Download This: "Contagion Accident" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Melvins, Orange Goblin, Six Feet Under [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON UNDER THE ABYSS 'A Future To Behold' VOCATION Heavy / Thrash Metal mixed with Metalcore influences? Sounds good. Sounds even better when you have the likes of Under The Abyss commandeering it. This French mob brandish their own take on the over-populated metal combination and it is this decision that makes releases like their second album 'A Future To Behold' a delightful listen. With each passing second, new elements are delivered and it is this that leaves an ever-lasting taste for more, with an eccentric approach to the compositions and an architectural foundation to build their sound on, Under The Abyss position themselves as potential contenders for 'French Metal release of the year'. This modern take on Thrash Metal is what will drive the genre forward, forward onto newer ventures and perhaps towards 'A Future To Behold'. Watch this band with interest. Download This: "Meaningless Things" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Fallen Fate, Scarred By Beauty, Evile [8] RHYS STEVENSON CHAOS BEFORE GEA 'Khâron' BLOOD FIRE DEATH Chaos Before Gea could easily become Spain's answer to 36 Crazyfists and Norma Jean, with their latest effort 'Khâron' delivering a ballistic onslaught of insanely angry Metalcore / Nu Metal, you would wet your pants at the brutality of such a release. Not known for producing stellar Metalcore bands, this in fact could be the moment the Spanish Metal scene has been waiting for, sensational vocals lead the strike force with the riffs and drums providing substantial artillery fire. It might not be something new, but it is something epic and that is good enough for the average metal listener. it won't take long before this lot end up on the laps of the Metalcore titans, so watch this band with every passing day because they are going places they may never have thought of. Download This: "Red Lights" - Click here to listen For Fans of: 36 Crazyfists, Norma Jean, Miss May I [8] RHYS STEVENSON ÓSSERP 'Sang I Sutge' BLOOD FIRE DEATH No matter how much effort you put into a release, it does not always guarantee a decent release. This is what has happened with Ósser's debut album 'Sang I Sutge', there is too much going on and very little in the way of organizing it, as if to suggest the band were distracted during the album making process. 'Sang I Sutge' is the debut album by the Spanish Death Metal / Grindcore contingent and despite it's thick double bass (and bass guitar) elements, gritty vocals and brutal pace, it lacks the ability to convince that this album is there best output possible. Granted Deathgrind was never meant to be pretty, tidy or neat, but there is an exception to that, that is the release has to maintain a percussive pattern and not be hit this, hit that, play this, f**k that. That is exactly what makes this album flop, it just does not convince itself let alone the listener that it is the real deal. Download This: "Heretant Enemics" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Death Metal / Grindcore [5] RHYS STEVENSON JUSTABELI
'Cause The War Never Ends' MUTILATION Seven years since their debut album 'Hell War' emerged from the Brazilian Metal scene, Justabeli makes their hallowed return with another slab of old school 'Blackened-tinged' Death Metal. Full of thick viscous riffs that float in-between the ferocity of the drums and vocals that are so raspy they put the old Norwegian Black Metal vocalists to shame. 'Cause The War Never Ends' is true in it's words in that somewhere in the world there are skirmishes going on and so with this 'Blackened' Death metal at the helm of this release, the stage is set for another onslaught of the 'War Metal' style. The only downside is that some of the songs sound too similar to one another, thus the lack of diversity in terms of song construction hinders the album somewhat to the extent that it becomes hard to appreciate certain songs. But despite the inconsistency of song differentiation, 'Cause The War Never Ends' is a well constructed album that will appeal to many fans of Old-School Extreme Metal. Download This: "Soldiers Of Satan" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Immortal, Marduk, Morbid Angel [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON SOULLINE 'Welcome My Sun' SEO When you take the time to search the globe for mesmerizing talent and end up checking a band that not only is signed, has performed at Wacken and toured with well respected metal bands and yet has very little recognition outside of their native country, you begin think to yourself 'something is wrong here'. Rest assured, SoulLine's fourth studio album is an absolute bone-crunching slab of Melodic Death Metal; with Metalcore influences dotted here and there. Having been around for 15 years, it's remarkable to think that this band has not grabbed the attention they evidently deserve and yet still put out releases that would probably result in the world's press smothering them. 'Welcome My Sun' is a huge testament to the Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore style and for those who check them out (you really should!), the time spent will be worth every second of it. Download This: "Anvils" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Sonic Syndicate, Cursed By The Fallen, Threat Signal [9] RHYS STEVENSON IN CAUDA VENENUM 'In Cauda Venenum' EMANATIONS If you were ever looking for something to pass the time with, or just to simply listen to Post-Black Metal that makes pop music seem even more livelier than roadkill, then check out the debut self-titled album by French duo In Cauda Venenum. Give credit though to the phenomenal length of the two tracks combined, a whopping 43 minutes of raw riffs, thick atmospherics, shrieking vocals and thunderous drums. However for the said appraisals, the album has no more redeeming qualities and as such falls as a rather uninteresting release, some people might even want to switch on the TV just to clear their heads from the damning misery exhibited here. If this is the best the French Metal scene can produce in the Post-Black Metal arena, then we might as well just give up. Download This: "Ωlpha" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Alcest, Falloch, Fen [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON METROPOLIS CHILD 'As Dreams Make Us Live' 2014 was the year that French quartet Metropolis Child unleashed their highly Modern Metal EP 'As Dreams Make Us Live' amongst the masses. This Progressive Metal unit wield together some rather tight-arse riffs, bulldozing drums and vocals so vicious, 'savage' would be an understatement. Whilst slightly diverting away from the Dream Theater-esque Prog Metal sound, 'As Dreams Make Us Live' borrows some of that influence and bolts it onto the seemingly apparent Djent influence, without ending up like a Periphery clone. The time signatures vary greatly and thus offers a varied mix of sounds on each song (let alone the use of both English and French), all in all this is 24 minutes of your life that will be greatly rewarded. This effort gives the band high hopes of establishing themselves worldwide. Download This: "Those XII Shades" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Breach The Void, Meshuggah, 'Djent' [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BLINDRAGE 'Blindrage' When unsigned bands come to the point where they seek to release a debut album, they aim to have a complete and fully-comprehensive line-up. Well since Italy's Blindrage swapped the vocals position twice and landed Stefano Palmonari for their debut self-titled album, the feeling that they have found their winning music algorithm is present. Mixing together the agile, free-flowing rhythms of Speed Metal with the power and majestic-stance of Heavy Metal, this quintet deliver a debut album that is certain to perk up the ears of metalheads worldwide. Whilst it might be a tad late to spark a lengthy career, Blindrage however will be seen as a model for the new wave of Italian Heavy / Speed Metal bands to look up to. This album is truly a testament to said metal genre and would appeal to many metal fans. Download This: "Fool's Cant Cry" For fans of: Judas Priest, Motorhead, Rage [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLOODY TYRANT '水沙漣傳奇 (The Legacy Of Sun-Moon Lake)' Taiwanese Blackened Folk horde Bloody Tyrant mark themselves as the natural successor to ChthoniC with their second album '水沙漣傳奇 (The Legacy Of Sun-Moon Lake)' and ultimately delve into Taiwanese mythology whilst utilizing traditional instruments to give their sound that Oriental kick. Exclusively singing in Mandarin, this 7-track opus ought to give the band much deserved international attention and propel them onto greater heights within the global metal arena. Of course if Bloody Tyrant keep chugging away and putting out music like this, a record label deal will come along with it as this sort of music demands that level of attention. This may well be a sharp contender for Taiwanese Metal release of the year; with such ferocity and mind-blowing power, it deserves to be. Download This: "Final Battle Of Sun-Moon Lake" - Click here to listen For Fans of: ChthoniC, Ancient Rites, Tengger Cavalry [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MYSTERION 'In The Emptiness Of Life' Creating a release with less members than your average band line-up becomes harder as more instrument duties have to be designated, however with that comes the greater freedom of creativity and this is what Germany's Mysterion have exploited. With Zkraciev on vocals and Stefan Jakobitz dealing with the instrument sections, this duo have lashed together a ferocious blend of Black Metal, epic symphonies and plagued atmospherics with the embodiment of Dark 'Gothic' Metal to create a sound beyond darkened imagination. Evidently present on their debut album 'In The Emptiness Of Life', their unique sound of Blackened Dark Metal caresses the senses and enlivens the mind, call it what you like as this release will undoubtedly capture attention across the breadth of the underground metal world. Download This: "Emptiness" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Anorexia Nervosa, Carach Angren, Agathodaimon [8] RHYS STEVENSON N R C S S S T 'Schizophrenic Art' INDEPENDENT 'Blackgaze' sounds interesting at first but in the end it boils down to post-black metal, a sub-genre that irks die-hard metalheads. Or at least N R C S S S T might argue, musical creativity. Hailing from Lithuania, this quintet immerse the surroundings in a blanket of mist, laden with noise beyond belief and a Black Metal attitude that stems from this Baltic nation's dark history. 'Schizophrenic Art' is the band's debut album and it demands a high level of attention to say the least, ironically it falls short of being anything decent, experimentation is good but you can get carried away with it, sadly N R C S S S T have fallen into that trap and it is up to their next release to rescue them from falling flat on their faces. 'Schizophrenic Art' may be different, but it just fails to make the cut, but is a half-decent listen none the less. Download This: "In Remorse" - Click here to listen For fans of: Falloch, Alcest, Deafheaven [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON AVERSION 'Aversion' Canada's Aversion go balls-to-the-wall to show that Scandinavian-style Black Metal is not geographically fixed and that it can be exploited anywhere. This is exactly what the quintet have done, with their self-titled album sweeter than syrup and grimmer than a mauling bear, they have the hallmarks of becoming the next successful Canadian metal exports. For an album that is trilingual (English, French and Polish), it certainly meets the criteria to acknowledge it as a well-worked debut album. Conjuring up an atmosphere that chills your spine and lashing it to vocals from the venomous vixen Vena Kava, erotic guitar work, blitzing bass elements and thunderous drumming parts, the result is an album that will give any Black Metal fan a whopping boner in their pants. Watch this band with interest, we could have the new Carpathian Forest in our midst? Download This: "Gangrene Harvest" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Carpathian Forest, Mayhem, Urgehal [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON HELL:ON 'Once Upon A Chaos...' FERRRUM.COM Following a decade of demolition in their native land, Ukrainian metal wielders Hell:On return with arguably their best offering ever. 'Once Upon A Chaos...' is a hell-raising leviathan-of-an-album that enthralls an satisfies any palatable tongues for bruising Death / Thrash Metal. Featuring an array of slick-tight-arsed riffs that dance around the furious yet persistent drum beats, this is one album that ought to be on anyone's 2015 hit-list for album purchases. With raw and rancid vocals adding to the already enraged drama, you can be assured of a heavy knock-out when being seduced by this quintets capability of defying all logic and reason. Technical in some parts, seismic all over, 'Once Upon A Chaos...' is a sharp contender for Ukrainian Metal album of the year. This album certainly is not for those who cannot cope with heavy music, word. Recommended Track: "Self-Destruction" For Fans of: Nervecell, Oshiego, old-Sepultura 'Once Upon A Chaos...' is out 31st August via Ferrrum.com [8] RHYS STEVENSON KHAEL
'Efímero' INDEPENDENT Four years have passed since Khael's debut album 'Dualidad' caught our attention and last year they released their follow-up album 'Efímero', and damn is it good. Sticking to their native Spanish, the now-duo embrace the beauty and the darkness of the Gothic Metal sound and add some Spanish flavors to give it an exotic feel. Whilst perhaps not as robust as their first album, 'Efímero' does bear all the hallmarks of a well-executed release, with crunching riffs combining with flamenco-style singing and bullish drums supporting the electric atmosphere, you would be stupid to dismiss this release on the very simplest of whims. Whilst perhaps not geared to spark interest across Europe, this album will certainly appeal to the Spanish-speaking metal nations worldwide. Khael may yet have proved themselves to be Spain's answer to Italy's Lacuna Coil. Download This: "La Tormenta" - Click here to listen. For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, Moi Dix Mois, Lumina Criptica [8] RHYS STEVENSON EYES OF GAIA 'The Power Of Existence' INDEPENDENT As far as emphatic sounds goes, Eyes of Gaia's debut album 'The Power Of Existence' positions itself right at the pinnacle of powerful, yet epic masterpieces. Seven years have passed since their inception and so the wait for their debut album was truly worth it, featuring the noticeable Maiden-esque vocals, blistering-paced drums and heavy riff Armageddon. That said, Brazil has had a rich past in the classic heavy metal arena so it comes as no surprise that this album features such characteristics. But taking this album as a whole, it shows that Eyes of Gaia have the ability to do well and excel themselves as a metal group worldwide with their infectious take-on the classic heavy metal sound. Watch this band with interest. Download This: "Hidden From The Light" - Click here to listen For fans of: Iron Maiden, Dragonforce, Judas Priest, Motorhead [8] RHYS STEVENSON HELION 'Duat's Calling' INDEPENDENT If you don't have a headache before listening to Helion's debut EP, you sure will afterwards. This filthy-rotten slab of Technical Death Metal wizardry is a testament to the sub-genre as it pummels out insanely fast drums, algorithmic riffs and vocals so brutal, Deathcore just became the new pop music. 'Duat's Calling' is the first offering by this Italian quartet and by jove it offers some elements of promise, it does however take some time to kick in. The only slight downside is that there appears to be too much going on at times and thus loses focus in becoming a respected debut EP. However diligence is soon paid off with an emphatic 12 minute epic that is 'Duat's Calling: The Cosmic Collision', a supersonic song that demands utmost attention. All in all 'Duat's Calling' may not be pretty, but it certainly is not the beast. Download This: "The Way Of Stars" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Neuraxis, Decapitated, 'Tech Death Metal' [7] RHYS STEVENSON XUL 'Extinction Necromance' INDEPENDENT On the strength of their first EP 'Extinction Necromance', Canadian quintet Xul have their eyes on international recognition with their gritty-form of Blackened Death Metal. Maxing out at a whopping 30 minutes, this ferocious assault of blazing drums, raucous vocals and tight-as-a-nun's-arse riffs, collectively delivers a musical force to be reckoned with. Granted it is not as glorified as perhaps Behemoth or as dynamic as some of the Norwegian contingent, it does however offer a truly underground sound that would appeal to fans of Extreme Metal and ones who just like their meat, love it 100% raw. 'Extinction Necromance' is an important step for Xul, where they go now is one question, the other being can they surpass this effort with ease? Download This: "Orbit Of Nemesis" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Enslaved, Immortal, Behemoth [8] RHYS STEVENSON SYNERGY PROTOCOL '2014 Demo' Last year saw the first demo by Dutch Prog Metal newbies Synergy Protocol, now whilst the band is new, the musicians themselves have been around for much, much longer. However their 2014 demo exhibits much of the old Prog Metal style and thus keeps the traditional aspects alive. Granted the recording is not at it's greatest and thus needs the volume turning up, but that's ok, because what greats you is a sensual yet erotic smacking of pure, crisp metal. Lasting for 22 minutes, this three-track effort certainly ticks the right boxes as a promising of things yet-to-come. Whatever this band does next is pretty much safeguarded for the expertise driving it, let's just see how their second offering pans out before seeing them as a resurgent Dutch force. Download This: "Puppet On A String (Live)" - Click here to listen For fans of: Dream Theater, To-Mera, Stream Of Passion [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DAEMONA 'Il Demone Dentro' INDEPENDENT Arising as the East Anglian Death Machine, Daemona have no restrictions to their versatility as demonstrated on their debut demo "Il Demone Dentro", which is Italian for 'The Demon Inside'; the title of which was evidently crafted by lead vocalist Nina Pain. Executing a solid slab of Death Metal to wet your whiskers by is not always easy, but for this quintet it was simply taken in their stride. To think they are building themselves up to take on the mighty British Death Metal scene is an understatement, with this effort they have clearly demonstrated they are capable of slaughtering the globe with their chemically-engineered potion of destruction that is, 'Il Demone Dentro'. Watch this band with interest. Download This: "Grave Separator" - Click here for the 'live' version For Fans of: Cerebral Bore, Cannibal Corpse, Sanctorum [8] RHYS STEVENSON IMPERIAL CULT 'Rise Of Yalamber' SALUTE India in the last two decades or so has seen a surge of metal exports. But fast forward to the last few years and it's bands like Imperial Cult who bear the honor for leading the Indian Metal scene. This Black / Death Metal outfit spew out a sound that bears the hallmark of Asian extreme metal, low and raw recordings with that added attitude that seems to have been born with the Himalayan nations. If you love your metal as raw as cow hide, as dirty as satanic sluts and as brutal as mass genocide, then you are probably reading about the right release. 'Rise Of Yalamber' being the band's debut EP offers an insight into things yet to come, here's hoping they keep this power and grimness together for the years ahead, because this band offers a lot of potential. Download this: "Pain Of Mortals" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Keep Of Kalessin, Necrophobic, Immortal [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON EXALTER 'Democrasodomy' SALUTE Ensure that you are fit and well to headbang yourself to death when listening to Exalter's debut EP 'Democrasodomy', because it is one not to be taken lightly, in fact this is some serious shit. Bangladeshi Thrash Metal tends to get overlooked on the international stage and as a result gets largely ignored, but with Exalter's effort having enough fury to blow out a platoon of tanks, the only solution is to give this band your immediate attention. With infectious riffs rampaging like a thing possessed, drums providing the solidified backdrop and unforgiving, unrelenting and ungodly lashes of Slayer-esque vocals, it would be idiotic to disregard Exalter as a force to be reckoned with. 'Democrasodomy' is a testament to the 80's Thrash Metal onslaught and serves as a honorable yet leading release in the Bangladeshi Metal scene. Download This: "White Phosphorus Shell" - Click here to listen For fans of: Slayer, Evile, Sepultura [8] RHYS STEVENSON SPEEDEMON 'First Blood' Looking beyond Portugal's sole export Moonspell and you come across a small-yet-burgeoning metal scene, one band in particular looks set to send out their own branded form of Speed / Thrash Metal to the masses. Speedemon is a four-piece beast who roars with such ferocity, we heard them over here in the UK, and their premier EP 'Firstblood' is to blame. Now whilst to some it may appear simply as another Judas Priest-Slayer mish mash, it does offer something special in that it is totally 100% original in composition - sure influences are clear enough, but at least the riffs are not recycled, and at least they don't sound like a cloned band. For a good solid 14 minutes, it is well worth checking this EP out if you get boners over Judas Priest especially, be sure to have the tissues ready... just in case. Speedemon are flying the flag for the Portuguese Metal scene. Download This: "Blood Runs Cold" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Judas Priest, Slayer, 'Speed Thrash Metal' [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON KOBOLD 'Madman's Overture' Serbia's rich Thrash Metal heritage should be something to go by when considering fresh metal bands emerging off the streets. Kobold for example exploit the very expectations you would have for a Thrash Metal EP, chaotic riffs, infectious drums and gritty vocals. 'Madman's Overture' lasts for a respectable 22 minutes, with three tracks leading the charge. So if you asked for some Thrash Metal that is designed to crush your skull into nothingness, then you are reading the right review. The first outing for these chaps certainly yields promising times ahead and whilst the music delivers a rather rewarding, yet crisp satisfaction, the expectation for something better arises as a result. Given this was recorded in their own studio, the output is sublime in every aspect. Download This: "Madman's Overture EP" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Suicidal Tendencies, Gama Bomb, Slayer [8] RHYS STEVENSON ASHTAR
'Ilmasaari' CZAR OF CRICKETS PRODUCTIONS Upon listening to Ashtar's debut album 'Ilmasaari', you start to think to yourself 'where do i begin in thinking what my thoughts of this release are?', because simply put it is a thought-invoking and dank album that demands complete attention to it. This Finnish-Swiss duo pair up the depressive atmospherics of Doom Metal, the thick sounds of Sludge Metal with the embodiment of Black Metal to create a sound that is almost as if Sun O))), Kylesa and Woods Of Ypres had a threesome and produced offspring in the form of Ashtar. However whilst 'Ilmasaari' may not be in the ranks of awesome, it certainly has the potential to prick a few ears up and is sure to gain some attention across Europe, for now at least. Download This: "She Was A Witch" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Kylesa, Woods Of Ypres, Katatonia, Sun O))) [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON ANACHRONISM 'Reflecting The Inside' INDEPENDENT Get the aspirin ready and prepare yourself for the worst headache you have ever had, because that is exactly what Anachronism's premier EP 'Reflecting The Inside' will do to you. Beg for mercy because you're going to god-damn need it when listening to this "apocalyptic death metal" release, by mixing together the tight-ass elements of Technical Metal with some of the grittiest and grueling Death Metal vocals you'll ever come across from said genre, this Swiss five-piece have crafted a release that ought to perk a few record labels' ears up and pay attention. Slamming and tantalizingly brutal at every second, 'Reflecting The Inside' is your death warrant written in the musical format, now organize the pits, align the walls of death and let f*cking merry hell take over. You want pummeling and intensely-calculated Technical Death Metal? Look no further. Your answer lies with Anachronism. Download This: "A Way To Emptiness" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Gojira [9] RHYS STEVENSON SENSORIUM 'The Art Of Living' INDEPENDENT It is safe to say that the Israeli Metal scene is enjoying a successful establishment on planet earth and it's latest products, Sensorium, has delivered what could be considered as a candidate for 'Israeli release of the year'. 'The Art Of Living' is the band's debut album and it resides deep within the Power Metal and Operatic Metal styles, with emphatic keyboard elements cementing a harmonious atmosphere and the vocals sounding highly reminiscent of the Phantom of the Opera film, 'The Art Of Living' is a new chapter in the ever-differentiating Power Metal sub-genre. Maxed out at 69 minutes long, this erotic opus grabs your attention and never loses it as it twists and turns and delivers unexpected sounds at every passing second. For Sensorium this is a great start and they have already demonstrated that greater things are yet to come and in doing so, establish them as the next great Israeli Metal export. Download This: "Haunting Verity" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Sabaton, Therion [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON BLUDY GYRES 'Bludy Gyres' INDEPENDENT So if you have over 20 minutes spare to listen to a two-track EP, you're either mad or completely bored. But both possibilities are worth it, since Bludy Gyres' self-titled EP delivers an orgasmic display of Progressive Doom Metal. The problem is, it lacks that one strike that would cast it as a good release. One of the good parts of the EP resonates with the song "To Live Is To Bleed" which comes from a Scottish ballad by Robert Burns written in 1782. Other than that, the EP lacks redeeming qualities, sure this may seem contradictory with respect to the orgasmic quip, but these orgasms come every so often because the tracks seem too dull to endure. But the time will come when this American quartet arrange the right notes to create a release that would at least warrant a second listening, this EP is not that release. Download This: "To Live Is To Bleed" - Click here to listen For Fans of: "Progressive Doom Metal", early-Black Sabbath, Novembers Doom [6] RHYS STEVENSON DOWN RIGHT DIRTY 'Drunk And On Drugs' INDEPENDENT Well if you want your cliche 80's style Thrash Metal, once again it is here, but you got to love it to appreciate it. Canadian Thrash whackers Down Right Dirty take no prisoners when it comes to delivering cock-snapping songs, this is clearly evident on their debut EP 'Drunk And On Drugs' as it explodes with the sound of roaring-riffs, blitzing drums and savage vocals. Now imagine your head being smashed against the wall in rapid outbursts, this is the sheer force and reckoning power that 'Drunk And On Drugs' holds in store for anyone who dare listens to it. With ten tracks available to destroy your hearing by, by the tenth song you will have forgotten what the first one sounds like, let alone being deafened by it all.... ok, so maybe 'Drunk And On Drugs' is not a groundbreaking release, it doesn't have to be in order to pack a punch. Download This: "Fuck You Pay Me" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Slayer, Biohazard, Agnostic Front [7] RHYS STEVENSON DEIFIED 'Chaos, Blood & War' INDEPENDENT Dropping their debut EP 'Chaos, Blood & War' is Greek Heavy / Power Metal mob Deified, what comes with this EP is the imminent face-smacking sound of majestic vocals, this seems to be the most outstanding part of the EP albeit the solo's being cleverly crafted, and the rest of the music seemingly befitting the standards of said metal genre. 'Chaos, Blood & War' is a testament to the epic tales from the Greek mythology realm and pays homage to the Greek Metal scene as a potential release for Deified to use in order to propel themselves from. Granted it is nothing new, and now and then demonstrates a lack of creativity, it does however serve its purpose as the first effort by this quintet, no doubt there is more to come - we have not heard the last of this group, not at all. Download This: "Chaos, Blood & War" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Blind Guardian, Achelous, Iron Maiden [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON GROTESKH 'Code: End' CURSED If there was a metal version of the Eurovision Song Contest, then Groteskh would easily represent Austria; Lordi for Finland mind you. The thing about Black Metal is, you can have it blisteringly fast or atmospherically depressing, Groteskh however utilize the best of both styles, with each song on their second album 'Code: End' offering a variety of paces, elements and ultimately extreme metal as the vocals flirt with both the Black and Death Metal sub-genres. Groteskh are showing that they are ready to be recognized as Austria's next successful metal export. With the effort shown on this unforgiving, yet cranial-crushing Black Metal album, they can build on this and aim for major festivals in the year(s) ahead. If you think you know Black Metal, you are mistaken, for this is trve kvlt Black Metal. Download This: "Displaced Axis" - Click here to listen For fans of: Abigor, Carpathian Forest, Eastern Front [8] RHYS STEVENSON OKAZAKI FRAGMENTS 'Abandoned' INDEPENDENT Well it's certainly correct to note that Okazaki Fragments have discovered the DNA found within the Death Metal / Grindcore partnership, with the drums powering their debut album 'Abandoned' through all forces of velocity, it would seem that this whacky Canadian bunch have done their homework and studied how said metal genre combination works. Pig squeals, tight-arse time signatures and a brutalizing wall-of-sound pummel your senses into a squashed pulp. For a debut album this is a statement of intent, that Okazaki Fragments are priming themselves to become another successful metal band to be shat out of the streets of Canada. Just be sure to have the aspirin at the ready, as it's one of those albums that never takes a break, and could easily be considered as Canadian metal release of the year. Download This: "Vermin" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Psyopus, Aborted, Prostitute Disfigurement [8] RHYS STEVENSON CONGIURA 'iBlood' SLIPTRICK Who'd have thought a metal band could make Melodic Death Metal so damn funky, that it takes control of your body and makes you move every single muscle? Well Italy's Congiura have nailed that right on the spot, their debut album 'iBlood' might be flooding out your senses with erotic Gothenburg-style Melodic Death Metal, but with the added post-rock influences, it doubles up as a 'Death Dance Metal' album. 'iBlood' uniquely takes you on a journey throughout the tunnels of the Modern Metal as it reaps your mind and controls the thousands of neurons to make you move to the groove exhibited all over this fantastic release. With an adventurous sound to the riffs, dramatic drum elements, vicious vocals and an atmospheric more powerful than an atomic bomb, 'iBlood' is one album you must have in your collection, there is simply no exception. Download This: 'iBlood' - Click here to listen to their 'iBlood' music video For fans of Amon Amarth, In Flames, Dark Tranquility [9] RHYS STEVENSON CRUCIFIED BARBARA 'In The Red' DESPOTZ In 2014 the Swedish Hard Rock / Heavy Metal bombshells Crucified Barbara delivered their fourth album 'In The Red'. Eight months on and it still rocks your socks off, full of attitude and grit, this latest outing is the very definition of what makes female rock / metal musicians that extra-sexy, not just because of the looks, but they make the music far more powerful and vibrant than their male counterparts. 'In The Red' carries on the Swedish Hard Rock revival with enough oomph in the band's lockers, they could tour with fellow countrymen Sister Sin and make a sensational pact. As for their latest release, it's highly self-explanatory and does not take much to work out what the album is all about, that said you would need to have a shot of whiskey or jagermeister at the ready, cause this is a drinking album! Chin-chin!. Download This: "I Sell My Kids For Rock 'N' Roll" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Sister Sin, Vanilla Ninja, Kobra & The Lotus [8] RHYS STEVENSON PAEAN
'Scorn Of Eternity' INDEPENDENT It's not all that often you find a Progressive Death Metal band have the guts to bolt on another metal genre to create a unique sound, such a band who has taken that bold step is Paean from Estonia. By combining Progressive Death Metal music with Doom Metal atmospherics, their debut album 'Scorn Of Eternity' brings something relatively new to the table; sure the said combination has been done before, it just has not been done enough times. What is also amazing about this album is that it really amps up the progressiveness of the riffs, whilst the drums alternate with the riffs in doing the same thing, bringing in a Gojira-style groove. Whatever people make of this release one thing is for certain, Paean are flying the flag for the Estonian Metal scene and with 'Scorn Of Eternity' are sure to gain the attention of some record labels. Download This: "First Breath" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Gojira, Agonyst, Human Ground [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON GOTLAND 'Gloria Et Morte' Gotland from Italy plays an exclusive mix of Italian Folk Metal with Pagan Black Metal, marking their debut is Italian Folk Metallers Gotland with their premier effort 'Gloria Et Morte' (Latin for 'Glory and Death'). Whilst the album may lead some fans under false pretenses, that is, the style of Folk Metal is not what you would expect; there are melodic metal elements running here and there throughout, especially in the vocal and melody departments, the overall perception of the album is that it strikes fear hard. If you like, 'Gloria Et Morte' captures the very essence of the power and darkness experienced during the empirical battles, dramatizing the ferociousness of the Roman Empire in its wake, now whilst Caesar may not approve, it certainly would have appealed to Caligula for it's level of monstrosity and darkness. Download This: "Slaves Ov The Empire" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Finntroll, Amon Amarth, Septic Flesh [8] RHYS STEVENSON DISTANT PAST 'Utopian Void' Switzerland's Distant Past return with their fourth studio album 'Utopian Void', adorning much of the Progressive / Melodic Heavy Metal sound that has bound them together since 2002. 'Utopian Void' is a glistening hour of pure ballsy metal with twelve tracks of grit to keep you going, granted whilst it is nothing new and is certainly not groundbreaking, it offers another slice in this sensational crossbred music genre. 'Utopian Void' delivers that almost unmistakable sound of classic metal, you know with the bellowing vocals in the Iron Maiden-esque style and music so rocking, so metal, you have no choice but to let your hair down and go completely insane! Where the quintet go on from here is one question, whether 'Utopian Void' will be beaten by a better Distant Past album is another, but for now it stands as a decent album on it's own accord. Download This: "A Day Of Darkness" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Airbourne [7] RHYS STEVENSON P.T.O.M.A 'Shit Into Existence' Finally a Thrash Metal band who takes no nonsense and delivers a sound that is what is expected of a Thrash Metal band. Greek quartet P.T.O.M.A. (Ptoma is the Greek word for 'corpse') drop their premier album 'Shit Into Existence' with such a thrashing force, it eclipses anyone involved in a boxing match. 'Shit Into Existence' is your classic Thrash Metal album, full of speed and agility that is smothered by the lovable Slayer influences. Whilst most Thrash Metal bands sing about politics, death and the cliche topics, P.T.O.M.A on the other hand cover every lads dreams... tits and fun. It's funny really because for most metalheads, metal, beer and boobs are all the rage, and yet this Greek outfit certainly jab in an element of humor, especially with track titles like 'die with titties in your face' making '50 Shades Of Grey' all of a sudden appear to be a children's bedtime story. Download This: "Die With Titties In Your Face" - Click here to listen. For Fans of: Slayer, Evile, Zimmers Hole [8] RHYS STEVENSON HIVERNA 'II. Macabre' Quebec has a very good track record regarding Black and Folk Metal bands, so when one of it's 2004 graduates Hiverna, released their second album 'II. Macabre' this year, expectations were sure to run high and sure enough, they have delivered. Now surely the theme here is that the albums form some sort of series, especially when there are Roman numerals present, but ignoring that ideology for a second and focusing on 'II. Macabre' itself. The album delivers the elements you would expect from such a band, the galloping yet ferocious drums set the pace whilst the flute delivers the melodies that the guitars cannot seem to do, in turn the guitars deliver that crisp yet sharp sound that is demanded from a Black Metal purview. What makes 'II. Macabre' such an interesting album does not reside with the French lyrics, but more so it's connection with nature, leaving it much likened to any album by England's Winterfylleth. Download This: 'Le Satyre' - Click here to listen For Fans of: Winterfylleth, Eclipse Eternal, Kampfar [8] RHYS STEVENSON PROTOKULT 'No Beer In Heaven' Anyone know any major Canadian beers? Because you cannot just listen to this release without a beer in your hand. 'This release' so happens to be Protokult's second album 'No Beer In Heaven', an album that exhibits a rather unique mix of Atmospheric Folk Metal with Black Metal elements. So picture this, the melodic beauty of Nightwish crashing against the blackened brutality of Windir and being entwined with the elegant happiness of Arkona, well you get the picture. Laden with angelic soprano-like female vocals alongside gnarly and clean male vocals, 'No Beer In Heaven' is a truly dynamic masterpiece, and that's just the vocals. Coupled with an emphatic array of riffs designed to melt your heart apart and drumming so juicy, it bleeds hops and fermenting grapes as to create an aromatic flavorsome production of Canadian Folk Metal, such an eclectic mix of elements will surely garner a lot of attention from around the world. Download This: "Get Me A Beer" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Skyforger, Arkona, Nightwish [9] RHYS STEVENSON FRAGMENTA 'Odimorsus' Returning with album number two is Australia's Fragmenta, of whose Thrash Metal effort 'Odimorsus' initially has a promising outlook on it, but when you realise how high you have to turn the speakers up to hear anything, positive anticipation turned into sour disappointment. Ignoring the production for now, what you have is a decent enough album that carries all the signatures you would expect from a Thrash Metal release, that is gritty vocals, crunchy riffs and bass lines. Topping out at over an hour long with twelve tracks, one of which lasting eight minutes long, is adequate evidence to say that there is something for everyone regarding the album as a whole. 'Odimorsus' may not be the album some die-hard Thrash Metal fans would expect, it is one of those left wide open to interpretation... literally. But the imagination of how this sounds live has a greater feel about it. Download This: "Darkest Storm" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Evile, Slayer, Kreator [7] RHYS STEVENSON LA DAMA OSCURA 'Caminando Sobre El Fuego' MOLUSCO PROD Last year Spanish Heavy Metallers La Dama Oscura released their third album 'Caminando Sobre El Fuego' and naturally what comes with it is a bout of sensational songs, all in the Spanish language. In fact this such a great album if you are learning the language, or want to, because you can really connect with Spanish culture through this album (and indeed all of the band's releases); not just lyrically but musically as well. The album itself is very much wedged within the Iron Maiden universe, with the vocals being in the tenor range demonstrated by Bruce Dickinson. As for the rest of the album, it simply is the basic classic Heavy Metal sound you would expect and so thus ought to appeal to a wide range of metal music fans, listen to it and live la vida loca. Download This: "La Hoguera" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Judas Priest [8] RHYS STEVENSON WARFIST 'The Devil Lives In Grünberg' WYDAWNICTWO MUZYCZNE PSYCHO Poland's love affair for Black Metal and Thrash Metal continues with Warfist's latest offering 'The Devil Lives In Grünberg' (the German name for the Polish town of Zielona Góra) - the trio from Zielona Góra (yes you guessed it right) - have rustled up another serving of Black / Thrash Metal, but with a tendency to lean more towards the latter genre. The thing is, it's nothing new and it sits well and truly within the generic sound you would expect, some would even go as far as calling it a shame to abuse their town name like that. The only thing that can be really said about 'The Devil Lives In Grünberg' is that it is a decent release, that is all. For a band celebrating ten years, you'd have thought there would have been a greater presence on the album, in a contradiction-context however it is there, just not all the time. Make of it what you will, it just simply does not completely impress. Download This: "The Devil Lives In Grünberg" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Deströyer 666, Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch [6] RHYS STEVENSON BODY HARVEST 'Futile Creation' GRINDHOUSE MUSIC Murderous and cranial crushing comes to mind when devouring Body Harvest's debut apocalyptic album 'Futile Creation', from the word go this release will have you begging for mummy more than you did when you were a baby. 'Futile Creation' draws in elements from the Grindcore and Brutal Death Metal sub-genre's and thus combined together produces a musical onslaught of blood-splattered riffs, gut-rotten vocals and seismic drumming, all of which provides itself as a perfect soundtrack to any Saw movie. Funnily enough in recent times, Bristol has become a hotbed for some of the grizzliest bands ever to have emerged in the Death Metal and Thrash Metal styles, so with Body Harvest now a firm family member of the Bristolian metal clan, we can expect a lot more from these guys in times ahead. Download This: "Condemned To Suffer" - click here to listen For Fans of: The Berzerker, Suffocation, Hour of Penance [8] RHYS STEVENSON SINISFEAR
'Reigning Death' Drilling their flag of Death Metal in to the Canadian soil is Sinisfear with their premier EP 'Reigning Death', a colossal slamming of subterfuge in 25 minutes. We say subterfuge, because it is more like Deathgrind than actual Death Metal, but even so it is a rather interesting release to say the least. With squealing guitars forming a glut of whine on 'Wretched Stench' and guttural vocals imminent on every single song, this is an EP of all sorts. The downside is that at times it seems as if the music is going nowhere and has too much going on in such a short space of time, leaving the EP in the corner feeling sorry for itself. That does not mean to say it is trash, just that it lacks that punchline to label it a release of promising things yet to come, Sinisfear need to rethink their next offering otherwise it might as well be game over. Download This: "Wretched Stench" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Death Metal... ish [5] RHYS STEVENSON AGHARTI 'Change' WORMHOLEDEATH It's not often that you come across a band that totally obliterates everything in it's path, well Agharti's debut album 'Change' certainly ticks all the boxes for "album you must own". The Croatian sextet weave together a face-melting concoction of emphatic melodies, romantic beauty-and-the-beast style vocals, knife-edge riffs and hollow drumming, producing a sound that is sure to push their name across the European continent. With hints of Evanescence, Within Temptation and Sirenia coursing throughout the album, you would be silly to ignore this beautiful red rose. Agharti have poised themselves as one of Croatia's hottest properties and with this effort, are sure to catapult them into the limelight, this is their finest hour. Download This: "End Of Your Domination" For Fans of: Evanescence, Sirenia, Within Temptation, [9] RHYS STEVENSON ALL THIS FILTH 'Programmed To Suffer' Australian new kids on the block All This Filth dropped their debut demo last year and with it comes a skull-smashing lump of gritty Death / Thrash Metal laden with Groove Metal elements. Seriously this release punches your face in so hard you will eat yourself to death. 'Programmed To Suffer' literally speaks of what is wrong with the world, that everyone is told what to f**king do and so we suffer by being programmed as robots. Well from this release, as pissed off as it is, All This Filth provide the soundtrack to keep you sane and rid you of anger. Ballistic drumming supplements the disgusting riffs that course through and underneath the sickening vocals and vulgar atmosphere. You have been warned, this is not a release to f**k around with. Download This: "Two Faced" For Fans of: Chimaira, Machine Head, DevilDriver [8] RHYS STEVENSON SEVENTH SIN 'When Reality Ends' So thirteen years after the band's inception, Seventh Sin unleash their premier album and to a slightly negative note in that it doesn't escape the clutches of the generic Gothic Metal album trap. Granted 'When Reality Ends' is a decent release, but it's nothing new the sound. At times the album gets so slow, you could easily fall asleep, whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends upon your perception. Seventh Sin however have delivered a decent enough album, just not one to have the potential of a label deal, but take in the moment because it certainly is one album that speaks volumes, literally. Download This: "Silent Tears" For Fans of: Delain, Lacuna Coil, "European Gothic Metal" [7] RHYS STEVENSON PYRAH 'Where Am I?' The sad thing about Pyrah's debut album 'Where Am I?' is that it flits about too much, that is it is a rather unconventional and unforgiving style of Progressive Metal. At times it seems lost and whilst the vocals deliver an angelic presence, the music needs harnessing and not being let run riot. Make of it what you will, but even the harsh vocals totally ruin the album - especially when placed next to clean vocals. 'Where Am I?' may well be a decent enough effort, but it just does not cut it and would make any die-hard Progressive Metal fan weep in their sleep. It seems too basic and lacks that convincing element that otherwise might have given it more credibility. Download This: "Reflection" For Fans of: "who knows?", Progressive Metal, "basic music" [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON SUOTANA 'Forgotten Soil Of This Land' There is much more to Lapland than just Santa Claus, reindeer, Lordi and the Arctic Circle. Arising from the snow-covered lands of Northern Finland are a sextet by the name of Suotana. Nine years since their inception and finally their premier demo see's the harsh light, 'Forgotten Soil Of This Land' promises to take you on a whirlwind journey through and across the mountains with the sounds of Melodic Black / Death Metal ringing all around. For those who are into that style of metal, be prepared to be blasted with an atmosphere so cold, vocals so bitter, riffs so sharp, keyboard elements so chilling and drumming so powerful, that adding these all together sums up to make a release worthy of a record label deal. Download This: "The Reason" For Fans of: Hecate Enthroned, Keep of Kalessin, "Arctic Metal" [8] RHYS STEVENSON DRATHOTH 'Demo 2014' It's not often you find a Black Metal band in the Middle East that delivers such a fantastic sound and yet slips in a raw and thick atmosphere, so thick it would choke your airways. Fresh from the sand dunes of The Lebanon, the one-man project Drathoth which is lead by musician Eddy Ferekh, delivers a rather grizzly yet mesmerizing sound that ought to appeal to many fans of the more Atmospheric Black Metal style. 'Demo 2014' features three tracks of some rather calming yet aggressive music that lasts for 20 minutes. So if you want something that sends chills up your spine, makes you calm and has something for you to listen to when going into town, Drathoth's 'Demo 2014' is for you. Download This: "As The Moon Rises" For Fans of: Atmospheric Black Metal [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MANDRÁGORA 'First Attack' INKAS NOIZE Forget Llamas and Alpaca's for one moment, because Peru have a new addition to the Metal music family, well relatively new. Dropping their first ever EP, Heavy Metallers Mandrágora deliver a jaw-smacking punch of classic Iron Maiden-esque metal with female vocals so crushing, it's enough to make you pee your pants. With two tracks leading the charge, it is a fairly short EP, but what it lacks in length it makes up for quality. Now let's say they were likened to footballers, they would have Lionel Messi's elegance, David Luiz's powerful striking ability and an atmosphere equivalent to that of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Mandrágora are flying the flag for the Peruvian Metal scene with this enjoyable-to-the-full release. Download This: "Snakebite" For Fans of: Doro, Iron Maiden, Saxon [8] RHYS STEVENSON LEVANIA 'Renascentis' WORMHOLEDEATH The love affair between Italians and Gothic Metal is always destined to produce some rather magical music and bands, Levania sit firmly within that notion. Making their welcomed return with their second album 'Renascentis', the female-fronted quintet do not fail to impress with their unique concoction of angelic and beastly vocals, dramatic atmosphere and breathtaking musical elements. If you're a Gothic Metal fan, then you have no reason to not own this release because it simply puts Lacuna Coil to shame. 'Renascentis' guarantees you dramatic twists and turns at every second, it may be early to say but this is definitely a contender for Italian Metal album of the year, simply because when you listen to it, you cannot find the words to befit the emotions experienced, this is Levania's time to break into the global metal arena with their striking Epic Gothic Metal sound. Download This: "An Icy Embrace" For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, Elis, Sara Lee, Within Temptation [9] RHYS STEVENSON AERANEA 'As The Sun Died' It always seems to amaze that when bands who employ the Gothic / Doom Metal style, they tend to place the Doom Metal elements as the atmosphere and the Gothic Metal elements at the forefront. However Aeranea have taken a slightly different approach, they've mixed both together so that they do not remain fixed to one duty. 'As The Sun Died' is the premier album by this German unit and instantly gives a lot of promise for the band's time ahead, with Christina Vogt's calming vocals easing the sharpness of the riffs and drums, this is a release that ought to give Aeranea that push needed in order to break out into the European scene. One evident difference is that the songs aren't insanely long unlike other Gothic Doom contemporaries, moreover there is definitely high hopes for this band, watch with interest. Download This: "Prayers Die" For Fans of: My Dying Bridge, Flowing Tears, To Cast A Shadow [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MASSIVE DEMOLITION
'Ritual Inferno' Word of warning, turn up the volume before indulging in Massive Demolition's second demo. The recording quality is not what you would expect, albeit you probably would as their second release 'Ritual Inferno' is actually a demo. Sparking off their chosen style of Thrash Metal, the German quartet do not dice with fate or intellectual instinct, instead with their demo they take off the handbrake and let the classics of Thrash Metal spew out like an over-flowing blood-bath, the downside to this is that it sounds too generic for it to be unique and thus whilst there is a level of effort and creativity residing in the release, it is nowhere near enough to be considered groundbreaking, just a decent enough release. Download This: "Chemical Abuse" For Fans of: German 'Teutonic' Thrash Metal [6] RHYS STEVENSON ELESSÄR 'Dark Desires' Welcoming to the international stage is Argentina's Elessär, whose premier album 'Dark Desires' released last year, delivers a magical and galloping sound of Symphonic Power Metal wrapped within the elegance of life and fantasy. There seems to be a love affair between any Hispanic nation and the Power Metal, Gothic Metal and Symphonic Metal styles, Elessär certainly seems to prove that point. In fact Elessär are the sort of band you would expect a European label to snap up immediately (what are they playing at?). As for their album, Alejandra's vocals almost certainly wallow in the style of Tarja-era Nightwish, and the music does too. Make no mistake, they might not be well known outside South America, but blimey they would be well received in Europe! Download This: "Heroes Born Dead" For Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Nightwish, Therion [8] RHYS STEVENSON APRIL WEEPS 'Outer Calm. Pain Within' What could be called somewhat more gratifying amongst other underground Progressive Metal releases, 'Outer Calm. Pain Within' is the debut album by Slovakia's April Weeps. What instantly hits out is the inevitable contrast between the female and male vocals, melodic and gritty respectfully. Whilst the vocals lead the front-line, the real artillery comes from the guitars, drums and keyboards, firing out a rally of riffs, beats and atmospheric elements that come together to deliver a sound that is guaranteed to crush your soul, make you spit blood and wish you had not shagged Dream Theater so hard, because this release is 10x more impressive then them. The modern wave of Progressive Metal is amongst us, lead by April Weeps who are flying the flag for the Slovak Metal scene. Download This: "Buried" For Fans of: Opeth, Soilwork, Killswitch Engage [8] RHYS STEVENSON HAMFERÐ 'Evst' TUTL What is so magical about the debut full length album 'Evst' by Faroe Islanders Hamferð is the sheer magnitude of power rumbling throughout Jón Aldará's vocals, breaking out into an almost operatic tone. Reminiscing of early Pavarotti, gone metal. Contrasting against that comes some of the grizzliest Death Metal vocals you could possibly imagine (OK this might be a bit of an over-exaggeration, but the elemental truth is the vocals are blindingly crushing). What this Faroese beast has done is taken the core essences of Paradise Lost, whipped in a Nordic atmosphere and turned the combo into a sound that inevitably was justifiable to why they got to play Wacken, their next effort will certainly be watched with interest. Download This: "Sinnisloysi" For Fans of: Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Amorphis [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON SEEDS OF IBLIS 'Anti Quran Rituals' UNMERCIFUL DEATH Possibly one of the most extremist Black Metal groups to emerge from the Middle East ever, Seeds of Iblis are an Iraqi quartet who exclusively preach about one thing: Anti-Islam. Such a controversial release made public is sure to cause a division amongst the metal community, but discounting the lyrics aside, their debut album 'Anti Quran Rituals' spits out venom in all directions. Through the use of barbaric riffs, traditional Middle Eastern music as the atmospheric backdrop, thunderous drumming and spleen-splitting vocals, Seeds Of Iblis are primed to make a name for themselves and for those who seek unique sounds or bands from far-flung lands, 'Anti Quran Rituals' is one album you must own, regardless. * We suggest a song to download, but due to the nature of the lyrics we are not going to suggest any. For Fans of: Gorgoroth, Carpathian Forest, Marduk [8] RHYS STEVENSON GAUNTLET 'Break The Chains' Greek Heavy Metallers Gauntlet made their voices known last year with the release of their first ever demo entitled 'Break The Chains', delivering what you would expect from any Classic-style Heavy Metal release: infectious vocals, melodic riffs and rallying drumming, all in the Iron Maiden-esque style. Sure granted it is nothing new and might bore some fans to tears, but the solidarity of the release pushes the band on and with this effort, we might not be waiting much longer for their next release which is surely poised to build upon this success. Standing at a modest 21 minutes, this is a demo that any Heavy Metal fan should own, however it was limited to 150 copies, so you would need to act very fast! Download This (if you can): Hearts Of Metal For Fans of: Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Metallica [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON GORESOERD 'Asülum' INVERSE Celebrating 10 years this year may surpass the fact that not only was 'Asülum' Goresoerd's third album, but it was their first release on Inverse Records. Estonia's most revered Death Grinders have once again served up another slab of face-mauling grit and stuck to their indigenous Estonian tongue. Now if this album was to be a film, it probably would be Saw 7, because it is soon over before it has started and it delivers a high velocity impact in a rapid rate of fire. Plus naturally it's gore, but that's besides the point. The point is 'Asülum' proves itself as a well-planned work of art, that delivers outrageously catchy riffs, ballistic drums and raucous vocals, all of which are guaranteed to gain attention across planet metal. Goresoerd are one hell of a hidden Estonian gem, mine it at will. Download This: "Soerd" For Fans of: Deathbound, Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death [8] RHYS STEVENSON AKROMA 'La Cène' FANTAI'ZIC PRODS. Such a far outcry from what you would expect from a Symphonic-charged Progressive Black Metal album, the vocals sound so painful it makes stepping on Lego entertaining and feel as if under anesthetic. Seriously though the keyboards, female chanting and drums deliver the greater parts of this album, but the vocals, well, are enough for you to cry, the guitars are there but at times are muffled by the vocals. Perhaps if they were deeper and less on the verge of developing 'Blackened Screamo', this album might be going places, but Akroma's latest effort 'La Cène' is certainly not pushing them anywhere. This French lot may need to come up with something far more serious for their next effort, or consider it game over. This album is an own goal for Akroma. Download This: "Simon" For Fans of: Ihsahn, Dimmu Borgir, Enslaved. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON THE WITCH 'Black Flower Field' You know when a release is going to be extra special when a film clip makes it's way into the introduction of a song, well The Witch have done just and with the Pulp Fiction reference where Samuel L Jackson delivers his excellent biblical passage before executing Brad, it really sets the tone for the release. This French Progressive Stoner unit have certainly delivered their A-game on their second EP 'Black Flower Field'. Infectious hooks, ravaging riffs and biting vocals charge this release into the next dimension, that is as a release placing The Witch firmly on the front line for an imminent signing next year; or we will eat our speakers .'Black Flower Field' is certainly one hell of an interesting EP Download This: "Skeleton Soul" For Fans of: Mastodon, Kyuss, Fu Manchu [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON THE BLEEDING 'Rites Of Putrefaction' They might as well just of made an instrumental and save the hassle of the vocalist turning up, granted the debut EP by Italian Death Metallers The Bleeding is enough to make you poop your pants, but the vocals are on par with grunts made by cavemen. Seriously though if anyone wanted to sign along to this, the best option would be to mime. The only credible aspect of 'Rites Of Putrefaction' is the ferocity of the drums, the guitars make the occasional 'wow factor', but the overall impression of the EP is one of mass frustration, there again this would mostly appeal to fans of Grindcore, Brutal Death Metal and Goregrind, so who can honestly complain? The neighbors next door of course.... Download This: "No Dawn" For Fans of: Aborted, Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON FROSTBITTEN KINGDOM
'The Winter War Symphony' If anyone knows their history, then they will recall the bloody battle that took place between Finland and the former USSR, otherwise known as the "Winter War". What really sticks out like an impaled thumb on Frostbitten Kingdom's latest release is the sincerity of the music, from start to finish the blistering aggressiveness exerted here is near enough a musical representation of the brutality and pain experienced on the snow-trodden battlefield. Opening up with a ten minute wonder-opus and then cascading down to the 4 minute mark before reaching 6 and then 8 minute-long songs, 'The Winter War Symphony' warrants more attention than it is getting as it makes Immortal seem truly outdated, if you dig Melodic Black / Death Metal in the style of Hecate Enthroned, etc, then you're bound to be blitzed apart from this Finnish resistance. Download This: "Sentinels Of The Silent" For Fans of: Hecate Enthroned, Immortal, Behemoth [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON NAURRAKAR 'Epilog Lidstva' WEREWOLF PRODS. Well if anyone was to think that Black Metal always works best in the Western side of Europe, they'd be horribly mistaken. Hailing from the Czech Republic is the five-piece Satanic Black metal crew Naurrakar whose debut album 'Epilog Lidstva' spits acidic venom on many levels. Granted the band sing in the Czech language and as a result posing as a bit of a problem for non-speakers, but with such a vibrant and darkened atmosphere delivering such bitter crisp feelings it comes as no wonder that they are being monitored by fans and music industry personnel alike. From the start to the very end, 'Epilog Lidstva' bleeds grim and abhorrent Black Metal that will keep you screaming in your sleep till your very last breath. Think along the lines of the 1990's wave of Norwegian Black Metal and ideally Carpathian Forest and Gorgoroth, then you'll get a little indicator of what Naurrakar are like. Download This: "Dedicove Jaderneho Veku" For fans of: Carpathian Forest, Gorgoroth, Raw Black Metal [8] RHYS STEVENSON INNER REFLECTIONS 'Reset' France in recent years has picked up in the international metal scene, with that in mind it comes as no surprise that quintet Inner Reflections have released such a tantalizingly brutal album. Mixing together a ferocious onslaught of Thrash Metal, Metalcore and Djent, the sound that comes out is one that will keep anyone on their toes. You know if this lot were a brand of automobile, they would be a Mercedes-Benz SLR, beautiful on the outside, comfortable on the inside, bloody unpredictable in motion. 'Reset' paves the way for Inner Reflections to drive their own style of metal to the battlefield, the damning thing is the quality is a little about in the grey area, but besides that they have dealt justice with the compositions alone, their next release will be interesting. Download This: "Sworn Enemy" For fans of: Threat Signal, Meshuggah, Machine Head [7] RHYS STEVENSON KATASTROF 'Screams Of Silence' You have to admit that the Israeli Metal scene has been a little stagnant on the international stage in recent years and yet historically a number of bands have emerged to whip the world with their own metal sounds such as Orphaned Land, Salem and Melechesh. But burgeoning and wallowing in the deep sand pits of this historical land are Katastrof, a Melodic Death Metal hailing from Haifa Bay who with their debut album 'Screams Of Silence' plan to cause chaos across the Middle East. Take it like this, imagine the rhythmic grooves of Pantera crashing against the melodic solidarity and grit of In Flames and Amon Amarth together, this is what you will be posed with. Besides being named after the Swedish word for 'Disaster' and obviously being influenced by the Gothenburg sound and Floridian Death Metal arena, Katastrof are missing one thing in their world, a record label. 2014 is around the corner and so watch these guys with intent, they are sure to create waves in the coming months. Download This: "No Price" For Fans of: Amon Amarth, In Flames, Pantera, Slayer [9] RHYS STEVENSON CLAIM THE THRONE 'Forged In Flame' PRIME CUTS MUSIC Making their welcomed return to the international stage is Australian Melodic Death / Folk Metallers Claim The Throne, having dropped their fourth outing entitled 'Forged In Flame' the quintet deliver the goods in exceptional form. However to think that the closest drink most Australians seem to drink is Fosters, it bodes well that this bands lyrics revolve around battles and ale, whether you get drunk and then fight is open for debate. But what is not open for debate is how sensational this band are, make no mistake about it having supported Alestorm on a national tour, 2014 will be Claim The Throne's time to tour the world. With 'Forged In Flame' now firmly out in the open and having proven their worth as a band to watch, it could be said that their music was 'Forged In Flame', burning at your ears throughout. Bard folk melodies and drunken madness, what more can you want? Download This: "At The Ocean's Edge" For Fans of: Alestorm, Wintersun, Amon Amarth [8] RHYS STEVENSON ADAGIO FUNEBRE 'Of Grief & Insanity' LEVIATHAN MUSIC What could be considered the best Doom Metal band to come out of the Czech Republic since the inception of Silent Stream of Godless Elegy, quartet Adagio Funebre harness the cathedral's power and lashes together sombre atmospheric emotions with the cold bitterness of Doom Metal. Their debut album 'Of Grief & Insanity', although a little disappointing at places due to the lack of presence, musters up a classic sound that will appeal to many fans of depressive, sorrowful and macabre music, now whilst the songs at times are very quiet and as said the presence lacks here and there, the overall reception is that this release is one that signals intent but yet quite not manages to convince as the best Adagio Funebre can offer, even though it is a decent enough listen. For Fans of: Ghost, Silent Stream of Godless Elegy, Candlemass, My Dying Bride Download This: "The Meaning Of Life" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON QAFAS 'Mesonoxian Conspiracies' Bahrain has always been known for it's fairly active Extreme Metal scene, so it comes to as no surprise that one of it's products, Qafas, unleashes a torrent of darkened misanthropic, raw and essentially bleak atmospheric music in the form of the one-man projects first compilation entitled 'Mesonoxian Conspiracies'. Mixing together elements of Middle Eastern music to give it that Arabian nights feel, this is perhaps one of the darkest releases ever to come out of the island Kingdom. This is an essential release to have if you're a fan of Black Metal and or intrigued by the the ever-developing Middle East Metal scene. Given this solid sound and precise note execution, you are sure to see Qafas arise from the underground in 2014. For Fans of: Melechesh, Burzum, Aras (Iran), early Salem Download This: "Time Only Rotts Old Wounds" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SIGHT OF EMPTINESS 'Instincts' Following from their well received second album "Absolution of Humanity", Costa Rica's Sight Of Emptiness up the volume and open full throttle on their much-anticipated third album 'Instincts'. By delivering a majestically captivating mix of Scandinavian Death Metal and melodic elegance, the sextet scrape out the barrels and use the power gained from 2013 to mold a release that will blow the global metal scene apart with such sheer force, earthquakes will quake themselves, and listeners will be entranced by this magical musical trigger. Enlisted with guest appearances by musicians such as Whitfield Crane and ex-Scar Symmetry's Christian Älvestam amongst others, 'Instincts' takes the listener back to the roots of this Hispanic group, connects melodic metal with the historical cultural aspects of Costa Rica's glorious surroundings and using their own 'Instincts', Sight of Emptiness unleash the finest metal album Latin America has seen since the days of Sepultura's "Roots". Download This: "Fearless (feat. Glen Drover & Christian Alvestam)" For Fans of: Scar Symmetry, In Flames, Gojira, Advent Of Bedlam [10] RHYS STEVENSON KILLERS LODGE 'Unnecessary I' Sometimes going down the classic original route is the best way, Italian trio Killers Lodge demonstrate this on their debut album 'Unnecessary I', with elements of Speed Metal and Thrash Metal creeping in behind the crux of their sound. What Killers Lodge have done here is revamped the classic 'bikers metal' sound and sped it up, through inducting an array of infectious riffs that are scratching away at your soul at every second, whilst the drums exhibit that classic mid-70's rock 'n' roll, Motorhead-esque sound, that in turn supports the viciousness of the vocals and manages to captivate the listener right throughout the album. Killers Lodge are showing the world that original Heavy Metal is not dead, thus If you're a fan of classic metal, then this album is for you. For Fans of: Motorhead, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Saxon Download This: "New Life" [8] RHYS STEVENSON STARBREEZE 'N7' Let's be honest, Russia's Starbreeze have nailed it when they play Symphonic Power Metal, or as they call it 'Space Symphonic Metal', effectively what you have here is keyboard symphonies, Power Metal vocals and electronic influences here and there to give Star Wars a run for it's money. 2013 saw the trio drop their debut album "N7" and with it comes a meteor shower of musical genius, from start to finish listeners can expect a barrage of sensational music. What makes Starbreeze that extra special is the sheer dynamics in the music, captivating and transforming the atmosphere so much that cosmic dust no longer exists. After you have listened to "N7" you can honestly admit to yourself that Starbreeze would be the ideal candidate to write the soundtrack for the upcoming Star Wars film. Rest assured, this is a solid start and it can only progress, watch this band with intent in 2014. Download This: "A Long Time After In Our Galaxy" For Fans of: The Kovenant, Nightwish, Dol Ammad, Sonata Arctica [8] RHYS STEVENSON OXYMORON
'Oxymoron' Back in 2012, India's Heavy Groove maniacs Oxymoron aimed to unleash sheer hell through their self-titled EP release. Whilst not including the grandeur of Groove Metal in the style of Lamb of God per se, the EP instead features a sound that tends to lean towards a cross between Pantera, Iron Maiden and Kreator, but don't expect anything completely face-melting as the music, whilst decent, does not deliver that convincing blow that you would at first expect. Given due it is a fair attempt and will serve the Indian quintet very well, but whilst that final cutting edge note is lacking in clarity and precise deliverance, Oxymoron will remain rooted within the underground. Again as said it is a fair attempt and will surely be developed upon. The vocals need the most work, they need to be less forced and more naturally produced, the guitars are inch perfect but the drums need more experimentation in the composition. Download This: "Mirror" For Fans of: Pantera, Kreator, Iron Maiden [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON CORPSE MACHINE 'Annihilate' Michigan's Corpse Machine clearly don't hang around, not only did they form in January this year, their debut EP 'Annihilate' was released in April this year, they must be on a mission and yet their EP speaks of promise, brewing a storm of underground Black / Death Metal with some Doom Metal is not always easy and yet Corpse Machine seem to do it without any restriction, even if they are part of a scene that is overly-saturated with rockstar want-to-be's. 'Annihilate' takes the very essential essence of the underground raw sound and ladens it with some interesting riffs (sometimes venturing into the Groove Metal style; seen around the '3:27-3:44' mark on the song "Corporate Scum"), pitch perfect drums and scarily shrieking vocals. The new version of Black / Death Metal could have now arisen to take the US metal scene by storm. Download This: "Corporate Scum" For Fans of: Carpathian Forest, Behemoth, Belphegor [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON SABATON 'Swedish Empire Live' NUCLEAR BLAST Unleashing their first ever DVD is Swedish Power Metal veterans Sabaton and boy does it pack a sensational feeling, filmed primarily at their headlining slot at the highly known Polish Woodstock festival, the Swedes deliver the sensationalism that you always experience during their live sets, now whilst many would agree it does not compare to the DVD, the reality is that this is an achievement and to relive some memories they have to be documented. But face the facts, there was 600,000 punters at this festival, that's enough to fill the entire Arsenal Emirates stadium tenfold!! Furthermore the DVD boasts four hours of footage and so if you're going on holiday and are not driving, then you have a good excuse to watch Sabaton's 'Swedish Empire Live'; would be even more apt if you were going on holiday to Sweden. Fans of this sensational Power Metal band will hear some of the old classics to the new hot songs, there is something here from everyone and other recordings include performances in London, Oberhausen and the well known Swedish city of Gothenburg, now whether you are a fan or not, this is a momentous piece of Metal music to own, make no mistake about it as the truth is that Sabaton are true Power Metal gods, question is can they match this emphatic release in 2014? 'Swedish Empire Live' is out 20th September 2013 via Nuclear Blast. The release comes in various formats: 2 Blu-Ray Digi / 2 DVD Digi / DVD (Poland only) CD Digi / 2LP (limited black vinyl in gatefold + poster) / 2LP (limited yellow vinyl in gatefold + poster) !!!Nuclear Blast Mailorder only!!! Earbook (2 Blu-Ray + 2 DVD + DVD + exclusive bonus CD, 48 pages Earbook) Special Leather Hardcover Earbook !!!Nuclear Blast Mailorder only!!! (2 Blu-Ray + 2DVD + DVD + exclusive bonus CD, 48 pages Earbook) [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ZOLTAR SPEAKS 'Save As I Save' Taking their band name from an unusual antique arcade fortune teller machine featured in the Tom Hanks film 'Big', Somerset's Zoltar Speaks unleash their highly-anticipated debut album 'Save As I Save', featuring much of the classic Melodic / Alternative Metal that the female-fronted armada is capable of delivering, the vocals do not disappoint as they wallow in between the alleys of Amy Lee and Kobra Paige and feature an accompanying attitude that resides within vocalist Louise Body, therefore it is inevitable that the music in it's entirety is going to be unique and phenomenal and boy i it is, following the killer instinct through the wizardry amassed on the guitars and the precision exercised on the drums, 'Save As I Save' is definitely a contender for debut album of the year, but let's not get too optimistic as it's not December yet, all that can be said right now is that 'Save As I Save' by Zoltar Speaks is an album every metal fan should own, this work of art is their key to nationwide recognition, therefore watch this space... 'Save As I Save' is out 11th November 2013 via an Independent release For Fans of: Evanescence, Kobra & The Lotus, Barbe-Q-Barbies, Vanilla Ninja [10] RHYS STEVENSON RAVENOUSE 'The Last Gate' You can always be assured that when any Italian band dives into the Gothic Metal pool, comes out drenched with such immense power that the resulting music is simply divine. Ravenouse do exactly that and as a result they unleash the erotically charged masterpiece that is their debut album 'The Last Gate', featuring the much beloved duet in the highly recognizable beauty and the beast style. Ravenouse deliver a generous mix of angelic heavenly female vocals with devilish growling male vocals, which in turn become savaged by some epic harmonious symphonies through the majestic usage of the keyboards and doused with an array of riffs and drumming patterns that drive this sensational release forward, make no mistake about it Ravenouse are the next Lacuna Coil. There is only one way to sum up Ravenouse in their entirety, and that is that they are the Modern Gothic Metal band the world has been waiting for. Download This: "Flying Angel" For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, H.I.M, Evanescence [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON IMMORALIS 'The Great Collapse' Without a doubt possibly the most exciting new band to emerge from the American abyss all year, forging a sound that circulates around symphonies, orchestral pieces, Death Metal and Metalcore, Immoralis' premier album 'The Great Collapse' is the sound that everyone must hear. From start to finish, the emphatic symphonic backdrops that cascade like waterfalls on top of the jagged bedrock of Death Metal / Metalcore vocals, set the tone for the riffs to crash against, whilst the drums deliver the final face-punch that will enable Immoralis to gain well earned international attention from this Teutonic masterpiece. So what happens when elegance, brutality and six algorithmic minds come together? Simple, total apocalyptic musical mayhem, enter Immoralis and their own stance on metal... dubbed 'Symphonic Orchestral Deathcore'. Download This: "Trudge This Lonely Road" For Fans of: Bleeding Through, Born of Osiris, Fleshgod Apocalypse [10] RHYS STEVENSON LIGHTLESS MOOR 'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn' WORMHOLEDEATH Probably the darkest metal band in terms of imagery and musical ideology to emerge from the sun-kissed island of Sardinia. Unleashing a shadowy strike of Gothic Doom Metal is the Italian sextet Lightless Moor of whose debut album 'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn' will certainly turn heads as it engulfs the atmosphere with everything that is to be loved about Italian Gothic Metal, the angelic and vibrant female vocals crashing against the deep, growling and beastly male vocals to give a duet feeling, that added with the erotic harmonics from the keyboards and raw brutality combined through the drumming and guitar playing, all intricately balance each other out to combine as one hell of a decent release. 'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn' speaks elegance, majestic elements and classical beauty, accept no substitutes. Download This: "Cento Respiri" For Fans of: Lacrimas Profundere, Lacuna Coil, Paradise Lost [8] RHYS STEVENSON PSYCHEMA 'Bygones' INVERSE Finland seems to always be producing sensational metal and rock bands, either it's in their blood or it's in the water they drink, this certainly seems to be the way when especially bands like Psychema arise again to drop another release in their history. The Progressive Melodic Metal outfit purges out the complexities of Progressive music and instead adopt a rather alternative approach, but not in the sense that they are completely detached from the said genre, in fact the upcoming EP 'Bygones' shifts between elements of aggression, lusciousness and calmness, from the ever-changing vocals that shift from screaming to melodic and the guitars and drums working harmoniously in sync with each other, there is nothing to say that 'Bygones' will not attract attention across Europe, it simply is a wonderful masterpiece that is guaranteed to be a favorite amongst most Progressive music fans. For Fans of: Dream Theater, H.I.M., Opeth 'Bygones' is out 19th October via Inverse Records [8] RHYS STEVENSON KINETIK 'Greed' Basically if it's Thrash Metal then you know full well it's going to be fast, pumped up and unbelievably tricky on the riffs, Kinetik is no exception to this. The Italian five-piece have undoubtedly invested decent musical ideas and channeled them into creating a sound that speaks 80's Thrash through and through. On the other hand their debut demo 'Greed' might as well be lauded as just another Thrash Metal release, but let's face it there is not much that can be done to change that. As for the demo itself it speaks volume, furious crushing brutality and would sound sensational inside any Roman Colosseum. Featuring trippy double bass drumming, tight riffs and vocals that would make any Italian stallion go from trot to full gallop and as the music takes you into sheer galloping speed, you better be ready to experience painful whiplash. Download This: "Greed" For Fans of: Slayer, Gama Bomb, Evile [8] RHYS STEVENSON ANCIENT DESIRE 'Ancient Desire' Unleashing their debut self-titled EP, is the Czech sextet Ancient Desire. Their premier self-titled EP incorporates the beautiful essences found within Symphonic Gothic Metal; that classic beauty and the beast setup doused with the feeling of Central European elegance forming the underbelly of this band, whilst at the same time layering the music with the bard and theatrics of the historic Bohemian concerts, as if this band was the metallic form of the Prague Symphonic Orchestra. No joke, Ancient Desire are sure to break out of the Czech Metal scene with such oomph and gusto that followers of Within Temptation will undoubtedly have a new band to follow, the 'Ancient Desire' EP is a sign that Symphonic Gothic Metal style is not going to be always associated with the Dutch and that this Czech unit are assimilating a sound that will rock a few boats. Download This: "The Master Andiron From Lucanid" For Fans of: Within Temptation, Tarja-era Nightwish, Prague Symphonic Orchestra [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MYRIAD LIGHTS
'Mark Of Vengeance' There are times when a Heavy Metal band releases their material and it turns out to be classic s**t, not in the positive way either. Italian quartet Myriad Lights narrowly escape the trap door with their premier album released last year, 'Mark Of Vengeance' comes six years after the band's inception and the instant question of 'what the hell are they playing at?' is on many peoples lips, but when you hear the album 'Mark Of Vengeance', it does offer some good music for sure, but overall it's just another heavy metal album, there is nothing spectacular about it and some of the solo's do not fit in well with the music pattern, let alone the drums seeming to be stuck on one beat throughout the album! It's one to release an album, but to release an album that lacks certain feelings is a bad move. Download This: "Fury Of Time" For fans of: 'where does one start?' [6] RHYS STEVENSON |
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