ANGELICAL TEARS 'The Eleventh Hour' Angelical Tears, the oncoming threat from Oklahoma, USA, emerge once again from the darkened abyss and deliver their latest release 'The Eleventh Hour'. Featuring more of the classic Within Temptation and Evanescence combination, the quintet immerse the listener with soothing heavenly vocals, razor-hard riffs and solid drumming in one epic package. Since their self-titled debut, Angelical Tears have torn apart the rulebook and wrote their own sound, layering different elements from different Metal genres and finalising a sound that will captivate any fan of female-fronted bands, this is perhaps the album to get them signed by and as 'The Eleventh Hour' strikes, four tornadoes spawn, ready to strike the heart of the everyday metal fan. [9] RHYS STEVENSON DARK THEORY 'Bludgeon' Hailing from the county known as the garden of England, Kent quartet Dark Theory cultivate patches of poison ivy and record the cold and bitter screams provoked by their victims, of course their EP 'Bludgeon' hosts a myriad of different genres, but the main core sound is truly Gothic Black Metal. Sure the first sound of drum 'n' bass gives a startling impression, but buy time and moving onto 'Vampires Pain' and the more modern sound kicks in, modern albeit the obvious Victorian Gothic Metal influence and naturally the bitter sweetness of Olivia's backing vocals, but needless to say that Ryan finishes off with some gruelling vocals, was just the start of 'Bludgeon', as it is a tale of two halves, but the latter is to take Dark Theory into the legions of bands like Theatres des Vampires, Darkwell, The Furious Horde and Cradle Of Filth. If you thought Kent was all about roaming fields, go forth; just don't disturb the graveyards, for the Dark Theory is soon to curse the lands. [8] RHYS STEVENSON CIRCLES LINE 'Promo 2012' Residing in the lap of the gods, Circles Lane mix traditional Greek sounds with their classic Heavy Metal composition, sure this is nothing new but it still has a twinkle about it. Their debut demo entitled 'Promo 2012' delivers the classic Bruce Dickinson high-pitch vocals and the standard signature tune to the Heavy Metal genre, the riffs are of the Speed Metal guild and yet the overall production is as classic as it can get. If you're expecting free-flowing music and differentiation, think again, Circles Line will appeal to those fans of the classic side of metal but for the modern generation, this wouldn't be for you. [7] RHYS STEVENSON VINDICATOR 'United We Fall' SLANEY American Thrash Metal, seems to be loaded with the same ole lyrics, musical composure and atmosphere, Vindicator is no different. Fusing the topics of nuclear war, zombies and violence to their unique sound of Teutonic (German) Thrash Metal and old school Death Metal double-bass drumming, this is a band full of imagination and it shows on their third album 'United We Fall', riff after riff, the Ohio quartet smash through the sound barrier to deliver a face-punching sound of classic Thrash Metal. Get ready to sh*t your pants, this is the sound to tear the political manifesto's apart. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ESSENCE OF DATUM 'I Am Alpha & Omega' Possibly the metal band the Eastern European nation of Belarus has been waiting for to lift the scene into further recognition, Essence Of Datum go completely instrumental on their 2012 promo 'I Am Alpha & Omega' and do it absolutely perfect. Mixing Technical melodies with the embodiment of solid grizzly Death Metal, the trio dive into the fountain of experimentation and blast out in exciting fashion, full of cracking riffs and emphatic solo's, 'I Am Alpha & Omega' is a release that belongs in any metal fan's arsenal, think you know guitars, blastbeats and technical compositions? Wait till Essence Of Datum smash your skill in, as you realise 'I Am Alpha & Omega' and everyone else is subordinate. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SINMATTIC 'Sinmattic' Once in a while Portugal spews out a metal band that warrants international attention, this time the limelight falls upon Sinmattic and their debut self-titled EP. The quartet (now quintet) delivers a dark and softening sound of Melodic Gothic Metal. As shadowy as the historic Gothic tribe residing in the Iberian lands, Sinmattic revive their country's past and deliver it to the masses via an army of soul-calming lyrics, tantalising riffs and beautifully constructed drum patterns, altogether devising a concoction of Children of Bodom melodies and Epica soprano vocals, Sinmattic are sure to alight the Portuguese Metal scene for the Gothic Metal sound. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON NYCTICORAX 'Black Raven... Dark Night' + 'Anima Tenebrarum' 2006 saw the sophomore album by Latvian quartet Nycticorax come to haunt the hallowed lands of Eastern Europe with their unique style of Vampiric Black Metal. 'Black Raven... Dark Night' is immersed in the Gothic atmosphere Riga offers to it's folk, Nycticorax latched onto that energy feed and sent out truly dark musical messages in Latvian and Russian alike, using the classic shriek of the Black Metal infrastructure, the atmosphere revolves around the haunted lands of Dracula and ousts the light with a full on blast of True Latvian Black Metal. From the dark mysticism of this hallowed band and the outgoing audio sounds of Vampiric Black Metal, it would be interesting to see how Nycticorax evolves from this. Forwarding the clocks to 2011 and Latvian Black Metallers Nycticorax return to terrorise Europe once again, this time it's their third album 'Anima Tenebrarum' that delivers the cold and bitter taste of vampirism in it's true form. Pulsating drums coat the vocals in an infectious disease, so deadly it makes the old Soviet regime look as weak as a plastic ruler, but that's not to say that this Latvian band are of the sort, in fact Nycticorax are due to take the Latvian Metal scene to newer heights, with 'Anima Tenebrarum' now firmly set on powering the band onto newer styles of their already constructed Vampiric Black Metal, nothing is going to stop this mammoth machine. [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON RAJFAJH 'The True Nation' Probably time to close this band down, twenty years have passed and coming to their 2012 EP you'd find more entertainment elsewhere. The typical shriek, muffed riff and nearly-heard blastbeat are the three factors that dominate this release; however it cannot be totally condoned; at least it features a ambient feel to it, but the sort that may take time to get used to. 'The True Nation' if you take it seriously could refer to a pagan or nationalist sentiment and so the latter could upset certain people, albeit the fact that the band name is closely linked to either the Arabic or central Asian languages and so the product is somewhat intriguing. [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON SPACE CHASER '2012 demo / promo' From time to time modern day metal bands decide to keep the traditions alive, Space Chaser are no exception. The Thrash Metal quintet from Berlin release their premier demo and promo this year and as such show excellency right from the first riff, this is 80's style Thrash Metal in the vein of Anthrax and Metallica mostly, with the classic and easily detectable riffs and signature drumming as the backdrop, Space Chaser are nowhere near the Teutonic Thrash Metal style that has plagued the German metal scene for years. As long as they keep this up, they could make a name for themselves in the European metal scenes, you won't need a time travel machine to see 80's Thrash Metal, let the Space Chaser get it for you. [7] RHYS STEVENSON COLDBLOOD
'Under The Blade I Die' + 'The Other Gods' 2007 saw the debut album by Brazilian old-school Death Metal quartet Coldblood emerge from the pits of the Amazon and swamp the country in a swathe of Satanic Anti-Christianity. 'Under The Blade I Die' features toned down riffs come and going like a scythe slicing open the hearing sense with a sonic blast of irresistable blastbeats and guttural vocals as the perfect accompynants, as for Coldblood this was a new step in their band's existance and became a pivotal point in their musical direction, or did it? Regardless, 'Under The Blade I Die' is a solid performance of relenting Death Metal and is sure to batter anyone's brains to death. So when it came to present day and the year 2012 was calling, Coldblood released their first ever EP 'The Other Gods', much like the debut album except the production and quality is far superior on the EP. Plus strangely for an EP, this lasts over an hour and thus the listener is buried amongst a ton of really intricate and lush old school Death Metal once again. From the bizarre and creepy instrumentals like 'Before the Last Breath' to absolute face-melters like Reincarnating A New Black God, 'The Other Gods' is an example of pure brilliance and is sure to push Coldblood onto further releases in their twenty-year career (achieved this year). [7] + [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON
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ASCENDED DEAD 'Ascended Dead (Demo I)' You cannot help but to think that the debut demo by Californian Death Metallers Ascended Dead was intended for raw publication only, even though released on a tape and at large deliver so-low produced music that it would take the 2020 version of the Dolby Digital System to even register the output at level 2 on the dial. Sure the release is not a total silent production, but as for its overall perception there is much more to be done before the band embark on trying to deliver their music to the masses. After all this is a sound that's meant to be depressive, occult-loaded and darkening, instead it may as well be dubbed 'bizarre' [3] RHYS STEVENSON MARTYRD 'The Mortal Coil' As bright as that classic New York sunrise, Thrash maniacs Martyrd make their welcomed return to deliver 'The Mortal Coil', a futile collection of modernised Thrash Metal tracks, designed to outwit the preconceived ideas the artwork delivers. Capturing influential essences from the likes of Dream Theater, Symphony X, Testament and Metallica, Martyrd are setting themselves up to become the next band to emerge from the metropolis of American Thrash Metal. With their infectious riffs shredding through the human senses like a pack of wolves on their midnight hunt and the drums providing a solid base whilst the vocals power the album forward into a sense of total destruction, the next stop is going to be an interesting one, 'The Mortal Coil' could very well be the album that see's them get a record deal. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON KILLING SEASON 'Killing Season' One cannot help but to notice that it took seventeen years for these Illinois scamps to release something, it wasn't a disappointing wait either, welcoming home is the debut s/t demo by Killing Season, an eight-legged Groove/Thrash Metal machine of which has death written all over them. Playing Groove Metal in the style of Lamb of God and Thrash Metal in the style of Metallica, perhaps they should be called Metallica of God? This is the sort of band who love playing underground, playing what they want to do and it's evident on their demo that they stand for no-bullsh*t, what you hear is what you get, what's that Daffy Duck? It's Killing Season? Don't tell Bugs Bunny that, or he'll be forced to repeat the words 'that's all folks'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON WANTED INC. 'Demons We Created' Teutonic Thrash Metal quartet make their second album sound sweet, they forget to put the cherry on the cake, that said 'Demons We Created' qualifies as a break-neck release. From start to finish, the five-piece blast holes in the silence around with the echoing sounds of the guitars, riffing up like a chainsaw about to desecrate the Bavarian forests whilst the vocals and drums deliver a sound only a V12 could equate to. This is an album full of everything, full of angst, breakdowns, quirky riffs and pure German engineering; sure it's nothing on the scale of Holy Moses, but it will please fans of Evile, Blood Tsunami and Testament. As for Wanted Inc. they could be the band Germany has been waiting for, a breath of fresh air. [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLACK HAMMER 'Darker Days Will Come' FORGOTTEN WISDOM PRODS. 2012 sees the premier EP release of French one-man project Black Hammer, 'Darker Days Will Come' explodes and ignites with the infinite dark sound of classic Blackened Thrash Metal produced by the musical magician known as The Iron Messiah. The music itself is raw and gruesome, just the way its meant to be, the vocals however are raspy and chilling, thus bringing into the affray an abysmal outburst of blackened horror, so evil it would make the French revolution look like a tea party. 'Darker Days Will Come' is designed for fans of Dissimulation, Aura Noir and Toxic Holocaust, even so 'Darker Days Will Come' and that's a fact. [7] RHYS STEVENSON DEUS IGNOTUS 'Christmation' FORGOTTEN WISDOM PRODS. Well apparently it seems that due to the financial situation in Greece that the metal scene is getting darker, as seen by the recent release by Black Metal duo Deus Ignotus, their debut album 'Christmation' has what Black Metal already is, fast drumming, sensational blastbeats and evil vocals, so there is really nothing new here at all, still it cannot be knocked as not a good release, it is brimming with technical playing at every minute and is sure to please many amongst the Black Metal subgenre, as for the band this is the beginning of something epic, something more epic than Mayhem. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ANWYNN 'Forbidden Songs' M & O MUSIC Now this is the sort of band to uplift the Belgian Metal scene, mixing together a myriad of metal styles to construct what we perceive as 'Angelic Heavy Metal', their debut album 'Forbidden Songs' takes pinches from Death Metal, Melodic and Symphonic Metal, Progressive Metal and Gothic Metal, so there is something for everyone, but don't let the soft genres fool you, the Death Metal vocals are as brutal as a warm pint of Leffe. 'Forbidden Songs' delivers an onslaught of majestic music, brilliantly executed vocals and delinquent melodies, this is the album to set this lot off on a storm across Europe, the time has come, Anwynn are set to take the Belgian Metal scene to new heights. 'Forbidden Songs' is an album which fans of Izegrim, Arcane Grail and Diabulus In Musica will like. [10] RHYS STEVENSON ACYL 'Algebra' M & O Music Mixing traditional Algerian and North African / Arabian sounds with the Progressive Metal sounds of the French metal scene is dual-nationality quartet Acyl with their genius debut album 'Algebra'. Authentic in every way, 'Algebra' provides listeners with a taste for original Arabian sounds and brings the atmosphere of being in the sands to life. With a percussive beat giving a dance feel and the vocals delivering that harsh and ambient feel to the music, all in all resulting in a release that has enough originality in it to be called innovative. 'Algebra' is a release that will please fans of Myrath, Orphaned Land and Anagesia. [9] RHYS STEVENSON FENRIR 'Echoes Of The Wolf' From time to time you can be assured of specialist metal bands to arise from the depths of the abyss, so when Fenrir appear on the radar with their debut album 'Echoes Of The Wolf', you get the instantaneous pre-conceived idea its going to be a Folk Metal album, quite the contrary, in fact to be specific with the violin driving the melodies, the vocals providing heavenly choruses and the basic foundation of a metal band providing a solid backbone to the band, this is clearly the best Celtic Metal band France has ever produced. Laden with joy, adventures and sensational musicianship, the sextet from Nancy conduct a formula that any ancient druid would be baffled by, dragging the listener into the ancient times of Gaul and enriching their senses with what can be claimed as French Metal album of the year. [9] RHYS STEVENSON NAHUM
'The Gates Are Open' It has to be said that Nahum's debut album 'The Gates Are Open' lacks any real vibrancy, sure the Melodic Death Metal / Thrash Metal combo plays well, but the overall feeling is that the vocals don't change level and so thus leave it with a set method of performance, however the music does offer some unique sound shifts especially on 'Equal', but for the Czech quartet the album in question is not a be all end all, for it does have mind-blowing drumming and heart-breaking riffs, so there are at times good and bad points, but the overall reception is a fairly positive one. It has sounds for every sort of metal fan, 'The Gates Are Open' and Nahum is 'nearly' ready to slaughter Europe. [6] RHYS STEVENSON MOLOCH 'Isolation Der Essenz' / 'Stiller Schrei des Winters (2002-2012)' SABBATHID RECORDS / METALLIC MEDIA 2010 brought with it a cold and bitter wind blowing from the Ukraine across Europe, carrying with it the notes and despair of Moloch's album release 'Isolation Der Essenz', full of depression, ambience and raw Black Metal, this is the exact sound that is pillaging the airwaves for the last decade. With each song the raw sounds of the guitars and background drumming add a distinct yet peacefully irate sound and it is that sound that develops into something powerful and atmospheric. Firmly for fans of Darkthrone, early Mayhem and Carpathian Forest, Moloch is truly dark and ambient. But for the album 'Isolation Der Essenz' expect nothing less but a pure grim shock and mind-raping, for this album is as perfect as you can get to disturbing evil. Moving forward to the present day and what we have here is a collection of the darkest, disturbing, raw and yet grim sounds Moloch has blasted out over the decade, from the ambient noise sh*t out on 'Philosophie Der Depression' to the rampant beats from 'Das Leben ist wie ein verwundeter Vogel der langsam von Himmel fallt'. This is a star-studded array of the best songs Moloch (Pr. Sergiy Fjordsson) has developed to date and is sure to please any Raw Black Metal / Ambient fan. With over an hour's worth of grim despair, utmost horror and Ukrainian genius, 'Stiller Schrei des Winters (2002-2012)' is without any doubt one of the finest compilations in the Black Metal sub-genre ever. Now for the modern Black metal fan who finds bands like Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth and Watain kvlt as f*ck, wait till Moloch robs you of your senses, resistance is futile, the magician from Eastern Europe has spoken. [7.5] / [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLOOD FEUD 'Hiding Behind The Light' Hailing from Iceland, Technical Deathrash merchants Blood Feud emerge on the scene guns blazing with their emphatic debut album 'Hiding Behind The Light'. Mixing intricate riffs with the bulldozing sound of rampant bulls driving the drums and vocals so rotten it makes gangrene look like fruitcake. Clear-cut sounds definitely come from influences such as Kreator (through the drumming and vocals) and Children of Bodom (through the melodies created and the riffs). The only backlash of this album is the clarity of the vocals, hard to sing along to but then again it is ironic in that it adds to the ferocity of the album, so effectively by having a backlash, Blood Feud have also created a benefit to the album, in fact it would be surprising if they don't get sniffed out by a label with this epic being unleashed. Blood Feud with their album 'Hiding Behind The Light' are flying the flag high for the Icelandic Metal scene. [7] RHYS STEVENSON MISGUIDED AGGRESSION 'Flood The Common Ground' LAST MAN STANDING MUSIC / YEAR OF THE SUN Now you can not exactly dub this band as Lamb of God version 2, but you can say they are heavily influenced by them. So when Canada's Groove / Metalcore quintet emerge on the block with their 2011 release 'Flood The Common Ground', it is quickly gobbled up and spewed out across the cyber-world as possibly the next big album of the year. Pounding riffs mixed with the thickened vocals that sound not unlike Randy Blythe and the menacing double-bass drumming which drives the album into the unknown. For the record the guitarist is also called Randy, whether this is coincidence or fate it is undecided, but what is decided is that Misguided Aggression will soon become a band on everyone's lips, the cards have been dealt, the next move will hopefully be their ace of spades. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ACID DEATH 'Eidolon' NOISEHEAD Sometimes bands come out with the idea that they can deliver complex, brutal and fast metal all in one package at once, however few get it right, one of those bands is Acid Death. Coming out of the grave last year and releasing their third album (despite inactivity) and what a return this is, forging the fast slick sounds of Prog Metal with the harsh brutality of Deathrash, the Green quartet emerge as a new reformed band, with their slate clean and their music dirty as a bog, this could be the band of the year in the Greek Metal scene. Pounding drumming come with a host of savage riffs and guttural vocals to produce a fist-punching slab of genius. [8] RHYS STEVENSON OSMIUM GUILLOTINE
'Subhuman' You know at first it can't be helped that to think this release is going to be a low-production with utter trashy recordings and failure written all over it, but then after the first track, the 2012 EP and third EP overall, 'Subhuman' wakes up and delivers the Heavy Metal D-Day. This is Essex quartet Osmium Guillotine, a combination of Iron Maiden and Venom and a hue of a Anglo-Saxon Paganism feel to them (for some odd reason), resulting in a classic sound rejuvenated to modern standards, albeit this isn't your one millionth 'core' band. Riffs so rough it would make your grandma break-dance in her latex leotard whilst your grandpa moshes with his band of merry men, it's that kind of release that gets you off your ass and wakes you up, unless of course your a 'Subhuman'. [7] RHYS STEVENSON HOLLOW DEMISE 'Hollow Demise' Considered to be the next band out of South-east England to grace the nationwide press, Hollow Demise are an eight-legged killing machine, playing Death Metal laced with the rapid-fire of Thrash Metal to deliver a two-track sampler of epic proportions. In the sound of Dew-Scented and Hatesphere, the four piece take no prisoners in handing over a face-melting taster of what they can do, will do and hope to achieve by doing what they do, that is create music that will make anyone cry. Hollow Demise will duly be on everyone's lips and as they smash the scene apart, bear in mind that resistance, is futile. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ALTER SELF 'Promo 2012' Greek modern Death / Thrash stalwarts Alter Self come back to release their second demo of the band's career. The demo 'Promo 2012' delivers choppy drum kicks, spine-chilling vocals and enough riffs to cause a storm over the Balkans and flatten all the trees surrounding this apocalyptic band. Listeners should prepare themselves as they are strapped in for the ride of their life, taken through a whirlwind of influences from Slayer to Dew-Scented to Talanas and as the final song comes to a close, listener's will be left wanting more. The Greek revolution has come, musically, economically and politically, Alter Self is leading the front line of the battle. [7] RHYS STEVENSON ABSENCE OF THE SACRED 'Come Hither O Herald Of Death' SONIC BLAST MEDIA It is quite common these days for bands from Singapore to absolutely demolish the studios with their genius and outstanding compositions and Absence Of The Sacred is no different. The quartet delivers a wave-after-wave attack of solidified Death / Thrash Metal music with their blitzing third outing 'Come Hither O Herald Of Death'. Capturing speed on the drums, emphatic riffs and solos and vocals heavy and deep enough to make the metropolis of Singapore City shake with absolute fear. This is a thunderous release with enough brutality to smack any poseur into next Tuesday, but for Absence Of The Sacred, they are taking the Singaporean Metal scene to new levels whilst proudly flying the flag. 'Come Hither O Herald Of Death' is for fans of Morbid Angel, Slayer and Hypocrisy; check it out if you dare! [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SIGHISOARA 'Lost In Transylvania' The sophomore album but Sighisoara took twelve years to drop, but boy was it a worthwhile wait, even if the CD drive got covered in dust, it just adds to this timeless classic of a modern age. For the Slovakian sextet, their second album brings out a beautiful and powerful combination of Doom Metal atmosphere and Gothic Metal music. From start to finish, the ten track opus delivers just under an hour's worth of pure solid grim and cold music in emphatic fashion, with a delinquent serving of raw riffs, low-pitched vocals and a dark atmosphere; this will be a hard album to follow on by and is for fans of Paradise Lost and Mercyful Fate. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON AT THE LAKE
'Mäyä' When two sub-genres clash together they usually produce a contrasting sound, however when Symphonic Metal and traditional Eastern European Folk Metal come together, it produces a melodramatic and undisputable sound that can only be referred to as heavenly. Such a release comes from Poland's sextet At The Lake and their sensational debut album 'Mäyä', with that epic 'Disney - Epcot' feel to the album, this is a delightful and perhaps easy-listening piece of music that entrances the listener in a blanket of majestic panache and relentless power, with huge bellowing vocals, Apocalyptica-style symphonies and Celtic and Slavic atmosphere, this will be a hard act to follow and would be surprised if it doesn't make Polish Metal album of the year, everything is here: power, beauty and the heart of metal music. At The Lake will without any doubt be a band to watch out for and is for fans of Within Temptation, Dalriada, Eluveitie and Apocalyptica. [10] RHYS STEVENSON CONQUEST OF STEEL 'Victorious In Defeat' NO FACE Bradford-based Power Metal quintet Conquest of Steel make their awaited return with their latest offering in the form of a four-track single (3 studio and 1 live), this being called 'Victorious In Defeat'. The only downside is, it does not sound anything like Power Metal, no high-pitch melodic vocals nor any gallioping speed on the drums / guitars, this is more like melodic heavy metal, for the West Yorkshire lads, this is a decent piece of musicianship, timed and excellent in beat and whilst the overall product is a good release, it should be noted that the riffs are a little repetitious. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON RAW IN SECT 'Red Flows' WORMHOLE DEATH Musically representing the anger of the Greek nation and it's population, the Technical Death / Thrash Metal quartet Raw In Sect spit blood out with their debut album 'Red Flows', capturing and ensnaring the listener into sheer heavy brutality whilst murdering the human senses, rendering the human hearing ability obsolete. Here is a band with enough fury to overturn the faltering E.U, with a fistful of balls smashing against the skulls of the belligerent listener; the ultimate result is one of sheer decapitation and mental scarring, without a doubt Greek Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON _JAPANISCHE KAMPFHORSPIELE 'Kaputte Nackte Affen' UNUNDEUX Sad to say that the German Grindcore band Japanische Kampfhörspiele split up this year, none the less their fifth full-length release will not go without being noticed as an interesting release, not only do they sing in their native language of German but there is hardly any continual riffs, this is perhaps the signature tune for Grindcore, short songs with enough bizarre music to keep the listener questioning whether it is music or not, eighteen tracks amounting to 45 minutes, that is enough to save a place for the band in German Metal history. [7] RHYS STEVENSON SOULDRAINER 'Heaven's Gate' VICISOLUM Swedish Melodic Death Metal trio Souldrainer make their second return a real sweet one, returning to deliver their sophomore album 'Heaven's Gate' to the masses, the album features Scar Symmetry (old style) influences but with a lot more beat in it, somewhat funked up. Fist-slamming riffs pulverised by the mesmerising drumming of which are both fuelled and ignited by the fiery vocals that are emitted, this is pure modern metal at its finest, with each riff casting a new sound to each beat of the drum, Souldrainer is set to become the next best Melodic Death Metal export from Sweden. [7] RHYS STEVENSON ALL FALLS DOWN / REANIMA
'All Falls Down / Reanima Split' UNUNDEUX Utterly a poor split, one would have thought both Austrian Death Metal bands would have taken the moment to shed spit and light up a path to absolute decapitation, but this nothing better than Justin Bieber, an utter disgrace to the music genre. The riffs are too choppy and the drums lack any enthusiasm whilst the vocals, well, imagine a bodybuilder being castrated, it's that painful to listen to, seriously without any sheer motivation on this split, it lacks a lot to be desired. [1] / [1] RHYS STEVENSON NAMI 'Fragile Alignments' SEASON OF MIST Signalling a seismic wave of destruction is Andorran Progressive Metal quintet Nami with their 2010 debut album 'Fragile Alignments', hailing from a small country the band does no mistakes in making it sound big and brutal. Death Metal style vocals cover the Progressive Metal beats to finalise as a dual genre production, with riffs bleeding every spot on the human ear and drums supplementing a beat for the vocals to curse words upon, this is without a doubt one album for any metal fan to have. A true work of Andorran musicianship in which leads to Nami flying the flag for the Andorran Metal scene. [8] RHYS STEVENSON NIFLHEIM 'Personae' Mixing a traditional Celtic rock sound to their music is French Symphonic Heavy Metal sextet Niflheim with their sophomore album 'Personae', sounding a little similar to Finns Apocalyptica, the four men and two women present in this intricate assembly all bring a different level of beauty to the music, from the calming female vocals to the adventurous sound of the violin and to the glorified Metal sound, this is without a doubt a band for the future. With a vocal range exceeding the range of French champagne, Niflheim is one of the French Metal scenes hidden gems. [10] RHYS STEVENSON CIRCLE OF RAGE 'Rage In D-Minor' Breaking the limit of decibels emitted from speakers during musical transition is Hardcore Punk bad boys Circle The Rage from Kent, mixing the attitude of The Who and bringing a in-your-face spitting attitude, this is a sound defining blaspheming anger at everything, a true punk signature of an album. Fisting the masses with a sharp blast of brain-raping riffs, spine-snapping beats and ball-blazing vocals, this is anarchy in the UK without a doubt. Perhaps one of the next Hardcore bands to kick up s*** in the underground and dump s*** on every poser. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON LORD IMPALER 'Admire The Cosmos Black' As raw as the unholy nights of the Balkan forests comes Greek Black Metal trio Lord Impaler with their debut album 'Admire The Cosmos Black' released this year and of which marks the first major release in their 13 years of existence. With clear and imminent influences from the Norwegian Black Metal scene, Lord Impaler do not fail to impress with this release, with an eruption of raspy and shrieking vocals that are scary enough to freeze wolves on the spot and the guitars and drums working in tandem to create a dynamic atmosphere, this is perhaps the darkest hour in the Greek Metal scene. Essentially, Lord Impaler is one band any Black Metal fan should have in their collection as it is simply a work of genius. [9] RHYS STEVENSON OURFAMOUS DEAD
'I Am Man' Yorkshire mob Ourfamous Dead make their standing in the ever-growing combination of criss-crossing electronic music with Metal with their debut EP 'I Am Man' released this year, whilst automatically considered as a more funked up Enter Shikari, the quintet do no more but totally wreck the record with songs containing a heavy load of sweat and balls, enough to breakdown any stagnate crowd and ignite the moshpits and raves into overdrive. Being included in the freshly created wave of 'Electronicore' as dubbed by themselves, Ourfamous Dead are sure winners to be noticed by Kerrang and with one release down, nothing is going to stop them now, you have been warned. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON POWERSTORM 'Act I' Sixteen years it took for this moment, was it worth the wait? Very much so. Greek Power Metal one-man project Powerstorm (Kostas Falieros) made this moment the best that could ever be, a powerful yet exciting array of high vocals and majestic riffs aligned with some of the most insane solo's ever heard from the Greek Metal scene. Whilst 'Act I' has the power and majestic nature of the Ancient Greek folks people and gods, Powerstorm bring the might of Zeus to Mount Olympus in this fast and lively release, this is something modern Greece should cherish, the notion of having a Greek mastermind, one to rival Canada's Devin Townsend. Powerstorm is one band to watch out for, this has just begun and that was 'Act I'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SAPIENCY 'Fate's End' Fresh from the baby ward in Frankfurt-Am-Main hospital is little newcomers Sapiency, the German sextet implementing a hard blast of Melodic Death / Thrash Metal with the driven force of Germany's hard and heavy hitting twist on Metal music. Their debut album 'Fate's End' released last year echo's a complete sound of fist-beating vocals and ear-ripping music to infuse any negative atmosphere with a get-up and mosh aesthetic as a replacement. Sapiency with this effort are surely to be snapped up by a record label without a doubt, possibly someone like Metal Blade or Napalm Records. A true testament to the burgeoning German Metal scene, a band to watch without fail. [10] RHYS STEVENSON TOKKS VOITTO 'Formation' Wondering whether the sauerkraut went off in the fridge, but for Germany's latest Melodic Death Metal conjure, this is half the case. Tokks Voitto excrete their debut EP 'Formation' with a load of question marks surrounding it, whilst the music is near enough suitable to be accepted, the vocals are somewhat of a mystery, not only is there no clean vocals as usually seen in Melodic Death Metal, the lyrics are inaudible and thus resulting in a near poor EP. But for this German sextet, this is just the beginning as the only way for these guys is up. So whilst the vocals leave a disappointing aftertaste, the music itself provides a fruitful lavish taste of erotic melodies. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON UNLEASH THE ARCHERS 'Demons Of The Astrowaste' Racing across the North American plains and mountains is Canadian storm-troopers Unleash The Archers returning with their second offering in the form of another album loaded with insanely heavenly musical compositions and a sense of majestic adventure. Wielding a powerful thunderstruck alliance of Melodic Death Metal with Power Metal, this British Columbia quintet unleash a catastrophic landslide of ferocious riffs and brain-battering drumming along with vocals on an emphatic scale, contrasting with the highs and lows of the vocal range. With 'Demons Of The Astrowaste' now in their repertoire, this is one sign that Unleash The Archers should be signed, this band is to get big and by far engulf the globe with a powerful audio blast of female-fronted metal. [10] RHYS STEVENSON WILD
'La Nueva Orden' Playing la salsa and la flamenco is Madrid's Heavy / Power Metal newbies Wild with their spicy debut album 'La Nueva Orden', now whilst conventionally the lyrics are in Spanish, this does not deter the fact the music carries the luscious sounds and reverts the vocals into a side order. For the Spanish quintet, this is one step they will take in their stride, as did fellow countrymen Avalanche. Intellectually sounding reminiscent of 3 Inches of Blood in relation to the constant fixed beats and mentally high vocals. Sensationally as the album is the true essence is yet to be found and so Wild have a challenge ahead, one they will as shown by this effort, will be taken head-on. [8] RHYS STEVENSON MODUS DELICTI 'Nobody' COMATOSE Promising Italian Brutal Death Grindsters Modus Delicti unleash a torrent of hell with their debut album 'Nobody' with a slice of extreme vocals and drums to compliment the near-gone guitars. Whilst the album itself offers a piece of bizarre music, the overall product is a mass combination of noisy vocals and furious musical compositions which together rival the very essence of musical creativity. 'Nobody' although nothing new is one of those albums that is still good however. [7] RHYS STEVENSON ANTROPOFAGUS / PUTRIDITY / PRION / INFECTED FLESH / MASS INFECTION 'Split Torso Trauma' COMATOSE Combining all forms of flesh from sickening Spain, icky Italy, aortic Argentina and gory Greece is some of the Brutal Death Metal underground storm-troopers, although it has a variety of bands on song, the general sound is there, so more so like a 5-band split compilation rather than a split, essentially a split for which caters for all various extreme tastes of Death Metal in its entirety. Full on mind-blowing sonic beats of pure drumming, outrageous riffs and vicious vocals, this is practically all that can be said about this release. [8 - across the board] FACE OF OBLIVION 'The Embers Of Man' COMATOSE Apocalyptic American Death Metal mob Face Of Oblivion unleash insanity and brutality in all demoralizing forms to cause unsightly chaos on all levels of extremity. With their debut full-length album 'The Embers Of Man' the motion of sickening vocals and down-tuned guitars electrify the barely noticed drumming compositions exerted by this quintet, overall this album is a mystifying array of mindless torture, cursing mass murdering and fearless anguish, 'The Embers Of Man' is seemingly apt to be dubbed the goriest album of 2011. [8] RHYS STEVENSON I CHAOS 'The Human Repellent' RITF Dutch Brutal Death Metal newcomers I Chaos quickly become a powerful force striving in the underground with their ear-shattering debut album 'The Human Repellent', whisking together a heavy punch of bone-crushing drumming and flesh-ripping riffs amongst gut-gurgling vocals, I Chaos is to become the next extreme act from the land of windmills and flowers, make no mistake this quartet mean violent business and should be taken with a pinch of precise warning, this music is not for soft metal listeners, I Chaos is 'The Human Repellent'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ABINCHOVA
'Versteckte Pfade' Valiantly galloping over the Swiss Alps and around the beautiful Matterhorn is Swiss Melodic Death / Folk Metal septet Abinchova, whilst not as heavy or folk-orientated as fellow countrymen Eluveitie, Abinchova instead implement their native sound via the lovely sound of violins and so devise their own sound. Sort of traditional folk meets the modern sound of metal in this twisted debut album named 'Versteckte Pfade' (roughly translated as hidden path), but with this in their arsenal, Abinchova are a band just waiting to explode into the wider Metal scene. [8] RHYS STEVENSON FORTRESS UNDER SIEGE 'The Mortal Flesh Of Love' METAL MAD MUSIC As majestic as the Acropolis and brutal as the Spartans, Fortress Under Siege stand up and make their debut album 'The Mortal Flesh Of Love' sound extraordinarily powerful and easy to succumb to, mixing their Greek atmosphere with the elegance of Progressive Metal to unleash very high vocals, sensational riffs and bullet-blazing drumming in a package that could so easily rival every other Progressive Metal band, such an epic sound drives the listener in the front row of travelling on journeys of discovery, such sounds should be heard at Epcot more often, with trance music arriving via the keyboards, Fortress Under Siege are the next latest big metal export from Greece. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BAD MAMASAN 'Jeanine The Wolverine' Chinese Thrashers Bad Mamasan kick off serious business with their debut album 'Jeanine The Wolverine' with Iron Maiden-style vocals and a progressive thrash style of drumming, more so a unique combo of Heavy Thrash Metal with Chinese ideas. Whilst the sound essentially is nothing new, the difference between other bands and Bad Mamasan is simply with funk influences, almost so as if the songs are near enough easy to dance to, but overall the music just seems a little too standard, no sort of power behind it, but none the less a decent release, one that doesn't carry much negativity but positivity could be better. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON INDOMITE 'Espejo Y Realidad' Hailing from Colombia, Power Progressive Metal troupe Indomite deliver their first ever release in the form of their 2011 demo 'Espejo Y Realidad', combining their native Spanish tongue with the valiant power found in Power Metal and fast beats found within Progressive Metal, the quintet are starting their efforts off in a decent fashion, not so because the language is different, but essentially they have the musical beats timed well, the riffs are tight and the vocals are in two-tone with both male and female chords at the rein of the lyrics themselves, a combination of fluttery Colombian beauty with the hard-hitting conquistadors of South America makes this demo essentially Colombia's best release this year, Indomite are flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene. [8] RHYS STEVENSON XENESTHIS 'Thou Shalt Not' Escaping the vaults of the underground is Austrian Metalcore newcomers Xenesthis with their debut album 'Thou Shalt Not', mixing a sensational array of female melodic vocals with the brutality and heaviness of Metalcore, so essentially Melodic Metalcore. With classical elements somehow seeming present in the atmosphere, maybe a touch of Mozart in their or a classic response to the titans In This Moment, none the less a unique revelation in the common Metal genre, rhythmical drumming assisted by some of the most in-your-face vocal attitude going around, whilst sounding a little similar to Sonic Syndicate, this band is defining their own genre, as for Austrian Metalcore Xenesthis are flying the flag here, one band to watch for the future. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON OSTITTO
'Genocide '71 Split (Ostitto side) and 'Menes' single' G SERIES Hailing from Bangladesh is Deathcore quartet Ostitto with their latest single 'Menes' and their own half of the split CD release with Bangladeshi Technical Death Metal band Chromatic Massacre, the split itself features a solid assault of brutality along with traditional Bangladeshi melodies on the single 'Menes', mixing Metal with the secrets of the Asian continent, Ostitto are sounding heavier than the American veterans Whitechapel, with a blazing array of drumming compositions amongst gut-rotting vocals and sharp riffs, extreme enough to make the cricket team seem like softies, essentially this is a pure sign that the Bangladeshi Metal scene is gaining momentum, watch this band at all costs, Ostitto are flying the flag for the Bangladeshi Metal scene. [6.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON GMN - Vol26 - Motör Militia, The Silent Rage, Smouldering In Forgotten, Abriosis, Analdicktion21/7/2011 MOTOR MILITIA 'Cloaked In Darkness' Within no doubt, the middle east's finest Thrash Metal band, Motör Militia return with their sophomore album 'Cloaked In Darkness' after seven years. The quintet from Bahrain take the music into their own stride, with sensational riffs encased with a Heavy Thrash Metal approach coming from the drums and whilst the vocals implement a slice of mental brutality, the overall album has a kick-ass spirit to it, so much to say for Slayer's monumental 'Reign In Blood' as being a classic, for Motor Militia have just redefined the meaning of 'classic', however situated in a country with only a few metal bands in current existence there lies no real competition, only from other Middle Eastern countries, even so Motor Militia are essentially flying the flag for the Bahraini Metal scene, 'Cloaked In Darkness' is an essential album for any Thrash or Global Metal fan, a true diamond-of-an-album found in one of the smallest Middle Eastern countries. Combining Arabic and English lyrics is just the beginning for Motor Militia, but for the Bahraini Metal scene, it is no longer 'Cloaked In Darkness'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON THE SILENT RAGE 'Harvester Of Souls' Greek Melodic Power Metal quintet The Silent Rage unleash their second EP 'Harvester Of Souls' with a Sonata Arctica tone to it, with highly pitched vocals and a percussive beat, The Silent Rage take their Greek atmosphere and channel it into something greater than the acropolis and Ancient Greece, with a rally of riffs to savour any untamed hearing and a beat to keep those heads banging, The Silent Rage are truly in another level of Greek Metal, whilst the lyrical content or topic is unclear, they certainly know how to bring a fantasy-like presence to their music, merely scraping the barrel of darkness to encourage a feasible level of composition, essentially a force waiting to escape the boundaries of Southern Europe. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SMOULDERING IN FORGOTTEN 'I Devourer' Another one of Bahrain's Metal titans, Smouldering In Forgotten unleashed the darker side to this island with their sophomore full-length album 'I Devourer' released last year, armed with a brutalizing slab of Black infused Death Metal this sextet are the natural Bahraini rivals to Polish veterans Behemoth. Earthquake-causing drumming enveloped by a torrential wave of flesh-shredding riffs and mind-crushing vocals all coalesce to deliver one of the Middle East's most brutal and evil releases to date, whilst the music provides the brutality, the atmosphere changes into a thunderous imagination of sand storms, camels and barren deserts and not just the haphazard mirage. Smouldering In Forgotten are truly the Middle East's heaviest Metal band, watch this country metal scene at all costs. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ABRIOSIS 'Tattered & Bound' SHIT KNIFE Canadian Technical Death Metal newcomers Abriosis fire up the sound-blasting cannons with their fearful debut album 'Tattered & Bound', covering an extreme level of brutality it comes with an introduction which coherently doubles up as a sound warning, this album is not for soft-hearing people or ones suspecting of a Disney-laden Death Metal release, far from it, Abriosis cultivate a sonic streak of hard-hitting blast-beats shrouding some of the sickest riffs that rivals the aftermath of downing bottles of syrup and lubricating the larynx for a powerful explosion of brutal growling. Whilst falling short of the complexity of mathcore, Abriosis make up for lost time signatures by crafting and shaping their own sound, one which defines them separate to all Canadian Tech Death bands, a sure band to keep an eye out for. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ANALDICKTION
'Sluts' SCROTUM JUS Well this release takes the biscuit, Brutal Death Grinders Analdicktion from Singapore unleash a bloody torrent of sickening gore and molesting audio rape with their debut album 'Sluts', whether the vocals were jammed in the tape recorder remains unclear, yet is relevance to noise is clear as daylight, however it does churn stomachs and gives a vomiting feeling of which eradicates all pleasantries. Similar to Vulgate Dogmas, in terms of brutality and heaviness, Analdicktion is a product of the globally successful saw film franchise, just don't plan to walk away from this album without being tested, oh yes there will be blood. [7] RHYS STEVENSON |
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