NATTERGAL 'Singular Disasters' Even the most raw and atmospheric Black Metal bands have something extraordinary to offer and Nattergal is no exception, smothering the genre with cold, depressive and doom-laden feelings is just one difference, the fact being the project is performed by one female musician from Mexico is another, in fact her debut album 'Singular Disasters' has far more ambience on it than a session with the hippies. 'Singular Disasters' brings together a host of different styles of Black metal, moulds them together and delivers what one could perceive as one of the most rawest albums released to date, even so with the album designed for fans of evidently Raw Depressive Black Metal, it is one of a kind and should never be disregarded as a commoner. [7] RHYS STEVENSON MURDEROUS INSTINCT 'Manifestation Of Evil' Those uncanny Scotsmen, producing metal music to piss off the English because we tend to fail at Brutal Death Metal, well when you take into account Aberdeenshire's Murderous Instinct, you get the nostalgic feeling of the many battles between the nations, Culloden for example. But you tend to realise, hang on, this album has got more than angry musicians on it, this is a damn good masterpiece. So when the Scottish quartet shed out their debut album 'Manifestation Of Evil', the production is acceptable, but the music is godly and so without any doubt whatsoever, what we have here is an album that fans of Excrementory Grindfuckers, Cerebral Bore and The Atrocity Exhibit will love, now where's my cooking haggis. [9] RHYS STEVENSON SHEBREW 'Provenance' So apart from the fact the band's logo is similar to that of the iconic Star Wars logo, Brummie trio Shebrew come galloping out of the gates with their debut EP 'Provenance', putting together a juicy meal of Stoner Doom Metal to captivate the listener into a false sense of security, why? Well it's hardly Doom Metal at all, it's that sort of music you play when smoking weed at a campfire and hang out with the hippies, and it's mellow and delightful, if that's the best way to put it. But taking into account that this is a damn good starting point for the band, they may well get some major attention, or at least they deserve to, simply inspirational. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DEPRAVED PLAGUE 'Systemic' Well hospitals in Cambridgeshire must be overwhelmed with people suffering neck pains and other broken bones, the cause of the accidents can be blamed onto the infectious album release by Cambridge Death Metal mob Depraved Plague. This year the quartet unleash total chaos with their debut album 'Systemic', a futile sound of old school Cannibal Corpse and modern style techniques combined together to smash every skull who stands in their way, in fact scrap calling it Death Metal, the term 'Radioactive Metal' would befit them to the very cells from which they are made of, it's lethal, it's metal and it's 100% dangerous, Deprave Plague are on course to rival the world's biggest Death Metal titans, game on. [10] RHYS STEVENSON APPARITION 'For Vengeance... And For Love' METAL COMPASS Making their welcomed return is Staffordshire's Apparition with their sophomore album 'For Vengeance... And For Love' and their unique style of soul-soothing Gothic Metal. Two years have passed since their 2010 compilation and the wait has been worth it, delivering beautiful female vocals with an atmospheric backdrop, this is a album that creates a feeling of relaxation, a sort of stress-release entertainment, but however the listener perceives it, this is a band that deserves credit and recognition as bringing a new style of Gothic Metal to the forefront, sure they are not on the same par as bands similar to them like Within Temptation and Delain, no, in fact they are one whole level above them. [9] RHYS STEVENSON PRAYERS OF SANITY 'Confrontations' Simply put the best ever Thrash Metal band Portugal has ever seen, enter Prayers Of Sanity and their awaited return with their second offering entitled 'Confrontations'. The second album delivers break-neck Thrash Metal in the style of Slayer-cross-Holy Moses and so what you get is forty minutes worth of total brain-f*cking material. Pummelling drums ride the waves as the guitars provide tricky and technically demanding riffs and the vocals blast out at a thousand M.P.H., all in all this together provides the algorithm for what can be see as Portuguese Metal album of the year. Think you know Thrash? Think it's just how fast you can go? Until you know this band you know nothing of the kind. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SYNODIK 'Sequences For A New Matrix' The storm is oncoming, this is the new sound of modern Italian Metal. Synodik emerge out of the underground with a new style of music developed on their own accord, enter Cyber Death Metal. Mixing the delightful sounds of keyboards and lyrics regarding technology and everything on par with that, it won't be long before this Italian lot are signed, rest assured. Their debut album in question is a myriad of sounds and as such totally obliterates any pre-conceived ideas about the sound and well quite frankly, if they don't get any global attention, then it will shock the whole global community that this is without any doubt Italian Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON IN THE SILENCE 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad' If you're a fan of emotional and somewhat a little depressive music then you should not turn a blind eye to 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad', true its ideally Atmospheric Prog Metal, but even so the melancholy is enough to turn any priest demonic. 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad' is the debut album by Californian quartet In The Silence and it features eight tracks equating to forty-six minutes of ambience, rock and general misery. The composition is good granted but the overall release is a little bleak, its one of those albums that sits in the corner of the cupboard, gathering dust and yet fails to lose its lustre, although the irony is that it's meant to be dark, perhaps it is what it's stated as, 'A Fair Dream Gone Mad'. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON DISARM GOLIATH 'Born To Rule' Instantly the whole Iron Maiden sound hits you like a raging bull high on illicit drugs, but when you dissect a band like Disarm Goliath, they do have some influences coming in from Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Metallica (especially the solo's) and intriguingly they tend to have that Brummie sound; the home of metal. So when their sophomore album 'Born To Rule' comes out to rock the countryside, what it does instead is captures the essence of Heavy Metal gone-by and adds some modern features; we'll leave the listener to detect them. None the less, 'Born To Rule' is an album for the fans of Classic Metal and also bands like Kobra & The Lotus, Kaine, Merciless Fail and Rage. [7] RHYS STEVENSON PLANET RAIN
'Antichthon' Of course anyone would be mistaken to dub every Swedish Melodic Death Metal band the same, in truth it's just not the case, every one of them has something unique to offer, especially bands like Planet Rain who make their long-awaited debut album 'Antichthon' take flight in spectacular form. Delivering a fist punching wall of sound in the heaviest obliteration to date, this is the sound to smack the clone bands into line. 'Antichthon' hosts a brutal onslaught of outrageous riffs, emotional vocals and classic drumming; this is just the beginning of something magical. [7] RHYS STEVENSON
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APOTASY 'Redemption' Well the clarity is nearly good but as far as the music goes, it's pretty decent. This is Apotasy from Slovakia, playing Melodic Death Metal on their debut demo 'Redemption', in any sense they are similar to bands from the USA, fast double-bass drumming, epic riffs and threatening vocals. For the trio this is a solid start, of course it's not 100% perfect, but neither is any band on their first outing. 'Redemption' itself carries a little twinkle on it in that composure is tight and the resulting production is a brutal enough display of what can be achieved, if this band were to add a bassist it would sound a little more heavier, but as for the release, well it speaks for itself, modern Melodic Death Metal in it's most gruesome moment. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON NEOANDERTALS 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child / Australopithecus' Before the critics just slaughter this release, let's be honest it's practically Brutal Death Metal music without any lyrics, the grunting just brings out the caveman style Death Metal, or is that just an ironic pun? Whatever it is, Estonia's duo Neoandertals smash it out with their second album 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child', pummelling drumming drives the insanity beyond believe whilst the gut-rotten vocals completely and utterly demoralises the listener into a sound sense of utmost suicide, or perhaps it's just listener playing dead. 'Ebu Gogo Gutting The Child' is a unique album in that it provokes more of the Avant Garde album than needs to be and as a result lowers the final conclusion of the album beyond mere acceptance, listen if you will, it could just kill you. 2012 saw the third release take life, 'Australopithecus' becomes album number three in the Estonian duet's career. Now once again the drums deliver the goods, the guitars for the most part of it have a livelier approach and since the vocals have been dropped, there is a huge improvement in the sound. Sure it carries on the same salsa-like movement between the Avant Garde sound and the Brutal Death monster that emerged on their second album, but it adds a more progressive sound to the affray, especially on the drums. Now this could act as a damn good film soundtrack especially during a fight scene or especially in a spy movie, but for the salient point, the fact remains the percussive side is by far the more dominant and so this is the better album of the past two. [4.5] + [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON THIS BROKEN MACHINE 'The Inhuman Use Of Human Beings' It's great when bands create their own genre names to suit their music playing and so when you have the Italian quartet This Broken Machine deliver their Progressive Metalcore debut album 'The Inhuman Use Of Human Beings', it gets instantly dubbed by the band as 'Architectural Metal, let's just hope the scaffolding holds them up and that they don't enter self-demolition mode. Anyhow, drawing crystal clear influences from bands like Killswitch Engage and Mastodon, it is no surprise then that with each riff there underlies a melody and under each melody underlies a blastbeat. Mid-tempo is the best way to describe the speed, it's not insanely fast or boringly slow but it does keep the listener on their toes. This is a sign to say that there is more to come from this Italian lot and they won't go quietly about it either. [7] RHYS STEVENSON CATUVOLCUS 'Gergovia' DEATHBOUND Quebec Blackened Folk Metal trio (now duo) Catuvolcus return with their Celtic and Gaulish music in emphatic form, with their sophomore album 'Gergovia', they deliver blazing drumming with a furious attitude in the vocal department and a raw reception with the guitars, altogether smiting all other similar sounding bands and valiantly producing a well-delivered release. With songs generally longer than six minutes on this release, there is a lot for the listener to dissect and to take on board whilst the overall production captivates the listener in an atmosphere of dark folklore and cold bitter times, Catuvolcus may well be close to exploding on the international metal scene. [7] RHYS STEVENSON_ VORPAL NOMAD 'Hyperborea' METALODIC It couldn't get any better than this, the debut album by Colombian Power Metal quintet Vorpal Nomad bursts into a classic epic and outright adventurous soundtrack. 'Hyperborea' carries a harmonious sound and a real rough vocal array but interestingly sounds not unlike to bands like Winter's Verge or Nightwish and is sure to drag this band right out of the darkness and into the pits of the international metal scene community. 'Hyperborea' delivers blitzkrieg riffs, sensational drumming and some of the craziest vocals ever since the birth of Power Metal and is a key for the Colombian Metal scene to unlock itself and unleash a torrent of music across the seas, with 'Hyperborea' Vorpal Nomad is without any doubt, flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene, [8] RHYS STEVENSON LINEAR SPHERE 'Manvantara' Technical Prog Metal or Djent Metal, whatever you want to call it, the fact remains the second album by London's Linear Sphere is a journey of science, technology and long song epics. Singing in the style of the Progressive Metal vein, the quintet opt to adopt technical music as the back drop and so with that firmly installed in their compositions, the riffs get so technical it required a mathematician to calculate the time signatures as well as monitor the drum strokes. Naturally this is only the inaugural start for the lads, there is much more to do but with this album now alive and kicking, that should not be a problem. 'Manvantara' is for fans of The Devin Townsend Project, Periphery and Tesseract. [8] RHYS STEVENSON HAILSTONE 'The Greater Counterfeit' Arising from the graves of the mountains of Bavaria, Germany is Hailstone and their mind-blowing debut album 'The Greater Counterfeit'. Fusing the intricate melodies summoned by the quintet with the harsh brutality developed via Blackened Death Metal. This is a machine on speed, spewing out epic riffs, ulcerating vocals and face-smashing blastbeats. Playing in the style of Evocation, Kalodin and Cannibal Corpse, the five-piece from Munich do all what's needed to deliver a stellar performance and ignite their road to further achievements. From the first track to the last track, 'The Greater Counterfeit' delivers a death warrant in ten tracks, it is so brutal, they had to confine the band for three years and detoxify them from hyperactivity. [8] RHYS STEVENSON CONTRAST 'Charybdis' Blasting down barn doors is the ten-leg beast Contrast with their sensational sophomore album 'Charybdis'. Playing in the style of In Flames, the quintet hailing from Germany deliver a constant flow of raging riffs, firm and sustainable drumming and the most guttural vocals you can find in German Melodic Death Metal, perhaps it is the guttural level of the German language they sing in that aids the death growls! 'Charybdis' brings music that keeps the listener on their toes and does not give them a moment's peace, from the intricate riff intro on the song 'Charybdis' to the sonic speed of the drums on 'Gaias Hand', there is something for everyone on this release and it is guaranteed, Contrast won't go down quietly, this band will make waves. [10] RHYS STEVENSON KLAMM 'Wahnsee' As cold and bitter as the Bavarian mountains, Klamm deliver a frosty reception with their traditional Black / Folk Metal and German language combined on their debut album 'Wahnsee'. Bringing with it a feeling of sitting by a campfire and singing to myth and folklore of the high mountains and forests of the southern German lands. Slow and melancholic spring to mind and yet essentially the album has the clean crisp atmosphere to it, dragging the listener right into the heart of the emotions expressed by this exceptional quintet, from the first very note to the last shriek, Klamm show what they are made of and are sure to become a known band without any doubt. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON SEKORIA
'Iter Stellarum' Nothing comes more darker than this, well that can be debated, but when you have a quartet delivering what is perceived to be Epic Black Metal, the intonation of the sub-genre sounds out what a band is all about and so when Sekoria come on the block with their debut album 'Iter Stellarum', it cannot be automatically tagged as a general Black Metal album. It delivers its own ambient atmosphere without the use of keyboard music, now the listener may conceive that as a pathetic reason to go it alone, but their album 'Iter Stellarum' delivers justice in the most grim form yet and so what you end up with is a decent production, just don't expect any other band to do the same and succeed. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON LA CORRIVEAU 'Soul Possession' When Quebec Thrash maniacs La Corriveau spewed out their first offering 'Soul Possession', it became clear that they base their lyrics around dark topics pertaining to murder and religion. Interestingly their band name derives from the legendary Marie-Josephte Corriveau, famously known as a "husband" killer during the 18th century. Quite apt for this band that perform Thrash Metal with modern influences such as the breakdown and growling vocals found in Hardcore, so this could be Thrashcore reborn. Their debut album 'Soul Possession' comes with a feast of juicy riffs, rotten vocals and a fruity atmosphere, much in the sound of Evile and Biohazard meshed together, but one thing that remains a fact is that La Corriveau will be a popular band amongst the modern metal fan, without any doubt whatsoever a band to keep an eye out on. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ALL THIS FILTH '11 Past' Sometimes it can be risky to release a debut album without an EP or demo before it; sometimes it pays off, on this occasion it pays off. Enter All This Filth, the Perth quartet with more balls than a bull with huge cojones and on marijuana, that said the album '11 Past' has a downfall on the twanging on the bass guitar being a little sloppy on parts of the album, but an overall view is that it's a bare minimum two minutes of negativity, for songs like 'fatal mistake' have that bass error on it but the rest of the song is a monumental piece of musicianship, as is the album itself. Fusing Groove elements to Deathrash Metal in the style of Lamb of God-cross-Nervecell, All This Filth produce a mouth-watering debut and are clearly set up to make tracks; shame about the bass though, might need more cowbell. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SIDHE 'She Is A Witch' Production could be better, the sound level as soon as the album kicks in is below powerful, so a little advice to listeners, turn it up a bit, that's better. Coming onto the critical part of the debut album 'She Is A Witch' by Italian Gothic Doomsters Sidhe, the vocals are a little bland and whilst the music itself gives a decent enough bleak atmosphere to draw in the Doom Metal feeling and the melodies coming in slow and smooth from the drums, the guitars however tend to strike anything close to Gothic Metal, shame about the vocals (but they are droned out from time to time by the guitars and so become hard to hear), however it is a fair attempt at a good start and with proper tweaking could vastly improve. [5] RHYS STEVENSON GRRIZLI MADAMS 'sntntn' ZALOZBA RADIA STUDENT Slovenian trio Grrizli Madams have re-united and come back as a Stoner Metal band to unleash their furious debut album 'sntntn'. Formed in 2003 as a Thrash Metal machine, the trio have changed their tune and come back with a rather instrumental release, fact being it is instrumental. Falling under the sort of easy-listening bracket and ideally giving the listener a change of sound every minute or so, from delinquent melodies to full on Heavy Metal, this is an album that's worth a listen to by any metal fan, let alone the fact its just under forty minutes of instrumental music, it will be interested to see where the guys go on from here. [7] RHYS STEVENSON DEAR SINNER
'Dark To Light' If bringing symphonies into the infrastructure of Gothic Metal was daunting enough it certainly was not for Thailand's Dear Sinner. The quintet comprising of two females and three males, conjure up a magical, majestic and totally operatic style to the genre dominated by Within Temptation and Epica, of who both can be related to the band's first EP 'Dark To Light'. Harmonious vocals become entranced by the versatility and extreme composition of both the drums and guitars as Dear Sinner take the listener on a journey across the lands of South-East Asia, over the countryside and into the beauties found in their homeland. For the Thai quintet this is a valiant effort and is sure to turn a few heads across the Global Metal scene. It will be interesting to see how they get from here to their next release and how the Thai Metal scene will react to their progress, but more so how the band are gracefully flying the flag for the Thai Metal scene so high. [8] RHYS STEVENSON REVERIES END 'Beneath The Silent Shades / Empyreal Form' So between the two demo's by Finnish Dark Metallers Reveries End, a guitarist has left the band, but none the less, none of the essence has dissipated. Starting with their premier demo 'Beneath The Silent Shade' which instantaneously brings in the Doom Metal atmosphere and almost Nightwish operatic vocals with a slither of Melodic Death Metal style drums. With the heavenly vocals bound for the Finnish choir and the musicians giving a wall of sound as a barrier, this is a decent first attempt. 'Beneath The Silent Shade' is for fans of Apocalyptica, Vanguard and all around dark music. 'Empyreal Form' sees the departure of guitarist Mikko Pylkko and the quintet becomes a quartet, but the sound does not change, it ironically has improved. The second demo of 2012 brings out a greater production and more power behind the sound. With the first track 'Descent' being similar to that of Nightwish's 'Tutankhamen' and the average song by Arkona. With a greater and darker atmosphere shedding itself all over 'Empyreal Form', this is the sound that would best suit Reveries End, but by adding some symphonies here and there, it could be one notch better, still a very good demo and is sure to aid them into becoming a promising band. [7] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON AMNESIA 'Inside My Head' There is a common feeling amongst bands who use Thrash Metal in Brazil, it seems to be always fast, complex and sensationally brutal, there again Sepultura laid down that guideline, but it's bands like Amnesia who go one step further, the Brazilian quintet incorporate Death Metal in with their music to produce a trippy, brutal slab of pure menacing metal. This comes in their 2012 debut EP 'Inside My Head', spitting out the trash and injecting the new modern sound of Brazilian Death/Thrash Metal. With three tracks spear-heading a complimentary promo video, Amnesia's Inside My Head has set the tone for the band to achieve great things and they fully deserve it. [8] RHYS STEVENSON EMBASSY OF SILENCE 'Antler Velvet' RAVENHEART Once in a while you come across a band who totally blows wide open the guidelines and runs riot in the studio, such a band is Embassy Of Silence whose 2012 sophomore album delivers a non-apologetic smacking of Progressive Gothic Metal. The Finnish sextet conjures up a cosmic sound of darkened verses and erotic music to indulge anyone's tastes. The second major out 'Antler Velvet' delivers the essential 'Gothic femme' vocals and heavy music together in just under an hour, but all of it is worth it, with songs sounding similar to that of Delain, Lacuna Coil, and Echoes of Eternity, this is just the beginning. [7] RHYS STEVENSON HIGHLIGHT KENOSIS 'Change' RAVENHEART Returning once again is Romania's Prog Metallers Highlight Kenosis, who are now based in Germany. Following their highly successful debut album 'Glowing', the quartet delivers their next offering 'Change'. With the sounds of traditional progressive metal being mixed with the influential sounds of Krypteria, Guano Apes and Goldfrapp, this is the next step in great success for one of Romania's upcoming finest bands. From the sensational solo on 'There Is No Secret' to the pop rock feel on 'I Wish You Felt The Same', Highlight Kenosis are powering their way to further achievements and with this album under their belts, there is nothing to stop them. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MALEDIA
'Your Angels Cry' RAVENHEART 2012 sees the first EP by Italian quintet Maledia come to life, the Symphonic Gothic Metal band unleash the sounds of 'Your Angels Cry' with comparisons of Tarja era Nightwish and the use of female operatic vocals and the beastly vocals of guitarist Daniele. In a way they have also got comparisons with Within Temptation in that the supremacy of the high notes and the music come together to deliver a classic epic. Brimming with excellence and powerful creativity, Maledia is duly a force to be reckoned with, move aside Within Temptation and Nightwish, there's a new band on the block and they won't be budged easily. [8] RHYS STEVENSON VARIOUS ARTISTS
'Siege Of Armada Sampler Vol3' SIEGE OF ARMADA The third sampler volume from Siege Of Armada Records does not come without a sheer warning, this is not for pussies, this is prime Metal and is here to slaughter anyone who opposes the majestic brutal force. Forged by the numerous blacksmiths of insanely mental music, the sampler has drums blazing, riffs erupting more brutal than any volcanic explosion and a variety of vocals that make any Christian choir monotonous. With bands like Boris The Blade giving a punch-in-the-head style Deathcore-cross-Death Metal production, Awaken Demons serving up some crunchy-Metalcore that's sharp enough to slit anyone's throats with the immense feeling of justice and The Breathing Process cursing anyone who dare bespoke Metal as a s*** music genre, you get the sense and feeling Siege Of Armada Records is out to punish any cretin or human being who is stuck-up enough to diss the genre of Metal music. But for Metal fans, aye this is a sampler worth downloading, enough for you to spend over an hour delving in and out of it is wide array of different Metal styles and bands, even if it was released in 2011, it has the embodiment of a decade in its shadows. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SHADOWICON 'Empire In Ruins' November 2011 saw the sensational debut album of Slovenian Symphonic Power Metal sextet ShadowIcon, with an array of enchanting sounds to summon the listener into another world via the delightful sounds of the keyboards to the pleasurable and softening vocals of Ana Prijatelj, whilst musically the band sound like a cross of old Nightwish and Within Temptation, ShadowIcon are indeed a band on their own accord, in that they have their own 'dramatis persona' about them. 'Empire In Ruins' the debut album in its own rights sounds similar to that of fellow countrymen Aperion's debut album 'Act Of Hybris'; the latter would make it seem apparent Slovenian women have the right vocals for symphonic music, hark 'Empire In Ruins' is without a doubt Slovenian Metal album of the year. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON NORDHEIM 'Lost In The North' 2010 gave birth to Nordheim's debut album 'Lost In The North', with a collision of 'troll' metal and Black Metal, the result is a Korpiklaani / Turisas style release, fast paced, extreme in vocals and drumming and eccentric riffs catapult the listener into a forty-two minute onslaught of Metal music from Quebec in Canada. Unlike most Black / Folk Metal albums in the style of Vikings, Trolls et al, 'Lost In The North' brings in the darkness found within Canadian Black Metal and does well to twist the music into a cascading, whipping storm of cold north water and majestic sounds, the listener will truly get 'Lost In The North'. [7] RHYS STEVENSON DYNABYTE '2kx' Aggressive and erotic spring to mind when listening to Dynabyte's 2010 album '2kx', the Italian Industrial Gothic Metal trio mix the aesthetics and visual look of Industrial Goth aka rivethead with the hardness of Industrial Metal. With screaming vocals tearing apart the surrounding room like a bulldozer demolishing wooden buildings and music to solve the hunger of all rivetheads, Goths and Metalheads, this is another reason and symbol of proof that Dynabyte are the next big Industrial Music act in Italy's chambers, alongside fellow countrymen Neon:Synthesis and Helalyn Flowers, fans of Rammstein, Ruoska and Velcra will love this. [7] RHYS STEVENSON RAVENSCRY 'One Way Out' WORMHOLE DEATH Italy's answer to the globally known Evanescence has come around, with their debut album 'One Way Out' shining the way to absolute brilliance, Italian Melodic / Alternative Metal quintet Ravenscry do not fail to disappoint, with vocals in the style of Amy Lee being clear as day and music in the style of Lacuna Coil, this could be the band Italy has been waiting for to unleash sheer beauty and power upon the global metal music world. Leaving the listener spine-chilled and the atmosphere adapted to pure majestic feelings, Ravenscry are flying the Italian flag in the Alternative Metal vein. [10] RHYS STEVENSON ABSINTHE
'La F’ee Verte' GREEN FAIRY All-female Hard Rock / Heavy Metal trio Absinthe from the USA unleash a belter with their EP 'La F’ee Verte', with an attitude for rock and roll clearly imminent and a striking force of true 1970's style rock music, this is perhaps one band that shouldn't be dismissed as beyond their sell by date, for music always lives on. With guitars blazing fire like no tomorrow and heavenly vocals backed up by sensational drumming, this is one EP that fans of Iron Maiden, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin ought to like, Absinthe are more than just female rockers, they are bad-ass ladies. [8] RHYS STEVENSON CONNATURAL TERROR 'Lunacy Frenzy' PSYCHO LUNACY SOUNDS Arising from the grassy plains of Põlva in Estonia is Death Metal duo Connatural Terror and their disturbingly wretched debut EP 'Lunacy Frenzy', whilst the overall production is great, the vocal dynamics could be easily improved, however the music itself offers a two or three stroke battering and by jove is the double bass heavy. Although not exactly the greatest releases to start with, the effort in this is clearly felt with the vocals, what sets this duo apart from the rest of the Death Metal gathering, the level of precision in the vocals is paramount, almost explicitly morbid. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON AMORAL 'Beneath' IMPERIAL CASSETTE / THE END Armed with the absolutely talented Ari Koivunen (Finland's Idol 2007 winner) on vocal duties, Finnish Power Metal (and Death Metal) machine Amoral make their warmed-welcome return with their fifth album 'Beneath', this brings a storm of blizzardous drumming along with some of the most epic riffs ever heard by the band and of course utilising the magic that the Finnish Power Metal vocalists seem to muster, none the less Amoral know what sound they want to create, one of epic dynamic sounds and endless neck-breaking Metal music, 'Beneath' is for fans of Sonata Arctica, Shade Empire and Children Of Bodom; with the release now out it has to be Finnish Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON IN LEAGUE 'Where The Silence Is Easy' Australia sees a new boy band on the block, this time it is In League with their debut album 'Where The Silence Is Easy', the Post-Hardcore sextet immerse the listener with gravitational-pulling riffs and brain-shredding drumming, all supported by some of the most melodic vocals heard from Australia. Sounding similar to that of Enter Shikari (minus the trance) and Rise Against, In League are sure to gain global attention from media and fans alike, 'Where The Silence Is Easy' is an exceptionally powerful release and with the attitude and musical direction displayed on this release, there is nothing to stop this furious blazing wildfire of six lads to dominate the globe. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ESSENZA 'Devils Breath' BIG MUD Totally unethical and despairingly common, Essenza's third album released in 2009 is nothing more than a standard Heavy Metal release, no enthusiasm or drive to make it entertaining, as if the guitars just rusted up or the drummers lost the groove. The only good thing about it is the fact they've tried to make another album, but with this effort they may as well want to re-record it and make it 10x better, whilst the album does offer some glimmer of hopes here and there, listeners may disobey their Metal traits for once and listen to Justin Bieber, back to square one for the Italian trio. [2] RHYS STEVENSON MITIGATE
'Welcome To Our World' Austrian Symphonic / Melodic Death Metal trio Mitigate make their debut album 'Welcome To Our World' sound out with axes raised high in view of the masses. Much goes by the basic drumming but more attention is drawn to the vocals of which give two contrasting feelings, one of majestic feeling and the other of being slaughtered, whilst conventionally the music has some progressive elements to it - especially in the symphonies, but even so the latter is a just reflection of 'Dimmu Borgir-like' symphonic metal. Mitigate for who they are, have created a separate sound regardless of the common drum sounds, rest assured it can only get better. [6] RHYS STEVENSON _ RAVENLAND 'And A Crow Brings Me Back' FREE MIND / RAVENHEART As dark and mysterious as the forests of the South American continent, the 2009 debut album release by Brazilian Gothic Metal quintet (now sextet) Ravenland. 'And A Crow Brings Me Back' utilises much of the Bauhaus / Poisonblack sound, but whilst their lies no real feminine feel to the release, the male vocals dominate as well as accentuate the supporting music into complete overdrive, this is perhaps a cliché when referring to the politeness of the Brazilians of which is deemed better than most Europeans, but whilst the music conveys a shadowy message, the overall release is one of question and somewhat confounding. [7] RHYS STEVENSON ONLY FATE REMAINS 'Breathe' RAVENHEART This is the storm that the Netherlands has long been waiting for, a force to be reckoned with and one to knock the Dutch Metal scene into full throttle, this of course is the Gothic Metal quintet Only Fate Remains and their absolutely outstanding and beautifully crafted debut album 'Breathe'. With clear background symphonies and vocals in the style of Within Temptation, it seems to be that this Amsterdam five-piece have what it takes to dethrone Within Temptation cleanly. It has darkness, it has timed notes, it has erotic-covered atmosphere and a sense of being rooted in the rock sense with the Clan Of Xymox, none the less 'Breathe' is definitely Dutch Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON WEEPING SILENCE 'Theatre Of Life' RAVENHEART 2011 marks the return of Malta's most loved Gothic Doom Metal band Weeping Silence, who unleash their sophomore album 'Theatre Of Life' to the masses and in sensational style, with heavenly vocals guiding the band to the perfect tune, the keyboard notes add a more darker Gothic feel to the music, whilst the drums and guitars follow lead, but in all seriousness, it would seem the Doom Metal is not really present, that ironically is a good thing, for the style of music Weeping Silence demonstrate on 'Theatre Of Life', it would be awful to marry it up with any more Doom Metal, but as it is, this is definitely Maltese Metal album of the year. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SILENT OPERA 'Immortal Beauty' RAVENHEART As beautiful as the sopranos of ancient Rome and as majestic as long-gone Pavarotti, the Italian Symphonic Metal outfit Silent Opera make their notes count with their dramatic and theatrical debut album 'Immortal Beauty', featuring operatic vocals powerful enough to challenge Therion to a duel, but yet the vocals are so heavenly, the listener is easily captivated by the soft, soothing sounds of the music and vocals. The outfits depicted in the album release signify the elegancy of the Italian renaissance and at that the music delivers the final touches. Symphonies flow like a cascading waterfall and the stage provides the perfect dramatic setting, Silent Opera is due to take Europe by storm. [10] RHYS STEVENSON FALLEN FATE
'The Virus Has Spread' With clear influences of Lamb Of God and Thrash-neck speed influence of Slayer, English Thrash crackpots Fallen Fate explode onto the scene with their insanely blitzing debut album 'The Virus Has Spread'. Fast, brutal and sensationally bombastic, the quartet from County Durham bring out the mentally challenging and pummelling sound of Thrash riffs in quick succession whilst whipping in solo's found in such Lamb Of God tracks i.e. 'walk with me in hell', the guitar intro is similar to that of Fallen Fate's 'Origin of Sin' solo. With breakdowns also in the wing, this is potentially the new style to craze the underground into complete overdrive, hail the Thrashcore; this is because 'The Virus Has Spread'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON FOURTH AUTUMN 'Mock The Weak' RISING Deep from within the Welsh valleys arises a Black / Death metal band of four musicians of whom come together to unleash their debut album 'Mock The Weak'. Fourth Autumn are ready to unleash the darkness onto the masses in fierce style, whilst not exactly sounding similar to that of Polish titans Behemoth, the clear swinging-beat of Black Metal emphasises the extreme mentality of the quartet and yet manages to stab the atmosphere with insanity and spectacular intricacy, none the less this is a beacon of hope for the Welsh Metal scene which seems to of late been dominated by the common genre of Metalcore, or any 'core' genre. Fourth Autumn are set to take the UK Metal scene by storm and show how evil the dragons of the west really can be. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON FROM THE DEPTH 'Back To Life' RISING Adventure and magical sorcery come to mind with the Italian Power Metal ensemble From The Depth's debut album 'Back To Life', with a constant stream of majestic keyboard strokes to add a level of discovery to the affray, uniquely this is a band who somehow mix European Power Metal; with its neck-breaking pace and decibel-smashing solos, with the embodiment of Disney magic, one would assume they had just come from a fairy tale with the gallant feel in their music. 'Back To Life' is surely a solid reminder that the Italian's are passionate about fast and powerful metal and From The Depth is no exception, without a doubt power metal album of the year 2011. [10] RHYS STEVENSON VINTERBLOT 'Nether Collapse' RISING Uprising Italian Viking / Death Metal quintet Vinterblot make the first move with their debut album 'Nether Collapse' being released next year, it sees the new signing of Rising Records unleash a horrid and eccentric mix of cutting-edge Death Metal and Viking Metal melodies / lyrics. How odd it is that a band from a country with no Viking relation whatsoever, manages to deliver the same level of brutality as per se Tyr from the Faroe Islands. With an armament of ten tracks to batter your brains and mosh your body to, Vinterblot are only just getting started and are far from shying away just yet, the journey for them has just begun. [8] RHYS STEVENSON _4 ARM 'Submission For Liberty' RISING 2011 saw Australia's 4 Arm release their third album in absolute... what the? It would seem that the Groove Metal, crossed with Thrash Metal and Metalcore went AWOL. Whilst the attempt is there, the tunes are near out of sync, the Metalcore style vocals are not there, and whilst this is a poser copy of Lamb Of God, the guitars only offer little light for this quartet. With most of the songs sounding similar in more ways than one and with no sense of change of tune, this may be a shooting in the foot for the Australian band. [3.5] RHYS STEVENSON THE SULLEN ROUTE
'Apocalyclinic' SOLITUDE PRODS. Typical Russian Doom / Death Metal, none the less The Sullen Route offer their version of the common sound and nationality combination with their second album in two years, 'Apocalyclinic' delivers a reasonably paced period of depressing yet neatly organised Doom Metal. But just like most Doom / Death Metal bands, the music is slow, heavy and full of depressive dark atmosphere, but take hats off to the Russian quintet for keeping the old style alive, almost certainly one of those releases that even when you're drunk out of your mind, it still captivates somehow. [6] RHYS STEVENSON BLAIR WITCH 'Imprecation' Arising from the darkened countryside of the island country of Taiwan is quintet (male guitarist Chiang joined later) Blair Witch, with four females leading the way. Sad to say they are going on hiatus, but that does not deter the fact this is possibly the best Black Metal album to come out of Taiwan in ages (albeit ChthoniC), mixing clear Carpathian Forest sounds with the ferocity of the Taiwanese culture, Blair Witch are in their own league and with their debut EP 'Imprecation' giving all the green lights to state this is a band that clearly has the musicianship powerful enough to overthrow Taiwanese Metal leaders ChthoniC, is pretty much the truth. Blair Witch, brings a whole new level of darkness, with that in mind, Taiwan has spoken. [10] RHYS STEVENSON NIOBETH 'Silvery Moonbeams' What is it with Gothic Metal and the Spanish that seems to make both worth without error or fault? Niobeth, the Symphonic / Progressive Gothic Metal quartet from Spain make their long-awaited return with their sophomore album 'Silvery Moonbeams', twisting the atmosphere like unravelling wrapped sweets with the taste of el classico being amidst the elegancy of this band, such dramatic music would provide the apt soundtrack to the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona fiasco. Sounding similar to that of Dutch band Within Temptation, this Spanish lot are sure to make a name for themselves if not an attractive gem to major labels. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ CRYSALYS 'The Awakening Of Gaia' AURAL MUSIC As majestic as the great soprano's hitting the high notes in the coliseums, Italy's Gothic Metalcore magicians Crysalys weave a sensual and emotional stream of operatic vocals in the form of Therion-cross-Nightwish whilst being embodied by the brutality of Metalcore. After eight years their long awaited debut album took full flight and delivers a heavenly outburst of dominant female vocals and a solid backbone of riffs, crushing drumming and an atmosphere rivalling any dramatic spills found in the Inter Milan vs. AC Milan riposte. Crysalys are leading the way forward for the darkened side of the once criticised music genre, for the Italian band it is only just the beginning. [7] RHYS STEVENSON TERRORDOME 'We'll Show You Mosh, Bitch!' DEFENSE Polish crackpots Terrordome give the all out nuclear blast with their debut album 'We'll Show You Mosh, Bitch!', laying tight riffs, mentally bruising drumming and soul-ripping vocals, the Brutal Thrashers rage out of the stables with a monstrous thundering of apocalyptic audio-waves. Whilst conventionally the vocals are not really clear, the music gives its fair share of absolute precise composition. In the end, although an extremely brutal and heavy release, the downside lies with the vocals, but this will not deter the band from making a long-lasted impression. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ RATZINGER
'2012' DIGIMETALWORDL / AUSTRALIS This is the sophomore album from Chilean Groove Thrash merchants Ratzinger, flinging a whirlwind of neck-breaking thrash with groove elements to sound out an utter cataclysmic explosion of South American metal. '2012' may serve as a literal precedent to the year 2012, but whilst that may remain as an opinion, the fact lies within the truth that Ratzinger is perhaps the best Thrash Metal band in the Chilean Metal scene. Whilst the vocals sadly are not the greatest, the music fails to let down and so rescues the album in its near entirety; but definitely an album worth checking out. [7] RHYS STEVENSON |
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