SURVAEL 'War Of The Wild' They call it Epic Black / Folk Metal, we call it 'Cultural Metal', henceforth arise Survael, Spain's quintet immersing the listener in shrieking vocals and Ancient Rites-like composure, one could not permit that the five-piece entice bull-fighting even with this monstrous debut EP herewith playing. 'War Of The Wild' features intricate solo's and a whole load of ethnicity amongst the divine sounds produces here, coincidentally it could be seen as a cultural revival of Spain's rich history, but as the Madrid-based band start their career, it could be said that Survael are in a league of their own, sadly to say not a good league either. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON ENSHROUDING 'Time To Kill The Beast' BULLROSER Well it's a hard one to pin down, both the album and band, claimed to be from Mongolia, but we prefer to state they are Finnish, because well with Finnish musicians, what else can they be? Again they are pinned down as Black / Death Metal, but truly they are plain Melodic Death Metal, even if 'Time To Kill The Beast' has enough gusto and power to blow holes in the upper stratosphere, the fact remains this is an album that never was, however what it is instead is a release chock full of twists and turns at ever corner, surprising the listener and driving them into a false sense of security. Smashing drums lead the way on this face-punching delivery and wrap it up with some snazzy guitar work; afterwards it truly is 'Time To Kill The Beast'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON HEDFIRST 'Godforsaken' + '44' Two releases, one each side of the band splitting up and coincidentally two different sounds, so when taking into account the 2007 full length 'Godforsaken' by Polish Post-Groove Thrashers Hedfirst, that being their third ever album, you can expect a full-on blast of Lamb Of God style Groove Metal and Evile style Thrash Metal, oozing out with riffs galore and delivering outrageous drumming to savour any passionate metal fan, it is clear to see why Hedfirst are still underground, the music however original it is lacks a great deal of eccentricity, yet ironically it seems to capture one's attention. Again this is one of those albums that just happen to be there, but there again it has a decent level of meaning. After the reformation, their fourth album dropped, entitled '44' it depicts the heart of the band, a flowing river of blood-red music and powerful sounds, sure the lyrical shift reverts to Polish on this one, the brutality is maximised and the product is far more captivating than 'Godforsaken' . Consider 'Godforsaken' as a cardiac arrest and '44' as a healthy heart, Hedfirst have now found their ground and have utilised a far greater winning sound. Neck-snapping drumming supporting cutting-edge riffs and truly heavy vocals, this is the sound to carry Hedfirst forward. Prepare to mosh, for '44' is the soundtrack of the Polish Metal revolution and so the band from Warsaw is going into the revolution Hedfirst. [4] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON FLAME OF WAR 'Long Live Death!' LOWER SILESIAN STRONGHOLD Polish Black Metal duo Flame Of War make their welcomed return by releasing their fourth assault entitled 'Long Live Death!', the album takes in really raw sounds and old-school Black Metal, in the totalitarianism vein of course, mixing together traditionalism, paganism and war themes, it could easily be dubbed NSBM, even with its military style emphasis, but wouldn't that be a tad ironic for the hated to become supporters? Regardless 'Long Live Death!' delivers the old school style of Black Metal, in the veins of Mayhem, Gorgoroth and early Polish BM. For Flame of War, this is another chapter to be standing tall and saluting for, Black metal in Poland will never be the same again. [7] RHYS STEVENSON DARK FURY 'W.A.R.' LOWER SILESIAN STRONGHOLD It comes to this, the seventh full length by Poland's Dark Fury in their fifteenth year of existence, the highly recognised NSBM trio truly step out of the darkness and ignite the area once more with the sounds of the far-right movement and attach it to some highly sophisticated Black Metal, from military style drumming to the atmosphere experienced at the tombs of Auschwitz, 'W.A.R.' brings back to life the dark times of the 20th century in musical expression and this time they have not failed to impress. Whether you like, hate or thrust neutral views against the NSBM genre, Dark Fury do more than just praise the bygone Nazi empire, in fact they teach it in historical form, making it a musical history lesson. 'W.A.R.' will impress those who love raw and dark Black Metal and also the far-right side of political music. [8] RHYS STEVENSON NIHTERNNES 'The Dawning Of A New Era' + 'The Mouthless Dead' + 'Subterfuge' English Symphonic Dark Metal project / band Nihternnes is one of the darkest to ever walk the British Isles, forging atmospheric symphonic black metal with the darkness of bitter political humanity, this is the plague that has been threatening both Northampton and now Cornwall. Kicking off with 'The Dawning Of A New Era, which is the debut album and was released back in 2007, it is clear that there is a lot of raw Symphonic Black metal going on, take a pinch of Dimmu Borgir and lace it with a smothering of Mayhem and Carpathian Forest, you get the idea. 'The Dawning Of A New Era' delivers a knockout punch of extreme music and was the beginning of an underground storm. Forwarding towards 2009 and the first ever EP takes flight, 'The Mouthless Dead' instead drops the symphonic black metal sound of its predecessors and instead optimises a new depressive and ghoulish sound to kill of the listener's senses. Employing Progressive Dark Metal as the new sound, the EP 'The Mouthless Dead' delivers nearly 45 minutes worth of music in three tracks, so if you have time to kill, dinner is being cooked or something along those lines, you could just play this to cover the time wasting. It won't be everyone's cup of tea and sure fits the ambient music genre to a point, but the overall impression left is a bizarre and wordless one. Finally coming into 2012 and once again the depressive music sinks in, there shows little sign of change in comparison to the 2009 EP and as such pretty much demands a similar response. Except this time round you may need a whole hour free, for the sophomore album 'Subterfuge' delivers seven tracks in just over an hour, and by the time it's over your exhausted, wondering what the hell this was all about, sure the composition is sublime, but compared to the symphonic black metal days, Nihternnes in fact has gone downhill dramatically. [6] + [4] + [3] RHYS STEVENSON FRAGMENT 'The Misotheist Portrayal' Just when Oxfordshire was named the most tranquil county of 2012, that statement was soon interrupted by a mass noise of machine-like Black / Death Metal, enter the badboys Fragment and their soul crushing debut demo 'The Misotheist Portrayal', playing in the old school style of the music genre, this quartet drag up the deepest pits of hell to unleash a musical belter that would make Behemoth shake in their boots. Fuelled by their latest outing and a three year career to their name, Fragment may well just become that band that lifted the Oxfordshire Metal scene to new heights, make some room 'cause this is going to get crazy. [8] RHYS STEVENSON AWAKER 'Control Lost' In light of saddening news, that the drummer and co-founder of Awaker Marcin Kolinski passed away Monday 06/08/2012, we dedicate this review to him, gone but not forgotten, may his soul rock on. Awaker emerge from the streets of Manchester with their atomic debut album 'Control Lost', wielding together delicate melodies and musical sounds, the quartet immerse the listener in a fountain of heavenly Progressive Metal. Sure this is an album that carries a certain atmosphere and with that in mind the listener has to be in the right mood, you could dub it a chill out album but in hindsight it is an album that totally acts as a multi-mood piece, fluctuating guitar riffs embezzled by straight-edge drumming and lush vocals, Awaker make the whole djent movement look weak as a piece of solder. [7] RHYS STEVENSON MISANTHROPIA 'Everdark' If this was meant to be an improvement from the debut album, only knows what the first album must have sounded like, sure here we have a decent slab of melodies but the drums at times sound a little sloppy for anything catchy and the riffs seem a little basic, that said 'Everdark' by German Melodic Power Thrashers Misanthropia does deliver emphatic vocals, mixing the high pitches of Dream Theater with the deep growling experienced with Opeth, but with that, it is imminent and evident that the two genres combined simply do not work, what you get is two sounds colliding, mixing a powerful and upbeat sound with a slow and deep sound, something that you would expect from a widow murdering her husband to gain the million euro heritage, dark thought sure but that coalesces with Misanthropia's dark music. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON DECIBEL HAMMER
'Release The Havoc' It just seems that when the Finnish go to create old-school Thrash Metal for the modern audience and atmosphere, they nail it perfectly. Such an example is Decibel Hammer, the three musketeers from Tampere indulge in the 80's Thrash Metal style and add some Black / Speed Metal style vocals to deliver a dark and abysmal release, abysmal in that you couldn't find anything more pathetically extraordinary anywhere else. 'Release The Havoc' blasts out Slayer-esque music at a rate of knots and totally overwhelms the listener with some really scary sounds, no wonder there has been a rise in casualties in Finland, the cause is of course Decibel Hammer shocking listeners into total paralysis, killing off their senses and as the band begin to 'Release The Havoc', the darkness bites once again. [8] RHYS STEVENSON
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CENTURIES OF TORMENT 'Centuries Of Torment' Even for Indonesia's standards, this is near appalling, first off the vocals are hardly recognisable and the music itself is very basic and standard of the Death / Thrash Metal combo, sure the solo's are fairly unique but the overall production is disappointing. So for Centuries Of Torment's debut album, it can be perceived as a decent album but with no real unique value on it. However, having said that, the album itself will please fans of Thrash Metal in the Slayer style, whilst appealing to fans of Death Metal in the Suffocation style, sadly it's just a case of sounding like every other band in their own sub-genre. [5] RHYS STEVENSON SANGUINE GLACIALIS 'Dancing With A Hanged Man' Finally god forbid a band that has a unique sound and is sure to stir some attention in the global media and music industry, this is Sanguine Glacialis and their emphatic-sounding debut album 'Dancing With A Hanged Man', built upon a solid foundation of classic Melodic Death Metal whilst covering it with Gothic Metal vocals, visualisation and atmosphere, the sort of album that has The Birthday Massacre mixed with Silent Descent - basically combining two worlds together result in this lust-laden album, a beauty and the beast translated into music. 'Dancing With A Hanged Man' is one of those albums that is dubbed a gem and why? Because you cannot place a valuation on their emphatic music, simply put. [8] RHYS STEVENSON DICTATOR 'Stay Brutal Baby' MORE HATE PRODS. Purging out the dark side of the Russian Federation and exploiting the crevasses amongst the Siberian tundra is trio Dictator with their god-smiting third album 'Stay Brutal Baby', conventionally playing old-school Black Metal with Industrial and gothic influences, this is perhaps the darker version of Aborym or even so a whole unique sound on it's own. Commanding vocals are the main weapon in this catalogue of dark musical mass and are supported by rhythmetic riffs and precise percussion, both mixing together to produce a spectacular creation of experimental metal. Call it what you like, the truth remains it's godly music and it is this sort of band that wallows in the Russian underground yet does not get considerable exposure, what we think is that their message to every band is to 'Stay Brutal Baby'. [10] RHYS STEVENSON BLACK SHADOW '…Сквозь Чёрное Пламя Молоха…' MORE HATE PRODS. It's always special when a band sings in their native language and Black Shadow are no exception, mixing raw Black Metal with their Russian language to concoct something so destructive, it took four bottles of vodka just to wake the listener up from the audio onslaught they have just been through. Sure the band uses a drum machine, but who is going to know (oops)? '…Сквозь Чёрное Пламя Молоха…' marks their eighth Satanic ritual and it never gets any tiring, not even after thirty-six minutes of total chaos, so for the record '…Сквозь Чёрное Пламя Молоха…' is for fans of Black Metal, the Russian language and Satanic music, oh and by the way Satan, whose your daddy? Black Shadow of course. [7] RHYS STEVENSON SLAUGHTER BRUTE 'Systematic Transmutations' MORE HATE PRODS. Just when Brutal Death Metal wasn't tricky enough, Slaughter Brute have added more technical possibilities to the already complex genre, as proven with their sophomore face-punching piece of musical architecture, the Ukrainians deliver 'Systematic Transmutations' in a simple way, mixing traditional Suffocation with the modern Vader and enveloping the sound into something that is beyond this world, chaotic and yet ironically brutal. 'Systematic Transmutations' is by far the greatest Brutal Death Metal album from the Ukraine to date and as for Slaughter Brute, well their time has come to storm around Europe and deliver a taste of Eastern Europe. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SOLARWARD 'How To Survive A Rainout' MORE HATE PRODS. Making their welcomed return is Belarus' own Solarward and their second album 'How To Survive A Rainout', bringing back with them their unique dark natural sound of Melodic Black Metal and this time a sort of concept album, only sort of because the songs are loosely related to the album's title and so with that bring a sentimental military feel to the atmosphere, which something for the quintet maybe a revelation, but what is certain is that they have delivered another noteworthy slice of music that befits the lack of different bands in the Eastern European bloc. Nonetheless this is perhaps the album to change the course direction of the band forever, emphatic riffs, shrieking vocals and heavenly melodies in the style of Cradle Of Filth, are the threat here and will never be eradicated. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON ENTHYMION 'Arcana Of Apocalypse' MORE HATE PRODS. The endless similar-sounding bands of the Black Metal genre never end and here is another example, Enthymion. Playing drums at over 1000bpm (exaggeration), shrieking like a god damn banshee and playing riffs that are far too familiar for Black Metal diehards and yet when the Polish five-piece make their awaited debut with 'Arcana Of Apocalypse', it can't be helped but to notice how similar they sound to bands like Infernal War, yet even so the fact the band is no longer existing perhaps stopped their embarassment from escalating, ultimately it is not the most unique of Black Metal albums but it cannot be shunned as a nothing. [5] RHYS STEVENSON MLEKRA '0105' MORE HATE PRODS. Unconventional and too basic it would seem when talking about the debut album by Ukrainian Black metal duo Mlekra, their first outing '0105' demonstrates you have to go as fast as you can and shriek as loud as you can just to prove your brutal, well what can be said, what 'cant' be said. For a band signed to a prolific Russian label, one was expecting much more than what has been delivered, sure it cannot be passed off as a 'you suck so get lost' album because ironically it keeps the old traditions of the blastbeat and dark atmosphere alive, just not on a great level of presence, it will be interesting to see where the duo go on from here. [4] RHYS STEVENSON Темноврат 'Грань Бесконечности' MORE HATE PRODS. Somewhat of a mini-album this can be called, five tracks equating to 50 minutes of solid Russian Pagan Black Metal. Spewing out the duo's debut album 'Грань Бесконечности' is Темноврат, for those non-Russian speakers best use Google translation or hire a personal translator, but for those who enjoy experiencing a new culture, the aforementioned becomes an option, anyhow the ambience is there and there seems to be little vocals, all the more for making the album darker, or so it would seem. the album in question does not really excite or depress the listener so much that they cannot walk without crying, in fact the album for it is actually becomes one of those easily 'overdone' albums, but still a good album debut. [5] RHYS STEVENSON _ GRACE DISGRACED
'Enthrallment Traced' MORE HATE PRODS. Smashing through the barriers of the Russian Federation fortress is Technical Death Metallers Grace Disgraced and their emphatic debut album 'Enthrallment Traced', featuring vocals so harsh that it makes raw vodka seem like purified water and the music provided a sense of brutal power. Beat after beat, the quartet immerse the listener in tight time signatures and complex drummers whilst the vocals deliver guttural sounds so immense it's contagious. If this were to be an army, Europe is f*cked, the immense power delivered on this album is far more explosive than any atomic explosion and is sure to leave the album in the position to finish of the listener, who will be left for dead, simply slaughter music. [7] RHYS STEVENSON KOSMOS 'From Innocence To Pervesity' French Black Metal has always been a hit and miss area and from time to time bands or projects emerge that wipe the floor with the rest of the scene, unfortunately its projects like Kosmos who loiter on the fence. The debut album 'From Innocence To Pervesity' delivers sensational musical compositions via insane drumming, raw riffs and a dark grim atmosphere, but what lets it down is the vocals, sure there is meant to be vocals, but it just sounds like static on the microphone. Overall the album is fairly well done, but the vocals need more work to be done rather than making pretty designs using corpse paint. [6] RHYS STEVENSON SPIRITS WAY 'Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved' Polish Death Metal quartet Spirits Way take no time out to release their next opus as a year after their 2011 debut EP, they release their debut album 'Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved'. Kicking off with technical metal simmering in the background and Death Metal delivering the goods in extreme form, this is a solid prime example of how Death Metal should be conducted. 'Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved' features seven tracks of nitty-gritty music and twenty-one minutes worth of complete annihilation of the hearing senses. It would be really odd if no record label snaps this lot up, brimming with potential and attitude, 'Brainless Puppets Are Enslaved' may as well be Polish Metal album of the year. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON BURNING SHADOWS 'Gather, Darkness!' The question is 'Why on earth aren't these guys signed'? Listeners would most probably agree when checking out Burning Shadows and their sophomore album 'Gather, Darkness!', lashing together majestic Power Metal vocals with the traditional sounds of Heavy Metal to create a folklorish album. Mixing their intricate music with the lyrical topics of mythology, war and Tolkien themes, no wonder the overall product sounds like a thousand horses galloping; it's fast-paced, full of unexpected twists and turns and ultimately truly American. For the Maryland quartet this is a step forward and is sure to get attention across the globe. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON HELLSPAWN 'The Great Red Dragon' Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Psycho Hellspawn return to shed out their sophomore album 'The Great Red Dragon', the Polish quartet clearly have influence from titans Behemoth as there are very identical riffs between the two, even so 'The Great Red Dragon' is a well-produced slab of no-bullsh*t Death Metal. It is fast, brutal and a skull-smashing piece of musicianship. From the first second to the last riff, 'The Great Red Dragon' wipes the floor with their previous releases and is sure to garner much attention across Europe. With the drums blazing and the guitars shedding out notes like as if he has the runs, Hellspawn have done it again and brought their signature sound to the table for a second round. [7] RHYS STEVENSON IBLIS 'Menthell' D.T.M PRODS Strange things happen and sometimes they cannot be explained, such a chase is the debut album by Iblis from Poland, their album 'Menthell' covers much of the old school Black 'N' Roll that they seemed to play, but in fact most of the album dives into the Avant-Garde Metal pool and plucks out some of the most bizarre sounds ever imaginable. Playing in the style of bands like December Wolves, Aarni and Sunn O))), the quartet produce a unique sound that is hard to compare with any other bands. Weaving the Avant-Garde influences with their style of Post-Black Metal, Iblis are a one of a kind. [7] RHYS STEVENSON PANDEMONIUM 'Misanthropy' PAGAN Number four has dropped and strangely enough it's a nothing, the drums pummel away as it says in the script, but with no build-up or anti-climax, this failed to break the box office, enough of the film language, this is music, or so it should be. For Poland's Pandemonium, it couldn't get any bizarre, for starters the album tends to lack presence, yet the music is fine, the atmosphere is dull, yet the feeling is there. 'Misanthropy' in question is indeed a question mark over the band's excellent record of decent albums, but this is one they should quickly forget, from such a long-running band and a well known one at that, much was more to be expected than has been delivered. [5] RHYS STEVENSON WARHEAD 'The End Is Here' Sometimes you just think that recording studios can go from absolute perfection to backyard trash, sadly the album in question got beaten up in the backyard. 'The End Is Here' by American Thrashers Warhead is their debut album, yet to listen to it, you need speakers at maximum, it is that bad. The music itself is well done, a straight-edge production in the vein of Thrash Metal and clearly shows signs that they stuck to it and did not deviate, but for the level of the sound that is produced at a normal level, well you would need a huge speaker system to make it sound ok, sad to say but 'The End Is Here' for Warhead. [2.5] RHYS STEVENSON SVENTOYAR (Свентояр) 'Our Strength' BLACK DEATH PROD. Those Eastern Europeans, lavish and deep in their beloved folk music and beliefs, so when Sventoyar (Свентояр) come back to release their sophomore album 'Our Strength', it cannot be helped but to notice this is a band singing about Slavonic Paganism, folklore and nationalism, but don't dub them as a Nazi band, this is not the case. The Ukrainian quintet come together to produce a beautiful display of traditional folk music with the harsh sounds of Metal music to create something extraordinary. Singing in their native Ukrainian language, you get that truly glorious feel of being taken into the ancient history of their lands and with 'Our Strength' now firmly set in stone, Sventoyar are taking Ukrainian Metal to greater heights. [7] RHYS STEVENSON _ YOSSI SASSI 'Melting Clocks' VERYCORDS Most of the albums coming from the Middle East tend to have that exotic feel about them, 'Melting Clocks' is no different, the total instrumental album by Orphaned Land's Yossi Sassi delivers the best sounds of traditional Hebrew and Israeli music with the solid backbone of rock music. Composed in such a way that even at Yom Kippur, this would be a perfect soundtrack to the colourful festival. Garnered by the authentic Oriental sounds of the native homeland of Christianity, Yossi Sassi delivers a masterpiece classic to the world in a thousand colours and with his 'Melting Clocks' album now firmly set in the music world; this is just the start of something rather epic. [8] RHYS STEVENSON DARK AMBITION
'Gallows Of Empire' ROCK SPACE KOREA On the other side of the globe in South Korea, comes a return for the sextet Dark Ambition and their sophomore album 'Gallows Of Empire'. The Seoul-based band deliver another round of their unique Melodic Black / Folk / Death Metal sound combo and their historical legends as lyrics once more, such a fine album this is and especially since it's the bands tenth anniversary. Mixing heavenly keyboard notes with the harsh brutality executed by the drums, vocals and guitars, altogether come as one to produce one of the finest dark albums South Korea has ever seen. 'Gallows Of Empire' is in fact for fans of Cradle Of Filth, Hecate Enthroned, Ancient Rites and general Extreme Dark Metal. [7.5] 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 REMNANTS OF THE FALLEN 'Perpetual Immaturity' Hailing from South Korea, Melodic Death / Metalcore outfit Remnants Of The Fallen make no mistake in blasting holes through the sound-proof wall with their second EP 'Perpetual Immaturity', in the style of The Black Dahlia Murder and Bleeding Through, the quintet from Seoul emerge as the next breath of fresh air from the Asian continent and are sure to cause a massive storm in the Asian Metal underground. This five-track EP oozes with juicy riffs, mesmerizing blastbeats and deafening vocals, this all combined give the feeling of being smacked in the face by a two ton ball. It's heavy, it's ugly, it's metal and it's here to murder anyone's senses, Remnants Of The Fallen are flying the flag for the South Korean Metal scene. [9] RHYS STEVENSON DESDEMONA 'Endorphins' DANSE MACABRE Now, for a band that shifted from playing Gothic Metal to Electro-Industrial Metal, it hasn't changed the output that is given by Poland's Desdemona. Making their fourth album 'Endorphins' come to life after an eight-year wait from 2004's 'Version 3.0' is a wait worthwhile. 'Endorphins' takes the influences from bands like Pain, Oomph!, Beauti Mortui and Eisenfunk and mashes them together, by creating trance-like beats, harsh vocals and eccentric drumming and riffing, Desdemona have certainly upped their game and proven that the electronic music scene in Poland is not dead. If anyone has got a party coming up, this is the soundtrack of a lifetime, guaranteed. [8] RHYS STEVENSON REFUSAL 'Grasp' Not every band sounds great or bad on their first lot of demo's, yet when Refusal step out of the shadows to release 'Grasp', the overall reaction is, well, dead. 2012 saw the band's sixth demo (surely an album should be here somewhere?) 'Grasp' being released and it has proven to be an excellent piece of Death Metal. Sure the drums lack presence here and there and the vocals seem to have overall control over the music, but in a general perspective it is a decent-enough release, just don't count it as a failed attempt. There is some work to be done, some tweaking, but none the less Refusal will come back strong. [6] RHYS STEVENSON OVERLOAD 'Overload' What happens when you mix Lamb of God, Black Label Society and Trivium together? You get a chock load of riffs, snazzy breakdowns and ghastly vocals; this pretty much sums up the self-titled debut EP by Overload. Hailing from Poland, the quartet do much more than mash up a handful of sub-genres, they develop their own death-destruction, sure the music has clear influences and some sound a little nicked already, but uniquely there is individualism present on this release. The only downside is the production, but that can't be helped nor can it be remarked on, turn up past 13 and let the speakers drown the listener in a gruesome wave of audio blasting. [6] RHYS STEVENSON NONAMEN
'Permission' Metal music can be mixed with any other instrument and musical style and so when Polish quintet Nonamen make their debut with their EP 'Permission', it would seem that they have mixed with neo-classical influences, gothic and progressive influences. From the heavenly vocals of Edyta Szkołut to the atmospheric touches delivered by violinist Agnieszka Reiner, Nonamen exclusively play music that can join alliance with bands like Amberian Dawn, Therion and Apocalyptica, but for the EP itself, this could be a genre-breaking release, ideally 'atmospheric progressive metal', with fiery riffs, powerful drumming and elaborate all round musical performances, Nonamen are set to change the course of the Polish Metal scene. [10] RHYS STEVENSON ONE WITHOUT 'Sweet Relief' Hailing from the centre of the Gothenburg Metal storm system, Swedish Gothic Metalcore quintet One Without storm out of the darkness with their all-so beautiful melodies and earthquake-rhythmetic beats in the form of their sophomore album 'Sweet Relief'. The Metalcore part stems from the source that seems to be the same as where fellow countrymen Sonic Syndicate have doused themselves in whereas the Gothic Metal part is in the style of the Italian maestros Lacuna Coil. None the less this is not Motionless In White mark 2, but more so a band in their own rights and sounds. Without a doubt this is the Swedish Metal album of the year 2011. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SENTENCED TO BURN 'We Represent' No prisoners and no prayers are welcome with the debut EP of Hardcore crew Sentenced To Burn, the quintet from the State of Brunei Darussalam (in South-East Asia) give no reason to why people should shy away from their music, full of breakdown and rib-snapping riffs, this is Hardcore beyond all belief. Drawing clear influences from the American Hardcore scene and especially Hatebreed, Sentenced To Burn are truly bringing metal to the masses with 'We Represent', simply put you would have to be totally insane not to check them out. Balls, sweat, brutality, masculinity, just about everything including the kitchen sink has been injected into this release, forget Hatebreed 'cause this is the new s***! The band may as well be caught saying 'We Represent' Brunei Darussalam, because they are flying the flag for their Metal scene. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON INFLUENCE 'Where Does Your Way Lead To?' Without compromise and without any signs of respite, this is the brutal melodic storm the Polish Metal scene has been waiting for, clad in business suits and corporate like CEO's, the Technical / Melodic Death Metal quartet Influence shed noise on their debut EP 'Where Does Your Way Lead To?' Fast paced percussion encased by the viral sounds of outrageous riffs and solos and dogged by some of the harshest vocals heard this year, Influence are exactly what the band name says, an influence to the next generation of Metal bands, think twice before dismissing them as another average Melodic Metal band, you'd be a fool to do so, so in the end fans know where the bands way leads to, but 'Where Does Your Way Lead To?' [9] RHYS STEVENSON MITIGATE 'A New Day' Austrian Symphonic / Melodic Death Metal trio Mitigate return once again with swords raised high and in triumph of unleashing their second album 'A New Day' to 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. [7] RHYS STEVENSON LIVARKAHIL
'Signs Of Decay' LISTENABLE Parisian Deathcore slammers Livarkahil commit double genocide with their emphatically grave-raping sophomore album 'Signs Of Decay'. Fisting in a smacking of brain-crushing Death Metal in its most extreme form whilst the gritty gravel of Hardcore digs down into the skull's chambers to unleash a torrential flooding of blood and sweat in an outrageous style. With smack-down breakdowns and vocals to give any emo a migraine, 'Signs Of Decay' is the most unforgivable Deathcore production this year, take no mercy, take no cowardice, Livarkahil have only just begun the humanity slaughtering. [10] 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 DIRGE ETERNAL 'Lucifer's Lullabye' The debut 2010 EP from Finnish Heavy Dark Metallers Dirge Eternal brings together the darkness of the Finnish wilderness, transcribing the atmosphere into the wintry feeling that comes with the winters of this Scandinavian country, whilst not as heavy as Iron Maiden, Dirge Eternal uses keyboards to install a dynamic elevated atmosphere of near-Gothic exemplars, in relation to the forbode Finnish Gothic scene, this is one step up the ladder to exclaim the cleverness of the Finnish musicians, for Dirge Eternal this is just the start of something big. [8] RHYS STEVENSON IMHORGL 'Antinomian' Australian Melodic Black Metal stalwarts Imhorgl return with their next blasting of ear-burning assaults, 'Antinomian' is far heavier than Cradle Of Filth, but is a tad over the top in terms of heaviness and over-production, this is one album that will burn ears with enragement, a really angry album, but by far is a bizarrely over-tuned one. [5] RHYS STEVENSON AZARATH 'Blasphemers Malediction' WITCHING HOUR PRODS. The fifth album of Polish Death Metal warriors Azarath brings more torture and Satanic influences to the table, 'Blasphemers Malediction' specialises in fast and furious music to highlight the disastrous incantations erupting from the larynx of Marek "Necrosodom" Lechowski and to encase this majestic blast of evil with an array of different notes, beats and vocal productions, all in all a highly solid and welcomed album. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON NOMAD 'Transmigration Of Consciousness' WITCHING HOUR PRODS. Smashing their way through the colossal chasms of the underground Metal scene in Poland is Death Metal intermediates Nomad and their fifth overall strike in the album sector, their release 'Transmigration Of Consciousness' has a clear melodic touch to it with the drum patterns having a melodic sway to them, essentially not a bad album but little more could be done to make this sound much better, though the excellent thing about this album is all the tracks form one long track as they meld together, like a 'Transmigration Of Consciousness'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON EMPTY PLAYGROUND
'Under Dead Skin' WITCHING HOUR PRODS Polish Industrial Death Metallers Empty Playground lay low with their funky debut album with a blistering and capitalising escape from the reigns of binding, a collective array of songs similar to that of when Vader meets Nine Inch Nails meets Polish penetration, so much so for Cybergrind, for these five Poles, this is a moment to slip into fourth gear and deliver much more than this release, quite an energetic album at that, not one to down. [7] RHYS STEVENSON MASACHIST 'Death March Fury' WITCHING HOUR PRODS Poland, a country resorted to either Death Metal or Black Metal as it's absolute strength spawns off a new seeding of Death Metal in the form of newcomers Masachist with their debut album 'Death March Fury' released back in 2009, whilst the music itself is a justifiable art of complete musician craftsmanship, it falls short of anything spectacular, with bog standard drumming and untimely riffs, Masachist are just your average Death Metal band. [7] RHYS STEVENSON LOST SOUL 'Immerse In Infinity' WITCHING HOUR PRODS Another one of Witching Hour Productions finest producers of god-smiting metal, Polish Tech Death Metal stalwarts Lost Soul shred sweat and shed hearing aids in this brutal apocalyptic onslaught of blazing drumming, gut-rotten growling and Rottweiler riffs, altogether creating a dynamic and awe-inspiring centre piece for all budding Tech Death Metal musicians to follow, 'Immerse In Infinity' is one for the Polish metal history books as a pure work of unchallenged genius. [10] RHYS STEVENSON TERMINAL 'Tree Of Lie' WITCHING HOUR PRODS. Polish Prog Metal boys Terminal unleash a sleek notion of pure bliss and excellency with their album 'Tree Of Lie' which carries some insane techno music with a progressive metal beat and Polish brutality. This is by far one of those albums that either you like it or you hate it, a midway album with music for everyone, but not essentially everyone's favourite album as some bits are left clueless. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DEADSPEAK
'Ritual In Progress' Some may say this release was abysmal, others a work of genius, but in all sincerity Ireland-based Polish crew Deadspeak fail to captivate with this release, the vocals are meaningless and non-enthusiastic, the guitars are virtually non-existent and the drums well on holiday, this is not what one was expecting, credit for trying though. [4] RHYS STEVENSON RAUNCHY 'Confusion Bay' NUCLEAR BLAST Heading back in time we come across one of Denmark's most loved Melodic Death/Metalcore/Industrial Metal bands ever Raunchy, their 2004 full-length release 'Confusion Bay' collects a myriad of influences and somewhat pins the band under the 'Modern/Hybrid Metal' genre umbrella terms. Full-on sensational riffs, harmonious melodies and extreme brutality land their second album in the Danish Metal hall of fame. Limited to 2000 copies, this CD is a must have for any Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore or Industrial Metal fan. Raunchy take you on a journey unlike any other to their dreamland of the 'Confusion Bay'. [9] RHYS STEVENSON GOD DETHRONED 'Passiondale' METAL BLADE The grandeur of Dutch Blackened Death Metal is God Dethroned, the next wave of unholy destruction comes with their 2009 concept album 'Passiondale'. Recreating the horrors experienced within World War 1 the Dutch quartet devours the atmosphere with a solid performance of cataclysmic musical compositions and exhilarating vocal differentiations. For the boys from Beilen, this is perhaps more than an extreme version of a history lesson but more so one of their best productions ever. Eclipsing their final year in existence, this album is by far one for any metal fan's collection, a true testament to military history. We know it as Passiondale, history knows it as Passchendaele. [10] RHYS STEVENSON FETAL DECAY 'You Have No Choice' SFC Words are mere discriminatory for this half-decent attempt by Russia's Fetal Decay, the Brutal Deathsters conjure up a gut-rotting performance of flesh-stinking songs with a seasoned side deliverance. 'You Have No Choice' is their 2011 release and is a solid example of 50/50 results, for the good section the drums and guitars deliver prosperity, but the vocals are dire and soulless, maybe Fetal Decay want to sound out that 'You Have No Choice' but to like this album, dream on. [5] RHYS STEVENSON NEMESIS 'Forever In Metal' A hidden gem in the Channel Islands is Guernsey's Power Metallers Nemesis, with a chaotic array of adventurous compositions and traditional Channel Island vocals. Their 2011 full-length crashes on the shore of mainland England with a flurry of power, brutality and luscious sound from this quartet. For many the idea of metal being in the Channel islands may daunt, but as Nemesis have correctly proven, the Channel Islands will always be 'Forever In Metal'. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ILLUMINANDI
'In Via' MOCNERAMIE Arising from the Polish woodlands is Gothic Metal septet Illuminandi with their debut full-length release 'In Via', aligning both the Polish and English languages with the darkness of the Polish countryside, the Christianity themed band rejuvenate the Gothic appearance of churches and ignite the banishment of demons. For their long-awaited debut-album is a certain reminder of pure prosperity, a signal that the Polish Gothic Metal vein is delivering beauty and darkness. [8] RHYS STEVENSON |
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