GENUINE RELIEF 'Behind The Smile' METALGATE Billed as possibly the best answer from the Czech Metal scene in the Black / Death Metal vein, Genuine Relief may sound a cliché to the previous statement, but make no mistake. With drums so heavy and fast it makes the Skoda car look weak, smashing the norm with evil riffs and grizzly vocals on their debut album 'Behind The Smile', it is likely that this band will see attention across Europe and perhaps beyond. With a bleak atmosphere drawn up from the pits of hell and the music crafted so finely it would appear similar to the final product of a gold smith, it's heavy, shiny and most importantly 100% metal, Genuine Relief are a band to watch and ideally prepare to be mesmerised by. [8] RHYS STEVENSON MARIONETTE 'Nerve' 'Nerve' marks the return of the Swedish sextet Marionette but with a new drummer and vocalist in their ranks, whilst conventionally not as lively as 'Enemies', the third opus produces a darker and far more atmospheric sound to their organic style of playing. With Alexander Andersson bringing in his Black Metal influences, Marionette are darker than ever. Taking on board the Gothenburg sound and adapting it to a trance-laden slice of cutting edge Melodic Death Metal, 'Nerve' is an album with a total sound shift and has redirected the band's emphasis on the whole Visual Kei visage. But don't be fooled, the album still delivers that unique sound pioneered by Aron, Mikael, Anton and Linus and has only been maximised by the two new recruits, with 'Nerve' finally on the table, Marionette are arming themselves to take the world by storm. With Marionette, not only do you get a six-piece machine, but you get a full-on punch that will crush your soul and you're very last 'Nerve'. [9] RHYS STEVENSON LIVEEVIL '3 Altering' METALGATE '3 Altering' is the third outing by Czech Electro-Gothic Metallers Liveevil, following their 2009 sensation 'Unique Constellation' it was always going to be a tricky task to summon up something far greater than itself, yet Liveevil have managed to pull it off, returning with their electronic backdrop and deep male vocals, the quartet once again captivate the minds of the listener with their Eisbrecher / Rammstein - style sound and twist it to deliver a cracker of an album. However, at some points the music sounds a little repetitious and thus loses fluiditiy, but despite that the album itself combines elements in the far-side of the music genres concerned. '3 Altering' is an album with a load of electronic beats, gothic influence and industrial cores, but it is not ground breaking, or is it? [8] RHYS STEVENSON MILOS MEIER 'DRUMMING SYNDROME - DRUM SHOW' METALGATE In the 2012 release of Miloš Meier's 'Drumming Syndrome' DVD, the Czech drumming maestro takes the viewers on a whirlwind journey through the drummers life of how he came to play drums, who he has met and played with and more importantly acts as a platform for budding drummers to cotton on to how the legend plays and what tips the lad has. Featuring three live videos of his sets in the Czech settlements of Olomouc, Ostrana and Hronov as well as a live studio video at the akropolis and also special features like music videos, other live shows with the bands he plays in: Stroy, Dymytry and Noid, topped off with a documentary all about the man himself. For budding drummers and also fans of Czech Metal music, this is a superb DVD to watch and be educated by, experience the force of a Czech drumming wizard and be infected by the 'Drumming Syndrome'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MINDREAPER 'Human Edge (... To The Abyss)' Unfortunately this is not Melodic Thrash Metal as there is meant to be keyboards present, instead what we have here is an example of Thrash Metal slowed down and sped up within reason. But for Germany's Mindreaper, of whose debut album 'Human Edge (... To The Abyss) came after eleven years of the band's existence is a little disappointing, as was Germany in the world cup, you could say the quintet scored an own goal and you'd be right, the guitars are too over processed, the drums are fine (no errors present) and the vocals remain true, but overall the album lacks an element of class and so the wait for the album was a little wasted, but not a total failure, just nothing spectacular. [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON OBLIVION MACHINE 'Unnatural & Wrong' / 'Zero-Gravity' / 'Starfield' MOLOT Russia was always known for exceptional Extreme Metal, but when one band by the name of Oblivion Machine come on the block, many could not believe what they were hearing, so starting with their debut album back in 2008, 'Unnatural & Wrong' isnt the greatest of sounds, not least because the vocals are hardly present, the guitars are quiet and the drums are the only section to give the release any life in it. However it is fast paced and acts as a promising catalyst for the later releases. 'Unnatural & Wrong' is not the best of starts but the band can only progress from there, in the end it is an album that isn't a total failure, but isn't a great album either. Coming into 2011 and the band's third album 'Zero-Gravity' wipes the floor with their debut album, there is far more presence on the album and perhaps its the female vocals that they are missing as they add that extra level of movement to the release, a truly grand mix of electronic sounds with the harshness of Death Metal and Industrial Metal. With sounds similar to that of fellow country-men Xe-None and Illidiance, Oblivion Machine with 'Zero-Gravity' have clearly found their sound that will suit them forever. Sensational riffs and danceable drumming come together and are topped with some really evil vocals of which leaves the album as possibly the turning point in the bands existance. 2012 came into view and the next release by Oblivion Machine took shape, this time in the form of their first ever EP called 'Starfield'. Continuing the new sound of electronic death metal with the heavenly female vocals, this is a promising release and platform for the new sound to be fully exploited on. 'Starfield' is a thirty-six minute, six track opus for which achieves to captivate the listener in excellent form. Not much else can be said about this release only that it will provide Oblivion Machine with a brutal from of assault, the cyberstorm as we know it has only just begun. [4] + [7.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLOOD & BRUTALITY 'Sick Of It All' / 'The Blood & The Brutality' BLOOD & BRUTALITY Hailing from Alabama, USA, Blood & Brutality serve up their unique twist on Death / Thrash Metal with playing Thrash Metal music and near-enough Death Metal vocals. However their sophomore album 'Sick Of It All' shows what the band is capable of doing, by lashing together some of the fastest drumming they could muster with a load of grizzly riffs and spine-chilling vocals, sure this is nothing new but it gives to be old-school and ideally happy playing what they want to play. Armed with a feast of songs to keep the listener hooked, 'Sick Of It All' proves to be one of those releases that no matter how many times you listen to it, you cannot deny it is practically old school and so therefore retains its place in metal history. Coming into 2011 and the band go a little more on the raw side but still retain that recognisable sound established on 'Sick Of It All', or you would think. With the music now changing at different speeds from the middle-of-the-road speed to neck breaking Thrash Metal style, the sort of speed that suggests the drummer is battery operated, Duracell probably. Whether you like it or hate it, listeners cannot deny that 'The Blood & The Brutality' is probably the band's best album. It mixes the Slayer Thrash Metal sound with the Death Metal vocals devised in the Swedish lands. it is this sensational combination that gives the album it's highly recognisable tune and is sure to please many listeners alike across the globe, old hat people may say, we say metal to the bone, 'The Blood & The Brutality' of the state of Alabama. [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON PASSION OF DEATH 'Passion of Death' BLOOD & BRUTALITY Well there is not much to go by on this release only that is was released this year, the band comes from Alabama, the drummer is the owner of Blood & Brutality Records and that this band play Death / Thrash Metal. Ok so 'Passion of Death' is pretty much a low-budget recording but the music still delivers in its raw form over the course of five tracks and it is these five tracks that ultimately suggest that the band are on to something unique, with agility on the forefront of the drumming department and the cutting-edge riffs carving their way through the silent atmosphere, 'Passion of Death' is a decent enough solid start from the duo. [6] RHYS STEVENSON WOLFSHEAD 'Promo 2012' Dragging out the original sounds of Heavy Metal when it was born and adding a modern stance on it with guttural vocals is Finnish quartet Wolfshead and their debut promo, their first ever release in their 2nd year of activity. Dubbed 'Traditional Heavy Metal', the quartet from Oulu do not fail to impress with their Iron Maiden-esque style of playing and yet they manage to cut themselves some slack and deliver music that comes from the heart. With their 2012 promo, listeners can here vocals so melodramatic they make mood swings look appalling, as for the music itself, it's similar to a sweet shop, designed to make anyone high off their tits. None the less, this band will go far and this promo won't go unnoticed. [7] RHYS STEVENSON NARBARION
'Les Ailes Noires' Usually French Black Metal is as bad as a drunk downing his own pee, but when Narbarion, a one-man project led by Lourdes musician Morkhor comes into the limelight with his debut demo 'Les Ailes Noires', this is a reprieval that was a long-time coming. Mixing the harsh raw sounds of Black Metal with ambient sounds like crows and running water, this is a truly atmospheric release. Naturally all of the songs are sung in French, but that does not withdraw the music from being sensational, in fact it adds a level of uniqueness to the final product. 'Les Ailes Noires' is a demo for any Black Metal fan and is sure to light the path to greater releases, in the veins of Burzum and Blut Aus Nord, Narbarion is a name that will eventually be on everyone's tongues, you won't find music like this anywhere else. [8] RHYS STEVENSON
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