ECLIPTIC CIRCLE 'Imperfection Of Our Past' Modern German Metal bands seem to utilize that slick sound of speed and ferocity and occasionally get the mixed balance just right, Ecliptic Circle are on that path but seem to trip up on their debut EP 'Imperfection Of Our Past', whilst the Melodic Death Metal newbies demonstrate cataclysmic composition, the overall sound is borderline to total perfection, playing the metal style in a similar way to fellow countrymen Myra, the quintet seem to know how to create the perfect storm, just not that total devastating blow. [7] RHYS STEVENSON EVIL SCARECROW 'Sixty-Six Minutes Past Six' It may be two years ago that Evil Scarecrow released total horror with their second outing 'Sixty-Six Minutes Past Six', but the long-lasting after effects are still infecting the British Metal scene, as the quintet are amidst making their third album, their second one delivers a complete new style of Black Metal - cross - Thrash Metal and yet offers that distinct tongue-in-cheek plethora of witty lyrics and a god-smiting steampunk / vampiric image. Given due the Nottingham-based five piece are a breath of fresh air and are sure to drive forward to become a nationally established band, just don't bank on them turning into Worzel Gummidge anytime soon. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SISTER SIN 'Now And Forever' VICTORY Blazing back with the fist of fury, are Swedish quartet Sister Sin and their ballsy new anthemic release 'Now And Forever', with clear sounds of Judas Priest, Twisted Sister and the 80's prime rock scene riding on a host of emphatic tunes, this is Sister Sin's finest work to date. Such a fitting landmark resides in 2012 being their tenth year of existence and it could not come any sooner. Suited for those long treks across the roaming lands, this is the sort of music the Harley-Davidson clan would blast out at a rate of knots, fuelled by the never-exhausted Swedish rock and metal scene, this is the new face of Nordic Heavy Metal, for 'Now And Forever' Sister Sin will be on the lips of every passionate rock and metal fan (and they say rock 'n' roll is dead?). [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON LORD FIST 'Spark For The Night' It's quite hysterical to think Lord Fist play Heavy Metal differently to fellow countrymen Lordi and yet both are tarnished with the same style of metal, however ironic Lord Fist take into account the ethical values of the original Heavy Metal sound and add their own majestic touch to it with lyrics pertaining to folklore, fantasy and above all sword fights. Hailing from Finland, Lord Fist emerge with their debut demo 'Spark For The Night' with guitars blazing hot from the ferocity of the riffs delivered on their first outing and yet the rest of the music and vocals follow suit in delivering an all round display of what this lot can do, if your a fan of the classic sounds, then this release is for you as Lord Fist continue the NWOFHM alive. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON MORTOR 'Shoot 'Em Up' Proving themselves to be an exuberant emerging force from Quebec, Canada, quintet Mortor make their welcomed return with a face-smasher. 'Shoot 'Em Up' delivers fourteen tracks of technically-challenging songs of which devour the human senses into total disrepair, utilizing complex patterns to produce a tantalizing piece of musician craftsmanship, the lads are definitely hot property and with this effort now under their belt, there will be many eyes paying attention to this lot. 'Shoot 'Em Up' traps the very essence of early Sepultura, Kreator and lashes it with a dose of Morbid Angel to end up with we see as Canadian Metal album of the year, simply breathtaking and yet surprisingly, carries that after-taste of wanting for more. [10] RHYS STEVENSON DOOM SYNDICATE 'Midsummer's Fall' BORN OF CHAOS Well you cannot blame a band for experimenting with music, after all that's how it develops, but occasionally the experimentation goes horribly wrong, the same could not be said for Doom Syndicate, the Virginia quartet deliver their second album after an eight year gap and with this effort in question, the real question is was it worth it? Sure tracks like 'S(Hell)' offer the band a glimpse of underground perfection, but for the majority of the album, the clarity is below par and the variation of musical styles is worse than a women's cupboard full of shoes, if anything the band can stand proud in that they delivered something for their fans, but that's as far as it goes. [4] RHYS STEVENSON IMMORTAL EMPIRE 'The Division Of Empires (A Land Beyond A Great Vast Forest)' + 'Within The Sign Of A Bestial Moon' + 'Immortal Reign' Deep within the marshy lands of the Norfolk Broads comes a Black Metal project / trio so grim and dark that it renders Norwich's chance of being a gothic city as highly unlikely. 2011 saw the release of 'The Division Of Empires (A Land Beyond A Great Vast Forest)' with a fistful of grizzly, gruel and unholy tastes in the Black Metal movement. Armed with orchestral sounds, ambiance and insane musicianship, this is perhaps the answer to Hertfordshire's Meads of Asphodel and in turn bulks up the East Anglian Metal scene. Harmoniously backed by the delightful sounds of medieval organ sounds and layered with ideally a Black Metal-cross-Folk Metal style, this sound was to rock the county into complete darkness. Forwarding onto the modern year of 2012 and the Norfolk Black Metal maestro's once again returned to deliver their next lot of installments, 'Within The Sign Of A Bestial Moon' and 'Immortal Reign', this time 'Within The Sign Of A Bestial Moon' delivers a heavier and much improved raw sound to the production, sure it sounds a little overpowering at times, but in all seriousness it creates a dimension no other English Black Metal band has ever done, that said Immortal Empire is definitely for fans of Medieval and Raw Black Metal. 'Within The Sign Of A Bestial Moon' unleashes five tracks of pure insanity, riffs that are so fast they make running wolves slow down. Sensationally orchestrated and primed for the next release, from which emerges the upcoming 'Immortal Reign' which is even greater than previous releases, it is full on Black Metal at it's very core and is sure to gather much more wanted attention, the darkness is falling, the coldness bites, welcome to the Immortal Empire. [6] + [7] + [9] RHYS STEVENSON MY BLACK LIGHT 'Human Maze' MASSACRE There seems to be this stigma that every Italian Gothic Metal band emerges with this sense that they are the next big thing, oddly enough it's true. Enter My Black Light and their dramatic stance on the musical style, so much that it makes beauty and the beast seem realistic, with their 2011 debut album 'Human Maze' now amongst the masses, this quintet who are signed to Massacre Records are sure to lay down the law in tantalizing fashion whilst ensuring that their next release is to blow all other pre-conceived thoughts out totally, whilst they are no new Lacuna Coil, their dramatic sounds and elements are sure to appeal to any Gothic Metal fan, enter the new sound of 'Dramatic Metal'. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CLAIRVOYANT 'Curse Of The Golden Skull' For a band who has been going five years and has released their debut EP last year, it's a wonder why they are not signed, enter Polish quintet Clairvoyant who mix historical fantasies with the melodic brutality of Heavy Power Metal to deliver an awe-inspiring slice of excellency, if this was a commercial it would dominate the prime time TV slot, it's that sort of music, full of effort, minus the attention it warrants and yet this is the sort of band and musical style to captivate the European music scene, loaded with tasty riffs, effortless composure and full-on classic sounds, 'Curse Of The Golden Skull' is the band's ticket to international recognition. [9] RHYS STEVENSON 8M/S
'Running Out The Black July' Bulgaria isn't well known for it's 'core' bands, so when 8M/S emerge on the block with their debut album 'Running Out The Black July', from the first second to the very last, a murderous assault is initiated, with truly technical riffs coveting the gut-rotten vocals and laminating the sensational overall production of this groundbreaking debut, 8M/S have epic potential to teach the mass-produced 'core' bands of the Western nations how it's properly done. From start to finish, expect you're head to get sorer and sorer from the inevitable headbanging to the cleverly executed breakdowns and riff shifting, prepare for the oncoming storm, this is not you're average storm, this is a goddamn fucking blizzard. [10] RHYS STEVENSON
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1833 AD 'My Dark Symphony' Just when the Indian Metal scene was just breaking out into the international scene, 2012 witnesses the debut album from New Delhi Black Metal band 1833 AD (coincidentally the year British slavery was abolished), marching out of the Taj Mahal with a fist of fury and vocals so dark, the spices of India could be considered obsolete, for the music itself is a spicy concoction of oppressive hatred and classic Black Metal with ethnic sounds added in for the full flavour. As for the album 'My Dark Symphony', it will not go unnoticed and is sure to give the band that epic boost needed to challenge Demonic Resurrection for the crown of best Indian Metal band of all time. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ALLOS 'Spiritual Battle' Christianity to Brazil is like a plectrum is to a guitarist, essential, well at least partly as it gives the faithful teachings but more so gives the musician another religion to align with the religion called music. Enter Brazilian quintet Allos with their Progressive Power Metal battalion sound and their successful debut album 'Spiritual Battle', strap your belt tightly as the band takes you on a whirlwind journey through the mystics of the Amazon rainforest, the beautiful game of soccer and to the roots, bloody roots of this south American nation. Guided by the eccentricity on the keyboard, Allos are certain to become the next metal export to the world. [8] RHYS STEVENSON ARCHAIOS 'The Distant' DARK CANVAS RECORDS Who'd of thought that the second outing by Archaios was to be an international hit? Well we certainly did. Hailing from the Dominican Republic, this Melodic Death Metal machine battled their way into the international spotlight and as a result have produced a rather technically improvised piece of elegant musicianship, it's brutal, it's pacey and it certainly deserves to be on any metal fan's shelf, 'The Distant' delivers nine tracks of the most pulsating, spine-snapping metal that the Caribbean has ever seen, so before thinking these noble lands are all about pirates, rum and tropical beaches, just wait till the sharks come in off 'The Distant' coastline and attack your senses in the horde known as Archaios. [10] RHYS STEVENSON BEAST 'Thrash Metal Propaganda' Spain has a history of spewing out Thrash Metal bands that fail at the first hurdle, but ever seldom does a band reach the final hurdle before slipping up, Beast however took the easy way and clambered their way into the Spanish metal scene with their sophomore EP 'Thrash Metal Propaganda', taking your classic 80's Thrash Metal style apart and adding some more slower and moodier feelings to the sound, whilst not as fast as Slayer, the music could be compared to 'Creeping Death' by Metallica, however with that in mind, and taking into account the lyric topics, one can see that this nuclear production is awashed with radioactive metal, so toxic that the listener may be inclined to headbang, such is a law that guards the 'Thrash Metal Propaganda'. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CRYPTIC AGE 'Sounds Of Infinity' Residing in one of England's most medieval counties, Cryptic Age of North Yorkshire are a tough puzzle to crack, playing under a band name you would associate with technical music and instead laying Power / Folk Metal, yet there is little bits of Folk Metal here and there; albeit the double bass drumming for which could be linked to Pagan Metal, but when taking the whole of their debut album 'Sounds Of Infinity' apart, there are bits here and there to suggest is some Folk Metal. The vocals definitely add that gallant feeling, the atmosphere is as folkloric as gathering around a druid's ceremony and the music itself does interlink at times to create something rather magical, it's one of those albums that has a high after a low and so as 'Sounds Of Infinity' pushes the band into the wider metal scene, their next release will be an interesting one. [6] RHYS STEVENSON KAINE 'Falling Through Freedom' So the time has come for the Peterborough / Essex quartet (now trio since Josh's departure) Kaine to deliver their best shot and by far has that been achieved, lacing together their unique sound of Heavy Thrash Metal (or as they call it Legendary Speed Metal) with an artwork reminiscent of the Norse mythological land of Niflheim and yet there does seem to feel a little bit like a Folk Metal atmosphere surrounding this album. Loaded with short and lengthy epics, from breakneck-Thrash to melodies encased in their Heavy Metal department, Kaine deliver 'Falling Through Freedom' with one notable arsenal, Dennis Stratton of whom is an ex-member of Iron Maiden and has considerably given this band the utmost exposure. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON METAL CAMBRA 'Metal Cambra Recopilatorio' As elegant as flamenco and as dramatic as a bull fight, Valencian octet Metal Cambra deliver their first ever compilation of their best instrumental works, fusing together Progressive Folk Metal elements with classical music in a sort of Gaelic influence and Iberian sound, thus producing an eclectic mix of different musical styles. 'Metal Cambra Recopilatorio' is without any doubt a perfect accompaniment to any dancing undertaken that comes from Spanish or Latin American background whilst also serving up as more importantly a wondrous masterpiece, from start to finish Metal Cambra keep the listener on their feet, simply one of a kind. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON NANSIS 'Exorde' War Metal makes its mark on the Swiss Alps when Nansis deliver their premier Black Metal demo to the masses in devastating form, 'Exorde' plays very much into the hands of the European theater of WW2 and exhibits a unique combination of having both French and English lyrics on the release. Cold and frostbitten, Nansis' 'Exorde' is a release without compromise and as such crucifies anyone who spits out against Black Metal. Similar to bands like Carpathian Forest and even more England's Eastern Front, Nansis explore the darkest depths of Swiss history and lashes it with the complexity of modern Black Metal. 'Exorde' delivers six tracks of what is promising and posing as possibly the next big Black Metal band out of Switzerland. [8] RHYS STEVENSON NEURAL FX 'Abreaction' The global metal scene better strap in for this one, Mexican Progressive Metal quartet Neural FX deliver an atomic bomb-of-an-album, their debut release 'Abreaction' delivers sensational vocals and majestic sounds that can only be drawn in comparison to the titans of Symphony X and Dream Theater. Harmonious vocals lead the way on this breathtaking release that you wouldn't find anywhere else, even so the guitars layer some ballistic riffs that make any taco bell chilli powder obsolete, it is that explosive, fusing traditional Mexican elements to the rapid heaviness of the Progressive Metal sound, Neural FX are to lead the Mexican Metal scene to the masses, simply outstanding. [9] RHYS STEVENSON SIN DEADLY SIN
'Fall From Heaven' From time to time there comes a band that is ideal to follow up behind another band in the same country, as for Lacuna Coil they can budge over to let Italy's new highly anticipated Gothic Metal band take charge, enter Sin Deadly Sin and their mind-blowing debut album 'Fall From Heaven', featuring heavenly angelic vocals and dark atmospheric music that acts as a blanket of illustrious beauty, Gothic ambiance and a line-up that pieces together their own musical puzzle. Amidst the whole connectivity between the romance side of the Italian culture lies a force waiting to explode upon the European Metal scene and as Sin Deadly Sin begin their ascent as the new face of Italian Metal, it will not take long before we could see the band break into the major album charts; it deserves that level of attention! [10] RHYS STEVENSON |
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January 2013
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