Dogma 'Ethnic-Methnic' It is always nice to come across band's who stay close to their national heritage and Armenia's Dogma is no exception, mixing together a Caucasian atmosphere with the Armenian language and traditional ethnic/folk elements, this is a truly authentic and organic sound. 'Ethnic-Methnic' their 2009 album features an element of class that cannot be found anywhere else, an element of class in that the beauty of the production and layered sounds are enough to whip the listener into the heart of downtown Yerevan. Progressive Metal meets traditional Caucasian / Armenian sounds in this release that is the band's key to playing at Eurovision 2013. [8] RHYS STEVENSON IMPADE 'Hope Denied' Bulgarian Hard Rock / Heavy Metal quartet Impade make their mark with their debut album 'Hope Denied' by developing the classic sounds of the 80's to a newer more Doom Metal laden approach. Kicking off with a spoken track, the albums leads the way through a maze of spirals as the sound and lyrics devour the mind until the listener is left senseless, sure the sound is nothing new and the album features emphatic riffs, but it still rides as a modern oldie and is sure to appeal to many Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath fans. In fact this album has the middle finger up all the way and is more than likely to have been the major factor in a power shortage in Sofia. [7] RHYS STEVENSON MANDRAGORA NEGRA 'Sueños De Realidad' HEAVEN MUSIK The label name says it all! Mandragora Negra's 'Sueños De Realidad' is without a doubt heaven music, the Basque Country quintet deliver an emphatic sound to their debut album, even if they sing in Spanish! Before listening to the album, make sure you have adequate protection as this is designed to smash your brains to bits, heavier than Iron Maiden and bordering onto Power Metal, this band has it all: high pitch vocals, rib-ripping riffs, blitz-like drumming and epic elements emitted from the keyboardist, in fact Mandragora Negra may as well be another band to watch in 2013, for this band are sure to explode on the European circuit with maximum effect! [10] RHYS STEVENSON WITHIN DESTRUCTION 'From The Depths' NOISEHEAD Possibly the most extreme metal album ever to come out of the Slovenian Metal scene, 'From The Depths' by Extreme Brutal Death Metal mob Within Destruction delivers a headache through bullet-speed drumming and technical song constructions that twist and turn at every second, from the explosive sound of a gunshot riding on the drums on 'King Of Serpents' found halfway through to the combined influences and relative sounds of Strapping Young Lad, God Dethroned, Cannibal Corpse and Gorguts. Engineered by an armada of musical mathematicians, the composite result is similar to that of an off-the-scale earthquake and with that in mind, Within Destruction are destined to slaughter Europe with their own blend of technical and brutal metal, 'From The Depths' arises an eight-legged machine that's capable of a mass hearing slaughter. [9] RHYS STEVENSON SANDRAUDIGA 'The Hollow Nation' BORN OF CHAOS If you want insanity in a bottle and the genie in a collective of five people, look no further than Pennsylvania's Sandraudiga and their Born of Chaos debut 'The Hollow Nation', it features the grizzliest Melodic Death Metal the USA has to offer, catastrophic sounds ignite the futile resistance met on all ten tracks and as a direct effect of this, leaves the listener wanting lots more. Sure it does not have the majestic melodies that the European sector delivers, but it delivers melodic brutality in one whole foul swoop. As solid and extreme as the SWAT division, this quintet are in safe hands of the 'The Hollow Nation', the United States of America. [7] RHYS STEVENSON CHINGA! 'Relentless Culinary Assault' BORN OF CHAOS As if next week's spinal surgery was not worrying enough, save the surgery and just damage your spine even more to the monstrous sound of 'Relentless Culinary Assault', the debut full-length from Pennsylvanian grind thrash maniacs Chinga! Fitted with a solid frame and coveted with bouncy beats to get the pit opened, the snappy riffs add an extra dimensional stance to this bizarre and eccentric release, mixing together guttural growling and illusive slick Thrash Metal, the trio demolish amp after amp as they make their way to explode on the scene as the new kids of extreme metal. Forget the golden days, this is the modern age and with Chinga! on the assault course, nothing will stop them. [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLACK DAFFODILS 'Broken Flower' Delinquent vocals and a soothing atmosphere ride on the debut album by Germany's Black Daffodils, producing a solid and free-flowing symphonic melodies from which entrance the surroundings into a euphoric feeling of partying, rocking out and total enjoyment. Lashing together some slick solos and harmonious vocals with the drums providing a backdrop to an epic album that will please fans of Evanescence, Within Temptation and the vast majority of female-fronted metal bands of the softer metal guild. Download this: "Your Painkiller" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON TACERE 'At World's End' GRASSBAY Veteran Progressive/Gothic Power Metal quintet Tacere make their welcomed return with their second full-length 'At World's End', delivering sensational sounds and an increased level of beauty and power, coursing through the intricate ballads performed by vocalists Taiya and Karri Knuutila, this is an album of two halves, the epic and the powerful. The epic half relating to the booming vocals and emphatic compositions herewith heard and the powerful half relating to the sensationalism of the melodies from the keyboardist as 'At World's End' steers the course of Tacere to a brighter and interesting future. Download this: "Drowning In Myself" [8] RHYS STEVENSON ANIMA SACRA 'Rastros De Luz' Even if the Spanish language sounds romantic and powerful in normal conversations, when it is used by Spain's Heavy Power Metal mercenaries Anima Sacra it notches up at least a hundred amperes, operatic and majestic vocals power the band's latest album 'Rastros De Luz' to epic levels, so much so it could be compared to an energetic form of the flamenco dance, ripping riffs across the dance floor like no tomorrow. Sure the language barrier would be a challenge for those non-Spanish speakers, but in the end the music does the talking and so what will come in the future will be very interesting. Download this: "Huellas De Adán" [8] RHYS STEVENSON INNER FEAR
'First Born Fear' What happens when you get a group of musicians from two of the darkest metal scenes in Europe? A mass armada of Czech and Latvian sounds that emphasis the true darkness of these two nations, that said with Inner Fear releasing their fourth album 'First Born Fear', it is no wonder that this could be the best line-up of all time, featuring Czech drumming legend Marthus (Cradle of Filth), Paranormal enthusiast Serg (Preternatural), bass boomer Serhio (ex-Neglected Fields) and the talented vampiress Vic Anselmo alongside the shredder Khopec. What Inner Fear have brought here is the next stage in dark metal, an album that will bode well with lovers of anything Gothic, an album that will deliver your 'First Born Fear'. [9] RHYS STEVENSON
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It all boils down to Spain's ever increasing feud amongst it's autonomous provinces and so they always 'Feel The Power' that one province called Catalonia are brewing up, that said this is also the title of the debut demo by Sofire, the Heavy Metal newbies produce their first ever release and it's more of a testimonial to the already established classic metal scene, sure fans of Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath will love this sort of stuff, but it's nothing new and only really serves as a release and a sign that classic heavy metal will never die. [7] RHYS STEVENSON WHALES & AURORA 'The Shipwreck' Post-Metal with Doom and Sludge Metal influences bode well in Italy when quartet Whales & Aurora release their debut album 'The Shipwreck' which sees songs as long as any political debate, for forty odd minutes, the atmosphere shifts from bleak to bleaker and as a result takes the listener on a journey south into the frozen lands of Antarctica where 'The Shipwreck' can be found, iced over from the bitterness of the elements found on this grim album release, all that can be said is if you want a Shakespearean tragedy in one release, you've find it. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON NEKROSUN 'The Grace Of Oxymoron' Just like the Italian composers of times bygone, Nekrosun deliver their second opus with a breathtaking atmosphere to compliment it, soprano style vocals merge with technical drumming and riffing to deliver a powerful display of Progressive Metal, that is mixed with so many influential styles, it would take Albert Einstein to decode the precise encryption the album leaves as an impression on the listener's verdict, moreover this album 'The Grace Of Oxymoron' exhibits some of the most explosive vocals ever heard in the Progressive Metal music department and with that in tow, 'The Grace Of Oxymoron' is Progressive Metal album of the year. [9] RHYS STEVENSON HANG THE TRAITOR 'Hunt For Blood' For any debut EP to make any lasting impression it has to be sharp, different and totally unique in as far as it outperforms in it's genre field, as for Hang The Traitor's debut EP 'Hunt For Blood', sadly it does not cut it, the drums are too repetitious and whilst the guitars offer some respite in as far as the eccentricity of the riffs and solo's add a cutting edge to the release, the vocals drag the entire release down due to it's lack of clarity and it's feeling of being semi-done, that said for the Portuguese quintet, it's only due to improve and with the improvement comes the recognition, but for now the 'Hunt For Blood' continues, until the blood is found Hang The Traitor aren't going to escape from the guillotine for this release. [5] RHYS STEVENSON DIONYSUS 'Hymn To The Dying' SALUTE Pakistan, a country with one of the smallest metal scenes in the Indian sub-continent, could not apprehend to the storm that was brewing during the recording phase of 'Hymn To The Dying', the first EP released by Blackened Doomsters Dionysus, it's starts off with a melancholic atmospheric feel and as soon as the shrieks engage in full combat, the instantaneous feeling of total oppression becomes a reality through the means of some rather bleak and cold sounds that are sure to appeal to fans of My Dying Bride, Bathory, Agalloch and Katatonia. Standing tall alongside Black Warrant, of whom are Pakistan's oldest known metal band, Dionysus are sure to drive this scene forward with an EP that ranks as Pakistani Metal release of the year 2012. [8] RHYS STEVENSON MORTUARY 'Tank Destroyer' SATANATH RECORDS Military style metal has always been a sensitive topic especially when incorporating political and/or religious propaganda and so therefore a release directed at the battlefield arises, the third demo by Russian Death Metal mob Mortuary takes no hostages, it's destroys them. 'Tank Destroyer' is a tribute to the modern warfare and oversees a myriad of military-related songs from which escalate the potency of the music in question, for fans of Hails Of Bullets and Eastern Front, Mortuary deliver razor-sharp riffs, mortar fire drumming and commander-like vocals, from which the result is a demo that shapes up to be a piece of modern art. [8] RHYS STEVENSON INHUMANITY 'Torture Of Consciousness' SATANATH RECORDS A blast from the cold east is what delivers the 'Torture Of Consciousness' as a debut EP by Humanity. Slamming Brutal Death Metal awaits in the shadows on album number two as the trio from the Ukraine devise a set of songs to unleash merry hell upon the masses. Whilst the technical riffing offers a tasty lick or two and the drums keeping air drummers moving with double bass drumming going faster than a leopard in hunting mode, the only downside is the vocals of which appear to be merely nothing more than generic grunting and growling, if there are any words there they must be in some dialect unknown to mankind, that said they could have busted up the microphones. [6] RHYS STEVENSON EXEGUTOR 'Dive Sessions' SATANATH RECORDS Grindcore is back at it's best as Belarusian quartet Exegutor smash all physical barriers in delivering their emphatic debut EP 'Dive Sessions', thunderous double kicks enrage the EP with slick speed and brutality and thus leaves the guitars and vocals to pick up the final pieces to deliver what is seen as Belarusian Metal album of the year. 'Dive Sessions' takes everything from the classic Grindcore sound and pounds it until the only trace left is the blurring of audio as one song merges neatly into the next, so if you want a fifteen minute audiobook, you need not to look any further beyond the 'Dive Sessions', of which is for fans of Fitcage, Suffocation, Deathbound and Anaal Nathrakh. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON VISTERY 'Sinister Prophecy' SATANATH RECORDS Quintet Vistery from Belarus make no mistake in delivering their sophomore album 'Sinister Prophecy' to a standard worthy of total gratification, playing the old school style of Death Metal in a modern age is just as risky as wearing 1970's flares in a metal music club, but Vistery manage to bring the old sound back without little difficulty, except the vocals are a little too rough even for those who indulge in Cannibal Corpse, even so the matrix of layered sounds on this album is so cleverly done it would take forever just to dissect each part and so from the Eastern bloc comes a 'Sinister Prophecy' called Vistery. [7] RHYS STEVENSON RHOVANION
'Land Of The Wild' What do you get when you mix Heidevolk with Eluveitie? A Folk Metal storm that is sure to cause chaos across the waves as out of the fabled woods comes Dutch septet Rhovanion with their gallant debut EP 'Land Of The Wild'. Throughout the sound shifts and changes as different Folk music elements weave in and out and thus carry the melodies of Eluveitie and the traditionalism of Heidevolk. What could be the next big metal band to come flying out of the gates of historic Gelderland, Rhovanion are a band to watch and with 'Land Of The Wild' now available to the masses, the next release will almost certainly seal a record label deal. [9] RHYS STEVENSON TRINITY SITE 'Ex Inferis' Billed as possibly the next big hit in Germany, Melodic Death Metal mob Trinity Site release their debut album 'Ex Inferis' in emphatic style with cutting-edge riffs, harmonious melodies and a fist of fury, burning as bright as the sun as these lads are sure to gain some considerable notice. Fuelled by a chemical formula that seems to produce some of the finest compositions heard on the album, 'Ex Inferis' takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride of elegant solos, ground-punching brutality and total apocalyptic explosions of technically crafted music, without a doubt the Scar Symmetry of tomorrow. [9] RHYS STEVENSON GEBRECHLICHKEIT 'Glanz Und Elend' ASATRU KLANGWERKE Darkness spread across the whole of Lower Saxony and gave birth to one-man project Gebrechlichkeit's third album 'Glanz Und Elend', which sees a display of generic underground Black Metal, the stereotypical drumming pattern and level of raw production, what saves this album from complete despair is the uniqueness of it in that it is in the German language and thus makes it different from other one-man BM projects. Other than that it is your average underground Black Metal album, nothing more and nothing less. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON MARCHOSIAS 'Above The Throne Of God' Romanian Experimentalists Marchosias make no mercy available when delivering their premier EP 'Above The Throne Of God', lunging straight into whipping Black Metal with Folk Metal influences and some other influences here and there, but it's the music itself that grants Marchosias the next Romanian metal band to watch, perhaps even eclipsing legends Negura Bunget, 'Above The Throne Of God' powers out five tracks that are in the style of Emporer, Marduk and Moonspell and yet gives the quintet an almighty boost to go beyond mere influences, in fact they are one level higher, one level 'Above The Throne Of God'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON TAIFA 'Despertando El Silencio' AVISPA Balearic Islanders Taifa make their welcomed return to deliver number three, their third album 'Despertando El Silencio' which sees the Spanish-language musicians once again mix flamenco elements with Progressive Heavy Metal, improving their sound and serving as a perfect accompaniment to any romantic meal or soundtrack to dancing, even so their seems to be a little subtle hint of Moroccan influences here and there, however that is best left to the listener to decipher, whilst flirting with the music herewith that signals another successful outing by Taifa and also signalling that there is more to come. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SOUL TORTURE 'The Reign Of War' Coming from a country that is generally peaceful until attacked, Israel's Soul Torture are a creation of genius, playing in the European Melodic Death Metal style with vocals as grizzly as Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy, it's a damn shame that Alexandra Monsonego left the band, she will be a hard member to replace as it's evidently clear on the band's debut EP 'The Reign Of War' that she has a unique style of vocals and that alongside the elegance of the riffs, technical performance on the drums and the overall emphatic atmosphere, all in all conjure up to become Israel Metal album of the year 2012, no contest. [10] RHYS STEVENSON STRANGULIATORIUS 'Demo 2012' Now if you want your music underground, raw and totally classic, then look no further than Lithuanian Thrash Metal quartet Stranguliatorius and their 2012 demo which delivers eight tracks of neck-breaking Thrash Metal, so sharp that health and safety had to put a restraining order on the speakers being put up past 13, in fact Stranguliatorius would appeal to fans of Slayer and at the same time those fans of Hardcore Punk music, as it seems that there is a bit of both going on at the same time, whatever is happening it's good and it's about to assault the rest of the European continent. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON FLAMETHROWER 'A Treason Or The Truth' + 'The Keeper Of Remembrance' Here are two releases by Croatian Heavy Metal mob Flamethrower, their 2010 debut album 'A Treason Or The Truth' and their follow-up album 'The Keeper Of Remembrance' which was released this year. 'A Treason Or The Truth' displays the classic sound that one expects from a Heavy Metal album and thus it becomes your average release, there is nothing really new on the album but it still a classic to listen to, playing Iron Maiden-esque music and implementing melodies here and there, but once again nothing really new, the same can be said for the follow-up 'The Keeper Of Remembrance', nothing new, just more Croatian Heavy Metal. [7] + [7] GAPE 'Gape' Brutal Death Metal, Death Metal, Pornogrind, Vomitcore, Gorecore, whatever you want to call it, it's enough to make you soil your pants and turn your stomach inside out, it is of course five technically minded Australians on a post-drinking session of fosters, the result being Gape's debut self-titled album, full of humorous guttural wit and gurgling brutal metal, all of which makes the release a little more entertaining and comical, but don't take it seriously or it will crush your soul and more than likely castrate your private parts, right up until you submit to the BDSM of Australian Metal. [9] RHYS STEVENSON TWISTED TALES 'We Shall Be Heard' Whence came a Melodic Death band from Serbia of whom unleashed a debut album that is so average it makes a pop album seem unusual. 'We Shall Be Heard', as given by the title already suggests that there is common music on the release, even so Serbian trio Twisted Tales seem to have gotten on the wrong end of the bandwagon and as a result deliver an album that needs some work done on it, the variety in songs is great but the song structure seems a little too repetitive at times, so whilst it's a good attempt, the reason to why 'We Shall Be Heard' is not exactly the greatest or the most differential album is evidently clear. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON REPRESSION
'Repression' It is as fast as you want it to go and as heavy as you want it to go, that is what pretty much sums up Repression's debut self-titled demo, mixing together Slayer-esque Thrash Metal with the early forms of Hardcore vocals and composed beats that straddle between Metallica and Slayer in order to conjure up a sound that will appeal to many metal fans, as 'Repression' delivers riff after bloody riff and it's these riffs that guide the rest of the release to the sharpener and ends up with every listener having their necks slit through a razor-sharp slash of True Finnish Thrash. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SOULS OF DIOTIMA 'What Remains Of The Day' REVALVE Italy has had it's absolute fair share of delivering outstanding albums this year and Souls Of Diotima's sophomore album 'What Remains Of The Day' is no exception, delivering absolute perfection in dramatic form, by lashing together high-pitched symphonic power metal vocals and progressive metal elements, the result is a dynamic effort that comes fully loaded with beauty, elegance and total enthrallment. Taking clear influences from bands like Nightwish, Within Temptation and Sonata Arctica, this is one album to please the masses. Souls Of Diotima are going to make waves across Europe and are sure to gain some fans along the way. [10] RHYS STEVENSON METALSTEEL 'Steel Alive' Deep in the depths of Europe there are countless long-going metal bands, but when Slovenian Heavy Metallers Metalsteel make their first live album come truly alive, it brings the importance of their 10 years tearing down their hometown of Medvode. Pounding drumming leads the charge as riff after riff and solo after solo cascade down the waterfall of eccentricity and in the end collides to deliver an almighty explosion of surrealism as the band manage to take the listener with them and make it feel as if the listener is there at the live concert, whatever happens next is anyone's guess, but for Metalsteel, they are becoming true Slovenian Heavy Metal legends. [8] RHYS STEVENSON EUCLIDEAN 'Euclidean' It would seem that the debut self-titled demo by Swiss three-piece Post-Black Metal band Euclidean is powered by the halogen collider and that the plasma reaction as a result delivers the grimmest cosmological result ever, mixing the traditional Black Metal vocals but adding lots of atmosphere, so much so it would make earth's atmosphere obsolete, whilst the demo displays a delicate balance of soothing music and aggressive vocals, the core essence of this release is the feeling the listener receives from it, the feeling of depression and the thrill to want more, in the end 'Euclidean' is such an eclectic release, it would take the scientists forever to decode. [10] RHYS STEVENSON LAPIS LAZULI 'A Justified Loss' The Swedish maestro's returned last year with their third effort 'A Justified Loss' and by far have they improved, the sextet (now quintet) bring together a mixing pot of different influences ranging from Delain to Nightwish and at the same time deliver the sound that is sure to get them label attention. With very delicate female vocals playing beauty and the beast with the male vocals and the music delivering the composition expected from the phantom of the opera, dramatic metal at it's very finest and yet Lapis Lazuli are sure to push boundaries even further, making progress that is fully worked and deserved for. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SCYTHIA 'For The Bear' From time to time a band produces a release that carries the question of whether it befits the style of music intended, as for Scythia and their first EP 'For The Bear', the question is applied. Sure there are folk elements throught the oboe and the atmosphere, but it needs to be a little more folk than it already is, such as more instruments and the vocals need changing, they are far too Heavy Metal style and thus undermine the intended sound. Though some songs offer a happy and bard style of feeling, the overall release needs tweaking, 'For The Bear' is one of those releases that results in the listener either loving or hating it, not middle ground. [5] RHYS STEVENSON DISSONANCE IN DESIGN 'Neurotransmitting An Epiphany' FIVEBYFIVE Slamming American Technical Progressive Melodic Death Metal / Deathcore bludgers it's way through the sludge that is left from the many failing 'core' bands and thus Dissonance In Design pick up the pieces and wield an attack that is as complex as an algorithm, leaving absolute zero as a result from 'Neurotransmitting An Epiphany'. With technical riffs and drumming engaging the pattern of play and the vocals commanding the insane brutality exhilarated on this release, what could be heard here is Colorado's finest metal band ever, clear precession and built in mind for fans of Veil Of Maya, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Neuraxis and Strapping Young Lad, just don't bank on their debut album carrying any scent of mercy. [9] RHYS STEVENSON PATH OF DESTINY 'Parasite God' Germany's Path Of Destiny make their welcomed return with their first ever EP 'Parasite God', the Symphonic Black / Death Metal machine powers their way into the next stage of delivering the next greatest sound from the German Metal scene. Path Of Destiny should be hotly tipped to be Germany's unsigned metal band of 2012, because 'Parasite God' has everything a die-hard metal fan could ask for, brutal drumming, slick riffs and vocals so tough, it's tighter than a nun's backside. Tantalizingly complex and yet easy to follow, 'Parasite God' is the sound of the underground, fear it. As for Path Of Destiny, this should be the wake up call for them to be signed. [10] RHYS STEVENSON WANING 'The Human Condition' ANTONYM Delivering their second album is Sweden's Waning, the Progressive Black Metal outfit devour another studio in order to broadcast their message of misanthropic humanity via their new album 'The Human Condition', featuring some of the most evil shrieks ever heard and technically composed music to act as a forerunner to the band's almighty atmospheric disturbances. Providing razor-riffs of which slice through any human senses to leave a profound sense of eerieness about the album and the band in general. 'The Human Condition' is an album that will please any fan of Black Metal and fans of Watain, Ihsahn and Emporer. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON MOSS OF MOONLIGHT 'Seed' CASCADIAN ALLIANCE When a duo Black / Folk Metal project originates from the USA and they consider themselves as Cascadian, it can only mean that Moss Of Moonlight have released their debut album 'Seed', mixing a host of different Folk Music elements with the classic slow sound of Black Metal to produce a truly unique experience, one that should and will captivate fans all round, similar to bands like Winterfylleth and Ancient Rites, Moss of Moonlight dig deep to find their sound that would echo across the land and seas and hopefully will plant the 'Seed' for Cascadia to become a nation. [8] RHYS STEVENSON TEN TONNE DOZER
'Black Moon Rising' Hailing from the Shetland Islands, the burly Southern Groove Metallers Ten Tonne Dozer make no mistake in their sophomore EP 'Black Moon Rising', producing music that would go down sumptuously with a shot of Jack Daniels and a moment of chilling out, epic riffs and sharp vocals tear down the atmosphere with a selection of four songs that come along with tactical drumming. As for Ten Tonne Dozer this is an EP that can signal the Shetland Islands Metal scene is awakening to deliver one of it's finest ever metal bands, in fact fellow islands will see the local metal scene rise in time for the 'Black Moon Rising'. [7] RHYS STEVENSON ELBERETH 'Itzalitako Izarren Lurraldea' GAUEKO ARIMAK Basque Country's very own Thrash Metal band Elbereth make their third album come to life with epic riffing from three guitarists (one vocalist), a bassist and sensational drumming skills from (obviously) the drummer. Uniquely singing in their native Basque language, you cannot dub them Spanish for obvious reasons, however you can call them a breath of fresh air for the Basque Metal scene, whilst the language barrier maybe a tad challenging, the overall reception of this album is a beautiful one, utilizing the modern Thrash sound and basing it on Metallica style vocals and percussion, 'Itzalitako Izarren Lurraldea' is one album that any Thrash Metal fan should have in their collection, simply inspirational. [8] RHYS STEVENSON EYE BEYOND SIGHT 'The Sun & The Flood' MASSACRE / EDGE There seems to be at times, albums that come out with basic compositions that have already been worked out and at other times there seems to be total copying going on, but when you take Eye Beyond Sight into account and their sophomore album 'The Sun & The Flood', you clearly get the feeling the drumming is a little too basic at times and yet the vocals and riffs do the killing. As for the Slovakian quintet, the Groove-laden-Thrash Metal sound they somewhat achieve is good enough for recognition but it's songs like 'From Stars To Scum' that deliver the almighty blow, that alongside the technical intro to 'That Hurts' and so the overall perception is that this band can deliver the right composition but some songs let them down, referring back to 'That Hurts, this would appeal highly to fans of Lamb of God as it kicks in that 'walk with me in hell' power of brutality, overall this album has thrills and spills, a roller-coaster in disguise. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CNOC AN TURSA 'The Giants Of Auld' CANDLELIGHT Deep within the caverns of the hallowed cairngorms arises four musicians with the ambition to revive ancient Scottish folklore, henceforth the quartet Cnoc An Tursa conjure up a potion that druids will forever envy, 'The Giants Of Auld' delivers a solid display of Black Metal, laced with Folk Metal elements and little bits of Celtic influence all the while, whilst most songs on their debit album are of the fast and catchy guild, there are some pure Folk metal elements to trip the atmosphere into two seperate halves, none the less 'The Giants Of Auld' is an album that will see Cnoc An Tursa explode onto the international scene and are sure to gain themselves a host of new fans, powering forward the ancient Scottish traditions, 'The Giants Of Auld' is for fans of Winterfylleth, Ancient Rites and Kyrgyzstan band Darkestrah. 'The Giants Of Auld' will be a great start to 2013 and is sure to be an instantaneous hit. 'The Giants Of Auld' is out via Candlelight on 25th February 2013. [9] RHYS STEVENSON PERCEPTION OF DARKNESS 'Shades & Shadows' + 'Beyond Wonderland' Two releases, one eclectic sound, the mixing of Industrial Metal in the vein of Deathstars, The Kovenant and the Blackened Gothic Metal feel of Aborym and Gothminister, starting off with the album 'Shades & Shadows', what is to be expected is what is not actually given, instead Perception Of Darkness' effort exceeds expectations, this is a band with a sound they know they want to create, a sound that has not been developed before and so when you take into account their demo as well 'Beyond Wonderland', both releases deal the band the righteous justice and in fact highlight the utmost reason to why this band deserve to be signed, weaving together synthetic elements with the harsh brutality of Industrial Black Metal and topping it off with some very harmonious vocals, no wonder Perception of Darkness is Sweden's newest hot property. [8] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON MORPHESIA 'Black Metal Demo 2012' Credit is always due to those who take upon music on their own accord and especially when it's their first ever demo, for Californian one-man black metal project Morphesia, it's more than producing music, it's producing a distinct sound, what with the furious outrageous blastbeats caressing the grim shrieking and the raw atmosphere and the feeling of a bitter frostbite, no wonder this could be the dawning of a new threat to dislodge the false monstrosities that thrive within the metal society, true to it's word and title, this is 'Black Metal' and this is the revolution that Morphesia is pioneering, and you thought California was terrified by earthquakes? This is far worse than an earthquake, this is a goddamn apocalyptic storm. [7] RHYS STEVENSON SCHYSMA 'Imperfect Dichothomy' In perfect tune for an explosive start to Schysma's career, as the Italian quintet deliver an emphatic display of intricately weaved melodies and razor-sharp Progressive Metal that is as elegant as the creativity of the once-was Italian renaissance composers, much like the modernized version of Rossini in terms of the power and level of complexity induced on the band's debut EP 'Imperfect Dichothomy'. Crafted in the vision of lashing electronic elements to the well-cemented Progressive Metal body and in doing so ends up creating a sound that can be described as good as crossing Rammstein with Dream Theater, in fact one word to sum up the whole release would be 'unbeatable. Schysma are definitely going places in 2013; a band to watch. [8] RHYS STEVENSON TEODASIA 'Upwards' Making their debut album speak one more word than a fairytale story is Italian female-fronted metal band Teodasia with their luscious production 'Upwards' which binds together sexy symphonies, four melodic maestro's and a ton of epic, fantasy metal. Playing music in the combined style of Within Temptation - cross - Epica and layering it with their own twist of powerful ballads, booming musical compositions and an artwork to match the dramatics of the overall masterpiece. Delving into the finer details and you find the true passion that Italian Gothic Metal bands seem to have, and so moving into 2013 it is time for Teodasia to move 'Upwards' into the heavens, for this is the 'Symphoratic metal' (Symphonic Operatic) band the Italian Metal scene has been longing for. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ANTHIRYA 'Promo Demo 2012' From the island that brought the well known Sicilian pizza comes a new tasty slice of music in the form of newbies Anthirya and their premier 2012 demo, whilst Italy has a renowned sense of producing sensational Gothic Metal acts, none have come as soothing as this new quintet, weaving together intricate ballads with operatic oomph and delicate musical compositions that would leave classical artists like Rossini raving for more. Mixing together sensational operatic vocals with a solid and formidable backbone sound, Anthirya delivers their own unique style with influences coming from Nightwish and Within Temptation, but will also appeal to fans of Therion. [8] RHYS STEVENSON THE APPROACH & THE EXECUTION 'The Blood March' If 'The Blood March' was to be a soundtrack to a film, the film would make an international gross profit of $0, there is nothing wrong with the band, just the style of music, melodic power / death metal? The two are so far apart that daylight shines in between them and so as The Approach & The Execution released their debut last year, it beckons the question of whether it was a right decision to do so at all. Just as ill-felt when a tornado tears through a city, killing hundreds, the same is applied to this album, the senses are left in a coma and consequently they need rehabilitation, if only soundproof ear plugs were available, job done. [2] RHYS STEVENSON FORLORN PATH
'Intifada' New Jersey mob Forlorn Path made their second attempt at delivering the awe inspiring EP they so crave with enough gusto to blow hurricanes backwards, just. The brutality and pace on 'Intifada' is enough to match the power of a thousand rampaging bulls but only sissy bulls as the final detail on the EP is one to drag the whole release down, in short the vocals need vast improvement. As for the music itself, it's clean and crisp edge gives Forlorn Path that sound needed to develop torture at all levels, even so it's on restriction due to the disease it brings. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON |
Metal II
2nd Chronicles of Metal Music Reviews © 2011-2022
Global Metal Apocalypse Archives
January 2013
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