GMA - Vol118 - Gutfed, Black Blood Stigmata, Distillery, Transgresion, Deliverance, Anthologies, Hell City, Wood Of Light, Apocalyptic Salvation, Waking Theo

GUTFED
'The Reign Of Pure Madness & Contagious Perversion'
MORBID GENERATION

If this was the music to put anyone into solidarity confinement, then the main protagonists Gutfed must have delivered some outdated kebabs, that said the Turkish Brutal Death / Grindcore trio dish up a juicy selection of pig squeal vocals amongst gore-laden audio clips, whether the screaming was from pure sadomasochistic torture or from the seductive nature of this debut album remains disputed, as for 'The Reign Of Pure Madness & Contagious Perversion' it contains technically orchestrated drumming that would make any natural reflex seem like a basic action, that alongside cutting-edge riffs and vocals that spit venom, this is Turkey's most darkest, extreme and yet goriest time.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

BLACK BLOOD STIGMATA
'2012 Demo'

If the Amish community in the USA ever caught a whiff of this, all hell would let loose. Simply because the 2012 demo by Ohio's Black / Death Metal newbies Black Blood Stigmata is of anti-religious traits, whilst conventionally the music is nothing new, it is a well conceived demo, the sound and quality is there and it is sure to improve in time, but to be bitten by a cold and harsh wind from a band that is only two members is an outstanding factor, none the less the demo delivers a raw atmosphere that is sure to please fans of Darkthrone. As for the band, they are sure to go further in times ahead, as long as they keep the correct chemistry flowing.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

DISTILLERY
'Omens Of Our Purgatory'

Possibly the next metal band from Greece to explode onto the global scene with great intentions raging around their very existence, this is Death Metal and it's come in the form of Distillery, the latest ten-legged beast to emerge from the depths of the acropolis. Unleashing their fury in their second demo 'Omens Of Our Purgatory', the five-piece ensemble decimate a sonic explosion of brutal and gut-wrenching Death Metal, and yet seem to have the impact of a jet engine fire up, blasting the listener into total oblivion with a fist of powerful proportions, just don't expect this band to die away, this is new real deal.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

TRANSGRESION
'...De Sangre Y Represion'

Well when you mix the Spanish language with the fast, slick sounds of Speed Thrash Metal, the result is evidently grand, and Transgresion's debut demo is no exception, this is perhaps the sound to expose the Puerto Rican Metal scene to the masses, '...De Sangre Y Represion' delivers the heavy, harsh brutality of Metallica and is chained up to the fast, slick gliding delivered by Motorhead, mixing a modern sound to the affray, Transgresion are a band with enough talent to sink a ship and with '...De Sangre Y Represion' now firmly out in the wild, there is no reason why this band either should not receive a great deal of attention or more importantly get signed, no reason whatsoever.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

DELIVERANCE
'Hallowed Rites'

Two years, two demo's, one name, Deliverance. The traditionalists of Finnish Heavy Metal clamber onto the band wagon with their Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper and Judas Priest influence sound, whilst it's nothing generally new, the major aesthetics are there for it to be a well made demo, even Santa Claus could not make toy's even better and he's been doing it since these lads were little rockers. Smothering their classic sound with the lyrical forms that Alice Cooper knows all to well about, Deliverance are pushing the old style to the new front and in doing so are keeping the roots of metal truly alive. Dubbing their music AOR (Anti-christ oriented rock) and developing the atmosphere to blast gaping holes in the Lapland landscape, Finnish metal has it's firm 'Hallowed Rites' established in the very core of the NWOFHM movement.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

ANTHOLOGIES
'Alpha'

Apparently Italian winters are so harsh that they turn everyone into Gothic musicians and bring despair into their emotions, but when music is bestowed upon the fortunate five, Anthologies come out of the darkness like a pack of wolves on their first hunt. Just like the killing stage, the music brings an atmosphere of bleak despair, darkness and undisputed bitterness, that said the debut EP 'Alpha' is a classic in this style of metal, it extracts the weaknesses and patches it up with a fresher, modern approach to the established sound, with 'Alpha' now firmly out in the wilds, much is expected from this band in the next few years to come.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

HELL CITY
'Demons To Rest'
FAKTO

Women when singing in the Heavy Metal / Hard Rock style seem to bring that sexy edge to the music genre, even so when Belgian quintet Hell City pluck out the right notes to produce their debut album, the inaugural fact is that the musical product is far sweeter than the luxurious chocolates that Belgium is famed for. 'Demons To Rest' delivers that sonic streak that lights up every major road in Europe as to emanate the beauty of route 66. With elements that will entice fans of the older style of Metallica and Iron Maiden, Hell City are destined to make themselves known and valiant musicians of the New Wave of Belgian Heavy Metal movement.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

WOOD OF LIGHT
'Feelikescaping'
LOST SOUND

Brimming melancholy and yet there seems to be a lack of taming going on, as if the wild hyenas got their first whiff of methanol, that implied to the debut album by Italian Prog novices Wood of Light says that this is a release that has gone overboard, sure 'Feelikescaping' produces this powerful element of high-noted singing and sharp-edge music, but the overall product is one left to be desired, well, not entirely desired, but more so one with question marks all over the place. Songs like 'Free Body of a Lifer's Soul' delivers the face-melting feeling that is expected whereas the song previous to that 'Mr lone star' is the exact example that drags the album down to below standards of what is expected. Even so songs like 'The Man Who Knows His Fate' and 'R.gregory's Perception' are on the same wavelength as Finnish band H.I.M, with the slow and emotionally charged composition, but in the end 'Feelikescaping' is still a questionable album.

[5.5] RHYS STEVENSON

APOCALYPTIC SALVATION
'Skulls' Collector'

These Italian stalwarts should be releasing an album by now, their third demo carries the right music constructed for an album, face-smashing and iron-bent Death / Thrash Metal pummels the surrounding silence with a fist so sharp, any cookery knife would become degraded to simply a basic letter opener. Apocalyptic Salvation sends furious agility and heavy brutality down one channel and that is enough to spark off any moshpit into complete over-drive. The third demo 'Skulls' Collector' belts out four tracks of solidarity and complexity, together which would make AC Milan look like the San Marino national football team, if only the drumming on this release was the heartbeat of the Italian national football team, imagine the goal rate.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

WAKING THEO
'Reborn'

Prepare for the almighty storm on 13th February 2013 as Yorkshire's Thrashcore specialists Waking Theo make their welcomed return with their upcoming EP 'Reborn', pumped out with three tracks that carry a health warning as to say 'get the morphine ready, this is going to sting you like a bitch', weaving together a musical blockade with guns firing as the Thrash Metal delivers the elegant beauty and agile musicianship whilst the Metalcore links together a truckload of brutality and hard-hitting heaviness. This is the soundtrack to get the Thrashcore movement of it's knees, ram over the plethora of metalcore and deathcore styles and instate a new sound that will send earthquakes rippling down every street in the hallowed city of Leeds and derail trains at Harrogate, since the departure of their original vocalist, the sound has improved and Waking Theo are 'Reborn', designed for fans of Sylosis, Architects, Bleed From Within and August Burns Red, this is the new shit, this is Waking Theo.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON