 OMAAF 'Ethnospheric Decay' Well this is rather different, mixing Progressive Metal elements with the sheer brutal force found within the Grindcore music vein, that is is exactly what OMAAF (Of Men and Angel's Flesh) has done on their debut 2012 EP 'Ethnospheric Decay', complex and tight riffs align the rest of the music to follow in scintillating fashion, in the end it's effectively djent grind - maybe a pioneering crossover genre? What 'Ethnospheric Decay' features is a 20 minute mauling of some of the craziest extreme metal you would find from the American plains of Alabama, it's so brutal even the tornadoes would be scared to touch down anywhere near the streets of where this band comes from. Download This: "Architecture" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  ENRAGER 'Will Kill' Emerging from the windswept lands of Catalonia, Spain, is quintet Enrager with their premier EP 'Will Kill' which was released last year and comes as another exciting release from this autonomous province. What you have hear is the general sound of the Heavy Metal infrastructure but of course with Mediterranean influences and this can be heard in the guitar solo's, especially on 'Freedom Winds', sadly the solo seems a little too long but for those who love solo's, then this is one to check out. If you like bands like Iron Maiden then you will be bound to love and enjoy 'Will Kill', songs like Kings Of Road can be likened to '2 Minutes To Midnight' and so therefore this release is a modern example that old school metal is not dying. Download This: "Kings Of Road" [7] RHYS STEVENSON  MINORITY SOUND 'The Explorer' METALGATE Czech Electro-Industrial outfit Minority Sound make their welcomed return with their second album 'The Explorer', featuring more of their technically challenging cyber metal and more of their complex rhythms in tow. 'The Explorer' carries forward their signature sound once again influenced by and compared to the likes of Gothminister and Breach The Void; as Minority Sound now seem to have divulged into a more modern metal approach and included harsh vocals that would resonate from bands like Mnemic. It is notably heavier than their previous effort 'Analysis' and as 'The Explorer' sounds off across the European continent, the feeling that this band will explode further afield and become one of the Czech Republic's next greatest exports is vastly becoming a reality. With their synthesizer back drops and carnage-like production, Minority Sound has developed the Majority Sound. Download This: "Binary Child" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  TWO NECK NOOSE 'Two Neck Noose' There is a subtle sound of sensational music being emitted from Michigan and it spells death. Two Neck Noose are a Groove / Thrash mob with enough balls to make a Superbowl look like a state fair, seriously this music has enough grit to smash everyone's face in tenfold and that comes from their excruciatingly painful debut self-titled EP, lashing together the groove elements of DevilDriver and Lamb of God with the epochal elevation of mesmerizing Thrash Metal in the brutal kind. This is a band that will make waves in the times ahead and are sure to garner some attention from both sides of the Atlantic with their atomic bomb of insane metal music. Download This: "Cyclical" [9] RHYS STEVENSON  O.H. 'Justice' One might need brain surgery after dissecting the debut album by Bulgarian masochistic metallers O.H., their album 'Justice' is a totalitarian blast of fist-punching metal that takes the form of Groove / Death / Thrash Metal, effectively a cocktail for some rather nasty and grueling sounds that would scare anyone to death. Technical at many parts of each song and then that is followed up by segments of tantalizing brutality, somewhat not unlike Slipknot at some points ('psychosocial can be compared to O.H.'s song 'For Life' for example), but on the other hand far from Slipknot, it is one of those albums that has everything but the kitchen sink thrown in and so what you end up with is a furious piece of musicianship that is sure to boost this band's popularity. Download This: "For Life" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  AZOEMIA 'Forced To Devour' What is this music, no seriously what is this thing called music? It is practically a Death Metal instrumental, the vocals are an abomination and frankly do not even reach a decent level. The music itself is a brutal cast iron ingot that resembles the solidarity of the production, but the vocals, well you would find Justin Bieber singing much better than this. It is a shame to say but Azoemia's 'Forced To Devour' is one nothing special and two a sheer shock to the Spanish metal scene, if this lot are to get anywhere in future they must work on the vocals, otherwise they will become a disappointment in the international metal scene. Death Metal you're at least meant to hear some of the words, all one can hear is muffled microphone. [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON  ANIME TORMENT 'Deathwish' CECEK No doubt this band is sick, Czech Death Metal warriors Anime Torment made their explosive start heard all around as they dropped their debut album 'Deathwish' last year. Full of the magic stuff one would expect of a Death Metal band, this is a sheer force of brutality that cannot be ignored easily. Frenzy drumming is just the start of it as the riffs role off the production line like no tomorrow and the vocals deliver that almighty blast that no atomic bomb could equate to. Simply put, Anime Torment are sure to conquer Europe in the times ahead and with number one firmly under their belt, number two should be as easy as pie for the five-piece. The question is, will this lot finally push the Czech Metal scene even more forward than the older bands? Download This: "Lovers" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SYRUS 'E-Race-D' This is a post-humorous review seeing as Syrus split up this year. 2012 was the last year of releases by the Austrian Thrashers and their last release was their second demo 'E-Race-D', basically it's a generic Thrash metal album with nothing too special about it. it does what it was designed to do and that was create a musical atmosphere for fans to wreak havoc in, but also what 'E-Race-D' does is it offers an insight into the band's short lived history. Perhaps they should have called it 'Erased' instead, for the obvious reasons stated. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON  TATIANA'S NIOVI 'Breath Of Light' RAVENHEART MUSIC Making her welcomed return with her band is Greek singer and musical maestro Tatiana Manolidou of whom has dropped the latest release from which contains the band's newest works, entitled 'Breath Of Light' this symphonic melodic journey twists and turns at every corner as the album winds its way through the angelic heavens of Tatiana's vocals and the sensational dramatics experienced from the outburst of delinquent music. Much like Tarja Turunen, Tatiana Manolidou carves through the night with a piercing display of powerful rock / metal ballads and sensational music, given Greece is going through tough economical times, this is a soundtrack that would lighten up anyone's mood, regardless if they like metal or rock music, or not. Download This: "Ring Of Darkness" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  EFFLORESCE
'Shades Of Fate' + 'Coma Ghosts' INDEPENDENT / GENERATION PROG Take a step back in time to 2009 and the first release by Bavarian Progressive Metallers Effloresce had taken shape, this is the EP 'Shades Of Fate' and it totals out at 30 minutes with around 10 minutes a song so for those who love their metal to take them on a lengthy adventurous journey, this instantly is one for you. You know if you had to make a long car or train journey this EP may as well cover most of it, simply not only due to the length of the songs but more so the fact you have the urge to replay them, they are that good. Sumptuous female vocals take the EP to greater heights whilst the music itself provides a solid background for the listener to enjoy. Overall a solid start to the band's career and the next release, which coincidentally was released last year is their debut album entitled 'Coma Ghosts'. 'Coma Ghosts' is in essence a doubled version of the 'Shades Of Fate' EP whereby there are now six songs and on average just below 10 minutes each, so again another essential to listen to on long journeys. What makes this album more impressive than the EP is the greater assertiveness in their music, for example the vocals are more sharper, the music is more direct with a greater sense of ebb and flo and overall the entire release is an emphatic journey through the complex minds of these German musicians, sure the band have now found their signature style, the only downside is that some fans may be a little put off by the song lengths, however for those that wait the time waiting is well worth it, simply put if this band does not get major international attention within the next year or so I will eat my speakers. Download These: "Sear" + "Crib" [7] + [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON
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 ZARIA 'Sij Obzorja' Folk Metal towards Central and Eastern Europe generally takes on the form of being influenced by Slavic culture and sounds and Zaria are no exception, taking on their national cultural sound and lashing it to Folk Metal gives the debut EP 'Sij Obzorja' (Translates as "Glow Of The Horizon") its authentic and emotional attachment to the identity of the Slovene nationality. Sure the sextet Zaria from Medvode take no issues when producing this magnificent work of musical art, oddly enough the EP be somewhat likened to their fellow countrymen Aperion, although the latter is more Symphonic Metal. But for Zaria and 'Sij Obzorja' this is a huge step to gaining recognition outside of Slovenia and with the majestic elements one hears from this EP, that some how relates to music found in the Shire scenes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, shall power the band on towards greater things in the future. Download This: "Njun Svet" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  FRAILTY 'Melpomene' ARX PRODS. It was four years since the debut album by Frailty and now the Latvian Death Metal / Doom Metal sextet make their welcomed return once again with their latest album 'Melpomene', kicking off with some harsh bitter vocals that set the tone for the rest of the band to follow by and in doing so they create a darkened bleak atmosphere that would send chills down anyone's spine. 'Melpomene' keeps the listener occupied with the average song length being around the 7 minute to 8 minute mark, however the breadth of the release is sensational, for once Frailty are now on the rightful track to shed their music over the European lands and with 'Melpomene' firmly in the forefront, there is nothing to stop this megalithic monster from reaching the metal masses. Download This: "Cold Sky" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  DERELICT 'Perpetuation' Taking into account a complex algorithm of matrices is never easy, especially in the musical context of piecing technically laden Death Metal with a myriad of differentiating influences from song to song, such an example is Derelict of whom last year melted faces with their third onslaught of mathematical death metal. 'Perpetuation' delivers a non-stop rally of face-punching music that would make any professional boxer look like a soft lad dancing around in the ring wearing a tutu and lashings of pink. So what does Derelict take to make 'Perpetuation' thee album from which the European labels should sniff at? Simple, Strapping Young Lad, DevilDriver, Neuraxis and Beneath the Massacre at a premium, however they brandish their own unique style on the complex music genre and as a result are primed to obliterate any pathetic excuse to why they are not simply Canada's latest and greatest modern metal export. Download This: "Spoils Of War" [10] RHYS STEVENSON  ABYSSUS 'Monarch To The Kingdom Of The Dead' 2012 saw the premier release of 'Monarch To The Kingdom Of The Dead' take flight, it is the debut EP by Greek Death Metal mob and sad to say is not an all thumbs up release either, the riffs deliver a sharp and composite approach which, alongside the drums, acts as a force that even Golden Dawn could not comprehend, however the let down is the vocals as they are not well executed and need more growling to be inserted, in fact they are so bad the Ancient Greeks would not be impressed by the power exerted here and so the EP loses much of its luster. On a plus note, the music is original and for those Death Metal fans, it may well be a good listen, but for the benefit of the doubt it is questionable. Download This: "Left To Suffer" [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  RELICSEED 'Upcoming Second Studio Album Promo EP' Heavy Industrial Thrashers Relicseed unveil their magical works to come via a promo EP for their upcoming album out in Autumn. What fans can expect is blistering paced drumming, industrial funk and heavy vocals, all of which when together create a wall of sound that would blast any hole in any speaker that the music comes into contact with. With influences ranging from Metallica, Machine Head, Slipknot and Rammstein, listeners can expect a whole selection of different song structures and musical sounds whilst the Latvian four-piece retain that signature sound they have created over the years, and that's just the promo EP! Bring on number 2! [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  THE SUMMA IN VERSE 'When In Limbo' Trance Metalcore seems to be a hit or miss genre, you either get it nailed on sounding right or end up like another Asking Alexandria clone, but down in the underground streets of Bristol a project (hoping to be a band) is born under the moniker of The Summa In Verse. Putting together the electic elements of Hard Trance with some elaborate synthesizers cutting through the electromagnetic surge that courses through each track and then bolting clean and harsh vocals to the mix, this is some cutting edge stuff. 'When In Limbo' is what it says, in limbo between the electronic-sphere and the metalcore legion and what separates this project from the crowd is the unique layering going on, such a winning formula should garner this young musician some attention in the times ahead, in the near future. Download This: "Into The Inferno" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SILVERCAST 'Chaos Engines' For those who love their Gothic Metal full of power, bouncy elements and emotional connectivity, then Silvercast's 'Chaos Engines' is for you, unleashed by the Russian quintet the debut album has a number of exciting elements to it from the technical parts in the song 'Mechanical Heart' to the soft elegance experienced on 'В Лабиринте', sure the latter is in Russian but the album itself is a mixture of the Russian and English language, so one can expect the album to be culturally diverse. Even so, the keyboards add a calming feel to the aggressive drumming sequences and the savage swift riff production, all in all 'Chaos Engines' is a well crafted musical piece that should aspire many in St Petersburg to follow suit. Download This: "The Name Of Chaos" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SYSTEM OVERTHROW 'System Overthrow' Well the truth is you're not meant to be disappointed at the first part of a release, but sadly this is the case for System Overthrow's debut self-titled demo. The instantaneous negativity that smacks you in the face is the inescapable realization that the volume quality is merely abysmal, if you krank the volume up more you can hear a band that fashions the classic frenzy known as Thrash Metal and produces a well worked recording, but with that the consensus is that this is basic Thrash Metal with no real deviation from the plethora that swamps the metal music community of modern times, maybe System Overthrow will get better on their next release, but for now there is room for improvement. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  NORTHERION 'Silent Screams' Here again just another generic Melodic Heavy Metal band, Northerion made their mark last year by releasing their debut album 'Silent Screams' and what is featured on this album is ideally no keyboard elements just bog standard Heavy Metal with melodies circulating the standard instruments themselves, leaving somewhat a disappointing feeling. Perhaps if German beer was a little stronger, so would the music be, but on the other hand it cannot be decried as a total flop because the music itself is knit tightly so that any attempt to crush the music before fully dissecting it would be a mission impossible. What is possible though is for this band to seriously consider restructuring their sound to make it what it says it is. Download This: "Out Of The Light" [7] RHYS STEVENSON  RAW ENSEMBLE
'Jesus Is Back.... And He Is Fucking Angry' 2012 gave birth to a new German Thrash Metal release, 'Jesus Is Back.... And He Is Fucking Angry' by quartet Raw Ensemble. What pursues next is a colossal explosion of gnarly vocals and the signature Teutonic Thrash Metal caricature, with that in mind the band opt for a more religious and evil approach rather than the political stance some Thrashers adopt. They call their music 'Blasting Thrash Metal' and they aren't half wrong, fueled by unrelenting percussion and bulldozing riffs that would make your generic headbanging style look like a pansies dance. Infectious and insanely fast is what this mob have aimed for and successfully delivered, so expect similarities with bands like Slayer and the whole 80's Thrash Metal era. Download This: "Jesus Is Back..." [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ONDFØDT 'I' Finnish Raw Black Metal duo Ondfødt make their first move by delivering their premier EP simply entitled 'I', from the start the explosion of bitterly raw riffs gets the music well and truly underway, whilst the drums and vocals alongside the riffs conjure up a cold and bleak atmosphere. Sure it is another one of those releases that sounds like every other Raw Black Metal release but in fact there is a major difference, this is there own unique sound and what one means by that is that it is very heard to pinpoint what influences are exactly involved. However, 'I' does prime itself up as a feasible debut and shall allow the duo to build upon this shriekingly epic release. Just don't expect any mercy from this lot, there is no mercy in this music. Download This: "Verlden Er Min Slakteri' [8] RHYS STEVENSON  DAGOBA 'Post Mortem Nihil Est' EARMUSIC It might as well be accepted that France is going through its own metal revolution and it is fair to say that when bands like Dagoba release total chaotic hell through their music, the result is a mass brawl amongst many fans alike. Simply put, the band wielded radioactive metal to deliver their post-apocalyptic album 'Post Mortem Nihil Est', producing a futile and technological music revolution as to say the groove elements resonate within the similar sounds of Pantera, whilst the industrial elements spit out the total envisage one would want to hear from the modern metal era. What 'Post Mortem Nihil Est' has that defines Dagoba as perhaps a leader in the French metal scene is the constant brutality that explodes at every algorithmic riff and technical drumming pattern. When songs like 'Kiss Me Kraken' spew out a sound that eclipses the very industrialist sound behind lords like Rob Zombie, it is insurmountably evident that Dagoba have delivered what can be persevered as not only their best album to date, but more so potentially French Metal album of the year. 'Post Mortem Nihil Est' is out 14th June via earMUSIC For fans of: Pantera, Breach The Void, Rob Zombie, Noein, The Defiled [9] RHYS STEVENSON  TIME GRID 'Life' Emerging from the Swiss and French border is the joint effort between six musicians under the moniker Time Grid and combining female and male vocals with two keyboards the rest that is expected, it is almost an advanced and updated version of Il Divo. However the debut album 'Life' features more than operatic style progressive metal, the male vocals at times are on the same par as Michael Crawford and so as a result the song 'Me' may as well be put in the same ball park as the Phantom of The Opera and that means to say that 'Life' is a myriad of different elements coming together to explode as one and shed a sound that can be likened to bands like Nightwish, Therio, Avantasia and those along the lines of the Neo-Classical, Symphonic and Operatic Metal styles. Thus 'Life' is an album that shall gain attention as a promising debut by this international group. Download This: 'Me' [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  UBUREN 'Sons of the Dying Gods' The soundtrack of gregarious darkness and evil has surfaced in the form of the debut release by Norway's Viking / Black metal trio Uburen. 'Sons of the Dying Gods' bleeds out traditional ass-tight riffs and shrieking vocals that would make wolf sex sound like silence, lets face it Uburen are amongst the same string of Norwegian BM bands but with an additional twist, besides the obvious Folk Metal elements inserted here and there, the overall sound is one that should gain considerable attention as the band do it their own way and not to any conventional playing style. But there again it is likely some extreme metal fans will find a riff taken here and there but will acknowledge that 'Sons of the Dying Gods' is a great release to launch your band's career from. Download This: "Sea Of Deceit' [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LARCENY 'My Fall' SAOR How can it be that a band develops an angelic, soft-flowing atmosphere through the use of keyboard melodies and heavenly female vocals, and as a result can be compared to the elegant flow and sound of a stream or a gushing river? Whilst imploding it with harsh brutal vocals that would make any Alpine wolf run a mile at the shear power the vocals create. Simple, the sophomore album by Germany's Larceny, 'My Fall' is a total epic release, not just from the intertwining vocal arranages but from the sincere precision placed on each element that makes each song uniquely different in their own rights and the album a musical masterpiece, from this release it is evident that Larceny deserve a lot more to come there way and are sure to make tracks in the year ahead as listeners come round to grasp what could be German Metal album of the year. Download This: "Love! You! Dead!" [10] RHYS STEVENSON  RULE 'Rule' There are too many bands doing the same or similar thing these-days and Massachusetts' Rule does not escape this trap, the Hard Rock / Heavy Metal outfit conjures up their debut EP and it just about sounds similar to every band trying to emanate the bygone sound, even if the solo's deal the release justice the whole EP sounds too much like other releases, on the other hand it offers fans and music listeners another chance to experience that all essential Iron Maiden-esque, 80's rock and metal sound. But be warned, there is nothing too unique here except the band provides their own twist on the music style, shame it's already been done before. Overall expect no compromising riffs or set ways through the music, just ballsy ballistic rock 'n' roll / Heavy metal. Download This: "Clining To Life" [6] RHYS STEVENSON  JEWISH JUICE 'Fourth Reich' The awaited debut by Italy's darkest metal band has finally dropped last year, 'Fourth Reich' by the NSBM trio Jewish Juice wallows once again in the National Socialist and Anti-Semetic lyrical garden and plucks out six tracks that will strike fear in any listener. Underlying the political and fascist propaganda is a solid Black Metal sound, with mid-paced to full on raw atmospheric music that leaves a bitter aftertaste in the mouths of the listener whilst corroding their senses for a long time. For the open-minded this is a unique insight into the minds of those favoring right-wing ideologies and grim thoughts that otherwise on a purely social level would be spat out upon. No remorse, this is a decent and well crafted release that should not be taken as being literal as the music itself does more talking than the band's ideology. Download This: "Stalingrad" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  TRUE 'Riders of Doom' Brazil's promising lads True have become true to themselves (pun intended), by releasing their debut album 'Riders of Doom' from the depths of the Amazonian rainforest, this Death / Thrash armada assault encases the silent atmosphere surrounding the listener and results in total Armageddon. What is sensational about this album is that it carries on their signature sound of dropping speed suddenly to almost narrowly escaping a Metalcore breakdown as seen on the song 'Forget In Hatred', but with a rallying of insanely paced drumming acting as the leader for the rest of the band to follow by, it is credible to acknowledge that True are one of Brazil's greatest underground metal bands going around, in fact they are the 'Riders of Doom'. Download This: "Obliteration" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  THRASHMANIACS 'Demoshhh - Pit' DEMENCIAL Bolivian Metal is one scene that is not really promoted enough and yet when bands like Thrashmaniacs release their first ever compilation it begs the question if this band can lead the frontline to guide their scene forward. 'Demoshhh - Pit' is a seven track compilation that takes the best songs the Thrash Metal quartet has ever done, sure to the international scene it would be hard to decipher seeing as they sing in Spanish, but add a cultural value to it and you have got a release that every fan of Slayer and Evile would be immensely entranced by. 'Demoshhh - Pit' is a roller-coaster ride through neck-breaking riffs, Teutonic drumming and explosive vocals, simply put this release is a must have for Thrashers everywhere. Download This: "3:15 (Instrumental)" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MIDGAR
'Sombras Del Mañana' Spanish metal of late seems to be doing rather well and in 2012 one album that changed the face of Progressive Metal in this region came to life, 'Sombras Del Mañana' by Madrid-based sextet Midgar nucleated over the metal scene like a torrent of bulls hyped on crack running through the narrow streets of the fabled capital city, even more so think of 'Sombras Del Mañana' as a delicious paella, with spicy riffs, juicy beats and fresh vocals and then think of the entire package as elegant as the local flamenco class, in fact this album may as well be a damn good soundtrack to either a Spanish adventure film or elaborate dancing. It is fueled up to the top with eccentricity beyond anyone's imagination and as 2013 offers the band a new adventure, Midgar are sure to catch the eye of many. Download This: "Grítale Al Cielo" [9] RHYS STEVENSON  DEATH BY KI 'The Right Of Might' Something strange is happening down in the West country and it isn't an upsurge in apple and cider production, although the latter would accompany well alongside Death By Ki's debut EP 'The Right Of Might'. The Somerset assailants lash together a blistering paced record that would surpass the fastest riff that Trivium could ever dream of. For a debut release, 'The Right Of Might' is what is expected of the band, a solidified explosion of Thrashed up Metalcore that spews out slick speed, savage brutality and ballsy face-punching music. Weaving in and out the Slayer-esque riffs and Lamb of God influenced deep vocals, Death By Ki may well just become one of Somerset's hottest properties this year. For fans of: Metallica, Trivium, As I Lay Dying, Lamb Of God 'The Right Of Might' is out Monday 20th May 2013 via all digital outlets or through the band. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  PANKRATION 'Beretta's Kiss' The debut album by Germany's Pankration is a major blow to the system, not only does the guitar playing at times sound a little under-produced, but some songs are so common it lacks variation. However songs like 'Revenge' give the album a kick up the back side, 'Beretta's Kiss' is a gunshot wound to the head, not because of the various limitations on the album but mainly because the sound is rather mixed, good and bad all over the place. Melodic Death / Groovy Thrash Metal it may be, but until Pankration actually find a common ground to settle on when releasing their next musical output, they will continue to be a disappointment. On that note 'Beretta's Kiss' is certainly a strange album. Download This: "Revenge" [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON  ABOLISH OASIS 'Retrospections' AKASHIC The ultimate storm has arrived, uprising from the dark depths of the Atlantic abyss is the Floridian Post-Hardcore / Metalcore tour-de-force Abolish Oasis, delivering their highly anticipated EP 'Retrospections' in spectacular sound and fashion. Exhibiting a precise construction of magical riffs and heavenly guttural vocals that splatter ad hoc murders all across the Orange county, more than any Hurricane or thunderstorm could apprehend; that is the shear force of the music, it is so heavy it makes even the most ferocious weather whimper. 'Retrospections' sets out the band nicely from the cloned bands of the same music genre, with an infectious playing style and bouncy feel to their music, the international music scene may well have another epic band on there hands. Abolish Oasis plan national domination and then who knows, maybe a global apocalypse? 'Retrospections' is out 19th April 2013 via Abolish Oasis / Akashic Records [9] RHYS STEVENSON  SCARS ON MURMANSK 'Into Dead Lights' GREAT DANE Of recent years, French Death Metal seems to sprouting out of the ground like a volcano readying itself to explode, no wonder then that the quartet Scars On Murmansk dropped their emphatic debut album 'Into Dead Lights' last year. Full of skull smashing grit and heavier balls than a testosterone-charged bull on heat, 'Into Dead Lights' explodes with shimmering radioactive radiance through the sensational drumming speed whilst the vocals and guitars stab the bleak atmosphere to make it bleed with the smell of irresistible sickening music. What separates 'Into Dead Lights' from the rest of the burgeoning underground Death Metal squabble is the insurmountable sincerity produced on the release itself, causing utter chaos. Download This: "Buried Dreams" [10] RHYS STEVENSON  DISGRACER 'Worms' From the first song to the very last, Disgracer's debut demo 'Worms' spits out Slayer influences as if it was totally obvious, the truth is you cannot ignore the sheer comparison and yet when the Catalonian Thrashers finally get going, they can't stop - it was as if the off button was not invented. 'Worms' is your classic Thrash Metal release, pounding beats out the drums like no tomorrow whilst the rest of the music churns and lashes out a sound that is sure to give some people epic whiplash. In the words of London's Kremated 'Thrash Ain't Dead' and Disgracer know that evidently, there first outing is a delight to listen to but at times the guitar playing can get a little too high and less clear, but besides that the release does what it was designed to, to slay minds. Download This: "Warning Bell" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  DEATHABALONE 'Somewhere In Between' Making their return back in 2011, Japan's Deathabalone unleashed what was their final release under that name. 'Somewhere In Between' delivers the signature sound and vocals that makes this band what they are, brutally powered by grizzly female Death Metal vocals, 'Somewhere In Between' is an essentially for any fan of the nitty gritty side of metal music. It is a vast improvement from their previous effort 'Rise In Rebellion' and gave them enough force to rename themselves as Faintest Hope, with the same line-up and the same level of panache, it is unlikely that 'Somewhere In Between' Deathabalone shifting to Faintest Hope, there was any thoughts of the band splitting, in fact it could be said they are just getting started, this Japanese quartet are sure to explode on the international scene in years to come. Download This: "Kaleidoscopic Dream" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  WOMAN IS THE EARTH 'This Place That Contains My Spirit' You would have to be a complete die hard Black Metal fan to get any of this, sure the atmospheric ambiance that develops as a result of listening to the second album by American trio Woman is The Earth is one to keep anyone on their toes, but the reality behind 'This Place That Contains My Spirit' is that its bizarrely overproduced, there is far too much going on and as a result leaves the album in an awkward position, for example the somewhat evident blast-beats on 'Bird Song' get merged into the riffs on the same song and thus become rather messy. The upside to the release, besides being on average twelve minutes to each of the four songs, is that it carries a raw and unique feel to it, whether it be credible as a well perceived release is another question, but for now it remains a fairly decent effort. Download This: "Sage Moon" [5] RHYS STEVENSON  UTOPIAN.HOPE.DYSTOPIAN.NIHILISM 'Pact With Solitude' If you like you could call this one-man project Progressive Black Metal, but objectively it is more than that, with the usage of keyboards and flutes, one could argue it has a more ethnic approach to the music and as the Portuguese musician Élvio Rodrigues delivers his first crafted musical piece 'Pact With Solitude', the feeling of gloomy nostalgia takes over, regardless of the fact that on average each song is 10 minutes long. The main focal point of this release is this Iberian influence that seems to flow in the background and as the project Utopian.Hope.Dystopian.Nihilism sounds out across the bleak atmosphere, the sense that this project has a something unique is an understatement as evidently it is not unlike Ihsahn but ironically is far from the Norwegian musically. Overall 'Pact With Solitude' is an album that would appeal to many, not because of its lengthy songs but its atmospheric ambiance that steals the show. Download This: "Pandora's Box" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  DELETE THE MASS 'Μάζα' Just in time to rescue the Greek economy and delete the mass being of 'ολοκληρωτικό ευρωπαϊκό έλεγχο?' Can that be said? Anyways Greece's Death Metal / Grindcore merchants Delete The Mass make their anticipated debut album worth the wait, full on bone-crunching brutality that leaves you spitting blood from the continuous face-punching music that bellows out at insane speeds. Sure at times the listener may be a little lost with the Greek language, however on the other hand it offers a chance to learn the language of extreme music and at the same time a very old language. The major point behind this release is that it is what you would expect from a Death / Grindcore album, short and quick outbursts of disturbed pummelling music that leaves a pandemic horror scene in its wake, simply put the album 'Μάζα' is perhaps the best the Greek underground metal scene has seen in years. Download This: "The Essence of Existence" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  TEARDOWN
'Inner Distortions' GRAVE NEW MUSIC Metal music seems to come natural for the Finnish people, that said when band's like Teardown drop their debut album over a decade after the band had formed, the anticipation gets to a point where it reaches almost 'die-hard' status, no doubt when 'Inner Distortions' comes alive with the sound of angelic melodic vocals and the signature Heavy Metal sound, it leaves a long lasting impression that reasons for the long wait as if the band wanted to make the album worthwhile and they achieved it. 'Inner Distortions' takes listeners on a magical journey across the frozen lakes and countryside of the Finnish wilderness, through it's spread out cities and into the most northern regions of Lapland, think of the album as an adventurous journey soundtrack; on par with Lord of The Rings and then think of the music as one of the contenders for Finnish Metal album of the year, no doubt this music is breathtaking. Download This: "Dead Cry For The Sun" [9] RHYS STEVENSON  CAPTAIN ZORX STIMMUNGSATTACKE 'The Maps Of The Ancient Sea Kings' From time to time you come across a band that is completely crackpot that they should give up music and become comedians, such is the case of German 'Disco Metal' band Captain Zorx Stimmungsattacke and their album 'The Maps Of The Ancient Sea Kings'. Playing rock / metal in the style of Tenacious D, this unbelievable quartet are perhaps as wacky as Albert Einstein's hair. From the start to the very end, each song has it's own tongue-in cheek element and variation of music, thus begging the question are they System of A Down in disguise? Whoever the band is influenced by, it is a rarity and almost certainly a hidden gem in the underground German music scene. Download: "Roter Alarm" (for the yodeling :p) [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  VICTORIANS - ARISTOCRATS' SYMPHONY 'Revival' Taking Poland by storm, Neo-Classical / Symphonic Power Metal quartet Victorians - Aristocrats' Symphony delivered their debut album 'Revival' last year and with it comes perhaps what could be perceived as the next big Polish metal export and Poland's long awaited answer to Nightwish, delivering soprano style vocals on a bed of mellow and emotional music that resounds throughout the entire album, resulting in a deluge of operatic sounds and beautiful symphonies that will get heads turning. 'Revival' is a solid start to the band's career and is sure to power them to greater European recognition as one of the most exciting new metal bands from Poland to emerge in the last five years. Download This: "Voice Of Eternal Love" [10] RHYS STEVENSON  DO NOT DREAM 'Eiszeit' Sensational and indescribable are two different things but can interlink when specifically referring to music, so when Germany's Do Not Dream drop their fourth album 'Eiszeit' like a bomb exploding over Berlin, the shrapnel that shoots from it carries the sound of Melodic Black / Gothic Metal and twists it in such a way that the band develop their own sound. By utilizing soft female vocals against rough male vocals and amounting that on top of the delicacies produced by the unique background melodies from the keyboard and dramatic drops emitted across the songs such as 'Schlaflied'. However the language barrier may prove a little difficult for some, but coincidentally it offers metalheads a chance to buff up their German whilst enjoying some rather special metal music. Download This: "Polarlicht" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SPIDKILZ 'Balance Of Terror' INFERNO / LA RIOT SURVIVOR The debut album by Italian Speed Thrashers Spidkilz has finally dropped, 'Balance Of Terror' takes it's time to get started but once it does, the flood gates of Italian renaissance and agile supremacy take over, whitewashing the atmosphere in a combination of American Thrash Metal like Nuclear Assault and Speed Metal in the vein of Judas Priest. Sure the sound is at times non-original and the creativity a little stuck, but the overall reception of the album is well perceived as a solid piece of musicianship that should please many Thrashers alike. Loaded with 46 minutes of irresistible riffs, cut-throat vocals and ballistic drumming, this is truly The Italian Job. Download This: "Motorhome" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  SINFLOWER 'Evil Cure' It comes with great anticipation that finally Italy's Power Thrash crackpots Sinflower spurt out their debut album last year and with it comes a mid-paced yet a technically crafty deviated style of metal. What is heard on 'Evil Cure' is eccentric solo's and riffs accompanied by a solid drum pattern and vocals that at first raise questions on whether it is Power Metal or Thrash Metal inspired, however the salient point behind 'Evil Cure' is that it combines high-pitched vocals with gritty, ballsy low vocals that stab you in the brain so hard it would make murder look like a recreational event. However, the only little bit that lacks from this release is a secure atmosphere, because on some songs it tends to be bleak and not entirely apparent, this drags the integrity a few levels down. Download This: "Just Alive" [7] RHYS STEVENSON  FINGERNAILS 'Alles Verboten' HIGH ROLLER / LA RIOT SURVIVOR For a band that formed thirty years ago and then went on a hiatus or split in 1990, only to re-emerge fourteen years later in 2004, their 2012 album 'Alles Verboten' shows exempt power and passion whilst almost certainly indicating they are far from finished and still have the musicianship to deliver a bombshell without warning. 'Alles Verboten' features erotic riffs that would make any bloke have a hard on instantaneously, whilst the vocals and riffs together would bode well whilst driving down a long straight road, like route 66 for instance. Now whilst the Italian quartet wallow in between playing Thrash Metal to Hard Rock to Punk influences, the epic sound that they extrude is total finesse and an essential to anyone's collection of whom indulges in Hard Rock / Heavy Metal. Download This: "Fun Addiction" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  TBC 'The Rise' STF 2012 saw the return of Austrian Gothic Metal quintet TBC with their next installment 'The Rise', delivering once again their beloved sound of female and male vocals which guide the rest of the music to form erotic and sensational songs. There again the album switches between the romance found within the German language and the power within the English language, whilst at the same time displaying a vast improvement from their debut album '28 Days'. Songs like 'Gnade' can draw similarities to bands like Subway To Sally of whom explode with emphatic power and emphatically constructed music. Throughout 'The Rise', the keyboard provide that atmospheric ambiance experienced in Gothic films like Dracula, it drags up that foundation from which spouts the classic beauty and the beast duet between Steve and Natascha, almost resonating with the operatic sensations felt when watching 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Download This: "Crystal Bride" [9] RHYS STEVENSON  BENEATH THE TIDES 'A New Beginning' SPEARJUSTICE Australia in recent years seems to be a massive hotspot for everything Metalcore and as listeners will find out, Canberra cowboys Beneath The Tides are no exception. Exploding with a relentless force of Metalcore that comes laden with Melodic Death Metal influences taken from the Gothenburg guild. The five-piece outfit have assembled a remarkable debut album called 'A New Beginning', that should see the lads crawl under the skin of the international metal scene, ripening to erupt as an acidic blister that will burn the Metalcore scene and will scald everything in their way. As for the album itself, listeners can expect a futile and frantic fist punching onslaught, packed full with a tasty selection of In Flames melodies and Lamb Of God brutality that will have the most hardcore kids crying for their mummies. Slaying riffs, spine-shagging vocals and grizzly drumming sequences, this the post-apocalyptic Metalcore album of the decade. Download This: "Medicate Me" [10] RHYS STEVENSON  CROWNLESS 'Dark Evolution' There is definitely a love affair going on between Spanish metal musicians and the Gothic Metal and Power Metal styles, even when the two merge together. However when bands like Crownless make their debut album become a living reality, the result is that the music often captivates the listeners mind and drags them into a emotional state of being calmed, relaxed and somewhat sensual. 'Dark Evolution', the band's debut album saw daylight in 2011 and has been a springboard for the band to carry on their ravenous sound of elegant Gothic Power Metal. From the first to last song, listeners will be taken on a journey that is inspired by the likes of Within Temptation, Sirenia and Nightwish, whilst being entranced by this bands 'Dark Evolution'. Download This: "Ravens In The Storm" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  RUM
'Birbant' Beer is considered a gift from the gods, so what a better way to celebrate it than to sing about it? That's exactly what the Polish Slavic Metal band Rum is all about, mixing Eastern European and Slavic style Folk metal with the lyrical topics of drinking and the Slavic culture. 'Birbant' the band's debut album features some of the greatest party folk songs one would want to hear, given though it is sang in Polish the album itself has an element of class on its own. Weaving the classical sounds of metal music with instruments including an accordion, mandolin, flutes and a hurdy-gurdy;, this is a truly ethnic and culture-attached band and album. What makes 'Birbant' stand out from the rest of the Slavic Metal movement is that it has a real upbeat feel to it, one that would get anyone downing the nearest barrel of beer in a jiffy. Download This: "Piwo!" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ITERATE 'Ephemerals' What is amazing about the Indian Metal scene, is that each and every band that debuts their first ever release ends up with a slight twist on the western style of that specific genre and so now Chennai pays homage to Progressive Groove mob Iterate as they have just released their debut EP entitled 'Ephemerals', what comes from this is a brutal onslaught of riff shrapnel, ground-breaking drumming sequences and a sound that correlates to the groove elements of Lamb of God and the hard vocal style of any Progressive Hardcore band, but the vocals at times sound a little weak and not sharp enough to make the EP a fully fledged success. However, fans of the djent movement will wet themselves over the guitar note synchronization that goes on and throughout the EP. Download This: "Light The Flares" [7] RHYS STEVENSON  TIME'S FORGOTTEN 'The Book Of Lost Words' How many band's decide to release an album that is designed like a book? Not many, this results in the Progressive Metal outfit Time's Forgotten to do just that for their third full-length release 'The Book Of Lost Words'. What comes inside this intricate production is pacey drumming, Power Metal style vocals and slit-throat riffs, a concoction of sensational metal music that can only be designed and carefully crafted by the Costa Rican quintet. In fact what could be clearly seen here from the photos inside the booklet, is a merging of steampunk and metalhead fashion, this resonates in the philosophical lyrics that power each song forward and allows the band to become another great export from Costa Rica. Download This: "Days Like Eternity" For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Dream Theatre and Symphony X [8] RHYS STEVENSON  WRECKING TANGANYIKA 'The Witchcraft Project' Thanks to the internet, Metal music is reaching all corners of the globe, but what is this? Zambian Deathcore? Correct. Hailing all the way from the capital city Lusaka, Wrecking Tanganyika have released their debut EP 'The Witchcraft Project' and needless to say it offers a unique style of Deathcore, well actually it's a cross mix of Hardcore, Melodic Metal and Death Metal, none the less it is unique in that it incorporates traditional African rhythm, a some what ethnic style of metal music. With the snarly grizzly vocals commanding the front line and the music following behind with a pitch perfect face-punching sound, Wrecking Tanganyika are truly flying the flag for Zambian Metal. Download This: "How Long Till There's Nothing Left' For fans of: The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel and Imminence Download or donate here: http://wreckingtanganyika.bandcamp.com/ [8] RHYS STEVENSON  GEMINI ABYSS 'Claim Of The Planet' It seems apparent that the Polish Metal scene of late has spawned off a wave of female-fronted bands in the Power Metal, Gothic Metal and Melodic Metal musical vain. However, the second full-length album 'Claim Of The Planet' by Łódź-based Gemini Abyss features a host of heavy and deep male vocals alongside the majestic melodies flowing in the background behind the accompanying sensual female vocals. What makes 'Claim Of The Planet' a spellbinding example of powerful musicianship is the interaction between the softened smooth elements and the rough gritty masculine embodiment, the classical 'beauty and the beast' scenario with added drama and that in itself is inescapable in that it is there and cannot be ignored even if one tries to, if you want gothic literature in it's musical form, then Gemini Abyss is for you. Download This: "Land of Death" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  MYOPIC EMPIRE 'Myopeia' At times Essex may as well be a rather doom-laden place, how fitting is it then that two musicians come together and form Myopic Empire, simply put a Doom Metal band. Situated in the coastal town of Southend, this outfit plunge into the deeper depths of hell and drag back up with them a sound that is thick as molasses and as gloomy as a thunderstruck atmosphere. Thus leading to the first demo being born, 'Myopeia' carries a bleak and cold feel to it whilst resonating from similarities with bands such as Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard and realistically any band circulating the Heavy / Doom Metal crossover point. The salient point behind Myopic Empire is that they are carrying on the true sound of the original variant of Doom Metal. Download This: "Biofuel" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  LOYALIST 'Train Tracks' Take some burly Canadians, place them in a Melodic Metalcore band and you end up with Loyalist, the six-piece outfit come from out of the shadows with a fiery attitude, ballsy riffs, mind-screwing drumming and the vocals spitting acid, as they lock onto downtown Toronto to pound their latest EP 'Train Tracks' through, seriously the EP brings out an atmosphere that makes WWF look like children play-fighting, it is that brutal and yet on the other side the melodies are more imaginative than Devin Townsend in his heyday. Ingeniously the usage of auto-tune has been used perfectly here within reason and the breakdowns are of adequate quality. It's early days yet but the Canadian Metal scene will be seeing a lot more of Loyalist in the years ahead, better make that the global metal scene as the band lay fellow countryman Justin Bieber on the 'Train Tracks', and you know what happens then! Don't you? Download This: "Normandy" For Fans of: Tides of Virtue, Bury Tomorrow, As I Lay Dying [8] RHYS STEVENSON  Our World In Ruins 'Meet Me In The Circle' (Single) Massachusetts in recent years has been a breeding ground for endless reckless and relenting Metalcore talent, there is no stopping the locals from having withdrawal symptoms from lack of breakdowns and the sheer face-smacking power of a good 'core' band. Cue Our Would In Ruins with their latest single 'Meet Me In The Circle, spewing out of the centre is a complex form of technical metalcore with deathcore influences here and there. Drawing similarities to that of Resist The Thought, Partway Drive and The Dead Lay Waiting, this American mob are certainly heading in the right direction and what makes the song catchier still, the auto-tune and insane riff breakdown at the very end, followed by some rather technical metalcore. Check it out here: http://ourworldinruins.bandcamp.com/track/meet-me-in-the-circle For fans of: Resist The Thought, Parkway Drive, The Dead Lay Waiting [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ORDER OF 315 'Near-Birth Experience' Order of 315 are a hard one to pin down and pigeon hole into one metal genre, they seem to drag in influences from a diverse background including Korn, Five Finger Death Punch and Slipknot, that's just the surface of things, in reality the music is more complicated as heard on the band's debut album 'Near-Birth Experience', it takes in the furious force shed by Slipknot but twists it with a sort of Alternative / Nu Metal emphasis, minus the turntables. The problem is at times it can sound a little too congested as if each musician was battling to get their music in, this is heard especially on the song 'Some Like It Shot' where there is too much going on and so as a result diminishes this band's true potential at creating something unique. Download This: "Nonpoint" [6] RHYS STEVENSON  DEFACED 'On The Frontline' If they call this Death Metal, then Blood On The Dance Floor might as well be Thrash Metal, this is far from Death Metal and fails to even be considered as an authentic Death Metal album! 'On The Frontline' by Swiss quintet Defaced do it well on the drums and the guitar note sequences, however the vocals are left to be desired, metal lovers might need a voice decoder just to get what the lyrics are, because they are barely there, at times it sounds like the lyrical sheets were burned or something and the band decided to use improvisation as a backup plan. Take away the vocals and you got an epic instrumental, but the vocals let the album down terribly. Now where did I leave that Swiss army knife, ah.... Download This: "Gore House" [5] RHYS STEVENSON  KEVIN M BUCK
'Musick For The New Aeon' OSIRIS Shredding is a form of art coming from intricate guitar playing, musicians like Kevin M Buck know all to well what is involved and what is expected of such a performance, thus the Illinois musical maestro comes back in 2012 to deliver number three, 'Musick For The New Aeon', a majestic and entrancing journey through the mind of the American to his sensational playing oriental style guitar compositions whilst channeling it down the Heavy Progressive Metal vein and creating music that fits the lyrical themes he has chosen, notably Egypt and it's associated mythology. Bands like Nile and Egypt's Scarab will be most impressed if they heard this and as 'Musick For The New Aeon' gleefully plays, you get the sense that Kevin M Buck is in the same league as Devin Townsend, a musical genius. Download This: "Musick For The New Aeon" [8] RHYS STEVENSON |
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