REZINWOLF
'Corruption Kingdom'
KILLER METAL

Evile has just been reinvented. Simple as that... or is it? Entering the affray is Essex Thrash merchants Rezinwolf with their radioactive debut album 'Corruption Kingdom', bolted through and through with some insanely fast drumming, outrageously complex riffs and soul-scarring vocals,
'Corruption Kingdom' shifts through the gears as if it was the soundtrack to Formula 1 at Silverstone. Playing Modern Thrash Metal with the occasional breakdown and Speed Metal influences, Rezinwolf's 'Corruption Kingdom' has placed Harwich on the metal map and not just a coastal town renowned for it's ferry port and industrial relations, although the latter would be apt for usage as to call Rezinwolf 'Cargo Thrash Metal'; big, bulky and heavy... all the essential elements for a kick-ass Thrash album, this could be the start of something huge for Rezinwolf, the only way is Essex? Yes, Essex Thrash Metal.

Download This: "Tomb Of The Incarcerated"

For Fans of: Municipal Waste, Evile, Gama Bomb

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

DISSECTOR
'Local Maniac Syndrome'

Dissector is an uprising Thrash Metal band from Bangladesh who have just released their debut EP ‘Local Maniac Syndrome’, it screams a subliminal statement that they are here to stay and bring back the reign of Thrash Metal! Dissector’s intention is clear, they wanted to make a really fast, extreme and if possible the angriest set of tracks to come out of Bangladesh! Dip’s vocals have this unique "I have no testicles" kind of voice and a bad-ass attitude, the anger adds great values to the band and the EP! The fast, thrashy riffs are well written and are quite old school-ish. Songs like "Samsu The Slaughterer" have a very catchy yet thrashy set of riffs that get hooked to your brain for a long time. Muktadir's uncanny ability to garner such pummeling momentum on the drums, and then slow down during the solo parts and create such a groove on the cymbals is remarkable! The solos may not be the most technically dazzling but they do fill in the riff structures just fine, maintaining and sometimes changing the feel of the songs. If producer Sumit Gaurab was given more mixing time, the record could have sounded more amazing. Those who listen to the EP “Local Maniac Syndrome” will find it like a quick kick in the nuts and is guaranteed to knock the wind out of you!

Download These: "Samsu The Slaughterer" & "Mass Destruction"

For Fans of: Old School Thrash Metal, Slayer

[7] NABIL ABADDON

HAIL OF BULLETS
'III The Rommel Chronicles'
METAL BLADE

The Dutch are coming! Armed with their infamously recognizable sound, Holland's Hail Of Bullets are going flat out for number three, their upcoming album 'III The Rommel Chronicles' crushes the mind and soul with the inescapable sound of Old-School Death Metal, utilizing thick riffs and raucous vocals alongside blitzing-speed drumming and hardcore military atmospherics, 'III The Rommel Chronicles' is a testament to the sensational battle between Erwin Rommel (Desert Fox) and Bernard Montgomery (for those who are not in the know, both leaders fought against each other in the Battle of El Alamein in WW2). Be prepared to be under the cosh from the very start to the very end as 'III The Rommel Chronicles' explodes with the violent sound of flak fire, razor-sharp shrapnel and heavy artillery fire, so prepare to be ambushed by this phenomenal release, place yourself at the forefront of either the British army or the Afrika Korps and be buried by the furious power of Dutch 'War Metal' veterans Hail Of Bullets, let the battle commence...

For Fans of: God Dethroned, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx

'III The Rommel Chronicles' is out October 29th via Metal Blade Records

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

UNBORN
'Awaken To Reality'

As if Prague was not already glorious enough with it's magnificent architecture and of course playing homage to the Vin Diesel film XXX, but as for the darker and more metal side to this Central European city, it holds a whole host of brilliant bands and Unborn is no exception. Having just released their third album in their seventeen year existence, the Thrash Metal ensemble do not mess around when it comes to unleashing sensational music. 'Awaken To Reality' comes as the next and latest installment in this band's history and boy does it blow hard, playing predominantly to the classic European Thrash Metal sound pioneered by bands like Kreator and Holy Moses, this Czech mob drag in various elements from Speed Metal to subtle detections of Hardcore; especially with the breakdowns. But overall this album is a work of art and something that any modern Thrash Metal fan will certainly enjoy, as will the old Thrash Metal followers.

Download This: "Walls Of Madness"

For Fans of: Gama Bomb, Holy Moses, Municipal Waste

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

THE DEFILED
'Grave Times Live'

Following on from their well received debut album "Grave Times" and preceding their Nuclear Blast debut album "Daggers", London Industrial / Modern Metal bruisers The Defiled took their dark side to newer heights as they unleash their "Grave Times Live" at a rather intimate gig that seemed to have around only 100 people, some coming from as far as Scotland and Ireland. 'Grave Times Live' oozes the Industrial-tinged Modern Metal that The Defiled formulated and pioneered as their own unique sound. This live album certainly does take the listener to the gig, dragging you in as if you experienced this for your own self. Consider this release as the ultimate transition to their phenomenal second album "Daggers", but also consider 'Grave Times Live' to be the absolute pivotal point in the band's career and what a damn good release it is, rest assured this album packs a punch.

Download This: "Metropolis"

For Fans of: Dagoba, Ministry, Machine Head

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

ILLNESS
'Psychopath'
DEFORMA(R)T

Let's be honest at times you would think that the bass drum would break from the sheer velocity it is pelted at by a drum machine, not a proper drummer. It's rather a gray area this whole drum programming malarkey, especially when it deprives the music of originality. Polish-Norwegian duo Illness are in that very situation whereby the guitars and vocals do the forward commands and yet the drums totally drag their sound into complete shambles. 'Psychopath' is the duo's fourth album and whilst it compromises on letting the drums go beyond the speed of the average BM drummer, it drills a hole into the release and makes it less impressive, to save the album from being labelled a machine-made product, the snarling vocals sneer and slice your mind in half whilst the raw riffs bleed your senses dry. Ironically the drums do deliver a brutal sound, but the notion is the crux of the disappointment.

Download This: "A Doors Behind The Doors"

For Fans of: Drum Programmed Black Metal

[6.5] RHYS STEVENSON

PANDEMMY
'Reflections & Rebellions'

Perhaps one of the finest metal bands to come out of Brazil for sometime, hauling out their premier album 'Reflections & Rebellions' is Death / Thrash wizards Pandemmy, accumulating a sound that spews out sounds in the style of old Sepultura, but more modernized, Pandemmy's 'Reflections & Rebellions' bulges at the corners with some rather brutal Death Metal vocals that would scare the living daylights out of the Amazonian tribes, whilst the drumming frequency and technicality mixed with the riff intricacy and solo patterns would make the Brazilian national football team wet their pants. 'Reflections & Rebellions' is a testament to the brilliance of the Brazilian Metal scene and with it's contagious songs brooding a new sense of direction for Pandemmy, this might be their hour.

Download This: "Rubicon (Point Of No Return)"

For Fans of: Kreator, Sepultura, Hypocrisy

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

CLANDESTINED
'Mortal'
EVIL

Clandestined make their welcomed return with their third album 'Mortal' firmly poised as the best release they've done in their four year existence, 'Mortal' delivers another round of knock-out metal that what makes Clandestined one of Japan's most exciting Death / Thrash Metal bands to come out in the last five years. Now if you thought the earthquakes this Asian island country receives were devastating enough, then Clandestined are perhaps not for you as they wield together a rough concoction of Death Metal with the slick speed of Thrash Metal. Imagine a sheer pummelling going on inside you as the drums drive your heartbeat rate so fast and high that you start bleeding from the inside out, whilst the riffs crush your soul and the vocals cause earache, this is the sort of force that 'Mortal' delivers. You better fear it, because you will never hear anything like this elsewhere, Clandestined are flying the flag for the Japanese Metal scene.

Download This: "Syndrome"

For Fans of: Sepultura, Carnal Forge, Torture Squad

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SECRETS OF SIN
'Future Memories'

Reinventing the dramatics of Symphonic Metal by developing 'Symphonic Modern Metal', Germany's Secrets of Sin summon up a sound that crushes anyone who opposes this triumphant music. Imagine the angelical elements of Symphonic Metal colliding with the technicality of Modern Metal and having the beauty and beast vocals scenario directing this sound to newer territories. Well that is exactly what 'Future Memories' is all about, the debut album by Secrets of Sin boasts originality and a musical fusion that is sure to get the ears of Europe perked up. With the song "Inside" sparking symphonic similarities with Verdi's "Requiem, Dies Irae", by adding the complexity of Modern Metal bands like The Defiled, the symphonies of Myrath and Epica, and wielding that with the sheer vocal dynamics that Sharon Den Adel and Alexi Laiho would produce, this is something rather unique being produced. With turbulent symphonies caressing the sheer vibrant differences in the vocal ranges and the algorithmic relationship between the guitars and drums, Secrets of Sin are a one of a kind. Make no mistake about this, Secrets of Sin are going to be BIG, watch this space.

Download This: "Inside"

For Fans of: Epica, The Defiled, Within Temptation, Children of Bodom

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

CORPSE MACHINE
'Annihilate'

Michigan's Corpse Machine clearly don't hang around, not only did they form in January this year, their debut EP 'Annihilate' was released in April this year, they must be on a mission and yet their EP speaks of promise, brewing a storm of underground Black / Death Metal with some Doom Metal is not always easy and yet Corpse Machine seem to do it without any restriction, even if they are part of a scene that is overly-saturated with rockstar want-to-be's. 'Annihilate'  takes the very essential essence of the underground raw sound and ladens it with some interesting riffs (sometimes venturing into the Groove Metal style; seen around the '3:27-3:44' mark on the song "Corporate Scum"), pitch perfect drums and scarily shrieking vocals. The new version of Black / Death Metal could have now arisen to take the US metal scene by storm.

Download This: "Corporate Scum"

For Fans of: Carpathian Forest, Behemoth, Belphegor

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SABATON
'Swedish Empire Live'
NUCLEAR BLAST

Unleashing their first ever DVD is Swedish Power Metal veterans Sabaton and boy does it pack a sensational feeling, filmed primarily at their headlining slot at the highly known Polish Woodstock festival, the Swedes deliver the sensationalism that you always experience during their live sets, now whilst many would agree it does not compare to the DVD, the reality is that this is an achievement and to relive some memories they have to be documented. But face the facts, there was 600,000 punters at this festival, that's enough to fill the entire Arsenal Emirates stadium tenfold!! Furthermore the DVD boasts four hours of footage and so if you're going on holiday and are not driving, then you have a good excuse to watch Sabaton's 'Swedish Empire Live'; would be even more apt if you were going on holiday to Sweden. Fans of this sensational Power Metal band will hear some of the old classics to the new hot songs, there is something here from everyone and other recordings include performances in London, Oberhausen and the well known Swedish city of Gothenburg, now whether you are a fan or not, this is a momentous piece of Metal music to own, make no mistake about it as the truth is that Sabaton are true Power Metal gods, question is can they match this emphatic release in 2014?

'Swedish Empire Live' is out 20th September 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

The release comes in various formats: 2 Blu-Ray Digi / 2 DVD Digi / DVD (Poland only)

CD Digi / 2LP (limited black vinyl in gatefold + poster) / 2LP (limited yellow vinyl in gatefold + poster) !!!Nuclear Blast Mailorder only!!!

Earbook (2 Blu-Ray + 2 DVD + DVD + exclusive bonus CD, 48 pages Earbook)
Special Leather Hardcover Earbook !!!Nuclear Blast Mailorder only!!!

(2 Blu-Ray + 2DVD + DVD + exclusive bonus CD, 48 pages Earbook)

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

ZOLTAR SPEAKS
'Save As I Save'

Taking their band name from an unusual antique arcade fortune teller machine featured in the Tom Hanks film 'Big', Somerset's Zoltar Speaks unleash their highly-anticipated debut album 'Save As I Save', featuring much of the classic Melodic / Alternative Metal that the female-fronted armada is capable of delivering, the vocals do not disappoint as they wallow in between the alleys of Amy Lee and Kobra Paige and feature an accompanying attitude that resides within vocalist Louise Body, therefore it is inevitable that the music in it's entirety is going to be unique and phenomenal and boy i it is, following the killer instinct through the wizardry amassed on the guitars and the precision exercised on the drums, 'Save As I Save' is definitely a contender for debut album of the year, but let's not get too optimistic as it's not December yet, all that can be said right now is that 'Save As I Save' by Zoltar Speaks is an album every metal fan should own, this work of art is their key to nationwide recognition, therefore watch this space...

'Save As I Save' is out 11th November 2013 via an Independent release

For Fans of: Evanescence, Kobra & The Lotus, Barbe-Q-Barbies, Vanilla Ninja

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

RAVENOUSE
'The Last Gate'

You can always be assured that when any Italian band dives into the Gothic Metal pool, comes out drenched with such immense power that the resulting music is simply divine. Ravenouse do exactly that and as a result they unleash the erotically charged masterpiece that is their debut album 'The Last Gate', featuring the much beloved duet in the highly recognizable beauty and the beast style. Ravenouse deliver a generous mix of angelic heavenly female vocals with devilish growling male vocals, which in turn become savaged by some epic harmonious symphonies through the majestic usage of the keyboards and doused with an array of riffs and drumming patterns that drive this sensational release forward, make no mistake about it Ravenouse are the next Lacuna Coil. There is only one way to sum up Ravenouse in their entirety, and that is that they are the Modern Gothic Metal band the world has been waiting for.

Download This: "Flying Angel"

For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, H.I.M, Evanescence

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

IMMORALIS
'The Great Collapse'

Without a doubt possibly the most exciting new band to emerge from the American abyss all year, forging a sound that circulates around symphonies, orchestral pieces, Death Metal and Metalcore, Immoralis' premier album 'The Great Collapse' is the sound that everyone must hear. From start to finish, the emphatic symphonic backdrops that cascade like waterfalls on top of the jagged bedrock of Death Metal / Metalcore vocals, set the tone for the riffs to crash against, whilst the drums deliver the final face-punch that will enable Immoralis to gain well earned international attention from this Teutonic masterpiece. So what happens when elegance, brutality and six algorithmic minds come together? Simple, total apocalyptic musical mayhem, enter Immoralis and their own stance on metal... dubbed 'Symphonic Orchestral Deathcore'.

Download This: "Trudge This Lonely Road"

For Fans of: Bleeding Through, Born of Osiris, Fleshgod Apocalypse

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

LIGHTLESS MOOR
'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn'
WORMHOLEDEATH

Probably the darkest metal band in terms of imagery and musical ideology to emerge from the sun-kissed island of Sardinia. Unleashing a shadowy strike of Gothic Doom Metal is the Italian sextet Lightless Moor of whose debut album 'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn' will certainly turn heads as it engulfs the atmosphere with everything that is to be loved about Italian Gothic Metal, the angelic and vibrant female vocals crashing against the deep, growling and beastly male vocals to give a duet feeling, that added with the erotic harmonics from the keyboards and raw brutality combined through the drumming and guitar playing, all intricately balance each other out to combine as one hell of a decent release. 'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn' speaks elegance, majestic elements and classical beauty, accept no substitutes.

Download This: "Cento Respiri"

For Fans of: Lacrimas Profundere, Lacuna Coil, Paradise Lost

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

PSYCHEMA
'Bygones'
INVERSE

Finland seems to always be producing sensational metal and rock bands, either it's in their blood or it's in the water they drink, this certainly seems to be the way when especially bands like Psychema arise again to drop another release in their history. The Progressive Melodic Metal outfit purges out the complexities of Progressive music and instead adopt a rather alternative approach, but not in the sense that they are completely detached from the said genre, in fact the upcoming EP 'Bygones' shifts between elements of aggression, lusciousness and calmness, from the ever-changing vocals that shift from screaming to melodic and the guitars and drums working harmoniously in sync with each other, there is nothing to say that 'Bygones' will not attract attention across Europe, it simply is a wonderful masterpiece that is guaranteed to be a favorite amongst most Progressive music fans.

For Fans of: Dream Theater, H.I.M., Opeth

'Bygones' is out 19th October via Inverse Records

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

KINETIK
'Greed'

Basically if it's Thrash Metal then you know full well it's going to be fast, pumped up and unbelievably tricky on the riffs, Kinetik is no exception to this. The Italian five-piece have undoubtedly invested decent musical ideas and channeled them into creating a sound that speaks 80's Thrash through and through. On the other hand their debut demo 'Greed' might as well be lauded as just another Thrash Metal release, but let's face it there is not much that can be done to change that. As for the demo itself it speaks volume, furious crushing brutality and would sound sensational inside any Roman Colosseum. Featuring trippy double bass drumming, tight riffs and vocals that would make any Italian stallion go from trot to full gallop and as the music takes you into sheer galloping speed, you better be ready to experience painful whiplash.

Download This: "Greed"

For Fans of: Slayer, Gama Bomb, Evile

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

ANCIENT DESIRE
'Ancient Desire'

Unleashing their debut self-titled EP,  is the Czech sextet Ancient Desire. Their premier self-titled EP incorporates the beautiful essences found within Symphonic Gothic Metal; that classic beauty and the beast setup doused with the feeling of Central European elegance forming the underbelly of this band, whilst at the same time layering the music with the bard and theatrics of the historic Bohemian concerts, as if this band was the metallic form of the Prague Symphonic Orchestra. No joke, Ancient Desire are sure to break out of the Czech Metal scene with such oomph and gusto that followers of Within Temptation will undoubtedly have a new band to follow, the 'Ancient Desire' EP is a sign that Symphonic Gothic Metal style is not going to be always associated with the Dutch and that this Czech unit are assimilating a sound that will rock a few boats.

Download This: "The Master Andiron From Lucanid"

For Fans of: Within Temptation, Tarja-era Nightwish, Prague Symphonic Orchestra

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

MYRIAD LIGHTS
'Mark Of Vengeance'

There are times when a Heavy Metal band releases their material and it turns out to be classic s**t, not in the positive way either. Italian quartet Myriad Lights narrowly escape the trap door with their premier album released last year, 'Mark Of Vengeance' comes six years after the band's inception and the instant question of 'what the hell are they playing at?' is on many peoples lips, but when you hear the album 'Mark Of Vengeance', it does offer some good music for sure, but overall it's just another heavy metal album, there is nothing spectacular about it and some of the solo's do not fit in well with the music pattern, let alone the drums seeming to be stuck on one beat throughout the album! It's one to release an album, but to release an album that lacks certain feelings is a bad move.

Download This: "Fury Of Time"

For fans of: 'where does one start?'

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

QUARTZ
'Live & Revisited'

Sometimes the classic ways are the best, even though Quartz are no stranger to the metal scene after being around on and off since their first album back in 1977 and of course their formation in 1974, 1977 being the year that Mr. Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath produced Quartz's debut album, small world eh? 39 years later and the five gentleman from Birmingham unleash their second ever live album 'Live & Revisited', proving they still have the agility and firepower to deliver such intense rock and metal music in one whole release. It just goes to prove you cannot knock off anyone who still has the ability to bang out a good tune, with that fuzziness of the guitar still present, the drums still delivering the thunderous sounds and the vocals harmoniously flowing freely out of David Garner, Quartz are far from finished yet!

Download This: "Mainline Rider"

For Fans of: Black Sabbath, Van Halen, 70's rock and metal.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

FOETAL JUICE
'Big Trouble In Little Vagina'
GRINDSCENE

With a name that sounds like a pornographic post-mortem novel it is no wonder that Mancunian Death Metal plunderers Foetal Juice found a 'Big Trouble In Little Vagina', simply put it is pus-infested metal that will make you violently sick at the smelly hint of gore-rotten flesh and bad breath from licking out....  that's far enough you dirty bastards. 'Big Trouble In Little Vagina' broods slamming Death Metal / Grindcore in an rather unique way, through the use of death growls and obliterating speed on the drums and guitar sections, this is a murder waiting to happen. With hints of Cerebral Bore so indefinitely apparent it is always seemed likely that Foetal Juice are going to end up paying homage to a potential Bloodstock appearance next year, well we all need a bit of goreology now and then, oh wait that's the Saw films....

For Fans of: Gorerotted, Cerebral Bore, Deicide.

'Big Trouble In Little Vagina' is out 7th October via Grindscene Records and all main UK retailers

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

MEAN MESSIAH
'Hell'

Being part of one of the Czech Republic's most notable metal bands is an honor, but to carry on the pillaging is another thing altogether. Entering the affray is the one-man project Mean Messiah which is the product of brainchild Dan Friml and predominantly focuses on a hybrid mix of Industrial Metal, Death Metal and Thrash Metal, although we call it 'Modern Cyber Metal. His debut album 'Hell' is pretty self-explanatory in that he delivers musical hell, in fact it is so fast, brutal and technically challenged that a mathematician could not even calculate the time signatures, a bouncer would be weakened by the sheer force of this unrelenting album and of course it would out-do Petr Cech's reaction speed. Make no mistake about it Mean Messiah are poised to go far, it would be extremely surprising if this project does not as it has everything you could ask for, except it could be a bit more Industrial. Just a bit.

Download This: "Spiritual Resolution"

For Fans of: Holy Moses, Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

PLOUGH
'The 10th Circle'

The Dutch newcomers are here, well that was a bit of a brash starting statement to make so let's reiterate, the Dutch storm is brewing in the North sea.... right. Anyhow Plough's debut EP 'The 10th Circle' completely demolishes your senses with a cleverly weaved together sound of crushing Death Metal and funk-laden Groove Metal. The band name is quite unconventional for the style of music as it implies a farmer relation, not saying that this EP is sweet and tasty as potato mind you. 'The 10th Circle' is  classic debut EP, full of oomph and utmost promise, let's just hope that the quintet from Amsterdam have what it takes to keep this sensational music going, it may be early days but the lads have got a fair way to go, even if 'The 10th Circle' is tantalizingly brutal, featuring gritty vocals, snappy riffs and solid drumming.

Download This: "Emily Rose"

For Fans of: Opeth, Machine Head, Pantera

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

CRIMSON CHRYSALIS
'Crimson Passion Cry'
RAVENHEART MUSIC

On the international circuit, South Africa is rarely looked over as a solid country for producing metal bands, it comes to as no surprise then that Crimson Chrysalis unleash their new album 'Crimson Passion Cry' via British label Ravenheart Music. Forged in the footsteps of some of most erotic and sensational Symphonic bands around this planet, the epic delicacy that lead member and vocalist Rene van den Berg has delivered is so musically palatable that it leaves a desire to hear more. Weaving together the elegance of soothing symphonies with the dramatics and unrelenting power of operatic atmospherics, Crimson Chrysalis are poised to become South Africa's answer to Finland's almighty Nightwish, a new chapter in Symphonic Metal story has just begun...

Download This: "Deo Volente"

For Fans of: Tarja-Nightwish era, Tarja Turunen, Within Temptation

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

PETROL PATROL
'Domestic Warfare'

It must be said that upon listening to Petrol Patrol's premier EP 'Domestic Warfare', the feeling of nostalgia in Thrash Metal context begins to sink in, however at the same time the feeling of modern thrash metal overthrows that nostalgia with the amount of power experienced by a Swiss avalanche, or if you like, imagine being trampled over by a pack of St. Bernards. Therefore a warning must be issued as spinal surgery will be needed after being audibly doused with fast-paced riffs, grilling vocals and Teutonic drumming, all of which is inevitably experienced on Petrol Patrol's debut EP. Make no mistake about it, Petrol Patrol are poised to become the next successful export out of the Alpine country and with a fast-paced selection of music, watchmakers would be timed out easily and listeners of 'Domestic Warfare' will realize that Petrol Patrol's music is without a doubt, sweet as Toblerone.

Download This: "Ravaged"

For Fans of: Slayer, The Haunted, Sepultura

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

ANTIGOD
'The Collector'

Delivering their highly controversial debut album is the Czech quintet Antigod, armed with their modern style of Death / Thrash Metal and an attitude that would piss a few people of, the premier release 'The Collector' explodes into life with the chaotic sounds of fast-paced music with such gritty growling vocals that it makes disembowelment seem like a daily occurrence. Now lets be honest you would find a lot of hatred towards a band that sings predominantly about how religion is corrupt, well one glance at the artwork which shows a half pope, half business tyrant masked behind a Satanic goat mask, this resonates not only within the album title, but also the music this tight unit delivers. Beneath the soft look of this band is an interior designed to make your music life bloody hell. 'The Collector' is poised to get this band some attention across the European mainland and as long as they keep the musical bombardment going, they are sure to be guaranteed a prestigious label deal in the near future.

Download This: "Something In The Mirror"

For Fans of: Early-Sepultura, The Haunted, Hatesphere

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

DEGOLA
'Corrosão'

How many times does a Thrash Metal band try to pretty much re-write either the Metallica or Slayer discography? Increasingly more and more bands fall into that trap, Degola is no exception. But rather than just playing flat out a revamped version of 'Angel of Death', the Brazilian four-piece piece together a sound that circulates early Sepultura and adds a few modern elements into it through the use of subtle breakdowns. This is evident on their debut album 'Corrosão' and yes the songs are all in Portuguese, but don't let that throw you off from listening to Degola. If they stopped letting their instruments rust up from the heavy humidity of the Amazon, they could easily become an instant hit, but it will take another album or so before they reach the shores of Portugal, let alone Europe. Guaranteed, a hit and miss album that some Thrash Metal fans may smile or snarl at.

Download This: "Alternativa"

For Fans of: Early-Sepultura, Evile, Metallica

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

MAXDMYZ
'Cosmic Hearse'
RENEGADE

So picture this, Skindred sleeping with Fear Factory with Korn and SYL laying underneath the bed, a bit of an odd combo no? The same analogy can be applied to the 2010 release 'Cosmic Hearse' by London industrialists Maxdymyz, what happens here is that Nu Metal style vocals get covered with Industrial style elements and finalises with a total complicated sound being developed. Let's face it, trying to nail this album and band into one genre, you would have greater luck at headbanging to this sensational release. With Groove metal also making a subtle appearance as the vocals and riffs establish a musical chemistry with each other and nitro-glycerine explodes the drums into life, 'Cosmic Hearse' is effectively the upgraded and funkier version of Killing Miranda's sole release 'Consummate'. Oh how London is changing....

Download This: "Sayer"

For Fans of: Mindless Self Indulgence, Skindred, Fear Factory

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

SPACE CHASER
'Decapitron'

And the bill of the Gesundheitssystem (German health system) will now rocket thanks to German thrashers Space Chaser delivering their anticipated debut EP 'Decapitron'. Prepare to thrash those heads as the five-piece deliver a slice of modernized Slayer on their insanely-fast EP. From start to finish there is no stopping this mob from demolishing every last sense within your body, this is a release designed to maim the posers of the Thrash Metal scene. All four songs are good as one another and so to fully appreciate the band you have a choice of four songs to listen to, but the crux of this release is the unrelenting speed on the drums, rolling so fast it would make Michael Schumacher driving a mobility scooter almost like comparing the tortoise to the hare, except the hare wins. With such fast riff shredding going on alongside the blitz-like drums and the vocals wallowing in between Heavy Metal and Power Metal intonations, 'Decapitron' by Space Chaser is easy to class as 'Teutonic Thrash Metal'.

Download This: "Drunken Zombies Killing Spree"

For Fans of: Slayer, Gama Bomb, Holy Moses, Evile

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

BEL'O'KAN
'Thousands of Conquerors'
BRENNUS MUSIC

Weaving together a sumptuous sound of Melodic Heavy Metal and Power Metal is French sextet Bel'O'Kan in the form of their highly anticipated second album 'Thousands of Conquerors', from start to finish the music elements are as crystal clear as the sky, first impressions were that this was going to be one of those 'lets be another Evanescence' style of album, but bloody wars is this not the case. Instead what comes is a wave after wave barrage of emphatic 'angelic metal' which takes into account the majestic vibrancy of the female vocals and male vocals in tow, whilst the fluidity of the riffs and solos keep the album firmly powered up as the drumming drives the sound to terminal velocity, so much so listeners will be taken firmly into the clouds where the sonic explosion of Bel'O'Kan will be heard worldwide, 'Thousands of Conquerors' may just have booked the band international recognition, and maybe a prestigious festival slot next year.

Download This: "Power Of The Throne"

For Fans of: Nightwish, Avantasia, Beto Vázquez Infinity

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

BEAST
'Dead Or Alive'
GAPHALS

Dropping a bombshell on the Swedish rock and metal scene is Beast, a four-piece female-fronted mob who are about to drop their premier release 'Dead Or Alive' later this year. Much alike the resurgent force that seems to sweeping across the globe, Beast will join a legion of female-fronted Hard Rock / Heavy Metal bands that have stepped into the global abyss. 'Dead Or Alive' spews out a smooth and slick sound of classic ballsy rock and a metallic attitude that could easily become the result of a amplified ABBA. Just think AC/DC meets Stevie Nicks meets Iron Maiden and you get the idea of what this group sounds like. Chopping riffs lavished with erotic solo's, sidelined by vocals that will improve your sexual life like never before and supported by a drumbeat that would make you party the night away whether you're 'Dead Or Alive'.

Download This: "Bad Habits"

For Fans of: AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest

'Dead Or Alive' is out 23rd October 2013 (Sweden) and 4th November (Europe) via Graphals in CD, Vinyl and is available through all major digital retails

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

EMPIRES FALL
'The Tyrants Genocide'

Sadly no longer together so consider this as a post-review of their only ever EP 'The Tyrants Genocide' which came into being last year. Given the sheer velocity of this Australian Deathcore troupe, it is totally abysmal that they called quits. They have got so much potential and it shows on this EP, featuring unrelenting Deathcore vocals that charge the music with so much energy that it could keep Melbourne alight for a whole week without the use of a power station! The music itself wields grizzly riffs and uncompromising breakdowns that would make bands like Thy Art Is Murder s**t their pants, 'The Tyrants Genocide' overall is a heavy as f**k release that deserved much more recognition internationally than it has done, furthermore it is clear that Empires Fall have made a grave error calling it a day, it will certainly haunt them as they could have made it big.

Download This: "Dreaming Of Eradication"

For Fans of: Whitechapel, Buried In Verona, I Killed The Prom Queen

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SEPTEKH
'The Seth Avalanche'
ABYSS

Looking rather dapper in their photo is one thing but the music by Septekh is beyond dapper, in fact it is mind-blowing, more so than trying to work out what style they are playing to a precise pigeonhole answer. 'The Seth Avalanche' is the Swede's second EP and was released last year, now what you can expect is a rather interesting approach and take on to the whole Death / Thrash algorithm, in fact this music will give you enough firepower to spit at anyone who messes your life, perhaps that could be the meaning behind 'The Seth Avalanche', but the music itself delivers crushing Death Metal vocals with the dripping of free-gliding riffs and child-friendly drumming, yeah right! This music is not meant for the emo's, so be warned. This music is meant for proper metal fans, that is all.

Download This: "Blunt Force To The Head"

For Fans of: The Haunted, Hatesphere, Slayer

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

CHICKSY DICKS
'Obsessed'

Simply ballsy rock and heavy metal combined is what you can sum up Chicksy Dicks' debut EP as, 'Obsessed' is a non-stop rallying of classic hard rock with the embodiment of Heavy Metal. Hailing from Slovenia, this five-piece platoon of musical sophistication drops the sound that everyone craves, through the use of catchy vocals and lyrics, unpredictable riffs and solos, terrific bass notes and rapid-fire drumming, 'Obsessed' is a release to keep everyone on their toes. This is not just a band trying to redefine Iron Maiden, no not at all, instead Chicksy Dicks are doing this in their own way and that way is different from every other modern band playing the same or similar style. It took the band six years to make their first release appear but boy was the wait worth it.

Download This: "Face To See"

For Fans of: Van Halen, Metallica, Judas Priest

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

DYS INBUNDEN
'Pandemonium Unchained'
LIFLÄTINN PRODS

Desecrating the Black Metal scene of 2013 is Swedish chaos-commanders Dys Inbunden with their premier album 'Pandemonium Unchained', before the release this unit was in fact a one-man project headed by Gefandi Ör Andlät but now has transformed into a clan fit for a festival slot. 'Pandemonium Unchained' spews out the charismatic and enjoyable feeling of raw atmospheric black metal from which blankets the air with a cold and bitter feeling, as to drown the listener in eternal madness and consequential depression. It is early days for this Swedish Black Metal armada, but with this scrutable album now firmly within the wilds of the global metal wilderness I firmly believe they will go far and possibly could be touring Europe within the next two to three years.

Download This: "Sansho Shima"

For Fans of: Watain, Dark Funeral, Carpathian Forest

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

IRONOYA
'Testament'

Swiss Groove / Deathcore group Ironoya dropped their debut EP last year before this year changing their name to Deus Ex Machina and having a band-member switch about. The former's EP 'Testament' glistens with the inescapable sounds of guttural Death Metal / Deathcore vocals whilst the guitars and drums fill in with the final slaying in the form of some rather nifty and funky Groove Metal. Switzerland is not normally known for this style of metal so it comes as a bit of a revelation to the said metal scene, however for the now defunct Ironoya this was a journey they have semi-started and semi-continued, it's just whether they should have carried on as this formation or have they made the right choice? Time will tell, as for the 'Testament' EP, it simply is a sensational release that deserves much more acknowledgement.

Download This: "Veuve Noire"

For Fans of: Lamb of God, Whitechapel, DevilDriver

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

ORPHEUM
'Treason'

Now this is a rather odd release to be fair, mixing Progressive Metal with Gothic Metal is one thing but to have an EP out with only three tracks that equate to just over 22 minutes worth of listening is rather peculiar, some would expect much more given it has taken three years to make. Nonetheless 'Treason' does make way for a decent awe inspiring EP, however at times the drums tend to go overboard and totally ruin the pattern of the song 'Spiritus', but overall the EP does feature an easily identifiable sound that comprises of heavenly vocals, catchy and almost tricky riffs as well as bombastic drumming, the sad thing is it's not even near perfection but it will do as a trial run, it's just the case of whether Londoners Orpheum can find their feet for their next outing, what that next outing will be who knows.

Download This: "Porcelain Doll"

For Fans of: Within Temptation (Mother Earth era), Novembre, Noturna

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

ASARU
'From The Chasms Of Oblivion'
SCHWARZDORN

There comes a time where a Black Metal release will turn out to be total wank, unfortunately Asaru's second album 'From The Chasms Of Oblivion', which was released last year, borders that category. The good thing about the release is that it sticks to the bleak atmosphere that the band have carefully crafted out on their debut album, but the music itself is a little less impressive and needs a bit more working on, for instance you can just hear the bass drum and it has very little prominence, just like a third tier football team in Germany playing for the Deutsche Fussball Bund Pokal cup, hardly any chance at getting a look in. 'From The Chasms Of Oblivion' is firmly in the gray area, some aspects are good and some are shockingly bad, fans of Black Metal might be torn aside on this one.

Download This: "Beyond The Bonds Of Time"

For Fans of: Well... Black Metal.

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

LEFT FOR RED
'Vol 002 - Mercy Flight'

Is that Devin Townsend on vocals?!?! Didn't know he could do a Brummie accent, is there anything that Canadian musical wizard cannot do? It would be rather interesting if Left For Red supported The Devin Townsend Project in the future, but for now their upcoming EP 'Vol 002 - Mercy Flight' features all of the characteristics that a successful three-track release is meant to have, brimming with insurmountable talent that is hard to come by these days in the Groove Metal department, the vocals on 'Vol 002 - Mercy Flight' are so powerful that they blew out all of the terminal windows at East Midlands airport, dubbing it 'musical terrorism' and leaving it as perhaps one of the best EP's the Midlands metal scene has seen in the year 2013. The melodies gently glide over the Teutonic rhythms and trippy riffs to finalize an EP that is simply inspirational.

For Fans of: Pantera, Black Sabbath, Metallica

'Vol 002 - Mercy Flight' is out 25th November via A.R.C. Records

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

DYING DECAY
'Demo 2013'

Where does one begin, where does one begin to criticize this release apart from saying that it falls short of anything credible. Germany's Dying Decay have got to improve after this abysmal demo release, the only thing that stands out is the riffs, and even they aren't 100% convincing. Now imagine having a dodgy curry and being on the loo for hours on end, same principle with this release, it is 95% awful. Never mind what style of metal they are aiming for, until they improve the vocals by giving them more prominence and the drums pick up their presence and stop letting the guitars take the lime-light, Dying Decay will be exactly what their band name suggests. 'Demo 2013' is well a shocking release, for all the wrong reasons.

[4.5] RHYS STEVENSON

KHADAVER
'New World Disorder'

What you could easily call 'Dystopian Cyber Metal' is in fact Khadaver's splendid mixture of electronic elements with industrial black metal in such a way that they have developed their own unique sound. 'New World Disorder' is the Slovakian trio's debut album and as long as you're into cold and bitter music you'll be just fine because this music is designed to place chills down your spine. Forged in the darkened areas of Soviet relics in Presov, Khadaver ignite a revolutionary sound that should act as a warning to the people of the EU that inevitable totalitarianism is not just a theory but slowly becoming a reality. Now if you're into films like V For Vendetta, 1984, Iron Sky and the forthcoming film The Fourth Reich, basically any work of art that relates to dystopia, totalitarianism and the whole paraphernalia of total control, then 'New World Disorder' by Khadaver is for you.

Download This: "21st Century Antichrist"

For Fans of: The Kovenant, Combichrist, Rammstein, Laibach

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SAPIENCY
'Tomorrow'
SAOL

After their successful debut album, Germany's Sapiency could not wait to deliver their second smiting album 'Tomorrow', delivering once again their emphatic modern melodic death / thrash metal sound. This album is a whole lot heavier and certainly packs a powerful punch through the cleverly executed switching between clean vocals and death growls, whilst the guitars do their wizardry much better than that of Harry Potter, the drums deliver a rally of thunderous beats and double bass deliverance whilst the atmosphere is of pure sensationalism, this is evidently the new face of modern melodic death metal and as the album suggests, 'Tomorrow' brings a whole lot of new things to the meaning o life, as for the band, well... Bloodstock anyone?

Download This: "Weight Of The World"

For Fans of: Scar Symmetry, In Flames, 'soul-crushing metal'

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

WINTERCOLD
'Invoke The Ancient Forces'

Perhaps the jolliest release by Swedish Gothic Doom project Wintercold, here again Satanic Tony delivers another bountiful of dark and depressive music but ironically in a more happier way, the 2013 promo / demo 'Invoke The Ancient Forces' is a fruitful hour long and displays a brilliant array of different sounds that will garner a lot of attention. This is a change of sound by the mastermind and it has been executed very well, rather than having just a raw and fuzzy atmosphere, the atmosphere this release delivers is one that could be likened to bands such as Black Sabbath or the modern band Ghost, especially the vocals in comparison are highly similar. It is left to be said that Wintercold rarely ever disappoint, a truly remarkable inspiration to anyone thinking of entering music.

Download This: "Death Comes Ripping"

For Fans of: Ghost, Black Sabbath, Candlemass

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

CORNERS OF SANCTUARY
'Breakout'
MARCH BABY MEDIA

Ah the sound of classic hard rock and heavy metal, hard to escape and hard to not love, even if the band has been going two years and released two albums. Just pure magic, this time that magic falls onto the laps of American trio Corners of Sanctuary and their premier album 'Breakout', with an armada of ballsy classic rock and metal coursing throughout this excellent debut album, a lot of rock and metal fans will enjoy this release by sipping some whisky at the same time. On the other hand there will be some people who will act and speak out against another band trying to modernize Iron Maiden, give over! Iron Maiden is Iron Maiden and Corners of Sanctuary is Corners of Sanctuary, a rising classic metal band that will surely go down well in the UK as they 'Breakout' of the underground.

Download This: "Juggernaut"

For Fans of: Saxon, Queen, Savage

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

VESPERIAN SORROW
'Stormwinds Of Ages'
THE PATH LESS TRAVELLED

American Black Metal tends to be highly over-rated but from time to time you come across an absolute gem and think to yourself, why aren't they huge over in Europe? Such a band is Vesperian Sorrow whose fourth album 'Stormwinds Of Ages' delivers another smacking of sensational and atmospherically charged Symphonic Extreme Black Metal. Armed with blistering paced drums, spine-chilling keyboard symphonies and everything else you would expect from an extreme metal album. The stand out track by far is "Casting Dawn Into Shadow" because of the heavenly angelic vocals delivered by guest musician Erika Tandy (Autumn Tears, Ignitor & Morgengrau), perfectly honestly I think she should become a permanent musician because she adds that missing piece to make the band's sound that extra special and unique. This is no Averse Sefira, this is Vesperian Sorrow and they are going to shred your senses to pieces.

Download This: "Casting Dawn Into Shadow"

For Fans of: Shade Empire, Grand Alchemist, Saturnian

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

WINTERBURST
'The Mind Cave'

France has always had a love affair with Black Metal, right down to the Les Légions Noires and of course the dark side of the French onions... but turning heads in the underground is Symphonic Black / Death Metal masochists Winterburst, their 2012 album says it all. 'The Mind Cave' lavishes supreme keyboard symphonies with the shrieking and bombastic brutality of pure Black Metal, just imagine the Phantom of the Opera with Varg Vikernes as the Phantom.. you get the idea of what this band is like. With only four years existence and this album to go by, Winterburst could yet become France's most successful Symphonic Black Metal band ever to date. Outrageously rapid drumming coincides with a cascading feeling of devilish riffs and erotic chanting, this is the new sound of the French Black Metal scene.

Download This: "The Mind Cave"

For Fans of: Dimmu Borgir, 'general Symphonic Black Metal'

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

NORPHOBIA
'Seelenglanz'

Well I'm not being funny but if the average listener cannot hear this well enough to detect actual vocals here, how on earth will people with hearing aids be able to hear this? Seriously they need to find a new studio, anyway 'Seelenglanz' is Norphobia's premier album and was released last year. Now the only best bit about the album is that it exists, well ok maybe the guitars deserve credit but the rest of the music, well 1. where is it and 2. what is this? Germany may be good at spewing out metal bands and albums but christ did she have diarrhea delivering this one. Supposedly it's Melodic Black / Death Metal, supposedly the studio needs to be either shut down or redone, because this is just appalling.

[4] RHYS STEVENSON

DISSONA
'Dissona'

Chicago may be the setting for the Broadway of theater productions in the USA, but like with every theater production their is a protagonist, this time the curtain falls onto Dissona, a Progressive Metal ensemble of whom delivered their sophomore album last year, their self-titled musical product delivers the very best of Progressive Metal, ascending vocals take the harmonics of the keyboards along with it whilst the dramatics involving the drums and guitars set out the persona of this release and naturally the band. Whilst it is disconnected from the glut of djent bands who want to become the new Meshuggah, 'Dissona' pinches a whole rally of influences from a wide array of genres, such as Melodic Metal, Avant-Garde Metal and Power Metal, it is down to the listener to pinpoint on each song where these influences are at their most prominent.

Download This: "Immersion"

For Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Meshuggah, Enochian Theory

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

EMBRACE OF SILENCE
'Leaving the Place Forgotten by God'
SOLITUDE

The Ukrainian Metal scene seems to be having a glut of Doom and Death Metal bands, almost as if they have a fetish for it, so it's no surprise that when sextet Embrace Of Silence dropped their debut album last year that the feeling of mass depression sets in. 'Leaving the Place Forgotten by God' is almost a moniker that secretly means "we are ghosts", hence dragging out that impending doom feeling, as if your funeral was meant to be a weeping willow affair. As for the music itself, well the Death Metals take the reins very well and pushes the Doom Metal atmosphere into the right direction, sure this album is relatively short for a Doom / Death Metal album, but for those who have patience the feelings felt through the music is breathtakingly impressive. Experience the harshness of Ukrainian doom and bitterness.

Download This: "In Angel's Hand"

For Fans of: Anathema, Katatonia, My Dying Bride

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

FORTRESS OF THANATOS / WINTERCOLD
'When The Moon Is There...'
SALUTE

Once again here is another split release by the Swedish underground Gothic Doom Metal one-man project Wintercold and this time Satanic Tony duels with the long-going Black / Doom Metal ensemble Fortress of Thanatos from The Philippines. What more can you want than two grueling and abysmal bunch of musicians indulging in their musical passions, well how about a split release that broods in gloomy depression and powerful atmospherics, because that is exactly what Fortress of Thanatos kick off with and as the keyboard elements drag in an ecclesiastical feel, as if a funeral was taking place, the pitch is set for a blooming blackened storm of which there is no relenting mercy. Following the darkened epitome they initiated, the Filipino warlords curse and spit at every moment, that with their unruly and unconventional music plays right into the changeover hands for Wintercold. Wintercold in turn delivering another smacking of frosty darkness and carries on the gloomy doom emotions that Fortress of Thanatos laid out at the start. Certified not for those who cannot take the dark side of life lightly and absolutely for those who love their music to be as dark as death itself, Wintercold finishes up the split very nicely indeed and with it another shadow strike of true cult Doom Metal comes to a close... until next time.

Download These: "Nahash" (Fortress Of Thanatos) & "Pitch Black" (Wintercold)

For Fans of: Watain, Ghost, Candlemass

[8] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON

SODOMOPHILIA
'Demo 2013'
SALUTE

It's always nice to see a metal band arise from a hostile area such as Iraq in the Middle East, politics aside Iraq has over the last few years developed and nurtured a growing underground scene, the latest are bruisers Sodomophila of whose early style Death Metal plagues the atmosphere with guttural gluttony and abhorrent murderous incantations. This is of course their premier demo released this year via Salute Records and what comes with it is a face-smacking bombardment of blood-soaked Death Metal, verging on Deathgrind at intermittent points. Sure you would need to turn the speakers up to hear it, but given due this is a credible release and baths in the bloody history of the past decade or so in Iraq. Sodomophilia's 'Demo 2013' is a fine start and will surely give the band enough credibility to bring Iraq to the forefront of the emerging metal scenes. I would very much like to see them at Dubai Desert Rock Festival, if they plough this demo intro the ground then that dream will come true.

Download This: "Incest"

For Fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Gorgasm.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

EATING SHIT
'Supersonic Black Metal' + 'Bon Appétit' + 'Paradox'

For a band that has been going thirteen years, Eating Shit certainly have had their fair share of delivering a musical battering that would leave you on the toilet for ages with the runniest of shits. Enough graphic detail, their latest release 'Supersonic Black Metal' is apocalyptic to say the least, sure it's a modest 40 minutes long, but the songs are practically insanely fast music with pig squeels, exactly how it should be. However listening closely and you can get a whiff of industrial music in the background or indeed what The Berzerker once was called 'gabba' and 'cybergrind', so you could easily say that the French trio have kept that tantalizingly brutal sound alive. Whilst the title may suggest otherwise, there is very little Black Metal in this release, but it is there none the less.

Turning back the clock to 2011 and the band's second album 'Bon Appétit' immediately kicks off with a bit of tongue-in-cheek, with a waitress welcoming customers to their tables in a restaurant whereby the food being served has been genetically modified using meats and vegetables and will kill the eater via pleasure, the closing part of the intro audibly features the famous French phrase ''Bon Appétit' before the full atomic explosion of extreme grindcore takes a foothold as the album kicks into fifth gear and delivers a full smacking of funky noise, even venturing cheekily into the French language on 'Bioman' at the beginning; clearly an extract from a popular song before the grindcore crushes it to death, such violent pleasantries are utmost welcome. Not as extreme as their third album, 'Bon Appétit' none the less features some face-grilling music.

Turn the clock back even further to 2010 and the debut album 'Paradox' sees light and whilst it clearly is the least heaviest of the three albums it still warrants a listen, it still is as brutal and heavy as any other Grindcore release but compared to the other two albums it lacks that final panache. Even though it carries on that really funny tongue-in-cheek element that the band's second album also features, 'Paradox' is primarily a Grindcore release and features barely any industrial elements in the background except for some clever tricks done on the evident drum machine on "Wall E"; just for a few seconds or so though across the song. Overall the album is very impressive, just don't call it groundbreaking.

Download These: "Your Ballot In My Box"

For fans of: The Berzerker, Anaal Nathrakh, Aborym

[8.5] + [8.5] + [7]

BACKDAWN
'Backdawn'

There's a reason why some underground bands stay underground, purely because they are not good enough to get well known, much is the case for French metal troupe Backdown whose debut self-titled EP makes Justin Bieber sound godly. Ok maybe that's a bit overboard, but the EP is not even worth entertaining, the vocals are relatively fine but the guitars and drums need fine tuning and more effort put in. Basic Groove / Death / Thrash Metal and nothing more, simply put there is nothing to suggest this band have done something no other band has done, ironically it is a decent release and shows the band has put some effort into it. Spin it how you will because 'Backdawn' has more confusion in it than someone who is high on meth.

Download This: "Backdawn"

For Fans of: god only knows.

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

LAGERSTEIN
'Drink 'Til We Die'

Since Alestorm started the Pirate Metal craze, it seems nearly most folk metal bands want to join on board HMS Metal, however Lagerstein is a different ale of beer, in fact they go for straight and basic gaudy Pirate-themed Folk Metal. Pretty sure they have got a better connection with pirates given that convicts in the UK used to be shipped to Australia. However last year Lagerstein made their breakthrough with their emphatic debut album 'Drink 'Til We Die' which features a rather nifty booklet that opens out into a pirate map, now that is highly original as is their music. Using a keyboard to create the melodies of traditional pirate music and the same sort of Folk music experience in the Celtic guild, that traditional old folk / doom metal feel surging through the core of this album seals the sound very nicely. It is early days, but Lagerstein could be the metal fans new favorite Australian Metal band.

Download This: "Pirate Music Piracy"

For Fans of: Alestorm, Finntroll, Dropkick Murphys

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

SPEIRLING
'The Piper'
UNHOLY DESIGN

Who would have thought that Buckinghamshire would play host to a two-man Black Metal project, well that is exactly the case with Speirling. The sole and latest release 'The Piper' drives out the old school style of Black Metal, nothing too fancy nor too fast resides on this 2008 release. However the vocals do make up for that substitute as they deliver a level of sound that would equate to the said missing music elements, for you to to really get anything out of this album, you need to listen to it numerous time sadly. On a more positive note it does offer something new, and so for those who prefer their Black Metal to be pleasant and more percussive than raw or atmospheric, 'The Piper' by Speirling is for you, a true taste of the English underground Black Metal scene.

Download This: "The World Breaks"

For Fans of: Underground black metal

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

ETHERNAL
'Grim Ethernity' + 'The Black Sun' + 'Arkioas'
UNHOLY DESIGN

Buckinghamshire's Black Metal trio Ethernal delivered hell with their debut album 'Grim Ethernity' released back five years ago in 2013. Much like Mark's one man project (where he is known as Nechtan and partners Blaidd) Speirling, Ethernal also drives out the old school style of Black Metal and again nothing fancy happens on this album, just simple and true English underground Black Metal, with a thick and atmospheric feel to the sound and more organic feel to the lyrics in heritage context whereby English mythology comes into practice. Again like the drummer's side project, Ethernal's 'Grim Ethernity' also does offer something new, therefore those metalheads who prefer their Black Metal to be along the lines of Winterfylleth and Old Corpse Road, 'Grim Ethernity' by Ethernal is for you, another true taste of the English underground Black Metal scene.

Focusing now on the premier EP 'The Black Sun' which was released back in 2011, the first thing that strikes out is the title and the artwork and some metalheads would now dub them NSBM owing to the Nazi links to The Black Sun, this simply is nonsense it is more of a pagan, wotanist, esotetic and occult symbol, as for the music well that in itself is an occult, much improvement can be heard on here in relation to the debut album 'Grim Ethernity', the drums have a more pronounced presence and so give that really dark feel to the ambient atmosphere and the feeling this EP sparks off is one of druidism ironically given that said movement is of the Celtic mythology and occult, even so the lead song "Order Of The Black Sun" belts out a colossal sound that can only be improved if it were blasted out at Bloodstock per se. For all the controversy surrounding the EP the music deals with it via a mesmerizing and powerful enchantment.

Furthermore when checking out their latest album 'Arkioas' which was released last year, the two tracks from their premier EP make a stark appearance on the album as the first two tracks, they are also of the same quality as on the EP which is rather odd. Duplication aside the album carries on that mind-breaking power of chaotic occult Black Metal and leaves the listener with a great deal of satisfaction. Shrieking vocals curse the airwaves with venomous spit and whilst that happens the drums and guitars battle each other for monstrous supremacy, hark 'Arkioas' is an album to be afraid of as it is not for the commercial Black metal fan, this is an album that shines kvlt and utmost truth as a force to be reckoned with, this is only the beginning...

Download These: "Echoes" + "Order Of The Black Sun" + "In Silent Halls Beyond..."

For Fans of: Winterfylleth, The Meads of Asphodel, Old Corpse Road

[8] + [8.5] + [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

INTERNAL CORROSION
'Spiritual Poverty'
WOLFSOUND

With a career spanning 20 years you would expect that Internal Corrosion has a fruity backlog of releases that follows a similar patten to those bands who have been around for two decades... but no. 'Spiritual Poverty' is only the band's second album and so you would question what the hell has been going on? Ah what the hell, California's Thrash maniacs wield an album that does everything a Thrash Metal album is meant to do, fast paced music laced with neck-breaking riffs, unrelenting drumming and radioactive vocals, needless to say that 'Spiritual Poverty' is definitely worth that extra dollar to buy but don't expect it to be another "Reign In Blood" or "Ride The Lightning", just expect good ole classic American Thrash Metal, old school style. Heck they might as well resort to becoming a pub band or a titanic band in a local setting, after all isn't that 'Spiritual Poverty'?

Download This: "Draw The Line"

For Fans of: Metallica, Dio, Megadeth

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SAPROPHYTE
'The Aberrant Paradox'

It has always seen to be the case that Canadian Metal tends to be very ballsy, with a lot of cheek entering the affray and I don't refer to South Park on this occasion, nor the consistent linkage with syrup and a horny moose. I refer to the second album by Progressive Death Metallers Saprophyte who have dropped a bombshell on this occasion, with djent making somewhat an abrupt appearance on some of the songs and yet the maniacal punching in the face sound continues to wallop the hearing senses as if ear fetish was the latest trend. 'The Aberrant Paradox' is a musical feast that even the most gluttonous person could not devour or apprehend to, with the sheer magnitude of the death growls that rot the songs dry, the chemistry between the razor-sharp riffs and the solidarity of the drums, it is safe to say you would need life insurance to get through this one.

Download This: "Nightmares"

For Fans of: Gojira, Opeth, Periphery

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

GLACIAL FEAR
'Equilibrium Part II'

This is the kind of music you want to shove into everyone's face, especially the hypocrites of today who ruin every country through mass control, that includes the corrupt governments of the world. Can we say that sort of thing? Glacial Fear can. The Italian's latest EP 'Equilibrium Part II' spits venom into your face so hard you wish you wasn't born, formulating a sound that comprises of Death Metal, Metalcore and Technical metal, this is the sound of mass brutalization. With a crunchy bass line, an emphatic array of fluid riffs and mentally-destroying vocals, 'Equilibrium Part II' is the musical sound of mass murder and as the fury unfolds you better take out life insurance, because boy are you f**king going to need it. Now, unleash the pain of a thousand spikes stabbing your senses dead, because that is what Glacial Fear's is like 'Equilibrium Part II', a crude slaughtering.

Download This: "Ghost City"

For Fans of: Quo Vadis, Architects, Born Of Osiris

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

ETEDDIAN
'Illusions'
ALMAVI PRODUCCIONES

Spain has a rather close love affair with Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal and female-fronted bands, just like Italy. So what happens when bands like Eteddian enter the affray? Well what you have is a tidal wave of angelic and powerful vocals that glide smoothly over the guitars, drums and keyboards that all intertwine to deliver a sound that is as blissful as the crashing waves on Andalusian beaches. Their debut EP 'Illusions' features a whole array of sensational songs that are firmly rooted in the Symphonic Power Metal style, but what is highly amazing about this release is the virtuoso dynamics displayed on each song in that the musicians have this phenomenal musical chemistry with each other, make no mistake Eteddian are the real deal (they must be to have the guts to cover Madonna's song 'Frozen' which features Imanol Herrera from Vehemencia).

Download This "Pyramids Of Chaos"

For Fans of: Nightwish, Epica, ShadowIcon

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

MORBID VOMIT
'I Breathe Hell'

A splattering of old school Death Metal never really hurt anyone, even when Finnish three-piece Morbid Vomit expel blood and pus from their corroded lungs, that grizzly cocktail becomes musically translated into their latest release and premier EP 'I Breathe Hell'. Think along the lines of heavily guttural vocals and add some crunchy riffs to that as well as furious drumming and you get the gist of what this band is like. 'I Breathe Hell' is a good start for the band but it it not entirely perfect, at times the vocals are so monotonous, there is literally no vibrancy. Furthermore at times the drumming becomes so basic that it's bog standard snare, snare, snare, so on and so forth, as said it's not perfect but should appeal to a number of Old School Death Metal fans.

Download This: "Engulfed By The Plague"

For Fans of: Carnage, Bloodbath, Grave

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

INFESTIS
'Requiem For The Age Of God'

Quite possibly Dutch debut album of the year, welcoming to the Black Metal underground is Dutch maestros Infestis with their blood-splattered debut album 'Requiem For The Age Of God', instantly upon listening to the anti-religious sermons featured on this album, you get the feeling that they could go far with this sound. Furiously fast and complex drumming drives the even faster riffs to the edge of agile insanity whilst the cursing vocals spewed out by vocalist Dictator deal the most damage. Please note this is not a Nazi BM band, nor do they associate with them, this is simply anti-religious, perhaps Satanic Black Metal. Whatever you want to call it, the reality is the album 'Requiem For The Age Of God' deals the band justice and has the brutal power to propel them onto major festivals in the years ahead. Dutch Black Metal will never be the same again.

Download This: "It Will End"

For Fans of: Carpathian Forest, Watain, Bathory

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

NORRSKOLD
'Blessings Of Winter'

Norrsköld is the product of brainchild Henrik Bodin-Sköld (Norrsköld) and focuses solely on Swedish folklore whilst indulging in the beauty of Melodic Black / Folk Metal, 2013 marks the Swede's debut EP and what a sensation it is. With the melodies evidently residing within the complex romance between the snappy riffs and blistering drumming, all that's left is the vocals which encase the sound in a blanket of emphatic shrieking. So take the folk elements of Swedish and the Scandinavian traditions, smother it with the wintry bitterness that Wintersun deliver and bolt on some sensational Black Metal and you have a release that anyone would not snuff at. Now where did I leave that akvavit...

Download This: "Where Death Smites"

For Fans of: Winterfylleth, Cnoc En Tursa, Helheim

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

FROZEN HELL
'Rise!'

Fresh on the block is the Italian five-piece Frozen Hell and their premier EP 'Rise!', what we have here is an interesting style of Melodic Death Metal, because whilst the vocals deliver the all important Death Metal part, their is no melody, instead the melody comes from the complex interactions between the guitars and drums, sadly at times it does not cut it and some songs are left unimpressive. On the other hand, songs like 'Rise!' which is also the name of the EP actually nails the sound well on the head and is the sound Frozen Hell should carry on with. It's a case of whether you love them or you hate them, they are a decent enough band with an above average release, it just does not cut it entirely enough for them to break out of Italy, as said if they keep up the sound on the song 'Rise!' and also "Interrupted", they could go places.

Download This: "Rise!"

For Fans of: Amon Amarth, Scar Symmetry, Threat Signal

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

MEGAHERA
'Condemned To Insanity'
HELLION

A really interesting bunch Megahera are because when you take their second album and especially their song "Condemned To Insanity" and play it from 0:54 to around 1:06, you get the feeling that this is the same intro as 'Angel of Death' by Slayer, raise an eyebrow there. What's more interesting is that they claim they play Heavy Metal, when evidently it's faster than that, try Heavy Thrash Metal. Anyway the album itself is a long one, standing at 72 minutes you better have some time on your hands to listen to the sheer length of each song, each song providing a different style of metal and composition, but overall it is both good and sad to say that whilst this may be just another one of those generic Heavy Metal albums, it is a decent one. See what you think, as this album could push them forward.

Download This: "Azure Mirror"

For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Slayer, Early Sepultura

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

BLISS OF FLESH
'Beati Pauperes Spiritu'
NON SERVIAM

Poised to leave Europe smouldering in a cloud of ash and hellish Blackened Death Metal, the French legion known as Bliss Of Flesh carves out a sound that will certainly make the black plague look like the love bug. Excreting out their second album 'Beati Pauperes Spiritu', which can easily be dubbed as the epitome of pure insane mayhem, the result is a furious rallying of blisteringly paced double bass drumming, gut-rotten vocals and mind-snapping riffs that when altogether combines to make a musical force so powerful, Behemoth will s**t their pants like no tomorrow. 'Beati Pauperes Spiritu' is by far one of the darkest and most extreme metal albums to emerge out of the French abyss and is sure to garner the quintet well earned attention.

Download This: "On The Paths To Expiation"

For Fans of: Behemoth, Smouldering In Forgotten, Arallu

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

HAMMER PERSUASION
'Necropsy Of The Human Mind'

Last year Australian four-piece Hammer Persuasion made their awaited debut album come to life, 'Necropsy of the Human Mind' demonstrates a cataclysmic mixture of melodic death metal with insane Thrash Metal and whilst this is going on, they manage to squeeze some Progressive and Power elements into the music, most notably found in the riffs demonstrated on the song 'Necropsy Of The Human Mind', sure the vocals need a bit of work on because at times the lyrics are hardly understandable, anyway who cares.. mosh away. 'Necropsy Of The Human Mind' is a decently crafted release, but in order for them to actually break outside of the Australian mainland they will need to re-tune themselves a bit to make it sound more credible.

Download This: "Necropsy Of The Human Mind"

For Fans of: In Flames, Mastodon, Iron Maiden

[6.5] RHYS STEVENSON

INZENITH
'In The Abyss Of Mind'

Chile seems to produce a lot of Death Metal and Thrash Metal bands so it comes to be a bit of a break when Inzenith make themselves known via their premier album released last year. 'In The Abyss Of Mind' takes you on a magical journey through various sounds and elements, all of which calculate to make Symphonic Avant-Garde Metal. Sure if you had the time to listen to a 15 minute epic track you would and to be quite frank it is well worth it, even though 'In The Abyss Of Mind' is not for those who hate slow atmospheric music and or are not a fan of Symphonic Metal. The truth is 'In The Abyss Of Mind' and Inzenith are simply Chilean gems, they could be something more but nothing less, it's just a matter of time before they unveil their next release.

Download This: "Undergrave"

For Fans of: Cadaveria, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Winds

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

ENMACHINED
'Thrash Assault'
SALUTE

Now anyone would have thought that Bangladesh was only known for it's cyclonic climate and the country people have their clothes made in, but nothing is more metal than Enmachined. Leading the Bangladeshi Metal scene to the global stage with their debut demo 'Thrash Assault', Enmachined whip together a sound that defies the general ruling of playing as fast as you can, instead the five member platoon arm themselves with severe riffs, unbelievably mindblowing solo's, beat perfect drumming and Iron Maiden-cum-Metallica vocals. 'Thrash Assault' may not have the best recorded sound but after all who said metal had to be as loud as dubstep club nights? No one, however Enmachine are right in that it is bone-crushing Thrash Metal. It is early times for the kids from Dhaka, but this could be the dawning of a new age for them as they deliver a promising debut, the fact is inescapable in that Enmachined are proudly flying the flag for the Bangladeshi Metal scene.

Download This: "Loggerhead"

For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Metallica, Gama Bomb

[8] RHYS STEVENSON