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
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OUR LAST ENEMY 'Fallen Empires' + 'Wolves Of Perigord' RIOT! ENTERTAINMENT Modern Cyber Metal right at the tips of your tongues comes from Australia's hottest new property, kicking off with their debut album which dropped 3 years ago, 'Fallen Empires' employs a solid torrential outburst of technical gothic metalcore at it's highest peak, but the funny thing about the music is that it covers a myriad of sounds and so the genre-tagging becomes almost impossible. 'Fallen Empires' delivers seventeen tracks (some clips) of some of the greatest fusion metal you can ever come across, produced by Christian Wolbers (Mnemic, Fear Factory, etc) it was always likely that Our Last Enemy would spew out an album that would sound on the same part as the Danish modern metallers and American Industrial legends. Moving onto 2012 and the sophomore release comes in the form of the band's first ever EP 'Wolves Of Perigord', this time the band deliver a far heavier explosive mix of metal music and pure angst, the clever thing that works here simply is the layering of Metalcore on top of a synthetic bed and yet employs a gothic look and a Industrial Death Metal feel, so they are not Motionless In White mixed with Strapping Young Lad, they are in fact the brutal truth that they are the kings of modern cyber metal. 'Wolves Of Perigord' spits metallic venom right at the fire that burns as a beacon of their demise, for Our Last Enemy are destined to smash the sound barrier in 2013. Download These: "Pariah BC" + "Wolves Of Perigord" For Fans of: Strapping Young Lad, Motionless In White, Mnemic [8] + [9] RHYS STEVENSON ACOLYTE 'Alta' MORDGRIMM Following a similar path to fellow Manchester Black metal band Winterfylleth, newcomers Acolyte are proving themselves to be hot property in 2013, vastly picking up notice from many across the metal music spectrum the bands debut album 'Alta' explodes in an interesting style, plucking elegant grooves that would make your grandmother dance more than gangnam style and lashing it with shrieking Black metal that would make any fight between Manchester United and Liverpool fans seem like children happy slapping, enough silly talk. Acolyte do more than play pretty music, they make the UK metal scene pretty and with 'Alta' on the horizon, days will get darker than your average black coffee. Conjuring up relating sounds to that of Enslaved and Opeth, this could be Manchester's darkest hour. For fans of: Enslaved, Opeth, Deathspell Omega 'Alta' is out 7th May 2013 via Mordgrimm Records [8] RHYS STEVENSON KAINE / OSMIUM GUILLOTINE 'Killotine' This does not always happen, but when this sort of thing does, boy can it explode more than fireworks on bonfire night. What we have here is a magnificent split or orchestration by two of Essex's finest NWOBHM bands, Kaine and Osmium Guillotine, who when they digivolve together become Killotine. Displaying their classic Heavy Metal persona, both bands dive into four cover songs, one song by both bands respectively and a cover of 'Prowler' (Iron Maiden) and N.I.B. (Black Sabbath), now whilst this is a relatively short release, it has an element of class on it that perhaps Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath couldn't muster, instead if they whiffed the release then they would applaud it, not to mention that both bands are similar in style, sound and setup, but more so attitude and so what the Killotine split does is it exemplifies why British Heavy Metal was and always will be a cultural heritage icon. Arm the masses, raise the axes, man the fortress, this is a bloody war of riffs, drum beats and insane vocals. [9] RHYS STEVENSON DRAWZZNIKK 'Wings' HEART OF STEEL Austria is not usually known for it's production of classic Heavy Metal bands, so it comes as a little bit of a surprise when 2013 delivers the debut EP 'Wings' by Drawzznikk and what immediately draws attention to this release is that there are two female vocalists commanding the frontline on this release. Seeing one female vocalist is different, but two? Just makes the EP that one bit more extra special. 'Wings' summons up the best the band can deliver, sure the vocals do not match the virtuoso states of Kobra & The Lotus or Sister Sin, but the vocals still pack a sensational range, the only let down to the EP is the weak recording of the drums, although bizarrely it adds a sort of classic rock style to it, so perhaps Drawzznikk may need to work on saddling themselves between AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath because this is Hard Rock / Heavy Metal, highway to hell! [8] RHYS STEVENSON CRYPTIK HOWLING 'Synthetic Ascension Design' Amassing a myriad of complex sounds and bolting them together can be at times a struggle for musicians, but bands like Cryptik Howling make it seem so simple. Developing an audio blast that consists of symphonic elements and melodic black metal, that covered by a Behemoth-esque visage gives this band an element of excitement not explored by past extreme metal bands. Their upcoming album 'Synthetic Ascension Design' demolishes anything living in it's path by spewing out pure Québécois darkness, taking evidential influences from bands like Cradle of Filth, Twilight Ophera and Satyricon, this is the new sound of Symphonic Extreme Metal. Double bass drumming blitzing at insane speed is just the beginning, the vocals shred you apart like a wolf desecrating the dying prey and the guitars slash open your heart to kill of any happiness you withhold, so before checking this band out, make your you have life insurance, your going to need it! 'Synthetic Ascension Design' is out 10th April 2013 [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON AETERNUM 'Through death we ascend' 2012 saw the sewers of London arise from the chaotic production that comes from the EP that Aeternum released, from start to finish the release will captivate and entertain fans of Blackened Death Metal alike, the raw sounds that kill the bleak atmosphere at the end of the release originates from the slithering through of the various compositions found on the release which are designed to eradicate any senses the listener may have left after the first song is finished, the band itself delinquently offers unique influences ranging from black metal to death metal, as the EP itself speaks wonders through and through from the first note to the last sound, but at times can sound a little bad, especially on the production level where a storm of unintelligible sound rots the very essence of music, but overall regardless of the negativeness, of which there is very minimal to remark on, leaves the positives gleaming brightly, leaving the listener swallowed up in a darkened atmosphere and the band themselves on a path of music maturity, what will come in 2013 is anyone's guess, but the music that prevails within these musicians beckons it. [6] RHYS STEVENSON HUMAN WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT 'New Beginning' The Nordic countries are one of the greatest collective power houses of metal music, no doubt, but from time to time the machine that is Finland will spew out a band that delivers a musical selection that is as sweet as their beloved confectionery. Human Waste Disposal Unit are the metallic diseases designed to deliver brutal moshing intent, how fortunate it is that their sophomore album 'New Beginning' spews out elements of Devin Townsend, Alice In Chains and Iron Maiden rolled into one sonic blast of epic Finnish metal. From the technical creativity of the Canadian mastermind Devin Townsend, the powerful vocals of Alice In Chains and the composure of Iron Maiden, comes this eight-legged metal machine, signalling a 'New Beginning' for the Finnish metal scene. Download This: "Sad Clown" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DUOBETIC HOMUNKULUS 'Ani Já Ani Ty Robit Něbudzeme, šedněme Do Koča, Vozit še Budzeme' ZERO BUDGET PRODS. Eight years have passed since the formation of the Czech eccentric duo Duobetic Homunkulus and come 2013 the debut album 'Ani Já Ani Ty Robit Něbudzeme, šedněme Do Koča, Vozit še Budzeme' (something in English) finally drops, with it comes an atomic explosion, as if Prague finally woke up one morning to the heavenly smell of marijuana, simply said the release is as crazy and eccentric as Devin Townsend's facial expressions - extraordinarily different. Duobetic Homunkulus deploy a progressive-tinged Technical Death sound that together armed with their native language is strangely effective in brutal context, the vocals deliver a boom after boom approach and the music finishes of the release nicely with lashings of intricate riffing and sensational drumming, but the core of the album is the happy dappy Tech Death feeling that is delivered from the keyboard melodies and everything that is not expected from a Tech Death Metal band, instead the band are simply pushing boundaries. Download This: "Když Muž se Strojem Snídá" [8] RHYS STEVENSON THE RESISTANCE 'Scars' EARMUSIC One of the most highly anticipated Death Metal albums to surface from the plethora of Swedish bands is 'Scars' by The Resistance, an instantaneous demolition of punishing and crushing riffs smother the atmosphere in so much detail that it takes the ballistic drumming and vicious vocal compositions to totally suffocate anyone who dare opposes this beast of mass proportions. Fueled by the coalescing forces that come from the four members of whom served for notable bands like The Haunted, Grave and In Flames (can anyone handle a force that epic?), The Resistance are fighting against the tidal waves of Death Metal bands that are picked out from the megalithic USA, in fact this may be Sweden's finest hour of Death Metal ever since Unleashed took their first outing and the former is sure to see more of this emphatic armada. 'Scars' is out via earMusic on 10th May 2013 [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ASYLUM PYRE
'Fifty Years Later' MASSACRE Back in 2012 French Progressive Power Metal quintet made their welcomed return with their second offering, their sophomore full length 'Fifty Years Later'. Instantly striking the epic sound of the heavenly female vocals that seem to course throughout the metal music world, but what is amazing about the vocals applied here is that there is a sharp sense of dramatic emphasis on the singing style, that backed up by the thunderous operatic clash of the drums and guitars, interweaving together to create a sound that would be effective as the soundtrack to a modernized version of the phantom of the opera, but more importantly a sound that will carry the band forward to greater achievements in the many years ahead, that said its no longer a matter of fifty shades of grey, but more so 'Fifty Years Later'. Download This: "These Trees" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CRY HAVOC 'New Life' UNSIGNED If Cry Havoc got anymore brutal then health and safety might put a restraining order on Exeter's thrash 'n' roll merchants, the debut EP 'New Life' explodes into life at every second and mashes up the evident traces of Pantera and Guns 'N' Roses into one concrete sound, rocking out of the starting blocks like no tomorrow. The killer riffs that reside on this release are sharp enough to cut your throat, so careful listening is of utmost importance. But whilst the vocals and music do the slaying, the only three elements that are missing from this sensational EP are the crates of beer, the hot girls and of course the record label, here's hoping they come out of the corners to stand up to Exeter's finest new band and one of 2013's hottest properties. Download This: "Ignition" For fans of: Guns 'N' Roses, Pantera, Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine 'New Life' is out Monday 15th April 2013 [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON GBS (GRAND BEAST SODOMY) 'Fuck The Holy Trinity' SALUTE / WOLFSVUUR The debut EP only comes 11 or so years since the bands inception, going by the title 'Fuck The Holy Trinity' is not for the devout religious followers, instead what unravels here is a smothering of Finnish Satanic Black Metal, the cusp of demonic attributes soon explodes in the vibrant sounds of true black metal. As for The GBS (Grand Beast Sodomy), the wait for the debut EP was pretty much worth it, sure there were three demos prior to the release, but the overall production and reception of this release is one of gratitude and disappointment, the musical compositions are fine, the only problem is that they are more Death Metal than Black Metal vocals, somehow Satanic Death Metal just does not seem to fit. Download This: "Tekopyhä Kolminaisuu" [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON NYA 'Driving The Nails In' 2012 brought many things, the summer Olympics, the Queen's 60th anniversary, but amongst this was the dropping of Nya's debut EP 'Driving The Nails In', what comes now is an explosive concoction of Evanescence style rock and boisterous Meshuggah time riffs, armed with vocals that would tease any guy out of hibernation, 'Driving The Nails In' is the new sound of London alternative music. As soon as the music starts playing, the slicing riffs do the talking as the band battle their way through the grassed over underground and prepare to deliver an all out assault in 2013 as they are sure to turn heads in months to come. Download This: "Open Your Eyes" [8] RHYS STEVENSON VIATORA 'Mede, Kruid en Mensenvleesch' In recent times there seems to be a mass influx of Folk Metal in western continental Europe, especially from the Netherlands, the latest is Viatora who hail from Maastricht and utilise their own style of Folk Metal by mixing violins and keyboards with the Dutch language, so if you like a modern version of Heidevolk, just with less Pagan Metal influences and more connected to original Dutch folk music. 'Mede, Kruid en Mensenvleesch' contains six tracks of sensational traditional sounds and elements that onyl Viatora can compose together, so if your looking for a soundtrack to a folklore party or event, 'Mede, Kruid en Mensenvleesch' is your answer. Download This: "Three Sided Coin" [9] RHYS STEVENSON CRIMSON DEATH 'Dead's The Way I Like It' UNSIGNED Germany seems to have a knack for Death Metal, and the 2010 EP 'Dead's The Way I Like It' by Crimson Death is no exception, conjuring up the old style of the music genre and adding their own twist to it, what comes next is a barrage of mortar fire in the form of missile riffs, machine-gun fire style drums and commanding vocals, the right sort of mix to make the debut EP by the German quartet all the more better. 'Dead's The Way I Like It' is a good propulsion platform for the lads to jump off and use as a block to gain higher levels, they will need it to emerge out of the plethora of Death Metal band waltzing the earth everyday. Download This: "Show Me Your Guts" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CORONACH 'Mountain Kings' Instantaneous thoughts are of that this band is a Black / Folk Metal band, but Coronach are ever so deceiving, instead what is delivered on their self-released album 'Mountain Kings' is a juicy mix of Death Metal vocals and Progressive Metal music, giving a final production along the lines of Gojira and Agonyst, but for the Cambridge / Suffolk based quartet, 'Mountain Kings' provides enough headbanging material to make the breakdowns of a metalcore band sound reminiscent of a chorus from a Justin Bieber song. What these lads have done is created an album that spits fire, warrants recognition and is a gem in any metalheads collection, however the production level let it down, on the other hand it gives you reason to turn the volume up past 13. Download This: "Death Bed Memories" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON NAZGULUM 'Aroused' DETE NENAVISTER Maybe Russian Black Metal is on a period of going overtime, not especially when the quartet Nazgulum dropped their debut album after a nine year wait, but god the wait was worth it. 'Aroused' slams out the classic style of Raw Black Metal with added effect in as far as there is not a lot of double bass drumming and so what lacks on firepower from the behind is made up in terms of atmospheric feeling, that being sombre and enigmatically dark at the same time. But as far as their anti-christian blasphemous musical production is concerned, the band overall seem to have and have not any clue of what musical direction they want to take, maybe that's why its called 'Aroused', 'Aroused' by the myriad of non-connecting music directions. [6] RHYS STEVENSON DEVIOUS MINE 'Revelation' UNSIGNED Making their mark heard is Italian Melodic / Power Metal warriors Devious Mine as in 2012 they deliver their debut EP 'Revelation' in sensational form, exploding in the sound of powerful and face-smashing music whilst the vocals encase the surrounding atmosphere in a blanket of sheer epic force. More like the modern Sonata Arctica, Devious Mine are to become a force to be reckoned with as they slalom there way through the underground and with 'Revelation' now under their belts and primed for action, there is nothing to stop these Italian maestros from conquering Europe, 'Revelation' is a must have for any Power Metal fan, simply inspirational. Download This: "Love Keep Us Together" For fans of: Sonata Arctica, Alestorm, Amoral [9] RHYS STEVENSON MOSHPIT JUSTICE 'The Serpent' UNSIGNED The band name itself is a key hint to suggest this is going to be neck-breaking music, turns it the hunch was right, the Bulgarian trio make no mistake in vomiting out their debut EP in fashionable style, covered in the glimmering shine of Power Metal and the viral assault of Thrash Metal, that together produces 'The Serpent', a full on metal assault that would make Slytherin house look as dainty as the muffin man on drury lane. Blistering pace drumming propels the EP forward whilst the vocals and guitars deliver that all important cutting edge dimension that makes 'The Serpent' perhaps one of Bulgaria's most polished releases, all in all Moshpit Justice are going places in 2013. Download This: "Blood Of The Tyrant" For Fans of: Slayer, Klynt, Evile [8] RHYS STEVENSON RADIATION SICKNESS
'Neter-Khertet' They don't make cult releases like this anymore, and no wonder. If the word diabolical was to be slapped on a Black metal release, some would assume it is correlated to Satyricon for being now, diabolical. But Californian duo Radiation Sickness (possibly after nuclear fallout) and their debut EP 'Neter-Khertet' may be a little cause for concern, simply being that although it has the embodiment of a Black Metal release, the overall sound is a little problematic, besides the great level of rawness that resides here, the music and vocals are left to be desired, rather more leaning towards Death Metal, but even that would be an insult towards the music genre. The level of seriousness here is not in questionable doubt, but the composition is in serious doubt. [5] RHYS STEVENSON INCINERY 'Dawn Of War' So 2011 saw the first record outing by Nottinghamshire Thrash newbies Incinery, not a perfect start it would seem as their debut EP exhibits the standard Thrash Metal sound that most bands in this music style seem to employ, sure 'Dawn Of War' spits fire and acts as a sentimental starting block to this quintet's career, but there is much improvement to be considered, but as far as the first attempt goes it is a decent enough effort and will surely be advanced on when the band release new material. However 'Dawn Of War' will appeal to those who devote their lives to the 80's Thrash Metal sound and especially fans of Slayer and Kreator, as for Incinery the time has come to face the 'Dawn Of War' as they battle for British Thrash Metal survival. Download This: "Life of Hate" [7] RHYS STEVENSON DENIED 'Let Them Burn' SLIPTRICK What a better way to mark the tenth anniversary of your band by releasing the third album in your musical career and that is exactly what Swedish Thrashers Denied have done, sticking together Heavy Metal epic numbers with tunes of agile brutality together and leaving the album finishing on a note that warrants much more from this five-piece. 'Let Them Burn' shifts gears across the ten tracks that drive this album, perhaps it's coincidental that ten tracks are for the ten years this band has been around, but if the last song title is anything to go by then the band has issues, ironically the song 'In Hell' sums up the release to the very last note, simply put 'Let Them Burn' is a juicy and explosive burst of Heavy Metal vocals and slaying Thrash Metal music. Download This: "In Hell" 'Let Them Burn' is out now via Sliptrick Records [8] RHYS STEVENSON ZEITGEIST 'Zeitgeist' SELF-RELEASED Paraguay isn't usually a country that spews out Melodic Gothic Metal, it usually focuses on more aggressive styles of metal, so when in 2010 the premier self-titled demo by quartet Zeitgeist dropped, it unleashed a new wave of sound amongst the underground of this South American country. Ascending on every song and delivering a powerful atmospheric presence, there is much melancholy as there is lusciousness on this release, it filters out the weaker elements and accentuates the very essence missing from the metal scene, a vocalist with utmost harmonic vocals. Zeitgeist are sure to push boundaries in the future ahead but for now they remain as one of Paraguay's hidden gems, awaiting discovery by many alike. Download This: "The Blame" [8] RHYS STEVENSON TRICK OR TREAT "Rabbits Hill Part. 1" VALERY In the year of the band's 10th anniversary, the Italian Power Metal ensemble Trick or Treat deliver a right treat in the form of their third album "Rabbits Hill Part. 1", it showers the atmosphere with emphatic vocals, slaloming solos and rapturous riffs that decapitate all that stand in its way. The vocals themselves carry that adventurous feel and although not on same par as Sonata Arctica, they offer a unique style, quite like the music as it weaves in folk elements on 'The Tale Of Rowsby Woof', but what sets the band aside mostly is the lyrical themes, rather an elaborated metal form of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, the five-piece deliver a range of themes that any mad march hare would hop to. Download This: "Wrong Turn" [8] RHYS STEVENSON EXALT CYCLE 'Revelations' VALERY From what could be put down as a mixture of Dead By April, Avenged Sevenfold and Mudvayne, Italian slickers Exalt Cycle find no fault in the system to crack but instead crack open an album that quite simply is a revelation, 'Revelations' spews out the very musical core of modern metal as it laces together industrial elements with a heavy progressive / metalcore sound, or perhaps that could be ones senses playing tricks via the Exalt Cycle, but one thing for certain is these lads have got the sound to take themselves to newer heights and are sure to push for european domination this year. Download This: "A New Day" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON TYSTNADEN 'Anima' VALERY Italy was born for delivering any band that plays Gothic Metal and so when the third album by Italian sextet Tystnaden comes to life, it delivers an astounding blast of Gothic-laden Melodic Death Metal fronted by the awe-inspiring Laura De Luca. What these musicians have done is more than make an album, they have made a new sound come to life and dragging influences from bands like In Flames, Slipknot and Dark Tranquility, Tystnaden are vastly becoming one of Italy's hidden gems as 'Anima' explodes in sensational fashion with heavenly vocals, spine-chilling atmospheric backdrops courtesy of the keyboard and of course sharp slicing sounds coming combined from the elegant savageness of the guitars and drums, but as everything starts entwining, the only two things thats wrong with this album is that it is simply too good to be true and its not long enough, listeners will beg for more and are unlikely to find fault, simply divine. Download This: "Mindrama" [9] RHYS STEVENSON PROJECT46 'Doa A Quem Doer' SELF-RELEASED How many times does it take to fully conclude that 'Doa A Quem Doer' is a brain-smashing face belter? One. Back in 2011 the debut album by Brazilian bulldozing Metalcore maniacs Project46 slays through the mass-produced music genre and installs their own stance on the music genre, illuminating killer technical riffs and setting up complex breakdowns, if anything this is what could be dubbed as matrix-core, a sound that embellishes the Metalcore sound in the center with technical, melodic and hardcore influences padding out the nooks and crannies and yet the album of which is entirely in Portuguese, still weeps and bleeds toxic contagious elements that warrants a health warning to be slapped on it. Project46 are taking Metalcore to newer levels and are sure to become a huge metal export in the years ahead. Download This: "Impunidade" [10] RHYS STEVENSON SECRET SIGNS 'For A Lifetime' CASKET MUSIC There aren't many Gothic Metal bands from Spain that manage to get a decent sound going, unfortunately there aren't many bands like Secret Signs going around, dropping their debut album 'For A Lifetime' last year, the quintet immerse the emotional feelings of darkened despair with their atmospheric style of ambient Gothic metal. However the drawback is the male vocals, they crush the album the wrong way and at times leave it meaningless, by leaving out the deep vocals it would sound better, but apart from that the album strikes out as a decent enough effort to really kick start the band, besides the solo on 'voices from the afterlife' is one of epic bizarreness as it starts awfully but finishes gracefully, so whilst the overall album is great there are parts that should not be there. Download This: "Battle For The Darkness" [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON DISTAINED 'Between Nowhere And Goodbye' + 'Hereditas' 2010 saw the second EP by Finnish Melodic Metal ensemble Distained drop, 'Between Nowhere And Goodbye' carries the same vocals experienced on bands like H.I.M., Poisonblack and many of Finland's Gothic Metal catalogue, but don't let that fool you as the EP displays why the home nation is notorius for its love of rock and metal music as here proven by Distained. This is a sound that should get the labels attention, in fact it's surprising to why the lads aren't signed yet as 'Between Nowhere And Goodbye' clearly demonstrates a solid outburst of modern melodic metal that is worthy of paying attention to. Moving onto the 2012 EP release 'Hereditas', what comes now is a more solidified sound and a greater prominent level of precision that seems to kink out the cracks from the previous EP and ends up cleaning out the old and putting in the new, but whilst 'Hereditas' is the better of the two, the major fact behind Distained is that they are simply one of a kind and are sure to battle forward to become favourites amongst European rock and metal fans. Download These: "Drown In Gray" and "Someone Else's Song" [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON AL-NAMROOD / DHUL-QARNAYN / AYYUR
'Narcotized' SALUTE What we have hear is a split between three of the most underground metal bands from Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Bahrain respectively, the 'Narcotized' split kicks off with 'Barzakh' by Saudi Arabian Black Metal trio Al-Namrood and as the song delivers a chilling sound to be embraced, the key result of the song is that it warrants repetitious plays as it is simply is a divine way to start a three-way split. Al-Namrood certainly know how to create their own unique sound and by doing so develop a very atmospheric style, but that is soon forgotten as Dhul-Qarnayn come into the affray with their song 'Suqoot Allah' as it explodes in pummeling fashion, as for the long-gone one man project is without any doubt a raw black metal sounding production on its own accord, but as Bahrain's underground metal scene shows, nothing lasts and as the song comes to a close, Tunisian Black Metal duo Ayyur do the honors of closing up the split with two songs 'The Queen Of Awres (Narcotized Version)' and 'Proud Slave', both of which spew out the very essence of what makes Black Metal, Black Metal. Simple yet basic drumming is all that's needed to setup this elegant dark act and as the very note sounds out, it is worth saying this is a truly Arabic Black Metal release. You can buy the release from: http://saluterecords.blogspot.co.uk/ [8] + [7.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON |
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May 2021
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