PITBULLS IN THE NURSERY 'Equanimity' KLONOSPHERE France seems to have a love affair with the Progressive, Technical and Death Metal sub-genres as the latest installment in the genres metal history becomes real. 'Equanimity' is the second album by Pitbulls In The Nursery and it has enough bite to give you a severe case of 'headbangulitis'. Mixing sheer brutality and velocity with technical elements so precise, that even Einstein would not be able to figure them out. Taking the eccentric 'Insiders' and lengthy 'Your Dream's Not Mine', it is clear that the Pitbulls have got their vision for a refreshed Modern Metal well and truly recognized. If Gorod and Gojira were to produce offspring, Pitbulls In The Nursery would be the offspring you never saw coming, as they bring the apocalyptic, cataclysmic sound of full-on volatile metal to the forefront, you have been warned. Download This: "Insiders" - Click here to listen (link tba) For Fans of: Gorod, Gojira, The Faceless [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON WINTERCOLD 'Paradise Is Not Here' SALUTE One of the latest releases by Wintercold is a single featuring two tracks, the first 'Paradise Is Not Here' is an instrumental and the second is a cover of Blitz's 'Razors In The Night'. Mastered once again by multi-instrumentalist Satanic Tony, this instrumental is loaded with enough doom and gloom to set the atmosphere straight, make the hairs on your neck stand up and position itself as a truly remarkable work of art. Standing at a whopping 14 minutes long, this instrumental will keep fans of Gothic Doom Metal entertained indefinitely whilst the cover offers a far more heavier and brutal side to the release; with of course Tony's infamous raspy, raw vocals. Limited to a run of 20 copies, this will be a sought-after single in the underground metal scene. 'Paradise Is Not Here' is without a doubt, a delightful listen. Get the single from the official Salute Records website here For Fans of: Demorian, Gothic Doom Metal [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CRUADALACH 'Rebel Against Me' METALGATE Arguably the Czech Republic's answer to Switzerland's Eluveitie, purveyors of Folk-laden Melodic Death Metal. Four years since their debut album, it was inevitable that Cruadalach would return to splatter a second offering across the Folk / Melodic Death Metal spectrum, by infusing Bohemian folk sounds (or wider Slavic) with bouncy aggressive beats, this octet set the bar high for fellow Czech folk metal bands to do better. Whilst perhaps leaning towards more of a Pagan Metal sound, this does not detract the music from becoming related to perhaps the Russian or Ukrainian approach, but rather setting itself up as standalone approach. For the seasoned metalhead who is indulgent in folk metal and melodic death metal in-tow, 'Rebel Against Me' guarantees to wet your whiskers. Cruadalach will certainly maintain a cult following whilst building upon the 'Bohemian Folk Metal' sound. Download This: "Life-Worshipping Bastards" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Eluveitie, Netherfell, Dalriada [8] RHYS STEVENSON WINTERAGE 'The Harmonic Passage' INDEPENDENT As orchestrated as Fleshgod Apocalypse, symphonic as Rhapsody of Fire and elegant as Lacuna Coil, Winterage are the latest installment in the vibrant Italian Metal scene. Marching in with their debut album 'The Harmonic Passage', this inquisitive sextet utilize the majestic sounds of Power Metal with the gracefulness of Symphonic Metal to brood their own dramatic result. One that echoes the upper echelons of bygone operettas and modernizes the antiquarian nature of Italian renaissance masterpieces. In a nutshell 'The Harmonic Passage' is an honorable nod to the bygone years of classic opera, the already-veteran Italian Metal scene and lends itself as a path for new Symphonic Power Metal bands to follow. Lasting a sensational 70 minutes, this debut effort should draw attention from suited labels who would wish to take Winterage under their wings. Check out: "Winterage - The Harmonic Passage EP teaser" - click here to view. For Fans of: Rhapsody Of Fire, Therion, Avantasia [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON FLAMEDROP 'Thoughts On Fire' INDEPENDENT Flamedrop are probably that one band you never thought you would see coming, well embrace it because this Hungarian horde are here to stay. Mustering up a cataclysmic of thunderous riffs, ground-shaking drums and vocals so vicious, venomous snakes are set to become obsolete. This quintet's debut album 'Thoughts On Fire' certainly ticks all of the boxes that guarantee it to be an instant hit across Europe if not the Hungarian Metal scene, it is brim-full of power, heaviness, brutality and technicality. There is no doubt that the following release will have to be extra-special to knock this one for six, because by this effort if Flamedrop are not snapped up by a major metal label, then clearly there is something wrong with this industry; 'Thoughts On Fire' is an easy contender for Hungarian Metal release of the year. For Fans of: The Haunted, Arch Enemy, Malefice Download This: "Cruel Intentions" - click here to listen [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON BREZNO 'Kri' INDEPENDENT Four years on from their excellent debut EP, Slovenia's Brezno have shown no signs of stopping by delivering their debut album 'Kri' released last year. Maintaining their devotion to singing in the Slovene language, the sextet make no mistake at making their first effort a memorable one. Remaining true to their roots, Brezno once again prove themselves to be a key part in the 'New Wave of Slovenian Folk Metal' alongside the likes of Zaria and Avven, with 'Kri' providing Brezno a platform to build upon, we may very well see more of this tight-unit. Alongside their early Bloodstock appearance, it is inevitable that sometime in the future they will make their return, well with 'Kri' as decent as it is, it would be a high demand for their return. Download This: "V Nebo" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Avven, Zaria, Dalriada [8] RHYS STEVENSON DREADED MORTUARY 'Vulgar Way To Die' INDEPENDENT To think that Indonesia is the only South-East Asian to produce quality Thrash Metal is a complete understatement, take for example Dreaded Mortuary's second album 'Vulgar Way To Die', it has enough Slayer in it to make Slayer retire early. This 30 minute adventure offers listeners a brutal onslaught of the classic 80's Thrash Metal sound, full on fast music with enough brutality to make you crack your head open. But whilst this is a solid album in it's own right, it is nothing new and therefore might just appear to be another Thrash Metal release to many, but despite this it still packs a punch and then some. 'Vulgar Way To Die' certainly gives Dreaded Mortuary the upper hand in staking their claim as a successful Filipino Metal export, watch them with interest. Watch this: "Vulgar Way To Die teaser" - click here to watch/listen For Fans of: Slayer, Megadeth, 80's Thrash Metal [8] RHYS STEVENSON WATERLAND 'Our Nation' INDEPENDENT Be honest, Portugal is one of those countries that doesn't really get much attention when it comes to metal music with the exception of Moonspell. Take away the veil and you find a fired-up, pacey metal scene and it's bands like Waterland who keep it going. Take their third album 'Our Nation', it's sensational blend of Symphonic, Melodic and Power Metal gives it that so-called 'Epcot' feel, the sort of vibes experienced at the Disney park. Either that or the sort of sound that would give Portugal their long-awaited win at the Eurovision Song Contest. It is because of the contrasting sounds, that this album can be considered one of the best albums to emerge from the underground melodic / symphonic metal scene in years. 'Our Nation' can easily be considered a contender for Portuguese Metal release of the year, with it's emphatic transcending symphonies, bouncy melodies and majestic heaviness, there is no real room to argue against said statement. Download This: "Land Of Dreams" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Dotma, Seraphim [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON REZISTOR 'By Any Means Necessary' INDEPENDENT Despite the effort displayed on the second album by Romanian Groove Thrashers Rezistor, it lacks that wow factor. 'By Any Means Necessary' constitutes as your average Groove / Thrash Metal release and so with that in mind, don't expect anything special. That said the composition is still a worthy listen, it just does not carry the ability to convince that it is a label-signing release. Given the album is 30 minutes long, it is a rather short, if not unexpected disappointment. The drums deal justice, whilst the vocals and guitars lack any authentic stamping-power, leaving the album to revel in the 'what-could-have-been' category. If Rezistor want to gain a name for themselves across 'By Any Means Necessary', this album is almost certainly not going to do it. Download This: "Wake Up!" - Click here to listen For Fans of: late-Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy [7] RHYS STEVENSON EVOLVENT
'Whatever Happens' BERNETT France's love affair with Symphonic Gothic Metal continues with Evolvent's second album 'Whatever Happens', following such a strong debut album (2011) and a below-par EP (2014) the anxiety of whether this album would be decent was on the table. Suffice to say, 'Whatever Happens' is a rampaging voyage across blackened symphony after blackened symphony, with tantalizingly erotic vocals and an electric atmosphere, it is clear that this album was built to cast away the band's demons. The result? Success. 'Whatever Happens' pays homage to the dramatic, the operatic and the atmospheric elements that form the foundation of the very Symphonic Gothic Metal sound, as for Evolvent this can be considered as their finest hour as they stand as one of France's unsung metal gems. Download This: "Love Doesn't Love Me" - click here to listen For Fans of: Within Temptation, Tarja-era Nightwish, The Hourglass (RO) [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON
0 Comments
BEYOND CHRONICLES 'Shatter' INDEPENDENT High hopes have been placed on the French outfit known as Beyond Chronicles, well with their premier EP 'Shatter' carrying such a convincing sound that in basketball-terms would be considered a slam-dunk, you would have to be stupid to write this group off. Never has French Melodic Death Metal been so exciting, from the rhythmic architecture providing the basis for the guitars, vocals and bass to unleash themselves upon to the slight hint of Modern Metal creeping in, 'Shatter' is a release that will shake the very foundations of the European Metal circuit. Essentially 'Shatter' is as rich in fresh potential for success as much as Sèvres goaded the world of porcelain, Beyond Chronicles are one band to watch for the future, no mistake about it they will go far and will gain acclaimed attention from across Europe. Download this: "Born To Die" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Marionette, Deals Death, Sight Of Emptiness [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON LA HORDE 'Dystopie' FANTAI'ZIC PRODS. Comme-ci comme-ça, or like this like that. That is what springs to mind when pouring over La Horde's second album 'Dystopie', this French unit explore the various avenues of Thrash, Punk and Hardcore to muster up a violent, abrasive and unruly splattering of Thrashcore; but with more Hardcore than Thrash. Bolting together their sound with the romance of the French language is like dressing up a female Black Metal fan in a pink flowery dress, one is brutal and the other elegant. But despite this conflicting analogy (think black rose), 'Dystopie' is a full-on stomping album that would appeal to any fan of old-school Hardcore and modern-Thrash; it is what it says it is, a take-on what life will be like if humanity keeps heading down the yellow-brick road, except La Horde will lead the horde. 'Dystopie' is a decent enough release, it is not groundbreaking or cutting edge, but it will do for now. Download This: "Chan Chan" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Hatebreed, Scarred By Beauty, Skreamer 'Dystopie' is out 5th October via Fantai'zic Productions and all major online outlets [7] RHYS STEVENSON INVOKER 'Aeon' NON SERVIAM Germany has a long history with producing some of the finest Black / Death Metal acts and Invoker continue that legacy by returning with their second offering 'Aeon'. Whilst the vocals continue the raw sound that distinguishes them from titans of said genre like Behemoth and Vesania, Invoker tend to drag in more brutal and atmospheric influences to the mix, resulting in a fast and furious yet cumbersome presentation. Whilst 'Aeon' might not exactly be the release to drag them out of the underground shadows, it does however poise itself as a decent listen for those who prefer the more exquisite strains of Black / Death Metal. With two instrumentals, a total listening duration of 45 minutes and an eight minute epic, this album will guarantee anyone who peers into it, a listen they will never forget. Download This (when out): "In The Womb Of Arrogance" For Fans of: Dissection, Bolt Thrower, Hypocrisy 'Aeon' is out 30th October via Non Serviam Records in both physical and digital formats [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON FORKLIFT ELEVATOR 'Borderline' INDEPENDENT Despite the crazy band name, Italian wielders of Groove / Thrash Metal Forklift Elevator deal justice with their debut album 'Borderline'. Whether that's a remark about their music style being borderline or their band name remains to be seen, but the problem that is presented with their debut album is the quality delivered. Naturally self-produced albums are a little risky in terms of whether it will be successful or not, Forklift Elevator just avoided that trap, just. 'Borderline' does offer crunchy riffs (especially on 'Damn Bug') and thick bass elements, but it lacks that kick force that this quintet are so capable of mustering. By adding a bit more eccentricity and / or power will give them that magical spark to ignite their career and gain much acclaimed attention. Despite this, 'Borderline' is still a valiant effort it just does not have that quality to make this unit stand out from the underground masses. Download This: "Struggle Of Life" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Five Finger Death Punch, Machine Head, Hebiimetaru [7] RHYS STEVENSON NICROTEK 'Strange Sound From The Sky' BLACK LION PRODS. Eclectic to say the least, well what else can be said when you put industrial music, Black Metal, folk, ambient and atmospheric music into the mixing pot? Insane is another way, but however you wish to put it, it seems that Indonesian soloist Bobby Deathstars has ventured into the euphoric moment of widening the Black Metal cesspool even more. His project Nicrotek has pummeled out 9 albums this year and this is just one of them, 'Strange Sound From The Sky' explores the creative and artistic breadth of this ingenious musician. Granted to the die-hard kvlt Black Metal fans this would come across as a pile of wank, to those into electronic music the harshness of Black Metal would leave them clueless. Hence this release is designed for total musical annihilation and so for that kudos must be bestowed, what with the sound and atmosphere creating a wide landscape, where can this project go from here? Download This: "Unexpected Situation" - Click here to listen For Fans of: 'Black Metal, 'Ambient', 'Experimental music' [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BLACK ROYAL 'The Summoning Pt. I' ARMLESS STRANGER Stoner Death Metal? If that is not another way of describing dying from a meth overdose then no idea what is, joke aside Finnish quartet Black Royal demonstrate their musicianship well through their premier EP 'The Summoning Pt. I'. Thick as the Floridian Death Metal sound and brutal as a mediocre hangover, 'The Summoning Pt. I' is a league apart from other weirdly genre-combined releases. The sad thing is that it just seems to not go anywhere, the music is good but the initiative is one that lacks that convincing element. Granted it will appeal to those who like thick, fast and ironically slow music, but there is too much going on for it to be a decent release. If the band were to hone in on their playing skills and fine tune it, then sure the outcome would be far different, but this is a learning step for the Finns, time will tell if their is any improvements. Download This: "Contagion Accident" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Melvins, Orange Goblin, Six Feet Under [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON UNDER THE ABYSS 'A Future To Behold' VOCATION Heavy / Thrash Metal mixed with Metalcore influences? Sounds good. Sounds even better when you have the likes of Under The Abyss commandeering it. This French mob brandish their own take on the over-populated metal combination and it is this decision that makes releases like their second album 'A Future To Behold' a delightful listen. With each passing second, new elements are delivered and it is this that leaves an ever-lasting taste for more, with an eccentric approach to the compositions and an architectural foundation to build their sound on, Under The Abyss position themselves as potential contenders for 'French Metal release of the year'. This modern take on Thrash Metal is what will drive the genre forward, forward onto newer ventures and perhaps towards 'A Future To Behold'. Watch this band with interest. Download This: "Meaningless Things" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Fallen Fate, Scarred By Beauty, Evile [8] RHYS STEVENSON CHAOS BEFORE GEA 'Khâron' BLOOD FIRE DEATH Chaos Before Gea could easily become Spain's answer to 36 Crazyfists and Norma Jean, with their latest effort 'Khâron' delivering a ballistic onslaught of insanely angry Metalcore / Nu Metal, you would wet your pants at the brutality of such a release. Not known for producing stellar Metalcore bands, this in fact could be the moment the Spanish Metal scene has been waiting for, sensational vocals lead the strike force with the riffs and drums providing substantial artillery fire. It might not be something new, but it is something epic and that is good enough for the average metal listener. it won't take long before this lot end up on the laps of the Metalcore titans, so watch this band with every passing day because they are going places they may never have thought of. Download This: "Red Lights" - Click here to listen For Fans of: 36 Crazyfists, Norma Jean, Miss May I [8] RHYS STEVENSON ÓSSERP 'Sang I Sutge' BLOOD FIRE DEATH No matter how much effort you put into a release, it does not always guarantee a decent release. This is what has happened with Ósser's debut album 'Sang I Sutge', there is too much going on and very little in the way of organizing it, as if to suggest the band were distracted during the album making process. 'Sang I Sutge' is the debut album by the Spanish Death Metal / Grindcore contingent and despite it's thick double bass (and bass guitar) elements, gritty vocals and brutal pace, it lacks the ability to convince that this album is there best output possible. Granted Deathgrind was never meant to be pretty, tidy or neat, but there is an exception to that, that is the release has to maintain a percussive pattern and not be hit this, hit that, play this, f**k that. That is exactly what makes this album flop, it just does not convince itself let alone the listener that it is the real deal. Download This: "Heretant Enemics" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Death Metal / Grindcore [5] RHYS STEVENSON JUSTABELI
'Cause The War Never Ends' MUTILATION Seven years since their debut album 'Hell War' emerged from the Brazilian Metal scene, Justabeli makes their hallowed return with another slab of old school 'Blackened-tinged' Death Metal. Full of thick viscous riffs that float in-between the ferocity of the drums and vocals that are so raspy they put the old Norwegian Black Metal vocalists to shame. 'Cause The War Never Ends' is true in it's words in that somewhere in the world there are skirmishes going on and so with this 'Blackened' Death metal at the helm of this release, the stage is set for another onslaught of the 'War Metal' style. The only downside is that some of the songs sound too similar to one another, thus the lack of diversity in terms of song construction hinders the album somewhat to the extent that it becomes hard to appreciate certain songs. But despite the inconsistency of song differentiation, 'Cause The War Never Ends' is a well constructed album that will appeal to many fans of Old-School Extreme Metal. Download This: "Soldiers Of Satan" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Immortal, Marduk, Morbid Angel [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON ESTAMPIDA 'Hard As The Wolfram' INDEPENDENT Celebrating their 20th year anniversary, Argentinian quartet Estampida unleash an apocalypse with their 'Thrashtastic' EP 'Hard As The Wolfram'. Sure the simile used in the EP title might raise a few eyebrows given Wolfram is the alternate name for Tungsten, which in turn derives from Swedish for 'Heavy Stone', but if this is meant to describe the music then hell the words explain themselves. If you prefer your metal to be full of throttling pace, combined with an atmosphere that guarantees to spark a mosh-pit and one that harbors a sound that will snap your neck in two, then you are reading a review about that exact release. Wallowing between the furious pace of Bay Area Thrash Metal and the guttural harmonics of Melodic Death Metal, 'Hard As The Wolfram' is an EP to raise a pint to. They may be old in the scene, but their music is still fresh as daisies. Download This: "Face The Fear (Captive Soul)" - Click here to listen For Fans of: The Haunted, The Arcane Order, Dying Fetus [8] RHYS STEVENSON SPYDOR 'Predator' INDEPENDENT Despite all their efforts to sound unique and original, German Thrash Metallers Spydor just don't quite cut it. No disrespect to their debut EP 'Predator' which is a good solid slab of Thrash Metal, it just doesn't have anything excellent going for it, no 'wow' factor, no breakneck elements, nothing. It just doesn't seem whether they want to follow the Teutonic Thrash sound or the Bay Area Thrash sound, leaving them to ponder clueless as to where they want to be. 'Predator' for all it's might falls at the very last hurdle that otherwise would have given the band potential to establish a name for themselves in their homeland. Granted the members may well come from well-respected bands in their region, but as far as an international perspective goes, this EP is just another one to shelve in the category 'generic thrash', here's hoping their next effort is an improvement. Download This: "War" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Kreator, Slayer, 'Generic Thrash' [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON CRESCENT LAMENT '花殤' ("Elegy For The Blossoms") INDEPENDENT Crescent Lament's second album answers the anticipation surrounding it with such conviction, that this could be the release that gives Crescent Lament international recognition. '花殤' ("Elegy For The Blossoms") tells the story of A-hiong, a Taiwanese geisha who endured sorrow and anxiety throughout the late-Japanese period, the Pacific campaign in WWII and thereafter upon the dawn of the Chinese Nationalist Party's dominance in Taiwanese history. By utilizing traditional Taiwanese and Japanese instruments to give the sound a Oriental-yet-traditional feel to the music, Crescent Lamant establish themselves as the pioneers of ''Oriental Gothic Metal' and as this album goes, delivers a dark, saddening and theatrical sound. What also makes this release all the more magical, is the entire story concept, with two cultures clashing on one record, this is one album everyone should have in their collection. If any Far Eastern film delves into the realm of the geisha, Crescent Lament should make an appearance on the strength of this release. Download This: " 晴雨 " - Click here to listen For Fans of: Epica, Lacrimosa, After Forever [9] RHYS STEVENSON GEMINI ABYSS 'Regenerate' INDEPENDENT Gemini Abyss' third full-length release 'Regenerate', at times feels like there is too much going on and thus loses track on what could be a powerful album. The male vocals hinder the album this time round, constricting the evident Symphonic Power Metal sound and clogging it up, whereas the female vocals need greater space instead of battling against the crunchy guitar riffs and blitzing drums. Despite this, 'Regenerate' is a respectable release that will surely give the fans of said metal genre and band to chew on, but in a holistic sense it might not be enough to propel the band into the international spotlight. Instead of growling, perhaps Marcin ought to adopt a Phantom of the Opera singing style; this combined with Klaudia's graceful singing would send the atmospherics sky-rocketing. There are pockets of songs that stand out as true anthems, such as 'Like The Wind' which ideally is the sound Gemini Abyss ought to follow more. Download This: "Like The Wind" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Nightwish, Rhapsody Of Fire, Kamelot [7] RHYS STEVENSON VARIOUS ARTISTS 'The Witch 3: Wild Hunt Official Soundtrack - Special Edition' CD PROJEKT RED To hear this momentous soundtrack from the Windows/PS4/Xbox One game 'The Witch 3: Wild Hunt' is a delight beyond all belief. Featuring a wide array of instrumentalists and an all-Polish-choir, the end product is one of sheer emphatic and epic proportions that relates to the LOTR trilogy in it's suspense, elements and dramatic numbers. It also features the Progressive / Folk Metal band Percival using only acoustic instruments (Percival Schuttenbach is the metal counterpart) of whose metal name ties in with one of the gnomes from "The Witcher" saga, which in turn is a book series and forerunner to the video game series. In fact, this all Polish affair really has put the spotlight on the band and musicians involved, but as for the soundtrack itself for those who manage to secure a copy it is worth the listen. With 31 tracks spanning over 70 minutes-worth of listening time, listeners will be spoiled for choice onto what to listen to, overall this is a majestic work of art that will enthrall anyone who plays the game and as said listens to the soundtrack (if you're lucky enough to get a copy). Listen to it here: "Official Soundtrack" For Fans of: Video game instrumentals [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON PERCIVAL SCHUTTENBACH / PERCIVAL 'Wild Hunt' & 'Mniejsze Zło' INDEPENDENT / INDEPENDENT Lubin-based Percival Schuttenbach and their sister band Percival lock horns on their folkloric split release 'Wild Hunt' and exercise their traditional Slavic roots with pomp, majestic atmospherics and similar pace to that of their national dance the Polonez. The evident difference between the two bands is that Percival uses solely acoustic elements and yet whilst the Russian-Polish group have their musical differences with both bands, the essence of folk music remains on both accounts. Yet, Percival Schuttenbach (whose name comes from a gnome in the "The Witcher" saga) go international and perform other traditional folk songs from Belarus, Bulgaria and Croatia and thus deliver a fantastic multicultural product. Listeners will not get bored of this, nor will they get bored of the metal counterpart known (as said) as Percival. Sure whilst the latter band only has four songs on this 12-track release, it still delivers that excitement and folk-feeling you would expect. Singing exclusively in Polish, Percival keep their heritage and traditions alive through a cocktail blend of Progressive Metal guitar work and Folk Metal harmonics, just don't confused them with Pagan Metal because they are far from it. For Slavic Folk Metal, Percival stick true to their sister bands sounds and turn the amp up past 13. Overall this split is a remarkable testament to the Polish Metal scene, and is one that you ought to have in your collection. As for Percival Schuttenbach's fourth album 'Mniejsze Zło', more of their Progressive Folk Metal is brought out again. Maxing out at over an hour, this is a joy to listen to as the Polish verbiage flows out like a cascading waterfall. Much alike to fellow contemporary Polish Folk Metal bands, Percival Schuttenbach weave together traditional sounds with the harsh grittiness of metal music to create a sound that will enthrall many fans alike. Sure the balance between clean and screeching vocals is paramount to making a release dynamic, and that is what exactly has happened, by mixing two types of vocals that are reminiscent of many Slavic Metal bands and of the bouncy and melodic traditional type, 'Mniejsze Zło' will surely stand the test of time as a true honor to Polish Slavic Metal. Download This: "Żmij I Dziewczyna" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Arkona, At The Lake, Żywiołak [8] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON FRANTIC AMBER 'Burning Insight' INDEPENDENT Metal knows no boundaries, so when Sweden-based quintet Frantic Amber unleash their debut album 'Burning Insight' upon the masses, what comes with it is a new take on the Melodic Death Metal style. With members from Sweden, Japan, Norway and Denmark bringing together their own unique tastes for metal, the consequential output is a mixing pot of different influences that all mesh together to create the Frantic Amber sound. Dynamic atmospherics laced with the unrelenting pummeling of the drums come colliding and crashing against the crunchiness of the riffs and sickening feminine-ish vocals. It may well be 7 years since the band's inception, but the wait is well worth it. 'Burning Insight' shows a vast improvement across the years since the band's first EP and with this effort, clearly deserve to be signed, for they are certainly Sweden's hottest-property-of-2015. For Fans of: Arch Enemy, Scar Symmetry, Deals Death Download This: "Soar" - Click here to listen [8] RHYS STEVENSON AZURICA 'Warriors Don't Die' INDEPENDENT Not to be confused with their second EP of the same name, Azurica's humble beginning started with their 2013 EP 'Warriors Don't Die' which takes the form of a Keyboard-led style of Melodic Death Metal. Despite it's might, the vocals seem to be whispered and thereby allowing the guitars to take center stage alongside the keyboards. And what with the drums providing very little agility let alone sound quality, you begin to question where the band wants to be heading and where they are actually heading. Suffice to say despite Azurica's attempts to make 'Warriors Don't Die' a feasibly and exciting release, it fails to make the cut and as a result, begs for their next release to be the one to gobsmack. How will the German quintet move on from this is the next question, one of which should have an interesting answer. Download This: "The Inseparable Part" - Click here to listen For Fans of: 'Melodic Death Metal' [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON KYMATICA 'Kymatica' INDEPENDENT Just utter the genre and you will raise an eyebrow. Symphonic Extreme Metal might be a paradox in terms of how the opposites of the metal scale collide on Kymatica's self-debut album, but it certainly leaves an ever-lasting taste for more. Whilst their first major release might not be a clear-cut work of art, it certainly delivers something fresh to the table, with a concoction of sounds deriving from Symphonic Metal, Black Metal, Post-Metal and Doom Metal, you would be left pondering what on earth did Kymatica drink in order to deliver this golden-piss-of-an-album. Despite its lack of presence for the most part, 'Kymatica' is a promising sign of good things to come from this Canadian quartet and whilst it may leave some listeners befuddled, the end result is as good as the start. Watch this band with some interest. Download This: "Fate, Doom" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, White Empress [7] RHYS STEVENSON STORM UPON THE MASSES
'Vengeance Of Madness' INDEPENDENT Slamming the ground with a fist of fury is Belgian Brutal Death Metal masochists Storm Upon The Masses, now their EP 'Vengeance Of Madness' is a little heavier than your last hangover. By bolting together a furious rally of drumming, riffs and guttural verbiage, this quintet emerge victorious as perhaps becoming the natural successor to Aborted. 'Vengeance Of Madness' will grapple onto your senses, pound your skull into tiny fragmented pieces and leave you begging for your mummy; unless of course she's into brutally-crafted Brutal Death Metal. Whilst there is only three tracks, there is enough firepower to blow away any poser Death Metal band with ease and cement Storm Upon The Masses' place as one of 2015's hottest prospects, let alone place 'Vengeance Of Madness' as an early contender for Belgian release of the year. All in all, watch this band with interest. Download This: "The Skin Collector" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Aborted, Suffocation, Nile [8] RHYS STEVENSON SOULLINE 'Welcome My Sun' SEO When you take the time to search the globe for mesmerizing talent and end up checking a band that not only is signed, has performed at Wacken and toured with well respected metal bands and yet has very little recognition outside of their native country, you begin think to yourself 'something is wrong here'. Rest assured, SoulLine's fourth studio album is an absolute bone-crunching slab of Melodic Death Metal; with Metalcore influences dotted here and there. Having been around for 15 years, it's remarkable to think that this band has not grabbed the attention they evidently deserve and yet still put out releases that would probably result in the world's press smothering them. 'Welcome My Sun' is a huge testament to the Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore style and for those who check them out (you really should!), the time spent will be worth every second of it. Download This: "Anvils" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Sonic Syndicate, Cursed By The Fallen, Threat Signal [9] RHYS STEVENSON IN CAUDA VENENUM 'In Cauda Venenum' EMANATIONS If you were ever looking for something to pass the time with, or just to simply listen to Post-Black Metal that makes pop music seem even more livelier than roadkill, then check out the debut self-titled album by French duo In Cauda Venenum. Give credit though to the phenomenal length of the two tracks combined, a whopping 43 minutes of raw riffs, thick atmospherics, shrieking vocals and thunderous drums. However for the said appraisals, the album has no more redeeming qualities and as such falls as a rather uninteresting release, some people might even want to switch on the TV just to clear their heads from the damning misery exhibited here. If this is the best the French Metal scene can produce in the Post-Black Metal arena, then we might as well just give up. Download This: "Ωlpha" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Alcest, Falloch, Fen [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON METROPOLIS CHILD 'As Dreams Make Us Live' 2014 was the year that French quartet Metropolis Child unleashed their highly Modern Metal EP 'As Dreams Make Us Live' amongst the masses. This Progressive Metal unit wield together some rather tight-arse riffs, bulldozing drums and vocals so vicious, 'savage' would be an understatement. Whilst slightly diverting away from the Dream Theater-esque Prog Metal sound, 'As Dreams Make Us Live' borrows some of that influence and bolts it onto the seemingly apparent Djent influence, without ending up like a Periphery clone. The time signatures vary greatly and thus offers a varied mix of sounds on each song (let alone the use of both English and French), all in all this is 24 minutes of your life that will be greatly rewarded. This effort gives the band high hopes of establishing themselves worldwide. Download This: "Those XII Shades" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Breach The Void, Meshuggah, 'Djent' [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BLINDRAGE 'Blindrage' When unsigned bands come to the point where they seek to release a debut album, they aim to have a complete and fully-comprehensive line-up. Well since Italy's Blindrage swapped the vocals position twice and landed Stefano Palmonari for their debut self-titled album, the feeling that they have found their winning music algorithm is present. Mixing together the agile, free-flowing rhythms of Speed Metal with the power and majestic-stance of Heavy Metal, this quintet deliver a debut album that is certain to perk up the ears of metalheads worldwide. Whilst it might be a tad late to spark a lengthy career, Blindrage however will be seen as a model for the new wave of Italian Heavy / Speed Metal bands to look up to. This album is truly a testament to said metal genre and would appeal to many metal fans. Download This: "Fool's Cant Cry" For fans of: Judas Priest, Motorhead, Rage [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLOODY TYRANT '水沙漣傳奇 (The Legacy Of Sun-Moon Lake)' Taiwanese Blackened Folk horde Bloody Tyrant mark themselves as the natural successor to ChthoniC with their second album '水沙漣傳奇 (The Legacy Of Sun-Moon Lake)' and ultimately delve into Taiwanese mythology whilst utilizing traditional instruments to give their sound that Oriental kick. Exclusively singing in Mandarin, this 7-track opus ought to give the band much deserved international attention and propel them onto greater heights within the global metal arena. Of course if Bloody Tyrant keep chugging away and putting out music like this, a record label deal will come along with it as this sort of music demands that level of attention. This may well be a sharp contender for Taiwanese Metal release of the year; with such ferocity and mind-blowing power, it deserves to be. Download This: "Final Battle Of Sun-Moon Lake" - Click here to listen For Fans of: ChthoniC, Ancient Rites, Tengger Cavalry [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MYSTERION 'In The Emptiness Of Life' Creating a release with less members than your average band line-up becomes harder as more instrument duties have to be designated, however with that comes the greater freedom of creativity and this is what Germany's Mysterion have exploited. With Zkraciev on vocals and Stefan Jakobitz dealing with the instrument sections, this duo have lashed together a ferocious blend of Black Metal, epic symphonies and plagued atmospherics with the embodiment of Dark 'Gothic' Metal to create a sound beyond darkened imagination. Evidently present on their debut album 'In The Emptiness Of Life', their unique sound of Blackened Dark Metal caresses the senses and enlivens the mind, call it what you like as this release will undoubtedly capture attention across the breadth of the underground metal world. Download This: "Emptiness" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Anorexia Nervosa, Carach Angren, Agathodaimon [8] RHYS STEVENSON N R C S S S T 'Schizophrenic Art' INDEPENDENT 'Blackgaze' sounds interesting at first but in the end it boils down to post-black metal, a sub-genre that irks die-hard metalheads. Or at least N R C S S S T might argue, musical creativity. Hailing from Lithuania, this quintet immerse the surroundings in a blanket of mist, laden with noise beyond belief and a Black Metal attitude that stems from this Baltic nation's dark history. 'Schizophrenic Art' is the band's debut album and it demands a high level of attention to say the least, ironically it falls short of being anything decent, experimentation is good but you can get carried away with it, sadly N R C S S S T have fallen into that trap and it is up to their next release to rescue them from falling flat on their faces. 'Schizophrenic Art' may be different, but it just fails to make the cut, but is a half-decent listen none the less. Download This: "In Remorse" - Click here to listen For fans of: Falloch, Alcest, Deafheaven [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON AVERSION 'Aversion' Canada's Aversion go balls-to-the-wall to show that Scandinavian-style Black Metal is not geographically fixed and that it can be exploited anywhere. This is exactly what the quintet have done, with their self-titled album sweeter than syrup and grimmer than a mauling bear, they have the hallmarks of becoming the next successful Canadian metal exports. For an album that is trilingual (English, French and Polish), it certainly meets the criteria to acknowledge it as a well-worked debut album. Conjuring up an atmosphere that chills your spine and lashing it to vocals from the venomous vixen Vena Kava, erotic guitar work, blitzing bass elements and thunderous drumming parts, the result is an album that will give any Black Metal fan a whopping boner in their pants. Watch this band with interest, we could have the new Carpathian Forest in our midst? Download This: "Gangrene Harvest" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Carpathian Forest, Mayhem, Urgehal [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON HELL:ON 'Once Upon A Chaos...' FERRRUM.COM Following a decade of demolition in their native land, Ukrainian metal wielders Hell:On return with arguably their best offering ever. 'Once Upon A Chaos...' is a hell-raising leviathan-of-an-album that enthralls an satisfies any palatable tongues for bruising Death / Thrash Metal. Featuring an array of slick-tight-arsed riffs that dance around the furious yet persistent drum beats, this is one album that ought to be on anyone's 2015 hit-list for album purchases. With raw and rancid vocals adding to the already enraged drama, you can be assured of a heavy knock-out when being seduced by this quintets capability of defying all logic and reason. Technical in some parts, seismic all over, 'Once Upon A Chaos...' is a sharp contender for Ukrainian Metal album of the year. This album certainly is not for those who cannot cope with heavy music, word. Recommended Track: "Self-Destruction" For Fans of: Nervecell, Oshiego, old-Sepultura 'Once Upon A Chaos...' is out 31st August via Ferrrum.com [8] RHYS STEVENSON KHAEL
'Efímero' INDEPENDENT Four years have passed since Khael's debut album 'Dualidad' caught our attention and last year they released their follow-up album 'Efímero', and damn is it good. Sticking to their native Spanish, the now-duo embrace the beauty and the darkness of the Gothic Metal sound and add some Spanish flavors to give it an exotic feel. Whilst perhaps not as robust as their first album, 'Efímero' does bear all the hallmarks of a well-executed release, with crunching riffs combining with flamenco-style singing and bullish drums supporting the electric atmosphere, you would be stupid to dismiss this release on the very simplest of whims. Whilst perhaps not geared to spark interest across Europe, this album will certainly appeal to the Spanish-speaking metal nations worldwide. Khael may yet have proved themselves to be Spain's answer to Italy's Lacuna Coil. Download This: "La Tormenta" - Click here to listen. For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, Moi Dix Mois, Lumina Criptica [8] RHYS STEVENSON NIGHTCREEPERS 'Hreidd' What with 'Alpha' being the blazing album that it was, it was going to be tough to see how French Folk Metal sextet Nightcreepers could up their game. But they've succeeded and the result is a sensational offering in the form of 'Hreidd'. Utilizing much of the unforgiving brutality the band has exercised on previous releases, 'Hreidd' storms out of the barn with a trail of blisteringly-hot fire left behind it. What makes this release a powerful slap-in-the-face album is the brilliance in mixing Folk Metal with Extreme Metal elements, whilst avoiding being pigeon-holed in the Black / Folk Metal category. In fact 'Hreidd' has the attitude and firepower to ignite widespread interest for the band, if this does not deliver them a record label deal within the next year or so, then there is something seriously wrong with the..... labels. 'Hreidd' is set to win Nightcreepers a flurry of new fans worldwide. Download This: "Volcae" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Windir, Dimmu Borgir, Vanir 'Hreidd' is out now via an Independent release [9] RHYS STEVENSON YMYRGAR 'The Tale As Far' Sure Ymyrgar may be singing about Norse mythology and subsequently fall under the Viking Metal or Pagan Black Metal categories, but come on they are from Tunisia! That's just as misplaced as Skiltron from Argentina singing and playing Scottish Folk Metal. However their debut album 'The Tale As Far' really sets the par high for other Tunisian Metal bands albeit Myrath who have already cemented their place in the international arena. By lacing together melodic folkloric elements with the harshness of Black Metal, what Ymygar have delivered here is a rather unique culture clash of-a-release, one that ought to garner some attention from the North African metal scenes at the very least. Featuring Tuoksu (Arij Arbi ) as the guest soprano, her vocals add the missing dimension to the album and thus poise it perfectly as Tunisia's next successful album export. Download This: "Dawn Of Time" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Drakwald, Elder Tale, "Pagan Black Metal" [8] RHYS STEVENSON ARCHAIZE 'Liberation' It's not all that often an Australian Metal band gets international recognition, although Archaize might get this with their debut album 'Liberation' which explodes in a minefield of Groove, Death and Thrash Metal, accumulating to develop a brutal form of Modern Metal. 'Liberation' is a 41 minute assault of purely aggressive, insanely catchy and completely arousing numbers that will get your tits hard and cocks up in the air as if sex went out of fashion. With vocals that are so piercingly loud, riffs so savage they rip into your soul and drumming so full of fury, you would be hard to find any other Australian Metal band that can rival the Modern Metal machinists known as Archaize. This is the new sound of metal and it's coming to whip your sorry arse. 'Liberation' is guaranteed to give Archaize that platform needed to start their career, if they carry on this sound, they may well be playing in the UK in a few years to come. Download This: "Sunset" - Click here to listen For Fans of: DevilDriver, Mnemic, Six Feet Under [8] RHYS STEVENSON MANIC DEMISE 'The Bitter Blood Of Brutality' Call them blood brothers, call them brothers-in-arms, call them what you like, the fact is the duo known as Manic Demise do not mess around when it comes to releasing stellar material. Especially when the vocalist is in the USA and the instrumentalist is in Australia, the duo's debut EP "The Bitter Blood Of Brutality" may not be the convincing release they could have conceived but it certainly is a respectable slab of Death Metal. In fact it ought to be interesting to see how they progress from this release, surely the debut album will oust the EP with no mercy attached? 'The Bitter Blood Of Brutality' is a gore-guzzling sizzler-of-a-release that demands utmost attention and a stomach cast of iron, so as to stop you from puking at this orgasmic release. Download This: "Septic Crypt" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Gorguts, Avulsed, Dying Fetus [7] RHYS STEVENSON ALKIRA 'Juggernaut' Aiming to stake their claim on Australian soil (nay the international metal scene) is South Australia quartet Alkira with their infectious Groove / Thrash effort 'Juggernaut'. Their debut album comes hot off the heels from their second EP 'Red Devil' and with it comes a valiant neck-breaking storm of fast and furious Thrash Metal mixed with the funkiness and elegance of Groove Metal. Through a culmination of gnarly vocals, barbaric riffs and unruly drumming, Alkira's 'Juggernaut' has more balls than those two dudes on the Fosters TV adverts, in fact Alkira are not your average Australian Metal band either. They will go places if they keep this momentum going, the salient point is that 'Juggernaut' is without a doubt hotter than a typical Aussie BBQ on the beach and has tons more glamor than Kylie Minogue, however it does have the sexiness of her though... Download This: "Submission Therapy" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Anthrax, Motorhead, Pantera [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON ZARIA 'Po Poti Življenja' Very few bands from Central Europe deliver a sparkling demo and then top that by delivering a debut album that turns heads from further afield. Zaria, a six-piece Folk Metal unit from Slovenia certainly have struck the right chord in delivering their debut album 'Po Poti Življenja'. Aligned alongside fellow countrymen Brezno, it seems that we could have 2 bands simultaneously leading the Slovenian Metal scene. As for Zaria, the one thing holding them back is the lack of English, ironically if they ditched the Slovene language, then the music would lose it's cultural identity as true sounds of Slovenia. With infectious melodies and harmonious elements flowing freely throughout. Zaria's 'Po Poti Življenja' is a must-have album for avid Folk Metal fans, you'd be silly not to, as it expresses the beauty of traditional folkloric tales and the gracefulness of soft, melodic folk music. Download This: "Moč Brez Imena" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Brezno, Eluveitie, Ensiferum [9] RHYS STEVENSON HAMMERHEAD 'The Doom That Came To Sarnath' For those not in the know, Sarnath is the place of pilgrimage for Buddhists worldwide, so what inspired Hammerhead to call their second EP 'The Doom That Came To Sarnath'? Simple, the title is taken from the H.P. Lovecraft novel, moreover with this EP the Belgian trio hurl a barrage of gnarly, face-punching sounds that certainly would appeal to fans of neck-breaking Thrash Metal. With some rather dashing tremolo's creating a wall of sound alongside unrelenting drumming and vocals so vile, you'd have to wear a face mask to avoid being spat upon with cyanide; it is that corrosive. The EP is all good and proper but it does take time to kick in, so some impatient "Thrasheads" may switch off, but for those who wait, the rewards are certainly worth it. Hammerhead are a band to watch in 2015 because with this 2014 EP, they are rather promising. Download This: "The Doom That Came To Sarnath" - Click here to listen For fans of: Slayer, Exodus, Pantera [8] RHYS STEVENSON RETRACE MY FRAGMENTS 'Ethereal Flux' If there is one band that has never shied away from reinventing themselves or challenging the conventions of their own music, it's Retrace My Fragments. Their debut album 'Ethereal Flux' takes on board 101% originality; something that lacks in a vast swathe of modern Death Metal bands, lashing together an awe-inspiring science fiction story (split into chapters) conceived by vocalist Antonio Martija and bringing it to life through a dramatic-yet-theatrical production of brutal vocals, eerie riffs, apocalyptic drumming and an atmosphere so expansive, it makes a black-hole claustrophobic. 'Ethereal Flux' is the finest release by this Luxembourg quintet and should garner some international attention, why these guys are not signed is astounding, however with this album the labels cannot ignore them much longer. Retrace My Fragments are flying the flag for the Luxembourg Metal scene. Download This: "Rime Of The Instant Space Traveller" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Cephalic Carnage, The Dillinger Escape Plan, 'Modern Metal' [10] RHYS STEVENSON FROST TEARS
'九章 (Nine Chapters)' MAGNUM MUSIC Leading the way for the new wave of Oriental Gothic Metal is Taiwanese ensemble Frost Tears with their debut album 九章 (Nine Chapters). Singing in their native Chinese language, the sextet embody this with the gracefulness of European Gothic Metal, mix it with an Oriental atmosphere and create an overall sound that will appeal to a wide range of metalheads. '九章 (Nine Chapters)' explodes in all directions with the vocals ranging from operatic to melodic and the instruments delivering a combined solid force that will surely drive Frost Tears into the international limelight. Full of drama, twists and turns at every pulsating second, '九章 (Nine Chapters)' is one album everyone should own, literally everyone. Download This: "九章 (Nine Chapters) album trailer" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, Tarja Turunen, Within Temptation [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON POWERWOLF 'The History of Heresy II (2009 - 2012)' METAL BLADE German veteran Power Metallers Powerwolf return with another boxset full of emphatic sounds and majestic ballads to wet your whiskers by. 'The History of Heresy II (2009 - 2012)'. This time round they have whipped in classics from their albums "Bible Of The Beast" and "Blood Of The Saints", but have also included an orchestral release under the name of "The Sacrilege Symphony". Powerwolf are best described as mixing Power Metal with Gregorian chant elements here and there, one song that features this is "Moscow After Dark", but whatever you call them, 'The History of Heresy II (2009 - 2012)' is a beautiful testimony to a band who has lead the German Power Metal ever since 2003. So if any one in your family is looking for a timeliness classic and graceful present for Christmas, 'The History of Heresy II (2009 - 2012)' is your answer!!!! Download This: "Moscow After Dark" For Fans of: Sabaton, Hammerfall, Gloryhammer [8] RHYS STEVENSON SKÀLMÖLD 'Með Vættum' NAPALM Iceland's second most successful metal export (behind Sólstafir) Skàlmöld have returned with their third album 'Með Vættum' and with it comes sword-stabbing Viking Metal ballads, much akin to previous efforts "Börn Loka" and their debut "Baldur". Naturally preferring their Icelandic language over the English language, 'Með Vættum' brings the magical stories and myths of the bygone Viking era to life and really connects you with Europe's most North-Western country. By closing your eyes and listening to the album, you can easily place yourself in the position of a marauding Viking either marching into battle, living a daily Nordic life or doing what most Nordics do, drink beer as if it was going into rationing. Skàlmöld have set alight the beacons of true Viking Metal once again and as 'Með Vættum' gains momentum to it's inaugural release, one thing is clear, 'Með Vættum' is set to captivate planet metal. Download This: "Með Drekum" For Fans of: Nordheim, Ensiferum, Týr 'Með Vættum' is out 14 November 2014 via Napalm Records [10] RHYS STEVENSON FAITHFUL DARKNESS 'Archgod' CORONER Modern Metallers Faithful Darkness know exactly what they are after and with their latest effort 'Archgod', they have reached it. They have banished the Soilwork demons that Jimmy Persson had brought in and have replaced them with the sensational Jonathan Thorpenberg and thus with this change, Faithful Darkness have become a force to be reckoned with. 'Archgod' will have your neck snap in juxtaposed positions as you headbang to this absolute ballistic-missile-of-an-album. There is something about the Scandinavian nations that make them so damn good at Modern Metal, and this is extremely evident on 'Archgod'. It deals no bullsh*t and has 101% ferocity guiding it throughout it's entire self. 'Archgod' has bought Faithful Darkness the one-way ticket to European domination. Breathe it, hear it, f**king fear it. Download This: "The Witness" For Fans of: Mnemic, In Flames, Sonic Syndicate, ok and Soilwork (ish) 'Archgod' is out 08 December 2014 via Coroner Records [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SEASON OF GHOSTS 'The Human Paradox' CORONER Season Of Ghosts is possibly one of the most exciting acts to emerge out of the Greek Metal scene in a very long time. Fronted by Sophia Aslanidou (who was vocalist for Blood Stain Child at one point) and featuring Ghost Legion as the power behind the instruments, this dynamic force will set the world alight with their emphatic sounds. 'The Human Paradox' is best described as "Futuristic Dance Metal" and as such combines a majestic array of music styles, ranging from Trance Metal to Cyber Metal and from Dance Pop to Sci-fi soundtrack elements. 'The Human Paradox' is a one of a kind album is sure to appeal to fans of the Modern Metal sound as well, in fact through the use of the synths, harsh male vocals, soprano-like female vocals and the unmistakable Disney's Fantasia feeling, this album has ground-breaker written all over it. Download This: "Time Travellers" For Fans of: Xe-None, Blood Stain Child, Amaranthe 'The Human Paradox' is out 8th December 2014 via Coroner Records [9] RHYS STEVENSON VEILBURNER 'The Three Lightbearers' American Extreme Metal bands come in leaps and bounds, Veilburner are definitely above that... to a certain extent. 'The Three Lightbearers' is a valiant effort and serves as the perfect springboard for the Pennsylvania duo to unleash their unruly fathomable sermons upon the unsuspecting Extreme Metal scene worldwide. Through the use of some rather erotic riffs and immensely brutal vocals, coupled with the thunderous drumming sequences and anger-enraged atmosphere, 'The Three Lightbearers' is an album to piss your neighbors off with. Earlier 'to a certain extent' was said, well the reason behind that is that it simply does not have that sparkle that otherwise would give them a record label deal, unless of course they did not want one... Download This: "Gospel of Blood-Stained Void" For Fans of: "Unruly noise", "Black / Death Metal" [7] RHYS STEVENSON ABIDE TILL DEATH 'Works Of Your Hand' Be honest, would you have expected Papua New Guinea to have a metal scene? Well it does, Christian Alternative Metal band Abide Till Death have unveiled their latest single 'Works Of Your Hand'. The best way to describe this is think of your average male-fronted Alternative Metal band and add Christian lyrics to it, but don't judge because of the lyric topics because at times the vocals break into deep growling. So, 'Works Of Your Hand' is essentially experimental as well as alternative and this is why many rock and metal fans will like it, it is catchy, groovy yet full of energy. 'Works Of Your Hand' is a song you should have on your mp3 player. Download the single here For Fans of: My Chemical Romance, Family Force 5, Stone Sour. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON LASHER ZOMBIE 'King Of Kings' Belizean Death Metal armada Lasher Zombie make their voices heard with their latest offering 'King Of Kings'. Smouldering hot with the smells of Old School Death Metal, this trio assemble together an array of sounds that demand your attention with every passing second. Let's be honest if you cannot handle this, then Death Metal is not for you (and don't even try to argue). 'King Of Kings' delivers the mid-paced to fast-paced kind of drumming you would expect, coupled with some rather nasty yet gnarly vocals that savagely rip into you, whilst the riffs pour acid all over your organs and leave you to burn to death. The zombie plague has arisen, Lasher Zombie are leading and flying the flag for the Belize Metal scene.... you have been warned. Download This: "Belizean Blood Bath" For Fans of: Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Obituary [8] RHYS STEVENSON KOLONY 'Sledge' SELF-RELEASED Melodic Metallers Kolony make their return known with their second album 'Sledge', now if you were to strap a wire to both of your hands behind your back for just 45 minutes and bleed slowly to death whilst indulging in Quebec's finest release this year, then you would have had 45 minutes of enjoyment in your life towards your untimely demise... of course we're joking, don't do anything like that, it's stupid. But what isn't stupid, is the insurmountable attention that has been directed towards 'Sledge', in fact if the quartet play their cards right, this may well garner some attention from record labels worldwide. 'Sledge' is an absolute roller-coaster of a ride that will get blood pumping and moshpits working overtime, hell this is insanity in physical form!! AIEEEEEE!!!!! Download This: "Anthem" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Bullet For My Valentine, Megadeth, Avenged Sevenfold 'Sledge' is out 14th November via an independent release [8] RHYS STEVENSON MORLAS MEMORIA 'Follow The Wind' Arriving on the German Metal scene is sextet Morlas Memoria with their own unique style of Symphonic Gothic Metal, that is they introduce Folk Metal elements into the mix through the flute. 'Follow The Wind' is the band's debut album and it really carries that spark element, you know that spark to say 'sign us' to the record labels. Through the elegant use of harmonious female vocals and dramatic music supplementing a majestic yet emphatic sounding atmosphere, 'Follow The Wind' is an album that breathes beauty and speaks solemn grace. If you wanted to check out any new Symphonic Gothic Metal bands this year, make sure you have Morlas Memoria down on your list because rest assured, they are going places with this effort, they are Germany's answer to Within Temptation. Download This: "Follow The Wind" For Fans of: Within Temptation, Nightwish, Therion [9] RHYS STEVENSON BLACKOUT
'Armageddon' The French Metal scene is an oddball if you can call it so, an oddball in the sense that there are plenty of talented bands who are capable of making a name for themselves, but only a handful actually do, Gorod, AqME, The Algorithm per se. But when you have a band who tends to operate in the Avant-Garde approach to metal, that is the experimental form, attention cannot come sooner enough. Blackkout is a three-piece metal band who have recently released their debut album 'Armageddon' and with it comes a solid packing of infectious riffs, snazzy drums and violent vocals. Just imagine the artwork depicting their music, that is how ferocious it is, seriously if they get any heavier, they would have to have a restraining order placed on them because this album is f**king insane! They call it 'Blackout Metal', we call it 'Heavy Thrash Metal'. You decide what it should be called. Download This: "Blackout Album Teaser" - Click here to listen For Fans of: T.A.N.K., Evile, "Insane Metal" [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLOODSHOT DAWN 'Demons' INDEPENDENT Fired up from their recent Bloodstock face-melting appearance, Hampshire's beloved sons Bloodshot Dawn unleash a barrage of fiery hell in the form of their second album 'Demons'. Outrageously heavier than previous efforts, 'Demons' explodes into an unmerciful massacre with spark-shedding riffs, the drums as unrelenting as a Gatling gun (especially on 'Consequence Complex') and the vocals as murderous as a nuclear genocide. 'Demons' demonstrates the true capabilities of the Bloodshot Dawn and is sure to be met with rapturous appraisal from old and new fans alike, seriously if they were aiming to strike an impression and reach the desired sound simultaneously, then 'Demons' ticks both boxes. Nothing is missing from this fantastic release, it will blow your brains apart and thus places itself as a contender for English Metal release of the year. For Fans of: Sylosis, Obscura, Woe Of Tyrants 'Demons' is out 26th October via an independent release. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SUBSERVIENCE 'Upheaval' INDEPENDENT Change is inevitable and so when Dan Lofthouse took over vocal duties from ex-Subservience member Jay Fitt, the new era of Subservience was born. Exploding with the delightful sound of Groove-laden Extreme Metal, the Sussex armada unleash their third EP 'Upheaval' and with it comes an explosive array of riffs, charismatic vocals and menacing attitude. Wielding together the sounds of classic Death Metal from days-bygone with the atmosphere of Lamb of God, Subservience might have just dealt justice and in the wake of this EP, the right to stake their claim as one of England's hottest properties to watch out for in 2015. 'Upheaval' may be a sharp improvement from previous releases, the question is can they hold their nerve and keep this improvement progression going? Time will tell, that is for sure. For Fans of: Carcass, Strapping Young Lad, Cannibal Corpse 'Upheaval' is out now via an independent release [8] RHYS STEVENSON REIGN OF SIRIUS 'Mirror Figures' Sensationally dramatic and epically adventurous are two sentiments that can easily be placed upon Reign of Sirius' latest offering 'Mirror Figures'. The Symphonic Melodic Metal sextet from Macclesfield have delivered another erotic opus to wet your whiskers by. Through the meticulousness of the music and the vocals intertwining so elegantly with each other, 'Mirror Figures' can be claimed as the "metal world's version of Phantom of the Opera". From start to finish, you are taken on a roller-coaster of dynamic symphonies, articulate melodies and wintry / Gothic atmospherics, so much so that 'Mirror Figures' would be a perfect accompaniment to any birthday, Halloween, Christmas or New Years Eve celebrations. Make no mistake with this release, it is sure to give Reign of Sirius the perfect spring board to launch themselves into the European Metal circuit. Download This: "Mirror Figures" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Nightwish, Epica, Within Temptation [10] RHYS STEVENSON LIV KRISTINE 'Vervain' NAPALM Norway's beloved Liv Kristine, with her grace and beauty, returns with her fifth solo album 'Vervain'. Once again the soprano has delivered a spectacular album that will surely earn her accolades in the music industry. Joined by the same line-up as the preceding album 'Libertine', this output features a rather majestic and swan-like elegance feel to it, that is it exhibits a lot of grace, charm and power. Keeping intact the Symphonic Metal sound that bodes well with Liv's vocals, the new album drags in elements of Folk Metal, Industrial Metal and Gothic Metal; with a possible tinge of schlager (on some songs), giving it that almost Lord of the Rings escapology feel to it, or perhaps the grandeur of a winning Eurovision entry (although the possibility of Liv entering is probably low). It is safe to say that Liv Kristine has returned with her (and fellow band-members) best album to date. For Fans of: Within Temptation, Midnattsol, Tarja-era Nightwish. 'Vervain' is out 24 October 2014 via Napalm Records [9] RHYS STEVENSON LASTER 'De Verste Verte Is Hier' DUNKELHEIT PRODUKTIONEN The Dutch affair with Black Metal continues with Laster's debut album 'De Verste Verte Is Hier' (rough translation: 'The Furthest Distance Is Here'), if you can call it an album that is. The release is merely four tracks, three of the songs have an average length of 13 minutes and so if you want to be mightily bamboozled and have nothing worthwhile to do, then sit down and be mowed down by this unforgiving release. 'De Verste Verte Is Hier' is of the atmospheric kind, it does not aim to be the heaviest, fastest or more brutal release, but rather one that is full of body, soul and spirit. Granted it is nothing new and is a long way from being anything but, however it does demonstrate a really eery feeling, one that will surely appeal to the more underground Black Metal fans. For Fans of: Alcest, Drudkh, Wolves In The Throne Room 'De Verste Verte Is Hier' is out 1st November 2014 via Dunkelheit Produktionen [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BEYOND CREATION 'Earthborn Evolution' SEASON OF MIST Canada's latest and hottest property Beyond Creation make their welcomed return with their latest slice of juicy Progressive-laden Technical Death Metal. 'Earthborn Evolution' is the second album by the Quebecois quartet and with it comes a battering onslaught of thunderous drums, electric riffs and raucous vocals, what more could you want? Simple. More where that come from! With ten tracks of some of the most complex metallic algorithms you'll ever come across, an atmosphere raining blood-soaked spikes and a release that could easily claim the title of Canadian Metal release of the year, Beyond Creation have successfully dug deep to find something funkier than 1970's disco, more brutal than your last New Years party and sweeter than pancakes topped with Canadian syrup. Prepare for some hazardous moshing, savage headbanging and crapped pants, you have been warned. For Fans of: Obscura, Fallujah, Alarum, "Mathematical Metal" 'Earthborn Evolution' is out 24th October 2014 via Season Of Mist [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON OBSIDIAN KINGDOM 'Mantiis' SEASON OF MIST Catalonia's (Spain) Obsidian Kingdom make their voices once again known with their third album 'Mantiis', now this sound is not easy to pin down and thus requires a level of mental deconstruction to unlock the various elements pressed onto each song. But what this quintet has done is strapped together a myriad of sounds to captivate and arouse the listener in every aspect (ay no need to think dirty here), through the use of eery atmospherics, progressive elements lodged in the drumming area, riffs so soft they make velvet more like sandpaper and vocals that flit between the melodic and gruff Black / Death Metal vibrancy, Obsidian Kingdom have produced a release they can be extremely proud of. As black as obsidian itself, the world can now witness the birth of "Obsidian Metal" and with it a 47-minute epic journey through a hellish heaven. For Fans of: Cult of Luna, Dälek, Drumcorps 'Mantiis' is out 24th October 2014 via Season Of Mist [8] RHYS STEVENSON NECROPHAGIA 'WhiteWorm Cathedral' SEASON OF MIST Death Metal's forefathers Necrophagia make their hallowed return with their seventh full-length offering 'WhiteWorm Cathedral', with it comes that classic old school Death Metal sound that concreted the genre to the ground and laid the foundations for the Death Metal bands you know as of today. 'WhiteWorm Cathedral' welcomes Mirai Kawashima back to the fore as the band's keyboardist (some will also know him from the band Sigh), with her return comes the spine chilling elements she is renowned for, add that to the brutality and grit that Necrophagia has always been known for and you get slammed with a force so reckoning, you would have to take out life insurance to survive the uniqueness of what we call "Horror Death Metal"; we could imagine Necrophagia as a decent addition to any Saw film soundtrack - it is that gory in an audio context. For Fans of: "Old School Death Metal", Autopsy, Asphyx 'WhiteWorm Cathedral' is out 24th October 2014 via Season Of Mist [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON AONIA
'Sunchaser' Uprising English "Symphonic Gothic Fantasy Metal" outfit Aonia mark their second coming with their latest EP 'Sunchaser', which sees a line-up extension with guitarist Przemek Drużkowski and second female vocalist Joanne Kay Robinson joining the band. With this change, 'Sunchaser' completely crushes Aonia's debut EP 'City Of Shadows' without any remorse or mercy, in fact the EP carries the sound that should give Aonia the attention they deserve. What with the dramatic elements found scattered all over like a starry night, the angelic vocals caressing the symphonic atmosphere (which is as powerful as Disney's Fantasia) and elegance as graceful as a swan, it is safe to say that 'Sunchaser' is one of Gothic Metal's best 2014 releases. Make no mistake about it, we will be hearing more of Aonia in the future. Download This: "Echoes" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Nightwish, Therion, Within Temptation [10] RHYS STEVENSON GOTLAND 'Gloria Et Morte' Gotland from Italy plays an exclusive mix of Italian Folk Metal with Pagan Black Metal, marking their debut is Italian Folk Metallers Gotland with their premier effort 'Gloria Et Morte' (Latin for 'Glory and Death'). Whilst the album may lead some fans under false pretenses, that is, the style of Folk Metal is not what you would expect; there are melodic metal elements running here and there throughout, especially in the vocal and melody departments, the overall perception of the album is that it strikes fear hard. If you like, 'Gloria Et Morte' captures the very essence of the power and darkness experienced during the empirical battles, dramatizing the ferociousness of the Roman Empire in its wake, now whilst Caesar may not approve, it certainly would have appealed to Caligula for it's level of monstrosity and darkness. Download This: "Slaves Ov The Empire" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Finntroll, Amon Amarth, Septic Flesh [8] RHYS STEVENSON DISTANT PAST 'Utopian Void' Switzerland's Distant Past return with their fourth studio album 'Utopian Void', adorning much of the Progressive / Melodic Heavy Metal sound that has bound them together since 2002. 'Utopian Void' is a glistening hour of pure ballsy metal with twelve tracks of grit to keep you going, granted whilst it is nothing new and is certainly not groundbreaking, it offers another slice in this sensational crossbred music genre. 'Utopian Void' delivers that almost unmistakable sound of classic metal, you know with the bellowing vocals in the Iron Maiden-esque style and music so rocking, so metal, you have no choice but to let your hair down and go completely insane! Where the quintet go on from here is one question, whether 'Utopian Void' will be beaten by a better Distant Past album is another, but for now it stands as a decent album on it's own accord. Download This: "A Day Of Darkness" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Airbourne [7] RHYS STEVENSON P.T.O.M.A 'Shit Into Existence' Finally a Thrash Metal band who takes no nonsense and delivers a sound that is what is expected of a Thrash Metal band. Greek quartet P.T.O.M.A. (Ptoma is the Greek word for 'corpse') drop their premier album 'Shit Into Existence' with such a thrashing force, it eclipses anyone involved in a boxing match. 'Shit Into Existence' is your classic Thrash Metal album, full of speed and agility that is smothered by the lovable Slayer influences. Whilst most Thrash Metal bands sing about politics, death and the cliche topics, P.T.O.M.A on the other hand cover every lads dreams... tits and fun. It's funny really because for most metalheads, metal, beer and boobs are all the rage, and yet this Greek outfit certainly jab in an element of humor, especially with track titles like 'die with titties in your face' making '50 Shades Of Grey' all of a sudden appear to be a children's bedtime story. Download This: "Die With Titties In Your Face" - Click here to listen. For Fans of: Slayer, Evile, Zimmers Hole [8] RHYS STEVENSON HIVERNA 'II. Macabre' Quebec has a very good track record regarding Black and Folk Metal bands, so when one of it's 2004 graduates Hiverna, released their second album 'II. Macabre' this year, expectations were sure to run high and sure enough, they have delivered. Now surely the theme here is that the albums form some sort of series, especially when there are Roman numerals present, but ignoring that ideology for a second and focusing on 'II. Macabre' itself. The album delivers the elements you would expect from such a band, the galloping yet ferocious drums set the pace whilst the flute delivers the melodies that the guitars cannot seem to do, in turn the guitars deliver that crisp yet sharp sound that is demanded from a Black Metal purview. What makes 'II. Macabre' such an interesting album does not reside with the French lyrics, but more so it's connection with nature, leaving it much likened to any album by England's Winterfylleth. Download This: 'Le Satyre' - Click here to listen For Fans of: Winterfylleth, Eclipse Eternal, Kampfar [8] RHYS STEVENSON PROTOKULT 'No Beer In Heaven' Anyone know any major Canadian beers? Because you cannot just listen to this release without a beer in your hand. 'This release' so happens to be Protokult's second album 'No Beer In Heaven', an album that exhibits a rather unique mix of Atmospheric Folk Metal with Black Metal elements. So picture this, the melodic beauty of Nightwish crashing against the blackened brutality of Windir and being entwined with the elegant happiness of Arkona, well you get the picture. Laden with angelic soprano-like female vocals alongside gnarly and clean male vocals, 'No Beer In Heaven' is a truly dynamic masterpiece, and that's just the vocals. Coupled with an emphatic array of riffs designed to melt your heart apart and drumming so juicy, it bleeds hops and fermenting grapes as to create an aromatic flavorsome production of Canadian Folk Metal, such an eclectic mix of elements will surely garner a lot of attention from around the world. Download This: "Get Me A Beer" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Skyforger, Arkona, Nightwish [9] RHYS STEVENSON FRAGMENTA 'Odimorsus' Returning with album number two is Australia's Fragmenta, of whose Thrash Metal effort 'Odimorsus' initially has a promising outlook on it, but when you realise how high you have to turn the speakers up to hear anything, positive anticipation turned into sour disappointment. Ignoring the production for now, what you have is a decent enough album that carries all the signatures you would expect from a Thrash Metal release, that is gritty vocals, crunchy riffs and bass lines. Topping out at over an hour long with twelve tracks, one of which lasting eight minutes long, is adequate evidence to say that there is something for everyone regarding the album as a whole. 'Odimorsus' may not be the album some die-hard Thrash Metal fans would expect, it is one of those left wide open to interpretation... literally. But the imagination of how this sounds live has a greater feel about it. Download This: "Darkest Storm" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Evile, Slayer, Kreator [7] RHYS STEVENSON LA DAMA OSCURA 'Caminando Sobre El Fuego' MOLUSCO PROD Last year Spanish Heavy Metallers La Dama Oscura released their third album 'Caminando Sobre El Fuego' and naturally what comes with it is a bout of sensational songs, all in the Spanish language. In fact this such a great album if you are learning the language, or want to, because you can really connect with Spanish culture through this album (and indeed all of the band's releases); not just lyrically but musically as well. The album itself is very much wedged within the Iron Maiden universe, with the vocals being in the tenor range demonstrated by Bruce Dickinson. As for the rest of the album, it simply is the basic classic Heavy Metal sound you would expect and so thus ought to appeal to a wide range of metal music fans, listen to it and live la vida loca. Download This: "La Hoguera" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Judas Priest [8] RHYS STEVENSON WARFIST 'The Devil Lives In Grünberg' WYDAWNICTWO MUZYCZNE PSYCHO Poland's love affair for Black Metal and Thrash Metal continues with Warfist's latest offering 'The Devil Lives In Grünberg' (the German name for the Polish town of Zielona Góra) - the trio from Zielona Góra (yes you guessed it right) - have rustled up another serving of Black / Thrash Metal, but with a tendency to lean more towards the latter genre. The thing is, it's nothing new and it sits well and truly within the generic sound you would expect, some would even go as far as calling it a shame to abuse their town name like that. The only thing that can be really said about 'The Devil Lives In Grünberg' is that it is a decent release, that is all. For a band celebrating ten years, you'd have thought there would have been a greater presence on the album, in a contradiction-context however it is there, just not all the time. Make of it what you will, it just simply does not completely impress. Download This: "The Devil Lives In Grünberg" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Deströyer 666, Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch [6] RHYS STEVENSON BODY HARVEST 'Futile Creation' GRINDHOUSE MUSIC Murderous and cranial crushing comes to mind when devouring Body Harvest's debut apocalyptic album 'Futile Creation', from the word go this release will have you begging for mummy more than you did when you were a baby. 'Futile Creation' draws in elements from the Grindcore and Brutal Death Metal sub-genre's and thus combined together produces a musical onslaught of blood-splattered riffs, gut-rotten vocals and seismic drumming, all of which provides itself as a perfect soundtrack to any Saw movie. Funnily enough in recent times, Bristol has become a hotbed for some of the grizzliest bands ever to have emerged in the Death Metal and Thrash Metal styles, so with Body Harvest now a firm family member of the Bristolian metal clan, we can expect a lot more from these guys in times ahead. Download This: "Condemned To Suffer" - click here to listen For Fans of: The Berzerker, Suffocation, Hour of Penance [8] RHYS STEVENSON SINISFEAR
'Reigning Death' Drilling their flag of Death Metal in to the Canadian soil is Sinisfear with their premier EP 'Reigning Death', a colossal slamming of subterfuge in 25 minutes. We say subterfuge, because it is more like Deathgrind than actual Death Metal, but even so it is a rather interesting release to say the least. With squealing guitars forming a glut of whine on 'Wretched Stench' and guttural vocals imminent on every single song, this is an EP of all sorts. The downside is that at times it seems as if the music is going nowhere and has too much going on in such a short space of time, leaving the EP in the corner feeling sorry for itself. That does not mean to say it is trash, just that it lacks that punchline to label it a release of promising things yet to come, Sinisfear need to rethink their next offering otherwise it might as well be game over. Download This: "Wretched Stench" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Death Metal... ish [5] RHYS STEVENSON INFLIKTED 'Inflikted' WORMHOLEDEATH Since the 1980's Thrash Metal has evolved into many various strains, some establishing a greater presence than others, but one strain that appears to be making a resurgent comeback is the Old-School Thrash Metal style, that is the sound that is rather raw, comes with that DIY attitude and features a slight whiff of Punk. Entering this domain is Swedish trio Inflikted with their self-titled album, featuring an hours worth of pure old-school Thrash Metal, that's enough to cause anyone whiplash sixfold, unless of course your drunk on Kopparberg and then what would happen next would certainly make good use as banter amongst the local Swedish police station. Party all night to this riff-a-thon of an album, take note as Inflikted have placed themselves in good stead as the latest promising Stockholm export. Download This: "Tyger" - Click To Listen. For Fans of: Kreator, Tankard, Destruction [8] RHYS STEVENSON NOCTEM 'Exilium' ART GATES If there is one scene in Europe that generally gets overlooked it is Spain, sure with the likes of Avulsed, Dark Moor and Mägo de Oz amongst a few others leading the way for fellow countrymen like Noctem to follow, it still needs to be fully excavated and with their latest effort 'Exilium' now under Prosthetic Records' wing in terms of selling it in Australia and the USA, Noctem are really on highway 666. Blitzing drums drive this monstrosity to the frontier of insanity, whilst the riffs do the deeds of masticating your brain to a pulp and the vocals simply obliterate what is left you. Make no mistake about this, Noctem's 'Exilium' is not for the faint of heart and certainly not for anyone who dislikes Extreme Metal, in fact this album is far more extreme than a ghost chili-laden paella... explosive. Download This: "The Rising Horns" - Click to listen For Fans of: Behemoth, Gorguts, Watain [9] RHYS STEVENSON ASA-NOIR 'Fall Of The Idols' WORMHOLEDEATH Asa-noir are a tricky band to pigeonhole into a specific metal style, even if their lyric topics cover the works of Edgar Allen Poe & H.P. Lovecraft, this does not nowhere near help. In fact you may just as well call it 'Mythical Melodic Metal', as there features a lot of fantasy, darkness and obscure aspects, whilst the music itself adds an element of mysticism and magical feelings to the production of their long-awaited debut album 'Fall Of The Idols'. Marking their 10th anniversary in style, 'Fall Of The Idols' may have come too late to make the band's career groundbreaking, but it certainly is a welcomed sound to the dynamics of the Finnish metal scene. Keyboard elements lace the chunky riffs and powerful vocals together with an almost adventurous atmosphere. Fans of the Avant-Garde and Experimental Metal movements may indulge in this alongside the Melodic Death and Symphonic Metal lovers. Download This: "Hawthorns For The Jotunn's Harlot" - click to listen For Fans of: Shade Empire, Waltari, Fleshgod Apocalypse, The Devin Townsend Project [8] RHYS STEVENSON ANGERMAN 'No Tears For The Devil' WORMHOLEDEATH Angerman are possibly the best rock act to come out of Norway since A-ha stormed the charts with hits such as 'Take On Me' and 'The Living Daylights'. In fact it could be argued that they are bringing back to the front what we've all been missing: proper grunge-laden rock 'n' roll, their premier album 'No Tears For The Devil' spits out Jack Daniels and blown-out amps at every passing second, and with the attitude of Alice In Chains deeply grounded within the epicenter of the release, the periphereal sounds of Machine Head and Guns 'N' Roses can work their magic. With vocals that could easily wipe smiles off peoples faces, riffs so sharp that they are capable of cutting deep into your soul, and the fieriness of a hog-roasted drumkit boiling your brains dry, Angerman are running riot and are leaving a blazing trail behind them. Download This: "Ritual" - click to listen For Fans of: Machine Head, Alice In Chains, Guns 'N' Roses, Tool [9] RHYS STEVENSON IMMINENCE 'I' WE ARE TRIUMPHANT For those who are not familiar with the 'T-Symmetry' theory, Imminence musically have represented it. By wielding together the aggression and sound of an established band, with the beauty and desire to become the flag-bearer of Swedish Metalcore, Imminence have managed to conjure up a release that is guaranteed to send shock-waves across the globe, resulting in the Metalcore powerhouses of the USA, Australia and the UK sitting down, shutting up and paying homage to their Swedish brothers. By injecting a Post-Metal and Technical Hardcore approach to their already well-acknowledged Metalcore skeletal infrastructure, Imminence's 'I' automatically qualifies as more complex than an Ikea store, more towering than Zlatan Ibrahimovic and more powerful than a SAAB Gripen breaking the sound barrier. Make no mistake, this is a groundbreaking release and firmly places itself as a candidate for Swedish Metal album of the year. Download This: "86" - click to listen For Fans of: Periphery, Architects, Miss May I [9] RHYS STEVENSON CLANDESTINED 'Angel Despair' BUSDEATH It's probably been said before, but even so it will be said again. The Japanese metal scene gets highly overlooked, especially when you have bruisers such as Clandestined sending shockwaves across the Far East. Unleashing hell in the form of their fourth outing, the quartet take no prisoners when exercising their raw and gritty mix of pure Thrash Metal and Death Metal elements. You know, this would be a good soundtrack to a sake drinking game, just trying to mosh afterwards might not be such a good idea. Staying put in the classic 80's Thrash Metal era, Clandestined have once again delivered a fantastic release, so for once stop prying eyes on Babymetal and listen to True Japanese Metal, man this is some cranial-crushing stuff. Download This: "Angel Despair" - click to listen For Fans of: Slayer, Machine Head, Kreator [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON NEAR RUIN 'No End' If not executed right, Melodic Metalcore can turn out to become so watered down, it would make the ALS ice bucket challenge replace the monsoon season. What Near Ruin have done here is avoided that trap, and as a result conjured up a sound that lashes together the spikiness of Metallic Hardcore with dollops and dollops of melody.... oh and the occasional trickling of technical and post-hardcore elements. Their debut album 'No End' is sure catch the eye of not just the Metalcore addicts, but the labels as well as it has everything you would wish for from a Melodic Metalcore outfit. The salient point is that Near Ruin deliver a rally of face-punching, straight-to-the-point music, with plenty of oomph, power and none of that 'omg we r a metalcore band, we are so br000tal' poser attitude. Watch with interest, Near Ruin are going places. Download This: "Apostles & Heretics" - click here to listen For Fans of: Killswitch Engage, Miss May I, No Consequence [8] RHYS STEVENSON DOOMSDAY PROPHET 'Our Predetermined Fate' SALUTE To think that sole musician Satanic Tony plays in seven other bands and projects alongside Doomsday Prophet, as well as running his own label Salute Records, it is pretty safe to say that he is a busy guy. Doomsday Prophet is his Funeral Doom Metal child and has just released the debut album 'Our Predetermined Fate'. What we have here is the expected thick and slow guitar playing associated with the Doom Metal signature and the funeral influence playing upon the atmosphere and lyrics as a whole. Unlike most Doom Metal albums, this one does not feature any really lengthy tracks and thus positions itself in a different league, added to the fact the level of raw audacity adds to the already depressing feeling experience when indulging in this release, it's thick, it's bitter, it's Swedish, it's underground Funeral Doom Metal at it's very best. This could do well as a soundtrack to films like Psycho and The Shining. Download This: "Not Our Freedom, Where Is My Freedom" - Click to listen For Fans of: Funeral Doom Metal (any band) [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON WINTERCOLD 'We All Are Dead' SALUTE 2013 bore witness to another one of Satanic Tony's releases, this time via his Gothic / Doom Metal project Wintercold. The EP 'We All Are Dead' keeps that unique sound that has been developed alive and as a result has dealt justice once again. Make no mistake about it, 'We All Are Dead' is a decent enough release that does not over-complicate anything, not even the artwork. With the DIY production sound clearly evident, this release will appeal to the fans of true underground metal, as well as the Gothic / Doom Metal army. Limited to only 200 copies, this release is worthy of being in your collection and should be considered as a rare release, as for the music, well only you can be the judge of that. Download This: "We Are Robots" - Click to listen For Fans of: Gothic Doom Metal (any band) [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON RAINOVER
"Transcending The Blue & Drifting Into Rebirth" WORMHOLEDEATH Alongside the likes of Italy and Finland, Spain definitely has a huge love affair for Gothic Metal. The latest edition to the Spanish circuit being Rainover with their debut album "Transcending The Blue & Drifting Into Rebirth", from start to finish this quintet conjures up an elegant and appealing sonata of angelic vocals, powerful atmospherics, mind-blowing riffs and an overall release that may well position itself as a contender for Spanish Metal album of the year. Far from crying itself out as a release you would blast out all over the Spanish resorts like Benidorm, it certainly carries the warrant to start a party, getting down, getting wasted and having a good time, just go easy on the piña coladas and paella. Download This: "Rain Over My Tears" - Click to listen For Fans of: Tarja-era Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, Leaves' Eyes [8] RHYS STEVENSON FRIGHT NIGHT 'Life Eternal' SOUND AGE PRODS. Russian Metal rarely gets a decent look in by it's Western contemporaries, so when Fright Night unveils the follow-up to their debut album 'The Play of Pain', they are sure to shock the masses. This Gothic Metal outfit employs a rather unique vocal combination, that is they use angelic female vocals alongside clean male vocals; unlike some bands who opt for growling. Maybe it is coincidental, but the vibe experienced on 'Life Eternal' matches up with the band name, as if the music was written for a Halloween opera. For a band who will be celebrating 10 years in 2015, this album certainly oozes intricate ideas that flow through the blissful riffs, elegant vocals and powerful drumming compositions, make no mistake as Fright Night's 'Life Eternal' is a contender for Russian Metal album of the year. Download This: "Numb" - click to listen. For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, Theatres Des Vampires, Lacrimosa [8] RHYS STEVENSON GENIUS ULTOR 'Nic Co Boskie Nie Jest Mi Obce' ARACHNOPHOBIA Ah those releases that feature songs in entirely one language, the sort that don't always break out into planet metal, but putting that aside and in context with Genius Ultor's second album 'Nic Co Boskie Nie Jest Mi Obce', what you have is a decent slab of Polish Black Metal. Right from the off, this album explodes into the cataclysmic force you would expect from such a genre. With vocals so raw it would make you want to eat your own feces, guitars so sharp they make the amps frost over with the bitterness of the genre, drums so insane ole Varg Vikernes would piss himself and all of this encased in an atmosphere that feels worse than death, yeah this is not for the faint of heart. Download This: "Zwycięstwo" - click to listen. For Fans of: "Anyone who can understand Polish", Stillborn, Watain [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON ODRAZA 'Esperalem Tkane' ARACHNOPHOBIA The same with Genius Ultor's release, Poland's Odraza adopts their native tongue to spread their raspy messages of alcoholism, depression and vanity via their premier album 'Esperalem Tkane'. Whilst as not as brutal as their label-mates, Odraza do not fail in summoning up a sound that would strike a string in any Black Metal fans heart. 'Esperalem Tkane' delivers a delicious 47 minutes of pure Polish underground Black Metal that ought to expand their name amongst the Central and Eastern European metal scenes, however whilst it might daunt some listeners, especially with two songs lasting 11 or so minutes each, the time used to listen to it all the way through pays off as this is probably the darkest BM seen in this country for sometime. Download This: "Wielki Mizogin" - click to listen. For Fans of: "Anyone who can understand Polish", Carpathian Forest, Watain [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON CODEDECODED 'Vorace' Of course if you want an absolute skull-crushing sound that has enough brutality to make you vomit your innards out and in repetitiously, you only have to look as far as Greece's Codedecoded to get the full package, that is an additional punch in the face. Unleashing ballistic hell through their debut album 'Vorace', this tight Technical Death Metal unit takes no prisoners and are primed to unleash a torrent of murderous carnage across Europe with their first album in their locker. Harder than your average boner, Codedecoded are a force to be reckoned with and with this effort they clearly warrant attention, we could see much more of this ensemble in the future, but for now the slaughtering has only just begun.... Download This: "Descends" - click to listen to the whole album For Fans of: Psycroptic, Neuraxis, Meshuggah [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ELUVEITIE 'Origins' NUCLEAR BLAST The masters of Celtic-infused Melodic Death Metal have made their welcomed return with another slice of Helvetian history at the helm, following up from their sensational 2012 release 'Helvetios', 'Origins' carries on the unmistakeable Eluveitie sound that has stood them in great stead over the years. Blitzing along to a total length of one hour, listeners will never reach the state of boredom as the album is guaranteed to keep you on your feet. Vastly positioning themselves as not only a successful metal export, but as a highly regarded Swiss music export, Eluveitie have once again met expectations and have dropped an album that may just become Swiss Metal release of the year. 'Origins' is like a Celtic version of Disney's 'Fantasia', magically awe-inspiring. Download This: "King" - click to listen For Fans of: Primordial, Ensiferum, Blackguard [9] RHYS STEVENSON DEATH DEPENDANT 'Sacrifice For The Cross' Arising from the perched surfboards on Western Australia's sun-kissed beaches is Thrash Metal merchants Death Dependant with their debut album 'Sacrifice For The Cross'. From start to finish, this four piece group dishes out the old-style Thrash Metal of the glorious 1980's, with Metallica-esque vocals leading the lightning brigade alongside outrageously insane riffs and neck-breaking drumming; Death Dependant are sure to entrench their name withing the Australian scene. Alongside the evident Thrash Metal sound, elements of Groove Metal are clearly present and as a result, this finely tunes the band's ideal sound into something metalheads globally will enjoy. Death Dependant are flying the flag for the Australian Metal scene. Download This: "Drug Machine" - click to listen. For Fans of: Machine Head, Metallica, Slayer [8] RHYS STEVENSON RAVENCLAW 'Welcome To The Ravenland' + 'Today' Backtrack to 2009 and metalheads in Slovakia may recall the release of Ravenclaw's premier album 'Welcome To The Ravenland', a solid slab of valiant Melodic Power Metal that drags in various elements from the metal spectrum, such as Heavy Metal vocals, Power Metal keyboards and a Melodic chemistry between the instruments and vocals coincidentally. True it is nothing new, but it does have an element of originality held within it, sadly it seems to lack that killer note that otherwise would have given this album that extra boost in giving Ravenclaw European attention. Putting another downer on the album seems impossible, simply because whilst as said the album sound is nothing new, it certainly poises itself as a decent-enough effort. Fast-forward to 2014 and the quintet have delightfully dropped their second single 'Today', and with it, their sound has become much more refined and crisper than their debut album. It also appears that they have opened up the vocal channels more, giving different members points at which to sing in and as a result allowing that extra boost they needed to push them up another level. If they keep this sound and style well and truly in place, they could well make a late charge onto the European Metal circuit as probably headliners. Rallying amongst the evident comparisons of Sonata Arctica and Hammerfall, Ravenclaw might have just discovered their winning formula. Download This: "Today" - click to listen For Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Hammerfall, Olzon-era Nightwish [6.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON CHOMALETS 'Omerta' It's countries like Indonesia where Extreme Metal seems to be riding the highways and the other genres become relegated to the streets. Emerging from the abyss is Chomalets with their premier album 'Omerta', a 36-minute slab of gut-rotten, bone-crunching Death / Grind Metal. Singing exclusively in Indonesian, this four-piece butcher armada take no prisoners when it comes to blasting the masses with their gore-soaked torrent of murderous metal. With blastbeats ringing out like no tomorrow, vocals delivering rip-tides and riffs arising like ghosts out of a graveyard, Chomalets' album 'Omerta' proves itself to be a contender for Indonesian Metal album of the year. This is certainly guaranteed to go down well with metalheads of the more brutal kind. Download This: "Parodi Hitam" - Click to listen For Fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Napalm Death [7] RHYS STEVENSON GYMIR 'The Return Of The Raven' The lack of representation of Folk Metal in the UK seems rather apparent, this is probably why bands like Gymir hold the beacon of hope and aim to bring British Folk Metal to the foreground. A year into their existence and the quintet unleashes their premier single upon the masses, 'The Return Of The Raven' is a gallant and powerful two-track release. With elements originating within the Olde English sound, you get the feeling that Gymir are aiming for a more folkloric connection, however this irony since the band name relates to Nordic myth. As for the single, no Folk Metal fan would get bored of this, in fact it is that good, Gymir's debut album (when it comes) is going to be well anticipated. Gymir are definitely a band that will be on everyone's radar in due course. Download This: "Return Of The Raven" - click to listen For Fans of: Finntroll, Ensiferum, Skyclad [8] RHYS STEVENSON INNSMOUTH
'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' CRIME Firing up the insane time signatures and monstrous brutality for an assault never seen before is Danish bruisers Innsmouth. If headbanging to Mathcore proves to be a tricky challenge, then headbanging to the band's debut album 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' would require a masters degree in mathematics. From start to finish, the insane mix of erratic time signatures and gritty Death Metal is enough to place anyone into a state of complete confusion, whilst the atmosphere developed is enough to deliver that final blow that is guaranteed to knock metalheads flat out. If Necrophagist and Nile had an illegitimate son, it would be Innsmouth, sure the release is an absolute belter, but the question is can their second effort keep the band standing up and not fall at the hurdle. Download This: "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" - click to listen For Fans of: Nile, Cacophony, Obscura, Necrophagist 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' is out October 10th, 2014 via Crime Records [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON |
If you enjoy reading this content, please consider a donation DonateMetal III
3rd Chronicles of Metal Music Reviews © 2011-2022
Global Metal Apocalypse Archives
May 2021
Categories
All
|