 HARMASAR 'Din Pământ' INDEPENDENT Nothing says truly authentic than metal music being sung in your own national language, welcoming to the fore is Moldovan Pagan Metallers Harmasar with their debut album 'Din Pământ'. The five-piece ensemble are a bunch of jolly chaps, who with this effort clearly wallow down the same path as their fellow Pagan and traditional Folk Metal contemporaries, with their compositions of uplifting and soul-blessing sound of traditional folk metal. Expect to be on your feet, dancing away wherever you may be when listening or let's say 'indulging' in this epic masterpiece, in fact this music would certainly go down well in front of a camp fire. 'Din Pământ' certainly should be in your music collection as it's demanding attention will certainly prevent you from turning a blind eye, give it a year and Harmasar will be snapped up by a label. Harmasar are flying the flag for the Moldovan Metal scene. Download This: "Tapae" - Click to listen For Fans of: Ensiferum, Korpiklaani and Litvintroll [8/10] RHYS STEVENSON  SONS OF CAIN 'Seven' INDEPENDENT The Channel Islands rarely get a look-in when it comes to metal music, yet here are some thriving island scenes with enough talent to be knocking on the UK-mainland door. Guernsey's Sons Of Cain are a prime example whose debut album ''Seven'' would be a blessing when listened live, who knows maybe at next years Bloodstock? Saddled between classic Hard Rock and the NWOBHM sounds, Sons Of Cain know their craft well and are well and truly capable of amassing a number of songs with such bounce and beauty, that it mimics the happiness of the Guernsey Islanders. 'Seven' is a concept album and comes off the backbone of a former cover band, not bad for a group of musicians from one of the more isolated yet inhabited parts of the UK no? Download This: "Magic Man" - Click to listen For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Van Halen, AC/DC [7/10] RHYS STEVENSON  VENDETTA INC. 'Blight' INDEPENDENT Lashing together the funk of Groove Metal and grittiness of Metalcore (in the vocals department), you'd begin to think that you're mistaken for checking out the Vendetta Inc. syndicate, well you would be mistaken. This band is heavier than your last hangover and has far more passion than your last shag in bed, truth be told Hungary's Vendetta Inc. are set on making a statement and with their debut effort 'Blight' leading the way, there is nothing that'll stop this quartet from crushing planet metal under their ballistic weight. It was never designed to be pretty, but that's what it is and boy it's pretty as f**k - this is the real deal and you better believe it. Brutally heavy, slick in composition and precise at every second, Vendetta Inc. may well just be Hungary's answer to Lamb Of God. Download This: "Wretched Mind" - Click to listen For Fans of: Lamb Of God, DevilDriver, 5FDP [7.5/10] RHYS STEVENSON  TEARS OF REGRET 'The Darkness Prophecy' DEPRESSIVE ILLUSIONS The Jordan / Iraq-based horde known as Tears Of Regret might have just become the most exciting underground act to emerge from the Middle East. Coming together are musicians of Iraqi, Jordanian, Russian and Emirati backgrounds to create and unleash a sound that is both hallowing, bone-chilling and raw to the core. 'The Darkness Prophecy' is this band's debut album and it's potent enough to make your ears bleed inside out, spewing out stark comparisons with Darkthrone, Dimmu Borgir and to a certain extent Septic Flesh. Ultimately the album should be a tasty treat for those who indulge in extreme metal and or metal from exotic locations. As for the album, it's bombastic, raw and unsuspecting nature is one that will be tough to beat. Download This: "Time Ignorant" - Click to listen For Fans of: Middle Eastern Black Metal, Darkthrone, Immortal [7.5/10] RHYS STEVENSON  LANDMINE 'Reject The Destiny' INDEPENDENT It's early days, but you could probably consider Landmine as South Korea's answer to Sonata Arctica, their epic vocals leading the charge whilst the music itself delivers a crossover mix of Heavy Metal and Power Metal. Why on earth is the South Korean Metal scene largely ignored remains a mystery, given treasures like Landmine are waiting to be discovered by western metal media (cough like us). 'Reject The Destiny' is the quartet's premier EP and is a sure sign that much more is to come, for a first-time effort it's pretty solid and thus Landmine should be the next band you should check out. 20 minutes of beautifully-crafted Heavy Power Metal surges through your speakers and into your ears, just be sure to avoid wetting your pants at the amazing nature of this band. Download This: "After Love" For Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Iron Maiden, Helloween [8/10] RHYS STEVENSON  BLAAKYUM 'Line Of Fear' INDEPENDENT Firstly Acrassicauda from Iraq, then Motor Militia from Bahrain and now Blaakyum from The Lebanon, who'd have thought Thrash Metal would touch the hearts of the Middle Eastern folk? Additionally the Arabian vibe flows throughout the band's second album 'Line Of Fear', echoing comparisons with Tunisia's Myrath and Israel's Orphaned Land in the Oriental Metal department. Truth be told this Lebanese five-piece are ready to smash Europe to bits. One can see the likes of Nuclear Blast snapping this lot up, after all, there are times where you can question the European Metal scenes' level of creativity and when Blaakyum have nothing to lose, they go head-on and immerse themselves in originality, giving them the reason as to why they are the flag-bearers of Lebanese Metal. Download This: "Baal-Adon" For Fans of: Motor Militia, Myrath, Orphaned Land [8/10] RHYS STEVENSON  SLEEPERS' GUILT 'Kilesa' INDEPENDENT Think you know Melodic Death Metal? Feel you've heard enough flouncy melodies and brutal riffs to keep your sanity in check? You must be f*cking joking. Luxembourg's Sleepers' Guilt don't dish-out that kind of bullsh*t, instead they're capable of smashing your senses into a thousand pieces and then some. 'Kilesa' serves as the quintet's premier album and is one album destined to gain attention far and wide, it's infectious hooks and almost entrancing ability to captivate is paramount, in fact 'Kilesa' may as well be a sharp contender for Luxembourg Metal release of the year as this is probably the strongest album to come out of this country all year. With nearly 80 minutes worth of solid Modern Melodic Death Metal at the helm, this is one album that is certain to quench the thirst of most metalheads. Download This: "Supernova" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Arch Enemy, In Flames, Deals Death [7.5/10] RHYS STEVENSON  BLIND SAVIOUR 'The Master Plan' INDEPENDENT Malta is one of those metal scenes who seems to struggle at times in gaining any international attention, but when you have bands like Blind Saviour emerge on the scene and drop a scorching album such as 'The Master Plan', you know the band means business. 'The Master Plan' is a riotous slab of Power Metal that rampages at a canter whilst whipping up vocals so heavenly, even the angels have started a moshpit. Make no mistake they're not your sappy power metal cohorts, not even when their vocalist is female, of whom does a stellar job at unleashing a voice so emphatic, guys should feel ashamed. Perhaps next year will be Blind Saviours year with this effort firmly underneath their belts, waiting to unleash it upon the European masses... and perhaps beyond. Download This: "The Day After" - Click to listen For Fans of: Twilight Force, Kobra & The Lotus, Sonata Arctica [8] RHYS STEVENSON  MINDAHEAD 'Reflections' REVALVE Modern Metallers MindAhead take no prisoners with their algorithmic approach to music construction, by lashing together elements of Progressive, Melodic, Technical and Death Metal, this Italian sextet are preparing to launch themselves into the unknown. 'Reflections' may be a unique album, it may be a damn good one also, but the truth is it's going to push MindAhead into the spotlight. Such an experimental yet eclectic band and album should bode well in the future because truth be told, this sort of music is what metal needs; to open up and explore new avenues. Ultimately if you thought Modern Metal was about the groove, the riffs, the heaviness, then you're mistaken... stare into your own 'Reflections' and see that the truth is found deep within... the desire to invent, inspire and above all, reflect... Download This: "Emerald Green Eyes" For Fans of: Amaranthe, Nightwish, Epica [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  TRALLERY
'Spiritless' ART GATES Hailing from the Balearic Islands, Thrashers Trallery hold nothing back in attempting to better their debut album, the result? Completely filthy Thrash Metal designed to split your spine in two. 'Spiritless' is a reckless and relentless ride through pacey riffs, brutal drums and vocals so vicious that you'll need life insurance to pass this orgasmic musical spectacular. 'Spiritless' gleams with breakneck Thrash Metal designed to conjure up any moshpit at such short notice, moreover Trallery seem to understand how to create your own unique sound as they wallow in between the ferocity of Slayer and the precision of Metallica whilst giving a slight nod to the Teutonic sound. Ah this album is cool, there's hardly anything worth scrutinizing about... it's not long enough. Download This: "Evil Pride" For Fans of: Savage Messiah, Evile, Slayer, Metallica [8] RHYS STEVENSON
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 THE ERKONAUTS 'I Did Something Bad' ERKONOS You would find more solace and entertainment in watching paint dry than subjecting yourself to this extremely dismal debut album by The Erkonauts. Despite all of the Swiss quartet's best efforts, 'I Did Something Bad' does not carve itself out as a decent release, it lacks atmosphere, dwells too much on trying to become the next Dream Theater and ultimately weeps at the seams. Let's hope this album is short-lived and that the band pick up the pieces and redesign their blueprint, whether the album producer thought to themselves 'I Did Something Bad' is one possibility, the other being the thought belongs with the individual musicians. Check out if you dare. Download This: "Nola" - Click here to listen. For Fans of: Dream Theater, Periphery, Prog Metal [5] RHYS STEVENSON  CENTRATE 'Tiger Force' INDEPENDENT Cometh the modern wave of Teutonic Thrash Metal, sure Centrate's 'Tiger Force' is nothing new in terms of bringing something fresh to the over-saturated Thrash Metal style, it does however accomplish what it was created to do, that is deliver insanely heavy Thrash Metal. 'Tiger Force' is a four-track EP that glimmers with seismic drumming, maniacal riffs, ferocious vocals and an attitude that combined together sticks a few fists up your anus, knuckleduster in-tow. For the seasoned Thrash addict, this EP will tickle your taste-buds without leaving any desire to turn it off, meaning it might not appeal for those who love a wide array of metal. It is however a decent effort. Download This: "Tiger Force (promo)" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Holy Moses, Slayer, Tankard [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  PROFUNDAE LIBIDINES 'El Viaje Definitivo' INDEPENDENT If you wish to be detrimental towards Profundae Libidines' second album 'El Viaje Definitivo', you can be. Because it strides the boundary of being insanely weird and insanely shit, point being it has too many influences fighting each other to gain supremacy over the entire release. The only decent aspect of this release besides it's creative artwork, is the intuitive-sounds developed on the release through the use of a violin and fret-less bass. France has a rich heritage in underground Black Metal, but unfortunately this album does not stand up to it's former pedigree and thus will be left to rot in the abyss of decaying metal releases. You could be slightly more detrimental by admitting it's stabbed the Avant-Garde / Black Metal partnership in the heart. Download This: "El Viaje Definitivo" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Avant-Garde / Black Metal, Andy Warhol, 'strange music' [4] RHYS STEVENSON  PRAVIA 'Pravia' INDEPENDENT Behold the purveyors of 'Pagancore', Pravia are Poland's latest export and they come in the form of a five-piece Pagan Melodic Death Metal / Deathcore outfit. By wielding together the grit and brutality of Deathcore, with the flashiness and eccentricity of Melodic Death Metal and lashing it together with the Slavonic perspective of Pagan Metal, Pravia are set to become hot property within the year ahead. For added flavor, if they added some folk instruments native to their Polish and / or Slavic heritage, then the added dimension will certainly hoist them up as a genre innovator. In fact due to the sheer excitement reverberated across this release, 'Pravia' might as well be 'Polish Metal release of the year' for this in all sincerity carries all of the hallmarks of a band destined to achieve great things. Download This: "Forest Brethren" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Eluveitie, Arkona, Heaven Shall Burn [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LAPPALAÏNEN 'Kraken's Awakening' INDEPENDENT Once again the whole 'we are not Nordic but let's do Viking Metal anyway' attitude comes to the fore with France's latest export Lappalaïnen. The difference being, it seems this bard sextet want to merge both Celtic Metal and Viking Metal together, so far it seems to be paying off but for how long? 'Kraken's Awakening' brings to the table a bouncy, LOTR anthem-like sound to the forefront and will surely appeal to the Folkloric Metalheads worldwide. Whilst perhaps not as majestic as their opposite numbers like Eluveitie and Tyr, they however are much akin to the likes of Nightcreepers. Fast, bouncy and highly energetic is what 'Kraken's Awakening' can be summarized as, just wait for the second coming as it will need to be something special to beat this effort. Download This: "Riding On The Load Of Hay" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Eluveitie, Nightcreepers, Tyr [8] RHYS STEVENSON  BUKO 'Elefantes' INDEPENDENT Madrid shook heavily on the grounds as the Spanish quintet Buko emerge out of the pits with their highly anticipated debut album 'Elefantes'. Smothered by the Spanish language, this Heavy / Groove Metal release comes laden with Death Metal influences from the American kind. Despite it's lack in breaking the ice, that is making it an instant it, Buko's 'Elefantes' will certainly delight anyone who listens to it. There's a lot of influences roaming around this album and to pigeonhole it into one genre is practically asking for suicide, but with the evident 5FDP groove, DevilDriver Death Metal pinching and Avenged Sevenfold Heavy Metal riffs, Buko's 'Elefantes' is a truly unique release, rest assured. Download This: "Huérfanos" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Five Finger Death Punch, DevilDriver, Avenged Sevenfold [7] RHYS STEVENSON  DEPRESSED 'Afterlife In Darkness' INDEPENDENT If you asked for raw Death Metal put your hands up, otherwise sit down, shut up and listen to perhaps the most rawest Death Metal emerging out of Brazil over the last decade. 'Afterlife In Darkness' serves as Depressed's long-overdue debut album, which comes a whopping sixteen years after their first demo back in 1999, and boy was the wait worth it. Vocals so guttural that they will bleed your brain dry, whilst the riffs rip into you like barbed wire caressing your skin and the drums just simply, finish you off. Granted this band might be short-lived, but for the underground fetishist and the metalheads who dig exotic metal, then 'Afterlife In Darkness' is for you. Brutal, snazzy, erotic and completely 100% Brazilian. Download This: "Reborn In Hellfire (Live)" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Krisiun [7] RHYS STEVENSON  IRONRAT 'Monument' VOLTAGE If they had better studio quality then the album would be pretty decent, but ignoring the said flaw the album still is a delightful listen. Of course taking seven years to drop a debut album you'd think that Yorkshire's Ironrat would want to make it as gorgeous as possible, sure it might not be smelling of sweet roses but it certainly doesn't stink of sweat either. Whether the passion boiled down prior to the recording or the band were high off their tits, 'Monument' is still a rampant Stoner / Groove Metal album that carries all the hallmarks you would expect from a said-genre album. Funky, heavy and gritty, now the question is where's the sex? Unless you can give CD's oral, you can give CD's oral, right? Download This: "Feed The Pigs" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Machine Head, Monster Magnet, Electric Wizard [7] RHYS STEVENSON  MINDPATROL 'The Marble Fall' INDEPENDENT Mindpatrol is the Derren Brown of the metal world, full of magical trickery, progressive illusions and a shadowy atmosphere, after all their second album 'The Marble Fall' plays into the minds of the listener, developing a world beyond mere imagination. With at least an hour's worth of listening to cascade through, at every turn there is a musical element you was not expecting and it is this that places Mindpatrol's 'The Marble Fall' as a huge contender for not only 'Luxembourger Metal release of the year' but also 'European Metal album of the year'. There is no doubt that the Luxembourg Metal scene is shaking at it's very foundations, with Mindpatrol being the latest band to emerge from this tiny nation. Mindpatrol are a band to watch out for in 2016. Download This: "Tabula Rasa" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Born Of Osiris, Cypher 16, Periphery [9] RHYS STEVENSON  DEEP RIVER ACOLYTES
'From The Voids Of Chaos' INDEPENDENT Wave your head from left to right and back again to the tune of Deep River Acolytes' premier EP 'From The Voids Of Chaos' because this Heavy / Doom Metal monster demands you to do so. Hailing from the cold north of Finland, this quintet do not fail to impress nor serve up a delightful release. Well stretching out at nineteen minutes across three tracks, your attention won't drift away too soon and in fact this EP sort-of pays homage to the founders of Heavy / Doom Metal, Black Sabbath. Whilst they may not be as illustrious as the sadly-splitting band, nor as inventive, Deep River Acolytes certainly know how to start off on the right foot. They may just yet become your new favorite Finnish Metal export, if not one to watch out for in 2016. Download This: "Dwellers In The Mist" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Black Sabbath, Candlemass, St. Vitus [8] RHYS STEVENSON  INFECTED CHAOS 'The Wake Of Ares' METAL MUSIC AUSTRIA Unleashing a ravishing bombardment of guttural onslaught and provocative thoughts is Austrian Death Metal masochists Infected Chaos, who have blessed the metal world with their sensational debut album 'The Wake Of Ares'. Expect nothing but full-on Death Metal here, none of that glamorous-fancy stuff, no, this is straight edge Death Metal and you better be prepared for it, otherwise you will be begging for your life as it consumes your brains inside out. Waltzing in-and-out of the Old School and Modern variants, Infected Chaos make no errors on this attempt and this is why they will be your new favorite Death Metal band. In fact, 'The Wake Of Ares' might as well be a hot contender for Austrian Metal release of the year, watch this band with interest as they are set to go places. Download This: "Ia, God Of War" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Hail Of Bullets, Abhorrent Decimation, Unleashed [8] RHYS STEVENSON  MIST 'Inan' ' SOULSELLER Mist are enjoying their current incarnation and with their new-found line-up, unleash their gloomy premier EP 'Inan' ' to the masses with renewed vigor. Wallowing in the deepest realms of Doom Metal, this Slovenian outfit mark their territory well with this effort and will give them the ropes to hoist themselves up the ladder of international recognition. The funny thing is though, whilst Doom Metal is meant to be rather bleak, sorrowful and near-depressive, Mist ironically do not befit the usual elements of Doom Metal and instead drag in a more upbeat style to the genre, this might not appeal to those who suckle Doom Metal in their sleep, but might appeal to the wider metal community. Black Sabbath may well be calling curtains, but for Doom Metal it is the likes of Mist that are writing the new chapters in this genres history, and are sure to follow in the legends footsteps. Download This: "Inan" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Candlemass [8] RHYS STEVENSON  GODSLAVE 'Whatever We Want!' GREEN ZONE MUSIC / H'ART So we have the German Thrash Metal Godslave go completely non-metal and metal at the same time, well how you may ask? Well Godslave would answer "we will do 'whatever we want!" and that is exactly what they did, they unleashed an EP in honor of the Quo, Status Quo. Now for the elitist metalhead this would be completely taboo, but for the more conservative metalhead this is an epic delight, and boy do Godslave nail it right on the head. Through the essential use of gritty guitar playing, neck-breaking drums and brutally harmonic vocals, Godslave deliver their trademark sound that has guided them over the last decade (ish) or so. Ultimately 'Whatever We Want!' is a must-have release for any rock or metal fan alike, and certainly can be considered simply 'Thrashtastic!', here's to the second Quo-Thrash!. Get the EP here:- http://godslave.de/product/whatever-we-want-ep/ For Fans of: Status Quo (obviously), Metallica, Motorhead [8] RHYS STEVENSON  IHDAMAS 'Multiverso Desconocido' SALUTE If you're hunting for exotic Extreme Metal, look no further than South America and in specific Colombia, whose Black / Thrash Metal sons Ihdamas have made their voices heard through their premier '2014 demo' released last year and this year via Salute Records (SE). Proclaiming themselves as 'Conexion Metal', it is relatively clear at what they are trying to conjure up. A carefully blended mix of Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Doom and Death Metal to create what essentially is 'Extreme Metal'. Raw in it's sound and furious in it's production, 'Multiverso Desconocido' is a delight to anyone who indulges in Extreme Metal and the South American abyss. Now whilst it's a decent release, it is doomed to stay in the underground for it's lacking that one element to make it an internationally recognized release, simply put:- to convince, because whilst the DIY sound may work for the underground, it would not bode well in the wider metal circuit. All in all a decent release. Get the demo via Salute Records here. For fans of: From Forgotten Being, Qafas, Seeds Of Iblis [7] RHYS STEVENSON  SARPENTRA 'Supernova' INDEPENDENT Russian Death Metal should have a genre of all it's own, because no matter what Russian band performs Death Metal, they all seem to be a league above the world. Making that notion more solid is Sarpentra who explode with their debut album 'Supernova' which is as brutally potent as sniffing arsenic after ingesting vodka and rum. With the blistering-paced drums leading the surcharge and the guitars adding the dimensional harmonics, coupled with vocals that Behemoth's Nergal would approve of and atmospherics similar to the likes of Fleshgod Apocalypse, 'Supernova' is a groundbreaking release that will spark off mass interest in many labels worldwide. Unrelenting in ferocity and uncompromising in energetic brutality, you may as well be looking at the Russian Metal release of the year, simply catastrophically 'Apocalyptic Metal'. For Fans of: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Behemoth, Katalepsy Download This: "Prometheus Unbound" - click here to listen [9] RHYS STEVENSON  LEAVE SCARS 'Chains Of Redemption' INDEPENDENT Cast your mind back and we gave Belgian Thrashers Leave Scars a fine going-over back in 2013, well fast forward to 2015 and the quintet have released another torrential battering of fine Thrash Metal in the shape of their second album 'Chains Of Redemption'. Pushing harder and faster since their first chronicle, 'Chains Of Redemption' demands your immediate attention with enough mosh power to command over a 1,000 and make the world's largest moshpit. Combining the Old-School anguish with the modern technicalities and glitz, Leave Scars are determined to 'Leave Scars' across Europe with their infectious Thrash Metal style. Loaded with aggression, you will need a spare set of pants because when this album is finished with you, there will be a shitty mess all over your chair - you have been warned. For Fans of: Evile, Fallen Fate, Savage Messiah Download This: "Final Chance" - click here to listen [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DEATH BRINGER 'Avoid Reality' INDEPENDENT Six years after forming, Spanish Melodic Death Metal outfit Death Bringer lay down the law with their all-out powerful debut album 'Avoid Reality'. Fronted by the beautiful Paloma Gómez, her vocals intertwine with Pablo Santamarta in a sort-of 'beauty and the beast' singing arrangement. Guttural vocals crash against melodic vocals whilst the riffs burn into your ears and the drums provide that final solid sound that makes 'Avoid Reality' a truly respected album. Accept no substitutes as Death Bringer have assurances that they are the real deal and are set to smash your head in unless you conform, this album is not for weak-minded people, this album is for those who can tolerate the thought of their skull being exploded by an explosive wall of Melodic 'Death' Metal, fear it. Download This: "Bring Me Fire" - Click here to listen For Fans of: The Agonist, Izegrim, 6th Awakening [8] RHYS STEVENSON  IMMORALIS 'Connected Visions' INDEPENDENT After seeing two of their members depart the camp, Immoralis were faced with the enormous task of delivering a follow-up release worthy of acclaim. 'Connected Visions' ticks that box, despite dropping the female vocals; which for this release is the missing piece, the ingenuity of the music in question is sexually evocative. By avoiding the overrated djent sound and wedging themselves in between Symphonic Metalcore and Progressive Metal, Immoralis have crafted out a new dimension within the Avant-Garde style. Harmonious keys provide the solidified background, whilst the crunchy riffs and bass dance along with Jesse's face-punching vocals. Overall this EP holds promise for this Minnesota outfit, it is an improvement from 'The Great Collapse', but it falls short of being spectacular as it demands Jacis vocal presence. Download This: "Leo" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Bleeding Through, Periphery, Soilwork [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LOST IN PAIN 'Plague Inc.' NOISEWORKS Luxembourg is enjoying a great year for exporting metal music, what with Scarred's performance at Bloodstock and now Lost In Pain's charismatic second album 'Plague Inc.' seeing the light. Expect nothing less than some good old fashioned Heavy Metal from this 46 minute adventure, through the use of majestic vocals, spiffing riffs, thick-and-heavy bass elements and punctual drumming, Lost In Pain pay homage to the greatest genre in music history. Not flash nor trying to be the next Iron Maiden, Lost In Pain's 'Plague Inc.' is guaranteed to satisfy the thirst for those who indulge in not only the classic Heavy Metal vernacular but also metal from lesser-known scenes like Luxembourg. 'Plague Inc.' is without a doubt, 'Luxembourger Metal release of the year'. Simply awe-inspiring. Download This: "Greed" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Pantera, Mastodon, Machine Head, ok and Iron Maiden (ish) [8] RHYS STEVENSON  CHRONOS
'Hour Of Atonement' INDEPENDENT Channeled in the right direction, Somerset outfit Chronos' debut EP 'Hour Of Atonement' could have been a mind-blowing release but it lacks that cutting edge that would make it so. Sure the ferocity behind the mixing of the Melodic Death Metal and Thrash Metal sounds on the EP go well together, it just does not have that convincing element to say that Chronos are ready yet to break out of the underground. In fact the title track 'Chronos' is perhaps the only one to be defined as 'convincing', if they utilize that flirtatiousness between the guitars and drums more often then this EP could have been a whole league better. 'Hour Of Atonement' is a decent start, there is much to learn and with the right guidance Chronos can make it. Download This: 'Chronos' (Live)' - Click here to listen For Fans of: Trivium, In Flames, Opeth [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  BLACKDRAWN 'Blackdrawn' BD MUSIC Now you might well have thought that because of Greece's demoralizing and brutal economic downfall that the quality of metal would deplete as a result; not to mention quality of gear and services available, well, you would be mistaken. Enter Blackdrawn, the new kids on the block who come armed with their rather unforgiving blend of mystical keyboard elements, technical groove riffery, blazing drums and not to mention vocals so gritty they would embed in your soul for eternity. Eloquently expressed, the self-debut album by this Greek unit lashes together the aforementioned Groove / Tech combination with elements of Nordic Melodic Death Metal, conjuring up what could be accepted as part of the 'new wave of Modern Metal'. Already set to perform as support to Arch Enemy in November, Blackdrawn are the Greek Metal band you never saw coming. Simply magical. Download This: "What I Am" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Soilwork, In Flames, DevilDriver [9.5] RHYS STEVENSON  STORM 'Storm's A Brewin' ' TIN IDOL PRODS. Granted the USA has a gargantuan range of metal bands stretching across from the Atlantic to Pacific West, but ever thought of Hawaiian Metal? Well emerging from the secluded island archipegalo is the female-fronted Gothic Metal band Storm with their infectious debut album 'Storm's A Brewin' '. Borrowing properties from the Doom Metal and Symphonic Metal styles, this quintet certainly have ambition on their mind as proven with this effort, despite lacking something that would make this album extra special; no idea what it is, but it's lacking something, Storm certainly are looking the real deal when it comes down to initiative and original-thinking throughout constructing these hallowing and spine-chilling songs. With this album, Storm are leading the Hawaiian Metal scene to greater recognition. Download This: "Angel Eyes" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, Paradise Lost [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ORDO CAPER 'Promo 2015' ONLY DEATH'S REAL. Costa Rica in recent years has been enjoying a flourishing of metal bands emerging from the pits of the underground to more continental and international recognition. The latest to make this move is Death Metal duo Ordo Caper of whose 2015 promo exhibits more of the old-school Death Metal style, rather than the polished-off kind you find all too common these days. What also makes this release all the more interesting is one of the songs 'Igbodu', simply because trying to google what it means and not getting anywhere demands more curiosity to be given. The only immediate downside to this promo (and what can you expect?) is that at times the vocals override the music too much, the drums fade too much and thus you're left quite unsure of what to make of the promo holistically. Download This: "Red Moon Ritual" - Get the promo from the band via their Facebook here For Fans of: Morbid Angel, Old-School Death Metal [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  ARES 'Divine Creation' SLEASZY RIDER We've already ascertained that the Japanese Metal scene is built upon breaking the rules, saying no to taboo issues in context with metal music itself, and supporting that notion with their second album 'Divine Creation', is the trio Ares. This is not Melodic Death Metal as you know it, there is much more going on to even demand it's own genre from which can be called 'Modern Apocalyptic Metal'. Seriously there are elements of Symphonic Metal, Power Metal and Metalcore that all combine together to create a sound that is sensationally mind-blowing, one that inevitably demanded a record label deal and one that will catapult Ares higher in the Asian, if not the Japanese Metal scene. Granted the production might well have helped, despite it possibly being naff, sometimes the bad things are actually ironically good. Keep this band in your line of sight, they are sure to make waves. Download This: "New Created Sky" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Arch Enemy, Demonic Resurrection, 'Modern Metal' [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DRAUGÛL 'Chronicles Untold' PESTTANZ KLANGSCHMIEDE Be honest it's always fascinating when a solo project or a band focuses on singing about topics totally unrelated to where they are from. So when Sweden-based project Draugûl divulges in Nordic mythology and Tolkien-related subjects, immediately the thought of Swedish musicians comes to mind, except that this project has its roots in Malta. Geographical differences aside, Draugûl revels in the Epic Viking Metal style and broods it well with the third full-length album 'Chronicles Untold', but it's stuff we've heard before in other forms and as a result the project probably cannot escape being compared to similar bard-like bands. Putting that notion aside, 'Chronicles Untold' does what it intends to do and does so gracefully, there is no doubt it will capture the attention of Folk Metal addicts, but for the broader metal-listener it might fall short of anything interesting. In short, the album is decent but definitely not groundbreaking nor incomparable. Buy the album here: Draugûl - Chronicles Untold For Fans of: Windir, Watain, Faun [7] RHYS STEVENSON  AGE OF DUST 'Messenger In A Soulless World' INDEPENDENT As far as Operatic Metal goes, this is a new chapter in the genre and without a doubt the small-but-strong Catalan Metal scene. Unleashing their majestic and energetic masterpiece 'Messenger In A Soulless World', is trio Age Of Dust. Drawing the beauty, elegance and dramatics from musical scores like 'The Phantom of the Opera', Age of Dust are positioning themselves as Spain's answer to Sweden's long-running Therion. With 50 minutes of pure lively 'beauty and the beast' serenades rampaging throughout, you would be silly to knock off 'Messenger In A Soulless World' as just another Symphonic Metal album. High hopes are expected of this group and there next outings will be closely watched with interest, what with a choir providing background substance this could develop into something rather interesting to say the least. Download This: "No Shade Of Grey" - click here to listen For Fans of: Therion, Epica, Lacuna Coil [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  LUCIFERUM PENIS '15 Years of Silence and Rituals' SALUTE For a band who has been going 15 years, you'd have thought that by now their sound would have been refined, matured and tolerable. Unfortunately Luciferum Penis have not followed that pattern, instead what you are faced with when listening to their monumental '15 Years of Silence and Rituals' compilation, is in short a waste of air. There is very little redeemable quality on this release and despite it's obvious kvlt status, it fails to capture any real imagination and lacks that convincing element. However for those who associate themselves with the more extreme, underground variant of Black Metal, this is an absolute diamond. But for the all-round metal listener, yeah, this doesn't hold interest on all of the songs, in fact the best one of the lot is 'Tenebris Irae' and to think that this one of the few acceptable songs on the compilation says something about the entire release right? Download This: "Tenebris Irae" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Satanic Warmaster, Behexen, Horna [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON  LOST IN PAIN 'Plague Inc.' NOISEWORKS If you seek classic Heavy Metal from the Benelux region, then look no further than Luxembourg's Lost In Pain. This quartet deliver a glorious splattering of Modern Heavy Metal with Old-School influences floating around in the background. Their second album 'Plague Inc.' builds upon their successful self-titled debut album and shows that they are a match for anyone, however they choose to build upon this effort will ultimately determine on whether they keep their feng shui intact. With the eccentricity of the riffs, power behind the drums, gritty vocals and unbelievably electric atmosphere, Lost In Pain's 'Plague Inc.' is a solid contender for Luxembourg Metal release of the year, they certainly would do well in the UK that's for sure. Download This: "Gone" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Steel Panther, Iron Maiden, Sister Sin [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SIROLL! 'Més llenya' BLOOD FIRE DEATH Now you probably would not have imagined Metallic Hardcore having a musical relationship with the Spanish language right? Well Siroll! have done exactly that and make their next sermon 'Més llenya' more brutal than being gored at The Running of the Bulls. But please refrain from using the term Spanishcore because one it sounds slightly silly and two it makes the band seem seclusive just because they're singing in their native tongue. 'Més llenya' comes loaded with riffs after juicy riffs, menacing vocals and drums so agile, Lionel Messi has been made redundant. If there was to be a cheeky tongue-in-cheek track it would be '902' because lets face it, it starts off with a phone ringing, it's random, weird and perhaps should not have been, or should it? You decide. Download This: "902" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Hatebreed, Converge, All Pigs Must Die [7] RHYS STEVENSON  CEREBRAL ABSCESS
'Promo 2015' PUTRESCENCE Low-fi recording, gritty, ballsy and downright dirty is what springs to mind when indulging in the the 2015 promo by Russian Brutal Death horde Cerebral Abscess. You can imagine it, extremely guttural sounds, noises, you get the idea. That is just the vocals, the guitars are so thick they seem almost non-apparent and the drums are so low it is as if they were in a recording studio the size of a football pitch. Despite this, the track called 'Exterpation Of The Brain' does have its merits in that it stays true to the designated genre, it just does not warrant any re-listening. It falls short of being called music but does not fall short of being noise, it just falls on it's knees and has very few qualities worth noting. Bit of luck this is a promotional demo right? Download the promo here For Fans of: Brutal Death Metal, Russian Gore Metal, 'noise?' [5] 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  HEAVEN'S SCUM 'It All Ends In Pain' Luxembourg is one of those countries that rarely gets looked at when regarding metal music, so when Death Metal mobsters Heaven's Scum arrive on the scene with their debut album 'It All Ends In Pain', the initial question is will this gain them attention outside The Benelux. Well it should do, with gritty and dirty vocals, rampant riffs and unforgiving drums producing a sound that would appeal to any Death Metal fan, this is an album that should catch the eye of a label or two. With an hours material at the helm, you will not get bored easily and nor will you switch it off, in fact by the end of the album you will realize that 'It All Ends In Pain'. Download This: "Mutality" For Fans of: Lamb of God, Unleashed, Machine Head [8] RHYS STEVENSON  PURGAMENTUM 'Aschewelt' Underground Black Metal has to have a certain element to it to make it credible and worth the buzz in the pits of hell. Germany's Purgamentum are close but no cigar, their premier album 'Aschewelt' delivers what is expected of such a release but lacks that element of convincing. It has to strike emotion into the listener and it appears to be hard to find any trace of passive emotion. As the album title suggests it is in German and thus whilst anyone learning the language may find it useful, it unfortunately will remain within the German-speaking Countries. Overall it offers promise but at the same time questions the sincerity of the release. Download This: "Erntemond" For Fans of: "Underground Black Metal", "German Black Metal" [6] RHYS STEVENSON  BLACKNETIC 'Hell & Fire - Demo 2014' The downside about DIY or low budget recordings is that the majority of them are low sounded and are of poor quality. Sadly Blacknetic's first demo 'Hell & Fire - Demo 2014' finds itself in that category, but that's not unexpected of a demo. The music itself takes elements of Heavy Metal and Thrash Metal and is meshed together to make a sound that would appeal to mostly anyone. Hampering down the release as said is the low quality of sound, not only that but even when turning the speakers up a few notches, there is a lack of seriousness and this really renders the demo a waste of time, of course the band would disagree but que sera sera. Download This: "Erratic Kingdom" For Fans of: "Anything below volume 3", "low sounds", "standard Heavy / Thrash" [6] RHYS STEVENSON  DYER 'The Evolutionary Process' At times you just get bored hearing the same old coming out, sure bands say that they are original and create their own music, but half of the time that is a fabricated lie. Now whilst Dyer's EP 'The Evolutionary Process' may offer something fresh, it certainly is not completely new. Concocting a blend of Grooved up Thrash Metal, this Californian unit obviously missed the memo that said think outside the box, simply because this EP has 'standard writing' written over most of it. The irony is that it so bad it is that good, at times the vocals lack powerr, the riffs fail to come out of the strings and the drums are so standardized it would take someone like One Direction to come up with something much better, albeit "Fist-Print", being the only song that ticks all the boxes. Dyer may have had three years since their debut album but these were clearly wasted. Download This: "Fist-Print" For Fans of: Machine Head, Pantera, Annihilator [5] RHYS STEVENSON  HYPERIAL 'Blood & Dust' BLACKTEAMMEDIA Black / Death Metal has just received a face lift, exposing the inside core of this rather hostile music genre. Entering the halls of the abyss is Polish quintet Hyperial with their second opus of Modern Extreme Metal, infusing together the riotous and unforgiving power of the Behemoth machine, with the Modern sounds and spine-chilling elements churned out by The Kovenant, Hyperial whip up a sound that is guaranteed to make you think twice about listening to 'that new album' by Polish veterans Behemoth. Whilst it may not be as heavy, what it lacks in heaviness it makes up for scintillating orchestrated pieces, from start to finish Hyperial unleash a barrage of hell that only the fans of Extreme Metal would get a boner over. 'Blood & Dust' could be a contender for Polish Metal album of the year. Download This: "Gehenna Upon His Feet" For Fans of: The Kovenant, Behemoth, Tristwood, Anaal Nathrakh [8] RHYS STEVENSON  NECRONAUTICAL 'Black Sea Misanthropy' Now if Blackbeard had a favorite metal band, because of the aptness of the band name it would probably be English 'Nautical Metal' sea merchants Necronautical. But don't panic, they are not singing about sea shanty's, pirates, beer, or any other cliche topics, but rather the darkness of the seven seas. Their debut album 'Black Sea Misanthropy' is anchored deep in the Black Metal style and explodes in a vibrant array of captivating Death Metal, Folk Music elements and evident Black Metal rallying assaults. Although this could be an apt soundtrack to the film "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", it would be great if they carried on this 'dark side of the seven seas' theme. What this trio have served up here is an exciting promise of things to come, therefore watch this band closely with intent as they could well become Alestorm's darker self and your new favorite Black Metal band. Download This: "Pride In The Great Colossus" For Fans of: Alestorm, Carach Angren, Black Metal [9] RHYS STEVENSON  CLAMUS 'III' The first question to ask is how is this EP called 'III' when there only appears to be two EP's released? The second question is are Clamus more Death Metal or Thrash Metal? And the final question is where do Clamus go on from here, because what they have delivered here is decent but it lacks that spark that would see them breaking out of the Brazilian Metal scene. Sure the drums are on full throttle, the riffs are exploding like dynamite on speed and the vocals are as brutal as a hangover at the World Cup, but this is nothing new and so lacks that element of convincing listeners whether Clamus had their blueprints laid out right for the second EP or they simply lit a joint and lost their imagination through getting high. One thing is for sure, the drums hold this EP up off the ground. Download This: "Nitro Blast" For Fans of: Sepultura, Slayer, Carcass [7] RHYS STEVENSON  NAPALM STORM 'Harmless Cruelty' WORMHOLEDEATH Let's see if you can make it through Napalm Storm's debut album 'Harmless Cruelty' without actually falling asleep, this is just basic standard Thrash Metal and does not really feature anything spectacular about it. Even perhaps the most ardent Thrash Metal fans may go out for a fag or whip on Justin Bieber to alleviate their hearing from the torture experienced by this poor release. 'Harmless Cruelty' may well have been released one year after the band reformed, but with this effort time was clearly rushed and thus the album released lacks balls, or at least any convincing element that would otherwise dub the release 'decent', these Spanish lot have got a huge task on their hands to make a come back from this... Download This: "Slaves Of Divinity' For Fans of: Metallica, Slayer, Evile [4] RHYS STEVENSON  SOVENGAR 'Vindicta Et Gloria' ART GATES Soverngar the Spanish Viking Metallers... yes you read that right 'Spanish Viking Metal', serves up their debut album to the masses with enough shields and swords to recreate the Helm's Deep scene in the film 'Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers', unfortunately the sound summoned is a beyond poor as the vocals are very naff. They sound far too forced for their own liking and this alone is the reason why 'Vindicta Et Gloria' is a hit-and-miss release, it seems too pushed in your face to really appreciate it. The riffs are too standard, in tow with the solo's that seem to be just whacked in without thought, the drums however give the release a glimmer of hope. The only major positive aspect the album actually has is that it exists, the riffs seem too uninspiring and the drums more repetitious than someone with a Obsessive-Compulsive disorder in repeating themselves, the minor positive aspect is that they gave it a go. Download This: "Fight Or Die" For Fans of: Tyr, Ensiferum, Skálmöld [4] RHYS STEVENSON  BELGARATH
'Wanderer' Eastern Europe tends to have a huge love affair for the darker styles of metal, so therefore it comes as no surprise that arising from the back streets of Sofia is Bulgaria's newest Black Metal offering. Belgarath are a three-piece machine who have just unleashed catastrophic hell through their premier album 'Wanderer', an unrelenting charge of lightning-fast Black Metal courses throughout the entire album, leaving the listener gasping for blood as a result. Corroded riffs lead the battle charge through the storm that sits within the core of album, whilst the shrieking vocals boil your blood at the same time as the drums set the moody atmosphere, this is not a band to joke around with, they mean hell. 'Wanderer' may just prove to be Bulgarian Metal album of the year. Download This: "Dead End" For Fans of: Darkthrone, Immortal, Marduk [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  CASTLEWAY 'Tales From The Old Times' Folk Metal comes in many strains, so how is that a band appears to sing about Viking topics and yet plays a sound that appears to slightly wedge itself in the Celtic Metal arena? It remains to be seen whether there is an answer to that, but what is clear is that Switzerland's CastleWay are determined to make a stand and have their voices counted with the release of their debut album "Tales From The Old Times" last year. Granted it's nothing new and whilst it employs some background Black Metal elements, the overall impression is that they are going to remain as a straight-edge Folk Metal band. Despite the gritty vocals, almost depressing violin elements, bouncy riffs and blazing drums, 'Tales From The Old Times' lacks one element, that is an atmosphere. Maybe if they recorded in the forest.... Download This: "Fenrir's Revenge" For Fans of: Heidevolk, Tyr, Abinchova [7] RHYS STEVENSON  NÚMENOR 'Colossal Darkness' STYGIAN CRYPT Arising from the depths of the Balkans, Serbia's Númenor summon up a majestic sound that would displace any established Power Metal or Black Metal band in the region singing about fantasy and correlating literature. 2013 bore witness to their debut album arising, 'Colossal Darkness' is a short 35 minute journey that takes you through the burning depths of Tolkien's Middle Earth and through the cascading mountainsides of the Dinaric Alps, but with a phantasmagorical image and artwork to potentially fool the listener into thinking it's a Power or Folk Metal album, just wait until you hear what this Serbian unit have served up. Weaving together Black Metal vocals, sensational symphonies, brazen drums and captivating lyrics, 'Colossal Darkness' is an album that is sure to appeal to many. Download This: "The Alchemist" For fans of: Bal-Sagoth, Nazgûl, Summoning [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DEMENCIA MORTALIS 'The End Is Nigh' The Czech Metal scene at times is overlooked by Western Europe, it's a shame when you have bands like Demencia Mortalis tearing up the countryside and storming the cities with their Symphonic-infused Gothic / Doom Metal, a genre that seems to pop up in this scene quite often. It has been six years since their debut album and so when their follow-up 'The End Is Nigh' dropped, what you get is a beauty and the beast style vocal duet, supported by some rather sweet violin elements; as if to drag in the classical atmosphere developed by the likes of Antonin Dvorák, crunchy riffs and thunderous drumming supplement this and add up to what could be Czech Metal album of the year. Download This "What If" For Fans of: Virgin Black, Draconian, Paradise Lost [9] RHYS STEVENSON  SUBLIND 'Thrashing Delirium' Welcoming to the Thrash Metal arena is Sublind, a five-piece from the small country of Luxembourg. It only took them 9 years to summon up their debut album and sure the wait was worth it, especially when beer and Thrash Metal is involved. Oh hell this is an album that would burn your ears so hot that you would need to douse yourself in beer to cool yourself down. From the start to the very finish, Sublind unleash a barrage of maniacal hell through the usage of mauling riffs, savage vocals and stomach-piercing drumming. Make no mistake Sublind might be a small band, from a small scene in a small country, but small things add up to big things and with this effort now firmly cemented, the only way for them is forward. Download This: "Humpeknupper" For Fans of: "Beer-soaked Thrash Metal", Destructor, Kreator [8] RHYS STEVENSON  DARK DESOLATION 'Blasphemous Pestilence' SALUTE Unholy matrimony rides bareback on Dark Desolation's premier demo released back in 2012. Black Metal in India has come a long way and so when this five-piece leviathan unleash this barrage of demonic hell, the feeling left is one of despair and bitterness, so much so the next step is vomiting. 'Blasphemous Pestilence' is as raw as it comes and whilst the average metal fan may dismiss it for the less-than-average quality and tinny sound, the fans who love their BM as raw as red meat are definitely going to dig this. Make no mistake, India and Dark Desolation might not be in the same league as their European or American contemporaries, but christ they are edging closer to it. Watch these guys with intent. Download This: "Futile Dogma" For Fans of: Immortal, Dark Funeral, Urgehal [8] RHYS STEVENSON  JUNKYARD LIPSTICK 'Hellbent' Four South African women, armed with metal music and a musical instrument, what could be more deadly? Simple. Junkyard Lipstick. No, these ladies are not your average rock chicks, they are instead a Hard Rock / Thrash Metal group with enough attitude to smack faces. 'Hellbent' is a rollercoaster of a ride that takes you from the insanely fast to some of the rockiest sounds made ever, trip-wire riffs guide this ballistic missile-of-an-album through the maze of angelic and demonized vocals, whilst accounting for the drums that would make Lars Ulrich wet himself. 'Hellbent' is simply an album full of face-melting metal, sweat and more oestrogen than African penguins in mating season. It is mean, gritty and full of metal, but perhaps the only thing that is missing is lots of leather, fans may as well agree that seeing these ladies in leather will turn heads faster than Oscar Pistorius can run. Download This: "Reality TV" For Fans of: Guns 'N' Roses, Slayer, Metallica, Pantera [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SELFMACHINE 'Broadcast Your Identity' WORMHOLEDEATH Could this be The Netherland's answer to Five Finger Death Punch? Well it would certainly seem that way. Selfmachine excavate the lower depths of the Groove Metal barrel and smother it with Metalcore to develop a funky yet brutal sound 5FDP would be impressed by. Staking their claim as possibly best new Dutch band of the year with their debut album 'Broadcast Your Identity', Selfmachine are sure to be destined for big things in the times ahead and are a sure band to watch out for. There aren't many places where you would find insanely crazy solo's, blistering drums, neck-squeezing vocals and riffs so powerful it would blow women's clothes off. With just under an hour to keep you amused, this album warrants a replay at least threefold. Watch with interest. Download This: "Massive Luxury Overdose" For Fans of: Soilwork, 5FDP, Killswitch Engage, Threat Signal [10] RHYS STEVENSON  AEON PATRONIST 'Through The Paths Of Delusion' Arising from the tropical island of Réunion (near Madagascar), Technical Death merchants Aeon Patronist unleash cyclonic hell via their premier album 'Through The Paths Of Delusion', through the execution of slamming Death Metal vocals and such guitar wizardry, they manage to produce such remarkable time signatures and of course a level of brutality equivalent to that of a force 5 hurricane. Now if they were to play this live at an open air festival, the sheer ferociousness and brutality expelled on the album would be enough to blast the island straight onto the African shores. Take note, this music is not for the faint of heart and thus you will need to be emotionally stable to indulge in this band. 'Through The Paths Of Delusion' is simply a masterpiece, and as for Aeon Patronist, they are flying the flag for the Réunion Metal scene. Download This: "The Mad Poet" For Fans of: Gorguts, Atheist, Nile [8] RHYS STEVENSON  IMMORTAL EMPIRE 'Utopia, Nocturne, Parabellum' + 'Immortal Reign' Once again one of Norfolk's most beloved Black Metal bands, Immortal Empire, delivers another smacking of cold and bitter music. This time through both their 2014 and 2013 EP's 'Utopia, Nocturne, Parabellum' + 'Immortal Reign' respectively. The latest release carries on that raw and nitty gritty sound expected from an underground metal band. Moreover, the level of distortion and fuzziness adds to the sheer force of the music, it is unrelenting and is guaranteed to turn heads. With two tracks reaching the 8 and 9 minute mark, you won't be left short of what to listen to. Oh how they would bode well at a Black Metal festival. Both EP's are a work of genius and with regards to the 2013 EP, the same can be said as the above. A sheer stroke of genius and creativity is evident here as the EP unleashes a wave-after-wave attack of raw Black Metal in it's truest form. Sure this may not appeal to those who cannot stand poor sound quality releases, but that's what speakers are built for so turn it up. Both EP''s deal justice for the hard work this band puts in and thus their next release will be watched with high interest. Download These: "1000 Winters" + "The Conqueror Wyrm" For fans of: "Raw Black Metal" [8] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DECIMATION
'Bound For The Chamber' Decimation's 'Bound For The Chamber' delivers slamming Brutal Death Metal, emanating from the darkest depths of the Cornish countryside. How hard can it be to muster up a sound that makes your stomach turn? Well Decimation evidently don't find it that hard, because their debut album released last year explodes into a full-on frenzy metal explosion. From the start to the very finish, Decimation bore down into your brain so hard it will make you go psychotic and eventually make you lose your yourself, even then Eminem would be unable to help. Armed with machine-gun drums, gut-wrentching vocals, murderous riffs and an atmosphere so close to that of the Saw films, Decimiation are poised to make a buzz across the British Metal scene. You have been warned. Download This: "Revulsion" For Fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Decapitated, "Brutal Death Metal" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  HERIDA 'Ghost Of The Sun' Rowdiness comes in three stages, one: silent build-ups, two: breaking point and three: total havoc, Herida sit on breaking point and fail to break, but that's the ingenious blueprints behind their 2012 release 'Ghost Of The Sun', a groove metal marathon that jitters and jives from song to song in abhorrent fashion. It's hard what to make of these lads at times on the album but the general ideology is that they use a groove music foundation to add classic heavy metal vocals on top, just like a cheesecake the band and release features a solid background sound and a smooth and tasty foreground that leaves the listener wanting more music to their ears. Download This: "Burnin' Tree" For Fans of: Lamb of God, Iron Maiden, Battle Beast [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DRAGONLANCE 'Edge Of Darkness' Dragonlance returned once again to deliver their first ever single back in 2005, it is evident that they have changed their tune and gone for a more Heavy / Power Metal approach that emulates the melodic trickery that bands like Sonata Arctica induce and the vocals reminiscent of Bruce Dickinson in his higher vocal range; sure this may be a cliche but it is the best one to use. 'Edge Of Darkness' can be seen as a turning point for the band as they coalesce their nominal sound that will see them progress unto delivering their all important debut album. The only downside is that the level of clarity needs to be upsurged and some guitar solo's need to be less technical as they tend to over ride the song indefinitely, not only do the guitar solo's tend to hog the limelight, the keyboard elements do the exact same thing, where will they go now from here? Download This: "Edge Of Darkness" For Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Italian Power Metal. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  IRON KINGDOM 'Gates Of Eternity' It seems noticeable that Canada in recent years has reverted back to the classic sounds of early Heavy Metal, Iron Kingdom on the other use the same sound but twist to add their own ballsy electrifying feel to their music. 'Gates Of Eternity' the second album by the four piece stalwarts pieces together the classic Iron Maiden-esque infrastructure but amplifies the sound through a number of different values, such as having a female drummer who makes musicians like Lars Ulrich seem past their sell by date as the backdrop is as heavy as the hangover from an all nighter. As for the guitars and vocals, the sensationalism riding on every note and lyric is enough to send any die hard metal fan into mass headbanging. The ultimate question from the truly successful album 'Gates Of Eternity' is whether can Iron Kingdom follow in the footsteps of modern bands like Kobra & The Lotus? Well why the f**k not? Download This: "Chains Of Solitude" For fans of: Kaine, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Kobra & The Lotus. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DRAGONLANCE 'Returning Of The King' Now this is the sound that works best for the Japanese Power Metal troupe Dragonlance, finding that delicate balance the quartet consequently dropped their third demo 'Returning Of The King' back in 2007 and with it summoning a musical identity that will power them out of the Japanese islands. 'Returning Of The King' ticks all the boxes expected from a Power Metal release and more, in fact on this release there is that majestic adventurous feeling experienced when listening to European veterans, that sort of Power Metal that sends shivers down your spine. The truth is that this demo is exactly what Dragonlance should stick to, it is this sound that separates them from the rest of their countrymen. Think along the lines of Children of Bodom's icy keyboard elements and Dragonforce's plethora of complex solo's and you get the idea, as for Dragonlance this is the time to capitalize on this development and exploit it further. Download This: "Returning Of The King" For Fans of: Children of Bodom, Sonata Arctica, Dragonforce [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  FOR THE IMPERIUM 'Hail The Monsters' WARNER MUSIC FINLAND If the Finnish music industry was an operations management model it would be mass production, spewing out acidic flames of metal like no tomorrow, uprising and emerging out of the frozen furnace of Helsinki is For The Imperium. Armed with their mindf**king elemental matrix of avant-garde metal, pop rock and mimicked electronic elements, the overall sound can somewhat be summed up as 'Finnish Modern Metal'; a threat to their Nordic neighbors. 'Hail The Monsters' is an algorithmic musical puzzle that does not cut corners in order to impress, it simply reinforces the inevitable fact that For The Imperium is Finland's answer to Denmark's megalithic trio of Mnemic, Raunchy and Hatesphere. Fueled through the unrelenting masterminds that are For The Imperium, 'Hail The Monsters' is the sound of Finnish Metal 2013 and will impress metal fans across the globe, the Modern Metal style belongs to For The Imperium this year. Download This: "Northern Rampage [Muscles And Gasoline]" For Fans of: Raunchy, Dead By April, Waltari, Mnemic [9] RHYS STEVENSON  DRAGONLANCE 'Knight The Wanderer' + 'Master Of Lance' Thankfully Dragonlance stuck to a similar sound demonstrated on their previous effort as their second single 'Knight The Wanderer' creates an atmosphere that is nearly exactly same experienced when listening to 'Returning Of The King', except 'Knight The Wanderer' carries a little less promise, sad to say it is not totally positive as at times the band seem to have lost the direction they want to go in. 'Knight The Wanderer' is a decent release granted, but at times it is questionable whether the release itself has 100% thought gone into it as the guitar solo overload once again makes an unwelcomed visit. Given due it is a good sound but in the end, the band have lost it on this release, lost it completely. However their 2009 demo 'Master Of Lance' gets back to basics and summons that sound that suits the band, the sound that makes t [5] RHYS STEVENSON  AN APPLE A DAY 'Fall Of Thera' Blasting the abyss apart on the European continent is Luxembourg murderers An Apple A Day, the dentist's ultimate nightmare. Drawing up the blueprints for their debut EP 'Fall Of Thera' last year, the Deathcore / Death Metal wizards smashed the faces of the posers apart with a skull-crunching explosion of guttural Teutonic force that makes any earthquake look pitiful. 'Fall Of Thera' is designed to give bands like Whitechapel a wake up call to say the USA is no longer the best Deathcore producing nation anymore and as An Apple A Day course themselves through 2013, they may as well become the best ever heaviest metal band to emerge from the Benelux in years. Luxembourg and An Apple A Day may be small, but the punch they pack is harder than any delivered by a WWF champion. Download This: "Thera" For Fans of: Resist The Thought, Whitechapel, Buried In Verona [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DRAGONLANCE 'Chapter Of Skyland' It is finally here, no not an album but the first major release by Dragonforce. Released in 2011, the premier EP 'Chapter Of Skyland' kicks off with an instrumental intro that circulates medieval chanting and has stark similarities with sections of the Epcot tune in Disney, rather odd no? In fact, this is perhaps the best ever release the band has ever done, even eclipsing the demo 'Return of the King' by miles. 'Chapter Of Skyland' employs that winning Power Metal formula demonstrated on the said demo and amplifies it to a whole new level. Sure the eccentric solo's are still there but they fit more majestically in the songs than their predecessors. 'Chapter Of Skyland' is without any doubt a release fit for global appreciation, with harmonies caressing the sharpness of the riffs, the powerful ballad like vocals and spine-chilling elements produced from the keyboard and drums coming all together, 'Chapter Of Skyland' is their best effort ever. Download This: "Definitions Of Honor" For Fans of: Children of Bodom, Sonata Arctica, Dragonforce [9] RHYS STEVENSON  LUCIEN SARTI 'Lucien Sarti' Hailing from Suffolk, Lucien Sarti are a fresh faced Death / Thrash Metal quartet from the depths of Ipswich. Their self titled debut EP explores the more darker side to this crossover style, inducing guttural grit in the vocals and snappy riffs that are placed just right so that the vocals simply ride on the waves. Sure it is not as fast as some would expect, the drums aren't exactly Slayer speed but the vocals do deal justice in the form of some rather neat Death Metal. 'Lucien Sarti' is a good start but there is a way to go before it gets national attention; besides the band's potential of winning Metal 2 The Masses: East Anglia. Overall there are three tracks of good solid metal, but don't expect anything 100% special, not that perfection always works with rough bands, Lucien Sarti are simply lining themselves up to put old style metal back in the frontline. Download This: "1066 Lament" For Fans of: Carnal Forge, Sepultura [7] RHYS STEVENSON  DRAGONLANCE
'The Seven Serpents' 2012 saw the latest release by Dragonlance drop, 'The Seven Serpents' the band's fifth demo takes the nominal sound they developed once again and take it to greater levels, but still no debut album (what on earth are they playing at???) Anyhow, 'The Seven Serpents' is that classic Power Metal release, full of heavenly powerful vocals and elegant music, again it's three tracks so the special feeling does not explode totally but the retaining of their sound does. 'The Seven Serpents' could be the last release this band ever does, but who knows what they will throw up in 2013? As for the release itself, it is sure to appeal to many Power Metal fans and is sure to set off a new trend in the Japanese Metal scene. Download This: "The Seven Serpents" For Fans of: Children of Bodom, Sonata Arctica, Dragonforce [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  SLEEPERS' GUILT 'Sleepers' Guilt' Luxembourg is not really considered when it comes to metal music and so it falls down to bands like Sleepers' Guilt to represent the nation internationally. The Melodic / Progressive Groove Metal outfit unleashed their debut EP last year and given the performance on this release, they should garner some attention in times ahead. The self-titled EP features fast and slow elements that intertwine to develop an atmosphere that can be compared to Melodic Metal and also Doom Metal, that sort of slow, dark and bleak feel to the music experienced when listening to bands like My Dying Bride. It is early days but the consensus behind the release would suggest the band has much more to offer and are sure to get a label deal in the near future. Download This: "Stay" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  IMMER 'Seperation' This is exactly what the doctor ordered, slamming Death Metal in the form of a blast from the east, namely the Czech band Immer with their third album released this year. 'Seperation' in fact mixes a rather odd mix, by using the brutality and melodies of Death Metal with the rock 'n' roll prefecture, the result is a bizarre sound and one that will raise a few eyebrows, not only that but the overall ideology behind the lyrics is confounding too as they seem to change nineteen-to-the-dozen. Make it of what you will, but know the major point behind this unique release is that Immer are on the path to glory. Download This: "Old Man Blues" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  AS GOD CREATED 'Creation's Crowning Glory' Thrashcore is relatively a new concept, however it is simply an amalgamation of Thrash Metal and Metalcore. Easier said than displayed, well not quite, in fact when Austrian quintet As God Created dropped their latest effort 'Creation's Crowning Glory', it was a revelation to hear something unique from the plethora of Metalcore crossover combinations. The sensational fury behind the percussion sequences drives this album forward like a military army trooping the colors in front of their leader, that as well as accompanying the ten tonne riffs that crush anything that stands within the Teutonic audio earthquake that comes from listening to this megalithic release. Curiosity for some, but the salient point behind this lot is that they deliver fast, technical and grizzly metal that makes your mother in law wet herself. Download This: "Soul On Fire" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  INFINITUS MORTUS 'The Conspiracy Of Love' RAVENHEART MUSIC As the second album by Infinitus Mortus dropped, the sense that this was a huge advancement in American Symphonic Gothic Metal was ultimately realized. Their unbelievably sensational release 'The Conspiracy Of Love' features emotional duets between Caitlin Meehan and Vincent James that can be related to the sort found in legendary stories such as 'The Phantom of the Opera' - it's that two-tone vocal delivery that sets the tone for the album, whilst the keyboard develops an ambient atmosphere that alongside the drums and guitars fuel the vocals with enough ammunition to bring down the statue of liberty. 'The Conspiracy Of Love' is an album that will captivate many fans of female fronted vocals and powerful Gothic Metal alike. Download This: Plain Hearts For fans of: Nightwish, Therion, Within Temptation. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  DIARY OF DESTRUCTION 'Dark Road To Recovery' SEASON OF MIST Unleashing their debut album 'Dark Road To Recovery' onto the masses is French five-piece Diary Of Destruction, a territorial armada that is certain to wipe the smirk of all other Melodic Death / Metalcore ensembles in the European metal scene. Delivering a face-punching wall of sound that consists of extreme female vocals that are sweet as French champagne and yet carry a futile range of decibels that is simply stunning, whilst the concreted over music provides a solid wall of fire that is sure to explode this band to greater heights, if 'Dark Road To Recovery' is the key to unlocking the door for the band to become more widely known, then Diary of Destruction are certainly going to put a few American bands in their place and position themselves as the leader of French Melodic Death / Metalcore. Download This: "That's It!" [10] RHYS STEVENSON  BURN STILL 'Rise' Estonia of late has seemingly had an upsurge of metal bands that could collectively dwarf some of the other emerging metal scenes globally. That's easy to say but when you get bands like Burn Still of whose Melodic Death Metal / Metalcore approach is by far the signature tune that this band has craved for. This sound radiates across their latest effort 'Rise', the chunky and crunchy riffs that spellbind the entire release is just merely the start of it, what follows on cue is ferocious vocals that would make any hardcore kid go completely sissy and the drums are confirmed to give anyone neck pains. 'Rise' is an album that is certified for mass headbanging and as the band battle their way through the overly saturated metalcore market, Burn Still are set to 'Rise' up and fly the flag for Estonia. Download This "Closed Doors" [9] RHYS STEVENSON  CHROMATIC POINT 'Zlaten Presek' Macedonian Fusion / Progressive Metal outfit Chromatic Point have done justice by dropping their debut album last year, 'Zlaten Presek' is a instrumental release and so for those who cannot cope without lyrics this is not for you. Taking similar sounds experienced by bands like Greece's Dol Ammad and others in the Sci-Fi or epic metal categories, this four-piece immerse the listener in a torrential flooding of erratic riffs, funky percussion and some rather sharp, twisty and unexpected turns. Overall this is a decent enough instrumental release and if lyrics was added to the songs, it could be a whole level greater. Download This: "Proton" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  FATHOMS 'Transitions' Last year Brighton was hit by a mammoth tidal wave that was the direct cause of the Teutonic release by Metallic Hardcore merchants Fathoms, 'Transitions'. From start to finish, the endless brutal technicalities that lie within the solid infrastructure of each song gives the listener nowhere to hide. Fathoms, the very definition of tantalizing face-punching music delivers their finest musical architecture to date via a myriad of cascading riffs, assailant-style drumming and acidic vocals that corrode your senses until you become nothing but atomic waste. If you're after a general Metallic Hardcore band, look elsewhere for Fathoms are set to rip the UK apart alongside other rising bands in what could be called a wave of musical 'Transitions'. Download This: "Lessons" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  AMBERIAN DAWN 'Re-Evolution' KHY SUOMEN MUSIIKKI OY Out with the old and in with the new, long-standing vocalist Heidi Parviainen makes way for the unknown Päivi Virkkunen (Capri, whilst the rest of the band maintain their technically crafted symphonic speed metal algorithm, the shift in vocals are shocking, in fact the scale down is so dramatic it will take time for fans to get accustom to the new vocals. However rest assured Päivi throws in a newer dimension to the Amberian Dawn infrastructure as found on their upcoming compilation 'Re-Evolution' which features old songs with the new vocals on top. What also comes is a slight shift in musical direction, some songs are leaning towards Power Metal with the new vocals, I guess they more or less done another Nightwish and pulling it off. Fans of Sonata Arctica, Yngwie Malmsteen and oddly enough ABBA might warm to this new sound. (p.s. slightly joking about ABBA). 'Re-Evolution' is out 14th June (Finland) and 17th June (Worldwide) via KHY Suomen Musiikki Oy [8] RHYS STEVENSON  ESHTADUR
'Dominated By Dummies' + 'Stay Away From Evil & Get Close To Me' South America is host to a whole plethora of Black Metal ensembles, as if it was the second most followed cult in the region behind football. No surprise then in 2011 the debut album by Colombia's Eshtadur dropped with such furor, it correlates to the early forms of Cradle of Filth and the early forms of melodic black metal. Hellish shrieks dominate this album that is suppressed by an extraordinary rate of blast-beats that encase the entire sound in an unrelenting pummelling sound. 'Dominated By Dummies' in fact sets the path in stone for the band to follow, it captures the very essential expectations of an experimental / melodic black metal album and as a result proves its worth as a valuable listen by any Black Metal fans view. Ten tracks of what could prove to be Colombia's best Black metal production in the entire metal music history in this nation. The great thing about this album is that it keeps you on your toes, there is an endless battering of sensational extreme metal. The upcoming album 'Stay Away From Evil & Get Close To Me' is even better, still carrying on that essential furious black metal sound embedded in the band's core infrastructure, the band scourge for even greater experimentation sounds that sets the tone for their future - emphatic. 'Stay Away From Evil & Get Close To Me' takes on board a whole myriad of influences including metalcore breakdowns - leaning towards Abigail Williams and Bleeding Through here and as this sound coalesces around the unsettled atmosphere, it is sure to cause an explosion of violent thunderstorms across the globe. The voice of Colombia has spoken, Eshtadur have proven themselves worthy of being flag bearers for their nation, 'Stay Away From Evil & Get Close To Me' is poised to be awarded Colombian Metal album of the year. Download This: "Romances In Black" 'Stay Away From Evil & Get Close To Me' is out 1st June 2013 via Gate of Horror Productions [8] + [9] RHYS STEVENSON |
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