 TBOPTPIAS 'Caucasian Flagellation' INDEPENDENT Potentially hailing from Barbados, Tboptpias are veiled in secrecy and there's very little information about who is in the band, whether they are from Barbados or indeed if it's a legit band (think Rhanawa vs. Oriksha Shakpana). Either way 'Caucasian Flagellation' is a very interesting release as it binds together influences from both the Black and Death Metal genres and thus somehow develops it's own sound for Tboptpias to experiment with. With the raw and low-fi production adding a crisp and underground feel to it, this debut EP is one for the ages and will surely appeal to those who indulge in extreme metal from exotic locations... that is if they are from Barbados; we know Conrad are. Download This: "Cholera" - Click to listen For Fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Vader, Impiety [7] RHYS STEVENSON  MEMORIAM 'Ravaged Approach' INDEPENDENT Cyprus does not exactly spring to mind when you think of metal music, yet this island nation in the Mediterranean has a bustling metal scene, full of hidden gems that will get your moshing before you book flights to this sunny and hot place. Memoriam so happens to be one of these gems, this ten-legged Melodic Death outfit certainly know how to deliver a cranial-crunching release, 'Ravaged Approach' is the bands debut EP and it gives generous nods to the whole modern style with Gothenburg elements in tow. 2017 could be Memoriam's year because this sort of sound will do well around Europe as Melodic Death Metal seems to be in demand of late, watch this band with vigorous interest. Download This: "Sated Bull" - Click here to listen For Fans of: Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth, Scar Symmetry [8] RHYS STEVENSON  CHEPANG 'Lathi Charge' INDEPENDENT Now based in the USA, Nepalese Grindcore merchants Chepang drop their self-titled EP with such force that you cannot just simply ignore it. Come on the band features two drummers for heaven's sake, and yet at times you can distinguish this easily from the forethought of them having just the one. Singing exclusively in their native Nepali, Chepang know their stuff as they bolt political and social lyrics with the grizzly sound of thunderous drums, tight riffs and vocals so thick that they're hard to understand - what more can you expect? Chepang take their name from the indigenous Tibeto-Burman tribe and the EP title comes from the Indian Media expression for 'baton charge'... yeah imagine being hit by a baton, that's what this EP will do to you. Download This: "Bidwa Ko Charam Sukha" - Click to listen For Fans of: Napalm Death, Tengkorak, Multinational Corporations [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SILENT TORTURE 'Your Creation' INDEPENDENT Revelling in the shadows of Old-School Death Metal, New Zealanders Silent Torture keep the style alive with their debut EP 'Your Creation'. With muffled growls at the helm, this ten-legged leviathan of bestiality slams down on the table an EP that spits vulgarity, hate and abhorrence. Whilst the core of the EP glimmers with the old-school sound, there's some parts which nick elements from the Modern Death Metal style and thus if you like, keeping both camps happy. 'Your Creation' might not be unique in any shape or form, but it's certainly a delightful blast to unleash upon your neighbours - unless their elderly and then in which case may the zimmer frame moshpit commence (joke). Download This: "Blasphemy" - Click to listen For Fans of: Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, Obituary [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE 'Serpent Insurrection' BLACKENDEATH For the uneducated, Lucifuge Rofocale according to the Grand Grimoire, is the demon in charge of Hell's government by order of Lucifer. In the metal world they are a truly decent Black Metal outfit from the darkened pits of Nicaragua. This time round the trio come armed with their latest offering of demonic and bestial sermons in the form of their premier EP 'Serpent Insurrection'. Traditional Black Metal riffs course throughout whilst there's a delicate whiff of True Norwegian Black Metal in the atmospherics department, both aided by raucous vocals and riveting drumming. Overall a solid EP release that will definitely appeal to the Black Metal loyalists and those passionate about metal from exotic lands alike. Download This: "Luciferic Enslavement" - Click to listen For Fans of: Immortal, Carpathian Forest, Taake [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LUCID NIGHTMARE 'Lucid Nightmare' INDEPENDENT Northern Ireland is one of those metal scenes that despite having a wealth of talent, rarely sees any of it's offspring fledge outside of it's lands if only for a few bands, Gama Bomb for example. So when the attention turns towards the underground and bands like Lucid Nightmare deliver their first effort, eyebrows are raised, because when you listen to their debut self-titled effort, not only is it raw and delicious, it's true to the underground sound. 'Lucid Nightmare' is a release that whilst evidently lacks the ability to convince that the band is the real deal, it does come as a consolatory pleasant listen, one that borrows influences from Black Metal, Thrash Metal and Heavy Metal without straying into either one too far. 2017 should have high hopes for this quintet, they're clearly onto something. For Fans of: Toxic Holocaust, Slayer, Venom Download This: "Hidden Victims" - Click to listen [7] RHYS STEVENSON  COMMUNAL GRAVE 'Solace in Violencia' ENFORCER The members who make up the Pakistani Extreme Metal band Communal Grave have come out from their own communal grave (ha-ha... no), well the previous incarnation split back in 2011 before a new visage emerged just last year (2015) and with it they set on delivering a solid 'welcome back' release. The result? A powerful punch-in-the-face courtesy of their rather ironical debut album 'Solace in Violencia' which eventually came after 10 years since their inception. By throwing Melodic Death and Thrash Metal into the mixing pot, this Karachi-based horde have conjured up a release that is sure to draw some attention their way as its potency is second to none... it's sheer magnificence is untouchable. For Fans of: Scar Symmetry, Kreator, The Haunted Download This: "Pull The Trigger" - Click to listen [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  RAGE MOB 'Unforeseen Disaster' INDEPENDENT Done in the traditional style of South American Thrash Metal, Rage Mob's first ever demo 'Unforeseen Disaster' is laden with chugging riffs, headbanging vocals and Teutonic drums, but even more impressive is the variety of style on this demo. From the fast to the slick, 'Unforeseen Disaster' is a demo that should be heralded by the Paraguayan Metal scene as one of the finest releases seen this year. By taking the Groove influence from Sepultura and adding the brutality of Slayer, this quartet are set to embark on something remarkable in the years-to-come. Sticking to true 80's Thrash lyrics, the band dives head-first into social issues, violent unrest and humanity's demise, how more fitting can this be? Download This: "Ritual Of Violence" - Click to listen For Fans of: Slayer, Sepultura, Evile [8] RHYS STEVENSON  APU RUMI 'Puka Yaku' INDEPENDENT The self-proclaimed 'Andean Folk Metal' sextet known as Apu Rumi have stamped their mark on the Peruvian Metal scene with their ethnic take on the Power / Folk Metal style. By releasing their debut album 'Puka Yaku', which is entirely in the Quechua language; thus becoming the first metal band to do so, they've effectively created a new style of Folk Metal. Quechua so happens to be the native language of the Incas and so thus making this album and band rather authentic to Peruvian culture. Immerse yourself in infectious melodies, thunderous drums and riffs, harmonious and Amazonian atmospherics but also traditional Inca folk music. 'Puka Yaku' is a truly unique and mesmerising release that will set the trend for Peruvian Folk Metal in years to come. Download This: "Tanta Qarwa" - Click to listen For fans of: Mägo de Oz, Skiltron, Angra [8] RHYS STEVENSON  EXITUS
'Rot 'Em All' INDEPENDENT Hailing from The Philippines, the Extreme Metal trio Exitus bind together elements from Black Metal, Death Metal and Thrash Metal to once again conjure up another demo, 'Rot 'Em All'. Yet whilst it's only taken a year to unleash this beast, it's 15 years since the band's inception and so it makes you question what on earth have they been doing all this time? Sleeping under rocks? No idea. But the demo itself is not bad, it's not great, but it does well to pass the time. None the less Exitus will have their fair share of attention across the South-East Asian Metal scenes, but for the wider world? Questionable but certainly not wishful thinking. Download This: "This Metal Lust" - Click to listen For Fans of: Toxic Holocaust, Carpathian Forest, Immortal [7] RHYS STEVENSON
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 AGHARTI 'Change' WORMHOLEDEATH It's not often that you come across a band that totally obliterates everything in it's path, well Agharti's debut album 'Change' certainly ticks all the boxes for "album you must own". The Croatian sextet weave together a face-melting concoction of emphatic melodies, romantic beauty-and-the-beast style vocals, knife-edge riffs and hollow drumming, producing a sound that is sure to push their name across the European continent. With hints of Evanescence, Within Temptation and Sirenia coursing throughout the album, you would be silly to ignore this beautiful red rose. Agharti have poised themselves as one of Croatia's hottest properties and with this effort, are sure to catapult them into the limelight, this is their finest hour. Download This: "End Of Your Domination" For Fans of: Evanescence, Sirenia, Within Temptation, [9] RHYS STEVENSON  ALL THIS FILTH 'Programmed To Suffer' Australian new kids on the block All This Filth dropped their debut demo last year and with it comes a skull-smashing lump of gritty Death / Thrash Metal laden with Groove Metal elements. Seriously this release punches your face in so hard you will eat yourself to death. 'Programmed To Suffer' literally speaks of what is wrong with the world, that everyone is told what to f**king do and so we suffer by being programmed as robots. Well from this release, as pissed off as it is, All This Filth provide the soundtrack to keep you sane and rid you of anger. Ballistic drumming supplements the disgusting riffs that course through and underneath the sickening vocals and vulgar atmosphere. You have been warned, this is not a release to f**k around with. Download This: "Two Faced" For Fans of: Chimaira, Machine Head, DevilDriver [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SEVENTH SIN 'When Reality Ends' So thirteen years after the band's inception, Seventh Sin unleash their premier album and to a slightly negative note in that it doesn't escape the clutches of the generic Gothic Metal album trap. Granted 'When Reality Ends' is a decent release, but it's nothing new the sound. At times the album gets so slow, you could easily fall asleep, whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends upon your perception. Seventh Sin however have delivered a decent enough album, just not one to have the potential of a label deal, but take in the moment because it certainly is one album that speaks volumes, literally. Download This: "Silent Tears" For Fans of: Delain, Lacuna Coil, "European Gothic Metal" [7] RHYS STEVENSON  PYRAH 'Where Am I?' The sad thing about Pyrah's debut album 'Where Am I?' is that it flits about too much, that is it is a rather unconventional and unforgiving style of Progressive Metal. At times it seems lost and whilst the vocals deliver an angelic presence, the music needs harnessing and not being let run riot. Make of it what you will, but even the harsh vocals totally ruin the album - especially when placed next to clean vocals. 'Where Am I?' may well be a decent enough effort, but it just does not cut it and would make any die-hard Progressive Metal fan weep in their sleep. It seems too basic and lacks that convincing element that otherwise might have given it more credibility. Download This: "Reflection" For Fans of: "who knows?", Progressive Metal, "basic music" [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON  SUOTANA 'Forgotten Soil Of This Land' There is much more to Lapland than just Santa Claus, reindeer, Lordi and the Arctic Circle. Arising from the snow-covered lands of Northern Finland are a sextet by the name of Suotana. Nine years since their inception and finally their premier demo see's the harsh light, 'Forgotten Soil Of This Land' promises to take you on a whirlwind journey through and across the mountains with the sounds of Melodic Black / Death Metal ringing all around. For those who are into that style of metal, be prepared to be blasted with an atmosphere so cold, vocals so bitter, riffs so sharp, keyboard elements so chilling and drumming so powerful, that adding these all together sums up to make a release worthy of a record label deal. Download This: "The Reason" For Fans of: Hecate Enthroned, Keep of Kalessin, "Arctic Metal" [8] RHYS STEVENSON  DRATHOTH 'Demo 2014' It's not often you find a Black Metal band in the Middle East that delivers such a fantastic sound and yet slips in a raw and thick atmosphere, so thick it would choke your airways. Fresh from the sand dunes of The Lebanon, the one-man project Drathoth which is lead by musician Eddy Ferekh, delivers a rather grizzly yet mesmerizing sound that ought to appeal to many fans of the more Atmospheric Black Metal style. 'Demo 2014' features three tracks of some rather calming yet aggressive music that lasts for 20 minutes. So if you want something that sends chills up your spine, makes you calm and has something for you to listen to when going into town, Drathoth's 'Demo 2014' is for you. Download This: "As The Moon Rises" For Fans of: Atmospheric Black Metal [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MANDRÁGORA 'First Attack' INKAS NOIZE Forget Llamas and Alpaca's for one moment, because Peru have a new addition to the Metal music family, well relatively new. Dropping their first ever EP, Heavy Metallers Mandrágora deliver a jaw-smacking punch of classic Iron Maiden-esque metal with female vocals so crushing, it's enough to make you pee your pants. With two tracks leading the charge, it is a fairly short EP, but what it lacks in length it makes up for quality. Now let's say they were likened to footballers, they would have Lionel Messi's elegance, David Luiz's powerful striking ability and an atmosphere equivalent to that of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Mandrágora are flying the flag for the Peruvian Metal scene with this enjoyable-to-the-full release. Download This: "Snakebite" For Fans of: Doro, Iron Maiden, Saxon [8] RHYS STEVENSON  LEVANIA 'Renascentis' WORMHOLEDEATH The love affair between Italians and Gothic Metal is always destined to produce some rather magical music and bands, Levania sit firmly within that notion. Making their welcomed return with their second album 'Renascentis', the female-fronted quintet do not fail to impress with their unique concoction of angelic and beastly vocals, dramatic atmosphere and breathtaking musical elements. If you're a Gothic Metal fan, then you have no reason to not own this release because it simply puts Lacuna Coil to shame. 'Renascentis' guarantees you dramatic twists and turns at every second, it may be early to say but this is definitely a contender for Italian Metal album of the year, simply because when you listen to it, you cannot find the words to befit the emotions experienced, this is Levania's time to break into the global metal arena with their striking Epic Gothic Metal sound. Download This: "An Icy Embrace" For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, Elis, Sara Lee, Within Temptation [9] RHYS STEVENSON  AERANEA 'As The Sun Died' It always seems to amaze that when bands who employ the Gothic / Doom Metal style, they tend to place the Doom Metal elements as the atmosphere and the Gothic Metal elements at the forefront. However Aeranea have taken a slightly different approach, they've mixed both together so that they do not remain fixed to one duty. 'As The Sun Died' is the premier album by this German unit and instantly gives a lot of promise for the band's time ahead, with Christina Vogt's calming vocals easing the sharpness of the riffs and drums, this is a release that ought to give Aeranea that push needed in order to break out into the European scene. One evident difference is that the songs aren't insanely long unlike other Gothic Doom contemporaries, moreover there is definitely high hopes for this band, watch with interest. Download This: "Prayers Die" For Fans of: My Dying Bridge, Flowing Tears, To Cast A Shadow [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MASSIVE DEMOLITION
'Ritual Inferno' Word of warning, turn up the volume before indulging in Massive Demolition's second demo. The recording quality is not what you would expect, albeit you probably would as their second release 'Ritual Inferno' is actually a demo. Sparking off their chosen style of Thrash Metal, the German quartet do not dice with fate or intellectual instinct, instead with their demo they take off the handbrake and let the classics of Thrash Metal spew out like an over-flowing blood-bath, the downside to this is that it sounds too generic for it to be unique and thus whilst there is a level of effort and creativity residing in the release, it is nowhere near enough to be considered groundbreaking, just a decent enough release. Download This: "Chemical Abuse" For Fans of: German 'Teutonic' Thrash Metal [6] RHYS STEVENSON |
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