CORPSE MACHINE 'Annihilate' Michigan's Corpse Machine clearly don't hang around, not only did they form in January this year, their debut EP 'Annihilate' was released in April this year, they must be on a mission and yet their EP speaks of promise, brewing a storm of underground Black / Death Metal with some Doom Metal is not always easy and yet Corpse Machine seem to do it without any restriction, even if they are part of a scene that is overly-saturated with rockstar want-to-be's. 'Annihilate' takes the very essential essence of the underground raw sound and ladens it with some interesting riffs (sometimes venturing into the Groove Metal style; seen around the '3:27-3:44' mark on the song "Corporate Scum"), pitch perfect drums and scarily shrieking vocals. The new version of Black / Death Metal could have now arisen to take the US metal scene by storm. Download This: "Corporate Scum" For Fans of: Carpathian Forest, Behemoth, Belphegor [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON SABATON 'Swedish Empire Live' NUCLEAR BLAST Unleashing their first ever DVD is Swedish Power Metal veterans Sabaton and boy does it pack a sensational feeling, filmed primarily at their headlining slot at the highly known Polish Woodstock festival, the Swedes deliver the sensationalism that you always experience during their live sets, now whilst many would agree it does not compare to the DVD, the reality is that this is an achievement and to relive some memories they have to be documented. But face the facts, there was 600,000 punters at this festival, that's enough to fill the entire Arsenal Emirates stadium tenfold!! Furthermore the DVD boasts four hours of footage and so if you're going on holiday and are not driving, then you have a good excuse to watch Sabaton's 'Swedish Empire Live'; would be even more apt if you were going on holiday to Sweden. Fans of this sensational Power Metal band will hear some of the old classics to the new hot songs, there is something here from everyone and other recordings include performances in London, Oberhausen and the well known Swedish city of Gothenburg, now whether you are a fan or not, this is a momentous piece of Metal music to own, make no mistake about it as the truth is that Sabaton are true Power Metal gods, question is can they match this emphatic release in 2014? 'Swedish Empire Live' is out 20th September 2013 via Nuclear Blast. The release comes in various formats: 2 Blu-Ray Digi / 2 DVD Digi / DVD (Poland only) CD Digi / 2LP (limited black vinyl in gatefold + poster) / 2LP (limited yellow vinyl in gatefold + poster) !!!Nuclear Blast Mailorder only!!! Earbook (2 Blu-Ray + 2 DVD + DVD + exclusive bonus CD, 48 pages Earbook) Special Leather Hardcover Earbook !!!Nuclear Blast Mailorder only!!! (2 Blu-Ray + 2DVD + DVD + exclusive bonus CD, 48 pages Earbook) [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ZOLTAR SPEAKS 'Save As I Save' Taking their band name from an unusual antique arcade fortune teller machine featured in the Tom Hanks film 'Big', Somerset's Zoltar Speaks unleash their highly-anticipated debut album 'Save As I Save', featuring much of the classic Melodic / Alternative Metal that the female-fronted armada is capable of delivering, the vocals do not disappoint as they wallow in between the alleys of Amy Lee and Kobra Paige and feature an accompanying attitude that resides within vocalist Louise Body, therefore it is inevitable that the music in it's entirety is going to be unique and phenomenal and boy i it is, following the killer instinct through the wizardry amassed on the guitars and the precision exercised on the drums, 'Save As I Save' is definitely a contender for debut album of the year, but let's not get too optimistic as it's not December yet, all that can be said right now is that 'Save As I Save' by Zoltar Speaks is an album every metal fan should own, this work of art is their key to nationwide recognition, therefore watch this space... 'Save As I Save' is out 11th November 2013 via an Independent release For Fans of: Evanescence, Kobra & The Lotus, Barbe-Q-Barbies, Vanilla Ninja [10] RHYS STEVENSON RAVENOUSE 'The Last Gate' You can always be assured that when any Italian band dives into the Gothic Metal pool, comes out drenched with such immense power that the resulting music is simply divine. Ravenouse do exactly that and as a result they unleash the erotically charged masterpiece that is their debut album 'The Last Gate', featuring the much beloved duet in the highly recognizable beauty and the beast style. Ravenouse deliver a generous mix of angelic heavenly female vocals with devilish growling male vocals, which in turn become savaged by some epic harmonious symphonies through the majestic usage of the keyboards and doused with an array of riffs and drumming patterns that drive this sensational release forward, make no mistake about it Ravenouse are the next Lacuna Coil. There is only one way to sum up Ravenouse in their entirety, and that is that they are the Modern Gothic Metal band the world has been waiting for. Download This: "Flying Angel" For Fans of: Lacuna Coil, H.I.M, Evanescence [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON IMMORALIS 'The Great Collapse' Without a doubt possibly the most exciting new band to emerge from the American abyss all year, forging a sound that circulates around symphonies, orchestral pieces, Death Metal and Metalcore, Immoralis' premier album 'The Great Collapse' is the sound that everyone must hear. From start to finish, the emphatic symphonic backdrops that cascade like waterfalls on top of the jagged bedrock of Death Metal / Metalcore vocals, set the tone for the riffs to crash against, whilst the drums deliver the final face-punch that will enable Immoralis to gain well earned international attention from this Teutonic masterpiece. So what happens when elegance, brutality and six algorithmic minds come together? Simple, total apocalyptic musical mayhem, enter Immoralis and their own stance on metal... dubbed 'Symphonic Orchestral Deathcore'. Download This: "Trudge This Lonely Road" For Fans of: Bleeding Through, Born of Osiris, Fleshgod Apocalypse [10] RHYS STEVENSON LIGHTLESS MOOR 'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn' WORMHOLEDEATH Probably the darkest metal band in terms of imagery and musical ideology to emerge from the sun-kissed island of Sardinia. Unleashing a shadowy strike of Gothic Doom Metal is the Italian sextet Lightless Moor of whose debut album 'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn' will certainly turn heads as it engulfs the atmosphere with everything that is to be loved about Italian Gothic Metal, the angelic and vibrant female vocals crashing against the deep, growling and beastly male vocals to give a duet feeling, that added with the erotic harmonics from the keyboards and raw brutality combined through the drumming and guitar playing, all intricately balance each other out to combine as one hell of a decent release. 'The Poem - Crying My Grief To A Feeble Dawn' speaks elegance, majestic elements and classical beauty, accept no substitutes. Download This: "Cento Respiri" For Fans of: Lacrimas Profundere, Lacuna Coil, Paradise Lost [8] RHYS STEVENSON PSYCHEMA 'Bygones' INVERSE Finland seems to always be producing sensational metal and rock bands, either it's in their blood or it's in the water they drink, this certainly seems to be the way when especially bands like Psychema arise again to drop another release in their history. The Progressive Melodic Metal outfit purges out the complexities of Progressive music and instead adopt a rather alternative approach, but not in the sense that they are completely detached from the said genre, in fact the upcoming EP 'Bygones' shifts between elements of aggression, lusciousness and calmness, from the ever-changing vocals that shift from screaming to melodic and the guitars and drums working harmoniously in sync with each other, there is nothing to say that 'Bygones' will not attract attention across Europe, it simply is a wonderful masterpiece that is guaranteed to be a favorite amongst most Progressive music fans. For Fans of: Dream Theater, H.I.M., Opeth 'Bygones' is out 19th October via Inverse Records [8] RHYS STEVENSON KINETIK 'Greed' Basically if it's Thrash Metal then you know full well it's going to be fast, pumped up and unbelievably tricky on the riffs, Kinetik is no exception to this. The Italian five-piece have undoubtedly invested decent musical ideas and channeled them into creating a sound that speaks 80's Thrash through and through. On the other hand their debut demo 'Greed' might as well be lauded as just another Thrash Metal release, but let's face it there is not much that can be done to change that. As for the demo itself it speaks volume, furious crushing brutality and would sound sensational inside any Roman Colosseum. Featuring trippy double bass drumming, tight riffs and vocals that would make any Italian stallion go from trot to full gallop and as the music takes you into sheer galloping speed, you better be ready to experience painful whiplash. Download This: "Greed" For Fans of: Slayer, Gama Bomb, Evile [8] RHYS STEVENSON ANCIENT DESIRE 'Ancient Desire' Unleashing their debut self-titled EP, is the Czech sextet Ancient Desire. Their premier self-titled EP incorporates the beautiful essences found within Symphonic Gothic Metal; that classic beauty and the beast setup doused with the feeling of Central European elegance forming the underbelly of this band, whilst at the same time layering the music with the bard and theatrics of the historic Bohemian concerts, as if this band was the metallic form of the Prague Symphonic Orchestra. No joke, Ancient Desire are sure to break out of the Czech Metal scene with such oomph and gusto that followers of Within Temptation will undoubtedly have a new band to follow, the 'Ancient Desire' EP is a sign that Symphonic Gothic Metal style is not going to be always associated with the Dutch and that this Czech unit are assimilating a sound that will rock a few boats. Download This: "The Master Andiron From Lucanid" For Fans of: Within Temptation, Tarja-era Nightwish, Prague Symphonic Orchestra [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MYRIAD LIGHTS
'Mark Of Vengeance' There are times when a Heavy Metal band releases their material and it turns out to be classic s**t, not in the positive way either. Italian quartet Myriad Lights narrowly escape the trap door with their premier album released last year, 'Mark Of Vengeance' comes six years after the band's inception and the instant question of 'what the hell are they playing at?' is on many peoples lips, but when you hear the album 'Mark Of Vengeance', it does offer some good music for sure, but overall it's just another heavy metal album, there is nothing spectacular about it and some of the solo's do not fit in well with the music pattern, let alone the drums seeming to be stuck on one beat throughout the album! It's one to release an album, but to release an album that lacks certain feelings is a bad move. Download This: "Fury Of Time" For fans of: 'where does one start?' [6] RHYS STEVENSON
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BEL'O'KAN 'Thousands of Conquerors' BRENNUS MUSIC Weaving together a sumptuous sound of Melodic Heavy Metal and Power Metal is French sextet Bel'O'Kan in the form of their highly anticipated second album 'Thousands of Conquerors', from start to finish the music elements are as crystal clear as the sky, first impressions were that this was going to be one of those 'lets be another Evanescence' style of album, but bloody wars is this not the case. Instead what comes is a wave after wave barrage of emphatic 'angelic metal' which takes into account the majestic vibrancy of the female vocals and male vocals in tow, whilst the fluidity of the riffs and solos keep the album firmly powered up as the drumming drives the sound to terminal velocity, so much so listeners will be taken firmly into the clouds where the sonic explosion of Bel'O'Kan will be heard worldwide, 'Thousands of Conquerors' may just have booked the band international recognition, and maybe a prestigious festival slot next year. Download This: "Power Of The Throne" For Fans of: Nightwish, Avantasia, Beto Vázquez Infinity [10] RHYS STEVENSON BEAST 'Dead Or Alive' GAPHALS Dropping a bombshell on the Swedish rock and metal scene is Beast, a four-piece female-fronted mob who are about to drop their premier release 'Dead Or Alive' later this year. Much alike the resurgent force that seems to sweeping across the globe, Beast will join a legion of female-fronted Hard Rock / Heavy Metal bands that have stepped into the global abyss. 'Dead Or Alive' spews out a smooth and slick sound of classic ballsy rock and a metallic attitude that could easily become the result of a amplified ABBA. Just think AC/DC meets Stevie Nicks meets Iron Maiden and you get the idea of what this group sounds like. Chopping riffs lavished with erotic solo's, sidelined by vocals that will improve your sexual life like never before and supported by a drumbeat that would make you party the night away whether you're 'Dead Or Alive'. Download This: "Bad Habits" For Fans of: AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest 'Dead Or Alive' is out 23rd October 2013 (Sweden) and 4th November (Europe) via Graphals in CD, Vinyl and is available through all major digital retails [8] RHYS STEVENSON EMPIRES FALL 'The Tyrants Genocide' Sadly no longer together so consider this as a post-review of their only ever EP 'The Tyrants Genocide' which came into being last year. Given the sheer velocity of this Australian Deathcore troupe, it is totally abysmal that they called quits. They have got so much potential and it shows on this EP, featuring unrelenting Deathcore vocals that charge the music with so much energy that it could keep Melbourne alight for a whole week without the use of a power station! The music itself wields grizzly riffs and uncompromising breakdowns that would make bands like Thy Art Is Murder s**t their pants, 'The Tyrants Genocide' overall is a heavy as f**k release that deserved much more recognition internationally than it has done, furthermore it is clear that Empires Fall have made a grave error calling it a day, it will certainly haunt them as they could have made it big. Download This: "Dreaming Of Eradication" For Fans of: Whitechapel, Buried In Verona, I Killed The Prom Queen [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SEPTEKH 'The Seth Avalanche' ABYSS Looking rather dapper in their photo is one thing but the music by Septekh is beyond dapper, in fact it is mind-blowing, more so than trying to work out what style they are playing to a precise pigeonhole answer. 'The Seth Avalanche' is the Swede's second EP and was released last year, now what you can expect is a rather interesting approach and take on to the whole Death / Thrash algorithm, in fact this music will give you enough firepower to spit at anyone who messes your life, perhaps that could be the meaning behind 'The Seth Avalanche', but the music itself delivers crushing Death Metal vocals with the dripping of free-gliding riffs and child-friendly drumming, yeah right! This music is not meant for the emo's, so be warned. This music is meant for proper metal fans, that is all. Download This: "Blunt Force To The Head" For Fans of: The Haunted, Hatesphere, Slayer [8] RHYS STEVENSON CHICKSY DICKS 'Obsessed' Simply ballsy rock and heavy metal combined is what you can sum up Chicksy Dicks' debut EP as, 'Obsessed' is a non-stop rallying of classic hard rock with the embodiment of Heavy Metal. Hailing from Slovenia, this five-piece platoon of musical sophistication drops the sound that everyone craves, through the use of catchy vocals and lyrics, unpredictable riffs and solos, terrific bass notes and rapid-fire drumming, 'Obsessed' is a release to keep everyone on their toes. This is not just a band trying to redefine Iron Maiden, no not at all, instead Chicksy Dicks are doing this in their own way and that way is different from every other modern band playing the same or similar style. It took the band six years to make their first release appear but boy was the wait worth it. Download This: "Face To See" For Fans of: Van Halen, Metallica, Judas Priest [8] RHYS STEVENSON DYS INBUNDEN 'Pandemonium Unchained' LIFLÄTINN PRODS Desecrating the Black Metal scene of 2013 is Swedish chaos-commanders Dys Inbunden with their premier album 'Pandemonium Unchained', before the release this unit was in fact a one-man project headed by Gefandi Ör Andlät but now has transformed into a clan fit for a festival slot. 'Pandemonium Unchained' spews out the charismatic and enjoyable feeling of raw atmospheric black metal from which blankets the air with a cold and bitter feeling, as to drown the listener in eternal madness and consequential depression. It is early days for this Swedish Black Metal armada, but with this scrutable album now firmly within the wilds of the global metal wilderness I firmly believe they will go far and possibly could be touring Europe within the next two to three years. Download This: "Sansho Shima" For Fans of: Watain, Dark Funeral, Carpathian Forest [9] RHYS STEVENSON IRONOYA 'Testament' Swiss Groove / Deathcore group Ironoya dropped their debut EP last year before this year changing their name to Deus Ex Machina and having a band-member switch about. The former's EP 'Testament' glistens with the inescapable sounds of guttural Death Metal / Deathcore vocals whilst the guitars and drums fill in with the final slaying in the form of some rather nifty and funky Groove Metal. Switzerland is not normally known for this style of metal so it comes as a bit of a revelation to the said metal scene, however for the now defunct Ironoya this was a journey they have semi-started and semi-continued, it's just whether they should have carried on as this formation or have they made the right choice? Time will tell, as for the 'Testament' EP, it simply is a sensational release that deserves much more acknowledgement. Download This: "Veuve Noire" For Fans of: Lamb of God, Whitechapel, DevilDriver [8] RHYS STEVENSON ORPHEUM 'Treason' Now this is a rather odd release to be fair, mixing Progressive Metal with Gothic Metal is one thing but to have an EP out with only three tracks that equate to just over 22 minutes worth of listening is rather peculiar, some would expect much more given it has taken three years to make. Nonetheless 'Treason' does make way for a decent awe inspiring EP, however at times the drums tend to go overboard and totally ruin the pattern of the song 'Spiritus', but overall the EP does feature an easily identifiable sound that comprises of heavenly vocals, catchy and almost tricky riffs as well as bombastic drumming, the sad thing is it's not even near perfection but it will do as a trial run, it's just the case of whether Londoners Orpheum can find their feet for their next outing, what that next outing will be who knows. Download This: "Porcelain Doll" For Fans of: Within Temptation (Mother Earth era), Novembre, Noturna [7] RHYS STEVENSON ASARU 'From The Chasms Of Oblivion' SCHWARZDORN There comes a time where a Black Metal release will turn out to be total wank, unfortunately Asaru's second album 'From The Chasms Of Oblivion', which was released last year, borders that category. The good thing about the release is that it sticks to the bleak atmosphere that the band have carefully crafted out on their debut album, but the music itself is a little less impressive and needs a bit more working on, for instance you can just hear the bass drum and it has very little prominence, just like a third tier football team in Germany playing for the Deutsche Fussball Bund Pokal cup, hardly any chance at getting a look in. 'From The Chasms Of Oblivion' is firmly in the gray area, some aspects are good and some are shockingly bad, fans of Black Metal might be torn aside on this one. Download This: "Beyond The Bonds Of Time" For Fans of: Well... Black Metal. [6] RHYS STEVENSON LEFT FOR RED
'Vol 002 - Mercy Flight' Is that Devin Townsend on vocals?!?! Didn't know he could do a Brummie accent, is there anything that Canadian musical wizard cannot do? It would be rather interesting if Left For Red supported The Devin Townsend Project in the future, but for now their upcoming EP 'Vol 002 - Mercy Flight' features all of the characteristics that a successful three-track release is meant to have, brimming with insurmountable talent that is hard to come by these days in the Groove Metal department, the vocals on 'Vol 002 - Mercy Flight' are so powerful that they blew out all of the terminal windows at East Midlands airport, dubbing it 'musical terrorism' and leaving it as perhaps one of the best EP's the Midlands metal scene has seen in the year 2013. The melodies gently glide over the Teutonic rhythms and trippy riffs to finalize an EP that is simply inspirational. For Fans of: Pantera, Black Sabbath, Metallica 'Vol 002 - Mercy Flight' is out 25th November via A.R.C. Records [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ETEDDIAN 'Illusions' ALMAVI PRODUCCIONES Spain has a rather close love affair with Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal and female-fronted bands, just like Italy. So what happens when bands like Eteddian enter the affray? Well what you have is a tidal wave of angelic and powerful vocals that glide smoothly over the guitars, drums and keyboards that all intertwine to deliver a sound that is as blissful as the crashing waves on Andalusian beaches. Their debut EP 'Illusions' features a whole array of sensational songs that are firmly rooted in the Symphonic Power Metal style, but what is highly amazing about this release is the virtuoso dynamics displayed on each song in that the musicians have this phenomenal musical chemistry with each other, make no mistake Eteddian are the real deal (they must be to have the guts to cover Madonna's song 'Frozen' which features Imanol Herrera from Vehemencia). Download This "Pyramids Of Chaos" For Fans of: Nightwish, Epica, ShadowIcon [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MORBID VOMIT 'I Breathe Hell' A splattering of old school Death Metal never really hurt anyone, even when Finnish three-piece Morbid Vomit expel blood and pus from their corroded lungs, that grizzly cocktail becomes musically translated into their latest release and premier EP 'I Breathe Hell'. Think along the lines of heavily guttural vocals and add some crunchy riffs to that as well as furious drumming and you get the gist of what this band is like. 'I Breathe Hell' is a good start for the band but it it not entirely perfect, at times the vocals are so monotonous, there is literally no vibrancy. Furthermore at times the drumming becomes so basic that it's bog standard snare, snare, snare, so on and so forth, as said it's not perfect but should appeal to a number of Old School Death Metal fans. Download This: "Engulfed By The Plague" For Fans of: Carnage, Bloodbath, Grave [7] RHYS STEVENSON INFESTIS 'Requiem For The Age Of God' Quite possibly Dutch debut album of the year, welcoming to the Black Metal underground is Dutch maestros Infestis with their blood-splattered debut album 'Requiem For The Age Of God', instantly upon listening to the anti-religious sermons featured on this album, you get the feeling that they could go far with this sound. Furiously fast and complex drumming drives the even faster riffs to the edge of agile insanity whilst the cursing vocals spewed out by vocalist Dictator deal the most damage. Please note this is not a Nazi BM band, nor do they associate with them, this is simply anti-religious, perhaps Satanic Black Metal. Whatever you want to call it, the reality is the album 'Requiem For The Age Of God' deals the band justice and has the brutal power to propel them onto major festivals in the years ahead. Dutch Black Metal will never be the same again. Download This: "It Will End" For Fans of: Carpathian Forest, Watain, Bathory [9] RHYS STEVENSON NORRSKOLD 'Blessings Of Winter' Norrsköld is the product of brainchild Henrik Bodin-Sköld (Norrsköld) and focuses solely on Swedish folklore whilst indulging in the beauty of Melodic Black / Folk Metal, 2013 marks the Swede's debut EP and what a sensation it is. With the melodies evidently residing within the complex romance between the snappy riffs and blistering drumming, all that's left is the vocals which encase the sound in a blanket of emphatic shrieking. So take the folk elements of Swedish and the Scandinavian traditions, smother it with the wintry bitterness that Wintersun deliver and bolt on some sensational Black Metal and you have a release that anyone would not snuff at. Now where did I leave that akvavit... Download This: "Where Death Smites" For Fans of: Winterfylleth, Cnoc En Tursa, Helheim [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON FROZEN HELL 'Rise!' Fresh on the block is the Italian five-piece Frozen Hell and their premier EP 'Rise!', what we have here is an interesting style of Melodic Death Metal, because whilst the vocals deliver the all important Death Metal part, their is no melody, instead the melody comes from the complex interactions between the guitars and drums, sadly at times it does not cut it and some songs are left unimpressive. On the other hand, songs like 'Rise!' which is also the name of the EP actually nails the sound well on the head and is the sound Frozen Hell should carry on with. It's a case of whether you love them or you hate them, they are a decent enough band with an above average release, it just does not cut it entirely enough for them to break out of Italy, as said if they keep up the sound on the song 'Rise!' and also "Interrupted", they could go places. Download This: "Rise!" For Fans of: Amon Amarth, Scar Symmetry, Threat Signal [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON MEGAHERA 'Condemned To Insanity' HELLION A really interesting bunch Megahera are because when you take their second album and especially their song "Condemned To Insanity" and play it from 0:54 to around 1:06, you get the feeling that this is the same intro as 'Angel of Death' by Slayer, raise an eyebrow there. What's more interesting is that they claim they play Heavy Metal, when evidently it's faster than that, try Heavy Thrash Metal. Anyway the album itself is a long one, standing at 72 minutes you better have some time on your hands to listen to the sheer length of each song, each song providing a different style of metal and composition, but overall it is both good and sad to say that whilst this may be just another one of those generic Heavy Metal albums, it is a decent one. See what you think, as this album could push them forward. Download This: "Azure Mirror" For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Slayer, Early Sepultura [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON BLISS OF FLESH 'Beati Pauperes Spiritu' NON SERVIAM Poised to leave Europe smouldering in a cloud of ash and hellish Blackened Death Metal, the French legion known as Bliss Of Flesh carves out a sound that will certainly make the black plague look like the love bug. Excreting out their second album 'Beati Pauperes Spiritu', which can easily be dubbed as the epitome of pure insane mayhem, the result is a furious rallying of blisteringly paced double bass drumming, gut-rotten vocals and mind-snapping riffs that when altogether combines to make a musical force so powerful, Behemoth will s**t their pants like no tomorrow. 'Beati Pauperes Spiritu' is by far one of the darkest and most extreme metal albums to emerge out of the French abyss and is sure to garner the quintet well earned attention. Download This: "On The Paths To Expiation" For Fans of: Behemoth, Smouldering In Forgotten, Arallu [9] RHYS STEVENSON HAMMER PERSUASION 'Necropsy Of The Human Mind' Last year Australian four-piece Hammer Persuasion made their awaited debut album come to life, 'Necropsy of the Human Mind' demonstrates a cataclysmic mixture of melodic death metal with insane Thrash Metal and whilst this is going on, they manage to squeeze some Progressive and Power elements into the music, most notably found in the riffs demonstrated on the song 'Necropsy Of The Human Mind', sure the vocals need a bit of work on because at times the lyrics are hardly understandable, anyway who cares.. mosh away. 'Necropsy Of The Human Mind' is a decently crafted release, but in order for them to actually break outside of the Australian mainland they will need to re-tune themselves a bit to make it sound more credible. Download This: "Necropsy Of The Human Mind" For Fans of: In Flames, Mastodon, Iron Maiden [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON INZENITH 'In The Abyss Of Mind' Chile seems to produce a lot of Death Metal and Thrash Metal bands so it comes to be a bit of a break when Inzenith make themselves known via their premier album released last year. 'In The Abyss Of Mind' takes you on a magical journey through various sounds and elements, all of which calculate to make Symphonic Avant-Garde Metal. Sure if you had the time to listen to a 15 minute epic track you would and to be quite frank it is well worth it, even though 'In The Abyss Of Mind' is not for those who hate slow atmospheric music and or are not a fan of Symphonic Metal. The truth is 'In The Abyss Of Mind' and Inzenith are simply Chilean gems, they could be something more but nothing less, it's just a matter of time before they unveil their next release. Download This: "Undergrave" For Fans of: Cadaveria, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Winds [8] RHYS STEVENSON ENMACHINED
'Thrash Assault' SALUTE Now anyone would have thought that Bangladesh was only known for it's cyclonic climate and the country people have their clothes made in, but nothing is more metal than Enmachined. Leading the Bangladeshi Metal scene to the global stage with their debut demo 'Thrash Assault', Enmachined whip together a sound that defies the general ruling of playing as fast as you can, instead the five member platoon arm themselves with severe riffs, unbelievably mindblowing solo's, beat perfect drumming and Iron Maiden-cum-Metallica vocals. 'Thrash Assault' may not have the best recorded sound but after all who said metal had to be as loud as dubstep club nights? No one, however Enmachine are right in that it is bone-crushing Thrash Metal. It is early times for the kids from Dhaka, but this could be the dawning of a new age for them as they deliver a promising debut, the fact is inescapable in that Enmachined are proudly flying the flag for the Bangladeshi Metal scene. Download This: "Loggerhead" For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Metallica, Gama Bomb [8] RHYS STEVENSON ROTTEN DOOM 'This War Begins...' Remember that Mayan prophecy that the world will end? Well they were wrong, but they were right at there being an apocalypse, just this apocalypse is a tad smaller than a hand grenade explosion. Coming into the firing range is Mexico's Rotten Doom of whose debut album 'This War Begins...' redefines the epitome of the Melodic Death Metal audio infrastructure, forget the fancy stuff you would experience with bands like Scar Symmetry and zone into the harsher vocal and stiffer music territories and you'll end up with an idea of what this lot sound like. Now whilst 'This War Begins...' is a decent enough start to the band's career, the melodic elements need to be fined tuned even more because whilst there is some melody present, it is not enough to get the full feeling of complete satisfaction, needless to say it is a decent enough effort and yet as the album progresses, the songs steadily improve, weird eh? Download This: "This War" For Fans of: Cannibal Corpse, American Melodic Death Metal bands. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON MISTH 'Rise Of A New Day' PROGRESS 'Rise Of A New Day' the debut album by Progressive Metal / Hard Rock outfit Misth bursts out at the seems with a fruitful sound of theatrical vocals that instantaneously warp you to another dimension, let's face it the vocals and music would bode well in a massive arena (even a Colosseum!). As for the overall production, well 'Rise Of A New Day' features a whole host of songs that features quick shifting time signatures on the guitars and whilst you may think we have another female fronted band trying to emulate Evanescence or Paramore, or another established band, think again. Misth are a band of their own and are preparing to slaughter your senses dead until the world wakes up to the 'Rise Of A New Day'. Download This: "Life's Arena" For Fans of: Avenged Sevenfold, Anathema, Katatonia [8] RHYS STEVENSON DOOMED FROM DAY ONE 'Nine Fingers' The hint is in the title, nine fingers and the tenth is flipping the bird at your miserable pathetic self, well so it would seem, or it could be a secret message to say 'f**k the world'. What ever it means, 'Nine Fingers' is the second face-smashing EP by Surrey bruisers Doomed From Day One, and doomed you will be when you face the almighty fury demonstrated by this Progressive Death lot. Eccentric guitar riffs push this EP hard and ballistic whilst the drums and vocals demean your life so much you wish you were dead, well that is the sort of feeling you will feel when faced by this Surrey ten-legged monster. Make no mistake Doomed From Day One are going places and with it they take their hellish angelic brutality with them, prepare for an almighty apocalyptic slaughter. Download This: Cut & Hunt For fans of: Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Between The Buried & Me. [9] RHYS STEVENSON VIOLENTORY 'Theory Of Life' When will some bands realize you don't have to either break the drum kit, snap a few strings or break your voice-box just to create music, in no way does that apply to Bulgaria's Violentory. However it must be said that they aren't exactly the most orchestrated of chaps, for example the music is too slow and the Death Metal vocals are too weak; not enough grit or angst to provoke a feeling. This of course can be heard on their debut album 'Theory Of Life', on the other hand if your looking for melodic vocals and power then they nail that right on the head. With an hour's worth of Melodic Death Metal being mixed with Progressive Metal elements, there is something for everyone on this album, but those vocals aren't gritty enough.... Download This: "Over You" For Fans of: Opeth, Dream Theater, Meshuggah [7] RHYS STEVENSON WRETCHED SOUL 'Veronica' DARK LORD Canterbury may be the home of the renowned cathedral, but I would assume that not even Geoffrey Chaucer saw this one coming after the infamous 'Canterbury Tales' stormed the UK with extreme force, after all taking Wretched Soul into account as the latest reason to visit Canterbury is an understatement. Unleashing their highly anticipated debut album 'Veronica', the modern Death Thrashers krank up the gears and let go of the brakes to release an album that speaks speed and delivers a brutally powerful tone to it, so much you might want life insurance coverage before listening to this megalithic masterpiece. 'Veronica' is one of those albums that should have the words 'resistance is futile' slapped on it, let's face it if you're not a fan of either A. Death Metal, B. Thrash metal or C. Metal, then you are missing out on what could be regarded as debutant album of the year. Download This: "Summon The Hunter" For Fans of: Metallica, Megadeth, 'insanely godly music' [10] RHYS STEVENSON THE ZEN 'Somewhere On Earth' What happens when you get five Catalonian metal musicians and give them the keys to endless possibilities? You end up with a carefully calculated algorithmic sound that eclipses any band playing djent metal. After all this lot play rather convincing Melodic Death Metal and to a sublime level also, given that their debut album 'Somewhere On Earth' dropped last year and that they have only been going two years, we could have the new Scar Symmetry on our cards. Expect a continuous flow of unforgiving vocals as well as gnarly riffs and brutally tantalizing drumming, Catalonia may only be an autonomous region within the Spanish lands, but boy The Zen are truly flying the flag for the Catalonian Metal scene, this band will go far make no mistake about it. Download This: "Mystic Challenge" For Fans of: Scar Symmetry, Breach The Void, Mnemic [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SATCCONNIA 'Chaos' Instantaneously the feeling of total beauty comes rushing towards you at a ballistic speed and caresses the soul entirely until you feel completely relaxed. Of course when band's like Spain's Satcconnia deliver their debut album, you cannot deny that the music hey have created is so calming that it takes you into a state of being completely relaxed. Through the magical usage of elegant keyboard elements and the vibrant power spewed out through the soprano-like vocals, percussive riffs and drumming, Satcconnia prove why Spain is a power-house for such elegant music, not only metal. As for their 2012 release 'Chaos', it sparks up a considerable amount of attachment between the music and the listener and ultimately sheds harmonies like no tomorrow. Download This: "Idyllic World" For Fans of: Nightwish, Therion, Lacuna Coil [8] RHYS STEVENSON AGONY OF THE BLEEDING FLESH 'Everlasting Piracy' What you could easily call the darker brotherhood of Alestorm, enter French metallers Agony Of The Bleeding Flesh and their emphatically brilliant debut album 'Everlasting Piracy'. Weaving together a rum-laden sound of Black Metal with the heavy brutality of Death Metal and the agility of Thrash Metal, this is a band that should explode across the continent very soon. Defying the generic folk metal style that most Pirate-themed bands seem to use, Agony Of The Bleeding Flesh take allegiance with the likes of Black beard and Davy Jones, but don't forget that this lot hail from the Celtic nation of Brittany and that you could easily tie them down with links to the pirates of Cornwall, so given that this band are assured of international recognition it would seem almost likely that this is going to be the band's finest hour. Download This: "To Penetrate" For fans of: Cirith Gorgor, Aura Noir, Celtic Frost [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SHUTDOWN 'Heavy As Metal & Hot As Hell' Nothing beats the sound of good ole fashioned classic heavy metal no matter what country it comes from, take for example Shutdown from Slovenia who released their debut album 'Heavy As Metal & Hot As Hell' last year, the funny thing is it sounds too cheesy to be true. Sure you get the original style vocals and choppy riffs alongside the classic drum beat, but don't expect anything else other than that. So what you have here is another average Heavy Metal album and as the title suggests, it focuses on the hard rock side of the infamous music style. But as said it is good to hear old fashioned classic heavy metal, just don't expect them to be anything like Iron Maiden. Download This: "Dedicated To Mars" For Fans of: Def Leppard, Van Halen, AC/DC [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON VOLTAX
'Hiding Into Flames' SADE No wonder this lot were the winners of the battle for Wacken which was held in Mexico 2011, their sound is phenomenal, their third album 'Hiding Into Flames' certainly packs a punch that will keep you screaming your voice off until you choke up blood. The Mexican five-piece Voltax certainly know how to deliver a sound that never loses it's packing punch nor do they lose focus in the process. Charismatic vocals charge the lightning brigade forward whilst the battle music rallies in behind the main strike force to deliver a musical explosion that will keep planet earth rocking 24/7. Make no mistake about it Voltax are flying the flag proudly for the Mexican Metal scene, now if this lot don't score an international record deal soon I'll eat my speakers. Download This: "Estruendo Letal" For Fans of: Judas Priest, Motorhead, Kiss [9] RHYS STEVENSON CHASING THE RISE 'The Dawn' There are some Metalcore bands that try so much fancy stuff that they over-complicate the sound, there are some Metalcore bands that are too basic in their ways that they end up as another boring 'we cannot be bothered band', Chasing The Rise are none of these. The Lithuanian Melodic Metalcore outfit emerge out of the sewers of Vilnius with guns blazing and a sound that is more brutal than your last hangover. Dropping their debut EP 'The Dawn' this year, this could be the sound that finally gives the Lithuanian Metal scene international attention. Menacing vocals guide the apocalyptic riffs through the technically melodic matrix that becomes built up by the complexity of the drumming, guitar playing and vocals all put together. Make no mistake, 'The Dawn' is the sound of the underground and Chasing The Rise are flying the flag for Lithuania. The onslaught has just begun.... Download This: "In Front of Everything" For Fans of: Tides of Virtue, Bullet For My Valentine, As I Lay Dying [8] RHYS STEVENSON MORN GURUTH 'Weltekel' TALHEIM It's always been a common thing amongst the German underground metal scene, that Black Metal bands roam so freely and yet so secret that they are barely detectable. One such example is Morn Guruth, a Depressive Black Metal duo hailing from Bavaria. Their debut album 'Weltekel' delivers such a bleak and raw atmosphere that would you need to be very sober to get the feeling for it. Sad to say the drums are not particularly impressive and need more work on, especially in speed to get that sincere feeling that the guitars seem to deliver well, as for the vocals, well, yeah. Total redevelopment is needed because whilst they are there, they are far from understandable and at times are seeming to be a little false or leaning towards random screaming, which compared to other DBM bands is hardly there. So whilst 'Weltekel' is a decent release and somewhat scores points in each area, it lacks that final touch. Download This: "Destrudo" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON MIDNIGHT MESSIAH 'The Root Of All Evil' It's always grand to see modern day bands playing the classic sounds of hard rock and heavy metal in such epic glory, whilst adapting it to their own taste. This is how exactly London quintet Midnight Messiah have gone about things, it is highly detectable on their debut album 'The Root Of All Evil' which sheds a brilliant sound in all of the departments. Clean and powerful vocals lead the front-line of this modernised version of Iron Maiden, whilst the guitars and drums deliver that all important blow that leaves the album in good stead as being a must own release for all those who prefer the old style of rock and metal. Make no mistake about it, 'The Root Of All Evil' is an album that will please many fans alike and is sure to give this band some well-deserved attention. Download This: "The Evil One" For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Van Halen, AC/DC The album is available online from the label website: www.coldtown.com priced at £7 GBP. [8] RHYS STEVENSON VORTECH 'Devoid Of Life' Modern Metal seems to have become a phenomenon in the metal music industry, bolting together the fluidity experienced in the electronic music crux with the brutality and manifestation of metal music. The latest band to embrace this cosmic wave of mass destruction is Finnish trio Vortech who layer Industrial influences with Death Metal to give a sound some would associate with bands like Fear Factory, this is best heard on their 2012 release 'Devoid Of Life' whereby the vocals and double bass drum set the speed and the riffs shred high voltage as if it was out of fashion. Don't instantly think it's ground breaking, it's far from that, but more closer to actually giving this band a major boost in the Euro Metal scene. Prepare for the techno-pit, a new form of moshing. Download This: "Grains of Reality" For Fans of: Fear Factory, Noein, The Amenta, Breach The Void [8] RHYS STEVENSON DOBLE ESFERA 'Mi Universo' Dropping their debut album last year is Spanish four-piece Doble Esfera (Double Sphere in English), their release 'Mi Universo' (My Universe in English) is another classic hard rock / heavy metal sound but naturally coming with the Spanish language. So do expect to hear a lot of Iberian influences coming in and out each song, amongst the tricky and magical riffs that serve up nicely whilst the drums provide the all important solid backdrop and the vocals weaving magic like thread through water. Sure it's nothing really special, but it certainly glimmers with charm and eccentricity, 'Mi Universo' will appeal to many fans of the classic sounds as well as those looking to learn Spanish. Download This: "Perdido En El Tiempo" For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Zarpa [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON AWRIZIS 'Final Hybridation' Awrizis are a hard band to nail down in one genre, so consider their debut album 'Final Hybridation' a slapping of Groove Metal mixed with a lashing of Deathcore influences and a dollop of aggression. Fueled by an endless supply of adrenalin and incredible technical skill, the Czech quartet's album deals damage en masse, except the only problem is the chunkiness of the bass, it needs a cleaner presence as you can hear the twanging too easily. But for those who want to hear music from the furthest limits then Awrizis is for you, make no mistake about it given the said improvement being completed in the future we could see a new international band arising from the depths of the Czech abyss and delivering a punch into the faces of the posers of Europe. Download This: "We Are Gifts Of Hell" For Fans of: In Flames, Suicide Silence, Machine Head [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON INFECTED RAIN 'Asylum' On the international metal scene, Moldova is down in the pits with only a handful of metal bands breaking out of Moldova and only a few of those gaining attention, well the tide is going to turn with Infected Rain. Simply put this female-fronted quintet implore a new twist to the whole Nu Metal sound, via the use of angelic and gritty female vocals (think Within Temptation for the angelic vocals) as the main weapon, a plethora of menacing riffs and powerful drumming sequences, they are poised to smash the European scene with a shattering explosion, well when you listen to their 2011 release 'Asylum' you will be warped into a musical world previously experienced. Thunderous drums and crunchy riffs boost the vocals like a musical atomic bomb, it is only a moment of time before Infected Rain joins the leagues of Exilia, Disturbed and other fellow Nu Metal compatriots, Infected Rain are flying the flag for the Moldovan Metal scene. Download This: "My Morphine" For Fans of: Exilia, Disturbed, Within Temptation, Static-X [9] RHYS STEVENSON FROSTLAND DARKNESS 'Ad Moriendum Dei Gratia' INVERSE Returning valiantly to deliver the second album is Finnish musician Mantus Nord and his project Frostland Darkness. Hailing from Lapland, this Black Metal one-man project simmers the very foundation of said music genre and injects some bleak and bitter atmosphere into it. Finnish Black metal has always been a bit of a hit and miss, well it's always spewed and spat out against Norwegian Black Metal, but when you get musical escapades like Frostland Darkness producing eclectic music in such a way that it makes established Black Metal bands sound like a screamo version of the Backstreet Boys. If your into the raw sounds of true Black Metal and after that bitter feeling that corrupts your senses, then 'Ad Moriendum Dei Gratia' is an album for you. Frostland Darkness may be a not well known project, but it packs a sensational sound you cannot find elsewhere, no wonder Inverse Records signed them! Download This: "Tuhon Kirkkaudessa" For Fans of: Horna, Darkthrone, Mayhem [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON BEER BEAR 'Beyond The Invisible Line' (За Незримой Чертой) SOUND AGE PRODS. The master of all Russian beer breweries has returned with a barrel of folkloric tales, hops and fresh mountain air, I am of course referring to Folk Metal maestros Beer Bear and their 2012 album 'Beyond The Invisible Line' (За Незримой Чертой), the latest installment in their musical arsenal sees the band carry on the delinquent sounds established on their debut album and is guaranteed to please many people alike. Singing exclusively in their native language, Beer Bear have done it again, proved themselves to be worthy of being a nationally known Folk Metal band. As for their second outing, 'Beyond The Invisible Line' (За Незримой Чертой) is a pleasant enough album, just be wary that it is quick at changing speed and is hard to keep up to. Beer Bear are another one of Russia's gems that deserve much more attention than they are getting, Download This: "Folk-n-Roll" For Fans of: Korpiklaani, Arkona, Woodscream [8] RHYS STEVENSON SILENT KNIGHT
'Masterplan' Of course metal is meant to be eccentric, complex and downright dirty, it's just that Silent Knight nail two of those things, the third is nowhere to be found. A little hint, the guitars and drumming patterns on their debut album is complex, the vocals are downright dirty and the musical composition is eccentric and so what is missing? The whole package. Sure they have the elements clear on this album but it lacks connectivity and at times the solo's are far too flash, a little toning down in that department would work; an excellent solo resides on the song 'Masterplan' but not the first song 'The Curse Of The Black Rose', ok there may be some irony in this but that's metal. Whether you like it or not, 'Masterplan' is a classic power metal album, the old style of classic power metal that is, so don't expect any keyboard elements or anything special. Download This: "Prophets Of War" For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Blind Guardian. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON WINTER HAZE 'Silent Deception' UK DIVISION Last year Italian Symphonic Power Metallers Winter Haze unleashed their first ever EP 'Silent Deception' as the sucessor to their debut album 'The Storm Within', how apt is it then this year they have been going for 10 years. 'Silent Deception' carries on that much beloved sound of theirs, the majestic layering of female power metal vocals on electronic symphonic elements and adding pinches of melodies along the line, this is what Winter Haze is all about, creating a musical sound that defines their own thoughts and they have done it once again. 'Silent Deception' is an EP that should garner them more attention across the European continent, if you love angelic vocals, epic symphonies, powerful drums and guitars, then 'Silent Deception' by Winter Haze is for you. Download This: "Cross The Sea" For Fans of: Within Temptation, Epica, Nightwish [8] RHYS STEVENSON ARISE 'Don't Worry Be Happy!' + Live DVD' Japan is not usually known for Thrash Metal and so when quartet Arise make their long awaited debut the response is astounding, 'Don't Worry Be Happy!' features a plethora of tracks that explicitly demonstrates the burly ferociousness of the Japanese Thrash Metal scene. 'Don't Worry Be Happy!' delivers the classic style Thrash Metal, fast and heavily brutal and something that Slayer fans will be pissing themselves over for the foreseeable future. However for Arise they are an interesting bunch, this is a unique style of Thrash that plucks in Hardcore influences and yet does not fully reach either side, so you could call it crossover Thrash, whatever you call it the fact remains that Arise are an absolute gem. Download This: "Bitch's Trap" For Fans of: Slayer, Nuclear Assault, Agnostic Front As for the DVD, it features live footage of the band's two songs 'Life Domination' and 'No More Pain', it also features various shots and photos of the Japanese lands, the countryside, downtown Tokyo and bizarrely a rollercoaster and various shots of a car race going on a windy road through the mountains. With special effects like the photos and videos changing color intermittently, it is the perfect accompaniment to the album 'Don't Worry Be Happy!'. [8] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON F**KHAMMER 'Hammered To F**k' GRINDSCENE Yeah well wait for the vocalist to reach the recording studio and then the band can begin the real recording, let's face it F**khammer (asterisks are there for obvious reasons) aren't exactly anything special nor are they really going to go far, come on their style of Sludgey Crust / Death Metal is as poor as Justin Bieber belittling a tog. Their demo 'Hammered To F**k' may well have music on it, but it is no way anything good, if the lads stopped drowning themselves in the pub and actually thought about this, they would nail it. The guitars and drums are perhaps the only best thing about this release. [3.5] RHYS STEVENSON CITADEL BESIEGED 'Creation / Damnation' Last year saw the second album by Indiana's Citadel Besieged being released, 'Creation / Damnation' carries on more of the classic heavy metal the band laid out on their debut album, this time some of the songs have a much slower presence, such an example is the song 'Between The Shadows And The Dawn' where the fast pacy rhythms of a general heavy metal song become slowed down and thus adding a darker and sadder atmosphere to the affray. 'Creation / Damnation' is one of those releases that will appeal to any heavy metal fan, whether you prefer the fast pacey speed of Iron Maiden or the doom-like depressive sounds of Black Sabbath, Citadel Besieged's 'Creation / Damnation' had something for everyone. Download This: 'Between The Shadows And The Dawn' For Fans of: Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath [8] RHYS STEVENSON WINTERCOLD 'Mors Solum Inceptum Est' NIHIL INTERIT The latest album by one-man Gothic / Doom Metal project Wintercold has finally dropped, 'Mors Solum Inceptum Est' is the product of mastermind musician Satanic Tony (who also owns Salute Records), the Swedish musician has summoned once again the best of his musical abilities to unleash a blackened torrent of depression and Gothic atmospheric music. Sure 'Mors Solum Inceptum Est' is as raw as previous releases, but that adds to the whole doom effect and as the album progresses, listeners will fall further and further into the unknown as the album is intended to do. 'Mors Solum Inceptum Est' is certainly an acquired taste and is not for anyone who wants clean production, not for the faint of heart either. Download This: "The Dragon's Breath" For Fans of: Black Sabbath, Tiamat, Celtic Frost [8] RHYS STEVENSON F.O.B. 'Reap What You Sow' METALGATE There is a storm brewing over the Czech Republic and it isn't pretty either, perhaps the floods in Central Europe were down to the sheer magnitude F.O.B. exerts with their epic mix of Death / Thrash Metal and an equated balance of harsh and soft melodic vocals. In fact their 2013 album 'Reap What You Sow' should earn them international attention and possibly GMA's Czech album of the year. This is how Death / Thrash Metal should sound, technically trippy drums, machete-sharp riffs and punch-in-your-face vocals that will make you spew blood until you choke on your own bloody spit. 'Reap What You Sow' is by far one of the best albums to emerge out of the Czech Extreme Metal scene and with this effort now in the open, F.O.B. deserve nothing more than to be asked to play major European Metal festivals, let the apocalypse commence. Download This: "Missed Violence" For Fans of: HateSphere, Scarred In Beauty, Legion of The Damned [10] RHYS STEVENSON NADIR 'Exitus' Let's be honest Hungary is not a country you would associate with Deathcore, Death Metal yes, but Deathcore? Ah who cares, Nadir are a ten-legged machine of whom unleashed torrential hell with their fifth full length 'Exitus' released last year. Menacing riffs grapple the intense vocals that lead this album forward to mass apocalyptic proportions whilst the drumming serves as a warning sign to those weak hearted people that 'Exitus' is only for those that can withstand an atomic explosion of pure Hungarian Death Metal / Deathcore. For a band that has nearly been around 10 years, it's about time they exploded on the international scene and rock the apple cart of over-produced American Deathcore. Nadir are flying the flag for the Hungarian Metal scene. Download This: "Plunderers Of The Earth" For Fans of: Job For A Cowboy, Bring Me The Horizon, Unleashed, [9] RHYS STEVENSON WRATH OF FENRIR 'Wrath Of Fenrir' On the battlefields of the land down under, a tribal group paved the way for the darkness and folk bards to make their mark, that group is Wrath of Fenrir. Hailing from Western Australia, the quartet battle their way onto the scene with their war-torn variation of the already popular Black / Folk Metal. Their self-titled 2012 EP delivers what is expected of such a band, bouncy and flamboyant music and vocals during the folk sections, shifting into the bitterly cold shrieking Black Metal vocals, almost as if this band is bipolar (it happens). The great thing about this release is that one listen and you're hooked, sure it does not reach the same level as the Eastern European lot, heck it's not even in the same ball park, but it serves well as a piece of Australian Extreme Metal. Download This: "Wolfshead" For Fans of: Ancient Rites, The Furor, Winterfylleth, Arkona [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON MOSFET 'Deathlike Trash 'N' Roll' REFUSED At first listener's will be confounded to what music style Mosfet is aiming for... and by the end of the listening session they still will be confounded. After all the band's second album 'Deathlike Trash 'N' Roll' is hardly convincing enough to even reckoned as a serious metal album, all-in-jest. The truth is, the Austrian's second album seriously shifts music style too often and too quick. With that in mind, they aim for a mixture of Death / Thrash Metal with Rock 'N' Roll, unfortunately it seems they went the wrong way about it. I wouldn't say avoid it at all costs, just be wary it is a release that seems more rushed than someone running for the bus, if they got their organization right it would sound better, much better. Download This: "A Rowdy's Warfare" For Fans of: F**k knows? [5] RHYS STEVENSON TORANAGA
'Righteous Retribution' 25 years. One word: impressive. Toranga have been pillaging the countryside for the past quarter century and as they prepare to unleash their latest release 'Righteous Retribution' it is evident why. Producing the distinctive classic hard rock / heavy metal matrix that was laid out by the gods themselves, Toranaga summon up a sound that makes them stand out from the rest of the classic metal armada. However much has changed and as two new guitarists join the ranks, what could Toranaga conjure up next? Well given their upcoming album 'Righteous Retribution' carries on their chosen sound with a sharper focus and more aggressive attitude, they may as well become a band that sadly never made it, had they not signed to Chrysalis they may well be gods now, wait they are gods in their own right and so here is to another decade or so to Toranaga! For Fans of: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica 'Righteous Retribution' is out 2nd September 2013 [8] RHYS STEVENSON THE ORDER OF CHAOS 'Sexwitch' Marking their welcomed return is Canadian five-piece The Order of Chaos, with their new EP 'Sexwitch' out in the wilds of planet metal it is clear that they are carrying on with their ill-fated epic metal. Once again they layer funky Heavy Thrash Metal music with a mix of grizzly and harmonic Power Metal vocals. What sets this lot once again apart from the plethora of metal bands who play this specific style of metal is that they have elements of funk here and there, this can be experienced roughly 3/4 of the way through the song 'Victim Of Circumstance'. Now all in all if you thought Canadian syrup was a sweet and potentially sickening experience if consumed en mass, then those who cant bare it stay clear of The Order of Chaos, for this lot will give your daily dosage an acidic twang. Download This: "Victim Of Circumstance" [8] RHYS STEVENSON OVERLOAD 'Blood For Blood' Sometimes the good old ways cut it, sometimes its best to go back to basics and sometimes its meant to be a classic. These all apply to the debut album by Kentucky Thrash maniacs Overload, 'Blood For Blood' eliminates all the fancy stuff implored by modern bands and erects the classic sounds of 80's metal and rock influences from the same era, so imagine the whole classic Motorhead meets early Slayer scenario and then add in pinches of grit and burly attitude that together enable 'Blood For Blood' to be a timeless classic. Sure some will think it's the basic common Heavy / Thrash Metal that every band seems to produce, but as said they aren't in the modern vein. 'Blood For Blood' is a classic album, underground and original. Download This: "Widow's Peak" For Fans of: Motorhead, AC/DC, Slayer, Alice Cooper [8] RHYS STEVENSON BREAK THE BOUNDARIES 'Masks' It takes a lot to escape the trap of being lauded as a generic Metalcore band, something that seems to be catching a lot on these days. Once in a while you will get a band who defies that logic, this time its Break The Boundaries. The Croydon buccaneers serve up a grizzly slice of bone-crunching Metalcore that snaps in elements from different music areas, from the vocals diversifying in as far as moving from grit to clean to almost an echoing whisper, but that is just the forefront of their EP 'Masks', the backdrop is a grueling explosion of glass-shattering drums and senses-confounding riffs that merge together to wipe that silly smirk off your face. Call them what you like, call them 'just another Metalcore' band, but behind the 'Masks' are five gentlemen that bowl more balls out than you can deliver in a mosh-pit, make no mistake about it, these guys are going far. Download This: 'Masks' For Fans of: Skindred, Bring Me The Horizon, Despite My Deepest Fear, The Dead Lay Waiting [9] RHYS STEVENSON DESPERATE SPINSTERS 'Sexless Restless And Cruel' Sadly this Wisconsin lot seem to have split-up, but it is uncertain whether that is true or not, but what is true is that the sole release by Desperate Spinsters, their EP 'Sexless Restless And Cruel' is a sexy Crossover Thrash laden release that has enough anger and sounds on it to make it a party piece. Armed with a plethora of samples and erratic time signatures, this is a release that you either love it or hate it or are simply left speechless by it, I feel the latter. 'Sexless Restless And Cruel' decimates anything that is caught in the path of it's audio destruction, simply put it is a release everyone should own, it's classic, funny and 666% metal. Now where is the beer barrel... Download This: 'An Orgy Of Death Starring You & Me' For Fans of: Zimmers Hole, Strapping Young Lad, Slayer [8] RHYS STEVENSON REALITY DEFORMED 'Promo' It is always interested when the first promo or demo first sees daylight as this paves the way usually the path that the band is going to take, in Reality Deformed's case, it is not looking good. What we have here is a fairly decent attempt at Black Metal as it builds up a bleak atmosphere and bitter feel to the music, but regarding the vocals, well... listening to a cat fight in your back garden is more entertaining, seriously if the duo from The Netherlands want to improve, then the vocals need to have more presence, be more sharp, be more noticed than being smothered by the excessive guitar playing. Other than that, the drums are probably the only best thing about this release, but given credit it could have been a lot, lot, worse. [4.5] RHYS STEVENSON THEOPSYA 'Tales Of An Angel' A classic case of beauty and the beast right here, well you can say that, but the honorable truth is that Theopsya, France's angelic symphonic Gothic / power metal group emit such a delicate sound on their debut EP 'Tales Of An Angel' released 2 years ago, that they could easily be dubbed as the 'product of merging Nightwish with Within Temptation'. 'Tales Of An Angel' features a whole host of songs that carry such darkened emotions and Gothic beauty that resulted in Toulouse being splattered by black paint as to match the feeling this release delivers. With the sensational vocals being matched by a virtuoso-like performance on the guitars and a solid drumming backdrop finalizing the phenomenal atmosphere developed, Theopsya may be a hidden gem that deserves a lot of attention. Download This: "Blood & Sand" For Fans of: Nightwish (Tarja era), Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil, Macbeth [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLACK DEMON 'Demons of War, Demons of Darkness' There are times where one thinks, just because you can play an instrument or sing, does not mean you are good enough to be in a metal band, this is somewhat the case for Black Demon, in particular their 2012 demo 'Demons of War, Demons of Darkness', the guitars are solid and the drums perfect, the vocals are left to be desired, they are far from the clean crispness you would expect from the Heavy Metal genre, in fact the vocals are so gritty, tarmac companies could use them to make new roads. It has nothing to do with the Spanish accent, the vocals are just awful. Just imagine you are listening to an instrumental if you come across the demo, it is the best option for you. Download This: "Hell of Steel" [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON RED DESCENDING 'Kingdoms' + 'Burned To Death DVD' Ten years down the line and Australian Melodic Death mob Red Descending are still going strong, firing on all cylinders and showing great sharp determination to make themselves stand out, this is evident on their latest album release 'Kingdoms' which dropped 2 years ago, featuring low-tune drums and bitterly sharp riffs that sit nicely in the background whilst in the forefront, the vocals let rip on a magnitude frequency that was reported to have shook the entire city of Perth to their knees. 'Kingdoms' is a harmonious piece of music that will garner attention from across the land and sea, sadly though it needs to be pushed out more and with that in mind, the true voice of Australian Melodic Death metal has spoken through a mixture of angelic female vocals and gritty male vocals. For their supporting DVD 'Burned To Death' which was released last year, features footage from their 'Kingdoms' CD launch back on 19th Auugust 2011 and also a video clip of the song 'Burned To Death' which was filmed 4 months later in December. From what can be seen, the live footage shows a burgeoning crowd in a relatively small venue but with various shots of the band at different angles and an entertained crowd, the mood was visually powerful and emphatic. But like most live footage, you would have to be there to experience the sheer beauty and power behind the live performance. With the occasional mosh-pit ensuing at every haphazard riff, it was clear that the band had the crowd going throughout the night. [7.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON DARK VISION 'Ingrowth' 2012 marked the hallowed return of Greece's very own Black / Death lords Dark Vision, coveted in darkened misery and eternal furious anger, their latest EP 'Ingrowth' produces a sound that will kick your teeth in, so much so you wish weren't born. Soul crushing vocals smash your brain apart like wearing away rock from acid rain, whilst the riffs and solemn drumming finish you off bit by bit. 'Ingrowth' is a release not for the faint of heart, nor for the pathetic weak either. That means, if you listen to soft metal bands, this is toxic poison to you, this release is only for the true believes of the dark side of metal, end of. Download This: "Pain Redirected" [8] RHYS STEVENSON HAEMIC
'Fields of Sanguine' At times international projects work, at others they don't, but what is unique about this quartet who hail from the USA, Hungary and Taiwan respectively is that they have never met and yet have the expertise to deliver the album 'Fields of Sanguine', a futile explosion of symphonic elements that caress the grim sounds of Black Metal and Death Metal in such a way that it makes it all coalesce into indescribable noise. If you're into your extreme metal and love a whole plethora of metal elements coming together from various aspects of the metal genre, then Haemic's 'Fields of Sanguine' is for you, think Cradle of Filth mixed with Dimmu Borgir and Strapping Young Lad. You get the idea. Download This: "Stellar Meltdown" For Fans of: Dimmu Borgir, Strapping Young Lad, Shade Empire, Cradle of Filth [7.5] 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 PANZERCHRIST 'The 7th Offensive' LISTENABLE It's always great to celebrate a landmark year and as Denmark's most notable extreme metal sons Panzerchrist make their twentieth year of existence, their seventh album is finally dawning. 'The 7th Offensive' carries on much of the war theme the four-piece have adopted ever since their inception and packs a more powerful punch than ever before, excruciatingly painful double bass drumming sets the intonation for what could be regarded as the most brutally tantalizing music you'll ever hear in 2013. What with Denmark recently winning the Eurovision Song Contest, could this really be the year of Danish music success? 'The 7th Offensive' is armed and primed to unleash a full out assault on the European battlefields, just like a Leopard II in full combat Panzerchrist will blow minds apart with this ferocious musical masterpiece. 'The 7th Offensive' is out 15th July (Europe) and 13th August (North America) via Listenable Records For fans of: Marduk, Cannibal Corpse and Bolt Thrower [8] RHYS STEVENSON NEMESIS 'Genocidal Battlefield' THORN MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT 2012 marked the debut album release of Nemesis, the Indonesian Melodic Death Metal / metalcore leviathan simmers machine-gun like drumming in sensational fashion and as 'Genocidal Battlefield' spews out sounds that fans of The Dead Lay Waiting and The Black Dahlia Murder will love. Pulsating drumming sets the course for this album to wreak total havoc and spark off some mosh-pits. Forget Indonesian Thrash Metal, Nemesis promise to take you on a journey that will be more powerful than any tsunami the island chain nation has ever encountered. As 'Genocidal Battlefield' paves the way for them to unleash another bout of metallic hell, could this be the best Melodic Death / Metalcore act to emerge out of South-East Asia? Download This: "End Of Breath" [8] RHYS STEVENSON BATTLE BEAST 'Battle Beast' WARNER MUSIC FINLAND / NUCLEAR BLAST Uprising from the darkest streets of Helsinki is Finnish sextet Battle Beast with their self-titled debut album from which features everything expected from a Heavy Metal band, heavenly vocals that come from the combination of powerful male and gritty female vocals, whilst the continuous epic riffs that wallow in the background along with the sincere drumming, keeps the listener on their toes and ultimately mixes to form a sound that even Lordi could not muster. 'Battle Beast' is not your average Heavy Metal album, it takes the whole Metal scene to a higher level and poises them as the natural rival to Canada's Kobra & The Lotus, whether you like ballsy metal or not this six-piece have enough power to ice up your eyes and slice your ears with a hailstorm of Finnish produced icicles, let the next onslaught commence. Download This: "Fight, Kill, Die" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON FEEDBACK 'A Moment Of Transition' Considered perhaps the first ever metal band from Mauritius, Feedback employ a no-nonsense style of Progressive Metal / Rock that casts an explosive infusion of catchy riffs, unassailable vocals and an atmosphere that would inspire many, after all their debut album 'A Moment Of Transition' released three years ago carries a charismatic sound to it that makes some European bands look bad. Twelve songs equating to a generous total of one hour to listen to should keep Prog lovers gasping for more, in fact 'A Moment Of Transition' harmonizes the said genre and with their own unique twist, Feedback are firming themselves up to fly the flag for the Mauritian Metal scene. Download This: "Cursed" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON ANOMALLY 'While The Gods Sleep' The Azores is not usually considered a hotspot for metal music, but when bands like Anomally let rip and release their majestic sound of Death / Thrash Metal with the elegance and visual image of the Gothic metal style, the result is outstanding. 2012 fell victim to the band's premier EP 'While The Gods Sleep', spewing out a free-flowing ambiance of guttural vocals that are harsh enough to make you scratch yourself. If 'While The Gods Sleep' was a footballer it would be Cristiano Ronaldo, full of guitar trickery, vocal projection and percussive explosive compositions that no one would save themselves from. Overall, whilst 'While The Gods Sleep' is a damn decent release, it is nothing new as such but still offers metal fans a tasty musical treat. Download This: "Controlled By Oppression" [7] RHYS STEVENSON LITVINTROLL 'Czornaja Panna' From the far eastern side of the European continent, a battle cry emits with such a high frequency the next door neighbors start to dance along to it. This battle cry is in the form of 'Czornaja Panna', the sophomore album by Belarus' Litvintroll. What comes with this sound is a rather odd mix of Scottish bagpipes, fluid Folk Metal percussion and the ethnic sounds of the band's mother tongue. However despite the originality and complete adhesion to the traditional melodies and sounds of their folk music garden, Litvintroll are an unsung band in that they are not as well known as they should be. This is proven on 'Czornaja Panna' as it draws stark similarities with bands like Arkona and the like. Ultimately for those who love their Eastern European metal, 'Czornaja Panna' is one release that should be in your collection, it captures the very essence of what makes Belarusian Folk Metal that little bit extra special. Download This: "Kryzak (Piesnia Pra Troliau II" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON BONERIDE 'Weight Of Water' Making their next bold move once again is Boneride, the Finnish Heavy Metal quartet that celebrates their fifth anniversary this year. The lads have crafted their latest demo entitled 'Weight Of Water' and it features more of the classic sound produced on it's predecessor 'Arms of Mercy', sure the sound is not exactly new nor is it different, but it is still pleasurable to listen to, no fancy stuff just pure classic heavy metal. 'Weight Of Water' delivers three tracks that are at different speeds, but the same level of technicality, aggression and musicianship. In fact, this release may yet prove to be the best the band could ever muster. Download This: "Great Unknown" [7] RHYS STEVENSON MINSTREL 'Departure For Daydream Orbit' The Far East has always been a breeding ground for metal bands to experiment around with different music styles and elements, but never has melodic metal been infused on top of symphonic power metal in such a way that it eclipses bands like Sonata Arctica and Nightwish of whom fans of said bands will love. Unleashing their debut album is Taiwan's Minstrel and as the haphazardous elements fall into place, the overall impression is that this lot defy the rule of metal and create a sound that is remarkably hard to pin down. 'Departure For Daydream Orbit' ticks all the boxes as a breath of fresh air but whether that air is going to maintain it's freshness is a question worth asking oneself, all in all this album is for the eccentric metal fans, experience a bilingual release that flits between Asian and European power metal, just don't bank on the latter to pay attention to this four-piece. Download This: "Secret Time" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DRILLER 'All Shall Burn' Making their full blown debut album come to life is Polish Thrash maniacs Driller, it is not their first release but instead it is their first major release. 'All Shall Burn' blasts craters in the earth as it purges out a fluid explosion of fast and furious Thrash with the grit and dirt of Grindcore acting as a formidable backdrop. Fueled by the unrelenting surge of power from the drums, guitars and vocals, the album grills the senses until the anger inside builds up so much that you want to spit it out at anything living, including yourself! Think along the lines of the ferocity demonstrated on Slayer's 'Angel of Death' and you then get a clearer idea and feeling of what this band is really about. As for 'All Shall Burn', simply put it is an essential album for those who love a massive adrenalin rush and a heaving moshpit at the same time. Download This: "Drill & Blast" [9] RHYS STEVENSON DRAGONLANCE
'Holy Blood' Eleven years ago and the Japanese Power Metal force of Dragonlance emerged from the abyss, sweltering the land of the rising sun with their infectious riffs and audacious attitude towards metal music, that in turn spewed out their premier demo 'Holy Blood', an adventurous journey that is only marred by sadly the basic standards of Power Metal. For sure the two track release is only a snippet of what the band aimed to do in the recent decade or so, but as for the starting point 'Holy Blood' is a debatable release in terms of whether it actually is a respectable attempt or not, but as stated they have an audacious attitude towards metal music, it just not shows entirely on this release. What will their later releases deliver? Reprisal or a depressing downhill slalom? Download This: "Holy Blood" [6] 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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