ENVINYA 'Inner Silence' MASSACRE No wonder they got signed when launching their debut album this year, Germany's Envinya delivers a stellar sound that incorporates elements of melodic metal in both the guitar solo's and majestic vocals as well as dabbing the tracks off of their debut album with evident emphatic atmospheric feelings. 'Inner Silence' is the debut album by this Melodic Heavy Metal outfit and boy does it rock, what with the vocals being powerfully delivered by both Mery Díaz and Thomas Knauer, you get the feeling that this six-piece could easily break out into the European metal circuit. As for the album 'Inner Silence', it's one of those releases you have to replay again and again to fully appreciate the music, but with that comes extra satisfaction, make no mistake Envinya are going places. Download This: "Inner Silence" For Fans of: Evanescence, 3 Inches of Blood, Lordi [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON TAVÚ 'Clamor Victorium, Clamor Silentii' Tavú is another prime example that the Puerto Rican metal scene is comfortably in full throttle and is ready to make a statement on the international circuit, fusing together progressive and groove elements to the underbelly of each song on their second album 'Clamor Victorium, Clamor Silentii' whilst inducing pinches of Thrash Metal and Lamb of God style vocals. If you were expecting 'Clamor Victorium, Clamor Silentii' to become another album that is full of ideas and no satisfactory output, think again. Switching between the Spanish and English languages whilst the music itself does the greater talking, embrace yourselves in a matrix-like sound of aggressive and clean vocals that come coupled with skull-cracking riffs and ballistic drumming. Tavú may have been going 17 years, but with this new release it only seems like yesterday that they first emitted their 'Plutonic Hybrid Metal'. Download This: "System Without Honor" For Fans of: Lamb of God, The Devin Townsend Project, Gojira, Meshuggah [8] RHYS STEVENSON BLACK INFINITY '666 Metal' SONGNAM What happens when you mix Melodic Death Metal, Gothic Metal and experimental metal with the flavors of the Orient, you end up with a sound that cannot be found anywhere else. Of course Vietnam's Black Infinity ticks that box completely as their debut album '666 Metal' released four years ago broods a truly authentic Oriental feel through the keyboards and riffs whilst the vocals differentiate across the eleven songs, venturing from totally aggressive to really soft and mellow, the latter found perfectly on 'Embracing Hearts' as Hưng Tiến Nguyễn delivers the vocals in the same style as Ville Valo of HIM. What is even more striking about the album is that after the previously mentioned song, comes a three minute classical piano track that to many Western metal fans would seem highly unorthodox and a little taboo to metal itself! But that's what makes Black Infinity and their triumphant album '666 Metal' all the more special, they're doing metal there way and not following any rules, Black Infinity are flying the flag for the Vietnamese Metal scene with their own style of metal... '666 Metal'. Download This: "Deathbed Illusion" For Fans of: HIM, Before The Dawn, Deadlock, Catamenia [9] RHYS STEVENSON INHERITOR 'From Dust 'N Passion' STORM BLAZE ENTERTAINMENT When you come to think of globalization is just a mass worldwide spread of information, technology, culture and various other segments that play a part in everyday life, but when immigration comes into play a whole host of interesting results creep up. This goes for the Melodic Death Metal band Inheritor who hail from Colombia but have an American vocalist as the forefront, however going back three years and the quintet's debut album 'From Dust 'N Passion' was unleashed into the wilds of the Colombian music industry and with it comes a angelic form of brutal tranquility in respect to the sensational riffs and drumming acting as a solid foundation, whilst the classic beauty and the beast style vocals do the forward commands through the male vocalist growling and the female vocalist's singing harmony. 'From Dust 'N Passion' is a must have for anyone who loves music that contrasts itself from another part of the music itself. Download This: "Beloved Forsaken" For Fans of: Children of Bodom, Nightwish, Lacuna Coil [8] RHYS STEVENSON LEAVE SCARS 'The Arrival' Belgian old school Thrashers Leave Scars drop a bombshell in the form of their debut album 'The Arrival', now lets be honest the only single great thing about this album is that it features everything you would expect from an Old School Thrash Metal album, full on face-melting riffs blending in with unrelenting solos and blisteringly-fast drumming, as well as brutal vocals that will leave your hearing in tatters as the Belgian five-piece smash your senses apart. 'The Arrival' is an apt enough album title as the arrival of a resurgent force in Belgian metal is truly on the cards. it may have taken eight years for the album to finally see the daylight, but f**k me they could not have done it any better. This warrants a Wacken slot next year! Download This: "The Son" For Fans of: Kreator, Metallica, Evile [8] RHYS STEVENSON APE TO GOD 'Ape To God' It's not exactly a musical pun on Charles Darwin's theory of mankind evolution nor a dig at the conflict between science and Christianity, instead Ape To God is an interesting band. Ok, so their self-titled debut EP wallows in what I just said in as far as the artwork and song titles are concerned, but on the other hand there are no monkey chants or banana skins that cause the band to slip up, instead what you have here is a brutally solid example of perfectly executed Groove / Death Metal. Spewing out a tidal wave of gut-rotten vocals, doused with the acidic riffs that surge throughout this release like metal conducting electricity and the drums delivering wave after atomic wave of sheer power. It may not be 100% groundbreaking, but what could be on the cards here is Poland's next biggest export. Having two songs with the words simply switched around sums up their musical output, switching all the time and in doing so creating lush musical fusion. Download This: "Fire & The Straws" For Fans of: Debauchery, DevilDriver, Six Feet Under [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON THRONE OF HERESY 'Realms Of Desecration' It is an inescapable fact that upcoming Death Metal bands in the Swedish abyss find it tough to make themselves known owing to the mass influx of said genre in said nationality, of course providing a twist on the musical brutality of Death Metal is key and Throne Of Heresy does exactly that. Unleashing hell through their EP 'Realms Of Desecration', the five-piece masochists crush the splintering whimpering of all of those 'trying to be hard and cool' unsigned Death Metal bands that wallow so apathetically in the music scene, not implying that they are all talentless or lacking in imagination, but more so implying that Throne Of Heresy shows how it should be done, furthermore there are evident whiffs of Black Metal murmuring in the background. Now just imagine a hornet swarm stinging your eyes out and then imagine being gutted by a python armada, that simply put is just the descriptive form of this music, in reality it is much, much harsher. Prepare for the oncoming storm... Download This: "Souls To Suffer" For Fans of: Bloodbath, Watain, "Filthy Death Metal" [9] RHYS STEVENSON RETURN TO INNOCENCE 'The Ring Of Moon' METALGATE It's about time Western Europe woke up to the reality that they are no longer the greatest of metal producers, well not dismissing that the region delivers top notch acts, but for now pay attention to Return To Innocence of whose fourth album overall and first album since their relaunch glimmers in sensational musicianship. Pummeling out a carefully balanced mix of Doom Metal and Death Metal, this Czech ensemble assimilates the rulebook by crafting their own unique sound through the use of Death Metal vocals and drums, with an impending doom feeling arising from the delinquent symphonies and elegant keyboard notes, even though the album itself features two prominent musicians and ten other musicians delivering contributions on a whole plethora of departments, the music itself is one of a kind that you will never find anywhere else, come on 'Symphonic Doomed Death Metal'? Download This: "Blood-Related" For Fans of: Therion, Amorphis, Tristania [8] RHYS STEVENSON PAST THE FALL 'Beggars At The Liar's Banquet' Bringing a whole new variation to the whole Groove / Thrash trend, new boys Past The Fall accentuate the genre to a whole new level with their tasty debut EP 'Beggars At The Liar's Banquet'. Armed with a plethora of riffs that builds up the suspense of each song with a feeling of total chaotic mayhem being developed, leads to a smashing sound that will as a result cause some hefty moshing. These London lads may be new on the block, but if they keep this effort up and display it on a greater level for their debut album, they could see a record label deal well within the next few years. 'Beggars At The Liar's Banquet' shines with potential and delivers a beautiful sound that will captivate a whole host of metal fans. Download This: "Injustice" For Fans of: Pantera, Alice In Chains, Metallica [8] RHYS STEVENSON KIN BENEATH CHORUS 'Futuristic Composed' SPREADING DYSPHORIA INDUSTRIES Ever rarely do you find Death Metal / Hardcore / Deathcore bands that manage to separate themselves from the plethora of cloned bands out there, let's face it without a creative mind you are doomed to become one of those clones. Kin Beneath Chorus avoid that dreaded fate by unleashing a barrage of Death Metal / Deathcore with the occasional progressive and technical element here and there in unruly fashion, by dropping the A-bomb on the Greek Metal scene, their debut album 'Futuristic Composed' brews up an apocalyptic sound that will crush anyone's soul to death and bleed their ears dry. Showing that the economical state is not impacting on this band, they do more than just smash plates, they smash your face in with a musical blast that would make any hardcore kid cry like a wuss. The message is, Kin Beneath Chorus are taking their scene to newer heights and taking themselves to the European circuit armed and ready for assault, the massacre has only just begun.... Download This: "Split-Scree" For Fans of: Ease Of Disgust, early-Bring Me The Horizon, 'Insanely brutal music' [10] RHYS STEVENSON TEODASIA
'Upwards' Making their debut album speak one more word than a fairytale story is Italian female-fronted metal band Teodasia with their luscious production 'Upwards' which binds together sexy symphonies, four melodic maestro's and a ton of epic, fantasy metal. Playing music in the combined style of Within Temptation - cross - Epica and layering it with their own twist of powerful ballads, booming musical compositions and an artwork to match the dramatics of the overall masterpiece. Delving into the finer details and you find the true passion that Italian Gothic Metal bands seem to have, and so moving into 2013 it is time for Teodasia to move 'Upwards' into the heavens, for this is the 'Symphoratic metal' (Symphonic Operatic) band the Italian Metal scene has been longing for. Download This: "Aurora" For Fans of: Within Temptation, Epica, Lacuna Coil [9] RHYS STEVENSON
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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 CUERNOS DE CHIVO 'Exterminando A Dios' This could be the band and album that Spain has been waiting for to blast a hole in Europe with, the unrelenting force that Deathcore / Death Metal conquistadors Cuernos De Chivo exert on 'Exterminando A Dios' is enough to make the American mob sound pitiful. Crunching riffs and face-melting vocals will leave you pissing your pants as if you had a hangover after your post-hangover (if you catch my drift). 'Exterminando A Dios' is an essential album for those who love their Death Metal and or Deathcore as gritty as broken up tarmac, essentially an album that speaks a thousand words, but only one one sounds out above the rest, 'extraordinary'. What will the Spanish lot conjure up next is anyone's guess, but it's bound to be brutal. Download This: "La Mano De Dios" For Fans of: Heaven Shall Burn, Buried In Verona, Job For A Cowboy [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON VOXRA 'The Forgotten Hope That None Of Us Have...' Now the question is when will there be a release that features barely any music on it, oh wait. Yes, 'The Forgotten Hope That None Of Us Have...' by Voxra is exactly that. Supposedly it is a one man project that dips into the sounds of dark ambiance, depressive black metal and drone metal. Yeah right, perhaps the studio was shut or something, or the man behind it forgot his notes, because this release isn't even worth entertaining, seriously who would buy a release if no sound or virtually limited sound was on it? You might as well and try to rent air just for amusement. [1] RHYS STEVENSON SEAMOUNT 'Earthmother' Coming from Bavaria one would of thought Seamount's music would be as heavy as the stein's of beer that are delivered at Oktoberfest, but one was wrong. Germany's four piece Heavy Doom lords immerse the atmosphere on a joyous and less depressing sound that you would first expect given their lyrics pertain to paganism as a starting point, but as said they are far from depressing - but they do have that lovely thick bass sound going on. Sure the music on their fourth album 'Earthmother' is nothing new, it still warrants recognition as a decent enough release to garner attention across the continent. A definite must for anyone who loves Black Sabbath. Download This: "Aphrodites Child" For Fans of: Black Sabbath, Huntress [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON ENGRAVED 'Days We Dread' Engraved's 2012 demo is far better than previous releases without doubt, there is a lot more melody expressed in each song and at the same time more brutal vocals, this combined makes the demo much more like epic metal as the seconds tick by. 'Days We Dread' features the melodies exerted by fellow countrymen Scar Symmetry and the vocals of Marionette. But, Engraved play this there way and whilst they are not conventionally known outside of Sweden as such, they ought to be. If their demo 'Days We Dread' is a sign of what their debut album is going to be like, then I for sure will be wanting to hear it, the storm has begun... Download This: "Moments" For Fans of: Scar Symmetry, Marionette, The Unguided, early Sonic Syndicate [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON ZEPHYRA 'Kämpaglöd' Delivering their second EP is Sweden's furiously heavy Zephyra, their latest offering 'Kämpaglöd' delivers extremely bizarre vocals for their music choice, it is almost as if they had layered Black Metal vocals on a Heavy Metal foundation as the vocals are far from being classic Heavy Metal. 'Kämpaglöd' is one of those releases that is nothing special, yet it has something different to it, that classic irony of it being a common rarity. But what makes it like that is not so much the lesser quality of the recordings but more so the brutality pursued through the vocals and even more so the fact that the vocalist is married to the guitarist, whether this has an impact on the ferocity of the release is another question, but boy does 'Kämpaglöd' pack a solemn punch. Download This: "Route 611" [7] RHYS STEVENSON CHOSEN 'Resolution' What I want to know is why these guys are not signed? What on earth are the record labels thinking! Enter Irish Melodic Death Metal duo Chosen with their debut album 'Resolution', how apt the album title is given the amount of times the band has crossed the Atlantic to and from Canada. 'Resolution' itself conjures up that classic sound you would want to hear from a Melodic Death Metal album, gallant melodies push the musical elements to the limits as the guitars and vocals take charge of what could be Irish Metal album of the year. This is far beyond the megalithic Gothenburg sound that seems to dominate the metal waves, no.. 'Resolution' is in a league of its own and with Chosen now firmly set on terra firma once again, eyes will be turning once again to Ireland. Download This: "Mental Clarity" [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON KROWNN 'Hyborian Age' It is clear instantly that Italian Doom trio Krownn know their stuff, their premier demo 'Hyborian Age' which is released in a limited number of 200, features six tracks averaging out at six minutes long each, but never mind that because the music does the talking through thick guitar riffs and a rather bizarre fantasy feel to the music, which is funny since the bog standard doom metal release is meant to deal with depression, impending doom, and the like. There again, if you listen to 'Hyborian Age' closely you can notice a number of influences weaving in and out of the low-sound production. It's a decent enough start and is sure to get this band attention from the major metal music media, but for now they are a Italian gem, waiting to be discovered. Download This: "For The Throne Of Fire" For Fans of: Ghost, Black Sabbath, Cathedral, Candlemass [8] RHYS STEVENSON FORTID 'Pagan Prophecies' SCHWARZDORN Well to say the very least one is a little disappointed by Fortid's fourth album, not only have they depleted in the extreme music sound they are capable of producing, but the songs sound too much a like. 'Pagan Prophecies' is the Icelanders fourth outing and whilst it is the latest album released after their Voluspa trilogy, it is nowhere near as grandeur as their past efforts. But given credit it is a worthy attempt at carrying on their fabled music, 'Pagan Prophecies' is not entirely a slip-up but it is not in the same ball park as previous works that the band has duly done, sure it features a decent onslaught of Black / Viking Metal, but for the band to continue their previous success they will need to work much harder. Download This: "Sun Turns Black" For Fans of: Månegarm, Windir [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON AUTUMN OF AEONS 'Festival Of The Flesh' American four-piece Autumn Of Aeons take no hostages when delivering their latest offering 'Festival Of The Flesh', what can only be described as a delicate mix of gothic imagery, operatic and dramatic rock / metal, think along the lines of Masters of Dark Fire and Bauhaus meeting Therion and Nightwish, you get the idea. 'Festival Of The Flesh' features a plethora of songs that feature booming male and female vocals that take back operatic rock and metal back to its roots. 'Festival Of The Flesh' is sure to capture a lot of peoples attention, it's a shame that 'Festival Of The Flesh' is not an international release because I am sure the German market would love this music! Autumn of Aeons are a band that should be watched closely. Download This: "Midnight Masquerade" For Fans of: Bauhaus, Therion, Type O Negative, Nightwish [8] RHYS STEVENSON GRASSITY
'Genocide' Slamming old school Death Metal coming all the way from Slovakia, Grassity is a force to be reckoned with as the quintet shred bullets in making their premier EP 'Genocide', featuring the classic elements you would find from early bands like Napalm Death and the like, Grassity does all of that and much, much more. 'Genocide' will smash your skull in until you snort your last breath, it is a soul-crushing piece of musical wizardry that will surely get this lot the well deserved attention they need. Four tracks of unrelenting brutality explodes without any remorse and will take you alive, so you better be ready because this lot will put your favorite bands in their place. Download This: "Primitive" For Fans of: Napalm Death, Six Feet Under, Obituary [8] RHYS STEVENSON STORMBANE 'Tortured in the Arms of Salvation' + 'Abyssus Abyssum Invocat' Australia has a long and dark history and that may well be the reason behind the influx of Black Metal and Thrash Metal bands that roam the vast continent / country, that said when bands like Stormbane emerge on the scene, it cannot be helped by saying that this is what true underground black / thrash metal sounds like, speaking on terms of their debut 2009 demo 'Tortured in the Arms of Salvation, it is evidently clear that the utilization of atmosphere over production adds a synthetic raw dimension to it. In fact the demo itself is so raw, many die hard black metal fans would masturbate over the eccentricity that reaps every single note on every single song on the demo, but at times it takes a real hard attempt to decipher what or where each musical instrument comes in, its raw for sure but a bit too raw (is that even possible?) Moving forward to the 2010 premier EP 'Abyssus Abyssum Invocat' and instantaneously the production level has dramatically increased whilst retaining that authentic raw buzzing sound that makes the EP sound so lush, its like eating a chocolate cake covered in everything that contains sugar, simply put its so delicious that it would make you physically sick, but that's the great thing about this release, it blasts the whole room with the sonic menacing sound of blastbeats, tight riffs and apocalyptic shrieking, if only there was more songs on the EP; you just cannot get enough of this band. [5] + [7] RHYS STEVENSON IMMANENT 'In Acedia' France of late seems to be bringing more and more female-fronted metal bands out, is this a challenge for the rest of Western Europe? Maybe, but when Prog Metal outfit Immanent step into the limelight, heads bow in shame, well almost. The premier EP 'In Acedia' starts off with some promising music until the vocals kick in and there goes the question, are there any vocals? At times it becomes hard to to tell whether there are even any lyrics! It's like a bottle of French wine, fine on the outside but once the sipping has passed and the drinker is into the bottle it is questionable whether it is nice tasting or not, overall the album cannot be totally decried as it does offer a unique style, whether that specific style will catch on is another question. One element that does however offer some brilliance is the piano compositions, which adds a sorrowful sound to the mix, that aligned with the guitar and drum compositions makes the release justifiable. Download This: "Seclusion" [6] RHYS STEVENSON WORKSHOP 'Made Love To The Dragon' EMI MUSIC (INDIA) / DEMONSTEALER Comedy metallers Workshop make their utmost welcomed return in delivering their second album 'Made Love To The Dragon', what comes this time is another truck load of heavy metal songs that have so much tongue-in-cheek, it makes Comedy Central look like a cabaret act, especially when comparing to the song 'Gajanand Dhige' which explicitly sings about a guy having a fat bottom and issues surrounding the said body part, of course this does not stop the band entering rudimentary territory in relation to the song 'Naagin Ki Nazar' which talks about a guys jewels, or so it would seem, but who cares, whether your sober or pissed out beyond belief, the songs are guaranteed to make anyone smile and laugh, therefore it begs the question of whether metal music and comedy can actually work so much so that Workshop could appear at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival? What also makes the release that extra special is that the songs seem to circulate around the city of Mumbai (Bombay) and has a personal connection to the city, whether that be true or not it certainly feels to it and so when Workshop 'Made Love To The Dragon', they found their inner fire and hot spice. Download This: "Naagin Ki Nazar" For Fans of: System of a Down, Iron Maiden, Zimmers Hole [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON RECTIFIED SPIRIT 'Rectified Spirit' Heavy Metal being mixed with Metalcore may seem a little daunting and impractical at first, but once it gets into full swing it can be a sensational experience, something which Indian metal mob Rectified Spirit seem to have conquered upon releasing their debut self-titled album last year. What we have here is Iron Maiden-esque vocals and music being weaved into your traditional Metalcore sound, knife-edge riffs coalescing in and out the emphatic double bass drumming and truncated musical composition that slashes every ear that gets caught in this extraordinary musical blast of post-apocalyptic metal. 'Rectified Spirit' may well be the next step in adding a new algorithm to the already complex metalcore matrix, let alone building a sound that separates this band from the clones. Download This: "Bloodrush" [8] RHYS STEVENSON IMMINENCE 'Return To Helios' WE ARE TRIUMPHANT Could this be the next biggest Swedish metal export? Imminence explode on the international scene with their post-apocalyptic explosion of Metalcore infused Modern Metal, echoing comparisons to Denmark's Scarred By Beauty and England's The Defiled as well as the likes of Caliban and Parkway Drive. From start to finish, the Swedish armada's second EP 'Return To Helios' spits fire at every note produced and is certified to melt faces across the European Metal scene, the vocals alone set the tone for the almighty face-punching onslaught that soon follows courtesy of the ballistic drumming and razor-sharp riffs that provide the solid infrastructure that is Imminence, even so when the melodic sections cut across the insane multitude of elements pieced together, the band and respective EP still maintain that hardcore backdrop, proving why Imminence are rightfully poised to take Europe by storm in 2013. 'Return To Helios' is out 7th May via We Are Triumphant Records [10] RHYS STEVENSON WINTTERNAL 'The Monologue' On the tropical island of Madeira (a Portuguese autonomous province) comes the Melodic Death / Groove outfit Wintternal and their exciting debut EP 'The Monologue', as soon as the music kicks in it is clear this lot mean business, furious and exhilarating is an understatement in describing 'The Monologue', this EP has the power to kick your teeth in, beat the living daylights out of the pathetic individuals destroying our planet and the firepower to make an atomic bomb look like a pitiful grenade, with that comes the sensational melodies that keep this release in the overdrive region before taking it back to the origin of the music, 'The Monologue' atmosphere. On the other hand though it is nothing new, but it at leasts offers the band a way forward and the Madeira Metal scene a glimmering chance of being exploited, taking clear groove influences from Lamb of God and melodic death metal influences from bands like Trivium or In Flames, the rest is waiting to be argued upon. Download This: "The Sword Of Damocles" [7] RHYS STEVENSON T.A.N.K 'Spasms Of Upheaval' SYMBOL MUZIK In recent years the French Metal scene has seen a deluge of fresh and exciting underground bands that have the mettle to prove that they are on the path to gaining international recognition, such a band is Melodic Death / Thrash quintet T.A.N.K (Think of A New Kind) and their sophomore album 'Spasms Of Upheaval', what comes out of this megalithic album is a torrential barrage of differential sounds that emit from the same source, the talented musicians. Layering an aggressive melodic style on top of a percussive thrash element and Scar Symmetry style vocals, 'Spasms Of Upheaval' is the sound that will make T.A.N.K stand out from the rest of their fellow countrymen, now if T.A.N.K was to be compared to Gojira, then the former is a whole league above the latter, with no exception. Download This: "Through The Disgrace" [8] RHYS STEVENSON FURTHER DIMENSION 'They Live' BRENNUS At first the sophomore album by French Heavy Proggers Further Dimension seemed to be slacking all over the place, but in fact it is simply the opposite, some of the solos on here start off well but go completely overboard and therefore render the songs they are situated in as questionable. 'They Live' came out last year and delivers once more that technical math rock / djent feel that surges through the center of the band's infrastructure. Granted the level of extreme music is there in context with the level of aggression that spews out of the speakers from which one can be seduced by the mastery represented here, but as said things can be overdone and at times 'They Live' seems a little too pushed to be a great follow up from the band's debut album 'The Monolith Effect' two years ago, however in an overall perspective the album is certified for fans of djent and progressive metal. Download This: "Dualitude" [7] RHYS STEVENSON UNBOWED 'Unbowed' Emerging fresh on the Canadian Metal scene is the twelve-legged melodic black / death metal machine Unbowed of whom have just released their debut self-titled EP. What makes the band ever so promising given the evidence herewith is the delinquent melodies that develop a dark and disturbing atmosphere for the rest of the band to poise upon and unleash a barrage of sincere compositions that spew out comparisons between Vesperia, Hecate Enthroned and Cradle of Filth, the latter only adhering to the keyboard and drum elements. 'Unbowed' is sure to get the band some deserved attention from global media outlets and at the same time propel themselves forward to delivering that all important god-smiting debut album. Download This: "March Of The Giants" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON EMPHASIS
'Into Infinity' Estonian Metal on the international scene is not well known besides the most notable band Metsatöll, so when Symphonic Power Metal sextet Emphasis arrive on the block and deliver their debut EP 'Into Infinity' expectations run high. The result is that expectations are surpassed, delivering a sumptuous mix of elegant keyboard symphonies that enliven the release and as a result the vocals, drums and guitars cooperate to perfection, delivering a sound and powerful force that has the potential to land Emphasis in the laps of a record label deal and selection to participate in the Eurovision song contest, in fact the EP blasts similarities to the progressive elements of Opeth, the dramatic atmosphere of Within Temptation, the darkened gloominess of My Dying Bride and a modern metal style that incorporates electronic-tinged background music. All in all 'Into Infinity' has proven its worth as an excellent debut release from which Emphasis can plan an assault on Europe with their catchy lyrics and totally musical compositions. Download This: "Running Man" [9] RHYS STEVENSON INCINERY 'Dawn Of War' So 2011 saw the first record outing by Nottinghamshire Thrash newbies Incinery, not a perfect start it would seem as their debut EP exhibits the standard Thrash Metal sound that most bands in this music style seem to employ, sure 'Dawn Of War' spits fire and acts as a sentimental starting block to this quintet's career, but there is much improvement to be considered, but as far as the first attempt goes it is a decent enough effort and will surely be advanced on when the band release new material. However 'Dawn Of War' will appeal to those who devote their lives to the 80's Thrash Metal sound and especially fans of Slayer and Kreator, as for Incinery the time has come to face the 'Dawn Of War' as they battle for British Thrash Metal survival. Download This: "Life of Hate" [7] RHYS STEVENSON DENIED 'Let Them Burn' SLIPTRICK What a better way to mark the tenth anniversary of your band by releasing the third album in your musical career and that is exactly what Swedish Thrashers Denied have done, sticking together Heavy Metal epic numbers with tunes of agile brutality together and leaving the album finishing on a note that warrants much more from this five-piece. 'Let Them Burn' shifts gears across the ten tracks that drive this album, perhaps it's coincidental that ten tracks are for the ten years this band has been around, but if the last song title is anything to go by then the band has issues, ironically the song 'In Hell' sums up the release to the very last note, simply put 'Let Them Burn' is a juicy and explosive burst of Heavy Metal vocals and slaying Thrash Metal music. Download This: "In Hell" 'Let Them Burn' is out now via Sliptrick Records [8] RHYS STEVENSON ZEITGEIST 'Zeitgeist' SELF-RELEASED Paraguay isn't usually a country that spews out Melodic Gothic Metal, it usually focuses on more aggressive styles of metal, so when in 2010 the premier self-titled demo by quartet Zeitgeist dropped, it unleashed a new wave of sound amongst the underground of this South American country. Ascending on every song and delivering a powerful atmospheric presence, there is much melancholy as there is lusciousness on this release, it filters out the weaker elements and accentuates the very essence missing from the metal scene, a vocalist with utmost harmonic vocals. Zeitgeist are sure to push boundaries in the future ahead but for now they remain as one of Paraguay's hidden gems, awaiting discovery by many alike. Download This: "The Blame" [8] RHYS STEVENSON TRICK OR TREAT "Rabbits Hill Part. 1" VALERY In the year of the band's 10th anniversary, the Italian Power Metal ensemble Trick or Treat deliver a right treat in the form of their third album "Rabbits Hill Part. 1", it showers the atmosphere with emphatic vocals, slaloming solos and rapturous riffs that decapitate all that stand in its way. The vocals themselves carry that adventurous feel and although not on same par as Sonata Arctica, they offer a unique style, quite like the music as it weaves in folk elements on 'The Tale Of Rowsby Woof', but what sets the band aside mostly is the lyrical themes, rather an elaborated metal form of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, the five-piece deliver a range of themes that any mad march hare would hop to. Download This: "Wrong Turn" [8] RHYS STEVENSON EXALT CYCLE 'Revelations' VALERY From what could be put down as a mixture of Dead By April, Avenged Sevenfold and Mudvayne, Italian slickers Exalt Cycle find no fault in the system to crack but instead crack open an album that quite simply is a revelation, 'Revelations' spews out the very musical core of modern metal as it laces together industrial elements with a heavy progressive / metalcore sound, or perhaps that could be ones senses playing tricks via the Exalt Cycle, but one thing for certain is these lads have got the sound to take themselves to newer heights and are sure to push for european domination this year. Download This: "A New Day" [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON TYSTNADEN 'Anima' VALERY Italy was born for delivering any band that plays Gothic Metal and so when the third album by Italian sextet Tystnaden comes to life, it delivers an astounding blast of Gothic-laden Melodic Death Metal fronted by the awe-inspiring Laura De Luca. What these musicians have done is more than make an album, they have made a new sound come to life and dragging influences from bands like In Flames, Slipknot and Dark Tranquility, Tystnaden are vastly becoming one of Italy's hidden gems as 'Anima' explodes in sensational fashion with heavenly vocals, spine-chilling atmospheric backdrops courtesy of the keyboard and of course sharp slicing sounds coming combined from the elegant savageness of the guitars and drums, but as everything starts entwining, the only two things thats wrong with this album is that it is simply too good to be true and its not long enough, listeners will beg for more and are unlikely to find fault, simply divine. Download This: "Mindrama" [9] RHYS STEVENSON PROJECT46 'Doa A Quem Doer' SELF-RELEASED How many times does it take to fully conclude that 'Doa A Quem Doer' is a brain-smashing face belter? One. Back in 2011 the debut album by Brazilian bulldozing Metalcore maniacs Project46 slays through the mass-produced music genre and installs their own stance on the music genre, illuminating killer technical riffs and setting up complex breakdowns, if anything this is what could be dubbed as matrix-core, a sound that embellishes the Metalcore sound in the center with technical, melodic and hardcore influences padding out the nooks and crannies and yet the album of which is entirely in Portuguese, still weeps and bleeds toxic contagious elements that warrants a health warning to be slapped on it. Project46 are taking Metalcore to newer levels and are sure to become a huge metal export in the years ahead. Download This: "Impunidade" [10] RHYS STEVENSON SECRET SIGNS 'For A Lifetime' CASKET MUSIC There aren't many Gothic Metal bands from Spain that manage to get a decent sound going, unfortunately there aren't many bands like Secret Signs going around, dropping their debut album 'For A Lifetime' last year, the quintet immerse the emotional feelings of darkened despair with their atmospheric style of ambient Gothic metal. However the drawback is the male vocals, they crush the album the wrong way and at times leave it meaningless, by leaving out the deep vocals it would sound better, but apart from that the album strikes out as a decent enough effort to really kick start the band, besides the solo on 'voices from the afterlife' is one of epic bizarreness as it starts awfully but finishes gracefully, so whilst the overall album is great there are parts that should not be there. Download This: "Battle For The Darkness" [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON DISTAINED 'Between Nowhere And Goodbye' + 'Hereditas' 2010 saw the second EP by Finnish Melodic Metal ensemble Distained drop, 'Between Nowhere And Goodbye' carries the same vocals experienced on bands like H.I.M., Poisonblack and many of Finland's Gothic Metal catalogue, but don't let that fool you as the EP displays why the home nation is notorius for its love of rock and metal music as here proven by Distained. This is a sound that should get the labels attention, in fact it's surprising to why the lads aren't signed yet as 'Between Nowhere And Goodbye' clearly demonstrates a solid outburst of modern melodic metal that is worthy of paying attention to. Moving onto the 2012 EP release 'Hereditas', what comes now is a more solidified sound and a greater prominent level of precision that seems to kink out the cracks from the previous EP and ends up cleaning out the old and putting in the new, but whilst 'Hereditas' is the better of the two, the major fact behind Distained is that they are simply one of a kind and are sure to battle forward to become favourites amongst European rock and metal fans. Download These: "Drown In Gray" and "Someone Else's Song" [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON AL-NAMROOD / DHUL-QARNAYN / AYYUR
'Narcotized' SALUTE What we have hear is a split between three of the most underground metal bands from Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Bahrain respectively, the 'Narcotized' split kicks off with 'Barzakh' by Saudi Arabian Black Metal trio Al-Namrood and as the song delivers a chilling sound to be embraced, the key result of the song is that it warrants repetitious plays as it is simply is a divine way to start a three-way split. Al-Namrood certainly know how to create their own unique sound and by doing so develop a very atmospheric style, but that is soon forgotten as Dhul-Qarnayn come into the affray with their song 'Suqoot Allah' as it explodes in pummeling fashion, as for the long-gone one man project is without any doubt a raw black metal sounding production on its own accord, but as Bahrain's underground metal scene shows, nothing lasts and as the song comes to a close, Tunisian Black Metal duo Ayyur do the honors of closing up the split with two songs 'The Queen Of Awres (Narcotized Version)' and 'Proud Slave', both of which spew out the very essence of what makes Black Metal, Black Metal. Simple yet basic drumming is all that's needed to setup this elegant dark act and as the very note sounds out, it is worth saying this is a truly Arabic Black Metal release. You can buy the release from: http://saluterecords.blogspot.co.uk/ [8] + [7.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON |
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May 2021
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