GMA - Vol 212 - DevilDriver, Subliminal Fear, Epidemia, Hecktic, Soulcrusher, Impunity, Inception, Porko Dio, Orobas, Alcor

DEVILDRIVER
'Trust No One'
NAPALM

Even with half of the original line-up no longer playing a part of DevilDriver's future, the formula devised by Fefara and co. since day one, which involves infusing unstoppable groove elements with their mesmerizing slice of Melodic Death Metal, carries on cooking some serious material, which in the drug world would equate to a well-deserved snort of meth. But if these guys were to break bad, it would not be on this new album, in fact 'Trust No One' is so damn good, it's criminal! Fans of DevilDriver will not be disappointed (when have they?) as this album will set their summers up nice and proper, what with the music demanding imminent headbanging and the artwork graphically representing the cliche 'a wolf in sheep's clothing', to 'Trust No One' is to acknowledge the dark truth that everyone, even yourself, has a dark side (not a Star Wars reference by the way). All in all, one word can sum up this entire album... 'Fuck!'

Download This: "Bad Deeds"

For Fans of: Pantera, Lamb of God, Chimaira

'Trust No One' is out now via Napalm Records

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SUBLIMINAL FEAR
'Escape From Leviathan'
INVERSE

In this day and age of modern machinery, technical developments and cybernetic nexus', the whole movement of Modern Metal takes centre stage as it expresses a forward thinking notion rather than reflecting on the 'has been and done' sounds of early metal genres. Leading the new wave of Italian Modern Metal is Subliminal Fear with their infectious blend of Melodic Death Metal, Groove Metal and Electro Metal, following a sprinkling of Industrial and Progressive Metal influences. So imagine it, a full-on heavy blow to your cranium as the imminent result of switching on 'Escape From Leviathan', the third album by this sensational quintet. Connect yourself with the world of digital reality and let the matrix of this band's music surge through your ears, down your spinal cord before shooting up into your brain like a lightning strike from the skies. Soar into the upper echelons of Modern Metal with Subliminal Fear's 'Escape From Leviathan' and embrace what could be called the renaissance period of Italian Metal.

Download This: "Nexus"

For Fans of: Amaranthe, Sybreed, Mnemic, Scar Symmetry

'Escape From Leviathan' is out now via Inverse Records

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

EPIDEMIA
'Leprocomio'
SATANATH

The exploitation of South American Metal continues with Ecuador throwing their next band out to the international press. Ok so it has been ten years since Epidemia dropped their debut album 'Mutilador De Cuerpos', but they've had a line-up change and two-year hiatus so it's excusable. But they've come back in style with their filthy-rotten second album 'Leprocomio' which compromises of epic blastbeats, chunky riffs, stomach-churning vocals and a raw production sound that epitomizes the lesser equipped underground metal scenes in terms of the quality of equipment and studios available. 'Leprocomio' however stands on it's own two as a decent and respectable slab of gore-rotten Death Metal, whilst it is in the Spanish language this should not deter die-hard Death Metallers from sinking their teeth into this decent effort.

Download This: "Agonistes En El Inframundo" - Click to listen

For Fans of: Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus

'Leprocomio' is out now via Satanath Records

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

HECKTIC
'Crossroads'
INDEPENDENT

Whatever the lads in Hecktic were drinking when they recorded their premier EP 'Crossroads', it certainly helped them craft a good start to their career. Rest assured you will not fall asleep from boredom with this effort, there are twists and turns at every unsuspecting moment. Take for example their song 'Kill The Core', there's a section where some Balkan influences creep in on the guitar playing and whilst throughout they shred, growl and give the drumkit mechanical pain, Hecktic's focus never slips, never. For the Bulgarian Metal scene, which tends to be ignored by the West, 'Crossroads' is the rallying cry for all musicians within said scene to support Hecktic in becoming a force to be reckoned with. If Testament and Machine Head were to ever have any offspring, Hecktic would be their first.

Download This: "Kill The Core" - Click to listen

For Fans of: Testament, Machine Head, Sylosis

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SOULCRUSHER
'Death Rides Tonight'
INDEPENDENT

Along with Brazil and to a certain extent Argentina, Chile is one of the most successful and vibrant metal scenes on the South American continent and it's latest offering, Soulcrusher, aim to point out that the underground is sometimes the best place to stay. Their second demo released this year, 'Death Rides Tonight', is a slick mix of old-school Thrash Metal with Black Metal vocals, so you know none of the fancy stuff, no polished sound, just simply a pure DIY sound emerging from this quartet's musical unity. Embrace it's unrelenting speed, raw ferocity and sharp atmospherics as 'Death Rides Tonight' offers itself as an excellent example of what lo-fi metal is all about. Think Slayer meets Carpathian Forest, yeah you get the idea, so unless you're a fan of the extreme side of metal, best to stay away. As for 'Death Rides Tonight' as a whole, quite frankly one of the songs should be featured on a metal compilation called "Now that's what I call underground".

Download This: "Madness" - Click to listen

For Fans of: Slayer, Carpathian Forest, Deströyer 666

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

IMPUNITY
'Raíz Ennegrecida'
INDEPENDENT

It comes to something when Colombians sing about socio-political issues and bid for freedom, it seems that the correlation between anger against oppression and a country's level of corruption is becoming more and more evident. But for the trio known as Impunity, metal is more than just music, it is in fact a vehicle to deliver a personal statement and some. In this case anger, discontent, injustice and flipping the middle finger to a fragile and unstable system; no wonder Colombian Metal music is extremely underground. Five years have passed since their inception and the wait for their first album release has been worth it, hands down. 'Raíz Ennegrecida' is around 20 minutes long, so for some it's more of an EP, but what the hell, this music is as brutal as someone smashing your head against a brick wall, with the sole exception being that no blood will be lost because of the music.

Download this: 'Títere En Utilería' - Click to listen

For Fans of: Destruction, Deathchain, Slayer

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

INCEPTION
'The True Face Behind The Smile'
INDEPENDENT

Make it past the first track and you will be listening to the proper music by Costa Rica's Inception, sure this stuff is nothing and new and has been recycled by more bands than pop musicians have copped off one another, albeit for those using autotune. 'The True Face Behind The Smile' is Inception's debut album and as you would expect from a band indulging in Old-School Heavy Metal, it's full of melodicism, harmonics and upbeat atmospherics, nothing more. Granted for those who love this style of metal, they will not grow bored of it but for the average metalhead it might fail to keep their attention. Kudos for them standing up and defending a style that is on the fading away path, because the old styles are becoming weighted down by the ever-growing modern styles of metal. It might necessarily propel them to international recognition, but heck the album is worth investigating.

Download This: "Another Chance" - Click to listen

For Fans of: Diamond Head, Heaven & Hell, Black Sabbath

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

PORKO DIO
'Unrest'
INDEPENDENT

Two EP's in and Croatian Death Grinders Porko Dio demonstrate that they're focused on creating music designed to make you cry for your mummy. It's fast, it's brutal and it's sickening to think that this music doesn't come with a health warning, let alone parental guidance giving it's violent nature. Violent nature?!?!? This is full-on metal bitches, and do you think that Porko Dio want their music restricted? Hell no. By letting their insanity be unleashed upon their music, their versatility outwits the likes of Luka Modric, their creativity demands great attention and of course they demand in return utmost respect for dropping an EP so potent, not even sniffing sulphur dioxide is as brutal as this.
Whether the title of the EP is a political statement describing Europe and it's migrant crisis is one big question, but the answer probably lies within the unruliness of their music.

Download This: "More Than Ourselves" - Click to listen

For Fans of: Deathbound, Napalm Death, Carcass

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

OROBAS
'Arise In Impurity'
SYMBOL OF DOMINATION PROD.

Another slice of bestial Blackened Death Metal is here with Bangladesh's Orobas stepping up to take the bullet. Armed with their debut EP just one year after their formation, Orobas waste no time in constructing a decent first-time effort to kick their career off with. 'Arise In Impurity' is the band's premier EP and whilst the music predominantly resides within the old-school Black Metal style, the vocals remain firmly rooted in the Death Metal style. Aside from the main three tracks and intro, Orobas have included a cover of Venom's 'Black Metal', which isn't half bad except cover's are too common these days and it makes as a poor excuse just to release the EP instead of recording another song in its place. 'Arise In Impurity' may not be innovative or anything new, but it certainly is a decent listen if your up for checking it out that is.

Download This: "Bad Blood Hunter" - Click to listen

For Fans of: Impiety, Bestial Warlust, Arallu

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

ALCOR
'焦土之上 (On The Scorched Earth)'
MORT PROD.

What with flying, rocket-propelled llamas on the artwork of their debut album, you would instantly think that the music is going to be just as (or possibly more) insane as the artwork as a result. Well you'd be correct to think that assumption, by using their native Mandarin language in their lyrics and bolting it onto old-school Thrash Metal, the result is a chaotic, explosive-yet-entertaining work of art. I am of course referring to Alcor's debut album '焦土之上 (On The Scorched Earth)'. Chinese Metal has come a long way since it's founder Tang Dynasty made it's debut, it's gotten heavier, darker, faster, basically it's become its own powerhouse and is one scene that is set to lock horns with the West. Musically it's nothing new but taking an overall perspective, there is something that makes this album distinguishable and its not the language difference, whatever it is here's hoping Alcor use it to their advantage all the time.

Download This: "秩序與混亂 Order & Chaos" - Click to listen

For Fans of: Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON