GMA - Vol146 - Hell: On, Necnon Mortuss, Solaris, Devastracktor, Sacrament Ov Impurity, Citadel Besieged, Scaphism, Amachine, Nonserviam, Immension

HELL: ON
'Age Of Oblivion'
METAL SCRAP

Considered as perhaps the best ever release Ukrainian Death / Thrash merchants Hell: On has ever done, 'Age Of Oblivion' blasts a hole in the wall through the trickery exerted on the guitars and the epic rate of knots on the drums, whilst the vocals themselves add that final blow. Ukraine may be the land that everyone knows because of Chernobyl, but there is much much more to this land and indeed Hell: On at first sight. 'Age Of Oblivion' is a beautiful soundtrack that features trippy double bass drumming on each song that acts as a foundation for the guitars to follow suit and as the vocals hit highs and low's the sign is clear, the 'Age Of Oblivion' has dawned and Ukrainian Metal has a new face.

Download This: "Punk Guys"

For fans of: Impious, Vader, Dew-Scented

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

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NECNON MORTUSS
'Likvidace'

Whilst conventionally not the greatest at clocking on to how Black / Death Metal is meant to be played, Czech mob Necnon Mortuss simply don't give a flying f**k about how to play it. Take for example their second album 'Likvidace' and then take the inescapable reality that such bands play it differently and realize that this band are exactly that style of band. Even if they sing in their native tongue, it just adds a unique dimension to the release. If you're after fast and snappy riffs, grueling vocals and sharp drumming, look no further than Necnon Mortuss and 'Likvidace' as they battle their way forward out of their home nation with a sound that will keep Central Europe shaking.

Download This: "Genetic Code NM07"

For Fans of: Behemoth, Marduk, Dissenter

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

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SOLARIS (2006-2011)
'The Truth Can Only Be Learned by Marching Forward'
P3LICAN

Well the truth is if you have got the time to sit and wait for the music to really kick in, then you have patience, if not then this release is not for you. 'The Truth Can Only Be Learned by Marching Forward' was the second and last album by Latvia's Solaris, a Sludge Drone / Doom Metal entity that was short lived and could have been a good influence in the metal scene. Delivering a high range of melodramatic and deeply depressing sounds, this release peruses the darkened ambiance and uses it to lay the down the path for the rest of the album to take. Sure it takes a while to kick off, but for those who can wait the returns are worth it. Solaris evidently were not short of ideas and were surely to make waves outside of their native homeland, some could question the irony of their album title 'The Truth Can Only Be Learned by Marching Forward' to what happened with the band.

Download This: "Distant Crusades / From Bloodwaves to Frost"

For Fans of: sun o))), Jesu and Melvins

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

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DEVASTRACKTOR
'Beer Force One'

There are three things you will need in Heavy Metal: tits, metal music and beer. However Devastracktor's specialty is beer as highlighted on their premier EP 'Beer Force One', a four track belter that encompasses Finnish Thrash Metal to it's core essence, the unrelenting shredding of riffs amongst furious drumming and grizzly vocals. As for each track, they offer that distinct classic sound experienced by bands like Holy Moses and Metallica / Slayer, for a band that has only been going four years, they are sure primed to take Europe by storm and enlighten the Nordic lands with streaks of white and blue and a sense of spine-snapping Thrash that will get everyone smashing skulls together like it's a piss up party, bottoms up.

Download This: "Diesel Cobra"

For Fans of: Holy Moses, Slayer, Metallica, Evile

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

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SACRAMENT OV IMPURITY
'Anguishing In Obscurity'

If you're after a generic Black Metal band that gauges out high shrieking vocals, a bitterly cold atmosphere and insane drumming, turn your head away from the Norwegian swamps and look at American duo Sacrament Ov Impurity... yeah right. Sure the duo's second attempt 'Anguishing In Obscurity' is covered lavishly in a coating of evil and occult music, but in all honesty it is so commonly produced that it begs the question are they any different? Well, yes and no. The first track 'God Ov This World' holds itself as a unique work of art yet ironically it highlights so many comparisons with other duo BM acts its unreal. On the other hand if you're musical fetish is raw underground and slaughtering musical abilities, then 'Anguishing In Obscurity' is an album for you, just don't count on the hot dogs getting any more satanic or at least hotter than this album.

Download This: 'Under The Wretched Tomb'

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

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CITADEL BESIEGED
'The Winter Of Evermore'

It would seem that the American style of the classic strain of Heavy Metal is so contagious that is mutates into a myriad of different slanted styles, this could be said about 'The Winter Of Evermore', the 2011 debut album by duo Citadel Besieged as it caresses Iron Maiden-esque style vocals like no other underground American Metal band does, sure the riffs at times seem a little repetitious and the drums at times appear to be non-existent, but the reality is that this is a well crafted piece of music, in fact you might as well consider it a hidden gem, one that glimmers with ugly beauty and silent loudness, on the other hand those solo's do seem to go a little overboard. However you spin it 'The Winter Of Evermore' is an album in it's own league.

Download This: "Prelude To Anarchy"

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

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SCAPHISM
'Festering Human Remains'

Imagine ordering a plate load of ribs smoked in the hottest BBQ sauce ever and then imagine gorging on it until you are violently sick, that is simply what 'Festering Human Remains' by Boston's Scaphism sounds like. A futile splattering of Brutal Death Metal that circulates the musical style laid out by bands like Suffocation, Psycroptic and Carcass; the sort of Death Metal that punches you in the face until you look like death (how aptly ironic in album title context). Scaphism may as well be the next exciting troupe to emerge from the American underground abyss and as 'Festering Human Remains' rightfully proves, they are a force to be reckoned with. The zombie apocalypse is now a reality, you better be scared...

Download This: "Butchered And Devoured"

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

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AMACHINE
'Abrasive Absurd'

When you consider the New Zealand on a global scale, most metal outlets only think of Dawn Of Azazel and Ulcerate, but wallowing in the underground growths of this diverse nation is Amachine, a pure slamming Death Metal band with more haka haka than the All Blacks, more guts than their Australian adversaries and more brutality than a volcanic eruption, this is evidently proven on their phenomenal debut EP 'Abrasive Absurd', not only does it offer four tracks of totally unique sounds, but a whole new style of Death Metal. Amachine call it 'Aotearoa Metal', this reflects the Maori influences incorporated in the band by one Johnny Raimona, Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand. With all this in mind, the honest reality is that Amachine are a thousand leagues above any Death Metal band yet they are not well known, so for some truly cultural metal listen to Amachine.

Download This: "Killer Behind The Shadows vs. The Great Beast"

For Fans of: Suffocation, Gojira, Ulcerate

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

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NONSERVIAM
'Ordinance Of Reason'

Could this be the moment Malaysia explodes onto the international scene with a band that will totally represent them? It would seem that way, Melodic Death Metal fanatics Nonserviam deal justice to their nations undiscovered metal scene with their sensational debut EP 'Ordinance Of Reason', gut-rotten vocals surge through the chaotic composition of slaying riffs and tantalizing drumming to mold a sound that is guaranteed to get record labels perking ears up, 'Ordinance Of Reason' spews out a fluid torrent of gritty Death Metal that would make any fan wet their pants whilst the melodies exerted would make Alexi Laiho poop his. All eyes in years to come will turn to the Nonserviam storm as it brews  and gathers strength and excels themselves to be the rightful flag flyers of the Malaysian Metal scene.

Download This: "Fragments"

For Fans of: Children of Bodom, Dark Tranquility, Insomnium

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

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IMMENSION
'Immension'

Ok so a few years ago Immension released their self titled debut EP, this will be soon followed up this year by their second EP 'The Enemy Within' so it will be interesting to see how the band changes or if they will continue the same sound found throughout this release. 'Immension' is a delicate balance of classic Heavy Metal with some rather melodic and mellow songs that keep the calmness and extremity worlds apart. Yet what Immension cleverly do is throw in a whole host of other elements such as harsh vocals, progressive elements (especially on the guitars) and fast drumming, all in all whether you like them or not, this band could be the next big thing.

Download This: "In Vain"

For Fans of: Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, Evile

[8] RHYS STEVENSON