GMA - Vol182 - Detention, Necrolepsy, Seed Of Evil, The End, Dawn Of Apocalypse, Wintercold, Distraught, Nicrotek, Deus Ater / Dawn Of Apocalypse, Grind Attack Vol.1

DETENTION
'Marginal'
SALUTE

Music projects are never easy, it's even harder when you come from a country where the metal scene is very underground and seemingly small. Unleashing his second outing 'Marginal', Yeldar Rakishev's project Detention is joined by female vocalist Lilita Arndt (Embrace of Hedera, Moloch) and Anton Brezhnev (aka Tony Cyclone - Metallcoma, ex-Illidiance), and this release easily bulldozes the debut album 'Coma'. Even though there has been a shift from the Death / Doom Metal sound to a cleaner Hard Rock / Heavy Metal sound, so what we have here is the same gloomy and spine-chilling atmosphere expressed on 'Coma' mixed with a vibrancy of elements that all come together to create a work of art. 'Marginal' is an absolute gem within the Kazakhstan Metal scene and is sure to garner it some attention from outside of the CIS and Asia. As for 'Marginal' itself, it really expresses a solemn, depressing feeling yet is ironically displaced by a powerful and uplifting sound, such a concoction of feelings is guaranteed to appeal to any metal fan.

Download This: "Blaze A Trail" - Click here to listen

For Fans of: Katatonia, "Depressive Metal", Paradise Lost

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

NECROLEPSY
'Exhibition Of Mutilated Apparatus'
SALUTE

Bangladesh in recent times is finding it's footing within the international metal scene. Delivering their first ever EP is the duo Necrolepsy whose slamming Brutal Death Metal is enough to make you regurgitate and swallow your vomit without stopping. Through the raw production sound, both Asmodeus and Bephometh combine together to unleash a barrage of unrelenting hell, with the guttural vocals crushing your brain to pieces and the riffs slicing through your heart like a lion savaging your guts for it's afternoon tea. What is really amazing about this EP though, is the sheer length of it... nine minutes. Yes 9 MINUTES. That's the equivalent of a Opeth song no? Moreover the vocals are so low and grizzly, even the earthquakes cannot compete with this seismic production. Let's just hope their later-released split with Thailand's Parasite is just as unforgiving.

Download This: "Melted Human Cadaver" (taken from their split release) - Click here to listen

For Fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Suffocation

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

SEED OF EVIL
'Balam'
SALUTE

Mexico has a really healthy breeding ground for metal music, so when trio Seed of Evil dropped their premier EP 'Balam' the tension was high in as far as whether this release was going to be incredible or not, actually calling it incredible is an understatement as it is a release any Death / Black Metal fan will enjoy wholeheartedly. 'Balam' is fast, brutal, heavy and does not welcome any posers to listen to it, yes this EP is not for any metalhead but rather those who love the darker side to the music. Wedged in the old school of Death Metal and lavished with Black Metal influences, Seed of Evil's 'Balam' is a gem to be treasured and a release to be owned. There is nothing fancy about it, no flash sounds and no 'I am so kvlt' attitudes wafting about it, no this is an Extreme Metal release that demands respect, and respect is what you should give it.

Download This: "Soldier Of The Death" - Click here to listen

For Fans of: Obituary, Morbid Angel, Behemoth

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

THE END
'White Lotus'
SALUTE

If you're looking for a piece of mind, or a sound that puts you at ease and enables you to rest your head, drift away to sleep or simply chill out, then look no further than The End's breathtaking new release 'White Lotus'. This one-man Experimental / Post-Black Metal / Shoegaze project from India exhibits a really calming and graceful atmosphere, whilst the chaotic Black Metal gets laid to rest in the background as if to represent the chaos the world suffers in musical form. With the graceful and peaceful side of humanity found within the atmosphere and soft melodies, contrasting against the hatred and disgust delivered through the ferocity of the drums and aggressive, rawness of the vocals. 'White Lotus' is quite a unique release and for those who actually endeavor in trying out something new, you will really enjoy this release, it simply is that captivating.

Download This: "Across The Ocean" - Click here to listen

For Fans of: Falloch, Alcest, Sun O)))

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

DAWN OF APOCALYPSE
'Forces of Darkness Reigns'
SALUTE

2014 has delivered a new force in the Swedish metal scene, that force is the Dawn Of Apocalypse. Formed by Salute Records owner and multi-instrumentalist Satanic Tony, and his beloved wife Malin Sundstrand, the Dawn Of Apocalypse's premier EP 'Forces of Darkness Reigns' unleashes a torrent of pure classic Black / Thrash Metal. With Malin delivering some rather spine-chilling vocals and Tony wielding together an array of dark-yet-magical elements, this is an EP that truly represents what the duo are all about: pure, cold and wintry extreme metal, the kind that ties the knots of the undeground international metal scene together. Immerse yourself in fifteen minutes of organic Teutonic hell and watch as even the most hardened underground metal musicians sit down and listen. 'Forces of Darkness Reigns' is a godsend and is a definite sign of great things to come from this sensational pair.

Download This: "The Casket Of Death" - Click here to listen

For Fans of: "Pure classic old school Black / Thrash Metal", Deströyer 666, Aura Noir

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

WINTERCOLD
'I Fullmånens Ljus' + 'Across The Cold Tundra'
SATANICA PRODS (both)

Wintercold the Swedish Gothic / Doom Metal project by Satanic Tony has this year released to date four releases, the second one of which is the five-track EP 'I Fullmånens Ljus' (In The Moonlight) which sad to say is not as good as previous efforts. Sure the depression and bitterness that Wintercold is renowned for is ever present, it just seems too much like past releases and does not stand on it's own two feet. 'I Fullmånens Ljus' does however feature that distinct raw sound that Wintercold loves to deliver and also that dank and darkened emotional atmosphere you would expect from a Gothic / Doom Metal release. 'I Fullmånens Ljus' is in fact the project's third EP, yet it does not seem to cut it as much as the others, ironically it still is a decent enough release. Let's just hope it's a blip on the radar and not a prolonged disappointment.

As for 'Across The Cold Tundra', which is Wintercold's six full-length album, well the improvement is highly noticeable and there seems to be a greater leaning towards the Gothic Metal sound in the style of The 69 Eyes (especially with the vocals). But by dragging in an almost fantasy-like array of melodies and layering them in the individual songs, what Wintercold has done here is create something rather magical yet beautifully atmospheric. By using these elements, the music is almost glistening in the snow-laden, quietened lands of Northern Sweden, or if you like the dead calm of midvinterblot (mid-winter time). 'Across The Cold Tundra' is without any doubt the best album Wintercold has ever released and promises great things on the horizon, in fact we need more of this.

Download These: "I Fullmånens Ljus" + "Across The Cold Tundra promo" - Click here to listen to both

For Fans of: Paradise Lost, The 69 Eyes, My Dying Bride

[6.5] + [9] RHYS STEVENSON

DISTRAUGHT
'Demo 1988 - Faithful Into Death'
SALUTE

Possibly the oddest release I've ever reviewed, not only because the demo originates back in 1988 and this is 2014 (do the maths), but because this band is so unknown and so underground, there is very little to read about this band. Sweden's Distraught may well have delivered a Death Metal / Thrash Metal / Punk release, or simply an ambient wall of sound, but the demo known as 'Faithful Into Death' might have its reasons to why it was not well put out. It's hard to describe, it has no real presence apart from as said 'an ambient wall of sound' and to be quite frank it should remain buried and forgotten, this was not Satanic Tony's nor Bosse's nor Bullen's (Alltears) finest hour. Yup this release should have been sent to the grave.

For Fans of: "we have not got a clue"

[5] RHYS STEVENSON

NICROTEK
'When Heaven Became Dark'
SALUTE

Hailing from Indonesia, one-man project Nicrotek (operated by Bobby Deathstars) unleashed a torrent of releases, seven in total. 'When Heaven Became Dark' is the second of four full lengths and as the album title suggests, the music is dark and so are the lyrics. Especially when one of the tracks 'Werewolf' has a distinct female screaming in horror, this alone coupled with the Industrial and Darkened Ambient Black Metal sound serves up as a respectable release. 'When Heaven Became Dark' alongside this years releases marks ten years of this project, and when specifically referring to this album, the feeling that is left is one of joyousness because the music is so delinquent yet riveting, it almost takes your breath away. This could be a short-listed contender for Indonesian Metal release of the year.

Download This: "Werewolf" - Click here to listen

For Fans of: "Dark Ambiant", Agalloch, "Industrial tinged metal"

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

DEUS ATER / DAWN OF APOCALYPSE
'Per Mortem Tenebris Regnabimus'
SALUTE

What happens when a one-woman Mexican Black Metal project and a Swedish Black / Thrash Metal duo come together on one split release? You get 39 minutes of absolute hellish mayhem. Kicking off with Deus Ater (tracks 1-7), this is some rather raw and static Black Metal, the level of atmosphere is astounding and as a result, serves up nicely for the 'Per Mortem Tenebris Regnabimus' split to fulfill its potential. If you want your Black Metal raw and hard to hear, then opt for Deus Ater, whereas if you want some ballistic high-speed Black / Thrash Metal, then turn your attention towards the Dawn Of Apocalypse. Dawn of Apocalypse immerse the listener with some rather snazzy yet nifty sounding extreme metal, from tracks 8-12 you can indulge into some finely tuned underground music. The Swedish duo (Tony and Malin) take no mercy when unleashing their barrage of darkened horror and as a result, leaves the split in good stead as a decent release.

Download These: "Final Prophecy" (D.A.) + "Death Is Here" (D.O.A.) - Click here to listen

For Fans of: Deströyer 666, Aura Noir, Behexen

[7.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON

VARIOUS ARTISTS
'Grind Attack Vol.1 - Maggot Mincer'
SALUTE / MORTUARY PRODS.

Released exclusively via Salute Records (originally released via Bangladeshi label Mortuary Productions), this compilation entitled 'Grind Attack Vol.1 - Maggot Mincer' features 24 tracks (yes 24) of insanely brutal extreme metal totaling an impressive 36 minutes. Featuring bands from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, the USA and various other countries, just to name a few. Some of the tracks only last a few seconds and whilst that is indeed short, the sheer ferocity that becomes bestowed upon your ears is as mauling as having the horns of a bull shoved up you anally, get the picture? Or get the.... never mind. 'Grind Attack Vol.1 - Maggot Mincer' is what it says it is, an absolute full smacking of the dirtiest, crudest and sickening Grind Metal this world has to offer. You might need some clean underwear after this, rest assured.

"The whole compilation can be bought here: http://www.saluterecords.yolasite.com/releases-2011-2014.php"

For Fans of: GRINDCORE / GRIND METAL / BRUTAL DEATH METAL

[8] RHYS STEVENSON