 THREAT SIGNAL 'Under Reprisal' NUCLEAR BLAST 2006 saw promising Canadian quintet Threat Signal unleashes the belter that gave them the propulsion into Metal history. Furious and insane Melodic Death Metal with various influences here and there give the boys from Ontario the extremity developed by fellow countrymen Strapping Young Lad. Whilst not sounding anything remotely similar to the European style of Melodic Death Metal, Threat Signal instead offers their own twist on the popular genre. With drumming as fast as a tornado tearing up the back-streets of Hamilton, vocals as brutally soul-smashing as a blizzard and guitars as sharp as a bayonet, Threat Signal are leading the Canadian Metal scene to newer levels. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  TALANAS 'Reason & Abstract' EULOGY MEDIA A softer breath of fresh air is felt on the premier debut EP by London quintet Talanas, mixing the blazing speed of Progressive Metal with the heaviness of Death Metal, this is perhaps the respite the common Deathcore trait needs, simply back to basics. With 20 minutes worth of prime solid Metal to consolidate and dissect, this may just yet be the key that the UK Metal scene has been waiting for, a complete answer to the compelling French band Gojira and without any doubt what-so-ever, the face of modern metal reborn under a new pseudonym; the storm itself has only just begun. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  EVILE 'Five Serpent's Teeth' EARACHE Yorkshire Thrash Metal maniacs Evile shed terror with their 2011 album 'Five Serpent's Teeth', playing at break-neck speed this is how Thrash Metal is meant to sound. Their third album shows more promise than ever before and provides the sound of modern British Metal at its prime. If Huddersfield FC vs. Leeds was gnarly enough, Evile would certainly provide the soundtrack to the epic clash, for the future of British Thrash Metal, Evile is surely leading the way, sensationally fast drumming providing a steady platform for some of the most irate riffs heard for yonks, Evile are set to smash the barrier into next Tuesday. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  SILENCE BEFORE 'What A Fine Day For Violence' These bands just seem to come out of the woodwork, one would assume that the formula for the merging together of Metallic Hardcore was disputable enough, but when Metalcore comes into the realm it is bands like Silence Before who lead the attack, with their debut EP released in 2011, the only step forward for this Slovenian quintet is European massacre. With clear influences taken from bands like Asking Alexandria, Whitechapel and Bleeding Through, there lies no reason to why Silence Before has not got the power nor the capabilities to take Europe by storm and with this effort, it would seem rather shocking that they don't end up signed in the next year or so, this will be an EP that's hard to follow up. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  SMARGROTH
'Empyreal Circle' Shadows move in from the east in response to the acrimonious empowerment of Black Metal monstrosity that is Smargroth, the Slovenian quintet make their second effort seem more so enthusiastic and sounding similar to that of Dimmu Borgir, but whilst there are not many symphonies on 'Empyreal Circle', the latter does crop up on the odd note. One would assume that Smargroth are simply another Black Metal band, regardless of the magic and fantasy-cross-warrior world that has seemed to develop, hark the new genre of 'Magic Metal' has been set in stone, but for now Smargroth are on a mission and is sure to please many Black Metal fans alike. [8] RHYS STEVENSON
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 KAINE Kaine / Kaine EP True Metal can only be applied to those of the NWOBHM stature, so when modern triplet (was quartet) Kaine crafted the perfect riposte for bringing back the traditional sounds of Heavy Metal, they failed to acknowledge that this was to be the best collection of sounds heard in Heavy Metal for years. Capturing the foundation of Iron Maiden in their peak-moment and covering it with Thrash Metal elements, this is perhaps the band England has been waiting for to keep the old guard alive. With their debut self-titled album unleashing six tracks of improved Metal since their first EP release, Kaine is sure set to prove that the 'core' genres are nowhere near as classic as True British Heavy Metal. [8] / [7]  WITHIN TEMPTATION 'The Unforgiving' ROADRUNNER The fifth all-rounder of Dutch Symphonic Gothic Metal veterans Within Temptation carries more power and beauty than a Nijmegen flower show. Bringing more melodic vocals to the affray and magnificently timed musical notes, this is by far the quintet's best release yet. With vocals echoing in the decibel bar on-par with sopranos, Within Temptation are sure to continue to provide such delinquent and entrancing releases. 'The Unforgiving' is yet a testament to the extraordinary vocals of Sharon den Adel - by far making any Dutch singer seem obsolete, so you thought Evanescence was going to win the best vocals in Female metal? Think again, Within Temptation are here to leave a print on Metal music and are exceptionally capable of showing mainstream music that Metal is becoming even-more popular and diverse. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  PROFEEL 'Utrip' It seems to be a common practise amongst most Eastern-European Metal bands in that they find the interesting balance of using their native language with the ever-ready embodiment of Metal music, such is the case with Profeel and their album release 'Utrip', mixing Slovenian with the funky throw-down of Groove / Thrash Metal. Whilst it sounds rather strange, it does not fail to excite and as such provides a unique and honourable experience. With an array of ten tracks to drool over, the hunger for more is clearly experienced by this band's performance; let's just hope they don't eat the speakers. Profeel is setting new horizons and are sure to make a decent impact upon the Slovenian Metal scene. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  MNEMIC 'Passenger' NUCLEAR BLAST It just seems a correlation between Denmark and the lust for Industrial-tinged Metalcore, well certainly for Raunchy and Hatesphere the industrial influences bite the bullet, but riding the nuclear rocket is Mnemic, the finest Modern Metal band Scandinavia has seen since the birth of Metal. Here is their third outing, 'Passenger' and its soul-destroying blast of futuristic cyber metal-meshed 'Industrial Metalcore'. With a fistful pummelling of double-kick drumming to immortalise any sound for millenniums to come and riffs and vocals to blast any clothes off a rock chick, 'Passenger' is by far Mnemic's best album to date and is an absolute treasure in the Danish Metal scene. Mnemic with their experimental side and their own Metal foundation giving them leverage, are sure to lead the assault by storm. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  THE KOVENANT
'In Times Before The Light' HAMMERHEART The classic release by the Norwegian duo The Kovenant signifies the tone of the Norwegian Black Metal scene, with added Industrial influences in the sound and image. Re-released in 2002, 'In Times Before The Light' is perhaps the last Black Metal rooted album they released, but whilst the symphonies add another dark dimension to their already astrological atheist stature, the beauty resides in the absolute majestic thunderous drumming found on tracks like 'from the storm of the shadows'. For the underground veterans of Norwegian Symphonic / Industrial Black Metal, their next adventure is one to wait for, since 'In Times Before The Light' they changed to Cyber Black Metal and so with that as their current genre, The Kovenant are waiting in the shadows for the right time to re-strike. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  VARIOUS ARTISTS
'Siege Of Armada Sampler Vol3' SIEGE OF ARMADA The third sampler volume from Siege Of Armada Records does not come without a sheer warning, this is not for pussies, this is prime Metal and is here to slaughter anyone who opposes the majestic brutal force. Forged by the numerous blacksmiths of insanely mental music, the sampler has drums blazing, riffs erupting more brutal than any volcanic explosion and a variety of vocals that make any Christian choir monotonous. With bands like Boris The Blade giving a punch-in-the-head style Deathcore-cross-Death Metal production, Awaken Demons serving up some crunchy-Metalcore that's sharp enough to slit anyone's throats with the immense feeling of justice and The Breathing Process cursing anyone who dare bespoke Metal as a s*** music genre, you get the sense and feeling Siege Of Armada Records is out to punish any cretin or human being who is stuck-up enough to diss the genre of Metal music. But for Metal fans, aye this is a sampler worth downloading, enough for you to spend over an hour delving in and out of it is wide array of different Metal styles and bands, even if it was released in 2011, it has the embodiment of a decade in its shadows. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  FORGOTTEN HORROR 'The Serpent Creation' WOODCUT Its something about the Finnish that makes them and Black Metal seem to go well, even if Thrash Metal is thrown into the affray, so when Kuopio-based trio Forgotten Horror make their anticipated debut album, the result is a glorious thirty-five minute jaunt of Black-infused Thrash Metal. From start to finish, the band serve up some of the most explicit musical creations to date, such that this is a promising start to the Finnish band's career, armed with a fist of fury and battalion armour, this is one record to savour and for those die-hards, one to recommend as a Finnish prodigy. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  BLUDGER 'The Death of The Trend' What only can be described as Progressive Deathcore, Bludger s**t out their latest EP 'The Death of The Trend' with extreme diarrhoea, taking clear influences from Meshuggah, Pantera and Ion Dissonance, the quintet who are based in Leeds excrete a solid slamming of Deathcore with the fluidity of Progressive Metal. Battering the listener with four tracks of concrete musicianship that could only be broken down by an atomic bomb, not even Sheffield noiseboys Bring Me The Horizon could muster this, it would send Oli Sykes running with his tail between his legs, it would seem Bludger are causing 'The Death of The Trend' that seems to be 'scenecore'. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  URINE TEMPLE / VERMIN / HEXE / SABBAGOR 'Urine Temple / Vermin / Hexe / Sabbagor' SKINNED ALIVE So when more or less the same two musicians for four different projects makes a split, it is somewhat of a novelty, usually its multiple people, but the South African musicians D-Hond and Vermox wield together instruments and sounds to produce this remarkable 4-way split, even if Black Metal is the primary genre, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal and Death Metal all make an appearance so there is a wide variety to choose from, the split release itself topples out at nearly one hour and twenty minutes so for those looking for new music, listeners are spoilt for choice. Definitely a South African gem in terms of its characteristics. [7] + [7] + [6.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON  PIEL DE SERPIENTE 'Inevitable' PURE STEEL Melodic Heavy Metal quintet Piel De Serpiente waste no time and effort in releasing their third majestic album, the five-piece from Valencia in Spain unleash the bulls in the paddocks for this one, mixing their romantic native language of Spanish with the delightful melodies found in bands like Dream Evil and Katana, fast and melodic songs are present on this release and that is guaranteed to captivate the listener. Whilst the male Spanish vocals aren't as dynamic as the females, senor Lufti Salah Al-Kharbutli does not fail to disappoint and even more so drummer Emma López proves that female drummers are just as good. It was 'Inevitable' that Piel De Serpiente were to make a justified return. [9] RHYS STEVENSON  FIREBRAND SUPER ROCK
'Firebrand Super Rock' RISING Scottish lads Firebrand Super Rock raise up the tempo with their debut album 'Firebrand Super Rock', it features the style of Iron Maiden and School of Rock style vocals and music, with an awesome array of riffs to covertly backdrop the sensational vocals on this album, the quartet from Edinburgh unleash a flood of extraordinary songs of which are certain to rock out many listeners to death. Unleashed via the brilliant Rising Records (The Dead Lay Waiting, Confined Within, etc.), Firebrand Super Rock are exactly what their band name says and are sure to set alight the UK when they make their first major tour. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON  SERENITY IN MURDER 'The First Frisson Of The World' SPIRITUAL BEAST Harmonious and intricately constructed is the debut album by the sensational Serenity In Murder from Japan, performing Symphonic Black / Death Metal in a majestic style, the sextet from Tokyo implement symphonies in the style of Twilight Ophera but manage to sound a little less like Arcane Grail. There is the subtlest hint of Oriental music in the symphonies and with the extremely brutal vocals coming from a female singer, Serenity In Murder and their debut album 'The First Frisson Of The World' is sure to take the world by storm, if you thought Japan was doused by lots of Visual Kei bands, the underground network has just exploited one of its most darkest symphonies, Serenity In Murder will take you on a journey no metal band has ever done before. [10] RHYS STEVENSON  UNITED 'Tear Of Illusions' SPIRITUAL BEAST Thirty one years have surpassed and Japanese Metalcore / Post-Thrash Metal group United unleash their ninth full-length album 'Tear Of Illusions' to the absolute masses, this brutal onslaught of insanely fast drumming and riffs is only met by the heavy brain-smashing vocals of this quintet and as a result produce the ultimate album last year in 2011 of which marks their 30 years existence, such a time to be jubilant, for 'Tear Of Illusions' has what you expect, rad solos, mesmerising drumming and unforgettable vocals, a true masterpiece. [8] RHYS STEVENSON  HURON 'Mary Celeste' CASKET MUSIC It is quite ironic that the sophomore album from Huron is entitled 'Mary Celeste' and yet that they come from Plymouth, a city port in Devon known for its strong Naval maritime history, so when the Southern / Groove Metal quintet shot out this face-smacking work piece, the first thing that sprung to mind was 'sea war battle cry', or in its most intellect form, the tune to sea warfare. So when Huron whips in a percussive beat and somewhat fails to capitalise on the vocals, the result is a mix and match of good and bad, but don’t let the music fool you, after all the Spanish armada didn’t get fooled, but the next Huron release may well do exactly that. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MANIFEST 'Written In Blood' VIOLENT Norwegian Groove Metal quartet Manifest make their third album 'Written In Blood' the most brutal they have ever done, with sensationally fast drumming cursing the overall atmosphere with complete utter f***ked up attitude and a fist of fury, this is one album to set moshpits off in numbers. Sounding similar to Lamb Of God, minus the Metalcore part, the Trondheim-based four-man group make it sound so simple and yet although the album itself is good, there remains some negativity in the select few tracks, but can't complain as it is a good release. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON  MANDIBULA
'Sacrificial Metal Of Death' UNIVERSAL TONGUE It comes to something when bands sing in their own native tongues, one it is interesting to listen to and two it is unique in its own rights, such is applied to the one-man project Mandibula with his first demo released back in 2010, the Portuguese musician crafts Blackened Thrash Metal in such a way it traps the listener in a cerebral frenzy, with riffs of demonic stature smouldering the senses with death and anguish, after all this is perhaps the darkest release in the Portuguese Metal scene, in likeness it is similar to that of Dissimulation and Toxic Holocaust, but more so Mandibula has its own sound, and so 'Sacrificial Metal Of Death' is one demo many Metal fans should have in their repertoire.  MOTHERPIG 'Nojev Let' BEYOND THE SUN / ZERO BUDGET PRODS Bosnian Heavy Metal / Hard Rock trio Motherpig make their 2011 release all sweet and essentially unique, only that they sing in their national language, either Croatian, Bosnian or Serbian, anyone's guess (apart from those who know their languages). None the less this is a release that has a lot of potential for the band, especially when the Bosnian Metal scene is not well known, with some Motorhead influences clearly detectable in the vocals and more punk in the musical style, these three Bosnians are crafting something new and different, something refreshing and something to keep the old traditions alive, [7] RHYS STEVENSON  INFEST 'Everlasting Genocide' ZERO BUDGET PRODS. Speeding out of the pits and into pole position is maniac Death / Thrash Metal crackpots Infest of who has created a belter regarding their third album 'Everlasting Genocide'. Kicking off its a bit slow but it soon picks up and justifies itself as a late starter, the Serbian four-piece go all-out insane on this release with neck-breaking thrash tearing away at the flesh of humanity and death metal making anyone crap themselves. Fast and furious is an understatement when talking about Infest, whipping up a storm of epic proportions leaving the listener in a state of utter confusion on what just happened, listen at your peril. [7] RHYS STEVENSON  PUS 'Pus' UNIVERSAL TONGUE The ultimate pun, thick as sludge, or so it should be. Welsh Sludge Metal / Crust stalwarts Pus release what can only be described as indescribable, it is exactly that. Pus with their self-titled EP bring out nothing but raw riffs, bizarre drumming points and vocals that one would only describe as pointless screaming. True to the word that the drumming is percussive, but even that does not rescue the EP from utter humiliation, some could even dub it 'watered down screamo', but that's getting hasty, but it certainly is not music, some will argue, but opinions are always there, the listener shall decide. [2.5] RHYS STEVENSON  77 'High Decibels' LISTENABLE It just seems apparent that Spanish Hard Rock / Heavy Metal quartet 77 are the exact copy of Australian rock legends AC/DC, there lies nothing really new with their release 'High Decibels', it goes without saying there is hardly any differences. Whilst the classic Hard Rock sound echoes all around with the drums providing a timed beat and the guitars whipping out charismatic riffs, the vocals are pretty much stolen from Brian Johnson, there is nothing spectacular to highlight only the fact they are playing the standard sounds of Hard Rock, kudos for them to keep the tradition alive though. [4] RHYS STEVENSON  ELECTRIC MARY
'Electric Mary III' LISTENABLE The sophomore album from Australian Hard Rock / Stoner Metal posse Electric Mary is a funked-up piece of music creativity, whilst the closest sound influence is perhaps Guns 'N' Roses and Motorhead, the solo's on this release are so magically technical it makes Australian rock look impossible to play, but Electric Mary are one of those bands who take a pinch of everything and this is found on their 2011 album 'Electric Mary III', funnily enough its one of those releases listeners could associate car racing and bar brawls with, talk about punch up, fist up and throw down. [7] RHYS STEVENSON |
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