AVVEN
'Kastalija'

5 years passed and now Slovenian Folk Metallers Avven set sail again with their emphatic sound of traditional Slovenian music and language mixed with the highly intricate Folk Metal genre, their second album 'Kastalija' is a highly intricate piece of wizardry in musical terms, dramatic and highly emphatic in the veins of power, dominance and complete intellect. Mixing their native sounds with the global dominance of Metal, Avven are a treasured gem awaiting to be unleashed upon the world, 'Kastalija' is a release for those fans of traditional Folk Metal and bands like Aperion and Tyr.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

GROG
'Scooping The Cranial Insides'
MURDER

Burgeoning Portuguese Brutal Deathgrind masters return with their third full-length album in their 20 year journey through highs and lows, with 'Scooping The Cranial Insides' it culminates a sound of funk riffs and insane vocals, so sickening and brutal it makes the civil wars seem almost like a communal gathering. Blood-thirsty drum beats aligned with a streak of atmosphere-slicing riffs and gut-rotting vocals, this is Portugal's sickest hour, a true collaboration of extreme metal music and extreme gore lyrics, whether these musicians are doctors in their main profession is a mystery, but by 'Scooping The Cranial Insides' out, Grog is a beast of immense dirt.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

DAOR
'From The Bleeding River'

Daor unleash a solid wave of sonic destruction with their latest release 'From The Bleeding River', the Gibraltarian quintet (now based in Nottingham) provide the most insane music coming from the big rock, as maddening as the monkeys on the rock and as brutal as the border control, Daor are causing an apocalyptic cataclysm of Industrial-infused Death / Thrash Metal, leaving a fuller sound of fury, balls and utmost sweat in all areas of the bodies orifices. Daor is flying the flag for the Gibraltarian Metal scene alongside fellow countrymen Breed 77. 

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

THRASHERA
'Speed Sex 'N' Roll'
METAL REUNION

Fresh from the factory is Brazilian Thrashers Thrashera with their 2010 demo 'Speed Sex 'N' Roll', whilst the raw recordings add a sense of unique sound to it, the vocals lack clarity and so make the demo less appealing, but for a band from South America, this is the norm (albeit Sepultura), however don't be fooled, with a soul-splitting vocal range and sharp musical compositions, this is the next generation of the critically acclaimed Brazilian Thrash Metal scene. This is an early sign that something soon will happen, probably a wider recognition.

[6.5] RHYS STEVENSON

MUDWALL
'Omniscient Media'

Belgian newcomers Mudwall do not hesitate in unleashing a sexual beastly combination of Death / Thrash Metal immersed in Groove Metal, to create a dynamic blast of danceable Heavy Metal. With their debut demo 'Omniscient Media' released this year, Mudwall are clearly one of the next Belgian band's to fall grace to the British Metal media, whilst only one year old, this is a band with promising potential, a band tipped to be the next big Belgian export, fruitful riffs and intricate vocals and drumming come together on this excellent first-run.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

MODUS DELICTI
'Nobody'
COMATOSE

Promising Italian Brutal Death Grindsters Modus Delicti unleash a torrent of hell with their debut album 'Nobody' with a slice of extreme vocals and drums to compliment the near-gone guitars. Whilst the album itself offers a piece of bizarre music, the overall product is a mass combination of noisy vocals and furious musical compositions which together rival the very essence of musical creativity. 'Nobody' although nothing new is one of those albums that is still good however.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

ANTROPOFAGUS / PUTRIDITY / PRION / INFECTED FLESH / MASS INFECTION
'Split Torso Trauma'
COMATOSE

Combining all forms of flesh from sickening Spain, icky Italy, aortic Argentina and gory Greece is some of the Brutal Death Metal underground storm-troopers, although it has a variety of bands on song, the general sound is there, so more so like a 5-band split compilation rather than a split, essentially a split for which caters for all various extreme tastes of Death Metal in its entirety. Full on mind-blowing sonic beats of pure drumming, outrageous riffs and vicious vocals, this is practically all that can be said about this release.

[8 - across the board]

FACE OF OBLIVION
'The Embers Of Man'
COMATOSE

Apocalyptic American Death Metal mob Face Of Oblivion unleash insanity and brutality in all demoralizing forms to cause unsightly chaos on all levels of extremity. With their debut full-length album 'The Embers Of Man' the motion of sickening vocals and down-tuned guitars electrify the barely noticed drumming compositions exerted by this quintet, overall this album is a mystifying array of mindless torture, cursing mass murdering and fearless anguish, 'The Embers Of Man' is seemingly apt to be dubbed the goriest album of 2011.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

I CHAOS
'The Human Repellent'
RITF

Dutch Brutal Death Metal newcomers I Chaos quickly become a powerful force striving in the underground with their ear-shattering debut album 'The Human Repellent', whisking together a heavy punch of bone-crushing drumming and flesh-ripping riffs amongst gut-gurgling vocals, I Chaos is to become the next extreme act from the land of windmills and flowers, make no mistake this quartet mean violent business and should be taken with a pinch of precise warning, this music is not for soft metal listeners, I Chaos is 'The Human Repellent'.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

ABINCHOVA
'Versteckte Pfade'

Valiantly galloping over the Swiss Alps and around the beautiful Matterhorn is Swiss Melodic Death / Folk Metal septet Abinchova, whilst not as heavy or folk-orientated as fellow countrymen Eluveitie, Abinchova instead implement their native sound via the lovely sound of violins and so devise their own sound. Sort of traditional folk meets the modern sound of metal in this twisted debut album named 'Versteckte Pfade' (roughly translated as hidden path), but with this in their arsenal, Abinchova are a band just waiting to explode into the wider Metal scene.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

ABORTED FETUS
'Fatal Dogmatic Damage'
COMATOSE

Taking back time to 2010 is as bad as seeing a massacre unfold in front of you, but for Russia's Brutal Death trio Aborted Fetus, 2010 was a time to give the second coming, inevitably their second full-length album 'Fatal Dogmatic Damage' came with a tour-de-force so heavy and mentally brutal it is guaranteed to blow speakers up on level 1. Blistering drumming is the main focal point amongst the generic Grindcore vocals or aka noise, a blending of furious riffs, double bass drumming and squeaky vocals elaborate to unleash a sickening feeling of regurgitating vomit, a truly sick and twisted release, not for the faint of heart.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

DISFIGURED
'Amputated Gorewhore'
COMATOSE

American 'Brutal' Death Metal merchants Disfigured come back with a guttural onslaught of stomach-rotting sounds and brain-whipping brutality, sombre enough to cause any diarrhoea to become mass hysteria in the most gory form. Whilst unconventional in it's unbelievable power of growling and noise-churning, Disfigured's latest sonic wave of balls-crushing Death Metal burns alive any resistance developed against this band and essentially proves to be a hard-knuckle album, 'Amputated Gorewhore' is a 2011 manifesto of gore, brutality and hard-hitting metal.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

BLOODSOAKED
'The Death Of Hope'
COMATOSE

A decent effort from one man project Bloodsoaked, but whilst the music does justice, the vocals lack a ample amount of growling, so realistically this is a Metal album practically going nowhere, whilst the vocals seem to have some effort, the result is rather diabolical, the drumming though is as fast as a machine gun on steroids, blasting through the air like a falcon in dive-bomb mode, the guitars offer excitement in the ways of shredding, riffs and sexy choppiness, but overall this is an album gone AWOL, definitely aptly titled as 'The Death Of Hope'

[5.5] RHYS STEVENSON

REGURGITATION
'Clitoraldectomy'
COMATOSE

A solid display of Brutal Death Metal immersed within the glorified tombs of sickness and customized medical verbatim. This is the 2002 demo by Ohio quartet Regurgitation, a right mob of sickness and disgust, in all levels of homeopathy. Featuring a sick and sleek array of riffs and drumming to complete some of the most vile vocals ever heard, bordering onto Goregrind essentially with a motive to commit sensational hearing problems on all audio dimensions. This is by far a sophisticated work of extraordinary musicianship and one demo for any Extreme Metal fan; just don't expect any mercy to come from this.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

DYSENTERY
'Internal Devastation'
COMATOSE

American Brutal Death city-goers Dysentery immerse themselves in the sounds of the Massachusetts sewers, swathed in dirt, sewage and down-right gore horror. Emphatic as one would deem it to be, sensational is what others may call it, but their sophomore album 'Internal Devastation' offers little in the way of unclaimed mercy, a pummeling exertion of blistering-paced drumming in collision with down-the-sink vocals and flesh-rotting riffs, so sickening it makes any hospital ward seem like a holiday camp. A truly evil and disgusting piece of work, a narcotic on parallel courses.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SVARTSORG
'In Jenem Kalten Winter'

Austrian Black Metal newcomers Svartsorg do not fall far from a decent debut attempt, in fact 'In Jenem Kalten Winter' is tipped for best underground Black Metal album of 2011, not like conventional Black Metal which seeks fast and brutal music, Svartsorg sit in a mid-tempo basis but draw much more than bleak and cold atmosphere to their music, they indulge in a far more beautiful sound to cast the soul into the plundering wilderness of the Austrian Alps. Much like Iran's Aras, Svartsorg keep a decent beat with the drums and use the guitars to draft in the atmosphere whilst at the same time the keyboards and vocals bring the darkness in a cold, frostbitten form, enough to spine-chill. 'In Jenem Kalten Winter' is an essential album for any Black Metal fan, dark, raw, atmospherically powerful, Svartsorg have only just begun.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

 CHAOS BEYOND
'Confessions Of A Twisted Mind'
TERRASOUND

Bringing the fury from extremity is Austria's latest Melodic Death / Metalcore exports Chaos Beyond with their debut full-length album 'Confessions Of A Twisted Mind', with a ravenous fury-laden composition system, this is Austria's young answer to England's The Dead Lay Waiting. Pummelling drum beats occur in all areas of the drum-kit and subsequently fall allegiance to a rad rally of riffs and vicious vocals so violent it validates the meaning of extreme music. It is ominously evident that Austrian Metal is getting heavier and heavier and Chaos Beyond is no exception, for the quintet from the capital Vienna, this is a journey waiting to develop and uncover truths about the 'Confessions Of A Twisted Mind'.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

EMPATIC
'Gods Of Thousand Souls'
TERRASOUND

Maybe one of those albums that's good but disappointing, anyhow Poland's Empatic released their debut album 'Gods Of Thousand Souls' last year, whilst the music itself is good there lacks some originality or unique sound quality per se. Whilst the vocals are little of touch, the drums and guitars soon make up for that unfortunate loss with a constant stream of riffing, blast-beating and double bass drumming, all in all serving as an adequate cocktail for any metal fan to savour, but essentially this is one of those mono-type albums, still a good attempt, just don't expect anything original on it.

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

TRENDKILL METHOD
'Affective Arousal'
SONIC BLAST MEDIA

Freshly unleashed from the depths of Riga is Latvian Metalcore tinged Groove Metal quintet Trendkill Method, sounding similar to Lamb of God, these burly Baltic statesmen fuel an apocalyptic explosion of sound-destruction on all levels, furious vocals alleviating the rib-cage ripping riffs and brain-bulldozing beats on the drum, with a cascade of influences clearly resounding in their latest effort 'Affective Arousal', a true mesmerising blitz of danceable tracks and head-banging extremism. Trendkill Method are a band to watch out for as they tear the European underground apart.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

RUDRA
'Brahmavidya: Immortal I'
SONIC BLAST MEDIA

Singaporean Metal legends Rudra return with the apocalyptic finale to the 'Brahmavidya' trilogy with a sleek and sensual disarray of Black Metal-coated Death Metal to dislodge any previous negativity received from fans and critics alike, pioneers of the 'Vedic Metal' movement, Rudra are one of those bands from the Asian continent that is tucked away and barely see's any light in the European theatres, essentially one of Asia's top bands alongside bands like ChthoniC, Dir En Grey, Demonic Resurrection, Nervecell and Tengkorak, but whilst the Singapore Metal scene itself is laden with bands in such a small country, Rudra expel the country-city icon that their homeland portrays for something far brutal, as such 'Brahmavidya: Immortal I' is to be seen as a turning point in the Asian Metal scene.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

FORTRESS UNDER SIEGE
'The Mortal Flesh Of Love'
METAL MAD MUSIC

As majestic as the Acropolis and brutal as the Spartans, Fortress Under Siege stand up and make their debut album 'The Mortal Flesh Of Love' sound extraordinarily powerful and easy to succumb to, mixing their Greek atmosphere with the elegance of Progressive Metal to unleash very high vocals, sensational riffs and bullet-blazing drumming in a package that could so easily rival every other Progressive Metal band, such an epic sound drives the listener in the front row of travelling on journeys of discovery, such sounds should be heard at Epcot more often, with trance music arriving via the keyboards, Fortress Under Siege are the next latest big metal export from Greece.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

BAD MAMASAN
'Jeanine The Wolverine'

Chinese Thrashers Bad Mamasan kick off serious business with their debut album 'Jeanine The Wolverine' with Iron Maiden-style vocals and a progressive thrash style of drumming, more so a unique combo of Heavy Thrash Metal with Chinese ideas. Whilst the sound essentially is nothing new, the difference between other bands and Bad Mamasan is simply with funk influences, almost so as if the songs are near enough easy to dance to, but overall the music just seems a little too standard, no sort of power behind it, but none the less a decent release, one that doesn't carry much negativity but positivity could be better.

[6.5] RHYS STEVENSON

INDOMITE
'Espejo Y Realidad'

Hailing from Colombia, Power Progressive Metal troupe Indomite deliver their first ever release in the form of their 2011 demo 'Espejo Y Realidad', combining their native Spanish tongue with the valiant power found in Power Metal and fast beats found within Progressive Metal, the quintet are starting their efforts off in a decent fashion, not so because the language is different, but essentially they have the musical beats timed well, the riffs are tight and the vocals are in two-tone with both male and female chords at the rein of the lyrics themselves, a combination of fluttery Colombian beauty with the hard-hitting conquistadors of South America makes this demo essentially Colombia's best release this year, Indomite are flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

XENESTHIS
'Thou Shalt Not'

Escaping the vaults of the underground is Austrian Metalcore newcomers Xenesthis with their debut album 'Thou Shalt Not', mixing a sensational array of female melodic vocals with the brutality and heaviness of Metalcore, so essentially Melodic Metalcore. With classical elements somehow seeming present in the atmosphere, maybe a touch of Mozart in their or a classic response to the titans In This Moment, none the less a unique revelation in the common Metal genre, rhythmical drumming assisted by some of the most in-your-face vocal attitude going around, whilst sounding a little similar to Sonic Syndicate, this band is defining their own genre, as for Austrian Metalcore Xenesthis are flying the flag here, one band to watch for the future.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

OSTITTO
'Genocide '71 Split (Ostitto side) and 'Menes' single'
G SERIES

Hailing from Bangladesh is Deathcore quartet Ostitto with their latest single 'Menes' and their own half of the split CD release with Bangladeshi Technical Death Metal band Chromatic Massacre, the split itself features a solid assault of brutality along with traditional Bangladeshi melodies on the single 'Menes', mixing Metal with the secrets of the Asian continent, Ostitto are sounding heavier than the American veterans Whitechapel, with a blazing array of drumming compositions amongst gut-rotting vocals and sharp riffs, extreme enough to make the cricket team seem like softies, essentially this is a pure sign that the Bangladeshi Metal scene is gaining momentum, watch this band at all costs, Ostitto are flying the flag for the Bangladeshi Metal scene.

[6.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON

MOTOR MILITIA
'Cloaked In Darkness'

Within no doubt, the middle east's finest Thrash Metal band, Motör Militia return with their sophomore album 'Cloaked In Darkness' after seven years. The quintet from Bahrain take the music into their own stride, with sensational riffs encased with a Heavy Thrash Metal approach coming from the drums and whilst the vocals implement a slice of mental brutality, the overall album has a kick-ass spirit to it, so much to say for Slayer's monumental 'Reign In Blood' as being a classic, for Motor Militia have just redefined the meaning of 'classic', however situated in a country with only a few metal bands in current existence there lies no real competition, only from other Middle Eastern countries, even so Motor Militia are essentially flying the flag for the Bahraini Metal scene, 'Cloaked In Darkness' is an essential album for any Thrash or Global Metal fan, a true diamond-of-an-album found in one of the smallest Middle Eastern countries. Combining Arabic and English lyrics is just the beginning for Motor Militia, but for the Bahraini Metal scene, it is no longer 'Cloaked In Darkness'.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

THE SILENT RAGE
'Harvester Of Souls'

Greek Melodic Power Metal quintet The Silent Rage unleash their second EP 'Harvester Of Souls' with a Sonata Arctica tone to it, with highly pitched vocals and a percussive beat, The Silent Rage take their Greek atmosphere and channel it into something greater than the acropolis and Ancient Greece, with a rally of riffs to savour any untamed hearing and a beat to keep those heads banging, The Silent Rage are truly in another level of Greek Metal, whilst the lyrical content or topic is unclear, they certainly know how to bring a fantasy-like presence to their music, merely scraping the barrel of darkness to encourage a feasible level of composition, essentially a force waiting to escape the boundaries of Southern Europe.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

SMOULDERING IN FORGOTTEN
'I Devourer'

Another one of Bahrain's Metal titans, Smouldering In Forgotten unleashed the darker side to this island with their sophomore full-length album 'I Devourer' released last year, armed with a brutalizing slab of Black infused Death Metal this sextet are the natural Bahraini rivals to Polish veterans Behemoth. Earthquake-causing drumming enveloped by a torrential wave of flesh-shredding riffs and mind-crushing vocals all coalesce to deliver one of the Middle East's most brutal and evil releases to date, whilst the music provides the brutality, the atmosphere changes into a thunderous imagination of sand storms, camels and barren deserts and not just the haphazard mirage. Smouldering In Forgotten are truly the Middle East's heaviest Metal band, watch this country metal scene at all costs.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

ABRIOSIS
'Tattered & Bound'
SHIT KNIFE

Canadian Technical Death Metal newcomers Abriosis fire up the sound-blasting cannons with their fearful debut album 'Tattered & Bound', covering an extreme level of brutality it comes with an introduction which coherently doubles up as a sound warning, this album is not for soft-hearing people or ones suspecting of a Disney-laden Death Metal release, far from it, Abriosis cultivate a sonic streak of hard-hitting blast-beats shrouding some of the sickest riffs that rivals the aftermath of downing bottles of syrup and lubricating the larynx for a powerful explosion of brutal growling. Whilst falling short of the complexity of mathcore, Abriosis make up for lost time signatures by crafting and shaping their own sound, one which defines them separate to all Canadian Tech Death bands, a sure band to keep an eye out for.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

CRIMSON DARKNESS
'The Devourer Of All'

Southampton Atmospherically-charged Black Metal band Crimson Darkness return with their second blazing of Vampiric Metal, their second album 'The Devourer Of All' comes after a twelve-year wait since their debut and what a wait it was, sounding similar to Cradle Of Filth but also Darkthrone, Crimson Darkness plague their seaside city with eternal darkness and Gothic-tinged imagery, so much for the saints of Southampton when these lads are clearly Lord Dracula's brothers. 'The Devourer Of All' is a solid reminded of how romantic Black Metal can be, an essential for any Black Metal fan's collection.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SHIELD OF WINGS
'Solarium'

As heavenly as soaring angels above the stratosphere, Shield Of Wings make their debut count in emphatic and sonic style, with real power and passion driving the album forward, this is clearly the American's answer to the successful Dutch band Within Temptation, majestic melodic vocals in the female form collide with deep male vocals to add such a contrast it rivals the ying-yang theorem. Fast-paced drums, symphonic orchestral-like keyboard tunes and magic-laden guitars all combine to create the perfect audio storm. This is Illinois' finest hour but for Shield Of Wings, this is just the beginning of something far more epic.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

CRESCENT LAMENT
'The Forgotten Winter' + 'Crescent Lament'

Firing up the Oriental side of things is Melodic Black / Gothic Metal sextet Crescent Lament from Taiwan, with their two 2008 releases, 'The Forgotten Winter' (EP) and 'Crescent Lament' (demo) taking the form of a little touch of melancholic's to form the basis of 'Oriental Dark Metal', whilst the music itself plays well and is composed cleverly, the vocals on the male side could be a little less harsh so that it contrasts with the melodic female vocals, but overall 'The Forgotten Winter' EP is a decent release. As for their self-titled demo which was released prior to the EP, the melodic music is very smooth but the drums and guitars are a little rough and unclear, at the same time the vocals seem ok but do not carry such a burdening negative sound unlike the EP. Overall two decent releases from which the band can use as a foundation to get better on.

[6.5] + [7] RHYS STEVENSON

NAPOLEON SKULLFUKK
'Swollen & Torture Metal'
DYNAMIC ARTS

Oulu-based Death Metal merchants Napoleon Skullfukk remorse their seven year career with a tasty compilation of their best works, 'Swollen & Torture Metal' features extremely deadly riffs, cascading drum beats and perhaps Grindcore vocals instead of classified Death Metal, whether this is a new adaptation of the subgenre remains a mystery, but essentially this release is guarenteed to kick off moshpits, break necks and chaos emphatic oblivious turn-outs, 'Swollen & Torture Metal' is a compilation of the sickest music you'll find in the Finnish Metal scene

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

LOLITA KOMPLEX
'Le Cabinet Des Marionettes'
ECHOZONE

Austrian Visual Kei-inspired Gothic Metal / Rock sextet Lolita Komplex emerge out of the darkened corners of Vienna where once great Mozart reigned with classical music, whereas today Lolita Komplex reign with classical Gothic Metal infused Gothic Rock with the Visual Kei image to complement a growing trend in European Visual Kei bands, musically they sound similar to bands like Siousxie & The Banshees whilst adding Moi Dix Mois influences into their music, creating a dynamic sound, sensational dual vocals combined by two talented vocalists and four musicians to back up the potential genre they have mustered, essentially Austrian Visual Kei / Schwarz Metal. What makes this band all the more impressive is them singing in English and Japanese, even with their Austrian accent. But no matter how many times it takes to become acquainted to the band's sound, it always seems everything is in the right order, so much so this could be Austrian Gothic Metal album of 2011.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

RECOIL
'The Will To Sin'
NEW JUSTICE

Pummelling the sandstorms around the desert is Australia's new fury fighters Recoil, a whammed up boy band with a guttural sense of brutality, essentially a Deathcore / Death Metal quartet who just released their mesmerising debut album 'The Will To Sin' last year. Whilst not as heavy as first thought, the true essence lies in the ravenous riffs of which cascade like no tomorrow. Part Parkway Drive, part Whitechapel, part Unleashed, this is Australian Metal as never heard before, if you have 'The Will To Sin', then Recoil is your band.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

RETALIATORY MEASURES
'MMX'

Hallows call by name when Retaliatory Measures come into the affray, essentially five Finns with enough whimsical empowerment to topple any non-metal fan, 'MMX' is their debut EP released last year and with it comes Death / Thrash Metal in the sincerest form, a beacon to the ever-diversifying Finnish Metal scene, but whilst this is nothing new in terms of genre developing, the sound itself is as new as can be, so whilst this is not a genre-defining EP nor a definite development, it is still a decent release.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

INSAIN
'Spiritual Rebirth'

Screwing out the blood-sodden carpets of Paris is French Brutal Death Metal posse Insain, a rather aptly stated band name, for this music is Insain. Brutalizing blast-beats form amid outrageous vocal dilemmas and intrinsic riffs, all merging together to create a theatrical solidarity composition in the form of their debut 2010 album 'Spiritual Rebirth', this is French Metal on drugs, a cocktail of mental song structures and forensic vocals alleviating any sickness, the brute of Brutal Death Metal is here.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

SIMULACRUM
'Promo 2011'

Fast, unconventional and seemingly a near-perfect mess, the vocals are all over the place, the drums are totally not what they are meant to be, the guitars just do the trick, this is pretty much what sums up the 2011 promotional released by Finnish Progressive Metal quintet Simulacrum, this needs serious work done to it, the vocals are more so Power Metal and so it is highly unclear to what genre they want, but given credit for developing something bizarrely unique.

[5] RHYS STEVENSON

SCORNGRAIN
'Utopia.Paranoia.Perversions!'
DYNAMIC ARTS

Finnish Cyber Industrial / Thrash Metal veterans Scorngrain abseil the electronic scaling of the Cyberspace to deliver their third megabyte, essentially their latest album 'Utopia.Paranoia.Perversions!' released last year, with a foundation of synthetic synthesizers and trance music providing the backbone to Finland's answer to Norway's Black Comedy, Scorngrain are gathering momentum in the Cyber Metal category and with their latest effort do not likely to give up for one moment, a true work of the digital structure kind.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

HARM
'Demonic Alliance'
BATTLEGOD PRODS.

Promising Norwegian Thrashers make their sophomore album the more the sweeter by included a supplementary DVD to make the album even more sick, with clear chunky bass lines and percussive drumming serving as a sumptuous basis for really heavy vocals and raging riffs, Harm maybe the next generation of the big four Thrashers. Pounding sound waves emanate from the speakers in true surround sound and with this as a second coming, Harm are on the way to become Thrash Metal favorites, watch this space.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

MR.DEATH
'Death Suits You'
AGONIA

It just seems all the same, Swedish Death Metal has not deviated from it's classical structure and nor has Mr.Death, added to the fact the vocals are horrifically poor it makes hearing Justin Bieber sing much more musical, the music itself is a little conciliation, but overall the EP 'Death Suits You' released last year is one of those that should be given with a warning, be wary of it, for it is not one you would expect any day to reach Unleashed's standards, let alone magazine standard, it's a nice effort, but with more tuning they would make it better.

[4] RHYS STEVENSON

CEPHALIC IMPURITY
'Unique Brute Revival'
SOULFLESH COLLECTOR

Well essentially a brutal album with not much to say in the vocals, although it has it's own brutal tantalizing result, this is Russia's Brutal Death Grinders Cephalic Impurity with their second album 'Unique Brute Revival' released last year. Whilst not as clear as Finnish same-genre stalwarts Deathbound, this quartet from Izhevsk unleash a brain-smashing torrent of ravenous riffs and sick slick style drumming in conjunction with gut-rotting vocals, so for those who find music hard and heavy, be warned, this is a hell of a lot heavier.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

DUSK CHAPEL
'A Passage To Forever'
FONO

Ukraine Black / Death Metal newcomers Dusk Chapel return with their second serving of early Behemoth style music with more gusto than the Ukrainian national football team, whilst not sounding really Black Metal in terms of drums, the latter excited enough dark matter to unleash hell in the most striking of manners, essentially a fair decent attempt but lacks that little something, not just musical composure either, but 'A Passage To Forever' is one of those releases that resides in the 'either you love it or hate it' category.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

SHADOWTHRONE / FUNEBRE / ASSUR
'Forever On The Dark Side'
NEVERHEARD

Somewhat of a revelation with three Hungarian bands on one CD split, Black Metal band Shadowthrone, Black Metal one-man project Funebre and one-man Pagan Metal project Assur come together to unleash a spine-tingling selection of raw Black Metal in it's most evil form, enough to churn your stomach from the vocalist's stifling array of shrieks and screams. With Shadowthrone it's a slow percussive choice but whilst the guitars add ambiance, there feels to be something missing. As for Funebre it is similar but on a general basis the production is there, the musical composition is creepy and yet the atmosphere is the same, whilst with Assur, it is a rather disappointing musical production, simply put because the music seems to have little drive for perfection. All in all a decent split, just the odd disappointment here and there, but certainly a true underground Black Metal recording.

[7] + [8] + [6.5]

GODSPELL
'No Noise Can Mute Us Now'

Words escape on this one, whilst the vocals do Death Metal some justice, the music itself from the guitars and drums is dire, seriously without being crude the Swiss boys Godspell might as well spend more time on making watches, sure there is worse but this is a disappointing release, this being their debut EP 'No Noise Can Mute Us Now' which was released last year , none the less a fair attempt at the beginning, the only way is to improve, whether the production of this EP was to blame remains a question, but for now it remains to be seen if this is a good release or not.

[4] RHYS STEVENSON

BLOODLAND
'Buried Alive'

German Death Metal new boys Bloodland caused chaotic eruptions with their incandescent debut demo 'Buried Alive' released last year. Riffs and blastbeats intertwine with each other whilst the vocals are a bit hard to understand, but that adds to the brutality of the growling, essentially a demo for those who prefer Death Metal to be raw, under-recorded and unclean, overall a decent attempt but no real criticism is needed, only that to say it is not a perfect release either, however a sound warning must be issued.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

SAMMSARA
'...With Damage'

Emerging with their debut full-length album is French Atmospheric Gothic Metal newcomers Sammsara, elaborating a darkened sense of being immersed in shadows with the majestic sound of French Metal, Sammsara certify a promise to take the listener to a never before heard place, one full of mystery, questions and blackness. Whilst the females take the beauty of the Gothic Metal to new levels, the deep male vocals add a little downside to it, but the music itself patches that up, '...With Damage' is one of those releases that soothes the soul and is not to be shunned upon.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

DEVOID OF FATE
'Monolith'

The oncoming storm that many may wither at, this is the new breed of Melodic Death Metal, Finnish Metallers Devoid The Fate return with their sixth demo release 'Monolith', with a controversial introductory speech track on the song 'The Storm' to savor anyone who dares agree with it. Musically the drums are tight and riffs progressive, but whilst the overall beat is more melodic than Death Metal style it is classified as one demo that ought to be in anyone's collection, a real solid concrete mix of grit, heavy brutality and unjust composition levels, a classic a heart waiting to be released to the masses.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON