THE BROWNING
'Burn This World'
EARACHE

Considered one of the next big bands to embrace to storm of colliding electronic music and metal together, The Browning install their hard drive force of complex Extreme / Hybrid Metal or Technical Electro-Deathcore, but essentially a sickening mix of Deathcore, Trance Music, EBM, Technical Metal and Cyber Metal. The fact being their debut album 'Burn This World' is one that cannot be genre-pinned, simply because of its multi-sound offering and it's tasty repertoire of brain-bashing breakdowns, energetic electronic EBM and all round sonic blasting. The Browning may be compared to bands like Design The Skyline, but even so both bands are leading a metal revolution, The Browning just taking it one step further, make or break for this band and genre is set to stay, love it or hate it, the perfect poker hand has been dealt, its time to 'Burn This World'.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

KOZAKS OF METALLISHTAN
'Kozaks Of Metallishtan'

Once in a while you get a band that breaks all guidelines, rules and totally wrecks conformity, this time it falls grace to the Finnish Metal scene, or so to speak the land of Metallishtan of which is located in modern day Russia. The trio of musical leaders bring a totally new idea to the Metal music world and as such bring out a totally unique sound. 'Kozaks Of Metallishtan' is the band's self-titled debut release and has a collection of Russian-tinged Soviet propaganda and digs at Sweden in the purest and comical form. None the less, the Metallishtani's will be immersed by the revolution and with this music, it spells the rebirth of the once forgotten nation. Kozaks Of Metallishtan is for fans of Rammstein and System of a Down, but for the band itself, Kozaks Of Metallishtan is a one of a kind, one band that will drive forward and bring a whole new level of Metal to the masses.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

WINTERCOLD
'Lost Wolf'
SATANICA

Swedish one-man project Wintercold returns with another assault of Gothic-tinged Doom Metal, this time the full-length release in question is 'Lost Wolf', amassing a rather eclectic and sometimes shoddy mix of excellent and downright disappointing tracks. Some of the major highlights include 'Psychopath' with its quick beat and somewhat funky approach to the musical style. Nonetheless this is another fine example of the Swedish musical magician Satanic Tony; his project Wintercold is rumbling around the underground and with this latest release, things can only get darker, more intricate and most importantly heavier.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

HELLARISE
'Human Disgrace'

All female Brazilian Death / Thrash group Hellarise shed light in 2010 with their debut demo 'Human Disgrace', dragging up a fast blazing arrangement of songs fuelled by Amazonian wood and tribal heritage, this band mix a bit of Sepultura with feisty feminine creativity. For this debut effort from Brazil's underground, this is a good attempt at making brutal music. None the less, Hellarise could have gone better on production but with that in mind, the overall product is more than a general death / thrashes release, this is a demo with enough guts on it to over-throw any Ronaldinho or Pele.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

HAMEREX
'Rites Of Passage'

Yorkshire boys Hamerex waiver their next assault of classic Heavy metal with their latest release 'Rites Of Passage', with a cascade of riffs and drumming to entice the most frantic of mosh-pits, Hamerex are igniting the old traditions and bringing them to the masses as a trophy of the evolution of Metal music. 'Rites Of Passage' brings a whole new stance on the meaning of original and traditional, this is by far one of the most impressive rejuvenations of old style metal to be unleashed, a sheer class of absolute proportions. For fans of Iron Maiden, Kaine, Van Halen.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

LOSNA
'Distilling Spirits'

Brazilian Cross Thrashers Losna made their second assault all the more heavier and brutal and as their sophomore album 'Distilling Spirits' proves, Brazilian Thrash Metal is in a league of its own. For the trio from Porto Alegre, this is a new step in their band's existence, taking on board a furious and angry message of mass hate and spitting-in-your-face attitude. Certified to take moshpits beyond insanity and registered to play beyond max voltage output, Losna are the new face of Brazilian Metal. With 'Distilling Spirits' now under their belts and their third album in sight, nothing is going to stop them now, it has only just begun.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

BLODSPOR
'Laughing Through Violence'
EYOSACOI

Norwegian Black / Death Metal band Blodspor make a somewhat abysmal start to their career, their debut album 'Laughing Through Violence' has a few tracks that are worthy enough to be praised, such as 'Dark Hour Of Decay' of which has a finely tuned balance of the two genres, but songs like 'Mental Hibernation' need serious rethinking. For a debut album this has a 50/50 split reception on it, with some good and bad tracks interlinking, but credit for them on this one, as for all bands to progress is to build on and make better what was wrong.

[5.5]

ACHREN
'The Forgotten King'
COEL DORCHAS

After eight years, burly Glaswegian Blackened Thrash merchants Achren finally shed out their debut album 'The Forgotten King', fast-paced and sensationally ballsy, this is a release with enough grit to make the snowplough operators look like pansies. Dubbing their genre as 'blood metal', the quartet from the metropolitan city of Glasgow in Scotland ignite and unleash a torrential wave of audio missiles nearly as long as five minutes. Whilst conventionally not the best possible start, the album offers glimpses of promising potential and hope.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

TYRANEX
'Extermination Has Begun'
INFERNÖ

Like a snake on the prowl for food, Tyranex emerge from the underground in black and with a feisty minx as their front-woman, ripping ears with claws as long as Nine Inch Nails. Tyranex is a Swedish Thrash trio with enough balls to bludgeon any hardcore fan to death. 'Extermination Has Begun' is their debut album and what a corker it is, a full-on hell rollercoaster speeding across nine tracks of adrenaline-charged incantations and incendiary bombs detonating at every second. For the two males and woman clad-in-leather, this release is a great starter and a sure eye-grabber for big media groups.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

KHARIOT
'Disymposium'

Australian Extreme Prog Metal stalwarts Khariot make their debut start with their first full-length album 'Disymposium', whilst conventionally a cake mixture of many Metal genres: Prog, Death, Thrash, Black and more, Khariot are a experimental metal band at heart and as such have a lot of sudden tune changes, so it is unclear whether this was intent or totally within the uncanny grasp of luck. However, Khariot are not a band to be downed by at any means, even if little bits of the album are left questionable. Khariot's debut album 'Disymposium' is for fans of Meshuggah, Design The Skyline and Strapping Young Lad.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

WITCHING HOUR
'Past Midnight...'
UNDERCOVER

Summoning the evil spirits and unruly unrest in Blackened Thrash style is Germany's Witching Hour with their sophomore full length album 'Past Midnight...', clearly taking into account the Teutonic style of Thrash and quick, raspy Black Metal, the quartet from Rehlingen have a Toxic Holocaust influence in their music and as such develops a funky style of Metal essentially. 'Past Midnight...' is an album loaded with AK47's and armed with speaker-to-ear missiles, blasting the speakers beyond volume 11 and shifting the music into overdrive, Witching Hour is your perfect complement to any Halloween party, you have been warned.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

IRRLYCHT
'Schatten Des Gewitters'
UNDERCOVER

Relentless is one word to describe Germany's latest Black Metal baby Irrlycht, this comes with their first ever major words in form of their debut album 'Schatten Des Gewitters'. With songs as long as a ruler and as heavy as a gold bar, Irrlycht burn and torture any speaker to death. Whilst the lyrics are conventionally in German, this does not deter the band from unleashing blazing hell in a hard-hitting assault of blistering drumming, skull-shattering shrieks and gut-rotting riffs. Irrlycht are certainly devouring the underground like no tomorrow and as such will be rightfully positioned as one of the darkest bands in the German Black Metal scene.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

BLIZZARD
'Rock 'N' Roll Overkill'
UNDERCOVER

German Speed Thrashers Blizzard totally increase and accelerate the rock 'n' roll feel with their biker soundtrack-of-an-album that being their third full length release 'Rock 'N' Roll Overkill'. Bringing the best of Judas Priest-esque Speed Metal with the formidable Teutonic style of Thrash Metal. Fast, groovy and sensationally erotic, Blizzard bring on the table a full rack of ribs and douse it with the juiciness of BBQ sauce, in this instance the drums ride strong as the ribs, the vocals reside in the Kölsch and the guitars act as the BBQ sauce, all in all it has to be said that 'Rock 'N' Roll Overkill' is one tasty release.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

FUNERARIUM
'Nocthule'
UNDERCOVER

Back in 2008 a cold and darkened storm hung over the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, this was to be the striking of the match for Black Metal duo Funerarium, for their sophomore album 'Nocthule' took form and unleashed a scary-enough release of which is dark enough to shroud even the blackest of shadowy nights. Funerarium are setting the absolute example of how underground Black Metal should be performed and in doing so create the darkest blasting of music from the small European country. 'Nocthule' is an album for the fans of kvlt Black Metal and true underground BM.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

FUNERARY BELL
'The Coven'
UNDERCOVER

Arising from the caves of the frost-bittern lands of Finland is Black Metal trio Funerary Bell, bringing with them the sounds of the grave and their premier release 'The Coven'. Whilst not conventionally fast or noisy, Funerary Bell opts for a more atmosphere-charged release and so unleash a slow, mid-paced array of seemingly occult Black Metal. Hailing from Järvenpää, home to a burgeoning underground scene, Funerary Bell make their feelings heard and make Finnish Black Metal stand up for it's self-righteous beliefs, the ice-laden beast of the woods has spoken, welcome to 'The Coven'.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON