SURVAEL 'War Of The Wild' They call it Epic Black / Folk Metal, we call it 'Cultural Metal', henceforth arise Survael, Spain's quintet immersing the listener in shrieking vocals and Ancient Rites-like composure, one could not permit that the five-piece entice bull-fighting even with this monstrous debut EP herewith playing. 'War Of The Wild' features intricate solo's and a whole load of ethnicity amongst the divine sounds produces here, coincidentally it could be seen as a cultural revival of Spain's rich history, but as the Madrid-based band start their career, it could be said that Survael are in a league of their own, sadly to say not a good league either. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON ENSHROUDING 'Time To Kill The Beast' BULLROSER Well it's a hard one to pin down, both the album and band, claimed to be from Mongolia, but we prefer to state they are Finnish, because well with Finnish musicians, what else can they be? Again they are pinned down as Black / Death Metal, but truly they are plain Melodic Death Metal, even if 'Time To Kill The Beast' has enough gusto and power to blow holes in the upper stratosphere, the fact remains this is an album that never was, however what it is instead is a release chock full of twists and turns at ever corner, surprising the listener and driving them into a false sense of security. Smashing drums lead the way on this face-punching delivery and wrap it up with some snazzy guitar work; afterwards it truly is 'Time To Kill The Beast'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON HEDFIRST 'Godforsaken' + '44' Two releases, one each side of the band splitting up and coincidentally two different sounds, so when taking into account the 2007 full length 'Godforsaken' by Polish Post-Groove Thrashers Hedfirst, that being their third ever album, you can expect a full-on blast of Lamb Of God style Groove Metal and Evile style Thrash Metal, oozing out with riffs galore and delivering outrageous drumming to savour any passionate metal fan, it is clear to see why Hedfirst are still underground, the music however original it is lacks a great deal of eccentricity, yet ironically it seems to capture one's attention. Again this is one of those albums that just happen to be there, but there again it has a decent level of meaning. After the reformation, their fourth album dropped, entitled '44' it depicts the heart of the band, a flowing river of blood-red music and powerful sounds, sure the lyrical shift reverts to Polish on this one, the brutality is maximised and the product is far more captivating than 'Godforsaken' . Consider 'Godforsaken' as a cardiac arrest and '44' as a healthy heart, Hedfirst have now found their ground and have utilised a far greater winning sound. Neck-snapping drumming supporting cutting-edge riffs and truly heavy vocals, this is the sound to carry Hedfirst forward. Prepare to mosh, for '44' is the soundtrack of the Polish Metal revolution and so the band from Warsaw is going into the revolution Hedfirst. [4] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON FLAME OF WAR 'Long Live Death!' LOWER SILESIAN STRONGHOLD Polish Black Metal duo Flame Of War make their welcomed return by releasing their fourth assault entitled 'Long Live Death!', the album takes in really raw sounds and old-school Black Metal, in the totalitarianism vein of course, mixing together traditionalism, paganism and war themes, it could easily be dubbed NSBM, even with its military style emphasis, but wouldn't that be a tad ironic for the hated to become supporters? Regardless 'Long Live Death!' delivers the old school style of Black Metal, in the veins of Mayhem, Gorgoroth and early Polish BM. For Flame of War, this is another chapter to be standing tall and saluting for, Black metal in Poland will never be the same again. [7] RHYS STEVENSON DARK FURY 'W.A.R.' LOWER SILESIAN STRONGHOLD It comes to this, the seventh full length by Poland's Dark Fury in their fifteenth year of existence, the highly recognised NSBM trio truly step out of the darkness and ignite the area once more with the sounds of the far-right movement and attach it to some highly sophisticated Black Metal, from military style drumming to the atmosphere experienced at the tombs of Auschwitz, 'W.A.R.' brings back to life the dark times of the 20th century in musical expression and this time they have not failed to impress. Whether you like, hate or thrust neutral views against the NSBM genre, Dark Fury do more than just praise the bygone Nazi empire, in fact they teach it in historical form, making it a musical history lesson. 'W.A.R.' will impress those who love raw and dark Black Metal and also the far-right side of political music. [8] RHYS STEVENSON NIHTERNNES 'The Dawning Of A New Era' + 'The Mouthless Dead' + 'Subterfuge' English Symphonic Dark Metal project / band Nihternnes is one of the darkest to ever walk the British Isles, forging atmospheric symphonic black metal with the darkness of bitter political humanity, this is the plague that has been threatening both Northampton and now Cornwall. Kicking off with 'The Dawning Of A New Era, which is the debut album and was released back in 2007, it is clear that there is a lot of raw Symphonic Black metal going on, take a pinch of Dimmu Borgir and lace it with a smothering of Mayhem and Carpathian Forest, you get the idea. 'The Dawning Of A New Era' delivers a knockout punch of extreme music and was the beginning of an underground storm. Forwarding towards 2009 and the first ever EP takes flight, 'The Mouthless Dead' instead drops the symphonic black metal sound of its predecessors and instead optimises a new depressive and ghoulish sound to kill of the listener's senses. Employing Progressive Dark Metal as the new sound, the EP 'The Mouthless Dead' delivers nearly 45 minutes worth of music in three tracks, so if you have time to kill, dinner is being cooked or something along those lines, you could just play this to cover the time wasting. It won't be everyone's cup of tea and sure fits the ambient music genre to a point, but the overall impression left is a bizarre and wordless one. Finally coming into 2012 and once again the depressive music sinks in, there shows little sign of change in comparison to the 2009 EP and as such pretty much demands a similar response. Except this time round you may need a whole hour free, for the sophomore album 'Subterfuge' delivers seven tracks in just over an hour, and by the time it's over your exhausted, wondering what the hell this was all about, sure the composition is sublime, but compared to the symphonic black metal days, Nihternnes in fact has gone downhill dramatically. [6] + [4] + [3] RHYS STEVENSON FRAGMENT 'The Misotheist Portrayal' Just when Oxfordshire was named the most tranquil county of 2012, that statement was soon interrupted by a mass noise of machine-like Black / Death Metal, enter the badboys Fragment and their soul crushing debut demo 'The Misotheist Portrayal', playing in the old school style of the music genre, this quartet drag up the deepest pits of hell to unleash a musical belter that would make Behemoth shake in their boots. Fuelled by their latest outing and a three year career to their name, Fragment may well just become that band that lifted the Oxfordshire Metal scene to new heights, make some room 'cause this is going to get crazy. [8] RHYS STEVENSON AWAKER 'Control Lost' In light of saddening news, that the drummer and co-founder of Awaker Marcin Kolinski passed away Monday 06/08/2012, we dedicate this review to him, gone but not forgotten, may his soul rock on. Awaker emerge from the streets of Manchester with their atomic debut album 'Control Lost', wielding together delicate melodies and musical sounds, the quartet immerse the listener in a fountain of heavenly Progressive Metal. Sure this is an album that carries a certain atmosphere and with that in mind the listener has to be in the right mood, you could dub it a chill out album but in hindsight it is an album that totally acts as a multi-mood piece, fluctuating guitar riffs embezzled by straight-edge drumming and lush vocals, Awaker make the whole djent movement look weak as a piece of solder. [7] RHYS STEVENSON MISANTHROPIA 'Everdark' If this was meant to be an improvement from the debut album, only knows what the first album must have sounded like, sure here we have a decent slab of melodies but the drums at times sound a little sloppy for anything catchy and the riffs seem a little basic, that said 'Everdark' by German Melodic Power Thrashers Misanthropia does deliver emphatic vocals, mixing the high pitches of Dream Theater with the deep growling experienced with Opeth, but with that, it is imminent and evident that the two genres combined simply do not work, what you get is two sounds colliding, mixing a powerful and upbeat sound with a slow and deep sound, something that you would expect from a widow murdering her husband to gain the million euro heritage, dark thought sure but that coalesces with Misanthropia's dark music. [5.5] RHYS STEVENSON DECIBEL HAMMER
'Release The Havoc' It just seems that when the Finnish go to create old-school Thrash Metal for the modern audience and atmosphere, they nail it perfectly. Such an example is Decibel Hammer, the three musketeers from Tampere indulge in the 80's Thrash Metal style and add some Black / Speed Metal style vocals to deliver a dark and abysmal release, abysmal in that you couldn't find anything more pathetically extraordinary anywhere else. 'Release The Havoc' blasts out Slayer-esque music at a rate of knots and totally overwhelms the listener with some really scary sounds, no wonder there has been a rise in casualties in Finland, the cause is of course Decibel Hammer shocking listeners into total paralysis, killing off their senses and as the band begin to 'Release The Havoc', the darkness bites once again. [8] RHYS STEVENSON
1 Comment
TEMPLE OF THE MAGGOT 'Black Mass Apocalypse' UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS. Two years have past and now the dark and disturbing sounds of Temple of The Maggot are back amongst us, the Mongolian duo, now based in Europe, return with their second offering of Raw Black Metal in its darkest form yet. 'Black Mass Apocalypse' brings more satanic traits with it and transforms the atmosphere into a bleak and spine-chilling feeling, not because of the music but because of the sensation the album brings with it. For the duo that have been going four years, this is their best release to date and is sure to please fans of Carpathian Forest and Darkthrone with grim intent. [8] RHYS STEVENSON NATHORG 'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory' UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS. Nathorg could easily be the band to bring the Iranian Metal scene to the masses across the world, breaking out with their debut album 'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory', you can clearly see why these are the favourites to land themselves into the attention laps of global media, full on Blackened Death Metal at its core with hints of ambience and anti-religious hatred, coming from a land that's heavily influenced by Islam, this is a risky yet bold-statement of rebellion. Played in the style of Belphegor and Gorgoroth, Nathorg are sure to become the next Middle Eastern metal band to grace the covers of the British metal magazines. 'Beyond The Gates Of Bathory' serves up raw vocals, insanely fast drumming and soul-freezing riffs in one whole slab of forty minutes, think you know Extreme music? Think again. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SIRANNON 'Semper Caliga' UNMERCIFUL DEATH PRODS. 2011 saw darkness fall and cloud over the Turkish cities of Izmir and Istanbul as the all female quartet Sirannon deliver their debut album 'Semper Caliga' which is loaded with really evil Black Metal. Mixing Paganism and History in with their music, Sirannon use their native language on some songs and bring a unique Middle Eastern / Eastern European twist to their music. Full of raw sounding guitars and really low-key vocals and non-existent drumming, this is a raw production all over and is sure to entice those who love really distorted music. As for Sirannon and their release 'Semper Caliga', it is just the beginning; they won't stop there, not by a long shot. [7] RHYS STEVENSON SHORT FUSE 'Hate Brought To This Place Called Home' + 'Shred The Dead' + 'Annihilate The Masses' California, the home of Hollywood, huge-wage earners, crime, the golden gate bridge and of course its bustling nightlife, but beneath the sewers of this huge state is a monster waiting to escape, its first appearance came in 2005 when it sparked fear amongst the community. Enter the six-piece band with a short fuse, literally. Explosive Melodic Death Metal on a grand scale, Short Fuse conjured up a fairly decent debut album and laid the path down to make their music something of the rare kind, innovative. 'Hate Brought To This Place Called Home' in fact back in 2005 was produced by a quintet, but still brought that edge that lacked in the Californian Metal scene, mixing the classic sounds of the aforementioned metal genre with their own unique attitude, much more was expected to come and it did. 2010 and the quintet became a sextet and in time for their sophomore album 'Shred The Dead' which has a greater and more powerful sound than its predecessor, weaving even more guttural vocals than a drunk German, coupled with blazing drumming and cutting-edge riffs, this is the exact sound Short Fuse will be identified by, 'Shred The Dead' is a masterpiece in its own rights and is designed to make the dead come alive and leave the alive for dead. Lashing keyboard elements to this release and in turn overthrowing their previous release into disrepute, for the elements drawn on this release are far beyond anything magical, they're simply non-descript. Coming into the present times and Short Fuse deliver their third outing 'Annihilate The Masses' with even more gusto than their previous two efforts, it seems as every album passes they get better and better, although that's a generic concept for every band, but in respect of Short Fuse, they should keep this sound as is now, 'Annihilate The Masses' brings out a far more atmospheric feel via the eccentricity of the keyboards and elaborate piecing together of the drums and guitars, whilst the vocals do the powering forward of this monstrous beast. All in all the music is for fans of bands like Silent Descent, Scar Symmetry and intricate melodic death metal, just be careful of the explosive sound to be witnessed, it only takes a short fuse to get it going. [5] + [7] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON ETERNAL DREAM 'The Fall Of Salanthine' You know when fantasies and adventures have that certain feeling to them, well when you take six musicians from the autonomous region of Andalusia and give them a studio to work in, music flows freely, lyrics run like cascading waterfalls, full of drama, power and elegancy and yet the resulting crescendo comes as perhaps Spain's best answer to Within Temptation. Eternal Dream strap together the heavenly sounds of the female vocals with the fast and pacey rhythms of Power Metal to create a unique and diverse sound, a sound which can only be summed up as 'Symphonic Operatic Metal'. 'The Fall Of Salanthine' takes the listener on a journey through the roaming sands and mountains of the Spanish lands and resurrects the classical dramatics performed in the Flamenco. Strictly, Eternal Dream is the band to please fans of Blind Guardian, Within Temptation, Nightwish and Amberian Dawn, you'll never find a band like this quite again, simply magic. [10] RHYS STEVENSON MENZIA 'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' + 'Way To Nowhere' In the darkest corners of the autonomous lands of Catalonia, lays a Gothic Metal quintet of whom deliver much more than the average beauty and the beast scenario, it seems that Spanish musicians know how to flirt with the darkness at its best opportunities and so what came out in 2010 was nothing of the ordinary, the debut demo 'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' was brought into this world and with it came an elegant stream of 'los sonidos del amor', or 'streams of love' in that the music delivers that romantic touch and feeling whilst backing it up with the solid beats of the drums and crisp riffing from the guitars and so with 'Lamb's Skin For The Wolf' now firmly set in stone, the next move was to become perhaps the most pivotal in the band's career. Moving into modern times and there is a clear sense of musical adjustment, Menzia return to release their 2012 and second demo 'Way To Nowhere', bringing back with them their unique style of Gothic Metal in the style of Lacuna Coil and Delain. Putting together a host of melodic keyboard notes with soul-crushing percussion and guitar riffs and coating the music with a lashing of beautifully powerful vocals to produce a sensational demo. There is not much else to say about this demo only that it is a cleverly produced release and that it is sure to please many fans in the Gothic Metal vein, the band's next move will be an interesting one. [6] RHYS STEVENSON L'ENDEVI 'An Eternity' ART GATES The sophomore album by Valencian quintet L'endevi could have been better, the vocals at times sound too forced and so completely undermine the true sounds of Gothic Metal. The music itself is spot on, adding a unique and dark feel to the atmosphere, but the female vocals are too much and so totally wreck the album. 'An Eternity' in a nutshell is a fairly decent release but it falls far short of anything ground breaking, sure it's due to gain some attention across the continent, but until the vocals are redone and the anger is thought through, sad to say L'endevi won't break out of the underground. If only they could add a keyboardist, now that would act as a great partner to the angry vocals, in fact actually the band have a lot of potential, they just need to find the right road to it. [6] RHYS STEVENSON ETERNAL CHAOS 'Dark God Of The Eternal' MIGHTY HORDES Darkness was reported to have covered Colombia entirely on the 28th May 2010, when Black Metal quartet Eternal Chaos made their debut album come alive in the harshest and most evil kind of ways. 'Dark God Of The Eternal' is your classic Black Metal album, loaded with raw guitars, hellish and heavenly vocals and insanely fast drumming. For a Colombian Metal band it is surprisingly well executed but the same patterns here and there do drag it down a bit, regardless of that it is a decent enough album that will please fans of Darkthrone and most Black Metal bands, with this album now firmly set in stone, Eternal Chaos are flying the flag for the Colombian Metal scene. [8] RHYS STEVENSON OPVS LEVIATHAN 'I:O:I' MIGHTY HORDES It seems that Colombia has a knack of producing some rather interesting and musically intricate Black Metal, so when Opvs Leviathan call it time to release their debut album 'I:O:I', it could not be anymore greater produced than it has been. This is a band wallowing in the depths of Epic Black Metal, why epic? Due to the feeling of adventure riding on their debut album 'I:O:I', it takes the listener on a journey through the mountainous and drug-cartel lands of Colombia whilst keeping them on their toes with furious drumming and outrageous riffing. You know, if Opvs Leviathan ever set foot on European soil, they may well make the Norwegian bands wet themselves in their sleep, 'I:O:I' is that powerful, check it out if you dare. [8] RHYS STEVENSON DIVINE CODEX
'The Dark Descent' MIGHTY HORDES 'The Dark Descent', you might as well call it Technical Black Metal, let's face it, it features old-school Black Metal in the Mayhem style and adds technical elements here and there, so what you get effectively is a parallel sounding album, neat eh? So when the Italian duo Divine Codex releases this monstrosity, they unleashed with it a load of hell, maniac geniuses and sensational music precision. Wielding together a sound that bizarrely no other modern Black Metal band has even dreamt of and yet they remain pretty underground, well 'The Dark Descent' in a nutshell takes the listener on a journey to hell and back; remember the password out though, for The Divine Codex is a tough puzzle to crack. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON AGRESIVA 'Eternal Foe' Revolution, that is the only word to describe the Spanish onslaught brought on by the emphatic debut album 'Eternal Foe' by Madrid Thrashers Agresiva. Corroded by a bountiful load of riffs, grizzly vocals and neck-snapping drumming, 'Eternal Foe' sees the clashing of 80's style Thrash with the tenor of American Power Metal. Just like a horde of bulls on a rampage and the free-flowing attacking style displayed by Real Madrid, Agresiva set the tone for the expectations of Spanish Power Thrash Metal. From start to finish, a non-stop delivery of powerful vocals, brain-smashing riffs and quick-footed drumming is what is to be expected. Is this Spanish Metal album of the year? Might as well be! [10] RHYS STEVENSON HYBRIS 'Instinto' LEYENDA Hybris return with their fourth offering of Spanish influenced Melodic Power Metal in the form of 'Instinto', this is a truly remarkable album for the Canary Islanders. With over an hours worth of majestic vocals, technical drumming and melodic riffs to capture the atmosphere of being in paradise, or so the listener should be. Whilst this may prove tricky for the non-Spanish speakers, the music instead does the talking, cruising from the deepest depths to the highest heights in metal music, Hybris certainly do not fail to impress with this release, in the tune of crossing Sonata Arctica with Amberian Dawn, this is a pure classic example of exceptional musicianship, it will be interesting to see what album number five brings. [8] RHYS STEVENSON HULDRE 'Intet Menneskebarn' No joke, this is proper Eurovision material, no wait let's not stoop that low for a release that is a mish-mash of Eluveitie, Aperion and Arkona. Collectively playing a violin, guitar, bass, drum, a flute and a hurdy-gurdy is sextet Huldre from Denmark. Delivering their Danish myth-laden debut album 'Intet Menneskebarn' in a classical way, it won't take long before the major labels start sniffing this album out. Fuelled by the classics of Danish folklore and tales, this is a truly remarkable album and is sure to get the European Metal scene wake-up call, or at least could act as a wake-up call for anyone. Bouncy music mix with a tongue-twister of Danish lyrics and traditional Folk Metal vocals and result in a definitive piece of music. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON DUBLIN DEATH PATROL 'Death Sentence' MASCOT For a band name which could provoke the Irish and Northern Irish, the septet from California, Dublin Death Patrol return with a vengeance with their face-melting second effort 'Death Sentence', quite literally one song down and you'll be signing your death warrant for enduring a luxury seldom ever done, simply classic Heavy Thrash Metal. Featuring the masterminds Steve Souza and Chuck Billy, they lead a valiant group of musicians on a quest to deliver epic sounds, and they have done. Scintillating riffs merge with brutal drumming and skull-crunching vocals and it is this sound that could shape the band forever, now if this album does not get in the top 20 on the billboard, I shall eat my speakers. [10] RHYS STEVENSON ADJUST THE SUN
'Devouring Worlds' So the debut album from Adjust The Sun is practically Scar Symmetry but adjusted to a different style. Strapping progressive elements to the embodiment of Melodic Death Metal and ending up with a unique sound in that both gender vocals come together, the guitars riff it out to the max and the drummer provides a technical level of musicianship, such is an apt description of the German's debut album 'Devouring Worlds', think of Gojira mixing with Scar Symmetry and you'll get the idea of what this sounds like. For the sextet this is a promising start but the only problem is keeping it up, only time will tell, but for now and especially 2012, witness the birth of a new force in the German Metal scene. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SHAPED BY FATE 'I Fear The World Has Changed' SIEGE OF ARMADA Welsh Hardcore Metallers Shaped By Fate make their comeback to release their sophomore album 'I Fear The World Has Changed', kicking into full throttle, the South Wales crew demolish past sounds and implement a new choice of direction, one with full of the nitty-gritty, sweat and demonic fret of which is enough to make listeners wet themselves. Coming from the fabled 'core' scene of South Wales is no easy task, but for the quintet before you, this is only level 1, there are far more levels to complete, and as the band will find, everything is in fact, Shaped By Fate. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON DISHARMONIC 'The Creature - Artificial Ignorance' HECATOMBE Defying the odds of the Spanish economy crashing was plain and simple for Andalusia's Disharmonic, who of which unleashed brutal hell in 2011 with their face-smashing debut release 'The Creature - Artificial Ignorance'. Featuring drumming so fast and brutal, it's only physical resemblance is being kicked in the cojones, painfully sharp and so razor-sharp, it could cause a headache. But that's what makes Disharmonic and 'The Creature - Artificial Ignorance' so good, demoralising the norms and putting their own twist on the fathomed Death Metal genre. With Bao delivering the scariest of female vocals, this is a Spanish Inquisition metal-style. [9] RHYS STEVENSON SPREADING DREAD '...Sanatorium...' 2012 see's a new band on the block in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. This band comes in the form of Power Thrashers Spreading Dread and in-tow their debut album '...Sanatorium...' which delivers a majestic riff-a-thon in sensational style. With blistering-paced drums in the backline, venomous vocals splitting the chasm in two and a frenzy of galloping riffs on the frontline, '...Sanatorium...' is crafted for fans of Sabaton, Metallica and basically any band that uses either Thrash Metal or Power Metal. Rest assured, this is a promising band. [7] RHYS STEVENSON THE SIEGE 'The Siege - A Musical Epic' STP Austrian Prog Metal/Rock maestro Florian Hartl takes listeners on a mystical, majestic and awe-inspiring adventure with his project The Siege. Firmly affixed on the subject of the Battle of Vienna in 1683, this is a solid production of which draws comparisons between Dream Theatre and Sonata Arctica, with a fortified display of emphatic solo's, classic vocals and an array of percussion to keep the listener on their toes, The Siege is taking Austrian Prog Metal/Rock to new levels of extremity and in doing so, collectively spews out nothing but 100% excellence. [8] RHYS STEVENSON EL SCHLONG
'Time/Place' So it comes down to this, a calamitous clashing of various metal genres that interestingly and surprisingly seem to work, without actually finding any way to genre-tag El Schlong's 2011 release 'Time/Place'. Effectively it's got melancholy, panache and out-right bizarrity. If anything it may as well qualify as Extreme Progressive Metal, the progression is there but the vocals are effectively Thrash Metal, whereas the riffs epitomise the classic sound of Black Metal or Doom Metal, one of which resembles a scary side to this release,, and so on that note this album as many questions, but one answer, which is that it's unique. [6] RHYS STEVENSON BLOODLINE SERIES 1, 2 & 3 Compilation WHATEVER NEXT / ROCK MATRIX So unleashing the ultimate smackdown of Metal is the Bloodline Series, spanning from series 1 to 3 and delivering a feast-for-your-ears exhibition of some of the finest talent that's found in the Bandquest competition. Bands all over the country are found on this remarkable series as well as a rainbow-array of Music genres, from your breakneck Thrash Metal to spine-chilling Black Metal and from your gut-wrenching Death Metal to your soul-soothing Heavy Metal. But the bands on the compilations are not all unsigned, per se Sanctorum from Colchester are signed to Auburn Fox Records, but let's face it this is a grand vehicle for those unsigned to show what they can do and hope to gain a name for themselves, from Southend hopefuls Merciless Fail to ex-Essex University student band Dismanibus, let alone forgetting The Furious Horde are to play Metalcamp in Slovenia this year! What you hear here is not just a collection of songs, but a true monument to the beautiful side of the British Metal scene, nay the winner of the Bandquest competition gets to play at the Bloodstock Open Air festival this year. For all metal fans, getting these compilations will be money worth investing in as there is the likelihood you will be hearing bands who in years to come are going to be big, let alone huge in their local scenes. Summing up the three compilations without delving into insane lengths of paragraphs will be a tad tricky, however the best way to sum them up? Let the listener decide, let the rollercoaster begin and let Heavy Metal once again spew out fresh sounds. As Jimi Hendrix put it "Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music", so for the bands involved in the compilations and he Bandquest competition, they are not just producing music, they are making the changes to the British music scene and with this next wave of British Metal, nothing is going to stop them from re-establishing the United Kingdom as a major player in the Global Metal music scene. The compilations and t-shirts supporting Bandquest can be purchased from the Darkstore website individually (CDs and t-shirts priced accordingly), but can be bought altogether at any Bandquest event for £12 (3 CDs, 1 Bandquest t-shirt and 1 copy of the Altascope magazine), check out the Unified Sounds FB group for details on upcoming heats in London, Kent, Essex, Sussex, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. [10] + [10] + [10] RHYS STEVENSON SCARRED BY BEAUTY 'Sutra' MIGHTY MUSIC Well it would seem almost imperfect not to call Scarred By Beauty a band of whom features ex-Hatesphere vocalist Jon Albrechtsen a threat to Danish Metal. Their debut 2011 album 'Sutra' carries enough gusto and whim to separate the virtuous from the down-right dirty. This is Hardcore-meets-Thrash metal = Thrashcore territory and should not be dismissed as another petty 'core' genre. With riffs as sharp as blades and drumming as hard-hitting as a knock-out migraine, Scarred By Beauty are set to take Europe by storm and set ablaze the roaming fields of Copenhagen. [8] RHYS STEVENSON _ MORPHING INTO PRIMAL 'Principios De Autodestruccion' INDEPENDENT (RELEASED VIA XTREEM MUSIC) Certainly not what you would expect from a Melodic Death Metal, pummelling drums only equate to half of the miscategorising of Spain's Morphing Into Primal, with more emphasis on Death Metal being as clear as crystal, the quartet seem to know what they are doing, sure the language barrier may prove an issue for those non-Spanish speakers, but the music deals with that in sensational form. Or make the latter stages a brief moment, for the album does offer melodic death metal in the 'Gothenburg style'; nay they are not a cloned Dark Tranquillity, but a version of the Swedes. Sure there is nothing new exhibited from this group but don’t dismiss them that easily, they are due to bring something new to the Spanish Metal scene and with this effort, they can only excel. [7] RHYS STEVENSON STALWART 'Manifest Of Refusal' PRC MUSIC There is something about Russian Metal that seems to have that spine-tingling effect and Stalwart's fourth outing is no exception. ''Manifest Of Refusal' conjures up the prolific sound of blazing drums and ear-shredding riffs, both brutal enough to leave listeners with hearing problems. If carnage was evident in music, this sums it right to the bone. A futile example of speed and intricate technicality posted on an apocalyptical sound echoing to the crossing of Behemoth-meets-Gojira style Death/Thrash. If you thought that the Russians were only good for Pagan or Slavic Folk Metal, you'd be mistaken, prepare to be disembowlled, as this is shortlisted for Russian Metal album of the year. [9] RHYS STEVENSON MASS HYPNOSIS
'Sanctimonious' GEENGER RECORDS Carrying on from the well-received 'Dis4nimation' which was released back in 2010, Croatian Melodic Death quintet Mass Hypnosis return with their follow-up 'Sanctimonious', at first it seems like another cliché-loaded Melodic Death album, but the tides soon change into the sounds of Hail Of Bullets, In Flames and The Dead Lay Waiting; a culmination of Melodic death Metal, with breakdowns and thrashing drums here and there. There is a new sound with this band and although the lyric topics are on verge of controversy, the imminent result is a futile explosion of Modern Metal. Comparing to their debut album, there is more orchestration present here and this gives a greater brutal experience. 'Sanctimonious' is to take this Croatian bunch into further fields across Europe and are certainly ones to watch out for. [8] 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 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 _ CRESCENT LAMENT 'Behind The Lethal Deceit' Eclipsing the moonlight on dark nights is the sounds of Crescent Lament's debut album 'Behind The Lethal Deceit', sounding extremely superior to their previous two releases (demo and EP), the Taiwanese septet immerse the listener with anguish amongst all darkened emotions. Captivated by the soul-soothing vocals of Muer Chou and intricacy from the backdrop musicians of which comprises of the usual guitarists, bassist, drummer and keyboardist as well as a special appearance by violinist Heven Chang. This debut delicacy of pure Taiwanese musicianship’s and heavenly feminine melodies is surely to change the direction of the swinging pendulum; Crescent Lament is set to take the world by storm. [10] RHYS STEVENSON ANKOR 'My Own Angel' STF Catalonian Heavy Power Metal sextet Ankor make their return extra special, that being in reference to their majestic and all-so intricate sophomore album 'My Own Angel'. From raging waterfalls in the mountains to desert racing in the plains of Spain, Ankor will take you on a magical journey that not even Disney could conjur up, providing the perfect accompiment to the El Clásico experienced in Spanish football. Dynamic vocals arising from the depths of the abyss collide with graceful music from the heavens to produce a beautiful piece of exciting music, without a doubt 'My Own Angel' is Spanish Metal album of the year. [10] RHYS STEVENSON _ DARKMOON 'Wounds' STF Firing on all cylinders is Swiss mosh-bombardiers Darkmoon with their third album assault, 'Wounds' deploys the combined sound of Black and Death Metal to such an extent, this is perhaps a toned down version of Behemoth, but whilst that may sound apt, the music is just as brutal as rottweilers savaging a gang of chickens, ruthlessly and brutally. For the quintet from Hölstein this is perhaps the pivotal moment in their existence, rallying a futile blast of unimaginable proportions. Darkmoon is without a doubt, Switzerland's most kept secret until now, the evil has just turned nasty. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ ASGAIA 'Trinegra' STF Battling their way through the forests and wilderness of the Melodic Death minefield, Germany's Asgaia offer a unique twist on the common genre with some ambiance and coldness in their music, similar to that of Latvia's Preternatural. Mystical and eclectic best suit this quintet's third album 'Trinegra', by diverging away from the rules of the genre and adding their own unique sound to the affray. Pummelling drums encase the atmospheric in a shroud of bizarreness and almost near sci-fi embodiment. Asgaia are sure to become a storm in the German Metal scene and with this effort, they are ready to smother Europe, watch this band at all costs. [10] RHYS STEVENSON _ ELIZIUM
'Relief By The Sun' STF In their 20th year of existence, the underground yet-long-serving Gothic Doom quintet Elizium make their sophomore album somewhat worth the wait, by far not the greatest Gothic Doom release yet it has a persona to it in relation to the atmosphere produced - such that depression easily seeps in. For the Dutch quintet this is another step, but for the listener this may well be the last step before untolled suicide. Whilst conventionally short in length to most Doom Metal albums, 'Relief By The Sun' has a darkened feel instead, but lacks creativity here and there, ideally this release is for those Gothic Doom diehards, but not necessarily the average metal fan, just don't expect the release to make tracks. [3.5] RHYS STEVENSON KILL CHAMBERS 'The Reckoning' RISING Reading bruisers Kill Chambers unleash horrific hell with their first lashing of prime-album material, thus the result is a catastrophic carnage of Melodic Death Metal colliding with cutting-edge Metalcore, revolutionizing the first audio wave of their debut album 'The Reckoning'. Signed to Rising Records, the quintet bring the same level of brutality as label-mates The Dead Lay Waiting but perhaps leaning more to the more softer kind in vocal levels. However don't let the image or genre-tagging fool you, for the album has enough balls and mind-crushing power to overthrow any army, let alone leaving the listener mesmerised at what just happened, chock-full of riffs, breakdowns, frequency shifts and attitude, Kill Chambers is 'the metal band to overthrow Reading Metal throne-robbers Malefice'. [10] RHYS STEVENSON _ NOCTEM 'Oblivion' RISING As majestic as bull fighting is and as brutal as the Spanish armada amassed to be, the final force resulted in a mind-blowing sophomore album from the Spanish quintet Noctem. Pummelling out a monstrous emblazonment of Black / Death / Thrash Metal in its most extreme form, Noctem raise the flag of the Spanish Metal scene with emphatic style. With their sophomore album being an apt soundtrack to cavaliers on the battlefield, this is one record with a death signature and death will riding on it. Sounding like a Thrash Metal covered Behemoth, Noctem are sure to take the underground by storm. [8] RHYS STEVENSON _ SKELETAL DAMAGE 'Fire & Forget' RISING Cheshire Thrash newbies Skeletal Damage offer no compromise with their debut album 'Fire & Forget', as they head straight into the full whacking of break-neck thrash and soul-crushing English Metal. In the style of the tactical European Thrash signature, the quartet ignites a series of sensationalist tracks and herald the pure essence of bringing menacing to the forefront. As for their debut album, there lacks no negative issues but more so the ideology that heads will bang, moshpits will commence and above all thrash just got a whole lot faster, it’s time to 'Fire & Forget'. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ ARMY RISING 'Impending Chaos' RISING As majestic and glorious as Iron Maiden are, Ireland's Army Rising employ Heavy Metal with some Thrash elements in the drumming, whilst infusing a great level of headbanging riffs, all in all summing up their debut album 'Impending Chaos'; being fast, chaotic and essentially heavy. Capturing the essence of the root of Heavy Metal, it is clear that Army Rising know how to play the genre to its full potential as seen on tracks like 'destination grave' with its swinging feeling in the music, much like a pendulum on crack cocaine. None the less, the boys from Tipperary have only just begun. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ KAIDEKA
'False Idols & Pyrite Thrones' RISING Hailing from the South-western peninsula of Great Britain is Cornish quintet Kaideka of whom exert their bizarre and odd mix of Nu Metal and Thrash Metal to make what one would assume is 'Nu Thrashcore'; though the band would more than likely disagree. Chock full of balls (sometimes sweaty), their latest offering 'False Idols & Pyrite Thrones' does not shy away from being individual, but nor does it hide from being nothing new, the latter proven by the American band Soulfy, however Kaideka offers a more gallant variant, one to echo off the infamous pirates in Cornish history - in fact the music would be apt in a Pirates of the Caribbean film, more so Chester Bennington of Linkin Park will have envy in mind. [9.5] RHYS STEVENSON BLAIR WITCH 'Imprecation' Arising from the darkened countryside of the island country of Taiwan is quintet (male guitarist Chiang joined later) Blair Witch, with four females leading the way. Sad to say they are going on hiatus, but that does not deter the fact this is possibly the best Black Metal album to come out of Taiwan in ages (albeit ChthoniC), mixing clear Carpathian Forest sounds with the ferocity of the Taiwanese culture, Blair Witch are in their own league and with their debut EP 'Imprecation' giving all the green lights to state this is a band that clearly has the musicianship powerful enough to overthrow Taiwanese Metal leaders ChthoniC, is pretty much the truth. Blair Witch, brings a whole new level of darkness, with that in mind, Taiwan has spoken. [10] RHYS STEVENSON NIOBETH 'Silvery Moonbeams' What is it with Gothic Metal and the Spanish that seems to make both worth without error or fault? Niobeth, the Symphonic / Progressive Gothic Metal quartet from Spain make their long-awaited return with their sophomore album 'Silvery Moonbeams', twisting the atmosphere like unravelling wrapped sweets with the taste of el classico being amidst the elegancy of this band, such dramatic music would provide the apt soundtrack to the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona fiasco. Sounding similar to that of Dutch band Within Temptation, this Spanish lot are sure to make a name for themselves if not an attractive gem to major labels. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ CRYSALYS 'The Awakening Of Gaia' AURAL MUSIC As majestic as the great soprano's hitting the high notes in the coliseums, Italy's Gothic Metalcore magicians Crysalys weave a sensual and emotional stream of operatic vocals in the form of Therion-cross-Nightwish whilst being embodied by the brutality of Metalcore. After eight years their long awaited debut album took full flight and delivers a heavenly outburst of dominant female vocals and a solid backbone of riffs, crushing drumming and an atmosphere rivalling any dramatic spills found in the Inter Milan vs. AC Milan riposte. Crysalys are leading the way forward for the darkened side of the once criticised music genre, for the Italian band it is only just the beginning. [7] RHYS STEVENSON TERRORDOME 'We'll Show You Mosh, Bitch!' DEFENSE Polish crackpots Terrordome give the all out nuclear blast with their debut album 'We'll Show You Mosh, Bitch!', laying tight riffs, mentally bruising drumming and soul-ripping vocals, the Brutal Thrashers rage out of the stables with a monstrous thundering of apocalyptic audio-waves. Whilst conventionally the vocals are not really clear, the music gives its fair share of absolute precise composition. In the end, although an extremely brutal and heavy release, the downside lies with the vocals, but this will not deter the band from making a long-lasted impression. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ RATZINGER
'2012' DIGIMETALWORDL / AUSTRALIS This is the sophomore album from Chilean Groove Thrash merchants Ratzinger, flinging a whirlwind of neck-breaking thrash with groove elements to sound out an utter cataclysmic explosion of South American metal. '2012' may serve as a literal precedent to the year 2012, but whilst that may remain as an opinion, the fact lies within the truth that Ratzinger is perhaps the best Thrash Metal band in the Chilean Metal scene. Whilst the vocals sadly are not the greatest, the music fails to let down and so rescues the album in its near entirety; but definitely an album worth checking out. [7] RHYS STEVENSON |
© 2011-2022
|