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
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GRAVETY 'Into The Grave' SOURCE OF DELUGE Smackdown and let rip to the sounds of Heavy Thrash Metal, or one should say the debut album 'Into The Grave' released by Gravety. The German quintet lash together a unique sound that reflects the glorified Oktoberfest in its prime, sensational riffs and menacing drumming all adding flavour to the mind-blowing vocals that cascade and scale the volume levels like no tomorrow. 'Into The Grave' is a strong starting point and it is highly promising that this band are to get a name for themselves across Europe. Finally the missing component to the Heavy Thrash Metal vein has come, the anxiety can now dissipate. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SPECTRAL 'Gateway To Death' CCP You know, it seems to be that when German musicians adopt Viking Black Metal as their chosen music genre, they seem to nail it perfectly, however taking Spectral's fifth offering 'Gateway To Death' into account, they do more than just nail it, they obliterate it. Blasting out blastbeats like no tomorrow and utilising a chaotic vocal range, the quintet are in no doubt amateurs in producing quality music and as such are not even remotely reluctant to go the extra mile, not much could be said about the German cars, but that's Industrial Metal surely? Spectral are amongst the elite of Viking Black Metal bands who do more than shriek, they totally mean it. [7] RHYS STEVENSON RAVENTALE 'Bringer of Heartsore' SOLITUDE As if the Ukrainians were going to let Russia steal the spotlight with the factory of doom pumping out disturbing Metal music day-in, day-out. Fat chance, as Raventale's fifth album saw light in 2011 it brought a majestic sound to it, one of which is totally different to conventional Black / Doom Metal albums, that said the melancholy and misery still resides in the most darkened atmospheres one could muster in such a musical genre, but with 'Bringer of Heartsore' being perhaps the best release by the one-man project, nothing can deter anyone from not calling this a work of art. Blistering drums acting as a forerunner to the rawest guitars heard, even the distortion is enough to create a double atmosphere, but with that in mind 'Bringer of Heartsore' is definitely one to have in anyone's collection. [9] RHYS STEVENSON TEARS OF MANKIND 'Memoria' SOLITUDE Can't even begin to explain what this is about, it fails to even create anything but percussive noise, even if the rudimentary beginning of 'Memoria' is particularly unwelcoming, the album for which is number four for the Russian one-man project Tears Of Mankind is absolutely abysmal. The drums appear out of sync to the guitars and the vocals don't even resemble anything like Gothic Metal, given due that its meant to Melodic Gothic / Doom Metal, it more resembles a successful Metal version of Justin Bieber with accessorized corpse paint, sad to say this is perhaps the worst attempt to date. [2] RHYS STEVENSON STORM OF ASHES
'Trial By Fire' Post-humourously, this is a good solid demo release, Storm of Ashes wield together the epic sounds of Thrash Metal with the ballsy GMN - Vol73 - Motionless In White, Rise To Remain, Zoltar Speaks, Mave Infinitum, Affliction9/3/2012 MOTIONLESS IN WHITE 'Creatures' FEARLESS It was only a matter of time before a new genre crossed the ever-expanding chasm of Metalcore, this fell to the dark genre of Gothic Metal and thus spawned a new sound, capitalised by American sextet Motionless In White. 'Creatures' their debut album, released in 2010, delivers that sound that fits the 'Gothcore' tag in completeness. With the atmospheric synths delivering a spine-chilling blow of insane melodies and the rest of the music encasing the listener with a powerful smackdown of straight-edge Metalcore, Motionless In White are due to take the world by storm, by delivering a unique twist and captivating ears everywhere, the old Gothic renaissance has been brought back to life. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON RISE TO REMAIN 'City of Vultures' EMI Hailing from a metal bloodline, Austin Dickinson and his unholy compatriots in Rise To Remain smash out the of London Metal scene with a belter, collaborating the harsh heavy sounds of Metalcore with the flowing elegancy of Melodic Metal. It would seem apparent that the album itself has a story to itself, for each song has a build-up and an anti-climax, but even so with the guitar virtuoso being present and the soul-soothing vocals adding the third dimension to this magnificent debut, 'City of Vultures' is perhaps the sentimental sound to be attached to Rise To Remain forever. 'City of Vultures' is one solid proof that British Metalcore has only just begun, let the battle commence. [9] RHYS STEVENSON ZOLTAR SPEAKS 'Treatment' There just seems to be a trend amongst South-West English metal bands, one trend unnoticed. But that trend is heavily hinted with Zoltar Speaks, most bands in Somerset are near breaking-point, breaking the underground barrier. With their four track EP 'Treatment' released last year, this is a prime example of pure Melodic Heavy Metal, with the vocals nearly reminiscent of vocalists such as Amy Lee and Avril Lavigne and the music itself taking influence from Iron Maiden at its peak, Zoltar Speaks are the voice of Somerset. 'Treatment' delivers a powerful knock-out punch with each song and offers no way of forgiving mercy, not even a respite from complete audio annihilation. [8] RHYS STEVENSON MARE INFINITUM 'Sea Of Infinity' SOLITUDE PRODS. Calm and depression may not always work together, but when applied to the Russian two-man band Mare Infinitum, it does. The Atmospheric Doom / Death Metal duo create a world full of enchantment, mystic and sensational sounds, all of which amount to their debut album 'Sea Of Infinity', burdening a hefty 55 minutes worth of music in five tracks, so much for keeping one entertained. Mare Infinitum are like most Russian Doom Metal bands and so therefore the cliché of the genre becomes the norm, in one way there lies nothing relatively new with the album, but it offers some respite in that it in places has an upbeat side, but lacks the final panache. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON AFFLICTION
'Eyes Of Horror' SALUTE Darkened sadness drapes the misery and despair with the sounds of Doom / Death Metal project Affliction, operated by one Satanic Tony, of whom owns Salute Records, delivers an almighty blow to the heart with this six track demo, with raw vocals at the forefront and sensational music acting as a foundation for perhaps the most evil music created by Satanic Tony, this is one demo most underground Metal fans should have in their collection. Subtle and mesmerising goes the compositions, although not powerful enough to spark competition from the Russians, it does however send a clear message of desirable hate and sufferable pain. [7] RHYS STEVENSON LACERATION 'Tortured Inauguration' UKEM Records Mercy may be needed upon the listening of 'Tortured Inauguration' by Scottish one-man project Laceration, slamming Brutal Death Metal extracting all guttural existence from the listener and smashing their brain into a pile of wasted goo. Behind the audio massacre is one Hamish Maguire, in respect a charismatic and genius at sound moulding, as evidently found on the 2012 compilation 'Tortured Inauguration', break-neck speed drumming immersed by the solid crushing sound of the guitars and vocals, altogether proving to be a futile explosion of extreme metal. Signed to UKEM Records, Laceration is perhaps the latest grittiest band to embrace the British underground Metal scene. [8] RHYS STEVENSON THE OBSCENE 'The Torment Of Sinners' PEST Avoiding the band-name-pun altogether, The Obscene quite literally is a self-definition of the music they produce, literally a hard-hitting blast of Death Metal. The Durham quartet show no remorse in conducting the dramatic theatre-piece, that is their debut 2011 EP 'The Torment Of Sinners' of which has some of the most evil vocals ever heard in existence. Whilst the drums are quick-paced and the riffs sharp enough to shred any diamond in half, the only thing that lacks here is clarity, but even so one would conclude the lesser clarity adds to the dirty raw sound created on this hellbender debut, perhaps The Obscene is another way of saying, gore is the next step forward, heck why weren't these guys on the Saw 3D soundtrack? [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON _ Dog Faced Corpse 'Dog Faced Corpse Demo 2012' SALUTE With critique to detail and immobilizing the human senses in check, when indulging in the premier demo from Iraq's Brutal TechDeath quintet Dog Faced Corpse, the only way to survive the monstrosity of sound is to fear it. It wouldn't seem at all apparent that war had occurred in Iraq, although Dog Faced Corpse in hindsight don't really give a damn, not even beyond the mere middle finger, this is a solid production from the band; even touching onto Grindcore in its raw form. Whilst the face of the Middle East scene is focused towards the likes of Nervecell, Dog Faced Corpse evidently prove that Metal, regardless of its location, still has the power to send clear messages to the world and concludes that resistance is futile. [10] RHYS STEVENSON X-PANDA 'Flight Of Fancy' Synthed-up and ready to bring a storm to the Estonian Metal scene, this is the debut album 'Flight Of Fancy' being described and is delivered in harmonious reality from Progressive Metal quartet X-Panda. However, the disappointment circulates the long songs found on the album, whilst also the stand-out track without a doubt is 'siren', with a delicate balance of electronic synth music powering the progressive sounds into a beautiful display of musicianship, X-Panda are perhaps something new and are sure to give the Progressive Metal vein something to think about, just a matter of picking your 'Flight Of Fancy'. [8] RHYS STEVENSON IN LOVING MEMORY
'Negation Of Life' SOLITUDE PRODS. Well if Metal was a type of food, then In Loving Memory would have to be a piece of fruit, tasty when right but easy to leave to get rotten, shame to say that the rotten fruit is the food for thought on 'Negation Of Life', sure the melodies are in place and the whole atmosphere shifts from time to time, but the overall album is one step less of shambolic, in all fairness to Spain's Melodoom quartet, the only points salvaged is from even attempting to make a stellar return, but as far as sophomore albums are concerned, this is worse than a dubstep-cross-Nu Metal release, even Justin Bieber tops it, just. [3.5] RHYS STEVENSON THREAT SIGNAL 'Under Reprisal' NUCLEAR BLAST 2006 saw promising Canadian quintet Threat Signal unleashes the belter that gave them the propulsion into Metal history. Furious and insane Melodic Death Metal with various influences here and there give the boys from Ontario the extremity developed by fellow countrymen Strapping Young Lad. Whilst not sounding anything remotely similar to the European style of Melodic Death Metal, Threat Signal instead offers their own twist on the popular genre. With drumming as fast as a tornado tearing up the back-streets of Hamilton, vocals as brutally soul-smashing as a blizzard and guitars as sharp as a bayonet, Threat Signal are leading the Canadian Metal scene to newer levels. [8] RHYS STEVENSON TALANAS 'Reason & Abstract' EULOGY MEDIA A softer breath of fresh air is felt on the premier debut EP by London quintet Talanas, mixing the blazing speed of Progressive Metal with the heaviness of Death Metal, this is perhaps the respite the common Deathcore trait needs, simply back to basics. With 20 minutes worth of prime solid Metal to consolidate and dissect, this may just yet be the key that the UK Metal scene has been waiting for, a complete answer to the compelling French band Gojira and without any doubt what-so-ever, the face of modern metal reborn under a new pseudonym; the storm itself has only just begun. [9] RHYS STEVENSON EVILE 'Five Serpent's Teeth' EARACHE Yorkshire Thrash Metal maniacs Evile shed terror with their 2011 album 'Five Serpent's Teeth', playing at break-neck speed this is how Thrash Metal is meant to sound. Their third album shows more promise than ever before and provides the sound of modern British Metal at its prime. If Huddersfield FC vs. Leeds was gnarly enough, Evile would certainly provide the soundtrack to the epic clash, for the future of British Thrash Metal, Evile is surely leading the way, sensationally fast drumming providing a steady platform for some of the most irate riffs heard for yonks, Evile are set to smash the barrier into next Tuesday. [10] RHYS STEVENSON SILENCE BEFORE 'What A Fine Day For Violence' These bands just seem to come out of the woodwork, one would assume that the formula for the merging together of Metallic Hardcore was disputable enough, but when Metalcore comes into the realm it is bands like Silence Before who lead the attack, with their debut EP released in 2011, the only step forward for this Slovenian quintet is European massacre. With clear influences taken from bands like Asking Alexandria, Whitechapel and Bleeding Through, there lies no reason to why Silence Before has not got the power nor the capabilities to take Europe by storm and with this effort, it would seem rather shocking that they don't end up signed in the next year or so, this will be an EP that's hard to follow up. [8] RHYS STEVENSON SMARGROTH
'Empyreal Circle' Shadows move in from the east in response to the acrimonious empowerment of Black Metal monstrosity that is Smargroth, the Slovenian quintet make their second effort seem more so enthusiastic and sounding similar to that of Dimmu Borgir, but whilst there are not many symphonies on 'Empyreal Circle', the latter does crop up on the odd note. One would assume that Smargroth are simply another Black Metal band, regardless of the magic and fantasy-cross-warrior world that has seemed to develop, hark the new genre of 'Magic Metal' has been set in stone, but for now Smargroth are on a mission and is sure to please many Black Metal fans alike. [8] RHYS STEVENSON KAINE Kaine / Kaine EP True Metal can only be applied to those of the NWOBHM stature, so when modern triplet (was quartet) Kaine crafted the perfect riposte for bringing back the traditional sounds of Heavy Metal, they failed to acknowledge that this was to be the best collection of sounds heard in Heavy Metal for years. Capturing the foundation of Iron Maiden in their peak-moment and covering it with Thrash Metal elements, this is perhaps the band England has been waiting for to keep the old guard alive. With their debut self-titled album unleashing six tracks of improved Metal since their first EP release, Kaine is sure set to prove that the 'core' genres are nowhere near as classic as True British Heavy Metal. [8] / [7] WITHIN TEMPTATION 'The Unforgiving' ROADRUNNER The fifth all-rounder of Dutch Symphonic Gothic Metal veterans Within Temptation carries more power and beauty than a Nijmegen flower show. Bringing more melodic vocals to the affray and magnificently timed musical notes, this is by far the quintet's best release yet. With vocals echoing in the decibel bar on-par with sopranos, Within Temptation are sure to continue to provide such delinquent and entrancing releases. 'The Unforgiving' is yet a testament to the extraordinary vocals of Sharon den Adel - by far making any Dutch singer seem obsolete, so you thought Evanescence was going to win the best vocals in Female metal? Think again, Within Temptation are here to leave a print on Metal music and are exceptionally capable of showing mainstream music that Metal is becoming even-more popular and diverse. [10] RHYS STEVENSON PROFEEL 'Utrip' It seems to be a common practise amongst most Eastern-European Metal bands in that they find the interesting balance of using their native language with the ever-ready embodiment of Metal music, such is the case with Profeel and their album release 'Utrip', mixing Slovenian with the funky throw-down of Groove / Thrash Metal. Whilst it sounds rather strange, it does not fail to excite and as such provides a unique and honourable experience. With an array of ten tracks to drool over, the hunger for more is clearly experienced by this band's performance; let's just hope they don't eat the speakers. Profeel is setting new horizons and are sure to make a decent impact upon the Slovenian Metal scene. [7] RHYS STEVENSON MNEMIC 'Passenger' NUCLEAR BLAST It just seems a correlation between Denmark and the lust for Industrial-tinged Metalcore, well certainly for Raunchy and Hatesphere the industrial influences bite the bullet, but riding the nuclear rocket is Mnemic, the finest Modern Metal band Scandinavia has seen since the birth of Metal. Here is their third outing, 'Passenger' and its soul-destroying blast of futuristic cyber metal-meshed 'Industrial Metalcore'. With a fistful pummelling of double-kick drumming to immortalise any sound for millenniums to come and riffs and vocals to blast any clothes off a rock chick, 'Passenger' is by far Mnemic's best album to date and is an absolute treasure in the Danish Metal scene. Mnemic with their experimental side and their own Metal foundation giving them leverage, are sure to lead the assault by storm. [8] RHYS STEVENSON THE KOVENANT
'In Times Before The Light' HAMMERHEART The classic release by the Norwegian duo The Kovenant signifies the tone of the Norwegian Black Metal scene, with added Industrial influences in the sound and image. Re-released in 2002, 'In Times Before The Light' is perhaps the last Black Metal rooted album they released, but whilst the symphonies add another dark dimension to their already astrological atheist stature, the beauty resides in the absolute majestic thunderous drumming found on tracks like 'from the storm of the shadows'. For the underground veterans of Norwegian Symphonic / Industrial Black Metal, their next adventure is one to wait for, since 'In Times Before The Light' they changed to Cyber Black Metal and so with that as their current genre, The Kovenant are waiting in the shadows for the right time to re-strike. [8] RHYS STEVENSON VARIOUS ARTISTS
'Siege Of Armada Sampler Vol3' SIEGE OF ARMADA The third sampler volume from Siege Of Armada Records does not come without a sheer warning, this is not for pussies, this is prime Metal and is here to slaughter anyone who opposes the majestic brutal force. Forged by the numerous blacksmiths of insanely mental music, the sampler has drums blazing, riffs erupting more brutal than any volcanic explosion and a variety of vocals that make any Christian choir monotonous. With bands like Boris The Blade giving a punch-in-the-head style Deathcore-cross-Death Metal production, Awaken Demons serving up some crunchy-Metalcore that's sharp enough to slit anyone's throats with the immense feeling of justice and The Breathing Process cursing anyone who dare bespoke Metal as a s*** music genre, you get the sense and feeling Siege Of Armada Records is out to punish any cretin or human being who is stuck-up enough to diss the genre of Metal music. But for Metal fans, aye this is a sampler worth downloading, enough for you to spend over an hour delving in and out of it is wide array of different Metal styles and bands, even if it was released in 2011, it has the embodiment of a decade in its shadows. [10] RHYS STEVENSON FORGOTTEN HORROR 'The Serpent Creation' WOODCUT Its something about the Finnish that makes them and Black Metal seem to go well, even if Thrash Metal is thrown into the affray, so when Kuopio-based trio Forgotten Horror make their anticipated debut album, the result is a glorious thirty-five minute jaunt of Black-infused Thrash Metal. From start to finish, the band serve up some of the most explicit musical creations to date, such that this is a promising start to the Finnish band's career, armed with a fist of fury and battalion armour, this is one record to savour and for those die-hards, one to recommend as a Finnish prodigy. [9] RHYS STEVENSON BLUDGER 'The Death of The Trend' What only can be described as Progressive Deathcore, Bludger s**t out their latest EP 'The Death of The Trend' with extreme diarrhoea, taking clear influences from Meshuggah, Pantera and Ion Dissonance, the quintet who are based in Leeds excrete a solid slamming of Deathcore with the fluidity of Progressive Metal. Battering the listener with four tracks of concrete musicianship that could only be broken down by an atomic bomb, not even Sheffield noiseboys Bring Me The Horizon could muster this, it would send Oli Sykes running with his tail between his legs, it would seem Bludger are causing 'The Death of The Trend' that seems to be 'scenecore'. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON URINE TEMPLE / VERMIN / HEXE / SABBAGOR 'Urine Temple / Vermin / Hexe / Sabbagor' SKINNED ALIVE So when more or less the same two musicians for four different projects makes a split, it is somewhat of a novelty, usually its multiple people, but the South African musicians D-Hond and Vermox wield together instruments and sounds to produce this remarkable 4-way split, even if Black Metal is the primary genre, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal and Death Metal all make an appearance so there is a wide variety to choose from, the split release itself topples out at nearly one hour and twenty minutes so for those looking for new music, listeners are spoilt for choice. Definitely a South African gem in terms of its characteristics. [7] + [7] + [6.5] + [8] RHYS STEVENSON PIEL DE SERPIENTE 'Inevitable' PURE STEEL Melodic Heavy Metal quintet Piel De Serpiente waste no time and effort in releasing their third majestic album, the five-piece from Valencia in Spain unleash the bulls in the paddocks for this one, mixing their romantic native language of Spanish with the delightful melodies found in bands like Dream Evil and Katana, fast and melodic songs are present on this release and that is guaranteed to captivate the listener. Whilst the male Spanish vocals aren't as dynamic as the females, senor Lufti Salah Al-Kharbutli does not fail to disappoint and even more so drummer Emma López proves that female drummers are just as good. It was 'Inevitable' that Piel De Serpiente were to make a justified return. [9] RHYS STEVENSON FIREBRAND SUPER ROCK
'Firebrand Super Rock' RISING Scottish lads Firebrand Super Rock raise up the tempo with their debut album 'Firebrand Super Rock', it features the style of Iron Maiden and School of Rock style vocals and music, with an awesome array of riffs to covertly backdrop the sensational vocals on this album, the quartet from Edinburgh unleash a flood of extraordinary songs of which are certain to rock out many listeners to death. Unleashed via the brilliant Rising Records (The Dead Lay Waiting, Confined Within, etc.), Firebrand Super Rock are exactly what their band name says and are sure to set alight the UK when they make their first major tour. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON SERENITY IN MURDER 'The First Frisson Of The World' SPIRITUAL BEAST Harmonious and intricately constructed is the debut album by the sensational Serenity In Murder from Japan, performing Symphonic Black / Death Metal in a majestic style, the sextet from Tokyo implement symphonies in the style of Twilight Ophera but manage to sound a little less like Arcane Grail. There is the subtlest hint of Oriental music in the symphonies and with the extremely brutal vocals coming from a female singer, Serenity In Murder and their debut album 'The First Frisson Of The World' is sure to take the world by storm, if you thought Japan was doused by lots of Visual Kei bands, the underground network has just exploited one of its most darkest symphonies, Serenity In Murder will take you on a journey no metal band has ever done before. [10] RHYS STEVENSON UNITED 'Tear Of Illusions' SPIRITUAL BEAST Thirty one years have surpassed and Japanese Metalcore / Post-Thrash Metal group United unleash their ninth full-length album 'Tear Of Illusions' to the absolute masses, this brutal onslaught of insanely fast drumming and riffs is only met by the heavy brain-smashing vocals of this quintet and as a result produce the ultimate album last year in 2011 of which marks their 30 years existence, such a time to be jubilant, for 'Tear Of Illusions' has what you expect, rad solos, mesmerising drumming and unforgettable vocals, a true masterpiece. [8] RHYS STEVENSON _ HURON 'Mary Celeste' CASKET MUSIC It is quite ironic that the sophomore album from Huron is entitled 'Mary Celeste' and yet that they come from Plymouth, a city port in Devon known for its strong Naval maritime history, so when the Southern / Groove Metal quintet shot out this face-smacking work piece, the first thing that sprung to mind was 'sea war battle cry', or in its most intellect form, the tune to sea warfare. So when Huron whips in a percussive beat and somewhat fails to capitalise on the vocals, the result is a mix and match of good and bad, but don’t let the music fool you, after all the Spanish armada didn’t get fooled, but the next Huron release may well do exactly that. [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON MANIFEST 'Written In Blood' VIOLENT Norwegian Groove Metal quartet Manifest make their third album 'Written In Blood' the most brutal they have ever done, with sensationally fast drumming cursing the overall atmosphere with complete utter f***ked up attitude and a fist of fury, this is one album to set moshpits off in numbers. Sounding similar to Lamb Of God, minus the Metalcore part, the Trondheim-based four-man group make it sound so simple and yet although the album itself is good, there remains some negativity in the select few tracks, but can't complain as it is a good release. [6.5] RHYS STEVENSON MANDIBULA
'Sacrificial Metal Of Death' UNIVERSAL TONGUE It comes to something when bands sing in their own native tongues, one it is interesting to listen to and two it is unique in its own rights, such is applied to the one-man project Mandibula with his first demo released back in 2010, the Portuguese musician crafts Blackened Thrash Metal in such a way it traps the listener in a cerebral frenzy, with riffs of demonic stature smouldering the senses with death and anguish, after all this is perhaps the darkest release in the Portuguese Metal scene, in likeness it is similar to that of Dissimulation and Toxic Holocaust, but more so Mandibula has its own sound, and so 'Sacrificial Metal Of Death' is one demo many Metal fans should have in their repertoire. MOTHERPIG 'Nojev Let' BEYOND THE SUN / ZERO BUDGET PRODS Bosnian Heavy Metal / Hard Rock trio Motherpig make their 2011 release all sweet and essentially unique, only that they sing in their national language, either Croatian, Bosnian or Serbian, anyone's guess (apart from those who know their languages). None the less this is a release that has a lot of potential for the band, especially when the Bosnian Metal scene is not well known, with some Motorhead influences clearly detectable in the vocals and more punk in the musical style, these three Bosnians are crafting something new and different, something refreshing and something to keep the old traditions alive, [7] RHYS STEVENSON INFEST 'Everlasting Genocide' ZERO BUDGET PRODS. Speeding out of the pits and into pole position is maniac Death / Thrash Metal crackpots Infest of who has created a belter regarding their third album 'Everlasting Genocide'. Kicking off its a bit slow but it soon picks up and justifies itself as a late starter, the Serbian four-piece go all-out insane on this release with neck-breaking thrash tearing away at the flesh of humanity and death metal making anyone crap themselves. Fast and furious is an understatement when talking about Infest, whipping up a storm of epic proportions leaving the listener in a state of utter confusion on what just happened, listen at your peril. [7] RHYS STEVENSON PUS 'Pus' UNIVERSAL TONGUE The ultimate pun, thick as sludge, or so it should be. Welsh Sludge Metal / Crust stalwarts Pus release what can only be described as indescribable, it is exactly that. Pus with their self-titled EP bring out nothing but raw riffs, bizarre drumming points and vocals that one would only describe as pointless screaming. True to the word that the drumming is percussive, but even that does not rescue the EP from utter humiliation, some could even dub it 'watered down screamo', but that's getting hasty, but it certainly is not music, some will argue, but opinions are always there, the listener shall decide. [2.5] RHYS STEVENSON 77 'High Decibels' LISTENABLE It just seems apparent that Spanish Hard Rock / Heavy Metal quartet 77 are the exact copy of Australian rock legends AC/DC, there lies nothing really new with their release 'High Decibels', it goes without saying there is hardly any differences. Whilst the classic Hard Rock sound echoes all around with the drums providing a timed beat and the guitars whipping out charismatic riffs, the vocals are pretty much stolen from Brian Johnson, there is nothing spectacular to highlight only the fact they are playing the standard sounds of Hard Rock, kudos for them to keep the tradition alive though. [4] RHYS STEVENSON ELECTRIC MARY
'Electric Mary III' LISTENABLE The sophomore album from Australian Hard Rock / Stoner Metal posse Electric Mary is a funked-up piece of music creativity, whilst the closest sound influence is perhaps Guns 'N' Roses and Motorhead, the solo's on this release are so magically technical it makes Australian rock look impossible to play, but Electric Mary are one of those bands who take a pinch of everything and this is found on their 2011 album 'Electric Mary III', funnily enough its one of those releases listeners could associate car racing and bar brawls with, talk about punch up, fist up and throw down. [7] RHYS STEVENSON |
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