ABSENT SOCIETY - THE PLASTIC PARADE

Line Up:

Jason - vocals

Mike - drums

Justin - guitars

Matt - guitars

Music by Absent Society

Lyrics by Absent Society

Tracks:

1-Plastic Parade

2-Never trust a preacher with a Boner

3-Ewe and Eye

4-The Luxury of Ignorance

5-The Dance (Jesus and Mohammed)

6-Oasis Slaughter

7-Michael Mc Dermott

Here is the new Absent Society release with a more aggressive sound than the one in their previous effort. Full of modern metal rhythms with crushing guitar riffs and versatile vocals. The band has succesfully combined elements of thrash metal with new metal getting a violent result. THe guitars sound huge here and they are the center of the band´s compositions. Plus here we have a really tight rhythm section whose role is essential here in order to create the main structure of the compositions. One remarkable thing are the vocals with really extreme parts but also with some melodic / melancholic lines in the vein of classics like Mike Patton. The album has a much better sound than their previous release that emphasizes the aggression unleashed.

Produced by Absent Society

ABYSMAL GRIEF - CREATURES OF THE GRAVE

Line Up:

Regen graves - guitars

Labes C. Necrothytus - vocals, keyboards

Lord Alastair - bass

William Blissett - drums

Music by Graves / Blissett

Lyrics by Graves / Blissett

Tracks:

1- Creatures from the Grave

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This is the Abysmal Grief side of a split single with Tony Tears. the tune "Creatures from the Gravce" presented here starts like a doom metal tune and soon gets a little bit faster achieving more of a gothic feeling to the music but with more heaviness on the guitars. The guitars are heavy and contrast with teh keyboards used in some parts but interact cleverly creating the overall feeling that this band´s music has. one track leaves you wanting to listen more from this band to have a better idea of how their music sounds like. A dark release.

Recorded at Chrismon Studio

Produced by Abysmal Grief

ADOR DORATH - SYMBOLS

Line Up:

Kamil Pfeffer - guitars

Ivos Dosedel -vocals

Kamil Kottek - bass

Martin Rozenek - keyboards

Lenka Machova- vocals

Zdenek Cepa - drums

Krystian Danel - cello

Music by Ador Dorath

Lyrics by Lenka (1-6) and Ivos (7-10)

Tracks:

1-Rosa

2-Vitriol

3-Earth

4-River

5-Desert

6-Mountain

7-Balance

8-Limits

9-Nine

10-Island (bonus)

We reviewed some issues ago the previous Ador Dorath album and now this "Symbols" arrives with pure darkness and a majestic sound. The music is the black metal full of climatic elements and melodic arrangements created with extremely tasteful musicianship and with killer technical skills. Plus, this band is not afraid of using elements from other styles such as death metal in some of the more brutal parts adding more power to their music. The female vocals are amazing and add a melancholic feeling to the music, adding also a lot of beauty to the arrangements, contrasting with the technial yet brutal guitar riffs that the band unleashes. This woman can easily go from whispers to operistic lines without loosing power. The keyboards are another essential element here deliver arrangements and intrincated passages on each of the tunes. A must have for lovers of dark metal and good musicianship.

Recorded at GM Recording Studio

Produced by Ador Dorath

AEON - BLEEDING THE FALSE

Line Up:

Tommy Dahlström - vocals

Zeb Nilsson - guitars

Daniel Dlimi - guitars

Johan Hjelm - bass

Nils Fjellström - drums

Music by Aeon

Lyrics by Aeon

Tracks:

1-Cenobites

2-Soulburner

3-Morbid Desire to Burn

4-Biblewhore

5-Forever Nailed

6-Satanic Victory

7-Enchanter

8-Bleeding the False

9-Doorknocker

10-Bow your head

11-.I Hate your existence

12-God Gives Head in Heaven

13-Hell Unleashed

Recorded at Courthouse Studio

Produced by Johan Hjelm and Aeon

AGABUS - LAST WAY LEFT

Line Up:

Arc - vocals

Zapa - guitars, b.vocals

Pala-  drums, b. vocals

Raz - bass, b.vocals

Music by Agabus

Lyrics by Agabus

Tracks:

1-Innervention

2-Golpe

3-Atman Collapse

4-Last Way Left

5-Responses

6-Train

7-The Hive of Damage

The first thing that strikes you while listening this album is the huge sound of the guitar riffs. They are fast, furious and extremely loud. Agabus is a band that deliver a style of music that has elements of modern thrash metal, death metal and eighties thrash metal. The vocals are extreme combining screams that seems to be coming from a guy that is spitting his lungs with some deathly guttural voices. And there are also some thrash metal type shouted parts that give a sort of eighties feeling that fit perfectly the music of this band. The drumming is intense and fast with heavy use of cymbals and with interesting double bass parts. The rhythm section is tight and that is necessary to let the violent sound of the band be heard in all its magnitude. The sound of the recording is direct and loud and I have to remark the huge guitar sound because they are the core of the band´s music. An extremely aggressive release with huge guitar riffs.

Recorded at Mirage Studio Recording

Produced by Agabus

AKALLABETH - TRISTESSE

Music by Akallabeth

Lyrics by Akallabeth

Tracks:

1- Ascension

2-Crown of Darkness

3-Erebus

4-Nada

Recorded at

Produced by Akallabeth

ALLHELLUJA - INFERNO MUSEUM

Line Up:

Music by Allhelluja

Lyrics by Allhelluja

Tracks:

1-A Perfect Man

2-Your Savior is here

3-Ego te Absolvo

4-Miss M

5-Inferno Museum

6-Who is gonna kill my lady?

7-God is Laughing

8-Nervous Titter

9-Gettin´Closer

10-Devil´s Kiss

Produced by Allhellujah

AMMIT - HAMMER OF DARKNESS

Line Up:

Music by Ammit

Lyrics by Ammit

Tracks:

1- Pure Infernal Fire

2-Power means death power

3-Acid

4-FAst as a Shark

5-Dogs of Hell

6-Sinner

7-Terormass

8-Death

9-Black Plagues

10-Genocide

11-.Las Garras del Mal

12- Hammer of Darkness

Ammit is pure raw primal thrash/black metal in the vein of early Venom. Their music is fast and furious with crushing riffs played at full speed and with repetitive ideas that stick into your mind. Here we have this band that delivers intense tunes with brutality and with direct song structures. The drumming is intense and chaotic reminding me of Abbadon or Kreator´s Ventor in classics like "Pleasure to Kill" or "Endless Pain". The vocals are agonic with a thrash feeling in them such as the one in early Kreator or Venom. The sound of the recording is raw giving the idea of listening to an extreme thrash classic album. The cover of Accept´s "Fast as a Shark" is really welcome and it is done in the Ammit way..Lovers of the most extreme thrash with some dark atmosphere will surely like this one..

Produced by Ammit

AMORAL - DECROWNING

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Line Up:

Niko Kalliojärvi - vocals

Ben Varon - guitars

Silver Ots - guitars

Erkki Silvennoinen - bass

Juhana Karlsson - drums

Music by Amoral

Lyrics by Amoral

Tracks:

1-Showdown

2-Lacrimal Gland

3-DEcrowning

4-Tiebreaker

5-Drug of Choice

6-Denial 101

7-Control cancer

8-Raptus

9-Warp

10-Bleeder

With a killer work of the guitars Amoral shows tht recording after recording tthey progress becoming one of Finland´s metal top names. Here we have amazing guitars interaction in the riffs and in the arrangements. Besides, Amoral has a really technical drummer with original and amazing double bass patterns. If you think this is classical metal you are wrong, and the death metal aggressive voice is here to prove it. This is pure death metal with amazing melodic arrangements and original ideas. Here we have a really compact rhythm section that is essential in order to play correctly the ten complex tunes that thisalbum has. There are climatic passages with good guitar work that contrast with the more aggressive ones showing that this band manages really well the atmospheres. The sound is really clear and loud adding more points to this album. A perfect 10 release !

Recorded at Sound Supreme Studios

Produced by Amoral

ANGRA - TEMPLE OF SHADOWS

Line Up:

Kiko Loureiro - guitars

Rafael Bittencourt - guitars

Eduardo Falaschi - vocals

Aquiles Priester - drums

Felipe Andreoli -bass

Music by Angra

Lyrics by Angra

Tracks:

1- Deus Ex Volt

2- Spread your fire

3-Angelsd and Demons

4-Waiting in Silence

5-Wishing Well

6-the Temple of Hate

7-The Shadow Hunter

8-No pain for the Dead

9-Winds of Destination

10-Sprout of Time

11-Morning Star

12-Late redemption

13-Gate XIII

The brazilian band delivers here what they do best, that is progressive power metal with good arrangements, with some cliches but with good taste. Here the main thing is the combination of the two guitars with the keyboards giving the feeling of bands like Dream theater, Fates Warning or Yngwie Malmsteen but with that particular identity that Angra has. This album can be compared with "Rebirth" or "Hunter and Prey" and this time we have here thirteen tracks of pure heavy metal with progressive elements. Not too original but effective and among the best in power / heavy metal.

Produced by Angra

ARAFEL - THROUGH THE FLAME OF THE AGES

Line Up:

Felius - guitars, bass, programming

Leshii - drums

Miron - vocals

D. Varfolomeyev - guiars, bass, b. vocals

Music by Felius (1,3,6,7), Felius/Arafel (2,5) , V Zgursky (4)

Lyrics by Felius (3,5), BehemothZ (2,7), V. Zgursky (4)

Tracks:

1- The Rise

2-Wrong Future

3-The Saga of the Vengeance

4-Color of Death

5-Serpent Land

6-The Call of War

7-Purification of Wisdom

Arafel is an amazing black metal band that comes from Israel. We reviewed their previous album called "The Way of Defender" some time ago and now we have this one that is more violent and more complex than that album. The music is fast and wild but at the same time it has many atmospheres and arrangements, mostly coming from the omniprescent keyboards. And that arrangements combined with the multiple changes in pace that the compositions have are one essential element of Arafel´s music. The vocals are really black metal having some early norwegian black metal influence in them.And here we have Miron from Tvangeste doing vocals, adding his personal voice. Plus, some of the keyboards arrangements are more twisted than the traditional chord progressions adding more originality. There are really complex passages parts here such as the ones in the middle of "Color of Death" where the band shows amazing musicianship". And there are also acoustic parts where the guitars embellish the music of the band. The album has a really good sound that helps their music to shine and to transmit the aggression that this band delivers. Original black metal with amazing compositions.

Recorded at Studio X

Produced by Arafel

ARCTURUS - SIDESHOW SYMPHONIES

Line Up:

Simen hestnæs

Hellhammer - drums

Sverd - keyboards

Tore Moren - guitars

Knut Magne Valle- guitars

Skoll - bass

Music by Arcturus

Tracks:

1- Hibernation sickness complete

2-Shipwrecked Frontier Pioneer

3-Deamonpainter

4-Nocturnal Vision Revisited

5-Evacuation Code Deciphered

6-Moonshine Delirium

7-White Noise Monster

8-Reflections

9-Huesa

It is interesting to see the evolution that Arcturus has on each new release. On this album we have the main change in vocals were Simen Hestnæs has replaced Garm . And here we have the omniprescent keyboards that have gained a more prominent role with each new album and on this album experiment more on textures and orchestration. And obviously we have Jan Axel Von Blomberg´s (Hellhammer) drumming that is complex and intense showing all his technical skills with the isntrument. the guitars deliver powerful riffs and also melodies including killer solos. the band has added a more pure heavy metal feeling to some parts, reminding me in places to Black Sabbath (Tony Martin era) but taken to a much more extreme and experimental field. As always Arcturus surprises with good musicianship and compositions full of aggression and innovative ideas.

Recorded at

Produced by Arcturus

AT VANCE - CHAINED

Line Up:

Mats Levén – Vocals
Olaf Lenk – Guitars, keyboards
John Smith – Bass
Mark Cross – drums

Music by Olaf Lenk

Lyrics by Mats Leven

Tracks:

1- Rise From the Fall
2- Heaven
3- Tell Me
4- Chained
5- Now or Never
6- Two Hearts
7- Invention # 13
8- Run/Leave
9- Live for the Sacred
10- Vivaldi Winter
11- Run for Your Life

At Vance is one of those pure power metal band with neoclassical influences that appeared in the mid nineties and that had a brilliant career with similar yet powerful albums that showed good technical skills and good songwriting. Their music is powerful despite lacking some originality. The guitar riffs are of the typical ones delivered by guys like Yngwie Malmsteen or Helloween but this band has less keyboards than Yngwie. The vocals are fluent and fitting really well the music of the band (we can not expect anything but the best of vocals from the excellent Mats Leven who always shines in his performances). For those who doesn´t know Mats he is sometimes closer to Joe Lynn Turner and sometimes to Marc Boals but with more guts. I think this band needs to do something more to set them apart from the bands of this style but they are on the top of the power/heavy metal scene nowadays.

Produced by At Vance

ATLANTIS - ATLANTIS

Line Up:

Hugo Flores - all instruments

Music by Hugo Flores

Lyrics by Hugo Flores

Tracks:

1-Mistaken Gods

2-Peaceful Mind

3-Where the Wind Goes part 1

4-Fading Beauty

5-Birth of a City

6-Something Calling Me

7-Where the Wind Goes Pt 2

8-Dark system

9-Train to infinity

10-Gazing at the Stars

11-.Atlantis City

This is the solo project of Sonic Pulsar´s Hugo Flores. The music here is more experimental and progressive. The center here are the guitar melodies delivered by Hugo that constitute the heart and soul of Atlantis. Here we have a combination of instrumental tracks and singed ones with heavy use of synthesizers and keyboards. The main influence here is from bands like Fates Warning or Dream Theater. That means: complexity, good melodies, memorable songs and a lot of good technical skills. And here we have all this elements combined into the form of eleven tunes full of melodies, harmonies and arrangements. Here the ehaviness is not the main thing even if the tunes are powerful when the feeling must be really intense. This are good compositions created by a master of progressive metal.

Produced by Hugo Flores

ATTICA RAGE - IN CONCERT WITH THE MIRROR

Line Up:

Johnny Parr - lead vocals, guitars

Richie Rage - drums

Colossus - bass, b. vocals

Changer - guitars

Music by Attica Rage

Lyrics by Attica Rage

Tracks:

1-In concert with the Mirror

2-Walk Away

3-Contradictions

4-Don´t lie to Me

5-Back to the Old School

What first got my attention was the great guitar sound in the riffs. If you like huge guitars then Attica Rage is your band. Then comes the combination between this heavy guitars with orchestrating keyboards that make arrangements through all the tracks of this album. This is pure heavy metal with a definite modern sound with killer vocal work. And the vocals are really original here with a lot of middle range and a definite european sound. There are also good vocal harmonies here too that are a trademark of the band´s music. But the main thing here are the cleverly constructed riffs that are powerful and rocking through all the album. Tracks like "Walk Away" give some sort of cliamtic feeling before getting into a more powerful mode that keeps the listener banging his/ her head. This is pure rocking metal coming directly from Scotland and elivered with full power by this amazing band.

Recorded at Trystorm Studios

Produced by Changer and Attica Rage

BEHEADED - OMINOUS BLOODLINE

Line Up:

Omar grech - guitars

David Cachia - bass

Melchior Borg - vocals

Chris Brincat - drums

Chris Mintoff - guitars

Music by Beheaded

Lyrics by Beheaded

Tracks:

1-Crowned with Repression

2-Esoteric Kin

3-Conceived to Dominate

4-Vaults of Ageless Pain

5-Depths of Sore

6-Ominous Bloodline

7-Ill Remains

8-Scourging repudiation

9-Rooted in Profundity

Recorded at Temple Studios

Produced by Beheaded and David Vella

BLOODRIDE - BLOODRIDDEN DISEASE

Line Up:

J. Leskinen - vocals

Teemu Vähäkangas - guitars

Niko Karppinen - guitars

Esa Pennala - bass

Petteri Lammassaari - drums

Music by Bloodride

Lyrics by Bloodride

Tracks:

1- The Arrival

2-Killing the Silence

3-Iced Ground

4-Reckoning Day

5-Forbid 4.02

6-King of Pain

Bloodride is a thrash death metal band coming directly from Finland. If I have to say this guys are more thrash metal than death metal due to their guitar riffs that have that rhythmic feeling that is essential thrash metal with a heavy eighties feeling but with a  really modern sound that emphasizes all their aggression. Plus, the vocals are more extrem than in most of the thrash metal bands out there fitting really well the aggression delivered here. But the main thing here are the guitars, delivering riff after riff in order to achieve the maximum degree of intensity in tracks like "Killing Silence" or "Iced Ground". The rhythm section here is extremely tigt and well rehearsed and that is evident in the multiple rhythms used and in the tempo changes. The recording has a direct and loud sound that adds some extra points of aggression to Bloodride´s music. Lovers of good thrash metal should check this one.

Recorded at Seasound Studio

Produced by Bloodride

BRAINSTORM - LIQUID MONSTER

Line Up:

Dieter Bernert - Drums
Andy B. Franck - Vocals
Torsten Ihlenfeld - Guitars
Milan Loncaric - Guitars
Andreas Mailander - Bass

Music by Brainstorm

Lyrics by Andy Franck

Tracks:

1-Worlds are Coming Through

2-Inside the Monster

3-All Those Words

4-Lifeline

5-Invisible Enemy

6-Heavenly

7-Painside

8-Despair to Drown

9-Mask of Life

10-Even Higher

11-.Burns My Soul

Brainstorm is one of my favorite pure heavy metal bands from Germany. Their music goes far beyond what most of the bands of the style do and they sound more powerful than the ususal power/ heavy metal band. The guitar riffs and rhythms are not cliches and the singer is extremely powerful and he fits really well the music that the rest of the band delivers but instead of adding weak melodies he adds more aggression. The guitars sound really big and they are the heart and soul of the music here delivering riff after riff and constructing each of the passages. The songs are extremely memorable due to the choruses and some of the melodies. Pure metal done in a really good way.

Produced by Brainstorm

BULLET TRAIN - DAVANTI A QUESTO SPECCHIO

Line Up:

Francesco Bovecchi - bass

Cosimo Crott - vocals

Andrea Bartelletti - guitars

Dino Mancino - keyboards

Pierluigi Salvatori - drums

Cristian Angelini - guitars

Music by Bullet Train

Lyrics by Cosimo Crott

Tracks:

1-Davanti a Questo Specchio

2-Canzone di Rabbia

3-Il Castello del Tempo

4-A Silvia

This guys surprised me with their original style mix of heavy metal, progressive rock and thrash metal with a lot of keyboards. This second album shows progression in the band and some differences. A first change is that the four tracks are in italian language. This compositions are from Cosimo and Andrea´s other band Tornado. Here we have the aggressive guitars contrasting heavily with the keyboards that have become a trademark of Bullet Train´s music. Cossimo Crott vocals are really versatile and they fit well the music of the band adding also some incredible melodies here and there. The rhythm section is really tight and has good technical skills. And the keyboards embellish and orchestrate each tune giving a seventies prog rock feeling to the music but never letting the energy diminish. The sound is much clearer than in "Deny Religion" letting you appreciate more the arrangements created by this band. 

Produced by Bullet Train

CANCER - SPIRIT IN FLAMES

Line Up:

John Walker - Vocals & Guitars
Carl Stokes - Drums
Adam Richardson - Bass
Rob Engvikson - Guitar

Music by

Lyrics by

Tracks:

1- Insides Out

2-Mindless Reactions

3-Spirit in Flames

4-Hell house

5-Solar Prophecy

6-Devils Playground

7-Fistula

8-Seance

9-Ouija

This is the full return of the masters of aggression, Cancer ! Their latest release was an EP called "Corporation$" that gave us a taste of how this new incarnation of the band sounded. And this is an even better release showing all the power that this band can unleash. For lovers of the band I have to say that this is an album closer to "Black Faith" than to "To the Gory End" or "Death Shall Rise". Here the combination of thrash and death metal elements reach its climax in tracks like "Spirit in Flames" with intense riffs that are designed to have a huge impact on the listener. John Walker vocals are really aggressive and clearer than in the past having a good effect in the compositions. Carl Stokes is a drummer that adds brutality to the music but never abusing speed or cliches. The recording has a huge sound that fits really well the music of the band making it sound direct and right in your face.

Produced by Cancer

CARNAL REDEMPTION - CEREBRAL CHAOS

Line Up:

Marios - vocals

George - guitars

Nondas - drums

Nick - bass

Music by Carnal Redemption

Lyrics by Nick

Tracks:

1-Spreading of Cerebral Chos (intro)

2-Down Came the Blackbird

3-Corrosive Hate

4-Mass Consuming Lobotomy

5-All the Echoes

This is the latest recording from Greece´s Carnal redemption and they show some progress when comapred to their previous "Promo 2004" The music is brutal again but this time the band sounds even more compact than in their previous recording. Here we have the heavily downtuned guitars delivering raw riffs through the five compositions. And here we have also the crushing drumming that is characteristic of the band. I think the band is becoming more comfortable with their style on each release. I really like that the band uses mid tempos (despite the complaints of some death-metal-short-sighted-fans) because they are the ones that give identity to Carnal Redemption´s music and some of them are even more heavier than the fastest parts. The sound of the recording is better mixed than in the previous recording adding more power to the drums and guitars making this a truly heavy recording.

Recorded at Chaos studios

Produced by Carnal Redemption

CARCARIASS - KILLING PROCESS

Line Up:

Pascal Lanquetin - guitars

Jerome Lachenal - guitars

Bertrand Simonin - drums

Raphael Couturier - bass, vocals

Music by Carcariass

Lyrics by Raphael Couturier

Tracks:

• Watery Grave
• Tragical End
• Killing Process
• Mortal Climb
• Earth In Sorrow
• Winds Of Death
• Burn In Peace
• Under Concrete
• Lost In Agony

Opening with some bass tapping in "Watery Grave" the band fastly shows their technical skills and good taste for songwriting. And they do it within a technical death metal context with some thrash metal elements. The guitars deliver good riffs with sheer violence and they also add some solos and arrangements that make the music here really special (including also some twin guitars thata re a trademark here). The rhythms are complex and constantly evolving and changing to another kind of pattern in a really fluent way. The composition here are long and that allow this guys to put many ideas together with a lot of coherence and amazing musicinship. The vocals are really deathly and they are essential in order to add more brutality to the music. Lovers of death metal shoudl check this killer release right now.

Produced by Carcariass

CEREBUS EFFECT - ACTS OF DECEPTION

Line Up:

Joseph Walker - guitars

Patrick Gaffney - drums, electronics

Mike Galway - bass

Dan Britton - keyboards, ac. guitar, vocals

Music by Cerebus Effect

Tracks:

1- Y

2-Identity Crisis

3-Dark at the End of the Tunnel

4-Illusions

5-Of Mortal Constraints

6-Operation Midnight Climax

7-Nine Against Ten

8-Neutrino Flux

9-Fine Lines Between Science and Art

10-Unconsoled

11-.W

Cerebus Effect is a progressive band that at each minute show extremely technical musicianship with a lot of virtuosism. Specially the keyboards are always arranging each of the parts that the compositions here have. Tracks like "Y" show amazing skills and here we have amazing solos and arrangements created not only by guitars and keyboards but also by the whole band (there are some bass arrangements that will leave you with your mouth open). If I had to describe the music of the band with just one word I would say "Chalenging" because they are constantly exploring new sounds and passages without thinking twice about the comercial viability of their music. The vocals are really weird, being sort of a mix between industrial, gothic, metal and Frank Zappa, fitting really well the weird feeling of the compositions. There are influences of progressive rock but also of the most rocking musicians of the jazz-fusion scene like Allan Holdsworth. THis album is a must have for any music lover.

Recorded at Orion Sound Studios

Produced by Cerebus Effect

CITY WEEZLE  - CITY WEEZLE

Line Up:

Erik Carrere - drums

Maxim Gilbon - bass

Sylvain Cloux - guitars

Simon Fleury - vocals

Music by Simon Fleury

Lyrics by Simon Fleury

Tracks:

1-City Weezle

2-Campire Boy

3-Storm

4-Way Out West

This is truly a weird release. Starting in a really rocking way the band soon shows heavy experimentation showing elements of rock, funk, metal and jazz. Some parts reminded me to Steve Vai´s solo albums but with a completely different overall feeling. there are good technical skills here that allow this guys to make some impressive changes in tempo and also to change from one part to the other in a really fluent way. The singer has a wide range, growing from really clean vocals to more extreme ones fitting well the rest of the music. The rhythm section is direct and always manages to make some interesting arrangement in the music that gives a twist to the composition. The album has a modern sound and surprises constantly: A truly original release.

Recorded at Mac Audio System

Produced by City Weezle

CONFESSOR - UNRAVELED