This is a sampler of Abigail´s Mercy´s album and here we can see what the band is capable of delivering. Really heavy guitar riffs with some sort of classical old school influence and a really modern sound, combined with amazing atmospheric female voices. And these ethereal voices are combined also with a male voice in a pure metal tradition giving Abigail´s Mercy a truly original sound. The band sounds tight and heavy and each tune is completely memorable due to the clever arrangements and vocal lines. There are melodic solos too that emphasize the good quality of the music, showing a lot of technical skills. The band has been really kind and they have sent also a DVD containing two videos for the “To Hell with Angels” and “Cloud Dancer” that show all the band´s quality through really beautiful vids. A really original release. 

This is a band that combines cleverly melodies with utter violence. Here we have a band that has a lot of technical skills, which is evident in the different tempo changes used here, in the multiple changes and arrangements that each tune has. I really liked a lot the guitar solos in this release which add original melodies to the compositions. The drumming is really amazing with a lot of use of the ride cymbal and interesting syncopation in many parts, showing aggression and good technical skills on each part. And the vocals are pure aggression from beginning to end, delivering the deathly feeling of the tunes. The track number 5 is a live recording that shows all the band´s aggression over the stage. The recording has a loud mix that emphasizes the aggression of the tunes. Pure brutality with killer technical skills  

This is  a band whose music has plenty of interesting elements: interesting double bass drumming; whispering vocals and many deep vocal arrangements combined with growling voices; guitars that deliver crushing riffs and interesting melodic arrangements. Each song here is memorable because of the interaction between melodies and brutality. And here we have a solid rhythm section that leaves plenty of space for the guitars to develope their ideas whiahc are the essence of Amber Tears music. Here we have also a technical guitarist that has a lot of imagination for melodies, another essential element here. the album has an overall melancholic feeling in tunes like "Leaving Tears" which has a feeling to old Paradise Lost. A band full of feelings and original ideas 

Anachronaeon is the exact mix of technical skills and aggression with a good dose of melancholy. Many technical parts are combined on this album with more direct parts over which the vocals are developed. Good melodies are all over the place here and the band uses a main idea that is constantly transformed as in "Tornado" that evolves into new forms adding more pleasure for the listener. The vocals here are clear and they develope memorable lines, interacting really well with the crushing riffs. The sound is raw and muddy, specially on the guitars that sound really heavy and controlled but at the same time with an underground sound, adding a live feeling to the compositions.

Pure aggressive black/death metal coming directly from hell. We reviewed the previous release by this band and this one shows advances, specially on everything related to the sound. The band has also improved in their compositional skills, sounding tighter than before and even more aggressive if that is possible. Here you have ultra fast rhythms and also a more old-school feeling in the slower parts which are really enjoyable since they make the tunes really original. The vocals are really extreme, fitting well the rest of the music and adding extra points in violence. The band has a raw and loud sound that fits perfectly all the violence that they unleash here. Pure aggression and hatred !! 

Deep and dark feeling is what we have here and every note played by this band delivers darkness over the listener. Here we have deep vocals as in bands like Moonspell and here they are delivered  combined with growling voices that sound like coming from beyond the grave. And this extreme vocals are what give also a deathly feeling to Autumn´s music. Melancholic melodies created with unusual instrumentation are all over the place here and I really enjoyed the multiple passages of magnificent sorrow. The sound is crystal clear letting the listener appreciate all the arrangements that this band creates. Here we have also  a good rhythm section that delivers slow rhythms leaving space for the vocals and the guitars to do their job. A killer mix of aggression and melancholy. 

 

 This is pure doom in tis most extreme kind. Slow guitar riffs, ultra dense sound with huge distortion are a trademark of the band´s sound here, taking the listener into tyhe realms of despair. Here we have Extremely deppressive and dark atmospheres where there are almost ambient keyboard sounds  that contrast heavily with the guitars which are ultra distorted. The tunes are really long, allowing the musicians here to develope their ideas, twist them and put them into the lsitener´s brain. And there are some guitar slow arrangements that add an even more melancholic feeling, giving an atmosphere of pure sorrow to the compositions. Repetitive ideas are used in order to give an hypnotic feeling to the music which allows the band to transport the listener to their lands of pain and sorrow.

Opening with no mercy with "Inhuman" the band soon shows that their music is pure brutality but with clever arrangements. If you are a blast beats lover, here you have them, but combined with interesting arrangements, rhythm changes and crushing growling vocals. The main thing here are the fast guitar riffs, combined with interesting mid-tempo ones that make the compositions even heavier and more brutal. The band is extremely tight and that is evident in the breaks, rhythm changes and in the aggression unleashed by this guys. The sound of the recording is loud and violent with the guitars sounding huge and right in your face and the drums sounding like a machine gun through your brain.

 

Here is the new Bloodthirst album and it shows improvments when compared to the previous one, specially in the sound which is even more powerful this time. Fast death-thrash riffs are all over the place here and every note is played in order to devastate the listener. Every tune here is a burst of pure aggression with crushing drumming that construct a structure of pure madness. The vocals are extremely aggressive, fitting really well the music and adding extra pounds of aggression. The sound is really loud and direct, especially on the guitars that sound huge and this is essential in order to achieve all the aggression and brutality that the band delivers.. 

Bloody Sign is a really brutal band with extremely fast rhythms and riffs that show how a band must construct the tunes in order to achieve pure bestiality. Here we have drums that go at full speed but at the same time deliver complex rhythms and interesting double bass patterns. The vocals here are really extreme of the growling type, fitting really well the overall brutal death metal feeling of the band´s music. The sound of the recording is loud and the guitars sound extremely tight, interacting really well with the drums to achieve full brutality. The recording has a video of a live version of “Serpent´s Sky Secrets”, which can give you an idea of the power unleashed by this band on stage. Pure aggression. 

Pure experimentation, creating soundscapes of pure atmospheres. The instruments here construct passages that go from pure noise to atmospheres, creating a dark environment in the music.  It is amazing to see how each violin or cello sound is twisted beyond recognition and how Marsh succeeds in creating new sounds from those instruments. As he says, each composition are "sonic pictures" that reflects a lot of his experimentation and musical personality. And the voices sound almost like taken from a movie, fitting well the overall feeling in Bob Marsh´s music. They are also processed and transformed in order to fit the experimentation. I can assure that you will be surprised by the multiplicity of sounds, noises, textures and atmospheres that this recording has.

Opening with the dark aggression of “Wrathpainted Hammer…” the band soon shows that their music is pure black metal with some death metal influences here and there but with a strong influence of old school black metal. The riffs here are fast and furious combined with intense and fast drumming that turns each tune here into pure brutality. The vocals here are agonic and also of the growling type, giving a truly aggressive feeling to the compositions and setting the band apart from other black metal outfits. Tunes like “Through the Scars of Selfmutilation” are direct and truly memorable, because of the many arrangements that are created on it. The sound of the recording is raw but loud, making the guitar sound direct and violent. Pure darkness ! 

A band that is really extreme with their porno gore music, showing aggression and originality at the same time with a great sense of humor. Check the beginning of "Tragic Tockley Terror" to see how this band can deliver really original tunes with deathly ideas but atthe same time adding uncommon rhythms, solos and tempo changes. The band is really wild and at the same time they sound really tight, specially when they go from bursts of speed to different rhythms and then back. The vocals are extreme, fitting the music and also emphasizing the rhythms, sometimes guttural, sometimes shouting, sometimes screaming. the record has a good sound that allows the listener to feel the power of Cuntscrape´s music right in his / her chest. 

Here we have the new release of this band whose music we reviewed before. Opening with a majestic intro, the band shows on this album a lot of improvements when compared to their previous album. Dagorlad´s music is a combination of aggression and darkness where interesting crushing riffs are combined with melodies and arrangements that take the listener into the diabolic world of Dagorlad. Majestic keyboards are combined with the brutal vocals and with the heavy guitars in order to achieve the Dagorlad sound, which is a combination of folk metal with the most brutal and dark music possible. And we have also the majestic choruses that sound like coming directly from the black forest. The recording has a really god sound that emphasizes all the great arrangements that this duet deliver. Lovers of dark and medieval music will like this one. 

Here we have some excellent improvisation and experimental tunes with this band that is leaded by cornetist Dan Clucas. And here we have also besides cornet, some clarinet, sax, guitars, bass and drums. And this guys sure know how to create different moods with their instruments. Besides clever experimentation, the band manages to create atmospheres through all the album that surprise with originallity. This is boundaries breaking music and that is evident especially in the great "Exile (for Astor Piazzolla)", an excellent tune where the band sounds really tight and experimental. Incredible lines are developed through all the album, showing good musicianship and plenty of imagination. Lovers of the original experimentation will enjoy Dan Clucas Immediately.

It is amazing to listen this live recording by experimental musician Daniele Brusaschetto. This recording can give us an idea of how Daniele and his fellow musicians sound in a live environment. And they show that they are constantly experimenting with atmospheres and textures through all their live show. Layers of instrumentation are combined with Brusaschetto´s processed voice in many of the compositions in order to create musical passages that give an idea of an apocalyptic world. Dissonances and industrial sounds are all over the place here and they are an essential part of Daniele´s music. This is constant experimentation with a lot of coherence and a good dose of a rocking feeling that is really welcome by metal and rock fans that will surely enjoy Daniele Brusaschetto´s experimental tunes. 

Here is another release by experimental guitarist Daniele Brusaschetto. As always, Daniele surprises with innovative phrasing, dissonances and constant atmospheres exploration. Daniele constructs interesting textures through the compositions in this album, painting interesting landscapes of pure sonic experimentation. Here Daniele experiments with different sounds for his guitar, going from clean guitars to almost industrial sounding guitars to pure metal sounds. And he has here programmed drums that allow him to reach for new rhythms. He experiments with electronic devices creating always new textures and atmospheres. the good thing about Daniele Brusaschetto is that you always wnat to listen more of his talented music. 

An intro with rain sounds and majestic keyboards open up this album taking us directly to the dark world of Dark End´s music. Then comes all the aggression unleashed in “Vampire”, a tune with fast guitar riffs and crushing drumming that contrast heavily with the keyboards arrangements. The music here combines cleverly elements of black metal and death metal into the original sound of the band. The tunes are really well developed and that is essential to make them memorable and very different one from the other. If you like extreme vocals, here you have plenty of them giving that essential extreme sound to the music. And one essential feature here are the keyboards that are all over the place here, embellishing the music, adding dark atmospheres and contrasting heavily with the aggression. The lyrics here are taken from Baudelaire´s work and transformed into pure metal. One of the releases of the month. 

A band that delivers good rocking tunes with interesting atmospheres and clever guitar riffs and melodies. Here we have a band that construct interesting songs that soon stick in your mind with the powerful riffs and with the interesting melodic lines. Here we have a powerful singer that has a rocking attitude but at the same time is more powerful than most of the singers in the style. The choruses of the songs are memorable and they will be soon in your mind with sort of an eighties feeling in them. The rhythm section is solid and powerful, making the tunes really enjoyable. The sound of the recording is direct and loud making the tunes shine.  A rocking release. 

 

This is one of our favorite bands!! With their mix of death metal with thrash metal influences and also including some black metal parts, Deathchain succeeds in creating an album full of violent tunes and incredibly aggressive compositions. Ultra fast guitar riffs are all over the place here and they are the heart and soul of the band´s music, making each of the tunes here sound like a kick in your balls with all the brutality unleashed. Incredible drumming full of double bass and technical patterns are also through all the compositions, interacting really well with the guitars. And the vocals are really extreme, of the agonic type, giving extra points of brutality to this release. The album has better sound than previous releases, sounding louder and more direct with an incredible mix. One of the most aggressive albums of the year. 

Some deep voices open up this album. But after a few seconds all brutality is unleashed over the listener. This is pure raw and direct black metal with death metal elements designed to crush the listener with all the intensity that Deathcult creates. If you like early Mayhem and brutal bands of this blasphemic style then you will surely love this release full of chainsaw like guitars, full of extremely fast blast beats and full of open hi-hat patterns that will blast you with all the bestiality that this band transmits. The vocals are really extreme, sounding black metal but at the same time taking a more extreme approach that comes from the fields of the most extreme death metal. The sound of the recording is raw and that gives the overall feeling to the music adding that classic black metal feeling.

This is kind of a brutal death /horror metal featuring members of Six Feet Under, Mantas, Death, Nasty Savage, Massacre, Lowbrow and other well known bands. Don´t expect classic death metal, because the band goes beyond the style, using pure metal riffs (also rocking ones) in order to construct their brutal songs. The good thing is that in this way they have achieved extremely memorable tunes such as “Return to the Tombs…”. Kam Lee´s growling vocals are here present in all the tunes, giving the exact death metal feeling that the music has and giving also the flavor of a classic as he has done in Death, Massacre and other classic bands. And here we have choruses on tunes like “Flesheater” that sound like hardcore ! The band sounds fresh and tight, giving a good result in achieve pure aggression and memorable tunes. 

 Raw and direct live aggression is what Depression delivers here. Each of the tunes here is a discharge of pure brutality  in the death metal / grind way thrown against the listener ears. Brutal vocals are all over the place here and here we have also extremely fast guitar riffs and also ultra fast drumming patterns. The band is extremely aggressive and this is evident on each second of the recording. The riffs are played with a downtuned sound that make the guitars sound really huge. There is some thrash metal influence besides the deathly sound and this makes Depression sounds really enjoyable and original. The recording has a raw sound that gives even more aggression to the music. Pure brutality unleashed.

Here is the new recording by Devilish Impressions and I have to say that this band sounds more brutal and aggressive on each release. Here we have discharges of pure aggression where each riffs go right through your brain and skin with total intensity I have to remark the razorblade precision that the guitars have here in the riffs, interacting cleverly with the rhythm section. And here we have some melodic arrangements that contrast heavily with the most brutal side of the band´s music but that at the same time gives a lot of identity to the music. If you like original and brutal vocals, then here you have plenty of them, fitting really well the aggression of the music. The drumming is amazing with crushing double bass drumming and really tight patterns that make each tune a compact and aggressive experience. The sound is much better than in previous releases, making this a great step forward for this extremely aggressive band.  

 Opening with no mercy at full speed with “Babylon” this band (that feaures Morfeus from Limbonic Art) crushes really fast the listener with technical guitar riffs that are a mix between death metal and thrash metal riffing and with really intense drumming full of double bass and incredibly technical patterns. The vocals are extreme, fitting really well the feeling of the music and adding extra points of aggression and also some deep melodies in the harmonized parts. There are really good guitar arrangements here, adding melodies, fast lines with a lot of technical skills and making each tune to sound really original and completely different from the others on this album. I have to remark the really good sound that this release has, especially on the crushing guitars and the vocals. 

Diononesiste shows a completely different side from Daniele Brusaschetto´s musical personality. Here we have a more dense and noisier side with more aggression and brutality. Daniele creates here a wall of sound with his guitar and then delivers interesting arrangements that soon a truly brutal atmosphere. Tracks like "Inane" with its fast riffs combined with interesting guitar lines show that here everything is to achieve aggression. And the guttural voices take Diononesiste´s music close to death metal but with a more experimental feeling. The compositions constantly surprise with brutality and originality. Lovers of aggressive metal music should check this one in order to find a really original side into brutal music. 

Here we have the new Draco Hypnalis album and here we have again their original and fresh music blasting through our speakers. This time the band has opted for a more violent approach, which combined with the amazing technical parts and with the incredible keyboards make his recording original, enjoyable and aggressive. Here we have the twisted guitar riffs in the death metal vein that the band creates here and also the odd time patterns in many places. And what can we say about the keyboards? They embellish each of the tunes here and give a darker atmosphere to them showing originality and orchestration. And the vocals are aggressive deathly and growling, giving that death metal feeling to the music. The sound f the recording is direct and shows improvement when compared to previous releases. A must have. 

Cool experimentation with sax, trumpet, bass, violin and countless other instruments and devices is what this amazing outfit delivers here. Here we have interesting sax lines contrasting with spontaneous drumming and with wild instrumental improvisation. Here, everything is pure spontaneity and pure improvisational skills, showing good musicianship. And this good musicianship is evident when this guys, despite being experimental and boundaries breaking with their music, never lose coherence, making everything sound original and compact. I specially like the live tune where there are more musicians interacting and where they show a lot of cohesion and coherence in a live environment. Lovers of originality, I recommend this recording. 

I expected more of a power metal band here but instead here we have a really brutal black metal band. But the band goes beyond styles, using elements not only of their main style but also using more pure heavy metal riffs and operistic female voices that give a completely different feeling to their music. The rhythms here are fast and furious and there is a huge contrast between the aggression in the guitars with the keyboards and with the more melodic side of the band´s music. There is experimentation here as is evident on "Like a Scarecrow...". If you like guttural and agonic vocals you sure have them here giving that extreme metal feeling to the music. Lovers of experimental and extreme metal will really enjoy this one. 

 

Despite the heavy experimental atmosphere that this recording has the good thing is that Ellen (with her amazing flute skills) and her partners use interesting phrases and melodies that can be fully understood by the listener. This distinguish Ellen from many sponteneous-musicians / improvisers which have a tendency of trying to extract all the possible sounds from their instruments without mercy for the listener. Ellen shows a lot of coherence in the improvisation and she is very skilled when she delivers this melodic / scalar phrases. The experimentation here is done not only with sounds and melodies but also with silences. And that is essential here: the dynamics is what also makes this release fully enjoyable and what constantly surprises with new ideas. Pure coherent and tight experimentation. 

“Enduring the Illusion” opens up this brutal release showing extreme aggression but at the same time really good quality, especially in the guitar riffs and solos. Here is evident that this guys have achieved their own sound with riffs that have death metal, thrash metal and black metal influences but showing crushing technical skills at the same time. If you are into growling voices, then here you have plenty of them.  But what I like more of this band are the multiple tempo changes, rhythm changes and breaks that are all over the compositions here. Killer arrangements, especially on guitars are essential here. And these arrangements set Estuary apart from the rest of the bands in the style and combined with the crushing sound they make a truly brutal album. A must have for any metal lover. 

 

If you thought Folkearth could not be better than their previous album, then you are wrong, because this "Drakkars in the Mist" shows a lot of improvments. It is like making perfection more perfect. Acoustic moments, epic vocals, fast rhythms, aggression, epic melodies. Everything is here on this amazing album: harps, flutes, violins, distorted guitars, acoustic guitars, aggressive groling voices, epic clean ones. Each composition is developed to perfection here showing how good musicians these guys are, and showing also how powerful they can be. If you think "By the sword of my father" was the ultimate masterpiece then you should add this recording to your collection because this is another masterpiece that will soon be a classic in the metal world.  The perfect mix between melody and aggression. The perfect mix of folk and extreme metal.

This is a band whose music is extremely dark and atmospheric, creating landscapes of pure sadness through all the album. And this landscapes are combined also with some heavy and fast parts as it happens on "The Souls that came back", which uses a fast drumming over the orchestrating keyboards. If you like experimentation, then here you have plenty of it, done most of the time with keyboards that deliver this interesting atmospheres and arrangements. There are really beautiful passages here where the keyboards deliver interesting melodic arrangements. There are infinite ideas here, and each of the compositions surprise with new elements, showing that this guy has no boundaries in his imagination. A must have for lovers of experimentations and interesting atmosphers. 

Pure doom !!! Yes, this band is pure darkness unleashed, pure depression, pure sadness, pure damnation !!!  Their music sounds heavier than hell and slow (this is a 1994 recording) with heavy guitars and growling vocals that sound like coming from a graveyard, fitting well the overall feeling of the recording. here the main thing is the combination of the slow yet rhythmic riffs with the guttural voice that creates the atmosphere that the band needs to send the listener straight to hell. The drumming is slow and leave plenty of space for the guitars to do their work. The compositions are long, letting the band develop multiple ideas within each song structure. The recording has a n old school sound that fits well the music and the dark atmosphere created here.

Pure aggression unleashed from the first minute to the last. This is not a typical death metal band, but a band that combines the utter brutality of the style with influences from completely different sources. From thrash metal to pure metal to hardcore. All this styles are combined into the Goresoerd sound in order to achieve ultimate brutality. Growling vocals are all over the place here, interacting cleverly with the crushing guitar riffs. And here we have a crushing rhythm section, with interesting rhythmic patterns that surprise with their aggression. I have to remark the good sound that the recording has, giving extra brutality points to the music. 

This is pure death-grind played at full speed and with the most extreme level of brutality. The first thing that I really liked is the compact sound of the guitars, that sound huge and tighter than in most of the bands of the style. Then comes the drumming which is fast and intense, with blast beats but also using mid-tempos and technical patterns. The vocals are of the most guttural type, fitting the brutality of the music. There are good ideas besides the pure aggression on this recording, and that is essential to set the band apart from others of similar music. A crushing release.

Here is the new recording from this band that we have reviewed some time ago. here we can see that the band delivers tunes in their own style which is a combination of death metal, black metal and also some heavymetal with interesting use of riffs and melodies. The band combines cleverly aggression and dark atmospheres into their own sound. One essential element here are the agonic and growling vocals that are used to emphasize the different feelings in the compositions. And the other fundamental thing are the guitars, that are the ones that create the heavy riffs and also add melodies and also one note runs in the black metal way. The band has improved a lot in sound, being more powerful on each release that we review. Pure aggression with a spice of darkness. 

Hetzer is pure raw brutality with a definitive old school death / black metal sound. Their music is brutal and direct and is carefully designed to crush the listener with intense brutality and extreme aggression. If you are a fast riffs lover then you will surely have orgasms with this old school thrashing riffs played in a really brutal way. The drumming is really intense here with killer fast patterns, with some blast beats and with intense double bass drumming. And the vocals are really extreme, fitting well the overall aggression of the music. Plus, the Angel Corpse cover adds extra brutality to this aggressive release. Pure brutality unleashed.

This German band has created here compositions of pure melodic metal where the main thing is the feeling that they transmit to the listener on each tune. Even if you can call Ivory Night´s music progressive metal the band is much heavier than most bands in the style, having, besides the classical metal influences, some thrash metal eleemtns tyhat give more power to the music. the main thing here are the crushing guitars that deliver the mian riffs on eahc tune and also add melodies and solos that show good technical skills. On this recording we have multiple changes in tempo, rhythm and atmospheres, showing that the band´s musicianship is amazing and that they can construct different moods withing a totally coherent album. the recording sound is crystal clear, and that is essential to reflect all the amazing arrangements that have been done on this album. A great combination of power and melody.    

Pure darkness unleashed is what we have here. This is darkness mixed with melancholy and aggression, full of interesting melodies and arrangements. Here we have guitars that deliver the most violent riffs but at the same time add deep melodies that enchant the listener. There are really extreme vocals here, going from the agonic black metal vocals to a deeper death metal like growl that gives more brutality to the music. There is really good musicianship here and that is totally needed to play all the killer arrangements that Karcinoma delivers here. Fast rhythms are all over the place here, but there are also clean parts with a more melancholic feeling, such as the ones in "Sacred Cave". the album has a good sound, specially considering that it was recorded in 1997. This is a really good combination of pure agression with sad atmospheres. A must.  

Kommandant is pure aggression from beginning to end with ultra fast riffs and rhythms and with brutal voices. Besides, the band combines cleverly death metal, thrash metal and some black metal, creating their own sound. The rhythm section here is really tight and that is essential for the fastest parts to sound brutal but not chaothic. The guitars unleash pure aggression over the listener with fast riffing and intense arrangements, showing that this guys can surely blast you with their brutality. The vocals are extreme and they fit really well the aggression that Kommandant delivers with the instruments. 

This is pure metal of the best quality with interesting technical guitar riffs and powerful rhythms. Here we have a band that sounds like a Panzer division destroying everything in their path. Kragens mixes cleverly elements of pure heavy metal with thrash metal influences and also adding some death metal elements here and there. Here we have an extremely solid rhythm section that manages to change from pattern to pattern and rhythm to rhythm in a really fluent way. Besides, we have huge guitar riffs that are the heart and soul in Kragens music. This riffs are cleverly constructed and they are really original besides powerful. And here we have an amazing vocalist with a really versatile voice that can go from melodic lines to pure thrashing phrases within the same composition. I have to remark the great sound that this recording has, emphasizing the power in kragens music. One of the best releases of this issue. 

We have reviewed the music by this band before, and here we have this release, full of experimentation and distortion. This time the guys surprise with extra huge guitar riffs that sound almost like a distorted bass in some parts, and with the extreme, grindcore vocals that are one of the trademarks in the band´s sound. The compositions are wild and chaothic, showing experimentation and pure aggression and brutality. Fast rhythms are all over the place here, and the Lincoln Love Log is like a wall of brutality thrown against the listener without mercy. There are also some slower moments like the beginning of 6 where the band delivers some slow tempo yet heavier than hell riffs. The sound of the recording is raw and it emphasizes the aggression unleashed by this guys. Plus, the album has live tunes from 2004 that shows the brutality that the band can unleash in a show. Pure brutality with experimental features. 

Here we have one of the bands that can deliver more melancholic and deppressive music on Earth. Yes, we have here the new Little Dead Bertha recording, full of heavy guitar riffs and sad melodies. Here we have a band that can deliver really aggressive tunes, but always using their melodic trademark sound, with amazing violin lines. Here we have growling voices that fit perfectly the dark sound of the rest of the band, being of the type of growl that goes beyond pure aggression, adding also a dark feeling. As always, there is really good interaction between the guitars and the violin, creating incredibly beautiful melodies, along with the amazing female vocals. The band sounds tight and well reheasrsed and the tunes are really well developed. A band full of sadness and aggression that always gives a lot of pleasure when you listen to it. 

Marina Hardy´s music is pure experimentation but at the same time with a lot of melodies and interesting arrangements created with the different instruments (tuba, etc.). There are tunes like "Zoom" where Marina´s violin sounds almost like a distorted electric guitar from a metal band, playing some minor scales in a neoclassical way. And in other tunes like "Cowgyspy" we find some experimentation along a popular melody that is constantly twisted by Marina and her friends. Here every tune is full of originality and experimentation that achieves high levels of complexity and originality. It is amazing how the different instruments construct atmospheres, melodies and intertwining lines.  One of the most enjoyable experimental recordings I have listened in a while. 

If you are into bands that are aggressive and extremely climatic at the same time then Masterstroke is your band. Combining heavy guitar riffs with incredible and melancholic keyboards, adding some acoustic guitars and good melodies, the band has managed to create here nine heavy tunes of pure metal that sound epic and memorable. The guitars are the main thing here, especially in moments when they contrast with the keyboards arrangements. And here we have a band that sounds extremely tight and well rehearsed, and that is essential for the great results achieved here. The vocals are aggressive and memorable, and that is also essential for the powerful sound of the tunes. And, as it happens with the Scorngrain album, this one too has a movie with the making of the album “Sleep”, which is a great bonus for this album.  Pure metal the way it must be done. 

This is a new single release by Matt Weston, the excellent drummer and composer that defies all boundaries with his experimentation. Weston uses all his percussive art and many electronic features in order to break boundaries constantly. Here we have two compositions full of experimental features and interesting dynamics. In fact, dynamics is one of the things that Weston seems more comfortable with. The compositions go from almost silence to crescendos and to climaxes and then go back to a lower volume. Layers of different sounds are combined in order to achieve amazing atmospheres and textures. Matt Weston´s music is an enjoyable experience for those open minded people that wellcome surprises and experimentations. 

This is what I call a crushing release !!! This guys combine brutally elements of pure death metal with some old school influences and thrash metal riffing. We reviewed some years ago their "Mass Crisis" release and here we can see how this guys have improved, sounding more brutal and aggressive and tighter than ever. here we have huge guitar riffs that emphasize the rhythms delivered by the crushing rhythm section and that deliver pure aggression against the listener´s ears. And speaking of the rhythm section: here we have a drummer that is a beast behind the drumkit, creating fast patterns full of double bass drumming through all the album. And the vocals are pure death metal, fitting well the brutality unleashed by the rest of the band. A crushing release designed with no doubt for the moshpit. 

Here is the new album from this guitar virtuoso from Argentina. Opening with full power with “Dia de Furia”, here Sigales combines cleverly all his influences, creating a composition that is extremely powerful, with a pure heavy metal feeling with some more fusion like melodic lines Sigales is really imaginative in his playing and each of the tunes is completely different from the others, showing versatility and amazing technical skills. I have to remark that Miguel has surrounded himself with a killer rhythm section that makes his tunes solid and tight while he creates the multiple arrangements that he is capable of delivering.  The album has a really good sound and I like especially how Sigales guitars shine through all the recording, with an original and versatile sound.  The version of Deep Purple´s "Soldier of Fortune" is a great bonus for this amazing virtuoso album.

This band is pure violence and hatred unleashed. Fast guitar riffs are all over the place with a HUGE guitar sound that destroys your skin, flesh and bones with pure brutality. And this guitar riffs are the core of Morphosys music along with the crushing drumming that destroys the snare drums with pure power. The vocals go from ultra brutal growling to agonic screams but always being really extreme and fitting the overall bestiality of Morphosys music. The rhythm section is extremely tight and they can deliver ultra fast patterns without missing a beat. The sound of the recoring is really good and loud, and with this sound the band reaches the ultimate brutality level. Pure aggression, full of bestial riffs and rhythms.    

This is this black metal band´s first full length album and here we have pure hateful misanthropic black metal with some slower and mid tempos that give an even darker atmosphere to the tunes. the combination of aggression, rage and darkness is one of the trademarks in Murw´s sound. And you can feel the contrast between the crushing guitar riffs with darker elements (such as dark melodies), which gives originality to the music. The vocals are dark and full of hate and they are an essential part of each of the compositions. the sound is direct and raw, fitting well the overall old-school black metal spirit of the band. Pure darkness unleashed. 

This is a Nebiros recording originally done in 2002. This is pure black metal in its rawest form but with some experimental moments, such as the ones in "Psalm II". Here you have blasphemic vocals spitting with hatred the lyrics, and fast guitar riffs, sounding like chainsaw ripping apart christian souls. If you are a fast drumming lover, then you will surely like this band because here you have plenty of blast beats and also of thrashing rhythms. And one good thing is that the tracks "Imperium..." and "Femsta" are taken from a 2007 EP, letting you appreciate the evolution of the band in the five years between the recordings.  The sound of the recording is raw and direct, letting you feel the aggression that the band delivers like a razor through your flesh.

Despite the album title, this releases is more about atmospheres and textures besides pure experimentation. In fact, Andre Custodio has achieved here six compositions with plenty of evolving atmospheres and textural parts, playing with ambient parts and calm atmospheres. To give you an idea: this album could have been released by Cold Meat industry since it has all the elements that the projects released on that label have: textures, dark atmospheres, experimentation, calm parts. Custodio develops carefully each composition achieving climaxes through all this recording. Everything here is about achieving the correct feeling, the correct atmosphere to transport the listener into the mood that Custodio wants to transmit him/her. Pure ambient experimentation. 

One Step Beyond is a really original band that combines a myriad of influences into their own sound, achieving great levels of originality and aggression through all this album. Elements of death metal, grind, jazz and many other styles are succesfully combined, achieving compositions that surprise constantly the listener. the guitar riffs here are complex and always evolving into a completely different part, showing good taste and good technical skills. And the good thing is that One Step Beyond always manages to keep the same level of aggression despite the constant experimentation. I have to remark that the sound of this recording is really good letting you appreciate all the multiple parts and riffs that each composition here has. A must have for open minded metalheads. 

 Directly from the Philippines comes this crushing thrash metal band called Paganfire. With a definite old school influence this guys have managed here to create four tracks of pure fast riffs, aggressive vocals and thunderous drumming. There are good technical skills here and that is especially evident in the guitar riffs and the tempo and rhythm changes. The vocals are aggressive as this style of metal needs, fitting well the violence unleashed by the band. The sound of this recording is really raw, giving sort of a live feeling to the music. Pure thrash !!

And here we have the latest offering by this thrashing band. And this recording shows a lot of improvements when compared to the demo release, specially on the sound that the recording has. And the better sound allows us to appreciate better the aggression unleashed by this guys from the Philippines. The vocals in the vein of the old Exodus ones by Paul Balloff are really powerful and they interact cleverly with the fast guitar riffs that are the heart and soul of Paganfire´s music.  And one of the biggest improvments is in the drums sound that here sound clearer  than in the previous recording. A powerful band that delivers pure aggression.

This must be one of the albums with the longest title in metal history.  Is this weird? Then you can not imagine the music that this band delivers here. Pure experimental metal using brutal and clean guitars, using multiple tempo changes and extremely technical parts. All with a brutal voice that gives a death metal feeling to this experimental guitar riffs (reminding me to Carcass in some parts but more growling) and there are also spoken voices and also other more experimental vocals, including clean ones. Every tune here is full of different elements and full of surprises and each composition is completely enjoyable because you will find yourself guessing what is coming next. The rhythms are complex and twisted and there are multiple changes that makes you wonder how are they capable of doing this. A band that is not afraid of experimenting and taking metal music into new directions. 

This is a classical brutal band from the Netherlands that here delivers their new album with full bestiality. Opening with the brutal “Into the Fiery Jaws” the band shows that they can combine cleverly old school influences with a really modern sound in order to achieve their own sound. Pure brutal voices are all over the place here, as also are the multiple tempo changes, riffs combinations and aggressive bass pounding. The band constructs carefully each of the tunes, sounding extremely tight and creating climaxes of pure aggression. I have to remark that the album has been mixed carefully in order to make each tune really compact sounding but at the same time extremely violent and brain crushing. And here we have also a Necrovore cover that gives extra points to this release. A release designed to blast the listener with pure anger. 

 "Voyage" opens this album with pure beauty and melancholy, showing how  Phanatos can transport the listener into their dark world full of melodies and clever arrangements. Here the main thing are the keyboards that are all over the place, and also the pagan feeling that the tunes have. Here we have amazing vocals, both male and female that fit the music perfectly, adding more melancholy and an arcane atmosphere to the music. Each of this compositions takes the listener into a world full of woods, forests, lakes and wonderful things. There are here also 4 instrumental tracks  that show really good technical and compositional skills. A must have for lovers of atmospheric and beautiful music.

“Along came the cook” opens up this release with no mercy!!! With huge guitar rifs the band soon shows that their music is pure brutality with screaming and growling voices and crushing guitar riffs. Take a brutal death metal band and add them a much better guitar sound and then add more rhythmic riffs played with pure aggression and then you will have a small idea of how Putrid Inbred sounds. One of the essential features here is the tight rhythm section that delivers incredible technical patterns with pure brutality.  The band has two vocalists which give a different sound to the voices here.  And the mix and sound is extremely huge making things sound even more brutal and right in your face. Lovers of the most aggressive music should check this.  

Pure old school thrash metal with fast guitar riffs and crushing drumming I what this band from Finland brings here. In the vein of the most extreme bands of the scene like Destruction, Holy Moses, Possessed  and early Kreator,  here we have four discharges of pure aggression. One remarkable thing here is the role of the aggressive female vocals delivered by Liisa who has been influenced by Schmier (but with more high pitches screams) and who delivers pure brutality through all the recording. The band sounds tight and I really like the way in which they develop their riffs with that old school feeling but with a modern sound. A crushing release by this young band. 

 Here we have a band that features Lefthander who also is the brain behind Sea of Desperation. And this album is almost a soundtrack to a movie, because of all the atmospheres that he has created and because of all the dynamics that the album has. But don´t get me wrong, the album has  also a powerful side when the guitars enter with pure aggression, creating passages of pure violence. The guitars create powerful mid tempo riffs and also add some melancholic melodies to the tunes.  And Lefthander´s vocals are also pure aggression, being growling ones and fitting the melancholy that the tunes here have. Each of the tunes here is completely different from the others, being this album, a masterpiece full of originality. The album is really well constructed and it leaves you wanting the sequel for this Raxa project.

Reactor is a truly powerful band that combines different influences into their own music. In fact, here we have elements of pure death metal, thrash metal, industrial metal and also modern metal. And this eclectic influences are what make the sound of the bands truly original. The songs are powerful and direct and they are constructed along crushing guitar riffs and programmed drums that give a machine like sound to Reactor´s music. There is experimentation here in the compositions and that is really welcome because it makes this band really unique in the metal scene. the vocals are extreme, fitting well the rest of the music

Here we have the newest release by Revelation of Doom and this album is even more brutal than its predecessor. The band starts with no mercy with the tune "Six Six Six", at full speed and delivering all the aggression and brutality that they can.   Blast beats, fast thrashing deathly guitar riffs, growling vocals, are all over the place here. Each tune here is pure armageddon unleashed over the listener, full of crushing rhythms and extremely deathly vocals. And each tune also shows good musicianship with good riffs development and an amazing drummer that delivers incredibly fast rhythms and double bass drumming. One remarkable thing here is the sound that is really loud and carefully mixed in order to melt the listener´s brain with pure brutality !!

With a crushing combination of metal styles, the guys from Ribozyme have managed to create here eleven tunes of pure aggression and melancholy. Yes, the music here is pure hard rock / metal because of the huge guitar riffs, but they have also a depressive and melancholic feeling in the vocals and in some melodies. But the main thing here are the crushing guitar riffs that drive each of the tunes here into powerful songs. I have to remark the essential role of the vocalist who has a rocking voice, full of a mid range that manages to achieve a good equilibrium between aggression and melody. Each sonmg here is memorable due to catchy guitar riffs and due to intense melodies that soon stick in your brain. A powerful and memorable release.

 

 This is the first Rusty Eye album, before Miss Randall entered the band. Here we have pure direct and heavy tunes that reflect the spirit of the band´s sound. I have to say that the band has shown a lot of improvement through the years and that the addition of female vocals was really welcomed. Here we have the raw and direct guitars delivering riffs and interesting rocking solos. The tunes are direct and well developed, sticking in the listeners´ mind soon. The rhythms are also direct, leaving space for the guitars and vocals ideas.

 

This is a band that can play extreme metal with a good sense of humor. Here there are elements of different styles such as death metal, black metal, thasrh metal combined into a unique style. Growling vocals are used here, giving an even more extreme feeling to the band´s music. there are some old school thrash / death in the guitar riffs, which are really welcome in order to give aggression and variation to the music. The rhythm section is solid and I specially like when they deliver syncopated rhythms as in "III", leaving space for the fast guitar riffs. There are multiple changes in rhythm and mood through all the compositions, showing a more experimental side of this band. The recording has a direct and raw sound that gives sort of a live feeling to the music. A band that constantly surprises with experimentation and a myriad of ideas. 

 

A couple of years after we reviewed their previous recording here we have in our hands the new album by this brutal black metal band. The good thing that I always feel about this band is that they are the exact combination between pure violence and good epic melodies. That is a trademark of the Scratching Soil sound: fast guitar riffs, crushing drumming and interesting guitar melodies. I have to remark that Scratching Soil is a good rhythmic band since they don´t abuse fast blat beats, using instead more complex rhythms and patterns in order to add even more originality to their music. This recording has a careful mix that gives the band a perfect balance between raw aggression and huge metal sound. 

Here we have this baby from Lethander´s brain. This multi instrumentalist composer surprises constantly with multiple ideas, riffs and melodies. The music here is full of melancholy and beauty and each note played here is created with pure sadness. Here we have also keyboards thata re essential in order to create the atmospheres that you can find through all this recording.  Lefthander´s vocals are most of the time of the growling type, fitting the aggression of the music, but a couple of times he uses also clean voices (I prefer his growling because it is much more aggressive and adds more energy to the music). there are good compositional skills here and that is evident in the multiple melodies, textures and arrangements created. Lovers of a combination between sadness, aggression and experimentation should check this one.  

Opening with no mercy with a powerful intro the band soon gets into the brutality of “Pedon Kasky” , a tune that shows all the violence that this band can unleash. Here you have brutality at its top level, with aggressive guitar riffs and growling vocals. And here you have also agonic vocals spitting the lyrics and interacting cleverly with the more brutal ones. There are also interesting arrangements and some melodies that make each tune truly original. The rhythm section is extremely tight, making the tunes sound like a Panzer division through a battlefield. And the recording has a really loud mix that makes each of the compositions shine with pure violence. 

Delivering all their aggression from the first tune, this band shows soon that they are unleashing pure hatred against the l