Band: AEDERA OBSCURA

Country: Italy

Title: Aedera Obscura

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Symphonic Black Metal

Review:

Although formed in 2003, Aedera Obscura released their debut album 8 years after, in 2011. "Aedera Obscura" is a 43 minutes effort meaning 10 tracks composed in a melodic, symphonic style of Black Metal filled with catchy melodic guitar leads, keyboard backgrounds, slow passages sprinkled over a general fast paced rhythmed music. These guys show real potential and talent, too bad it's out only after so much time since they started the band. Hopefully they'll start releasing more material now. This CD has an acceptable sound but the mastering could have been better.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: ARCANUM INFERI

Country: Italy

Title: Ars Hermetica

Label: Mortis Humanae Records / Black Orgon Records

Year: 2012

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Good name for a Black Metal band and I have to admit it fits their music perfectly, there are parts on this debut album when you really feel like they portray elements from hell. This is the second band from Mortis Humanae's roster I'm impressed about, first being the Finnish Uhriristi, and I think both these bands deserve more attention. Even though "Ars Hermetica" lacks a good production, it's not that bad to make you troubles listening and enjoying it, the production reminded me of Wiccan Rede's demos (pre-Negura Bunget). The music is mid-tempo to fast Black Metal with lots of atmospheres created by the guitarists, and surprisingly enough, a very good drummer, or at least I like his style a lot, the vocal part is also raw, primitive and horrifying with multiple variations, so all in all Arcanum Inferi shows a very good potential, I really hope they will choose a professional studio next time and we'll get a better impression of what they can do. Honestly recommended to all Melodic Black Metal and also Raw, Extreme Black Metal followers out there, I'm impressed.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: ARS MACABRA / COSMIC EKPYROSIS

Country: Italy / Greece

Title: Nil Sine Deo

Label: Grom Records

Year: 2011

Style: Black Metal / Black Metal

Review:

So far it is total Black Metal and this review is no different, except for the primitive style of Black Metal here!  Raw and cold is what its all about with this release and both bands are full of complete anger and hatred towards the world.  Ars Macabra deliver an entity of evil and hatred with the darkest production mixed with raw speed.  Melody shines here and there throughout the music, but in reality Ars Macabra are Black Metal raw and evil all the way.  They contributed 3 tracks on this split.  Cosmic Ekpyrosis is equally as adept to the primitive side of Black Metal, but they also add some style of melody to their brand of metal.  All of a sudden the heaviness and melodic intro turns into a blasting cap of cold and darkened Black Metal with tracks like "Devilish Angel" and the self-titled track as well. Fast, evil, and angry is what Cosmic Ekpyrosis brings to the table.  Both bands are capable of keeping things brutal and evil and there is no letting up.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: ARVEN

Country: Germany

Title: Music of Light

Label: Massacre Records

Year: 2011

Style: Melodic Power Metal

Review:

Almost a girls only band, Arven is made of 5 beautiful ladies and a very lucky guy, haha. If you'll check their pictures before listening to their music you'll get a quite precise idea of what music they are playing. Yes, a melodic to the bone Metal that's extremely catchy and listener friendly. Lead by an excellent charming female vocalist Arven also offers majestic keyboard backgrounds, folkish passages built by violins, flute and acoustic guitars, effective combinations of mid tempo tracks with fast rhythmed ones, subtle supporting male vocals and even some melancholic ballads, this album has them all, a complete effort I'd say. For a debut album this "Music of Light" unveils a really promising band that we might hear a lot about in the near future. Recommended to both Gothic Metal and Power Metal followers.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating; 9/10

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Band: ASPHYX

Country: Netherlands

Title: Deathhammer

Label: Century Media Records

Year: 2012

Style: Death / Doom Metal

At the beginning of this album we can get short explosion of fury and pure, technical rage.  Next: slowly, doomly „ride of heavy tank across the peatland” but without loss of power. This album is a perfect wave – slow- fast – slow – fast and make me happy because remember me old Death and „Leprosy”’s time... This is Asphyx, isn’t it? So „Deathhammer” is great,  kicking ass, perfect album, and which supposed to be?  

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 10/10

Band: ATRA VETOSUS

Country: Australia

Title: A Palace Shrouded in Emptiness

Label: Immortal Frost Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Melodic Black Metal

Review:

Debut demo of this two men band from Australia, "A Palace Shrouded in Emptiness" is composed of 3 long tracks totaling almost 20 minutes of Melodic Black Metal. It's really nice to hear they sound like a full line-up band although 2 guys are doing all the music, and these 3 tracks were composed and recorded in only 2 months of 2011. Another good thing about their music is that even if they use drum programmings, they don't sound synthetic at all and I was not bothered at all by the drums sound, so either they used a very good program or they really know what they're doing. The music is melodic, almost melancholic at times, based on repetitive but effective guitar leads on a thin layer of background keyboards. At first I didn't like the vocals, too squeeky for my taste, but the tend to blend in pretty well with the music, so that becomes a secondary aspect. The addition of acoustic guitars and clean vocals at times makes this demo more interesting and all in all I think we have a good band with real talent. As a debut demo this shows great potential. 

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8.5/10

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Band: BAHAL

Country: Italy

Title: Ikelos

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2010

Style: Black Death Metal

Review:

It seems Bahal was a solo project from its beginnings in 2005 until 2010 when the individual behind it decided it was time to get a full-line up and start playing live. During these years he managed to release 2 full-length albums, so this one would make it Bahal's third official effort, an 8 tracks album totaling almost 50 minutes of Black Metal with some of the new type of Black Death elements here and there. What stands out from their music is the use (almost overuse) of melodic guitar solos. The tempo is most of the time fast paced, and I can say Bahal displays some good instrumental skills, but they are labelling their music as Progressive / Avantgarde Black Metal and I certainly do not see any trace of Progressive or Avantgarde inhere. A more accurate term would be Technical, because that's what it is, Technical Black Metal with Black Death influences. The sound is raw, unpolished and that might distrurb some listeners, but I like it's organic atmosphere, it gives the whole a rougher touch. Recommended for some good guitar work, hope they'll put some more efforts in the overall compositions as well in the future.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6.5/10

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Band: BLEEDING UTOPIA

Country: Sweden

Title: Demons to some. Gods to others.

Label: WormHoleDeath Records

Year: 2012

Style: Melodic Thrash Death Metal

Review:

A new Melodic Extreme Metal band emerging from Sweden is always something to look for, and although it's such a clichee to say most of the Swedish bands are really good, it really is like that. Maybe because they have such good studios, maybe they start their bands on excellent quality instruments or maybe because they rehearse so much and work on finding good composition ideas all the time. Bleeding Utopia is one of those bands continuing the Gothenburg tradition although they come from the opposite side of Sweden, from Stockholm. "Demons to some. Gods to others." comes with some really good technical skills, catchy themes, good balance between aggressive rhythms and melodic insertions, and all in all it's an easy flowing album recommended to all of you into Melodic Deathrash. Bleeding Utopia is not an innovator of the scene (at least not yet), but their debut album is definitely worth checking out. The vocalist has a versatile timbre, he could easily experiment a bit more on the next release, that will give them an own identity.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8.5/10

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Band: BURZUM

Country: Norway

Title: Umskiptar

Label: Byelobog Productions

Year: 2012

Style: Atmospheric Doom Black Metal

Review:

Hope is last to die... Hope that Burzum will relesase good album. Hope is dead definitely. „Umskiptar” is a next step to definitely burn and kill „the legend of Burzum”. This album include a lot of hopeless boring pseudo-neofolk motifs with parts of quasi-atmospheric black metal and sth like a singing poetry. Varg turned his music to new road but this road is dead end. One hour, five minutes ans 39 seconds of torment. Dark, doom, schizophrenic music – but without doom energy, without kicking ass  and without ball. Little untypical Burzum’s sounds but still typical sample how  the metal can’t be play. Burzum is older and older... And still hopeless. One really nteresting thing is the cover of this CD. Oh, one thing yet – confidence theory about „strange sounds” is discovered in first track of „Umskiptar”, heh.

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 1/10

Band: CHTHONIC

Country: Taiwan

Title: Takasago Army

Label: Spinefarm Records

Year: 2011

Style: Black Death Metal

Review:

Taiwan warriors are still great! The new album was relseased in 2011 in two language versions: English and Chineese. Original Asian version is better in my opinion. I hear in this material full of this small Asian island’s atmosphere – preparing to war with big neiborough, big morale to fight, a lot of quasi-traditional folklore sounds mixed by pathetic keyboards flow... All is based on technical death/doom music. Great „sharp” guitar, fantastic death/black vocals supplemented by female choir-vocalizes. Just amazing material, includes the best part of world black/death music with melodic flow and Asian atmosphere. „Takago Army” is one of the best metal albums from Asia in 2011 and Chthonic is one of the best metal bands from Asia!

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 10/10

Band: CRYOGENIC IMPLOSION

Country: Ukraine

Title: Creation of the New World

Label: Metal Scrap Records

Year: 2011

Style: Death Metal

Review:

I have reviewed these guys' 2008 demo a couple of years ago and I was pretty fond of their work back then, a combination of new with old fashioned Death Metal. This is their debut album, and they still keep their style intact, meaning a fat sounding old-school Death Metal with elements from the nowadays Technical and Brutal Death Metal scenes. This is a quite well executed music with excellent sound, but unfortunately for me it doesn't do anything as besides the low, guttural and somehow dark vocals the instruments are more focused on building intricate passages than on curdling a brutal atmosphere around this album. This is recommended for the ones of you in search for Technical Death Metal but not the kind used nowadays, the over-complicated one, but rather a more aired, easier to follow one.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: CRYPTIC REMAINS

Country: Hungary

Title: Orphans of Clarity

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2010

Style: Death Metal

Review:

Hungarian Death Metallers Cryptic Remains are a new name to my ears even if they come from a neighbour country of which scene I'm quite interested in. This demo is their first and so far only release, a 3 tracks effort portraying a band that's deeply rooted in the '90's type of Death Metal. Fast playing with occasional mid-paced rhythms, and quite a good technical display, "Orphans of Clarity", although bringing nothing original, manages to capture your attention and even stick some riffs in your head long time after you have listened it. Here's what you'll get on this demo: a very acceptable sound on the drum parogramming, fat sounding catchy old-school guitar riffs, very good guitar solos and a vocal that proves to be quite versatile. I would have preferred the bass lines to be more outlined. Anyway, for a debut demo I can say we get a mature old-school death metal band. Recommended!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: CYDIA

Country: Russia

Title: Evil Sun

Label: Metal Scrap Records

Year: 2011

Style: Modern Metal

Review:

Not an easy to find on the net band, cydia comes from Russia and was formed in 2007. At the end of the same year they say they have released their "unofficial debut album", but how's that an unofficial album if it's released by the band? I don't get it. Anyway, in 2011 they have signed with Metal Scrap Records and here we have their official (?) debut full-length. 11 tracks of Modern, Groove infused Metal with lots of Nu-Metal influences so you guessed it right, this is not exactly my cup of coffee, but what I like about them is the fact they added some guitar riffs that come from the Death Metal scene, making this album a bit more complex and also a bit more Extreme Metal oriented. Also the vocalist is a very good one, he doesn his best to bring forth as much aggression as possible. The low tuned rhythm quitar and bass make this release quite brutal even if it comes from this genre. I was not bothered at all but this CD, so if you're into Modern Metal you might like it a lot I assume. Beware, the lyrics are all in Russian language.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10

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Band: DEAD SUMMER SOCIETY

Country: Italy

Title: Visions from a Thousand Lives

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Gothic Doom Metal

Review:

Very good looking debut album selfreleased by this one man project from Italy, a lot of labels couldn't have done it better. Dead Summer Society is an old-school type of Gothic Doom Metal band, Mist, the guy behind it, uses '90's types of structures a la My Dying Bride, but the use of drum-machine certainly doesn't help him keep the atmospheres he tries to create intact. What I like the most on this album is the concept behind it and the lyrics written on a deep, emotional and personal topic. Mist really empties his heart on this album, but the mastering of this CD makes the music unworthy of such depth. I agree, some parts, the semi-acoustic ones are really beautiful, but when it comes to the metal part of it I think a bit more effort would have been mandatory. The more aggressive parts on this CD I guess were meant to portray the anger and dispair, but they certanly didn't reach their goal. Mist has a good level of knowledge on his guitar and he tries to bring up complex compositions which makes this project worthy of being kept under observation for the future. The addition of female vocals is a good idea, but I think the girl that did vocals on this album sounds a bit too young, it isn't the type I would put on such an album.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10

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Band: DECAYED

Country: Portugal

Title: Lusitanian Black Fucking Metal

Label: War Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Black Metal

Review:

This legendary Portuguese band is back with a new album, their 9th official effort to date. Once signed and produced by Drakkar Records, when they were really kicking ass, Decayed made themselves a pretty strong name in the European Black Metal scene mostly because of their old-school raw approach on music and honest dedication to this genre. Nowadays I think they are trying to be more like the Japanese Sabbat, and here I'm referring to them releasing as many splits, compilations and EPs as they can, to a point where I think they have more than 50 official releases under belt. Their music is quite simplistic, with occasional good guitar solos that I for myself would have like to get some more. Do not espect any innovations here, but expect a full of rage, primitive, aggressive and blasphemous release, exactly what underground Black Metal fanatics should search for in a band.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: DEGRADATION

Country: USA

Title: Juggernaut

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Thrash Metal

Review:

Chicago, IL is home to some good metal bands over the years and things have not changed as far as that goes.  Degradation is a technical Thrash Metal band that have garnered some attention with the release of "Juggernaut".  This is a well crafted musical piece of technical brutality, but in a Thrash Metal way!  It will make sense when you hear the release for yourself, the songs have such a fast approach and also a lot of killer playing throughout the tracks.  I felt like Slayer was close by when I played this one on my player.  Degradation throws down the speed and groove from start to finish and there is no letting up.  This is a newer style of thrash metal, but the obvious old school metal influences show.  There are 8 tracks totaling 30 minutes of playing time.  Now Degradation isn't going to change the world or anything but the music they play is tight, fast, technical, and raw.  Fans of the genre should like this.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: DEMONICAL

Country: Sweden

Title: Death Infernal

Label: Cyclone Empire

Year: 2011

Style: Death Metal

Review:

I don’t know why this album hid among the once released in 2011... „Death Infernal” is very typical Swedish steel, with traditional for deathmetal lyrics about blood, fire, death, flesh... Row grind meat vs fast sharp guitars, typical but really great growl. That is just Swedish death metal – still powerfully, still traditional, still great. That is being in a recognized style.  

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 8.5/10 

Band: EISREGEN

Country: Germany

Title: Rostrot

Label: Massacre Records

Year: 2011

Style: Dark Metal

Review:

Eisregen surprised me when I started listening to "Rostrot"...I  was informed they were a German Death Metal band, but there is far more to this music than just Death Metal.  I hear Folk Metal, Ambiance, and other elements of metal.  "Freezing Rain" is the band's name in English, a name that describes the band very well in terms of style.  A happy depression comes over me as I listen to the songs over and over again.  Eisregen adds elements and influence from Black Metal and many other sub-genres of metal and mixes them so well.  The least of what I hear can be Death Metal, but this is just my opinion.  Eisregen has made a hell of a name for themselves considering they have been around since 1995, and the band is "banned" from playing certain releases and tracks from "Farbenfinsternis" and "Wundwasser" in their native country!  No minors can buy the records and the songs cannot be played live!  This alone had gotten my attention, besides the music itself.  According to other info on Metal Archives, there are also two more releases that are banned as well!  No such thing as bad publicity, Germany hasn't figured out that when an album is banned people will want to hear it that much more!  Anyway, Eisregen does a great job delivering their brand of Blackened Death/Folk Metal with Ambiance and Symphonic ecstasy.  Sheer hunger and anger bring about the vocal strain and not to mention the lyrical extremes of the band.  The ninth full-length release gives the fans 10 tracks totaling just below the fifty minute mark.  The tracks that I liked a lot were "Moving Targets" (Track 6) and "Pale Horse" (track 9).  The whole release is worth getting, but certain tracks just caught my attention because of the different influences I hear.  Eisregen is a definite addition to the world of the Metal Underground and I am waiting to see which other releases will end up getting banned in their home turf of Germany!  Go Eisregen!

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: ESSENZA

Country: Italy

Title: Devil's Breath

Label: BigMud

Year: 2009

Style: Heavy Metal

Review:

Essenza has been around for quite awhile now, since 1993 I believe.  Since that time Essenza has churned out 3 full-lengths at a heavier disposition each time.  Good old school rock from the 70's/80's mixed in with the Heavy side of metal.  Essenza deliver the goods with 8 tracks totaling 33 minutes of playing time.  One can even get a feel for Black Metal throughout the release from time to time.  "Deep Into your Eyes", and "Rock N' Roll Blood" are some examples of down home metal jams.  So fans of early style metal from back in the 70's and early 80's with a Heavy Metal touch to it should check out Essenza from Italy, see what you think.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 7/10

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Band: ET MORIEMUR

Country: Czech Republic

Title: Cupio Dissolvi

Label: Parat Magazine

Year: 2011

Style: Doom Death Metal

Review:

There was a time (beginnings of 2000's) when the metal scene from Czech Republic was the most active and fervent in Europe, or at least one of the most active, but then it went to a hibernation-like state, and it seems not it's starting to show it's teeth again. That's cool since they had some highly innovative and experimental bands, so I hope this tradition will keep on. Well, I'm very glad Et Moriemur confirms this rule, this debut album shows us a band with excellent potential and although is their first attempt, this might become a first stepping stone to a well paved road. Traditional Doom Death Metal with highly emotional charge, that's what Et Moriemur is all about, a music that makes you believe they are true to their art and they have all that's needed to build on this even more in the future. It's also interesting how they added parts of Italian, German and Russian written lyrics in some tracks, and one is in Czech, beside the English written ones. Most of their compositions are based on "basic" instruments (bass, guitar, drums), but the subtle keyboards and piano parts have a major role in the overall atmosphere, very expressive, melancholic touches to a rather grim and sombre music. Excellent release, recommended! The only thing I would have liked improved inhere is the sound on vocals that's a bit too raw for this music.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9.5 / 10

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Band: EVIL PALACE

Country: Ukraine

Title: Born in Darkness

Label: Immortal Frost Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Symphonic Black Metal

Review:

Ukraine is one of those countries that has a strong tradition in Black Metal and lately they also started to export tons of bands, some very good, some with no future at all. Evil Palace presents us here their debut album, an 8 tracks effort totaling 52 minutes of Symphonic / Majestic Black Metal. The recording sound is not that good, but somehow this raw sound compensates for the use of synthetic, robotic drum machine, and the result is almost organic. The keyboards are playing a major role in Evil Palace's music, I like them because they remind me of the Majestic Black Metal movement from the end of the '90's. The guitars parts are interesting because of their occasional immersions in Thrash and even Death Metal, but still keeping a compact Black Metal feeling and pace. The vocals are extremely raw, almost industrial sounding, so you won't be able to understand a word, but luckily the CD has the lyrics listed portraying a band that's strongly into Satanism as opposition to Christianity. Good instrumental skills, interesting combinations in compositions, so with a real drummer and a better recording Evil Palace might gather a few hordes of Black Metal followers.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10

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Band: FRAILTY

Country: Latvia

Title: Melpomene

Label: Arx Productions

Year: 2012

Style: Doom Death Metal

Review:

This album cover reminded me of the one Czech Domm Death Metallers Monasterial Crypt had on their debut and only full-length album, "Stari", an album (and of course its cover) that was widely promoted in the underground at the end of the '90's. Frailty is not far from Monasterial Crypt either, they also play a '90's type of Doom Death Metal so popular in the end of the '90's and beginning of the 2000's in Czech Republic mostly. Latvian's second album brings nothing new to the scene, but it can be considered a fine piece of rememberance for all old-school Doom Death Metal nostalgics out there (me included). I very much like the organic and honest feelings it transmits while listening to it, the production is great, there are no disturbing digital additives, so all in all the listener is treated with respect by the band, an approach that's so rare nowadays. I would have liked the music to be a bit more compact and less repetitive in some parts, but the overall impression is great, I can listen to this album a few more times and still find some new interesting stuff to enjoy. So if you're into male fronted Doom Death Metal a la '90's, with its occasional piano/violins/keys additions, make sure to try Frailty's new opus.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: GGUW

Country: Germany

Title: Gegen Gravitation und Willensfreiheit

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Sad to say this in a review, but this is the story: I received this vinyl a couple of days after Wolfrano Ketzer, guitarist of GGUW, commited suicide. I found out about this on Metal Archives, and quite frankly I didn't know what to think, as I had no info if GGUW was his solo project or if this is a real band, so I wrote to the email address I had and another member of the band replied and told me the story. The remaining guys want to keep their identity hidden, so they will continue as a ghost project from now on, in memory of their friend, Wolfrano. not sure if the band is now located in Germany or in Brazil, as I think they are all Brazilians.

Now about the music on this EP I can say it's pretty twisted, sick and even disturbing at times, repetitive, quite minimalist Black Metal but with an awesome atmosphere, and the "look" of the physical product adds its fair share of creepy image. Only 3 tracks here, but enough to understand what this band is all about: fast, grim, ferocious Black Metal. Good execution, good sound, excellent presentation, perfect atmosphere, no compromises, a horrifying touch of hell! Recommended stuff!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: GUIDO CAMPIGLIO

Country: Italy

Title: Rumble in the Jungle

Label: SG Records

Year: 2011

Style: Heavy Metal

Review:

Guido Campiglio is something very new to me these days.  I mean this is far off the map of brutality and sickness that I am used to being inside of.  Guido Campiglio delivers a brand of old style heavy Metal in the vein of old school metal heads like Joe Satriani or even Steve Vai.  Lots of cool riffs and guitar solos with constant jamming throughout the release.  Italy has its share of metal bands but this is unique in that it really feels like i am back in the early days listening to some shredding fucking guitarist on stage or something.  Maybe I am getting ahead of myself here, but this guy is good at what he does and the world should hear it.  So instead of getting into all this technical review bullshit I am going to just say get "Rumble in the Jungle" and play it on your cd player after you toke up a fat joint and then turn the shit up really loud and tell me what you think after that! Tracks like "CDT Symphony" and "Rumble in the Jungle" should get you going before the rest of the album hits you!  

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 9/10

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Band: HOLODOMOR

Country: England

Title: Temoignages de la Gnose Terrestre

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Black Thrash Metal

Review:

Holodomor is the name of very sad and dark part of Ukrainian history from years 1932 – 33, that was a time of genocidal famine in Ukraine provoked by soviet communist, nearly 10 millions have died of starvation...  But the band is from United Kingdom with Polish vocalist and guitarist – Adam Widawski. This young crew released first official EP – 16 minutes and 43 seconds of very od school, raw, brutal and noisy sounds. Holodomor signed his music as bestial black/thrash metal, I hear some garage, doom/fast death metal influences too. „Histerical” and little schizoidally vocal has a very good connection with this fury music. „Temoignages de la Gnose Terrestre” EP is really very, very underground and old school stuff. Great !!! 

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 8/10

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Band: HORIZON...

Country: Finland

Title: Don't Let the Time Pass You By

Label: Immortal Frost Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Ambient

Review:

I always have doubts before reviewing an Ambient release because I get really bored by some of them lately when basically anyone can compose such music on PC with no major efforts, but this time I was lucky, Horizon..., although a one man band, is a well crafted piece of music, that's for sure. "Don't let the Time Pass by" is very interesting, captivating and its title is expressed perfectly in its music. What you get here is deep melancholy, nostalgia and meditation, a 20 minutes effort that's full of emotions, and the best part is Shamancus' skills of transmitting those emotions. I don't know how old is this guy, but his music sounds like he already lived his life and he's now remembering his past actions. It's not often I say this, but I'm sorry this CD is only 20 minutes long, I'd like some more.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: HULL

Country: USA

Title: Beyond the Lightless Sky

Label: The End Records

Year: 2011

Style: Sludge Metal

Review:

Hull comes from New York, New York in the US and this is home to the old school Hardcore and other extreme metal forms for a long time.  Hull delivers a form of Progressive style Metal mixed with a heavy groove kind of sludge!  Awesome right?  Stoners will definitely get into Hull, as will may other metalheads in the underground because of the different influences of metal they have in their release.  There is also a feeling of Doom Metal all over "Beyond the Lightless Sky" and that added with the brutality of the vocals makes this a great album to get into.  Hull has been around for awhile, I know their first EP came out sometime in 2007, before their next two full-lengths arrived.  Doom, heaviness, extreme anger and bruteness in the vocal style is what keeps things interesting.  There is one track that garners a playing time of over 11 minutes in length, "Earth From Water".  This song has every type of element as far as a band goes.  Melody, Atmosphere, heaviness, darkness, and ferocity at times.  That is just in one song!  others like "Fire Vein" and "False Priest" take the listener for a ride down the Doom Metal path.  All in all a good record to listen to while you are pulling a bong in the basement before a show starts!

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 9/10

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Band: INFEST

Country: Serbia

Title: Everlasting Genocide

Label: Zero Budget Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Thrash Death Metal

Review:

Well, Infest is a band that was born in Serbia and has since become one brutal motherfucker in the Metal Underground.  "Everlasting Genocide" is a lesson in technical brutality, blasting madness, and gruesome vocal delivery.  All of this makes up INFEST.  "Everlasting Genocide" is an assembly of stable sickness and awesome brutality.  This is the band's third full-length offering and it does not disappoint at all.  From start to finish Infest destroy the boundaries of those conservative Death Metal releases that just don't cut it.  The wars of yesteryear, and today added with anti-religion show the band's true nature of how they feel each day which is why the music they play sounds so fucking brutal and angry.  Infest will go far in the Underground and hopefully keep releasing the technical sickness they play today.  Songs such as "Stronger than any God", "Deathrash Sodomy", and "Screaming in Butchery" are a taste of the boiling baby of sickness the band has produced on this release.  Fans of brutality and sickness will enjoy this as much as a hammer crushes a skull.  Thrash Metal influence and old school Death Metal shows itself all over "Everlasting Genocide" so this should satisfy the most hardcore fans.  10 tracks totaling 28 minutes of metal is quite the punch to the fucking balls, at least I think so.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 9/10

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Band: KAMBRIUM

Country: Germany

Title: Shadowpath

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Progressive Death Metal

Review:

Kambrium is from Germany and began belting out their style of metal in 2005.  This release entitled "Shadowpath" shows what the band can do as far as talent is concerned.  Now I don't know exactly what is happening but at the time this was released, June 24, 2011, the band had yet to find a label.  I am pretty sure that eventually that will change, if it hasn't happened already.  Kambrium delivers "Shadowpath", a realm of atmospheric and progressive style metal with touches of melodic sense.  All the elements of metal can be found on this release, Death, Thrash, and even Black Metal influence can heard throughout the release.  I also found myself really interested in track number 7, an instrumental that gives such a cool feeling classy metal.  The emotion coming from this record is extremely powerful at times and will certainly gain the attention of somebody in the Metal World who want some talent and potential of greatness in the underground.  Now I am not saying the band will change the fucking world or anything like that, but what the hell, when I hear good metal I say it!  Kambrium is damn good at what they do and fans will like it as well.  There are a total of 10 tracks giving just over 50 minutes in playing time.  Kambrium is awesome at what they do, pretty damn professional for a band without a home, YET!  "Among the Lost", "Hiding in Sorrow", and "A Sinner's Remorse" are just a tiny sample of how Kambrium can mix it up.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 9/10

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Band: KRIEG

Country: Italy

Title: Dead Sound Walking

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2010

Style: Thrash Metal

Review:

WTF? These guys went all the way to Canada to record this album? That's insane, or it might only be a mistake on the booklet credits... Anyway, one thing is clear, it was mastered by one of the Gods of Extreme Metal, James Murphy! Cool, this thing should certainly raise the band's rating within their local scene. And indeed the album sound very tight, and it gives you the impression that everything is at its own place even if on the composition level Krieg is pretty hard to follow. Their Thrash Metal is not an old-school catchy, easy flowing one, but rather one that's made of numerous breaks and rhythm changes, so I think they have already established a particular target in the metalheads community, a niche. Although I like the first type of Thrash Metal I have to admit this album was an interesting listening and although having a not so versatile vocal (excepting the clean vocals part) I thought it would bore me, I gave it a few spins and I can say I still find new elements I like about it. I'd say this is rather an album to be listened in its entirety before being able to make conclusions rather than only listening to a few tracks online. Tough call for you...

PS: They should think about changing band name until its too late as the American Black Metallers Krieg are much, much more well knowned around the world and this might negatively affect the Italians at some point...

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8.5

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Band: LANDFORGE

Country: UK

Title: Servitude to Earth

Label: Arx Productions

Year: 2012

Style: Atmospheric Doom Metal

Review:

Although this project was started only in 2011, "Servitude to Earth" is already its second album, a 6 tracks new effort totalling 45 minutes of Instrumental Atmospheric Metal. The compositions are quite minimalist, but it seems Stephan Carter, the man behind Landforge, tries to channel his efforts in creating melancholic, sombre atmospheres. Mostly slow and doomy, the music on "Servitude to Earth" is structured on a melodic guitar driven base, a simple but effective rhythm section line, and occasional incursions into metallic, not aggressive but energetic rhythms. Influenced by this so popular nowadays post-metal genre, Landforge still keeps its Doom Metal feeling overall, but I guess that's only for now, I can see Stephan's desire to experiment more into post-metal fields. If you're into melancholic, almost lethargic, Atmospheric Metal, try this one, is not bad at all although I've missed the vocal part.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: LELAHELL

Country: Algeria

Title: Al Intihar

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Death Metal

Review:

Lelahell is the new band of Redouane Aouameur, former frontman of Litham, a legendary Algerian Death Metal band, maybe the first one coming out of that lands. Redouane is also well-known for his metal related activities like booking and zine editing, maybe the biggest and oldest African metal supporter, extremely active in the '90's and first half of 2000's. 

What's interesting about Lelahell is they kept their Arabic influences, even if less used than in Litham times, that gives a certain identity to the band. We're dealing here with an old-school Death Metal, mostly fast tempoed, but with multiple breaks that are not that well thought as they make some parts of Lelahell's music feel empty, like there's something missing. Also their music gives the impression they are trying to reach progressive metal scructures, but they are not there yet. I like the riffs, 100% old-school Death Metal, and most parts of the vocal lines (except for the low squeals), and I think this band has potential, but for the future I hope they'll bring some more flow in their compositions.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5

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