Band: ALIENATION COLD

Country: Russia

Title: Nothing, Nobody, Never...

Label: Stavropol Nekrodivizion

Year: 2012

Style: Atmospheric Black Metal

Review:

This digipack CD looks awesome and from its artwork you can easily imagine what music you will discover on it. Alienation Cold was founded as a trio in 2004 and released its debut album in 2006, but since then 6 years had passed and one of the three members left the band. Now, in 2012, the band is back as a duo with a new album composed of only 3 tracks, but 3 long ones so that the total playing of this CD is almost 35 minutes. About the music: depressive, mostly slow paced, dark and enigmatic Black Metal with lots and lots of melodies that manage to enrich the general decaying atmosphere. Although multiple parts are too repetitive at times all in all we get an interesting release that keeps your attention high from start to finish, but it fails on creating a curdled, unified image of what they want to display and here I mean that during the audition you can find youself dreaming on some parts but also listening carefully and dissecting every instrument and my opinion is that this music should flow seamlessly without leaving the listener to think about how the drums are recorded or for how long the same riff will continue. Anyway, as a conclusion this is not bad at all, the keyboards and vocals seem to be its highlights, but on the guitar part I'd say it could have been better.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: ALNESTABS

Country: Poland

Title: Kerda Etbaudinlai Prusan Meddin!!!

Label: Eastside

Year: 2010

Style: Folk Ambient

Review:

Don't know how much the band or the label are interested in promoting their names out there, but I've searched the net for some more info on Alnestabs and I wasn't able to find any... Too bad because these Poles are doing a good job in what they do meaning Folk Ambient music. Made of vocals, violins, whistles/flutes, percussion, accoustic guitars and occasional keyboard backgrounds (a few of them I found too modern for this type of music), "Kerda Etbaudinlai Prusan Meddin!!!" seems to be an album meant to recreate some stories or events from the Polish history and they manage to at least create the right mood for some stories about the glorious past. I would see this band at any medieval fest in Europe without problems. All tracks have a good rhythm and a certain mystical aura around them. Too bad their lyrics are all in Polish language, I don't understand a thing what they're saying. 

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: ARCHAIC WINTER

Country: USA

Title: Demon

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Black Death Metal

Review:

Archaic Winter is a band that I am familiar with from a few years ago.  A man named Peter Hasselbrack, who we all know heads the band Bloodsoaked, was a part of the creation of this band.  In recent days Archaic Winter has began a second life with the members Greg Maupin from Agony Divine and vocalist Luis Landeo.  Archaic Winter has headed toward the Black Metal direction with added touches of Death Metal from the old school days.  2006 was the year they were formed and have released two full-lengths, an e.p., and a split release in 2012.  So for now the e.p. entitled "Demon" is my focus on this review.  Archaic Winter aren't the typical Death/Black Metal band in that their music seems to be on the more evil side of the genre.  Tracks like "October Fire" screech the guitars to a new level and still keep that Death Metal touch in the music!  Everything on this e.p. is put together really well and the music is interesting and mind melting at times.  All of the tracks have their own identity and that is what keeps this going.  All the metal here is definitely on the path of blackened metal with the spews of guttural vocals or screams of an evil metal titan all mixed together well.  Archaic Winter is kicking ass and keeping it more original than a lot of bands in the mix these days, especially in the metal underground.  "Demon" is a seventeen minute play with a primitive production and crisp riffs.  This is well worth checking out and hopefully another full-length release is on the way from Archaic Winter.  Well done from the two members of this band and I hope they keep making evil metal this particular way in the future!!!

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: BE'LAKOR

Country: Australia

Title: Of Breath and Bone

Label: Kolony Records

Year: 2012

Style: Melodic Death Metal

Review:

This is one of those albums that can be easily and rightfully be labelled as "highly-awaited". Be'lakor stormed the Metal World with their second album "Stone's Reach" in 2009 and no, 3 years after, they are back with a new full-length that is already gaining a good reputation within the metal press. "Of Breath and Bone" is made of 8 long tracks totaling almost an hour of Melodic, Epic Death Metal, a high-class release that will blow you away with its perfect blend of emotions and technique. This is an almost faultless album, an astonishing piece of Metal that will last through the years and if we think these guys are still very young we can only imagine what they will bring us next. "Of Breath and Bone" is made of hoarse vocals, metallic guitar riffs, melodic guitar leads and fantastic solos, influential bass lines, perfect atmospheric keyboard parts and a very good drums structure and execution. The only place I would still work on would be the vocal part which in time tends to become monotonous and drags the whole composition after it. A bit more variety on the vocal part certainly won't hurt them, or even a second voice in the band... To end this I will have to mention the perfect mix and master by Jens Bogren and the excellent cover artwork by my fellow countryman Costin Chioreanu.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9.5/10

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Band: BLACK CROW KING

Country: UK

Title: To Pay the Debt of Nature

Label: BadGod Music

Year: 2012

Style: Black Drone Doom

Review:

With such a band name and album cover artwork I was honestly expecting some sore of Black Sabbath heavily influenced music, but I was wrong once again. Black Crow King is a one man band from UK and this is its debut album, a 6 tracks effort centered around a low-fi Drone Metal with influences from both Black Metal (vocals) and Doom Metal (old-school Doom Metal riffs from time to time). I have to admit this is a tough to listen release, it is almost an anti-musical cacophony, it's a collage of experimental playing with amplifiers, dissonant riffs, harsh vocals, minimalistic percussions and dark ambient sounds, it is far from what mainstream demands at this moment. Both Corvus (the man behind BCK) and BadGod Music have some solid balls to release such an uncompromising, uncommercial, niche-oriented album. Get this CD only if you're always in search for the weirest things around and if you think you can handle experiments stretched as much as possible.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6/10

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Band: COGNITIVE

Country: USA

Title: The Horrid Swarm

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Technical Brutal Death Metal

Review:

New combo coming from the States, Cognitive just released their debut EP, a 5 tracks effort totaling almost 15 minutes. And in this case 15 minutes is enough to understand what this band wants to achieve, or at least to play. Typical to the nowadays US Death Metal scene, when you hear about a new Tech Death Metal you're not impressed anymore, but I have to admit I like this band a lot and their debut EP proved they are in for instant recognition on the scene. Cognitive are successfully blending Brutal Death (with its standard breakdowns) with a lot of Technical parts and multiple influences from other genres, short insertions of a bit of everything and they are all very talented musicians not afraid to take their turn when it comes to showing off (not in a bad manner). The addition of melodic, progressive parts is what makes this band stand apart from the crowd of other likewise bands, this is not your typical brainless display of "I can play my instrument faster than you" or "I can make everything impossible to comprehend" type of music, Cognitive really packed their tracks well. Ok, maybe I'm a bit too enthousiastic, but I simply love the guitar solos and leads, the right amount of breakdowns they used, the right amount of screams to backup the main, growling vocals, and the excellent combination of brutality with melody. I'd rate it a full 10 but since they are so good on their instruments I will keep my 10 out of 10 for their upcoming release, I'm sure they will deliver an even more astonishing opus next time. Support this band, buy this EP and you won't regret it!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9.5/10

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Band: D.HATE

Country: Ukraine

Title: Game With Ghosts

Label: Metal Scrap Records

Year: 2012

Style: Groove Thrash Metal

Review:

D.Hate's debut album contains 7 tracks of old-school Groove Thrash Metal, that kind of metal that was so popular in the mid '90's, but they still keep a somehow modern touch. this is a young band formed in 2011, and this cand be easily sensed in their tracks, unfortunately they lack of hooks. They, as musicians, have very good knowledge on their instruments, but that's not enough to compose memorable tracks, at least not for now. The guitar riffs are awesome, very American groove styled, very headbanging friendly, the rhythm section is killer kipping it simple but effective, and the Thrash Death types of vocals are also very good, but something is missing, it feels like everything is great except for the final mix of elements, and I guess that will be their main goal for the next album: how to get the catchiness factor out of their good instrumental skills. If you're into Pantera or Anthrax make sure to give these guys a try, they have very good potential.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10

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Band: DRUKNROLL

Country: Russia

Title: On The Knife Blade

Label: Metal Scrap Records

Year: 2012

Style: Modern Heavy Metal

Review:

The Russian scene is so big and unfortunately so sealed within its own borders that when you come across such a band as Druknroll you wonder where are they hiding and why are they so little known. Metal Scrap Records is one of those labels working hard to get their bands out there all over the World and although Druknroll is an excellent band from all points of view their Russian lyrics will act like a barrier. Their music is impressive: on a skeleton of traditional Heavy Metal they managed to build in so many directions that I'm simply astonished by their versatility. The progressive, modern elements are all over, on the rhythm breaks and changes, keyboards, vocals, and in general on the whole songs structures, and even though they play a lot with the rhythms the music has its needed fluency. A Heavy Metal ballad would have been the cherry on top of this cake although several tracks have also some melodic, balladesque parts. Excellent, excellent release, don't miss it even if you don't know Russian language!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9.5/10

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Band: EA

Country: Russia

Title: Ea

Label: Solitude Productions

Year: 2012

Style: Funeral Doom Metal

Review:

I've started listening to this new Ea album without checking the booklet or other info about it, and around minute 15 I thought "how cool would be for this album to be only one track", and so it is, "Ea" is made of only 1 track, a 48 minutes long track that strangely enough, isn't monotonous at all, it's really captivating in its simplicity and slow flowing rhythms. The music makes me think of the seasons cycle, starting with Winter when the nature hibernates, passing through Spring when everything starts to come to life and gives hope for a better following, then Summer with a serene atmosphere surrouning it all, Autumn with its lost battle for life and nostalgic feelings, and again a cold, claustrophobic Winter. Although the overall impression is of a Funeral Doom band, Ea makes use of fast Black Metal parts here and there too, but the link between the two very different atmospheres is crafted carefully so that the changes in rhythm and attitude become natural and even expected. An excellent release, the best Ea album so far.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: EDENIAN

Country: Ukraine

Title: Winter Shades

Label: BadMoodMan Music

Year: 2012

Style: Gothic Doom Metal

Review:

10 tracks, almost an hour of Gothic Doom Metal, that's what Edenian offer us with their debut album, "Winter Shades". The Ukrainian sextet shows real potential here and I mean they could become the next big thing at least from the Eastern part of Europe, but their short career left its mark on this debut release. The vocals are great, a heavenly beautiful female voice are accompanied by harsh, guttural male vocals and some clean vocals also, but this sequential type of singing (first the girl than the guy, then the girl again and so on) is a bit outdated now and overlap of the two types of vocals to display progression in intensity would have been much catchier. The guitar riffs and melodic guitar leads are excellent, and the drum machine is not bothering at all, and if we add violins here and there, clever keyboards and romantic, melancholic lyrics we get an attractive package for any Gothic Doom Metal follower. The mastering could have been better and also after listening to this album I feel no connection between the music and the cover artwork, the music inspires Autumn more than Winter. Anyway, this is a great debut album, I only hope they will have the passion and desire to keep working onwards and we'll hear good news about them, no doubt.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: EVIL WRATH / THE TRUE ENDLESS / GROMM

Country: Canada / Italy / Ukraine

Title: Rape Their Souls With Black Metal Wrath

Label: Slava Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Black Metal / Black Metal / Black Metal

Review:

Canadian duo Evil Wrath opens this three way split CD with 4 tracks of fast, unrelenting Black Metal. They know exactly what they are after, cold, uncompromising Black Metal, but I think they push it a bit too much by releasing such long tracks (around 6 minutes), things are getting repetitive and boring at some point. I was pleasantly surprised by the awesome, pshycho sounding guitar solos and I think that's their best highlight even though the overall cold, evil atmosphere is nothing to pass over quickly, too. Next is The True Endless from Italy with 4 tracks recorded live at their rehearsal place on the 6th of June 2006 (06.06.06) with the Necromobilecatcher (hahaha, so funny). The sound is as you would expect it: raw, dirty and clogged, but surprisingly, not disturbing to the ears. Good, catchy tunes ranging from mid-tempo to fast Black Metal, traditional and organic without additives. think of it this way: the nowadays rockstar Black Metal bands you see all over are the Supermarket goods, and this type of bands (like T.T.E.) are the organic goods you can find in your garden. It's just a matter of taste which one you prefer. Closing this Split is Gromm, a band from Ukraine that has been around since 2001 but which ceased to release new paterial since 2009. Too bad, they are pretty good. This is mid-tempo Black Metal built around Nabath's fine vocals. The guitar work is also very impressive for such a band, this is not the typical Black metal fretwork, it's more like a combination of Thrash/Death/Black riffs with atmospheric guitar leads, very good work, it kept me interested throughout their 4 tracks and at the end I can also say I would definitely like to hear some more. I'd label Gromm as "not your typical Black Metal band". 

In the end I would recommend this to all Black Metallers out there, it's a really good underground offering, you won't be disapointed.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10  7.5/10  8/10

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Band: EVISCERATE CARNAGE

Country: UK

Title: The Art of Pathology

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Death Metal

Review:

This new band from UK is made of members of bands we've already featured inhere before like Oblivionized or Merciless Terror so although it's a new name of the UK scene its members have a good background already. And that becomes obvious as soon as you start playing this debut EP which is an excellent spew of fast and furious Death Metal influenced by sickos like Aborted, Carcass or Exhumed. Fast as hell drumming, great vocal performance, chuggy, almost Swedish sounding guitars and a bass line that's barely distinguishable, but that keeps this music fat and heavy. Well, that's what we all get from this hard pounding fast Death Metal debut EP. The guitar solos are a bit too short but I think they can do better on the upcoming debut album. In the meantime get acquainted with this new UK sensation by ordering their debut EP, good times are about to come for this band.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: FUNEBRE

Country: Hungary

Title: Indictment About The World Of Man

Label: Hungaryan Records

Year: 2008

Style: Black Metal

Review:

No, this is not the Finnish Death Metal band Funebre, this is the Hungarian one man band with the same name and this is my first contact with its music. "Indictment About The World Of Man" is Funebre's debut album even if the act is around since 2003 and has a pretty active discography until 2008 when this CD was released by Hungaryan Records, having multiple demos, EPs and Splits underbelt, and this even if Khrul, the man behind this project, was and still is active in multiple other bands. The album contains 10 tracks, even if on the booklet only 8 of them are listed, but maybe that's because the last 2 tracks are cover versions of Metallica and Tormentor tracks, covers that are totally out of the general Funebre path, at least from my point of view ("For Whom the Bells Tolls" sounds really funny with Black Metal vocals and I don't think that was the idea when recording it...). Funebre's own compositions are mostly fast paced, raw sounding but with lots of atmosphere and even a few acoustic parts. The vocals reminded me of Abbath from Immortal, but the instrumental part of Funebre is totally different, it's some sort of majestic old-school Black Metal, unpolished, uncompromising, cruel and honest, and that makes me say I just listened to a very good underground release. The lyrics are all in English, but on the booklet they are translated in Hungarian also. Definitely worth your time!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: GRAVEFLOWER

Country: Russia

Title: Returning to the Primary Source

Label: Solitude Productions

Year: 2012

Style: Doom Death Metal

Review:

If it's Solitude Productions is Doom Metal, of course. Graveflower is another new act from Russian lands presented to use by this hard-working label, this is their debut album, and although the band was formed in 2003 I don't think they had any special activity so far because they have only managed to release a demo in 2004 and since then nothing but silence on the discographic side. It seems they were active during this period through live gigs and compilations, but that's not enough to get a band's name out there. Graveflower's music is presented by their label as being strongly influenced by My Dying Bride's "Like Gods of the Sun" period and I totally agree with that. From the not cursive guitar riffs, to the melodic guitar leads, and from the mysterious keyboard backgrounds to the hoarse and clean vocals, the closest thing to compare them to is My Dying Bride, but that doesn't mean they are not trying and succeeding to some degree to bring something of their own, for example the bass lines that are very interesting, present and energetic, and the acoustic guitars are more inspired by the post-metal movement from nowadays. they still have a lot of work ahead as this debut album only increases your appetite for My Dying Bride, not for Graveflower, but I'm sure they have the ability to create their own sound.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10

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Band: HAZAEL

Country: Poland

Title: Clairvoyance

Label: Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Psycho

Year: 2011

Style: Death Metal

Review:

This is a Polish band that have seen the begining of their scene as it was formed in 1990 when the Polish and the East European Extreme Metal scene was just starting to take form. They were active in the '90's but disbanded at the end of the decade. Psycho records (or Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Psycho) decided to re-release the band's third demo on CD adding a few more goodies on this multimedia CD like pics and a live gig of the band from '92. Musically speaking Hazael, despite their Black Metal-like name, is old-school Death Metal strongly influenced by the Swedish Death Metal scene in its primitive/incipient stage. Mostly fast paced, it has it fair share of mid-tempo parts highlighted by a great combination of Swedish-like guitar leads and guitar solos. Very good music for that period (1992), I'm surprised the band didn't make it outside of Polish borders, and the sound is acceptable as well, it kept its demo tape feeling. If you're into old-school Swedish Death make sure to check this release out, it's well worthy of your few bucks.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8/10

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Band: IBLIS

Country: Poland

Title: Menthell

Label: Death to Music Productions

Year: 2012

Style: Avantgarde Metal

Review:

Everything about this band suggests avantgardism, from the band's logo to this album's cover artwork and musical style. Although they were formed in 2001, this is their debut album, a 7 tracks effort lasting for a bit more than half an hour. It seems they have started as a Black'n'Roll act but changed their perspective with this album. I would say they try to create more than music, a theatrical display of crazy musical elements. I think the lyrics are also creating a psycho story behind this opus, but I wouldn't know since I only have a promo version of this CD. The vocals are very versatile and expressive, the rhythm section is great (with drums raging from groovy rhythms to blast beats and very imposing bass lines), and although there's only one guitar, it is present all over the place reminding me a bit of their country mates from Lux Occulta. I like a lot the important role they gave to teh bass lines and I think they used double layered bass on this album so it would be nice to see how they deal with that on live gigs. Very interesting band, try this album out if you're in search for broken boundaries.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8.5/10

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Band: KOLAC

Country: Serbia

Title: Promo 2012

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Kolac is back, this time with a Promo CD acting like a teaser for their upcoming full-length, 4 Boga Jarca". This is a good idea to present the band to new listeners (it includes 3 tracks from the "Bastard Son Is Dead" album and 2 from the "Sacrifice to the Bloody Cult" so a new listener will be able to understand the development of this band during the last couple of years), but also to the ones that already know kolac's music by presenting them 3 brand new tracks that will be featured on their upcoming album. I'll stick to the new ones as I have already reviewed Kolac's works in several other ocasions. I think they are recorded live at their rehearsal place but the sound is very good, organic and rough but still very comprehensive. The music, although still mostly fast paced, added some mid-tempo parts that will air the whole a bit, but I still think the fast parts are Kolac's highlights and I hope they will stick to them on the new album too. For the ones of you who don't know this band I'd say they are a raw, fast and traditional Black Metal band, a kind of band you'd call "trv", with no influences from other genres, a honest and hard working band that deserves your attention.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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