Magda Przychodzka - Pradzieje

Majesty - Thunder Rider

Molllust - Schuld

Monastery Dead - Cold and Gloom

Mortiferous Scorn - Mental Anarchy

Mortuorial Eclipse - The Aethyrs' Call

Page 2:

Necroven - Worship of Humiliation

Nightfall - Casiopeia

Band: 2 WOLVES

Country: Finland

Title: Men of Honour

Label: Inverse Records

Year: 2012

Style: Industrial Gothic Metal

Review:

They say they are Industrial Metal and that's it, but I'd add the Gothic Metal label to their music, and although 2 Wolves' music sounds Finnish somehow, to imagine it better I'd add some UK Gothic Doom Metal influences to the pot. This is their second album to date, and what an album it is... Without sounding pretentious or too polished "Men of Honour" manages to keep you tight from beginning till the end by combining deep Doomy emotional passages with Symphonic Gothic parts, aggressive Metallic elements with Industrial sounds, but the main highlight here is their ability to transmit emotions through the overall atmosphere. A mature band, a very good album, a definite recommendation from me. Keep both eyes on this band!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: AIN SOF AUR

Country: Brazil

Title: Atra Serpens

Label: Desgraca Records

Year: 2012

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Except for the inlay where the band logo is printed (and not a very suggestive one either), there is absolutely no mention about the band's name on the booklet so practically you may think the band you're listening is actually Atra Serpens. Weird choice... This is their debut album so after all Ain Sof Aur is not such a well known name either, but anyway, moving forward to the music "Atra Serpens" is made of 8 tracks totaling a bin more than a half an hour of fast and relentless raw Black Metal with good riffs, intense drumming, rotten type of Black Metal vocals and an overall chaotic sound that leaves no space at all to melody. There are some good ideas here and there and the compositions are complex enough to sparkle interest, but during my audition I felt something is missing or out of context, it didn't capture my interest for more than a few minutes. Recommended only for those of you in search for really brutal and straight-forward chaotic (I mention this again) Black Metal.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10

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Band: BLACK VULTURE

Country: International

Title: Darkness Fills the Earth

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Death Metal

Review:

With the technology we use nowadays bands like thisone where the members are from different countries (in this case Malta, Turkey and USA) shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Black Vulture was formed in 2007 but this is their debut album, a low productivity due most probably to line-up problems. There are 7 tracks here with poor sound and production, but I must say the compositions are not that typical or at least I cannot label them US, Swedish, Dutch, UK or other country scene influenced, I'm sure they just started composing without any particular sound goal in mind and the final result was nothing intentional. Anyway, there are some Black Death influences overall and the atmosphere is quite dark, the tempo is mid paced to fast, the vocals are almost comprehensive growls, the drums although programmed are not annoying and the guitar work is simple but not bad at all. If only the sound was better...

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6.5/10

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Band: BODE PRETO

Country: Brazil

Title: Inverted Blood

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Death Metal

Review:

Bode Preto is a Brazilian metal band formed in 2009. After the release of their first Ep "The Dark Night” in 2010, they finally debut  with their  first full length album in 2012 "Inverted Blood” .The album is formed of 9 tracks of Old school South American Death metal .

Well let’s start to review it. First thought this album is boring like hell. It’s difficult to distinguish one track to another, because the drum tempo rarely changes.  In a track "Serpent Inferior” there is a nice solo but the recording is bad because seems like the guitarist is outside the studio. The voice is boring too because never emphasizes some parts. It has always the same tone.

As you see I don’t like this album in all way, nothing original, boring and sometime frustrating. I know I am bad but I have to be sincere.

Reviewed by Rob Gore

Rating: 4/10

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Band: CHARIOTS OF THE GODS

Country: Canada

Title: Tides of War

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2013

Style: Melodic Thrash Death Metal

Review:

This debut album by Chariots Of The Gods really looks great, better than most labels could release in terms of production so it means the Canadians metallers are not afraid to invest in their work resulting a nice confidence. This confidence is actually sustained and backed up by the music, CotG successfully manages to mix Thrash and Death Metal (the modern, less brutal type) with melodic elements and also some pretty important Metalcore influences. The compositions are not innovative or groundbreaking by no means but they are flowing nicely, are quite catchy (mostly because of the excellent guitar work), and honestly I won't see any reason a Thrash Metaller, a Death Metaller or a Metalcore freak could not enjoy these 14 tracks. Speaking for myself I love those guitar solos (a la Children Of Bodom and the likes) and also the two guitars sounding like chasing and completing each other, a very good work. The rhythm section is energetic and Swiss-clock tight, and the vocals are quite engaging, they all complete themselves nicely. Well, as a conclusion almost only superlatives about this band and their debut so I guess it's mandatory I recommed you an audition.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: CIRITH GORGOR

Country: Holland

Title: Firestorm Apocalypse

Label: Ketzer Records

Year: 2012

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Well, I am sincere I don’t like so much Black Metal but Cirith Gorgor  is a nice Black Metal band from Netherland. They have released this album "Firestorm Apocalypse” rerelease of the 2004 album as double digipack.  Especially the second cd makes the product desirable because the quality and the research in each song is more accurate.  I love a lot the melodic parts like "Eternal Damnation” where the repetition of the same melody makes the song hypnotic. About the sound there are many imperfections especially the guitar solo, but for the rest is quite satisfactory with a good voice that emphasize the atmosphere. In conclusion, Cirith Gorgor is a band that knows what they are doing.

Reviewed by Rob Gore

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: DAEMONICUS

Country: Sweden

Title: Deadwork

Label: Abyss Records

Year: 2012

Style: Death Metal

Review:

I'm one of those guys that never get tired of listening to old-school Death Metal even though there are so many such bands nowadays and they keep on popping out everywhere. Anyway, I was surprised to find in Daemonicus a perfect blend of all three big names of the Swedish Death Metal scene (Unleashed, Entombed, Dismember) but still offering a modern approach, a polished (and still raw) sound that fits like a glove with this music. The music is massive sounding, minacing and dark but at the same time melodic and easy to digest. Here and there the band throws in some absolutely awesome guitar leads that really made my day, but the vocals are also good enough and comprehensive, the drums part is really well executed, the bass is fat sounding as we're used to in this genre, and the guitars have that specific rusty Sunlight sound. But to sum it up Daemonicus released an album that will certainly impress all old-school Death Metallers out there.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: DAMNATIONS HAMMER

Country: UK

Title: Disciples of the Hex

Label: I Hate Records

Year: 2012

Style: Doom Death Metal

Review:

It's quite hard to label this release as Doom Death Metal. Although it has heavy influences from both genres, Damnations Hammer's debut album takes your toughts to Celtic Frost's "To Mega Therion", although the guitars' tones are fatter. The rhythms, the riffs, the drums and even the guitar solos are almost similar to what Celtic Frost did on their debut album, but the vocals are not that versatile. Anyway, I don't think they even wanted to sound otherwise even if sounding so much like a legend of the scene might be tricky; they'll get many Celtic Frost fans loving these 8 tracks and many hating them and labelling simple copycats. Damnations Hammer's music is not the slow type of Doom Metal but a rather groovy and energetic one, catchy and quite entertaining, perfect for a headbanging session.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT 

Country: Germany 

Title: Necrovision 

Label: War Anthem Record 

Year: 2013 

Style: Black metal

Review:

Pure evil, pure Satan, pure darkness, pure merciless hell’s sulphur putting to ears! The newest album of  vocalistess and guitaristess, one of most extreme women in metal, Yvonne Wilczynska (aka Onielar) and her band is just kept in a climate of old school, raw black metal. "Necrovision” is started by long intro taken from the good, old days and next we just got murderous black metal massacre which perversely caresses the ears! Onielar is a girl peculiarly twisted by black metal life – that is why "Necrovision” is absolutely true black metal stuff, no pardon, no any mercifulness. Lyrics is taken from the most darkness recesses of the human brain, e.g. Primordial Sapphirine Driplets, In the Hue of Night, Upon My Arrival... As I wrote at the beginning: Pure Evil !!! 

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 8,5/10

Band: DEMONCY

Country: USA

Title: Enthroned Is the Night

Label: Forever Plagued Records

Year: 2012

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Fourth studio album from this one man band started in 1989! The band was inactive for almost 10 years so I guess this is a nice surprise for its fans. 11 tracks of traditional Black Metal without influences from other genres, Demoncy keeps it simple and quite effective. What I liked the most about it was the dark, almost terrifying at times, atmospheres, where the vocal part plays an important role. What I didn't like was the thin guitar tone that made me wonder at times if its a real guitar or one of those types of new e-guitar programs but all in all it's not that bothering. Anyway, even if it's not innovative or outstanding at all, "Enthroned is the Night" is not a bad effort and it's obvious this guy really feels Black Metal.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6.5/10

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Band: DHWESHA

Country: India

Title: Yuddhabhumi

Label: Till You Fukkin Bleed

Year: 2012

Style: Death Metal

Review:

Another debut out on TYFB, Dhwesha are hailing from India and this is their debut demo made of 6 long tracks totaling almost 30 minutes. The band plays low-tuned, quite traditional Death Metal with not much to stand out except for some addictive, almost hypnotic guitar leads they use to flavour their style. The production is good enough although I think the gap between the low-tuned vocals and the instruments is too big and unnatural, but if you like this type of Death Metal, mid-tempo with cryptic atmospheres, you'll enjoy this demo. Although this is not groundbreaking stuff it is definitely not something the scene is used to so my label for it is "recommended".

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: DISCIPLINE X

Country: Finland

Title: One of a Kind

Label: X Records

Year: 2012

Style: Punk Thrash Metal

Review:

Very energetic Punk Thrash Metal trio from Finland bringing us an interesting combination of Punk Rock and Thrash Metal (old-school). This is their second EP to date including 7 short but effective tracks, a mix of slow, melodic parts with fast and energetic ones. For a trio they managed to make their compositions to sound full like nothing is missing, the music flowls naturally and succeeds to involve the listener, and that is due also to the good production. I guess this EP will satisfy both Punk Rockers and Thrash Metallers at the same time, they only need to work more on creating memorable choruses for the future and they'll be all set.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7.5/10

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Band: DISCREATE

Country: PPhilippines

Title: Contingent Development of Inanimate Modifications

Label: Metallic Media

Year: 2011

Style: Brutal Death Metal

Review:

I'm sure many will buy this demo only because of its awesome cover artwork and I really have to congratulate the artist who did it. The second demo from Discreate brings us 3 tracks in a bit less than 10 minutes of playing. The band plays relentless Brutal Death Metal with clear but rough sound that I would have liked to be more bombastic, a bit more polished. The drums are insanely fast most of the times, the guitar riffs are mid-paced, and the final result is not bad but not appealing either, especially the awful guitar solos thrown in just for the sake of having solos. I recommend it only for the extreme drums effort and for the cover artwork, except for that it's a mediocre demo.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6/10

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Band: FLAGRUM

Country: poland

Title: Through Torment To Belief

Label: Kampf Records

Year: 2009

Style: Black Metal

Review:

This is Flagrum's debut demo and so far it's also the last release of this one man band. There are only 4 tracks featured but the total length of this demo is almost 25 minutes. Flagrum plays a slow to mid-tempo dark, satanic Black Metal with multiple layers of guitars and vocals that sound quite interesting, but the snare drum sound is deeply annoying, I can barely pay attention to the music because of this shitty snare drum that sounds like cheap firecrackers. The guitars and vocals are good and create a horrifying atmosphere, exactly what a Black Metal needs, a menacing, rotten, disgusting image (sound). Unfortunately the snares ruin everything on this tape...

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6/10

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Band: HELLCANNON

Country: USA

Title: Infected with Violence

Label: Butchered Records

Year: 2010

Style: Thrash Death Metal

Review:

Hellcannon is a death/thrash metal formed in 2009 in the Tundra wastelands of Buffalo, NY and I am reviewing a re-release of the album "Infected with Violence”. First of all the best part of this record is definitely the guitar work. The riffs are heavy and well- structured with great solos. The voice is good (make me think a lot to Carcass), the drum player and bass follow intensely all the work with different techniques. I have appreciated the sound because gives the groove necessary to express power. The only "defect” is that they are not original, but I know a lot of people that love pure metal without contamination. This album is formed of 8 tracks of real death/thrash metal. I could compare Hellcannon to famous bands but I don’t want to do that because every band has its own peculiarities. In conclusion for me Hellcannon is a band that people can’t ignore.

Reviewed by Rob Gore

Rating: 8/10

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Band: HELLOWEEN

Country: Germany

Title: Straight Out of Hell 

Label: Sony Music

Year: 2013 

Style: Power Speed metal

Review:

Straight Out of Hell makes may day when I listen to this stuff first time. In contrast to the e.g. Majesty, Helloween put on a combination of modern sounds with traditional heavy metal. I came to the conclusion that they were successful. All the time you hear that it is a Helloween but at the same time you can hear that this is already the second decade of the XXI Century. Tech went to the front and Helloween draws handful of these news. „Straight Out of Hell” is a good balance between future and the past, this album is a music journey to old times, but with the baggage of experience. My impression after careful listening to this stuff, is that Helloween is once again in the form of upward. In any event, much better perceive Helloween’s experiments with progressive sounds than new Voivod’s work.

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 8.5/10

Band: INVERTICRUX

Country: USA

Title: Virgin Reaper

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Doom Thrash Black Metal

Review:

The late Vintage Flesh is back under a different moniker and with a new album (well, new is a way of saying as the album was actually released in 2011) composed of 10 tracks. Inverticrux' heavily theatrical vocals reminded me of the Danish Exekrator, or if you don't know them just think of a much more extreme version of Kind Diamond, and the chunky fat guitar riffs reminded me of the old-school Swedish Death Metal, so of course the album turned out a delight for my ears. But except for that Inverticrux throws in lots and lots of different influences and elements and the overall impression is of a highly insane whole (the harmonica parts add no normality either, haha), and even if the sound is raw, unpolished, I would recommend this to anyone for a healthy dose of originality, and even if there were some dull parts, for the overall impression I'd like to send all hails to Inverticrux, I hope they won't become "normal" ever!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8.5/10

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Band: JARUN

Country: Poland

Title: Wziemiozstapienie 

Label: selfreleased 

Year: 2012

Style: Progressive Folk Black Metal

Review:

Jarun was started in 2008 as one man project. In 2010 Jarun stayed a band. Album

„Wziemiozstapnienie” (this is a kind of pagan game words and means sth like as „anti-Ascension”) is a very successful debut. Jarun in his music went the way of similar to romanian progressive pagan/black bands Negura Bunget or Dordeduh, some people in Poland describes Jarun as a „Polish Negura”. In fact, the similarity can be seen in the tracks compositions, but Jarun is not just a copy of Negura Bunget. Long, thoughtful pieces, containing elements of folk and neofolk, put this band more and more than usual pagan/black underground playing. I was very pleasantly surprised when I first became acquainted with the material. 

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 9/10

Band: LUCIFER D. LARYNX

Country: USA

Title: Absolute Defilement

Label: Metallic Media

Year: 2012

Style: Grindcore

Review:

By the cover artwork (all colored hand drawn, with big ass fonts) and band name (it's actually Lucifer D. Larynx and the Satanic Grind Dogs of Death) this could have only been a US based band, and so it is. This debut album was a pleasant surprise, it's not the usual chaotic US type of Grind, it's actually a well crafted, quite complex and at the same time straight-forward piece of old-school Grindcore, catchy, groovy and brutal as it should be. the drums are quite typical for this genre, but the guitar work is better, more interesting and not bound to templates. A very good debut, I have enjoyed every bit of it.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: MAGDA PRZYCHODZKA 

Country: Poland 

Title: Pradzieje 

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012 

Style: Melodic Folk Metal

Review:

Magda Przychodzka is a ex-vocalistess of folkmetal band Vecordia, who decided to continue his music career in a solo project. Mini-album „Pradzieje” (means: „Ancient Times”) is a very melodic mix of folkmetal and heavy metal/folkrock sounds, influenced by slavonic and celtic folklore motifs crossed by medieval folk too. All lyrics (wrote in Polish) based on old slavic legends and mythology. Interesting drive for young folkmetallers!

Reviewed bu Vilcin

Rating: 8/10

Band: MAJESTY

Country: Germany

Title: Thunder Rider 

Label: NoiseArt Records 

Year: 2013 

Style: Heavy Power Metal

Review:

New album of german’s Majesty is a very good example for theory, that if sth is good – it is good and we haven’t  change it, because it is good. „Thunder Rider” is completely „nihil novi” album taken from big heavy metal world – but this is just the most important positive feature of this album. Lyrics about SF battles and sth like this, music taken from 80th, vocals similar to old Helloween – but from time to time I like to listen this kind of metal. War, metal, glory, yep !!! Mugs Up, cheers, metal brothers !!! „Thunder Rider” is another stabil brick in heavy metal wall. And this is good.

Reviewed by Vilcin

Rating: 8/10

Band: MOLLLUST

Country: Germany

Title: Schuld

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Opera Metal

Review:

Wow, it really takes a good chunk of finances to self-release such a nice and professional digipack, but I'm sure the recording, mixing and mastering part of this album were much more expensive. Anyway, Molllust debuts with an 11 tracks album after only 2 years since the band's foundation. Based on opera soprano vocals, dreamy violins and piano lines, bombastic cellos, occasional male choirs, "Schuld" has also a pretty important Metal side and I'm really puzzled how good that E-Guitar (it's the first time I meet such an instrument on a release. Or is it?) sounds, if it wasn't mentioned on the booklet, I would have never suspected it's not a real guitar. Actually the whole album is very organic sounding, very close and tangible even if when you hear Opera Metal you think about something much too polished and chiselled. There's a huge amount of work spent on this debut album, but I think they can improve what they stated here especially if they'll add some symphonic influences in their music.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 8.5/10

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Band: MONASTERY DEAD

Country: Russia

Title: Cold and Gloom

Label: Wings of Destruction

Year: 2012

Style: Death Metal

Review:

This female fronted Death Metal band has recently released their second album but I guess they are not so know in the Western part of Europe or on other continents as their previous label Musica Production, as far as I know, is not so keen on promoting their shit outside of Russia. Anyway Monastery Dead plays an extremely ferocious, fast and devastating Death Metal with chaotic but still well structured and well forged compositions and a female vocalist that tops most of such actual vocalists, even most of the male vox out there. She's soooo energetic and into the whole thing that it becomes impossible to be passive to her type of screams and growls. The US type of guitar riffs and leads, brutal with a pinch of groove from the rhythm section, are excellent for a bit more than half an hour of extreme headbanging. Bone crushing Death Metal with balls!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9/10

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Band: MORTIFEROUS SCORN

Country: USA

Title: Mental Anarchy

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2012

Style: Death Metal

Review

This is a very weird record to review. It is interesting, mainly because it keeps you focused. All the songs have very catchy parts, but at one point or another, they all go into a very boring and monotone state. They either go in that state or there’s a solo part that it way to long and that really doesn’t go with the song. The vocal part and the organization of the lyrics remind me very much of Dethklok, which is a good thing in my opinion. The bottom line is that I couldn’t possibly listen to the record one  more time, because I found it tiring.

Reviewed by Diana

Rating: 7/10

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Band: MORTUORIAL ECLIPSE

Country: Argentina

Title: The Aethyrs' Call

Label: Art Gates Records

Year: 2013

Style: Symphonic Black Death Metal

Review:

I was recently introduced to this band's music and I admit I was eagerly waiting for this promo to reach my mailbox as I was heavily impressed by how professional and well crafted it sounds. This is the band's debut album even if they were formed 6 years ago but after giving it a few spins I think it was all worth the waiting. "The Aethyrs' Call" is made of 8 tracks totaling half an hour of fast paced, involving, epic Symphonic Extreme Metal with highlights on the overwhelming orchestrations by Baal Herit and the absolutely insane drumming of Kobal. The vocals and guitars are very good as well, but when you're hit by the intensity of these drums lines and captivated by these thrilling epic synths you tend to forget about everything else. It reminded me of a more Symphonic version of Noctem and there's no wonder Art Gates decided to pick this band up. Definitely a recommended new album that will storm the scene this year, and to keep it in the area, this is a behemoth of an album, a new dark star has risen!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9.5/10

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