Band: ACRYLATE

Country: Italy

Title: Chemical Defection

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2010

Style: Thrash Power Metal

Review:

What we have here are 11 tracks of good old fashioned Power/Thrash Metal from Italy’s own Acrylate.  The music is very good with speedy parts and mosh metal all the way through, except for one thing…I feel that the vocalist leaves a bit to be desired with the higher sounding vocals.  The low pitch sounds well, but the actual vocals being sung are not the best.  Either way the music makes up for the lacking vocals, and eventually the listener finds out they have a damn good thrash record.  Acrylate also has a damn good Death Metal influence flowing through their veins and it shows throughout the tracks on the record.  All in all this is a good metal record showing many different elements from genres such as power, speed, death, and plain old thrash metal.  Songs such as "Fight the Pain” and the title track "Chemical Defection” show off the talent that this band really has.  Hopefully with the next record the vocalist will choose to keep the growl and evil vocals! 

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 7/10

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Band: AL-NAMROOD

Country: Saudi Arabia

Title: Estorat Taghoot

Label: Shaytan Productions

Year: 2010

Style: Black Metal

Review:

Saudi Arabian Black Metal is right at my door; Al Namrood is pretty dark and evil, not to mention talented.  This a totally anti-religious Black Metal band as far as the lyrics go and influence comes in all forms.  Usually certain bands don’t come to mind, but specific styles of bands do, as in Dark Funeral, Emperor, and Dark Throne.  Al-Namrood has a message with each release and for fans of newer Black metal sound with all the added trimmings of symphonic and operatic type music with sinister vocals.  There are 11 tracks totaling over 56 minutes in length giving the listener plenty of time to decide which direction to go with these guys.  For fans of the more old school Black Metal avoid this release, but for a different path into the Atmospheric style then try this band out, you might like it, I did.  Tracks such as "Estorat Taghoot” and "Fe Youm Thaqeef” really churn out the different styles and talent of the members who created this entity. 

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 7/10

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Band: CRUADALACH

Country: Czech Republic

Title: Agni - Unveil What's Burning Inside

Label: Parat Magazine

Year: 2011

Style: Folk Metal

Review:

Cruadalach is the poster child for Pure Folk Metal style on the release Unveil What’s Burning Inside.  Hell, I never had a chance to listen to this before!  I will not ever disrespect a person or persons views, music, or ideas…ever, but I really do not understand this style of metal.  In the background there are flutes playing, and different melodies throughout the release.  It all sounded good when put together with the sometimes high pitched, mellow, or even almost guttural vocals.  I found the intro to the track "Heavenly Forge” to be quite interesting.  Begins with a flute, and then all of a sudden the speed metal influence kicks in and all of a sudden a raspy, almost hardcore vocal style comes out.  From Melodic ballads to Flutes to even a touch of darkness with tales told in English and another language…I believe it is Czech.  8 tracks totaling a bit over a half an hour of interesting Folk Metal band Cruadalach and their EP. 

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 7/10

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Band: DEVIATOR

Country: Ukraine

Title: Way of Warriors - Hymn to Immortals

Label: Glorious North Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Ambient Black Death Metal

Review:

This CD is a kind of a best of compilation because it's made of previously released tracks, although I don't see the point in releasing a best of compilation after only 4 years of activity in the underground, but again that's not my business, I shouldn't care. Deviator is not a Thrash Death Metal band as you might think (I thought the same, no problem), but it's a blend of Ambient Black Metal (on early releases) and Black Death Metal on the new CDs, so what you get on this compilation is a bit of everything, you can judge by yourselves if the band has progressed or not during these 4 years since they started releasing stuff. The sound is quite raw, but that wouldn't be a problem is the drums were a bit better produced (I'm talking about the drum programmings they are using), at times they really get on my nerves being so synthetic. Anyway, the good thing is Lord Haster's (the main man behind this project) chose the old-school way of playing Black Metal on guitars (reminded me of Wiccan Rede, the old Negura Bunget) and he has the skills to keep the music quite interesting and diversified. Speaking for myself I like their earlier works much bettern than the new stuff where the drum-machine really becomes laughable or worst, irritating as hell, just listen to the 13th track which is one of the worst I've heard lately. So all in all a thumb up for their earlier works and two thumbs down for they are doing now.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: -/10

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Band: INIQUITOUS

Country: USA

Title: Return to Deeds of Old

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2010

Style: Death Metal

Review:

Texas has surely taken over the reputed title of being the most brutal and ruthless state when it comes to unleashing death metal bands.  All the brutality coming out of Texas is still coming out like a fucking water faucet!  For example, we have the band Iniquitous.  Iniquitous was created from members of Solstice and Suffocation.  What we have here is pure brutality and sickness all the way.  A three track demo that unloads all the chemical imbalance one needs to place this cd in their player!  Iniquitous is a band that is self-explanatory when listened to, I mean the guttural evil, the death laden riffs, and the blasting beats all make up a technically proficient Death/Speed Metal sickness that will surely keep fans of Sarcolytic and Images of Violence happy.  The three tracks on this demo are, hopefully, going to be a sign of what is to appear in the future.  So for fans of extreme sickness and brutality check out Iniquitous and the ruthless songs they recorded!

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 9/10

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Band: KLL

Country: Italy

Title: Black Covers White

Label: Lost Sound Records

Year: 2011

Style: Thrash Metal

Review:

"Half Thrash/Groove Metal” is what the band has as its style of metal they play.  That’s one I haven’t heard before.  Either way Thrash Metal is a definite part of this band’s style and they are ruthless at it.  KLL delivers an entity of brutal riffs and catchy parts which mixes well with the anger and passion within the vocalist of this band.  "Black Covers White” is a release full of anger and hate unleashed upon the world.  KLL has been around since 2001, that is well over 10 years of being a band, but for some reason this is the only release, I mean there are no demos, EP’s, or anything by the band except for this full-length offering.  I have to say that this opus is quite impressive for a band that came out of nowhere!  Now maybe I am just old and out of touch, but KLL has now appeared from the depths of the underground and will probably be shelling out ruthless metal for a long time, KLL is worth the listen!  Check out them out.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: MOLOKEN

Country: Sweden

Title: Our Astral Circle

Label: Discouraged Records

Year: 2011

Style: Atmospheric Sludge Metal

Review:

What started off as a side project band has now turned into a full time effort; What we have here is a band involved in the atmospheric ambience of either Hardcore Metal or maybe even a touch of Black Metal influence as well.  I never heard of Moloken before this review.  I have to say that with all the different influences I hear in the music it is hard to pinpoint anything specific, this is good for a band stuffed into a metal world full of bands and labels reaching through the underground to get a glimpse of light!  Moloken keep things very atmospheric throughout this release, and also able to mix in the other pieces of dreaming ruthlessness in the lyrical content.  Moloken is cool and fans will be happy.  I usually point out tracks to listen to that peaked my interest, but this time I will not.  This is a release best listened to from start to finish for the whole "story”.  Moloken is definitely unique in many ways, especially for metal. 

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: OKULAR

Country: Norway

Title: Probiotic

Label: Regenerative Productions

Year: 2011

Style: Progressive Death Metal

Review:

Uh, so this is one hell of a debut album I tell you. These 4 Norwegians seem to have put a lot of efforts in recording, mastering and releasing this debut album because from my point of view this is faultless: modern, brutal, melodic, technical, creative and crystal clear sounding Death Metal. At times it becomes quite alternative / groovy, at times progressively chaotic and at times it gets very melodic, but the great thing about this band is they are keeping it in range, meaning they keep their music listenable without getting too brutal, too aggressive or too fast. What can I say more about this? It's a top-notch release that introduces a band we'll hear more about in the future. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 9.5/10

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Band: OPHIURA

Country: Italy

Title: BeMind

Label: Copro Records

Year: 2011

Style: Progressive Metal

Review:

14 tracks at almost a full hour come from the minds of Ophiura, a band hailing from Italy.  I haven’t had the chance to listen to Ophiura before, but I have to admit they are good at what they do.  The vocalist definitely has a career in any form of metal he partakes in!  The music is a style I would consider to be…Progressive, yes…Very progressive style of metal.  Clean vocals, symphonic sounds, and a power metal influence that could date back to Manowar’s glory days in metal.  Even though I do not listen to this style very much I have to give credit where credit is do, Ophiura play their music well and the production is polished, at the very least.  Much talent here, and fans of Progressive styles will certainly enjoy "Be Mind”.  tracks like "Opening Eyes” gives the band a chance to show what they know how to do, an intro with a neat piano type of thing and then the vocals cut in over the piano and makes something that mixes well.  Ophiura is a cool band to get into if this your style.  Hell, there might be too much talent in this band judging from this release! 

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 9/10

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Band: RAZORWYRE

Country: New Zealand

Title: Coming Out

Label: Inferno Records

Year: 2011

Style: Thrash Metal

Review:

Power Metal, a brand of old school making its way back up the ranks of the underground in the form of Razorwyre’s  EP Coming Out.  Meaty riffs and a cool production adding to the raw nature of the sound.  Definite influence in the music from the days of Vio-lence, Exodus, Anthrax, and so on with heavier groove.  Razorwyre has a cool sounding vocalist who has a clean style, but at the same time not too clean.  He doesn’t have that annoying high pitched sound, more of a lower tuned vocal style that mixes well with the rest of the band’s sound.  All of the tracks have a good melodic feel to them and the power behind the riffs is awesome.  Razorwyre make me feel like I was 16 and heading out to my first show!  Anyway, check out the tracks like "Party of Five” and "Battleshark” really show what the band is made of.  5 tracks at 22 minutes of old school melodic thrash in more of a power metal style.  Pretty cool stuff. 

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 8/10

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Band: STORMWARRIOR

Country: Germany

Title: Heathen Warrior

Label: Massacre Records

Year: 2011

Style: Power Speed Metal

Review:

Stormwarrior has been churning out the Power Metal since 1998; Heathen Warrior is the band’s 4th full length release since the start of their career.  Stormwarrior appears to be the typical power metal band in the vein of Manowar or Fight with the added speed metal mentality.  The theme of the warrior conquering the world has been around for a long time, but Stormwarrior isn’t so boring.  Clean vocals and melodic influence added with speed and catchy riffs make Stormwarrior a worthy band in the over-stuffed sub-genre of Power Metal these days.  Stormwarrior also achieves such an old school feeling with their metal that I had to keep listening!  Not bad for a guy who reviews brutality and sickness all day long.  While not anything depth defying or unheard of, Stormwarrior do the job of keeping the music interesting with the talent of all the members.  "Heathen Warrior”, "Bloode to Bloode”, and "Fyre and Ice” make for some good listening for power metal fans alike.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 7/10

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Band: SULPHUR CROWN

Country: Hungary

Title: The Cult of Ugliness

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Black Doom Metal

Review:

Damn this is a strange band! Their compositions are so primitive they make you think of unprofessional attitude or lack of skills, but after listening to these tracks a few times I started thinking they wanted the tracks to be so minimalist. The whole sounds desolate, hopeless and doomed, so it fits well with the lyrical idea behind this demo centered around the damnation theme. Fans of Doom and old-school slow Black Metal might like this band, I'm just curious about their next release, if we'll get more complex compositions or if this is really their aim, to create vrey primitive tunes.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 6/10

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Band: THE RANSACK

Country: Portugal

Title: Bloodline

Label: Raging Planet

Year: 2011

Style: Death Metal

Review:

Pretty cool Melodic Death Metal all the way.  You see…Who needs all of these long and drawn out reviews for bands like this!  The Ransack is a very old school feeling band with this release and I love it.  For me, I personally love reading the longer reviews, but I hear things different.  A band like The Ransack lets their music speak for itself, and influence too.  Tracks like "The Last Days”, "Vicodin”, and "Missing” all show different types of sound from the old school days.  Such a feeling of Entombed and Dismember in the music as well when I listen to this.  Either way The Ransack delivers the goods in a genre filled to the hilt with more bands than drugs in the world of the underground.

Reviewed by Lex Luther

Rating: 9/10

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Band: WINTERCOLD

Country: Sweden

Title: Lost Wolf

Label: Selfreleased

Year: 2011

Style: Gothic Doom Metal

Review:

Wintercold is the one man project of William Satanic Tony of Salute Records, one of the most devoted underground metal activists in Sweden nowadays. The band is signed with Satanica Records I guess, but honestly I don't know if this album was produced by Satanica or if it's a self-released effort. Anyway, the music on it it's a kind of underground old-school (a la mid '90's) Gothic Doom Metal with a very primitive sound. The compositions are quite good but the home-made recording is like a block, you can distinguish only a few lyrics although Tony uses mainly clean vocals and whispers. If you'll listen carefully to these 14 tracks (totaling 45 minutes) you'll find some beautiful melodies, well crafted guitar leads and an almost melancholic overall atmosphere. I think Tony should definitely buy some time in a proper studio and record/produce his music in a professional environment, nostalgics of early Doom Gothic Metal will certainly find his work interesting.

Reviewed by Adrian

Rating: 7/10

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