Shadow's Far - Lost In Contemplation

Lost in Contemplation is Shadow’s Far first record. Their Mcd has sold out and can be fully downloaded from Shadow’s Far website. This band plays fast and aggressive metal that can most definetly hold a high appeal to different metalheads. I say this in a time when bands such as Children of Bodom and such are losing their appeal due to their indiff...

26/02/2009

Stalaggh - :Projekt Misanthropia:

Stalaggh is a Dutch noise/drone/black metal band that specializes in experiments of hell sounds. How does one create the effect of hell in music? Well it has obviously been tried for years with severe distortion, growl vocals, and now with technology and electronic vocals. Stalaagh gets its name from the German word for Prison, “stalag” (Have you e...

26/02/2009

Arcano Musica - CD Promo 01

Arcano Musica is a label from Brasil and this is a promo with some bands they release. Psykodeath plays old school DM not very original but just good powder to listen to. Vinterriket plays atmospheric BM and you can read reviews of them in the list. Camus plays diabolical BM, mid tempo melodic with hellish screams. Last band is War Hammer that play...

26/02/2009

Bestial Devastation - Your Vagina Is Sick

The Italian band Bestial Devastation’s YOUR VAGINA IS SICK… is a solid gore band release that suffers from too much pomp and circumstance with lacks in the actual brutality department. I do find pleasure in the release as I have listened to it several times repeatedly (and I do mean repeatedly in the same setting). But one of the things that brutal...

26/02/2009

Byproduct - To Create, Rather Than To Destroy

This band - I can hear strong Hatebreed and Slipknot influence on their sound, but that ain't the beginning and end of it. On "To Create, Rather Than Destroy" Byproduct have got a lot of cool shit going on with some trippy, ambient shoegazer type stuff mixed in with the heavy hardcore and it works very well, adding an extra dimension to what one ca...

26/02/2009

Dark Nova - Sivilla

Being around for some years now Dark Nova (Greece) developed their own style of epic powermetal as I would like to call this. Interesting fast duelling guitarriffs and rhytmic heaviness supported by keyboards lead us through the songs tell that each tell a different story. Ambiance and atmosphere are strengthened by vocals that at first aim for pow...

26/02/2009

Forgjord - Henkeen Ja Venkeen

Finnish black metal is still alive and a lot of band mix it with their natural environment. Forgjord also combines grim and cold black metal with dark forests, cold lakes and witchcraft. Resulting in their debut album with 14 tracks containging the raspy shivering vocals. Tempo is high but with breaks to screw the tempo down or even go a bit faster...

26/02/2009

Horrified - Deus Diabolus Inversus

Horrified comes from Greece and is playing mid tempo melodic death metal. They enrichen there music with orchestral elements, female vocals, atmospheric parts. The vocals remind me sometimes of Gorefest (rip). The guitarsound is flowing thru the songs even touching some melancholic sidepaths. This an album that need more time to get thru you. Every...

26/02/2009

Mortifilia - Redemption

Mortifilia is a band from the Czech Republic who is playing Swedish orientated death metal. Redemption is their debut dics after 3 demos and released on the Spanish label Mondongo Canibale. Fast tempo songs with brutal vocals, nice hammering drums and aggressive and melodic riffing. Unfortunately too few guitarleads to make it real shredding. This...

26/02/2009

Nightward - Face The Fall

2nd Demo from this Italian metal combo. Playing their tunes in a mixed style of thrash and death. Technical and melodic but yet aggressive. Lot of tempo breaks pushed by the good and strong drumming. Guitars are catchy with some leads. The screamer changes from aggressive to brutal. These 6 songs are mature and surprisingly good. Very nice album fr...

26/02/2009

Sacrifist - The Well Of Sacrifice

When I say South Africa you don't think of metal bands at all but here I have one for you. Sarcifist is one of their top bands and active for more than 10 years as their debut "The Tides Have Turned” was released in 1997. This is their 3rd album and released in 2004 and containing 10 tracks of heavy death metal in the Gothenburg style. Raw grunting...

26/02/2009

The Black Wing EP - Black Wings Spread The Night

This compilation is released as a limited hand made cover due to the fact the label exists for 1 year now. Three bands do two songs each. Dirty Bird is the first one and plays some rough and dirty rock with huge zombie addiction. Distroted vocals and stoner guitars. Gravitron also plays stoner rock with doom touches. Melodic guitarriffing with spac...

26/02/2009

T.O.O.H. - Order And Punishment

T.O.O.H. is a band from the Czech Republic that already exist for more than 10 years. Already released several albums and now at the end of 2005 a new album on Earache. De band is singing in their native tongue over death metal with various interventions. Tempo is in fast drumming, shouty voices and almost narrating. The guitars are flexible and ri...

26/02/2009

Venom - Witching Hour

Every metalhead knows this band and their history and value for the entire metal scene. Started as a trio way back in 1979 (!) and having troubles a lot in the line up. It was a surprise that I got this record and hoped to get some material with the first line up. But looking at the artwork and seeing Mantas 4x and 1 soft image of Abaddon and no pi...

26/02/2009

Kehlvin - The Mountain Daylight Time

Kehlvin are Self-described as progressive hardcore. Their record "Mountain Daylight Time" gives you plenty of space for your mind to expand into. Lots of varying dynamics in this one. Musical motifs are introduced and then developed eventually leading to a dramatic crescendo. The songs are of varying lengths with clean and heavy sounds, very muc...

26/02/2009