Linear Sphere - Reality Dysfunction

When I got this CD and the info sheet was telling me that they play prog-fusion metal I doubt if I would like it. Normally I am into the extreme but I gave Linear Sphere a fair chance. I crossed my fingers after hearing the keyboard intro but let them go right away when the real music started. Like the sheet is also telling that 3 members are teach...

26/02/2009

Maze Of Torment - Hidden Cruelty

Album number six from this Swedisch thrash metal horde. The band is around since the early 90's and play thrash pur sang. No fancy shit just the headbanging galops with the great air guitar leads. The album rapids with enough breaks to change tempo and melody. Also two mid paced songs (track 4 and 10) to lean back and charge the battery and for the...

26/02/2009

Paragon - The Dark Legacy

Never heard of this power metal band before but this is their 6th album. Existing since 1992 and still held high the roots of heavy metal. Up tempo songs, clean high vocals, multi vocals choruslines, fresh guitars with nice leads. After some up tempo songs there comes this slower one and then go full speed ahead again. All very classic and with the...

26/02/2009

Quietus - Destroyer Of Worlds

One man band that delivers 1 intro and two apocalyptic tracks. Fast drumprogramming, hellish / thrashy screams and raging guitars are the ingredients that is a taste for the full length to come. With the intro the tension is build and will go over in devastating next song. Screams covers the speakers and the tempo is high. In the last song Chris is...

26/02/2009

Shining / Funeral Dirge - The Sinister Alliance

2 tracks from each group. This split contains raw and unparalelled metal supremecy. Shining play very fast, thrash influenced Black Metal that gives you a few surprises. Funeral Dirge play true old school black metal much in the vain of Mayhem at least in guitar sound. Vocal style from Funeral Dirge is absolutley amazing, sounds like the welps of a...

26/02/2009

Sternenstaub - Destination: Infinity

With members of Abigor, Gravewurm and Golden Dawn this Austrian combo plays symphonic black metal. Started in 1997 with the aim to combine classic music with black metal. This is their debut (after a MCD) and the songs are various. From fast and furious to floating atmospheric. Dominant guitars, flute, keys and different vocalsstyle. Nice album tha...

26/02/2009

Xasthur - Xasthur

With this MCD Xasthur will leave Moribund Cult and so what will he do in th future. The man behind Xasthur is Malefic and he is also doing all the instruments and vocals. On this MCd there are three track with a running time of 24 minutes. The caracteristic suicidal funeral sound is also here. Distorted guitarsound that is dominating the songs with...

26/02/2009

Armaggedon - Possessed By Satan

With attitude and lyrical themes like this, you would expect totally destructive blasting black metal. Black metal it is, but the guitarriffs are mid-tempo semi-melodic and very standard. Drums are simplistic as well as the vocals screaming hate. If this is what the armageddon sounds like, even what they call "Untermenschen" will survive.

26/02/2009

Beyond Surface - Destination's End

From Germany comes this gothic rock formation and participated in the Young Metal Gods competition. A young band that are capable of writing catchy songs. Slightly heavy guitarriffing, clear vocals, mid tempo songs and even a ballad are some ingredients. As I am not familiar with this genre I tried to listen to it but it got irritating after some s...

26/02/2009

Callenish Circle - [Pitch.Black.Effects]

Latest effort of this Dutch band. On this album Callenish Circle expands their boundaries. Not only are the songs very strong but they also add some industrial sounds to it. But the majority is an effective mix of thrash and death metal with passion and melody. Vocals are sung in various styles, tempo is going up and down and the guitars are that t...

26/02/2009

Darkthrone - The Cult Is Alive

Already the 12th release from these Norwegians. Darkthrone started as a real raw black metal band and throughout the years they changed. Is it still black metal? I think so as it is still heavy, sinister and raw. But nowadyas it contains punk and rock n roll influences. Think of a mixture of Sodom, Celtic Frost, Venom and Bathory. The songs have a...

26/02/2009

Forseti - Erde

Forseti is a one man project from Andreas Ritter and he gets help from various people. Forseti is not metal but more medieval folk music with German language. In the songs you can hear instruments like violin, flute, cello and accordeon. And beside the male vocals also female. The songs breath an atmosphere of the middle ages and the German languag...

26/02/2009

H-Tray - Distressing Report

Step up and getcha pull of this french Quientet! By far "Distressing Report" is one of the best and most original albums I have heard this year. H-Tray take the best parts of Thrash, Hardcore, and Death Metal, and produce sonic fury. In you face clean to gutteral vocals, Insane Chops, A skilled rythmic drummer that Gene Hoglan himself might even...

26/02/2009

Insider - Simple water drops

This is a piece of psychedelic spacerock performed by Insider. Very much guitar oriented music based on fuzzy grooving guitarrrifs with cosmicclear or eardrumshredding leads floating above. From mid to more uptempo the atmosphere is set by straightforward songs with heavy and catchy riffs, dynamic yet basic drumming and victorious 70's hardrock voc...

26/02/2009

Mourners Lament - Unbroken Solemnity

Maybe you don't know this Chilean band but most likely you know the name of the Candlemass song taken from the "Nightfall" album. Keeping in mind that there are only three songs on this EP but the running time is 32 minutes. So any idea what kind of style they play? Right, they play doom with a touch of death. Low growling vocals on a whispering...

26/02/2009