One of Belgium’s finest (in quite an impressive list of splendid bands and projects, of course) must be Saille, once formed by Dries Gaerdelen in order to pay tribute to bands like Keep Of Kalessin, Tartaros and Limbonic Art. The band recorded two fabulous albums before, Irreversible Decay (2010) and Ritu (2012), both of them released via Code666.
Bunker 66 hail from Messina, an historical city on the Italian island Sicily. In 2009 they came with a very fine EP, Out Of The Bunker, and at the very end of 2012 the released their first full length via the label they are currently on, Infernö Interceptörs (the album) and High Roller Records (the label). Without any doubt that record was one of my favourite albums that very same year (for the review, see the update on February 16th 2013).
It had been rumoured for a while , Gaz Jennings of Cathedral fame, hooked up with some members of Belgium’ doom cult heroes Serpentcult (singer Michelle Nocon and drummer Fredrik Cosemans) and an album was in the works….. A single released earlier this year already gave us an insight in things to come….
In the mid- nineties Rykers, were no doubt together with a handful of other bands the leaders of the European hardcore pack. They were well seen guests at a many festivals and at clubshows. Live shows never were dull and the band was a force to reckon with.…. Rykers released four full lengths between 94 and calling it a day in 2000.
It has been quite a while, but I am glad I Hate did send our headquarters some new stuff at last. I cannot explain why, but their releases almost always please me a lot.
It is not because I am chauvinistic, but normally we consider the U.S., Sweden and Germany as the most important countries when it comes to Death Metal. I think the Lowlands, i.e. Belgium and (especially) the Netherlands, are at least as influential for the worldwide scene. It was the case in the earliest years, and it has not changed.
Germany’s impressive Extreme Metal label War Anthem Records and Baden-Württemberg-based Black Metal act Unlight recently joined forces in order to have this band’s sixth album released. It took quite some time, because the last album they did (Sulphurblooded, reviewed by colleague Tim; see update September 14th 2010) dates from 2010. However, it does not imply a drastic change of style.
This München based Teuton Hardcore project was founded in June of last year, when singer David Mangoya (of Roger Rekless), drummer Fabian “Fabi” Füss (formerly of Emil Bulls), and guitarists Florian “Flo” Gudzent (of The New Recruits) and Chris Zehetleitner (ex-the Blackout Argument) joined up with bassist Michael “Michi” Kokus, and started
Golem are a pretty ‘old’ band from Germany, formed in 1989 as a Grind-combo, and despite limited activities, they never broken up officially (so, still active???).
Sweet Apple is band of rockers from groups you've mostly heard before if you listen to music besides metal.
