Suburban

Salem .. one of those names that might sound familiar with those metal heads who have a more than average interest in NWOBHM.

Exmortus are a very heavy formation from California. After some self-released EP’s, the band released two full lengths via Heavy Artillery Records, In Hatred’s Flame (2008) and Beyond The Fall Of Time (2011). Recently Exmortus signed to Prosthetic’s roster in order to release their third full studio album, Slave To The Sword, which lasts for fifty minutes.

I remember when I received the first album from this Dutch band a few years ago, their bluesy organ rock was a bit too average for my taste, although it was obvious that they had the technical skills to reach a better level.

Sparta  a  NWOBHM band who’s history goes back to  1979! decided to record a new album  after  a successful re-release of their old  ( obscure) stuff via the HIGHROLLER RECORDS LABEL.  Begs the question if this was a good idea….. I would say yes and no…..

I just got hit in the face by a wall of notes. That’s how I would describe my first reaction when I started listening to this record. The band is composed of Jake Foster (lead vocals), Patrick Somoulay (lead guitar), Charles Caswell (rhythm guitar, second lead guitar, backing vocals), Francis Xayana (bass), and Cam Murray (drums).

Primeval Realm sit firmly in the classic school of doom metal, but what more can I say? Primordial Light ain't a bad seven tracks of music, it's nicely played, quite well produced but ultimately lacks being special. While this 40-minute CD displays the members' talents, it also leaves me to wonder what more they can do to expand on the sound they're slowly developing.

While Days of the Fallen Sun certainly ain’t heavy material, it will appeal to a great many of our fraternity. The music is ethereal, beautiful, delicate, spiritual, but at the same time melancholy. It is dramatic and powerful in a subtle way. Emotional intensity does not always equal speed and volume. If you're in a bouncy, moshing round kind of mood this is not a good album. After a few more listens, I did begin to appreciate this album, if not really like it.

I have no idea why this album gets re-issued, but it has been released about one year ago. Unfortunately I cannot find the review done back then (otherwise I could just copy etc…), but anyway, I will keep it short. The band hails from the Canary Island (a part of Spain in the Atlantic) and was formed fifteen years ago. There was one full length before, called Entrance, which got released in 2010 via STF, and the band performed on stage in support of bands like Swallow The Sun and Dark Tranquillity.

In 2006 4 bandmembers met each other on the Mannheimer popacademie and appear on 2006 under the backname of the singer “Hessler”.  After 3 years performing on stage they changed their name in “The Intersphere”.The current members are:

Christoph Hessler (vocals), Thomas Zipner (guitar), Sebastian Wagner (bass) and Moritz Müller (drums).

Nocturnal was formed out of the ashes of Bestial Desecration (a Teutonic trash metal band) somewhere in the year 2000. There was a new line up, but with the same vision: Trash metal highly inspired by bands from the German metal scene like Destruction.