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Right form the opening track, this album hits you like a sledgehammer if you ask me.  Not only is it bristling with energy, but it’s also melodious, catchy, anthemic, bombastic, progressive…you name it, and it’s probably got it.

Sometimes you get confused for a reason you didn’t expect. This was the case, for my concern, when receiving a copy of Walk Through Fire’s Hope Is Misery. Reason? That crazy artwork, for Odin’s sake… I’m not sure if I like it (I think I am not truly a ‘fan’ of this kind of visuals), but it surely focuses on depression, pain, dejection, prostration and hopelessness (taken from the collected works of Cihat Aral).

Recently I got in touch with Ralf ‘Ralli’ Rabendorn, a talented musician / producer / photographer, but also the guy behind the label ContraMusikProduktion (together with Against It Records known as convinced promotors for Anti-Music). The honest approach of this guy and both labels, as well as the projects on the labels’ roster, made me curious and interested, and willing to work with them. Ralli did send the Concreteweb headquarters some material which I did look forward to.

The Russian act Rage In Silence finally releases its debut album via Symbol Of Domination Productions, a sub-division of mighty Satanath Records. It’s called Doomsday Butchery and lasts for about twenty five minutes, and believe me if I say that it will certainly please some of the sickest minds amongst you.

Poezd Rodina (aka Поезд Родина) are a young project, formed in 2014 by a guy from Russia and one from Ukraine. Both of them, Andrey Tvorogov (instruments) and Evgeniy ‘Eugene’ (vocals) play together under the name Montes Insania too, another superb act on Satanath Records. There will be a review on Montes Insania too in a near future, by the way.

North Black are a Russian one-man outfit by Asmodeus (Svart Faalskhet). With Filosofi Svart Skog, North Black bring sixty six minutes of Symphonic Black Metal that totally lacks of originality, but believe me if I assure you that the fan of this specific genre will adore this piece!

I had not heard of them before, but apparently Monox wander around our globe for more than a decade. And what’s more, they were formed by members of notorious acts such as Mass Hypnosis, Gorthaur’s Wrath and Omega Lithium. In 2009, these Croatians released an EP called Ending – Beginning, appropriately entitled this way to focus on a new era to come. Then they played live in their home country and some neighbor countries, and the band started writing and, eventually, recording their debut full length.

Polish horde Gurthang (another reference to the great Tolkien-sagas!) finally returns with new work. In the first years of their existence (they were formed in 2010), they did record and release quite some stuff, but as from half of 2013 nothing seemed to happen anymore. Until now…

Ethir Anduin (named after the delta of the Anduin-river in the Belfalas Bay; cf. Tolkien…) were formed in 2006, and the earliest years were characterised by a relative silence, at least when it comes to official releases. Sole member Alexei Veselov wrote several tracks, but none were released. As from 2010 however, Ethir Anduin did bring out lots of things, including several mini and full length albums. And now this project returns with the fifth album, I Magen Av Svart Kaos, which has a total running time of forty two minutes.

Swedish outfit Entrench finally return to our dimension (though apparently, but I’ve seen missed them, there were some split-EP’s too, with the likes of Bombs Of Hades or Insane), but this time as a duo, since their drummer died a year and a half ago. I’m glad they did not decide to quit, yet rather to continue in order to pay tribute to their deceased brother-in-arms.