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Patria are a Brazilian Black Metal formation, forged in 2008 by two very experienced musicians: multi-instrumentalist Marcelo ‘Mantus’ Vasco, known from e.g.

Paranorm is a thrash metal band based that comes all the way from Uppsala, Sweden. They have been playing together since 2008. 2010 saw the release of a demo and two EPs (Pandemonium's Rise, 2011 and The Edge of Existence, 2014). During that time, the band has been playing numerous shows around Sweden. They aim to create a melodic and progressive form of thrash metal, while still retaining power and aggression that is the foundation of their idea and music.

‘High Road’ is ‘Nightrangers’ eleventh Studio album. ‘Nightranger’ is known for its feelgood- and catchy songs. And on ther latest album it’s not so different, and it’s a great album as usual. Of course they can never beat the years where they brought out albums such as: ‘Down Patrol’ (1982), ‘Midnight Madness’ (1983) and ‘Big Life’ (1987) but that goes for all the bands that exist more than 25 years.

When Martyr Defiled debuted with their full length Collusion, they were sort of catapulted to the top of the scene in the U.K. Also, they built up an enormous ‘popularity’ for their extreme live performances. In mean time, Martyr Defiled shared the stage with the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder, Thy Art Is Murder, Despised Icon and All Shall Perish.

Young quartet Hirsipuu hails from Finland and self-releases the eight-tracker Ihmisestä, which lasts for eighteen minutes. This means: short tracks, all of them in between two and three minutes, so expect a fist-in-the-face product that will take no prisoners. And indeed it does not.

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.

Norway’s Den Saakaldte, named after a Ved Buens Ende-song (taken from their sole album, Written In Waters), were formed in 2006 by Michael ‘Sykelig’ Siouzios, who originates from Greece. He used to be member of one of my favourite Greek combos, Naer Mataron, before he moved over to Norway (back then he acted under the name of Morfeas), and in Norway he used to be part of Paradigma for a couple of years.

Curimus from Finland call themselves a thrash band,  but honest… what I hear is sort of a deathmetal/metalcore album, of which the last dozen of so years we’ve had plenty and more.. Hailing from Nordic territory of course means, that overall we have a well-crafted / produced album which is always a good thing.

Austria’s Brewed & Canned were formed at the end of last century by two young (at least back then) brothers, Michael (g) and Max (d) Fingernagel. However, they didn’t release anything but some demonstrational stuff; three to be exactly, if I am not mistaken. Very recently, however, and finally, they were able to sign to a professional label, i.e. Germany’s young and small but impressive Death / Black label Blacksmith Records.

Although San Diego (California) based Metalcore/ Post-Hardcore hybrid act Being As An Ocean (named after a quote from Mahatma Gandhi) only came in existence in late 2011, the vast majority of its members have a musical past in DeathCore act Vanguard which, having been formed in 2005, left us two EPs (2006 Dragonslayers and 2009's Bring Hope – both 5-trackers) and one full-length (2008's Erek And Ivor).