The undisputed German kings of metalcore are without any doubt Heaven Shall Burn. After fifteen years, they're still going strong and to prove that, they've just released their brand new studio album, called VETO.
The first thing that immediately comes to mind while listening to the album, is that everything sounds so clear and solid. Of course Tue Madsen must have had something to do with that as he's been working together with Heaven Shall Burn since the very beginning.
Last time we came across the French Psychedelica artist known as GR (name is actually Gregory Raimu) was with the re-release of the 2008 GR & Full-Blown Expansion album through World In Sound review by yours truly posted 03/01/2010). At the label's website, Mexican Summer is cited as being GR's third solo album, meaning we missed one somewhere.
Encorion were formed by Dutchman Danny de Graaf in order to pay tribute to his passion for both music (with an accent to Metal in general, as well as Folk and Classical Music) and cultural tradition (read: traditional culture; I guess this flag covers the package much more). Soon his project was joined by some same-minded souls, and after signing to Sleaszy Rider, Encorion released a first full length, Facing History And Ourselves, some collection of demonstrational material done in the (short) past.
In 2005, one of the most influential metalcore bands, I Killed The Prom Queen, decided to call it quits. Drummer JJ Peters started killing time by writing new music and recording every single instrument himself. The result was the Rep Your Hood EP by the Australian hardcore band Deez Nuts.
Hailing from the water district in Argovia, Switzerland, this quartet consisting of singer Florian Siegrist, guitarist Matthew Lewis, bassist Vito Marella and drummer/ backing singer Alain Liesch claim a difference from the usual Prog Rock/ Prog Metal type of bands, as they neither indulge in the (and I quote) “...drug-infused '80 organ wanking, nor fiddle 24-minute tracks consisting of one single guitar solo in 7/8...”!
Essentially what you get with Colossus is another entry into the world of groove math sludge metal that is already populated by the likes of Baroness, Truckfighters, Black Tusk and Kylesa. While fanatics of that particular little niche might be the ones to get the biggest kick out of Colossus, the overall unoriginality of the album is very unfilling.
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, a small mountain town where most inhabitants spend their lives handcrafting complicated mechanisms for the luxury watches the country is renowned for, and also the hometown of Louis Jucker, Jonathan Nido, and Luc Hess, respectively the bassist/ backing singer, guitarist and drummer of Berlin based experimental Metal act The Ocean since...somewhere in 2009, I guess (The Ocean have had a stable line-up since Fall 2009, with the threesome and the band's originator, Robin
Hailing from Slovenia, Chains must be one of the most obscure bands out there. The project was formed in 2010 and released a first album, called Of Death, in 2011. When Hour Of 13’s Lord Samhain joined Chains, the style changed a lot, yet without losing the elements of the origins.
Colleagues Erik and Tim having reviewed this Brighton based English Alternative Rock duo's second and third albums Fire Like This and In Time To Voices (reviews respectively posted 01/03/2010 and 26/03/2012 – both still available in this website's “Archive” section), I don't really see a reason to do a full history-of-the-band, but, if indeed you need one, then google the band's page at Wikipedia too keep yourself busy!
In 2009, the Glasgow guys in Bleed From Within were quite fast compared to Bring Me The Horizon. Perhaps because their singer looks a bit like Oli Sykes. Well, those people drew conclusions a bit too fast, as Bleed From Within turned out to be a solid new band, being part of the NWOBHM. They stand up in a world taken over by pop music and easy rock songs.
