It's safe to say Havok has one goal: 'Thrash 'til death'. These denim and leather-clad metal warriors have quickly released their sophomore album Unnatural Selection. Much like last year's excellent Time is Up, Unnatural Selection finds Havok fast, frantic and damn near flawless. Yes, much on Unnatural Selection will echo elements of Sacrifice, DRI, Slayer, Kreator, and others but phantom lord, can these Denver lads play thrash!
Gloryhammer is, so to speak, the brainchild of Christopher Bowes, mastermind of Alestorm. But mind you, this album has no similarities to what he does with Alestorm. He wrote the music for this album, and played the keyboards on it. For the vocals he enlisted the aid of Thomas Winkler (Emerald), who did a great job.
First impressions of Eldkraft will leave many metal heads bewildered and confused as they try to decide whether to stick with, this the band’s first album Shaman. Not because it’s a barrage of noise but because this isn’t exactly your run of the mill metal.
Dark Buddha Rising return with another set of difficult to describe, impossible to label repetitive ambient stripped-down kraut shaman drone doom music. "D" at a mere 12 minutes opens the album, an comparatively smooth guitar line howls away, but instead of the usual explosion of sound one’s come to expect, the music actually drifts into a rather minimalist groove. All of the songs, though much doomier, actually receive the same treatment. The second song “K” enters attacking on a low handed bass riff backed by a meandering vocal almost Buddhist chanting.
Those who do follow, and appreciate, this Polish act will not be disappointed by Henbane, the newest opus of Cultes Des Ghoules. The band did release several vinyl recordings in the past, as well as a fabulous debut full length (Haxan, which was re-released by Hells Headbangers during spring 2011; see the update in our beloved Concreteweb’s Archives section on July 21st 2011).
It took Church of Misery four years to release their fourth CD titled Thy Kingdom Scum. CoM are a quartet from Japan that combines elements of doom, stoner and NOLA sludge in a fascinating way. They ass to this an incredibly authentic seventies low fuzz feeling that won me over instantly. Foremost I am impressed by the dynamic production that helps this album to develop its sound structures even more.
The Eldritch Dark is a massive album for Blood Ceremony. The album is full of great performances, beautiful writing, and an injection of folk catchiness that the band had only flirted with on prior outings. Do not be afraid though, there is still the classic band at the heart of the album. Still mixing their brand of occult doom with seventies rock elements the band runs through the album without a single note sounding forced or out of place.The driving force behind the band is flutist, organist and singer Alia O' Brien her voice is very important
Were founded in the beginning of the millennium, and Meteor is already their sixth longplayer, and their first one on their new label Selfmadegod Records (Nunslaughter, Agathocles, Cripple Bastards,...) With 29 minutes, this is a rather short affair, but in the band’s history, it is strangely enough one of their longer works.
Formed by former Type O Negative and Life Of Agony drummer/guitarist/vocalist Sal Abruscato, NY, US A Pale Horse Named Death were signed to SPV America in the fall of 2010. Their debut And Hell Will Follow was released in 2011, which was immediately noticed by the international Metal scene. It's now 2013, and A Pale Horse Named Death brand new album, Lay My Soul To Waste is finally here.
The origins of Maltese act Victims Of Creation go back to the early nineties, but except for some local ‘popularity’, this band wasn’t of any importance. However, it was a pity because Victims Of Creation did have some potential. After a couple of years, the band was put to rest, but when the remaining original members Rex and Dino started jamming again with AJ Burn (who was, by the way, their colleague in another band, Lithomancy), the band was sort of reborn.
