An Italian Avant-garde/Progressive Death Metal band with a violin player that's like a blend of Dream Theater, Pagannini, Orf, Theatres des Vampires and Diablo Swing Orchestra. I can actually feel my brain going numb as I force myself to listen to it. I must mention, in all fairness, that the musicians are good at handling their instruments, and a few approved parts are to be found here and there.
Edge, a new band, comes from Sweden, and brings us some fine AOR/Melodic rock. The band features no less than 3 musicians whom once also played in Shadowland – Jonas Forss, Tobias Andersson and finally Olle Rodehn, and it’s line-up is further completed by Torbjörn Brogren (Heads Or Tales). Special guest on the album is Tommy Denander who plays the guitar solo on one track.
Dirty Diamonds are a band hailing from Limerick in the UK. But while googling for information about this band you might stumble upon another band listening to the same name, but originating from Chicago – USA. However the music of this two band cannot be confounded, as they play something completely different. This EP is an own release, and the guys are actively looking for funds to finish and release their first full album. Their music is 80ies metal, but brought in a very ballsy way.
After some line-up changes, Long Island-based combo Buckshot Facelift return with the third long player, after Universal Goat Tilt and Anchors Of The Armless Gods. The band recorded the new album at Audio Playground with Keith Moore (production, engineering, mix and mastering).
The result is an amazing collection of unique, original Grind-explosions with a slight touch of exaggeration. However, because of the creative ideas, this exaggerated approach gets easily excused.
Altaar is the project of Andreas Tylden (guitar,vocals), but along the way Andreas has picked up Sven Ove Toft (guitar, organ) Espen T Hangard (guitar, synths), Didrik Telle (bass) and Kenneth Lamond (drums).
Manufactum III is another live-album (after I and II, but I guess you’re smart enough to find it out yourself), captured in front of about 8,000 wild fans during a gig in Hamburg, Germany.
Pros: wonderful sound! There is nothing that bothers when it comes to the sound. It is just like it has been registered in a few hundreds of takes in a professional studio, then enriched with the enthusiastic support of a couple of thousands of fans. Another pro: the instrumental part of the deal. My personal appreciation goes to the bag pipes and percussion parts
Murder Death Kill clearly explains what the band Mortillery stands for: thrash metal to the bone. Literally, to the bone, since they will definitely rip out your spine with their bone hard headbang provoking riffs.
Joel Grind did a jam session in the vein of the earliest efforts by his main band, Toxic Holocaust, in order to pay tribute again to the roots of Metal. The result is a twenty five-minutes ten tracker (intro and outro included) that honours the Old School, i.e. early Bathory (especially!!!), Motörhead, Kreator, Countess, Venom, Sodom and, of course, early Toxic Holocaust.
Finntroll are one of the leading bands from Finland when it comes to Folk-injected Extreme Metal. I don’t feel like re-writing the band’s biography or discography right here, because the web from a wide world has all information you might need.
Remember the gore ol’ times?...
This is such a band that defines the initial core of Relapse’s roster. Devourment, the one from Dallas, Texas, are known for their mostly uncompromising, mercilessly blasting Grind-edged Death assaults. They do it with conviction, with brutal power, with great craftsmanship. Yeah, oops, they did it again!
