From the Greek side of Cyprus the band Astronomikon tries to conquer the world. Musicians from the other quite know band Arrayan Path founded this group in 2008 and released a first demo tape in 2010. “Dark Gorgon Rising” is their debut album and for some reasons it reminds at the famous Crimson Glory debut. It are not the vocals, but probably the feeling which is quite similar. Heavy, powerful with some keys surrounded by phatastic guitar leads.
German melodic hard rock/metal band Voodoo Circle is back with their third album, titled “More Than One Way Home”. Voodoo Circle is, of course, the side project of former Silent Force (and current Primal Fear) guitarist Alex Beyrodt, who is joined by vocalist David Readman (Pink Cream 69), bassist Mat Sinner (Primal Fear, Sinner), drummer Markus Kullmann (Dezperadoz) and keyboardist Jimmy Kresic (Kiske/Somerville).
The Greek Valor was formed in 2002 and two years later released their first mini-cd “The Nameless One” which received high praises from international underground media. In 2008 came the band’s first full length album “Destiny’s Path”.
Their third album “The Yonder Answer” is again the result of an intensive collaborative effort between all band members the result of which is an album full of melody and passion.
The DIY record label Eolian Empire (a side-label of Earsplit Records) is back after some years of silence and is about to release their most ambitious record to date: a compilation record covering 26 underground bands from their area, called Keep Our Heads. The compilation contains all rock and metal genres, from doom to rock to thrash to hardcore and to many more guitar oriented genres.
The Haverbrook Disaster from Germany is a relatively new hardcore band which is about to release its new record, Weather The World.
Whether The Bunny The Bear is the newest electronic DJ sensation or the newest rock duo, that's up to you to decide after having listened to their second record, Stories.
To say it took a few listens before Har Nevo opened up would be the understatement of the year. I still have to be in a particular mood to really enjoy the music fully, This is The Black Heart Rebellion latest and they have created an album of the type that doesn't come along very often.
This album has been lying around for some time now, to the point I’d almost forgotten a review still had to be written, and since its release goes back more than a year, I’ll be very short about it. Streets Of Town is a Greek band, although judging by the music they sound more America then some American bands.
What they bring us is good, bluesy hard rock, with some other influences mixed in, like Southern Rock, boogie and classic rock.
Paganland was founded in 1997 by Ruen and Bilozor in Lviv, an Ukrainian city. The natural mysricism hidden in the Carpathian’s greatness, the dense woods, and pure mountain sources could not but affect musicians with a pagan outlook (or what did you think with the name Paganland). Therefore, Paganland’s debut demo “Gods Of Golden Circle” an the demo “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors”, one way or another, had been related to the pagan metal.
Bass player Jason Newsted has been off the grid from the music world since his work with Voivod ended after 2009’s “Infini.” Other than contributing to the supergroup WhoCares and an appearance during one of Metallica’s 30th anniversary shows, the man seemed to be missing from the scene (or even the world).
