Grimlet (Portugal (Figueira Da Foz) )

Grimlet - Grim Perceptions [2010] (Progressive Death Metal)
Lable : Unsigned

Grimlet's genesis happens in 1999. In October 2003, the band starts recording their debut EP at EchoSystem Studios, with the producer Rui Santos (Oratory, Timeless).
The debut EP “Darkness Shrouds the Hidden” is self-released by the band, distributed by Adrenalina/Recital Records, and is presented live at Hard Club, in Porto, in September 2004.

Throughout 2006 and 2007, the reactions of the press both national and internationally exceed everyone’s expectations, as the band plays the “Domination Tour”.
Grimlet plays some of the most important stages, band battles and festivals in the country, sharing the stage with many powerful names in the Portuguese and international metal scene such as, Dagoba, Benediction, Dew-Scented and appearing in various metal compilations alongside national and international bands

In 2009, the band completes the anticipated debut album “Grim Perceptions”, mixed by Daniel Cardoso and mastered in Sweden by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth), an intense explosion of extreme Death/Thrash Metal, 50 minutes of dark and twisted visions coming out from the chaos that manipulates and consumes the human mind!


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Etched in Stone (United States of America (Modesto, California) )

Etched in Stone - Emulate the Defiler [2010] (Progressive Deathcore)
Lable : Unsigned

A fresh aroma of Hardcore and Metal in a perfect blend. Doest thou dare say it be "metalcore"?! We don't make decaf! it's good to the last drop...
We all influence the crap out of eachother to further the drive that fuels our music. and we all are invidually influnced by some other musicians as well...Bands we've shared the stage with: Decrepit Birth, Embryonic Devourment, Psycroptic, Suffocation,Veil of Maya, All Shall Perish...

brian lewis - vocals
eric wolford - first guitar
michael salet - bass guitar
brandon blewitt - drums & percussion
justin wolfe - second guitar

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Crystalic (Finland (Tampere) )

Crystalic - Persistence [2010] (Progressive Death Metal)
Lable : Unsign

The music industry is a funny old beast. While your Justin Biebers and Lady Gagas are getting multi-million dollar/pound/groat deals (depending on locality), there are talented metal bands literally giving their albums away because they can't get a label to back them. Crystalic are one such band. After three years of trying, and failing, to get a decent deal from record execs, they'd done the only thing left; released Persistence, their aptly titled new album, for free via their website.

The band's lyrics deal with such topics as philosophy, society and the human condition. Pretty standard death metal fare, and fitting to the hard, heavy chug and the fast-paced, intricate riffs. The staccato blasts of the drum behind the driving rhythm of the guitars has an urgency that is infectious. Even the guitar noodling during the solos carries the mood. It makes your heart skip and your stomach tie itself in knots as you feel the energy of the music.

The album seems split in half, the first being a series of hard hitting death metal tracks to showcase the band's musical talent, and the second being a more commercial selection. Between the two halves is the album's only instrumental track, Eulogy. It's dedicated to the memory of Chuck Schuldiner, the father of death metal and founder of Death.

Every track on this album is great, but the stand-out tracks for me are Wall Of Sanity, Voiceless Army and Blastbeat Of My Heart. Blastbeat is an ear-worm of a track, and gets itself inside your head and stays there. That track alone has prompted me to play the entire album numerous times after subconsciously singing it to myself while walking around Tesco.

For fans of melodic or progressive death metal, this album is about as pure as it gets. And those who are not might as well have a listen. It's free, after all. Put your headphones on, crank up the volume, and get ready to detonate the blastbeat of your heart.

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Red Sparowes (United States (Los Angeles, CA) )

Red Sparowes - The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer [2010] (Post-Rock/Metal)
Lable : Sargent House

Of all the "Post Rock/Math Rock" artists I've heard (and I try to listen to everyone I hear of cuz, for some reason, I really like this new subgenre of progressive music) Red Sparowes keeps me coming back. I not only enjoy their music, but I love the concepts they employ to inspire their songwriting. While not earth-shatteringly innovative, they are still testing the Math Rock structures--and all this while remaining an all-instrumental band. There are no bad songs; all songs make for good attentive listening as well as background music for work, etc. There are several slower, softer songs as well as the usual Post Rock power builders. The Oklahoma twang guitar is at time more prominent but also more enjoyable because it is such an unusual sound in the prog world. This album is good enough to be recommended as an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.

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Pineapple Thief (United Kingdom)

Pineapple Thief - Someone Here is Missing [2010] (Crossover Progressive)
Lable : K-Scope

Finally, a 2010 PA album that doesn't make me raise my arms in desperation about the apparent loss of songwriting qualities in current Prog acts. Anathema's We're here had its fair share of strong moments but only Motorpsycho's Heavy Metal Fruit managed to fully convince me with its quality and audacity. And now we can add Someone Here is Missing to the very short list of memorable 2010 prog-rock releases. It seems like the 90's-00's rebirth of Prog creativity is running dry. Let's hope I'm wrong and discover a few more 2010 gems!
Finally, and more to the point, we have a Pineapple Thief album that doesn't send me off to a comforting nap. The band added a good chunk of power and heaviness to their sound, something that makes them sound even more like a Radiohead meets Porcupine Tree clone, but it is exactly that bit of power they needed to make their emotive music come alive. And luckily this is one of those rare cases of cloning where the quality of the result compensates for the lack in originality.
Finally, I see a pattern in the few releases I mentioned in the intro. Just like Motorpsycho, Pineapple Thief combines the noisy 'cool' of indie-rock with progressive elements. In case of the Thief, the result is less psych-jazzy but more poppy (even slightly techno at times), but the combination proves to be very fertile as well. If more bands follow in these footsteps, our modern Prog might find some fresh air after all.
Because of its instant accessibility I'll hold the 5 star in the closet till the album proves to be one of those that I can't stop listening to. So I'll stick to a 4 till my natural skepticism against 'instant-satisfaction albums' is proven wrong. Anyway, great rock music here!


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Anathema (United Kingdom (Liverpool) )

Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here [2010] (Experimental/Post Metal)
Lable : Kscope

Anathema" We're Here Because We're Here" The new Anathema album came out this week, yet I watched about 20+ ratings go up on ProgArchives over the last couple of months without any reviews attached. How does that happen? It felt like hit and run ranking. Skim the songs, post a rank, and leave. I realize people we're downloading the songs, but we're people just listening to a couple of samples (and not buying/downloading the whole album?) We're people only listening to it (or bits of it) and then revewing it after first listen? For me, I need the whole album in front of me, lyric sheets, and internalize it as a package. I'm on my 7th listen now, and I'm ready to post a review.
Anyway, its their first in over 5 years. Of course I got it the first day it came out. Man-o-man, this puppy doesn't disappoint. I don't know what it is about this band that slays me so much, its not like they're choppin' riffs out like KC's Elephant Talk, its much more ethereal and moody. But they're committed to exploring that certain aesthetic like nobody before. Some of their albums (Judgment and A Fine Day To Exit) I think are the best albums of the decade, and I keep going back to them.
This album t is as great as any of those above, and is an improvement over their last album "Natural Disaster", which had a couple less than stellar moments. Nothing like that on "We're Here Because We're Here", which starts with a strong radio friendly anthem ? "Thin Air" - that Muse only wish they could write. The rest of the album explores their own muse of finding soaring beauty by building their slow epics to a dynamic crescendo, and often trying to find soaring beauty in the remnants of metal. Five years between albums allows years for songwriting and the best stuff to emerge.
'Post-Prog' or 'Post-metal' really are "adequate descriptions for their music". There's little of either in this music, but somehow you feel the ghost of both. "We're Here Because We're Here" is not a large jump from what they first started exploring on "Alternative 4", what it is however is a their final crystallized masterpiece that they've been itching for. This really will be a treat for anyone who loves Porcupine Tree, of course the presense of Steven Wilson -- who mixed the album ? clearly contributes toward that.

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Ahoora (Iran (Tehran) )

Ahoora - Awkward Diary [2010] (Progressive/Post-Rock)
Lable : ZirZamin

Remember AHOORA? It's a metal band from Iran and you can't miss them because there are not many metal bands coming from this country due to reasons that surpass this small review. They are also an example of determination because they chased their dreams overcoming every possible obstacle (prohibitions, cancellations of concerts, denial of leaving the country, passport problems, interruption of the recording process due to social turbulence, being presented as terrorists in an international Slayer tribute cd and many more) and they finally released their latest album “Awkward Diary” in an international label, actually the Iranian label of U.S.A. since they are not allowed to do it within their country - business knows no gods...
    If after listening to this record someone tells you that this band's first gig was full of Iced Earth covers, you will surely feel confused – although John Schaffer is being mentioned in the credits as a never-ending inspiration. There is no sign of traditional heavy metal in “Awkward Diary” save the last track “Egoless” (and maybe the second one, “Unattended”) where some riffs with a proper metal guitar distortion appear. Until then what characterizes this album is a general progressive sound and lots of different styles blended in an atmosphere created by mid tempo tunes, lots of cuts and many changes of musical direction. AHOORA experiment a lot with the keyboards and that leads to the use of totally different sounds in each song, as also dialogues from movies (“No matter what... god still loves you!”). Some typical progressive patterns are evident, nevertheless blurred and transformed by all the ideas that accompany them. In fact, this album could be labeled something like progressive trip hop as it covers all the musical range from Massive Attack to Dream Theater. The band has obviously moved forward, I can't really tell what's their connection with metal anymore, although what “Awkward Diary” stands for can be appreciated for what it is breaking the boundaries labels enforce on music. Songs like “Closure” and especially “Perfect Day” bring to mind Muse in their most playful attempts to approach jazz and electronica, not to mention the similarity in many song titles. The compositions are not long, therefore couldn't be tiring at all, on the contrary they are nice shots of cool ideas that are put forward with smart orchestration and arrangement of the instruments in use. The lyrics are condensed, well articulated and even dangerous for the band (“God and nothing have a lot in common; Nameless and dead”). The first single of “Awkward Diary”, “Crimson Baby” is dedicated to those who died innocently in 2009's demonstrations in Tehran. Any comments?
    It's exciting to see a band that started within the classic heavy metal context reproducing all the cliches of the genre, but radically changed its sound to something more diverse and inspired showing guts, devotion and persistence. Their third album is on its way and if they show the same punctuality this could easily be their breakthrough. Until then judge them by their diary...

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Across Tundras (United States of America (Denver, Colorado) )

Across Tundras - Old World Wanderer [2010] (Progressive Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal/Rock)
Lable : Robotic Empire

This is the 5th release of the band the last five years. Their style is close to stoner and psychedelic rock bands. The vocals are similar with old school rock bands but their sound is heavier and quite experimental. You will not find huge post-metal passages, but their dusty guitar riffs are straight and totally stoned. The music structure sounds traditional and steps on classic paths. But their pick is the titanic sludge metal aggressiveness. Psychedelic vibes and scriptural vocals influenced by Black Sabbath run over the distorted guitars which destroy any peacefulness were already built. Hundreds of metal bands try to copy the formula of Iommi’s notes and thousands get influenced by the early Sabbath years. These guys keep it high and they do not let you forget that this music is personal and the compositions are modern and unique. This is a stoner release full of Earth’s drone and psychedelic or progressive jams.


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Demonic Resurrection (India (Mumbai, Maharashtra) )

Demonic Resurrection - The Return to Darkness [2010] (Progressive Death Metal)
Lable : Candlelight Records

Avatar (Romania (Craiova) )

Avatar - Subjects Of The Same Suffering [2010] ( Melodic Death/Metalcore)
Lable : Metalfan Records Division

1.	To Kill A King	04:37
2.	Neverending Eclipse	03:22
3.	The Psycho Ballet	04:21
4.	My Fortress Is Down	04:43
5.	Pendulum	05:10
6.	Blood Fountains	04:30
7.	The Smile Of The Bell Ringer	04:24
8.	Unborn Progenies	04:00
Total playing time		35:05

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Despised Icon (Canada (Montreal, Quebec) )

Despised Icon - Day of Mourning [2009] (Death Metal/Metalcore)
Lable : Century Media

Even after two utterly punishing albums in 2005s The Healing Process and 2007s The Ills of Modern Man, Canada’s Despised Icon have a bull’s eye directly on their back for the deathchore haters and scene haters to take pot shots at. From their cocked hats and Vans to their clinical triggered sound and shift from grindcore to breakdown filled deathcore, the band has been the poster child for what many folks see what is wrong with modern extreme metal.

So now with yet another line up tweak that sees guitarist Ben Landreville and bassist Max Lavelle join the fold, Despised Icon have unleashed their fourth album, with relatively little fanfare and for those that enjoyed the last two efforts, have no fear, Despised Icon are still one of the most savage and tight acts in metal today, despite what the haters think. Even with a very slight sense of restraint littering the songs (though not a full on Ion Dissonance-like shift), Despised Icon is still simply a vortex of precision and feral complexity that the Canadians seem so apt at.

The formula and delivery has changed little from The Ills of Modern Man, though the pig squeals have gone. There’s still the increased sense of lurching staggering Meshuggah-ish heft intertwined with voracious, grindcore blast beats, gang chants, and of course, lurching, utterly devastating grooves and breakdowns. It’s a formula Despised Icon have arguably perfected more than any of their many peers, and a formula that superficially repeats the Ill of Modern Man, as numerous times I found myself comparing tracks from both albums. While the album lacks the immediacy and initial face ripping wow factor of say “In the Arms of Perdition”, ” A Fractured Hand” or “Fainted Blu Ornaments” it’s overall a slightly more in depth and grower of an album. I found my ears prick up as Despised Icon added a little crease or wrinkle here and there that elevates the album further. Be it the excellent chord progression in the title track’s huge groove, the well done orchestral injection in the otherwise sick assault of “MVP”, surprisingly melodic solo work of “Eulogy” and “Entre Le Bien Et Le Mal”, slick, almost black metal climax of “Diva of Disgust” or even the somber closer “Sleepless”, Despised Icon have just enough subtle elements to make Day of Mourning more than a simple rehash of the last album.

Fear not though as the majority of the album is still utterly punishing, heaving, breakdown filled assaults that Despised Icon are know for: the likes of “Les Temps Changent”, “Black Lungs”, “All for Nothing” and “Made of Glass” simply assail the senses with the fierce, Yannick St Amand produced tightness and blistering heaviness that you’d expect from Despised Icon.

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Textures (Netherlands (Tilburg, North Brabant) )

Textures - Silhouettes [2008] (Progressive / Death / Thrash Metal)
Lable : Listenable Records

 Textures is, simply put, epic. No matter which way you look at them, Textures always has a grand scope by which their music travels. Each song has it's own story to tell through its individual parts, and each part is wide reaching.

Some songs carry the definite Meshuggah-ish "Let's put this in a pointless time signature" influence, but they don't get carried away to the point where you're not completely sure where the real rhythm is; the songwriting still is the biggest focus. Obviously, some songs are better than others, though; "Laments of an Icarus" is, for me, a little too much like Meshuggah to really enjoy fully. Luckily though, this isn't a problem for many other songs.

One personal highlight for me listening to this is the way the drums groove. The 3/4 swinging of "State of Disobedience" wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for Stef Brok's incredible ease behind a kit. The jazzy nature of his percussion is great at any time of the album you'd care to play; the man's a fucking rapist on drums.

Not to say the other members of the band don't deserve mention. The distorted crunch of the guitars and bass are best described as heavy, yet classy; they don't overdo the craziness, but rather reign it in when the song requires it. The keyboards are another great element, adding the key atmospherics to tracks like "Awake" that make them insta-classics.

Which brings me to the album's defining statement; proof that screaming and singing can fit in the same song; the song that should be so much bigger than it is; the epic, the crazy, the insanely catchy "Awake." Buying the entire album is worth it for this one track. Everything good about Textures is right here, in these four minutes and ten seconds: the beautiful melodies, the Meshuggah-styled insanity, the groove and, most importantly, the great, epic songwriting. It all coalesces here for one of the best songs of 2008, if not this entire decade. Note how I didn't say "best METAL songs." "Awake" transcends simple genre distinctions and gets stuck in your head more than almost any other song you'll hear for a long time.


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Master (United States of America (Chicago, Illinois) )

Master - The Human Machine [2010] (Death Metal)
Lable : Pulverised Records

Few bands in the extreme metal world who have been round the block as many times as Master have remained as under-appreciated as these death metallers still are. Formed in 1983 before there was ever a 'death metal' and still going strong today, numerous line-up changes around mainman Paul Speckmann, and a relocation from Chicago to Czech Republic, "The Human Machine" is the bands' 10th studio album, and to anyone who knows previous Master, is still very much in the same thrashy, pissed-off politically charged vein that has always defined their work. After a slow start to their career in terms of frequency of releases, the last 9 years have seen 5 albums of new material emerge with a consistency of release around the marks other old-timers like Obituary and Grave have stuck to, making it very hard to dislike anything they ever do.

On the other hand, and like Obituary and Grave too in this respect, none of these releases have ventured in to the leagues of the truly great records, where if my listening habits are anything to go by, they steal playing time away from the old favourites. In comparison to my 'old favourites' (that being the "Unreleased 1985 Album" and "On the Seventh Day God Created... Master") the sound is naturally smoother and clearer, a far cry from the sick vocal sounds still eminating from Speckmann's mouth. His gurgling vocal style best evidenced in songs like "It's What Your Country Can Do For You" suggests a man not happy with the world around him, and is far more effective in doing so than a standard deep-throated growl. Being as resolutely as old-school as Master are little concession is made in the song-writing to appease more modern fans of the genre; each songs spits and flies by at a fast tempo in a similar vein throughout, reminiscent of early DM albums such as Possessed's "Seven Churches" and Death's "Scream Bloody Gore", where bands played to a feeling and consistency than aiming for the greatest level of technicality or variation.

Through this "The Human Machine" is admirably full of riffs solid enough to please even the most battle-hardened extreme metal warrior, shown by "Worship the Sun" where the temptation not to nod along is all too difficult. The old wardogs Master have not attempted to reinvent themselves, let alone the genre, with "The Human Machine", but it is reassuring to know that the oldest surviving band for whom 'extreme metal' is a true and honest fit have not watered down their tone and ferocity 27 years after formation, leaving them here still releasing albums full of anger and aggression in 2010. All bow to the Master!

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Cynic (United States of America (Miami, Florida) )

Cynic - Re-Traced, EP [2010] (Technical Progressive Death Metal/Fusion)
Lable : Season of Mist

I wasn’t really sure what to think when I found out Cynic was going to be reinterpreting four of their songs from their masterful Traced In Air album for this EP. I was even more unsure of what to expect when I heard the previews, which appeared to be significantly mellower and less metal than the originals. I was excited to hear the studio version of ‘Wheels Within Wheels’, which I had only heard the live bootleg so far.

As it turns out, Re-Traced makes for an interesting, if brief, listen. It’s weird to hear Cynic revisiting these songs, which seem so familiar, and turning them into something completely different. On the other hand, it is kind of nice to hear Paul Masvidal’s voice set free of the vocoder effects that dominated Cynic’s previous two albums. And the songs themselves benefit from the new concepts applied to them. The melodies are, by and large, the same, but they are given a new life in these versions.

‘Space’ (a reinterpretation of ‘The Space For This’) kicks things off and immediately sets the tone, with most of the heavier elements stripped away. There are some electronic elements present here that weren’t on the original, glitchy little 8-bit sounds providing percussion beneath some clean guitar. ‘Evolutionary’ (reinterpreting ‘Evolutionary Sleeper’ replaces the growling intro and heavy riffing with acoustic guitar, focusing more on the song’s soaring melodies. ‘King’ (‘King Of Those Who Know’) keeps the clean guitar, but lets drummer Sean Reinert and new bassist Robin Zielhorst carry the song, even throwing in some distorted guitar and vocals toward the end. And ‘Integral’ (‘Integral Birth’) goes almost entirely unplugged, just acoustic guitar, subtle keyboards, and harmonized vocals from Masvidal and guitarist Tymon Kruidenier.

And then there’s ‘Wheels Within Wheels’. While it’s certainly the heaviest song on this EP (mostly courtesy of some pummeling double bass from Reinert toward the end of the song), it’s still rather mellow and might have seemed out of place on Traced In Air. It does contain more standard Cynic instrumentation, but it still showcases the softer side of a band who recently on tour started leading its audience in yoga poses.

Cynic will be hitting the studio after the conclusion of their current American tour to record their next full-length album. Whether this is an indication of what the new material will sound like, or just a welcome bit of experimentation, you can consider me among the many eagerly anticipating another album.

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The Ocean (Germany (Berlin) )

The Ocean - Heliocentric [2010] (Progressive/Atmospheric Sludge)
Lable : Metal Blade Records/Pelagic

However The Ocean Collective are still just flat out better at more linear compositions, which there still are two of on this album. The first is “Firmament”, a song built around a syncopated riff that leaves plenty of open spaces. The song also features an excellent bridge that recalls Isis circa Panopticon or Cult of Luna at their most subdued. The other highlight is the closing suite of ‘The Origin of Species/The Origin of God”. While separated into two tracks, this song works as a single 11-minute piece. The song ebbs and flows better than any other song on the album, hits as hard as “Precambrian” and features more orchestral elements (the violin melody in 17/16 and the ending brass section are my two favorite moments) then the rest of the record combined. They also have the most thought provoking and interesting lyrics, which bring us to a major concern with the record.

As the title implies, this record focuses on how the heliocentric theory, the idea that the earth revolves around the sun, impacted Christianity. While this was one of the most important turning points in the history of science, holding it against Christianity now seems a bit like calling the Italian government immoral because the Roman Empire used slaves. At this stage in history every sane person knows that the earth revolves around the sun, so championing this cause isn’t going to convert too many listeners to atheism. The ‘Origin’ songs on the other hand are far more effective as they address the hot topics of evolution and the source of complexity. Both songs make liberal references to the writings of Richard Dawkins and the dramatic and powerful music does a great to make these wordy lyrics work. It’s always refreshing when a metal band actually uses reasoning and logic when attacking the church instead of resorting to name calling and childish satanic buzzwords.

“Heliocentric” is not as good as “Precambrian” and it’s likely that nothing The Ocean ever do will be. However, the shift towards more accessible song structures and less aggressive material doesn’t make this a bad album. Tracks like “Swallowed By the Earth” show that given time, The Ocean might grow to excel at this new style, and “Firmament” is sure to please older fans until they get there.

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Exivious (Netherlands (Utrecht, Utrecht) )

Exivious - Exivious [2009] (Progressive/Jazz/Death Metal)
Lable : Independent

I had recently got into Cynic through a friend just in time for the release of Traced in Air, and then he posted me a link to a myspace page, with the comment “this has the guitarist from the new Cynic album in. Listen to it.”

I believe at first, I neglected this command; it was foolish of me to do so.

As soon as I DID get around to listening to this mysterious band by the name of Exivious, I was astounded by the musicianship, fantastic writing, and blending of styles presented by the lone song available for listening – “Waves of Thought”.

Well, the fact that this was my gateway to jazz, which I now own a substantial amount of, says a lot. Many bands do claim to be fusion/rock or fusion/metal. And I have listened to a lot of these bands, and along with Mahavishnu Orchestra, Exivious are the only band who stand true to this self-proclaimed explanation of their style.

The guitars here, in tone, riffs and solos, are both brutal and soft, when circumstances dictate. The jazz tones are fantastic, as are the distorted metal tones, and the transitions between sections and sounds are seamless. The riffs often encapsulate both aspects of the bands diverse and original sound simultaneously, and this creates some very interesting listening.

The rhythm section here is flawless; Stef Broks from Textures and Robin Zielhorst of Cynic play together perfectly. The drums avoid any kind of tired/predictable beat and the bass neglects to play any fixed figures, instead opting to play freeform lines complimenting the guitars nicely. This album is, in fact, bass heavy, with the instrument mixed very high up, as in Cynic’s seminal “Focus”, or Spiral Architect’s only album (to date) “A Sceptic’s Universe”.

This album is a must for fans of Cynic, Textures, etc. or anyone who likes jazz as well as their metal.

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Vanden Plas (Germany (Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate) )

Vanden Plas - The Seraphic Clockwork [2010] (Progressive Metal)
Lable : Inside Out

First things first. If you're going to be turned off by songs that are in excess of 7 minutes long (the final standard track brushing 13), this album may not be for you. Vanden Plas has always released powerful albums with very few songs crossing into the 6-minute-plus territory. Well, I can safely say only one of those things has changed with The Seraphic Clockwork.

Continuing in the more orchestral direction that Beyond Daylight began for the group, The Seraphic Clockwork continues to turn the knobs up on every aspect of their past albums. The result is a bombastic, high-flying album full of powerful vocal performances from Andy Kuntz, while Stephan Lill provides us with some great riffs both aggressive and understated. Actually, you know what? Everyone sounds great. Even more so than usual. The sheer level of inspiration and enthusiasm is staggering, to say the least; it's almost as if they're playing like this will be the last album they will ever release (though, I dearly hope that is not the case).
Hell, just get the album in any way, shape, or form you can. The Seraphic Clockwork may be back-loaded, but to say the earlier tracks are lackluster is a crime and an offense. The first few songs are perfectly spectacular, it's just that they're overshadowed by the phenomenal second half. If you're a fan of progressive metal, power metal, metal in general, or a great melody with stellar composition, you've got to grab this album. You just have to, okay? Just do it. I will sit here and gush over this album as long as it takes for you to take my words to heart and buy the damn thing. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed.

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Shaolin Death Squad (United States of America (Denton, Texas) )

Shaolin Death Squad - Five Deadly Venoms [2010] (Melodic Progressive Metal)
Lable : Do For It Records

If you're a fan of original, different-sounding Prog that incorporates a vast variety of musical styles blended together into catchy, enjoyable songs, then this album is definitely worth checking out!
I've heard people compare Shaolin Death Squad to Mr. Bungle many times; it's accurate and yet off at the same time. It's true that they sound similar to Mike Patton's song-writing style at times, but I think it's unfair to simply compare the two and leave it at that. SDS (That's quicker to type than their full name!) has truly unique music that doesn't get old after repeated listens and will give you a taste of something beyond the ordinary realm of music.
Vocals: SDS has really unique vocal melodies. The vocals at times can be rough and almost hard rock-like, but for the most part, I'd compare the vocals to something like Mike Patton (Mr. Bungle), Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation), and Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree), depending on what section of a song you're listening to. There's nothing overdone or obnoxious, and while the vocals don't really take over any songs, they aren't lost, either. SDS did a great job at balancing everything so that it's not too chaotic, but still has enough going on at any given time that there are no dull sections.
Music: It's hard to accurately describe the music. Imagine that you're at a circus and you hear carnival music. Suddenly the carnival band is playing heavy metal! Wait, no, back to carnival music. What's that? A soft acoustic ballad? Nope it's heavy metal. Ahh, carnival music! etc. Basically, SDS writes amazing songs with riffs that flow seamlessly into one another, despite the fact that they're from completely different genres of music. I particularly think that SDS does a great job at building songs up dramatically, and releasing the build up in different ways. None of the songs seem like they're just there; every song is moving into a direction, and while you have no idea where it's going, you get the sense that it knows exactly where it's going.
If you're interested in listening to some of the tracks before buying, I'd recommend "Farewell", "Scorpion", and "Toad" as my personal favorite songs on the album.

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Enslaved (Norway (Bergen) )

Enslaved-Axioma Ethica Odin [2010] (Progressive Viking Metal)
Lable : Indie Recordings

When it comes to long-time Enslaved fans, they seem to fall into two distinct camps - those who basically like all of the band's work and those who like the band's output up until it got "too weird." If you long for Enslaved's blackened Viking metal days and hate the newer stuff, you might as well stop reading now. But you probably already know that. Who would expect Enslaved to revert back to that style at this stage anyhow? The band has been traveling on its own experimental path for quite some time. As one might expect, Axioma Ethica Odini is a continuation of this trailblazing.

Axioma Ethica Odini is basically all of the best parts of Enslaved's recent catalog galvanized and forged into a flawless broadsword that will slice the listener to the core. The finger-contorting chord voicings are back and ringing loud and clear. They are especially evident in "Waruun" and "The Beacon." The rhythms and time signatures in these two songs as well as the track "Giants" help engage the listener. In fact, a majority of the album is rhythmically interesting. Enslaved also manages to strike the perfect balance between harsh and clean vocals on Axioma Ethica Odini. The harsh vocals are as heavy as ever, but it's the clean vocals that truly shine. The "real singing" has never sounded so strong and confident. At times these vocals are triumphant and powerful like at the end of the opening track, "Ethica Odini." However, the clean vocals can also sound like a specter, floating and ethereal, calling out to you and beckoning you to sing along. Both "The Beacon" and "Giants" feature these hauntingly irresistible vocals.

Besides drawing the best from its recent releases, Enslaved also brings a few more influences on board for Axioma Ethica Odini. However, these influences are heavily filtered through the Enslaved sound before they finally reach your ears. The seventies prog rock of King Crimson and Yes can be heard in riffs found in both "Singular" and "Night Sight." The guitar parts in "Giants" are heavily rooted in the Sabbath style of doom. This song also features closely stacked, nearly sour harmonized vocals that sound like what one would imagine to hear from Alice in Chains had the band joined a monastery. There's even an instrumental track called "Axioma" consisting of a wash of keyboards that conjure images of some kind of futuristic Blade Runner-like world. But remember, all of these influences are interwoven into the fabric of Enslaved's basic sound. Nothing feels clunky or out of place. The band members take these ideas, make them their own and form an album that has variety while remaining surprisingly cohesive. Despite all of the talk of these different influences, above all this album is metal. Axioma Ethica Odini is the most heavy music Enslaved has released recently. Gone is the weak, nearly clean guitar tone of Vertebrae. Fortunately, Enslaved now chooses to use a guitar sound that is simultaneously thick, heavy, and clear. And despite the abundance of clean vocals, there's still plenty of powerful black metal screams which are delivered with severe force. The bass guitar rounds out the sound with a warm and fat tone, while the drums will pummel you like a schoolyard bully intent on stealing your lunch money. If you're looking for a heavier, more metal Enslaved, you'll find it with Axioma Ethica Odini. If you're looking for variety that includes moments of melodic beauty, you will definitely find that too. Axioma Ethica Odini has something for any Enslaved fan who approaches the album with an open mind.

Enslaved has come a long way since its early days, and with Axioma Ethica Odini the band proves that trip has been well worth it. With this album, the group manages to evolve and blend styles in a natural way that never feels forced. This is not an easy task, as some would say Nachtmystium proved with Addicts. Axioma Ethica Odini feels like the culmination of the most recent chapter of Enslaved. Really the only negative thing I can say about Axioma Ethica Odini is that Enslaved is going to have a hard time topping it on the next release.
 
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Mekong Delta (Germany (Velbert, North Rhine-Westphalia) )

Mekong Delta-Wanderer On The Edge Of Time [2010] (Tech/Extreme Prog Metal)
Lable : AAARRG Records

After a decade of silence, Mekong Delta returned in 2007 with their highly recommended comeback album Lurking Fear, and alongside the recent streak of Paradox records, that made for quite an exciting kick to the German technical thrash pacemaker, not only sounding like the band hadn't skipped a beat, but also trumping a number of their 90s efforts. Well, apparently this was not a one time thing, as the band have forged on yet again to create another studio effort, Wanderer on the Edge of Time, and though it's not quite so exciting as its predecessor, this new effort proves there is still life left in the genre, or rather, creative, and puts so many of the young run and gunning 80s worshipers to tremendous shame.

Ultimately, Wanderer on the Edge of Time is not such a frenetic wake-up call as Lurking Fear was, but my attention rarely waned as I was listening through its contents. Nothing really drags, the musicianship is top notch, and the material accessible enough that it might reach far beyond the cult tech-thrash niche and found a fan base among the more common progressive metal fans. Hubert has kept this entity alive and fresh with ideas, as well as a cadre of younger musicians who somehow manage to keep Mekong Delta's vision alive without descending into the mundane practices of so many of today's younger thrash metal upstarts. If you're a fan of any of this band's previous works, or of any of the bands I've name dropped above, then I sincerely doubt you will be met with disappointment.


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And Hell Followed With (United States of America (Detroit, Michigan) )

And Hell Followed With - Proprioception [2010] (Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore)
Lable : Earache Records

Kicking things off simplistically with, “Mara,” an instrumental that starts off subtly but midway through hits a dramatic rise of deep chugging and thick layers. “This Night is the Coroner’s” trails after with the same dramatic dexterity in mind, as the music ascends from heavy grooves to melodic sensibilities underlying repeating gang chants. The foundation of Proprioception is seemingly built solely on being as heavy as possible and no deathcore record would feel the same with the use of trademark breakdowns and if you’re a fan than this album won’t disappoint. It’s littered with heart-stopping beats that will get you amped to hit the pit. However, as enticing as they are, almost every song incorporates them and leaves opposers wanting more substance than the typical chug-fest. A few tracks later comes, “Those Now Sleep Forever, which is undeniably the highlight of the album. It serves as an epitome of the talent each member possesses and the quality of their songwriting. The opening bars unleash hyperbolic speed riffs and a fury of double bass with interweaving blast beats. As the track moves on you’re hit with numerous build-ups and breakdowns that culminate to a gorgeous melodic passage. Following in the same vein of soothing melody, And Hell Followed With takes a dynamic shift from their aggressive sound on the instrumental piece “Perpetual Abyssma.” This track supplies a welcomed break to the intensity and showcases their ability to deliver more than just necessities that make up a metal album.
Proprioception is chock filled with snarling-speed brutality weaved with mesmerizing melody, but in the scope of the genre, they offer nothing we haven’t heard before. The death metal segments are merited but more often than not are terminated by aimless chugging and sometimes excessive “core” elements that derives away from the band’s actual capabilities. Nonetheless, And Hell Followed With have demonstrated that they are taking a giant step in the right direction and this release further displays their considerable talent and potential.

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Amorphis (Finland (Helsinki) )

Amorphis - Magic & Mayhem - Tales from the Early Years [2010] (Modern Rock/Melodic Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast Records

In the case of the Elegy entries "On Rich and Poor", "Against Widows", "Song of the Troubled One" and "My Kantele", the differences are so minimal between the originals and the newer versions that they merely sound like slightly shuffled live adaptations. In fact, had this album actually been a live double record with Joutsen fronting the older material, it might have been more understandable and welcome. These four tracks are all quite perfect in their original incarnations, "My Kantele" struggling behind the rest by a fraction of a fraction, and nothing Joutsen or the band has done here propels them beyond the originals with Koskinen and Koivusaari handling the vocals. On the other hand, I really did not mind the updated cover of "Vulgar Necrolatry" whatsoever. It too lacks the dark morbidity of the earlier release on the Privilege of Evil EP, but it sounds wonderful to have such an obscure Finnish gem brought into this new world of lights and sound. "Light My Fire" sounds pretty campy, more so than the original, with growls replacing Jim Morrison's brilliant lines and an attempt at creating a more haunted atmosphere during the verse, as if this were more about a haunted house than an invitation to some cutie pie to unzip and do the nasty.

To sum this up: Magic & Mayhem, Tales from the Early Years is not necessarily a poorly contrived compilation, though contrived it is. There is no impetus to hearken upon these well trodden paths any more than there exists a compulsion to ford the rivers of time and break out the timeless, flawless tones of the original Elegy, or the nearly perfect Tales from the Thousand Lakes, or the exceptional debut album The Karelian Isthmus. These are legend. They are manifest, and they forever shine from the shadows of the overarching genre's structural rubble, the 90s. Their consumption is vastly more recommended than a spin at Magic & Mayhem, but otherwise I do not have anything to complain about. This is not the case of a band soiling their past themselves as Bay Area thrashers Exodus did with Rob Dukes on Let There Be Blood. Tomi Joutsen is a good singer for this band, and he covers the older material well enough. The effort here is consistent, at least, and the worst that could be said is that it would be like choosing Arbor Mist over some early 20th century vintage: tasty enough for the ladies, probably tasty enough for the men if they'd get over themselves, but lacking the definition.


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100 Knives Inside (Denmark (Herning, Midtjylland) )

100 Knives Inside - Moral Fabrication EP,[2010] (Progressive Death Metal)
Lable : Independent

1.	Anima In Process
2.	Adulteration Of Principles
3.	Infinity (Instrumental)
4.	New Blood Transfusion
5.	Distorted View By The Hour
Total playing time		27:16

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Human Mincer (Spain (Madrid) )

Human Mincer - Degradation Paradox [2009] (Brutal Death Metal)
Lable : Brutal Bands

Album number three for the Spanish brutes, and while I was expecting more of that middle of the road, throwaway guttural death I was pleasantly surprised by the whirlwind of razor edged chaos that was Degradation Paradox. Though the band has its fair share of chug and blast alteration, it also has a refined sense of the old school and a torrid of intensity to the songwriting which easily maintained my attention throughout the eight tracks.

"Flask Copper Deglutition" evokes the first holocaust with savage blasting accented by some Morbid Angel style crunch and squeal under a flurry of brutal grunts and snarls, which sound pretty fucking amazing in the crisp mix of the album. "Sculpturing Himself Atrocity" has some sick spurts of intense chugging with evil riffing to cap them off. The title track hit me like an 18-wheeler full of ballast-toting zombies. "Dyskinetic Martyr Modification" (what a name) just flat out leveled my brain, and then the album just continues to get even more intense and complicated as on "Scaphocephaly Status Error" and "Macromutation Overflowed".

Did I mention I love how they name their songs? Truth be told, there aren't a lot of extremely catchy riffs to be found on the album, yet it doesn't even NEED them, because it's such an intense ride that will have you banging your head for the very short time it takes until your neck snaps and you don't have to worry about catchy riffs anymore.

Pretty goddamn awesome, one of the best death metal albums I've heard from the Spanish scene. Recommended.


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Destroying Divinity (Czech Republic (Ratiskovice) )

Destroying Divinity - Dark Future [2010] (Brutal Death Metal)
Lable : Brutal Bands

Novelty within the realm of death metal is something sadly confined to the past, as least in most cases. Once in awhile you've got a Portal arriving, or The Chasm will continue to refine themselves and the atmospheric potential of their medium, but for most artists who have arrived this century to swell out the genre's ranks, the playground has already been trampled many times over, the sand scattered outside the box and the toys worn and broken with overuse. Thus it becomes a matter of survival: do you honor your genre or do you disappoint it? Czechs Destroying Divinity answer with the former. Surely, there is nothing unique about their third full-length plunge Dark Future. Even the title is the opposite of oblique. However, the music itself is lovingly crafted enough that you can feel the stomach begin to drop out at the menacing walls of low-pitched guitars and the glistening guts of atmosphere created through the wicked fills.

I am at times reminded of Morbid Angel's slower material (Domination, Heretic or Gateways to Annihilation) in a slugfest with the strange taste of Finland's Demilich, the relentless true crop of Dutch death outfits like Sinister or Pestilence, and a smaller dose of an Immolation or Incantation in the way they conceive their brickhouse, sinister grooves. The weighted, melodic density that introduces "Birth of Faceless Killer" even ventures into some mid 90s Hypocrisy territory, but overall the Czech band does not sound so much like any one influence to become a slack-jawed example of icon worship or impersonation, and the record does maintain a fresh polish, thanks to the simmering, acidic melodies that burst and bleed over the brutal slamming delivery of the rhythm guitars and vocals, which are predictable in the guttural sense, but truly effective over this level of composition.

The band excels in the slower area, as in tracks "Undead in the Darkness" or "At War With Two Worlds". The latter stands out in particular due to the almost industrial strength mystique caused by the clinical glow of the melodies, the simplicity of the bluesy, evil lead in the early bridge, or the extended meathouse hooking of the breakdown. They hint at a rare crossroads of old school appeal, convulsive mosh pit entitlement, and a modern glaze of mortuary aesthetics. But Destroying Divinity do not limit themselves solely to the corpse-crawl of morbid intentions, picking up the pace with the hostile juggernaut "Prophecy" or the desperate writhing slaughterhouse found beneath the visceral awnings of "Name Written With Blood".

There's not a track among these nine that will lead you astray from the experience, and while you may find the resonance of atmosphere redundant in places, Dark Future delivers where many peers simply fail due to the lack of virile energy and vile intentions, rendering the fat of the band's earlier albums on Grodshain Productions into the slosh of weak oil. An unsettling darkness thrives at the core of this album, a roiling, otherworldly chaos which speaks of ill fates to come. It's not a riff for riff masterpiece, but 36 minutes of well executed tumult well fitted to a zombie infestation or ritual summoning of Elder gods.

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Amagortis (Switzerland (Düdingen, Fribourg) )

Amagortis - Intrinsic Indecency [2010] (Death Metal)
Lable : Brutal Bands

Amagortis was formed in 2001 by Dan, Stoef and friends. Together they created the unique band name. In August of 2002 the band recorded a three song demo containing three groovy tracks of death metal brutality. After several member changes the band members consist of Dan (Guitar and back vocals), Paescu (Vocals), Stoef (Drums) and Nathalie (Bass). Influenced by the world-wide death metal scene the band gaining more and more experience and the music became more brutal and faster than before.
In January of 2004 Amagortis released their first full length album "Abominable" including 10 tracks of pure devastation! The debut album was live-recorded at Amagortis old studio, mixed and mastered by Sigu, and self-released all over the world by the band itself. Multiple songs of this album have appeared on various underground compilations. Since 2004 Amagortis performed several times in small gigs and metal-festivals in Switzerland.
In 2006 Pascal replaced Grimm on vocals, bringing a more guttural and brutal style to the band. Influenced by the world-wide death metal scene the band gained more and more live-experience and the music became more brutal and faster than before.
In December of 2007 Amagortis released their second full length album "Pre-Natal Cannibalism " via Fastbeast Entertainment (CH) including 11 tracks of slamming guttural brutality. Since then the band has toured in the USA and the UK and has played a number of gigs and festivals in Germany, Holland, Russia and of course Switzerland.
After the departure of Stoef and Nathalie, the line-up today consists of Daniel (Guitar and backing vocals), Pascal (Vocals), Ruppi (Drums) and Marc (Bass).In 2010 the band has signed a multiple album deal with the US-label Brutal Bands, placing them next to international heavyweights such as Devourment, Insidious Decrepancy, Abysmal Torment and Human Mincer.The band has just finished recording their third full length album entitled "Intrinsic Indecency", which will be released in June 2010 through Brutal Bands.Furthermore Amagortis will return to the USA in July 2010 for a tour as well as some sick festival appearances (Las Vegas Deathfest, CIM) and will return to Russia for a tour in September.

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Psyopus (United States, Rochester- New York )

Psyopus - Odd Senses [2009] (Avant-garde metal, Mathcore)
Lable : Metal Blade,Black Market Activities

Psyopus (sometimes written as PsyOpus) is an Avant-garde metal^[1] / Mathcore^[2][3] band from Rochester, New York. Formed in 2002, the band is noted for the unorthodox and extremely technical guitar techniques of Christopher Arp, often referred to as "Arpmandude". In order to receive endorsement deals from various guitar and amp companies, Arp had to send a live video of himself playing in order to prove that he could actually play as fast as he does. Arp considers Psyopus to be a very technically proficient band: "I understand people not understanding us so by default the music comes across as noise but, the music makes sense to us all too much and every 16th note was scrutinized." ^[4] Regarding learning to play guitar, Arp says: "I learned to play guitar in my bedroom. I got my first guitar in eighth grade. I bought Metallica tablature books, Megadeth books, guitar magazines, didn’t do homework and just played guitar all night." ^[5]
The band released their 2nd album Our Puzzling Encounters Considered in February 2007. The techniques Arp uses have made it even more difficult to receive any endorsement. Arp himself said, "Mesa Boogie has not done very much to sponsor me because I do too much of this," as he raised his guitar by the whammy bar shaking it up and down. The band released their third studio album Odd Senses, on February 17, 2009.

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Vader (Poland (Olsztyn) )

Vader - Necropolis [2009] (Death/Thrash Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast Records

Poland's premier death metal outfit has been on a tear, producing album after album of superbly crafted, simple death metal with extreme drumming and the unmistakable power of Peter's vocals, which sound like no other. Necropolis is no exception, their 9th full length album and one of their very best to date. If you've been clobbered by any of Vader's previous work, you will know what to expect here: a complete commitment to songwriting painstakingly engraved into each track.

There has always been a heavy thrash influence in death metal (after all, it evolved directly from that genre), and thus Vader, but it feels cranked up a notch on Necropolis. The Slayer influence is once again abundant, but well executed. "Devilizer" surges open the album with a concrete battery of grim thrashing death. The song is perfect, each of Peter's lines delivered with agony and intensity. The lead breaks are slavering and venomous. "Rise of the Undead" is an onslaught of session drummer Paul's footwork and deliciously old school riffing. Love the breakdown with its bluesy twang to the guitar. "Never Say My Name" fuses blasting aggression with winding and flawless death breaks and more of the tantalizing, brief leads. The aptly titled "Blast" will pummel your jaw hard enough to twist your neck at least 720 degrees. "The Seal" is a sweet departure, glowering guitar ambience with some chants to lead into the hammering "Dark Heart". The remainder of the album is consistently great, with "Anger" feeling like the new "Hellelujah!" this time around.

The limited edition also includes rock solid covers of Venom's "Black Metal" and Metallica's "Fight Fire With Fire", modified to fit snugly into Vader's style as if they had been this band's properties for all these years. The mix of Necropolis is just about perfect, nothing new for this band. Crisp and heavy tones, steady drumming and some of the best vocals in death metal (though I wouldn't complain about a more powerful bass presence). Peter is the only 'core' member of the band left, but he continues to surround himself with the perfect roster to get the job done, included Vogg from Decapitated on guitars.

Necropolis is yet another tight, controlled album from Poland's celebrated veterans. The sound is top notch and the writing is exactly where it needs to be at this stage in the band's career. It's not the best effort they've produced, and it falls short of timeless masterpiece status, but it is one of the better death metal albums I've heard (and am likely to hear) this year.

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Suffocation (United States of America (Long Island, New York) )

Suffocation - Blood Oath [2009] (Brutal Technical Death Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast Records

This is exactly what I’ve been looking for from Suffocation. I have all their releases, I love them all, but since Pierced from Within something has always been missing. They recaptured some of it on Despise, and several songs on their last release have it.

But this work kicks ass from top to bottom, and here’s why. Some have criticized the title track as starting too slowly, but I find that it draws me right in as the band begins to wind their way through the dark, twisted passages that they’ve created here. The bass all the way throughout this album is MASTER work. It might not be that Derek Boyer is that good, but he either belongs on the level of the Alex Websters and Eric Langlois, or the guy who produced the bass sound on Blood Oath is a genius. For several songs, most notably Blood Oath, Dismal Dream, and Undeserving, they laid down two tracks of the bass guitar, the normal background foundation bass work, and on top of that there is what sounds like an undistorted slap bass line, and it all sounds awesome. The bass as a whole is not buried in the background like it is in most death metal. The way they accentuated the bass guitar on this album almost reminds me of how Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath features Harris and Geezer in their music. It is that good and I commend Derey Boyer for being the author of it.

I am a sucker for NYDM breakdowns, and Suffocation throws in some sick ones throughout, most notably on Mental Hemorrhage (1:10) and Images of Purgatory (1:30)

More on the bass – if Suffocation was going to pick a song to double up as a bonus and include as an instrumental version, they picked the right one with Pray for Forgiveness. Just listen to the bass lines from 2:30 on, the lead guitar follows as the bass leads. I love it. Marital Decimation was also a great song to pick as a re-do from their ‘lost’ album, Breeding the Spawn.

All this with no mention yet of the great work always expected from Mike Smith, Mullen, or Hobbs / Marchais. Smith’s drums are as powerful and consistent as ever, and Mullen has retained his power and guttural delivery, while becoming a bit more understandable as he has over the years (not that I really care about the understandability too much). The soloing on this album is great. There’s no flashy wankery, but all of the solos are very well written and appropriately placed within the structure of each song.

There is very little here to prevent me from giving this 100%. I just don’t like to do it on principal. This album has restored my faith in Suffocation, and my belief that they’ve got a lot left in the tank. This album is going to (happily) cause me to go back through all of their older works again, to make sure there’s not something I missed the first 100 times through. They are back up there as one of my favorite bands, along with fellow NYDMers Immolation and Incantation.

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Liturgy (United States of America (Chicago, Illinois) )

Liturgy - Dawn of Ash [2004] (Brutal Death Metal)
Lable : Unmatched Brutality Records

Pummeling, non-stop fucking death metal. The new school sound and song writing take on the task of the elders to blaspheme the shit out of the cross and its followers. What a great release this is. I do not feel for Disgorge (US), and I think Brodequin are at best average, but when I heard an mp3 of this band I was blow away. I bought the album immediately, and that was almost two years ago, and I still say this is an absolutely great record. It draws on influences form Brodequin and Disgorge, shit, the members are all members of said two bands, and they play covers of a Disgorge and a Brodequin song at the end of the album, but this band seems to draw upon all of the discarded ideas that would have made those two bands better than average.

The guitars sound much like Disgorge, and the drums are absolutely pummeling, the riffing is pretty sweet, not so much your pinch harmonic laden shred fest, although this is definitely a shred fest. There are some breakdowns, but mainly they are accompanied by constant double bass, so they do not really break down, they just keep the flow of the song, with out breaking it, which I think is sweet for this kind of death metal, and varies it up, so as to not sound like Brodequin, with constant blasting. The tones used are nice and consonant for the most part, and the way he breaks his chords and other stuff is also very good, I really like the melodies and riffs on here, they make this album a pretty somber listen. I also like the fact that this album is from America yet there is no slamming on it. Also the vocals, although low and growly and inhaled are not so typical sounding, but they are not very interesting either; I could best describe them as a filler element, albeit a relatively catchy one.

All in all I think this is a great example of taking their best of two bands and adding them up to make them better than both. It is a shame that this band will disappear under the shadows of its parent bands, and will never live up to the fame they deserve. In fact, I doubt they will even release a second album, I mean I fucking hope they do, but I just do not see it happening. Let us hope I am wrong, and if nay members of this band are reading this, prove me wrong, bitches!

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Criminal Element (United States of America (Long Island, New York) )

Criminal Element - Crime and Punishment Pt.1 EP , [2010] (Death Metal/Grindcore)
Lable : Relapse Records

Criminal Element is not a new band, though many out there have probably never heard of this group before now. This act originally formed back in 2001 with Vince Matthews and Spary voyles were both part of Dying Fetus. Since then, there have been various members to the band that have come and gone, including Sparky himself. Now this Death and Grindcore supergroup features member of Dying Fetus and Misery Index, among others for certain members, and newcomer Darin Moris on guitar. Crime and Punishment Pt. 1 marks the band's third EP release, fourth total including a full-length release back in 2008, and it makes for a great listen, though it's not really as impressive as one woould expect from this gathering of talented individuals.

Crime and Punishment Pt 1 is actually a decent element, but really just isn't all that engrossing a listen and can sometimes just sound a little hollow and amateurish in the overall composition and performance. Right off the bat, the vocals sound good, but require a little getting adjusted to if you go into this expecting a more Dying Fetus gutteral vocal approach. While this does appear on the album, it just doesn't quite fit the style of music being played on this EP, which leads to a more Hardcore or even Thrash vocal style that is mixed with a rhaspier Death Metal growl approach. The problem is that sometimes these vocals ound like that are being held back, like during the closing track "Personal Demons" which really shows a much more intense vocal performance that goes into his more welcomed gutteral instead of a rhaspy Thrash or Hardcore approach.

Musically, this EP really sticks to a more Death Metal style then grindcore. You could even say that the band incorporates some Thrash and Speed Metal influences into the mix quite often, and it sounds simply fantastic. "Backstabber" has some great traditional metal guitar work and technicallity to it, and guitar solos that really stand out and add a unique element to the music overall. While this track really has a heavy Death Metal influence to it, "Fake and a Fraud" is really where the band's more Thrashier output comes into play, coming at you with great speed and intensity with just enough Death Metal influence in the guitar work to keep this one within the general flow of the EP. This track is also the only time they actually border styles so closely, as the rest of the EP winds up sticking more to a traditional Death Metal approach, with "Crime and Punishment" and "Fading Survival" hosting more of the band's already established Grindcore sound.

The only problems that can be found on Crime and Punishment Pt. 1 stem from the very end of the EP. First of all, "Fading Survival" winds up sounding a little weak with the drumming used as it seems a bit too slow compared to the faster paced guitars, not to mention the outro of the track sounds a little tacked on and drawn out with it's slower music that relies on simple guitar chords and a bell chime, sounding like it was copied and pasted digitally two times more then it should have been present in the first place. The closing song, "Personal Demons", as mentioned earlier, sounds a little restrained vocally at first before all hell breaks lose. Even the music sounds a little lacking, leaving you wishing there was just a little more to the guitars to add the layer of intensity that the rest of this release has.

It may sound off on your first listen, but one or two times through this EP, and you'll welcome the different musical approach of this EP compared to the previous bands that the members of this group perform with. While not all the songs on this release are the most impressive, there's still a good chunk that is highly enjoyable and will make you want to start a mosh right where you stand, sit, or whatever position you happen to be in at the time, not just by the heaviness of the Death Metal found on this release, but moreso by the more fun aspects brought in by the early Thrash aspects found throughout the recording. If you're new to Criminal Element, now is the time to become accustomed to this group.

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Overkill (United States of America (Brooklyn, New York / New Jersey) )

Overkill - Ironbound [2010] (Thrash Metal, Groove Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast Records / E1 Music

While I found some good moments in the last few Overkill albums, I have found them to be somewhat lesser additions to the band's discography and wondered how much time they had left as a group. I wasn't sure how this album would compare to the ones before it but figured that it'd end up being your "typical" Overkill album. To my surprise, my perceptions went through a complete overhaul as this release ended up being even stronger than I had anticipated.

As suggested by the appropriately metallic album art and a unique sounding mix courtesy of Hypocrisy bandleader Peter Tägtgren, "Ironbound" brings about a band that is heavier and more aggressive than the Overkill that many of us have gotten used to in recent years. Most of the songs on here go at an extremely fast pace with a few more complex structures coming into play on occasion. Of course, the album still has plenty of catchy moments with "Bring Me the Night" in particular serving as an excellent anthem and one of my personal favorite songs.

The band's performance also seems to have gotten more focused on this effort and the "new" line-up finally shows some chemistry that hasn't been seen in this group for quite a while. Guitarists Derek Tailer and Dave Linsk finally come into their own with some powerful riffs and solos that are sure to eliminate any brooding memories of past guitarists that are still in the fans' collective conscious. Vocalist Bobby Ellsworth also delivers another strong performance, generally sticking to his signature rasps and wails though showing some croons on "Give A Little" and borderline growls on "The Head And Heart." Unfortunately, DD Verni's bass playing doesn't stand out as much as usual though the backing vocals on this album may be some of his best to date.

While the somewhat dry production may give the album a somewhat distant feel in comparison to past efforts, I think this album's one flaw may be the derivative tendency that has popped up on past Overkill efforts. Many songs on here have moments that recall classic Metallica and Megadeth. While it may be my favorite song on the album, "Bring Me The Night" may be somewhat off-putting to some as it is more or less a rewrite of "The Prince" by Diamond Head. Fortunately, it doesn't get in the way too often and may reinforce the album's classic feel.

With the release of this album, it's safe to say that Overkill has made their version of "Tempo Of The Damned." All of the songs on here are powerfully constructed and the overall effort will be pretty damn hard to top as one of my 2010 favorites, let alone one of my favorites in the Overkill discography. Here's hoping they'll be able to keep this momentum going with their next one!

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Meshuggah (Sweden (Umeå) )

Meshuggah - ObZen [2008] (Technical Post-Thrash Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast Records

I can honestly say that 'ObZen' has the distinction of being the Meshuggah album that I was really hoping for immediately after 'Catch 33', an album that I wasn't quite able to enjoy as much as I'd like. 'ObZen', though, is a great combination of 'Destroy Erase Improve' and 'Nothing'-era(s) material with just a hint of the proggy elements of the last album, and the combination is absolutely great. It's blisteringly heavy and fairly metallic like the early stuff, has the grinding industrial feel of albums like 'Chaosphere', and manages to change things up with just enough prog to keep it interesting. Even if it was lacking that, though, it would still be an incredible album simply because this is one of the heaviest and most brutally aggressive albums that Meshuggah has made so far.

The first three tracks are the real killers on this one, and 'Bleed' is of course the centerpiece, reminding one of songs like 'New Millennium Cyanide Christ' which are so devoid of dynamics as to be almost totally binary songs. Just ramp up the speed and tightness of that earlier track and you have a good idea of what to expect with 'Bleed'; pure grinding brutality from start to finish (minus the clean guitar in the middle). The album opens up on a note quite different from the previous ones... a thrash beat! For the first time in probably a decade, Meshuggah strays from the bass drum versus guitar attack that's such a fixture of their music, like an announcement that they dug out the old albums and still like them. After 'Bleed', the sound of 'ObZen' strays a bit more towards 'Catch 33' territory, but it's sufficiently oldschool to not fall into the same traps that that album did.

The proggy tracks on 'ObZen' could be compared to 'Catch 33', but more accurately they sound like an extension of songs like 'Sublevels' off the earlier albums. They're less ruthlessly atonal and more delicate experiments in texturing and mysterious layers of atmosphere. The more I think about it, the more I think you could say that 'ObZen' is really a combination of all of Meshuggah's previous material into a singular sound. This would be a miserable failure for most bands, but in Meshuggah's case, they pull it off with style. The elements of savagery and progression mesh very well throughout the album without ever becoming stale. It's an 'exciting blend of old and new' as a bad info sheet would say. It's also really heavy, and that's always good: super clear production and 235235-string guitars and all.

Overall, 'ObZen' is what I expected and I'm really satisfied by what the band has managed to turn out. Meshuggah's been at it for over two decades now and they show no sign of slowing down; they just take their custom sound further with every new album and explore the niche they've so painstakingly carved in the modern metal scene. 'ObZen' is another great album from the Swedes and is unlikely to disappoint. 'Bleed' is awesome and you should get it just for how insane that track alone is because I think they've invented entirely new time signatures on it.

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Kataklysm (Canada (Montreal, Quebec) )

Kataklysm - Heaven's Venom [2010] (Death Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast Records

For me, Kataklysm's output has been pretty hit and miss in recent years. I am usually as likely to enjoy any given Kataklysm track as I am to be completely underwhelmed by it. Like later AC/DC, Kataklysm keeps releasing albums that contain a couple of good tracks destined to become concert staples, while the rest of the songs on the albums are soon forgotten by all but the group's most devoted fans. With Heaven's Venom, Kataklysm succeeds in breaking its streak of spotty albums. That's not to say that Heaven's Venom is a work of genius, but it's certainly an improvement over their recent output and quite possibly Kataklysm's most enjoyable and consistent release since 2002's Shadows and Dust.

The first half of Heaven's Venom is more or less standard Kataklysm. The first few songs sound like some of the better material on the most recent albums. There's plenty of grooving and catchy riffs like those found in "Determined (Vows of Vengeance)." There are also catchy choruses aplenty such as the unforgettable chorus of "Faith Made of Shrapnel." The band's (or maybe the label's) choice for the album's first single and video, "Push the Venom," is a decent track, but it is definitely the weakest on the album. Although this track is not terrible, it sounds the most like Kataklysm's weaker songs of late. Releasing this track as a single is definitely not putting the album's best foot forward and may give the impression to the curious listener that this album is just more of the same.

Despite a decent first half of the album, the second half of Heaven's Venom improves with a little more experimentation and more variety. Well, it's more experimental for Kataklysm anyway. Heaven's Venom takes a turn for the better beginning with album highlight, "Hail the Renegade." Cool blackened riffs, interesting rhythm patterns, spastic snare rolls, and a melodic bass solo all make this song a standout. With this track, Kataklysm actually makes a strong effort to keep things interesting, and it works. More variety helps other songs stay interesting and memorable too. For example, "As the Walls Collapse" uses harmony riffs and stuttering rhythms and grooves to its advantage, while "Numb and Intoxicated" utilizes an odd riff and a grooving pinch harmonic-laden chorus to stick in your head. "Suicide River" is proof that despite what Six Feet Under has taught us, "simple" can work very well when all of the elements are arranged properly. "Suicide River" and "Blind Saviour," two of the album's strongest songs, both use blackened melodic elements akin to Hypocrisy to close the album strongly. The use of melody is definitely a key strong point throughout the entire album, especially in the last half. Only "At the Edge of the World" causes a glitch in the progress of the last part of the album. It uses stock Swedish riffs (which I swear they must be selling in ten packs at Ikea these days) and a super-jock breakdown at the end of the song. (I can see the no-necks going apeshit in the pit already.) Despite these complaints, the song is still surprisingly strong.

While Heaven's Venom is exceptionally consistent, it rarely goes beyond just being a good release. There are really no amazing, jaw-dropping parts. But then again, that's not what we have come to expect from Kataklysm. For most metal heads, Heaven's Venom won't be an essential purchase. Actually, despite the fact that Kataklysm has improved immensely on Heaven's Venom, some people may still find this album to be just plain average and maybe even boring. However, if you have enjoyed any of Kataklysm's recent releases at all, chances are you will be pleased with Heaven's Venom. Heaven's Venom is destined to be a fan favorite, and surely more than just a couple of these songs will be in Kataklysm's live set for years to come.

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Exodus (United States of America (San Francisco (Bay Area), California) )

Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition [2010] (Thrash Metal, Groove Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast

With Overkill and Heathen both releasing tremendous thrash albums early in the year, my focus turned to the new Exodus album. My expectations weren't high for this album. To be perfectly honest, they were about as low as they could possibly be considering they were coming off of the criminally boring "Exhibit A" and a pathetic re-recording of their debut album. After seeing the track listing filled with 6-8 minute long songs, I was expecting to see another boring and disappointing release. I can gladly say that this album well exceeded expectations.

The first thing that stands out about Exodus albums in recent years is Rob Dukes. Not only did I think his 'vocals' were terrible, but he also came off as an arrogant prick onstage. When I listened to Shovel Headed Kill Machine the first thing I thought was that his vocal approach just wasn't suited for this style of music. Indeed, his constant puking into the microphone single handedly destroyed any potential there was for "Let There Be Blood" being a half decent album. On this album he seems to use a different approach. While he does still turn to the puking at certain points, he uses a more clean and melodic style of singing in 'Nanking' as well as displaying an overall more tolerable style than seen on previous albums. He's still far from a great vocalist, but he did a decent job here.

As far as the riffs go, some aspects have changed while some have remained identical. They keep the downtuned guitars and intricate riffing seen in recent years. The violent and loud bass is also kept intact. Songs such as 'Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer' use fast and relentless riffs to give an aggressive feel, while songs like 'Nanking' use slower and more atmospheric riffs that go along with the lyrical themes. I was impressed that the riffs on this album are much more diverse and pleasing to the ear than the ones from Exhibit A. 'Downfall' shows off an amazing melodic intro and solo section along with a smooth feel. For the most part the songs are constructed in a way so that they're able to keep the listener's for 6-7 minutes, something that I can't say about Exhibit A.

Tom Hunting can rip the balls off a drum set. His aggressive style of drumming and fast double bass suit the songs well. Since rejoining the band, his intricate drumming has been a major standout for me. While his drumlines get repetitive at times, he does not fail to impress on this album.

There is a certain flaw I should point out about this album. It drags on for a whopping 78 minutes. While the song structures here are more interesting it does get repetitive after a while. There are several songs that could easily have been trimmed down. The first thing that stood out to me is that the album's opener, 'The Ballad Of Leonard and Charles', has an acoustic intro and then goes straight into the EXACT same riff that ended 'Bedlam 1-2-3' from their previous album. Little useless things like that are just absolutely pointless and make the songs less interesting. There are certain songs like 'Class Dismissed' that have slower paced middle sections that come off extremely boring and dull. You'll find yourself skipping over sections of songs after listening a few times.

Dukes DOES go overboard at times. On 'The Sun Is My Destroyer' he sings in a strange and laughable grunt style. He also tries too hard to sound aggressive on 'Class Dismissed'. 'Hammer and Life' also has very boring vocals. While Dukes has improved considerably since Let There Be Blood, he took a considerable toll of a few of these songs.

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Arsis (United States of America (Virginia Beach, Virginia) )

Arsis - Starve for the Devil [2010] (Technical Melodic Death Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast Records

Arsis is an American technical/melodic death metal band. They have released their critically acclaimed debut album, “A Celebration of Guilt” in 2004. Unfortunately, Arsis’ third full-length, “We Are the Nightmare”, was surely a nightmare to their fans. Being a non-fan for now, I still don’t know what lies in this 10-tracker album.

The very first thing I’ve noticed here is the great guitar prowess the band is showing. Many things are technical here, from the intro, to the riffs and to the solos. The vocals here aren’t grunts that you usually hear on death metal records. Instead, we have raspy vocals here, which, in my opinion, are awesome, and rather well performed. In addition, the drums here pummel with fury making the songs’ beats usually fast. Also, we have here a tight production without straining themselves, therefore making the songs have a good vibe in it. Lastly, the album is more dissonant, so if you’re much used to your usual melodic death metal stuff, better go brace yourself, but don’t worry, you’ll get used to it soon.

Although sounding different from the other songs (and having a fucking title like this), “Forced to Rock” suits to be the album’s intro with its rocker vibe. On the other hand, “A March for the Sick” has its fast tempo and a more dissonant sound, which introduces you to the band’s real sound. Compared to the songs prior this one, “Beyond Forlorn” is less dissonant, with an amazing melodies and even a breathtaking solo. “The Ten of Swords” is also not that dissonant with a fast beat in it. Meanwhile, “Closer to Cold” has a little melancholic touch with the pummeling drums to make this song even better. “Half Past Corpse O’clock” is also dissonant from its intro to its verses part, with a somewhat melodic chorus. Lastly, we have “Sable Rising”, with pummeling drums and dissonant tremolo pickings.

What could I say anyway? Well, this album is decent enough, although I admit it takes a while to get used to due to its dissonance. I think this album is a good buy (though not necessarily a “must buy”), especially for the Arsis fans or technical metal fans.

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