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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