Saint Daemon is a new band from Sweden and this their debut album.What struck me with these fellows is that they are trying to play Swedish sounding power metal, but with a more rocky attitude. The quartet from Sweden have everything: heavy and melodic guitars, fast drums which turn to mid tempo quite often, nice melodies created from the bass, giving a smooth tone to each song and a singer whose voice really has a lot to give. He definitely has one of the best melodic voices I have ever heard. Listening to this album will bring to your minds sounds of NOCTURNAL RITES, HAMMERFALL or DREAM EVIL as they have influences from those bands. Saint Daemon have made a good start and I believe that they will continue so in the future.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

This is just another boring KREATOR type thrash band...with a little SADUS, again? The riffs are basic (any "metal" guitarist, just starting out, will find these chord intervals with ease and with some patience will "master" them to the point of "no shanks" while playing them... the key to "greatness" is to filter these over-used patterns through a built in me(n)tal detector to refine them, while striving for something "unique" or "different" to employ, instead... to make things interesting. Or you can take a "basic phrase" and "manipulate" it or have the second guitar add an "augmentation" to it... so, it at least SOUNDS like there's something "creative" to the overall construction. This is very linear music and to me not moving in the least. I'm not THAT old to be completely jaded, either...so, these guys must just be very "average". And "retro" just isn't fashionable unless you can put a slight spin on it. But what do I know?

Tony  "Terminal Descent"  Mikkelson

Sweden is known as the producer of many power, death and thrash metal bands and Scarpoint is yet another one of its childs. "The Silence We Deserve" is their debut album where they show what they have come to play. Thrashy guitar riffs, fast as hell drums which sometimes slow down giving a unique characteristic to each song, raging growling vocals combined with normal ones, crazy bass tunes and all these under the veil of death metal. The five guys from Sweden can really be proud that they have created a very good death metal album and they should continue in the same way. Be sure that with this album silence won't deserve your ears! 

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

Pain Principle comes from the United States, from Florida to be more specific, with a new album which is really a fist in metal. "Waiting For The Flies" is an album that will please everyone who has a thing for metal to the edge. Breath taking guitar riffs that will blow you in the face, neck breaking rhythms that will take your head off your shoulders, deadly vocals with growls that will make your worst fears come true and killer fast drums that will make yor ears bleed. Combining death metal with thrash and a little bit of core, Pain Principle are proud to present an album that will stay in anyone's disc player. The Flies from Florida have come and real Pain is about to begin.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

If I had to present this album with a few words, then I'd go for something like "This is a pure blast of adrenaline"! It's strange how my brain functions sometimes... The more I like a release, the harder it gets for me to describe it and write a proper review that not only will it present the band's music, but will also convey the feelings and passion pouring out of it... And here I am once again in this position with "Dreamin' In A Casket" which is literally and with no sense of exaggeration the best hard rock album I've listened to in many years! These Swedes have managed to create an album that will definitely be envied by the colossal bands of the genre and that will absolutely offer them a place amongst the elit heavy metal bands! What did I like the most? I'm not sure I can pinpoint, so I'd go for the whole album and for every single detail! I mean the catchiness of the compositions is something remarkable, having elements from the 80s scene presented, though, through the band's personal spectrum and character. Being able to marry the past with the present without ever sounding too reminiscent or too modern, is something hard to achieve. Another thing that made me adore this album is that it's both glam, sleazy hard rock and 80s heavy fucking metal with a modern twist mainly created by the superb and flawless production. The musicianship and craftsmanship of the guys is stunning and Jocke Berg has some of the dirtiest, most passionate and emotive hoarse rock 'n' roll vocals I've ever listened to! My sincerest congratulations and deepest apologies to the band for having to wait up to now to discover them, although they exist almost a decade now. For those of you who still haven't realized for what a talented band we are talking about let me tell you that these guys have the best elements of bands like MOTLEY CRUE, HANOI ROCKS and FASTER PUSSYCAT, along with some more heavy metal additions that bring to mind HOLY MOTHER, METAL CHURCH and ANTHRAX, all this through the group's personal perspective and sense of melody. I bow before thee..

Christine  Parastatidou

Leverage is a new band from Finland starting in 2006 with their debut album "Tides" and now they are back with a brand new one. Many will think that "Well they are from Finland so they play... what else other than power metal?", but to all those I say that they are wrong. Leverage is a band which combines in the best possible way melodic rock with heavy power metal. Where guitars come to take their part and turn from melodic to heavy, where drums and keys create melodies and sounds which will take you to the pages of a fairy tale come the amazing vocals to penetrate through your mind and close this magnificent dream. The album will include ten magnificent compositions with both slow and fast songs. So get ready cause Leverage has come to open your eyes with their fire.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

Golly gee-whiz and shucky-darns...why is "metal" so "friendly" these days??? I just don't get it. Have I just totally transcended to the point of total "desensitization"? Have I actually managed to become "non-dualistic"? Maybe. I hear more "darkness" in some "pop" music than I do in "metal", these days. Remember when "metal" was "evil"? When there was a danger to it? I remember hearing DEICIDE's "Legion" for the first time and thinking demons were gonna envelope me, at night, as I tried to sleep. Okay maybe that's a very slight exaggeration, but it DID, literally, scare me! It sounded so hateful and basically "evil". Of course, now, I can listen to it as if I were eating a bowl of sugar, but it's still far more "ominous" than almost anything "new", these days. What is my point? Well, Infected Malignity just seems, to me, to be another "friendly metal band" that just doesn't really do anything for me... there's no edge to them, in my opinion. "Re-bel"? What does that suppose to mean? I don't think they know, either, quite frankly. Anyway, I gave this CD a second spin, just now... it seems to have an ENTOMBED and/or DISMEMBER vibe to it with some very sparse NECROPHAGIST type guitar parts (that aren't conducted near as eloquently as that said band... of which I hold in high regard -"Epitaph"...quite amazing!). A couple ssongs also have a "rip-off" type riff from MORBID ANGEL, but what "death" band doesn't? I won't hold that against them.. as being able to catch such a thing just shows my own "bias" ;-). Anyway this is a decent album...I guess... about twenty plays would probably imbed it in my mind enough to call it "pretty good", but I'll stick with ten percent of that and stuff the CD away with the rest of the "use once (or twice) and destroy" pile.

Tony  "Terminal Descent"  Mikkelson

Grantig is a band from Germany and with their debut album they have come to stay.They are playing a mixture of death metal with powerful growling vocals deadly fast drums and very good guitar riffs and solos and a bit of hardcore style which gives the band a unique way of playing.The lyrics are all in German something that might displease some listeners but despite that fact the album is trully worth listening.It includes twelve songs with two heavy ballads in which you have to listen the great changes from slow to fast. 

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

I don't know if this is an homage to BLACK SABBATH or not... like "electric" from "Electric Funeral" and "wizard" from "The Wizard"? If it is, I would hope SABBATH would be offended...'cause I'm offended and I'm not even a big BLACK SABBATH fan. The first track is HORRIBLE. I almost shut this CD off because of it. It was far too long and monotonous (mono-tone-ous?). I was washing dishes while that track was goin' and I didn't feel like drying my hands off to push another track into motion (though, I was gritting my teeth and hardly bearing it), so the second track kicked in as I was just about to run into the living room to "pull the plug" on that noise - it was kind of catchy, in a quirky way that's agreeable to me, but they haven't won me over. So, yes, the rest of the CD seems to be actual "songs". Songs for "stoners", I would imagine...the ilk of which I'm not a part of. I'd be the one hurling actual rocks at this crap because it sure doesn't rock my socks off. I'm far too hyper. I'm more of a "speed freak" (not that I don't also enjoy slow/mellow songs, but they usually need to be "melancholy" or "nostalgic"...having a "longing/yearning" type of sound to them...a "sweet kind of sadness".) I guess you could say I'm hardly ever in an actual "doom mood". Has any band ever used that for a song title, by the way? It would be a neat little palindrome, don't ya think? Well, you probably DON'T think, if you listen to slow, boring, plodding music like this... whoops... that's probably not true... here I go again...making enemies is easier than yanking plums outta pies or sucking on a bong?

Tony  "Terminal Descent"  Mikkelson

Enemy Of The Sun is a band from Germany and this is their debut album through Massacre Records which will really kick ass. What are they playing? Well imagine pure thrash metal with deadly killer riffs, vocals with growls and normal melodic ones, drums blowing your ears away and all these mixed with some progressive tunes and a little bit of death and black style. It is an album that will remind you of classic thrash groups such as SLAYER, but with more brutal vocals and it will make your head go up and down till it's separated from your body. The amazing opening track "Emptiness" followed by "Carousel" and "Twenty Three Feet" are some songs that will really put you into this album. Get ready for the shadows which will cover the sun and your ears. 

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

Wow! This is the best sounding thrash I've ever heard! The incredibly technical - yet catchy as H-E-double hockey sticks guitar riffs and solos... the pounding yet intricate bass... the vocals show such range and diversity that it's hard to grasp how he could be human... same as the drummer - such a caliber perfomance... does he have eight arms?! My jaw drops in awe at the supreme diversity, prowess, and severe originality of this work! I will now never listen to another album...I can die happy...with this release, I have heard the greatest album ever made!!! Okay, now is the time to make a snippet out of this review, so you can use the previous statements out of context...*wink, wink*...'cause...uh...*YAWN*... I was lying before now... yeah...this is basically a cross between new and old KREATOR, METALLICA and SADUS... nothing I haven't really heard before...*SNORE*. The production is pretty good.

Tony  "Terminal Descent"  Mikkelson

The Burning comes from Denmark with a debut album which drops like a hammer in the speed thrash metal genre. The guys from Denmark know what aggression is and they show it in the best possible way with this album. Growls with melodic vocals, harsh guitar riffs with a sound that will blow you away, a bass with a distinctive sound coming from the back to raise adrenaline and fast drums with a heavy powerful sound that will be like sweet music to your ears. But that's not all! The fact is that all these are done in a way that there are no special effects and no exceptional production, just pure brutality as thrash metal should be. Kick ass music! Prepare for a burning fist in your ears.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

Yeap this is surely the most interesting, intriguing and original release I have listened to so far! Alestorm's music can be described as heavy/power metal with lots of theatrical elements. First of all the use of the keyboards is exceptional, since they give a soundtrack touch to the whole album. The other element that impressed me is the way the singer sings, since he sounds like an old pirate that narrates tales from the sea (note: he sometimes also reminded me of Peavy Wagner of RAGE). The whole concept of the album and the band are based on pirates and because of that they have been labeled as Scottish pirate metal. As for their influences I can say that I have noticed in their sound some touches from bands like KORPIKLAANI, RAGE, BLIND GUARDIAN and a bit of RUNNING WILD and RHAPSODY. However, they have a unique way of sounding! Just listen to the album, close your eyes and you will think that you are in a tavern full of feasting pirates! A band that is worth to be given your pieces of eight in order to purchase their work...

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

"Paris Moon" is the new live album by folk rockers Blackmore's Night which will be a part of the limited edition same titled DVD. I really have to say that it is a very good live album with many classic good moments such as "Past Times With Good Company", "Under A Violet Moon", "The Clock Ticks On", "Home Again" and others which will satisfy everyone. There is also a very good production with a sound that flows through every listener's ears. What disappointed me is the fact that it doesn't include all the songs from the live performance and I really can't understand why they did that. There are also three bonuses with a studio version and a video track of the "Village Lantern" and a radio edit of "All Because Of You". All dreamers should watch out for the Moon, because it is up in the sky.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

This is the new live album by The Gathering but unfortunately the last one with sweet Anneke on the vocals as she has now created a new band, AGUA DE ANNIQUE. "A Noise Severe" is truly an album worth listening to as the band's performance is unique. The production is really something with a sound that will make every listener think he is actually in the live show. The album consists of two discs with a number of nineteen songs which will satisfy even the most crazy The Gathering fan. From the "Shortest Day" to the great "Eleanor" and from "Strange Machines" to "Travel", with which they close their live performance, The Gathering give their best in creating a fine live album. We will surely miss Anneke with her sweet voice but fortunately we have a fine album to enjoy.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

The fans of the Italian epic metal scene will fine here another interesting band. Spellblast's sound is close to bands like BLIND GUARDIAN, FINTROLL, ELVENKING (actually in the song "Lost In The Forest" Damnagoras from ELVENKING makes a guest appearance), RHAPSODY and DOMINE (especially in the choral parts). Lyrically now the band is inspired by fantasy and the Norwegian mythology. Generally the final result can be characterised as satisfactory, but it can hardly move the listeners outside the European power metal sound. They definitely have good ideas and I hope that in the future they will give us even more interesting albums!

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

...And here I am once again in the pleasant position of presenting you an interesting and highly addictive newcoming band! First of all let me note, in case there are any misunderstandings, that this is the Italian Subliminal Fear. We aren't talking about the U.K. based stoner/doom band. Now these Italians have set out to deliver vast amounts of energy combined in the most effective, direct and great way with beautiful melodies and nice modern-sounding keyboard parts. Subliminal Fear belong to the melodic death metal scene as it is expressed by the more modern renditions of IN FLAMES and SOILWORK, but they've also got some sharper and more aggressive moments that brought to my mind SLIPKNOT (if you just listen to the opening track "Insane Archetype", you'll know what I mean). The melodic lines are really beautiful and enchanting and create a powerful antithesis and contradiction with the more aggressive side of their music. Something that is also enriched and added up by the beautiful clean vocals that stand up against the rasping, death metal ones. Apart from all this the solos and the whole execution of the songs along with an excellent production have made me realize that we are talking about crafty musicians with a lot of skills and an in-build sense of melody that result in the writing of catchy songs with a plethora of emotions parading in front of us. I know the melodic death metal scene is oversaturated, but there are some bright examples of bands which show us that originality isn't always the key ingredient for a successful album. All we need is passion!

Christine  Parastatidou

Reunions most of the times are not motivated by pure intentions. The bands usually reunite in order to take advantage of the fame they had in the past and profit from it. As a result of such an attitude they end up releasing poor albums and disappoint their fans. Nightmare from France were a very good heavy metal band in the 80s, but after their reunion they have changed their sound into more European power metal forms. A thing that disappointed me a lot since it shows a band that has forgotten their roots and tried to find new fans. In their latest release "Genetic Disorder" they continue to play Euro-power with some progressive metal elements, but this time they also have many classic heavy metal moments as well. Without reaching the glory of their past albums back in the 80s, I can say that "Genetic Disorder" is the best album that Nightmare gave us after their reunion.

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

Icarus Witch is a band that make quite a sense in the underground metal scene. At least here in my country... By listening to their second release "Songs For The Lost" I can say that they are a good band with some good ideas. The problem with them is that their albums sound too much like IRON MAIDEN's and BRUCE DICKINSON's releases without having their quality though. So "Songs For The Lost" has some nice tunes like the opening track "Out For Blood", "Written In The Stars" and "Mirror Mirror" (this one has a QUEENSRYCHE touch and features Joe Lynn Turner), but the band needs to find a more personal sound in order to create something that will be worth to be mentioned. For now I can recommend this album only to the IRON MAIDEN - BRUCE DICKINSON maniacs.

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

Pretty depressing band name and pretty depressing album title, don't you think? Well I don't think I'll take you by surpirse if I tell you that this band's music is also depressing. The debut from this six piece Italian band is pure atmospheric-doom metal with a great deal of melacholy and really dark and gloomy compositions. The whole essence and the aura coming out of the songs brought to my mind SENTENCED's melacholy (of the latest era) and H.I.M.'s sentimental and more vulnerable moments. Though The Foreshadowing walk on the right path for this kind of music, I think they still have a long way to go since their compositions may have elements similar to the above mentioned bands, but they still lack in dynamics, catchiness and presence of mind. What I mean is that despite the skillful musicians and their obvious effort, the end result is too one dimensional and extremely catatonic... More than I can bear and stand and there were moments that they made me think they've overdone it, as if some things have been made on purpose and not out of pure feeling and inspiration...

Christine  Parastatidou

Although I am deep into the underground metal scene, I have to admit that I've never heard of Ancient Creation up until I received the promo of their debut album. I am saying all this, because they are a very interesting group! Anyway as the Greek people say "Better late than never". The band's sound can be described as 80s U.S. power metal influenced by bands like HELSTAR, OMEN, WARLORD and ONWARD. The element, though, that makes them distinguish from other bands of this genre is that they don't simply pay tribute to the bands that have influenced them, but their sound has "personality". Moreover their compositions are complicated and have changes that catch your unprepared and that's a big extra too. However, this advantage sometimes becomes a drawback as well, because there were times (few though) that the constant changes tired me a bit. A debut album that the U.S. power metal maniacs have to check out! Definitely a group that makes the difference.

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

One more stoner rock release for this month... Has stoner rock become a trend again? I don't know if that's the case, but lately more and more bands venture to deliver this kind of music. Cortez is one of them and they enrich their rendition of stoner rock with many blues elements and some nice solos. The songs are mainly uptempo with a catchy tone that will definitely please the fans of the sound and they are well performed by skillful musicians. The production is really powerful and voluminous allowing the necessary bits of "dirt" in the sound to make their appearance and offering a dirty rock 'n' roll scent to the end result. Although "Thunder In A Forgotten Town" has many positive elements and things that deserve our attention, I have to admit that I got bored from a point on and this is the case with me and most blues/stoner rock releases. Such albums haven't got the necessary, for me, variety to make you enjoy listening to the whole album. I can only stand listening to a couple of songs of such albums each time, so no matter how good elements and how well taken care of this album was, it still didn't manage to maintain my interest and satisfaction intact. 

Christine  Parastatidou

Just another classic metal release without being something special. I can't deny that the band's members are sincere and play the music they love, but that is not enough. As a band they are bonded, however they keep repeating throughout the whole album the same cliches of heavy metal without any imagination or any element of personality. And the obvious questions that rises is: Why should somebody buy this release instead of an album from the great 80s bands? Before your 80s metal enthusiasm makes you buy this release, try listening to it first, but even if you can't listen to it, believe me you won't be losing anything. I am saying this as a big fan of the 80s metal sound and not as a reviewer. Better luck next time guys!!

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

First of all, I would like to ask Miltos to excuse me for the late presentation of this album, but my military service didn't allow me to have much free time lately. In his new release now, Miltos continues playing good and catchy blues/rock music accompanied by satyrical lyrics. Regarding the music, I can say that I have noticed that Marathon on their new album have drawn influences from bands like SOCRATES and in general from the 70s rock bands both of Greece and the rest of the world. However, in this review I want to underline the lyrics which are full of sarcasm and criticize in a delicate humorous way (not always) the modern Greek society and especially the way that music business works here. I believe that Miltos is a big fan of Jimis Panoussis. At least this is the feeling I got from listening to his lyrics (note: By the way they are all written in Greek). Generally this is a very good work that will make you laugh without ever becoming cheesy or vulgar. The songs that I like the most are: "Stis Magissas Mamis", "Aisxos (To)", "Sofias Kastanis" and "Paragogos". If you want to listen to something interesting and thought provoking, buy this release by contacting the band: [email protected]

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

Depraved, psychotomimetic black metal is what Sammath are here to offer us that truly drives you to frenzy. Amazing drums with a superb technique, deranged, oppressive, ultra violent riffs and paranoid vocals are the basic elements that comprise the image and sound of Sammath. The technical knowledge and skills of the band members move on a high level, offering us pure black metal undefiled from the contemporary trends. The war call to arms against the pseudo-ethics of the shit-men is interspersed throughout the album. Though one can trace some minor problems in the production and more particularly in the sound of the drums, these are due to the low budget. The war against all the human scums must be bloody and inexorable!

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

Trying to mix classic 80s metal with modern elements isn't something easy to achieve. Many have tried, but most have failed giving us poor and boring results. Man Of The Hour are not such a case of a band. Their sound is deeply rooted in the 80s metal scene, but they approach it through a modern view. To help you understand, I can tell you that you can find similarities in their sound with bands like NEVERMORE (note: Bud sometimes strongly reminded me of Warrel Dane), COMMUNIC and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD (just listen to "The Final Battle"). However, there is more in the background that an experienced "metal ear" can discover. Personally, I have noticed influences from bands like JUDAS PRIEST, ANNIHILATOR and PANTERA along with some BLACK SABBATH and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY touches. They might not be the most original band in the world, but they love metal music and give their soul for it and that's the most important elements that a band needs to have in order to create good music. Another positive thing is the "filth" and "dirt" of the album's music that make them sound even heavier and more aggressive. The only drawback I found is that in the end of the album, the creativity and inspiration fall a bit...

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

From what I got to realize this is the project of one man. Fast black metal is what we mainly get here without though some slower parts missing. With enough brutality and misanthropy, the whole creation is based on guitars only and has no keyboards at all. The riffs contained in 2 of the songs are good, but after that they become a bit tiring, because the basic melody remains continuously the same, repeating the basic parts over and over again. The most interesting song, musically speaking, is the fifth one with the interchanges in the rhythms and riffs. This is definitely Vardan's best moment which shows us that there can occur a great music evolution, since the guy has the potential and abilities. So, if he also has the necessary "appetite" and passion for good and hard work, then he can achieve much greater things! The production is really low budget with a bad character in the vocals that have been hidden somewhere in the back and don't have the needed dynamics. I wish Vardan a good luck and I'd advise them to be more careful with their production next time!

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

It is really nice to discover that the underground metal scene still has bands that play metal music in the traditional way without caring about the latest trends at all. Things though seem much more optimistic when these underground bands give us good and very professional works... such a band is Cruizzen from Germany. Their sound can be described as 80s hard 'n' heavy. To be more specific I can say that the guys draw influences from groups like AC/DC, ACCEPT, SAXON, early JUDAS PRIEST and a bit of RUNNING WILD. "Hellrocker" has a clear and nice production that has nothing to envy from the releases that come from big labels. In general you will listen to a band that plays the kind of music that they like to listen to on their own. If you find all the above mentioned intriguing, then check them out on: http://www.myspace.com/cruizzen.

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

Black Rainbows is a typical stoner rock band with many 70s psychedelic rock twists in their compositions. "Twilight In The Desert" is an album that can only apply and address to the die hard stoner rockers all around the world, cause the music included here is really typical 70s stoner rock with slow to mid tempos mainly. In fact I don't think I've ever listened to any fast tempos or riffs on the album, something that made the listening of this album a tiring and boring "job" for me. I enjoy stoner rock bands quite enough, but I want their songs to have some more uptempo, some more cheerful and crazy parts. The thing with this band was that all the songs sounded flat and one dimensional as if I was listening to the same song over and over again. Good enough if you only listen to one song, but it becomes very unimaginative and plain boring if you listen to the whole album. I think I'll pass!

Christine  Parastatidou

Vlad In Tears is a band from Italy which is supposed to play gothic metal. Of course it has all the means to do that... female vocals, dark and gloomy atmospheres and lyrics which tend to be melancholic, but their sound is more like a copy paste of H.I.M. It seems as if they are children of the previously mentioned band and that they have never heard of anything else other than this. There may be some songs such as "My Curse", "See Through The Darkness" and "My Last Dawn" and some good piano moments, but apart from that nothing else. There is also a very poor production with many problems in the sound especially in the guitars. So if you are a fan of H.I.M you will probably love it but I will surely pass by.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

If "3000 Crosses" wa s a good debut album which introduced us to a very promising band, then "The Dark Journey" is many steps further for The Conspiracy. This time the band sounds more bonded and the compositions included here are worked with more maturity, something that is obvious in the variety and the complexity they have. Moreover, the band's singer, Jim Steele, has improved his singing skills and technique and he doesn't hesitate using even some death metal growls in some of the songs, whevever he judges it necessary in order to make the end result sound more aggressive and catchy. The fans of the U.S. speed/thrash metal sound should try to find and listen to this release... 
Email: [email protected]
Site: http://www.conspiracyrocks.com

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

I think this is the first time I actually get the chance to listen to a band from Romania and I'm glad to say that the taste I had is more than promising. This three piece combo has delivered a couple of years ago their debut album and now they've set to release an EP containing three brand new songs of avant-garde black metal. Their lyrics deal with themes about evil, darkness and freedom and they are good enough for someone that'd take time to dig them. The band's image is extreme, but not in the typical black metal style, meaning that they cover their faces with odious and repulsive masks that brought to my mind SLIPKNOT. In fact there are also moments in the band's music and in the twisted approach of their compositions that resembled the extremity and devastating energy of the aforementioned band. However this is a pure black metal release with a few death metal additions, a solid rhythm section with ultra fast blastbeats and demonic high pitched vocals. Everything is quite interesting and another good thing about this band is that each song has an entirely different and special approach, so it was like listening to songs from 3 different bands. The production was also very good for the specific genre with the necessary noise and dirt. All in all this is a highly promising band, but personally I really liked the first song "Everything Dies" whereas the other 2 were good enough, but nothing special, nothing note-worthy...

Christine  Parastatidou

Just another speed/power metal band from Europe... Nothing much to say, except for the fact that on this album they repeat all the cliches of this genre in a very predictable and uninspiring way. The only things that are worth to be mentioned are that they have a U.S. approach in their sound and that they use some brutal vocals in order to attract the fans of the extreme metal scene. The final result, however, is not something that made me jump from joy or excitement. Just another speed/power metal album that you listen to easily, but you forget it the very next minute you take it out of your CD player...

Nick  "William_Kidd"  Parastatidis

This is German black metal with lyrics in the German language and vocals that have the scent of the cursed, forgotten forest. The compositions are interesting with rich melodic lines, revealing the good technique and the inspiration of the group's guitar players. Slow, imposing parts interchange with ultra fast black speeds, with the melodies always being present and without ever being covered from the drums. The production is very good, perfectly achieving the haunted atmosphere that the band seeks after, whilst allowing all the instruments to show themselves without degrading any of them. Great work with inspiration that deserves your attention!

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

Two years after their "Spiritual Twilight" album, the duo from Austria strikes back with their new endeavor titled "Phantasm" that delivers a great deal of raw and unrelentling energy! Frozen black metal mainly influenced by the more extreme Norwegian scene and more specifically by DARK THRONE and early IMMORTAL, but also by the first era of our co-patriots ROTTING CHRIST is perfectly entwined with a great deal of darkness and disgust and a pure epic feeling that indicates the band's great respect for the amazing BATHORY! "Phantasm" is boisterous and ferocious epic black metal with ultra fast tempos, sharp guitars and a really powerful rhythm section. The vocals have a rasping hue that reveals the torment and hatred narrated by the lyrics. The melodic lines though subtle are present almost throughout the release offering an extra depth to the compositions whilst at the same time showing the skills and great musicianship of the band members. "Phantasm" may not be anything pioneering or ground breaking, but it surely is a great epic black metal album that respects its roots and the genre's past! You won't find any trendy elements here, so this is a release that can only appeal to the die hard, old school blacksters!

Christine  Parastatidou

Pure, cursed black metal with characteristics from the old school scene blended in with rich rhythm changes from doom to mid tempo to ultra fast boisterous black metal speeds. Their frozen and cursed magical melodies are mainly build on the guitars and there are also moments when we come across some subtle and yet imposing keyboards. The vocals have a black metal hue with good pronunciation that helps the listener understand many of the lyrics. The production is very good for the specific style without having any problems, it's well balanced and it offers exactly what the band was looking for. A very good and honest work that comes from the depths of the band's soul!

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

Finally a band with female vocals different from the uusal stuff. Benedictum is a band from San Diego California that is female fronted as I previously mentioned who don't play atmosheric or gothic metal but pure ass kicking heavy metal. You will understand this from the note of the first song where highly aggressive guitar riffs with heavy drums and wonderful melodic and harsh vocals by Veronica Freeman create an album which will make your head bang up and down and lift adrenaline to the limits! The album includes eleven songs and it will also include a cover version of ACCEPT's "Balls To The Wall" and there will also be a limited digipack version with a cover of BLACK SABBATH's "The Mob Rules" with guest appearance from Jimmy Bain (RAINBOW) on the bass. All you metallers prepare for a blast of metal to the bone!

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

The new work of Sodom which isn't actually... new, contains tracks that have been taken from the band's legendary album "Sign Of Evil" which have been re-recorded for the purposes of this release with a much better sound and also has some other bonus songs from that era that move on the same more or less style. So, we are talking about black/thrash here with lots of energy, aggressiveness and a savage sound, quite different from how Sodom sound nowadays. This is an album for the young to learn and the older ones to recollect... So with the standards of those times I give them...

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

When I listened to the first song of this release, I thought that this band was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix. But when I reached the end of this release, I came to the conclusion that it's a mixture of slightly different things like stoner, rock 'n' roll, funk and dirty rock 'n' roll, the last of which is what I suppose this band is trying to achieve with their music. Anyway "Crossing The Seas" didn't have much of an impact on me and the songs that appealed to me more were "Good Times/ Bad Times" and "Put The Record On". I also liked the title of the intro "We Have Come On Your Daughters" which was also played backwards as an outro. That was funny!!!

Dimitris  Pantsiopoulos

Second work from the technical blacksters Vesania whose sound and style resemble to that of DIMMU BORGIR a lot without though having the abundance of money that is spent each time for every DIMMU BORGIR release. Musically Vesania belong to the symphonic black metal idiom with their vocals mainly being of a death metal approach. Their songs are definitely interesting with rhythm changes and ominous black melodies, but they leave you with the sense that something's missing. It might be perhaps because the riffs reminded me a lot of multi-played and worn out melodies that neither managed to stick to my mind nor enthuse my musical instinct. The album is definitely good and it's obvious that the guys have tried and suffered a lot to make it happen, but...

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

Nowadays it is often that many record companies remaster many albums of well known bands and that's exactly what happened with this album. "Unleash The Beast" is one of Saxon's greatest albums and this is the remastered version of it as the album was first out ten years before. What's new is the sound which has a very good quality with every instrument breaking your ears and of course two bonus live tracks "Crusader" and "Solid Ball Of Rock".There is also a very nice illustrated booklet with personal liner notes and photos. The rest is the same with songs such as "Circle Of Light", "Ministry Of Fools" and "All Hell Breaks Loose" that are really kicking ass! It is worth buying even if you have the original one.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

This is the first time I put a mark on a single release. Usually I tend to just present them, cause I feel that heavy metal music doesn't "need" singles like say pop music. Most metalheads tend to buy the full CDs and I think few are those who are after specific songs of each band. Anyway this is perhaps the first time that I say and truly mean that you HAVE to buy this CD single, though it only consists of two songs both of which have been taken from the band's current album, "The Inner Sanctum". The songs are "I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)" and "Going Nowhere Fast". So what's special about it? First of all and in case you haven't listened to the album let me tell you that if you love the classic 80s heavy metal sound "The Inner Sanctum" is a must have because the songs have a true 80s feeling and are loyal to the band's great past! I think they could become classic in the future! So other than that the first song "I've Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)" features the one and only Lemmy Kilmister from MOTORHEAD, the superb Angry Anderson of ROSE TATTOO and the famous to everybody Andi Deris from HELLOWEEN. Can you imagine how perfectly their voices are tied together with that of Biff? Pure headbanging holocaust, full of energy, positive vibes. a MUST HAVE!!!!!

Christine  Parastatidou

The amazing classical black metal group from Hungary has made its come back far better and more mature than ever before! The basic characteristic of this band is the use of wind instruments like the trombone and the trumpet. I think you can imagine how difficult it is to "tie together" the soundscape of these two instruments with the sound of the electric guitar. Well the Hungarians have managed, after a lot of hard work, to reach perfection. Parts of raw black metal follow up epic melodies with flawlessly orchestrated trombone and trumpet parts that create a superb atmosphere. You will also come across a classical sounding piano along with a viola that has an impressive Celtic-charactered presence in the 8th track. The compositions are imaginative in their melodic parts, the technical status and the music education of the guys move on top standards and the production is truly professional reaching perfection, whilst having a very difficult role to "marry" the wind instruments with the electric sound. Sear Bliss is one more living proof that metal is the continuation of classical music nowadays. Those of you who truly love music check them out since we are talking about a pure diamond!!!!

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

The main musicians who founded this band and are behind it are Mark Boals, famous for his cooperation with Yngwie Malmsteen and RING OF FIRE along with the guitarist Magnus Karllson. The album is very, very melodic with tons of atmospheric parts, but it also has a very hard edge. Altogether what we get is a fucking great result that will satisfy both the AOR lovers and those headbangers who are more into the hardcore genre! If you are into guitar solos and technique then this guitar maniac (Magnus Karlsson) will give you plenty of satisfactory moments as he shreds and creates great riffs all around the place! All the tracks are great, but my favorites are "Toxic Kiss", "Bring Down The Moon", "Running Out Of Hate", "Mistress Of Death" and "Prisoner" for the time being at least...

Dimitris  Pantsiopoulos

Actually this isn't a new release, but a re-release of the band's best moments in the pre-"Wolfheart" era. Oriental melodies mixed with dark black metal aesthetics and imbued with heavy metal parts are the dominant elements of the songs. The tempos are mainly mid without though some faster outbreaks missing that increase... the internal pressure!! The vocals have a special death/black metal hue which make Moonspell sound unique and original, but some quality great female vocals are also present. This is a release addressed to the die hard Moonspell fans who want to meet the band's... roots and see the raw side of their self. It is highly recommended since their style and sound was pioneering for those times.

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

New album for the Dutch Mistress of symphonic rock and Lana Lane is back with a great follow-up to the amazing "Lady Macbeth". |Red Planet Boulevard" is a journey through space and time with songs and compositions giving a sense of a fairy tale. From the heavy "Into The Fire" till the really fabulous ballad "Jessica" and the epilogue with the same titled song, Lana Lane gives her best self one more time creating a really great progressive rock album. Together with her we find Erik Norlander who once again plays both the keys and the bass creating melodies beyond imagination, Ernst Van Ee in drums and Peer Verschuren on guitars. Twelve songs both heavy and melodic are waiting to travel every listener down the road to oblivion and pure rock times. Will you deny such a wonderful journey?

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

Every Time I Die is a mix of hardcore and metal from a progressive point of view! In this release there were tracks that really kicked my ass like "Werewolf", "rebel Without Applause", "INRIhab" and "Buffalo Gals", while I couldn't get along with the rest of the tracks appearing here... Anyway generally the whole atmosphere and approach were aggressive, full of energy and most of all sick! The thing is that with this band it's hard to predict what the next change in each song's structure will be, which sometimes is great and some other times not. What makes them stand out though is this progressive feeling that sets them apart from most, typical hardcore-metal bands.

Dimitris  Pantsiopoulos

It’s been six long years since Svartahrid’s previous 2000 release "As The Sunrise Flickers" and this one "Sadness And Wrath" though it is their brand new release, the songs were written and recorded four years ago but the band wasn’t able to release them at the time because they couldn’t find a label. In 2007 Norvegian Svartahrid inked a deal with Soulseller records so "Sadness And Wrath" finally sees the light of day and furthermore this is a three album deal so I guess their next album will be a lot sooner than this one. So let’s get to this album. "Sadness And Wrath" continues in the same old school melodic black metal with the DARK THRONE-like hypnotic riffs, the grim Norwegian feeling and the cold atmosphere, although I find them a little bit darker and less energy-loaded than their previous albums. Of course there is always plenty of those black bursting up moments but the album mainly rides along at a mid-pace with melancholic vaguely melodic incisions of blackened competence and a restrained usage of keys. The vocals are harsh and shrieking while there is also a small participation from DARK THRONE’s Nocturno Culto on the track "Intensjon: Krig" in which he has written the lyrics and performs the vocals as well. Overall, this album surely doesn’t claim the title of the most original piece of work ever and luckily it isn’t over produced, it’s just simple, raw and primitive black metal with lots of interesting moments, catchy songs and a captivating atmosphere and from a band with a clearly underground status. If you know them already I’m sure "Sadness And Wrath" will not leave you unsatisfied, if you don’t then you can hear some samples of their work in their MySpacePage.

Vaso  "Necromass"  Prassa

This is a band mainly filed under the genre of stoner rock. It's mostly doom-ish, but they have also got some Hendrix-driven psychedelic touches. I wasn't so impressed from such songs except for "Holy" which was pretty good, but I was totally fucking blown away by "Messenger Messiah", "Hangover Blues" and "Falling Behind". So fuckin' great tunes!!!! I don't know man! I REALLY love stoner rock and it's hard to make a decision, but I think that if you are into that stuff you should at least check out these 3 songs and listen to my advice...

Dimitris  Pantsiopoulos

What else can a band that has named their debut full length album "Paganized" play other than pagan black metal of course? This quartet from the Czech Republic along with the help of numerous guest appearances have created a really interesting and more that decent work that sets the elm really high for their future! Their black metal side is mainly influenced by the Norwegian scene with ice cold riffs and shrieking demonic screams that bring to mind DARK THRONE, IMMORTAL, MAYHEM and the likes. However, this album doesn't address only to the fans of frozen, primitive black metal since it incorporates in its compositions many classic heavy metal riffs and whenever the songs become more edgy and sharp, the flutes, the bag-pipes and the choral parts make their appearance creating beautiful folk and pagan tunes and some really enchanting melodic lines! Panychida deserve your attention because they've managed to create a very good album showing that they've managed even from their beginning to find the golden balance among their aggressive and their more melodic and folk tunes.

Christine  Parastatidou

The Last Embrace is a band from France and this is their debut album. "Inside" has many to give to every listener as it combines many things. They have very good guitars with heavy and melodic sounding keys which I believe are the small detail that makes this album really worth listening and of course all these are equally chained with the ethereal vocals of the female singer who I have to say has something unique to offer! The general aspect of their playing is atmospheric metal with a pinch of progressive elements in some songs and heavy power in others. Fans of bands such as EPICA, WITHIN TEMPTATION, THE GATHERING and AFTER FOREVER will love it as their sound has many similarities. The only thing that's wrong is the bad production as the sound is gloomy, sometimes making the guitars sound really awful. Apart from that the album is heard pleasantly. Enjoy!

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

The story of Christian Death started back in the 70s and continues, with its ups and downs, up until today... As it seems controversy and confusion run in this band's blood since everything around them is rather strange and unusual... The story of Christain Death has two parts... the European and the American, the latter of which was considered to be the "original" one. However the "imposters" managed to prevail and stand out. So after numerous releases here we are presenting the 34th output under this band name... quite productive huh? Well anyway the gothic rock presented here is quite interesting having many references to the genre's classic 70s-80s sound without however ever neglecting the contemporary era which is obvious here with the addition of many keyboard samples and electronic parts. What helps them build a special and original sound is the use of the violin, mandolin and another instrument called yaylitanbur (which I've never heard before!) and the dual male and female vocals that seem to interact and offer energy and passion to one another. The lyrics are very thought-provoking and extremely interesting in their approach dealing with conspiracy theories of a secret society that wants to achieve world domination, something that has given rise to the new world order holy war as it is fronted by the U.S. and their president George Bush. Interesting approach! I think you should spend some time reading or listening to the lyrics. All in all "American Inquisition" is a very artistic work, but the drawback I found was the fact that the album sounded to me uneven with the first half having some really interesting songs, but the second half didn't touch me or impress me enough. If you are open minded and you feel like experimenting, then check them out!

Christine  Parastatidou

Omnium Gatherum is a melodic death band and "Stuck Here on Snakes Way" is their third album after their brilliant debut "Spirits And August Light" and their rather disappointing second release. Better than the previous album but not reaching the great level of the debut, "Stuck Here on Snakes Way" features a more thrash oriented sound blending brutal death metal with catchy thrash riffs, beautiful melodies and keyboards that stay in the background only to add atmosphere without messing with the aggressiveness of the songs. Most comparable to SCAR SYMMETRY and SOILWORK, but far better in my opinion than those bands mentioned, Omnium Gatherum from the very first moment really impresses you with their amazing musical capabilities exploring at times even some progressive pathways. Violent, hook laden riffs, destructive percussion with a pounding double bass, continuous great solos, and above the average song structure enriched with some savory melodic passages and interesting growling vocals with the incorporation of some scattered clean parts, however not as fully engaged as the ones on their debut.  But the thing with this album is that although it starts really promising and enthusiastic at some later point it loses your attention somehow lacking the necessary consistency to keep up in the same high levels. The production from the other hand is very neat and effective in order to boast the excellent performances of the band members. Summing up "Stuck Here on Snakes Way" is a very decent, emotional and refreshing death metal output for all the fans of the Gothenburg sound.

Vaso  "Necromass"  Prassa

I might sound harsh with my following comment, but I can't stop thinking about it and I still can't find a rational explanation. I can't see how and why people like this kind of music and what is it they find so appealing... I've listened to this album 4 times and the more I kept listening to it the more lame and boring it kept sounding. It's not a secret that I'm not so much into gothic music. There are very few bands in this genre that really stand out to me and have my respect and I think it's needless to say that the Germans Transilvanian Beat Club aren't amongst them. Their gothic death 'n' roll is flat and repetitive with no changes, no originality, no nothing! I mean all this time I thought I kept listening to the exact same song with the only difference being in the lyrics. The vocals were also annoying to me since they carried on the same flat and nervless hoarse tone that ended up sounding irritating and pointless to my ears. The CD can only appeal to the die hard fans of bands like IN EXTREMO, DIE APOCALYPTISCHEN REITER and SALTATIO MORTIS since Transilvanian Beat Club's music is very close to the aforementioned bands' styles.

Christine  Parastatidou

Seven Tears is a band which comes from Scandinavia and to be more specific Sweden the mother land of traditional power metal bands. Well in this case I really have to say that Seven Tears is not a pure power metal band and that is what struck me most about them. Of course there are heavy guitar riffs with fast drums, keys creating amazing melodies and vocals both melodic and raging but it's the A.O.R tunes which are obvious through the whole album that makes it unique. This mixture of power metal with a rock attitude and catchy songs is the thing that makes "In Every Frozen Tear" really something! Songs like "Faded Memory", "All Alone" and "Truth Of Tomorrow" are mere examples of what the listener could experience. Don't shed a tear cause Seven Tears are here to rock you down.

Sotos  "D.T Ace"  Koukidis

Systemyk is an English based band with a rather unique and special sound that can only address and apply to the open minded metallers, those who like and enjoy the intense presence of keyboards, samples and industrial elements. "Cross Contamination" is based on the keyboards that have a front role giving birth to both industrial and quite atmospheric parts, the latter of which create a gothic touch. The overall aesthetics are really nice and there are some really nice and interesting moments, especially whenever the more melodic parts make their appearance. However the vocals rather disappointed me and tired me because they sounded too flat without any changes or alterations. The singer kept interpreting all the songs in the exact same tone in his hoarse voice without letting us feel any changes or differences in his mood or anyway in the songs' mood... "Cross Contamination" was quite good, but I think the band needs some more work!

Christine  Parastatidou

Thrash metal has been making a comeback not only with the continuous reunions of old thrash metal bands of the ‘80s but with some new blood in the genre like FUELED BY FIRE and of course the UK based band EVILE. "Enter The Grave" is their anticipated debut album by Earache and with legendary Flemming Rasmussen handling the production. From the very first moment the music is overflowing from the speakers... ‘80s aggressive thrash metal and attitude make their appearance in huge amounts with tons of old-school riffs, fiendish soloing, rapid simultaneous discharge of leads and threatening battery. The guitars sound razor-sharp and massive, the drumming is strong and powerful, the bass is thick an audible, and the vocals have a considerable quantity even though lacking the appropriate power, status or importance in order to prevail. In many ways it’s an intensive album, but if originality in a band is in great importance to you then you will be massively disappointed. The influences are too many and too obvious and that is not decidedly a bad thing, it’s just that everything sounds too well-known. SLAYER, early METALLICA, DESTRUCTION, EXODUS are some of the names that pop up to mind with the sound of Evile while the vocalist Matt Drake sounds way too much like a young Tom Araya. In addition the alternation is missing to the point that the songs maintain the same sonic formula throughout the entirety of the album. There are of course some really interesting moments that wanna make you seek the nearest possible moshing pit but other than that "Enter The Grave" seems more like a blend of riffs and leads from all the bands mentioned above layered in order than an inspired creation that can leave you speechless.

Vaso  "Necromass"  Prassa

Third release from the Finnish based band Rite who first formed in 1994 and deliver to us a mixture of the old fashioned with the contemporary stoner rock sound. In fact their music continues the heritage of the 70s stoner rock music whilst adding at the same time a great deal of postmodern stoner as it is mainly expressed through the sludge genre. So to wrap it all up and give it in a simple and clear way we could say that Rite play sludge/stoner rock with a dirty rock 'n' roll attitude! The vocals are hoarse and suit like a glove to the music laid in the background and the musicianship of the band is really top class! All in all if you are into this sound "Hobo Metall" will offer you many intense full of headbanging moments!

Christine  Parastatidou