"Ghost Opera" is the latest studio release of Kamelot. The band continues with the extra melodic sound that we got us used to listening from them lately, but now they push things a little further with the addition of many sound effects. The main differences from their previous releases are that they take it easier and the overall sound of this album is a bit more mellow and the fact that the whole atmosphere, with the help of a number of sound effects, is darker and gloomier compared to the already dark and melancholic atmosphere that dominates their previous albums. However the thing is that if you are already heavily into their style, you'll easily go along with their progression, so check it out and see what happens!

Dimitris  Pantsiopoulos

While this German black metal act prepares their new third so far album, we have the chance to hear their second release “The Eyes Of Medusa” which was released last year. In this work Atrium Noctis has included nine tracks and almost fifty five minutes of pure atmospheric black metal music. Even if the band has only two studio releases they have already got three live DVD. Atrium Noctis is a really active band! Now musically, even if they walk in such an extreme metal path, they have achieved to add in their compositions many keyboards and have a great dark atmosphere while the black metal elements are always in the next corner in order to haunt your soul. I know that for the fans of old school black metal, the stuff from Atrium Noctis isn’t black metal but for the rest of us it is and the band gives us the chance to listen toan above average melodic black metal disc. I am really curious to hear their newest work, which probably will be ready in the end of this year. If you like CRADLE OF FILTH or DIMMU BORGIR then for sure you will adore Atrium Noctis and imagine they have more classical music elements inside their well worked compositions.
Site: www.atrium-noctis.com
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Our dear Mayhem come back with a truly dark work! The more you listen to this album, the more you feel as if observing abyss breathing... The whole atmosphere transpires abhorrence, melancholy, inward pain and intense craving for the coming of the final chaos! The album rhythmically isn't fast, though there exist some violent outbursts, but it can mainly be characterized as mid tempo, with some quite fast and slow enough, "suffocating" parts. The production has nothing to do with the modern sound, but it has taken a turn towards totally underground aesthetics that bring to mind the beginning of the 90s...

George  "death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

Hell Within is a mix of hardcore with melodic death metal, mainly influenced by the Swedish scene of course. Here's the thing: All the dudes are fantastic players and Mathew McChensey is a fantastic singer! But every song is overloaded with great riffs... too overloaded if you know what I mean. No shit! These guys are truly gifted with inspiration, but their songs sounded to me rather laden, stuffing so many different riffs in a single song... It's almost like the rhythm guitar's changing tune and tempo in every pattern! I would have been more pleased if they had put out 5 albums instead of just one. However, the truth is that it still kicks ass!!!

Dimitris  Pantsiopoulos

The story behind Whisper is really interesting but you should read it on their website. Briefly the band formed in 2002, they recorded a demo CD back in 2004 and they disbanded. After two years, they re-formed and they recorded two tracks for the compilation “United Forces of Phoenix vol. II” and they edited their old demo by adding the new tracks. So here we have actually all the recorded songs from Whisper. To be honest with you, this band is the strangest I have ever heard so far from Italy. Musically they walk in gothic metal paths with some touches from doom metal and ambient music. The most interesting thing which you realize from the first moment you hear their stuff is their singer. Tristano has a personal way of singing and definitely is the mark for this band. Of course the whole band has put something in each track but Tristano with his voice gives something special to the final result. Definitely the fans of gothic music will adore the stuff from Whisper and personally I will wait for more new songs, to see how the band sounds this period. A very interesting choice from the Italian rock/metal scene… 
Site: www.whisper1453.com
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Well, believe it or not there still is a band from England that plays heavy fucking ballsy metal!!! I've had the luck to follow these guys right from their beginning and witness their evolution and though they only exist for less than 7 years, they've already managed to reach a cult status in the underground metal scene! Why is that? The answer is plain and simple: They know how to compose and play pure 80s inspired heavy metal! Their influences are drawn right from the golden heavy metal era of the 80s and more particularly from the N.W.O.B.H.M. scene, but you might also trace some references to the glorious U.S. sound. If this album hadn't been released this year, many would have thought it is a hidden diamond, which has just been dag out! It's not an exaggeration that Conquest Of Steel have the scent of the old fashioned... of the classic if you will. If you are an 80s classic heavy metal maniac, then raise your fist, grab a bear and bang your heads off!!!

Christine  Parastatidou

A new band born in Greece last year chose Deathvalves as their moniker and after a year they recorded their debut self financed album with the title “Wild Rock 'n' Roll Obsession”. Here we have an advanced copy of their work in order to have the first thoughts about their work and their music. As you can predict the music direction of Deathvalves is definitely hard rock music with a more rock ‘n’ roll attitude. Mostly their songs’ duration is between three and four minutes. The band has included ten songs inside their debut work and it seems that they have some pretty interesting ideas but on the other hand we can hear some things that show us that this is a new band. Definitely they need to work more in order to find their personal sound and to have a better musicianship between the members. The vocals are harsh and clean sometimes the sound is as dirty as it should be and Deathvalves has done a good start nothing more nothing less. More work and we will have the chance to hear more stuff in the future from them.
E-mail: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

This is basically a thrash metal band, but the vocal lines move on a different level and direction. Let me put it this way... It's the same style as NEVERMORE, but in a thrashier way and not as good as them. The production is also bad and the songs lack in the ability of driving me to headbang my ass off, except for the main riff of "Blacker Than Pain" that REALLY did the job!!! If they had written more riffs like that one and had improved the rest of the sections, then they would kick ass!!!

Dimitris  Pantsiopoulos

Straight from the east valley of Los Angeles Dommin hail us with their debut album “Mend Your Misery” which was released before a few weeks through LMN Records. On this album the band has included twelve tracks and more than forty five minutes of pure melancholic music. The first thing that you will see is the excellent front cover of this album. Personally I feel the music just by looking at this cover. I believe it fits perfectly with the whole meaning of this album. After that Dommin give us their personal vision of rock music with various influences from TYPE O NEGATIVE, DEPECHE MODE and RAMMSTEIN. As you can see Dommin is a band that has made a very impressive combination and by adding their personal sound they have created an above average album with well worked compositions and interesting ideas. I am sure that the fans of alternative rock or gothic rock will adore the stuff from Dommin. In order to have a small picture in your mind for their music, imagine a lighter version of TYPE O NEGATIVE and then add Dommin’s personal touch. All in all Dommin has done a very good start for their career and we will wait for their next step anxiously!
Site: www.dommin.com
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Two Of A Kind is a melodic hard rock band, but with a female singer taving the "burden" of the lead vocals. The songs in this release are catchy enough and follow with precision the path the band has chosen to follow. The production is also very good and their performances are equally worth mentioning. I have though two points to mention here: 1) The choice of the sound and the keyboard lines in some sections displeased me and tired me many times and 2) I believe that although it was a pleasant experience listening to the album, Two Of A Kind should try to do something more catchy in order to reach higher levels.

Dimitris  Pantsiopoulos

Even if Scum formed back in 1998, it is the first time that I have the chance to hear their music. So far they have released two demos and their debut album. After four years of the release date of their first album they came back with the sophomore one “Re-Evolution”. In this work the band has included seven tracks and almost thirty five minutes of a pure thrash metal assault with a lot of elements from death metal. From the opening track the band gives us a specific idea of what we will hear in the next minutes. I can say that they have put a lot of energy inside their well worked compositions, while they have added some very interesting tunes. I am sure from the things that I heard in this work, the band must sound really aggressive and raw on stage too. Last but not least, I was impressed by the fact that most of their songs have more than four and five minutes of duration. This thing gives me the impression that they have worked really hard on the ideas they have put inside their songs. Definitely if you like this kind of music you should check the new album from Scum!
Site: www.scum.it
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

A truly frozen Norwegian kind of black metal in the style of DARK THRONE's "Transylvanian Hunger" with a good, for the genre, production, without ever being overly polished is what these guys have to offer us. Many of the riffs will also remind you of the old CELTIC FROST, being at the same time tied together with an eerie and frozen feeling. The tempos are increased in some parts, without ever becoming ultra fast though. The mid tempo parts are many and manage to astound you and arouse your interest! I'm sure we will be hearing from Trelldom soon again. The fans of the pure, old fashioned black metal should check them out!!

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

Definitely if you see the cover of this release you won’t predict what you are about to listen to when you put the CD inside the CD player. Personally when I first saw the layout of the promo copy, I believed that I would hear something between prog rock or AOR or something like that. Of course I made a terrible mistake because in the twelve songs that the album “In The Realm Of The Senseless” consists of, you will hear only extreme metal from death to grindcore, nothing more nothing less. Songs that have two or three minutes of duration, hyper blasts, fast moments and an aggressive and raw sound. The Senseless is the personal debut album from Sam Bean of THE BERZERKER along with the help of Matt Wilcock (AKERCOCKE) and Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR). Expect to listen only to extreme metal on this album. Prepare yourselves for endless head banging for the next thirty five minutes from the moment you push the play button till this album’s over. Just prepare yourselves for a war, a music war that you will be the enemy. Definitely a release for the fans of extreme metal music!
Site: www.thesenseless.com
Label Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

The evolution and transformation of this band's sound is really impressive! They've managed in a short period of time to progress from a good demo-band into a really promising professional group that has the potential to conquer the mainstream extreme metal scene! I had liked their demo CD and I had realized back then that there were elements worthy of our attention, but I had never dreamed of or imagined how further these guys could go! The 3 songs presented here are taken from the band's upcoming debut full length entitled "Extrermination Of The Dominant Species" and they can be described as high class modern and symphonic black/death metal close to the sound of DIMMU BORGIR. The modern touches and the samples used, create a chaotic atmosphere which collides with the clean or ethereal vocal parts, and the extremity of the compositions is reinforced with powerful rhythm sections and shrieking vocals. This alloy of intensity and blackness is made even stronger and harder by the excellent production. The  3 songs featured here are also available for downloading at the band's sites, so feel free to check them out and you'll see what I'm talking about! 
Email: [email protected]
Site: http://www.mor-pheus.com OR  http://www.myspace.com/morphineworld

Before a few weeks, I received the last work from Work Of Art. The band comes from Sweden and in this demo they have included three tracks and twelve minutes of pure melodic rock music. From the opening track it seems that the band has included the finest moments inside their music and their compositions are well worked with melody being their main key and power. In the whole work, they have many melodies and catchy refrains. Of course Robert has done a very good work in the guitar section and actually in each track Work Of Art has achieved to give something to the listener.
For example in the first track, from the moment you hear the melody and the refrain you won’t forget it, “Why do I?”.  In the second song they give us a more complex way of their music. Generally, I believe all the fans of rock music will have a great time while listening to the stuff from Work Of Art. Just sit back and leave yourself open to taste all the things that the band has added in their work.
Site: www.myspace.com/musicofworkofart
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

A new work from these Norwegian blacksters... An abundance of time and money has been thrown in the production of this album and for the new video clip. The "scenery" is familiar with its fast, at moments, black metal that has been given a quite symphonic orchestration. However there are also many slow moments and a great deal of clean vocals. Dimmu Borgir definitely know how to play and they have evolved into very good musicians. But I don't know... they've lost their feeling on this album. Their perfectly polished construction seems very predictable and over-professional. All the compositions are well structured, but in the end they make you think as if the band is saying "Thank you for buying our album and helping both us and our record label become richer". That's all I have to say for the new Dimmu Borgir release. I'd recommend you to listen to NAGLFAR's "Harvest" if you want to find out what misanthropy truly means. With money my dear Dimmu Borgir the promotion of such beliefs seems and actually IS fake...

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

Be’lakor comes from Australia and I am really happy because I haven’t listened to many bands from this country and I love to follow their underground scene. “The Frail Tide” is their debut self financed release and the band has included six tracks and more than forty two minutes of pure metal music. Apart from the fact that the band has in their ranks George Kosmas, who comes from my homeland, they have compositions with big enough duration. Imagine that most of the tracks are above six minutes long. Of course this thing gives to Be’lakor the ability to write well worked compositions with very interesting ideas. Musically Be’lakor has an intense doom metal atmosphere but they aren’t a doom metal band. They have aggressive/death metal vocals, but they aren’t a death metal band. In my opinion they have gathered all their influences and they have thus formed their personal vision of music. Definitely they have elements from death and doom metal, but also from heavy metal. Last but not least, I think you should believe in this band and hear their songs. If you like it then you can purchase their work which has a very good packaging…
Site: www.belakor.net
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

On this release we are offered 3 demos of pure old fashioned underground black metal with a dirty and obscure sound that is far from being considered polished. The groups move on the same musical path and have the same specifications, having a similar style with quite fast, frozen riffs and some mid tempo interchanges. Despite their quite simple nature and character, the bands manage to arouse a feeling of hatred and frost, their repulsion and detest for the light and a pure scent of misanthropy. The production has obviously got a low budget, but the true underground black metallers will enjoy immensly this muddy sound...

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

I am really happy, because I follow Firestorm from their beginning. They formed back in 2000 and their debut demo was released three years later. Back then I was impressed by the music they had included in their work and of course the fact that it was their debut demo. After a few years, I found out that they had been preparing their debut album and suddenly I received a promo with four tracks; a small taste of their work four years later. Musically the band walks in progressive metal paths with some elements from power metal too. Imagine a combination of DREAM THEATER and ANGRA and you will have the musical direction of Firestorm. Definitely, I believe that it is worth the time they spent to record their newest songs because now they are more mature and their compositions are well worked with some very impressive ideas. Twenty one minutes, which is the duration of this promo CD, aren’t enough in order to have a full idea of their whole album. So I will wait for the release date of their debut album in order to have a clear picture of their work.
Site: www.thefirestorm.com
Email: [email protected] 

Antonis  Maglaras

Their previous album had astonished and enthralled me and in fact I considered it to be the best amongst their most recent releases. By listening to their new CD though I got the feeling that they've lost their insiration in the melodies, that there isn't enough passion involved in the compositions and it constantly made me think that this album just had to be released and so it's nothing more than an "obligatory" release. It's very sad listening to Marduk and feeling "calm" and not being overwhelmed by a bellicose feeling and a need for destruction of humanity. I only hope this is just a mediocre moment of their career which will soon be over, cause they surely can get over this...

George  "Death Dealer - Echoes From Erebus"  Kefalas

Recently I received a package from Trollzorn Records with their latest release which was the debut album from the German act Kromlek. The band formed back in 2004 and they released their first EP a year later. Now it was the time for their full length album with the title “Strange Rumours … Distant Tremors”. In this work Kromlek has included ten tracks and forty two minutes of a pure metal music. Of course the band doesn’t follow an easy path. Actually they follow a path that mostly bands from Scandinavian countries do. So if you put their album Kromlek inside your CD player you will be able to hear the personal vision of the band for Viking metal with many elements from folk music too. Besides the very well worked compositions, Kromlek has included some very impressive ideas inside their songs. Of course they follow some standards of this kind of metal music but also they have put a more epic atmosphere inside their music. Another interesting thing is that they use three languages for their lyrics, so be prepared to hear German, English and Swedish words. Definitely Kromlek has given us an above average album and I am sure the fans of Viking Metal will adore their stuff.
Official Site: www.bollwerk-kromlek.de
Band Email: [email protected]
Label Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Magnificent debut from Ewig Frost and their Austrian black metal comes to remind us of the old-school black metal in the frozen paths of early DARK THRONE. The album begins with an intro that cannot but bring to our mind snowy as far as the eye can see landscapes and frozen mountain tops and penetrating winds that rage with sternness. A good start for what follows, fast, incompatible and harsh black metal with the guitars sawing passionately underlining some great riffing depositions, keeping the sound at a high level either with their grinding drone or when the cords construct a more thrashy and sludge pattern. The compositions are raw and profoundly primitive excited by minimalistic but well-cut bridges while the warped vocals resound as vicious and scathing as they ought to. The drumlines revel powerful and chaotic at the background even though at times they seem to get lost mainly because of the production which was the only drawback I found on this album. Overall, this is a damn fine release that stands grimly satisfying and if a most evil, frostbitten atmosphere is your thing then you should not miss it!

Vaso  Prassa

Even if “My Anger Is An Eternal Field Of Demonized Mercenaries” is the third release from Magister Dixit, it is the first that I have the chance to hear from this black metal trio. This album was released before a few months through the Canadian label Mankind’s Demise. In this attempt of Magister Dixit you will listen to a fast, extreme and brutal vision of black metal. Maybe they don’t have the coldness of some other black metal releases but definitely the band did their best in order to deliver their personal vision of this kind of metal. Here you will find eleven tracks and more than fifty five minutes of a pure blasphemy. Be prepared for a trip straight to hell with Magister Dixit at the driver’s seat. I believe that the fans of black metal should check this release out cause maybe they will find here what they are looking for. 
Site: www.magisterdixit.cjb.net
Band Email: [email protected]
Label Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Grimm are a Dutch band and their music approaches the fields of  pagan black metal mostly in the lyrics section telling us stories about witches been burnt by the Inquisition. Surely a nice and interesting theme but not enough a reason for someone to buy the album. So what’s the problem here. Basically it’s like we’re dealing with two individual musical layers. First it’s the one with the folklore foundings where the guitars are heavy and slow drawn out with some cheerful moments and then there’s also the black metal patches which seem quite neglected and pushed aside mostly holding the second role than keeping the main course. Either way the musianship is quite well structured though the speed doesn’t escape so often its restrained form, reaching even a doom nostalgic formula at times, with melodic colorful guitars tempered by emotional passages and heavy leads as well as aggressive, angular black metal extensions. The second thing about this album is the vocals which are a mixture of extensive clean parts along with black metal shrieks. The singer tries to maintain a sort of theatrical tone when his clean performance is in front but the result stands far from impressing someone. His voice sounds way too flat and weak for such an effort in a real tragic way I should say even spoiling any good feeling is created by some nice themes played by the instruments underneath. On the other hand when the vocals get nasty and evil, things change dramatically to a much better, intense and sweeping effect and that’s when the album gains the most good credits about it. The pity is that they are used far too little and my opinion is that if they increase their extreme optics a lot more in the future (why not even skip the clean stuff all the way), the band would be more appreciated. If nevertheless some of you like that kind of soft and melodramatic aesthetics then you should hear it.

Vaso  Prassa

Overblood isn’t a new band, they formed back in1996 and so far they have a demo release, their debut album back in 2001 and now their mini CD which was released last year. “Infected Society” has only two tracks but you can have a small taste of the musical direction of Overblood nowadays. Musically the band walks in thrash/death metal paths with a fresh air inside their well worked compositions. They are as extreme as they should be and also they have a few melodies spotted throughout the songs. If you want to have a picture in your mind for Overblood, imagine a combination of SEPULTURA, SLAYER and THE HAUNTED and then you will know what you should expect from Overblood. Definitely this is a quality release and I hope the band will soon release their new full length album in order to hear all their ideas. 
Site: www.overblood.net
Email: [email protected]

"Some Kind of Heroin" is a remix album containing material from the band's last full-length "The Grudge" featuring guest appearances from other prominent
figures in the goth/industrial scene and it's in fact something like a best of compilation. If you are into industrial and modern music you're gonna love this album, cause it has a lot of groove and catchy riffs. Its remixes are ideal for clubs and for parties and the fact that Mortiis repeats some themes over and over again (in the original versions), though it might seem a bit boring to some, I'd say it works perfectly with his music and the songs just make you wanna stand up and dance. The reworked songs are really great and though different bands got involved in each song, the end result sounds really united and homogeneous as if all the bands have cooperated in the creation of this CD. So, do you like industrial music? This is the only thing you should ask yourselves...

Christine  Parastatidou

A first release from the Austrian Grohm, a band that lays down its credentials for extreme black metal with incorporated pagan reports. Fast and raw metal with the guitars jagged and distorted cutting as razors, the drums playing relentless with thundering percussion blasts, the basslines tying up with a dark sense of music and scathing vocals built with their grunt and blasphemous tinge. The sound is sharp and violent, there are some quite beautiful scattered riffs in the tracks which are characterized by their big duration as well as a few certain bizarre experimental passages. The production is crude and filthy referring more to past underground circulations of the type capturing the very essence of spirit of those days that I am sure will not spoil at all many of the followers of extreme metal. For a first full length album even though from veteran musicians stands decently, not being full of originality and exceptional personality even when their sound is grafted with strange elements towards the idiom and with the use of some clean but yet evil vocals. Generally it’s just cold harsh grim black metal and surely not an album that should be passed by. 

Vaso  Prassa

Antigama is a quartet from Warsaw that formed 7 years ago and they are here presenting us their 4th full length releases. They have a big discography though they are a relatively new band and this is mainly because they have released numerous split CDs so far. Their style lies somewhere between death metal and grind and they have infused in their sound a great deal of modern noise. Their riffs are sharp and chaotic, their rhythm section very imposing with a great deal of blast beats and their songs are technical enough. However there is so much noise and so many changes and weird moments that didn't allow me to enjoy this release and in the long run and after listening to it many times, it ended up getting on my nerves. So this is a very good album, a perfect album actually only for the grind/noise fans who need to listen to something special. The others shouldn't even bother listening to it...

Christine  Parastatidou

Subcyde isn’t a new born band; they have already a decade in the underground metal scene with various demo releases. As you can imagine after all these years it was time for them to release their debut self title album through Last Entertainment Productions. On this album the band has included thirteen tracks and almost forty five minutes of pure thrash metal music. To be honest with you this is the first time that I have the chance to hear some tunes from this band, so I don’t know how they sound in their previous releases .The stuff that I heard on this album was very good. I heard songs full of energy and a band that leads the listener to endless head banging. I am sure that Subcyde will be a great band for live shows. Their production and the sound were as good as they should be for a release like that and of course the music direction of the band with the thrash metal elements and the extreme vocals will be an excellent way for the fans of extreme metal to spend some nice time. Just hear the song “Power Smash” and you will have a good idea about them.
Official Site: www.subcyde.com
Band Email: [email protected]
Label Site: www.lastentertainment.com
Label Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

This is the first Trouble studio release since 1995's "Plastic Green Head", so their fans have waited for a really, really long time to listen to new songs from their favorite band. Now first of all let me clear one thing out... Don't expect to listen here to anything like "Psalm 9" or "The Skull". It's not that they haven't got a stoner and doom attitude, it's just that they have acquired a more modern, a more American and a more classic heavy metal sound. Their songs are still mid tempo with low tuned guitars only now they also have some more uptempo catchy parts and a quite hard rock feel. So, all in all this is a very good, commercial album, but I'm not sure whether it's going to be appreciated by the Trouble fans, since it has quite many differences compared to their classic masterpieces.

Christine  Parastatidou

A new release from the forefathers of New York death metal Immolation and their militant of seventeen years assault continues with their seventh full length album. Entitled “Shadows In The Light” it delivers ten tracks of pure and severe technical death metal with the band returning this time to more powerful ridges after their previous work “Harnesting The Ruin” and its more atmospheric appetites. The sound is heavy and straight forward in the old-school formula with continuous riffs and ripping bridges and their unique, complicated and insane guitar grunting, once more building up an intense and frantic noise, a fact I always fancied about this band. There are also lots of solos  full of wickedness and energy yet often emotional. The drums are hammering like well-oiled machines ranging from speedy, warbattling eruptions to more rhythmically throbbing, self-controlled and trotting patterns. My favorite song of the album came to be “Passion Kill” with a great riff deposit maybe because it combines so nicely speed and a groovy neck-convulsing rhythm. On the other hand Ron Dolan’s vocals are once more deep sounded and understandable with dark and morbid growls vomiting his antichristian verses while finally the production sustains their name and history with the corresponded gravity. I admit I have always been an eager fan of this band but objectively this is a very powerful and decent album with an appreciated violent and contorted feeling and with the compositions granting some good moments of thick and fine-tuned death metal. Neither their finest album nor something we haven’t heard in all those years of voracious brutality but surely one with the well known and undefiled seal of Immolation. 

Vaso  Prassa

Although I'm far from being characterized as a specialist for this particular genre, I've decided to present you this release simply because M.Z.'s creation touched me and made me enjoy it to the maximum. So, I might not be to the point or extremely thorough with my description and of course I'm not the one to say whether there is something really innovative or personal here, but I can at least lay down my feelings and thoughts and then let you figure things out on your own. The fifth release of this French quartet is a fine example of well played neoclassical heavy metal. You will find here everything that can make such a release interesting... catchy riffs, heavy passages, beautiful melodies, flawless technique and a passionate and emotive singer. The final result is both sweet and heavy with themes that stick to your mind and make you hum the tunes long after the album's over. Like I said I have definitely enjoyed this release, however a flaw I've traced lies within the production, which according to me should have more volume and power.

Christine  Parastatidou

Before a few months Lordsphere finished the recordings of their newest EP. This time the band has included four tracks and more than twenty minutes of a unique combination of progressive and gothic metal. Lordsphere formed before two years and so far they have a demo release, which saw the light of day last year. In these four tracks the band tries to present their music direction to the listener and I can say that they have done a really good job. Most of their songs are well structured, they have very interesting ideas inside their well worked compositions and the combination of progressive and gothic metal gives to Lordsphere something that we aren’t so used to hearing. Definitely they need to continue their hard work and to make one step at a time and in the end they will have all they want. I don’t know if the fans of progressive music will adore the stuff of Lordshpere or the fans of gothic, but personally I found very interesting the combination that they have created. I will wait for their next work in the future to hear how they will evolve their music.
Site: www.lordsphere.com
Email: [email protected] 

Akroma is a French 5 piece outfit presenting us here their debut album, a concept based on the 7 deadly sins and their musical approach is that of symphonic, progressive black metal. Their compositions convey a dark feeling and a grim atmosphere that suits like a glove to the lyrical themes they deal with and they are quite often enriched with a few death metal additions. The keyboards play a significant role for this kind of music and they are an important factor that helps Akroma create some really beautiful songs and elevate their catchy riffs. The progressive parts with their complex and often interchanges, enrich the end result and give to the band a quite personal sound. The vocals now are a contradiction between ethereal female ones and aggressive bursting shrieks, whilst all the lyrics are in the band's mother tongue. The female vocals are very good and enchanting, but to be honest with you they don't sound "compatible" to my ears with the rest of the music. It's probably the fact that they are too sweet or high pitched and without saying they have a flaw in their technical execution or anything, they just don't sound right to me when they are mixed with the extreme parts and abhorrent musical assaults. 

Christine  Parastatidou

Infernal War is a Polish band which in the past connected its name with the N.S.B.M. scene mostly because of antisemitic reports in the lyrics plus the fact that two members of the band, guitarist Triumphator and drummer Stormblast constitute also members of the Polish too band of Thunderbolt, who also had been baptised with the proportional term of national socialism. How much accurately the antisemitism colors the political ideology of Infernal War it’s not something we can claim safely since with a statement of their own in their website they decline this characterization, valuing their attitude as clear militaristic discerning to the global extinction of the weak masses that suffer from ignorance and generally to the death of modern world. Advancing on the album "Redesekration" by no means could be characterized as a black metal statement as its reports of thrash and death elements determine its formation more than anything else. And the truth is that it is an album so much straight and so filthily crude that it constitutes musically alone a fist upon the musical happenings. Most rapid rythms full of power and energetic anger with a distorted and incessant concoction of a fast and scathing riffage, double bass exceeding and a menacing percussion blastfest all that wrapped up with a hateful and caustic dementia on vocals that spit unceasing blasphemous and misanthropic overtones. "Redesekration" obtains the aggressiveness of SLAYER mixed up with the merciless and razor sharp feeling of DESTRUCTION under ANGEL CORPSE’s violent aspect. The sound is quite well balanced featuring all that extreme fury with a fine structured musicianship and with a production strong, firm and uncommitted. The participation of ANGEL CORPSE’s Pete Helmkamp on the track “Regime Of Terror” is a very engaging and powerful add-on that grunts the album with an additional licking touch of interest. So if you are into morbid and raw extremity untainted by sweetish and over emotional arrangemenets this album could be your thing!

Vaso  Prassa

Iskald is a newcoming band from Sweden that presents us tight and in your face black metal with a few death touches. I had the chance to review this very CD a few months back, when the band sent it to me as a self financed release and now I'm very pleased to find out that they have signed with a label. Their sound, though this is their first full length  release and their second if we take into consideration their "Northern Twilight" EP, is very solid and structured and leaves the best of promises for this band's future.  The guys that comprise Iskald might be of a young age, but they write excellent music with nice hooks and riffs and they know how to work on a professional basis, something that is obvious everywhere on this CD, from the music to the lyrics and the production that is very good actually! I said in the beginning of this presentation that Iskald play black metal, well make it melodic black metal in our familiar Swedish sound as it was formed and developed by NAGLFAR and the early DARK TRANQUILLITY releases. I think they deserve your attention and support!! 

Christine  Parastatidou

Honestly when I get in touch with a band from the United States quite often I find out they have a member from Greece (their parents traveled to USA for work and he/she was born there). The first band was Anaka, with two brothers who actually came from a town near my birth town. Now I follow Phoenix Reigns for more than a year and I have been waiting for this moment since last year, when I read that the band prepares their debut album. Actually the band spent a year of hard work in order to release their first self financed album with the title “Destination Unknown”. I first came in touch with them only because three of the five members of Phoenix Reigns have their roots in Greece and I was really interested to hear their work and to promote them. So even though this was my intention I never spoke to any of the Greeks. So I stayed in touch with Wayne Noon, their drummer and for the past year I read the progress of their recordings and one day, a few weeks ago, the time has come for me to listen to the result. The band has included eleven tracks on this album and almost an hour of pure classic heavy metal music. Actually Phoenix Reigns was formed back in 1998 and this line up is active since 2002. Of course since the songwriters are the same from the beginning of this band, we have their finest moments on this album with more than well worked compositions and incredible ideas but above all the feeling that here you will listen to a classic heavy metal album with female vocals. I don’t know how the band sounded when they had a male singer, which was before 2002, but now I must say that they have chosen a talented singer, Theresa Gaffney, who has given a powerful approach to the songs of Phoenix Reigns. The production and the sound are in high levels even if they could be better but I believe in their next step the band will give us something even more powerful. The title of this album is “Destination Unknown” but only for the band, because for you the destination is either their official site to buy their album or the nearest record store. Eternal Hails to all the members of Phoenix Reigns, you rock!!
Site: www.phoenixreign.com
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

This one isn't an album, but it's actually an EP with Ripper doing the vocals. "Overture Of The Wicked" contains one new song called "ten Thousand Strong" and as you can understand from the title of this EP we have the "Something Wicked" trilogy played all over again with Ripper on the vocals this time. So, I won't say anything or comment on the old songs since we all pretty much know them. As for the new song it's good and it sounds close to the "Glorious Burden" album. the last thing I want to say about the whole trilogy being revisited is that it's much, much better with Ripper singing the songs. It made me feel as if I was listening to some new songs!!

Kleanthis  "Darth Vader"  Tsapas

Sometimes you never expect how great a band might be and how much they can attract your attention. Soulmaker are one of these bands and they make me keep their latest EP for a long time inside my CD player. The band comes from France and they formed back in 1999. “Obessions” is the title of their newest work which has five tracks and more than twenty minutes of pure melodic metal music with female vocals. But the way that Soulmaker write their music is really interesting because they use their influences to create their personal sound and to write well worked compositions. Also another interesting thing in the music of Soulmaker is their singer. To be honest with you, I haven’t heard their previous singer but with Marina, the band has gone to a different level and this is because of the way that Marina sings. Now if you combine all these ingredients then you will have a clue on the musical direction of Soulmaker, but it is better to hear their stuff and… voila this band is a hidden diamond!! Be amongst the first one to realize this. You won’t regret it.
Site: www.soulmaker.info
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Vreid is a new band that grew out of the ashes of Windir and in Norwegian the word means wrath, so I bet you've already got a clue on their musical approach. Pure black metal that is mainly inspired by the old fashioned scene enriched with thrash elements and of course a true Norwegian scent! Their compositions are mainly mid paced with some recitations and some really slow moments, but they often accelerate into fast rhythm sections and even some occasional blastbeats. Interesting is also the addition of a few classic heavy metal riffs and the fact that the vocals are for the most part black metal shrieks without ever becoming high pitched. The production is very good and the lyrics are actually a collection of poems of Gunnar Reiss-Andersen from 1946, praising the Norwegian resistance during the World War 2. If you like grim and old fashioned black metal, then proceed...

Christine  Parastatidou

A new band from France sends us their debut work with the title ‘Feel The Rage’ which was released before a few weeks through Hurricane Entertainment. On this album Infest have included eleven tracks and twenty eight minutes of pure violence. Be prepared for one of the most extreme albums for this year. Infest walks in aggressive and raw paths of metal music and more specifically they have made a combination of brutal death metal and grind. That’s why you will see most of the tracks have two minutes of duration. Generally, if you choose to follow the difficult music path of Infest, be prepared for the musical pain that you will feel. Honestly I am not the biggest fan of grind music and I don’t like so much the album from Infest, maybe if it was more death metal than grind then it would be better but now I recommend this release only to the fans that know what to expect. 
Official Site: www.infest-metal.com
Management Email: [email protected]
Label Email:[email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Sixth release for this German quintet that presents us dark metal which mainly has its roots in the melodic black metal genre and at the same time flirts with the atmospheric scene. However I think we should stick to the term black metal since everything regarding this release draws influence and inspiration from this particular branch, from the vocals to the riffs and to the main themes of each composition. However the lyrics, which are in fact in German, are purely into death metal since they deal with subjects such as necrophilia, cannibalism, gore and so on. I've listened to this album quite many times and I have to admit that it left me with mixed feelings, because there were moments I loved and moments I felt were irrelevant to what this band is up to or riffs and ideas that sounded rather lame and boring. Despite that there are a couple of songs whose riffs will be definitely carved in your brain, but at the same time the vocals didn't sound satisfactory enough to my ears... I think that both the clean and the black metal ones need more work, but especially the clean ones which at some points sound dissonant and out of tune. I still haven't figured out whether I like this album or not, so be careful with it, as you should always do with all releases. However, I firmly believe that "Blutbahnen" applies to the fans of bands like IN EXTREMO and CREMATORY mainly.

Christine  Parastatidou

Frozen Tears comes from Italy and “Nights Of Violence” is their latest album which was released through their new label, My Graveyard Productions. On this album the band has included ten tracks and almost fifty minutes of pure heavy/speed metal. I follow Frozen Tears from almost their beginning and on each album they have added something more to their musical creations and of course they are more mature and their compositions are well worked because they know what they want from their music. As I wrote above the band mainly plays heavy/speed metal but sometimes they flirt with thrash metal too. The vocals are a little bit harsh but not so extreme like thrash metal. Songs like: “Queen Of Solitude”, “Don’t Waste Your Time” and “Child’s Prayer” are my favorite ones. I should also admit that this album from Frozen Tears wasn’t the album that I expected to hear. I believe that with this one the band didn’t make any progress. I don’t know why this happened but I think that the band should work harder for their next step in order to fill the gap. 
Official Site: www.frozentears.it
Band Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

I suppose that the most difficult task for every band and a matter of debate is whether they can acquire a personal sound, a distinct sound that can set them apart from the heap and make their songs recognizable. The key for achieving this lies in imagination and inspiration and of course open mindness. Well this Italian sextet has accomplished all the aforementioned with their latest album "Collateral Defect", which is actually their sixth full length. Having a history of 15 years surely helps you have a clear mind on the direction you want to follow and Graveworm have set to walk on the edge of genres, something that allows them to use elements from every extreme or non branch without making the end result sound lame or as a "trespassing" of forbidden territories. Now let me explain myself cause I'm really enthralled with this creation. Graveworm dwell in the melodic death/black metal path, however they have many atmospheric and melodic elements in their music and their compositions are quite often enriched with gothic, majestic/symphonic or even brutal death metal tinges. I shouldn't forget to mention here the classic heavy metal forms and riffs they use in some songs which are entwined with the harsh and aggressive death/black vocals, giving birth to a stunning creation of sere beauty and anger! The album, which has a very good production, also contains a cover version of "I Need A Hero", so if you want to find out how Bonnie Tyler's song sounds through a death/black metal perspective, give it a try! I surely enjoyed the hell out of it!

Christine  Parastatidou

Another band that I have the pleasure to follow from their beginning is Detonation. They started back in 1997 and six years later they released their debut album through Osmose Productions. After two years, in 2005, it was the time for their second album and two years later, before one month actually they released their third album again through Osmose Productions. As I have listened to all the albums from Detonation I can say that in each one they have added something more to their music and of course their compositions are more mature. On this album “Emission Phase” Detonation have reached high levels and have created almost perfectly what they know to do. So, be prepared to hear an excellent combination of death/thrash metal with a lot of melodies. With their new album, Detonation have combined greatly aggressive with melodic moments and some atmospheric elements too. Definitely I believe that “Emission Phase” is the best album of Detonation so far. If you are into this kind of metal make a favor to yourself and purchase this album. You will have some really great moments while hearing it. From the time that you push the play button leave yourself free for the Detonation music. 
Official Site: www.detonation.nl
Band Email:[email protected]
Label Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Fourth full length release for the Czech Silva Nigra with the title "Epocha" under the co-production of Ravenheart and Ashen Productions. Archaic, crude black metal coming out directly from primordial misanthropic dungeons with the production so much parched and frugal that reminds more of a demo work. The guitars in the rhythm parts echo rough, thrashy at times, but when they acquire a more rapid, a more sharp tinge, their sound is lost in the depth with a hissing, fussy noise. The drums from the other side produce a dry and simultaneously acid sound that ends up at certain moments almost annoying. This underground aesthetics do not influence the vocals that on the contrary gain a more infernal and primitive yodel in their structure. Now with regards to the compositions they surely do not give a convulsing feeling beyond some isolated technical parts although with a better production they would gain a few more credits. Despite all these the songs generally maintain their enchanting side flourishingly even when the instruments gallop in their black metal crescendo, or when the rhythms become more throbbing and catchy or finally when the music is striking out in an indiscernible mystic and pagan achievement. Overall "Epocha" maintains its formation close to the origins of black metal and if some of you strongly believe that a fine and polished sound isn't one of them, then Silva Nigra will thrill your day.

Vaso  Prassa

Trimonium is a true gem that has positively surprised me since I hadn't heard of them before and didn't know what to expect. When I found out that they are a pagan black metal band I have to admit I was slightly reluctant since most of the times the end result is rather boring or too ordinary. However, I can assure you that they are one of the best folk/pagan black metal bands I've ever heard and "Son Of A Blizzard" is an album that stands out! Their previous release "Blow The Horns" was more into thrash metal, but the band has decided to take on new and more extreme paths with this release, so what you are about to enjoy here is melodic majestic black metal that flirts quite often with its more frozen Norwegian counterpart. Their music brings to mind frozen landscapes and sounds close to IMMORTAL's "Blizzard Beasts" and "At The Heart Of Winter". So Trimonium are here to offer us frozen black metal imbued in an epic and majestic atmosphere with war-like drum patterns, old fashioned black metal vocals, medieval folk touches, scraping guitar parts in which some melodies leak every now and then and a few classic heavy metal riffs and solos. Get this album, listen to it and head bang all day long! 

Christine  Parastatidou

Before many months I had the pleasure to review the debut album from this Dutch act. This year Delphian strike back with their sophomore album “Unravel”. Now Lion Music is their new label and the band has done their best in order to have a good start. On “Unravel” you will find eight new songs and almost fifty minutes of pure progressive metal with female vocals. But don’t take it wrong, Aniek isn’t another woman in the metal scene. With her voice the music of Delphian goes to another level. Believe me she has done a great job in each track and with the help of the whole band we have an excellent result. The compositions of Delphian are more than well worked with impressive ideas and even if the band follows the progressive metal path they have achieved to make songs with almost five minutes of duration and to keep the attention of the listener all the time. I remember when I had first heard the debut album of Delphian that I was really impressed by them and I still have the same opinion. So far the band has done their best in order to take a step forward with more mature ideas inside their songs. I am still wondering how far they can go. From my side I wish them to go as far as they can and to offer as quality works like “Unravel”.
Official Site: www.delphian-metal.nl
Band Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

Poland seems to reign more and more in the extreme metal scene with the abundance of bands that deliver either black or death metal. Well Crionics is a band that dwells somewhere in the middle or let's just say that they deliver blackened death metal, which is more correct and precise as a description. "Neuthrone" is their third official release, presenting us vast amounts of energy that come and hit you right in the face like an enormous tidal wave, leaving you space to breathe only after the CD is over! Like I said earlier, their barbaric and atrocious brutal death metal is enriched with many black metal touches mainly delivered by the keyboards and the whole thing is infused with a modern, slightly industrial noise. This album stands for one word only and this is mere extremity, revealed to us through powerful and voluminous compositions filled with blastbeats and sharp guitars that reach ultra fast tempos and then suddenly cease... and this pattern goes on and on, always accompanied by a concrete rhythm section and some very good death/thrash vocals. Musically I have to say that Crionics lie close to MORBID ANGEL, BEHEMOTH, VADER, EMPEROR and ZYKLON, so you can figure out whether you are going to like them or not...

Christine  Parastatidou

The Czechs Dark Storm come to remind us their name one more time with their second album and those of you who do not know them yet, the title of this CD I believe gives you a slight glimpse of their black metal inferno under an anti-Christian mannerism.With the half line-up constituted by former members of the cult group  MANIAC BUTCHER, "Hell Satan Blasphemy" comes to pay its own homage into the malicious violent black metal. The album begins with an intro of diabolical charge and then follow two pieces that with a first hearing brought into my mind the name of an enormous group DARK THRONE and their insuperable album "Under A Funeral Moon" with the monotone riffs and the constant drumming even though under a more chaotic optics. I don’t hesitate to admit that this fact alone made me prejudiced  positively in their favour and this good impression fortunately did not change even with the track "Hymn The Hell", where the Norwegian sound is altered into a primitive infernal slow-paced rhythm with the vocals ascending straight up from hell! After that, the sound returns once again sharp, fast and aggressive with the harvesting guitars cartographing paths of cold menaces and avenues of unholy hatred and the drums pounding relentlessly like bolting horses while the vocals are a harsh bark chilling up innocent spines. The production stands firm and raw, giving Dark Storm a step to keep their standards of forged high-pitched black metal, and blasphemous pure racing more than convincing!

Vaso  Prassa

There was a time, a while back, when symphonic black metal was really famous and trendy and many bands used to pop out playing like that. Trends come and trends go and only the loyal and true remain serving the scene after a while and I'm glad to say that Scars Of Chaos from France is one of those bright examples. Their sophomore release contains equal portions of harshness and magnetizing melodies. The brutality and the demonic nature of their black metal makes an intense contrast with the beautiful melodic lines and the epic atmosphere and this is how we end up labelling them as an amazing majestic black metal combo. Their musicianship is stunning, showing us what they are capable of, which is no less than well executed compositions with a great technique and with keyboards drawing inspiration from the classical scene. The vocals are raw, scraping your skull and are accompanied by relentless blastbeats and razor sharp guitars. If symphonic black metal is a genre you like or if simply you adore bands like DIMMU BROGIR and CRADLE OF FILTH, then perhaps you should give them a try. My respect to the band...

Christine  Parastatidou

I follow this act from Switzerland from almost their beginning. They formed back in 2002, released a demo CD one year later and their debut album in 2004. After three years Zatokrev strikes back with their newest album “Bury The Ashes” which was released last month through Firebox Records. In this work the band has included seven tracks and more than seventy minutes of pure metal music. Imagine that their shortest track has six minutes of duration and their longest one has seventeen minutes. To be honest with you, from the first time that I heard their debut album back in 2004, I was impressed by their musicianship and the path that they have chosen to follow. With this album I am sure that Zatokrev have done the right choice and have given us a massive album of doom/sludge metal with influences from MY DYING BRIDE and NEUROSIS. Of course they have put their personal sound and we can say that Zatokrev have achieved to create unique music. Sometimes they are more extreme other times they are more melodic or mid tempo, but always the Zatokrev stamp exists. Close your eyes, turn off the lights, put the album of Zatokrev inside the CD player and feel the sadness and the atmosphere that they have included in their newest album. You won’t regret it!
Official Site: www.zatokrev.com
Band Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras

I bet you all already know how powerful and great the French extreme metal scene is and Arkhon Infaustus consist no exception to this rule with their ruthless and malevolent mixture of blackened death metal. Well I'm sure many of you might want to know which are those elements that make this band stand out and the reasons why you should obtain their CD. Well, the thing is that they have a quite characteristic sound which is mainly based on a multi-faceted approach with interchanging rhythm parts and entwined riffs that vary from black to death metal. The vocals are either black or death metal shrieks and grunts of excessive madness and rage and the production is perfect for the genre this quartet is dedicated to... I don't think I have to underline who are those that will adore "Orthodoxyn... you know who you are!

Christine  Parastatidou

Alastor come from Austria and although this band exists in the black metal scene for the past eleven years, "Silva Nordica" constitutes their first full length album with only 2 demos and one EP being released until now. The album begins with a peculiar intro where somebody is heard to be choking or having his mortal snoring, something that it would be more suited in a grind-death album, so it seems somehow irrelevant in this concrete style of metal “Silva nordica” is dealing with. We overpass it and continue to the main tracks which all are characterized by their relatively big duration. Black metal wrapped up with the primordial sound of IMMORTAL with less speed however and enough doses of melody and slow breaks even though several sections blast along at quite a pace with the guitars fighting to achieve classic black forms. However they are flirting in certain moments with a monotonous sound and the drums are somehow underlaid when even in the outbreaks are heard quite feeble. The production surely does not help either and the ideas though exist, lack of cohesion which occurs at some points between them, elements sewn up together that don’t seem to work all that much, mostly in the melodic passages that personally decreased my feelings for the album. On the other hand the atmosphere is nice and icy, and in general lines this is an album interesting that surely deserves your attention mostly when the rhythms become faster. 

Vaso  Prassa

This Dutch quintet is considered to be amogst the top death/doom metal bands out there. Despite being relatively new, their albums have earned them a reputation and a really high esteem and if you ask me things couldn't be different, since all their songs stand for quality whilst always maintaining the band's characteristic approach. Their compositions have the standard doom metal repetitions of the same patterns which are however enriched here with some discernible riffs and even guitar solos, that are absent most of the times from such releases. Naturally all the songs are imbued in melancholy and dark abyssal atmospheres that are amplified by the beautiful and ominous keyboards that accompany all their songs. The vocals consist of death metal deep growls that match perfectly to the overall sound and every now and then some rhythm accelerations offer more variety to the end result. The production is equally good, allowing the songs to show their true self and beauty and the artwork is dark and fitting to this band's image and sound. If you love bands like ANATHEMA and MY DYING BRIDE, I can't think of a better band to propose to you...

Christine  Parastatidou

Rumros Of Gehenna hail us from Italy. They formed back in 2002 and I have in my hands their newest release which is their self titled EP. This EP was released before a few months and has three tracks with a total duration of sixteen minutes. Except for the fact that the band has an intensive live experience, their music has attracted my attention. Of course as you can imagine they walk in the modern paths of metal music but also they have achieved to make an EP that you don’t want it to finish. So musically they have influences from thrash to death metal and sometimes their drummer is really fast with blast beats too. The vocals are mainly death metal ones and extreme while their compositions are really well worked with some interesting ideas. Last but not least, of course they need to find more of their personal sound and to create their own trademark. I will be waiting for their next step...
Site: www.rumorsofgehenna.com
Email: [email protected]

Antonis  Maglaras