For those of you, like me, who are unfamiliar with Naglfar, they are a Black Metal band from Sweden who have apparently been around for some time. According to the press release that accompanied "Teras" this is the band's first recording since 2007 and that they "took all the time it needed to record the most powerful album possible." Quite a bold statement if you ask me.

Is "Teras" a "powerful album"? The answer is a definite and emphatic YES! The album opens up with the slow rumbling title track, which initially led me to believe that Naglfar might be a bit more on the "atmospheric" side of the Black Metal spectrum.

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One thing about Black Metal is that when it's done right it can be an absolutely engrossing experience, drawing you hypnotically into its sounds and rhythms, especially when it gets the cold, evil atmosphere right. Hellsaw gets it right. In fact it gets it beyond fucking right, right from the beginning with "The Devil is Calling My Name," a song which sent chills down my spine and pulled me in to a cold dark place.

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There's been a fair amount of hype from various extreme and underground websites concerning Spawn of Posession's latest "Incurso". The band features current and former members of Necrophagist and Obscura, both bands that fans of Technical Death Metal wet their pants over.

One of the problems that can be had with Technical Death Metal is when the members focus solely on showing off their chops to the detriment of the actual songs themselves. Many bands of this genre do this and ruin whole albums as a result, forgetting that metal is supposed to entertain and not just wow their audience.

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Pagan metal is kind of an interesting genre. Either people really seem to like it or they really seem to hate it. One of the beefs that I've had with Pagan Metal in the past is that oftentimes it seems kind of silly with a bunch of scruffy looking dudes in battle armor singing what sounds like traditional songs to a metal beat. Lots of times it just doesn't work and the band in question just seems to come off as goofy.

Goofy is definitely NOT the case with Heidevolk's latest "Batavi". According to the press release "Batavi" is some sort of concept album about Germanic tribes fighting against the Roman Empire.

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Upon first listen, one can immediately sense that Fisthammer possess the same knack for killer hooks and enthralling melodies that makes bands like Amon Amarth and Behemoth such great musical experiences. On their debut effort, the Philadelphia quartet lay down 11 perfectly memorable, brutal and technically proficient death metal tunes, combining heavy, crushing riffs with catchy harmonics and melody. I know we’ve already seen a myriad of death metal bands incorporating memorable melodies into their music, but these guys really nailed it.

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Described as Swedish death metal, “Crypts of the Unrotten" the second effort from Germany’s Dawn of Disease emanates a brutal yet melodic feeling that reminds me more of U.S. acts like Brutality and Monstrosity than At the Gates or Unleashed. Like those great bands, this five-piece play a guttural, brutally intense death metal yet with plenty of guitar harmonies and groove. It’s fast, in your face and occasionally melodic, yet it’s not overly technical like the aforementioned acts.

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As a fan of Jeff Loomis, both his solo stuff and his work in Nevermore and Sanctuary I jumped at the chance to review this album, and by god I was not disappointed with his latest output. This is his first release post the Nevermore split, although hearing his work as a session musician on 7 Horns 7 eyes, I had an inkling of what to expect.

Opening up with two guest spots to make any guitar player’s wet dream look mild, a duo with first Marty Friedman and then followed by Tony MacAlpine, these are two tracks which are an exodus in guitar mastery.

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Having not heard off this guy before, I went and did a little research before listening to the album, and found out he was the composer of cinematic metal band Ayreon. Therefore I was expecting something that run along the lines off such bands as Nightwish or Biomortal. I don’t think I could have been more mistaken.

When the album opens up to spoken word, I do wonder what the hell it is I’m listening to as It is all about the future with head DNA transplants. Then after more research I discover he has a penchant for concept albums.

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Progressive metal is becoming a rather over-saturated genre, and it’s unfortunately bands like The Safety Fire who are providing a watered down take on it that is beginning to make the genre a dirty word, at least in my books.

I like my progressive metal exciting, giving me something a little different, a little progressive, whereas The Safety Fire and merely doing a watered down version of Sikth, slower tempo’s and less crazy vocals, but all the basic elements of a band who did it first and a hell of a lot better are there.

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“The Treachery Of Senses” the debut album from Finnish band Oddland, is a wonderfully unusual beast, a creative journey which encompasses the dark and its lingering shadows alongside light’s melodic warmth, the union an enthralling experience. Inventive and mesmeric the progressive metal quartet’s release is startling and thoroughly captivating. Though it is an album which draws one in deeply it does at times seemingly try too hard, the album swinging from full engagement to a progressive similarity which allows attention to waver. Despite that “The Treachery Of Senses” is never less than intriguing and overall deeply satisfying.

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From the first play the debut album from German metal band Pigeon Toe is eager to start an affair with the senses, successfully instigating a warm connection that is vibrant and intriguing. ”The First Perception” though is working with a deeper intent and it is within the third or so listen that one realises how deeply into its creative bosom one has been led with the album’s intelligent ingenuity and inspiring melodic prowess. The release wraps itself around the ear before delving much deeper with a progressive metal sound which draws upon and lights up emotions, it’s finely composed flowing sounds and impressively structured unfussy journeys bringing a constantly mesmeric pleasure.

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It is curious to note that the best and most feral examples of the classic Swedish d-beat infused death-metal sound comes not from its place of origin, but from the United States. Currently there are no better recreations of a formula that was created by bands like Entombed, Dismember, Driller Killer and Disfear than Trap Them and these five guys called Black Breath.

Merely a year following the release of their explosive and abrasive debut album “Heavy Breathing”, the Seattle group is back with a new album that successfully surpasses all the expectations created by its predecessor.

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“Structures In Chaos” from Dutch death metal band Temple is nasty, a beast full of pestilence and disease that crawls over each and every sense violating and infecting them. It is also rather impressive. Though one has to work hard to emerge into the maelstrom of ideas and sounds living beneath the grievous surface, once there the album opens up avenues and dark corners to get lost within eagerly.

From the opening demonic spewing of first track “Rituals Of Marduk”, the album hunts and ravages the ear like a carnivorous hungry animal.

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It seems that these days Singapore’s Pulverized Records is a label committed to sign up every single band with a genuine and die-hard dedication to old-school death metal.

Just look at the label’s current rooster, killer acts like Morbus Chron, Bastard Priest, Crucifyre and Bone Gnawer all adore the fuzzy, rusty and putrid stench coming from the earlier endeavours of Entombed, Repulsion, Autopsy and so on.

One of the label’s newest artists, Spain’s Graveyard certainly fit the profile and will appeal to fans of the aforementioned acts.

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It is interesting to listen to The Man-Eating Tree, as despite their label as a metal band there is really much little related here to metal music than there is to contemporary, progressive rock. One telltale sign comes from singer Tuomas Tuominen's consistently warbled tone, which with its nasal pitch and faux-American Southern accent sounds more fitting for loose and experimental guitar layers than tight, metal riffs. It's as if The Man-Eating Tree are unwittingly fashioning themselves in the footsteps of experimental hard rockers Tool

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Old Head are essentially the Total Fucking Destruction crew with one MegaDan Tumulo on vocals, yet instead of unleashing frantic bursts of grind madness these old heads do things rather differently, focusing on a engaging blend of thrash/speed metal with some classic rock from the 70’s that slays as much as it rocks.

Their debut release, “Maximum Rock” borrows heavily from the earlier endeavours of Hirax and Cryptic Slaughter and adds pinches of hard-rock ala Quiet Riot and UFO into the mix.

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Don’t be fooled by the sweet name of Love Sex Machine for this French group offers nothing but filthy and caustic sludge without a single ounce of love or benevolence.

From the abrasive opener “Anal on Deceased Virgin” (they’re not subtle on the lyrical department either) to the asphyxiating final “Warstrike Takes the Piss” this is venomous, corrosive stuff, just as dangerous as shoving some rusty, degraded nails down your throat.

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After a relatively promising debut release in the form of 'Insidious Awakening', Portuguese thrashers Echidna return three years later with follow up 'Dawn of the Sociopath'. Sadly, as compared to their first effort, the second outing feels to be more of the same material recycled, with the band's drawbacks all the more audible to hear. 
One particular fall point for Echidna is their overuse of "crunching" guitar notes; a common issue in much of modern extreme metal. A poor influence from metalcore, this style offers little but a restricting twang of mediocre riffs that sit out of place with the freer side of death and thrash metal.

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The recent re-release of “Malevolent Rapture” from Dutch black metal thrashers Legion Of The Damned was in dedication to former bassist Twan Fleuren who committed suicide in May 2011. Repackaged with extra bonus tracks and a DVD, the album renamed “Malevolent Rapture - In Memory Of” is a reissue of the band’s debut from 2006 which Twan played upon. As a tribute to their former band member and friend, the album is a reminder of his massive contribution to the band and of the formidable entry into metal that Legion Of The Damned made at the time.

Released through Massacre Records the album is a thoroughly riveting collection of songs which either as an introduction to one of the more explosive black metal bands or as a reminder of the band’s beginnings is an appetising release.

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Santiago Alquimista - Lisbon 
19/01/2012

Although tonight’s show isn’t exactly crowded, the excitement surrounding these shows is clear to see on the faces of the few ones that decided to go down to Santiago Alquimista and watch psychedelic rockers Kylesa in action. After all, not only this is the band’s first time in Lisbon, they’ve also brought with them two enthralling and distinct groups, Ken Mode and Circle Takes the Square, as support acts.

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On their previous releases, Canada’s 3 Inches of Blood always walk a fine line between goofy, over-the-top heavy-metal and an infectious blend of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden that tries to pass out the impression they’ve learned all the traits of genuine heavy metal made before them.

With songs like “Metal Woman”, “Leather Lord” and their ridiculously choice for album title, I guess 3 Inches of Blood aren’t the least bit concerned with what their detractors think of them as long as they keep doing what they love to do, and that’s traditional heavy metal.

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Following a lacklustre release “Strychnine.213” released in 2008 (by their own admission, I though it was pretty good) Belgium’s Aborted are back with new album and a revamped line-up, something that shouldn’t surprise us anymore as their career was always agitated with departures and entrances.

Headmaster and sole original member left Sven De Caluwe pulls together another new line up for the band, and emerges on top with an updated and revitalized sound that doesn’t deviate too far from the their standard death/grind rumble.

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