2012

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    Deep-pression - Vegtelen Tenger (2012)

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    After not really liking the band’s previous releases, we finally have found the key to enjoy Deep-pression’s very unique and disturbing music: while taking a hike in the dark. If you listen to this album while you walk alone in the woods, we guarantee that you will go paranoid in a few minutes and think something supernatural is following you around, and this is without the help of drugs or any other ‘mood enhancer’.

    The traditional intro flying by, “Syreny” creeps up on you with some Psycho-esque ambient sounds that made us jump when not expecting them. The guest vocals in this release really hit the jackpot as they are creepy as fuck. We imagine that a ghost would sound exactly like this, and they greatly add to the overall ambience of the music. “Tam,Gdzie Martwe statki Jęczą...” is equally creepy and very effective thanks to the dark ambient elements and the dissonant bass guitar here and there.

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    KoldVoid – Roadside Ghosts (2012)

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    Arriving on a promo package filled with goodies from Romania, today we have KoldVoid’s “Roadside Ghosts”. In this dreamy release we are treated to 11 tracks of pure atmospheric brilliance that bring imagery from some of the most surreal and unique movies such as David Lynch’s work. If you want to be transported into very ethereal places, this is the release for you.

    In this debut release, KoldVoid manages to create beautiful landscapes since the openers “Start” and “Equilibrium”. With a very minimalist sound at first, this release transports the listener immediately with perfectly timed ambient elements. The hypnotic “Phantasma” is the first stand out track with an excellent cinematic feeling of flying through space in a very smooth and relaxing trip.

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    King Bong – Space Shanties (2012)

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    With a name like King Bong, one can immediately tell what kind of music this band plays. This Italian trio delivers a hefty dosage of Instrumental Stoner/Sludge Metal that was recorded live and without the usage of any studio magic, adding to the overall brilliance of the songs presented here. Featuring over 60 minutes of jazzy and funky music, this is one album that all fans of the genre should pay attention to.

    Starting with the interestingly named track “Even 50 Feet Hamsters Have Feelings”, we all know what the band was on when they came up with such a name. With a very slow and hypnotic pace, this track features a hefty amount of psychedelicness that will make you start thinking you are hallucinating. The bass, guitar, and drums approach to the music gives it a very minimalist take, while being far from being dull and repetitive.

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    Tales of the Old - The Passageway from Hell to Earth (2012)

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    Presenting three very bombastic Symphonic Metal tracks, today we have Tales of the Old and their EP “The Passageway from Hell to Earth”. With a style combining elements of bands like Therion and older Nightwish, this band excels in creating very dark atmospheres around lush vocals and powerful guitars. For around 12 minutes this band gives you the perfect introduction to their dark and somber world.

    Opening with a very somber piano intro, “Dark Witch” immediately explodes into a full-fledged Symphonic Metal anthem with excellent keyboards and punishing guitars. The clean-male vocals reminded us a bit of Snowy Shawn from Therion, but what pushes this song over the edge for us is the super creepy children’s choir arrangements. The female vocals of Androniki Skoula are very powerful and nicely complement the atmosphere of this track.

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    Vitriol – Into The Silence I Sink (2012)

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    Deliver 60 minutes of super catchy and melancholic Progressive Metal/Rock, today we have Vitriol’s debut full-length release “Into The Silence I Sink”. Combining elements of bands like Pain of Salvation and other Progressive Metal/Rock outfits, this band delivers ten carefully crafted tracks that will move any fan of the genre.

    Opening with the very melancholic duo of songs “Behind the Electric Veil” and “Slowly Dies”, the band quickly warms up with very melodic and emotional compositions greatly led by their charismatic vocalist Gianluca Pappalardo. These first songs have a Gothic Rock edge blended into Progressive influences for a very unique and refined sound. Another fine example of this mixture of melancholy and traditional progressive elements is one of our favorite tracks: “Arabesque”.

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    Diabula Rasa – Ars Medioheavy (2012)

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    Making its way from Italy, today we have Diabula Rasa and their latest full-length release “Ars Medioheavy”. For those of you unfamiliar with the band, they play a very well balanced Folk Metal that is not too heavy, but it is heavy enough to keep people headbanging for a while. In a scene so saturated by many shitty bands that want to play Folk Metal, it is quite refreshing to hear a release that is both catchy and unique, never abusing any of their traditional elements and delivering a very warm and authentic sound.

    The album opens in very high spirits with the superb “Ghirondo”. The catchy foundations of this track make it very engaging and the traditional instruments give it that authentic feeling, all enhanced by subtle orchestrations that greatly improve the atmosphere of the track. As “Tsanich” and “Cataclism” roll around, we start to appreciate the band’s old school Rock/Heavy Metal foundations that are very present in the tracks making them super catchy and quite engaging without being overly heavy or fast paced. This is one of the best elements that Diabula Rasa presents in their music.

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    Haiduk – Spellbook (2012)

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    Arriving from Canada in full force, today we have Haiduk and their debut full-length release titled “Spellbook”. As a one-man project, Haiduk is one of those bands that deliver simple yet powerful music that will send you into a headbanging rampage since the first listen. Featuring ten tracks filled with guitar acrobatics blended with Death and Thrash Metal influences, this album packs a lot of punch in its short duration.

    Opening with the catchy “Lich”, Haiduk immediately showcases a furious speed that only a handful of bands can pull off and not sound extremely pretentious. The overall atmosphere of the track is intense and very melodic but aggressive at the same time. The growls are pretty standard, but sometimes sound a bit uninspired when contrasting the powerful music. In another Death/Thrash 101 lecture, “Stormcall” is a very straight forward track that has an entertaining bass guitar line and efficient drumming.

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    Amiral! – Persona Non Grata (2012)

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    As the perfect break from listening to countless hours of Metal every day, today we have Amiral!’s debut full-length release “Persona Non Grata”. With very few Metal influences this ambient/instrumental rock release delivers 11 tracks of eerie atmospheres and beautifully crafted melodic passages. Being a one-man project, this release is extremely well produced and perfectly executed, showcasing the superb musical abilities of the mystery man behind Amiral!.

    Opening with some audio from George Romero’s “Diary of the Dead”, “Chi Kung” sets the mood for an ethereal musical experience. “Petites frappes en enfer” creates a very eerie atmosphere with dreamy guitar work and a hypnotic pace. Things get a bit weirder with the Trip-hop infused “Timisoara”. This track reminds us of Ulver and their current experimental phase, but with some sweet guitar leads.

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    Some Call This Tragedy - No Man Without a Ghost (2012)

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    Being completely opposed to Metalcore shit, we find ourselves in a dilemma while listening to Some Call This Tragedy’s debut EP “No Man Without a Ghost”. On the one hand we despise Metalcore vocals and their formulaic approach to music, however we have recently been listening to bands that somehow manage to add some value to such horrible music, and thus we actually enjoy their music. This is the problem when listening to this EP, we love some of the melodic music that the band delivers, but here come the screams and we totally lose our musica boner.

    In this three song EP, “Burning Parts” delivers powerful riffing and excellent melodic passages. The clean vocals make this song very epic and create a very unique atmosphere, not traditional of typical American mallcore shit. In this track all is fine until the shitty screams come in and totally destroy the flow of the song, just like if we put a happy face sticker on a masterpiece like the Mona Lisa, preposterous.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Sanguinary Misanthropia – Loathe Over Will (2012)

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    Making its way from Australia, today we have Sanguinary Misanthropia and their traditional Black Metal debut full-length “Loathe Over Will”. Featuring 68 minutes of punishing Black Metal in the old-school way, this Australian band has a bit of that old Scandinavian BM vibe that has slowly been dying in the last few years.

    Opening with the ritualistic “Revelations 16:4-6”, the band sets a very dark and mystical mood for this release, reminding us a bit of bands like Weapon and such that take carefully craft their Satanic message. Immediately making an impact with crushing old-school riffs in “Devil Everlasting”, the band sounds like the good old BM from the late 90’s before it all got ‘cool’. The distortion on the guitars creates this massive wall of sound that is very typical of older BM releases.

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