2012

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    Xandria – Neverworld’s End (2012)

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    Many people (including us) thought that Xandria was finished when their iconic vocalist Lisa Schaphaus-Middelhauve left the band back in 2009, but with their latest album “Neverworld’s End” the band sounds better than ever and are turning heads and convincing non-believer. Taking on a more bombastic sound, the band fully uses Manuela Kraller soprano vocals to song like a real Gothic/Symphonic Metal band should and blow listeners away with a very rich and diverse sound.

    One thing that came immediately to us after the first few spins of this release is that “Neverworld’s End” actually sounds a lot like early Nightwish when Tarja was in charge of the vocals. Before all haters go and complain about this we must say that while playing similar music, Xandria feels very refreshing since most of the good Gothic/Symphonic bands are not trying to sound pop-ish and commercial friendly. This leaves the field completely open to bands that stick to was good a few years ago and still manage to sound Metal enough.

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    Sangre Eterna – Asphyxia (2012)

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    Making its way to our PO BOX courtesy of Maple Metal Records, today we have Sangre Eterna’s second full-length release “Asphyxia”. In this very interesting release we have a talented Serbian band that plays Melodic Death Metal and features some guest appearances by many Metal stars from Finland. If you like traditional Melodic Death Metal without the fagginess of modern Melodeath releases, “Asphyxia” is the album for you.

    For over 11 tracks, Sangre Eterna delivers powerful guitar riffing, very catchy melodic sections accompanied by keyboard arrangements and an overall excellent atmosphere that is rare these days. Opening with “The End of Beauty”, the riff machine starts immediately and you get that unmistakable Swedish Melodic Death Metal vibe with an edge of Finland’s own take of the genre. With no guest appearances on this track, the band gives the listener a taste of their own sound without any ‘distortion’ and we give them great props for that.

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    Eluveitie – Helvetios (2012)

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    After their highly popular and very well crafted “Everything Remains as It Never Was”, Eluveitie returns with another dosage of ….more of the same. If you liked the previous release, “Helvetios” will feel very familiar and you will surely enjoy it as a worthy continuation. However, if you are looking for something different this is not the place to look for it.

    Don’t get us wrong, Eluveitie’s music is very well crafted and enjoyable but after 4-5 songs we find ourselves wondering if they all have been the same. In “Helvetios” we noticed the traditional structure of all Eluveitie albums and some songs like “Scorched Earth” are nice to change the monotony of the release, but then they are followed by tracks like “Meet the Enemy” that are just more of the same.

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    Les Discrets - Ariettes Oubliées... (2012)

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    As one of the most anticipated releases of 2012 here at Infernal Masquerade, “Ariettes Oubliées...” is Les Discrets second full-length release and a substantial improvement over their first effort. In this release the band delivers eight highly emotional tracks that if you can’t find the beauty in them; you are definitely deaf or have some hearing problems.

    Combining elements of Post-Rock, Shoegaze, Doom Metal and acoustic passages, Les Discrets manage to deliver a more concise and mature album that showcase the band’s abilities in making emotional music that will transcend in time. Fursy Teyssier’s vocals have greatly improved since “Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées” and together with Winterhalter on drums (Alcest) and  
    Audrey Hadorn providing additional vocals and lyrics, the band is a force to be reckoned and hopefully continue to release even better albums in the future.

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    Monarch – Omens (2012)

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    Hailing from France, today we have an album that is so thick and monolithic that will rattle your speakers and make your neighbors call the cops on you. Monarch’s sixth full-length release “Omens” delivers 36 minutes of crushing Drone/Sludge Metal that is definitely not for the weak. With only three tracks in this release, the band delivers a very long and devastating compositions that will surely have any Drone/Sludge/Doom fan raving about for a very long time.

    Opening with the 13 minute behemoth “Blood Seeres”, the band’s distorted guitars will surely catch your attention (with feedback and everything). But it is probably the vocals, courtesy of Emilie Bresson, that will be the most disturbing element of this track. Emilie’s screams are just too raw and brutal to even begin to describe. The guitars are tune way low, just like the doctor ordered for a release in these genres, courtesy of Shiran Kaïdine of Year of No Light fame.

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    Opera Diabolicus - 1614 (2012)

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    With a very powerful and eerie atmosphere, Opera Diabolicus delivers a very powerful and theatrical Gothic Metal release that should not be taken lightly. “1614” features a wide variety of vocal appearances by Snowy Shaw and Mats Leven from Therion, Niklas Isfeldt  of Dream Evil, Jake E of the yucky Amaranthe, and Camilla Alisander-Ason. Focusing more on the theatrical aspect of things, the band (a two-person unit) crates very eerie moments that will haunt your dreams.

    After the creepy “Overture”, “The Gates” fully deliver a very familiar Therion-esque vibe minus the overly pretentious approach that Christofer Johnsson has decided to take in the last few years. The somber atmosphere is top notch and this song really made us picture a musical/play setting for this album. The over-the-top keyboards and choir sections are magical and the dramatic vocal performances make this song plain genius.

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    Sep7ember - Strange Ways of Going Home (2012)

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    Sometimes some albums that are quite not our cup of tea make it to our review queue and surprise us a bit. Sep7ember’s “Strange Ways of Going Home” is the latest entry in this category due to its super catchy guitar work and very solid songwriting. We are no experts on Alternative Rock or even Hard-pop but this album is pretty good since it kept us interested from beginning to end.

    Hailing from Frankfurt, Sep7ember opens this release with the very catchy (and pop-ish) “View into Blur”. The dreamy guitar work is pretty appealing and the bass guitar is super catchy in this piece. Sometimes we can even say that the band bleeds a bit into Post-Rock territory in songs like “Run”, “Remaining Days” and “So”, but with a commercial REM and Live touch. The vocals are very whiny, but in a good way since they deliver the emotion behind these powerful songs.

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    Goldenseed - The War Is in My Mind (2012)

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    Featuring the talented multi-instrumentalist Gabriele Pala, today we have Goldenseed’s third full-length release “The War is in my Mind”. In this one-man solo-project, Gabriele delivers 11 songs clocking around 52 minutes of very interesting Progressive/Shred Metal that greatly highlight his musical skills. Each of the songs feature excellent guitar work and very solid composition skills, something that many multi-instrumentalists seem to lack and favor showing off their skills instead.

    With a very space-oriented nature, “The War Is in My Mind” kicks off with “The R38 Class”. This song features very lush keyboards and a very typical Progressive Metal. While sounding very similar to bands like Ayreon and such, Goldenseed chooses not to ruin things and does not use vocals in this release (except in the last song). Pala’s guitar skills are nicely introduced little by little and never go full on over the top, but instead they complement the music nicely.

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    Tramortiria – Wrath among the Dead (2012)

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    Arriving from Italy with their crunchy guitar sound and their crafty song writing abilities, today we have Tramortiria’s debut full-length release “Wrath among the Dead”. With so many Thrash Metal bands popping out these days, it is good to hear one that actually has decent music for a change. Featuring over 45 minutes of catchy music, “Wrath among the Dead” is one of those releases you can’t afford to miss if you are a Thrash Metal fan.

    Opening with the atmospheric intro “Dust”, the band fully settles in their own style with the crushing “1936”. This song features very powerful and crunchy guitars that are nicely complemented by a pulsating bass guitar line and very tight drumming. The vocals are strong and nicely put together to fit the overall power behind the music. The instrumental “Earth Attack” nicely continues the onslaught of catchy riffs with almost 3 minutes of very well crafted and groovy music. This song in turn bleeds into “World of Fashion”, a track that sounds just like something that Dark Angel, Kreator, or any other Thrash Metal great would have belted out back in the day.

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    Orange Goblin – A Eulogy for the Damned (2012)

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    Arriving just in time to be the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for Stoner Rockers, today we have Orange Goblin and their seventh full-length release “A Eulogy for the Damned”. In their first album in four years, the band returns in full-strength to deliver 10 tracks of super catchy and high-quality Stoner Rock/Metal unlike you’ve ever heard before.

    Aging as a fine wine, the band shows their awesome song-writing skills that have been constantly improving over the years. Backed by the production and engineering magic of Jamie Dodd and mastered by two-time Grammy-nominated Pink Floyd engineer Andy Jackson, “A Eulogy for the Damned” has the band sounding at its best. Since the opening “Red Tide Rising”, the bar is set very high with catchy guitar melodies and very energetic vocals.

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