Massacre Records

  • Agathodaimon – In Darkness (2013)

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    Arriving today from Massacre records we have Agathodaimon and the follow up to their controversial 2009 release “Phoenix”. Going from Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal to Blacked Gothic Metal left a lot of people puzzled by their odd transformation. With “In Darkness” the band starts solidifying their very unique style, making it a bit more cohesive but still quite unexpected. In our opinion, their brave evolution is quite engaging and made us really enjoy this new release.

    The album blasts open with “In Darkness (We Shall Be Reborn)”, a 6-minte epic that reminds us a lot of Graveworm and their very bombastic Symphonic/Gothic Black Metal. The band delivers powerful riffs and killer atmospheric keyboards in a very punishing manner. The vocals change between growls, shrieks, and clean singing very convincingly giving the music enough depth. “I’ve Risen” and “Favourite Sin” for the most part sound like Dimmu Borgir, and this is a great thing in our opinion. The clean vocals really add to the music and make it more interesting and less linear.

  • Luna Ad Noctum – Hypnotic Inferno (2013)

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    After a seven year absence, today we have Luna Ad Noctum and their crushing Melodic Black Metal release “Hypnotic Inferno”. Mixing influences from bands like Agathodaimon and Mactätus, their sound is perfect for nostalgic fans of Melodic Black Metal that don’t like a plethora of keyboards and synths on their releases. For nine tracks and over 39 minutes of music, the band does a solid job in bringing back the early 2000’s in terms of aurally pleasing Black Metal.

    Opening with the killer “In Hypnosis” we get some of those quintessential riffs of the early 2000’s left and right. The band’s sound is quite direct and powerful, but it does feel a bit dated, maybe around the band’s last release in 2006  “The Perfect Evil in Mortal”, and now they just sound a bit date. Regardless of this, the album’s songs are killer indeed, and deliver waves of crushing riffs surrounded by tight drumming. This is perfectly evident on the following three tracks: “Fear Technique”, “You Are What You Are”, and “Abnormal Pain”.

  • Trail of Tears – Oscillation (2013)

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    Delivering their swan song release, today we have Trail of Tears and possibly one of their best albums in their career: “Oscillation”. Surrounded by crazy drama over their facebook page and plastered all over the internet, and internal struggle once more has destroyed this band with Ronny Thorsen finally opting (for now) to put the band to rest. Featuring 13 tracks and over 50 minutes of intense and lush Symphonic/Gothic Metal, this release marks the seventh and final release of a great band.

    Drama aside, “Oscillation” features very emotional tracks that bring the band back to their “Disclosure in Red” style, in terms of melancholy and raw emotions. “Waves of Existence” opens this release with lush symphonic sections and very melancholic vocals from Catherine Paulsen. The atmosphere feels very emotional and quite catchy indeed. Other tracks like “Scream Out Loud” have a more pop-ish feeling similar to bands like Amaranthe and Unsun.

  • Eternal Tears of Sorrow - Saivon Lapsi (2013)

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    As one of the most awaited releases of 2013, today we have Eternal Tears of Sorrow and their seventh full-length release “Saivon Lapsi”. With the band aging very well with time, this release is indeed their best album to date. With their signature Melodic Death Metal with Gothic elements sound, the 11 tracks presented in this release show the band’s maturity and their ability to craft epic songs that are both aggressive and emotional.

    Immediately after the intro, the band sails full-steam ahead with the powerful “Dark Alliance”. EToS traditional riffing immediately shines when paired with the atmospheric keyboards and the very elaborate vocal arrangements. Altti Veteläinen growls are as good as ever and they are very well complemented by Jarmo Kylmänen’s clean pipes, a staple in the band’s sound since 2004. The keyboard orchestrations are as impressive as ever and elevate the band’s sound majestically.

  • To/Die/For – Samsara (2012)

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    After a brief split, To/Die/For finally returns with Jarno Perätalo and Juha-Pekka Sutela delivering ten powerful tracks that are designed to return the band to the spotlight. While not the best album of the band’s career, “Samsara” has quite a few catchy tracks that will entice the fans of the band to return and capture the ears of new listeners.

    Initially released in Finland and other places at the end of 2011, Massacre Records is finally giving this release a wider release and exposure. Opening with “Kissing the Flames”, the band comes back to the catchy riffing and subtle keyboard hints that have made them so popular in the past. The vocals are as effective as ever and the overall pace of the song is very traditional for the band.

  • 5 Star Grave – Drugstore Hell (2012)

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    Hailing from Italy, today we have 5 Star Grave and their most recent full-length release “Drugstore Hell”. With a very interesting mix of Melodic Death Metal with some Glam/Sleaze, old-school Rock, and even some electronic elements, this release offers a very engaging mixture of sounds. For 11 tracks this Italian band has one of the most refreshing approaches to Melodic Death Metal we have heard in quite a while.

    With a very catchy opening, “Terminal Bedroom” starts with some funky electronic bits that nicely elevate the spirits of this song. The riffing is catchy and the vocals while a bit on the ‘modern Metal’ side of things, are pretty well fitting. After the next catchy tune “Death Put A Smile on My Face”, the band reminded us of Silent Decent and their hyper-catchy brand of Melodic DM. With a more hard-rocking edge, “Love Affair with the Beast” features a nice combination of relentless riffing and funky keyboards.

  • The Iniquity Descent – The Human Apheresis (2012)

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    Featuring Mathias Lillmåns of Finntroll fame on vocals, today we have The Iniquity Descent and their debut full-length “The Human Apheresis”. Playing a very traditional and average Black Metal, this upcoming band still has a long way to go before we can say they are a force to reckon with.

    Delivering ten blows of powerful Black Metal, “The Human Apheresis” is one of those albums that immediately after the first track you start wondering if you already heard the next song, because they are all very similar and repetitive. Don’t get us wrong, the riffing is quite powerful and the drumming is superb, but the quality of the songs is constantly lacking since the band repeats the same sections over and over until you stop caring.

  • Disaffected – Rebirth (2012)

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    Hailing from Portugal, today we have a band that ‘waited’ for 17 years to release their second full-length release. Disaffected’s last album was back in 1995 and with “Rebirth” they deliver a very interesting and unique sounding release that is quite hard to categorize, but it’s very enjoyable to listen to. Mixing powerful guitar lines with hectic bass guitar sections, pummeling drums, crazy keyboards and harsh vocals, Disaffected has managed to catch us off-guard and produce something totally unique and different.

    After a very weird and trippy intro, “C.ult O.f M.y A.shes” and “Getting Into the Labyrinth” feature a wave of powerful guitars laid on top of intricate drumming. The vocals are very aggressive and they nicely add more brutality to the overall mix of thing. The structure of these songs is quite weird and unpredictable, and while there are some melodic portions, they keyboards and the bass guitar line seem to be on a completely different plane of existence. “Dreaming III (A Nightmare)” moves into more Avant-garde areas with a very chaotic nature and a crazy feeling of a terrible nightmare, as the name states.

  • Davidian – Our Fear Is Their Force (2012)

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    Delivering a pummeling aural assault, today we have Davidian and their extreme “Our Fear Is Their Force” release. Featuring brutal guitars, hellish vocals and a very intense drumming, this is probably one of the best Thrashcore/Groove Metal releases we have reviewed in a while.

    After the momentum building intro track “F.S.O”, the band quickly explodes into an all-out riffing war with “Behind An Angelic Smile”. The production behind this release is massive and makes speakers shake due to the sheer power behind the guitar work and harsh singing. The band’s sound borders between groovy and melodic, making it very effective and punishing. Some keyboards hints in tracks like “Manmade Hell” nicely give unexpected twists to the band’s pummeling songs.

  • 69 Chambers – Torque (2012)

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    Making its way from Switzerland, today we have the 69 Chambers and their sophomore full-length release “Torque”. With almost 65 minutes of catchy and well-crafted Gothic Rock with an emphasis of the rock side of things, this band delivers a quite enjoyable release that will surely grab the attention of fans of female-fronted bands.

    Led by the multi-talented (and super-hot) Nina Treml, 69 Chambers does a great job in combining catchiness with groovy guitars and a very healthy sense of melody, something that bands with longer careers struggle with. The opener “Cause and Effect” features none other than Chrigel Glanzmann of Eluveitie on backing vocals, making this song very aggressive and well rounded. Nina’s vocals are quite enchanting and straight forwards, no need for any soprano crap here.

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