Album Reviews

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    Fallujah – Dreamless (2016)

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    Continue their evolution into more Progressive and atmospheric territories, today we have Fallujah and their third full-length release “Dreamless”. While the band explores more melodic ideas, their Deathcore nucleus is still intact and will kick your ass in a minute. Searching for the perfect balance between sheer brutality and musical acrobatics, the band delivers twelve solid tracks that show how much they have matured since their 2011 debut release.

    Opening with the brutal “Face of Death”, the band commands their attention with perfectly balanced Deathcore-esque growls and ethereal atmospheric elements. Bleeding into the more Progressive and melodic “Adrenaline”, the band nicely transition between styles while showcasing their musical creativity. Our personal favorite is the dreamy “The Void Alone”, which features a superb combination of clean female vocals, intricate drum patterns and pummeling guitar riffs.

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    Elvaron – Ghost of a Blood Tie (2016)

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    Hailing from France today we have Elvaron, a very interesting Progressive Metal with solid skills and even better song writing chops. Delivering over 60 minutes of engaging music, the band combines elements of the greats of the genre, but infuses their own uniqueness to craft a signature style. As one of the liveliest releases we have heard so far in 2016, this is one album that should appeal any fan of the genre.

    Opening with the instrumental acrobatics of “The Journey Within”, the band instantly showcases their musicianship with killer guitars, playful keyboards, and an overall epic feeling to this track. The vocals finally appear on “Silent Windows”, giving the music a Thrash Metal edge, while maintaining their killer Prog elements. The first standout track comes under the name of “A Price to Pay”, where the band combines their instrumental acrobatics with male and female vocals, creating a very playful combination.

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    Lutece – From Glory towards Void (2016)

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    Hailing from France, today we have quite an impressive outfit under the moniker of Lutece. Unleashing their third full-length release titled “From Glory towards Void”, the band delivers over 51 minutes of clean and precise Black Metal filled with crushing melodies and imposing vocals paired with emotional atmospheric elements.

    Delivering a punishing opening blow with “Let the Carnyx Sound Again”, the band demonstrates their high-octane music with pummeling drums and intense riffing. Showing this was not a fluke, the brutal onslaught continues with the demoralizing “Melted Fles”. In this track we start noticing some very interesting atmospheric elements thrown into the mix, adding some additional complexity to the band’s music.

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    Howls of Ebb – Cursus Impasse: The Pandlomic Vows (2016)

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    Spewing more of their sickening Black/Death Metal, today we have Howls of Ebb and their sophomore release “Cursus Impasse: The Pandlomic Vows”. Written between 2013 and 2015, this release moves away from the longer (10+ minute) track from their previous EP and delivers their musical fury in shorter but equally sweet onslaughts. Filled with creepiness and a retro-vibe, this album shows the band’s knack for making truly punishing music.

    Opening with the psycho-sexual hypnotic bass guitar line of “The 6th Octopul'th Grin”, the band’s depraved sound is instantly gratifying. Things take a turn to the even more bizarre with the funkiness of “Cabals of Molder” and its very horror-like atmospherics. Continuing down the rabbit hole, “Maat Mons’ Fume” has more of that raw energy of Indonesian Black/Death Metal bands mixed in with some truly disturbing bass guitar sounds.

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    Tax the Heat – Fed to the Lions (2016)

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    Keeping up with times and the ever expanding musical scene, Nuclear Blast has managed to snag one of the best up and coming Hard/Modern Rock acts names Tax the Heat. Unleashing their debut full-length “Fed to the Lions” on April 8th, this band is ready to take center stage and blow people away with their upbeat super catchy tunes full of raw energy.

    Opening with the commanding “Highway Home”, the band sets a very catchy vibe while making blending in some Aerosmith-esque influences in this very solid piece. With some certain Rolling Stones energy on the follow up “Animals”, the band instantly shows their knack for mixing old-school influences with their own modern energy and craft a very enjoyable hard rock atmosphere.

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    Ihsahn – Arktis. (2016)

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    Multi-instrumentalist one-man show Ihsahn makes a surprise 2016 return with another unique release titled “Arktis.”. Considerably less experimental and out of whack than his previous release, this album delivers 11 very interesting song that while pushing the envelope, they consolidate the signature Ihsahn sound.

    Opening with the Proggy “Disassembled”, Ihsahn crafts a very catchy song with a killer chorus section. With some additional vocals by Einer Solberg (Leprous), this is one very melodic and engaging opening piece. Things turn quickly dark with the sinister “Mass Darkness” and its crafty atmospheric guitar work. This track is quite unique as it features some funky tempo changes and epic vocal arrangements (featuring Matt Heafy), all within the Ihsahn realm.

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    Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas – Mariner (2016)

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    Completely catching us by surprise, today we have a very interesting collaboration between Sweden’s Cult of Luna and USA’s Julie Christmas. If you ever wondered how Cult of Luna would sound with a layer of female vocals on top, this is the perfect time to discover such a combination. Featuring five tracks filled with the band’s traditional atmospheric oppression, this release is a force to be reckoned with.

    Opening with the momentum building piece “A Greater Call”, the band wastes no time to introduce the listener to the dreamy combination of Julie’s sweet vocals and the harsh screams, both flanked by an intricate atmospheric backdrop. Leaving the listener no time to really adjust, the band pummels through “Chevron”, sparkling some pop-like influences along the way.

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    Except One – Haunted Humanity (2016)

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    Coming at you like an unsuspecting bag of bricks to the face, today we have Except One and their crushing release “Haunted Humanity”. Featuring an interesting mixture of Metalcore and Melodic Death Metal elements, this release instantly stands out thanks to the sheer brutality of their female singer harsh vocals and the perfect balance of melodic guitars. For fans of bands like Arch Enemy and Soilwork, this French band is a true force to be reckoned.

    Opening with the dissonance of “Rise”, we instantly get the Arch Enemy vibe, as the band perfectly managed to negotiate brutality and melody. Fronted by Estelle, the vocals are quite powerful and very fitting for the level of intensity in the band’s music. Filled with brilliant moments for headbanging, tracks like “Lost” and “Schizofriend”, showcase the band’s very talented guitar duo and their killer skills.

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    Amon Amarth – Jomsviking (2016)

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    After constantly releasing brilliant albums over the years, Amon Amarath returns today with their most mature and melodic work to date: “Jomsviking”. Taking you through an eleven track journey, the band delivers a more refined and developed version of their signature style. Focusing on melody and epicness, the songs in this album are both memorable and intoxicating, allowing the listeners to fully be immersed into the band’s world.

    Opening with the first single, “First Kill”, the band lets the listener settle in with a very traditional Amon Amarth-esque piece filled with excellent guitar work and a hefty pace. Smoothly transitioning into “Wanderer”, the music gets more serious and a bit slower, allowing the powerful riffs to lead the way. The band’s session drummer Tobben Gustafsson of Vomitory fame, does a great job in delivering intricate drum patterns and keeping things tight.

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    The Shiva Hypothesis – Promo 2015 (2015)

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    As one of the best releases to appear on our magical postal box, today we have The Shiva Hypothesis and their demoralizing 2015 3-song promo. Featuring an imposing sound similar to bands like Behemoth, Vesania and even Dimmu Borgir minus all the fluffy shit, this Dutch band delivers 20 minutes of brutal music that will rattle your speakers from start to end.

    Opening with the incisive riffing of “Caduceus”, The Shiva Hypothesis starts its journey pummeling the listener with devilish vocals provided mainly by MVS, and some killer drum patterns. As a package, this band is firing with all cylinders, allowing all elements to perfectly blend together crafting an oppressive atmosphere.

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