Melodic Death Metal

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    Killjoy Corporation – Horsefly (2012)

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    Hailing from Finland, today we have Killjoy Corporation and their latest EP titled “Horsefly”. With a cover that made us think this was a Punk release, the band has a very playful angle about it and some of the other band’s ‘serious elements. One thing for sure, they mean business when it comes to their crushing and very well crafted music. Mixing Melodic Death Metal with some Groove elements, the band sounds very fresh and engaging.

    Blasting things wide open with “Bones”, the band sets a very hectic mood from the start with very powerful drumming and excellent melodic riffing. The vocals are quite ok for the genre, but the music is what makes this song entertaining. Things settle down for a bit with a crazy opening on “Infected Prey” that features the band’s ramblings at the beginning just before exploding into catchy Death Metal riffs and some growls. There are more melodic passages in this track that have some Thrash influences, reminding us of the latest Kreator and its melodic sections.

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    Destinity – Resolve in Crimson (2012)

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    Delivering their best album to date, today we have France’s Destinity and their 8th studio album “Resolve in Crimson”. Having evolved from Black Metal to Thrash Metal to Melodic Death Metal as of recently, this band turns in nine riff-tastic tracks that will draw them comparisons to bands like Dark Tranquility, Night In Gales, and Nightrage just to name a few.

    Opening with the melodic anthem “Black Sun Rising”, the band’s riffing skills make this song shine since the first few seconds. This track delivers a healthy dosage of solid riffs and very well crafted clean vocal sections that make this song very catchy. Not losing track of their heavier side, “Reap my Scars” comes off a bit more aggressive but with equal melodic catchiness, making it another very solid momentum building track.

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    Sylosis – Monolith (2012)

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    Greatly improving on their already impressive 2011 release “Edge of the Earth”, today we have Sylosis and their latest album “Monolith”. In this eleven track beast of an album, the band further refines their killer ‘Melodic Thrash Metal’ sound with even better crafted songs and heaps of killer guitar riffs. The band’s mastermind Josh Middleton has done a great job in crafting a very unique sound that is familiar to Metal fans, but it is also completely different from everybody else in Metal.

    Setting a melancholic mood with the opener “Out From Below”, Sylosis quickly delivers the usual dosage of Thrash Metal riffs that nicely transform into brilliant melodic passages, particularly the brilliant closing to this song. There are a few hints of ‘Modern Metal’ included in tracks like “Fear The World” and “What Dwells Within” that give the band a Gojira kind of edge, not bad, but maybe alarming in the future.

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    Daylight Dies – A Frail Becoming (2012)

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    Keeping up the genre started back in the day by bands like Paradise Lost, Opeth, Anathema, and Katatonia, today we have Daylight Dies and their latest exploits into the Melodic Death/Doom Metal areas. Since all of the previously mentioned band have moved on and play completely different music now compared to when they started, it is good to hear that Daylight Dies has not given into the ‘pressure’ of being more commercially friendly or ‘evolve’ as the other bands have eloquently called it.

    If you never go to hear the legendary bands start this old ‘trend’, more recently we have Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, end others doing a killer job in keeping the flame alive and adding an extra level of technicality to the music. “A Frail Becoming” takes us back to the times when bands didn’t needed extreme acrobatic guitar sections or (too many) keyboards to create depressing atmospheres. Daylight Dies relies on solid and repetitive guitar work with the proper tuning and a heavy sense of melody, and of course the occasional intricate guitar solo here and there. The music also relies on a certain pace and excellent growls more recently mixed with a good dose of clean vocals, something that the band excels at.

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    Ruin of Remembrance – Second World (2012)

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    In the days when shitty bands want to charge 10 bucks for a horribly recorded and even worse written release on the internet, it is quite refreshing to hear the amazing “Second World”, a free for download release by Ruin of Remembrance. This German band does a killer job in creating ten tracks of super catchy and atmospheric Melodic Death Metal in the same vein as Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, and older The Elysian Fields.

    Opening with a very atmospheric intro, the magic fully comes out of its shell with the killer “Never Forget”. Dominating riffs and excellent atmospheric elements create a very melodic and dark vibe, and the pummeling ‘drums’ (we have our doubts if they are real or programmed, but we are leaning towards the second more) just craft a brilliant track. The band has no issues in keeping the intensity level very high, and with excellent and somber atmosphere like on “Birth of an Atheist”, sound that reminded us very much of The Elysian Fields and their killer release “We... the Enlightened”.

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    Empires Laid Waste – With the Tide Comes Destruction (2012)

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    Making its way from Australia, today we have Empires Laid Waste second effort titled “With the Tide Comes Desctruction”. In this 6 song EP, this band shows great promise in their super catchy Melodic Death Metal music. Perfectly laid out to build up since the first song to the last, there are excellent melodic passages and great riffing ideas through this release, and while there are a few ‘rookie’ mistakes, this band has enough skill to be really good.

    Starting with the mainly Death Metal song that bears the album’s title, the band quickly delivers heavy guitars and great drumming. This track has enough variation to be a bit more diverse than your average DM tune, but still not enough to be a full on Melodic DM epic. The growls are pretty standard for a release of this kind, and might seem linear to some, but it’s DM, not a singing competition. The short “Banished To The Wasteland” delivers more double-kick brutality, and a nice meaty hooks that keep the listener entertained.

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    Mandragora – Carnal Cage (2012)

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    With very few bands coming out of the small country of Lithuania, it is to our great pleasure to witness the quality and excellent musicianship behind Mandagora’s “Carnal Cage”. Being the band’s first release in seven years, it kind of seems that it was stuck in Melodic Death Metal limbo, allowing this album to sound like the good old days of the genre. With this old-school vibe and a pristine production, this album is our favorite Melodic DM release of 2012 (so far).

    Opening with some funky Middle-Eastern sounding riffs in “Masquerade”, the album sets of on a very well defined path of excellent melodic passages and riffing wizardry. Reminding us a bit of older Dark Tranquility and Dark Lunacy, the band nicely opens with an excellent riffing onslaught the song “In Doubt”. The tempo changes are very well introduced and the drumming is just right, the growls are your typical ‘manly’ melodic DM growls, allowing the music to sound both powerful and very melodic. There is a particularly awesome bass guitar section that made this song even more amazing for us.

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    Be’lakor – Of Breath and Bone (2012)

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    Rivaling the most impressive Melodic Death Metal releases of the last few years, today we have Be’lakor’s third full-length release titled “Of Breath and Bone”. This Aussie band has been making some pretty decent releases up until now, but with this one they take things to a whole new level. Delivering eight tracks of brilliantly crafted Melodic DM, this band is sent for world domination one riff at a time.

    Opening with the 8-minute opus “Abeyance”, the band wastes no time in delivering a full-on riffage assault with powerful growls and excellent drumming. The band’s melodic sound is just outstanding and nicely carving different moods into their songs. Nearing the 3-minute mark the band goes on melodic DM masturbation mode and we almost began headbaning for the first time in this release, brilliant section we might add.

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    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.

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    Lahmia – Into the Abyss (2012)

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    Seemingly out of nowhere, today we have one of the best Melodic Death Metal releases we have heard in the past few years with Lahmia’s “Into the Abyss”. For a debut full-length release, this riff-tastic album is very well crafted with excellent melodic passages and very aggressive sections. With the typical comparisons to Swedish Melodic Death Metal giants Dark Tranquility, the band also fuses some of Belgium’s Thurisaz elements into to their music to create a superb album.

    Opening with “Drag Me to Hell”, the band delivers intense Thrash riffing that nicely morphs into more traditional Melodic DM as the song progresses. The Dark Tranquility worship is clearly evident with the section around the 4:30 mark where they sound like DT’s opus “There In”. The mixture of traditional growls with some harsher Black Metal shrieks nicely reminds us of Thurisaz, but with less emphasis on the atmospheric side of things, as depicted on “Nightfall”.

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