Hailing from Finland, today we have riff-masters Dö, presenting their EP titled “Den”. In this release, the trio delivers Roadburn-caliber music divided into four songs with different moods. With tons and tons of bands playing Doom/Stoner Metal, it is quite rare to find ones that really make the impression that Dö manages to make in less than 35 minutes.

Sometimes the best way to move forward is to hit the rest button, and this is exactly what Thomas Caser did with his band. Bringing back some of the band’s old members and a couple of new vocalists, Visions of Atlantis returns with a fresh lineup and a new lease on life. The EP “New Waters” features five classic songs from the band’s discography, re-recorded with the new members in order to test the waters.

Opening with the amazing epic “Lovebearing Storm” from the band’s debut 2002 release “Eternal Endless Infinity”, we instantly get a glimpse of the killer chemistry between new vocalists Siegfried Samer and Clémentine Delauney. The song also sounds revitalized more dramatic keyboards and a clear mix.

Allegedly formed in Svalbard, Norway (but since then relocated to Germany), today we have hyper-raw Black Metal outfit Znafelriff and their crushing 5-song EP titled “Ruin”. Crafting their sound to be as raw and DYI as possible, the band actually manages to create some very old-school sounding music that will infuse nightmares to the uninitiated.

Opening with the old-school Satyricon-esque “Heisere Stille”, the band instantly creates a dark shroud of distortion and rawness around their sound. The recording quality is decent enough to be able to tell all the elements apart, but raw enough to sound trve kvlt. The same rawness is continued with the Immortal-esque “Ruin”, however, the sound quality seems to have become even more trve as we needed to raise the volume on our speakers to continue to enjoy this release.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.