Continuing with the momentum of the band’s latest masterpiece “Sacrificium”, today we have Xandria and their bombastic EP “Fire & Ashes”. Featuring 35 minutes of music that span a few new songs, some re-recorded tracks and two covers, this is enough material to hold off any fan of the band and the genre until the band’s new record is ready.

Opening with a bombastic explosion, “Voyage of the Fallen”, delivers a very Epica-esque track that features very dynamic choir arrangements and a very dramatic musical progression. The band’s explosive sound is in full swing with this very apt opener, with Dianne van Giersbergen’s vocals shining from start to end. Changing the pace into a more melodic and head banging mode, the lush melodic passages of “Unembraced” make them perfect to start head banging. Both of these tracks are completely new and recorded especially for this release.

As the brainchild of the Tipton brothers of Zero Hour and Cynthesis fame, today we have Abnormal Thought Patterns and their extremely intricate release “Altered States of Consciousness”. Having proved themselves as very proficient musicians in the past, the Tipton brothers (and other band members) take their sound even further and delivering seven brilliant tracks that cover over 42 minutes of awe-inspiring guitar and bass guitar work tied together in a very nice and cohesive package.

The album opens with the shred-tastic “Distortions of Perception”, a slowly progressing piece that sets a very high bar for the rest of the album. Things move into more progressive/Djent-sounding territories with “Nocturnal Haven”, a track that features Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried and Me) on vocals and the (in)famous Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore). The band’s ability to make each song sound very different is quickly evident with one of our personal favorites, “Blindsight”, a track that reminds us of Ihsahn and his very technically proficient musical compositions.

Hitting the listener like a bag of bricks to the face, today we have Kronos and their demolishing release “Arisen New Era”. Delivering over 36 minutes of sturdy Brutal Death Metal, this is by far the heaviest band we have heard come out of France. With a heavy focus on making traditional Death Metal elements heavier and more violent, this release will ravage your speaker system and will have you begging for more.

Opening with the Cannibal Corpse-esque “Infernal Abyss Sovereignty”, the band sets a very intense mood with crushing riffs and inhuman drumming courtesy of Anthony Reyboz. The meaty hooks of “Zeus Dethroned” and “Soul-Voracious Vultures” brings back memories of the good old days of Kataklysm and Suffocation… but faster and more brutal. As the band delivers neck-snapping anthems like “Rapture in Misery” and “Aeons Titan Crown” we are constantly impressed by the crystal clear production behind this ambitious release.

Brilliantly pivoting between Death and Black Metal, today we have Immortal Bird and their crushing debut release “Empress/Abscess”. Pummeling through five tracks and over 30 minutes of material, this band’s sound is very unique and powerful, making them one of the freshest sounding artists of 2015. If you are a fan of music that is challenging, brutal, and melodic, this is one of those rare releases that will satisfy your cravings.

Opening with the dissonance of “Neoplastic”, the band sets the mood with piercing riffs and massive drums. With a certain melodic flair to a mixture of Death/Black Metal riffs that weaves back and forth between old-school Entombed-like Death Metal to Watain-caliber riffage, the band instantly grabs your attention. With Rae Amitay delivering a punishing vocal performance, it allows the band to deliver brutal tracks like “Sarophyte”.

In a year filled with truly innovative and thought-provoking Black Metal releases, Godz ov War Productions present us with the decadent “Ghost Chants” from Polish new-comers Outre. Perfectly deconstructing the genre and making it their own, this album features seven track of truly sickening Black Metal unlike anything you have ever heard before. The band’s unique pummeling musical approach sounds like a mixture of Watain, Behemoth and Weapon with some of the Shining/Bethlehem craziness sprinkled into the mix.

Setting the stage with a pummeling wall of noise decadent opening ‘intro’ titled “Chant 1. – Departure”, which feature some eerie ritualistic vocals. It is until “Chant 2. – Shadow” that the band’s blasting blasphemy commences with a pummeling track filled with oppressive riffs and deranged vocals. The Black Metal aural devastation is excellently crafted to be as demoralizing as possible thanks to the killer drumming and intricate guitar work that is viciously present on
“Chant 3. - The Fall”.

The legendary Symphony X has returned with the band’s ninth full-length release titled “Underworld”. Perfectly mixing elements from the band’s extensive musical trajectory, this album further refines their musical pedigree and delivers 63 minutes of catchy and engaging music. Always being crowd pleasers, the fans will certainly not be disappointed by the continuity and level of quality the band’s music presents.

After the traditional warm-up intro/overture, the band gets down to business with the killer “Nevermore”. Featuring a wide variety of exciting guitar leads and an extra catchy chorus section, this song is the prefect mood setting piece for such a diverse and entertaining release. The first truly epic song in this release is the dramatic “Without You”, led by Russell Allen’s charismatic vocals; this is a very memorable epic-feeling track.

Delivering waves of neck-breaking Death Metal, today we have Embrional and their crushing sophomore release “The Devil Inside”. Hailing from Poland, this three man outfit produces some of the most clinical and hateful Death Metal we have heard in a while. Forget about all that virtuoso Tech Death stuff, this is exactly what dreams of brutality are made from, and we have around 43 minutes of it.

Stepping up to the plate with the demolishing drumming of “Evil's Mucus”, the band makes an instant splash thanks to their raw power. Nothing extremely fancy, but high on surgical precision, this band produces piercing moshing moments like nobody’s business and tracks like “The Abyss” and “Funeral March” are perfect examples of this. A personal favorite is the decadent “In Darkness”, a piece that punishes the listener with Kamil’s inhuman double kick skills.

All the way from Germany, today we have Powerwolf and their sixth full-length release “Blessed & Possessed”. As one of the catchiest Power Metal bands in the world, the wolves return with another epic album filled with bombastic elements and their signature over-the-top antics. Only improving on their legacy, the band continues their musical onslaught with 11 brilliant tracks.

Setting the stage for a truly epic musical experience, “Blessed & Possessed” opens this release with crushing vocal arrangements and powerful guitar riffs. The band’s clean cut and well defined Power Metal foundations allows them to fully engage the listeners with epic songs. Attila Dorn’s vocal talents are only comparable to Joakim Brodén, meaning they are extremely amazing and very well exploited on tracks like “Dead Until Dark”. With such a charismatic presence and powerful range, tracks like “Army of the Night” are truly an amazing experience.

Arriving from France, today we have a very interesting and different release titled “Altra” from a band called Naïve. Mixing Progressive Rock/Metal influences with some trip-hop, shoegaze, and tons of electronic elements, they manage to create a very unique and dramatic cinematic experience in this album. Being more of the commercial-friendly spectrum of things, this release is quite mellow and perfectly enjoyable on a rainy day.

Opening with the playful “Elevate/Levitate”, we are instantly treated to a very well put together track that nicely navigates through multiple moods and different soundscapes. With every track featuring soaring vocals and powerful guitars, this French trio has developed a very unique and solid formula to deliver high-quality songs like “Yshbel” and the excellent “Mother Russia” to name a few.