Today we have the re-release of Krieg’s “Blue Miasma”, a staple album in the band’s career that came out in 2006. Out on Forever Plagued Records, this version of the album, according to Imperial himself, is the way it was originally intended to sound. With a very raw and punishing nature, we have over 60 minutes of crushing USBM that could have been recorded yesterday and people would have never guessed it.

After a very traditional intro, the band fully explodes into raw and melodic savagery with tracks like “Who Shall Stand Against Me” and “Under an Uncaring Moon”. This early onslaught reminds us of acts like Mortualia, Sargheist, and similar Black Metal bands with certain melodic riffing. Sonically, “Blue Miasma” has that relentless rawness that only a handful of bands can put together and come out as a more brutal and more aggressive outfit.

Featuring members and ex-members of outfits like Krieg, Vital Remains, Chaos Moon, and countless other bands, today we have Esoterica and their monumental release “Aseity”. Featuring a thick and devastating atmospheric component, this Ambient/Black Metal release will enshroud your sonic landscape with crushing riffs, demoralizing vocals, and very thick layers sound aural dissonance.

Wasting no time, Esorterica blows things wide open with a pummeling onslaught on the opening track “Lessons in Forbidden Alchemy”. The band’s three members deliver one hell of a powerful sound with a merciless guitar distortion and perfectly crafted drums complementing the harsh vocals. This punishing musical approach nicely continues on tracks like “A Slave’s Ablution” and “Fever”, both of which never let go of the listener’s throat with their crushing atmospheric elements.

Arriving from Greece, today we have Kult of Taurus and their savage debut full-length release “Divination Labyrinths”. Featuring eight crushing Black Metal tracks, this release is as raw and decadent as humanly possible. This album should become a staple of the filthiest Black Metal that is enhanced with weird atmospheric elements. Said atmospheric weirdness pushes the band’s sound from average to attention demanding in a few seconds.

Immediately after the typical mood-setting intro, “Channeling End” delivers some incisive Black Metal riffs that will stick on your head for days. The sound is quite raw and direct, allowing the band to have that late 90’s feeling to it. Continuing with “The Light That Divides The Earth”, the music is quite crude, just like old-school BM should be. With harsh shrieks, tight drumming, and punishing riffs, Kult of Taurus might not be extremely original but they get the job done.

In a very crowded market for Melodic Death Metal in Finland today we have Torchia, a relatively new band trying to get their piece of the action. Hailing from Tampere, this band delivers their three-track demo with clear influences of the genre’s greats. Mixing elements of Children of Bodom and Kalmah, the band shows some promise but ultimately is missing a certain uniqueness to their music to really standout from the very crowded arena.

The demo opens with the high intensity “Nameless Story” that has a very typical Kalmah vibe. The riffing is quite solid and so are the vocals, but being a demo the production is not quite what it could be. The band’s ability to execute their songs is quite solid and shows that with a few more years of practice, they could stand out from the rest if they found their own sound.

Arriving from Gavin Turner (ex- A Forest of Stars), today we have one-man Courtsleet and ‘their’ two-track debut EP: “Hope’s Apparition”. In this intense release we get a perfect combination of atmospheric Casacadian-like Black Metal with some Shoegazing thrown into the mix. For all fans of Austere, Wolves in the Throne Room, etc., this EP will blow you away.

Opening with the 10-minute monolithic “What Was I When Your Journey Began?”, Courtsleet slowly builds up momentum with creepy atmospherics and very precise songwriting. The band’s sound is both raw and melodic, allowing the melodic elements to seep in through the savage Black Metal riffs, picture Wolves in the Throne Room meets An Autumn for Crippled Children.

Hailing form the Netherlands, today we have a very strange collective named Empire of the Scourged. Mixing Death Metal with Industrial elements, this band delivers their debut EP “Transcend Into Oblivion”. Featuring five tracks of deranged music filled with punishing Death Metal riffs and crazy electronic elements, this release will push your senses to the max.

The EP opens with the punishing “Der Wanderer über dem Nebelsee” mixing powerful DM growls and riffs, all packaged into weird electronic atmospheric elements. There is also a very present melodic vibe to the riffs allowing them to be more accessible.  Things get heated up with the playful “Hollow Machinations of the Foul Spirited”, a track that reminded us of bands like Shade Empire in their heyday. Here you notice a bit of a disconnect between the atmospheric elements and the traditional instrumentation/vocals. While this sounds odd, it also gives that uniqueness to the band’s sound.

Marking Van Canto’s triumphant return, today we have “Dawn of the Brave”, the band’s fifth full-length release. For all the people that feel appalled by the band’s interpretation of Metal, should really get over it and start embracing the sheer talent showcases by the band’s unique approach and uber catchy songs. Featuring 13 tracks, 10 own songs and 4 covers, this release is packed with killer (vocal) solos and majestic melodic arrangements.

After opening with the intense ‘orchestral’ intro “Dawn of the Brave”, the band immediately moves into their comfort zone with the epic “Fight for your Life”. With a style akin to Power Metal, the band immediately creates very epic vocal arrangements that after a few minutes you won’t even notice they are lacking all instruments, except the drums.

Formed by three ex-members of Sonic Syndicate, The Unguided takes some elements from said band and delivers a high-octane release filled with melodic riffs and excellent vocal melodies. The Sjunnesson brothers (Rich and Roger) lead this band with their superb songwriting skills and eye for catchiness. Delivering 11 explosive tracks, “Fragile Immortality” is one of the first standout releases of 2014.

Opening with the bombastic synths of “Inception”, the band sets a very dynamic and futuristic tone with the first song. The approach of growls/clean lead vocals is very similar to bands like Solution .45 and Scar Symmetry, allowing the music to be quite expansive and engaging. Richard Sjunnesson handles the harsh vocals and sounds like a ‘heavier’ version of Alexi from Children of Bodom. The clean leads are quite intoxicating, provided by Roland Johansson, and they leave other vocalists way behind on the awesomeness curve.