Four years have passed since the crushing “A Taste of Extreme Divinity” and Hypocrisy finally returns with a release that brings them back to their more melodic and epic sound of albums like “The Fourth Dimension” and “The Final Chapter”. Bringing back the demonic aliens on the album cover, this release is both powerful and melodic with epic riffs and haunting atmospheres, a must have for any fan of the band’s earlier work.

Opening with the atmospheric epic “End of Disclosure” we are immediately transported to the band’s classics like “Roswell 1947” and similar tracks from those years. The band really changed things up from their last album to this one, and we particularly like this more melodic approach they have. The riffing as you can expect is amazing and on “Tales of Thy Spineless” they bust out some crushing Thrash Metal-style passages that will make you headbang instantly.

After Way to End’s impressive 2009 debut, “Desecrated Internal Journey”, we had huge expectations for this French outfit and with “Various Shades of Black” they have managed to surpass them and set a whole new standard for themselves. Clocking in at 50 minutes, this release is an excellent example of how a band with excellent technical skills can produce something that is both crushing and complex in nature.

Nicely warming up with the mellow “Sous Les Rangs”, people that don’t know the band will surely be puzzled and not really prepared for what is to come in this excellent release. “L'apprenti” brings back the intricate guitars from the band’s debut but with a more twisted and refined sound. The incorporation of Vaerohn of Pensées Nocturnes on bass allows them to sound richer with equally complex guitar and bass guitar sections.

Rounding up our promo package from LADLO productions, today we have another exciting new outfit from France under the moniker Regarde Les Hommes Tomber. With their self-titled debut release, this band manages to blend elements of Neurosis and Amenra and create a very tight and devastating Sludgy Post-Black Metal. If you like heavy and powerful guitars that create a huge wall of sound, Regarde Les Hommes Tomber is the band for you.

With the hypnotic droning of the bands opening track, “Prelude”, we immediately feel their wrath with punishing riffs and skillful drumming. The Post-Rock/Metal elements thrown into the mix really shake things up and keep their sound very fresh. In full Neurosis/Amenra worship mode, “Wanderer of Eternity” delivers a full blast of power in the shape of harsh vocals and solid guitar work, never letting go of their heaviness and brutality.

The moment you think you have heard it all, you get an album like “Nom d'une Pipe!”. Breaking the boundaries of Avant-garde Black Metal by infusing some neo-classical and jazz influences, Pensées Nocturnes manages to deliver one of the most diabolically excellent releases we have heard in the last few years. Taking were Arcturus and their “La Masquerade Infernale” left off, this release has a exquisite circus feeling mixed into the whole Avant-garde BM theme.

Opening with the dark “Il a mangé le soleil” the band initially sets a very chaotic and aggressive mood that is very typical of Avant-garde BM release. The band’s musical elegance really kicks in when the enthralling “Le Marionnettiste” brings its jazzy and extremely psychotic sound. Reminding us a bit of bands like Angizia and Elend, but with a darker and heavier vibe, the wind and string classical instruments are just excellent and allow the atmosphere to drastically transform.

Finish Black Metal giants Horna return with another killer Black Metal release that is set to rape and pillage plenty of speakers and eardrums for months to come. As one of the biggest names in Black Metal, it is not suprising that Horna delivers 48 minutes of soul crushing BM lead by Shatraug and fronted by their newest vocalist Spellgoth of Turmion Kätilöt fame.

Setting a very diabolical mood with “Alku”, things really pick up with the crushing “Askel Lähempänä Saatanaa”. Having written the book on Black Metal riffing, Shatraug delivers some very hyptonic and crunchy riffs that are perfect of Spellgoth’s demonic snarls. The band’s ability to quickly change tempos between catchy powerful riffing and full-on blast-beats and curshing spend is just amazing and it is nicely showcased on tracks like “Kunnia Herralle, Kuninkaalle” and “Kuolema Kuoleman Jälkeen”.

Arriving from Belgium’s Tanquam Aegri Somnia label, today we have a split release of two crushing Black Metal bands: Cult of Erinyes (Belgium) and Zifir (Turkey). Featuring 30 minutes of music this release does a great job in showcasing both bands monstrous sound and punishing take on the genre. We love split releases that demonstrate the talents of bands just enough to make you interested in them and start looking for their albums, and this is one of those well balance split releases.

The three-piece Cult of Erinyes opens the release with the dissonant “Teutoburger Wald”, a 6 minute devastating track that features a very powerful guitar-driven atmosphere. Within the band’s cavernous sound, the blasting drums and pounding bass guitar nicely keep things interesting while the very typical vocals round-up the equation. After pummeling through the second track “The Eschatologist”, the band delivers their best song of the split release: “Hermintry”. Their last track makes a lasting impression thanks to its crushing guitar work and hellish vocals.

After breaking the mold with their outstanding 2010 release “Angst”, today we have Todtgelichter back with an even more impressive release titled “Apnoe”. Continuing to push their Avant-garde Black Metal boundaries into more Post Rock/Black Metal territories, this German band manages to deliver 10 captivating songs that if you are a fan of their previous release, you will be in musical paradise for hours on end.

Featuring a new bass guitarist and vocalist, the band opens very energetically with “Embers”. The band’s excellent songwriting skills are immediately present in how this track weaves back and forth from aggressive harsh vocals sections to more dreamy parts with female vocals. The band’s female singer, Marta, has that very natural voice that we love from singers like Agnete Madder Mortem and Marjan of Autumn. The very organic dreaminess of this song makes it quite magical indeed.

Recently resurrected (2009) October Tide delivers us their second release in four years with “Tunnel of No Light”. Featuring their traditional early Katatonia sound from the 90’s, this band keeps doing what they do best, and we totally dig them for that. Lead by Fredrik Norrman, the band recently changed bass guitarist and vocalist, but you can’t even tell the difference since October Tide is as melancholic and brutal as ever.

Opening with their signature layered guitars on “Of Wounds To Come”, we get the first impression of the band’s new growler Alexander Högbom, and we must say it is very impressive. The intricate melodic guitar work is the staple of the band and they do not disappoint in tracks like this one and “Our Constellation”. The first Doom epic comes under the name of “Emptiness Fulfilled” and its crushing weeping riffs. This song delivers both magical melodic passages and super powerful growls… exactly what Infernal Masquerade likes.

With all the fuzz being about Post-Black Metal releases these days, today we have a soul crushing Depressive Black Metal album in “Erfundene Welten”. Being the sophomore release of this Slovenian one-man battle unit, we are quite surprised at the maturity behind this release. Presenting six tracks of painful Black Metal influenced by Doom and more atmospheric bands, this release should appeal to fans of acts like Dodsferd and Austere.

Opening with the very raw and nihilistic “Verlohren in der Neer”, Inexistenz really sets the bar high for this album with a very Doomy pace and haunting vocals. The drums are quite slow-paced and perfectly craft an extremely melancholic mood. The riffing is quite standard and very fitting for the genre. Things pick up a bit more in the first half of “Erfundene Welten” and they are nicely halted by a lush atmospheric interlude.

We have been very troubled by writing a review for this release since it is one very complex and intricate album that is hard to swallow in a few (dozen) spins. Building up on their already very intoxicating sound, the band brings together Groove/Technical Metal elements into some Sludge and even Heavy Metal/Hard Rock influences all coming together in some kick as Metal-with-attitude as we would describe it.

The album starts in a confusing manner with tracks like “The Chthonic Cathedral” and “DarknessDevilDeath”, both filled with killer riffs and soaring vocals, but seem very overwhelming for opening tracks. While band’s sound is very present in said tracks, we think that maybe something more approachable and mellow as “Age Ov Darkness” (and its sick melodic riffs) would have better served as a lead-up into the band’s groovy music. However, once the first two song hump is behind you, all the rest of the release is just sweet aggressive and melodic brilliance.