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    Shroud of Despondency / Cholernik – Split (2012)

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    With a ton of releases in 2011, Shroud of Despondency is falling behind in 2012 since this is ‘only’ their second one of the year. In this split release we have four track of Shroud of Despondency and three songs of Cholernik, a one-man band from the bass player of SoD. After reviewing SoD’s last release “Pine”, we are quite shocked to hear that the songs presented in this release are way more brutal and more straight-forward in nature.

    Opening with some funky guitar structures, “Defeat” has a very direct approach with heavy Doom-ish riffs and very deep growls. The song suddenly shifts into 4th gear and delivers pummeling drums and hellish screams. This style indeed is very different to the band’s previous release, but still captures the sick guitar sounds that characterize SoD. Both “Pain Without Life” and “The Echo of Depletion” are very brutal in nature and border between the lines of Black and Death Metal at times, making them quite appealing for the more ‘brutal’ Metal music fan. “Shapes” goes back a bit into the more elaborate guitar structures with funky rhythms, leaving the listener totally puzzled by the weird but good tracks presented by SoD in this release.

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    Arbor – The Plutonian Shore (2012)

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    With a very interesting musical proposal today we have Wisconsin’s Arbor and their debut release “The Plutonian Shore”. In the ten tracks presented in this first effort, the band mixes folk elements with Doom and Post-Metal sections in a very unusual and sometimes weird sounding fashion, but it all comes together in a very exciting way giving them a very fresh and unique sound.

    Setting a very ethereal and folk-ish mood with opener track, the band quickly comes back with very aggressive vocals and a Doom-vibe on “Trees”. The music is very well crafted to not give things away too quickly and build momentum, allowing the atmosphere and expectation to grow with every note. The band’s clean vocals are definitely an ‘acquired’ taste and for sure need some work, but they are used to perfection to contrast the harsh screams and the rest of the more ‘growly’ vocals.

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    Khadaver – New World Disorder (2012)

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    Our favorite two-man unit from Slovakia has returned with their first full-length release titled “New World Disorder”. With a richer and far more complicated sound since their demo EP “Beta Version”, the band delivers eleven tracks filled with crazy vocals, programmed ‘drums’ and a few interesting riffs here and there. This album does show the considerable amount of maturity that the band has achieved over the years, but it also lacks the cohesiveness of their demo EP.

    After the instrumental “Europa In Flames” intro, the band immediately sets the mood with some heavy and catchy riffs surrounded by fake drums and a very monotonous approach to things. The fake drums our one of our main pet peeves with short-staffed bands, and Khadaver falls in this category with very dull and linear patterns presented through the release. The track itself presents some cool guitar sections and even nicer electronic parts, but it is very repetitive.

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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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    Closed Room – White Bed Sheet (2011)

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    As one of the weirdest but also very interesting releases we have received in 2012, today we have Closed Room and their promotional EP titled “White Bed Sheet”. This Belarus band features three very different and equally intoxicating tracks that range between Trip-Hop to Post Black Metal. With similarities to bands like Ulver and Amesoeurs, this is indeed one very difficult band to categorize.

    Opening with the atmospheric and very trippy “White Bed Sheet”, the band delivers a very Ulver-like song that has a very powerful atmosphere and excellent vocals. The jazzy female vocals nicely hypnotize the listener while the atmospheric beats work their magic in creating a very dense mood. We are not huge fans of Trip-Hop, but this song is brilliant.

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    Prescient – The Polynomial Framework (2011)

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    With an incredible amount of musical skills, today we have Australia’s Prescient and their debut EP titled “The Polynomial Framework”. Delivering six tracks of brilliant Progressive Metal with excellent technical and groovy aspects, this band crafts excellent music that is both attractive and very technically complex, allowing these two dimensions to seamlessly fuse to perfection.

    Opening with the excellent “Revolutions”, the distorted guitars nicely make their way on top of well-crafted drums. While not as dominating as Meshuggah, Prescient delivers a strong foundation that features Groove-infused sections that nicely shift into more melodic passages. The album’s production allows all instruments to shine, especially the bass guitar in the more ‘mellow’ sections. The guitar wizardry makes its way on “Conductive Cell”, a very moody track that nicely shifts intensities and delivers very well crafted guitar solos and drum patterns.

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    Inner Blast – Sleepless Monster (2012)

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    With a Gothic Metal style that we haven’t heard in quite a while, today we have Portugal’s Inner Blast and their debut EP “Sleepless Monster”. Reminding us of Gothic Metal bands from the early 2000’s, the simplicity behind this band’s sound makes them very fresh and something completely different to what we are currently used to these days. Providing us with nearly 28 minutes of music, the five tracks in this EP are quite enjoyable and bring back some nostalgic memories from the past.

    Since the opener “Better Days”, the band delivers a very ‘old-school’ vibe thanks to the simple production. The keyboards are just present to add atmosphere, and are never overdone like in all bands these days. Liliana’s vocals are very natural and don’t try to be operatic or anything, just filled with feeling and that is all. We have missed music like this since bands like Nightwish, Epica, etc., now sound like a movie soundtrack and some of the emotion behind the music is greatly lost.

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    Malfeitor – Dum Morior Orior (2012)

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    Attacking our ears with relentless riffing, today we have Malfeitor’s “Dum Morior Orior”. For a band that formed in 1990, it is quite suspect that they are finally releasing their debut full-length in 2012. Anyways, this old-school Swedish Death Metal band does a pretty solid job in delivering Grave-like song structures that while effective, they feel a bit outdated by current standards.

    “Conversation in Minor” delivers the first onslaught of riffing and the nostalgic feelings begin. Reminding us of the great Grave, this band does pack a lot of heat in this release, but it also seems like it was in the ‘cooler’ for a bit too long. There are pretty solid riffs and excellent bass guitar sections in this track, and the growls are very typical of the period, but it just fails to move us like other recent Swedish DM releases.

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    Useless Concept – Mysterious Impact (2012)

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    Led by the strong vocals of Sandrine Humbert, today we have Useless Concept and their latest release “Mysterious Impact”. Combining Hard Rock with some Metal and Progressive elements and a few jazzy/funky hints, this release delivers twelve tracks of excellent and catchy music. Being originally and instrumental, and then a Progressive Metal band, Useless Concept has come a long way to their current shape, but it sure works for them and to the advantage of the listeners.

    Opening with “Emphatic Experience”, the band starts on a high note thanks to Sandrine’s vocal and the excellent music behind this track. The heavy Rock vibe is quite enjoyable, but the little progressive elements are what makes the music standout even more. The riff centric “Live and Learn” keeps things rolling, but the atmospheric elements of “Amy” really give the band that extra depth that many inexperienced bands are lacking.

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    Refusal – Grasp (2012)

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    Remember the good old days when extreme music did not had faggy clean vocals and breakdowns?, if you do, then Refusal’s latest demo “Grasp” provides a nice stroll through memory lane. Delivering four songs of very typical Swedish Death Metal, this band from Finland does a great job in capturing a timeless sound and making it their own with super catchy tracks.

    Opening with the neck breaking “Do Your Part”, the band’s sound immediately has that old-school vibe. The riffing is quite catchy and the vocals are raspy and powerful. This song also features a pretty solid tempo that is nicely marked by the well-crafted drums. The band reminds us of Grave in certain instances. Keeping the catchiness flowing, “Grip” delivers nice and meaty guitars paired with excellent growls. In this track we can verify that the band does a great job in creating a certain tempo that works perfectly with the riffing and the vocals.

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