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Accept – Stalingrad (2012)

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After their ridiculously awesome “Blood of the Nations” return, Accept set the bar very high for themselves and with “Stalingrad” they actually manage to match it. For over 50 minutes and ten tracks, one of the biggest names in Heavy Metal manages to deliver one powerful song after another one in the same vein as their previous release that introduced Mark Tornillo on vocals.

Since the opener “Hung Drawn and Quartered” we get to enjoy Wolf Hoffmann’s excellent riffing skills alongside Mark’s impressive vocals. The band keeps the momentum going by crafting super catchy chorus sections and a very strong drumming foundation for the track. The first undisputed anthem of this album is the title track “Stalingrad”. The band fuses their traditional approach with some melodic sections and a catchy chorus section that nicely pace this hard rocking song.

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Ahab – The Giant (2012)

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The nautical Funeral Doom Metalheads are back with another deep sea exploration titled “The Giant”. Ahab and their self-branded ‘nautik’ Funeral Doom Metal have released two previous releases and with this latest one they seem to be achieving total domination of the oceans when it comes to Doom Metal. With six soul crushing tracks clocking around 60 minutes, this is one hell of a ride through the seas with tuned down guitars and very moody sections, just like the doctor ordered.

Opening with a jazzy and very well paced intro, “Further South” nicely sets the mood for a very mellow release. There is no need for real ‘traditional’ Doom riffs until the second half of this eight minute track begins, and we totally love it. The clean vocals are outstanding and they nicely contrast the deep growls. The monolithic “Aeons Elapse” nicely builds up with heavy riffs and very well crafted drums. This track is one of those rollercoaster rides with plenty of chug-and-go sections. The clean vocals again provide a very regal sound to the band’s music.

  • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Nachtblut – Dogma (2012)

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Being suckers for sappy Black Metal with high levels of keyboards and catchy melodies, we are pretty delighted to have found Nachtblut’s latest release “Dogma” in our review queue. Hailing from Germany, this band plays a more dramatic and industrial version of Siebenbürgen’s, Graveworms’s and Agathodaimon’s dabbles in the realm of Symphonic Black Metal. Nachtblut managed to keep our attentions on their music for the 50 minutes this release lasted... every single time we played it.

The album title track “Dogma” quickly sneaks up on the listener with powerful guitar riffs, hellish vocals and very cool keyboards. There is nothing complex about this song, but the rather simple and direct approach of the track makes it very engaging. The band keeps building on their sound on “Der Weg Ist Das Ziel”, where they add more double-kick sections and a more dramatic synth orchestration background. The same applies to the circus-like “Ich Trinke Blut”.

  • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Candlemass – Psalms for the Dead (2012)

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The legendary Candlemass is back with what they say it will be their last album… ever. “Psalms for the Dead” marks the band’s 11th studio full-length release and closes the chapter on the band’s very influential career. Having influenced tons of bands over the years, it is quite sad to hear that Candlemass is going away, but at least they do so with an impressive and monumental release, instead of a pathetic sad little album or even worst… a best-of compilation release.

Opening with the crushing riffs of “Prophet”, the band delivers a powerful and firm first track that sets the mood for the whole release. The epic keyboards and excellent vocal melodies nicely make this song very catchy and dynamic, but ultimately it’s the riffing that sells the track. The very interesting atmospheric elements make their way into “The Sound of Dying Demons”, giving this track a very eerie and creepy feeling, and when paired with the cavernous riffs, it is plain brilliant.

  • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Interview with Disaffected (2012)

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In the eve of release of their first release in 17 years, we managed to have a conversation with Disaffected to talk about “Rebirth”. In this interview we discuss the band’s very unique sound and the reasons behind why it took so long between albums. To listen to this interview, please use the player down below this text

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