Hailing from Sweden we have today yet another Death Metal band that wants to be ‘brutal’ and technical at the same time. Aeon is not a very (or at all) original band, but what they do, they do perfectly. With a very groovy sound, the band reminds us of the likes of Jungle Rot, Six Feet Under, etc.

Combining chugging riffs and meaty hooks, the band does a great job in creating a very brutal DM backdrop, with the addition of some brilliant solos and bestial drumming (courtesy of Nils Fjellstrom, from Dark Funeral) the band creates very solid tracks that will have people moshing in no time. While Aeon is an extremely formulaic band, they do have good song writing chops to keep you entertained for over 40 minutes.

With all the Power Metal bands these days trying to sound extremely technical, overly symphonic, or like space cowboys, Sabaton does their thing in a more traditional fashion. The band’s sound is bombastic but not overdone; the band saves up their musical prowess to focus on catchy rhythms and cohesive song structures.

The band’s main characteristics are Joakim Broden’s deep and powerful vocals that can easily compete with Morgan Freeman’s ability to narrate the shit out of anything he is given. We also have the brilliant bass guitar line crafted by Par Sundstrom, a very particular sound (at least for us) for a Power Metal release. Both of this things will undoubtedly make any band that posses them a far superior band than the norm.

With a particular beef with the sun (read their bio) and a very interesting overall concept behind the band, we get today Istapp and their blend of Black Metal with Viking/Folk Metal elements. The band’s first full-length release “Blekinge” set to be release on June 8th on Metal Blade records is one of the most complete Black Metal albums of 2010.

Hailing from Sweden, a place where pretty much every band seems to have the skills to craft great music, it’s hard to find young and promising talent such as Istapp. The band’s music is very straight forward and aggressive, but has mystical clean passages that create unparalleled atmospheres fully enriching the listening experience.

We receive a high volume of releases from bands every month, always claiming that they sound like nobody else, and end up sounding like everybody else. This is not the case when it comes to Saint To Sinner, hailing from Rhode Island, USA the band does a great job at having a very unique sound to them. And here is where their little problem occurs.

The band’s combination of Rock and different genres of Metal sounds a bit chaotic at times, and sometimes the female vocals are going in one direction, and the music is going somewhere else. Desiree Villegas as a very hypnotic and versatile singing style, but in some sections her vocals sound very odd, like the spoken backing section, and the awful ‘rapping’ on the song “Anti-corporate”. Some comparisons to Amy Lee of Evanescence are in order, but her voice sound less over produced and feels more natural.

After being blown away by Godless Rising latest album, we had to get more from Toby Knapp’s brilliant guitar skills. Luckily for us Shredguy Records, Toby’s label, hooked us up with his latest solo album “The Campaign”. Featuring a wide variety of styles, Toby manages to create the near perfect Shred release.

While most of the existing guitar virtuosos focus on Heavy/Progressive Metal tunes, Toby mixes things up with Trash, Black, and Death Metal influences. There is also a very cohesive sound to his music, it does not only showcases his abilities as a guitar player, but also as a multi-instrumentalist handling the bass guitar and most of the drum duties in this recording as well, suck on that John Petrucci.

Featuring a very bombastic (and futuristic) sound, today we have Violet Sun, an unsigned band from Italy. The band does a very good job in creating Symphonic Power Metal songs that are as good as any other signed band that plays similar music. But Violet Sun adds a wide variety of different elements to the mix, creating a very peculiar sound of their own.

Our first comparison that comes to mind is with Edenbrigde. Both bands rely on a Symphonic Power Metal foundation accompanied by Female vocals. However, Edenbrigde relies more on ‘massive’ arrangements and some guitar virtuosity all courtesy of Lanvall. Violet Sun has more Progressive Metal elements in their sound, as well as clean Male vocals that sometimes hit the spot, but in other occasions sound a bit off.

Hailing from Germany (well, the original ‘half’ of the band is from Germany), we get today Lantlôs with their second “.neon”, the band’s second full-length release. And right of the bat, we will tell you that “.neon” is one of the best depressive Post-Black Metal releases we have ever heard. The bleak atmosphere created by this release is unparalleled.

Featuring Neige from Alcest on vocals, Lantlôs has crafted around 40 minutes of pure depressive music that will make Amélie Poulain get sad and depressed. The enchanting melodies crafted on “.neon” are greatly adorned by Neige’s sorrowful vocals, sounding sometimes similar to Alcest, but with a higher dose of jazzy elements that create an intoxicating atmosphere.