Nuclear Blast

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    Immortal - Northern Chaos Gods (2018)

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    Finally returning after all the legal battles with Abbath over the band's name and legacy, today we have Immortal and their latest frosty release "Northern Chaos Gods". Unleashing eight tracks and 42 minutes of traditional Immortal-style Black Metal, Demonaz and company keep the flame alive with superbly catchy tracks filled with an unstoppable barrage of riffs.

    Starting strong with a powerful album title track, Immortal sets sails on their melodic icy journey with the brilliant "Gates To Blashyrkh" track, which immediately brings back memories from their "Battles of the North" era. The album's production is top notch, with songs like "Grim and Dark", sounding like a million bucks, everything down to the smallest detail makes the band's music have their timeless sound and with a modern edge to it. Handling all guitar duties, Demonaz unleashes a wide array of killer riffs on songs like "Called to Ice" and the exhilarating "Where Mountains Rise". By also handling the vocals, Demonaz shows he is the main engine and heart and soul behind Immortal.

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    Amorphis - Queen of Time (2018)

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    Unleashing the most impressive release (so far) of 2018, today we have the legendary Amorphis and their latest full-length album “Queen of Time”. Featuring the quintessential Amorphis energy and creativity, the band takes things even one step further with more grandiose arrangements and catchier melodies. Nearly clocking in at one hour, the band defies age and continues to release high quality and high replay value releases.

    Opening with the first single, “The Bee”, the music instantly features the band’s signature style with over the top arrangements and the impressive growls of Tomi Joutsen. Setting a very lively mood on the opening song, allows for a swift transition into the upbeat and engaging “Message in the Amber”. Featuring Jørgen Munkeby on sax and dramatic choir arrangements in “Daughter of Hate”, this track shifts the mood into more somber and yet dynamic territories, making it one of our favorite songs from the band.

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    Follow the Cipher – Follow the Cipher (2018)

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    Creating a very unique and engaging musical experience, today we have newcomers Follow the Cipher and their self-titled debut release. Thanks to their impressive and enveloping sound, the band kicks off their career in the spotlight signed to Nuclear Blast records and with incredible charisma and skill. If you are looking for a cinematic musical experience that blends elements from bands like Kamelot, Sabaton and Amaranthe, this is definitely a band you want to check out.

    Opening with the intense “Enter the Cipher”, we are treated to a Nightwish-esque pace filled with catchy riffs and over the top keyboards. The atmosphere is quite well crafted and led by the beautiful Linda Toni Grahn, the band makes a quick first impression filled with catchy music and lush vocal leads (both male and female). Using some electronic elements in their music, the band crafts superbly engaging track like “Valkyria” a song that ups the ante and keeps things intense as “My Soldier” and “Winterfall” roll in.

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    Dimmu Borgir – Eonian (2018)

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    Eight years have passed since Dimmu Borgir’s last release and tons of speculation an expectations have been building up to the unleashing of “Eonian”. Without wasting any more time, this release is truly outstanding as it builds on the band’s legacy of uncompromising creativity and musical exploration. In “Eonian” the band features a very raw and evil Black Metal core, reminiscent of the band’s older releases with retaining the grandiose orchestral and symphonic edge the band has been maturing since “Enthrone Darkness Triumphant”.

    The band makes a bold opening statement with the lush “The Unveiling”, a song filled with incisive Black Metal riffs and dramatic choir arrangements. This song brings us back to where “Abrahadabra” left off, bringing back the lush and complex sound that made that release amazing. The album’s first single “Interdimensional Summit”, unleashes unparalleled catchiness in its chorus section, while delivering killer drum patterns and playful tempo changes. As “ÆTheric” and “Council of Wolves and Snakes” roll by, we are totally intoxicated by the band’s powerful atmosphere and brilliant execution. The creepy wolves sound paired with the throat singing of this later track make up for one hellish experience.

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    Enslaved – E (2017)

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    Overflowing with creativity and musicianship, today we have Enslaved’s latest opus “E”. Delivering over 45 minutes superbly catchy Progressive Black/Viking Metal, the band continues to refine their explosive sound with a few new tweaks and a whole lot of energy. Just when you think the band can’t get any better, they manage to push the envelope and perfectly balance their old-school elements within the confines of their more modern endeavors.

    The album opens with a very light and to a point Post-Rockish vibe on “Storm Son”. This slowly evolves into more Progressive and Enslaved-like territories with dual vocal arrangements, catchy riffs and tight drum patterns. This opener is quite effective as it nicely bridges the band’s last release “In Times”, with what is coming in “E”. The headbanging continues with the extreme catchiness of “The River’s Mouth”, a piece that is quite interesting as the clean vocals remind us a bit of Fear Factory and create a unique contrast.

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    Cradle of Filth – Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay (2017)

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    After blowing everybody’s expectations with their amazing 2015 release “Hammer of the Witches”, Dani Filth and company are back with an even more refined and incisive release with “Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay”. Having returned to their best sound since “Nymphetamine”, they band continues rolling with another 10 brilliant tracks that while reminding us of their earlier days, keep pushing forward with their bombastic and aggressive sound.

    Kicking off with the mood setting intro “Exquisite Torments Await”, CoF instantly transports you into the band’s twisted world thanks to sinister riffs and dramatic arrangements. This is only the beginning as things get even more intense with the blistering drumming of “Heartbreak and Séance” and its Omen-esque chorus sections. With even more dramatic arrangements and superbly catchy passages, “Achingly Beautiful” is definitely one of our favorite tracks in this release.

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    Wintersun – The Forest Seasons (2017)

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    Taking almost the same time as Tool to release a new album, today we have Finland’s Wintersun and their epic “The Forest Seasons” release. Aside from all the crowdfunding drama, Wintersun returns with a powerful album that maintains their legendary status and improves on their legacy with a more mature style. If you like Melodic Metal with Symphonic and Folk-ish elements, this is certainly one of the best releases of 2017 for you.

    Opening with the 14-minute epic “Awaken from the Dark Slumber”, we get Wintersun at its best delivering a very atmospheric and high-octane piece. This track delivers over the top orchestrations perfectly arranged with a lively pace and a heap of different vocal styles. Reminding us of a mixture of Cradle of Filth with Ensiferum at times, this is a very exciting opener and it showcases the potential of the band’s evolved sound.

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    Accept – The Rise of Chaos (2017)

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    Delivering the most intense Heavy Metal release of 2017, today we have Germany’s Accept and their latest full-length release “The Rise of Chaos”. Having resuscitated back in 2009, Wolf and Mark Tornillo have led this band to release some of their strongest album in the last decade. Featuring over 45 minutes of music distributed in ten tracks, the band cranks out some of the most anthemic songs of the year, so be prepared to be blown away.

    Opening with the relentless “Die By the Sword”, we get signature Accept guitar leads and vocal arrangements that will make you want to drop everything that you are doing and start headbanging from start to end. Other epic songs like “Hole in the Head” and “The Rise of Chaos” showcase the band’s knack for crafting soaring vocal melodies and superbly catchy chorus sections. Wolf’s guitars are on point as always, and deliver some killer leads as showcased on “Koolaid”.

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    Eluveitie – Evocation II – Pantheon (2017)

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    With a few central members of the band leaving, we were quite curious to see how Eluveitie would move forward. It is safe to say that with “Evocation II – Pantheon” the band continues its well-defined path with another brilliant release filled with memorable moments and catchy songs. Not losing a step, this release delivers over 50-minutes of intoxicatingly catchy Folk/Melodic Metal music that will appeal to any fan of the band and the genre.

    As a continuation of their 2009 release, “Evocation I - The Arcane Dominion”, this album kicks off with “Dvressu” by showcasing the talents of new vocalist: Fabienne Erni. Replacing the talented Anna Murphy seemed like a nearly impossible, but the band has done a great job as we can hear in the very upbeat “Epona”. This track has the band’s signature style of delivering lush arrangements and catchy song foundations.

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    Suffocation - …Of the Dark Light (2017)

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    Perfectly aging with time, like a fine bottle of scotch, today we have Suffocation and their latest opus “…Of the Dark Light”. Delivering over 35 minutes of brutality, Frank Mullen and company embrace the more modern Technical/Brutal DM influences and manage to craft a very traditional Suffocation release that feels fresh and current.

    Opening with the sinister “Clarity Through Deprivation”, the Suffocation instantly finds its groove with killer drumming and a very hefty pace. The band’s old-school sound is forever present and you can instantly hear it as they steamroll past “Your Last Breaths”, “Return to the Abyss” and “The Violation”. Paired with fresher ideas, the band manages to deliver punishing tracks filled with brutality and cheeky drum patterns like “Of the Dark Light”, which is both intense and crafty.

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