Unsigned

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    HELK – The Chronos (2013)

    cover

    Arriving from Mexico, today we have HELK and their very unique debut EP “The Chronos”. In this 6 song release, the band showcases a mixture of Black/Death/Thrash Metal that creates a melodic yet aggressive atmosphere very unique to this peculiar band. With a high dose of melodic riffs and epic headbanging moments, this is one EP that should not go unnoticed.

    Opening with “Dark Funeral”, the band showcases their melodic aptitudes with incisive riffs, tight drumming, and catchy harsh vocals. With a certain air of bands like Kalmah and Carcass the release keeps pushing forward with “Freedom”. The combination of deep growls and harsh BM-style screams is quite engaging and allows the music to grow in different directions. Other playful tracks play off to the Thrash Metal strengths of HELK like the blistering “Vistrera”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Torchia – oNe (2013)

    cover

    In a very crowded market for Melodic Death Metal in Finland today we have Torchia, a relatively new band trying to get their piece of the action. Hailing from Tampere, this band delivers their three-track demo with clear influences of the genre’s greats. Mixing elements of Children of Bodom and Kalmah, the band shows some promise but ultimately is missing a certain uniqueness to their music to really standout from the very crowded arena.

    The demo opens with the high intensity “Nameless Story” that has a very typical Kalmah vibe. The riffing is quite solid and so are the vocals, but being a demo the production is not quite what it could be. The band’s ability to execute their songs is quite solid and shows that with a few more years of practice, they could stand out from the rest if they found their own sound.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Courtsleet – Hope’s Apparition (2014)

    cover

    Arriving from Gavin Turner (ex- A Forest of Stars), today we have one-man Courtsleet and ‘their’ two-track debut EP: “Hope’s Apparition”. In this intense release we get a perfect combination of atmospheric Casacadian-like Black Metal with some Shoegazing thrown into the mix. For all fans of Austere, Wolves in the Throne Room, etc., this EP will blow you away.

    Opening with the 10-minute monolithic “What Was I When Your Journey Began?”, Courtsleet slowly builds up momentum with creepy atmospherics and very precise songwriting. The band’s sound is both raw and melodic, allowing the melodic elements to seep in through the savage Black Metal riffs, picture Wolves in the Throne Room meets An Autumn for Crippled Children.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Empire of the Scourged – Transcend Into Oblivion (2013)

    cover

    Hailing form the Netherlands, today we have a very strange collective named Empire of the Scourged. Mixing Death Metal with Industrial elements, this band delivers their debut EP “Transcend Into Oblivion”. Featuring five tracks of deranged music filled with punishing Death Metal riffs and crazy electronic elements, this release will push your senses to the max.

    The EP opens with the punishing “Der Wanderer über dem Nebelsee” mixing powerful DM growls and riffs, all packaged into weird electronic atmospheric elements. There is also a very present melodic vibe to the riffs allowing them to be more accessible.  Things get heated up with the playful “Hollow Machinations of the Foul Spirited”, a track that reminded us of bands like Shade Empire in their heyday. Here you notice a bit of a disconnect between the atmospheric elements and the traditional instrumentation/vocals. While this sounds odd, it also gives that uniqueness to the band’s sound.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Toumaï - Sapiens Demens (2013)

    cover

    Packaged in a beautiful digipack with killer artwork, today we have France’s Toumaï and their entirely insane “Sapiens Demens”. With equal levels of awesomeness to the band’s insane sound, this release presents nine tracks of experimental music combining everything from Groove Metal, Jazz, Fusion, to some Ska and other crazy elements. We are always looking for bands that push the envelope and this one takes it 100 steps further than your normal band.

    With the elegant opener “Little Psycho”, the band slowly starts to peel the layers of their extremely experimental sound with jazzy pianos and cool vocal arrangements. This track gave us a Diablo Swing Orchestra vibe but with even more levels of madness and experimentation. The first mega-catchy song in this release comes under the name of “Madness In Mind”, a song that is quite unconventional, playful, and with some brutal sections.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Blood Red Water - All the Ills of Mankind (2013)

    cover

    In a world mostly filled with harry odd looking dudes as drummers, today we have Italy’s Blood Red Water and their sexy female drummer Fiorica Gasparini. Delivering five tracks of gut-wrenching Sludge Metal on “All the Ills of Mankind”, this band rolls punishing riffs since the first minute and never let’s go.

    Opening with the heavy as fuck “A Ride In The Funhouse”, we are left with very slow and devastating Sludge riffs that will appease any connoisseur of the genre. The vocals are slurry and have a certain Motörhead/Southern snarl to them, nicely complementing the music. The bass guitar is quite present on “Megalophobia” as the band switches into more punishing riffs and all out headbanging brilliance.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    In_zekT – ARTIFEX (2013)

    cover

    Beautifully presented in a lush digipack, today we have Norway’s In_zekT and their futuristic release “ARTIFEX”. In this ten-song album, this duo delivers a punishing combination of Industrial Metal with some Avant-garde elements and dissonant Noise/Drone undertones. With a very unique and devastating sound, the band transports the listener to a decadent soundscape since the first track.

    “Strain Reactor” immediately blows the listener away with punishing vocals and psychotic electronic elements. The band reminds us a bit of acts like Aborym, Control Human Delete, and Malignant Eternal. The programmed drums are top notch and on tracks like “ARTIFEX” you can draw some comparisons to the all-mighty Mysticum. Riffing-wise, “Sub-Humanist” and “Overman” deliver the goods in brutal onslaughts. The clean vocals on this last track really separates the band from the rest and puts the in the level of acts like Sybreed.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Duck Explosion – Zebra Pilot (2013)

    cover

    Hailing from France, today we have a very catchy Alternative Rock band under the very odd name Duck Explosion. On their debut EP titled “Zebra Pilot”, the band presents us four tracks of very carefully crafted and catchy Rock that will get you hyped immediately thanks to the band’s charismatic vocals and engaging song-writing.

    While not our typical cup of tea, the band really had us going since the opening track: “No Way Out”. Featuring intricate guitars and very accessible vocals, the band focuses more on creating very direct 70’s inspired rock than any other gimmicks. The level of catchiness is elevated on the pulsating “In The Inside”, a song that has a very dominant bass guitar line and excellent percussions.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Humanation – Demo’12 (2012)

    cover

    Arriving from Finland, today we have Humanation and their retro Thrash/Death Metal demo. Featuring three very catchy tracks that reek of newer Carcass all over them, these songs showcase the band’s strengths in delivering crunchy music that will appeal to any fan of the genre, and will leave you wanting more.

    As the demo opens, the first track showcases the band’s riffing abilities. Without being too clean or too technical, the band gets their point across with catchy sections and hellish vocals. The snarls are very similar to Jeff Walker’s, and they make the music fit together quite well. The second song opens with a more playful approach but the band’s style is quite prevalent since the first few minutes. The drumming and percussions are quite active and very well crafted for these kinds of songs.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Dead Bread – Hatred Slice (2013)

    cover

    Arriving from Poland, today we have one-man project Dead Bread and its killer Death Metal EP titled “Hatred Slice”. Featuring four tracks filled with punishing Death Metal riffs, blistering guitar solos, and a plethora of guests on vocals, this is one of the most powerful self-released EP that have found their way to our inbox in the last few months.

    Like a bag of bricks directly to the face, “Gates of Hell” opens this release with crushing riffs and brutal vocals courtesy of Janick Klausen. In this track we have Dead Bread playing a catchy and punishing Death Metal with very well-crafted guitars and an excellent guitar solo by Jacek Hiro. Not letting go of the listener, “Call Out” keeps the brutality going with tight drumming and incisive riffs.

Pages

Recent Image Galleries