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    Deconstructing Sequence – Year One (2013)

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    Pretentiously called Extreme Progressive Art, the statement is actually pretty darn close when it comes to describe the challenging music of Deconstructing Sequence on their debut EP “Year One”. Feturing three songs and over 23 minutes of Extreme Progressive Metal music, this duo delivers quite an intricate release filled with little nuisances that make it even more enjoyable after a couple of spins.

    With a very ominous start to “Departure of the Stellar Fleet Marks the Year One” the band sets a very epic mood since the beginning. The keyboards reminded us of late 90’s bands (in particular Nile) giving a high atmospheric charge to the incisive guitars and crafty drumming. The growls are quite crushing and elevate the brutality of the music without obscuring the technical abilities lurking in the mist.

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    Sons of Lioth – Large Hadron Collider Spider (2013)

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    Delivering five tracks of balls to the wall Heavy Metal, today we have Sons of Lioth and their latest EP “Large Hadron Collider Spider”. Filled with attitude and a very retro vibe, this Belgian band rides the wave of bands like Enforcer, and can be categorized New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, which is a deviation of NWOBHM and Sleaze Metal. In this short but sweet release you will be taken back in time with an excellent and dynamic soundtrack.

    “Merry-go-round” delivers the first blow of hyper catchy retro Heavy Metal with a very sweet chorus section and a plethora of vocals that nicely keep things fresh and entertaining. The main vocalist, Kristof Van Den Bergh, is quite talented and immediately puts his signature on every track that the band presents. The riffing is very engaging and keeps things very entertaining for any old-school Heavy Metal fan. On the track “Large Hadron Collider Spider” we are treated to some awesome solos and excellent melodic structures that keep the headbanging flowing.

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    Red Wave – Pamir (2013)

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    Finding talented musicians is pretty easy, however, finding a band with talented musicians than can actually write compelling music is a whole different story. Red Wave luckily is a three-piece that their individual skills greatly complement each other and they managed to deliver eight brilliant tracks of Progressive Rock/Metal. With a heavy and yet melodic sound, their music is quite skillfully crafted to appeal any fan of the genre and please even the most snobbish people in the scene.

    The album leads away with the warm-up “Monolith” and a very funky bass guitar opening. The distorted guitars really give a certain kick to the music that many of the progressive releases we get are missing, allowing us to enjoy “Pamir” even more. The opening dreaminess of tracks like “Ikarus” is essential for the listener to really immerse themselves in the music, and Red Wave does a pretty darn good job at hooking people into their music.

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    Märchenbilder - Flickering Truth (2013)

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    Featuring a great ensemble of talented musicians, today we have Märchenbilder and their very impressive debut release “Flickering Truth”. Formed by James Slainmann (guitars and keyboards) and Julie Belanger Roy (violin, vocals, and viola), the band has since recruited drummer Yanic Bercier (Gone in April, ex-Quo Vadis) as permanent members before the release of this excellent debut. Playing a very bombastic and symphonic Gothic Metal, this band is ready to make their mark on this very crowded and highly competitive genre.

    Immediately after a very dramatic prelude, the song “Märchenbilder” unleashes the goods with haunting female vocals surrounded by excellent orchestrations and a very dramatic and classical vibe. The use of the violin greatly adds to the overall atmosphere of the music, reminding us of the work of Pete Johansen of Tristania and The Sins of Thy Beloved fame. The band’s versatility is show in engaging tracks like “Tel'aran'rhiod” and “Awaken”, were the band combines dramatic string instruments with plenty of different vocal styles.

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    Gökböri – Balbal (2013)

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    With a very interesting sound mixing old-school Thrash with Black’n’roll. Punk/crust, and even some Doom elements, today we have Gökböri and their debut full-length “Balbal”. Featuring members of Daylight Dies, Pagan, and Sun Descends, this is one of those albums that is quite good, but very hard to peg down since every track offers a wide palette of sounds and influences.

    As the album begins, the opener “Sarp Geçitler İçinde/Balbal” is a very cool retro-sounding track that reminds us of the riffing power of Vreid and the old-school Black’n’Roll bands like Midnight. The same continues with the catchy “Ulu Dağlar, Atalar”, which really engages the listener with very effective riffs. The vocals are quite fitting for the music and also have that retro-vibe. However, there are some questionable clean vocals on this last song, luckily some solid growling remedies the situation.

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    Levitator – The Abuse of Amplification (2013)

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    Staying very true to their debut EP title: “The Abuse of Amplification”, today we have Levitator and their very crunchy and totally Sludgy music arriving all the way from Australia. In this four song EP, the band delivers 40 minutes of pounding guitars and catchy melodies. Take a page from bands like Black Cobra, Icabod, etc., this band pummels through this release with ease and elegance.

    Opening with the 10-minute behemoth “The Ballad of the Long Distance Drug Mule”, we immediately feel the power of the band’s commanding distortion. The riffing is quite engaging and hooks you from the first few minutes we get to hear it. The vocals are a mixed a bit low, but you can hear your typical hardcore-esque screams. “Haystacker (16 Tons)” opens with some potent feedback and a very cool bass-guitar line courtesy of their female bass player Jess. This song got a bit on our nerves since the riffs are quite basic and very repetitive, however, any huge fan of Sludge Metal will found value in this catchy little song (only 6 minutes long).

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    Pellek – Ocean of Opportunity (2013)

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    Today we have Norwegian Metal/Rock vocalist Pellek (Per Fredrik Asly) delivering is sophomore album titled “Ocean of Opportunity”. As a highly ambitious self-released album, Pellek and company (he now has band members for this album cycle) deliver more than 45 minutes of expertly crafted Power/Progressive Metal with a nice dosage of symphonic elements. Being a concept album, the nine tracks in this release nicely come together and keep a very steady and engaging flow making the release very solid and interesting.

    Opening with very regal orchestrations on “Elucidation”, we can immediately enjoy the album’s crystal-clear production and PelleK’s talented vocals. This song is quite powerful and enjoyable, but it holds itself from letting the listener know all that is hidden under Pellek’s bag of tricks. Immediately reminding us of Nightwish, “Northern Wayfarer” makes things more dynamic with lush guitar work and very solid solos.

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    Crownless – Dark Evolution (2011)

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    In the very crowded Symphonic/Gothic Metal scene, it is quite the challenge to pick out the gems from the duds.  However, Crownless makes it very easy since their musical style is quite diverse and perfectly executed, delivering ten tracks of majestic music. For all fans of Epica, Xandria, After Forever, etc., this band crafts super catchy songs with excellent melodic elements and even better vocal arrangements.

    Opening with the very engaging “Lost Inside”, we immediately hear the Epic influences in the catchy guitars and solid orchestrations. Vanessa 'Nane' Ramirez vocals are quite powerful and are the perfect signature elements for the band’s music. Things get more dynamic with the exciting “Dark Embrace” and “Ravens in the Storm”, filled with lush vocal arrangements and some awesome guitar work. The band’s ability to combine many other’s elements into a compact and powerful sound is one of their best assets in the scene.

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    Aratron – The Recovery (2013)

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    With the costs of professionally producing demo’s and releases getting lower by the day, we are glad that bands like Aratron can showcase their quality and have a powerful and lively sound on their demo’s. “The Recovery” is the band’s latest demo and it features five crushing tracks with a timeless Thrash infused Death Metal sound that is quite powerful and well crafted.

    The starts leads with guns blazing on the song “The Recovery”, a very direct and brutal track that combines relentless riffing with excellent vocals. The band’s sound reminded us of early days Grave and similar Swedish DM outfits that rely on Thrash Metal foundations. “Imprisoned” keeps the album flowing with another dosage of solid riffs and very tight drumming. The band’s musicianship is quite good and they are not afraid to show it with their incisive tracks.

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    September Murder - He Who Invokes Decadence (2013)

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    Germany has always been one of the best countries for Metal music to flourish over the years, with a huge scene and tons of quality bands emerging every year. Today we have September Murder and their sophomore release “He Who Invokes Decadence”. Delivering eight tracks of high quality Melodic/Progressive Death Metal, this band is ready for prime time and they have a very convincing case with this impressive release.

    The album’s opening statement is “Under Severed Skies”, an excellent track that combines heavy intricate guitar work and crushing growls. The band is in no hurry of blasting you away, opting to deliver precise blows of hyper-fast sections surrounded by excellent melodic passages. The band’s old-school Death Metal influences are clear, but they manage to clean them up with incise guitar and bass guitar work in killer tracks like “Two Culprits, One Oath” and Death-esque “Among Vultures”.

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