Band: GOREPHILIA
Country: Finland
Title: Ascend to Chaos
Label: Dark Descent Records
Year: 2011
Style: Death Metal

Review:
This Ep consists  in 4 songs and two instrumentals ("Intro” and " Ascend to Chaos”)  both being the introduction to the following song. The Finland band Gorephilia give us an old school Death Metal with a lot of mid-tempo in a Doom way. The Ep starts with a background echoes, screams and music that sounds like a sort of march that takes you into the second track "Death , Chaos, Doom” (in my opinion the best song) but then all the Ep becomes repetitive. The recording doesn’t have bad mistakes and create the right atmosphere, aggressive doom and death. At first impact the singer's voice annoys me because it seems random but going ahead it works in favor of the music adding more to the atmosphere of the recording. The work of the drummer is good (nothing special) and the guitars do a pretty job but sincerely I had the sensation that the structure of the songs was sometimes not studied enough. Another negative aspect in my opinion is that after listening the whole Ep you don’t have some riffs or parts in mind except for the second track. In the end this is a pretty good job  without bad mistakes and aggressive enough that may push you to see them live but they can do much better.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 7.5 /10

Band: MIASMAL
Country: USA
Title: Miasmal
Label: Dark Descent Records
Year: 2011
Style: Death Metal

Review:
Debut full-length from the Swedish band Miasmal formed back in 2007. The debut album is formed mainly of three parts , because Miasmal has included  previous materials  so you can hear the sound changes from tracks 9 to 14 ( 9 to 10 (Ep), 11 to 14 first (demo)). This is pure classical Swedish Death metal no doubt about it , the drum is repetitive without blast and beat and most of the time with a Punkhish rhythm. The recording is pretty solid but could have been produced  better ,  the snare sometimes  seems   absent and the distorsion  is too loud ( the old tracks in my opinion are recorded better). The voice is pretty good and the guitar players do a good job especially about solos.  There is nothing new and the whole is quite simple, above all it  is very rare that it will make you feel  tense or headbanging but the atmosphere is aggressive and dark.  Finally if you want to hear something classic back to the period of Entombed and Bloodbath without contamination , Miasmal is the band for you.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 7/10

Band: SECTU
Country: Sweden
Title: Inundate
Label: ViciSolum Productions
Year: 2011
Style: Death Metal

Review:
Sectu is a Swedish band formed in 2008 and what I can say immediately: this a very good Technical Death Metal band. The album "Inundate” is composed of 8 tracks lasting more than half an hour (the 5th one is an instrumental song), atmospheric, sometimes melodic and with a sound near to perfection. Everyone does a great job, the riffs are exquisite, the voice is completely inside the sound even if it’s not so deep and the drum follows every part  very well. I have appreciated a lot how they manage the songs, mixing  aggressive groove with melodic parts, this is something I always emphasize in a band. But there is something negative for me, the way how they end some songs, more often than not they give me the impression that it’s not searched enough. Anyway this is a great band that I recommend to everyone and personally I am already a fan of them.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 9/10

 

Band: EXELOUME
Country: Norway
Title: Fairytale of Perversion
Label: ViciSolum Productions
Year: 2011
Style: Thrash Death Metal

Review:
This is the first Full  lenght of the Norwegian band Exeloume and after two demos they have reached their first official step under Vicisolum Productions. This is pure Thrash Metal with modern sounds and I was surprised because the music is  more in American style but they are from  Norway. The album starts with a great intro that makes you so interested in going ahead to the next song. All the songs are played so well with very catchy riff and good solos, a nice voice completely inside the atmosphere , a drum that enhances the  rhythm, and the modern sound give you the right groove and power ( The recording, I can say, is faultless). I didn’t find big mistakes  in all the package and I’ve appreciated a lot the good work Exeloume did, well it’s nothing  original but I assure,  if you want to listen to  a good band that can play thrash metal  very  well, Exeloume will not disappoint you.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 8.5/10

Band: EXTINCTIONIST
Country: Germany
Title: World Extinction
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2011
Style: Brutal Death Metal

Review:
The German band Extinctionist was founded in 2007, by the former Philosopher guitarist Alex Pohl and after a Demo they released this album "World Extinction” (Brutal Death Metal with some Grind influences) composed of 12 tracks of about 31 minutes. Sincerely it was hard for me to listen this album again and again because it’s pretty confused and the pig squeal voice is annoying. Most of the times the guitar riffs, which are not bad, seem like thrown down without reasoning, I mean there is not a clear connection among the parts of the songs and I had the impression that everything was not checked enough. About the sound and recording there aren’t big mistakes. I don’t want to be bad, these guys know how to use an instrument but they have to work more on the structures, otherwise they won’t touch my emotions.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 6.5/10

Band: ICON IN ME
Country: Russia
Title: Head Break Solution
Label: Massacre Records
Year: 2011
Style: Groove Metal

Review:
Icon in me grew up in Moscow Russia in 2007, this is  the second album after their debut with "Human museum” in 2009. I don’t know anything about their first release so I will evaluate this album without being influenced by their old projects. First of all I can say that the sound and  the structure of their songs are modern and they are well produced and mixed. "Icon in me is a mix of different genres  going from Hatebreed to Anthrax, so it’s very difficult to precisely target them ( this is good for me ;)). Every member plays well and the voice is aggressive and other times atmospheric with clean vocal moments.  The album starts with an intro ( Suicide World) nothing original but a good start for the listeners although later it’s like cutting the expectations. I have appreciated " Face it” violent enough especially the chorus and "Nuclear Drama” where the drum player uses the blast and beat technique . The album is generally good enough to be listened but it always sounds like that something missing and most of the times some riffs are quite obvious but as there is a mix of different genres the opinion of each listener can be radically different. I suggest to see the video of the song " Un-slaved” on Youtube. If you want to listen to a good modern band "Icon in me” are waiting for you.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 7.5/10

Band: EXMORTIS
Country: USA
Title: Resurrection... Book of the Dead
Label: Xtreem Music
Year: 2011
Style: Death Metal

 

Review:
Exmortis is a band that was  formed in 1987 in Maryland and this is a MCD of 6 songs, with an Intro and Outro, so basically the MCD consists in 4 songs. Musically (I can say without doubt) is old – school Death Metal but without blast and beat technique, it’s more like the tempo of old-Kreator  or  Possesed. The sound is more for the fans of old-school and the production is fine but I think a little more bass is missing. There is nothing new and in my opinion no one song has touched my emotions deeply except for the track "Deep Red” but I assure that these guys know how to use an instrument. Anyway Exmortis will make happy everyone who want to hear something classic back to the 80s period.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 6/10

Band: DUALITY
Country: Italy
Title: Chaos_Introspection
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2011
Style: Technical Death Metal

 

Review:
Duality is an Italian band formed in 2003 and after many changes (about genres and members) they have released this second EP. I don’t know how to define them because their sound is completely various and influenced by different contaminations like jazz and classic music (there is the violin too). They call this genre Avant Metal. I usually say "When I can’t define a band this is good because means they are original” but this time it isn’t so. It seem the EP hasn’t got a logic, I mean all the parts of the songs are not well connected. It’s like putting different ideas on a song without a sense. The second song of the EP is like a ballad, more like Jazz and nothing Metal in my opinion (the EP consists of 5 tracks). The music production has some problems especially about the guitar, where the distortion is too weak. In short I think that this band hasn’t found the right path because they haven’t appealed to my emotions.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 5/10

 

Band: INFERION
Country: USA
Title: The Desolate
Label: Selfreleased
Year: 2012
Style: Black Metal

 

Review:
Inferion is a Black Metal band from Miami, Florida. After different releases like (Give to the Ground, The Cursed Path and Firewar) and line-up changes (now they are only two members), they release this album "The Desolate”. First of all I want to say that the mix and master is well done with the right choice of sound. The genre is old-style Black Metal like Darkthrone , Burzum and first Dimmu borgir with a small influence of Death Metal.  There is nothing new in this album. Everything is something that I have already heard but well played. The voice is nice with an aggressive growl and all instruments sound well even if the drum is a drum machine.  Interesting is that the founder (Nick Reyes) while joining the Army, never left the passion to continue to work on this album, also he did the final mix and master in 2011. Personally I have found the tracks a little boring because they are similar each other and too much monotone.  Finally if you want to listen to something classic, cold and raw Black Metal, Inferion is the band for you.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 6.5/10

 

Band: FUNERAL WHORE
Country: Holland
Title: Step into Damnation
Label: Chaos Records
Year: 2012
Style: Death Metal

 

Review:
The Dutch band Funeral Whore was founded in 2006 and after different line-up changes they released this album "Step into Damnation” composed of 11 songs of about 39 minutes. The music is focused on a primal death metal sound at its most simplistic form so listeners may find this approach a little boring and too much repetitive. The production is well done but honestly it’s difficult to hear the bass. Every members play well (Good deep growl) but most of the times seems like they are playing the same things over and over again (or some riffs are quite obvious), also the drum player use always the same technique so this feeling of monotony is more emphasize. I don’t think my review will change the approach on their music but I’ve heard a lot of bands like that so my judge can’t be higher than sufficient but I am sure that they will make happy  everyone who wants to hear something classic back to the 80s period without contamination. I suggest watching some live videos on internet because I think they are much better on stage.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 6/10

Band: MANIPULATOR
Country: France
Title: Voidbound
Label: Soulseller Records
Year: 2012
Style: Death Metal

 

Review:
Manipulator is a one-man band project from France. At first I was astonished by the bad production very confused and dirty but I thought maybe he wants to have a sound like that for this kind of music. I would describe this product like black metal mixed with a sort of doom and a very little influence of death metal (slightly in some guitar riffs). The first songs have a voice with a lot of reverb and it sounds so apart from the instruments but going ahead with the tracks the voice changes in a good growl. The worst is the guitar so unclean and too much distorted also the drum hasn’t the bass. I know I am very bad, but I am so pedant about the production because nowadays a good record is easier thanks to new technologies, software and of course "Internet”. About the music is something already heard and without nothing new, maybe next time a better production can change my opinion, but I am sure that people who love crude old black-metal may appreciate it.
Reviewed by Rob Gore
Rating: 4/10