Having everything placed on a table that seems full of ideas and musical paths “Dualism” will surely satisfy every one of you that has been lucky to have heard their previous releases, but also anyone who’s open to hear, absorb and feel the huge amount of music, technique, melody and freedom of expression contained in here!

Textures are not an obvious djent metal band. There far more than just this. They have been building their unique sound for many years now, so that’s one factor that separates them from the latest movement of djent the past few years. Their huge riffology, weird structuring of music themes in a floating almost bouncy environment, their unstoppable wise flow of the simplest melodies, combined with clean vocals – that at times become pop-, always come along with their metronome-sharp death metal moments, and expression meets their open minds and flawlessly waves everyone with a smile…

Here you’ll hear pop melodic guitars, downbeats, weird beats, death riffs, huge sound, death grunts and melodic vocals. Everything reaching top performance and a band hopefully at one of their peeks!!! As for the main change in their sound, vocalist Daniel, amazing ideas, endurance and abilities might be somewhat too little to describe his capabilities!!! He probably is the most gifted person that this band has placed in the vocal throne…And he so fits in there!!!

The wait is over. All you instrument freaks, all you djent freaks and all the rest of us “Dualism” is unleashed. Textures are back and remember the date because a new wave will crawl on surface soon for all open minded music lovers!!! Gather round your stereo and admire this huge kick in the face of everyone and everything! Amazing!!!

Riverside, up until now, have never disappointed their audience, and they’re not willing to do so now. Checking their course, we can easily see that they steadily evolved their sound, making it a bit heavier and heavier on each release. But “Memories In My Head” is quite a surprise. Instead of having more metal elements, it takes us back to the first two albums, “Out Of Myself” and “Second Life Syndrome”.  And interestingly enough, this seems quite suitable, as every song here is about the past. So I would say that this EP could be a tribute to what they have succeeded until now, and generally to the music that got them started.

What I really like about “Memories In My Head” is that it has a soundtrack-like feeling to it. It’s like Pink Floyd meeting a lighter version of Dream Theater. In there you can find great melodies, clean guitar work with a few intense solos, solid, right drumming and a nice bass tone. But the focus is the emotions. The vocals are soft and emotional and at times even a bit aggressive. And the keyboards and hammond work miracles. The first song, “Goodbye Sweet Innocence”, has a two minutes intro, with the keyboards creating ambient, space rock sounds. Then the bass and the vocals kick in, with a very mellow melody, which turns into a more uplifting chorus. The second half of the song is more intense with strings samples and guitar solos. “Living In The Past” is the most powerful song here, starting immediately with a nice rhythm section and with the smallest oriental touch. Around the middle things get interesting, as we listen to a soft music, like it’s coming from a music box, interrupted by heavy guitar chords. In “Forgotten Land”, the first half is quite normal, with Mariusz Duda singing a bit harsher, but the second half is full of effects and electronic sounds.

Overall, Riverside have given a great sample of progressive rock, which shows the potential of the band. And they prepare us nicely for their upcoming release, in 2012.

“Bilateral” is Leprous’ second official full-length release. Here you will all listen a strong twist of music, intelligence and uniqueness. After their first full length “Tall Poppy Syndrome” a couple of years ago, where Leprous seemed just another Prog metal band, with a good potential to become one of the strong forwarders of what all open minded progsters call prog music. “Bilateral” just seems to have them placed in a rocket fired up to reach tops, and much more than just admiration.

Having flirted, on the previous album with more stable forms of song structures, and some few glimpses on to the unusual, now Leprous stood their ground and managed to overcome their inner fears of expression and here we are.

In a more relaxed and boundary free enviroment “Bilateral” sounds more pricise in what Leprous consider about their own music. The brutal Death metal parts have given space to other music elements previously unexplored by the band themselves. Brutal vocals have almost
disappeared but in a weird way their clean vocals have been so well designed to stuck in the mind with the first listen, so that none of the missing “brutality” seems noticable or strange. Jazzy elements and incredibly beautiful flow of all the songs just seem to have taken their place for good to their sound. The drumming and bass spine of their well beatifully flowing music seems as a big fat ancient oak simply stable and strong with vast roots!!!

Ihsahn’s involvement on the production, as anyone would have expected, is absolutely exceptional…As for the mix by Jens Bogren you have another big reason to please even more your ears…

Maybe it’s Ihsahn’s experience that has been filtered without any drop missed….Maybe it’s their own “growth” as musicians…We will never find out…But one thing is for sure that “Bilateral” is on hell of an album, that uses 8-stringed guitars like no other band does in our days…An album with so wide spectrum of music influences that are so well placed. An album so melodic, rhythmic, intense, thatrical and full of “coloured” and “spicy-flavoured” music that I guess deserves to be heard as one of the most interesting and transcedental albums of their own carrier and the genre they are serving thus being Pure Intelligent Progressive ART!!!

Before getting into the album, I would like to mention that Mastodon became a personal favorite band and I expect nothing less than a good album every time they get into the studio. Since their awesome first full length “Remission”, Mastodon made a tremendous progression moving their music from album to album huge steps forward and generally putting the band in such a high level. “Leviathan” blew me away, “Blood Mountain” caused me an ear-orgasm and “Crack The Skye” became an all-time personal favorite album. This progress keeps me interested but nervous as well: interested cause I really don’t know how far away their music can travel me and nervous ’cause so far each new Mastodon album has to be compared with a superb predecessor. And I bet that this is a risk for the band as well…

This time we have “The Hunter” and God… it’s predecessor is “Crack The Skye” ! The album consists of 13 songs and the awesome “Black Tongue” is the opener featuring Sanders behind the lead vocals leaving the best possible impressions from the beginning. Next song is “Curl Of The Burl”, this time with Brent Hinds behind the vocals, catchy refrain, amazing double-guitar solos, wonderful riffs and this must be the hit of the album. As the record flows, there is no doubt that here we have another great release by Mastodon, who win another big bet! “Blasteroid” can blast your mind, the psychedelic “Creature Lives” can destroy your mental world and the closer “The Sparrow” is the perfect ending of a colorful fifty-three length sounding trip.

Maybe “The Hunter” is not the best Mastodon’s album but for the band it’s a nodal one keeping the high levels and proving that the fire still burns. “The Hunter” is at least a great album including all the elements we loved in Mastodon’s music: catchy riffs, progressive influences, rock mood, 70’s feeling, psychedelic elements, harsh screams, clean vocals but mostly this veil of mysticism that hypnotize and travel you to undefined directions.

Mastodon made the 5/5 good albums without copying themselves yet. It seems that they have much more to give. The question is: where is the top?

The previous Doomsword album, “My Name Will Live On” made many fans of the band wonder if the band has reached it’s peak, since we are talking about an album that left many people speechless. Well the band proves us that they didn’t relax, and achieved to create a record that has nothing to envy from their previous releases.

All the songs in this record have a great epic feeling and atmosphere. They have the ability to make you “live” the music and the lyrics; actually this album makes you think that you are in a battle and it’s songs are the music that gives you strength and courage in order to keep on fighting! “The Eternal Battle” does not contain any big changes nor any big surprises; it is a classic Doomsword record. However it is not an easy album to hear. You need to listen to it a couple of times in order to    understand how good it actually is. The album contains heavy and great riffs,  kick-ass rhythm section and the main characteristic of Doomsword, Deathmaster’s voice. Once again Deathmaster has done amazing work on the vocals, and his voice is able to create whatever atmosphere he wants in every song. Most of the songs are mid-tempo but some others are a bit faster.  The band must have worked a lot on this album because if you listen to it a couple of times, and you get it’s feeling, then you won’t bother to search for any limitations or bad moments. The production and the sound of the album are very good and suit perfect to the band’s music.

Summing up,  “The Eternal Battle” is a very good record from a true band that has never  disappointed it’s fans. I would suggest to every fan of the epic metal scene (and not only) to give this album a chance. You won’t lose. Hail Doomsword!

The new album took quite a long time to be released but it seemed that it was worked until the last second. This shows from the beginning, as the sound of the album is rather fresh, modern as much as it should be, without making the band sound cheesy and also, quite different compared to what we had got used to. It is the perfect chance for non followers to bury the band six feet under, and the perfect time for fans to love this band more than ever. It is most certain that this release will leave no person not dealing with it. We’re talking for one of the best bands of the last 20 years and as is sounds logic, all people not liking something, they always try to harm the strong ones. MH have proved that they deal with controversy more than great, don’t forget that such events almoste lead them to splitting up before the release of ”Through The Ashes Of Empires” in 2003. That was the second birth of the band and since then they deliver quality in each given occasion. Such as this one.

The album opens with ”I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)” and to be honest, it’s more than strange to listen to Robb Flynn singing in latin in a mellow way. Once the song develops, we have a great outburst and the first sample that the album is gonna grab you hard, unlikely to let you go for the next 49 minutes (which become 63 if you get the limited edition with the two excellent covers by Judas Priest and Rush). Flynn does his best vocal performance ever and the most mature for sure. Followed by his partners in crime in tremendous shape, he spits every lyric with certainty, while Phil Demmel helps him with the guitar work, and the phenomenal rhythm section of Adam Duce on bass and Dave McClain on drums (he really sounds out of control on the whole album) offer to their fans an album that despite being a little strange in the beginning, it is bound to become a grower to their hearts. In ten years, this album will be acknowledged as one that made metal music more interesting in general, I am more than sure about this.

As the album goes on, we have tracks like ”Be Still And Know” or ”This Is The End” that groove their way to your mind and could easily become your favourites from the album. The double bass break through interpretations of McClain will leave you speechless, while the guitar work closes its eye on ”The Blackening” sound, evolving it as much as possible. The good thing is that they didn’t try to repeat themselves in this process, after all we deal with the album that made them undoubtedly colossal to everybody’s eyes (even the haters’) and it would be more than naive and suicidal to do the same. Maybe that’s why they left ”Locust” leak first, to make sure they could break all doubt about this. And they certainly did. ”Locust” sounds much better if you listen to it together with the rest songs, because to be honest, I didn’t like it that much at first. Here, put in the right place, it surely works much better and might prove to be a true classic in the future.

”Darkness Within” follows the ”Descend The Shaded Of Night” process of writing, being a very emotional song (the acoustic version as a bonus kicks serious ass). The duo of ”Pearls Before The Swine” (the hidden diamond of the album) and the closer ”Who We Are” wave the middle finger of MH pointed to all those having something pointless to say about them. ”Unto The Locust” is different, it sounds promising and it will surely stand as one of the best albums of 2011 and the whole following decade. It is not the best album they have done, nor the best they could offer. I still miss the first two albums’ wrath, but I love the maturity they show since 2003. I must praise them for not making a second ”The Blackening” (they couldn’t do it anyway, but still I must point this out) and for keeping the level rather high. It is a little strange for me that this time they are not as perfect as I got used to in their beginning or their last two albums. But what counts is that they returned fresh and having something really useful to say. Those lucky to see them live in this tour, will suffer a lifetime shock. This is who they are! And will forever be! Let progress ring with a shotgun blast!

This time things are not as they used to be. ‘’Iconoclast’’ is a big bet and a very risky move by the band, which shows that not only they dare to release a double album about 82 minutes long, but they also become even heavier and faster as years pass by. I guess it works upside down with Symphony X, as we don’t have many examples of bands that when its members have passed their forties and reach their fifties, have the same urge to play that heavy. And heaviness which gets combined with the undisputed technique and skill of each member. Who can’t point out the furious performance of Russell Allen on vocals, the insane guitar work of Michael Romeo or the rhythm section/keyboard section that follows the aforementioned duo in every step?

What else could we ask for? It seems now was the perfect time for such an album to be released, as I think it will mark the setting point for a new beginning for the charismatic quintet. I mean, can it get heavier than that? On the one hand yes, on the other hand if it does, then little will we have to say about where they can get in the future. Now that Symphony X are officialy a great band, they show relieved from a possible stress and this reflects on the album, where it flows like clear water, despite its long duration. The songs are of course diverse in many parts and keep the classic Symphony X trademarks, but this time it may cause even more headbanging than in previous albums. And trust me, you won’t keep your head still while listening to this.

In other cases, putting a nearly eleven minute track on the beginning of an album would be a disaster. In ‘’Iconoclast’’, the opening title track (with a big Dream Theater touch to be honest) marks the route for eleven more tracks to follow, highlighted in tunes such as ‘’Dehumanized’’, ‘’Bastards Of The Machine’’, ‘’Heretic’’, ‘’Electric Messiah’’, ‘’Light Up The Night’’ and of course, the video track ‘’End Of Innocence’’ among others. What gives an extra push is that the second cd of the release is even heavier than the first one. I suggest that fans should get the double limited edition pack because the songs not included in the standard jewel case edition are really great and it would be a great pity to miss them. At least you’ll know that your investment will be worth it totally.

The only problem fans might find is the inevitable perfection of the previous two albums (‘’The Odyssey’’ and ‘’Paradise Lost’’), which makes ‘’Iconoclast’’ sounding not so perfect as we had started getting used by Symphony X’’ and they might think that it’s a step lower. That doesn’t mean it is not one of the best albums of 2011, which fulfills its difficult tusk without tiring the listener. It’s an album that any other band would get a 10/10 for releasing it. But unfortunately Symphony X is not any other band, they are the leaders of the progressive scene the last years and that’s why they became one of the most highlighted bands of the current evolution of the whole metal scene. A perfect warm up for the upcoming Dream Theater album. Let’s see which one is going to be best, though it doesn’t matter that much.

After the death of Erik Rutan’s good friend Jared W. Anderson (December 28, 1975 – October 14, 2006), Hate Eternal came up with Fury & Flames having in the line up the addition of the Alex Webster but unfortunately things didn’t go so rosy for this release. You see, when you are used to quality stuff from this never ending blasting band its logical to consider “Fury & Flames” as a wrong weak step among the previous/a weak album between the crushing  ones. Having passed a three year period and extensive touring, the ”king of all kings” finally returned, the band is again for one more time enthroned and is seriously  reclaiming a position between the most important death metal releases for the year 2011 that is passing away slowly. It seems that Erik summoned his personal “Phoenix Amongst The Ashes“ and delivered us again the old crushing formula: A morbid mix of extreme brutality, speed, and technicality. The bands musical ideology remains the same and on this record producing a destructive/killer sound with hellish drums. With songs such as the homonymous or as the art of redemption, probably your first thought will travel back to their crushing second album which for me at least is their most successful ’till now, no goddamn question! Expect high standard death metal strictly in the veins of the old era/releases of the band, with solos straight from the pits of the morbid hell and with catchy destructive tunes that are gonna make you bang your head without mercy.

Hate Eternal is back for sure and is pounding your stereo for once more, wait no new elements or new sound additions, just fucking hate that rages on… The Phoenix is awakened beware..

For maniacs the record is released in the following formats:
- LP
- Regular CD
- Limited Edition Digipak

Standout tracks: “Phoenix Amongst The Ashes”, “The Fire Of Resurrection”, “Thorns Of Acacia”, “The Art Of Redemption”

Let’s have a look at the album per se. One could say that it is a mass of orchestral elements combined with melodic death metal tunes and great “walls” of symphonic harmony that comprise every song of the album. ‘Communion’ featured the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and this one also heads out having symphonic tune ups that provide extra “darkish” atmosphere to the pre-existing hellish sounds the band produces. The guys know what to do and how to do it. A great septic mass of putrescent, rotting sounds that makes you have the album on repeat all the time..

Definitely Septic keep their identity, their pompous septic-like riffs are apparent and yet every time compile refreshing sounds, or give a bit more spice to their work, and keep us, the “deathsters”, updated and on track. “The Great Mass” reminds us a lot structure-wise of “Communion”, though, the guys go a bit further, energizing us for once more with their blistering monstrous riffs combining mature sound and even more atmosphere to each track. A mass of pure death that is evident and guitarists Christos Antoniou and Sotiris Vayenas unleash surprisingly melodic, groovy and dark riffs that blow us away. It is difficult not to point out the amazingly engaged vocals of the cleans- Vayenas- and the raspy, deep growls of the lead vocalist Spiros “Seth” Antoniou, I am not sure whether these not combined together in such harmony that the result would be so tremendous. They are technical, distinctive and precise in their work and it is difficult for them not to create “great” musical sensations. Ultimately, it is the symphonic atmosphere that makes ‘The Great Mass’ such a jewel. The title track holds an excellent balance of crushing melodies and symphonic backdrop that shows the trademark of of Septic Flesh and the trademark of the album.. On the other hand, one could say, that Septic Flesh seem to have been more focused on their symphonic output more than worrying about creating overly complex death metal riffs and solos, that is not the case since the band always keep their unique style and sound but also like to experiment and emphasize in its pompous character.

The opening of “The Vampire From Nazareth” has a great female soprano vocal feature (the vocalist in this one is actually part of a side project of Septic Flesh band members) moving on “The vampire from Nazareth” seems like it has borrowed a few riffs from “We The Gods”, but if one notices more clearly and as the track progresses the sound develops to a much heavier and darker symphonic piece, constricted with thundering drums, choirs, and just a raging symphony that keeps one suspended in a hellish with fear and terror atmosphere. “The Great Mass Of Death” is almost at a ‘Persepolis’ level of epic proportions. Moreover, “The Undead Keep Dreaming” is impressive with the switch from blast beats to symphony-focused breaks in the action. Also, “Rising” features an excellent melodic driven guitar with an almost adventurous feel to it. Last but not least, “Pyramid God”, can be defined as the best track on the album due to its catchy rhythms and fantastic drum interlude.

‘A Great Mass Of Death and Orchestral Terror” characterizes the 8th in order full-length release of Septic Flesh’s work. It is another great album from Septic flesh, and I would highly recommend it to all fans of symphonic death metal to check it out. The compositions are memorable and unforgettable, the tunes are magical and intricately detailed to perfection and the end result is hellish incredible.
All hail, Septic Flesh!

Standout tracks: ” Pyramid God “, ” The Great Mass Of Death”, “Oceans of Grey”, ” Therianthropy”.

After a successful debut back in 2007, Graveyard have attracted attention from Nuclear Blast to release their second album, entitled “Hisingen Blues”. Generally in the likes of early 70s blues rock and in a quite respective amount, in the likes of early heavy doom (aka Blue Cheer/ Black Sabbath etc.) this record rocks like a hurricane!!!

Dirty as they are in their approach, while employing a vast field of influences coming from blues to folk, Graveyard certainly knows what “trademark sound” means. They’ve got it and that’s exactly why we are here reading and listening their music.

Having a charming 60s bluesy attitude and mixing approach, they have wisely filtered Deep Purple/ Jimi Hendrix/ Blue Cheer/ Led Zeppelin/ Black Sabbath through their own free spirits, and they’ve created a chilling and easy going record, with this warm and beautiful sound!

Of course they’re not the first to do so…But it seems they’ve made it in a greater manner than others.Remnants of Wolfmother anyone? The excitement, though, is much more than their first surfacing..And I’m sure this means a lot!

If you don’t usually have the strength or the will to listen to the old lads, everyone is talking about, you can have a listen at “Hisingen Blues” and you might find yourself more intrerested, in the reasons you listen to that Hammering guitar driven music, simply called metal! Brilliant!