Reviews
\r\nTHE SECOND FULL LENGTH IS HERE\r\n
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\r\n-Portrait- is a Heavy Metal band from Sweden and specific from the town of Kristianstad. This band was formed in 2004 and since now they have release one Demo, two singles and one full length album. The band managed to sign with Metal Blade Records and now they are ready to release their second album and as they say this will be their first -real- album.\r\n
\r\nMulticultural and different. These are the first words that came to my mind when listening to "Salam". After the album was over I realised the first impression given by the french outfit was more than correct. The soundscapes of the album outrun most of the so called masterpieces most labels want to shove down our throats. Arkan ,to be precise, plays a strange yet successful mixture of eastern/arabic music with death metal in the vein of Orphaned Land(whose singer also does a guest appearance here!). Now, who would expect such a thing from a french band?
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\r\nGreeks Dead By Dawn hit my ears for the very first time with this album. They’ve been active since 2002 and have released only one EP since then. So, the time has come for their first official full length after all these years. I have to admit, the logo, band name and cover misleaded me into believing this is an old school death metal release but the content quickly put me to my place.
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Whatever we say about Doomsword will not be enough. For almost 15 years they define epic-doom metal in the best possible way. They have managed to create a core of fanatic fans mainly in Europe and they are considered one of the best (if not the best) band on it’s genre.
\r\nIn their fifth album, “The Eternal Battle” they follow the known music direction of tight compositions with heavy guitars, slow riffs, epic feeling and the awesome voice of Dommsword’s frontman, Deathmaster.
Tight jeans, all-star snickers, sleevless, torn t-shirts, chains, spikes and jackets full of patches. We could think that we return to the golden 80’s but we are still in 2011. A new wave of bands, whose number is increasing, manage to take us back where everything began. Enforcer, Crystal Viper, Cast Iron, Skullfist, White Wizzard and more. Between them the Canadian Cauldron.
\r\nThrough their first complete album “Chained Into the Nite” they show that they follow a specific music direction. Pure and plain Heavy Metal as it is supposed to be played.
\r\nStubborn to the bone and romantics, Sweds Vomitory come forth once again to add another vomiting stone to the wall of their discography. After so many years of torturing these dudes offer nothing more than pure death metal, the old school way without too much fuzz and kinky stuff. In fact, they do it with so much love that it makes you love them even more, even though what they do is not the most original hammering you’ve ever heard..
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I’ll say it once more. Fantasy will bring the unique music. Not some v.i.p stuff or marketing or extreme technical capabilities. Here we have the France’s finest and classic Blut Aus Nord with their 8th release, "777 Sect(s)".
\r\nFor those they don’t know about them, they are pretty old in the scene (1993 is the year of their formation under the name "Vlad") and their style is a bit difficult to describe. Their music balances between your worst nightmare and a feeling of death haunting you during the songs.
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\r\nShit! This is how I am to begin with this review. Septic Flesh made me shit my pants! For real, I have to find something to hold on to in order to start writing about "The Great Mass". Shall we begin with the wrapping? The band’s new cover art is astonishing once again. Majestic and aestheticaly awesome, Seth’s new work is a magic new addition to his already massive portfolio. But let’s see the real content: music.
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\r\nDeath metal as a genre has gained a great deal of popularity and quality in the last few years. You see bands poping out out of every corner and behind every stone playing music that has something to say in the midst of chaotic releases in today’s music business. The truth is, this sound gives a lot of room for experimentation since there are no taboos or "musts" in its nature. Examples of well executed death metal can be found everywhere wether it is classic(90’s stuff) or more technical material.