Review 019: Demoterion - Prometheus

Country of origin: Italy
Genre: Melodic Death/ Pagan Metal
Year: 2013
Label: Self-Released


 Today i will talk you of Demoterion, a melodic death/pagan metal band from Abruzzo, an Italian  region that folk metal lovers know as the homeland of Draugr.
What suprise me of this band is that, also if they have been playing togheter only from March 2013 they have already composed an impressive ep such this ''Prometheus".
The Ep is made of 5 songs where the band shows his melodic death     affected by band like Amon Amarth, but also Ensiferum and Varg.
The album is homogeneous and every song is quite good, also if maybe a little bit too little original and some songs are too little elaborated.
The best songs of the ep are Plague From The North, with his chorus that maybe remind me of the chorus from Glorious March by Nordheim, the titlerack Prometheus and God's Servant.
Also the opener Throught The Runes, maybe the worst song in the ep, is not a bad song.
The part these guys have to improve are the lyrics, that are sometimes banal.

Rating: 69/100

Review 014: Folk Metal Jacket - Our War Has Begun

Genre: Folk Metal
Country Of Origin: Italy
Year: 2012
Label: Self-Released

Today I'll talk you about the first demo from the italian Folk Metal band Folk Metal Jacket.
This band, born in 2009, has published this  self-procuded demo, Our War Has Begun in 2012 and an ep Spill this Album, published by Moonlight Records, an interesting label that follow really closely the italian folk metal scene, this year.
After a good intro, there is the opener Faunalia, that immediatly shows all the characteristics of the band, indeed it's a funny folk metal song inspired by band such Finntroll and Trollfest( it's also remind me of the Canadian band Nordheim), with some really interesting banjo parts.
Every song in the demo is really  interesting: Mushrooms with its good chorus, Full of Beer Rivers, It's Not Easy To Be Green and the last song Alice In Paganland, maybe my favourite one of the demo, are all good exemple of Folk Metal but the thing that surprise me is that this young guys has created a personal sound, also due to the use of the banjo.
The lyrics are  usually funny celebration of alcool, or about war and parties.
 Eventually Our War Has Begun is a good demo that show us a good band that may have an interesting future.

Rating: 73/100

Review 011: Kanseil - Tzimbar Bint (2013)

Genre: Folk Metal
Country Of Origin: Italy
Year: 2013
Label: Self-Released

Over the past few years in Italy Folk Metal has achieved a big success, so a lot of band started playing this genre, sometimes with great results.
Bands like Folkstone, Furor Gallico, Draugr and Elvenking have acquited themselves like of the best metal band in Europe.
Besides them a lot of young interesting bands, in this country, are trying to emerging, bands like Evendim, Folkentroll or Folk Metal Jacket.
Today i want to talk you about another interesting young band: Kanseil,a band from Fregona, near Treviso, and in particular 'bout their demo Tzimbar Bint.
These guys in their songs talk about their land and his histroy, in particular 'bout the Cimbri.
The demo consists of two good folk songs: Lo Spirito Della Notte, with his spoken in italian, and Dar Bald Hat Geheft Zo Reda and of three Folk Metal songs: Genius Loci, that starts with some fantastic bagpipes, played in the way of Folkstone, to remember than something from Waylander, Mazharol a really good song with a fantastic chorus and Tzimbar Bint, the only song sang in italian,that without doubt is the best moment of the demo, and maybe one of the best songs of the genre released this year.
I think the demo confirm that the band is the Next Big Thing of the Italian Folk Metal
Rating: 79/100

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Review 010: Thunder And Lightning - In Charge Of The Scythe (2013)

Genre: Power Metal
Country Of Origin: Germany
Year: 2013
Label:  Hammersound

Power metal is one of my favourite genres of metal but only today for the first time i can talk you about an album of this genre.
Indeed today i will review In Charge of the Scythe, fourth album from Thunder and Lightning, an interesting band from Berlin formed in 2004.
In Charge Of The Scythe is released three years after Dimension, the previous album from these guys.
This band plays  an interesting modern power metal with thrash influences, expecially  in some rithmic parts.
In Charge sound like a really solid album, with a lot of good songs like the opener      Boostershot, a really powerful with a good chorus you have to sing loud, The Unborn Truth ,another solid and funny song, the titletrack, a fantastic song with a  dark feeling, or Soldier's Tired Eyes, an aggressive song with a rabid chorus, but every song in this album is good.
About lyrics, In Charge Of The Scythe is a  concept album about a girl who kills The Death  and takes over his duties.
In conclusion i think this album will be apprecieted by all the power metal fans.

Rating: 80/100

Review 009: Skinlepsy - Condemning the Empty Souls (2013)

Genre: Thrash/Death Metal
Country of Origin: Brazil
Year: 2013
Label: Shinigami Records

Skinlepsy are a brazilian band formed in San Paolo in 2001.
Before the album i'll talk you about today, Condemning The Empty Souls, released on April 2013 by Shinigami Records, they only released a self-produced ep Reign of Chaos in 2003, but every member in the band has played in other band from the brazilian underground scene.
The band plays a really aggressive mix of death and thrash metal that they define Brutal Thrash Metal and their biggest influences are Sepultura and Slayer.
Every song is quite good but in my opinion Crucial Words, with its fantastic (in someway also melodic) guitar part(in someway melodic) and is good refrain and Alientation a song that will stay in your mind for a while.

Rating: 72/100

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Review 008: Sideburn - IV Monument (2012)

Genre: Hard Rock
Country Of Origin: Sweden
Year: 2012
Label: Transubstans Records

In recent years in Sweden a lot of band started playing traditional rock/metal.
This is the case for Sideburn, an hard rock/doom band born in the Northern part of Sweden in 1998.
These guys have already released three full-length before the album i will talk you about,  IV Monument, published on 3 October last year by the swedish label Transubstans Records.
The band plays an interesting hard rock influenced by bands such Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and by the stoner/doom metal.
Since the opener Diamonds the band shows his attributes and influences and the album  move forward without really bad moments.
The performance of every band member is really good, in particular, stand out the singer Jani Kataja.
It's not easy to me to signal the best songs in the album because the medium album level is high, but maybe they are the obscure ballad Crossing The Line, the evil doom/hard rock song The Saviour and the single Bring Down the Rain.
Despite these facts we have to say that the album is not faultless, maybe some songs are a little bit too long or repetitive.

Rating: 75/100

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Review 007: Delirium - Contrast (2013)

Genre: Thrash Metal
Country Of Origin: Finland
Year: 2013
Label: Self-Released
Today I'll talk you about the first ep of a young finnish band, Delirium.
Contrast is a 3 songs demo with some sound problem.
These guys play an interesting mixture of thrash and death metal, indeed the ep has a lot of intersting moments.
The opener, Superiority is a good thrash metal song.
Suffocate the will, is in my opinion the best song because of its interesting vocal parts and it's good lyrics.
End this scene is the more aggressive song in the ep, in here take priority their death metal side.
Finally this album is funny but the not good sound and ruins some moments.
 
Rating: 67/100(because of the sound)

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Review 006: Frozen Hell - Rise! (2013)

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Country Of Origin: Italy
Year: 2013
Label: Self-Released

For some reason i don't understand only death metal bands reach me for a review.
Indeed today I'll talk you about Frozen Hell an Italian melodic death metal band.
This guys play a really energic swedish melodeath metal with sometime, classic metal riffs.
Forzen Hell released in 2013 an ep called RIse!,the one i will talk about, with six solid song and one intro.
The opener Useless Memories shows what the band is able to do, it's a classical melodeath song with some really good moments.
Face me is the most aggressive song in the ep, really good.
The title-track use some not really original guitar part but the song appear really solid because of the great refrain, that will remain for a long time on your mind.
This song is followed by Interrupted and Unti the day break, two good song with great melodic moment. Until the day break remaind me in some moment of viking metal, expecially the vocals.
The ep is brought to the end by Pursuit of Death, a medley with to Amon Amarth song Pursuit of Death and Death on FIre
Maybe these guys don't invent nothing but they play an honest melo-death metal, perfect for the moment when you are angry, and they've done in this ep their work in a good way.
 
Rating:78/100

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Review 005: Nihilism Incarnate - Deconstruct the Aeons (2012)

Genre :Death Metal
Country Of Origin: U.K
Year: 2012
Label: Self-Released

There are a lot of way to spend a good quarter of an hour.
One of this way is to listen Deconstruct The Aeons, first ep by the english deathsters Nihilism Incarnate.
The opener Eat,Shit,Die is a really impressive and aggressive death metal song that shows a big technical preparation and that will surprise with his riffs and solos. The song, after a little introduction, starts with a really aggressive vocal part, and in my opinion is one of the hilighlight of this ep.
Dark Matter, the longer song in this ep, and The Lord Prey(er), are more melodic and progressive but not for this reason less interesting, with some really good slowdowns.
The last song is Butcher Bludgeon another good intense death song.
Maybe the songs and the lyrics are not too much original but this ep is a really good point of start for a really good band .
 
Rating:77/100

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Review 004: Zix - The Warwhore EP (2012)

Genre:Heavy Metal
Country Of Origin: Lebanon
Year: 2012
Label: Self-Released

The Warwore Ep,published in 2012,is the first release by Zix,a band formed in Beirut in 1998. These guys play a really good traditional heavy metal inspired principally by manowar, iron maiden and Crystal Viper but also with some middle-eastern influences, that make the sound really personal.
The band is formed by bassist Ziad Bardawil, by argentinian guitarist Juan Carrizo, and by singer Maya Khairallah, that has a really powerful and melodic voice, in my opinion the main-strenght of the band.
Every song in this demo is really good and it's really difficult say which is betterl, and everyone will certainly remain for a while in your mind.
But I think the little blemish, because songs are a little bit to similar.
Obviously if you're looking for some innovative stuff you will not find interesting this ep, but if you wanna spend some funny time listening good traditional metal songs, song like Night Of Evil, RIsing, the title-track and Metal Strike,a really catchy song that remaind of Manowar, will satisfy you.

Rating: 78/100

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Review 003: Otono - Ghosts of Smoke (2008)

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Country Of Origin: U.S.A
Year: 2008 
Label: Self-released

Sometimes a band in the first album don't find his own identity, this is,in part, the case of the band i'll talk you about today.
Otoño are a Californian band, formed by the guitarists Bangulo and Eldred and the bassist/vocalis
t Angel, that released in 2008 their first, and for the moment unique, album, Ghosts Of Smoke.
The album is really diverse, too much diverse, there are some Melodic (Gothic) Death Metal songs,inspired by Paradise Lost and the British Death/Doom, a Brutal Death Metal song, some Modern Thrash Metal songs, and a lot of instrumental songs, and it can fluster the listener.
It's really a pity 'cause there are some very good songs and a lot of ideas.
The best moments in the album are the songs where the band shows his Melodeath part like Ghosts of Smoke an aggressive song with a really cold riff, Cannibal Jesus, TIll Dark, the true highlight of the album, a melodic song with synths and Under a Gray Autumn Sky,a song with a big instrumental part.
But also the instrumental The Omen, the aggressive Bone Crusher, a brutal death metal song and the powerful Can't Hide are really good songs.
The album is ended by two instrumental songs, in my opinion fillers.
In conclusion the album is good,but too diverse and with too much fillers, and it's clearthat this band has a really big potential.
Maybe the growl is a little bit too dry
 
Rating: 79/100

Review 002: Hypocras - Burning Drakkar (2010)

  
Genre: Viking Metal
Country Of Origin: Switzerland
Year: 2010
Label: Self-Released

Viking metal is nowadays one of the most popoular metal genre, a lot of new band start to play this kind of music, and despite it talks about Scandinavian history it's not impossible that band from Spain, South America or in this case Switzerland start to play this kind of metal.
Infact today i'll talk you about 'Burning drakkar'', an ep made by four songs, released by Hypocras, a young band from Geneve formed in 2006.
Their sound consists of a rough folk metal with flutes(used in a perfect way) and death metal influences.
All the songs in this ep are really powerful, with great riffs, chorus and with really good lyrics.
The first ep song is the titletrack a aggressive but melodic song with a strong riff a really good chorus, lyrics are a celebration of a viking warrior's death.
Hunting Troll, the second song, is faster rhan the title-track but it's likewise really convincing. The lyrics of this song is, in my opinion, the best in the ep, and talks
about the fight and glorious death of some viking warriors against a group of troll.
The last two songs are On path of my ancestors, another solid folk metal track, and Dance Of the Forest, a fantastic instrumental song (i really like its end with a flute part that reminds Inis Mona).
Support this band.
 
Rate: 84/100

Review 001: Evendim - Whiskey on Fire (2011)

Genre: Folk Metal
Country Of Origin: Italy
Year: 2011
Label: Self-produced

Yeah men, from the moment i became admin of this page i thought to review young metal band's album. Finally this moment is came.
I had some ideas about my first review, but i wasn't sure about which band was better to start.
Well... after s a lot of time i decided to review Evendim's demo Whiskey on Fire.
Evendim are a young band folk metal band from Giambassi Terme near to Florence.
The demo is made by three song The Boozer's rule, a really enthralling song about alchool, that remind me of alestorm(especially their second album).
The second song is Faraway so close, a tear-jerking irish ballad about lost love and broken hearts, with progressive veins. In my opinion this song is really a masterpiece.
The last song is the title track, the really anthem of the band.
The song starts with an accordion part, that will remain and will never came out from your mind. In this song the major influence is the one of korpiklaani.
In conclusion i think that guys will become one of the best folk metal band in italy and that this demo is a really good point of starting for their career.
Listen to it (it is all available on youtube) and support this fantastic band.
 
Rating: 83/100