The Escape Artist - The Escape Artist - 2012

Band: The Escape Artist
Album: The Escape Artist
Country: UK

Release date: November 26, 2012
Label: Self-release
Genre: Death/Metalcore, Progressive Death Metal, Progressive Metal
Existed since: 2009

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Review:
Young metal act from Middlesbrough, england, shows promise on their debut finding their own sound. They r primary to find in the metal/deathcore genre, but got strong infuence from the general prog metal scene.
Im rly impressed w the clean vocal on Choo Choo (Illuminate), a strong second song. The harsh vocal suits the music very well. Also worth to mentioned the guitar works, rly good riffs n solo-parts.

Worth checking out.


Album musicians:
Matthew Sedgewick  - vocals, guitar
Kurtis Brudenell  - vocals, guitar
Daniel 'Worm' Tyreman  - bass
David Elliott - drums


Tracklist:

1. Intro
2. Choo Choo (Illuminate)
3. Exposure
4. The Nipple Crippler
5. Naughty Naughty
6. There is a Tarantula on my Face
7. Mr Whiskers Big Tantrum
8. Cerberus

Listen to full album at Bandcamp or download it for free

Borknagar - Urd - 2012

Band: Borknagar
Album: Urd
Country: Norway



Release date: March 23, 2012
Label: Century Media
Genre: Melodic Black Metal
Existed since: 1995



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Review:
Norwegian veterans released Urd this spring. I listened to their previous 2 albums, n i think both of those r mediocre, so when i first began listening to it, i didnt think it was any good n stopped listening it. But it did good on several top-lists, so i relistened n gave it more time, which i think was the right thing to do, because it is rly good.
The music is melodic black metal, sometimes leaning towards viking-metal. I rly like the vocals on this album, its varied, singing both clean n harsh, w some rly good choiring. In "The Beauty Of Dead Cities" i even get a "Syd Barrett"-feeling in some parts of that song.

Recommended



Album musicians:
Andreas "Vintersorg" Hedlund - vocals
Lars Are "Lazare" Nedland - keyboard, vocals
Øystein Garnes Brun - guitar
Jens F. Ryland - guitar
Simen "ICS Vortex" Hestnæs - bass, vocals
David Kinkade - drums, percussion




Tracklist:

1. Epochalypse
2. Roots
3. The Beauty Of Dead Cities
4. The Earthling
5. The Plains Of Memories
6. Mount Regency
7. Frostrite
8. The Winter Eclipse
9. In A Deeper World
10. Age Of Creation (bonus)
11. My Friend Of Misery (metallica cover, bonus)

Previous records:
Borknagar, 1996
The Olden Remain, 1997
The Archaic Course, 1998
Quintessence, 2000
Empiricism, 2001
Epic, 2004
Origin, 2006
Universal, 2010

The Algorithm - Polymorphic Code - 2012

Band: The Algorithm
Album: Polymorphic Code
Country: France



Release date:  November 19, 2012
Label: Basick Records
Genre: Djent, IDM, Instrumental
Existed since: 2009



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Review:
After listening to The Algorithm for some time, i think i got a good grasp of his music. Its basically fusion between eletronic styles like glitch, progressive trance n electronica. In the he mix he adds different kinds of metal, like industrial n more djenty sounding metal. The songs got good groove n u find some rly nice transitions here.

Recommended


Album musicians:
Rémi Gallego - electronics

Live musician:
Mike Malyan - drums


Tracklist:

1. Handshake
2. Bouncing Dot
3. Trojans
4. Access Granted
5. Logic Bomb
6. Warp Gate Exploit
7. Null
8. Panic

Listen to full album at Bandcamp

Parkway Drive - Atlas - 2012

Band: Parkway Drive
Album: Atlas
Country: Australia



Release date: October 30, 2012
Label: Epitaph Records
Genre: Metalcore
Existed since: 2002



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Review:
This band remind me of the last Whitechapel album, but less melodic. The softer passages in the music leans towards hard rock n occasionally some Sigur Ròs-influence. The choir in Dark Days r somewhat boring n clichè, apart from that the choir throughout the album is ok.
All in all an ok album, but i dont think they take any risks in the music.


Album musicians:
Winston McCall - vocals
Ben Gordon - drums
Jeff Ling - guitars
Luke Kilpatrick - guitars
Jia O'Connor - bass




Tracklist:

1. Sparks
2. Old Ghosts/New Regrets
3. Dream Run
4. Wild Eyes
5. Dark Days
6. The River
7. Swing
8. The Slow Surrender
9. Atlas
10. Sleight Of Hand
11. Snake Oil And Holy Water

Previous records:
I Killed The Prom Queen / Parkway Drive(split ep), 2003
Don't Close Your Eyes (ep), 2004
Killing With A Smile, 2005
Horizons, 2007
Deep Blue, 2010

Sylosis - Monolith - 2012

Band: Sylosis
Album: Monolith
Country: UK



Release date: October 5, 2012
Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Progressive metal, Trash metal, Melodic death metal, Metalcore
Existed since: 2000



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Review:
I think the band mostly operates in the zone of proggy trash metal and melodic death metal, w some touches towards metal/death-core. There r some rly good melodies n guitar-work on this album.

Worth checking out



Album musicians:
Josh Middleton - guitar, vocals
Alex Bailey - guitar
Carl Parnell - bass
Rob Callard - drums



Tracklist:

1. Out From Below
2. Fear The World
3. What Dwells Within
4. Behind The Sun
5. The River
6. Monolith
7. Paradox
8. A Dying Vine
9. All Is Not Well
10. Born Anew
11. Enshrined

Previous records:
Casting Shadows (ep), 2006
The Supreme Oppressor (ep), 2007
Conclusion Of An Age, 2008
Edge Of The Earth, 2011

Birchville Cat Motel - Birds Call Home Their Dead - 2007

Band: Birchville Cat Motel
Album: Birds Call Home Their Dead, limited edition.
Country: New Zealand



Release date: 2007
Label: Celebrate Psi Phenomenon
Genre: Drone, Electronic, Metal, Noise, Experimental, Music Concrete, Instrumental
Existed since: 1995



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Bjørn's review:
The same stuff as allways. Brilliant, u cant go wrong. Ordinary people stay away. Stay clear.



Personel:
Campbell Kneale - electronics

Guest performers:
Dianna Thomson-Kneale - performer, electric sander
Neil Campbell - performer, flanging, flutter, wow
Bex Coogan - performer, Srceaming Wings Of Vengeance



Tracklist:

1. Birds Call Home Their Dead
2. Kissing Dragon
3. Her Anger Is Limitless

Noxagt - The Iron Point - 2004

Band: Noxagt
Album: The Iron Point
Country: Norway



Release date: June 23, 2004
Label: Load Records
Genre: Noise rock, Instrumental
Existed since: 1999



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Review:
Exprimental noise rock w a dirty sound. The music is somewhat hypnotic w Ergas fuzzy viola on top.
Im a bit unsure if they r still active, but they did held a concert in april this year. The members r also active in other bands/projects such as Hellfire and Ultralyd.



Album musicians:
Kjetil D. Brandsdal - bass, baritone guitar
Nils Erga - viola, violin, piano
Jan Christian L. Kyvik - drums, percussion

Guest musician:
Hagbard Heien - vocal




Tracklist:

1. Naked In France
2. Blood Thing
3. Acasta Gneiss
4. The Hebbex
5. A Blast From The Past
6. Thurmaston
7. Svartevatn
8. Regions Of May

Album releases:
Turning It Down Since 2001, 2003
w/ Ultralyd: Firebird/The Smell Of Incest (split lp), 2006
Noxagt, 2006

Swallow The Sun - Emerald Forest And The Blackbird - 2012

Band: Swallow The Sun
Album:  Emerald Forest And The Blackbird
Country: Finland



Release date: February 1, 2012
Label: Spinefarm
Genre: Melodic death/doom metal
Existed since: 2000



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Review:
This is a very calm album w some rly strong melodies. The vocals consist of both harsh n clean rock vocal. As w their previous releases, this is well thought-out album that has a good production.

Recommended



Album musicians:
Juha Raivio - guitar
Matti "horgath" Honkonen - bass
Markus Jämsen - guitar
Mikko Kotamäki - vocals
Aleksi Munter - keyboards
Kai Hahto - drums

Guest musicians:
Annete Olzon - vocals


Tracklist:

1. Emerald Forest And The Blackbird
2. This Cut Is The Deepest
3. Hate, Lead The Way
4. Cathedral Walls
5. Hearts Wide Shut
6. Silent Towers
7. Labyrinth Of London (Horror Pt. IV)
8. Of Death And Corruption
9. April 14th
10. Night Will Forgive Us

Previous records:
The Morning Never Came, 2003
Ghosts Of Loss, 2005
Hope, 2007
Plague Of Butterflies (ep), 2008
New Moon, 2009

Woods Of Ypres - Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light - 2012

Band: Woods Of Ypres
Album: Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light
Country: Canada



Release date: February 15, 2012
Label: Earache Records
Genre: Melodic blackish metal
Existed since: 2002
Disbanded: 2011



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Review:
Downtempo, melodic blackish metal. David Gold sings w his dark bass vocal, often overlapping that vocal w a brighter vocal. Occasionally he uses his harsh voice.
This was unfortunately his last record, as he tragically died in a car accident desember last year. RIP.



Album musicians:
David "Veillko" Gold - vocals, rhythm guitar, drums
Joel Violette - lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, piano

Guest musicians:
Raphael Weinroth-Browne - cello
Angela Schleihauf - Oboe




Tracklist:

1. Lightning & Snow
2. Death Is Not An Exit
3. Keeper Of The Ledger
4. Traveling Alone
5. Adora Vivos
6. Silver
7. Career Suicide (Is Not Real Suicide)
8. Modern Life Architecture
9. Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)
10. Alternate Ending

Previous records:
Against The Seasons: Cold Winter Songs From The Dead Summer Heat (ep), 2002
Pursuit Of The Sun & Allure Of The Earth, 2004
Woods III: The Deepest Roots And Darkest Blues, 2007
Woods IV: The Green Album, 2009

Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg - 2011

Band: Thy Catafalque
Album: Rengeteg
Country: Hungary



Release date: November 11, 2011
Label: Season Of Mist
Genre: Avantgarde black metal
Existed since: 1998



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Review:
Hungarian Tamás Kátai's one man band gives us 10 good, melodic songs on this album. He sings both clean n harsh vocals, in hungarian. The music got folk influence that r well incorporated into the melodies.


Album musicians:
Tamás Kátai - guitar, bass, keyboards, programs, vocals




Tracklist:

1. Fekete mezők
2. Kel keleti szél
3. Trilobita
4. Kő koppan
5. Vashegyek
6. Holdkomp
7. Kék ingem lobogó
8. Az eső, az eső, az eső
9. Tar gallyak végül
10. Minden test fű

Previous records:
Sublunary Tragedies, 1999
Microcosmos, 2001
Tűnő Idő Tárlat, 2004
Róka Hasa Rádió, 2009

Uneven Structures - Februus - 2011

Band: Uneven Structure
Album: Februus
Country: France



Release date: October 31, 2011
Label: Basick Records
Genre: Math metal, Progressive metal, Ambient
Existed since: 2008



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Review:
It took me a while to rly get into this double album. First disc is very varied. I hear influences from BTBAM, Intronaut, n they got a bit dirty sound. The songs have some rly good progressive melodies n vocal lines.
What i like about this band is that they dont stress the music, but use their time to build up the melodies.
Disc 2 consists of 3 calm ambient song. The tones stretches, n i get a bit spacey feeling from them.

Highly Recommended.



Album musicians:
Benoit Friedrich - bass
Jérôme Colombelli - guitar
Aurélien Perreira - guitar, ambiences
Igor Omodei - guitar
Matthieu Romarin - vocals
Jean Ferry - drums



Tracklist:

Disc 1

1. Awaken
2. Frost
3. Hail
4. Exmersion
5. Buds
6. Awe
7. Quittance
8. Limbo
9. Plentitude
10. Finale

Disc 2

1. Dew Upon Shapeless Bounds
2. Winds From Untold Memories
3. Promises Of Early Days

Previous records:
8 (ep), 2009

Kamelot - Silverthorn - 2012

Band: Kamelot
Album: Silverthorn
Country: USA/Sweden



Release date: October 26, 2012
Label: SPV
Genre: Progressive metal, Symphonic metal, Goth metal, Power metal
Existed since: 1991



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Review:
After the depature of Kamelot's previous vocalist Roy Khan, they have found his replacement in another great prog metal singer, Tommy Karevik of swedish prog metal band 7th Wonder. They also got 2 guest female vocalists on this album, Elize Ryd of Amaranthe singing the clean vocal and Alissa White-gluz of The Agonist doing the harsh vocal.
The album begins w an symphonic intro w female choir, be4 their first song Sacrimony kicks in. the opening of this song, when Karevik begins to sing, is so Arena. just listen to Arena's The Great Escape from their lastest album. Apart from that the album is all Kamelot. Great melodies n musicianship. The production follow their previous record, Poetry For The Poisoned, 2010.
Songwriter Youngblood works w the vocalist when he lay the fundaments for the songs, so i guess Karevik got the honor now:) Much of the vocal line n sound rly resembles Khan singing, but he truly got his own singing style that shines through. Recommended.




Album musicians:
Thomas Youngblood - guitar
Casey Grillo - drums
Oliver Palotai - keyboards
Sean Tibbetts - bass
Tommy Karevik - vocal


Guest musicians:
Elize Ryd - female vocals
Alissa White-Gluz - harsh vocals
Sascha Paeth - guitars
Miro - keyboards


Tracklist:

1. Manus Dei
2. Sacrimony (Angels Of Afterlife)
3. Ashes To Ashes
4. Torn
5. Song For Jolee
6. Veritas
7. My Confession
8. Silverthorn
9. Falling Like The Fahrenheit
10. Solitaire
11. Prodigal Son
Part 1: Funeral
Part 2: Burden Of Shame(The Branding)
Part 3: The Journey
12. Continuum

Previous albums:
Eternity, 1995
Dominion, 1997
Siège Perilous, 1998
The Fourth Legacy, 1999
Karma, 2001
Epica, 2003
The Black Halo, 2005
Ghost Opera, 2007
Poetry For The Poisoned, 2010

16b - Sounds From Another Room - 1998

Band: 16b
Album: Sounds From Another Room
Country: UK



Release date: April 27, 1998
Label: Alola
Genre: Progressive house, Deep house, Tech house, Instrumental
Existed since: 1998



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Review:
The debut from english house wiz, Omid, is a showcase of great, engaging melodies. All the songs on the album stands on its own, n even now, 15 years after its release i still can sense a freshness to it n i occasionally put it on to dwelve into its quiet beats. Classic.




Album musicians:
Omid Nourizadeh - electronics



Tracklist:

1. New Start
2. Change
3. Sounds
4. It Doesn't Have To End
5. Water Ride
6. A Moment To Stop
7. Falling
8. Remote Control
9. TR Mood
10. Black Hole
11. For C

Later albums:
Million Dollar Man, 2001
How to Live 100 Years, 2002
Like 3 Ears and 1 Eye (Part 1), 2007
Like 3 Ears and 1 Eye (Part 2), 2008

Substructures - Monolith - 2011

Band: Substructrure
Album: Monolith
Country: USA



Release date: September 2, 2011
Label: self-release
Genre: Djent, Progressive metal, Deathcore
Existed since: 2011


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Review:
This mini album is a great surprise. They remind me of Born Of Osiris w their space leanings, n The Contortionist w their downtempo, jazzy passages. The melodies are good n progressive, and the hard passages got real punch to them.
Main vocalist David Bruno got a rly good, harsh growl, but im a bit uncertain if they use a second screaming vocalist or if its Bruno that handles those vocals aswell.
Absolutely a band to watch out for in the deathcore scene, as they are in the making of a new, i guess, 2013-album.



Album musicians:
David Bruno - vocals
Jordan Sanders - guitar
Kevin Danneman - guitar
Joey Harrell - bass
Joey Nichols - drums




Tracklist:

1. Cassiopeia
2. Canis Minor
3. Canis Major
4. Telescopium
5. Monoceros
6. Cepheus

Listen to full album at Bandcamp

Autonomist - Autonomist(ep) - 2012

Band: Autonomist
Album: Autonomist (ep)
Country: USA



Release date: August 8, 2012
Label: self-release
Genre: Djent, Melodic groove metal, Instrumental
Existed since: 2012



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Review:
With 3 guitarplayers this is surely a gutar driven debut ep. They got a good groove in their music n the sound is pleasant, though maybe a bit underdeveloped n the ep lacks variety. They are working on a full-length, so hopefully w a better production the highs n lows will appear clearer.



Album musicians:
Shaun Condon - guitar
Aaron LeVesque - guitar
David Reveles - drums
Dennis Quinliven - guitar
Scott Jones - bass




Tracklist:

1. Adytum
2. Majestic
3. Departure
4. Godless
5. Submerse
6. Smoked

Listen to full album at Bandcamp

Ihsahn - Eremita - 2012

Band: Ihsahn
Album: Eremita
Country: Norway



Release date: June 18, 2012
Label: Candlelight records
Genre: Progressive metal
Existed since: 2005



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Review:
Ihsahn got his own distinctive sound, mainly because he do most of the instruments n the production himself. The sounds is both hard n soft n the melodies are really good n progressive.
w him on this album u find Devin Townsend and Jeff Loomis, that both have released albums this year. check out the excellent Jeff Loomis song, Surrender. also on this album u will find Jørgen Munkeby of free jazz/black metal act Shining, drummer Andersen from Leprous, and ex-satyricon bassist Lars Norberg.

Recommended



Album musicians:
Vegard Sverre "Ihsahn" Tveitan - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards
Jørgen Munkeby - saxophone
Tobias Ørnes Andersen - drums
Lars Norberg - bass


Guest musicians:
Heidi "Ihriel" Solberg Tveitan - vocals
Einar Solberg - vocals
Devin Townsend - vocals
Jeff Loomis - guitar



Tracklist:

1. Arrival
2. The Paranoid
3. Introspection
4. The Eagle And The Snake
5. Catharsis
6. Something Out There
7. Grief
8. The Grave
9. Departure
10. Recollection(deluxe bonus)

Previous records:
The Adversary, 2006
AngL, 2008
After, 2010

Gazpacho - March Of Ghosts - 2012

Band: Gazpacho
Album: March Of Ghosts
Country: Norway


Release date: March 12, 2012
Label: KScope
Genre: Art Rock, Neo-progressive, Crossover prog, Atmospheric rock
Existed since: 1996


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Review:
Prog rockers Gazpacho released their 7th full-length spring this year. This is atmospheric music, w Ohme's calm voice giving the band a distinctive sound.
their 2009 release Tick Tock, was self-released, but now they have connected to the KScope label that have bands like Porcupine Tree, The Pineapple Thief n Anekdoten in their stall.



Album musicians:
Jan-Henrik Ohme-vocals
Jon-Arne Vilbo-guitars
Thomas Andersen-keyboards, programming
Lars Erik Asp-drums
Kristian Torp-bass
Mikael Krømer-violin, mandolin




Tracklist:

1. Monuments
2. Hell Freezes Over I
3. Hell Freezes Over II
4. Black Lily
5. Gold Star
6. Hell Freezes Over III
7. Mary Celeste
8. What Did I Do?
9. Golem
10. The Dumb
11. Hell Freezes Over IV

Previous records:
Bravo, 2003
When Earth Lets Go, 2004
Firebird, 2005
Night, 2007
Tick Tock, 2009
Missa Atropos, 2010