Gloryhammer - Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife

Band: Gloryhammer

Album: Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife

Country: UK

Release date: March 29, 2013

Label: Napalm Records

Genre: Power Metal

Existed since: 2010

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Review:
The album starts with a short intro, that i usually skips, before the first song 'The Unicorn Invasion Of Dundee', kicks in. It is a really good opener song, that pulls you right into the story. The albums theme is fantasy, so there's no shocker there.
Musically they stay in the general power metal field, with great melodies and musicianship. The album contains some rly good guitar solos. There are some repetative lyrics/musically part that i think drag the overall impression down, but this is still an impressive debut from the englishmen.
The bonus song, Wizards!, sounds like it came out of the last Angra album.

Highly Recommended.

Album musicians:

Christopher Alexander Bowes - keyboards
James Cartwright - bass
Ben Turk - drums
Paul Templing - guitars
Thomas Laszlo Winkler - vocals

Tracklist:

1. Anstruther's Dark Prophecy
2. The Unicorn Invasion Of Dundee
3. Angus McFife
4. Quest For The Hammer Of Glory
5. Magic Dragon
6. Silent Tears Of Frozen Princess
7. Amulet Of Justice
8. Hail To Crail
9. Beneath Cowdenbeath
10. The Epic Rage Of Furious Thunder
11. Wizards! (bonus)

Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - Saivon Lapsi

Band: Eternal Tears Of Sorrow

Album: Saivon Lapsi

Country: Finland

Release date: February 22, 2013

Label: Suomen Musiikki

Genre: Extreme Power Metal, Melodic Death Metal

Existed since: 1991

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Review:
A strong release from the finnish veterans, yet with weak parts in the death metal parts. The power metal aspects on the other hand is splendid, with memorable melodies. The guitar works are also worth mentioning, which at times is virtous.

Highly Recommended.

Album musicians:

Jarmo Puolakanaho - guitars
Altti Veteläinen - vocals, bass
Janne "RunQ" Tolsa - keyboards
Jarmo Kylmänen - vocals
Juho Raappana - drums
Mika Lammassaari - guitars 

Guest musician:
Miriam Elisabeth "Sfinx" Renvåg - vocals 

Tracklist:

1. Saivo
2. Dark Alliance
3. Legion Of Beast
4. Kuura
5. Dance Of December
6. The Day
7. Sound Of Silence
8. Beneath The Frozen Leaves
9. Swan Saivo
10. Blood Stained Sea
11. Angelheart, Ravenheart (Act III: Saivon Lapsi)

Released records:
Sinner's Serenade, 1997
Vilda Mánnu, 1998
Chaotic Beauty, 2000
A Virgin And A Whore, 2001
Before The Bleeding Sun, 2006
Children Of The Dark Waters, 2009

Agrypnie - Aetas Cineris

Band: Agrpynie

Album: Aetas Cineris

Country: Germany

Release date: March 15, 2013

Label: Supreme Chaos Records

Genre: Melodic Black Metal, Post Black Metal, Progressive

Existed since: 2004

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Review:
The album consists of 8 songs thats lasts from 8 - 12 minutes, so there is a lot to digest here. Musically they range from the calm n atmospheric to the fast n hard. There is tons of good melodies in all the songs, n the vocalist adds great texture with his german lyrics.

Highly Recommended.

Album musicians:

Torsten "Der Unhold" Hirsch - vocals, guitars, bass, programming
René Schott - drums
Martin Kühr - guitar
Nathanael - bass

Guest musician:
David "Eklatanz" C. - vocals

Tracklist:

1. Trümmer / Aetas Cineris
2. Dezember
3. Gnōsis
4. Zurück
5. Kosmos (Alpha)
6. Erwachen
7. Sinnflut
8. Asche

Released records:
F51.4, 2006
Exit, 2008
16[485], 2010
Asche (EP), 2011

Disperse - Living Mirrors

Band: Disperse

Album: Living Mirrors

Country: Poland

Release date: February 19, 2013

Label: Season Of Mist

Genre: Progressive Metal, Jazz/Metal, Jazz/Rock, Fusion

Existed since: 2007

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Review:
Really good second album from polish Disperse. They play djenty prog metal ala Textures w strong influence from technical jazz/metal n jazz/rock, with some of the songs in the modern jazz spectre.
Vocalist Rafał Biernacki adds great techniques and manipulations w his voice, n the guitar solos breaks down in orgasmic melotechnics.
Check out the best opener-song on the album, Profane The Ground.

Highly Recommended.

Album musicians:

Rafał Biernacki - keyboards, vocals
Jakub Żytecki - guitars
Maciek Dzik - drums
Daniel Kesler - guitars
Wojtek Famielec - bass

Tracklist:

1. Dancing With Endless Love
2. Enigma Of Abode
3. Profane The Ground
4. Prana
5. Message From Atlantis
6. WOW!
7. Universal Love
8. Be Afraid Of Nothing
9. Unbroken Shiver
10. Touching The Golden Cloud
11. Butoh
12. Choices Over Me
13. AUM

Released records:
Journey Through The Hidden Gardens, 2010

Enochian Theory - Life...And All It Entails

Band: Enochian Theory

Album: Life...And All It Entails

Country: UK

Release date: March 12, 2012

Label: Anomalousz Music Records

Genre: Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal

Existed since: 2004

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Review:
I dont know if its justifiable to call this metal. There are absolutely many metal elements in the music and some growling, but the softness of the music overall makes it hard to put in that genre, so maybe its easier to just mark it as progressive rock.
Besides from that this is a great album, filled with strong songs, and Ben Harris' excellent voice, filling the music with memorable vocal lines.
Among influences in the music i would certainly add Tool, 'In Times Of Silence' resembles a harder take on Marilyn Manson. Also add some symphonic and electronic elements.

Highly Recommended.

Album musicians:

Ben Harris-Hayes - vocals, guitars
Shaun Rayment - bass
Sam Street - drums

Tracklist:

1. Zero Is Also A Number
2. This Aching Isolation
3. Hz
4. Non Sum Qualis Eram
5. Distances
6. Inversions
7. Creatio Ex Nihilio
8. In Times Of Silence
9. For Your Glory, Great Deceiver
10. Nisi Credideritis, Non Intelligetis
11. The Motives Of The Machine
12. Singularities
13. Loves
14. The Fire Around The Lotus (bonus)

Released records:
Our Lengthening Shadows (ep), 2005
A Monument To The Death Of An Idea, 2007
Evolution: Creatio Ex Nihilio, 2009

PS! The titlenames in the video are not accurate.

Dol Ammad - Cosmic Gods: Episode I - Hyperspeed

Band: Dol Ammad

Album: Cosmic Gods: Episode I - Hyperspeed

Country: Greece

Release date: March 28, 2013

Label: Electronic Art Metal Records

Genre: Sci-Fi Metal, Fusion

Existed since: 2000

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Review:
Second up is Dol Ammad, who sounds like grand choiring meets future metal. There are lots of electronic elements in the music, like the opening of Noctis Labyrinthus that reminds me of the old records Amon Tobin used on his excellent Permutation.

Recommended.

Album musicians:

Greg Perialas - bass vocals
Anila Teli - soprano vocals
Melina Paschalidou - soprano vocals
Alex Barbas - tenor vocals
Asterios Tsetsilas - tenor vocals
Dimitra Athanasatou - alto vocals
Athanasia Thomopoulou - alto vocals
Thanasis Pavlou - bass vocals
Thanasis Lightbridge - synthesizers, drums
Themis Mpasdekis - tenor vocals
Kortessa Tsifodimou - soprano vocals
Kyriakos Chouvardas - bass vocals
Dimitris Makrantonakis - guitars, bass
Sofia Patsi - alto vocals

Tracklist:

1. Magus Invicta
2. Noctis Labyrinthus
3. Golden Phantasma
4. Titan Warriors
5. Xenocide
6. Stargate Pyramid
7. Omniversal God
8. Hyperspeed
9. Supernova
10. Caravan Of Mars
11. Seeds Of Life

Released records:
Star Tales, 2004
Ocean Dynamics, 2006
Winds Of The Sun (ep), 2010

Rotting Christ - Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy

Band: Rotting Christ
Album: Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
Country: Greece


Release date: March 1, 2013
Label: Season Of Mist
Genre: Melodic Black Metal, Dark Folk Metal
Existed since: 1987


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Review:
Thought i put out reviews by two greek bands today =)
First up is veterans Rotting Christ, whos last effort topped my 2010 list.  They are back with another quality record, filled w their own sound of dark folk, black metal. Their signature riffs shines through and the female voices sounds like witches swearing out their curses.

Highly Recommended.


Album musicians:
Sakis "Necromayhem" Tolis - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards
Themis "Necrosauron" Tolis - drums

Guest musicians:
Giannis Stamatakis - choir
Theodoros Aivaliotis - choir
Alexandros Loutriotis - choir
Babis Alexandropoulos - choir
Androniki Skoula - choir
Eleni Vougioukli - vocals, piano
Suzana Vougioukli - vocals
Giorgis Nikas-Askavlos - gaida, tsampouna, blowing horn, blowing conch, ntaouli
George Emmanuil - guitar solo


Tracklist:

1. In Yumen - Xibalba
2. P'unchaw kachun - Tuta kachun
3. Grandis Spiritus Diavolos
4. Κατά τον δαίμονα του εαυτού
5. Cine iubeşte şi lasă
6. Iwa Woodoo
7. Gilgameš
8. Русалка
9. Ahura Mazdā-Aŋra Mainiuu
10. Χξς'
11. Welcome to Hel (bonus)

Released records:
Rotting Christ / Monumentum (spilt ep), 1991
Passage To Arcturo (ep), 1991
Dawn Of The Iconoclast (ep), 1992
Thy Mighty Contract, 1993
Αποκαθήλωσις (ep), 1993
Non Serviam, 1994
Satanas Tedeum (ep), 1994
Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers, 1996
A Dead Poem, 1997
The Mystical Meeting (ep), 1997
Sleep Of The Angels, 1999
Khronos, 2000
Genesis, 2002
Sanctus Diavolos, 2004
Theogonia, 2007
Aealo, 2010