Theocracy - As The World Bleeds - 2011

Band: Theocracy
Album: As The World Bleeds
Country: USA


Release date: November 21, 2011
Label: Ulterium Records
Genre: Progressive power metal
Existed since: 2002


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Review:
3 bands pops into mind while listening to this album, Symphony X, early Dream Theater and Angra. 2 guitarists overlapping each other w good riffs n great solos, but its still vocalist Matt Smith that shines on this record, giving us memorable vocal lines. Highly Recommended.



Album musicians:
Matt Smith - vocals, guitar, keyboards, orchestration
Shawn Benson - drums
Jonathan "Jon" Hinds - guitar
Val Allen Wood - guitar
Jared Oldham - bass



Tracklist:

1. I Am
2. The Master Storyteller
3. Nailed
4. Hide In The Fairytale
5. The Gift Of Music
6. 30 Pieces Of Silver
7. Drown
8. Altar To The Unknown God
9. Light Of The World
10. As the World Bleeds

Previous records:
Theocracy, 2003
Mirror Of Souls, 2008

Whitechapel - Whitechapel - 2012

Band: Whitechapel
Album: Whitechapel
Country: USA


Release date: June 19, 2012
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Deathcore
Existed since: 2006


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Review:
A fast-pacing hard-hitting album w good melodies. Unlike other deathcore bands i listen to there rnt that many soft passages on the album. I rly like the harsh vocal of Phil Bozeman, as he contributes much to the sound of the band. N w 3 guitars this is definitely a guitar based album w some rly good guitar riffs n solos.




Album musicians:
Phil Bozeman - vocals
Alex Wade - guitar
Ben Savage - guitar
Gabe Crisp - bass
Zach Householder - guitar
Ben Harclerode - drums



Tracklist:

1. Make It Bleed
2. Hate Creation
3. (Cult)uralist
4. I, Dementia
5. Section 8
6. Faces
7. Dead Silence
8. The Night Remains
9. Devoid
10. Possibilities Of An Impossible Existence

Previous records:
The Somatic Defilement, 2007
This Is Exile, 2008
A New Era Of Corruption, 2010
Recorrupted(EP), 2011

Wintersun - Time I - 2012

Band: Wintersun
Album: Time I
Country: Finland


Release date: October 19, 2012
Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Extreme power metal, Folk metal, Progressive metal
Existed since: 2004


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Review:
Its been a long wait since their self-titled debut masterpiece. Wintersun is finally back w enough material for 2 cds, Time I n II, w number 2 coming next year.
The album contains mainly of 3 songs clocking around 10 minutes each n 2 shorter instrumental songs.
This is epic folk metal, giving us great progressive melodies.

Recommended


Album musicians:
Jari Mäenpää - vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass
Kai Hahto - drums
Teemu Mäntysaari - guitars
Jukka Koskinen - bass

Guest musicians:
Mikko "Ilmarinen" Salovaara - choirs
Heri Joensen - choirs
Olli Vänskä - choirs
Mathias "Warlord" Nygård - choirs
Jukka-Pekka Miettinen - choirs
Markus Toivonen - choirs
Sami Hinkka - choirs
Alpha Valtias Mustatuuli - additional growling



Tracklist:

1. When Time Fades Away
2. Sons Of Winter And Stars
• Rain Of Stars
• Surrounded By Darkness
• Journey Inside A Dream
• Sons Of Winter And Stars
3. Land Of Snow And Sorrow
4. Darkness And Frost
5. Time

Previous records:
Wintersun, 2004

Samudra - Reformation - 2012

Band: Samudra
Album: Reformation
Country: USA


Release date: October 19, 2012
Label: self-release
Genre: Progressive metal, Deathcore
Existed since: 2010


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Review:
Hard-hitting deathcore w 2 vocalists overlapping each other, both singing harsh n clean, n also do some choir. The softer passages goes more towards jazzy prog-rock, w some stand-alone guitar-parts.



Album musicians:
Collin Duffy - guitar, vocals
Casey Parent - drums
Geoff Whitaker - bass
Patrick English - vocals, guitar
Chris Aguirre - guitar



Tracklist:

1. I
2. Beginnings: Put To Sleep
3. Elegance: The Wavering Light
4. Beauty: To Become The Sunset
5. Time: The Inner Workings of Autumn's Murder
6. Amnesia: Anatomy of a Breakdown
7. Samudra: A Gathering of Waters
8. Lifeless: Left in the Wake
9. Parasomnia: Bow Before The Coma
10. X
11. Revelation: Perceived Existence

Listen to full album at Bandcamp

Goatwhore - Blood For The Master - 2012

Band: Goatwhore
Album: Blood For The Master
Country: USA


Release date: February
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Death metal, Black metal
Existed since: 1997


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Review:
A for the most parts a fast-pacing album w good melodies. I would say they mainly play death metal, but w strong black metal influences.



Album musicians:
Sammy Duet - vocals, guitars
Louis Benjamin Falgoust II - vocals
Zack Simmons - drums
James Harvey - bass



Tracklist:

1. Collapse In Eternal Worth
2. When Steel And Bone Meet
3. Parasitic Scriptures Of The Sacred Word
4. In Deathless Tradition
5. Judgement Of The Bleeding Crown
6. Embodiment Of This Bitter Chaos
7. Beyond The Spell Of Discontent
8. Death To The Architects Of Heaven
9. An End To Nothing
10. My Name Is Frightful Among The Believers

Previous records:
The Eclipse Of Ages Into Black , 2000
Funeral Dirge For The Rotting Sun , 2003
Epoch Of Unlight / Goatwhore [Split] [EP], 2003
A Haunting Curse , 2006
Carving Out The Eyes Of God, 2009

Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone - 2012

Band: Be'lakor
Album: Of Breath And Bone
Country: Australia


Release date: June 1, 2012
Label: Prime Cuts, Kolony Records
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal
Existed since: 2004


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Review:
I rly tried to wrap my head around this record, n been listening to it since it came out just be4 summer. It consist of some rly talented songwriting n melodies, n its no surprise it does rly well on several top lists.

Recommended.



Album musicians:
George Kosmas - vocals, guitars
Shaun Sykes - guitars
Jimmy Vanden Broeck - drums
Steven Merry - keyboards, piano
John Richardson - bass


Guest musician:
Megan Sykes - flute



Tracklist:

1. Abeyance
2. Remnants
3. Fraught
4. Absit Omen
5. To Stir The Sea
6. In Parting
7. The Dream And The Waking
8. By Moon And Star

Previous records:
The Frail Tide, 2007
Stone's Reach, 2009

Listen to full album at Bandcamp

Existem - Years Of Winter - 2012

Band: Existem
Album: Years Of Winter
Country: USA


Release date: September 14, 2012
Label: self-release
Genre: Progressive metal
Existed since: 2010


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Review:
Rly good melodic american prog metal band who released their debut full-lenght last month. they use clean n harsh vocals. Closest influence i would say is Opeth, even though they dont sound like them . Some passages goes towards sludge/stoner.



Album musicians:
Brad Trinkl - guitars, synth, glockenspiel
Chris Gochis - guitars, vocals, piano
Ben Chipman - bass, vocals, mandolin
Matthew Chipman - drums, percussion



Tracklist:

1. Equals
2. Slay The Giant
3. Corruption, part 1: Balance
4. Corruption, part 2: Ruin
5. Years Of Winter
6. Solace
7. Natural State
8. Canyons
9. Ocean
10. She Speaks
11. A Message From Earth

Previous records:
Embryonic, 2011

listen to full album at bandcamp

Halcyon - Pastures (ep) - 2011

Band: Halcyon
Album: Pastures (ep)
Country: Australia


Release date: February 8, 2011
Label:
Genre: Progressive rock, Progressive metal, Jazz/rock/metal fusion, Instrumental
Existed since: 2009


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Review:
I think this is very melodic ep, mainly delivering soft jazz/rock fusion, but also heavy influenced by progressive metal. It is the guitar thats in focus, w Plini delivering some rly good, varied techniques.



Album musicians:
Plini - guitars
Allen - keyboards, piano



Tracklist:

1. Noodle
2. Noodle 2
3. Firefly
4. Waterfall
5. Intermission
6. Noodle 3
7. Django Fett
8. Nesting
9. Pastures

Listen to ep at bandcamp

Sithu Aye - Invent The Universe - 2012

Band: Sithu Aye
Album: Invent The Universe
Country: UK


Release date: October 15, 2012
Label: self-release
Genre: Progressive metal, Djent, Electronic, Instrumental
Existed since: 2011


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Review:
Second release from this talented guitarist. Like his first album, this got his guitar in the center w surrounding soundscapes. Good melodies n progressivity throughout.



Album musicians:
Sithu Maung Maung Aye - guitars, mixing


Guest musicians:
David Maxim Micic
Plini



Tracklist:

1. Invent The Universe
2. Grand Unification
3. Expansion
4. Baryogenesis
5. Particles Collide
6. Nucleosynthesis (Interlude)
7. Recombination
8. Dark Ages
9. Formation
10. Pale Blue Dot

Listen to full album at bandcamp

The Fine Constant - Myriad - 2012

Band: The Fine Constant
Album: Myriad
Country: USA


Release date: October 11, 2012
Label: self-release
Genre: Djent, Jazz/Metal fusion, Instrumental, Exprimental
Existed since: 2012


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Review:
A young girl w a 8-string guitar...how can it go wrong? =) This is for most parts tapping n experimental music, in the grey-zone between jazz n metal, djenting along musical structures. Truly a guitarist to watch out for.


Album musicians:
Sarah Longfield - guitar



Tracklist:

1. Introduction
2. Trancending Perception
3. M74
4. Nexus
5. Inevitable Disconnect
6. Ire
7. Paradoxos
8. Pari Passu
9. Gratitude
10. Ceaseless Compulsion

Listen to full album at bandcamp

Cyclamen - Memories, Voices (ep) - 2012

Band: Cyclamen
Album: Memories, Voices
Country: UK/Japan


Release date: June 6, 2012
Label: Realising Media
Genre: Djent, Atmospheric metal, Progressive metal
Existed since: 2008


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Review:
This is a varied ep, ranging from relaxing, atmospheric parts, to more metalcore/progressive metal. The vocals, ranging from harsh to clean, singing mostly in english, but also japanese.

Recommended



Album musicians:
Hayato Imanishi - all instruments



Tracklist:

1. Memories
2. Voices
3. The Blood Rose
4. If We
5. Saviour

Previous records:
Haunted Shores(split ep), 2009
Senjyu, 2010
Dreamers(ep), 2010

Hacktivist - Hacktivist (ep) - 2012

Band: Hacktivist
Album: Hacktivist (ep)
Country: UK


Release date: November 12, 2012
Label: self-release
Genre: Groove Metal, Rap, Djent
Existed since: 2011


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Review:
Not many bands manages to blend metal n rap in a good way. This uk act may have found way, mixing groovy metal w a rap duo, having a third high-pitch clean vocal contributing in some passages. The music got a good punch to it, but i do miss some harsh vocal.

Recommended



Album musicians:
J Hurley - vocals
Ben Marvin - vocals
Timfy James - guitar/electronics/vocal
Josh Gurner - bass
Rich Hawking - drums



Tracklist:

1. New Age
2. Unlike Us
3. Blades
4. Hacktivist
5. Cold Shoulders

Listen to full ep at Bandcamp

Converge - All We Love We Will Leave Behind - 2012

Band: Converge
Album: All We Love We Leave Behind
Country: USA


Release date: October 9, 2012
Label: Epitaph Records
Genre: Post-hardcore, mathcore
Existed since: 1990


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Review:
Converge was maybe the band that got me into metal. I got their 'The Broken Vow' on a The Wire Tapper-cd, n i rly liked their raw expression, explotionious vocal n great melodies. Even though it still took me a couple years to rly appreciate the various styles of metal, because at that time i was into...yea, the wire stuff, which will say exprimental n avant-garde stuff, n moving more into prog-rock, it did set a spark in me. Im allways changing in music styles, n in 5 years from now, i dont know what ill listen to.
Now they've released their 8th full-length, n i think its more back to basic, compared to the records they released between this n their Jane Doe album, which in some cases is more streamlined. They r back w this raw, dirty sound n their 'fuck you'-attitude. This record will definitely grow on me, so check it out;)



Album musicians:
Jacob Bannon - vocals
Kurt Ballou - bass, keyboards, guitars, percussion, theremin, vocals
Ben Koller - drums
Nate Newton - bass, vocals



Tracklist:

1. Aimless Arrow
2. Trespasses
3. Tender Abuse
4. Sadness Comes Home
5.  Empty On The Inside
6. Sparrow's Fall
7. Glacial Pace
8. No Light Escapes(bonus)
9. Vicious Muse
10. Veins And Vails
11. Coral Blue
12. Shame In The Way
13. On My Shield(bonus)
14. Precipice
15. All We Love We Leave Behind
16. Runaway(bonus)
17. Predatory Glow

Previous records:
Halo In A Haystack, 1994
Petitioning The Empty Sky, 1996
When Forever Comes Crashing, 1998
The Poacher Diaries(split ep), 1999
Jane Doe, 2001
You Fail Me, 2004
No Heroes, 2006
Axe To Fall, 2009
On My Shield(ep), 2010
Converge/Napalm Death(split ep), 2012

Enslaved - RIITIIR - 2012

Band: Enslaved
Album: Riitiir
Country: Norway


Release date: September 28, 2012
Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Black metal, Progressive metal
Existed since: 1991


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Review:
Norwegians veterans Enslaved is out w their 12. album. Like allways its quality throughout. Strong, progressive melodies n an instinct sound. No wonder young bands from around the globe draw alot of their influences from this band. Highly Recommended.



Album musicians:
Grutle Kjellson - vocals, bass
Ivar Bjørnson Peersen - guitars, keyboards, vocals
Arve "Ice Dale" Isdal - guitars
Cato Bekkevold - drums
Herbrand Larsen - keyboards, clean vocals



Tracklist:

1. Thoughts Like Hammers
2. Death In The Eyes Of Dawn
3. Veilburner
4. Roots Of The Mountain
5. RIITIIR
6. Materal
7. Storm Of Memories
8. Forsaken

Previous records:
Hordanes Land(ep), 1993
Emperor / Hordanes Land(split ep), 1993
Vikingligr Veldi, 1994
Frost, 1994
The Forest Is My Throne/Yggdrasill(split ep), 1995
Eld, 1997
Blodhemn, 1998
Mardraum - Beyond The Within, 2000
Monumension, 2001
Below The Lights, 2003
Isa, 2004
Ruun, 2006
Vertebrae, 2008
Axioma Ethica Odini, 2010
The Sleeping Gods(ep), 2011
Thorn(ep), 2011

Roots Of The Mountain


RIITIIR






Storm Of Memories

Dissona - Dissona - 2012

Band: Dissona
Album: Dissona
Country: USA


Release date:
Label: Self-release
Genre: Progressive fusion metal
Existed since: 2005


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Review:
This is very varied album, with influences from black metal, death metal, folk metal, different kinds of progressive metal. Dave Dubenic got a very versatile voice, doing both clean n harsh vocals. The harsh parts he sings more death/black metallish, clean his all over the place, i even think he resembles Mike Patton in some passages.



Album musicians:
Dave Dubenic - vocals
Matt Motto - lead guitar
Logan Wright - keyboard, rhythm guitar
Craig Hamburger - bass
Drew Goddard - drums, percussion



Tracklist:

1. Inverted Swarm
2. Fiction
3. Nest
4. Interlude I
5. Immersion
6. Avella
7. Eccentress
8. Fawn
9. Chrysalis
10. Interlude II
11. Lapse Into Hysteria
12. Illumination
13. Garden Of Rust

Gru - Cosmogenesis - 2011

Band: Gru
Album: Cosmogenesis
Country: Poland


Release date: October 18, 2011
Label: self-release
Genre: Progressive metal, djent, Instrumental
Existed since: 2011


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Review:
Came across this one-man band from Poland the other day. Really good guitardriven, spacey prog metal. It reminds me alot of Derek Sherinians work.



Album musicians:
Piotrek Gruszka - guitar, programming



Tracklist:

1. Universe
2. Nebula
3. Pulsar
4. Fermi Paradox
5. Stellar
6. Aurora
7. Andromeda
8. Zeta Reticuli