Dawn of Retribution- Blood Drunk
(Self-Released, 2007)

This may only be the debut demo for Dawn of Retribution, but it certainly doesn't sound like it. The band plays charging thrash infused death metal with an infectious rhythmic chunk and barbaric vocals.

Taking elements from Lamb of God, and Unearth the band creates a style that is fast paced yet still very rhythmic. The fast riffing is intricate with flashes of melody yet not quite to the point of sounding like it is influenced by Swedish death metal. A few riffs have a similar feel to The Black Dahlia Murder and the bands do share a similar approach, although Dawn of Retribution is more rhythmic and not quite as fast overall.

I like the fact that the songs have a large number of riffs making the songs exciting and fleshing them out more than bands that just have fast riffs mixed with one break down riff. The band covers a lot of different tempos and the three songs on display show that the band can handle playing slow as well as fast. They handle both masterfully and the songwriting flows quite well between both speeds.

I have no doubts in my mind that this demo will lead to a record deal for the band. This is a band that would go over very well with fans of the modern take on thrash metal. The songs are heavy and hard hitting and manage to be interesting with a variety of rhythms and an energetic vocal assault. This band comes highly recommended.

Official Dawn of Retribution Myspace

Candlemass-King of the Grey Islands
(Nuclear Blast Records, 2007)

Ill be the first to admit that I am not familiar with Candlemass and it really wasnt until recent years when doom metal clicked with me and made sense. I guess I was more into the speed driven side of metal in the past and with the exception of Autopsys dirge sections didnt really give the subgenre of metal much thought. Now that I have a taste for doom metal, Candlemass is right up my alley and this is one hell of an album.

Slippery grooves and wah drenched leads set the pace while a powerful vocal performance really helps to nail the point home. The riffs are all extremely memorable and have a slight Black Sabbath feel to them although the overall approach of the band doesnt sound much like the aforementioned band. They almost bring a 70s rock feel to the doom genre which makes it have a unique flavor that manages to sound vintage yet has a modern edge as well.

What kills a lot of momentum for some doom bands is that the songs seem to go nowhere and can get stale very fast. Honestly this is some of the most exciting doom metal I have ever heard. The band plays with a lot of energy and the music has dynamics to keep things moving forward at a brisk pace. Rarely will the band allow a riff to overstay its welcome, which is a problem a lot of doom bands have. Add in some extremely effective clean guitars, and air guitar inspiring guitar solos and you have what could easily be considered a modern classic of the doom metal genre.

It is quite easy to hear that these guys have been together since 1985. This is well written and has a class that only comes from putting years into your craft. If you enjoy doom metal this is an essential purchase. If you are like me and havent ever checked out Candlemass, this album would be a good time to get off your ass and change that. Youll thank me.

Arch Enemy-Rise of the Tyrant
(Century Media Records, 2007)

Although I did enjoy Doomsday Machine, Rise of the Tyrant is pretty much a better album in pretty much every way. The riffs are monstrous, the energy is endless and this is probably the best album the band has released since Angela has taken over the vocal duties.

Blood on Your Hands starts off the album with a bang with a thrash meets rock approach that has awesome technical riffs before shifting into a foot stomping chorus. This is probably the catchiest song the band has ever written and even if you are not a fan of the band this would be a song you would have to try very hard to not get into. The rest of the album shows the band continuing with their modern take on the thrash metal sound. This is as vicious as the band has ever been, but the songwriting seems to be a bit more satisfying this time around and the songs are much more memorable.

Guitar wise this is a phenomenal album. The guitar solos are incredibly well written and will not disappoint fans of the previous albums. With this album there are a few solos that are a bit mellower coming during more somber parts and to me it seems like something a bit new for the band. The album is also filled to the brim with twin guitar melodies which are one of the reasons the album is so memorable. The main guitar riffs themselves are of course performed impeccably and the songs are filled with the bands trademark rapid fire yet melodic riffs.

I think this album more so than the previous two lives up to the potential shown on Wages of Sin. The band has written a memorable and heavy album that is sure to please fans of the band. The opening song will suck you in and the rest of the album will keep your head banging until the very last note.

Throne of Katarsis-An Eternal Dark Horizon
(Candlelight Records, 2007)

With an epic and blasting approach to black metal, Throne of Katarsis is a violent and dark band with melodic whirlwind guitar riffs and furious drumming. The overall approach of the band is somewhat standard for the black metal genre, but it is effective none the less.

If you are familiar with early Norwegian black metal you know exactly what to expect here. The riffs are cold yet melodic with a trebly guitar sound and a fast strumming approach. When the band does slow down, which isnt often, the riffs take on a dark rhythmic feel with a slight Celtic Frost style coming in. There is also a slight doom feel to some of the riffs with a dark haunting quality being used to great effect. But of course with a band like this the album is mainly speed driven and if you like your black metal fast, this certainly wont disappoint.

I definitely applaud the madmen behind the band for managing to keep the songs interesting despite the long running times. The opening song is over 12 minutes long yet it doesnt feel like it drags at any point. The song uses dynamics to great lengths and helps break up the running time with an excellent acoustic passage towards the end of the song which keeps things interesting with a nice contrast to the usual harsh approach of the band.

While the production is a bit harsh, it certainly suits the band. The acoustic passages are warm and full sounding quite nice next to the harsh approach of the band. In all honesty though, this is a pretty damn good sounding black metal album. There are albums out there that are much harsher on the ears and this one has the trebly edge but it is still quite listenable.

If you are a fan of harsh black metal, Throne of Katarsis is right up your alley. This is an epic and well written black metal journey and makes effective use of dynamics.

Yakuza-Transmutations
(Prosthetic Records, 2007)

With a mammoth-like heavy sound, Yakuza pound through an hour of interesting metal music. The bands approach is filled with snail pace dirges punctuated with stabs of faster moments. It almost sounds like a doom band and a thrash band fighting over a rehearsal space with each turning up their volume to overtake the other. The speed comes as a surprise when it does come but it doesnt come across as being jarring.

The band employs a wide range of sounds and riffing styles. The main style is a slow moving but heavy as fuck doom style with ringing power chords and dissonance. Hints of thrash are noticeable at times bringing in a bit more restrained and almost melodic feel to some of the riffs. The band also throws a lot of odd and chaotic rhythms at the listener which will have your head spinning before the band goes back into one of their trademark dirge riffs.

This is an album full of surprises. The almost jazzy sax laced intro to Egocide is certainly one of those surprises. There is no shortage of straight forward bulldozing riffs, but there is much more to find here. With each listen you will discover new aspects of the album that you might have missed the last time you listened. To me that is the mark of a great album. You enjoy it for different reasons each time you listen to it.

If you enjoy your music heavy as fuck but with a sense of experimentalism, Yakuza certainly fits the bill. The album shifts from incredibly heavy to extremely mellow at the drop of a hat and the band does both equally well. Although they arent entirely similar, if you enjoy Neurosis or Mastodon, you should enjoy this one.

Colosseum-Chapter 1: Delirium
(Firebox Records, 2007)

Beautiful yet bleak, Colosseum have a unique take on the funeral doom genre. This is some of the slowest music you are likely to hear and there really isnt much in the way of dynamics to be found here. But that doesnt mean that this is a boring album. With plodding drums, droning guitars and melodic synths the band creates an aural experience that is almost intoxicating. This is the type of album that headphones were created for.

There is almost a horror movie soundtrack feel to some of the music found on this album. The synths in particular have an eerie Italian horror movie type feel and the beyond guttural vocals really help nail down the chilling feel of the album. Each song on the album has a fairly similar feel and while the songs are indeed lengthy they arent what you would consider boring especially if you enjoy this style of music.

While it might sound a bit cliche, this is the type of album that you need to experience first hand to fully understand what the band has to offer. Calling it slow and depressive might give you an idea as to what to expect, but you have to feel the music first hand to truly grasp the eerie vibe the album produces. Grab a set of headphones, turn off the lights and get ready for an eerily relaxing ride.

Pathosray-Self-Titled
(Sensory, 2007)

Progressive metal when done right is such an amazing listening experience. Pathosray is a perfect example of the genre done right. With a melodic yet rhythmic approach to the genre, the band seems to be a metal band first and foremost with the progressive side showing itself regularly but not at the expense of the songs. These are catchy songs that just happen to have technical flairs and some downright amazing keyboard playing.

On paper it may seem like this is somewhat typical of the progressive metal genre. They have heavy guitars, soaring vocals, unique rhythmic ideas and technicality to spare. What helps the band stand out is the fact that some of the riffing adds in a dissonant flair and the band also isnt afraid to play a bit faster than most progressive metal bands which gives a lot of the songs an almost progressive thrash feel to them. The riffing brings in a lot of different ideas but manages to remain consistent throughout.

What might come as a bit of a surprise is that the guitar approach is actually a bit more subdued than a lot of progressive bands. The riffs themselves are quite well written with changing rhythmic ideas and some very cool unique riffs that are extremely heavy yet still very melodic. But when it comes to guitar solos the album isnt as littered as you might expect. There is no shortage of technicality though as there are some excellent dueling sections between the guitars and the keyboards.

For a debut full length this Italian band is certainly destined to make quite the name for themselves. With an energetic and rhythmic approach that manages to be technical yet still very memorable, the band is poised to take the world of progressive metal by storm.

Dark the Suns-In Darkness Comes Beauty
(Firebox Records, 2007)

Dark the Suns is one of those bands that are so damn infectious that you can't help but be swept away by their melodic approach to metal. If you combined HIM at their most metal with the likes of Sentenced and then added the vocal approach of Swallow the Sun you would basically have Dark the Suns.

This is an extremely melodic album with crunching guitars and catchy keyboard lines to spare. Each song is literally filled with memorable riffs and to serve as a nice counterpoint the vocals are not melodic at all. The band utilizes a powerful growl and while it definitely contrasts with the music it the band fits perfectly. The growling to a certain extent reminds me of early Amorphis. Both bands were extremely melodic yet the vocal style employed was quite guttural. Aside from the growling vocals the band also uses a softer spoken style approach from time to time, but the growling is definitely the most common vocal approach used.

While I guess you could argue that the band isnt really do anything new with their melodic and dark take on metal, there is no denying that the band has a lot of offer. The songs are memorable; the performance is spot on and the guttural vocals help give the band a unique slant on the genre. If you are a fan of HIM, Sentenced or possibly even Darkseed, Dark the Suns play a brand of gothic metal that should make your ears happy campers.

DYSE-Self-titled
(Exile on Mainstream Records, 2007)

This one is certainly an oddity of massive proportions. The band plays a noisy and downright odd form of metal that switches from heavy rhythmic riffs to odd melodic moments complete with some downright strange vocals.

To even try and describe what the band does is hard but I suppose a cross between Voivod and Queens of the Stone Age might not be far off, but that certainly doesnt encompass everything that the band does or has to offer. The main two styles on display are repetitive almost rock sounded riffs and heavier and noisier riffs that have a driving rhythmic feel to them. There is an odd spastic feel to the music and while it is odd the band certainly keeps things together and moving forward. This doesnt sound like a train wreck.

Im not even sure what to say about this album to be honest. It is indeed completely original and very left of center. If you enjoy strange but heavy music with a rhythmic edge youll definitely enjoy this. If you ever wondered what spazz metal would sound like, look no further.