Terrordrome-Vehment Convulsion
(Grindethic Records, 2008)

There seems to be a few different types of technical death metal bruising eardrums. There is the spastic variety with thousands of quirky riffs and sweep picking and the more conventional style with barbaric ferocity and a style that fits much more easily into the death metal genre. The later is definitely the style that I prefer and Terrordrome fits into that category perfectly. This Greece based band throws a lot of riffs at you but at the same time this is much more memorable than most similar bands and there are a number of riffs that have a more streamlined approach that hit with tremendous impact.

Original they may not be, but Terrordrome definitely have some chops. This is similar in style to a band like Hate Eternal albeit a bit more grindcore based, but unlike the overrated Hate Eternal these songs are actually somewhat memorable and you can hear definition in the riffs. The vocals are guttural and I think a bit more variety might have helped in the vocal department. The guttural vocals are certainly powerful, but they can be a bit one dimensional at times throughout the album. This is also definitely what you would consider a fast album. A great deal of the album goes by at a blast beat driven tempo and it really gives the album an energy boost. The main problem with this style is that a lot of the songs tend to end up sounding fairly similar and that does happen here. That in itself doesn't really hurt the album and to be honest this isnt really a style that typically lends itself to having a varied approach.

Like I said earlier this isn't an original band, but they are good at what they do. The band plays with a lot of energy and keeps things varied enough to keep things interesting throughout. It would be quite easy for a style like this to end up sounding like a sloppy mess so the band definitely has a handle on their style and keep things tight enough to have an impact. If you are a fan of Origin, Hate Eternal or record labels like Goregiastic Records or Sevared Records, this is a slab of dearth metal youll want to check out.

http://www.myspace.com/terrordrome

Defeated Sanity-Psalms of the Moribund
(Grindethic Records, 2008)

There is no denying that Defeated Sanity are as brutal as it comes for death metal, but if you really dig into the bands sound on this album you'll be treated to some very unique rhythmic ideas for this style of music. The guttural roars and rapid fire guitar work are somewhat standard for the genre, but they are still powerful here none the less. The band could almost be seen as a cross between Tomb of the Mutilated era Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation with a somewhat jazzy feel coming through at times throughout the album.

This German band packs a lot of riffs into a song but surprisingly the band toys with rhythmic riffs a great deal and the blasting rarely becomes monotonous. The drummer has a knack for even spicing the blast beats up as well either with a unique cymbal pattern or just by using interesting pauses during the beat. With the ridiculous riffs the guitarist throws at the drummer it is definitely commendable that not only can he keep up but he throws fresh ideas into the music as well. There are quite a few moments on the album that have drumming unlike anything you have heard on a death metal album before. I hate to say that musically without this drummer this would have been slightly average, but that might have been the case. We've all heard guttural vocals, and rhythmic pinch harmonic filled death metal before and the drum performance helps to raise this above being just another death metal band. That's not to say that I don't enjoy the guitar approach of the band. There are some truly cool riffs on display here and some of the rhythmic riffs are downright crushing.

While I have no problem with the production, I'd definitely like to hear the band with a bit more clarity. This is the type of band that would really benefit would a beefy production with a lot of punch and the production on this album is just a bit muddy. That said I still have little trouble getting into this album and enjoying all of the intricacies of the bands sound. This is definitely an album that you will want to listen to quite a few times to pick up all of the little details and drum techniques that are quite different that what you normally would expect from the genre. Defeated Sanity at first might seem like they play a fairly standard style of brutal death metal, but after a few listens it'll all start to make more sense.

http://www.myspace.com/defeatedsanity

Detrimentum-Embracing the Deformity
(Grindethic Records, 2008)

The debut album from this UK based death metal is honestly the musical equivalent of a steel toed boot to the testicles. Before you even have time to gather your composure the first song is raping your ears with its darkly atmospheric approach to brutal death metal. It's a unique and vicious twist on the genre. Imagine Cryptopsy with a black metal infused approach and much more melody and youd have something on an idea as to what to expect from Detrimentum. This is an album that will make your head spin, but if you enjoy frantic music you'll love every second of it.

I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but the band has much sharper sound than most brutal death metal bands. There is definitely no shortage of heaviness, but the overall approach is much more cutting and the riffs arent really typical of the genre at all times. The band also uses some excellent slower doom like passages throughout the album that definitely help to break up the rapid fire nature of the album. One big problem the album does unfortunately have is a production that just doesn't work for a band of this style at times. During slower sections everything comes through clearly but during fast moments it seems hit or miss. Sometimes the riffs manage to squeeze through the guttural vocals and blasting drums, but it seems like a lot of riffs are somewhat lost and you really have to strain to hear them. Its a fairly typical production problem for death metal and in some sections the drums and vocals definitely overpower the mix.

Despite the production problem, this is still one hell of a death metal album. It takes the energy and unpredictability of early Cryptopsy and adds in hints of black metal and dark melody to make an interesting yet hard hitting slab of technical death metal. If you like your death metal relentlessly fast and with a technical edge, Detrimentum is a band that has all of the right ingredients. While the album isnt perfect, it is downright savage and bruising to your eardrums.

http://www.myspace.com/detrimentum

Agorhy-Ruptura
(Humanos Mortos Productions, 2008)

I've always been a big fan of Brazilian extreme music. There is usually a distinct edge that makes you know that the band is indeed from Brazil. Such is definitely the case with Agorhy. Taking parts of Chaos AD era Sepultura and fusing it with grindcore and than adding in some Ratos De Parao inspired hardcore, this is an energetic band that is as likely to tear your face off with a blasting section as they are to pound you with a crunchy section. This album is many things, but one dimensional it certainly isn't.

Most grindcore is based around blast beats and hardcore sounding sections, but Agorhy definitely throws a wrench into the gears of the genre. The blasting sections are indeed played with paint peeling intensity but they arent used to the point of becoming redundant. Each song is allowed time to breath and the band interjects discordant melody from time to time to spice things up even further. These moments definitely are where I hear a lot of Sepultura as they are similar in nature to the lead guitar approach used on a number of songs on Chaos AD. Another band that I am somewhat reminded of as well is Phobia, but this is a bit more varied and with a completely different vocal approach. Speaking of the vocal approach, the band uses a very interesting somewhat guttural approach that helps to give the band a very distinct feel vocally.

Aside from the actual full length album you also get the bands two demos as bonus tracks. The new full length is worth the price of admission alone but when you add in the ten or so bonus songs it makes this a package that all fans of grindcore would have a hard time passing up on. Agorhy plays an interesting and rhythmically varied style of grindcore that should please fans of everything from Sepultura to Phobia.

http://www.myspace.com/agorhy

Dantesco-Pagano
(Cruz Del Sur Music, 2008)

Dantesco may very well be the first metal band I have ever heard from Puerto Rico and truth be told I enjoy what the band is doing but I'm not really floored. The band plays a melodic form of doom metal that has slight power metal leanings throughout. Candlemass definitely seems to be one of the bands biggest influences and it comes across in the music quite strongly. So what you can expect from the band is mid-tempo doom with melodic riffing and more then a few rock based licks working their way into the songs.

The main problem I'm having with the album is that nothing really stands out all that much. There aren't any truly killer riffs that jump out at you. The songs are well put together but are slightly lacking in the catchiness department. I think the production doesn't really help the album much either. The guitar tone is rather flimsy at times and the drums aren't quite as tight as they could be. In all there just isn't much oomph to the album and some of the riffs definitely would have benefited from a beefier production. It's like listening to an orchestra through computer speakers. The intent is there but the sound quality just doesn't do what it should. I'm still somewhat on the fence with the vocals. I like the fact that the band sings in their native tongue but I just don't feel the vocal performance.

The thing about art is that you can look at a piece of art and even if it doesn't strike you, you can still appreciate it. That is how I feel about this album from Dantesco. I know that there are people out there that will enjoy this and the band certainly isn't a bad band by any stretch of the imagination. This is just a case of when a bands sound just doesn't really work for me. If you are a Candlemass fan you may want to give this band a chance. Who knows though, if they have a ballsier production next time they may even convert me. We'll just have to wait and see.

http://www.myspace.com/dantescopico

The Mass-Holocene #6
(Self-Released, 2008)

The Mass is one of the most unique and hard hitting bands abusing eardrums right now in the US. What makes a band like this appealing is the fact that the band takes a lot of chances and really doesn't care about pleasing the listener. I'm sure the band appreciates those of us that do understand what the band is doing but they aren't about to change anytime soon either. This self-released 4 song EP is limited to only 200 copies and is a visceral kick in the nuts for fans of the band. Everything the band has released has been amazing thus far and this is no exception.

While full length albums from this band have a bit more time to explore, for the most part these songs here are somewhat straight forward. There are a lot of plain ol rock riffs on display and the band is playing with a lot of intensity. Fear not though there are still a number of disjointed sections and some excellent saxophone noodling, both of which are fairly trademark for The Mass. The awesomely titled Fat Cobra is much shorter and packs quite the whollop having a hardcore meets thrash feel while still retaining the core sound of the band. The closing song brings in a much more doom oriented feel and clocks in at an epic 11 minutes in length. It packs some excellent dirty dirges along side a busier approach more typical of the band. Low and behold where you would expect a guitar solo you are treated to a saxophone solo which helps to secure this song as one of the best yet from The Mass.

This may only be around 25 minutes of new music from The Mass but it is definitely an exciting near half hour of music. This is one of the few bands that manages to combine a number of different styles, add in saxophone and make it work. The noise the band creates also seems very natural. It doesn't seem like the band is trying to be unique, it just automatically comes out in the music so it is very organic. Chances are this release may already be sold out but if you are a fan of original and odd music The Mass is a band you need to check out.

http://www.myspace.com/themass

Battleroar-To Death and Beyond
(Cruz Del Sur Music, 2008)

Really digging into an album from a band like Battleroar you realize that despite the fact that the band plays an epic and slightly unoriginal form of metal, the band still does an excellent job writing a solid heavy metal record. It doesnt take the genre in any new directions and has a Manilla Road meets Iron Maiden style that is satisfying but still slightly typical of the genre. There are definitely a few aspects of the bands sound that also bring to mind the Dio years of Black Sabbath as well.

The early heavy metal feel is definitely reinforced by the fact that the band tends to keep things mid-tempo. This isnt what you would consider slow but if you put it up against most of the current power metal around right now it isnt quite as bombastic. There are a lot of chugging triplets in the riffing and this is definitely where I hear the Iron Maiden influence coming through. That said the band seems to take influence from mainly the first two Iron Maiden albums which is a nice change. That said a lot of the songs on here do sound fairly similar with the exception being the lighter hearted Born in the 70s. The rest of the songs though all have a fairly similar feel throughout. It doesn't really hurt the album but if you are looking for a varied heavy metal album this definitely isn't it.

While this is a good album, it doesn't quite come together to form a classic heavy metal album. The songwriting could have been a bit much catchy and the overall sound could have also been more varied. Essentially its a heavy metal record that is pretty much average in every possible way. That in itself doesn't necessarily make this a bad record, but just don't go into the album expecting to be blown away. You'll leave satisfied but I don't think Battleroar will become one of your new favorite bands from the merits of this album alone.

http://www.myspace.com/battleroar1

Nefastus Dies-Urban Cancer
(Candlelight Records, 2008)

While the music of this Canadian band is easily associated with the black metal genre, Nefastus Dies have a unique take on the genre. The blackened metal onslaught is energetic with the band ripping through melodic riffs with a fury that almost gives the album a grindcore feel at times. The riffing is purely black metal with hints of a more metalcore feel giving it a rapid fire yet melancholic feel at times.

Thematically the band is definitely a bit unique for their genre of choice as well. Dont expect much lyrically about Satan as the lyrics seem to touch upon topics not usually associated with the genre. Vocally the band mainly sticks to two key styles, a harsh style and a powerful growl. The growl helps to give the music a slight death metal feel while the harsher approach is more typical of the genre. The music tends to change quite a bit through the album. The band seems like a cross between black metal and the more spastic side of grindcore. It gives the bands black metal styled sound a definite shot of originality.

If you are a fan of fast metal this definitely supplies the goods. The majority of black metal albums are spent blasting and this album is no different. The style of drumming is a bit tighter though and the triggers give a more death metal oriented feel to the drumming. Nefastus Dies are bringing a lot to the table and have written an interesting yet still very extreme metal album. This is an album that I would not only recommend to black metal fans but also to fans of a band like Despised Icon as well.

http://www.myspace.com/deadshapefigure

Daylight Dies-Lost of the Living
(Candlelight Records, 2008)

Lost to the Living is the third full length album from Daylight Dies and not only is it the best album yet from the band it also shows them moving into more original waters. Hints of the Katatonia influence are still present but the band has evolved into a melodic yet gloomy sounding band that is much hard to compare to Katatonia these days.

More often than not doom metal tends to be plodding, but that isnt the case here. Daylight Dies is far from being a fast band but the melodic guitar lines and concise drumming give the album an energy boost. Many similar bands try to sound as bleak as possible, yet this band utilizes hooks and manages to still be amply bleak. The music isnt as barren as say Evoken, yet it conveys a depressive vibe just as strongly. Few bands manage to be bleak yet memorable quite as well as this band. In fact the memorable nature of the songwriting is one of the bands biggest appeal. Whether it is the melodic guitar lines or the flawlessly performed growls and clean vocals, the band manages to have a layered sound yet this is as naked as metal gets. The level of emotion coming through the speakers is almost unparalleled in this style.

I'm sure there are still people out there that think doom should sound like Black Sabbath exclusively. Close minded doom fans will certainly miss out on a gem with this album then. The bands melodic and immediate style is the next evolution in melodic yet somber metal and regardless of how you classify it; this is an album that fans of all sub-genres of metal can enjoy.

http://www.myspace.com/nefastusdies

Headhunter-Parasite of Society
(Candlelight Records, 2008)

This is the first new Headhunter album in 13 years. At least that is what the sheet that accompanied the album said. Truthfully Ive never even heard of Headhunter before but the inclusion of Schmier from Destruction in the line-up is enough to make me take notice. So an old school band has reformed and the sound of the album is somewhat old school yet still modern as well. It has a slight Destruction feel yet at the same time this is more steeped in hard rock than anything Destruction has ever done. Mix thrash, power metal and hints of hard rock and you basically have Headhunter.

My ears are definitely enjoying the more uptempo songs. The title track is probably the standout track and it is one of the songs that sounds the most like Destruction on the album. I wouldnt say that there is necessarily any bands songs on the album but the more thrash oriented songs seem to have the most gusto and some of the slower stuff seems a bit more typical of the hard rock genre. I'm still somewhat unsure of the Skid Row cover. I'm a big fan of the song 18 and Life, but it just seems like an odd choice for the band to cover. They have changed the song a bit which is nice, but I still prefer the original. Schmiers vocals really don't suit the song and it shows. So at the end of the day there are some truly killer metal songs on here but there seems to be a bit of filler as well.

I'm not quite sure if I would say that this is an essential metal album. The title track is a strong song and for how solid the performance is a lot of the songs don't really seem to have much staying power. It's solid but not overly memorable. If you are familiar with the bands previous albums you may want to give this one a shot, just don't expect to be blown away. It's a fairly by the books metal album and that could possibly be just what people these days are looking for.

http://www.myspace.com/officialheadhunter

Shai Hulud-Misanthropy Pure
(Metal Blade Records, 2008)

Shai Hulud has been a favorite of mine for a number of years now and this latest album from the band makes me realize why even more. Few bands in the hardcore genre can be as vicious as this yet still take the time to make the songwriting interesting. The music is layered, melodic and quite progressive for the hardcore genre. Not only has the band stepped it up in the songwriting department, this is also the most pissed off the band has ever sounded. The notes arent just played they are pounded out of the instruments.

It almost makes me wonder if a band like Shai Hulud is more suited to the metalcore description than what is currently being called metalcore. This is truly a fusion of metal and hardcore and neither style overshadows the other. The songs are built upon layers and the band can go from playing a surprisingly somber melody to a tough as nails rhythmic riff in a matter of seconds. I hate to sound pretension and call this thinking mans hardcore, but there is just so much more to this than most hardcore. This isnt just four chords and a breakdown. Even longtime fans of the band will be surprised by the sheer amount of depth the band has put into these songs. This is an epic album even by Shai Hulud standards.

It may have been five years since the last album from Shai Hulud but the band certainly hasnt become lazy. This is possibly the best album yet from the band and one of the most interesting hardcore albums every released. Its rare that you find a band that is equally influence by Youth of Today as they are by Testament, in fact Shai Hulud may be one of the only hardcore bands to fully embrace metal and understand who to interject it effectively into a hardcore sound. If you are a fan of passionate and fast paced music prepare to be blown away.

http://www.myspace.com/profoundhatred