Summer’s End-s/t
(Hand of Hope, 2005)

Combining horror and metal core could be seen as being a pretty original concept for a band these days. Summer’s End lyrically and graphically is very horror based, with lyrics about the living dead and a cover graced with drawings of zombies. Musically though, this is pure metal with chugging riffs, breakdowns and a surprising amount of solos. Thinking along the lines of a cross between Unearth and If Hope Dies would give you an idea of where to start. Add it more scathing breakdowns though and a bit less In Flames influence then If Hope Dies.

Musically the band brings in quite a few melodic elements. Swedish style riffing combines chugging with melodic runs, but there is hardly any melody vocally, aside from the guest appearance of Michael Graves on Headwound that is. It was actually very surprising to hear him on this track because he sounds nothing like he did during his stint with The Misfits. The song itself is possibly a bit too long, but the combination of clean vocals and the bands usual scathing scream serve as a nice contrast.

I think the band could tighten things up a bit structure wise. Some of the songs are a bit longer then they possibly should have been. The inclusion of solos might be why the songs seem longer then the average metalcore song though. The solos themselves are quite good, although there are a few glaringly out of key sections every now and then. It almost gives the solos a vintage Slayer vibe, but I’m not quite sure if that is what the band was going for.

Metalcore bands are a dime a dozen these days, but the horror themes and soloing help these guys stand out from the pack just a little. This is a band that is still early in its career and for a debut album this definitely shows a lot of promise for the future.

Maze of Torment-Hammers of Mayhem
(Black Lodge/PHD Canada, 2005)

Maze of Torment return with 11 new tracks of blackened thrash mayhem. Fans of the bands work up until this point will be treated to the band’s best material yet, while newcomers to the band will be whipped into a head banging frenzy. Those unfamiliar with the band can expect fast blasting, harsh vocals, and a healthy combination of thrash, black metal and even some death metal stylistically.

While metal is becoming increasingly technical with bands trying to be as fast and heavy as possible, Maze of Torment really takes a different approach. This is stripped down, and honestly not very heavy. The guitars are heavy, but not extremely downtuned. They cut through the mix like razor wire, maiming all that get in the way. There really aren’t even any modern influences at work here. Even the faster sections are basically just thrash riffing played much faster. You could almost say that the band sounds like slightly slower and more controlled war metal.

Definitely adding to the old school flavour of the album is the inclusion of a cover of In League with Satan. Hopefully I don’t have to tell you who wrote the song. The album in itself is amazing without the cover, but it’s that extra icing on the cake. The band itself isn’t extremely Venom influenced. Well, I’m sure they were influenced by the band, but it’s just not as obvious as with some bands.

Fans of war metal, or thrash influenced black metal will definitely be into this one. Throw on your jean vest and get ready to bang your fucking head!

Eternal-Satanic Templars of the Dark Age
(Sinister Sounds, 2005)

From France, Eternal play blasting and cryptic death metal that definitely stands out right now. The band is equally influenced by Incantation, Angel Corpse and Immolation I’d say. The cryptic somewhat melodic Incantation riffing is present, but the band has a feel similar to Angel Corpse at times. The Immolation influence isn’t extremely evident, but it shows itself from time to time.

Vocally the band is extremely guttural bringing to mind vintage Incantation. The style is extremely dark sounding and really brings a lot of force to the band’s sound. I also hear a lot of Deicide in the band vocally, but this is better then anything they have done in years. The vocalist doesn’t need 20 layers of vocals to be powerful either.

Eternal are definitely a fast band. Even when the band isn’t blasting, which isn’t often, there is an endless amount of double bass pounding. When the band does slow down though, it’s usually for short sections of doom dirges similar to what Incantation would do. They don’t explore it as much as Incantation though, but it still stands as a nice contrast to the blasting.

Fans of everything from Krisiun, to Deicide, to Angel Corpse and Incantation will find elements of this band to get into. While I may have thrown around a few names in the review these guys definitely aren’t lacking creatively. Honestly this is one of the best death metal albums I’ve heard in sometime. They manage to bring back a vintage sound, but still keep things creative.

Ghostride-Cobrasunrise
(Golf/PHD Canada, 2005)

When I read that this band is essentially Will Haven with a new vocalist I was pretty damned quick to put the disc in and see what the band had to offer. While not very similar to Will Haven, Ghostride still offers chunky rhythms and heavy riffing, but more in a stoner rock meets metalcore type way. You could almost say that a bit of a modern metal influence comes into play during a few of the more rhythmic sections too, but metal has always been rhythmic and it really doesn’t mimic any of the bigger bands.

Think Will Haven meets Glassjaw with a stoner rock vocal approach and a fairly streamlined style and you’ll start to see what the disc has in store for you. The band is definitely varied though. The song writing itself definitely takes into consideration the vocal style as there are many riffs that take the rock influence even further. There are even some very well done quieter moments, such as the opening of White Wings of Death which has a stoner rock meets Glassjaw vibe.

It’s good to see that the guys from Will Haven have moved on and are creating music that doesn’t completely distance themselves from their earlier band, but definitely moves it into exciting new directions. Fans of heavy music with hints of rock and a melodic vocal approach definitely will want to check this out. It’s not every day you hear a band that seems equally influenced from Glassjaw as it is from Danzig. So this is one you don’t want to miss out on.

Since the Day-El Mensajero No Es Importante
(Bastardized Recordings, 2005)

For those who think that there is nothing new to come out of combining metal and hardcore, one listen to this new record from Since the Day will prove you dead wrong. The band is heavy, energetic, and comes across like a cross between death metal, and hardcore, with a technical flair in the riffing mixed with bludgeoning breakdowns.

I don’t know what it is about European metalcore, but it doesn’t fall into the same trendy clichés that American bands tend to emphasize. There are some clean vocals on here, but they definitely aren’t what you’d call the typical metalcore style by any stretch of the imagination. The same can be said for pretty much every facet of the band’s style. You might hear a riff hear and there that sounds a bit more ordinary but the way the songs are put together and the vast majority of the riffs themselves are quite unique.

The album is also very diverse. You’ll hear melodic riffing with guitar solos one minute and black metal fuelled blasting the next. They cover a lot of ground and really manage to keep it together and pull it off tremendously. The vast majority of the material on the album is rather mid-paced though. This isn’t what I would call a fast album, which definitely makes the band stand out even more in a time when most bands are showing off a tremendous thrash influence.

This is an album that really lets people know that there is still room for creativity in heavy music. Since the Day really has forged their own sound with this album, it’s heavy, emotional and in general is a roller coaster ride. This is a ride you don’t want to miss out on!

Revered Bizarre-In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend
(Spikefarm Records/PHD Canada, 2005)

What we have here is a re-release of the debut albums from probably the best doom metal band to ever come out of Finland, Revered Bizarre. If you are new to the band, what you can expect from the band is sick, plodding doom with Black Sabbath influenced riffs.

This is also a band that takes the word epic to new lengths. The album is only 6 tracks long but the running time weighs in at a hefty 74 minutes. That may seem a bit daunting at first, but once the ball starts rolling the album definitely goes by fast.

Add in a bonus disc that features 7 brand new songs as well as a video and this is a collection that doom metal fans definitely do not want to miss out on.

Esoteric-Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum
(Season of Mist/PHD Canada, 2005)

If the album name didn’t give it away, this definitely isn’t a metal album that is easily pigeonholed. The band plays noisy doom that almost borders on being soundscapes at times. The music is plodding with ringing riffs and sick growled vocals. You could almost call this funeral dirge music. The songs are incredibly long and drawn out, but the atmosphere creating is utterly suffocating.

There are some surprising melodic moments as well. The second track, The Blood of the Eyes, starts with a haunting melodic riff with subtle lead lines laid on top. The entire song actually remains fairly melodic, but still uses the growled vocal approach and heads back into the suffocating heaviness later on. They really do manage to keep things interesting and that is something that is often hard to do with plodding music.

The song lengths definitely are a bit daunting at first. The album is made up of 4 songs, with a running time of just over 50 minutes. In reality though the album really only has three actual songs and an outro of noise. Not noise in the traditional sense with jarring bleeps and nonsense, but it’s almost like a tidal wave of noise with samples littered throughout.

It’s so uncommon for an album this good to come around in metal these days that it’s hard to fully put into words just how great this album is. Fans of dirge doom and experimental music in general will definitely want to give this a listen. Turn off the lights, and get ready for one hell of an album.