Initially when I heard the name of the band as well as when I hear the name of a band for the first time I like to guess what genre or what style of metal they play. Well, I had totally underestimated that as well as the overall aggressive nature this album holds. Continue reading “Album Review: Varang Nord – Fire of the North”
I can’t remember the last time I heard any new material from a Russian metal band. What I thought was an engaging album, Cydia‘s latest album, Victims of System is a modern day trip to the groovy side of metal that was prevalent in the last decade.
Continue reading “Album Review: Cydia – Victims of System”
Political and religious lies. The poor condition of the human race upon dreams of the everlasting universe. What stemmed the creation of their latest EP, really enticed me to check it out. Considering what’s going on in our world, why not release some built up tension and stress?? Continue reading “Album Review: Psychophobia – The Fall”
Dreams Of Victory is a six-piece Progressive Symphonic group out of the Ukraine. Strange name for a group to say the least, don’t always judge a group by their name until you’ve heard what they have to offer. In addition to those genres, the group also includes traditional metal elements as well as some flavorful keyboard pieces. There are moments of heaviness and moments of melody, making a satisfying blend of metal for your niche metalhead. Influenced by the tumultuous and eventful incidents that have been happening in Ukraine these last few years, the atmosphere at random moments reflects the group’s mood on this topic. Even the occasional presence of Doom and Goth metal make their way into this three-track EP.
The opening track titled, Overture, kickstarts an eerie, somber and slightly bold atmosphere. The progressive double bass, old-school riffs and addition of the fresh violins cook up a perfect recipe for a strong opening track. No vocals on this one, make sure to stick around for the epic clash of cymbals and fearsome double bass. The keyboards add that extra touch of awesomeness with a killer breakdown later on. Boy what a track! The Patriot has a more intimate melodic aspect with the vocals finally making an appearance in it’s clean nature. While I have no idea what they’re singing about, you can tell though there’s a passionate essence in whatever the lyricism entails. Very keyboard heavy, it’s a pretty simplistic track, although the intriguing and fast-played tapping solo really catches your attention. The self-titled track, Dreams Of Victory, is also an instrumental only track that is fast-paced and very atmospheric. The harmonization with the guitars and keyboards really is addicting and stimulating. Theres plenty of melody, harmony, heaviness and a little bit of a dark tone to appease many.
[tube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOKWBuJv-5Q[/tube]
A quick listen, there really weren’t any moments on the EP that were terrible. While progressive metal is repetitive in nature, hence the name of the genre, Dreams Of Victory did a satisfying job of keeping the album diverse and interesting. It would have been even more interesting if there were some death metal growls in there but that is just personal taste. If you like to keep things, simple yet heavy, give these guys a listen to. No they’re not technical in any sort of manner but sometimes simplicity can offer something that others cannot. Overall, I am a fan and hopefully the group releases their full-length album in the near future. Stay Metal m/
Dreams Of Victory EP: 9.5/10
Official Website: https://metalscraprecords.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-of-victory-dreams-of-victory
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamsOfVictoryband/
Symphonic Dark Death Metal. This is why our genre is the best. You can pretty much put together two sub-genres and make something spectacular out of it. From the suspensful first moments and beyond, there are many moments on this album that left me in awe and my body covered in goosebumps. From Padova, Italy, metal quartet Cruenta Lacrymis released their debut jewel titled, Sweetness and Blasphemy. Invigorating the album with personal favorite metal elements, the album is not for the faint of heart and reminded me of a few bands such as Arch Enemy and Noctem. That being said, the group claims major influence from Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Tiamat, My Dying Bride, Moonspell and a few more bigger named bands. Not only do they take musical influence into play but also take influence from famous Italian Director/Screenwriter/Producer, Dario Argento, especially for his dark and perverted horror cinematography. It did not take the group that long to release their debut album only after having been around for 3 years currently. Though the group has a heavy and rigorous style of play, they intend for the listener to pay more attention to the Symphonic aspects of the album, which is their main focal point.
A lengthy album, Sweetness and Blasphemy bring in all sorts of wild affairs for the listener. The band had no trouble in kicking things off in a dark and ominous manner with the tracks like The Steersman’s Course where the guitar playing is pretty tight at various points, the progressions and symphonic elements intertwine to create a sinister atmosphere. Then of course Mother Of Sigh gets even more downright evil with the symphonics in the background adding that extra touch of devious stimulation. Let the epic headbanging commence!
[tube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3zQDhIetEw[/tube]
If you’re like me and can’t get enough of dark keyboards, Downward will trigger those eargasms. Mix that up with some thrash headbanging and you’ve got yourself a moment of metal ecstasy. The same thing goes for the track, Luxury. If there is another component that I couldn’t get enough of were the vocals. The screeching vocals from lead screamer, Elena, were absolutely killer. Then to finish off the listener, Sound of Soul injects one more dose of cruel evil into the masses. A slow intro leads into a bombastic event, one that surely will make you want to put your seatbelt on for this journey. Eargasms get triggered again later on with intense galloping and definitive double bass rapture. Surely a superb choice to end the album.
Initially I had underestimated the album and it’s ferocity. Shredding riffs, speedy drums, a dark and heavy atmosphere, each track is consistently heavy and there is no bullshit ballads or slow down tuned tracks here. Evil waits for no man and this album lives to those standards. Likewise, the brutality is not for wimps so if you’re feeling edgy, you will fall in love with the album as I have. Perfectly captivating the essence of horror, Cruenta Lacrymis, are more than capable to make an impact in the metal scene. The world needs more music like this. Stay Metal m/
Sweetness and Blasphemy: 9/10
Official Website: http://www.cruentalacrymis.com/cruenta-lacrymis/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CruentaLacrymis/
Being a huge supporter of international metal, I was astounded after listening to Oblivion, the latest album from Ukranians, Mizantropia. Perfectly captivating human emotion in musical form, the album brings to light how humanity buries their emotions and the inevitable experience that makes one wither with time. The album features eleven well structured tracks that alternate from tenacity, emotion, epic atmospheres and many more features. The main strengths of the album include Symphonics, melodies and angry outbursts from lead singer/screamer Ekaterina Sinegina. From beginning to end, I was looking forward to each track and what surprised lurk at every moment. Many of the songs are sung in their language, Ukranian, which had an effect in some of the tracks. There are striking moments throughout and trying to label the album with one or two general genres is an impossible task.
The astounding first track, Dark Gathering, is a powerhouse track. Blending all my personal favorite metal elements, the track truly left a lasting impact on me. Eargasmic double bass, eargasmic and evil sounding symphonic components, killer vocals from lead woman Ekaterina Sinegina, eargasmic riffs, all manners eargasmic, propel this track into territories that one does not expect. Surely a great track to headbang to. Continuing this path of evil enchantments, it is time to enter, The Castle. A luring invitation entices the unprepared soul to come forth but behind the mystifying presence lies a track full of ominous intentions and brutal affairs. Overall a slower, down-tuned, heavier track, the addition of piano takes the track into a special spectrum. At one point the track gets a bit intense, overall, its just a dark passage that one goes through. For the moshers and extreme headbangers, check out, At the Bottom of Eternity. A little taste of the intensity the track will bring is shown at the beginning briefely, you’ll have to stick around for the chorus to experience it in it’s full glory. Thrash/Speed metal style drums, fast paced Symphonies once more, screaming vocals from the females, overall, worthy of a listen.
[tube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBlN8JxPlkw[/tube]
What metal album wouldn’t be complete and well-rounded with variety? Expecting The Battle and Fragments of the Void, are pretty tame when it comes to fierce metal. The addition of these tracks showcase the great talents of the group, proving that they can produce other tones of metal, not just wild and ferocious tracks. A track I felt had harsh emotions was the track, See No Sight. Eventually building momentum and anger towards the latter half, the track really gives off these emotions that the group needed to release. When I heard it, I felt it was a call for attention, where someone is asking for help or when someone really lets their true feelings out. It’s quite powerful to be honest. A rather surprising sounding track is featured towards the end titled, Insomnia. Compared to the entire album, this one is surely the most unique track. Following nonconformity, the track has more of a power/folk metal feel to it. Flutes, clean vocals, a satisfying pace throughout, and the beautiful sounding foreign lyrics give the band a new perspective. I think this is my personal favorite track from the album. Of course the last track is a bit of a jokester track, having a native polka sound to it, then taking it into metal territories and finishing off the listener with all their might.
Overall, the album embodies various metal genres/elements such as Gothic Metal, Death Metal, Symphonic Metal with hints of doom and dark metal. If you follow the Scandanavian metal scene, you might be able to indulge in this treat. Each element compliments one another with the overall aura of the album presented in an enticing manner. There are highs and lows, taking the listener on a roller coaster where one does not know what to expect in the next moment. From start to end, I was eager to hear what I would be experiencing next and that is not too often when that happens. I strongly believe the group should focus on releasing another album as soon as possible, as they surely have the talent to propel themselves into metal stardom. If you love all the aforementioned elements, you’ll know immediately if this album is for you. There are no murky waters, no beating around the bush, they are young, this is another gem waiting to be discovered. Stay Metal m/
Oblivion: 9/10
Let’s take a little trip over to the unfamiliar country of Belarus. Specifically, Gomel City. There is where Melodic Death Metal sextet, Stormhold is headquartered. These guys are very underground, they have a small following and come to the masses with intensity and uniqueness that determine to make a mark within the metal scene. With members whom had many years of musical familiarity under their belts, their position took much effort, dedication and time on their side to initially release their first full-length album titled, The Lost World. Before the release of the album, they had previously released several demos and EP’s which all garnered great reviews from many media outlets. During the existence of the band, they have performed with a large list of metal acts such as Rotting Christ, Suidakra, Mortem, Witchhunter, Grimfaith, Infestum, Anal Grind and many many more. In regards to their celebrated first album release, The Lost World, the album entices the listener with seven full-length tracks that traverse into the aforementioned melodeath territory in addition to several progressive elements, which I found to be rather interesting.
With a slightly Power Metal atmosphere, the album kicks off with the headbangable track Wind of Freedom. Epic blast beats, gutteral vocals, galloping double bass, epic keyboards and an array of melodeath elements, this track stops and goes as it pleases. The track gains speed, slows down and repeats this throughout, while throwing a solo full of shred that had me underestimating this one. The eargasmic galloping that immediately proceeds surely enticed me to get a little wild.
The Understanding of Truth enters into progressive territory. This one took me by surprise as select progressive elements were heavily present at various points in the track, especially within the first minute or so. A track that is less vocally apt, the instrumentals make a statement, as the members showcase their talents with the rare presence of screaming affairs. Personally, this is my favorite track off of the album.
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4ycQdLLYeY[/tube]
The History Pages takes on a more modern death metal sound with reoccurring progressive moments making appearances. This track is rich in melodic guitar skills, something I was hoping to hear from this album. It still instills the harshness levels plus another notch up, to show off how aggressive they can get. The final track of the album, Inside My Mind, takes it down and adopting a more doom metal sound. The slower pace of the track brings in an elusive darkness that which combined with the eerie keyboards, really introduce an atmospheric side of them that was absent until this point. To really make the listener’s ears stimulate even more, they add a slower melodic solo, perhaps to make a final impact as the album ambiently draws to a close.
As mentioned they come from Belarus, a country not known at all for their metal. Seven tracks, a satisfactory listen from start to end, I really did not find any tracks sounding alike, though I definitely would have liked to have seen more aggression. Perhaps their next album, they will let the chains loose. For the melodeath fans, this album will meet your metal needs, and as for everyone else, give this album a shot. It might be stimulating enough for you, the rather original approach this album brings took me a while to get used to, but nonetheless it was a decent album. Cheers to The Lost World. Stay Metal m/
The Lost World: 7/10
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The Metal Alchemy 