THE HOURGLASS

'Ancient Hope'

Heavy Metal being the foundations for the other metal genres we hear from day to day has set its eyes on the Middle East in the form of The Hourglass. Rising from the sandy streets of Syria, The Hourglass deliver Iron Maiden-esque vocals with the pure solidarity of metal music and underground notes from this Arabian country. With only nine metal bands noted down, The Hourglass are certainly one metal band to lead Syria to westernisation in terms of metal music.  Perfect for those summer barbeques, The Hourglass spark up epic heavy metal in the hardened political and social surroundings and thus like other Arabic metal bands, deliver their own interpretation, time to fear The Hourglass.

http://www.the-hourglass.net/

[7] Rhys Stevenson

______________________________________________________

SAIFA

'Awaken The Beast'

Prog Thrashers Saifa blast there way through the underground levels of London to offer their debut release and premiere EP 'Awaken The Beast'. Surfacing from the metropolis of Chadwell Heath, Saifa are one of many fresh metal talents that are spewing out of England's deepest depths of metal music. Shifting from melodic metal tunes to break-neck thrash, Saifa shows that metal is not just heavy, it is fast, complex but highly respected, raise your fists of fury 'cause its time to mosh, get wasted and make love to this band, its time to 'Awaken The Beast'.

http://www.myspace.com/saifa09

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

____________________________________

SIGHT OF EMPTINESS

'Absolution of Humanity'

Blazing machine guns and supersonic aircraft are no match for this Costa Rican quintet, formulated out of the depths of San Jose; Sight of Emptiness marched on the European metal scene by becoming Bloodstocks best 'unsigned' metal band. This laid the foundations for a Melodic Death assault in the composite form of 'Absolution of Humanity'. Mixing guttural vocals, menacing melodies and the fury of a thousand men in the form of insane drumming, Sight of Emptiness kiss goodbye the rulebook and write the rule of metal being original. With this album, the listener is taken on a roller-coaster of-a-ride and is warped into a world unlike metal has been in, a world where fantasies are born and where the 'Absolution of Humanity' commences.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

______________________________________

ECITON

'A Scent of Veracity'

MIGHTY MUSIC

Danish Death Metallers Eciton come back with their second offering, packed full of soul-crushing and pummeling sonatas, they bulldoze the brain into eternal paralysis, sickening vocals is just one piece of the fiery fury dug up by this quartet. Slow, mediocre guitars and drums draft up a slick and differentiating concoction, shifting from slow to fast giving a progressive feel, whilst sticking to their Death Metal roots. If you thought Lego is Denmark's best export, you obviously are missing the underground exports, where Eciton lay in wait, with 'A Scent of Veracity'. The vocals however are not as clear as one would anticipate thus lowering the music overall.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

___________________________________________

ZYANIDE

'The Beast Is Released'

In 2009, Switzerland gave birth to a brutal and destructive album 'The Beast is Released' by Melodic Death Thrashers Zyanide.  In turn, this is Zyanide's debut album, with a tour-de-force implemented, the album designs a journey much like the tour de France, long (42 minutes), challenging (three out of eight songs are more than 6 minutes long) and naturally made in Switzerland. Combine the melodic vocals of Iron Maiden, add Germany's Holy Moses thrash with the death metal style drumming, you get the picture. Switzerland is in a phase of having a third major export alongside clocks and chocolate, this time its metal. Forget yodeling, Switzerland has a new voice.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/zyanide

___________________________________

HATRED ANGEL

'God Forsaken'

Of all of Japan's highly noted metal bands, Hatred Angel were left behind, such controversy has only sparked a rebellion. Devouring the listener's ears with vocals so unclean it makes only the dirtiest kitchens look slightly cleaner but the compensation is in the form of the melodic guitars and pounding drums, such sincerity in Melodic Death Metal should not be apprehended. Taking the form of black metal style dressing, there is something seriously wrong here; heedless dos Hatred Angel give a blasting. After all, it is Visual Kei, metal and Japanese brutality rolled into three musicians, Tokyo felt an earthquake, all 'God Forsaken'.

http://hatred-angel.com/

[6] RHYS STEVENSON
_____________________________________

SOUL DEVOUR

'Apocalyptic Anti-Human Annihilation'

INFERNAL KAOS

Arising from Singapore, Soul Devour deploy their debut album in a stylistic way, combining guttural vocals with fury-loaded instrumental compositions, Soul Devour are one Death Metal band worth taking note of. 8 tracks of pure genius Death Metal sonatas are supplemented with a Morbid Angel cover, some say this album is the cause of a thousand slaughters, its brutality is extreme yet its originality remains intact, time for a feast of Singaporean meat.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON
______________________________________

BLACK ANGEL & ADOKHSINY

'Black Ritual of Satan (Split 2010)'

INFERNAL KAOS
East meets West in this epic expedition, with Peru's Black Angel and South Korea's Adokhsiny joining forces and wielding Blackened Death Metal to the extreme, these are two of the most promising acts in the underground yet to be unearthed by the Metal music media. Even though both bands opt for satanic lyrics, not just bound to the Norwegian Black Metal scene, but now globally Satanism is appearing everywhere. In two countries where Christianity is both prevalent, it is a wonder how this music was let out, none the less; they are both performing the 'Black Ritual Of Satan'.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

____________________________________________

LAND OF HATE

'Neutralized Existence'

INFERNAL KAOS

2009 saw Italy's newest Death Thrashers concoct their debut release 'Neutralized Existence' and with it the leaning tower of Pisa got knocked down by the severe ampage of the guitars, the deep growling and insane drumming, these guys dont run on carbohydrates from their beloved pasta but more from Duracell batteries, endless ferocious striking on the sound waves are just one aspect that this band exhibit during this extravagant display of blood, sweat and Italian wizardry, call it what you want, Land of Hate has just 'Neutralized Existence' forever.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON