LETHARGY OF DEATH

'Necrology'

ENDLESS WINTER

Depression, sadness and coldness ride on this Chilean one-man project's debut album 'Necrology'. Aptly put, the Funeral Doom Metal subgenre is one for funerals, but sacrilegious to churches in hindsight. If anyone thought emo music was a cause to slit wrists, this album certainly fits the pattern. The vocals are the main cause, hard-to-understand and with that in mind, the music just adds more unhappy feelings, ah 'Necrology', stay away from the subject, let alone the album.

[3] RHYS STEVENSON

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ARATRON

'Horrifying Visions'

Everyday fresh metal is blasted out from countries worldwide and in this case it is Dutch Death Metallers with their debut demo 'Horrifying Visions'. What makes Aratron different is they use the guttural backbone of the Dutch accent to emphasize the Death Metal growling to its deepest tones, almost with a baritone voice so low that it will crack the ceiling. Pounding beats in your ears can cause concussion but with Aratron, it causes 'Horrifying Visions'.

[6] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/aratronarising

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ROWAN

'The Condition'

WWR

Ordering an Americano espresso cannot be simpler when listening to Seattle's American Deathcore blastbeat machine Rowan, leaning towards a more melodic approach to the highly sub-ordinate genre, Rowan are one of many American Deathcore squadrons to master the art of debuting with full force, hailed as the next Whitechapel, Rowan are sure to impress, dominate and conquer. Embrace the Seattle quartet as they rip your speakers to shreds under 'The Condition' known as Rowan 'addiction'.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

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TBC

'28 Days'

STF

Rising from the snow-capped valley's of Austria is Gothic Metal quintet TBC, wielding the darkness of this cold and Gothic country with the presence of Metal, the Austrian group release this in the form of their debut album '28 Days'. Double bass drums compliment vocals very much like The Phantom Of The Opera, not surprising when the band sounds like Nightwish and Epica, but naturally take their own slant on Gothic Metal, a debut that in detail was created in '28 Days'.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

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FRAILTY

'Silence Is Everything' + 'Self-Titled EP'

SOLITUDE PRODS.

Hailing from the Baltic state of Latvia, Doomed Death Metallers Frailty sizzle the electronics in the CD player with both their 'Self-Titled EP' (2009) and their second EP 'Silence Is Everything' (201o). Dressing in a sort of military style, Frailty is one of Latvia's promising acts and a sure hit-to-be in the UK. Sounding similar to Impending Doom, the sextet are ready to rumble and are sure to rock some more socks in the process, so maybe in the end, it is not true that 'Silence Is Everything'.

[7] + [7]

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BELTANE

'Darkhovse' + 'Sig Neun' + 'Rehearsal Autumn X'

SATANICA

Long standing New Zealand Black Metallers Beltane call it threefold with a new twist to Black Metal with 'Darkhovse' featuring vocals like the Daleks from Dr.Who, a somewhat cyber approach? Similarly ''Sig Neun' and 'Rehearsal Autumn X' follow the same path but with more darkness and New Zealand fury installed. Moreover they include an electronic/industrial approach, shifting from full on BM to darkwave, definitely a one of a kind band. 'Sig Neun' + 'Rehearsal Autumn X' were released this year whereas 'Darkhovse' was shat out in 2009 (not literally). Beltane are the guardians of NZBM and in hindsight is to become New Zealand's greatest Metal bands since the scene started. Metallic Hailz.

[8] + [7] + [7]

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HORNED ALMIGHTY

'Necro Spirituals'

CANDLELIGHT

Can the Metal Archives get this one wrong? Obviously, or is it the band's own problem to pinpoint an exact genre, pretty much like spinning a globe and pointing a place to honeymoon except it land's on the mid-Atlantic. Denmark's Death metal vocal/Black metal music quintet come back with their fourth release and with a sense of shooting yourself in the foot, it comes to say when a band cannot categorize their genre and yet try to be something they are not, yet they sound as hardcore as a cat checking out it's dinner in the mousetrap, back to the drawing board for this one.

[3] RHYS STEVENSON

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RHANAWA

'Heart Of Mkango'

Whether a hoax or not, this is supposedly Rhanawa from Malawi, yes Malawi, the virtually unheard of African country, and yet has no place on the Metal Archives, it could be just Oriksha Shakpana (Jamaica) in disguise, but we'll stick with it, raspy Black Metal vocals with riffs galore and a Thrashy feel to it could spell the uprise of Malawi's Metal scene, so far African Metal is prevelant in the North and South sector, but with Rhanawa on the scene from Malawi that may as well change, Rhanawa flies the flag for Malawi.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/rhanawamalawi

http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/groupe-groupe-Rhanawa-l-en.html

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VALE OF AMONITION

'Ammunition Of The Gods - Single'

Experimental Metal trio Vale Of Amonition fly the flag for the Ugandan Metal scene, this track is not included in their debut demo 'Curtain of Doom and The Broken Shield' but still offers a strange, bizarre and interesting take to the worldwide music phenomena, with bass riffs sitting in the background along with the drums, the guitar does part of the talking alongside the vocals. Sounding similar to Iron Maiden's 'fear of the dark', this trio focus on delivering what they call 'Epic Progressive Heavy Doom Metal', but in reality is experimental and definately one band to keep attention to. Ugandan Metal is born.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/valeofamonition

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vale-of-Amonition/335056031250

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