ENGRAVED

'Ashes'

Just an average Melodic Death mob from Sweden, there's a perpetual chain going on here isn't there? Sweden, Death Metal, just all sounds the same, unfortunately that does not excuse Engraved, whose 2010 demo 'Ashes' is few and far between being a ear-raper and a piece of music terrible enough to make listeners weep. Bog standard, disproportionate and rather dull, a bit like 'Ashes' from the fire.

[2] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.engraved.se/

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DEATH TOLL

'Bloodbaths For The King, Heresy & Pestilence'

Promising Mexican Blackened Death Metallers Death Toll unleashed another bout of darkness back in 2010 with their single 'Bloodbaths For The King, Heresy & Pestilence', featuring just under nine minutes of Latin American Extreme Metal, with a furious array of insane blastbeats, spine-chilling vocals and sensational riffs, this is perhaps the band that Mexico has been dying for to rival Poland's Behemoth. Intriguingly the quartet all have their own vocalisation parts as well as instrument playing, sensational as it is, dark in it's divine reality. Death Toll are set to annihilate any opposing resistance and build great 'Bloodbaths For The King, Heresy & Pestilence', for fans of Behemoth and The Furor.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/metalcollapse

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FAREWELL TO ARMS

'Exhalation'

Motoring out of Germany comes the Melodeath/Metalcore mob Farewell To Arms with a heavy bombastic onslaught in form of their debut EP 'Exhalation' released in 2010. With an armament of riffs and blast-beats to salvage a ship wreck and vocals to intensify any mauling going on, Farewell To Arms may just turn out to be Germany's secret answer to England's uprising Melodeath/Metalcore group The Dead Lay Waiting. Skull-smacking music for a massive whipping by a thousand guitar strings in a ballistic style, this is some really heavy s***.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/f2a

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GRAVE DEFILER

'Corpse Molester'

It's a common practise these days with Sweden and Death Metal, the country can't stop spewing them out, from time to time bad ones get churned out, sadly Grave Defiler is one of those, with the recording bad as is, their 2010 debut demo 'Corpse Molester' has a standard bop, bop, bop beat and cheesy riffs, the vocals are non-descript, with their demo it is a shame, but there is always time to take a tour round Ikea and still the Swedish quartet wouldn't have found second gear in their Volvo's.

[1] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/gravedefiler

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DEVICE

'Antagonistic'

Brazilian Deathrashers Device make their mark heard with their debut full-length released in 2010 and titled 'Antagonistic', antagonising that is, the album itself straps together the best of Sepultura and Death Metal to ignite the night lights of Brasilia in extravagant style. Certified to keep moshpits going for well over half and hour and comes with a threat of spine-snapping, Device are the next biggest Brazilian underground bands and are a promising band at that, all that can be said is watch this space, the whole hectare of it, for Device are sure to penetrate it.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/devicebrasil

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CLOCK PARADOX

'The Five Precepts'

Groove Thrashers Clock Paradox caused a stir in 2010 with their third EP 'The Five Precepts', collecting Finnish brutality with a bounty of dark aura and a sense of musical taste, the quintet from Oulu signal a change in atmospherics with a delicious delicatessen of meaty drumming, flavoured vocals and fat-laden riffs and solos, all in all making the perfect buffet for any listener. Clock Paradox are potentially labelled as Finland's answer to Brazil's Cavalera Conspiracy.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/clockparadoxband

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THE WAY OF PURITY

'Crosscore'

WORM HOLE DEATH

This is the new s***, this is the new Arch Enemy, this is The Way Of Purity with their 2010 debut full-length album 'Crosscore', a storming attempt of fruitful Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore, so slick it flows like oil and hits the soundwaves with such precision, the notes rebound off ear drums and climb the nerves to decimate and enchant the cerebral vortex in such a way, headbanging is merely the start of it. For the Swedish quintet this is their first step towards bigger recognition, but for the Swedish Metal scene, this is a Metal music revolution.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

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ANGER CELL

'Haven For The Forsaken'

Finnish Melodic Death stalwarts Anger Cell illuminate the darkened pathway with their debut EP 'Haven For The Forsaken' which saw light last year. Featuring a four track blitzkrieg-style musical blasting, the quintet from Riihimäki are harmoniously and potentially the next metal band from Scandinavia to embrace the solemn gracefulness of modern Melodic Death Metal and with that pose an immediate threat to mass Melodeath metal producers and neighbours Sweden. Anger Cell offer a safe 'Haven For The Forsaken' but take no cowardice for their music is not for cowards.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/angercell

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AGRIMONIA

'Host Of The Winged'

Perhaps they should dub this 'lullaby metal', for this is not Melodic Death Metal by any means, what with the songs on their sophomore full-length 'Host Of The Winged' being more than nine minutes long is bad enough, but this takes the biscuit, this is undoubtedly a really foul disappointment from the Swedish Metal scene. In the words of Casablanca, 'play it again Sam'.

[1] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/agrimonia

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SYBREED

'The Pulse Of Awakening'

LISTENABLE

Swiss Modern/Industrial Metal titans Sybreed electrified and sizzled the peace with their third full-length album 'The Pulse Of Awakening' which saw high voltage back in 2009, somewhat a testament to Switzerland and a little pre-cursor to Breach The Void. Pulsating beats with melodic harmonious vocals weave with dance-tinged EBM to give a dance-like feeling, somewhat Rammstein like. Sybreed are certain of a place in Swiss Metal history, but with this effort, a place on many Rivethead's shelves.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

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