Anima Inmortalis - More Than Just Flesh And Blood (Australis, 2011)

Track Listing:

1. The Complex Soul Of An Expanding Universe (4.14)

2. Architecture Of The Faith (3.06)

3. Malice (3.17)

4. Broken Portraits (2.44)

5. Smells Of Death And Evilness (3.59)

6. Under A Bloodish Flag Of Hate (3.57)

7. Agelastas (4.54)

8. Sad Funeral Of A Damned Soul (3.30)

9. Homo Hominis Lupus (2.38)

10. Abnormal Deface (3.11)

Synopsis: Chile is a country that tends to fly under the radar when it comes to metal however I am rapidly discovering just how good their scene is with Anima Inmortalis being a fine example. "More Than Just Flash And Blood", their second album, is an impressive death metal release that, whilst unlikely to forge new ground, is built around really strong riffs and well written songs of a consistently high quality. Add to that a solid production and some truly magnificent artwork and Anima Inmortalis have come up with an excellent album that will no doubt prove hard to find but is well worth the effort for those who do.

www.myspace.com/animainmortalisbanda

Dark Covenant - Eulogies For The Fallen (Emanes Metal, 2011)

Track Listing:

1. The End-Time Congregation (1.40)

2. Forever Amongst The Ruins (5.47)

3. Visions Of Salvation (6.22)

4. Ascension Denied (7.30)

5. Black Raven (4.10)

6. Perennial Solitude (5.11)

7. Black Sun Rising (6.44)

8. A Broken Sword Reforged (7.49)

9. Dirgevows (1.50)

Synopsis: Dark Covenant are purveyors of traditional doom metal and "Eulogies For The Fallen" is their debut album following up on the promise of their self-released promo of 2009. All four songs on that promo make an appearance here together with three new songs proper. This is doom the way it was meant to be played, heavy, emotive and morose as it adheres to the established tenets of the style perfectly. With Candlemass about to call it a day and Solitude Aeturnus cruelly keeping their silence it would seem that Dark Covenant are perfectly capable of filling the void.

http://www.darkcovenantdoom.com/

Exmortus - Beyond The Fall Of Time (Heavy Artillery, 2011)

Track List:

1. Bane Forthcoming (1.08)

2. Kneel Before The Steel (6.11)

3. Black XIII (4.03)

4. Beyond The Nile... (2.33)

5. Entombed With The Pharaohs (6.20)

6. Destroy (5.24)

7. Crawling Chaos (5.36)

8. Left To Die In The Paradox Of Time (6.18)

9. Khronos (Forever In The Void) (3.04)

10. The Gathering (6.04)

Synopsis: I have been a staunch supporter of Exmortus ever since I purchased a copy of their debut "In Hatred's Flames" from them a few years ago. Of course, that was subsequently reissued with extra songs by Heavy Artillery the following year, which I bought as well, and now we have "Beyond The Fall Of Time". If anything, Exmortus seem to have gotten more aggressive and the rapid, shredding guitar work, that is almost their trademark, remains at the forefront. At times it borders on death metal though it never quite crosses over and there are even some more traditional metal moments as well. "Beyond The Fall Of Time" will go down as one of my favourite albums of the year and it readily proves that thrash can still sound fresh and relevant.

http://www.exmortus.com/ 

Insomnium - One For Sorrow (Century Media, 2011)

Track List:

1. Inertia (3.43)

2. Through The Shadows (4.32)

3. Song Of The Blackest Bird (7.29)

4. Only One Who Waits (5.18)

5. Unsung (5.04)

6. Every Hour Wounds (5.24)

7. Decoherence (3.18)

8. Lay The Ghost To Rest (7.46)

9. Regain The Fire (4.26)

10. One For Sorrow (6.06)

Synopsis: Each new Insomnium album has seen them further refining their sound, the base elements remain the same however they manage to improve on them with each successive release. "One For Sorrow" is certainly no exception to this however it would also be their most consistent album yet. Insomnium have retained their inherent sense of melancholy, which is obviously an integral part of their sound, but they have also written a collection of songs that build upon strong melodies and well structured arrangements. No real surprises if you are familiar with their previous releases but that doesn't detract from what is a very strong work.

http://www.insomnium.net/

Klabautamann - Merkur (The End, 2009)

Track Listing:

1. Unter Baumen (6.34)

2.When I Long For Life (6.53)

3. Stygian (5.16)

4. Herbsthauch (4.53)

5. Morn Of Solace (4.59)

6. Der Wald Ist Ein Meer (4.17)

7. Merkur (4.54)

8. Lurker In The Moonlight (5.28)

9. Noatun (5.38)

Synopsis: Klabautamann, a duo from Germany, have a particularly unique style as they take traditional black metal elements and then incorporate a progressive, jazz influence and a whole lot of light and shade into their music. It is almost surprising how seamlessly they manage to do so and, whilst they are not quite as avant garde as a band like Arcturus, they have an interesting approach that is simultaneously challenging and enjoyable. Given their new album "The Old Chamber" is due to be released on Zeitgeister this month I am very curious where they will head from here.

www.myspace.com/klabautamann

Ghast - May The Curse Bind (Todestrieb, 2008)

Track List:

1. Crawl, Blighted And Afraid (7.55)

2. Give Your Wrists (8.25)

3. Evoke Spiritless Hell (8.30)

4. Pale Robe (9.03)

5. Hexed Under Moon (9.18)

Synopsis: I actually bought this and the follow up, "Terrible Cemetery", at the same time so it seemed logical to listen to them in chronological order. Ghast mix black and doom metal into a hybrid that is so well done it is easy to forget that each of the five songs are quite lengthy. Part of this is due to their mixture of speed and slower dirges, never sounding forced, and this is an example of a band finding its strength in its simplicity. As the song titles and cover art would suggest, the subject matter is bleak with a production that suits this outlook perfectly. Ghast  certainly realised their vision with a brilliant debut and established themselves as a band to watch.

www.myspace.com/souldustgrave

www.facebook.com/GhastUK