Cultus Sanguine - Cultus Sanguine (Wounded Love, 1995)

Track Listing:

1. Richiamo In Rosso (1.38)

2. Ride The Winds Of Hate (5.44)

3. My Journey Is Long But My Time Is Endless (6.22)

4. Into The Field Of Screaming Souls (7.21)

Synopsis: Cultus Sanguine are one of those bands that were only around for a brief time and aren't well known but I have long found them an intriguing proposition. Their unique sound combined elements of black, doom and gothic metal into a hybrid that really doesn't sound like any other band I can think of. Whilst they were certainly not overly aggressive, quite the opposite, there is a creepy atmosphere to their music that more than compensates for this lack of aggression and it is these sinister undertones that made Cultus Sanguine such an interesting band.

Illogicist - The Unconsciousness Of Living (Willowtip, 2011)

Track Listing:

1. Ghosts Of Unconsciousness (5.37)

2. Hypnotized (6.19)

3. Perceptions From The Deceiving Memory (5.41)

4. The Mind Reaper (4.56)

5. A Past Defeated Suffering (5.46)

6. The Same Old Collision (5.40)

7. Misery Of A Profaned Soul (4.52)

8. A Never Ending Fall (6.00)

Synopsis: Illogicist have a way of making their complex death metal seem effortless and their latest release "The Unconsciousness Of Living" builds upon their impressive back catalogue in a relentless fashion. One of their big strengths is that, despite the aforementioned complexity, the songs don't degenerate into sheer indulgence as they are capable of building upon a succession of strong, memorable riffs and rhythms. Illogicist have easily built upon the promise of  their previous release "The Insight Eye" and ably demonstrate that complexity and brutality can co-exist quite readily.

http://www.illogicist.com/

Isole - Born From Shadows (Napalm, 2011)

Track Listing:

1. The Lake (7.14)

2. Black Hours (7.10)

3. Born From Shadows (9.27)

4. Come To Me (6.49)

5. My Angel (10.31)

6. Condemned (8.49)

7. When All Is Black (5.28)

Synopsis: Isole are back with another album full of epic doom metal and, as you would expect, very has little has changed since their last release, "Silent Ruins".  I mean that in the best possible way as, if anything, this is a darker album than its predecessor, exemplified by the increased use of growled vocals, yet it hasn't lost any of the atmosphere, nor the solemn harmonies, in the process. Isole are one of those bands that can be uplifting one minute then crestfallen the next and "Born From Shadows" is another fine chapter in their consistently accomplished discography.

http://www.forevermore.se/

Cipher System - Communicate The Storms (Nuclear Blast, 2011)

Track Listing:

1. 7 Inch Cut (4.26)

2. Forget To Forgive (4.41)

3. Communicate The Storms (4.44)

4. Gods Terminal (3.42)

5. End My Path (3.49)

6. Objection (4.53)

7. The Stairway (5.29)

8. A Lesson Learned (5.16)

9. Project Life Collapses (3.57)

10. The Failure Starts (5.32)

Synopsis: Admittedly, I wasn't expecting much from Cipher System given the current state of melodic death metal and the lack of quality bands perpetuating the style. Still, I would rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed and "Communicate The Storms" was indeed a welcome surprise. All the trademarks of melodic death metal are present but the songwriting is strong, there is the right balance between aggression and melody as well as a slightly modern edge to the music. After the disappointment of the latest In Flames album earlier this year, how the mighty have fallen, Cipher System offer hope that this style still has something to offer.

www.myspace.com/ciphersystem

Hrizg - Inferno (Moribund, 2011)

Track Listing:

1. Inferno I - The Awakening (5.02)

2. Inferno II - To Yield Below The Frozen Sky (5.25)

3. Inferno III - Shadowshield (4.10)

4. Inferno IV - Ars Goetia (3.56)

5. Inferno V - Conqueror Of This Wooden Abyss (8.17)

Synopsis: No sooner has Hrizg provided "Anthems Of Decreptitude", also on Moribund, he returns with "Inferno". Whilst staying true to the ideals and norms of the style it also follows the protagonists vision of black metal, dark, primitive and haunting, with each of the chapters based around a succession of effective riffs and varied vocals. The embellishments that are tastefully scattered throughout, such as the choir on "Ars Goetia" or the tranquil rain and acoustic opening of "Conqueror Of This Wooden Abyss", only add to the aura. With black metal these days you have to take the good with the bad, thankfully Hrizg clearly falls into the former.

www.myspace.com/hrizg



Vallenfyre - A Fragile King (Century Media, 2011)

Track Listing:

1. All Will Suffer (4.09)

2. Desecration (4.56)

3. Ravenous Whore (3.02)

4. Cathedral Of Dread (3.52)

5. As The World Collapses (3.13)

6. A Thousand Martyrs (3.24)

7. Seeds (4.45)

8. Humanity Wept (2.18)

9. My Black Siberia (3.49)

10. The Divine Have Fled (3.41)

11. The Grim Irony (4.39)

Synopsis: As soon as I heard about Vallenfyre, and the line-up, I knew that this band would be good and that assumption was quickly proven correct on listening to "A Fragile King". It is an amalgam of crusty, old school death metal and doom with a thick, dirty production and grim outlook to match. Unlike a lot of bands that fit such a description these days Vallenfyre don't sound like they are trying to recreate the past. It is clear where their roots lie and the experience of the members regularly shows through but it is also a potent collection of songs in it's own right that will be one of the better albums of the year.

http://www.vallenfyre.com/



Arbor Ira - ...Meine Traume, Vergangene (Naturmacht Productions, 2010)

Track Listing:

1. A Day Is Born (6.12)

2. Unlebendig (9.52)

3. Platz Der Sorgen (6.49)

4. Here I Wait For You (7.16)

5. Ein Gar Teuflisch Gift (13.41)

6. Winter Im Herz (9.05)

7. Everyday (12.15)

Synopsis: Abor Ira took me by surprise with "...Meine Traume, Vergangene", a CD that I purchased on a whim, as it is quite a fine example of death/doom with a strong lyrical focus on nature. Opening track "A Day Is Born" is surprisingly aggressive and, whilst always sorrowful as you would expect, Arbor Ira haven't neglected to build their songs around heavy riffs replete with tasteful harmonies, varied vocals and the subtle inclusion of violin, viola and chello for extra depth. Despite playing it relatively safe with their compositions, Arbor Ira do everything very well and the result is an excellent album.

http://www.abor-ira.de/

Sadus - Chemical Exposure (Roadrunner,1991)

Track Listing:

1. Certain Death (4.14)

2. Undead (4.03)

3. Sadus Attack (1.44)

4. Torture (2.25)

5. And The You Die (1.46)

6. Hands Of Fate (3.56)

7. Twisted Face (2.00)

8. Fight Or Die (2.53)

9. Illusions (3.47)

10. Chemical Exposure (2.16)

Synopsis: Sadus inhabit that grey area between thrash and death metal and it is easy to see why on "Chemical Exposure" which was actually a re-issue of their debut "Illusions", originally released independently in 1988. Sadus were all about speed with a hint of chaos yet, at the same time, that's their biggest appeal and it is the outright aggression that places it somewhere between thrash and death. Each of their successive albums built upon this formula however, as they matured, they never quite matched the intensity of their debut.

Seance - Fornever Laid To Rest (Black Mark, 1992)

Track Listing:

1. Who Will Not Be Dead (3.31)

2. Reincarnage (3.39)

3. The Blessing Of Death (4.03)

4. Sin (2.59)

5. Haunted (3.40)

6. Fornever Laid To Rest (3.15)

7. Necronomicon (3.20)

8. Wind Of Gehenna (2.48)

9. Inferna Cabbala (3.43)

Synopsis: This album has been on my wishlist for a very long time but it has proven hard to come by, at a reasonable price, until now. Amongst all the classic Swedish death metal albums released in the early nineties "Fornever Laid To Rest" seems to get overlooked which is a travesty based upon just how good it is. At just over half an hour it is a short, aggressive dose of death metal that, much like Unanimated, differs from the classic sound of the period for which Sweden became (in)famous. Given it's current availability, or lack thereof, "Fornever Laid To Rest" would certainly be worthy of a reissue as it deserves to be heard alongside other classic examples of the time.

www.myspace.com/seance1990