Track Listing:
1. Dystopia (0.33)
2. Amongst Marble And The Dead (5.21)
3. Disembodied Steps (5.42)
4. Flesh Epistle (3.24)
5. Passion Of The Weak (4.35)
6. Winds Of Chains (5.38)
7. Encountering The Divine (3.54)
8. Perimortem (4.41)
9. Plague Of Nations (3.35)
10. Epos (7.43)
Synopsis: What needs to be said about Grave? They were one of the first bands I discovered when getting into death metal via their debut "Into The Grave", the title track is a seminal classic, and I still get excited by each new release. "Endless Procession Of Souls" is their tenth album and, much like Asphyx with "Deathhammer" earlier this year, there are few surprises to be had but that simply doesn't matter because Grave have a formula that works. In some ways that consistency makes a review somewhat redundant however it is still worth noting that Grave remain potent after all this time and can show the new breed of Swedish death metallers how it is meant to be done.
www.grave.se
Track Listing:
1. Children Of Doom (7.20)
2. Funeral Mounds (6.47)
3. Doommonger (7.28)
4. Ulterior Gods (6.18)
5. Cthulhu Rising (7.06)
6. Confiteor (6.35)
Synopsis: Poland is a nation more readily associated with death metal yet Evangelist are here to change that with their release "In Partibus Infidelium" (rough translation: "In the lands of unbelievers"). This is epic doom metal that adheres to all the traditions of the style and, whilst it would be difficult to argue originality given the references that readily spring to mind, it is done with aplomb. Evangelist leave little doubt as to who the unbelievers might be, you need only read the tirade on the booklet, but they back this up with a robust interpretation of the style that you can't help but appreciate.
www.facebook.com/evangelistmetal
Track Listing:
1. Atra Mors (11.54)
2. Descent Into Chaotic Dream (11.13)
3. A Tenebrous Vision (2.19)
4. Grim Eloquence (9.40)
5. An Extrinsic Divide (10.11)
6. Requies Aeterna (1.59)
7. The Unechoing Dread (9.47)
8. Into Aphotic Devastation (10.07)
Synopsis: Profound Lore could not have chosen better than "Atra Mors" for their 100th release as such a milestone is only enhanced by releasing one of the best albums of the year and the most complete Evoken work in their illustrious career. Whilst this is every part as heavy and bleak as predicted, what really takes "Atra Mors" to the next level is the way each song, indeed the album as a whole, builds over its duration. The lighter moments spread throughout, including the two brief interludes, prove just as potent as the crushing doom, a method that Evoken have long utilised but have truly perfected here. From the outset my expectations for "Atra Mors" were very high yet, somehow, Evoken have exceeded them. Brilliant!
www.facebook.com/pages/Evoken-Official/91505789372
Track Listing:
1. Rapid Fire (A Tyrant's Elegy) (5.12)
2. A Girl Called Cerveza (4.14)
3. Witch-Hunt 2.0 (5.42)
4. Masters Of Farces (4.08)
5. The Metal Ladyboy (4.59)
6. Not One Day Dead (But Mad One Day) (4.01)
7. Son Of A Fridge (5.53)
8. Fandom At Random (5.27)
9. Metal Magnolia (5.07)
10. Running On Fumes (5.30)
Synopsis: Tankard have built a lengthy career, thirty years and counting, around their drunken thrash however their recent output has been inconsistent to say the least as previous albums were a bit hit or miss as far as the overall quality of the songs went. Maybe it's the jump to Nuclear Blast or the abundance of thrash competition but their latest album "A Girl Called Cerveza", whilst not straying from their inebriated formula, seems to rectify this problem to some degree. Some of the songs and humour still fall flat but a song like "Witch-Hunt 2.0" shows what Tankard are capable of when they get it right.
www.tankard.info
