Poisonblack sounds just like James Hetfield & Co. disguised are playing in some Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) tribute band. Well, some Gothic resonances are still vibrating mainly in their slower themes, but Poisonblack – just like many other bands – left behind their roots and strip down to the bones their sound and it results nothing but pure Rock. And above all this parallels, Poisonblack sounds mature, grinding powerful and those cracking guitar tone, catchy riffs, simple but colorful guitar solos and clean, powerful vocals are quite convincing. This Finnish band rocks literally.
After the departure of Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto in 2003 (currently in the bands Charon, Harmaja and Northern Kings), bringing of Ville Laihiala (ex-Sentenced) seems to be a winning card. Laihiala wrote very few songs for Sentenced whose main-songwriters were Miika Tenkula and Sami Lopakka, became the band’s principal songwriter, assumed vocal duties himself and has since led Poisonblack in a musical direction that closely mirrors that of his former band. Read more Poisonblack – Drive (2011)
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ZeroGravity – Misplaced Moments (2011)
It’s just like I’m looking for! There’s a band named Zero Gravity Band from Michigan, US and this one called ZeroGravity from Belgium. ZeroGravity was formed in 2003 and they soon recorded their first demo entitled “Synchronicity”. After several line-up changes, in April and May 2004 their first live concerts were played and in 2005 a new demo was released, the 4 tracks “Passagesâ€. Between 2005 en 2007, the band hit the stage again and started to develop a steady live reputation with a gig at the Progpower Festival in Baarlo being a definite highlight. By the end of 2008, ZeroGravity started the recording of their debut full-length album , but things have been delayed till the end of 2010. But here we go, “Misplaced Moments” are finally available. Read more ZeroGravity – Misplaced Moments (2011)
Lake Of Tears – Illwill (2011)
Four years after their 2007 effort “Moons and Mushrooms”, Lake Of Tears will release on April 29 their eight studio album. “Illwill” it’s dark, it’s heavy, it’s beautiful, it’s always recognizably Lake Of Tears, but they always evolved, searched, experimented and vary their sound and this ongoing development has continued through to this new album as well. There’s still gloomy reminiscences of Doom Metal, persist some polished Gothic shines, but Lake Of Tears have a strong and simple line of pure Rock groove in their vein and what make them different from most of the now days bands it’s their determination and focus to quality and music without fitting into some strictly delimited genre. Read more Lake Of Tears – Illwill (2011)
Debauchery – Germany’s Next Death Metal (2011)
According to the dictionary, “debauchery” means indulgence in sensual pleasures; scandalous activities involving sex, alcohol, or drugs without inhibition. So, let’s have some scandalous fun! The horror and fantasy world melt into noisy, powerful metal in the hands of these guys from Stuttgart, Germany. Honestly, I was a little bit afraid of another Running Wild or something, but hell no, Debauchery are kicking like a mule and they are heavy like the elephant shit! Try to imagine a freaky mixture of Gwar, Rob Zombie and add some traditional Thrash and Death – eventually Kreator – flavor to it and you will get the idea what’s Debauchery sounds like. But what actually I really like about this “Germany’s Next Death Metal” is the fact that they write some great songs and have a fantastic groove. Read more Debauchery – Germany’s Next Death Metal (2011)
Grendel – Corrupt to the Core (2011)
Another name, two bands use it, it’s pity and annoying. For both of them. There is one Grendel from Netherlands formed in 1997 and playing Aggrotech/Post Industrial music, and Gendel we’re talking about now, from Finland, formed in 1999 originally using the name Crimson Sky – another name used by more than one artist… Hey, what’s wrong with you people?! Seriously… Leaving aside the legal issues: be imaginative, creative, don’t drive drunk, drugs are bad and stuffs like that.
So, they shift their name into Grendel in 2000 and recorded their first EP “Broken Dream”. Vocalist Vocalist Jarno Blom leave the band one year later, they bring in 2002 Mikko Virtanen to the microphone and record another EP: “Fight Against Time”. The first album, “Lost Beyond Retrieval” was recorded in 2005 and released one year later. In 2008 they sing a record deal with Firebox Records and released their second album “A Change Through Destruction”. Last year they recorded their third album, this “Corrupt to the Core”. Read more Grendel – Corrupt to the Core (2011)
Blunt Concept – Society Poetry (2011)
It’s always exciting to discover musics from the other end of the world. Blunt Concept comes from the Philippines and they play a kind of blending between more or less traditional heavy metal and rap metal. Kind of Linkin Park jamming with Iron Maiden from ’80-’82. As its trendy now days, they put two guys at the mic, Lux Ayque and Ramon Garcia, one of them singing, the other screaming, Ayi Ayque plays guitars, Ross Perez bass and Alwin Rojas drums. They say about their self: “The music of BLUNT CONCEPT are representations of poetry, individuality, courage over adversity, love and self respect. The band relates social inequality and real life drama to heavy angry music; expressin’ life struggles against the greedy, fake, vain hypocrites; screamin’ STOP NOW!!! to all the corrupt and judgmental characters of our society.” Read more Blunt Concept – Society Poetry (2011)
Asking Alexandria – Stepped Up And Scratched – Remix Album (2011)
After the April’s release of their second full-length album “Reckless And Relentless” , “Stepped Up And Scratched” is the remix version of their debut album from 2009, “Stand Up and Scream”. It’s pretty strange, or at least unexpected, while on their second album they turned to a much heavier side of their music, this remix album step back to the much electronic, “dubstep feel” content. So, they still trying to “Ride Two Horses at Once”, and definitively they will piss off one or other of their fans because metal fans will not digest this dance-club oriented mixes easily as the club music consumers are not huge fans of noisy guitars and deadly growls. If sexually it may be acceptable or at least tolerated to be bisexual, in the music business it’s pretty hard to take it both way simultaneously and keep on smiling just like nothing happened. The facts are facts: metal-heads always been extremely conservatives. Read more Asking Alexandria – Stepped Up And Scratched – Remix Album (2011)
Blood – X-Cultura (2011)
In my book, Blood was a cult Japanese band closely associated with visual kei, but they referred to themselves as a “gothic band”. It’s the first time when I heard of Blood from Alicante, Spain. The band was formed in 1999 by Jose Master – vocals and bass and Mado Javier Battery East Beneyto – guitar, vocals, sequences, and they played a blending of Goth and Industrial Metal. “X-Cultura” contains 11 brand new tracks including three remixes by Alien Vampire, Homicide Division and Obszon Geschopf. While those remixes sounds pretty EBM, the other 9 tracks sounds much darker and heavier, quite similar to the sound of Rammstein. Read more Blood – X-Cultura (2011)
Empyr – Unicorn (2011)
Empyr is a five-member French alternative rock band formed as a side project in 2006 incorporating members from the bands Kyo, Watcha, Pleymo and Vegastar. Their debut album entitled “The Peaceful Riot” was recorded in late 2008 in Los Angeles and produced by Ken Andrews, formerly Failure, who has worked with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Pete Yorn and A Perfect Circle. To increase their chances on the international market, theychoose to write the lyrics and sing in English. Empyr are Benoît Poher (vocals) & Florian Dubos (guitar) from Kyo, Benoît Juillard (bass) from Pleymo, Fred Duquesne (guitar) from Watcha & Jocelyn Moze (drums), formerly from Vegastar. Read more Empyr – Unicorn (2011)
Rolo Tomassi – Eternal Youth (2011)
A friend of mine from London bring to my attention this band from Sheffield, England, in 2009 and their debut album entitled “Hysterics” released one year earlier blow off my mind. Define as “progressive hardcore”, labeled as jazzcore, mathcore or simply progressive rock, Rolo Tomassi delivering a fresh and powerful mixture of hardcore, punk, post metal and avant-garde jazz which is quite innovative and brilliant.
The band was formed in 2005 and immediately began to perform at local venues and pubs to small crowds and released some of their first material, a “3 Track Demo” CD, respectively “4 Track Cassette” which they could sell at the shows they were performing at.
After a split EP with Mirror! Mirror! (limited to 333 copies and released through Speedowax) the band signed to Holy Roar Records and released a self-titled EP featuring re-recorded songs from previous demos and EPs along with new songs. Read more Rolo Tomassi – Eternal Youth (2011)
