Consciousness Removal Project it’s a one-man post-metal band from Tampere, Finland. Its only official member Antti Loponen is solely responsible not only for compositions, lyrics and arrangements but also for most instruments and the record production. Although, with the help of a live collective including Arttu Kimmel – guitar, Vesa Ahonen – bass and Artturi Mäkinen – drums, Consciousness Removal Project has also been able to perform live since 2008.
The music of Consciousness Removal Project has been published on the internet for free since 2004. The new album, released on 03 January 2013 and entitled “Tacit” it’s also available for free download (“name your price”) from their Bandcamp page (Click “Buy now” and enter $0 for free download), as well as a limited edition Digipack CD pressing hand numbered with binary digits. Support artists, we need them!!
And the music it’s gloomy, subtle and beautiful. Described perfectly by José at Terrorizer magazine: “It’s not the soundtrack for the eventual apocalypse itself, it’s the soundtrack for sitting on the porch on a quiet evening with a drink, thinking about it.” Read more Consciousness Removal Project – Tacit (2013)
Metal
The Conjuration – The Human Condition (2012)
So, this is one of the sickest metal s*it I heard lately, and definitively one of the best releases of the genre in 2012! Anyway, for sure one of my favorites! It’s damn shame this band it’s not world-wide famous yet!! This is much-much better then 99.9% of the s*it that the media and the record labels pushing and selling lately under any (sometimes fake) metal moniker!
Corey Cochran – compositions, guitar, vocals, programming; and Josh Moss – bass and keyboards are the pillars of this project formed in 2010, in Danville, Virgina. Delivering a psycho kind of twisted death metal with psychedelic and progressive taste and avant-garde edge, The Conjuration released their second full length album on 21 December 2012. Both albums were released last year and both are available for FREE DOWNLOAD at the band’s Bandcamp page.
Drawing inspirations from different bands such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, Therion, Strapping Young Lad, Rush, Opeth, Cynic, King Crimson, Between the Buried and Me, Alchemist, Pink Floyd, Slayer, The Cure, Sigh, Atheist and ELP, they delivered a twisted in and out journey to the outer limits of metal.
They says: “Music is an art. Art is an outlet of emotions and philosophies that can fill the senses and change lives…and that’s exactly what we want to do. We make music because we love music. We make music because we want to help people. We want to make a better world for all the earth’s lifeforms. We just want to be heard, and have our music help someone out there… ” Read more The Conjuration – The Human Condition (2012)
Wall Of The Eyeless – Through Emptiness, Demo (2011)
![Wall Of The Eyeless Through Emptiness [Demo] 2011](http://brushvox.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/wall-of-the-eyeless-through-emptiness-demo-2011.jpg?w=150)
Knowing how damn hard it is to independently promote your music in this bought-up and sold-out world, I want to bring to your attention this release before the year it’s over. No electronic shits and dubstep infusions, no “metalcore”, no fake heaviness, but sparking originality and true to the bone Metal as rarely we can listen lately. And even further, this band is formed by two extremely young, 21, respectively 18 year old, but talented and gifted guys. The future of Metal sounds brighter and thunderous now! The old school is the new school!!
Genuine, raw sounding, but complex and technical Death/Black Metal mixture with roots back to classic and Neo-Progressive Heavy Metal and interesting switches from bone cutter distorted riffs to sensitive acoustic breakdowns, Wall Of The Eyeless delivered a quality debut recording, a hell of a demo and very promising promo. And they actually managed to write 4 songs and not only a boring, noisy series of themes and boring cliches.
They promising a second demo for 2013, but actually I hope they will deliver a debut album recorded in a proper studio with the benefits of the proper production. So, it’s up to you if to pay for the download or not, but if you think it’s good, please support the band, I believe they deserve it.
You can also purchase the CD release – jewel case with a 8-page booklet with info, drawings, lyrics and photos at Bigcartel.com. Read more Wall Of The Eyeless – Through Emptiness, Demo (2011)
The Black Widow’s Project – Heavy Heart (2012)
Think of Down and Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society with even more and more intense stoner infusion, add some weight from Kyuss/Queens Of the Stone Age and the right amount of Alice In Chains/Soundgarden flavor to got the essence of what really The Black Widow’s Project it’s about.
The Black Widow’s Project delivered a surprisingly mature and solid debut album filled up with 14 genuine songs, and forged throughout with good-old-fashioned fuzz, powerful riffs, a heavy blend of blues and rock with noisy garage sound.
Formed in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2010 by the lead singer-guitarist Al Castro and the drummer Math Sink, they quickly realize their first EP called “Benefit Of The Doubt” which arouse great interest among the audience and in underground venues. After several lineup changes, Raph Despas joined the band as the bass player which allows them to find an even more powerful and personal sound. Read more The Black Widow’s Project – Heavy Heart (2012)
Acyl – Algebra (2012)
Metallers start getting familiar, comfortable with Ethnic infusions in the 90s with the colorful sounds built in the Metal genre by Sepultura. More recently, System Of A Down introduced Oriental and Arab flavored shades into Metal and conquered the whole world with their music. Somewhere between the Thrash/Death gravity of Sepultura and the modern intensity of System Of A Down and revealing the beauty and mystic flavor of Arab music, the Paris, France, based Acyl delivered a brilliant debut album. One of the best and most exciting Metal albums of 2012.
On the other hand, this is not only an excellent Progressive/Experimental Metal album, but also a genuine, deeply spiritual journey. And the use of the word “genuine” wasn’t random or accidental. Read more Acyl – Algebra (2012)
Karma Zero – Architecture of a Lie (2012)
Metalcore it’s definitively epidemic this year. The scene is flooded by hundred (thousands?) of bands and most of them are really good in the butcheries they unleash. But still, too many band sounding almost the same, will bury the genre pretty fast. Identity Crisis? Hope not. Eventually all these youngsters must find their own sound and style or they will just simply disappear in the grind.
If the genre originate from the fusion of Extreme and Groove Metal with Hardcore Punk, after the mid 2000s, the new genre became popular and successful due to the breakthrough of bands such as All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, Bullet for My Valentine, The Devil Wears Prada and Asking Alexandria, most of them hitting the Billboard charts and sneaked up into the mainstream and opening the door widely for a whole generation anxious to prove themselves.
The French scene seems to be extremely receptive to the seeds of the new genre and one of the furiously blooming new bands are Karma Zero. “Next Time”, the leading single from their debut album sounds heavily furious and intense enough to grab the fans attention. Brutal and complex, Karma Zero kicking in the doors with their right foot! Read more Karma Zero – Architecture of a Lie (2012)
Beyond The Styx – Sloughing Off The Shades, EP (2012)
This is brutally good! Merging Deathcore with modern flavored Metalcore, but with solid roots back to classy and powerful Heavy Metal, this 5 piece band from Tours, France formed in 2010 are making their debut with a consistent 5 track plus intro EP. It’s almost like August Burns Red would play Manowar covers.
And Emile Duputié (vocals), Adrien Joulin (drums), Matthieu Dupou (bass), Mickey Martin (rythmic guitar) and Anthony Mateus (lead guitar) mention as influences bands such as: August Burns Red, The Ghost Inside, Lamb of God, Norma Jean, Pantera, Haste the Day, Chimaira, Hatebreed, The Bled, Every Time I Die, Emmure, The Acacia Strain, Comeback Kid, Cancer Bats, Trivium, All That Remains, etc.
Powerful, furious riffs, mainly death like growls and intense, pounding drums are the ammunition of Beyond The Styx and they gonna grind you into the ground. Read more Beyond The Styx – Sloughing Off The Shades, EP (2012)
Sorrows Path – The Rough Path Of Nihilism (2010)
Formed in November 1993, the Greece Sorrows Path on their second album delivered powerful, complex, quality Metal merging Heavy and Progressive elements with Death flavored intensity. Think of something like Iron Maiden playing Candlemass songs. Perfect and absolute stainless steel!
Technical and brutal, the 12 songs of “The Rough Path Of Nihilism” are both flavored by symphonic and Doom elements generating a massive sound and deeply dark, gloomy and epic vibe. Their music have a dark, tragic taste – which definitively reflects their own personal tragedy filled history.
Singer Angelos Ioannidis have a theatrical approach which mainly reminds me of Bruce Dickinson and Jon Oliva (Savatage).
“The Rough Path Of Nihilism” it’s an extremely compact, complex, flawless and unfortunately not enough known, publicized release. Read more Sorrows Path – The Rough Path Of Nihilism (2010)
KomaH – Between Vice and Virtue (2012)
Death Metal fueled, massive, powerful Groove Metal easily related to Sepultura, but with roots back to classic Heavy Metal as well, the Belgian KomaH at their second installment seems even more determined and merciless then ever. And honestly, it’s hard to fail when have songs such as “The King of Raptors” which could be placed easily on any Pantera release.
Leny Andrieux – Vocals; Luigi Chiarelli – Guitar & Vocals; Antoine Goudeseune – Guitar; Nicholas Brynin – Bass; and Jonas Sanders – Drums are on rampage mode. Read more KomaH – Between Vice and Virtue (2012)
Panzerballett – Tank Goodness (2012)
Their previous album, “Hart Genossen von ABBA bis Zappa” was pointed out as his favourite record of 2009 by Clawfinger guitarist Bård Torstensen. About the same album Dweezil Zappa said: “Very well done. Normally, I don’t like people re-arranging my father’s music but this was a pleasant surprise.” Not at least, Randy Brecker said: “Panzerballett is the first band I’ve heard that really leads Music into the 21st Century!”
So, what Panzerballett are actually playing? This is an intense, extremely technical Jazz-Rock with some powerful Metal infusions. In-your-face type of riffs are smartly built-in into the classy, but modern flavored Jazz-Rock constructions. “Vulgar Display of Sauerkraut” sounds like Pantera versus Al Di Meola (I’m thinking of songs such as “Alien Chase On Arabian Desert”) – eventually. Double-bass drum slaughterings and killer riffs are merged with mystic flavored Jazz breakdowns. Read more Panzerballett – Tank Goodness (2012)
