EXELOUME - Fairytale of Perversion

This is the new release of the band that comes from Norway, a land that has been innovative enough, and mostly known for it's Black Metal artists. But Exeloume are playing Thrash, and they are pretty good at it. With influences from the American scene, with short and edgy riffs, a very solid rhythm section, and vocals that play between Death and Thrash, this album will appeal to all fans of the genre. What amazes here is the incredible technique of the band, and their ability to create a more complex song structure, yet maintaining the same catchy and raw feeling. There are no weak moments here, nor things that could be done in a better way. It's fast, definitely aggressive, with enough tempo changes, with tons of excellent guitar melodies, interesting vocals, and full of energy. Exactly the kind of music that should be seen performed live. The production is very good, clear and powerful enough, and helps the music very much. If you are into Thrash or Death this album is one of those you might want to check out. And if you also like complexity and changes into each song, then this is one of those albums that you keep you busy for quite some time.

9/10

DALRIADA - Igeret

This band is really a very pleasant surprise, specially if you like bands that don't afraid to experiment with their own traditional music. To be honest, this is the first album of the band that comes to my hands, but their sixth so far, and I really enjoyed every minute of it. The band comes from Hungary, and plays a kind of Metal that sounds like a powerful mixture of Power Metal, and Folk music. The result is an album very rich in sounds and ideas, catchy from the first to the last minute, every though I didn't understand a single word. The female vocals are very good, and fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the music, while the frequent addition of some more brutal vocals adds some harder moments and only makes things better. The majority of the songs are well written, catchy and melodic enough, and leave an optimistic feeling to the listener. The production is as shiny as should be, and is another plus for the album. With no weak moments, interesting ideas, and a very catchy rhythm, it makes you bang your head, or tap your feet, along with the groove. Check them out.

9/10

Floating Worlds - Live

TORMENTA - Tormented Souls

Thrash Metal from Maldives? If it's well performed, origin is never an issue. And these guys are good in what they play, so let's go on. The band exists for about 5 years so far, and this is their debut effort, which was released about a year ago. The influences of the band are more than obvious here, but they are trying to give their personal perspective to their music. The music is, as I mentioned before, Thrash, influenced by the pioneers of the US scene, Slayer mostly, but also some Metallica-like riffs can be heard here and there. The result is music that is sharp and aggressive with a more modern touch. Another interesting thing here is the vocalist, who sings in a more brutal way and fits perfectly with the music. The production is very good, clear and as heavy as needed, to point out all the details of the album. If Thrash is your favorite, then this album gives a breeze of fresh air to the scene, and is highly welcomed. Plans are for a 2011 release, and we can't wait for that.

8/10

Lyriel - Paranoid Circus

Lyriel is a band that comes from Germany, that blends various influences into a very catchy style. This is their album that was released last year, and re-issued through AFM Records. Their music is blending Folk, Metal, a touch of Gothic, violins and cellos, all these into a very versatile mixture. On the one hand we have female vocals both on the foreground and background, along with keyboards, cellos and violins. But to back things, we have a very skilled guitar player, and equally skilled rhythm section, to make things a bit more aggressive. This nice contradiction works very good for the band, and leads to an album full of a nice atmosphere and touching melodies, but also enough more Metallic moments. Don't expect to break your neck with rhythm here, but expect an album that contains enough melodies, has a great atmosphere and well performed songs. What this album brings is an exact opposite of an ominous atmosphere, is what one could say "happy". The production is tight and clear enough, and helps showing the atmosphere of the music. A very melodic album, maybe not aiming for the average Metal fan, but still worths every minute you spent for it. Check them out.

8/10

BETZEFER - Freedom To The Slave Makers

The band is coming from Israel, and this is their second album so far. Not familiar with their sound before, this album was a pleasant surprise, right from the start. Music that sounds as close to Pantera as possible, with crunchy riffs, angry vocals, a touch of Thrash here and there, and a solid rhythm section, this album is highly enjoyable. There's variety here, the songs are well written and catchy enough, and the listener won't find moments that might sound boring, or repetitive. There are enough nice ideas here, and the band has explored them in a very good way. One of the big plus of this album is the rhythm, something that made me wonder how these songs would sound like, if performed live. If you liked the way Pantera created music, or Sepultura's Roots, you will find some similarities here, but don't be fooled, cause these guys are good and not copycats. Their music is full of energy, nice ideas, and their grooves have a way to stick into your mind. A band that you should check out.

8/10