Dreamgrave - Presentiment

Dreamgrave is six piece ensemble from Hungary, Szeged. Members are Dömötör Gyimesi (vocals, guitars), János Mayer (keyboards), Mária Molnár (vocals), Ádám Kovács (guitars), Domonkos Altorjay (drums), Márton Attila Kovács (bass). Genre is described as progressive dark metal.

Presentiment released independently on October 15th 2014. This release contains eight tracks. My first thoughts are, this is melodic, complex and very progressive song structures. One of the things that perked my ears was the vocals of Maria Molnar, she has an excellent voice and it blends well with the death metal style growls. By no means is this a new thing, I have heard bands with a similar style before, like Therion, Epica, Within Temptation and several others but I do enjoy how good that sounds on this album. One of the songs that stuck out in my mind the most would have to be the song Presentiment 2, it is an amazing and epic melodic piece which is mostly stringed instruments and vocals but the melody stays with me long after the song is finished. False Sense of Confidence contains a variety of styles from death metal to blues to progressive all stitched together flawlessly.

In terms of production, with all the instruments involved the sound always remained intense and clear. Drums very powerful and dynamic. Keyboards, violin, guitar and bass all at good levels through out the entire album. I recommended for fans of death metal, metal, progressive and melodic genres. There's something to enjoy in each track. ~Artemortifica

facebook-dreamgrave 

Soulskinner - Crypts of Ancient Wisdom

Soulskinner is a four piece death metal band from Athens, Attica. Members are: Gothmog- Vocals, Bill-Guitars/bass, Spiros-Guitars, Kostas-Drums. 

Crypts of Ancient Wisdom released on October 15 2014 through Xtreem Music. This album consist of twelve tracks. It begins with a clean strumming acoustic. Melodic and unassuming. When the second song hits, you know right away this some heavy and brutal music. Vocals are very low which I enjoy a lot. Devastating guttural like old Monstrosity or Death. Energetic and intense album from beginning to end. The Furies Hymn has some catchy and memorable solos at the end making it worthy of spinning several times. This is followed by Deadland part1. Crushing verses and demonic vocals, this is one of my favorites. Deadland part2 is equally strong and offers more complexity and progression. Why Shrink From Death starts with an interesting intro, haunting and mind altering another one on my favorites list. The keyboard melody reminds me of classic horror films from Dario Argento. I like how the entire track builds into a savage and pummeling song. 

In conclusion, the album is deeply rooted in the classic death metal from the 90s era. The intros and outros are in line with the likes of good 70s horror films. I recommended for fans of Sinister, old Hypocrisy, Immolation, Grave and old Morbid Angel. ~Artemortifica

facebook-Soulskinnerband  

The Autumn League - Concept of Irony

The Autumn League is a band from Sydney Australia. It is a project by PJ Somers. Genre is described as atmospheric death/black metal.

Concept of Irony album released independently on June 2014. The production quality is great. Good sounding guitar distortion as well as clean strumming riffs come through perfectly. Drums are intense clear and upfront. Solid and punchy bass tone. Vocals are blended well between clean singing and black metal style.

This release consist of fifteen songs. All totaling an hour worth on music. After playing this album several times I got a good feel for what all the different paths it creates inside my mind. The first couple of tracks lure you in slowly with melodic riffs that are catchy and well thought out. A good amount of synth and keyboards create some interesting soundscapes. As far as the black metal parts, they are written within the song structures in a way that I never really heard before, I guess the closes I can describe it to is Strapping Young Lad meets black metal. Comparisons aside, the band have their own style going on. For this album being an hour long, the tracks never get boring. Some of my favorite songs from this release are, The End of Enmity, Lament, These Remain and A Flame Within. In conclusion, the album contains many layers to explore, I recommended for fans of both black metal, melodic, atmospheric and progressive rock genres. ~Artemortifica

facebook-TheAutumnLeagueProject

Horrified - Descent Into Putridity

Horrified is a four piece death metal band from United Kingdom. Members are Dan Alderson -Guitars/ Vocals, Ross Oliver - Guitars, Dan Hughes - Bass, Matthew Henderson - Drums.

Descent Into Putridity album debut on October 2014 through Momento Mori. Production quality is fairly good. Heavy distorted guitars, bass has good tone, drums are dominant an a bit overpowering at times, but that's just a minor observation. 

The album contains seven tracks. The music reminds me of Benediction, Brutal Truth or Broken Hope. Just some good old school style death metal from the nineties era. The song Narcolepsy is a good example of that, easy to get into and stomp your way into the mosh pit. Tons of double kick grinds and mid tempo moshing beats. Repugnant Generation has some riffing reminiscent of Obituary or early Cannibal Corpse. The drums are a bit rough on this particular track. Tomb of Rebirth has memorable verses and found myself replaying it several times. You will also get to hear lots of catchy solos through the record which I enjoyed very much. 

In conclusion, a good release, not ground breaking. All the elements of the early death metal era are present here. Fans of old school dm will surely want to check this out. ~Artemortifica

facebook-Horrifieduk 

Tongues - Thelésis Ignis

Tongues is a band from Denmark. The project consist of two members Thorbjørn & Qvortrup. They began the group in 2012. Genre is described as Black, death, doom metal. 

Thelésis Ignis EP released on November 2014 through I, VOIDHANGER RECORDS. Production is tough and gritty which adds to the atmosphere being created by the band. If you want to step into the abyss, this would be the music playing in the background.

The EP consist of four songs. The music creates some dark realms. After experiencing the track Bloodline of the Blind which is mostly a chant with an inescapable hymn, you know these are some deep black metal compositions. I listened to the EP a couple of times to grasp the entire scope of what they have recorded. The opening song Void Meditation takes us through some twist and turns. The only other music I can compare it to would be the band Portal. Another thing that caught my ears was how each track flows into each other effortlessly, you could easily think of the EP as one long song. 

In conclusion, a great debut EP. An adventure through hellish realms. I recommended for die hard fans of obscure underground black metal. ~Artemortifica

facebook.com-tungerne 

Inconcessus Lux Lucis - Crux Lupus Corona

Inconcessus Lux Lucis is band from Manchester, UK. It is a two member project consisting of  W. Malphas - Guitars/Drums/Vocals, A. Baal - Bass Guitar. Genre is described as Saturnian Black Magic.

Crux Lupus Corona EP released on November 2014 through I, Voidhanger Records. Raw production quality. Drums are ok but sometimes the kicks are difficult to hear, just a minor observation. Guitars have a slight distortion and not over processed. The bass has good tone. You get to hear the bass really good in the song Lupus. Vocals go from clean singing to black metal and all the lyrics are comprehensible.

The EP is four tracks totaling seventeen minutes. The band blends different styles of early heavy metal like Candlemass or Draconia with touches of black metal stitching it all together. Lots of classic heavy metal solo approach which fit the song structures perfectly. Some of the tracks the caught my ears was Crux, for some reason it completely reminded me of old Megadeth, So far So Good... album, maybe it was the solos but that's what came to my mind. Corona is another strong contender for replay. 

In conclusion, a good release and has a lot to offer to both old generation of metal heads as well as the new. I recommended for fans of Black Sabbath, old Megadeth or Venom. ~Artemortifica

facebook-inconcessusluxlucis358

Mare Cognitum - Phobos Monolith

Mare Cognitum is a black metal band with sole member Jacob Buczarski. The project started in 2011 and location is Santa Ana, California.

Phobos Monolith EP released on November third 2014 through I, Voidhanger Records. Very good production. Dominant drums with some of the best bass kick drums I have heard in a while. Clear and distinct toms and cymbals. Great distortion on the guitars. Good bass tone with a strong resonance. Vocals are good but could be louder in some spots, just a minor observation. 

This release consist of four songs. Each one is long and full of artmosphere. The black metal roots are evident from the opening track. There is a lot of drama and build up before the body and structure of the composition come into my ears. The song Weaving The Thread of Transcendence lures you in with a clean strumming guitar that easily sticks in my mind. Think of it a long distant journey through winter night. The build up is steady and worth the wait. If you made half way into this song then you can truly appreciate the scope of musicianship being projected. The ending guitar interlude is epic and catchy. Entropic Hallucinations comes in much faster with grinding drum attack and reminds me of old Dimmu Borgir or Emperor. Noumenon, haunting eerie keyboards, a much slower pace for this track. I enjoyed the drum fills and rolls, it gives the track more depth. The final composition is Ephemeral Eternities, in contrast to the other three songs, I hear some low death metal style vocals on this one and those are blended with some highs perfectly.

In conclusion, a great release, excellent production and well composed music. A sonic journey full of exploration and dark atmosphere. I recommended for fans of Darkthrone, Bathory, Marduk and Dissection. ~Artemortifica

 facebook-MareCognitumMusic