Mahogany Head Grenade - Return To The Point of Departure

Mahogany Head Grenade is an instrumental band from Dallas, Texas. Consisting of members Dan Hyer - Guitar, Mike Pritchett - Drums, James Falcon - Bass. Return To The Point of Departure is a self released album on May 2013. Genre described as instrumental rock. 

Opening track is Return To The Point of Departure, a sample intro leads the way. My first thoughts are "progessive and engaging". Song two is Trouble For Trouble, solid rhythms and creative guitar solos. Vinedresser, sci-fi style intro and interesting title, taking notice of the bass lines that are very creative and making well complimented lines the are catchy and memorable. Elude War Machine is track four, much more aggressive than the previous songs. Drums are a highlight in this composition. Interesting dynamic fills and rolls, production quality is great as I can hear every hit on the drum kit. Closing track is Venitian Bricks, progressive, bluesy and hard rock oriented. Considering the entire album is instrumental it keeps the listener captivated from moment to moment.

In conclusion, fans of Joe Satriani, Steve Via, and Buckethead will enjoy this. A well produce and thought adventure with solid bass and creative guitar passages.
~Artemortifica

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Hannes Grossmann - The Radical Covenant

Hannes Grossmann The Radical Covenant album, self released on February 3 2014. Track listing:
1. Aeon Illuminate - 08:20
2. Alien Utopia - 04:33
3. The Sorcerer - 07:43
4. Solar Fire Cells - 04:08
5. The Voyager - 05:46
6. Radial Covenant I. + II. - 10:49
7. Euclidean Elements (Piano Version) - 03:41
To purchase the album visit hannesgrossmann.com

Hannes is known for his drumming in the following bands; Obscura, Blotted Science, and Necrophagist.

Check out the album cover plus YT video of Aeon Illuminate and SC sample of the album below.

 

Syphor - For What Remains

Syphor is a five piece Thrash/Death Metal band from Dublin, Ireland consisting of members Dan Golding - Vocals, Daragh Brennan - Guitar, Franco Buonocore - Guitar, Dave O'Reilly - Bass, 
Jay Healy - Drums. 

For What Remains is the second full length album self released on September 21 2013.

The opening track is Inferno, a short an engaging melody leads us into a mass assault of pure metal octane. My first thoughts are "aggressive and devastating". Production is good and well balanced. Reckoning is up next. Catchy guitar seizes my senses, feeling a big Carcass influence on the compositions. Frozen Soul, classic DM style seeps through and feeling a mosh coming on. Interesting passages, complex, yet memorable in melody. Title track "For What Remains", slow build up with open chords then into some punchy and fierce riffs. Evolution of Aggression, this song takes me back to the early days of death metal like Hypocrisy or Sinister. Thrust to the Grave, guitar achieves a raw and crunchy rhythm but still maintains a good warm tone when executing the solos. Promises Granted Too Late, levels of brutality are turned up several notches on this song and I will have to admit it's one of my favorites from the album. My Throne To Be, features an eerie mood setting guitar intro, like stepping into a horror movie. Long and complex arrangement with clean guitar and very catchy solos. The track is seven minutes long and keeps you engaged every single second, it also demonstrate a high level of musicianship taking place in each passage. The Punisher is the last and bonus song on this album. The thrash metal elements are apparent and are a good way to end our journey.

In conclusion, the album keeps you on the edge and is filled with many memorable songs. Fans of early style DM like Carcass, Celtic Frost or Sentenced will most likely want to add this album to their collection. 
Artemortifica

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Kaotoxin Records releases 1st Issue of TOXIC KAOS Magazine

Featuring 44 full-color pages, (French written) March 2014 debut issue of the label's magazine features interviews Benighted, Master, BRUTAL TRUTH, Gorod, EYE OF SOLITUDE, WE ALL DIE (laughing), Exivious, Tides From Nebula, Mercyless, Bliss Of Flesh, INSAIN, Reptilian Death, THE LUMBERJACK FEEDBACK, Izegrim, MISERABLE FAILURE, NEPHREN-KA, TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION and many more as well as reviews.

TOXIC KAOS comes free of charge and will ship with all orders at the Kaotoxin Shop or Kaotoxin Digital Shop.

Morfin - Inoculation

Morfin is a four piece DM band from Pico Rivera, California. Members are Miguel Hernandez- Drums, Pedro Gonzalez- Rhythm/Lead Guitar, Michael Gonzalez- Bass, Jesus Romero- Lead/Rhythm Guitar/Vocals. Inoculation is their full length release on February 21 2014 through FDA Rekotz.

The opening track is called Evil Within. Brutal and fierce are the first thoughts that come to mind. Dark Creator is song number two. A heavy early nineties DM influence circulates through these riffs. Lethal Progeny, memorable bass line and catchy guitar licks make this one to bang your head to. I am reminded of early Entombed, Death and Benediction. Identity Killer, prepare to slam your way into the mosh pit with this tune. Like a tank crushing bodies under its wheels, a devastating composition indeed. Cryostasis, relenting drums start this song and leads us into oblivion. Well executed production gives this album the early DM sound quality which is well fitting for its content. Primordial, very intense and well written bass line with slight distortion is a nice touch and paints a solid passage for the next song and title track Inoculation, I will have to say this is my favorite composition with ripping solos and massive drum attack. The final song is a cover, Leprosy (Death), the vocalist does a great job at capturing the Chuck's legendary vocal style. The drums maintain a steady rhythm as well as bass and guitar. Overall, true underground DM followers will enjoy this album. The art on the cover is done by Badic Art and fits the raw DM spirit is its purest form.
~Artemortifica

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Dark Forest - The Awakening

Dark Forest is a five piece Heavy Metal band from England. The Awakening is their third full length album to be released on March 11 2014 through Cruz Del Sur Music. Members include Josh Winnard - Vocals, Christian Horton - Guitar, Pat Jenkins - Guitar, Paul Thompson - Bass, Adam Sidaway - Drums

The album starts with the title track "The Awakening", strong and attention grabbing riffs. A solid production is evident immediately. Sacred Signs is song two. Rooted in metal with creative passages. At times it does remind me of early Dream Theater albums like Images and Words or Awake. Pendas Fen, interesting drum dynamics on this particular track. Well thought out patterns make it pleasurable to my ears. Turning of The Tides, much faster and heavier than the previous songs, along with a predominant bass line to give it a certain punch that keep the melodies in your head. Rise Like Lions, reminds me of earlier metal styles like Accept or UFO which I enjoy. There is also a fast and creative solo the breaks through to make this track memorable. Immortal Remains, is probably one of my favorites from this album. Seems like all the elements come together in each passage and verses/chorus lines have much feeling and energy. Sons of England is the closing song. Epic and captivating. A perfect way to seal this adventure. I imaging this song being an audience mover in a live situation.

In conclusion, a very solid performance. Catchy riffs, memorable verses. This new release is one that fans will want to add to their collection. Be sure to also explore their previous albums which include, Dark Forest and Dawn of Infinity.
~Artemortifica

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Lucifer's Hammer - Night Sacrifiice

Lucifer's Hammer is a two member band from Santiago de Chile. This is their debut three song demo released through Shadow kingdom Records on February 12 2014. Members are Hades (Vocals, Guitars), Titan (Drums).

This group is new to the underground scene and there is very little information on their sites other than their demo. Wolf is the first song. I hear a strong Iron Maiden and Saxon influence in the riffs. Vocals are good and have dual arrangements in several verses that are well executed. Shadows is track two. Somehow I am transported back in time to the early eighties when listening to this demo that even the production has that certain analog feeling in its essence. Heavy and crunchy guitar licks open this jam. Fast attack on the drums in pure metal adrenaline. Memorable verses and catchy chorus ala early era manifestation of high vocalizing style. I enjoy the harmonies between the two guitars and have a high regard for their performance on this album. Closing song and title track is "Night Sacrifice", envisioning leather jackets and fist pumping in the air for this composition. There are many early eighties influences in their music, like UFO, Saxon, Exhorder, Barracuda and Accept to name a few. The band holds their own tinge on the album. Overall, I enjoyed the material but think it would be a hard sell to a younger audience in the US, but in their region it would be more suitable in this genre. Old school followers will surely spin this a few times.
~Artemortifica

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