Symbolic are a Progressive metal band from California that is inspired by great groups such as Black Sabbath, Dream Theater, Rush, Judas Priest and many others. Xenatopia is an excelent album in spite of the little interesting rhythm changes and the bass guitar, that can be heard only at the end of "Zealot". The voice of the singer is good but, as many other Progressive singers, it has the problem that after some songs, becomes boring, because of so many high notes. Anyway I appreciated the guitar solos and the careful and complex drums. Very good album. RATING: 7,5/10 -Dom-
Súl ad Astral are a Post-Rock/Post-Black metal band, which main influences of the band are Alcest, Explosions in the Sky, Desiderium and Isle of Skye. I didn't like this album so much, probably also because I'm not a Post-Black metal fan and I think that this genre is not interesting and there are just a few Black metal parts, and for me the result is disappointing. If Súl ad Astral had more Black metal sonorities and riffs I had appreciated the band and the result. RATING: 6/10 -Dom- [-Dom-]
Vallendusk quartet was born in 2011 with the intent to give birth to a good Atmospheric Black Metal band, but despite this, they have also added Blackgaze components in the composition. The backbone of the band are definitely guitars with very fast riffs and a melodic sound, that create the whole atmosphere of the tracks; the vocalist's scream is typical of Black Metal but not particularly innovative. Good the drummer holding a fast pace with the double bass and finding attached another created by a slow snare and cymbals, rarely also with a touch of Prog; The bass can rarely be heard and is often covered by the drums. Not bad, almost a good a start.
Brutal death metal is more undead than ever and 2013 is definitely its year! After the great comebacks of titans like Defeated Sanity, Suffocation, Devourment and Guttural Secrete, every fan must add another album to their “to-buy” list: I’m speaking of the debut album of the american three-piece Goemagot. After a demo, Parasitic Incineration, which was very appreciated in the BDM underground, the band puts out Eradication Of Insignificant Beings, an album that surpass Parasitic Incineration in every way possible and is probably the best BDM debut of the last years. What we have here is technically excellent brutal death, with plenty of slam influences and a good amount of ideas used wisely. Goemagot aren’t innovators, but they surely are personal and, even more important, they know how to write exceptional songs. The band maintains a constant balance between ultra-fast brutal death riffs and bone-crushing slams, connecting them perfectly in the most effective and various ways. Also, they use a good amount of evil melodies, often played in tremolo, sometimes capable of touching the listener; this is a very rare feat in this genre. The quality of the riffs, the slams and everything else is really high and Goemagot always add a little bit of personality that separate themselves from the crowd of bands which do nothing but copy good ideas from the great bands of BDM. During the tracklist we have almost totally slam episodes with a deadly groove – like Headless Prostitute Present and Too Decomposed To Rape – alternated with fast bursts of brutality, straightforward like a punch in the stomach – for example, Progressive Regression of Cognition and Crushed After Dismemberment – and longer and more complex songs, which are the best of the album: I’m talking about The Ethics Of Omnipotence and Beg For Extiction. This track, in particular, is the most beautiful one, so full of ideas, ultra-heavy while using thrilling melodies, closing with an epic guitar solo to listen to again and again and fading with an acoustic guitar outro which closes a magnificient album. The production of Eradication is one of its strongest features, incredibly genuine and also clear, making it possible to distinguish every instrument without giving up the dirty mood typical of BDM. Drummer Daniel Hemmerich’s performance is impressive, far more varied and interesting than your typical brutal/slam band’s drumming, yet equally brutal and intense. One of Goemagot’s most distinguishing aspect are Cody McConnel’s vocals, incredibly deep and filthy. He sounds a bit like Antti Boman of Demilich (who has one of the deepest growls I’ve ever heard) with a touch of Angel Ochoa (Cephalotripsy) which never hurts. Furthermore, Cody also displays his abilities with the bass guitar, not always following the guitars, sometimes stealing the spotlight and delivering little solos and great tapping sections. Matt Murphy on guitar is really good, especially concerning the leads, even if in this album they’re not so prominent. Eradication Of Insignificant Beings is immediate, long-lived, intense, captivating, without a break. I could describe it with a lot of adjectives, none of which would be negative. Every BDM fan should listen to it and buy it as soon as possible, because it’ll be hard to see an equally awesome debut soon. Hail to Goemagot, hoping that in the future these guys give us something even more impressive! RATING: 9/10 FEDERICO ARATA (MrFreddy, Metallized)
Décombres, which in French means "ruins", is the unhealty solo project by the Canadian Philippe Boucher, who became quite famous in the metal underground for being the drummer of Beyond Creation. The debut album, with the same name "Décombres," was released last year and his musical offering is a Black Metal style like Burzum (especially the masterpiece "Filosofem"), with adjoining classical, creepy, dark atmosphere and low quality production and recording. Already since the initial “Consumation” you know right away that the album will be difficult to listen to, with few virtuosities by guitar and drums and a disturbed voice in scream; but perhaps this is also a strong point of the album: a real sense of bewilderment and lack of handholds. Despite the technique is not elevated, some riffs are pasted in the brain of the listener without peel off easily (such as that of the aforementioned "Consumation" or "Elevation" or "Aurore Boreale") and, after properly "grapped" it with 2-3 plays, the atmosphere of desolation and despair that we breathe is unique. But there is always something that should be wrong: what gave me enough annoyance was almost equal of all the tracks, except "Dernier Souffle" which is what symbolizes the whole album, at least for me. Recommended especially to those listen to Black and Depressive Black Metal; for everyone else, if you can not accept the disturbed sounds in Burzum-style, I can understand. RATING: 7,5/10 -ULTHAR- [-Mara-]
"Bauda" project was born in 2006 due to Cesar Marquez in the form of one-man band, proposing an instrumental and very relaxing Progressive Rock / Folk with a great technique. But now the band has completely revolutionized, in fact the band added a bass player and a drummer, so the group is converted to a Neofolk / Post-Rock / Progressive Rock. Better expressed, their music is a mix of many kinds in addition to those outlined above: we can hear Atmospheric, Shoegaze and in some points even Pop influences. During the album guitars often sound very melancholy reminding bands like Opeth and Gospeed You, Black Emperor who may have a slow pace rather than fast; The basic rhythm of each track consists in the bass supported by the drums: it constantly maintains a very good technique. The use of the synthesizer is not uncommon, it enriches every track (already great) and can give rise to intense atmospheres. Truly a special project that needs to be understood, especially recommended for lovers of detailed, melancholy and full of atmosphere music.
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