NORTH FROM HERE

'Demonic Token'

German Melodic Death Metallers North From Here unleash their brutality in the form of their debut album 'Demonic Token'. Taking the general basis of Melodic Death Metal and adding synthetic melodies from the keyboard this quartet take their music to the next level and in doing so cause a draft about the German Underground Metal scene. The unique thing about this band is they bring electronic music into it so as to say create 'Cyberdeath Metal' or the more common 'Hybrid Metal'. Whatever the genre, North From Here fail to disappoint.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/northfromhere

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VAULT OF PAIN

'Devastation Of Humanity'

Serbian Metalcore outfit Vault Of Pain caused mass panic in Serbia in 2009 when they unleashed the brutality contained within the quintet's musical powers, this came in the form of their 2009 EP 'Devastation Of Humanity'. Riffs come out of the woodwork like maggots munching on a rotten apple with the sweet sense of satisfaction, there is a major comparison between Vault Of Pain and maggots, they both are always looking forward to their next adventure. With their 2009 EP it is clear that Serbia's Metal scene is moving from being young to being adolescent.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/vaultofpain

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LOST DREAMS

'Wage Of Disgrace'

TWILIGHT ZONE

Sounding across the Alpine mountains in the valleys of Steinach, Tyrol, is Austrian Melodic Death Metal machine Lost Dreams with their fourth full length 'Wage Of Disgrace'. Commanding the reigns of this epic quintet is one vocalist, two guitarists, one drummer and one bassist, essentially five brutal Austrians. Wielding the mystics of the snow-laden country and the modern tradition of Heavy Metal, Lost Dreams are seeking new sounds to make each release better than the previous, a process that makes them all the more productive and not in debt of having a 'Wage Of Disgrace'.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

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SHEAR

'In Solitude'

Shear is Finland's newest prospect and potentially the next band to take up Nightwish's footsteps and maybe even so become Finland's Eurovision entry. Finnish Power Metal sextet Shear emerge into the Finnish Metal scene with their sonic debut EP 'In Solitude'. Taking drumming and keyboard influences from Sonata Arctica, vocals and guitars from Nightwish and the cold winters that occur in their city of Helsinki, Shear are predominantly one metal band that will rock the Power Metal genre of its balance and shake up the Metal world. Taking it to the next step is not hard, especially for these six Finns.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/shearofficial

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STRIBOG

'U Okovima Vjecnosti'

MURDEROUS PRODS.

Croatian Blackened Folk Metallers Stribog set their sights on the future with their debut full-length 'U Okovima Vjecnosti' released this year. Fusing Croatian lyrics to the body of Blackened Folk Metal, Stribog tell their own stories in their native tongue to which any non-Croatian would be puzzling over, regardless of the language barrier, the music itself is of traditional Croatian / Slavic and like many Slavic Metal bands they focus on Slavic, Paganism and Mythology on their lyrics. Slavic Pagan Metal is born via Stribog and with it Metal grows more and more into crazier genres, but still, as Sam Dunn said: 'Metal is more than music, more than an identity, Metal is freedom and together we are now a global tribe', with that in mind, Stribog is no exception.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

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HEAVEN GREY

'Falling Mist'

It has finally come, twelve years after Latvia's Heaven Grey set foot in the Latvian underground Metal scene and here they are twelve years later with their sophomore album 'Falling Mist'. Gothic/Doom Metal is exerted on all nine tracks and all are both in Latvian and English giving that sense that Heaven Grey are opting to go bilingual. Funnily enough their is a pattern, songs 1, 3, 6, 7 and 9 are in English whereas 2, 4, 5 and 8 are in Latvian. None the less, they are sure to become Latvia's biggest Gothic Metal act.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/heavengrey

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HORN OF THE RHINO

'Weight Of Coronation'

DOOMENTIA

Basque Doom Thrashers Horn Of The Rhino take their debut album 'Weight Of Coronation' to the masses in emphatic style, over one hour of eight Doom Metal loaded tracks with Thrash Metal in the wings. The guitars are thickened in sound to give a gritty, thick, distorted sound which coincidentally echoes giving a depressive and sorrow atmosphere. But in reality, the Basque trio stands up for their own nationality, belief and culture against the wraith of Spain. Basque for independence is as sweet as Horn Of The Rhino's 'Weight Of Coronation'.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

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DARCHAIC

'Spirit Black Heretic'

Darchaic sound off the Gothic Thrash Metal with their debut album 'Spirit Black Heretic'. The Slovakian trio opts for a Thrash Metal approach with Gothic influences such as dress style, the incorporation of melodies from the keyboard as well as deep vocals that naturally come with Thrash Metal but also from Gothic Rock. All in all, they take clear influences from Slayer, Sepultura (on song 'Saint Respect' with the tribal drums), Mnemic and Oracle (from Indonesia). As the Slovak Republic pick up their Metal scene to match the already dominating Western Metal they will give the flag to fly to Darchaic. Slovakian Metal has been redesigned.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/darchaicart

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MORDAX

'Slaughter'

Upping the ante for the Danish Metal scene is Death Thrashers Mordax who has released their debut EP entitled 'Slaughter'. Mixing fellow countrymen influences Raunchy and Mnemic, Mordax are fresh meat in accordance to the level of music they play. Perfectly timed blastbeats are intermittent with the guitar sopranos and at the same time provide the perfect background for the vocals. The EP itself gives the sense of destruction, annihilation and creativity. So we know Denmark's major exports are indeed Bacon and Lego, but heh Mordax are Denmark's latest METAL export, is it time for the 'Slaughter'?

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

http://www.myspace.com/mordaxdk

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RISE TO FALL

'Restore The Balance'

CORONER

Another Metal export from the autonomous republic of the Basque Country, this time coming in the form of Melodic Death Metal quintet Rise To Fall who have released their debut album 'Restore The Balance' way back in the year 2008. Taking influences of the modern day Sonic Syndicate and Scar Symmetry, the Basque quintet modernize their region with their own Metal scene which is not officially recognized, but only as Spanish. Is there much controversy between the two lands? When music is concerned? No.  Rise To Fall aim to break that dispute and intentionially 'Restore The Balance'.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

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