The Odious are a progressive metal band from the US and this is their second album.
The Odious’ progressive metal is a mix of modern technical/progressive/death metal and progressive rock. The end result can be loosely characterised as a mix of The Faceless, Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, Sikth, Meshuggah, Ulcerate, and Devin Townsend. Continue reading “The Odious – Vesica Piscis (Review)”
This is the latest EP from First Signs of Frost, a modern rock band from the UK.
Inspired by the likes of Deftones, Glassjaw, and the less-harsh aspects of Periphery and Sikth, this short EP is 18 minutes of emotive and anthemic modern music that’s played with obvious passion. Continue reading “First Signs of Frost – The Shape of Things to Come (Review)”
The Hirsch Effekt are a German progressive metal band and this is their fourth album.
Here we have 61 minutes of progressive metal/hardcore, the likes of which you rarely encounter among the faceless hordes of most nearly-interchangeable bands. Continue reading “The Hirsch Effekt – Eskapist (Review)”
A Sense of Gravity are a progressive metal band from the US. This is their second album.
I bet you’ve always wanted a record that mixes Dream Theater and Between the Buried and Me haven’t you? Well, now you have one. With symphonic/neoclassical elements combined with extreme metal, this is 68 minutes of progressive metal delivered just the way we like it; interesting and exciting. Continue reading “A Sense of Gravity – Atrament (Review)”
Coma Cluster Void are a death metal band, (of sorts), and this is their debut album. They have an international lineup, with members from Canada, Germany and the US.
This album features not one, but two ex-Cryptopsy singers. You heard that right. To be fair, one of them, (Lord Worm), is only a guest vocalist on a couple of tracks, but still. The other, (Mike DiSalvo), is only one half of the vocal attack, the other half being provided by Continue reading “Coma Cluster Void – Mind Cemeteries (Review)”
This is the debut album from Archetype, a Canadian progressive death metal band.
This is a progressive mixture of death and thrash metal that’s not short on confidence or character. Or, for that matter, a rather insane delivery style.
The songs have a decent mixture of aggressive thrash metal, (with a kind of German, Destruction/Kreator feel), and melodic death metal, (Carcass/Arsis), mixed in with more technical and progressive tendencies that see the band producing Continue reading “Archetype – Mission (Review)”
Intensive Square are a Technical Metal band from the UK. This is their début album.
This is Technical Metal played with a love of both complexity and crushing rhythms. There’s a Hardcore side to the band that’s combined with a firm Metal base, resulting an album that combines elements of such diverse bands as Botch, Converge, Johnny Truant, Meshuggah, Circle Takes the Square, Pyrrhon, Today Is the Day, Scarlet, Frontierer, Sikth, Periphery and many others.
Featuring a splenetic vocalist who has a vicious screamed shout, these songs provide a satisfying ear-bashing while also catering to those who like a bit of technicality and complexity with their beatings. It doesn’t go too far down the complexity route though, as there’s plenty of big rhythms and grooves provided to get the listener moving and jerking around the place in strange movements.
The album lasts 45 minutes and provides a meaty feast for anyone into this kind of thing.
Give them a listen.
Wonderbox Metal 