BATTLE HELM

BLOODY TYRANT
“S/T”
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If you think that the Taiwanese metal scene begins and ends with Chthonic then you’re wrong. Look beyond and you’ll see that there are more to it than first meet the eye. Bloody Tyrant is another Taiwanese black metal band. I was, if not completely blown away at least touched by the wind the first time I heard this album.

DEGRADATION
“Juggernaut”
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“Juggernaut” is pretty much an self-explanatory album title, an declaration of intent if you so like. With a title like that you know that you will not get an album full of love songs or songs about flowers. And as expected this is pretty much full on thrash metal done in a way that brings back thoughts of the second wave of thrash metal.

DÖDSENGEL
“Visonary”
(Daemon Worship)
Norwegian black metal is forever engrained in every metalhead’s conscious thanks to bands like Darkthrone, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Immortal and a couple of handful more. Dödsengel is another of these Norwegian black metal bands that seem to keep popping up on every mountain top.

EISREGEN
“Rostrot”
(Massacre)
I remember Eisregen from when they were signed to Last Epitaph (Episode). Back then I didn’t think that they would amount to much. How wrong wasn’t I. They seem to have survived better than their old label.

HORRENDOUS
“The Chills”
()
I don’t want no pansy ass metalcore dressed up to look cool. I want Horrendous to be full on, unashamedly, unapologetic metal. I really need that fix of raw, unadulterated metal to the bone right now. Please give it to me. I can’t take the shit the radio keeps spewing at me.

MASQUERADER
“EP 2011”
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There is something very strict and disciplined about the lay-out of Masquerader’s 2011 EP. Even though the images are pretty vile there is a clean aesthetics to it all. This contrast between the disciplined and the vile makes for an interesting brain boggle.

Biohazard – “Reborn In Defiance” (Nuclear Blast)

Tales from the hardside!!! Yeah, Brooklyn’s finest return with this reunion album and it’s just da bomb that only messrs Hambel, Seinfeld, Schuler and Graziadei could produce! Man, a lot has happened to Biohazard over the years but I’m really pleased that “Reborn In Defiance” not only shows they’ve still got heaps of ‘muthafucka’ attitude but is a worthy successor to classic albums like “Urban Discipline” and “State Of The World Address” that arguably made the band. Dedicated to fellow Brooklyn bro Pete Steele (RIP) songs like ‘Vengeance Is Mine’, ‘Decay’ and ‘Come Alive’ all have that classic sound of Evan’s hoarse voice (sounds like porno hasn’t made the man any happier LOL – Ed) with Billy’s shouting voice overlaying as it did before, Danny’s smashing da drums like he’s taking apart someone’s face in a Jiu Jitsu fight and Bobby is still that dancing, street skanking dude with that mean guitar that makes you just wanna jump muthfucka, jump! With Evan already splitting it’s difficult to say whassup when it comes to Biohazard, but whether its their final album or not (and I sure hope it ain’t) “Reborn In Defiance” commands only one word: RESPECT!

Winterthrone – “The Godslayer” (Frozen Sun Records)

This one man German project takes me back to the early days of Black Metal with Burzum, Emperor and Dark Throne: underground production and even rawer playing complemented by distant vocal drawls and shrieks. However, Winterthrone have upped the ante by the use of some classy keyboards that not only provide haunting atmospherics, but also big up the sound to an almost symphonic level so that songs like ‘Grave Of Thousand Souls’, ‘The Throne’ and ‘Triumph And Emptiness’ take on almost epic proportions. With exquisitely packaged limited edition vinyl pressings, Teutonic artwork and desperately little information on the band adding to the mystique, the cult of Winterthrone successfully carries the torch of underground black metal into the new era!

Fourth Autumn – “Mock The Weak” (Rising Records)

This is a fine piece of blackened death from Wales of all places! I know the Welsh can sing, but it’s a tiny country so it’s good to hear the likes of Fourth Autumn bringing it in fine style (and a healthy dose of humour) on songs like ‘Don’t Stop Bereavin”, ‘A Door, A Table, A Fist’ and ‘Rigor Mortis (Makes Me Stiff)! Although not original by any means, they nevertheless effectively combine the likes of CradleOF and The Black Dahlia Murder with brutal / screech vocals, chopping rhythms as well as a healthy dose of classy melodies (LOL must be those Beyonce influences eh lads – Ed) courtesy of some excellent soloing from Jason for good measure. All in all a debut worthy of saying Cymru Am Byth!

Lomera – “Lomera” EP (www.facebook.com/LomeraBand)

On the face of it, Australia wouldn’t be a place I’d commonly associate with down tuned stoner rock but Sydney’s Lomera have created such a heavy smog of Clutch punk noise, Sabbathy doom and trippy Kyuss haze that they’re hard to ignore – even if they’re on the other side of the planet! Impressively self produced, Matt Power’s wasted vocals drift over the fuzz toned noise and insane warbling on numbers like ‘Now Way But The River’, ‘Hail The Storm’ and the deep ‘There Will Be Blood’. Totally heavy man, these guys come from down under!!

DECEMBER FLOWER
“When All Life Ends…”
(Cyclone Empire)
With a name like December Flower you’d be forgiven for thinking that this would be something along the lines of Katatonia’s melancholia but once you’ve taken a glance at the cover you know that this will be totally along the lines of Dissection and that amazing second album.

ESSENZA
“Devil’s Breath”
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When I get an album from an Italian band that is described as alternrock I take notice, and not because it excites me uncontrollably. There is something very alarming when you try to dress up things in clothes that don’t fit the situation. Calling something for what it isn’t do not make it any better. Essenza are as alternrock as I am short.

EXMORTIS
“Darkened Path Revealed”
(Necroharmonic Records)
I have no idea how many bands that I’ve lent an ear or two to over the years. Some I don’t even remember any more, others have stayed with me for no apparent reason other than that they must have made an impression. Exmortis I hadn’t lent an ear to for decades before I was contacted about interviewing them.

NECRONOMICON
“Invictus”
(Massacre)
I am not ashamed to say that I didn’t care for Necronomicon back in the 80s. I thought of them as second rate German thrash metal. Why bother with them when I got Assassin, Darkness or Exhumed. Not to mention Kreator, Sodom and Destruction. So I discarded with them and directed my attention at others.