Reviews
\r\nSilverdollar from Sweden formed before some years as tribute band. Thus therefore they released an album with covers, which in reality is their first completed album. The recipe is simple (and usual). The band occupies with melodic Heavy Metal sound while they also exist certain reports in Hard Rock but also Power Metal (something that is particularly obvious that Hammerfall and Dream Evil have their honour). Evil Never Sleeps is not a bad album, but in my opinion is does not have something original and different to offer us.
\r\nBelgian black metallers Armentar are releasing their debut album "Baptism By Hate" via Absorb Records. Their sound is raw black metal churning out a continuous barrage of fast, melodic, riffs. The entire album is sustained by an evil spirit, a flowing, unstoppable pace, and a great deal of aggressive virtues. The guitars even if somehow simple nevertheless remain pure and shredding creating a dynamic sharp-edged riffage.
\r\nNarthex is a new Belgian metal band and "Flatness of Life" is their debut album, churning out 11 solid tracks of straightforward death/thrash metal at its best. Excellent thrash riffs, solid from mid-paced to furious drumming, an old-school vibe throughout the album without denying a more modern approach either and a great growled vocal work with a few surprising bloody, evil screams.
Neobliviscaris from Australia with this demo cd provide us with something unique and very inspiring. The band consists of six members (Violin, Guitars, Bass Guitar, Drums, Brutal and Clean vocals) and in this Demo cd someone can hear influences from Black metal to progressive rock / metal and Jazz.
Another Italian band released their debut during 2007, their name is Ancestral and the title of the Album “The Ancient Curse” and thankfully for them, they do not follow the Power Symphonic Metal scene that the last years, many Italian bands follow.
\r\nCombat is what we say unneeded and unacceptable. They come from America and what they try to make is to resemble with…Slayer, which by no means is no feasible at all. Their music is boring and the mediocre production makes the things more difficult for them. What we hear continuously is uninspired riffs, that in many times refer to Hardcore bands and other to Thrash influences. They try to create a garage and dry atmosphere and the only that they achieve is to be heard monotonous, without not even a good moment.
\r\nUnholy Ritual have enough time to present themselves in Greek Metal scene. It seems however that in 2008 the band will make its comeback, with its new album, that will be released in 2 months from now on behalf of Jordan River Entertainment. I will be brief as what we have in our hands is not the entire album, but a Promo which contains 4 tracks of the forthcoming release. As we know, the band deals with melodic Majestic/Symphonic Black Metal and in this album it does not present to us something different.
\r\nI received this album a bit late, however I can’t say that it makes any difference as I didn’t really find any reason to be interested in it. First off, this music style has nothing to do with heavy metal, which of course is not a reason to criticize an album based only on that, so let’s say a bit more about it. The style is Rock, yet based on a Pop approach.
\r\nTheir record company states that the band plays like KISS and Aerosmith, however, I’d say that they play more like AEROSMITH and LYNARD SKYNARD. The play pure rock, without too many samples. Their music/style is groovy as it has to be for a band of their style. There aren’t any speedy riffs and extraordinaire solos as obviously the guys just want to rock rather than showing off. In general the tracks are good, yet they fail to avoid playing the usual. I think we ‘d better wait for the next album releases of theirs. \r\n
\r\nEnough people probably, have no idea of the this band. However, it is sure that a lot of people had loved Sacred Rite an older legendary band, from… Honolulu of Hawaii! Sacred Rite therefore were created in 1981 and all called them (and still does) Hawaiian Heavy Metal Icons. The band had a long time to give signs of existence if we take into account that it had spit-up.