REVIEW ALBUM AGE OF PANDORA BY NOTHGARD

Nothgard is an epic melodic death metal band from Germany formed in 2009, they released their first full length in 2011 called Warhorns of Midgard receiving positive feedback from the media.Their sound is a combination of pagan epic death metal with drippings of power, black and thrash metal clearly defined by bands like Equilibrium or Ensiferum (note that the vocalist/lead guitar Dom R. Crey joined Equilibrium recently). Age of Pandora will be released on the 12th of September 2014 with Trollzorn label and distributed by Soulfood and AFMRecords (worldwide).

Age of Pandora develop a technical epic death metal combined with power and thrash elements, starting with "Of light and shadow" taking you into an epic instrumental act amazingly effective that links to the tittle track Age of Pandora, one of the best anthems of the record, mixing the aggressive death headbanging metal bomb with changes of pace with the orchestrated chorus. Add to this combo a good dose of progressive neoclassical mayhem on the guitars to enjoy this shot as a masterpiece.

Blackened seed continues the strategy wth a mid tempo epic track combined with pagan melodies and a strong straight chorus made for the crowd to shout in their gigs, followed by Black witch venture as an orchestrated epic death metal mid and fast tempo, awesome job by the guitars forging a theatrical track with drippings of modern melodic chorus.

In blood remained the machine gun start genuine oldschool death metal will make you bang your heads, the evolution take this track to include epic power metal moments in the chorus backed by a victory taste guitar riffs; continued by Anima waking up the same epic power death feelings but this time being the turn of the epic thrash metal missile into your brains, outstanding job on the drums here and also remarkable theatrical act by the vocals.

Obey the king is another excellent creation of death metal, theatrical growling vocals and astonishing composition  structure following classical music as a base for the consolidation of the band as a whole, in harmony every time.

Wings of dawn follows a mid pulsed death bomb wih an astonishing catchy power battle chorus as Moshback children attack you with one of the strongest rhythms and most angry acts, moshpiting riveting track, excellent job combining thrash and death.

No one holds the crown is one of the hits of the album comprising an increscendo structure with death epic roots supported by orchestral and progressive elements, encapsulating the sound of the band's style, headbanging till the end, great shade from the metal attack to the epic orchestra that ends the album.

Nothgard second attack is coming to take you to an epic battle, the composition has been taken care in every detail, from the orchestra to the different shots of death, thrash and power metal, resulting in a real masterpiece, reaching the level of top epic death metal bands.

Age of Pandora will take them to the next level, the production is crystal clear, excellent job, so if you like death metal or epic power, if you enjoy banging your head at thrash metal anthems, you will really like Age of Pandora!

8,5 / 10


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Line Up
Dom R Crey as vocals and lead guitar
Vik S. on the bass
Daniel K with lead and rhythm axe
D Ziegler on the drums
Skhaal on rhythm guitars

Release Date 12-09-2014

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Review by Daniel Ortiz from Metalheads Union and Metalheads Union FB

REVIEW EP THE ABYSS BY MORTHUS

Morthus is a death/black metal band from Poland formed in November 2012 by four death metal maniacs following their influences of bands like Morbid Angel, Unleashed or Dissection, mixing all that to forge a very sophisticated epic death metal with black metal elements.
The Abyss is their first EP, released last 7th June 2014 and has been recorded and mixed on Mandragora Studios.

The EP starts with Torment representing the Abyss as an atmospheric introduction with screams of agony and chaos that leads to the death metal riffs of hell, mixed with banging thrash metal pulse that continues with Beast from the Abyss, where the guitar riff and the death metal drums explodes in an epic structure, taking the listener to a headbanging track, the riffs are something exceptional and I really have to remark the jobs on the drums, so sophisticated where you can appreciate various different elements and rhythm changes all over. The growling vocals makes the perfect job in harmony with the rest of the band, outstanding straight and powerful chorus also to make this the sign of the band as pure epic death metal masterpiece.

But if you weren't surprised yet, next track called In the White Wolf's Kingdom is going to make you break your necks as they develop a mid-tempo black metal rhythm mixed with the death apocalypse, the vocals here are amazingly well played along with the instrumental. The composition in this track is excellent, creating an old school black/heavy metal contrasts with their death metal elements.

Overall, Morthus forged an outstanding, astonishing first EP, the crystal clear production is something remarkable and enjoyable that will take them to the next level. This is a very professional job and I can't wait to see what these guys can do in the future because If they continue working hard like now, they will go very far to be one of top bands of the death metal scene.

8,5 / 10


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Review by Daniel Ortiz from Metalheads Union and Metalheads Union FB

REVIEW ALBUM CRUCIFIED BY MPIRE OF EVIL

Mpire of evil is all about the thrash blackened metal from Venom during their Prime Evil to Waste lands era, formed in 2010, is the reunion band for the evil bass/vocalist Tony "Demolition man" Dolan (ex ATOMKRAFT, ex VENOM)  and  former Venom members, Jeff Mantas Dunn on the dark axes together with Antton on drums. They release three studio albums, the first included two original tracks among covers from different bands like Judas Priest or Motorhead, called "Creatures of the Black" in 2011.
One year after, they released the full length Hell to the holy, receiving positive feedbacks worldwide! JXN Jackson joined the band on the drums after Antton left, and in 2013 they released Crucified.

Crucified is built with Venom covers re recorded to perfection and keeping the raw and heavy sound of Venom, most of the tracks belong to the Waste Lands album (Kissing the beast, Black Legions, Need to kill, Crucified, Wolverine), also the tittle track Temple of Ice, and from Prime Evil (Parasite, Blackened are the priests and Carnivorous) and I have to say that as a compilation is a true bomb of speed thrash blackened metal of non stop headbanging, brought from the underrated most unknown eras of Venom where the influence of the former singer of Atomkraft, Dolan, influenced with thrash speed metal with the apocalyptic and evil feeling combined with the style of Mr Jeff. The vocals evolved in a more growling low pitched style going high at some points, but even this way gives a more rotten evil feeling than before, added with the strong drumbeats of JXN make this an improvement for the originals, being the chance of many people who didn't know this side of Venom and also start following what Mpire of Evil is about!

And after enjoying such a thrash speed metal feast is time to analyse the new Mpire of Evil tracks; Demone is a machine gun pulse on the drums that explodes in strong straight verses, headbanging as hell and breathtaking track where the drummer JXN makes an extraordinary job with some sophisticated details here and there and a forceful attitude in harmony with Mantas on the guitars and Dolan shots on the chorus.

But the best is yet to come, Take it all takes the thrash metal old school style and twistes it with headbanging and amazingly catchy chorus taken from black rock and roll elements, remarkable the  vocals here as Dolan really matches the higher pitched voice he used to do on his travel with Venom, great in-crescendo ending!

Mpire of Evil put the listener in the atmosphere of the Venom influence and then step forward with two atomic bombs that will be really enjoyed by old Venom fans and also for new metal maniacs with hunger of true thrash metal. They where capable of keeping the roots of what they created, a beast that had to be rided, and so they did! Excelent job guys!

8,5 / 10


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Review by Daniel Ortiz from Metalheads Union, and Metalheads Union FB

REVIEW OF THE ALBUM EVIL SEEDS BY SYLVATICA

Sylvatica is a melodic death metal band with elements from thrash and black metal with folk metal roots, formed in 2010 in Denmark by Jarden Schlesinger on guitars and Pelle Buch Hansen on drums, and they released the first EP after bassist Thomas Haxen and Jannik Ravn on second axes joined the band. After Jannik Ravn left the band, Martin Hamann replaced him and also left in 2013, Richardt Olsen joined the band with the album almost finished and to be released the next 1st of July.

Evil Seeds is a mix of folk metal based heart, with touches of thrash, death and black metal played at perfection. Lost is the acoustic piano introduction, creating the atmosphere with a raising epic feeling that explodes in Psychopatica, where everyone will bang the heads with this combination of epic folk and death metal, with excellent instrumental, strong growling vocals and astonishing ending! to follow with Winds of decay, a mid-tempo strong pounding heavy metal track keeping their folk metal roots and giving the dark sign of the band as The ascension begins following the epic death metal executed amazingly well and also driving between death and thrash rhythms; of course headbanging and moshpiting to the end in one of the best composed pieces of the album.

But hold your breath now with the tittle track, Evil seeds, as they follow the mix of epic thrash metal and death melodies, adding strong chorus made to scream in every concert. Remarkable the good harmony this band creates in every track, like the instrumental Gods of the Gallows, begins as a slow mid tempo folk metal rhythm mixing electric and acoustic parts creating a really intense piece.

The pure sophisticated drumbeats take you to the top in Hate Quest, forceful guitar riffs and strong growling vocals in one of those battle songs essential for every true metal maniac and always following their folk identity.
Admirable changes of style between the roots of death metal and thrash is one of the strong points of the band, Lucifer is one of those tracks that better demonstrate that and also offers a really catchy folk metal chorus, the best of the album; the second half of the track called my attention due to the outstanding inspiration of these guys, truly enjoyable as hell.

Reanimated and The sludge soup follow similar patterns with thrash metal influence in a mid-tempo pulse with aggressive vocals and headbanging folk metal chorus; in the Slude soup they develop a really awesome instrumental at the second half with sudden changes of rhythm mixing death metal and neoclassical guitar touches, great job!

The last track is Sect of Sleep, developing an in crescendo structure from the folk acoustic to the mid- tempo headbanging verses, outstanding guitar riffs in perfect harmony with the vocals creating a powerful epic composition.

Sylvatica is now credited that they created a masterpiece of epic folk metal, mastering multiple true metal genres like death, black or thrash metal, and also offering some melodies of symphonic and neoclassical in the compositions of the tracks, with crystal clear superb production also. This album surprised me straight away, and I can say, as many of you will, that I enjoyed this Evil seeds from beginning to the end. Such virtue they demonstrated in every track will impact the folk/ death/ thrash metal scene, Sylvatica released an atomic bomb exploding in your brains!

9 / 10

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Review by Daniel Ortiz from Metalheads Union and Metalheads Union FB