Guitarist Rune Eriksen and vocalist Carmen Simoes, previously members of several bands such as Ava Inferi, are back with the new exciting music project Earth Electric and the debut album entitled “Vol. 1: Solar” features a captivating music blend of classic rock and modern prog metal.

“Mountains & Conquerors (pt2)” has strong guitar driven metal grooves but the vintage flamboyant keyboards layers and the ethereal vocals enrich and mutate the song’s structure to deliver a unique unexpected sonic experience.

“The Endless Road” amplifies the classic rock vibes with sharp guitar riffs and catchy melodies. Carmen’s vocals feel like vibrant enchantments lingering sinuously through hypnotic instrumental layers.

“The Great Vast” has subtle darkened nuances but still holds a strong vintage rock melodic core as guitars and keyboards concoct a highly enjoyable spacey psychedelic jam.

“Solar” features a complex stylish structure with dominant prog influenced guitar melodies and smooth tempo variations surrounded by lighter, yet rather intricate, retro keyboards arrangements and incredibly delicate vocals.

“Sabbatical Moons” delivers intriguing and mysterious melodies as the impressive guitar leads and keyboards continue to channel both darker feelings and warmer 70’s textures.

“Vol. 1: Solar” features a remarkable multifaceted music style with charismatic retro accents and eclectic songwriting that absolutely deserve the listener’s full attention.

Following line-up changes Swedish quartet Dead By April now has the renewed energy and focus necessary to deliver the fourth full length “Worlds Collide” on which the band collaborated with the international producer Ben Grosse to achieve a mature distinct sound.

“Crying Over You” opens the album with loads of entertaining catchy melodies that lead to a poppy romantic chorus while powerful screams and chunky guitar riffs are meant to channel fierce metalcore roots.

“Playing With Fire” feels modern and refreshing with loads of variegated synth layers that amplify the electro aspects of Dead By April’s music style.

“My Heart Is Crushable” continues to follow the modern metal & pop combo even if the later seems to dominate the entire song’s structure with easy to remember chorus and melodies.

“Our Worlds Collide” features smooth electro atmospheres, polished guitar melodies that tend to stay in the background and the expected contrasting vocal deliveries.

Featuring vocalist Tommy Körberg, one of the most respected artists in Sweden, “For Every Step” is an emotional traditional rock ballad that feels distant from the band’s modern music recipe, and nevertheless it is one of the highlights of the album.

Blending modern metal and pop trends Dead By April successfully delivers a super radio friendly collection of songs that might feel not enough metal for many listeners but certainly appeals to a wide audience or a younger crowd.

Legendary Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein returns with a new solo album “Doyle II: As We Die”, a nightmarish crunchy sonic endeavor released after lengthy meticulous work to ensure the best possible music experience.

Featuring guest vocalist Alissa White-Gluz and guitarist Michael Amott of Arch Enemy

“Kiss Me As We Die” is a truly charismatic fast paced catchy ghoulish opener with a winning mix of ominous and thunderous guitar riffs & melodies that reach a spontaneous acme with an enjoyable crispy guitar solo while vocalist Alex Story delivers impressive vocals.

“Beast Like Me” does feel like a beast is ready to be unleashed in the midst of an apparent sonic chaos while the vibrant and elaborate guitar work functions as a horror catalyst creating irresistible savage rhythms.

The first single “Run For Your Life” contains the album’s main recurring elements and the nighttime horror story vibe that fuels Alex’s fierce vocal performance and Doyle’s signature Annihilator guitar super sharp licks.

“Darkside” evokes creepy feelings as monsters might be lurking in the shadows or hiding under the bed. Alex’s vocals diligently follow the dominant horror themes and the explosive wild ride built by loads of chunky guitar riffs that always sound spontaneously fun & groovy.

Featuring guest Randy Blythe of Lamb of God “Virgin Sacrifice” offers powerful devilish screams as it amplifies the cinematic horror vibe keeping constant sinister elements/sounds embedded in the guitar riffs and powerful rhythmic structure.

“Night Of Sin” showcases omnipresent darkened vibes especially in the somber doom tinged breakdown while the main metal core features thick guitar driven grooves that acquire even more catchiness in the chorus.

With “Doyle II: As We Die” Doyle and his talented band have crafted a catchy yet quite aggressive horror metal piece that demands to be played loud and will definitely entertain the audience at live shows.

 

Polish extreme metal icons Hate are back with the tenth full length “Tremendum” which comes with a renewed energy featuring the signature black/death style that has always gained attention in the underground metal scene.

On “Asuric Being” Hate consistently builds solemn momentums with battle ready marching rhythms and relentless blackened guitar riffing but also crafts the necessary somber melodic breaks and glistening guitar solos.

“Svarog’s Mountain” conveys uneasy gloomy vibes and carefully slows down to make space for understated dark themes while the killer crispy melodic guitar solo certainly can’t go unnoticed.

“Numinosum” still offers plenty of raw blackened fury with intensely fierce growls and primordial grandeur embedded in the steady sinister guitar dynamics.

“Ghostforce” unleashes visceral majestic growls and another generous dose of crushing unstoppable riffing & drumming while some grave melodic guitars briefly emerge through a thick wall of a sound.

“Walk Through Fire” closes the album with the expected vicious blackened energy but it’s not just random chaotic fury as crucial melodic passages and guitar leads enrich the song’s structure and texture.

“Tremendum” never slows down keeping the listeners quite satisfied from beginning to end and demands to be played loud in order to fully enjoy its inner ominous power.

Kentish band Galley Beggar’s music style is often categorized as folk rock but the newest fourth album “Heathen Hymns” demonstrates a rather eclectic soul effortlessly combining multifaceted elements to deliver a soothing yet dizzying collection of songs.

“Salome” is truly a magical music piece with addictively enchanting atmospheres that convey the harmonious feelings of sunbathing on a bed of delicate flowers. The entire instrumentation carries distinctive vintage nuances, guitar melodies craft subtle hypnotic melodies and vocalist Maria O’Donnell leads the listeners through elegant sonic layers.

“Four Birds” features a more adventurous rhythmic approach that still holds incredibly enchanting melodic themes gracefully enriched by Maria’s seductive vocal delivery while guitars amp up slightly darkened retro vibes.

“The Girl I Left Behind Me” starts with folk influenced enthralling acoustic guitars and inspired violins that channel a wistful emotional palette while the intricate melodic dynamics of the spacey retro rock guitar solo certainly deserve sincere attention.

“Lorelei” crafts genuine ethereal melodic vibes with minimalist acoustic guitar passages and mesmerizing violins while gentle vocals match the overall natural melancholy.

“Let No Man Steal Your Thyme” offers great instrumental fluidity blending mysterious atmospheres with loads of  hypnotic rock rhythmic segments while the psychedelic trippy warmth of the brilliant passionate guitar solo intensifies the song’s irresistible vintage mood.

With fragile melodies as well as charismatic psychedelic rock galore “Heathen Hymns” feels often relaxing like a spiritual & magical experience and Galley Beggar never fails to impress the listeners with compelling songwriting diversity.

British quartet Ancient Ascendant has surprised the metal scene with a multifaceted songwriting style featuring black/death aspects as well as classic rock/metal elements and the third album “Raise The Torch” stays true to this ambitious music pathway.

“Our Way” features plenty of somber guitar melodies and leads that soon evolve into blackened riffing galore at a faster pace while venomous growls further amplify the underlying aggressive themes.

“Scaling The Gods” delivers vibrant rock dynamics with fierce unstoppable groovy guitar riffing, again the brutal growls contribute to keep alive the extreme metal sonic assault while guitars successfully craft catchy compelling melodies.

“Foreign Skies” slows down the rhythm channeling emotional vibes with well structured rich melancholic melodies that will remain the main focus even if crunchy heavier guitar riffs will occasionally step in.

“To The Cold” might evoke gloomy atmospheres but is also filled with intense guitar driven energetic grooves while a series of charismatic melodic guitar solo can be easily appreciated by a wider audience.

Despite the extensive use of furious growls and recognizable extreme metal elements, “Raise The Torch” actually holds a quite accessible melodic rock soul and focuses on an enjoyable exploration of familiar music territories.

Liverpool based doom band Coltsblood proudly releases the latest dismal effort “Ascending Into Shimmering Darkness” which might be the darkest and most introvert music endeavor of the year.

The title track obviously focuses on immense ‘shimmering darkness’ as super heavy doom rhythmic layers support a series of extremely gloomy guitar melodies. Monolithic heavy guitar riffs dominate the rest of this lengthy track creating an asphyxiating soundscape with the addition of ferociously raw black metal rhythms.

“The Legend Of Abhartach” has an ominous mood with guttural growls and massive recurring heavy guitar riffs while atmospheric orchestrations conjure a sense of impenetrable obscurity.

“The Final Winter” is a funeral march, a tribute to the end of everything with painfully slow paced drums and desperate distant growls while at times cathartic minimalist guitar melodies bring a pale light that might not last long enough as the overwhelming cold desolation will inevitably conquer the world.

If you are looking for an utterly mournful and impossibly desolate soundtrack for long cold nights you might need to check out “Ascending Into Shimmering Darkness” as Coltsblood could have not sounded more depressing.

Italian band Shores Of Null returns with the latest effort “Black Drapes For Tomorrow”, a gothic/doom oriented wistful and sorrowful collection of songs that aims to leave a memorable mark in the chaotic music scene.

“Donau” combines an ensemble of strong guitar riffs and somber melodies bearing familiar gothic accents, the rhythmic section builds a nice catchy groove particularly enriched by solemn baritone vocals.

“Tide Against Us” features emotionally charged vocals lingering over highly melodic guitars and culminating in the addictive chorus but there is also space for heavier soaring blackened riffing even if it tends to stay too much in the background.

The title track amplifies a gloomy mood again perfectly expressed by the dramatic vocals supported by a well balanced mix of soothing dark melodies and powerful guitar riffs.

“Carry On, My Tiny Hope” stands out for the overdose of elegantly darkened guitar melodies that continue to follow contemplative themes enhanced by truly strong and passionate vocal delivery effortlessly shifting from clean to intense growls.

“The Kolyma Route” showcases impressive vocal diversity and has a more aggressive approach with a cohesive thunderous crescendo of guitar riffs but still holds a pure darkened melodic soul with poignant guitar melodies that evoke feelings of despair and desolation.

An immense sense of melancholy dominates the expected doom/death metal themes of “Black Drapes For Tomorrow” and Shores Of Null certainly put a lot of effort in the songwriting for this album demonstrating their genuine commitment and passion for music.

Finnish prog rockers Return To Void have worked hard to craft the self titled debut album which particularly shines for the talented musicianship and crispy bright sound.

“Throughout The Ages” features upbeat rhythms and energetic grooves following a classic hard rock recipe but the highlight can be found in the variegated prog oriented guitar & bass segments.

Additional fancy prog rock dynamics can be found in the excellent guitar work on “Vail Of Confusion” which also features catchy 90s vibes especially in the radio friendly chorus.

“Sight Of Immortal Sea” carries deep melancholy borderline ballad style with plenty of easy melodies, soothing choirs and retro rock elements.

“All The Darkness” mostly has a happy sound with consistent vibrato vocals and loads of well executed melodic guitar riffs and leads that draw inspiration from classic rock/metal bands.

The eponymous track “Return To Void” features epic vibes and atmospheric accents that bear a touch of melancholy, again lead guitars take a dominant role to deliver compelling melodic solos.

Overall, Return To Void will need more time to create a more unique sound but delivers a sincere cohesive debut effort suitable not only for prog rock lovers but also a wider audience.

French extreme metal band Necrowretch furiously unleashes the latest effort “Satanic Slavery” a blasphemous anthem that draws inspiration and strength mainly from old school death metal.

There is no sunshine in the realm of Necrowretch and “Sprawl Of Sin” revolves around putrid stench and brutal guitar driven rhythms that just seem unstoppable except for brief slower more listenable guitar leads.

The title track comes with immense fury to deliver traditional fast drumming and guitar riffing that built a simply asphyxiating soundscape while raw enraged vocals perfectly match the crucial blackened mood.

“Evil Names” continues to follow the ancestral madness but there are hints of healthy doom in the slow and heavy guitar passages and almost crispy and melodic guitar solo.

“Verses From The Depths” tries to be as fast as possible with crushing guitar riffs and matching malevolent growls that seem to emerge from the depths of hell but a “calmer” breakdown gives way to a nice guitar solo.

Even if Necrowretch manages to place some variations in the middle of breakneck speed rhythms “Satanic Slavery” is truly a dreadful beast that would appeal mostly to death metal faithful fans in need of a quick brutal fix.