Frozen Realm - Frozen Realm [EP] (2013, Self-released)

Once the acoustic guitar intro to Frozen Realm's debut EP of the same name breaks into an orgy of flashy guitar melodies, there can be no doubt as to the nature of the Swedish band. Balls deep in the long-standing tradition of the Gothenburg sound, Frozen Realm break into full-fledged melodic death metal complete with everything the definition entails.

In that regard, the Swedish band's EP is a textbook example of the modern take on melodic death metal. And by that I mean that it has very little in common with actual death metal, save perhaps the growled vocals. The pompous drumming greatly accentuates the rest of the musical body, which consists of about fifty-fifty amounts of ill-composed melodies and mindless chugs.

The main problem with most melo-death bands is the lack of hooks. When you add substantial amounts of melody to your music it subtracts greatly from the heaviness and brutality, so you'd better make damn sure your melodies are catchy as fuck. As a result, the tracks on the Frozen Realm EP don't stand out from each other - There are plenty of melodies, though none of them are particularly catchy. The hookless compositions bring to mind a watered down In Flames, a less edge-seeking Dark Tranquility, or a less epic Wintersun.

What really sets bands such as Frozen Realm apart from the heroes they worship is their lack of flair for the flow and focus of the songwriting in itself. Where In Flames perfected the straight-to-the-point approach with groovy riffs satiated with the adding of melodies on top, Frozen Realm fool around with melodies at the helm, only relinquishing it's weak grip to allow equally uninspired chugs to take over. 4/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Iceshaper
2. Thirst
3. The Pawn
4. Abandoned by the Sun

Should you want to listen for yourself, you can do so by following the link below
http://frozenrealm.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FrozenRealmMalmo

Karonte - Paraíso Sin Fe [Full length] (2012, Self-released)

Since 1994 Karonte have unleashed a slow but steady stream of death metal upon the Spanish masses from their homebase in Cantabria. Except from one change of drummer back in their demo days, Karonte has had a highly stable lineup.

The quartet is most often labeled as melodic death metal, so it may come as a shock when you're met with a fat, simplistic and grooving guitar as opposed to the squeaky clean hyperactive wankery that has been made a custom by especially the Swedish scene. Karonte strive to meet the genre in the old school way, meaning exactly what it is: Death metal with a slightly more melodic tinge. As such they aren't as susceptible to the weaker elements of the genre, namely overly melodious solos and riffs that border on metalcore.

On Paraíso Sin Fe flashy melody comes second to groove-laden passages where guitars, bass and drums go hand in hand. But there are times on their second album where it only seems suitible to go a little more overboard on the whole spectrum. Even when the tide is high their grooves feel a bit too controlled and as such it seems like they're restraining themselves. I get that it's not all about speed and brutality, but Paraíso could stand to benefit from just a tad bit more in that department.

I wouldn't offend Karonte by putting them in a box neatly marked "melodic death metal", because they are much more than that. Tracks like Falaris and Carme show their affinity for the heavier aspects of the genre, while Mercado Infecto's marching pace brings back memories of certain death/doom groups.

Paraíso Sin Fe feels like the product of a band sure of what they wanted to do. It adequately mixes enough different elements to keep things interesting for the almost 40 minutes the album consists of. It seems sincere and doesn't follow modern trends. But even so, with the little variation in tempo evident on Paraíso does as times make it feel like a long journey. With the arguably fastest track starting things off, each songs is more or less a step down, culminating in the bluesy closing track, Gris. I found myself often tempted to take a break from the album because it felt like nothing exciting was going on anyway, and without the promise of a greater track later on the album, there's little reason to listen to the album in one sitting. There seems to be only little thought-process behind the tracklisting, because the flow feels uneven and weird. The title track serves nicely as an album closer as Gris (the actual album closer) is too unlike anything else heard on the album and therefore feels like more of a bonus track or intermission. 6/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Carme
2. Mercado Infecto
3. La Piedad De Los Débiles
4. Falaris
5. Repta Humano
6. El Día De Las Alabanzas
7. Paraíso Sin Fe
8. Gris


Visit Karonte's official website

Legionary - Path of Tyranny [EP] (2013, Self-released)

Legionary is a band that has always been plagued by line-up changes, the only constant member being drummer Frank D'Erasmo, the creator of Legionary. The members have had ties to New Jersey thrashers Condition Critical as well as the death/thrash group Strychnia from the same area. First of all, I'm a little sad to see the departure of their previous vocalist, Tim Rocheny, from the lineup. After the release of Arcane Divisions, Legionary's debut album from 2012, Rocheny went on to become the vocalist of the Razorback-signed death metal band Mausoleum.

Legionary hail from the North Eastern parts of the US, but if there's anything northern about their sound it's the inspiration they've taken from Scandinavian melodic death metal. Their modus operandi is melody-based death metal with thrashy tendencies, fueled by D'Erasmo's ferocious drumming and the guitar leads of main riff-smith Rory S. Robinson, who is new to the band. The new vocalist, Kevin O'Laughlin from Strychnia, is a nice addition to the line-up and fills the shoes of Rocheny adequately. The familiar sound of thrashy tremolos fills the ears once again when Path of Tyranny is put to the test.

The recipe works pretty well overall, though what was previously only a refreshing dash of melody added to the mix is now full-blown melodic death metal, albeit executed in a thrashier way than most. Tracks like Disgrace of the Union has a Kataklysm-esque feel to it during the fastest part where the O'Laughlin roars over the sound of D'Erasmo's ridiculously fast blast beats, which speaks volumes of their skills as musicians whether or not you like Kataklysm. I feel compelled to make the comparison between their debut album and this EP; On Arcane Divisions the earlier incarnation of the band were busy showcasing every aspect of their sound and songwriting, boldly displaying everything they could muster in terms of brutality and speed during the almost 50 minutes the album spanned, but this newer embodiment of the band seems more inclined to the more melodic side of their music. It seems to rely more on a sound that would invite showmanship - something that is especially noticable in the riveting Media Complex and through their incredibly flashy guitar solos - rather than musicianship.

While the Path of Tyranny EP is more melodic than Arcane Divisions it is also more controlled, releasing its violent outburts in a more disciplined fasion. This in turn makes room for compositions that are principally more technical in their nature, but I can not help but notice how the presence of only one guitarist has trouble filling the void left by another guitarist. The sound on the album simply felt more layered and wholesome, and it would seem that while the songwriting itself hasn't changed much, the musical approach has. Path of Tyranny, in all its glory, misses a little punch and doesn't feel as ruthlessly uncompromising as the band's previous efforts. 6/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Freedom's Demise (Intro)
2. Disgrace of the Union
3. Media Complex
4. An Inconvenient Lie

The EP and the album can be listened to and purchased through Bandcamp
Visit Legionary on Facebook

Distress of Ruin - Predators Among Us [EP] (2013, Self-released)

From Joensuu, Finland, comes Distress of Ruin - A bastard child of melodic death metal origin, fused together with copious amounts of metalcore tendencies. Five man strong the Finnish band makes use of a classic lineup of two guitars, a lead vocalist and backing vocals provided by guitarist Simo, and a strong rhythm section courtesy of drummer and bassist Sami and Riku.

Distress of Ruin's first published EP "Predators Among Us" features 6 tracks of varying disposition, but the gist of their music, should you choose to lump it all together, is a mix of Scandinavian melodic death metal evident in the overly melodic guitar tunes with the added thrashy elements over a groovy rhythm section borrowed from the metalcore scene. The EP has a very distinct melancholic temperament, which is highly evident right from the start with the despondent intro "The Ocean of Perdition". We quickly change pace to a lurching groove with They Play Dead. Or rather, we don't, because the entire EP only rarely ventures beyond the mid-tempo grooves put down by the drums and the deliberate guitar.

The overall sound is highly polished and as such doesn't leave much to the imagination, which is not entirely surprising in this type of music. What I mean by this is that every aspect of Distress of Ruin is just sort of... Out there. The production is entirely immaculate, and this means that you most likely won't be making new discoveries while listening to Predators Among Us. It is something that sort of numbs down the listening experience, and it doesn't invite further delving into the details of the band's music.

Predators Among Us makes good use of the dual guitars provided by Harri and Simo, and the band as a whole work well as an ensemble - albeit in a very clinically over-polished way. But what Predators Among Us is missing is for Distress of Ruin to move beyond their gray comfort zone once in a while. The way the EP is written and put together makes it seem like the same clichés over and over again. There are a few welcomed changes of scenery with the backbreaking breakdown in Deadly Nightshade, or the thrashy attitude of the closing track Harbinger of Ravage, but it is not enough to create a sufficiently varied experience. Bystander Effect has a spark of this with its faster parts which then give way to the EP's heaviest and slowest part, but it feels as though Distress of Ruin were so uncomfortable with these alternate paces that they change it back to their ordinary mood too quickly.

Distress of Ruin's first EP is a grower. At first it seems way too melodic, and the clean vocals that are continuously used in the choruses get old really quick. It might be Stockholm Syndrome, but somehow you learn to mildly appreciate the easy-to-follow structures put forth by the Finnish band. You come to expect nothing surprising from the band, and this is exactly what they deliver. But then again this isn't enough for you to put away your In Flames and Whitechapel CDs in order to listen to Distress of Ruin instead. 6/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. The Ocean of Perdition
2. They Play Dead
3. Deadly Nightshade
4. Bystander Effect
5. Terminal Alteration
6. Harbinger of Ravage

Check out Distress of Ruin at Bandcamp and Facebook
Also be sure to check out Distress of Ruin's official website for a free download of their EP

Please leave a comment here on the blog - Tell me what you're thinking, and feel free to share if you want to support underground metal!

Dying Inside - Dystopia [Full length] (2012, Estelí en Llamas Records)

There aren't many metal bands from Nicaragua. It's often the case with bands from a country that has a low export of metal that the band will be immensely awesome or suck beyond belief, but with Dying Inside none of those two scenarios are the case.
Dying Inside's first studio album "Dystopia" is melodic death metal with more of an emphasis on melodic than death. They follow certain Swedish traditions but aren't as such a band directly inspired by the Gothenburg scene.

A fair use of powerful drums makes for some equally powerful metal, and there are times when the headbanging factor reaches critical mass, in no small part thanks to heavy and simple processions of guitars, bass and drums. These headbang-friendly parts are by no means rare on Dystopia, but at the same time aren't used to their full potential. It's like they are building up a mood and hinting at a coming climax, but the climax is just never truly achieved.

This is a running theme on Dying Inside's debut. They've got the groovy parts down for sure, but it feels as though the band aren't able to properly feed on the energy of these parts to make an immersive track.
Dystopia is a rather long effort. 11 tracks coming to a total of just above 50 minutes isn't incredibly much, but it comes off as bland. There are some issues with the drumming, meaning that when things do get a bit fast they come off as mechanical. This is especially the case with the blast beatin El Ritual.

It's not that I have something inherently against melodic death metal. There are a few fairly good melodeath bands out there (none of which are from Sweden), and Dying Inside does have some easy-to-follow grooves and riffs, but often the songs on Dystopia are taken down a notch by unnecessary synths and a lack of feel for flow. The whole thing is a bit lacking in "wow!" factor and lacks variation. They keep to their speed-wise comfortzone throughout the album, and their fear of reaching higher (or even lower) BPMs makes for an unvaried journey into the heart of Nicaraguan metal. After listening to Dystopia I found that I, too, was dying inside. 5/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Dystopia
2. Cancer
3. El Ritual
4. Arcano XV
5. Mascara de Barro
6. Nacido Muerto
7. Historia Ordinaria
8. Muriendo por Dentro
9. Reflexion de Invierno
10. A Memento Mori
11. Apoteosis

DYING INSIDE official Facebook

Legionary - Arcane Divisions [Full length] (2012, Self-released)

There are tons of bands in the world claiming to play death/thrash metal. But since death metal is inherently thrashy I've always had a hard time hearing any actual thrash in a lot of these bands. Then along came Legionary from the US with their 10 tracks of rolling tremolo thrash riffs, melodic solos and primal vocals.

What first struck me with their debut album "Arcane Divisions" from 2012 is the overwhelmingly imposing songwriting, and I mean this in a very good way. First comes thrashy d-beat parts, only to be overtaken by necksnapping death metal accompanied by the animalistic roaring of the band's vocalist. The band has noticable nods to the 80's while still maintaining a modern focus, which is especially apparent in their melodic solos.

At times the album does seem a bit genre-confused. This isn't normally a bad thing as mixing things up a bit can often save an album from becoming stale or tedious, but in this case the band's tendency to lean against the sounds of early melodic death metal rubs me the wrong way. Especially in tracks like Unfriendly Fire, where the riffs are predominantly light-weight and melody-based and the otherwise very detailed drumtracks aren't as prevalent as usual, does this tendency become apparent.

Suffice it to say that Arcane Divisions is no run-of-the-mill half-melodic death/thrash. Legionary maintain a true core of metal elements infused with hints of the 80's sound and as such have created a vicious mutant of fast yet crushing metal. 7/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Cursed Existence
2. Deceiver
3. Unfriendly Fire
4. Questions Left Unanswered
5. Absolute Supremacy
6. Awakening Reprisal
7. Embracing Trauma
8. Frozen Assassin
9. Genetic Legacy
10. Arcane Divisions

LEGIONARY official facebook

Hear the 7th track "Embracing Trauma" for yourself below

Empatic - Gods of Thousand Souls [Full length] (2010, Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Psycho)

Thrashy semi-melodic death metal is more or less the national metal genre of my home country Denmark, so listening to the Polish band Empatic's newest album, 2010's Gods of Thousand Souls, was almost like listening to bands from home like Hatesphere or Aphyxion.

Like mentioned above, Empatic plays some nice and heavy thrashy half-melodic death metal with a good sense of pace and structure. The 10 original tracks of the album feature some pretty snazzy chunks of metal that beg to be headbanged to. But what the Polish band have in talent for flow they lack in hooks and memorable riffs. Though they are obviously talented musicians I'm missing something truely memorable about the music. The songs simply blend in too much with each other, making the album a bit repetitive because it's hard to distinguish the tracks from each other.

That said their Randy Blythe-esque vocalist goes great with their more ruthless riffs and the tight-as-fuck drums. Songs like False Friend or The Game start out really heavy but then mellow out during the middle until they climax in the end. After a few listens I get the feeling that Empatic has only two settings: Crushingly heavy and melodic flowy stuff, mostly because all their songs have these two modes incorporated in some way. Though this tendency isn't very noticable or prominent, it's still enough so that it can halt an otherwise great pace.

In general I'd say that Gods of Thousand Souls is an honest, down to earth piece of death metal with varying musical tendencies. It's not something blindingly special, and Empatic don't seem like they're trying to create something new and exciting, but they've succeeded in compiling a solid set of songs for metalheads to enjoy. Apart from the hideously out-of-place cover song in the end of the album, Gods of Thousand Souls is pretty good work. 7/10 guitars.

Tracklist:
1. Green Mile
2. G.O.T.S.
3. False Friend
4. The Game
5. Tomorrowland
6. VS
7. So What
8. Dreamer
9. Fulfilled Dreams
10. Empatic
11. Enola Gay (OMD Cover)

EMPATIC official site
Wydawnictwo Muzyczne Psycho official site

Hellsing - The Sun Will Never Rise [EP] (2011, Self-released)

Melodic death metal, often labeled as an "entry-level" metal genre featuring several easily accessible bands like Arch Enemy, In Flames and Amon Amarth, has fallen far from grace during the years. In retrospect melodic death metal was self-explanatory. It was death metal with more melody and focus not as brutal as the original death metal bands. Melodic death metal has since, however, devolved into a super melodic mutant of metalcore influences with barely any death metal left, in no small part due to the prominent Gothenburg scene of Sweden.

It's nice to hear that there are still a few melodic death metal bands out there that actually have a few death metal elements left. Though not predominantly death metal influenced, the Mexican band Hellsing features some damn sweet vocals from growler-in-chief Renan that reaks old school. At certain points one may even discern a small amount of doomy elements not entirely unlike newer Amorphis and early Orphaned Land, adding a some flavour to an otherwise relatively uninteresting mix. Though their good sense of pace, which to me is essential to metal music, is prominent the songs are ultimately one-dimensional with little variety, especially on the drum-front. After a few listens I detected the familiar sound of a certain cymbal... I had caught the scent of EZdrummer.

I'm being a little harsh on Hellsing's first EP "The Sun Will Never Rise" because melodic death metal is a genre that is hard to play well. It's a genre saturated by a myriad of mediocre or downright shitty bands, but at the same time is refined to perfection by others. The Mexican trio executes their chosen style well and they got it right with some of the songs. Other than the afforementioned vocals the soloing is also of a genuinely good quality. Production-wise "The Sun Will Never Rise" is spotless.

All these things come together and form a respectable 7/10 guitars. Fans of Amon Amarth, Dark Tranquillity and In Flames should not be disappointed and hopefully Hellsing have a bright future ahead of them. What I really miss is more attention to detail.

Tracklist:
1. The Rival
2. The Sun Will Never Rise
3. The Dark Side of the Moon
4. Razor
5. The Final Hour

HELLSING official site
HELLSING facebook page

Benalthel - Reach Towards the Sky [Demo] (2011, Self released)

Melodic Death Metal is probably one of the most popular subgenres of metal. Prominent melodic death bands like Amon Amarth, In Flames, Dark Tranquility, Dethklok and Arch Enemy, who are all immensly popular, make it clear that it is a genre that is both commercially succesful and also a genre that many young people use as a gateway into the fiery depths of metal.

With a name like "Benalthel" and a demo titel like "Reach Towards the Sky" I didn't know what to expect. It might aswell have been atmospheric black metal or orchestral power metal. But what I got was some severely shredding instrumental melodic death metal.

Benalthel is a one man band from Sweden and as such features little more than ear raping guitars and gut pounding drums. But other than the very Dethklok-esque guitar work, and I mean that in a positive way, and the very complex drums I noticed the production. The production is incredibly boomy and muddy, rendering some of the deeper tones on the guitar almost inaudible. Fortunately most of the shreddin is audible and actually also pretty good. The first track contains some pretty solid, unusual and memorable riffs.

I'm making it sound like Reach Towards the Sky is nothing but fast paced shredding, but it is far more than that. As I mentioned above, the drums are very diverse and intricately programmed, giving the feeling that Benalthel used a lot of time on each song. A trap that many one man bands fall into is depthless songs of short length and little variation, but this debut demo has lenghty songs (the longest being 7 minutes and 13 seconds) with constantly changing song structures. The fact that the demo is instrumental can be both a pro and a con. While it can be tiresome to listen to nothing but guitar and drums all the time, vocals would also take away much of the focus from the impressive guitar and drum work. But if vocals were left out in order to create focus on the music, the production had better damn well be good enough! But the thing is, it isn't. The production is really bad and makes it hard to distinguish individual sounds and therefore makes it harder to enjoy the music.

Though production means a lot, flow means just as much, if not more. The three tracks on Reach Towards the Sky has incredible flow, both internally in each song and between the songs. All the tracks have the same feel, although they change alot in heaviness and amount of shredding.

While the demo sports a generally high level of detail and overall quality (expect production wise), the last track does have one element that feels alien. Choir. We all know it, that cheesy Casio-synthesizer choir chorus that reeks of the 80's. It can fit in in some types of music, but melodic death metal is not one of them. Another thing that seems weird. The last two song titles. "To Infinity" and "And Beyond". Does that sound familiar? That's because it's the catchphrase of Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. Really? I mean, REALLY? It doesn't fit in at all, and it sounds to me like a joke.

Overall Benalthel's "Reach Towards the Sky" debut demo has some bad elements, namely the last two song titles and the horrendous production. This three track demo has enough good things about it to pull up to a 6/10 though. The lengthy, worked through tracks with memorable riffs and forcefully pounding drums are an absolute plus and makes me want to hear more from this band in the future.

Tracklist:

1. Reach Towards the Sky

2. To Infinity

3. And Beyond

Visit Benalthel on Bandcamp and download the demo for pay-what-you-want