Wrath Sins are hailing from Portugal, Vila Nova de Gaia. The band was formed in 2012. and this is their second full length studio album.
The album contains instrumental intro plus nine tracks. After the opening intro track, the album opener “Unquiet Heart” practically blew me away. This track has it all, thrash metal aggression, melodies to mosh to, great shouted and clean sung vocals and I immediately knew that this album will be something awesome. Apart from all the thrash metal this band also cleverly uses some superb progressive metal parts with some fresh ideas thrown in making their metal modern but also with a nod to the old masters. “Collision” is an anthem that even Phil Anselmo would not be ashamed of. The highlights of the album are for sure “Fear of the Unseen”, “The Sun Wields Mercy” and already above mentioned “Unquiet Heart”. If you are a fan of modern thrash metal with a progressive touch and moshy parts, get this one.
There are some bands that flew the thrash metal flag high even in times when it was not trendy or popular and they kept the metal tradition and flame in their hearts. One of such bands are Exarsis and this is their new album.
“New War Order” is a third full length studio output by these Greek metallers who toured with such bands as Judas Priest, Anthrax, Suicide Silence and others…That brought them experience and they became more ferocious than they already are. The album contains 10 tracks one of them being short intro. Exarsis play old school thrash metal with fast drums, screaming vocals, gang back vocals made for sing along and a lot of 80-ies melodies and charm which is a tribute to the old school metal masters and influences. The lyrics deal with survival and coming apocalypse in this new world order that marching capitalism and modern slavery has brought upon us. Greek bands have a lot to be angry about since their country was ravaged by capitalist vultures and poverty unfortunately florishes there which is good for angry extreme music but not for the people living there. But, Ive strayed from the theme. This album is great, full of energy and I recommend it to all of you who love old school thrash metal.
Totenwagen is another proof of diversitiy and beauty of Italian undeground scene.
Hailing from the city of Naples, this is their third recording that came out in the end of January on the newly formed Herbivorous records. This trio plays avantguarde darkened punk hardcore. There is almost no guitar in the song structures, only distorted bass, drums and keyboards. The lyrics are in English, German, Italian and Naples dialect of Italian. I love the atmosphere of this band s music because it is so dark and gritty, added by harsh vocals and almost crusty d-beat drumming on some songs(“Nocturno punk”). This band has some great degree of originality and I would love to see them play the stuff live. The ominous keyboard element only add to the dense and almost foggy wet atmosphere of the songs and in some weird way remind me of early Goblin songs in the Dario Argento horror movie masterpieces. I loved the renaissance parts mixed with spaghetti western in the instrumental song “Nduvosck”. Needless to say that these keyboards add great deal of melodies instead of guitar and are in fact the main lines of the songs themselves. This is unusual but great punk and I am really glad that I discovered yet another gem in the dark crown of the underground music scene.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 