Solfatare are hailing from Belgium and this is their debut full length opus. This one contains six songs of mixture between black metal melody and at times melancholy with some death metal aggression with just hints of thrash metal here and there for good measure at least I heard it that way. Vocals are diverse, mostly more of death metal growling but also there are some clean vocals on this one and at times shouting. The songs are pretty long in duration but album doesn’t get boring for one second because there are diverse rhythm changes, atmospheric parts, back to aggressive blasting bombardment. Lyrics are in French if I am not mistaken, so I don’t understand what they are singing about but I let the music do the talking, My personal favorites on this record are: Des Monarques Anhedoniques, Sous des Cieux absents, also Du deuil affaire.
So, if you like your metal brutal, but at the same time blackened and harsh, this is the right one for you.
Belgium’s Charlie Bit My Finger were already featured on the pages of this zine a while ago, when we reviewed their last release. This came out three months ago, a bit older release, but no matter. This one contains 14 songs and I must admit I love to hear how this band progressed from release to release in their melodic punk, with lots of pop punk parts and also nineties influenced faster skate punk. After the song ‘Breaking Out’ which has such fast skate punk guitar fantastic melodies and vocal harmonies came the surprise with ‘Stand Up’. This song mixes rap on verses with kind of light reggae parts and then explodes into so beautiful chorus, I think the best this band ever wrote. This one was new, but interesting combination. Since I first heard this band, there is one thing that I love about them also. Maybe it is because me being nostalgic sometimes, but these guys stand with both legs in melodic punk that I grew up with. Everything is here, melodies, harmonies, great lyrics, speed when needed, punk rock mid tempo when also needed and above all these guys remind me a lot of No Use For A Name, one of my all time favorite bands, also singer reminds of Tony Sly’s voice at times. My favorites on this one are ever changing but I will try: ‘Winning The Game’, ‘Backseat’ and ‘Dream On’.
Belgium´s Evil Invaders made quite an impression on the scene with their two e.p.-s, two full lengths and one live album since their inception in 2007. Now, it is time for third full length opus with Napalm Records and it is a crusher. Evil Invaders play old school thrash speed metal like it was played back in the eighties when all those great bands prowled and ruled the metal lands. This one offers ten songs of thrash speed mayhem with high pitched old school style of vocals, courtesy of singer Joe and fast guitar work and drums, but also there is an European school of thrash melody and drama underneath it all, like in fantastic Hissing in Crescendo. Guitar solos are wicked and played with a tactical finesse of walking on the fine edge of a blade and not being afraid to bleed. Besides thrash shredding, there are also some fine melodic metal influences like in half ballad In Deepest Black being one of the highlights of the record, with such awesome lyrics, melody and vocal work, main and harmonies. I also must mention Sledgehammer Justice and Forgotten Memories as being my favorites and standouts epic songs, but whole material is just fantastic.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 