Mind of God – Thorazine Administration Demo
A non-metal entry (look at us branch out!), Mind of God is an electronic outfit headed up by Jason Pizzolato, who hails from New Orleans. The band’s three-song Thorazine Administration demo is a deathtrip through dub and industrial, showing that yeah, some of this stuff can be heavy when it wants to be. We’re used to getting this kind of thing in small doses, so not sure how it will resonate with the metal crowd, but, we’re an adventurous lot and Pizzolato is of the twisted mind variety, so have a gander if you’re interest is piqued. – David E. Gehlke (Mind of God on Bandcamp)
Oneiromancy – Demo
Clearly, the fine gents in Oneiromancy have their CD collections littered with black metal bands from the mid-90’s. Their 2-song self-titled demo has all the makings of the wondrous landscapes Dissection was creating during their Storm of the Light’s Bane glory days, including those pointy melodies. The fact they band employed a drum machine makes DR think of Diabolical Masquerade, the sorely-missed side project of Katatonia guitarist Anders Nystrom, who proved in the mid-90’s he could do symphonic black metal with the best of ‘em. Lots of promise here; good ideas, no trends, and hearts (and minds) are in the right place. – David E. Gehlke (Oneiromancy on Bandcamp)
Quintetto Esposto – Naufraghi
I’m not sure this even qualifies as metal, but what we here is a 4-song EP called Shipwrecked (I looked up the English translation) from a band known as Quintetto Esposto. The music is best described as Spanish pop-jazz and I am not even sure this is the most appropriate of tags for this band. All four tracks are recorded in Spanish and despite not understanding the language the music is infectious and catchy to keep your interests if you like music to lounge around to by the pool on a hot summer’s day. -Kenneth Gallant (Quintetto Esposto on Facebook</a>)
Space God Ritual – Space God Ritual
Portland, OR has become the mecca for all things bearded, flanneled, and riff-rock-oriented, but there’s got to be some diversity into the mix. This is where Space God Ritual comes in. The riffs are of the stoner, Sabbath variety, but the spooky vocals of Lee Waldron are the X factor. With a warble like Ozzy on Quaaludes, Waldron is capable of hysterical highs, but moving patterns at the same time. He’s not your run-of-the-mill beard rock vocalist, that’s for sure, so when the 70’s chug train gets going on “Stealer of Souls,” you best get out of the way, or be ready for a psychedelic bear hug. – David E. Gehlke (Space God Ritual on Bandcamp)
Suncrown – Follow Your Dream
The epic/symphonic metal genre is a crowded field these days, what with bands like Nightwish, Serenity and Within Temptation dominating the scene. Entering this adventurous musical landscape is Suncrown coming out of Sao Paulo, Lindoia and proving themselves worthy successors right off the bat. What you get here is a collection of songs that transitions nicely from harmoniously flowing compositions to hauntingly multi-layered vocals while keeping the music vibrant throughout. The international cast of musicians assembled for this project helps to create the diverse feel found on this release. – Kenneth Gallant (Suncrown on Facebook)
Walkways – Safe in Sound
With a Jens Borgen (Katatonia, Kreator, Opeth, etc.) mix and mastering job in tow, Safe in Sound is 100% pro, perfectly suited for Walkways alterna-metal leanings. The band calls Israel home, so no need to go into the difficulties they face right off the bat. The songs on Safe in Sound are hooky, with anthemic choruses (see: “Blood into Water” and the poppy “Thoughts”), recalling some wry concoction of Marble Arch, Mr. Bungle, and the grace of The Old Dead Tree. Plus, their “rock” cover of Adele’s “Skyfall” is worth checking out. – David E. Gehlke (Walkways official site)