Facebreaker – Dedicated to the Flesh (Cyclone Empire)
A name that sounds like something a teenager would come up with while bored at their desk while in high school, Sweden’s Facebreaker have the patented Stockholm sound down pat on their fourth album, Dedicated to the Flesh. The guitar tone is the main attraction, especially when the band hunkers down into a thick groove, like on “Zombie Flesh Cult,” showing off some serious heaviness. In fact, the mid-tempo aspect of the album should be lauded, for it doesn’t descend into d-beat depths like so many others do. Guess it is a face breaker, eh? – David E. Gehlke (Facebreaker on Facebook)
Gyre – Second Circle EP (Monolithic Records)
The second EP from New Jersey-based all-over-the-map metallers Gyre, Second Circle provides a little bit of this (prog), and a little bit of that (modern death metal) in what is a relatively promising effort. Sure, the band could fine-tune some of its clean vocals (although they’re not as whiny as they could have been), but the technical adventures are pretty action-packed, like on “Circle to Feed,” which not be surprise, is the most proggy number of the four songs on hand. Keeping up this frenetic pace and rather too constant idea changes might prove difficult on a full-length, so Second Circle comes in at just appropriate length for Gyre to make their mark, and head home for the evening. – David E. Gehlke (Gyre on Facebook)
Humiliation – Turbulence From the Deep (Deepsend)
Productivity is the name of the game with this Malaysian death metal quintet. Turbulence from the Deep represents their fourth studio album in as many years, an 11 track sojourn into a well traversed landscape that Bolt Thrower fans know all too well. Gruff vocal patterns and loads of mid-paced down-tuned death riffing doesn’t grab the ear-gasmic nerves like it used to, relegating Humiliation to the minor leagues. – Matt Coe (Humiliation official site)
Razormaze – Annihilatia (Slaney Records)
Contrary to what’s stated in Razormaze’s bio, it’s really not that hard being in a thrash band in 2013. All you have to do is blend into the scenery and magically, people will accept. In the case of the Boston-based thrash crew, their sophomore album Annihilatia has all the necessary bells and whistles to push the pile: nifty solos, tech-y riffs, coarse, slighty dude-like vocals, and an excellent production job. It’s like the late 80’s all over again, just with better sounds. Still, some quality thrash is kicked out on “Sink Below” and the Annihilator-like “Demagogue.” – David E. Gehlke (Razormaze on Facebook)
Sinister Realm – World of Evil (Shadow Kingdom Records)
Traditionally traditional in virtually every facet Sinister Realm and their World of Evil effort showcase a rather deft knowledge of sing-a-long choruses, well-placed solos, and songsmith-ing that is a lost art these days. Naturally, this is for 80s heads only, and the power metal denizens who go bananas when a heroic chorus comes down the pike, like on “Dark Angel of Fate” and “The Ghosts of Nevermore,” which unfortunately, doesn’t lament the demise of the band of the same name. Big ups for the Priest-Maiden swivel of “Bell Strikes Fear,” which is like a “2 Minutes to Midnight”-meets-“Heading out to the Highway” combo. – David E. Gehlke (Sinister Realm on Facebook)