Islay-The Angels Share
★★★★★★★★
Islay are a German Death Metal band. Their playing is tight sounding, with well executed riffs, melodies and groove, with the addition of a bit of old school Death Metal/Swedish Metal feel. Dual vocals that go from heavy but understandable growl's, to more Black Metalish screams. If this release had just the Death Metal growls, it would be pretty boring, and nothing to really get excited about, however Islay have added great elements to this release to try and set them apart, and these elements do make for nice multi-layered listening pleasure. The dual vocals really compliment each other, and the synth is not just done as an afterthought, but more like well thought out placements that additionally complement the band's sound.
From Havok & Decay you get heavier blast beats mixed with slower interludes, scorching guitars about midway through, this song fits it's name sake very well. Blind Messiah has some chunky riffs, and a bit of a omnious feel. Instinct comes out of the gate with gallpoing guitars and a bit of a folk feel, with some exquisedly sick n twisted pig like sqeals! Angels Share lulls you into a beautiful soundscape, that bludgeons you back into reality once the vocals kick in! By Melinda Blaze
facebook.com/islaymetal
http://www.islaymetal.com/
Anthelion-Obsidian Plume
★★★★★★★
The music does not shy away from trespassing beyond the boundaries of extreme metal. I would wager the band is comprised of classically trained musicians, as they execute with impeccable precision that doesn't sound mechanical or as if it's been molested by over-the-top studio wizardry. It does sound polished, but not overly so.
What we have here is a gem. It's a symphonic and at times progressive sounding black metal-ish gem. Anthelion has plenty of room to grow, but they show a lot of promise. How they've only crossed my path now, 14 years after their inception, is a head scratcher. While I'll admit the rock I've been under has been comfy and Emperor and Immortal have generally quenched any thirst I've had for black metal. I would contend that these guys are one of the world's best kept secrets. At least, in the metal world. But hey, you've heard of 'em now, if you hadn't already, and that's a step in the right direction. By Mike Ramirez
www.facebook.com/Anthelion.tw
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