Record Label: SPV/Steamhammer
Band Website: www.angra.net
MySpace: www.myspace.com/angraofficial  
Record Label Website: www.spv.de
Reviewer: Julian Handley

Since emerging in 1994 with the glorious debut ‘Angels Cry’, each subsequent release has proven to be a celebration of progression and an event to relish, and for the first three albums it was obvious that the main attraction of Angra was the flamboyant, persona of the excellent vocalist Andre Matos, although Matos dropped a bombshell on his band members after the release of the third album ‘Fireworks’, by announcing his untimely departure.
In all intents and purposes it looked as though the Angra legacy was likely to be a very brief one bringing about a possible demise due to the rhythm section deciding to disband. The two remaining members, guitarists Rafael Bittencourt and Kiko Loureiro set about a mission to find suitable replacements. This they accomplished unearthing a gem in the discovery of vocalist Edu Falaschi. The rhythm section was rebuilt, and the band forged ahead with the release of a new album ‘Rebirth’, which received critical acclaim worldwide. Next up was ‘Temple Of Shadows’ followed by ‘Aurora Conserguns’. The band were riding the crest of a wave, but the drummer for the revamped metal maestros was unceremoniously forced to exit the band, making way for original drummer Ricardo Confessori to retake his place at the drum stool.

So with ‘Aqua’ you are faced with an album twisting and contorting between trademark power metal brutality fused with elements of tribal inspirations. Never for one minute on this glory ride should the listener find themselves lacking, as ‘Aqua’ is crafted with great passion and dedication, reflected in standout tracks ‘Arising Thunder’, ‘The Rage Of Waters’ and ‘Spirit Of The Air’.

The Brazilian masters are back and at the peak of their career.

Record Label: Pulverised Records
Band MySpace: www.myspace.com/bastardpriestsweden
Record Label Website: www.pulverised.net
Reviewer: Skull

Enter Sweden’s OSDM dynamic duo Bastard Priest and their first full length, Under the Hammer Of Destruction, spewed forth from Pulverised Records. Under the Hammer of Destruction consists of three new tracks, three older songs from a 2007 demo on the front end, followed by four reworked songs from their second demo, Merciless Insane Death, from 2008 on the tail end. A fifth cut from Merciless Insane Death, a Bombanfall cover of “En Hälsning Från Helvete,” was mysteriously absent from my promo copy of the album. Since I was not familiar with the prior releases, however, it was all new to me, anyway.

I hear quite a bit of Possessed and some Sodom worship here among other influences, and that suits me just fine, but Bastard Priest have definitely created their own unique monster. Sticking true to the old ways with rough and somewhat sloppy production, they pound through the newer tracks with guts and power mixing thrashable heavy riffs with occasional melodic guitar work, particularly in “Visions Of Doom,” my favorite track of the first set. The blood really starts to spill when the album rehashes the first demo, though, with the album’s seventh track, and namesake cut, “Under the Hammer of Destruction,” which is, by far, the best installment on this release.

All instrumentation here, including vocals, is merely adequate. Nothing stellar, but the chemistry is there, and Bastard Priest truly make the album work while exhibiting unmistakable respect and admiration for OSDM. In short, Under The Hammer Of Destruction is a worthwhile record and is somewhat of a “three-fer” for anyone wanting to get acquainted with Bastard Priest. Whether it remains in my regular rotation for any serious length of time is undetermined, but it has earned a permanent residence in my library and I will definitely look forward to another future release from Bastard Priest.

Record Label: Metal Blade
Band MySpace: www.myspace.com/cataract
Record Label Website: www.metalblade.com/english/content.php
Reviewer: Steve Green

I like Cataract. After reviewing 2008's self titled opus, I went out and bought their previous album, 2006's Kingdom. So, personally, I always think it's the sign of a sincere recommendation when a reviewer will go out and pay for a bands previous work, rather than sit back and rely on whatever comes in for free (like some freeloaders like to do, I'm sure).

For those yet not acquainted with these Swiss bruisers, Cataract sit somewhere between The Haunted and Slayer. In your face Thrash with just a small element of Hardcore. It's no frills Metal that likes to Thrash your ass one minute and then to crunch your balls the next.

I was discussing this with another L4M scribe the other day and I mentioned that I've never really (fully) embraced the Thrash scene. Yes, back in the 80s I loved early Metallica and Slayer, but my taste never really went beyond that. Although I remember The Haunted's debut really blowing me away at the time of its release.

So why do Cataract gel with me when so many bands of their ilk fail?

I honestly cannot answer that question, is the crap answer to that one. But I think a lot of it is to do with the pacing of their music. As I've mention before this is a mixture of Thrash and a more crunchy, menacing style, so the album has a fine line in variety, which keeps in interesting throughout. There's only room for one Reign In Blood in this lifetime and Cataract have a style (almost) of their own, with just a few cues taken from the mighty Slayer in how to construct a good song without the need for all-out speed. (Think Seasons In The Abyss and South of Heaven as prime examples).

So this one'll hit you hard, but in a measured, yet still moderately violent manner.

Record Label: Metal Blade
Band Website: www.kingofasgard.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/kingofasgardsweden
Record Label Website: www.metalblade.com/english/content.php
Reviewer: Steve Green

One of the most successful bands on Metal Blade in recent years, Amon Amarth, opened up the Death Metal genre to outsiders like myself, and I see King of Asgard doing something similar to the whole Pagan/Norse/Viking scene.

Like Johan Hegg's hairy crew, these guys offer up a catchy take on their chosen genre, and there's ample opportunity to raise your horns, shout "hey" and indulge in a nasty bout of headbanging. At times they do sail a little close to the patented Amon Amarth charge, but if you're going to model yourself on someone, why not borrow from the best around.

By the time we hit track 4, The Last Journey, King of Asgard seem to shake off the shackles of our favourite Swedish cousins and start to develop a style of their own as their music reaches epic proportions. From then on, this album just gets better and better.

Andy La Rocque has afforded the band a big and very clear sound and instantly, King of Asgard sound like one of the big-boys.... yet this is their debut album. The band members all have vast experience with credits with the likes of Falconer,  Thy Primordial and Mithotyn and it shows. You could never imagine a band being this proficient on their debut album unless they were very special indeed, and I have to say that King of Asgard, if they can recreate this magic live, are going to be huge.

Most of our review material, from the bigger labels, is via download, so when I really like an album, I seek out a cd copy to buy. Most UK online companies are offering this at about £12 to £12.50, yet the download is only about £7. Our friends in the US can snap the cd up for about £8 or £9, so obviously I'm not overly impressed with the pricing in the UK. EMP are currently offering this for £9.99 (unfortunately with postage to be added) So that's probably your best source for this stunning album.

Buy or fucking die!!! (Just don't pay over the odds for it)

Record Label: Massacre Records
Band MySpace: www.myspace.com/malevolentcreation
Record Label Website: www.massacre-records.com
Reviewer: Chris Davison

“Invidious Dominion” sees the band into wandering back into fertile Malevolent Creation territory – that branch of death metal that leans heavily on the thrash past, with a vicious, razor sharp but none the less accessible sound. The tracks here are generally more to the point than an arrow head, being for the most part heads-down ragers, all delivered with the same breathless tempo and relentless delivery that their earlier works provided. In some senses then, the album provides a direct pipeline back to what was arguably their heyday, but this isn't without progression. In particular, the brilliant drumming of Gus Rios adds the central mechanized skeleton to the unit with his highly impressive percussive skills, while Brett Hoffman adds his inimitable growling style, adding the level of organic cover with his paint-blistering but brilliantly understandable vocals.

Invidious Dominion isn't an album to listen to to provide a carefully layered atmospheric listening experience. This is the Terminator of death metal listens. It has one intention: to provide a killing experience, and this is what it does. It is efficient, coldly remorseless and single minded. Metal heads who want a ruthless display of professional delivery should give up the fight and be terminated.

Record Label: SPV
Band MySpace: www.myspace.com/sodom
Record Label Website: www.spv.de
Reviewer: Chris Davison

Well, the shocker is that if anything, Part 2 is the more interesting release. Setting the scene with “Uncle” Tom Angelripper lurking about in the woods with a rifle, the narration is at pains to explain how heavy metal (and thrash in particular) was in a very sorry state during the nineties, and that the Sodom line up had completely disintegrated. The documentary shows the formation of the “Onkel Tom” album, a collection of heavy metalised German drinking hymns, and the recording sessions – which improbably yet inevitably were a bunch of metal heads drinking in their bar and their singing being captured for the choral sections! (You may not be that surprised to learn that later songs had to be recorded in the studio once the lager had been flowing for a couple of hours!). Elsewhere, the rebirth and rise of the new Sodom line up is explained in superb detail, all illustrated with a wealth of warts and all home video. Highlights include an impromptu jam session at a wedding, where Tom was so hammered, it looks like he is having trouble holding onto his bass, and is at least a bar behind the rest of the band, while low points are covered with stories like the incredible ineptitude and heartache of the band playing in America for the first time. Their trip was marred from the start: customs seizing bullet belts, no accommodation being sorted by the organisers, and technical issues being so poor that the band hardly got to play at all. All of the latter part of their history is covered with refreshing honesty, presenting them as a collection of talented if stubborn old warriors.

Still want more? Well, the good ship Sodom delivers more in the form of a second disc containing the whole of their 25 year anniversary gig in all its 90 minutes of noisy, unrepentant glory. Sodom are (and arguably always have been) a band that exists to play live, so the provision of this nicely shot footage makes perfect sense and wonderful value. Other bands take note: if Sodom can do this for their fans, what could you do if you really cared too

Record Label: SPV
Band Website: www.ufo-music.info
Record Label Website: www.spv.de
Reviewer: Sam Thomas

This album (guess the title’s a bit of a giveaway) is a compilation of tracks which were originally released on the last 3 studio albums, plus a slew of live classics. The mix ends up as (content wise) a cross between the studio albums plus the aforementioned “Strangers in the Night”, although the live tracks are different recordings. Given what I’ve already said, plus the fact that when I reviewed “The Monkey Puzzle”, I likened it to an old friend who had got into great shape recently, you can tell that the selection meets with my approval.

But it goes beyond that. The mix actually works really well together. The production is very slick, and in a bizarre way is rather reminiscent of Skynryd’s “God and Guns”, Vinnie Moore’s guitar work is hauntingly precise, and Phil Mogg is, well, Phil Mogg.

The final track is a live version of “Doctor, Doctor”, which is another absolute classic for me – probably my favourite UFO track, my favourite live UFO track and one of the most memorable intros ever. Perfection in the way it just ramps up and steamrollers over you. But.. that’s the problem for me. I love the version that’s on “Strangers in the Night”. I don’t usually remember every note and intonation of a track (unlike some people who really get on my tits by identifying every piece of music they’ve ever heard within the first 5 notes – you know who you are!) but, for this track I do. And whilst you could argue that the guitar is better (maybe), the vocals and the timing aren’t. So it’s kind of a bittersweet ending to a great album for me.

However, on the basis that I am probably the only person in the entire world who is this obsessed with this particular track, this is really only a minor complaint. The whole album is beautiful, slick and well-presented. It runs well together, and chronicles a good era for a great band. I really enjoyed this one, and loved the opportunity to revisit my murky past.