Tag Archives: Scarlet Records

Atlas Pain – Tales Of A Pathfinder

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The calliope-like entrance to Atlas Pain’s Tales Of A Pathfinder (Scarlet Records) heralds the auspicious story that encompasses the journey of a lifetime. It’s a wonderful ride that reveals a new world and the pinnacle of the folk metal sound. In true folk metal sound, the sound is jaunty and evokes a visage of happy square dancing in a courtyard. From start to finish, Tales of a Pathfinder feels like what Hobbits and Dwarves having a party together would play for their guests. You get the sense that the mead is flowing generously and some sort of beast is being slow-cooked on a spit over an open flame.

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My Regime – Deranged Patterns

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Formed last year, this Swedish metal band features members of Spiritual Beggars, Kayser and The Mushroom River Band including singer/songwriter Spice. After the splendid title track drum solo showcasing the dextrous talents of Bob Ruben, we are lead into Deranged Patterns (Scarlet), the second release by My Regime – a vicious Thrash Metal record of Slayer-esque proportions.Continue reading →


Cellador – Off The Grid

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Deriving their name from J. R. R. Tolkien’s 1955 essay English and Welsh in which he says that cellar-door is the most beautiful word in the English language. That is where the similarity betwixt the two ends, as Cellador are an American Power Metal band established in 2003 in Nebraska, but based in Denver, Colorado.Continue reading →


Adimiron Streaming Animated Music Video For “Ayahuasca”

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Italian progressive metallers Adimiron has released an animated music video for “Ayahuasca,” off their fourth studio album Timalapse, out now via Scarlet Records below.

01: Collateral
02: State of Persistence
03: The Giant and the Cow
04: Timelapse
05: Liar’s Paradox
06: The Burning of Methuselah
07: Redemption
08: The Furnace Creek
09: Ayahuasca

adimiron timelapse

Released late last year, Adimiron’s new album, Timelapse, mixes furious thrash riffs and progressive/avant-garde atmospheres with a post-death metal touch. This new, dark, sinister effort combines all of the elements that make Adimiron’s sound so distinctive: rhythmic spasms and asymmetric textures embedded in a progressive and dramatic scenario. Focusing on the synthesis, Timelapse reveals fascinating and obscure landscapes with no boundaries of any kind.

Adimiron is…

Alessandro Castelli – Guitar
Federico Maragoni – Drums
Maurizio Villeato – Bass
Andrea Spinelli – Vocals
Thomas Aurizzi – Guitar

Adimiron on Twitter
Adimiron on YouTube
Adimiron on Soundcloud


Admiron Streaming “Liar’s Paradox” Guitar Play Through Demo

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Italian progressive metal outfit Admiron is streaming a guitar play-through demonstration of “Liar’s Paradox”, with their brand new Overload Guitars, off their fourth studio album Timelapse, out now via Scarlet Records, here.

Released late last year, Timelapse mixes furious thrash riffs and progressive/avant-garde atmospheres with a post-death metal touch. This new, dark, sinister effort combines all of the elements that make Adimiron’s sound so distinctive: rhythmic spasms and asymmetric textures embedded in a progressive and dramatic scenario. Focusing on the synthesis, Timelapse reveals fascinating and obscure landscapes with no boundaries of any kind.

Check out a music video for “State of Persistence,” here.

01. Collateral
02. State of Persistence
03. The Giant and the Cow
04. Timelapse
05. Liar’s Paradox
06. The Burning of Methuselah
07. Redemption
08. The Furnace Creek
09. Ayahuasca

Adimiron is…

Alessandro Castelli – Guitar
Federico Maragoni – Drums
Maurizio Villeato – Bass
Andrea Spinelli – Vocals
Thomas Aurizzi – Guitar

Adimiron on Twitter
Adimiron on YouTube
Adimiron on Soundcloud


Furor Gallico – Songs from the Earth

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One of the oddest things about metal is how it can strive so hard for originality and identity yet remain so indebted to established concepts and trends that the entire thing becomes an exercise in futility. Folk metal and its offshoots Celtic and Viking metal are three of the biggest offenders, recycling the same old tales of romanticised warriors spurning the advance of Christianity with their noble warriors and earth-worshipping traditions, and refusing to admit that Bathory stopped being good when Quorthorn swapped darkness and evil for pomp and circumstance. Throwing in as many ‘traditional’ instruments as the recording budget allows is apparently a measure of how authentic a band is and in an effort to prove this, Italians Furor Gallico have dug very deep indeed.

While the numerous band members can undoubtedly play their instruments very well, with the jovial Celtic melodies of the tin whistle ever flowing and the soothing violin giving proceedings a minor touch of class, the music itself is so heavily indebted to Swiss neighbours Eluveitie that one wonders why they just don’t declare themselves a tribute act and be done with it. From the budget melo-death riffs that fail to capture the imagination when the aforementioned whistle has ceased to the generic grunts and snarls of vocalist Pagan (yes, really), almost everything on the band’s sophomore effort Songs from the Earth (Scarlet) is derivative, cliché-ridden and has been already been done before and better. Some hope is offered by the Thin Lizzy meets Finntroll mashup of ‘Squass’ and the stirring melodies of ‘Wild Jig of Beltaine’ but this is scant reward for the eye-watering sixty-four minute slog the band have served up here.

If Furor Gallico put as much effort into forging their own identity and sound instead of expertly replicating their elders and betters then they could be something special. Until then, a lowly slot on the Paganfest tour will likely be the pinnacle of their achievements.

5.0/10

Furor Gallico on Facebook

JAMES CONWAY


Game Over – For Humanity (Re-Release)

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Italy’s Game Over were one of 2014’s surprise packages. Their sophomore album, Burst Into The Quiet (Scarlet), was rated by many as one of the best thrash releases of the year. To capitalize on their success, the band have re-released their 2012 debut, For Humanity (Scarlet).

From the Nuclear Assault-inspired logo and cartoon apocalypse cover to the copious amounts of denim vest jackets, these Thrash revivalists clearly know their source material. If it wasn’t for the crisp production job, this could have easily come from any number of 80s Bay Area bands.

From the off, there’s little introduction or fanfare and they just get stuck in with the good stuff. Sharp solos, air guitar-inducing riffs, and shout along choruses, everything you want and expect from a quality thrash experience. From the shredding opening of ‘Abyss of a Needle’ to the stomping ‘Bleeding Green’, there’s a strong scent of Anthrax running throughout the album, while frontman/bassist Reno’s vocals are often reminiscent of a slightly less accented Tankard, which is no bad thing.

Highlights including the fast and furious ‘War of Nations’, the Kill ’Em All-inspired ‘Another Dose of Thrash’, the blink and you’ll miss it blur of ‘N.S.A’ are all highlights, but there are occasional moments where things can get a bit tired. ‘Overgrill (El Grillador Loco)’ lacks any real sparkle until the final searing solo, while album closer ‘Tupa Tupa of Die’ fails to really stand out. The re-release comes with three live bonus tracks including a souped-up cover of Motörhead’s ‘Iron Fist’ and a couple of originals, showing off a band who can really bring it on stage.

Game Over know what they want to be, and are a pretty perfect version of it. Fans of Burst Into The Quiet will find their debut equally satisfying. Energetic and well-executed thrash may not be hard to come by, but these guys don’t do much wrong.

7.0/10

Game Over on Facebook

DAN SWINHOE


Horned Almighty – World of Tombs

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Black metal has diversified in recent years with bands employing elements from other genres such as post metal, industrial and thrash to make them stand out from the crowd and reach new audiences. But Danish four piece Horned Almighty couldn’t give a fuck about such deviations and probably think bands that veer off the left hand path are a bunch of snivelling poseurs, for they play black metal the way it was meant to be played; reeking of sulphur, smeared in the foul juices of Bathory and Darkthrone and evil as hell.

After the well received Necro Spirituals (Candlelight Records) dropped in 2010, the band have honed their sound into a well-oiled, blackened machine with enough riffs at their disposal to raze a dozen churches. After the systematic battering of the title track, the utterly infectious ‘Diabolical Engines of Torment’ arrives to wreak havoc on your flesh with its razor sharp leads, pummeling rhythms and deliciously Necro old-school vibe. The swaggering assault of ‘Unpure Salvations’ is nastier than an orgy at the Vatican as the band lock into a disgustingly tight groove while the vicious old-school thrash influenced ‘This Unholy Dwelling’ calls to mind the best of the South American scene in its slavish devotion to the most bestial of bands.

Finishing things off with a gloriously feral cover of Autopsy’s ‘Twisted Mass of Burnt Decay’, Horned Almighty leave no-one in doubt that old-school black metal still has a place in this increasingly grim world of ours and with World of Tombs (Scarlet Records) have crafted a thrillingly blasphemous creation that should unite fans of the old school with those who still believe that bullet belts, the riffs of Quorthorn and sticking two fingers up to progress is still the way forward.

 

8/10

Horned Almighty on Facebook

 

JAMES CONWAY