Füneral Rain Press Cörps

Genre: Power Metal, Metalcore
Label: Punishment 18 Records

Let’s see here… how to describe what it is that you hear when you’ve got Exeence’s “Hystrionic” blaring at full blast… Melodic power(-ish) metal with progressive/aggressive with a black metal meets metalcore vocalist. Yeah, I listened to “Hystrionic” a dozen or so times over already and I’m still scratching my head. Luckily for Exence,  the plethora of genres and noises blend relatively well together. Lyrically, “Hystrionic” deals with the usual stuff: insanity, ethereal happenings and general weirdness. Instrumentally, this album is tighter than Megan Fox’s ass! Guitarist Pule, managed to create a sound that bleeds experimentation while still holding some semblance of familiarity.

My only gripe with this album/band is the vocals. Yes, it must take a lot of discipline (or lack of concern for your vocal chords) to keep up that kind of harshness. But a little bit of variety wouldn’t kill you either, you know?

Overall: Vocals aside Hystrionic is a great find and excellent addition to Punishment 18’s already awesome roster!

8/10

Exence On MySpace

NOTE: This is a REPOST from E-MetalSpace

Genre: Black Metal
Labels: Misantrof Antirecords, Orkestral Promenade Productions

Second wave of black metal via inspiration from Carpathian Forest and Darkthrone, Profane Prayer unleash a very intense album that’s perfect for fans of old school 90′s TNBM. It’s got practically no real bass sound, machine gun drums, and a really necro guitar tone are lead by a very intense and violent sounding vocalist.
In other words, it’s fuck near perfect! And for 10.99 including worldwide shipping, or for free as a download, you can’t really go wrong.
My favorite tracks are “Apocalyptic”, “The Widow”, and the title track.
8 out of 10.

Profane Prayer on Misantrof (download album here).
Profane Prayer on Facebook.
Profane Prayer on MySpace.

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Candlelight Records

Limbonic Art have been making noise since 1993, and it wasn’t until 2010′s Phantasmagoria that I’ve listened to them. Poor me.
Black metal with a fair amount of ambiance, the riff structures remind me a little of Dimmu Borgir, roughly in the Death Cult Armageddon era, with less production and vocals lower in the mix. There’s also a bit more of a thrash element to the lead guitar, which Dimmu definitely lack.
Daemon is the only remaining member, which does afford a slight amount of same-ness to the album, sounding more like a solo project than a band, but it doesn’t detract from it’s high points (such as the songs “Dark Winds”, “A World in Pandemonium”, and “The Burning Vortex”).
6 out of 10.

Symfonia — the new melodic metal project featuring the all-star lineup guitarist Timo Tolkki (ex-Stratovarius), vocalist Andre Matos (ex-Angra), drummer Uli Kusch (ex-Helloween), bassist Jari Kainulainen (ex-Stratovarius) and keyboardist Mikko Harkin (ex-Sonata Artica) — are gearing up to release their debut full-length. Titled In Paradisum, the ten-track offering was recorded mainly in Finland, mixed and mastered in Italy and produced by Timo Tolkki. The record will be released in North America via Armoury Records on April 19, 2011.

In Paradisum Tracklisting:
1. Fields Of Avalon
2. Come By The Hills
3. Santiago
4. Alayna
5. Forevermore
6. Pilgrim Road
7. In Paradisum
8. Rhapsody In Black
9. I Walk In Neon
10. Don’t Let me Go

Genre: Metalcore
Label: Independent

A band fresh off the garage circuit in Illinois, Empty Lies The Tomb is a short in the arm for those of you that are tired of post-hardcore or metalcore but are still willing to give it a short (and I mean that with the utmost sincerity). This five track attack is brimming with passion and a force that’s beyond what simple labels and name calling can suppress. Vocally, Empty Lies The Tomb mix growling and bellowing with pleasing results. Especially when paired with the whip-lashing speed in which the guitarist strikes his chords. Not to mention the surprising solo in Covered In Blood. Lyrically,

I’m not a huge fan of religious meanderings, be they derived from Christianity, Islam, Satanism or what have you (unless it’s acknowledged as a myth, i.e., most forms of Paganism, etc…), so no gold is to be found in that department. But don’t let that detour you from this band!

Overall: Empty Lies The Tomb’s talent and passion is undeniable and overwhelming at times… and that should say something seeing as those I don’t rightly agree with the message they’re spreading through their music. Give them a listen if your Christian or merely a metalcore fan.

7.5/10

Empty Lies The Tomb On MySpace

NOTE: This is a REPOST from E-MetalSpace